International

A kid goat with extraordinarily long ears has become something of a media star in Pakistan, with its owner claiming a world record that may or may not exist. Simba is now living a pampered existence in Karachi, where he was born last month with ears that were strikingly long — and have grown further to reach 54cm (21 inches). Breeder Mohamed Hasan Narejo says he has approached Guinness World Records to see if his charge can be included as the Greatest Of All Time, although a category for “longest-eared goat” does not currently appear on the organisation’s website. “Within 10 to 12 days of his birth he was already appearing in all the national and international media — and won a beauty contest,” a proud Narejo says. “Within 30 days he became so popular that even a famous personality might take 25 to 30 years to achieve this level of fame.” Simba’s ears are so long that Narejo has to fold them over his back to stop the little bleater from standing on them. He has also designed a harness so that Simba can carry the lengthy lugholes around his neck. Narejo is wary of the attention Simba has attracted — including from rival breeders — and has resorted to prayer and tradition to try to fend off any ill will. “We recite Qur’anic verses and blow on him to cast away the evil eye,” Narejo said. “Following a long tradition we inherited from our elders, we have fastened a black thread around him that is fortified with Qur’anic verses.” Narejo plans to raise Simba as a stud to promote the image of Pakistan as a top goat breeding nation. “Simba’s Pakistan name must roam the whole world,” he said.

Pakistan is “one step away” from exiting a dirty money “grey list” after the global watchdog said an on-site visit could lead to the South Asian nation’s removal, the state minister for foreign affairs said yesterday. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) kept Pakistan on the list on Friday but said a visit to verify progress on countering financing of terrorism and money laundering could lead to its removal from countries under increased monitoring. The financial crime watchdog, set up by the Group of Seven industrial powers to protect the global financial system, said Islamabad had substantially completed its two action plans, covering 34 items, as it seeks to get off the list where it has been since 2018. “Pakistan is one step away from exiting the grey list, God willing,” the minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, told a news conference in Islamabad. The FATF said an on-site visit was warranted to verify that reforms had begun and were being sustained, as well as that the necessary political commitment remained in place. Khar said Islamabad will be preparing for the on-site visit before the FATF’s next plenary in October, adding that the FATF will be visiting and inspecting all the measures and legislation Pakistan had implemented on money laundering and terrorism financing. She said Pakistan was confident of getting off the list, which would help build confidence in its economic framework. Exiting the grey list could increase foreign inflows, specifically portfolio and direct investment, Saad Hashemy, executive director at BMA Capital Securities, told Reuters. “We have not only met the timeline. We have outperformed the timeline,” the minister said. “I’m very confident that if we remain on the same trajectory, we will get out of it, and will never return on this path again.”

A Pakistani minister has caused a storm in a teacup by urging citizens to cut back on drinking “chai” as a way to preserve foreign currency that pays to import the leaves used in brewing the popular beverage. Pakistan is the world’s biggest importer of tea — known locally as “chai” — with the latest government figures showing it pays over $515mn a year to bring in the commodity, mostly from Kenya. The country is suffering a long-brewing economic crisis, however, with dwindling foreign reserves used to pay crippling debt. “I would also appeal to the nation to cut down one or two cups of tea because the tea we import is also imported on credit,” Ahsan Iqbal, minister for planning and development, said Tuesday. Pakistanis drink tea in many forms — black, green, hot, cold, sweet, salted and spiced — but the most popular is made by brewing the leaves in boiled sweetened milk. Iqbal’s comments prompted outrage yesterday on social media and in tea rooms across the country. “Why should we reduce the use of tea... we drink at our own expense, we don’t drink with government money,” said Jan Mohamed, 45, a truck driver who says he drinks between 15 to 20 cups a day. “When you drive and you can’t see the road... then there is a risk of an accident. That’s why 20 cups are compulsory,” he told AFP. At a tea stall in Islamabad’s Aabpara market, baker Mohamed Ibrahim said he drank 12 cups every day. “I take three, four cups in the morning, then three in the afternoon and three, four late night,” he said. “This is my addiction.” At the same restaurant, Tanveer Iqbal agreed that people should cut down — even as he and his four children sipped piping hot cups of the drink. The university professor noted tea was routinely served at almost every meeting — especially those held by government officials. “How will we reduce the use of tea when tea is the main drink in all the official meetings?” he asked. “Chai” usually sells for around 45 Pakistani rupees (20 cents) a cup at stalls across the country. “The government has increased its expenditure. They travel in big cars with protocol but we only enjoy tea,” said driver Mohamed.

