For Kashmore’s Begum Khatoon, ‘fear is not an option’

By: Inter News on January 31, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

THE streets of Kashmore have been witnessing an unusual sight; an elderly woman, surrounded by people dancing around her, distributing pamphlets among shopkeepers and community members.

This woman is Begum Khatoon, who is campaigning for the elections by ‘promoting her culture’. The cultural dance is an integral part of her drive. For her, ‘fear’ is certainly not an option, and she makes it clear by joining the dancers once she is done with the distribution of her manifesto.

Unfazed by any possible repercussions for contesting the general elections, Ms Khatoon has received a ticket from the Awami Workers Party (AWP) for PS-04 (Kashmore-I). Abdul Rauf Khosa of PPP will also be contesting from the same constituency.

This is the first time Ms Khatoon will be vying for a seat in the provincial assembly, having previously taken part in local government elections.

“I have grown up in this area and live around eight kilometres from the main city of Kashmore. I am a farmer and I work on fields of rice and wheat. I am well versed with the problems plaguing my area and feel that I need to come out and exercise my right to contest elections, because why should I not? Just because stronger landowners have been able to come at the forefront does not translate to us staying on the margins,” she stresses.

Ms Khatoon, 64, is nimble for her age. She arrived to canvass the people on the motorbike, driven by her son. Her entire family is supportive of her cause and rally behind her as she goes from one person to the next, explaining her manifesto to them in Sindhi.

“Our towns need to have access to all utilities including water, gas and electricity. The schools and colleges especially for girls are in a deplorable condition and this issue should be addressed urgently. Another grave problem which keeps coming back is the killing of women in the name of ‘honour’. I want to ensure that women are safe from kidnappings and such violent incidents so that equality and harmony prevails,” she explains.

The last time she took part in an election, Ms Khatoon recalls, her water access was completely cut off by the area’s feudal landlord, while her son was also put behind bars on what she calls ‘trumped up charges’.

“In light of this, many people came to favour my cause and ultimately my tribulations ended. I am aware that I am taking a risk yet again, but I do not think I have the option to be fearful, rather being fearless is the only way to exist. The representatives whom we have voted for in the past vanish to Karachi or Islamabad after garnering votes, so it’s about time that we stood up for ourselves,” she said.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2024

Ivory Coast stun holders Senegal, Cape Verde into quarter-finals

By: Inter News on January 31, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

ABIDJAN: Hosts Ivory Coast stunned Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, knocking out the reigning champions on penalties in the last 16 to keep their hopes of winning the title on home soil alive.

A week ago it looked as if the Ivorians were set for a humiliating group-stage exit from their own Afcon, but now they are into the quarter-finals after beating Senegal 5-4 on penalties following a tie that finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

The Elephants scraped into the knockout phase with the worst record of the four best third-placed sides to advance, after finishing the first round with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea, their heaviest ever home defeat.

They followed that by sacking veteran French coach Jean-Louis Gasset and trying unsuccessfully to bring in former boss Herve Renard on a short-term deal.

But instead former player Emerse Fae was appointed on an interim basis, hoping to rouse a shell-shocked team for a daunting tie against the holders.

It looked like being a trying evening for Ivory Coast in Yamoussoukro as Senegal went ahead in the fourth minute when Habib Diallo brought down Sadio Mane’s cross from the left and finished emphatically.

Mane then escaped with a yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Ibrahim Sangare soon after, although Senegal also felt hard done by early in the second half.

Ismaila Sarr went down in the box in a tangle of legs with Odilon Kossounou, but no penalty was given and the referee did not come across to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Instead, it was the Ivorians who won a late penalty of their own, a VAR review showing that Nicolas Pepe was chopped down by Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Franck Kessie of Saudi club Al Ahli, who was dropped to the bench at kick-off, converted the penalty to force extra time.

With no further scoring, it came down to penalties, and Senegal’s Moussa Niakhate was the only player to miss, seeing his effort strike the post.

Kessie then netted the decisive kick to take Ivory Coast through to a last-eight tie against Mali or Burkina Faso in the central city of Bouake on Saturday.

“We are feeling a lot of emotion,” Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller told broadcaster Canal Plus Afrique. “The last few days have not been easy but we had to believe in ourselves.”

Senegal go out after being the only team to win all three games during the group stage, and their elimination means no reigning champion has made it beyond the first knockout round of a Cup of Nations since Egypt won a third consecutive title in 2010.

Earlier on Monday, Cape Verde won an Afcon knockout tie for the first time in their history as a late Ryan Mendes penalty gave them a 1-0 victory over Mauritania in Abidjan.

The tie was drifting towards extra time when Cape Verde won a spot-kick as substitute Gilson Tavares Benchimol was brought down in the box by Mauritania goalkeeper Babacar Niasse.

Captain Mendes then converted with just two minutes of the 90 remaining to break the resistance of a Mauritania side appearing in the knockout phase for the first time.

Cape Verde advance to a quarter-final on Saturday in Yamoussoukro against either Morocco or South Africa in San-Pedro.

The tiny Atlantic Ocean island nation had got out of their group in two of their three previous appearances at the Afcon but had never before won a knockout tie.

“We are proud of everything we have done up to now. We always tried to win the game and we thoroughly deserved the victory,” said Cape Verde coach Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito, who believes his side can go further still in the tournament.

“We have our objective, which from day one has been to get to the semi-finals. We are one step away from that now and we are going to keep going, while obviously staying humble and respecting our opponents, but we believe. That is our focus and we are going to try and get there.”

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2024

Cipher case verdict: Legal experts and political analysts criticise ‘speed, transparency’ of verdict against Imran

By: Inter News on January 30, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

After a special court handed former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi 10-year jail sentences each in connection with a case involving the disclosure of state secrets, legal experts and political analysts unanimously criticised the verdict, questioning its merit as well as the haste with which the trial was concluded.

The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister.

The conviction, which came after Special Court (Official Secrets Act) judge Abual Hasnat Moham­mad Zulqarnain appointed a state counsel for Imran and Qureshi — a move they vehemently opposed — means that both stand disqualified from contesting elections for the next five years, including the one that is a little over a week away.

Here is what legal eagles and political experts Dawn.com reached out to had to say about the verdict:

Highly unfortunate and overly rushed decision: Rida Hosain

Lawyer Rida Hosain said that the right to a fair trial “is enshrined in the Constitution as an independent and absolute right”.

“The superior courts have gone so far as to say that if an accused cannot be tried fairly, they should not be tried at all,” she said. “The right to be represented by a counsel of one’s choice is a fundamental aspect of a fair trial. There was no justification for depriving Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi of this crucial right. The farcical manner in which the trial was carried out has compromised the entire process.

“As regards the merits, a sentence of ten years can only be imposed if it is shown that an accused has acted in the interest or benefit of a foreign power, or the offence relates to the defence of Pakistan, or the offence is in relation to any secret official code.”

She recalled that when the Supreme Court had approved Imran and Qureshi’s post-arrest bails in December, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had stated that there was no “sufficient incriminating material available’ at that stage that showed that Imran Khan acted in the interest or benefit of a foreign power, or disclosed information relating to the defence installations, or disclosed any secret official code”.

“The SC bail order is a tentative view but shows that not all offences under the Official Secrets Act attract such harsh punishments. It is a highly unfortunate and overly rushed decision, and it is hoped that it will be overturned in appeal.”

Transparency, speed of trial leaves judiciary with little credibility: Basil Nabi Malik

Lawyer Basil Nabi Malik also criticised the manner as well as the speed with which the trial was wrapped, saying, “There are times when legal decisions assume a political flavour, and then there are times when politics is cloaked with a legal cover. There may be some who would defend the processes culminating in the overall conviction in the instant matter, but it is problematic on many levels.

