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Pakistan’s Punjab, Islamabad prohibit political gatherings amid opposition protest calls

Pakistan’s Punjab, Islamabad prohibit political gatherings amid opposition protest calls
In this file photograph, taken on February 11, 2024, Pakistan police patrol in Lahore. (REUTERS/File)
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Updated 26 July 2024
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Pakistan’s Punjab, Islamabad prohibit political gatherings amid opposition protest calls

Pakistan’s Punjab, Islamabad prohibit political gatherings amid opposition protest calls
  • Opposition parties, including ex-PM Khan’s PTI, have announced protests today for release of members as well as against inflation and worsening law and order
  • Authorities have imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a provision that restricts an assembly of four or more people, in Punjab and Islamabad
Updated 26 July 2024
Aamir Saeed
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ISLAMABAD: Authorities have banned political or any other gatherings in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province and the federal capital of Islamabad, amid protest calls by opposition parties over a host of issues.
The development came after former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced a nationwide protest today, Friday, for the release of Khan and other PTI members, as well as against inflation and worsening law and order situation in the country.
Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party chief PkMAP Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who leads the opposition alliance known as Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), also announced a major protest for the release of political prisoners on Friday, with support from Jamiat Ulema Islam.
In order to keep various opposition groups from moving forward with their protests plans, the government in Punjab has imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a provision that allows administrations to prohibit assembly of four or more people, till July 28.
“It has been observed that in view of prevailing law and order situation and security threats, any political gathering/assembly is likely to provide soft target to terrorists and miscreants, which not only pose serious security threats, but is also likely to cause threat to public peace and order,” the Punjab home department said in a notification.
“Therefore, Government of Punjab, in exercise of powers vested under Section (144) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, hereby prohibits all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, demonstrations, jalsas, protests and such other activities across Punjab with immediate effect from 26th to 28th July, 2024.”
Separately, the Islamabad police said on X that the federal capital administration had imposed Section 144 and no gathering would be allowed without permission.
The statement followed an announcement by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) religious party for a sit-in in Islamabad on July 26 to demand a reduction in power tariff, withdrawal of slab system for electricity consumers, and review of agreements with independent power producers.
JI chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman this week told the media that their sit-in was “for the rights of the people, against inflation, and unjust taxes imposed in the recent budget.”
The developments come at a time of renewed political tensions between the government and opposition parties, particularly Khan’s PTI party. The ex-premier has been in jail since August last year, even though all four convictions handed down to him ahead of a parliamentary election in February have either been suspended or overturned.
After being acquitted on the last of those four convictions, authorities rearrested Khan and his wife in an old corruption case on charges of selling state gifts unlawfully. He also faces an accusation of inciting his supporters to attack military installations in May last year. Khan denies all the accusations.
The tensions rose after police raided the headquarters of Khan’s party in Islamabad earlier this week. The PTI’s senior media manager, Ahmed Waqas Janjua, and Information Secretary Raoof Hassan were arrested by authorities on accusations they were pushing an “anti-state narrative” to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Top Pakistani digital rights group says VPN use not behind Internet slowdown

Top Pakistani digital rights group says VPN use not behind Internet slowdown
Updated 23 sec ago
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Top Pakistani digital rights group says VPN use not behind Internet slowdown