Pakistan’s powerful military said yesterday that ailing former army chief Pervez Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup 23 years ago and ruled for nine years, should be allowed to return from self-imposed exile in Dubai. Musharraf’s family said last week the 78-year-old was unlikely to recover from multiple organ failure in Dubai, where he has been since 2016 after being allowed to leave Pakistan for medical treatment. At the time, the former four-star general was facing multiple court cases related to his period of rule, and was sentenced in absentia to death for treason, a ruling that was later annulled. “It was the opinion of the institution and its leadership that Pervez Musharraf may return to the country in view of his poor health if the family so desires,” Major General Babar Iftikhar, head of the military’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) publicity wing, was quoted as saying by local media. ISPR confirmed his remark to AFP yesterday. Musharraf still faces numerous court cases should he return to the country. The military has ruled Pakistan for decades at various times since the country gained independence in 1947, and Musharraf was army chief of staff when he seized power after then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif tried to sack him in 1999. His legacy is a controversial one, with some crediting him with rescuing Pakistan from economic crisis and others blaming him for fanning extremism by allying the country with the United States in its war against armed groups in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. While in office, he oversaw a stint of economic growth while surviving at least three assassination attempts. But he is also accused of overseeing a period marked by human rights abuses and the disappearance of hundreds of activists. Leading human rights activist Tahira Abdullah said Musharraf should be tried if he does return. “As a citizen of Pakistan, everyone has the right of return,” she said. “However... he must be arrested immediately after setting foot on Pakistani soil and must be sent to jail — or to hospital if he is ill”, she added. Musharraf’s easy going charm failed to mask the blurring of the division between the government and army, and his popularity plummeted after trying to sack the Supreme Court chief justice and declaring a state of emergency in late 2007. After the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the national mood soured even more and crushing losses suffered by his allies in the 2008 elections left him isolated. Musharraf’s plan to return to power in the 2013 general election was dashed when he was disqualified from running in a poll won by Sharif — the man he deposed in 1999. On Tuesday, Sharif — whose brother Shshbaz is now prime minister — said he supported allowing Musharraf to return. “I have no personal enmity with Pervez Musharraf and do not want others to undergo an agony that I experienced about my loved ones,” he tweeted from London, where he lives in self-imposed exile after being convicted on corruption charges in 2018. “I pray to Allah the Almighty for his health. The government should facilitate him if he wants to come back”, Sharif added. Retired general Talat Masood, now a defence and political analyst, said Musharraf should be allowed to die in peace at home. “After all, he is a Pakistani... and now wants to spend his last days in the country and he should be allowed”, he said. Liaqat Baloch, a senior leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, also said Musharraf should be allowed to return. “We pray to Allah that he recovers soon — and then he should face the raft of cases pending against him,” he said.

Former Pakistan military strongman Pervez Musharraf is gravely ill in Dubai, his office said yesterday, warning that the 78-year-old is unlikely to recover. “Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning,” a message on his official Twitter page said, adding that the news came from his family. Musharraf seized power in 1999 in a bloodless coup after the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif tried to dismiss him as army chief, having appointed him above more senior officers a year earlier. The four-star general was ruling Pakistan as a “chief executive” when the 9/11 attacks on the US took place, and swiftly aligned with Washington during its military intervention in neighbouring Afghanistan. In more than seven years in office, Musharraf oversaw a stint of economic growth while successfully dodging at least three assassination attempts. Musharraf won a five-year term as president in a 2002 referendum, but reneged on promises to quit as army chief until late 2007. His easygoing charm also failed to mask the blurring of the division between the state and army, and he fell out of favour after trying to sack the chief justice. After the December 2007 assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the national mood soured even more and crushing losses suffered by his allies in 2008 elections left him isolated. Musharraf’s plan to return to power in 2013 was dashed when he was disqualified from running in an election won by Nawaz Sharif – the man he deposed in 1999. In 2016 a travel ban was lifted and Musharraf travelled to Dubai to seek medical treatment. Three years later, he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason, related to his 2007 decision to impose emergency rule. However, a court later nullified the ruling.

Muslims took to the streets in huge protests around Asia after Friday prayers, sparked by offensive remarks against Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him) by an Indian ruling party official that embroiled the country in a diplomatic storm. Anger has engulfed the Islamic world since last week, when a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party made the offensive remarks on a TV debate show. Around 20 countries have since called in their Indian ambassadors and the party has gone into damage control, suspending the official from its ranks and insisting it respected all religions. Yesterday saw the biggest street rallies yet in response to the furore. In Pakistan, around 5,000 supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik held a march in Lahore after Friday prayers. The protesters called on the government to take stronger action against India over the comments. More than 100,000 people mobilised across Bangladesh after midday prayers. “We are gathered here to protest the remarks by Indian government officials,” said Amanullah Aman, a protester in the capital Dhaka. “We want death penalties for them.” Crowds in the city chanted slogans denouncing Modi and warning enemies of the Muslim faith to “be careful”. Meanwhile, members of India’s 200mn-strong Muslim minority community staged demonstrations in several cities, with a large crowd gathered on the steps of the 17th-century Jama Masjid mosque in New Delhi. Elsewhere in the capital, social media footage showed students of the prestigious Jamia Millia Islamia university burning an effigy of Nupur Sharma - the Bharatiya Janata Party spokeswoman whose comments set off the furore. In the Uttar Pradesh city of Prayagraj, riot police with shields charged and fired tear gas at crowds yesterday in a street strewn with broken bricks and stones, video footage from Reuters partner ANI showed. A total of 109 people have been arrested from different districts of Uttar Pradesh by the police for their alleged role in the protests today, said Prashant Kumar, a senior Uttar Pradesh police official. In Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi, protesters hurled stones at police and injured some officers, senior police official Anis Gupta said adding the situation was now under control. Protests in other cities and town remained peaceful. Authorities in Kashmir cut the territory’s Internet connections, restricted prayer congregations at mosques and imposed a curfew yesterday. A spontaneous shutdown saw businesses close across Srinagar, the region’s major city. In Ahmedabad, the main city in Modi’s home state of Gujarat, protesters including children marched holding posters of the two BJP officials and calling for police to arrest Sharma. “So far, no strict action has been taken against Nupur Sharma,” said protester Mohamed Jabir. “She should be arrested as soon as possible.”