“Appointing state counsels to defend those being prosecuted at a time when the state itself is being accused of victimizing Imran Khan and Mr. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, controversies regarding the manner, mode, and level of transparency in the trial, jail or otherwise, and the speed with which the decision has been announced, leave the judiciary with little credibility.

“Providing the other side with a proper opportunity to be heard is a cardinal principle in our legal system, and when the accused may seem reluctant to proceed, it becomes even more important to ensure that justice has not only been done but is seen to be done.

“In the matter of this decision, how many can say that either of the two principles have been fulfilled?

Punishment for playing politics at over foreign relations should’ve been through electorate: Abdul Moiz Jaferii

Another lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii also questioned why the case proceedings were wrapped up in a haste, but also wondered on what basis the 10-year sentence was handed.

“This ten-year sentence implies that the trial court saw it fit to try Imran khan under s3 of the act which requires intent of espionage and the knowledge of such detriment to the state through collusion with an enemy. It would be amazing to see how this could be proven,” he said.

“The lesser s5 punishments for negligent handling of such missives or the retention of them as added to the law in August 2023 can also not apply in my opinion, as they would still require a negligently handled missive to contain a code or secret language capable of being interpreted and decoded. It is admitted that Imran khan was handling a deciphered version of the communication.

“This was a prime minister playing politics at the expense of diplomatic relations. The punishment for this can only be from the electorate, not through the abuse of laws that clearly do not apply to the circumstances.”

Integrity and impartiality of the court under question: Mirza Moiz Baig

Lawyer Mirza Moiz Baig said that the verdict will be remembered for the “extraneous reasons” the trial was conducted in, and raises concerns about the “integrity and impartiality” of the court.

“While it may be premature to comment on the merits of the judgment rendered today, the mystery that shrouded the trial and the haste with which the trial proceeded raise concerns about the integrity and impartiality of the trial court,” he said.

“Concerns with respect to the accused’s right to due process and fair trial are also aggravated by the fact that they were not represented by lawyers of their choosing.

“The judgment rendered today would thus be remembered less for the hyper-technical reasons it proffers but for the extraneous reasons that the trial was really about.”

Twitter has been abuzz with discussions following the news, with many sharing their disappointment with the court’s verdict, underscoring the problem of a weakened democracy.

Senior journalist Baqir Sajjad Syed deemed the verdict “disappointing”, adding that “using the guise of a leaked cable to silence dissent is a blow to democracy.”

Talk show host Shahzeb Khanzada was of the view that the judgment was announced “without following due process” and that the hearing was “conducted in haste”.

In a post on X, Khanzada said that even though there was strong evidence against Imran and Qureshi, relief from the high court would be “imminent”, keeping in view the way the trial was conducted.

Header image: The file photo shows former prime minister Imran Khan speaking to media representatives in Lahore. — AFP

New Hong Kong national security law to add five crimes

By: Inter News on January 30, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Hong Kong will create its own national security law “as soon as possible”, city leader John Lee said on Tuesday, adding insurrection and other crimes not covered by existing legislation imposed by Beijing four years ago.

Massive pro-democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for greater freedoms.

In response, Beijing imposed a national security law to punish four major crimes — secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces — with sentences ranging up to life in prison.

Officials on Tuesday said Hong Kong’s security law — mandated by Article 23 of the city’s mini-constitution — will cover five offences: treason, insurrection, espionage, destructive activities endangering national security, and external interference.

“While we society as a whole looks calm and very safe, we still have to watch out for potential sabotage and undercurrents that try to create troubles, particularly some of the independent Hong Kong ideas that are still embedded in some people’s minds,” Lee told a press conference.

“The threats to national security are real, we have experienced them and suffered from them badly […] we don’t want to go through that painful experience again,” he said, adding that “some foreign agents may still be active in Hong Kong”.

“I must stress that the Basic Law Article 23 legislation must be done […] as soon as possible,” Lee said, noting the city had waited 26 years to make it a reality.

Lee said the consultation process for the law — which runs until the end of February — would be “open”, with the document published online and the government planning to discuss it with local and foreign groups.

He also said he anticipated “badmouthing” of the new law, while insisting it would soon dissipate.

“When people see that this law will bring security and stability, they will love it,” he said.

‘Put a full stop’

Since the British handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, the city has been under a “one country, two systems” regime, in which the legal and court structures are separate from the mainland.

Under its mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law, Hong Kong is required to enact a law combating seven security-related crimes, including treason and espionage.

The first legislative attempt in 2003 was shelved after half a million Hong Kongers took to the streets to protest the move.

Critics of the existing national security law have said it has affected Hong Kong’s status as an international hub since its enactment in 2020, pointing to an ongoing talent drain as foreign companies reconsider the city as its Asia base.

The law’s expansive reach has also had chilling effects, observers say — quietening Hong Kong’s once-vibrant civil society space and shuttering news outlets and radio programmes.

But Lee downplayed the law’s impact, pointing to an increase in the number of foreign and mainland companies choosing to open in Hong Kong.

“I am very confident the earlier we finish enacting Article 23, what has been troubling us for over 26 years, we can put a full stop to it and we can focus comprehensively on economic development,” he said.

He added that the law would not send arrested people to mainland China — a hot topic for Hong Kongers as it was an extradition bill proposed in 2019 that sparked the massive pro-democracy protests.

“The law we are legislating will have no element at all about sending any arrested persons in Hong Kong to the mainland. So that is very clear,” he said.

Since Beijing’s law was enacted in 2020, 290 people have been arrested on national security grounds — including dozens of the city’s prominent elected politicians, democracy activists, rights lawyers, unionists, and journalists.

More than 30 have been convicted under the existing law, while dozens have been held in pre-trial detention for over two years.

Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi sentenced to 10 years in jail in cipher case

By: Inter News on January 30, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

A special court established under the Official Secrets Act on Tuesday handed both former premier Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi 10 years in jail in the cipher case.

The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister.

The verdict comes nine days before the February 8 general elections, which the PTI is contesting amid a state crackdown and without an electoral symbol.

This is Imran’s second conviction as he was also convicted in the Toshakhana case on Aug 5, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) had suspended his sentence. However, a division bench had later rejected Imran’s petition seeking the suspension of the conviction.

This is the former foreign minister’s first conviction.

Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain announced the verdict in the case. At the outset of the hearing, Imran and Qureshi were given a questionnaire under Section 342 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

After Imran recorded his statement, the court asked him about the whereabouts of the cipher, to which he replied: “I have said the same in my statement that I do not know. The cipher was in my office.”

The judge then sentenced the two to 10 years in jail in the case. After announcing the verdict, the judge stepped out of the courtroom, at which Qureshi protested that his statement was not recorded.

PTI decries ‘sham trial’, to challenge verdict in IHC

In a post on X, PTI official issued a statement saying that Pakistan stood with Imran and Qureshi “who defended Pakistan and stood for haqeeqi azadi”.

“No such sham trial can change what happened in March-April 2022, on the orders of Donald Lu,” the statement added.

“A complete mockery and disregard of the law in the cipher case shall not lead us to forget our primary responsibility in order to provide justice to Imran and Qureshi.”

The statement urged the public to come out and vote on February 8.

“God willing kaptaan and vice kaptaan will be back soon, and this sentence will be (thrown) in the dustbin in the appeal stage,” it concluded.

PTI leader Gohar Khan said that the special court judge had announced the verdict in haste, adding that proceedings were not being conducted in accordance with the law and the Constitution.

“He asked questions himself and the way our witness was cross-examined, you cannot find any such examples in history,” he said while speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court.

He requested all the “well-wishers” of the country to show patience and not react to the court order in any capacity.

