QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to develop a provincial action plan to significantly enhance governance and security across the province.

Balochistan Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan on Wednesday briefed a high-level meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti, on the proposed plan.

The chief secretary said that a comprehensive strategy is being developed to effectively counter terrorism, crime, extortion and smuggling cases with a focus on enhancing enforcement measures.

The implementation of this action plan is likely to bring substantial improvements in governance and security in Balochistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bugti emphasised the importance of integrating modern technology into the plan. He also stressed the need for strengthening the professional capacity of law-enforcement agencies to combat terrorism and crime effectively.

He said profiling of criminals should be conducted for closer monitoring and all security agencies must coordinate to ensure efficient information sharing about criminals, suspects and convicts.

He said a clear and decisive strategy would be put in place to eradicate terrorism and crime without hesitation, pledging the provision of necessary resources to law enforcement agencies while expecting tangible results in return.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

ISLAMABAD: The Space and Upper Atmo­sphere Research Comm­ission (Suparco) annou­nced on Wednesday its collaboration on a groundbreaking lunar exploration mission in partnership with China’s Chang’e 8 mission, set to launch in 2028.

“This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s space programme, as Suparco’s indigenous rover will be part of the mission to explore the lunar surface,” said a press release issued the commission.

The collaboration underscores the strong bilateral relations between Pakistan and China and their shared vision for advancing space exploration. Suparco’s rover, weighing approximately 35 kilogrammes, will join the Chang’e 8 mission, which is part of the larger International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) initiative.

The rover will land on the Moon’s south pole, an area renowned for its challenging terrain and potential for groundbreaking scientific discoveries. The mission’s objectives include exploring the lunar surface, conducting scientific experiments, and testing new technologies for future lunar and planetary exploration.

Key experiments will include the study of lunar soil, the mapping of the lunar surface, and the testing of sustainable technologies for human presence on the Moon.

Suparco’s rover, equipped with state-of-the-art scientific instruments, will play a crucial role in collecting data that could pave the way for future lunar missions.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

TEHRAN: International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi arrived in Iran on Wednesday for discussions on Tehran’s nuclear programme, a week after Donald Trump’s election as the new US president.

Grossi, who is the director general of the UN agency, was greeted on Wednesday evening at the airport by Behrouz Kamalvandi, the spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran or AEOI.

Grossi is set to meet on Thursday in Tehran with AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami as well as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was chief negotiator in the nuclear talks between Tehran and the major powers that resulted in the 2015 deal formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA.

The deal, reached after 21 months of negotiations between Iran and world powers, gave Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that it could not develop a nuclear weapon — something it has always denied wanting to do. Three years later, then-president Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the agreement and reimposed heavy sanctions against Iran.

European powers pushing for resolution against Iran at IAEA

‘Comprehensive report’

European powers are pushing for a new resolution against Iran by the UN atomic watchdog’s board to pressure Tehran over its poor cooperation, diplomats say.

Such resolutions risk further diplomatic tension with Iran. The resolution would task the IAEA with issuing a so-called “comprehensive report” on Iran’s nuclear activities in addition to its regular quarterly ones, which would describe in more detail and put further focus on problem areas like Iran’s continued failure to explain uranium traces found at undeclared sites.

The aim is to force Iran back to the negotiating table to agree new restrictions on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

“Our concerns about Iranian nuclear activity are well known. It feels a natural point to be asking the IAEA for a thorough report. That then provides a basis to deal with Iranian behaviour,” a European diplomat said, one of five who said France, Britain and Germany are pushing for a resolution.

The United States has not been the driving force behind the resolution but is still expected to back it, as happened with the last resolution against Iran in June, diplomats said. The European powers seeking a resolution, known as the “E3”, are discussing the draft with the outgoing US administration.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Wednesday said his government is committed to providing maximum opportunities to girls to excel in education and sports.

He said that perseverance was key to success in life and that striving forward with determination and high spirits ultimately led to success.

He was speaking at the concluding ceremony of All Pakistan Inter-Boards Girls Cricket and Tennis Championship held at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Peshawar, according to a statement issued from the chief minister’s secretariat on Wednesday.

The competitions commenced on Nov 9, featuring teams from KP and various other educational boards from across the country.

Mr Gandapur welcomed the participants from other provinces and emphasised the importance of organising sports alongside academic activities.

“The purpose of holding such events is to polish the skills of our youth, and get them prepared for practical life ahead,” the statement quoted Mr Gandapur as saying. “Challenges are part of the journey to success and should be faced head-on,” he added.

