ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has put an American diplomat Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, who recently killed a motorcyclist and his pillion passenger in a road accident, on a black list to prevent him from leaving the country, revealed Deputy Attorney General Raja Khalid on Tuesday as he appeared in Islamabad High Court, which is looking into the tragic incident.
Khalid told the court that placing the US diplomat’s name on the exit control list would entail a lengthy procedure, adding that it was not even possible to put him on trial in Pakistan since he enjoyed diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention.
Hall, who is stationed in Islamabad where he works with the US Embassy as defense attaché, killed a Pakistani national, Atiq Baig, and injured his cousin, Raheel Ahmed, when he jumped a red light in his SUV and crashed into the other vehicle.
The incident took place on April 7, creating a sense of resentment among Pakistanis who have also witnessed unsavory incidents involving American diplomats in the past.
While the police rushed to the accident site, they could not accomplish much since Hall refused to step out of his vehicle or take an alcohol test.
The court was particularly riled by the way the law enforcement agency handled the issue, expressing displeasure with its officials and even observing that they “trembled” to see a foreigner.
The road accident happened at a time when US-Pakistan relations had already touched a new low.
The two countries have been trying to resolve a host of security and diplomatic issues. Their relations remain frosty, though a senior State Department official, Alice Wells, was in the federal capital just days ago to continue official engagements between the two countries.
Pakistan puts US diplomat on black list for killing biker in road accident
Pakistan puts US diplomat on black list for killing biker in road accident
- Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, defense attaché at the US embassy in Islamabad, killed a Pakistani national, Atiq Baig, when he jumped a red light in his SUV and crashed into the motorbike.
- Placing the US diplomat’s name on exit control list will entail a lengthy procedure, Deputy Attorney General tells the court.
Pakistan leader of the opposition says police raided home to arrest him in ‘terrorism’ case
- Case relates to May 9 riots in which supporters of Khan ransacked government and army buildings
- Many PTI leaders behind bars or on the run from criminal and terrorism charges they say are politically motivated
ISLAMABAD: Omar Ayub Khan, Pakistan’s leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and general secretary of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has said an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had issued arrest warrants against him after which police had raided his home in Islamabad on Sunday amid what the party says is a widening crackdown against its leaders.
Top leaders of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI are facing multiple legal cases they say are part of a state campaign of intimidation and harassment against the popular party. Khan has himself been in prison since last August and numerous PTI leaders are behind bars or on the run from criminal and terrorism charges that they say are politically motivated. Many of the charges were filed after Khan’s first arrest in May last year led to riots in which his supporters attacked and damaged government and military buildings. The ATC case against Omat also relates to the May 9 riots. The government says it is not persecuting the PTI.
On Saturday, the district administration of Islamabad revoked permission for the PTI to hold a rally while Amnesty International last week expressed concern over what it called the ‘forced disappearances’ of three family members of PTI members. The party has also said a senior member of its social media team had been “abducted” ahead of the now postponed Islamabad rally.
The PTI and Khan have also rejected the results of Feb. 8 general elections over rigging after which Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a fragile coalition at the center.
“Arrest warrants issued for me for ATC Sargodha. Mianwali police and Islamabad police teams went to my Islamabad house to arrest me a few minutes ago,” Omar said on X, saying the government and intelligence agencies “must be very desperate to arrest the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly.”
“They will prove beyond doubt that there is no rule of law in Pakistan,” Ayub said, adding that the party would continue its “lawful struggle.”
PTI party spokesperson Raoof Hasan told Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper that Omar was not at home when police raided and he was now in a “safe place. He said police required prior permission from the National Assembly speaker before conducting a raid to arrest a lawmaker, which had not been taken.
Named after famed cinema, Karachi street now hub of used goods and fashion fakes
- Light House street named after pre-partition cinema that screened famous movies like ‘Koel,’ ‘Josh’ and ‘Umrao Jaan Ada’
- Light House cinema entertained movie buffs until 1980, after which area gradually transformed into a business center
KARACHI: Looking for used clothes and shoes, bags and toys for your children or knock-offs from coveted fashion brands?
