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Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Nuclear power: PTI pays tributes to scientists, engineers and unsung heroes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary (CIS) Sheikh Waqas Akram paid growing tribute to the scientists, engineers and unsung heroes who burned midnight oil to make Pakistan's defence impregnable and invincible despite immense hurdles and international pressures. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, PTI CIS said that on this day Pakistan emerged as the first nuclear power in the Islamic world and the seventh globally and this momentous achievement sent a powerful message to the world that Pakistan is a resolute and indomitable nation. He emphasised that this achievement was not the legacy of any single political party but a national day of pride and honour for every Pakistani. He paid special tribute to Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr Samar Mubarakmand, and countless others who dedicated their lives to securing Pakistan's sovereignty and turned the dream into a reality. 'It is deeply regrettable that Dr AQ Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear programme, was forced to apologise on national television,' Waqas added. 'The founder of PTI Imran Khan was the only political leader who condemned this humiliation and stood by Dr Khan, because he is, was and will forever remain our national hero, a symbol of Pakistan's pride and resilience,' PTI CIS maintained. Shifting focus to the current political and judicial crisis, Waqas strongly criticised the 26th Constitutional Amendment, calling it the burial ground of the Constitution. PTI CIS declared that justice has become a rare commodity in Pakistan, as the judicial process is plagued by delays, inefficiency, and a blatant disregard for constitutional principles. He lamented that the current system was stealing justice rather than merely delaying it. 'The most alarming example is that we are forced to protest just to get the PTI founder's case heard,' Waqas added. PTI CIS went on to say that members of provincial and national assemblies from Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been compelled to take to the streets—simply to demand a hearing for a political leader's case. He lamented that despite repeated assurances from the acting Chief Justice of IHC, no progress has been made so far, as Punjab police disregarded the court's orders with complete impunity. PTI CIS warned that Pakistan's judiciary has become a global topic of discussion for all the wrong reasons, adding that the judiciary today appears powerless or unwilling to uphold justice. 'We are not asking for special favours—we are demanding the release of our leader, who is being held unjustly,' he asserted. Reminding the nation of PTI's unwavering stance against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Waqas quoted the PTI founder as saying: 'Modi is a shameless man; he will betray again.' He reiterated PTI's commitment to Pakistan, saying, 'We are ready to sacrifice our wealth, our lives, and even our children for this nation—but unity is the need of the hour.' However, he made it clear, 'Unity not just in war, but even in peace, we deserve justice, dignity and our constitutional rights.' Addressing the Al-Qadir Trust case, Waqas called it a mockery of justice, saying that not a single rupee was received by the PTI founder or Bushra Bibi. 'The entire world knows that Imran Khan has never been involved in corruption, yet he is being denied basic human, constitutional and legal rights—no meetings with his children, no contact with his sisters, not even access to books,' he added. He asserted that the form-47 government was suffering from Imran Khan's phobia, as Punjab Police was preventing political leaders from meeting the founder, violating fundamental constitutional rights, besides surveillance cameras monitor every movement. 'This is authoritarianism, not justice,' Waqas declared. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
NDTV
06-05-2025
- NDTV
Pakistani Man Arrested Along LoC In J&K's Poonch
Jammu: A 26-year-old Pakistani intruder was arrested along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Tuesday, officials said. The arrest came amid a diplomatic flare-up between India and Pakistan and almost daily ceasefire violations on the borders in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. Waqas, a resident of Tarkhal village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was taken into custody by alert army personnel from a forward village in the Chakan-Da-Bagh area shortly after he crossed the Line of Control (LoC) and entered Indian territory, the officials said. Preliminary questioning revealed that Waqas had inadvertently crossed the LoC from his village on the other side, they said. No incriminating material was recovered from the intruder at the time of his arrest, they added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Sky News
01-05-2025
- Sky News
Inside police efforts to crack down on violent and knife crime in Manchester
"I'd say the last two years people are just - they just don't care anymore, they are using knives and doing all sorts." PC Maguire, 28, speaks with the authority of experience: experience that comes from working in Greater Manchester's most high-crime areas. "I remember when I was a teenager," she says, "you'd never really hear of people carrying a knife or anything. But now it's the normal thing to do." "It's mad," she adds. PC Maguire is part of Operation Venture, an elite policing unit within Greater Manchester Police set up to tackle serious violence and knife crime. Over the past two months, we've been given exclusive access to watch them work. Moped chase We're on a Friday afternoon vehicle patrol in south Manchester with another member of the Venture team, Sgt Mohammed Waqas, when his radio, and that of fellow officer PC Hodge, who's driving, starts pinging. Their plain clothes team has spotted two youths in balaclavas, on a moped, weaving in and out of traffic. "We suspect they are involved in some sort of knife-point robberies," Sgt Waqas says. The moped has also had its registration plates pulled off - officers suspect it's been stolen. The team starts searching the streets and is flagged down by a passing driver who says he's just had to swerve to avoid hitting a moped. "They're little idiots, up there!" the driver says, visibly angry. "There are kids around. "I swear to god I felt like f*****g chasing them down, and kicking them up the arse." Meanwhile, the unit's covert officers are waiting where the moped has been previously spotted. When it returns, a short while later, there are three youths onboard. The team detain one, a 16-year-old who is known to them, but the two other youths get away. Sgt Waqas and PC Hodge take up the chase, following the moped at speed as it runs red lights. Incredibly, we see one of the moped riders filming it all on their mobile phone. Later, the