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Express Tribune
19-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Over 100 addicts escape as mob storms rehab centre
A drug addicts rehabilitation in Orangi Town was attacked by an angry mob on Saturday night, leading to the escape of over 125 patients undergoing treatment. The "Sunshine Rehab Centre," reportedly managed by Sindh Police officer Abdul Khaliq Ansari, came under siege from residents of the surrounding Faqir Colony, who expressed longstanding grievances against the facility. According to police, the mob stormed the centre, assaulted staff, vandalised property, and attacked a police vehicle. The police mobile was damaged during the vandalism. Police confirmed that an FIR has been registered at Mominabad police station, and a search operation is underway to locate the escaped patients. According to PS Mominabad SHO Meraj Anwar, initial investigations suggest the attack was not carried out by drug traffickers but rather by local residents frustrated with the behaviour of addicts. They had reportedly raised multiple complaints about theft, vandalism, and general disturbances allegedly caused by addicts escaping the rehab centre and trespassing into nearby homes. "The rehabilitation centre is located in a densely populated area, and the residents claim they have been living in fear and inconvenience for months," said SHO Anwar. According to the FIR, 50 to 150 unidentified assailants - including seven named suspects: Muhammad Shakeel, Aslam Boxer, Abid Rehmat, Muhammad Saeed, Qari Azhar, Khalid Shah, and Abrar - stormed the centre, many armed with guns, sticks, and stones. The mob allegedly broke into the patient barracks, facilitating the escape of 117, and damaged property, including LED screens, fans, a water dispenser, chairs, and government vehicles. Rs85,000 in cash was also reported stolen during the chaos. Police stated that before the attack, several patients had escaped the facility by jumping over the boundary walls, prompting local residents to raise security concerns. Despite initial assurances from the centre's management to apprehend the escapees and tighten security, the situation worsened when more residents arrived and forced their entry into the premises. In response to the incident, local residents staged a protest outside the centre again on Sunday. Many demanded the immediate closure of the facility, accusing it of mismanagement and criminal activity. Speaking during the protest, Town Vice Chairman Abdullah Baloch alleged that although the centre was initially opened to provide free treatment five years ago, it now charges huge fees from patients' families. He further claimed that illicit drugs are being sold within the centre and that those undergoing treatment are subjected to harsh and inhumane treatment. "Due to this cruelty, patients often flee the centre and enter nearby homes, leading to panic and anger among residents," said Baloch. He alleged that shots were fired inside the facility during Saturday's incident, putting lives at risk. Union Council Chairman Mumtaz Tanoli echoed these concerns. "No one truly knows what is happening inside the centre anymore," he said. "When residents approached the facility with complaints, they were reportedly fired upon instead of being heard. This act provoked further anger and led to the unfortunate confrontation." Tanoli demanded the withdrawal of the FIR, which he claimed wrongly implicated local residents as drug dealers. He called for a thorough investigation into the centre's operations and accountability for any misconduct. Police have registered the case under multiple charges, including rioting, vandalism, assault, attempted murder, issuing threats, and destruction of government property. Meanwhile, the search for the escaped patients continues, and the future of the rehabilitation centre remains uncertain as authorities assess the situation and weigh residents' concerns.
Express Tribune
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Pakistani boxer Shahir Afridi knocks out unbeaten Indian boxer in Thailand
Listen to article Pakistani boxer Shahir Afridi triumphed over his Indian rival, Tarjot Singh Bawa, in a high-stakes match held in Thailand. The middleweight clash, part of a much-anticipated Pakistan-India boxing showdown, saw Afridi overpower Bawa with a technical knockout in the fourth round. The referee was forced to stop the bout after assessing the Indian boxer's deteriorating condition following a punishing third round. Shahir Afridi, a commando with the Sindh Police, now boasts 16 wins out of 18 professional fights, with one draw and one loss. His victory over Bawa is particularly notable as the Indian fighter had been unbeaten in his professional career until this match. Following his win, Afridi has broken into the list of the world's top 50 boxers in his category — a significant milestone for the Pakistani athlete. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah congratulated Afridi on the victory and announced rewards from the provincial government. 'Sindh Police is proud of Shahir Afridi. He has raised the flag of Sindh and Pakistan high by knocking out the Indian boxer,' the chief minister said in a statement.
