ISLAMABAD: A war of words erupted between the government and Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday, shortly after three prison vans came under attack on the outskirts of Islamabad, with both sides accusing each other of orchestrating the incident, allegedly aimed at freeing 82 PTI prisoners.
The incident occurred near the Sangjani Toll Plaza on the historic Grand Trunk Road between Islamabad and Taxila as PTI workers, arrested during recent protests in the federal capital, were being transported back to Attock Jail after a court appearance.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the incident in a televised statement, blaming the PTI and its “history of violence” for the incident, while a PTI spokesperson accused the government of orchestrating the attack to discredit the party.
“The attack on the prisoner vans was a premeditated action,” the minister said.
“When the prison van slowed down near Sangjani Toll Plaza, armed workers in four vehicles attacked and attempted to free the 82 prisoners,” he added. “But all 19 escapees have been apprehended.”
Tarar claimed the son of a PTI lawmaker in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province was part of the plan and had been taken into custody. He noted that the attackers were equipped with weapons and shot at the police during the “botched attempt” to free the prisoners.
“Strict action will be taken,” he said. “Arrests will be made, and an example will be set so that no one attempts such an escape again.”
A PTI spokesperson, Shaikh Waqas Akram, however, said in a video clip the police broke the windows of the prison vans, opened their doors and forced all prisoners to step out.
“Police pushed them to run, but the PTI prisoners refused to escape,” he maintained.
In response, the information minister called the party’s narrative “laughable.”
“It sounds like a movie story where the police open the door and say, ‘Run away, we are setting you free,’ and then vandalize everything themselves,” he said. “All the CCTV footage [of the incident] is available.”
Tarar said the police were interrogating the arrested suspect to trace the mastermind of the incident, adding that the writ of the state would be enforced at all costs.
Earlier, local media reports said the attackers shot at the tires of the prison vans, causing them to burst.
Pakistan has witnessed significant political turbulence since the ouster of ex-premier Khan in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April 2022.
The former PM has been imprisoned for over a year on various charges, including corruption and sedition, which his party claims are politically motivated to sideline him from the national political landscape.
PTI has held demonstrations and rallies to pressure the government and secure his release. The latest protests in the capital, which led to the arrests of its workers and provincial lawmakers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were also part of the same campaign.
Government, opposition trade blame after Pakistan prison van attack to ‘free’ political detainees
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Government, opposition trade blame after Pakistan prison van attack to ‘free’ political detainees
- Information minister blames Imran Khan’s party for making the ‘botched attempt’ to free its supporters
- Khan’s PTI accuses the government of orchestrating the attack with police help to discredit the party
Pakistan PM optimistic about economic progress as stock market breaches 90,000 points
- Shehbaz Sharif says the $7 billion long-term IMF facility will further bring improvement to the economy
- He says the stock market has surged by 36 percent since March, reflecting gradual financial stability
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday expressed optimism about further economic improvements in Pakistan, citing the positive impact of a $7 billion loan facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), after the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crossed the historic 90,000-mark earlier in the day.
The KSE-100 index surged 1,141 points, or 1.25 percent, to reach an all-time high of 90,087 during intra-day trading before closing just below the milestone at 89,993.96 points, up by 1,047.98 points, or 1.16 percent, from the previous close. Analysts attributed the bullish sentiment to rising investor confidence, reflecting improvements in the country’s economic indicators.
The prime minister also highlighted the market’s performance as a reflection of his administration’s economic policies since assuming power after the February 8 general elections this year.
“By the grace of Allah, the gradual rise in the stock market since March 2024 reflects investors’ confidence in the government’s policies,” said Sharif in a statement. “This sharp rise in the stock market, after 14 years, is a result of the tireless efforts of the economic team.”
“The $7 billion long-term facility from the IMF will bring further improvement to the economy,” he added.
Sharif noted that his administration’s economic measures, including a reduction in the inflation rate from 38 percent to 6.9 percent, have set the country on a path of sustained recovery.
He also highlighted that the PSX had surged by 36 percent since March, reflecting gradual financial stability.
“I am hopeful that in the coming days, there will be more good news regarding economic improvements,” he added.
