Category: 1. Pakistan

What is in the video and what the FIR says?

What Balochistan police and CM said about the case?

Honour killings in Pakistan

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has confirmed that a high-level meeting has been scheduled between the leaders of Pakistan and the US, in which she will also participate.

During the press briefing, a journalist asked whether President Trump has offered to mediate on Kashmir, and what is going to happen next?

The spokesperson replied that a meeting with a Pakistani leader is expected on Friday, in which all these issues will be discussed.

Bruce said that the US knew how to move forward and the meeting will openly discuss regional security, bilateral relations, and international issues.

Also, on the question regarding Daesh, the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Al Qaeda, she said that Daesh has been defeated during President Trump’s first term, and now he will take further steps against terrorism.

Bruce further said that no American citizen is currently imprisoned in Venezuela, which she said is a major success of US diplomatic efforts.

Speaking about the situation in Syria, she said that all parties there have agreed to end the tension, while US Special Representative Witkoff is leaving for Gaza to negotiate a ceasefire.

The spokesperson also talked about the situation in Gaza that “Hamas’s strength has been broken” and accused the organisation of looting and selling aid supplies.

She said that the day is not far when we will talk about rebuilding Gaza. She confirmed that US Special Representative Witkoff is going to Gaza to try to reach a ceasefire.

The US State Department spokesperson said that the US is making serious efforts to establish peace in the region and practical evidence of this will come out in the upcoming meetings.

The spokesperson clarified the policy regarding the World Health Organization (WHO) and said that the US will not join the Global Health Law Agreement.

She said that US health policies will be formulated only for the American people and by the US itself.

In the same context, she also announced the termination of US’ partnership with UNESCO, saying that UNESCO’s recognition of Palestine as a state was unacceptable to the United States.

BOSTAN: Until four decades ago, the Bostan Junction Railway Station was a place of industry and movement: steam whistles echoed in the mountain air, porters loaded freight and children raced along its narrow-gauge tracks.

Located about 30 kilometers north of Quetta in the Takatu mountain range, Bostan once linked Pakistan’s rugged west to a vast colonial network of steel and steam.

Today, the station lies silent. Carriages rust in the sun. Tracks are buried beneath dust and weeds. The station buildings, once bustling with workers and traders, are mostly empty.

Built under British rule, the Bostan-Zhob narrow-gauge line was commissioned in 1919 and, by 1929, stretched 294 kilometers to the border town of Zhob. It wound through ten remote stations, including Kan Mehtarzai, the highest railway station in Pakistan at 2,224 meters above sea level.

While the rest of the subcontinent was dominated by broad-gauge lines, Balochistan’s unforgiving mountainous terrain required something lighter, cheaper and more flexible.

Narrow-gauge rail was the solution — and Bostan became its hub.

“The first 74.7 kilometers were completed in January 1921, connecting Bostan with Hindubagh [now Muslim Bagh],” said Aminullah Khan, the current Station Master at Bostan Junction.

“There used to be large offices here with loading and unloading operations. Nearly 500 to 1,000 railway employees worked here in different departments, but today, only four employees work at this station and the rest of the offices are closed.”

The line carried both freight and passengers. British authorities used it to transport chromite ore from the mines in Hindubagh to Bostan, where it was transferred to broad-gauge trains for shipment to Karachi via Quetta.

The Bostan-Zhob line continued operating well after Pakistan’s independence in 1947 but was eventually shut down in 1985. Pakistan Railways cited mounting financial losses and the difficulty of maintaining the remote infrastructure.

“It was consistently running at a loss,” said Dr. Irfan Ahmed Baig, a Quetta-based academic and author of Half-Century Rail.

“There are even records that for one or two years, not a single ticket was sold. People tore up the tracks and took away everything, which faded the remains of the historical track.”

Divisional Superintendent of Pakistan Railways in Quetta, Imran Hayat, confirmed the line’s decline.

“With the government’s policy of promoting roads more than the Railways, the track slowly deteriorated and was finally closed on May 29, 1985,” he said.

“The population of Balochistan province has always been scant, and it cannot be said with clarity that it was a well-patronized passenger route for Railways.”

He added that some rolling stock was deliberately left behind at Bostan at the community’s request. But over the years, theft and scavenging have stripped away much of what remained.

