ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) has said that motorways across the country have been sealed from various areas to protect people’s lives ahead of a planned protest by former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to Islamabad on Sunday.
Pakistani authorities sealed off major arteries and roads with shipping containers leading to Islamabad from the surrounding Rawalpindi city and other areas on Friday ahead of the PTI’s “long march” scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24.
In a notification released on Friday, the NHMP cited intelligence reports that protesters were planning to disrupt law and order in the capital, adding that they would be armed with sticks and slingshots.
“To prevent any untoward situation and to protect the lives of the people, motorways have been closed from various locations,” the NHMP said.
“The lives and property of the people will be guaranteed at all costs. Those who take the law into their hands will be dealt with strictly.”
Hours earlier, the NHMP had shared a notification on its social media platform X in which it had said that certain sections of the motorway were closed due to maintenance work. These sections were: M-1 Islamabad to Peshawar, M-2 Islamabad to Lahore, M-3 Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, M-4 Pindi Bhattian to Multan, M-14 Hakla to Yarik and M-11 Lahore to Sialkot.
As per local media reports, the Metro Bus service between the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi will be suspended on Nov. 24 while a ban on public gatherings has been imposed in Punjab from Nov. 23-25 ahead of the PTI’s march.
The PTI’s protest is primarily aimed at pressurizing the government to end Khan’s imprisonment which has lasted for over a year on what his party contends are politically motivated charges. The party also aims to raise its voice against alleged rigging in the Feb. 8 general elections while calling for measures to ensure judicial independence, which it says has been undermined by the 26th constitutional amendment. The government denies this.
Earlier this week, Pakistan’s interior ministry had authorized the deployment of paramilitary Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps troops in Islamabad to maintain law and order.
Pakistan’s parliament also passed a law earlier this year to regulate public gatherings in Islamabad, specifying timings for rallies and designating specific areas. The law prescribes three-year jail terms for participants in illegal assemblies and 10-year imprisonment for repeat offenders.
Pakistani authorities block roads and motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest
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Pakistani authorities block roads and motorways ahead of opposition’s Islamabad protest
- Jailed Imran Khan’s party has called for a “long march” to Islamabad on Nov. 24 to demand his release
- Motorway police say as per intelligence reports, protesters will be armed with sticks and slingshots
Kashif Ali to debut for Pakistan as West Indies opt to bat in second Test
- Pakistan lead series 1-0 after winning first Test in Multan by 127 runs last week
- Pakistan retain three specialist spinners in playing XI after their first Test heroics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pacer Kashif Ali will make his debut against West Indies today, Saturday, at the Multan Cricket Stadium as the two sides lock horns in the second Test match of the series.
Pakistan lead 1-0 in the two-match series after winning the first one at the same venue by 127 runs. Pakistan’s spin duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan once again did the trick for Pakistan, spinning a web around West Indies batters to dismiss them before they could chase Pakistan’s target.
Khan took nine wickets in the Multan Test while Noman took six and Pakistan’s third spin option Abrar Ahmed took five wickets to skittle the West Indies.
“West Indies win the toss and elect to bat first,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.
Kashif Ali will get the Test cap today as Pakistan announced its playing XI on Friday. He will serve as the sole pacer in the upcoming fixture as Pakistan retain their spin-heavy bowling attack, featuring Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed.
Pakistan’s playing XI:
Shan Masood (c), Muhammad Huraira, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Kashif Ali.
West Indies squad:
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Joshua Da Silva (vc), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Amir Jangoo, Mikyle Louis, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Jayden Seales, and Jomel Warrican.
Pakistan police say bound to follow SOPs to protect Chinese nationals amid harassment allegations
- Group of Chinese nationals filed petition in high court accusing Sindh Police of extorting, imposing unlawful restrictions on them
- Chinese nationals, under threat from separatist groups in neighboring Balochistan, have suffered attacks in Karachi in recent past
KARACHI: The police in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this week said they are bound to follow the federal and provincial governments’ instructions to ensure protection for Chinese nationals, responding to a group of Chinese citizens who filed a petition against alleged police harassment and extortion.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday sought a response from Pakistani authorities over alleged harassment, extortion and unlawful restrictions on Chinese nationals imposed by police in Sindh, after a group of 12 Chinese nationals filed a petition in December alleging their families were confined to their residences for nearly a week, forcing them to pay police hefty bribes.
A significant number of private Chinese investors have arrived and established businesses with local partners in Pakistan since both countries initiated the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2015.
In Sindh, the provincial government has established a Special Protection Unit (SPU) within the provincial police force to ensure security for Chinese nationals, under threat from separatist groups operating in neighboring Balochistan province which have also carried out attacks on Chinese interests and citizens in Karachi, the commercial hub of the country.
