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			<title>'Never a subject for discussion': PM Shehbaz says US-Iran MoU has 'no mention' of ballistic missiles hours after NA remarks</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614688/if-2018-election-was-legitimate-so-is-current-govt-pm-shehbaz</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614688/if-2018-election-was-legitimate-so-is-current-govt-pm-shehbaz#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 26 08:45:03 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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				<![CDATA[Says there should be 'no confusion' about the matter, takes aim at 'spoilers' who he says want to scuttle peace deal]]>
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				<![CDATA[Hours after saying that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran also included discussions on ballistic missiles, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said otherwise later on to visiting Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

Earlier today, while speaking on the mou in the National Assembly, the prime minister had said: &quot;There will be discussions on nuclear facilities, ballistic missiles, and frozen assets, and we hope that within 60 days the memorandum of understanding will lead to a long-lasting agreement that contributes to peace in the world.&rdquo;

Iran&#39;s Fars news agency subsequently reported that officials from Iran&#39;s negotiating team &quot;emphasised that the issue of missiles is fundamentally not on the agenda of the negotiations, and the text of the published memorandum of understanding also clearly indicates that such topics are not on the agenda&quot;.



بنا بر این گزارش، مسؤلان تیم مذاکره&zwnj;کننده ایرانی تأکید کرده&zwnj;اند که موضوع موشک&zwnj;ها اساساً در دستور کار مذاکرات قرار ندارد و متن منتشرشده یادداشت تفاهم&zwnj;&zwnj; نیز به&zwnj;وضوح نشان می&zwnj;دهد که چنین محورهایی در دستور کار نیست.
۲/۳
&mdash; خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) June 23, 2026


Speaking to the Iranian president later in delegation-level talks on his visit to Pakistan, PM Shehbaz said: &quot;I would say with fullest command at my domain that this MoU does not mention ballistic missiles, it was never on the table [and] agenda. The Iranian side never wanted to even discuss it, so that is not an impression, that is a matter of fact, so there should be no second thoughts about it, it must not be misconstrued because there are spoilers all over the world to scuttle this peace deal. They don&#39;t want the great Iranian nation to come out of the ashes of war and touch the zenith of glory.&quot;

He reiterated that he wanted to &quot;make it abundantly clear that ballistic missiles [were not on the agenda], and ofcourse there cannot be double standards that some countries can have ballistic missiles and Iran shouldn&#39;t have. This is simply, you cannot digest this kind of duplicity, so I wanted to make it very clear that the MoU, which has been signed by me as mediator, does not mention ballistic missiles at all and that is the stated position, so there should be no confusion about it.&quot;



&quot;Your Excellency, I would like to state with complete clarity that this MoU does not mention ballistic missiles. It was never on the table, it was never on the agenda, and the Iranian side never wanted to discuss it. That is not an impression; it is a fact. Therefore, there&hellip; pic.twitter.com/LeB9OojZwo
&mdash; Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) June 23, 2026



The premier was later asked a question about the same issue by a member of the Iranian delegation, to which PM Shehbaz said he had made a &quot;very brief&quot; statement about the matter in parliament.

&quot;On the question of ballistic missile, let me say without any fear of contradiction, that ballistic missile was never a subject of discussion between Iran and the US. It was not on the table at all and it has no mention in the MoU if you read its terms and conditions, there is no mention of ballistic missile at all. I want to make this point clear without any ambiguity and above all, if Iran, our brotherly country, has ballistic missiles only for their defence purposes, there are many other countries around the globe who have such missiles in their stockpile so why object to Iran&#39;s ballistic missiles? This would amount to a controversy that will generate unnecessary delays and doubts and question marks so in conclusion, let me say categorically: ballistic missile was never part of the agenda which was discussed, it&#39;s not part of the MoU and it was never on the table.&quot;

He warned that there was &quot;no dearth of spoilers around the globe who are most unhappy and deeply dejected and disappointed&quot; by the US-Iran deal, that he said would lead to long-lasting peace and prosperity. The premier said such elements wanted to scuttle the deal and sow confusion, but he said the Pakistani and Iranian leadership were &quot;completely resolved&quot; to stand together against them.

The Iranian president also similarly said: &quot;Our missile programme was not included in the MoU, as you said, and it shall not be included in the MoU.&quot;

He said Iran would have been &quot;plundered, destroyed and ploughed&quot; by the US and Israel, similar to what the latter did in Gaza, if it were not for the Islamic republic&#39;s missile capabilities.

The translator subsequently said that Iran would never compromise on its nuclear capabilities, to which he was loudly corrected by Pezeshkian that it was &quot;missile programme and capabilities&quot;.

In the rest of the address in the National Assembly, the premier had highlighted Pakistan&#39;s recent diplomatic efforts, saying an Iran-US understanding had been reached in Switzerland through talks hosted by Pakistan. He said a ceasefire was now in place between the two countries and that technical negotiations would continue over the next 60 days under the memorandum of understanding, with the aim of reaching a permanent agreement.

&ldquo;Pakistan worked with sincerity and dedication to help bridge the gaps between Iran and the United States,&rdquo; he said.

The prime minister said negotiations had continued throughout the day and night before a joint statement was agreed upon by all parties. &ldquo;Today, by the grace of God, not only has a ceasefire been achieved between Iran and the US, but technical negotiations will continue over the next 60 days,&rdquo; he told lawmakers.

Congratulating parliamentarians and the public, PM Shehbaz said Pakistan&#39;s role in the talks had earned international recognition. &ldquo;Pakistan&#39;s contribution to this process is not only historic but a source of pride for the nation,&rdquo; he said.

Read more: Israeli attacks on Lebanon nearly &#39;derailed&#39; US-Iran talks in Switzerland: DPM Dar

He claimed that leading international newspapers had prominently highlighted Pakistan&#39;s diplomatic efforts. &ldquo;This positive narrative about Pakistan could not have been achieved even if billions of rupees had been spent on publicity campaigns,&rdquo; he added.

&#39;If 2018 election was legitimate, so is current govt&#39;

The premier also rejected opposition claims that his government lacked legitimacy, telling the National Assembly that if the 2018 general election was considered legitimate, then the current government should be regarded as legitimate as well.

&ldquo;Conduct an inquiry into the 2018 election. If there was no manipulation, if ballot boxes were not stuffed, and if people were not brought to Islamabad by force and no threats were issued, then take a look at the 2018 election. If that was a legitimate government, then this is also a legitimate government. And if you are so keen on investigations, then let us start from 2018. If the matter is opened, it will go very far,&rdquo; said PM Shehbaz while addressing the House during debate on the Finance Bill 2026-27.

The prime minister responded to remarks by opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who had earlier described the government as &quot;illegal&quot; and accused it of undermining democratic institutions. Achakzai had delivered a wide-ranging speech criticising the government&#39;s handling of political and constitutional affairs.

Responding to the criticism, PM Shehbaz said the day was not meant for raising divisive political issues and described several of Achakzai&#39;s assertions as contrary to the facts. He rejected suggestions that development was being pursued at the expense of smaller provinces.



Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif addresses the National Assembly Session (23 June, 2026). pic.twitter.com/X0fspwhltd
&mdash; Prime Minister&#39;s Office (@PakPMO) June 23, 2026


&ldquo;I have always maintained that if Punjab progresses alone, that is not Pakistan&#39;s progress. If Sindh progresses alone, that is not Pakistan&#39;s progress,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Until all four provinces are equal partners in development, it cannot be called Pakistan&#39;s development.&rdquo;

Read: Iranian president to arrive in Pakistan today on official visit

Achakzai, while speaking, said that the government&rsquo;s tenure was nearing two and a half years and &ldquo;it is time to change our tone.&rdquo; He criticised the speaker&rsquo;s conduct of the House, saying that despite his experience, he failed to uphold the Constitution and law and &ldquo;expelled 14 colleagues from the Assembly through procedural manoeuvring.&rdquo;

He said that prisoners in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore were all over 70 years old. &ldquo;Have some fear of God. You have set a record. You have sentenced five people to a total of 286 years in prison. You have also given life imprisonment to Mahrang Baloch. You have supported undemocratic governments in undermining the Constitution.&rdquo;

Achakzai said, &ldquo;My brother said Pakistan exists, so we exist. Shahbaz said correctly that Pakistan is not in the sky. Pakistan means Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab. Why do you not consider K-P part of Pakistan? We have all taken an oath to protect the Constitution of Pakistan. You have clipped the wings of the judiciary through your votes.&rdquo;

The opposition leader urged the government to engage with political stakeholders across the country, particularly in Balochistan, and said Parliament should serve as the central source of democratic authority.]]>
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			<title>AJK govt asks JAAC leaders to surrender, assures due legal process</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614703/ajk-govt-asks-jaac-leaders-to-surrender-assures-due-legal-process</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614703/ajk-govt-asks-jaac-leaders-to-surrender-assures-due-legal-process#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 26 11:31:11 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[AJK premier accepts call for ‘meaningful dialogue’ from ‘stubborn’ JAAC]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Tuesday vowed to proceed in accordance with the law if leaders of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) surrendered to authorities, while holding the group responsible for a series of violent attacks against law enforcement officials as well as public assets to destabilise law and order in the valley.

For the last couple of years, the local administration and the JAAC have been at loggerheads over the abolishment of 12 reserved seats in the AJK Assembly allocated for the refugees hailing from the Indian-occupied Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947.

Addressing a joint press conference, AJK Chief Secretary Flight Lieutenant (Retd) Khushal Khan and Inspector General of Police (IG) Captain (Retd) Liaqat Ali Malik outlined the government&#39;s stance on the law and order crisis in the valley that led to the negotiation deadlock.

Appealing to the public, Khan urged citizens to avoid what he termed &quot;misleading protests&quot; and focus on their own welfare.

Addressing JAAC members and supporters directly, he said the government would ensure due legal process for those involved if they voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement authorities.

According to Khan, the government accepted key demands of the movement, including subsidised electricity tariffs, resulting in a financial burden of Rs8-9 billion on the exchequer.

He added that after gaining public support, the JAAC gradually expanded its list of demands from three to eight and eventually to 38 demands, creating what he described as a cycle of continuous agitation.

Khan maintained that 36 of the 38 demands included in an agreement with the Action Committee had been fully implemented, costing the governments of Pakistan and AJK between Rs20 billion and Rs25 billion.

&quot;The committee was expected to oversee the implementation process, but instead chose to sabotage it,&quot; he alleged.

The region&rsquo;s top secretary said the group&#39;s objections initially centred on the composition of the implementation committee, prompting the government to make changes in response to its concerns.

Despite repeated boycotts and new demands from the JAAC, he said, the government continued to implement the agreed measures and launched various development projects that had reached the tendering stage.

The apex secretary stated that the proscribed outfit was supposed to oversee the implementation process, but instead, it&nbsp;chose to sabotage it.

Explaining why some demands could not be accepted, Khan said certain proposals were financially unviable.

&quot;For example, the removal of advance income tax would have caused a loss of Rs35 billion to the AJK government,&quot; he elucidated.

He noted that while AJK&#39;s annual revenue stood at approximately Rs70 billion, the region relied heavily on financial support from the federal government of Pakistan.

&quot;The Government of Pakistan contributes around Rs300 billion to cover AJK&#39;s budget deficit, while we also benefit from several indirect forms of support in the form of projects and other resources.&quot;

Dispute over reserved seats

The chief secretary also addressed the controversy surrounding 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, claiming that the JAAC refused to participate in a committee formed to resolve the matter.

According to Khan, the committee insisted that the reserved seats be abolished before any further dialogue could take place.

He further said that the JAAC had demanded the removal of the &quot;accession to Pakistan&quot; clause from the AJK Interim Constitution and from the oath taken by the AJK parliamentarians.

&quot;They also spoke about revisiting the Karachi Agreement, which exposes their actual intentions under the guise of public welfare,&quot; the chief secretary highlighted.

The Karachi Agreement, signed in April 1949, had transferred administrative control of Gilgit-Baltistan and subjects including defence, foreign affairs and communications from the AJK government to Pakistan.

Khan said discussions between the government and the committee on May 30 had been marked by what he described as an &quot;offensive&quot;&nbsp;attitude from JAAC representatives.

&quot;They threatened to launch a long march, while some participants even referred to it as an armed incursion.&quot;

The chief secretary said the government had proposed three options for resolving the reserved seats dispute: convening an all-parties conference, referring the matter to the Supreme Court, or debating it in the Legislative Assembly.

&quot;All three options were rejected,&quot; he lamented.

Following the collapse of negotiations, Khan alleged that JAAC supporters began mobilising across the region and attempted to disrupt supplies to border areas.

They stopped food supplies from reaching border posts and called on citizens to shut down markets after June 9 in support of their strike, he said.

He added that the administration subsequently sought assistance from paramilitary forces to maintain law and order.

The chief secretary thanked the business community for continuing commercial activities despite calls for strikes and blockades.

&quot;People in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur divisions stood with the government, while residents of Rawalakot also pledged support and distanced themselves from the protesters,&quot; the top bureaucrat maintained.

Read: Govt calls on JAAC to abandon &#39;violence&#39;, says no direct talks ongoing although AJK PM welcome to try

Casualties, cases and arrests

The AJK IGP detailed that the incidents of violence in the recent unrest led to the deaths of at least four law enforcement personnel, while 97 were wounded.

To hold the miscreants responsible, 155 suspects were placed under the fourth schedule, Malik said, adding that at least 145 cases were registered against those involved in the unrest.

Providing an update on the retaliatory law enforcement actions, the police chief&nbsp;further stated that police had arrested 572 suspects and all previously dismissed cases had been &ldquo;reinstated&rdquo;.

Malik maintained that the government&#39;s priority remained&nbsp;the restoration and preservation of peace throughout AJK.

He stated that authorities had not prevented peaceful demonstrations and had expressed willingness to address legitimate public demands.&nbsp;

The police chief also noted that the federal government had provided approximately Rs120-125 billion to the AJK government to meet its administrative requirements.

Concluding the press conference, Malik said the activities of the banned outfit had disrupted peace and stability in the region and pledged that the law enforcement agencies would continue efforts to maintain public order.

AJK premier accepts call for &lsquo;meaningful dialogue&rsquo; from &lsquo;stubborn&rsquo; JAAC

Meanwhile, AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore&nbsp;said that the JAAC sought mediation from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to resolve outstanding issues with the government.

Rathore shared a video message on X from Fazl, which outlined the message from the group.

&ldquo;Isn&#39;t this what we&#39;ve been asking from them since Day 1?&rdquo; Rathore&nbsp;asked, maintaining that the government always insisted on the continuity of dialogue.

