paam rejects drap

PAAM rejects DRAP Rules 2026, warns alternative medicine sector

ByJustpaste.in

​LAHORE: Kashif Aslam Malik, Chairman of the Pakistan Association of Alternative Medicine (PAAM), has completely rejected the proposed DRAP Rules 2026, labeling them an unscientific plot against the local alternative pharmaceutical industry, Homeopathy, and Unani medicine.

He stated that the allopathic pharmaceutical bureaucracy within the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) is attempting to forcefully impose itself on the alternative medicine sector. In reality, the 5-year Pharm.D curriculum completely lacks education and technical training on homeopathic potentization, Unani herbal formulation, or nutraceutical manufacturing.

He questioned the legal and scientific authority of allopathic pharmacists who have never studied these disciplines to act as self proclaimed experts and draft policies for this sector.

​Kashif Aslam Malik emphasized that under the universal principle of “right expertise for the right job,” the regulatory framework, registration, and licensing for alternative medicines must strictly be developed under the direct supervision of qualified specialists in Homeopathy, Unani, and Nutraceutical sciences. Imposing these unilateral rules and rigid allopathic SOPs will bankrupt over 80% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), resulting in widespread unemployment for thousands of homeopathic doctors, Unani practitioners, and industrial workers, while depriving the public of affordable, natural healthcare options. PAAM demands an immediate halt to these rules, the formation of a committee comprising specialized alternative medicine experts, and the establishment of an independent authority modeled after India’s Ministry of AYUSH. He warned that if DRAP attempts to force these rules through, PAAM will unite all industry stakeholders to fight a nationwide battle across the media, judiciary, and public spheres.

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    Rana Sanaullah calls AJK polls free and fair

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    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has defended the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections. He described the polling process as peaceful, free, fair and credible. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Sanaullah said voters had exercised their democratic right across 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division on July 27. According to unofficial results, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured four seats. Sanaullah congratulated the winning candidates. He also praised the Election Commission, AJK administration and security agencies for managing the election process. He said the polls were held despite a challenging security situation. He added that the authorities took steps to maintain law and order throughout polling. The prime minister’s aide urged opposition parties to respect the voters’ decision. However, he said they were free to challenge any alleged irregularities through constitutional and legal channels. Sanaullah said complaints regarding the election would be examined by the relevant authorities. He stressed that political parties should use legal forums instead of creating political tensions. He also said polling hours were extended by one hour. The extension was given to facilitate voters and allow more people to cast their ballots. He estimated voter turnout at between 40 and 60 per cent. Sanaullah said the election was largely peaceful. However, a serious incident occurred in LA-9 Nakyal. A dispute between members of the same family reportedly turned violent because of political differences. One person was killed and another was injured in the incident. Police arrested several suspects in connection with the shooting. Sanaullah also mentioned the killing of PML-N leader Malik Ashiq. He was shot during an election rally in Kotli on July 11. The government official further claimed that a candidate from LA-6 and members of his campaign team attempted to take ballot boxes after polling. He said the suspects were arrested and a case was registered. Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam also addressed the press conference. He said the PML-N’s performance showed strong public support for the party. Muqam said the party would work to fulfil the promises made during its election campaign. Sanaullah attributed the PML-N’s success to teamwork and its political leadership. He also said development initiatives in Punjab had contributed to the party’s electoral performance. The election results have triggered political exchanges between the PML-N and PPP. The PPP has raised allegations of irregularities and accused the government of influencing the election process. The PML-N has rejected the allegations. It has also accused political opponents of attempting to manipulate the electoral process. The Election Commission has said that violations of electoral rules will be dealt with under the law. The AJK elections are being conducted in three phases. The first phase covered 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division. The second phase is scheduled for August 2. It will cover Muzaffarabad Division and refugee constituencies. The final phase will be held in Poonch Division on August 10. Sanaullah said the government was ready to address genuine complaints. He maintained that political parties should follow constitutional procedures while challenging election results.

