KARACHI: As political parties gear up for the February 8 national polls, Karachi-based Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) party unveiled an ambitious manifesto, vowing to empower local governments via a constitutional amendment, a senior leader of the party confirmed this week.
Founded by controversial politician Altaf Hussain in 1984, the MQM has been divided over the years into several factions. Once the most popular political force in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi and an important player in Sindh’s urban centers, the MQM-P has failed to take massive strides since it distanced itself from Hussain – accused of making anti-Pakistan speeches and promoting unrest – in 2016.
The party has historically held sway with millions of voters from the Muhajir community – Urdu-speaking migrants who came to Pakistan from India after the 1947 partition of the subcontinent – and has advocated for an empowered local government.
In its manifesto released last week, the party has called for a constitutional amendment to empower local government institutions. It suggests that 70 percent of the funds distributed by the center to provinces should be given directly to local governments.
Senior MQM-P leader Dr. Farooq Sattar said unlike Pakistan, countries such as Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam had progressed steadily over the years as they had empowered people at the grassroots level.
“The magic is actually because of the empowerment of a common man through the grant of complete autonomy to the local government,” Sattar told Arab News.
The MQM-P blames Sindh’s largest political party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), for deliberately refusing to empower the third tier of democracy. Last year, the PPP won local government elections in Karachi, which were marred by rigging allegations and boycotted by the MQM-P.
Sattar lamented that Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city by population, contributed significantly to the national exchequer but received only a small fraction of the money in return.
“Karachi is the hub of the economy. It gives away Rs. 4,000 billion to the national exchequer, and in return, it gets Rs. 40 billion, which is one percent,” he noted. “From the provincial government it gets half, which is Rs. 20 billion.”
He said a constitutional amendment that empowered and provided more funds for local government institutions would not only benefit Karachi but other Pakistani cities as well.
Sattar said he was optimistic the proposed amendment would be supported by the country’s major political parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
His party manifesto also addressed other pressing issues facing the country, including taxation, climate change, and agriculture.
It calls for a uniform and just taxation system covering all sectors of Pakistan’s economy, especially agriculture.
“The constitution says every taxable income must be taxed,” Sattar said. “But agriculture contributes 21 percent to the economy but there is no tax on big incomes of big feudal landlords.”
On climate change, he noted the party’s manifesto advocated a ‘prevention and cure’ approach. For prevention, he said his party would plant trees ‘religiously,’ whereas for the cure to Pakistan’s climate change problems, it would tap alternative energy sources like wind and solar power.
Karachi-based political analyst Faisal Hussain agreed that it was important to devolve powers from the center to the provinces and local government institutions. However, he expressed skepticism about the MQM-P’s ability to deliver on its promises, citing its past performances.
“In the previous governments, there was an [MQM-P] alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and also an alliance with the PPP,” he told Arab News. “During that period, it could have achieved much in this regard.”
Hussain said it seemed as if the party would remain limited to “mere manifestos and emotional slogans.”
Policy researcher Sadya Siddiqui said the MQM-P had proposed “progressive and well-thought-out” environmental initiatives in its manifesto.
She praised the document for calling an end to the dumping of waste into the sea, and speaking out against discharging untreated industrial waste into the water.
“There is a sense of awareness regarding climate change,” she noted.
Siddiqui said the party’s manifesto also addressed the issue of public transport in detail, pointing out how the MQM-P’s manifesto called for checking vehicles’ fitness, introduction of energy-efficient vehicles, and discouraging carbon emission.
Senior journalist Imran Ahmed said other political parties, especially those who were in coalition governments with the MQM-P, should also be questioned for not delivering on their past promises. However, he said this did not mean the Karachi-based party should be let off the hook.
“In the past, no one could ask questions of that MQM,” he said, referring to allegations that the party nurtured a militant wing that indulged in acts of violence against opponents and law enforcers. “But times have changed and everyone will ask questions. If the MQM-P fulfilled its promises, it will survive. Otherwise, it will cease to exist.”
In ambitious election manifesto, key political party from Karachi vows to empower local governments
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In ambitious election manifesto, key political party from Karachi vows to empower local governments
- Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan’s manifesto focuses on a range of issues, including climate change and taxation
- Once a major political force in Karachi, the MQM-P has failed to impress in elections since it parted ways from its founder
Pakistan’s Sindh asks authorities to restrict travel of cops, clerics accused of blasphemy murder
- Provincial home minister says police killed Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbhar in ‘fake encounter’ shortly after arrest on Sept 19
- The murder sparked rare protests in Sindh this month, prompting provincial authorities to suspend multiple officials
KARACHI: The government in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Monday requested the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to restrict 24 individuals, including 21 police officers and three clerics, from leaving the country, in a rare move in connection with the blasphemy murder of a doctor this month.
Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbhar, accused of sharing blasphemous content online, was arrested in Sindh’s Umerkot district, but he was shot dead in a purported shootout hours later on Sept. 19. Police said Dr. Kanbhar was killed when they asked two motorcyclists to stop, but one of the bikers opened fire on them. The law enforcers said it was only after the shooting that they learned the slain man was the doctor being sought by them for alleged blasphemy.
