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Category: Politics

  • Arshad Sharif’s murder ‘planned and targeted assassination’, says fact finding team report

    Arshad Sharif’s murder ‘planned and targeted assassination’, says fact finding team report

    The fact-finding team (FFT) probing the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif has concluded that his killing was a case of planned and targeted assassination.

    The finding was disclosed in the report of the two-member fact team (FFT) from a committee comprising of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Dr Athar Wahood and Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director General Omer Shahid Hamid.

    In its 592-page report, the team learned that Arshad Sharif, who had been compelled to leave UAE and seek refuge in Kenya, wanted to return to the Emirates but found his way back blocked, losing his life in the African country.

    The report stated that some of the FIRs which compelled Arshad Sharif to leave Pakistan were filed at the behest and under pressure of the ISI according to the policemen who filed them.

    The report said per testimonies provided by his former colleagues and employer, Arshad Sharif had been forced out of UAE after he reportedly met with UAE security officials in his hotel lobby in mid August.

    Arshad Sharif had left the UAE even though he had a valid visa for the country.

    Arshad Sharif FFT reportDownload

    The FFT report further said that his departure from UAE came after consultations with the Dubai based team of his employer.

    The report stated that Waqar – who sponsored and hosted the journalist – was connected to Kenya’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other international agencies and law enforcement organisations.

    It further said that the fact that Waqar handed over Sharif’s personal cell phone and iPad to a NIS officer, rather than to the police, ‘established’ his link with the NIS.

    “His linkage with national and international agencies provides a scope of possibilities of transnational characters in this case,” the report states.

    The narrations presented by Khurram, who drove the vehicle prior to Sharif’s murder, regarding the sequence of events and the crime scene, were contrary to logic and facts, and that there were no penetration marks of a bullet on Sharif’s car seat, the report points out. It also highlights that the Kenyan police quickly declared the killing a case of “mistaken identity” without investigation. The post-mortem report in Pakistan identified that four fingernails of the slain journalist’s left hand were missing, giving rise to speculation that Sharif had been tortured before his death, says the report but adds that while the Kenyan post-mortem did mention “fingernails” taken as DNA samples, it did not mention how many fingernails were taken.

    “Keeping in view the apparent differences in the two post-mortem reports, there is no concrete evidence to establish that Arshad Sharif was tortured before the killing,” the report said.

  • ‘No country has used terrorism better’; Hina Rabbani Khar slams India as ‘rogue state’

    ‘No country has used terrorism better’; Hina Rabbani Khar slams India as ‘rogue state’

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, has said that India is a “rogue state” that projects itself as greatest victim of terrorism but is the perpetrator of it.

    During a press conference in Islamabad, Khar said that India’s objective was to undermine Pakistan’s peace and security through terrorism, saying, “No country had used terrorism better than India”.

    Khar’s presser came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that India’s footprints are seen in all terror activities carried out in Pakistan and New Delhi’s activities have gone “beyond that of an enemy state” just to hide its atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

    The state minister said that it was important for everyone who speaks of “justice and the universality of the value system to call a spade a spade”.

    “This particular effort is to bring to the attention of the world and to expect them and really encourage them to see things based on evidence as they are,” said Khar. 

    Khar told the press that Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan had called members of the diplomatic corps in Islamabad and shared Pakistan’s dossier on the 2021 Johar Town blast — that claimed six lives.

    Around 17 others sustained injuries in the blast in Johar Town, Lahore, in June 2021. The explosion took place in a residential area near Allah Hu Boulevard, police said.

    “This dossier has detailed evidence of how India has been found to be fully behind this incident that led to the loss of life,” Khar said on the Johar Town blast.

    The state minister reminded New Delhi that it cannot have islands of excellence in a sea of depravity. 

    “When you try and harm your region, you actually end up harming yourself,” she added. She said that Lahore, the Samjhota incident, and the Khulbushan Yadav evidence all point out that New Delhi plays as a victim of terrorism and gains sympathy.