“The stock has slowly been cannibalized by the locals, and theft of metal is a routine practice,” Hayat said.

“The remaining stock available at Bostan Railway Station is in very bad shape and of no use other than scrap value. The local population has no plan for the restoration of the stock, neither have they ever requested nor shown interest in this regard.”

“DISAPPEAR FROM HISTORY”

Others see it differently.

Kaleemullah Kakar, a 45-year-old tribal elder who led a protest in 2023 against the auction of the remaining railway assets, remembers when the station was a part of everyday life.

“I still remember when our school ended, we spent our childhood right on this platform,” he said. “I remember clearly the coal engines on those tracks, just like I can see you now.”

Kakar said over 100 narrow-gauge coaches and several steam engines were removed from Bostan and relocated to major cities.

“Out of nearly 150 historical bogies, Pakistan Railways sold 100 bogies and eight steam engines were taken away and are now standing outside Lahore, Karachi and Quetta Railway Stations,” he said. “Nothing was left for Bostan.”

Only about one kilometer of track remains today. Six damaged carriages sit in the station yard. The shed that once housed locomotives is now an empty shell.

Still, some believe the railway’s legacy, and what little is left of it, deserves to be preserved.

“We deeply wish for the narrow-gauge service to resume because it gave recognition to this town,” said Muhammad Naseem Khan Nasir, a local politician and tribal elder.

“If these remnants vanish, nothing will be left of Bostan. Even its name will disappear from history.”

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan secured a record $26.7 billion in foreign loans during the last fiscal year, nearly half of it in the form of rollovers of previously obtained loans, indicating the country’s deepening dependence on multilateral and bilateral creditors.

The $26.7 billion disbursed during the fiscal year 2024-25 was slightly higher than the preceding fiscal year, according to data compiled by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and the Ministry of Finance.

Of the $26.7 billion in foreign loans, only $3.4 billion or nearly 13% was received for project financing, official details released by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on Tuesday revealed.

Such low receipts for project financing underscore the difficulties in repaying the loans, as most foreign borrowings are used for budgetary support and to build foreign exchange reserves, neither of which generate revenues for repayment.

The central bank’s gross foreign exchange reserves of $14.5 billion as of end-June are largely the result of rollovers, refinancing of existing loans, and some fresh borrowing. This highlights Pakistan’s growing reliance on foreign creditors, making economic stability increasingly vulnerable.

According to the details, the Ministry of Economic Affairs booked $11.9 billion on the federal government’s accounts, about $1.2 billion higher than the previous fiscal year. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) disbursed $2.1 billion, while another $12.7 billion came as rollovers of cash deposits from Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.

Saudi Arabia has placed $5 billion in cash deposits with Pakistan’s central bank, charging a 4% interest on the loans. The amount is rolled over annually as Islamabad remains unable to repay. Interestingly, the IMF’s three-year programme is predicated on the continued rollover of these $12.7 billion loans, casting doubt on the depth of external sector stability.

China has placed $4 billion in cash deposits, charging over 6% in interest. The UAE has deposited $3 billion with the central bank.

China also disbursed $484 million in guaranteed loans in the last fiscal year, used primarily for asset purchases.

Pakistan failed to tap international capital markets last fiscal year and its planned $1 billion borrowing through Eurobonds and Panda bonds did not materialise. Instead, the government and central bank secured an expensive foreign commercial loan, backed by multilateral guarantees, to bridge the gap.

With Pakistan’s credit rating in junk status, the country remains locked out of global capital markets and must pay high interest rates on commercial loans and cash deposits.

The finance ministry managed to secure $4.3 billion in commercial loans, mostly refinanced Chinese loans and others backed by guarantees from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The ADB disbursed $2.1 billion in new loans, $500 million more than budgeted. Multilateral institutions contributed $6.9 billion overall, including $2.1 billion from the IMF.

The World Bank released $1.7 billion, $300 million short of the budgeted amount, and has not announced any new budget support loan for the current fiscal year.

The Islamic Development Bank disbursed $716 million, and Saudi Arabia gave $200 million under an oil financing facility secured at 6% interest, making it an expensive loan.

