LAHORE: The five-day parole granted by the Punjab government which ensured ex-premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law Capt. (retired) Safdar could attend the funeral of Sharif’s wife, Kulsoom, is set to end today, officials said.
Members of the Sharif family had been serving sentences in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since July after being charged in a corruption case. At the request of family members, the three were able to attend Kulsoom's last rites, held in Lahore, on Friday. Kulsoom died in London on September 11 after succumbing to a long battle with cancer. Her body was flown back to Lahore after funeral prayers were offered in London.
Initially, the trio had been granted a 12-hour parole, which was later extended by the Punjab government till 4pm today. “The government will act on Sharif’s request for release according to the law. They (Sharifs) will be given all possible assistance as allowed in the law,” Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had said at the time.
Denying rumors of a further extension, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tanveer Hussain said no such request had been made by the Sharifs.
On September 11, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, in comments to the media, had said that his brother, Nawaz Sharif and niece Maryam had refused to submit a parole request. Instead, Shehbaz had submitted a request on their behalf to ensure they could attend Kulsoom's funeral.
Sharif family parole to end today
Sharif family parole to end today
- Nawaz, Maryam and Capt Safdar had been released to attend Kulsoom’s funeral
- PML-N leader Hussain denies rumors that Sharifs requested an extension
Kohli, Rohit Test exits leave India facing uncertain new era
- Batting great Kohli and captain Rohit both retired from Tests in the past week
- Shubman Gill has been left as front-runner to lead a new-look India in England
NEW DEHLI, INDIA: Indian cricket will enter an uncertain new era next week when selectors name a Test squad without all-time greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the first time in more than a decade.
Batting great Kohli and captain Rohit both retired from Tests in the past week, leaving Shubman Gill as the front-runner to lead a new-look India in England.
The retirement last year of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin leaves India without the backbone of the side that was formerly number one in the world Test rankings.
Top-order batsman Gill is favorite to be given the task of starting India’s rebuild with the five-Test England series, which begins on June 20 at Headingley.
“Gill looks like the heir apparent but his record overseas hasn’t looked too great,” veteran cricket journalist Ayaz Memon told AFP.
The 25-year-old Gill has scored 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05 in 32 Tests since his debut in 2020, with five hundreds.
But in 13 Tests away from home his average is only 29.50.
Gill is likely to move up the order to open alongside the 23-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal, with big-hitting Shreyas Iyer in the frame to replace Kohli at the fall of the second wicket.
Others who could be charged with the almost impossible task of following in all-time great Kohli’s footsteps are Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar and Dhruv Jurel.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has also been mentioned as a future captain, but his current poor form and less-than-inspiring leadership of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL are counting against his immediate elevation.
Leading pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah was Rohit’s deputy in Australia and led the team in two Tests, winning one, and was seen as another candidate for captain.
But Bumrah has only recently returned to action after suffering a back injury during the final Test at Sydney in January.
The five Tests in England are crammed into six weeks, meaning India will need to manage the workload of their pace attack by resting bowlers for one or more matches, effectively ruling Bumrah out of the captaincy debate.
Memon, who called Kohli’s retirement “a big moment in Indian cricket,” said there was enough strength in depth to fill the void left by Kohli, opener Rohit and Ashwin.
“There are senior pros like (Mohammed) Shami, if he is in form and selected, and (Ravindra) Jadeja,” said Memon.
“The new crop of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, maybe Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj look good.
“They could be looking for a young spinner, maybe Washington Sundar because Ashwin is not there.”
Off-spinner Ashwin called an abrupt halt to his international career after playing the second Test in Adelaide last year.
He ended his career with 537 wickets in 106 matches, eighth on the all-time list and behind only Anil Kumble for India, who had 619 dismissals.
India’s 1983 World Cup-winning all-rounder Sandeep Patil believes the new-look India could come out stronger after a period of transition.
“The two stalwarts, the two pillars of Indian cricket, have gone,” Patil, who was chief selector when Kohli became captain in 2015, told The Times of India.
“It is time to rebuild. It will be a challenge for the national selectors, but I am sure we will find a solution.
“If one player exits, the next one is ready.”
Pakistan says has introduced ‘historic’ new facilities for Hajj pilgrims
- For the first time, Hajj pilgrims will have access to fully air-conditioned camps in Mina
- New facilities part of effort to ensure smoother, more comfortable Hajj experience
ISLAMABAD: Director Hajj in Makkah, Azizullah Khan, said on Tuesday Pakistani pilgrims will this year enjoy “historic facilities” in Mashair, sacred sites used during the Hajj pilgrimage, including fully air-conditioned camps in Mina with sofa-cum-beds, and improved accommodation in Makkah.
