ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday announced it would launch a Ramadan offensive against security forces, after claiming an attack which the military said killed at least six of its soldiers.
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a separate movement that shares common roots with the militants that took power in Afghanistan last year, have stepped up attacks in recent months.
The government held a series of talks with the militants late last year before an agreed truce collapsed.
The spring offensive will begin on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, starting on Sunday or Monday, and will target security forces and their collaborators, Mohammad Khorasani, spokesman for TTP militant group said in a statement.
"This operation will include martyrdom (suicide) operations, ambush attacks, mine operations, counter-attacks, target attacks, laser and sniper operations," he added.
The TTP are pressuring the government to allow militants to return to their hometowns with impunity after foreign fighters were told by the Afghan Taliban to leave Afghanistan.
A spring offensive is a rare move by the TTP.
It comes after the country's armed forces said militants attempted to storm a compound in the border region near Afghanistan, killing at least six Pakistani troops.
The attack was claimed by TTP, who said they had killed or wounded more than 30 soldiers.
The militants often exaggerate their gains, while the military's public relations department also plays down losses or delays reporting them.
The announcement came as Prime Minister Imran Khan was facing a no-confidence vote -- the biggest challenge to his power since becoming leader in 2018.
Pakistan's restive border region has long been a stronghold for groups such as the TTP, which operates across the porous boundary with Afghanistan.
The group plunged the country into a period of horrific violence after forming in 2007, before a major crackdown in 2014 forced them into hiding across the border.
But since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, the local group has become emboldened and carried out dozens of such attacks on Pakistan's soil.
The TTP and Islamabad agreed to a truce in November.
But it failed on December 10, with the hardliners accusing the government of violating the terms of the truce.
Pakistani Taliban announce Ramadan offensive against security forces
https://arab.news/4cukm
Pakistani Taliban announce Ramadan offensive against security forces
- The government held a series of talks with the militants late last year before an agreed truce collapsed
- The TTP wants Pakistan to allow militants to return to their hometowns Afghan Taliban asked foreign fighters to leave
Pakistani TV anchor breaks internet for continuing bulletin amid powerful earthquake jolts
- Local TV anchor Shah Faisal says powerful earthquake "frightened" him
- A 6.5-magnitude earthquake in parts of Pakistan killed at least 10 on Tuesday
PESHAWAR: A Pakistani TV anchor broke the internet on Tuesday after a video of him continuing a news bulletin amid powerful earthquake jolts was shared widely on social media.
At least 10 people were killed and over 60 injured in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Tuesday night when a 6.5-magnitude earthquake jolted parts of the South Asian country, which included Pakistan's capital Islamabad.
In a video that has gone viral on social media since, TV anchor Shah Faisal—who's worked for four years as a journalist and hails from KP's district Mardan—informs viewers about the powerful quake instead of running for safety.
Faisal, who works for Pashto-language Mashriq TV in KP's provincial capital Peshawar, says he was reading a news story about Prime Minister Shehbaz during the 09:00 p.m. bulletin when the powerful tremors began.
In the video, Faisal can be seen swaying from side to side as the tremors occur. Numerous LED TVs in the background and his own laptop shake considerably while another man scurries out of the studio. The undeterred anchor, however, continued with the bulletin.
One of the two producers working with him fled for safety. Another took over and told him to break the latest development to the viewers: the earthquake.
"The cameraman had already fled while I was here in the studio," Faisal told Arab News. "I was speaking, but in my mind, I kept thinking, 'What will happen now?' Our studio is on the fifth floor and it was shaking a lot, there were a lot of jolts," he added.
Faisal said he initially thought the earthquake would be of a similar nature to one that had taken place in KP around two months earlier. That earthquake had been a "milder" one, he said.
"This one was very severe and its duration was longer too," Faisal said, adding that the quake "frightened" him.
Faisal immediately called his father after the jolts were over, to inquire after his family. The anchor got to know that his father was watching him on the TV when the jolts took place.
He has been following the debate on social media about his video clip. Faisal says 80-90% of the comments he read are encouraging ones while only 10% of the users are criticizing him for sticking to his job at a time when he should have fled for safety.
"But it is our belief that life and death is in the hands of Allah," Faisal said. "And on the day that we are decreed to leave here [this world], we will leave on that day. I had faith and praise be to Allah, he gave me encouragement."