Pakistan’s debt-to-GDP ratio and gross financing needs-to-GDP ratio currently exceed sustainable levels, according to the Ministry of Finance. A gross financing need exceeding 15% of GDP is considered unsustainable. The Ministry of Finance’s previous projections suggest Pakistan will remain above that threshold for at least the next three years.

In its first review of the $7 billion programme, the IMF flagged several risks to consistent policy implementation including the resistance to reforms, underperformance of tax revenue, high gross financing needs, low gross reserves, and a sizeable net foreign exchange derivative position of the SBP. It also warned that socio-political tensions could erode repayment capacity and debt sustainability.

For three fiscal years, FY2025-26 to FY2027-28, the IMF has projected Pakistan’s gross external financing requirements at $70.5 billion. These figures may vary depending on changes in the current account deficit, remittance flows, and exports.

The IMF further stated that the overall risk of sovereign stress remains high, reflecting a high level of vulnerability to elevated debt levels, large gross financing needs, and low reserve buffers. However, the government has assured the IMF that it is closely monitoring debt vulnerabilities arising from elevated gross financing requirements and a significant sovereign-bank nexus.

The government said on Tuesday that the new buyer of the Pakistan International Airlines would require investing up to Rs70 billion in the loss-making airline over a period of five years but final investment needs would be assessed only after the audited accounts are available next month.

Privatisation Commission secretary Usman Bajwa said that the new investors would require to invest Rs60 billion to Rs70 billion over the five years. He made the statement during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Privatization, which was chaired by Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan of the PML-N.

Usman Bajwa said that new investment will be aimed at financial recovery, operational improvements, and increasing the fleet size.

During the last failed attempt to privatise PIA, the government set the investment limit at $300 million and the new limit appeared on the lower side compared to the last time. One of the possible reasons can be the assumption of improved profitability due to opening of international routes to Europe and the United Kingdom and tax exemptions on lease of aircraft.

Usman Bajwa said that PIA has decided to start flights to Manchester from August 14 after the United Kingdom lifted a ban on PIA flights. The ban had been imposed after the last PTI government claimed that the PIA pilots had bogus degrees.

The advisor to Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali said after the meeting that the airlines total investment requirements would be assessed once the audited financial accounts for end June period are available by mid of next month.

The Secretary Privatisation said that there were security concerns regarding PIA’s North America routes but efforts were underway to address and clear these concerns.

The investor will retain 85% of the bid amount to invest the money in the airline. The government will get only 15% of the bid money.

The PIA fleet age has also risen to 18 and a half years and the new investor would have to double the fleet within five years, said the secretary. The CEO of PIA said early this month that the airline was currently flying 19 aircraft.

The government had earlier claimed that the PIA showed Rs26 billion profit last year but a report by the Ministry of Finance busted the claim and stated that the airline in fact incurred a net loss of Rs4.6 billion and one-off “accounting profit” of Rs26 billion due to treating past losses as future assets “should not be misinterpreted as a sign of operational profitability”.

The government wants to sell 51% to 100% stakes along with the management control. It had also made an attempt to privatize PIA last year but ended up receiving Rs10 billion bid against Rs85.03 billion minimum price.

The standing committee also reviewed a report highlighting complaints of the pensioners of PIACL. It was also revealed that currently pension liabilities for 6,625 employees of PIA amounted to Rs14. 9 billion. Expressing concern, Chairman Committee Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan remarked that the pension amount was extremely low, asking how people are expected to survive.

In response, the Ministry of Privatization stated that pension policies are regularly revised and updated annually in line with allowances. The Chairman directed that grade and scale wise pension details, including the amount received and the distribution process, be presented in the next meeting of the committee

The secretary said that the due diligence process for pre-qualified companies has begun and the field visits would start soon. He said that starting next week; pre-qualified companies will conduct site visits and participate in expert sessions. These sessions will include briefings on aircraft conditions and routes, as stated by Usman Bajwa.

The Privatisation Commission officials said that the current business model of PIA was not sustainable. They said that the privatisation prospects have increased after Rs45 billion worth more liabilities were taken off the balance sheet of PIA and parked in the new holding company.

They said that the last failed attempt will not affect the new bidding process. The Secretary Privatisation said that the government was earlier providing Rs100 billion annually to keep PIA operational.

