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  • China urges Pakistan to allow its own security for their workers in Pakistan: report

    China urges Pakistan to allow its own security for their workers in Pakistan: report

    China is pushing Islamabad to permit its security staff to protect thousands of its citizens working in the country, sources have told Reuters.

    On October 6, an explosion near Karachi Airport killed two Chinese engineers and injured 11 people, an attack that was seen as a major security breach.

    The banned outfit Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had taken responsibility for the blast. 

    Recent attacks and security failures have reportedly angered China, prompting Pakistan to initiate formal negotiations for a joint security management system.

    Reuters spoke to five Pakistani security and government sources with direct knowledge of the previously unreported negotiations and demands on condition of anonymity, as the talks are sensitive, and reviewed a written proposal sent by China to Pakistan.

    One official stated: “They (Chinese) want to bring in their own security,” adding that Pakistan had not agreed so far.

    The source and two other officials said there was a consensus on setting up a joint security management system and that Pakistan was amenable to Chinese officials sitting in on security meetings and coordination.

    However, neither China nor Pakistan officially confirmed the off-record talks.

    Privately, Beijing has expressed frustration. At one recent meeting, the Chinese side provided evidence that Pakistan had failed to follow security protocols agreed on twice in recent months, three officials told Reuters.


    “It was a grave security breach,” admitted one of the officials investigating the bombing.

    Speaking at a press conference on November 11, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar confirmed that during an intelligence-based operation, one of the masterminds of the suicide bombing, Javed alias Sameer, and his accomplice Gul Nisa, were arrested at CD Highway near Umar Goth Chowk, Karachi, while riding a bike. The two had entered Karachi via Hub.

    “An investigation revealed Javed’s direct involvement in the suicide bombing, while Gul Nisa had facilitated [him],” Lanjar added.

    “On Oct 6, the terrorist checked out of the hotel. He later picked up his other accomplices near Jail Chowrangi in the vehicle that would be used in the attack. They circled the airport and then returned to a park near the Marriott Hotel.”

    “From there, they recorded the suicide attacker’s final video on a mobile phone and sent it to their BLA commander. At around 9:30 pm, they reached Karachi Airport. The suicide attacker and one of his accomplices remained in the vehicle while the third accomplice entered Karachi Airport,” Sindh Home Minister said.

  • KP’s natural resources are not PTM’s dowry: DG ISPR

    KP’s natural resources are not PTM’s dowry: DG ISPR

    Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, DG of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has issued a controversial statement on Tuesday while addressing cadets in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that the natural resources in the province are not Pashtun Tahafuz Movement’s (PTM) “birthright or dowry.”

    “Understand what they [PTM] are asking. They say that KP has chromite, copper, oil and gas, and nobody is allowed to touch it. Very good…then develop it yourself. Allah has bestowed Pakistan with abundant natural resources, not just KPK. Did PTM get these resources in their inheritance? Or they got it as dowry?”

    The military’s media wing chief referred to the recent Jirga held on October 11 by the PTM. The jirga claimed to address key issues affecting the Pashtuns, including security concerns, political autonomy, and socio-economic challenges in the region. 

    It should be noted that the October 11 Jirga was a continuation of previous jirgas, including the 2022 Bannu Jirga, leading to further discussions on Pashtun rights.

    In 2022, the jirga presented 25 points, one of which included: “The national right of the Pashtun people over all natural resources of the Pakhtunkhwa region be recognized. The provisions of the Pakistani constitution be implemented in the real sense, and oil refineries be built in the Pakhtunkhwa province.”

    During his address, the DG ISPR criticised the notion of “creating divisions on ethnic bases.” “The jirga is a noble tradition, but the concept of their demands is wrong. This concept of protecting Pashtuns from non-Pashtuns is wrong. The Army is composed of 25% Pashtuns. Our ancestors made this country in the name of Allah, not on an ethnic basis. This thinking is that if one is from a certain clan, one could be superior to any other human being – that is jahaalat [ignorance].”