    “This dossier, as you already know, has details and evidence of how India is fully behind this particular incident which led to the loss of lives. And we do not blame one country or the other the next day, unlike our neighbors. We waited till we had strong hard evidence to be making the case we are making today,” stated the minister.

    “I don’t think I need to remind anyone that India has had a role in destabilising its neighbouring countries and weaken their economies to try and pursue its hegemonic designs in the region,” she said, citing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Balochistan as two examples of India’s designs.

    The minister also reminded India that there could not be “islands of excellence in a sea of depravity”, stressing that when the country will try and harm the region, they actually end up harming themselves.

    “India’s unabated slip into the abyss of terrorism is being clouded by this growing India, emerging India narrative,” emphasised Khar.

  • Aanay waalay dinon mein koyi barra toofaan barpa ho sakta hai: Hamid Mir

    Aanay waalay dinon mein koyi barra toofaan barpa ho sakta hai: Hamid Mir

    Senior journalist Hamid Mir has warned that all is not well in Islamabad and a big storm may hit the corridors of power in the near future.

    While speaking on Geo News’ programme Geo Pakistan, Mir said, “Maujooda haqoomti ittehaad mein sab kuch acha nahin hai aur Islamabad mein honay waali siyaasi garma garmi aanay waalay dinon mein koyi barra toofaan barpa kar sakti hai” (All is not well within the incumbent coalition government. The political heat in Islamabad could create a big storm in the coming days).

    Mir said that if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan dissolves the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assembly, then the heat in Islamabad can create a huge storm.

    He was of the view that junior coalition parties could also force Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s government to hold general elections.

    Separately, differences can also be seen within Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his predecessor Miftah Ismail put forward their conflicting views on the state of Pakistan’s economy.

    While Dar argued that the country’s performance criteria are up to the mark and “complete” for the International Mone­tary Fund’s (IMF) ninth review, Ismail insisted that the default risk wouldn’t subside unless the Fund came to the table.

    Mulk mein default ka khatra hai, says Miftah Ismail

    Miftah Ismail said on Tuesday that there is still a threat of the country defaulting until the government completes the IMF ninth review. On the contrary, Dar said that he was not concerned whether the IMF team arrived or not for the ninth review, asserting that the IMF could “not dictate” the government.

    Appearing on Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”, Miftah rang alarm bells, stating that Pakistan is in jeopardy. “It has gone back in jeopardy and as long as IMF is not back on the table, the threat of default will remain high,” he emphasised.

    Moreover, he believed that the path Pakistan is on might take the country toward default urging the incumbent government to take steps to prevent that from happening.

    On the show, the former minister blamed Khan for the ongoing economic crisis. He said, “Khan is responsible for pushing Pakistan towards default; he is the one who broke his promise with the IMF; Khan is the one who wanted to derail the IMF programme when we tried to revive it under PM Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership.”

    When asked that the incumbent finance minister Ishaq Dar has said several times that IMF is being unreasonable, Miftah responded that first we need to take a good look at ourselves.

    “When the IMF gives you a loan, this means they are helping you out. We need to look at ourselves, why did we go to the IMF previously. Dealing with the IMF is not an easy task,” Miftah said. He reiterated that if the IMF didn’t come to the table, “It will be very difficult to save Pakistan from a default”.

    He stressed that the country needed to take action on certain matters to bring the IMF mission to Pakistan, saying that funds from neighbouring countries could only last the country for weeks.

    Earlier this month, Pakistan ended its immediate default risk when the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) made a payment of $1 billion for sukuk bond.

  • ‘Company CEO more respected than us’: BNP, JUI-F not happy with PM Shehbaz led govt

    ‘Company CEO more respected than us’: BNP, JUI-F not happy with PM Shehbaz led govt

    Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-Mengal) — boycotted a federal cabinet meeting over a controversial bill regarding the revival of the Reko Diq copper and gold mine project in Balochistan.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif formed a cabinet committee to address the grievances of JUI-F and BNP-M while assuring them that an amendment bill would soon be tabled in the parliament after consulting the two allies.

