Pakistan outlaws disinformation with three-year jail term

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Updated 28 January 2025
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Pakistan outlaws disinformation with three-year jail term

Pakistan outlaws disinformation with three-year jail term
  • Law was rushed through parliament with little warning last week
  • New bill will now pass to the president to be rubber stamped

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan criminalized online disinformation on Tuesday, passing legislation that enshrines punishments of up to three years in prison, a decision journalists say is designed to crack down on dissent.
“I have heard more ‘yes’ than ‘no’, so the bill is approved,” Syedaal Khan, deputy chair of Pakistan’s Senate, said amid protest from the opposition and journalists, who walked out of the gallery.
The law targets anyone who “intentionally disseminates” information online that they have “reason to believe to be false or fake and likely to cause or create a sense of fear, panic or disorder or unrest.”
The law was rushed through the National Assembly with little warning last week before being presented to the Senate on Tuesday, and will now pass to the president to be rubber stamped.


Pakistani, UAE deputy PMs express concern over US proposal to dislocate Palestinians from Gaza

Pakistani, UAE deputy PMs express concern over US proposal to dislocate Palestinians from Gaza
Updated 9 sec ago
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Pakistani, UAE deputy PMs express concern over US proposal to dislocate Palestinians from Gaza

Pakistani, UAE deputy PMs express concern over US proposal to dislocate Palestinians from Gaza
  • Trump has announced plans to resettle Palestinian residents and redevelop enclave and said they should not have the right to return
  • Palestinian territory, encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has been occupied by Israel since 1967

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday spoke to his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and expressed concern about a proposal by US President Donald Trump to displace Palestinians from Gaza, the foreign office in Islamabad said.

Trump has recently announced plans to resettle Gaza’s Palestinian residents and redevelop the enclave and said they should not have the right to return. Under Trump’s scheme, Gaza’s about 2.2 million Palestinians would be resettled and the United States would take control and ownership of the coastal territory, redeveloping it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Palestinians fear that Trump’s plan would enforce another Nakba, or Catastrophe, when they experienced mass expulsions in 1948 with the creation of Israel.

“The two leaders discussed the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and expressed concerns at the proposal to displace or relocate the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland,” the foreign office said after Dar’s call with his UAE counterpart.

The Pakistani deputy PM reiterated Pakistan’s “unwavering” support for Palestinian rights, and the foreign office said both leaders agreed to stay in close contact to achieve a “just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.”

Israel began its latest assault on Gaza after a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 people, while some 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air and ground operations since, Gaza health authorities say, and much of the enclave has been obliterated. 

The Gaza war has been paused since Jan. 19 under the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that was brokered by Qatar and Egypt with support from the United States.

Palestinian territories – encompassing the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem – have been occupied by Israel since 1967.

Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has consistently called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters.”


Pakistan arrests medical officer for falsifying autopsy report in blasphemy case killing

Pakistan arrests medical officer for falsifying autopsy report in blasphemy case killing
Updated 23 min 11 sec ago
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Pakistan arrests medical officer for falsifying autopsy report in blasphemy case killing

Pakistan arrests medical officer for falsifying autopsy report in blasphemy case killing
  • Dr. Muntazir Mehdi allegedly tried to conceal evidence of torture in Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbhar’s postmortem report
  • Dr. Kunbhar was accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media, though he denied the charge 

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested a medical officer in Mirpurkhas for allegedly tampering with the autopsy report of a doctor killed in a suspected extrajudicial police shooting after being accused of blasphemy, the agency said on Wednesday.

The arrest is part of an ongoing probe into the killing of Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbhar, a physician who was shot dead in what authorities initially described as a police encounter, but which was later proven by a high-level police inquiry to have been a staged killing while he was in custody.

The FIA said in a statement the police officials implicated in the case were investigated on charges of murder, terrorism and torture.

“The FIA Mirpurkhas has carried out a major operation and arrested medico-legal officer Dr. Muntazir Mehdi,” the agency said in a statement.

“The arrested suspect is accused of concealing evidence of torture in the post-mortem report,” it added. “He was taken into custody in Mirpurkhas, and investigations have begun.”

The statement said further arrests were expected as part of the probe, and all available resources were being used to track down those involved.

Dr. Kunbhar, a government doctor in Sindh’s Umerkot district, was accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media in September 2024, though he denied the charge and said that his account had been hacked.

After facing threats from religious groups, he went into hiding but was later arrested. A day after being taken into custody, police claimed he was killed in an exchange of fire while allegedly trying to escape.

Rights groups and his family dismissed the police version, however, alleging he was tortured and executed in custody. A subsequent inquiry by the Sindh Human Rights Commission found that Kunbhar had been killed in a staged encounter, and his body bore signs of severe torture.

The case sparked protests across Sindh, with civil society and legal activists demanding accountability.

The incident also brought Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws under renewed scrutiny, with rights organizations calling for legal reforms to prevent their misuse and protect the accused from vigilante violence.

The FIA said its investigation into police officers involved in the case was ongoing, and efforts to apprehend all those responsible were underway.


Pakistan picks consortium led by Dubai-based firm to advise on power sector privatization

Pakistan picks consortium led by Dubai-based firm to advise on power sector privatization
Updated 12 February 2025
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Pakistan picks consortium led by Dubai-based firm to advise on power sector privatization

Pakistan picks consortium led by Dubai-based firm to advise on power sector privatization
  • The consortium will help with the privatization of three power distribution companies in Pakistan
  • Pakistan has struggled with power sector challenges, leading to financial losses, revenue shortfalls

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has signed a financial advisory agreement with a consortium led by Dubai-based Alvarez & Marsal Middle East Limited to help privatize three major power distribution companies (DISCOs), the Privatization Commission said on Tuesday.