Top Pakistani digital rights group says VPN use not behind Internet slowdown
  • Mysterious weeks-long Internet slowdown has affected millions of Pakistanis, adversely hit businesses, drawn nationwide complaints
  • Bytes For All says Pakistan’s Internet disruptions may be linked to government’s trial of an upgraded web management system
Updated 23 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Top Pakistani digital advocacy group Bytes for All (B4A) has in its latest digital forensic report disputed claims by the Pakistan government that recent Internet disruptions and slowdowns are due to a surge in the use of VPNs, arguing that VPNs were actually improving Internet speed and access in certain scenarios.
A mysterious weeks-long Internet slowdown has affected millions of Pakistanis, adversely hit businesses and drawn nationwide complaints. The telecommunications authority has attributed the slowdown to damaged underwater cables while IT Minister Shaza Khawaja has blamed a surge in VPN use.
In a report entitled “Slow Internet in Pakistan and the Smokescreen of VPNs,” Bytes for All debunked claims that VPNs were the main cause for slow Internet in Pakistan.
“Essentially, this slowdown is not caused by the Sharks or excessive VPNs use by the citizens,” the report concluded.
Among the report’s key findings are that Pakistan’s Internet slowdown may be linked to the government’s trial of an upgraded web management system or national firewall. The government denies any firewall, if imposed, would be used for censorship purposes.
“Although the government denies any association with Internet disruptions, digital rights groups are concerned that this slowdown is causing major socio-economic disruption and has the potential for increased censorship and surveillance,” B4A said. 
“Contrary to some government claims, the report suggests that using VPNs can actually improve Internet speed and access in certain scenarios, indicating that VPNs may help users bypass throttling and maintain a faster, more stable Internet connection in the country.”
The slowdown has significant implications for Pakistan’s digital economy. With IT exports having grown by 137 percent over the last five years, any disruption could jeopardize this upward trend, affecting not only businesses but also Pakistan’s economic growth, B4A has warned. 
The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@sha) has said IT businesses, apart from reputational damage, have suffered losses of at least $300 million due to the recent Internet disruptions.
Pakistan is banking on its nascent but growing Information Technology industry to increase its exports and generate critical foreign exchange revenue for a cash-strapped country.

Topics: Internet firewall Internet outages Pakistan internet

Punjab government on rain, flood alert as Pakistan monsoon deaths hit 320

Punjab government on rain, flood alert as Pakistan monsoon deaths hit 320
Updated 36 min 35 sec ago
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Punjab government on rain, flood alert as Pakistan monsoon deaths hit 320

Punjab government on rain, flood alert as Pakistan monsoon deaths hit 320
  • Rain disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in Pakistan during monsoon season
  • Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years
Updated 36 min 35 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The Provincial Disaster Management Authority for the eastern Punjab province had predicted rains and subsequent floods in the next 24 hours and put authorities on alert, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, with 320 people killed in Pakistan since the monsoon season began in July.
Monsoon rains are crucial for Pakistan’s agrarian economy, providing essential water for crops and replenishing water reservoirs. However, the country has been experiencing increasingly erratic weather patterns, including heatwaves, droughts and flooding, which are widely attributed to climate change.
“In the next 24 hours, there is a possibility of rain in most of the districts of Punjab,” a PDMA spokesperson said. “In view of flood warning in hill torrents, PDMA and local administration are on alert.”
Rain disasters caused by landslides and floods are common in both India and Pakistan during the June-September monsoon season. Scientists and weather forecasters have blamed climate change for heavier rains in recent years.
In 2022, climate-induced downpours inundated one-third of Pakistan, killing over 1,700 people and causing $30 billion in economic damages.

Topics: Pakistan Floods Monsoon in Pakistan Multan Punjab government

Bangladesh revels in ‘Tigers burning bright’ after Pakistan triumph

Bangladesh revels in ‘Tigers burning bright’ after Pakistan triumph
Updated 04 September 2024
AFP
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Bangladesh revels in ‘Tigers burning bright’ after Pakistan triumph

Bangladesh revels in ‘Tigers burning bright’ after Pakistan triumph
  • Bangladesh’s first-ever Test series win over Pakistan seen as victory to savor a month after unrest ousted autocratic PM Sheikh Hasina
  • Yunus took over after Sheikh Hasina fled to India as protesters marched on her palace in Dhaka to end 15 years of iron-fisted rule last month
Updated 04 September 2024
AFP

