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Twitter sees red over Rizvi’s posts

Khadim Hussain Rizvi, head of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) speaks to supporters during a protest following the Supreme Court’s decision to acquit Pakistani Christian woman Asia Bibi of blasphemy, in Lahore on Nov. 2, 2018. (AFP)
Updated 02 November 2018
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Twitter sees red over Rizvi’s posts

  • Pakistani users push social media giant to block TLP leader’s account
  • Accuse him of inciting hate through his messages on the platform
Updated 02 November 2018
Sabah Bano Malik

ISLAMABAD: He came, he tweeted and was last seen 12 hours ago.
But not before several in Pakistan’s Twitter circle took cognizance of his posts before urging the social media platform to block the account of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) leader, Khadim Hussain Rizvi.
Central to all his recent messages is the case of Aasia Bibi, a 51-year-old woman and mother of five who was accused of blasphemy in 2009. A session’s court judge found Bibi guilty and sentenced her to death a year later. The High Court upheld the verdict, making Bibi the first Pakistani woman to be charged for blasphemy. However, the Supreme Court – citing a lack of evidence -- overturned the verdict, acquitting her of all charges and asking for her immediate release on Wednesday. Objecting to the decision, the TLP party has been protesting ever since, pushing for the top court to overrule the verdict and threatening to continue with demonstrations until the Supreme Court gives in.
The government’s latest announcement to ensure Bibi and her family were given a safe passage out of Pakistan added further impetus to his cause with Rizvi urging followers to up their ante. Since blocking the main roads of all major cities in the country, Rizvi and his followers have called for the deaths of the three judges who issued the verdict, despite Prime Minister Imran Khan urging them to exercise restraint and issuing a warning that all miscreants would be dealt with an iron hand.
Adding fuel to the fire, Rizvi even suggested to his followers that Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was a non-Muslim in order to incite violence against him.
Now, Pakistan’s Twitter users are saying enough is enough.
“I reported @KhadimRizviReal account to twitter and they returned to me with a dismissal of my report. I don't boast a big following on twitter but I will make it my life's work to get this hate monger off of twitter, fb and hopefully the Internet altogether,” tweeted Umer Naru. The post has been retweeted more than 200 times.
Journalist and editor, Aamina Haider Isani, joined the chorus by questioning why Rizvi has not been blocked from Twitter already, while tagging Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary in the post. “How difficult is it to get Khadim Rizvi blocked on social media for incitement of violence? I hear there's a cyber crime law ... why isn't it taking action? @fawadchaudhry,” she said.
Several others accused him of promoting hate on the platform, something which Bytes for All -- a human rights organization that fights against censorship of the internet – disagrees with, reasoning that Rizvi’s posts are not on his actual verified page.
“We have noticed that his verified account has not been used for dangerous speech but it proliferated from associated accounts. We have been monitoring this verified account very closely. Tweets from Maulana Khadim Rizvi’s account so far have been merely political expression, challenging state authorities and narratives, which at times touch the boundaries of being offensive but not violating the international principles of free speech and community guidelines of Twitter platform. Twitter has taken down dangerous speech from few of the TLP accounts,” Ahmad Shazad from Bytes for All said.
That being said, if it does not fall under Twitter’s domain, Ahmad says violations of Pakistan’s own cyber laws should be put into effect. “We believe that local laws should apply if there are credible threats to civil and public order and should be dealt as per law,” he added.
Taking the CEO of Twiiter, Jack Dorsey, into confidence, @Gulmeenay wrote: “Dear @jack This account has been reported again and again for hate speech. This man urges his followers  to kill people almost every days. I can’t understand why no one from @Twitter @TwitterSupport has taken any action.”
Reasoning that the only way to counter hate speech was to speak in a more peaceful manner, Ahmad said that the TLP was milking their presence on social media platforms as they do not enjoy positive media coverage offline.
“Social media in Pakistan is always chaotic and filled with difference of opinion. In the context of TLP, they do not have any media coverage in the country but they use social media effectively to reach out to their supporters. We believe that hate speech can only be countered with more speech. However, if hate speech turns into incitement to violence then rule of law comes in and the state authorities need to take action,” he said, adding that this should not be at the cost of limiting anyone’s basic rights.
“Rule of law and upholding the constitution is the key here. Even in the emergency situations fundamental rights cannot be suspended. Public life right now is hostage to these protestors and we hope that security agencies will ensure public safety and restore normal civil life as soon as possible,” he added.

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Topics: Pakistan Twitter Khadim Hussain Rizvi blasphemy

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Pakistan mulls routes as it eyes new ferry service between Gwadar and Gulf region

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Pakistan mulls routes as it eyes new ferry service between Gwadar and Gulf region

  • The country has been looking to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost transit trade and investment
  • Five private firms submit proposals as officials review technical and financial aspects of ferry operations
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KARACHI: Pakistan has been mulling routes for a ferry service it plans to launch to connect its southwestern Gwadar port with the Gulf region, the country’s maritime affairs ministry said on Friday.

The statement came after a meeting presided over by Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Junaid Anwar Chaudhry to review matters relating to the proposed ferry service.