He added that he personally appealed to JAAC on numerous occasions to call off their lockdown, end its campaign of agitation and return to the table.

The premier lamented that it raised slogans against &ldquo;so-called political interference in AJK&#39;s affairs&rdquo; and had&nbsp;now approached the JUI-F chief to overcome the negotiation deadlock.

Remarking on the new JAAC stance, he said, &ldquo;This required no mediation until they decided to bully the state.&rdquo;

In the video shared by the AJK PM, the JUI-F leader accepted the role of a mediator and said he needed time to convince the government to convene negotiations.

Fazl said he received a letter from JAAC leaders Sardar Umar Aziz, Khawaja Mehran, and Shaukat Nawaz Mir to arbitrate in the tense conflict with the AJK government.



Isn&#39;t this what we&#39;ve been asking from them since Day 1?

We asked them not to leave dialogue. They showed zero flexibility. I personally appealed to them on numerous occasions to call off their lockdown, end their campaign of agitation and return to the table. They ignored.&hellip; pic.twitter.com/DPnCaDIeM0
&mdash; Faisal Mumtaz Rathore (@PMofAJK) June 23, 2026


He called on the committee to quit protesting while he tried&nbsp;to bring the government to the table for talks. Additionally, he urged the JAAC to abandon all actions that could lead to the intensification of the conflict so that a &ldquo;pathway for talks&rdquo; could be carved out.

The JUI-F chief hoped the JAAC, as well as the government, would show flexibility to pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

On the other hand, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also shared his views about the ongoing unrest in AJK and said, &quot;The nefarious and external agenda-driven voices coming out of AJK against Pakistan and the Kashmir cause must be responded to in the strongest possible terms.&quot;

The minister highlighted that the Kashmiris were the ones who paid the price for migration and continued &quot;to pay the price in IIOJK&quot;.

&quot;The people of AJK, who live here in peace and tranquillity for many decades guarded by soldiers from all over Pakistan, and surely brave hearts from AJK too, need to recognise the sacrifices of Kashmiris of IIOJK and the muhajirs of 1947 and later years. Belittling these sacrifices is negating the Kashmir cause.&quot;

Asif further said that in his opinion, the Kashmiri identity was defined by the &quot;sacrifices and struggles waged over almost eight decades by Pakistanis, including Kashmiris and all others, not by birth certificates&quot;.



My remarks about the crisis in AJK were frank and honest, Alhamdolillah. Those who have sinister agendas may try to twist them but they cannot take Kashmir out of me or out from Pakistan or take Pakistan out of Kashmir.

The sacrifices of Kashmiris who crossed over into Pakistan&hellip;
&mdash; Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 23, 2026


Background

The recent unrest and deadly clashes broke out in areas, including Rawalakot, where the JAAC had been holding a sit-in outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot. AJK police allege that armed JAAC members opened fire on deployed law enforcement in a planned attack, leaving four personnel dead and around 20 injured. JAAC, however, disputes this account, claiming security forces used tear gas and fired shells toward the hospital.

According to the AJK police, three individuals linked to the JAAC and four law enforcement personnel were killed during the protests. JAAC, however, said in a statement on X that seven individuals were killed and dozens were injured when street firing was carried out in the dark after electricity was allegedly cut off.

The clash came as the AJK government and the JAAC witnessed a face-off, as the election date for AJK was announced for July 27.

Read More: Certain elements seeking to create instability in AJK despite repeated offers of dialogue: Rana Sanaullah

AJK&#39;s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees &mdash; people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people) &mdash; an already lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.

The region witnessed one of its most turbulent periods in October last year when protests led by the JAAC erupted over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest.

The JAAC, which organised the protests and strike, had presented a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the scrapping of the quota system.

Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core and 13 additional points. Under the accord, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.]]>
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			<title>US eases Iran oil sanctions with 60-day waiver</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614666/us-eases-iran-oil-sanctions-with-60-day-waiver</link>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 22:15:39 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Kamran Yousaf]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan, Qatar report 'encouraging progress' at Lucerne  Negotiators chart 60-day path to final accord  PM welcome]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan and Qatar on Monday reported &quot;encouraging progress&quot; in the first high-level talks between the United States and Iran held under the framework of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), announcing the establishment of mechanisms aimed at steering the two sides towards a comprehensive agreement within 60 days.

A joint statement issued by Pakistan and Qatar after the conclusion of the Lake Lucerne Summit in Burgenstock, Switzerland, said the talks were conducted in a &quot;positive and constructive atmosphere&quot; and resulted in the creation of a roadmap for further negotiations as well as technical working groups tasked with addressing key issues.

The four-way talks were attended by senior figures from Iran, the United States, Pakistan and Qatar. Vice President JD Vance led the US side, while Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Iranian Parliament Speaker, was heading the Iranian side.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani moderated the talks, which at times became tense. But despite the Iranian side not showing up for photo-op and walking out of the talks as protest over President Trump&#39;s latest threats, the mediators managed to bring the process back on track and eventually persuaded the two sides to agree on certain points.

The joint statement said the parties agreed to establish a &quot;High-Level Committee&quot; to provide political oversight of the mediation process. &quot;Chief negotiators from both sides will report regularly to the committee and lead working groups focusing on nuclear issues, sanctions, monitoring and dispute resolution mechanisms, along with other matters,&quot; it said.

&quot;The High-Level Committee has agreed upon a roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60 days, laying the foundation for the immediate commencement of further technical talks,&quot; the statement added.

As part of confidence-building measures, the parties also agreed to establish a direct communication line to prevent incidents and miscalculations in the Strait of Hormuz and ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping through one of the world&#39;s most strategic waterways.

The mediators further announced the creation of a de-confliction cell involving Iran, the United States and Lebanon to oversee implementation of provisions related to the cessation of military operations in Lebanon envisaged under the Islamabad MoU.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the &quot;significant progress&quot; in the talks, pointing out the &quot;agreement on a roadmap toward a final deal within 60 days, the establishment of a High-Level Committee to provide political oversight, and the commencement of further technical talks&quot;.

He commended the leaderships of both the United States and Iran for their continued commitment to constructive engagement and thanked friendly countries for supporting the diplomatic process. He paid special tribute to Qatar for its role in facilitating the negotiations.

Sharif praised Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for helping advance the process, saying his &quot;untiring efforts made these talks a success&quot; and that there would have been &quot;no progress&quot; without his dedication and perseverance.

Reaffirming Islamabad&#39;s commitment to diplomacy, the prime minister said Pakistan would continue to play its &quot;honest and sincere role&quot; in promoting dialogue aimed at achieving a peaceful and lasting resolution.

While the joint statement projected optimism, public comments from Iranian and American officials highlighted significant differences over what exactly was achieved during the marathon negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the outcome as a result of &quot;tireless Pakistani and Qatari mediation,&quot; saying the talks had delivered major progress towards ending the Lebanon conflict.

According to Araghchi, the understandings reached include waivers for oil and petrochemical exports, lifting of the naval blockade, release of some frozen Iranian assets and the launch of a major reconstruction and development plan for Iran. &quot;The first real test will be the Lebanon de-confliction cell,&quot; he said.

In a major move signaling Washington&#39;s commitment to the process, the Trump administration announced a temporary 60-day waiver on sanctions relating to Iranian oil exports. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the waiver was issued after &quot;productive talks&quot; in Switzerland.

&quot;Iran has committed to free and open transit in the Strait of Hormuz and to permit International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors into their country,&quot; Bessent wrote on X, adding that the Treasury Department had issued a temporary general licence authorising the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil.

The waiver allows Iran to export oil without sanctions restrictions until August 21, potentially providing significant relief to Tehran&#39;s economy after years of punitive measures.

US Vice President JD Vance also painted an optimistic picture, calling Sunday&#39;s negotiations a &quot;very, very good&quot; day and saying the two sides had laid the groundwork for a broader agreement. &quot;We set the foundation - we haven&#39;t built the house - but we&#39;ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people,&quot; Vance said.

The vice president identified four key priorities moving forward and claimed Iran had agreed to admit IAEA inspectors, describing the move as &quot;a major milestone&quot; and the first step towards permanently ending any Iranian nuclear weapons programme.

Vance also cited progress in discussions aimed at preventing renewed escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and outlined a framework for the possible unfreezing of Iranian assets under a mechanism involving US and Qatari oversight.

However, Iranian officials quickly challenged some of the claims made by Washington, underscoring the difficult path ahead despite the positive atmosphere surrounding the talks. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei rejected suggestions that Tehran had accepted new commitments regarding nuclear inspections.

According to Iran&#39;s state news agency IRNA, Baghaei said Iran remained bound by decisions of parliament and the Supreme National Security Council. Under legislation adopted last year, cooperation with the IAEA and inspections remain suspended.

Responding directly to American assertions, Baghaei said Iran had not undertaken any new obligations during the talks. IRNA, citing officials familiar with the negotiations, reported that Tehran did not discuss the nuclear issue during approximately 18 hours of talks and did not accept any new commitments.

The report added that any future arrangements regarding access to damaged nuclear facilities or Iran&#39;s stockpile of enriched uranium would depend on a specific mechanism to be negotiated as part of a final agreement during the 60-day process.

The conflicting public statements reflected the same pattern that had emerged before the Switzerland talks, when American and mediating officials repeatedly described negotiations as progressing smoothly while Iranian media and officials signaled reservations over key issues.

Despite those differences, diplomats involved in the process believe the establishment of formal working groups, a political oversight mechanism and direct communication channels represents the most concrete progress achieved since the Islamabad MoU was signed.

Technical-level discussions are expected to continue throughout the week in Burgenstock as negotiators seek to translate the broad understandings reached at the Lake Lucerne Summit into a comprehensive agreement capable of addressing nuclear concerns, sanctions relief, maritime security and regional stability.

(WITH INPUT FROM AGENCIES)]]>
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			<title>NA sees heated budget debate</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614651/na-sees-heated-budget-debate</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614651/na-sees-heated-budget-debate#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 21:37:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Waqas Ahmed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614651</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Opposition raises rights, governance concerns as government defends security record]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A heated exchange between the government and opposition marked proceedings in the National Assembly on Monday during debate on the Interior Ministry&#39;s budget and cut motions, as lawmakers sparred over human rights, security operations and political accountability in a charged sitting in Islamabad.

The session, chaired by Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, saw repeated interruptions as opposition members questioned the government&#39;s record on governance and civil liberties, while the treasury benches defended security gains and institutional performance across multiple sectors.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry led the government&#39;s defence of the ministry, saying it carried the responsibility of 501 martyrs and several ghazis.He said 1,020 personnel had been martyred in operations against terrorism.

He said that 3,355 terrorist incidents were reported during the period, with around 95% occurring in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Opposition leader Barrister Gohar Khan, speaking during the debate, raised concerns over political victimisation and alleged violations of human rights over the past four years. He said such practices undermined democratic norms and institutional trust.

Criticising the government, he warned against using the events of May 9 for political victimisation, arguing that legal proceedings should not be influenced by political considerations.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar responded by stating that two opposition members had been given representation in the JCP. He also criticised the opposition for boycotting key meetings and said important criminal law reforms remained pending at the committee stage.

Separately, JUI-F MNA Noor Alam Khan highlighted the worsening security situation, saying terrorism had severely affected K-P and Balochistan, and urged that no distinction be made between different categories of terrorists.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly approved demands for grants worth over Rs10.414 trillion covering 32 ministries and divisions. A total of 135 demands were passed, while 587 opposition cut motions were rejected by majority vote.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the budget demands for approval, with opposition members submitting multiple cut motions across key ministries, including 90 against the Cabinet Division, 116 against the Energy Division, and 100 against the Finance Division.]]>
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			<title>Adiala Jail, Imran's counsel in Vakalatnama row</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614653/adiala-jail-imrans-counsel-in-vakalatnama-row</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614653/adiala-jail-imrans-counsel-in-vakalatnama-row#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 21:37:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fiaz Mahmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614653</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Adiala Superintendent alleges that Barrister Salman Safdar had attempted to mislead the court regarding the matter]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The counsel for former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, and the Adiala Jail authorities on Monday made conflicting claims regarding the signing and provision of powers of attorney (PoAs) required to represent the couple before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in connection with the &pound;190 million case.

The superintendent of Adiala Jail, in a written reply submitted to the IHC, claimed that the PoAs signed by Imran and his wife Bushra Bibi had been prepared on June 16 in compliance with court orders and that their counsel, Barrister Salman Safdar, had been informed the same day via text message.

He alleged that Barrister Salman Safdar had attempted to mislead the court regarding the matter.

According to the response, Safdar was informed via text message that the signed PoAs were available for collection. The jail authorities also attached a screenshot of the text message with their reply submitted before the court.

The superintendent further contended that despite being informed, the legal team representing Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi deliberately did not collect the documents before the hearing held on June 18.

Responding to the jail authorities&#39; claims, Barrister Salman Safdar strongly disputed the superintendent&#39;s version of events.

Safdar told The Express Tribune that members of his legal team visited Adiala Jail five to six times over the past four weeks to obtain the powers of attorney but were not provided with the documents.

He stated that advocates Sarmad, Ahmad Maysar and Khalid Yousaf approached Adiala Jail on more than five occasions to secure the documents.

According to Safdar, the repeated unsuccessful attempts compelled the legal team to file a contempt petition before the Islamabad High Court on the morning of June 15. &quot;After filing the contempt petition, it was conveyed for the first time that we could collect a POA executed only by Imran Khan Sahib and not by Bushra Bibi. This was unacceptable for us,&quot; Safdar said.]]>
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			<title>Public hospitals staff to be tested across Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251863/public-hospitals-staff-tested-across-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251863/public-hospitals-staff-tested-across-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:29:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sameer.mandhro]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251863</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Health department to restart contact tracing for coronavirus]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Sindh government issued directives on Saturday for all public hospitals to get its staff tested for Covid-19 as well as begin coronavirus contact tracing again.

In a letter issued by Sindh health director general Dr Irshad Ahmed Memon, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the heads of all public-sector hospitals have been asked to get their respective facility's staff tested for the coronavirus on priority basis. Besides, they have been instructed to continue tests for the diagnosis of other suspected Covid-19 cases.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Dr Memon stressed the need for all hospital employees to get tested, claiming, however, that Sindh had the least number of infected health department employees among the provinces.

Another health department official, also emphasising the need for "immediate" screening of healthcare professionals, said the decision had come late.

"It is feared that most health workers do not [properly] follow standard operating procedures. This eventually leads to multiplying the number of infected persons, even in far flung areas," he explained.

