ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s president and prime minister on Sunday promised to protect religious freedoms as the South Asian country marked the National Minorities Day, Pakistani state media reported.
Pakistan observes the National Minorities Day every year on August 11 since 2009, when the Pakistani government established it with the aim of recognizing the contributions of religious minorities to the nation’s progress.
A range of events, discussions and communal assemblies are organized by the government, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony, and various minority communities to observe the day.
In his message, President Asif Ali Zardari said minorities in Pakistan enjoyed all political, economic and social rights which had been guaranteed by the constitution, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to the promise made by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 11th August 1947, to the country’s minorities to protect their rights and religious freedoms,” he was quoted as saying.
The president noted that the government had taken a number of steps for political, social and economic empowerment of minorities, urging all stake-holders to educate the masses about the rights of minorities and promote interfaith harmony, tolerance and unity to make Pakistan a strong country.
President Zardari expressed his confidence that the minorities of Pakistan would continue to play their positive role toward the country’s development.
In his statement, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid a tribute to minorities for their “outstanding role” in the country’s development and prosperity.
“The purpose of celebrating the day is to express solidarity with the minorities living in Pakistan and to acknowledge their services for the state of Pakistan,” Sharif was quoted as saying by Radio Pakistan.
Sharif expressed his commitment to protect the rights of minorities and their overall development and prosperity.
Separately, the armed forces of Pakistan, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee chairman, and the services chiefs also acknowledged the contributions of minorities to the nation’s progress, prosperity and rich cultural heritage.
President, PM vow to protect religious freedoms as Pakistan marks Minorities’ Day
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President, PM vow to protect religious freedoms as Pakistan marks Minorities’ Day
- Pakistan observes the day every year on August 11 to recognize the contributions of religious minorities to the nation’s progress
- Separately, the armed forces and the services chiefs also paid tribute to the minorities for their role in Pakistan’s development
Over 713,000 Afghans deported from Pakistan since expulsion drive began last year
- 71,193 Afghan nationals were repatriated between August 17 and September 9, says Radio Pakistan
- Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants until it launch of the deportation drive
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has repatriated more than 713,000 Afghan nationals residing in the country illegally since it launched a deportation drive last year that drew criticism from international rights organizations, state-run media reported on Tuesday.
Last November, Pakistan announced it would deport “illegal immigrants” following a spike in suicide bombings that it blamed on Afghan nationals, though no evidence was provided to support this claim. Pakistani officials also alleged that Afghan citizens were involved in smuggling and other crimes in the country.
The cash-strapped government, grappling with record inflation and a tough International Monetary Fund bailout program last year, also maintained that undocumented migrants had drained its resources for decades.
“According to latest statistics, the total number of illegal Afghan nationals who were repatriated till yesterday [Monday] has reached more than 713,000,” Radio Pakistan reported. “The process of repatriation of the illegal Afghan nationals to their homeland is underway in a dignified manner.”
It added that 71,193 Afghan nationals had been deported from Pakistan between August 17 and September 9.
Until the government initiated the expulsion drive last year, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees, of which around 1.7 million were undocumented, as per government figures.
Afghans make up the largest portion of migrants, many of whom came after the Taliban took over Kabul in 2021, but a large number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamabad insists the deportation drive is not aimed specifically at Afghans but at all those living illegally in Pakistan.
International rights organizations have called on Pakistan to review its decision, warning that Afghan nationals deported may suffer from poverty and could face retaliation at the hands of the Afghan Taliban in their homeland.
Pakistani minister says government to finalize PIA privatization by end of October
- Pakistan planned to finalize the privatization deal on Independence Day, August 14, but it was delayed
- Khawaja Asif says PIA is facing a debt burden of $2.9 billion, can’t operate on routes lacking viability
ISLAMABAD: The government plans to finalize the privatization process of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) by the end of next month, according to a senior federal minister who shared the information while addressing the National Assembly on Monday.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar took up the issue of PIA flight restoration to the United Kingdom during his five-day visit to Britain, where he met top government officials and described the issue as a “major priority” for his government.
The suspension of PIA flights to the UK and Europe followed a 2020 plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people. This was compounded by a controversial statement from Ghulam Sarwar Khan, the aviation minister in former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration, who asserted that a significant number of Pakistani pilots held fake licenses, leading to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ban on PIA.
The situation also impacted the privatization process of the airline, though Dar said the government would start receiving the first round of bids on October 1.
“Federal Minister for Defense Khawaja Asif informed the National Assembly on Monday that the privatization process of Pakistan International Airlines will be finalized by the end of October,” the APP reported.
He said PIA was facing a debt burden of Rs800 billion ($2.9 billion), adding its flights would not operate on routes that lack financial viability.
The government initially planned to finalize the airline’s privatization deal on the country’s Independence Day, August 14, but it was delayed following requests from bidders who were waiting for PIA’s latest audited accounts, aircraft lease agreements and clarity on flights to Europe.
