Pakistani opposition alliance announces anti-government protests from October 20
Pakistani opposition alliance announces anti-government protests from October 20 /node/1950646/pakistan
Pakistani opposition alliance announces anti-government protests from October 20
Maryam Nawaz Sharif (2L), daughter of former Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a leader of opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) addresses a protest rally in Islamabad on January 19, 2021. (AFP)
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 opposition parties, has announced countrywide protests against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government over rising inflation, the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next general election, and other policy decisions, local media reported on Monday.
The development comes days after the government increased the price of petrol by Rs10.49 per liter and that of high-speed diesel by Rs12.44 per liter, which in turn pushed up the prices of basic commodities.
“Our demand is to hold a [fresh] general election,” Geo News quoted PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as saying as he announced countrywide protests and strikes from October 20. “The PDM wants a democratic and constitutional system in the country. We have to work hard and stand firm; the result is in the hands of Allah.”
A major bone of contention between the government and opposition parties is the government’s plan to introduce electronic voting machines in the next general election.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman addressing to a rally in Multan on October 7, 2021. (Maulana Fazlur Rehman Twitter)
“The government, which has come into power as a result of rigging, has no right to give a formula for free and fair elections in the country,” the PDM chief said, referring to widespread allegations that the 2018 election was engineered in favor of Khan, an accusation he denies.
Rehman also criticized the government for the closure of border crossings with Afghanistan and Iran, and the recently promulgated National Accountability (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, which curtails the jurisdiction of the country’s anti-corruption watchdog by excluding key government entities from the ambit of investigations.
This is not the first time the PDM has announced protests against the incumbent government. Since its formation in September 2020, the alliance has held several rallies across the country in an attempt to pressure PM Khan into stepping down.
But the opposition alliance has so far failed to achieve its desired results.
Earlier this year, the PDM announced a march on Islamabad, but canceled it following rifts between opposition parties over a decision on whether or not to resign en masse from parliament.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Sunday rubbished a “malicious” social media campaign against one of its judges, Justice Babar Sattar, clarifying that he was not a dual national and that all his assets in Pakistan and the United States were legally owned.
The press statement from the Pakistani court came in response to recent social media posts that targeted the judge and members of his family. Some social media users had shared pictures of Justice Sattar’s and his family’s travel documents, suggesting that he was a US national and that he had minted assets after his elevation to the post of high court judge.
Justice Sattar is one of the six IHC judges who accused Pakistan’s premier spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of intimidating and coercing them over “politically consequential” cases in a letter written to the Supreme Judicial Council last month.
The letter grabbed headlines following which Pakistan’s Supreme Court took notice of the matter and started hearing the case.
The IHC said in its press release on Sunday that “untruthful” and “malignant” allegations against Justice Sattar were posted on social media along with details of his properties that were mentioned in his tax returns.
“Justice Babar Sattar has never had any nationality other than that of Pakistan,” the high court said. “He studied law at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and pursued graduate education at Harvard Law School.”
The IHC clarified that Justice Sattar worked as a lawyer with a New York law firm and was issued the Permanent Resident Card while he was there in the US.
“He left his job in the US in 2005 and returned to Pakistan and has lived and worked in Pakistan since then,” the press release said.
The court said Justice Sattar’s wife and children are citizens of Pakistan and the US, adding that they had been living in the US till 2021 but returned to Pakistan after he was appointed as a
high court judge. It said that they are now living in Islamabad.
The high court said Justice Sattar’s mother is an educationist who established a school in Rawalpindi in 1992 as its sole proprietor. It added that the judge does not have any ownership interest in the school and is not involved with its management.
“Before being appointed a Judge, his law firm acted as legal adviser to the school and received retainer fee for its legal services,” the press release said.
It said that the judge owns real estate assets in the US and Pakistan that are mentioned in his tax returns. The press release said these assets were scrutinized by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan prior to his elevation as a judge of the high court.