This was confirmed by other officials, too, who pointed out that SOPs were particularly ignored at private clinics. They can then carry the virus to public hospitals, the officials added.

Saying that health department officials did all they could to monitor health workers and ensure they followed SOPs, they noted that it was near impossible to keep a watch over private facilities.

According to the health department, there are 1,500 rapid response teams in Sindh that collect samples for Covid-19 testing, besides serving at various healthcare facilities and helping Covid-19 patients in getting admissions to hospitals.

"But after several of them contracted the infection, the number of tests conducted daily was reduced," explained a senior health department official. He, however, added that other reasons also factored in reducing the number of tests. "[Following this], routine testing was disrupted," he explained.

Speaking on the matter, Pakistan Medical Association general secretary Dr Qaisar Sajjad also called for the immediate screening of healthcare professionals. "We had asked for it in March but orders for it have only been issued now."

He was also of the opinion that the government was giving rise to confusion by decreasing the number of tests.

"While the number of tests [conducted daily] is going down, the number of cases are shooting up," he observed, explaining that fewer cases being reported had led to people disregarding SOPs.

"Over 60 per cent citizens have stopped wearing masks," he claimed.

Contact tracing

With the health department also announcing to recommence Covid-19 contact tracing, a health department official told The Express Tribune that the exercise was stopped due to "some confusion."

"But we are starting it again so that [suspected] cases can be traced and screened," he confirmed.

The health dept's silence

Meanwhile, all senior department officials, including spokespersons, have reportedly been instructed not to talk to the media for reasons unknown. "Only a few are privy to this development," a health official, on condition of anonymity, disclosed to The Express Tribune. "We have been told not to share any information with the media." He added that none of the department's officials had access to the daily update on pandemic statistics given by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

"This is the only department for which the CM releases data," the official said. "And while we work in the health department, we don't have access to it." 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020. ]]>
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			<title>MQM-London ‘hitman’ apprehended</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252248/mqm-london-hitman-apprehended</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252248/mqm-london-hitman-apprehended#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 18:29:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252248</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Police claim he was involved in over 100 murders]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) police claimed on Saturday to have arrested a notorious target killer, allegedly belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London (MQM-L) and involved in over 100 murders, during a targeted operation in Orangi Town. The police reportedly seized arms and ammunition from his possession as well.

According to SIU SSP Irfan Bahadur, the suspect, namely Shakeel alias Haddi, was a member of MQM-L’s ‘death squad’ and had confessed to the killings of Pirabad police SI Aleem Shah and Orangi Town police constable Rana Sohail in 2011, during his initial interrogation.

Bahadur added that he was also involved in an attack on Awami National Party (ANP) leader Bashir Jan and the targeted killing of ANP’s Shah Faisal Colony in-charge, Nabi Gul, among others.

The SSP claimed Shakeel had also killed a medico-legal officer at Qatar Hospital and MQM-Haqiqi’s Asif Malang, while also setting fire to the ‘astana’ of Khalid Baba, burning three people to death.

According to the police, Shakeel admitted to involvement in over 100 murders on the basis of ethnicity, sect and politics, on the orders of the MQM-L leadership.

Cases against him and other members of the ‘death squad’, including Ajmal Pahari, Saeed alias Bharam, Danish alias Mama, Omar alias Mullah, Zeeshan alias Dada, are registered in several police stations across the city, as well as with the SIU. Further investigation is underway.]]>
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			<title>2,179 people diagnosed with coronavirus in Sindh</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252371/2179-people-diagnosed-coronavirus-sindh</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252371/2179-people-diagnosed-coronavirus-sindh#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 23:50:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252371</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CM Murad says province's daily testing capacity has been stretched to 12,000]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah shared on Sunday that 2,179 people were diagnosed with coronavirus overnight, of the total 9,244 samples tested on the day.

Shah added that 435,393 samples have been tested to date in Sindh, of which 80,446 have been positive, which constituted around 18.4 per cent of the total.

The CM apprised that the testing capacity in the province has been stretched to 12,000 a day, courtesy of the laboratories established in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Gambat and Sehwan, which have been functional for the last month.

According to Shah, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in Hyderabad could conduct 2,000 tests, Syed Abdullah Shah Institute in Sehwan 100, Gambat Institute 300 and Ghulam Mohammad Maher Medical College in Sukkur could screen 100 samples.

Moreover, the chief minister stated that 26 more people succumbed to the contagious disease overnight, taking the death toll to 1,269 in the province. He claimed that the government has curbed the mortality rate by spreading awareness among the masses.

Shah added that 34,654 people were currently infected by the virus, of whom 33,110 were in home isolation, 88 were quarantined at isolation centres and 1,456 were being treated at different hospitals. He added that 655 patients were in critical condition and 94 of them have been put on ventilators.

Meanwhile, he said that 1,079 more patients had recovered from the contagious disease, pushing the number of recovered people to 44,523 - around 55.5 per cent of all those affected.

Furthermore, the provincial capital saw 1,406 new Covid-19 cases. He presented the district-wise breakup, saying 555 were diagnosed with the virus in East, 358 in South, 171 in Korangi, 138 in Central, 109 in West and 75 in Malir district.

Separately, Sukkur had 86 new cases, Hyderabad 54, Ghotki 40, Khairpur 38, Jamshoro 26, Mirpurkhas 22, Thatta 19, Larkana 17, Sanghar 14, Naushero Feroze 12, Matiari 12, Shikarpur 12, Shaheed Benazirabad nine, Umerkot eight, Dadu seven, Kashmore and Tando Allahyar three each, and Jacobabad one.]]>
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			<title>Youngster killed while shooting TikTok video in Karachi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252250/youngster-killed-shooting-tiktok-video-karachi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252250/youngster-killed-shooting-tiktok-video-karachi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 18:39:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[archives]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252250</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Faraz lost control of car due to speeding, rammed into tree]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A youngster was killed and two of his friends injured in a car accident while filming a video for popular video-sharing platform TikTok in Korangi on Saturday night.

The deceased, identified as Faraz, lost control of the car he was driving due to speeding and ran into a tree. As a result, he and his friends, Ayaz and Ahsan, were injured. They were rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for treatment, where Faraz succumbed to his injured.

According to the police, the car was completely wrecked in the collision. They added that the statements of the injured could not be recorded till the filing of this report.

The body was handed over to the family after the completing of medico-legal formalities.

This is not the first time that a life has been lost while filming a TikTok video. On June 21, a 17-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself while making a video. He was reportedly filming himself while holding his father’s pistol to his temple when he accidentally pulled the trigger.

Karachi teenager shooting TikTok video ‘accidentally’ kills himself

Meanwhile, in April, a 22-year-old man died after being hit by a train while shooting a video at the Jumma Goth railway station in Bhens Colony.

According to the Landhi Railway police, Kashif had been running on the railway tracks while doing a TikTok challenge when the train hit him, causing critical head injuries. His friends, who were also filming videos, took him to JPMC, where he succumbed to his wounds.]]>
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			<title>Illegal plasma sale thrives in Lahore</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251888/illegal-plasma-sale-thrives-lahore</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251888/illegal-plasma-sale-thrives-lahore#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:56:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Imran Adnan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251888</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[First Covid-19 patient recovered through trial treatment last month]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Following a surge in confirmed coronavirus cases and a significant increase in the number of patients recovering, a black market of blood plasma has emerged across the country, particularly in the provincial capital.

People are selling blood plasma of the patients who have recovered from coronavirus for tens of thousands of rupees, The Express Tribune learnt on Saturday.

The blood plasma or convalescent plasma is currently being trialled as a possible treatment for coronavirus disease in different countries, including Pakistan, as it contains antibodies developed by the immune system of people who have won the battle against the virus.

Though a large number of patients overcoming the disease are willing to donate plasma free of charge, some black sheep are using popular social media platforms to contact critically ill coronavirus patients seeking donation.

A patient who wanted to sell his blood plasma after his recent recovery said, “I don’t want to earn money but to recover my expenses incurred on the treatment since thousands of rupees were spent on medicines, consultation and food. I believe there is no harm in recovering the cost while people are selling their blood plasma for tens of thousands of rupees in the city.”



Other people involved in the unethical trade also have their own reasons. Thousands of posts are available on social media indicating that the illegal activity is happening openly without the fear of law enforcing agencies or accountability.

On June 13, a Twitter user posted her thoughts on the issue: “People are making money by selling their plasma to patients in Pakistan.

Humanity is dead.” Meanwhile, many people were of the view that there was nothing wrong with it. They commented that people also sell kidneys and blood.

Besides blood plasma, people have posted requirement for medicines such as Remdesivir, Besimivir and other drugs considered beneficial in coronavirus treatment. To save the lives of their loved ones, some people have expressed their willingness to pay any amount for these scarcely available drugs. In May, the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) confirmed that the first coronavirus patient who had been treated with plasma therapy had recovered.

The sale of oxygen cylinders is also on the rise in the online black market. A 6-litre cylinder along with regulator and stand is being offered for Rs23,000, while an 8-litre variant is being sold for Rs28,000 and 12-litre equipment is available for Rs35,000.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, an oxygen cylinder dealer, Rashid Malik, highlighted that the prices has increased three-fold owing to very high demand. “Mostly these cylinders are being imported from China, Turkey and Russia. In normal days, we were selling a 12-litre cylinder for Rs12,000 to Rs15,000 and 6-litre for Rs6,000 to Rs7,000,” he disclosed.

The Ministry of National Health Services has already announced action against illegal trading of blood plasma and black marketing of life-saving drugs used for coronavirus patients in the country. Health experts are warning citizens not to pay donors for blood plasma since it is still an experimental therapy.

As per the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act 2012, commercial dealing and trade of human organs and tissues is illegal in the country.

Section 11 of the law highlights that whoever makes or receives any payment for the supply of, or for an offer to supply, any human organ; seeks to find a person willing to supply for payment of any human organ; or offers to supply any human organ for payment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and with fine of up to Rs1 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Woman commits suicide with two daughters</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251906/woman-commits-suicide-two-daughters</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251906/woman-commits-suicide-two-daughters#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:41:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Tariq Saeed Awan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251906</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Victim’s husband wanted to marry off girls against their wish]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A mother of seven children ended her life by consuming poisonous pills along with her two daughters over a domestic dispute in Mohalla Selwan, Kundian on Saturday.

A sense of shock and mourning spread in the neighbourhood after the incident.

As per details obtained by The Express Tribune, Muhammad Tahir Qureshi, son of Allah Din, a resident of Mohalla Selwan, and his wife had a dispute over marriage proposals for their daughters. The husband allegedly pressured his daughters to accept the marriage proposals as per his wishes, while the wife and daughters did not agree to the proposals.

As a result of the dispute, Tahir’s wife and daughters, 12-year-old Anza and 11-year-old Asma, swallowed a poisonous substance.

The mother and two daughters were shifted to a rural health centre, where doctor referred them to the Mianwali DHQ Hospital after immediate medical aid. However, the three victims could not survive.

As soon as the incident was reported, Kundian police and Rescue 1122 teams reached the spot. After postmortem was conducted and police completed the legal procedure, the bodies were handed over to the heirs.

Cases where multiple members of the same family committed suicide or were killed by their own family have been also been reported earlier in the province.

On Monday, a woman reportedly poisoned herself and four other members of her family due to financial problems in Okara.

A poor labourer of Okara, Nazar Mohammad, who failed to repay a loan, was struggling to make ends meet due to which his family often quarreled over financial issues.

Nazar’s son, 20-year-old Waqas Ahmed, married 19-year-old Naheed two months ago. The couple lived in Ghouspura neighbourhood of Basirpur Town, Okara with Nazar, his 45-year-old wife, and sons, 18-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed and 16-year-old Sattar Ahmed.

The family reportedly had a debt of Rs150,000. The whole family was worried about paying back the debt and there were often altercations in the house.

Naheed’s in-laws often pressured her to bring money from her father to settle the debt.

Reportedly, Naheed was fed up with the daily quarrels and allegedly fed her in-laws food containing poison, due to which her husband Waqas and brother-in-law Ashfaq died, while her other brother-in-law, 16-year-old Sattar Ahmed, and mother-in-law were severely affected.

In March last year, a man shot and killed his wife and three children, over a domestic dispute, before committing suicide in Rai Chand area of Chiniot.

In April 2019, a man committed suicide after killing his father and sisters over a family dispute regarding his ex-wife, whom he wished to remarry, in Shafiqabad, Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Letter to Punjab IGP seeks ban on PUBG video game</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251900/letter-punjab-igp-seeks-ban-pubg-video-game</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251900/letter-punjab-igp-seeks-ban-pubg-video-game#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:45:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251900</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Official says excessive violence in game triggers aggressive behaviour among youth]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A letter written to the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) on Saturday sought a ban on online game Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

The letter was penned by SSP Liaqat Ali Malik on the instructions of CCPO Zulfiqar Hameed. It mentioned that the online video game has devastating impacts on the mental health of the youth and two incidents of suicide have been reported in the city.

It stated that excessive violence triggers aggressive behaviour among the youth and they become addicted to the game. The CCPO said the game should be banned and an awareness campaign should be launched.

A matric student had committed suicide in Gulshan-e-Abbass Phase-II a few days ago. The boy was found hanging in his room. The police also spotted a smartphone beside the body with the PUBG game app running on it.

His parents also confirmed to the police that they had stopped the boy for playing the game. In another incident, a 20-year-old student of second year at the FC College University Lahore also reportedly committed suicide after being scolded by his parents for playing the PUBG. The victim identified as Jonty Joseph was living in North Cantonment. On the day of the incident, his father reportedly reprimanded him for playing the PUBG for a long period.

He took the punishment so seriously that he locked himself inside a room. The next day when he did not open the door, the family broke it and found him hanging.

The victim also worked part-time to assist the family financially and after work would remain busy in playing the game late at night.

On May 18, a man approached the Lahore High Court to ban the video game. “The game has a negative impact on children. They are becoming more ruthless and violent,” maintained the petitioner.

The PUBG, which has been developed by a South Korean company, is a 2017 survival game in which players are dropped onto an island to battle it out against others. The multiplayer game allows players from all over the world to compete against each other or in teams.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>NGO offers transgender people foreign scholarships</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251895/ngo-offers-transgender-people-foreign-scholarships</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251895/ngo-offers-transgender-people-foreign-scholarships#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:51:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Asif Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251895</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Programme will allow selected persons to attend month-long training in host country]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

While educational opportunities have been few and far between for gender minorities in Pakistan, a local NGO has stepped in to create an international platform for the development of the country’s transgender persons. The Gender Guardian (TGG), a non-governmental organisation working to train and educate transgender persons in Pakistan, has partnered with various foreign NGOs to allow transgender citizens the opportunity to participate in a month-long training program in four different countries.

