ISLAMABAD: Mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif approached the Islamabad High Court on Friday to file a petition against her son’s delayed postmortem report, said the local media, while requesting that the document should not be made public without her family’s permission.
Sharif, who did a talk show with a local news channel, was killed in Kenya on October 23 when his car sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside Nairobi, prompting the police to open fire. The law enforcement officials in the Kenyan capital expressed regret over the incident, calling it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a car involved in a child abduction case.
A harsh critic of the incumbent government and the military, the deceased journalist underwent an autopsy in Pakistan after his body was brought back from the African state. He was laid to rest in Islamabad on October 27 amid calls for a transparent investigation into his killing.
According to The Express Tribune, Sharif’s mother, Riffat Ara Alvi, moved a petition in which she said that her family had contacted the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) where the management had neither provided the report nor denied it to them.
“The PIMS and local administration have kept Arshad Sharif’s family in the dark about the post-mortem report and humiliated them during this difficult time,” her application said.
Alvi expressed fear the autopsy report could be altered while requesting that her family should be kept informed about it to ensure transparency.
She also requested the court to provide Sharif’s postmortem report to his family, asking it “should not be made public without the family’s permission.”
The slain journalist’s mother also wrote a letter to the country’s chief justice earlier this month, requesting him to form a judicial commission to look into her son’s killing.
She also criticized the federal administration for first promising a high-powered judicial commission and then forming a team with a retired judge and two federal government officials to probe the case.
Mother of slain Pakistani journalist approaches local court against son’s delayed autopsy report
https://arab.news/623tq
Mother of slain Pakistani journalist approaches local court against son’s delayed autopsy report
- Arshad Sharif’s mother says her family sought postmortem report from PIMS but could not get it
- She requests the court not to make the document public without the consent of her family
Around 540 Pakistani students to return from Bishkek today via commercial flights— deputy PM
- First batch of 130 Pakistani students from Bishkek arrived in Lahore on Saturday night
- Fifty students have also registered to return home via special air force flight, says deputy PM
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ishaq Dar announced the government has arranged three commercial flights to repatriate around 540 Pakistani students from Bishkek today, Sunday, following violent clashes in the city this week that led to the evacuations.
The development took place after frenzied mobs attacked foreign nationals in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek on Friday. The attacks began after videos of a brawl between Kyrgyz and Egyptian students went viral on social media, prompting furious mobs to target hostels of medical universities and private lodgings of international students, including Pakistanis, in the city.
The first batch of around 130 Pakistani students arrived in Lahore late Saturday night. According to official statistics, around 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in various educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan, with nearly 6,000 residing and studying in Bishkek.
“Three commercial special flights have been arranged for today (Sunday) on which 540 students will come back while 130 returned yesterday,” Dar told reporters during a media briefing in Lahore.
“A special flight of Pakistan Air Force will also bring around 130 students. So far, 50 students have registered themselves to come on this flight,” he added.
Dar said he spoke with the foreign minister of Kyrgyzstan today, Sunday, who assured him that the situation in the country was under control and that no new incidents had occurred since Friday afternoon.
“Kyrgyz foreign minister has confirmed that 16 foreign students including four to five Pakistanis got injured during this incident and are under treatment,” Dar said.
He added that Kyrgyzstan’s government has also assured that security at students’ hostels has been enhanced and that they were constantly monitoring the situation.
Earlier on Saturday evening, the PM’s Office said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed Dar and another cabinet member, Amir Muqam, to travel to Bishkek on Sunday and address the situation there.
Dar said they were not traveling to the country at the Kyrgyzstan government’s request, adding that Pakistan has instead sent two officers from the foreign office to facilitate the country’s embassy.
“We were supposed to leave today for the Kyrgyz republic but their foreign minister requested [us] not to come because it would give the wrong impression about the incident and would provide fuel to the opposition,” Dar said.
He said Kyrgyzstan’s foreign minister has categorically denied any Pakistani students were killed in the clashes.
“Their (Kyrgyzstan) foreign minister also said they have arrested a few culprits and assured that no one involved will be spared,” the deputy prime minister said.
Dar said Pakistan’s foreign office had summoned the Kyrgyz Charge d’Affaires to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday for a demarche over the current situation.
“It [violence] happened due to a clash between students and foreign students were targeted from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Arab countries,” he said.
Dar said Pakistan’s embassy had confirmed the situation is not tense anymore and that Pakistanis injured are being provided the best possible medical facilities.
Separately, in a telephone call with Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Hasan Ali Zaigham, PM Sharif instructed the embassy to make the necessary arrangements for the special plane to bring back Pakistani students.
The prime minister said injured Pakistani students should be brought back to Pakistan on a priority basis.
“The Prime Minister also instructed to ensure repatriation of family members residing in Kyrgyzstan with the Pakistani students,” PMO said.
Pakistan says will push for peace in Middle East if elected non-permanent UNSC member
- Elections for five of 10 non-permanent seats of UNSC for 2025-26 to take place on June 6
- Pakistan has been elected as non-permanent UNSC member seven times, most recently in 2013
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will work for peace in the Middle East and Africa, and promote the right of self-determination of people living under foreign occupation if it gets elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN said on Sunday.
Elections for five of the 10 non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council for 2025-26 are set to take place on June 6. Pakistan says its candidacy has the endorsement of the 55-member Asian Group.
The South Asian country has been elected to the Security Council seven times, most recently in 2013. Other times Pakistan got elected was in 1952-1953, 1968-1969, 1976-1977, 1983-1984, 1993-1994 and 2003-2004.
Speaking to members of the US-based Pakistan Students Association Coalition (PSA Coalition) via video link, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram said election to the Security Council would require Islamabad to play a leading role in addressing Kashmir, Afghanistan and counterterrorism issues.