The Committee was informed that the Pakistan Minerals Development Corporation (PMDC) is not yet included in the Privatization list. Senator Zeeshan Khanzada questioned why this institution was being privatized.

Senators further queried the basis of the privatization decision, noting that the Petroleum Ministry lacks the mandate to privatize the PMDC.

Regarding Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), the committee was informed that it is included in phase one of the privatization list approved by the government in August 2024. ZTBL is currently in the process of hiring a financial advisor.

The Chairman Committee questioned the delay in hiring a financial advisor, noting that the last meeting was held on January 31st, when the bids were submitted and evaluated. He expressed concern that nearly six months had passed without finalizing the appointment. The ministry responded that the process typically takes six to eight weeks but was delayed due to high fee demands by one party by nearly Rs500 million, which is forcing a restart of the process.

LAST week, headline news on a leading private TV channel revealed that ‘a Sharif family meeting in Murree has approved the Punjab provincial government’s expansion’. The report simply reflects how the affairs of the government in the country’s biggest and most powerful province have virtually become a family enterprise.

There is nothing new about the dynastic stranglehold on Pakistani politics. But the kind of family rule that prevails in Punjab tells the story of an increasingly regressive power structure. Apparently, not only are decisions on important policy matters taken during family meetings, there is also a government-sponsored move to build a personality cult around former prime minister and head of the Sharif family Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, Punjab’s chief minister.

It seems that most major government development projects in the province are named after either of the two. There has also been a move to rename some of the old government-run projects after the chief minister. Meanwhile, the provincial government has been running massive ad campaigns praising its own performance in various spheres, with life-sized pictures of the chief minister. Many also carry the image of her father.

This publicity drive is apparently being carried out at government expense. Recently, posters referring to the chief minister as ‘Madr-i-Millat’ (mother of the nation) appeared in the province. This campaign may not be sponsored by the provincial government but has certainly been orchestrated by the ruling party. Even with dynastic politics being the name of the game in Pakistan, rarely has the country witnessed this scale of personal glorification. Such campaigns are only seen in authoritarian regimes which lack legitimacy. But these publicity measures are short-lived and cannot serve the objective. Legitimacy and popularity cannot be won on the back of state-sponsored publicity drives. This kind of personalised publicity drive, paid for by the people’s tax money, is beyond narcissism and has clear political aims. In fact, placing personal photographs in government-sponsored ads and naming projects that use state funds after a sitting government head is seen as illegal in many countries.

The Sharifs’ personalised publicity seen in Punjab has clear political aims.

Even in Pakistan, a Supreme Court ruling in 2022, quoted by Naeem Sadiq on these pages, declared: “Paid servants of the state, constitutional office holders and politicians in government must not use their positions for personal, partisan or pecuniary gain”. It further noted: “Pakistan is not a kingdom, principality or fiefdom in which the people are to be beholden to their rulers.”

It seems that the country has actually been turned into a fiefdom where there is no respect for rules or moral values. Self-glorification of the ruling family, which returned to power with a questionable mandate, makes a mockery of the democratic process. Power is concentrated in the hands of the prime minister and the chief minister of the biggest province — both belong to the Sharif family.

Could this have happened without the establishment’s support? This self-glorification campaign is not limited to civilians and extends to the military leadership. It seems that the entire image-building effort for the civilian and military leadership is part of a concerted plan to strengthen the existing hybrid power structure. Behind the civilian façade, the spectre of those wielding the real power looms large. The Sharif family appears content to play second fiddle. After all, the family owed its return to power to the backing of the powers that be.

More than anyone, the Sharif family should know the slippery slope of power politics. They have been on it many times in the past and were swept away by the fast-shifting sands of Pakistani politics. Yet the lure of power is so strong that they tend to forget their own example. They have readily become an instrument in the move to undermine democracy. Their own return to po­­wer is the result of a manipulated electoral process, which also explains the fragility of a fabricated power structure lacking popular mandate.

It was a remarkable turn of events that allowed the once-disgraced family to return to the corridors of power. Three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif was unceremoniously removed by the Supreme Court in 2017 and barred for life from holding public office through a controversial verdict the following year. He, along with his daughter and other members of the family, were convicted on multiple graft charges.