Officials at the meeting reviewed technical and financial aspects of ferry operations, according to the ministry. Five privately-owned firms submitted their proposals, showing growing interest of the private sector.

“The ferry service will promote regional connectivity and trade,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying by his ministry. “It is expected to ease movement of passengers and goods from Gulf countries.”

Gwadar, situated along the Arabian Sea, lies at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has funneled tens of billions of dollars into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.

Pakistani officials say the geostrategic location of the southwestern Pakistani coastal town in the Balochistan province offers the shortest trade route to the Gulf and landlocked Central Asian states, highlighted its potential as a regional transshipment hub.

During the meeting, Chaudhry telephoned Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti and discussed provincial cooperation with him, according to the maritime affairs ministry. Bugti assured his full cooperation for the project.

“The ferry service will highlight Gwadar on the international maritime map,” Chaudhry added.

The development comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost transit trade as it slowly recovers from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.

The country also plans to cut container dwell time at its seaports by up to 70 percent to improve trade competitiveness and ease congestion, while it last month reduced port charges for exporters by 50 percent at the second largest Port Qasim.

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Pakistan says mobilizing all resources to ensure public safety after rains kill nearly 190

Updated 19 min 20 sec ago
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Pakistan says mobilizing all resources to ensure public safety after rains kill nearly 190

  • Heavy rains this week flooded several cities as Pakistan braces for a tough monsoon amid erratic and extreme weather changes
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif has called for formulating a coordinated plan to prevent losses in view of growing intensity of weather events
Updated 19 min 20 sec ago
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday that the government was mobilizing all resources to ensure public safety as rain-related death toll jumped to 178 since late June.

The statement came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the NDMA’s the National Emergencies Operation Center and called for formulating a coordinated plan to prevent losses in view of growing intensity of cloud bursts, heavy monsoon showers and flash floods.

Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province has been the hardest hit with 103 deaths, followed by 38 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 20 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan and one in Azad Kashmir since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

“Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing rains, we’re working round the clock to ensure everyone’s safety,” Naqvi said on X.

“Rescue teams are on alert, drains are being cleared, and all resources are being mobilized.”

He urged people to follow adviseries and promptly report any emergencies to authorities.

On Thursday, Army Aviation helicopters carried out rescue operations, evacuating 40 people from in hard-to-reach areas in Punjab’s Jhelum district.

“Widespread thunderstorm with isolated heavy falls and torrential rains were expected Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Lahore, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Multan and DG Khan divisions, according to the NDMA.
The authority said the wet spell was likely to subside by Saturday.

Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.

The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. But increasingly erratic and extreme weather patterns are turning the rains into a destructive force.

In 2022, record-breaking monsoon rains combined with glacial melt submerged nearly a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing over 8 million. In May, at least 32 people were killed in severe storms, including strong hailstorms.

 

Topics: pakistan monsoon Monsoon 2025 flash floods

US designates Pakistani group’s offshoot as ‘terrorist’ over Kashmir attack

Updated 56 min 22 sec ago
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US designates Pakistani group’s offshoot as ‘terrorist’ over Kashmir attack

  • The attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Asian neighbors India, Pakistan in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry
  • India is an increasingly important US partner in Washington’s effort to counter China’s rising influence in Asia, while Pakistan is a US ally
Updated 56 min 22 sec ago
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WASHINGTON: The US government designated The Resistance Front, considered an offshoot of the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a “foreign terrorist organization” over the April 22 militant attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

The Resistance Front, also known as Kashmir Resistance, initially took responsibility for the attack in Pahalgam before denying it days later.

Lashkar-e-Taiba, listed as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the United States, is a group accused of plotting attacks in India and in the West, including the three-day deadly assault on Mumbai in November 2008.

TRF’s designation by Washington as a “foreign terrorist organization” and “specially designated global terrorist” enforced President Donald Trump’s “call for justice for the Pahalgam attack,” Rubio said in a statement.

Rubio called TRF, which emerged in 2019, a “front and proxy” for Lashkar-e-Taiba. It is considered an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, a Delhi-based think tank.

The attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Asian neighbors India and Pakistan in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry. New Delhi blamed the attack on Pakistan, which denied responsibility while calling for a neutral investigation. Washington condemned the attack but did not directly blame Islamabad.

Michael Kugelman, a Washington-based South Asia analyst and writer for Foreign Policy magazine, said in designating TRF, “Washington is flagging its concern about the terrorist attack that provoked the recent India-Pakistan conflict, and siding with New Delhi’s view that the group is linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.”

He added: “This can be a shot in the arm for a US-India relationship looking to rebound after a few tough months.”

On May 7, Indian jets bombed sites across the border that New Delhi described as “terrorist infrastructure,” setting off an exchange of attacks between the two countries by fighter jets, missiles, drones, and artillery that killed dozens until a ceasefire on May 10.

The ceasefire was first announced by Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump’s claims that it resulted from his intervention and his threats to sever trade talks.

India’s position has been that New Delhi and Islamabad must resolve their problems directly and with no outside involvement.

