Ex-PM Khan’s party calls off Rawalpindi protest after clashes with police

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Updated 28 September 2024
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Ex-PM Khan’s party calls off Rawalpindi protest after clashes with police

Ex-PM Khan’s party calls off Rawalpindi protest after clashes with police
  • PTI claims the Punjab police resorted to violence, fired rubber bullets on peaceful protesters
  • Police in Rawalpindi deny use of rubber bullets, calling it ‘propaganda’ against the law enforcers

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party called off its protest in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Saturday after police fired tear gas during the day to disperse hundreds of supporters and cut off the power supply at the demonstration site in the evening.

Security was intensified, with shipping containers placed at the entry and exit points of Rawalpindi to prevent PTI sympathizers from entering the city. The party seeks to build public pressure on the government for the ex-premier’s release, who has been in jail for over a year and has faced charges ranging from treason to corruption.

PTI is also protesting the government’s proposed constitutional amendments, which it claims are designed to suppress judicial independence, an allegation the government denies.

Video clips on social media showed police firing tear gas at supporters to prevent them from reaching Rawalpindi. Later, authorities cut power to the protest area to halt the possibility of a major demonstration.

“The protest has been called off due to the injuries and the violence that has been done by the Punjab police,” Zulfi Bukhari, a former federal minister and close aide of Khan, said while expressing gratitude to the protesters.

Referring to the protests that broke out on May 9, 2023, after the former premier’s brief arrest in a graft case in which people holding PTI flags vandalized government buildings and military properties, he maintained the party did not want its workers blamed again for any violence or destruction of public property.

Bukhari claimed the police used rubber bullets on peaceful protesters.

“We understand the scheming that is going on and we understand what’s going to be tried to do against us,” he added.

Speaking to Arab News, Inspector Sajjad-ul-Hassan, spokesperson of the Rawalpindi police, justified the used of tear gas to “disperse violent protesters.”

“They were pelting stones on the cops deployed in the city,” he said.

Asked if the law enforcement personnel also used rubber bullets, he denied in the negative.




A policeman fires teargas shell toward supporters of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, during a protest demanding his release in Rawalpindi on September 28, 2024. (AFP)

“This is just a propaganda against the police,” he added.

Authorities had blocked all major entry and exit points of the city ahead of the protest, making it difficult for people to commute. A day earlier, the Punjab Home Department issued a notification imposing Section 144, a legal provision that bans gatherings of four or more people.

Apart from Rawalpindi, the ban was also enforced in the nearby cities of Jhelum, Chakwal and Attock.

‘SECTION 804’

Earlier, the top PTI leaders vowed to continue with their protest despite the government’s attempts to defeat their plan.

“God willing, you will see what will happen today,” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who belongs to Khan’s party, told reporters from inside his car, leading a convoy of hundreds of charged up supporters toward Rawalpindi, earlier in the day.

“Section 804 has been imposed across Pakistan,” he shouted, referring to the prisoner identification number assigned to Khan when he was first arrested in August last year.

PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai uploaded a video on social media in which a thick cloud of smoke is visible in the background.

“You can see that they have started shelling at Attock,” Yousafzai said. “They are shelling unarmed citizens. But God willing, they will not be able to stop us.”

Addressing the situation in a media talk, Senator Talal Chaudhry of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party said protest was everyone’s right, but “we will not allow violence and disruption in the name of protest.”

He also questioned the rationale behind the protest at a time when the country’s macroeconomic indicators are looking up.

“Is this protest taking place because inflation has come down in Pakistan from 37 percent to 9 percent,” he asked. “Is this protest taking place because Pakistan’s stock exchange has reached from 40,000 to 80,000 points?”

He wondered why did “armed people from other provinces” come to Punjab to protest.




Supporters of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, attempt to throw back teargas shells fired by riot policemen as they protest demanding Khan’s release in Rawalpindi on September 28, 2024. (AFP)

“This is not a protest but an attempt to generate violence,” he added. “They want to create such circumstances where people once again talk about default in Pakistan. Once again, the poor have nothing to eat [and] Pakistan moves toward chaos again. We won’t let such attempts by these people succeed.”

Prior to that, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari addressed a news conference in Lahore, warning protesters of stern action if they took law into their own hands.

“Section 144 has been imposed in Rawalpindi and Rangers have been deployed also,” Bokhari warned. “And today if anyone tries to interfere in peace and security, if anyone tries to take the law into their hands, tries to block streets or public squares, then the law will deal with them with an iron fist.”