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    Lahore custody deaths: Punjab police says women di…

    ByJustpaste.in

    Punjab Inspector General Rao Abdul Karim has said that there is no evidence of physical torture or police violence in the deaths of two women who died after being taken into custody at a Lahore police station. The two women 17-year-old Amna and 22-year-old Anmol were sisters-in-law. They were arrested on August 4 in connection with a case involving alleged theft and fraud and were taken to Township Police Station in Lahore. According to police both women developed health problems within a few hours of their detention. They were subsequently taken to hospital, where they died. Speaking to the media on Tuesday night Punjab IG Rao Abdul Karim said a transparent and impartial investigation had been conducted into the incident. He claimed that a medical board had found no evidence of physical torture external injuries or wounds on the bodies of either woman. He also said that a separate magisterial inquiry conducted under Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure found no evidence of police torture. The investigation included a detailed review of available CCTV footage while statements from police officers and witnesses were also recorded according to the Punjab police chief. The IG further said that the initial medical examination found multiple injection marks on the women’s arms. According to him, the marks were consistent with repeated use of injectable substances. The Punjab Forensic Science Authority collected the necessary forensic samples for further investigation and the forensic report has now been received. Citing the forensic findings, the Punjab IG claimed that both women were habitual users of different types of drugs. He said the medical board had concluded that their deaths resulted from cardiac arrest caused by a drug overdose. The police chief also claimed that both women had previous criminal cases registered against them in Lahore and Gujrat in connection with alleged fraud and cheating. He added that a review of CCTV footage showed that the women’s clothes had already been torn before they were taken into police custody. The deaths have raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the women’s detention and the events that occurred before they were taken to hospital. While the Punjab police has ruled out torture based on the available medical, forensic and investigative findings the case has attracted significant public attention. The findings of the medical and forensic investigations are expected to remain central to any further legal or public scrutiny of the Lahore custody deaths.

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    Maj Gen (R) Dr. Rajih Al-Baqami needs to go beyond defence diplomacy

