PESHAWAR: A government ban on public gatherings in North Waziristan ahead of the tribal district’s first provincial assembly election next month has prompted a backlash from politicians who accuse the ruling party of trying to restrict electioneering and provide an unfair advantage to its own candidates.
Last May, Pakistan’s parliament passed legislation to merge the country’s tribal regions along the Afghan border with the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, ending the region’s much-criticized colonial era governance system and bringing it under the political and legal mainstream.
The erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) constituted a semi-autonomous region expanding over seven big district and six towns, governed for over 150 years by colonial era tribal laws.
Elections in the newly merged provincial assembly session are slated for July 2 but candidates say the imposition for one month of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a maintenance of public order law that bans public gatherings, has restricted campaigning.
Jamal Dawar, an independent candidate from the provincial assembly constituency PK-111, said the imposition of the law was a “deliberate” attempt by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to stop popular candidates from running their campaigns.
“I believe that candidates fielded by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are weak and will not be able to compete with their rivals. This has prompted the local administration to impose a ban on political gatherings,” Dawar said.
KP Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said the imposition of Section 144 was "purely an administrative issue and [had] nothing to do with politics."
"The allegations that Section 144 is imposed to restrict the election campaign of our rival candidates and assertions that the PTI is weak in tribal areas are totally baseless and childish," he told Arab News. "The entire country has witnessed the precarious security situation in North Waziristan in the last couple of weeks."
A government notification said sit-ins, protest rallies, public meetings, and public gatherings of five or more people had been banned in North Waziristan “due to the current law and order situation, threats of militancy and other sabotage activities.”
District administration officials said the ban on large gatherings was imposed in the wake of a series of recent attacks on security forces. On Saturday, four soldiers were killed and another four were wounded by a roadside bomb blast in North Waziristan.
The Pakistani Taliban, which is separate from the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the movement, many of whose members are based across the border in Afghanistan.
Pakistani forces have conducted a series of operations against militant groups including the Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan over recent years, although officials now say the area has largely been pacified.
Problems have continued, however, and security officials said at least 10 soldiers have been killed and 35 wounded over the past month in the Khar Qamar area, which has also seen growing tensions with local ethnic Pashtun activists from the civil rights Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM).
Fida Dawar, another politician contesting the July elections, said he believed Section 144 had been imposed to obstruct candidates running against the PTI.
“We categorically reject this move,” Dawar said. “PTI knows its candidates cannot secure a victory. That’s why they are trying to impede our election campaigns.”
“Elections campaigns were going well in the district, but they have been hindered by the administration,” Malik Ghulam Wazir, a tribal elder, told Arab News. “This is an injustice and an attempt to deprive people of their right to elect their true representatives.”
PTI candidate Muhammad Iqbal rejected the claims of his rival candidates, saying the ruling party enjoyed widespread support in the area and was not hampering elections.
“You can see for yourself that the law and order situation has deteriorated in the district,” he said, referring to recent incidents of violence. “I think it was a wise move [to impose Section 144] to ensure stability in the area since it will also pave the way for a safe and secure electoral exercise.”
"Candidates and parties win and lose elections but leveling untrue allegations are only aimed at tarnishing the popularity of PTI in tribal areas,” provincial information minister Yousafzai said.
Candidates in tribal region cry 'foul' as public gatherings banned ahead of July polls
Candidates in tribal region cry 'foul' as public gatherings banned ahead of July polls
- Section 144 imposed in Pakistan’s restive North Waziristan district after spate of recent attacks
- Tribal districts gear up for first ever polls after merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Pakistan PM asks authorities to ensure provision of food items at affordable rates in Ramadan
- The development comes amid a decline in consumer inflation in Pakistan, but many Pakistanis say they are still feeling the pinch
- A day earlier, the Pakistani government launched a Rs20 billion relief package to support 4 million needy families across the country
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed federal and provincial authorities to ensure provision of food items to people at affordable rates during the holy month of Ramadan, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The prime minister gave the directives while presiding over a meeting in Lahore to review supply and prices of sugar in the South Asian country.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, wherein Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise till sunset for a month.
While the government tries to keep the prices in check, hoarders often create artificial shortage of essential items to make illegal profits during Ramadan.
“Shehbaz Sharif said provision of sugar and other food items at affordable rates to people is top priority of the government,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“He emphasized strict action against smuggling and hoarding.”
