Turkey’s ruling AKP party is reportedly seeking a mandate from Parliament to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia to protect it from attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Yemen, thus fulfilling the mutual defense obligations of the treaty signed by Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan in August.

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LAHORE – Punjab government made changes to leadership of food and cane administration, appointing Captain (Retd) Muhammad Waseem in place of Amjad Hafeez with immediate effect.

Muhammad Waseem, a BS-19 officer, moves from the post of Director General Wildlife and Parks to become Director General Food and Cane Commissioner. Hafeez, also in BS-19, has been directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department for further orders.

The incoming DG brings previous experience in sugar price enforcement and agricultural market negotiations to the assignment. During his tenure as Deputy Commissioner Sargodha, Waseem notified district sugar prices in July 2025 and ordered price control magistrates to enforce the rates. Retailers were required to display official price lists, with action promised against violations.

In January 2026, the district administration helped broker an agreement between kinnow growers and factory owners, fixing a rate of Rs1,600 per maund for that week. Farmer representatives credited Waseem with helping resolve the dispute.

His administrative career includes a posting as Deputy Commissioner Bahawalnagar from October 2021 to February 2023. He took charge as Deputy Commissioner Sargodha in August 2024 and was given additional responsibility for Khushab district in December that year.

Waseem subsequently moved to the Wildlife and Parks organisation in late January 2026, replacing Mubeen Elahi. He now takes over Punjab’s food and cane portfolio following assignments spanning district governance, commodity price enforcement and departmental administration.

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ISLAMABAD – PIA is preparing a major expansion of its British network, increasing London Heathrow services to seven flights a week from October 27, 2026, before restoring its Islamabad–Birmingham connection on December 1.

The expansion promises more nonstop travel options for passengers visiting family, conducting business or travelling for tourism, while reducing dependence on connections through Middle Eastern hubs.

Under Heathrow plan, the national carrier will operate five weekly flights from Islamabad and two from Lahore, up from a combined four weekly services. The seven-flight schedule provides daily connectivity between Pakistan and London, although neither Pakistani city will have a daily service individually. Seats for the expanded London operation have already been offered for sale. The increase comes after PIA returned to Heathrow in late March 2026 with approximately four weekly flights, mainly from Islamabad alongside Lahore services.

Birmingham will follow on a separate timetable. Schedule information available in mid-to-late October shows three weekly Islamabad–Birmingham flights beginning December 1, restoring another destination historically served by PIA before its 2020 suspension.

The schedule places outbound flight PK791 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing Islamabad at 12:15 and reaching Birmingham at 16:00. Return flight PK792 is listed to leave Birmingham at 18:30 and arrive in Islamabad at 07:15 the following morning.

Aircraft deployment remains subject to change, with reports mentioning Boeing 777 aircraft or wet-leased capacity. An earlier catering tender had also indicated preparations for Birmingham operations.

The wider UK expansion is expected to receive a capacity boost through the wet lease of two Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Norse Atlantic. The ACMI arrangement covers aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, with operations expected around early November. The Dreamliners appear in some Heathrow and Manchester schedules.

PIA UK Flights Schedule

This marks another stage in PIA’s return to Britain following years of restrictions. Its UK and European operations were suspended after the May 2020 Karachi A320 crash and concerns over pilot licensing.

UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List in July 2025. PIA subsequently resumed Manchester flights in October 2025, followed by London in March 2026.

For passengers planning winter journeys, the distinction between the launch dates is crucial: the combined daily Heathrow schedule begins on October 27, rather than November 1, while Birmingham services are scheduled to start on December 1.

 

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LAHORE –  Lahore High Court shared verdict on the imposition of 2% stamp duty on the partition of inherited property, ruling that the applicable duty is a fixed Rs500 under the Stamp Act, 1899.

Justice Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh of LHC issued the ruling while accepting a writ petition filed by Muhammad Sajjad, setting aside the 2025 decisions of a civil judge and an additional sessions judge.

In written judgment, the judge declared a judicial precedent, the court held that the lower courts had offered no legal justification for charging duty at 2%. The judgment also clarified that bringing other co-owners into the proceedings as parties does not alter the nature of the case.

The court ruled that a percentage-based financial burden cannot be imposed without lawful authority, affirming the fixed Rs500 stamp duty applicable to inherited property partition.

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LAHORE: The son of Aleema Khan, detained sister of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday, seeking the production and release of his mother, as well as two aunts.

All three of Imran’s sisters — Aleema, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan — were detained by authorities in September, under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, as the PTI geared up of for a planned protest march towards Islamabad. Their detention was ordered for 30 days.

Aleema’s son, Shahrez Khan, filed a fresh plea challenging their detention in the LHC on Wednesday.

The petition stated that Imran’s sisters remained at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail despite the lapse of the 30-day period of their detention.

The Punjab home secretary (grievance redressal commissioner), the inspector general of police, the Lahore capital city police officer and the Kot Lakhpat jail superintendent have been named as respondents.

The petition, filed through Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar, said the sisters’ detention orders were issued on Sept 20 and expired on Oct 19, yet the jail authorities had not released them despite requests.

“Therefore, detention of the detenues is against the law and fundamental rights of the individuals,” it contended.

The plea further said that the three sisters were not wanted in any case, and raised concerns that they may be implicated in “false criminal cases” if not released.

