KARACHI: At least 15 people were killed when a truck carrying Iranian oil collided with a passenger bus in southwestern Pakistan, officials said on Friday.
“Fifteen bodies were brought to the hospital,” Dr. Waseem Baig, spokesman of a civil hospital in Quetta, Balochistan, told Arab News. The bodies were charred beyond recognition and “DNA tests will be conducted to identify the deceased,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Killa Saifullah district, Atiq Shahwani, said the bus with 12 passengers from Dera Ghazi Khan in Punjab collided with the truck near Muslim Bagh area. “The vehicles caught fire and 13 people died,” Shahwani told Arab News, adding the bus owner said that fourteen people, including a driver and a conductor, were on board when the accident happened. “One man has survived,” he said.
When told that the hospital said 15 bodies had been brought to its morgue, Shahwani said the two others might be the truck’s driver and his passenger.
“Four vehicles smuggling Iranian fuel, taking advantage of heavy snowfall, wanted to pass by a levies checkpoint last night when security forces spotted them. Three big vehicles were caught but the small pick-up truck managed to escape and collided with the bus in the morning,” Shahwani said, adding the authorities had zero tolerance for smuggling and had caught 15,000 liters of smuggled Iranian diesel and oil just a few days ago. “There is a continuous crackdown,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gul Muhammad, the only survivor of the accident, told reporters he was asleep when the accident took place and immediately jumped out of the bus when he saw flames. He identified one passenger his nephew Ataullah, a resident of Chaman in Balochistan. The driver was identified as Abdullah, whose son Arif also died in the accident.
Home Minister Ziaullah Langove has expressed his displeasure over the incident and asked the authorities to identify those responsible for the lapse.
“Why has the smuggling not been stopped despite the strict ban?” he said.
Deaths due to oil smuggling are frequent in Balochistan. At least 27 people were killed in January in a similar accident.
In October, a pick-up carrying Iranian fuel collided with a vehicle of the Commissioner of Makran Division, retired Cpt. Tariq Zehri, killing the senior bureaucrat and prompting authorities to start the crackdown on the smugglers.
“Following the tragic accident of the Commissioner Makran Division, who was a lovely human being, all commissioners and deputy commissioners have been instructed in writing to check all motorcycles, jeeps, cars, pickups, buses and trucks, laden with POL containers,” Balochistan Chief Secretary Cpt. Fazeel Asghar tweeted after the accident.
Customs authorities and the Frontier Corps have also been requested to prevent the smuggling of petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) products into Pakistan, he said.
Balochistan: 15 killed as bus rams into vehicle smuggling Iranian oil
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Balochistan: 15 killed as bus rams into vehicle smuggling Iranian oil
- Truck smuggling Iranian oil managed to evade customs check
- Bodies of victims were charred beyond recognition
Pakistan to issue red notices for human traffickers in bid to curb practice
- Development comes days after a boat capsized near Morocco on Jan. 15 while carrying 66 Pakistanis among 86 migrants
- The tragedy once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants embark on due to conflict, instability at home
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered authorities to issue red notices for human traffickers in order to curb the illegal practice, Pakistani state media reported, days after a migrant boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said last week that it was in process of repatriating 22 survivors of the tragedy.
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
PM Sharif gave the orders to issue red notices for human traffickers at the first meeting of a task force he formed last week to curb human smuggling, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The prime minister instructed the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] to provide the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the information gathered during investigations to facilitate the swift extradition of human traffickers,” the report read.
A red notice is a request from a member country of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to other member states to locate and arrest a person to extradite them to face criminal charges.
The Morocco tragedy is not the first one involving Pakistani migrants in recent years.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests. PM Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
“Complete eradication of human trafficking can only be achieved through the collective efforts and cooperation of all institutions,” Sharif told officials at Monday’s meeting.
Pakistan central bank cuts key rate by 100 bps
- The bank’s governor said inflation would ease further in Jan. but noted core inflation remained elevated
- Jameel Ahmed said the forecast for full-year inflation in the year to June was an average of 5.5 percent to 7.5 percent
KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 100 basis points to 12 percent on Monday, the governor told reporters, for a sixth straight reduction since June as the country attempts to revive business and economic sentiment amid easing inflation.
The State Bank of Pakistan has slashed rates by 1,000 bps from an all-time high of 22 percent in June 2024, in one of the most aggressive moves among central banks in emerging markets and topping the 625 bps in rate cuts it did in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bank’s governor Jameel Ahmad said at a press conference that the inflation rate would ease further in January but noted that core inflation remained elevated. He said the forecast for full-year inflation in the year to June was an average of 5.5 percent-7.5 percent.
Fourteen of 15 analysts surveyed by Reuters expected the central bank to cut its key rate by at least 100 bps mainly due to a drop in inflation.
Pakistan’s consumer inflation rate slowed to an over 6-1/2-year low of 4.1 percent in December, largely due to a high year-ago base. That was below the government’s forecast and significantly lower than a multi-decade high of around 40 percent in May 2023.
Pakistan’s economy grew by 0.92 percent in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25 which ends in June, according to data approved by the National Accounts Committee, and released by its Statistics Bureau in December.
The governor said that the bank maintained its forecast full-year GDP growth at 2.5 percent-3.5 percent.
Pakistan reaffirms support for Beijing after reports of interior minister attending anti-China event
Pakistan reaffirms support for Beijing after reports of interior minister attending anti-China event
- News outlets reported last week Mohsin Naqvi met members of political group opposed to Chinese state
- Pakistan’s FO says One-China position “consistent cornerstone” of its foreign policy that remains unchanged
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson reiterated support for the One-China Policy on Monday, days after news reports claimed Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi attended a meeting by a group in Washington opposed to the Chinese state.
