ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif on Saturday blamed the country’s security establishment for conspiring against his administration ahead of the 2018 general elections and bringing Prime Minister Imran Khan to power.
In an unprecedented development, he accused the sitting army chief and director general of Inter-Services Intelligence of driving him out of power, claiming that his government was otherwise performing well.
Sharif, who is on a medical bail and currently resides in London, was addressing an anti-government rally organized by the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Gujranwala via video link.
The top Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader previously made similar statements, claiming there was a “state above the state” in Pakistan. However, this was the first time he named serving army officers, though the country’s top military brass had requested politicians not to drag them into politics only a few weeks ago.
Sharif was disqualified from politics by the country’s superior judiciary in July 2017 and was later convicted by an accountability court on corruption charges that he vehemently denies.
Local courts have already issued his arrest warrants and directed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to bring him back to face more corruption references against him.
Last month, opposition parties formed the PDM alliance and decided to launch an anti-government campaign by using the platform.
The alliance plans to hold public gatherings across the country in the next several weeks, and Friday’s Gujranwala rally, which brought together leading opposition politicians, was arranged to kick off the nationwide political campaign.
Sharif’s daughter and political heir-apparent, Maryam Nawaz, also addressed the gathering, saying no one should be allowed to oust the country’s democratically elected leaders.
“Governments should come through your vote,” she told thousands of people gathered at a stadium in Gujranwala, “and nobody else should have the right to dislodge an elected administration. You’ve to do the accountability, and if somebody else does this, then you should have to deal with them.”
“When the vote is not honored,” she continued while criticizing the ruling PTI administration, “then the public has to suffer like you are suffering today. Imran Khan has been trumpeting about corruption, but you all will be shocked when stories of his corruption come out in the public.”
The PML-N vice president also criticized the prime minister for making repeated statements that his government and state institutions were on the same page, saying: “Let me remind you that it doesn’t take much time to turn over the page.”
The PDM rally was also attended by the top Pakistan Peoples Party leader, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who focused on rising inflation and criticized the government’s economic policies.
“People are worried and economy has nosedived,” he said. “Is this the change the PTI promised? The change is that unemployment, inflation and poverty have hit a historic high today.”
He also alleged that a one-sided accountability drive was being carried out in the country.
“We want end to corruption, equality of law and accountability. You can hold former presidents and prime ministers accountable, but there should also be accountability of judges and generals on corruption charges,” he maintained.
Maulana Fazlur Rahman of the Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam party and the president of the opposition PDM alliance also spoke on the occasion, predicting a political change in the country in the foreseeable future.
“The days of fake ruler are numbered as all democratic forces of Pakistan have launched the movement,” he said. “The rulers will not be in power until December this year.”
“Our struggle will continue until the supremacy of the constitution and apology of the institutions,” he added. “Countries are run through responsibility and commitment, not through confrontation, and we will achieve that target by making collective effort.”
The government formally announced that the opposition alliance could hold its gatherings at specifically designated spots. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said the PTI administration had allowed the rallies as “protest is the right of every political party.”
PM Khan’s PTI party came into power in August 2018 after defeating all major opposition parties. The opposition alliance has, however, said the party won a rigged election, which the government denies.
So far, there has been no official response to the allegations opposition parties made during the rally.
Pakistani opposition accuses security establishment of meddling in politics
https://arab.news/gswtz
Pakistani opposition accuses security establishment of meddling in politics
- At a rally in Gujranwala, PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz says no one should be allowed to topple democratically elected administrations
- PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari questions PTI’s narrative of change, saying ‘people are worried and economy has nosedived’
Fire erupts at Karachi garment factory, no loss of live reported
- The biggest Pakistani city, known for poor fire safety protocols, witnesses hundreds of such incidents annually
- In November last year, a blaze at a shopping mall in Karachi killed around a dozen people and injured several others
KARACHI: A broke out at a garment factory in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Saturday, rescue officials said.
The blaze erupted on the ground floor of the garment factory in Zarina Colony in the New Karachi area, according to Rescue 1122 service.
“One fire truck is actively participating in the operation,” a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said, adding that another fire tender has been called to the site.
No loss of life has been reported in the wake of the fire.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the main commercial hub, is home to hundreds of thousands of industrial units and some of the tallest buildings in the South Asian country.
The megapolis, known for its fragile firefighting system and poor safety controls, witnesses hundreds of such incidents annually.
In Nov., a blaze at a shopping mall killed around a dozen people and injured several others. In April last year, four firefighters died and nearly a dozen others were injured after a fire broke out at a garment factory, while 10 people were killed in a massive fire at a chemical factory in the city in August 2021.
In the deadliest such incident, 260 people were killed in 2012 after being trapped inside a garment factory when a fire broke out.
