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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
WhatsApp urged to block TTP propaganda
Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhary speaks at a press conference alongside FC Commandant Riaz Nazir Gara on July 14, 2025. PHOTO: APP The government has called on WhatsApp and the international community at large to take immediate action against the banned terrorist organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is using the messaging platform to spread violent propaganda. Minister of State for Interior Tallal ChaudrySenator raised the alarm in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the TTPa UN and US-designated terrorist grouphas been operating WhatsApp channels to send bulk messages promoting its extremist ideology. "Pakistan has zero tolerance for these terror groups and is offering tremendous sacrifices to ensure global peace," Chaudry said. He urged WhatsApp and the international community to cooperate in blocking these accounts and developing algorithms to automatically detect and suspend such handles.
Express Tribune
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Minister denies politics inFC revamp
Minister of State for Interior and senior PMLN leader Senator Talal Chaudhary has said that Frontier Constabulary (FC) is being restructured and renamed Federal Constabulary only to bolster internal and national security of Pakistan. He was addressing a news conference at the Deputy Commissioner's office on Monday. FC Commandant Riaz Nazir Gara was also present. The minister's statement came a day after President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated an ordinance empowering the federal government to transform the FC, a border security force, into the Federal Constabulary to maintain law and order, supplement the law enforcement agencies, and address the diverse security needs in a coordinated manner. "This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force. We need this force for internal security," Chaudhry said, adding that the president had already approved amendments in the law introducing changes in the paramilitary force. The decision to revamp FC prompts concern among opposition parties and human rights groups that it could be used as a tool of political repression. The minister; however, said that revamping of FC is not a politically-motivated decision but it is an institutional necessity to improve coordination, compensation and capability of this force across all provinces and territories of Pakistan. It is purely a defence-related issue to strengthen national defence by providing support to the law enforcement agencies, he added. He said that the FC had played a pivotal role in maintaining peace and security within the country and along its borders for nearly a century, yet this force has not been accorded the recognition and benefits comparable to other security forces in Pakistan. He lamented that despite limited salaries and fewer privileges, FC personnel have consistently served the nation with unwavering dedication. "Now Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have decided to transform FC into a federal force to address the disparity with upgraded structure and scope under the new name of Federal Constabulary," he added. He clarified that while the name is being changed, the identity and core function of the FC as a constabulary remain intact. The restructuring would help ensure that its personnel receive salaries, training and benefits equal to those of other national security forces, he added. He said that the FC has long involvement in combating drug trafficking, smuggling and supporting civil law enforcement agencies during sensitive events like Muharram, elections and anti-polio campaigns. Now it would continue to carry out these responsibilities under its new federal framework, he added. He said that with the reorganisation, the jurisdiction of Federal Constabulary would be expanded to include all four provinces as well as Gilgit/Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. He said that recruitment will be opened to all citizens from across the country and the federal government would bear all operational and financial responsibilities, relieving the provinces of any budgetary burden. The FC revamp would include updated training modules, capacity-building initiatives and a modernized command structure designed to uplift the morale and effectiveness of its personnel, he added. FC Commandant Riaz Nazir Gara provided historical context and said that the FC was established in 1913, originally known as the North-West Frontier Constabulary. It was operated under an act that is now over 100 years old. Recognising the urgent need for reform, he said that the FC would be realigned into a more robust and federally managed institution with clearly defined command tiers including platoons, companies and wings. He said that the FC has 41 wings and its 36 wings are currently deployed under the security division. The revamped structure would streamline these units for improving efficiency, he added. Commandant Gara disclosed that 423 FC personnel have laid down their lives in the line of duty which is a testament to the commitment and sacrifice of this force. The reorganisation would help honor these sacrifices by providing a better command structure, improved facilities and clearer career pathways for FC members, he added. The State Minister and FC Commandant both urged the public, media and stakeholders to carefully read the new ordinance related to the Federal Constabulary to avoid misconceptions. This transformation is a strategic and institutional reform which would help address the internal security challenges and enhance operational capability of one of the oldest law enforcement bodies of the country, they added. Meanwhile, the development prompted concern among opposition parties and human rights groups that it could be used as a tool of political repression. The announcement came after the PTI said it would stage nationwide protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of party founder Imran Khan's arrest. Several such protests since his August 2023 arrest have turned violent, in some cases paralysing the capital Islamabad for days. PTI leader 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 the PTI leadership and supporters", he said. His concern was echoed by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. "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.
