Woman presumed dead in triple murder case against powerful Balochistan minister found alive

Giran Naz, standing next to her four sons and a daughter after Balochistan levis force recovered the family from the [alleged] custody of provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran in Barkhan district of Balochistan on February 23, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Balochistan Levis Force)
Short Url
Updated 23 February 2023
Follow

Woman presumed dead in triple murder case against powerful Balochistan minister found alive

  • Levies paramilitary force discovered three mutilated bodies in Hajji Kot area of Barkhan district on Monday night
  • Communications Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran ia accused of kidnapping, killing members of woman’s family

QUETTA: In a dramatic twist in a triple murder case in Pakistan’s Balochistan province that has grabbed national headlines this week and sparked protests, a senior official said a woman believed to have been kidnapped and killed by a powerful politician had been recovered alive.

The Levies paramilitary force discovered three mutilated bodies in a well in the Hajji Kot area of Barkhan district in southwestern Balochistan on Monday night. The victims were said to belong to the family of a local tribesman, Khan Muhammad Marri, who has accused Communications and Works Minister Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran of holding his family hostage in “private jails” and eventually killing them. Khetran is currently under arrest.

Protesters set up a camp in Quetta on Tuesday, refusing to bury the mutilated bodies, allegedly belonging to a woman, Giran Naz, and her sons, Muhammad Nawaz and Abdul Qadir. Prior to the bodies being discovered, a video went viral of Naz accusing Khetran of detaining her family and requesting Pakistani authorities to secure their release.




A group of protesters sit right next to the coffins of a woman and her two sons in Quetta, Pakistan, on February 22, 2023, accusing a provincial minister of triple murder and demanding his arrest. (@paank_bnm/Twitter)

Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest and poorest province. The arid western region is rich in minerals but plagued by violence, with powerful tribes long having held sway over political and social life in the region. Separatist militants also run amok in the area, carrying out frequent attacks on security forces and accusing the federal government of looting the region’s resources while leaving its people in poverty.

Deputy Commissioner Barkhan, Abdullah Khosa, told Arab News Naz and five of her children had been held hostage at different locations. Naz was recovered from Kohlu, he said.

“Our Levis Quick Response Force (QRF) teams raided various locations and recovered some members from Kohlu and Duki and some were recovered from the bordering areas of Barkhan and Dera Bugti,” Khosa said.

About the three bodies found in the well on Monday, the official said the woman’s face had been mutilated and was unrecognizable but the two male bodies were of Naz and Marri’s sons.

“Now we will investigate the identity of the woman whose body was found,” Khosa said.

Police surgeon Dr. Ayesha Faiz, who performed an autopsy on the woman’s body, said it belonged to a 17-18 year old girl.

“The body is not of some old woman,” she told reporters, adding that the girl had been sexually assaulted before being shot in the head three times. Acid had been poured on her face and neck to conceal her identity.

Khetran, meanwhile, was summoned by the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police in Quetta for interrogation on Wednesday and subsequently arrested.

The Balochistan government has also formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) after the triple murder triggered outrage on social media and protests in Quetta.

Jahangir Marri, the secretary general of the Marri Ittehad Pakistan that organized the Quetta sit-in, accused the police and paramilitary forces of trying to protect the provincial minister who he accused of maintaining “private jails” to torture people.

He said the protests would go on until police presented Naz and her children before the people and proved that they were alive.

“Our protest will continue in Quetta,” he told Arab News, “and we won’t end the sit-in until the authorities bring the recovered woman and her sons here.”


Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy

Updated 4 min 19 sec ago
Follow

Tens of thousands demonstrate in Nepal seeking restoration of ousted monarchy

  • Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy

KATHMANDU: Tens of thousands of protesters demanding the abolished monarchy be restored and the former king be made the head of state of the Himalayan nation demonstrated in Nepal Thursday.

The protesters, waving flags and chanting slogans, demanded the return of the king and the restoration of Hinduism as a state religion as they marched through the main circle in the capital, Kathmandu.