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    ISLAMABAD: For the second consecutive time, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has appointed a career military veteran as its ambassador to Islamabad, inaugurating a compelling new chapter in Pakistan-Saudi defense diplomacy. The recent designation of Major General (R) Dr. Rajih bin Tami Al-Baqami as the Saudi envoy comes at a pivotal geopolitical juncture. Smaller Gulf states like Qatar, Bahrain, and particularly Kuwait are increasingly turning their strategic gaze toward Riyadh for defense assurances. In response, Saudi Arabia has conspicuously integrated Pakistan into the its defensive calculus, both specifically within the Gulf and more broadly across the Middle East. This deepening collaboration signifies the beginning of the end of an era characterized by blind, unilateral reliance on the United States for regional security. Whether through multinational maritime security coalitions or trilateral defense pacts, Riyadh has unequivocally positioned Islamabad as a trusted strategic partner. Crucially, while Washington has not been entirely excluded from the new arrangements, the table that once seated only the US now accommodates Pakistan and Turkey’s president states that more seats will soon be filled. His hint is for Egypt. Turkey is playing a big game and Egypt is part of his plans for Sahel and Middle East. Moreover, Saudi Arabia has extended its supportive hand to facilitate Pakistan’s major defense agreements with Somalia, further expanding Islamabad’s footprint in Riyadh’s sphere of influence. This rapidly evolving landscape demands an exceptionally shrewd Saudi diplomat in Islamabad, given that intellectual powerhouses like the United States are unlikely to passively observe these seismic shifts in the affluent Gulf region. One could argue that defense diplomacy has cycled back to the fervor of the 1970s but the stark difference is that the towering strategic minds of that era, such as Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Ardeshir Zahedi, and Henry Kissinger, are no longer among us and on the other hand China of today is 100 times more important than China of 1970s. However, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has proven himself uniquely adept at this high-stakes game. Without jeopardizing ties with Washington, he has fortified relations with Beijing to an unprecedented degree; in fact, Riyadh is now expanding its commercial and strategic footprint with China more aggressively than with the US. According to the Saudi Foreign Ministry, Dr. Al-Baqami is among eight newly appointed ambassadors who recently took their oath before the Crown Prince in Jeddah. Despite this formal announcement, frequent winner of government awards for his services in journalism, Saleh Zaafir, curiously attributed the news to his “sources.” Meanwhile, leading AI chatbots and search engines like ChatGPT, DeepSeek, and Gemini draw a blank regarding the nature of Dr. Al-Baqami’s specific postings in Saudi diplomatic missions London and Jordan, which strongly suggests a classified, defense-oriented portfolio. Dr. Al-Baqami hails from the warrior Al-Baqami tribe, a lineage renowned for its formidable resilience and esprit de corps. Yet, a note of caution is urgently warranted. Misleading and unrealistic commentary regarding Saudi-Pakistan defense pacts has become rife. These agreements will not automatically neutralize Pakistan’s internal existential threats, specifically, the escalating bureaucratic corruption and spiraling crime rates. The historical precedent is sobering: the practice of deploying military officers to diplomatic roles is ancient, tracing back to the Roman and Byzantine empires, yet it has no inherent correlation with a nation’s prosperity or moral standing. Napoleon formalized this tradition in the pre-WWI era, but French military envoys failed to stave off famine and destitution in France. Subsequently, professional foreign ministries emerged, and bureaucrats, much like termites, consumed diplomacy from the inside, burying interstate relations beneath classified files. When opacity became the norm, civil society rebelled, giving rise to digital media and public diplomacy, a trend recently taken to extremes by former US President Donald Trump. For the new Saudi ambassador, public diplomacy will prove a formidable challenge. Although several Saudi-funded media outlets operate in Pakistan, they have largely been hijacked by populist scribes who have reduced them to ashes of sensationalism. Reclaiming these platforms from the clutches of journalistic mediocrity must be an immediate priority. Dr. Al-Baqami’s predecessor, Nawaf bin Malik Al-Maliki, a retired Saudi Navy officer, remained in Islamabad for nearly twelve years. Pakistan’s navy has historically played a pivotal role in the formation and training of the Saudi Naval Forces. Al-Maliki initially arrived as defense attaché in 2014, the very year MBS ascended to a high office before being appointed Defense Minister in 2015. When MBS became Crown Prince in 2017, Al-Maliki assumed the ambassadorship. He retained this position for a decade indicating that he was a trusted confidant of the Crown Prince. Intriguingly, Al-Maliki’s next posting is Algeria—a nation where military dominance permeates business and governance, ensnaring the country in poverty and bloodshed. As Algeria remains a Saudi ally, it is premature to forecast the trajectory of his new mission. To conclude, one can only hope that Major General (Retd) Dr. Rajih Al-Baqami’s tenure in Pakistan transcends the narrow confines of defense diplomacy. The true test of his legacy will lie in revitalizing public diplomacy, fostering people-to-people connections, and navigating the intricate socio-political fabric of Pakistan with the same dexterity he brings to the strategic chessboard.

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    Three suspected robbers killed in Karachi police e…

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    KARACHI: Three suspected robbers were killed during a police encounter in the Umar Brohi Goth area of Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi, police said. According to officials, the suspects had taken shelter inside a house. Acting on information about their presence, police reached the location and launched an operation. The suspects allegedly opened fire at the police team, prompting officers to return fire. Three suspects sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange. Police shifted them to a nearby hospital for medical treatment, but all three reportedly died while en route. Police identified the deceased suspects as Suresh, Ramchand and Anil. Authorities said the three men were allegedly involved in several criminal activities, and investigators are now collecting details of their previous criminal records to determine their involvement in other cases. A police officer also suffered injuries during the encounter and received medical treatment at a hospital. Officials said the investigation into the incident remains underway. Meanwhile, police carried out operations in other parts of Karachi and arrested five more suspected robbers. Authorities said further investigations are in progress, while efforts continue to trace and apprehend other suspects involved in street crime and robbery cases across the city.

