Opposition leader Omar Ayub resigns

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Opposition Leader and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub has resigned from his position as a member of the Judicial Commission, ARY News reported.

According to reports, Omar Ayub informed the Speaker of the National Assembly about his decision through an official letter.

In the letter, Omar Ayub stated that he is resigning due to legal challenges stemming from an FIR filed against him, which hinder his ability to serve effectively on the commission.

He emphasised that, in the best interest of the institution, someone else should take up the responsibility. Ayub proposed Barrister Gohar as his replacement, expressing confidence in Gohar’s legal expertise and integrity as valuable assets to the commission.

Omar Ayub also requested expedited action on his resignation and the formal nomination of Barrister Gohar as a member of the Judicial Commission.

Sources revealed that the PTI chairman Imran Khan has approved the resignations of Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz from the Judicial Commission and directed that Barrister Gohar be nominated in Ayub’s place.

Read More: PTI formally decides to become part of judicial commission

Back in October 2024, the PTI has decided to formally join the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP).

The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) agreed over the nomination of members of the judicial commission from both houses of the Parliament. “The political committee’s session has unanimously approved the proposal of joining the judicial commission,” statement read.

The PTI’s political committee session was briefed over the letter of the National Assembly’s Speaker with two members’ nomination from the opposition.

The session was informed that the judicial commission will appoint the judges of the supreme court, high courts and the federal shariat court. “It will monitor performance of the high courts’ judges and compile annual performance report.

The JCP would had an extended authority to propose nomination of the high courts’ judges and constitute the high court and supreme court benches.

The 1/3 members of the commission could requisite the judicial commission’s session. “The 13-member JCP will decide matters with simple majority of members and absence of any member will not have any impact over the credibility of the decision made by the commission.

The PTI’s political committee’s decision will be forwarded to the party’s Core Committee for endorsement and then to the founding chairman for final approval of the decision.

The session also agreed over announcement of the party’s two names for the JCP after formal approval from the PTI’s founder.

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US reaffirms commitment to support Pakistan in fight against terrorism

The United States (US) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Pakistan in its fight against terrorism, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

During a press conference, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller responded to questions on several pressing matters, including Pakistan, India, and international diplomacy.

When asked about the Biden administration’s plans to supply advanced weaponry to Pakistan before the transition of power to President-elect Donald Trump, Miller stated, “I have nothing to announce at this time.”

He reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to standing with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

Regarding violent protests in Pakistan, Miller said the importance of peaceful demonstrations globally. “Protests, whether in Pakistan or elsewhere, should remain peaceful,” he stated, urging the Pakistani government to handle demonstrators respectfully.

Read more: US committed to support Pakistan in fight against terrorism, says Miller

Addressing another query, Miller declined to comment on whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed charges against the Adani Group and an Indian agent with his Indian counterpart. “I will not comment on private diplomatic conversations,” he noted, but added that the US regularly engages with Indian officials on the conspiracy surrounding the murder of a Sikh leader.

The briefing highlighted the intricate web of challenges and diplomatic issues the US continues to navigate on the global stage.

Earlier, the United States (US) also condemned the recent terrorist attack in Karachi and expressed sympathies for the victims.

“We condemn the deadly attack near Karachi’s International Airport, and we are deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and injuries. We extend our heartfelt condolences to those impacted,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a news briefing.

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Pakistan reports three new polio cases, tally rises to 59 in 2024

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has reported three more polio cases, bringing the total number of cases to 59 in 2024, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for Polio Eradication, the newly reported cases emerged from Dera Ismail Khan, Kemari, and Kashmore.

The NEOC confirmed that all affected children tested positive for Wild Polio Virus Type 1.

Balochistan leads with 26 polio cases, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 16, Sindh with 15, Punjab with one, and Islamabad with one.

Health authorities continue their efforts to combat the spread of the virus through vaccination campaigns and public awareness initiatives.

It’s worth mentioning here that the recent rise in polio cases in Pakistan has sparked concerns for international organizations.

According to sources, the international organization has called on Pakistan to implement emergency measures.

Sources revealed that Pakistan has assured the international organizations of taking swift action to control polio.

Read more: Rise in Pakistan’s Polio cases sparks ‘global concern’

Furthermore, these organizations who work to combat the polio virus likely to visit Pakistan later this month.

Symptoms and risk

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours.

The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness of the neck and pain in the limbs.

One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs). Among those paralysed, 5–10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

The disease mainly affects children under 5 years of age. However, anyone of any age who is unvaccinated can contract the disease.

There is no cure for the crippling disease, it can only be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life.

There are two vaccines available: oral polio vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine. Both are effective and safe, and both are used in different combinations worldwide, depending on local epidemiological and programmatic circumstances, to ensure the best possible protection to populations can be provided.

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Deputy PM arrives in Iran to attend 28th ECO meeting

Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan Senator Mr. Muhammad Ishaq Dar has arrived in the Mashhad city of Iran to participate in 28th meeting of ECO Council of Ministers today.

According to the official Press Release, Mr. Muhammad Mudassir Tipu the Ambassador of Pakistan in Iran along with the Deputy Governor General for Political Affairs of Khorasan Razavi Province Mr. Muhammad Ali Nabipur and Director General MFA Mashhad Mr.Masoomeh Far warmly welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mr. Muhammad Ishaq Dar.

The Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar will participate in Council of Ministers (COM) meeting of ECO. It is the highest policy and decision-making body of ECO comprising of Ministers of foreign affairs of members states who meet in regular informal and extraordinary sessions.

