Riffat Mukhtar appointed as DG FIA, Waqar Syed to lead new cybercrime agency
The federal government has appointed senior police officer Riffat Mukhtar Raja as the new director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), according to an official notification issued by the Establishment Division.
Riffat, a Grade-21 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), previously served as inspector general of the National Highway & Motorway Police (NH&MP) and also held the post of Sindh police chief in the past.
He brings extensive law enforcement experience to the FIA, taking charge of the country's premier investigative body at a critical time.
In a separate move, Waqar-ud-Din Syed has been named the first director general of the newly-established National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which operates under the Interior Division.
Waqar, a Grade-20 PSP officer and former director of the FIA Cybercrime Circle, was recently awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his role in tackling online crime.
The appointments reflect the government's focus on bolstering investigative capacity and cybersecurity amid growing threats.
The Establishment Division confirmed the appointments through a formal notification.
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Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Express Tribune
Military notes of Indo-Pak conflict — the rundown
The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@ and tweets @20_Inam During the last two weeks, in this series, we discussed the perceptual aspects of the recent Indo-Pak standoff, India's doctrinal collapse, the redefined deterrence and the 'Exterior' and 'Interior Maneuvers' by both sides, before and during the hostilities. We continue the debate… This was the first time that India under its supposed 'new normal' used 'cruise' missiles, both the BrahMos version (PJ-10 co-developed with Russia) as well as the European SCALP-EG targeting Pakistan proper. Pakistan also retaliated for the first time, employing its conventionally armed short-range Fatah-I and Fatah-II series of 'ballistic' missiles and other types. This was also the first time that RPVs (drones) were used with the intent of causing damage to the other side, in addition to reconnaissance and intelligence-collection roles. This was also the first time that strategic instability in South Asia was linked internationally to the unresolved Jammu and Kashmir dispute and not terrorism per se. Let us quickly recapture the timelines from April 22 to May 22, 2025. In run up to the crisis, on April 22, five militants killed 26 civilian tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, including one Nepali national, leading to Indian finger pointing towards Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) groups. On April 23, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed Attari–Wagah border crossing, expelled Pakistan's military diplomats, reduced Pakistan's diplomatic staff and cancelled SAARC visas for Pakistani nationals. From April 23–30 border skirmishes took place. On April 24, Pakistan condemned the Pahalgam attack and termed India's response as 'unilateral'; and retaliated by cancelling Indian visas, evacuating Indian nationals, closing its airspace to Indian aircraft, halting all trade and warning India against diverting Indus water, calling it an act of war. On April 25, India initiated ceasefire violations across the LoC. National Security Committee (NSC) met in Pakistan on April 26. Iran stepped forward with an offer to mediate. And on April 30, India banned its airspace to Pakistan, and IAF intruded into Pakistani airspace. Escalation and military preparations took place during May 1–6. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after some initial ambivalence, 'expected' to speak with both foreign ministers on May 1. On May 3, Pakistan successfully test-fired its short-range Abdali ballistic missile. India escalated by cutting off all mail and trade links with Pakistan, banning Pakistani vessels from its ports and warned Pakistani ships against entering the Indian waters. On May 4, India stopped downflow from Baglihar dam on River Chenab. On May 6, Pakistan shot down 29 Indian drones near the LoC and in Punjab. And Iran's FM visited Pakistan proposing mediation. In the military operations (May 7–10), India launched 'Operation Sindoor', on May 7, conducting missile strikes on nine sites in Pakistan (Bahawalpur, Muridke, Gulpur, Bhimber, Chak Amru, Bagh, Kotli, Sialkot and Muzaffarabad). On May 10, IAF attacked eight major Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan base in Rawalpindi. Pakistan, early on May 10, retaliated with Operation 'Bunyan-un-Marsoos', launching missile and drone combo on 26 military targets across India, and in the Indian-occupied Kashmir. It also launched another wave of swarm drones, loitering munitions and Fatah missiles targeting 26 locations along India's western border. On the same day (May 10), the Saudi FM called for de-escalation, Secretary of State Rubio spoke with both PMs and NSAs, urging restraint. Pakistan's DGMO reached out to the Indian side for direct military-level communications. President Trump mediated the ceasefire and announced it on X. On May 11, Pakistan claimed victory against India. Both sides subsequently conducted propaganda offensive through aggressive diplomacy by sending delegations to global capitals. In between the above compressed timeline, a lot went through. The Indian attacks, as per information available through open sources, were 'supposedly calibrated' during May 8 and early on May 9, whereas the wider attacks during May 9-10, still 'presumably' calibrated, were dangerously escalatory, as these were aimed at Pakistan's SEAD (suppression of enemy air defences) systems, after IAF having lost aircraft on May 7. It was sometimes on the morning of May 9 (the US time and evening in India/Pakistan), that the US received unspecified, new but 'alarming intelligence' about dangerous escalation between both sides, as