Transwoman Sania Abbasi, who is a makeup artist and has been associated with TGG as a teacher for the past several months, is among the many aspirants of the training scholarship. If selected for the coveted programme, Ms Abbasi says it will bring her immense pride to be one of Pakistan’s first transgender persons sent abroad for training in social work and welfare. “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to be able to represent our country on an international platform and I have been working tirelessly towards achieving my goals. I can’t wait to work alongside international NGOs. I want to learn from them and also share my personal experiences with the world.”

According to The Gender Guardian (TGG) Head Asif Shehzad, his organisation is committed to providing equal opportunities to transgender people through the provision of free vocational training and formal education. “We have taught and trained dozens of transgender people in various skills such as driving, cooking, makeup, sewing and etc over the last couple of years. However, through this scholarship the selected participants will be able to use share their skills and talent with the world and for the first time, have access to international cultural exchange and training,” said Shehzad. Speaking further about the scholarship programme, Shehzad also informed that The Gender Guardian has been working towards compiling a digital database of transgender persons registered with TGG as well as other people who donate to the organisation. “So far, we have partnered with NGOs working in Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Using our database, we will select candidates every six months to be sent to these four countries for a month-long training, while people from the same four countries will also have the option to come and train in Pakistan. Our selected candidates will be working alongside their host country’s NGOs and represent Pakistan on an international level,” he explained.

Sania Abbasi, believes this scholarship will allow the people of the world to see the skills and talent of Pakistan’s transgender person, who often tend to be stereotyped as people limited to sex work. “As a gender minority, we have little no resources for pursuing higher education or going abroad, because of which we have very limited opportunities for work. However, this scholarship opportunity for transgender people to showcase their abilities and break the stereotypes associated with them,” she asserted.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>‘Pakistan’s progress linked to Balochistan peace’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251914/pakistans-progress-linked-balochistan-peace</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251914/pakistans-progress-linked-balochistan-peace#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:35:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251914</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[NA speaker chairs parliamentary committee meeting to discuss issues facing province]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Saturday asked Balochistan parliamentarians and public representatives to suggest solutions to the socio-economic problems being faced by the province and its people.

Chairing the maiden meeting of the special parliamentary committee on Balochistan in the Parliament House, Qaiser said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) emanated from Gilgit-Baltistan and culminated in Balochistan, which increased the significance of the province.

“Balochistan and its issues are always a priority of the incumbent government,” he said. “Parliament and public representatives are the best option to put forth solutions to the socio-economic issues faced by Balochistan and its people,” he said.

“Pakistan’s progress is linked to peace and progress in Balochistan,” Qaiser said, stressing the need for the committee to look into the matters related to ensuring transfer of the real benefits of CPEC to the local people.

Committees in the parliamentary system across the world, Qaiser said, played a recommendatory role, therefore, this committee would make all-out efforts to recommend the best possible solutions to the issues faced by Balochistan.

The speaker mentioned that the issuance of an executive order, regarding immediate implementation of 6% employment quota in all federal departments, underscored the seriousness of Prime Minister Imran Khan towards addressing the issues of Balochistan.

On the occasion, the speaker formed a four-member sub-committee, headed by Dr Fehmida Mirza, to develop comprehensive terms of reference (ToRs) encompassing all the issues related to Balochistan. It was also decided that a representative from the Balochistan National Party and Defence Minister Prevaiz Khattak would be invited to assist the sub-committee in developing the ToRs.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri appreciated the initiative of the speaker to constitute the special committee.

He noted that the government was seriously looking into the resolution of the issues confronting peace and development in the province.

Mirza, the inter-provincial coordination minster, told the committee that Balochistan’s issues had always been the top priority of the parliamentarians.

She pointed out that comprehensive ToRs were essential to make the committee more effective. Khattak said that the government had taken various steps to mitigate the grievances of the people of Balochistan.

Representing Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, National Assembly lawmaker Agha Hassan Baloch contended that the issues of Balochistan were getting intense since 2006 and needed to be redressed forthwith.

He called for examining the recommendations, proposed after a meeting between previous parliamentary committee, headed by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Balochistan collects Rs2.5b from mineral sector</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251919/balochistan-collects-rs2-5b-mineral-sector</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251919/balochistan-collects-rs2-5b-mineral-sector#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:38:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251919</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Computerised weighing scales have been installed]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Balochistan government has collected Rs2.5 billion from the minerals sector during the current financial year, despite coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown that was imposed to curb virus spread.

The government has collected the huge amount from mining sector and deposited in the provincial treasury, an official of the Balochistan government said. Computerised weighing scales have been installed besides increasing mining check posts in the province, he added.  

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>First phase of HingIaj road construction completed</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251913/first-phase-hingiaj-road-construction-completed</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251913/first-phase-hingiaj-road-construction-completed#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:35:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mohammad.zafar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251913</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Project was approved at a cost of Rs120 million]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The first construction phase of Hinglaj Mandir Link Road project has been successfully completed with the special funds from Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal.

The Hindu community of Lasbela has expressed gratitude to the government of Balochistan, according to official sources, as 90% of technical work of the temple stands completed.

The project was approved at a cost of Rs120 million to construct a 13km road to the temple which is adjacent to the Gwadar Coastal Highway.

The first phase of the 4.7 km Link Road project has been completed this week while phase two of the project will be completed in the next financial year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Bilawal, Mengal agree on joint strategy for budget</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251810/bilawal-mengal-agree-joint-strategy-budget</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251810/bilawal-mengal-agree-joint-strategy-budget#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 00:50:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Khalid Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251810</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Both leaders express concern over spread of coronavirus in country]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto telephoned Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal on Saturday and discussed the current political situation in the country.

According to details, both the leaders agreed on a joint strategy for the next year’s fiscal budget.

They also exchanged views on the 18th Constitutional Amendment and government’s measures on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award.

“By criticising the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Imran Khan is attacking the constitution,” Bilawal said.

They expressed concern over the growing number of Covid-19 patients in the country and deliberated the holding of all parties’ conference next week.

Bilawal, Shehbaz reject federal budget

“PTI-IMF budget is anti-people. We cannot accept it,” the PPP chairman said.

“Due to the incompetence of the government, coronavirus has spread everywhere,” he added.

Both the leaders also rejected the increase in the petroleum price and noted that this was the time to provide maximum relief to the people.

A few days back, Mengal announced his party's withdrawal from its alliance with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led federal government over its failure to implement accords with the party.

Speaking during a session of the National Assembly, he said: "I am officially announcing that our party is ending its alliance with the PTI. We will stay in Parliament and will keep talking about issues."

Mengal added that the PTI had signed two agreements with the party at the time of government formation after the 2018 elections and later during the presidential elections, but not a single point of the accord was implemented.]]>
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			<title>K-P wants revival of tourism hit hard by Covid</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251918/k-p-wants-revival-tourism-hit-hard-covid</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251918/k-p-wants-revival-tourism-hit-hard-covid#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:37:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251918</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CM Mahmood Khan orders early opening of provincial tourism authority]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In an effort to boost the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the provincial chief executive has directed for expediting efforts for opening the newly established provincial tourism authority.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan issued these orders while presiding over the 22nd board meeting of the Board of Directors of the Tourism Corporation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCK-P).

CM Mahmood directed to finalise formalities for opening the newly established K-P Cultural Tourism Authority immediately.

The chief minister also ordered to take steps for liquidation of TCK-P and handing over its assets and liabilities to the culture and tourism authority. The TCK-P employees would be absorbed in the authority, he added.

The chief minister termed tourism as a major economic sector and said its promotion is a top priority of his government.

The meeting was briefed on the progress so far made on the liquidation of the TCK-P after the establishment of the Culture and Tourism Authority as provided in the K-P Culture and Tourism Act, 2019.

The meeting decided to constitute a committee headed by K-P Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir to streamline and expedite all the legal, administrative and financial matters with regard to the liquidation of the TCK-P in a prescribed manner.

The committee would draft and present its recommendations to the competent forum within a week. Other members of the committee would finance secretary, law secretary, tourism secretary and establishment secretary.

K-P Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir, Finance Secretary Atif Rehman, Tourism Secretary Khushal Khan and TCK-P Managing Director Junaid Khan, private sector members of the board and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Poor internet access for students echoes in K-P assembly</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251303/poor-internet-access-students-echoes-assembly</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251303/poor-internet-access-students-echoes-assembly#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 20 09:14:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shahid.hamid]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251303</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Debate on Rs55.42b supplementary budget completed]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Lawmakers on Friday took up the issue of poor internet connection for students in the remote areas of the province, noting that the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic means that online classes are the only means for obtaining education for students now.

This was discussed as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed on Friday to debate the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.

MPAs raised questions on online classes in the province. They urged the provincial government to ensure students have access to 3G and 4G networks, especially in the merged districts, so that they can access classes.

Moreover, they lamented that a girls college built in the Mohmand tribal district has yet to start functioning even though its structure was completed years ago.

During the discussion on the supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 worth Rs55.42 billion, the issue of a laptop scheme was raised.

Opposition lawmakers including Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Nighat Orakzai, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Inyatullah Khan, Mir Kalam Wazir, Shafiq Afridi, Baseerat Bibi, Khushdil Khan, Shagufta Malik and others said that a handsome amount had been allocated for the information technology sector in the supplementary budget to provide laptops to teachers.

They noted that if teachers can be provided laptops, then what about the students and called for greater transparency in the programme.

The opposition benches also raised concerns over the plight of the inmates in prisons across the province during the pandemic. They slammed the government for losing control of the bureaucracy.

Police reforms

On the directions of Deputy Speaker Mahmood Khan for a senior police officer attend the assembly proceedings, an SP level officer arrived at the assembly on Friday.

However, the deputy speaker did not allow him to enter the session as he expressed his anger over the absence of senior officers.

He then directed a DIG level officer to attend the session.

Later, Peshawar CCPO Ali Gandapur visited the assembly lobby and marked his presence.

Lawmakers from across the aisle pointed to the need for police reforms. They also asked the CCPO to explain reports of extrajudicial killings and the harassment of citizens at checkpoints set up across the province.

Members of the opposition expressed their reservations over the dormant status of the public safety commission. With no check and balance on the department, they claimed that the police was doing what it wants.

The secretary of the home department was also accused of deliberately delaying the process of activating the commission. Opposition lawmakers also pointed to the incident in the Zangi area where a motorcyclist was killed when he failed to stop at a checkpoint.

Discriminatory allocations

Shafiq Afridi from the Khyber Tribal District accused the government of dividing development funds based on the personal likes and dislikes of the finance and chief ministers. Moreover, he said that lawmaker of the merged districts has been completely ignored. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>K-P up in arms against custodial torture</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251292/k-p-arms-custodial-torture</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251292/k-p-arms-custodial-torture#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 20 09:19:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondents]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251292</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Govt asks PHC to probe yet another instance of police high-handedness]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Scores were left injured on Friday as police and protesters clashed in the Tehkal area of the provincial capital as the latter demonstrated against the excesses of the former.

The clashes came even as the government wrote to the provincial judiciary, asking it to probe reports of police detaining an Afghan national, stripping and parading him naked and then torturing him for abusing officers in a video.

Several protests and rallies were held across the province on Friday to protest the torture of Rafiullah alias Amir of Tehkal.

The largest protests were staged in the Tehkal area, outside the Peshawar Press Club and in front of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly building. Protesters filled the road from Saddar to the press club, blocking it for all sorts of traffic. Former Awami National Party (ANP) provincial assembly member Alamgir Khan Khalil and members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Youth Wing also participated in the protest.

They held aloft banners condemning the police brutality and of filming a detainee in a compromised position and then leaking the videos. Chanting anti-police slogans, they demanded a judicial inquiry into the case and kept the road closed for nearly two hours.

As the protesters neared the provincial assembly, they were charged by police in riot gear. At this, the protesters started pelting police officers with stones.

To disperse the crowd, the police resorted to firing tear gas canisters.

The clashes left scores of protesters and police officers injured.

Meanwhile, protests against police excesses were also held in Mardan, Swabi, Bajaur, Charsadda, Nowshera, Malakand, Lower and Upper Dir, Swat and other southern districts. Lawyers, social workers, students and local political leaders participated in those protests.

Judicial inquiry

In a media briefing at the Information Cell in the Civil Secretariat on Friday, Adviser to the K-P Chief Minister on Information Ajmal Wazir said that the provincial government has written to the Peshawar High Court’s registrar to nominate a judge who will lead a judicial commission to probe the Tehkal incident under the K-P Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance.

Wazir said that soon after the video went viral on social media, the provincial government had taken immediate action by suspending and booking the four police personnel involved, including an SHO. Moreover, the SSP Operation was removed from his post.

On the judicial commission, he confirmed that the PHC had been requested to form the probe body. He added that the body will be tasked with identifying those responsible for the incident and that later they will be tried as per the law.

Noting that the commission has been directed to complete its inquiry within 15 days, Wazir said that the government will make the inquiry public.

The adviser, however, urged the public not to malign the entire police department due to the actions of a few

“The misconduct and wrongdoings of a few personnel should not be blamed on the entire police department,” he said, reiterating the immense sacrifices rendered by the provincial police force in the war against terror apart from serving on the frontlines against the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Another case of police excesses surfaces</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251290/another-case-police-excesses-surfaces</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251290/another-case-police-excesses-surfaces#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Jun 20 09:19:42 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Yawar Hayat]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251290</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The report further showed that the additional SHO had been previously found guilty of framing a man in a fake case]]>
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				<![CDATA[After Peshawar, a case of police excesses has emerged from Haripur where a senior police officer allegedly beat up a clerk at a filling station for refusing service to his son.

A report submitted to the district police officer's (DPO0 office stated that additional SHO SI Muhammad Nawaz's son had gone to a filling station in the Batrassi area of Haripur to get fuel for his motorbike. Because he was not wearing a face mask nor a helmet, the clerk on duty refused to provide him with service as per a campaign being run by the district police.

At this, additional SHO Nawaz and his driver arrived at the fuel station where they beat up the workers. Nawaz’s driver also allegedly snatched cash from the cashier's pocket and then fled.

The owner of the filling station and workers subsequently approached the DPO and urged him to intervene. The DPO took notice of the incident and suspended Nawaz and launched an inquiry.

The report further showed that the additional SHO had been previously found guilty of framing a man in a fake case and allegedly took a bribe to set the case aside.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Virus cases in Indian Occupied Kashmir top 7,000</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252336/virus-cases-indian-occupied-kashmir-top-7000</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252336/virus-cases-indian-occupied-kashmir-top-7000#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 23:11:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252336</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[2,700 infections, including 41 virus-linked deaths, confirmed in last 2 weeks]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Coronavirus cases in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&amp;K) region crossed the 7,000-mark including 94 deaths, officials said on Sunday.

