Category Archives: Lahore

ISLAMABAD, Lahore, LATEST

PDM show service providers in hot water

LAHORE: A day after the public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) at Minar-i-Pakistan, the Lahore police launched a crackdown on service providers for the event.

The police high-ups assigned a task to the divisional SPs to identify and arrest those who managed chairs and other goods for the public meeting of the PDM and take legal action against them.

Similarly, the district government was also assigned the same task and accordingly, the Shahdara police registered a criminal case against two major dealers — Mian Imran and Mian Shahid — for ‘facilitating’ the PDM show by selling 7,000 chairs.

The FIR was lodged against them on the complaint of Patwari Farrukhabad Mohammad Javed.

Two traders booked for selling 7,000 chairs

Mr Javed alleged that the traders sold the chairs to suspect Mohammad Shafiq and nominated him too in the case.

He alleged in the FIR that the suspects blatantly violated standard operating procedure (SOP) and the Section 144 imposed by the Punjab government.

The complainant claimed that suspect Shafiq purchased chairs from the shop of Mian Shahid and Mian Imran that was located near New Ravi Bridge.

An official said the police obtained some photographs and video clips of one of the suspects Mian Imran when he made his appearance in the [PDM] public meeting.

He said the police personnel deputed for the security at the meeting confiscated most of the chairs from the venue and also deployed force so that no one could collect [the chairs].

He said the police launched a crackdown for the arrest of the other suspects according to the list [of shopkeepers and big dealers] provided to the divisional SPs and the station house officers to take action against them.

Fearing police action, many of them have gone underground after closing their business points.

There were also reports that the police officials were [allegedly] harassing the dealers and shopkeepers probably on the pressure of the high-ups to ensure arrests as per directions.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2020

Lahore, LATEST, PANJAB

Dastgir refuses to continue as Punjab IGP ‘till removal of CCPO’

LAHORE: In a surprise move, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shoaib Dastgir has refused to work under the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government over the recent appointment of Umar Sheikh as the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) without consulting him, and has asked the chief minister to transfer him to a “suitable location”.

Another reason that is said to have prompted the IGP to take this step was some comments the CCPO had allegedly passed while talking to a few police officers on his first day in office, less than a week ago.

An official privy to the development told Media that IGP Dastgir met Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday and requested him for a “transfer to any other suitable place”, saying he would not continue as the provincial police chief until the removal of the CCPO.

He is also said to have skipped office on Monday and met with the chief minister in plain clothes, giving the Punjab government the message that he would not accept Mr Sheikh as the CCPO at any cost.

The official source said that the CCPO’s comments that are said to have irked the IGP were regarding the latter’s impending retirement passed while talking to a few police officers at his office.

As these words reached Mr Dastgir, he visited Islamabad on Friday and complained to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking transfer of the CCPO, which was turned down.

On his return to Lahore, the IGP refused to work till the transfer of the CCPO. Consequently, all scheduled meetings at the IGP office were postponed and Dastgir met the CM on Monday where he refused to continue further on the post.

Sources said Chief Minister Buzdar had recommended Mr Sheikh’s name to the prime minister for the CCPO slot. After a 45-minute interview, a federal government team sent by the PM had okayed Sheikh’s name, and the PM accorded his final approval during his visit to Lahore on Sept 3.

The IGP was allegedly not taken on board during the entire process.

Mr Dastgir did not respond to this reporter despite repeated attempts.

Lahore, LATEST, PANJAB, SPORTS

We have prepared well and are raring to go, says Azhar

LAHORE: Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali on Tuesday said though he has many inexperienced players in the side, they are extremely talented and showing lot of promise and will surely give tough time to England in the three-Test series starting from Wednesday at Old Trafford in Manchester.

While announcing 16 probables for the first Test in a presser held through video-link, Azhar replying to a question regarding unusual playing conditions owing to Covid-19, said: “Despite the challenging Covid-19 situation, all players are excited for the series with a positive frame of mind. The players have taken the situation in their stride and as Muslims are prepared to face it. We love cricket and we are going to play good cricket for which credit goes to both ECB and the PCB for arranging the series under these extraordinary circumstances.”

Speaking about lack of experience among his players, Azhar said: “As a cricketer you have to meet tough challenges. Yes we have some inexperienced bowlers and batsmen in the side, but they have tremendous talent and are proving their mettle. As cricketers you have to look at positive things and our last two series have been very good here in England. So that is the motivating force for us. We will bring further improvement in those performances.

“In batting, we have experienced batsmen like me, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Shan Masood and promising Abid Ali and we will go in with a strategy to give tough time to the opposition,” said Azhar. “And similarly, promising, young fast bowlers like Nasim Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are improving a lot with every day.”

Azhar, who has played 78 Tests and needs just 81 runs to complete 6,000 runs in Test cricket, has confined himself to Test cricket after retiring from One-day International cricket three years ago.

