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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>Security forces kill 10 Indian-sponsored terrorists in Gwadar operations: ISPR</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636503/10-terrorists-including-woman-killed-after-foiled-attack-in-gwadar-ispr</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636503/10-terrorists-including-woman-killed-after-foiled-attack-in-gwadar-ispr#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 26 10:36:00 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[A civilian was killed and several vehicles damaged during attacks near Gabd border crossing and Gwadar city, says ISPR]]>
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				<![CDATA[Security forces killed 10 terrorists, including a woman, during operations in Gwadar after Indian-sponsored Fitna al-Hindustan terrorists attempted attacks near the Gabd border crossing and in Gwadar city, the military&rsquo;s media wing said on Friday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the attacks took place on Thursday, leaving one civilian dead and several vehicles damaged. The operations concluded without any casualties among security personnel, and order had been restored, it added.

&ldquo;Security forces foiled the terrorists&rsquo; designs and their bid to undermine the writ of the state and spread their misconstrued agenda,&rdquo; the statement said.

The ISPR said the terrorists had targeted the very people they claimed to represent, seeking to obstruct Balochistan&rsquo;s development and prosperity.

&ldquo;The coercion of a Baloch woman into this attack is a crime not only against the state but also against the hurmat of Baloch women,&rdquo; the statement said, condemning the involvement of a woman in the attack.

Also Read: 3 terrorists killed as security forces foil attack on construction camp in Gwadar: state media

The military&rsquo;s media wing also criticised the use of women for propaganda, saying the tactic was intended to inflame public sentiment and lend a false sense of legitimacy to the terrorists&rsquo; campaign.

&ldquo;Such tactics are contrary to Baloch and Islamic traditions, which hold women in the highest honour,&rdquo; the statement said, adding that the people of Balochistan had consistently rejected those who shed blood in their name.

The ISPR said the counterterrorism campaign under the vision of &ldquo;Azm-e-Istehkam&rdquo;, approved by the Federal Apex Committee on the National Action Plan, would continue.

&ldquo;Security forces and law enforcement agencies remain resolute in eliminating foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country,&rdquo; it added.



صدرِ مملکت آصف علی زرداری کا گوادر میں فتنہُ الہندوستان کے دہشت گردوں کے حملے کو ناکام بنانے اور دس دہشت گردوں کو جہنم واصل کرنے پر سیکیورٹی فورسز کو خراجِ تحسین۔

صدرِ مملکت کا دہشت گردی کے واقعے میں ایک شہری کی شہادت پر گہرے دکھ اور افسوس کا اظہار۔

بلوچستان کے امن و استحکام کے&hellip;
&mdash; The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 23, 2026


Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari praised security forces for foiling the terrorist attacks in Gwadar and killing 10 terrorists, while expressing grief over the civilian&rsquo;s death.

He said attempts to undermine peace and stability in Balochistan would not weaken the people&rsquo;s resolve to pursue development and prosperity, stressing that peace was essential to safeguarding their rights and interests. He also condemned the exploitation of Baloch women&rsquo;s dignity for political purposes.

A day earlier, Radio Pakistan reported that security forces had killed three terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Hindustan while foiling an attempt to attack an unoccupied construction company camp in Gwadar. Security sources said the forces had also surrounded other suspects.

In a separate operation, security forces were targeting terrorists hiding in a hotel near the Gwadar Highway. The Gwadar general officer commanding was personally leading the operation, according to the report.

Balochistan sees rise in terrorism

Terrorism is a growing problem for Pakistan, with the number of attacks rising every year since 2022, according to Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data (ACLED), a global monitoring organisation. Data from ACLED shows attacks in Pakistan rose nearly fourfold to 2,425 in 2025 from 658 in 2022, and over the same period, TTP attacks increased more than sevenfold to 838 from 118.

Although K-P has borne the brunt of terrorism, Balochistan has also remained a major target of Indian proxies, which often target civilians and military installations in the province.

Over the past few years, Balochistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks, with militants frequently targeting convoys, abducting security personnel and civilians, and attacking security and civilian installations.

In a similar incident last week, 20 trainee police personnel were abducted by unidentified armed men while travelling between Kalat and Mastung in Balochistan.

Read More: Armed men abduct 20 trainee police personnel travelling from Kalat to Nushki: officials

The abducted personnel belonged to the districts of Kharan, Nushki, Chagai and Washuk in Rakhshan Division. They included eight personnel from Kharan, five from Nushki, four from Chagai and three from Washuk.

The forces continued operations across the provinces against what the state describes as Indian-sponsored terrorists and their proxies. Still, despite these efforts, the groups have continued to target civilian and defence installations.

In one such attack in July this year, at least 30 people, including 27 police personnel, were martyred when terrorists identified by the state as the Indian proxy Fitna al-Hindustan ambushed police personnel deployed in the Kach Mangi Phase III area of Ziarat, triggering hours-long gun battles. The attackers also abducted several civilians and police personnel after the assault.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps and Balochistan Police launched a joint operation, which remains underway, with forces intensifying action against terrorists across the province.]]>
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			<title>Sanaullah says letter sent to Achakzai, urges opposition leader to meet PM Shehbaz</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636522/sanaullah-says-letter-sent-to-achakzai-urges-opposition-leader-to-meet-pm-shehbaz</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636522/sanaullah-says-letter-sent-to-achakzai-urges-opposition-leader-to-meet-pm-shehbaz#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 26 12:18:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says meeting not matter of ego and stubborness, parties should meet to discuss issues on constitutional positions]]>
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				<![CDATA[Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday said that a letter had been sent to Leader of the Opposition&nbsp;in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai, entreating the latter to respond and to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss &quot;issues on constitutional positions&quot; amid a breakdown in communication between the government and the opposition following the administrative shakeup in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Earlier in the day, Achakzai stated that the premier could come to the opposition&#39;s office &quot;and have tea with me or give me an invitation and wherever he wants to have negotiations I will go&quot;.