After being ousted from power, he and his party tried to mobilise public support on the back of the slogan ‘give respect to the vote’. But all the pro-democracy and anti-establishment rhetoric was set aside once a deal was struck. In less than four years after his exit, the PML-N was back in power, with Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother becoming prime minister in the new set-up formed after the removal of Imran Khan through a vote of no-confidence in parliament made possible by behind-the-scenes elements.

But the elder Sharif waited for the announcement of the elections before returning to the country. In no time, his convictions were overturned by the courts and his disqualification was lifted. He was sure of his party sweeping the polls, so it must have come as a rude shock when the counting started. He lost in Mansehra and his victory in Lahore was questionable. His dream of becoming prime minister was dashed. But the establishment’s backing for his party was assured no matter what the real results were.

Most Sharif family members who were earlier convicted and suffered prison are now part of the power structure, although Nawaz Sharif has opted to stay in the background and lead the party. He seems happy with his daughter becoming the first woman chief minister of Punjab and with himself being glorified as a great leader and helmsman. The great champion of democracy does not seem to have any problem now when the sanctity of the vote is being crushed.

The writer is an author and journalist.

zhussain100@yahoo.com

X: @hidhussain

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2025

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s meteorological department on Tuesday warned of glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs), flash floods and landslides in the country’s mountainous northern regions, as the national death toll from monsoon-related incidents climbed to 242, including at least 116 children.

The warning comes amid ongoing heavy monsoon rains that have battered the country since late June, triggering urban flooding, house collapses and deadly flash floods.

At least 21 people, including 12 children, died in the past 24 hours alone, according to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), with many of the fatalities reported from drowning, building collapses and fast-moving floodwaters.

The worst-hit province has been Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous region, where at least 135 people have died. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) reported 56 fatalities, followed by 24 in Sindh, 16 in Balochistan, six in the federal capital of Islamabad, three in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and two in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“In continuation to the GLOF alert issued dated July 15, the wet spell is likely to continue and can affect KP and GB in the current week,” the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in a public statement.

“The prevailing weather conditions increase the risk of GLOFs, flashfloods, and landslide events in vulnerable glaciated regions of GB and KP.”

Glacier lake outburst floods, sudden discharges of water from glacial lakes, are a growing threat in Pakistan’s north due to accelerated glacial melting driven by climate change. These floods can inundate entire valleys in minutes, destroying roads, homes and livelihoods.

The PMD also warned of landslides and mudslides in areas such as Murree, Galliyat, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, cautioning that roads could be blocked and essential connectivity disrupted.

Heavy rains are forecast to continue until July 25.

CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS

On Tuesday, urban flooding also hit the capital Islamabad, with viral videos showing cars swept away by torrents of water in Saidpur Village and the upscale Defense Housing Authority (DHA) neighborhood.

One video widely circulated on social media showed a vehicle submerged in floodwater, with a man inside calling for help.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow over reports of a father and daughter believed to have drowned in the DHA flooding and directed authorities to expedite rescue operations across flood-affected areas.

The monsoon season typically brings 70 to 80 percent of South Asia’s annual rainfall, arriving in June in India and slightly later in Pakistan. While vital for agriculture, the rains also wreak havoc in countries with fragile infrastructure, poor drainage and high vulnerability to climate shocks.

Pakistan, home to more than 7,000 glaciers, is consistently ranked among the countries most at risk from climate change, despite contributing less than 1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions. It has seen increasingly erratic weather patterns in recent years, including record-breaking heatwaves, droughts, and severe storms.

In May, at least 32 people were killed in separate incidents of torrential rainfall and hailstorms across the country.

In 2022, catastrophic floods caused by a combination of unprecedented monsoon rains and glacial melt submerged nearly a third of Pakistan, killing more than 1,700 people and displacing over 8 million.

That disaster inflicted an estimated $30 billion in economic losses and prompted repeated UN calls for global climate reparations.

• Yasmin Rashid, Omer Cheema, opposition leader of Punjab Assembly among those handed 10-year jail term; convicted leaders face disqualification under Article 63(1)(g)
• Shah Mehmood Qureshi among six acquitted in Sherpao Bridge case
• PTI leadership vows to move high court against ‘unjust’ decisions
• Suspended PTI MPAs reinstated by acting Punjab Assembly speaker

LAHORE: Several PTI leaders were handed down decade-long sentences by two anti-terrorism courts in Lahore and Sargodha in connection with cases registered in the aftermath of the May 9, 2023, violence that had engulfed the country following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in a corruption case.