Pakistanis gather to watch India clash on big screen

Pakistanis gather to watch India clash on big screen
Updated 21 sec ago
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Pakistanis gather to watch India clash on big screen

Pakistanis gather to watch India clash on big screen
  • Encounters between the two countries bear the scars of four wars and rank among the most-watched sporting events
  • Those watching in Karachi expressed disappointment because the game was originally meant to be played in Pakistan

KARACHI: On a sandy tract of land along Karachi’s coastline, hundreds of Pakistani cricket fans gathered in front of a big screen to watch their cricket team battle arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Encounters between the two countries bear the scars of four wars and rank among the most-watched sporting events in the world.
Those watching in Karachi expressed disappointment because the game was originally meant to be played in Pakistan until India refused to travel across the border, citing government advice.
“My dad is a fan of cricket. He’s obsessed... ever since he found out he said he wanted to watch so I found this screen,” said Awal Khan, 40, who works as a cook and paid nearly $2 to travel to the venue, a high cost for most Pakistanis.
“I don’t like that India didn’t come... I’ve never been to the stadium but if India comes to Pakistan I will definitely go.”
For more than a decade, Pakistan and India have played only in multi-team events because of a strained political relationship. Pakistan went to India for the 2023 ODI Cup and expected India to return the favor by touring for the Champions Trophy.
Their once closely contested rivalry has grown more one-sided over the years. India have prevailed in seven of the eight completed ODIs in the last decade against Pakistan, with their last loss coming in the final of the previous Champions Trophy in 2017.
“We’re excited about the Champions Trophy but double excited for the Pakistan-India match,” said Raheel Sayeed, a 28-year-old engineer.
“I don’t think I’ll see Pakistan versus India in Pakistan any time soon. Both governments don’t want peace, especially India.”
Along another stretch of the Arabian Sea on an upscale promenade, hundreds more were slowly growing dejected as India took control of the match.
“If Pakistan loses I’ll be sad. But we have to have hope and we have to pray. But prayers aren’t enough,” said Zakira Bilal, 26, who came to watch the broadcast with her three young children.
“On our way here in the rickshaw, we discussed how Pakistan shouldn’t go to India to play when they don’t come here. Self-respect should be there.”


Pakistan sends 100 tons of relief supplies for war-affected Palestinians

Pakistan sends 100 tons of relief supplies for war-affected Palestinians
Updated 21 min 21 sec ago
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Pakistan sends 100 tons of relief supplies for war-affected Palestinians

Pakistan sends 100 tons of relief supplies for war-affected Palestinians
  • This is the 14th humanitarian relief consignment for Palestine, reinforcing Pakistan’s support for the people of Gaza
  • Israel’s war on Gaza, which began after Oct. 2023 attacks by Hamas, has killed over 48,000 people, injured thousands more

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has sent another aid consignment for Palestinians that carried 100 tons of essential supplies, the Pakistani government said on Sunday.

This is the 14th humanitarian relief consignment for Palestine, which reinforces Pakistan’s unwavering support for the people of Gaza, according to Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID).

This shipment is part of Pakistan’s ongoing humanitarian efforts and marks the 25th overall relief consignment sent to people affected by Israeli military actions in the Middle East.

The latest consignment comprised essential relief supplies, including bell tents, winterized tents, tarpaulin sheets and medical tools.

“The aid was transported via a chartered flight from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, to El Arish International Airport, Egypt, for onward delivery to Gaza,” the PID said.

Israel’s war on Gaza, which began after Oct. 2023 attacks by Hamas, has killed over 48,000 people, injured thousands more and displaced almost all of the 2 million population of the territory.

Pakistan has so far dispatched a total of 1,478 tons of relief aid exclusively for Palestine, demonstrating the country’s continued commitment to supporting the people of Gaza in these difficult times, according to the PID.

Overall, the South Asian country has dispatched 1,961 tons of humanitarian aid, including 372 tons for Lebanon and 111 tons for Syria.

“The Government of Pakistan remains steadfast in its commitment to standing with the people of Palestine and will continue to provide humanitarian assistance based on the evolving needs of those affected by the ongoing crisis,” the PID said.

Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”

The South Asian country has also called on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese and Syrian territories, including Golan Heights, and allow United Nations (UN) peacekeepers to freely operate in the region to ensure compliance with international agreements.


Pakistani security forces kill seven militants in separate encounters in volatile northwest

Pakistani security forces kill seven militants in separate encounters in volatile northwest
Updated 23 February 2025
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Pakistani security forces kill seven militants in separate encounters in volatile northwest

Pakistani security forces kill seven militants in separate encounters in volatile northwest
  • The deceased militants belonged to Pakistani Taliban who have stepped up attacks against security forces in recent months
  • Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of sheltering militant groups behind attacks in its western regions, a charge denied by Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces have killed seven militants in two separate engagements in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Pakistani military said on Sunday, amid a surge in militant violence in the region that borders Afghanistan.