The opposition leader added, &quot;Or I can go to him at the prime minister&#39;s house and give him an invitation.&quot;

Achakzai also said, &quot;Discussions will not take place like this. The way you have made fun of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf&nbsp;and our people of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan.&quot;



شہباز شریف میرے آفس آئے چائے پیے اور مجھے دعوت دے جہاں مرضی مزاکرات کر لے، یا میں وزیر اعظم آفس میں چلا جاتا ہوں، اسے دعوت دیتا ہوں مزاکرات کی، جہاں مرضی مزاکرات کر لیں، لیکن مزاکرات اس طرح نہیں ہوں گے مزاق کے ساتھ جس طرح آپ نے تحریک انصاف اور تحریک تحفظ آئین پاکستان کے اکابرین&hellip; pic.twitter.com/a6jQva8E6k
&mdash; Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) October 23, 2026


Speaking to reporters later on the opposition leader&#39;s comments, Sanaullah said that there was &quot;no issue of ego or stubbornness in this&quot;, referring to PM Shehbaz meeting Achakzai.

&quot;This type of talk that come here or come there, it doesn&#39;t change anything. What is the rationale of this?&quot;

Sanaullah said that when the opposition leader meets PM Shehbaz, they could together discuss the issues which should be discussed constitutionally.

A day earlier, Achakzai said that political dialogue required a meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan. He also recalled that Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had met the prime minister in connection with the issue.

The opposition had asked the government to ensure that the prime minister personally extended an invitation for negotiations, he said. &ldquo;Negotiations cannot take place in an atmosphere where the process itself is being mocked,&rdquo; he said.

Read: Achakzai warns opposition may take to streets

The remarks came as the government and the opposition remain at loggerheads regarding the governance of K-P&nbsp;after President Asif Ali Zardari approved the imposition of emergency and governor&rsquo;s rule in the province on October 11 on the advice of PM&nbsp;Shehbaz&nbsp;and following approval by the federal cabinet.

The move transferred executive authority from the elected provincial government to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and affected 12 districts under the emergency proclamation. PTI rejected the decision, arguing that it undermined provincial autonomy and the party&rsquo;s electoral mandate.

Federal ministers accused the provincial government of failing to address terrorism and governance challenges, while PTI considered the possibility of an in-house change or dissolution of the provincial assembly.

On October 12, a petition challenging the imposition of emergency measures and governor&rsquo;s rule in K-P was filed in the Peshawar High Court by the PTI. The opposition argued that the constitutional requirements had not been fulfilled and that the intervention violated provincial autonomy.]]>
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			<title>Collateral damage feared in K-P IBO's if residents fail to move away from terrorists: Sanaullah</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636555/collateral-damage-feared-in-k-p-ibos-if-residents-fail-to-move-away-from-terrorists-sanaullah</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636555/collateral-damage-feared-in-k-p-ibos-if-residents-fail-to-move-away-from-terrorists-sanaullah#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 26 15:56:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says around 70pc of terrorist formations are present in designated districts of K-P]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday warned of possible collateral damage during planned intelligence-based operations in designated districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa if residents failed to distance themselves from terrorists or drive them out of their localities.

Speaking on the private television programme Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah said terrorists entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and carried out attacks, alleging that training camps across the border operated with Indian funding and training, while reports also suggested Israeli involvement in such attacks.

&ldquo;That is why Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces have closed the border with Afghanistan. You must also be aware that no trade is taking place through that route,&rdquo; he said.

Read: PM Shehbaz defends emergency, governor&rsquo;s rule in K-P, blames PTI for resurgence of terrorism

Praising the security forces for their work, the PML-N leader said they knew the number of terrorists and their current locations.

He said terrorist groups comprised between three and 15 members, adding that around 70 per cent of these groups were present in the areas designated for the operations, for which a separate development committee had also been established.

According to Sanaullah, the terrorists were hiding among the local population and living alongside ordinary citizens rather than operating openly. He said law enforcement agencies were conducting intelligence-based operations in these areas.

The adviser warned that civilians could suffer collateral damage if residents did not remove terrorists from their communities or move away from the areas to allow security forces to carry out operations.

&ldquo;The people have been told either to drive these elements out of their populated areas or, if they do not want to do so, to move aside themselves so that the operation can proceed. If neither of these options is possible, there is a risk of collateral damage,&rdquo; he said.

Sanaullah said the armed forces could dismantle and neutralise the terrorist groups within three to five months and criticised inactive K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for what he described as a lack of cooperation with law enforcement agencies in tackling terrorists and their facilitators.

He alleged that the provincial leadership had previously supported the terrorists and discouraged cooperation with security forces, telling them that operations against the militants would not be allowed.

Also Read: Sanaullah links reversal of K-P governor&#39;s rule to PTI support for counterterrorism efforts

However, he said the situation had now changed, and a committee had been established under the chairmanship of a former governor. He expressed confidence that dismantling the terrorist networks in the coming months was an achievable objective.

Asked how future security operations would differ from previous intelligence-based operations (IBOs), given that 7,177 such operations had been conducted over the past six months, Sanaullah said the provincial government and civil administration would be responsible for holding areas after they had been cleared of terrorists.

He said the authorities would ensure that militants could not return to the cleared areas or establish a presence there again.

&ldquo;Things were different earlier. Many areas were cleared three or four times, but the problem persisted because the responsibilities that should have been fulfilled by the provincial government and civil administration were not carried out. Their attitude was, in fact, the opposite,&rdquo; he said.

Sanaullah said it would take months, rather than years, to rid the affected areas of terrorism and restore peace.

His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs160 billion development package for K-P following a meeting with the Area Development Council, comprising representatives of the tribal districts and tribal elders, at the Governor House in Peshawar.

The prime minister said he had directed the authorities to strengthen the Counter Terrorism Department and make it more effective. He also assured that the federal government would provide all necessary resources to eradicate terrorism.]]>
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			<title>Zardari seeks stronger and mutually beneficial ties on Germany visit as countries mark 75 years of relations</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636554/zardari-seeks-stronger-and-mutually-beneficial-ties-on-germany-visit</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636554/zardari-seeks-stronger-and-mutually-beneficial-ties-on-germany-visit#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 26 15:38:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2636554</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Zardari seeks broader cooperation with Germany in meeting with counterpart Steinmeier]]>
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				<![CDATA[President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday called for a holistic expansion of bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Germany to build a robust and constructive partnership, expressing readiness to translate existing ties into a stronger and mutually beneficial relationship through sustained engagement.

The president said this during a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin, according to a statement issued by the President&#39;s Office, adding that President Zardari thanked him for the invitation and the warm hospitality extended to him and his delegation.

President Zardari is visiting Germany from October 22 to 24 at the invitation of Steinmeier. During the visit, he is scheduled to meet senior German leaders and business representatives to discuss bilateral relations, particularly the strengthening of economic and trade cooperation.

