ISLAMABAD: A team of 15 Chinese investigators, accompanied by Pakistani officials, have launched a probe into a bus attack in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province earlier this week, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Sunday.
The blast in Dasu on Wednesday killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals, when their bus, which was shuttling them to an under-construction dam site in the area, came under attack.
“The Chinese side was briefed regarding the progress in the ongoing investigation indicating the possibility of sabotage and about the care being provided to the injured,” the foreign ministry statement said.
The delegation from Beijing comprises representatives from the Chinese Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce and criminal investigation and technical experts.
Earlier on Saturday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said that the government had reassured Beijing of providing “foolproof security” to its nationals involved in various infrastructure projects under the prestigious $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative.
The assurances were formally communicated to Beijing during a lengthy phone call between Sheikh Rasheed and his Chinese counterpart, Zhao Kezhi.
Sheikh Rasheed added that the bus incident was orchestrated ahead of the China-Pakistan Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting that was canceled by Beijing after the blast “for maximum impact.”
Investigators from China join Pakistan bus blast probe that killed 9 Chinese
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Investigators from China join Pakistan bus blast probe that killed 9 Chinese
- Nine Chinese workers were among 13 killed in the attack earlier this week
- Pakistan reassures ‘foolproof security’ to Chinese nationals in the country
Pakistani neuroscientist accused of 'terrorism' calls for pardon before Biden leaves office
- Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years in prison on multiple charges, including attempting to kill US nationals
- Her lawyer has submitted a dossier to Biden, who has until Monday to grant clemency before Trump's swearing-in
KARACHI: A Pakistani neuroscientist accused of "terrorism" by Washington has appealed to outgoing US President Joe Biden to grant her clemency before he hands over the reins of the country to President-elect Donald Trump, her lawyer said this week.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a US-trained neuroscientist, was convicted in 2010 on multiple charges, including attempting to kill US nationals. She became a suspect after leaving the US and marrying a nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Siddiqui was wounded during a confrontation with US officials in Afghanistan in 2008, with some reports suggesting she shot at the Americans. She was sentenced to 86 years in prison in 2010, prompting a huge outcry from Pakistan and human rights voices worldwide.
Dr Siddiqui's lawyer, Clive Stafford Smith, has submitted a 76,500-word dossier to Biden and is calling on the American president to pardon him before Trump's swearing-in on Monday.
"We just pray and keep our fingers crossed and I hope to goodness our clemency is granted Monday morning," Smith said in a video message.
"And if not, revert to plan B and plan C and plan D until we get her out of this awful place," he added.
Smith said Siddiqui was "in good spirits" when he met her on Friday at the detention facility in Fort Worth, Texas, for four hours despite her trauma. He said Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, her sister, had traveled 10,000 miles to see her sister but was only allowed 40 minutes to see her sister.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also wrote a letter to Biden in October 2024, calling for Siddiqui's release.
In the letter, Sharif stressed that several Pakistani officials had made consular visits to her in prison, raising "serious concerns" about her treatment while incarcerated.
The prime minister said her time in prison had "severely impacted her already fragile mental and frail physical health," adding: "In fact, they [the officials] even fear that she could take her own life."
Biden has until Monday to grant Siddiqui clemency. So far, he has issued 39 pardons and commuted 3,989 sentences.
According to Sky News, Smith claims a catalog of intelligence errors led to her initially becoming a suspect, citing witness testimonies that were unavailable at the time of her trial.
Smith said US intelligence "got the wrong end of the stick in the beginning" as agencies thought Siddiqui was a nuclear physicist working on a radioactive bomb "when she really did her PhD in education".
He said this happened as the US was "terrified of terrorists getting their hands on WMD (weapons of mass destruction)", adding: "She's no more of a terrorist than I am".
The US Department of Justice did not respond to Sky News.
