24-10-2025

Month: June 2024

JI stages countrywide protest against rising electricity cost, loadshedding and taxes

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) staged countrywide protest demonstrations against rising electricity costs, loadshedding and taxes in the budget on Sunday.

In Rawalpindi, JI workers staged a protest on Murree road. The protest demonstration was led by Deputy Emir Rawalpindi Jamaat-e-Islami Raza Ahmad Shah. Addressing the protestors, JI leaders claimed that the government was deviating from all its promises and increasing the per unit rates of electricity day by day.  In a country with a population of 25 crores, all kinds of facilities are available to these cruel rulers. Ahmad Shah said today’s protest was against oppressive rulers. He said right now “We are protesting on the streets, if it doesn’t work we will block the city of Rawalpindi”.

Meanwhile, a protest was held by Jamaat-e-Islami in Lahore against high electricity prices, increased bills, and load-shedding. JI workers staged demonstrations at various areas of the city including The Mall, Ferozpur Raod, Defence More, Wahdat Raod and other areas.

Demonstrators carried hand fans in protest and chanted slogans against the government. Jamaat-e-Islami South Lahore deputy chief Ahmad Salman Baloch, addressing the protest, accused the government of adding Rs 2800 billion to electricity bills for unused power and treating Independent Power Producers (IPPs) favourably.

Baloch urged the public not to be swayed by the deceptive promises of the ruling parties, pointing out that the Prime Minister had failed to address load-shedding issues during his tenure as Punjab Chief Minister.

Similarly in Sindh, citizens of Karachi also took to the streets in protest. Karachi faced an intense night not just from the sweltering heat, but also due to a worsening electricity crisis that left most parts of the city in darkness.

In Buffer Zone and New Karachi’s Godhra Chowk, protestors halted traffic to voice their grievances. They staged sit-ins on roads leading to Sohrab Goth, Namak Bank, and Shafiq Mor, condemning authorities and demanding immediate action to restore power and water services.

Similar scenes unfolded near Godhra Chowk, where residents affected by the electricity and water shortages brought traffic to a standstill in protest. Traffic jams ensued, inconveniencing commuters as roads were blocked with tires and garbage set on fire by protestors in Gharibabad and other sectors.

Despite police intervention to calm the situation, the electricity supply remained disrupted throughout the night. The crisis has led to demonstrations across various neighbourhoods including Maripur, Lyari, and Malir, highlighting widespread discontent. Meanwhile, in Peshawar Jamaat-e-Islami also arranged rally against inflation. The rally started from Nishatabad and ended at Hashtangari Bazar in Peshawar. The Peshawar rally was led by the District Amir. The participants of the Peshawar rally shouted slogans against the federal government.

19 trapped in South Korea battery plant fire

A major fire broke out at a South Korean lithium battery factory on Monday, the Yonhap news agency reported, with one person feared dead and 19 others believed to be trapped.

The lithium battery plant is owned by Aricell, a South Korean primary battery manufacturer. It is located in Hwaseong, just south of the capital Seoul.

“There are still many people unaccounted for, so it is likely that the number of casualties will increase,” a fire department official told Yonhap.

One person was “in cardiac arrest”, Yonhap reported, and another was seriously injured.

Firefighting and rescue efforts were ongoing, and the cause of the fire was unknown.

South Korea is a major producer of batteries, including those used in electric vehicles. Its battery makers supply EV makers around the world, including Tesla.

Russia blames US for deadly missile attack on Crimea

Russia on Sunday said the United States had responsibility for a Ukrainian missile attack on Russian-annexed Crimea, which it said killed four people, including two children, and wounded over 100.

A missile exploded above a beach area of the city of Sevastopol, firing shrapnel at people relaxing there, Russian-appointed officials said.

Russia’s defence ministry said Washington and Kyiv bore “responsibility for a deliberate missile strike on peaceful residents”, which it said used US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev initially said in a Telegram video the attack had killed three children and two adults, and wounded nearly 120 people.

He later revised the toll to four dead and 151 people requiring medical care, of whom 82 had been hospitalised.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had called to “offer his condolences”, Razvozhayev added.

The Black Sea port city and naval base on the Crimean peninsula was annexed by Russia in 2014 but is still internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.