Dr. Kanbhar’s family disputed the police account, claiming he was murdered in custody. Hours after Dr. Kanbhar was fatally shot and his body was handed over to his relatives, a mob snatched it from Kanbhar’s father and burned it. The incident sparked rare protests in Sindh, at which people asked for justice for the slain doctor accused of blasphemy, which has rarely happened in Muslim-majority Pakistan. The widespread protests prompted the Sindh government to suspend a number of police and local administration officials.
Last week, the provincial government said the police had “orchestrated” the killing, marking the first time the government accused the law enforcers of doing what the doctor’s family and rights groups have described as an “extrajudicial killing.” Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar said a government probe concluded that Dr. Kanbhar was killed shortly after he gave himself up to authorities in what was a “fake encounter” by the police.
“I am directed to refer to the captioned subject and to request the intervention of FIA Sindh to prevent the accused nominated in subject FIR [first information report on Dr. Kanbhar’s murder] from leaving Pakistan,” a section officer of the Sindh home department said in a letter to the FIA, requesting the federal agency to put the individuals accused of the murder on the Exit Control List (ECL).
“In the light of above, I am directed to request that immediate measures may be taken to prevent the departure or fleeing of accused persons from the airport and other point of exit from the country.”
The official highlighted that the accused persons, including the Deputy Inspector General of the Police Javed Soonharo Jiskani, were facing “serious charges” pending an investigation.
Accusations of blasphemy — sometimes even just rumors — can spark riots and mob violence in Pakistan. Although killings of blasphemy suspects by mobs are common, extra-judicial killings by police are rare.
Dr. Kanbhar’s killing marks the second such incident this month. On Sept. 12, a police officer in the southwestern Balochistan province killed a blasphemy suspect in custody, highlighting the grave dangers faced by persons accused of blasphemy in Pakistan.
Human rights groups and civil society organizations have urged the Pakistani government to repeal the country’s blasphemy laws, which they argue contribute to discrimination and violence. They have also called for a comprehensive review of law enforcers’ response to blasphemy accusations.
Taliban blame Pakistan after ‘capture of key Daesh fighters’
- Security has generally improved since the Taliban surged back to power after winning their insurgency in 2021
- However, a regional chapter of the Daesh group has emerged as the main challenge to their rule in Afghanistan
KABUL: Taliban authorities captured “key members” of the Daesh (Islamic State) group responsible for recent deadly attacks across Afghanistan, a spokesman said on Monday, blaming neighboring Pakistan for harboring the organization.
Security has generally improved since the Taliban surged back to power after winning their insurgency in 2021, however the regional chapter of the group, known as Daesh Khorasan, has emerged as the main challenge to their rule.
A sweeping security crackdown broadly quashed the number of domestic attacks but there was a string of shootings and bombings by Daesh Khorasan this summer.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said “special forces” apprehended “key members of the insurgent group” which claimed a Kabul suicide bombing that killed six people this month.
He said the suicide attacker “infiltrated Afghanistan” from a training camp in Pakistan, while others arrested in a series of raids had also “recently returned” from there.
Mujahid said the crackdown has evicted the militant group from Afghanistan but they “have established new operational bases and training camps” in Pakistan.
“From these new bases, they continue to orchestrate attacks, both within Afghanistan and in other countries,” he said.
The comments are likely to further fray relations between Kabul and Islamabad, which have suffered since the Afghan Taliban’s return.
Islamabad blames Afghanistan for rising attacks on its territory, claiming that the Taliban government is failing to put down insurgents from the Pakistani Taliban based there.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Mujahid’s statement.
Pakistan, China, Iran and Russia issued a statement last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly which “expressed deep concern over the terrorism-related security situation in Afghanistan.”
It named several groups, including Daesh, which it said were “based in Afghanistan” and “continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security.”
Daesh Khorasan was founded in 2015 and came to prominence with a bombing during America’s chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport in August 2021 that killed some 170 Afghans and 13 US troops.
Analysts say the group is pivoting to more international attacks, including the killing of more than 140 people at a Moscow concert hall and more than 90 in twin bombings in Iran.
Recruitment among Central Asian nations on Afghanistan’s northern border is also said to be spiking. Mujahid said a Tajik national was among those arrested in the raids.
Daesh Khorasan also claimed an attack in central Bamiyan in May that killed three Spanish tourists and three Afghans, and two attacks this month that killed a total of 20 people.
Pakistani religion ministry formulating new regulations to oversee Umrah operations
- The ministry will handle all matters, including issuance of licenses and penalties over complaints, under the new Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Act
- Penalties for violations include blacklisting, suspension or cancelation of licenses, or reduction of quotas for Hajj or Umrah group organizers
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is formulating regulations to take control of Umrah operations under the new Hajj and Umrah (Regulation) Act, 2024, a spokesperson for the ministry said on Monday.
Under the new law, which came into effect this month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs will establish separate funds for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. While the ministry already oversaw Hajj operations, this will be the first time it will regulate Umrah operations.
