Young girl abducted at gunpoint recovered from Hangu, three arrested

Charsadda police on Sunday claimed to have safely recovered a minor girl who was allegedly abducted at gunpoint and arrested three suspects, including a woman, in connection with the incident. District Police Officer (DPO) Charsadda Rifatullah Khan told a press conference at the City Police Station that Sarderheri police received information on Sept 10 about the abduction of a 15- to 16-year-old girl at gunpoint. A case was registered and an investigation launched immediately. Upon learning of the incident, the DPO constituted five special teams to ensure the safe recovery of the girl and personally supervised their operations. The teams included SP Investigation Charsadda Alamzeb Khan, DSP Sarderheri Bilal Haleem, SHO Sarderheri Yasin Khan, CIO Sarderheri and other police officers. Also Read: 'Abducted' minor girl recovered The police teams were dispatched to different areas. One team was sent to Mardan, another to Rawalpindi and Gujar Khan, a third to Peshawar, while the fourth team conducted operations in Tall, Doaba and Hangu. The fifth team was assigned technical duties and obtained data and call detail records (CDRs) of more than 100 mobile numbers, which were analysed in detail. According to the DPO, the initial investigation revealed that the incident had occurred against the backdrop of a dispute between the two families over a marriage proposal. Police said the suspects had initially sought the girl’s hand in marriage, but after their proposal was rejected, they allegedly abducted her from her home at gunpoint. Charsadda police traced the girl using technology, continuous pursuit, and a coordinated strategy, and eventually recovered her safely from Hangu district. Suspects, including a woman, were arrested during the operation. The two male suspects were identified as Shaukat, son of Ayaz, and Riaz, son of Khanzada. Further investigation of the arrested suspects is under way. Speaking on the occasion, DPO Rifatullah said Charsadda police were taking all possible measures to protect the lives, dignity and honour of the public, particularly women. He said those involved in any crime would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law and that no compromise would be made on the protection of citizens.

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Two children die, parents critical after eating leftover food in Lahore

Two children died, and their parents were in critical condition after consuming leftover food at their home in Lahore’s Harbanspura area, police said. According to police, Qadeer, his wife Asma and their two children ate curry cooked the previous night. All family members developed serious symptoms and were shifted to a hospital, where the two children died during treatment. A crime scene unit and forensic experts collected food samples and other evidence from the house. A food department team was also called in to assist with the investigation. Police said forensic experts suspected that a lizard might have contaminated the food, but the cause of the deaths had not yet been confirmed. Samples collected from the scene will be examined to determine the cause of the poisoning, officials said.

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Punjab imposes Section 144 for five days, citing 'terror threat'

The Punjab government on Sunday imposed Section 144 across the province for five days, citing a “serious and imminent threat” to public peace and the safety of life and property from terrorist organisations and hostile intelligence agencies. The order came as Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) countrywide protest campaign against the petroleum levy and inflation entered its 29th day, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a mobilisation drive across Punjab, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi scheduled to visit several cities. Under the order issued by the Home Department of Punjab, assemblies, rallies, gatherings, sit-ins, processions, demonstrations and other public events involving five or more people have been banned across the province with immediate effect. The order said credible reports received from law enforcement and intelligence agencies had pointed to threats from terrorist organisations and hostile intelligence agencies. It said multiple threat alerts had been received regarding possible terrorist activities involving suicide bombers, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and target killings during large public gatherings across the province. According to the order, such attacks could be aimed at creating mayhem, causing social unrest and disrupting public peace and tranquillity. Read: K-P CM prepares to tour 13 Punjab cities The government said assemblies of people, rallies, gatherings, sit-ins, processions, demonstrations and jalsas could become potential targets for terrorist attacks, adding that the possibility of an untoward incident or act of terrorism could not be ruled out during such activities. It also expressed apprehension that certain elements could organise activities, gatherings or demonstrations that may lead to large assemblies of people, making them vulnerable to hostile activity by terrorists or terrorist organisations. “Any such incident shall be a breach of public peace, disturbance of the public order, a security risk for the general public and likely cause loss of life, property or critical infrastructure,” the order said. The home department said the Punjab inspector general of police, Counter-Terrorism Department, special branch and several divisional and district administrations had requested immediate preventive measures to address potential terrorist and hostile activities and enable authorities to maintain law and order across the province. The order, issued under Section 144(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, also imposed a complete ban on the carrying, display or brandishing of all kinds of weapons at public places. However, the restrictions on assemblies do not apply to marriage ceremonies, funeral prayers, burial processions and prayers at mosques and churches. Official duties of government and semi-government organisations and proceedings in courts of law have also been exempted. "Personnel of law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies performing official duties have been exempted from the ban on carrying weapons. Other events may be held with permission from the deputy commissioner of the relevant district under Section 16 of the Punjab Civil Administration Act, 2017," it said. Also Read: PTI announces support for JI's ongoing sit-ins against petroleum levy, inflation The order also prohibited inciting people to participate in unlawful assemblies, and stated that the order came into force immediately and would remain effective for five days from the date of issuance. The order came amid heightened political activity in Punjab; the province is also set to witness a mobilisation drive by the PTI ahead of its planned Sept 27 protest and long march. K-P CM Afridi is scheduled to begin his Punjab tour on Sept 13 from Daud Khel and travel through Mianwali, Wan Bachran, Quaidabad, Khushab and Sargodha before proceeding through Lalian and Chiniot to Faisalabad, where he will stay overnight. The PTI has also accused the government of launching a crackdown against its activists. According to the party, 54 workers from six districts of southern Punjab have been arrested. The list includes three workers from Dera Ghazi Khan, eight from Rajanpur, five from Vehari, 10 from Layyah, 18 from Multan and 10 from Khanewal.