Pakistani authorities arrest suspected human smuggler linked to last year’s Greece boat tragedy
- FIA says it found evidence of human smuggling from the suspect's mobile phone after arrest
- Abdul Salam allegedly extorted Rs4.5 million from a victim who drowned in the boat tragedy
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities on Saturday announced the arrest of a suspected human smuggler from Azad Kashmir, accusing him of involvement in last year’s Greece boat tragedy that killed five nationals and charging him with sending one victim abroad after taking Rs4.5 million ($16,200).
The incident occurred in December when a wooden vessel carrying migrants, which departed from Libya, sank off the southern Greek island of Gavdos. The government has intensified its crackdown on human smugglers in recent months, leading to several arrests.
The latest detention comes just days after another boat capsized off Morocco’s coast, where over 40 Pakistanis are feared to have drowned.
“The smuggler involved in the Greece boat tragedy has been arrested,” the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said in a statement. “The accused, Abdul Salam, was apprehended during a raid in Bhimber, Azad Kashmir.”
“He was part of a gang involved in human trafficking and extorted Rs4.5 million from victim Ahsan Ali for facilitating his travel to Europe,” it added.
The FIA said the suspect and his associates had kept the victim in safe houses in Libya before coercing him to board the ill-fated boat to Greece. Ali, who hailed from Jalalpur Jattan, died in the shipwreck.
The FIA informed that evidence related to human smuggling was recovered from the suspect’s mobile phone, and investigations were ongoing to track down his accomplices.
“We are using all resources to ensure the arrest of those involved in these tragic incidents,” said Abdul Qadir Qamar, Director of FIA’s Gujranwala Zone. “Raids are being conducted to apprehend the remaining suspects.”
The FIA reiterated its commitment to bringing human smugglers to justice.
“No one will be allowed to play with the lives of innocent people,” the statement said. “Those responsible will face severe punishments based on solid evidence.”
Pakistani humanitarian organization unveils Rs15 billion ‘Rebuild Gaza’ initiative
- Alkhidmat Foundation has previously carried out Gaza relief activities worth about Rs5.5 billion
- ‘Rebuild Gaza’ will help reconstruct a hospital, schools and mosques, provide temporary shelters
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani humanitarian organization on Saturday announced a Rs15 billion ($54 million) “Rebuild Gaza” initiative over the next 15 months, following the announcement of a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
The ceasefire, which begins on Sunday, comes after extensive negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt and the United States. It will end the conflict that began in October 2023, killing over 46,000 Palestinians and leaving Gaza’s infrastructure in ruins.
The Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan, which has previously carried out relief activities worth Rs5.5 billion ($20 million) in Gaza, announced the initiative during a press briefing. The new program will build on previous efforts, raising its total aid commitment to Rs20 billion ($72 million) within a little more than a year.
“The people of Pakistan have always stood by their brothers and sisters in Gaza during times of crisis, and we are hopeful they will once again contribute wholeheartedly to this noble cause,” the foundation’s president, Dr. Hafeez Ur Rehman, said, as per a statement.
The “Rebuild Gaza” plan includes providing temporary shelters, essential supplies such as food and medicines, mobile health units and ambulances.
It also aims to reconstruct five damaged schools, rehabilitate one hospital, rebuild 25 mosques and launch over 100 clean water projects.
Additionally, a residential tower will be constructed to provide housing, and 3,000 orphaned children will receive long-term sponsorship.
Dr. Rehman said the foundation, in collaboration with its partner organizations, remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering aid and ensuring the rehabilitation of affected communities in Gaza.
Pakistan’s deputy PM orders timely assistance for victims of Morocco boat tragedy
- More than 40 Pakistanis are feared to have drowned while attempting to reach European shores
- Pakistan has intensified efforts against human smugglers who facilitate journeys for illegal migrants
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ishaq Dar on Saturday instructed the government to provide timely assistance to the victims of a recent boat tragedy off the coast of Morocco, where more than 40 nationals of his country are feared to have drowned while attempting to reach European shores.