Canada arrests three Indians over killing of Sikh activist
- The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar plunged Canada, India into a serious diplomatic crisis last fall
- Nijjar, who immigrated to Canada in 1997, advocated for a separate Sikh state, known as Khalistan
VANCOUVER: Canadian police on Friday arrested three men over the killing last year in Vancouver of a Sikh separatist, whose death has been linked to the Indian government.
The murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar plunged Canada and India into a serious diplomatic crisis last fall after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Indian government involvement in the homicide.
India dismissed the allegations as “absurd” and responded furiously, briefly curbing visas for Canadians and forcing Ottawa to withdraw diplomats.
Three Indian nationals, two aged 22 and one aged 28, were arrested Friday and charged with first degree murder and conspiracy charges. They are accused of being the shooter, driver and lookout on the day Nijjar was killed.
They were arrested by police in Edmonton, in the neighboring province of Alberta, where they reside, and are being held pending further proceedings.
All had been in Canada for between three and five years, police said at a news conference.
“This investigation does not end here. We are aware that others may have played a role in this homicide,” said Mandeep Mooker of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s homicide investigations team.
Nijjar — who immigrated to Canada in 1997 and became a citizen in 2015 — advocated for a separate Sikh state, known as Khalistan, carved out of India.
He was wanted by Indian authorities for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder.
On June 18, 2023, he was shot dead by masked assailants in the parking lot of the Sikh temple he led in suburban Vancouver.
Trudeau announced several months later that Canada had “credible allegations” linking Indian intelligence to the killing and expelled an Indian official, spurring the diplomatic tit-for-tat with New Delhi.
Mooker said Canadian police are still investigating the ties of the suspects, “if any, to the Indian government.”
“It is a bit of a sigh of relief that the investigation is moving forward,” Moninder Singh, a close friend of Nijjar, told AFP.
“It is ultimately India who is responsible and hiring individuals to assassinate Sikh leaders in foreign countries,” said Singh, spokesperson for the British Columbia Council of Gurdwaras.
In November, the US Justice Department charged an Indian citizen living in the Czech Republic with allegedly plotting a similar assassination attempt on American soil.
Prosecutors said in unsealed court documents that an Indian government official was also involved in the planning.
The shock allegations came after US President Joe Biden hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a rare state visit, as Washington seeks closer ties with India against China’s growing influence.
US intelligence agencies have assessed that the plot on American soil was approved by India’s top spy official at the time, Samant Goel, The Washington Post reported this week.
Canada is home to some 770,000 Sikhs, who make up about two percent of the country’s population, with a vocal minority calling for an independent state of Khalistan.
Saleem Haider Khan, Faisal Kundi named governors of Pakistan’s Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces
- Nominations come as part of power-sharing deal between PM Sharif’s party and ex-FM Bhutto-Zardari-led faction
- According to the deal, the PPP backed Sharif for the prime minister’s office in return for constitutional positions
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a coalition partner in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, has nominated Saleem Haider Khan and Faisal Karim Kundi as governors of Pakistan’s eastern Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, the PPP chairman announced on Friday.
The PPP forged an alliance with PM Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party after Pakistan’s national election on February 8 failed to present a clear winner.
According to the power-sharing deal, the PPP backed Sharif for the prime minister’s office in return for the presidency, chairman of Senate and other important constitutional positions.
In a post on X, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated Khan and Kundi, and extended his good wishes to them
“I am confident they [Khan and Kundi] will perform their duties with the dignity their new office demands,” he said on X.
In Pakistan, a governor is a representative of the state to a province, who is appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister.
Such positions may seem ceremonial and symbolic, but they do hold significant constitutional importance.
At present, PML-N’s Balighur Rehman has been serving as the Punjab governor, while JUI-F’s Hajji Ghulam Ali holds the post in KP.
Bhutto-Zardari also called on PM Sharif in Islamabad, following the nominations, Pakistani state media reported.
“During the meeting, views were exchanged on overall political situation in the country and matters of national interest,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster said.
Pakistan Cricket Board confirms details of national side’s South Africa tour
- The side will depart for Durban on December 2 after returning from Australia in Nov.
- The ODIs will be played from December 17-22 in Paarl, Cape Town, and Johannesburg
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced details of the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s tour of South Africa for three Twenty20, three one-day international and two Test matches in the second half of 2024.
Durban, Centurion, and Johannesburg will host the T20Is from December 10-14, according to the PCB. The ODIs will be played from December 17-22 in Paarl, Cape Town, and Johannesburg, while the two ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 matches will be held at Centurion (December 26-30) and Cape Town (January 3-7).
The side will depart for Durban on December 2 after returning from Australia on November 19, having featured in a series of three ODIs and three T20Is from November 4-18. After completing their African safari on January 8, Pakistan will take on New Zealand and South Africa in a three-nation ODI tournament on home turf, which will be followed by the eight-team ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.
