ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani journalist, who was arrested after coverage of last week’s anti-government protests in Islamabad, on Sunday denied “fabricated” charges against him, a day after his release in a terrorism and narcotics case.
Matiullah Jan, a broadcaster working with Neo TV, was “picked up” from outside a hospital in Islamabad on Wednesday, where he was investigating alleged fatalities during the recent protests in support of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan, according to his son.
The police report registered against Jan included Code of Criminal Procedure’s Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft), 427 (mischief causing damage), 506 (criminal intimidation) along with 7ATA (terrorism-related section) and a narcotics-related section.
On Saturday, an anti-terrorism court judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra, who presided over the hearing of Jan’s bail petition, approved the plea against surety bonds worth Rs10,000 ($36), following which he was released from custody.
“Allah Almighty has been very kind to me once again. I am back home safe and sound,” Jan said on X. “I want to completely deny the false and fabricated charges brought against me by the government.”
Jan has a history of criticizing Pakistan’s government and the country’s powerful military establishment. He was also briefly detained by uniformed men during Imran Khan’s tenure in 2020.
He thanked his lawyers, journalists, politicians, members of the civil society as well as the diplomatic community for standing by him and a timely response to ensure safety and security of journalists in Pakistan.
Successive Pakistan governments have often been criticized by rights monitors for using broad anti-terrorism legislation to quash dissent.
Islamabad witnessed a protest march by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, who faced a major government crackdown in which nearly a thousand political activists were arrested during three days of unrest this week.
Jan was investigating the aftermath of the crackdown on PTI workers when, according to his family, he was taken away by people in unmarked vehicles hours before the police announced his arrest.
Amnesty International has criticized Pakistani security forces for using “unlawful and excessive force” on crowds, but Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told reporters on Wednesday that the PTI was “lying” about it, as its leaders claimed their followers had been killed.
Khan’s party has so far named 12 people, claiming it has evidence they lost their lives during the crackdown in the federal capital and demanding the judiciary take notice and hold top government ministers accountable.
Pakistani journalist, arrested after coverage of anti-government protests, denies ‘fabricated’ charges
https://arab.news/cht9d
Pakistani journalist, arrested after coverage of anti-government protests, denies ‘fabricated’ charges
- Matiullah Jan was booked in a terrorism and narcotics case after being arrested from outside a hospital in Islamabad
- Jan thanks his lawyers, journalists and the civil society as well as the diplomatic community for standing by him
Pakistan army chief General Asim Munir promoted to field marshal
- Munir is only the second military officer in Pakistani history to be promoted as field marshal, country’s highest military rank
- Analysts say it is likely he will also retain army chief’s chair, influence in government affairs will ‘significantly increase’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has elevated Army Chief General Asim Munir to the rank of field marshal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office said on Tuesday, making him only the second general in the country’s history to rise to that rank.
The development comes a little over a week after Pakistan declared victory in a four-day standoff with India that saw the arch-rivals trade fighter jet, missile, drone and artillery strikes, with dozens killed on both sides before a ceasefire was reached on May 10.
“The Government of Pakistan approved the promotion of General Syed Asim Munir (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military) to the rank of Field Marshal for ensuring the security of the country and defeating the enemy on the basis of the superior strategy and courageous leadership in Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos on behalf of Pakistan,” PM Sharif’s office said in a statement released after a meeting of the federal cabinet.
In a statement issued by the military, Munir said he was dedicating his promotion to the people and armed forces of Pakistan.
“This honor is the trust of the nation, for which millions of Asims can be sacrificed,” he was quoted as saying.
Munir’s promotion to field marshal’s rank is the first since Pakistani dictator General Ayub Khan made himself a field marshal in 1965.
Field marshal is a ceremonial five-star rank that usually signifies extraordinary leadership and wartime achievement. Security sources said it was likely Munir would also remain the army chief.
Munir started his job as army chief in November 2022. A parliamentary legal amendment extended his term to five years in November 2023, from the usual three years for the role of army chief.
The office of the army chief is arguably the most powerful position in Pakistan, where the military has ruled directly for nearly half of the country’s history. Even when not in power, the military and the army chief play an outsized role in political and foreign affairs and national security decision making. In recent years, the army chief’s public role in economic decision making and in seeking foreign investments has also grown considerably.
