After more than 2 years, PTM leader Ali Wazir released from Karachi jail

KArACHI newS DeSk

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeals against the acquittal of former finance minister Shaukat Tarin and National Assembly (NA)

Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the rental power case, for hearing on April 4. Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Amir Farooq and Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan will hear the cases. NAB’s appeals against Shaukat Tarin’s acquittal in Sahiwal Rental Power Project and Pira Ghaib Rental Power Plant references are pending. The court has issued notices on the appeal against the acquittal of Tarin, Ashraf and others accused in the case. NAB has challenged the accountability court’s June 2020 acquittal of the accused. The accountability court had acquitted Tarin, Ashraf and others.

Mohmand deputy commissioner orders increase in night-time patrolling

peSHAWAr Staff RepoRt

Mohmand Deputy Commissioner Shahid Khan has instructed officials and Malakand Levies to increase night-time patrolling in the district to maintain peace and order. Assistant commissioners under him have been directed to visit their respective areas regularly, review the security situation, and take measures accordingly. Shakil Khan, the assistant commissioner of Batkhela, visited several Levis posts in Khar town and Batkhela late at night and checked duty records and officials on duty, in compliance with the Mohmand’s directives. The protection of lives and property is the top priority, and security officials showing lethargy in their duties will be dealt with strictly, warned Mohmand.

Last month’s mosque bombing in Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa has underscored a resurgence in militant attacks in recent months in the nation. The principal threat to Pakistan is an organisation called the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which was formed in 2007 as an umbrella organisation of various hardline groups operating individually. TTP pledges allegiance to, and gets its name from, the Afghan Taliban, but is not directly a part of the group that now rules neighbouring Afghanistan. Its stated aim is to impose religious law in Pakistan, as the Taliban have done in Afghanistan.

After languishing in prison for more than two years, the MNA from South Waziristan and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir was released from Central Jail Karachi on Tuesday.

The PTM leader had been in Karachi’s prison since December 31, 2020 after being arrested in various sedition cases. Confirming Wazir’s release, his counsel Qadir Khan said that his client had been released after a court granted him bail in the final case registered against him. He said Wazir was now on his way to Sohrab Goth where the PTM had arranged a reception in his honour. The advocate said that the lawmaker had been arrested 26 months ago and had been languishing in prison ever since.

He said that whenever his client was acquitted or granted bail in one case, he was booked in another in either Sindh or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Khan pointed out that Wazir had been acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in one case and granted bail in three others registered against him in Karachi. He further said that three cases were registered against the lawmaker in KP. He said Wazir had been granted bail in two of the cases earlier and had obtained bail in the third one today.

‘Justice cannot be DenieD forever’:

MNA Mohsin Dawar shared a picture of Wazir after his release from Karachi’s Central Jail.

He earlier said that he was “very happy” for the long-incarcerated MNA finally being released. “Every attempt was made to break Ali’s spirit and to keep him in jail but he has prevailed. Justice cannot be denied forever,” he said on Twitter. The National Commission for Human Rights said it was “heartened” to hear news of Wazir’s release. The commission also shared a picture of the statement it released in June 2022 expressing concern over the “humiliating treatment” being meted out to the MNA.

PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen also welcomed the news. “The cruel system has turned our society into a prison, so congratulations on being released from a small prison to a big prison. We will also break the chains of the bigger prison through resistance,” he said.

Former PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said it was a “positive” development. “Even detention and difficulties could not break his resolve. Where his detention exposed the constraints of this system, can we imagine that our establishment no longer wants to bear the burden of past mistakes? I wish it was so.”

US delegation to visit Pakistan as two sides seek to repair ties

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U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet will lead a delegation to Pakistan this week as Washington and Islamabad seek to repair ties strained under former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The U.S. delegation will visit Bangladesh and Pakistan from Feb. 14-18 to meet with senior government officials, civil society members and business leaders, the State Department said in a statement on Monday. Khan, who was ousted in a noconfidence vote in parliament last April, had antagonized the United States throughout his tenure. He welcomed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and accused Washington of being behind the attempt to oust him in 2022.

Washington and Pakistan’s National Security Council, a body of top civil and military leaders, dismissed his accusations. Khan was succeeded as prime minister by Shehbaz Sharif. The U.S. delegation’s visit comes as the $350-billion economy of Pakistan is still reeling from devastating floods last year that left at least 1,700 people dead, and the government estimates rebuilding efforts will cost $16 billion.

The nuclear-armed nation is in the grip of a fullblown economic crisis. Talks between Pakistan and the

International Monetary Fund were scheduled to resume online this week after 10 days of face-to-face discussions in Islamabad on how to keep the country afloat ended without a deal on Friday.

The Dawn newspaper reported late in January that Pakistan had sought U.S. support to unlock the stalled IMF program that would release $1.1 billion to its strained economy as the country rebuilds. “The delegation will also reaffirm the strong security cooperation between our nations,” the State Department said on Monday. Economic ties and cooperation to tackle the impact of climate change would be on the agenda in the meeting between U.S. and Pakistani officials, the department added.

Iranian delegation calls Pakistan pride of Islamic world

LAHore Staff RepoRt

President University of Religions, Iran, Syed Abolhassan Navab said on Tuesday that Pakistan was pride of the Islamic world as it was custodian of the thought of poet, philosopher Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal – the voice which more powerful than the atomic bomb.

Addressing a seminar by Persian Department Punjab University at Al-Raazi Hall New Campus here, he said the main objective of Islamic revolution was self-reliance – best conceived by Allama Iqbal, adding that Allama Iqbal and Imam Khomeini had same view on self-confidence.

“Presence of Allama Iqbal in Pakistan is a matter of pride for the people of the region and we breathe with the name of Pakistan,” he added.

PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Akhtar, Acting Vice-Chancellor Allam Iqbal Open University Prof. Dr. Nasir Mahmood, from different universities of Iran including Dr Muhammad Najaf Lakzai, Ustad Abdolhadi Masoodi, Hossein Ahmadi and Ebrahim Amini, former PU VC Prof. Dr. Muhammad Saleem Mazhar, Dean Faculty of Oriental Learning Prof Dr Moinuddin Nizami, Chairman of Persian Department Prof Dr Muhammad Nasir, heads of departments, faculty members and a large number of students were present. Syed Abolhassan Navab said that terror, fear and extremism were not part of Islamic teachings. He said that he raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ in front of ten thousand people in Skardu and that the country which came into being in the name of Islam has to remain forever.

He said: “We respect all religions and our message in this regard is very clear”. He said he could never forget the love and hospitality of Pakistanis.

VC PU Prof. Niaz Ahmad said the exchange programme of teachers and student delegations was necessary to further strengthen ties between the two countries, adding that the aim of universities was to provide the best guidance to their students for which higher education institutions had to work together.