Category: National

The prime suspect in the Rs40 billion Kohistan mega corruption scandal has once again submitted to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) a plea bargain application for Rs3.45 billion, media reports said Friday.

Reports quoted NAB sources as saying that the main suspect, namely Ayub, had also earlier submitted a plea bargain request but it was declined for being too low.

This application, they said, comes after a transaction of Rs3.45 billion was made from the suspect’s account at the National Bank’s Dasu branch. Earlier, an accountability court in Peshawar also directed NAB to move forward with the plea bargain process as the accused agreed to pay the amount in three instalments.

With the payment plan reportedly accepted by NAB, it is expected that the anti-graft watchdog would soon approve the new plea bargain application.

Meanwhile, a special accountability court in Peshawar has handed over Ayub to NAB on a seven-day physical remand. The suspect was presented before the court on Thursday.

During the hearing, the prosecutor told the court that NAB was probing the Kohistan mega-corruption case, and Ayub, a key suspect, had been held as part of the investigation. The prosecutor said that the court had already dismissed the suspect’s bail application, adding that further investigation of the suspect was necessary. 

Upon NAB’s request, the court granted a seven-day physical remand of the prime suspect.

The developments come two days after photos and videos of luxury vehicles and properties emerged in the multi-billion-rupee scandal. According to reports, NAB escalated the case by turning the inquiry into a formal investigation, signaling major crackdown on corruption.

 
Reports quoted NAB as saying that it had also recovered and frozen assets worth whopping Rs25 billion in said case. Interestingly, the assets included a luxury bungalow featured in the popular drama serial Parizaad.

 
Among the seized assets were also 77 high-end vehicles, including Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche Taycan, Toyota Land Cruiser, Fortuner and Hilux Revo, worth Rs940 million.

 
Over Rs1 billion in cash, foreign currency and more than three kilogrammes of gold were also taken into custody by NAB.

 
While a total of Rs5 billion across 73 bank accounts had been frozen, the anti-graft watchdog had also confiscated 109 properties across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Abbottabad and Mansehra. These included four farmhouses, 12 commercial plazas, two commercial plots, 30 houses, 12 shops and food courts, 25 flats and penthouses, and 175 kanals of agricultural land. The estimated value of these properties was around Rs17 billion.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has criticised ARY News for airing “false news” about an alleged internal rift within the party regarding the distribution of Senate election tickets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Akram termed the broadcast ‘baseless,’ alleging that the channel was attempting to malign Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the family of incarcerated PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The controversy stemmed from reported differences between KP CM Gandapur, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, and KP Adviser on Information Barrister Saif over the distribution of Senate tickets.

According to ARY News, Imran Khan gave Saif a list of six Senate nominees during a meeting at Adiala Jail and instructed him to announce the names afterwards. However, Gandapur allegedly intervened to stop the announcement.

ARY further reported that when Saif was urged to resolve the matter through party consultation, he insisted that Khan’s nominations were final. He warned that if any changes were made, he would resign from his post.

ARY also reported that Gandapur and Aleema Khan wanted to exclude two names from the list, including Mashal Yousafzai, the former special assistant to the KP CM, but Saif stood by Khan’s original picks.

“I have spoken to Barrister Saif, who is saying he had not spoken to anyone in ARY,” the PTI information secretary said, adding that Aleema Khan was deeply hurt that some people, as part of an organised propaganda campaign, are attempting to malign them.

Akram lambasted ARY News for airing a “one-sided story” and not taking his version before broadcasting the report. “Was the Information Secretary of PTI unavailable. Couldn’t you ask Aleema Khan or the [KP] chief minister [for confirmation]?” he questioned.

Condemning the news report, Akram announced a temporary boycott of ARY News. “We are telling our people that today, no one from PTI will appear on any ARY programme,” he stated.

He concluded by demanding “an apology” from ARY News.

The son of former first lady Bushra Bibi has been arrested for opening fire at his teenage domestic help, police said Thursday.

As per the details, Musa Maneka lost his temper during an argument and opened fire at teenage Ali Bahadur in Pakpattan. The injured boy was immediately shifted to a local hospital where doctors have confirmed his condition as stable and out of danger.

The incident reportedly occurred at the residence of Bushra Bibi’s ex-husband Khawar Maneka, and Saddar Police Station responded immediately. Musa was subsequently taken into custody. Further investigation is currently underway.

It may be noted that Bushra Bibi, the spouse of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, is currently imprisoned along with Khan following the couple’s conviction in the £190 million case since January.

The court sentenced Khan and his wife to 14 and seven years imprisonment, respectively.
 

As per the 148-page verdict, the former premier was convicted of “corrupt practices” and “misuse of authority”, while the ex-first lady was convicted of “involvement in illegal activities”.

At least three people, including two Karachi-based Sabri qawwals, were killed, and 13 others sustained injuries after unidentified attackers opened fire on a passenger coach en route to Quetta from Karachi near a checkpost in Balochistan’s Kalat on Wednesday.

