Pakistan to create new paramilitary force ahead of more protests by Imran Khan's party
The move turns an existing paramilitary force deployed on Pakistan's northwestern border with Afghanistan into a national security force that will be called the Federal Constabulary, State Minister for the Interior Talal Chaudhry told a press conference in the eastern city of Faisalabad.
Its new duties will include internal security, riot control and counter-terrorism, according to a copy of the amended law reported by the local Dunya News TV.
The announcement came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former jailed prime minister Imran Khan said it would stage nationwide protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of his arrest.
Several such protests since his August 2023 arrest have turned violent, in some cases paralysing the capital Islamabad for days.
"This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force. We need this force for internal security," Chaudhry said, adding that President Asif Ali Zardari had already approved amendments in the law introducing changes in the paramilitary force.
The new force replaces the Frontier Constabulary (FC), whose cadres were previously recruited only from tribes in the northwestern province, Chaudhry said. Training of the new force will bring it into line with other national law enforcement agencies, he added.
Khan's party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said the changes should be subject to parliamentary discussion.
The new force "should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters," he said.
His concern was echoed by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body.
"We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament," Khalique said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Public fury in Iraq after clashes between militia and security forces
Public anger is mounting in Iraq after deadly clashes between security forces and gunmen from an Iran -backed militia in Baghdad left two dead, with calls growing to disarm the groups or bring them firmly under state control. The violence was sparked when fighters stormed a government building to forcibly reinstate a dismissed director general in southern Baghdad. Security forces responded, triggering a gun battle that killed a policeman and taxi driver who were caught in the crossfire, security authorities said. At least 15 fighters have been arrested by the security forces, according to authorities. They are affiliated with the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) – an umbrella group formed in 2014 to fight ISIS. It is composed mainly of Iran-backed Shiite militias and is integrated into Iraq's armed forces. The fighters belong to the powerful Tehran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of the PMF, a security official said. The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, has ordered an investigation on the 'circumstances surrounding the incident and how the armed force moved without orders or proper approvals, attempted to take control of a government building and opened fire on security forces', according to a statement. In its own statement, the PMF said it would not 'tolerate any violation by any individual to the orders of security protocols'. It didn't give details on the incident or the measures that will be taken. The Co-ordination Framework, a political group consisting of mainly Iran-backed Shiite political parties and armed factions, and the main backer for Mr Al Sudani, denounced the incident in an emergency meeting. 'It is a breach of the law and state protocols,' it said in a statement, expressing its support for government measures to 'establish security, enforce the law, and preserve the state authority'. The Siyada coalition, which is led by the Sunni tycoon Khamis Al Khanjar, warned of the 'dangers of unregulated arms and outlaw groups,' accusing them of illegally seizing lands in southern Baghdad and causing 'demographic change' by driving out Sunni families. 'We have long warned that the Iraqi state cannot achieve true stability and sustainable development as long as these unregulated and illegal arms are moving freely,' it added. Ordinary Iraqis have expressed deep anger and frustration over the growing impunity of armed factions. For many, the latest violence is not just an isolated incident but a reflection of a broader collapse in state authority. 'This wasn't just a gunfight, it was an assault on the state,' a Baghdad shop owner in the area where clashes took place told The National on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. 'The fact that an armed group can storm a public office and challenge a government appointment with weapons is proof that we've lost control,' the 62-year-old father of three added. During the fight against ISIS, some of these militias were accused of human rights breaches against civilians in Sunni areas. The Iraqi government and PMF acknowledged these breaches as 'individual acts'. The US has blacklisted several PMF leaders, including its chairman Falih Al Fayyadh, in a bid to increase pressure on Iran's proxies in Iraq, sanctioning senior figures between 2019 and 2021 under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Mr Al Fayyadh is an ally of Mr Al Sudani and is set to run in parliamentary elections in November with him. After declaring ISIS defeated in late 2017, the PMF and mainly Tehran-aligned groups morphed into a major political and military power, growing more defiant towards the government and opposition groups. Since then, they have launched attacks against US troops in Iraq as well as in Syria, where they fought alongside Bashar Al Assad's forces in its civil war. The latest clashes came amid a push by Shiite political parties inside parliament to approve new amendments to the existing PMF law that would elevate their role as security forces. The new amendments were among the main issues discussed by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mr Al Sudani in a phone call last week. Mr Rubio 'reiterated serious US concerns' with the PMF, emphasising that 'any such legislation would institutionalise Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq's sovereignty,' spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement. The US embassy on Monday called on the Iraqi government to 'take measures to bring these perpetrators and their leaders to justice without delay,' in a statement on X. 'Accountability is essential to upholding the rule of law and preventing further acts of violence,' it added. While officially part of Iraq's security apparatus under the control of the commander-in-chief, many of its factions maintain parallel chains of command and are widely believed to answer to Tehran. A photograph of the dead taxi driver was widely circulated on social media. Bullets ripped through his car when he passed by. 'His image is a grim symbol of a country held hostage by unaccountable militias,' the shop owner said. 'He was trying to earn a living,' he added. 'He didn't belong to any party or faction, and yet he paid for this power struggle. That picture is Iraq. We are all trapped in this chaos.'
