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ISLAMABAD: Prominent religious preacher Dr Zakir Naik arrived in the country on Monday on a month-long visit that will see him deliver lectures in major cities of the country including Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore.
This is Naik’s first visit to Pakistan in three decades — the last time he visited was in 1992, when he met with religious scholar Dr Israr Ahmed in Lahore before returning to India.
Although originally from India, the preacher currently resides in Malaysia due to legal troubles in his home country, which has sought his extradition in a number of cases.
Upon his arrival at Islamabad International Airport, Naik was received by officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and PM’s aide Rana Mashhood.
During his stay in Pakistan, Dr Naik is scheduled to address public gatherings, starting from Karachi on Oct 5.
He will speak in Lahore on Oct 12 and Islamabad on Oct 19.
In addition to public events, he is expected to meet senior government officials and participate in various public engagements, as his visit is scheduled to continue until Oct 28.
Sources in the religious affairs ministry said
Dr Naik was visiting Pakistan at the invitation of the government and would be given foolproof security during his month-long stay.
LAHORE: Khawaja Saad Rafique, another senior PML-N leader who appears discontent with the path of ‘power politics’ chosen by his party’s leadership, said on Monday that democracy cannot function ‘under remote control’, nor can it be sustained by billionaires.
“Flattery and false praise ruin even the most capable political leader. Gaining power with the support of the establishment has long been a favorite pastime for political leaders,” the PML-N leader said on Monday, in a tone similar to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, whose reason for quitting the Sharif-led PML-N was a focus on ‘power politics’ rather than self-accountability and democracy.
While addressing a ceremony held to commemorate the death anniversary of ex-CM Ghulam Haider Wynne, he said, “Parties prefer sycophants and flatterers over genuine political workers. They [leadership] see themselves and their families as the sole bearers of wisdom and worth.”
‘Disgruntled’ PML-N stalwart regrets how leaders prefer ‘flatterers’; calls for end to ‘idol worship’ of political figures
Mr Rafique, who lost his National Assembly seat to PTI’s Latif Khosa in the February polls, has repeatedly pointed out the weaknesses of political parties, which he believes have contributed to the weakening of democracy by allowing more space to non-political actors.
“I speak harsh truths to the leadership. Whether they act on them or not is their choice, but they do listen. We cannot bury any political reality, just as no one has been able to bury us,” he said, in a veiled reference to the PTI.
Referring to the situation in Balochistan, he said the province has become ‘a simmering volcano’, yet no one was willing to address its issues. “There is an armed separatist movement in Balochistan. In KP, forces that do not even believe in the constitution are gaining strength. Non-state actors, driven by hunger and injustice, are becoming stronger.
“Why don’t PML-N and PTI focus on the issues in Balochistan? They’re simply taking turns in power. People think the conflict between PTI, PML-N, and the establishment is important, but in reality, the issue of Balochistan is far more critical than all of them.”
“The judiciary is in a dismal state, with even respected judges becoming controversial. A democracy run by billionaires and millionaires can neither function effectively nor deliver meaningful results,” he warned. He also highlighted that no political party was willing to abide by its own manifesto.
‘Don’t idolise leaders’
Saad Rafique, who was a student leader before entering politics, urged the youth to free themselves from blind loyalty. “Respect your leaders, but do not idolise them. All political parties that believe in the constitution and the integrity of state institutions must come together for the sake of Pakistan.”
He further accused the establishment of creating political parties, noting that “a few individuals make mistakes, but the entire party is punished. The party (PTI) currently under pressure is in this situation for similar reasons.”
The former railways minister also questioned why political parties failed to engage in grassroots politics. He lamented that political parties learned nothing from their past mistakes.
“No one is willing to undergo self-accountability. Everyone has made mistakes, but no one is ready to admit them,” he observed, speaking of the cyclical nature of politics — what goes around comes around.
Reflecting on the past, the PML-N leader shared that he was one of Ghulam Haider Wynne’s favourites, but he never enjoyed the same standing with Nawaz Sharif.
The Mandi Bahauddin police on Monday said two people were arrested as they busted a suspected gang of child predators who allegedly molested children and filmed the assaults.
District Police Officer (DPO) Ahmad Mohiuddin told Dawn.com that the action was taken after he took notice of four cases registered at the Civil Lines police station from September 24-29 under Sections 375A (gang rape), 376iii (punishment for rape of a minor) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable by life imprisonment) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
DPO Mohiuddin said he immediately took notice and ordered the district superintendent of police (DSP) to arrest the suspects and submit an incident report at the earliest, after which two suspects were arrested from the areas of Makhanwala and Tariqabad with raid teams seizing a mobile phone, a laptop and a USB drive.
He added that one suspect secured interim bail and that a fourth suspect was on the run.
“Police teams are currently searching for him,” the DPO said. “We are hoping to find him by tonight.”.
Mandi Bahauddin Police Spokesperson Ajmal Waheed Gul told Dawn.com that the arrested suspects allegedly lured the children to a shop where the gang molested them.
“They filmed the assaults on their phones and used the videos as blackmail,” he added.
“These are operatives of the same gang,” the DPO said, adding that a medical examination of the victims was being performed.
DPO Mohiuddin added that the victims ranged in age between 8 and 13. He said that some of them refused to come forward “due to social stigma”.
Previously, more than 40 separate cases of abduction and sexual violence against women were reported in Mandi Bahauddin district in July.
According to 46 first information reports (FIRs), seen by Dawn.com, the incidents occurred from July 1 to July 24.
The various cases were registered under PPC Sections 376 (rape), 376iii (rape of a minor), 365B (kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel for marriage etc.), 496-A (enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a woman), 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) and/or 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or a shorter term).
The FIRs revealed details regarding abduction, sexual assault, and physical abuse of young girls and adolescents by various means and pretexts.
The ages of the affected women and adolescents ranged from 10 to 28 years with the majority being underage girls between the ages of 10 and 18.
Earlier this year, data compiled by Sahil, an NGO working for children’s rights, showed that 11 children were abused every day in 2023, with mostly acquaintances and relatives involved in the heinous act.
The report said that in 2023, a total number of 4,213 child abuse cases had been reported from all four provinces as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). The total number of cases included reported cases of child sexual abuse, cases of abduction, cases of missing children, and child marriages.
A gender-divide analysis of the data showed that out of the total reported cases, 2,251 (53 per cent) of victims were girls and 1,962 (47 per cent) were boys. The reported age showed that children were most vulnerable to abuse in the age group of 6-15 years, in which more cases of boys than girls were reported.
Moreover, children as young as 0-5 years were also sexually abused. The abuser’s category in the report indicated that acquaintances were still the most involved in child sexual abuse, along with relatives, family members, strangers and women abettors.
The report also showed that out of the total 4,213 reported cases, 75pc were reported from Punjab, 13pc cases from Sindh, 7pc cases from Islamabad capital territory, 3pc cases from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 2pc cases from Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
At least seven people died in Iran after consuming bootleg alcohol, state media said on Monday, bringing the death toll from alcohol poisoning to 11 in two days in a country where such drinks are banned.