The petition argued that their detention was a consequence of their efforts for their brother’s release. It further contended that the preventive detention could not replace ordinary criminal law, and that the order violated Article 10 as well as the safeguards of Section 3 of the MPO.

The petitioner requested the court to direct the jail superintendent to produce the detainees before the court and “set them at liberty, in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”. He asked the court to declare the detention orders void and issue directives for the detainees’ release, while suspending the operation of the orders.

The petition has been fixed for Thursday before Justice Abher Gul Khan.

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel expressed concern on Wednesday over the alleged inappropriate conduct of Airports Security Force (ASF) personnel when scanning parliamentarians and passengers at Karachi’s airport and directed that the official concerned be summoned to the next meeting.

The Senate Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi to consider various privilege motions.

Senators Jan Muhammad, Dost Ali Jaisar, Saadia Abbasi, Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, Bushra Anjum Butt and Samina Mumtaz Zehri, along with senior officials, attended the meeting.

Taking up a privilege motion moved by Senator Zehri concerning the alleged inappropriate conduct of ASF personnel, the committee reviewed the response received regarding an inquiry report that it had sought last month.

The chairman informed members that a reply had been received, along with a report stating that the official concerned had been transferred from his previous posting to another location.

Senator Abbasi emphasised that the matter was not confined to parliamentarians but also concerned ordinary citizens. She observed that alleged misuse of authority and inappropriate searches of passengers’ belongings could create a negative public perception of elected representatives.

Senator Zehri expressed serious concern over the alleged rude behaviour of the personnel and underscored the importance of treating passengers with dignity and respect. She questioned the legal provisions under which the authorities were empowered to search passengers’ belongings, maintaining that such searches should only be conducted when required by security considerations and strictly in accordance with the law.

The Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) senator noted that the initial response had maintained that all actions were taken in accordance with the law, while subsequent information indicated that the official had been transferred.

She stressed that the official should be summoned to present his position and explain the legal authority for such actions.

The chairman directed that the official concerned and other relevant officers be summoned to the next meeting, and instructed authorities to arrange professional training for airport personnel to ensure passengers were treated respectfully and dealt with courteously and professionally.

The committee had taken up the privilege motion by Senator Zehri in a previous meeting on Sept 11, regarding alleged misbehaviour by ASF officials during a check-in for Emirates flight EK-601 on July 24.

Senator Zehri told the committee that while she was travelling to London, an ASF official searched her hand-carry bag and questioned her about the cash she was carrying.

She said she offered to go to a side office to count foreign currency as per procedure, but the official instead opened her bag at the desk where three other bags were already open for inspection.

The committee at the time directed that an inquiry be completed within 15 days and that the officer found responsible be produced before the next meeting.

Sub-panel formed on PIFD row

The committee also considered a privilege motion moved by Senator Butt, who heads the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, against Hina Tayyaba Khalil, vice chancellor (VC) of Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD), and two others.

According to the motion, a copy of which is available with Dawn, Senator Butt alleged a breach of her privilege and that of the Senate and its standing committee arising out of the conduct of the vice chancellor in connection with proceedings relating to matters concerning PIFD.

The motion alleged that the VC’s contractual tenure had expired in Dec 2025, but she continued to hold office.

It stated that the Senate panel on education had been examining matters concerning PIFD and required the VC to appear. However, the VC failed to appear, and her conduct required examination from the standpoint of the privileges and authority of the Senate and its committee.

The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of Education Minister Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and the secretary of his ministry.

Senator Mehdi observed that the officials should have informed the committee in writing of the reasons they were unable to attend. He noted that Senate members of the university concerned had previously been invited to attend a meeting through Zoom but had failed to participate, and directed that show-cause notices be issued to the absent members.

During the discussion, Senator Zehri sought an update on an inquiry assigned to Saleh Farooqi as inquiry officer.

Senator Butt expressed reservations about the inquiry procedure, alleging that teachers summoned at her request had faced pressure. She said that as chairperson of the Standing Committee on Federal Education, she had acted as facilitator and forwarded complaints to the relevant authorities.

Senator Abbasi informed the committee that a decision by the inquiry committee was expected the following day.

After deliberations, the chairman directed that a sub-committee be constituted to examine the matter comprehensively and summon 13 individuals involved in the case. The committee approved the formation of the sub-committee with Senator Palwasha as convener and Senators Dost Ali Jaisar and Jan Muhammad as members.

Pims conditions reviewed

The committee also took up a privilege motion moved by Senator Khan against Dr Sherjeel Zaheer, director of the Emergency and Accident Centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), concerning alleged remarks following the senator’s social media post highlighting the poor condition of equipment and facilities.

The PPP senator said she had raised the issue after witnessing the condition of a patient who allegedly could not receive assistance due to non-functional equipment. Members expressed serious concern over cleanliness, patient care and administrative affairs.

The chairman directed an unannounced visit to the hospital, while also accepting a written apology tendered by Pims.

The committee also examined a privilege motion moved by Senator Khan against Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan concerning alleged unparliamentary conduct in a standing committee.

The two had been involved in a heated exchange during a December 2025 meeting over a question related to the construction of a road project.

Senator Mehdi said a letter seeking a response had been sent, but no reply had been received.

The committee expressed displeasure over the minister’s absence and directed that another letter be issued. The matter was deferred.

