3 dead in grenade attack on store selling Pakistan flags in southwestern Quetta city
Separatist Balochistan Liberation Army takes responsibility for attack that also injured six people
Balochistan has been the scene of a long-running insurgency launched by ethnic Baloch separatists
Updated 14 August 2024
AP
QUETTA: Suspected militants hurled hand grenades at a house and a store selling Pakistani national flags in the restive southwestern Balochistan province on Tuesday, killing three people and wounding six others ahead of Pakistan’s 77th independence day.
The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army group claimed responsibility for the attacks in the provincial capital of Quetta, days after the group asked shop owners not to sell the flags. It also warned people not to celebrate the holiday on Wednesday, marking the Aug. 14, 1947, date of Pakistan’s independence from British colonial rule.
Wasim Baig, a spokesperson at a government hospital, said the facility had received six injured people and three bodies following the attacks.
Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Asim Munir vowed to defeat militancy in a televised speech at an event that took place at a military academy in the country’s northeast on the eve of Independence Day.
Munir sought cooperation from neighboring Afghanistan against the Pakistani Taliban, a militant group that operates from Afghan soil and that has stepped up attacks across the border in the northwest.
The group also operates in southwestern Balochistan alongside the long-running insurgency in that region, which also shares a border with Afghanistan.
In the latest violence in the northwest, a group of militants killed four security forces in South Waziristan, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said. In a statement, it said troops returned fire, killing six insurgents.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has congratulated the Pakistani nation on 50th anniversary of the passage of a historic parliamentary resolution that affirmed the finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
Pakistan’s parliament passed the unanimous resolution on September 7, 1974 in a bid to safeguard the belief.
In a statement, PM Sharif praised the parliamentarians and religious scholars who had contributed toward the adoption of the resolution, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister underscored that finality of prophethood is a core principle of Islam and is also very important to every Muslim,” the report read.
He lauded the Pakistan parliament for playing a “crucial role” by adopting the resolution.
Finality of Prophethood is a sensitive topic in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where those who do not believe in it are considered heretics by many.
The South Asian country often witnesses huge demonstrations in favor of the belief.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched a week-long anti-polio vaccination campaign in 115 districts across Pakistan, Sharif’s office said, amid an outbreak of the virus in the South Asian country.
Pakistan has reported 17 cases of polio virus so far this year, with the last one reported in Islamabad this week, according to the national polio program. It was the first human case reported in Islamabad in 16 years.
In view of the “intense outbreak,” authorities decided to launch a nationwide inoculation campaign, aiming to vaccinate 30 million children under the age of five against the debilitating disease.
Under the campaign, which will formally begin on Monday and continue till Sept. 15, around 286,000 anti-polio vaccinators will go door-to-door to administer the vaccine.
“Parents are requested to have children under five years of age administered polio vaccine drops to protect them from a lifelong disability,” Sharif said at the campaign launch in Islamabad.
He expressed gratitude to Pakistan’s partners and international organizations for cooperating with his government in efforts to eliminate the virus.
“I am hopeful that the federal government will succeed in the complete elimination of polio from the country in collaboration with provincial governments and its partners,” Sharif said.
Pakistan earlier this year reported 12 polio cases from Balochistan, three from Sindh and one from Punjab.
Polio has been eliminated in developed nations but persists in parts of India, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and has recently been reported in Gaza.
Many Pakistanis, particularly those residing in the conservative tribal areas, consider polio vaccination a Western campaign aimed at sterilizing the country’s population. In 2012, the local Taliban had ordered a ban on immunization against polio in some tribal districts.
Nearly a dozen policemen have been killed this year while on security duty during vaccination campaigns, which are frequently targeted by militants.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad district administration on Sunday evening called on organizers of a rally by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party to disperse as the time limit allowed for the gathering had expired at 7pm.
Pakistan’s capital was tense throughout the day on Sunday with heavy police deployment and many roads and “sensitive” areas of the city and entry and exit points into it sealed off with shipping containers ahead of the planned rally by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to press for his release.
The district administration had allowed the PTI to hold the public gathering in the Sangjani locality on the outskirts of Islamabad between 4-7pm. The rally was previously planned for July and then August but was postponed both times after permission was revoked over what officials described as security threats and concerns about unrest.
At around 6pm on Sunday, the Islamabad administration said it had informed the rally’s organizers that the time limit for the gathering was approaching its end.
Because of the road blocks, thousands of PTI supporters and leaders traveling to Islamabad complained they had been unable to reach on time.
