'Democracy is the best revenge': Rally calling for PM’s ouster concludes in Islamabad

Supporters of opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) gather around a truck carrying Chairman of PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leading an anti-government rally in Islamabad on March 8, 2022. (AFP)
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Updated 09 March 2022
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'Democracy is the best revenge': Rally calling for PM’s ouster concludes in Islamabad

  • The march started in Karachi on February 27 and was led by opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
  • It’s arrival in capital coincided with opposition parties moving no-confidence motion seeking Khan’s ouster

ISLAMABAD: A long march led by the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which rallied thousands of supporters from the city of Karachi to Islamabad to demonstrate against Prime Minister Imran Khan, concluded in the capital late on Tuesday night.
The march, which started in the southern port city of Karachi on February 27, was led by PPP co-chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and arrived on the outskirts of Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, coinciding with Pakistani opposition parties moving a no-confidence motion in parliament to seek the ouster of Khan over accusations of poor governance and the mismanagement of the economy.
The no confidence move is the toughest challenge Khan has faced since he rose to power in 2018. His critics have widely accused that year’s general election of being rigged. Khan denies this.
“We exposed him [Khan] in front of the world from day one, that he isn’t elected but selected, and we have been struggling against him since then,” Bhutto-Zardari said while addressing the crowd at Islamabad’s D-chowk, a famous gathering point for protesters. “We feel that democracy is the best revenge and we are sending him home through a democratic way.”
“The PPP has never taken any undemocratic step .... and we are ousting the selected through a no-confidence motion.”
Just outside Islamabad, Bhutto-Zardari had warned Khan: “Resign in 24 hours and face us in an election, or be prepared for a no-confidence move.”
Hours later, the opposition submitted a formal request requiring Khan to seek a parliamentary vote of confidence. The opposition needs a simple majority of 172 and says it requires just 11 more votes to force Khan out.
Critics of Khan, a former cricket star, say he has lost the backing of the powerful military whose support they say secured the path to power for his political party four years ago. Khan and the military deny this.


Muslim World League pledges to make ‘Islamabad Declaration’ constitutional document for girls’ education

Updated 12 January 2025
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Muslim World League pledges to make ‘Islamabad Declaration’ constitutional document for girls’ education

  • The declaration was adopted at the end of a two-day conference in Pakistan on girls’ education in Muslim communities
  • It outlines framework to tackle challenges in girls’ education through gender-sensitive policies, resource mobilization

ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League (MWL), on Sunday vowed to make the declaration of a global summit in Islamabad on girls’ education in Muslim countries a constitutional document of the MWL for “tangible” impact.
He expressed these views while addressing the concluding session of the two-day conference, titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities,” which was co-hosted by Pakistan and the MWL.
Over 150 representatives from 47 countries, including education experts, religious scholars, diplomats and politicians, attended the summit. It comes at a time when global leaders, organizations and activists are urging the Taliban to reverse their restrictive policies about women in Afghanistan.
The conference concluded with the adoption of the ‘Islamabad Declaration,’ a framework to address challenges in girls’ education in Muslim communities through gender-sensitive policies, resource mobilization, and strengthened international partnerships.
“The Muslim World League, along with its partners, commits to making the ‘Islamabad Declaration’ a constitutional document so the impact will be tangible,” the MWL chief said, adding that Islamic scholars addressed various misconceptions during the “exceptional and unified solidarity meeting” in Islamabad.
“Such a diverse group of scholars, with the presence of major Islamic jurisprudential councils, particularly the International Islamic Fiqh Academy under the OIC [Organiation of Islamic Cooperation], sends a strong message to the world about the unified stance of the scholars of the Islamic Ummah regarding girls’ education.”
The MWL chief said the Muslim world needed this collaboration for a unified voice reflecting Islam’s teachings.
“No one can claim to speak on behalf of Islam regarding this issue anymore as the scholars of the Ummah, supported by their jurisprudential councils, have delivered a clear and definitive statement,” he said.
“We do not address any specific individual or entity but speak to anyone opposing or hindering this cause, whether individuals or institutions, public or private.”
Muslim communities have often faced criticism for not providing sufficient opportunities to women in fields like education, though many of their countries have made significant strides in promoting women’s participation across various fields.
The issue of girls’ education has drawn heightened attention recently, particularly after Afghanistan’s interim administration, led by the Taliban, imposed restrictions on girls’ education, including shutting down secondary schools and barring women from attending universities.
On the first day of the conference, the secretary-general of the MWL, a Makkah-based non-governmental organization that represents followers of Islam around the world, said Islam places no restrictive conditions on girls’ education, and anyone opposing it deviates from the global Muslim community.
ISLAMABAD DECLARATION
The declaration emphasized that girls’ education is not only a religious obligation but also an “urgent societal necessity.”
“It is a fundamental right safeguarded by divine laws, mandated by Islamic teachings, reinforced by international charters, and well-established by national constitutions,” it said, calling for unified efforts to safeguard girls’ right to education and ensure their empowerment, and acknowledging that educated women play a pivotal role in fostering stable families and communities.
“This, in turn, promotes global peace, national harmony, and fortifies societies against challenges such as extremism, violence, crime, and atheism.”
Cautioning against extremist ideologies, the declaration said that issuing decrees and opinions, rooted in cultural norms and patterns, that obstruct girls’ education constitute a “regrettable perpetuation of societal biases against women.”
“Such actions represent a grave misuse of religious principles to legitimize policies of deprivation and exclusion,” it said.
The Islamabad Declaration urged mobilizing resources to support efforts to advance education through improved methods and content, with a particular emphasis on girls’ education, ensuring it is placed at the forefront of national priorities.
“Declaring that anyone who rejects or opposes these well-grounded Islamic religious principles is, by the consensus of this gathering as referenced in the preamble of this Declaration, considered outside the framework of the Islamic Ummah’s concepts and cannot be regarded as part of it,” it said, adding that it is essential to disavow such an ideology, whether they are an individual, an institution, or an entity, public or private.
At the end, the declaration stated that the MWL chief, being the initiator of the conference, will communicate all resolutions of the conference, oversee their implementation, and ensure the necessary financial and moral support.
The participants urged the initiator of the conference to establish a permanent committee to oversee the implementation of the outcomes of the event, including various agreements, which laid the foundation for an impactful action.
Yusuf Raza Gilani, chairman of Pakistan’s Senate, urged the Muslim world to embrace a comprehensive approach that combines collaborative action, resource development, and community engagement for girls’ education.
“I urge distinguished scholars and policymakers to translate the invaluable insights and lessons of this conference into tangible, impactful strategies that will inspire change,” he said at the concluding session.


Pakistan minister says private sector plays ‘pivotal role’ in promoting trade with UAE

Updated 12 January 2025
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Pakistan minister says private sector plays ‘pivotal role’ in promoting trade with UAE

  • Pakistan-UAE ties based on mutual trust, respect and shared aspirations, says commerce minister
  • UAE is Pakistan’s close ally and its third-largest trading partner after China and the United States

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan this week highlighted the pivotal role played by the private sector in promoting the country’s trade and investment with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying that their ties were rooted in shared aspirations and mutual respect. 

Khan was speaking at a luncheon in Dubai on Saturday that was hosted by the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) Dubai at the Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD).

The event brought together over 100 guests including prominent Pakistani businessmen, VIPs, members of the PBC and officials from the Pakistan Consulate Dubai. It provided a platform to discuss investment opportunities, enhance exports, and bolster bilateral trade relations, the commerce ministry said. 

“Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, emphasized the critical role of the private sector in strengthening trade and investment ties between Pakistan and the UAE,” the commerce ministry said. 

The minister lauded the newly elected PBC board, expressing confidence in its ability to work in collaboration with the Pakistan Consulate to advance Pakistan-UAE trade relations. 

“Highlighting the deep-rooted ties between the two nations, he described them as built on mutual respect, trust, and shared aspirations,” the statement added. 

Khan acknowledged the Pakistani diaspora in UAE for fostering economic prosperity and growth.

