Latest news with #NasirMehmood
Business Recorder
28-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Chairman Railways tells Senate body: 38 projects worth Rs260.085bn underway in 2024–25
ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Railways Tuesday informed Senate Standing Committee on Railways that a total of 38 projects were underway, with a total cost of Rs 260.085 billion during 2024–25. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Railways, chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, was convened Tuesday. The Ministry of Railways briefed the Senate Committee on upcoming, ongoing, and pending projects and informed the committee members about the hurdles currently being faced by the ministry. The meeting was attended by senators, Nasir Mehmood, Dost Ali Jeesar, Asad Qasim, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Kamil Ali Agha, Dost Muhammad Khan, the mover Senator Shahadat Awan, and the Minister for Railways. The chairman of Railways told the Senate Standing Committee on Railways that during the year 2024–25, a total of 38 projects were underway, with a total cost of Rs260.085 billion. Out of the 38 projects, the ministry successfully completed six, and the remaining 32 have been carried forward to 2025–26. The chairman, while briefing on the Main Line (ML-1) project (Karachi to Rohri),described it as the lifeline of the Reko Diq and Thar Coal projects, which are expected to start this year, depending on the provision of funds. He added that the total estimated cost of ML-1 isRs2,298.18 billion, and the ministry has submitted a proposal for an allocation of Rs75 billion for the financial year 2025–26 to initiate the project. It was also revealed to the committee that total 12 projects of expansion, track safety, rehabilitation, replacement of tracks, feasibility studies and upgraded security system required proposed allocation Rs11,076 million during the financial year of 2025-26. The committee demanded the details of delayed projects in the upcoming meeting of the Standing Committee. The committee members commended the newly adopted strategy of the ministry to complete the projects partially in different phases. The chairman of the committee emphasised the need to complete projects on time to avoid extended costs and directed the ministry to deliver high-end railway services to the general public. The Minister for Railways said that, as the country is passing through a financial crisis, the provinces may contribute to the new or ongoing railway projects in their respective areas. He stated that the ministry is planning to upgrade railway schools and hospitals across Pakistan. In response to a query regarding railway land, the minister informed the committee that an anti-encroachment campaign has recently been initiated nationwide against land grabbers. It was also briefed to the committee that Pakistan has developed locomotives and coaches capable of running at speeds over 160 km/h, but unfortunately, the country lacks the required tracks to operate such trains. The chairman of the committee directed the ministry to conduct a feasibility study on upgrading of track system to support high-speed trains in Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School bus attack caught in tensions between Pakistan and India
"When I heard the attack happened, the ground fell from beneath my feet. All the parents started running towards the bus, no-one could understand what was going on," Nasir Mehmood, a sergeant in Pakistan's army tells us. Nasir and I are in the city of Quetta, sitting in the waiting room of the largest military hospital in the province of Balochistan. His 14-year-old son Mohammad Ahmad told him he was flung across the army school bus in a bombing in Khuzdar, a few hours' drive away. The bus was carrying around 40 schoolchildren when it exploded at about 07:40 local time (02:40 GMT) on Wednesday. "I reached the hospital, and there were screams of children everywhere, it was the only thing you could hear," Nasir said. "My eyes just kept searching for my son." Only the most serious cases were airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital. The military have said the death toll has now risen to eight, with six children killed and dozens injured. No group has admitted carrying out the attack. It is rare for foreign journalists to be allowed to enter the province, south-west of Pakistan, let alone a hospital on the army's compound. The military said they wanted international media to witness the impact of the attack themselves. Pakistan alleges India is linked to the attack, though there is no independent evidence - and it is a claim Delhi firmly denies. India and Pakistan are in the midst of a fragile ceasefire, after a two-week conflict that was their most significant one in decades. It saw them exchange drone attacks, missiles and artillery fire, and left dozens of casualties. This attack in Balochistan is now in the middle of the tensions, with news channels broadcasting pictures of the children who were killed, most of them girls between the ages of 12 and 16, alongside accusations of an "Indian terror campaign". Images of scrapped metal, children's shoes and abandoned backpacks strewn along the scene highlight the tragedy. As we walked through the intensive care unit, some children lay unconscious on their beds, others thrashed in pain. One young girl kept calling out for her mother as nurses tried to calm her. Doctors told us several children were in critical condition, having suffered extensive trauma, burns and fractured bones. The night before we arrived, another child had died. Pakistan's Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, says there is a history of Indian proxies operating in Balochistan. In turn, India says that Pakistan has been harbouring militants who wage attacks on Indian-administered Kashmir for years. The killing of 26 people in April, most of them tourists in Pahalgam, sparked the most recent conflict. Pakistan has called for an open investigation led by an independent