There are 88 commercially operated state-owned enterprises in the country, and the government has approved the sale of 24 of them in its five-year privatization plan ending in 2029.
The privatization of loss-making state-owned entities is also important due to the recommendation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has given staff-level approval to a fresh $7 billion loan to Pakistan.
London-based Pakistani bartender throws hat in the ring for Oxford chancellor
- Ryan Ahmad’s main contenders include jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan
- Others in the race are stalwarts of British politics Peter Mandelson and William Hague
ISLAMABAD: A former Oxford University student, Ryan Ahmad, who is currently working as a bartender at an East London pub, has put in an application to contest elections for the next chancellor of Oxford University after the incumbent Christopher Francis Patten stands down in February, Pakistan’s Geo News reported on Tuesday.
Main contenders for the post include jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, a graduate of Oxford’s Keble College who studied politics, philosophy, and economics in the 1970s while winning honors for the university’s cricket team and leading Pakistan to Cricket World Cup glory in 1992.
Khan’s Oxford connections and a CV that includes an eight-year tenure as chancellor of the University of Bradford may give him an edge in the election, despite having been in prison for more than a year.
Khan faces competition from other candidates, including “stalwarts of British politics” Peter Mandelson and William Hague, and the university’s Pro Vice Chancellor Lady Elish Angiolini, who, if she wins, will be the first woman chancellor.
Bartender Ryan Ahmad has also entered the ring.
“I have submitted my nomination papers but I won’t find out officially until the beginning of October whether I’ll be accepted,” Ahmad told Geo News in an interview. “I can’t think of any reason why I won’t be accepted.”
Ahmad said he had decided to study politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford because he felt “motivated” to improve the lives of people.
“I want everyone to be living happy and wholesome lives despite whatever background they come from,” he said when asked why he wanted to run for chancellor. “I profess social and liberal values.”
Ahmad said he was well prepared for the job and had “mature and expert” opinions.
“I understand local and international issues better. I am the most suited person. I have experience of working. I have a bit of better understanding and standpoint on the issues than all others and I am the master of my own destiny, liberal, independent and inclusive.”
Commenting on his chances of winning the election, Ahmad said everything depended on the amount of “traction and publicity” he received, complaining about not getting adequate media coverage like the other candidates.
The position of Chancellor of Oxford has existed since 1224. A largely ceremonial role, past officeholders include figures such as Oliver Cromwell, the Duke of Wellington, and former prime minister Harold Macmillan.
Speaker opens investigation into arrests of opposition MPs from inside Pakistan parliament
- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf says 13 MNAs arrested on Monday night in connection with rally held on Sunday
- Speaker asks for video footage to ascertain responsibility, says will not take the reports of arrests “lightly”
ISLAMABAD: Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly, on Tuesday opened an investigation into the arrests of opposition lawmakers from inside the parliament building on Monday evening.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan has confirmed the arrests of Gohar Khan, who is the party chairman, as well as 12 other lawmakers, though it was unclear if all of them were arrested from the parliament building. Police told Arab News three MPs including Gohar Khan has been arrested from the National Assembly over charges of violating a new law to regulate public gatherings in the Pakistani capital.
The PTI had held a rally on Sunday to demand Khan’s release. The gathering was mostly peaceful, but there were clashes between some PTI supporters and police en route to the rally venue, in which one police officer was injured. The rally also went on longer than the 7pm deadline given by the district administration.
Under Pakistani law, the concerned judge or magistrate needs to inform the speaker of reasons for the arrest of an MNA, while lawmakers cannot be arrested from within the precincts of parliament without the speaker’s permission.
“Whatever is being said about what happened in parliament last night, definitely, a stand must be taken on this,” Sadiq told parliament after opposition lawmakers raised the issue of the arrests on the floor of the house.
“I have not only requested videos of all the gates [but also] I want video footage from inside [the parliament] so we can put responsibility on the concerned.”
Sadiq said he would file a report with police against officers responsible for entering parliament and arresting MNAs and urged lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches to meet him in his chamber and discuss the way forward.
“We have to take this up seriously,” Sadiq said. “This is not going to be something taken lightly.”
Local media widely reported that Sadiq had summoned senior police officials, including the Islamabad Inspector General of Police, to his chamber to provide an explanation for Monday evening’s events.
Defense minister Khawaja Asif, a key member of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet, said the speaker’s suggestion on the way forward was “acceptable” and his ruling PML-N party would agree with whatever course of action was decided by other political parties and the house.
Before the speaker’s remarks, PTI lawmaker Ali Muhammad delivered a fiery speech in parliament, calling the arrests an “attack on democracy and on Pakistan’s constitution.”
In a video released on social media, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said the party had launched a “campaign to uphold the law and constitution of Pakistan.”