Zardari said the visit, taking place after 23 years, reflected Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to deepening its longstanding cordial and friendly relations with Germany and translating them into a stronger, mutually beneficial partnership through sustained constructive engagement, marking a significant chapter in bilateral ties as the two countries commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.



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President Zardari Stresses for Holistic Expansion of Bilateral Cooperation towards Robust Constructive Partnership between Pakistan and Germany*

President Asif Ali Zardari has stressed on the imperative of realising available potential for expanding existing political,&hellip; pic.twitter.com/xM3eSpbSaK
&mdash; The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 23, 2026


He underscored the need to realise the existing potential for expanding political, economic and defence cooperation, with greater emphasis on trade, emerging technologies, climate resilience, skills development, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

President Zardari said Pakistan highly valued Germany as a major European partner and greatly appreciated its support for women&rsquo;s empowerment, social protection and human development.

He said Pakistan was prepared to expand cooperation beyond traditional areas and pursue innovative, mutually beneficial collaboration in scientific development, healthcare, education, vocational training, technological advancement, trade and investment, agriculture, commerce and industry, and climate resilience.

He emphasised the importance of strengthening cooperation through enhanced government-to-government and business-to-business engagement, as well as interactions among experts.



صدر مملکت آصف علی زرداری کا دورہ جرمنی

برلن: صدر آصف علی زرداری کے اعزاز میں جرمن وزارت دفاع میں والہانہ استقبالیہ تقریب

صدر مملکت کی جرمن وزارت دفاع آمد پر جرمنی کے صدر فرینک والٹر شٹائن مائر نے استقبال کیا

صدر آصف علی زرداری کو گارڈ آف آنر پیش کیا گیا

صدر مملکت جرمنی کے صدر&hellip; pic.twitter.com/QHT2unQt0o
&mdash; The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) October 23, 2026


President Zardari also expressed gratitude to President Steinmeier for Germany&rsquo;s acknowledgement of Pakistan&rsquo;s sincere mediation role in the US-Iran conflict.

&ldquo;Pakistan believes that conflicts should be resolved through sustained dialogue and constructive negotiations to promote regional and global peace and stability,&rdquo; he said.

President Steinmeier warmly welcomed President Zardari&rsquo;s visit on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He also conveyed condolences over the deaths of children in a recent school roof collapse in Peshawar.

The German president expressed hope that Pakistan and Germany would intensify their engagement in business and trade to promote bilateral commercial ties, educational collaboration and technological cooperation.

He also praised Pakistan&rsquo;s growing diplomatic profile in efforts to resolve regional and global disputes.

President Steinmeier appreciated the Pakistani government for facilitating the verification of 500 Afghans destined to be repatriated to Germany while also acknowledging Pakistan&rsquo;s humanitarian assistance to millions of Afghans over the past more than four decades.



President Asif Ali Zardari and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier holding delegation-level talks at the Office of the President on Friday Photo: PID

The two presidents discussed challenges relating to Afghanistan. President Zardari said Pakistan had no conflict with the Afghan people but would not allow terrorists to use Afghan soil to attack Pakistani citizens or violate the country&rsquo;s sovereignty.

Responding to President Steinmeier&rsquo;s interest in the Makkah defence pact, President Zardari said the arrangement was aimed at ensuring regional security and providing an alternative to regional conflicts, adding that it was not directed against any specific country.

President Zardari also invited President Steinmeier to visit Pakistan. The German president said he would consider the invitation and look to visit at an appropriate time.

Earlier, President Zardari was accorded a guard of honour at the German Ministry of Defence ahead of his meeting with President Steinmeier and high-level delegation talks.

The German president welcomed his Pakistani counterpart at the formal reception ceremony, where the national anthems of both countries were played, after which the two presidents held a one-on-one meeting followed by delegation-level talks.

The Pakistani delegation included Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, provincial ministers Sharjeel Memon and Jam Khan Shoro, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador to Germany Salman Sharif.]]>
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			<title>NCCIA arrests 4 suspects over child sexual abuse material trafficking in Islamabad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636540/nccia-arrests-4-suspects-over-child-sexual-abuse-material-trafficking-in-islamabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636540/nccia-arrests-4-suspects-over-child-sexual-abuse-material-trafficking-in-islamabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 26 14:19:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Naeem Asghar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[NCCIA says suspects lured children aged 6-14 through social media]]>
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				<![CDATA[The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) on Friday arrested four alleged members of an international gang involved in child sexual abuse and the production and sale of sexually explicit videos of minors.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, NCCIA Additional Director Muhammad Shoaib Khan said investigators had recovered around 50 to 60 objectionable videos involving children from a mobile phone belonging to a child.

&ldquo;The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of the four suspects,&rdquo; he added.



نیشنل سائبر کرائم انویسٹی گیشن ایجنسی (NCCIA) کے سائبر کرائم رپورٹنگ سینٹر اسلام آباد نے بچوں کے استحصال اور آن لائن گرومنگ کے مقدمے میں کارروائی کرتے ہوئے 4 رکنی گینگ کو گرفتار کر لیا۔

درج مقدمے کی تحقیقات کے دوران ملزمان کے قبضے سے مقامی کم عمر بچوں سے متعلق بچوں کے جنسی&hellip; pic.twitter.com/FHnTlAIicm
&mdash; NCCIA (@NCCIAOFFICIAL) October 23, 2026


According to Khan, the suspects allegedly befriended children aged between six and 14 through Instagram and other social media platforms, luring them with promises of money before coercing them into recording explicit videos.

Read: Naqvi vows to strengthen NCCIA as cybercrime cases mount in Punjab

The videos were allegedly circulated through WhatsApp groups and sold to buyers internationally, the director said.

Khan also said the agency had previously secured convictions against two Chinese nationals in child sexual abuse material cases.

The arrests come amid an intensified nationwide crackdown by the NCCIA on online child exploitation, blackmail and digital fraud.

On October 10, the NCCIA signed agreements with international artificial intelligence (AI) organisations to strengthen its ability to detect and investigate online offences against children. NCCIA Lahore Additional Director Atif Ameer revealed that AI-assisted analysis had helped identify a suspect in Gujranwala, leading to his arrest.