“We trust the high and the Supreme Court. At the end of the day, we will eventually get relief. Even if they convict us then it would be quashed […] Do not get angry, don’t take the law in your hands. You do not have to throw a single stone, you should show patience,” he said.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan urged party workers to “remain calm and not indulge in any activity that undermines our traditional stance of a peaceful struggle”.

“We will appeal against this decision in the high court and continue our battle,” he said. “The current kangaroo court ruling will not deter us from foregoing this principle come what may,” he added.

“We should harness and channel these energies for the polling day on February 8 to ensure that PM Imran Khan’s nominated candidates are returned to the assemblies with a thumping majority,” he said.

“Sham trial. Sham decision. It will be reversed. Don’t fall in their trap. Our vote on February 8 will be our first response,” said PTI’s Taimur Jhagra.

Speaking to Geo News, PTI counsel Barrister Ali Zafar said he would file an appeal tomorrow in the Islamabad High Court, calling it a “blessing in disguise.”

“The case was going good but in recent days the judge changed everything and this was a mistrial. A criminal trial needs to be a fair trial,” he said.

When asked if 10 years was a long enough punishment for the PTI leaders, Zafar said, “Punishment is handed out when a crime has been committed. There was no crime committed, and no trial held.”

Case history

In December, the Supreme Court had approved the post-arrest bails of Imran and Qureshi. While Imran remained incarcerated in other cases, Qureshi’s expected release was also stalled as he was re-arrested in a fresh May 9 case.

Days later, Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb had restrained the special court from proceeding against the suspects — including Qureshi — till Jan 11, noting that there were “legal errors” in the case.

The special court had begun the cipher trial afresh last month at the Adiala district jail after Imran and Qureshi were indicted for a second time in the case on December 13.

The former premier and Qureshi, who is also behind bars, were first indicted in the case in October. Both had pleaded not guilty. The IHC had termed the government’s notification for a jail trial “erroneous” and scrap­ped the entire proceedings.

Last week, state defence counsels had been appointed due to the previously appointed ones who had agreed to conduct cross-examinations not appearing in the next two court hearings.

Imran had said the trial was nothing less than a “joke” because the prosecution and defence team both belonged to the government.

More to follow

Pakistan’s ranking on corruption perception index improves by 7 spots: report

By: Inter News on January 30, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Pakistan’s ranking on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) has improved by seven spots from 140 out of 180 countries in 2022 to 133 in 2023, Transparency International said in a report on Tuesday.

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public-sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople. It relies on 13 independent data sources and uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean.

The report published today by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog, shows that during 2023, the country’s ranking was 133 while the CPI score was 29 out of 100.

In comparison, Pakistan’s ranking in 2022 was 140, unchanged from the previous year, while the CPI score was 27.

It should be noted that neighbouring India’s CPI score dropped from 40 in 2022 to 39 in 2023.

In his remarks, Transparency International Pakistan Chairman Justice (retd) Zia Pervez noted the improvement in Pakistan’s score in the index.

He said that policies aimed at better governance and effective enforcement of the law were expected to yield positive results in the future, as well as implementation of the recommendations by Transparency International.

The 2023 CPI shows that most countries have made little to no progress in tackling public sector corruption. The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth year in a row, with more than two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.

According to the Rule of Law Index, the world is experiencing a decline in the functioning of justice systems. Countries with the lowest scores in this index are also scoring very low on the CPI, highlighting a clear connection between access to justice and corruption, the report said.

Transparency International Chair Francois Valerian said: “Corruption will continue to thrive until justice systems can punish wrongdoing and keep governments in check. When justice is bought or politically interfered with, it is the people who suffer. Leaders should fully invest in and guarantee the independence of institutions that uphold the law and tackle corruption. It is time to end impunity for corruption.”

Global highlights

Denmark (90) tops the index for the sixth consecutive year, with Finland and New Zealand following closely with scores of 87 and 85, respectively. Due to well-functioning justice systems, these countries are also among the top scorers in the Rule of Law Index.

Somalia (11), Venezuela (13), Syria (13), South Sudan (13) and Yemen (16) take the bottom spots in the index. They are all affected by protracted crises, mostly armed conflicts.

Twenty-three countries — among them some high-ranking democracies like Iceland (72), the Netherlands (79), Sweden (82) and the United Kingdom (71), as well as some authoritarian states like Iran (24), Russia (26), Tajikistan (20) and Venezuela (13) — are all at historic lows this year.

Since 2018, 12 countries have significantly declined on their CPI scores. The list includes low and middle-income countries such as El Salvador (31), Honduras (23), Liberia (25), Myanmar (20), Nicaragua (17), Sri Lanka (34) and Venezuela (13), as well as upper-middle and high income economies like Argentina (37), Austria (71), Poland (54), Turkey (34) and the United Kingdom (71).

Eight countries improved on the CPI during that same period: Ireland (77), South Korea (63), Armenia (46), Vietnam (42), the Maldives (40), Moldova (39), Angola (33) and Uzbekistan (31).

Indian navy frees Iranian fishing boat hijacked off Somalia

By: Inter News on January 29, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

India’s navy said on Monday it had freed an Iranian fishing vessel that had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the latest attack against shipping in the Indian Ocean.

The hijacking off Somalia fuelled concerns about a resurgence of Indian Ocean raids by opportunistic pirates, coming on top of a separate surge of attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

“The fishing vessel had been boarded by pirates and the crew taken as hostages,” Indian navy spokesman Commander Vivek Madhwal said, naming the vessel as the Iranian-flagged Iman.

India had deployed its warship INS Sumitra — which was on anti-piracy patrol off the east coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden — after receiving a distress message from the fishing vessel.

The warship “intercepted the vessel” and then worked to “coerce” the hijackers to release the crew and boat, Madhwal said, without giving an exact location.

The warship “ensured the successful release of all 17 crew members along with the boat”, he added, with the fishing boat then “sanitised and released for onward transit”.

The navy, which released photographs of the Iranian fishing boat and crew, as well as its sailors towing a skiff, did not give further details of the operation or the fate of the pirates.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched scores of attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden targeting Israeli-linked vessels in response to Israel’s military offensive against the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.

‘Piracy of opportunity’?

International naval forces have been diverted north from the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea, sparking fears that pirates will exploit the security gap, with the first successful case of Somali piracy since 2017 recorded in December.

Eric Jaslin, the head of France-based Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness (MICA) Centre, said last month it was still too early to say if attacks were the result of “piracy of opportunity” or because military resources were “focused on the Red Sea”.

Pirate attacks off the Somali coast peaked in 2011 — with the gunmen launching attacks as far as 3,655 kilometres from the Somali coast in the Indian Ocean — before falling off sharply after international navies sent warships and commercial shipping deployed armed guards.

India’s navy has been deployed continuously off Somalia since 2008, but in December sent a far larger force — including three guided-missile destroyers and P-8I reconnaissance aircraft to “maintain a deterrent presence” after a string of shipping attacks.

India, which has close trade ties with Iran, has not joined the US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to protect international shipping against attacks by Houthi rebels.

On January 5, Indian navy commandos in the Arabian Sea boarded the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier MV Lila Norfolk after a failed hijacking attempt.

On Saturday, suspected Somali pirates boarded and hijacked the Sri Lankan fishing trawler Lorenzo Putha-4 with six crew, about 840 nautical miles (1,555 km) southeast of the Somali capital Mogadishu, the Sri Lankan navy said.

Last month, Somali pirates hijacked the bulk carrier MV Ruen.

The Bulgaria-owned and Malta-flagged vessel was seized by Somali pirates 380 nautical miles east of the Yemeni island of Socotra on December 16.

