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Tag: Pakistan

  • Ex PTI MPA offloaded, leaders arrested as Peshawar High Court warns government

    Ex PTI MPA offloaded, leaders arrested as Peshawar High Court warns government

    The Peshawar High Court issued a warning on Tuesday, indicating that if the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is not permitted to carry out political activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), it would summon the caretaker chief minister of the province and the chief election commissioner for an explanation.

    “Both the chief minister and CEC will be asked about their failure to fulfil the responsibility of holding polls in a free and fair manner amid the PTI’s complaints of restrictions on its activities in the province,” Justice Ijaz Anwar observed during a hearing of a petition filed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s party for contempt proceedings against the provincial government and the administration of Mansehra district.

    The court observed that if a political party is not allowed to hold a public meeting due to security concerns, it raises questions about the Election Commission of Pakistan’s ability to conduct general elections.

    Attorney General Aamir Javed informed the court that a meeting had been called to assess the security situation, and a report would be provided within two days. The court scheduled the next hearing for November 23, focusing on the contempt petition against the caretaker government and Mansehra’s district administration.

    The bench fixed Nov 23 (Thursday) for next hearing into the PTI’s contempt petition against the caretaker government and Mansehra’s district administration for “not allowing the holding of a workers’ convention despite the court’s orders.”

    The petition was filed by PTI provincial president Ali Amin Gandapur, its provincial legal coordinator Mashal Azam, and Insaf Lawyers Forum provincial vice-president Malik Arshad Ahmad, requesting the court to initiate contempt proceedings against the relevant officers, including the provincial chief secretary, Mansehra DC and DPO, and others.

    Lawyers Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Ali Zaman, Inam Yousafzai, and others appeared for the petitioners and said a high court bench had disposed of on Oct 26 a plea of their clients after allowing the PTI to carry out political activities in the province.

    PTI MPA offloaded

    Meanwhile, in a separate incident, former PTI MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai was offloaded from a flight at Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport.

    Yousafzai’s flight was scheduled to depart at 9:15 am on Wednesday via Emirates flight EK-637 for Saudi Arabia, where he was to perform Umrah.

    He stated that after the boarding process was completed, the airport’s security officials came and took him into their custody “without any reason”, as per Dawn.

    The PTI ex-MPA added that when he asked the officials why he was being prevented from boarding the plane, they only replied they had “orders from authorities to not let you fly abroad”.

    Yousafzai went on to say that he would approach the Peshawar High Court and file a case against the airport’s security officials for offloading him as, according to him, neither was there a first information report against him nor was his name on the Exit Control List.

    PTI leaders arrested

    In a related development, Liaqat Ali Yousafzai, PTI’s Shangla chapter president and brother of Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, along with six other party workers were arrested by the police for allegedly violating Section 144 during a party meeting in Shahpur. The PTI criticized the authorities, claiming unequal treatment compared to other political parties allowed to hold public meetings.

    The situation reflects a growing tension between the PTI and local authorities, with the Peshawar High Court intervening to address concerns of restricted political activities in KP.

  • The fallen kings of crypto

    The fallen kings of crypto

    Binance boss Changpeng Zhao has become the most powerful cryptocurrency figure to fall in a two-year period chaotic even by the standards of the notoriously volatile industry. 

    Zhao stepped down as CEO of Binance — the largest crypto exchange in the world — after he and the company pleaded guilty on Tuesday to sweeping US money laundering violations and agreed to fines of more than $4 billion.

    Here are three of the highest-profile crypto executives who have fallen foul of the law since last year:

    Changpeng ‘CZ’ Zhao

    Born in China in 1977, Zhao moved with his family to Canada in the 1980s and later got a degree in computer science from McGill University, according to his profile in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.


    Zhao Changpeng, chief executive officer of Binance, speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange keeps getting bigger. Binance.com is adding “a couple of million” registered users every week, with 240,000 people signing up in just an hour on Wednesday, said Zhao. Photographer: Akio Kon/Bloomberg

    He founded Binance in 2017 in Shanghai, and led the company’s explosive growth into the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange.