As many as 127 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 7,093, according to the latest data by the government.

Since June 13, the data revealed, about 2,700 cases have been registered while 41 people, including a 15-day-old baby, have died.

The Doctors Association of Kashmir has warned of community transmission, saying that more than 90% of the region's population is susceptible to the infection.

AJK president lauds Joe Biden for urging India to restore people’s rights in IOJ&amp;K

Dr Suhail Naik, who heads the association, told Anadolu Agency the recent numbers indicate that the virus has arrived in the community, and is going to spread amid an ease in restrictions.

“We cannot bear the excess load of cases in our underdeveloped healthcare systems... the only remedy available is social distancing, hygiene and prevention,” he said.

While educational institutions remain closed, and public transport is still suspended in the region, some businesses have reopened.

As the pandemic crisis is looming, Indian forces continued their human rights violation in the valley, killing over 130 freedom fighters in over 40 gunfights in 2020 so far.]]>
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			<title>AJK president lauds Joe Biden for urging India to restore people’s rights in IOJ&amp;K</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252239/ajk-president-lauds-joe-biden-urging-india-restore-peoples-rights-iojk</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252239/ajk-president-lauds-joe-biden-urging-india-restore-peoples-rights-iojk#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 22:27:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252239</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[US former vice president has said restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests, weaken democracy.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[While welcoming US Democratic presidential nominee and former vice president Joe Biden’s statements over the restoration of rights of Kashmiris, Azad Jammu and Kashmir President Sardar Masood Khan has said that Biden’s remarks are a proof that the world community has refused to buy the Indian narrative on Occupied Kashmir.

Biden has asked New Delhi to take all necessary steps to restore rights of all the people of Kashmir and asserted that restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests or shutting or slowing down internet, weakens democracy.

The US ex-vice president also expressed disappointment over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the enforcement of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in different states of India.

“We welcome the US Democratic Party leader’s remarks and urge Indian-Americans and Muslim-Americans to applaud Joe Biden’s policy statement together because nobody wants India to be ruled by theocratic fascists. Kashmiris’ liberties and fundamental rights, especially their right to self-determination, should be restored. It’s a just demand,” President Masood said in Muzaffarabad on Sunday.

Earlier addressing a function held in connection with the disbursement of cash grant among the affectees of Indian shelling living along the Line of Control (LoC), the AJK president said that relief being provided by the federal government to 610,000 members of 80,000 families is the recognition of their sacrifices as well as acknowledgement of the responsibilities being shouldered by the state government.

"Azad Kashmir is not only a strong defence line of Pakistan, but the people living close to the LoC and facing India's direct aggression are the defenders of the motherland," he added.

While commenting on Prime Minister Imran Khan's announcement to include more than 100,000 people affected by the Indian firing at the LoC in the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme and to issue health cards to 1.2 million people of Azad Kashmir, he said that the people of occupied and the liberated territory want to become part of Pakistan not because of geographical location but on the basis of their faith and ideology.

Joe Biden seeks restoration of peoples’ rights in Occupied Kashmir

The AJK president said that India's ruling party BJP and the RSS have planned to eliminate the Kashmiri people, occupy their lands, reduce the number of Muslims in the assembly of Occupied Kashmir, and to turn the whole state into a colony of India, but the people of both the liberated and occupied parts of Kashmir would offer stiff resistance.

He went on to say that it is high time that the government and the people of Pakistan as well as the valiant people of Azad Kashmir adopt an aggressive policy to counter India because "India is constantly threatening to attack Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan".

"Instead of saying that we will defend Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, we should also talk about the liberation of Khalistan, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Mizoram, and tell the world that India is no longer a secular state but it has emerged as a fascist state," he added.

President Masood also said that India's anti-Muslim moves have awakened the Muslims across the world, and a wave for the renaissance of Islam has risen in the whole Muslim world. "It is now clear that whether it is Kashmir or Palestine, the Muslims are prepared to safeguard their interest."

Referring to Azad Kashmir, he said that the liberated territory can emerge as an economic engine for Pakistan. At present, he maintained, that 2,000 megawatts of electricity is being generated in Azad Kashmir while the territory has a potential of producing another 8,000 megawatts of electricity "though our own demand is between 300 and 400 megawatts, and the surplus electricity is injected into the national grid".

On completion of Kohala, Gulpur, Azad Pattan, Dudhnial and many other projects in the coming decade, Azad Kashmir will become the biggest electricity generating region of Pakistan.

President Masood said that Azad Kashmir is not only strategically important for Pakistan's defence but it can also play an important role in the economic uplift of the country. "That is why, we say that Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir and Kashmir has no identity without Pakistan."]]>
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			<title>Hinduism being masqueraded as secularism in India, says AJK president</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251761/hinduism-masqueraded-secularism-india-says-ajk-president</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251761/hinduism-masqueraded-secularism-india-says-ajk-president#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 00:33:43 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251761</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Masood says 13,000 Kashmiri boys have been abducted and kept in prison houses where they're being subjected to torture]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sardar Masood Khan, the president Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), has said that after grudgingly accepting the independence of Pakistan, India adopted a secular doctrine, an insincere attempt to hide prevalent Hindu nationalism under the guise of secularism.

He made these remarks while addressing two separate web-conferences organised by the Institute of Policy Studies on the topic of “India: Past, Present &amp; Future: Perceptions of the Muslim World”; and by the Pakistan High Commission UK on the topic “Seeking Justice for Kashmiri Victims of Sexual Violence and Physical Torture, and Widows”.

Speaking at the IPS session – which was attended by leading international experts from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nigeria – the president said Hindu fascists romanticise an imaginary state of "Akhand Baharat" that they claim to have existed before the arrival of Muslim rulers in the sub-continent. This notion, he said, is not only unsubstantiated by history, it is also counterintuitive.

Referring to the faux secularism adopted by India, the AJK president said that over the decades, this glue of secularism had has come off and the real face of India’s political masters has been exposed. "Not long after independence, on 27 October 1947, India began working on its imperialistic agenda, and invaded the Jammu and Kashmir State. Driven by its Hindu-extremist policy, India has carried on with this agenda over the years," he said.

Masood Khan said that lawmakers and the leadership of BJP, the RSS and their affiliates have publicly declared that they would do away with Muslims from within India. This, he said, has caught the attention of Hindu zealots from across India which has consequently impacted the larger political landscape of the neighbouring country.

This BJP-RSS nexus has waged three wars in the region; one against its minorities inside its own borders, the second one against Kashmiris in the occupied territory of Kashmir and the third one against all its neighbouring countries. "Considering Pakistan as enemy number one, they have threatened to wipe off Pakistan from the face of the earth by the use of nuclear weapons," he informed.

The AJK president said that India’s ambition of becoming a colonial and imperial power in the region has led it to using the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh for sabotaging the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It has also formed a four-member alliance QUAD – comprising of India, USA, Japan and Australia – to oppose the BRI and, especially, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“India is the biggest barrier for progress in the region. SAARC has been struggling for decades and that too because India has been standing in the way of economic integration as it wants to establish its hegemony in South Asia,” said the president.

'Existing tensions surfacing in new China-India row'

Speaking about the situation in IOJ&amp;K, he said that India is practicing the policy of lebensraum by reoccupying the State of Jammu and Kashmir, bifurcating it and now bringing it under the direct rule of Delhi. He compared the new domicile rules introduced in the occupied valley, to the policy followed by Nazi Germany against the Jews, based initially on economic strangulation, followed by demonisation and marginalisation and finally physical extermination.

The president apprised that in IOJ&amp;K political leaders have been incarcerated, the youth are being killed and tortured in jails all over Occupied Kashmir and northern India. He added that 13,000 Kashmiri boys have been abducted and kept in prison houses where they are being subjected to torture and brainwashing. Bipin Rawat, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, has said that these boys (some as young as 10 years old) are more dangerous than a pellet-firing shotgun because they raise the slogan of Azadi (freedom) and self-determination, he said.

The AJK president said that members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should start a boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against India, while the corporate sector of these countries should be discouraged to invest in India as they are committing human rights violations against Kashmiris and Muslims of India.

"Start by banning the import of non-halal meat into OIC countries and the formation of a Kashmir Humanitarian Fund with the help of the Islamic Development Bank and Islamic Solidarity Fund.”

He also suggested an international civil society movement be mobilised to delegitimise Hindutva and campaign to declare RSS a terrorist organisation. “The biggest and the most trained terrorist organisation in the world is the RSS. They have openly declared to target Muslims not only in South Asia but all over the world”, he added.

Appreciating the supportive role of the OIC, Masood Khan appealed to the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council to raise their voice against Kashmir and call out the egregious human rights violations taking place in IOJ&amp;K.

Speaking at the web-conference hosted by Pakistan High Commission, the president appealed to powerful nations to make moral and legal choices for bringing India to justice and helping dismantle this machine of torture in IOJ&amp;K. “Silence is a crime when such torture is openly taking place in any part of the world”, he said.

He added that 25,000 Hindus from all over India have been given domiciles of IOJ&amp;K; and in the same manner, in which Muslim Indians have become second class citizens, Kashmiris have to run from pillar to post just to prove that they are state subjects. “If we don’t stop this now, IOJ&amp;K won’t be a recognisable entity like it is today. Two million Hindus will be brought in over the coming years” he said.

The AJK president said that India’s non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council will lead to three setbacks in the Council. Firstly, it will try to delete the agenda from the UNSC calendar; secondly, they would make efforts to stop us from holding informal meetings on Kashmir; and thirdly, they will imperil funding of the mandate of the UNMOGIP. “As a permanent member of the UNSC, the United Kingdom can stop this and create a balance in the UNSC,” said the president while speaking to his audience.

He urged the British citizenry and its civil society to lead the campaign of letter writing and awareness-raising on Kashmir in the international realm.

He also thanked MP Steve Baker for his active and vocal role in raising his voice for the Kashmir people by authoring a letter. He urged him to use his clout with 10 Downing Street and the FCO to mobilise the UK towards Kashmir advocacy in both the British Parliament and the UNSC.

The web-conference hosted by the Pakistan High Commission London was attended by Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Nafees Zakaria, MP Afzal Khan, MP Naz Shah, MP Steve Baker, MP Tony Lloyd, MP, Imran Hussain, MP Khalid Mahmood, Lord Qurban Hussain, Councillor Aasim Rashid, Mr Muzammil  Ayub Thakur, Chairman JKSDMI Raja Najabat Hussain, President Tahreek-e-Kashmir UK Fahim Kiyani, Dr Nazir GIllani, Syed Ali Raza, Shaista Safi and other leading members of the civil society.]]>
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			<title>World leaders urged to help end Indian atrocities against Kashmiris</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2250999/world-leaders-urged-help-end-indian-atrocities-kashmiris</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2250999/world-leaders-urged-help-end-indian-atrocities-kashmiris#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 20 21:06:07 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2250999</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[On International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, AJK president condemns BJP-RSS regime]]>
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				<![CDATA[Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Sardar Masood Khan has urged the international community and United Nations to help end the most "cruel, inhumane and degrading" treatment of the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&amp;K) by occupation forces,

“We fully agree with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’s statement that torturers must never be allowed to get away with their crimes, and systems that enable torture should be dismantled or transformed,” he said in a video message released on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture observed across the globe on Friday.

The AJK president said that torture is a crime against humanity and it is prohibited by international law and all religions. "Yet, this crime is committed everyday by the Indian forces and authorities in the occupied territory, most brutally and systematically."

He appealed to the United Nations not to generalise and blur the focus on torture where it is pervasive. In Occupied Kashmir, he said, torture is most rampant and most egregious.

“Torture has been committed by the BJP-RSS regime by reoccupying and colonising Jammu and Kahsmir against the will of its 14 million people, dividing their state into two parts, and enforcing decrees whereby the entire territory is now ruled by a foreign capital, Delhi."

While lambasting the Modi-led government, President Masood said: “As we mark this day today, Kashmiri young men are hunted down and killed in cold blood in fake encounters, demonstrators are blinded and sexual molestation is used as a weapon of war.”

Kashmiris, he went on to say, are being deprived of their homeland by bringing Hindus from all over India and settling them in the occupied territory through new domicile rules.

“Stripped of their permanent residence rights, Kashmiris are being robbed of their jobs, livelihoods, businesses and land. Systematically, the demography of the disputed valley is being altered permanently."

PM urges int'l community to hold India accountable for atrocities in IOJ&amp;K

The AJK president said what India is doing in occupied region is a war crime according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the ICC Statute and international humanitarian law.

Referring to arbitrary arrest of political leaders and political activists, he said thousands of political detainees  – illegally incarcerated – are being subjected to the vicious torture leading in many instances to death and disability.

President Masood demanded that political prisoners in the Tihar jail in India - Yasin Malik, Asiya Indrabi, Shabbir Shah - should be released forthwith and Syed Ali Geelani and other Hurriyet leaders - hundreds of them holed up in cramped prisons - should be set free.

Some 13,000 boys and children, as young as 10, are caged in concentration camps where they are being tortured and brainwashed, he said while calling for the international community led by the United Nations to play ts role for their release.

He also made a demand that India should be asked to repeal all draconian laws that empower occupation forces to commit crimes with impunity.

“Kashmiris are citizens of planet Earth. Listen to their screams of SOS. Save their bodies; save their souls. Silence too is a crime while such massive torture is taking place right before our eyes.”]]>
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			<title>Can Pakistan's peacekeeping role in Iran war give it an economic dividend?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614705/can-pakistans-peacekeeping-role-in-iran-war-give-it-an-economic-dividend</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614705/can-pakistans-peacekeeping-role-in-iran-war-give-it-an-economic-dividend#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 26 11:58:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614705</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Analysts say diplomatic gains could attract investment but unlikely to fix structural issues plaguing economy]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan&#39;s role in brokering a peace deal in the United States-Iran war has led to widespread diplomatic acclaim that could bring Islamabad some economic benefits, but analysts question whether such gains can help resolve the fault lines ​in its economy.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended talks between Iran and the US&nbsp;in the Swiss town of Buergenstock last weekend, the culmination &zwnj;of Pakistan&#39;s months-long role in one of the world&#39;s most consequential diplomatic negotiations.

&quot;This guy. What&#39;s up, man?&quot; US Vice President JD Vance said upon seeing Munir in the resort town before giving the army chief a hug. Both sides, along with several world leaders, have thanked Islamabad for helping ease a conflict that could have disrupted the Strait of Hormuz for a long period, choked global oil supplies and shattered the world economy.

