China proposes stringent cyberbullying legislation targeting AI abuse and platform accountability

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Sunday said the party should consider rejecting the results of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections and boycott the third phase of polling, alleging widespread irregularities and electoral misconduct. Speaking at a press conference alongside PPP leader Sherry Rehman and other party members in Islamabad, the former prime minister clarified that the proposal reflected his personal opinion, adding that the final decision would be made by the party’s central leadership. Ashraf alleged that the elections were neither free, fair nor transparent, warning that such results would fail to gain public acceptance. He said political workers were well aware of constituencies where the party had strong support and accused the authorities of manipulating outcomes in areas where the PPP expected to perform well. Expressing disappointment over the second phase of the AJK elections, he said the PPP had already submitted documented evidence of irregularities during the first phase. He referred to one constituency where polling could not be held because election materials allegedly failed to reach polling stations. Ashraf questioned the explanation, saying election materials are normally delivered a day before polling and not on election day. He argued that such failures reflected serious administrative shortcomings. The PPP leader also alleged that party workers were assaulted and forcibly removed from polling stations during voting. He said the PPP had formed a joint committee with its coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), after the first phase in the hope that the Election Commission would ensure greater vigilance during the second phase. However, he claimed that similar incidents were repeated despite those efforts. While acknowledging that the PML-N remains a coalition ally, Ashraf questioned the party’s role in the alleged irregularities. He asked whether such conduct was consistent with democratic values and said transparent elections were the Election Commission’s foremost constitutional responsibility. He further alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner had failed to take action on any major complaint and accused the Election Commission of acting under the influence of a political party. According to Ashraf, the overall conduct of the elections suggested that the process had been pre-planned. The former prime minister also alleged that current AJK Speaker and Acting President Chaudhry Latif Akbar was physically attacked by PML-N supporters. He claimed that Akbar was abused, assaulted and punched during the incident, criticising attempts to describe the episode as a mere verbal altercation. Ashraf further claimed that a long-time PPP worker was killed in the Khawra constituency and questioned the credibility of an electoral process in which, he alleged, violence had overshadowed voting. He also referred to the Kotli constituency, where polling reportedly could not be completed because election materials did not reach polling stations, saying it was the Election Commission’s responsibility to ensure timely delivery. He added that voting was also suspended at several polling stations in the constituency of Bazil Naqvi.

A bomb disposal officer was injured after an explosion ripped through the malkhana (evidence store) inside the Police Lines in Dera Ismail Khan on Thursday, causing significant damage to the building. According to police officials, the blast occurred inside the evidence store where confiscated explosive materials and other recovered items are kept. The force of the explosion caused part of the building’s roof and a wall to collapse. The officer in charge of the Bomb Disposal Squad sustained injuries in the incident. Rescue teams and fellow police personnel rushed to the scene and shifted him to a nearby hospital, where he received medical treatment. His condition was not immediately disclosed. Police said preliminary investigations indicate that the explosion was triggered by the accidental detonation of hand grenades stored inside the malkhana. However, officials stressed that the exact cause would only be confirmed after a thorough investigation. Following the explosion, police sealed off the affected area and launched a detailed search of the site. Investigators and forensic teams began collecting evidence to determine how the stored explosives detonated. Senior police officials also visited the Police Lines to inspect the damaged building and review the initial findings of the investigation. Authorities said all possible angles are being examined, including the handling, storage and condition of the explosive material kept in the evidence store. Police added that a comprehensive inquiry has been launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the blast and to determine whether any negligence or procedural lapse contributed to the incident.