Over the last few years, Saudi Arabia has launched mobile apps like Nusuk, Hajj Navigator, Tawakkalna and Asefny to streamline services, with the aim to make the Hajj experience smoother by offering real-time guidance and ensuring pilgrim safety.
For the first time, Pakistani Hajj pilgrims will have access to fully air-conditioned camps in Mina and be accommodated in top-of-the-line hotels and buildings in the Azizia and Batha Quraish neighborhoods.
Pilgrims will receive a specially designed bag containing the Pakistani flag, a QR code for identification, and relevant information. A mobile app will provide access to Hajj group information, training schedules, flight details, accommodation details, and live maps and locations during the pilgrimage.
“For the first time in history, Hujjaj will have sofa-cum-beds instead of mattresses while tents are upgraded with gypsum board walls and air coolers have been replaced with air conditioners,” Khan told Radio Pakistan, adding that elevated luggage storage racks had also been introduced to enhance comfort.
“Dedicated sections are overseeing food, health and transport related arrangements round the clock for maximum facilitation of the pilgrims,” he said, adding that 99 percent of pilgrims who had arrived in Saudi Arabia had received Nusuk cards.
The cards are an essential Hajj permit, not just an ID, for pilgrims traveling to Makkah and the holy sites. It facilitates movement and ensures the well-being of Hajj pilgrims by managing logistics and administration. The card also allows pilgrims to access information about their Hajj mission, schedules, and allows for communication with their mission. Additionally, it enables receiving alerts, evaluating services, and filing observations.
Compulsory Hajj training has been made available for all pilgrims in Pakistan, starting from Jan. 18, 2025, with details accessible through the “Pak Hajj 2025 Mobile App.”
For the government Hajj scheme, the option of three easy installments has been introduced for the first time.
All Hajj-related financial transactions have also been digitized, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Pakistan’s Hajj medical mission includes a hospital each in Makkah and Madinah, along with two dispensaries in Madinah and nine in Makkah, all fully functional.
A Monitoring Cell has been established to address potential issues faced by private pilgrims and provide support to them. Various specialized units, including a Wheelchair Desk, have been set up to cater to the needs of different groups of pilgrims.
Pakistan PM prioritizes tax net expansion, vows crackdown on evaders
- Tax reform has been a central condition of Pakistan’s ongoing $7 billion IMF loan program
- Pakistan expects its tax-to-GDP ratio to reach 10.6% by the end of the current fiscal years
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday declared the expansion of Pakistan’s tax base as his administration’s foremost priority, emphasizing the need to take decisive action against tax evaders and the officials who enable them.
Sharif’s remarks came during a high-level meeting in Islamabad focused on enhancing tax collection and broadening the tax net, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Tax reform has been a central condition of Pakistan’s ongoing $7 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has asked Islamabad to boost revenue collection.
“Expanding the tax net is the government’s top priority,” Sharif said. “We want to reduce the tax rate to ease the burden on the common man.”
“Individuals and sectors capable of paying taxes but currently outside the tax net must be brought within it,” he added. “Comprehensive action should be taken against tax evaders, and strict accountability must be ensured for officials and personnel who assist them.”
The government has implemented several measures to strengthen the tax collection mechanism, including the digitization of tax monitoring systems and the deployment of track-and-trace technology in key industries.
According to the PM Office, the introduction of these systems in cement plants nationwide has led to significant increases in tax revenue, while the sugar sector saw a 35% rise in tax receipts between November 2024 and April 2025.
Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio, historically among the lowest in the region, stood at 8.8% in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
However, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb projected it would reach 10.6% by June 2025, marking progress toward the government’s target of 13% by the conclusion of the IMF’s 37-month Extended Fund Facility.
The meeting tax collection, attended by key cabinet members and senior officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), also addressed the need for timely resolution of pending tax litigation and the completion of digital monitoring systems in sectors such as cement and tobacco by June.
“By the grace of God, the national economy is stabilizing and progressing,” Sharif said. “Everyone must fulfill their responsibilities for the country’s development.”
‘Can’t believe he’s gone’: Azad Kashmir family mourns newlywed killed by cross-border shelling
- Usama Ishrat, 22, was killed in district Bagh due to cross-border attacks less than two weeks after getting married
- Border residents of Kashmir region bear the brunt of heavy gunfire whenever India-Pakistan tensions escalate
BAGH, AZAD KASHMIR: The walls of late Usama Ishrat’s modest two-room house in Azad Kashmir are pocked with gaping mortar holes, impossible to miss for anyone visiting the family. Shards of glass still cling to a nearby window, a stark reminder of the devastation unleashed by Indian shelling last week.
