ISLAMABAD: A 10-member joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police after a local tourist was lynched to death in Swat over an accusation of desecrating the Holy Qur’an, confirmed officials on Sunday, noting that 23 suspects have been arrested based on the incident’s CCTV footage.
The tourist, Muhammad Suleman, who belonged to Pakistan’s Sialkot city, was dragged from a local police facility by a mob on Thursday before being tortured, killed and set on fire on suspicion of burning the pages of the Islamic scripture.
According to a notification seen by Arab News, the JIT includes senior police officials along with members of the Counter Terrorism Department, Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau to uncover the facts of the incident and bring those involved to justice.
“The JIT has started systematically collecting evidence, working along modern scientific and technical lines, including performing forensic analysis of the CCTV footage,” Superintendent of Police Hazrat Khan, who is leading the team, told Arab News. “We have also recorded statements from eyewitnesses and are adopting other investigative means.”
Khan said the team was investigating the matter from all possible angles to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime do not evade justice.
Asked about the details of the incident, he said that as soon as the accused was brought to a local police station on the fateful day, a large number of people stormed the building and damaged property and vehicles.
He confirmed the mob took the accused, killed him and then burned his body.
“So far, 23 people have been arrested, and efforts are underway to arrest more of the individuals involved,” he added.
The suspects in the case are facing several charges, including premeditated murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, use of deadly weapons and obstructing public servants in the discharge of their duties.
Giving details of the damages to the police station caused by the enraged mob, the police spokesperson in Swat, Nasir Iqbal, said that two motorcycles, five personal vehicles and one police mobile were set on fire.
He informed the building had also been damaged and ransacked by people.
Iqbal said all arrested individuals were local residents, and no political leader had been found involved in the incident.
“In the police report, 49 people were named after being identified through CCTV footage, and over 2,000 others were listed as unknown suspects,” he added.
Asked about reports of police negligence while dealing with the situation, he said no inquiry had been initiated against the Station House Officer (SHO) of the police precinct that came under attack.
He also maintained that all details of the case would be mentioned in the JIT report which was still investigating the matter.
The incident also came up for discussion in the National Assembly of Pakistan where the defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, said on Sunday it was parliament’s responsibility to take a clear stance on the issue.
“It is the responsibility of this parliament to unanimously stand and protect the people and minorities against such violence,” he said during his speech.
The minister added that no one should exploit the incident for political purposes, adding that Islam prohibited the killing of innocent people in the name of religion.
“No evidence of blasphemy has been found against those who were killed across the country in different incidents by mobs and, in many cases, people leveled such allegations to settle personal scores,” he continued.
Speaking to Arab News, security expert Syed Kaleem Imam emphasized the need to build police capacity to handle such sensitive situations and to educate the community to prevent such incidents.
“There are standard operating procedures in place to handle such crimes, but unfortunately, the police often struggle to control the mob or secure the accused due to a lack of understanding of the situation,” Syed Kaleem Imam, former inspector general of police, said.
“There should be more mock exercises for community policing to help the law enforcers deal with such incidents at every level,” he continued, adding that police officials faced undue inquiries and feared for their jobs when they resorted to the use of force in such emergency situations.
Imam also noted the government should stop pandering to popular sentiment and take proper action against such crimes, committed in the name of religion.
“There should be no administrative leniency toward criminals,” he emphasized. “The government should also sensitize the community through mosques and tell them that if anyone commits such crime [of blasphemy], they should be dealt with by the police. The locals should be made to refrain from using loudspeakers at the mosques to spread messages in such sensitive situations.”
Joint investigation team arrests 23 in mob lynching case in Pakistan’s Swat valley
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Joint investigation team arrests 23 in mob lynching case in Pakistan’s Swat valley
- The incident happened when a local tourist was accused of desecrating the Holy Qur’an by people
- Pakistan’s defense minister urges parliament to protect people and minorities against such violence
Pakistan raises fuel prices by up to Rs9.56 per liter amid global energy market fluctuations
- With the new surge, the per liter cost of petrol and high-speed diesel will be Rs265.61 and Rs277.45, respectively
- Any upward revision to fuel prices is generally met with public discontent amid fears of high inflation in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The government on Sunday increased the per liter cost of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs7.45 and Rs9.56, respectively, after taking credit for reducing petroleum prices by up to Rs35 since taking over following the last review.
Fuel prices are fixed on a fortnightly basis by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) in Pakistan, which adjusts them by considering fluctuations in the international energy market and rupee-dollar parity.
This allows the government to pass on the net effect to consumers to finance the country’s fuel imports.
“The prices of petroleum products have seen an increasing trend in the international market during the last fortnight,” said the statement circulated by the finance division, adding that OGRA had worked out the consumer prices accordingly.
“There will be no change in the applicable taxes & duties, which will remain at the existing level,” it added.
With the new surge, the per liter cost of petrol will be Rs265.61, and for high-speed diesel, it will be Rs277.45.
The new prices will be applicable for the next fortnight, starting July 1.
Any upward revision to fuel prices in the country is generally met with public discontent as it contributes to inflationary pressure, raising the overall cost of living.
Pakistan witnessed a 38 percent inflation rate in May 2023, which eased more recently to 11.8 percent last month.