“Definitely, his [Gen. Munir’s] stature will be now higher in all forces and his influence in civil matters like government affairs will also significantly increase,” Lt. Gen. (retired) Naeem Lodhi, a former defense secretary, told Arab News.
Indeed, observers will also be watching closely to see how Munir’s promotion will impact the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the country’s most popular political party, and its jailed founder and ex-PM Imran Khan, who has had a public falling out with the army and blames Munir for carrying out a vendetta against him. The army denies it interferes in politics.
Pakistan, China to continue ‘cooperation for regional peace’ after India conflict
- The statement comes after Pakistan declared its victory in a military standoff with India that saw Islamabad use China’s J-10Cs
- India and China, two South Asian giants and nuclear powers, are widely seen as competitors and long-term strategic rivals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have resolved to continue “bilateral cooperation for regional peace, development and stability,” the Pakistani foreign office said on Tuesday, following a four-day military conflict between Pakistan and India.
The statement came during Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s three-day visit to Beijing after Pakistan and India exchanged missiles, drones and artillery fire until the United States brokered a ceasefire on May 10.
Pakistan declared a victory in the standoff, saying its air force used Chinese J-10C aircraft to shoot down six Indian fighter jets, including three French Rafales, and the army targeted several Indian military installations during the recent flare-up.
Dar on Tuesday held in-depth consultations with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the evolving situation in South Asia and the future trajectory of Pakistan-China partnership, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
“Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the commonality of views on all issues of mutual interest and expressed their firm resolve to continue bilateral cooperation for regional peace, development and stability,” it said in a statement.
For China, Pakistan is a strategic and economic ally. Beijing is investing over $60 billion to build infrastructure, energy and other projects in Pakistan as part of its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
India and China, on the other hand, are competing regional giants and nuclear powers and widely seen as long-term strategic rivals, sharing a 3,800 Himalayan border that has been disputed since the 1950s and sparked a brief war in 1962.
The most recent standoff — that started in 2020 — thawed in October as the two sides struck a patrolling agreement.
Dar, who is also the foreign minister of Pakistan, earlier began his day with a meeting with Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), who reiterated that “China will continue to prioritize its relations with Pakistan as an All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and ironclad friend.”
Pakistan’s foreign office said in an earlier statement that Dar would discuss with Chinese leaders “the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability.”
“The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the statement added.
The conflict between India and Pakistan has offered the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware and Chinese defense stocks have already been surging as a result.
A rising military superpower, China hasn’t fought a major war in more than four decades but has raced under President Xi Jinping to modernize its armed forces, pouring resources into developing sophisticated weaponry and cutting-edge technologies.
It has also extended that modernization drive to Pakistan, long hailed by Beijing as its “ironclad brother.”
Over the past five years, China has supplied 81 percent of Pakistan’s imported weapons, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Those exports include advanced fighter jets, missiles, radars and air-defense systems. Some Pakistan-made weapons have also been co-developed with Chinese firms or built with Chinese technology and expertise.
Pakistan slams Israeli plan to control whole of Gaza, warns of ‘grave threat’ to peace
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed around 53,000 Palestinians and displaced two million
- Islamabad urges world to call for an immediate end to Israeli hostilities against Gazans
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has condemned Israel’s deliberate targeting of hospitals in Gaza and described its announcement of taking control of the entire territory as a “grave threat” to regional peace, the Pakistani Foreign Office said on Tuesday.
Israeli airstrikes last week hit Gaza’s European and Nasser hospitals, causing casualties and crippling medical services. Days later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel would take full control of the Gaza Strip.
Israel began pounding Gaza after Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking over 200 others as hostages. In response, Israel’s military campaign has so far killed around 53,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly all of Gaza’s two million residents.
“The expansion of Israeli ground operations in Gaza as well as its announcement to ‘take control of all’ of Gaza poses a grave threat to efforts aimed toward achieving peace and stability in the region,” Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said.
“Pakistan condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued Israeli aggression in Gaza as well as deliberate targeting of hospitals and other critical infrastructure along with mass evacuation orders.”
The statement said Israel continued to obstruct humanitarian aid from reaching millions, amounting to an “imposition of collective punishment” on the Palestinian people.
It highlighted UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ statement in which he voiced alarm over the situation in Gaza, where one in every five people faces starvation and the rest of the population is at risk of famine.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office urged the world to call for an immediate end to Israeli atrocities and take steps for the provision of humanitarian supplies to Palestinians.
