Pakistan parliament forms body to resolve house-related issues after uproar over arrests of opposition MPs

Gohar Khan, Chairman of jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), speaks during a National Assembly session in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 11, 2024. (@NAofPakistan)
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Updated 11 September 2024
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Pakistan parliament forms body to resolve house-related issues after uproar over arrests of opposition MPs

  • Ex-PM Imran Khan’s party announces boycott of parliament pending investigation into arrests of MPs from inside parliament 
  • Information minister Ataullah Tarar says video evidence shows lawmakers were not detained while they were inside National Assembly 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to constitute a 16-member committee to resolve issues related to the house, days after the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said several of its lawmakers had been arrested from inside the parliament building. 

Pakistani police arrested several MPs belonging to ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party in late night raids on Monday and early Tuesday after it held a rally in the capital on Sunday to demand his release. The PTI says a number of the MPs were detained while they were inside the parliament building. National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday opened an inquiry into the arrests as under Pakistani law, lawmakers cannot be arrested from within the precincts of parliament without the speaker’s permission.

On Wednesday, the PTI announced its lawmakers would boycott parliament sessions until it was “satisfied” with the results of the investigation into the arrests.

“The House adopts motion stating , ‘Special Committee may be constituted by the Honourable Speaker, comprising sixteen members of the National Assembly from Treasury and Opposition Benches and the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to discuss, analyze and firm up recommendations regarding issues related to the Parliament, Parliamentarians, Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007, and smooth functioning of the Parliament,” the National Assembly said on X. 

The motion was moved by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar.

Earlier, while addressing the house, Tarar rejected the PTI’s claims that its MPs detained on Monday night had been taken into custody from inside the National Assembly building.

Sunday’s PTI rally was mostly peaceful, but there were clashes between police and some PTI supporters 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, a violation under the recently passed Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, which allows authorities to set time limits for public gatherings and designate special areas to hold them. The Islamabad administration had allowed the PTI to hold Sunday’s rally from 4pm till 7pm but the gathering went on until nearly 11pm.

Police have said the PTI MPs have been detained over violations of the new law.

“Some videos have come into your [Speaker’s] notice, some evidence has been brought forward that no one was picked up from inside the House,” Tarar, the federal government’s spokesperson, told parliament on Wednesday. 

PTI leaders rejected Tarar’s statement, with Chairman Gohar saying masked men had used walkie-talkies to communicate the movements of PTI party leaders inside parliament before detaining them and escorting them to the main gate. 

“Masked men came [inside], they opened all the doors. Who had the keys to open the doors? Who switched off the lights?” Gohar, who was arrested on Monday night but released on Tuesday, said.

He said the PTI would boycott parliamentary sessions until it was “satisfied” with the results of an inquiry into the arrests. 

“We will not even come to your committees. This is our protest.” 

Gohar also requested the house that the arrested PTI MNAs be produced in the ongoing session of the National Assembly today, Wednesday: 

“This was your order and is the minimum you should do.”

“CRACKDOWN”

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.

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 and now the PTI is aiming to mobilize the public through public rallies to call for their leader’s release from jail in “politically motivated” cases. 

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 Khan was prime minister from 2018 to 2022.


Seven killed in Pakistan’s northwest as militant’s car bomb explodes accidentally

Updated 5 sec ago
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Seven killed in Pakistan’s northwest as militant’s car bomb explodes accidentally

  • The explosion took place in Mir Ali where a militant was fitting a bomb in a car at his residence
  • Blast damaged several nearby homes and wounded 14 people, with some in critical condition

PESHAWAR: A powerful car bomb accidentally detonated at the house of a Pakistani Taliban militant in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least two children and five suspected militants, police said.
The explosion took place before dawn in the city of Mir Ali in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province when a man identified a local commander of the militants, Rasool Jan, was fitting a bomb in a car at his house, police official Irfan Khan said.
He said other militants from the Pakistani Taliban group quickly arrived at the scene and removed the bodies of the insurgents who died. Authorities later found the bodies of two children in the rubble of the house, which collapsed in the explosion.
The blast also badly damaged several nearby homes and wounded 14 people, including women. Some of the injured were in critical condition in a hospital, Khan said, but he did not provide details.
The Pakistani Taliban and other insurgents in the region often target security forces with assault rifles, rockets, grenades and suicide car bombings, and Khan said it appeared the car bomb was being prepared for such an attack.
The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, are separate from the Afghan Taliban but have been emboldened by the group’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
Also Thursday, security forces raided a hideout of insurgents in Harnai, a district in restive southwestern Balochistan province, triggering an intense shootout in which a soldier and three insurgents were killed. During the operation, an army major was killed when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle, the military said in a statement.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to whom they called the “martyred soldiers” in separate statements. They said the fight against terrorism will continue until the elimination of all insurgents.
 