    Both JUI-F and BNP-Mengal were of the view that the recently passed Reko Diq related bill — the Foreign Investment (Promotion and Protection) Bill, 2022, in the Senate, was against the rights of the people of Balochistan and that both parties had not been taken on board during the preparation of the bill.

    Chairman BNP Akhtar Mengal has signalled that he may separate his party from the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government at the centre.

    Discussing his reservations during Geo News programme “Capital Talk”, the BNP-M leader said that the coalition government, instead of taking allies into confidence, takes investors into confidence. “More importance is given to companies instead of the parliament. We will have to think about the basis of our unity,” he warned.

    Expressing his displeasure, Mengal said that a CEO of a company is respected more than the allies. He added that his province was “looted” by everyone. “The resources change people’s lives, but it is Balochistan’s misfortune that the way the resources were discovered there, they became a disaster for the people,” he said.

    During the programme, another ally of the government Jamaat-e-Islami-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza said that the Foreign Investment Bill has been passed forcefully and with deceit which is a threat to Pakistan.

  • Imran Khan to give date for dissolution of assemblies before December 20: Reports

    Imran Khan to give date for dissolution of assemblies before December 20: Reports

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a consultative session with lawmakers from Bhakkar, Mianwali, Pakpattan and Sahiwal told them that the provincial assemblies being governed by his party will be dissolved this very month and the date of the dissolution will be made public prior to December 20.

    The PTI earlier gave a deadline of December 20 to the federal coalition government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to announce a date for general elections, otherwise, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies will be dissolved.

    In reply, the ruling coalition has told the PTI chairman to dissolve the assemblies.

    According to the media reports, Khan said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Qauid (PML-Q) is on the same page with the PTI on the issue of Punjab assembly’s dissolution.

    “The PML-Q is a vital ally. We have intimated them of our decision,” Imran Khan said.

    “Our politics is not above the country. This government has destroyed the national economy,” he maintained.

    Earlier, Senior Vice-President of PTI, Fawad Chaudhry, addressing the ruling coalition said, “Leaders of the imported government don’t want polls and they have no idea how to run the country.”

    “If PDM doesn’t bring a formula for holding general elections by December 20, the Punjab and KP assemblies will be dissolved,” Fawad said.

  • India behind Johar Town bomb blast in Lahore: Rana Sanaullah

    India behind Johar Town bomb blast in Lahore: Rana Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has revealed that India was behind the Johar Town blast in Lahore— a powerful blast in 2021 near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed, which resulted in three deaths.

    He held a joint press conference on Tuesday with Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General Imran Mehmood, during which he said that there is “clear evidence” of India carrying out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

    The minister further added that India’s footprints are seen in all terror activities carried out in Pakistan and New Delhi’s activities have gone “beyond that of an enemy state” just to hide its atrocities in Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

    He said that Pakistan will raise this matter before the world. The minister also mentioned that the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had support from the foreign intelligence agency of India, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), to carry out terrorist activities in Pakistan.

    Mehmood also briefly explained who were the culprits behind the Johar Town blast.

    He said that in the initial 24 hours, CTD arrested three terrorists. However, Sami ul Haq — the main handler of RAW-sponsored terror activities in Pakistan — was arrested a year later in April when he was trying to enter Pakistan via Balochistan

    According to Mehmood, his Red Warrants were issued through Interpol. Mehmood added that his brother-in-law, Uzair Akbar, assisted Sami in terror activities and his Red Warrants were issued as well. CTD also got information about Naveed Akhtar — who did the surveillance and selected the target.

    “We also found out that close to a million dollars of terror financing was done through India to spread terrorism in Pakistan through different channels,” he revealed, adding that all the arrested persons have been sentenced to death three times by the court.