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s new leader led the celebrations after a first-ever Test series win over Pakistan, with commentators calling it a victory to savour a month after unrest ousted the autocratic former premier.
“Heartiest congratulations on behalf of the government and myself,” 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhummad Yunus told captain Najmul Hossain Shanto in a phone call after the win on Tuesday.
“The whole nation is proud of you,” he added, according to a statement from the office of Yunus, after the 2-0 clean sweep over Pakistan was sealed with a tense six-wicket victory in Rawalpindi.
Yunus took over after Sheikh Hasina fled to India as protesters marched on her palace in Dhaka to end 15 years of iron-fisted rule.
The Dhaka Tribune splashed across its front page a photograph of the grinning team above a signboard with the simple message: “Winners.”
“The Tigers are burning bright,” the newspaper commented, praising an “emphatic victory.”
“There is genuine hope that, much as Bangladesh is experiencing a new beginning after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, this could be the dawn of a new era for Bangladesh cricket,” it added.
“This series win is emblematic of broader transformation within Bangladesh,” it read, saying the victory embodied the “resilience, determination, and the spirit of a nation that wants to achieve more than what was expected of it.”
Bangladesh won independence from Pakistan in 1971.
It was Shakib al Hasan, 37, who lost his job as a lawmaker for Hasina’s Awami League party after the student-led revolution, who hit the winning runs on Tuesday to spark jubilation.
“We can’t express feelings with words, we are really happy,” said captain Najmul. “I think before we came here we were looking to win, and the way everyone did their job made me really happy.”
Dhaka’s Daily Star newspaper called it a “surreal series victory” and “watershed moment.”
“A triumph spurred by belief,” the Star’s headline read.
“Inside two weeks, Bangladesh dragged themselves out of seemingly unwinnable positions, not once but twice, in foreign conditions against an opponent whom they had lost to 12 times out of 13 previous encounters in Tests,” it added.
Bangladesh next travel to India for A two-match Test series beginning on September 18.
Bangladesh have never won a Test against India in 13 attempts with Najmul calling it a “challenging series.”
But Bangladesh had similarly never beaten Pakistan in 14 matches before their first Test win by 10 wickets, which was also in Rawalpindi.
Political tensions between India and Bangladesh are running high, with 76-year-old Hasina being hosted by old ally New Delhi.
Bangladeshi students who led the uprising are demanding she return from India to be tried for the killing of protesters during the revolt.

Topics: Pakistan vs Bangladesh Rawalpindi Test

US warns Pakistan of ‘ramifications’ of business deals with Iran amid gas pipeline dispute

US warns Pakistan of ‘ramifications’ of business deals with Iran amid gas pipeline dispute
Updated 04 September 2024
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US warns Pakistan of ‘ramifications’ of business deals with Iran amid gas pipeline dispute

US warns Pakistan of ‘ramifications’ of business deals with Iran amid gas pipeline dispute
  • Iran has slapped Pakistan with final notice to finish its part of cross-border gas pipeline or face international arbitration
  • Pakistan said in March it would seek US sanctions waiver for the gas pipeline but Washington says it does not support the project
Updated 04 September 2024
Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Matthew Miller, the spokesperson for the US Department of State, said on Tuesday Washington would not advise any country, including Pakistan, of “considering business deals” with Iran, warning of “ramifications” such as sanctions. 
The Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline, known as the Peace Pipeline, is a long-term project between Tehran and Islamabad, which has faced delays and funding challenges for over two decades. The pipeline would transport natural gas from Iran to neighboring Pakistan.
Pakistan said in March it would seek a US sanctions waiver for the pipeline, to which the US responded publicly, saying it did not support the project and cautioned about the risk of sanctions in doing business with Tehran.
Widespread media reports this week suggested Iran had slapped Pakistan with a final notice to finish its part of a cross-border gas pipeline or face international arbitration and possibly billions of dollars in fines.
“We will continue to enforce our sanctions against Iran. And as a matter of course, we also advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential ramifications of those deals,” Matthew told reporters in response to a question about Pakistan’s push to complete the pipeline and seek a US sanctions waiver.
“At the same time, helping Pakistan address its energy shortage is a priority for the United States, and we continue to discuss energy security with the Government of Pakistan.”
The pipeline deal, signed in 2010, envisaged the supply of 750 million to a billion cubic feet per day of natural gas for 25 years from Iran’s South Pars gas field to Pakistan to meet its rising energy needs. The pipeline was to stretch over 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) — 1,150 km within Iran and 781 km within Pakistan.
Tehran says it has already invested $2 billion to construct the pipeline on its side of the border, making it ready to export. Pakistan, however, did not begin construction and shortly after the deal said the project was off the table for the time being, citing international sanctions on Iran as the reason.
Iran’s oil minister at the time responded by saying that Iran carried out its commitments and expected Pakistan to honor its own, adding that Pakistan needed to pick up the pace of work.
In 2014, Pakistan asked for a 10-year extension to build the pipeline, which expires in September this year. Iran can take Pakistan to international court and fine the country. Local media has reported Pakistan can be fined up to $18 billion for not holding up its half of the agreement.
Faced with a potential fine, Pakistan’s government earlier this year gave the go ahead in principle to commence plans to build an 80 km segment of the pipeline. In March, Pakistan announced it would seek the sanctions’ waiver. 
Washington’s support is crucial for Pakistan as the country seeks approval from the IMF executive board for a 37-month $7 billion bailout program signed in July.
Pakistan, whose domestic and industrial users rely on natural gas for heating and energy needs, is in dire need for cheap gas with its own reserves dwindling fast and LNG deals making supplies expensive amidst already high inflation.
Iran has the world’s second-largest gas reserves after Russia, according to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, but sanctions by the West, political turmoil and construction delays have slowed its development as an exporter.
Originally, the Pakistan-Iran deal also involved extending the pipeline to India, but Delhi later dropped out of the project.
“I fully support the efforts by the US government to prevent this pipeline from happening,” US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu said as he gave testimony at a Congressional hearing earlier this year. “We are working toward that goal.”

