Current Final

Tag: Pakistan Army

  • PM Imran ‘shocked’ over Ghotki train accident, orders thorough investigation

    PM Imran ‘shocked’ over Ghotki train accident, orders thorough investigation

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said he was ‘shocked’ over the Ghotki train accident that resulted in the loss of lives of many passengers.

    As per reports, at least 50 passengers have lost their lives and 100 people were injured Monday morning when two passenger trains collided at Ghotki between the Raiti and Obaro railway stations.

    PM Khan has directed Railways Minister Azam Swati to arrive at the site and provide the affectees with medical assistance and support for families of the dead.

    “Shocked by the horrific train accident at Ghotki early this morning leaving 30 passengers dead. Have asked Railway Minister to reach the site and ensure medical assistance to the injured and support for families of the dead. Ordering a comprehensive investigation into railway safety fault lines,” PM Imran wrote in a Tweet.

    Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari also took to Twitter stating that the “the entire railway system in terms of safety and maintenance needs an overhaul”.

    Also Read: PM Imran drives in without protocol, interacts with street vendors in Islamabad

    Army officers and Rangers workers have arrived at the site in Ghotki to help people with the relief and rescue operations, said the ISPR. Military doctors and paramedics have also reached the crash site. 

    This is a developing story.

  • NA body approves bill seeking criminal proceedings against anyone defaming military

    A bill seeking criminal proceedings against anyone who defames the military, has been approved by National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior.

    The bill, under which the said act is punishable by up to two years in prison or a fine of Rs500,000 or both, will now be presented before the lower house of the parliament.

    According to sources, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have opposed it as a violation of right to freedom of expression.

    However, it received the votes of a majority during the NA body’s meeting.

    Last year, the National Assembly had introduced the Criminal Law Bill, 2020, to make intentional defaming and insulting the armed forces as a punishable felony.

    According to an insertion 500A in the Pakistan Penal Code Act 1860, anyone who deliberately ridicules or slanders the armed forces or member of the armed forces shall be found guilty.

  • Sit back LDA? Lahore to get another land authority with retired/serving military or civil officers as DG

    Sit back LDA? Lahore to get another land authority with retired/serving military or civil officers as DG

    The Punjab government has approved the establishment of another development authority to develop its posh neighbourhoods, with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar as the chairman.

    The Lahore Central Business District (CBD) Development Authority will be set up under the Lahore Central Business District Development Authority Ordinance 2021 and the ordinance would also pave the way for the appointment of retired/serving military officers or civil servants as the director general of the authority.

    As per the drafted legislation, the authority will have the power to acquire and hold property, both movable and immovable, and to carry out development in posh areas.

    Though Lahore already has a development authority that is in charge of planning and development in the district, the new authority is said to be an autonomous body that is tasked with the commercialisation and promotion of vertical construction in the city.

    According to Geo News, the idea of setting up a Central Business District in Lahore was first proposed by the Lahore Development Authority in 2009 for the development of Jail Road, Main Boulevard, M M Alam Road, Hali Road and Gulberg.

  • ‘Humble Gen Bajwa waits in line for omelette brunch at Islamabad Club’, meets PML-N’s Zubair again

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had Sunday brunch with his family at Islamabad Club and freely mingled up with other guests present there, The News has reported.

    According to the report as well as a letter to a local English daily by an eyewitness, the army chief of the world’s tenth strongest military seemed to direct the staff to remove all special arrangements that had been put up for him and his family ahead of their arrival.

    “At the omelette station, the waiting line was rather long. It was so heartening to see that Gen Bajwa stood in the queue (me and my family noticed with surprise and delight) for about 18 minutes before he was served with his omelette (no one wanted to give him his slot nor did the general ask for [it], he was totally comfortable),” read the letter.

    The letter went on to claim that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair, who had in the recent past made headlines for meeting military leadership despite his party’s strained relations with the establishment, and his family “were the only people who were not allowed to meet the general”.

    However, the PML-N leader rubbished the claim in conversation with The Current. “I met him with his family. We exchanged pleasantries for about 10 minutes. And that’s it. More than 150 people present there watched it all,” he said.

    “Why wouldn’t he meet me?” he went on to ask.

  • Pakistan Army ranked 10th strongest in world

    Pakistan Army ranked 10th strongest in world

    Pakistan has become the tenth most powerful country in the world in terms of military power, according to the Global Firepower index 2021.