In this screengrab, taken from a video posted on social media platform X by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party worker Ahmad Hassan Bobak, party supporters leaving for Islamabad rally from Faisalabad on September 8, 2024, ahead of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party rally to press for his release. (Photo courtesy: Ahmed Bobak)
“You were intimated at several occasions that the jalsa [rally] is to close at 07:00 p.m. today but the same have not been adhered to,” the Islamabad district magistrate said in a notification to PTI Islamabad President Amir Masood Mughal.
“The developing situation at the site of Jalsa has given rise to a serious law and order situation,” the letter added. “I hereby direct you and the management/administration of Jalsa at Sangjani, Islamabad to disperse immediately. The District Administration and ICT Police, Islamabad are hereby directed to proceed and take strict action against the violators and members of unlawful assembly in accordance with law.” “ROAD BLOCKS“
Tanzeela Jahan Khan, a PTI supporter who had arrived with a caravan from Gujranwala city, said more people were trying to make their way to the capital but were facing difficulties due to read closures.
“More of our people are coming, they are on their way, all roads are blocked,” she told Arab News at the venue of the rally.
“They do not have any ways to come, they are stuck for the last 4 hours. All roads are blocked.”
The main aim of the rally — the PTI’s first within Islamabad’s jurisdiction since the Feb. 8 general election — is to mobilize supporters for the release of Khan, who has been in jail since August last year. He was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. Khan remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by the national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018-22.
“The basic purpose of this rally is to secure the release of Imran Khan from jail, restore the rule of law and initiate a genuine democratic process in this country,” PTI leader Shoaib Shaheen told Arab News on Sunday morning.
“Islamabad’s district administration has closed all entry and exit routes to the federal capital to prevent our supporters from reaching the venue,” Shaheen said, adding that despite the hurdles, hundreds of PTI caravans were en route to the designated venue for the rally from across Pakistan.
All metro bus services were suspended for Sunday, while Islamabad Expressway was closed at Khanna Bridge on both sides to Lehtrar Road, and only one lane was open at Faizabad. The Bharakahu entry and exits were closed at Satra Meel point, while GT Road was closed for traffic on both sides at Sangjani. Rawat T Cross was also closed, according to Islamabad traffic police.
Only Margalla Road could be used to access the Red Zone, which houses sensitive government and diplomatic buildings, while Srinagar Highway was open for traffic on both sides and could be used to reach the Islamabad airport and the Rawalpindi railway station as well as the M1 and M2 motorways.
In this screengrab, taken from a video posted on social media platform X by Pakistani Journalist Abbas Shabbir, authorities block a key road in Islamabad on September 8, 2024, ahead of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakitan Tehreek-e-Insaf party rally to press for his release. (Photo courtesy: Abbas Shabbir)
The Islamabad police said the district administration had designated routes for the rally and prohibited travel to the venue through any other routes.
“Strict legal action will be taken over violation of the designated routes and the violators will be arrested immediately,” police said on X.
A police spokesman said authorities had recovered a “suspicious bag” from near the rally venue in Sangjani containing hand grenades, detonators, electric wires and other explosive material. A bomb disposal squad had “neutralized” the materials and an investigation was underway.
“Further search operations are being conducted in view of the threat of terrorism at the gathering,” the police spokesman said. “Checking has been increased at the entrances and exits of the city. Citizens are requested to cooperate with the police during checking.”
To bolster security, a heavy contingent of law-enforcement personnel, including police, Rangers, and other paramilitary forces, were stationed at the rally venue and across the capital.
“They [PTI] are holding a rally for what, Imran Khan’s release?” ruling party minister Azma Bukhari told reporters in Lahore. “Have you ever seen them talk about the problems of the common person?”
She added that the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had “no objections” to PTI holding the rally.
“We are not afraid of political rallies,” Bukhari said. “We are only concerned about their actions and background. They have been planted to create chaos in Pakistan … We will not allow them to create instability. No mischief, chaos or disorder will be permitted.” “GRAND POWER SHOW”
Videos shared by the PTI on social media showed party caravans moving toward the federal capital while some supporters also posted images of cargo containers that had been used to seal off the city.
The Islamabad district administration said on Saturday the party had been given conditional permission for the rally, warning its supporters against raising anti-state slogans or violating any laws.
“If SOPs [standard operating procedures] are violated at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rally, the law will take its course,” Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon was quoted as saying in local media reports.
The rally is being held days after a bill was passed by both houses of parliament to “regulate” public rallies in Islamabad, empowering the district magistrate to ban such gatherings if required.
But the PTI says it expects a “grand power show” despite the hurdles.
“This jalsa [public gathering] marks the beginning of our wider and coordinated campaign against this incompetent government,” PTI’s Shaheen said.