Topics: Pakistan Iran gas pipeline

Family mourns ‘noble’ plumber who died attempting to rescue children from Karachi well

Family mourns ‘noble’ plumber who died attempting to rescue children from Karachi well
Updated 20 min 45 sec ago
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Family mourns ‘noble’ plumber who died attempting to rescue children from Karachi well

Family mourns ‘noble’ plumber who died attempting to rescue children from Karachi well
  • Despite warnings of danger, Muhammad Faizan, 18, died after descending into well to rescue two children who had fallen in
  • Family remembers Faizan as a simple, charity-giving boy who did not care for fancy things and spent most of his time working
Updated 20 min 45 sec ago
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Last Sunday, a crowd of over fifty people gathered around a well in which two neighborhood children had fallen hours ago at a residential complex in Karachi’s Garden area.

Muhammad Faizan, an 18-year-old plumber who had been working at a nearby building, arrived at the scene and despite protestations from members of the crowd, decided to descend the 120-foot well to rescue the two children, aged 8 and 10.

Faizan’s body, along with those of the two children, were pulled out by rescue services hours later.

When Faizan’s father Muhammad Habib first got the call about his son’s death, he initially went into shock, he told Arab News outside his home in Karachi’s Lines Area where mourners were coming this week to pay their respects.

But slowly, the grief turned into pride.

“I am saddened, but I am proud that he died a noble death,” Habib said. “He went to save someone’s life.”

This undated file photo shows Muhammad Faizan, 18, who died after descending into well to rescue two children who had fallen in a well located inside a residential complex in Karachi’s Garden area on September 1. (Supplied/Muhammad Habib)

Muhammad Bilal, a local resident who had called rescue services, said when the first attempt by another man to go down the well failed and he returned midway, Faizan was determined to descend himself, despite being warned of the dangers.

“He had only one goal, to save the children, regardless of the risk to his own life,” Bilal said.

“HE WAS THE BEST”

Faizan’s siblings remembered him as a simple hardworking boy with few worldly interests like others his age.

“He was like a dervish,” his brother Abdul Rehman told Arab News. “He had no particular interest in fancy mobile phones or bikes. He just loved his work. He found satisfaction in his work.”

He would wake up early for work and Rehman would often accompany him.

“Sometimes he’d eat out, but usually, we’d share meals. We’d ride to work together, laughing and joking,” Rehman said. “He was the best. He was simple.”

Muhammad Habib (right), father of Muhammad Faizan, a Pakistani plumber, speaks to visitors who came to pay respects after Faizan’s funeral in Karachi on September 3, 2024. Faizan, 18, died after descending into well to rescue two children who had fallen in a well located inside a residential complex in Karachi’s Garden area on September 1. (AN Photo)

Rehman said his brother would often give away whatever little he earned in charity:

“How many times did I tell him, ‘You shouldn’t give that much. If you keep giving like this, what will happen to you?’ Faizan would reply, ‘It’s okay. Allah is the provider’.”

For Habib, Faizan was the favorite among his five sons and two daughters.

“If I were there, I would have jumped in with him,” the father said. “I loved him even more than my own life. His memories will not leave me. I have five sons, and he was my most beloved one because of his good character.”

“I do not grieve for him,” the father added. “He was a very brave child. He truly achieved such a high status [with his actions] that I am very happy.”

Topics: Karachi

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