The latest deaths occurred in the northern province of Mazandaran and included six men and a woman, the official news agency IRNA reported, citing judicial authorities. It had previously reported the deaths of two people from alcoholic poisoning in Mazandaran.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said 57 people suffering from “ethanol or methanol” intoxication had been hospitalised since Sunday in the northern province. IRNA later revised the number down to 53 people.
On Sunday, the news agency said four people died of alcohol poisoning in neighbouring Gilan province after 20 were hospitalised following bootleg booze consumption.
Iran banned the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Smuggled and bootleg alcohol has ever since proliferated on the Iranian black market, with methanol often added to drinks as a cheaper alternative to ethanol.
In September last year, Iran sentenced four people to death over selling poisonous alcohol that killed at least 17 people months earlier.
NEW YORK: The Quadrilateral Group comprising Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia has called on Afghanistan’s Taliban government to take “visible and verifiable actions” to dismantle terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil.
A joint statement issued by the group after a ministerial-level meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) identified several terrorist organisations operating in Afghanistan, including Daesh, Al-Qaida, the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Jaish ul-Adl, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the TTP. It mentioned that these outfits “pose a serious threat to regional and global security”.
The Taliban leadership was urged to “dismantle and eliminate all terrorist groups equally and non-discriminatory” and to prevent Afghan territory from being used to launch attacks against neighbouring countries and beyond.
The Quadrilateral Group expressed grave concerns about the security challenges posed by these outfits, warning that their activities threaten not only Afghanistan’s neighbours but also the region and beyond.
Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia express concern over ‘terror threat emanating from Afghan territory’
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, in his remarks, highlighted the urgent need for Afghanistan’s interim government to prevent its territory from being used for cross-border attacks. “We have consistently urged the Afghan interim government to ensure that their land is not used for attacks against Pakistan. This is not only a matter of bilateral concern but a regional one,” he said.
However, he also emphasised the importance of sustained international engagement to comprehensively address the security threats. The joint statement echoed his concerns, noting that the participants were particularly alarmed by “the terrorism threat” emanating from Afghan territory.
The ministers also highlighted the need for continued coordination between the four nations to stabilise the situation in Afghanistan and address its wide-ranging challenges.
Rising terrorism, its impact on region
This was the third ministerial-level meeting of the Quadrilateral Group, formed to address the post-Taliban power shift in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban regained control in August 2021, militant activity has surged, particularly in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces, bordering Afghanistan. In August alone, 59 attacks were recorded in these regions, according to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, a significant increase from 38 attacks in July.
The defence minister of Pakistan along with the foreign ministers of China, Iran and Russia at the meeting also expressed his concern over the rising number of attacks by the TTP and other outlawed groups. Islamabad has repeatedly urged Kabul to take action against these groups, which Pakistan claims are using Afghan territory as a base for attacks on its soil.
They also condemned recent terrorist attacks in the region, including the Daesh-led assault on Karbala pilgrims on Sept 13 and TTP’s attacks in Bannu and Besham areas of Pakistan.
The joint statement called for a ‘united effort’ to combat terrorism. “These terrorist attacks in all shapes and forms are unacceptable and highlight the pressing need for a coordinated approach to eradicate terrorism from the region.”
Support to Afghanistan
Beyond terrorism, however, the Quadrilateral Group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. “All members of the international community have a shared interest in a stable and peaceful Afghanistan,” the ministers stressed.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to Afghanistan’s long-term peace, declaring that Afghanistan should be “supported in taking comprehensive measures to address both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism,” so that the country does not become a safe haven for terrorism and extremism. It also resolved to ensure Afghanistan is not turned into a ground for geopolitical competition rather collaborative efforts to stabilize the country.
One of the most pressing humanitarian issues discussed was the return of Afghan refugees. Since the Taliban takeover, neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan and Iran, have seen a significant influx of Afghan refugees. Over 500,000 undocumented Afghans have already been repatriated from Pakistan as part of a campaign that began last year, according to UN figures.
The joint statement urged Afghanistan’s interim government to create conditions “conducive to the safe return of Afghan refugees” and to integrate the returnees into political and social processes for a lasting solution.
Financial support
The Quadrilateral Group also called on the international community to provide predictable and sustained financial support to both Afghanistan and the countries hosting Afghan refugees. “The international community must shoulder its responsibility and provide adequate, regular, and sustainable financial support,” the statement urged, emphasizing the need for time-bound, well-resourced repatriation programs to facilitate the safe and dignified return of refugees.
The ministers recognised the significant threat posed by drug trafficking and organised crime, emanating from Afghanistan. “Strengthening peace and stability in Afghanistan and countering the threats of terrorism and drug crime from its territory are in line with our common interests in the region,” they concluded.
The management of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had launched a new attack on a nearby electricity substation, destroying a transformer.
The Zaporizhzhia station, Europe’s largest with six reactors, was seized by Russian forces in the early days of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Each side regularly accuses the other of attacking or plotting to attack the plant.
The plant’s management, writing on Telegram, said an artillery strike had hit the transformer at the “Raduga” substation in the town of Enerhodar in southeastern Ukraine.
It described the incident as “yet another terrorist act aimed at destabilising the situation in the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant’s satellite city”.
Also posted was a photograph showing smoke billowing from the top of a building. It said power supplies to Enerhodar had not been interrupted.
The plant’s management accused the Ukrainian military on September 20 of attacking a second substation in Enerhodar. The following day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha accused Russia of planning strikes on Ukrainian nuclear facilities before the winter.
He provided no detailed explanation.
Power lines to the Zaporizhzia plant have been cut on several occasions, increasing the chance of a blackout that could cause a nuclear accident.
The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has stationed monitors permanently at the plant and urged both sides to refrain from all attacks on it.
ISRAEL may have killed Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah but what the world thinks of its occupation of Palestine, continued genocide in Gaza and provocative military action against Lebanon was evident at the UN General Assembly.
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got to the podium to address the assembly, there was a mass walkout by a large number of delegates and the only applause and cheering at his delusional speech came from the galleries that the Israeli delegation ensured were filled with genocide supporters.
One commentator remarked, “It seemed the galleries were taken up entirely by members of the US Congress”, in a reference to the multiple standing ovations for Israel’s extreme right-wing leader during a recent address to the US Congress.
The most embarrassing moment for Netanyahu came when he was talking about eliminating ‘terrorism’ and then building a peaceful region with partners such as Saudi Arabia. The camera panned to the seating area of the Saudi delegation tagged with a lit-up sign ‘Saudi Arabia’ and showed empty seats as the delegates had walked out.
Israel carries on its relentless genocide simply because it can.
While the role (or lack of it) of the bulk of the Arab world has been far from proactive in putting pressure on US and Israel’s other Western backers to force it to stop its mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and now of Lebanese Muslims, the mood in many Arab streets was reflected in the decision to walk out.
As these lines were being written on Friday, the Israeli military officially claimed that the Hezbollah leader had been ‘eliminated’ after a massive air strike on six apartment blocks in a Beirut neighbourhood, seen as a Hezbollah stronghold in the Lebanese capital, on Friday. Hezbollah confirmed the news.
Hezbollah is the only force in the Middle East to have successfully confronted the Israeli military over the past 50 years and gave it a bloody nose in the 2006 conflict, forcing the formidable opponent to beat a retreat. This boosted the movement and propelled its leader, Hassan Nasrallah to become one of the most popular figures in the Arab world and beyond.
