Tag: pakistan news

Asif Ali Zardari | Return of the survivor

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In the blood-smeared history of Pakistani politics, top leaders rarely emerge from prison unscathed. Deposed Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was imprisoned and hanged in Rawalpindi district jail. His daughter Benazir Bhutto was in jail and had to leave the country, seeking medical treatment. She came back and got assassinated. Imran Khan is currently in jail and only the future will tell how his story will unfold.

But there is one leader who emerged stronger after multiple jail terms — Asif Ali Zardari, the undisputed leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the current head of the Zardari-Bhutto dynasty.

With a bit of help from destiny, Mr. Zardari, who had spent 11 years in jail in the past, could be the next President of the country as his party has sealed a deal with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which will hold the post of Prime Minister. This is not the first time Mr. Zardari’s destiny is being changed dramatically. On a wintry evening on December 27, 2007, an assassin’s bullet ended the life of Benazir Bhutto. Within hours, Mr. Zardari, who was then in Dubai with their three children, Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa, was on a flight to Pakistan.


Also read: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari | His mother’s son 

At a meeting, of the central executive of the PPP in Naudero, Sindh, Mr. Zardari asked son Bilawal to read a ‘political will’ from Benazir that declared that “my husband Asif Ali Zardari” would lead the party in her absence. Bilawal was too young at 19 to inherit her legacy and, therefore, Mr. Zardari would take the reins. No one had heard of such a political will, not even Benazir’s old secretary Naheed Khan. Yet, the rule of Mr. Zardari was established over the PPP.

Mr. Zardari, a polo player from a family that was known for owning the Bambino cinema of Karachi, came into national limelight after his 1987 wedding to the then ‘daughter of the east’ Benazir Bhutto. The wedding was a memorable affair and was attended by political guests from different parts of South Asia and Europe.

Within months, the hands of destiny would alter the life of the couple when Gen. Zia ul Haq’s aircraft, Pak-1, mysteriously crashed in Bahawalpur, catapulting Benazir to her first prime ministerial stint. Benazir’s first (1988-’90) and second (1993-’96) tenures as PM were tumultuous as they coincided with the end of the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, end of the Cold War and the intensification of the Kashmir crisis and cross-border terrorism in South Asia.

Two murders

In 1996, two murders took place that would shape the course of the Bhutto-Zardari destinies. On September 20, Murtaza Bhutto, elder brother of Benazir, was shot dead outside 70 Clifton, the residence where Zulfikar Ali Bhutto once lived. During the 1980s, the elder brother had led an international terrorist organisation called Al Zulfikar and lived for years in Syria and Libya, seeking revenge against Gen. Zia. The youngest of the Bhuttos, Shahnawaz, a leading commander of Al Zulfikar, was allegedly murdered in Nice, France, in 1985.

When Benazir became PM in 1988, Murtaza felt disinherited and developed a visceral dislike for his brother-in-law. On December 16, 1996, Mr. Zardari and Murtaza ended up flying in the same aircraft from Islamabad to Karachi. It was reported later that Murtaza’s body guards “kept glaring” at Mr. Zardari throughout the flight. That experience so terrified Mr. Zardari that instead of going to his house, he went to his father Hakim Ali Zardari’s house to seek safety. Two days later, Mr. Zardari, also known as ‘Mr 10 Percent’ because of corruption allegations, held a meeting with top officials to complain about Murtaza, which added to the allegations of his complicity in the murder of Murtaza.

The killings marked the beginning of the end of Benazir’s second term, which was replaced by a caretaker government in November 1996, paving the way for the 1997 election after which Nawaz Sharif became PM. Mr. Zardari first went to jail in 1990 on corruption charges and then again after the second term of Benazir, and was released in 2004. Mr. Zardari carved a political niche for himself within the party, starting with 1990 when he was elected to the National Assembly (NA) for the first time. He contested and won from jail and his release was one of the major issues for the PPP under Benazir and he later became Minister of Investment after Benazir returned to power in 1993.

As Benazir returned to Pakistan after nearly six years of exile in October 2007, Mr. Zardari gave her staff instruction to keep her safe as she was attacked within hours of her arrival. The military government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf blamed Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, for the attack but the evidences from the spot were allegedly cleared by authorities, creating a strong suspicion about the incident that took place on October 18, 2007. Mr. Zardari tracked his wife on live TV from Dubai and screamed orders to keep her safe. She was downstairs in the armoured bus that was specially prepared and therefore survived. On December 27, however, the assassins succeeded, prompting Mr. Zardari to take up the leadership role.

