Pakistan says will ‘fight’ Tehreek-e-Taliban militants if they don’t respect constitution, law 

FILE - Armed militants of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) pose for photographs next to a captured armored vehicle in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border town of Landikotal on November 10, 2008. (AFP/FILE)
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Updated 13 December 2021
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Pakistan says will ‘fight’ Tehreek-e-Taliban militants if they don’t respect constitution, law 

  • In November, the government and the outlawed TTP agreed on a month-long cease-fire  
  • Last week, TTP said it won't extend the deal, accused government of not honoring truce conditions

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said on Monday his country was ready to "fight" the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group again if it didn't respect the constitution and law of the country. 

The TTP or the Pakistani Taliban, a separate entity from the Afghan Taliban but often aligned with them in conflicts, have fought for years to overthrow the government in Islamabad and rule the South Asian nation of 220 million with their own brand of Islamic law.  

In November, the government and the TTP agreed on a month-long cease-fire but last week, the group said it would not extend the deal, accusing the government in Islamabad of not honoring the truce and failing to release 102 of their fighters. 

In response, Hussain said the Afghan Taliban had given "sane advice" to the TTP to abide by the agreement, warning that Pakistan would "again fight" the group if they chose to violate the truce. 

"The [Afghan] Taliban government once again stressed the TTP to value the agreement and heed. Their advice is a sane advice," Hussain said at a press briefing. "It's a very simple thing, whoever would respect our constitution and law, [we] will talk to them. Otherwise [we] have fought earlier, will again fight." 




Pakistan's Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain (L) talking to media in Lahore on Dec 12, 2021. (PID)

Last week, the Afghan Taliban said the banned TTP was not part of their movement and called on the group to focus on securing peace with the Pakistani government. 

Video footage circulating on social media had shown TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud claiming the group was a branch of the Taliban's Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). 

Afghan Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the claim. 

“They are not, as an organization, part of IEA and we don’t share the same objectives,” Mujahid told Arab News. 

“We advise TTP to focus on peace and stability in their country. This is very important so they can prevent any chance for enemies to interfere in the region and in Pakistan. And we request Pakistan to look into their demands for the better of the region and Pakistan.” 

The TTP has been behind numerous attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians over the last 14 years. It was also behind the 2014 attack on an army-run school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar that killed 154 people, mostly schoolchildren. 

They are a separate group from the Taliban in Afghanistan, who took over that country in August. However, the two groups are close allies and TTP leaders and fighters have over the years sought sanctuary across the border in Afghanistan. 

There have been numerous failed attempts to reach peace agreements between Islamabad and the TTP in the past.  

A statement from TTP spokesman Mohammad Khurasani last week said despite the agreement on the cease-fire — which went into effect on November 9 and was meant to give time for peace talks between the two sides — government forces were continuing to carry out operations against the group. 

Over the weekend, two policemen providing security for polio vaccination workers in northwest Pakistan were killed in shootings that Khurasani said were carried out by the TTP. The two separate attacks on polio teams were the first since the end of the TTP’s cease-fire with the government. 

Pakistan is one of two countries where polio remains endemic but only one case has been reported this year after 84 in 2020, according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. 

Polio Eradication Initiative.


Pakistan send New Zealand in to bat in second T20I

Updated 38 min 40 sec ago
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Pakistan send New Zealand in to bat in second T20I

  • The clear weather is in contrast to Thursday’s first game which was cut short to five-over-a-side before being abandoned
  • Pakistan kept the same eleven of the first game, having handed T20I caps to Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Muhammad Irfan Khan

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and opted to bowl in the second Twenty20 international against New Zealand in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The clear weather is in contrast to Thursday’s first game which was cut short to five-over-a-side before being abandoned after just two balls in New Zealand’s batting due to intermittent rain.
Pakistan kept the same eleven of the first game, having handed T20I caps to batter Usman Khan, spinner Abrar Ahmed and allrounder Muhammad Irfan Khan on Thursday.
New Zealand, missing nine players due to the Indian Premier League, brought in Cole McConchie in place of unwell Josh Clarkson.
The remaining matches are in Rawalpindi on April 21 and in Lahore on April 25 and 27.
Teams
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi
New Zealand: Michael Bracewell (captain), Mark Chapman, Cole McConchie, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Jimmy Neesham, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi


