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Pakistan's Newsmakers in 2018

Updated 29 December 2018
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Pakistan's Newsmakers in 2018

Updated 29 December 2018
Naimat Khan

KARACHI: 2018 was the year of politics in Pakistan: a new political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and a new leader, Imran Khan, came to power in a landmark general election that signalled victory against old-style dynastic politics. On the other hand, three-time prime minister and political survivor Nawaz Sharif was barred from politics over corruption by the country's top court and is currently in jail serving seven years for corrupt practices linked to the setting up of a steel mill. Ultra-right leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi, whose Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan became the sixth largest party at the polls, kept the country on its toes with mass protests but was finally arrested for challenging the writ of the state. Asia Bibi, a poor Christian woman acquitted in a landmark blasphemy case after eight years on death row, still remains in protective custody. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah won the title of the fastest cricketer to take 200 Test wickets and Meesha Shafi unleashed Pakistan’s own #MeToo moment with allegations of sexual harassment against singer and actor Ali Zafar.

Here are some of the people who mattered most in Pakistani politics, society and sports, in 2018:

Imran Khan – The Man Who Would Be King

Sportsman-turned-politician Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan this August in what is the apogee of a 22-year-long political career spent prowling the margins of Pakistani politics and railing against the country’s corrupt, dynastic politicians. In the first four . months of his terms, he had made headlines for opening the Kartarpur border with India, a twitter war with U.S. President Donald Trump and bagging enough loans from Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and China.

Asia Bibi – Free, But In Chains

Asia Bibi, a poor Christian woman who was acquitted in October in a landmark blasphemy case, remains in "protective custody" of the state, unable to walk free because ultra-right extremists have threatened her life and mass protests across the country if she is released. Asia was the first Pakistani woman to be sentenced under the country's blasphemy laws in 2010. This year was her ninth Christmas unable to celebrate and worship as a free women.

Nawaz Sharif – The Perpetual Political Survivor

One of Pakistan's most high-profile politicians of the last four decades, Nawaz Sharif had a truly bad year. He was ousted from his third term as prime minister last year but this year was jailed for ten years in one case involving corrupt practices linked to the purchase of luxury London flats, and in another case related to the source of funds for setting up a steel mill. He has been prime minister three times and was unable to complete his term all three times, removed once by presidential order, then in a military coup, and finally by the country’s top court in July 2017. He is currently serving seven years in jail in the steel mills case.

Bushra Bibi – From Faith Healer To First Lady​

Bushra Bibi is the first lady of Pakistan and the third wife of Prime Minister Khan. She is a faith healer from the Pakpattan district of Pakistan's Punjab province and has five children from a previous marriage. She is considered a great influence on the prime minister. Little is known about her daily routine, except that she is deeply spiritual and spends most of her time in prayers.

Maryam Nawaz – Heir Apparent On The Edge Of Prison

Maryam Nawaz is the daughter of former PM Nawaz Sharif and was jailed along with her father earlier this year in the London apartments' money trail case, though she is now out on bail. She leapfrogged several influential relatives to emerge in recent years as a long-term heir of her father’s Pakistan Muslim League party. She has been known for years as one of her father’s closest advisers, but more recently took a much more public role in the party’s leadership. Since being convicted in July, she has shied away from public life.

Khadim Hussain Rizvi – The Star Of Pakistan’s Ultra-Right

Foul-mouthed, wheelchair-bound cleric Khadim Hussian Rizvi shot to fame during protests against the 2016 execution of Mumtaz Qadri, a police guard who murdered a popular governor who spoke up against the country’s draconian blasphemy laws. This year he was in the news for leading protests against the acquittal of Asia Bibi, after which he called for the murder of the judges who had ruled in her favour and incited rebellion against the army chief. He was finally booked under terrorism charges earlier this month and is now in police custody.

Young Tribesman Becomes Voice of Pashtuns​

Tens of thousands of Pashtuns have defied authorities to attend rallies let by Manzoor Pashteen this year, demanding an end to what they allege are extrajudicial killings and abductions of ethnic Pashtun people. The protests have mushroomed into a wider movement, and Pashteen has emerged as its unlikely spokesman, speaking for people brutalised during military operations in Pakistan's tribal regions and asking for the return of hundreds who have 'gone missing'. Last month, the military warned that it would take action against the movement if it crossed a red line.

