Author: admin

TOBA TEK SINGH: The National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) claimed to have arrested 149 persons, including 48 Chinese and nationals of some other countries, for their alleged involvement in an online fraud, in a raid on a factory at Chak 54-RB, Sirohli, Faisalabad, late on Monday night, in Balochni police station limits.

According to sources, the factory where the raid was conducted is allegedly owned by a former chairman of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco) Board of Directors, Malik Tehseen Awan.

The sources say that the arrested persons, including 48 Chinese nationals, allegedly involved in hacking banks’ internet systems and other cybercrimes, had been operating from the factory.

The says that the factory owner, Mr Awan, managed to escape during the NCCIA team’s raid.

The premises is allegedly owned by Fesco BoD ex-head; 48 Chinese nationals among the suspects

The team seized a large number of laptops and other gadgets from the factory and had to use a trailer to transport the case property to their office.

Despite efforts by this scribe, no contact could be made with Mr Awan for his version.

The NCCIA has registered seven FIRs, from serial number 142 to 147, under sections 13, 14 and 16 of Peca, read with sections 109, 419 and 420 of the PPC, on the complaint of seven different persons against 149 arrested persons.

Mr Awan would allegedly lure people to do “online work” through these suspects.

The sources say that the network also deprived people of millions of rupees through Ponzi schemes.

The arrested suspects include 44 men and four women from China, three men and five women from Nigeria, one man and three women from Philippines, one man and one woman from Sri Lanka, six men from Bangladesh, one woman from Zimbabwe, two women from Myanmar and 76 men and two women from Pakistan.

ACTION RECOMMENDED: The Faisalabad DC has recommended departmental action against the medical superintendent (MS) and two female doctors following the death of a child in the Government Teaching Hospital Ghulam Mohammadabad.

The DC has recommended action against the MS and two doctors to the secretary of Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department in the light of an inquiry that found them guilty of negligence and providing inadequate treatment to a child who later died in the hospital.

The allegations stem from the tragic death of one-and-a-half-year-old Muhammad Yousuf, a resident of Ghulam Mohammad Abad.

The child was reportedly brought to the hospital after he choked on a syrup bottle cap on Feb 19. However, the doctors on duty allegedly kept referring the child’s family to different wards unnecessarily, before finally directing them to the Allied Hospital. The child passed away allegedly because of the delay in treatment.

The bereaved family protested against the hospital administration for negligence.

The child’s uncle, Nadeem Ahmed, lodged a complaint with Faisalabad commissioner, who then directed the DC to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

The DC, retired Capt Nadim Nasir, recorded statements of the affected family and the witnesses, besides reviewing the hospital’s CCTV cameras’ footage.

The inquiry found MS Dr Asif Shehzad, Postgraduate Resident (PGR) Dr Ahda Payam, and Women Medical Officer Dr Momina Sohail guilty.

The DC has recommended departmental proceedings against the accused under the Peeda Act.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025

• Lyari residents protest against ‘building safety’ crackdown
• Governor visits affected people, announces 80-sq-yd plots for displaced families
• Five-member inquiry committee tasked with investigating building collapse holds first meeting

KARACHI: With the provincial government setting up a high-powered committee to investigate the recent collapse of a multi-storey building in Lyari that killed 27 people, authorities have ordered occupants of nine “dilapidated” buildings to vacate their homes as an operation begins to demolish one of the “weakened” structures in the same vicinity.

The developments came in the wake of the tragedy, which also left several families displaced and raised alarm over the state of “ageing and illegally constructed buildings” in the city.

Some occupants of such buildings were seen emptying their homes on Tuesday and transporting their belongings to temporary abodes.

A number of residents also staged a protest demonstration, demanding that the government provide alternative housing before demolishing the properties they had purchased with their hard-earned money.

In the early hours of Tuesday, demolition crews began tearing down one of the nine newly identified structures as part of an emergency safety drive.

Officials said the buildings had been found to be structurally “unsound” and posed a severe risk to occupants and nearby residents.

A spokesperson for the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) confirmed that notices had been issued to the occupants, urging them to vacate immediately in order to avoid further tragedies.

Governor visits displaced families

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori on Tuesday visited the site of the collapsed building.

During the visit, he faced a group of emotional residents and activists demanding accountability and immediate relief.

Public outrage over the tragedy continues and has led to street protests in the affected area.

Mr Tessori, accompanied by senior administration officials, met with the affected families and promised swift support.

