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                        <title>Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Pakistani, Chinese firms sign over $7b agreements at Hangzhou conference</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609832/pm-invites-chinese-firms-to-relocate-industries-to-pakistan-under-win-win-partnership-model</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609832/pm-invites-chinese-firms-to-relocate-industries-to-pakistan-under-win-win-partnership-model#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 26 11:47:42 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[APP]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609832</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PM Shehbaz says Pakistan seeks expertise, investment, not loans]]>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistani and Chinese companies signed agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth more than $7 billion during a business conference in Hangzhou on Sunday to promote cooperation and investment across multiple sectors.

The agreements and MoUs were signed during the Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference on information technology and telecommunications, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and agriculture.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif participated in the Pakistan-China Business Conference held in Hangzhou, where representatives of companies from both countries formalised the agreements aimed at expanding bilateral economic cooperation.



وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے ہانگژو میں منعقدہ پاکستان چائنہ بزنس کانفرنس میں شرکت کی. کانفرنس میں پاکستان اور چین کی کمپنیوں نے مختلف شعبوں میں تعاون اور سرمایہ کاری کے فروغ کے لئے 7ارب ڈالر سے زائد کے معاہدوں اور مفاہمت کی یادداشتوں پر دستخط کر دیئے ہیں.

وزیرِ اعظم محمد&hellip; pic.twitter.com/Rj4IMCMNWh
&mdash; Prime Minister&#39;s Office (@PakPMO) May 24, 2026


Addressing the conference, the prime minister invited Chinese investors to invest in and launch joint projects in Pakistan in sectors including agriculture, information technology, special economic zones, and mining and minerals.

&ldquo;Pakistan needs skills and investment, not loans and aid,&rdquo; PM Shehbaz said, adding that it was the need of the hour to convert the MoUs worth billions of dollars between the two countries into formal agreements.

The premier said attractive facilities would be provided to investors in the special economic zone in Karachi and highlighted opportunities in modern agricultural methods and mechanised farming.

&ldquo;China can export agricultural products worth up to $10 billion; Pakistan has large reserves of minerals,&rdquo; he said.



Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Governor Zhejiang Province Mr. Liu Jie witnessing the signing of MoUs and Agreements of cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese companies worth USD 1.22 billion at the Pakistan China Business Conference held in Hangzhou on 24 May 2026. pic.twitter.com/1RE0RorVkX
&mdash; Prime Minister&#39;s Office (@PakPMO) May 24, 2026


PM Shehbaz also praised Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he had transformed China into a global-standard economic and military power.

The prime minister said Pakistan would soon become China&rsquo;s partner in the journey of regional development.

The prime minister also invited the Chinese companies and entrepreneurs to relocate their industries and businesses to Pakistan, enter into joint ventures with the local firms, and benefit from the country&rsquo;s investor-friendly policies, describing the initiative as a &ldquo;win-win model&rdquo; for both nations.

He said that labour in China today had become pretty expensive and that China was obviously moving towards a very high level of industrialisation.

He observed that the industry where China was no longer competitive because of expensive labour could come to Pakistan, bring in plant and machinery, enter into joint ventures with Pakistani entrepreneurs, manufacture goods, and export to third countries.

&ldquo;This model will be a win-win model for Chinese and Pakistani entrepreneurs, and this will be something of a roaring success in times to come, whether it is textile or leather or other areas,&rdquo; the prime minister maintained in his speech broadcast on national TV channels.



&quot;It is no coincidence that we are celebrating 75 years of our great friendship between Pakistan and China, along with this third B2B event in a row. Starting from Shenzhen to Beijing, and now in Hangzhou, a city which we are visiting for the first time, we are all deeply&hellip; pic.twitter.com/CZHM7nV2zt
&mdash; Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 24, 2026


He also invited Chinese businessmen to come and see the export zone in Karachi, where they would have great opportunities to understand business propositions.

Referring to the potential in mines and minerals, he said that it was also a very important area where Pakistan had large deposits of minerals and gemstones.

Read More: Dar says &lsquo;Pakistan is open for business&rsquo; at China investment conference

About the agriculture sector, he said Pakistan was basically an agrarian economy. Last year, they sent 1,000 boys and girls to China for advanced training, who returned and are doing a great job, but this was just the first step.

The prime minister emphasised that they really needed to move forward and have opportunities to improve their per-acre yield, have the highest quality seeds, best agricultural practices and mechanisation through which they could really advance their agriculture sector by many folds.



گزشتہ سال ہم نے ایک ہزار لڑکوں اور لڑکیوں کو اعلیٰ تربیت کے لیے یہاں چین بھیجا تھا، وزیرِاعظم#Pakistan #China #Education #Training #SkillsDevelopment #PMShehbazSharif #PMShehbazInChina pic.twitter.com/muSBqDrtb0
&mdash; APP (@appcsocialmedia) May 24, 2026


He said China imports about 100 billion dollars&#39; worth of agricultural products from abroad. Pakistan&rsquo;s share was just a fraction, adding that they needed their cooperation in this regard.

The prime minister hoped that in this manner, they would be able to produce agri products as per their requirement in terms of quality and other controls and if they worked together as iron brothers in this sector, they would be able to not only provide massive job opportunities in the rural areas of Pakistan but also be able to raise hundreds of thousands of small, medium entrepreneurs in the rural areas and have value addition and export those items to China.

In the next five to seven years, he said they expected an increase in their agricultural product trade to China by about 10 $billion, which was not a big task.

PM Shehbaz said IT and AI had huge potential, while special economic zones were also very important and shared that at the port city of Karachi, they had come up with a special economic zone spreading over more than 6,000 acres of land, where all basic amenities would be provided so that Chinese investors and Pakistani entrepreneurs together could invest there.

He said this special economic zone would have modern infrastructure, a seamless business environment and would offer a red-carpet treatment and one-window operation to the Chinese.



کراچی میں 6000 ایکڑ پر ورلڈ کلاس اسپیشل اکنامک زون بنا رہے ہیں، وزیرِاعظم#Karachi #SpecialEconomicZone #SEZ #WorldClassSEZ #PMShehbazSharif #Hangzhou #PMShehbazInChina pic.twitter.com/1j5xw4JDyi
&mdash; APP (@appcsocialmedia) May 24, 2026


&ldquo;I would like to offer this opportunity to all of you to come forward, and we are going to offer land to you on a long-term basis in terms of lease,&rdquo; he added.

The prime minister further elaborated that it would be given on long-term lease at very attractive terms and conditions. This world-class special economic zone and the model would be replicated elsewhere in Pakistan through the huge Chinese contribution.

He further added that under President Xi&rsquo;s dynamic leadership, their friendship was deeper than the deepest ocean and higher than the Himalayas, but ever since they had launched their space programme, it had reached new heights.

Also Read: CPEC 2.0 in focus as PM Shehbaz visits China

The prime minister said that they had signed MoUs worth billions of dollars, starting from Shenzhen and here in Hangzhou, stressing that these MoUs now needed to be converted into agreements.

He also expressed his satisfaction to hear that 30% of these MOUs had been converted into agreements, which most definitely ran into billions of dollars.

The premier said Pak-China friendship goes back to the days of the Silk Road.

&quot;Everything is now being operated through digitisation, and China excelled in this field more than any other country in the world, and Pakistan is a great partner because it has a very young population,&quot; he said.



پاکستان اور چین کے درمیان 30 فیصد ایم او یوز معاہدوں میں تبدیل ہو چکے ہیں، جن کی مالیت اربوں ڈالر ہے، وزیرِاعظم#Pakistan #China #PakChinaRelations #MoUs #EconomicCooperation #PMShehbazInChina #Hangzhou pic.twitter.com/vR3Ohmveqx
&mdash; APP (@appcsocialmedia) May 24, 2026


PM Shehbaz said that they had undertaken programmes at the federal and provincial levels, empowering the youth in colleges and schools, giving them training and third-party international certification so that they got very productive employment.

The prime minister further said that it was no coincidence that they were celebrating 75 years of the great friendship between Pakistan and China, and this third B2B event in a row, starting from Shenzhen to Beijing and now here in Hangzhou, was a reflection of the same.

He also appreciated the city&rsquo;s beauty, its organisation, structure and wonderful management, adding that the city showed beyond any doubt the footprints of President Xi Jinping, who as governor and as secretary general of the city during 2002 to 2007 did a remarkable job to transform this province and this city into one of the fastest-growing cities around the globe.

