17 people, including five crew members and 12 civilians, lost their lives after a Pakistan Army aviation aircraft on a routine training flight crashed near Mora Kalu Rawalpindi. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release issued on Tuesday, 12 others were injured in the incident. According to witnesses, the crash happened around 2am and the plane was already on fire before crashing.
In order to come to a final conclusion to the Afghan war, Pakistan will soon extend a formal invitation to representatives of Afghan Taliban to visit Islamabad. The meeting will hope to convince the insurgents for a permanent ceasefire. The Taliban spokesperson has already indicated that the group’s representatives would be willing to travel to Islamabad if given a formal invitation.
Following an alert issued by intelligence services that militants could target security and other sensitive installations in the city, a high alert has been declared by the Punjab home department in the district with the police directed to be more vigilant of their surroundings. Militants may attack police stations within Rawalpindi and could also attack other sensitive installations.
After reinvestigation, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari announced the removal of Iftikhar Loond as focal person of human rights in Sindh. In a Tweet, Mazari said that ‘new evidence’ have been found and regretted the decision she had made earlier. Loond, who was appointed few weeks ago, has been accused of grievously assaulting one of his employees in Ghotki.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi was has been unanimously elected as one of the four vice presidents of the Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc), the economic arm of the UN. Ambassador Lodhi, who was elected by acclamation after her candidature was endorsed by the 54-member body, will assume the Asia Pacific seat in the Ecosoc bureau.
In a federal cabinet meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government has decided to allow dual national Pakistanis to contest elections. Keeping the PM’s vision to utilise talent and resources of overseas Pakistanis, five major regulatory bodies were brought under the cabinet to approve a proposal for removing the column of profession from the national passport.
PML-N President, Shehbaz Sharif, has filed a defamation against The Mail on Sunday, a British tabloid and sister paper of the Daily Mail, for accusing him of misappropriating UK aid funds. The article published earlier this month had accused Sharif and his family of misappropriating UK government funds meant for flood and earthquake survivours during his tenure as Punjab chief minister.
First time in Pakistan, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s austerity drive has saved public money worth over Rs100 million during his recent trip to the USA. The PM’s decision to take commercial flights for the US trip and travelling through Qatar airways has set examples for many. The PM scrapped practices of former premiers of engaging at least two long-haul jets.
On directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Punjab government has asked the inspector general prison to remove air conditioner (AC) from the prison cell of incarcerated prime minister Nawaz Sharif. A letter written on July 17 to the inspector general prison states that ‘No preferential treatment be given to the criminals and money launders in the prison in Punjab’.
A week ago, Opposition parties in complete concord decided to announce July 25, first anniversary of 2018 general elections, as ‘black day’ across Pakistan. In retaliation, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf has announced to celebrate July 25 as Thanksgiving Day. PTI’s Chief Organizer Saif Ullah Niazi has directed all central and district bodies of PTI to celebrate in a befitting manner.