This comes days after unidentified armed men in Balochistan’s Sur-Dukai area had abducted innocent passengers from two Punjab-bound coaches and slain at least nine passengers.

A leading English newspaper cited the Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Kalat Shahzad Akbar as saying that three people who lost their lives in the bus firing in Kalat included famous qawal Ahmed Hussain Sabri, his son Ahmed Raza Sabri, who left for Quetta along with other musicians of the group in a bus.

According to reports, the attack occurred when the bus approached Nemargh Cross near Kalat district. The assailants, who were waiting on top of nearby mountains, initially opened fire and then threw hand grenades at the vehicle.

The exact number of passengers on board the targeted bus remains unknown.

The injured have been identified as Haider, Imran, Manzar, Abbas, Muhammad Saqib, Faysal, Muhammad Nadeem, Muhammad Rizwan, Musawir Abbas, Muhammad Waris, Faizan, Dilshad, Najeeb Ahmed (driver), and Bilal Ahmed.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind told a private media outlet that security agencies, district authorities, and rescue teams reached the scene immediately. The wounded were transferred to the Qalat District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, where an emergency has been declared.

The spokesperson stated that security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to find the assailants, noting that they are still at large. 

“Initial reports suggest that the attackers were waiting to strike. They closed the street from both sides,” he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has strongly condemned the terrorist incident, which, according to him, was carried out by the Fitna al Hindustan — a term used for terrorist organisations in Balochistan.

The prime minister offered prayers for the martyrs, extending his sympathies to the affected families and praying for patience and resilience during their difficult time. He also directed authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured.

He vowed that perpetrators would not escape justice, warning that terrorists targeting innocent, unarmed civilians would be made to pay a heavy price.

 
Reiterating the government’s stance, he affirmed that both his administration and the country’s security forces were committed to eradicating terrorism from the nation.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf has revealed that nearly 40,000 Pakistani pilgrims who travelled to Iran, Iraq, and Syria are either missing or still present there, with no official record of their whereabouts.

During a press conference on Tuesday in Islamabad, Yousaf stated that, owing to the seriousness of the issue, the government has abolished the traditional “Salar system” (group leader-based system) and introduced a new computerised, organised mechanism to prevent such incidents in the future.

He explained that under the new system, only officially registered companies meeting government criteria will be authorised to arrange pilgrimage tours, with Zaireen Group Organisers (ZGOs) certificates issued to approved operators. This aims to ensure pilgrim safety and maintain transparent travel records.

The minister revealed that Iran, Iraq, and Syria have formally raised concerns with Pakistan over the disappearance of such a large number of pilgrims.

In response, the ministry has decided that all future pilgrimages must be conducted through licensed tour operators to ensure proper monitoring and accountability.

He calls on companies intending to operate as ZGOs to immediately register with the ministry under the newly approved pilgrim management framework.

Yousuf mentioned that the federal cabinet had already approved the new ZGO regulatory system, and under this, the ministry had released a public notice calling for registrations. “So far, over 1,400 companies have submitted registration applications,” he added.

According to reports, out of 1400 companies, 585 that have received security clearance have been instructed to complete their online registration through the ministry’s website and submit all required documents by July 31.

The minister further announced that a second advertisement has also been published seeking fresh applications from new companies interested in becoming ZGOs. The deadline for these applications is August 10.

The United Kingdom has launched e-visas for Pakistani students and workers as part of an upgraded border and immigration system to make the process easier and more secure.

The announcement was made by the British High Commission (BHC) in Islamabad on Tuesday, just a day after the UK and Pakistan signed the Trade Dialogue Mechanism Agreement and decided to establish the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council to boost bilateral economic ties.

In its statement, the BHC said the UK government is replacing physical immigration documents for most student and worker visas with a digital proof of immigration status known as an e-visa.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said on X that this new facility will apply to most students and workers who are applying to stay for more than six months.

An e-visa is an online record of a person’s immigration permission in the UK. The BHC said this new system will make the visa process more secure and convenient, highlighting that millions of people are already using e-visas on certain immigration routes.

Students and workers who intend to stay in the UK for longer than six months will be eligible to apply for the new e-visa option. The UK government plans to gradually expand this scheme to cover all visa categories in the future.

The BHC statement clarified that students, short-term study visitors for up to eleven months, applicants under Global Business Mobility routes such as Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker, Global Talent applicants, international sportspersons, skilled workers including those in health and care, those applying under temporary work routes such as charity worker, creative worker, government authorised exchange, international agreement and religious work routes, and applicants under the Youth Mobility Scheme can all benefit from this digital system.

However, applicants applying as dependents or for visas other than study or work, like general visitor visas, will still need a sticker visa. Those who already hold valid physical visas do not need to take any action.

Marriott said the transition to e-visas will make the process simpler and save time, as applicants can keep their passports while applying. She also clarified that changing from a physical visa to an e-visa will not affect a person’s immigration status.

Holders can link their passport or travel document to their UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account for smoother travel. The UKVI account, introduced in 2024, is now mandatory for anyone staying in the UK for longer than six months and acts as their official online record of immigration status.