“All real estate assets that he owns are either inherited or were acquired while he was a lawyer,” it said. “He has acquired no real estate assets since his appointment as a Judge. He is not
involved with the management of any business entity.”
The press release concluded by saying the IHC was committed to enforcing and upholding the code of conduct for high court judges, adding that it was accountable to the people as it was an institution that exercised public authority.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced it had roped in Gary Kirsten as the national squad’s new head coach for limited-overs cricket and Jason Gillespie for the Test format, with less than two months to go before the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 kicks off in the West Indies and USA.
Pakistan were without head coaches for both formats of the game after former team director Mickey Arthur and coaches Grant Bradburn and Andrew Puttick were transferred to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore after a change in their portfolios in November 2023.
The trio left their respective positions in January this year, months after Pakistan’s abysmal performance in last year’s 50-over World Cup in India.
“The three appointments have been made for a two-year period following a recruitment process,” the PCB said in a statement, adding that former cricketer Azhar Mahmood has been confirmed as assistant coach in all three formats of the game.
“I extend my congratulations to Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten on their appointments as the red and white-ball head coaches of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, respectively,” PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi said at a news conference on Sunday.
“Their stellar track records precede them, and I warmly welcome them to the Pakistan cricket family.”
Kirsten, 56, is a former South African top-order batter who played 101 Test matches and 185 ODIs from 1993-2004 in which he scored a total of 14,087 runs and 34 centuries.
The 56-year-old former South Africa top-order batter played 101 Tests and 185 ODIs from 1993-2004 in which he accumulated a total of 14,087 runs with 34 centuries.
Kirsten coached India from 2008-2011 and helped them win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2011 title and attain the number one position on the ICC Test Team Rankings.
He also coached South Africa men’s cricket team from 2011-2013 and inspired them to the number one position on the ICC Test Team Rankings.
Kirsten has coached Indian Premier League (IPL) teams Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and is presently the batting coach and mentor of Gujarat Titans, who won the 2022 IPL tournament.
“It’s a tremendous honor to be entrusted with the responsibility of coaching the Pakistan men’s national team in white-ball cricket and to rejoin the international cricket arena after some time,” Kirsten told PCB Digital.
“I eagerly anticipate this opportunity and aim to contribute positively to the Pakistan men’s national team in limited-overs cricket.”
Kirsten will take charge of the side immediately after completing his assignment in the IPL. During his tenure, besides the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series, Kirsten will also be in charge of the side for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, former Australia fast bowler Gillespie will assume responsibilities for Pakistan’s ICC World Test Championship fixtures against Bangladesh (at home in August), which will be followed by Tests against England (at home in October) and South Africa (away in December) in the 2024-25 season.
“I am grateful to the PCB for their faith in my abilities and giving me the honor of coaching one of the most highly-regarded and talented cricket teams in the traditional format of the sport,” Gillespie told PCB Digital.
“Leading the Pakistan cricket team is a big achievement for any coach, given its rich legacy and passionate fan base.”
Gillespie said he wanted to win Tests for Pakistan, which is why he had taken up the coaching assignment.
“Within Pakistan we have a number of high-quality fast bowlers and being able to utilize them will be a key part of any success we enjoy,” Gillespie said.
“But we have quality in all departments – pace, spin, batting and keeping. We have all bases covered. It is exciting to know we have that talent and I am looking forward to working with such talented players.”
Gillespie, 49, has played 71 Tests, 97 ODIs and 1 T20I from 1996-2006. He has taken a total of 402 wickets and accumulated 1,531 runs. The former pacer was part of the Australia squad that won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa.
Gillespie has coached Yorkshire County Cricket Club to back-to-back County Championship titles in 2014 and 2015 and is credited with developing England stars Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance and Joe Root during his time with Yorkshire.
PESHAWAR: The chief minister of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Sunday directed authorities to remain alert after heavy rains in the northwestern province killed five and injured eight in the last two days.