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    Fresh monsoon spell to lash Pakistan from August 1…

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    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to receive another spell of monsoon rainfall from August 13 to 15, with the upper and central parts of the country expected to experience rain, thunderstorms and occasional heavy downpours. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said on Wednesday that monsoon currents were entering the upper parts of the country while a westerly wave was also influencing the weather system. Rain and thunderstorms are expected across parts of Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Several districts, including Neelum Valley, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, Mirpur, Diamir, Astore, Skardu, Hunza and Gilgit, are likely to receive rainfall. Several areas of upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also expected to experience showers. The affected districts include Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Malakand, Shangla, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Galiyat, Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi and Haripur. In northeastern Punjab, rain is expected from the night of August 12 through August 15. Murree, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib are among the areas likely to receive showers. The weather system is also expected to affect Islamabad, Rawalpindi and the Pothohar region from the night of August 13 to August 15. The Met Office has forecast rain, strong winds and thunderstorms, with isolated heavy falls. Other parts of Punjab, including Sargodha, Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan, are also likely to receive rainfall between August 12 and 15. Parts of Balochistan, including Zhob, Barkhan and Musakhel, may also experience showers. In Sindh, partly cloudy to cloudy conditions are expected in southeastern and coastal areas. Tharparkar, Umerkot and Sanghar may receive rain and thunderstorms on August 12 and 13, while hot and humid conditions are expected elsewhere in the province. The Met Office has warned of urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Mardan, Swabi, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot and Lahore. There is also a risk of landslides in vulnerable mountainous areas of upper KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiyat and Kashmir. Authorities have urged residents and visitors in these areas to remain cautious. Tourists have been advised to take extra care while travelling to mountainous regions during the wet spell. Farmers have also been asked to plan agricultural activities according to the changing weather conditions. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, 155 people have died and 460 have been injured in rain-related incidents during the ongoing monsoon season.

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    Two killed, several injured in firing during funer…

    ByJustpaste.in

      MUZAFFARABAD: At least two people were killed and several others injured when gunfire broke out during the funeral prayers of victims of an earlier clash in Kot Tralla, near Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir. According to Azad Kashmir Police, the incident occurred during the funeral prayers being held for two people who had been killed in a firing incident between two groups a day earlier. The latest shooting turned the funeral gathering into another scene of violence, resulting in further casualties. Police confirmed that two people had been killed in a clash between two groups in Kot Tralla the previous day. Following the incident, funeral prayers for the deceased were arranged in the area. However, while family members, relatives and other mourners had gathered to attend the prayers, another firing incident took place. According to police officials, the latest exchange of fire resulted in the deaths of two more people, while several others sustained injuries. The injured were shifted to nearby medical facilities for treatment. The exact number and condition of those injured were not immediately available. The incident has caused concern among local residents, particularly because the violence occurred during a funeral gathering. Such gatherings normally bring together large numbers of family members, relatives and community residents, making any outbreak of violence especially dangerous. Police teams reached the area following the shooting and began efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities are investigating whether the latest firing was connected to the dispute that had led to the earlier clash between the two groups. The motive behind the initial confrontation has not yet been disclosed. Police officials are expected to investigate the cause of the dispute and identify those responsible for both incidents. Further action will be taken once the circumstances of the shootings and the identities of the suspects are established. The latest incident has also raised questions about security arrangements during funeral gatherings, particularly in areas where tensions exist between rival groups. Authorities may increase security measures in the area to prevent further violence and maintain law and order. Residents have expressed concern over the escalation of violence, as the dispute has now resulted in deaths on two consecutive days. The fact that the second shooting occurred during funeral prayers has further intensified fears of additional clashes. Police officials have urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with law enforcement agencies. They are also expected to take steps to prevent any further confrontation between the two groups. The bodies of the victims are being handled according to local procedures, while the injured are receiving medical treatment. Families of those killed and injured are facing another tragedy following the earlier deaths in the area. Authorities have not yet released complete details about the weapons used, the identities of the attackers or the exact circumstances that led to the latest shooting. An investigation is underway, and additional information is expected as police gather evidence and question witnesses. The incident highlights how disputes between rival groups can quickly escalate and affect innocent people, particularly when violence occurs in crowded public gatherings. The authorities’ immediate priority is to restore peace in Kot Tralla, provide security to local residents and ensure that those responsible for the shootings are brought to justice. Further developments are expected as the investigation continues and officials release more information about the casualties and the circumstances surrounding the two incidents.

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