LHC moved for probe into killing of man accused of running over Multan teenager

An application was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday seeking a transparent investigation into the alleged killing of the primary suspect in the Multan Waseem Abbas case in a police encounter. The Judicial Activism Panel filed the application and also questioned the legal status and authority of the Crime Control Department (CCD). The petition maintained that every citizen was entitled to a fair trial under the Constitution and called for an impartial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Tauqeer’s death. Read: Man accused of running over Multan teenager killed in CCD encounter It also sought the suspension of the police personnel allegedly involved in the encounter pending completion of the investigation. LHCBA to seek cybercrime case against CM Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) announced plans to approach the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to register a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) against Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz over her alleged remarks accusing a judge of accepting a bribe. LHCBA President Irfan Hayat Bajwa announced the decision at an emergency press conference, saying an application seeking registration of a case against the chief minister would be submitted to the NCCIA soon. He condemned the alleged accusation that a judge had received Rs20 million in bribes, describing it as deplorable. The association said it would pursue legal action under the cybercrime law.

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Punjab bans permanent police escorts for ministers, MPAs among others

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday directed that no permanent police squad be deployed with provincial ministers, members of the provincial assembly and other individuals. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Sajid Zafar Dall issued a notification conveying the decision. According to the notification, provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, parliamentary secretaries, chairpersons of standing committees and members of the Punjab Assembly will not be allowed to retain permanent police escorts. The restriction also applies to government officials and private individuals. Read: PA seeks answers over CM's aircraft use for private visit The notification further prohibits the installation of flagstaffs or the display of official flags on government vehicles without prior permission. The chief minister has made it clear that unauthorised police escorts will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Earlier in March, the provincial government had also introduced austerity measures amid rising fuel costs, including suspending government-provided fuel for provincial ministers, cutting fuel allowances for government officers’ vehicles by 50% and restricting protocol convoys accompanying ministers and senior officials to one vehicle for essential security purposes. The use of police personnel for VIP protocol has long drawn ire in Punjab over the diversion of public resources from routine policing. In November 2025, The Express Tribune reported a rise in armed private escorts, commonly known as “dala culture”, amid concerns about weak regulation, unauthorised armed patrols and the use of security as a display of power. Punjab had issued more than 200 new private security company licences in recent years, while taking enforcement action against firms for violations. Prior to that, authorities had also announced a crackdown on private security firms using police-like uniforms and vehicles after armed guards escorting foreign visitors were involved in a violent road dispute in Lahore.

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Pakistan rejects Afghan Taliban ‘diversionary allegations, demands action against TTP and BLA