Yasir Shah – Fastest To 200 Test Wickets

Pakistani leg-spinner Yasir Shah became the fastest cricketer to take 200 wickets in the history of Test cricket, breaking an 82-year-old record on the fourth day of the third Test against New Zealand earlier this month. Shah reached this milestone in his 33rd Test, beating Australian leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett’s record of 36 Tests achieved against South Africa in 1936.

Mullah Fazlullah – Pakistan’s Most Wanted Terrorist

Mullah Fazlullah, the leader of the Pakistan Taliban (TTP), was the country’s most-wanted militant, notorious for attacks including a 2014 school massacre that killed 132 children and the 2012 shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was in hiding in Afghanistan since 2009 and was killed in a U.S.-Afghan airstrike in June this year.

Asma Jahangir – The Conscience of Pakistan

Asma Jahangir, Pakistan’s leading rights activist, staunch defender of rule of law and a fearless critic of the all-powerful army’s interference in politics died In February this year. She was a a human rights lawyer who won international fame for being the conscience of a country where liberal, secular voices have been suppressed for decades and defending the weak and the marginalized in society, particularly women and minorities.

Meesha Shafi - The Face Of Pakistan’s #MeToo

Singer and actress Meesha Shafi launched Pakistan’s version of the viral #MeToo campaign that has exposed sexual harassment around the world and created a public platform for victims and their supporters. Shafi accused Pakistani superstar Ali Zafar of sexually harassing her, an allegation he denies. Though several Pakistani celebrities have come forward to reveal their personal experiences of child sexual abuse, Shafi’s statement against Zafar was the first instance of a Pakistani entertainer publicly calling out a peer for sexual misconduct and ignited a much needed public debate.

Topics: Newsmakers 2018 Pakistan Karachi pakistan politics Pakistan political party society sports

Sixteen soldiers, eight militants killed in northwest Pakistan gunfight — military

Updated 21 December 2024
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Sixteen soldiers, eight militants killed in northwest Pakistan gunfight — military

  • The killings occurred in the South Waziristan district after a group of militants ambushed a security outpost
  • Pakistan blames the surge in militancy on militants operating out of Afghanistan, Kabul denies the allegation
Updated 21 December 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Sixteen Pakistani soldiers and eight militants were killed in a gunfight in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Saturday, amid a surge in militant attacks in the region.
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has witnessed a number of attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups that targeted security forces convoys and check posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
The latest killings occurred in the South Waziristan district during an exchange of fire after a group of militants ambushed a check post of Pakistani security forces in the Makeen area, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted in the area and the perpetrators of the heinous act will be brought to justice,” the ISPR said in a statement. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave men further strengthen our resolve.”
The Pakistani Taliban claimed the brazen raid on the outpost near the border with Afghanistan, saying it was staged “in retaliation for the martyrdom of our senior commanders.”
The development came days after the Pakistani military said it had killed 11 militants in separate operations in KP’s Tank, North Waziristan and Mohmand districts.
Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in KP since November 2022, when a fragile truce between the TTP, or the Pakistani Taliban, and the state broke down.
Islamabad has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
On Saturday, the Pakistani military urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to ensure robust border management after a group of militants tried to infiltrate from Afghanistan, leading to a skirmish that left four militants and a soldier dead a day earlier.

Topics: militancy in Pakistan Pakistan Army Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)

Authorities evacuate over 50 people from remote Pakistan district hit by sectarian clashes

Updated 21 December 2024
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Authorities evacuate over 50 people from remote Pakistan district hit by sectarian clashes

  • Clashes between Sunni, Shia tribes have killed over 100 people in Kurram since last month
  • On Friday, authorities set a deadline of Feb. 1 for the warring tribes to surrender weapons
Updated 21 December 2024
REHMAT MEHSUD