He announced that each displaced family would be allotted an 80-square-yard residential plot.

“We stand with the victims during this difficult time. We will ensure no family is left without shelter,” he said, adding that interim housing arrangements would be made until permanent plots are allocated.

Speaking to the media, Governor Tessori vowed to personally look into the matter.

“I will be sending all my recommendations regarding this tragedy to the Sindh government through a formal letter. This is no minor matter. There will be no silence, and those responsible will be held to account,” he stated.

He also urged the provincial government to provide six months’ rent and temporary relocation within the same locality for residents evacuated from the dangerously unsafe buildings.

He further assured that the Governor House would remain actively engaged in relief efforts, offering essential support including ration supplies and employment opportunities for the affected families.

As the government continues to identify more dangerous structures, questions remain about the authorities’ capacity to both enforce regulations and ensure humane treatment of residents displaced by such enforcement.

Five-member committee notified

The Sindh government on Tuesday formed a five-member inquiry committee headed by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, comprising Special Secretary Ayesha Hameed, SBCA’s Nadeem Ahmed and Asif Ali Langah and the local government department’s Hammadullah Seehar.

“The committee has been directed to conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident, which occurred on 4 July 2025, and submit its findings within 48 hours. The Terms of Reference (ToRs) also mandate the committee to identify those responsible for negligence and propose recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future,” said a statement detailing the notification.

“Furthermore, the committee is tasked with developing a mechanism for the evacuation of residents from buildings deemed dangerous. It has been authorised to co-opt any relevant officer required during the course of the inquiry.”

The committee held its maiden meeting on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025

RAWALPINDI: Heavy rain lashed the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon, creating a slushy mess in the low-lying areas, while residents felt a pleasant change after the warm weather.

The rain started in the afternoon and continued for an hour. After the brief spell, the sun overpowered the heavily overcast sky.

The Meteorological Department recorded 24mm of rain at Zero Point and 1mm at Saidpur in Islamabad, and 16mm at Chaklala, 2mm at Katcheri, 1mm at Pirwadhai and 38mm at Shamsabad in Rawalpindi.

It forecast more rain and cool winds sweeping the northern parts of the country, including the Potohar region, during the next 24 hours.

According to a Met official, monsoon currents are penetrating most parts of the country. A westerly wave is also affecting the upper and central parts of the country.

He said that rain, wind, and thundershowers are expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad. Heavy falls are also likely at isolated places in Kashmir, northeast Punjab and Islamabad.

According to a weather advisory issued by the Met Office, from July 8 to 10, heavy to very heavy rains may generate flash floods in local nullahs and streams of Murree, Galliyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

Landslides and mudslides may cause road closures in the vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galliyat and Kashmir during the wet spell.

Heavy downpours may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar.

The public has been advised to take precautionary measures during the weather activity.

Following Tuesday’s rain, waterlogging was reported in low-lying areas of the garrison city. However, the water level in Leh Nullah remained low. The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) and other civic bodies remained alert to deal with any untoward situation.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Saleem Ashraf said that the water level remained low in the nullah. He said that water accumulated in some areas of the city but was drained out soon after the rain stopped.

He said that the city was divided into four sectors and flood response units had been deployed to drain out water from different areas. He added that the teams reached the sites and drained the water from the affected areas.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025

KARACHI: A sessions court on Tuesday sentenced filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood Raza, popularly known as Jami, to two years in prison for defaming fellow director Sohail Javed in 2019, Dawn.com reported.

He was taken into custody and moved to the Karachi central prison to serve his sentence, his lawyer has confirmed.

The court convicted him under Section 500 (defamation) of the Pakistan Penal Code and also imposed a fine of Rs10,000.

The case involved a letter Jami read out from an anonymous sexual assault survivor at the Lahooti Melo and also posted to his Facebook page.

The letter was from an unnamed survivor who described being assaulted by a very well-known figure in the entertainment industry but did not name the alleged abuser. Jami didn’t name the alleged abuser in his Facebook post either.

However, Javed argued that in the comment section of the post, many people guessed it was him and Jami did nothing to stop the speculation or deny the accusation.

Javed filed a defamation lawsuit against Jami, who denied the accusations and said the letter was handed to him by the organiser of the Lahooti Melo and he did not know the content at the time of reading it.

However, the court observed that Jami did not “produce the letter’s author, any communication with the Lahooti Melo organisers or any credible evidence to show that he was unaware of the content beforehand”.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2025