Pakistan, Russia call for regional collaboration on Afghanistan amid shared security concerns

Updated 37 min 10 sec ago
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Pakistan, Russia call for regional collaboration on Afghanistan amid shared security concerns

  • The call comes as Moscow’s special representative for Afghanistan visits Pakistan for a day
  • Despite security issues, Afghanistan’s neighboring states view its stability as vital for progress

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Russia on Thursday called for greater collaboration among regional states to address the situation in Afghanistan, amid shared concerns over militant violence emanating from the war-torn country.
The call came during a visit by Moscow’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Zamir Kabulov, who met with Pakistan’s foreign secretary, Amna Baloch, and held detailed discussions with the additional secretary, Ahmad Naseem Warraich, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad.
“The two sides exchanged views on relations with Afghanistan and called for enhanced coordination among regional countries for a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan,” the foreign office said. “The two sides agreed to remain engaged toward this end.”
The talks come as both nations grapple with security threats linked to Afghanistan. Russia has voiced alarm over Daesh and its attacks, including a concert bombing in Moscow earlier this year that was linked to militants with ties to Afghanistan.
While the Afghan Taliban and Daesh are sworn enemies, Pakistan accuses the Afghan administration of facilitating the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a proscribed militant network blamed for cross-border attacks, an allegation Kabul denies.
Pakistan’s approach to Afghanistan has grown increasingly confrontational since last year as it pressures Kabul to rein in the TTP. By contrast, Russia announced last month it would remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, signaling a step toward normalizing ties with Afghanistan’s rulers.
Beyond security, Russia is keen to retain its influence in Central Asia and engage in Afghanistan’s economic reconstruction, particularly in energy and infrastructure projects.
Initiatives such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline and the Trans-Afghan Railway remain key priorities for Moscow, though persistent security challenges have delayed progress.
For Pakistan also, Afghanistan is critical for regional connectivity. Islamabad has offered landlocked Central Asian nations access to its ports, aiming to facilitate trade with global markets via sea routes.
Despite security concerns shared by Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, its stability is viewed as vital to unlocking the economic potential of regional projects.
 


PM Sharif urges nation to perform rain prayers as toxic smog chokes Pakistani cities

Updated 14 November 2024
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PM Sharif urges nation to perform rain prayers as toxic smog chokes Pakistani cities

  • Shehbaz Sharif urges Islamic scholars to play their role in organizing ‘Istisqa’ prayers across the country
  • Toxic smog has enveloped Pakistan’s cultural capital, Lahore, and 17 other districts of Punjab province

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the nation to perform prayers for rainfall, calling on Islamic scholars to take the lead in organizing “Istisqa” prayers, his office announced on Thursday, as worsening air quality continues to endanger the health of millions.
The Istisqa prayer is a special Islamic ritual performed to seek rain, primarily during times of drought or severe water shortages. It symbolizes the community’s humility, repentance and reliance on divine mercy for sustenance.
Toxic smog has enveloped Pakistan’s cultural capital, Lahore, and 17 other districts in Punjab since last month. Health officials report that more than 40,000 people have sought treatment for respiratory illnesses, prompting Punjab authorities to close schools until November 17 to safeguard children’s health.
“PM Sharif appeals to the nation to offer Istisqa prayers for rain,” his office announced in a statement. “Scholars should especially play their role in organizing Istisqa prayers.”
The prime minister noted the rainfall would improve the environment apart from aiding in getting rid of diseases.
“Istisqa prayers should be organized in all mosques under the auspices of the federal government and the provinces,” he was quoted as saying. “In the current situation, there is a dire need for rain.”
A day earlier, Pakistan’s Meteorological Department forecast light rains from Nov. 14-16 in most districts of the country’s populous Punjab province.
The UN children’s agency has warned that the health of 11 million children in Punjab is in danger due to air pollution.
South Asia, particularly India and Pakistan, gets shrouded in intense pollution every winter as cold air traps emissions, dust, and smoke from farm fires.
Pollution could cut more than five years from people’s life expectancy in the region, according to a University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute study last year.
 


