Category: 1. Pakistan

LAHORE:

The second round of negotiations between the Punjab government and the opposition over the reinstatement of 26 suspended members of the provincial assembly concluded on Sunday without any resolution, though both sides agreed to continue dialogue in the coming days.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, the government and opposition failed to reach a consensus regarding the suspension of the PTI lawmakers, whose membership remains inactive following a heated session last month.

The lawmakers were suspended after they disrupted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech on June 27.

KARACHI:

In arguably one of the most bizarre cases in air travel history, a Karachi-bound passenger was mistakenly boarded onto a Jeddah-bound flight, resulting in a 15-hour ordeal that ended with questioning by Saudi authorities and a struggle to return home.

Malik Shahzain, an electrical engineer and resident of Korangi, was returning to Karachi from Lahore on the night of July 7 after learning that his child had fallen ill. However, due to what he described as a “serious and irresponsible error” by ground staff at Lahore airport, he was instead flown to Jeddah aboard an AirSial flight.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shahzain recalled how he arrived at the airport around 9pm and approached airline staff with his boarding pass for the Karachi-bound flight. At the time, two AirSial aircraft were parked on the tarmac — one scheduled for Karachi and the other for Jeddah — both reportedly departing at 10pm.

“I handed over my boarding pass and was directed to the international departures gate. I was seated at window seat 17F without being informed I had boarded the wrong flight,” he said.

Two hours into the flight, Shahzain got concerned and asked a flight attendant when the plane would arrive in Karachi. To his shock, he was informed that the aircraft was en route to Jeddah.

Panic ensued among the crew, who informed the captain about the situation. Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, the airline staff tried to manage the incident discreetly but failed. Saudi customs and security officials boarded the aircraft and escorted Shahzain away for interrogation.

“I was taken about 800 metres from the plane, questioned repeatedly, and even my water bottle was examined,” he said. A Bengali-speaking member of the Saudi security team acted as a translator during the inquiry.

After explaining the situation and presenting his documents, Shahzain was released when authorities accepted that the incident had occurred due to negligence on the part of the airline. He was placed on a return flight to Lahore with instructions for AirSial to ensure his safe arrival in Karachi.

However, the trouble did not end there. “Upon reaching Lahore, I was told to arrange my own ticket to Karachi,” he said.

With only Rs15,000 in hand and the ticket priced at Rs23,000, he had to contact his factory’s Karachi office to purchase the ticket on his behalf.

Shahzain said that while his 11kg luggage was correctly sent to Karachi and received later, the airline had yet to issue an apology or accept responsibility. He stressed that his intention in sending a legal notice was not to demand financial compensation but to seek accountability.

“This mistake could have had far worse consequences had it involved someone who couldn’t explain themselves — perhaps an illiterate or poor traveller from a remote area,” he said. “It’s not just about embarrassment; such incidents damage the country’s image.”

He called for proper training and accountability for airline staff, arguing that simply reprimanding those responsible is not enough.

HYDERABAD:

A specially-abled girl, 15 years old Dua Abro, who was allegedly subjected to rape in Larkana district died during medical treatment at the Trauma Center Larkana on Sunday.

The news about her death became known hours after the suspect who had allegedly raped the girl was shot dead in a police encounter.

The district’s SSP Ahmed Faisal Chaudhry told the media that the suspect Rizwan Kaalu sustained a fatal gunshot during an exchange of fire with the police.

He claimed that Kaalu was hit by a bullet fired by his own accomplices who later escaped from the spot.

According to him, the police team was attacked when they raided a place to arrest Kaalu.

The deceased girl had gone missing after she left her residence in Kambar Naka area in Ratodero town of Larkana on July 11, her uncle Asad Abro told the media.

A day later she was found unconscious and injured near Ratodero Stadium. The initial medical examination suggested rape of the victim as per Taluka Hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Shah Hussain Shah.

HYDERABAD:

Despite a fresh monsoon spell forecast by the Meteorological Department from July 15, no practical steps have yet been taken to clean stormwater drains, sewer lines, or gutters across Hyderabad. The main drains passing through densely populated areas remain choked with garbage, and broken or missing protective walls around these drains have not been repaired — sparking growing concern among citizens.

Pakistan Meteorological Department had officially warned the Sindh government about the upcoming rain system, after which high-level meetings were held instructing commissioners, deputy commissioners, and local municipal agencies to prepare for potential urban flooding. A circular was also issued by the Sindh Local Government Department on July 10, instructing municipal bodies including the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and various town municipal corporations to take precautionary measures. However, more than 48 hours have passed since the issuance of the letter, and not a single department has begun ground-level preparations.

Several major drains — including the long stretch from Liaquat Colony and Sattar Shah Graveyard to Memon Hospital Chowk and Tando Yusuf — serve as the primary outlet for sewage from many congested neighborhoods. Other critical drains run through the old vegetable market and Latifabad Airport Road. All of these are now heavily clogged with waste to the extent that their original form is barely recognizable. At some locations, thick layers of garbage have formed over the drains, and children can be seen walking over them obliviously.

The protective walls around these drains are broken at many points. In some places, the water level in the drain is equal to the road surface, resulting in past incidents of vehicles and children falling in. On May 17 this year, a seven-year-old boy, Raheel Afzal, fell into an open drain near the old vegetable market and drowned. Similarly, on June 11, two girls — 10-year-old Rabeel and 8-year-old Parisha — fell into an uncovered drain in the Jani Shah Mohalla area. Rabeel tragically lost her life.