“The private sector plays a pivotal role in leading and solidifying trade and investment initiatives between Pakistan and the UAE,” the minister said. 

He urged business leaders to capitalize on opportunities to boost bilateral trade and unlock new avenues for economic development. 

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States (US), and a major source of foreign investment, valued at over $10 billion in the last 20 years, according to the UAE foreign ministry. It is also home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates. 

Policymakers in Pakistan consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.

In January last year, Pakistan and the UAE signed multiple agreements worth more than $3 billion for cooperation in railways, economic zones and infrastructure, a Pakistani official said, amid Pakistani caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s visit to Davos, Switzerland to attend 54th summit of the World Economic Forum (WEF).


Pakistan’s Malala says Israel has decimated ‘the entire education system’ in Gaza

Updated 12 January 2025
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Pakistan’s Malala says Israel has decimated ‘the entire education system’ in Gaza

  • Nobel Peace laureate says will continue to call out Israel’s violations of human rights in Gaza
  • Israel's attack on Gaza has killed 46,537 people, the majority civilians, since October 7, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai on Sunday said she would continue to call out Israel’s violations of international law and human rights in Gaza.
The education advocate was speaking at a global summit on girls’ education in Muslim nations hosted by Pakistan and attended by representatives from dozens of countries.
“In Gaza, Israel has decimated the entire education system,” she said in an address to the conference.
“They have bombed all universities, destroyed more than 90 percent of schools, and indiscriminately attacked civilians sheltering in school buildings.
“I will continue to call out Israel’s violations of international law and human rights.”
Yousafzai was shot when she was a 15-year-old schoolgirl by Pakistani militants enraged by her education activism.
She made a remarkable recovery after being evacuated to the United Kingdom and went on to become the youngest ever Nobel Prize winner at the age of 17.
“Palestinian children have lost their lives and future. A Palestinian girl cannot have the future she deserves if her school is bombed and her family is killed,” she added.
The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,208 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
During the attack, Palestinian militants took 251 people hostage, of whom 94 remain in the Gaza Strip, including 34 the Israeli military has declared dead.
Israel’s attack on Gaza has killed 46,537 people, the majority civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory considered reliable by the United Nations.


Najmul to lead Bangladesh in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy

Updated 12 January 2025
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Najmul to lead Bangladesh in Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy

  • Key players Liton Das and former all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan not part of the squad
  • ODI Champions Trophy tournament takes place in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19

DHAKA: Najmul Hossain Shanto will captain Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai next month, the cricket board said Sunday, with key players including Liton Das missing the cut.

Former star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is also missing from the 15-man squad for the one-day international tournament.

The Champions Trophy takes place in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 with Bangladesh placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan and New Zealand.

Bangladesh are ninth in the ICC ODI rankings.

They play their opener against India in Dubai on February 20.

Bangladesh squad: Nazmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.


Ex-PM Khan to meet party’s negotiating committee today amid talks with government

Updated 12 January 2025
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Ex-PM Khan to meet party’s negotiating committee today amid talks with government

  • Khan’s party kicked off negotiations with government to break political deadlock in country last month 
  • PTI this week urged the government to provide it “unfettered” access to former prime minister in jail 

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan is scheduled to meet members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party today, Sunday, who are part of a committee formed by him to hold political consultations with the government, the National Assembly’s spokesperson said in a statement. 

The PTI and the government kicked off negotiations last month to break the political deadlock in the country. The last round of talks between both sides on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the ex-PM before submitting their demands in writing. 

Khan’s party on Tuesday demanded the government provide it “unfettered” access to the jailed ex-premier in Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison. 

The PTI has previously stated two demands: the release of all political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved Khan supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.

“The government has arranged a meeting of the negotiation committee at Adiala Jail following the Speaker’s message,” the National Assembly’s spokesperson said. 

It added that the meeting will take place at 2:30 p.m. local time. 

Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since he was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges. His PTI party has regularly held protests to demand his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.

Talks between the two sides opened days after Khan threatened a civil disobedience movement, and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9, 2023 protests.