KARACHI: After Friday’s Chinese consulate assault in Karachi, the law enforcers on Sunday conducted a security audit of all diplomatic missions located in the city.

The development came on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

“The step has been taken to beef up security,” said the FC personnel while interacting with the media outside the consulate. “One of the aspects of the step is to improve coordination among the law enforcers, including the FC [Frontier Corps] and the police.”
According to sources, 200 additional Frontier Corps (FC) personnel have been added to the security detail of foreign nationals in the city. In addition to the FC, extra Rangers and police personnel as well as private security guards have been deployed at the missions.

For the first time since the attack, the staff of the Chinese consulate visited the crime scene outside the premises and took pictures in the presence of heavy law enforcement earlier today.

“The nefarious plan of the terrorists was thwarted due to the security officials’ vigilance,” the consulate staff was told.

The Chinese staff lauded the performance of the police as well as other law enforcement agencies.

Security forces staved off the brazen terrorist attempt to storm the Chinese consulate located in the upscale Clifton neighbourhood of Karachi. Four people – including two police officials – were martyred before all the three terrorists were taken down by security forces. The diplomatic staff inside the consulate remained unhurt.

Talking to the media after holding an important meeting at Scouts Headquarters, Karachi police chief Dr Ameer Sheikh said, “Some facilitators of the terrorists killed in the attack have been apprehended … they were in contact with the terrorists.”

The meeting was attended by the zonal DIGs, SSPs, DSPs and SHOs.

The additional inspector general of police said that the police with the coordination of other LEAs was investigating the matter.

AIG Sheikh commended the bravery and performance of police officials and officers who took part in the operation.

He excused himself from giving further details, saying “the apprehended facilitators are being investigated”.

To a question, he said that he could not reveal the number of facilitators arrested as the security officials, especially the counter-terrorism department (CTD), were working on it.

To another question about the high-level meeting, the Karachi police chief informed that the meeting had been called as an international event “IDEAS” was being held in the city.

He said the session was related to their preparedness for meeting challenges present in the light of the terrorists’ attempts to target Karachi in relation to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“All institutions, civil society and citizens are united against terrorism,” said the AIG, adding that the injured security guard also showed bravery in the attack on the Chinese consulate.

He vowed to defeat terrorism through joint efforts.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government needs no opposition, as they themselves are enough to upset the masses with their bad policies, loose governance and perpetual lies, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan.

The PML-N senator further said the only priority of the government seems to be to victimise opposition parties. “Given the government’s performance, we can take the seat back and relax,” he said as he lamented over the government’s performance so far but said his party feels for the masses and will voice their concerns on issues adversely affecting Pakistan.

“Since the PTI’s honeymoon period is over now, PML-N will up the ante against the government,” he said hinting at a strict approach from the former ruling party as the government’s first 100 days come to an end.

The former federal minister also announced the party will devise its future strategy in the coming few days.

“We want to give PTI ample time to function so that they don’t blame the opposition once they have failed,” said Mushahid Ullah.

Meanwhile, Central Spokesperson of the PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb while terming the first 100 days of the PTI government a tale of 100 U-turns has said this hopeless and useless government after failing to perform is now trying to take credit for projects launched by the PML-N during its government.

“This theft, of stealing and taking credits for out projects is nothing new for PTI,” she said alleging that lying and stealing is the cornerstone of the current ruling party as they stole public mandate in the 2018 general elections. The former information minister further added that in these 100 days the list of PTI’s achievements is ridiculous instead of being impressive.

Criticising the government’s performance, the PML-N spokesperson asked Prime Minister Imran Khan when he will tweet about Aleema Khan’s illegal assets. “When will the money looted by Aleema Khan be brought back by the prime minister who claimed to bring back every penny of money looted from the county,” she asked.

“The people of Pakistan will be presented with 100 lies and U-Turns by PTI as their first 100 days end,” said Marriyum condemning the government for stealing the claim of projects their government had started. She said this was because PTI had nothing to show for these 100 days other than their incompetence and inability.

She said that the most significant ‘achievement’ of the government in these 100 days is the NRO given to Aleema Khan.

She said that every single day of these 100 days was a disaster for the nation as every sector of the government and private sector was hit with one disappointment after the other.

“Every word said in these 100 days was a lie, every promise a farce and every claim a hopeless failure,” said the former minister as she lashed at PTI for politicising bureaucracy and pressuring favours while derailing merit and transparency.

PESHAWAR: Women have always been depicted as fragile and delicate in worldly matters particularly in literary pursuits or physical activities and this mindset is virtually ingrained in a male dominated patriarchal society in Pakistan.

However, there are many women in the country who have discarded the stereotype image, and proved their mettle in their chosen professional field.

One such outstanding and remarkable example is Maryam Nasim, an intrepid and determined young lady who has outclassed her male counterparts in a field said to be the exclusive domain of men.

Believe it or not powerlifting and bodybuilding are Maryam’s forte and not only has she shattered the myth she has proved herself by winning multiple medals in many competitions.

Hailing from K-P considered to be a conservative area of the country in relation to women Maryam comprises 0.3 per cent of sportswomen in the province.

While most other girls opt for softer sports like volleyball, badminton, volleyball, and handball, but she has chosen the gruelling sports of a male oriented activity.

