Govt slams vandalising fast-food outlets
Listen to article
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Saturday said around 160 people have been arrested after mobs carried out 20 separate attacks on an international fast-food chain, with one employee shot dead, which is both regrettable and unacceptable.
The American-founded fast food chain has become a target of protest and boycott calls by religiopolitical parties since the start of the war in Gaza, linking the brand to US support for Israel.
"A total of 20 incidents occurred across Pakistan with one fatality reported. The man was a staff member at the fast-food chain," the state minister told a news conference, describing the chain as "under attack".
He called the tragic loss of a life in Sheikhupura a deeply saddening incident.
Chaudhry said that 145 people were arrested in Punjab and 15 in Islamabad over the spate of attacks. "These restaurants source everything locally and employ Pakistani staff, and their earnings remain within the country," he said.
The minister vowed that the government would deal with the attackers strictly. "The state has a responsibility to protect the lives and properties, whether they are of Pakistani businesses or foreigners investing here."
The minister of state also welcomed that "all political parties, especially religio-political parties, distanced themselves from this incident".
"Some party's worker might have been present in his personal capacity, but no political party connected itself to this. In fact, religious and other political parties have distanced themselves," he added.
Responding to a question, he said: "These [attackers] were interrogated after arrests, and I am saying this with full responsibility that no political or religious party of Pakistan was behind this in a coordinated manner.
"No political or religious party announced any such event," Chaudhry added, thanking those parties for distancing themselves from the vandalism.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
40 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan delegation to meet UN Security Council members today
Listen to article A high-level Pakistani delegation, led by former foreign minister and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, will meet representatives of all 15 UN Security Council member states, including the five permanent members today, Express News reported. The nine-member parliamentary delegation is currently in New York to hold meetings with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the President of the UN General Assembly, and ambassadors of both permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council. Read: Bilawal-led delegation in US to brief Pakistan's stance on Indian aggression The visit comes amid renewed tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, prompting Pakistan to step up its diplomatic outreach on the international stage. Bilawal, accompanied by Senator Sherry Rehman, arrived in New York ahead of the scheduled meetings. The rest of the delegation including Hina Rabbani Khar, Dr Musadik Malik, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Bushra Anjum Butt, Tehmina Janjua, and Jalil Abbas Jilani is expected to arrive in phases. According to sources, the committee headed by Bilawal will meet members of the US administration, Congress, think tanks, and media outlets to brief them on Pakistan's stance regarding the escalating tensions with India. Read More: PM Shehbaz, Field Marshal Munir vow to crush Indian-sponsored terror in Balochistan at grand jirga The delegation aims to highlight what it calls the root causes of potential Pakistan-India conflict and raise concerns over India's disinformation campaigns and foreign-influenced operations targeting Pakistan. The committee will also meet United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in New York, followed by meetings with senior officials of the Trump administration in Washington. A key focus will be the implications of any disruption to the Indus Waters Treaty and its potential impact on regional security. "The parliamentary team will communicate how India's provocations and disinformation threaten regional peace," a source familiar with the visit said. Also Read: Pakistan never requested ceasefire: DG ISPR The delegation is expected to remain in the US until June 9, after which it will travel to the United Kingdom and then continue on to various European countries. Prominent members of the delegation include former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, former envoy Jalil Abbas Jilani, Khurram Dastgir, and Musadik Malik. After the ceasefire with India, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Bilawal to lead a high-level delegation tasked with presenting 'Pakistan's case for peace' on recent Indian aggression to the international community. The committee will engage with global leaders and institutions to raise awareness about India's actions and Pakistan's concerns regarding the Indus Waters Treaty. The government has also planned to send additional delegations to other countries as part of a broader diplomatic outreach.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
The top sources of US steel and aluminium imports
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he planned to double tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50% from 25%, starting from Wednesday, ratcheting up pressure on global producers and deepening his trade war. Here's a summary of the major trade partners it will affect. Steel Roughly a quarter of all steel used in the U.S. is imported, the bulk of it from neighbours Mexico and Canada or close allies in Asia and Europe such as Japan, South Korea and Germany. While China is the world's largest steel producer and exporter, it sends very little to the United States. Tariffs of 25% imposed in 2018 shut most Chinese steel out of the market. China exported 508,000 net tons of steel to the U.S. last year or 1.8% of total American steel imports. India's NALCO says profit doubles as higher aluminium, copper prices boost margins Aluminium For aluminum, the U.S. is more heavily reliant on imports. Roughly half of all aluminium used in the U.S. is imported, with the vast majority coming from Canada. At 3.2 million tons last year, Canadian imports were twice those of the next nine countries combined. The next largest sources of imports are the United Arab Emirates and China, at 347,034 and 222,872 metric tons, respectively. The U.S. aluminium smelting industry is small by global standards. Total smelter capacity in the country was just 1.73% of the global total according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Express Tribune
4 hours ago
- Express Tribune
India arrests 81 for 'sympathising' with Pakistan
Listen to article Indian police have arrested scores of people for "sympathising" with Pakistan, a month after the worst conflict between the arch-rivals for decades, a top government official said Sunday. The arrests took place in the northeastern state of Assam, where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said "81 anti-nationals are now behind bars for sympathising with Pak". Sarma, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist ruling party, said in a statement "our systems are constantly tracking anti-national posts on social media and taking actions". One of the persons was arrested after he posted a Pakistani flag on his Instagram, Assam police told AFP. No further details about other arrests were given. There has been a wider clampdown on social media since an April 22 attack on tourists in IIOJK. Indian media have reported that Assam's government has allegedly rounded up dozens of alleged Bangladeshis in the past month and taken them to the frontier to cross. The Times of India newspaper on Saturday reported that Assam was "dumping them in no-man's land", suggesting that at least 49 had been pushed back between May 27-29 alone. The Assam government has not commented on the reports. Bangladesh, largely encircled by land by India, has seen relations with New Delhi turn icy, after the Dhaka government was toppled in an uprising last year. Bangladesh has also moved closer to China, as well as to Pakistan.