The breakthrough has raised Pakistan&#39;s profile and analysts say the country of ​250 million people has an opportunity to convert that goodwill into some gains for an economy marked by decades of boom and bust. But they said any benefits were unlikely to fix deeper ​structural issues including social and economic inequity, a narrow tax base and repeated IMF bailouts.

Pakistan is targeting economic growth of 4.0% and inflation of 8.2% for the ⁠coming fiscal year, compared with 3.7% projected growth in fiscal 2026 which ends in June, and 6.7% average inflation in the July-May period of the outgoing year.

Read: Peacemaking&#39;s economic payback

&quot;A nation that delivers stability at home and helps advance ​stability abroad becomes a more credible destination for investment,&quot; said Khurram Schehzad, adviser to Pakistan&#39;s finance minister. &quot;A growth-oriented economic agenda, coupled with a reputation as a force for peace and stability, places Pakistan in a uniquely favourable ​position to attract investment into its people, infrastructure, technology and future growth sectors.&quot;

Many analysts are expecting some largesse from the US, although there have been no signs of any such windfalls yet.

Alex Vatanka, senior fellow and director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said one gain for Pakistan was the &quot;huge potential to be a more integrated part of the broader Middle East,&quot; and eventually forging broader economic partnerships in the region that would also encompass defence.

Another possibility was ​that sanctions relief on Iran could allow &quot;huge trade between Iran and Pakistan,&quot; particularly through their Balochistan land border, said Miftah Ismail, a former finance minister.

Seen this before

After the September 11, 2001 attacks and the US invasion ​of Afghanistan, alignment with Washington helped secure debt rescheduling from more than a dozen bilateral creditors, renewed support from the IMF and other multilateral lenders, and US assistance. But Pakistan failed to take advantage because of structural weaknesses, analysts say.

Khurram Husain, &zwnj;an economic commentator ⁠and journalist, said the current situation was similar to post-9/11, but with one crucial difference: that moment came at &quot;the start of a long ruinous war in which Pakistan had to play a frontline role&quot; while this time &quot;Pakistan is playing the role of a peacemaker.&quot;

That distinction means Pakistan&#39;s leverage this time comes from being useful to multiple sides simultaneously &mdash; Washington, Tehran, Gulf states, Turkey and China.

Former finance minister Ismail said the diplomatic role had enhanced Pakistan&#39;s international prestige, but that had no effect on the high costs, weak exports and external repayments that keep it dependent on the IMF. &quot;Our house is in such disorder that foreigners can&#39;t really help us unless we ​help ourselves,&quot; he said. &quot;Nothing here in this war changes ​that and we will be continually dependent on ⁠the IMF.&quot;

Read More: Is Pakistan rising as a middle power?

Asim Ijaz Khawaja, a professor at Harvard University and director of the Harvard Center for International Development, said Pakistan should resist short-term financial concessions that do not raise productivity. Instead, he said, Pakistan should seek academic exchanges and scholarships, preferential market access for textiles and IT services, technology transfer and green investment frameworks.

Hamish Falconer, Britain&#39;s ​minister for the Middle East, thanked Islamabad for its peacekeeping role during a visit last week and told Reuters the UK saw &quot;huge scope for deepening trade links&quot; ​with Pakistan and that a ⁠British trade minister was expected to visit in the coming months.

Diplomats from two other Western countries have also said their governments are exploring strengthening economic ties following Islamabad&#39;s peace efforts. They did not wish to be identified further.

&#39;Peace pivot&#39;

Atif Mian, professor of economics, public policy and finance at Princeton University, said Pakistan should avoid treating diplomacy as another route to deposits, rollovers or IMF-style relief.

The real prize, he said, was a &quot;peace pivot&quot; &mdash; external and domestic &mdash; built on ⁠regional trade, ​energy links with Iran, and deeper integration with the Gulf and Turkey through exports, technology transfer and co-dependent industries.

Also Read: Pakistan helped avert wider conflict through US-Iran mediation, security sources say

Analysts said any new ​economic gains would not fix Pakistan&rsquo;s deeper constraints.

&quot;If structural reforms are not implemented, the country is poised for an implosion in coming decades,&quot; said Adeel Malik, associate professor of development economics at Oxford University.

&quot;There are deep-seated grievances among the young and the shrinking middle classes ​against Pakistan&#39;s ruling elite. The prevailing system has given ruling elites an extended lease of life but has made the country socially and economically insecure.&quot;]]>
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			<title>Explainer: Why do thousands of seashells wash up on Karachi's shores every monsoon?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614710/explainer-why-do-thousands-of-seashells-wash-up-on-karachis-shores-every-monsoon</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614710/explainer-why-do-thousands-of-seashells-wash-up-on-karachis-shores-every-monsoon#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 26 12:58:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fact Check By iVerify]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category><category><![CDATA[Karachi]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614710</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[From upwelling to marine heatwaves, science and fishermen explain annual phenomenon and why 2026 may be different]]>
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				<![CDATA[Each year, sometime around June, Karachi&rsquo;s beaches become crowded &mdash; not just with people, but also seashells, hundreds of thousands of them, spread across the shore in dense and clattering drifts. The sight leaves citizens intrigued, with many wondering if something was wrong. The same thing happened this June, as well.

For the past few days, there has been discussion both online and offline regarding why this phenomenon occurs. Was it climate change or nature&rsquo;s spectacle?

The science and the fishermen tell a more layered story.

A prelude to the monsoon

The phenomenon is not new. A Dawn report dated July 17, 2009, noted that large numbers of white and yellow seashells had appeared on Clifton Beach overnight. Another Dawn report, dated May 21, 2016, reported that wave action dislodges shellfish, particularly Venus clams, locally known as &ldquo;burgar&rdquo;, from shallow sub-tidal habitats, carrying them onto beaches where they die and leave behind empty shells.

The same event was also covered by The Express Tribune on May 22, 2016. Both news reports stated that the phenomenon is linked to the arrival of the monsoon.

An Aaj News report dated July 10, 2024, also noted that marine experts continue to identify June and July as the recurring seasonal window for this phenomenon, though it added that rising pollution levels may be contributing to higher rates of marine mortality, leading to larger volumes of shells washing ashore in some years.





Majeed Motani, president of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, who has decades of fishing experience, confirmed this. The phenomenon was not new and was locally known as &ldquo;aokar&rdquo;, he said, and similar seashells can be seen along several coastal areas, including Ibrahim Hyderi and other beaches in Karachi.

&ldquo;We have been witnessing this phenomenon for decades, particularly during June and July,&rdquo; he said, explaining that water from the deeper parts of the sea rises to the surface and eventually pushes the seashells toward the shore, where they are deposited along the coastline.

What science says

Scientific research on the Arabian Sea provides a clearer explanation for why this happens. When the southwest monsoon arrives around June, strong winds push warm surface water away from the shore, drawing cold water up from the ocean&rsquo;s depths &mdash; a process known as upwelling.

A study published in the Journal of Sea Research explains that this cold, deep water contains very little oxygen, and when it spreads across the seafloor, it proves fatal for bottom-dwelling creatures such as clams and other shellfish that cannot move quickly enough to escape. Their empty shells are then carried onto beaches by powerful monsoon waves.



PHOTO: DAWN

A separate paper on the Arabian Sea shelf, published in Deep-Sea Research, found that cold, oxygen-depleted water begins appearing off Karachi as early as June and persists through November, precisely the months when citizens observe the highest concentrations of shells along the coast.

Another study stated that the monsoon season coincides with the period when the largest number of marine invertebrates are present in coastal waters near Karachi. In short, shellfish populations are at their peak near the shore just as the harshest ocean conditions arrive, which is why the beaches receive so many shells.

The anomaly

But 2026 may be a different year in at least one respect. Motani told iVerify Pakistan that the number of seashells this year appears higher than usual.

Fatima Yamin, a climate change and disaster management expert, highlighted that the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services issued a Marine Heatwave Advisory in April confirming that parts of the Arabian Sea &mdash; including coasts of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh extending towards Oman &mdash; are under high alert due to an increase in sea surface temperature anomaly.

&ldquo;It is yet to be seen if it affects deep waters, but it would impact the continental shelf. This correlates with the accounts of fishermen who have not seen such a large number of marine shell life washed onshore before. Warmer temperatures in the sea surface can also change the oxygen levels, causing marine life to die in water and can cause marine mammals to rise to the surface for oxygen,&rdquo; she added.



Status of Marine Heat Waves in the Indian Ocean during 1-18, Apr
The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued a status of Marine Heatwave (MHW) advisory on 20th April 2026, to assess the status of thermal stress over the Indian Ocean. The Marine&hellip; pic.twitter.com/ORDkjHSyeF
&mdash; INCOIS, MoES (@incoismoes) April 24, 2026


What happens to the shells?

Meanwhile, the shells themselves do not go to waste.

According to Motani, some people &mdash; mostly families living near the sea &mdash; collect them as part of their livelihood. The shells are cleaned using chemicals and other methods and then used to make jewellery, photo frames, decorative pieces, flower pots, and other handicrafts that are sold in the market.

Beyond handicrafts, seashells also have a broader industrial value that is increasingly being explored by researchers. A study examining sustainable waste management found that seashells can be converted into bio-calcium carbonate through a high-temperature calcination process. When used as a filler in high-density polyethene (HDPE), a common industrial plastic, the seashell-derived material was found to improve the thermal stability, crystallinity, and tensile strength of the plastic, while only marginally reducing its flexibility.

This article was published by iVerify Pakistan under its initiative tackling myths and disinformation around climate, supported by Irada and IMS]]>
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			<title>Authorities fortify cities for Muharram</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614587/authorities-fortify-cities-for-muharram</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614587/authorities-fortify-cities-for-muharram#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 19:38:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Syed Ali Shah]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]></category><category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614587</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Thousands deployed as K-P and Balochistan tighten security for processions]]>
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				<![CDATA[Authorities have ordered the complete closure of all markets in the historic inner city for four days, citing the precarious law-and-order situation during the solemn month of Muharram. Key commercial arteries, including the Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Kohati Bazaar, Peepal Mandi, Kochi Bazaar, and Sarafa Bazaar, have been sealed off with concertina wire and heavy barricades, effectively bringing trade to a standstill.

Police commandos and paramilitary troops have been deployed in large numbers across the provincial capital, with a central command post monitoring processions in real-time through an extensive network of CCTV cameras. According to officials, more than 20 mourning processions were taken out on the 6th of Muharram, all following their traditional routes from various imambargahs before concluding peacefully at their points of origin.

&quot;Over 10,000 security personnel have been stationed throughout the city, with additional rapid-response units positioned at sensitive locations,&quot; a senior police official told reporters. &quot;Command-and-control centres have been activated, and we are continuously tracking every gathering and procession via video surveillance to pre-empt any untoward incident.&quot;

All entry and exit points to Peshawar have been placed under stringent cordons, with vehicular and pedestrian checks intensified to the maximum level. Authorities have also arranged alternative traffic routes to minimise public inconvenience, while a separate security blueprint has been issued for the 7th of Muharram processions scheduled for today.

Quetta on Knife-edge

Meanwhile, in a coordinated provincial response, the Balochistan government has placed its entire security apparatus on red alert, placing 17 districts under strict surveillance to thwart potential sectarian violence. Following a high-level review session chaired by Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti on Monday, officials finalised a comprehensive security framework designed to maintain absolute peace across the restive province.

During the briefing, the Home Department classified 11 districts as &quot;highly critical&quot; and another six as &quot;sensitive,&quot; with a dedicated Emergency Response Plan drafted specifically for the 9th and 10th of Muharram, the most significant days of remembrance. The strategy involves early preventative sweeps along procession routes and around religious congregations, coupled with multi-layered security rings. Chief Minister Bugti directed police to ensure seamless inter-agency coordination and operational harmony.

&quot;Any individual attempting to incite sectarian discord or spread inflammatory rhetoric will face the full force of the law,&quot; Bugti warned, stressing a zero-tolerance policy. &quot;The state&#39;s primary duty is the safety and protection of its citizens, and we will utilise every public resource to preserve a tranquil environment.&quot;

Acknowledging the delicate communal balance during Muharram, the provincial administration has also engaged religious leaders from various denominations.]]>
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			<title>Experts urge stronger MHNP protection</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614594/experts-urge-stronger-mhnp-protection</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614594/experts-urge-stronger-mhnp-protection#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 19:45:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Zulfiqar Baig]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614594</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Moot participants call for strict enforcement of environmental laws]]>
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				<![CDATA[Environmental leaders, policymakers, conservationists and legal experts have stressed the urgent need to safeguard one of Pakistan&#39;s most significant ecological assets, the Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP), while ensuring that environmental laws and land-use regulations are effectively implemented.

They were speaking at a webinar held to discuss the Supreme Court of Pakistan&#39;s decision concerning Margalla Hills National Park and the implications of the ongoing review petition before the Federal Constitutional Court.

The event, organised by Devcom-Pakistan on Monday, focused on three critical aspects of the Supreme Court&#39;s ruling, including the protection and conservation of the environment, addressing environmental pollution, and tackling encroachments within Margalla Hills National Park. Participants emphasised that the case represents a defining moment for environmental governance in Pakistan and carries broader implications for conservation policy and constitutional jurisprudence.

Speakers included former adviser to the prime minister on environment and climate change Malik Amin Aslam Khan, Director General of WWF-Pakistan Hammad Naqi Khan, former Director General of Pak-EPA and environmental expert Asif Shuja Khan, Shakir Toor, Dr Pervez Hassan, Dr Amir Haider, environmental advocacy expert Ali Jabir, Naseer Gilani, former CDA Director General Dr Sarwar Sandhu, Munir Ahmed and others.

Malik Amin Aslam reflected on the significance of the Supreme Court&#39;s decision, which reaffirmed the importance of environmental protection and called for the removal of illegal encroachments and activities that threaten the integrity of the national park.

He also discussed concerns related to environmental pollution and inadequate management of facilities operating within and around the protected area. He emphasised the importance of improving waste management systems and ensuring that commercial activities do not compromise the ecological character of the park.]]>
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			<title>Man shot dead on way to court</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614632/man-shot-dead-on-way-to-court</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614632/man-shot-dead-on-way-to-court#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 21:04:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[RASHID BIN AMEER]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614632</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Family stages protest, demands arrest of suspects, action against police officials]]>
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				<![CDATA[A 22-year-old man was shot dead by armed assailants while on his way to attend a court hearing in Kabirwala, allegedly as a result of a long-standing tribal feud.