The pirates, who released one injured sailor into the care of the Indian navy, took the MV Ruen and its remaining 17 crew members to Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland.

MQM-P worker killed in clash with PPP during election campaign in Karachi’s Nazimabad: police

By: Inter News on January 29, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

An MQM-P worker was killed while a PPP worker was wounded in a clash between the two parties during an election campaign in Karachi’s Nazimabad on Sunday, police said.

Gulbahar Police Station House Officer (SHO) Shabbir Hussain told Dawn.com that the incident took place outside the MQM-P office in the area when a PPP rally was passing through.

He said workers of both parties chanted slogans against each other before getting into a physical altercation that led to firing from both sides.

SHO Hussain said the firing led to the death of an MQM-P worker, identified as 40-year-old Faraz Ahmed Qureshi, while PPP’s Rao M Talha, 22, suffered a bullet injury.

“A mob surrounded the area following the shooting and vandalised two Toyota Vigos belonging to PPP workers before setting them on fire,” the official added.

Hussain said no arrest had been made so far and a first information report (FIR) would be registered after the MQM-P worker’s funeral.

Meanwhile, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn.com that Qureshi was brought dead to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital last night with a gunshot to the head. She added that Talha sustained a bullet injury on his left arm.

Mustafa Kamal holds PPP’s Asim Hussain responsible

In a press conference today, MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal pinned the blame for the attack on PPP leader and former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain.

“This is the sixth incident in three months,” he said.

In December last year, the MQM-P had alleged that three party workers were shot dead by PPP “terrorists” during an election campaign in Karachi’s Machhar Colony. MQM-P Deputy Convener Anis Kaimkhani had alleged that PPP workers attacked the party’s workers.

Talking about the latest incident, Kamal said PPP workers were removing MQM-P flags at Nazimabad’s Multi Chowk Road and attacked party workers when they tried to stop them.

Kamal claimed that PPP workers left after a physical fight only to return later, “armed with Kalashnikovs”. He added that a video of the entire incident was available.

“When the PPP terrorists returned, they had four police mobiles with them. They came on Dr Asim’s call and martyred our worker,” Kamal alleged, adding that PPP workers fled after killing Qureshi and left their vehicles behind.

“This is the last time I am saying that I will not let my workers get harmed any more,” he asserted. Kamal further warned that the MQM-P would take the matter into their own hands if the state failed to protect them.

“Dying is not a problem for us […] we don’t have anything to lose,” Kamal said.

He also demanded that an FIR should be registered against Dr Hussain, alleging that the PPP leader was a murderer.

Saeed Ghani claims MQM-P workers ‘resorted to terrorism’

On the other hand, PPP leader and former provincial minister Saeed Ghani claimed that MQM-P workers removed wall chalkings and PPP flags from Karachi’s central district.

“All our banners and flags were burnt in North Nazimabad,” he said. “They even sent a cartridge to one of our workers’ homes.”

Ghani added that MQM-P “terrorists” also attacked a party meeting in PS-100 Gulistan-i-Jauhar and threatened PPP workers.

“They picked up the son of our KMC council member Taslim Shabbir and tortured him,” he claimed. “They even tore flags and banners in North Karachi and now they they have started doing this in the entire central district,” Ghani added.

Speaking about yesterday’s incident, the PPP leader said videos of the clash emerging now showed “who instigated the attack and resorted to terrorism”.

“The most unfortunate thing is that the entire incident took place under police watch,” he said. “PPP District Central President Masood Ahsan spoke to the SSP but when things got out of control he reached out to the Sindh Rangers,” Ghani added.

Ahmed Shabbar — vying for ‘a green revolution in grey Karachi’

By: Inter News on January 29, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

EVERY street and corner of Karachi has a lot of colour and vibrance to offer, but there is a noticeable dearth of greenery in the metropolis. This is because little to no attention has been paid to environmental improvement of the city. However, a young face has thrown his hat into the electoral arena to achieve exactly that; turn the blues of this city to green.

Ahmed Shabbar, who is contesting independently from PS-110 in Karachi with the electoral symbol ‘roots’, which symbolise his environment-heavy manifesto, will be taking on another, more notable independent candidate, lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, as well as Syed Najmi Alam of the PPP, PTI-backed Bilal Jadoon and PML-N’s Babar Anwar.

A physics student-turned-engineer, Mr Shabbar is contesting the election with the idea of ushering a ‘green’ revolution.

“This election is my first step towards building the ideology of green politics in the country. A lot of young people are a part of my campaign, so far wherever we have gone to ask for votes, it’s always the young lot to understand the ideology first. So, by the time 2029 comes, environment would be an integral part of Pakistan’s politics,” he told Dawn.

He believes that the environment or geographical area where humans are born not only determines their language, skin colour and other physical attributes, it is also responsible for the livelihood of the entire population, which means it needs to be preserved and cared for.

“Those born near the ocean or water bodies will most probably depend on fishing as a source of their livelihood. Those born in plain areas would be agriculturalists. Those born in the mountains might earn through dry fruits via fruit orchards or mining, and those born in the cities will take on jobs available in the urban space. Such distinct local economies go on to collectively account for our city, provincial and national economy,” he explained.

Mr Shabbar, who is a founder of Pakistan Maholiati Tahaffuz Movement, a campaign initiated to advocate for climate emergency, has built a seven-point election agenda based on an enviro-human-centric ideology where there is a recognition that humans are as much a part of nature as any other being or thing.

“Our ideology is ‘Nature First’ because it is the foundation of everything, whether it is our identity, the livelihood we earn, our economy and also foreign policy or global cooperation,” he said.

Professionally, Mr Shabbar worked as a Mechanical Designer Engineer at Aga Khan University for some years. Later, he founded The Environmental, a digital media outlet which is solely focused on the climate crisis. The website produces documentaries, short clips and explainers around ecological issues. Additionally, he is the CEO of GarbageCan (Pvt) Ltd, which is a social entrepreneurship with a vision to spread awareness about waste management and sustainable practices.

“And these skewed policies are based on greed, incompetence, apathy or all of them put together,” he said.

“Our national and foreign policies are based on similar environmental points especially when we consider infrastructure projects dependent on natural landscapes such as Gwadar Port, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), RekoDiq and other cross border treaties such as Indus Water Treaty,” he said, adding that any environmental degradation would indicate ‘skewed policies’.

“I see politics as a form of negotiations for equal distribution of facilities,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2024

North Korea fires cruise missiles off east coast

By: Inter News on January 28, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles off its east coast on Sunday, its second such launch in less than a week, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The missiles were launched at around 2300 GMT on Saturday and were being analysed by South Korean and US intelligence authorities, the JCS said, without specifying how many missiles were fired or how far they travelled.

“While strengthening surveillance and vigilance, our military is cooperating closely with the United States and monitoring additional signs and activities from North Korea,” it said in a statement.

The latest launches came days after North Korea fired what it called a new strategic cruise missile called “Pulhwasal-3-31”, suggesting it is nuclear capable.

North Korea is stepping up confrontation with the United States and its allies, but officials in Washington and Seoul say they have spotted no signs Pyongyang intends to take imminent military action.

Pyongyang is likely to continue or even increase provocative steps, officials and analysts say, after it made strides in ballistic missile development, bolstered cooperation with Russia and China, and scrapped its decades-long goal of peacefully reuniting with South Korea.

Earlier on Sunday, North Korea’s state media KCNA denounced a series of military drills conducted in recent weeks by US and South Korean troops, warning of “merciless” consequences.

“The reality that nuclear war exercises against our republic have been going on like crazy since the beginning of the New Year demands that we be fully prepared for a deadly war,” the dispatch said.