officers tell us: "They'll probably post it online." But right now, they are focused on trying to catch them, which, in rush hour traffic, proves impossible. They lose them - "yeah, total loss", Sgt Waqas reports via his radio to the comms operator. "Just to log as well," he adds, "two males, white males, both got balaclavas on." "One of them has possibly got something in his jacket. Can't tell what it is, just the way that he was holding himself." It's extremely frustrating for the team. A baby buggy, a knife and £50,000 cash A few hours later, during a patrol in Salford, we see the sorts of weapons they are up against. We're with PC Maguire again, on vehicle patrol, when a police camera flags a car with links to suspected drug supply. Along with another of the unit's patrol cars, PC Maguire works to get into a formation to box in the suspect's vehicle. "XR2, show me as Car two," PC Maguire tells a radio operator, having quickly made ground to get the vehicle in her sights. "You want to get a stop on, before they have an opportunity to get away," she explains. But, after a brief pursuit through the dark streets, the car they are following pulls over of its own accord. The driver, who's in his 20s, is searched - as is his vehicle. Inside, along with baby buggies and car seats, officers find a knife in the glovebox and a shoebox full of cash. Officers estimate there's about £50,000 in there. After brief questioning on site, the man tells officers that he's been staying at a house nearby and admits there's another weapon in there. A few minutes later, PC Ben Cartledge - another Operation Venture officer - comes out holding what looks like a huge knife. "It's a machete," he says, "it was in the bedroom." It's extremely heavy and looks terrifying. "I'm not going to lie to you, mate, it's for protection only," the arrested man says, when PC Cartledge arrests him on a further offence of having an offensive weapon in a private place. It's a line officers have heard before. "There's that social media side of it," a senior officers says. "Sometimes they'll film themselves doing the robbery and sharing it around, and that becomes the normality. "So then people will sometimes carry weapons to protect themselves." The unit uses a combination of proactive stop and search, intelligence-led policing and undercover tactics.
Express Tribune
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Imran's nod a must to pass K-P mines bill
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has unanimously decided that the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill will only be passed after thorough consultation and with the formal approval and confidence of its founding chairman, Imran Khan. The decision was made in the party's political committee meeting held to discuss the Mines and Minerals Bill presented in the provincial assembly. During the meeting, CM K-P Ali Amin Gandapur gave a comprehensive and detailed briefing on all key aspects of the bill. PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a statement, said that the political committee reviewed all dimensions of the bill threadbare and unanimously agreed that the bill did not contain any clause transferring provincial autonomy, rights or mineral resources to the federation, SIFC, or any other federal institution. He said that during the meeting, it was agreed that positive suggestions from all stakeholders would be welcomed and consultation with other parliamentary parties would continue to evolve a wide-range consensus before the final approval of the bill. The PTI leader said that the bill has already been presented in the K-P Assembly and was under discussion. However, it would only be approved by the assembly after obtaining Imran Khan's formal approval and fully aligning it with his agenda, manifesto, narrative, and public aspirations. Waqas made it clear that there has been no haste in the approval of this bill, nor will there be any in the future. Meanwhile, he disclosed that Imran strictly prohibited the individuals who met him from discussing meeting details or instructions with the media. He said that as per Imran Khan's instructions, those who met with him must submit written details of his instructions to the central secretary information, as only the central secretary information was authorised to issue these written instructions and statements. Waqas stated that any statements from other sources would not be considered official or credible from now onward. Moreover, he asserted that PTI founder strictly refrained the party officials from making statements against one another. He said that violators would face show-cause notices, and those holding party positions would be stripped of their responsibilities. Waqas said that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has been briefed about the authority and powers of the Punjab's chief organiser, adding that a six-member advisory committee would be formed under the chief organiser. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Mines and Minerals Bill, 2025, has stirred up a firestorm of criticism, with PTI founder Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan calling for putting the proposed legislation on hold. The criticism, which came mostly from the ruling PTI's leaders and social media activists, was so harsh that Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur had to put out a statement on Tuesday night, dismissing "rumours and misconceptions" regarding the proposed amendments. The bill, which was tabled in the provincial assembly on April 4, was ripped apart by both ruling and opposition lawmakers.
Express Tribune
08-03-2025
- Express Tribune
Lahore police officials found involved in honey trap extortion scheme
A honey trap gang operating in Lahore has been busted, with seven people arrested, including three women and two police officers, according to officials as Express News reported on Saturday. According to police, the gang used social media to befriend men before luring them to apartments under false pretences. Once there, the victims were allegedly assaulted and filmed in compromising situations, with the gang demanding large sums of money in exchange for not leaking the footage. The arrested suspects were identified as Asim, Waqas, Ahmed, Abrar, Noreen, Kiran, and Fariha. Officials said the operation was traced using social media tracking, mobile phone forensics, and other modern investigative techniques. Authorities recovered seven mobile phones, handcuffs, a pistol, and Rs55,000 in cash from the suspects. Investigators revealed that the gang had already targeted more than 50 individuals. A case has been registered against the accused following a complaint by a local citizen, Kamran. The FIR also alleges that a polio worker was involved in the operation and had partnered with Asim, the suspected gang leader. The revelations have sparked concern about law enforcement involvement in organised crime. Police say further arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