Local and international news outlets reported last week that Naqvi had attended an event in Washington by the New Federal State of China (NFSC), a political movement opposed to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Pakistani interior minister is in the United States to engage American lawmakers on issues of mutual concern, including militancy.
Naqvi denied the allegations while speaking to reporters on Sunday, describing them as “propaganda.” The minister said he had attended an event by US-based public relations firm Gunster Strategies in Washington, categorically stating that it was not opposed to the Chinese state.
Pakistan has always backed the One-China Policy, which is the diplomatic acknowledgment of Beijing’s stance that there is only one Chinese government. China uses this policy to form the basis of its ties with other countries regarding the status of Taiwan.
“Responding to media speculations, the spokesperson categorically rejected baseless and unfounded allegations to target Pakistan-China friendship,” the foreign office spokesperson said. “He reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the foundational principle of the One-China Policy which is a consistent cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy and remains unchanged.”
The spokesperson described China as Pakistan’s “all-weather strategic partner,” saying their bilateral relations are based on mutual trust, shared values, support on issues of core concern and a commitment to regional and global stability.
China, a major ally and investor in Pakistan, has pledged over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project. CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a massive China-led infrastructure project that aims to connect various countries around the globe through trade.
Pakistan court sentences four men to death for ‘online blasphemy’
- Many of the online blasphemy cases are being brought to trial by private “vigilante groups” led by lawyers
- National Commission for Human Rights says 767 people jailed, awaiting trial for blasphemy allegations
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan court has sentenced four men to death for posting blasphemous content online, a member of a group of “vigilante” private lawyers that brought the prosecution said on Monday.
The four men were sentenced in Rawalpindi, the garrison city that neighbors the capital Islamabad, Rao Abdur Raheem, a lawyer from the Legal Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan (LCBP), told AFP.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where even unsubstantiated accusations can incite public outrage and lead to lynchings.
Pakistan has witnessed a sharp increase in the prosecution of “online blasphemy” cases, with private groups bringing charges against hundreds of young individuals for allegedly committing blasphemy.
“They were sentenced to death... on Friday for spreading blasphemous content online against the Prophet Muhammad and the Qur’an,” Raheem told AFP on Monday.
“Our case was supported by forensic evidence from the devices used in this heinous act,” he said of one of the LCBP’s latest prosecutions.
Despite the conviction, Pakistan has never executed anyone for blasphemy.
A member of a support group formed by the families confirmed the sentence to AFP and said the group would challenge the conviction.
“The pattern of arrests and prosecutions in this case is consistent with previous ones,” said the support group member, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns.
“We urge the government to establish a commission to investigate the rise in these cases before these young individuals spend the best years of their lives behind bars.”
Many of the online blasphemy cases are being brought to trial by private “vigilante groups” led by lawyers and supported by volunteers who scour the Internet for offenders, rights groups and police say.
The LCBP is the most active of those groups in Pakistan.
Sheraz Ahmad Farooqi, one of the group’s leaders, told AFP in October that “God has chosen them for this noble cause.”
A report published by the government-run National Commission for Human Rights in October last year said there were 767 people, mostly young men, in jail awaiting trial over blasphemy allegations.
“In these cases, due process was notably disregarded, with significant procedural violations observed at multiple stages,” the report said.
“Arrests were often carried out by private individuals rather than law enforcement.”
Cases can drag through the courts for years, although death penalties are often commuted to life in prison on appeal at the Supreme Court.
A special court was formed in September to expedite the dozens of pending cases.
Pakistan’s Shahzaib Rind successfully defends lightweight title at Karate event in Florida
- Rind, 26, defeats three-time world champion Edgars Skivers 7-0
- Rind boasts a combined Wushu and Kickboxing record of 75-4
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Karate fighter Shahzaib Rind successfully defended his lightweight title against former three-time world champion Edgars Skrivers, defeating him 7-0 at the Karate Combat (KC) 52 event in Miami, the Pakistan Mixed Martial Arts Federation (PMMAF) announced on Sunday.
The KC52, a professional full-contact karate league, is part of a global karate MMA series featuring skilled fighters in action-packed competitions.
Rind, who hails from the impoverished southwestern Balochistan province, won his first martial arts title in 2011 after claiming victory in a provincial-level competition. His first national title came in 2019 when he triumphed at the National Games in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
During the two and half years of an undefeated Karate Combat career, Rind has fought fighters from North America, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, France and India.
“In a stunning display of skill and determination, Rind has claimed his second championship title after a hard-fought victory against Edgars Skrivers,” the PMMAF said.
“The intense showdown unfolded on Friday in Miami, captivating audiences with its electrifying energy and showcasing the best of competitive spirit.”
The statement said Rind delivered an “extraordinary” performance that kept his fans excited throughout the match, adding that his “dedication, relentless training, and remarkable skill” had solidified his position as one of the top contenders.
“Rind’s triumph is a testament to the power of perseverance and hard work,” the sports body said. “As fans celebrate this incredible achievement, they eagerly await what the future holds for this rising star.”
The Pakistan Embassy in New York congratulated Rind on defending his title.
“Heartfelt congratulations to MMA fighter Shahzaib Rind, the brave son of Pakistan who hails from Balochistan, on defending his lightweight title in Miami, Florida, USA and becoming the world champion for the second time,” the embassy said on X. “Shahzaib Rind dedicated his victory to the people of Pakistan.”
Rind boasts a combined Wushu and Kickboxing record of 75-4, the majority of which was attained while training himself by watching YouTube videos. He is currently training under Asim Zaidi at the renowned Goat Shed gym in Miami.
Zaidi is the president of Karate Combat, a brand that promotes the first professional full-contact karate league, hosting worldwide events since April 2018.