Mr. Zardari proved his survival instincts when he completed his five-year term as President of Pakistan. His tenure was jolted within months by the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and internal political tumult led by Imran Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). Mr. Khan built his movement on the anti-American sentiment that flourished in Pakistan because of the drone attacks against Taliban and al-Qaeda hideouts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but Mr. Zardari maintained a cautious silence on the issue of U.S.-Pakistan collaboration.

Backroom player

After his presidential term was over, Mr. Zardari indulged in backroom negotiations to maintain the party unity and presented himself as a veteran who is open to reconciliation. As the Imran Khan government came to a halt after his hurried February 24, 2022 visit to Moscow that coincided with the launch of Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine, Mr. Zardari once again found the playfield open for himself.

The election of 2024 has been controversial and marred by dramatic in-camera allegations of rigging. However, Pakistani politics is no stranger to rigging and Mr. Zardari himself knows it best as the election of 1997, which brought Nawaz Sharif to power, was bitterly criticised by his party at that time for alleged rigging. It remains to be seen if Imran Khan, who is in jail will, concede defeat and allow the new coalition government to start afresh, addressing the several challenges Pakistan is facing, including economic woes.

At the time of 2013 election, former Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira had asked the country to vote for reconciliation, ending the war with the Pakistani Taliban. Pakistan’s present security situation is precarious as it deals with internal volatility and worsening ties with the Taliban in Kabul and Iran, with which it exchanged missiles in January. It’s doubtless that in the new formation, Mr. Zardari would stay as the tallest leader. But the challenges he would face may well be the toughest of his 33-year old political career.

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Pakistan condemns airstrikes by Iran, recalls Ambassador

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Pakistan recalled its ambassador to Tehran on Wednesday, a day after Iran launched airstrikes on Pakistan that it claimed targeted bases for a militant Sunni separatist group. Islamabad angrily denounced the attack as a “blatant violation” of its airspace and said it killed two children.

Tuesday’s strike on Pakistan’s restive southwestern Baluchistan province imperiled diplomatic relations between the two neighbors, but both sides appeared wary of provoking the other. Iran and nuclear-armed Pakistan have long regarded each other with suspicion over militant attacks.

The attack also threatened to further ignite violence in a Middle East unsettled by Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran launched strikes late Monday in Iraq and Syria over an Islamic State-claimed suicide bombing that killed over 90 people earlier this month.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that Islamabad is recalling the country’s ambassador to Iran over the previous day’s strikes.

In state media reports, which were later withdrawn without explanation, Iran said its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard targeted bases for the militant group Jaish al-Adl, or the “Army of Justice.” The group, which seeks an independent Baluchistan and has spread across Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, acknowledged the assault in a statement shared online.

Six bomb-carrying drones and rockets struck homes that the militants claim housed children and wives of their fighters. Jaish al-Adl said the attack killed two children and wounded two women and a teenage girl.

Videos shared by the Baluch activist group HalVash, purportedly from the site, showed a burning building and two charred, small corpses.

A Pakistani intelligence report said the two children killed were a 6-year-old girl and an 11-month old boy. Three women were injured, aged between 28 and 35. The report also said three or four drones were fired from the Iranian side, hitting a mosque and other buildings, including a house.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said it issued a strong protest late Tuesday with Iran’s Foreign Ministry, and summoned an Iranian diplomat in Islamabad “to convey our strongest condemnation of this blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.”

“The responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” it said.

Pakistan will also not allow to Iran’s envoy in Islamabad, who is visiting his home country, to return, the Ministry’s spokesperson added.

Jan Achakzai, a spokesperson for the Baluchistan province, also condemned the attack.

“Pakistan has always sought cooperation from all the countries of region — including Iran — to combat terrorism,” “This is unacceptable and Pakistan has a right to respond to any aggression committed against its sovereignty.”

A senior Pakistani security official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to reporters, said Iran had shared no information prior to the strike. He said Pakistan reserved the right to respond at a time and place of the country’s choosing and such a strike would be measured and in line with public expectations.

“The dangerous precedent set by Iran is destabilizing and has reciprocal implications,” the official said.

However, there were signs Pakistan was trying to contain any anger over the strike. The country’s typically outspoken and nationalistic media covered the attack Wednesday with unusual restraint.

Iranian state media meanwhile continued not to address the strikes, instead discussing a joint naval drill held by Pakistan and the Iranian Navy in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday. Pakistani officials acknowledged the drill, but said it came earlier than Iran’s strikes.

Pakistani defence analyst Syed Muhammad Ali said the government would weigh any potential retaliation carefully.

The country’s air defence and missile systems are primarily deployed along the eastern border to respond to potential threats from India. But it might consider taking some measures to respond to such strikes from its western border with Afghanistan and Iran, Mr. Ali said.