reported by CNN and corroborated by The New York Times. The US worries emerged before the dramatic escalation during the night of May 9-10, but no source has actually 'identified' those worries. The 'speculation' is that Washington observing Pakistan's launch of short-range Fatah-I and -II ballistic missiles and others for the first time during May 9-10 night got aggressively involved. Islamabad's stockpile of tactical nuclear arsenal and Indian thinking of continuing a conventional war of punitive retribution provided a background to it. Some analysts also attribute it to Pakistan's deft diplomacy, signalling to and drawing on the US interlocution, spurred by 'readiness changes in Pakistan's stockpiles', besides the announced meeting of Pakistan's National Command Authority, that oversees the non-conventional means of war i.e. the nuclear weapons. The DG ISPR had, on May 9, declined calls for de-escalation due to the planned riposte under Pakistan's 'quid-pro-quo plus' strategy, to equalise losses caused by the Indian attacks. India later struck Nur Khan airbase around 2:30 am on May 10. This attack was meant to 'strike where it would hurt', to quote the Indian Director-General Air Operations, Air Marshal Bharti. However, that was an escalatory message. The Indian attacks also targeted Rafiqui, Rahim Yar Khan and Sukkur bases during the first wave of strikes, followed by the IAF strikes at Sargodha, Bholari and Jacobabad airbases and some military infrastructure at Murid, Chunian, Arifwala and Pasrur. This was India 'knocking on the nuclear door', and it presumably provided more muscle and lethality to Pakistan's riposte, that was dubbed equally if alarmingly escalatory by Washington. In de-escalation, the predominant view is that the Saudis, the Americans, the Turks and the Qataris rushed to quell India 'not because Pakistan asked, but because Delhi could not stabilize the board…Pakistan had not flinched; it had not folded. It escalated, absorbed and redrew the board'. More on ceasefire exclusively later. Continues…
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Express Tribune
PTI tears into 'elite-driven' budget
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rejected the federal budget 2025-26 both inside and outside the National Assembly on Tuesday, calling it an "IMF-dictated budget" that lacks public legitimacy and launching a two-pronged attack: an aggressive protest on the assembly floor and a pointed press conference soon after. The finance minister's second consecutive budget speech kicked off under fire, with the opposition benches erupting into noisy protest from the get-go. As Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb began unveiling the budget, PTI lawmakers rose to their feet, banged budget books on their desks, blew whistles, and held up posters calling for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan. Throughout the presentation, they chanted slogans against the government, branding the budget illegitimate and anti-people. Undeterred by the uproar, the finance minister pressed on, while treasury members donned headphones to tune out the opposition's noise. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who entered the house amid the commotion, remained seated and unflinching, as ruling party lawmakers formed a protective cordon around him to avoid any direct clash with the protesting members. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan led from the front, setting the tone for a coordinated protest and ensuring every PTI lawmaker played their part. Remaining on his feet throughout the session, he repeatedly slammed the budget book on his desk and signalled to fellow members to stay engaged. Lawmakers tore papers and flung them into the air at intervals. After the initial outburst, opposition members moved en masse toward the area between the speaker's desk and the prime minister's seat, continuing their chorus of slogans without letting up. The disruption echoed the tense scenes from last year's budget session, when the finance minister's maiden speech faced an equally turbulent reception from PTI-turned-Sunni Ittehad Council lawmakers. Then as now, the protests included loud chanting, desk-slamming, paper-tearing and close proximity to the PM's seat, prompting treasury members to act as a human shield. Shortly after the session, senior PTI leaders, including NA opposition leader Omar Ayub, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Leader of Opposition in Senate Shibli Faraz, addressed a joint press conference, reiterating their categorical rejection of the budget. "This is not a people's budget; it's an IMF budget designed to serve elite interests," the opposition leader said. Ayub questioned the government's economic claims, particularly the projected GDP growth of 2.7%, and sarcastically asked: "Who counted the donkeys and did they differentiate between the four-legged and two-legged ones?" He dismissed the budget as detached from reality, pointing to deepening inequality, inflation and declining industrial output. PTI information secretary was more scathing, calling the budget "economic gallows" for the people, saying it was not a budget for the nation rather a public execution plan. He further said that PTI considers this a "Leela budget" - implying the budget is a farce that ultimately sacrifices common people like goats at slaughter while the elite's interests are protected. He questioned the logic behind token relief for the salaried class and warned that the development allocations were unrealistic and insincere. Opposition leader in the Senate, Shibli Faraz, added that the government had broken all previous records of elitist budgeting. The opposition leader in the Senate said that budgets have been made for the ruling class for decades, but this year's budget has broken all previous records of elite budgeting. Criticising the government, Faraz said: "When such legislation and budget-making takes place in Parliament, it is not just undemocratic but hostile to the country's interest." Faraz also noted that the