The prime minister said the government’s crackdown on sugar smuggling helped combat it successfully in the last few months, directing authorities devise a strategy for provision of food items at affordable rates, according to the report.
The provincial chief secretaries assured the meeting that stern action will be taken against hoarders and the district administrations will work vigilantly to this effect.
The month of Ramadan, the exact start date of which depends on the sighting of the new moon, began in Pakistan on Sunday, with many Pakistanis saying they were feeling the pinch despite a decline in consumer inflation to 2.4 percent in Jan. as compared to 24 percent in the same period last year.
On Saturday, Sharif launched a Rs20 billion ($71.4 million) Ramadan relief package to benefit 4 million families across the South Asian country. The Pakistani government is providing each family Rs5,000 ($17.87) to support them during the holy fasting month.
“This [package] would cover the whole of Pakistan, all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharif said at the launching ceremony.
“This amount will be distributed among deserving people in all these areas through a digital [wallet] system.”
Bear rescued from abuse in Pakistan’s east and relocated to capital for medical treatment
- The bear, who is 7 and called Rocky, had been kept illegally in Punjab province and abused in 35 fights
- A team of Four Paws animal welfare group traveled to Pakistan and veterinarians have operated on him
ISLAMABAD: A black bear called Rocky has been rescued from abuse in Pakistan’s east and relocated to the capital for medical treatment, a welfare organization said Sunday.
The bear, who is 7, had been kept illegally in Punjab province and abused in 35 fights. Local authorities intervened to move him to a safer facility.
But the facility could not give him the care he needed and officials relocated Rocky to Islamabad.
A team from Four Paws traveled to Pakistan to help Rocky. Veterinarians operated on him Sunday.
“We were able to release and cut the chain and nose ring,” said Dr. Amir Khalil. “His condition is physically good, but he suffered. He has a fracture in the jaw and has no teeth. We have several wounds on the ear because of the fights and biting by dogs.”
Khalil said bear fighting was cruel and illegal in Pakistan but it was still practiced in some parts of the country.
Pakistan has a troubled history with animal welfare. Last December, an elephant died at a safari park less than two weeks after being reunited with her sister. It was the latest tragedy to affect elephants in captivity in Pakistan.
In 2020, a pair of sick and badly neglected dancing Himalayan brown bears left a notorious zoo in Islamabad for a sanctuary in Jordan.
Pakistan province chief, Afghan consul-general call for efforts to reopen key border crossing
- Pakistan closed Torkham border crossing on Feb. 21 when Afghan authorities initiated ‘construction of trenches and other development work’ along border
- Torkham serves as a vital crossing for transporting goods from Pakistan to Afghanistan and its closure has affected thousands of traders and travelers
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s Consul-General in Peshawar Mohibullah Shakir and Ali Amin Gandapur, chief minister of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, on Sunday called for efforts to reopen a key border crossing between the two countries, the closure of which has resulted in suspension of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistan closed the Torkham border crossing in KP’s Khyber district on Feb. 21 when Afghan authorities initiated “construction of trenches and other development work” along the border, Naheed Khan, a senior police official in the Khyber district, told Arab News last month.
Torkham serves as a vital corridor for transporting goods from Pakistan to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries. Thousands of trucks and vehicles carrying goods, including fruits and vegetables, have been stranded on both sides since the closure of the border, according to Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, a director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
On Sunday, the Afghan consul-general met CM Gandapur to discuss bilateral trade, regional peace and security, and issues faced by Afghan nationals residing in the northwestern Pakistani province, according to KP CM’s office.
“Discussion took place at the meeting on the difficulties faced by traders and common people on both sides due to the closure of the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham,” CM Gandapur’s office said in a statement.
“[Both figures] agreed on efforts to open the border as soon as possible in view of the month of Ramadan and the upcoming Eid Al-Fitr.”
Both sides have held at least two rounds of talks at Torkham, but negotiations between border officials had failed to yield any results.
“The Torkham border is still closed to all types of traffic. A number of conditions have been set in the negotiations by both the sides for the opening of the road, which will only be opened after both sides agree on these conditions,” Mullah Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the Afghan commissioner at Torkham, said in a statement on Sunday.
“An announcement will be made when it is opened.”
In the past, border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two countries.
