Pakistan says armed men kidnap, kill nine bus passengers in restive province
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Baloch separatists, agitating for a greater share of resources, have figured in similar past killings of those identified as hailing from the eastern province of Punjab.
Government official Naveed Alam said the bodies with bullet wounds were found in the mountains overnight, while a provincial government spokesman, Shahid Rind, said the passengers were seized from two buses on Thursday evening.
"We are identifying the bodies and reaching out to their families," he said, adding that the victims, working as labourers in the restive region, were returning home to Punjab.
Ethnic insurgents accuse Pakistan's government of stealing regional resources to fund expenditure elsewhere, mainly in the sprawling province of Punjab.
Security forces foiled three insurgent attacks on Thursday before the kidnappings, Rind said, accusing neighbour and arch rival India of backing the militants.
The Indian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
New Delhi denies accusations by Islamabad that it is funding, training and backing the militants in a bid to stoke instability in the region, where Pakistan relies on China among international investors to develop mines and mineral processing.
"India is now doubling down to further its nefarious agenda through its proxies," the Pakistani army said in a statement in remarks that followed the worst fighting in nearly three decades between the nuclear-armed foes in May.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) is the strongest among the insurgent groups long operating in the area bordering Afghanistan and Iran, a mineral-rich region.
In recent months, separatists have stepped up their attacks, mostly targeting Pakistan's military, which has launched an intelligence-based offensive against them.
Their other main targets have been Chinese nationals and interests, in particular the strategic port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, with the separatists accusing Beijing of helping Islamabad to exploit resources.
The BLA blew up a railway track and took over 400 train passengers hostage in an attack in March that killed 31.
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Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Officers at Notting Hill Carnival fear being attacked, sexually assaulted or trampled in a deadly crowd crush, their policing association reveals
Police officers fear being attacked, sexually assaulted or trampled in a deadly crowd crush at Notting Hill Carnival as fears mount over another weekend of violence. Some 7,000 Metropolitan Police officers and staff will be trying to keep up to two million revellers safe as they descend on the packed streets of west London. But officers are concerned about becoming isolated and being 'at the mercy of the crowd' after 61 of them were assaulted in just two days at last year's festival. Police were kicked, punched, pushed, spat at, headbutted and had glass bottles thrown at them in 2024 when 349 arrests were made - the highest total since 2019. Residents and business owners were this week photographed boarding up properties along the carnival route in an attempt to reduce the risk of damage this weekend. Simon Hill, Deputy General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, told the Daily Mail in an interview this week that the two biggest concerns for officers were being assaulted and crowd crushing. He said: 'Officers are concerned about the crowd density. It is physically possible to be six feet away from a colleague and for you to not be seen or to not see them. 'Officers are very much isolated due to density. In those isolated moments, then really they are at the mercy of the crowd - if you have people in there intent on causing harm to officers. 'I'm especially concerned about some of our female colleagues who report being sexually assaulted. It's just not acceptable. They don't go to work to be sexually assaulted. 'It must be dreadful for them. Some of our female colleagues are slight in build - they cannot defend themselves against a dense crowd.' Mr Hill said officers worried about their 'inability to protect the public' in the event of a crowd crush, given video evidence from previous festivals shows the crowd 'moving almost as a wave... of water'. He continued: 'It's physically possible to lift your feet and be carried with the crowd in certain points. It's a feeling of helplessness, that they are unable to protect and prevent that. There's also the fear that they'll actually be caught up in it.' Mr Hill said officers were 'very much at a risk of being victims of any crushing, as well as the public'. Susan Hall, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, said in a bombshell report published earlier this month that the carnival in recent years had only narrowly 'avoided a mass crush on the scale of the Hillsborough disaster'. London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has warned of the risk of a 'crowd crush' at the carnival, saying at a meeting last month that he had 'seen images of some of the crowds at some parts' of the event and 'watching them made me frightened'. The growing popularity of Europe's biggest street party which celebrates Caribbean heritage, arts and culture has led to politicians raising their concerns over potential crushes at the non-ticketed event, with some suggesting a move to Hyde Park. Mr Hill backed the festival being moved to a park where it could be ticketed, although