LAHORE: Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab is proposing a ban on all social media platforms for six days due to security concerns during thousands of religious processions which start next week, its information minister Uzma Bukhari said on Friday.
The proposal relates to Muharram’s Ashura processions, 10 days of mourning by minority Shiite Muslims. The event is the holiest in the Shiite calendar and commemorates the 7th century death of political and religious leader Hussain Ibn Ali.
Hussain was grandson of the Muslims’ last Prophet Muhammad.
“It is a recommendation, and no decision has so far been taken,” Bukhari told Reuters, adding that the government had received reports of some sectarian issues on social media which he said could “put the country on fire.”
The measure is aimed at protecting the minority from sectarian violence, the provincial government wrote in a letter to Pakistan’s interior ministry on Thursday.
The letter, which was seen by Reuters, said social media platforms such as “Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Tiktok be suspended across the province of Punjab ... in order to control hate material/misinformation.”
The interior ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pakistan has blocked access to X since its February election, which the interior ministry said in a court submission in April was due to national security concerns.
Civil and rights groups have criticized the ban as an attack on freedom of speech and access to information in a highly polarized country amid allegations of election fraud.
Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has said that the suspension of cell phone service on the election day followed by the X ban was an attempt to hurt his supporters, who rely heavily on social media.
A court is due to rule on the last of Khan’s many convictions on July 12, the first day of the latest proposed ban. It was not clear whether the proposal is related to any likely threat of protests by his supporters.
Pakistan’s Punjab seeks social media ban over security concerns during Muharram processions
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Pakistan’s Punjab seeks social media ban over security concerns during Muharram processions
- The measure is aimed at protecting the Shi’ite minority from sectarian violence, the provincial government said
- Civil and rights groups have criticized the ban as an attack on freedom of speech and access to information
Pakistan’s rover to join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore lunar surface in 2028
- Chang’E 8 mission is a robotic exploration of the lunar south pole, known for its challenging terrain, by China in 2028
- Pakistan’s rover will conduct scientific experiments such as lunar soil study and conduct tests for human presence
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency announced this week its rover will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission to explore the moon’s surface in 2028, describing the development as a “significant milestone” for the South Asian country.
The Chang’E 8 mission is a robotic exploration of the lunar south pole by China, expected to launch in 2028. The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the country’s space program, said its rover will land on the lunar south pole in 2028 as part of the Chang’ E 8 mission. The south pole of the moon is known for its challenging terrain and potential scientific discoveries.
In May, Pakistan launched its first lunar satellite aboard China’s Chang’e-6 probe, which was tasked with landing on the far side of the moon that perpetually faces away from the Earth. China was the first country to make such an ambitious attempt.
“SUPARCO’s rover, with an approximate weight of 35 kilograms, will join China’s Chang’E 8 mission, which is part of the larger International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project,” SUPARCO said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s space program, as SUPARCO’s indigenous rover will be part of the mission to explore the lunar surface.”
SUPARCO said the mission would involve scientific experiments such as lunar soil study, lunar surface mapping and testing new technologies for human presence on the moon. It highlighted that the rover, equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instruments, would play a pivotal role in collecting data.
“This collaboration with China highlights the strong bilateral relations between the two countries and their shared vision for space exploration,” it concluded.
Army says suicide bomber recruiter among four militants killed in southwest Pakistan
- High value target recruited suicide bombers for separatist outfit BLA in district Kech, says army
- Last week’s bomb blast claimed by BLA at railway station in southwestern Pakistan killed at least 24
ISLAMABAD: Security forces shot dead four militants, among them a recruiter for suicide bombers for the separatist outfit Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in an intelligence-based operation in southwest Pakistan, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday.
The operation was conducted in Balgatar area of southwestern Balochistan province’s Kech district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, said.
Pakistan launched an armed operation in Balochistan earlier this month against separatist militants behind multiple attacks in August in which over 50 people, including civilians and security officials were killed. The BLA also claimed responsibility for a bomb blast last week that killed at least 24 people and left 50 injured at a railway station in Quetta.
“During the conduct of the operation, after an intense fire exchange between own troops and the terrorists, four terrorists including a high-value target, terrorist ringleader Sana (alias) Baru were killed,” the ISPR said.
“He was a focal recruitment agent, especially suicide bombers, for the so-called Majeed Brigade in District Kech and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.”
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the slain “terrorists,” the army’s media wing said. It added that security forces had launched a sanitization operation to eliminate any other “terrorists” found in the area.
Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which shares porous borders with Afghanistan and Iran, has been the scene of a low-lying insurgency for decades. Ethnic Baloch nationalists have long accused the central government and Punjab of monopolizing profits from Balochistan’s natural resources.
The state denies these allegations and says it is working on several projects to usher in development in the gas-and-oil rich province.
Father of British-Pakistani girl admits killing her but denies intent
- Sara Sharif, 10, was found dead in her bed in southwest London in August last year with serious injuries
- Her father, Urfan Sharif, had fled to Pakistan a day before her body was found with his wife and Sara’s uncle
LONDON: The father of a 10-year-old British-Pakistani girl on Wednesday admitted that he killed his daughter but maintained he had not meant to harm her, even as he beat her when she lay dying.
Sara Sharif was found dead in her bed in Woking, southwest of London, on August 10, 2023, with extensive injuries including broken bones, burns and bite marks.