England reeling at 24-3 in series-deciding third Test after gritty Shakeel century
- Saud Shakeel’s 134 runs brought Pakistan close to a first home Test series win since February 2021
- England need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play
RAWALPINDI: Spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali left England reeling at 24-3 after Saud Shakeel’s fighting hundred put Pakistan ahead in the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi on Friday.
England came in looking to erase a deficit of 77 but had no answers for the Pakistan spinners on a turning pitch.
Sajid dismissed Ben Duckett for 12 and Noman Ali removed Zak Crawley (two) and Ollie Pope (one) in the space of five runs.
When bad light ended the second day’s play with five overs remaining, Joe Root and Harry Brook were at the crease on five and three respectively.
England still need 53 runs to avoid an innings defeat with seven wickets in hand and three days left to play.
The series is tied at 1-1 after England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs while Pakistan took the second by 152 runs, both in Multan.
On another day dominated by spin, Shakeel’s brilliant 134 was the highlight, pulling Pakistan within touching distance of a first home Test series win since they defeated South Africa in February 2021.
Shakeel anchored Pakistan’s innings, lifting them from a precarious 177-7 to 344 all out.
The left-hander held Pakistan’s innings together with a gritty knock spread over 322 minutes and 223 balls, hitting just five boundaries.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed was the pick of the England bowlers with 4-66 while Shoaib Bashir finished with 3-129.
The 29-year-old Shakeel defied England with an eighth wicket stand of 88 alongside Noman who made 45 before falling in the final over ahead of the tea break to spinner Bashir.
Shakeel added another 72 for the ninth wicket with Sajid who scored an unbeaten career-best 48.
Shakeel was finally caught off a miscued pull off pacer Gus Atkinson while Ahmed dismissed the last man Zahid Mahmood for nought.
The visitors looked to be in control when young spinner Ahmed bagged three quick wickets to leave Pakistan teetering at the end of the first session.
England were eyeing a lead after Ahmed’s burst left Pakistan on 187-7 at lunch but the Shakeel-Noman stand turned those expectations into frustration.
Shakeel batted with composure and reached his fourth Test hundred with a single off Rehan in a resistance-packed innings.
Noman — surviving a leg-before decision on review and a dropped catch off Root — assisted Shakeel admirably, hitting a six and two fours as the duo helped Pakistan add 80 in the second session.
Rehan sent Mohammad Rizwan (25), Salman Agha (one) and Aamer Jamal (14) back to the pavilion and threatened to derail Pakistan.
England’s frontline spinners Jack Leach and Bashir could not extract the same sharp turn from the pitch as rival Sajid Khan, who took 6-128 on Thursday.
Pakistan resumed the day at 73-3 in search of a lead to press for a series win.
But Shakeel was the only batter able to continue after reaching double figures.
Pakistan to showcase top 10 startups at COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan next month
- NUST has launched Green-Tech Hub in collaboration with Pakistan’s climate ministry to support young innovators
- Among the 10 startups featured at COP29, three will receive sponsorship for funding and green job creation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take its top 10 startups to the Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, this November to showcase projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to individuals familiar with the initiative on Friday.
The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has launched a Green-Tech Hub (G-TH), a state-of-the-art facility designed to transform Pakistan’s energy landscape and reduce the country’s carbon footprint by fostering green technologies, renewable energy solutions and eco-friendly innovations at its Islamabad campus. The platform will help young innovators connect with industry leaders to promote their green projects.
The COP29 climate conference, set to take place in Baku next month, will bring together representatives from various nations to discuss the adverse impacts of climate change and evaluate available solutions for adaptation.
“We are seeking the top 10 startups working in agritech, energy and other sectors to sponsor and take to COP29,” said Salaal Hassan, the chief executive officer of Ignite, a company dedicated to funding and supporting tech ventures, while addressing the launch of the Green-Tech Hub.
He added that three of the selected startups would receive assistance to raise funds and create green jobs.
“Young innovators should focus on solutions to combat climate change,” he emphasized.
Speaking at the event, Ministry of Climate Change Secretary Aisha Humera highlighted Pakistan’s challenging environmental situation, noting it also presented opportunities for young innovators.