“A person becomes great when he dreams big,” he said while quoting PTI founder Imran Khan, adding that one must set ambitious goals and move forward with courage.

The chief minister congratulated the Lahore Board’s cricket team on its victory, and affirmed the importance of investing in youth.

Mr Gandapur also announced cash prizes of Rs50,000 for each participating team.

He also distributed trophies and shields among the players.

In tennis, the Lahore Board secured the first position followed by Mardan, while Peshawar Board and Punjab Board of Technical Education, Lahore, shared the third position.

Similarly, the Lahore Board clinched the first position in the cricket tournament, while Peshawar remained the runner-up.

The chief minister also inaugurated a newly-constructed gymnasium at the Peshawar BISE, which has been established at a cost of Rs160 million. The facility includes boxing, karate, taekwondo, wrestling rings, a table tennis court and a fitness gym.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

QUETTA: Unknown armed men attacked the camp of a road construction company in Duki district on Wednesday, setting fire to machinery and kidnapping three labourers working at the site.

Police officials said the armed men stormed the camp, which was set up for the construction of a road linking Duki to the Chamalang coal mines field. The attackers cordoned off the camp, ransacked it and set fire to the construction machinery and other equipment.

“Machinery was completely gutted in the fire,” said a senior police officer, adding that the armed men, while fleeing the scene, also abducted three labourers at gunpoint. The kidnapped workers belong to Kuchlak.

The Duki region has been experiencing such incidents for several months. Last month, 21 coal miners were killed and six others injured when unknown armed men attacked the coal mine area in Duki. In addition, several trucks transporting coal to Punjab and other parts of the country were set on fire along the Duki-Loralai road and other areas.

Just last week, four coal-laden trucks were attacked and set on fire, and a truck driver was killed in the assault. Due to the ongoing violence, many mine owners in the area have been forced to close their mines for security reasons.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

• Matters include review of Justice Isa’s appointment as BHC CJ, pollution caused by industries in Islamabad
• SCBA says 26th amendment has rendered ‘fundamental rights a mere farce’, executive can’t pick and choose judges

ISLAMABAD: Amidst the backdrop of deteriorating air quality, the Supreme Court’s constitutional bench will take up on Thursday (Nov 14) as many as 18 human rights cases, including one related to air pollution as well as a review petition against the 2018 judgement on the appointment of Justice Qazi Faez Isa as Balochistan High Court chief justice.

Likewise, a six-judge constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, will resume hearing around 10 cases, including suo motu cases such as lady health workers programme, harassment case of singer Meesha Shafi and similar other harassment case.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Musarat Hilali and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan will be part of the bench.

The six-judge bench was formed in view of unavailability of the seventh judge, Justice Ayesha A Malik, on Nov 14 and Nov 15.

The cause list was issued after a meeting of the three-judge committee constituted as per Article 191A (4) under the chairmanship of Justice Aminuddin Khan to discuss matters related to the composition of the constitutional bench. The committee had resolved that priority should be accorded to the oldest cases.

The SC had constituted a three-judge committee to determine fixation, issuance of court roster, sitting of benches and number of cases to be heard in a week by the constitutional benches, which the top court had formed recently.

On Thursday, the constitutional bench will also resume the 2007 hearing of a public petition against pollution caused by industrial units in Islamabad’s Sectors I-9 and I-10. The petitions were filed by one Nazir Ahmed and other residents of I-9 and I-10 about environmental degradation causing asthma, respiratory infections, allergies and heart ailments since the establishment of industrial units, especially steel furnaces and marble units, in the Federal Capital Industrial Estate.

In 1993, the CDA had developed a negative list of undesirable industrial plants working in the industrial estate. It encouraged them, especially the steel furnaces, to switch to some other trade and offered not to charge the normal fee.

According to earlier reports, 1,500 tonnes of effluents generated by the pharmaceutical industry, flour mills, oil and ghee mills, marble factories and plastic extrusion mills are thrown into the Leh nullah every day, heavily polluting underground water. Around 500 factories in the I-9 and I-10 industrial estates were causing water and air pollution in the area like the steel melting furnaces, re-rolling mills, flour mills, oil and ghee mills, marble cutting and polishing units and metal working and engineering units, GI pipes, soap, chemical, plastic, marble, spices and printing, a report had suggested.

A number of applications by different industrial units in the affected sectors were also pending before the court against the decision to de-seal these steel and casting units. Overall air pollution in the country was also on the table of the constitutional bench.