he said he accepted the 'geographical importance of the event' in its current location. He pointed out that the current road layout in Notting Hill has various trip hazards such as kerbs and drains, but a park would not have as many uneven surfaces. Mr Hill also suggested a park would have better refreshment and sanitary facilities, adding: 'The residents come back to their front gardens being used as toilets, and that's not acceptable.' He said: 'I would be surprised if there's any event in the UK that attracts a similar number of people confined to such a small geographical space.' The annual celebration has been running since 1966, and arrest totals have been on a rising curve since the start of the millennium. The total over the past 20 years between 2005 and 2024 is now well over the 5,000 mark. The Met has faced increasing pressure to ensure the safety of revellers after Cher Maximen, 32, was stabbed to death by Shakeil Thibou, 20, in front of her three-year-old daughter last year, while chef Mussie Imnetu, 41, was murdered in the street. This year, police want to identify 'violent gangs' planning to attend and urged anyone with information of individuals intending to engage in violence to come forward. But Mr Hill raised concerns that thousands of officers were being removed from their day-to-day jobs to police the carnival by the Met, which currently has a £260million hole in its budget. He said: 'The rest of London is being deprived of officers and resources and money for one event. Could the deployment of those officers be made better? Could the use of the money spent on the event be made better? I would suggest it probably could.' Since 2019, police have been banned from dancing with revellers amid concerns about public perception when they are trying to deal with serious violence. The Met confirmed this week that the ban would remain in place this year - and Mr Hill said he supports the policy despite the Met and officers being in a 'no-win situation'. He told the Mail: 'If we engage with communities and people that attend the carnival, try to make it a festival spirit and hopefully keep tensions down and dancing happens to be part of that, then we get criticised for looking unprofessional. 'If we don't engage with the communities in that way and we don't dance, then we get accused of being standoffish, unapproachable and not wanting to engage with the community. The Met is in an impossible position on this.' He said the stance to not dance is 'probably the best, because it doesn't distract from people's duties, the ability to stay alert and vigilant to any threats or any dangers, or any risks to the public or themselves'. Asked about the dancing policy, a Met spokesman told the Mail: 'Carnival is an iconic and spectacular event which attracts hundreds of thousands of people every year to party and celebrate Caribbean culture. But it is also an event where there have been numerous concerns about crowd safety and crime. 'As a consequence, almost 7,000 officers will be deployed to this year's event. They are there to keep revellers safe, not to join in the revelling. People walk past boarded-up properties in Notting Hill this week before the weekend's carnival 'We want officers to positively engage with the carnival-goers while staying vigilant at all times and remaining able to respond and intervene swiftly as necessary. They can't do this if they are dancing. 'The standards of behaviour expected as part of the policing operation will be communicated clearly before the event, just as they have been in recent years.' Live facial recognition (LFR) cameras will be on the approach to and from the festival to spot suspects before the streets get crowded, with the Met confirming it still intends to deploy the technology despite campaigners claiming it is subject to 'racial bias'. Mr Hill said officers support the cameras because they provide an 'additional layer of safety and security' and could deter wrongdoers from attending the carnival by acting as a deterrent. He added: 'I do understand the civil liberties and the inaccuracies that potentially arise with facial recognition, but we are running out of things to try and this is the next thing to try that hasn't previously been tried because I don't think the technology was particular good. 'If it makes it safer then we're supportive of it, and I don't see how it would make it unsafe. But I think it will make it safer, in which case, yes, we're supportive of it.' Responding to the claims raised by Mr Hill, Ian Comfort, chair of organisers Notting Hill Carnival Limited, told the Mail: 'Notting Hill Carnival deplores all forms of violence. Assaults on police, who are our partners in organising this great event, are unacceptable. 'Operationally, we listened carefully to Metropolitan Police concerns and commissioned an independent report alongside them. 'We're strengthening every operational element of an already extensive, multi-agency event liaison team: more trained stewards, expanded CCTV coverage, better parade coordination, faster response systems and enhanced crowd management infrastructure.' Mr Comfort added that he met with Mr Hill and Federation General Secretary Matt Cane at Scotland Yard on December 16 last year, at his request. He said: 'At that meeting they accepted that Hyde Park was not a viable option. We discussed stewarding and training. I gave them my details and made it clear that I would welcome an ongoing dialogue where we could discuss and resolve concerns. 