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As Pakistan condemns Hamas leader’s assassination in Iran, thousands attend funeral prayers in absentia 

As Pakistan condemns Hamas leader’s assassination in Iran, thousands attend funeral prayers in absentia 
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Activists and supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party carry Palestinian flags as they attend an absentia funeral prayers for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Karachi on July 31, 2024, after his assassination in an air strike. (AFP)
As Pakistan condemns Hamas leader’s assassination in Iran, thousands attend funeral prayers in absentia 
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This file photograph, taken and released by the Iranian foreign ministry on February 13, 2024, Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Doha. (AFP/File)
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Updated 31 July 2024
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As Pakistan condemns Hamas leader’s assassination in Iran, thousands attend funeral prayers in absentia 

As Pakistan condemns Hamas leader’s assassination in Iran, thousands attend funeral prayers in absentia 
  • Foreign Office says Israeli “adventurism” constituted a “dangerous escalation” in an already volatile region
  • Thousands offer funeral prayers in absentia for Ismail Haniyeh in Karachi, vow to raise their voices for Palestine
Updated 31 July 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR & NAIMAT KHAN
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ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistan on Wednesday condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, expressing shock over the “reckless act” that coincided with the new Iranian president’s oath-taking ceremony as thousands attended his funeral prayers in absentia in the southern port city of Karachi. 

Iran’s state television announced the killing of the Palestinian leader early Wednesday. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards said Haniyeh and a security guard had been ambushed in their place of residence and an investigation was underway.

Haniyeh was in Iran for the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected reformist president Masoud Pezeshkian.




Activists and supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party carry Palestinian flags as they attend an absentia funeral prayers for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Karachi on July 31, 2024, after his assassination in an air strike. (AFP)

“Pakistan condemns the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Chief of Hamas Political Bureau in Tehran today,” the foreign office said in a statement, sending condolences to his family and the people of Palestine.

“We are deeply shocked by the timing of this reckless act, coinciding with the inauguration of the President of Iran, an event attended by several foreign dignitaries, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan.”

The foreign office expressed “serious concern” over what it described as “growing Israeli adventurism in the region.”

“Its latest acts constitute a dangerous escalation in an already volatile region and undermine efforts for peace,” the statement said.

Separately, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, who heads a major Pakistani religious political party, announced funeral prayers in absentia for the “martyred” 62-year-old Hamas leader in Karachi on Wednesday. 

FUNERAL PRAYERS IN ABSENTIA




Activists and supporters of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party offer absentia funeral prayers for for Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Lahore on July 31, 2024, after his assassination in an air strike. (AFP)

Thousands gathered at the city’s busy New M.A. Jinnah Road for the funeral prayers to pay tribute to the Hamas leader. 

Muhammad Hussain Mehnati, the head of the party’s Sindh chapter, said conscientious people worldwide should reject Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land.

“Ismael Haniyeh and other Palestinian leaders among tens of thousands sacrificed their lives in the glorious struggle,” he noted.

Mehnati praised the “ongoing Palestinian resistance against tyranny,” criticizing the US, the UK, and other nations for supporting Israel.

“I urge the Pakistani government and other Muslim-majority countries to actively assist the oppressed Palestinians,” he said.

The JI, which is holding a sit-in protest against inflation and rising energy costs, had planned to hold another demonstration in front of the Governor’s House in Karachi on Wednesday. 

However, it called off the protest, urging residents to attend Haniyeh’s funeral prayers in absentia.

The event was also attended by a large number of women. One of the participants, Dr. Hareem Khurshid, praised Haniyeh for resisting Israel’s military campaign and credited him for protecting the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

“We are happy because he embraced martyrdom and at the same time we are sad,” she told Arab News. “But we will never stop protesting and raising our voices for Palestine.”

INCREASING HOSTILITIES IN MIDDLE EAST

Haniyeh’s assassination comes amid an escalation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which was blamed for an attack on the Israel-annexed Golan Heights that killed 12 children on the weekend.

On Tuesday night, Israel struck a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, saying that it had killed Fuad Shukr, the head of Hezbollah’s military operations room.

Israel has promised to wipe out Hamas after the group conducted a deadly raid into settlements outside the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking hostages back to the Palestinian enclave.

Israel soon after launched a devastating military assault in Gaza and has since killed over 40,000 people, mainly civilians. Both sides have been trying to negotiate a hostage release agreement, which would include a cessation of fighting, with the help of the US and regional negotiators.

Haniyeh, normally based in Qatar, has been the face of Hamas’s international diplomacy as the war set off last year. Hamas said in a statement Haniyeh’s killing would “take the battle to new dimensions and have major repercussions,” while Iran also vowed to retaliate.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel had provided the grounds for “harsh punishment for itself” and it was Tehran’s duty to avenge the Hamas leader’s death as it had occurred in the Iranian capital. Iranian forces had already made strikes directly on Israel earlier in the Gaza war.

