ROME: The uncle of an 18-year-old woman who disappeared months ago from Italy after refusing an arranged marriage in Pakistan was detained Wednesday on the outskirts of Paris, according to Italian authorities who fear the teenager may be dead.
Saman Abbas was last seen in late April by neighbors in the vicinity of her family’s home in the farm town of Novellara, located near the city of Reggio Emilia. A few days later, a Milan airport video captured her parents, who had reportedly pressuring Abbas to marry a man she had never met, hurrying to catch a flight to Pakistan.
Italian Prosecutor Isabella Chiesi told reporters that Paris police, acting on a European warrant issued in connection with the woman's disappearance, detained the uncle in an apartment where he had been living with other people. Italian police said his social media use played a part in investigators tracking him down.
"I contend it's fundamental to have gotten the uncle, who, from all the investigations and checks, appears to be the mastermind of this crazy criminal plan,'' Italian news agency LaPresse quoted the prosecutor as saying at a news conference in Reggio Emilia. Chiesi didn't elaborate on the alleged plan entailed.
Chiesi expressed hope that the uncle's detention in France would lead to his transfer to Italy so he could be interrogated by Italian authorities.
Abbas told her boyfriend in Italy, who is also of Pakistani origin, that her parents wanted to marry her off to an older man in their homeland but she was refusing. After going to authorities, Abbas was allowed to stay at a shelter but later returned home, reportedly after her family sent her text messages begging her to come back, Italian news reports said.
The young woman's disappearance has gripped Italians for weeks. Police, aided by dogs, searched the farm fields of Novellara near the family’s home looking for Abbas’ body. Her younger brother told authorities that he had learned that the uncle had allegedly killed her sister, according to Italian media.
A surveillance camera caught three men are seen on a surveillance camera video carrying shovels, a pail and a sack near the family home in Italy about the time of her disappearance.
Italian authorities are also seeking the parents and a male cousin, while another cousin was detained in France earlier this year and then transferred to Italy. He is being held in jail for investigation of a suspected role in the case.
France detains uncle of missing Pakistani teen who refused arranged marriage
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France detains uncle of missing Pakistani teen who refused arranged marriage
- Saman Abbas was last seen in late April in the vicinity of her family’s home in Italy
- Italian authorities fear the 18-year-old woman may be dead
Pakistan’s drug enforcement agency nets record ‘ice’ haul in major anti-trafficking operation
- The Anti-Narcotics Force seizes 224 kilograms of the substance while it was being transported to Belgium
- The authorities also apprehended three suspects, among them two Afghan nationals, who were trying to escape
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) announced on Thursday it had achieved a “monumental victory” in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking by intercepting the largest consignment of methamphetamine, popularly called “ice,” in the nation’s history.
Methamphetamine, known for its potent and addictive properties, has seen a significant rise in use not just in Pakistan but globally, contributing to a burgeoning health crisis.
The drug’s accessibility and escalating abuse have heightened law enforcement and public health efforts to curtail its spread.
This major seizure highlights the ongoing challenges and the critical need for continued vigilance and international cooperation in combating drug trafficking and its societal impacts.
“A total of 224 kilograms of Methamphetamine (Ice) was seized by the diligent ANF team at the Karachi port,” an official statement announced. “Disguised within five containers labelled as ‘Soapstone’ exports from Afghanistan to Belgium, this illicit substance was artfully concealed within the container’s roof and doors.”
The authorities also apprehended three suspects involved in the smuggling attempt, among them two Afghan nationals.
“The suspects were attempting to flee to Afghanistan via the Torkham border when they were intercepted by ANF Team,” the statement continued.
It added the intercepting the massive methamphetamine consignment by ANF prevented its distribution and potential harm to countless people.
Pakistan’s inflation sees lowest increase in nearly two years at 17.3% in April
- Pakistan has been beset by inflation above 20% since May 2022, registering a high of 38% in May 2023
- Month on month inflation was down 0.4%, showing negative growth for the first time since last year in June
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April rose 17.3% from a year earlier, data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed on Thursday, the lowest reading in nearly two years and below the finance ministry’s projections for the month.
Pakistan has been beset by inflation above 20% since May 2022, registering a high of 38% in May 2023, as it has navigated reforms as part of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme.
Month on month inflation was down 0.4%, showing negative growth for the first time since June 2023.
The Finance Ministry in its monthly economic report said it expected inflation to hover between 18.5% and 19.5% in April and ease further in May to 17.5%-18.5%.
Pakistan’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 22% for the seventh straight policy meeting on Monday, hours before the IMF executive board approved $1.1 billion in funding under a $3 billion standby arrangement signed last year.
The bank’s monetary policy committee said in a statement it was “prudent” to continue with its monetary policy stance at this stage to bring inflation down to the target range.