Just a few hundred meters (feet) from the pro-monarchy protesters, their opponents, who are supporters of the Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, had gathered at the exhibition grounds to celebrate Republic Day.

There was fear that these two groups could likely clash and create trouble in the city. Hundreds of riot police kept the two groups apart and authorities had given them permission on different times to take out their rallies.

Nepal abolished the monarchy and turned the nation into a republic in 2008, bringing in a president as the head of the state.

“Bring king back to the throne and save the country. We love our king more than our lives,” the estimated 20,000 protesters chanted with a few playing traditional drums and musical instruments.

“We are going to continue our protests until the centuries-old monarchy is brought back and the country turned in to a Hindu stage for the interest of the country,” said Dil Nath Giri, a supporter of the former king at the rally.

The pro-monarchy supporters had announced they were restarting their protests from Thursday.

In their last big protest on March 28, two people including a television cameraman, were killed when protesters attacked buildings and set them on fire while police fired bullets and tear gas on the protesters. Several protesters arrested on that day are still in jail.

There has been growing demand in recent months for Gyanendra Shah to be reinstated as king and Hinduism to be brought back as a state religion. Royalist groups accuse the country’s major political parties of corruption and failed governance and say people are frustrated with politicians.

Massive street protests in 2006 forced Gyanendra to give up his authoritarian rule, and two years later the parliament voted to abolish the monarchy.

Gyanendra, who left the Royal Palace to live as commoner, has not commented on the calls for the return of monarchy. Despite growing support, the former king has little chance of immediately returning to power.


Russia slams Israeli attacks on Gaza as ‘collective punishment’ of civilians

Updated 12 min 40 sec ago
Follow

Russia slams Israeli attacks on Gaza as ‘collective punishment’ of civilians

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday slammed Israeli attacks on Gaza as “collective punishment of the civilian population,” in some of Moscow’s strongest criticism of Israel as it steps up its offensive.
Lavrov said “measures taken by Israel” in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas “constitute collective punishment of the civilian population,” calling what was happening in Gaza “incomprehensible and indescribable.”


Saudi EXIM Bank targets African markets with 4 new MoUs 

Updated 28 min 59 sec ago
Follow

Saudi EXIM Bank targets African markets with 4 new MoUs 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is accelerating the expansion of its non-oil exports into African markets, with the Saudi Export-Import Bank securing four new strategic agreements to strengthen trade and investment ties across the continent.  

Saudi Export-Import Bank CEO Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalb signed memoranda of understanding with Africa50, the Ghana Export-Import Bank, Blend International Limited, and Guinea’s Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, the Saudi Press Agency reported.  

The deals were finalized on the sidelines of the African Development Bank Group’s annual meetings, held in Côte d’Ivoire from May 26 to 30. 

The newly signed deals come as Saudi exports to Africa surged 20.6 percent year on year to SR7.84 billion ($2.09 billion) in March 2025, reflecting growing trade ties between the Kingdom and the continent.  

Al-Khalb said the bank’s participation in the meetings aims to deepen international trade relations and forge partnerships that support Saudi non-oil export growth in African markets. 

The SPA report added: “He stated that the memoranda of understanding are an extension of the bank’s efforts to promote trade exchange, stimulate development projects, and enable local exporters to export their services and products to African markets through effective and extended partnerships, contributing to supporting sustainable development goals and enhancing economic integration.” 

He also described the gathering as a valuable opportunity to boost economic cooperation and engage with officials from export credit agencies and financial institutions across African countries. 

The agreements were signed by Saudi EXIM CEO Saad bin Abdulaziz Al-Khalb, along with Alain Ebobisse, CEO of Africa50; Sylvester Mensah, CEO of the Ghana Export-Import Bank; Ravi Gupta, managing director of Blend International Limited; and Ismail Nabeh, minister of planning and international cooperation of Guinea.

The MoU with Africa50 is aimed at enhancing cooperation in infrastructure projects by partnering with Saudi companies. The agreement with the Ghana Export-Import Bank will focus on exploring cooperation opportunities and enhancing bilateral exports of services and products. 