“Our workers have begun reaching the venue, and we will hold the rally no matter what,” he added, warning authorities to avoid disrupting the “peaceful” gathering, which he described as the party’s democratic and constitutional right.
The PTI says it has faced a months-long crackdown since protesters linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of the Feb. 9 general election, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.
The PTI says it won the most seats but its mandate was “stolen” by Sharif’s coalition government which formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.
ISLAMABAD: Residents in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday expressed frustration over massive road closures due to a rally by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, describing blockades far from the rally’s venue as “unnecessary and disruptive to public life.”
Authorities closed 29 key locations across the federal capital of Islamabad on Sunday. Arab News visited various areas and found the public in distress as they struggled to reach their destinations.
Faizabad, a crucial cloverleaf interchange connecting Islamabad Highway and Murree Road, was blocked off with shipping containers. The expressway from Rawat to Islamabad was completely blocked, and several points along the GT Road highway were sealed off.
Other areas, such as D-Chowk, 9th Avenue and Khanna Pull Bridge were also blocked, while all metro bus services were suspended. Faisal Chowk, the Expressway, Marriott Hotel Chowk and Nadra Chowk were also closed.
“Even Serena Hotel Chowk is closed, which is 25 kilometers from Sangjani, where the PTI gathering is happening,” Husnain Raza, a private company employee, told Arab News, expressing frustration over the closure of Lehtrar Road without any apparent reason.
“It’s hard to understand why they’ve shut down areas so far away. They’re humiliating people and making life unnecessarily difficult for everyone.”
The district administration has allowed Khan’s party to hold the gathering in the Sangjani locality on the outskirts of Islamabad. The rally was previously planned for July and then August but was postponed both times after permission was revoked over what officials described as security threats and concerns about unrest.
Zunnurain Malik, who had been trying to find a way to the airport since morning to pick up his sister, said all the roads had been closed.
“My sister is arriving at the airport, and we’ve been trying to get there since morning, but even the smaller streets are blocked,” he told Arab News, turning his car back from the Faizabad bridge. “They [government] have turned Islamabad and Rawalpindi into a prison, and everyone is struggling.”
Asad Ullah, a taxi driver, said there had been no work since Sunday morning because of the road closures.
“I picked up a ride from G-9 for Rs 900 to go to Scheme 3 in Rawalpindi, but had to drop him at Faizabad as all the roads were blocked,” he said, adding that the passenger paid him much less since he couldn’t take him to his destination. “0Our earnings are heavily affected due to this situation.”
The Islamabad police said the road were closed as part of heightened security measures to ensure public safety during the political gathering.
“Additional personnel have been deployed in various areas of the capital due to the ongoing high alert regarding the current security situation,” the police said in a statement.
During a search operation in Sangjani, a suspicious bag was also discovered that contained explosives, according to police.
“Weapons of destruction, including hand grenades, detonators, and explosives, were recovered from the bag,” the police statement said, adding the Bomb Disposal Squad defused the explosives and saved Islamabad from a “major disaster.”
“Further search operations by law enforcement agencies are ongoing in the area, and security checks have been intensified at the city’s entry and exit points,” the police said, urging citizens to cooperate with authorities.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday emphasized the importance of literacy for people’s empowerment and increased economic opportunities during International Literacy Day, observed on September 8.
According to WorldMetrics, Pakistan’s literacy rate stands at 59 percent, while the country grapples with the challenge of 23 million out-of-school children.
The government’s spending on education remains low, at just 2.8 percent of GDP, contributing to poor infrastructure, limited access to quality education and a shortage of trained teachers, particularly in rural areas.
“Literacy is a fundamental human and constitutional right,” the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement circulated by his office. “Education and literacy are the guarantees of our country’s future.”
“Literacy is not merely the ability to read and write,” he continued. “It is a gateway to empowerment, economic opportunities and active participation in society.”
The prime minister reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to advancing the education agenda for a more informed nation.
“Education is the backbone of our society,” he maintained. “To this end, we have declared an educational emergency across the country, launched an enrollment campaign for students and introduced midday meals in schools.”
“We have also introduced scholarships and other incentives to reduce the dropout rate and encourage every child to complete their education,” he added.
Sharif said the government was doing everything to integrate technology into the education system, ensuring that Pakistani youth was equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital economy.
He noted that the private sector and civil society organizations were equal partners in the government’s efforts to spread education in Pakistan.
“By establishing effective partnerships, we can link education with employment and self-employment opportunities, creating a stronger and more inclusive workforce,” he added.