The deceased, identified as Mursaleen Tayyab Hanjra, came under attack near Jhandeer Kassi in the jurisdiction of Nawan Shehr Police Station.

Police and family sources said more than eight armed suspects allegedly ambushed him and opened fire with Kalashnikovs and rifles, leaving him critically injured.

The attackers reportedly fled the scene towards the Mamdal area after the shooting. The incident is said to be linked to an old rivalry between the Hanjra and Kartwana communities in the Head Sardar Pur area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Sarai Sidhu Police Station in Kabirwala police circle.

Family members immediately called Rescue 1122 for medical assistance.

However, Mursaleen Tayyab succumbed to his injuries before help could arrive.

On the complaint of the victim&#39;s father, Muhammad Tayyab Hanjra, Nawan Shehr Police registered a case against the nominated suspects, identified as Muhammad Hanif Kartwana, Muhammad Asif Kartwana, Muhammad Kashif Kartwana, Qaiser, Sagheer Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq and Muhammad Bilal, along with other unidentified accomplices.

Following the killing, members of the Hanjra community staged a protest by placing the victim&#39;s body on Multan Road outside the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Kabirwala.

The demonstration continued for nearly two hours, causing traffic disruption and drawing a large crowd.

The protesters chanted slogans against DSP Kabirwala Chaudhry Munawar Gujjar and the SHO of Sarai Sidhu Police Station, accusing police of failing to act against proclaimed offenders allegedly associated with the rival group.

The victim&#39;s relatives claimed that wanted suspects frequently remained present in residential areas of Muhammad Pur Nasheb and Sardar Pur but were not arrested despite police being aware of their whereabouts.

They alleged that timely action by law enforcement could have prevented the killing.

The victim&#39;s mother and other family members were seen mourning during the protest and demanded arrest of the suspects.

The bereaved family appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and the Inspector General of Police Punjab to ensure the arrest of the accused and take action against those responsible for negligence.

Police said investigations are underway and efforts are being made to arrest the suspects named in the case.]]>
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			<title>Dismantling ‘Dunki’ death traps: Aggressive FIA crackdown cuts illegal migration by 47%</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614560/dismantling-dunki-death-traps-aggressive-fia-crackdown-cuts-illegal-migration-by-47</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614560/dismantling-dunki-death-traps-aggressive-fia-crackdown-cuts-illegal-migration-by-47#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 26 14:03:22 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614560</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Two Libya operations bring home over 200 Pakistanis from detention centres and trafficking networks]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Driven by the pursuit of better economic opportunities, thousands of Pakistani citizens fall prey every year to organised criminal networks operating hazardous, unauthorised international land and sea routes.

Popularly known as the &ldquo;Dunki&rdquo; route, this journey promises a quick gateway to Europe but routinely delivers betrayal, financial bankruptcy, captivity, and catastrophic loss of life.

The gruesome realities of illegal migration were brought to the forefront yet again in 2026, following two major government-facilitated operations that successfully repatriated over 200 Pakistani nationals from Libya.

According to official data, in February, a joint mission by the Embassy of Pakistan and the International Organisation for Migration rescued 30 citizens from the Tajoura Detention Centre in Tripoli.

This was followed by a large-scale repatriation operation in late May, which brought back 177 Pakistanis from detention facilities in Benghazi and Tripoli via a special flight from Mitiga International Airport.

Most of these returnees were intercepted by Libyan authorities before taking unseaworthy, dangerously overcrowded boats across the central Mediterranean.

Also Read: Bodies of six Pakistanis from Libya boat tragedy repatriated

The physical and psychological price extracted by human trafficking rings is immense. Survivors recount harrowing details of being sold to local Libyan gangs, facing brutal extortion, starvation, electric shocks, and severe physical abuse in makeshift, private detention spaces.

The haunting memory of the 2023 Adriana shipwreck near Greece&mdash;which claimed the lives of 262 Pakistanis&mdash;and subsequent Mediterranean tragedies in 2025 that cost 83 more lives, serve as stark reminders that these shortcuts are fundamentally death traps.

Beyond the physical trauma, families are stripped of their lifespans of savings. Human smuggling agents charge astronomical sums ranging between Rs3 million to Rs6 million per person. Desperate families finance these sums by selling ancestral lands, taking high-interest loans, or emptying household assets.

When a &ldquo;Dunki&rdquo; attempt fails or is intercepted, the immediate financial consequence is total bankruptcy. Trafficking mafias often call families from abroad, inflicting psychological torture through video clips of abuse to extract hundreds of thousands more in ransom. Survivors do not return to a blank slate; they return to a life buried under crippling, generational debt.

Recognising the gravity of transnational organised crime, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has launched extensive institutional reforms. Backed by the National Action Plan to Counter the Smuggling of Migrants (2026&ndash;2030), the state has fortified its borders and exit points.

The FIA has introduced Second Line Control and AI-backed biometric profiling systems at major national airports, which successfully resulted in offloading nearly 40,000 suspicious travelers in 2025 alone.

Read More: Pakistan facilitating repatriation of 30 Iranians: Dar

To date, ten official western border crossing points have been notified, alongside six overseas Link Offices to coordinate operations across borders.

These stringent measures yielded a major breakthrough: a 47% decline in illegal migration attempts to Europe in 2025.

Over the course of that year, the FIA arrested approximately 1,770 human smugglers and increased its field interceptions from 628 to 2,662.

The European Union has formally acknowledged Pakistan&rsquo;s structural response as &ldquo;exemplary,&rdquo; committing further bilateral funding to expand regional interception protocols.

To care for those arriving home, dedicated Victim Reception Centres&mdash;such as the expansive facility at Taftan, which handled over 13,000 returnees&mdash;and specialised reception desks at airports in Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar have been fully equipped to provide psychological counseling, medical support, and initial legal processing.

State institutions emphasise that the solution to economic hardship lies in self-improvement, not exploitation. Thousands of Pakistanis successfully secure futures abroad every year through legal employment networks and skilled migration frameworks.

The real ticket out of poverty is vocational training and certified skill sets&mdash;learning high-demand professions such as IT, engineering, nursing, and technical crafts.

Citizens planning foreign employment are strongly urged to cross-verify the credentials of any recruiting agent through the FIA&rsquo;s officially published lists or via the Pakistan Overseas Employment Corporation.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Pakistan Post restructuring sparks fresh unrest</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614457/pakistan-post-restructuring-sparks-fresh-unrest</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614457/pakistan-post-restructuring-sparks-fresh-unrest#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 26 20:23:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Qaiser Shirazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614457</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Workers protest proposed privatisation, threaten strike from July 1]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The federal government&#39;s proposed restructuring of Pakistan Post has sparked strong opposition from postal employees, with the Postal Workers Federation Pakistan announcing a nationwide protest movement and strike from July 1 if the reforms, which it says could pave the way for privatisation, downsizing and closure of post offices, are not withdrawn.

The union has warned that the proposed measures would jeopardise the constitutional obligation to provide universal postal services and could adversely affect nearly 120 million people, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.

The reforms, aimed at improving operational efficiency, reducing financial losses and modernising postal services, include significant workforce rationalisation, closure of loss-making post offices, digitalisation of services and commercial utilisation of postal assets. Pakistan Post Headquarters has already sought detailed information from all Circle Offices to facilitate implementation of the plan.

According to official documents, the restructuring strategy proposes reducing the workforce by up to 30% following a comprehensive review. In addition, proposals have been sought to close 20% of loss-making post offices, while staffing at headquarters and field formations could be reduced by as much as 50% to lower administrative and financial costs.

The department has directed Circle Heads and the Additional Director General (Administration) to submit details of inactive Extra Departmental Branch Post Offices, surplus employees, vacant posts and their financial implications.

As part of the transformation programme, Pakistan Post plans to prepare a comprehensive business plan by inviting Expressions of Interest from consultancy firms. Request for Proposal (RFP) and bidding documents are expected to be finalised within one month, while a consultant is likely to be appointed within three months.

The reform package also focuses on expanding e-commerce and logistics services. Authorities have been instructed to identify international partners, hold meetings with prospective collaborators within two weeks and complete the integration of WebOC and CDS systems to enhance customs clearance and operational efficiency.

Under the digitalisation programme, 2,761 post offices will be automated in three phases over six months, with 500 post offices covered in the first phase, followed by 1,000 in the second and 1,261 in the third.

To generate additional revenue, Pakistan Post intends to lease commercially viable and undisputed postal properties. Consultants or transaction advisers may also be appointed to maximise returns from government-owned assets.

The department has further ordered a detailed review of operational expenditure, including fuel, maintenance and utilisation of official vehicles and postmen&#39;s motorcycles.

Addressing an emergency meeting of postal unions, Postal Workers Federation Pakistan President Pervez Akhtar alleged that the proposed reforms would effectively undermine the government&#39;s constitutional responsibility under the Universal Service Obligation (USO).

He said the withdrawal of subsidies would severely impact postal services for millions of people in underserved areas.

The federation maintained that nearly 40% of sanctioned posts remain vacant due to a prolonged recruitment ban, despite a substantial increase in population since 1988. It also alleged that a $55 million digitalisation project launched in 2015 with financial assistance from the Korea Eximbank remained incomplete after certain conditions were left unfulfilled.

The union argued that employees should not be made to bear the consequences of administrative shortcomings under the guise of reforms and warned that any downsizing or privatisation would disproportionately affect female employees. It demanded the continuation of the USO subsidy, immediate recruitment against vacant posts, withdrawal of any privatisation plan and restoration of previously profitable postal services, warning that failure to accept these demands would result in a nationwide strike beginning on July 1.]]>
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			<title>Transport strike called off</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614434/transport-strike-called-off</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614434/transport-strike-called-off#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 26 19:54:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614434</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Public transport returns to roads as transporters end four-day wheel-jam strike after talks with authorities]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[For four days, Karachi&#39;s roads echoed with absence. Office workers scrambled for costly alternatives, students struggled to reach universities and bus stops overflowed with stranded commuters. However, the city finally received a measure of relief as the transport strike that had disrupted daily life for thousands came to an end following successful negotiations between transporters and the city administration.

The Karachi Transport Ittehad formally called off its four-day wheel-jam strike after what leaders described as productive talks with the Karachi commissioner on Sunday. Public transport vehicles, including buses, minibuses and coaches, are expected to return to the roads and resume normal operations from today (Monday).

A delegation of the transport alliance, led by President Haji Tawab Khan and Secretary-General Muhammad Ilyas, met the Karachi commissioner to discuss a range of issues, including vehicle insurance requirements, biometric regulations and what transporters described as excessive fines and enforcement measures. According to transport leaders, several demands were addressed during the meeting, while issues requiring policy decisions from the provincial government were deferred for further discussion.

Following the negotiations, member organisations of the Karachi Transport Ittehad held a consultative session at the alliance&#39;s office on Akbar Road, where they unanimously decided to end the strike.

Speaking to the media afterwards, Haji Tawab Khan formally announced the withdrawal of the protest and thanked both public transport and goods transport operators for supporting the movement.

He said some longstanding concerns had been resolved immediately, while authorities had sought additional time to address matters falling within the jurisdiction of the Sindh government.

Tawab Khan also apologised to commuters affected by the strike, acknowledging the hardships faced by thousands of citizens who rely on buses, minibuses and coaches for their daily travel. &quot;We regret the inconvenience caused to the public, but the heavy penalties and other operational challenges left us with no option but to protest.&quot;

The four-day strike had significantly disrupted mobility across Karachi, particularly affecting low- and middle-income commuters who depend on public transport for travel to workplaces, educational institutions and markets.

With the standoff now resolved, transport operators and city officials expressed hope that continued dialogue would help prevent future disruptions and ensure smoother operations for Karachi&#39;s already strained public transport system.

The meeting was attended by the secretary of transport, secretary of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA), the DIG Traffic, the director of excise and the deputy commissioner of Keamari, among other officials.]]>
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			<title>Hotel boom threatens Naran's beauty</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614466/hotel-boom-threatens-narans-beauty</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2614466/hotel-boom-threatens-narans-beauty#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 26 20:23:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2614466</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Unchecked development raises concerns over environmental degradation]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Not long ago, travellers venturing past Naran into Batakundi would find themselves surrounded by slopes of vibrant green, wide-open meadows, and mountains stretching endlessly into the sky. But that landscape was changing, and quickly. Hotels, guesthouses, and private villas were steadily spreading across the valley.

Where green spaces once defined the character of the place, concrete was now asserting itself. Construction machinery rumbled, building materials lay stacked, and new properties, fresh from development, had become a common sight in a region once cherished for its quiet, natural beauty.

Hasrat Khan, who serves as the Assistant Commissioner of Balakot, a sub-division of Mansehra District in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said that KDA has recently increased enforcement efforts against unauthorised construction and environmentally harmful developments in Kaghan Valley, especially Shogran, Naran, Kaghan, Battakundi, Jalkhad, Barwai &amp; Baiser.

Naran continues to attract thousands of visitors every summer and remains one of Pakistan&#39;s most sought-after tourist destinations. Naran town had always been the valley&#39;s commercial heart. But Batakundi, a settlement nearby, had, until recently, maintained a quieter, less developed character. Visitors who remembered the area from 2019 spoke of only a handful of hotels operating there. Now, only a few years later, dozens of hotels and guesthouses stood completed, with many more still in various stages of construction.

Fukraj, a tourist who had visited Naran in 2023, said that she remembered a surprising difference in temperature between Naran town and Batakundi. &quot;When we reached Naran city, the weather was surprisingly warm,&quot; she recalled. &quot;However, as we traveled further towards Batakundi, the temperature became noticeably cooler.&quot; She said that she had since seen numerous videos on social media showcasing the extensive hotel construction in the area. She wondered if such large-scale development might be contributing to these environmental changes.

Sajida, a teacher who visited the valley in 2024, observed that environmental worries extended beyond just construction. &quot;We stayed in a hotel near Jheel Road, and our room overlooked the green mountains,&quot; she said. &quot;However, construction debris could be seen scattered in different places, while litter, including used diapers, was visible in several areas.&quot; She felt that tourists themselves were also playing a part in the environmental degradation when they failed to dispose of waste responsibly.

For some visitors, the shifting weather patterns and the increasing commercialisation had begun to diminish the valley&#39;s charm. Tourist Zubaida, who used to travel to Naran with her family every year, explained they had decided against visiting this year. &quot;Every year we plan a family trip to Naran,&quot; she stated, &quot;but this year we are staying away because of changing weather conditions.&quot; She reminisced about their enjoyment of Batakundi&#39;s beauty, but noted that recent videos showed a proliferation of hotel construction.