Sevastopol regularly comes under fire from Ukraine but Sunday’s attack was unusually deadly. Razvozhayev said the attack hit Uchkuyevka, an area with sandy beaches and hotels.

Videos posted on social media showed people running from the beach as explosions went off and people in swimming outfits carrying a stretcher. AFP could not verify their authenticity.

A local news channel on Telegram, ChP Sevastopol, cited witnesses as saying that an elderly woman was killed as she swam in the sea.

Washington said in April that it had provided longer-range ATACMS missile systems to Kyiv, which had long urged allies for weapons allowing it to strike Russia farther beyond the front lines.

Neither the United States nor Ukraine had commented on the Sevastopol strike.

– ‘Terrorist act’ –

The investigative committee, which probes major crimes, said it was opening an investigation into “a terrorist act”.

The governor said Ukraine had launched five missiles that Russian air-defences intercepted over the sea but fragments fell onto the shore, wounding people.

Razvozhayev said shrapnel hit beach areas in the north of the city and set fire to a house and woodland.

A Russian defence ministry statement said Ukraine had committed a “terrorist attack on the civilian infrastructure of Sevastopol with US-supplied ATACMS tactical missiles loaded with cluster warheads”.

The ministry said four missiles were downed but a fifth changed trajectory after being intercepted “with its warhead exploding in the air over the city”.

It added that “all flight missions for US ATACMS are entered by US specialists based on the US’s own satellite reconnaissance data.

“Such actions will not be left without a response,” the ministry said.

Ukraine’s military has not commented on the attack, which came a day after a Russian guided bomb strike on the city of Kharkiv hit an apartment building, killing two people and wounding more than 50.

– Deaths in Belgorod, Russia –

On Sunday, Russian strikes hit a house and a children’s educational facility in Kharkiv, killing one person and injuring 10 including two teenagers, regional governor Oleg Synegubov said.

In the Belgorod region on Sunday, three Ukrainian attack drones struck Graivoron, near the border with Ukraine, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, with one hitting a car park near a multi-storey block of flats.

“A peaceful civilian was killed. The man died from his wounds at the spot” and three people were wounded, Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a social media post urged supporter countries to help Ukraine step up attacks on Russian soil.

“We have enough determination to destroy terrorists on their territory -– it is only fair — and we need the same determination from our partners. We can stop Russia,” Zelensky wrote.

In his evening address he added: “The recent approval of strikes on Russian territory — near the border — made it possible to destroy part of Russia’s terrorist potential.”

But, he said, “we need more long-range weapons, we need appropriate weapons for Ukrainians”.

Ukraine’s energy operator Ukrenergo announced that rolling electricity blackouts would be imposed nationwide throughout Monday because of increased Russian attacks on power stations.

Landslide kills eight in China after heavy rainfall

Heavy rain caused a deadly landslide in a village in Hunan province, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Four houses collapsed and all eight missing people “have been found with no vital signs”, the channel said.

China has been experiencing extreme weather conditions and unusually high temperatures in recent months.

Climate change driven by human-emitted greenhouse gases makes extreme weather events more frequent and intense, and China is the world’s biggest emitter. Meteorological authorities issued several red alerts — the highest in China’s four-tier warning system — for torrential rain on Sunday, including in Hubei and Anhui provinces.

Downpours in southern and densely populated Guangdong province sparked inundations and landslides, with at least 38 people killed in China’s manufacturing heartland, state media said.

While torrential rains have struck the south, northern China has sweated in temperatures well above 35° Celsius, including in Beijing, where the mercury exceeded 40°C last week.

First Minister John Swinney has said he is “confident” that no public money has been used on the SNP’s election campaign.

The party is under investigation by Scottish Parliament officials following a complaint that stamps bought on parliamentary expenses were passed to UK election candidates for campaigning activities.

Speaking on the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, Mr Swinney said he had been “assured that no parliamentary stamps that have been provided by Parliament have been used to support election purposes.”

His comments came after the Sunday Mail reported Mr Swinney’s office manager telling an SNP staff WhatsApp group chat that “stamp fairy is very useful when it comes to campaigns”.

that an anonymous complaint was submitted to Holyrood’s presiding officer Alison Johnstone.