The first operation was conducted in Daraban area of KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district in which four militants were killed, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing.

Three other militants were killed in a second encounter in Maddi area of the same district.

“Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the khwarij [Pakistani Taliban militants], who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” the ISPR said in a statement.

“Sanitization operations are being conducted to eliminate any other kharji found in the area.”

The South Asian country brands the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), fighters as “khwarij,” a historical reference to an extremist sect in early Islam known for rebelling against authority, declaring other Muslims as apostates, and justifying their killing.

Pakistan has seen a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban and the state broke down in November 2022. The militants have stepped up attacks against police and security forces in recent months, with the military reporting deaths of 383 soldiers and 925 militants in various clashes in the country in 2024.

The latest operations came more than a week after militants killed an army officer and three soldiers in a shootout in KP’s North Waziristan district, according to the military.

Islamabad has frequently blamed the surge in militancy on Afghanistan, accusing it of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.


Pakistan closes key border crossing with Afghanistan over ‘construction of trenches’ by Taliban authorities

Pakistan closes key border crossing with Afghanistan over ‘construction of trenches’ by Taliban authorities
Updated 23 February 2025
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Pakistan closes key border crossing with Afghanistan over ‘construction of trenches’ by Taliban authorities

Pakistan closes key border crossing with Afghanistan over ‘construction of trenches’ by Taliban authorities
  • The development comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan over a surge in militants attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces
  • The closure of Torkham border crossing in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has suspended movement of pedestrians as well as trucks carrying trade goods

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has closed a key crossing on its northwestern border with Afghanistan over the “construction of trenches” near the frontier, a Pakistani police official said on Sunday, which has led to the suspension of cross-border movement.

The Torkham border crossing was closed late on Friday night, when Afghan Taliban authorities initiated “construction of trenches and other development work” along the border, according to Naheed Khan, a senior police official in Pakistan’s Khyber district that borders Afghanistan.

The closure of border crossing by Pakistani authorities has resulted in suspension of movement of pedestrians and trade between the two neighboring countries, but there were no reports of skirmishes between the two sides.

“It [Torkham crossing] is closed both for pedestrians and heavy vehicles since 12 at night on Feb. 21. No firing is reported from either side,” Khan told Arab News.

“Some families of Bacha Mina, a dusty village near the border on Pakistani side, have left the area for safer places to dodge any eventuality. Also some loaded trucks have returned to Jamrud Bazaar.”

There was no immediate comment from the Afghan side on the closure of the key border crossing.

The development comes at a time of strained ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan over a surge in militants attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan.

Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.

In the past, border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two countries.

In August, the Torkham border was shut down for three days after the Afghan Taliban announced they were investigating reports of Pakistani fighter jets allegedly violating Afghan airspace in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.

Tensions escalated again between the two countries in December, following reports of Pakistani airstrikes targeting alleged militant camps in Afghanistan. Afghan officials reported the strikes resulted in civilian casualties.


Punjab screens high-voltage India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match at 44 prisons across province

Punjab screens high-voltage India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match at 44 prisons across province
Updated 23 February 2025
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Punjab screens high-voltage India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match at 44 prisons across province

Punjab screens high-voltage India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match at 44 prisons across province
  • The South Asian heavyweights are playing at Dubai International Cricket Stadium as India refused to travel to Pakistan
  • The screening at Punjab prisons is part of Prison Reforms Policy to make inmates better citizens, home department says

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Punjab province has arranged for screening of the much-anticipated India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match at 44 prisons across the province, the Punjab home department said on Sunday.

Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and elected to bat in the blockbuster clash against India in Dubai on Sunday as his side looked to stay alive in the tournament.

Defending champions Pakistan lost the tournament opener to New Zealand and another defeat will virtually end their chances of making it to the semifinals.

Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal had directed the provincial prison authorities to make special arrangements for the screening of the match for inmates.

“Positive activities are being promoted to make prisoners better citizens under the Punjab chief minister’s Prison Reforms Policy,” the home department said in a statement.

“Special arrangements were also made in juvenile prisons for live broadcast of cricket matches. Children dressed in Pakistani cricket team uniforms enjoyed the match.”

The arch-rivals are playing at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium after India refused to travel to Pakistan to play their matches. The last time these two sides met in the Champions Trophy was back in 2017, when Pakistan beat India in the final by 180 runs in London.

Jail superintendents and senior officials were also watching the match along with prisoners in jails across Punjab.

“Under the Prison Reforms Policy, small and big industrial units and libraries have also been established in jails across Punjab to promote education and training,” the home department added.