At least 22 people were killed when a passenger van plunged into a deep ravine in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said. The only survivor of the crash -- a 13-year-old boy -- was taken to hospital in a critical condition, said Muhammad Qasim, a senior government official in the Qila Saifullah district of Balochistan province where the accident happened. "The driver was speeding and broke through a protective wall at a bend in the road, falling hundreds of feet into the ravine," said Qasim. Four children aged between three and nine were among those killed, he added. Muhammad Younus, from the provincial disaster management authority, confirmed the incident and details.

Germany will not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan as long as “dire” conditions under them persist, Germany’s foreign minister said yesterday, calling for a united international call on the Taliban for change. No foreign government has formally recognised the Taliban since they took over Afghanistan last August as US-backed foreign forces withdrew after two decades of war. “When we look across the border the situation is dire,” the German minister, Annalena Baerbock, told a news conference in the Islamabad, capital of neighbouring Pakistan. She warned of a looming humanitarian and economic crisis in a country in which she said girls were deprived of education, women were excluded from public life and dissenting voices were suppressed. “As long as they go down this path, there’s no room for normalisation and even less for less for recognition of the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of the country, at the same time we will not ... abandon the people of Afghanistan,” she said, adding that Germany would send humanitarian aid. Taliban officials deny accusations of rights abuses and say they are working on creating conditions in which they will open highschools for girls. Pakistan, which for years saw the Taliban as an effective block on the influence of old rival India in Afghanistan, has called for engagement with the Taliban, saying the world cannot afford a humanitarian crisis. But Pakistani’s new foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, said the Taliban should heed international community concerns on rights and security. “It is our hope that Afghan authorities would be responsive to the international community’s expectations regarding inclusivity respect for human rights of all Afghans including women and effective actions against terrorism,” he said. Baerbock called for a unity to press the Taliban. “The international community must stand united and together tell the Taliban loud and clear — you are heading in the wrong direction,” she said. Baerbock also said Germany and Pakistan had streamlined a system for bringing Afghan refugees to Germany via Pakistan and more than 14,000 Afghans who were particularly at risk had been able to travel to Germany over recent months. German FM cuts trip short after positive Covid test German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is cutting a trip abroad short after testing positive for the coronavirus on her first stop in Pakistan, her ministry confirmed yesterday. Baerbock, who met earlier yesterday with her Pakistani counterpart in Islamabad, has cancelled all further dates of the trip, which also included stops in Greece and Turkey, said the ministry. She tested positive after lunch after she had noticed that she lost her sense of taste, said the ministry. A rapid antigen test she took in the morning had been negative, it added. It is unclear when she will return to Germany.

Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan yesterday warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests, after leading thousands of supporters to the capital Islamabad in a showdown with his political rivals. His morning address was the culmination of a chaotic 24 hours which saw the capital blockaded and clashes break out between police and protesters across the country. The government had attempted to prevent the convoy from reaching the capital by shutting down all entry and exit points around the city, but was forced to allow in protesters by an emergency Supreme Court order. Since being removed from power through a no-confidence vote last month, cricket star-turned-politician Khan has heaped pressure on the country’s fragile new coalition rulers by staging rallies, touting a claim he was ousted from office in a “foreign conspiracy”. “I want to give a message to this imported government to announce elections within six days. Dissolve the assemblies and call an election in June,” he said to a crowd of thousands who later dispersed. He warned that he would return to the capital with his supporters next week if elections were not scheduled. “We will not accept his dictation,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told parliament yesterday afternoon. “When elections are to be held, it will be decided by this house.” “If he thinks he will blackmail us, he is mistaken.” Thousands of supporters of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party heeded his call to march to the capital from nearby cities on Wednesday. But political analysts said Khan’s attempt to stage a historic sit-in was a failure, with smaller numbers than expected hobbling his bargaining power.

Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests, after leading thousands of supporters to the capital Islamabad in a showdown with his political rivals. His morning address was the culmination of a chaotic 24 hours which saw the capital blockaded and clashes break out between police and protesters across the country. The government had attempted to prevent the convoy from reaching the capital by shutting down all entry and exit points around the city, but was forced to allow in the protesters by an emergency Supreme Court order. Since being removed from power through a no-confidence vote last month, cricket star turned politician Khan has heaped pressure on the country's fragile new coalition rulers by staging rallies, touting a claim he was ousted from office in a "foreign conspiracy". "I want to give a message to this imported government to announce elections within six days. Dissolve the assemblies and call an election in June," he said, to a thinned out crowd of thousands who later dispersed.  He warned that he would return to the capital with his supporters next week if elections were not scheduled. Thousands of supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party heeded his call to march to the capital from nearby cities on Wednesday. But political analysts said Khan's attempt to stage a historic sit-in was a failure, with smaller numbers than expected hobbling his bargaining power.  "With around 30,000 people, it was not a good idea to stay in Islamabad and face the powerful police that broke his momentum," said Qamar Cheema.   - Tear gas -   Confrontations erupted between police and protesters throughout, who attempted to remove roadblocks on key highways to join the convoy. Police repeatedly deployed teargas to disperse crowds in the capital, as well as in the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi.   The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was "deeply concerned by the highhandedness of law enforcement agencies" in disrupting the march. "The state's overreaction has triggered, more than it has prevented, violence on the streets," it tweeted. The government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had pledged to stop the protesters from entering the capital, calling the rally an attempt to "divide the nation and promote chaos". But as unrest was breaking out around the country, the Supreme Court granted permission for PTI to stage its rally on the edge of the city.  The court also ordered the government and PTI leaders to hold urgent negotiations over the political crisis and the release of supporters detained by police. More than 1,700 people have been arrested since police began raiding the homes of PTI supporters on Monday night, said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who previously accused protesters of planning to carry weapons. - Forced negotiations -   The country's two normally feuding dynastic parties that combined to push Khan out of power have repeatedly said they have no plans to hold an imminent election. Khan joined the march in dramatic fashion, arriving in a helicopter that touched down on a motorway clogged with supporters in his power base of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. While some supporters were left disappointed by the curtailed sit-in, many were prepared to follow their leader. "Whatever decision he takes we just obey it," said Muhammad Uzair, a 29-year-old clothes shop assistant. "We are ready to come back after six days." The international sporting hero came to power in 2018, voted in by an electorate weary of the dynastic politics of the country's two major parties and enjoying the backing of the nation's powerful military Promising to sweep away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism, he is believed to have fallen out with Pakistan's generals. He was brought down by opposition parties in part by his failure to rectify the country's dire economic situation, including its crippling debt, shrinking foreign currency reserves and soaring inflation. Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday warned the government to stage fresh elections or face more mass protests, after leading thousands of supporters to the capital Islamabad in a showdown with his political rivals. His morning address was the culmination of a chaotic 24 hours which saw the capital blockaded and clashes break out between police and protesters across the country. The government had attempted to prevent the convoy from reaching the capital by shutting down all entry and exit points around the city, but was forced to allow in the protesters by an emergency Supreme Court order. Since being removed from power through a no-confidence vote last month, cricket star turned politician Khan has heaped pressure on the country's fragile new coalition rulers by staging rallies, touting a claim he was ousted from office in a "foreign conspiracy". "I want to give a message to this imported government to announce elections within six days. Dissolve the assemblies and call an election in June," he said, to a thinned out crowd of thousands who later dispersed.  He warned that he would return to the capital with his supporters next week if elections were not scheduled. Thousands of supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party heeded his call to march to the capital from nearby cities on Wednesday. But political analysts said Khan's attempt to stage a historic sit-in was a failure, with smaller numbers than expected hobbling his bargaining power.  "With around 30,000 people, it was not a good idea to stay in Islamabad and face the powerful police that broke his momentum," said Qamar Cheema.   - Tear gas -   Confrontations erupted between police and protesters throughout, who attempted to remove roadblocks on key highways to join the convoy. Police repeatedly deployed teargas to disperse crowds in the capital, as well as in the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi.   The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said it was "deeply concerned by the highhandedness of law enforcement agencies" in disrupting the march. "The state's overreaction has triggered, more than it has prevented, violence on the streets," it tweeted. The government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had pledged to stop the protesters from entering the capital, calling the rally an attempt to "divide the nation and promote chaos". But as unrest was breaking out around the country, the Supreme Court granted permission for PTI to stage its rally on the edge of the city.  The court also ordered the government and PTI leaders to hold urgent negotiations over the political crisis and the release of supporters detained by police. More than 1,700 people have been arrested since police began raiding the homes of PTI supporters on Monday night, said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who previously accused protesters of planning to carry weapons. - Forced negotiations -   The country's two normally feuding dynastic parties that combined to push Khan out of power have repeatedly said they have no plans to hold an imminent election. Khan joined the march in dramatic fashion, arriving in a helicopter that touched down on a motorway clogged with supporters in his power base of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. While some supporters were left disappointed by the curtailed sit-in, many were prepared to follow their leader. "Whatever decision he takes we just obey it," said Muhammad Uzair, a 29-year-old clothes shop assistant. "We are ready to come back after six days." The international sporting hero came to power in 2018, voted in by an electorate weary of the dynastic politics of the country's two major parties and enjoying the backing of the nation's powerful military Promising to sweep away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism, he is believed to have fallen out with Pakistan's generals. He was brought down by opposition parties in part by his failure to rectify the country's dire economic situation, including its crippling debt, shrinking foreign currency reserves and soaring inflation.