Meanwhile, the MoU with Blend International Limited is aimed at targeting broader trade opportunities and international partnerships. The deal with Guinea’s Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation seeks to bolster development projects and investment in priority sectors, enabling Saudi exports of engineering services and industrial supplies. 

Also, on the sidelines of the event, Al-Khalb and his delegation held in-depth discussions with leaders of several international financial institutions, focusing on expanding trade ties and boosting the flow of Saudi non-oil exports into African markets.


Two police officers, four Pakistani Taliban killed in rare raid in Azad Kashmir

Updated 29 min 25 sec ago
Follow

Two police officers, four Pakistani Taliban killed in rare raid in Azad Kashmir

  • While security forces frequently target TTP hideouts in restive northwest and elsewhere, such operations in Kashmir are rare
  • Police chief says TTP is acting as a proxy for India, New Delhi has not responded to the accusation

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan: Security forces acting on intelligence raided a militant hideout in Azad Kashmir, triggering a shootout that left two police officers and four Pakistani Taliban fighters dead, police said Thursday.

The rare overnight raid was carried out in the Rawalakot district, according to Abdul Jabbar, the police chief in Kashmir, which is split between Pakistan and India and claimed in full by both countries in its entirety.

Jabbar said the killed militants were members of the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban. He alleged the TTP is acting as a proxy for India and said police thwarted an attempt by the insurgents to create a base for future attacks.

There was no immediate response from New Delhi.

While Pakistani security forces frequently target TTP hideouts in the restive northwest and elsewhere, such operations in Kashmir are rare. TTP is a separate group and has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have since found sanctuary in Afghanistan.


Asia’s first Saudi sukuk ETF launched in Hong Kong

Updated 30 min 10 sec ago
Follow

Asia’s first Saudi sukuk ETF launched in Hong Kong

RIYADH: Hong Kong has launched Asia’s first exchange-traded fund tracking Saudi sovereign sukuk, marking a major development in financial cooperation between East Asia and the Middle East.

The Premia BOCHK Saudi Arabia Government Sukuk ETF, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, follows the iBoxx Tadawul Government & Agencies Sukuk Index. It includes both riyal- and US dollar-denominated sukuk issued by the Saudi government and related agencies.

The ETF is traded under stock codes 3478 for the Hong Kong dollar counter and 9478 for the US dollar counter. It has been approved by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. It offers quarterly US dollar distributions, with fees capped at 0.35 percent and an expected annual tracking difference of around -2 percent.

The launch coincided with the opening of the Capital Markets Forum, a two-day event hosted by Saudi Tadawul Group and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., aimed at boosting cross-border investment.

This year’s forum, held under the theme “Powering Connections,” focuses on strengthening economic and capital market ties between the Middle East and East Asia.

The ETF is managed by Premia Partners, with BOCHK Asset Management Ltd. serving as investment adviser.

Speaking at the forum, Mohammed Al-Rumaih, CEO of the Saudi Exchange, said the CMF is becoming “a leading global platform for collaboration and dialogue on the future of capital markets and economic transformation.”

“We aim to strengthen ties with both local and international investors and to reinforce the Saudi capital market’s position as a leading global hub, serving as a bridge between capital markets in the East and West,” Al-Rumaih said.

Bonnie Y. Chan,  CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd, said that the partnership with Saudi Tadawul Group underscores the strong ties between the two exchanges.

“This second edition of the forum will serve as a dynamic platform to connect our broad base of investors and issuers, while encouraging deeper dialogue and collaboration among the capital-raising hubs of Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the Middle East,” Chan said.

The forum featured a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions focused on global economic trends, investment strategies, financial innovation, and the integration of sustainability into financial markets.

As part of the event, the Corporate Access Program enabled direct engagement between investors and senior executives from listed companies and capital market institutions across the region, fostering greater transparency and dialogue.

The launch of the ETF, alongside the Capital Markets Forum, reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to elevating its capital markets on the global stage. These efforts align with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy to enhance financial sector integration and attract foreign investment.

At the same time, Hong Kong continues to strengthen its role as a vital conduit for capital flows between East and West, reinforcing its position as a leading international financial hub.