Pakistan on Saturday accused the Afghan Taliban regime of resorting to “diversionary allegations” instead of addressing its “legitimate and longstanding security concerns”, urging Kabul to take verifiable action against terrorist groups, including the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), operating from Afghan soil. The statement came a day after Afghan Taliban regime spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid accused Pakistan’s security agencies of blaming Afghanistan for their failure to maintain security at home, allegedly to mislead the public. Responding to this in a statement posted on X, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the Afghan Taliban regime had resorted to “diversionary allegations” instead of addressing Pakistan’s “legitimate and longstanding security concerns”. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Islamabad, 24 October 2026 Taking note of the recent statements of the Afghan Taliban Regime where they have once again resorted to diversionary allegations instead of addressing Pakistan’s legitimate and longstanding security concerns.… — Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) October 24, 2026 “Blaming Pakistan’s security institutions does not absolve the Regime of its responsibility to prevent Afghan territory from being used for terrorism against Pakistan,” the ministry said. It called on the Afghan Taliban regime to end any tolerance, facilitation or support for terrorist organisations, including the TTP, BLA and their affiliates, and ensure that Afghan territory was not used to plan, prepare or launch attacks against Pakistan. The ministry said Pakistan’s concerns were not based on conjecture, citing the United Nations Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team’s 16th report and the US Lead Inspector General’s Operation Enduring Sentinel report to Congress for January-March 2026. According to the ministry, the US report stated that the Afghan Taliban continued to allow the TTP to operate from Afghan territory, with Taliban support and greater freedom for the group contributing to an increase in attacks against Pakistan. It estimated the TTP’s strength at 4,000 to 6,000 fighters. The ministry said these assessments underscored the seriousness of Pakistan’s concerns about terrorist sanctuaries and support networks operating from Afghan soil. It also rejected the assertion that Afghanistan lacked either the capacity or the interest to destabilise Pakistan, saying the claim did not address the documented concerns. Repeated attempts by armed terrorists to infiltrate across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the killing of Afghan nationals and members of terrorist groups during Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations, and the recovery of foreign-origin weapons from terrorist elements warranted serious scrutiny, the statement said. Pakistan had also raised concerns over the alleged facilitation of terrorist groups by Afghan Taliban officials, including officials in Kandahar, it added. “Such concerns cannot be dismissed through blanket denials; they require credible explanations and verifiable action,” the ministry said. The statement stressed that Pakistan’s security measures were directed against terrorist threats, not the Afghan people, adding that peace and stability in the two countries were closely linked. It said the Afghan people stood to gain as much as their Pakistani neighbours from a region free of terrorism. The ministry said attempts to portray Pakistan’s security concerns and defensive measures as hostility towards Afghanistan would neither deflect attention from the issue nor resolve it. Pakistan would continue to take all necessary measures to protect its citizens, sovereignty and territorial integrity, it said, adding that Islamabad remained open to responsible engagement based on mutual respect, verifiable commitments and concrete action against terrorist sanctuaries, support networks and cross-border infiltration. “Peace can only prevail in the region if Pakistan’s core concern of terrorism originating from Afghanistan is verifiably addressed by the Afghan Taliban,” the statement said. On Friday, the Afghan Taliban spokesperson rejected Pakistan’s claims that Afghanistan was allowing its territory to be used for terrorist activities against Pakistan, accusing Pakistani officials of shifting blame for their own security failures onto Kabul. In a statement posted on X, Afghan Taliban regime spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani military circles and other security agencies blamed Afghanistan when they failed to establish security in their own country, in an attempt to mislead the public. “We once again strongly reject the repeated accusations directed by Pakistani officials at Afghanistan regarding the destabilisation of security in their country,” he said. We once again firmly reject the repeated allegations by Pakistani officials accusing Afghanistan of being responsible for insecurity in Pakistan. Unfortunately, whenever Pakistan’s military establishment and other security agencies fail to maintain security within their... 1/5 — Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) October 23, 2026 Mujahid said it was not in Afghanistan’s interest to create insecurity in Pakistan or support acts of instability there. He also claimed that Afghanistan lacked the capabilities and resources to foment or finance insecurity in other countries. “Insecurity in a neighbouring country directly harms both the region and Afghanistan,” he said, adding that instability in Pakistan was detrimental to Afghanistan in economic, social and humanitarian terms. The spokesperson accused Pakistani officials of blaming Afghanistan instead of focusing on their own security responsibilities. He also alleged that Pakistan was spending resources on efforts to destabilise Afghanistan. “This amounts to evading their primary and fundamental responsibilities, undermining regional stability, and wasting economic resources on futile endeavours,” he said. Mujahid further claimed that the approach had distracted Pakistan’s security forces from their own duties and diverted their attention from the responsibilities they were supposed to fulfil.

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Punjab govt to pursue alleged gang-rape case after Azerbaijani victim changes stance