With its own and its Western allies’ financial and intelligence resources, it is clear now that Israel spent the period from 2006 to the present day planning and plotting about degrading Hezbollah, the only military force in half a century to stand up to it and face it down.
This Israeli view may well have been reinforced when Hezbollah and other Iran affiliates fought alongside Syrian government forces against IS that was threatening to overwhelm Syria and stopped the terrorists. Many believed that the terror group that sprang out of nowhere was the brainchild of Israeli intelligence or at the very least received immense help from Israel.
Interestingly, Hezbollah, along with the so-called axis of resistance comprising Iran, Yemen and Syria, is Shia and the only proactive ‘military’ allies of the Sunni Hamas movement in Gaza. This alliance perhaps is one of the reasons that Gulf monarchies and emirates and the US-backed autocrat in Egypt look at it with suspicion; it makes them reluctant to offer meaningful assistance to the Palestinians.
For Israel, which was moving closer to the UAE and Saudi Arabia and has close diplomatic and trade relations with Egypt and Jordan, this ‘axis’ had to be degraded, if possible destroyed, because it continues to challenge its settler colonial project in Palestine and other illegally occupied areas in Lebanon and Syria, such as the Shebaa Farms and the Golan Heights.
Against this backdrop, it is clear from the exploding pagers and walkie-talkies to the killing of Hassan Nasrallah and other senior Hezbollah leaders why Israel is claiming a huge success. But can these self-proclaimed wins, win Israel the security and peace it wants for its citizens as, it claims, has been its objective for several decades?
From the helicopter gunship strike in south Lebanon, killing Hezbollah leader Abbas al-Musawi (Nasrallah succeeded him), his wife and five-year-old son in 1992, to the Gaza assassination of Shaikh Ahmed Yassin, the near-blind, wheelchair-bound, paraplegic Hamas leader in 2004, there have been many ‘decapitation’ murders in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and even in countries outside the conflict zone.
Has any one of these ‘successes’ celebrated by Israel brought it peace and security? The answer has to be a resounding NO. But Israel carries on relentlessly simply because it can. The leaders of the ‘free world’, such as those in office in the US, UK, Germany, France and several other Western countries, have decided that Israel is their most important ally in the region and they’ll indulge it no matter what it does.
They have collectively spent hundreds of billions of dollars to bolster Israel’s military capability and done nothing to stop the ongoing genocide in Gaza. There are three main reasons as I can see.
The first must be the guilt at the Holocaust during which the psychopath Adolf Hitler wiped out five to six million Jews in Germany, Poland and other parts of Europe, while the US and UK looked on. The second is an ally in the Middle East which mirrors their own values, including colonialism. The third has to be the massive funding provided to election campaigns of US politicians by the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee and other pro-Israel billionaires and bodies such as the Conservative Friends of Israel and the Labour Friends of Israel in the UK, which undermines these ‘democracies’ by leaving their elected officials compromised.
Hope one day their voters ask what their carte blanche to Israel has delivered. From Shaikh Yassin who was succeeded by leaders such as Khaled Mashal, Ismail Haniyeh to the current leader Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian desire for freedom lives on.
Similarly, notwithstanding the setbacks, Hezbollah will find someone like Nasrallah’s cousin Hashem Safi al-Din, whose son is married to IRGC’s assassinated commander Qasem Soleimani’s daughter, to provide leadership. Hezbollah will find its feet again. Israel’s firepower is terrifying. But it should know the will of those resisting is no less.
• Police use teargas, batons to disperse protesters; PTI activists hurl rocks at cops
• Pindi’s entry points sealed; Gandapur’s caravan braves shelling, but was stopped near Burhan interchange; Gohar, Raja briefly detained
RAWALPINDI: As PTI supporters took to the streets to converge on Liaquat Bagh for their demonstration, Punjab police arrested over 110 supporters, including party leaders, after clashes while the smell of teargas used to disperse the protesters permeated the air.
The garrison town remained ‘under virtual siege’ on Saturday, with containers placed on every route leading to the protest site as well as Murree Road, which passes through the heart of the city.
On more than 25 ‘blocking points’, contingents of the anti-riot police armed with teargas grenades and rubber bullets were stationed to stop the PTI protesters. In total, more than 4,200 police officials were deployed to counter the demonstration. A senior police official said PTI leaders, including Seemabia Tahir, were also detained and cases against them were being registered.
In the afternoon, PTI officials started moving towards Liaquat Bagh in small groups. The party activists assembled in narrow streets along the road using the densely populated neighbourhoods as a cover but attempts to occupy Murree Road were repulsed by the police.
The workers then retaliated by pelting the police with stones, and the latter responded with teargas and baton-charge to push them back. The PTI workers as they retreated towards the streets hurled more rocks at the police amid intense teargas shelling.
After some time, the PTI workers gathered on College Road, which had been blocked with a container. However, their attempts to remove the container were not fruitful as the police again pushed them back using teargas.
Besides small groups led by local leaders, Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma Khan before the sunset appeared near Marrir Chowk on their way back from Adiala Jail but the police promptly used teargas to disperse them. A group of the PTI legal wing gathered at the Quaid-i-Azam Hall in the Rawalpindi district courts in the afternoon, but the police dispersed them as well.
This hide-and-seek between the police and the party supporters continued late into the evening and only ended after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur called off the protest.
‘PTI withdrew permission request’
Speaking about the events leading to the protest, an official of the district administration told Dawn that the PTI on Tuesday sought permission for a gathering at Liaquat Bagh or Bhatta Chowk.
The former ruling party was given 24 hours to submit an affidavit but they did not comply, the official claimed, adding that the district administration had given them till Thursday to submit the undertaking but the PTI chose to move the Lahore High Court instead. The official said that the district administration invited the local party leaders for discussions about the venue but they changed their mind.
The PTI withdrew its application from the district administration office as well as the high court and issued a call for protest, he said, adding that the government imposed Section 144 to stop the demonstration suspecting that the PTI could attempt to enter Islamabad.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that the situation in the district remained “peaceful” except for some locations on Murree Road.
“Four companies of Rangers are in Rawalpindi but we did not call them as the situation remained under control,” he said.
In reply to a question, he said that the administration did not reject the PTI’s request for a public meeting but asked them to submit an affidavit and discuss the venue but the party seemed uninterested.
Gandapur goes back
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who had vowed to reach Liaquat Bagh despite odds, had to go back in the evening after he was stopped by the Punjab police near the Burhan interchange. Earlier, the caravan led by CM Gandapur braved intense teargas shelling near the Chach interchange in Attock but the charged crowd managed to remove the containers and move forward.
A PTI rally led by Azam Swati was also met with teargas at the Hazra-M1 junction near Burhan.
At two locations, violent clashes broke out between the PTI supporters and the police; no casualty had been reported by the time this paper went to press.
The G.T. Road was also blocked with containers in Burhan, Wah Garden Bridge in Hassanabdal, Kala Bridge, and Margalla Hills in Taxila. Hotels and fuel stations along the Rawalpindi-Peshawar road were also shut down by the local administration.
‘2,000 police officials in capital’
In Islamabad, as many as 2,000 police were deployed as the entry points of the capital remained sealed in light of the protest.