All roads leading to Pakistan's capital Islamabad were blocked on Wednesday ahead of a rally called by ousted prime minister Imran Khan, with police deploying tear gas to disperse supporters in one major city. Since being removed from power through a no-confidence vote last month, the international cricket star-turned-politician has heaped pressure on the country's fragile new coalition government by staging mass rallies demanding fresh elections. In a centrepiece showdown with his rivals, Khan plans on Wednesday to lead tens of thousands of people from his power base in the northwestern city of Peshawar to the capital, where supporters from other cities also hope to gather.  "We will reach Islamabad at all costs. We will deal with any obstructions... and follow the orders of our leader," shopkeeper and protester Irfan Ahmad, 34, told AFP in Peshawar. The coalition government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has pledged to stop Khan's supporters from pouring into the city, calling the rally an attempt to "divide the nation and promote chaos".  Islamabad police on Wednesday published a traffic plan showing a complete blockade of the capital, backed up by a heavy security presence. Entry and exit points on key highways towards Islamabad were blocked by police in the nearest main cities of Peshawar, Lahore and Multan. In Lahore, police deployed tear gas against Khan supporters attempting to remove roadblocks and travel to Islamabad in convoys. "Nobody should be allowed to besiege the capital and dictate his terms," interior minister Rana Sanaullah said Tuesday. Schools in Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi were closed and all exams cancelled, while a state of emergency was declared at all hospitals, with staff put on alert.  "We have seen the capital blocked before but this is something unprecedented," Islamabad private school worker Allah Ditta, 52, told AFP. Salon worker Sawera Masih complained that the wide-scale disruption was falling hardest on daily wage workers like herself. "Whoever is in power doesn't make a difference to us, but not earning even for a single day affects me and my family," the 23-year-old said.   - Police raids -   On Tuesday, Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) accused police of arresting and detaining hundreds of its supporters in overnight raids.  Police sources in Lahore who asked not to be named told AFP more than 200 supporters were detained on public order offences.  The government and police have said that protesters had been planning to join the march with weapons. One police officer was shot dead during the raids, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said. But a defiant Khan -- who claims he was removed by a US-led foreign conspiracy -- told reporters in Peshawar he would lead the largest march in Pakistan's history.  "I don't consider it politics but jihad," Khan said, referring to a term used by Muslims to describe a struggle. In 2018, Khan was voted in by an electorate weary of the dynastic politics of the country's two major parties. The popular former sports star -- who enjoyed the backing of the country's powerful military -- had promised to sweep away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism but is believed to have fallen out with Pakistan's generals. He was brought down in part by his failure to rectify the country's dire economic situation, including its crippling debt, shrinking foreign currency reserves and soaring inflation.

Pakistani police detained hundreds of supporters of ousted prime minister Imran Khan overnight ahead of a major sit-in planned by the former leader, senior party members and police sources said Tuesday, as the government pledged to block the protest. Khan, a cricket star turned populist politician, was kicked out of power last month in a vote of no-confidence, but has since pressured the country's fragile new coalition government by staging mass rallies across the country. Alleging that he was removed through a "foreign conspiracy", Khan plans on Wednesday to lead tens of thousands of supporters from his power base in the northwestern city of Peshawar to the capital Islamabad demanding fresh elections.  "Tomorrow I will be leading the largest march of Pakistan's history. I don't consider it politics but jihad," Khan said, referring to a term used by Muslims to describe a struggle.  Security was being built up across the country, with shipping container roadblocks hauled into place in Islamabad and the government quarter put on lockdown, while many entry and exit points around the city of Lahore -- around 380 kilometres (236 miles) away -- were also blocked.  "This (protest) is being done to divide the nation and promote chaos," Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters. "Nobody should be allowed to besiege the capital and dictate his terms." "This march cannot be allowed to take place," Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb added.    - Opposition arrests -   Two police officials told AFP that more than 200 supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were arrested in overnight raids in the nation's most populous province Punjab. They were booked on public order offences and remain in detention, one of the sources said. Fawad Chaudhry, the former information minister in Khan's government, accused police of not having the necessary warrants and put the number of arrested at more than 400. "More than 1,100 houses were raided overnight. Police entered the houses without any warrants and insulted women and children," he tweeted. One police officer was shot dead during a raid on a PTI supporter's house in Lahore, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said. Police have not officially commented on the arrests or allegations. Attaullah Tarar -- a senior leader in new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N party -- said at a press conference that protestors had been planning to join the march "with weapons". "We have information that they have started collecting ammunition at various places," he told reporters. Political analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi told AFP that Pakistan's all-powerful military was currently remaining neutral in the standoff but "they may try to defuse the situation if it gets worse". On Saturday, senior PTI leader and former minister Shireen Mazari was arrested near her house in the capital over a decades-old land dispute. She was briefly detained before a court ordered her release.  In 2018, Khan was voted in by an electorate weary of the dynastic politics of the country's two major parties, with the popular former sports star promising to sweep away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism. He was brought down in part by his failure to rectify the country's dire economic situation, including its crippling debt, shrinking foreign currency reserves and soaring inflation. Sharif is now grappling with the same crisis, as well as rising militancy and soured relations with the West.