North Korea carried out its first test of a cruise missile with a possible nuclear strike capabilities in September 2021.

While UN Security Council sanctions do not bar the isolated country from testing conventional cruise missiles, South Korea’s defence minister Shin Won-sik condemned the recent launches as a serious threat to his country and beyond.

The latest launch came a day after a Chinese delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong returned home following a three-day visit to Pyongyang, during which both sides vowed to boost tactical cooperation and defend common interests.

In a separate dispatch on Sunday, KCNA said a North Korean delegation headed by sports minister Kim Il Guk left on Saturday for China.

Three touring cyclists face police misbehaviour, ‘torture’ in Sadiqabad

By: Inter News on January 28, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Police on Saturday allegedly tortured and misbehaved with three international tourists and cyclists from Italy, England and Iran, including a woman, in the Sadiqabad area on Saturday.

Police deny the allegations, saying the incident was triggered when police did not allow them to go to an unsafe area of Sindh. The tourists had shown an irresponsible attitude regarding their security and alleged that the woman tourists had first slapped an assistant sub-inspector who paid in the same coin, the police spokesman claimed.

The footage of the incident was posted on social media.

In the first footage, the policeman, later identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Liaqat, is seen scolding the woman tourist, asking her to get up in anger. When she refuses to do that, he shouts, repeatedly asking her to get up but she refuses to do so, saying she wants to sit there. He snatches the camera from her while sound of slaps is heard.

In the second footage, recorded by the woman, the male tourist is heard, saying, “I want my camera back. This is unwarranted assault. I am calling my Italian Embassy and she has the Iran Embassy.”

Police deny allegations, saying cyclists were stopped from going to Kashmore, Sindh; tourists should follow police SOPs

He is also heard saying that he wants his logistics back from the police vehicle.

The woman tourist says, “I want to know why he grabbed his hair. All these people saw it. He grabbed his hair. It’s not good for you.”

She goes to the police van to show the policeman’s face in an attempt to expose him, telling him, “Shame on you.” In response, the policeman brandishes his weapon (Kalashnikov) in a gesture to threaten the woman tourist. She dares him to shoot her, saying “shoot me, shoot me”. The police vehicle is seen driving away from the hotel.

According to police, the incident took place on the issue of provision of complete security and not allowing the tourists to go to an unsafe area of Sindh.

Three international tourists, including Charlie West of the United Kingdom, Alex Sidney of Italy and Motahira of Iran, were cycling from Sindh to Punjab and they reached Sadiqabad on Friday night. Alex’s Instagram profile says that he has been ‘tallbiking’ around the world since May 2022.

After crossing the Punjab-Sindh border at Kot Sabzal, Rahim Yar Khan police claimed that they provided the foreign tourists with security and when the tourists reached Sadiqabad, they insisted on going to Kashmore district of Sindh near Guddu Barrage. When police stopped them from going to Kashmore for their security and made arrangements for their stay at a hotel in Sadiqabad on the National Highway, the woman cyclist allegedly slapped a policeman.

In reaction, an assistant sub inspector (ASI) also replied in the same manner but his target was not the woman but the male cyclist, a source in a law enforcement agency said. The ASI took his camera too, he added.

On Saturday, according to official claims, when the tourists planned to depart for Lahore, Sadiqabad Saddar police provided them with security. When the tourists refused the security, an exchange of harsh words occurred between a tourist and the ASI when they were having breakfast. The tourists also complained about misbehaviour of the police employee to the hotel administration.

Later, Assistant Superintendent Police (ASP) Saddar Khurram Mahesar and Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sadiqabad Hammad Hamid reached the hotel and ‘resolved the issue’.

After mediation, the police gave the Ajraks and Sindhi caps to the touring cyclists. AC Hamid told Dawn the matter between international cyclists and police had been resolved peacefully for the good image of the country.

Police spokesperson Saif Ali Wains alleged that international cyclists showed an irresponsible attitude about their safety and security and later a police employee misbehaved with one of the tourists.

“The international tourists should follow the police standard operating procedures (SOPs) while travelling in the province for their security,” Wains stressed. The international cyclists departed for Lahore at 11am, he added.

District Police Officer Rizwan Umar Gondal has launched an inquiry and departmental proceedings against the ASI.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2024

Tribal customs hindering campaign of women candidates in Khyber

By: Inter News on January 27, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

KHYBER: Tribal customs and traditions are the main hurdle to three women candidates for general seats of provincial assembly in Khyber district as they run a restricted door-to-door campaign and focus mostly on female voters.

Shakira Shinwari, Lal Zaida and Naseem Riaz have filed their nominations for PK-69, PK-70 and PK-71, respectively, alongside 76 other male contestants for the three provincial assembly seats in Landi Kotal, Jamrud and Bara.

Shakira Shinwari and Naseem Riaz are contesting elections as independent candidates while Lal Zaida has the backing of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians.

None of these three female candidates have so far organised any public meeting nor are their personal posters or banners anywhere in sight in their respective constituencies. Motivated by her family support and backing to try her luck in the February 8 general elections for the first time, Shakira Shinwari believes that she can be a better choice to raise voice for the legitimate rights of the otherwise political and economically deprived tribal women as all the former male lawmakers have failed to bring about a qualitative change in the life of local women.

Local elders look at participation of women in polls with sarcasm

“With my canvassing and persuasion, I also want to change the otherwise biased mentality of tribal men towards their womenfolk. Tribal men do not allow their women to get equal rights and have access to basic health and education facilities,” she told this scribe in a committed voice.

But in the same vein she acknowledged the challenges she was faced with in her electoral campaign in the male-dominated tribal society while also conceding that she herself would focus on approaching only female voters, the male members of her family would reach out to male voters as she was not able to pay visits to ’hujra and jumaath (mosque) for canvassing.

Naseem Riaz from Bara believes that concrete legislation is required for women empowerment as tribal women are lagging behind their male counterparts in this field and she is in the contest with the same objective.

“My main purpose of contesting elections is to financially empower tribal women as they are now entirely dependent on male members of their families. I will work hard for the achievement of these legitimate goals,” she told Dawn.

She said that financial empowerment of tribal women would not mean that she would be going out of her home for jobs but would rather focus on provision of profitable skills to them to make them ‘stand on their own feet’ while staying at their homes.

She was also quick to add that she had no intentions to challenge the local tribal customs. She insisted that she would rather focus on raising awareness both among tribal women and men to secure due rights for the tribal women while living a peaceful life with their families.

But her campaign too was hampered by the tribal customs and traditions as she admitted that she was approaching only female voters and had assigned the responsibility of contacting male voters to her male family members.

Both Shakira Shinwari and Naseem Riaz insisted that there was a lot to be done in improving the quality of education for tribal girls along with provision of better health facilities to local women as those were denied to them in the name of tribal customs and traditions.

Lal Zaida was yet to devise her campaign strategy and was in a ‘confused state of mind’ when she was asked about her decision to contest elections. “My focus would be on health and education” was her only reply through a male interlocutor when she was approached by this scribe to ascertain her campaign strategy and election manifesto. She is yet to make a public appearance or start approaching female voters.

Traditional tribal elders, who strongly believe in strict adherence to local traditions, looked at participation of women in the upcoming general elections with sarcasm and termed it a revolt against their authority.

“Our tribal traditions do not permit a woman to contest elections and challenge the authority of men but the current situation in tribal districts has taken such a turn that we as elders have lost control over our womenfolk as they take such vital decisions on their own,” said Malak Abdur Razzaq, a Zakhakhel elder, while indirectly referring to the abolition of the previous status of erstwhile Fata after its merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These ‘harsh’ sentiments of a tribal elder were, however, rejected by Turab Ali, a young social activist, who insisted that tribal women deserved to be equally represented in the parliament as they constituted half of the region’s population.