Pakistan signs four-year pact with Global Green Growth Initiative to boost climate resilience

Updated 14 November 2024
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Pakistan signs four-year pact with Global Green Growth Initiative to boost climate resilience

  • The agreement will help Pakistan’s transition to a green economy, address water scarcity and deforestation
  • Pakistan has ranked as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, with its cities engulfed in smog

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has signed a four-year country program framework agreement with an international green economy organization to advance its sustainable development goals by enhancing climate resilience through green growth initiatives, according to an official statement released on Thursday.
The agreement was signed by Pakistan’s Climate Change Ministry Secretary, Aisha Humera Moriani, and the Global Green Growth Initiative’s (GGGI) Deputy Director-General, Helena McLeod, during a formal ceremony at the United Nations-led Global Climate Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Pakistan ranks as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. In 2022, catastrophic floods claimed over 1,700 lives, affected more than 33 million people, and caused economic losses exceeding $30 billion.
While international donors pledged over $9 billion last January to help Pakistan recover from the devastating floods, officials report that little of the pledged amount has been disbursed so far.
“The Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination and GGGI has signed a four-year Country Programme Framework agreement to advance Pakistan’s sustainable development goals through targeted climate action and green growth interventions,” said the official statement.
On the occasion, McLeod said her organization aimed to facilitate Pakistan’s transition to a green economy through collaboration with national stakeholders to address water scarcity, deforestation and energy challenges “compounded by climate change effects.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Coordinator on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam thanked the GGGI for engaging with Pakistan to “mobilize green finance, support climate action frameworks and promote investment” to achieve climate resilience.
Pakistan also regularly faces other climate change-induced effects such as droughts, cyclones, torrential rainstorms and heatwaves.
Currently, record-high air pollution levels have triggered hundreds of hospitalizations, school closures and stay-at-home orders in the eastern city of Lahore and other cities in the populous Punjab province, which has been enveloped in thick, toxic smog since last month.
A mix of low-grade fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, exacerbated by agricultural stubble burning, blanket Lahore and its surroundings each winter, trapped by cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds.
The city of 14 million people stuffed with factories on the border with India regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, but it has hit record levels this month, as has New Delhi.
 


Army officer, soldier killed in southwest Pakistan clash that leaves three militants dead

Updated 14 November 2024
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Army officer, soldier killed in southwest Pakistan clash that leaves three militants dead

  • Incident in Balochistan occurred after security forces reacted to militant presence in Harnai district
  • A Pakistan army major and a havildar lost their lives when an improvised explosive device blew up

QUETTA: An army officer and a soldier lost their lives in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Thursday, according to a statement from the military’s media wing, during an encounter that also left three militants dead.
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has been the site of a low-level insurgency by separatist militants for over two decades. In August, ethnic nationalist militants carried out several coordinated attacks on civilian and military targets in the province, killing more than 50 people on August 25-26.
Most of the assaults were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), the leading separatist group operating in the province, which is home to key China-led infrastructure projects, including a port and a gold-copper mine.
“On 14 Nov 2024, on reported presence of terrorists, planning to target innocent civilians in Harnai District, security forces under Major Muhammad Haseeb were immediately mobilized to sanitize the area,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) informed.
“Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location and resultantly three terrorists were sent to hell,” it continued. “However, during the operation, an improvised explosive device exploded on the leading vehicle of security forces, resultantly, Major Muhammad Haseeb (age: 28 years, resident of District Multan), a brave officer, who was leading his troops from the front, along with Havildar Noor Ahmed (age: 38 years, resident of District Barkhan), having fought gallantly, made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat [martyrdom].”
The incident comes just four days after a deadly suicide bombing at the Quetta railway station killed dozens of people, including army soldiers, and wounded several others.
A day earlier, security forces killed eight militants and injured six others during an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s restive northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
KP has been predominantly targeted by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who have carried out attacks on security forces’ convoys and check posts, as well as killing and kidnapping officials and civilians in recent months.
The TTP leadership is reportedly based in neighboring Afghanistan, straining ties between Kabul and Islamabad, as Pakistani officials accuse the Afghan Taliban of “facilitating” cross-border militant attacks.
Afghanistan denies the allegations and has urged Pakistan to address its security challenges internally.