ISLAMABAD: The mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif wrote a letter to the country’s chief justice on Wednesday, requesting him to form a judicial commission to look into her son’s killing in Kenya last month.
Sharif, who did a talk show with a local news channel, was killed on October 23 when his car sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital, prompting the police to open fire. The law enforcement officials in Nairobi expressed regret over the incident, saying it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a car involved in a child abduction case.
The deceased journalist, who of late had been a harsh critic of the incumbent government and the military, had to leave the country after several cases related to charges of sedition and others were filed against him. He was believed to have been in the United Arab Emirates since he left Pakistan and had recently traveled to Kenya from the Emirates.
The Pakistan government recently announced it was setting up a commission — led by a retired judge — to investigate Sharif’s killing. But his mother said she wanted a high-powered judicial commission while seeking justice in the case.
“I, mother of Shaheed [martyr] Arshad Sharif request your honor to protect my Shaheed son’s murder case from becoming controversial and justice be provided Shaheed Arshad Sharif from Pakistan’s highest court,” said the mother, Riffat Ara Alvi, in her letter to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. “I further request your honor to take legal action in accordance with law and appoint a High Powered Judicial Commission so that the feeling of insecurity among the family members of Shaheed Arshad Sharif along with the Journalist community is taken care of.”
Sharif’s mother added the commission should have senior Supreme Court judges “to determine the real motive and identify criminals behind this heinous crime.”
She pointed out the Kenyan police had changed their statements regarding her son’s killing several times.
Besides, she noted that several Pakistani ministers had come up with “fabricated stories in relation to the death” of her son which were available on media record.
“The Prime Minister in his statement had made an announcement that a letter will be written to Islamabad High Court to appoint a high power judicial commission,” she continued. “However, unfortunately, contradictory to his statement one retired Justice Abdul Shakoor Piracha and two federal government officials have been made members of the commission which indicates malafide intentions of the government.”
Sharif’s mother also reminded the chief justice that her son had written a letter to him in July “to bring into your notice the threats to his life and the numerous baseless criminal cases initiated [against him] across the country by the present government.”
She hoped her letter would receive “due attention given the gravity of the case” and not be ignored.
The death of Sharif, who was laid to rest in Islamabad on October 27, unleashed outrage among the public and media in Pakistan, and calls for a transparent investigation into the killing.
Mother of slain Pakistani journalist asks top Supreme Court judge to form judicial inquiry commission
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Mother of slain Pakistani journalist asks top Supreme Court judge to form judicial inquiry commission
- Arshad Sharif was shot dead by police in Kenya in what was said to be a case of ‘mistaken identity’ by law enforcers in Nairobi
- His mother wants high-powered judicial commission to identify the real motive and criminals behind her son’s killing in Africa
Pakistani authorities block roads and motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest
- Jailed Imran Khan’s party has called for a “long march” to Islamabad on Nov. 24 to demand his release
- Motorway police say as per intelligence reports, protesters will be armed with sticks and slingshots
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has said that motorways across the country have been sealed from various areas to protect people’s lives ahead of a planned protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to Islamabad on Sunday.
Pakistani authorities sealed off major arteries and roads with shipping containers leading to Islamabad from the surrounding Rawalpindi city and other areas on Friday ahead of the PTI’s “long march” scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24.
In a notification released on Friday, the NHMP cited intelligence reports that protesters were planning to disrupt law and order in the capital, adding that they would be armed with sticks and slingshots.
“To prevent any untoward situation and to protect the lives of the people, motorways have been closed from various locations,” the NHMP said.
“The lives and property of the people will be guaranteed at all costs. Those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with strictly.”
Hours earlier, the NHMP had shared a notification on its social media platform X in which it had said that certain sections of the motorway were closed due to maintenance work. These sections were: M-1 Islamabad to Peshawar, M-2 Islamabad to Lahore, M-3 Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, M-4 Pindi Bhattian to Multan, M-14 Hakla to Yarik and M-11 Lahore to Sialkot.
As per local media reports, the Metro Bus service between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be suspended on Nov. 24 while a ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab from Nov. 23-25 ahead of the PTI’s march.
