Hundreds gather in southern Pakistan for rare protest against killing of doctor over ‘blasphemy’

Hundreds gather in southern Pakistan for rare protest against killing of doctor over ‘blasphemy’
Hundreds gather outside Umarkot Press Club in southern Pakistan to demand justice for doctor killed after blasphemy accusations, on September 25, 2024. (AN Photo)
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Updated 25 September 2024
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Hundreds gather in southern Pakistan for rare protest against killing of doctor over ‘blasphemy’

Hundreds gather in southern Pakistan for rare protest against killing of doctor over ‘blasphemy’
  • Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbhar was killed in alleged police shootout last week in southern Umerkot district
  • Protesters demand transparent inquiry, arrest of the police officers responsible for doctor’s killing 

KARACHI: Hundreds of civil society activists and residents of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Wednesday protested against the killing of a doctor allegedly by police after he was accused of blasphemy, demanding a transparent inquiry into the incident and action against the culprits. 

Dr. Shahnawaz Kanbhar, accused of sharing blasphemous content online, was arrested last Wednesday in Umerkot district and killed hours later by police in a purported shootout. According to a report in the Associated Press, police said Dr. Kanbhar was killed unintentionally when police asked two men on a motorcycle to stop but one of them opened fire, prompting them to shoot back. Police said it was only after the shooting that they learned the slain man was the doctor being sought by them for alleged blasphemy. 

His family disputes the police account, claiming he was murdered in custody. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from Pakistani rights activists, who have demanded a transparent investigation.

Accusations of blasphemy — sometimes even just rumors — can spark riots and mob rampages in Pakistan. Although killings of blasphemy suspects by mobs are common, extra-judicial killings by police are rare.

“Today’s protest is purely to arrest the killers of Shahnawaz Kanbhar and punish them,” rights activist Kazwa Nawaz Asif told Arab News during a demonstration attended by hundreds at Umerkot. The protest was held in front of the district’s press club. 

Asif said the protest also aimed to prevent such incidents from occurring again in the future.

The Sindh government last week suspended ten officers, including a deputy inspector general of police and registered a case against 34 suspects, out of which 15 were not identified, for burning Dr. Kanbhar’s body. 

Suleman Rahimoo, another activist, questioned the government’s decision to conduct an inquiry against a deputy inspector of general police by another officer of the same rank, pointing out that he was his colleague. 

“This is why we believe that a judicial inquiry should be carried out,” Rahimoo told Arab News.

Rights activist Sindhu Nawaz said the doctor had pleaded for an opportunity to explain his position, asserting that he was not the one using the account that posted the blasphemous content online.

“But he was killed overnight by the police officials and the body was handed over to fanatics who burnt it,” she said. 

Nawaz said Sindh is known as a land where love, peace and interfaith harmony exists. 

“To uphold this identity, we felt it was necessary to hold a protest in Umerkot because Umerkot is the land where during Eid, our Hindu brothers congratulate Muslims and when Holi is celebrated, the same Muslims celebrate with them,” she said. 

Nawaz vowed that the protest would continue until the officers responsible for killing Dr. Kanbhar are arrested and a judicial inquiry into the matter is conducted.

“This is our Sindh and we will continue to fight to restore this identity,” Nawaz said. 

Dr. Kanbhar’s killing marks the second such incident in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a police officer in Balochistan province killed a blasphemy suspect in custody, highlighting the grave dangers faced by persons accused of blasphemy in Pakistan.

Human rights groups and civil society organizations have urged the Pakistani government to repeal the country’s blasphemy laws, which they argue contribute to discrimination and violence. They have also called for a comprehensive review of law enforcers’ response to blasphemy accusations.


Record-high pollution sickens thousands in Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore

Record-high pollution sickens thousands in Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore
Updated 49 sec ago
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Record-high pollution sickens thousands in Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore

Record-high pollution sickens thousands in Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore
  • Authorities warn a complete lockdown could be imminent if smog-related guidelines are ignored
  • Lahore remained world’s most polluted city Wednesday morning as air quality index rose to over 1,100

LAHORE: Record-high air pollution in Pakistan’s cultural capital of Lahore is sending more people to hospitals and private clinics, doctors said Wednesday as authorities warned a complete lockdown could be imminent if residents fail to don face masks and follow other guidance related to smog.
The warning came after residents out on the streets in Lahore, which has a population of 14 million, were seen overwhelmingly without masks. Doctors say most people are complaining of either having a cough or that they feel their eyes are burning.
“Tens of thousands of patients suffering from respiratory diseases were treated at hospitals and clinics in a week,” said Salman Kazmi, vice president of the Pakistan Medical Association.
You can see people coughing whenever you go, but they still hardly wear face masks, he said.
Lahore remained the world’s most polluted city Wednesday morning, with air quality index hitting a record high of over 1,100. Anything over 300 is considered hazardous to health.
A toxic smog has shrouded the city since last month.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, a senior minister in the Punjab province asked people to wear face masks to avoid a complete lockdown in the city. Lahore is the provincial capital.
Authorities in the city have already banned barbecuing food without filters, as well as the use of motorized rickshaws — and wedding halls must close by 10 p.m.
The government said it was also looking into methods to induce artificial rainfall to combat the pollution.