All matters, including the issuance of licenses to operators, will now be handled by religious affairs ministry, and a four-member complaint disposal committee (CDC), led by an officer of Grade-20 or above, will address complaints relating to negligence or violation of agreements.
Penalties for violations include blacklisting, suspension or cancelation of licenses, or reduction of quotas for Hajj or Umrah group organizers, while the CDC may also forfeit performance guarantees in serious cases. However, CDC decisions could be appealed before three-member appellate committees.
“The Ministry of Religious Affairs has already started the process of preparing rules and regulations to oversee Umrah operations in the country,” Muhammad Umer Butt, the ministry’s spokesperson, told Arab News.
He said the process would take some time as several departments and stakeholders needed to be consulted to finalize the procedures.
Asked about the need to regulate the Umrah pilgrimage, he said Umrah operations were previously decentralized and run by hundreds of private tour operators, which created a lot of problems for pilgrims due to the absence of a proper mechanism of accountability.
“This move aims to centralize and organize the system, reduce the number of operators by allowing only registered operators to offer Umrah services,” he said, adding the ministry wanted to streamline operations.
“A complaint cell and resolution mechanism, similar to Hajj operations, will be established to benefit the public,” Butt said. “If any issues arise, there will be a government forum for accountability and resolution of complaints regarding the operators.”
Consultations were also ongoing with provincial governments for their input, according to the religion ministry spokesperson.
“The main objective is to ensure comfort of Umrah pilgrims, protect them from potential fraud, and improve their experience through effective complaint resolution and accountability mechanisms,” he said.
Muhammad Faizan, a senior member of the Pakistan Umrah Tour Operators Association in Rawalpindi, said the ministry had not yet contacted the association, but they would provide their suggestions, once approached.
“We will offer our input to ensure there is no excessive bureaucracy and Umrah operations continue smoothly,” he told Arab News. “It differs from the Hajj operation as Umrah runs almost year-round, so it requires uninterrupted functioning.”
Faizan emphasized that the tour operators intended to facilitate pilgrims and a proper mechanism to address their grievances would be beneficial for all.
“This would also be advantageous for operators as limiting the service to registered operators would encourage them to maintain their reputation,” he said. “Small, unregistered companies often engage in false promises to pilgrims.”
Masood says ‘hurt’ Pakistan aim to end win drought against England
- Pakistan have gone winless in 10 home Tests since February 2021
- They were handed a 2-0 defeat by Bangladesh earlier this month
KARACHI: Pakistan captain Shan Masood on Monday backed Babar Azam to find his batting touch as his side look to end their win drought in the three-match Test series against England starting next week.
Pakistan have gone winless in 10 home Tests since February 2021, the latest humiliation being swept 2-0 by Bangladesh earlier this month.
They also lost 3-0 in Australia earlier this year.
“It’s not acceptable for Pakistan to not win a home Test for that long and we accept the responsibility for that,” said Masood at a press conference in Karachi.
“As a cricketing nation we all are hurt right now.”
Masood was confident that batting great Azam would soon be back to his best after managing just 64 runs in the two Bangladesh Tests.
“We all know Babar is one of the top batters in the world and despite not scoring big runs the good thing is that he is not out of form, we have to back him,” said Masood.
Azam has not passed fifty in Tests in 16 innings dating back to December 2022.
England arrive in Pakistan on October 2 with the first Test starting in Multan five days later.
The second Test is also in Multan from October 15 while the final match is in Rawalpindi from October 24.
“I assure you that everyone is eager to stage a comeback in this series and take Pakistan cricket in a good direction,” said Masood.
England swept the series 3-0 when they last visited Pakistan in 2022.
“For me, pressure is a thing of privilege because leading your country is a great honor but with it comes responsibility,” said Masood, whose captaincy tenure runs until May 2025.
“If results are good then I will serve, if not then I will be punished. I don’t run away from challenges and this coming series is also very challenging.”
Pakistan, Oman to collaborate on madrassah curriculum development, student exchanges
- Pakistan religious affairs minister is on a three-day visit to Oman
- Meets Omani counterpart Mohammed bin Said bin Khalfan Al-Mamari
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain met his Omani counterpart on Monday and discussed collaborating on curriculum development at religious schools and establishing student exchange programs between the two nations.
Hussain is on a three-day visit to Oman where he will meet top officials and inaugurate a new branch of the Pakistan International School in Muscat.
On Sunday, both countries agreed on the early finalization of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on labor and manpower exchange.
“Both sides also agreed on possible cooperation to improve the curriculum of religious schools in accordance with Islamic teachings,” Radio Pakistan reported after Hussain met his counterpart Mohammed bin Said bin Khalfan Al-Mamari on Monday.
“Hussain proposed establishing student exchange programs for the study of Sharia, the teachings of the Qur’an, and Islamic history in the religious institutions of both countries.”
The first Pakistani Business Expo will be held in Muscat from Oct. 13-14.
In August, Islamabad invited Oman to invest in its agriculture, mineral and IT sectors under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a civil-military hybrid body set up last year to attract foreign investment in Pakistan, especially from Gulf nations.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan has also said Pakistan will set up a new trade mission in Oman as the country strives to enhance trade relations, particularly with the Middle East.