Head to Light House, a famous street off MA Jinnah Road in Pakistan’s commercial hub of Karachi where all these items are available for cheap only if you’re willing to trudge through rows of stalls and shops and piles upon piles of goods on sale.
“When I think of Light House, I think of it as the place where I can get imported items I need within a normal price range,” Muhammad Jehangir, a 25-year-old customer visiting the market from Peshawar, told Arab News.
“If you want to buy anything, Light House in Karachi is the best place. You can find everything here,” he added, as he showed off his purchase: a pair of shoes for around $100 that would have cost him up to five times more if purchased new:
“The cheapest shoes are available here as well as shoes imported from other countries.”
While a global crackdown on counterfeit goods has pushed fakes into back rooms, in Asia sales are more blatant with markets from Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok and Beijing filled with fake brands including Prada, Burberry and Louis Vuitton. In Karachi, Light House is the hub of the illicit trade.
But the street was not always a center for second-hand merchandise and fashion fakes. Before the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, it was a famed cinema hub of Karachi.
“So, this area is famous because of Light House cinema. Light House Cinema dates back to before the partition, it was named Light House in 1946,” said Iqbal A. Rehman Mandvia, who has authored a book, ‘Is Dasht Me Ik Shehr tha,’ on Karachi.
“Before that, it was called Globe Cinema. It became Light House in 1946 and remained here until 1980, after which it became a business center.”
Now the area was known as a landa bazaar, or a market for second-hand clothes, Mandvia said.
Across the road from the cinema stood the now defunct Café Lasani, known for decades for its famous chicken tikka.
“It was a golden era,” Mandvia said, remembering famous films he had watched at Light House.
“I watched the movie ‘Josh’ here, followed by ‘Umrao Jaan Ada’ … Light House was an air-conditioned cinema that screened good films and the area was nice too.”
Muhammad Sabir, whose grandfather bought several shops in the area in 1948, recalled that the main attraction was once the movie theater.
“Noor Jehan’s film ‘Koel’ was playing, and people broke down the doors of the cinema in their quest to get tickets,” he said as he showed an imported pair of jeans to a customer at his shop.
Sabir, now 76, had just been born when his grandfather bought the shops and initially ran grocery stores, tailoring shops and laundry services there before switching over to selling used goods.
“We also changed our business and moved into the field of second-hand clothing,” he added.
And now that’s why customers throng the market.
“When we hear about Light House, we think of it as a place where we can find unique and affordable items at cheap prices that come from abroad,” Sonia, a regular customer who only gave her first name, told Arab News, showing off three toys she had purchased for her children for Rs100 ($0.36) a piece.
“They are very different and good. You can find everything here, like very good toys and branded shoes that have been used once or twice, but you can also find new ones.”
Fire erupts at Pakistan Stock Exchange, no loss of life or injury reported
- Video footage showed flames and smoke billowing from fourth floor of building in Karachi
- Trading at country’s largest bourse resumes after being suspended for two hours due to fire
KARACHI: Firefighters were busy dousing flames at the Pakistan Stock Exchange building in Karachi on Monday after a fire erupted on the fourth floor, a rescue service confirmed.
No loss of life or injury has so far been reported in the incident, Rescue 1122 Sindh said in a statement. As per local media reports, people inside the stock exchange were evacuated from the premises after the fire erupted.
“Rescue 1122’s fire and rescue team were dispatched to the venue with two fire brigade trucks as soon as they received information [about the fire],” the rescue service said.
Video footage shared widely showed flames and smoke billowing from the fourth floor of the Pakistan Stock Exchange building. According to local media reports, trading at the Pakistan Stock Exchange was suspended after the fire broke out.
The country’s largest bourse is located on I. I. Chundrigar Road, also known as Pakistan’s Wall Street, the city’s main commercial street in a high-security zone close to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Central Police Office.
Many offices of private banks, commercial enterprises, and the head office of Karachi Port Trust (KPT) are in close vicinity.