LAHORE – Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s cabinet gets another member, with Special Assistant Salma Butt appointed as a provincial minister.

Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan issued the notification, formalising Butt’s elevation from special assistant to a ministerial position.

The newly appointed minister will take her oath of office before the governor.

Before becoming a provincial minister, Salma Butt served as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s special assistant on food safety and consumer protection, taking part in surprise inspections and crackdowns on adulteration and unhygienic food businesses across Punjab.

She conducted several raids under and sealed top eateries found violating food safety regulations.  She also accompanied teams inspecting motorway food outlets. Alongside enforcement, Butt supported initiatives to improve street-food standards through vendor training, medical screening and better food-handling practices.

 

 

 

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Pakistanis spend over $850 million on formula milk (annual basis)

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s infant formula advertisers could face mandatory health warnings, fines or a possible ban after a Senate committee directed media regulator to ensure their commercials clearly state that there is no substitute for breast milk.

Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services issued the directive during its meeting on Tuesday, warning that aggressive promotion of breast milk substitutes could undermine efforts to combat child malnutrition.

Committee Chairman Senator Aamir Waliuddin Chishti told the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) that implementation was essential, while leaving the choice of enforcement measures to the regulator. He said PEMRA could consider banning advertisements, imposing fines or taking other regulatory action to ensure compliance.

Senator Shahzeb Durrani proposed mandatory pictorial warnings on formula milk advertisements, drawing a comparison with warnings used for cigarettes. Durrani reminded the regulator that the committee had previously called for discouraging formula milk promotion, particularly where mothers are able to breastfeed but choose alternatives.

PEMRA Chairperson Ambreen Jan suggested banning formula milk advertisements. Committee members, however, said the authority to decide and enforce such regulatory measures rested with PEMRA. Jan also presented public awareness messages highlighting breastfeeding’s importance and the nutritional benefits of breast milk.

The committee’s intervention comes against a troubling backdrop of childhood malnutrition. UNICEF estimates cited in the report put the number of children affected by stunting in Pakistan at approximately 10 million, while only 38 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed during their first six months.

The committee’s directive places pressure on PEMRA to act, although the discussion did not amount to an announcement of an advertising ban.

Pakistani families spend $880 million on formula milk annually, while inadequate breastfeeding contributes to an estimated 33,700 child deaths and $2.8 billion in economic losses, experts told the Pakistan Paediatric Association’s conference in Islamabad.

With exclusive breastfeeding at just 48.4%, specialists warned that babies under six months who receive no breast milk face a 15-fold higher risk of death, mainly from diarrhoea and pneumonia.

Experts also flagged drug-resistant typhoid, rising childhood HIV infections, newborn deaths and air pollution, urging tighter controls on formula marketing, stronger breastfeeding protections and better access to preventive care and treatment.

 

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PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday directed the relevant authorities to provisionally de-seal the official residence of Suriya Bibi, the deputy speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly that has been non-functional since the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency in the province on Oct 11.

The court also restrained law enforcement agencies from arresting Bibi till further orders.

The directives were issued by a two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Muhammad Faheem Wali, who took up Bibi’s plea challenging the sealing of her official residence and her anticipated arrest under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.

A written order of the hearing is yet to be released, during which the bench also issued notices to the provincial government, the KP inspector general of police (IG) and other officials, seeking their replies on Bibi’s petition.

Advocate Yasir Khattak appeared on behalf of the petitioner at the hearing and argued that his client, being the elected deputy speaker of the KP Assembly, was “entitled to protection under the Constitution and laws of the land”.

“The petitioner holds a constitutional office and is entitled to perform her official functions without unlawful interference, discrimination or arbitrary executive action,” he contended.

The counsel further said that under Section 20 of the KP Provincial Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975, Bibi was entitled to a “fully furnished official residence” in Peshawar for her “entire tenure as the deputy speaker”.

He informed the court that Bibi had been allotted an official residence at Race Course Garden, Peshawar through a June 3, 2024 notification.

The lawyer claimed that following the imposition of governor’s rule on Oct 11, police, “without any reason and justification”, raided Bibi’s official residence to “harass her and illegally and unlawfully arrest her”.

He added that on Oct 14, at midnight, the respondents, along with some officials, again “raided Bibi’s house without any reason and justification or prior notice under the law and locked the house”.

Advocate Khattak argued that the “impugned action has deprived the petitioner of lawful access to her official residence, as well as her belongings, including official documents and essential items”.

He contended that the mere imposition of emergency or governor’s rule did not, by itself, establish a lawful authority to seal the residence of the petitioner.

He said his client didn’t seek immunity from any lawful and bona fide action taken in accordance with the Constitution, but “arbitrary, discriminatory or unauthorised interference with respect to her residence, without a lawful justification, is open to challenge before this court”.

The plea

In her petition, Bibi sought a declaration of the court that the sealing/locking of her official residence was undertaken without lawful authority, in violation of due process, and was illegal, unconstitutional and without lawful effect.

She requested the court to direct the relevant respondents, including the provincial government and the KP IG, to “immediately” de-seal the premises and restore the her lawful access and possession to the official residence.

Bibi further sought directives for the IG and Peshawar deputy commissioner to not raid her house and illegally arrest or detain her, particularly not to “illegally arrest” her on the basis of any order issued under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance and to act strictly in accordance with law.