    An outspoken celebrity in the crypto world with 8.7 million followers on X, Zhao became the richest known figure in the nascent industry. His net worth peaked at around $65 billion in 2022, according to a Forbes index.

    With the prestige and wealth came increased scrutiny of Binance’s operations, as prominent crypto firms around the world began to buckle under a wave of criminal investigations.

    The United States accused Zhao and Binance of multiple violations, including knowingly allowing transactions to militant groups such as the Islamic State and in barred jurisdictions such as North Korea and Iran.

    On Tuesday, they pleaded guilty. The firm has agreed to total penalties of nearly $4.4 billion, while he will pay $50 million, according to court documents.

    Zhao resigned as CEO of Binance and while he will reportedly retain his shares in the company, he has been banned from any involvement in its business. He is expected to face sentencing later.

    Forbes listed his net worth as $10.2 billion as of Wednesday.

    Sam Bankman-Fried

    If Zhao was the richest and most powerful person in crypto, Sam Bankman-Fried was easily the most famous.

    Born to Stanford University professors, Bankman-Fried graduated from MIT with a degree in physics.

    In 2019, he founded FTX, which skyrocketed to become the world’s second-largest crypto exchange.

    Along the way, Bankman-Fried built up his image as the unofficial ambassador for the cryptocurrency industry, with high-profile appearances in the media and even the US Congress.

    At one point in 2022, he had a net worth of $24 billion, according to Forbes.

    But he had been walking a dangerous path — his team used customers’ money for everything from buying posh real estate to covering risky moves by affiliate Alameda Research.

    It all came crashing down when these moves were revealed in the media in November 2022. Within hours, rival CZ Zhao said Binance would sell all the FTX tokens it held.

    It sparked a stunning collapse of FTX and Bankman-Fried’s empire, his fame turning to notoriety.

    Arrested in the Bahamas in January, he was found guilty this month of what US prosecutors described as “one of the biggest financial frauds in American history”. He faces up to 110 years in prison.

    During his trial, the 31-year-old admitted to making “mistakes” but denied trying to defraud anyone.

    Do Kwon

    South Korean entrepreneur Do Kwon co-founded Terraform Labs in 2018, developing the cryptocurrencies TerraUSD and Luna.


    Do Kwon, co-founder and chief executive officer of Terraform Labs, poses in the company’s office in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday, April 14, 2022. Kwon is counting on the oldest cryptocurrency as a backstop for his stablecoin, which some critics liken to a ginormous Ponzi scheme. Photographer: Woohae Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    The Stanford grad successfully marketed them as the next big thing in crypto, attracting billions in investments and global hype.

    Media reports in South Korea described him as a “genius”.

    But in May last year, the value of these currencies — marketed as “stablecoins” — plummeted, wiping out around $40 billion in investments and sending a shock wave through the rest of the industry.

    It led to more than $500 billion in further losses on global crypto markets, industry data suggested.

    Experts said Do Kwon — whose full name is Kwon Do-kyung — had marketed a glorified Ponzi scheme.

    Brash and outspoken on social media, Do Kwon left South Korea before the collapse and spent months on the run.

    He was arrested in Montenegro this year after being caught trying to catch a flight using fake Costa Rican travel documents.

    He faces multiple criminal charges in the United States and South Korea.

  • Heartfelt reunion in Makkah: American friend helps divided families meet

    Heartfelt reunion in Makkah: American friend helps divided families meet

    On November 21, 2023, a touching reunion happened in Makkah, bringing together families who were separated during the partition. Hujra Bibi, whose family was split during India’s partition, moved to Pakistan while her sister stayed in India, BBC shared the story.

    The partition of India in 1947, led by the British, created two separate countries, India and Pakistan, causing many people to leave their homes.

    Hujra Bibi’s story is special because the reunion happened in a different country. After being separated during the partition, Hujra, now living in Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan, met her sister’s family from India in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

    The credit for this emotional meeting on November 20 goes to Naseer Dhillon, a native of Faisalabad, Pakistan, and his friend. Naseer, through his YouTube channel, has been actively helping families reconnect.

