The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Pakistan News

  • Honor killings rise in Pakistan: Over 100 killed in Sindh from January to June, says report world news

    Pakistan News: At least 101 men and women were killed in the name of honor in Pakistan’s Sindh from January to June 2024, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported, citing figures released by the Sindh Suhai Organisation, a social and women rights body.

    The Sindh Suhai Organization raised concerns pertaining to increasing incidents of violence against women, including murder and sexual harassment, in the province. As per the data released by the women rights body on Friday, the majority of honor killings took place in the Jacobabad district of Sindh, where 22 women and 12 men were killed for honour, The Express Tribune reported.

    Furthermore, Kashmore reported the killing of 17 women and 6 men, Sukkur had 23, Khairpur saw 20, Ghotki recorded 19, Larkana experienced 12, and 76 were killed in several other districts across the province.

    Several incidents of similar nature remain unreported, and in instances where the state does register complaints, families of women killed for alleged dishonour often do not seek any legal action. Even when they do, they frequently reach a compromise later on, as per the report.

    As a result, only a small number of offenders are held accountable for honor killings, and the incidents continue to rise. Despite the rulings given by the court, jirgas (tribal councils) still convene to take decisions on the matter.

    Women accused of dishonour are often buried, and no action is taken, as families term these incidents as suicides. In one of the incidents that took place recently, a man buried his wife alive after subjecting her to violence. He claimed that she had fled their home in the Saleh Pat area. An alarming pattern has emerged in which two women were killed simultaneously.

    For instance, the murders of Shameem and Lal in Mehrabpur are linked to poverty, lack of education, a culture of banditry, tribal systems, and property disputes, according to The Express Tribune report.

    The Suhai organization underlined that women are being sidelined in appointments across various government departments. Calling for the appointment of women Station House Officers (SHOs) in police, it said, “We demand that more women SHOs be appointed in police stations to facilitate women in expressing their issues.”

  • Pakistan: 5 Killed, 6 Injured As Bus Collides With Van In Punjab | world news

    Islamabad: Five people were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Pakistan’s east Punjab province on Tuesday, police said. The incident happened at the motorway near the provincial capital city of Lahore where a passenger bus collided with a van, Syed Imran, a spokesperson for motorway police told Xinhua news agency.

    According to preliminary investigations, the bus driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing his vehicle to rear-end the van, he said as reported by Xinhua news agency. While the bus sustained minimal damage, all the casualties were from the van, he added.

    Three people died right at the spot, while eight were rushed to a nearby hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries, and one remained in critical condition, the police spokesperson said.

    Road accidents in Pakistan are an alarming issue, with a significant increase in both frequency and severity over the years.

    Multiple factors, including reckless driving, poor road conditions, and a lack of proper vehicle maintenance, contribute to the high accident rate.

  • Pak Defense Min Says Imran Khan’s Party Protests Are Aimed At Sabotaging SCO Summit | world news

    Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest is an attempt to sabotage the upcoming SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) summit in Pakistan, ARY News reported.

    Speaking to ARY News on Friday, the minister claimed that the PTI protest is a deliberate attempt to disrupt the important conference, which is scheduled to take place in Islamabad.

    He alleged that the party is working against Pakistan’s interests and is being backed by Israel. “The PTI’s actions are part of a larger conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan,” Asif said. “Their protests are not just a coincidence, but a deliberate attempt to sabotage the SCO summit,” ARY News quoted Asif as saying.

    Asif emphasized that the SCO summit is crucial for regional cooperation and that any attempts to disrupt it would have severe consequences. He urged political leaders, the judiciary, and citizens to understand the gravity of the situation and prioritize national interests, ARY News reported.

    Earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said that the federal government will take every possible measure to prevent protest demonstrations in Islamabad.

    Naqvi said that many crucial diplomatic meetings and events are being held in Islamabad as Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is visiting Pakistan as well as a Saudi delegation would also reach the capital city. Naqvi said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference will also be held in Islamabad, ARY News stated.

