Category: 1. Pakistan

LAHORE: The Punjab Cabinet Committee on Law and Order reviewed security arrangements in the province for Muharram, while Chief Secretary (CS) Zahid Akhtar Zaman and IGP Dr Usman Anwar visited Multan to assess the security arrangements.

The committee reviewed security and CCTV monitoring arrangements of ongoing Ashura processions across Punjab during a meeting on Saturday.

Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi briefed the committee about the latest situation of Ashra and processions and added that some 113,000 policemen were performing duties across Punjab.

He said the Home department’s cyber patrolling cell had reported some 1,600 social media accounts to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. He said that 170 individuals were arrested for inciting hatred on social media.

CS and IGP visit Multan

Committee Chairman Salman Rafique said the government had ensured foolproof security arrangements at entry and exit points of all districts across Punjab. He said police, district administration, Rescue, health and sanitation departments were alert and working in close coordination.

Meanwhile, the CS and the IG reviewed the security of Multan’s central procession in Mumtazabad and inspected the monitoring systems at the control room established at the Deputy Commissioner office.

Divisional Commissioner Aamir Khayam Khan and Deputy Commissioner Waseem Hamid gave a briefing on the arrangements.

During their visit, they also met members of the peace committees, community leaders and organisers of Muharram processions and Majalis.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Zaman said the government took ‘exemplary’ measures to promote religious harmony, peace and brotherhood during Muharram. All departments were alert and working in close coordination, he added.

Dr Anwar said that foolproof security was being provided for all processions and gatherings.

“We are conducting intelligence-based operations in collaboration with the Special Branch, Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies,” he said.

The IG said district administrations and law enforcement agencies were coordinating with religious scholars, procession organisers and other stakeholders.

“Control rooms have been set up in all districts, and live monitoring through CCTV cameras is ongoing round the clock,” he said.

South Punjab Additional Chief Secretary Fawad Hashim Rabbani, Dr Qazi, South Punjab Additional IG Kamran Khan, CTD Additional IG Waseem Sial, Multan RPO Captain (r) Sohail Chaudhry and CPO Multan Sadiq Ali Dogar were also present during the visit.

The CS also visited the central control room of the Home Department to review security and monitoring mechanisms for Muharram.

During the visit, he received briefings on the ongoing processions from control rooms of various districts via video link. He instructed the control rooms to remain alert. He also directed the district administrations and police to remain present in the field and to monitor the situation continuously.

The CS also inspected the cyber patrolling cell of the Home department. Dr Qazi briefed him on the department’s cyber surveillance operations.

Dr Qazi said that live monitoring of over 37,000 Majalis and more than 9,800 processions across the province was underway.

To support police in maintaining law and order, 59 companies of the Pakistan Army and 79 companies of Rangers were deployed throughout Punjab, he added.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

SWAT: The anti-encroachment drive launched following the devastating Swat flood incident that killed over a dozen tourists, has sparked outrage among hotel, restaurant, and shop owners, with all major political parties calling for immediate halt to the punitive operation.

Businesses were left devastated after the district administration demolished their buildings, declaring them as encroachments along the Swat River.

The operation, initially aimed at clearing illegal structures, swiftly dismantled properties belonging to numerous small business owners, leaving them grappling with substantial financial losses.

One affected restaurant owner, Sardar Ali, said, “We have worked hard for years to establish our businesses here. The demolition came as a shock. We didn’t even get any notice before losing everything we built.”

Swat business owners, Dir MPC demand immediate end to operations

Another shopkeeper, Faizan Khan, echoed similar sentiments, stating, “They just tore down our shops without any warning. How are we supposed to feed our families now?”

However, the campaign was unexpectedly halted when the anti-encroachment machinery reached a hotel owned by federal minister Eng Amir Muqam, situated along the Swat River in the Fizagat area.

Despite the ongoing demolitions in surrounding areas, the authorities ceased all further demolition activities around Muqam’s property without offering any clear explanation for the change in direction.

This sudden pause has raised suspicions of favouritism towards influential figures.

Local business owners, along with civil society members, have expressed frustration at what they describe as a double standard in the enforcement of the anti-encroachment laws.

“It’s clear those with power are protected while the rest of us are left to suffer. The government’s actions are unfair and biased,” said Shahid Hussain, another restaurant owner.