Pakistani province issues flood alert and warns of heavy loss of life due to glacial melting

Updated 20 April 2024
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Pakistani province issues flood alert and warns of heavy loss of life due to glacial melting

  • The country has witnessed days of extreme weather, killing scores of people, destroying property
  • Experts say Pakistan is experiencing heavier rains than normal in April because of climate change

PESHAWAR: A Pakistani province has issued a flood alert due to glacial melting and warned of heavy loss of life, officials said Saturday.
The country has witnessed days of extreme weather, killing scores of people and destroying property and farmland. Experts say Pakistan is experiencing heavier rains than normal in April because of climate change.
In the mountainous northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has been hit particularly hard by the deluges, authorities issued a flood alert because of the melting of glaciers in several districts.
They said the flood could worsen and that people should move to safer locations ahead of any danger.
“If timely safety measures are not taken, there is a possibility of heavy loss of life and property due to the expected flood situation,” said Muhammad Qaiser Khan, from the local disaster management authority.
Latest figures from the province said that 46 people, including 25 children, have died in the past five days due to rain-related incidents.
At least 2,875 houses and 26 schools have either collapsed or been damaged.
The southwest province of Baluchistan has also been battered by rainfall. It said it had limited resources to deal with the current situation but if the rains continued, it would look to the central government for help.
In 2022, downpours swelled rivers and at one point inundated one-third of Pakistan, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion in damage.
Pakistan’s monsoon season starts in June.


Punjab seeks suspension of cellular services during Sunday’s by-polls in 13 cities

Updated 20 April 2024
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Punjab seeks suspension of cellular services during Sunday’s by-polls in 13 cities

  • By-elections will be held on 21 national, provincial seats in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces
  • Pakistan’s national polls in Feb. were marred by mobile service shutdown, result delays, leading to rigging allegations

ISLAMABAD: The provincial government in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province has requested for the suspension of mobile phone services in 13 cities during the by-elections on Sunday, according to the Punjab home department.
By-elections on 21 national and provincial seats in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces are scheduled to be held on April 21. Electioneering in these constituencies came to an end at midnight on Friday, according to a deadline set by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In a letter to the interior ministry, the Punjab government requested suspension of mobile phone services in Talagang, Chakwal, Kallar Kahar, Gujrat, Ali Pur Chatha, Zafarwal, Bhakkar, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Lahore, Sadiqabad, Kot Chutta and Dera Ghazi Khan.
“I have been directed to request that mobile Internet services may kindly be suspended on 21st April, 2024 for maintaining law and order situation and to avoid any untoward incident [in the aforementioned areas],” a section office of the Punjab home department wrote in his letter to the interior ministry.
The seats, which are up for grabs in Sunday’s by-polls, were left vacant due to postponement of polls or were vacated by lawmakers, who won multiple seats, in national election in February.
The request by the Punjab home department comes amid expectations of a fierce competition between candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and rival political groups.
Pakistan’s national election on Feb. 8 was marred by a mobile service shutdown and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that the vote was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.
Several political parties, including Khan’s PTI, and candidates had held protests and challenged many of the results before the ECP. However, the outgoing caretaker government and the ECP had denied allegations of any systematic rigging of the vote.


Police say attack on Japanese nationals in Karachi can be case of ‘mistaken identity’

Updated 48 min 27 sec ago
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Police say attack on Japanese nationals in Karachi can be case of ‘mistaken identity’

  • In the past, Baloch separatists have claimed responsibility for attacks on Chinese nationals in the Pakistani port city
  • However, Friday’s suicide attack on a van was the first incident in Pakistan that appeared to target Japanese nationals