In Lahore, ATC Judge Arshad Javed announced the decision in Kot Lakhpat Jail around 9:30pm in the presence of the incarcerated PTI leaders, who were implicated in the Sherpao Bridge case.

The court awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment to Dr Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and former provincial minister Mian Mehmoodur Rashid. Besides four senior leaders of the PTI, the judge sentenced as many accused to 10-year rigorous imprisonment, including Afzaal Azeem Pahat, Ali Hassan, Khalid Qayum and Riaz Hussain.

The court, however, acquitted PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi. This is the first verdict in any of the cases related to the May 9 riots in Lahore. The judge acquitted six accused, including Mr Qureshi, who, as per his defence, was in Karachi on the day of the alleged occurrence. PTI activists Hamza Azeem, Aitzaz Rafiq, Rana Tanvir, Iftikhar Ahmad, and Zayas Khan were also acquitted.

In this case, as many as 14 accused were indicted during the trial conducted in the jail for security reasons. The prosecution had submitted the challan (charge-sheet) on Sept 28, 2023.

In its final arguments, the prosecution had argued that the ‘May 9 conspiracy’ was hatched on May 7 at Zaman Park, the residence of Imran Khan.

Advocate Burhan Moazzam

Malik, the lead defence counsel, argued that the FIR mentioned 400 accused persons, but only 14 were being put on trial. The lawyer also pointed out that no medical certificate existed to prove that any person was injured on May 9. He said the prosecution failed to establish the presence of the PTI leaders at the place of alleged occurrence.

About Mr Qureshi, he said the former foreign minister was in Karachi on May 9, 2023. The Sarwar Road police registered the FIR, claiming that the accused delivered provocative speeches and incited rioting, attacks and public disorder at Sherpao Bridge during the widespread violent protests of May 9.

Sargodha ATC

Meanwhile, the Sargodha ATC awarded ten-year rigorous imprisonment each to dozens of PTI leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Ahmed Khan Bhachar, in another May 9 riots case registered at the Musakhel police station.

ATC Judge Naeem Sheikh convicted as many as 32 accused, including sitting MNA Ahmad Chattha and former MNA Rana Bilal Ijaz. In this case, over 70 accused persons, including National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan, had been declared proclaimed offenders.

Over a dozen accused were granted exemption from personal appearance during the trial proceedings. The prosecution presented testimonies of 50 witnesses to prove charges of attacks, vandalism, and incitement to violence against the accused.

The PTI parliamentarians convicted in May 9 cases would face automatic disqualification under Article63(1)(g) of the Constitution, which bars members convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude or corrupt practices.

‘Unlawful, unjust’

Commenting on the conviction, Mr Ayub said the decision by the Sargodha court was unlawful. In a statement on his X account, he said the same prosecution witnesses were declared untrustworthy by the previous trial judge. He said the PTI leaders had been convicted unjustly. He said the PTI leaders will challenge the conviction before the higher courts.

Mr Bhachar also announced he would challenge the ATC verdict in the Lahore High Court. “Once the written verdict is received, I will approach the Lahore High Court,” he added.

Suspended PTI MPAs reinstated

Separately, Punjab Assembly acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar on Tuesday reinstated 26 opposition PTI members who had been suspended for 15 sittings for disrupting Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s speech on June 27.

During the session, Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman addressed the house and conveyed Chief Minister Maryam’s desire for the return of the suspended members. “These representatives have been elected by the people and have come to the assembly,” the minister said, adding, “I request the speaker to allow them back into the house so they can represent their constituencies.”

He emphasised the importance of the opposition’s presence, remarking, “The assembly lacks vibrancy without the opposition. The reinstatement of the 26 suspended members will enable them to represent their constituencies effectively. Frankly, I don’t enjoy the proceedings as much without the opposition.”

Earlier, Speaker Malik Muhammad Khan had rejected references against the 26 opposition MPAs seeking their disqualification on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Assembly also unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the killing of nine bus passengers from Punjab while they were travelling in Balochistan on July 10.

Amjad Mahmood in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2025