The Council of Ministers (COM) session of ECO will be headed by the Foreign Minister of Iran Mr. Abbas Aragchi.

The other delegates include H.E. Mr. Jeyhon Bayramov Foreign Minister of Azarbaijan, H.E. Mr. Murat Nurtleu Deputy Prime Minister/ Minister of Foreign Affairs Kazakhistan, H.E. Mr. Sirojiddin Muhriddin Foreign Minister of Tajikistan, H.E. Prof. Burhanettin Duran Deputy Foreign Minister Turkiye, H.E. Mr. Ahmet Gurbanov Deputy Foreign Minister of
Turkmenistan, H.E. Mr. Bobur Usmanav Deputy Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan and H.E. Mr. Sydykov Turdakun Ambassodor permanent representative of Kyrgyzstan.

Also read: Pakistan’s reliance on imports from Iran increases

Earlier this year, Iran expressed interest in boosting imports with Pakistan importing meat, rice and other agricultural products.

In a separate development, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasised that the government’s actions regarding the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline would prioritise national interests and deter any external interference.

The deputy prime, to a query regarding Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, said Pakistan, as a sovereign country, would take decisions in the best national interests and would not allow interference into its international obligations.

In the visit, both countries reiterated the importance of cooperation in the energy domain, including trade in electricity, power transmission lines and Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project.

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Woman dies while making video for social media

JARANWALA: In a tragic incident, a bride lost her life in Jaranwala, Punjab, reportedly due to a gunshot while filming a TikTok video, ARY News reported.

According to reports, the police have issued conflicting statements regarding the death of 22-year-old Fatima Bibi, who was married just two days ago to Azmat, a resident of the same village.

According to the initial police report, Fatima accidentally fired the gun while recording a TikTok video. However, sources suggest that the fatal bullet may have come from an unidentified direction.

The police have transferred the body to the hospital and collected evidence from the crime scene. SHO of the Saddar police station stated that the true circumstances will only be revealed after a thorough investigation.

A similar incident happened back in May 2024, when a teenage student, who worked at a call centre in Karachi’s Liaquatabad, was shot and killed himself accidentally while filming a TikTok video.

The Super Market police said that the victim was identified as 16-year-old Abdullah Mehmood.

The police said that Mehmood along with his friend was filming a TikTok video with pistol which went off, killing youth on the site.

Read More: Karachi teenager dies while making TikTok video

The incident was occurred on Friday evening, said police, adding that his body was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Following the incident, the police officials sealed the call centre.

This is not the first time that a life has been lost while filming short videos. Earlier in 2020, a 13-year-old boy in Karachi lost his life while making a video for TikTok.

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Second FIR registered in Karachi airport blast case

Karachi authorities have filed another case related to the recent Karachi airport explosion, which targetted Chinese engineers, ARY News reported.

Two Chinese nationals were killed and several were injured in the attack that took place, last month, close to the Jinnah International Airport, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said.

The second case was registered by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

The FIR was lodged on behalf of Airport SHO Musa Kaleem, naming the mastermind behind the attack—a key commander of the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).

Charges include murder, attempted murder, use of explosives, and funding of terrorism, highlighting the severity of the incident and the ongoing investigation.

Earlier in November, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar lauded the swift action of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Sindh police in tracing the suspects and facilitators in the attack on Chinese nationals.

Read more: Karachi airport blast: Suicide bomber ‘identified’

He said Rs7.1 million was transferred to a bank account of a person named Saeed through a bank employee named Bilal to buy the vehicle in Karachi for the attack.

The car was brought from a showroom in Karachi and was possibly moved to Balochistan or any other area away from Karachi for explosives.

The same vehicle along with explosives (white chemical) weighing 30 to 40 kg was shifted back to Karachi for attack along with a woman named Gul-e-Nisa to avoid checking, the minister said.

The minister said Javed on a telephone call informed the attacker about departure of Chinese nationals from Karachi airport.

The suicide attacker was identified through his fingerprint as Fahad Shah aka Aftab.

Lanjar said four people have been arrested so far and hunt for their accomplice named Danish is underway.

He also announced a reward of Rs5 0mln for the team which busted the terrorist network to recommend it for Pakistan Police medal.

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Groom among two drown as car falls into canal in Gujrat

SARAI ALAMGIR: Two including a groom drowned to their death when their car fell into a canal in Sarai Alamgir town of Gujrat on Sunday, ARY News reported.

According to details, the groom, identified as Raja Osama, was returning with his relatives from the Walima ceremony when their car plunged into the Upper Jhelum canal near Tibbi Tawan.

Initial reports said the driver lost control of the car after one of the tires exploded.

The passerby and relatives rushed to the spot and managed to pull out all five people from the canal, however, the groom and his sister-in-law were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the bride and three others were rescued and are undergoing treatment at the hospital, and are said to be in stable condition.

The family and friends of the deceased are in a state of shock and grief, as the joyous wedding celebration turned into a tragic nightmare.

Reports suggested that the groom Raja Osama had just come from abroad to Pakistan to tie the knot.

Earlier, in a separate incident, six people drowned as their boat capsized near Ibrahim Hyderi, Karachi.

According to details, on November 25, 2024, six visitors drowned as their boat capsized near Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi.

Read More: Fishing boat around 50 fishermen onboard, capsizes in Arabian Sea

The local fishermen said that the passengers were on their way to attend a fair at Bundle Island.

The boat overturned after venturing into deep waters, explained fisherman leader Yunus Khaskheli Local divers are actively searching for the missing individuals.

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