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Sindh local govt law hits a roadblock as opposition cries foul

A proposed overhaul of Sindh’s local government law ran into fierce opposition on Saturday, with MQM-P, PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami rejecting key government proposals and accusing the provincial administration of seeking to curb elected mayors’ powers and pave the way for unelected administrators. A parliamentary committee constituted to examine amendments to the Sindh Local Government Act met at the Sindh Assembly, with government and opposition lawmakers taking part. The meeting reviewed the proposed new local government legislation, while representatives of participating parties also submitted their own amendments. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said the government had proposed a mechanism for the period following the completion of local representatives’ terms. Read: Sindh moves to keep mayors, chairmen in power after term Under the proposal, he said, the Election Commission of Pakistan would be formally approached 120 days before local government elections, allowing sufficient time for delimitation and other electoral preparations. Lanjar said delimitation was essential before elections and pointed out that different schedules had been issued during previous polls. Once an election schedule was announced, he added, the Election Commission would make the necessary arrangements, while an administrator would handle day-to-day affairs in the interim. He said the government wanted to strengthen the Election Commission, adding that political parties represented in the committee had also put forward their proposed amendments. The government’s position, however, drew a sharp response from opposition members. MQM-P lawmaker Taha Ahmed rejected the committee proceedings outright, alleging that the government was treating the Sindh Assembly as a “personal domain” and deliberately resisting the transfer of powers to elected local representatives. He demanded that mayors be given full powers under Article 140-A of the Constitution and called for implementation of the PPP’s own 2008 manifesto commitment on devolution of local government powers. Ahmed questioned the proposed removal of the mayor’s authority over the master plan, solid waste management and the Water Board, alleging that legislation was being tailored to strengthen a “fake mayor”. He warned that MQM-P would launch protests across the country if what he described as controversial legislation was not stopped. Also Read: Karachi mayor’s office affected as fire breaks out at KMC building MQM-P’s Iftikhar Alam also rejected the proposed law, saying the party had serious reservations about making mayors administrators. Such an arrangement, he argued, could compromise the transparency of elections, particularly if polls were delayed because the proposed amendments did not clearly define the administrator’s tenure. Alam said the committee had also failed to address the transfer of powers to local governments in line with Supreme Court directives, describing the proceedings as a “joke”. PTI’s Shabbir Qureshi said his party had rejected the government’s proposals, particularly the suggestion to place unelected representatives in union councils. PTI, he said, had instead demanded the appointment of internal administrators. Qureshi also criticised the existing arrangements for solid waste management and alleged that powers had been taken away from the Water Board and the Sindh Building Control Authority. He called for the implementation of the Sindh Local Government Act 2013 in accordance with Article 140-A and Supreme Court judgments. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Muhammad Farooq said Sindh already had a local government law, but the system remained powerless because authority had not been genuinely devolved. He said JI had proposed holding local government elections within 120 days and opposed appointing administrators, but its amendments were not accepted. The party also rejected a proposed oversight mechanism in place of transferring powers down to the union council level. Farooq said none of the proposals submitted by JI three months ago had been accepted and warned that the party would approach the courts if the proposed amendments were enacted.  