At least 65 people have been killed and over 80 injured in KP from rain-related incidents since Apr. 12. Three men and two women were killed in the last two days from rain-related incidents while five children, two men and one woman were reported to be injured, the latest report from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.
“Fourteen houses in total were damaged due to lightning strikes and from the walls or roofs of the house collapsing,” the report said. “One house was completely destroyed while 13 were damaged.”
The deaths were reported in KP’s Bajaur, Battagram, Mansehra, Buner, Dir Upper and Lower districts, the PDMA said.
“KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur has directed district administrations and other concerned departments to remain alert in view of the upcoming rain spell in the province,” the state-run Radio Pakistan said.
Gandapur asked authorities to submit a detailed report on the losses suffered due to heavy rains in the province.
“The provincial government is with the affected people during this hour of grief,” Gandapur said, according to a statement from his office. “Those affected will not be left alone and they will be offered every help.”
Separately, the PDMA has issued an alert about rains and snowfall in different parts of the province, adding that the current spell of rain will continue in the city till Tuesday.
“The PDMA has advised all the relevant departments to stay alert for restoring road links for traffic in case of closure due to landslides,” Radio Pakistan reported.
“The control room of PDMA is operational round the clock and people can contact by dialing 1700 in case of any emergency.”
A Hindu festival in southwestern Pakistan brings a mountainous region to life
Pakistan’s largest Hindu festival, Hinglaj Yatra, began on Friday and ends on Sunday
Organizers says more than 100,000 are expected to participate in the festival
Updated 28 April 2024
AP
HINGLAJ, Pakistan: The ascent of steep mud volcanoes marks the start of Hindu pilgrims’ religious rituals in southwestern Pakistan.
They climb hundreds of stairs or clamber over rocks to reach the summit, tossing coconuts and rose petals into the shallow crater while seeking divine permission to visit Hinglaj Mata, an ancient cave temple that is the focus of their three-day worship.
The dramatic surroundings of Hingol National Park in Baluchistan province are the setting for Pakistan’s largest Hindu festival, Hinglaj Yatra, which started on Friday and ends on Sunday. Organizers say more than 100,000 Hindus are expected to participate.
Muslim-majority Pakistan is home to 4.4 million Hindus, just 2.14 percent of the population, and Hinglaj Mata is one of the few Hindu sites that continues to draw large numbers of pilgrims every year from across the country.
Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully in Pakistan, from where most of the Hindus migrated to India when it was divided by British colonialists in 1947. But there have been attacks on Hindu temples in recent years as relations between the rivals remain tense.
Hindu devotees walk toward a mud volcano to start Hindu pilgrims' religious rituals for an annual festival in an ancient cave temple of Hinglaj Mata in Hinglaj in Lasbela district in the Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, Friday, April 26, 2024. (AP)
Hindus believe Hinglaj Mata is one the places where the remains of Sati, the goddess of marital felicity and longevity, fell to earth after she ended her life.
Maharaj Gopal, the temple’s most senior cleric, explains why people flock to it.
“It is the most sacred pilgrimage in the Hindu religion,” said Gopal. “Whoever visits the temple and worships accordingly during these three days will have all of their sins forgiven.”
The journeys begin hundreds of kilometers (miles) away, mostly from neighboring Sindh province. Hundreds of packed buses set off from cities like Hyderabad and Karachi, traveling along the Makran Coastal Highway that hugs Pakistan’s south and southwest.
Hindu devotees attend an annual festival in an ancient cave temple of Hinglaj Mata in Hinglaj in Lasbela district in the Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, Friday, April 26, 2024. (AP)
But there’s scant parking and vehicular access to the holy sites, so many pilgrims disembark and complete their travel by walking over parched and rocky terrain, sometimes barefoot and carrying children or luggage.
It’s a few kilometers (miles) from the main road to the mud volcano and then, from there, almost 45 kilometers (25 miles) to Hinglaj Mata.