Some cases concern the restoration of the trial court under the control of narcotic substance act, or appointment of certain officers, though most of the cases have become infructuous.

One of the review petitions relates to the appointment of Justice Isa as BHC chief justice. The review petition was filed by Advocate Riaz Hanif Rahi against the July 7, 2018, SC judgement in which the court, while rejecting the petition, had held that the appointment was done in view of the extraordinary circumstances when all the judges, including the then chief justice, had resigned and the high court had become vacant. As such the initiation of the name of Justice Isa as BHC CJ was made in an exigency and thus not hit by any illegality, former CJP Mian Saqib Nisar had held in a seven-page verdict.

Earlier on April 5, a three-judge SC bench rejected the petition of Advocate Rahi challenging the appointment and later elevation of Justice Isa to the Supreme Court.

The detailed judgement had observed that the appointment of Justice Isa directly as BHC CJ was legal because it was made by the President and the then-Balochistan governor conferred it, thus meeting the requirement of Article 193.

SCBA sees threat to democracy

Meanwhile, in a statement, the recently elected secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Salman Mansoor categorically condemned the 26th Amendment as being against ordinary citizens and a direct threat to democracy and freedom in Pakistan.

The 26th Amendment was in violation of the principle of separation of powers and independence of judiciary, which “now stand altered, repealed and abrogated”, he said, adding those principles were guardians of fundamental rights of ordinary citizens and ensure a free, fair and democratic society and state.

The executive is the strongest adversary of ordinary citizens and their daily opponent in courts, he said, adding that the executive, enjoying majority in parliament, could not be allowed to select judges of its choice in all litigation where challenges are made to constitutional authority of executive and parliament.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

PESHAWAR / QUETTA: An important ‘commander’ of a banned organisation was among 16 terrorists killed and six others injured in gun battles, retaliatory attacks and operations carried out in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was officially announced on Wednesday.

Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation (IBO) on the reported presence of khwarij (the military’s terminology for the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan) in the Miramshah area of North Waziristan district between Nov 12 and 13, said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The security forces effectively engaged the terrorist locations during the operation. Eight terrorists were killed and six others injured during the exchange of fire.

In the Kech area of Balochistan, four terrorists, including an important ‘commander’, were killed in a gun battle during an operation, the ISPR said.

Majeed Brigade man was responsible for choosing suicide bombers, says ISPR

In a statement, the military’s media wing said that on the night between Nov 12 and 13, security forces conducted IBOs in the general area Balgatar of Kech district on the reported presence of terrorists.

After an intense exchange of fire between the troops and the terrorists, a high-value target, terrorists’ ringleader Sana alias Baru was killed along with three other terrorists.

The ISPR said that Sana was the focal recruitment agent, especially for suicide bombers, for the so-called Majeed Brigade wing of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army in Kech district and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies.

Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed terrorists.

Sanitisation operations were being conducted in Miramshah and Kech to eliminate any other terrorists found in the areas, the ISPR said, adding that security forces were determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and thwart attempts to sabotage peace, stability and progress of Balochistan.

Earlier in the day, four terrorists were killed in two encounters conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel in Malakand, officials said.

Arms and ammunitions were seized after the gun battles, they added.

In the first encounter, three terrorists were killed when the CTD personnel retaliated against attackers in the Sher Khana Palai area. The dead militants were identified as Rizwan alias Bodagay, Salman, and Abdur Rehman alias Shadmani.

Rizwan was wanted by the police and security forces for his involvement in various terrorism-related cases, and was also involved in the firing incident at the historic Churchill Packet, they said.

Deputy Inspector General CTD Hassan Raza told a press conference in Batkhela that his department had received information on Oct 23 that some terrorists had sneaked into the country from Afghanistan and they were planning to carry out subversive activities in different districts of Malakand Division, including Bajaur, Malakand and Swat.

He said that terrorists attacked a CTD team, which had placed barricades on a road at the Sher Khana Palai area to check their movement. In a retaliatory action, the CTD personnel killed three terrorists.

The CTD personnel recovered three Kalashnikovs, hand grenades, pistols and live rounds from the dead militants.

During the other encounter, security forces killed a terrorist, identified as Abdullah.

DIG Raza, flanked by SP Malakand Amjad Ali Khan, stated that the killed terrorists, who belonged to the Sher Khana Palai area, were wanted by the police and security forces for their involvement in several terrorism-related cases. He said a search operation continued in the area.

Gohar Ali Gohar in Malakand also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2024

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