Pakistan targets 90% clean electricity by 2035, says Awais Leghari

Police have stepped up investigations into the abduction and murder of 25-year-old businessman Mir Ali Raza, whose body was found in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar after he disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Investigators are pursuing multiple leads and examining digital evidence as they work to identify those responsible for the killing. According to the investigation, Raza returned home from his business on the night of July 28. A short while later, he left again after telling his family that he would return within 10 minutes. When he failed to come back, his family became concerned and later reported the matter to the police. CCTV footage collected by investigators shows a white vehicle arriving outside Raza’s residence at around 4am. The footage allegedly shows the businessman getting into the rear seat of the vehicle before it drove away. Police are trying to trace the vehicle and identify everyone who was inside at the time. The businessman’s body was later recovered from bushes in Block 1 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar. A preliminary investigation found that he had been subjected to torture before being shot once in the chest. Officials also clarified that rumours claiming acid had been used were incorrect. They said the condition of the body resulted from decomposition after it had remained at the location for more than 30 hours. Investigators discovered that before his disappearance, Raza had booked an online taxi and travelled to the kitchen facility used for his dessert business in Gulistan-e-Jauhar. The taxi driver confirmed dropping him off at the location. Police believe the kidnapping and murder occurred after he left the premises. One of the biggest challenges in the investigation is the disappearance of the victim’s mobile phone. Police have requested technical assistance from telecom authorities to obtain his call records, location history and other digital data. Investigators are also examining the people he had recently contacted to determine whether any connection exists between those communications and the crime. Authorities are also investigating the sudden deactivation of Raza’s social media accounts shortly before his body was discovered. Investigators are trying to establish whether the accounts were deactivated by the businessman himself or by someone who gained access to his phone after the incident. Police have questioned employees working at the kitchen on the night of the incident, along with staff members employed at his restaurants. Several people have been interviewed as part of the investigation, but officials have not disclosed further details, saying the inquiry is still ongoing. Investigators continue to analyse CCTV footage collected from nearby houses, shops and streets in an effort to reconstruct the victim’s final movements. However, officials say the absence of a citywide surveillance system and the poor quality of many privately installed cameras have made the investigation more difficult.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders on Sunday expressed confidence that the party would emerge victorious in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections and form the next regional government. At the same time, they rejected allegations of election rigging and violence raised by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), insisting that the polling process remained peaceful and transparent. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif made the remarks while visiting party election camps in Union Council Fatehgarh, Sialkot. He said polling across AJK and the refugee constituencies was conducted in a calm and orderly manner. According to him, voters actively participated in the electoral process and the turnout remained encouraging throughout the day. He said reports received from various election camps reflected a positive trend in favour of the PML-N. He added that voter participation was expected to increase further as polling continued. Khawaja Asif expressed confidence that the party would secure enough seats to form the next AJK government. The defence minister said a PML-N government in AJK would focus on development, public welfare and political stability. He added that the party wanted to continue serving the people under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. Speaking about the Kashmir issue, Khawaja Asif reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding position. He said Kashmir remained an integral part of Pakistan’s national policy. He also criticised what he called propaganda aimed at strengthening India’s narrative on the dispute. According to him, there could be no compromise on Pakistan’s stance regarding Kashmir. He also highlighted the political importance of Sialkot, saying the district has a large population of refugees from Jammu. He noted that nearly 100,000 voters were registered in the LA-36 Jammu-III constituency, making it one of the important refugee seats in the elections. Khawaja Asif urged all political parties to respect the decision of the voters. He said every party should accept the election results in the spirit of democracy, regardless of victory or defeat. Later, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah also addressed a press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam. Rana Sanaullah strongly rejected PPP allegations of widespread rigging and violence. He said the elections were held peacefully and voters exercised their democratic right without major disruptions. He explained that polling hours were extended by one hour at some polling stations because of difficult weather conditions. He added that voters who had already entered polling stations before the closing time were allowed to cast their ballots in accordance with election rules. According to Rana Sanaullah, nearly 95 to 96 per cent of the polling process had been completed smoothly by the end of the day. He said ballot counting had already started in most constituencies. The adviser criticised allegations of election manipulation. He said one political party began accusing the authorities of rigging early in the morning without presenting any evidence. He maintained that such claims were politically motivated and intended to create unnecessary controversy. Commenting on incidents of violence, Rana Sanaullah said only three isolated cases were reported during polling. He insisted these incidents did not affect the overall election process. He also responded to reports involving AJK Acting President and Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar. According to Rana Sanaullah, the incident resulted from a personal dispute linked to an old court case. He denied reports of any serious physical assault and said the matter had been exaggerated for political purposes. The adviser also addressed the death of an elderly man, Mushtaq, during polling. He said the deceased was a heart patient and suffered a cardiac arrest after an argument between rival political supporters. He rejected claims that the man had been killed in election-related violence, saying no post-mortem report had confirmed such allegations. Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said PML-N supporters participated enthusiastically in the elections. He said voters showed confidence in the party’s leadership by casting their ballots in favour of the lion, the party’s election symbol. In a statement shared on social media, Tarar described allegations of rigging as baseless and unsupported by evidence. He said the public had once again expressed trust in the PML-N’s agenda of development, public service and economic progress.