UAE-based Carrefour partners with Pakistani NGO to help the needy in Ramadan
- Carrefour, Pakistan’s Alkhidmat Foundation to provide meals to less privileged Pakistanis in Ramadan
- The two will also provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the devastating quake in Türkiye, Syria
ISLAMABAD: Retail company Carrefour Pakistan, owned and operated by UAE-based holding firm Majid Al Futtaim, announced on Wednesday its decision to join hands with Pakistani non-profit organization (NGO) Alkhidmat Foundation to provide relief to earthquake victims in Syria and Turkiye, and provide free meals to the less privileged in Pakistan during Ramadan.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and charity. The first fast in Pakistan is likely to be observed on Thursday, March 23.
Through the collaboration, Carrefour said the two would provide meals to the less privileged Pakistanis in Ramadan and also send relief items to victims of the recent devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
“We believe in the power of collective action and community support. We are greatly pleased to join hands with Alkhidmat Foundation to play our part in eliminating food hunger in the country, whilst providing relief to those affected by the earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria,” Umer Lodhi, Carrefour Pakistan’s country manager, said.
“We hope our combined efforts will make a positive impact on those who need it the most.”
The statement added that customers would also have the opportunity to give back to the community this Ramadan by purchasing special, pre-packed boxes filled with essential food items such as rice, flour, oil, dates & pulses.
The pre-packed boxes, it said, will then be distributed among needy families to help provide them some relief during Ramadan as the South Asian country grapples with decades-high inflation.
“Earthquake relief boxes comprising shelter supplies, clothing, and non-perishable food items are available for customers to buy and donate at all Carrefour stores,” the statement said.
In rare case for Pakistan, Muslim charged with blasphemy for offending minority Hindus
- Aslam Baloch, a local journalist from Sindh, had uploaded a morphed image of a Hindu deity on social media
- Most blasphemy cases in Pakistan are filed against people for defiling the Quran, insulting Prophet Muhammad
KARACHI: In a rare case in Muslim-majority Pakistan, a journalist in the southern Sindh province has been arrested under the country’s blasphemy law for offending Hindus by uploading a doctored image of a deity on social media, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
Pakistan's blasphemy laws make it a crime to insult any religion and most blasphemy cases in the country are filed against people for defiling the holy Quran or insulting the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), offences that carry a life sentence and mandatory death sentence, respectively.
In a rare case, however, local journalist Aslam Baloch, a Muslim, was arrested on Tuesday after Hindu community members complained that he had disrespected their religion by editing a photo of the Hindu deity Hanuman and replacing its face with that of former prime minister Imran Khan.
“Aslam Baloch had shared an edited photo of the Hindu god Hanuman with a very objectionable caption,” senior superintendent of police in Mirpur Khas, Captain (retired) Asad Ali Chaudhry, told Arab News.
“We took legal action upon a complaint and arrested the journalist.”
The complaint was filed by Ramesh Kumar, the head of a local Hindu council, after which Baloch was booked under two sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, section 153-A, for promoting enmity between different groups, and section 295-A, which is related to the blasphemy law and applies to anyone accused of having deliberate and malicious intention of outraging religious feeling through written or spoken words, or visual representations.
In his complaint, Kumar said he was sitting with friends at a doctor’s clinic in Mirpur Khas and scrolling through his social media timelines when he came across Baloch’s post.
“The morphed photo was shared with a highly objectionable caption, which was a clear attempt to hurt the sentiment of the followers of the Hindu faith,” Kumar told Arab News. “The post also intended to damage religious harmony, create religious hatred, and incite violence.”
If found guilty, Baloch can be punished with ten years imprisonment, a fine, or both.
Following Baloch’s arrest, Kumar said that he was “satisfied" with the police action.
“They heard us, registered our complaint, and arrested the culprit. It has given us a sense of security and made us feel that we are equal citizens of Pakistan,” Kumar added.
Baloch, who is in police custody, could not be reached for a comment.
In other rare cases in Pakistan where action was taken against Muslims for offending the religious sentiments of minorities, in April 2021, police filed a case under 295-A against three unknown persons for disrespecting a Priest-King replica at the Mohenjo-Daro ancient site in Sindh. The Priest-King is a small male figure sculpted in steatite found during the excavation of the ruined Bronze Age city of Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh, Pakistan.
In September 2019, Muslims were booked for attacking and damaging a Hindu temple in the Ghotki area of Sindh. Another case was registered under the blasphemy laws against Muslim suspects for vandalizing a Hindu temple in Karachi on September 21, 2012.
Around four million Hindus live in Pakistan, or about 1.9% of the country’s population, out of which 1.4 million reside in Sindh.