The Scottish Parliament said it was investigating the matter to establish whether there had been any misuse of parliamentary resources.

A screenshot from a WhatsApp group made up of staff who work for SNP MSPs included a discussion about whether or not the stamps can be traced back to the purchaser.

MSPs are allowed to spend up to £5,500 a year on postage and stationery as part of parliamentary resources provided by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB).

The parliament’s rules state that they “must be used only for parliamentary duties and must not be used for any other purpose, including party political purposes”.

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Swinney described the message referring to the “stamp fairy” as “humorous remarks made in a WhatsApp channel”.

He added: “I’ve obviously discussed this with my staff and I’ve been assured that no parliamentary stamps that have been provided by Parliament have been used to support election purposes.”

He later added he was “confident” there had not been any use of public money to prop up the SNP’s campaign.

“What’s important is the reassurance that I’ve had that parliamentary stamps have not been used for election purposes,” he said.

“We’ve obviously been engaging in a fundraising campaign to support the election campaign.

“It’s been supported by the many members that we have around the country,” he said.

The Scottish Conservatives said the SNP has “serious questions” to answer.

 

Mr Swinney was also asked about his party’s manifesto commitment to opening negotiations on a second referendum with the next UK government in the event of his party winning a majority of Scottish seats in next month’s election.

He was asked how he could keep that promise when both the Conservatives and Labour have said they would not enter into discussions on independence.

Mr Swinney said: “I think this is really in the hands of the people of Scotland, to be honest, and it’s a deeply democratic question.

“In 2021, the people of Scotland elected a parliament that was committed to holding an independence referendum and which supported independence.

“And essentially the United Kingdom government has not enabled that view, that expression of an opinion of the people of Scotland to be put into democratic effect.

“So what I am saying in this election is that if people in Scotland want us to progress on the arguments about independence, if they want Scotland to be an independent country, then they’ve got to support the Scottish National Party as the only means of ensuring that can come about”.

Mr Swinney declined to say whether a failure to win a majority of Scottish seats in the general election would see him accept that the will of the Scottish people was not to have another independence referendum.

“I’m not going to pre-judge the outcome of the election,” he said.

Mr Swinney said the result of the 2021 Scottish election gave Holyrood the mandate for a referendum and Westminster should “remove the obstacles” to that.

Swat lynching: Police move 23 suspects to ‘unknown’ location

Police have arrested 23 suspects for their alleged involvement in the lynching and killing of a person along with the torching of Madyan Police Station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Swat.

The arrested inviduals, the police said, have been shifted to an unknown location while efforts are underway to arrest others who were allegedly involved in the incident.

The development comes after a violent mob had beaten a local tourist to death on Thursday night after accusing him of desecrating the Holy Quran, and later set his body as well as the Madyan Police Station ablaze.

A day earlier, a report by a federal agency had revealed that the hotel management had asked the deceased, accused of blasphemy, to open the door.

The accused, the report added, had then opened the door and denied the allegations of blasphemy, after which the police took him to the police station — a move criticised in the report which termed it as a “grave” mistake.

The report further says that neither the station house officer (SHO) of the said police station took guidance from the higher-ups on the matter nor shifted the suspect to a “safe” spot.

Also, the absence of high police officials or political leaders during the mob violence also contributed to the loss, it added.

Furthermore, the report mentions that the accused was in police custody for around 40 minutes during which he denied the blasphemy allegations hurled against him.

Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Syed Zaman Shah said that members of the mob had been identified and “efforts for their arrest are underway”.

He said that two first information reports (FIR) had also been registered under the charges of blasphemy and damaging state property, respectively.

The official further said that the suspect was reportedly a drug addict and had been booked in a case of domestic violence on the complaint of his mother.

PM Shehbaz greenlights Operation ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ to turn up the heat on terrorism

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday gave the go-ahead to Operation “Azm-e-Istehkam”, a reinvigorated and re-energised national counter-terrorism drive, to turn up the heat on militants targetting the state of Pakistan.

This critical decision came to the fore during a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan (NAP).

According to an official statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO), the new counter-terrorism push has been approved with the consensus of all stakeholders including provinces, Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

“The approval of the Operation Azm-e-Istehkam symbolises the national resolve to eradicate all forms of extremism and terrorism from the country,” the release said.