    “Would you like to be associated with ethnicity? But Hazaras also live in the KP; Hindkos and Chitralis are also here. More than 10 million Pashtuns are settled in Punjab. Karachi has Pashtun people, and we are a diverse society. This concept is entirely wrong,” stated the DG ISPR.

    PTM supporters on social media criticised DG ISPR for his speech while using the hashtag #WeStandWith11OctJirga. One user took to X to express their disappointment with the DG’s statement, writing, “DG ISPR says that the Pashtuns got the resources on the land in dowry, so did the Pakistani army get it in dowry? Mr. DG, we will have authority over our resources very soon, God willing, our resources are not for the generals to buy, and these resources were given to us by Allah a long time ago, Pakistan has completed 75 years, which is younger than our grandfather I am sorry to hear your conversation like this.”

  • Azaz Syed asks NADRA Chief about dual role; General Munir Afsar gives vague answer

    Azaz Syed asks NADRA Chief about dual role; General Munir Afsar gives vague answer

    Veteran journalist Azaz Syed, known for his candid and probing questions, has asked the serving Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Lieutenant General Munir Afsar a question about his appointment, termed illegal by many legal experts. 


    On Tuesday, the journalist was present in Parliament House where he asked Lieutenant General Munir Afsar about his alleged illegal appointment as Chairman of NADRA during the interim government, to which the General replied, “It’s a sub judice case; contact Lahore High Court for clarification.” 

    Responding to the journalist’s question about serving two posts simultaneously, one as Chairman of NADRA and the second as a serving army officer, Munir Afsar substantiated it by saying: “The founding Chairman of NADRA was also serving.”

    Chairman NADRA seemed to have mostly dodged the journalist’s questions in the video Azaz filmed. 

    Lieutenant General Munir Afsar was appointed as the NADRA Chairman on October 2, 2023, during the interim government, following the retirement of the then-serving Chairman of NADRA, Tariq Malik.

    Ashba Kamran, a citizen, had approached the Lahore High Court about the appointment of an in-service army officer as chairman of NADRA by maintaining that the appointment was “in violation of the provisions of NADRA Ordinance, 2000.”

    She asserted that the caretaker government is not mandated to call decisions on permanent policy matters and urged the court to remove Munir Afsar as NADRA Chairman.

    Citing the unofficial approach of the caretaker government and the lack of qualifications evaluation over appointment, Justice Asim Hafeez declared the appointment of Munir Afsar as Chairman of NADRA “unauthorised” and in violation of NADRA’s rules.

    “Lest anyone misunderstand this, we make it clear that the appointment to any post under the government can only be made after a proper advertisement has been made, inviting applications from eligible candidates,” the order of the verdict said.

    However, the federal government challenged the ruling of Justice Asim Hafeez.

    Lahore High Court division bench, on September 11, 2023, overturned the single bench decision and restored the position of Munir Afsar as NADRA Chairman.


    When asked about the alleged illegal appointment of Munib Cheema, Munir Afsar stated: “You should ask the Auditor General (AG)” about the appointment, noting, “I hadn’t made an appointment.”

  • Earthquake jolts areas of KP and Islamabad

    Earthquake jolts areas of KP and Islamabad

    Tremors have been felt in various areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the capital territory of Islamabad earlier on Wednesday. The epicentre was in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan region.

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) revealed that the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1 while the epicentre of the quake was located 37 kilometres west-southwest of Afghanistan’s Ishkashim town, with a depth of 220.7 km. On the other hand, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported the magnitude as 5.3.

    The earthquake struck at 10:13 AM, Pakistan Standard Time, as confirmed by both the USGS and PMD.

    DawnNewsTV reported that the tremors were felt in Peshawar and surrounding areas, as well as in parts of Islamabad. Residents in the affected cities reported that the quake caused people to evacuate buildings in panic.

    No casualties have been reported so far.

  • Exemption of Urdu for O-level students on medical grounds irks educators

    Exemption of Urdu for O-level students on medical grounds irks educators

    The recent exemption of the Urdu subject exam for O-level students on medical grounds has sparked serious concerns among educators in Pakistan.