The prime minister said President Xi Jinping is a visionary leader who has, over the years, made China a world-class economic and military power, second to none and Pakistan, as a true and sincere friend of China, took a lot of pride in this.

Pakistan, Alibaba sign MoUs for digital transformation

The prime minister made a visit to the headquarters of Alibaba Group in Hangzhou, where he was warmly received by Chairman Joe Tsai. Senior ministers and officials of the Government of Pakistan and top executives of Alibaba Group were also present.

During the meeting, Chairman Joe Tsai appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s constructive role and efforts for regional and global peace and stability. He acknowledged the government of Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to digital transformation, technological innovation, and creating an enabling environment for international investment in Pakistan.

&nbsp;The premier underscored the government&rsquo;s firm resolve to empower Pakistani youth through technology, skills development, and global partnerships.

On the occasion, PM Shehbaz and Chairman Tsai witnessed the signing and exchange ceremony of several strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements between Alibaba Group and Pakistani public and private sector entities. These are aimed at accelerating Pakistan&rsquo;s digital transformation and technological advancement in partnership with Alibaba Group.

Earlier, IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar, Omar Saeed, CEO of Servis Group of Pakistan and Chairman Jin Yongsheng of Long March Tyre, Qian Xiaojun, President of IBI Goulian Gufen also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the major perspectives for joint ventures and cooperation in diverse sectors and shared their experiences.

Later, the prime minister also witnessed the signing of pacts between companies from the two countries.]]>
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			<title>Punjab pushes waste-to-energy plan to tackle pollution, boost green investment</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609855/punjab-pushes-waste-to-energy-plan-to-tackle-pollution-boost-green-investment</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609855/punjab-pushes-waste-to-energy-plan-to-tackle-pollution-boost-green-investment#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 26 15:31:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Imran Adnan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609855</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Prepares green policy push to turn municipal waste into energy and usable products]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Punjab government is preparing a major policy push to convert waste into energy and commercially usable products as part of its expanding &ldquo;Suthra Punjab&rdquo; initiative, with officials considering incentives and land leases for private-sector green investment projects across the province.

Under the proposed framework, government land could be leased to private companies for waste-to-energy, biogas, and recycling projects aimed at reducing environmental pollution while generating renewable energy and revenue from municipal waste.

Officials say the policy was being developed to modernise Punjab&rsquo;s waste management system and move away from traditional &ldquo;collect and dump&rdquo; practices that had long contributed to landfill overflow, methane emissions, and urban pollution.

Government sources said rules and conditions for leasing public land to environmentally sustainable projects were currently being finalised, while detailed regulatory guidelines were also under preparation.

The move came as the provincial government accelerated&nbsp;work on the &ldquo;Waste to Value&rdquo; phase of the Suthra Punjab program launched under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique recently said the project represented a critical step toward converting thousands of tons of collected waste into energy and reusable products through modern technology.

Speaking at a recent project review meeting, the minister confirmed that a pilot bio-CNG facility at Lahore&rsquo;s Lakhodair landfill site had already started production. &ldquo;Initially, 85 kilograms of CNG were being produced daily from waste, but the methane concentration target would be increased further,&rdquo; he said.

Officials described the project as a self-sustaining circular economy model designed to reduce waste while generating renewable energy and economic returns.

The provincial government&rsquo;s latest plans build on several pilot projects launched over the past year in Lahore and other urban centres.

Environmental experts say Punjab&rsquo;s rapidly growing urban population and increasing waste generation have made sustainable waste management reforms increasingly urgent.

For now, officials said work on the regulatory framework and investment structure was continuing, while further pilot projects and public-private partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months as Punjab pushes to position itself as a leader in climate-focused urban development and green infrastructure.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan hopes to host next round of US-Iran peace talks ‘very soon’: PM Shehbaz</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609835/pakistan-hopes-to-host-next-round-of-us-iran-peace-talks-very-soon-pm-shehbaz</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609835/pakistan-hopes-to-host-next-round-of-us-iran-peace-talks-very-soon-pm-shehbaz#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 26 12:23:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Reuters]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609835</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[DPM Dar praises Trump's leadership, expresses appreciation for advancing peace process]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that Pakistan hopes to host the next round of US-Iran talks &quot;very soon,&quot; as diplomatic efforts push toward a possible agreement. He pledged that Pakistan would continue its peace efforts &quot;with utmost sincerity.&quot;

In a post on X, PM Shehbaz congratulated US President Donald Trump for actively engaging in peace prospects by having a &quot;very useful&quot; and &quot;productive&quot; telephone call on Saturday with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Pakistan.



I congratulate President Donald Trump on his extraordinary efforts to pursue peace and for holding a very useful and productive telephone call earlier today, with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 24, 2026


He also appreciated the Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir&#39;s role in the process. He noted, &quot;The discussions provided a useful opportunity to exchange views on the current regional situation and how to move the ongoing peace efforts forward to bring lasting peace in the region.&quot;

Meanwhile, Deptuy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said a telephone call led by President Trump with the leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, T&uuml;rkiye, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE and Jordan marked &quot;a significant step closer toward the shared objective of regional peace, stability, and an early diplomatic outcome.&quot;



Today&rsquo;s important telephone call led by President Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump with the leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, T&uuml;rkiye, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, and Jordan marks a significant step closer toward the shared objective of regional peace, stability, and an early&hellip;
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 24, 2026


Dar praised Trump&#39;s leadership alongside his negotiating team, while also expressing appreciation for the &quot;constructive engagement of the Iranian leadership&quot; in advancing the peace process.

He singled out Field Marshal Asim Munir, who he said &quot;played a central role throughout this sensitive and consequential process&quot; and represented Pakistan in Sunday&#39;s discussions, and credited PM Shehbaz for his &quot;visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to peace.&quot;

He also acknowledged regional partners including Saudi Arabia, T&uuml;rkiye, Egypt and Qatar, saying their support had &quot;contributed meaningfully to this final outcome.&quot;

Read More: Rubio says progress made on &#39;outline&#39; to open Strait of Hormuz &#39;without toll&#39;

Reaffirming Pakistan&#39;s position, Dar said the country &quot;remains firmly committed to supporting all sincere efforts aimed at lasting peace, mutual respect, and regional stability,&quot; adding that &quot;dialogue and diplomacy must prevail over conflict and confrontation for the collective prosperity and security of our region and beyond.&quot;

Washington and Iran have &quot;largely negotiated&quot; a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, as expectations rose that a turning point might be ​imminent in the three-month-old war.

Various media in the US and Iran said the memorandum that could yield an agreement lays out a phased framework for ending months of fighting, reopening the waterway soon and lifting a US blockade on Iran.

Plans for Iran&#39;s stockpile of enriched uranium, which Washington has ​insisted it give up, would be negotiated within 30 to 60 days, the reports said. crisis since the &zwnj;US and Israel launched the war on Iran in February. He did not say what else would be included in an agreement.]]>
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			<title>At least 14 martyred, including three FC personnel, in terrorist attack on train in Quetta</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609812/over-16-people-martyred-several-others-injured-near-train-blast-in-quetta</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609812/over-16-people-martyred-several-others-injured-near-train-blast-in-quetta#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 26 07:26:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sardar Hameed Khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Quetta]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609812</guid>
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				<![CDATA[President Zardari, PM Shehbaz, Balochistan CM Bugti vow to eliminate terrorism as Mohsin Naqvi travels to Quetta]]>
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				<![CDATA[At least 14 people, including three Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, were martyred and several others critically injured in a terrorist attack near the Chaman Phatak area of Quetta, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Sunday.

&quot;The deliberate targeting of civilians, which included women, children, and ordinary passengers among the affected, highlights how these elements intentionally attack soft civilian targets to spread fear and instability rather than confront the state directly,&quot; the military&#39;s media wing added.

It stated that the attack &quot;reflects the desperation of anti-Pakistan terrorist proxies seeking to disturb peace and create panic through indiscriminate violence against innocent people during a period of improving stability and normalcy.&quot;

According to the ISPR, security forces and law enforcement agencies responded immediately to the site, cordoned off the area, initiated investigations, and are actively pursuing all facilitators and perpetrators involved in the attack.

