Latest news with #Mengal
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Repeat sex offenders face GPS monitoring
The user would have to enable GPS so the police may locate them. PHOTO: REUTERS The Punjab government has announced a new initiative to electronically monitor habitual sex offenders through GPS-enabled ankle devices. The system, introduced by the Crime Control Department (CCD), will initially be implemented for repeat offenders convicted in rape and sodomy cases, with plans to expand the programme to include individuals involved in other serious crimes. According to CCD officials, offenders with two or more convictions will be fitted with tamper-proof electronic bands that send real-time location updates every hour to a central control room. If an offender attempts to leave designated areas without permission or tampers with the device, authorities will be notified immediately. "These electronic restraints will physically restrict offenders while allowing us to track their movements 24/7," a CCD spokesperson told The Express Tribune. The first deployment of 30 devices is scheduled to take place in Lahore this week, with an additional 100 monitors to be distributed across the province in the coming phase. The bands may only be removed after an offender has demonstrated consistent behavioural improvement over a monitored period. This initiative is part of a broader electronic surveillance strategy approved by Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal. The programme includes the procurement of 1,500 GPS trackers for suspects on the Fourth Schedule and repeat offenders under the supervision of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), CCD, and parole authorities. A few days earlier, Secretary Mengal chaired a high-level meeting at his office where the import of more than 1,500 GPS monitoring bands was approved. Habitual criminals The provincial home department has also drafted 'The Punjab Control of Goondas Act, 2025' to curb the activities of habitual criminals, enhance public safety and deter anti-social behaviour. The draft provides a legal framework for identifying, monitoring, and restraining elements that pose a threat to public order. It provides the legal definition of Goonda as "a person habitually involved in disorderly conduct, criminal activity, or anti-social behaviour that endangers peace or creates public nuisance". The District Intelligence Committees (DICs) will be empowered to declare an individual a 'Goonda' on the basis of credible reports from police officers, assistant commissioners, intelligence agencies or written complaints. The grounds for the declaration include involvement in drug trafficking, gambling, extortion, cybercrimes, harassment, organised criminal activity, use of forged documents, display of weapons, running a brothel, impersonation of public officials and other listed offences. Upon the declaration, the DIC may impose various restrictions on the targeted individuals, including, requiring a bond for good behaviour in future, placement on no-fly list, blocking CNIC and passport, confiscation of digital devices and data and freezing of bank accounts. The proposed requirements include community service and restriction upon visiting sensitive public places. The law allows for technical surveillance, including digital monitoring and biometric data collection, to ensure compliance and detect criminal conduct.
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Volunteer registration portal launched
The telecommunication authority says that MICO has been registered as a Significant Social Media Company (SSMC) under Rule 7 (6) of the requisite provision. PHOTO: FILE In an effort to revitalise Civil Defence and bolster disaster preparedness, the Punjab Home Department has launched an online volunteer registration portal and established 22 Combined Control and Report Centres across the province to ensure rapid emergency response. The announcement came during a visit by Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal to a Civil Defence underground bunker at Nasir Bagh, Lahore on Thursday. Director Civil Defence Zameer Hussain briefed the secretary on existing safety protocols and operational preparedness. Highlighting the government's commitment, Mengal urged citizens to actively register through the new portal, noting that the department aims to train one million new volunteers across Punjab. "We are mobilising all necessary resources to meet this target," he said. According to the Home Department, Punjab now has 1,113 designated safe shelters with the capacity to accommodate up to 77,000 people in case of emergencies. The newly operational control centres are intended to streamline real-time communication and enable swift decision-making during crises. Mengal also stressed the urgent need to modernise Civil Defence infrastructure. "We have allocated Rs500 million for the immediate and transparent procurement of essential equipment and supplies," he said. He further revealed that Civil Defence, in collaboration with Rescue 1122, has trained over 150,000 citizensincluding a large number of studentswithin the past week through extensive awareness campaigns and disaster response drills. Despite Civil Defence having become largely inactive over the past decades due to the absence of conflict or urban attacks, the department is now being restructured to serve as a frontline institution for civil emergency response and public safety.