PESHAWAR: More than 50 injured and ailing persons were evacuated on Saturday from the northwestern Pakistani district of Kurram, which has been hit by sectarian clashes in recent weeks, to Peshawar, provincial capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, disaster management authorities said.
Kurram, a tribal district of around 600,000 near Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan where federal and provincial authorities have traditionally exerted limited control, has been a flashpoint for sectarian tensions between Shia and Sunni tribes for decades.
Fresh clashes last month killed more than a hundred people, triggering a humanitarian crisis with reports of starvation, lack of medicine and oxygen shortages following the blocking of the main highway connecting Kurram’s main city of Parachinar to the provincial capital of Peshawar.
The injured and ailing persons were airlifted through helicopters from Kurram and safely transported to Peshawar on the instructions of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, according to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA).
“Fifty-three affected people, including 14 patients, were brought to Peshawar by helicopter from Kurram district,” the PDMA said in a statement.
“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Relief, Rehabilitation & Settlement Department has declared an emergency for relief activities in Kurram district in view of the prevailing situation. An emergency cell has been set up to safely transfer the affected people to hospitals in Peshawar.”
The PDMA said it was in touch with the Kurram district administration and utilizing all resources in this regard, adding that people could contact its emergency operations center at helpline 1700 for any information or guidance.
The development came a day after KP authorities set a deadline of Feb. 1 for warring Sunni and Shia tribes in the district to surrender all weapons and dismantle their bunkers to stem sectarian clashes in the region.
The decision was made at a meeting of the KP apex committee, which comprises civilian and military officials, to discuss a sustainable solution to the issue. It allowed the launch of a special air service for temporary evacuation from some parts of Kurram to protect people’s lives, according to the apex committee declaration.
“The agreement outlines that both sides will submit a detailed action plan within 15 days for voluntary submission of weapons,” read a declaration issued after the apex committee meeting.
“All weapons are to be deposited with the local administration by February 1. Additionally, it was decided that all bunkers in the area will be dismantled by the same deadline.”
In the meantime, land routes to the area would be opened intermittently on humanitarian grounds and a mechanism was put in place for secure transportation, according to the statement.
“Personnel of police and Frontier Corps will jointly provide security to the convoys,” it read.
Last month’s clashes erupted after rival tribes attacked convoys of passengers on the Parachinar-Peshawar road, which were followed by attacks on each other’s villages.
The apex committee asked both sides to avoid any violent action in the future to keep the land route safe and open at all times, hoping that the parties would fully cooperate with the government for a lasting solution to the issue.

Topics: kurram kurram district sectarian clashes militancy in Pakistan

Pakistan PM directs measures to increase sugar industry revenues, end hoarding

Updated 21 December 2024
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Pakistan PM directs measures to increase sugar industry revenues, end hoarding

  • Sugar remains one of the largest consumed food commodities in the South Asian country
  • PM Sharif says government making efforts to ensure supply of sugar at affordable prices
Updated 21 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked officials to take steps to increase revenue collection from the sugar industry and to end hoarding of the commodity, Sharif’s office said on Saturday.
The prime minister issued the directives at a meeting he presided over in Lahore to review the implementation of a strategy to improve revenue collection.
Sugar remains one of the largest consumed food commodities in the South Asian country and is used in large amounts in food processing, beverages, and bakery items.
Owing to its huge demand, the government sets its procurement prices while the sugar industry is protected by a 40 percent import tariff to ensure prices remain stable. 
“Revenue collection will improve after the installation of video analytics in the sugar industry,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “These reforms will end sugar hoarding and help balance prices.”
The prime minister said the government was making all efforts to ensure the supply of sugar at affordable prices.
“Regular monitoring of sugar stocks should be carried out so that the sugar supply chain is not affected,” he instructed officials, calling for strict and indiscriminate action against sugar mills that were evading taxes.
Over the decades, Pakistan has failed to generate tax revenues in higher amounts due to a narrow tax base, low compliance rate, an inefficient tax administration and massive tax evasion.
The South Asian country has set an ambitious target of collecting $46 billion through taxes this financial year (July 2024 till June 2025), amid efforts to revive its fragile $350 billion economy.

