ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Sunday said it would hold social media users accountable for propagating “fake” deaths during anti-government protests by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party in Islamabad, reiterating that law enforcers deployed to disperse violent protesters did not have live ammunition.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party this week led thousands of supporters to Islamabad, seeking to pressure the government to release the ex-premier from jail. The protests resulted in clashes that Pakistan’s government says killed three paramilitary soldiers and a police officer, and injured hundreds of others. The PTI has named 12 people and says it has evidence they lost their lives during the crackdown, however, several PTI members have given varied accounts of casualties during the protests. Pakistani authorities deny the claims.
On Sunday, the Pakistani interior ministry said violent protesters “aggressively engaged LEAs repeatedly using fire arms and all sorts of other weaponry including steel sling shots, stun grenades, tear gas shells and nail studded batons” throughout the protest march from Peshawar to Islamabad. It said police and Rangers were employed without live ammunition to disperse the violent mobs, while army, deployed under Article 245 of the constitution to secure key government installations and foreign diplomats in the Red Zone, neither came in direct clash with the protesters, nor was it employed for riot control.
“Unfortunately, social media accounts of PTI resorted to planned and coordinated massive fake propaganda of deaths caused by LEAs (law enforcement agencies) so as to divert attention from this senseless, violent and failed activity. There have been multiple false claims of deaths ranging from tens to hundreds to thousands on social media as well as PTI political leadership and their official pages,” the interior ministry said in a statement.
“PTI and its social media propagandists are bent upon to create divisions and confusion within the society. Such elements, whether inside the country or abroad, will surely be held accountable under relevant laws and no one will be allowed to sow divisions, hatred and propagating fake news.”
It said major hospitals in Islamabad rubbished reports of alleged gunshot casualties inflicted by the LEAs after due diligence, but a “sustained fabricated social media campaign,” using old and AI-generated clips, was undertaken by the PTI.
Government functionaries, including ministers as well as Islamabad chief commissioner and senior police officials who were directly involved in these riot control operations, repeatedly explained and clarified the actual situation and events unfolding with credible evidence, according to the ministry.
“It may also be noted that use of lethal means by LEAs, if at all to be employed, was best suited at multiple enroute blocks rather than within Red Zone under complete media and public glare,” it said.
Khan’s PTI has staged several protests this year to demand the release of the ex-premier, who has been in jail since August last year on a slew of charges, as well as to challenge results of the Feb. 8 national election, which it says were manipulated to keep the party from coming to power in the country. The Pakistani government and election authorities deny this.
This week’s protest was by far the largest to grip the capital since the poll and the Pakistani government said it caused Rs192 billion per day indirect losses to the economy.
“It is concerning to note that 39 lethal weapons including 18 automatic weapons have been recovered from the violent protesters and that among the apprehended offenders there are more than three dozen paid aliens,” the interior ministry added.
Pakistan says will hold social media propagandists accountable over ‘fake’ protest deaths
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Pakistan says will hold social media propagandists accountable over ‘fake’ protest deaths
- Statement comes days after ex-PM Imran Khan’s party led supporters to Islamabad, resulting in clashes with law enforcers
- Government denies PTI’s account of casualties, says social media propagandists are bent upon creating divisions in country
Truck carrying liquified petroleum gas explodes in central Pakistan, killing 5 people
- Over two dozen others injured in Multan, an old city in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province
- Firefighters have extinguished flames as officers investigate cause behind gas leak in truck
MULTAN, Pakistan: A truck carrying liquified petroleum gas caught fire and exploded overnight near an industrial area in central Pakistan, killing five people and injuring more than two dozen others, officials said Monday.
The explosion in Multan, a city in the eastern Punjab province, substantially damaged nearby shops and homes, and the deaths were caused by the fire and the collapse of roofs of houses, rescue official Mohammad Bilal said.
He said firefighters had extinguished the blaze and officers are investigating to determine exactly what the gas leak in the truck and the subsequent explosion.
China bans meat imports from Pakistan, Afghanistan and other nations over disease worries
- Ban comes after the World Health Organization released information of disease outbreaks in various countries
- China stops imports from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh due to sheep pox, goat pox
BEIJING: China has prohibited imports of sheep, goat, poultry and even-toed ungulates from African, Asian and European countries due to outbreaks of livestock diseases such as sheep pox, goat pox and foot-and-mouth-disease.
The ban, which also includes processed and unprocessed products, comes after the World Health Organization released information of disease outbreaks in various countries, according to a series of announcements by China’s General Administration of Customs dated Jan. 21.
The ban from the world’s largest meat importer affects Ghana, Somalia, Qatar, Congo (DRC), Nigeria, and Tanzania, Egypt, Bulgaria, East Timor and Eritrea.
China also said it has stopped imports of sheep, goat and related products from Palestine, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh due to sheep pox and goat pox outbreaks.
It also blocked the imports of even-toed ungulates and related products from Germany following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, it said.
Imran Khan’s party asks government to form committee to appoint new Pakistan election commissioner
- Demand comes as Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja’s tenure expires
- Khan’s party accuses Raja of manipulating results of February 2024 elections, which he denies
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Monday repeated its demand for the government to constitute a parliamentary committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner (CEC), a day after his term in office expired.
Omar Ayub, a PTI lawmaker and leader of the opposition in the lower house of Pakistan’s parliament, wrote to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Jan. 15 to form a parliamentary committee to appoint a new chief election commissioner. Ayub said Raja’s term would expire on Feb. 26, urging him to constitute the committee “to facilitate this important constitutional requirement.”