Further, the media wing stated that the martyrdom of the FC personnel while protecting civilians &quot;reinforces the continued sacrifices being rendered by Pakistan&rsquo;s security forces to safeguard public life against externally backed terrorist violence.&quot;

Concluding the statement, the ISPR stated that such attacks cannot weaken public resolve, as the people of Pakistan, particularly the citizens of Balochistan, continue to reject terrorism and stand with the state and security institutions against enemies of peace and stability.







According to police, the explosion occurred at approximately 8:15am near Chaman Phatak when a train was passing through the area. Railway officials said terrorists targeted the train, causing a fire to erupt in one of the bogies.

Fire brigade and rescue teams reached the site and initiated relief operations, while the injured were shifted to Civil Hospital, BMC, and other trauma centres where an emergency was declared.

The explosion was so intense that the windows of nearby buildings and residential flats were shattered, while several vehicles also caught fire.

According to police, a husband, wife, and their 13-year-old daughter residing in a nearby flat were also martyred in the explosion. Eyewitnesses said the sound of the blast was heard from far away, after which severe panic spread throughout the area.







Following the incident, security forces cordoned off the area and launched an investigation to determine the nature of the explosion. Checkpoints have been established at the city&rsquo;s entry and exit points, and the checking process has been further tightened.

Further, train service on the affected track has been suspended, while railway heavy machinery remains engaged in clearing debris and restoring the track so that movement can be resumed as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi reached Quetta following the attack, chairing a special meeting alongside Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the Interior Ministry announced on X.



وفاقی وزیرداخلہ محسن نقوی اور وزیر اعلی بلوچستان میر سرفراز بگٹی کی زیر صدارت خصوصی اجلاس
آئی جی بلوچستان پولیس نے کوئٹہ چمن پھاٹک کے قریب دھماکے کی ابتدائی رپورٹ پیش کی
اجلاس میں معصوم لوگوں پر بزدلانہ حملے کی پرزور مذمت۔ شہداء کے خاندانوں سے دلی ہمدردی و اظہار تعزیت pic.twitter.com/Usjpz6aR2L
&mdash; Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) May 24, 2026


According to the ministry, during the meeting, the Balochistan inspector general of police presented an initial report on the blast. Law enforcement officers were also present in the meeting.

&quot;The meeting strongly condemned the cowardly attack on innocent people,&quot; the ministry wrote. In a separate post, it added that CM Bugti expressed his gratitude to Naqvi, saying that the interior minister has stood with Balochistan in every difficult time.



وزیر داخلہ محسن نقوی کے شکر گزار ہیں ہر مشکل گھڑی میں وہ بلوچستان کے ساتھ رہے ہیں۔ میر سرفراز بگٹی
شہداء کے خون کے مقروض ہیں۔ وزیر اعلی بلوچستان
فتنہ الہندوستان کے دہشتگردوں کو منطقی انجام تک پہنچائیں گے۔ میر سرفراز بگٹی
&mdash; Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) May 24, 2026


&quot;We are indebted to the blood of the martyrs,&quot; Bugti said. He also noted that the families of the martyrs will not be abandoned.

Further, the CM stated that he is personally overseeing the treatment and care of those injured.



شہداء کے خاندانوں کو تنہا نہیں چھوڑیں گے۔ میر سرفراز بگٹی
زخمیوں کے بہتر علاج معالجے کی خود نگرانی کر رہا ہوں۔ میر سرفراز بگٹی
آئی جی بلوچستان پولیس اور قانون نافذ کرنے والے اداروں کے افسران کی اجلاس میں شرکت
&mdash; Ministry of Interior GoP (@MOIofficialGoP) May 24, 2026


Meanwhile, according to Provincial Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar, an emergency has been declared at all major hospitals in the city, while doctors, paramedical staff, and medical personnel are providing medical assistance to the injured.

President Asif Ali Zardari

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the terrorist attack and vowed decisive defeat of the perpetrators and their networks.

Expressing deep grief over the loss of innocent lives, President Zardari said such acts of terrorism are aimed at harming the people of Pakistan and diverting attention from the country&rsquo;s efforts for global peace, according to a statement issued by the President&#39;s Secretariat.

It stated that &quot;elements hostile to Pakistan are attempting to undermine our initiatives that serve broader humanitarian objectives, global peace and progress,&quot; adding that &quot;terrorists and their patrons are also seeking to disrupt Pakistan&rsquo;s focus on stability and development.&quot;



PRESIDENT&rsquo;S SECRETARIAT
(Media Wing)
*****

PRESS RELEASE

President condemns Quetta terrorist attack, vows decisive defeat of perpetrators and their networks

Islamabad: 24 May 2026 &mdash; President Asif Ali Zardari has strongly condemned the terrorist incident in Quetta and&hellip;
&mdash; Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) May 24, 2026


The president noted that &quot;there should be no doubt that Pakistan will defeat terrorists, their facilitators, financiers and those providing them safe havens,&quot; adding that the country would &quot;thwart every conspiracy against peace, stability and national security.&quot;

Further, President Zardari stated that Pakistan will &quot;neither forget nor forgive the terrorists and their patrons.&quot;

Stating that the blood of the martyrs will not go in vain and every drop will be accounted for, he urged the world to recognise the true face of terrorists and their patrons who are attempting, unsuccessfully, to derail Pakistan&rsquo;s global peace efforts.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the &quot;heinous bomb explosion,&quot; stating, &quot;Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan.&quot;

In a post on X, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed, &quot;We remain steadfast in our determination to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.&quot;



I strongly condemn the heinous bomb explosion near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, which has resulted in the tragic loss of innocent lives and left many others injured.

Such cowardly acts of terrorism cannot weaken the resolve of the people of Pakistan. We remain steadfast in our&hellip;
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 24, 2026


The premier also expressed condolences to the families of the victims, praying for the swift recovery of those injured. &quot;The entire nation stands in solidarity with the people of Balochistan in this hour of grief,&quot; he stated.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned &quot;the savage act of terrorism,&quot; extending condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.

DPM Dar also paid tribute to the first responders, police, armed forces, rescue, and health personnel for their courage and efforts in assisting those affected.



Strongly condemn the savage act of terrorism targeting innocent civilians on a shuttle train near Chaman Phatak, Quetta. The tragic explosion has claimed precious lives and left many others injured.

My heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and prayers for the&hellip;
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 24, 2026


&quot;We stand in complete solidarity with the people of Balochistan at this difficult time,&quot; he said, adding that those responsible for this cowardly attack against innocent civilians will be brought to justice.

&quot;Such heinous acts cannot and will not weaken Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve to eradicate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,&quot; DPM Dar concluded.

Balochistan CM Sarfraz Bugti

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti also condemned the attack, saying that the &quot;terrorists of Fitna Al-Hindustan are proving their savagery by targeting innocent civilians, women, and children.&quot; He added, &quot;Those who shed the blood of innocent people deserve no leniency.&quot;



کوئٹہ میں چمن پھاٹک کے قریب دہشت گردی کے واقعے کی شدید مذمت کرتا ہوں۔ فتنہ الہندوستان کے دہشت گرد معصوم شہریوں، خواتین اور بچوں کو نشانہ بنا کر اپنی درندگی کا ثبوت دے رہے ہیں۔ بے گناہ لوگوں کا خون بہانے والے کسی رعایت کے مستحق نہیں۔ دشمن سن لے، بلوچستان میں دہشت گردوں کیلئے کوئی&hellip;
&mdash; Sarfraz Bugti (@PakSarfrazbugti) May 24, 2026


CM Bugti also issued a warning to terrorist elements in the region, saying &quot;Let the enemy hear this: there will be no safe haven left for terrorists in Balochistan. We will hunt down the terrorists, their facilitators, and their masterminds one by one and bring them to justice, and this war will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.&quot;

CM Adviser Shahid Rind

Adviser to the Chief Minister Balochistan for Political and Media Affairs Shahid Rind said terrorists carried out a cowardly act by targeting unarmed civilians, women, and children. He added that attacks on public places are proof of the terrorists&rsquo; panic and that the blood of the martyrs will not go in vain.

Rind noted that CM Bugti is personally monitoring the situation.

K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives in &quot;this heinous act of terrorism.&quot;

&quot;Such attacks by anti-state elements cannot and will not shake Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve or disturb our pursuit of peace and stability,&quot; he said in a statement on X.