Pakistani tribesmen announce mourning in native town of army brigadier killed in militant ambush
- Brig. Mustafa Kamal Barki lost his life in a shootout with militants near the frontier region of Angoor Adda on Tuesday
- His tribal community describes his killing as an ‘irreparable’ loss amid rising number of militant attacks in recent months
PESHAWAR: Local tribesmen in the native town of a senior Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency official announced three days of mourning on Wednesday after a group of militants killed him in an attack near the country’s border with Afghanistan the day before.
According to a statement issued by the army, Brig. Mustafa Kamal Barki was driving to Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan tribal district, when his caravan came under attack near the frontier region of Angoor Adda. The ensuing shootout killed Barki and left seven troops injured.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was described by his community members as a major loss.
“I really don’t have words to express how big a loss this is for the nation,” Malik Irfan Barki, a tribal elder and the slain official’s close neighbor, told Arab News. “What we have suffered as his community members is simply irreparable.”
“The demise of Mustafa Barki has shattered us and sent shockwaves through the Kaniguram valley,” he continued. “I called a grand jirga [tribal gathering] of Barki elders which announced three-day mourning over his tragic demise.”
Kaniguram, a picturesque town at the heart of South Waziristan district, is home to a small community of about 14,000 people.
The attack on Barki was launched amid a surge in militant violence in Pakistan since a proscribed militant faction, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), called off a fragile cease-fire with the government in November.
TTP militants have since targeted police and security forces in the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces located next to Afghanistan.
Nisar Barki, a cousin of the slain official, described his relative as a “caring person.”
He said Barki received his early education from a local school in his hometown before getting admission to an education institute in Tank.
“We studied together until the 12th grade and were even together at Cadet College Razmak in North Waziristan,” he added. “After completing his education there, Mustafa was selected by a medical college and Pakistan’s military academy, but he preferred to join the army.”
“He was a bold, courageous, and very caring person as a relative,” he continued.
He also said that his cousin joined the Frontier Force Regiment in 1995 and served in various capacities. He was also posted abroad to work with different Pakistani diplomatic missions.
The slain official was a graduate of the National Defense University and Command and Staff College Quetta. Apart from that, he also participated in the Kargil war and suffered injuries.
“My late cousin used to tell me to forgive and forget,” Barki said. “He was a genius and a deep-thinking man.”
Ex-PM accuses Punjab, Islamabad police chiefs of plotting to kill him in upcoming 'operation'
- Ex-PM Khan alleges "operation" outside his Lahore residence would take place "either today or tomorrow"
- This time if they try to provoke you, do not give them any sort of reaction, Khan tells party supporters
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday accused the heads of the Islamabad and Punjab police forces of plotting to kill him in a security operation he alleged would take place "either today or tomorrow."
Khan, who sustained gunshot wounds during an anti-government rally in November last year, has accused the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the caretaker government in Pakistan's most populous Punjab province of plotting to murder him. Both have strongly rejected Khan's claims.
Clashes broke out between Khan supporters and Islamabad police on Saturday after the former premier showed up at the capital's judicial complex. Khan had arrived to attend the hearing of a case relating to the sale of state gifts during his stint as prime minister. The episode followed violent clashes between Khan supporters and Punjab police last Tuesday in Lahore, when police arrived to arrest him on court orders at his Zaman Park residence.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leader has accused the federal government of playing a "trap" to have him killed during his appearance at the judicial complex on Saturday. The government has rejected his allegations and vowed stern action against those involved in attacking police.
In his latest video message, Khan said the Islamabad police chief and Punjab police chief, and their "handlers"--a term he uses frequently for Pakistan's powerful military establishment—had come up with a plan to hold a police operation outside his Zaman Park residence "either today or tomorrow" to assassinate him.
"They have made two squads, one has been chosen by the Islamabad IG and the other by the Punjab IG. They will infiltrate our people here [at the Zaman Park residence] and from here, shoot dead four to five policemen," Khan said.
"After that, an attack will take place from the other side, they [Punjab Police] will respond with gunfire and kill our people, carry out Model Town-style murders and then they will arrive at my house and kill me like Murtaza Bhutto was killed," he added.
Khan urged his party supporters to remain calm in the face of police aggression, telling them not to be provoked into violence.
"This time if they try to provoke you, do not give them any sort of reaction," Khan said.
On Tuesday, caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi said he had ordered police to do "whatever it takes" to uphold the writ of the government in the province.
He announced a joint investigation team had been set up to probe the attacks on police by PTI supporters, vowing to take stern action against them. Naqvi and the Punjab police chief have earlier accused Khan of using militants from Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province to repel police forces at his Lahore residence.