UAE diplomat urges greater food security collaboration with Pakistan at Karachi summit

UAE diplomat urges greater food security collaboration with Pakistan at Karachi summit
Updated 30 min 40 sec ago
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UAE diplomat urges greater food security collaboration with Pakistan at Karachi summit

UAE diplomat urges greater food security collaboration with Pakistan at Karachi summit
  • UAE Consul General in Karachi emphasizes his country’s commitment to supporting Pakistan
  • Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb says current Pakistani policies are leading to stability

KARACHI: A top United Arab Emirates diplomat said on Wednesday his country was actively investing in Pakistan, as he highlighted the possibility of greater bilateral collaboration in food security while addressing a major economic conference.
UAE Consul General Bakheet Ateeq Al-Rumaithi was speaking at the Future Summit, a two-day event taking place in Karachi that aims to foster business ties and economic partnerships and has drawn participation from local and international leaders.
Pakistan has been working to enhance trade and investment to address a prolonged economic crisis that has compelled its governments to seek external financing from friendly nations and global lending organizations.
Among the various economic sectors the government plans to strengthen is agriculture, which has faced reduced yields, particularly amid erratic weather patterns attributed to climate change.
“The UAE is making significant investments in Pakistan,” Al-Rumaithi told the participants of the Future Summit. “There are opportunities for collaboration between the two countries in food security sectors.”

UAE Consul General Bakheet Ateeq Al-Rumaithi speaks during the Future Summit in Karachi on November 6, 2024. (Photo courtesy: Future Summit)

The UAE diplomat highlighted his country’s commitment to supporting Pakistan, noting that both nations share longstanding brotherly ties.
He underscored that Pakistani nationals, particularly in the health care sector, play a vital role in the UAE’s workforce.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb, also present at the conference, said the government’s policies were steering Pakistan toward economic stability.
During his address, he noted improvements in key economic indicators, citing “a decrease in the current account deficit, an increase in remittances, the stabilization of the rupee and a reduction in the policy rate,” according to state-owned Radio Pakistan.
The minister stressed the need for institutional reforms to enhance transparency, address gaps in areas like tax collection and leverage technological advancements to improve governance.


PM Sharif visits Gilgit-Baltistan, inaugurates housing for 2022 flood-hit families

PM Sharif visits Gilgit-Baltistan, inaugurates housing for 2022 flood-hit families
Updated 45 min 54 sec ago
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PM Sharif visits Gilgit-Baltistan, inaugurates housing for 2022 flood-hit families

PM Sharif visits Gilgit-Baltistan, inaugurates housing for 2022 flood-hit families
  • The new homes have been built in northern Pakistan’s Ghizer district
  • The 2022 floods killed over 1,700, destroyed houses across Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated a model village for flood-affected families in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region during a day-long visit to Ghizer on Wednesday, pledging to provide residents with ownership documents to help them acquire new houses.
Pakistan is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change. It faced devastating floods triggered by unprecedented monsoon rains in 2022, which killed over 1,700 people, destroyed farms, homes and public infrastructure, and resulted in financial losses exceeding $35 billion.
Many residents in GB also lost their homes, primarily due to glacial lake outburst floods, which also swept away some key river bridges in the region.
“Today, I have come here after two years,” the prime minister told the inauguration gathering in a speech that was televised. “When I came here in August 2022, it was terrible and almost all the homes were destroyed by rains and floods. Many people’s houses had been razed to the ground.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the inauguration ceremony of Bubar Village Flood Rehab Project in Ghizer, in Pakistan’s northern region of Gilgit Baltistan on November 6, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)

“That was an unfortunate day in history,” he added. “A new society has been established today for the flood affected people. They will be given their ownership documents. I have already given these documents to five or six families.”
Scientists blame Pakistan’s erratic weather patterns on climate change.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif interacts with the locals in Bubar Village, in Pakistan’s northern region of Gilgit Baltistan on November 6, 2024. (Photo courtesy: PMO)

This year, the South Asian country recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas of the country faced deadly heatwaves in May and June.
Sharif is also scheduled to inaugurate several development projects, including Naltar Expressway, Greater Water Supply in Hunza and the 54MW Hydropower plant in Attabad, according to a statement released by his office.


