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Survivors of a boat disaster that likely killed hundreds of migrants near Greece have given accounts of traffickers in North Africa cramming them into a clapped-out fishing trawler. They recounted hellish conditions above and below deck, with no food or water. Some also said the tragic end, when it came, was precipitated by the actions of the Greek coastguard. They have told judicial authorities of a doomed attempt to tow the overloaded trawler that caused the vessel to capsize in the early hours of June 14. A disastrous coastguard towing attempt was recounted in six of the nine statements from survivors submitted to Greek judicial officials investigating the causes of the tragedy, according to evidence seen by Reuters . One Syrian survivor said he and other migrants on board the Adriana, which had broken down en route to Italy, screamed “Stop!” after a Greek coastguard vessel attached a rope to the bow of the trawler and began to pull it while picking up speed. The migrant boa...

MQM-P leader Mustafa Kamal shows a document at the press conference on Wednesday.—Dawn KARACHI: Accusing the provincial election authorities of tampering with the voter list of Karachi to serve political interest of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan on Wednesday demanded that the Sindh Election Commissioner be removed immediately. The party also warned that it would not accept the results of any elections until the issues related with electoral rolls were fixed. Addressing a press conference at the party’s temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad, senior MQM-P leader Syed Mustafa Kamal was visibly angry when he blamed both the PPP and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for ‘abusing powers’ to benefit certain political entities and damage others. “We have documented proof of all wrongdoings and we demand the ECP to move before it’s too late. We can’t let anyone steal the mandate of people of Karachi. This is pre-poll rigging. This is not...

LAHORE: The Lahore police claimed that the armed attack on the residence of former Punjab governor and senior lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa was planned by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Zubair Khan Niazi. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Lahore Investigation DIG Kamran Adil shared the breakthrough in the probe into the case of attack on the DHA residence of Mr Khosa, saying that the prime suspect who had opened fire has been arrested. The incident occurred on June 16 when unidentified armed men opened fire at the main gate of Khosa’s residence. In the attack, driver of Mr Khosa was injured and a footage later showed two armed motorcyclists fleeing after the incident. The former governor had sharply reacted saying those ‘irked by his speeches’, were behind the attack. Khosa had shown to the media holes in the door of his residence saying a Kalashnikov was used in the attack. The DIG said the suspect told the investigators that he was tasked with firing on the the resid...

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday announced that the price of petrol would remain unchanged at Rs262 per litre for the next fortnight while the price of diesel was raised by Rs7.5 per litre. Addressing a press conference today, the finance minister did not specify if he was referring to high-speed diesel or light diesel oil. He also did not announce if there were any changes in the price of kerosene. Explaining the reason for the price increase, Dar said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) had reported an increase of $3.5 in diesel prices in the international markets in the last few days, with a similar upward trend for petrol prices. He said the Ogra team had strived to pass on the minimum possible price increase to consumers as per the prime minister’s instructions so there was no increase in the petrol price. “However, because there has been a lot of negative movement and increase in prices for diesel, they (Ogra) have recommended the government to do a minimum increa...

Six terrorists were killed by security forces in separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank and North Waziristan districts, according to a press release from the military’s media wing issued on Friday. The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that on the night of June 29/30, “a fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists in general area Manzai, Tank district. Own troops effectively engaged the terrorists’ location. Resultantly, three were sent to hell,” adding that weapons and ammunition were also recovered from them. It further said that in another “fierce encounter” between troops and terrorists in North Waziristan’s general area of Razmak, “three more terrorists were sent to hell.” The ISPR said the slain militants were actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces and killing innocent citizens. It added that sanitisation of the areas was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the vicinity. “Locals of the ar...

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Two people were killed and two others were injured in an armed clash between tribesmen of two tribes in Jhal Magsi area on Tuesday night. Levies officials said that armed people of Khanjani and Judhani tribes took positions against each other and opened fire using automatic weapons in Seed Form area of Jhal Magsi. In the exchange of fire, two people of Khanjani tribe were killed and two others were injured. Those killed were identified as Muhammad Usman Lashari and Ai Asghar. Two other people, Suleman and Qadeer Hussian, suffered injuries and were admitted to district hospital. Police have registered a case against people of Judhani tribe. Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2023 from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/tuvCp0g

• Heated exchanges witnessed as treasury benches criticised for not prioritising region’s issues • Rs28.45bn allocated for development, Rs74bn set aside for non-development expenditure • Rs51bn earmarked for salaries; education sector to get Rs1.57bn GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Assem­bly passed the tax-free budget for the next fiscal year 2023-24, with a total outlay of over Rs116 billion. After a two-day debate session, the budget was approved by the majority members of the assembly, chaired by Speaker Nazir Ahmed. GB Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid, addressing the session, stated that Rs51bn would be allocated for employees’ salaries and Rs28bn for development projects. He emphasised the government’s focus on the health and education sectors. However, opposition members in the assembly criticised the GB government for not prioritising GB issues in the current budget. Harsh words were exchanged between GB Chief Minister and opposition leader Amjad Hussain Advocate during the bu...