    “Keeping in view the current scenario, no one would be allowed to hold the demonstration,” he added. He asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership to refrain from protests in Islamabad, citing security concerns and upcoming international events.

    Naqvi asked the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to reconsider his decision and defer the demonstration in Islamabad. The interior minister said that Section 144 is imposed in Islamabad and no one will be allowed to take law in their hands, ARY News reported.

    The SCO summit will be held on October 15-16, and EAM Jaishankar will lead the Indian delegation.

  • Amid ‘Political Chaos’ In Pak, Maryam Says ‘Doesn’t Know Long I’ll Remain CM’ | world news

    Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, whose party heads the ruling coalition in Pakistan, on Wednesday said that if the “political chaos” continues in the country, even she wasn’t sure how long she will remain in office.

    Addressing a ceremony in Faisalabad city, the daughter of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif said that ambassadors of different countries are also raising serious concerns over “political chaos” in Pakistan.

    “The political chaos continues in the country and even I don’t know how long I will remain in office (of CM),” she said.

    “Today, an ambassador of a country met (ex-premier) Nawaz Sharif and me, and inquired about ‘political chaos’ in Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif told him that political upheaval is not a new thing in Pakistan as he has grown older seeing this. Maryam said.

    On Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong called on both Nawaz and Maryam in Lahore. A day earlier, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome met the father and daughter and discussed the ongoing political situation in the country.

    Maryam’s uncle Shehbaz Sharif is the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

    Since the last two years political instability has been on the rise in Pakistan with the country’s most popular party – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – is in loggerheads with the military establishment.

    PTI supremo and former prime minister Imran Khan has been in jail for over one year in multiple cases and the military establishment is accused of installing a hybrid regime of Shehbaz Sharif after massively rigging early this year’s general election which the PTI claims it had won with a two-thirds majority.

    There are reports that ‘friendly countries’ are reluctant to invest in Pakistan because of persistent political chaos.

  • Pakistan: Lahore Administration Allows Imran Khan’s Party To Hold Power Show With 43 Conditions | world news

    The district administration of Lahore on Friday allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold its power show in Lahore’s Kahna, today in line with the directives given by the high court, Geo News reported.

    The deputy commissioner, in its no objection certificate (NOC), has set 43 conditions for PTI public gathering, including fixing a time limit for the rally from 3 pm to 6 pm.

    The conditions mentioned by the deputy commissioner included that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur “should tender apology publicly for his vitriol during Islamabad Jalsa on September 8, whereas, all those under trial for hate speech in the previous public gathering shall not be allowed to participate/appear on stage.”

    It added that no “anti-state/anti institution” slogans and statements should be made during the rally and asked Imran Khan-founded party that “no Afghan flag to be hoisted and no Afghan paid manpower to be brought to Jalsa,” as reported. by Geo News.

    Another condition mentioned by deputy commissioner reads, “No proclaimed offender will participate/appear in Jalsa. If so facilitating their arrest will be responsibility of Administration of Jalsa, failing which Admin will be tried for abetment.”

    In a video statement, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called on the administration not to cause hurdles in the way of the rally.

    He said the participants would be able to reach the rally venue on time if hurdles were created for them and hence the gathering will be concluded timely.

    Gohar Ali Khan said, “PTI workers should participate in the rally peacefully,” while urging workers to reach the venue on time so that the entire process could be concluded on time, Geo News reported.

    Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail, has termed the holding of the rally a “do or die” situation. He has expressed optimism about the success of PTI’s power show in Lahore.

    Meanwhile, the party has prepared a container for Ali Amin Gandapur. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM will use the container for traveling to the rally venue in Lahore from Swabi, Geo News reported, citing sources closer to the party.

    The sources further said Gandapur will also address PTI workers in the central convoy in Swabi before departing to Lahore.