“The way they arrested [PTI] chairman Barrister Gohar [Khan] from inside parliament, I am extremely disappointed by the weakness shown by the Speaker [National Assembly],” he said. “We won’t back down from this. We won’t be frightened or suppressed.”
The chief minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which is ruled by the PTI, was also “missing” since he arrived in Islamabad for meetings on Monday night, the PTI said, but his family said on Tuesday morning that he was back in contact and had returned to Peshawar, the provincial capital.
“DANGEROUS PRECEDENT”
The government last week passed the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, to “regulate” holding public gatherings in Islamabad, including by specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law has set three-year jail terms for participants of ‘illegal’ assemblies, with ten-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
The Islamabad administration had allowed the PTI to hold Sunday’s rally from 4pm till 7pm but the gathering went on until nearly 11pm.
“They were arrested due to the violation of the new law, the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, in the PTI gathering on September 8,” Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad told Arab News on Monday evening, confirming three arrests.
Police did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the three additional arrests claimed by the PTI.
In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty International said the new law passed on public gatherings in the federal capital threatened the “right to protest” and had set a “dangerous precedent” that could be replicated elsewhere in the country.
Khan, jailed since last August, was ousted from the PM’s office in 2022 in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after what is widely believed to be a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful military, which denies being involved in politics. Since his removal, Khan and his party have waged an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military.
The ex-PM faces a slew of legal charges and was convicted in four cases since he was first taken into custody, all of which have been either suspended or overturned by the courts. He remains in jail, however, on new charges brought by Pakistan’s national accountability watchdog regarding the illegal sale of gifts from a state repository while he was prime minister from 2018 till 2022.
The PTI says it has faced an over year-long crackdown since protesters allegedly linked to the party attacked and damaged government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after Khan’s brief arrest that day in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested following the riots and many remain behind bars as they await trial. The military, which says Khan and his party were behind the attacks, has also initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
The party says it was not allowed to campaign freely ahead of the Feb. 9 general election, a vote marred by a mobile Internet shutdown on election day and unusually delayed results, leading to accusations that it was rigged and drawing concern from rights groups and foreign governments.
The PTI says it won the most seats but its mandate was “stolen” by PM Shebaz Sharif’s coalition government which formed the government with the backing of the all-powerful military. Both deny the claim.
Police did not respond to phone calls seeking comment on the 10 additional arrests claimed by the PTI.
Pakistan police hold protests over militant attacks, cop killings in northwest province
- At least 75 policemen killed in ambushes and target killings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2024
- Lakki Marwat sit-in enters second day as civil society, political representatives, tribal elders join protest
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Police in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province are staging a sit-in in the district of Lakki Marwat against a surge in militant attacks and the targeted assassinations of officers, with police and tribal elders on Tuesday saying the police department needed to be empowered to restore peace and stability in the volatile region.
The sit-in by policemen, who have been joined by representatives of civil society and political parties as well as tribal elders and members of the public, entered its second day on Tuesday, days after unidentified gunmen attacked a police van in Lakki Marwat, killing an officer. Two brothers of a serving police man in Lakki Marwat were also gunned down last week.
Pakistan has seen a rise in militant attacks in recent weeks, with many of them taking place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where groups like the outlawed Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, have stepped up attacks, daily targeting security forces convoys and check posts, and carrying out targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
At least 75 policemen have been killed in ambushes and target killings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2024, according to police figures.
“Only last week, an investigation officer and two brothers of a police officer were killed by unidentified gunmen. These kinds of attacks have created a sense of insecurity among policemen, which has forced them to launch protests to get their constitutional rights of protection for themselves and the community,” Lakki Marwat police spokesman Shahid Marwat told Arab News.
He said hundreds of policemen were taking part in the protest and were blocking the main Karachi-Peshawar Highway. Local supporters of all political parties and members of civil society and tribal jirgas had also joined the demonstration in solidarity with police, Marwat said.
The volatile Lakki Marwat district is located on the edge of Pakistan’s restive tribal regions that border Afghanistan, from where Islamabad says militants mainly associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) frequently launch attacks, targeting police and other security forces. Islamabad has even blamed Kabul’s Afghan Taliban rulers of facilitating anti-Pakistan militants. Kabul denies the charges.
Anees Khan Marwat, a senior Lakki Marwat police officer, said the protesters had two demands: security against targeted killings and withdrawal of the army from the district as well as the empowerment of police.
“Our protest will continue until the acceptance of our two demands,” he told Arab News.
Local elder Misbahullah Marwat said the region’s population was backing the police force and many members of the public had joined the sit-in because daily attacks on police officials were “no longer acceptable” to the people of the province.
“Police with active support from the local population can deal with militants and other issues pertaining to security,” he said.
In similar protests in KP’s Bannu in July, protest leaders rejected plans to launch a new military operation in the province and demanded that a spike in militant attacks in the region be tackled by empowering and better equipping civilian agencies like the police and the counter-terrorism department.