“This Green-Tech Hub platform is designed to offer solutions to climate change-related challenges,” she said. “Pakistan contributes less than one percent to [global carbon] emissions, yet its impact on our economy and society is immense.”
“We aim to help young innovators connect with the industry to market their ideas and products, promoting green solutions,” she added.
Smog in Pakistan megacity ends outdoor play for schoolkids
- The eastern city of Lahore near the border with India regularly registers among the world’s most polluted cities
- Smog is particularly bad in winter due to low-grade fuel from factories, vehicles in low-lying city of 14 million
LAHORE: Schoolchildren in Pakistan’s second-largest city of Lahore have been banned from outdoor exercise until January because of hazardous smog levels, officials said Friday.
The eastern megacity near the border with India regularly registers among the world’s most polluted cities, this week recording more than 20 times the level deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Smog is particularly bad in winter as a result of low-grade fuel from factories and vehicles in the low-lying megacity of 14 million, where denser cold air traps emissions at ground level.
Seasonal crop burn-off by farmers on the outskirts of Lahore is also a major contributing factor.
This week the Environmental Protection Agency of eastern Punjab province said that outdoor school activities in Lahore would end from Monday.
A Punjab School Education Department spokesman told AFP on Friday the ban would last for three months until January 31.
School hours will also be cut in the morning to prevent children traveling when the pollution is most punishing.
Lessons will start no earlier than 8:45 am (0345 GMT), cutting 15 minutes off learning hours for public schools and more than an hour for most private schools.
Breathing the toxic air has catastrophic health consequences, with WHO saying strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and respiratory diseases could be triggered due to prolonged exposure.
According to UNICEF nearly 600 million children in South Asia are exposed to high levels of air pollution.
Schools in Pakistan’s most populous province of Punjab in particular are increasingly disrupted by extreme heat in the summer and choking smog in the winter.
In an editorial on Friday, Pakistan’s leading English-language newspaper Dawn said measures such as shutting schools were “akin to putting band-aids on gaping wounds.”
“The long-term strategies needed to combat this environmental crisis remain elusive,” it said.
Pakistan Supreme Court holds reference to bid farewell to Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa
- Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa is set to retire today after serving as the top judge for more than a year
- Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar among other judges did not attend the event
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday held a full court reference to bid farewell to outgoing Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, which was attended by his colleagues and prominent lawyers who recounted salient features of his tenure.
Isa, who retires today, took over as the country’s top judge on Sep. 17, 2023. He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court on Sep. 5, 2014, prior to which he held the position of the Balochistan High Court chief justice from Aug. 5, 2009 till Sep. 4, 2014.
The full court reference was live-streamed on the Supreme Court website and YouTube channel. Fourteen Supreme Court judges, including Chief Justice-designate Yahya Afridi, were in attendance at the reference.
Addressing the reference, Isa reflected on his career and said taking up the responsibility of a judge had been a “life-changing experience” for him.
“I took the job at a time when there was no judge in Balochistan,” he said, crediting his wife, Sarina Isa, for supporting him in doing “a lot of work” for the people of the impoverished Pakistani province.
“Me and my wife, who was on the forefront, did a lot of work for the people of Balochistan.”
Justice Afridi showered his praises on Chief Justice Isa, describing him as “one of the best human beings” from whom he had got to learn a great deal.
“If you meet, greet and treat Justice Faez Isa with a smile and humility, he will reciprocate with such gentle softness, likeness and care that it will leave you astonished,” Justice Afridi remarked.
“But mind you, if you in any way provoke him, or if I may say so poke the bear, then even hell hath no fury to match his scorn and only God may help and save you.”
He said the outgoing chief justice would be missed in the Supreme Court: “We have a rush of feelings while saying goodbye to the chief justice.”
Senior puisne judge, Mansoor Ali Shah, recused himself from the reference. Among other judges who did not attend the full court reference were Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan.
On the occasion, Attorney-General of Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan, Pakistan Bar Council Vice-Chairman Farooq H. Naek, and Supreme Court Bar Association President Shahzad Shaukat also addressed the full court, praising Justice Isa for his work.