Pakistan PM to announce ‘big package’ for farmers in Quetta today
- PM Sharif meets Balochistan chief minister, governor after arriving for day-long trip to Quetta
- Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province by size, is its most backward one by most economic indicators
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the southwestern city of Quetta on Monday where he is expected to announce a “big package” for farmers and discuss the law-and-order situation of the province, his office confirmed.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest in terms of size yet its most backward by almost all economic indicators, was battered by flash floods when torrential rains wreaked havoc in March this year. Torrential floods inundated roads in Kharan and Kech districts and inflicted misery on farmers, who had to suffer economic hardship when a large number of their crops were washed away.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Quetta for a day-long visit,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement, adding that he was received by Governor Sheikh Jaffar Khan and Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti upon his arrival.
“The prime minister will also announce a big package on behalf of the federal and Balochistan government for the development and prosperity of Balochistan’s farmers,” the PMO said.
The prime minister is being accompanied by federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Awais Khan Laghari, Ataullah Tarar, Jam Kamal Khan and minister of state Ali Pervaiz Malik. Sharif’s office said he is also expected to meet the provincial assembly’s lawmakers as well during his visit.
The restive province shares porous borders with Afghanistan and Iran, and has reeled from the effects of an insurgency launched by ethnic Baloch militants since decades. Baloch nationalists have long accused the Pakistani government of monopolizing profits from Balochistan’s abundant natural resources, saying it has led to political marginalization and economic exploitation. The state denies these allegations.
Sharif separately met the Balochistan governor and chief minister to discuss the law-and-order situation of the province and administrative affairs, the PMO said.
On Sunday, the Pakistani prime minister undertook a day-long trip to Pakistan’s commercial and industrial hub Karachi, where he met members of the business community and inspected port operations. Sharif directed authorities to improve transportation of goods at the Karachi port, noting that Pakistan held a key geographical position in the region and provided the most convenient sea trade route for the Central Asian states.
The prime minister’s visit to the militancy-hit province also takes place as the government seeks to drum up support for a new military operation it announced last month titled “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam” or Resolve for Stability.
The government announced the operation last month after a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on the National Action Plan (NAP) attended by senior military leaders and top government officials from all provinces, including the PTI-backed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
Pakistan’s opposition parties criticized the government’s move, accusing it of not taking lawmakers into confidence over the matter. PM Sharif subsequently clarified the operation would not be launched before it is debated in parliament, adding that Azm-e-Istehkam would only mobilize military operations that have already been launched against militants and aim to eliminate them from the country for good.
‘Operation Ashura’: Pakistan’s national airline launches special flights to Najaf for Muharram
- Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala cities hold special significance for Shia Muslims, who visit them in Muharram to pay tribute to Imam Hussain
- “Operation Ashura” to provide seamless travel experience to pilgrims, return flights from Najaf to begin from July 20, says state media
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national airline has launched special flights to Iraq’s Najaf city to provide a seamless travel experience to pilgrims during the Islamic month of Muharram, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala hold tremendous significance for Shia Muslims around the world, many of whom travel to these cities during the first two months of Islamic lunar calendar to recall the sacrifices made by Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
“Pakistan International Airlines has launched special flights for Najaf to facilitate pilgrims during Muharram,” Radio Pakistan said in a report. “The flights operation called ‘Operation Ashura’ is designed to provide a seamless travel experience for pilgrims during this significant period of religious observance.”
The state broadcaster said return flights from Najaf will begin on July 20.
Pakistan’s central moon-sighting committee met on Saturday in the southwestern city of Quetta to spot the Muharram crescent. The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC) announced that Pakistan would observe the first of Muharram on July 8 while Ashura, which marks the martyrdom of Hussian, would be observed on July 17.
Ashura, which falls on Muharram 10 every year, sees hundreds of thousands of Shia Muslims take part in religious gatherings and processions in Pakistan to mourn Hussain’s passing. These processions and gatherings take place amid tight security, as militant groups in Pakistan have often targeted them in the past and killed of hundreds of people.
Pakistan’s largest Punjab province has proposed a ban on all social media platforms from Muharram 6-11 to ensure proper security measures, provincial information minister Azma Bukhari said on Friday.
The measure was aimed at protecting Shia Muslims from sectarian violence and control the spread of hate speech and misinformation, the provincial government wrote in a letter to Pakistan’s interior ministry last week.