In a separate operation in Lahore on October 7, the NCCIA arrested 39 people, including a woman, over allegations that an illegal call centre used AI-generated explicit images to blackmail borrowers who had taken digital loans. Investigators alleged that the operation exploited access to borrowers&rsquo; mobile phone galleries and contact lists. Forty laptops and 41 mobile phones were seized for forensic examination.

Other operations

In a separate development, the NCCIA arrested 473 foreign nationals during raids on call centres across the country for their alleged involvement in financial fraud, the NCCIA official said.

Khan stated that the suspects posed as bank representatives in Malaysia, China and India to defraud victims.

The agency also detained 22 suspects in cyber harassment cases over the past week, he said, adding that female officers of the NCCIA had been tasked with the investigation in these cases.

Separately, a Karachi East judicial magistrate remanded a man, Shoaib Nawaz Afridi, to the custody of the NCCIA for three days in a case involving the alleged blackmail of a woman.

Read more: NCCIA arrests Khanewal man indicted in $126m US postal fraud case]]>
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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>
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				<![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]]>
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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]]>
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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]]>
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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]]>
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				<![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>
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				<![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]]>
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				<![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]]>
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				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Balochistan collects Rs2.5b from mineral sector</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251919/balochistan-collects-rs2-5b-mineral-sector</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2251919/balochistan-collects-rs2-5b-mineral-sector#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 10:38:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2251919</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Computerised weighing scales have been installed]]>
			</description>
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				<![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]]>
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				<![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]]>
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				<![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>
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				<![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]]>
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				<![CDATA[Lawmakers on Friday took up the issue of poor internet connection for students in the remote areas of the province, noting that the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic means that online classes are the only means for obtaining education for students now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police reforms

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discriminatory allocations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The clashes left scores of protesters and police officers injured.

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

Judicial inquiry

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2020.]]>
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			<title>Virus cases in Indian Occupied Kashmir top 7,000</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252336/virus-cases-indian-occupied-kashmir-top-7000</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2252336/virus-cases-indian-occupied-kashmir-top-7000#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 20 23:11:02 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Anadolu Agency]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[World]]></category><category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2252336</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[2,700 infections, including 41 virus-linked deaths, confirmed in last 2 weeks]]>
			</description>
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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]]>
			</description>
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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>NCCIA rescues 13-year-old Karachi girl in probe into suspected dark web network</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636568/nccia-rescues-13-year-old-karachi-girl-in-probe-into-suspected-dark-web-network</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636568/nccia-rescues-13-year-old-karachi-girl-in-probe-into-suspected-dark-web-network#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 26 18:12:19 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2636568</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Officials say the wider case involves 42 suspects, including 12 juveniles, as investigators probe child exploitation]]>
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				<![CDATA[What began as an online interaction allegedly drew a 13-year-old girl into the orbit of a suspected dark web network, where children were reportedly assigned tasks and paid to produce pornographic animated content. A timely intervention by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has now brought the case to light, raising concerns about the online exploitation of minors.

The agency rescued the girl during a crackdown in Karachi&#39;s Rabia City, uncovering what investigators suspect is a wider network involving child exploitation and the production of pornographic cartoons. The probe has also revealed suspected links to individuals in Germany and the United Kingdom, according to NCCIA officials.

Investigators are examining whether children were deliberately targeted, manipulated and paid to carry out tasks as part of the alleged operation. Officials have also launched a probe into the possible use of so-called &ldquo;red rooms&rdquo; on the dark web to assign tasks to minors.

Read: NCCIA arrests 4 suspects over child sexual abuse material trafficking in Islamabad

Speaking at a press conference, NCCIA Deputy Director Shehzad Akbar said the agency had acted on credible information about the suspected network. The girl&rsquo;s father was informed, and the two devices used by the child were seized with his cooperation.

Akbar rejected suggestions that the initial task assigned to the girl involved killing a cat. He said, however, that the child was allegedly being subjected to psychological manipulation similar to tactics attributed to dark web groups operating internationally. Had the network not been exposed, the situation could have become more serious, he added.

The investigation is continuing to establish the role of suspected local handlers and identify other children who may have been targeted.

According to information shared by the officials, the wider case involves 42 suspects, including 12 juveniles. Investigators are examining evidence that children were allegedly paid to produce pornographic animated content, with some reportedly receiving around $100, described in the information provided as approximately Rs6,000.

The agency has seized 19 mobile phones from Pixel Craft, a company reportedly operating for around two years, five phones from Art Office and 17 from Art Design, which reportedly employed 17 people. Officials are investigating the companies&rsquo; possible links to the suspected network.

Akbar said a man identified as Fudan was allegedly operating the network. Preliminary findings also indicate that the companies provided logos, banners and other digital design services to foreign clients. Investigators are examining whether these businesses were connected to the alleged exploitation activities.

Also Read: NCCIA arrests accused in $126m US postal fraud

The deputy director said the agency had previously detained a boy in Karachi who was allegedly searching online for ways to take revenge on another person. In a separate case, the NCCIA arrested a suspect identified as Hamza on Thursday over alleged anti-state propaganda. Officials said the allegations were being investigated further.



The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Karachi Zone has arrested an absconding accused nominated in a case involving alleged unlawful social media activity. The arrest was made in Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi, on the directions of DG NCCIA Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi.

The&hellip; pic.twitter.com/jG3zXygBRt
&mdash; NCCIA (@NCCIAOFFICIAL) October 23, 2026



Cybercrime crackdown

Akbar said the agency had recovered 39 accounts on WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms over the past 15 days. It had also blocked 95 accounts allegedly linked to financial fraud and taken action against 38 accounts suspected of harassing women through fake identities.

The agency is pursuing cases involving the hacking of social media accounts, online financial fraud and harassment through fabricated identities. It has also received numerous complaints about the hacking of WhatsApp Business accounts.

Investigators are separately examining allegations that individuals have been operating social media accounts under women&rsquo;s names and using fabricated identities to harass others.

The NCCIA said investigations into the suspected child exploitation network and other cybercrime cases were underway.]]>
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			<title>Govt directs ministries to compile civil servants' foreign nationality declarations</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636329/govt-directs-ministries-to-compile-civil-servants-foreign-nationality-declarations</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636329/govt-directs-ministries-to-compile-civil-servants-foreign-nationality-declarations#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 26 12:18:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2636329</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Failure to submit declarations or provide accurate information will constitute misconduct under civil service rules]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The federal government has directed all ministries and divisions to submit consolidated details of civil servants&rsquo; declarations regarding foreign nationality, travel documents and dependants&rsquo; nationality status, according to an official notification issued by the Establishment Division dated October 21.