    Citing the installation of containers and heavy police deployments on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Punjab border, a KP CM’s spokesperson said that heavy machinery, including 50 cranes, shovels and other equipment, has been sent to the Peshawar Motorway, which would be used to remove barriers. placed on the way towards Lahore rally’s venue.

    The district administration’s decision came after the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday directed the PTI to submit a request to the city’s deputy commissioner (DC) for holding the rally in Lahore while ordering the latter to take a decision on it by 5 pm ( local time).

    Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem and Justice Farooq Haider heard the plea filed by PTI leaders Aliya Hamza and Sheikh Imtiaz Mehmood.

    Meanwhile, the government has planned to arrest “3,700 suspects who are wanted and proclaimed offenders” in May 9 riot cases when they attend the Lahore rally, Geo News reported, citing Punjab government sources.

    “Lahore police compiled data of the wanted persons via Safe City cameras and formed special teams who would be identified and arrested through the use of artificial intelligence and other modern technology,” the report stated.

    The PTI has been trying to hold rallies in Pakistan for months. However, authorities have repeatedly not allowed PTI to hold rallies, citing security issues and other reasons. PTI, however, managed to hold a public gathering in Islamabad on September 8.

    Following PTI’s power show, a crackdown was launched against party leaders — some of who were even allegedly “picked” from within the parliament’s premises for allegedly breaching the no objection certificate (NOC) issued by the administration as well as the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024.” The law had taken effect just a day before the Imran Khan-founded party’s rally, Geo News reported.

  • Pakistan Court Awards Death Sentence To Christian Woman In Blasphemy Case | world news

    Islamabad: A court here in Pakistan on Thursday sentenced a Christian woman to death in a blasphemy case.

    A case was filed under Blasphemy laws against Shaughta Karan, accused of sharing derogatory material about the Prophet of Islam in a WhatsApp group in September 2020.

    Judge Afzal Majuka of the Special Court in Islamabad after the trial found her guilty under Section 295 C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries a death sentence.

    The court also imposed a fine of Rs 300,000 on Karan.

    Apart from this, the court also sentenced her to seven years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 100,000 under Section 11 of the Pakistan Electronic Crime Act (PECA).

    The judge in a brief order said the convict has the right to file an appeal in a high court within 30 days of the decision.

    Judge Majuka added the execution of the sentence would not take place until the high court approved the decision.

    Karan is the second Christian woman sentenced to death in a case of insulting the Prophet and the religion of Islam.

    Earlier, Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy, was kept in prison for eight years, but a bench headed by Asif Saeed Khosa, the former Chief Justice of Pakistan Supreme Court, acquitted her in October 2018.

    After her acquittal, Bibi moved to Canada with her family.

    Blasphemy laws were enacted in the 1980s by former military ruler Ziaul Haq. Those charged with blasphemy are often targeted by the extremists.

    According to the think tank Center for Social Justice (CSJ), nearly 3,000 persons have been accused of blasphemy since 1987.

    At least seven persons accused of blasphemy have been killed by individuals or mobs across Pakistan since January this year, the CSJ said.

    A total of 94 people accused of blasphemy have been killed in mob attacks between 1994 and 2023.

  • Dubai Leaks: Sharif, Zardari, Military Generals Among Elites Of Cash-Strapped Nation Who Own Properties Worth Billions | world news

    As Pakistan struggles with bankruptcy and its people long for staples like wheat and lentils, the nation’s 17,000 billionaires have bought 23,000 residences in Dubai. Together, the wealth of this group of politicians is estimated to be around 11 billion dollars. The ‘Dubai Unlocked’ report has uncovered shocking facts regarding foreigners’ property ownership in Dubai. The report mentions politicians, people and organizations facing US sanction, and individuals with criminal records.

    The data were obtained by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), a non-profit organization based in the United States that studies international crime and conflict. The information was shared with Norwegian financial outlet E24 and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which oversaw an investigation involving media outlets from around the world. The collaboration, titled ‘Dubai Unlocked’, involves 74 partners from 58 countries.