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has said a staff level agreement for a crucial bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was “very close” and expected in the next 24 hours. The government is racing against time to unlock at least $1.1 billion under the lender’s ninth review of a $6.5-billion Extended Fund Facility agreed in 2019. The programme expires on Friday. “We are very close to signing a staff level agreement with the IMF,” Dar told Reuters late on Thursday. “I think it should come some time tonight or maximum within 24 hours … We have finalised everything.” READ : Ishaq Dar loses his cool with reporter over question on IMF programme A source familiar with talks told Reuters that Pakistan and the IMF were also in discussions for the release of the full $2.5 billion pending under the IMF programme. The source said the staff level agreement was to set to initially unlock around $1.1 billion and then be followed by a “standby agreement” which could release the rest ...

PARIS: France braced for angry protests on Wednesday after the killing of a teenager by police during a traffic stop that President Emm­anuel Macron called “unforgivable”. The government said it would deploy 2,000 riot police to deal with any unrest, a day after a 17-year-old was shot in the chest by a police officer who then appeared to lie about the circumstances of the killing. The shooting had already sparked unrest in several Paris suburbs overnight. Celebrities and politicians expressed outrage and grief at the death of the teenager, with Macron calling it “inexplicable” and “unforgivable”. The teenager, named only as Nael M., was pulled over by two policemen for breaking traffic rules, prosecutors said. Police initially reported that one officer shot at the teenager because he was driving his car at him, but this version of events was contradicted by a video circulating on social media and authenticated by AFP. The footage shows the two policemen actually standing by the s...

SAKINA Fatima used to think her path to the Haj and Umrah was forever blocked. “If I don’t have a mehram, why can’t I come to see Allah’s house and do sajdah on the floor of Haram?” the 40-year-old orphan from India, wondered. “Why do I have to pay the price for a decision that’s not mine?” she asked, fighting back tears. Then in the Haj 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic, she made a fervent plea as the sight of an almost empty Kaaba pierced through her heart — “Oh Allah, call me once.” The prayer was answered. In October 2022, she and countless other women were granted permission to travel for Haj and Umrah without male guardianship. “It’s not about money or status or anything else. Once Allah has decided to call you, He will make ways,” Sakina told me during an Umrah earlier this year. She was finally in the holy city of Makkah, seeing the Kaaba with her own eyes. The dream had come true. This year, thousands of women from across 160 countries participated in the Haj...

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has reduced the super tax on large corporations from 10 per cent to 4pc after declaring it discriminatory, but refused to annul the tax altogether. The order on Tuesday was passed by LHC Justice Jawad Hassan on petitions seeking to strike down the tax imposed last year. The petitioners also challenged the amendment to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 — introduced through the Finance Act, 2022 — which imposed the super tax. The “super tax” on 13 large-scale industries was imposed in 2022 as the government attempted to shore up revenues and support the poor amid rising inflation. No rationale behind picking 13 industries for added levy, judge observes Through an amendment to Section 4C of the Income Tax Ordinance, the super tax was imposed on the earnings from cement, steel, sugar, oil and gas, fertilisers, LNG terminals, textile, banking, automobile, tobacco, beverages, chemicals and airlines sectors. The Division IIB, Part I of First Schedule o...

ARAFAT: Pilgrims crowd the Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy) during the climax of the Haj on Tuesday. In his sermon, Imam Sheikh Bin Saeed called on all Muslims to forge unity as it would lead them to salvation.—AFP ARAFAT (Makkah): Hundreds of thousands of Muslim pilgrims crowded the rocky rise known as Mount Arafat on Tuesday to pray at the height of Haj pilgrimage, as Saudi scholar and Member of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Youssef Bin Muhammad Bin Saeed made a clarion call for the Ummah to forge unity and cohesion among their ranks. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also arrived in Mina, where pilgrims slept in a city of white tents that spread out across the plain. From the air, it looked as if the land were dusted with snow. He arrived to assess the well-being of worshippers and the quality of services provided there, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. Tree-shaped water towers sprayed cooling showers on the visitors, who received free water bottles a...

ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday allowed traders to import crude oil and petroleum products on suppliers’ credit and approved policy guidelines on foreign supplier’s accounts through customs-bonded storage facilities but the decision immediately set the local oil industry crying. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, presided over by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, which also approved more supplementary grants of Rs4.01bn including Rs200 million to the Auditor General of Pakistan and Rs3.815bn to the Ministry of Interior for additional ration bills of Rs2.99bn of Frontier Corp (KP-North) and Rs825m to FC KP-South. Under the guidelines for bonded oil storages proposed by the Petroleum Division, the move would help address oil supply challenges including those relating to foreign exchange and create an additional facility without any cost to the government as the traders would arrange imports on supplier’s credit compared to th...

LAHORE: The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab has reported the arrest of nine suspects associated with defunct organisations across various parts of the province. According to a spokesperson for the CTD, the arrests were made as a result of intelligence-based operations (IBOs) conducted by different teams of the department. A total of 35 IBOs were carried out in different districts of Punjab, leading to the questioning of 36 suspects. Of the interrogated people, nine suspects were arrested: Adnan Yousaf and Mohammad Luqman from the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan; Abdul Haleem and Salman Iftikhar from the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi; and Sheraz Alam, Abdaho Shah, Bilqees Bibi (Shah’s wife), Shahid Ahmad, and Muhammad Umar bin Khalid from the banned Daesh. The CTD registered five first information reports against these suspects in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur. As part of the operations, the CTD also recovered four hand grenades, three prima cards, 42 bullets of a...

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a plea to structure the discretion of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) with an observation that the propositions advanced were not tenable or had merit. On June 13, a two-judge SC bench consisting of Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had reserved its ruling on a petition moved by Advocate Hina Jilani representing a number of civil society activists namely Afiya Shehrbano Zia, Afrasiab Khattak, M. Ziauddin, Farhatullah Babar, Nighat Said Khan, Farida Shaheed, Rubina Saigol and Bushra Gauhar. The counsel had argued before the Supreme Court that a judge accused of misconduct was a burden on the exchequer if he finally reached superannuation despite the fact that the SJC was seized with a complaint against the judge. On Oct 10, 2018, a total of 98 citizens, including the petitioners, had filed a complaint against then chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar under Article 209 of the Constitution over alleged breach of the...

• Islamabad taking steps to ensure it doesn’t lose $1.4bn quota already approved by IMF board • Short-term support discussed at staff-level; Fund official says happy with govt’s ‘decisive measures’ ISLAMABAD: With time running out, Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are discussing a new short-term — six to nine months — standby arrangement (SBA) worth about $2.5bn, the remaining part of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) expiring on June 30, to get the country through the political transition to the newly-elected government in the second quarter of the current fiscal year. This is one of the two options currently under discussion by the two sides after the government met all the conditions and prior actions of the ninth review, and also those relating to subsequent 10th and 11th tranches without disbursement of $2.5bn funds outstanding since October 2022. The options have been discussed at the staff level and during recent back-to-back engagements between Prime Minist...

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) to remove barriers from all streets in its jurisdiction. A two-judge bench headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed passed this order while hearing an application seeking to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the DHA for failing to remove all illegal barriers from the streets despite court directives. The lawyer for the DHA submitted that all the barriers had been removed in compliance with the court order, but the applicant’s counsel claimed that certain concrete barriers were still installed in DHA Phase-I. The bench asked the DHA to ensure that such barriers were removed and adjourned the hearing for a date to be fixed later after summer vacation. Resident moves SHC seeking contempt proceedings against DHA for not complying with its earlier order Dr Mazhar Naeem had filed a petition in 2014 seeking removal of illegally paced barriers from the streets in DHA Phase-I. In 2015, the SHC ha...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned US Deputy Chief of Mission Andrew Schofer and handed over a demarche to him over the joint statement issued by the United States and India which called on Islamabad to take action against extremists based in Pakistan. US President Joe Biden had laid out a red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House last week where the two countries sealed major defence and technology deals as Washington bets big on India as a counterweight to China. In an apparent bid to use the visit to further India’s agenda against Islamabad, a joint statement issued by the two heads of state had called on Pakistan to crack down on extremists that target New Delhi. “[The two leaders] strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks,” the statement said. Today, the Foreign Office (F...