The capital police also briefly detained PTI interim chairman Gohar Ali Khan and Salman Akram Raja. According to officials, several PTI supporters were detained and moved to different locations.
Police officers told Dawn that the PTI leaders moving along in a caravan were intercepted near Chungi No 26. They were asked to turn back but upon refusal, the police separated both leaders from the crowd and took them in custody.
They were soon released and the police asked them to return to Islamabad.
Meanwhile, the capital police on Saturday sealed several points of capital keeping in view of the PTI’s protest at Rawalpindi. The police said that the capital entry points, including Faizabad.
Amjad Iqbal in Taxila also contributed to this report
• Punjab govt bans gatherings in Rawalpindi, neighbouring districts
• 4,000 police personnel deployed, Rangers called to help maintain law & order
• Party leaders vow to gather at Liaquat Bagh ‘despite all hurdles’
LAHORE / RAWALPINDI: In an attempt to thwart PTI’s protest on Saturday (today), the provincial government has banned all public gatherings and stationed paramilitary forces in Rawalpindi.
The party has announced Liaquat Bagh as the venue for the protest, which was earlier planned to be a jalsa. However, the PTI founder changed the decision, saying that the government would not allow his party to hold the event in the city and designate a venue in the suburbs.
In a video message on Friday, PTI Punjab acting president Hammad Azhar said the party would hold a “massive but peaceful political public gathering” at 2pm.
He urged the supporters to reach the venue well in time, as the party’s previous gathering in Lahore last week was forcibly cleared by the police for extending beyond the allowed time.
Even though PTI leaders have vowed to reach the venue “despite all hurdles”, it won’t be an easy task.
Rawalpindi Police, Rangers and Punjab Constabulary have planned to “lay a virtual siege” to the garrison city to stop PTI workers, a senior police official confirmed.
No traffic would enter or exit the city as roads would be blocked with containers and barbed wires.
“Extraordinary security measures have been taken to ensure peace in the city and nobody will be allowed to stage any protest,” the top police official said.
Section 144 in Rawalpindi
On Friday, a day before the protest, the deputy commissioners of Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock districts requested the Punjab Home Department to ban all gatherings in the city.
The request was promptly accepted, and Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, was imposed in the city and neighbouring districts.
The move bans all kinds of gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests, and other activities like carrying or displaying weapons.
The four deputy commissioners expressed apprehensions that miscreants “could take advantage” of PTI’s protest to carry out “subversive/ anti-state activities to fulfil their nefarious designs”.
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema told Dawn that his administration and local police were working in coordination to maintain law and order in the district.
Local administrations of Attock and Rawalpindi will be assisted by six companies of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) who have been stationed at the request of respective deputy commissioners.
The Ministry of Interior — which commands Rangers — has deployed the troops at the request of the Punjab Home Department.
The troops will remain in the two districts till Sunday.
Despite the restrictions, PTI leaders have vowed to reach the venue.
In a video message, PTI Lahore president Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood said workers and supporters from Pubjab’s capital would reach Liaqat Bagh “to lead the movement launched for the independence of judiciary”.
PTI would continue its struggle until the law and Constitution are upheld, he added.
Traders miffed
Anticipating disruption in their business due to the protest, the shopkeepers of the nearby Raja Bazaar and Murree Road have expressed their annoyance at the planned activity.
“The government should allocate a separate space for protests as it disturbs business activities and movement of people on roads,” said Traders Association President Shahid Ghafoor Paracha.
He added that traders were already suffering from financial woes due to the high cost of electricity and gas.
He complained that too many protests had been held in the garrison city.
Earlier this year, Jamaat-i-Islami held a days-long sit-in on Murree Road against the high cost of electricity. There were also demonstrations by teachers, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan and other religious parties.
The family of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar — who was killed by Mirpurkhas police in a staged encounter over a blasphemy accusation — filed a first information report (FIR) on Friday against 45 suspects, including top police officials and a cleric, over his killing.
The doctor hailing from Umerkot was shot dead by police in an alleged extra-judicial killing in Mirpurkhas on September 19, a day after being booked on allegations of blasphemy.
After the encounter, the body was handed over to the family, who brought it to Janhero — the native village of the suspect — for burial. However, they had to escape after a mob descended on them to snatch the body, which they later burned.
An inquiry into the incident was launched and Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar on Thursday presented the findings, saying the probe found that police “staged the encounter”.
Lanjar announced the registration of the case today, attaching a copy of it to his statement on X.
“In case number 147/2024, registered in Sindhri police station, 45 people, including the former DIG, two SSPs, two inspectors … have been named,” he said, adding that a cleric was also named.
The home minister maintained that the Sindh government strongly opposed extrajudicial actions and believed in “justice and fairness”.
“No matter how powerful or high [ranking] an officer someone is, respect and observance of the constitution and the law is mandatory for everyone,” Lanjar reiterated.
The Sindhri police registered the case on the complaint of the slain doctor’s brother-in-law under Sections 34 (common intention), 120-B (punishment for criminal conspiracy), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 302 (punishment for murder) and 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code; Sections 6 and 7 (terrorism/punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Sections 8 and 9 (punishment for torture/punishment for custodial death) of the Torture and Custodial Death Prevention and Punishment Act of 2022.
The FIR was lodged against the suspended Mirpurkhas deputy inspector general (DIG), two senior superintendents of police (SSP) of Mirpurkhas and Umerkot respectively, and a cleric among 45 suspects.
The FIR said that Dr Shahnawaz was arrested from Lyari and was killed in Mirpurkhas’ Sindhri area on September 19.
It said that blasphemy charges were levelled against Dr Shahnawaz and he fled the area after a violent protest by “religious groups” in Umerkot. The doctor contended that his social media accounts had been hacked and he was not behind the posts.
However, the FIR said a cleric in Umerkot led a large rally demanding that the police arrest the doctor and warning that otherwise, the crowd would take matters into its own hands.
It added that Dr Shahnawaz travelled to Karachi and met another relative on September 18. It further said that the Umerkot SSP ordered a police team to go to Karachi and arrest the doctor, which the personnel did in the presence of a relative of the deceased.
The FIR said the complainant’s brother informed him on September 19 that Dr Shahnawaz was killed in an “encounter” in Sindhri at 4am, with Mirpurkhas police registering a case half an hour later.
It added that when the doctor’s coffin was taken for burial, a mob attacked the ambulance carrying the remains. “We could not perform the rites,” the complainant said, adding that the mob later snatched the body and set it on fire. The complainant added that the doctor’s body bore marks of torture in addition to the bullet wounds.
He alleged that the Sindhri station house officer (SHO) filed two “fake” FIRs against the doctor, while high-ranking officials from Mirpurkhas police told the media that Dr Shahnawaz was killed in an encounter.
“They were given rewards, cash prizes and garlands by different people at the DIG office,” the complainant added. “By doing so, these officers spread fear and terror in the area.”
The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) on Friday said that a new polio case was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, taking the total number of cases for 2024 to 23.
Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic. Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as security issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation have slowed progress.
A statement from the NEOC said the case was reported in a 10-month-old girl in KP’s Kohat, taking the provincial tally to two.
“The rapid spread of poliovirus is a constant threat to children’s health. Children should be given polio vaccine as well as a complete immunisation course in a timely manner,” the NEOC said.