    Despite facing challenges from the government, the families remained determined. Hujra applied for an Umrah visa, and Hanifan, her sister’s daughter, applied from India. Naseer’s friend, Pal Singh Gill from the United States, played a crucial role in making the meeting possible.

    Naseer highlighted the importance of their efforts, mentioning that despite the distance and obstacles, love and friendship can bring families back together. Hujra BiBi and her niece finally met in Makkah, ending years of being apart. Naseer traveled all the way from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to make this reunion possible. He said, “We thanked Allah for making it happen.” This story shows how families can stay strong and connected, even when they are separated by borders and obstacles. It’s truly amazing how love and determination can bring people together.

  • ECP orders federal government to remove IG, DC Islamabad

    ECP orders federal government to remove IG, DC Islamabad

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has instructed the federal caretaker government on Wednesday to remove Islamabad Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon from their posts.

    Dr Akbar Khan is a grade 20 officer, and Irfan Nawaz Memon is a grade 19 officer in the Pakistan Administrative Service.

    ECP had earlier directed the government on October 26 to remove both officials from their posts, but the Secretary Establishment Division didn’t implement the order at that time.

    Now there is progress in the matter, as the interior ministry wrote a letter to the Establishment Division to change officials.

    Dr Akbar Nasir Khan was appointed as IGP on May 21, 2022. He was serving in the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) then.

    In October of last year, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab registered a corruption case against IGP. ACE Punjab summoned him multiple times, seeking a reply on corruption charges, accusing him of tampering with documents to award contracts and causing Rs30.5 million loss to the government.

  • Why is a Pakistani journalist on the ‘most wanted list’?

    Why is a Pakistani journalist on the ‘most wanted list’?

    Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has released the latest “most wanted terrorists” list, which shockingly includes the name of a prominent tribal journalist and author, Ihsanur Rehman Dawar.

    The counter-terrorism department on Tuesday placed the name of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) assistant director Ihsanur Rehman Dawar on the list of most wanted fugitives announcing a bounty of Rs1 million for information leading to his arrest.

    Mr Dawar, a former journalist and an author, is part of the list along with over 150 other proclaimed offenders. The profile shared by the CTD has incorrectly named him Ihsanullah Khan.

    Dawar expressed shock at the inclusion, stating that he has been residing in Peshawar since 2011 and has no criminal record.

    Dawar asserts that his father’s name, home address, and picture are correctly identified as per Dawn.

    “This is how our institutions are working. They have ruined my reputation,” Dawar lamented, vehemently denying any connections to militants within his family.

    The CTD, in a statement, insisted that Ihsanullah Khan was nominated in an FIR for attacking an army picket in North Waziristan in 2019, leading to his proclamation as a wanted offender.

    The department justified the Rs1 million bounty, claiming it was recommended by the district police officer and duly notified by the home department.

    The Miramshah Press Club criticized the CTD’s move, describing Dawar as an “honorary member” and denouncing the reward for his arrest.

    The case in question involves a 2019 firing incident at the Khar Kamar checkpost, which resulted in casualties. Dawar was declared a proclaimed offender, but lawmakers Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were acquitted in 2020.

    The CTD’s most-wanted list, however, has raised eyebrows, with several inaccuracies noted.

    The inclusion of surrendered TTP spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsan, and individuals previously reported dead in Afghanistan, such as Omar Mukarram Khurasani, has underscored concerns about the authenticity and verification of information within the CTD’s records.

    Some of the individuals on the wanted list include Jalaluddin, Muhammad Asif Khan, Asif Siddiqui, Muhammad Fayyaz, Inam Qari, Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Rizwan, Shehkar Din Bhatti, Wajid Khan, Niaz Muhammad, Naqab Khan, Kaleem Khan, Zarif Saeed, Yasir Ilyas and Muhammad Kashif.

    According to the fresh list, Said Qadar of Mardan carries the highest reward of Rs8 million while Zahid Qadar of the same district carries Rs7 million head money.

