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KARACHI: Amnesty Inter­n­a­tional has called for the im­mediate restoration of soc­ial media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) 29 days after the government blocked access to it. In a post on X , the human rights group said it has signed a joint statement with 28 civil society organisations for the restoration of X and urged “Pakistani authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and access to information under the country’s international human rights commitments”, according to a Dawn.com report. The joint statement signed by Amnesty Inter­na­tional and civil society organisations called for immediate restoration of the platform. “We, a collective of human rights activists and civil society organisations, express profound concern over the incr­easing instances of internet shutdowns and social media platform blocking, specifically in the lead up to and following the general elections in Pakis­tan. “These actions not only infringe upon the fundamental rights of...

QUETTA / BAJAUR: A senior police officer and a tribal elder were killed in two attacks in Sibi and Bajaur on Friday, according to officials. Sibi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khalid Zaman Marri was passing through the bazaar area in Sibi town when unknown assailants opened fire at his vehicle near the Chanak roundabout area. The police officer got critically injured after receiving six bullets and was taken to the Combined Military Hospital. He later succumbed to his injuries. One of the attackers was injured after the DSP’s security guard returned fire. He, along with other attackers, managed to flee but was caught by the police near Nishtar Road and shifted to the hospital. Police officials said the motive behind the attack couldn’t be ascertained immediately, and no group has claimed responsibility. “We are investigating the attack from all aspects,” Sibi SSP Inayatullah Bangulzai said. Three alleged militants gunned down in Lakki Marwat A senior police officer sai...

In its first fuel price revision announcement, the newly elected government on Friday maintained the price of petrol but slashed diesel for the next fortnight. In an an­­nouncement before midnight, the Ministry of Finance said the new price of diesel would go into effect on March 16, as recommended by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra). The price of petrol remains Rs279.75 per litre, while the price of high-speed diesel has been decreased by Rs1.77 to Rs285.56 per litre. Previously, informed sources said the petroleum prices were estimated to generally remain stable as the premium on petrol import had increased to $12.15 per barrel from $10.45 in February but exchange rate and international product prices remained range bound. The premium on the import of high-speed diesel (HSD) has remained unchanged at $6.50 per barrel. The government has already achieved a Rs60 per litre petroleum levy — the maximum permissible limit under the law — on both petrol and HSD. The gove...

Spokesperson for the Bharatiya Kisan Union Rakesh Tikait (centre) speaks with farmers during a sit-in at New Delhi’s Ramlila ground, on Thursday.—AFP NEW DELHI: Thousands of farmers rode buses and trains from across India to gather on Thursday at a rally in the capital, pressing a demand for higher guaranteed prices for their crops, as they faced down police barricades and tough security. The rally, days before general elections are expected to be called in an exercise that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi seek a rare third term, comes a month after police wielding tear gas and water cannons halted a farmers’ march outside New Delhi. “Through this meeting, we want to show government authorities that we are not too far from reaching our goals,” Darshan Pal, of a farmers’ group, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), told news agency ANI . “We can surround Delhi whenever we want.” There was no immediate comment from the government or Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but they h...

RAWALPINDI: The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) has issued a white paper on the failures of the aviation industry, claiming that a lack of professionalism caused pilot licence issues , leading to a ban on operations of Pakistani airlines in EU countries. Posting the right people in the proper jobs was one of the recommendations made in the white paper, which outlined the reasons behind the aviation industry’s downfall and suggested measures to improve it. The AOOA said former aviation minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, due to lack of understanding of the sensitivity of the matter, was wrongly briefed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that a number of pilots possessed fake licences. It destroyed the whole industry, and Pakistani airlines were banned from operating in Europe and the United States. “Now, it is proven that there are no fake licences, and the court has dropped the charges against pilots… However, the present CAA director general is not even accepting the c...

PESHAWAR / DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Three policemen were martyred and another one was injured in two separate attacks in the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dera Ismail Khan district. Police officials told Dawn that unidentified attackers targeted a police van in the Dag Lara area of Peshawar within the limits of Michni Gate police station late on Monday. A police official said the attack took place at around 11:30pm when unidentified attackers targeted the police vehicle. The attack resulted in the martyrdom of Ajmal Khan and Siraj Khan, while Assistant Sub-Inspector Mazhar was injured. The funeral prayers of the martyred officers were offered at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines on Tuesday. The Counter-Terrorism Department has registered an FIR and is inves­t­­igating the attack. However, the police said no arrests were immediately made. Separately, a police constable was martyred when unidentified assailants, riding a motorcycle, targeted him in the Sakhi Gate area of Kulachi t...

A senior Afghan Taliban leader has expressed the hope that Pakistan’s new government will have cordial relations with Kabul, Afghan state media reported on Tuesday. Kandahar Governor Mullah Muhammad Shirin Akhund received Pakistan’s Chargé d’Affaires (Cd’A) and head of mission in Kabul, Ubaid ur Rehman Nizamani, in Kandahar, the spiritual centre of the Afghan Taliban on Monday. The Pakistani envoy travelled to Kandahar to meet with Mullah Shirin, a close confidant of the Taliban supreme leader, amid a tense relationship between the two uneasy neighbours. Afghanistan’s Bakhtar state news agency reported that the Kandahar governor “congratulated the Pakistani envoy over the holding of elections”. This is the first time a senior and influential Taliban leader has spoken publicly about elections in Pakistan. The Pakistani envoy also confirmed his meeting with the Kandahar governor when approached. “We discussed matters of common interest and agreed to advance Pakistan-Afghanistan re...