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MQM-P turns up the heat for new province, says urban Sindh case ‘strongest’

The MQM-P has renewed its push for new provinces, declaring that the case for a separate administrative unit in urban Sindh is stronger than anywhere else in the country and warning that a transparent census and corrected voter lists could force the PPP to confront the demand itself. Speaking at a seminar titled “National Dialogue” organised by the MQM-P Graduate Forum Pakistan at a local hotel on Saturday, party chairman and Federal Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said the demand for new provinces dated back to the APMSO era, well before the formation of the MQM. “Pakistan is our motherland, while provinces are merely administrative units,” Siddiqui said, arguing that provinces should be divided on the basis of population to improve governance and facilitate development. Read: Parliament to decide on creating new provinces: Sanaullah He maintained that although the existing provinces had been formed largely along linguistic lines, the MQM-P was seeking new provinces on administrative grounds. Of all demands for new provinces across the country, he said, the case of urban Sindh was “the strongest and most justified” because the region carried a major share of Pakistan’s economic burden while continuing to face deprivation. Siddiqui further claimed that if an honest and transparent census were conducted in Sindh and voter lists were properly corrected, the PPP itself would be compelled to demand the creation of a new province. Senior MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar said the country’s four provinces were effectively controlled by a handful of families, while the status quo had survived despite the devolution of powers to provinces under the 18th Amendment. He said provincial powers had failed to trickle down to the grassroots and announced that the MQM-P had already submitted a constitutional amendment bill in the National Assembly seeking to empower local governments under Article 140-A. Sattar also called for a public referendum on the creation of new provinces under Article 48(6), urging people from different walks of life to unite for what he described as a historic rally on Sharae Faisal in support of their survival and development. Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Rehan Hanif, trader leader Atiq Mir and former bureaucrat Barrister Shahab Imam also spoke in favour of new administrative units and an empowered local government system, saying Karachi’s economic infrastructure had deteriorated and that restrictions on hiring local residents in public institutions, coupled with the appointment of non-local personnel, had aggravated a sense of injustice.

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IHC seeks affidavits on non-use of state machinery for PTI Sept 27 protest

The Islamabad High Court (IHC), hearing a case against the PTI’s September 27 protest, on Saturday sought affidavits from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary and inspector general of police after the former assured the court that government machinery or resources would not be used for any political gathering. The court directed both officials to submit affidavits confirming that government machinery and resources would not be used for political gatherings. The larger bench also sought arguments from the Islamabad advocate general and prosecutor general at the next hearing. Read: Tariq Fazal warns PTI of ‘other options’ if Sept 27 march goes ahead A two-page written order was issued by the bench comprising Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Azam Khan and Justice Muhammad Asif. According to the order, the advocates general of K-P, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan had completed their arguments. The court noted that the KP secretary had given an undertaking that government machinery or resources would not be used for any political gathering. The court subsequently directed the K-P chief secretary and inspector general of police to submit affidavits to this effect at the next hearing. The case will be heard on Monday at 10am.  The court clarified that the chief secretaries and inspectors general of police of the provinces were not required to appear in person.

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PPP signals flexibility on legislation

Backchannel contacts between the government and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have reportedly yielded progress towards ending a weeks-long political and legislative deadlock between the two coalition partners as National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq plays a key role in brokering the talks. According to a private television channel report, the behind-the-scenes efforts have helped ease differences between the government and the PPP as the latter shows willingness to adopt a more flexible position on legislation. Further contacts are continuing between the two sides to settle their remaining differences. The reported breakthrough comes after weeks of friction that had disrupted parliamentary business. In August, the PPP had withheld cooperation on legislation after its lawmakers blocked or deferred government business in the NA and parliamentary committees. The party had linked its position to unresolved grievances, including its reservations over the AJK elections and other political issues. The tensions had become particularly visible on the floor of the National Assembly on August 19, when the government was forced to defer a sizeable legislative agenda after the PPP declined to cooperate. The standoff also affected parliamentary quorum. Against this backdrop, sources said the government had given NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq a full mandate to maintain contacts and negotiate with the PPP to resolve the impasse. The speaker subsequently held meetings with PPP leaders in his chamber as the two sides explored ways to restore cooperation on parliamentary affairs. Sources say progress has been made in the discussions and the PPP is also prepared to show flexibility on legislation.

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