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PM KAKAR STRESSES FORGING UNITY UNDER QUAID’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES Monday, 25 December, 2023 I 11 Jamada Al-Sani, 1445
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SAYS ‘UNITY, FAITH, AND DISCIPLINE’ SHOULD BE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR REALIZING A DEMOCRATIC STATE
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ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
ARETAKER Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has stressed the need for forge unity for the continuity of democracy, peaceful coexistence and rule of law, and the elimination of extremist forces. In a message on the observance of the 147th birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation, on Monday, the prime minister said that on this day, they should reaffirm their commitment to national unity and prosperous and progressive Pakistan. Quaid’s principles of ‘unity, faith and discipline’ should be the guiding principles for all as a nation to realize the democratic state as conceived by their founder,” he emphasized. Extending facilitation to the nation on Quaid’s birthday, the caretaker prime minister said that the entire nation was
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TERMS QUAID’S PERSONALITY IS STILL A BEACON OF GUIDANCE OWING TO HIS UNMATCHED CHARACTER
PM felicitates Christian community on Christmas
celebrating the occasion with zeal, fervor and reverence. He said that they were blessed with a great leader that had led the Muslims of the sub-continent and at last achieved a separate homeland. Quaid-e-Azam had gathered the Muslims under one banner for waging a struggle for the realization of a separate new Muslim state on the global map. Prime Minister Kakar said that the personality of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was still a beacon of guidance owing to his unmatched character and extraordinary leading qualities. His resolve and undeterred will had infused the Muslims with firm determination and courage to face all the ordeals in the continuation of their struggle and in way of achievement of their great goal, Prime Minister Office Media Wing, in a press release, quoted the prime minister as saying. The prime minister further observed that by following the message of unity, faith and discipline, and by rendering huge sacrifices, the Muslims of sub-con-
ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar felicitated the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas and said the nation on this day should pledge to make Pakistan a model of religious tolerance and inter-faith harmony. In a message on the occasion of Christmas, he said, “The Christian community is celebrating Christmas in Pakistan and across the world and I and the whole nation felicitate the Christian brothers and sisters on the happy occasion of Christmas. Christmas is the name of love, brotherhood, patience and sacrifice.” These values were critical in putting a society on the path of development, he added. The PM said the Prophet of Allah, Hazrat Essa (AS) healed the pain of humanity and took the message of God to the whole humanity. Hazrat Essa (AS) reformed humanity with teachings of peace, brotherhood, tolerance and forbearance which led to the success of humans. The moral teachings and the guidance of the Prophet were a beacon for humanity for all times to come, he con-
tinent achieved the collective objective. Quaid’s quality of impeccable character led the Muslims to their destination. Due to his adherence to principles, integrity and strong faith, even his foes also respected him, the prime minister opined. He said Quaid’s life was a reflection of constitutional struggle and political acumen. The caretaker prime minister
Police help centre set up to facilitate release of arrested BYC protesters ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Islamabad police on Sunday said the bail of all detained Baloch protesters — who were taken into custody during a protest for end to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings — had been approved and they were being released. On the other hand, the caretaker government on Sunday said negotiations were underway with the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, staging a sit-in outside the National Press Club in Islamabad against enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. “A cabinet committee formed by the prime minister is holding talks with the the Baloch Yakjehti Committee,” Interior Secretary Aftab Akbar Durrani said, emphasizing that staging peaceful protests was every Pakistani’s right. According to the details, committee comprising Federal Ministers Murtaza Solangi, Fawad Hasan Fawad, and Jamal Shah held talks with the protestors. POLICE HELP CENTER FOR BALOCH PROTESTORS ESTABLISHED: Following negotiations between protesters from Balochistan and Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s formed com-
mittee comprising Federal Ministers Murtaza Solangi, Fawad Hasan Fawad and Jamal Shah, a Police Special Help Center for the release of the arrested persons was established on Sunday. According to the statement, the process of releasing the arrested persons will be according to the law. SSP Abdul Haq Imrani has been appointed as the focal person in this regard and the Police Special Help Center will remain open for two days while the entire process of release of arrested persons will be supervised by DIG Operations and SSP Operations. Meanwhile, the Islamabad Capital Police shared telephone numbers 051-9001534, mobile number 03459600622 and email address assistance.ictp@gmail.com for providing immediate help to the protestors if anyone faces any problem. The development comes two days after the Baloch Yakjehti Committee, organiser of the Baloch long march in Islamabad, gave the authorities a three-day ultimatum to quash cases registered against students and activists and release all protesters. The long march — which started in Turbat on December 6 after the alleged “extra-judicial
killing” of a Baloch youth by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials — had reached the federal capital on Wednesday. The Islamabad police had subsequently used brutal force to disperse and detain the demonstrators with over 200 taken into custody from different areas of the federal capital. The action was strongly condemned by human rights organisations, politicians, the Islamabad High Court (IHC), President Dr Arif Alvi and caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and analysts. On Thursday evening, the government said 90 per cent of the Baloch men and women taken into custody were released. A day earlier, a judicial magistrate granted bail to 162 participants. The BYC claimed that though the bail was granted, their release was cancelled. In a statement issued today, Islamabad police said the protesters had demanded the release of their detained companions during a meeting with a cabinet committee formed by the prime minister. “Keeping in view the legal requirements, the bail of the arrested protesters has been approved. The detained protesters are being released,” it said.