Winds buffet the desert-like conditions, churning up dust that whips the eyes, nose and mouth. The pilgrims’ festive cheer and brightly colored apparel are a contrast to the arid landscape. Strong gusts distort people’s celebratory cries of “Jai mata di” and “Jai shiv shankar.”
Kanwal Kumar, 28, was visiting the temple for the first time with her husband. “We have yet to conceive a child after six years of marriage, so we are hopeful for help from the goddess,” she said. “We believe that no one returns empty-handed. All wishes are granted by Hinglaj Mata.”
The Hindu festival brings the Pakistani park to life. Hundreds of stalls spring up to sell snacks, drinks, jewelry, and clothing. Vats of hot food are prepared in the open air or thatched huts. Pilgrims purchase coconuts, sweetmeats, flowers, and incense for their ritualistic offerings.
Aloo Kumar, 55, wanted to express her gratitude to Lord Shiva, one of Hinduism’s three most important deities. “He blessed our family with a grandson,” Kumar said, gesturing toward the boy beside her cradling his baby sibling. “We prayed for a grandson during last year’s festival.”
Hindu devotees perform their rituals during an annual festival in an ancient cave temple of Hinglaj Mata in Hinglaj in Lasbela district in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, Friday, April 26, 2024. (AP)
Hinglaj Mata thrums with activity, even after dark. Fairy lights and other decorations adorn the shrine and pilgrims jostle for position in front of it, sometimes holding up babies so the deities can bless them. Stewards urge them to pay their respects and move along.
The park’s Hingol River provides Hindu pilgrims with the opportunity for ritual bathing, like the Ganges in India.
While there is no ban on Hindu worship in Pakistan, openly practicing the faith is not routine as ties between India and Pakistan are broken. Their interactions are riddled with animosity and suspicion after having fought three wars, built up their armies and armed them with nuclear weapons.
Travel restrictions and hostile bureaucracies largely keep people from crossing the border for leisure, study and work, although the countries sometimes make exceptions for religious pilgrimages, usually for India’s Sikhs.
The decades of political hostility present a challenge for the minority Hindu community, as many in Pakistan equate Hindus with India. The reverse exists in India, where Muslims complain of discrimination.
Versimal Divani, the general secretary of Hinglaj Mata, lamented that only Hindus in Pakistan can attend the festival.
“We can visit this temple in our beloved country whenever our heart desires,” said Divani. “But this is not the case for the rest of the world’s Hindus. I would like the Pakistani government to issue them visas so they can come here and take blessings with them. It’s good for people-to-people contact and it’s good for the economy too.”
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi this week assured China’s consul general that the security of Chinese nationals in the South Asian country is Pakistan’s “core responsibility,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said, as Islamabad looks to bolster security of foreign nationals amid a surge in attacks.
Pakistan says it has taken steps to enhance Chinese nationals’ security in the country after a suicide bomber last month attacked a convoy of Chinese engineers working on a hydropower project in the northwestern town of Dasu. Five Chinese engineers and their Pakistani driver were killed in the attack.
The attack was the third major one in a little over a week on China’s interests in the South Asian nation, where Beijing has invested over $65 billion in energy, infrastructure and other projects as part of its wider Belt and Road initiative.
“Chinese nationals’ safety is our core responsibility, instructions have been issued to the concerned agencies to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens,” Naqvi told Chinese Consul General Zhao Shiren during a meeting in Islamabad on Saturday.
“The minister informed about the measures taken about the security of Chinese citizens, adding that it is our national responsibility.”
The minister assured Shiren that Pakistani authorities would not allow conspiracies to harm Pakistan’s friendship with China.
Meanwhile, the Chinese envoy said the two countries were all-weather friends.
Chinese interests in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province have also been under attack primarily by the militants, who seek to push Beijing out of the mineral-rich territory.
Pakistan is home to an insurgency launched by ethnic Baloch separatists who seek secession from the central government in the country, blaming it for the inequitable division of natural resources in the southwestern Balochistan province. The government denies this.