“Sindh Police is bound to implement at any cost the instructions/SOPs issued by the Government of Pakistan and the Sindh government in the context of the safety of Chinese guests,” a statement from the Sindh Police’s Public Relations officer said on Friday.
It said the provincial police aims to provide convenience and security to Chinese investors, and is ensuring all possible measures for their “foolproof security measures.”
“The responsibility of the security of Chinese citizens associated with non-CPEC projects lies with Sindh Police and local sponsors,” the statement said, adding that security lapses and gaps are regularly checked to ensure security for Chinese nationals.
The provincial police said In case of any security complaints by Chinese investors, senior officers immediately check and resolve it.
“Sindh Police will ensure the implementation of instructions issued by the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Sindh regarding the safety of Chinese citizens so that a safe environment can be provided to Chinese investors,” it concluded.
China has repeatedly urged Pakistani authorities to ensure protection for its citizens living and working in the South Asian country.
A suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi in October, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March 2024 in northwest Pakistan.
From mechanic to maestro, fire dancing reignites Pakistani cancer survivor’s life
- Zulfiqar Hussain took up art of fire dancing in 1986 to ‘see outer world in a better way’ but says it is now about survival
- Fire dancing is a dramatic artform in which artists manipulate flames to create striking visual displays before an audience
KARACHI: The crowd jumped up in excitement and applauded as flames erupted from the mouth of Zulfiqar Hussain, illuminating the darkened stage around him.
Dressed in traditional ‘jangli’ attire with his face painted black, Hussain’s fire dancing performance is both a reflection of his struggle against a life of difficulties and a way to showcase the unique cultural identity of Lyari, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the Pakistani port city of Karachi.
Fire dancing is a dramatic art form in which performers manipulate flames to create striking visual displays before an audiences or as part of rituals. Originating in Polynesia, it was part of cultural traditions like Samoan fire knife dancing but over time has evolved into global variations such as poi spinning from New Zealand, fire breathing, and baton twirling. In African culture, a fire dance typically represents a connection to the spiritual power of fire, signifying purification, courage and ancestral connection, with many tribes using it in rituals to appease fire deities.
Modern-day fire performers blend traditional techniques with music and choreography to captivate audiences. In Lyari, dancers wear jungle-themed costumes and paint their faces with watercolors before each performance. They dance to the beat of drums, drawing influences from African tradition.
“The prime thing for me was not Lyari, but I wanted to see the outer world in a better way,” said Hussain, 57, who began fire dancing in 1986 at the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) in Karachi, inspired by his mentor Ibrahim Dada.
For Hussain, the ACP stage was his gateway to the world beyond Lyari, a neighborhood known for its vibrant sports and literary culture but which has also for decades grappled with drug abuse and gang violence.
“Our ancestor, the master of the masters, Malang Charlie, brought this art from Africa in 1947,” Hussain said, saying the blend of African and local traditions had given Lyari’s fire dancing a distinct identity.
The art form has also helped the father of four, who worked most of his life as a mechanic and a driver, fight personal turmoil, including an early-stage cancer diagnosis in 2019. Following a year of treatment, Hussain returned to the stage in 2020, saying his desire to perform again was a source of strength and motivation for healing.
“As long as life is in me, I will keep doing this,” he said.
Hussain, who has performed at weddings and shows across Pakistan and internationally, lamented that the art of fire dancing was “undervalued” in Pakistan.
“In our country, there is no value for such things,” he added.
But despite a lack of recognition, the performer continues to teach others, ensuring the art form survives.
Hussain has mentored a majority of the up to 30 students currently practicing the art in Karachi, with many of them going on to perform on the local and global stage, keeping the flames of the tradition alive.
Abdul Hafeez, 38, one of Hussain’s disciples, said the challenge of being a fire dancer was assuaged by the energy of the audience.
“When people around us feel good, we feel good doing it,” he said.
But fire dancing is also replete with danger.
“You have to watch the wind, look at the audience, and check the place. Then you have to look at yourself. Only then you have to perform the item,” said Arsalan Majeed, another performer aged 24, describing the careful preparation required ahead of each performance.
Despite precautions, accidents are not uncommon, but the thrill and fulfillment of the art outweigh the risks.
“I’ve had a couple of accidents myself. I was pretty burned at one point,” Majeed confessed. “But it happens, the mind wanders, doesn’t it?“
Hafeez, Hussain’s student, also lamented the “unpredictable” income earned from the art form:
“It’s like air in the pocket. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not.”
But for Hussain, the fire he dances with symbolizes “the fire of the belly” — the need to survive.
“If there’s no fire in the belly, there’s no need to light this one,” he said, pointing to one of his torches made with cotton gauze. “The fire in the belly is greater, and for that reason, we keep playing with fire.”