There was no comment nor claim of responsibility from Israel. In 2021, Israel assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s top nuclear scientist.

Topics: Ismail Haniyeh Hamas leader War on Gaza Pakistan Palestine Israeli war on Gaza

Pakistani father defies social norms, educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest

Pakistani father defies social norms, educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest
Updated 07 September 2024
NAZAR ISLAM
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Pakistani father defies social norms, educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest

Pakistani father defies social norms, educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest
  • Fazal Haq, who could not attend college, secured three postgraduate degrees himself before educating children
  • The 82-year-old academic braved resistance, threats of disownment by family to educate all 17 of his children
Updated 07 September 2024
NAZAR ISLAM

PESHAWAR: For Fazal Haq, a Pakistani octogenarian academic who grew up in the country’s conservative northwest, acquiring education was not merely a personal pursuit, but a gateway to empowerment and self-reliance for his children, especially daughters.
In an era when the idea of education was a rare privilege in Pakistan’s northwestern Karak district, Haq stood as a beacon of progressive thinking by sending his first-born daughter, Nighat Parveen, to school in the 1970s.
Although he never formally attended college, the 82-year-old pursued private studies, ultimately earning postgraduate degrees in Arabic, Urdu literature, and Islamic studies, before educating all of his 13 daughters and four sons.
“Fewer men attended school during his time, and the notion of women pursuing education was virtually unheard of,” he told Arab News this week. “Yet, despite societal constraints, I made a pioneering decision to send my daughter [Parveen] to school against the societal norms.”

In this photo, taken on September 5, 2024, Pakistani academic Fazal Haq, 82, gestures for a group photograph with his grandchildren in his village in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during an interview with Arab News. Haq defies social norms and educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest. (AN Photo)

Haq said his groundbreaking choice initially seemed promising and his daughters’ early education proceeded smoothly but as they grew older, the murmurs of dissent within his family became louder.
Relatives questioned his wisdom for educating his girls and the resistance escalated to threats of disownment, but Haq said he remained resolute and his daughter achieved prominent positions in both her 8th and 10th grade exams, outshining many in their area. Her academic success reinforced Haq’s belief in his decision.
“That was a big relief, I would say one of my happiest moments,” Haq said, recalling how his extended family members had distanced themselves from him for sending his daughter to high school.
Parveen, who passed her matriculation exam in 1986, told Arab News that initially, she did not grasp the vitality of education and only saw herself fulfilling her father’s mission on a path fraught with obstacles.
“I would often find myself as the only girl in a classroom full of boys. Sitting in a corner, isolated from my peers, I faced the weight of societal scrutiny and the discomfort of being an ‘outsider’,” she said.
“The psychological toll of being the only girl in a boys’ class was immense, but I remained steadfast in the pursuit of education.”

In this photo, taken on September 5, 2024, Nighat Parveen, daughter of Pakistani academic Fazal Haq, gestures outside a government school in her village in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during an interview with Arab News. Haq, 82, defies social norms and educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest. (AN Photo)

Parveen today stands as a testament to the power of perseverance and the importance of education as she serves as the principal of Government Girls’ High School in Karak, shaping the minds of future generations.
She set the bar high for all 16 of her siblings — 12 sisters and four brothers — who now have master’s degrees in disciplines as varied as English Literature, Political Science, History, Botany, Zoology, and Physics. All of Haq’s daughters are currently serving as government teachers.
Haq sees education as a gateway to empowerment and self-reliance for women, contrary to the perception in rural communities that believe investing in daughters’ education would benefit the “other household” to which they are wedded off.
“Education equips women with knowledge and confidence to contribute actively to their family’s economic affairs, eliminating the need to depend on others for financial support,” he said.

In this photo, taken on September 5, 2024, Pakistani academic Fazal Haq, 82, gestures for a photograph with his son in his village in Karak district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during an interview with Arab News. Haq defies social norms and educates 13 daughters to master’s level in conservative northwest. (AN Photo)

Haq’s wife, Jahan Bano, did not have a formal education, but her journey alongside her husband reflects a profound transformation. Her ability to converse in English and engage in discussions about politics demonstrates her intellectual growth and confidence in expressing herself.
Both Haq and Bano feel proud that their perspective about women education, which was once widely disapproved by the society, has been embraced by those very critics.
“At this later stage of life, when I watch young girls in school uniforms going to school, college, and university from my balcony, I feel a strange sense of happiness,” Haq added.