    According to a report published by Global Firepower, Pakistan has surpassed Iran, Indonesia, Israel and Canada among others in terms of military power.

    The Global Firepower ranked the armies of 138 countries by taking into consideration a number of factors including the diversity of each country’s weapons, manpower, population, geography and state of development.

    The Global Firepower ranking utilises over 55 factors to determine a country’s PowerIndex score. The formula allows smaller, more technologically advanced countries to compete with larger, less developed ones.

    A perfect PwrIndex score is 0.0000, which is realistically unattainable. The closer countries are to that number, the more powerful their military is.

    In the list released for the year 2021, Pakistan has improved five places — 15th to 10th.

    While India has retained the fourth slot, Angola, Bulgaria and Syria have declined in the ranking.

    Among other prominent militaries that Pakistan has beaten are Turkey, Italy, Egypt, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Australia.

  • VIDEO: ISPR’s new documentary highlights security forces’ role in development of remote areas

    VIDEO: ISPR’s new documentary highlights security forces’ role in development of remote areas

    The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has released its documentary titled ‘Chiragh-e-Rah: Beacons on the Path of Glory’ that highlights the role played by the country’s security forces in the socio-economic development of Pakistan’s remote areas.

    According to the military’s media wing, the documentary underlines the role played by Pakistani security forces in the socio-economic development of remote areas along the western borders.

    The security forces measured the threats and countered the nefarious designs head-on with a comprehensive strategy. The essence was to achieve enduring peace reinforced with a population-centric and community-driven developmental approach, through stabilisation of the western zone by defeating insurgency; concurrent mainstreaming and education of youth to make them useful members of the society, read an Instagram post by the ISPR.

    “Having addressed the menace of fear, terrorism and uncertainty, a new era of development and progress has been launched with the assistance of the government,” it read.

    “May it be:
    • Communication infrastructure like roads, tunnels and bridges to connect these remote areas to main cities.
    • Establishment of modern and progressive education system for the youth of the area.
    • Women empowerment initiatives.
    • Providing basic health facilities, provision of clean drinking water
    • Encouraging economic activities through promoting local industries
    • Mineral resources and tourism, providing sports grounds and other facilities for healthy and positive activities and to promote local talent
    • Restoration of law and order, establishing writ of the government.
    The documentary highlights that; the day is not far when these areas will be at par and in pace with other developed parts of the country.”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    What do you think of the new ISPR project? Let The Current know in the comments…

  • Pakistani forces on high alert as India plans new misadventures

    Pakistani forces on high alert as India plans new misadventures

    India is once again planning a false flag operation against Pakistan to divert international attention from its internal issues, including the ongoing farmers’ protests and the Khalistan movement, and Indian atrocities in held Kashmir.

    According to reports, the armed forces of Pakistan have been put on high alert as New Delhi, despite humiliation at the hands of Islamabad time and again, once again trying to harm regional peace by resorting to unprovoked border action or surgical strikes.

    Earlier, India had in 2016 falsely claimed to have carried out surgical strikes in Pakistan and in 2019 attempted an unsuccessful cross-border aerial operation.

    While Pakistan had rebutted Indian claims of surgical strikes, in response to the 2019 misadventure it had shot down two Indian jets a day later and also captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

  • Asif Ghafoor among six major generals promoted to rank of lieutenant general

    Asif Ghafoor among six major generals promoted to rank of lieutenant general

    Six major generals have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has announced.

    In a tweet, the military’s media wing said those promoted included Maj Gen Akhtar Nawaz , Maj Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Maj Gen Salman Fayyaz Ghani, Maj Gen Sarfraz Ali and Maj Gen Muhammad Ali.

    Asif Ghafoor, who is among the most prominent recipients of the promotion, has previously served as the ISPR director general. He was appointed to the post in December 2016, replacing Lt Gen Asim Bajwa as the military’s spokesperson.

    Reacting to the news, Federal Minster for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said it was an hounour to serve in the highest ranks of the army.

    “Serving in the highest ranks of #PakArmy is an honour. Many congratulations to all very well deserved officers for the honours bestowed upon them and best wishes,” he tweeted.

  • Raheel Sharif asked Nawaz Sharif for extension thrice, says ex-general

    Former army chief Gen Raheel Sharif had asked then prime minister Nawaz Sharif to extend his tenure as the chief of army staff thrice, revealed former minister Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch in a talk show.

