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Tag: islamabad

  • Major Pakistani wins that isolated India after clashes

    Major Pakistani wins that isolated India after clashes

    Islamabad has secured a major diplomatic win on the global stage, while New Delhi faces global isolation following the Pakistan-India conflict last month.


    Pakistan appointed on key roles

    Pakistan has been appointed to pivotal roles in the subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday, including chair of the UNSC’s 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee and vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

    These committees are responsible for overseeing the implementation of sanctions, including asset freezes, travel restrictions, and arms embargoes, on individuals and groups that pose a threat to peace and stability in the region.

    IMF, ADB approve billions of dollars for Pakistan

    Key international financial institutions have aligned support in quick succession to Pakistan, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approving a $1B tranche disbursement on May 9 and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approving $800M on June 3.

    The disbursement was approved under the ongoing Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and allowed an additional arrangement for the $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). This was done at a time when Pak-India tension was at its peak.

    ADB approved an $800 million programme to strengthen fiscal sustainability and improve public financial management in Pakistan earlier this week.


    Foreign policy is at its strongest in decades

    While no country came out in support of New Delhi, including its traditional friend Russia, Pakistan’s allies China, Azerbaijan, and Turkey openly backed Islamabad while it was defending its sovereignty and integrity.

    After the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down six Indian fighter jets, including Gen 4.5  Rafales, a $4.2 billion deal for the acquisition of JF-17 Thunder Block III aircraft, jointly produced by Pakistan and China, was reportedly signed between Baku and Islamabad, media outlets reported last month.

    According to reports, Azerbaijan is expanding its initial purchase of JF-17 Thunder Block III fighter jets, increasing the number from 16 to a striking 40 units.


     
    Conversely, India’s foreign policy remains flawed. Canada has not extended an invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G-7 summit, to be held from June 15 to 17 in Kananaskis, Alberta.

    G-7 is a grouping of seven of the world’s richest countries, comprising the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan. However, India has been invited to join the summit every year since 2019.


    Kuwait lifts visa bans on Pakistan

    Following the conflict between nuclear-armed countries Pakistan and India, Kuwait lifted a 19-year-long visa ban on Pakistani citizens and resumed issuing a wide range of visas to Pakistani nationals on May 28.

    Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait, Dr. Zaffar Iqbal, had revealed in a statement that Pakistan and Kuwait are also in the advanced stages of finalising a new labour Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

  • Child marriage bill gets passed despite opposition

    Child marriage bill gets passed despite opposition

    The National Assembly of Pakistan has passed the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restriction Bill, 2025, in a historic step towards safeguarding children’s rights and bringing national legislation into compliance with international human rights standards.

    The National Assembly unanimously passed the bill introduced by PPP MNA Sharmila Faruqui. It was then sent to the president for assent, but the Senate opposed it, with several senators demanding that it be sent to the CII first.

    It seeks to set the minimum marriage age at 18 for both boys and girls in Islamabad and federal territories, replacing legislation that dates back to British colonial rule.

     Under the proposed law, facilitating or conducting a child marriage will be considered a criminal offense, carrying penalties of up to seven years’ imprisonment. 

    The bill also classifies sexual relations with a minor within marriage as statutory rape. After the CII’s 243rd session, which took place on May 27–28, the Council released a statement criticizing several of the bill’s clauses.

     These include setting a legal age for marriage and criminalizing marriage below 18 years as abuse, which the council said are not in accordance with Islamic injunctions.

    “The bill introduced by Madam Sharmila Faruqui … has been declared un-Islamic,” read a statement from the council’s media wing. CII member Maulana Jalaluddin of JUI-F added that the bill contradicts Shariah, traditions, and societal values, and claimed it was passed without the council’s prior review. 

    Clerics from various religious schools of thought have appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari not to sign the bill, urging him to prevent what they termed “anarchy in society.”

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the leader of JUI-F, criticized the bill during a parliamentary debate and requested that it be sent to the CII prior to receiving presidential assent.


    MNA Faruqui responded to the criticism by saying that the bill’s main objectives are human rights and child welfare.

     Girls under the age of 18 are not allowed to vote, obtain a driver’s license, or obtain a CNIC. “How is it just to let them get married,” she asked.  