‘Well aware of our constitutional limits,’ Pakistan’s army chief declares at PAF graduation parade
- General Asim Munir says Article 19 of Pakistan’s constitution sets limits on freedom of expression
- He says a strong air force is essential to prevent Pakistan from being at the mercy of aggressors
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir emphasized the armed forces’ awareness of their constitutional limits and expectations for legal compliance from others while addressing the graduation parade at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy in Risalpur on Thursday.
The military’s involvement in politics has been a contentious issue in Pakistan, with public criticism intensifying since the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
The country’s military has publicly denied intentions to interfere in political affairs more recently, asserting a commitment to uphold democracy and remain apolitical, amid growing public scrutiny over its past involvements in political matters.
“We are well aware of our constitutional limits and expect others to prioritize adherence to the constitution as well,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the military media wing, ISPR, in a statement.
He said in his address to the graduating cadets that Article 19 of the Pakistani constitution set limits on freedom of expression as well.
“Those who openly violate the clear restrictions on freedom of expression set by the constitution cannot point fingers at others,” he asserted.
General Munir noted specific technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing, were expanding the scope and transforming the use of air power.
However, he warned against an arms race in the region, saying it could disrupt the balance of power in and around South Asia.
The army chief pointed out that a strong air force was essential to prevent the country from being at the mercy of external aggressors.
“The recent war in Gaza is a fresh example of the miseries that wars can bring,” he said. “The indiscriminate killing of elderly, women and children in Gaza is proof that violence is increasing in the world.”
He also criticized India for its policies in the dispute Kashmir region, pointing out it would not be able to suppress the “voices of freedom” and promising continued Pakistani support on moral, political and diplomatic levels for those resisting New Delhi’s rule.
Pakistan anticipates more high-level Saudi business delegations amid stronger bilateral ties
- Foreign office says the two countries are involved in robust dialogue that has gained significant momentum
- It categorically denies reports that Pakistan is providing military bases to any foreign country against anyone
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan anticipates continued visits by high-level business delegations from Saudi Arabia in the upcoming weeks to further explore investment opportunities facilitated under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), the foreign office announced on Thursday.
The statement came just days after Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif concluded his visit to Riyadh, where he addressed the two-day World Economic Forum conference that began on April 28.
During his visit, Sharif met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and several Saudi ministers to strengthen bilateral relations and economic partnerships between the two nations.
Prior to his visit to the kingdom, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan was in Islamabad with a large delegation, saying the Pakistani administration’s resolve to strengthen the economy would yield “significant benefits.”
“Saudi investors have been coming to Pakistan in recent months, and engaged with the SIFC in terms of exploring opportunities for Saudi investments in Pakistan, and this is an ongoing process, and we expect similar high-level business delegations to undertake visits to Pakistan in the coming days and weeks as well,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters in her weekly media briefing.
She added that both countries were involved in robust and mutually beneficial dialogue that had gained significant momentum in recent months.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are engaged in consultations with each other in terms of increased Saudi investments in Pakistan, including in the energy domain,” she added.
Asked about reports of Pakistan providing military bases to the United States, Baloch called them baseless rumors.
“Pakistani has no plan to provide any bases to a foreign country against any other country,” she continued.
Speaking about the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s summit in Gambia, the spokesperson said the country’s deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar would highlight the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the imperatives of solidarity and unity of the Muslim Ummah, rising Islamophobia, issues of climate change, terrorism, and other contemporary global challenges.
She said Pakistan strongly condemned the escalating violations of human rights by Israel and increasing number of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
“Israel’s actions constitute a breach of international law, including humanitarian laws and other pertinent international laws, and these acts also undermine any prospects of a two-state solution,” she added.
Pakistan vows ‘foolproof security’ for Chinese nationals after militant attacks
- Interior minister says government implementing strict security protocols for safe movement of Chinese workers
- A suicide bomber targeted a convoy of Chinese nationals near Dasu earlier this year, killing five of them
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday the government would ensure “foolproof security” for Chinese nationals following militant attacks targeting them in the country where most of them have been working on infrastructure development projects.
Naqvi made this assurance during his visit to the Chinese consulate in Karachi, where he discussed the issue in his conversation with a top diplomat Yang Yuandong, who welcomed the minister to the facility.
Five Chinese nationals were killed earlier this year in March after a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into their convoy which was on its way from Islamabad to the site of a key hydroelectric dam in Dasu.
Prior to that, Chinese workers also came under attack by Baloch separatists near the Gwadar port. The incident led to the death of eight militants.
“It is our duty to ensure foolproof security for Chinese citizens,” Naqvi said during the during his visit to the consulate. “Strict implementation of standard operating procedures for safe movement of Chinese citizens is being ensured.”
Pakistan took action against a number of senior officials after the Dasu attack, saying they showed negligence and had failed to follow the security protocol.
He said the “enemy” wanted to undermine the China-Pakistan friendship but would not succeed.
According to a statement circulated by the ministry, the Chinese diplomat expressed satisfaction with the overall security plan for the protection of the Chinese workers.
