ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Friday he was not aware that the former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was going to blame the country's army chief for manipulating the last general elections during his Gujranwala speech.
However, he maintained that Sharif would not have made such a claim without "solid evidence," adding that he was waiting for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) founder to present the proof to the public.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, the PPP leader said that no individual could be solely held responsible for bringing Prime Minister Imran Khan and his administration to power.
"As far as Mian Nawaz Sharif is concerned, he has remained [Pakistan's] prime minister three times," he continued. "I am certain that he would not have named [the top military and intelligence officials] without clear and solid evidence. It is not the kind of allegation that can be made against anyone in a public rally. The trouble is that I have not managed to directly meet Nawaz Sharif due to the COVID-19 pandemic which would have facilitated a detailed conversation over the issue."
In response to a question, he said that Sharif did not name the top military and intelligence officials during the multiparty conference that brought together various opposition factions in the country to form the anti-government Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance in September.
However, he acknowledged that the participants of the gathering discussed if they should single out any state institution for political criticism or keep their condemnation fairly general by excoriating the "establishment," saying that a consensus was reached over the latter option.
The PPP chairman claimed that he was "shocked" to hear Sharif's Gujranwala speech.
"It was a shock to me since we don't normally say such things in our public rallies," he explained. "But Mian Nawaz Sharif has his own political party, and I cannot control how he speaks, much like he cannot control what I say."
In the first PDM rally in Gujranwala, the PML-N leader blamed the country's powerful army chief for bringing an "incompetent" political administration to power. In his subsequent speeches, he also named the director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for playing a role in the country's politics.
Asked if the PDM thought such statements would mount enough pressure on these individuals to make them resign, the PPP chairman said the opposition alliance did not want the top army and intelligence officials to step down.
"Let me make this clear that such a demand is neither a part of our resolution nor our position," he said, adding that it was Sharif's right, however, to adopt any political position that he considered necessary.
In response to a question about the alleged "abduction" of the Sindh inspector general police, Bilawal said there had been no contact between him and the army chief again.
The province's top cop was reportedly taken away from his residence in Karachi by paramilitary personnel and forced to file a complaint against Sharif's son-in-law, Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar, for violating the sanctity of the country's founding father's mausoleum ahead of a PDM rally in the city.
Safdar, who was visiting Karachi on the invitation of the PPP provincial administration, was also arrested from his hotel room where he was staying with his wife.
The province's top police officials, however, protested the development by applying for paid leave.
"I know that there is an inquiry going on," said the PPP leader. "I am confident that the investigation will help identify the culprits and they will also be brought to justice. At this point, I am patiently waiting to hear about the findings of the probe."
Bilawal says he was 'shocked' by Nawaz Sharif's speech against Pakistan army chief
https://arab.news/7mq4a
Bilawal says he was 'shocked' by Nawaz Sharif's speech against Pakistan army chief
- The PML-N leader blamed the country’s powerful army chief for manipulating elections, bringing the PTI administration to power
- The PPP chairman says the opposition PDM alliance was not calling for Pakistan’s military and intelligence chiefs to step down
Pakistan top court upholds death penalty for Zahir Jaffer, convicted in grisly murder of Noor Mukadam
- Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former diplomat was found dead in Islamabad in 2021, after being brutally murdered by her friend
- The case sparked nationwide outrage and became one of Pakistan’s most widely followed trials involving violence against women
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday upheld the death penalty of Zahir Zakir Jaffer, a Pakistani-American, who was convicted of murdering 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former diplomat, a lawyer of Mukadam’s father said.
Jaffer, son of a wealthy industrialist, was sentenced to death in 2022 for the brutal killing of Mukadam, whose beheaded body was found in July 2021 at a residence in Islamabad’s upscale F-7/4 sector.
Last year, the Islamabad High Court upheld Jaffer’s death sentence, originally handed down by a sessions court. Subsequently, he filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in April 2023, seeking to overturn the punishment.
On Tuesday, Justice Hashim Kakar upheld the death penalty in the case that sparked nationwide outrage and became one of Pakistan’s most widely followed trials involving violence against women.
“We are quite satisfied with the Supreme Court’s decision as his death sentence in the murder case remained intact. It is a sense of relief for Noor’s parents, relatives, and civil society,” Shah Khawar, who represented Mukadam’s father, told Arab News.