He added, &quot;We remain resolute, united, and firmly standing shoulder to shoulder with our armed forces in the complete eradication of terrorism from our homeland.&quot;



Strongly condemn the suicide blast at the Quetta -Chaman railway gate and the tragic loss of innocent lives in this heinous act of terrorism. Such attacks by anti-state elements cannot and will not shake Pakistan&rsquo;s resolve or disturb our pursuit of peace and stability.
May Allah&hellip;
&mdash; Faisal Karim Kundi (@fkkundi) May 24, 2026


K-P CM Sohail Afridi

K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also expressed sympathy and condolences to those martyred in the &quot;cowardly act of terrorism.&quot; He added that the attack was &quot;a serious crime against humanity.&quot; &ldquo;Targeting innocent civilians reflects open brutality and the failed mindset of anti-peace elements,&rdquo; the chief minister stated.

&ldquo;Terrorism is not a challenge for any single province or region but a shared challenge for the entire country,&rdquo; he added, noting that a joint and sustained strategy is essential for the complete eradication of terrorism.

CM Afridi further said the government and people of K-P stand with the people of Balochistan, offering prayers for the elevated ranks of the martyrs and for the speedy recovery of those injured.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq strongly denounced the deadly explosion and expressed profound grief over the tragic loss of innocent lives, the National Assembly said on X.

Sadiq extended condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved families, expressing full solidarity with them in this hour of immense sorrow, the post added.

The speaker further stated that &quot;targeting innocent civilians is a shameful and cowardly act that stands in complete contradiction to the principles of humanity and the teachings of all religions.&quot;



Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, has strongly denounced the deadly explosion near Chaman Railway Crossing and expressed profound grief over the tragic loss of innocent lives.

NA Speaker extended heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved families,&hellip; https://t.co/jLoeCPhZfd
&mdash; National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) May 24, 2026


Sadiq reiterated that &quot;such heinous acts of terrorism cannot shake the resolve of the nation, which remains firmly committed to peace, stability, and the complete eradication of terrorism from the country.&quot;

The speaker also emphasised that the nation will always stand shoulder to shoulder with its armed forces in their efforts to fully eliminate terrorism in all its forms.

Sadiq offered prayers for those martyred and for the swift recovery of those injured. He also prayed for strength, patience, and courage for the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss, the post concluded.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan&nbsp;in a statement on X said it was &quot;gravely alarmed by the escalating insecurity across Balochistan, where civilians, workers, passengers, and law enforcement personnel are increasingly vulnerable to violence, abduction, and attacks on public infrastructure.&quot;



HRCP is gravely alarmed by the escalating insecurity across Balochistan, where civilians, workers, passengers, and law enforcement personnel are increasingly vulnerable to violence, abduction, and attacks on public infrastructure.

Today&rsquo;s bombing of a passenger train in Quetta,&hellip;
&mdash; Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) May 24, 2026


It added that the bombing in Quetta &quot;marks a deeply disturbing acceleration in attacks on civilians in the province.&quot;

The commission called on stated that &quot;it is unacceptable for civilians and non-combatants to be used as bargaining tools in situations of conflict and insecurity,&quot; urging the federal and provincial governments to prioritise civilian protection and ensure accountability for rights abuses by all actors.

Iran&#39;s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam

Iran&#39;s Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam took to X to &quot;categorically and with the strongest words&quot; condemn the &quot;cowardly and heinous&quot; attack personally and on behalf of the Government of Iran.

&quot;Terrorism is a condemnable phenomenon in all its forms all over the world,&quot; the ambassador said.




On behalf of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and myself, categorically and with the strongest words, i condemn the cowardly and heinous suicide terrorist act on the Quetta railway, which lead to the deaths of more than 20 innocent civilians.

Terrorism is a&hellip; pic.twitter.com/6eFQYL8xSP
&mdash; Reza Amiri Moghadam (@IranAmbPak) May 24, 2026

He added, &quot;The malicious and mischievous acts against the civil transportation infrastructure that serve for the human development and the smooth movements of the passengers and consignments needed for the development of trade, are examples of crimes against humanity and reflect the malicious, infirm and inhumane minds of the perpetrators, founders and supporters of this heinous phenomenon.&quot;

The ambassador expressed &quot;heartfelt and sincere condolences&quot; to the government and people of Pakistan, &quot;especially to the bereaved families who lost loved ones.&quot;

UK High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott

The United Kingdom&#39;s High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott stated that she was &quot;absolutely appalled&quot; by the &quot;cowardly terrorist attack&quot; in a statement on X.




I am absolutely appalled by today&#39;s cowardly terrorist attack on a train in Quetta, which has left at least 24 people dead and several more injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the martyrs and their families.
&mdash; Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) May 24, 2026

&quot;Our thoughts and prayers are with the martyrs and their families,&quot; Marriott said.

Russian Embassy in Pakistan

The Embassy of Russia in Pakistan condemned the attack, expressing hope &quot;that those who organised this attack will be identified and brought to justice.&quot;




❗️The Embassy of Russia in Pakistan strongly condemns the May 24 terrorist attack in the vicinity of a railway station in Quetta, Balochistan province.

We hope that those who organized this attack will be identified and brought to justice.

We extend our deepest condolences to&hellip; pic.twitter.com/hJOzdF0FYE
&mdash; Embassy of Russia in Pakistan (@RusEmbPakistan) May 24, 2026

&quot;We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wish all those injured a speedy recovery,&quot; it said.

Chinese Embassy in Pakistan

The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan also extended &quot;deep condolences to the deceased victims and sincere sympathies to the bereaved families.&quot;

It added that it opposes &quot;any form of terrorism and will, as always, firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism and protecting the safety of the people.&quot;




We strongly condemn the terrorist attack near Chaman Phatak, Quetta, extend our deep condolences to the deceased victims and sincere sympathies to the bereaved families, and wish for the early recovery of the injured. We firmly oppose any form of terrorism and will, as always,&hellip;
&mdash; Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) May 24, 2026

&quot;We stand firmly with our Pakistani brothers and sisters at this moment,&quot; the embassy stated.]]>
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			<title>11 terrorists killed during IBOs in K-P's North Waziristan: ISPR</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609829/11-terrorists-killed-during-ibos-in-k-ps-north-waziristan-ispr</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609829/11-terrorists-killed-during-ibos-in-k-ps-north-waziristan-ispr#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 26 11:35:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609829</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says operations were conducted in last 48 hours]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Security forces killed 11 terrorists during a series of intelligence-based operations (IBO) conducted over the past 48 hours in the Datta Khel area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa&#39;s North Waziristan district, the military&rsquo;s media wing said on Sunday.

A statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that security forces engaged &ldquo;multiple Khawarij locations&rdquo; in the area, leading to &ldquo;intense and fierce exchanges of fire&rdquo;.

&ldquo;11 khawarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Khawarij were effectively neutralised&nbsp;during the operations,&quot; it said.



In continuation of series of intelligence based operations, in last forty eight hours Security Forces engaged multiple Khwarijs&rsquo; locations in general area Datta Khel, North Waziristan District.

Following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, eleven khwarij belonging to&hellip; pic.twitter.com/sQHxCp5DRS
&mdash; DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) May 24, 2026



Fitna al-Khawarij, a term used by the state for terrorists associated with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

The statement further added that weapons and ammunition were recovered from the terrorists, who had been &ldquo;actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area&rdquo;.

The military said sanitisation operations were continuing to eliminate any remaining terrorists from the area.

ISPR said that the counterterrorism campaign under the Azm-e-Istehkam framework would continue &ldquo;at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country&rdquo;.

Read: 22 terrorists killed during sanitisation operation in K-P&#39;s North Waziristan: ISPR

A day earlier, in a joint operation, law enforcement agencies (LEAs), security forces and members of local militias neutralised at least twenty-five terrorists, including a commander belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in Bannu.

A policeman and a volunteer were martyred, while five people, including a child, sustained injuries during the operation.

Last week, security forces also&nbsp;killed 22 terrorists during a sanitisation operation conducted also in North Waziristan district.

K-P has been battling terrorism since the United States&#39; ouster from Afghanistan, with terrorists often crossing the border to target police convoys and vehicles, resulting in the deaths of several officials and personnel.

The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, in a report, said that 85 verified terrorist attacks were recorded in April, down from 146 in March, marking a 42% decline, while fatalities from such attacks fell from 106 to 60, extending a downward trajectory that had begun in the previous month.