She requested the court to restrain the respondents from “unlawfully interfering” with the her access to her residence or removing her personal belongings and documents from the house.

The provincial government, through its chief secretary, KP governor, KP IG, Peshawar deputy commissioner, Administration Department secretary, among others, have been named as respondents in the plea.

Following the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, a case has also been registered against Bibi for allegedly refusing to return an official vehicle.

The federal government imposed emergency and the governor’s rule in KP on Oct 11, citing the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism.

In the days preceding the imposition of governor’s rule in KP, political tensions between the Centre and the opposition — including the PTI which was in power in KP — had remained high since jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party announced a protest march to Islamabad to demand his release.

After the imposition of governor’s rule, now-non-functional KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and other PTI leaders have been taken into preventive custody.

ISLAMABAD: Taking exception to the prosecution’s shifting stance without realising the gravity of that conduct in a case regarding expired drugs, the Supreme Court has ruled that whenever reasonable doubt arises, a suspect should not be deprived of the benefit of bail.

The object of a trial is to make an under-trial suspect answer criminal trial instead of punishing by letting him rot behind bars, regretted Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar in a verdict published on Wednesday.

He was heading a three-member bench that on July 22 heard a criminal appeal filed by Muhammad Akbar, who was originally granted bail by the SC on April 16 in a case registered at Quetta’s New Sariab Police Station.

The SC extended the bail granted earlier on the same terms and conditions, adding that observations made in this bail order were tentative in nature and will not prejudice the case pending before the trial court of either party.

“We are of the firm view that the case of the petitioner requires further inquiry,” Justice Mazhar said in a five-page order.

“Whenever reasonable doubt arises with regard to the participation of the accused in the crime or the truth or probability of the prosecution case as well as the evidence proposed to be produced in support of the charge, the accused should not be deprived of benefit of bail and in such a situation it would be better to keep him on bail than in jail during the trial,” the order read.

Justice Mazhar narrated the sequence of events, noting that the original case was lodged against the suspect under Sections 379, 420, 274, 275, and 276 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), as well as Sections 23 and 27 of the Drugs Act 1976, concerning transportation of expired drugs.

These sections deal with offences affecting public health and safety since they relate to drug adulteration and misrepresentation, and carry penalties up to six months of imprisonment.

Based on these sections, a two-judge SC bench on April 16 granted post-arrest bail to the petitioner on furnishing bail bonds to the tune of Rs100,000 with two sureties in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court.

When the SC’s bail order was sent for compliance, it emerged that the prosecution modified the first information report (FIR) by replacing the original provisions with Sections 409, 471, 468, 467, 420, 109 of PPC, read with Section 5 (2) of the 1947 Prevention of Corruption Act.

These sections outline major white-collar and financial crimes involving public servants, forgery, cheating, and abetment. Frequently combined in corruption, bank fraud and property misappropriation-related cases, the provisions spell out severe punishments, ranging from 10 years in jail to life imprisonment.

During the July hearing, when the court confronted state counsel Baqir Shah and Investigating Officer (IO) Muhammad Ajmal about why the FIR was modified by adding new sections of the PPC, they responded that these additions were made on Jan 15 but failed to offer any plausible reason why the modified FIR was not brought on record when the SC granted bail.

They could also not justify deletion of Section 23 and 27 of the Drugs Act 1976 from the FIR when the initial allegation against the petitioner was transporting the expired drugs with alleged violations of the Drugs Act.

When the court asked the IO what new evidence was brought on record which necessitated these insertions, he simply replied that four statements of witnesses were recorded under Section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). He further said the prosecuting Quetta deputy superintendent of police sought the opinion of the deputy inspector general (Legal), who opined to delete and add new sections.

“It appears from the conduct of the prosecution that to complicate the case with some ulterior motives, the prosecution acted unfairly and added certain sections without realising the effect of deleting these sections of the Drugs Act,” Justice Mazhar observed.

He said another aim may be to frustrate and deprive the petitioner of concession of bail.

Though Justice Mazhar refrained from adverse observations since the matter was still pending with the trial court, he regretted that, due to the concealment of facts, the possibility cannot be ruled out that new sections were added after court order only to deprive the petitioner of bail.

“We are sanguine that new section/offence can be inserted, provided that something was gleaned to the prosecution on investigation of crime but not on the whims of prosecution,” Justice Mazhar stated.

He remarked that the prosecution has “not acted seriously” and that if any insertion was made before the bail was granted, it should have been brought to the SC’s knowledge “for consideration without playing hide and seek”.

The judge regretted that due to “such callous conduct”, the petitioner who was earlier granted bail was still behind the bars.

Due to divergent pleas of the prosecution, as well as insertion and deletion of new and old sections of PPC in the same FIR during trial, the case has otherwise been made out to be a case of further inquiry, the judgment said.

“The prosecution is itself confused regarding the culpability of the petitioner due to changing stances,” it observed, adding the case of further inquiry presupposes tentative assessment which may create doubt with respect to the involvement of the suspect in the crime.

PESHAWAR – An audit report has uncovered alleged corruption and financial irregularities worth billions of rupees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s minerals sector during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

According to the report, the provincial exchequer suffered losses exceeding Rs16.94 billion in a single year during 2022 and 2023.

The report states that more than Rs8 billion was lost through illegal mining, while outstanding dues amounting to Rs4.31 billion remained unrecovered from defaulting contractors.

