Tag: Mansehra

  • PTI’s protest ongoing, will continue till Imran Khan calls it off: Gandapur

    PTI’s protest ongoing, will continue till Imran Khan calls it off: Gandapur

    Hour after fleeing from Islamabad to Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur has broken silence over the abrupt end to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “decisive” protest in the federal capital, saying that the “sit-in will continue” until party founder Imran Khan calls it off.

    “This is not just a political demonstration but a fight for our fundamental rights,” CM Gandapur said while addressing party workers and media persons in Mansehra on Wednesday.

    PTI had on late Tuesday night called off its Islamabad sit-in “for the time being” after violent clashes with law enforcement.

    “In view of the government’s brutality and plan to turn the capital into a slaughterhouse for unarmed citizens, [we] announce the suspension of the peaceful protest for the time being,” PTI’s official X (formerly Twitter) account said in a press release on Wednesday morning.

    In his maiden public appearance following the developments, CM Gandapur accused the government of oppressive actions against PTI supporters and highlighted the “illegal detentions”, “uncalled for violence against peaceful demonstrators” and restrictions on freedom of assembly.

    He also claimed that hundreds of his party workers were killed during the grand clearance operation in Islamabad.

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar had, however, on Tuesday night said that “no bodies fell in the operation”. Government officials and ministers have also alleged that PTI protesters caused severe damage to public and government property in Islamabad.

    Addressing media persons, CM Gandapur also complained that whenever his party announced a rally or procession, they were denied permission. “Even the courts are not providing justice,” he said.

    “When we approach courts for justice, we don’t get justice, nor do we get the floor of the parliament that is against the sanctity of the House. Our only option to deliver our message is to protest if we are not allowed to hold public gatherings,” Gandapur added.

    He claimed that the government was involved in direct attacks on him and Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi during the protest, and called out the federal government by saying that they had “broken Pakistan once before” and were “doing so again”.

    “Our province knows how to secure its mandate, it knows how to claim its rights, and it knows how to protect its people.”

    The government had on Tuesday night launched a grand operation starting from D-Chowk in Islamabad to end PTI’s protest campaign. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Tarar at around 2 am addressed media persons to announce that the government had successfully quashed the demonstrations that continued for three days.

  • Rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa kill 19 within two days

    Rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa kill 19 within two days

    Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods have devastated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in 19 deaths and 15 injuries over the past two days.

    According to a report from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), severe weather has affected Dara Adamkhel, Bajaur, Chitral, Dir, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Charsadda, Swabi, South Waziristan, and Hangu. Fatalities include 11 children, four women, and four men, while 15 others have been injured.

    The report also states that 61 houses have been damaged, with 24 completely destroyed. Landslides have blocked roads in Kohistan, Mansehra, Swat, Chitral, Dir, and other areas, and many bridges have been washed away. Relief efforts are underway, with machinery being deployed to clear blocked highways and assist affected areas.

  • ECP rejects Nawaz Sharif’s application for recounting in NA-15

    ECP rejects Nawaz Sharif’s application for recounting in NA-15

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected an application filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif for the recounting of votes in the National Assembly constituency of NA-15, Mansehra.

    “The petitioner may approach the Election Tribunal,” the verdict said.

    ECP ordered the returning officer to submit the complete results in three days.

    Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer said that the elections were unconstitutional, illegal, and against the election rules.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-supported candidate Shahzada Gustasap Khan won the election in NA-15 by getting 105,249 votes.

    The PML-N supremo was in second position with 80,382 votes in the same constituency.

  • Clashes between PTI workers and police amid general elections

    Clashes between PTI workers and police amid general elections

    Clashes have been reported between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and police officers, after imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan gave calls for rallies ahead of the February 8 general elections.

    Numerous PTI supporters attempting to organize rallies in cities like Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar were taken into custody during the crackdown, adding to mounting political tension. Reports also indicate police raids on election offices, confiscation of party paraphernalia, and the removal of banners and panaflexes, allegedly aimed at intimidating party workers and voters.

    In Lahore, former Punjab governor and PTI candidate for NA-129, Mian Muhammad Azhar, was arrested by the police during an attempt to lead an election rally in his constituency. He was reportedly released later in the day.

    His son, PTI Central Punjab General Secretary Hammad Azhar, took to X (formerly Twitter) and stated, “My 82-year-old father was arrested. He wanted to lead a rally as per his democratic and constitutional rights”.