In light of the situation, the business owners have threatened protests if the government doesn’t halt the operation. They demanded compensation for the losses they incurred due to the destruction of their properties.

“We won’t remain silent. The government needs to take responsibility for the havoc it has caused. If it doesn’t compensate us, we will protest until our voices are heard,” said Amjad Ali, a shopkeeper, whose store was demolished.

Similarly, political and social activists in Lower Dir have expressed deep concern over the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, warning that the demolition and sealing of hotels and restaurants under the pretext of illegal constructions is damaging the local economy and discouraging tourism.

The issue was the focus of a multiparty conference organised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl in Timergara on Saturday, chaired by former MPA and ANP district president Haji Bahadur Khan.

Representatives from major political parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami, PTI, ANP, JUI-F, PPP, PML-N, and the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, attended the moot.

JUI-F district chief Sirajuddin, former provincial minister Muzaffar Syed Advocate, Timergara tehsil chairman Mufti Irfanuddin, PTI MPA Malik Shafiullah Khan, ANP district president Haji Bahadur Khan, Malik Mohammad Rasheed Khan, Jamaat’s KP North information secretary Eng Yaqoobur Rehman, PPP Lower Dir general secretary Naeemullah Khan, PML-N general secretary Javed Akhtar Advocate, Timergara traders’ union president Haji Anwaruddin, former chamber of commerce president Mian Noor Alam Bacha, PkMAP president Sartaj Khan, civil society activist Akbar Khan, and PPP’s Nawabzada Irfan, were among those in attendance.

The participants condemned the administration for launching demolitions without prior notices, saying the crackdown was targeting properties built with the hard-earned money of overseas Pakistanis.

They called for an immediate halt to the demolition campaign and reopening of all sealed hotels and restaurants. They demanded that the district administration first properly demarcate the riverbed area, as officials themselves were unclear about the river’s actual boundaries.

In a joint declaration, the MPC announced that two separate delegations would approach higher authorities to voice their concerns.

One, led by PTI MPA Malik Shafiullah Khan, will meet Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and the chief secretary. The other, headed by PML-N general secretary Javed Akhtar Advocate, will seek a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. If the demands are not met, speakers warned, political and public resistance will intensify.

Meanwhile, JI’s KP North chief and former provincial minister Inayatullah Khan, speaking separately to the media on Saturday, criticised the government, calling the operation an “attack on the livelihoods of the poor.” He warned of mass protests if the sealed businesses were not reopened.

He said the administration’s actions — taken in the aftermath of the Swat tragedy — have left daily-wage workers jobless and pushed poor families toward starvation. “Destroying poor people’s businesses in the name of anti-encroachment drive is economic murder,” he said, accusing the provincial government of deflecting blame for its own failures.

Critics also blamed the district administration for environmental damage, claiming the auctioning of minerals from the Panjkora riverbed — worth Rs70 million — had already devastated the river’s natural flow. They questioned why construction was previously allowed if it was illegal, and demanded accountability of former officials who approved it.

Meanwhile, a large-scale anti-encroachment operation launched along the banks of the River Indus in Dera Ismail Khan has also sparked public outcry.

Among the critics is JUI-F’s district general secretary Chaudhry Mohammad Ashfaq Advocate, who strongly condemned the demolition near Mehmood Eye Hospital along the riverbank. He described the operation as “a gross violation of law and humanity,” likening it to an invasion rather than a legal enforcement measure.

Ashfaq alleged that private and legally owned properties were demolished in the presence of the deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner and police officials with utter disregard for due process. “Livelihoods were crushed, homes were razed, and the scene resembled a natural disaster,” he said.

He further criticised the administration for using the Swat incident as a pretext to unleash fury on innocent citizens. “Instead of reforming the system, PTI’s 12-year rule has brought devastation upon the people,” he added.

Ashfaq also questioned the decision of the chief secretary to issue circulars that in his view, left poor riverside residents abandoned. “If there truly was a flood threat, the legal method would have been to issue timely alerts and allow a grace period for evacuation,” he said, lamenting that even multi-million rupee properties were bulldozed without notice or compassion.

“This cruelty and unconstitutional action rests squarely on the shoulders of the provincial leadership. JUI-F not only condemns this operation but also reserves the right to pursue legal action,” he declared.

The operation, spearheaded by tehsil municipal administration, is targeting unlawfully built shops, huts and other encroachments within the river’s natural pathway. According to TMA officials, this action aims to restore the river’s original flow and reduce the risk of future floods.