The government has updated its National Polio Eradication Emergency Operations Plan to target critical gaps in access, campaign quality, and vaccine acceptance.
Two large-scale, door-to-door vaccination campaigns are planned for later this year to close immunity gaps and curb the spread of the virus.
National Coordinator for the Polio Emergency Operations Centre Muhammad Anwarul Haq previously highlighted the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage.
“Every new case is a tragic reminder of what happens when there are gaps in immunity,” he said.
“When a child misses’ vaccination, the virus wins. Let’s work together to protect our children and importantly to put a stop to the virus,” Haq had said. He urged parents to welcome polio teams into their homes to ensure the health and well-being of their children.
GILGIT: Pakistani climbers Sirbaz Khan and Shehroze Kashif started their journey to summit Shishapangma peak (8027m) in Tibet, China.
Khan from Hunza and Kashif from Lahore have already scaled 13 over-eight thousand-metres-high peaks in the world, including five eight-thousanders in Gilgit-Baltistan. They will be the first Pakistani climbers to summit all the 14 eight-thousander peaks in the world after scaling the Shishapangma peak.
On October 8 last year, Pakistani climbers Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan had survived an avalanche near the summit of Tibet’s Shishapangma peak. Two climbers from the US and Nepal died and two others from the same countries went missing after massive avalanches engulfed the main climbing route. No Pakistani climber has so far scaled the peak in Tibet.
Kashif Salman, the father of Kashif, told Dawn that his son arrived in Tibet from Nepal on Tuesday while and Khan was already in Tibet. He said the climbers will start their summit push in the second week of October.
“After last year’s avalanche incident at the peak, China has issued a new policy for climbing the peak this year. According to the new policy, all climbers will attempt to climb the peak in one group and there would be no separate expeditions,” he said.
Karrar Haideri, Secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan, in a statement said the Pakistani mountaineers were on the verge of making history. “We are thrilled to share that two of Pakistan’s most esteemed mountaineers, Sirbaz Khan and Shehroze Kashif, are on their final journey toward Shishapangma to achieve an extraordinary milestone in the world of high-altitude climbing.”
Khan, who has already scaled 13 of the 14 highest peaks in the world, is gearing up for the final ascent of his climbing career. On the other hand, Kashif has also scaled 13 of the world’s 8,000-metre-high peaks. His impressive track record at such a young age has made him a notable figure in the climbing community.
“Your dedication and courage serve as a beacon of inspiration to aspiring mountaineers across Pakistan and beyond,” Mr Haideri said.
Kashif in a Facebook post said, “After an amazing team lunch with the incredible crew and members from Seven Summit in Nepal, I feel more ready than ever to tackle Shishapangma, my 14th and final 8000er. This isn’t just the end of a mission, but the culmination of years of hard work, passion, and unwavering dedication.”
He added, “I carry the weight of not just my own dreams, but the hopes of an entire nation. The resolve to raise the green flag on highest peaks in the world drives me forward. This isn’t just about a record; it’s about showing the world what Pakistanis are capable of—strength, perseverance, and the will to overcome any obstacle. I’m grateful for the support of those who believe in me, and for the team standing beside me. Together, we are determined to summit this last peak and make history. The resolve is strong, the focus is clear, and the commitment is unshakeable.
“With every step forward, I’m reminded that nothing worth having comes easy. The mountains demand everything from you, and I’m ready to give it all. Let’s raise that Pakistani flag high.”
According to sources, China also has forbidden solo ascents and without supplementary oxygen on its eight-thousander peaks this year. The use of oxygen is now mandatory from 7000m upwards in China.
Multiple users shared an image on social media platform X on Wednesday, claiming that an Islamabad doughnut shop was “sealed” after its employee allegedly disrespected the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa.
However, the picture being circulated dates back to September 11 when it was sealed for violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to the spread of dengue.
Screenshot of Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa from a video.
A video involving CJP Isa also began making rounds on social media on Wednesday.
The video shows Chief Justice Isa standing at what appears to be a shop with two women. One of the women is seen speaking to a man, seemingly the shop’s employee whose face cannot be seen, regarding an order. According to the audio in the video, the employee apparently makes disrespectful remarks about the top judge after identifying him.
The video going viral on social media platforms showed a watermark reading “EHTASHAMABBASI”.
Ehtesham Ali Abbasi, describing himself as a crime reporter at Bol TV in his X bio, shared the video on Wednesday, racking up over 757,000 views. The alleged video was reshared 7,400 times, including by users whose past posts and profiles suggested they supported the PTI.
Crusteez, the shop in question, is a doughnut chain in Islamabad with multiple branches.
Amid the circulation of the viral video, an accompanying image showed officials at the entrance of a store, posting a notice indicating it had been sealed.
However, neither the posts sharing the video nor the image offered any information about the outlet where the alleged incident took place or the store that was allegedly sealed.
The image was shared by a user who appeared to be a PTI supporter, by digital media platform Siasat.pk’s founder Adeel Habib, by PTI leader Shahbaz Gill and by Syed Jlaluddin Jlal, who describes himself as a broadcast journalist associated with Bol News and ABP News.
The posts either implied or claimed that the doughnut shop was sealed after the alleged incident between the employee and the chief justice. The posts collectively garnered over 361,000 views.
Meanwhile, the viral video also began being shared on Thursday (today) by PML-N supporters as can be seen here, here, here and here with the claim that it was the original video. The audio of this video, however, makes it seem that the alleged employee was praising the chief justice.
A fact-check was carried out to verify the claim due to its high virality and public interest.
A reverse image search conducted to investigate the viral image yielded an X post from Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon on September 11.
The post’s caption said: “Action taken in F6 for violation of anti-dengue SOPs. One outlet sealed, one person arrested. DC Islamabad directed to continue strict actions against breeding of larvae.”
Separately, despite PML-N supporters claiming to share the original video of the incident, the version they posted still carried the “EHTASHAMABBASI” watermark and was shorter at 70 seconds compared to the earlier 75-second video.
Furthermore, in the video shared by the PTI supporters, a woman standing next to CJP Isa can be heard and seen repeating the disrespectful remarks allegedly hurled at him.
Meanwhile, the video shared by PML-N supporters abruptly cuts the woman’s question to the employee at the 62-second mark, while the full query is audible in the earlier version. This hints at the video being manipulated, with clear evidence of dubbing and synchronisation issues.
Contacted for comment, Affan Ahmed Khan, digital manager for Dawn News and a video editor, also examined the video and said: “The female’s voice was cut off at 1:02 [mark], and the person doing the voice-over, his audio starts. At that point, you may notice the background noise of the fan also gets lowered slightly.
“What the person has done is that he has clipped out the fan noise separately, made a loop of it, and placed the layer beneath his voice-over layer in the editing software while cutting down the original audio.”
He further said that “the person dubbing the video, his voice does not have an echo in it while the room’s area suggests that while speaking there should have been a slight echo in the audio”.
“His dubbing shows that he directly spoke into the mic, resulting in a sharper, deepened audio. Also, the camera shakes heavily, but his audio levels and sound remain the same. It is clearly a dubbed audio.”