The meeting was attended by chief ministers of all provinces and GB, services chiefs, and chief secretaries of the provinces along with other senior civilian, military, and law enforcement agencies officers.

“Operation Azm-e-Istehkam will integrate and synergise multiple lines of effort to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism in a comprehensive and decisive manner,” the PMO press release said.

During the meeting, the premier stressed that the Operation Azm-e-Istahkam would play a crucial role in countering terrorism threats in the country. “Diplomatic efforts will be intensified to root out terrorist organisations,” the PM said.

The forum reiterated that the fight against extremism and terrorism is Pakistan’s own and vowed not to allow anyone to challenge the writ of the state.

In the meeting, measures to ensure foolproof security for Chinese citizens were also reviewed, reflecting the government’s commitment to the safety of foreign nationals in Pakistan.

The session comprehensively reviewed the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign and assessed the internal security situation, the PMO office said.

“The forum reiterated that the fight against extremism and terrorism is Pakistan’s war and is absolutely essential for the nation’s survival and well-being. The forum resolved that no one will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state without any exception,” it was added.

The handout further said that the progress on the multi-domain tenets of the National Action Plan was scrutinised, with particular emphasis on identifying shortcomings in the implementation for addressing the same as a top priority.

The meeting underscored the necessity for a comprehensive and reinvigorated counter-terrorism strategy, founded on complete national consensus and system-wide synergy.

It said in the politico-diplomatic domain, efforts would be intensified to curtail the operational space for terrorists through regional cooperation.

The renewed and full-blown kinetic efforts of the armed forces would be augmented by full support from all the law enforcement agencies, it said.

They will be empowered by effective legislation to address legal voids that hindered the effective prosecution of terrorism-related cases and award of exemplary punishments to them, the press release added.

According to the PMO handout, the campaign would be duly complemented by socioeconomic measures aimed at addressing genuine concerns of the people and creating an environment that discourages extremist tendencies.

The information space would be leveraged to promote a unified national narrative in support of the campaign, it added.

The forum also reviewed measures to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

Following the prime minister’s approval, new standard operating procedures (SOPs) were issued to relevant departments, which would enhance mechanisms for providing comprehensive security to Chinese citizens in Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by key ministers of the federal cabinet including the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.

The NAP committee meeting comes as the country grapples with the challenge of extremism in the country.

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Q1 2024 Security Report, at least 92% of all fatalities and 86% of attacks, including those related to terrorism and security forces operations, were recorded in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces in the first quarter of 2024.

The report further detailed that the country witnessed at least 432 violence-linked fatalities and 370 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws resulting from as many as 245 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations.

Among the 432 fatalities, 281 were civilians and security forces personnel.

Israeli shelling kills dozens near ICRC office in Gaza

GAZA STRIP: Israel’s military pounded Gaza on Saturday, a day after the International Committee of the Red Cross said 22 people were killed in shelling that damaged its office in a southern town of the besieged Palestinian territory.

The ICRC said the 22 dead and 45 wounded people were taken to a field hospital after shelling with “heavy calibre projectiles” near its office in al-Mawasi, a coastal town in southern Gaza.

“Firing so dangerously close to humanitarian structures puts the lives of civilians and humanitarians at risk,” the ICRC said on X.

 

 

Meanwhile, 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza City, in the north of the Palestinian enclave, on Saturday.

One Israeli strike on houses in al-Shati, one of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, killed 24 people. Another 18 Palestinians were killed in a strike on houses in al-Tuffah neighbourhood.

TV footage showed Palestinians rushing out to search for victims amid destroyed houses. The footage showed wrecked homes, blasted walls, and debris and dust filling the street in Shati refugee camp.

The Israeli military released a brief statement saying: “A short while ago, IDF (Israeli defence forces) fighter jets struck two Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City.”

Hamas did not comment on the Israeli claim to have hit its ‘military infrastructure’. It said the attacks targeted civilians and vowed in a statement “the occupation and its Nazi leaders will pay the price for their violations against our people”.