The report attributed the improvement to Pakistan&rsquo;s cross-border military campaign against terrorist groups and Taliban positions between February 26 and March 18, which later gave way to a suspension of hostilities and talks in Urumqi, China.]]>
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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]]>
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				<![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>
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				<![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>
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				<![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>
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				<![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>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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>
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				<![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>
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				<![CDATA[2,700 infections, including 41 virus-linked deaths, confirmed in last 2 weeks]]>
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				<![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.]]>
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				<![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>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[​ Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<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>
			<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=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>From roar to whimper: opposition protest fizzles</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609782/from-roar-to-whimper-opposition-protest-fizzles</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609782/from-roar-to-whimper-opposition-protest-fizzles#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 26 21:20:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Bushra Nazeer]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609782</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Experts say economic hardship, legal action deter supporters]]>
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				<![CDATA[ISLAMABAD: Only a couple of years ago, even a routine opposition protest call would send shockwaves through government circles. Authorities would often deploy containers, impose restrictions and seal roads long before demonstrators arrived, creating an atmosphere that itself projected the opposition&#39;s strength.

However, Friday&#39;s protest call by opposition parties, including the grand alliance featuring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and Jamaat-e-Islami, unfolded very differently.

Unlike previous occasions, there were no widespread preventive measures, extraordinary restrictions or visible signs of official alarm. By the end of the day, the opposition&#39;s protest campaign had largely fizzled out without any major mobilisation.

Political analysts say the decline in opposition street power has been gradual but became more pronounced after the November 26, 2024, protest in Islamabad, when PTI demonstrators faced a forceful state response, arrests and dispersal operations.

Since then, analysts believe the party&#39;s ability to mobilise supporters has been weakened by legal pressure, organisational disruption and growing fear among its workers and supporters.

Attempts over the following months to revive agitational politics, including leadership reshuffles within the party&#39;s provincial structure, have so far failed to restore the momentum PTI once enjoyed. Analysts argue that the opposition strategy now appears fragmented and inconsistent.

Political analyst Raza Rumi said the weak mobilisation stemmed from multiple factors rather than a single cause. According to him, repeated protest cycles, fear generated by arrests, surveillance and legal crackdowns over the past two years, along with organisational strain within opposition ranks, have collectively undermined street mobilisation.

He said many supporters may still sympathise with the opposition&#39;s narrative but remain reluctant to participate physically due to the political and legal costs involved.

&quot;Street politics in Pakistan historically depends not only on public anger but also on organisational coherence, local networks and confidence that mobilisation can produce tangible political outcomes,&quot; he said.

Referring specifically to PTI, Rumi noted that the party had once demonstrated an unmatched ability to mobilise crowds rapidly, often prompting pre-emptive state action even before protests materialised.

However, he said the crackdown on PTI&#39;s leadership, workers and organisational structure after May 2023 had significantly reduced its ability to organise open mobilisation on the scale previously witnessed.

&quot;At the same time, the state may believe that PTI&#39;s capacity for disruptive street power has diminished, reducing the urgency for aggressive preventive measures,&quot; he said.

He added that the party&#39;s main challenge now was whether it could transform its electoral and digital support into a sustainable on-ground political structure under prevailing conditions.

Senior political analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi said the outcome was unsurprising. He remarked, &quot;It is not surprising that people are not coming out,&quot; pointing to two key reasons: economic pressure and fear of the state.

According to Rizvi, worsening financial hardship has made it difficult for ordinary citizens, especially daily wage earners, to participate in protests because &quot;if they do not work, they cannot earn&quot;.

He further observed that &quot;the state has become very strict,&quot; explaining that while bail in political cases previously came within days, &quot;it takes months&quot; now, creating fear among people about the consequences for themselves and their families.

According to him, &quot;there is a sense of insecurity, disappointment and state fear, which is making it difficult for people to come out&quot;.

Rizvi also noted that earlier arrests generally fell under ordinary legal provisions where bail was relatively easier, whereas more stringent laws are now increasingly being invoked, making &quot;remand easier and bail difficult,&quot; something people are acutely aware of before joining protests.

Despite weak street mobilisation, however, he maintained that opposition support could still translate electorally, adding that &quot;people will come out in elections.&quot;

Separately, Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, said that &quot;traditionally, no street agitation has succeeded in Pakistan unless intelligence agencies back such agitation covertly&quot;.

He also argued that &quot;any such agitation must be led by a credible and trusted leadership which is currently not available&quot;.

Mehboob maintained that the government had performed relatively well in managing economic pressures, saying that although inflation continues to hurt citizens, it is often explained to the public as the result of &quot;international factors&quot;.

He further claimed that &quot;popular support for the federal government and armed forces has increased&quot; following recent developments, including what he described as a &quot;decisive victory over India&quot; and Pakistan&#39;s diplomatic efforts in facilitating dialogue between Iran and the United States, which he said, &quot;gave people a sense of positivity&quot;.

He added that &quot;decisive and timely use of force against PTI protesters, arrests and long periods behind bars are some of the factors which work against agitation&quot;.

In his assessment, opposition warnings and statements by leaders such as Mahmood Khan Achakzai were &quot;just political acts to stay relevant and to demonstrate political activity&quot;.]]>
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			<title>SC restricts khula without wife's consent</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609771/sc-restricts-khula-without-wifes-consent</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609771/sc-restricts-khula-without-wifes-consent#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 26 21:04:52 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Hasnaat Malik]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609771</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Holds that consent must be explicit in cruelty cases]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has ruled that when a wife seeks dissolution of marriage on the ground of cruelty, khula should not ordinarily be granted without her consent.

&quot;We hold that khula should not ordinarily be granted without the wife&#39;s consent or clear election where she has sued on cruelty and valuable financial rights are implicated,&quot; said a 12-page judgment authored by Justice Shahid Bilal. He was part of a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi.

The case concerned a dispute in which the wife instituted proceedings before a family court seeking dissolution of marriage on the ground of cruelty, along with recovery of 30 tolas of gold as dower or its market value, and maintenance allowance from the date of neglect until the decision of the suit.

The judgement said where cruelty is not proved and marital life has manifestly collapsed, the court must afford the wife an opportunity to elect whether to pursue dismissal of her claim or accept dissolution by khula, rather than compelling restoration of a relationship that has ceased to exist in substance

It noted that cruelty is no longer confined to visible physical assault alone; it extends to sustained humiliation, coercive control, emotional abuse, deprivation, indignity, and conduct rendering cohabitation unsafe or intolerable.

Mental cruelty has similarly been judicially recognised to include emotional torment, studied neglect, and conduct causing deep anguish to the spouse.

&quot;We may further clarify that allegations of cruelty arising within a domestic relationship may assume a distinct legal character depending upon the forum in which they are asserted.

&quot;Where such allegations are raised before a family court under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 or cognate matrimonial jurisdiction, cruelty is examined as a civil matrimonial wrong, the object being determination of marital status and consequential civil rights,&quot; it stated.

In such proceedings, the court said, the matter is to be assessed on the standard of preponderance of probabilities. Conversely, where the same or similar acts are prosecuted under penal law, including statutes relating to domestic violence or other criminal offences, the allegations partake the character of criminal wrongdoing carrying penal consequences.

&quot;[Such acts] must therefore be established in accordance with the stricter standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt,&quot; it adds. The court emphasized that the two jurisdictions serve different purposes and their evidentiary thresholds must not be intermixed.

Family courts must remain cautious not to import criminal-law standards of proof into civil matrimonial litigation, lest relief meant to protect parties from oppressive domestic circumstances be defeated by unrealistic evidentiary demands.

It further held that in such situations, the proper judicial course is neither to impose khula without consent nor to mechanically dismiss the matter while ignoring matrimonial breakdown.

Instead, the court should clearly present the legal position to the wife: if she persists with an unproven claim of cruelty, the suit may fail; if she no longer wishes to remain in the marriage, she may seek dissolution by khula with its attendant consequences.

The judgment noted that in the instant case, the marriage between the parties was solemnized on September 19, 2016, while the suit for dissolution was instituted on October 8, 2016, meaning the matrimonial relationship subsisted for only a brief period of a few days before litigation commenced.

&quot;We have no cavil with the proposition that acts constituting cruelty may, depending upon their nature and gravity, occur even within a short span of cohabitation, and no inflexible rule can be laid down that cruelty must necessarily be preceded by prolonged matrimonial life. Each case must turn upon its own facts and evidence,&quot; it observed.