Express Tribune
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Low-income Afghans bear brunt of repatriation
Just like in other cities, operations against Afghan nationals are currently ongoing in Karachi as well however, a common complaint surfacing in the port city revolves around the partial treatment of the local police, who are detaining and deporting low-income Afghans while turning a blind eye to those holding wealth and influence. Abdul Rehman and Mohammad Khan, relatives of an Afghan family, who were apprehended from different areas of the city and brought to the Keamari camp, told The Express Tribune that their relatives were poor people, who relied on daily wages to feed their children. "The authorities caught them working near Sohrab Goth, and at that time they did not even have money for food. The police avoid arresting wealthy or business-owning Afghans and instead detain poor individuals just to fulfil their deportation quotas," claimed the two locals. Similarly, Mohammad Tahir, another Afghan, who runs a hotel in the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi, revealed that he hailed from a village in the Kunduz province of Afghanistan and had settled in the port city 35 years ago. Tahir now has six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom were born, raised and married off in Karachi. "Like my children, most Afghan children living in Karachi were born here and have never even been to Afghanistan. How could they be forced to live in a country they have never even seen? Many Afghan Pashtuns living in Karachi have married their children into local Pashtun families, making it impossible for them to simply leave their spouses and families behind and return to Afghanistan," shared Tahir. According to Moniza Kakar, a human rights lawyer working for the rights of Afghan citizens, most of the Afghan's detained by the police in Karachi thus far have been labourers working in the vegetable market. "The federal government's official directive only applies to the forced repatriation of Afghans holding the Afghan Citizen Card. However, in Karachi, Afghans possessing other valid documents are also being detained and forcibly deported to Afghanistan. The majority of these people are poor," informed Kakar. It is important to note that the federal government initiated a nationwide operation to deport Afghans holding the Afghan Citizen Card after the deadline of March 31st. According to statistics obtained by the Express Tribune from the Sindh Police, approximately 300 Afghans are being detained and deported from Karachi each week following the expiration of this deadline. Sources from Sindh's Home Department have further estimated that around 16,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders reside in Sindh, with most of them living in Karachi. However, the actual number is believed to be much higher than official figures. This is evident from the statements made by legally residing Afghan nationals who claim to have lived in the city for so long that their fourth generations have now been born here. This was also acknowledged by the Afghan refugee leader Maulana Rahimullah during a recent press briefing at the Karachi Press Club. Hence, a large number of Afghan nationals in Karachi and across the country are residing illegally, without any official documentation. In addition to this, another category includes Afghans who entered Pakistan using fake documents and have since established businesses and properties in the country.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Low-income Afghans bear brunt of repatriation crackdown
Listen to article Just like in other cities, operations against Afghan nationals are currently ongoing in Karachi as well however, a common complaint surfacing in the port city revolves around the partial treatment of the local police, who are detaining and deporting low-income Afghans while turning a blind eye to those holding wealth and influence. Abdul Rehman and Mohammad Khan, relatives of an Afghan family, who were apprehended from different areas of the city and brought to the Keamari camp, told The Express Tribune that their relatives were poor people, who relied on daily wages to feed their children. "The authorities caught them working near Sohrab Goth, and at that time they did not even have money for food. The police avoid arresting wealthy or business-owning Afghans and instead detain poor individuals just to fulfil their deportation quotas," claimed the two locals. Similarly, Mohammad Tahir, another Afghan, who runs a hotel in the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi, revealed that he hailed from a village in the Kunduz province of Afghanistan and had settled in the port city 35 years ago. Tahir now has six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom were born, raised and married off in Karachi. "Like my children, most Afghan children living in Karachi were born here and have never even been to Afghanistan. How could they be forced to live in a country they have never even seen? Many Afghan Pashtuns living in Karachi have married their children into local Pashtun families, making it impossible for them to simply leave their spouses and families behind and return to Afghanistan," shared Tahir. According to Moniza Kakar, a human rights lawyer working for the rights of Afghan citizens, most of the Afghan's detained by the police in Karachi thus far have been labourers working in the vegetable market. "The federal government's official