The agreement is part of the government’s broader privatization drive to reform the power sector that has been plagued by circular debt, operational inefficiencies and power theft.

The government has been working to divest state-run power companies as part of its wider economic reform agenda, recommended under its $7 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund.

“This strategic initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to improving efficiency, reducing losses and ensuring long-term sustainability in the power distribution sector,” the Privatization Commission said in a statement.

Alvarez & Marsal Middle East Limited, a professional services firm specializing in business performance improvement and turnaround management, will provide financial advisory services for the privatization of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO), Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO) and Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO).

It will conduct due diligence, market analysis, investor outreach and transaction structuring to facilitate private sector participation in the bidding process.

Pakistan has long struggled with power sector challenges, with state-run distribution companies suffering massive financial losses due to inefficiencies, revenue shortfalls and delays in tariff adjustments.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Privatization Commission and representatives of the A&M-led consortium.


Erdogan due in Islamabad today to co-chair Pakistan-Turkiye cooperation council

Erdogan due in Islamabad today to co-chair Pakistan-Turkiye cooperation council
Updated 12 February 2025
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Erdogan due in Islamabad today to co-chair Pakistan-Turkiye cooperation council

Erdogan due in Islamabad today to co-chair Pakistan-Turkiye cooperation council
  • HLSCC has held five sessions since it was established in 2009
  • PM Sharif and Erdogan expected to sign several agreements 

ISLAMABAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Islamabad today, Wednesday, to co-chair a high-level strategic cooperation council focusing on bilateral trade, investment and other priority sectors, and also oversee the signing of several agreements, the foreign office has said. 

The Pakistan-Turkiye High Level Cooperation Council (HLSCC) was established in 2009. Several joint standing committees under the HLSCC cover vital sectors such as trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defense, agriculture and others. 

Six sessions of the HLSCC have been conducted since it was founded, with the last one held in Islamabad in 2020. 

“During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Erdogan will co-chair the 7th Session of the Pakistan-Turkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC),” the foreign office said on Tuesday. 

“At the conclusion of the Session, a Joint Declaration and a number of important agreements/MoUs are expected to be signed. The two leaders will also address a joint press stakeout.”

Erdogan will hold bilateral meetings with Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, the foreign office said, and address the Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum, which will bring together leading investors, companies and businesspersons from both sides.

“The visit of Turkish President and the holding of the 7th Session of the HLSCC would serve to further deepen the brotherly relations and enhance multifaceted cooperation between the two countries,” the foreign office said. 

Turkiye and Pakistan enjoy cordial relations and last year agreed to enhance bilateral trade to $5 billion when Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited the Pakistani capital. 

Pakistan has been eagerly reaching out to international partners and allies in recent months as the South Asian nation, currently bolstered by a $7 billion facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) granted in September, navigates a narrow economic recovery path.
 


Pakistan PM reaffirms commitment to reform drive in meeting with IMF chief in Dubai

Pakistan PM reaffirms commitment to reform drive in meeting with IMF chief in Dubai
Updated 12 February 2025
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Pakistan PM reaffirms commitment to reform drive in meeting with IMF chief in Dubai

Pakistan PM reaffirms commitment to reform drive in meeting with IMF chief in Dubai
  • Shehbaz Sharif says government working on tax reforms, energy sector efficiency and private sector development
  • The IMF chief says she was ‘encouraged’ by the government’s commitment to Pakistan’s IMF-supported reforms

KARACHI: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai, said an official statement on Wednesday, where he reaffirmed his government’s commitment to structural reforms.
The meeting took place during Sharif’s two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he addressed the summit and called for global support to meet Pakistan’s $100 billion energy transition needs.
His discussions with Georgieva came just ahead of the IMF’s upcoming review of Pakistan’s $7 billion loan program, secured in September last year. A successful review in the coming weeks would release a $1 billion tranche, helping cash-strapped Pakistan boost its foreign exchange reserves and meet the lender’s import cover benchmark.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif underscored the progress made under the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), which has played a key role in stabilizing Pakistan’s economy and setting it on the path of long-term recovery,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement released after the meeting.
“He reaffirmed the government’s resolve to sustaining the reform momentum, particularly in critical areas such as tax reform, energy sector efficiency and private sector development,” it added. “The Prime Minister assured Ms. Georgieva of Pakistan’s commitment to economic prudence, efficiency and sustainability as essential pillars for achieving inclusive and sustained growth.”
Following the meeting, Georgieva posted on X, formerly Twitter, expressing confidence in Pakistan’s reform trajectory.
“Wonderful to meet [Pakistan’s] Prime Minister @CMShehbaz and his team. I am encouraged by their strong commitment to Pakistan’s IMF-supported reforms and support their decisive actions to pave the way to higher growth and more jobs for Pakistan’s youthful population,” she said.
The meeting between the two officials took place as an IMF mission is currently in Pakistan conducting a governance and corruption diagnostic assessment, part of the broader reform agenda under the EFF.
The IMF’s next review is expected in March, with Pakistan’s government and central bank confident of meeting reform targets required for the loan disbursement.