Witnesses reported gun battles between Hamas and Israeli forces in Gaza City on Saturday. They also reported Israeli helicopters firing at fighters in the city’s Zeitun neighbourhood.

Earlier, the Israeli military said troops had continued to carry out operations in central Gaza and that its jets had struck targets across the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli army said on June 16 it would implement a daily “tactical pause of military activity” in a southern corridor to facilitate aid delivery.

But Richard Peeperkorn of the World Health Organisation said “we did not see an impact on the humanitarian supplies coming in”.

“We don’t see any aid,” said Umm Mohammad Zamlat, 66, from northern Gaza, now living in Khan Younis, in the south.

“Even agencies specialised in aid deliveries are not able to provide anything to us,” she added.

Dr Thanos Gargavanis, a WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer, said the UN in Gaza was trying to “operate in an unworkable environment”.

According to the WHO, 17 of the 36 hospitals in Gaza are operational, but only partially.

 

After destroying much of Gaza’s infrastructure, Israel’s advance is now focused on Rafah and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah.

Residents say Israeli tanks have deepened their incursion into western and northern Rafah areas in recent days. On Saturday, Israeli forces bombed several areas from air and the ground, forcing many families living in areas described as humanitarian-designated zones to leave northwards. Howe­ver, the Israeli military said forces continued “precise, intelligence-based” oper­ations in Rafah.

Liu Jianchao lauds Pakistan Army’s role in providing security to Chinese nationals

Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), has lauded the Pakistan Army’s support in providing security to Chinese nationals and projects in the country, according to the military’s media wing.

The statement came after the Chinese minister during his official visit to Pakistan called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.

The visiting dignitary also commended Pakistan’s efforts in maintaining regional peace and stability, acknowledging the support of the Pakistan Armed Forces in providing security to Chinese nationals and projects in the country, the ISPR added.

During the meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interest, including regional peace and stability, and reviewed progress on the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The COAS reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the strategic partnership with China and pledged full support for the successful implementation of CPEC, a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Liu Jianchao highlighted that he is visiting Pakistan as a follow-up to the successful meetings between the leadership of the two countries in China.

He emphasised the significance of the longstanding brotherly relations between the two nations and expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved on CPEC, reiterating China’s commitment to its timely completion.

Chinese investment and financial support for Pakistan since 2013 have been a boon for the South Asian nation’s struggling economy, including the rolling over of loans so that Islamabad is able to meet external financing needs at a time foreign reserves are critically low.

Beijing has over $65 billion in investment in road, infrastructure and development projects under the CPEC as part of the Belt and Road scheme.

Earlier today, the senior Chinese official Jianchao co-chaired — along with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar — the third meeting of the Pakistan-China Joint Consultative Mechanism (JCM) of the Political Parties on CPEC.

Addressing the huddle, he advised Pakistani political leadership to shun differences as “internal stability is imperative for any nation to develop”.

“In a turbulent world of rising uncertainties, stability within the country is essential for development. Faced with complex internal and external challenges, Pakistan is navigating carefully through turbulent rivers,” Liu Jianchao remarked.

Leaders belonging to all major political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), were present during the event.

Five army soldiers martyred in IED blast in Kurram

Five army soldiers embraced martyrdom when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded on a vehicle of Security Forces in general area Sadda, Kurram District, according to a statement released by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Havildar Aqeel Ahmed (age: 33 years, resident of District Okara), Lance Naik Muhammad Tafeer (age: 30 years, resident of District Poonch), Sepoy Anosh Rufun (age: 24 years, resident of District Attock) , Sepoy Muhammad Azam Khan (age: 26 years, resident of District Haripur) and Sepoy Haroon William (age: 29 years, resident of Islamabad Capital Territory), made the ultimate sacrifice and embraced Shahadat.

Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists present in the area and perpetrators of this heinous act will be brought to justice.

The security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the IED explosion near the vehicle of security forces.

Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed grief over the martyrdom of five security forces personnel in the blast.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid tribute to the sacrifices of the martyrs and expressed heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the martyrs.

He said the great sacrifices of martyrs will always be remembered.

Naqvi said the martyred officers sacrificed themselves today for the peaceful tomorrow of the nation.

He resolved that the nation is committed to the complete elimination of the scourge of terrorism.

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