    Faruqui also mentioned a Federal Shariat Court ruling from 2022 that supported the state’s authority to establish the legal minimum age of marriage.


    In Pakistan, 29 percent of girls are married by 18 , according to a 2018 demographic survey, and four percent marry before the age of 15 compared with five percent for boys, according to Girls Not Brides, a global coalition aiming to end child marriage. 

    The country is among the top 10 worldwide with the highest absolute number of women who were married or in a union before the age of 18. Girls who marry are less likely to finish school and are more likely to face domestic violence, abuse and health problems. 

    Pregnancies become higher risk for child brides, with a greater chance of fistulas, sexually transmitted infections or even death. Teenagers are more likely to die from complications during childbirth than women in their 20s.

    The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 was amended in Punjab in 2015, keeping the minimum marriage age at 16 for girls and 18 for boys but increasing penalties. 

    Offenders risk a fine of Rs. 50,000 and six months in jail. Civil society groups have recommended raising the age for girls to 18, but the proposal awaits a decision from the CII.


    The Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, which was implemented in 2013, makes  Sindh the only province where the legal marriage age for both men and women is 18.

    President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday gave his assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Child Marriage Restraint Bill, finalising its enactment despite continued criticism from religious groups.

  • Islamabad police drag rape suspect to victim for apology… but people aren’t happy

    Islamabad police drag rape suspect to victim for apology… but people aren’t happy

    Swift justice, but at what cost? 

    Islamabad Police have shared a video on their official account on Friday, showing them apprehending a man responsible for raping and robbing of a foreign woman within 51 hours of the crime. 

    They were successful in recovering the stolen items and identifying the suspect. 

    The police force was commended for their swift  professionalism.

    However, the police’s next move sparked widespread controversy.  

    The Islamabad Police’s official X (formerly Twitter) account uploaded the video of the survivor, visibly distressed and repeatedly shouting a Quranic verse at the rapist. “Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us),” she keeps on saying while crying. 

    Her face is blurred but her tense body and angry gestures are visible. The rapist’s face is blurred too but for a brief moment he can be seen gesturing to her for forgiveness. 

    Although many people were grateful for the arrest, social media users had mixed opinions and were mostly critical of the police for sharing the video. Some people applauded the move and demanded that the suspect faces severe consequences.

    “He should be made an example so no one dares to do this again,” one post read.

    Some users expressed anger at the lack of safety for women in such circumstances, noting the motorway rape incident when the victim kept phoning the police but no help arrived, while another user said, “Such people should be shot publicly.” 

    The police’s choice to publish the video was also condemned by many. “What sort of law enforcement is this?” 


    One person questioned if it was appropriate for the police to post such material on social media.

    Others pointed out that sharing such videos on social media only tarnished the country’s reputation, with one tweet stating, “One shameless man has made the entire country look bad.”

    “Such videos should not be posted on social media, it’s disgraceful,” said another person. The choice to release the survivor’s footage sparked significant ethical questions regarding privacy, dignity, and how trauma should be handled in public, even if the police were praised for their prompt arrest. 

    Although justice was served, there were significant concerns regarding the institutions’ duty to safeguard the victim and her dignity while her traumatic experience was made public.

  • Islamabad man arrested for assaulting woman, her daughters in viral video

    Islamabad man arrested for assaulting woman, her daughters in viral video

    Islamabad Police have arrested a man after a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him and his companions for brutally assaulting a woman named Hajra and her daughters two weeks ago near an outlet of a fast food chain in F-9 Park. 

    A video of the incident, showing a man pulling two women by the hair, emerged online on Sunday, quickly spreading across social media platforms. However, the FIR shows that the applicant was assaulted on February 23, 2025, around 8:00 pm, and later in the day, a case was registered at the Margalla police station.

    The video in question shows a woman arguing with one individual, who was seen in a row with the female driver. “Ye tum kis tarah sey baat kr rhy hu (How are you talking like this?),” a woman can be heard saying during the argument.

    A man can be seen dragging two women on the street by their hair while they scream for help. Many bystanders were present at the scene, with some attempting to intervene and separate the women from the attacker.