MANCHESTER: Pakistan captain Azhar Ali speaks during an online media conference at Old Trafford on Tuesday.—PCB
MANCHESTER: Pakistan captain Azhar Ali speaks during an online media conference at Old Trafford on Tuesday.—PCB

“We have done our best preparations for the Test series as the boys put in good hard work, both in Worcester and later in Derby, and now the task ahead is to translate that hard work into the Tests,” he said.

To a question Azhar said that both openers Shan Masood and Abid Ali proved to be the best opening pair in the last home series and they would open in the first Test as well. “Though Imam-ul-Haq, as third available opener, has also been doing a lot of hard work and is improving but at the moment he has to wait in the wings.”

Asked if the experienced coaching staff of the Pakistan team had tried to impose their decisions on him as captain in anyway, Azhar said: “No. I am quite comfortable working with the coaches. They are trying to solve players’ problems by giving good guidelines and coaching.”

Azhar also admitted that his own performance lacked consistency but vowed to do his best to overcome that with good scores in the series.

“My performance has not been consistent and as a top player I am not happy with it. But I am working hard and that should pay off,” said Azharwho has led Pakistan in only five Test matches, with one victory, three defeats and a drawn game under his belt.

“It is an important series and I and Asad Shafiq fully realise that being the most experienced batsmen, we have to perform.”

Azhar observed that the last series between England and the West Indies proved that the role of spinners was quite vital and if Pakistan’s batsmen set a good total on the board, Pakistan had good bowling resources in both spin and fast bowling to defend it.

“Yasir Shah is our match winner and as spinner his role is very important. After watching the playing conditions, we will decide either to go with one or two spinners,” he said.

Lahore, LATEST

President (PTI) North Punjab Sadaqat Ali Abbasi called on Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar at Governor House.

LAHORE: MNA and President Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) North Punjab Sadaqat Ali Abbasi called on Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar at Governor House.

The political situation in Punjab was discussed during the meeting.

Meanwhile, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi thanked the Governor Punjab for appointing him as Divisional Convener of Aab Pak Authority.

Discussed various issues related to supply of clean drinking water in different districts of Rawalpindi division.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the people of the constituency, the Governor thanked the Punjab for providing additional funds of Rs. 200 million for Murree Kohala Road.

Chairman RDA Raja Tariq Mahmood Murtaza was also present on the occasion. He presented a report on the performance of RDA and briefed the Governor Punjab about the upcoming mega projects Rawalpindi Ring Road and Nala Lei Expressway.

Lahore, LATEST, PANJAB

LHC grants Shehbaz Sharif pre-arrest bail in assets beyond means case

A Lahore High Court division bench on Wednesday granted pre-arrest bail to Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif a day after a team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided his Model Town residence to arrest him in cases related to money laundering and assets beyond known sources of income.

Sharif’s legal team had filed the pre-arrest bail petition on June 1, a day before he was required to appear before a combined investigation team of the NAB. However, the bail petition could not be fixed for hearing before the bench yesterday.

Yesterday, for a third time, Shehbaz had refused to appear before NAB, citing health concerns. In a statement submitted to the bureau, he said:

“It has been widely reported in the media that some NAB officials have tested positive for Covid-19.ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

“Please appreciate [that] I am a cancer survivor and and 69 years old. I have been advised limited exposure on account of the peculiar background of low immunity,” he said.

He added that he was available to answer any queries by the investigation team via Skype.

After he did not appear for the NAB hearing, a team of officials from the watchdog and police raided the PML-N president’s residence in Lahore’s Model Town to arrest him but left on learning that he was not present there.

If Sharif is arrested by the NAB before the hearing, the bail petition would stand infructuous.

Petitions request LHC to allow Sharif to reach court

Earlier on Wednesday, vice-chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Abid Saqi and Lahore High Court Bar Association Secretary Haroon Dogal submitted a petition requesting the Lahore High Court to grant Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif permission to reach the court.

The petition stated that police have “set up obstacles” on the way to the court to prevent [Shehbaz from reaching it].

Shehbaz Sharif submitted a petition for pre-arrest bail in the LHC two days ago and reaching the court [for it] is his legal right, the petitioners said.

A similar petition was also filed by Azam Nazeer Tarar, a member of the PBC.

Police deployment violation of the law: Rana Sanullah

PML-N leaders including Rana Sanaullah, Marriyum Aurangzeb and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reached the court premises ahead of the hearing. Party spokeswoman Marriyum Aurangzeb, speaking to reporters outside the LHC, said that an “anti-people and thieving government” had been imposed upon the people.

“The person who shut the country from atop a container has frozen the entire country,” she added.

Rana Sanaullah said that Shehbaz was a “patriotic citizen and wants to get bail which is his legal right”.

He said that the deploying of heavy contingent of police outside the high court premises was a “complete violation of the law”.