Afghan currency had appreciated more than the Pakistani rupee, calling it an indicator of the government's failure. "When a government comes to power through Form-47s, it lacks the trust needed for serious reform," he said, warning that economic manipulation without legitimacy would not bring progress. Addressing the media, Faraz condemned the government's handling of inflation and taxation, particularly for salaried individuals. He remarked that the salaried class was being relentlessly squeezed, stating, "as much blood as can be drawn from them is being drawn." He questioned how a country could progress while functioning on what he described as "IMF crutches". Faraz also criticised the state's response to peaceful demands from government employees, noting that when government workers began protesting for their rights, the entire Red Zone of Islamabad was sealed off. "Those who ask for their lawful rights are treated as if they are doing something wrong," he said. PTI secretary general Salman Akram Raja described the document as one that "makes the rich richer and the poor poorer," saying the salaried class and poor people were burdened further. All leaders also reiterated their demand for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, describing their incarceration as illegal and politically motivated. They called the ongoing legislative process illegitimate and demanded the restoration of constitutional order, public mandate and rule of law. Earlier, the protest in the assembly followed a detailed strategy discussion in PTI's parliamentary party meeting, held hours before the session. The party rejected the 2025-26 budget outright, terming it a continuation of policies dictated by the IMF. Lawmakers reiterated their stance that the current government had no mandate to present the budget, arguing that it was formed through manipulated election results and did not reflect the will of the people. In its official statement, the PTI parliamentary party declared that the government had no legal or moral authority to legislate on behalf of the public. "This is an IMF budget, not a people's budget," the party said, vowing to resist its passage at every forum, including both the National Assembly and Senate. It condemned the economic hardships faced by ordinary citizens, stating that while the poor were crushed under inflation, the ruling elite continued their lavish lifestyles unchecked. The party also expressed strong disapproval of NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq's conduct, accusing him of acting as a partisan figure rather than a neutral custodian of the House. Lawmakers demanded that the speaker act according to his constitutional role rather than serving party interests. It was also decided in the meeting that a privileged motion would be moved if opposition speeches continued to be censored on national broadcasts. PTI lawmakers further resolved to raise the issue of media blackout on their speeches in the assembly and to protest outside if necessary.
Business Recorder
21 hours ago
- Business Recorder
NA erupts as PTI dismisses federal budget
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly went into one of its wildest frenzy on Tuesday, as opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers unleashed a barrage of criticism, out-rightly dismissing the finance bill for the forthcoming year of fiscal prudence. As the government tried to roll out its financial blueprint, the PTI launched a loud protest, blasting the proposed budget before the finance minister could even catch his breath. Opposition Leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, Shahid Khattak, Zartaj Gul Wazir, Iqbal Afridi, Sanaullah Mastikhel and Jamshed Dasti led the protest. Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan, Sheryar Afridi, and a handful of others; however, were completely missing in action. The protesting PTI legislators pounded their desks and raised loud slogans. They surged forward, practically overrunning the NA Speaker's dais mid-speech by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, turning the House into a fish market. At this, the government ministers had to rush in, forming a human shield around Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's chair, just to keep the PTI hotheads at bay. Later, talking to reporters, PTI leaders blasted the government, terming the federal budget as a 'disgusting' giveaway to the rich backed by the 'installed regime'. The opposition leader labelled the budget 'anti-poor,' 'pro-elite,' and a puppet show dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The budget, he declared, was the 'worst in the country's history.' Earlier in the day, during a meeting of the party's parliamentary committee, the PTI leaders were particularly incensed by the National Assembly speaker's pay hike, which they slammed as 'shameful.' The speaker's salary jumped from Rs250,000 to a 'whopping' Rs1.3 million, a move PTI called 'disgusting'. They accused the Sharif administration of leaving the 'poverty-stricken masses' at the mercy of God, while showering everything on the rich. However, in a message on X, PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram laid out the numbers, pointing to ballooning interest payments as proof of economic mismanagement. 'The difference in the government's interest payments from Rs3,182 billion to Rs8,633 billion, i.e., an additional burden of Rs5,500 billion, came from the PTI to the PDM government,' he wrote. 'They are absolutely right in saying that these are experimental people, not in work, but in fraud and deceit…!' Speaking to reporters, PTI leaders rejected the budget and accused the Sharif administration of 'completely ruining the economy' and piling on debt. They blamed a 'brain drain,' flawed economic policies, and political instability for wrecking the country. The PTI vowed to resist the budget 'tooth and nail,' promising a fight to the finish against what they see as a blatant power grab by the ruling elite. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