It further reveals that illegal mining continued across the province despite the presence of checkpoints, inspectors and other relevant staff from the Mines and Minerals Department, resulting in additional losses of Rs3.08 billion. The unauthorised extraction of gravel and sand in the name of constructing highways and small dams was also identified as a source of losses amounting to Rs3.07 billion.

According to the audit findings, excise duty worth Rs547.2 million imposed on minerals was not collected. The report also pointed to the waiver of outstanding dues exceeding Rs810 million relating to coal, bauxite, limestone and soapstone mines.

The audit further revealed that government land belonging to the Mines and Minerals Department in Peshawar was leased at just Rs200 per acre, against the prescribed rate of Rs10,000 per acre. This resulted in an estimated loss of Rs140 million to the public exchequer.

Similarly, the failure to recover outstanding dues related to small dams in Kohat, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur and other districts caused losses exceeding Rs530 million. The report also identified the non-recovery of Rs63.6 million in royalty payments in Mardan.

The Auditor General has recommended inquiries against those responsible to establish accountability for the financial irregularities and determine the extent of losses inflicted on the provincial exchequer.

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KARACHI – The Sindh government has decided to establish a joint investigation team (JIT) in the Mir Raza case in light of the recommendations made by a judicial commission. The notification for the formation of the team is expected to be issued within 24 hours.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah held a meeting with members of the cabinet’s subcommittee formed to review the case.

The subcommittee comprises provincial ministers Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar and Saeed Ghani, along with Sindh Advocate General Jawad Dero.

During the meeting, the committee members briefed the chief minister on their detailed review of the judicial commission’s recommendations, including progress made during the first review meeting on the report.

The briefing revealed that preliminary recommendations had been formulated during the review meeting and subsequently presented to the chief minister for consideration.

In addition to establishing a JIT, the provincial government has decided to constitute a separate inquiry team to identify negligence and lapses by the teams that initially investigated the case.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed the committee to ensure the full implementation of all its recommendations. He reiterated that the provincial government would act on the recommendations put forward by the judicial commission.

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LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Wednesday granted the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) five-day physical remand of a suspect in an alleged Rs35 billion fraud involving the online sale of counterfeit US postage labels.

The suspect, identified as a 33-year-old resident of Khanewal, had been charged by a Florida jury with defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) of $126 million, the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Florida said on Sept 28.

The NCCIA’s Lahore zone announced his arrest at a press conference a day ago, saying that the suspect operated a website to market and sell over 5m fake postage stamps over a period of more than three years.

Subsequently, the suspect was produced before Judicial Magistrate Naeem Wattoo on Wednesday, where the NCCIA sought his 14-day physical remand for interrogation.

The agency’s investigating officer told the court that the suspect had allegedly been operating a website, LabelsBank.com, since August 2023 to sell more than 5m counterfeit postage labels.

Partially allowing the agency’s request, the court granted it a five-day physical remand of the suspect.

According to the US Department of Justice, the website run by the Pakistani national was not authorised to sell USPS products and services.

The counterfeit labels allegedly allowed customers to ship packages at rates “far below legitimate USPS prices”, it said, adding that it caused losses exceeding $126m to the postal service.

US prosecutors alleged that the website sold the labels for around $2 each, regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination. A US court order authorised the seizure and shutdown of the website.

On Tuesday, NCCIA’s Lahore Zone Additional Director Atif Ameer said eight special teams had been formed in Punjab, Islamabad and Sindh to trace the suspect and investigate the network.

He said 16 bank accounts had been used in the scam, including some allegedly operated by his close relatives.

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday appointed a state counsel to cross-examine prosecution witnesses from the defence side in a security breach case against lawyers Imaan Zainab Hazir-Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha.

Advocate Taimur Janjua has been directed to be present at the next hearing as Imaan and Hadi’s lawyers failed cross-examine the witnesses during Wednesday’s proceedings in the case pertaining to the alleged disruption of a security route of an international cricket team and incitement to public unrest in 2024.

Imaan and her husband, Hadi, have been accused of removing barriers from the route in the case, and the couple was indicted on Oct 7. They are facing a jail trial in the case, with ATC Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra presiding over the proceedings at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

Advocate Aimal Khan Mandokhail appeared before the judge on behalf of Imaan and Hadi on Wednesday and requested an adjournment.

However, the court declined the request, observing that the prosecution witnesses were present at the hearing and the defence could cross-examine them.

“The witnesses are present; you may proceed with the cross-examination,” Judge Sipra said.

But, Advocate Mandokhail said senior counsel Riasat Ali Azad was not present and that he would cross-examine the witnesses.

The judge observed that the accused were lawyers themselves and could conduct the cross-examination in their own case if they wished.

Moreover, the court order stated that it was “made crystal clear” at the last hearing that the accused should ensure the presence of their lawyers for cross-examination.

“But the defence side is reluctant, rather refused to cross-examine. Both the accused are advocates themselves, and they have been asked to cross-examine the witnesses, but they have also refused to do so. In view of that, this court has no other option but to appoint a state counsel on behalf of the accused at the state expense as provided in law,” the order read.

The court appointed Janjua from a list of five lawyers provided by the Islamabad advocate general.

The hearing was adjourned till Oct 22 (Thursday).

Advocate Janjua had previously been appointed to represent Imaan and Hadi in a controversial social media posts case — a development to which the couple had objected.