South Asia was in the grip of an extreme heatwave yesterday, with parts of Pakistan reaching a temperature of 50° Celsius as officials warned of acute water shortages and a health threat. Swathes of Pakistan and neighbouring India have been smothered by high temperatures since April in extreme weather that the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned is consistent with climate change. Yesterday the city of Jacobabad in Pakistan’s Sindh province hit 50C (122° Fahrenheit), the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said, with temperatures forecast to remain high until tomorrow. “It’s like fire burning all around,” said labourer Shafi Mohamed, who is from a village on the outskirts of Jacobabad where residents struggle to find reliable access to drinking water. Nationwide, the PMD alerted temperatures were between 6-9C above normal, with the capital Islamabad – as well as provincial hubs Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar – recording temperatures around 40C yesterday. “This year we have jumped from winter right into summer,” said PMD chief forecaster Zaheer Ahmad Babar. Pakistan has endured heightened heatwaves since 2015, he said, especially in upper Sindh province and southern Punjab province. “The intensity is increasing, and the duration is increasing, and the frequency is increasing,” he told AFP. Jacobabad nurse Bashir Ahmed says that, for the past six years, heatstroke cases in the city have been diagnosed earlier in the year – starting in May, rather than June or July. “This is just increasing,” he said. Far worse may be on the horizon for South Asia as climate change continues apace, top climate scientists have said. Punjab province irrigation spokesman Adnan Hassan said the Indus River – Pakistan’s key waterway – had shrunk by 65% “due to a lack of rains and snow” this year. Sheep have reportedly died from heatstroke and dehydration in the Cholistan Desert of Punjab – Pakistan’s most populous province, which also serves as the national breadbasket. “There is a real danger of a shortfall in food and crop supply this year in the country should the water shortage persist,” Hassan said. Pakistan’s climate minister, Sherry Rehman, this week warned residents in the megacity of Lahore “to take cover for the hottest hours of the day”. The heatwave has also ravaged India, with temperatures in parts of Rajasthan hitting 48.1C on Thursday and expected to hit 46C in Delhi from tomorrow. Suman Kumari, 19, a student who lives in northwest Delhi, told AFP: “It was so hot today that I felt exhausted and sick while returning from college in a bus. The bus seemed like an oven. With no air conditioning, it was sizzling hot inside.” Most schools have declared summer holidays from Monday for junior classes. Heatwaves were also predicted in parts of northwest India including areas of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh – collectively home to hundreds of millions of people – over the coming days. However, some respite is expected when the southwest monsoon makes its advance into the Andaman Sea and adjoining Bay of Bengal around May 15, said the India Meteorological Department. As power outages exacerbate heatwaves, India plans to lease abandoned coal pits to private mining companies, a government official said yesterday, in an effort to ramp up production. Pakistan has also faced severe power outages, with some rural areas getting as few as six hours of electricity a day. Home to 220mn – Pakistan says it is responsible for less than 1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, it ranks as the nation eighth most affected by extreme weather events, according to a 2021 study by environmental group Germanwatch. Extreme heat can also trigger cascading disasters that could pummel Pakistan’s generally impoverished population. The mountainous portions of the country are home to more than 7,000 glaciers, a number larger than any region outside the poles. Quickly melting glaciers can swell lakes, which then burst their banks and unleash torrents of ice, rock and water in events known as glacial lake outburst floods. Last weekend a key highway bridge in the Gilgit-Baltistan region was swept away in flash flooding caused by glacier melt. In April, officials warned there were 33 lakes in Pakistan in danger of unleashing similar dangerous deluges.

Israel bolstered security in Jerusalem ahead of the funeral on Friday of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, two days after she was killed during an Israeli army raid. Israel and the Palestinians have traded blame over the fatal shooting of the 51-year-old Palestinian-American during clashes in the Jenin refugee camp. The body of Abu Akleh, a Palestinian Christian born in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, has been transferred to the holy city from the occupied West Bank. Her coffin began its journey to the drumbeat of a marching band, as crowds chanted slogans demanding an end to Palestinian security cooperation with Israel. Thousands of mourners are expected to attend the funeral at a church in Jerusalem's Old City in the afternoon, an Israeli police spokeswoman told AFP. Roads would be closed along the route of the procession, the spokeswoman said, with extra forces deployed to Jerusalem. In a sign of Abu Akleh's prominence, she was given what was described as a full state memorial on Thursday at Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's compound in Ramallah. Thousands lined the route as her coffin, draped in the Palestinian flag, was driven through the West Bank city, where a street is to be renamed in her honour. Many held flowers, wreaths and pictures of the journalist, who has been widely hailed for her bravery and professionalism. "Her voice entered every home, and her loss is a wound in our hearts," said mourner Hadil Hamdan. The United States, European Union and United Nations have backed calls for a full investigation into what Al Jazeera labelled a deliberate killing "in cold blood", but the Palestinian Authority has rejected holding a joint probe with Israel. While reporting in Jenin, Abu Akleh was wearing a bulletproof vest emblazoned with the word "Press", as well as a helmet. Grief over her killing spilled beyond Palestine, with protests erupting in Turkey, Sudan and elsewhere. She "was the sister of all Palestinians," her brother Antoun Abu Akleh told AFP. "This crime should not go unpunished," Abbas  said during the Ramallah memorial, adding the Palestinian Authority held Israel "completely responsible" for her death. PA official Hussein Al-Sheikh, a close Abbas confidant, said the Palestinian "investigation would be completed independently". An initial autopsy and forensic examination were conducted in Nablus in the West Bank hours after her death. Fresh violence erupted on Friday in the northern West Bank, with an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp leaving one Palestinian wounded, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