    As per the FIR, Hajra, along with her daughters, was near the famous food chain of F-9 Park Islamabad when a white Mercedes (registration number BGC-521) blocked their way. 


    The FIR claimed that Jamal, who was armed, came near the victim’s vehicle and attempted to snatch the car from Hajra’s daughter, who was in the driving seat. 

    “I (Hajra) got out and tried to reason with him, but Jamal and his friends brutally attacked us. They dragged me and my daughters by the hair and subjected us to severe violence. He showed us a pistol and snatched our bags, which contained two million rupees in cash and 10 tolas of gold. He threatened to kill us before fleeing in the car,” the FIR added.

    The women have said that Hajra’s younger daughter’s clothes were torn during the attack, and she was “physically assaulted.”


    A case was registered against Jamal and his accomplices under Sections 392, 341, 506-II, 354, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The accused has been booked for legal proceedings.

    As per media reports, police took timely action and arrested the suspect. After getting a three-day physical remand, police recovered the stolen items from the suspect and submitted the charge sheet to the competent court. The suspect was then sent to jail on judicial remand, according to media reports.

    The brutality of the assault, especially against women in a public place, has raised concerns about women’s safety in Islamabad.

  • Newly constructed Erdogan Interchange link road collapses after rain

    Newly constructed Erdogan Interchange link road collapses after rain

    The newly constructed link road of the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Interchange in Islamabad has reportedly partially collapsed after heavy rains pummelled the city, with videos showing potholes on the road going viral on social media. 

    Multiple workers can be seen in the video, repairing the road with heavy machinery scattered across the surface. 

    The project, worth Rs4.1 billion, has two components — a flyover and an underpass at the junction of Jinnah Avenue and 9th Avenue. The project included the construction of 4.3 kilometres of roads connected to sector F-10 and the installation of two kilometres of drains for rainwater drainage.

    On February 19, 2025, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Interchange at Jinnah Avenue. 

    As per Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, the project was initially planned for completion in six months. However, the timeline was first shortened to 120 days, then 100 days. The project was finally finished in just 84 days.

    The government wanted to name one of the underpasses of Serena Interchange after Erdogan; however, later on, it was decided that instead of one underpass of the Serena project, the entire Jinnah Avenue project should be named after the Turkish president, as both countries enjoyed a close relationship.

    Social media users have raised concerns about the quality of work on the link road at Tayyip Erdogan Interchange in Islamabad. One user took to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “The road of the recently constructed Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Interchange in Islamabad, built in record time, collapsed after just one rainfall. On one side, a nighttime video shows a large pothole on the road, while on the other side, a morning video shows the pothole being filled.”

    Another user quipped, “Someone should inform Tayyip Erdoğan that the flyover named after him in Islamabad collapsed after the very first rainfall.”

    “There is always room for improvement in construction projects. Hopefully, precautions will be taken in the future,” said a third user.

  • Red zone sealed as lawyers take to streets in Islamabad

    Red zone sealed as lawyers take to streets in Islamabad

    As lawyers take to streets of the federal capital against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, heavy contingents of law enforcement have been deployed to seal the Red Zone and restrict access to the Supreme Court.

    As per the details, the metro bus service connecting Rawalpindi and Islamabad has also partially been suspended whereas containers and barriers have been erected at Serena Chowk, Nadra Chowk, Marriott Hotel, Express Chowk and T-Cross Bari Imam. The Jinnah Underpass has also been blocked.

    The closures come as lawyers protest against the 26th Constitutional Amendment, demand that the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s (JCP) meeting scheduled for today (Monday) be called off, no new judicial appointments be made till the case pertaining to the amendment is decided and the senior-most judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) be made its chief justice.

    While six leading bar associations, including representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association, Punjab Bar Council, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, Balochistan High Court Bar Association and Sindh High Court Bar Association, have condemned the protests, saying that political groups within the legal community were attempting to advance their agendas, senior lawyers, including Ali Ahmad Kurd maintain they are demanding independence of judiciary.

    A viral video showed Kurd asking cops in Islamabad to let the lawyers head to the IHC. “We are going to Islamabad High Court… our friends are waiting there,” he said.

