Following Supreme Court order, Islamabad police register case in murder of journalist Arshad Sharif

The wooden coffin containing the body of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead when police hunting car thieves opened fire on the vehicle he was traveling in as it drove through their roadblock without stopping, is loaded into a courtesy van at the Chiromo mortuary in Nairobi, Kenya, on October 24, 2022. (REUTERS)
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Updated 06 December 2022
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Following Supreme Court order, Islamabad police register case in murder of journalist Arshad Sharif

  • Three people nominated as key suspects in the murder that took place in Kenya last month
  • Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of murder, orders government to register FIR by day end

ISLAMABAD: Following the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, police in Islamabad on Tuesday registered a case in the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya in October, nominating three people as key suspects in the crime.

Under Pakistani law, the police are required to respond to any complaint about a potential crime by registering a case, or a “first information report.” That report marks the beginning of an investigation.

The police complaint nominated three persons, Waqar Ahmed, Khurram Ahmed, and Tariq Ahmed Wasi. It cites sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The FIR added that according to the postmortem report, Sharif died due to the firing of ammunition.

“Arshad Sharif has been killed abroad in Nairobi [Kenya]. The involvement of Khurram Ahmed, CNIC number 42301-9410336-5, Waqar Ahmed CNIC number 42301-3062658-9, both sons of Afzal Ahmed, and Tariq Ahmed Wasi son of Muhammad Wasi CNIC number 42301-8003405-3 in this murder has been proved,” the FIR said. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court took suo motu notice of the murder and ordered the government to register an FIR by the end of the day.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Tuesday used Pakistan’s so-called “suo moto” provision — which allows him to take up cases on his own initiative — to set up a bench of five judges to supervise an investigation into the killing of the prominent television journalist in Kenya in October.

Sharif left Pakistan in August over threats to his life and after a slew of court cases related to charges of treason and others were registered against him. He was killed by Kenyan police on the outskirts of Nairobi on October 23, in what police said was a case of “mistaken identity” during the search for a car involved in a child abduction case.

But a two-member Pakistani fact-finding team that visited the East African state subsequently called the killing a “targeted assassination.”

The court said it had sought initial responses from the Pakistani foreign office, interior ministry, information secretary and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ).

“The journalist community and the public at large are deeply distressed and concerned about the death of the senior journalist and are seeking the court’s scrutiny of the matter,” the court said in a statement.

Sharif worked for many years as a prime-time television news show host for ARY News in Pakistan. In the last year of his life, he was known to be a harsh critic of the military and a supporter of ex-PM Imran Khan.

Khan has said Sharif had been murdered for his journalistic work and called for a judicial investigation.


Pakistan sends delegation to Saudi Arabia following PM Sharif’s high-profile visit

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Pakistan sends delegation to Saudi Arabia following PM Sharif’s high-profile visit

  • Saudi Arabia has pledged to invest $2.8 billion in Pakistan to ensure sustainable economic growth
  • PM urges his team to take maximum benefit from the fruits of Pakistan’s ongoing economic diplomacy

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani delegation departed for Saudi Arabia after recent high-level talks between the two countries, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday, as he highlighted the gains of his administration’s economic diplomacy during the federal cabinet meeting.

Pakistan has grappled with a prolonged economic crisis in recent years, addressing it through external financing from allies like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and China, along with support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

To secure sustainable economic growth, the country has sought trade and investment partnerships, with Sharif visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar earlier this month to discuss collaborative opportunities across multiple sectors.

During these talks, Saudi Arabia pledged $2.8 billion through 34 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and agreements on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative conference. Pakistan is now focused on implementing these initiatives, with five projects already underway.

“Our delegation has left for Saudi Arabia,” Sharif told cabinet members. “My visit and meeting with the crown prince [Mohammed bin Salman] went well, with positive intent for Pakistan.”

Sharif highlighted potential collaboration in mines, minerals and solar energy, while noting a demand for Pakistani information technology experts in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

“I hope the [IT] ministry can prepare a plan [to capitalize on that],” he said.