Further investigation of the incident also yielded posts from journalists claiming the video was an old one. The Nation correspondent Ali Hamza said in an X post a day ago that the video was from August 2024 after the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Mubarak Sani case.
A keyword search yielded a Facebookpost dated August 20, 2024, from former News One correspondent Waheed Murad saying: “A counter boy at a popular bakery … in the Blue Area of Islamabad, misbehaved with the chief justice of the country and his wife by refusing to sell them doughnuts.”
The post said the incident occurred a week ago and was related to the ongoing Mubarak Sani case. At the time, there was vehement criticism from certain sections of society towards the top judge.
Attempts to contact Crusteez twice for clarification on the entire matter did not yield any response.
However, the doughnut chain released a statement on its social media platforms. The statement is reproduced below in full:
“At Crusteez Donuts, we are committed to treating every customer with respect and fairness. We are aware of a video circulating where an employee refused service to a customer. This action was an individual decision and does not reflect our company’s values.
We are investigating the situation to understand the context fully. While respecting personal beliefs, service should never be denied based on individual opinions. We are reinforcing training across all locations to ensure our teams uphold our standards of inclusivity and professionalism.
We apologise to the customer involved and to those impacted. Thank you for your understanding as we address this matter.“
Therefore, the fact check determined that the claim that a viral image shows a doughnut shop sealed after its employee allegedly misbehaved with the chief justice of Pakistan is false.
The image was originally shared by the Islamabad DC upon the shop being sealed for violation of dengue SOPs. Furthermore, a video related to the alleged incident being shared by PML-N supporters is also doctored and manipulated.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ and UNDP.
At least sixteen personnel were injured after an explosion ripped through the second floor of the city police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi district on Thursday, police said.
A statement from the Swabi police spokesperson said the explosion was caused by a short circuit in a room where material and case evidence were dumped, injuring 16-17 personnel and damaging the building.
It added that a departmental inquiry would be initiated against the negligent police officers. The statement said Rescue 1122 managed to snuff the fire and senior police officials were present on the scene as activities were under way to remove the rubble.
Mardan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Najibur Rehman told local media that the blast was caused by explosive material in the police station’s warehouse and left 17 police personnel injured.
He added that bomb disposal personnel were investigating the incident, adding that further updates were incoming regarding the nature of the explosion. RPO Rehman confirmed the information to Dawn.com.
Swabi District Emergency Officer (DEO) Awais Babar said that Rescue 1122 moved 15 injured to the District Headquarters Hospital and Bacha Khan Medical Complex, adding that there were a total of “25 casualties”.
He said the rescue operation was still ongoing.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur ordered the provincial police chief and chief secretary to reach the incident site immediately. He also summoned a report on the nature of the explosion.
The chief minister ordered divisional and district administrations to begin rescue operations to ensure that there was timely provision of medical aid to the injured.
On July 17, hand grenades stored in Jamshoro Police Station’s evidence lockup detonated and caused a large explosion, leaving five policemen and one suspect injured, police said.
Deputy Inspector General Tariq Razzak Dharejo said the blast was caused by old hand grenades stored in the warehouse detonating accidentally in the sweltering heat.
This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
Passersby look at vehicles damaged in the blast that targeted a police van, near Eastern Bypass in Quetta, on Wednesday.—INP
QUETTA: At least two policemen were among a dozen people injured by a bomb attack, which targeted a police vehicle in the provincial capital of Balochistan, on Wednesday.
Officials said that unidentified miscreants had parked an explosives-laden motorcycle in the Bhosa Mandi area of Eastern Bypass. When a police vehicle reached the spot, an explosion was triggered, ostensibly using a remote-controlled device.
The bomb blast injured a police constable, the driver of the police van and 10 other passersby.
Soon after receiving information about the explosion, police rushed to the area and shifted the injured to the Quetta Civil Hospital.
The condition of two injured people was stated to be serious.
“The target of the miscreants was a police mobile vehicle which was slightly damaged in the explosion. The explosives-laden motorbike was detonated with a remote-controlled device,” senior police officer Abid Jadoon said.
The victims were identified as police constable Naimat, police van driver Abdul Hafeez, Muhammad Isa, Qadeer Ahmed, Abdul Qadeer, Deen Muhammad, Khalil Ahmed, Naseem, Hasnain, Saifullah, Niamatullah and Abdul Qahar.
Teen killed, 3 hurt in Sibi
Separately, in Sibi, a 15-year-old boy was killed and three others were injured when unknown motorcyclists hurled a hand grenade at the residence of SDO of Sibi Irrigation Department in Allahabad area.
The hand grenade exploded in front of the house of the SDO, leaving four teenagers injured.
Police rushed to the area soon after having been informed of the incident and shifted the injured to district hospital where one of the injured succumbed to his injuries.
The condition of two other teenagers was stated to be serious.
The deceased boy was identified as Shahzain while the injured teenagers were identified as Shahzaib, Babar Ali, Owais Bahadur and Muhammad Aqib Mangrio.
Police have registered a case. No one has claimed responsibility for the two explosions so far.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti on Wednesday condemned the attack on the police mobile van in Quetta and hand grenade attack in Sibi and said that terrorists will be brought to justice.
KARACHI: Indus Motor Company (IMC), the assembler of Toyota vehicles, has announced that production operations will be temporarily suspended from Sept 26 to 30 due to parts shortage.
In a stock filing on Wednesday, the company said it is currently experiencing low levels of raw materials and component inventory, besides facing ongoing supply chain challenges. This has resulted in a shortage of parts and components necessary for vehicle production.
The company added that it is unable to meet its production requirements. IMC also closed its plant from Aug 6 to 8 for the same reasons.
Siemens plans job cuts
As certain employees will part ways, Siemens Pakistan Engineering Company has decided to transform one of its operational segments within Smart Infrastructure — Electrification and Automation Business. The estimated cost of a one-time transformation is approximately Rs556 million.
In a regulatory filing, Siemens said this change better aligns the business to serve the local market and its customers, enhancing shareholders’ value by embedding the required flexibility in its operation.
OGDCL finds gas
OGDCL has announced a gas discovery in Khairpur district of Sindh, which will help improve energy security from indigenous resources and add to the hydrocarbon reserve base. In a stock filing, the company said that Sawan South Joint Venture, comprising OGDCL (20pc working interest), United Energy Pakistan Ltd, the operator (75pc), Government Holding Private Ltd (2.5pc), and Sindh Energy Holding Ltd (2.5pc), has discovered gas from Lower Gour B Reservoir Sand of Akhiro-1 well located in Khairpur.
Security Papers profit surges
Security Papers Ltd (SPL) reported a 54pc year-on-year increase in its profit-after-tax to Rs1.489 billion, and a record sales revenue of Rs7.312bn in FY24. The shareholders at a board meeting also approved the highest-ever dividend of Rs12.50 per share.
ISLAMABAD: Development partners and donors convened on Tuesday at the National Emergency Operations Centre to renew their commitment and resolve to support the government in its fight back against polio, a disease which has paralysed 21 children so far this year in Pakistan.
According to a statement, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) under the leadership of Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq organised a briefing for partners and donors, where they were apprised of the current status of the eradication efforts in the country and the consensus national strategy devised to reverse the current disease trends.