India Today
14-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
'We're not Pakistani': Baloch leader declares independence from Pak
Baloch representative Mir Yar Baloch has declared Balochistan independent from Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of decades-long violence, enforced disappearances, and human rights abuses in the region. The announcement was made via posts on social media platform it the 'national verdict' of the Baloch people, Mir Yar wrote: 'Tum maroge hum niklenge, hum nasal bachane nikle hain. Aao hamara saath do.'advertisementHe said Baloch people across 'Pakistan-occupied Balochistan' are on the streets and that the world can no longer remain silent. Mir Yar also urged Indians—especially media, YouTubers, and intellectuals—not to refer to Balochs as 'Pakistan's own people.''We are not Pakistani, we are Balochistani. Pakistan's own people are the Punjabi who never faced air bombings, enforced disappearances and genocide,' he Baloch leader expressed full support for India's position on Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). He said:'Balochistan fully supports the India decision of asking Pakistan to vacate PoK. The international community must urge Pakistan to immediately leave PoK to avoid another humiliation of surrender on its 93,000 army personnel in Dhaka.'He warned that if the situation escalates, the blame would fall on Pakistan's military leadership: 'India is capable of defeating Pakistan army and if Pakistan didn't pay any heed then the only Pakistani greedy army generals must be held responsible for bloodshed because Islamabad is using PoK people as human shields.'advertisementMir Yar called for official recognition of Balochistan's independence and urged the international community to reject Pakistan's narrative, stating that Balochistan was forcibly annexed with foreign region has witnessed ongoing violence, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings for years. Rights groups have accused both Pakistani security forces and armed militants of widespread abuse. Civilians remain trapped in the conflict, with minimal media access and little legal to the growing dissent, former Balochistan Chief Minister and Balochistan National Party (BNP) President Akhtar Mengal recently voiced serious concerns about the situation. In a post on X, Mengal said: 'There is not a single inch of Balochistan left where the government can claim authority. They have lost this war completely and irreversibly. It is over.'Mengal accused the Pakistani state of ignoring repeated warnings from Baloch leaders: 'We warned them, just as those before us warned them. But instead of listening, they mocked us. They dismissed our words as empty threats while they fueled a system of oppression, looting, and bloodshed.'He held every major institution—government, judiciary, political parties, and the military—responsible for the region's suffering.'To the federal government, to the political parties, to the judiciary, and to the establishment—you have brought Balochistan to the brink of destruction with your own hands. But this time, it is beyond our control. And it is beyond yours as well,' he resigned from his National Assembly seat in September 2024, citing worsening conditions and the rising number of enforced disappearances targeting Baloch activists. He said he no longer saw any purpose in remaining part of the crisis further deepened on March 11, 2025, when Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) militants hijacked the Quetta–Peshawar Jaffar Express, taking more than 212 passengers hostage, including security InMust Watch
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
BNP demands release of detained Baloch women
The BNP has demanded the immediate release of detained Baloch women as it vowed to continue its protests till its demands are accepted. Addressing a rally in Quetta on Friday, BNP President Akhtar Mengal said the Baloch people had endured 75 years of injustice, declaring that the party would not back down until their legitimate demands were acknowledged and addressed. "The prisons are not new to us. We will not back down," Mengal asserted. He slammed the government for stopping the BNP's long march at Lak Pass, Mastung and barring the party from entering Quetta. The BNP-M rally drew a large crowd of flag-waving supporters, chanting in support of Baloch rights and reaffirming their commitment to continue nationwide protests. The public gathering came on the heels of a series of demonstrations demanding the recovery of missing persons. Strict security arrangements were put in place across the city, with a heavy police presence. Despite a tense atmosphere, the event remained peaceful and concluded without incident.
Express Tribune
24-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Repeat offenders to wear GPS-enabled bands
The Punjab Home Department has launched an electronic tracking program to closely monitor habitual offenders province-wide. In a meeting led by Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal, officials agreed that individuals listed in the Fourth Schedule of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and repeat offenders will wear GPS-enabled bands for continuous surveillance. A total of 1,500 tracking devices have been procured: 900 will be deployed by the Counter Terrorism Department, 500 by the newly formed Crime Control Department, and 100 by the Parole Department. Mengal directed the import of cutting-edge tracking technology, including micro chips, following expert recommendations to ensure uninterrupted monitoring of high-risk individuals. Special Home Secretary Fazalur Rehman, Additional IG Crime Control Department Suhail Zafar Chatha, DIG Operations Punjab Waqas?Nazeer, Additional Police Secretary Dr Zeeshan?Hanif, and law and finance representatives attended the meeting. A Home Department spokesperson stated that this initiative brings Punjab's crime-monitoring infrastructure in line with global standards. By tracking the movements of recidivist criminals, authorities aim to deter offences before they occur .