The development comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan over a surge in militants attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan.
Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
“The closure of the border is not in the interest of the people on both sides, it is causing difficulties to the business people as well as the common people,” CM Gandapur was quoted as saying by his office.
“There is a need to open the border as soon as possible in view of the difficulties faced by the people.”
The KP chief minister said people on both sides of the border were troubled by the current security situation in the region.
“We are making efforts on our part to open the border, the Afghan embassy should also play a role in this regard,” he said. “Regional peace is in the interest of both Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
Gandapur’s statement came hours after the KP administration urged Pakistani federal authorities to approve the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for its talks with Afghanistan on surging militancy “as soon as possible.”
The KP government said in February that it had decided to send two delegations, comprising tribal elders, religious scholars, and political leaders, to Kabul to engage in direct talks with the Afghan Taliban rulers for peace and stability in the province.
It followed a statement by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, in which he said the security situation in the region was directly linked to “developments in neighboring Afghanistan,” following a consultative meeting of various religious and political parties in the province.
However, Pakistan’s foreign office said it was not informed of KP’s decision to engage in talks with Kabul, adding that external ties with another country fell under the federal government’s jurisdiction.
Health experts advise Pakistanis against consuming deep-fried food in Ramadan
- Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country where more than 90 percent of its over 240 million people practice Islam
- The South Asian nation observed the first fast on Sunday, following Taraweeh prayers and pre-dawn suhoor meals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani health experts have warned about the dangers of deep-fried food in Ramadan meals, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, as the South Asian country welcomed the holy fasting month.
Fasting in Ramadan, the ninth and the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is one of the five pillars of Islam and this is the time of the year when religious fervor is rekindled throughout the Muslim world.
Millions of Pakistanis offered special Taraweeh prayers last night and consumed pre-dawn suhoor meals across the nation, marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan from Sunday.
As people observed the first fast, health experts urged them to avoid samosas, spring rolls, and fried doughnuts, and opt for healthier alternatives such as grilled meats, steamed vegetables and fresh fruit.
“Fried foods, oily snacks, and rich desserts are a recipe for disaster, especially during Ramadan and these foods can lead to digestive issues, bloating, and discomfort,” Dr. Talha Imad, a Pakistani nutritionist, was quoted as saying by the state-run APP news agency.
Pakistan is a predominantly Muslim country where more than 90 percent of its over 240 million people practice Islam, and most of them fast during the holy month.
Experts say deep-fried food is high in calories, fat and sodium, and it is risky to consume it while fasting during Ramadan.
“Fasting during Ramadan can be challenging, and consuming deep-fried foods can exacerbate dehydration, digestive issues, and other health problems,” Dr. Saima Khan said, adding that by making informed food choices, people can ensure a healthy and blessed Ramadan.
“Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection and renewal, and taking care of our physical health is an important part of it.”
Dr. Imad advised Pakistanis to break their fast with dates and water to replenish energy and hydration, and to opt for lean proteins, whole grains and steamed vegetables.
“Choose fresh fruits and nuts as healthy snacks,” he said, urging people to limit their intake of sugary drinks and desserts.
Pakistan Cricket Board announces full ticket refunds for rain-washed Champions Trophy matches
- The matches were due to be played between Australia and South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan
- Ticket holders are eligible for a full refund if a Champion Trophy match is abandoned before toss
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a full ticket refund for Champions Trophy matches that were abandoned without a ball being bowled at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium last month, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday.
The matches were due to be played between Australia and South Africa on Feb. 25, and Bangladesh and Pakistan on Feb. 27, but rain washed out both games in Rawalpindi.
According to the PCB Ticket Refund Policy for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, ticket holders are eligible for a full refund if a match is abandoned before the toss.
“Ticket holders can claim their refund between 10th to 14th of this month [March],” the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The purchaser will have to visit a designated outlet along with the original ticket.”
Hosts Pakistan crashed out of the tournament after a humiliating six-wicket loss to archrivals India.
The winner of Sunday’s match between India and New Zealand will play Australia in the semifinal, with the loser taking on South Africa.
Irrespective of the placing and opponent, India will play the first semifinal in Dubai on Tuesday after they refused to travel to Pakistan because of political tensions.
New Zealand will leave for Lahore after Sunday’s match, with the second semifinal to be played at Qaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