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Punjab made sacrifices for unity of Pakistan: Talal Chaudhry
FAISALABAD: State Minister for Interior and senior PML-N leader Senator Talal Chaudhary said that Punjab has consistently made extraordinary sacrifices for the unity of Pakistan and these sacrifices would shatter all conspiracies against Pakistan. He was addressing a press conference on Sunday after offering condolences to the family of Sheikh Majid Ayub, a young businessman from Faisalabad, who was martyred in a terrorist attack in Zhob, Balochistan. Talal Chaudhry termed the Balochistan incident a clear precedent of Punjab's factual commitment for national solidarity and sacrifice and said Majid Ayub, who frequently travelled to Balochistan for his textile business, was targeted on his return. He embraced martyrdom in an act of terrorism that was not random, but a planned proxy attack sponsored by enemy forces with clear links to India, he added. He said that the enemy is attempting to divide Pakistan on ethnic and linguistic lines, but fails to realize that every street of Punjab houses Baloch, Pashtun, Sindhi, Kashmiri and Gilgiti brothers, who live, study, work and heal together in unity. He highlighted Punjab's historical generosity, citing its sacrifices in the NFC Award, its sharing of water resources with Balochistan and now, its blood. 'When water was needed, Punjab gave its share. When money was required, Punjab contributed and now, when blood is demanded, our sons are laying down their lives', he said. He praised the courage of Majid Ayub's mother and said that she had received her martyred son's body with pride, embodying the spirit of every Pakistani mother who sends her child to defend the homeland. Talal Chaudhary said that terrorism knows no religion, language, or ethnicity rather it is fueled by dollars and foreign agendas. He pointed directly at India's involvement, accusing it of switching from overt warfare to covert attacks through sponsored terrorist networks. However, he said that Pakistan's security forces and citizens have time and again defeated such enemies with resilience and unity. He revealed that Pakistan's security agencies conduct over 150 intelligence-based operations daily, pre-empting over 90% of planned attacks. The current counterterrorism campaign is a continuation of ongoing kinetic and non-kinetic operations in which the federal and Balochistan governments are fully aligned, he added. He said that terrorists now target soft civilian spots like markets, schools, and hospitals, which is an obvious proof of their moral and ideological bankruptcy. During press conference, Talal Chaudhary condemned political leaders who only come to Punjab for votes but remain absent when its youths are martyred. He reminded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government of its responsibility to build Counter-Terrorism Departments, forensic labs, and smart surveillance systems to effectively combat terrorism, just as Punjab has done. He dismissed the notion that terrorists are representative of any ethnic group and said that a terrorist is neither Baloch, nor Pashtun, nor Punjabi, rather they are enemies of humanity. He outlined the horrifying statistics and said 406 attacks were made on gas installations, 56 schools were destroyed and 178 hospitals were targeted in addition to 219 ethnically-motivated attacks that claimed 514 lives and most of their victims were from Punjab. He called on all political parties and citizens to unite beyond political affiliations and support the security forces as was done during Nawaz Sharif's government when collective political support helped restore peace from Quetta to Karachi. 'We are Punjabis, Baloch, Sindhis, Pashtuns, Kashmiris and Gilgitis after we are Pakistanis first', he said, adding that the country was founded in the name of 'Kalimah Tayyabah' and its defence is a sacred duty. He referenced the recent 'Operation Sandur' as a stark reminder of what happens when enemies confront Pakistan head-on. 'Whether the threat is direct or covert, the result would always be the same i.e. total defeat for the aggressors', he added. Addressing those who seek political mileage from foreign soil, Talal Chaudhry criticized certain PTI leaders for lobbying against Pakistan abroad while instigating unrest at home. He said that many of the so-called 'missing persons' were in fact militants who had deliberately gone underground and were later killed during counterterrorism operations. Responding to a question, Talal Chaudhry expressed hope that this would be the last condolence visit he ever has to make, but he acknowledged that as long as mothers like Majid Ayub's exist who embrace their martyred sons with strength and pride, the enemy would never succeed. 'We are not fighting as Punjabis or Baloch but as Pakistanis and Pakistan would always emerge victorious, Insha Allah', he added.
Business Recorder
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
PARTLY FACETIOUS: Let it be with Caesar
'So is everyone on the same page or not?' 'Talal Chaudhary, rewarded for his loyalty to the Heir Apparent…' 'Who is the heir apparent? The Prime Minister?' 'No the Prime Minister is the regent and the Heir Apparent is the Chief Minister of Punjab, the former is a proxy and the latter is the one who will inherit.' 'Inherit what? Wisdom?' 'You being facetious?' 'No, I want to know. One can inherit looks, physical assets or wisdom.' 'The first two have already been doled out. The last is not a prized commodity. What remains is political inheritance.' 'Right.' 'Anyway, Talal Chaudhary says that as per the agreement PML-N and the PPPP are partners and will remain partners.' 'Junior partners or senior partners?' 'You are being facetious, aren't you? Partners means partners and while the percentage ownership of each partner is agreed but not released for the likes of us I would assume that at most it is 33 percent each and at least it is around 4 to 5 percent…' 'That's why the rumour mills are so active.' 'On the percentage ownership…' 'No, they may not have inherited wisdom, but they are not blind – they can understand ground realities. No, what I meant was that there are rumours that Nawaz Sharif and Zardari sahib's agreement was like the Blair-Brown agreement – each would rule for the same amount of years and…' 'Right; so Bilawal versus Maryam Nawaz…' 'Nope, Bilawal versus the regent.' 'That's not fair – I mean, one is the undisputed heir and the other…' 'Life isn't fair - what of the two sons of the Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless…' 'They are neither regents nor Heir Apparent…' 'But…' 'It took Maryam Nawaz over a decade to get where she is today, and this in spite of daddy as the only decision maker.' 'Hmmm and Bilawal took a decade to be groomed…' 'Yep, and as Brutus said about Caesar in Shakespeare's play: let it be with Caesar.' 'Riiiiight.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