He said that with no representation in the assemblies, most of the issues confronted by tribal women remained unresolved as male parliamentarians were least interested in giving any attention to those longstanding problems.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024

To find your constituency and location of your polling booth, SMS your NIC number (no spaces) to 8300. Once you know your constituency, visit the ECP website here for candidates.

Pope hits fifty but India in box seat in first Test against England

By: Inter News on January 27, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Ollie Pope was unbeaten on 67 at tea with England still trailing by 18 runs and struggling against a persistent Indian bowling attack in the opening Test on Saturday.

England were 172-5 at the break in Hyderabad after beginning the second innings behind by 190 after the hosts were bowled out for a mammoth 436 in the morning session.

Pope was batting alongside wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (2) after brief and disappointing spells from Joe Root (2) and skipper Ben Stokes (6).

Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked two wickets each.

Zak Crawley fell to Ashwin’s off-spin early but England raced to 89-1 at lunch after Ben Duckett defied the Indian attack with back-and-forth sweeps to keep the scoring rate above five per over.

Bumrah bowled a sensational spell after lunch to get Duckett bowled for 47, soon after the batsman survived an lbw call that would have likely been upheld if reviewed.

He then got veteran batsman Joe Root lbw for two to raise the volume of a raucous weekend crowd.

Ravindra Jadeja bowled Jonny Bairstow for 10 and Ashwin got his second after bowling Stokes.

India resumed the day on 421-7 in response to England’s first innings total of 246 and overnighters Jadeja and Axar Patel started cautiously, with just six runs scored in the first half-hour.

Root, who returned figures of 4-79, got Jadeja out and bowled Bumrah on the next ball but Mohammed Siraj avoided the hat-trick.

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed cleaned up Axar on 44 to end the innings inside the first hour.

Spinner Jack Leach, who injured his knee while fielding on day one and again on day two, took the field heavily bandaged and bowled just one over in the morning.

With elections less than 2 weeks away, PML-N finally unveils much-awaited manifesto

By: Inter News on January 27, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif unveiled his party’s much-anticipated election manifesto on Saturday, with the upcoming February 8 polls less than two weeks away.

Speaking at a party event in Lahore, he said that the PML-N’s manifesto has been prepared with “great efforts” and would be “fully implemented” if voted to power.

While the former premier recalled the PML-N’s previous tenures, saying there was “no inflation” back then, the detailed manifesto was shared by the party on its official account on social media platform X.

Nawaz termed the country’s economy as the most important aspect of the manifesto.

At the outset of his address, he said it felt “strange” despite him being ousted as the prime minister in 2017 and “political vendettas” against his party members, the PML-N was once again “preparing to contest elections and presenting its manifesto”.

If voted to power, the party vowed to provide the public with “cheap and increased electricity” as well as “speedy development”. Appeasing the youth, the party also promised to undertake several projects and schemes aimed at improving their skills and aiding literacy.

The manifesto was unveiled after the party’s political rivals, especially PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, frequently assailed it for not disclosing its agenda despite the general elections being less than two weeks away.

“What kind of democracy and election is this where one party has a manifesto and another — which is pitting its nominee for the prime minister for the fourth time — says their [old] manifesto is [still] valid. They can’t even tell you that if they somehow get the chance again [to rule] for the fourth time, what they’ll do,” the PPP scion had said.

More to follow

To find your constituency and location of your polling booth, SMS your NIC number (no spaces) to 8300. Once you know your constituency, visit the ECP website here for candidates.

Canvassing by women against sharia, declare Kohistan clerics

By: Inter News on January 27, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

MANSEHRA: A group of Kohistan clerics, mostly members of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, on Friday issued a fatwa (Islamic decree) against canvassing by and for women election candidates and declared the act un-Islamic.

“The women’s act of going from door to door to solicit votes is against sharia [Islamic laws],” declared seminary head Mufti Gul Shahzada after a meeting of clerics in the Kandia area of Upper Kohistan district.

He said the fatwa against women’s election campaign was issued by 30 authorised religious scholars and endorsed by participants, including around 400 clerics from Kohistan region.

For the first time in Kohistan, three women have entered the electoral arena.

They insist it is sinful to defy fatwa

They include the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-backed Tehmina Faheem (PK-31 Kohistan-I) and Momina Basit (PK-33 Kolai-Palas) and independent Sannaya Sabeel (PK-33 Kolai-Palas).

Cleric Shahzada claimed that it was sinful to defy the fatwa.

He also said the sharia disallowed the casting of vote along ethnic lines, so residents shouldn’t do so.

When contacted, women contender Tehmina Faheem said she would respond to the decree after consulting her party’s leadership.

The other candidates didn’t comment on the issue.

NO SEAT ADJUSTMENT: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl provincial emir and Senator Maulana Attaur Rehman on Friday said his party didn’t make electoral alliance or seat adjustment with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for the Feb 8 general elections.

“The PML-N leaders are falsely propagating that we [JUI-F] will withdraw our election candidate in favour of their supreme leader, Nawaz Sharif, in Mansehra’s NA-15 constituency.

This is not going to happen as there is no electoral alliance or seat adjustment between us,“ Mr Rehman told a public meeting here.

The JUI-F leader said the PML-N feared its leader’s defeat in the constituency and therefore, it had resorted to “false propaganda.”

He said the party’s parliamentary board led by central emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman fielded Mufti Kifayatullah as the NA-15 candidate against Mr Sharif and it won’t withdraw him from the electoral contest.

“Maulana Kifayatullah is the strongest candidate in NA-15, so he will win the election convincingly,” he said.

The JUI-F provincial emir said Mr Sharif publicly acknowledged that JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman offered help to the PML-N to form a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the 2013 elections but the offer was rejected clearing the way of the PTI to power.

He said had Mr Sharif accepted Mr Fazl’s offer, thecountry’s politics and economy would not have been shattered by the PTI government.

Mr Rehman said his party was committed to bringing about an “Islamic revolution” in the country through people’s votes.

JUI-F candidates Mufti Kifayatullah, Maulana Nasir Mehmood, Abrar Hussain Tanoli, Fahd Habib and SardarWaqarul Muluk also addressed the gathering.

DIES: Senior lawyer and former principal of the SM Law College Karachi Umar Farooq passed away here on Friday.

His funeral prayers were attended by people from all walks of life, especially lawyers.

Mr Farooq was laid to rest at a local graveyard.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024

To find your constituency and location of your polling booth, SMS your NIC number (no spaces) to 8300. Once you know your constituency, visit the ECP website here for candidates.

Maryam Nawaz — PML-N’s heir apparent

By: Inter News on January 26, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Maryam Nawaz, the apparent political heir of three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, is a familiar face in Pakistani politics. Known for her biting rhetoric and ability to both pull and rouse a crowd, Maryam has made a name for herself in a political sphere dominated by men.

The three-time ‘first daughter’ was born in 1974. She married Mohammad Safdar, then a captain in the Pakistan Army, in 1992 during her father’s first term as prime minister.

She largely remained behind the scenes till 2013 when she helped manage her father’s re-election campaign. Maryam, then 39 years old, was the PML-N’s counter to the popularity that PTI’s Imran Khan enjoyed among the youth.

Once her father was in power, Maryam was appointed as the chairperson of the Prime Minister Youth Loan Programme. However, her appointment was challenged by the PTI in the Lahore High Court (LHC), which raised questions about her qualifications and asked the government to replace her. Subsequently, Maryam took charge of a social media wing within the party to counter the challenges posed by PTI.