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims walked or rode buses Monday to a giant tented city near Makkah for the climax of the annual Haj that Saudi officials say could break attendance records. After performing the ritual circumambulation of the Kaaba, worshippers set off for Mina, about seven kilometres away, in suffocating heat. Pilgrims in robes and sandals, many carrying umbrellas against the beating sun, undertook the journey on foot or crowded onto hundreds of air-conditioned buses provided by Saudi authorities. They will spend the night in white tents in Mina, which every year hosts the world’s largest encampment, before the Haj’s high-point on Tuesday: prayers at Mount Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) delivered his final sermon. “My dream has come true,” said Jamila Hammoudi, a 62-year-old Morrocan school teacher. “I will pray for everyone,” she told AFP after arriving in the tented city. Shortly after midday, pilgrims packed most of the tents, which contain t...

Two former chief ministers of India-held Kashmir have demanded an investigation into an alleged incident of Indian soldiers forcing Muslim worshippers in a mosque in the valley’s Pulwama area to chant Hindu slogans, the Indian media has reported. “Shocked to hear about army troops from 50 RR (Rashtriya Rifles) storming into a mosque at Pulwama and forcing Muslims inside to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram’. Such a move when [Home Minister] Amit Shah is here and that too ahead of yatra (a Hindu pilgrimage) is simply an act of provocation,” said former CM Mehbooba Mufti in reaction to the reports. She requested Indian Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, who recently took command of India’s Chinar Corps in the area, to “immediately set up a probe” into the reported incident. Similarly, former CM Omar Abdullah termed the reports “deeply distressing”. “It’s bad enough they entered but then forcing people to chant slogans like ‘Jai Shree Ram’ as reported by the locals there, is unacceptable,” he s...

The government of Sindh intends to spend Rs6.9 billion on the agriculture sector in FY24 out of an estimated Rs700bn budget for development expenditure. Overall, the agriculture sector’s development budget, including foreign project assistance, stood at Rs11.9bn. These development allocations included funds for new and ongoing schemes. Many schemes that were reflected in the FY23 budget books but could not be worked upon are now part of the budget. The FY23 budget estimates were revised at Rs5.5bn after an initial Rs7.5bn estimation, according to government officials dealing with these numbers. Until June 16, the provincial finance department’s official figures put expenditure at Rs4.9 million for the agriculture department. These expenses will increase slightly when the current fiscal year ends on June 30 and district treasuries process the bills of vendors. A breakdown of the agricultural development budget includes the following: research wing (Rs387m), extension (Rs396m), market...

LAHORE / QUETTA: Eight people lost their lives after they were struck by lightning in Punjab as many areas in the province received heavy rain with strong wind, on Sunday. The extreme weather also caused infrastructure and livestock losses in parts of Punjab and Balochistan. Deaths were reported in Narowal, Sialkot and Sheikhupura districts. According to a rescue official, five people were killed in Narowal district. “The lightning strikes occurred in four areas, including the villages of Ratia Khurd and Mengra, of Narowal district,” said Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hurmat Ali. In Changovali village, two people working in a field fell victim to lightning strikes. They were identified as Mohammad Siddique, 60, and Mohammad Naseer, 30. One Abdul Rehman was moved to hospital in serious condition. Downpours, hailstorm batter parts of Balochistan In a similar incident, 20-year-old Mohammad Bilal was killed in Kanogo village as were Mohammad Asad and Mohammad Saqlain in nearby areas. N...

KARACHI: A major portion of a building that houses a prominent clothes store on Tariq Road was gutted in a huge fire on Saturday, police and fire officials said. A fire official said that the blaze erupted on the first floor of ‘Kurta Corner’ at around 1:00pm and seven fire engines were sent to put out the inferno. He said that the fire-fighting efforts took several hours to complete as the fire was put out at around 5:11pm. The officials said that the first floor of the store was completely destroyed, while the second floor was partially damaged in the blaze. The exact cause of fire and estimation of financial loss could not be ascertained till late in the night. Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Mohammed Kamran Khan Tessori on Saturday took notice of the fire incident in the Tariq Road area. He directed the Karachi commissioner to conduct an inquiry and present him a detailed report on the incident. Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2023 from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/faIo...