The authorities clarified that the operation is being conducted in phases and will not be influenced by political or personal pressure.

Officials said prior notices were served on all affected individuals and alternate spaces have been arranged for them in some cases.

However, the operation has sparked significant unrest among locals, many of whom staged protests and chanted slogans against Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

• Deputy PM says PML-N won’t abandon PPP despite having better strength in parliament now
• Interior minister dismisses reports about president’s removal, says two parties, army ‘on same page’
• PPP leader claims party in no mood to join federal or Punjab cabinet

LAHORE: Two key federal ministers on Saturday dismissed speculations regarding the disintegration of the PML-N-PPP alliance, saying the two parties, and even the army were “on the same page”.

However, the enthusiasm regarding the coalition was a bit more diminished among PPP leaders who accepted having differences with the ruling party and also stressed the party has no desire to take ministries in the federal government.

While talking to the media in Lahore, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that the PML-N’s total seats in the National Assembly have increased after the distribution of reserved seats in light of the Supreme Court’s order but the party was in no mood to shun PPP.

“The Bilawal-led party stood by the government during difficult times and we have instructions from Nawaz Sharif that in the times of stability, we must not abandon those who had supported us in challenging times.”

He said the PPP was a key ally of the federal government and would remain so. “We have an ideal working relationship. We [the PML-N] had formed the government with the help of the PPP,” he said while talking to reporters.

He acknowledged the critical support by PPP, without which the ruling coalition wouldn’t have come to power after the 2024 general elections.

‘No change in top office’

Also, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi during an interaction with the media in Sukkur said that there were no plans to remove President Asif Zardari and dismissed the reports about any such move.

He said the government, army, and the president were “fully aligned and on the same page”.

“Those who don’t want to see them united are spreading such rumours.”

Speculations about widening gap emerged as both parties, allies in the Centre, started jostling to strengthen their ranks by wooing disgruntled PTI leaders in Azad Jammu and Kashmir while the PTI leadership addressed pressers to declare that they would foil attempts to dislodge KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur amid political wrangling over reserved seats.

In AJK, the PML-N formally inducted a PTI defector into its parliamentary party, raising its strength in the 53-member Legislative Assembly to nine. Chaudhry Akmal Sargala, who was elected in 2021 from LA-37 (Jammu-IV), a Kashmiri refugees’ constituency in Punjab, announced his switch to PML-N on Friday.

Mr Sargala’s decision comes just days after the PPP pulled off a similar move, managing to break away four lawmakers elected on PTI tickets in 2021. These lawmakers included Ali Shan Soni, Shahida Sagheer, Chaudhry Rafique Nayyar and Javed Butt.

Following these inclusions, the strength of the PPP parliamentary party in AJK Assembly has risen to 17.

Earlier, speculations that the PPP might join the cabinet in Centre and Punjab started making rounds after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed, “There is a growing possibility of an arrangement between the PML-N and PPP that will allow both parties to jointly pursue a national agenda.”

When Deputy PM Dar was asked about the move, he told reporters in Lahore that the PPP had not demanded any ministries from the PML-N.

While PPP, over the past year, publicly shunned the idea of joining the federal and provincial cabinets, some of its leaders proposed taking the ministries as all the party has supported the PML-N on every other matter.

‘Take ministries or quit’

Senate chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, a PPP leader, also recently proposed to the party leadership that they either join the government or leave the coalition and go to the public.

Some party leaders believe that after 17 months of robust support for the PML-N in the Centre, the time has now arrived for the PPP to consider whether it should take ministries in both the federal and Punjab governments.

One issue where PPP leaders think the party went above and beyond its role as a “silent coalition partner” to support the government was in the aftermath of the conflict with India.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari travelled to different countries “playing the role of a foreign minister” to fight Pakistan’s case against India in the world, a PPP leader from Punjab told Dawn on Saturday.

The PPP called Foreign Minister Dar’s portfolio “ceremonious” and added that it would be better if his party joined the government and Mr Bhutto-Zardari became the foreign minister officially.

Amid this jostling, Mr Dar said the PML-N would work with all parties, including those in the opposition.

‘Wishful thinking’

However, he ruled out any meeting between PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and PTI patron-in-chief Imran Khan at Adiala Jail in the coming days, calling it “wishful thinking”.