The PTI’s protest is primarily aimed at pressurizing the government to end Khan’s imprisonment which has lasted for over a year on what his party contends are politically motivated charges. The party also aims to raise its voice against alleged rigging in the Feb. 8 general elections while calling for measures to ensure judicial independence, which it says has been undermined by the 26th constitutional amendment. The government denies this.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s interior ministry had authorized the deployment of paramilitary Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps troops in Islamabad to maintain law and order.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
Families of Pakistanis trapped in forced labor in Myanmar urge authorities to secure release
- Thirteen Pakistanis were allegedly lured with job offers and trafficked to Myanmar from Thailand
- Families say captors torture them to lure others into cryptocurrency scams disguised as investments
ISLAMABAD: The families of 13 Pakistani nationals allegedly taken hostage by job scammers in Myanmar have appealed to authorities this week to secure their release, saying their loved ones are being confined to a compound, subjected to torture and forced to lure customers online for cryptocurrency scams.
The incident is part of a growing trend of Pakistanis falling victim to transnational criminal networks operating in Southeast Asia. In July this year, families of six other Pakistanis reported similar cases, claiming their relatives were held hostage by criminal gangs in Myanmar.
According to the families of the 13 individuals, including two women, they traveled to Thailand in March on valid work visas for a construction company, where they worked for two months. Subsequently, they were relocated to Laos and then Myanmar after their employer claimed to be moving operations.
The victims, who had completed short computer and IT courses, had prior experience in online jobs and were recruited by an agent in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
“They are now being held hostage in Myanmar, subjected to physical torture and sleep deprivation and forced to lure customers from Europe, America and Canada into cryptocurrency scams,” Danish Qamar, a resident of Wah Cantt in Punjab province, whose brother and nephew are among the trapped, told Arab News.
“They are tortured and made to work over 18 hours daily to trap people into fake cryptocurrency investments,” he added. “We have written applications to Pakistan’s foreign office and the Overseas Pakistani Foundation, but there has been no meaningful response.”
The issue of Myanmar’s criminal zones has also raised global concern, with the United States Institute of Peace reporting in November 2022 that these areas have been facilitating human trafficking, slavery and international fraud on a large scale.
Such criminal activities exploit vulnerable individuals, lured by the promise of high-paying jobs abroad, only to be trapped in forced labor and fraudulent operations.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s foreign office acknowledged reports of Pakistani citizens being detained by such networks in Myanmar, saying that its diplomatic mission in the Southeast Asian country was working with local authorities to secure their release. The foreign office also emphasized the need for a coordinated international response to combat human trafficking and transnational organized crime.
Asked about the 13 Pakistanis, foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch reiterated in a brief response to Arab News, “Our mission is in contact with the relevant authorities.”
However, she did not provide further details on the number of Pakistanis held or the measures being taken for their release.
According to the families, the 13 individuals have been trapped in Myanmar for about 20 days. Efforts to seek help from Pakistani missions in Myanmar and Thailand have proven futile, as officials reportedly cited limited access to the “lawless” border regions where the victims are being held.
“Officials say this is a lawless area, but the scammers have all the facilities like the Internet and electricity to run their operations,” said Maqsood Sadiq, the father of Suleman, 20, one of the hostages.
“We urge the government to act immediately to secure their release,” he added.
Pakistan PM forms committee to resolve tensions with key coalition ally
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar key members of committee
- PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari last week criticized federal government for imposing Internet restrictions, other issues
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week formed a committee to resolve tensions between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a key coalition ally of the government, state-run media reported.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari publicly lashed out at the PML-N-led government last week, regretting its decision to block virtual private networks (VPNs) across the country. Authorities say the measures are meant to deter militants and other suspects who use VPNs to conceal their identities and spread “anti-state propaganda” and promote “blasphemous” or other illegal content online.
Speaking to journalists at his party’s media cell, the PPP chairman had also criticized the government for approving a project to construct new canals on the Indus River, saying the decision had been taken without consulting his party.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to resolve issues between the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and to foster cooperation on political and other matters,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema are members of the committee.
It also includes Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engineer Amir Muqam, Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan, Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique, Jaffar Khan Mandokhail, and Bashir Ahmed Memon, it added.
“The Prime Minister has assigned the committee the responsibility of having detailed consultation with the PPP to ensure political collaboration and resolve the issues,” Radio Pakistan said.
It added that the committee would hold talks with members nominated by the PPP to discuss the future course of action between the two parties.
The PPP is a major coalition ally of the coalition government which also voted Sharif into power after the contentious national election in February. While it is not part of the federal government, the PPP has its government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province.