Welcoming polio eradication partners and donors, Ms Farooq appreciated their longstanding and unwavering dedication to protecting Pakistan’s children from the devastating effects of poliovirus and contributing to overall child survival.
“The government has made polio eradication a national priority agenda, with the highest commitment, from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Ministry of Health, provincial governments and district administrations,” she said, adding that the provincial government leadership across the political divide was leading the charge on the frontlines.
Virus found its way into 67 districts, affecting 21 children this year alone, says PM’s focal person for polio eradication
“While we remained nearly polio-free for 15 months in 2021, we are fighting an intense poliovirus outbreak since 2023,” she said.
“Unfortunately, 21 children are affected by polio this year only and the virus has found its way into 67 districts, including previously cleared core reservoirs of Karachi, Quetta block and Peshawar-Khyber.”
Ms Farooq, whose office serves as a direct link between the Polio Programme and PM Office, said that a joint roadmap has been formulated following a critical self-appraisal and extensive consultations with the provinces to lead the country towards interrupting poliovirus transmission by mid-2025.
“We have done some serious reflecting and re-grouping over the past several months, taking stock of where we have gone wrong, and where we need to plug gaps in our programme, including surveillance, communications, campaign operations. We are confident that we have made a viable strategy for the path ahead to deliver tangible gains during coming months.”
Coordinator for the National Polio Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Mohammad Anwarul Haq said: “Even one paralysed child is far too many for any of us working in eradication.
“The programme has, therefore, strategised to find and vaccinate every missed child both in door-to-door campaigns as well as through the complementary vaccination and integrated services delivery approach, particularly in areas with access challenges.”
Representatives from partner agencies and donors appreciated Pakistan’s dedication to the goal of a polio-free world.
The event was attended by the country representatives of World Health Organisation and Unicef, a trustee of the Rotary Foundation, and representatives from major donor organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the governments of Japan, the UAE, and Canada, as well as the British and Australian High Commissions, and others.
Shan Masood will continue to lead Pakistan in the upcoming series against England, despite losing his first five Tests as captain.
Masood, a 34-year-old top-order batsman, was named captain in the 15-man squad announced on Tuesday for next month’s first Test in Multan.
There had been media reports Masood faced an axe after Pakistan’s shocking 2-0 defeat against Bangladesh last month.
Pakistan had never lost to Bangladesh before the twin defeats took Masood’s record to five losses since replacing Babar Azam as skipper in November last year. He lost his first series 3-0 in Australia.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stuck with Masood as Australian head coach Jason Gillespie sought consistency.
The first of three Tests start in Multan from October 7, the second will be played in the same city from Oct 15 and the third in Rawalpindi from Oct 24.
The PCB said the squad was for the first Test only.
“The 15-man squad is for the first Test and based on the recommendation of head coach Gillespie, the selected players will attend a training camp in Multan from Oct 1,” said a PCB release.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali has replaced fast bowler Khurram Shahzad who is recovering from a side strain.
Pacer Mohammad Ali, who played both Bangladesh Tests, and batter Kamran Ghulam, an unused member of the squad, have been dropped. Allrounder Aamer Jamal returns, after missing the Bangladesh series with a back problem.
“We are very much looking forward to the series against England here in Pakistan and cannot wait for it to begin,” Gillespie said.
“We are excited about playing in front of our wonderful supporters.”
Squad (for first Test): Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel, Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khwaja has announced that arrangements are underway to facilitate digital outward remittances for IT companies, saying the move will enable IT exporters to seamlessly pay international suppliers and vendors.
Speaking at HBL-P@SHA ICT Awards 2024 here on Monday, she said the awards empowered innovators, startups, and students to shine on international platforms, such as the Asia-Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards.
She said that in order to facilitate IT companies to compete globally, arrangements were being made to make payments online to vendors abroad without involving the routine banking channels and seeking permission of State Bank of Pakistan for every transaction.
“It will be a complete paradigm shift of the whole society, economy and the government in the country,” the minister said, adding that the new scheme to provide smartphones to the youth will empower them in becoming self-employed and get into business and commerce activities.
Ms Khawaja underscored the importance of recognising and supporting IT companies to sustain growth and place Pakistan firmly on the global technology map. The event, hosted by Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), showcased not only the IT exports winners but students and educational institutions excelling in IT products.
The HBL-P@SHA ICT Awards 2024 honoured 33 Gold Award winners and 47 Merit Award recipients across several categories, including Consumer, Business Services, Inclusion & Community, and Student Innovation.
P@SHA had received over 1,198 applications this year for the awards, marking an overwhelming response.
Speaking on the occasion, P@SHA Chairman Muhammad Zohaib Khan said that the association was driving the country’s digital economy forward by creating thousands of jobs and advocating for more efficient and transparent government.
“Our efforts have directly contributed to the consistent rise in IT exports, which reached $3.22 billion this year,” Mr Khan said.
Abrar Ahmed Mir, Chief Innovation & Financial Inclusion Officer at HBL, speaking at the event said that the HBL’s partnership with P@SHA has been a catalyst for growth of Pakistan’s IT industry.
KARACHI: The stock market snapped a six-day winning streak on Monday amid mounting political tensions as the KSE 100 index faltered below 82,000 after reaching an all-time high in the previous session driven by optimism about imminent approval of the IMF loan.
Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation said stocks tumbled on political uncertainty after the apex court supported the PTI’s bid for reserved seats in its detailed judgment and concerns about aggressive foreign selling.
He noted that the uncertainty over the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, the government’s action on the IPP capacity payment issue to terminate purchasing power agreements and concerns over the terms of the new IMF programme played a catalyst role in the bearish close.
The market came under selling pressure on the first day of the week as the benchmark index hit an intraday low of 81,548.65 on profit-taking by institutions and foreign investors.
The profit-taking was seen mainly in Hub Power, Mari Petroleum, Pakistan Petroleum, Oil and Gas Development Company and Bank Alfalah, which collectively contributed to a decline of 634 points in the index.
However, the benchmark index settled at 81,850.50 after losing 223.94 points or 0.276pc day-on-day. The index saw its highest-ever closing at 82,074 points on Friday.
The trading volume was down by 17.01pc to 400.30 million shares, while the traded value tumbled by 38.08pc to Rs18.69bn day-on-day.
Stocks contributing significantly to the traded volume included Pace Pak Ltd (30.38m shares), WorldCall Telecom (29.11m shares), OGDCL (23.08m shares), Symmetry Group (21.97m shares) and The Hub Power Company (18.50m shares).
The shares registering the most significant increases in their prices in absolute terms were Sapphire Fibres (Rs129.80), Ismail Industries (Rs124.19), Hoechst Pak (Rs45.87), Haleon Pak (Rs36.83) and Atlas Honda (Rs13.89).
The companies that suffered major losses in their share prices in absolute terms were Unilever Foods (Rs228.70), Sazgar Engineering Works (Rs45.88), Lucky Core Industries (Rs37.25), Rafhan Maize (Rs27.50) and Mari Petroleum (Rs26.99).
Foreign investors remained aggressive sellers, offloading shares worth $3.20 million.
As wars rage worldwide, with civilian casualties a daily occurrence, critics of the United Nations say the body is failing at its most basic job, while experts warn the organisation is being scapegoated for things that are beyond its control.
