By Eric Shahzar in The News,August 27, 2023The writer is an academic based in Oxford and London, UK.An accurate measure of a truly thriving and pluralistic society lies in how it treats its minorities. In Pakistan, a nation grappling with religious extremism, the plight of minorities remains an ever so pressing concern. In Sep 2017, the tragic case of Sharoon Masih, a young student lynched to death simply for drinking water from his Muslim classmate’s…
Posts tagged as “Pakistan”
by Zhao Ziwen and Hayley Wong in SCMP, Aug 26, 2023The armed attack this month on a convoy carrying Chinese workers was just the latest in a string of militant strikes in Pakistan. In the attack on August 13, insurgents targeted a convoy of four bulletproof vehicles carrying 23 Chinese engineers on way to Gwadar Port in Balochistan, a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s plan to grow global trade. None of…
AP report, Aug 26, 2023A Pakistani doctor and former Mayo Clinic research coordinator who sought to join Islamic State (Isis) to fight in Syria and expressed interest in carrying out attacks on US soil was sentenced on Friday to 18 years in prison. Muhammad Masood, 31, pleaded guilty a year ago to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation. Prosecutors said he attempted unsuccessfully to travel from the US to Syria via…
report on Dawn.com, August 25, 2023A fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has suspected that Jaranwala rioters were not a “spontaneous or random crowd”, but were a part of a “larger campaign of hatred against local Christians”. On August 16, a violent mob of hundreds ransacked and torched nearly two dozen churches, and attacked the residences of members of the Christian community and the office of the local assistant commissioner in…
report in The Express Tribune, Aug 25, 2023ISLAMABAD: The apex court on Thursday ordered Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan to file by August 28 a report on the living conditions of former prime Imran Khan at the Attock Jail cell where he has been languishing since his conviction on August 5. A three-member special bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial issued this order while hearing the PTI chief’s…
report in The Express Tribune, Aug 25, 2023ISLAMABAD: Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Muttaqi has stressed the need for strengthening the Pakistan-Afghanistan dialogue, particularly on issues of mutual concern. Muttaqi met with a delegation of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), which visited Afghanistan from August 21-23, 2023, a statement issued here on Thursday said. During the meeting, Acting Foreign Minister Muttaqi highlighted the notable progress registered in bilateral trade and spoke about the…
Report in Dawn, August 25th, 2023ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador Donald Blome on Thursday met Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja to reaffirm the United States’ support for free and fair elections “conducted in accordance with Pakistan’s laws and Constitution”. According to a press release issued by the US Embassy, the US ambassador reaffirmed that Pakistan’s leaders are the people’s choice, underscoring commitment to enhancing US-Pakistan ties regardless of the chosen leadership. Though not explicitly stated, concerns…
report in The Express Tribune, August 23, 2023LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed on Tuesday its deep concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding the detention of women associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) since May 9, riots. In a press release, the HRC said that more than three months had passed since the PTI supporters were arrested but it was still not clear how many women were currently in jail. It…
By Sohail Khan in The News, August 23, 2023ISLAMABAD: The controversy over President Alvi’s claim he did not sign the two legislations amending the Official Secrets Act and Pakistan Army Act reached the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday after a plea was filed praying for suspending both the legislations. Advocate Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta filed the petition with the apex court under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, making the Federation of Pakistan through secretary, Law…
by Malik Asad in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023ISLAMABAD: A special court, established on Monday to hear the cases filed under the Official Secrets Act, handed over former foreign minister and vice chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on a four-day physical remand in the cipher case. Mr Qureshi is named in the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him under the Official Secrets Act. The federal government…
By Mohammad Amin Pacha n ToloNews, Aug 21, 2023 at 8:51 PMThe acting Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said that the recent incidents in Pakistan are due to its internal problems, which Islamabad itself should address. He warned that if Pakistan seeks to solve its issues by force through Afghanistan, the interests of citizens of both countries will be harmed. “If they want to solve this issue through force, certainly– the nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan,…