Jaish al-Adl was founded in 2012, and Iranian officials believe it largely operates in Pakistan. The group has claimed bombings and kidnapped members of Iran’s border police in the past. In December, suspected Jaish al-Adl members killed 11 people and wounded eight others in a night-time attack on a police station in southeastern Iran. Another recent attack killed another police officer in the area.

In 2019, Jaish al-Adl claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing targeting a bus that killed 27 members of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Iran has suspected that Sunni-majority Pakistan is hosting insurgents, possibly at the behest of its regional arch-rival Saudi Arabia. However, Iran and Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated détente last March, easing tensions. Pakistan, meanwhile, has blamed Iran in the past over militant attacks targeting its security forces.

Iran has fought in border areas against militants, but a missile-and-drone attack on Pakistan is unprecedented.

It remains unclear why Iran launched the attack now, particularly as its foreign minister had met Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister the same day at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

After the Islamic State bombings this month, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry alleged the two bombers involved in the attack had traveled from Afghanistan into Iran through its southeastern border at the Jalg crossing — meaning they had traveled through Baluchistan.

Pakistan’s Baluchistan province, as well as Iran’s neighbouring Sistan and Baluchestan province, have faced a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades. They initially wanted a share of provincial resources, but later initiated an insurgency for independence.

Iran’s attack on Pakistan came less than a day after Iranian strikes on northern Iraq that killed several civilians. Iraq recalled its ambassador from Tehran for consultations and summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires in Baghdad on Tuesday in protest. Iran separately struck Syria as well.

(with inputs from Reuters)

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At least 35 killed in blast at rally of pro-Taliban cleric’s party in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province

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A powerful bomb ripped through a rally by supporters of a hard-line cleric and political leader in the country’s  A powerful blast triggered by a suicide bomber killed at least 44 people and injured nearly 100 others on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at a rally of a hardline Islamic party in a restive tribal district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

The explosion took place at 4 p.m. at the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) workers’ convention in Khar, the capital of Bajaur tribal district.

At least 44 people were killed and nearly 100 injured in the blast, police sources said.

Saad Khan, the district emergency officer in the Bajaur region, said that Maulana Ziaullah Jan, JUI-F’s local leader, was also killed in the blast, one of the worst in recent years.

Rescue workers said they feared the number of casualties would rise.

Television footage showed panic-stricken people gathering at the site following the blast as ambulances arrived to move the injured to hospitals.

Over 500 people were attending the convention when the blast occurred.

DIG police Malakand Range Nasir Mehmud Satti said the initial investigation revealed it was a suicide blast. However, evidence is being collected to determine the nature of the blast.

An official of the Bomb Disposal Unit said the initial investigation report confirmed it was a suicide blast in which 12 kg explosives were used.

The area was sealed and a search operation has been initiated, he said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, which came after a brief lull.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast at the JUI-F convention. He said terrorists targeted those who advocated the cause of Islam, the Holy Quran and Pakistan.

“Terrorists are enemies of Pakistan and they will be eliminated,” he said in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Elements involved in the incident would be meted out with strict punishment, he said.

He also sought a report of the incident from Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

President Arif Alvi prayed for eternal peace for the departed souls and commiserated with the bereaved families. He also wished speedy recovery for the injured and emphasised the timely provision of medical assistance to them.

Mr. Sanaullah vowed to bring the perpetrators of today’s attack to justice. “The cowardly acts of terrorists cannot dampen our spirits,” he posted on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

The JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded Prime Minister Sharif and the province’s caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan to investigate the incident.

He also urged the party workers to reach the hospital and donate blood.

“JUI workers should remain peaceful and federal and provincial governments should provide the best treatment to the injured,” said Fazl.

Chief Minister Khan condemned the blast and sought a report from the district administration.

Police said that the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

The condition of many injured people was stated to be critical.

JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said he was supposed to attend the convention today but could not because of some personal commitments.

“I strongly condemn the blast and want to give a message to the people behind it that this is not jihad but terrorism,” the JUI-F leader said, adding that it was an attack on humanity and Bajaur.

He demanded that the blast should be probed, recalling that this was not the first that the JUI-F had been targeted.

“This has happened before…our workers have been targeted. We raised our voice over this in the Parliament but no action was taken.” Hamdullah also extended his condolences to grieving families and urged the provincial government to provide the best medical facilities to the injured.

Caretaker Information minister of the province Jamal Feroze Shah said an emergency was declared in hospitals of Peshawar and Dir district.

The US extended its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in the suicide blast and vowed its support for Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism.

“Such acts of terror have no place in a peaceful and democratic society. We stand in solidarity with the people of Pakistan during this difficult time,” the US embassy in Islamabad said in a statement.