Pakistani PM congratulates Donald Trump as he claims ‘powerful mandate’

Pakistani PM congratulates Donald Trump as he claims ‘powerful mandate’
Updated 06 November 2024
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Pakistani PM congratulates Donald Trump as he claims ‘powerful mandate’

Pakistani PM congratulates Donald Trump as he claims ‘powerful mandate’
  • Trump spoke before roaring crowd of supporters at Palm Beach County Convention Center, flanked by VP running mate Senator JD Vance
  • Trump’s now likely win against Democrat Kamala Harris will cap a stunning political comeback four years after he left the White House

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday congratulated Republican Donald Trump as he claimed victory in the 2024 US presidential contest against Democrat Kamala Harris, which would cap a stunning political comeback four years after he left the White House.

Other news outlets had yet to call the race for Trump, but he appeared on the verge of winning after capturing the battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia and holding leads in the other four, according to Edison Research.

Harris did not speak to her supporters, who had gathered at her alma mater Howard University. Her campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond, briefly addressed the crowd after midnight, saying Harris would speak publicly on Wednesday and there were still votes to count. 

“Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his historic victory for a second term,” Sharif said on X. “I look forward to working closely with the incoming Administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-US partnership.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, a coalition partner in the Sharif administration, also congratulated Trump and his team.

“This is an anti-war victory. An anti war mandate. We hope the new administration will prioritize peace and help end the cycle of perpetual global conflict.”

Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies, have just started to warm after many years of frosty relations, mostly due to concerns about Pakistan’s alleged support of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan denies this support.

Relations strained further under the government of former prime minister Imran Khan, who ruled from 2018-22 and antagonized Washington throughout his tenure, welcoming the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 and later accusing Washington of being behind attempts to oust him. Washington has dismissed the accusations. 

The government of PM Sharif that took over after Khan and is now in its second term has tried to mend ties but analysts widely believe the United States will not seek a significant broadening of ties with Islamabad in the near future but remain mostly focused on security cooperation, especially on counterterrorism and Afghanistan.
 


Pakistan files terrorism charges against guard for attacking Chinese nationals in Karachi

Pakistan files terrorism charges against guard for attacking Chinese nationals in Karachi
Updated 06 November 2024
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Pakistan files terrorism charges against guard for attacking Chinese nationals in Karachi

Pakistan files terrorism charges against guard for attacking Chinese nationals in Karachi
  • The incident followed last month’s suicide bombing in the city that killed two Chinese workers
  • Pakistan’s foreign ministry says it is ‘resolute’ in bringing the perpetrator of the crime to justice

KARACHI: Pakistani police have filed terrorism charges against a security guard accused of opening fire on four Chinese nationals at a textile mill in Karachi, injuring two on Tuesday.
The attack took place at Liberty Textile Mill in the SITE Industrial Area, according to a police report.
The Chinese nationals — identified as Wang Xing Zhong, Zheng Luwen, Zhou Baolin and Wei Sixian — were at the mill to install new machinery. They reportedly arrived daily in a bulletproof vehicle with security provided by a private firm and the Special Protection Unit (SPU) of Sindh Police.
According to the report, filed on the request of the factory’s security head Najib-ur-Rab, the Chinese nationals had just started working on machinery installation in the knitting department on the first floor when the attack occurred.
“At around 8:15 a.m., a security guard named Sharifullah, employed by Executive Security Company and stationed at Liberty Mill for four to five months, went to the first floor and, for unknown reasons, began firing indiscriminately at the Chinese nationals with a 9mm pistol, intending to kill,” the police report said.
Two of the Chinese nationals, Wang Xing Zhong and Zheng Luwen, were seriously injured and were rushed to the hospital in the factory’s ambulance. The guard fled the scene.
Police recovered 16 used 9mm shell casings at the site.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, saying the country “remains resolute in bringing the responsible individual to justice.”
It added that it was working closely with the interior ministry and the Chinese embassy in Islamabad to ensure a thorough investigation.
China, breaking with tradition, recently spoke out publicly against security threats to its workers and nationals in Pakistan, where hundreds work on Beijing-funded projects linked to the over $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Last month, two Chinese nationals were killed in a suicide bombing near the international airport in Karachi. In March this year, a suicide bombing killed five Chinese engineers and a Pakistani driver in northwestern Pakistan as they headed to the Dasu Dam, the largest hydropower project in the country.
In 2022, three Chinese educators and their Pakistani driver were killed when an explosion tore through a van at the University of Karachi. A bus blast in northern Pakistan in 2021 killed 13 people, including nine Chinese nationals.
Pakistan announced in a joint statement with China last month it had agreed to increase security for Chinese citizens and projects in the South Asian nation, as Beijing called for urgent security measures following a surge in militant threats.
Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar has directed police to conduct a “thorough investigation,” his office said soon after the recent shooting incident.
According to a statement, the minister also directed an audit of security companies providing protection to Chinese nationals and other foreigners.
“The physical and mental fitness tests of guards assigned to important duties like security should be done,” the statement quoted Lanjar as saying.