The notification referred to the Civil Servants (Disclosure and Regulation of Foreign Nationality) Rules, 2026, under which all civil servants were required to submit declarations regarding their own and their dependants&rsquo; nationality status within 90 days of the rules&rsquo; publication in the official gazette.

Under Rule 3(3), civil servants must declare whether they hold the nationality of any foreign country, possess foreign travel documents or are married to a foreign national. They must also disclose the relevant nationality and travel-document status of their dependants.

The Establishment Division said failure to submit the required declaration or providing false information would constitute misconduct under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020, in accordance with Rule 3(4) of the 2026 rules.



The notification directed all ministries and divisions to provide the information in a consolidated format for officers under their administrative control, excluding those belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), Secretariat Group (SG) and Office Management Group (OMG).

The prescribed format requires the name, designation and basic pay scale of each officer, confirmation of whether a declaration has been submitted under Rule 3(3), and details of the foreign nationality or travel-document status of both the officer and their dependants.

Earlier this month, the government decided to enforce the Foreign Citizenship Rules 2026, directing civil servants to submit declarations detailing any foreign citizenship held by themselves or their dependants within one week.

The Establishment Division, through an office memorandum, directed civil servants to provide details of foreign citizenship, foreign travel documents and marriages to foreign nationals. The directive applies to officers holding dual nationality and requires them to furnish the relevant information within the stipulated one-week deadline.]]>
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			<title>PHC bars arrest of inactive K-P deputy speaker, suspends eviction notice</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636374/phc-bars-arrest-of-inactive-k-p-deputy-speaker-suspends-eviction-notice</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636374/phc-bars-arrest-of-inactive-k-p-deputy-speaker-suspends-eviction-notice#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 26 19:20:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Yasir Ali]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2636374</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Allows Suraiya Bibi to stay in official residence, bars her arrest]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Thursday suspended a government notice ordering the inactive Deputy Speaker of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Suraiya Bibi to vacate her official residence, allowed her to continue living there and directed law-enforcement agencies not to arrest her.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Faheem Wali issued the written order arising from the previous hearing. Advocate Yasir Khattak appeared on behalf of the petitioner, the inactive Deputy Speaker.

In its detailed order, the court noted that the relevant presidential ordinance makes no mention of the offices of Speaker or Deputy Speaker. Similarly, the administrative directive requiring vacation of official residences contains no reference to these constitutional posts. The judges therefore found sufficient ground to stay the eviction process pending further examination of the legal position.

Read:&nbsp;PHC stays arrest of K-P Assembly deputy speaker, orders de-sealing of official residence

During arguments, counsel for the petitioner contended that the K-P Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker Act 2026 confers a clear legal right on the Deputy Speaker to occupy the official residence for the duration of her term. He further argued that law-enforcement agencies are barred from conducting any raid or taking coercive action against the residence while the office-holder remains in position.

Opposing the petition, the Advocate General submitted that an emergency empowers the provincial government to reclaim official residences allotted to ministers, advisers and the Deputy Speaker. He also apprised the court that a criminal case under Section 406 of the Pakistan Penal Code has already been registered against the Deputy Speaker on the complaint of the Deputy Commissioner of Chitral.

After hearing both sides, the bench suspended the notice to vacate the residence, expressly authorised the petitioner to remain in occupation and ordered that she should not be arrested. The matter will be taken up again on the next date of hearing.

The ruling provides immediate relief to the inactive Deputy Speaker and places the burden on the provincial authorities to justify the eviction drive in light of the statutory protections available to the holder of the office.]]>
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			<title>Waseem Abbas case: HRCP calls for independent probe after alleged extrajudicial killing of prime suspect</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636155/hrcp-calls-for-probe-into-waseem-abbas-case-expresses-concern-over-extrajudicialkilling-of-suspect</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636155/hrcp-calls-for-probe-into-waseem-abbas-case-expresses-concern-over-extrajudicialkilling-of-suspect#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 26 16:07:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Asif Mehmood]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2636155</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Says extrajudicial killings violate the right to due process of law, an opportunity to establish the truth]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday expressed concern over the alleged murder of 15-year-old Waseem Abbas in Multan and the subsequent death of the primary suspect in an alleged police encounter, calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the case.

The suspect, Tauqeer Nazir, had allegedly chased Abbas in his car after a dispute over work and run him over in a private housing society in Multan on October 19. He was arrested and handed over to police on a four-day physical remand by a judicial magistrate the following day. Later today, police said the suspect fled custody and was then killed by his accomplices when a police party tried to re-arrest him.

According to the HRCP, Abbas was reportedly chased and run over by his employer. The subsequent death of the suspect&nbsp;in an alleged police encounter has raised serious questions about the state&rsquo;s approach to protecting human life and upholding legal safeguards.

The commission said extrajudicial killings violate the right to due process and deprive victims and their families of the opportunity to establish the truth and seek justice.

It added that the perception that such killings are an acceptable means of controlling crime suggests that vengeance without accountability is being prioritised over justice.

The HRCP called for an independent and transparent investigation into the case and urged the authorities to bring an end to extrajudicial killings in all forms.

Bonded Labour Liberation Front seeks probe into orphanages

Separately, the Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan demanded an investigation into Abbas&#39;s death and action against unregistered orphanages allegedly involved in the exploitation of children.

Read: Man accused of running over Multan teenager killed in CCD encounter

According to a press release issued by the organisation&rsquo;s president, Syeda Ghulam Fatima Gilani, Abbas was living at an orphanage in Multan and had been sent to work at a workshop, where he died after being run over by a vehicle. The organisation termed the incident a killing rather than an accident and called for legal action against those responsible.

The organisation alleged that more than 52 unregistered orphanages across Punjab were sending children to brick kilns and workshops for labour. It also accused the relevant labour officer in Multan and an official of the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) of negligence and demanded action against them.

The organisation called for strict action against unregistered orphanages and registered institutions involved in child exploitation, monthly surprise inspections of all orphanages, and the creation of an online record of children residing in these facilities.

It also urged the Lahore High Court to take notice of the incident.

&ldquo;Wasim should have been in school, not at a workshop,&rdquo; Gilani said, warning that the organisation would approach the High Court if no action was taken within seven days.