    “Pakistan has today been reduced to a total fascist state with zero human rights or rule of law. One Nawaz Sharif and his daughter calling the shots and ruining the country,” he added.

    Despite the challenges, Mian Muhammad Azhar, upon his release, maintained that he had not committed any crime, asserting that his sole offense was organizing an election rally. He highlighted the apparent disparity in treatment, alleging that all political parties were allowed to conduct rallies and public gatherings, except the PTI.

    In Karachi, over 20 PTI workers were arrested as the party attempted to conduct an election rally near Clifton Teen Talwar. Violent clashes erupted between PTI workers and the police, turning the area into a battleground. The confrontations resulted in injuries to police officials, including SHO Boat Basin Riaz Niazi, whose jaw was reportedly broken.

    Police used baton charges and tear gas to disperse the PTI workers, leading to further injuries among the protesters. The clash disrupted traffic near Teen Talwar, Clifton, for a significant period.

    SSP South Sajid Amir Sadozai told Express Tribune that no prior permission was taken by PTI workers to hold a rally in Clifton.

    The PTI workers had blocked the road, following which the police asked them to clear the road.

    In reply, they attacked the police with stones and sticks as a result more than 10 police personnel including SHO Boat Basin and a lady SHO were injured. SHO Boat Basin’s jaw was broken and he is in critical condition.

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) chief organiser took to X and said, “They should be dealt with iron hands.”

    PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan condemned the actions of Karachi Police, emphasizing the constitutional right of every citizen to hold a peaceful rally during the election campaign.

    Similarly, in Peshawar, PTI workers held rallies across various locations in the city, including Ring Road. The police apprehended 30 individuals from Pahari Pura, Faqieerabad, Sharqi, Hayatabad, Khazana, and Sarband.

    Moreover, cases were filed against over fifty workers and community leaders.

    Seventeen individuals were mentioned in the FIR within the jurisdiction of Paharipura police station, with seven of them being taken into custody. Likewise, Faqeerabad police station detained seven workers.

    Sarband police arrested 17 individuals, while Hayatabad and Sharqi police each apprehended three PTI workers.

    Earlier, PTI Chakwal candidate Ayyaz Amir reported a peculiar situation emerging in Chakwal involving the police. He highlighted instances of police raids on the homes of prominent local citizens, arrests of their family members, and acts of vandalism against local leaders.

    Major election rallies were observed in various constituencies, including Lahore, Sheikhupura, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Okara, Chakwal, Mandi Bahudin, Layyah, Bahawal Nagar, Mansehra, Gagu Mandi, Chitral, Banu, Peshawar, Karachi, Hyderabad, and other cities.

  • No more NAB cases against Sharif Family

    No more NAB cases against Sharif Family

    National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Executive Board, chaired by the NAB Chairman, approved the closing of an investigation into the Sharif Trust case involving Sharif’s family including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    The meeting convened on January 1 to approve the closure of corruption cases, including those against PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and his family.

    The meeting approved shutting down six corruption cases, notably a 24-year-old case against Nawaz Sharif and his family in the Sharif Trust case. This decision brings relief to the former premier and his family members.

    Among the closed cases was an inquiry into Islamabad Inspector General Akbar Nasir in the Safe City corruption case. Additionally, the board decided to conclude the investigation into the Park Enclave Housing Society, involving officers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). Another inquiry against federal officers for alleged preferential recruitment was also approved for closure.

    Furthermore, the NAB board approved to close an inquiry against Shahid Malik and Shahbaz Yasin Malik, the CEO of Hilton Pharma.

    The investigation into the Sharif family regarding the Sharif Trust Case was initiated on March 31, 2000, based on allegations of receiving funds through illicit means, lack of audits, misappropriation of funds, and benami property acquisition by the Sharif family in the name of the Trust.

    The Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report, submitted to the Supreme Court, had criticized NAB for delays in the investigation and urged prioritization.

    Under the recently amended National Accountability Act 2002 by the previous PDM government, the NAB has concluded the Sharif Trust investigation under Section 31-B.

    This decision by the NAB’s Executive Board marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against the Sharif family, as they receive a respite from multiple longstanding corruption cases.