      

    According to critiques, the exemption conveys a strange message that sickness only impacts students’ ability to read and write a particular language. They fear that the higher-level decision will further exclude the national language from school curricula.

    The Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC) has recently exempted O-level students from the Urdu exam on medical grounds. In a recent notification issued by the IBCC’s Assistant Director, it has been clearly mentioned that O-level students appearing for their examinations on medical grounds will be exempted from the compulsory subject of Urdu.

    It was announced during the 173rd meeting of the IBCC on September 30 that a student must provide proof of their medical condition to be allowed an exemption for the Urdu exam.

    According to IBCC’s website, English, Urdu, Islamic Studies, Pakistan Studies and Mathematics have been included in the eight compulsory subjects of O-level in Pakistan. A notification was also issued by the Federal Ministry of Education in June 2023.

    Urdu, English, Pakistan Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Entrepreneurship and Islamic Studies have been approved for Grades nine to 12 under the National Curriculum of Pakistan.

    The IBCC’s announcement has triggered a fresh debate among the education circles in the country, with some teachers questioning why the students are being allowed an exemption on medical grounds from the subject of Urdu only when an exemption from any compulsory subject could be sought on medical grounds.

    Terming it a discriminatory move, an Urdu teacher observes that the IBCC could have issued a notification in which either no subject or all the compulsory subjects were mentioned. “Students, who don’t want to study Urdu, can misuse this exemption on medical grounds,” he said.

    Dr Irfan Shah, who is a Professor of Urdu at the Government City College, Karachi, is of the view that the notification is beyond the IBCC’s jurisdiction. “This matter is related to the National Curriculum and only the Bureau of Curriculum can decide all kinds of exemptions related to compulsory subjects,” he maintained. Shah wondered how such decisions are being made by the subordinate bodies of a federal minister whose mother tongue is Urdu as well.

    IBCC’s Director Meetings Aamar Gilani, when contacted by the Express Tribune, conveyed his unawareness of the matter, saying this was a specific case and no general notification had been issued.

    When the correspondent read out the notification to Gilani, he inquired about how the notification came to be accessible. “I have to see when and how the general notification was issued,” he responded.

    COURTESY TO THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE

  • Constitutional bench set to begin hearings on Nov 14

    Constitutional bench set to begin hearings on Nov 14

    The recently established constitutional bench will begin hearing cases on November 14 and 15 based on a first in and first out, the Supreme Court of Pakistan announced on Tuesday.

    Earlier, the appellate court formed a three-judge committee to fix cases, issue court rosters, form benches, and decide weekly caseload for its recently established constitutional bench.

    Justice Aminud Din Khan, the head of the constitutional bench, chaired the committee on Tuesday which was attended by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar telephonically from Karachi.

    According to a press release issued by the SC, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss matters for the formation of the constitutional bench.

    The court’s registrar’s office briefed the committee members about the pending constitutional cases. The committee resolved that priority would be accorded to the oldest cases.

    The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP), in its first session on November 5, had picked Justice Amin as head of the constitutional bench by a seven-to-five majority.

    A seven-member constitutional bench comprised Justices Ami­nud Din Khan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muha­m­mad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha A. Malik, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali and Naeem Akhtar Afghan. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi reconstituted the JCP.

    Per the SC’s release, Justice Ayesha Malik will not be available on Nov 14 and 15 and a bench comprising all available Judges will be constituted to proceed with cases on these dates.

    Muhammad Salim Khan, the Registrar at SC, released the court roster of a six-member constitutional bench which will begin hearing cases at 9:30am on Nov 14.

    The bench will include Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan.

    The SC directed the Registrar to schedule cases for hearing before the bench. The committee will meet again at 12:30pm on Nov 13.

  • Mosque suicide attack: Police arrest officer linked to attacker

    Mosque suicide attack: Police arrest officer linked to attacker

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police arrested a cop involved in facilitating the suicide bomber behind the blast at the police line mosque in Peshawar last year.

