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Pakistani crew members held by Somali pirates have made another emotional appeal for government help. The hostages have been in captivity for more than 100 days. They are seeking urgent action for their release. The crew members are aboard the MT Honour 25. The Palau-flagged oil tanker was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, on April 21. The vessel was carrying between 17 and 19 crew members. Ten of them are Pakistani nationals. Seven Indonesians, an Indian and a Sri Lankan are also among those being held. In newly released video messages, several hostages appeared weak and unwell. They appealed to the Pakistani government to intervene. Yasir Khan, one of the Pakistani hostages, said several crew members had fallen ill. He said they were facing difficulties in obtaining medicines. Khan urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take immediate action. He also appealed to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry. He asked the authorities to secure their release before their health situation became more serious. Khan also appealed to Jamaat-i-Islami chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. He requested him to continue efforts for the hostages. Another hostage, Hussain Yousuf, said more than 100 days had passed since their capture. He said the crew still had no clear information about when they would be released. Yousuf appealed to the prime minister and Chief of Defence Forces and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to intervene. He warned that further delays could lead to serious consequences. The crew has released several messages since the hijacking. In previous appeals, the hostages reported shortages of food, clean water and medicines. Their deteriorating condition has increased concerns among their families. The pirates have reportedly demanded a ransom of around $3 million. However, no confirmed breakthrough has been reported in negotiations. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said the government was closely monitoring the situation. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said several government departments were involved in efforts to secure the crew’s release. The process includes the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and other relevant agencies. Andrabi said the case was particularly difficult because the hostages were being held in an autonomous region of Somalia. He said local tribal structures and influential figures had also complicated negotiations with the pirates. Pakistan, he added, remained in contact with the Somali government and relevant authorities. It was also coordinating with international organisations involved in the matter. The Foreign Office expressed sympathy with the families of the hostages. It said their concerns were understood and that the case remained a priority. The government said all possible efforts were being made to secure the crew’s release and bring them home safely. The case has also been complicated by uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the tanker. Questions remain over who legally owns the vessel. The person previously believed to be its owner was later reportedly identified as a middleman who had helped hire the crew. Meanwhile, the latest distress messages have renewed pressure for urgent action.

BAGH: A total of 199 polling stations have been established for the election in LA-17 Bagh-4 Haveli, with 10 security personnel to be deployed at each polling station. According to a notification issued by the Returning Officer’s office, 117,514 registered voters will be eligible to cast their ballots in the constituency. Polling will take place across 12 union councils and a town committee. Election officials have also completed arrangements for transporting election materials to remote areas, including Bheedi, Halla and Kairni. Haveli has been divided into 16 sectors to facilitate the distribution of election materials and manage polling arrangements. Of the 199 polling stations, 50 have been classified as sensitive and 25 as highly sensitive. Ten security personnel will be deployed at every polling station to maintain security during polling. Preparations have also been completed for the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, with polling scheduled in four constituencies across Bagh and Haveli districts of the Poonch Division. The transportation of election materials to polling stations is currently underway. Elections in five constituencies of Poonch and two constituencies of Sudhanoti have been postponed. The upcoming electoral contest also features three former prime ministers among the candidates. Former AJK prime ministers Sardar Attique Khan and Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who lead the Muslim Conference and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party respectively, are contesting the elections. AJK Prime Minister Faisal Rathore is also taking part in the electoral contest. Authorities have stepped up security and logistical preparations ahead of polling to ensure a peaceful voting process across the constituency.

KARACHI: Police have arrested two suspects in connection with the theft of cash from a private bank’s ATM on Aram Bagh Road. According to police officials, the suspects include the bank’s operations manager and one of his associates. The arrests were made during an investigation into the ATM robbery. Police said they recovered Rs29.74 million from the suspects. The recovered amount is believed to be part of the cash stolen from the ATM. Investigators said the suspects allegedly gained access to the ATM by opening its lock. They then attempted to prevent the security cameras from recording their activities. According to officials, the suspects placed chewing gum over the CCTV camera. This was allegedly done to obstruct the camera’s view and conceal the theft. Police said the suspects subsequently took around Rs53.7 million from the ATM. The involvement of the bank’s operations manager has emerged as a key development in the case. Investigators are examining how the suspects obtained access to the ATM and whether anyone else assisted them. Police are also reviewing available CCTV footage and other evidence to establish the sequence of events. The recovered cash has been taken into custody as the investigation continues. Authorities said further investigation would determine the exact role of each suspect and help identify any additional individuals who may have been involved in the theft.

Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical Association Punjab has warned the Federal Board of Revenue that doctors could launch legal action, protests and even withdraw medical services if the proposed Point of Sale system is imposed on private healthcare establishments. PMA Punjab President Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh said the medical community was ready to fight the issue through courts, public protests, banners and awareness campaigns if its concerns were not addressed. He said the doctors could also consider token strikes or withdrawal of services. The warning came during a press conference at the National Press Club, where the PMA Punjab provincial council met in Islamabad. Doctors from different parts of Punjab discussed the FBR initiative concerning POS systems and the requirements linked to Section 175C. Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh said doctors were not refusing to pay taxes. He stressed that the medical profession should not be treated like an ordinary business because healthcare is an essential public service. According to Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh, the proposed system could create additional technical and financial difficulties for doctors and ultimately increase the cost of healthcare for ordinary patients. He also raised concerns about patient privacy. He said information about a patient’s illness, visits and expenses must remain confidential and should not be exposed through systems that could allow unnecessary access or monitoring. The PMA Punjab president said private healthcare providers were already paying taxes on several areas, including electricity, equipment, water, gas and buildings. He argued that adding more technical requirements could take doctors away from their main responsibility of treating patients. Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh also warned that doctors were already leaving Pakistan and that healthcare establishments in some areas were closing rather than opening. He said further administrative pressure could make the situation worse. The PMA leadership said it had already held two meetings with the FBR and had also sent written communications explaining its position. According to Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh, the discussions had not produced the result the doctors wanted. He said the medical community was prepared to keep all legal and democratic options open. “We will fight legal battles, go to court and protest,” Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh said during the briefing. He also warned that doctors could come onto the streets and consider withdrawal of services if the issue was not resolved. Dr Maqsood Zahid, President Elect of PMA Punjab, also questioned whether POS technology was suitable for medical services. He argued that healthcare was different from selling ordinary products because doctors provide services that can be required at any time, including emergencies during the night. He said doctors could not stop treating an emergency patient simply because a machine was not working or an internet connection had failed. Dr Maqsood Zahid said many patients also receive treatment without paying the full amount. Some patients receive services at half rates, while others are treated free of charge. He questioned how such cases would be properly reflected through a system designed mainly around payment records. He gave the example of a hospital in Mian Channu, Khanewal, where doctors reportedly deal with many patients without charging them. He said that out of 100 patients, around 60 could be treated without receiving even a single penny, making a simple payment based system difficult to apply to real medical practice. The doctors also argued that medical treatment cannot be measured in the same way as the sale of a retail product because the cost and complexity of treatment can change from patient to patient. Dr Maqsood Zahid said the medical community was willing to discuss a suitable tax formula with the government if a system could be designed according to the realities of medical practice. The PMA representatives said doctors across the country were being represented in discussions on the issue. They said representatives from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Karachi, Islamabad and Punjab had participated in consultations. The PMA also raised the problem of smaller clinics in remote areas. Doctors argued that poor internet services, electricity problems, shortage of technical workers and maintenance costs could create serious difficulties for clinics outside major cities. Dr Muzaffar Niazi said doctors would not accept a situation in which the medical profession was treated like a normal retail business. He said doctors were prepared to pursue legal action, demonstrations, public awareness campaigns and other forms of protest. The PMA leadership also stressed that it was not against taxation itself. Dr Maqsood Zahid said doctors were law abiding citizens and accepted that taxes were necessary to run the country. The main demand was for the government to develop a system that recognised the special nature of healthcare and did not place unnecessary financial and administrative pressure on doctors or patients. The PMA Punjab had already formally raised the issue with the FBR. In a letter dated January 20, 2025, Dr Kamran Saeed Sheikh, President PMA Punjab, asked the FBR Chairman to defer the installation of POS systems in private healthcare establishments. The letter warned that additional administrative, technical and financial requirements could increase the cost of healthcare and reduce the time available for doctors to provide medical treatment. It also pointed to problems such as unreliable electricity and internet services, shortage of technical staff and difficulties faced by small and medium sized clinics. PMA Punjab also warned in the letter that additional pressure on private healthcare could discourage young doctors and female doctors from starting private practices in remote and less developed areas and could contribute to further brain drain from Pakistan. The letter was also copied to the President of Pakistan, Prime Minister, Governor Punjab, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Chief Minister Punjab, Speaker Punjab Assembly, provincial health ministers and the Chairman Punjab Health Care Commission. The PMA leadership has now made clear that the dispute is no longer limited to a technical discussion over a machine. Doctors say the issue involves taxation, patient privacy, the cost of healthcare and the ability of small clinics to continue providing services. If the disagreement remains unresolved,

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Sher Afzal Marwat has expressed support for the creation of new provinces in the country. Speaking to the media in Multan, Marwat said smaller administrative units were necessary for a fairer distribution of resources. He argued that the existing administrative structure should be reviewed to ensure that people in different regions receive their due share of development resources. According to Marwat, creating additional provinces could also bring governance closer to local communities. He said people living in smaller administrative units would have greater opportunities to participate in decision-making and manage their own affairs. The lawmaker stressed that local representation was important for effective governance. He maintained that smaller provinces could help authorities understand and address the specific needs of different regions. Marwat also called for support for the movement seeking the creation of smaller administrative provinces. He said the proposal should be considered as part of efforts to improve governance and ensure a more balanced distribution of resources. The debate over creating new provinces has remained a longstanding political and administrative issue in Pakistan. Supporters argue that smaller provinces could improve administration, strengthen local representation and reduce regional disparities. Opponents, however, have raised concerns about the political, constitutional and financial implications of creating new administrative units.