One person was killed and 12 injured in a bomb blast late Thursday in Karachi, police said, in the second attack by separatist militants to hit Pakistan's most populous city in recent weeks. The explosion in the Saddar neighbourhood was claimed by the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) -- a dissident faction fighting for independence in the province of Sindh. In a statement released on Telegram the SRA said it planted a "remote control bomb" targeting a coastguard vehicle and vowed to "continue its resistance struggle till complete freedom". The bomb detonated at around 11pm (1800 GMT) but police said one "passerby" was the only person slain, while a coastguard vehicle was among "several" damaged. "Initial investigation suggested that the explosive material was planted in a motorcycle that was parked near a trash bin," said local police station house officer Sajjad Khan. On Friday morning patients were still being treated for injuries from ball bearings -- which are packed inside bombs to magnify the damage -- said Jinnah Hospital medical superintendent Shahid Rasool. Nine of the injured remained in hospital, while three had already been discharged, he said. Thursday's attack comes two weeks after a female suicide bomber killed four people, including three Chinese nationals, in a staff minibus from a Beijing cultural programme at Karachi University. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) -- a group fighting for independence in Pakistan's largest and most impoverished province, Balochistan -- claimed responsibility for the April 26 strike. China has made massive energy and infrastructure investments in Balochistan under a $54 billion scheme known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. However the programme has put Chinese citizens in the cross hairs of Baloch separatists, who say local residents do not see their fair share of riches from natural resources in the region. More widely, Pakistan has been witnessing an uptick in militant attacks. The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said assaults rose by 24 percent between March and April. Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, Islamabad has increasingly complained of attacks being staged across the porous border with the neighbouring nation.

The son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took charge of Punjab province yesterday, further bolstering the dynasty’s grip on power. In the Muslim-majority nation of more than 220mn people, power is mostly shared between two families – the Sharifs and the Bhuttos – for much of Pakistan’s history. It comes weeks after cricket superstar turned politician Imran Khan was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote when the usually feuding families formed an opposition coalition. Hamza Shehbaz Sharif took over as chief minister of Punjab – the country’s richest, most populous and politically influential province – after weeks of deadlock. The region’s governor and a Khan loyalist refused to swear in the new chief, elected by the provincial assembly, forcing Lahore High Court to step in. “Today a month-long political crisis in Punjab has come to an end,” the 47-year-old Sharif told reporters after he was sworn in. “I will seek guidance from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and will take coalition partners into confidence.” The Sharif family, including three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the brother of the new prime minister, have been embroiled in countless corruption and money laundering allegations – and Hamza Sharif is no exception. The family deny the accusations and argue they are politically motivated. The younger Sharif’s appointment as Punjab province’s chief minister comes days after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, was appointed as one of world’s youngest foreign ministers at the age of 33. Khan was voted in by an electorate weary of two-party dynasties in 2018 on a promise of sweeping away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism. However, he struggled to maintain support with soaring inflation, a feeble rupee and crippling debt. Since his ouster Khan has taken to the streets and held massive rallies that attract thousands in the hope of forcing an early election before the next October 2023 poll.

The scion of Pakistan’s most influential political dynasty was appointed foreign minister yesterday, the latest step up a ladder for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Aged 33, Bhutto becomes one of the world’s youngest foreign ministers but inherits a diplomatic bag of issues that started well before he was born — including relations with arch-rival India. Bhutto was sworn in two weeks after he helped lead an alliance that toppled Imran Khan and saw Shehbaz Sharif become prime minister. His first foreign mission in the role will be accompanying Sharif today to Saudi Arabia, a key trade partner and regular source of relief for Pakistan’s struggling economy. Bhutto is the son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, as well as the grandson of another former premier, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. His grandfather also served as foreign minister in the mid-1960s and was the founder of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) that Bhutto now leads. He became party leader aged just 19, while a student at Oxford University, following his mother’s assassination in 2007. She, in turn, had taken over the party’s stewardship from her mother Nusrat, who became chairwoman following the execution of her husband Zulfikar in 1979 under military dictator Zia-ul-Haq. The new foreign minister is considered a progressive, in his mother’s image, and has frequently spoken out on the rights of women and minorities. With more than half of Pakistan’s population aged 22 or below, Bhutto’s social media savvy is also a hit with the young, although he is frequently mocked for a poor command of Urdu, the national language. Political commentators have mixed opinions on Bhutto’s abilities — or how long he can maintain good relations with premier Sharif, of the rival Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) party. “I believe he is an un-tested missile,” analyst Hassan Askari Rizvi told AFP. “It is too early for a young MP like Bilawal Bhutto... and it will be difficult for him to handle issues Pakistan faces, with serious challenges on external fronts.” Fellow analyst Farzana Bari disagreed. “I think Bilawal is intelligent enough to hold the fort,” she told AFP, adding he was “more progressive” than the leaders of other political parties.