party. However, Tarar denied that such an investigation was necessary in Balochistan. "Pahalgam was a one-off incident," he told us. "We are the victims in this case. We have been suffering. There is a history. We have evidence. So what can I say?" When we asked him what that evidence was, he once again pointed to claims of a history of attacks. He gave us no other details of India's alleged involvement in this attack. Later, an officer drove us through Quetta's roads in a bus flanked by soldiers carrying rifles and ammunition hanging from their pockets. Balochistan has experienced decades of militant attacks linked to a nationalist insurgency. It is home to several groups which accuse the government of exploiting its natural resources. In March, some 21 people, most of them off-duty security personnel, were killed during a train siege in Balochistan's remote Sibi district. That attack was carried out by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Pakistan, as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US, have designated the BLA as a terrorist organisation. As the military responds to the insurgency, activists in Balochistan accuse Pakistan's security forces of human rights violations. They say thousands of ethnic Baloch people have been disappeared in the last two decades, and are allegedly detained without due legal process. The minister of information told us the government believed "faceless courts" might be needed in the province, hiding the identities of the judges and prosecutors in terror cases. Tarar said the courts often fail to convict the accused, because of a fear of retribution from militant groups. In a press conference, the military spokesperson, Lt Gen Chaudhry, said the school bus attack "had nothing to do with the Baloch identity, rather it was just India's provocation". The government says it is raising the issue "across diplomatic channels" around the world. The impact on the ceasefire and on the prospect of talks between India and Pakistan remains to be seen. Additional reporting by Malik Mudassir How backchannels and US mediators pulled India and Pakistan back from the brink These five measures remain, despite the India-Pakistan ceasefire Where is Balochistan and why is it the target of strikes?
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
School bus attack caught in tensions between Pakistan and India
"When I heard the attack happened, the ground fell from beneath my feet. All the parents started running towards the bus, no-one could understand what was going on," Nasir Mehmood, a sergeant in Pakistan's army tells and I are in the city of Quetta, sitting in the waiting room of the largest military hospital in the province of Balochistan. His 14-year-old son Mohammad Ahmad told him he was flung across the army school bus in a bombing in Khuzdar, a few hours' drive bus was carrying around 40 schoolchildren when it exploded at about 07:40 local time (02:40 GMT) on Wednesday. "I reached the hospital, and there were screams of children everywhere, it was the only thing you could hear," Nasir said. "My eyes just kept searching for my son."Only the most serious cases were airlifted to the Combined Military Hospital. The military have said the death toll has now risen to eight, with six children killed and dozens injured. No group has admitted carrying out the is rare for foreign journalists to be allowed to enter the province, south-west of Pakistan, let alone a hospital on the army's compound. The military said they wanted international media to witness the impact of the attack alleges India is linked to the attack, though there is no independent evidence - and it is a claim Delhi firmly and Pakistan are in the midst of a fragile ceasefire, after a two-week conflict that was their most significant one in decades. It saw them exchange drone attacks, missiles and artillery fire, and left dozens of casualties. This attack in Balochistan is now in the middle of the tensions, with news channels broadcasting pictures of the children who were killed, most of them girls between the ages of 12 and 16, alongside accusations of an "Indian terror campaign". Images of scrapped metal, children's shoes and abandoned backpacks strewn along the scene highlight the tragedy. As we walked through the intensive care unit, some children lay unconscious on their beds, others thrashed in pain. One young girl kept calling out for her mother as nurses tried to calm her. Doctors told us several children were in critical condition, having suffered extensive trauma, burns and fractured bones. The night before we arrived, another child had died. Pakistan's Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar, says there is a history of Indian proxies operating in Balochistan. In turn, India says that Pakistan has been harbouring militants who wage attacks on Indian-administered Kashmir for years. The killing of 26 people in April, most of them tourists in Pahalgam, sparked the most recent conflict. Pakistan has called for an open investigation led by an independent Tarar denied that such an investigation was necessary in Balochistan."Pahalgam was a one-off incident," he told us. "We are the victims in this case. We have been suffering. There is a history. We have evidence. So what can I say?"When we asked him what that evidence was, he once again pointed to claims of a history of attacks. He gave us no other details of India's alleged involvement in this attack. A turbulent province Later, an officer drove us through Quetta's roads in a bus flanked by soldiers carrying rifles and ammunition hanging from their has experienced decades of militant attacks linked to a nationalist insurgency. It is home to several groups which accuse the government of exploiting its natural March, some 21 people, most of them off-duty security personnel, were killed during a train siege in Balochistan's remote Sibi attack was carried out by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). Pakistan, as well as several Western countries, including the UK and US, have designated the BLA as a terrorist