Tag: trending

  • Nawaz Sharif seeks unconditional dialogue with PTI, says Rana Sanaullah

    Nawaz Sharif seeks unconditional dialogue with PTI, says Rana Sanaullah

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Advisor on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif wants unconditional dialogue with all parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had denied reports of receiving direction from former PM Nawaz Sharif to initiate talks with all parties, along with PTI.

    According to Associated Press Pakistan (APP), Sanaullah stated on a local news channel, “We have also maintained the same stance before the PTI lawmakers in the National Assembly.”

    Emphasizing that Shehbaz shook hands with everyone two weeks ago, offering unconditional talks, Sanaullah advised the PTI to reverse its “stubborn attitude” to make talks productive.

    Responding to Chief Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s negotiation offer, Sanaullah said that PML-N believes in democracy and negotiation to curb political issues.

  • False claims link bailed Mahal Baloch to BLA suicide attacker

    False claims link bailed Mahal Baloch to BLA suicide attacker

    A series of violent attacks took place on August 26 in Balochistan, including a suicide attack by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) in Lasbela.

    The BLA identified one of the bombers as Mahal Baloch in the attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) camp.

    On social media, people linked her to a recently bailed woman named Mahal Baloch, who was alleged to have possessed a suicide jacket.

    Geo Fact Check has reported that these claims are false.

    The confusion stems from two Baloch women having the same names.

    Imran Baloch, the lawyer for the bailed Mahal Baloch, told Geo Fact Check that his client is from Turbat and is alive, while the suicide attacker was from Gwadar, a coastal area of Balochistan.

    Baloch, a 30-year-old widow with two children, was charged with carrying a suicide jacket, which she vehemently denied, according to Imran.

    On May 10, 2023, she was granted bail by the two-judge bench of the Balochistan High Court.

    Moreover, the lawyer has revealed pictures of the two women, proving that they have no resemblance and are, thus two different people.

    On August 26, the Majeed Brigade, a faction of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), carried out multiple attacks, resulting in seventy-three casualties.

  • Female police officer suspended for posting TikTok video while on duty

    Female police officer suspended for posting TikTok video while on duty

    A female police officer in Karachi was suspended for posting a TikTok video while on duty, revealing her team’s location, Sindh Police has said in a notification.

    Police Constable (PC) Maria Gill was posted at the Gizri Police Station District South, Karachi.

    The police notification said that she was suspended immediately “due to improper and irresponsible behaviour towards the performance of official duties at place of deployment, leading to negligence and dereliction of duty.” Dawn reported.

    In the video, Maria addressed her followers on TikTok by saying, “Hello guys, Assalamoalikum. Today, I am posted for duty at the Mai Kolachi Road outside Bahria College.

    “As you can see, there’s a heavy police presence here,” she says while pointing towards four other police officers seated at a bus stop. To this, one of them waved at the camera. “Whoever wants to meet me, you can come here and meet me. I am posted on duty here today,” she said while saying goodbye.

    The notification said that Gill would undergo a counselling session by Station House Officer Women South Zone. She would also be shifted to Police Headquarters South Zone, where she would have to “attend daily roll call/parade.” However, it mentioned that Maria will be able to draw pay and allowances as “admissible under the rules”.

  • Senate Committee approves bill mandating three-year imprisonment for unapproved protests in Islamabad

    Senate Committee approves bill mandating three-year imprisonment for unapproved protests in Islamabad

    The Senate Standing Committee of Interior, presided by Senator Faisal Saleem Rahman, has approved a bill pertaining to rallies in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

    The bill reads that protests will occur in the Islamabad-connected area of Sangjani or other specified areas where the government referred. Without permission, protest organisers and participants will be punished with three years of imprisonment.

    Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Senator Irfan Siddiqui debated the bill, saying it is intended to legalise protests in Islamabad and will be implemented only in the capital territory.

    He further said that containers are still on Islamabad roads, creating trouble for people. He emphasised that the government needed to allocate a designated place for protests.

    Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri clarified that the bill’s purpose is not to target any political party.

    Senator Saifullah Abro said that according to the Pakistan constitution, every citizen has the right to peaceful protest.

  • Suicide bombers given numbing injections, reveals arrested terrorist

    Suicide bombers given numbing injections, reveals arrested terrorist

    An apprehended terrorist belonging to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Rooh Ullah, has revealed that suicide bombers are administered injections to numb them two days before planned attacks.

    In a video statement, the terrorist revealed details about his and other suicide bombers’ training in a seminary in Afghanistan and how they crossed the border to get inside Pakistan.

    He said that he was a student of the seminary Tarteel-ul-Quran in Tortam village in Afghanistan’s Dangam area for one year.

    He’d received the training for 10 days under the supervision of men named Molvi Sibghatullah along with Farooq and Zakir.

    He stated that the injections were administered to suicide bombers two days before their departure so they could no longer understand what was happening around them.

    Rooh Ullah stated that after completion of their training, he, along with four other suicide bombers, travelled to the Afghan border, where a facilitator named Jawad helped them get inside Pakistani territory.

    Then, the group’s responsibility was taken over by another man, Sajjad, who separated the suicide bombers and took Rooh Ullah to a mosque.