The prime minister stressed the need to develop a highly skilled workforce to meet global standards while pointing out it was essential to “rapidly move forward” on MoU implementation with other countries.

He also mentioned $2 billion in MoUs with Azerbaijan, saying Baku had expressed readiness to proceed with these initiatives.

“These are good signals, and it’s up to us now to maximize their benefits,” he added.


Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel

Updated 15 min 7 sec ago
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Iranian FM on Islamabad visit, says Tehran reserves right to ‘legitimate defense’ against Israel

  • Araghchi is in Pakistan on a two-day visit to discuss Middle East tensions, bilateral ties 
  • Decries Israel’s “acts of genocide” in Gaza, ongoing attacks in Lebanon, assault on Iran on Oct. 26

ISLAMABAD:  Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in Pakistan’s capital on Tuesday for a two-day official visit to discuss a range of issues, including tensions in the Middle East, saying at a press conference that Tehran reserved the right to a “legitimate defense” against Israeli aggressions though it did not seek escalation.

Araghchi was addressing a joint media briefing with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in which he spoke about Israel’s “crimes and acts of genocide” in Gaza, its ongoing attacks in Lebanon and its assault on Iran on Oct. 26. 

Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday threatened Israel and the US with “a crushing response” over attacks on Iran and its allies. Any further attacks from either side could engulf the wider Middle East, already teetering over Israel’s assault of the Gaza Strip and its ground invasion of Lebanon, into a wider regional conflict as the US goes into a presidential election today, Tuesday.

“Unlike the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek escalation,” Araghchi told reporters. “However, we reserve our inherent right to legitimate defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and we would certainly respond to the Israeli aggression in a proper time and in a proper manner.”

Since the deadliest attack by Hamas in its history on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has carried out air and ground strikes in Gaza in which over 42,000 people have been killed. Since late September, it has also been at war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both Hezbollah and Hamas are allies of Iran. 

Pakistan, a major ally of Saudi Arabia, shares a long border with Iran but ties have been frosty over a range of issues, including cross-border militancy. 

During Tuesday’s press conference, the Iranian foreign minister appreciated Pakistan’s stance in condemning Israeli aggression against Iran. 

“We [Muslim nations] are working toward a solution to stop these atrocities and to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza and Lebanon at the upcoming OIC meeting, especially as winter approaches, which will only intensify the hardships of the homeless and refugees in Gaza and Lebanon,” Araghchi added. 

Saudi Arabia will also host a joint Arab-Islamic summit on Nov. 11 to address Israeli assaults in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

PAK-IRAN TIES

Speaking about bilateral relations, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s commitment to the promotion of ties with Pakistan in all areas, including economic, political, academic, cultural, and tourism.

“The objective of this round of consultation is the promotion of the all-out relations between Iran and Pakistan with a new focus on the bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of trade and economy,” he added.

Speaking at the media briefing, Pakistani FM Dar said during his meetings with Araghchi, he had emphasized the need for an “urgent” ceasefire, de-escalation, and dialogue aimed at realizing the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

“We also resolved that in the upcoming joint Islamic summit in Jeddah, which has been scheduled for the 11th of November, we would pool our efforts in order to make sure that we come up with a joint approach to the issues for which this joint summit has been called,” Dar said. 

Dar said both sides had also discussed ways to enhance cooperation across several key areas, including trade, energy, and border security. 

“We agreed to intensify collaboration on border management and address shared challenges as we underscored that terrorism and extremism pose a serious threat to the regional peace and pledged to coordinate our joint efforts to eradicate these challenges,” he added.

Pakistan and Iran have had a rocky relationship despite several commercial pacts between the two countries on trade, energy, and security. Both countries signed the $7 billion Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project agreement in 2004 but 20 years on, the project remains incomplete due to funding challenges and threats of US sanctions over doing business with Tehran. 

Iran has completed the pipeline’s construction on its side of the border while Pakistan is seeking a US waiver to go ahead with building the project. Pakistan has also hired two prominent US law firms, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and White & Case, to defend its position in an international arbitration case initiated by Tehran over the stalled gas pipeline project, the attorney general confirmed to Arab News on Monday.