'Despite this, they have not contacted us since, or sought any information on any organisational issues that they say their officers are concerned about.' The Mail put this claim to the Federation but officials did not issue a further statement, although it is understood that they deny saying that Hyde Park was not a viable option. The Mail also contacted the Met for a response on the points raised by Mr Hill, and a spokesman provided a statement on officer assaults. It said: 'Notting Hill Carnival is an iconic event in London's cultural calendar which is celebrated by many from across the capital, the UK and beyond. 'Regrettably, amongst the millions of people who have attended over many years there has been a minority intent on causing serious harm to others, including violent crime and sexual offences. 'Last year 61 officers were assaulted who were simply doing their best to keep people safe in a challenging policing environment. This is totally unacceptable. 'This year we will take decisive action against anyone who targets officers and where such incidents do happen we will ensure officers are fully supported.' The Met also issued a response on crowd safety concerns, saying: 'The Met fully supported the event organisers' decision to commission an independent review into crowd safety after the number of situations in recent years where crowd density reached dangerous levels. 'It was welcome news that some additional funding was secured to allow the organisers to implement a number of the review's recommendations, but they have only had a limited time to do so meaning it's inevitable not all the risks will have been mitigated. 'Crowd safety remains a serious concern that must be carefully monitored and managed this year.' Amid escalating levels of violence Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, police commander for this year's event, said the carnival's size creates 'unique challenges'. Mr Ward said 'there has been a tiny minority of individuals intent on causing serious harm to others' and LFR cameras, which will be outside the carnival's boundaries, may also help revellers get home safely. A link-up with the Elba Hope Foundation, the youth organisation led by actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, aimed at helping tackle knife crime is among the measures being introduced. LFR cameras will be used by police at the carnival to search for people who are marked as being wanted on the Police National Computer. They will also be used to spot those who are shown as missing – including young people who may also be at risk of either criminal or sexual exploitation – and people who have sexual harm prevention orders against them because of the risk they pose, particularly to women and girls. The cameras capture live footage of people passing by and compare their faces against a watchlist of wanted offenders. The system generates an alert if a match is detected, prompting an officer to review it and decide if they need to speak to the individual. Further checks, such as reviewing court orders or other relevant information, are also carried out to see if the person is a suspect. The force said that if a member of the public walks past an LFR camera and is not wanted by the police, their biometrics are immediately and permanently deleted. But 11 civil liberty and anti-racist groups urged Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to scrap plans to use the cameras, arguing the equipment 'is less accurate for women and people of colour'. The Runnymede Trust, Liberty, Race on the Agenda and Human Rights Watch were among those demanding the plans be scrapped. It followed a High Court challenge launched earlier this month by an anti-knife campaigner who was wrongly identified as a criminal by LFR. Shaun Thompson was held by police who demanded to record his fingerprints last year. The Met has said it will only use the cameras at settings that demonstrate no racial bias when looking for people wanted for serious offences, such as sexual assault and knife crime. So far this year 512 arrests have been made using the technology. The Home Office also recently announced that more LFR vans would be rolled out across the country. The Met is also working with the Crimestoppers charity as part of a plan to keep this year's carnival free from knife crime, serious violence and violence against women and girls. The focus will be on deterring or preventing people who pose the greatest threat to public safety and the security of the event, the force said. Police added that they will be using stop and search powers to prevent knives and other deadly weapons being carried at carnival. It means that intelligence on violent gangs who are planning to attend the carnival is being shared with forces across the country and banning orders are being sought against those who have a history of violence or sexual offending at the event. A number of 'pre-emptive intelligence-led arrests and searches' are being used against suspects believed to be in possession of weapons or involved in the supply of drugs. There were 160 such arrests before last year's carnival prior to the event for offences including possession of firearms, drugs supply, rape and other serious sexual assaults. Visitors may also have to go through screening arches which are being set up at some of the busiest entry points. Mr Ward said: 'Regrettably, amongst the millions of carnivalists who have attended over many years there has been a tiny minority of individuals intent on causing serious harm to others, including violent crime and sexual offences. 