  • Nawaz Sharif receives clean chit to contest elections from NA-15 Mansehra

    Nawaz Sharif receives clean chit to contest elections from NA-15 Mansehra

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif received clearance on Friday to take part in the upcoming general elections, set to take place on February 8, 2024, from the NA-15 (Mansehra-II) constituency, despite objections raised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as per The News.

    Hajra Sami, the Returning Officer (RO), rejected the objections raised by PTI leaders and declared the nomination papers of the former prime minister valid according to the rules of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

    “The scrutiny process of the nomination papers of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif has been completed, and all objections raised by PTI leader Azam Khan Swati and two others have been set aside, and he has been declared eligible to contest elections from here,” Jahangir Jadoon, the legal advisor to Nawaz Sharif, told reporters outside the RO offices.

    Sami reviewed the concerns raised by PTI senators Azam Khan Swati, Shahid Rafique, and Zakria Tariq in the presence of PML-N and PTI lawyers and leaders. After that, the RO gave clearance to Nawaz Sharif.

    The PTI legal team, headed by Waqar Khan Jehangira and Amir Shah, and the PML-N team, led by Jadoon, presented their arguments for two hours.

    “Nawaz Sharif is disqualified for holding any public office or contesting general elections by the Supreme Court’s five-member bench, so that he is not eligible to run in Feb 8, general elections from NA-15,” PTI’s counsel Waqar Khan Jehangiri told the RO during the proceedings.

  • Nawaz Sharif comes up with a surprise move

    Nawaz Sharif comes up with a surprise move

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) head Nawaz Sharif, is set to contest elections from a constituency which is rather a surprise for many.

    Founding Editor of Khorasan Diary, Iftikhar Firdous, stated in a tweet, “PML-N’s supremo Nawaz Sharif will also be contesting elections from Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The PMLN flexing its muscle in its once stronghold now lost to PTI while Nawaz’s previous partners from the area have abandoned the party.”

    Mansehra has witnessed a shift in political dynamics with PTI gaining ground in what was once considered the traditional bastion of Nawaz Sharif’s party. The decision to field Nawaz Sharif as a candidate from the area reflects the PML-N’s determination to regain political influence and challenge the current political landscape in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    The former Prime Minister’s constituency, NA-120 in Lahore, is a pre-partition locality, part of Lahore’s famed ‘old city’, with historic buildings — many of which have since been demolished and made into commercial plazas.

    The constituency also comprises the shrine of Data Darbar, the city’s biggest wholesale market (Shalmi), an electronics market (Hall Road), and the vehicle parts market (Bilal Gunj).

  • More PTI arrests from Mansehra

    More PTI arrests from Mansehra

    A joint team of law enforcement agencies and Islamabad police apprehended former Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Ali Nawaz Awan and Malik Aamir Dogar, along with their two hosts in the Battal area, Mansehra on Thursday.

    Both former MNAs are from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    The arrests took place during a raid on the residence of Hizbullah, chairman of the Battal neighborhood council and a prominent PTI leader.

    The whereabouts of the detainees, including Hizbullah and his cousin Zaheer Khan, remain unknown, with local police maintaining silence on the matter.

    Awan, who serves as the PTI’s central additional secretary-general, represented Islamabad as an MNA, while Dogar hails from Multan city.

    Both had gone into hiding as law enforcement agencies intensified their crackdown on PTI leaders and activists following the May 9 attacks on military and government installations across the country.

    Expressing strong reservations, PTI has declared the arrests illegal. Ajmal Khan Swati, former PTI information secretary in Hazara division, urged an immediate end to what he termed an “illegal” crackdown on their party.

    “These arrests should stop immediately,” he said.

    The PTI leader said his party wanted a level-playing field to participate in general elections just like the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party, JUI-F and others in the country.

    He complained that the police didn’t allow the PTI to hold a workers’ convention in the locality and ransacked the venue despite court orders telling the government to allow PTI to carry out political activities, including canvassing.

    “Police committed contempt of court by blocking our workers’ convention despite the Peshawar High Court’s permission,” he said.

    Crackdown in Lahore Raises Concerns

    Simultaneously, the Lahore police initiated a fresh crackdown on PTI workers and activists, resulting in multiple arrests over the last three days.

    Acting on a new list of 884 PTI workers, labeled as ‘new targets,’ the investigation police targeted individuals considered part of the ‘B team’ of PTI’s top leadership.