Pakistan and Iran are also often at odds over instability on their shared, porous frontier, with both countries routinely trading blame for not doing enough against militants who carry out cross-border attacks. 

Tensions surged in January when Pakistan and Iran exchanged airstrikes, both claiming to target alleged militant hideouts in each other’s countries. 


Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider

Updated 12 min 7 sec ago
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Pakistani mechanic fulfills childhood dream of building, flying homemade paraglider

  • Muhammad Ashraf completed first successful flight in Balochistan’s Bostan town on Oct. 28, reaching 300 feet
  • Ashraf modified 1000cc motor vehicle engine into functional paragliding engine, sourced local materials and parts

BOSTAN, Balochistan: Muhammad Ashraf, a 28-year-old motor vehicle mechanic in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, was barely a teenager when he had to quit school to help his ailing father support their family.

While Ashraf went on to become a successful technician and set up his own workshop in the rugged town of Kuchlak in the impoverished Balochistan province, his real dream was different: to build a paraglider and fly high in the skies.

In 2021, the mechanic workshop owner got to work making a fan-powered, three-wheel paramotor. He watched paragliding videos on Facebook and YouTube and eventually contacted some fellow mechanics in the provincial capital of Quetta to help him find the required engine and parts.

“I started my work by watching online videos. I didn’t learn from anyone, neither do I have enough education for anyone to teach me, nor is there any such system in our country,” Ashraf told Arab News in an interview this week ahead of a flight of his paraglider.

“I bought an old engine. I opened it and rebuilt it again myself. Once I was fully confident about the engine, I installed it,” he added. “The advantage of the Cultus [compact car] engine is that it’s lightweight yet powerful, with a 1,000cc capacity.”

Muhamamd Ashraf works on a lake-grinder inside his workshop in Kuchlak, Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province on November 03, 2024. (AN Photo)

Other than the car engine, Ashraf used local materials and parts to build the paramotor, spending $5,776 on the project. With a large iron rod hanging in the front to control the movement of the wings and two right-left pedals as the accelerator and brake, Ashraf’s paramotor can fly for half an hour on almost 20 liters of gasoline.

“It was too costly for me to purchase an imported engine and other parts for my paramotor from abroad, hence I used local iron and parts ordered from Lahore, Karachi and Quetta. I used local wood and trimmed it into wings for my paramotor.”

“ACHIEVEMENT FOR PEOPLE OF BALOCHISTAN”

Paragliding is a lucrative business in Pakistan’s picturesque northern areas, annually frequented by hundreds of thousands of tourists. But most people are unfamiliar with paragliding in remote, arid Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by area but its most poor and underdeveloped.

Ashraf says he is the first person who has built his own paramotor in the province, completing its first successful flight on Oct. 28 in Killi Qasim, a village in his hometown of Bostan in Pishin district.

“I was quite nervous before taking out my two-seater paraglider for the first flight, but I flew for three minutes and went up to 300 feet in the sky,” he recalled. “My family, friends and other people in my village were very happy when I touched the paraglider down on the ground.”

Muhammad Azam Bazai, a union councilor in Bostan, described Ashraf’s locally made paramotor as an “achievement for the people of Balochistan” and requested the provincial government to support him in building paragliding tourism in the province.

“We were initially mocking him, saying we didn’t believe his aircraft would ever fly or get off the ground,” Bazai said. “But when he flew the paraglider, I was so happy that I can’t even express the joy.”

Muhammad Ashraf (second on the left) meets locals in his village in Bostan, Pakistan southwestern district Balochistan province, on November 03, 2024. (AN Photo)

Shahid Rind, a spokesman for the Balochistan government, said the government would look into the viability of Ashraf’s project.

“In the past, the government has promoted such initiatives and positive steps taken by the youth of Balochistan,” he told Arab News. “And if there is any professional or commercial viability in this, the government of Balochistan will definitely support this individual.”