He had shown up in the Islamabad district and sessions court during a November hearing instead of Advocate Shakeel Jatt, the state counsel who was initially appointed to represent the duo in the case.

That was after Advocate Jatt had refused to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses in the case, saying that he could not “ask questions dictated” to him.

At a December hearing, Hadi had informed the court that a no-confidence application had been filed against Advocate Janjua.

Imaan and Hadi’s rearrest

The lawyer couple has been in jail since their arrest on Jan 23 in a case registered against them for protesting outside the Islamabad High Court and allegedly manhandling the IHC Bar Association president. The arrest prompted criticism by rights bodies, politicians and journalists, who stressed the couple’s right to a fair trial.

Just a day later, a sessions court sentenced them to 17 years on multiple charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) in the controversial social media posts case.

The convictions were widely condemned by lawyers and United Nations (UN) experts.

On Sept 17, following months of litigation before the courts, the Supreme Court suspended their sentences in the case. The SC ordered their release pending the Islamabad High Court’s final verdict on their appeals against the trial court’s decision.

However, the reprieve was short-lived as hours later, Islamabad police arrested the couple again in connection with another case and produced them before an ATC, which sent them to jail on judicial remand.

The fresh case in which the two were arrested was registered at the federal capital’s Kohsar police station on March 22 last year on the complaint of City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio.

Imaan and Hadi were accused of chanting anti-government slogans and blocking roads and were nominated by name in the FIR. However, at the time of registration of the case, no section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) had been added.

The FIR included sections 188 (disobedience of an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their official duty) and 186 (obstructing a public servant in the performance of official duties).

ISLAMABAD – Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, visited the residence of Laiba and met her father, Rana Ejaz.

During the visit, Naqvi handed over money recovered from the alleged fraudster to Laiba’s father. The Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police was also present.

According to sources, the interior minister returned more than Rs5 million to Rana Ejaz and assured him that efforts would continue to recover the remaining amount allegedly taken from Laiba.

Meanwhile, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Sohail Chaudhry also visited the family of Laiba Ejaz, a gold-medal-winning student whose death by suicide has drawn attention to the alleged fraud case. The IG offered his condolences to the bereaved family.

Laiba’s Father Thanks Interior Minister, Public for Support

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Rana Ejaz thanked the interior minister and others who had supported his family.

He said he would never forget the tragedy that had befallen them, but the support shown by the Pakistani public had brought him some comfort.

Ejaz said his daughter had aspired to travel abroad and wanted to serve the country. He added that Islamabad Police had consistently provided the family with encouragement and support.

He further said the family had been informed that additional cases against the suspect had emerged. According to Ejaz, the suspect had also taken money from girls in Mansehra.

Laiba’s father confirmed that the money belonging to him had been returned.

Suspect Allegedly Defrauded 21 Others

The deceased suspect, identified as Nauman, allegedly defrauded 21 people in addition to Laiba, sources said.

During the investigation, police reportedly recovered 21 fake appointment letters from the suspect. The documents had allegedly been issued to different individuals under the pretext of securing jobs in the Ministry of Defence.

According to sources, Nauman collected money from the individuals in exchange for the fraudulent appointment letters. He allegedly provided similar fake documents to four of his cousins as well.

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BAHAWALPUR – A man accused of running over and killing a 14-year-old boy in Multan was killed during an alleged encounter with the Crime Control Department (CCD) in Bahawalpur early Wednesday, according to police.

The suspect, identified as Tauqeer, had reportedly escaped from police custody while on physical remand, a CCD spokesperson said.

On Tuesday, a judicial magistrate in Multan had ordered that Tauqeer remain in police custody for three days to assist with the investigation. Police had initially sought a 14-day remand. The suspect was arrested on Monday and appeared before Judicial Magistrate Saadia Aslam the following day.

The case relates to the death of a teenage boy who allegedly worked for the suspect and was learning electrical work. He was reportedly struck by a car in a private housing society in Multan.

According to the CCD spokesperson, department personnel tried to stop two men travelling on a motorcycle along Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass. An exchange of gunfire followed, resulting in Tauqeer’s death, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Multan City Police Officer (CPO) Akhtar Farooq said on Tuesday that police teams were conducting raids to apprehend the second suspect allegedly involved in the case.

Expressing grief over the incident, Farooq said the community was deeply distressed by the boy’s death. He also described the treatment allegedly inflicted on the orphaned child as an act of extreme cruelty.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident appears to show the boy running along a road after noticing a car. The vehicle swerves towards him and follows him before striking him. After being hit, the boy falls and crashes into the gate of a nearby house, suffering fatal injuries.

A police case was registered on behalf of the state at the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) police station in Multan.

The first information report (FIR) names two suspects and includes charges under Sections 302 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, relating to intentional murder and acts carried out by multiple individuals with a shared intention, respectively.

According to the FIR, the teenager was employed by the suspects and was receiving training to become an electrician. His cousin told police that the boy had allegedly been subjected to violence and threats by the men.

The FIR further states that the teenager was attempting to flee when the suspects allegedly pursued him in a car and struck him. Police subsequently arrested one suspect, while the other managed to escape. The vehicle allegedly used in the incident was also taken into police custody, according to the report.

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The death of a suspect, allegedly during an exchange of fire with Punjab’s Crime Control Department (CCD), sparked questions from lawyers and journalists on Wednesday regarding extrajudicial killings and due process.