“Prior to the tours of Australia and South Africa, Pakistan will host Bangladesh and England for two and three Tests, respectively,” the PCB said in a statement. “This means they will play seven Tests, minimum of 10 ODIs, and six T20Is in the six-month period from August 2024 to January 2025.”
This will be Pakistan’s seventh Test tour of South Africa since 1994-95. Their two Test wins were in the 1997-98 and 2006-2007 series.
In the Durban Test in 1997-98, Pakistan won by 29 runs at the back of centuries from Azhar Mahmood (132) and Saeed Anwar (118), match figures of nine for 149 by Mushtaq Ahmed and a first innings five-fer by Shoaib Akhtar. In the 2006-2007 Port Elizabeth Test, Pakistan won by five wickets with Inzamam-ul-Haq being named as Player of the Match for his 92 in the first innings.
In ODIs, Pakistan has won two of the last three series in 2013-2014 and 2020-21, while South Africa triumphed in 2002-2003 (4-1), 2006-2007 (3-1), 2012-2013 (3-2), and 2018-2019 (3-2).
In 12 T20Is to date, Pakistan leads 6-5 in head-to-head encounters, with one match ending in no-result.
Tour schedule:
10 Dec – 1st T20I, Durban
13 Dec – 2nd T20I, Centurion
14 Dec – 3rd T20I, Johannesburg
17 Dec – 1st ODI, Paarl
19 Dec – 2nd ODI, Cape Town
22 Dec – 3rd ODI, Johannesburg
26-30 Dec – 1st Test, Centurion
3-7 Jan – 2nd Test, Cape Town
Pakistani brothers inspire new volunteers after rescuing over 200 in UAE floods
- Affan and Suleiman Tanvir pulled families to safety during the cloudburst and provided them with food
- Their team has been rescuing tourists, adventure-seekers stranded in the desert over the past four years
ISLAMABAD: Since their move to the United Arab Emirates in 2008, Pakistani brothers Affan and Suleiman Tanvir have passionately devoted themselves to rescuing stranded travelers in different parts of the desert. But last month, their mission took an unexpected turn when the region experienced its heaviest rainfall in 75 years.
The brothers were suddenly thrust into a critical role, rescuing hundreds from waterlogged roads and submerged vehicles, as unprecedented floods transformed the streets into rivers. Alongside their team, they not only provided food and water but also pulled numerous cars to safety, navigating the chaotic aftermath of the storm in Dubai.
“We are proud of our work and glad to be recognized by the people for our rescue mission,” Affan told Arab News on Friday from Dubai over the phone. “We are honored and delighted to help people stranded on the roads during the torrential rains.”
Affan and his team rescued over 200 people and pulled out some 80 vehicles, including cars and minivans, during the rescue operation in Dubai and Sharjah that started in the morning on April 16 and continued for about two days.
Besides his brother Suleiman, the three other members of his rescue team included Alay Zaidi, Shahid Ibrahim Gul and Muhammad Owais.
Currently settled in Al-Hoshi in Sharjah, Affan brothers were born in Saudi Arabia while their parents belong to Karachi, Pakistan. In the UAE, they have set up a company for import and export of steel and transport.
The two brothers and their team were mentioned by several media houses for their heroic work, and the Pakistani consulate in Dubai acknowledged them by awarding certificates of appreciation.
“This rescue mission was not a new thing for us as we have been helping people stranded in the deserts for the last four years,” Affan said while narrating their extensive experience of saving people stuck in the desert terrain.
Affan said that they would receive frequent calls from adventure-seekers stuck in Ras Al-Khaimah desert for the rescue and relief as this was some 50-minute drive from their residence.
“We have a purpose-built vehicle along with all the accessories to pull out stuck cars, change their tires or toe them to main roads,” he said, adding that they had linked themselves to a local app, Rescue UAE, for people in need to get in touch with them.
“We use walkie-talkie to speak with the stranded people as there are no mobile phone signals in the desert,” he said, adding that they sometimes receive two or three rescue requests in a day from people stuck in the desert, especially during the winter season.
Talking about his team, he said that he started the rescue and relief work in 2020 along with his brother, but gradually his team started to grow with more people joining them.
“We are a 15-member team now and more people are joining us after getting inspired by our recent rescue work during the rains,” he added.
His team member Alay Zaidi told that two of their team members got shards in their feet during the rescue work, but they continued their mission to alleviate the sufferings of the families stuck on the roads along with children and women.
“It is a passion for us to help people in need, and we will continue doing our work with the same zeal and zest,” he continued. “We have received appreciation from the UAE people and officials for our work, and this is nothing less than a medal for us.”