“Pakistan will articulate developing countries’ aspirations, work for peace and in the Middle East and Africa as well as promote the right of self-determination for peoples under foreign occupation if elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council,” Akram said, according to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
Akram spoke about the current state of the world. including key global challenges amid regional conflicts.
“He said that as the intense competition between major powers became a new reality of the world order, the world was undergoing a fast transition from its unipolar status to a bipolar plus order,” the APP said.
The Pakistani ambassador’s comments came as Israel continues its relentless military assault on Gaza. Israel’s attacks against Hamas have killed at least 35,386 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
The Jewish state’s siege has brought dire food shortages and the threat of famine to the densely populated territory.
Pakistan, which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel, has consistently called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and urged world powers to work toward a two-state solution in the restive region, according to the aspirations of the people of Palestine.
Polling for NA-148 by-election in Pakistan’s Multan underway
- Ex-PM Yousaf Raza Gillani vacated NA-148 seat after getting elected Senate chairman
- Tough competition expected between SIC’s Taimur Malik and PPP’s Ali Musa Gillani
ISLAMABAD: Polling commenced for Multan’s NA-148 on Sunday, state-run media reported, with thousands expected to cast their ballots in today’s by-election.
Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani won the NA-148 constituency in Multan in the contentious Feb. 8 national election. However, Gillani had to vacate the seat after he was elected to the post of Senate chairman in April.
A total of 444,231 registered voters in the constituency are expected to exercise their right to cast votes in 275 polling stations and 933 polling booths set up for the polling exercise. Pakistan’s election regulator has set up 485 polling booths for men and 448 for women, state-run Radio Pakistan said.
Voting commenced at 08:00 a.m. and is expected to continue till 5:00 p.m.
“People in good numbers are arriving at the polling stations to cast their votes at the earliest due to hot weather,” Radio Pakistan said.
“Comprehensive security arrangements have been made for free, fair and transparent polls.”
Eight candidates including the Imran Khan-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) leader Taimur Malik and Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Ali Qasim Gillani are vying for the seat.
The Feb. 8 election was marred by a countrywide shutdown of mobile phone services. The results of the polls, which were declared unfair by Khan and his PTI party, threw up a hung parliament in which no political party emerged with the majority to form its government.
Khan’s PTI, which formed the largest bloc in the National Assembly after winning over 90 seats, said it won a two-thirds majority but was denied victory by Pakistan’s election regulator, accusing it of manipulating votes. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) denied the allegations and so did the caretaker government.
Pakistan’s religion minister arrives in Makkah to review Hajj 2024 arrangements
- Chaudhry Salik Hussain to visit Saudi institutions, catering companies and residences of Hajj pilgrims today, says religion ministry
- At least 22,696 Pakistani pilgrims arrived in Madinah via 93 flights since April 9 when Pakistan started pre-Hajj flight operations
ISLAMABAD: Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain reached Makkah on Sunday to review Hajj 2024 arrangements, the religion ministry said, as Pakistani pilgrims continue to arrive in Saudi Arabia ahead of the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
Pakistani pilgrims have been arriving in Madinah since May 9 when Pakistan launched its pre-Hajj flight operations. At least 22,696 Pakistani pilgrims have since arrived in Madinah through 93 flights, the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said in a statement.
Hussain, who arrived in Madinah earlier this week to inspect Hajj arrangements, reached Makkah on Sunday to hold important meetings with Saudi officials and gauge preparations for the Islamic pilgrimage.
“Chaudhry Salik Hussain will visit Saudi institutions, catering companies, and residences of Hajj pilgrims today, Sunday,” MoRA said in a statement.
It added the minister would visit the Pakistan Hajj Mission in Makkah’s office after performing Umrah.
Pakistan’s religion ministry said over 11,000 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims visited the “Riazul Jannah” in Madinah, a small space between the pulpit and the grave of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Pakistan has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims this year, of which 63,805 people will perform the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest will use private tour operators. This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14-19.
UN-linked body grants ‘A status’ to Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights
- Accreditation allows National Commission for Human Rights to sit at Human Rights Council, other UN bodies’ meetings
- NCHR was formed in 2012 for promotion and protection of human rights in Pakistan as per country’s constitution
ISLAMABAD: The Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), one of the largest rights networks worldwide, has granted Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) an A-list status, making it a “historic first” for the South Asian country, state media reported this week,
Representing over 110 National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), their members and staff across all regions, GANHRI is one of the largest human rights networks worldwide. It is also a trusted partner of the United Nations.
The NCHR was formed in 2012 for the promotion and protection of human rights in Pakistan as per the country’s constitution and international rights instruments.
“Despite it being extremely rare for commissions to attain A status in the first round, Pakistan’s NCHR has been accredited with this highest grade in its first try,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday.
“It is also the only country to have attained new A status in this year’s session.”
The status grants NCHR a seat at the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies, APP said, adding that it was “a historic first” for Pakistan.
“In the past, Pakistan’s commission could only act as an observer but now will get a voice at the table,” it said.
“NCHR Pakistan joins the ranks of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, France and others as an A status NHRI.”
The NCHR’s application process involved submitting a lengthy 125-page report about its establishment, independence, composition, organizational infrastructure, working methods, mandate, and quasi-judicial functions.
The NCHR team was interviewed by a committee comprising over 25 persons and select chairpersons of accredited commissions throughout the world before it attained the prestigious status.
“This milestone positions Pakistan’s NCHR in a global alliance of quality, world-class commissions,” the state media said.
“It allows NCHR to speak at the UN Human Rights Council and other global forums to present Pakistan’s case for human rights. Its voice is strategic for financial concessions to Pakistan such as GSP+, FATE, and IME.”