“It was a very important case, as it involved the brutal murder of a young girl who was killed in an extremely violent manner. The family of the accused was financially very strong, so people believed they would be able to influence the court— but that was proven wrong today.”
Khawar said the trial court had given the accused a death sentence for murder, 25-year imprisonment for rape, and 10-year imprisonment for abduction.
“When we appealed the decision in the High Court, his 25-year imprisonment for the rape case was also converted to a death sentence. The High Court also upheld his death sentence for murder,” he said.
“In today’s decision, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for murder, commuted the death sentence for rape to 25 years of imprisonment, and acquitted him in the abduction case. Two of his servants, who had each been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, were released with the order that the time they had already served would count as their sentence.”
‘Justice for Noor,’ an advocacy page on Instagram run by Mukadam’s friends, hailed Tuesday’s verdict and said it was a “powerful reminder” that women’s lives matter.
“This is not just for Noor. This is for every woman in Pakistan,” it said.
Khawar, who represented Mukadam’s father Shaukat Mukadam, said the convict now has “very limited” legal options left.
“One is to file a review petition, which will be heard by the same bench, offering very limited scope for any relief,” he said.
“The final step would be to file a mercy appeal before the President of Pakistan under Article 45. If they choose to pursue this option, the sentence will remain suspended until the mercy petition is decided.”
Pakistan Islamic banking assets at $40.7 billion by March end for first time — central bank
- On deposits, Islamic banks currently hold Rs. 8.4 trillion, about 25.4 percent of the total deposits in the banking industry
- Federal Shariat Court has ordered government to eliminate interest, align banking system with Islamic principles by 2027
ISLAMABAD: The governor of the Pakistani central bank said on Tuesday Islamic banking assets had for the first time reached Rs11.5 trillion ($40.7 billion) by the end of March this year, as the country actively moves toward implementing a fully Shariah-compliant financial system.
Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court (FSC) directed the government in April 2022 to eliminate interest and align the country’s entire banking system with Islamic principles by 2027. Following the order, the government and the State Bank have taken several measures ranging from changing laws to issuing sukuk Islamic bonds to replace interest-based treasury bills and investment bonds.
“For the first time in the history of Islamic finance in Pakistan, by the end of March 2025, Islamic banking assets have reached Rs. 11.5 trillion, that’s 21.1 percent of the total banking sector assets,” central bank governor Jameel Ahmad said at a ceremony in Karachi.
“While there’s still a long way to go, this share is gradually increasing.”
On deposits, Islamic banks currently hold Rs. 8.4 trillion, about 25.4 percent of the total deposits in the banking industry.
“That means nearly one-fourth of all bank deposits are now mobilized under Islamic principles. So, the share of Islamic banking is steadily rising, and the number of Islamic banking branches has surpassed 8,000,” Ahmad added. “As a result of these achievements, we can see that access to Islamic banking services has significantly improved.”
He said to support the transformation of Islamic banking, the government of Pakistan had formed a steering committee in 2022 and launched a strategic five-year plan known as SBP Vision 2028.
Ahmad said the non-issuance of sukuk Islamic bonds was a “big hurdle” hindering the promotion of Islamic banking. He called on the banking industry, regulators and the government to play their “required role” to address underlying issues and issue more sukuk bonds and offer investors Shariah-compliant products.
“This would increase the share of Islamic banking investments in the overall industry. We all should play our respective role in this respect,” the governor added.
India to resume border ceremony with Pakistan
- For years, the ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border has been a popular tourist attraction on both sides
- Visitors from both nations come to cheer on soldiers goose-stepping in a chest-puffing theatrical show of pageantry
AMRITSAR: India said Tuesday it would resume a daily border ceremony with neighboring Pakistan which it briefly halted earlier this month following the most serious conflict between the nuclear armed arch-rivals for decades.
At least 60 people died in fighting triggered by an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing — a charge Pakistan denies.
India’s Border Security force said the sunset ceremony on its side would be open to the media on Tuesday and to the general public on Wednesday at the Attari-Wagah land border in the northern state of Punjab.
Pakistan said it never stopped the ceremony, with its troops marching on its side of the border alone.
The ceremony however is expected to be a low-key affair with diplomatic measures against Pakistan still in place, including the closure of the land border.