The court found that despite the allegations, the petitioner failed to establish cruelty through material sufficient to satisfy the applicable standard in matrimonial proceedings. The concurrent findings of the lower courts did not suffer from misreading or non-reading of evidence warranting interference.

At the same time, the record clearly reflected that the marriage had broken down almost at inception, with no meaningful cohabitation after the institution of proceedings, and the petitioner consistently unwilling to resume matrimonial life.

&quot;We find no sufficient ground to disturb the concurrent findings of the courts below insofar as the petitioner&#39;s allegations of cruelty have remained unproved.

&quot;We are nevertheless of the considered opinion that the decree of khula ought not to have been granted without first affording the petitioner a conscious, informed, and unequivocal election, particularly when valuable financial rights were directly involved,&quot; it added.

The court set aside the impugned judgments to the limited extent of the mode of dissolution and consequential financial adjustment and remanded the matter to the concerned family court.

It directed the family court to secure the petitioner&#39;s statement and ascertain whether she elects to seek dissolution by way of khula upon lawful terms or to persist with her claim of cruelty.

A fresh decree is to be drawn strictly in accordance with law based on her election. The court further directed that the exercise be concluded expeditiously, preferably within 30 days from receipt of the certified copy of the judgment.]]>
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			<title>Fact-check: Punjab govt has so far not restored pre-partition street, locality names in Lahore</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609698/fact-check-punjab-govt-has-so-far-not-restored-pre-partition-street-locality-names-in-lahore</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609698/fact-check-punjab-govt-has-so-far-not-restored-pre-partition-street-locality-names-in-lahore#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 26 15:19:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Fact Check By iVerify]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609698</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Renaming is under deliberation but no formal action taken]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Multiple Indian mainstream and digital media outlets have been running news reports since May 19, 2026, claiming that the Punjab government was restoring pre-partition street names in Lahore. However, the reports are false, and no such decision has been taken yet.

How it started

On May 19, a mainstream Indian news outlet, India Today, posted a video on YouTube, with the following title: &ldquo;Pakistan restores pre-partition Hindu and Sikh names of Lahore streets amid minority concerns&rdquo;.

The post gained 20,310 views.

In the video, the anchorperson can be heard saying: &ldquo;Getting some breaking news from Pakistan. Pakistan has restored pre-partition names of Lahore streets. Lahore gets back Hindu and Sikh names of the streets. So Pakistan&rsquo;s Islampura is now Krishna Nagar; Babri Chowk has reverted to Jain Mandir Chowk. In fact, Pakistan&rsquo;s Mustafabad is now Dharamura once again. So amid brazen human rights violation reports and rising Hindu persecutions, Pakistan has now restored the pre-partition era names.&rdquo;

She added that while the restoration steps had been taken, &ldquo;real action is still awaited as far as the minorities are concerned&rdquo;.

The same outlet also published a news report with the following headline: &ldquo;Pak restores pre-Partition names of Lahore streets: Islampura is now Krishan Nagar&rdquo;.

It cited an unnamed official of the Punjab government as the source.

India Today Global also posted a video on YouTube with the following title: &ldquo;Pak restores Hindu, Sikh and colonial era names in Lahore as Nawaz Sharif revives pre-partition glory&rdquo;.

The video report alleged that Pakistan had officially begun restoring several historic Hindu, Sikh, and colonial-era names across Lahore as part of a massive heritage revival campaign led by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The description of the clip reads: &ldquo;The renaming effort forms part of the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival or LAHR, a Rs50 billion urban conservation initiative aimed at restoring Lahore&rsquo;s multicultural identity and architectural legacy. Authorities are also restoring temples, churches, gurdwaras and colonial-era buildings linked to Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Princess Bamba Sutherland.&rdquo;

The Indian Express also published a news report with the following headline: &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s Punjab government to restore pre-partition names of Lahore streets&rdquo;.

According to the report, the Punjab government had approved a plan to restore the names of several streets and roads in Lahore, aiming to revive the city&rsquo;s pre-partition heritage.

The news report did not cite any credible sources or provide images of the streets slated for renaming.

NDTV also published a report with the following headline: &ldquo;Rehman Gali becomes Ram Gali: Why Pak is changing names of Lahore streets.&rdquo;

The news report stated that official signboards of Islampura read Krishan Nagar, Babri Masjid Chowk has reverted to Jain Mandir Chowk, and Rehman Gali is back to being called Ram Gali.

A local Indian magazine, Outlook India, also shared a post on Instagram with the following caption: &ldquo;Lahore is restoring pre-partition street names across the city. Rehman Gali is now Ram Gali again. Islampura has reverted to Krishan Nagar. Babri Masjid Chowk is now Jain Mandir Chowk. At least nine locations have already been renamed, with more changes planned under the Lahore Heritage Area Revival project. The government describes it as a heritage restoration effort. Critics argue it also serves a broader diplomatic and economic purpose amid IMF dependence, FATF scrutiny, and efforts to attract foreign investment and tourism.&rdquo;

Similarly, Brut India, a digital news outlet, shared a list on its Facebook account featuring old and new street names in Lahore. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s Punjab government has approved restoring historic Hindu, Sikh and Jain street names in Lahore as part of the &lsquo;Lahore Heritage Areas Revival Project&rsquo;, aiming to preserve the city&rsquo;s multicultural history,&rdquo; the caption reads.

Methodology

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to the massive Indian media coverage on it and keen public interest in the topic.

A keyword search was conducted to verify whether any Pakistani media outlets had recently reported that Lahore was officially restoring pre-partition street names, but no such reports were found.

Multiple government officials and authorities were contacted to corroborate the matter.

Hafsa Javed Khawaja, a communications specialist at the Punjab Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR), rubbished the claim as &ldquo;fake news&rdquo; to Nukta Lahore editor Murtaza Dar.

Similarly, Lahore Deputy Commissioner Captain (R) Muhammad Ali Ejaz told The Express Tribune (ET) correspondent Afzal Talib that none of the street names in Lahore had been changed, adding that the reports circulating online were false.

Shahid Kathia, the chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore, also denied the claim to Talib, stating that the circulating reports had no authenticity and that no official renaming of streets in Lahore had taken place.

Furthermore, Tania Qureshi, a spokesperson from the Walled City of Lahore Authority, was also contacted regarding the matter. She told ET correspondent Asif Mehmood that while discussions regarding the matter had taken place, no official notification to the effect was issued by the relevant authorities in this regard.

None of the Indian news articles reporting the claim provided an official government notification or a corresponding document as confirmation. The reports also did not quote a named government official or present any pictures of the newly named streets, raising doubts over the authenticity of the claim.

A keyword search yielded two ET news reports from March 20 and April 6, 2026, titled: &ldquo;Historical names of streets to be restored&rdquo; and &ldquo;Government eyes restoration of landmark names&rdquo;, respectively.

The first stated that a decision to revive the original names of roads, streets, and historic government colleges in Lahore was approved in a meeting chaired by CM Maryam and Nawaz to restore the historical identity and cultural heritage of the city.

The second report stated that the Punjab government announced a comprehensive plan to restore the original names of historic areas, roads, and landmarks in Lahore to highlight the city&rsquo;s historical identity and strengthen its connection with cultural heritage.

It added that in the past, several locations were renamed, such as Krishan Nagar to Islampura, Dharampura to Mustafabad and Ram Gali to Rehman Gali. Similarly, Mall Road was renamed Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam, Mohan Lal Bazaar to Urdu Bazaar, Abbott Road to Ghaznavi Road, Lahore Stadium to Gaddafi Stadium, Gol Bagh to Nasir Bagh, and Minto Park to Iqbal Park.

&ldquo;However, many of these new names did not fully gain public acceptance. Officials say that these changes have partially blurred the city&rsquo;s historical identity. Under the proposed plan, original names will be reintroduced to reconnect citizens with their past and revive Lahore&rsquo;s cultural character,&rdquo; the report added.

It quoted Kamran Lashari, the secretary of the Lahore Authority for Heritage Revival, as saying that the city&rsquo;s streets, markets, and roads were an integral part of its cultural history, and restoring their original names would promote historical awareness.

&ldquo;Despite official name changes, many old names continued to be used by the public, indicating that historical identity persists,&rdquo; he said.