The case

The first information report (FIR), registered on Monday named Nazir and Amjad Ali as suspects and invoked Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to murder and acts done by several persons in furtherance of their common intention. It alleged that the two men pursued Abbas in a car and deliberately ran him over, causing fatal head injuries.

According to the FIR, Sub-Inspector Liaquat Ali Bhatti was on patrol with police personnel in Royal Orchard when a man identified as Mukhtiar Ahmed approached them at around 4:35pm. Mukhtiar told police that his cousin, Abbas, had been working as an electrician for the suspects and that they had allegedly subjected him to violence and threatened to kill him. The report stated that Abbas had fled to a neighbouring street to escape the alleged abuse, while the two suspects pursued him in a vehicle. Police said they saw Abbas running in fear, followed by a Honda vehicle bearing registration number BVE-474.

The FIR alleged that the suspects ran the vehicle over Abbas with the intention of killing him. His head struck a pillar at the gate of house 3-A, crushing his skull and causing severe injuries. He died at the scene.

Two residents, Saqlain Raza and Syed Naseem Abbas, were named as witnesses in the FIR. According to the report, they told police that Abbas had passed by shortly before the incident, saying that the suspects wanted to kill him and that he was running to save his life.

The FIR further stated that the vehicle stopped after the incident and the suspects attempted to flee. Nazir was apprehended at the scene, while Ali escaped. Police took the vehicle into custody as evidence.

Mukhtiar told police that Abbas wanted to leave the job because of the alleged violence and feared for his safety. The FIR alleged that the suspects pursued him over his decision to leave and acted in concert to kill him.]]>
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			<title>Task force seeks guaranteed funding, direct polls for local govts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636161/task-force-seeks-guaranteed-funding-direct-polls-for-local-govts</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636161/task-force-seeks-guaranteed-funding-direct-polls-for-local-govts#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 26 16:46:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Our Correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2636161</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[BCPR report urges stronger constitutional safeguards, end to lawmakers’ parallel development funds]]>
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				<![CDATA[A task force on local governance on Wednesday called for constitutionally guaranteed funding, directly elected mayors and stronger safeguards for local councils, warning that provincial political and bureaucratic control has undermined devolution of power in Pakistan.

The report, prepared by the Task Force on Reforms in Local Governance in Pakistan, recommends allocating local governments a protected share of public resources, granting them greater control over revenue and abolishing or repurposing development funds administered by national and provincial lawmakers.

Convened by the BNU Centre for Policy Research (BCPR) in partnership with the Sanober Institute, the task force held deliberations between January and June this year.

It said no province had consistently fulfilled Article 140-A&rsquo;s constitutional requirement to devolve political, administrative and financial authority to elected local governments. Legislators and provincial administrations, it added, were reluctant to surrender control over development spending, personnel and public services.

The report attributed the weakness of local government to a &ldquo;zero-sum mentality&rdquo;, with parallel administrative structures, delayed elections and the appointment of administrators preventing elected councils from developing institutional continuity.

Guaranteed funding, local revenue

The task force proposed a constitutionally protected allocation of 30&ndash;40% of &ldquo;the divisible pool&rdquo;, although the report does not clearly specify the pool against which the percentage would be calculated. It recommended releasing the allocation as a single grant at the beginning of each financial year.

Citing a World Bank report, it said local governments&rsquo; share of total government spending had declined from around 10% in 2005 to approximately 4.7% in 2024. In Punjab, local government officials reportedly said salaries consumed about 80% of funds received, leaving little for development.

Read: PPP steps up local govt poll preparations across Punjab

The report called for transparent Provincial Finance Commissions (PFCs), with allocations based on population, revenue generation and need, rather than executive discretion.

It also recommended allowing local governments to assess, collect and retain property tax, capital gains tax on urban land, agricultural cess and local user charges.

Among its key proposals was ending separate development-fund channels administered by members of the national and provincial assemblies. &ldquo;These funds should either be abolished or strictly repurposed to strengthen local governments,&rdquo; it said, arguing that parallel spending undermined elected councils&rsquo; authority and accountability.

Punjab law draws criticism

The report criticised the Punjab Local Government Act 2025 for retaining provincial executive control over elected councils.

It argued that rejecting secret ballots for councils above the union council tier conflicted with Article 226 of the Constitution. It also opposed indirect elections for mayors and deputy mayors and highlighted the absence of guaranteed fiscal allocations.

Sections 21 and 76 were identified as provisions reinforcing provincial control. The report also pointed to more than 50 provincially controlled companies and authorities performing urban functions, including water supply, waste management, transport and development.

{{pdf}}

In Sindh, it identified provincial appointees&rsquo; effective veto over development plans proposed by elected councillors. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, it cited the reversal of an earlier commitment to channel development spending through local governments. Balochistan faced additional challenges from geographic dispersion, limited administrative capacity and a narrow revenue base.

Direct elections, control over services

The task force recommended directly elected mayors and chairpersons, alongside clear rules and judicial review for suspending or superseding elected councils.

It proposed metropolitan corporations in major cities, headed by directly elected mayors with authority over development agencies, water and sanitation bodies, mass transit and industrial estate development institutions. Rural districts would have elected chairpersons responsible for services including rural roads and coordination of agricultural extension.

Local governments should primarily oversee education up to matriculation, primary and secondary healthcare, water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, local roads and community welfare. Provinces would retain responsibility for tertiary healthcare, higher education, inter-district infrastructure and policy coordination.

Read more: HIV outbreak at Karachi hospital

The report stressed that transferring functions without staff and budgets would render devolution ineffective. It proposed placing civil servants in Grade 16 and below in devolved departments under local government control, along with their salaries and allowances.

District accounts officers should report administratively to elected local chief executives while remaining under the professional supervision of provincial accountant generals. Performance monitoring and Auditor General audits would strengthen accountability.

Constitutional safeguards

The report proposed expanding Article 140-A through a constitutional schedule defining local government responsibilities, including education, healthcare and municipal services.

It also recommended amending Article 160 to establish a timetable and methodology for PFCs comparable to the National Finance Commission, giving local governments predictable funding. Articles 7 and 226 should be reviewed to strengthen the constitutional standing and enforceability of local government elections.

A model legislative framework developed through the Council of Common Interests should establish minimum standards while clarifying the responsibilities of union, tehsil or town, and district bodies.

The task force called for merit-based recruitment, professional training for officials and elected representatives, and the online publication of budgets, development plans and performance indicators.

