MULTAN: Authorities in Pakistan have arrested more than a dozen counter-terrorism officers after police shot and killed a middle-aged couple, their 13-year-old daughter and another man in what they initially claimed was a shootout with insurgents, officials said Sunday.
The police killed grocery store owner Mohammad Khalil, his wife Nabila, their daughter Areeba and a family friend, Zeeshan Javed, after stopping their vehicle late Saturday. Police said Javed was a wanted terrorist and initially accused him of using the others as human shields.
Family members and witnesses say police killed the four in cold blood. They say police rear-ended the vehicle to stop it after a car chase. The police then removed three small children from the vehicle before opening fire, killing everyone inside, according to the witnesses. Video footage shot by a bystander and aired by Pakistani media appears to support the witnesses' accounts. No weapons were found at the scene.
The shooting sparked widespread outrage, with hundreds of mourners gathering in the eastern city of Lahore, where the victims of the shooting lived, and chanting against the police. Area residents left the bodies in the road as a form of protest following Saturday's shooting, which took place in the nearby town of Sahiwal.
Authorities say they have launched an investigation and arrested 16 officers involved in the shooting.
Prime Minister Imran Khan tweeted that he was "shocked at seeing the traumatized children who saw their parents shot before their eyes" and said "swift action will be taken." Usman Buzdar, the chief minister in the Punjab province, met with the family and promised that justice would be served.
Pakistan's security forces have been accused of extrajudicial killings in the past. In one of the most notorious incidents, a police officer was accused of killing a 27-year-old aspiring fashion model from a prominent Pashtun tribe last January, sparking widespread protests and allegations of police brutality. The officer was suspended and placed under house arrest pending trial.
Pakistan arrests officers after shooting that left 4 dead
Pakistan arrests officers after shooting that left 4 dead
- Over a dozen counter-terrorism officers arrested after police shot and killed four including minor
- Prime Minister Imran Khan "shocked at seeing the traumatized children who saw their parents shot before their eyes" and said "swift action will be taken."
Pakistan announces plan to develop Port Qasim into climate-resilient industrial complex
- Port Qasim handles 51% of Pakistan’s sea trade, facilitates Islamabad’s trade with Central Asian states
- Maritime affairs ministry says 833 industrial units currently operational at Port Qasim, with 40 under construction
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Ministry announced on Monday that it aims to develop Port Qasim into a climate-resilient industrial complex, saying the move would create jobs, usher in investment and ensure sustainable development for the country.
According to its website, Port Qasim is one of the largest contributors to Pakistan’s economy, handling 51 percent of the country’s sea trade. The port also connects directly to Pakistan’s national highway and motorway network, facilitating trade between Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics.
Pakistan has recently attempted to upgrade its port infrastructure to handle higher trade volumes and improve connectivity between sea lanes and landlocked Central Asian states, leveraging its geographic position at the crossroads of South and Central Asia.
Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting to discuss projects related to Port Qasim, the ministry said in a statement.
“During the meeting, a long-term plan for a climate-resilient industrial complex at Port Qasim was announced,” the statement said.
Chaudhry said Port Qasim would be developed into a global industrial and logistics hub, adding that it will become a “key gateway” for Pakistan’s national economy.
Officials briefed the minister that the development project for the port would cover an area of more than 14,000 acres. The port’s industrial complex has been divided into three distinct zones, with the eastern one designated for heavy industry and export-oriented units, and the northwestern zone for the promotion of value-added industries and port services.
The southwestern zone of the complex has been earmarked for special industrial and commercial activities, the ministry said.
Chaudhry said 833 industrial units are currently operational at the port while 40 are under construction. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernizing port infrastructure and improving road and rail connectivity.
“Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said the Port Qasim Industrial Complex will emerge as a hub for employment generation, investment, and sustainable development,” the statement said.
Pakistan seeks to upgrade streamline port operations and enhance trade relations with regional countries as it seeks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has put a strain on its resources and triggered a balance of payments crisis in the country over the past few years.