    The list, comprising names, addresses, CNIC numbers, and mobile phone records, identified workers who allegedly made calls from protest venues during the May 9 violence against law enforcement agencies.

    Lahore DIG Investigation Imran Kishwar confirmed that the list was prepared based on information obtained during the interrogation of those arrested in connection with the May 9 attacks.

    “It took the Lahore investigation police 45 days to identify 884 new party workers and activists who were physically present at the Jinnah House and the Zaman Park,” he says, adding that many of them also took part in violent attacks at multiple sites on May 9.

    “The locations of most of them were traced at the Jinnah House and the Zaman Park from where they made mobile phone calls to contact the senior party leaders,” the officer alleges.

    Similarly, the police accessed their social media accounts for verification and got credible evidence of their physical presence at the attacked sites/venues through the posts they shared and the ones they later deleted to avoid arrests, the DIG investigation says.

    He further adds that the mobile phone data analysis of the already arrested senior political leaders of the PTI also helped the police identify the party activists and their involvement in the May 9 violence.

    “The major arrest was of Altaf Mahmood, a PTI hardcore activist, whose name was missing from the first list of May 9 attacks. He was the first who set some goods on fire at the Jinnah House (Corps Commander House) when he brought petrol bombs and other such inflammable material in a bag,” Mr Kishwar alleges.

    The arrests followed an earlier action against 1,958 PTI members, with outcomes ranging from innocence to obtaining bail or being declared proclaimed offenders.

  • Met predicts more heavy rains during Eid days

    Met predicts more heavy rains during Eid days

    For Eid-ul-Azha on Sunday, July 10, the Met department has predicted a nationwide rainy spell, warning the relevant authorities to be alert during the religious occasion.

    The Met Office advised tourists and travellers to exercise extra precautions during the forecasted period.

    The weekend of July 9–10, Saturday, and Sunday, is when the monsoon system is predicted to strengthen and bring widespread rains. In Pakistan, Eid-ul-Azha will be observed on July 10 with the possibility of rain interfering with the festival’s rituals, which include prayers and animal sacrifice.

    According to the forecast, additional rain-windstorms with thundershowers are predicted for Islamabad, Kashmir, Swat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Kurram, Kohat, Mianwali, Sargodha, Hafizabad, M. B Din, Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Sialkot, Narowal, Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Jhang, Sahiwal, and Okara, intermittently between July 9 and July 12.

    On July 9 through Sunday, there is also a chance of significant rainfall in the following locations: Kashmir, Murree, Galiyat, Peshawar, Mardan, Kurram, Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Islamabad, Potohar region, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sargodha.

    In Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Karachi, and Hyderabad, it’s expected to rain, wind, and thundershowers with sporadic heavy falls. The following cities will be affected on July 8 and July 9: Thatta, Badin, Zhob, Ziarat, Barkhan, Loralai, Bolan, Kohlu, Quetta, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Naseerabad, Sibbi, Panjgur, and Turbat.

    From July 9, heavy rains could cause urban flooding in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, and Sialkot.

    During the predicted period, flash floods could occur in the local nullahs of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Kashmir, Bolan, Kalat, Khuzdar, and Lasbella. In Kashmir, Galiyat, Murree, Chillas, Diamir, Gilgit, Hunza, Astore, and Skardu, rainfall may cause landslides.

  • ECP slaps Rs50,000 fine on PM Khan for holding public gatherings despite warnings

    ECP slaps Rs50,000 fine on PM Khan for holding public gatherings despite warnings

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) slapped a fine of Rs50,000 on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan, Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed and two provincial ministers Dr Amjad Ali and Muhibul Lah for violating the code of conduct as they all attended a public gathering in Swat on March 16 ahead of the no-confidence motion.

    Earlier, the ECP had restricted PM Khan and other government officials from attending any public gathering in districts of KP as the second phase of the local bodies elections is due in the region. Despite this, the premier and his officials ignored the warning.

    According to Geo News, District Monitoring Officer (DMO) Swat imposed a fine on the PM for breaching ECP’s code of conduct. Similarly, for attending a public gathering in Dir on March 19, Lower Dir’s District Monitoring Officer (DMO) Hameedul Lah had imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on PM Khan.

    ECP has reportedly also taken notice of the PM’s upcoming visit to KP’s Mansehra and called it a breach of the code of conduct.