“We reiterate our commitment to supporting Pakistan’s efforts in combating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens,” it added.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) responsible for cross-border attacks.

Meanwhile, Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, has condemned the attack. TTP spokesman Khalid Khurrasani condemned the blast. In November last year, the TTP called off an indefinite ceasefire agreed with the federal government and ordered its militants to carry out attacks on Pakistan’s security forces.

On January 30, a Pakistan Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up during the afternoon prayers in a mosque in Peshawar, killing 101 people and injuring more than 200 others.

In February, heavily-armed TTP militants stormed the Karachi Police chief’s office in Pakistan’s most populous city, sparking gunfire that killed three rebels and four others, including two police constables.

The TTP was set up as an umbrella group of several militant outfits in 2007.

The outfit, which is believed to be close to Al-Qaeda, has been blamed for several deadly attacks across Pakistan, including an attack on army headquarters in 2009, assaults on military bases, and the 2008 bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.

The TTP has also orchestrated the heinous Army Public School attack in Peshawar in 2014, in which over 130 students were killed.

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Morning Digest | Home Minister Amit Shah tells Lok Sabha that government is ready for discussion on Manipur; government approves 8.15% interest rate for PF deposits, and more

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Home Minister Amit Shah tells Lok Sabha that the government is ready for discussion

Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Lok Sabha on July 24 that the government was ready for a discussion on Manipur on the floor of the House as the country needs to know the truth about the sensitive situation in the State.

Union government approves 8.15% interest rate for PF deposits

The Centre on July 24 accepted the recommendation of the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to increase the interest rate of deposits in Provident Fund (PF) to 8.15%.

Dry runs of security software at new Parliament building

The security software of India’s new Parliament building is being updated. The new structure was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Parliament monsoon session day 4 | Logjam persists in Parliament; AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended

Home Minister Amit Shah asked the opposition on Monday to allow a debate on the Manipur issue to begin in Parliament but the deadlock persisted in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as both sides refused to budge from their stand, with Congress and its allies insisting on a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi first. Relentless protests from opposition members marred proceedings in both the Houses and Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh, one of the more vocal voices in Rajya Sabha, was suspended for the rest of the Monsoon session for repeatedly “violating” the directives of the Chair.

Red diary issue: Sacked Rajasthan Minister Gudha, BJP MLA Dilawar suspended from State Assembly for ‘unruly behaviour’

Sacked Rajasthan Minister Rajendra Gudha on Monday was suspended from the State Assembly for “unruly behaviour” after ugly scenes were witnessed in the House when he raised the issue of a red diary, claiming it held details of irregular financial transactions. BJP MLA Madan Dilawar too was suspended for the remainder of the Assembly. Earlier, Gudha was pushed and shoved by Congress MLAs after he created a ruckus over the red dairy, demanding that he be allowed to make a statement.

Supreme Court to hear plea seeking SIT or CBI probe into death of Bihar BJP leader during march

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Tuesday a PIL seeking a probe by an SIT headed by a retired apex court judge or the CBI into the July 13 incident in Patna in which a BJP leader died while taking part in a protest march against the Nitish Kumar government. According to the Supreme Court website, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta will hear the PIL filed through lawyer Barun Kumar Sinha on July 25.

Arrest Pak ex-PM Imran: Pak election commission tells Islamabad police

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday directed the Islamabad police to arrest former Prime Minister Imran Khan and produce him before it on Tuesday in a case linked to contempt of the top electoral body. Irked by Khan’s persistent absence from the hearings, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) instructed the Islamabad IG to arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief for his failure to appear in the contempt case.

President Murmu to visit Odisha from July 25-27

President Droupadi Murmu will embark on a three-day visit to Odisha on Tuesday, coinciding with her completing one year in office. “Murmu will visit Odisha from July 25 to 27. She begins her visit with an interaction with a group of medical students sponsored by (the) ATUT-BANDHAN family and (will) lay the foundation stone for a new building block of the Raj Bhavan, Odisha, in Bhubaneswar,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said. On July 26, Murmu will grace the valedictory function during the 75th-year celebrations of the High Court of Orissa in Cuttack.

Two-day Vijay Diwas event to begin on Tuesday, preparations underway

A two-day event to mark the 24th Vijay Diwas will begin here on Tuesday, commemorating India’s triumph in the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan. Preparations are underway for the event at the War Memorial here with final touches being added. The event will be graced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh will arrive on Wednesday to pay homage to the jawans who laid down their lives for the nation. The families of the martyred soldiers make it a point to visit the memorial each year on the occasion. Many of them have already arrived here for this year’s event.