PIA slashes Umrah fares to Madinah until July 15
- The round-trip Umrah fare from Karachi to the Saudi holy city will be Rs76,000 without taxes
- Umrah pilgrims flying from other Pakistani airports will pay Rs86,000 excluding relevant taxes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national air carrier announced a reduction in Umrah fares for pilgrims traveling to Madinah in a statement issued on Sunday, saying the discounted rates would be implemented immediately.
Thousands of Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia each month to visit the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah, making the kingdom a lucrative destination for the financially struggling Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
Earlier this month, PIA also disclosed plans to operate 171 flights to bring about 35,000 Hajj pilgrims back to Pakistan by July 21.
“PIA announces reduction in Umrah fares,” the airline announced in a statement. “Umrah pilgrims traveling from Pakistan to Madinah will benefit from discounted fares.”
“The round-trip Umrah fare from Karachi to Madinah will be Rs76,000 excluding taxes,” it continued. “From Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Multan and Sialkot to Madinah, the round-trip fare has been set at 86,000 excluding taxes.”
The statement added the facility to travel from Pakistan at discounted fares would remain effective until July 15.
Fears mount of new deportation wave as Afghan refugees’ registration cards expire on June 30
- Pakistan extended the POR cards for two months in April after expelling more than 540,000 Afghan nationals
- Government launched the deportation drive against ‘illegal immigrants’ in November, citing security concerns
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan may resume its deportation drive against Afghan refugees from Monday after their Proof of Registration (POR) cards expire today, June 30.
POR cards are identification documents issued by Pakistani authorities to Afghan refugees that serve as official recognition of their legal status in the country, allowing them access to various services such as education, health care and banking.
The government extends these cards on a periodic basis, often depending on the political and security situations involving both countries.
It decided to extend these cards for two months in April amid rising international concerns of more Afghans being expelled after over 540,000 of them were sent home in the first deportation phase launched amid security concerns last November.
While the government has not yet issued a statement addressing the future of these refugees, the situation has once again stirred concern about Afghan nationals needing “international protection.”
“They’re refugees. They’re not involved in terrorist activities. They’re just people who fled and who need protection,” Philippa Candler, an Afghan refugee agency official in Pakistan, was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
Pakistan began its deportation drive against “illegal immigrants,” mostly Afghan nationals, after a surge of deadly suicide bombings which officials in Islamabad blamed on militants based in Afghanistan.
The authorities also blamed the Afghan administration in Kabul for facilitating these militants, a charge denied by Taliban officials, while blaming Afghan nationals in Pakistan for carrying out 14 out of 24 suicide attacks in the country.
Pakistani officials also warned that they would expel registered Afghan refugees from the country.
Seven killed, 10 injured in road collision in Pakistan’s Karachi amid heavy port traffic
- The incident took place on Mauripur Road, which is notorious for traffic jams due to heavy vehicles
- The top police surgeon in Karachi says three people involved in the accident are in critical condition
KARACHI: Seven people were killed and ten injured after a road accident occurred between a coaster and a trailer in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi on Sunday.
The incident took place on the central Mauripur Road, notorious for traffic jams due to the heavy flow of trawlers and trucks carrying goods to and from the city’s port facilities.
Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial capital, is a major hub for import and export, benefiting from a bustling harbor that provides access to global sea lanes.
“We received seven bodies, one male and six females,” said Karachi’s top police surgeon, Dr. Summaiya Syed, while speaking to Arab News.
She informed that among the 10 injured people, four were male while six were female, with three of them in critical condition.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads are often in poor condition.
Karachi, the largest and most densely populated Pakistani metropolis, experiences a heavy load of traffic on nearly every artery of the city.
According to media reports, the speeding coaster rammed into the trailer and overturned as the latter’s driver was trying to take a U-turn.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the incident, saying the licenses of all reckless drivers should be suspended.
Twenty inmates stage jailbreak in Azad Kashmir, one killed – officials
- The incident took place at the Poonch district jail in Rawalakot city where the inmates used a revolver to hold a sentry hostage
- A search operation is underway to locate the escapees, some of whom were held on serious charges including terrorism
MUZAFFARABAD: Twenty detainees, some accused of terrorism, staged a prison break in Azad Kashmir on Sunday, officials told AFP, adding that one was “killed in the crossfire” during the escape.
“The inmates had a revolver that they used to hold a sentry hostage,” said Badar Munir, an official with the regional ministry of interior.
“It is unclear whether they seized it (the weapon) from jail officials or if it was brought in from outside,” Munir added.
The incident took place at the Poonch district jail in Rawalakot city, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) south of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir.
“In total, 20 people escaped from the prison. One was killed in the crossfire, while 19 others remain at large,” the inspector general of Kashmir prisons, Waheed Ali Gillani, told AFP.
A senior local police official, Riaz Mughal, told AFP that police had blocked the entry and exit points of Rawalakot, and a search operation was currently under way to locate the escapees.
Prisons in Pakistan are notorious for overcrowding, poor conditions, corruption and human rights violations. Additionally, slow judicial processes contribute to prolonged stays for prisoners.
Militant groups have organized several mass jailbreaks in Pakistan in the past, including one in the northwestern town of Bannu in 2012 that sprung 400 prisoners.