'Their actions stand in stark contrast to the traditions and values of Carnival and I welcome those voices in the community who have stood up to condemn violence and serious criminality at the event. 'I fully support the organisers' recent announcement of a new, innovative partnership with the Elba Hope Foundation to divert young people away from crime and particularly knife crime.' He said that the 'carnival's growing popularity and size creates unique challenges' and the priority for police officers and staff working across the long weekend will be to keep people safe, including 'preventing serious violence, such as knife crime and violence against women and girls'. A series of 31 anti-terror concrete barriers were installed on Portobello Road last month by Kensington and Chelsea Council to help deter vehicle attacks in the popular market area of Notting Hill following counter-terrorism guidance issued by the Met. But the council said these 'hostile vehicle mitigation measures' will be removed for two weeks from today to ensure 'people can move freely and safely during the event'. Last month the carnival's chief executive said the event was not the cause of knife crime. Matthew Phillip said money raised from the local council and Sir Sadiq would be put towards security measures at the event. Mr Phillip urged people not to scapegoat the carnival, adding: 'Knife crime is not a carnival issue. Youth violence is not a carnival issue. 'These are serious national issues, and while some statistics have improved, the roots remain poverty, isolation, racial inequality, disconnection and the absence of hope, especially for young people. 'Carnival does not cause these problems. It doesn't create violence. In fact, for many, it offers relief from it.' Concerns over safety at the carnival have also contributed to insecurity about its future, and the festival's organisers wrote to the Government earlier this year to ask for urgent funding. Carnival chairman Mr Comfort requested more funding from the Government to steward the event and address safety concerns, amid ongoing warnings from police that there could be a tragedy. Eventually City Hall, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council and Westminster city council provided money, allowing this year's event to take place. Mr Phillip said: 'What began as a small gathering of courage on the streets of Notting Hill has grown into one of the largest cultural events in the world. That growth brings joy, but it also brings a huge responsibility. Each year, over a million people walk through these streets. 'We are strengthening every element of our operational infrastructure: more trained stewards, expanded CCTV coverage and parade co-ordination, faster response systems for stewards and safety teams, and expanded crowd management infrastructure and personnel, to give an example of a few of the initiatives we're embarking on. 'These are not tick boxes. They're a real commitment to care, to precision and to the protection of the community.' The Mail understands that carnival organisers believe crime statistics are in line with or lower than other events proportionally, and compare favourably in terms of policing costs and overall economic contribution. They also believe arrest totals have been largely stable over recent years, despite consistent rising attendances - with last year's arrest total making up around 0.035 per cent of the estimated one million revellers. This is compared to an arrest rate of 0.042 per cent for fans attending professional football matches in England and Wales last season. Last year's arrests at the carnival resulted in 191 charges, cautions, fixed penalty notices or community resolutions, with 40 people de-arrested. Most of the offences related to drugs offences and theft. Carnival is said to contribute around £400million annually to the economy – which is set against the most recently-released policing cost of £11.7million in 2023. The carnival features parades, steelpan costumes, bands, sound systems and stages. People will be invited to join a 72-second silence at 3pm on Sunday and Monday to honour people who died in the Grenfell Tower fire and Kelso Cochrane, who was murdered in a racially motivated attack in Notting Hill in 1959. Last December, the Federation published the results of a survey which asked officers about the carnival – with police saying it is a 'war zone' and they would rather 'crawl naked through broken glass than be on duty at it. Nearly 90 per cent of Met officers who responded to a survey said they had felt unsafe while working at the annual festival, while 29 per cent had been assaulted. Asked to describe how they feel about working there, they said it was 'Hell. It's a war zone we are sent into year after year' and 'Dangerous. Officers are treated as lambs to slaughter'. One officer said the police operation was 'overstretched, ineffective and an exercise in self-torture', while another claimed they 'would rather crawl naked through broken glass'. But organisers Notting Hill Carnival Limited said the survey was 'driven by unsubstantiated quotes and little solid data, designed to create negative headlines'.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Lucy Connolly has suffered at hands of the British state – let's hope Brits wake up to this attack on their free speech