the military responds to the insurgency, activists in Balochistan accuse Pakistan's security forces of human rights violations. They say thousands of ethnic Baloch people have been disappeared in the last two decades, and are allegedly detained without due legal minister of information told us the government believed "faceless courts" might be needed in the province, hiding the identities of the judges and prosecutors in terror cases. Tarar said the courts often fail to convict the accused, because of a fear of retribution from militant groups. In a press conference, the military spokesperson, Lt Gen Chaudhry, said the school bus attack "had nothing to do with the Baloch identity, rather it was just India's provocation".The government says it is raising the issue "across diplomatic channels" around the world. The impact on the ceasefire and on the prospect of talks between India and Pakistan remains to be reporting by Malik Mudassir
Business Recorder
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Use of ministry's building: Senate panel briefed about non-payment of rent by NAB
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Housing and Works was briefed on Tuesday about the non-payment of rent since March 2021 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for the use of a building of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Federal Lodges, Wafaqi Colony, Dhana Singh Wala, Lahore. It was revealed that a total of Rs480 million outstanding has not yet been paid by the NAB to the ministry, and the building has still not been vacated. It was further informed that the decision on the matter is pending with the Prime Minister's Office. The committee found that no agreement had been signed between the two departments. The chairman expressed serious displeasure over the negligence of the Ministry of Housing and Works. Senator Saifullah Abro urged departments to discourage such practices and to maintain clear documentation when signing agreements. The chairman directed both departments to settle the matter within one month, warning that if they fail to implement the committee's decision, the officers involved in the negligence will be summoned and punished. The meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, convened Tuesday to identify the reasons for delays in CDA and FGEHA projects, and the unauthorised utilisation of government accommodations by other departments without approval or payment of rent. The chairman of the committee commended the input of all committee members regarding the vacation of illegally possessed accommodations of the Ministry of Housing and Works in Wafaqi Colony, Lahore, by the Punjab Police. He informed that the Punjab Police had illegally occupied the said accommodations since 1990 and had never paid a single penny in lieu of using them. Punjab Police submitted the compliance report over the directions passed by the committee and upon the directions of the committee, the Punjab Police paid Rs1.6 million in rent, up to the year 2024 and assured the committee that the remaining rent would be paid in the upcoming financial year. While briefing on the progress of the construction of Islamabad Jail, the chairman CDA informed that the project was handed over by PWD to CDA with a revised cost of Rs7.4 billion on 26-06-2024. In Phase I, the construction of the Admin Block and boundary wall has been completed up to 98 percent, and roads and infrastructure up to 75 percent. He added that delays in funding from the Ministry of Planning and Development caused the project's delay. The committee expressed concern over the delay in fund disbursement by the Ministry of Finance and other concerned authorities and directed that the ministries of Planning and Development and Finance be summoned to brief the committee on the delay in releasing funds to the Ministry of Interior for CDA projects. The chairman, upon the request of the chairman CDA, recommended for hiring the human resources required to operate the jail. On the issue of malfunctioning of lifts in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building, the chairman CDA stated that only one out of five lifts was operational. Another lift had been repaired, but three were still not working. However, CDA has urgently issued a tender notice of Rs120 million for the repair of the three lifts. The Committee was informed that in the Shaheed-e-Millat Building and other government offices, some lifts are specifically reserved for VIPs/senior officers, and public or government employees are not allowed to use them. The committee took serious notice of this VIP culture in government buildings and directed CDA to eliminate such practices and ensure all lifts are accessible to the general public. The joint secretary, Ministry of Housing and Works, briefed the committee on the seniority list for the allotment of government accommodations to federal employees. He informed the committee that the ministry has a backlog of 26,000 applications, while there are only 17,000 houses available in Islamabad. The committee found the briefing insufficient and directed the ministry to provide a list of illegal allotments and the names of officers involved in such unlawful practices. The committee also ordered the discontinuation of all functions of the Restoration Committee and directed the ministry to submit a report at the next committee meeting. The committee also noted that FGEHA is not awarding tenders uniformly to firms, is not seriously pursuing its projects, and has failed to deliver completed projects to end users. Senator Saifullah Abro criticized the rising costs of FGEHA projects caused by delays on their part, with the burden passed on to the end users. The committee directed FGEHA to submit a list of all ongoing projects, including complete details and associated costs. The meeting was attended by senators, Bilal Ahmed Khan, Saifullah Abro, Husna Bano, Khalida Ateeb, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, and HidayatUllah Khan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