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said on Friday that the provincial government would pursue the case involving the alleged gang rape of an Azerbaijani woman despite a video statement circulating on social media in which the victim said she had forgiven the suspect and did not want to pursue the case. The minister’s statement came after a video of the victim, Diana, who was allegedly raped in Lahore earlier this year, circulated on social media in which she said her statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) had already been recorded before a judicial magistrate. A video of the victim, apparently recorded on Oct 9, surfaced in which she could be seen saying that a suspect had neither assaulted her nor taken her mobile phone and belongings. “I gave my earlier statement under pressure, and I do not want to pursue this case,” she said, requesting that the case be closed. Later, in another video, Diana reiterated her statement, giving a clean chit to the suspect. She said she wanted to appear before the court to record her statement but was told that her life was in danger. She further claimed that she had been forcibly sent out of Pakistan and was not allowed to express her view. She also said she wanted to forgive the other suspects and did not want to pursue the matter any further. Speaking to a private television programme, Aaj Shahzaib Khanzada Kay Sath, Bukhari said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was particularly concerned about rape cases and would not allow anyone to relax until all the suspects were arrested and due process was followed. Read: Azeri woman tells court she was 'threatened, sexually assaulted and pushed out of car' Asked whether the Punjab government would pursue the case since the state could also pursue rape cases, she replied in the affirmative, saying the chief minister had categorically asked her to convey that she believed the state should be the complainant in cases involving crimes against women and children. “The chief minister, as chief executive, stands with every victim and with the poor and vulnerable. Until and unless these powerful people are made an example of, such crimes cannot be eliminated,” she said. Bukhari said the chief minister was prepared to approach the chief justice of Pakistan and the chief justice of the Lahore High Court with the information available to her. “Whether it is a speedy trial, improving the laws or whatever is needed, she is ready to work on that,” she said, adding that CM Maryam would not allow “this hooliganism and culture of bullying” against women, children or vulnerable sections of society in Punjab. The minister said the woman, the victim in the case, had, for one reason or another, changed her position, and the possibility of money being involved had also arisen. However, she said the state would pursue the case because a co-suspect had already recorded a statement saying all the suspects were involved with him. “Even if they retract this statement, it is not possible for them to get away,” she said, adding that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. Maryam alleges bribe offer Earlier today, CM Maryam alleged that the family of a suspect in the case had offered Rs15 million to Rs20m to the victim to withdraw her allegations, while the judge who granted bail to the suspect had also allegedly been bribed. “It was revealed that the accused’s wealthy family allegedly offered Rs15m to Rs20m to the victim in exchange for withdrawing her allegations, despite her statement already having been recorded under Section 164,” Maryam said in a post on X. In a recent rape case, it was revealed that the accused’s wealthy family allegedly offered 1.5–2 crore to the victim in exchange for withdrawing her allegations, despite her statement already having been recorded under Section 164. It was further alleged that the judge who… — Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 23, 2026 She further alleged that the judge who granted bail to the accused had also been bribed. “If these allegations are true, they raise deeply disturbing questions about the integrity of the justice system and the vulnerability of rape survivors to financial pressure and the misuse of power,” she said. Maryam said she would continue to keep a close eye on such cases to ensure that “no rapist or perpetrator escapes justice simply because he has money, influence, or connections”. “Justice must never be for sale, and no one should be above the law,” she said. Police warn against influencing probe As the statements surfaced, Lahore police warned against attempts to influence the investigation into the alleged gang rape through videos circulating on social media, saying the woman’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPC had already been recorded before a judicial magistrate. Lahore Deputy Inspector General (Investigation) Syed Zeeshan Raza said the woman had named three suspects in her judicial statement and that two arrested suspects had also acknowledged the alleged involvement of the third suspect. He said the video statement appeared to be an attempt to influence the investigation, adding that the third suspect would be included in the investigation and the case would be completed on merit. Also Read: Azeri woman in alleged Lahore gang-rape case returns home under police escort The case was registered at Defence C Police Station in September after the woman alleged that three men had sexually assaulted her at an apartment in a private housing society near Raiwind during the night between Sept 25 and 26. According to the first information report, the woman had arrived in Lahore on a business trip and was allegedly taken to a cafe by two women, where three men joined them. She alleged that she was subsequently taken to an apartment, given an intoxicating drink and sexually assaulted. The suspects allegedly left her near the airport and took her mobile phones and other belongings. On Sept 28, the woman recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate at the Cantonment Courts. Police subsequently identified the suspects and pursued the investigation, with several people arrested in connection with the case. The latest developments have also raised questions about the primary suspect’s legal status. A sessions court had extended his interim pre-arrest bail until Oct 27, but police subsequently arrested him outside the court premises. His counsel reportedly challenged the arrest, maintaining that it had taken place despite the extension of bail. The conflicting accounts are likely to remain central to the investigation.