    The terrorist had now been instructed to meet another individual, Suleman, whom he got to meet after travelling for one hour.

    Suleman instructed the terrorist to receive a suicide vest from Jameel, who would also guide him about carrying out the attack in a cantonment area.

    Pakistan is witnessing the most significant surge in terrorist attacks over the last two years as it blames the Taliban government in Kabul for not taking action against the TTP.

  • IHC registrar objects to Imran Khan’s petition against potential military trial

    IHC registrar objects to Imran Khan’s petition against potential military trial

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) registrar office has objected to former Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s petition to bar his potential military trial in connection with the May 9 riots cases.

    The IHC registrar objected to the petition, stating that the petitioner could only seek relief while referring to a specific First Information Report (FIR). The court also highlighted the absence of any document and an order that should be attached to the petition.

    The IHC registrar further objected to how a petition could be filed with a high court while the matter of military trials is sub judice in the Supreme Court; registering cases in Punjab is impossible for a federal court to hear.

    Earlier, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed a plea under Article 199 of the constitution.

    Imran Khan’s counsel, Intezar Panjutha, questioned, “How can the leader of a popular political party be taken to a military court?”

  • Motion to expel illegal immigrants from Sindh passes unanimously

    Motion to expel illegal immigrants from Sindh passes unanimously

    The Sindh Provincial Assembly on Tuesday passed the “substantive motion” unanimously demanding that authorities expel illegal immigrants of other countries from the province.

    The motion tabled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Heer Soho read, “This Assembly is of the opinion that illegal immigrants residing in the Province Of Sindh belonging to other countries be extradited to their original countries.”

    However, the Sindh Assembly atmosphere heated up after Soho’s discriminatory comments on the Bihari community, terming them alien.

    Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leadership strongly condemned Soho’s remarks, which were ultimately expunged from the proceeding at the request of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Zia Lanjar.

    A member of MQM-P from Orangi town responded to Soho’s speech by stating that the Bihari community migrated twice to their homeland, Pakistan.

    “I am proud of being Bihari, and we cannot be termed illegal immigrants,” he concluded.

  • Bill tabled in Senate to increase number of Supreme Court judges to 21

    Bill tabled in Senate to increase number of Supreme Court judges to 21

    Senator Muhammad Abdul Qadir has introduced the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill in the Senate, proposing to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from 17 to 21.

    Lawmaker Qadir explained that the purpose of the amendment is to ensure quicker justice and to address the fifty-three thousand pending cases in the apex court. He emphasized that the amendment would significantly improve the judicial system’s efficiency.

    He also noted that billions of rupees in cases have remained unresolved due to the shortage of judges in the superior court and the lack of available time.

    The opposition, however, expressed concerns over the proposed amendment, arguing that it would favour the incumbent government and called it a “judiciary coup.”

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary leader Barrister Ali Zafar advised the government to focus on reforming the lower judiciary rather than increasing the number of judges in the apex court.

    Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said, “Massive reforms are being introduced in the criminal procedure code, from registration of FIR to manner of arrest and discharge, and timelines in the material and sessions trial to the use of the modern device in the law of evidence,”

  • IMF urges Punjab to end electricity subsidy, imposes more conditions

    IMF urges Punjab to end electricity subsidy, imposes more conditions

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has put forward at least three strict conditions in Pakistan after the Punjab province gave Rs45 to Rs90 billion in electricity subsidies for two months.

    Last month, President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Muhammad Nawaz Sharif announced that Punjab government would provide relief of fourteen rupees per unit to consumers using up to 500 units of electricity in August and September bills.

    The IMF has asked the province to end the temporary subsidy by September 30th while also clarifying that no province w
    could give such a subsidy during the 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EEF) programme.

    According to IMF, it was one of the conditions for the bailout that no provinces would take such a move. This brings into question Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s previous statement when he encouraged other provinces to follow suit of Punjab.

    Tribune reported that the IMF also introduced the condition that would bind the provinces to not introduce any fiscal policy that could undermine the commitments given under $7 billion loan.

    The provinces have committed to signing a National Fiscal Pact by the end of September, which would mean they undertake some expenditures that are currently the federal government’s responsibility.

  • Netherland court to try TLP’s Saad Hussain Rizvi on fatwa against Geert Wilders

    Netherland court to try TLP’s Saad Hussain Rizvi on fatwa against Geert Wilders

    A Netherlands high-security court has started a trial against the head of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Saad Hussain Rizvi, along with religious leader Muhammad Ashraf Jalali, for issuing a murder fatwa against far-right Islamophobic political leader, Geert Wilders.

    The Dutch prosecutor has demanded that the two religious leaders be sentenced to 14 years for promising his followers that they would be “rewarded in the afterlife” if they killed Geert Wilders.

    Wilders said, “This case has had a huge impact on me and my family. I’m asking this court (a high-security court) to send a strong signal that calling a fatwa in this country is unacceptable.”

    In 2018, a massive protest erupted in Pakistan after Wilders announced arranging a sketch competition of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

    After record protests in Muslim countries, he announced, “Due to violence, I decided that there will be no more sketching competition.”