ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Saudi King Salman condemned Israeli attacks on Palestinians during a telephone conversation on Wednesday evening.
The latest wave of violence in the Middle East escalated in the final days of the fasting month of Ramadan after Israeli police fired tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and stun grenades at Palestinians gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem — the third holiest site in Islam.
The violence was triggered by protests and clashes as Israeli forces tried to expel Palestinians from their houses in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem and hand over their property to Jewish settlers.
During Wednesday’s call, King Salman and Khan “reviewed the latest developments, particularly the Israeli attacks in the city of Jerusalem,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, saying that King Salman expressed Saudi Arabia’s “strong condemnation of the Israeli measures in Jerusalem and the acts of violence carried out by Israel in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
The Pakistani PM said, as quoted by his office, that the “heinous attacks” by Israeli forces during the fasting month of Ramadan were “defying all norms of humanity and international law.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Khan took to Twitter to say that he and Pakistan stand with Palestine, as violence in the region has further spilled when Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 56 Palestinians, including 14 children, and wounding hundreds of others since Monday.
In response to the Israeli airstrikes, Hamas, which controls the self-governing Palestinian territory, fired rockets into Israel, killing six people.
The flareup is the deadliest outbreak of violence in the region since the seven-week Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, during which 2,300 Palestinians were killed and over 10,000 wounded as Israeli forces bombed residential buildings, hospitals and schools.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia condemn Israeli attacks on Palestinians
https://arab.news/pxbek
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia condemn Israeli attacks on Palestinians
- Attacks started in the final days of Ramadan when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque
- Violence has further spilled since Monday when Israel launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip
Police lodge case over Karachi mall blaze under mischief, negligence and murder clauses
- The fire broke out at the densely packed Gul Plaza in the heart of Karachi on Jan. 17 and has so far claimed 71 lives
- Traders have estimated losses at $53.6 million, while the government has announced $35,720 for family of each victim
ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi have registered a case over a deadly blaze at Gul Plaza, which has so far claimed 71 lives, under mischief, negligence and murder clauses, a senior police official said on Saturday.
The fire broke out at the densely packed commercial complex in the heart of Karachi on Jan. 17, trapping workers and shoppers inside. It burnt for over 24 hours before being brought under control, leaving the building structurally unsafe.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire. Police said preliminary indications pointed to a possible electrical short circuit, though officials stress conclusions will only be drawn after investigations are completed.
A week after the incident, police have registered the first information report (FIR) of the incident under sections 427, 436, 337-H (i) and 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, according to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Karachi South Asad Raza.
“The FIR of the Gul Plaza tragedy has been registered under the government’s prosecution, with case number 08/2026 at Nabi Bux police station,” Raza told Arab News.
Section 427 relates to mischief causing damage, 436 concerns mischief by fire or explosive substance, 337-H (i) details punishment for rash or negligent act, and 322 details punishment for homicide.
Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowded markets, aging infrastructure, illegal construction and weak enforcement of safety regulations frequently contribute to disasters. Officials say a blaze of this scale is rare.
Identification has been significantly slowed by the condition of the remains recovered from the site, Syed said, noting that many bodies were found in fragments, complicating DNA analysis and prolonging the process for families waiting for confirmation.
Traders have estimated total losses from the fire at up to Rs15 billion ($53.6 million). The Sindh provincial government this week announced compensation of Rs10 million ($35,720) for the family of each person killed in the blaze and said affected shopkeepers would also receive financial assistance.
Separately on Saturday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) party urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to constitute an inquiry commission to hold those accountable whose negligence led to the Gul Plaza inferno.
“Incapability, mistake, apathy, shamelessness, impudence — these should be exposed,” MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar said, calling for an “independent judicial inquiry” into the Gul Plaza tragedy to ensure the truth comes to light.
LAHORE HOTEL FIRE
Meanwhile, a fire erupted at a hotel in the eastern city of Lahore in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province, according to Rescue 1122 service.
Six people were injured due to the blaze at the hotel in the city’s Gulberg area who were shifted to hospital.
“All necessary steps be taken to quickly control the fire, instructions,” Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Aijaz directed authorities. “Immediate evacuation of all people from the building be ensured.”