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Lahore permits kite-flying from March 12-14 for Basant 2027

The Lahore district administration on Friday allowed kite-flying across the district, except in designated prohibited areas, from March 12 to 14, 2027, as part of Basant celebrations. The Lahore deputy commissioner issued a formal notification outlining the dates, conditions and safety measures governing the manufacture, sale and use of kites and strings. Under the notification, the manufacture of kites and strings would be permitted from September 5, 2026, to March 14, 2027. Read: Punjab reschedules Lahore Basant to March The purchase, transportation and storage of kite-flying materials would be allowed from February 1, 2027, while their sale would be permitted from February 10 to March 14. With compliments from the Directorate General of Public Relations, Government of the Punjab, Lahore Ph. 99201390 Tauseef Sabih Gondal HANDOUT Punjab Sets Strict Rooftop Safety Rules for Safe Basant in Lahore on March 12–14, 2027 Lahore, October 23, 2026: An important meeting… pic.twitter.com/IyYjLcXSb3 — Home Department Punjab (@homedptpunjab) October 23, 2026 Digital registration had been made mandatory for kite and string manufacturers, traders and shopkeepers. Only registered shopkeepers would be allowed to sell kite-flying materials, and registered manufacturers and sellers would be required to maintain complete records of their stock and sales. The notification sets a maximum length of 35 inches and a width of four-and-a-half githas for kites. The dimensions of guddas have been fixed at 34 inches in length and one-and-a-half tawas in width. The manufacture and use of dangerous strings, metal wires, nylon strings and strings coated with sharp abrasive material had been prohibited. Manufacturers have been directed to use only materials specifically permitted under the notification. Compliance with safety measures, including the installation of safety rods on motorcycles, has also been made mandatory. The district administration and police have been directed to ensure strict enforcement of the prescribed safety conditions during Basant.

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NCCIA rescues 13-year-old Karachi girl in probe into suspected dark web network

What began as an online interaction allegedly drew a 13-year-old girl into the orbit of a suspected dark web network, where children were reportedly assigned tasks and paid to produce pornographic animated content. A timely intervention by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has now brought the case to light, raising concerns about the online exploitation of minors. The agency rescued the girl during a crackdown in Karachi's Rabia City, uncovering what investigators suspect is a wider network involving child exploitation and the production of pornographic cartoons. The probe has also revealed suspected links to individuals in Germany and the United Kingdom, according to NCCIA officials. Investigators are examining whether children were deliberately targeted, manipulated and paid to carry out tasks as part of the alleged operation. Officials have also launched a probe into the possible use of so-called “red rooms” on the dark web to assign tasks to minors. Read: NCCIA arrests 4 suspects over child sexual abuse material trafficking in Islamabad Speaking at a press conference, NCCIA Deputy Director Shehzad Akbar said the agency had acted on credible information about the suspected network. The girl’s father was informed, and the two devices used by the child were seized with his cooperation. Akbar rejected suggestions that the initial task assigned to the girl involved killing a cat. He said, however, that the child was allegedly being subjected to psychological manipulation similar to tactics attributed to dark web groups operating internationally. Had the network not been exposed, the situation could have become more serious, he added. The investigation is continuing to establish the role of suspected local handlers and identify other children who may have been targeted. According to information shared by the officials, the wider case involves 42 suspects, including 12 juveniles. Investigators are examining evidence that children were allegedly paid to produce pornographic animated content, with some reportedly receiving around $100, described in the information provided as approximately Rs6,000. The agency has seized 19 mobile phones from Pixel Craft, a company reportedly operating for around two years, five phones from Art Office and 17 from Art Design, which reportedly employed 17 people. Officials are investigating the companies’ possible links to the suspected network. Akbar said a man identified as Fudan was allegedly operating the network. Preliminary findings also indicate that the companies provided logos, banners and other digital design services to foreign clients. Investigators are examining whether these businesses were connected to the alleged exploitation activities. Also Read: NCCIA arrests accused in $126m US postal fraud The deputy director said the agency had previously detained a boy in Karachi who was allegedly searching online for ways to take revenge on another person. In a separate case, the NCCIA arrested a suspect identified as Hamza on Thursday over alleged anti-state propaganda. Officials said the allegations were being investigated further. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Karachi Zone has arrested an absconding accused nominated in a case involving alleged unlawful social media activity. The arrest was made in Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi, on the directions of DG NCCIA Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi. The… pic.twitter.com/jG3zXygBRt — NCCIA (@NCCIAOFFICIAL) October 23, 2026 Cybercrime crackdown Akbar said the agency had recovered 39 accounts on WhatsApp, Instagram and other social media platforms over the past 15 days. It had also blocked 95 accounts allegedly linked to financial fraud and taken action against 38 accounts suspected of harassing women through fake identities. The agency is pursuing cases involving the hacking of social media accounts, online financial fraud and harassment through fabricated identities. It has also received numerous complaints about the hacking of WhatsApp Business accounts. Investigators are separately examining allegations that individuals have been operating social media accounts under women’s names and using fabricated identities to harass others. The NCCIA said investigations into the suspected child exploitation network and other cybercrime cases were underway.