Topics: Sugar export sugar industry Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan slams US claims on missile program as ‘unfounded’ and ‘irrational’

Updated 21 December 2024
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Pakistan slams US claims on missile program as ‘unfounded’ and ‘irrational’

  • A senior US official this week said Pakistan was developing long-range missiles that could threaten the US
  • The statement came after Washington said it was imposing new sanctions related to Pakistan’s missile program
Updated 21 December 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Saturday dismissed as “unfounded” and “devoid of rationality” the allegations by a senior United States (US) official that its missile program posed a threat to the United States.
The Foreign Office statement came in response to comments made by US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer, who said nuclear-armed Pakistan’s development of long-range ballistic missiles could potentially target the US.
The statement came after the US said it was imposing new sanctions related to Pakistan’s missile program, including on the state-owned defense agency that oversees the program. The sanctions freeze any US property belonging to the targeted entities and bars Americans from doing business with them.
The Foreign Office said that Pakistan had made it abundantly clear that its strategic program and allied capabilities were meant to thwart a “clear and visible existential threat from our neighborhood” — a reference to arch-foe India — and should not be perceived as a threat to any other country.
“The alleged threat perception from Pakistan’s missile capabilities and delivery means, raised by the US official are unfortunate. These allegations are unfounded, devoid of rationality and sense of history,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.
“Since 1954, Pakistan and the US have enjoyed a positive and broad-ranging relationship. The recent spate of US allegations toward a major non-NATO ally would be unhelpful for the overall relationship, especially in the absence of any evidence in this regard. Pakistan has never had any ill-intention toward the US in any form or manner, and this fundamental reality has not changed.”
Finer’s statement underscored how far the once-close ties between Washington and Islamabad had deteriorated since the 2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. It also raised questions about whether Pakistan has shifted the objectives of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs long intended to counter those of India, with which it has fought three major wars since 1947.
But the Foreign Office said Pakistan’s strategic capabilities were solely meant to defend its sovereignty, highlighting Pakistan’s long history of cooperation with the US, particularly in the counter-terrorism domain.
“We wish to reiterate that Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are meant to defend its sovereignty and preserve peace and stability in South Asia,” it said.
“Pakistan cannot abdicate its right to develop capabilities that commensurate with the need to maintain credible minimum deterrence as well as evolving and dynamic threats.”
Relations between the US and Pakistan have seen significant ups and downs. The countries collaborated during the Cold War and in the fight against Al-Qaeda after 9/11.
However, ties have been strained due to coups in the South Asian country by Pakistan’s military, support for the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule in Afghanistan, and over the nuclear weapons program.

Topics: Pakistan US Ties Pakistan missile program Foreign Office Pakistan's foreign office

Islamabad urges Afghanistan to boost border security as infiltration attempt kills five

Updated 21 December 2024
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Islamabad urges Afghanistan to boost border security as infiltration attempt kills five

  • Military says four TTP fighters and a soldier were killed as militants tried to enter Pakistani territory
  • Statement comes after media reported a deadly attack on a military outpost that killed 16 soldiers
Updated 21 December 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan military on Saturday urged the Taliban administration in Kabul to ensure robust border management after a group of militants tried to infiltrate from Afghanistan, leading to a skirmish that left four infiltrators and a soldier dead.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated in recent years as militant violence surged in Pakistan, fueled by attacks from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani officials blame the TTP for the escalating violence, accusing the Afghan authorities of turning a blind eye to militants using their territory to launch cross-border attacks.
However, Kabul denies these allegations, insisting that Pakistan’s internal security is its own responsibility.
“On night 19/20 December, movement of a group of khwarij [TTP militants], trying to infiltrate through Pakistan-Afghanistan border, was picked up by the security forces in general area Rajgal, Khyber District,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations, said in a statement. “Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate. Resultantly, four Khwarij were sent to hell.”
The statement noted that one of the soldiers, Sepoy Amir Sohail Afridi, also lost his life amid intense exchange of fire.
“Pakistan has consistently been asking Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border,” it continued. “Interim Afghan Government is expected to fulfil its obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by Khwarij for perpetuating acts of terrorism against Pakistan.”
The ISPR statement comes after media reported a deadly attack on a military outpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which was targeted by 30 militants from three sides. According to anonymous intelligence sources, the attack left 16 soldiers dead. The TTP claimed responsibility for targeting the outpost in a statement that described the attack as a retaliation to the recent killings of its top commanders.
The Pakistan military reiterated in its statement it remained committed to securing the borders. It added that its soldiers would also fight to eliminate the menace of militant violence.

Topics: Pakistan Afghanistan border Pakistan Afghanistan Ties militancy in Pakistan Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan

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