Sharif’s government has relied on the PPP’s crucial votes in parliament to pass the national budget and key constitutional amendments earlier this year.
Senior political leader shot dead amid escalating militancy in Pakistan’s northwest
- Mashaal Azad, a PPP leader in Lakki Marwat, was ambushed while going for Friday prayers
- Attack occurred the day Pakistan’s army chief was in Peshawar to discuss security situation
PESHAWAR: Amid a string of deadly attacks that have claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and security officials in Pakistan’s northwest, unidentified gunmen on Friday shot dead a senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the volatile Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, police said.
The restive district, a hotspot of militant activity, witnessed unprecedented protests in September when police officers, joined by civil society members and tribal elders, staged sit-ins and blocked the Indus Highway.
The demonstrations followed a spate of militant attacks that killed several policemen, prompting demands for enhanced security measures and greater autonomy for the law enforcement agency in counterterrorism operations.
Speaking to Arab News over the phone, the police spokesperson in the district, Shahid Marwat, said the slain PPP leader Mashaal Azad was heading toward Sarai Gambila, a rundown locality on the outskirts of the district’s center, for Friday prayers when he was ambushed by gunmen.
“Mashaal Azad was killed by unidentified bike riders on the Canal Road near Kajoori Hotel within the limits of Sarai Gambila police station,” Marwat said.
The incident occurred on the day Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir was visiting Peshawar, the provincial capital of KP, where he vowed action against militants and reiterated the army’s firm resolve to dismantle hostile militant networks.
The killing also follows a gun attack on a convoy carrying members of the minority Shiite community in the Kurram tribal district a day earlier, leaving more than 40 people dead.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday, 10 Pakistan army soldiers and two members of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary were killed when militants attacked a checkpost in the northwestern Bannu district.
Rabnawaz Marwat, a tribal elder in Lakki Marwat, said the late PPP leader was a long-time and senior party figure who had been a strong voice against militancy in the region.
“Late Azad had served as a member of the provincial council of PPP,” he informed. “He had also served as a student leader of PPP in Lakki Marwat. In addition, he was an active tribal elder who played a leading role in dispute resolution in the region.”
According to the police spokesperson, a report of the incident has been lodged against unidentified persons, and further investigations will be initiated.
“It is mentioned in the report that late Azad had no personal enmity with anyone in the area,” he said. “It seems to be an act of targeted attack by terrorists.”
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of civil and military leaders to review the country’s security situation, during which it was agreed to take action against those involved in militant violence.
Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film ‘The Glassworker’ makes Oscars eligibility list
- The film was released in July, with its director calling it the result of ‘passion and perseverance’
- Selection committee in the country says it has broken ‘new ground for animation’ in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated film, “The Glassworker,” has been named on the list of eligible films for the 97th Academy Awards in both the Animated Feature Film and International Feature Film categories, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week.
Directed by young Pakistani animator Usman Riaz, the film was released in July and features 1,477 cuts and 2,500 individual drawings. The coming-of-age tale follows Vincent, a young apprentice at his father’s glass workshop, and Alliz, a talented violinist and the daughter of a military colonel.
Against the backdrop of a looming war, their relationships with their parents and each other are tested.
“Thirty-one features are eligible for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards,” the Academy said on its website, with “The Glassworker” among them.
“Films submitted in the Animated Feature Film category may also qualify for Academy Awards in other categories, including Best Picture,” it added. “Animated features that have been submitted in the International Feature Film category as their country’s official selection are also eligible in the category.”
Five films from the list will be shortlisted for nominations in the Animated Feature Film category, with the ultimate winner announced at the Oscars ceremony scheduled for March 3, 2025.
A team of 250 national and international cast and crew members worked on the film, which was produced by Riaz’s Karachi-based Mano Animation Studios.
The film became Pakistan’s first-ever animated feature to be nominated for Oscars consideration in September.
“Usman and Mano’s work has demonstrated exceptional storytelling and artistry while breaking new ground for animation in Pakistan,” the Academy Selection Committee of Pakistan said earlier while lauding the project. “This achievement will be remembered in our cinematic history.”
Riaz described his effort as a result of “a decade of passion and perseverance” when the film was nominated for Oscars from Pakistan.
“I am deeply humbled by the selection and hope this story resonates with audiences everywhere, showcasing the talent and creativity Pakistan has to offer,” he added.