For years, the ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border has been a popular tourist attraction.
Visitors from both sides come to cheer on soldiers goose-stepping in a chest-puffing theatrical show of pageantry.
The frontier was a colonial creation at the violent end of British rule in 1947 which sliced the sub-continent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
The daily border ritual has largely endured over the decades, surviving innumerable diplomatic flare-ups and military skirmishes.
Thousands protest as suspected drone strike kills 4 children in northwest Pakistan
- Militants also have been using quadcopters to target troops
- Still unclear who was responsible for the drone attack in Mir Ali
PESHAWAR: A suspected drone strike killed four children and wounded five others in northwest Pakistan, prompting thousands of residents to stage a protest by placing the children’s bodies on a main road to demand justice, local elders said on Tuesday.
It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind Monday’s attack in Mir Ali, which has been a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban, and there was no comment from the army.
“We are not blaming anyone, but we want justice, and the government should tell us who killed our children,” local tribal elder Mufti Baitullah said.
He warned that the protest, currently staged at one regional roadblock, could expand if authorities fail to answer.
“We will not bury the bodies until we are told who is responsible for killing our innocent children,” he said, as people chanted “we want justice.”
There have been civilian casualties in military strikes in some parts of the country in recent years. In March, 11 people, including women and children, were killed when a drone attack targeted a house in the northwestern city of Mardan.
A statement by the provincial government at the time had only said that there was “collateral damage” in an operation that was conducted to target militants in a remote village. Residents in March also rallied until the government agreed to compensate the victims’ families.
Abdullah Khan, the managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies think tank, said Tuesday that militants also have been using quadcopters to target troops, but it still was unclear who was responsible for the drone attack in Mir Ali.
The latest civilian casualties came amid ongoing military operations against the Pakistani Taliban, which have a strong presence in Mir Ali, a city in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, are a separate insurgent group from the Afghan Taliban, and they often target troops in the region.
Nayak Muhammad Dawar, a provincial minister, condemned the attack in a statement Tuesday. He said that investigations were ongoing.
Mir Ali and nearby districts located near Afghanistan were long a base for the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. The TTP have stepped up attacks in the region in recent months.
Pakistan’s Punjab orders heatwave precautions at livestock markets ahead of Eid
- Temporary sheds, animal health centers, water sprinklers and mist fans to be installed
- Despite heatwave, people are thronging to livestock markets ahead of Eid Al-Adha
ISLAMABAD: The disaster management authority in Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab on Tuesday ordered that temporary sheds and health centers be set up and water supply ensured at livestock markets as part of precautionary measures during an ongoing heatwave ahead of the Eid Al-Adha festival.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has issued a warning that most plain areas of the country will remain under the influence of a severe heatwave from May 20-24, with maximum daytime temperatures in the Sindh, southern Punjab, and Balochistan provinces expected to remain 4°C to 6°C above normal.
Despite the heatwave, people are thronging to livestock markets to buy sacrificial animals, with Eid Al-Adha less than three weeks away.
Muslims observe Eid Al-Adha, expected to fall in the first week of June this year, by slaughtering animals such as sheep, cows and goats, with the meat shared among family and friends, and a portion donated to the poor.
“Water supply should be ensured for animals in the markets,” the Provincial Disaster Management Authority Punjab said in a statement, highlighting that the heatwave was likely to continue into June.
“Establishment of temporary sheds and veterinary health centers should also be ensured at the markets.”
The government also ordered installing water sprinklers and mist fans, and said mobile medical teams and the Rescue 1122 service would also be deployed to provide medical assistance to traders and staff at markets.
Banners with information about heatwaves and safety tips should be displayed at the entrances and exits of livestock markets while loudspeakers should be used to inform visitors to stay hydrated, use shaded areas and report any emergencies immediately, the government handout said.
Pakistan ranks among the top ten countries most vulnerable to climate change and has grappled in recent years with increasingly frequent extreme weather events like deadly heat waves and floods.
In June 2024, almost 700 people died in a heat wave in less than a week, with most deaths recorded in the port city of Karachi, according to the Edhi Foundation charity. A 2015 heatwave claimed over 2,000 lives in Karachi alone while floods in 2022 left more than 1,700 dead and over 33 million displaced nationwide.