Background information

Maryam Nasim belongs to Peshawar from a business family. She is the eldest of four siblings, who has become a role model for others to emulate.

She obtained her early education from Peshawar and graduated in Australia in the field of accounts, Besides a lucrative bank job in Melbourne she also took part in powerlifting and will soon be vying for the world’s championship.

She is also a certified nutritionist and blogger who guides various sports professionals such as coaches .

“When I moved to Australia, I was looking for activities on campus and started running initially, and then powerlifting was a sport activity which attracted me a lot.” Despite several warnings from the family members and colleagues that she had made a wrong choice, she persisted in her pursuit and now everyone appreciated her efforts, Maryam said.

She said that there are three types of lifting, but her field of expertise is powerlifting, which requires more energy and difficult task.

Achievements

Maryam has won a silver medal last year, secured a bronze medal at Avia powerlifting competition. Despite sustaining an injury she defied all odds and won the medal.

She participated in the -57 and 63 kilograms category of the event alongside participants from seven other countries and made her mark and won recognition among the sports community of Australia and Pakistan.

In recognition of her services for K-P and Australia the district government has awarded her sport recognition award (Fakhr-e-Peshawar) last year and the provincial sports ministry has offered her space for coaching and imparting training to men and women in the province. She hoped that she would win more medals for her country, but stressed that practice and physical fitness is the key to success. She said that she has been practicing hard since last year to get her eligibility certificate for competing for world tournament.

Athlete and dietician

Attired in the traditional Peshawar outfit, with light makeup and with a childish smile, she doesn’t appear to be a powerlifter. From her grace she represented the banking sector professional. But besides power lifting game, she is professional dietician and coach for sports people.

“ I am looking forward to having my own platform to utilise my knowledge and expertise to give basic health information to the majority of K-P women. She stressed on that note Pakistani women don’t have the stamina and will for physical exercise, nor do they keep their body slim and strong, only few recognise this.

“ I will provide free consultation, coaching and guideline to every sportsperson in the province” She said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2018.

Police booked the nephew of Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri for allegedly robbing a businessman in the federal capital.

A first information report (FIR) was registered at Shalimar police station claiming that the nephew of the religious minister, Zulfiqar Qadri, snatched a vehicle from Amjad Saeed.

The FIR also stated that six of Zulfiqar’s guards also assaulted Saeed’s son during the alleged robbery.

The businessman claimed in the police report that Zulfiqar had tried to abduct his son and justice should be delivered as per the law of the land.

ISLAMABAD: Heavyweights in Punjab chapter of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are eyeing the coveted slot of provincial president which will be left vacant after the elevation of Shehbaz Sharif as the party’s central president on March 6.

PML-N’s Provincial Secretary General Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Iqbal and Shehbaz’s son Hamza are among the candidates to head the N-League’s Punjab chapter, The Express Tribune has learnt.

In case the party leadership fails to finalise a candidate, Shehbaz might continue in his present role until a regular appointment is made, it is further learnt.

According to party sources, if Ashfaq gets elevated as Punjab president, the post of secretary general will have to be filled in, for which his brother and incumbent Joint Secretary Raja Attique Sarwar could be a potential candidate.

However, the sources believe it is highly unlikely that the top two positions in the party are occupied by two brothers. Therefore, a new race would start for the secretary general’s position if Ashfaq becomes provincial president.

Among the aspiring quartet, Sanaullah is regarded as a trusted aide to Shehbaz and thus rated as the most powerful candidate.

However, there are some groups in the party who oppose Sanaullah, blaming him for the emergence of split factions in the PML-N Punjab.

Provincial Speaker Rana Iqbal appears to be acceptable to many in the party given his ‘mild’ and ‘diplomatic’ style, while conducting the proceedings of the provincial legislature.

Party insiders believe that Shehbaz as the new central president would prefer a ‘harmless’ person like Iqbal in order to maintain control over the party at the Centre and in the province.

Hamza has long been regarded as an aspirant for the post of Punjab president. Back in 2016, Shehbaz also wanted his son to replace him. But the plan had to be dropped because of opposition from Kulsoom Nawaz and Maryam Nawaz, the sources said.

Again, some PML-N circles say it is unlikely that a father-son duo get the top party positions — at the Centre and in the province.

Party stalwarts at the Centre say that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife and daughter agreed to Shehbaz’s rise as PML-N president, and in return a candidate from ‘Maryam’s lobby’ is being placed at the top of the party’s provincial chapter.

But the leaders in the provincial chapter deny the possibility, saying that Maryam lacks any support base in the party’s Punjab chapter because she focused solely at the Centre when her father headed the party.

Regarded as one of the most powerful positions in the PML-N, Punjab’s provincial chief wields more importance and ‘nuisance value’ compared to other provincial chiefs of the party because it is this province where the N-League draws its major political vote bank.

At present, the party leadership is considering choosing a candidate for PML-N Punjab chief, whose candidature is approved by the powerful groups in the party, discussions with informed party leaders suggest.

“This would be tricky,” said a PML-N legislator, who is also a party office-bearer in Punjab.

“At a time when the party faces serious challenges coming from within and without, in the shape of internal divide, grouping, tug-of-war between party lobbies as well as the court cases and legal references – we need a candidate who enjoys a great deal of acceptability in the party’s senior ranks in Punjab,” a source said.