India is an increasingly important US partner in Washington’s effort to counter China’s rising influence in Asia, while Pakistan is a US ally.

Both Hindu-majority India and Islamic Pakistan claim Muslim-majority Kashmir in full while ruling only parts of the Himalayan territory, over which they have also fought wars.

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Pakistan seeks deeper UK health ties, targets reform in disease control, maternal care

Updated 18 July 2025
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Pakistan seeks deeper UK health ties, targets reform in disease control, maternal care

  • Syed Mustafa Kamal meets high-level British High Commission delegation to discuss Pakistan’s health challenges
  • Minister calls for need to address waterborne diseases in Pakistan, saying they account for 68 percent of all illnesses in country
Updated 18 July 2025
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal this week reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reform the health sector, eyeing greater collaboration with the United Kingdom (UK) in line with Islamabad’s health priorities, state media reported. 

The UK remains a key funder of global development efforts in Pakistan. According to the UK government’s website, it is supporting control and eradication of communicable diseases in Pakistan through its contributions in Global Health Initiatives, including Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), Global Alliance for Vaccination (GAVI) and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).

A delegation led by Acting British High Commissioner Jo Moir met Kamal on Thursday to discuss Pakistan’s health challenges, including a high burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

“A delegation from the British High Commission on Thursday met with Federal Minister for Health, Syed Mustafa Kamal to explore avenues for aligning the United Kingdom’s support portfolio with Pakistan’s national health priorities,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. 

“The minister reaffirmed the government’s strong commitment to reforming the health sector and welcomed continued collaboration in critical areas such as maternal and child health, immunization, and health systems strengthening,” the report added. 

Kamal stressed the importance of shifting Pakistan’s focus from preventive and promotive health care by strengthening primary health care systems to reduce the strain on tertiary care facilities, APP said. 

He called for the urgent need to address waterborne diseases in Pakistan, saying they account for 68 percent of all illnesses in the country. The minister called for tackling the crisis by ensuring the provision of safe drinking water and improved sewage systems across Pakistan.

Kamal raised concerns about Pakistan’s high fertility rate, describing it as a “national issue requiring immediate attention.”

“He encouraged efforts to balance population growth through collaboration with stakeholders, including religious scholars and development partners,” the report added. 

Moir appreciated Kamal’s efforts and shared details of the UK’s ongoing support for Pakistan in the health and population sectors, the state-run media said.

She also highlighted plans to design a media campaign based on research findings, focusing on health and population awareness, APP said.

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Islamabad invites Chinese enterprises to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture sector

Updated 17 July 2025
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Islamabad invites Chinese enterprises to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture sector

  • Agriculture employs nearly 38 percent of Pakistan’s workforce, contributes around 19 percent to GDP
  • China, Pakistan discuss collaborating in research, cotton production, seed development, irrigation efficiency
Updated 17 July 2025
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister for Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain on Thursday invited Chinese enterprises to invest in the country’s agriculture sector, eyeing stronger collaboration with Beijing in irrigation technologies and modern farming techniques.

Pakistan has recently undertaken efforts to promote its agriculture sector, which include establishing a new regulatory body this week to reform the sector and bring domestic food safety standards in line with international requirements.

Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, employing nearly 38 percent of the workforce and contributing around 19 percent to the country’s GDP. However, the sector has long faced challenges, including outdated practices, poor regulatory oversight, low export competitiveness and barriers in meeting international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.

Hussain met a high-level Chinese delegation including Jiang Zaidong, the Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, on the sidelines of the China-Pakistan Economic and Trade Exchange Conference in Islamabad.

“The Minister also underlined the importance of public-private partnerships and urged Chinese enterprises, including those from XPCC [Xinjian Production and Construction Corps] and China Xinjian Group, to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan’s agriculture and agri-business sectors,” the food security and research ministry said in a statement.

Hussain welcomed proposals for joint ventures, research exchanges and the establishment of demonstration farms and technology centers in Pakistan, the statement added.

The two sides discussed enhancing agricultural cooperation, particularly focusing on research, cotton production, seed development, irrigation efficiency and technological exchange.

The Pakistani minister highlighted the challenges Islamabad has faced in recent years, especially in cotton production, where declining yields and outdated seed varieties have created major setbacks, the ministry said.

“The Minister expressed keen interest in learning from Xinjiang’s remarkable progress in improving agricultural productivity, especially in regions with arid and semi-arid climates, which closely resemble many parts of Pakistan,” the statement said.

Zaidong reaffirmed China’s commitment to deepening agricultural cooperation with Pakistan, the food security ministry said.

“He appreciated Pakistan’s proactive approach and openness to collaboration and highlighted the potential for long-term partnership in food security, technology transfer, and rural development,” the statement added.

Pakistan has undertaken a reform drive to enhance its economic sectors via the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The SIFC is a civil-military hybrid body formed in 2023 to fast-track foreign investment and economic reform in strategic sectors, including agriculture, mining, IT and defense production.

Pakistan aims to attract international investment in its key economic sectors to ward off a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has drained its resources and embroiled the country in a balance of payments crisis.

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