Her father, Urfan Sharif, 42, had fled to Pakistan a day before her body was found, with his wife Beinash Batool, 30, and the girl’s uncle, Faisal Malik, 29.
All three adults deny murder and a separate charge of allowing the death of a child.
Giving evidence at the Old Bailey court in central London, Urfan Sharif had previously blamed Batool, Sara’s stepmother, and said she had forced him to confess to killing her.
But under questioning from his wife’s lawyer on Wednesday the taxi driver said he took “full responsibility” for what had happened, but that he had not intended to hurt Sara.
Asked if he killed Sara by beating, he replied: “Yes, she died because of me.”
He also admitted causing multiple fractures in the weeks before Sara’s death, using a cricket bat on her as she was bound with packaging tape, throttling her with his bare hands and breaking the hyoid bone in her neck.
“I can take full responsibility. I accept every single thing,” he said, also accepting that he badly beat Sara on August 8 when she had collapsed and was dying.
He maintained however that he was not guilty of the murder charge. “I did not want to hurt her. I didn’t want to harm her,” he told the jury.
Sara’s body was discovered in her bed on August 10. Her father phoned British police after arriving in Islamabad and said he had beaten his daughter “too much.”
A written confession was found beside her. A post-mortem examination found she had suffered multiple injuries, including at least 25 broken bones.
She also had burns and human bite marks on her body but Urfan Sharif denied making them.
The defendants were arrested on September 13 when they flew back to the UK.
Pakistan says Morocco interested in collaborating in aerospace sector
- Moroccan Air Force Inspector Maj. Gen. Mohammed Gadih calls on Pakistan’s chief of air staff in Islamabad
- Both officials discuss military cooperation and enhancing joint training exercises between the two countries
ISLAMABAD: Moroccan Air Force Inspector Major General Mohammed Gadih has expressed interest in collaborating with the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) in the aerospace sector, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday, as the two countries move toward strengthening defense relations.
Pakistan and Arab countries enjoy strong defense ties, with both engaging in frequent joint training exercises and collaborations related to defense production and counter-terrorism intelligence sharing.
Gadih called on Pakistan’s Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in Islamabad to discuss military cooperation and enhancing joint training between both countries, the Inter-Services Public Relations, (ISPR) the military’s media wing, said.
“Maj Gen Gadih lauded the technological advancement of PAF and expressed the desire of Moroccan Air Force to learn from aerospace industrial strides of PAF to enhance its operational capabilities,” the ISPR said.
“He conveyed his admiration for the state-of-the-art technological ecosystem witnessed during his visit to National Aerospace Science and Technology Park and shared his deep interest in exploring avenues of collaboration in the industrial domain.”
The Pakistani air chief reiterated his resolve to strengthen bilateral military partnership with Morocco, saying that it could be achieved through collaboration in joint training initiatives such as basic and tactical level training for Moroccan Air Force personnel.
The Moroccan air force official also visited different installations and technological infrastructure at the Air Headquarters, including the National ISR and Integrated Air Operations Center.
Pakistan PM assures Beijing of taking all possible steps to ensure Chinese nationals’ safety
- Shehbaz Sharif meets Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at sidelines of COP29 summit in Baku
- Beijing has grown anxious over increasing number of attacks in Pakistan targeting Chinese nationals
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday assured China’s vice premier that Pakistan was determined to root out “terrorism” from its country, saying that Islamabad was taking all possible steps to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals.
Separatist outfits in Pakistan have previously attacked Chinese nationals in the country, with Islamabad saying the attacks are aimed at disrupting its ties with Beijing and destabilizing a multi-billion-dollar Chinese infrastructure project in Pakistan. A deadly suicide blast near the airport in the southern city of Karachi last month targeted Chinese engineers, killing two and injuring 21 others. In March this year, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in northwestern Pakistan as they headed to the Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in the country.
China, breaking with tradition, recently spoke out publicly against security threats to its workers and nationals in Pakistan.
Sharif, who was in Baku to attend the global COP29 climate summit conference, met Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang at the sidelines of the summit to speak about bilateral ties between the two allies.
“While highlighting the government’s steps for the security of Chinese citizens in Pakistan, the prime minister said the government is taking all possible steps to ensure the security of Chinese nationals,” Sharif’s office said.
“The prime minister mentioned the government’s steps to completely eliminate the menace of terrorism from Pakistan and said that the government is determined to uproot terrorism from the country,” it added.
Sharif said China was Pakistan’s longstanding friend, adding that a new era of strengthening relations between the two countries had begun.
Separately, Sharif met Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev at the sidelines of the conference to congratulate him on successfully holding the World Leaders Climate Action Summit in Baku, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Sharif assured Aliyev that Islamabad was committed to work with Azerbaijan and the international community on challenges related to climate change.
“The two leaders reviewed the entire range of bilateral relations,” the PMO said. “They expressed their commitment to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, particularly in the areas of economic and defense cooperation; as well as people to people and cultural ties.”
Sharif expressed optimism about enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields including technology sharing and joint ventures in renewable energy, his office said.
In recent months, Pakistan has increasingly sought to attract investment and trade with regional countries, especially the Central Asian states, as it suffers from a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. It seeks to enhance its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting the Central Asian republics with the rest of the world, leveraging its strategic geographical position.