    Villa in Dubai, revelations shake Pakistan! See, the biggest revelation about poor Pakistan#Pakistan #PakistanNews | @priyasi90 pic.twitter.com/F2g32fKWjI — Zee News (@ZeeNews) May 15, 2024

    The report reveals that 29,700 Indians own 35,000 residential properties in Dubai, making them the country’s top buyers of real estate. With 17,000 Pakistanis having purchased 23,000 residential properties, Pakistan comes in second. Saudi Arabian and British nationals are ranked third and fourth, respectively.

    Pakistan’s Elites Named In Dubai Leaks

    The report provides information on hundreds of thousands of properties and their owners in Dubai from 2020 to 2022. Among the Pakistanis, the list includes the three children of President Asif Ali Zardari, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, the wife of Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi, four MPs. , and more than six legislators from the provincial assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan.

    The report also includes former Pakistani Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf, former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, and over a dozen retired army generals, along with a police chief, an ambassador, and a scientist. These individuals either purchased property directly in their name or in the name of their children and wives.

    Dawn reported that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari declared these two properties in his statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the ECP. Hussain Nawaz, the son of former premier and PML-N president Nawaz Sharif, is among the listed owners in the leaks.

    The report reveals that President Asif Ali Zardari received foreign property as a gift in 2014. From 2020 to 2022, the report offers details on hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai, as well as their owners. The list of Pakistanis comprises Hussain Nawaz Sharif, the wife of Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi, three of President Asif Ali Zardari’s children, four Members of Parliament, and over six lawmakers from Sindh and Balochistan’s provincial assemblies.

    Together with former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and over a dozen retired army generals, the report also features a scientist, an ambassador, a police chief, and a former chief of staff of the Pakistani Army, Pervez Musharraf. These people bought real estate either directly or through the names of their spouses and kids.

    Pakistan President Received Foreign Properties As Gifts

    According to the report, President Asif Ali Zardari received a foreign properties as a gift in 2014.However, when he declared it in 2018, it had already been gifted to someone else. Aslam Masood, the CFO of Pakistan’s Omni Group, and his wife own several properties. The list also includes Hamid Mukhtar Shah, a Rawalpindi doctor who was sanctioned by the United States for allegedly kidnapping, detaining, and running a kidney transplant racket on labourers’ in the country. The Altaf Khanani Network, which was sanctioned by the US for involvement in money laundering also features on the list.

    Pakistan’s Home Minister Owns Villa Worth Crores

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s wife owns a property in Dubai, which he did not declare on his election nomination papers. Naqvi’s wife has a five-bedroom villa in Arabian Ranches. This villa was purchased in 2017 for around 330 million rupees. It has now generated 45 million rupees in rent. In 2023, it was sold for 344 million rupees. In response to the media, he stated that he bought another property in Dubai in January of this year, while Naqvi was Punjab’s Home Minister.

  • Unrest In Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir: Security Forces’ Clash With Protesters Leaves 3 Dead, 6 Injured | world news

    At least three people were killed and six others injured when security forces opened fire on protesters during clashes with paramilitary Rangers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad, which has been rocked by protests over high wheat flour prices and inflated electricity bills, according to a media. report. The paramilitary Rangers, who had been called in to maintain law and order in the disputed region, were attacked as they were leaving, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported.

    The 19-vehicle convoy, which included five trucks, chose to leave the region through Kohala rather than Brarkot, a village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the report. As the convoy approached Muzaffarabad in a “charged atmosphere,” it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, prompting them to respond with tear gas and firing, according to the report.

    After entering the city via the Western Bypass, the Rangers were met with rocks, prompting them to use tear gas and bullets. According to the report, the shelling was so intense that it left the entire neighborhood reeling.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a Pakistani Rs 23 billion subsidy for immediate release to the region yesterday, after protesters and the regional government failed to reach an agreement.

    However, the government’s decision to provide the subsidy did not satisfy the region, according to the report.