    In October this year, to combat militancy effectively, the CTD launched an aggressive initiative aimed at apprehending 135 of the most-wanted terrorists, announcing bounties on their heads.

    The CTD unveiled a comprehensive list containing the names and photographs of the 135 most-wanted terrorists. This initiative, designed to combat militancy, also included the unprecedented inclusion of a female suspect in the K-P province.

    The alleged female terrorist, known as Quratulain, is believed to be the wife of Iqbal, also known as Bali Khiyara, who was a prominent commander of a terrorist group in DI Khan. Iqbal’s life came to an end in a recent encounter with the CTD.

  • SHOs to be taken to task if underage driver causes accident, says Lahore High Court

    SHOs to be taken to task if underage driver causes accident, says Lahore High Court

    “If an underage driver causes a road accident, the relevant SHO and sector in-charge will be taken to task,” Justice Ali Zia Bajwa remarked during the hearing of a petition of Afnan Shafqat, the prime suspect in the DHA car accident that resulted in deaths of six members of a family, reports Dawn.

    The underage suspect approached the court against alleged harassment by the police and for the protection of his right to fair trial.

    However, the court ordered traffic police to continue its crackdown on underage drivers and warned it against any harassment to law-abiding citizens.

    CTO Traffic police Mustansir Feroze told the court that a crackdown was underway against driving vehicles without licences and as many as 2,986 cases had been registered in three days.

    Talking to the media, the CTO said more than 4,000 cases had been registered during the crackdown against underage driving. He said hundreds of vehicles had been confiscated in police stations and over 16,000 learner permits had been issued in a single day.
    He said the city had 30 licencing offices, ten mobile vans, and three 24-hour open centres. He said three new licence centres were being established in the city.


    Consequently, Traffic Police in Attock arrested 26 underage drivers, 14 were arrested in Attock City, eight in Fatehjang and four in Jand.

  • MDCAT saga: Alleged test leak in Sindh, retesting in KP

    MDCAT saga: Alleged test leak in Sindh, retesting in KP

    Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023 has been embroiled in major controversy involving cheating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh. The test is mandatory for admission in disciplines of medicine and dentistry.

    Sindh

    A retest was conducted on Sunday, November 19, across four centres in Sindh as the previous one was cancelled due to overwhelming complaints of cheating. Almost 41,000 students appeared for a total of 4,790 seats — 3,600 for MBBS and 1,190 for dental studies. As per the reports, answer sheets are circulating on social media, fueling speculation that the exam paper was leaked.

    This raised questions over the feasibility of leaking the entire paper through social media, given the ban on phones and smart watches at test centres. Additionally, students have expressed dissatisfaction with the test’s content, citing questions beyond the prescribed syllabus and errors in the answer keys, reports The News.

    In a recent statement, President PMDC Dr Rizwan Taj has acknowledged social media reports alleging the leak of MDCAT paper conducted under the supervision of DOW University of Health Sciences (DUHS). He asserted that both the managing authorities-DUHS vice-chancellor and Sindh Chief Secretary-have denied the allegations, saying the news is not correct and question papers were released by students post-test at 4pm as the test had ended at 2pm.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    After the cancellation of the September 10 test in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the exam is to be reconducted on November 26. A plan has been devised according to which police will be deployed to provide security to the staff involved in in transportation of test material to all centres in the designated cities, including Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Mardan, Dir Lower, Swat and Abbottabad. A total of 46,220 candidates will appear in test.
    To ensure transparency police will be also be involved during printing, packaging, transportation and scanning of examination material inside and outside Khyber Medical University Peshawar from 20 November to 30.

    Section 144 will be imposed around the centres, mobile phone will remain jammed, power supply will remain uninterrupted from 9am to 3pm on date of test are also part of the plan, says the report by Dawn.

  • Shehbaz Sharif candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership, says Rana Sanaullah

    Shehbaz Sharif candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership, says Rana Sanaullah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Rana Sanaullah has said that former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will be the party’s next candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership.

    Shehbaz Sharif has served as a three-time chief minister of Punjab, as well as being Prime Minister for around 16 months when the Pakistan Democratic Movement came into power after ousting the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan.