By the time Maryam stood by her father at a series of rallies in the spring of 2018, she was already a name to reckon with, both within the PML-N and in national politics in general. She was considered a crowd-puller in her own right, and an organiser, delivering sharper responses to those she deemed her father’s opponents.

When general elections rolled around, Maryam was given party tickets for one National Assembly and one Punjab Assembly seat. But ahead of the elections, Maryam, along with Nawaz and her husband, was convicted in the Avenfield reference, in which she was accused of being “instrumental in concealment of the properties of her father” and given a seven-year prison term.

She was subsequently disqualified from contesting elections for a decade.

Maryam appealed her conviction in the Islamabad High Court later that year — the court suspended the sentences awarded to her and her husband till the final verdict and released them on bail. But she was arrested in August 2019 from Kot Lakhpat Jail, where she was visiting her father, in connection with the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

She then approached the LHC which granted her bail in November of that year.

Maryam became more active in politics during her father’s almost four-year self-exile in the United Kingdom; she was appointed vice president for the first time in 2019. She led large anti-government rallies across the country, fiercely criticising Imran and the PTI as well as the army and judiciary for her father’s ouster and allegedly bringing the then-PTI chairman into power.

However, she appeared to take a back seat as the Pakistan Democratic Movement — the coalition of political parties — gathered steam and her uncle Shehbaz Sharif became the opposition’s nominee for the next prime minister.

Zaigham Khan wrote for Prism in October 2023 that Maryam’s “inconsistent style of political activism, characterised by alternating periods of high activity followed by prolonged absences, made it challenging for her to maintain a consistent political persona. This approach seemed to have been employed ostensibly to provide Shehbaz with an opportunity to negotiate with the establishment.”

Maryam and her husband’s convictions in the Avenfield reference were finally overturned by the IHC in 2022, paving the way for her to contest elections.

In January 2023, Maryam was also elevated in the party’s ranks and appointed senior vice president and chief organiser, making her one of the PML-N’s senior-most leaders.

She became active again ahead of her father’s return from self-exile, whipping up enthusiasm and emphasising how he would rebuild the economy that had been battered during the PTI’s tenure.

This time around, she is in the running for one National Assembly seat (NA-119) and one Punjab Assembly seat (PP-159). This will be the first time she is contesting the general elections.

Key stances

• Maryam has been a vocal critic of the judiciary, claiming that they facilitated former premier Imran Khan and has held them responsible for her father’s ouster in 2017, and has repeatedly called for judges’ accountability.

• She has also lambasted a former intelligence official for allegedly supporting Imran’s bid to become prime minister and cracking down on the opposition.

• She has also called for involving the youth in the PML-N’s campaigns and urged the party to award the maximum number of tickets to the youth for the upcoming elections.

• She had very publicly disowned some of the tough measures taken by the PML-N-led coalition government, including the mini-budget. She also publicly stated that she did not agree with the decision to hike electricity and fuel prices, adding that her first responsibility was to the people in a bid to placate the party’s voter base.

Header artwork by Abdul Sattar Abbasi

PTI says its websites ‘blocked’ in Pakistan ahead of Feb 8 polls

By: Inter News on January 26, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

The PTI on Friday alleged that its websites were “blocked” in Pakistan and demanded an answer from the federal authorities.

The PTI, deprived of its iconic ‘bat’ symbol for the upcoming polls, has fielded its leaders as independent candidates with different electoral symbols.

To combat confusion among voters and to ease access to election-related information, the party launched an online portal on its website insaf.pk, as well as a “back-up site”, pticandidates.com.

It also introduced a feature whereby voters can message on Imran Khan’s official Facebook account to get information about PTI-backed candidates.

Dawn.com staffers tried accessing the PTI’s websites on Friday but were unable to do so through Wi-Fi or mobile data, except when using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

The party’s official X account tagged the official handles of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), interim information minister Murtaza Solangi and interim IT minister Umar Saif.

“Can you explain why PTI’s websites are blocked in Pakistan?” the party asked in the post.

“People are still getting symbol information from Imran Khan’s Facebook page so the question is what purpose is this block serving?” it asked.

Jibran Ilyas, a member of the PTI’s social media team, also tagged Saif in his post, asking, “Can you tell Pakistanis why the websites of [the] country’s most popular political party [are] blocked by you?”

The PTA has not responded to Dawn.com’s request for a comment on the matter.

The issue comes after a fake web portal — mimicking one launched by the party to provide information on PTI-backed candidates — emerged and was found to be providing incorrect information to voters.

It should also be noted that in recent weeks, multiple countrywide internet outages have been witnessed that coincided with the party’s online events. In the most recent occurrence on January 20, internet services were interrupted an hour before the PTI’s “virtual power show”.

Before that, similar disruptions were reported on December 17 and January 7 as well, leading the party to urge the Supreme Court to take notice of the internet suspension.

For their part, the interim government had blamed “technical” issues and system installations for the disruptions. Earlier this week, information minister Solangi had said that there was “no guarantee” that such incidents would not occur in the future.

In the same press conference, PTA Director General Ahmed Shamim Pirzada attributed the outages to “technical glitches” and system upgrades. “You can face this for the next two to three months,” he had warned.

Alabama carries out first US execution using nitrogen gas

By: Inter News on January 26, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

The southern US state of Alabama on Thursday put to death a convicted murderer using nitrogen gas, the first time the controversial method criticised by human rights advocates has been used in the country.

Kenneth Eugene Smith was pronounced dead at 8:25pm (0225 GMT Friday), according to the state attorney general.

“Justice has been served. Tonight, Kenneth Smith was put to death for the heinous act he committed over 35 years ago,” the statement by Attorney General Steve Marshall said.

Smith, 58, was on death row for more than three decades after being convicted of the 1988 murder-for-hire of a pastor’s wife.

He was put to death at Holman Prison in Atmore, Alabama by nitrogen hypoxia, which involved pumping nitrogen gas into a facemask, causing him to suffocate.

According to media witnesses, he “began writhing and thrashing for approximately two to four minutes, followed by around five minutes of heavy breathing,” local news outlet AL.com reported.

Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told reporters that it appeared Smith was “holding his breath as long as he could” and that there was “involuntary movement” and gasping, which was “expected”.

The curtain over the media witness room opened at 7:53pm, AL.com said, with Smith pronounced dead less than 35 minutes later.

Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Centre said previously that Alabama was “using an untested, unproven method of execution”.

“It’s never been used before to execute anyone in the United States, or anyone in the world as far as we know,” Maher told AFP.

Smith was subjected to a botched execution attempt in November 2022, when prison officials were unable to set intravenous lines to administer a lethal injection.

Smith’s last words on Thursday were, “Tonight, Alabama caused humanity to take a step backward,” according to the local CBS affiliate, whose reporter witnessed the execution.

“I am leaving with love, peace and light […] I love you. Thank you for supporting me. I love all of you,” Smith said.

According to the Alabama Department of Corrections, Smith had a last meal of steak, hashbrowns and eggs on Thursday morning.

The last US execution using gas was in 1999 when a convicted murderer was put to death using hydrogen cyanide gas.

There were 24 executions in the United States in 2023, all of them carried out by lethal injection.

Alabama is one of three US states that have approved the use of nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution, along with Oklahoma and Mississippi.

‘Torture’

Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN rights office in Geneva, urged Alabama last week to abandon the plan to execute Smith using what she called a “novel and untested” method.

Shamdasani said it could “amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, under international human rights law.”

While nitrogen gas had never previously been used to execute humans in the United States, it is sometimes used to kill animals.

But Shamdasani pointed out that even the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends giving large animals a sedative when being euthanised in this manner.

Alabama’s protocol for execution by nitrogen asphyxiation makes no provision for sedation.

The state of Alabama defended the method of execution, claiming it is “perhaps the most humane method of execution ever devised.”