    Baloch, who was a SAFRON [ministry of states and frontier regions] minister during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government, recently parted ways with the party over its supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s aggressive stance towards the military establishment, especially the incumbent army chief.

    During the TV show, the retired general claimed that as per Nawaz Sharif the former COAS had requested him for an extension thrice. “It was a great disappointment for me as I had expected Raheel Sharif to retire gracefully like a true soldier,” he added.

    Last week, Baloch decided to bid goodbye to the Nawaz league for allegedly speaking against the army. He said that he was leaving the party with “heavy heart” over anti-army rhetoric of the PDM leadership. The ex-general was referring to the speeches made by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership during its rallies.

    “I am a product of the army and cannot stand by the narrative of disobedience since it would be extremely injurious to the country. I have taken the decision of parting ways with heavy heart,” said the retired general who had also served as Corps Commander in Quetta.

  • Cracks in PML-N ranks over party’s ‘anti-establishment’ stance

    Cracks in PML-N ranks over party’s ‘anti-establishment’ stance

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is in quandary for taking an anti-establishment stance, as a number of its leaders from Punjab and Balochistan have distanced themselves from the “anti-state” narrative of the party.

    Amid these reservations, PML-N leader Abdul Qadir Baloch has also decided to bid goodbye to the Nawaz league for allegedly speaking against the army.

    The decision to quit the party was taken after the PML-N leaders refused to invite former chief minister Sanaullah Zehri to the Quetta rally over his feud with Akhtar Mengal, the chief of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M). However, Qadir said he was leaving the party with “heavy heart” over “anti-army” rhetoric of the PDM leadership.

    “I am product of the army and cannot stand by the narrative of disobedience since it would be extremely injurious to the country. I have taken the decision of parting ways with heavy heart,” said the retired general who had served as Corps Commander in Quetta.

    This resignation was followed by several leaders of the PML-N going public with their reservations over the rhetoric employed by the PDM leaders against the state institutions of Pakistan.

    The statement of Ayaz Sadiq, wherein he said Indian pilot Abhinandan was released by Pakistan because it feared an Indian attack, also irked some PML-N leaders, who decided to disown the statement and the party line.

    PML-N MPAs Nishat Daha and Younas Ansari said that their heads hang in shame because of MNA Ayaz Sadiq’s controversial statement.

    “The entire nation was hurt by the statements of Nawaz Sharif and Ayaz Sadiq, what they are doing is not good for the country,” Daha added.

    Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Younas Ansari said, “Our family has been in politics for 35 years but I am ashamed at what is happening in the National Assembly. Ayaz Sadiq should be remorseful at his statement.”

    The party leaders in Attock district also disagreed with the leadership over its so-called anti-state remarks.

    At separate press conferences in different towns of the district on Sunday, PML-N MPA Jehangir Khan­zada, former MNA Malik Itabar Khan and former MPA Shahwaiz Khan criticised the recent remarks of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Ayaz Sadiq.

    Khanzada termed Ayaz Sadiq’s statement “anti-state”. “He should not have talked in such a way while speaking in parliament,” the MPA said while highlighting sacrifices rendered by the armed forces.

    Itabar Khan said he could not support the “anti-national narrative”, adding that Maryam Nawaz, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman had made statements which did not “serve the interest of the country”.

    Shahwaiz Khan, former MPA from Hassanabdal, said he did not support the party leadership’s recent “anti-state” stance and condemned their criticism of state institutions.

    PML-N MPA from Shakargarh Allama Ghiyasuddin has also condemned the statements of the opposition parties against the Army. Former PML-N MNA Sardar Mansab Dogar has also announced to quit the party over what he said the “anti-state” statements of the party leadership.

    RELEASE OF ABHINANDAN:

    Sadiq, a former National Assembly speaker, is under fire for accusing the government of taking the decision to release the India pilot under pressure.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi had “begged the opposition to release Abhinandan, otherwise, according to the FM, India would have attacked Pakistan at 9 pm that day,” the lawmaker had said during a session of the National Assembly.

    In response, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Babar Iftikhar held a press conference to set the record straight about the events surrounding the capture and release of the Indian wing commander.

    “Yesterday such a statement was given in which facts were attempted to be twisted surrounding the events that day,” the military spokesperson said during the media briefing.

    On Friday, Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz hinted at legal action against Ayaz Sadiq for accusing the government of releasing Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under pressure. “What Ayaz Sadiq said is not forgivable,” he tweeted, adding that law will take its course now.