Raja oversaw Pakistan’s contentious general election last year which were marred by a countrywide shutdown of cellular networks, suspension of Internet services and delayed results. The PTI and other opposition parties alleged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Raja manipulated the results of the polls to facilitate his political rivals. The ECP has strongly rejected the PTI’s allegations while the caretaker government at the time said mobile phone and Internet services were suspended to maintain law and order in the country.
“Wrote a letter to the Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan on 15th January 2025 to constitute a Parliamentary Committee for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner,” Ayub wrote on social media platform X.
“Sikander Sultan Raja’s term ended yesterday (26th January 2025). He has no moral authority to continue. He and the 2 ‘retired’ commissioners should step down immediately,” he added.
Tensions between Khan’s party and Raja escalated in August 2022 when the ECP ruled that the PTI had received millions of dollars in funds from foreign countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and Australia, in violation of the constitution and concealed information related to it. Khan’s party denied it had hidden any information related to the funding.
In a separate verdict in October 2022, the ECP disqualified Khan from public office in a case registered against the ex-premier for failing to declare assets he earned from the sale of state gifts. Khan and his party have denied any wrongdoing.
Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023 on a slew of charges, was ousted from the prime minister’s post in April 2022 via a parliamentary vote. Once considered close to the military, Khan had a falling out with Pakistan’s powerful army in the days leading to his ouster.
Since his ouster from office, the former prime minister has led a defiant campaign against the military, whom he accuses of supporting his political rivals. Pakistan’s army and the government both reject his allegations strongly, with the military saying it does not interfere in politics.
The development also takes place amid renewed political tensions between the government and the PTI after the latter withdrew from negotiations with the former. Both sides kicked off talks last month to ease political tensions in the country. The PTI demanded the government release Khan and all political prisoners, and constitute judicial commissions to probe anti-government protests that took place in May 2023 and November 2024.
The PTI announced last week it would not partake in further talks with the government unless it forms judicial commissions. The government’s negotiation committee said it would respond to the PTI’s demands by Jan. 28, criticizing Khan’s party for ending talks “unilaterally.
Pakistan PM, president condemn gun attack on speaker Azad Kashmir’s convoy
- Chaudhry Latif Akbar’s convoy was fired upon when it arrived on Sunday in village near Muzaffarabad
- Shehbaz Sharif prays for early recovery of three persons injured, orders stern action against culprits
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday condemned a gun attack targeting the speaker of the Kashmir region administered by Pakistan that left three people injured, tasking authorities to take stern action against the culprits, state-run media reported.
Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, a leader of the Sharif-led ruling coalition ally Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was visiting his constituency in Kakliyot village around 15km south of Muzaffarabad when the shooting took place on Sunday as per news reports.
Three PPP supporters who were part of the convoy were injured in the attack. Akbar had reportedly received threats from Raja Amir Zafar, a local district council member, who vowed that no one would be allowed to enter the village for Akbar’s visit.
“President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have strongly condemned the incident of firing on the convoy of Speaker of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Zardari described the attack on the speaker as a “cowardly and despicable act,” praying for the early recovery of the injured.
In his statement, the Pakistani prime minister prayed for the early recovery of the injured persons.
“The Prime Minister directed the authorities concerned to take immediate action and ensure the arrest of those responsible for the attack,” Radio Pakistan reported.
Azad Kashmir is a self-governing administrative unit under Pakistan’s control but is not recognized as a sovereign country. The Muslim-majority Kashmir region has long been a source of tensions between nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan, leading them to fight two out of three wars since winning independence from the British Empire in 1947 over the disputed territory.
The scenic mountain region is divided between India, which rules the populous Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-dominated region around Jammu city, Pakistan, which controls a wedge of territory in the west called AJK, and China, which holds a thinly populated high-altitude area in the north. Besides Pakistan, India also has an ongoing conflict with China over their disputed frontier.
Pakistan to participate in upcoming International Taekwondo training camp in Sharjah
- Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan, Russia and other countries to take part in camp underway in Sharjah till Feb. 5
- Camp to provide athletes opportunity to engage in high-level training sessions, foster international collaboration
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is participating in the upcoming 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training camp alongside teams from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries, state-run media recently reported.
Taekwondo is a traditional Korean martial art practiced across 206 countries, according to the official Olympics website. In taekwondo, hands and feet can be used to overcome an opponent but the trademark of the sport is its combination of kick movements.
Pakistan’s team arrived in Sharjah this week to participate in the international training camp, which will be underway till Feb. 5, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported. More countries expected to join in the coming days.
“The 11th Sharjah International Taekwondo Training Camp will provide a valuable opportunity for athletes to enhance their skills, engage in high-level training sessions and foster international collaboration in the sport,” APP said on Sunday.
Pakistan has made some gains in the martial art sport over the past few months. In October 2024, Pakistan’s taekwondo team made history by winning the 6th Asian Open (Khyurogi) Taekwondo Championship held in Indonesia from Oct. 14-17 last year.
Pakistani twin sisters Manisha Ali and Maliha Ali, hailing from the country’s northern Hunza valley, were part of the team that secured three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals in the championship.
The tournament featured over 275 athletes from across Asia, including participants from India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal and Indonesia.
The same month Pakistan’s youngest taekwondo champion Ayesha Ayaz took part in the Qatar International Open Taekwondo Championship. Ayaz was among 1,440 players from 40 countries who competed in the event across four categories: cadet, juniors, youth and adults.