directive only applies to the forced repatriation of Afghans holding the Afghan Citizen Card. However, in Karachi, Afghans possessing other valid documents are also being detained and forcibly deported to Afghanistan. The majority of these people are poor," informed Kakar. It is important to note that the federal government initiated a nationwide operation to deport Afghans holding the Afghan Citizen Card after the deadline of March 31st. According to statistics obtained by the Express Tribune from the Sindh Police, approximately 300 Afghans are being detained and deported from Karachi each week following the expiration of this deadline. Sources from Sindh's Home Department have further estimated that around 16,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders reside in Sindh, with most of them living in Karachi. However, the actual number is believed to be much higher than official figures. This is evident from the statements made by legally residing Afghan nationals who claim to have lived in the city for so long that their fourth generations have now been born here. This was also acknowledged by the Afghan refugee leader Maulana Rahimullah during a recent press briefing at the Karachi Press Club. Hence, a large number of Afghan nationals in Karachi and across the country are residing illegally, without any official documentation. In addition to this, another category includes Afghans who entered Pakistan using fake documents and have since established businesses and properties in the country.
Arab News
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan province releases prominent Baloch rights activist following outcry
KARACHI: The government in Pakistan's southern Sindh province this week released prominent rights defender Sammi Deen Baloch, a notification from the provincial home department said, following criticism from members of the civil society and human rights activists. Baloch and several others from the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) group were arrested by Sindh Police last Monday evening and charged with violating a ban imposed on public gatherings after they held a demonstration outside the Karachi Press Club. After a judicial magistrate ordered her release, the Sindh Home Department issued an order detaining her for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (PMO) ordinance, alleging that her presence in public can cause a 'grave threat' to people's safety. The BYC was protesting against the detention of its leader, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and some other members who were arrested last month at a protest camp in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province. Three persons had died following clashes between police and protesters, leading both sides to blame each other for the deaths. 'In partial modification to this department's order of even number dated 25.03.2025 regarding detention under section 3 (1) of the Sindh Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, the name of Ms. Semi Din Baloch D/o. Dr. Din Muhammad Baloch is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect,' the home department said in a notification on Tuesday. 'The Senior Superintendent, Central Prison Karachi is hereby directed to release the above-named detainee if she is not required in any other case or otherwise.' Baloch's sister, Mehlab Deen Baloch, confirmed her release in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday. 'My sister, Sammi Deen, has finally been released, and I cannot express my gratitude enough,' she wrote on X, thanking rights activists, members of the civil society and others for demanding her release. Days following her arrest, over a dozen independent UN experts called on the government to release Baloch rights activists. The BYC and other Baloch rights activists have organized several large protests in Balochistan and led marches to, and sit-ins in, the Pakistani federal capital, Islamabad, mainly against what they describe as a surge in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Balochistan. They blame the army and other security forces operating in the province for the alleged crimes. Officials deny the accusations. Balochistan has also been plagued by enforced disappearances for decades. Families say men are picked up by security forces, disappear often for years, and are sometimes found dead, with no official explanation. Government and security officials deny involvement and say they are working for the uplift of the province through development projects. Pakistan's military has a huge presence in the rugged, impoverished region bordering Afghanistan and Iran, where insurgent groups have been fighting for a separate homeland for decades to win a larger share of benefits for the resource-rich province. The military has long run intelligence-based operations against insurgent groups, who have escalated attacks in recent months on the military and nationals from longtime ally China, which is building key projects in the region, including a port at Gwadar. International rights bodies like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as well as opposition political parties have also long highlighted enforced disappearances targeting students, activists, journalists and human rights defenders in Balochistan. The army says many of Balochistan's so-called disappeared have links to separatists. Military spokespersons have also variously accused rights movements like the BYC of being 'terrorist proxies.'