New Pakistan law to ‘further tighten’ government’s grip on social media — Amnesty International
- The new law aims to set up a social media regulatory authority that will have its own investigation agency and tribunals
- These tribunals will be able to try and punish offenders with prison sentences of up to three years and fines of Rs2 million
ISLAMABAD: A new law in Pakistan aimed at regulating social media will “further tighten” the government’s grip on the “heavily controlled digital landscape” in the South Asian country, global human rights watchdog Amnesty International said on Friday.
Pakistan’s National Assembly, lower house of parliament, introduced and passed the amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) on Thursday. The amendments were presented in the Senate, the upper house, on Friday and were forwarded to a relevant committee for consideration. After their passage from both houses, the draft will be sent to the president to be signed into a law.
The new regulations will set up a social media regulatory authority that will have its own investigation agency and tribunals, according to a draft on the parliament’s website. Such tribunals will be able to try and punish offenders with prison sentences of up to three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200) for dissemination of “false or fake” information.
Pakistan’s Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told parliament on Thursday the law was introduced to block “false and fake” news on social media, which he said had no specific regulations to govern it.
“The amendment introduces a criminal offense against those perpetrating so-called ‘false and fake information’ and imposes a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment with a fine. The vague and ambiguous framing of some elements of the offense together with a history of the PECA being used to silence dissent raises concerns that this new offense will chill what little is left of the right to online expression in the country,” Babu Ram Pant, Amnesty International’s deputy director of campaigns for South Asia, said in a statement.
“Presented in the absence of any consultation or debate, the amendment also expands the powers previously available to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority through the newly created Social Media Regulation and Protection Authority. These provisions grant authorities power to block and remove content based on vague criteria, which will violate the right to freedom of expression and fail to meet standards of proportionality and necessity under international human rights law.”
Pant said the developments were in step with Pakistan’s deployment of “intrusive” digital surveillance technologies and laws that “fail to incorporate any human rights safeguards,” calling on authorities to immediately withdraw the amendments and instead engage in a consultative process with civil society to amend PECA to bring it in line with international human rights law.
The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, passed in 2016, triggered widespread criticism from human rights organizations and activists for its potential for “harmful impact” on the right to freedom of expression and access to information in Pakistan.
Reporters Without Borders, an organization that promotes and defends press freedom, ranked Pakistan low on its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, at number 152. The group also says Pakistan is one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work.
Separately on Friday, Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Afzal Butt said the government had not consulted any journalistic bodies before introducing the PECA amendments, adding he believed they were intended to gag freedom of speech and intimidate journalists and media outlets.
“We reject this unilateral decision by the government to set up any such tribunals,” Butt told Reuters. “We also are in favor of regulations, but, you know, a law enforcement agency or a police officer can’t decide what is false or fake news.”
The PFUJ said in a statement it would launch countrywide rallies against the new law next week and that if the law was not withdrawn, it would stage a sit-in protest outside parliament.
Pakistan forms special task force to curb human smuggling after Morocco boat capsize
- A migrant boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistani nationals
- The tragedy once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants embark on due to conflict, instability at home
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a special task force to curb human smuggling in Pakistan, Sharif said on Friday, days after a migrant boat carrying over 60 Pakistanis capsized near Morocco.
The boat capsized near Morocco’s coast on Jan. 15 while carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, according to migrant rights group Walking Borders.
Moroccan authorities said a day later 36 people were rescued from the vessel which left Mauritania on Jan. 2, while the Pakistani Foreign Office has said the survivors include 22 Pakistanis.
Sharif announced the launch of the task force at a meeting to review action against human traffickers, his office said, adding that the prime minister will himself head the task force.
“The arrests of members of groups involved in human trafficking should be expedited,” Sharif told officials at the meeting. “All institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, should play their full role in identifying human traffickers.”
The Morocco tragedy has once again underscored the perilous journeys many migrants, including Pakistanis, embark on due to conflict and economic instability in their home countries.
In 2023, hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank in international waters off the southwestern Greek town of Pylos, marking one of the deadliest boat disasters ever recorded in the Mediterranean Sea. More recently, five Pakistani nationals died in a shipwreck off the southern Greek island of Gavdos on Dec. 14.
The Pakistani government has ramped up efforts in recent months to combat human smugglers facilitating dangerous journeys for illegal immigrants to Europe, resulting in several arrests. PM Sharif has also urged increased collaboration with international agencies like Interpol to ensure swift action against human trafficking networks.
Officials informed participants of Friday’s meeting that so far, six organized human trafficking gangs have been identified, 12 cases have been registered, three key traffickers have been arrested, and 16 names have been placed on the passport control list. They were also apprised of the details of seizure of vehicles, bank accounts and assets.
“The murderers of humanity involved in human trafficking will be brought to justice,” Sharif said.