Bengal Assembly adjourned for day after obituary references

The West Bengal Assembly was adjourned for the day on Monday after obituary references to eminent personalities who died recently. Obituary references were made to eminent Bengali writers Samaresh Majumdar and Sasthipada Chattopadhyay, former State Minister Dawa Lama and former MLAs Prabodh Purkait, Dr Tarun Adhikary. Later, Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay convened an all-party meeting, but it was not attended by the opposition BJP and ISF. The House will take up reports of different standing committees on Tuesday and Wednesday to be followed by the question and answer session from Thursday, officials said.

IMD forecasts heavy rain in 10 Odisha districts

With the formation of a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal on Monday, the IMD has predicted heavy rainfall very likely to occur at one or two places in 10 districts of Odisha during the next 24 hours. Under its (cyclonic circulation) influence a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region during the subsequent 24 hours, the IMD said in a Twitter post. The district for which the yellow warning (be updated) of heavy rainfall has been issued are Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nawarangapur, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir.

AAP announces nationwide protests on Manipur issue on Tuesday

The Aam Aadmi Party will Tuesday stage protests across the country against the precarious situation in Manipur, party officials said. In Delhi, the protest will be attended by top leaders of the party at Jantar Mantar, they said. Leaders of several opposition parties on Monday demonstrated in the Parliament complex demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in the House on the Manipur issue.

North Korea fires ballistic missile after US submarine arrives in South Korea

North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile into its eastern sea, South Korea’s military said Tuesday, adding to a recent streak in weapons testing that is apparently in protest of the US sending major naval assets to South Korea in a show of force. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately say where the weapon was launched from and how far it flew. The launch came hours after South Korea’s navy said a nuclear-propelled US submarine – the USS Annapolis — arrived at a port on Jeju Island. The arrival of the USS Annapolis adds to the allies’ show of force to counter North Korean nuclear threats.

China to review appointments, dismissals of officials at Tuesday meeting: state media

China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, a powerful body that enacts and amends laws when parliament is not in session, will review appointments and dismissals of officials at a meeting on Tuesday, state media reported. The announcement comes one month since Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang was last seen, with China’s government saying he was off for unspecified health reasons. The NPC committee, which meets roughly every two months to deliberate legislation and pass laws, was next expected to meet in August after concluding a scheduled meeting in June.

Jill Biden heads to Paris to help mark US return to UN educational and scientific agency

Jill Biden has represented her country at the Olympics in Tokyo, a king’s coronation in London and a royal wedding in Jordan. She gets another chance to put her ambassadorial skills to work this week when the United States formally rejoins a United Nations agency devoted to education, science and culture around the globe. Biden arrived in Paris early Monday, accompanied by her daughter, Ashley Biden, after flying overnight from Washington to join other VIPs and speak at a ceremony Tuesday at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The American flag will be raised to mark the U.S. return to UNESCO membership after a five-year absence.

Delhi govt to install 500 water ATMs near slums, densely populated areas: Kejriwal

The Delhi government has planned to install 500 water ATMs to provide drinking water treated using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process to people in slums and other such densely populated areas, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday. The Chief Minister, who inspected an RO plant and inaugurated a water ATM at Khajan Basti in the Mayapuri area, said four water ATMs have been installed and 500 are planned in the first phase. Every person will be provided with a card that will let them draw 20 litres of water per day from these ATMs free of cost, he said.

Sindhu, Prannoy keen to regain lost touch; buoyant Satwik-Chirag eyeing another title

Fresh from their Korea Open triumph, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will look to continue their dream run, even as the focus will be on the struggling PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy in the Japan Open Super 750 badminton tournament, beginning here on Tuesday. The 2022 Commonwealth Games-winning Indian doubles pair of Satwik-Chirag on Sunday stunned the world No. 1 pair of Fajar Alfian and Muhamad Rian Ardianto in a hard-fought final to extend their winning streak to 10 matches.

Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams aim to excel in Spain

The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams are determined to produce their best at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament to begin on Tuesday in Terrassa, Spain. The tournament will see the Indian men’s hockey team playing against formidable rivals England, the Netherlands and host nation Spain. The women’s side will also take on England and Spain. The tournament will be particularly crucial for the Indian men as it will serve as a preparatory event for them ahead of the much-awaited Hero Asian Champions Trophy to be held in Chennai from August 3 to 12, ahead of Hangzhou Asian Games.

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Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan arrested during court appearance, sparking protests

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Private security personnel clear the way for a vehicle carrying Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan arriving for court appearance, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, May 9, 2023. Officials from the party of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Khan say he has been arrested as he appeared in a court in the capital, Islamabad, to face charges in multiple graft cases.
| Photo Credit: AP

 Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on May 9 as he appeared in court to face charges in multiple graft cases, a dramatic escalation of political tensions in the country that sparked demonstrations by his supporters in at least three cities.

Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in April 2022 but remains the leading opposition figure, was dragged from the Islamabad High Court by security agents from the National Accountability Bureau, said Fawad Chaudhry, a senior official with his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Khan was shoved into an armored car and whisked away.

Chaudhry denounced the arrest of the 71-year-old former cricket star as “an abduction.” Pakistan’s independent GEO TV broadcast video of Khan being hauled away.

Also read: Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan faces over 120 cases across the country

Afterward, a scuffle broke out between Khan’s supporters and police outside the court. Some of Khan’s lawyers and supporters were injured in the melee, as were several police, Chaudhry said. Khan’s party complained to the court, which requested a police report explaining the charges for Khan’s arrest.

Khan was taken to the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, for questioning at the offices of the National Accountability Bureau, according to police and government officials. He also was to undergo a routine medical checkup, police said.

Khan had arrived at the Islamabad High Court from nearby Lahore, where he lives, to face charges in the graft cases.

He has denounced the cases against him, which include terrorism charges, as a politically motivated plot by his successor, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying his ouster was illegal and a Western conspiracy. Khan has campaigned against Sharif and demanded early elections.

Tuesday’s arrest was based on a a new warrant from the National Accountability Bureau obtained last week in a separate graft case for which Khan had not obtained bail, making him vulnerable to arrest. He is scheduled to appear before an anti-graft tribunal on Wednesday, officials said.

“Imran Khan has been arrested because he was being sought in a graft case,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told a news conference. He alleged Pakistan’s treasury had lost millions of dollars while Khan was in office due to illegal purchases of lands from a business tycoon.

A man runs past a burning prison van set on fire by angry supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest against the arrest of their leader, in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

A man runs past a burning prison van set on fire by angry supporters of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan during a protest against the arrest of their leader, in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
AP

As the news of the arrest spread, about 4,000 of Khan’s supporters stormed the official residence of the top regional commander in Lahore, smashing windows and doors, damaging furniture and staging a sit-in as troops there retreated to avoid violence. The protesters also burned police vehicles and blocked key roads..

Protesters also smashed the main gate of the army’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where troops exercised restraint. Hundreds of demonstrators shouted pro-Khan slogans as they moved toward the sprawling building.

In the port city of Karachi, police swung batons and fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Khan supporters who had gathered on a key road.

Raoof Hasan, another leader from Khan’s party, told Al Jazeera English television that the arrest is “blatant interference in the judicial affairs by the powers-that-be.” Hasan added that Khan “was virtually abducted from the court of law.”

Khan’s arrest came hours after he issued a video message before heading to Islamabad, saying he was “mentally prepared” for arrest there.

Khan was wounded by a gunman at a rally in November, an attack that killed one of his supporters and wounded 13. He has insisted, without offering any evidence, that there is a plot to assassinate him, alleging that Pakistan’s spy agency was behind the conspiracy. The gunman was immediately arrested and police later released a video of him in custody, allegedly saying he had acted alone.

In a strongly worded statement Monday, the military accused Khan of “fabricated and malicious allegations” of its involvement in the November shooting, saying they are “extremely unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable.”

The military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of the 75 years since the country gained independence from British colonial rule, and wields considerable power over civilian governments.

Sharif, whose government faces spiraling economic woes and is struggling to recover from last year’s devastating floods that killed hundreds and caused $30 billion in damage, slammed Khan for assailing the military.

“Let this be abundantly clear that you, as former prime minister, currently on trial for corruption, are claiming legitimacy to overturn the legal and political system,” Sharif tweeted after Khan’s arrest.

Khan is the seventh former Prime Minister to be arrested in Pakistan. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was arrested and hanged in 1979. The current Prime Minister’s brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also served as Prime Minister, was arrested several times on corruption allegations.

In March, police stormed Khan’s Lahore residence, seeking to arrest him based on a court order in a different case. Dozens of people, including police, were injured in ensuing clashes. Khan was not arrested at the time and later obtained bail in the case.

Khan came to power in 2018 after winning parliamentary elections and had initially good relations with the military which gradually soured.



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Pakistan President Alvi returns Bill curtailing chief justice’s powers to Parliament

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Pakistan’s judicial imbroglio intensified on Saturday after President Arif Alvi returned to Parliament for reconsideration of a Bill aimed at clipping the powers of the chief justice, saying the proposed legislation is beyond the jurisdiction of the legislative body.