Maintaining peace and international security is one of the UN’s central missions, but its record has been badly tarnished as bloodshed intensifies in conflicts across the world, including in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.
The UN’s detractors point to those brutal conflicts, among others, as evidence that the global organisation — hosting its centrepiece gathering of world leaders in New York this week — has failed in its mission.
The UN’s chief, however, has a different view.
“It’s obvious that we are not having peace and security in the world, and it’s obvious that it’s not because of the UN as an institution that doesn’t happen,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told AFP.
“It’s because of member states.”
The Security Council, the UN body charged with securing and enforcing peace, is largely paralysed on the issues of Gaza and Ukraine because of the vetoes wielded by Washington and Moscow.
The deep divisions between the council’s permanent members — Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States — mean that its “legitimacy and relevance” are eroded, complained Slovenia’s UN ambassador Samuel Zbogar, the rotating president of the body.
He also condemned the “poisonous mood” in the council, blaming Washington and Moscow for it.
The fractious situation at the UN Security Council is, however, nothing new. “The UN has never been able to stop conflicts involving the major powers,” said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group, accusing countries with dominant militaries of hiding behind the UN.
“It’s ultimately better to have the US and Russia arguing over Syria in the Security Council rather than fighting a hot war in Syria.”
‘A lot of hate’
Oona Hathaway, a professor of international law at Yale University, defended the Security Council, saying many of the institution’s successes were inherently invisible.
“What you don’t see is the wars that don’t happen,” she said, calling for the rest of the UN’s 193 members to do their bit for peace through the General Assembly.
Though that body’s resolutions are non-binding, Hathaway said that the assembly is more powerful than it perceives itself and that it could, for example, create a tribunal to hold Russia accountable for its Ukraine war.
Academics have stressed the importance of the UN’s peacekeeping operations, with 70,000 “blue helmets” deployed worldwide for the protection of civilians.
However, the lofty aims of the missions have not spared them from bitter opposition. In Mali, for instance, the peacekeeping force was forced out by the ruling junta in 2023, which said the force had failed.
“There’s a lot of hate of the UN but this is actually the best multilateral system that we have,” said Gissou Nia of the US-based Atlantic Council think tank.
No other organisation could be built today in the UN’s image, given a global geopolitical situation that is riven with deep divides, she said.
Jean-Marie Guehenno, the former head of UN peacekeeping, insisted that the institution was irreplaceable and that while “the UN is in a rough patch, it would not be in our interest to shut up shop”.
“So [countries] whine, they say the UN is useless — but at the same time, they acknowledge it’s still a useful forum and a bellwether. A bellwether that has been trampled, insulted and left in bad shape — but with the hope of a better future,” he said.
Guterres insists the UN’s humanitarian role is “more important than ever” and that the organisation’s agencies have “been rescuing people in dramatic circumstances”.
While some observers would like to see the UN seize the initiative diplomatically more often, Guterres acknowledges that “the secretary general of the United Nations has very limited power.”
Amid restrictions on financing above the vehicle price of Rs3 million followed by the limited tenor of the loan payment, auto sector stakeholders are cautiously optimistic that the cut in interest rate from 22 per cent in June 2024 to 17.5pc on Sept 12 will boost auto sales.
Auto financing plunged for the 26th consecutive month to Rs227.3 billion in August 2024 from Rs368bn in June 2022. Banks’ lucrative offers, like no upfront payment or registration, exclusive insurance rates, flexible financing limits, etc have yet to lure buyers.
A private banker said market dynamics have taken a turn for the positive this month as some consumers are showing positive responses after a persistent drop in the Karachi Interbank Offered Rate to 17.46pc from the peak of 25pc in September 2023. “A few buyers are walking in, mainly for small car financing,” he said.
So far, The current month has been going without non-production days from Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMCL) and Indus Motor Company (IMC). PSMCL had kept its plant closed from Aug 1-23 and IMC from Aug 6-8.
While financing for small cars has seen positive signs, electricity bills are higher than monthly instalments, deterring buyers
According to Top Line Securities, IMC, in its corporate briefing held on Sept 11, said auto financing contribution to sales has decreased from 30pc to around 13-14pc.
The declining interest rates, falling inflation and improved auto financing conditions are expected to increase car volumes. However, this outlook is highly dependent on political stability and other macroeconomic factors.
Dealers still feel that the prices of locally assembled vehicles are still unaffordable. The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) strict regulations to suppress the demand for vehicles by putting an upper limit of Rs3m and a substantial reduction in loan repayment period from seven to three years may keep many buyers away from bank financing.
Head of Corporate Affairs, Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMCL), Shafiq Ahmed Shaikh, believes that a single-digit interest rate will augur well for car sales, but the State Bank also needs to bring flexibility by jacking up the upper financing limit of vehicles and enhancing loan payment period.
“The share of auto financing in the overall sales of Pak Suzuki vehicles was around 50pc based on single-digit interest rates a few years back, which is now unexpectedly very low,” he recalled. A car dealer said, “Currently, the market lacks buyers’ enthusiasm as they are still expecting a greater decline in the interest rate after the downward trajectory in food inflation.”
The State Bank’s curbs on auto financing hold no charm among the buyers who desire to buy vehicles worth Rs5m to Rs10m, he explained, adding that small cars with price tags of Rs3m to Rs4m may attract buyers towards bank leasing.
In case the interest rate further comes down, then it will take at least two months to witness its impact on auto sales, he said, adding that salaried group are still hesitant towards buying new vehicles due to vehicles’ high prices, unbearable loan instalment due to limited years, and soaring cost of living as a result of inflated power bills.
“In reality, exorbitant power bills have surpassed monthly auto loan instalments in many cases. It is impossible to go for financing when a consumer pays an Rs20,000-25,000 monthly electricity bill,” another auto dealer remarked, adding that auto financing may remain under pressure as long as the Rs3m cap and thin duration of loan payment remain in place.
Auto sector expert Mashood Ali Khan said the reduction in interest rates is a positive step, but it is unlikely to bring a significant improvement in the auto industry alone.
The industry still faces several challenges, especially high vehicle prices and increased maintenance costs, which are hitting middle-income families hard, he said, adding SBP’s restriction on financing above the vehicle price of Rs3m along with reduced purchasing power further constrains the market.
Mr Mashood said other industries that typically support auto sales have halted new vehicle purchases for employees, and several banks have closed their car financing departments during the last two years.
“Until the SBP reduces interest rates to a single digit, a major sales recovery seems unlikely,” he said. The government is still facing a significant challenge in bringing in dollars and rebuilding trust with industrialists. Strengthening economic policies and fostering a supportive environment for industries is crucial to overcoming these obstacles.
Another car dealer said a sort of uncertainty still prevails in the auto market despite lowering interest rates thrice.
In a volatile foreign exchange situation, an increase in demand for vehicles means a rising import of auto parts and accessories by the assemblers amid claims of higher localisation. As a result, the central bank may either keep restrictions on auto financing intact or come out with new curbs to control the outflow of dollars and current account deficit.
After an 18pc drop in sales of cars, light commercial vehicles, pickups and vans during FY24 to 103,827 units year-on-year, sales during 2MFY25 sales surged by 36pc to 17,288 units from 12,671 in the same period last fiscal.
Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, September 23rd, 2024