Pakistani minister says government renegotiating power deals to cut electricity tariffs

Pakistani minister says government renegotiating power deals to cut electricity tariffs
Updated 56 min 25 sec ago
Reuters
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Pakistani minister says government renegotiating power deals to cut electricity tariffs

Pakistani minister says government renegotiating power deals to cut electricity tariffs
  • Energy sector viability has been the focus of a critical staff level pact with the IMF for a $7 billion bailout
  • Awais Leghari says government wants to bring down tariffs from 28 cents to 9 cents for commercial users
Updated 56 min 25 sec ago
Reuters

KARACHI: Pakistan is renegotiating contracts with independent power producers to rein in “unsustainable” electricity tariffs, the head of the power ministry said, as households and businesses buckle under soaring energy costs.
Rising power tariffs have stirred social unrest and shuttered industries in the $350 billion economy, which has contracted twice in recent years as inflation hit record highs.
“The existing price structure of power in this country is not sustainable,” Awais Leghari, a federal minister heading Pakistan’s Power Division, told Reuters in an interview on Friday.
He said discussions were under way between power producers and the government because “there is a clear understanding on both sides that the status quo can’t be maintained.”
Leghari stressed that all stakeholders would have to “give in to a certain point” — though without compromising completely on business sustainability — and this would have to be done “as soon as possible.”
Faced with chronic shortages a decade ago, Pakistan approved dozens of private projects by independent power producers (IPPs), financed mostly by foreign lenders. The incentivized deals included high guaranteed returns and commitments to even pay for unused power.
However, a sustained economic crisis has slashed power consumption, leaving the country with excess capacity that it needs to pay for.
Short of funds, the government has built those fixed costs and capacity payments into consumer bills, sparking protests by domestic users and industrial associations.
Four sources in the power sector told Reuters changes to contracts demanded included slashing guaranteed returns, capping dollar rates and moving away from paying for unused power. The sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
On Saturday, local media outlet Business Recorder said in a report citing sources that 24 conditions have been proposed for the transition of capacity-based model to take-and-pay model.
However, Leghari told Reuters that no new draft agreements or specific demands had been officially sent to power companies and said the government would not force them to sign new watered down contracts.
“We would sit and talk to them in a civil and professional manner,” he said, adding that the government has always maintained contractual obligations to investors, both foreign and local. He said contract revisions would be by “mutual consent.”
Energy sector viability was the focus of a critical staff level pact in May with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a $7 billion bailout. The IMF’s staff report stressed the need to revisit power deals.
Pakistan has already initiated talks on reprofiling power sector debt owed to China as well as negotiations on structural reforms, but progress has been slow. Pakistan has also committed to stop power sector subsidies.
Leghari said current rates were not affordable for domestic or commercial consumers and this was hurting growth because power prices were no longer regionally competitive, putting critical exports at a disadvantage.
He said the aim was to bring tariffs down to 9 US cents per unit for commercial users from about 28 cents currently.

Topics: Pakistan electricity

Pakistan air chief pledges advancement in space, cyber warfare at Martyrs’ Day ceremony

Pakistan air chief pledges advancement in space, cyber warfare at Martyrs’ Day ceremony
Updated 07 September 2024
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Pakistan air chief pledges advancement in space, cyber warfare at Martyrs’ Day ceremony

Pakistan air chief pledges advancement in space, cyber warfare at Martyrs’ Day ceremony
  • Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Sidhu says the nation owes ‘eternal debt of gratitude’ to martyrs of armed forces
  • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also pays tribute to the families of ‘courageous air warriors’ to mark the occasion
Updated 07 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu said on Saturday the country is committed to advancing in space, cyber and electronic warfare to safeguard the territorial integrity of the South Asian nation, according to the military’s media wing.
He made these remarks while addressing the Martyrs’ Day ceremony at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad as the chief guest on September 7.
Historically, this date was marked as PAF Day, celebrating the air force’s contributions, particularly during the 1965 war.
In recent years, however, the day has evolved into Martyrs’ Day to honor the bravery and sacrifice of armed forces personnel who laid down their lives in various conflicts, including the wars of 1965 and 1971.
“The air chief pledged that PAF would continue to strive hard for the advancement in space, electronic warfare, cyber, niche technologies and indigenous defense capability to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations ISPR, said in a statement.
He said the PAF had a proud history of sacrifice, valor and professionalism, calling the Martyrs’ Day an “embodiment of exceptional bravery, flawless professionalism, and an unparalleled spirit of sacrifice” rendered by the armed forces.
“We owe our heroes an eternal debt of gratitude for what they have done for us, setting a supreme example of sacrifice for generations to come,” the air chief said. “On this solemn occasion, we extend our heartfelt tributes to those heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our motherland.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to the courageous air warriors and their families earlier in the day.
“Pakistan takes pride in the courage, dedication, and commitment demonstrated by its Air Force,” he said in a social media post. “Their exceptional service and prowess ensure that our skies are safe and their determination and valour contribute to a stronger Pakistan.”