For further investigation, a team from Nukta provided iVerify with photos of major signboards from across Lahore, which show that both old and new names are still being used in the city, with the latter not being restored to the former.

As can be seen in this photograph, the signboards of both Dharampura and Mustafabad are installed in several places in Lahore, as opposed to the Indian media claims that Mustafabad had been reverted to Dharampura.



Similarly, the signboards of both Abbott Road and Ghaznavi Road were installed across Lahore at official institutions: the Metropolitan Corporation and the DGPR. Abbott Road had been renamed Ghaznavi Road.



Lakshmi Chowk was renamed to Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk, but signboards for both were installed.



Lawrence Road was renamed to Bagh-i-Jinnah Road, but signboards for both are presently used by official institutions: the Punjab Transport Company and the Walled City of Lahore Authority.



The continued usage of the new names in signboards shows that they have not been restored to their pre-partition names.

However, as noted above by Lashari and seen in the picture, official signage and boards in Lahore continue to use a mix of pre-partition names and their new names. More examples of the old names being used are provided below.

Temple Road, which was renamed to Hameed Nizami Road, is still mentioned in signboards by its original name.



The same is the case with the Jain Mandir Road, which was renamed to Babri Masjid Chowk. It is referred to by its original name on signboards.



Fact-check status: Misleading

The claim that Lahore has restored pre-partition street names is misleading.

While the move has been deliberated, no formal action has been taken to this effect. The new names still continue to be used in official signage. Relevant government officials confirmed that no streets had as yet been officially restored from their new names to their pre-partition names.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan &mdash; a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.]]>
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			<title>Move to rein in illegal cattle markets</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609751/move-to-rein-in-illegal-cattle-markets</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609751/move-to-rein-in-illegal-cattle-markets#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 26 20:36:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609751</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[FIRs to be lodged as unregulated Eid livestock setups disrupt traffic, sanitation, civic order]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Illegal cattle markets that have mushroomed across the city ahead of Eidul Azha are now set to face criminal proceedings, as the city administration moves beyond warnings and decides to register FIRs against those responsible for setting up unapproved livestock sale points.

A meeting chaired on Saturday by Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi reviewed ongoing efforts by deputy commissioners to dismantle such markets in response to public complaints. Officials assessed operations aimed at removing unauthorised cattle markets established without planning or permission.

Deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners briefed the meeting on enforcement actions, stating that a total of 21 illegal cattle markets had been dismantled so far. These operations were carried out across several parts of the city including Jamshed Quarters, Saddar, New Karachi, Garden, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Liaquatabad and Orangi.

Officials noted that in Orangi alone, markets were removed from 10 different locations, while district-wise action included three sites in Karachi East, two in Karachi South, four in Karachi Central and two in Korangi.

Authorities informed the meeting that daily operations were being conducted with police assistance. However, they added that vendors repeatedly return in small groups, occupying roadside spaces to resume informal sales, making enforcement an ongoing challenge.

The meeting emphasised that effective action requires stronger coordination between police and town administrations. Commissioner Karachi stressed that unauthorised and unplanned cattle markets were disrupting sanitation systems and causing severe traffic congestion across the city, calling for immediate measures to address the issue.

It was decided that FIRs would be lodged against those responsible for establishing illegal cattle markets. The commissioner directed all town municipal administrations, police and traffic authorities to fully cooperate in removing unauthorised setups.

Officials noted that over 21 properly planned cattle markets have already been established in the city in consultation with relevant agencies. However, the proliferation of informal markets continues to create civic disruptions and inconvenience for residents.

Separately, a review meeting on price control enforcement was also held under the commissioner&#39;s chairmanship, which examined anti-hoarding and anti-price gouging actions over the past two weeks.

Assistant Commissioner Headquarters Rabia Syed presented a detailed report, stating that between May 9 and May 22, action was taken against 678 profiteers, resulting in fines amounting to Rs3.23 million. During this period, 20 shops were sealed and six profiteers were arrested.

Assistant commissioners conducted inspections at 1,543 locations to monitor prices, the meeting was told. A comparative review of weekly enforcement was also presented.

Between May 9 and May 15, action was taken against 383 profiteers, imposing fines of Rs1.97 million, sealing 16 shops and arresting six offenders, with inspections carried out at 1,812 locations.

From May 16 to May 22, enforcement teams penalised 295 profiteers with fines totaling Rs1.26 million, while four shops were sealed during the period, alongside continued price checks across the city.]]>
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			<title>CPEC 2.0 in focus as PM Shehbaz visits China</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609716/cpec-20-in-focus-as-pm-shehbaz-visits-china</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609716/cpec-20-in-focus-as-pm-shehbaz-visits-china#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 26 18:04:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[News Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609716</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan, China look to deepen trade, technology and strategic cooperation as ties mark 75 years]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, on Saturday for what the Chinese Foreign Ministry described as an &ldquo;important high-level exchange&rdquo; between the two countries as they mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations.



I have arrived in the beautiful and dynamic city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, as part of my official visit to China.

I am deeply grateful to the leadership of Zhejiang Province for the warm welcome extended to me and my delegation.

We look forward to strengthening practical&hellip; pic.twitter.com/T60RoRsDrh
&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 23, 2026


&ldquo;China hopes that both sides will take the visit as an opportunity to carry forward the traditional friendship, deepen cooperation across the board, and write a new chapter in building an even closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,&rdquo; a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

The visit &mdash; from May 23 to 26 &mdash; is expected to highlight a new chapter in the 75-year-old China-Pakistan relationship, which has long been recognised for mutual trust and enduring cooperation despite changing international circumstances, according to a commentary published on China&rsquo;s CGTN website.

At a ceremony held in Islamabad on Thursday, PM&nbsp;Shehbaz praised the &ldquo;steadfast&rdquo; Pakistan-China friendship, saying China had consistently stood by Pakistan during both prosperity and hardship. &ldquo;Earthquakes, floods, peace and difficult times &mdash; China has always supported Pakistan in an unwavering fashion,&rdquo; he said.



Delighted to be in beautiful Hangzhou, China with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif @CMShehbaz and members of Pakistan delegation.

Look forward to several engagements including leadership meetings and participation in Pakistan-China B2B Investment Conference in Hangzhou tomorrow&hellip; pic.twitter.com/wh6nowxxBH
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 23, 2026


Over the past 75 years, Pakistan and China have maintained steadily expanding ties. In 2015, the two countries elevated their relations to an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership and later agreed to build a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era.

Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, said the visit reflected Pakistan&rsquo;s willingness to attract more Chinese private enterprises and inject fresh momentum into bilateral economic cooperation.

Read More: PM Shehbaz arrives in Hangzhou on four-day official visit to China

Economic cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), launched in 2013, remains the cornerstone of bilateral ties. Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong, in a recent article, described CPEC as a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying it had attracted more than $25.9 billion in direct investment and created over 260,000 jobs in Pakistan.



Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met Wang Hao, Party Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee in Hangzhou on Saturday and discussed matters related to bilateral cooperation. PHOTO: APP

According to Chinese officials, CPEC projects have added over 8,000MW to Pakistan&rsquo;s power capacity, developed 510km of roads and 886km of transmission lines, while Gwadar Port has been expanded into a major regional hub capable of handling large cargo vessels. The Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is also generating 884MW of clean energy, reducing dependence on coal and lowering carbon emissions.





Pakistan&rsquo;s Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said CPEC had significantly strengthened Pakistan&rsquo;s energy security, infrastructure and regional connectivity while laying the foundations for a modern economic framework.

During the seventh round of the China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers&rsquo; Strategic Dialogue in January, both countries agreed to align development priorities further and accelerate work on an upgraded version of the corridor, commonly referred to as CPEC 2.0.

Also Read: Pak-China friendship &#39;time-tested and unbreakable&#39;, says PM Shehbaz on 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations

&ldquo;CPEC is now entering its second phase, marking a strategic shift from infrastructure development to industrialisation, innovation and inclusive growth,&rdquo; Iqbal said, adding that both sides hoped to transform the project into a corridor of &ldquo;hope, innovation, opportunity and prosperity.&rdquo;

Expert on Pakistan-China and Afghanistan affairs, Rashid Safi, described PM&nbsp;Shehbaz&rsquo;s visit as strategically important for regional stability, economic cooperation and strengthening bilateral relations.