Rising accommodation costs had also become a significant worry for tourists. Saman, a student from Haripur, mentioned that her family was rethinking their annual visit because of the soaring hotel rates. &quot;Hotel prices have increased significantly over the years,&quot; she pointed out. &quot;Some three-star hotels are charging rates comparable to luxury properties.&quot; She added that many hotels advertised scenic views and charged premium prices, but visitors often found ongoing construction or obstructed views instead.

As another tourist season begins, many people wonder how much development the valley can sustain before the natural beauty that has made it one of Pakistan&#39;s most cherished destinations begins to fade. For now, the mountains remained, but many visitors feared that if current trends persisted, the green landscapes that defined Naran and Batakundi might gradually give way to concrete and commercial expansion.

With the proposed MansehraKaghanNaranChilas motorway expected to improve access to the region, tourism in the valley is likely to grow further in the coming years. However, visitors say development should be balanced with environmental protection to prevent the loss of green landscapes and natural scenery that have long defined the area&#39;s appeal.]]>
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			<title>Over 300,000 put under 1,291 smart lockdowns</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2242020/smart-lockdown-imposed-1292-areas-across-pakistan-ncoc-told</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2242020/smart-lockdown-imposed-1292-areas-across-pakistan-ncoc-told#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 20 15:20:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Razya Khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2242020</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab, Sindh cross grim mark of 50,000 cases]]>
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				<![CDATA[The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) was informed on Saturday that smart lockdowns had been enforced in 1,292 localities across the country during the last 24 hours to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.

The forum, which serves as the nerve centre of the country’s unified efforts to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, heard that a total of 308,600 people now remain under the restrictions in various parts of the country.

A total of 10 localities in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), having a population of 60,000, were put under smart lockdown, the forum was told. The smart lockdowns had been enforced in 844 localities of Punjab, confining 15,200 people.

Similarly, the lockdown had been imposed in 414 localities of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, with a population of 11,000, seven localities in Sindh with a population of 7,000, 12 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and five areas in Gilgit-Baltistan.

It was also informed that the federal and provincial authorities were ensuring compliance with the health guidelines and instructions, particularly regarding workplaces, industrial sector, transport, markets and shops, besides pursuing the track, trace and quarantine (TTQ) strategy.

The NCOC meeting, chaired by Planning Minister Asad Umar, was also informed that over 13,116 violations of health guidelines were observed across the country in the last 24 hours and punitive actions were taken against 1,541 markets and shops, 33 industrial units and 1,429 vehicles.

Later, the NCOC released details of ventilators and beds’ availability for Covid-19 patients across the country. According to a statement, 379 beds, 68 oxygenated beds and 43 ventilators were available in AJK. Though there was no patient on the ventilator there.

In Balochistan, 2,148 beds, 262 oxygenated beds and 36 ventilators were available for the virus patients. It said that no Covid-19 patient in the province was on ventilator. There were 151 beds, 43 oxygenated beds, 28 ventilators available in Gilgit, where one patient was on ventilator.

Islamabad had 514 beds, 262 oxygenated beds, 90 ventilators, while 18 patients were on ventilators, the NCOC said, adding that 4,856 beds, 1,081 oxygenated beds and 340 ventilators were available in K-P, where 85 patients were on ventilators.

In the most-affected provinces, 9,276 beds, 3,500 oxygen beds and 387 ventilators were available in Punjab, where 233 patients were on ventilators, while 8,274 beds, 739 oxygenated beds and 368 ventilators were available in Sindh, where 83 patients were on ventilators.

50,000 cases

Punjab and Sindh, two of the most populous provinces of the country, each crossed the grim mark of 50,000 coronavirus cases on Saturday, as the country endured another day of over 6,000 new infections amid a record-breaking surge in the pandemic.

In the last 24 hours, each of the two provinces recorded more than 2,000 new cases. According to the official data released on Saturday morning, the number of recoveries also crossed 50,000. However, as the day progressed, more Covid-19 positive cases were confirmed.

By midnight, the nationwide tally of Covid-19 patients stood at 135,943 with 50,087 cases in Punjab, 51,518 in Sindh, 17,450 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 8,028 in Balochistan, 1,093 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 7,163 in Islamabad and 604 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The virus has so far, claimed at least 2,597 lives.

The NCOC said that some 839,019 people had so far been tested, with nearly 30,000 tests conducted over the past 24 hours. The data showed that death ratio in confirmed cases also rose to 2%, from 1.7% earlier, while recoveries also climbed from 20% to 32%.

Spread among medical staff

According to the data, 3,858 health workers, treating the virus coronavirus patients, have also fallen victims to this pandemic. The disease has so far, claimed the lives of 36 health workers – 14 in Sindh, 7 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 5 in Balochistan, 6 in Punjab, 2 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 2 in Islamabad.

According to the report, the health workers affected by coronavirus included 2,327 doctors, 476 nurses and 1,055 other staff. Among them, 266 health workers are being treated in various hospitals, including 3 on ventilators due to their critical condition. Over 1,450 have recovered so far.

(WITH INPUT FROM APP)]]>
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			<title>Tales of survivors: ‘Isolation, not coronavirus, was my worst nightmare’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2188962/tales-survivors-isolation-not-coronavirus-worst-nightmare</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2188962/tales-survivors-isolation-not-coronavirus-worst-nightmare#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 20 17:32:30 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Sher Wali]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2188962</guid>
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				<![CDATA[I was convinced that if my time is not up, this virus can never kill me]]>
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				<![CDATA[I’ve lived my worst nightmare. It wasn’t the coronavirus, but the prolonged treatment [read: observation] in isolation that made it a hellish experience. Imagine being confined to a tiny room with no social interaction whatsoever for almost a month. Doctors and nurses were the only visitors, who, too, would check on me once or twice a day.

If you’re sick, you need your loved-ones around you. The sense of having someone who cares about you gives you strength to fight illness. Conversely, social isolation makes you more vulnerable to sickness. Your immune system doesn’t respond properly in isolation and it takes you longer to heal.

In my case, it wasn’t me alone; my wife also shared the isolation ordeal at Mohammadabad Hospital, in Danyore, Gilgit-Baltistan. Interestingly, she didn’t have any symptoms, but tested positive for the virus. We both were in the isolation ward, while our five kids were at home – alone and worried.

The ordeal started after a trip to Iran. My wife and I went in a group of 22 pilgrims to visit the holy shrines in Iran. We mostly stayed in Qom, though our pilgrimage also took us to Mashhad, and to neighbouring Iraq.

Tales of survivors: ‘Never before had I seen doctors dressed up like aliens’

On Feb 22, we were preparing to return to Pakistan when we heard about the outbreak of some contagious disease in Qom. Until then, I didn’t know much about the coronavirus.

On Feb 25, we took a flight for Lahore. At Tehran airport, they didn’t allow anyone to board the flight without screening. Neither of us was sick. At Lahore airport, we were screened again. We drove to Rawalpindi where we stayed for two days. While fellow pilgrims dispersed, we took a bus for Gilgit on Feb 28 and reached our village Nomal, some 15km from Gilgit city, in the evening.

In the night I felt feverish. I took it for travel fatigue, took over-the-counter fever reducers from my neighbour and tried to sleep. It didn’t help. I started having chills.

Next morning, I called up the District Headquarters Hospital Gilgit and told medics about my travel and fever. A team of doctors immediately came to see me and my wife. We were then driven to the DHQ hospital in an ambulance. They took samples to test us for the novel coronavirus, while we were shifted to the Civil Hospital Basin. The samples were sent to National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad for PCR test because the facility wasn’t available in Gilgit-Baltistan. I lost my appetite but I tried to force-feed myself so that I could gather some energy to fight off my illness. After a couple of days, our test reports were received from NIH: both of us were positive for COVID-19.

After the diagnosis, they shifted us to the Mohammadabad Hospital, where we were to stay for the next 25 days. Interestingly, by now my fever was gone, while I had no cough, no muscle soreness, no sore throat, and no shortness of breath. My appetite returned to normal [I started eating more than I normally do]. My wife remained asymptomatic throughout all this time.

Tales of survivors: How I became Pakistan's first COVID-19 patient

I’m a 51-year-old ex-serviceman and my wife is 45. I had heard that the coronavirus could be fatal for people of my age and older. Doctors sought to reassure me. But honestly, I wasn’t scared one bit. It is part of our faith that every living being has to die one day. I knew if I was destined to die, I’d die no matter what. But if my time is not up, this virus can never kill me.

We were tested several times during our 25-day nightmarish sojourn. We had no symptoms, but would still test positive. I’ve heard that my wife’s reports were mixed up with another patient’s at the NIH.

Luckily, the PCR testing facility was made available in Gilgit in the meantime and we were tested locally for the first time. The results were negative and a repeat test a day later confirmed the virus was out of our bodies. It was a huge relief.

We were discharged from the hospital on March 28, but doctors said we should avoid socialising for 14 days. We’ve rented a house in Gilgit city to spend these two weeks here. It’s been five days now and we are counting the days till we are completely in the clear.

My advice to the sick: Don’t dread this virus. Keep your faith in God and power up your will, Inshallah you will defeat it. To everyone else, I say take all precautions possible. If not out of concern for the virus, then think of the ordeal isolation can create.

 (Narrated to Naveed Hussain)]]>
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			<title>'We honour his sacrifice': Dr Usama's fight against COVID-19</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2182160/honour-sacrifice-dr-usamas-fight-covid-19</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2182160/honour-sacrifice-dr-usamas-fight-covid-19#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 20 06:55:24 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[shabbir.mir]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gilgit Baltistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2182160</guid>
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				<![CDATA[It is a national tragedy and we will award him the status of national hero, says G-B CM]]>
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				<![CDATA[“We will again see what the issue is, and if they [quarantined pilgrims] need further treatment, they will be shifted to DHQ or city hospital, but if they can be treated here, we will provide treatment to them here.”

These were the last words of young doctor Usama Riaz, heard in a video recorded at a quarantine centre at Sakwar, Gilgit – where he ultimately ended up contracting the novel coronavirus while checking pilgrims returning from Iran and Iraq.

“Usama was continuously on duty and unfortunately was without proper protective gear necessary to handle coronavirus patient,” said a doctor referring to his video in which Riaz is seen wearing an ordinary mask. The video went viral on social media attracting sympathies for the young doctor.

Pakistani volunteers 3D-print ventilators, join war against COVID-19

According to relatives, Riaz returned home on Friday night from duty and went to bed. “But he couldn’t wake up next morning,” said the relative, adding he was rushed to combined military hospital (CMH) and then the district headquarter (DHQ) hospital where a CT scan machine was found to be out of order. The relatives appealed for airlifting him to Islamabad for treatment but that did not materialize either.

The 26-years-old Riaz, who was a resident of Chilas town, was then put on a ventilator at DHQ Gilgit, where he remained for the next three days before passing away on Sunday.

“It’s a national tragedy and we will award him the status of national hero,” Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman told The Express Tribune.

“He was our frontline defence and we honour his sacrifice.”

Riaz’s death brings the tally of fatalities to five in Pakistan. The country has so far above 800 known cases of the virus. Sindh has reported the highest number of cases.

Mehtabur Rehman, a local journalist, who visited the quarantine centre said, “I visited the centre where Usama was deputed and found the situation deplorable”.

“As far as protective gear, there was no such thing on the ground,” said the journalist who was later put on quarantine on ‘suspicion’ of visiting the centre without following the standard operating procedures. Rehman termed the quarantine as a vendetta for exposing the government’s false claims.

Young doctor screening coronavirus patients dies of COVID-19 in Gilgit

The Pakistan Medical Association of Gilgit-Baltistan (PMA G-B) reacted to Riaz’s death and accused the government of showing negligence towards genuine issues of the doctors.

“Dr Riaz had contracted COVID-19 due to the negligence of government and its health department,” said President PMA G-B Dr Zulfiqar Ali while addressing a press conference in Gilgit.]]>
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			<title>New coronavirus case emerges in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan's tally rises to 20</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2173948/new-coronavirus-case-emerges-gilgit-baltistan-pakistans-tally-rises-20</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2173948/new-coronavirus-case-emerges-gilgit-baltistan-pakistans-tally-rises-20#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 20 09:27:47 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gilgit Baltistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2173948</guid>
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				<![CDATA[The 14-year-old boy, a resident of Skardu, was held at an isolation centre where he tested positive for COVID-19]]>
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				<![CDATA[The second coronavirus case of Gilgit-Baltistan emerged on Wednesday, raising Pakistan’s tally of total confirmed cases to 20.

The 14-year-old boy, a resident of Skardu, was held at an isolation centre where he tested positive for the mysterious viral pneumonia-like disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

So far 20 Pakistanis have been tested positive for COVID-19 with 15 of them belonging to Sindh, four in Gilgit-Baltistan now and one in Balochistan.

First coronavirus case surfaces in Quetta, raising Pakistan’s tally to 19

On Tuesday, the first coronavirus case emerged in the Balochistan capital. The 12-year-old patient had arrived in Quetta along with his parents from Iran via Taftan border, head of a government hospital said.

The family belongs to Dadu district in Sindh, said the medical superintendent (MS) of Fatima Jinnah Hospital, adding that parents, three siblings and paternal aunt of the child are tested negative.

One patient has already fully recovered and was discharged from the hospital in Karachi last week.

Meanwhile, Dr Zafar Mirza, the de facto health minister, has said the federal government is looking closely at the changing situation and new cases are being provided with the best medical care.

“No need to worry… the situation is completely under control. The federal and provincial governments are jointly making all-out efforts to protect the masses from coronavirus on war footing,” he wrote using his official Twitter handle.

Dr Mirza admitted that the coronavirus cases in Pakistan had doubled in the last 24 hours.

“This is not surprising. Disease has spread in 106 countries. All 19 cases have brought this from abroad. All are stable. There is no evidence of local spread as yet. If we act responsibly we can avoid spread,” he wrote.

He also advised the public to observe hygiene by washing hands properly, avoid touching face and keeping distance with sick people.

“The government is working hard to contain the spread, but we all need to take our part in this fight,” he added.

All educational institutions in Sindh and Balochistan have been closed till March 13 over fear of the contagious disease’s outbreak.

The mysterious COVID-19 virus, which originated in a vet market of the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, has since then spread to more than 110 countries of the world, killing over 4,000 and infecting over 115,000 people, mostly in China thus far.

But new outbreaks in Europe, the Middle East and in Asia have fanned fears of the contagion taking hold in poor nations that lack the healthcare infrastructure to cope.

There are growing fears in Pakistan — sandwiched between China and Iran, both hotspots for the disease — over how the country would deal with the outbreak.]]>
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