The CCD, established last year, has been criticised by human rights advocates and civil society members for a high number of casualties.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) alleged earlier this year that the CCD has adopted a “deliberate policy of staged police encounters leading to extrajudicial killings”. In response, the department termed the claims as unfounded and contrary to the department’s operational framework.

The suspect who was killed in the latest alleged encounter was accused of running over a 14-year-old boy, who worked for him, with his car in a private housing society in Multan. That incident also sparked anger among the public, with a police officer saying the teenager had been “subjected to barbarity”.

The CCD claimed that the suspect, identified as Tauqeer, had escaped from its custody after it was granted the man’s three-day physical remand. According to the department, he was found dead after an exchange of fire when its personnel attempted to stop two individuals riding a motorcycle on Bahawalpur’s Northern Bypass.

The alleged encounter came on the heels of another incident in Islamabad where the police claimed a suspect was killed when his accomplices opened fire on a police team transporting him.

Lawyers and journalists took to X to voice their concerns over the rule of law.

Advocate Nida Usman Chaudhry, founder of Women in Law, said extrajudicial killings were not the kind of justice people expected from the state, describing them as another example of the state failing its citizens.

“When we demand ‘justice’, what we mean is through the rules of fair investigation, fair trial and due process,” she said.

Journalist and writer Shabbir Dar said extrajudicial killings “exposed the failure of the criminal justice system that consumes billions in public funds but has lost the confidence of both the public and those in power”.

Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari also weighed in on the incident, asking in a post on X: “‘Out of control’ is the new control?”

A post from PML-N MPA Hina Parvez Butt, which was later deleted, prompted criticism as well.

“This is [Punjab Chief Minister] Maryam Nawaz sahiba’s government; justice is served immediately here,” wrote Butt, sharing screengrabs of a TV report regarding the Bahawalpur encounter.

Journalist Hasnaat Malik criticised Butt’s post, questioning the need to spend enormous amounts of funds on courts if justice was to be delivered in this manner.

“It would have been better if punishment was given after fulfilling all legal requirements,” he said.

Advocate Abdul Moiz Jaferii took aim at Butt, who heads the Punjab Women Protection Authority, for “celebrating” the suspect’s killing.

“This is not justice, it is vengeance. And an admission of guilt,” the lawyer said in a post on X.

Barrister Rida Hossain noted it was “short-sighted, unjust, and wrong to defend police encounters allowing the executive to act as judge, jury, and executioner”.

She highlighted HRCP’s figures of casualties during alleged police encounters, arguing that “this imbalance suggests deliberate executions”.

Journalist Absa Komal termed “celebrating extrajudicial killings” as “legal and moral bankruptcy”.

“When the police themselves become judge and executioner, it is not the rule of law, but the law of the jungle,” the former DawnNews anchor said, sharing a post about both recent incidents.

Senior journalist Naimat Khan pointed out that a “lawmaker from the ruling party is celebrating an extrajudicial killing of an accused person who should have been tried in a court of law to deliver justice to the victim”.

“The extrajudicial killing of even a guilty person reflects a profound mistrust in the justice system and government and undermines the rule of law,” he stressed.

Journalist Maryam Nawaz Khan termed it a “total failure of the system”.

“When the state relies solely on CCD or police encounters, it’s an admission that our judicial system is dead,” she contended while commenting on Butt’s post.

TV anchor Nadia Mirza also questioned the characterisation of the killing as justice.

“Oh!! so now you are calling an extrajudicial killing JUSTICE. Strange … where are courts?” she said in a post on X.

Journalist Javeria Siddique highlighted that extrajudicial killings directly violated the rule of law, adding that a civilised society punished people through courts rather than “encounters, enforced disappearances or targeted eliminations”.

Shazia Nizamani, chairperson of the Sindh Women Lawyers Alliance, called for the suspect to have been tried in court, saying Punjab police should have produced him before a judge to face trial and sentencing.

“How is it possible that handcuffed suspects, surrounded by armed policemen, manage to escape in case after case?” she asked.

LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan (JI) announced on Wednesday that it will launch the third phase of its nationwide protest movement against the petroleum levy on Friday, with sit-ins planned in all districts across the country, according to a press release by the party.

The government currently levies Rs114 per litre in taxes and duties on petrol and Rs100 per litre on diesel. The Centre and JI had agreed to form committees in early September — when the latter had planned a nationwide strike — to recommend measures to reduce the levy.

Wednesday’s press release by JI said the new phase of demonstrations would begin on the instructions of party chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, and that the party’s clear and firm demand remained the complete abolition of the petroleum levy.

JI claimed that the government had made no further contact regarding a planned meeting between Rehman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which the latter had offered to hold.

The press release recalled that Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and the PM’s adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, had contacted JI Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch to convey the premier’s message seeking a meeting.

“Both sides had agreed that their respective committees would meet to work out a schedule for the proposed meeting,” it read, noting, however, that the government had made no further contact after that.

The party stressed that Rehman had already clarified that the agenda of any meeting with the prime minister would be the abolition of the petroleum levy.

“The JI emir has warned that if the government continues to delay action and refuses to provide relief to the public, the matter will be decided through street protests.”

It added that the JI’s campaign against the petroleum levy would continue nationwide until its demand was met.