A suspected female suicide bomber killed three Chinese teachers in Karachi yesterday, police and officials said, in the first major attack this year against nationals of long-time ally China working in Pakistan. The three were among passengers on a minibus returning to Karachi university after a lunch break when the bomb exploded at the entrance to the university’s Confucius Institute, killing the Chinese teachers and a Pakistani national, police and officials said. A separatist group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) based in southwestern Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, claimed responsibility for the blast, adding in an email to Reuters the attack was carried out by a woman suicide bomber. It shared in the email a photo of her clad in a long shawl sitting with two children. The photo couldn’t be verified independently by police or other officials. Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said: “The reports we have got say they’re Chinese.” He added they were teachers at the Confucius Institute, a Chinese language and cultural centre. “The information we’ve got is that the female bomber was most probably a student at the university,” Memon told local Geo News TV. A local guard and another Chinese citizen were also wounded in the minibus. Local media showed CCTV footage of a woman dressed in black wearing a backpack standing close to the bus shortly before the bomb went off and sent up billowing clouds of fire and smoke. Police did not verify the footage. Local media showed the wrecked minibus dotted with shrapnel holes, and witnesses said the explosion was so big it rattled the windowpanes of other buildings on the sprawling campus. The bombing was the first major attack against Chinese nationals in Pakistan since July last year when a suicide bomber blew up a passenger bus in northern Pakistan that killed 13 people, including nine Chinese working on a hydro-power plant. Other attacks on Chinese working in Pakistan have taken place in Balochistan province, where separatist militants have waged an insurgency against authorities for decades. Balochistan houses a deep-water port in Gawadar city which Beijing is developing under the China Pakistan Economic-Corridor (CPEC) project as part of President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative to seek trade linkages with rest of the world. The incident poses a major challenge to Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who took power this month. He condemned what he called a cowardly act of terrorism. “I am deeply grieved on the loss of precious lives including of our Chinese friends in the heinous attack in Karachi today,” Sharif said in a statement. He promised a speedy investigation. The Baloch separatist guerrillas, who say they are fighting for a greater share in regional resources of mines and minerals, usually attack gas projects, infrastructure and the security forces. They also attack Chinese projects and workers despite Pakistan’s assurances that it is doing everything it can to protect the projects. Islamabad blames arch-rival neighbouring India for backing the insurgents, a charge New Delhi denies.

Pakistan’s National Security Council, a body of top civil and military leaders, has rejected ousted prime minister Imran Khan’s accusations that United States had conspired to topple his government through a parliamentary vote of confidence. Khan, 69, who led the nuclear-armed South Asian country of 220mn people for three and a half years, had accused Washington of backing a conspiracy to remove him. The former premier had said that he visited Moscow against US advice. Washington denies the charge. Asad Majeed, former Pakistan ambassador to the United States who had written a cable to Islamabad about Washington’s take on Khan’s Moscow visit, briefed the civil and military leaders on a forum called National Security Committee (NSC). “The NSC after reviewing the contents of the communication, the assessment received, and the conclusion presented by the security agencies, concludes that there has been no conspiracy,” a statement from the office of new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said yesterday. It said the country’s premier spy agencies informed the NSC that they found no evidence to support any conspiracy theory. Khan’s Pakistan Tehrek-e-Insaf (PTI) party demanded a judicial probe into the matter. The ousted leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, the day Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine. Khan initially blocked the no-confidence move, saying the NSC had endorsed the alleged conspiracy. Khan has aired his conspiracy allegations in three huge public rallies he has held since he was ousted. He has demanded snap elections. The next parliamentary election is due in 2023.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sprang no big surprises in naming his new cabinet yesterday, doling out key portfolios to officials from the two parties that combined to oust Imran Khan after weeks of political crisis. The cabinet is drawn mostly from Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), two usually-feuding dynastic groups who combined to force a no-confidence vote that ousted Khan on April 10. How long the government lasts remains to be seen, however, as most of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers have quit parliament and the former cricketer turned politician has taken his fight to the streets to press for an early election — which must be held by October next year. “It will be an uphill task for the prime minister to pull them together in one direction because some parties have local and regional interests, and some have national interests,” analyst Hasan Askari told AFP. “If they handle economic issues, other problems will settle down — but if the situation worsens, everyone will blame the PML-N, which is in majority.” Sharif, brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, did not name a foreign minister but that role is expected to go to the scion of another political family, 33-year-old Bilawal Zardari Bhutto. The PPP’s Bhutto is the son of former president Asif Ali Zardari and assassinated ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, as well as the grandson of another prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was executed in 1979. If confirmed, the Oxford-educated Bhutto would be one of the world’s youngest foreign ministers and tasked with repairing links with the West that frayed under the leadership of Khan, who accused Washington of conspiring to oust him. Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s first woman foreign minister in the last PPP government, was named deputy. The key finance ministry returns to Miftah Ismail, a PML-N loyalist who served as deputy and briefly minister during the party’s last tenure from 2013-2018. He inherits an economy in the doldrums, with crippling debt, galloping inflation and a feeble rupee. In meetings leading up to his appointment, Ismail said improving relations with the International Monetary Fund and getting a loan program back on track was a key priority, as was improving tax collection. New Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, meanwhile, will have to tackle rising militancy and the threat of civil unrest from the huge public rallies Khan has called across the country in the months ahead. He was arrested on drug charges in July 2019 by the anti-narcotics squad in a case that is still unresolved. Sanaullah is one of at least four new ministers — including premier Sharif — facing criminal investigation or charges from when they last held office, a frequent occurrence in Pakistan politics when there is a change of government. There were just five women in Sharif’s 37-member cabinet, including outspoken Mariyum Aurangzeb returning in charge of information and responsible for selling the government’s message in what promises to be a heated lead up to any next election.