Despite such tragedies, neither the Hyderabad administration, nor the municipal corporation, nor the respective TMAs (Town Municipal Administrations) have initiated repairs on the damaged protective walls of these dangerous drains. The concerned Union Committees, too, remain silent spectators, despite receiving Rs 1.2 million monthly in government grants — out of which only a portion is used for salaries and utility bills, while the rest remains unutilized for urgent community needs like drain maintenance.Ironically, every year, the Sindh government and local bodies hold emergency meetings and announce rain preparedness plans, allocating millions of rupees in budget. In some places, superficial drain cleaning is carried out for the sake of publicity.

However, the reality is that not a single drain has been cleaned thoroughly enough to make a visible difference in water flow. Allegedly, fake bills are submitted under the guise of drain cleaning each year, and public funds are misappropriated — yet no institution or bureaucrat has ever been held accountable for this recurring negligence.

The second round of negotiations between the Punjab government and the opposition over the reinstatement of 26 suspended members of the provincial assembly concluded on Sunday without any resolution, though both sides agreed to continue dialogue in the coming days.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, the government and opposition failed to reach a consensus regarding the suspension of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, whose membership remains inactive following a heated session last month.

The lawmakers were suspended by Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan after opposition benches disrupted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech on June 27. The session descended into chaos as treasury and opposition members engaged in a physical altercation, despite repeated appeals by the Speaker to restore order.

Read More: Punjab speaker forms committee to address suspended PTI members’ references

The ongoing impasse follows an earlier consultative meeting between the Speaker and the suspended MPAs, during which disqualification references filed against the members were also discussed.

To resolve the standoff, Speaker Khan formed an eight-member negotiation committee, comprising Chief Whip Rana Arshad, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Samiullah Khan, and Ahmad Iqbal. Additional representation was included from allied parties: Ali Haider Gillani (PPP), Chaudhry Shafay Hussain (PML-Q), and Shoaib Siddiqui (IPP).

Despite no significant progress in the second round of talks, both sides signaled readiness to engage further.

Leader of the Opposition Malik Ahmad Khan Bachhar said discussions were ongoing and that more meetings were scheduled. “This was our second meeting, and there was agreement on continuing the talks. Consultations are underway regarding the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure,” he told reporters.

Bachhar emphasized the need for party-level consultation, noting that such complex issues could not be resolved in a single sitting. “We are two distinct political entities. The Speaker has urged adherence to the rules, and once consensus is reached, it will be communicated to all stakeholders,” he added.

Also Read: Suspended MPAs split over protest limitation

Speaking to the media after the meeting, government representatives described the atmosphere as constructive. Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman stated that the sanctity of the Assembly was paramount and that the opposition had acknowledged the importance of preserving its dignity. “One or two more meetings may be required, but we are hopeful of a dignified resolution,” he said.

He clarified that the government was not seeking to de-seat the suspended lawmakers but was merely asking for observance of Assembly decorum. “They are elected representatives. Our objective is not punitive but to ensure the House functions within its prescribed rules,” Shuja-ur-Rehman added.

LAHORE: The government and opposition committees on Sunday failed to reach a consensus on the speaker’s disqualification reference against opposition lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, but agreed to continue talks. 

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan chaired the session of the government and opposition committees; however, both sides have not reached an agreement on any point yet.

Last week, the speaker had filed the disqualification reference with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against 26 MPAs over ruckus, sloganeering, shouting and tearing of documents in the house during the budget session.

Talking to journalists following the meeting today, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar said that the meetings would continue until a consensus is achieved.

He claimed that there was no deadlock, adding that the speaker urged both sides to follow all rules of the assembly.

Bhachar said that the matters would not be resolved in an hour or two, and they will move forward by consulting the parliamentary party. The opposition leader added that the PA speaker will bind both parties to follow the Rules of Procedure.

“Things are not finalised yet,” said Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, hoping that matters would be finalised in one or two more meetings.

He further said that the treasury does not want to deseat the opposition lawmakers nor does it favour disqualifying them. “The treasury wants to restore the respect and dignity of the house,” he said, adding that political matters are resolved via dialogue.

He added that both sides will consult their parliamentary parties on what they have discussed in the meeting today.

Mujtaba also expressed optimism that whatever decision is made here, its reflection will be seen in the National Assembly and other assemblies as well.

In the possible diffusion of the political tensions in Punjab, the government and the opposition have formed their respective negotiation committees to hold dialogue over the issue of speaker’s disqualification reference against the latter’s members in the Punjab Assembly, the sources familiar with the matter said a day ago.

The reference filed against PTI-backed MPAs includes Malik Farhad Masood, Muhammad Tanveer Aslam, Syed Riffat Mehmood, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, Kaleem Ullah Khan, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Ali Asif, Zulfiqar Ali, Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary, Shahid Javed, Muhammad Ismael, and Khayal Ahmad.

Shahbaz Ahmad, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mehmood, Ali Imtiaz, Rashid Tufail, Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Khalid Zubair Nisar, Ch Muhammad Ejaz Shafi, Saima Kanwal, Muhammad Naeem, Sajjad Ahmed, Rana, Aourang Zaib, Shuaib Ameer and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar.

Separately, 10 opposition lawmakers had been fined more than Rs2 million for acts of vandalism such as breaking microphones as per the relevant video evidence.

Those fined include Chaudhary Javed Kausar, Asad Abbas, Tanveer Aslam, Riffat Mehmood, Muhammad Ismael, Shahbaz Ahmad, Imtiaz Mehmood, Khalid Zubair, Rana Aourang Zaib and Muhammad Ahsan Ali — all of whom will have to pay Rs203,550 each.