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to “sensitise” the seven-member bench seized with petitions against trials of civilians in the military courts to the gravity of May 9 violence, the federal government is “seriously considering” playing footage of violent attacks on military and government buildings in Courtroom No 1. “We want to sensitise the court to the gravity of the situation for which it is essential to show the video footage,” said Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan while talking to Dawn. He said the government intended to run the clips of violent incidents, which occurred following the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan on May 9, inside Courtroom No 1. The government is likely to play different clips showing attacks in cantonments of Lahore, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, and Mardan, particularly attacks on the Lahore corps commander’s house and the General Head­quarters in Rawalpindi. It is likely that the footage would be shown on Tuesday when it will be the government’s turn to advance arguments t...

• Parts of country face up to 12 hours of loadshedding, ‘brownouts’ •Officials say system ‘ill-equipped’ to bear ‘huge load’ as demand reaches 30,000MW LAHORE: People across Pakistan have been hit by a double whammy of extremely hot weather and prolonged power outages, with many distribution companies (Discos) resorting to observe loadshedding after the power shortfall crossed 6,000 megawatts on Saturday. In urban areas, three to six hours of loadshedding was reported while rural areas of the country experienced up to 12 hours of outages. In addition to scheduled outages, brownouts (tripping, fluctuation, low voltage etc) caused by the overloaded transmission and distribution system also forced load management. Similarly, shutdowns on the pretext of maintenance also continued, making people’s lives miserable as they braved the hot and humid weather. As reliance on air conditioners increased amid intense heat, the power demand touched 30,000MW during peak hours — the highest demand...

ISLAMABAD: Malik Riaz, owner of Bahria Town, on Friday skipped a second call-up notice of the National Accou­ntability Bureau (NAB) that insiders said had been under immense pressure for summoning ex-premier Imran Khan but not calling the real estate tycoon in Al Qadir Trust case. According to NAB rules, the anti-graft watchdog could arrest any suspect who ignores three call-up notices and does not appear before its investigation officer. However, there is also a likelihood that Mr Riaz had sent a written reply to NAB’s notices and avoided his personal appearance. The property tycoon is said to be one of the main suspects in the high-profile Al Qadir Trust case in which the PTI chairman and his wife were facing charges of obtaining billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town for a deal during the previous PTI government. Last month, NAB arrested Mr Khan in the same case that triggered protests by PTI supporters who torched and ransacked public and private properties,...

WASHINGTON: The joint US-India statement has not only urged Pakistan to take ’immediate action“ against all terrorist groups, but also left open the option of asking the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to further tighten its anti-money-laundering and terrorism financing standards. The statement, issued after a White House meeting between President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, said the two leaders “called upon the FATF to undertake further work identifying how to improve global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.” Uzair Younus, a South Asian scholar with the Atlantic Council, Washington, said this should be a cause of concern for Pakistan because “there’s evidence that when pushed on the FATF side, Pakistan does comply with specific demands like this.” He referred to the Sajid Mir case , adding that in the fall of 2021, “Sajid Mir was brought back from the dead” when Pakistan faced similar p...

Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Friday barred entry of non-residents inside the Nisar Shaheed Park located in the locality’s Phase IV. In a tweet from its official Twitter account, the DHA issued a number of procedures for entrance into the park, saying that they were aimed at ensuring a “smooth and enjoyable experience for all visitors”. The entry guidelines listed by the authority said residents could only visit the park with their family members while individual entry was not permitted. “Residents of DHA who wish to visit the park for a walk must be appropriately dressed in a sports kit, or at the very least, joggers paired with a shalwar kameez or pant shirt,” the DHA said. It added that the entry of non-residents into the park was not allowed “with or without family”. It must be noted that Nisar Shaheed Park is managed by the DHA. When Dawn.com reached out to the DHA spokesperson Farrukh Rizvi for further details, he briefly replied that the decision was t...

IT seems that Islam as well as ‘Pakistaniat’ come under threat very often in this country. And to ‘defend’ either, in fact both, it is always appeals to religion, nationalism and tradition that are invoked. People are accused of being un-Islamic, they are accused of being unpatriotic and they are accused of going against tradition. Traditional power structures are defended, and strongly so, in almost all domains in Pakistan. The most recent example of this is a letter — subsequently ‘ withdrawn ’ by the HEC — on that Dr Shaista Sohail, executive director of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), has written to the higher education institutions in the country. In fact, it is a quintessential example. Dr Sohail directly invokes religious and nationalistic values (“… espouses the cultural and moral values as laid down by our religion“, “… concepts embedded in our own culture, values and traditions, thus preserving the nation’s ideology”, and “… a complete disconnect from our sociocult...