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Collateral damage feared in K-P IBO's if residents fail to move away from terrorists: Sanaullah

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Friday warned of possible collateral damage during planned intelligence-based operations in designated districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa if residents failed to distance themselves from terrorists or drive them out of their localities. Speaking on the private television programme Naya Pakistan, Sanaullah said terrorists entered Pakistan from Afghanistan and carried out attacks, alleging that training camps across the border operated with Indian funding and training, while reports also suggested Israeli involvement in such attacks. “That is why Pakistan’s armed forces have closed the border with Afghanistan. You must also be aware that no trade is taking place through that route,” he said. Read: PM Shehbaz defends emergency, governor’s rule in K-P, blames PTI for resurgence of terrorism Praising the security forces for their work, the PML-N leader said they knew the number of terrorists and their current locations. He said terrorist groups comprised between three and 15 members, adding that around 70 per cent of these groups were present in the areas designated for the operations, for which a separate development committee had also been established. According to Sanaullah, the terrorists were hiding among the local population and living alongside ordinary citizens rather than operating openly. He said law enforcement agencies were conducting intelligence-based operations in these areas. The adviser warned that civilians could suffer collateral damage if residents did not remove terrorists from their communities or move away from the areas to allow security forces to carry out operations. “The people have been told either to drive these elements out of their populated areas or, if they do not want to do so, to move aside themselves so that the operation can proceed. If neither of these options is possible, there is a risk of collateral damage,” he said. Sanaullah said the armed forces could dismantle and neutralise the terrorist groups within three to five months and criticised inactive K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi for what he described as a lack of cooperation with law enforcement agencies in tackling terrorists and their facilitators. He alleged that the provincial leadership had previously supported the terrorists and discouraged cooperation with security forces, telling them that operations against the militants would not be allowed. Also Read: Sanaullah links reversal of K-P governor's rule to PTI support for counterterrorism efforts However, he said the situation had now changed, and a committee had been established under the chairmanship of a former governor. He expressed confidence that dismantling the terrorist networks in the coming months was an achievable objective. Asked how future security operations would differ from previous intelligence-based operations (IBOs), given that 7,177 such operations had been conducted over the past six months, Sanaullah said the provincial government and civil administration would be responsible for holding areas after they had been cleared of terrorists. He said the authorities would ensure that militants could not return to the cleared areas or establish a presence there again. “Things were different earlier. Many areas were cleared three or four times, but the problem persisted because the responsibilities that should have been fulfilled by the provincial government and civil administration were not carried out. Their attitude was, in fact, the opposite,” he said. Sanaullah said it would take months, rather than years, to rid the affected areas of terrorism and restore peace. His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a Rs160 billion development package for K-P following a meeting with the Area Development Council, comprising representatives of the tribal districts and tribal elders, at the Governor House in Peshawar. The prime minister said he had directed the authorities to strengthen the Counter Terrorism Department and make it more effective. He also assured that the federal government would provide all necessary resources to eradicate terrorism.

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