It proposed immediate constitutional, fiscal and electoral changes, followed by legislative and institutional reforms within one to two years and revenue and civil service measures over two to four years.

Local reform before new provinces

On demands for new provinces, the report argued that smaller administrative units and stronger local governments were compatible, but local reform should take precedence while broader political consensus remained elusive.

Also Read: MQM-P calls for new administrative units to address urban Sindh&rsquo;s woes

Its comparison of the United States, Germany, India, Brazil and China identified predictable financing, control over local revenue and sustained accountability as essential to effective governance.

The task force was chaired by BNU Vice Chancellor Dr Moeed Wasim Yusuf, with Sanober Institute Chairman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry as co-chair and BCPR Director Mansoor Ahmad Khan as convener. Members included former federal ministers Khurram Dastagir Khan and Shafqat Mehmood, alongside legal experts, researchers and civil society representatives.

The report concluded that meaningful devolution required municipal institutions capable of delivering everyday services, from functioning schools and staffed hospitals to timely road repairs.]]>
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			<title>Mir Raza’s final hours: A trail of calls, a Rs30m plea and a vanishing act</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635941/mir-razas-final-hours-a-trail-of-calls-a-rs30m-plea-and-a-vanishing-act</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635941/mir-razas-final-hours-a-trail-of-calls-a-rs30m-plea-and-a-vanishing-act#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 26 15:36:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Abbas Naqvi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2635941</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Phone records and CCTV footage trace the victim’s movements through Karachi before he disappeared from view at 4:38am]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[A flurry of late-night phone calls, a WhatsApp message seeking Rs30 million, the sudden disappearance of social media accounts and a trail of CCTV footage that eventually runs cold &mdash; the final five hours and 14 minutes of Mir Raza Ali&rsquo;s life are marked by a series of unexplained developments.

A forensic examination of his mobile phone has pieced together a timeline of his movements and communications in the hours before he vanished on July 28, offering a minute-by-minute account of his final known activities.

The sequence began late on July 27, with a series of calls between Mir Raza and his friends.

At 11:24pm, his friend Raziq called him for 30 seconds. Six minutes later, Mir Raza called Ahmed Bhardey. The two spoke again at 11:39pm, a minute after Raziq had called Mir Raza for the second time. Another call from Raziq followed at 11:43pm, but it lasted just two seconds.

At 11:49pm, Mir Raza made a much longer call to his friend Sarim bin Tahir, speaking for 168 seconds. Three minutes later, he sent Sarim a WhatsApp message asking for Rs30 million, adding that something was going to happen in the morning that he was not prepared for. What he meant by the message remains unclear from the available timeline.

At around 1:30am, Mir Raza and Raziq had a meal at Ghaffar Kabab House, before the trail of calls resumed.

Read: In damning report, judicial commission seeks JIT for Mir Raza probe, FIA-led inquiry into police conduct

At 2:13am, Mir Raza called Ali Jimani, who returned the call three minutes later. Their conversations lasted 42 and 75 seconds, respectively. At 2:23am, Mir received a call from his business partner, Abdullah Bhardey. They spoke for 201 seconds.

Then, around 3am, another development emerged: Mir Raza&rsquo;s social media accounts began to be deactivated.

His fianc&eacute;e, Salwa Khan, noticed the disappearing accounts and tried to reach him through WhatsApp calls and messages. She received no response until 3:58am, according to the timeline.

By then, Mir Raza was making arrangements to travel.

At 3:57am, Bykea driver Ehsanullah received a ride request from Mir&rsquo;s number. The ride was booked at 4am. Until 4:02am, Mir continued exchanging WhatsApp messages with Ahmed Bhardey, even as he remained unresponsive to his fianc&eacute;e.

At 4:07am, the Bykea ride reached Cheese Valley in PECHS.

Two minutes later, at 4:09am, Salwa informed Mir Raza&rsquo;s friend Haitham that all his social media accounts had been deleted. Around the same time, his WhatsApp account was also deleted, adding another unexplained turn to the sequence of events.

At 4:11am, CCTV footage from Cheese Valley showed Mir Raza sitting in the front seat of a vehicle.

The next recorded attempts to contact him went unanswered. Between 4:20am and 4:22am, Salwa made eight calls to his SIM number. Shahryar, an employee of Wafflix, also tried to reach him during the same period. Neither received a response.

Read more: Judicial commission visits Mir Raza murder site, summons key witness

At 4:28am, CCTV footage captured Mir Raza getting out of a vehicle outside United Charter School in Gulistan-e-Jauhar&rsquo;s Block 3. He was subsequently seen walking along Qila-e-Street towards University Road.

The trail continued for another 10 minutes.

At 4:38:27am on July 28, Mir Raza was last seen on CCTV footage from a rent-a-car office on Hill View Road. After that, the available footage offered no further sighting of him.

His body was recovered on July 29, at a location some distance from where he was last seen.

The timeline leaves several questions unanswered: what prompted Mir Raza&rsquo;s request for Rs30 million, why his social media accounts disappeared within hours, and what happened after he was last captured on CCTV.

The phone records and camera footage establish a sequence of calls, messages and movements. But the circumstances surrounding his disappearance &mdash; and the events that led to the recovery of his body the following day &mdash; remain the central mystery.]]>
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			<title>Twin cities brace for smog</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635803/twin-cities-brace-for-smog</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635803/twin-cities-brace-for-smog#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 26 00:13:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Qaiser Shirazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2635803</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Smog season begins across Punjab; air pollution levels rise in Islamabad, Pindi]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The smog season has begun and will continue until January 15, with the air quality index deteriorating across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and other parts of Punjab, raising concerns about the spread of diseases.

The season runs from October 15 to January 15. Claims that smog would be controlled before the onset of the season have failed to materialise.

Authorities in Rawalpindi Division have decided to monitor smog and smoke emissions through drones and CCTV cameras.

The air quality index has reached hazardous levels in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Murree, Lahore and other major cities of Punjab. Islamabad recorded an index of 131, while Lahore registered 251, described as extremely hazardous. Gujranwala recorded 213, Faisalabad 155 and Multan 126.

Rawalpindi&#39;s air pollution index reached 176, while Murree recorded 105. The index stood at 103 in Chakwal, 120 in Talagang, 122 in Jhelum and 178 in Attock.