“We don’t need to go to someone … However, [with regard to Imran Khan], the law will take its own course.

Meanwhile, PPP Secretary General Humayun Khan said his party had been offered ministries by the PML-N in the Centre and Punjab, but it was not interested in joining the cabinets.

“The PML-N has offered cabinet positions to us, but the party is not interested in joining the cabinet as it has reservations on some issues,” said Mr Khan

He said the two parties have “different ideologies and stances” on various issues.

Waseem Shamsi in Sukkur and Tariq Naqash in Muzaffarabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

• New regime includes 18pc GST, additional levies for non-filers, mandatory buyer data reporting by banks and intermediaries
• Online sellers and courier services waiting for clarity over the future of their businesses

ISLAMABAD: Confusion and fear prevail not only among local and international e-commerce platforms regarding the imposition of new taxation regimes with the advent of the 2025-26 fiscal year, but also among sellers and courier services, who are waiting for clarity over the future of their businesses.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has compiled a list of eight key e-commerce platforms that provide tangible and intangible items, including music, movies, and software.

The largest selling platform was Facebook, with transactions worth more than Rs12.31bn. Others include Apple/Tunes, Google, AliExpress, Netflix, Temu, and Spotify, while the largest transactions are held under the category of others.

The total amount of transactions by these international and local online platforms, such as Daraz, OLX, Zameen, and PakWheels, exceeds Rs317.78bn.

The government has added a new chapter to the income tax regime, and taxes have been imposed on sales tax and other levies.

The overall situation has led to confusion among leading local and international platforms regarding the tax collection mechanism.

Incidentally, international e-commerce platforms have requested that their local partners clarify the tax collection mechanism in Pakistan, effective July 1.

“Our client has tasked us with looking into the outcome and talking to various courier companies to determine the impact on rates and tax filing mechanism,” said a senior executive of a PR company.

Due to a lack of clarity over the situation, neither he nor any executive of Pakistani e-commerce platforms was willing to disclose their identity; however, one executive pointed out that even the upgraded Income Tax law 2025 had not been uploaded to the FBR website.

One of the key stakeholders, the Pakistan E-commerce Association (PEA), has announced a protest against the new taxation regime.

Its Chairman Omer Mubeen warned that the new tax measures would shrink profit margins and put an additional burden on customers.

He added that there are growing concerns over harsh eCommerce taxation policies; the PEA, along with other relevant stakeholders, including the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP), will continue to protest the move on social media and write letters to the concerned authorities.

While the new laws were facilitative for women businesspersons, confusion and a lack of knowledge have created panic among many.

The courier companies have also begun advising e-commerce businesses and individual sellers to complete their tax registrations to continue availing themselves of delivery services.

A local seller from Islamabad stated that e-commerce was still in its early stages in the country. Instead of supporting the industry, the government was making it difficult for entrepreneurs to do business.

Meanwhile, responding to the query, a senior official of the FBR said that the process would materialise after Ashura, which falls on Sunday, and most of the activities in this regard will commence from Monday.

He added that there were three main objectives of the new tax regime on e-commerce: registration of businesses, enhancement of tax collection, and streamlining the process for future regulations.

“There is a need for regulation of e-commerce too for the protection of buyers from frauds or deceptions by any unknown seller and that is not possible without registration of the businesses,” FBR official added.

Under the new regime, without proper registration, courier companies and online marketplaces will not be authorised to process or ship such orders.

Similar to physical retail outlets, an 18pc general sales tax (GST) has been imposed on all goods and services bought online, while additional taxes apply to non-filer purchasers and the platforms as well.

However, banks and online payment intermediaries will be required to maintain records of buyers for quarterly filing. The new tax regime also imposes penalties on intermediaries for failing to collect the due taxes or file the necessary documents with the FBR.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

ISLAMABAD: PTI has denounced PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s remarks suggesting Pakistan could extradite citizens to India as a confidence-building measure (CBM), accusing him of undermining national security and appeasing a hostile neighbour.

According to reports, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan had no objection to handing over “individuals of concern” to India, provided New Delhi showed a willingness to cooperate.

In a hard-hitting statement on Saturday, PTI CIS Sheikh Waqas Akram criticised the PPP chairman’s stance, calling him an “immature political child”. He said the proposal was ill-advised and detrimental to Pakistan’s national security narrative, adding that such statements humiliate the country on international platforms.