    Over 100 people, mostly police officers, were injured in Saturday’s clashes between police and activists of a rights movement in the disputed region, which resulted in the death of at least one police officer. Since Friday, there has also been a total strike in the area, which has stopped all activity.

    Prior to the violence, a meeting between Prime Minister Sharif and the “prime minister” of the disputed region, Anwarul Haq, approved the release of Rs 23 billion from Pakistan for the region to use for wheat and power subsidies.

    The 40kg flour subsidized rate has been reduced from Pakistani Rs 3,100 to Rs 2,000. A reduction in the electricity tariff was implemented, with units up to 100, 300, and over 300 units subject to rates of PKR 3, 5, and 6.

    The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) is leading the protest, with traders at the forefront in most parts of the region demanding electricity at the region’s hydropower generation cost, subsidized wheat flour, and an end to the elite class’s privileges.

    The JAAC led a long march to Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, on ​​Monday, as the wheel-jam strike entered its fourth day.

    The movement announced its march to Muzaffarabad after talks between the JAAC core committee and the region’s Chief Secretary, Dawood Bareach, ended in a stalemate.

    Prime Minister Sharif expressed deep concern over the violent clashes between police and protesters on Sunday, saying that “absolutely no tolerance for taking the law into one’s own hands” should be maintained.

    “I urge all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution of their demands. Despite the best efforts of detractors, the matter should be resolved soon,” he stated.

    As part of his efforts to defuse tensions, President Asif Ali Zardari urged all stakeholders to use restraint and resolve issues through dialogue and mutual consultation.

  • Pakistan Election Crisis Deepens As Top Official Confesses Rigging, Claims CEC, Chief Justice Involved | world news

    New Delhi: A shocking scandal has rocked the political landscape of Pakistan, as a former commissioner of Rawalpindi accused the chief election commissioner and the chief justice of being involved in rigging the recent elections. Liaquat Ali Chattha, who resigned from his post on Saturday, claimed that he was under immense pressure to manipulate the poll results in favor of the candidates who were losing. He said he was taking the responsibility for the wrongdoing and demanded that he and others who were part of the injustice should be punished.

    Chattha’s Explosive Allegations

    Chattha made his explosive allegations at a press conference at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where he said he could not sleep after stabbing the country in its back. He said he even contemplated suicide, but decided to expose the truth before the public. He appealed to the bureaucracy to not do anything wrong for the politicians, and said that the chief election commissioner and the chief justice were completely involved in the rigging.

    His remarks came amid nationwide protests by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, who alleged that their mandate was stolen in the February 8 elections.

    ECP, CM Reject Claims

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) strongly rejected Chattha’s claims, and said that no official of the commission ever issued any instructions to change the election results. It also said that the commissioner of any division had no direct role in the conduct of elections, and that the matter would be investigated.

    Punjab’s caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi also ordered an impartial probe into the allegations, and formed a high-level committee to conduct an inquiry. He said that an independent inquiry would be held and the facts would be brought forward.

    Chattha Arrested, Shifted

    Following Chattha’s press conference, police arrived at the venue and arrested him. He was shifted to an unknown location by the security officials. The reason for his arrest and his current whereabouts are not clear.

    PTI Demands Re-Election

    PTI senior leader and Khan’s close aide Zulfi Bokhari reacted to Chattha’s revelation on X, and said that it was shocking and unacceptable. He blamed the chief election commissioner and the chief justice for being part of the crime, and said that Chattha was pushed close to suicide by the unbearable pressure to rig the elections.

    He also said that the entire Pindi Division’s elections were rigged and null and void, and that the situation in other divisions could be worse. He demanded that the elections should be re-held and that the people’s will should be respected.

  • India Slams Pakistan’s ‘False, Malicious Propaganda’ Of Killing Two Terrorists On Pak Soil

    India on Thursday rubbished Pakistan’s allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of two Pakistani terrorists in Sialkot and Rawalkot last year.