Residents living near the border in the disputed Kashmir region — administered in parts by bitter rivals India and Pakistan — have long borne the brunt of cross-border fire whenever tensions escalate.
The latest flare-up, from Wednesday to Saturday, saw both sides trade drones, missiles, fighter jets and artillery fire. In just four days, May 8 to 11, at least 31 people were killed and 123 injured across various districts of Azad Kashmir, according to official figures.
Among the dead was 22-year-old Usama Ishrat, a cashier at a local store in Bagh district. The eldest of six siblings, Ishrat had been married only days earlier, on April 26 — less than two weeks before his life was cut short by shelling on Friday.
“I married him off with great joy,” a grief-stricken Shakeela Khanum, Ishrat’s mother, told Arab News. “He was married for just 13 days. With henna still on, the bride and groom got separated like this.”
Ishrat Mehmood, the father, recalled that the attack took place at dawn on Friday, while he was standing outside his house. As mortar shells rained down, he fell and blacked out. He regained consciousness when his daughter collapsed beside him, and rushed her inside, only to find that his other two daughters had also been wounded.
That’s when he heard his daughter-in-law’s screams.
“I thought, ‘Maybe she got hit too.’ When I went there, I saw my son was drenched in blood,” he added.
Mehmood said his wounded son, bleeding from a large head injury, appeared to look at them once before passing away.
“A little bit of his brain had come out from here,” Mehmood said, gesturing toward his head. “He was martyred right there on the spot.”
Ehsam, Ishrat’s 12-year-old brother, picked up the pillow where Usama drew his final breath. His hand was immediately stained with dried blood. The pillow and its cover had already been separated. When the cover was unfolded, parts of what still appeared to carry the remnants of Ishrat’s brain matter could be seen.
“My brother’s brain…parts of it are still on this,” Ehsam said.
From the next room, Ishrat’s wife could be heard sobbing. Her family had arrived to take her back as she prepared for “iddah,” the mourning period women in Islam are required to observe following the husband’s death or in the event of a divorce.
The attack had also wounded Khanum, who said a splinter had injured her leg.
“Don’t know, a fragment or something is still inside,” she said. “Today, I am feeling it is still inside. I didn’t even try to get it out.”
Two of her daughters are being treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
The world breathed a sigh of relief when US President Donald Trump announced Washington had brokered a ceasefire between the two hostile neighbors on Saturday. After initial accusations of violations by both sides, the ceasefire continues to hold.
But for Ishrat’s family, the damage has been done.
“I want to say this to the whole world that they agreed to a ceasefire between themselves,” Ajmal Zulfiqar, his cousin, told Arab News. “But our beloved is gone. He is not going to come back.”
‘No terrorists here’: School damaged in India strikes in Azad Kashmir reopens today
- An Indian strike damaged the Al-Hadi Public School and adjoining Bilal mosque on May 7
- Authorities confirmed three deaths, one injury in overnight attack on mosque in Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad: The principal of a school adjacent to a mosque hit last week in an Indian strike in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir, said there were “no terrorists” there contrary to New Delhi’s claim, as the school prepared to reopen today, Tuesday.
An Indian strike damaged the school and adjoining mosque on May 7 in Muzaffarabad, the main town in the part of the disputed Kashmir region administered by Pakistan. India hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles that day and Pakistan, vowing retaliation, said it had shot down five Indian aircraft.
Authorities confirmed three deaths and one injury following the overnight attack on Bilal mosque in Muzaffarabad, part of the worst escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in over two decades.
India said it struck nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, some of them linked to an attack by militants that killed 25 Hindu tourists and one local in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. Islamabad has denied New Delhi’s allegations it was involved.
“There are no terrorists here. This is a place of worship. People offer prayers here. Our children and all the people in the vicinity say five times prayers here,” said school principal of Al-Hadi Public School, Saima Maqsood, as cleaning work continued at the school.
The schools will re-open today, Tuesday, according to a government notification.
On Monday evening, Indian premier Narendra Modi said Pakistan would have to get rid of its “terrorist infrastructure” if it wants to be “saved,” his first comments on the military clashes with Pakistan since last week’s deadly fighting between the two countries.
The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan spoke by phone on Monday, the Indian army said, as New Delhi reopened airports and shares rose in both countries following a ceasefire that paused days of intense fighting last week.
“The world knows what happened with India. Now, it will not dare attack again,” said Bilal mosque worshipper Roshan Mughal.
“The mosque, Allah’s home, will be rebuilt. The sacrifices, the martyrdom of three people here at the mosque, and elsewhere ... have awakened Muslims and they have shown the world that Pakistan has the power to fight. Its armed forces are well prepared to defend the country.”