Pakistan’s foreign office confirmed on Thursday that a migrant boat with 80 passengers on board, including several Pakistanis, had capsized near Morocco en route to Spain.
According to Moroccan authorities, 36 people were rescued on Wednesday from the vessel, which had departed Mauritania on January 2 with 86 migrants on board, including 66 Pakistanis, according to minority rights group Walking Borders.
The group’s CEO, Helena Maleno, said 44 of the 50 presumed dead were from Pakistan. The boat was reportedly heading toward Spain’s Canary Islands when it capsized.
Dar, who also serves as Pakistan’s foreign minister (FM), held a meeting in Islamabad earlier in the day to review the situation.
“The DPM/FM issued instructions for coordination of government response and asked the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior to ensure provision of efficient and timely assistance to the Pakistani victims of the tragedy,” the foreign office said in a social media post.
Media reports claim almost all the Pakistanis who were on the boat were from cities in the eastern Punjab province.
The government has intensified its efforts in recent months against human smugglers who facilitate perilous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe and has made several arrests.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for enhanced cooperation with international agencies, seeking swift action against human trafficking networks.
He has also instructed the Federal Investigation Agency to compile a detailed report on migration-related incidents over the past year and implement an Integrated Border Management System (IBMS) to monitor and prevent illegal movement.
The incident near Morocco once again highlighted the perilous journeys many migrants, particularly Pakistanis, undertake due to conflict and economic instability in their home country.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos.
It was among the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.
Noman and Sajid help Pakistan dominate West Indies in spin battle
- The spin duo shared nine wickets between them to dismiss West Indies for 137
- Pakistan stretched their lead to 202 by scoring 109-3 in their second innings
MULTAN: Noman Ali and Sajid Khan guided Pakistan to a strong position against the West Indies after another spin-dominated second day’s play in the opening Test in Multan on Saturday.
The spin duo shared nine wickets between them to dismiss the West Indies for 137 in reply to the home team’s 230 all out.
By the close, Pakistan stretched their lead to 202 by scoring 109-3 in their second innings, with Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel batting on nine and two respectively when bad light ended play 25 minutes early.
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-17) dismissed Muhammad Hurraira for 29 after an opening stand of 67 and Babar Azam for a second failure, trapped leg-before for five.
Skipper Shan Masood looked solid for his 52, hitting two sixes and two fours, before Warrican ran him out after attempting a quick single.
“The weather is foggy so if we have continuous play and take our lead over 300 then we can win this Test,” said Sajid.
“It’s great to bowl with Noman, who always guides me.”
Warrican wants the target to be under 250.
“Obviously we don’t want to get the lead go over 250 because it’s a spin-favoring surface,” said Warrican.
“We need a good comeback in batting the second time around on this pitch.”
The dry and grassless Multan pitch has already produced 23 wickets in six sessions — 19 on day two — even though two-and-a-half hours were lost on day one and another 30 minutes on Saturday because of poor visibility.
Noman grabbed 5-39 for his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests while Sajid finished with 4-65 to dismiss the West Indies after lunch in a first innings that lasted just 25.2 overs.
Noman and Sajid, who shared 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two Tests against England in Pakistan’s 2-1 series win last year, were once again unplayable.
Sajid opened the bowling and removed Mikyle Louis (one), Keacy Carty (0), Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and Kavem Hodge (four) in his first three overs.
Noman then further jolted the tourists with another four wickets to leave them tottering on 66-8.
The tailenders showed more resistance, with number 10 batsman Warrican unbeaten on 31 and Gudakesh Motie adding 19.
Jayden Seales was the last wicket to fall for 22.
Seales hit three sixes before holing out off spinner Abrar Ahmed.
Earlier, Warrican took 3-69 as Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 43 runs after resuming at 143-4.
Shakeel top-scored for Pakistan with 84 off 157 deliveries, including six boundaries, while keeper Mohammad Rizwan added 71.
Shakeel added an invaluable 141 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan, lifting Pakistan from a precarious 46-4 on day one.