    Speaking to media, Kurd said that he would continue to stand by the lawyers on the issue. “Being in power does not make people great. Those who passed the amendment at 2:00 in the night should be ashamed of themselves. We don’t accept the amendment,” he said.

    Other senior lawyer, including those affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have also voiced support for the protesters and their demands.

    While another viral video showed lawyers clashing with police on the roads of the federal capital, the aforementioned bar associations have endorsed the 26th Amendment and subsequent legislation, saying they consider them integral parts of the Constitution.

    The protests come as the JCP gears up to meet today and consider the elevation of eight high court judges to the apex court despite calls from some judges and sections of the legal community to defer the same.

    Earlier, four apex court judges, including two commission members, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar, wrote to Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, who also heads the JCP, requesting a postponement. 

    The top judge leads the 13-member JCP that includes four judges of the apex court and parliamentarians from both the treasury and opposition benches.

  • VIDEO: Islamabad SHO threatens to beat kite-flyers with a shoe, demolish their homes

    VIDEO: Islamabad SHO threatens to beat kite-flyers with a shoe, demolish their homes

    A viral undated video has shown an Islamabad police officer using the loudspeaker of a mosque to warn kite-flyers, threatening to publicly beat them up with shoes, file an FIR [First Information Report] against their fathers and demolishing their homes.

    As per the details, the viral video showed a man introducing himself as the SHO [station house officer] of the federal capital’s Secretariat Police Station, Ashfaq Warraich.

    “If someone is caught flying a kite, I will file an FIR against their father and will beat them publicly with a shoe,” he can be seen as announcing through the loudspeaker of a mosque, adding that kite-flying was a deadly game that could cost someone their life.

    In the video, Warraich goes on to say that anyone involved in kite-flying would also have their house demolished.

    The video that started doing the rounds on social media Sunday has left netizens divided. While some commend the SHO for his commitment towards cracking down on the deadly game, others are criticising him for threatening the public with “extrajudicial” actions.

    “I agree with this message from @ICTPolice. Children stand on rooftops to fly kites. They may fall and get injured, and the kite strings can also harm others by cutting their throats. Show no leniency; this is truly a deadly game and should be banned!” wrote one user.

    Another social media user wrote, “SHO Sahab ki baat bilkul theek hai. bache to bache hote hain lekin ghar k badon ko is baat ka khyaal rakhna chahiye k patangbaazi se apne bachon ko door rakhen [SHO Sahib is absolutely right. Kids are just kids. However, grownups at home should keep their kids away from kite flying].”

    “Under what law can the SHO demolish houses?” asked a netizen.

    Another user questioned the “misuse of authority” by the cop and wrote, “An SHO in Islamabad allegedly used a mosque’s loudspeaker to threaten kite-flyer fathers with severe punishments. This misuse of authority questions the integrity of legal governance. Lawlessness in the capital [sic].”

    “Seriously? Policeman, not even officers, threats tax payers face the house being demolished and jailed on the illegal case 4 Kite flying. Some1 promised him next police chief [sic],” said another user.

    “Steps should be taken to stop kite flying, but this behaviour of the police officer is very worrying. It seems that the Islamabad police have been trained to adopt an aggressive attitude, which is very dangerous. The use of derogatory words towards the public indicates the flaws in the Islamabad police system,” read a separate post.

  • PTI calls off Islamabad protest

    PTI calls off Islamabad protest

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called off its Islamabad sit-in for the time being following Tuesday night clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

    PTI’s official X (formerly Twitter) account issued a press release on Wednesday morning that reads, “In view of the government’s brutality and the government’s plan to turn the capital into a slaughterhouse for unarmed citizens, [we] announce the suspension of the peaceful protest for the time being.” 

    On Tuesday night, security forces launched an operation at D Chowk to disperse the protestors.

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    Reportedly, prior to the operation, markets in all nearby areas were closed, and streetlights were also turned off; the operation was completed within two and a half hours, leading to the arrest of more than 500 protesters from D-Chowk and its nearby areas.

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    In some videos posted on social media, scenes of D-Chowk after the operation are shown, and dozens of broken windows of vehicles can be seen on the federal capital’s Jinnah Avenue. 