Imran will neither accept any deal, nor leave country: Jhagra PESHAWAR
MONITORING REPORT
Senior PTI figure and former KP minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra has said that the former premier, despite being mired in innumerable cases and undergoing jail, will neither accept a “deal,” nor will he leave Pakistan for a ‘comfortable life abroad.’ “The Imran Khan I know, as he said, will not accept any deal, or accept to leave Pakistan to make his life more comfortable,” he said during in an exclusive interview with Arab News. “Imran Khan will continue his struggle for the political rights of ordinary Pakistanis and for a fairer and better state till his last day.” Jhagra said the recent actions against their candidates and lawyers only increased his party’s popularity among the masses. “Many people have left the party because of this crackdown, some voluntarily and some literally being forced after being disappeared for days or weeks. Even those who left voluntarily did not leave happily,” he told Arab News. “The government is campaigning for us, every person they put in jail, every lawyer whose paper they tear, every lawyer that they abuse, every time and try to impose their will on the people of Pakistan, they campaign for us.” The fate of politicians in Pakistan has historically
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rested on their relationship with the country’s powerful military, which has directly ruled the South Asian nation on several occasions. Since his ouster, Khan, who rose to power in 2018 with what political analysts say was the support of the military, has maintained the generals had conspired with Washington and his political rivals to end his term. The military, Khan’s opponents and Washington have denied the claims. In the months after his ouster, the ex-premier was able to draw huge crowds at rallies where he publicly touted diplomatic documents as evidence for his claims, waging an unprecedented campaign of defiance against the military. His brief arrest in a graft case on May 9 sparked unrest in the South Asian country that resulted in a crackdown on Khan’s PTI party, which saw several senior PTI figures defect, be arrested or driven underground. Jhagra maintained that Khan was their only leader as he denied reports about the stage being set for PTI vicechairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi to lead the party in the upcoming elections. “Imran Khan is, was and will be the leader of this party and the biggest political leader, certainly in the modern political history of Pakistan,” he said. “Shah Mahmood Qureshi, our vice-chairman, has shown incredible courage in jail and I refuse to believe that he is part of a plan with anyone… to try and take over the party.”
tinued. He said in the present age there was an acute need to follow Hazrat Essa’s message of human compassion, affection, tolerance and fraternity. In the last few years at the international level, human society had been facing an adverse situation due to a wave of religious intolerance, he observed. “To reverse this negative trend we have to spread Hazrat Essa’s message of brotherhood and religious tolerance and follow his teachings to make the world a cradle of peace. In this way we can forever end hatred from the world,” he remarked. He said the white colour in Pakistan’s green flag represented the minorities including the Christian community which played a vital role in the progress and development of the country, and in all fields including defence, judiciary, arts, sports and education made their countrymen proud. The prime minister said the Christian community laid down their lives for strengthening the foundation of the country and for its integrity and solidarity. STAFF REPORT
said that being a nation, it was apt to act upon the principles of Quaid which would be the best way to pay him tribute. On August 11, 1947, in his speech, Quaid had made it clear that every individual would have the complete freedom of practicing faith and religion in Pakistan, he said and underlined the need to reiterate Quaid’s message of interfaith harmony.
Nine of same family dead as roof of house collapsed after fire in Abbottabad ABBOTTABAD
STAFF REPORT
Nine members of a family died when roof of a house collapsed after fire erupted there in Tarhairi village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abbottabad district during the wee hours of Sunday. Rescue 1122 Emergency Officer Hafeezur Rehman, who supervised the rescue operation, confirmed the number of casualties, elaborating that the deceased included a woman, her four sons and four daughters. He said the incident took place in the limits of the Mangal police station. According to rescue sources, a fire broke out in the house of Zakir Abbasi reportedly due to a short circuit in Tarhairi area near Abbottabad. As a result, nine members of a family were killed due to the roof collapse and the impact of the fire. “The house, which was made out of wood, caught fire after a short circuit and then collapsed, the official said. He said the bodies were trapped under the rubble for hours before they were retrieved by rescue teams. Rehman added that the head of the family, Zakir Abbasi, was in Karachi when the incident took place. The official further said that it was not possible to identify the bodies and mass graves were prepared for their burial. The villagers rushed to the scene and started rescue efforts and later, a Rescue 1122 team with fire vehicles and three ambulances reached the incident site and conducted the rescue operation. The deceased persons were identified as: Nagina, wife of Zakir, her eight children: Saira, Tayyaba, Hashim, Laiba, Qasim, Hasan, Fatima and Sufyan.