Pakistan

Arshad Sharif killing: Army asks govt to form inquiry commission

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Seeks detailed investigation into the slaying of Sharif.
Urges legal action against alleged blame-mongers.
Judicial commission to investigate the case.

ISLAMABAD: Major General Babar Iftikhar, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Tuesday said the military had asked the government to carry out a high-level investigation into the tragic killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif by Kenyan law enforcement officials.

The Kenyan police fatally wounded Sharif on the night of Sunday, October 23, in what the Kenyan authorities said was a “mistaken identity” shooting on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

“We have requested the government to hold a high-level investigation so that all these speculations can be put to rest,” he while talking to a private news channel. “All the aspects of this terrible incident need to be looked into.”

To a question regarding the accusations being hurled at the institutions’ alleged involvement in Sharif’s killing in Kenya, DG said: “It is very unfortunate that people indulge in allegations without any evidence to back them up … and I think an exhaustive investigation should be carried out to deal with these things”.

He said it was critical to watch out for the elements trying to exploit this tragic incident to their advantage.

“I believe it should also be investigated as to why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan in the first place,” the DG ISPR said.

“Though Kenyan police have confessed to their mistake, a number of questions need to be answered.”

Earlier it was reported that the General Headquarters (GHQ) had moved the government to constitute a high-level panel to look into the killing of the senior journalist.

The military, in a letter to the government, requested the formation of an inquiry commission for a detailed investigation into the killing of Sharif by Kenya’s police.

The letter also requests legal proceedings against those who are casting aspersions/accusations as per the constitution of Pakistan.

Earlier, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had decided to form a judicial commission headed by a high court judge to probe into the tragic incident.

Aurangzeb said the decision had been taken to ascertain the facts that led to the journalist’s killing under mysterious circumstances.

The premier also broadcast his decision on the social media website Twitter.

“I have decided to form a Judicial Commission to hold an inquiry into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in order to determine the facts of the tragic incident in a transparent & conclusive manner,” the PM said in a Twitter post.

I have decided to form a Judicial Commission to hold an inquiry into the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in order to determine the facts of the tragic incident in a transparent & conclusive manner.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) October 25, 2022

A senior police officer told The Star newspaper of Kenya that the shooting was being treated as a case of “mistaken identity.”

The circumstances of Sharif’s death sparked widespread outrage in Pakistan and calls for an investigation. The police report said a relative of Sharif had been driving the car, adding that a roadblock using small stones had been placed on the road to stop cars, but Sharif’s vehicle drove through without stopping, even after officers opened fire. Nine bullets hit the car, and one hit Sharif in the head.

Pakistan

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday announced the winter vacation schedule for public and private educational institutions across the province.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh School, Education, and Literacy Department, the educational institutions in the province will observe winter vacation from December 22 to 31.

“In pursuance of decisions taken in the steering committee meeting, all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of School Education and Literacy Department Government of Sindh shall remain closed w.e.f 22-12,023 to 31-12,023 for Winter Vacation.”

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

After the winter break, the educational institutions will reopen on Friday (January 1, 2024).

Meanwhile, the new academic year in the public and private schools across Sindh will commence on April 15, 2024, and August 1, 2024, in the colleges.

The matriculation and intermediate exams will be started from the last week of May 2024, while the results will be announced on July 31 and the second week of August, respectively.

Pakistan

COAS Gen Asim Munir meets Kuwaiti crown prince

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to meet Kuwaiti crown prince today.
Both army chief and PM are in Kuwait on official visit.
PM Office says multiple MoUs expected to be signed during visit.

Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the gulf country, reported Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other members of the delegation.

Meanwhile, PM Kakar has also arrived in Kuwait City after concluding the UAE visit and is expected to meet the crown prince today, the PM Office said on Wednesday.

The premier will also meet his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The PM office said that a number of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence.

In UAE, Pakistan signed several MoUs worth multi-billion dollars in a range of areas on Monday to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, PM Kakar said.

The prime minister said with the signing of the MoUs, the bilateral economic and strategic relations had entered into a new era of bilateral cooperation.

Congratulating the people of Pakistan and the UAE, he said the foundation of friendship with Pakistan which was laid by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, had been taken forward by his son Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to a new era.

PM Kakar expressed the hope that the MoUs that were signed by the two countries would turn into tangible projects very soon.

Pakistan

Haj 2024: Pakistanis to get ‘free SIMs with internet’

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed said Tuesday that the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to Pakistanis performing Haj in 2024.

In conversation with a private news channel, the caretaker minister said abayas would also be given to female pilgrims, having a Pakistani flag on the backside, and 13kg suitcases would be given to all.

The minister called the reduction of around Rs100,000 in the Haj cost a “historic step” taken by the caretaker government, noting that a further Rs50,000 would be slashed and the amount would be refunded to the people in their accounts.

He said a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding, that the app would also provide digital training programmes to every pilgrim.

The minister also disclosed a project that Haj ministry, with the collaboration of the education ministry, has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the mosques’ imams would play a leading role.

The minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city areas, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

He said that haj ministry is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

While describing another project, the minister said that his ministry with the collaboration of the health ministry has another project in the works, in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.