Smith and an accomplice, John Parker, were convicted of the 1988 murder of Elizabeth Sennett for which they were each paid $1,000. Parker was executed by lethal injection in 2010.

Charles Sennett, who had arranged his wife’s murder, killed himself a week after her death.

Speaking to reporters after the execution on Thursday, Elizabeth Sennett’s son Mike Sennett said it had been a “bittersweet” day for his family, as “nothing that happened here today is going to bring Mom back”.

“We’re not going to be jumping around, hooting and hollering and hooray and all that, that’s not us. But we’re glad this day is over,” he said.

Smith had appealed to the US Supreme Court for a stay of execution but the nation’s highest court denied the request.

According to a recent Gallup Poll, 53 per cent of Americans support the death penalty for someone convicted of murder, the lowest level since 1972.

Capital punishment has been abolished in 23 US states, while the governors of six others — Arizona, California, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Tennessee — have put a hold on its use.

Senate committee wants Pakistanis stopped from begging in Saudi Arabia

By: Inter News on January 26, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee has expressed grave concern over the growing trend amongst Pakistanis resorting to begging in Saudi Arabia after going there for Umra and directed the government to take all possible measures to stop this ignominy.

The Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development had been especially convened to discuss the problems confronting overseas Pakistani workers in different countries. Senator Eng. Rukhsana Zuberi chaired the meeting.

Officials from the Interior Ministry said that the ministry has offloaded 44,000 individuals in the past two and a half years. However, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials suggested that checks and balances should be kept in place for passport issuance, and the ministry should increase the screening of individuals before issuance of passports.

Moreover, officials of the Overseas Pakistanis Ministry proposed that NADRA block the CNICs of individuals involved in begging, as it will help in breaking the rackets of begging.

Senator Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi directed the Interior Ministry to take necessary actions against the growing begging in Middle Eastern countries.

The chairperson of the committee remarked that Pakistan encompasses 60 per cent unemployed youth, and there is a dire need to provide employment opportunities to this youth. She stated that smart and short training programmes in medical, nursing, midwifery, and other potential sectors will serve as a guiding light in relinquishing the overgrowing unemployment rate.

Senator Zuberi also recommended that an online portal providing real-time details of job opportunities available in several countries with details of the skills required for the job and the necessary details of the institutions specialising in such training be established. However, the Overseas Ministry suggested that the Information Technology Ministry and Pakistan Information Technology Board should be taken on board for this purpose.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2024

India rolls out red carpet for Macron as France eyes trade deals

By: Inter News on January 25, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

President Emmanuel Macron was given a red carpet welcome and an elephant honour guard on Thursday as he started a two-day visit to India, with France eyeing lucrative deals with the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Landing in Jaipur, state capital of Rajasthan, Macron will be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a banquet in a 19th-century maharaja’s palace.

On Friday, he will be the chief guest in New Delhi at a colourful military march-past with massed ranks of tanks, dancing troupes, camel cavalry and a fighter jet fly-past.

India’s foreign ministry says New Delhi and Paris are “strategic partners”, while the French presidency says the trip will “consolidate and deepen diplomatic and economic relations”.

Despite concerns over human rights, differences over the war in Ukraine and Delhi’s close ties with Moscow — India’s key military supplier — the US and its European allies are courting New Delhi as a military and economic counterweight to China.

France hopes to build on its military contracts after the Indian defence ministry purchased French-made Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene-class submarines in multibillion-dollar deals.

Macron — who, according to Indian media, is coming after US President Joe Biden was unable to take up an invite — is also hoping France can sell six EPR nuclear reactors.

‘Peace and security’

Modi was guest of honour at France’s annual Bastille Day celebrations last July, and Macron is to receive a similar welcome.

The French president was last in India for the G20 summit in September. Paris and New Delhi collaborate on space and satellite technology, and the French delegation includes astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

The visit includes a stop at Jaipur’s 18th-century Jantar Mantar astronomical observation site, before dinner with Modi at the Rambagh Palace, a luxury hotel.

On Friday, Macron will watch a military parade in New Delhi for Republic Day, the 75th anniversary of India’s constitution. Just as Indian soldiers marched down the streets of Paris in 2023, a French contingent will join the military spectacle, as French-built jets roar overhead.

India is “a key partner in contributing to international peace and security”, the French presidency said ahead of the visit.

Last year, Macron visited neighbouring Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and also took a Pacific trip aimed at “recommitting” France to the wider Asia-Pacific region.

‘No taboo subjects’

Rights issues will also be discussed. Journalists, activists and religious minorities have complained of harassment since Modi’s Hindu nationalist government took power in 2014, with accusations of rising religious intolerance towards the country’s Muslim minority.

Modi’s government has been accused of stifling independent media, with India falling 21 places to 161 out of 180 countries in rights group Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom index since he took office a decade ago.

French journalist Vanessa Dougnac was told this month that she is facing expulsion after more than two decades in India for what authorities have termed “malicious and critical” reporting.

The visit also comes days after Modi opened a Hindu temple, built on grounds where a mosque stood for centuries before it was torn down in 1992 by Hindu zealots incited by members of his party.

Modi said the temple heralded a “new era” for India after a ceremony that embodied the triumph of his muscular Hindu nationalist politics and galvanising loyalists ahead of elections later this year.

Macron is slated to visit a Muslim Sufi shrine in New Delhi’s Nizamuddin West neighbourhood during his visit.

A Sikh group in Britain also called on Macron to skip the parade “or raise concerns directly” with Modi after the alleged targeting of Sikh separatists abroad, an issue that sparked a major diplomatic row with Canada last year.

“There are no taboo subjects,” a French presidential adviser said ahead of the visit. “But the goal is to discuss them with respect and with the aim of achieving concrete results”.

Veteran politician Javed Hashmi says Punjab police raided Multan residence, arrested son-in-law and grandson

By: Inter News on January 25, 2024 / comment : 0 NEWS, The Dawn News - Home

Veteran politician Javed Hashmi has alleged that Punjab police raided his Multan residence early on Wednesday and arrested his son-in-law and grandson.

Hashmi, who was once president of the PTI, made the claim in a post on social media platform X. He said around 20 police officers entered his residence in Makhdoom Rasheed town in Multan district illegally at 1am and made the arrests without showing any warrants.

“They violated the sanctity of my home,” he added. He further said his son-in-law Shahid Bahar and grandson Qasim were taken into “illegal custody”.

Several workers in his house were also arrested, he said. He also shared photos of his home, including a broken-down door.

Dawn.com has reached out to Multan police for a comment.

Earlier this week, Hashmi had announced his withdrawal from the NA-149 election and the launch of a movement for the release of former premier Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail for corruption and treason charges.

Addressing a press conference at his Lahore residence, Hashmi said he had always supported anyone who fought against the establishment. He said he had backed Nawaz Sharif when he was excluded from the 2018 election by the establishment, which had allegedly supported Imran and PTI.

Hashmi said he had left the party in 2014 after disagreeing with Imran’s decision to stage a sit-in in Islamabad against the elected government of Nawaz. He said he had rejoined the PML-N in 2018 after reconciling his differences with the Sharifs.

Hashmi accused the establishment of being responsible for the country’s economic and political woes, and said no establishment could make the country and nation prosperous. He said Imran was now standing in front of the establishment, and that was why he was supporting him.

Hashmi said Nawaz had compromised principles for power. He said Jahangir Tareen, a former PTI leader, was not a politician. He said it would have been better if Sheikh Tariq Rasheed or any other Muslim League candidate was given the ticket for NA-149.

He said he was a Muslim League member and would remain a Muslim Leaguer till he died. He hoped that the people of Pakistan would support his cause and stand with him.