Mr Akram accused the “fraudulently imposed” government of bringing Pakistan to its knees.

Accuses PPP chairman of appeasing India, undermining national security

“We fail to understand why Bilawal is so keen on appeasing India,” he asked, alleging that the PPP chairman was proving time and again that he lacked political wisdom, vision and understanding of regional geopolitics.

“Instead of holding India accountable for its continued aggression, water terrorism and cross-border interference, Bilawal was proposing CBMs that compromise Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity,” he said.

He emphasised that it was imperative to ask Mr Bhutto-Zardari on whose behalf he issued such a statement and what he intended to achieve by offering such concessions to a belligerent India by humiliating Pakistan on an international stage. Mr Akram also criticised the PPP chairman’s inconsistency.

“Bilawal has become a symbol of confusion and contradiction in Pakistan’s foreign policy discourse,” he said. “PPP was founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on the legacy of Kashmir, but today, Bilawal is betraying that legacy by pursuing political gains at the expense of Kashmiri blood.” Mr Akram went on to mock Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s political credentials, stating that leadership is earned, not built through media appearances and styling. “If PPP’s intelligentsia truly cares about Bilawal, they should let him contest local body elections first and appear on regional TV channels instead of being pushed on international media, where he only embarrasses Pakistan,” he stated.

He said the PPP chairman would lead the party to complete elimination, advising that if the party wanted to survive, he must step aside and hand over its leadership to Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, “who, at the very least, shows more promise and sense than him”.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s Meteorological Depart­ment on Saturday issued an alert for heavy rains in the upper parts of the country, including the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, for July 6 and 7.

The alert said that heavy to very heavy rainfall from Sunday to Monday may trigger flash floods in local streams of Murree, Galiyat, Mansehra, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Shangla, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan and Islamabad/Rawalpindi.

Flash flooding is also possible in the hill torrents of D.G. Khan, northeast Punjab, Kashmir and parts of Balochistan.

Officials warned that landslides and mudslides could cause road closures in vulnerable hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir during the wet spell.

Chilas records its highest temperature since 1997, hitting 48.5 degrees Celsius

The department said heavy downpours may also cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Nowshera and Peshawar.

An official said moist currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are entering the country and are likely to strengthen. “A westerly wave is also expected to affect upper part from Sunday evening,” he said.

“Mainly hot and very humid weather in most parts of the country with rain-wind/thundershower is expected at isolated places in Kashmir, upper/central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, southeastern Sindh and north/southern Balochistan”

He added, “Heavy falls are also likely at few places in Kashmir, northeastern Punjab, Potohar region and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the period.”

On Saturday, heavy rain fell in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in the early hours. The maximum rainfall of 75 millimetres was recorded in Saidpur.

Separately, the Met Office reported that Chilas in Gilgit-Baltistan recorded a temperature of 48.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, its highest since 1997. The last record was set on July 17, 1997.

On the other hand, people in many parts of Balochistan braved a very hot day, as 48 degrees Celsius was recorded in Naukundi, 46 degrees in Dalbandin, and 45 degrees in Sibi.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025

TAXILA: At least 34 people, including women and children, trapped in the heavily flooded waters of the River Indus were rescued in two separate operations in different parts of Attock on Saturday.

In the first incident, four people, including a 14-year-old boy who were herding livestock in a greenbelt, were trapped near Bagh Neelab when the water level suddenly rose after the release of water from the Tarbela Dam.

The helpless shepherds made an SOS call to the District Emergency Office, Attock, at around 2am on Saturday. Upon receiving the alert, teams from Rescue 1122 reached the site. The rescue workers managed to safely extract the four individuals from the powerful current.

Separately, two nomad families comprising women and children were trapped in floodwaters in a basin near Shadi Khan in

Hazro village after the water level rose following the release of water from the nearby Tarbela Dam.

Seeing the families in a helpless condition, some people present there made an SOS call to the District Emergency Office, Attock. Upon receiving the alert, Rescue 1122 teams reached the site and rescued 30 people from the area submerged in water.

The rescue and evacuation operation was supervised by Deputy Commissioner Atif Raza, while Assistant Commissioner Hazro Ayesha Badar was also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, legal action was taken against as many as 14 people for bathing in the River Indus near Attock Khurd Bridge in violation of Section 144 imposed by the district administration, which prohibits bathing and swimming at water spots due to persistent weather conditions.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2025