    Prior to this, days after the incident, the then information minister Fawad Chaudhry and National Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf said that the mastermind of the attack was “an Indian citizen and he is associated with RAW”.

  • India-China border clash: Soldiers from both sides injured

    Indian and Chinese troops clashed at the disputed Himalayan border on December 9.

    Indian Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said soldiers of both countries sustained injuries. However, he said that no Indian soldiers had been “hurt or seriously injured” in the clash.

    “PLA troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by encroaching on the Line of Actual Control, in the Yangtse area of Tawang sector,” he said while referring to China’s People’s Liberation Army.


    Both sides’ military commanders met right after the clash to maintain peace and stability on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).


    According to reports, an Indian army source mentioned six Indian troops were injured.


    In their last face-off in 2020, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in Ladakh Galway Valley.

    According to the BBC, “China and India share a disputed 3,440km (2,100 mile) long de facto border – called the Line of Actual Control, or LAC – which is poorly demarcated. The presence of rivers, lakes and snowcaps means the line can shift. The soldiers on either side – representing two of the world’s largest armies – come face to face at many points.”

  • ‘I have seen people crying for Pakistan at Khana Kaaba’: Sheikh Rasheed breaks down

    ‘I have seen people crying for Pakistan at Khana Kaaba’: Sheikh Rasheed breaks down

    Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said that he saw people crying for Pakistan at Khana Kaaba in Makkah. He broke down while narrating the story on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’.

    “I have seen people crying for Pakistan in Hateem [a low wall originally part of the Kaaba]. People were screaming and crying under the door of the Khana Kaaba. This shows the pain people are carrying in their hearts for Pakistan,” said Rasheed.

    Talking about general elections, Rasheed said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government also thought that its government would complete its tenure but “people pulled the carpet from under their feet”.

    He also said that the sitting government will not do well in the upcoming elections. “All the sitting government is trying to do is cling to power. They will be terribly defeated by Imran Khan.”

  • President of Tajikistan to come to Pakistan for the second time tomorrow

    President of Tajikistan to come to Pakistan for the second time tomorrow

    Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow (Wednesday) on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    This is the second time that President Rahmon will be meeting PM Shehbaz this year. This tour will be his second visit to Pakistan within two years.

    According to the Pakistani Foreign Office (FO), during Rahmon’s visit, the two sides will exchange views on further strengthening bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas and are expected to sign multiple bilateral agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoU).

    The FO also termed Tajikistan an “important partner of Pakistan in Central Asia”.

    PM Shehbaz and President Rahmon had last met in September this year at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

    At that time, the Pakistani prime minister thanked Tajikistan for its support to the flood affectees in Pakistan and shared details of the devastation caused by the massive floods.

    President Rahmon last visited Islamabad in June 2021 when former PM Imran Khan was in power.

  • VIDEO: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern calls rival ‘arrogant prick’, apologises later

    VIDEO: New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern calls rival ‘arrogant prick’, apologises later

    New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern apologised for calling a political rival an “arrogant prick” in parliament on Tuesday. She made the comment about David Seymour, the leader of the libertarian ACT party, after he asked Ardern if she could “give an example of her making a mistake, apologising for it properly, and fixing it” during question time.

    In response, Jacinda Ardern agreed that the people had a difficult time with managed isolation but said that she supported the job the government had accomplished during the previous term.

    After ending her reply, Ardern sat down next to her deputy, Grant Robertson, and murmured: “Such an arrogant prick”. Her comment was picked up in the background by her desk microphone as House Speaker Adrian Rurawhe was talking and was broadcast on parliament television.

    Speaking to the media after the session had ended, Seymour said that Ardern had texted him to say sorry. “[She] said, ‘I apologise, it’s not something I should have said’ and she said, ‘As my mum would say, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it’,” he added.

    Seymour went on to emphasise that the matter was resolved, closing his statement by saying: “At the end of the day, it’s not the end of the world.”

    Ardern’s office has also confirmed she had apologised to Seymour.