On Aug 16, the JI announced sit-ins in all the provincial capitals of Pakistan against the petroleum levy and had called for a nationwide strike on Sept 3.

On Sept 20, the party launched a protest march towards Islamabad, warning that if the government failed to abolish the petroleum levy, the protest could turn into one to oust the government.

However, on Sept 22, the JI emir said his party, whose convoy had reached Multan, was postponing its long march at the request of PM Shehbaz, pending a meeting with him.

Pakistan, Qatar, Turkiye and Indonesia on Wednesday signed a multilateral pact to promote cooperation in defence production and capabilities, the Turkish defence ministry said.

The signing took place in Qatar, with ministers of the four countries attending the ceremony. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif represented Pakistan at the signing.

The Foreign Office has yet to comment on the signing of the defence pact, but Asif posted on X his “key statements” on the ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding’ (MoU).

The remarks were posted as a visual share, which said: “Pakistan places great importance on strengthening defence cooperation with trusted partners. This memorandum reflects Islamabad’s shared commitment to contributing to regional peace and stability.

“We look forward to exploring opportunities for strengthening self-reliance, industrial collaboration, joint production and technology transfer while drawing on the complementary strengths of our respective defence industries, in accordance with relevant international and domestic laws and regulations.”

The statement further said, “Through this partnership, we aim to advance cooperation across joint research and development, training exchanges and industrial capability building.”

Turkiye and Qatar released similar statements on the signing of the pact.

Reuters quoted the Turkish ministry as saying that the pact, titled ‘Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)’, was aimed at defence cooperation and strengthening defensive capabilities.

“The agreement holds substantial economic importance,” it said, adding the accord sought to foster cooperation in military production, boost military capabilities, and help collaboration in technical military training, research and development.

“By leveraging the unique military production capabilities of each country, the initiative will facilitate cooperation and integration, enhance defence industrial capacities, and enable the fulfilment of the needs of allied and friendly nations,” it added.

Later, the Qatari defence ministry also released a similar statement.

Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman, and Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Defence Yusuf Jauhari were the other signatories. Haluk Görgün, who heads Turkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries, was also present on the occasion.

Görgün said in a statement that the accord formed the foundation of a “strategic cooperation” to develop joint production and technology.

“Technology sharing, joint development and strengthening domestic production capabilities lie at the heart of sustainable defence industry. As Turkiye, we value partnerships that go beyond off-the-shelf procurement models, that foster the development of a nation’s own human capital and industrial infrastructure,” Gorgun said.

“We believe that the Badr MoU will contribute to transforming the complementary capabilities of Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Turkiye into concrete projects,” he added.

State-run Qatar News Agency said the pact was named ‘Badr’, “referring to the full moon, to signify how the four nations complement one another through this agreement, given its immense importance in terms of both defence and the economy”.

“Other friendly nations may join the MoU, in accordance with criteria agreed upon by the four countries,” it said.

Pakistan has strong brotherly and historic ties with the three countries, with intense diplomatic engagement seen in recent months with Qatar and Turkiye particularly.

Pakistan and Turkiye, along with Saudi Arabia, are members of the Makkah Defence Alliance, under which they are to treat an attack against any of them as an attack against all. Qatar had welcomed that pact as cooperation aimed at regional security and stability.

Islamabad and Doha have remained engaged as mediators in the US-Iran war. Meanwhile, Pakistan and Turkiye are part of the Regional Four (R4) Group along with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, which emerged in March and has met several times since then.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Qatari counterpart during his visit to Doha, where the two agreed to boost bilateral cooperation in internal security.

During his November 2025 visit to the Gulf state, President Asif Ali Zardari met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and offered to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of defence production.

Last month, Indonesian naval chief Admiral Dr Muhammad Ali called on Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Rawalpindi.

The two sides “reaffirmed their resolve to further strengthen cooperation, particularly in the domains of professional training, defence collaboration and joint exercises”, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The naval chief had also met President Asif Ali Zardari.

In January, Defence Minister retired Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin had called on CDF Munir, with ISPR saying he expressed Jakarta’s desire to further expand defence ties with Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar and Indonesia have signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation in the defence industry.

According to the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, the Badr Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed during Turkish National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler’s visit to Qatar. The agreement aims to promote defence and security cooperation among the four countries.

Millî Savunma Bakanı Yaşar Güler’in Katar ziyareti sırasında Türkiye, Katar, Pakistan ve Endonezya arasında Bedir Mutabakat Zaptı imzalandı.

Mutabakat Zaptı’nı Millî Savunma Bakanı Yaşar Güler, Katar Başbakan Yardımcısı ve Savunma İşlerinden Sorumlu Devlet Bakanı Şeyh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hasan Al Sani, Endonezya Savunma Bakanı Yardımcısı Yusuf Jauharı ve Pakistan Savunma Bakanı Khawaja Muhammed Asıf tarafından imzalandı.

İmza töreninde Savunma Sanayii Başkanı Haluk Görgün de yer aldı.

#MillîSavunmaBakanlığı
#YaşarGüler

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) October 21, 2026

The MoU was signed by Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Türkiye’s National Defence Minister Yaşar Güler, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, and Indonesia’s Deputy Defence Minister Yusuf Juhari.

According to Türkiye’s Defence Industry Agency, the new memorandum will help advance ongoing defence projects among the four countries.

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