    “In my personal opinion, given the destruction during the Buzdar regime and in the manner in which Punjab was progressing till 2018, it is Punjab’s need that Shehbaz Sharif take charge of Punjab’s affairs,” PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah told Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada.

    “Had Shehbaz Sharif got the opportunity to [serve as the chief minister] after the 2018 elections as well, then Punjab would have become an example for the rest of Pakistan,” Sanaullah, who served as the interior minister under Shehbaz in the Centre, said.

    According to the PML-N leadership, Shehbaz Sharif can work in any capacity under the leadership of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    “My assessment says that Shehbaz Sharif will be ready to work with Nawaz Sharif in any capacity. He will not complain about it,” the ex-interior minister said.

  • EU report highlights rights issues and corruption in Pakistan

    On Tuesday, the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) jointly revealed a monitoring report on Pakistan’s Generalised Scheme of Preference, or GSP Plus.

    The report expressed concerns about forced disappearances, torture, and limitations on media freedom in Pakistan, which are seen as violations of international treaties.

    It urged Pakistan to enforce laws protecting economic, social, and political rights and raised reservations about the misuse of anti-corruption rhetoric for political purposes.

    Despite civilian rule since 2008, the report highlighted the military’s disproportionate role in politics and the economy.

    Covering 2020–2022, it focused on the May 9 riots and subsequent trials in military courts, recognising legislative progress but emphasising the need for improved practical implementation.

    Furthermore, the report read that although initial measures have been undertaken to limit the application of the death penalty, additional steps are required to bring them in line with international standards.

    This entails introducing a comprehensive revision of the mercy petition procedure.

    “It has undeniably increased awareness of human rights at the grassroots level, of labour rights within businesses and export supply chains and of the significance of environmental considerations and good governance.

    However, the full potential of the GSP+ benefit can only be realised by diversifying Pakistan’s exports to include more value-added products”, remarked EU Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Dr Riina Kionka about the report.

    Pakistan attained GSP Plus status in January 2014, following the ratification of 27 international conventions and a commitment to their implementation.

    The GSP Plus incentive provides Pakistan with zero-rated or preferential tariffs on nearly 66 per cent of tariff lines, thereby bolstering the country’s capacity to export to the EU market.

  • How did Imran Khan meet Bushra Bibi?

    How did Imran Khan meet Bushra Bibi?

    Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of Bushra Bibi, gave an interview on Geo News’ show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, where he revealed details of the beginning of Imran Khan’s relationship with his ex-wife.

    He said that Bushra Bibi’s sister Maryam Watto arranged a meeting between the two for the first time in 2014. A few months later, Khan married his second wife Reham Khan.

    In 2016, former model Qandeel Baloch revealed that Bushra Bibi used to meet Imran Khan.

    Khawar Maneka then stated that he has a residence in Islamabad’s Bani Gala area, while Bushra Bibi met Imran Khan at his residence in the same area.

    Revealing that he and Bushra got separated in 2017, six months before Khan and Bushra’s wedding, Maneka said that Bushra Bibi went to her house in Pakpattan city and didn’t come back even though he tried to get her back.

    One day he received a text message from Bushra Bibi’s friend Farah Gogi asking him to divorce ‘Pinky’ (alias of Bushra Bibi), he said.

    After that, Khawar Maneka said that he sent divorce papers to Bushra through Farah Gogi on November 14, 2017.

    According to a report filed by journalist Umar Cheema, Bushra Bibi and Imran Khan’s nikah took place on January 1, 2018. This puts the period of iddat in doubt.

    On the other hand, Bushra Bibi’s son and Khawar Maneka deny reports claiming Imran Khan’s nikah took place on January 1, 2018.

    Nikahkhwan Mufti Saeed said in his statement that the first nikah of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi was illegal, which took place in January1, 2018 as Bushra Bibi had not completed her iddat.

    Mufti said Imran Khan contacted him again a month later, requesting him to solemnise the nikah for the second time with Bushra Bibi, saying her iddat was not completed at the time of the nikah.