ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Monday demanded a judicial probe into the incident after three family members were shot by police in Sahiwal.

In the incident, described by law enforcers as an encounter with terrorists, an elite department of Punjab police on Saturday killed four people, including parents Khalil and Nabeela, their teenage daughter, and their family friend, Zeeshan, who was driving the car.

The incident sent shock waves across the country as one of the three surviving children, who was a witness to the episode, denied the official version in a video that went viral on social media.

The standing committee called for a judicial commission led by a senior judge to seek answers from the inspector general and the provincial interior secretary.

“Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will be summoned if needed,” said Senator Rehman Malik, the head of the committee.

The committee also agreed that if the militant Islamic State Group is operating in Pakistan, the information should be made public and the agency that identified Zeeshan as a terrorist should also be shared.

In an earlier press conference, the Punjab law minister said counter-terrorism officials were targeting Zeeshan, a friend and neighbour of the deceased Khalil, who the minister said had alleged links with IS.

During the committee’s meeting, Senator Kehda Babar said the police’s hooliganism should not be excused.

KARACHI: On the eighth day of the ongoing anti-encroachment operation on Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) following the apex court’s orders, encroachments on a five-kilometre railway line stretch were removed.

During the operation, illegal encroachments were removed from District Central’s railway line in Mujahid Colony while the residents of slums who had illegally constructed houses were issued notices for eviction within 48 hours. Additional Deputy Commissioner Waseemuddin, Assistant Commissioner Gulberg Malik Ikram, local police and Railways’ officials were present. Waseemuddin said that the encroachments on the five km long portion of KCR track were removed.

He added that after the removal of the encroachments, the area will be handed over to the Railways’ authorities to install their pickets so no illegal occupation takes place again. He said that the Railways land should be vacated and it was a positive step.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2018.

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Tuesday that no gas load shedding is being carried out in any part of the country.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Agha Hassan Baloch, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan admitted there is issue of low gas pressure in different cities.

He said Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited is executing two projects of replacing the old pipelines with new ones at a cost of 2.28 billion rupees.
The petroleum minister said installation of new pipelines and new compressors will help address the issue of low gas pressure and added gas distribution companies have also been directed to check their losses and gas theft.

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi told the House a plan will be unveiled in March next year to make National Counter Terrorism Authority [NACTA] more meaningful and vibrant. He said national security is the focus of the government.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said all the stakeholders including the political parties should sit together to formulate a charter of economy.

Responding to the points raised by Ajmal Khan on the problems faced by farmers, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said the government is giving priority to the uplift of agriculture sector as this sector is also being made part of multi billion dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

On the protest of teachers of basic education community schools at D Chowk in Islamabad, Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood assured their salaries will soon be paid after approval of over three billion rupees by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for this purpose.

A number of bills were laid before the House on Tuesday including The Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2018 (Articles 25 B, 51, 63 B, 92 and 106), Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2018, The Election (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, (Article 106).

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.