Pakistan is witnessing a rift between the judiciary and the government after a three-member Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Uma Ata Bandial on Tuesday fixed May 14 as the new date for elections to the Punjab Assembly and quashed the Election Commission’s decision to extend the date of the poll from April 10 to October 8.

The apex court’s verdict was criticised by the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, which has refused to accept it. The government also is keen to curb the suo moto (on its own) powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Bandial.

The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 was approved by both houses of Parliament last month and sent to the President for assent.

The President said that the proposed legislation was prima facie beyond the jurisdiction of Parliament as only the Supreme Court has the power to make laws to regulate its business.

“The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023 travels beyond the competence of the Parliament and can be assailed as a colourable legislation,” Mr. Alvi, a member of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party before he became President, said in his reply to the government.

The Bill was approved by the federal Cabinet on March 28. The National Assembly passed it after a few amendments suggested by the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. On March 30, it was passed by the Senate.

The Bill states that every cause, matter, or appeal before the apex court would be heard and disposed of by a Bench constituted by a committee comprising the chief justice and the two senior-most judges. It added that the decisions of the committee would be taken by a majority.

On exercising the apex court’s original jurisdiction, called suo moto powers, the Bill said that any matter invoking the use of Article 184(3) would first be placed before the committee.

Mr. Alvi, who is a nominee of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, adroitly used his limited powers under the Constitution by first wasting precious time without signing the Bill and then sending it back to Parliament with his observation, which will give more time to the Opposition party to evolve a strategy to counter it.

In his detailed reply, which he also posted on Twitter, Mr. Alvi said that he thought it fit and proper to return the Bill under the Constitution, with “the request for reconsideration in order to meet the scrutiny about its validity (if assailed in the court of law)”.

He said that “these time-tested rules are being followed ever since the year 1980 — any tinkering with the same may tantamount to interference with the internal working of the Court, its autonomy and independence.” Mr. Alvi cautioned that any attempt to modify or tamper with these rules could be viewed as interference with the internal workings of the Court, which could compromise its autonomy and independence.

The head of the state further said the top court is an independent institution as “visualised by the founding fathers that in the state of Pakistan independence of the judiciary shall be fully secured”.

“With such an objective in view, Article 191 was incorporated and the Supreme Court was kept out of the law-making authority of the parliament,” he stressed.

He said the competence of Parliament to make laws stemmed from the Constitution itself.

Under the Constitution, if the Bill returned by the President is passed by Parliament, it should be sent to the President and would become law after ten days even if he refuses to endorse it.

Reacting to the President’s move, Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman criticised President Alvi for following former Prime Minister Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s policy.

In a tweet, she said, “By returning the Supreme Court bill (to the parliament) for review, President Arif Alvi has proved that he is not the country’s president but the PTI’s secretary general even now.” She said Alvi had looked at “Parliament’s every decision with the perspective of the PTI”.

“He is following his party’s policy, not his constitutional role as the president,” she said.

“The president is saying this bill is outside the parliament’s authority? He kept running the President’s House like an ordinance factory for three and a half years — how can he be aware of the parliament’s powers? President, do not teach the parliament legislation,” she said.

A senior Pakistani minister on Friday demanded the resignation of Chief Justice Bandial after another judge of the Supreme Court issued a dissenting note on the suo motu notice regarding holding elections in Punjab province, Meanwhile, a complaint was filed against the CJP before the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for ‘misconduct’, seeking a probe into the constitution of a bench for suo motu proceedings on Punjab and Khyber Pakht­unkhwa elections.

PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz Sharif echoed the demand that CJP Bandial should resign because “his tilt towards” her rival party, the PTI, was ‘glaring’.

In a series of tweets, Maryam alleged that the top judge had flagrantly violated the law and Constitution to favour Khan and the PTI.

“This blatant abuse of authority has led to an unprecedented revolt-like situation in the [Supreme Court]. Judges of impeccable repute have raised s erious questions on CJP’s conduct & bias,” she wrote, claiming that no chief justice had ever been accused of such misconduct.

Her father, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, also tweeted on the issue, saying that courts were meant to rescue nations from crises, not push them further into the quagmire.

“Who knows what privilege the chief justice has employed to impose a minority opinion on a majority decision? Rather than causing further damage, a chief justice who has insulted his position and the constitution by further PTI’s agenda should immediately resign.”

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Pakistan raised Mujahideen and now they are terrorists, says Pakistan Interior Minister in National Assembly

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Days after Pakistan witnessed a deadly attack on its security forces inside a Peshawar mosque, the country’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah admitted inside the National Assembly that it was a collective mistake to prepare the mujahideen to go to war with a global force.”

We did not need to make Mujahideen. We created Mujahideen and then they became terrorists,” Mr. Sanaullah said while addressing the country’s upper house of Parliament on January 31.