Efforts to improve air quality have so far failed to produce the desired results, while measures taken by the Environmental Protection and Climate Change Department have faced setbacks.

Smog is a form of toxic air pollution caused by a combination of smoke and fog. The term was first used by British doctor Henry Antoine des Voeux in a paper in London.

The severe smog that enveloped London in December 1952 is considered one of the worst such events in history.

The combination of coal smoke and cold-weather fog caused thousands of deaths within a few days, prompting Britain to pass the Clean Air Act in 1956.

Since the late 20th century, industrialisation and the growing number of vehicles have turned smog into a recurring winter crisis in countries including the United States, China, particularly Beijing, and South Asia, especially Punjab and Lahore.

Smog forms when smoke, dust and harmful gases released by factories, vehicles and other sources - including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide - mix with natural winter fog and moisture.

During winter, temperature inversion can trap this toxic layer close to the ground, preventing it from dispersing easily under sunlight.

There are two main types of smog. Sulphurous smog, also known as London smog, is primarily caused by coal burning and industrial emissions. Photochemical smog, also known as Los Angeles smog, forms through chemical reactions between vehicle emissions and sunlight.

The Environmental Protection Department, the secretary of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) and traffic police said that, since October 1, authorities had shut down 20 stone-crushing machines, demolished 14 brick kilns and sealed 119 others to curb smog.

They also issued notices to 1,403 farmers for burning crop residues and challaned 11,953 vehicles, collecting fines totalling Rs35,859,000.

The RTA inspected 811 vehicles, issued 201 challans and collected fines amounting to Rs502,500.

Meanwhile, officials of the relevant departments have reportedly started praying for heavy rainfall to help reduce air pollution.]]>
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			<title>Karachi polio case takes Pakistan’s tally to seven this year</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635744/karachi-polio-case-takes-pakistans-tally-to-seven-this-year</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635744/karachi-polio-case-takes-pakistans-tally-to-seven-this-year#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 26 15:56:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Web Desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2635744</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Of the total cases, five are from K-P and the remaining two are from Sindh]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Eradication on Monday confirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s seventh polio case of the year in Karachi East, Sindh, underscoring the urgent need for consistent vaccination to protect children against the paralytic disease, which has no cure but can be prevented through vaccination.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus that primarily affects children under the age of five. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or death. While there is no cure for the disease, vaccination remains the most effective means of prevention. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where wild poliovirus is endemic.

According to a press release issued by the NEOC, the affected child is a six-month-old boy from Union Council Jamali Colony in Karachi East. The case was detected through the polio surveillance network and confirmed by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad.

Read: 2.2m kids vaccinated against polio

The NEOC said a comprehensive investigation into the case had been launched.

&ldquo;The Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) is already analysing the best science-based response to tackle and prevent further transmission, including targeted vaccination activities and support to strengthen routine immunisation,&rdquo; the press release stated.

The statement noted that Karachi&rsquo;s last reported polio case was in December 2024, almost two years ago.

Despite an overall decline in wild poliovirus transmission, Karachi has continued to report environmental detections of the virus throughout the year, indicating that transmission remains a threat to children.

Pakistan has reduced polio cases by 99.8%, according to the NEOC. The estimated number of cases fell from around 20,000 in the early 1990s to 31 in 2025. Seven cases have been reported so far this year.

Read more: K-P&#39;s Bannu reports fifth poliovirus case of the year

Of the seven cases reported this year, five are from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including four from the province&rsquo;s southern districts, while the remaining two are from Sindh.

According to the NEOC, Pakistan has conducted four large-scale polio vaccination campaigns this year, targeting more than 45 million children. These efforts have been complemented by smaller, targeted oral and injectable vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas.

A subnational campaign in September vaccinated more than 29.3 million children across the country, the NEOC said. The next vaccination campaign is scheduled to run from November 2 to 8, targeting nearly 24 million children in 97 districts, including all districts of Karachi.

The PEI urged parents and communities to ensure that all children under the age of five receive polio vaccines during every campaign.]]>
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			<title>SHC rejects state appeal challenging Mahrang's acquittal in terrorism, sedition case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635727/shc-rejects-state-appeal-challenging-mahrangs-acquittal-in-terrorism-sedition-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2635727/shc-rejects-state-appeal-challenging-mahrangs-acquittal-in-terrorism-sedition-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 26 14:31:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Nasir Butt]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2635727</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Observes that original complainant in the case is private individual, declares appeal not maintainable]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday dismissed a provincial government appeal challenging the acquittal of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Mahrang Baloch in an incitement case, declaring the appeal not maintainable.

The case against Mahrang and others was registered in Karachi on Oct 11, 2024, on the complaint of a citizen, Asad Ali, under the country&#39;s terror law. The complainant stated that Mahrang was a facilitator of terrorist organisations that were enticing educated youth from Balochistan and arranging a movement of terrorists under the guise of processions and rallies. A year later, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) acquitted Mahrang, ruling that the prosecution had failed to present credible evidence. Subsequently, the acting prosecutor general Sindh challenged the acquittal before the SHC in December 2025.

During today&#39;s hearing, the high court questioned the prosecution&#39;s authority to challenge the acquittal, observing that the original complainant in the case was a private individual. The bench questioned how the prosecution could independently file an appeal against the acquittal when the case had been lodged by a private complainant.

The prosecution argued that the ATC had overlooked material facts while allowing Mahrang&#39;s application for acquittal. The state counsel maintained that clear evidence existed against her and argued that the prosecution should have been allowed to present its evidence during the trial.

The prosecutor further contended that acquitting her before the formal framing of charges was inappropriate, as the prosecution had not yet presented its case before the trial court. However, the high court declared the appeal not maintainable and dismissed it, leaving the ATC&#39;s acquittal decision undisturbed.

The BYC, known for its activism against enforced disappearances in Balochistan since 2018, has been under increasing scrutiny by law enforcement agencies.

Mahrang has been in custody since March 22, 2025, following her arrest during protests in Quetta over alleged enforced disappearances and other human rights violations in Balochistan. Her lawyer, Imaan Mazari, is also facing different charges, including those of terrorism and is also currently detained along with her husband.

On June 22, 2026, an ATC in Quetta sentenced her to life imprisonment in a separate case involving the killing of a security officer during a protest in Gwadar in July 2024. The conviction drew criticism from human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, which raised concerns over due process and the fairness of the trial.

With additional input from Reuters.]]>
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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]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![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>
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			<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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