I WAS glad to see Lucy Connolly finally walk free today, but the fact that she has spent more than a year in prison for a single tweet -- quickly deleted and apologised for -- is a national scandal, particularly when Labour MPs, councillors and anti-racism campaigners who have said and done much worse have avoided jail. The same latitude they enjoyed should have been granted to Lucy. Sir Keir Starmer said in May that Lucy's sentence was justified because her tweet was 'incitement to violence against other people'. But was it? The test we employ when deciding whether to prosecute someone for supposedly inciting violence should be the same as it is in the United States, namely, was it intended to cause violence and was it likely to? I don't think Lucy's tweet met either limb of that test (and for speech not to be protected by the First Amendment in America it has to meet both). Had she urged her followers to burn down a particular asylum hotel, maybe it would have failed those tests. But she did not and she added the words 'for all I care', suggesting she was indifferent as to whether asylum hotels in general were burnt down and not inciting people to set fire to them. Had she pleaded not guilty, she might well have been acquitted by a jury, just as the ex-Royal Marine Jamie Michael was after being charged with the same offence. The Free Speech Union, the organisation I run, paid for Jamie's defence and we offered to pay for Lucy's. But unlike Ricky Jones, the Labour councillor who urged people to cut the throats of anti-immigration protestors, she was not granted bail and worried that if she pleaded not guilty she would have to spend longer in prison awaiting trial than if she pleaded guilty. As it turned out, she was wrong about that, but then she was not expecting to be sentenced to more than two-and-half years, which is longer than some members of grooming gangs have received after pleading guilty to child rape. What Lucy has suffered at the hands of the British state is a clear case of injustice. She has become Exhibit A for those of us raising the alarm about the assault on free speech in Starmer's Britain. Lucy Connolly is freed after jail term for racist tweet over Southport attack And if it's any consolation to her, that alarm is now being heard across the world, from the White House to Quinta de Olivos in Argentina. Let's hope the people of Britain wake up to this attack on their right to freedom of expression before they lose it entirely. Lord Young is the founder and director of the Free Speech Union. 3
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Shocking moment huge ‘Wild West' brawl erupts in middle of street before machete-wielding thug tries to stab two men
THIS is the horrifying moment a thug pulled out a machete during a mass brawl in the middle of a residential street. The brawl broke out on Showell Green Lane in Sparkhill, Birmingham at around 7.30pm on August 13. 7 7 7 7 One of the men involved in the fight is wielding a machete, which he uses to try and stab two of the men. He can be seen in the video wearing a grey sweatshirt and black track suit bottoms. Several men are forcefully pushed into cars lining the residential street. The man rushes into the fight, knife drawn, as he tries to slash at a man wearing a white vest. It appears to strike him on the back before the assailant walks away from the brawl. As a group of men tumble to the ground during the fight, the knife-wielding thug can be seen standing near the bus stop. He begins waving the knife in the air as the fight escalates. Once some of the men get up from the ground and start walking away, the man with the knife rushes towards the two still struggling. Another man intervenes, moving him to the other side of the road as the fight breaks apart. A backlog of cars has piled up as the mass brawl blocks the road. Wild video shows brawl on Carnival Cruise ship as passengers throw punches in row over 'chicken tenders' Others motorists were forced to swerve around the men, with blaring horns heard in the video. The cause of the fight is currently unknown after it broke out in a garden, with other men brawling in the road. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured despite attempts by the man wielding the weapon. One unnamed witness said: "It was like a Wild West saloon brawl, there were bodies everywhere as the men rolled around the ground fighting." They said that the men had been "talking in a quite animated way" before the fight broke out. "From then on it was just carnage. All hell broke loose. There were fights breaking out all over the place." They added that the area is mostly populated by families, and that fighting like this is "pretty shameful". Although the witness didn't see the weapon during the fight, he said after seeing the video: "It's frightening to think that there are morons like this walking around with weapons - he could easily have killed someone or caused them serious injury." 7 7 Another resident said that they were afraid to go out at night because of how dangerous the streets have become. Witnesses in the video can be heard criticising the group. One can be heard saying "Take the beef home" while another adds "F***ing stupid". The fight ends just as quickly as it began, with most of the men driving away. Following the brawl, a West Midlands Police spokesperson said that four men, aged 23, 22, and two aged 20, had been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder. They have since been bailed with strict conditions while enquiries continue. Police have asked witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting crime number 20/342846/25. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. West Midlands Police have also increased patrols in the area.