Also Read |Pakistan blames ‘security lapse’ for Peshawar mosque blast, 100 dead

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also speaking in the National Assembly said that the country’s National Security Committee will decide on the operation against terrorists.

The Interior Minister also claimed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had released members of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or Pakistani Taliban who were serving death sentences.

Mr. Sanaullah’s remarks came after the proscribed TTP on Monday claimed responsibility for the January 30 mosque attack in Peshawar which left 100 people dead and over 220 injured.

The explosion occurred in the mosque’s central hall on Monday at around 1 p.m. after a suicide bomber blew himself up.

Pakistan’s Interior Minister admitted the belief that the TTP, formally called the Tehreek-e-Taliban-e-Pakistan, is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the Afghan-Pakistani border. would lay down their arms and submit to the law was mistaken, as per Geo News.

Inside Pakistan’s National Assembly, there was a heated debate yesterday with members demanding major reforms to eradicate terror.

After the Peshawar mosque blast, a faction of the TTP claimed responsibility for the attack but hours later a TTP spokesperson tweeted distancing itself from the claim and said their policy does not include targeting mosques.

Also Read |Explained | What’s behind the Pakistani Taliban’s deadly insurgency?

Since November last year, terror attacks across Pakistan have been increasing after a peace deal between the TTP and the Pakistan government was called off by the proscribed group. The TTP was formed in the year 2007 by banding together several armed groups who protested against Pakistan’s cooperation with the US in its war on terrorism. The TTP supported the Afghan Taliban’s fight against the US and The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Yesterday, in the National Assembly Pakistan Interior Minister Sanaullah stressed that it was incorrect to think that the TTP was separate from the Afghan Taliban. He said that the prior policy to resettle the Taliban could not bear fruit and led to the current situation in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Federal Minister said that the incumbent government has changed its approach towards the Taliban. He condemned the terrorist attack in the mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines and said that the suicide bomber aimed to target police personnel, Geo News reported.

Furthermore, Mr. Sanaullah said that outlawed TTP terrorists have found safe havens in a neighbouring country. He stressed that the development comes despite Afghan Taliban making an agreement with Pakistan and the international community that they would not permit their land to be used against any other nation, according to Geo News. He highlighted the need to hold talks with Afghanistan in order to stop terrorists from having safe shelters.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also speaking in the National Assembly blamed Afghan refugees for the deteriorating security situation in Pakistan.

He said that in the last 1.5 years around 4.5 lakh Afghans had entered Pakistan with valid documents but have not returned to Afghanistan. “Who is the terrorist among them, I cannot say anything about it,” he said.

“When we were having a shortage of dollars, a truckload of dollars was sent to Afghanistan. We use to buy coal from them, they took Pakistani Rupees and bought dollars from here only and dollars sky-rocketed in Pakistan,” he added.

Mr. Khawaja further stated that Afghan refugees are present even in the smaller cities of Pakistan and they are in millions.

“As per some reports, other than UNHCR reports, more than 1.5 million Afghan refugees are present in Pakistan,” said Mr. Khawaja.

In total, around 5 million of them are residing in Pakistan and they are involved in many businesses in the country with transportation being the prime business, he added.

National committee to take charge

Meanwhile, speaking in the National Assembly yesterday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that a National Security Committee will decide on the operation against terrorists.

“The National Security Committee can decide on the operation against the terrorists,” the Defence Minister said.

Khawaja Asif also said that there is a need to create a consensus like the Zarb-e-Azb operation against terrorism. Pakistan Army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb, an offensive targeting various militant groups in North Waziristan, an area in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, in 2014 on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Defence Minister further stated that thousands of people were left without jobs after the Afghans came and settled in Pakistan, the Dawn report stated, adding that Asif also said the first proof surfaced when the people of Swat protested against the resettled people.

He noted that the people of Wana also protested and expressed similar emotions. “I am mentioning these incidents because of the tragedy that occurred yesterday […] the terrorist was standing in the frontline during Zuhr prayers where he detonated himself,” he said.

Mr. Asif said the Prime Minister and the army chief visited Peshawar where they were given a briefing on the attack. “But this is a tragedy where we require the same resolve and unity which was expressed in 2011-2012,” the m=Minister said.

“I will not talk for long but I will say briefly that at the start, we sowed the seeds for terrorism,” the Defence Minister said.

He said that when Russia invaded Afghanistan, Pakistan offered its services to the United States “on rent.”

“General Zia was the ruler at the time […] the agreement made with the US went on for eight to nine years after which the US went back to Washington celebrating the fact that Russia was defeated,” he added.

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