Punjab prison reforms reviewed at CM task force meeting

Adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that those counting down the government’s tenure will eventually be “set straight” themselves, and their countdown will also be corrected. Addressing a public gathering in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sanaullah said the people were the rightful owners of Pakistan and highlighted the strong bond between Pakistan and Kashmir. “Where in Pakistan are Kashmiris not working?” he asked, adding that Kashmiris enjoy all rights in the country. Sanaullah said Pakistan was incomplete without Kashmir and stressed that no force could weaken the longstanding relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader also claimed that four PML-N candidates would be elected to the legislative assembly in the upcoming election, which is scheduled to take place in two days. He said the PML-N needed only six more seats to secure a two-thirds majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. Referring to the ongoing political activities and the action committee, Sanaullah said many people associated with the committee were their “brothers” and patriotic citizens. His remarks came as political parties intensified campaigning ahead of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, with competing groups seeking to secure a strong mandate in the upcoming polls.

CHAKWAL: A departmental inquiry into the June 10-11 firing incident in Chakwal, in which nine-year-old Australian-Pakistani national Hania Ahmed was killed and her father and brother were seriously injured, has held a Crime Control Department (CCD) constable responsible for opening indiscriminate fire at the family’s car without authorisation. The 200-page inquiry report, submitted to the court of Magistrate Rehana Kausar, states that the accused constable allegedly opened fire on the vehicle “with the intention to kill” innocent civilians, without the permission of his superior officer and beyond the scope of his assigned duty. Hania was killed while her father, Adil Ahmed, and 10-year-old brother, Affan Ahmed, sustained serious bullet injuries in the incident. The incident occurred during the night between June 10 and 11 near the CCD police station in Chakwal. According to police, two armed men were allegedly attempting to rob the Australian-Pakistani family when the CCD constable mistakenly opened fire on their vehicle, believing the suspects were fleeing in it. The inquiry report, however, rejected the constable’s claim that he had fired in self-defence against the alleged robbers. According to the inquiry report, the accused constable told investigators that he was standing near the main gate of the CCD police station when he heard a commotion and came outside. He claimed that he saw a white car parked in the street and two armed men allegedly involved in a robbery. He said one of the suspects fired at him, prompting him to return fire. He further claimed that he took cover behind a wall and that the vehicle then sped towards Islamia Chowk. He allegedly followed the car after taking a lift on a private motorcycle. The inquiry report said Duty Officer Inspector Jahanzeb Khan rejected this account. According to the inspector, the constable fired the official rifle without seeking permission from him or any other senior officer and subsequently pursued the vehicle on a private motorcycle without authorisation. Three other police officials present at the station at the time also reportedly corroborated the inspector’s statement. The inquiry team concluded that the constable’s claim that he had fired at the alleged robbers in self-defence was contrary to the facts established during the investigation. According to the report, investigators recovered 14 pistol bullet casings and 13 casings from a Kalashnikov-type weapon from the scene. Statements of 34 witnesses have been incorporated into the inquiry report, including that of eyewitness Ahmed Nawaz, a resident of Chakwal’s Circular Road area, where the incident took place. Nawaz told investigators that he was returning after attending a funeral prayer when, upon reaching the CCD police station, he saw an armed constable carrying a Kalashnikov fire repeatedly at a car travelling ahead. He later learned that the family travelling in the vehicle was related to him. The inquiry report also states that the final opinion of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency regarding the bullets fired from the weapons, the bullets recovered from Hania, Adil and Affan, and the blood samples is still awaited. A police officer said the formal trial in the case is expected to commence in September following the August judicial recess. The inquiry report identifies the two alleged robbers as Muhammad Abbas and Muhammad Fayyaz. Police said both were previously involved in criminal cases, with Abbas facing 15 cases and Fayyaz 12. According to the CCD, both men were killed on the night of June 11 in an alleged police encounter in Chakwal. Police claimed they were killed by firing from their own accomplices. Post-mortem reports, however, showed that both men had sustained gunshot wounds to the head. A CCD official said Abbas had also been arrested in connection with two robbery cases in Chakwal in 2021. The inquiry report states that before allegedly targeting the Australian-Pakistani family, the two suspects had robbed two shops. Following their deaths, the shop owners and a woman who had allegedly been robbed of her gold earrings identified them from photographs, according to the report. Adil Ahmed, a resident of Dhudial village in Chakwal, has been living in Perth, Australia, with his family for several years. He is an engineer, while his wife is a dentist. Hania was a Year 4 student at the Australian Islamic College in Perth. The family had arrived in Pakistan in May. Adil and his wife subsequently travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, leaving their children with their grandparents. They returned from Saudi Arabia on June 10. On the same day, the family rented a car from a rent-a-car business in Dhudial for 10 days to travel during their stay in Pakistan. That night, Adil’s father-in-law, retired Colonel Muhammad Khan, hosted a dinner at his residence. The family left for home in the rented vehicle after attending the gathering, after which the firing incident occurred. According to Hania’s post-mortem report, the nine-year-old suffered 11 injury marks on different parts of her body, including bullet wounds. Doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination concluded that she died from massive blood loss caused by deep firearm injuries.

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to engage in dialogue with the government, saying Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for talks remains on the table. Speaking in the Senate, Chaudhry said the government was ready to hold discussions with the opposition if PTI was serious about negotiations. He said opposition leaders could meet the prime minister or raise the matter in parliament. He also suggested that the opposition leader in the Senate could hold discussions with PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah. Later, Chaudhry, Sanaullah and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar met Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai at Parliament House. Sanaullah said the meeting was linked to a letter written by Achakzai to Prime Minister Shehbaz. He said the government representatives had met the opposition leaders to discuss the prime minister’s response. The government and PTI have remained politically divided since the 2024 general elections. Disputes between the two sides have included demands for investigations into political protests, as well as issues concerning PTI founder Imran Khan’s health and continued detention. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has also agreed to intensify political contacts with opposition parties. A senior PPP delegation is scheduled to meet Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas at the Opposition Leader’s Chamber in Parliament House on Tuesday. The meeting is expected to focus on parliamentary affairs and strengthening political engagement between the government-aligned PPP and opposition leadership. PPP leaders Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Saleem Mandviwalla and Naveed Qamar are expected to attend. Naveed Qamar said the talks would focus on strengthening parliament, improving coordination and reinforcing the role of parliamentary committees.