    Inspector General (IG) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Peshawar, revealed that a policeman named Mohammad Wali was arrested a few days ago from Jamil Chowk, and two suicide jackets were recovered from him.

    “It was revealed during the investigation that the suspect belonged to the police department,” KP IGP said.

    The incident took place on January 2023 at the Central Hall mosque, located in the Police Line area, leading to over 100 casualties.

    The suicide attacker was reportedly present in the first row of the prayer during Zuhur time when he exploded himself.

    The Fitna al Khawarij (formerly Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) had taken the blast responsibility in 2023.

    IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stated that following Mohammad Wali’s contact with the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) in 2021, he travelled to Afghanistan, where he met with terrorists, including Mohammad Khurasani, spokesperson of JuA.

    Moreover, IGP unveiled that Wali transported the suicide bomber on January 20, 2023, identified as Qari, an Afghan national, from Charsadda Mosque to the Police Line mosque for reconnaissance.

    Wali took the bomber on a motorcycle to Rahman Baba Cemetery, where the bomber was given a police uniform and a suicide vest. Wali then left “suicide attacker near the Police Line,” IGP added.

    Additionally, Akhtar Hayat Gandapur claimed: “Mohammad Wali did this in exchange for Rs 2 lac, received via hawala-hundi at Chowk Yadgar,” further noting that the suspect was also involved in the Warsak Road bomb blast.

    A video was shown in which Wali confessed to his horrific crimes during a press conference.

    He stated that after his arrest by Afghan forces, a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar member, Junaid, helped secure his release.

    He further confessed that he contacted the JuA’s member Junaid through social media in 2021, noting, “I personally expressed my intent to join Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, support it, and work for it.”

    Mohammad Wali maintained that he joined the police department on December 31, 2019.

    He, however, mentioned that following the suicide blast at the police line, he was then posted to the BRT.

  • Punjab govt reveals total number of cases against Imran Khan

    Punjab govt reveals total number of cases against Imran Khan

    The Punjab government on Tuesday submitted a report to the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding the total number of registered cases against the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, in the province.

    According to a report submitted by Punjab Assistant Advocate General Muhammad Farrukh Lodhi, 54 cases have been registered against the former premier in Punjab.

    “Out of 54 cases, 21 cases have been registered against incarcerated founder PTI in Lahore alone, 19 cases in Rawalpindi division, and seven in Sheikupura,” the report said.

    “Five cases in Faisalabad and one case in Gujranwala have also been registered against Imran Khan,” it added.

    Assistant Attorney General Sardar Ameer Hamza Dogar also submitted a report in LHC, as per which, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered three cases against the incarcerated former PM.

    The development comes after Noreen Khan, sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, filed a petition in the LHC seeking details of the cases against her brother in Punjab.

    It may be noted that former PM Khan was arrested from his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, shortly after his conviction in the Toshakhana case in August last year and has been in jail since then on multiple charges.

    Currently, he is held in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail under high security and with B-class facilities due to his status as a former prime minister.

    Earlier, the founder of PTI was also kept in Attock Jail.

    He is facing several cases, including the £190 million reference and a new Toshakhana case.

    Meanwhile, speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Barrister Salman Safdar, the lawyer of the PTI founder, claimed that Imran Khan will soon be acquitted in the Al-Qadir Trust case, noting that in the worst scenario, if the party founder was even convicted, “the sentence will be suspended within 15 days.”

    “All cases against Imran Khan have vanished, including both Toshakhana one and Toshakhana two,” Barrister Salman Safdar said.

  • Hajj 2025 Policy: Pilgrims allowed to pay fee in instalments

    Hajj 2025 Policy: Pilgrims allowed to pay fee in instalments

    The federal government has announced the Hajj Policy for 2025, which permits pilgrims to pay their Hajj fee in instalments.

    The authorities have stated that a total of 179,210 pilgrims from Pakistan will perform Hajj in the coming year.

    Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain shared the Hajj Policy 2025 in a presser on Monday.

    While millions of Muslims from around the world come to Saudi Arabia for the annual religious congregation, Pakistan notably receives one of the highest Hajj quotas from Saudi Arabia.