KARACHI: The suicide attack on Japanese nationals in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi could be a case of “mistaken identity” as no group has claimed responsibility for it, a senior police officer said on Saturday.
The Japanese nationals were traveling on Friday in a Hiace van to an industrial area, where they worked at Pak Suzuki Motors, when the suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vest near the van, according to police.
A police team escorting the vehicle returned fire after coming under attack, killing an accomplice of the suicide bomber. Officials said one of the attackers was identified as Sohail Ahmed, a resident of Panjgur district in the southwestern Balochistan province.
However, Ghulam Nabi Memon, the provincial police chief, said no militant group had accepted responsibility for the attack and it seemed they didn’t intend to attack the Japanese.
“For now, it seems to us to be a case of mistaken identity,” Memon told Arab News. “We are reviewing security protocols. The police and intelligence agencies are making efforts [to arrest the perpetrators].”
In the past, Baloch separatists have claimed responsibility for attacks on Chinese nationals in the Pakistani port city. However, this is the first time that the Japanese have come under such an attack.
A police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Arab News that police suspected the attack was carried out by the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). The group has claimed several attacks, including the ones on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Karachi Stock Exchange, and a suicide attack on Chinese teachers at Karachi University.
A BLA spokesperson didn’t respond to Arab News request for a comment on the attack.
Hours after the attack, Baloch activists shared videos on X, claiming raids were conducted on the homes of their supporters in Karachi.

A police officer, who requested anonymity, confirmed that raids were made to arrest the perpetrators and facilitators of the incident, but declined to share if any arrests were made.
“All I can share is that we are going in the right direction and an important breakthrough will be made soon,” he said.
On Friday, a police handout said the provincial police chief had chaired a high-level meeting, wherein he emphasized the need to establish a dedicated unit for the protection of Chinese nationals.
The police chief also stressed strict implementation of the standard operation procedures (SOPs) regarding the security of foreign delegates and regular issuance of security adviseries by authorities.
“Further discussions centered on enhancing security measures for all Chinese residents, experts, staff, and other foreign guests/delegates in Sindh,” the handout read.
In recent weeks, militants have targeted Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major segment of Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which will connect China to the Arabian Sea and help Islamabad expand and modernize its economy through a network of roads, railways, pipelines and ports in Pakistan.
In March, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in northwest Pakistan, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into the bus carrying them to Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.

 


Saudi cadet bags gold medal as fresh batch graduates from Pakistan Military Academy

Updated 20 April 2024
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Saudi cadet bags gold medal as fresh batch graduates from Pakistan Military Academy

  • Forty-nine cadets from “friendly countries” graduate from Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, says army
  • The PMA provides initial training to Pakistani cadets and recruits from friendly countries such as Saudi Arabia

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army awarded the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Overseas Gold Medal to a Saudi cadet in recognition of his performance, as a fresh batch of local and international cadets graduated from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) on Saturday, the army’s media wing said. 

General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, was the chief guest at the passing out parade of the 149th PMA Long Course at the academy in Kakul. General Metin Gürak, the chief of the Turkish general staff who is on an official visit to Pakistan, was the guest of honor at the ceremony. 

Gen. Mirza reviewed and spoke to cadets at the parade while General Gürak presented the awards to the distinguished cadets, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. 

“The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Overseas Gold Medal was awarded to Friendly Country Senior Under Officer Fahad Bin Aqil Al Towarqi Al Fallaj from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ISPR said. 

The army’s media wing said 49 cadets from “friendly countries” also graduated at the ceremony. The coveted Sword of Honour was awarded to Academy Senior Under Officer Muhammad Nauman Abdullah. 

The President’s Gold medal was awarded to Company Senior Under Officer Muhammad Abdullah Javed of the 149th PMA Long Course, the army’s media wing said. 

“Since its inception, PMA has remained the cradle of leadership and center of excellence for cadets joining the premier institution of Army,” Gen. Mirza was quoted as saying by the ISPR. 

“Over the years, PMA has also trained scores of foreign cadets whose brilliant performance in their respective Armies stands testament to the professional ethos of PMA.”

 The PMA in Kakul, Abbottabad, provides initial training to Pakistan Army cadets and recruits from friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy fraternal relations, leading the two countries to cooperate in trade, defense and other vital sectors. 

The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the cash-strapped South Asian country’s largest source of remittances.