Having successfully built his flying machine, Ashraf now wants to upgrade it to a three-seater with a more powerful engine, and also aspires to build more paramotors for flying enthusiasts in Balochistan.

“I will try to teach people who want to learn how to make and fly it,” the mechanic said as he climbed into his paraglider, readying for flight.

“Whoever is interested in learning in Balochistan, I am here to help.”


Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

Updated 21 min 43 sec ago
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Pakistan to host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women's cricket teams in 2026/27

  • Zimbabwe to tour Pakistan in Apri-May 2025, New Zealand to tour country in April 2027
  • Pakistan will travel to South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in 2026 for cricket contests

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host New Zealand, Zimbabwe and England women’s cricket teams for the first time in 2026 and 2027, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said this week, saying that the tours were part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Future Tours Programme 2025-29. 

Zimbabwe women’s team will tour Pakistan in April-May 2026 while New Zealand will be visiting the country in April 2027, the PCB said in a statement. The English women’s cricket team will tour Pakistan in October 2027 while Bangladesh will be the fourth side to tour the country in October 2028. 

“Pakistan will host England, New Zealand and Zimbabwe women’s cricket teams for the first time as ICC announced Future Tours Programme 2025-29,” the PCB said in a press release on Monday. 

Eleven countries will participate in the fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship being played from 2026-29 to directly qualify for the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029, it said, adding that each team will compete against eight other teams in eight home and away matches. 

The fourth cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship, which will be played from 2026-29, will see 11 sides taking part in the event for direct qualification to the ICC Women’s 50-over World Cup in 2029. 

In the Women’s Championship, each team will compete against eight other teams, following the format of four home and four away series, similar to the current edition. Across 44 series, a total of 132 ODIs will be played, with each series consisting of three matches.

“The Future Tour Programme will see an ICC Women’s tournament taking place every year, starting with the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 in India, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in England, the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027 and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028,” the PCB added.

Pakistan will travel to South Africa in February 2026 and then play Sri Lanka in July of the same year as part of their away assignments, the board said. In November 2026, Pakistan will visit the West Indies while their final away series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2026-29 cycle will be in Ireland in June 2028.
 


Saudi Arabia, UAE invest $26.8 million in Pakistan in first quarter of current fiscal year

Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi Arabia, UAE invest $26.8 million in Pakistan in first quarter of current fiscal year

  • Foreign investment surged by 48 percent in first quarter of current fiscal year
  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed agreements worth $2.8 billion last month

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign investment has surged by 48 percent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, state-run media reported on Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) contributing $26.8 million during the same period.

Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil and military body, in 2023 to fast-track decisions related to foreign investment in its key economic sectors such as agriculture, mining, minerals, tourism and others. The development took place as Pakistan grappled with a prolonged economic crisis that almost led the country to suffer a sovereign default before a critical $3 billion bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year averted the crisis.

As per a breakdown shared by state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, China invested $404 million during the first quarter of the current fiscal year while Saudi Arabia’s investment was recorded at $ 1.8 million. The UAE, meanwhile, invested $25 million, Hong Kong $98 million, the United Kingdom $72 million and the United States $28 million in the same period, the state broadcaster said.

“A significant increase of forty eight percent has been seen in foreign investment in Pakistan in the first quarter of current fiscal year, reflecting the effective strategies of the Special Investment Facilitation Council,” Radio Pakistan said.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar last week, where he held talks with the leadership of the two countries on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment and energy. Pakistani and Saudi businesses had signed 27 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $2.2 billion in October. During Sharif’s visit to the kingdom last week, the two countries agreed to enhance that figure to $2.8 billion.

Meanwhile, the UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. It is also an ideal export destination for the South Asian nation as the short distance between the two countries limits transportation costs and facilitates commercial exchanges.

Sharif has actively pursued economic diplomacy in the region in recent months, seeking more investments and enhancing trade and regional connectivity for Pakistan. The South Asian country has sought to leverage its position as a transit and trade hub connecting landlocked Central Asian countries with the rest of the world and also pushed for mutually beneficial economic partnerships with Gulf countries.