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    PTI, in its statement shared on X, appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), Yahya Afridi, to take suo motu notice of the alleged “brutal murder of martyred [party] workers” and order legal action against the prime minister and interior minister as well as Islamabad and Punjab police chiefs for “attempt to murder”.

    Two demonstrators were killed and over 60 injured in clashes between security forces and protestors on Tuesday night.

    The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) confirmed the civilian death toll.

    On the contrary, the PTI, in a statement, claimed that “dozens” of its workers were shot at directly and killed, saying that the party had the details of eight deceased.


    Meanwhile, former First Lady Bushra Bibi, Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur and National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan will address an “emergency” press conference today.

  • ‘No breakfast, no rest’: Sindh cop deployed at Islamabad

    ‘No breakfast, no rest’: Sindh cop deployed at Islamabad

    A Sindh police personnel has complained about the inadequacy of food that had been served to provincial police during their deployment at the federal capital amid a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest.

    Speaking to a news outlet on Monday night, a Sindh security official said that authorities have not given them time for the proper rest, maintaining that they have been “on duty for two consecutive days.”

    “We are tired of doing duty since two days, we have no [additional] salary, [authorities] are not giving us breakfast,” the cop belonging to district Noshehra, Sindh, said.

    He further said that due to lack of a timely salary, he has borrowed money from his village, and he is in “debt” now.

    He also highlighted that two days ago, 2000 security officials came to the federal capital via train; apart from Karachi cops, other security officials travelled without having a seat, noting that the long expedition was tough as they had to stand throughout their journey.

    “Cops belonging to Karachi had a seat; we had to stand by the [train] door,” he complained.

    Observing the facilities given by the authorities, he stated that “proper water” was not served to the cops, adding, “We are purchasing tea by ourselves.”

    Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf convoy led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and former First Lady Bushra Bibi has reached Islamabad Zero Point.

    It merits mentioning that following the federal capital’s Zero Point area, D Chowk is just a few kilometers away from where PTI is expected to stage a sit-in.

    Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, while speaking to the media at D Chowk on Tuesday, stated that around 2000 people in the PTI convoy were “trained.”

    The Interior Minister pointed out that the “secret leadership” of PTI is controlling everything, leaving the rest of the leadership powerless.

    “Even the PTI leadership does not want bloodshed, but the secret leadership’s agenda is not aligned with Pakistan,” he concluded.

  • Army deployed in Islamabad after PTI workers martyr four Rangers

    Army deployed in Islamabad after PTI workers martyr four Rangers

    Four Rangers personnel and two police officers were killed on Monday night prior to the deployment of the Pakistan Army in the federal capital.

    According to Islamabad police, a fast car drove over the cops on the federal capital’s Srinagar Highway.

    The federal government has deployed the Army in the federal capital by invoking Article 245 as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) convoy crossed sector G-9. 

    A notification issued by the Interior Ministry states that the army has been authorised to impose a curfew in any locality deemed necessary to maintain law and order.

    Reportedly, security forces have also been empowered to shoot miscreants and rioters on sight.


    Furthermore, a group of armed men reportedly pelted stones and opened fire on security personnel at Chungi No 26 in Rawalpindi, leading to another Rangers official getting injured, who was transferred in a critical situation to CMH hospital.

    Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack on security forces and directed the authorities to bring the culprits to justice.


    Shahbaz Sharif maintained that anarchist group seeks bloodshed, observing that this is not a peaceful protest but extremism.

    Following the funeral of martyred police Constable Mubashar Bilal in Rawalpindi at Police Line in Rawalpindi, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi revealed that the federal government had offered PTI leadership an alternative to stage their sit-in at Sangjani rather than entering the Islamabad’s red zone.

    “They come [to D-chowk], and we let them go; this cannot happen; now, we have shown leniency where necessary, but once the red line is crossed, the government will take extreme steps,” the Interior Minister clarified.

    Meanwhile, according to local police, PTI demonstrators have reached Zero Point Islamabad from where the red zone premises start and where the army had already deployed.

    Zero Point

    The protestors reportedly pelted stones towards security personnel, and police have been shelling to disperse the demonstrators.

    Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur and former First Lady Bushra Bibi also accompanied the convoy, which reached Zero Point Islamabad.