“Furthermore, Pakistan reiterates its unequivocal opposition to any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their ancestral lands, expand illegal Israeli settlements or to annex any part of the territory,” it said.
Pakistan posts 2.4 percent growth in third quarter of fiscal year
- This month, the central bank cut key policy rate by 100 basis points to 11 percent, citing improved inflation outlook
- The latest aggregates for fiscal 2024/25 show the size of the economy at $410.96 billion up from $371.66 billion
KARACHI: Pakistan’s economy grew 2.4 percent in the third quarter of the fiscal year that ends in June, the national accounts committee said on Tuesday, while revising up growth prospects for the current fiscal year.
In a statement the committee approved a projection of 2.68 percent provisional growth in GDP during FY 2024/25, taking the size of Pakistan’s economy to $410.96 billion.
This month Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 100 basis points to 11 percent, citing an improved inflation outlook and resuming a series of cuts from a record high of 22 percent, following a brief pause in March, to support growth.
The latest national accounts aggregates for fiscal 2024/25 showed the size of the economy at 114.7 trillion rupees ($410.96 billion) up from 105.1 trillion rupees ($ 371.66 billion), the committee said.
Growth in the agriculture sector was 1.18 percent in Q3, despite a decline in important crops, while industry contracted 1.14 percent, hit by negative growth in mining and quarrying and large-scale manufacturing.
The committee also approved Pakistan’s revised GDP growth at 1.37 percent in the first quarter and 1.53 percent in the second.
Pakistan’s manufacturing sector growth slowed to a seven-month low in April, with the HBL Pakistan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) easing to 51.9 from 52.7 in March, weighed by concerns over global trade.
Pakistan top court upholds death penalty for Zahir Jaffer, convicted in grisly murder of Noor Mukadam
- Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former diplomat was found dead in Islamabad in 2021, after being brutally murdered by her friend
- The case sparked nationwide outrage and became one of Pakistan’s most widely followed trials involving violence against women
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday upheld the death penalty of Zahir Zakir Jaffer, a Pakistani-American, who was convicted of murdering 27-year-old Noor Mukadam, daughter of a former diplomat, a lawyer of Mukadam’s father said.
Jaffer, son of a wealthy industrialist, was sentenced to death in 2022 for the brutal killing of Mukadam, whose beheaded body was found in July 2021 at a residence in Islamabad’s upscale F-7/4 sector.
Last year, the Islamabad High Court upheld Jaffer’s death sentence, originally handed down by a sessions court. Subsequently, he filed an appeal in the Supreme Court in April 2023, seeking to overturn the punishment.
On Tuesday, Justice Hashim Kakar upheld the death penalty in the case that sparked nationwide outrage and became one of Pakistan’s most widely followed trials involving violence against women.
“We are quite satisfied with the Supreme Court’s decision as his death sentence in the murder case remained intact. It is a sense of relief for Noor’s parents, relatives, and civil society,” Shah Khawar, who represented Mukadam’s father, told Arab News.
“It was a very important case, as it involved the brutal murder of a young girl who was killed in an extremely violent manner. The family of the accused was financially very strong, so people believed they would be able to influence the court— but that was proven wrong today.”
Khawar said the trial court had given the accused a death sentence for murder, 25-year imprisonment for rape, and 10-year imprisonment for abduction.
“When we appealed the decision in the High Court, his 25-year imprisonment for the rape case was also converted to a death sentence. The High Court also upheld his death sentence for murder,” he said.
“In today’s decision, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for murder, commuted the death sentence for rape to 25 years of imprisonment, and acquitted him in the abduction case. Two of his servants, who had each been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, were released with the order that the time they had already served would count as their sentence.”
‘Justice for Noor,’ an advocacy page on Instagram run by Mukadam’s friends, hailed Tuesday’s verdict and said it was a “powerful reminder” that women’s lives matter.
“This is not just for Noor. This is for every woman in Pakistan,” it said.
Khawar, who represented Mukadam’s father Shaukat Mukadam, said the convict now has “very limited” legal options left.
“One is to file a review petition, which will be heard by the same bench, offering very limited scope for any relief,” he said.
“The final step would be to file a mercy appeal before the President of Pakistan under Article 45. If they choose to pursue this option, the sentence will remain suspended until the mercy petition is decided.”