 

Topics: Defense Day pakistan air force

Pakistan PM praises security forces for thwarting attack in northwest, killing four militants

Pakistan PM praises security forces for thwarting attack in northwest, killing four militants
Updated 07 September 2024
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Pakistan PM praises security forces for thwarting attack in northwest, killing four militants

Pakistan PM praises security forces for thwarting attack in northwest, killing four militants
  • Attackers, all suicide bombers, targeted the Frontier Corps headquarters in Mohmand district
  • Military’s media wing says a ‘sanitization operation’ is underway in the area following the attack
Updated 07 September 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday praised Pakistani security forces for thwarting a militant attack on the Frontier Corps headquarters in Mohmand district, following a statement released by the country’s military that four attackers had been killed in the clash.
Mohmand, a mountainous district in Pakistan’s northwest, shares a border with Afghanistan, where leaders of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are reportedly based.
Local media, citing police authorities, reported the militants tried to enter a paramilitary facility before being intercepted. Two of them detonated suicide vests, while others were killed in the firefight after the security forces responded to the attack.
“The soldiers of Pakistan security forces bravely and professionally sent four suicide bombers, who attempted to attack the [FC] camp, to hell,” the prime minister said. “The entire nation, including myself, pays tribute to the brave officers and soldiers of the security forces.”
“We will continue the war against terrorism until the complete eradication of this scourge from the country,” he added.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, these militants tried to attack the FC headquarters in the early hours of Friday.
“The attempt to enter the camp was effectively thwarted by the security forces personnel, and resultantly the Khwarij [militants], all four suicide bombers, were sent to hell before they could cause the intended damage,” the ISPR said in its statement.
“Sanitization operation is being conducted to eliminate any other Kharji found in the area,” it continued.
Mohmand and other tribal districts in Pakistan’s northwest became hotbeds of militancy while US-led international forces were fighting in Afghanistan.
Pakistani security forces conducted several military operations to reestablish the state’s writ in the region.
However, militant activity resurged in the area since the fragile ceasefire between the government and the TTP ended in November 2022, leading to a renewed wave of attacks.

Topics: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)

Karachi police suspend 19 cops this week for ‘inappropriate’ social media videos

Karachi police suspend 19 cops this week for ‘inappropriate’ social media videos
Updated 07 September 2024
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Karachi police suspend 19 cops this week for ‘inappropriate’ social media videos

Karachi police suspend 19 cops this week for ‘inappropriate’ social media videos
  • Suspended police personnel have been directed to report to the Zonal Headquarters to face departmental action
  • Karachi police have taken action against the cops on the instructions of Sindh Inspector General Ghulam Memon
Updated 07 September 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Twelve more police constables including three women in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi have been suspended for posting “inappropriate” viral videos on social media, police said on Friday, days after the suspension of their seven colleagues for the same reason.
On Tuesday, a female cop, Maria Gill, was suspended after posting a TikTok video in which she could be seen inviting viewers to meet her at a location where she and her colleagues had been deployed on duty. She was suspended for “unnecessarily endangering the privacy and lives” of her teammates.
On Thursday, Karachi police said six police constables, including two women, had been suspended over videos posted on different social media platforms, calling on them to “report to their respective Zonal Headquarters, where they will be attending daily roll call and parade.”
“On the orders of Sindh Inspector General Ghulam Nabi Memon, Additional IG Karachi suspended 12 more TikTokers,” the Karachi police said in a post on social media site X.

The suspended police personnel included Majid Ali, Kamran Ghulab, Noman Khan, Noman, Waqas, Muhammad Sohail, Irfan Shahbaz, Ahmed Ali, Huzaifa, Sonia, Mehak Khan and Woronika. They were also directed to report to the Zonal Headquarters to face departmental action.
This is not the first time police employees in Pakistan have faced disciplinary action for social media activity deemed inappropriate by high-ups.
In August 2024, Lady Constable Maryam Bhatti was dismissed from Rawalpindi police for similar reasons.
On July 31, 2024, Constable Muqaddas from Islamabad was dismissed from the Federal Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department for making a TikTok video while using an official vehicle.
On July 29, 2024, Assistant Sub-Inspector Inayatullah Niazi was suspended in Chiniot for allowing a transgender person to film a video in the SHO’s office, which was deemed “disrespectful” to the police uniform.
On February 27, 2024, Constable Bahawal Sher was suspended in Faisalabad for sharing a video on social media where he was seen smoking while in uniform and displaying pistols.
Lady Constable Sumbul from Sindh faced an investigation on October 14, 2023, for posting a controversial video supporting Israel while Lady Constable Mehwish Khan was suspended on May 16, 2022, in Muzaffargarh for uploading videos in police uniform.
On July 24, 2020, Constable Wafa Tauqeer was also suspended in Lahore after a TikTok video of her in uniform went viral.

 

Topics: Karachi Police socia media TikTok

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