by Zulqernain Tahir in Dawn, December 5th, 2023LAHORE: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday held a second meeting with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in two weeks, where both pledged to move ahead together to take on their rivals in the Feb 8 polls. The PML-N is largely banking on JUI-F in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is considered a stronghold of Imran Khan’s PTI, and believes its position will be stronger in Balochistan if the JUI-F…
Posts published in “Pakistan”
Edit in The News,December 05, 2023Unidentified attackers opened fire on a passenger bus on Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Chilas city this past Saturday, leaving at least nine dead and 25 injured. Two soldiers of the Pakistan Army were also martyred in the attack. On Sunday, the police arrested six suspects following the gun attack on the Islamabad-bound bus in Chilas, which ploughed into a goods truck due to the driver’s acceleration, prompted by the…
Editorial in Dawn, December 5th, 2023PERHAPS even more challenging than countering terrorism in urban areas is the threat posed by militants in remote regions of Pakistan. This is especially true in the rugged terrain of Gilgit-Baltistan and adjacent regions of KP. Here, in the shadow of towering peaks, tracing the perpetrators is arguably more difficult than it is in the cities. However, terrorists cannot be given a free hand to stomp through the mountains, killing…
Edit in The Nation, Dec 5, 2023The recent tragic incident in Chilas has sent shockwaves across the nation, underscoring the critical need for swift and robust security measures, especially in vulnerable areas such as the Diplomatic Enclave. The unfortunate attack on an Islamabad-bound bus resulted in the loss of lives and injuries, prompting an urgent reassessment of security protocols. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the paramount importance of maintaining a secure environment…
edit in The Express Tribune, Dec 5th, 2023.In recent months, Pakistan has witnessed a distressing surge in terrorist activities, posing a grave threat to its security and stability. The data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reveals a disconcerting 34% increase in anti-state violence within the past month alone. The numbers paint a grim picture — 63 militant attacks in November resulting in 83 fatalities, including 37 security forces personnel and…
Report in Dawn, Dec 04, 2023PESHAWAR: Jamaat-i-Islami, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief Prof Mohammad Ibrahim Khan has stressed the need for holding negotiations with the protesting traders in Chaman, Balochistan. He said the government should reconsider ‘conditioning’ passport for movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to a statement issued from the Jamaat’s Markaz-i-Islami here on Sunday. Prof Ibrahim said people living along the border had family relations in each country, and moved freely across the border for…
report in The News, Dec 04, 2023ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States are holding consultations over several issues, including the situation in Afghanistan, said the Foreign Office in a statement issued on Sunday. FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the two countries are also exchanging visits in a bid to speed up the consultation process, adding that important US officials are visiting Pakistan over the coming days. Islamabad has continuously blamed Kabul for rising terrorist…
By Mariana Baabar in The News, Dec 4, 2023ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) has informed the government here that due to paucity of time, it will not be sending a full election observation mission as it did in 2018. Also, no recommendations will be presented at the conclusion of February 8, 2024 elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has stated that it welcomes observation missions for elections 2024. The EU Election Observation Mission (EU…
by Shafqat Ali in The Nation, Dec 4, 2023ISLAMABAD – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) are engaged in a fierce political fight in Balochistan weeks before the general elections. Both the major political parties are trying to win maximum electables before the February 8 polls. The contest so far is in favour of the PML-N, with the PPP not giving up. PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari enjoys influence among…
by Syed Irfan Raza in Dawn, Dec 4th, 2023The hullabaloo over the PTI’s intra-party elections has once again put the spotlight on the inherent lack of democracy that plagues most of Pakistan’s major political parties, with many raising questions about the democratic credentials of leaders who are unwilling to let popular opinion dictate who should and shouldn’t be in high-office. While the Election Commission of Pakistan-mandated exercise focused attention on the PTI’s internal hierarchy and…