Zawya
7 hours ago
- Zawya
China, US in battle for Congo minerals as bid to end war gains momentum
The Democratic Republic of Congo is a wealthy but needy country. And so, when the US offered to boost the country's security in exchange for minerals, some in Kinshasa viewed it as a smaller bill to pay. So far, the US has led the Congo and Rwanda to sign a peace deal and has backed Qatar-led mediation talks between Kinshasa and the M23 rebels. Yet, beyond the search for peace is an ongoing battle for supremacy and control of minerals. In the face of global geopolitical changes, China has flung the transparency card and increasing its investments in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On July 14, Beijing published a White Paper on community development and the responsibility of Chinese mining companies in the DRC, signalling attachment to corporate social responsibility. The document covers 15 mining companies belonging to eight Chinese conglomerates located in the provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba in the DRC. These firms are all involved in the exploitation of copper and cobalt mines as well as the production, smelting and sale of mining products. The White Paper on Community Development and the Responsibility of Chinese Mining Companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo was presented by the Association of Chinese Mining Companies in the DRC. Over the years, Chinese investment has exceeded the $10 billion mark. For China, the leading destination for Congolese mining exports, it is important to demonstrate the transparency of Chinese companies in the Congo at a time when the US is clearly showing its interest in Congolese mines. Data from the Central Bank of Congo shows that DRC exports up to 57.3 percent of its mining products. This figure is growing. In 2019, the Congo exported only 33 percent of its mining products to China. Chen Zhimin, president of the Association of Chinese Mining Companies in the DRC, said the firms have built 1,250 kilometres of roads for DRC, built power stations with a total installed capacity of 480 megawatts, built 21 hospitals that treat 800,000 patients a year, built 54 schools that accommodate 32,000 students, and reclaimed 6,700 hectares of land that reduce CO₂ emissions by 420,000 tonnes per year. He added that a total of $380 million has been invested in community development, $120 million has been invested in livelihood projects, 470 wells have been dug to solve the drinking water problem for 230,000 people, and 18,742 technicians have been trained. These details were provided at a time American companies are preparing to come or return to the Congo to invest in the mining sector and thus challenge Chinese hegemony in the DRC. Recently, American company KoBold Metals signed an agreement with the DRC for the exploitation of lithium. This agreement will be implemented in three key areas: The company is committed to investing in the Congo in the digitisation of geological data, mining using advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the development of a lithium mining project located in Manono in the province of Tanganyika, in the southeast of the DRC. Benjamin Katabuka said that KoBold Metals' goal is to hire more Congolese people, train them, pay them and participate in the construction of infrastructure for the well-being of the population. The DRC and KoBold Metals are committed to 'cooperating to provide free public access to historical geoscientific data through the National Geological Service of Congo (SGNC) for the benefit of all,' said to a dispatch.'KoBold Metals will launch a large-scale mining exploration programme in the DRC, using the world's most advanced technologies to find critical mineral deposits that will be developed into world-class mines,' the partnership agreement states.'The economic partnership between the United States of America and the Democratic Republic of the Congo promises sustainable growth, innovation and tangible benefits for Congolese communities,' said Lucy Tamlyn, US Ambassador to the DRC. During the publishing of the White paper the China Mining Association made commitments to the people of the DRC and the international community: Firstly, mining companies pledged to create a 'transparent mining industry' with all their efforts, by continuously deepening technological investments and management innovations, and improving the transparency and credibility of the global supply chain. Thirdly, they are committed to working together to develop a 'responsibility standard' and to study and formulate the 'Guide to Social Responsibility in the Mining Industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo.' This, Beijing said, will not be imposed on the country but will be based on local realities, and 'national conditions of the Democratic Republic of Congo and in line with international development trends,' in order to raise the level of responsibility of the entire industry to a higher level. China and the US have an established diet for minerals and a competition could benefit the DRC, if well managed. Yet, a few years ago, this increasingly visible competition led to heated exchanges and statements between the Chinese ambassador to the DRC and Mike Hammer, the US ambassador to the DRC until 2022. Today, the debate between American and Chinese preferences is taking place among the Congolese. Against the backdrop of war in eastern DRC, punctuated by peace negotiations led by the United States and a forthcoming agreement between the DRC and the United States on mining in Congo, the public here believes that that Washington is helping Congo more than Beijing in this time of crisis. This criticism prompted a response from Zhao Bin, China's ambassador to the DRC: 'The DRC and Rwanda have signed a peace agreement in Washington. This de-escalation is a good thing in itself. However, discordant voices are being raised in public opinion, with some going so far as to say that China is ignoring the DRC while the United States of America is supporting the DRC.'Is this really the case? Our support for the DRC is unwavering. Our position has never been volatile or changed overnight,' said China's ambassador to the DRC, before adding: 'We have neither used the DRC as a bargaining chip for our own ends nor introduced any discriminatory measures against it. China adheres to its own diplomatic principles, such as non-interference in the internal affairs of the DRC, but it has always provided concrete and effective assistance to the DRC in its own way.'Zhao recalled that, as President of the Security Council, China succeeded in getting Resolution 2773 in favour of the DRC unanimously adopted. Although the debate rages on, for the DRC, the issue will be one of diversifying its partners. This is why, in September 2024, the DRC signed a military cooperation agreement with China aimed at strengthening the capabilities of the DRC Armed Forces. In 2024, the DRC and China renegotiated the 2008 'contract of the century' which had given Chinese firms extensive copper and cobalt mines in exchange for infrastructure development. Officials in the DRC said the renegotiated deal would yield some $4 billion in additional benefits for the Congolese per year. Previously, the Chinese had agreed to a $6 billion funding for infrastructure in areas they operate but was heavily criticised after Beijing fell behind the pledge and claims of lack of transparency ensued. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Zawya
7 hours ago
- Zawya
African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson received His Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, this afternoon received H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, at the AU Headquarters. They deliberated on the peace&security situation in Somalia&the region. The Chairperson commended the President for the progress made in Somalia's stabilisation&development. The Chairperson reaffirmed the Union's unwavering commitment to supporting Somalia's path to peace. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in turn, expressed appreciation for the warm welcome&the AU's continued support. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