    Hajj quota

    The minister informed the media that the “Hajj quota has been divided with a ratio of 50-50 between the government and private Haj schemes”, with 89,605 seats each reserved for the state and the private Hajj schemes, respectively.

    However, 5,000 seats will be kept for sponsorship under the government Hajj scheme and 
    30,000 seats will be reserved for sponsorship by private Hajj tour operators.

    Additionally, foreign exchange must be sent through a banking channel to participate in the sponsorship scheme.

    Unlike in previous years, the government clarified that the sponsorship scheme will operate on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and will be exempt from balloting.

    The minister also mentioned that the government will use foreign exchange collected through the sponsorship scheme exclusively for Hajj-related expenses in Saudi Arabia.


    Details of stay in Saudi Arabia

    The Government Hajj Scheme includes the traditional long stay of 38 to 42 days.

    Meanwhile, the short stay will be for 20 to 25 days.

    Religious Affairs Minister also asserted that each organised private Hajj group must consist of at least 2,000 pilgrims in compliance with Saudi rules.


    Cost of Hajj

    As per Hajj Policy 2025, the cost of Hajj is expected to range between Rs1,075,000 to Rs1,175,000, while the additional cost for the Qurbani as part of the mandatory ritual of Hajj will be Rs55,000.

    The minister has revealed that all the applicants choosing double-bed and triple-bed accommodation in Makkah will have to deposit an additional amount of Rs 75,000 and 220,000, respectively.


    Instalments

    The government has also introduced an instalment policy for paying Hajj dues.

    Rs200,000 must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the Government Hajj Scheme as the first instalment.

    The second instalment of Rs400,000 must be deposited within 10 days of balloting. 

    The remaining amount, however, as part of the third and last instalment, must be deposited by February 10.

    The minister noted that there would be a deduction of Rs50,000 on a refund of the first instalment and a deduction of Rs200,000 if the third instalment is not deposited after the balloting, but there would be no deduction for refunds if an application is withdrawn before the last date of submission. 

    No refund policy will apply after February 10. 

    In case of the applicant’s death, the deductions will not be applied.

    The process of receiving applications for the upcoming Hajj will begin from November 18 to December 3, while balloting will be held on December 6.

  • New rules in place for attendants with passengers on Karachi Airport

    New rules in place for attendants with passengers on Karachi Airport

    The Vigilance Department of Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has announced new rules for all the people coming along to pick up or see off passengers. 

    The department attributed the decision to measures taken to tighten security at Karachi Airport. 

    New rules have been imposed on those who come to receive or send off passengers.
    Geo’s Tariq Abul Hassan has reported that it is mandatory to carry a copy of the ticket for those who come to pick up or leave passengers at Karachi Airport.


    Additionally, attendees will be asked to show tickets when asked for checking by security agencies at the time of entry to the airport.


    Gone are the days when the whole family could come to drop off one person about to board as the Vigilance department has announced that only four people will be able to go to the airport with one passenger. 


    If the attendees do not have a copy of the ticket, they will not be allowed to enter the airport.

    Geo’s sources said that under the new rules, citizens who come to pick up the passengers will also have to carry ID cards to be allowed entry into the premises and must facilitate verification for airport security staff. 


    Notably, these steps have been taken in view of the recent terrorist attack near Karachi Airport.


    A massive terror attack occurred last month on a road near the airport, killing three people — including two Chinese nationals — and injuring at least 16 others.


    So far, the Karachi police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) have arrested three terrorists, including the mastermind and a woman accomplice. 

    Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar on Monday announced the arrest of three terrorists, who were found to have used 70-80 kilogrammes of explosives planted in a double-cabin vehicle. The attacker crashed the explosives-laden car into the coaster bus carrying the Chinese nationals as it approached the airport. 


    Geo’s sources from the Pakistan Airports Authority said, “These steps aim to enhance security and minimise risks to airport visitors and personnel.”


    The Vigilance Department of Pakistan Airports Authority has prepared the plan, and implementation will begin soon.