He said the visit was taking place at a critical moment as both countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, economic challenges and regional security concerns. &ldquo;In this context, the visit is being viewed as a major effort to give a new direction to the future partnership between the two brotherly countries,&rdquo; he told APP.

According to Safi, the visit goes beyond formal diplomacy and is aimed at achieving progress in economic cooperation, investment, technology, media, information technology, industrial collaboration, agriculture and regional connectivity.

He said the prime minister&rsquo;s first stop in Hangzhou was particularly significant because the city is regarded as one of China&rsquo;s leading centres for advanced technology, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and the digital economy.

Safi added that the prime minister&rsquo;s expected visit to Alibaba Group headquarters would carry special importance as Pakistan seeks to accelerate digitalisation, e-commerce expansion and IT exports. He added that under CPEC 2.0, both countries were now placing special emphasis on industrial zones, exports, youth employment, agricultural reforms, technology transfer and regional trade connectivity.

&ldquo;Pakistan seeks to accelerate economic growth through the relocation of Chinese industries, manufacturing and investment, while China sees Pakistan as an important trade, logistics and economic hub in the region,&rdquo; he said.

Regional and global developments are also expected to feature prominently during the visit, particularly tensions involving the United States and Iran, the Middle East situation, developments in the Arabian Sea, energy supply routes, Afghanistan and broader regional stability.



Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif @CMShehbaz and Pakistan delegation met H.E. Wang Hao, and his delegation, Party Secretary of Zhejiang Province, in Hangzhou this evening.

The Prime Minister underscored the vitality of the Pakistan-China All-Weather Strategic Cooperative&hellip; pic.twitter.com/oNtc6LSMYK
&mdash; Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 23, 2026


Safi said both Pakistan and China favoured dialogue, diplomacy and economic cooperation over conflict, arguing that connectivity and confidence-building remained essential for regional prosperity. He also praised China&rsquo;s governance and public security systems, saying many Chinese cities had become examples of discipline, safety and public trust.

&ldquo;In various Chinese cities, both local residents and foreign tourists enjoy an extremely secure environment,&rdquo; he said, adding that public activity late into the night and the safe movement of women, families and foreigners reflected the success of China&rsquo;s governance model.

According to Safi, the long-standing Pakistan-China friendship extends beyond diplomacy, with both countries consistently supporting each other during difficult periods.

&ldquo;That is why Pakistan-China ties are globally recognised as an all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,&rdquo; he said, adding that celebrations marking 75 years of diplomatic relations reflected the commitment of both nations to shared development, regional stability, economic cooperation and a more connected Asia.

(With additional input from Agencies)]]>
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			<title>Two Pakistani astronauts undergoing training in China</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609680/two-pakistani-astronauts-undergoing-training-in-china</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609680/two-pakistani-astronauts-undergoing-training-in-china#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 23 May 26 13:10:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[xinhua.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609680</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Training equips Pakistani astronauts with hands-on skills needed to fully execute mission in space]]>
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				<![CDATA[Two Pakistani astronauts have entered the Astronaut Centre of China and are participating in mission training alongside their Chinese counterparts, with all related work progressing smoothly, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Saturday.

According to the plan, one Pakistani astronaut will serve as a payload specialist for a short-term spaceflight mission. They are currently following the programme to complete basic training and aerospace technical training, CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo told a press conference in Jiuquan in northwest China.



Two Pakistani astronauts have entered the Astronaut Center of China and are participating in mission training alongside their Chinese counterparts, with all related work progressing smoothly, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Saturday https://t.co/kDOxxHWDFp pic.twitter.com/ryl1CUhkfx
&mdash; China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 23, 2026


The training focuses on developing hands-on operational capabilities to ensure the Pakistani astronauts are fully qualified to carry out the mission, Zhang explained.

Read More: Two Pakistani astronauts selected as candidates for China space programme

During the initial phase of the training, intensive Chinese language instruction will be conducted to strengthen their Chinese proficiency, including basic Chinese knowledge and the relevant command vocabulary required for mission execution.

The CMSA announced in April that two Pakistani astronauts, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, had been selected as the final candidates following the completion of the first selection of foreign astronauts for China&#39;s manned space programme.]]>
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			<title>Over a dozen dead in TTP infighting</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609640/over-a-dozen-dead-in-ttp-infighting</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609640/over-a-dozen-dead-in-ttp-infighting#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 May 26 20:57:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shahabullah Yousafzai]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609640</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Clashes began when JuA fighters were allegedly asked to surrender weapons, comply with directives from TTP commanders]]>
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				<![CDATA[Over a dozen terrorists were killed in intense clashes between the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its breakaway faction, TTP-Jamaatul Ahrar (JuA), as tensions escalated between commanders of the two groups in Kurram tribal district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to sources.

The deadly fighting in the Manato area of Central Kurram reportedly erupted after a decision by the TTP Central Shura to take disciplinary action against certain commanders of the JuA faction.

Sources said the clashes began when JuA fighters were allegedly asked to surrender their weapons or comply with directives issued by local TTP commanders.

The infighting is believed to have left 19 JuA fighters dead, while three TTP members were also killed, the sources claimed.

Sharing further details, sources stated that a jirga had been convened to defuse rising tensions and resolve the dispute. However, the situation worsened when firing broke out between the two factions during the tribal assembly itself.

Meanwhile, the JuA has vowed to avenge the killings and has circulated images of its slain members on social media, according to sources.

In a separate development, security sources said that during a recent military operation in the Shawal and Spinwam areas of North Waziristan, a senior terrorist commander identified as Jan Mir alias Tor Saqib was killed along with around 30 other terrorists.]]>
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			<title>Over 6k workers to ensure post-Eid cleanup</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609626/over-6k-workers-to-ensure-post-eid-cleanup</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609626/over-6k-workers-to-ensure-post-eid-cleanup#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 May 26 20:49:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609626</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[More than 6,340 workers and 1,066 vehicles and machinery have been assigned for the cleaning operation]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) has formulated a comprehensive cleaning plan for Rawalpindi district ahead of Eidul Azha 2026.

More than 6,340 workers and 1,066 vehicles and machinery have been assigned for the cleaning operation and the leaves of all staff have been canceled. The operation will continue in seven tehsils and 164 union councils of Rawalpindi, where special cleaning and washing of houses, mosques, Eidgahs and graveyards will be carried out. Special cleaning teams have also been formed for cattle markets and communal altars.

Additionally, 33 transfer stations, four dump sites, thousands of containers and 37,6700 waste bags will be provided for timely disposal of garbage. Helpline 1139 will remain active 24 hours a day for immediate redressal of citizens&#39; complaints.

The process of removing garbage, sprinkling lime and cleaning will continue uninterrupted during the three days of Eid, while an awareness campaign is also being conducted on social, print and electronic media.]]>
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			<title>PM pushes investment under SIFC umbrella</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609636/pm-pushes-investment-under-sifc-umbrella</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2609636/pm-pushes-investment-under-sifc-umbrella#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 22 May 26 20:57:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2609636</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Under PM's leadership, the Government of Pakistan was taking positive steps to facilitate investors under the SIFC]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said the government was prioritising measures to boost foreign investment, as the obstacles had already been cleared through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

The prime minister, in a meeting with a delegation led by Founder of Qatar&#39;s Taameer Group Mohammad Hussain Al-Ali, which called on him here, said that Qatar was a long-standing friend of Pakistan that had supported Pakistan in every difficult time.

Highlighting Pakistan&#39;s vast investment potential in tourism, hoteling, hospitality, real estate and construction sectors,&quot; he directed the relevant authorities to provide facilitation and assistance to the Taameer Group regarding investment in Pakistan.

The Taameer Group founder briefed the prime minister on the group&#39;s investment and ongoing projects in Pakistan.

He said that the Group was interested in investing in the hospitality, hotels, real estate and construction sectors in Pakistan, as work on several projects in this regard had already commenced.

Expressing deep interest in increasing the group&#39;s investment in Pakistan, Mohammad Hussain Al-Ali appreciated the measures taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz for national development and the promotion of business and foreign investment.

He stated that under the prime minister&#39;s leadership, the Government of Pakistan was taking positive steps to facilitate investors under the SIFC.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, and relevant senior officials.]]>
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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>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Sher Wali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2188962</guid>
			<description>
				<![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>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shabbir.mir]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gilgit Baltistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2182160</guid>
			<description>
				<![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>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Gilgit Baltistan]]></category>
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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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