Sindh CM highlights religious harmony and minority rights

Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has said construction of a 480-kilometre railway track from Karachi to Rohri will begin next year. He made the remarks during a meeting with Sindh Governor Nihal Hashmi, where Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister of State Kheial Das Kohistani, Fahad Haroon and other officials were also present. During the meeting, Abbasi said Pakistan Railways would soon begin transporting fuel, automobiles, minerals and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) through its network. He said around 11,000 tonnes of coal was currently being transported from Thar to the national grid every day. Abbasi also remarked that only two or three countries could be considered Pakistan’s enemies. The Sindh governor praised the government for ensuring uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products despite the ongoing challenges. Hashmi particularly appreciated the measures taken by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to maintain the supply of fuel across the country. Ali Pervaiz Malik said stakeholders had extended full cooperation to ensure the uninterrupted availability of petroleum products. The meeting also discussed measures to strengthen transportation and logistics infrastructure and improve coordination between relevant federal and provincial authorities.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has praised the singers, performers and production team behind a new Balochi patriotic song released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for Independence Day. The prime minister shared the song’s video on X and expressed his appreciation for everyone involved in the project. Shehbaz said the song beautifully reflected the spirit of love for Pakistan. He added that the patriotic composition had filled him with pride. The prime minister particularly acknowledged the artists and singers for presenting the national message through the Balochi language. He said the song showcased the cultural richness of Balochistan while reinforcing feelings of patriotism. He also commended the producers and other members of the team for their contribution. According to Shehbaz, their efforts had successfully conveyed a powerful message of devotion to the homeland. The Balochi-language song forms part of the Independence Day celebrations being held across Pakistan. It combines patriotic sentiments with the region’s distinctive cultural identity. The prime minister said such creative initiatives help highlight Pakistan’s linguistic and cultural diversity. He noted that regional languages provide meaningful ways to express national pride and strengthen a shared sense of identity. Independence Day preparations are underway across the country, with patriotic songs, cultural programmes and other activities planned to mark the occasion.

Sindh police have finally questioned Dr Usama, the medico-legal officer who conducted the first post-mortem examination of Karachi businessman Mir Raza, nearly 25 days after the initial report was prepared. Dr Usama had classified Mir Raza’s death as suicide in his original post-mortem report. The report later came under serious scrutiny after several alleged discrepancies were highlighted by Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed. Police initially defended the medico-legal officer’s findings. However, Dr Usama was later removed from his position following concerns over major errors in the post-mortem examination. Police have now formally included him in the investigation and questioned him for around five hours. The case concerns the death of young Karachi businessman Mir Raza Ali Khan, who went missing from the PECHS area on July 28. He reportedly left his home at around 4:09am in an online taxi. His body was recovered from Gulistan-e-Johar two days later. According to police officials, the body was found in a severely damaged condition. Mir Raza had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest. His social media accounts were also reportedly deactivated one day before his body was found. Mir Raza’s father had said that his son was scheduled to get married on August 30 at Bait-ul-Mukarram Mosque in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. He said Mir Raza had been excited about beginning a new chapter in his life. Questions were raised over the initial post-mortem report after several discrepancies were highlighted during a television programme on August 4. Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed and Mir Raza’s father both expressed dissatisfaction with the initial findings and called attention to issues surrounding the examination. Following a court order, Mir Raza’s grave was exhumed on August 8 for a second post-mortem examination. His body was reburied later the same day. The initial post-mortem findings reportedly stated that the bullet had entered from the back. The examination also documented signs of physical injuries and trauma. According to the report, Mir Raza had fractured ribs and multiple injuries to his head and face. Dark marks were also reportedly found on different parts of his body. The report further mentioned injuries to his feet and blood staining in tissues in the lower part of the body. A fracture and injury measuring around 12 centimetres were reportedly found on his right thigh. The initial examination also identified a deep injury and fracture around the jaw, along with injuries to the nasal bone and several areas of the face. The developments have intensified questions surrounding the circumstances of Mir Raza’s death and the accuracy of the first post-mortem report.

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reiterated that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) alone should have the authority to determine their government and future, as political campaigning intensifies ahead of the second phase of the AJK elections. In a video message focusing on the Kashmiri people’s right to self-governance, Bilawal said his party was committed to ensuring that the residents of Azad Kashmir enjoy the same democratic rights as every citizen of Pakistan. “I want the people of Kashmir to receive the same rights that every Pakistani citizen enjoys,” Bilawal said, adding that the most fundamental of these rights is the right to sovereignty through the power of the vote. Explaining his vision, the PPP chairman said the true meaning of sovereignty is that every vote should be respected and accurately reflected in the election results. According to him, the public mandate must remain free from outside influence so that the will of the people prevails. Bilawal also stressed the need for greater representation of Azad Kashmir in national decision-making institutions. He argued that whenever key decisions are made regarding the region’s water resources, electricity or budgetary matters, Kashmir should have its own seat and an effective voice at the table. He maintained that stronger institutional representation would ensure that the interests of the people of Azad Kashmir are protected while promoting more inclusive governance. As part of his election campaign, Bilawal urged voters to support the PPP in the upcoming polls, asking them to stamp the party’s traditional arrow symbol on August 2. He said the election represented an opportunity for the people to safeguard their democratic rights and send a clear message that the future of Kashmir should be determined by its own citizens. The PPP chairman’s remarks come as political parties intensify their campaigns across Azad Kashmir ahead of polling, with issues of governance, development, constitutional rights and public representation dominating election debates. The second phase of the Azad Kashmir elections is expected to draw significant voter participation, with major political parties competing for crucial seats. Political analysts believe voter turnout and public confidence in the electoral process will play a decisive role in shaping the region’s next government and its political direction in the years ahead.

Islamabad: A major land controversy surrounding Sky Gardens, formerly known as Green Enclave II, has come under scrutiny after the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works was told that Rs5.4 billion had been released for development despite earlier warnings that disputed land could not be used for a housing project. The committee was further informed that around 2,600 kanals of land had now been physically retrieved from the private developer, with the administration marking the land and placing pillars at the site. The revelations have raised serious questions about how the project was approved, why a joint venture was signed despite official warnings, why development funds were released and why the withdrawal of a National Accountability Bureau no objection certificate in December 2023 was allegedly not brought before the committee earlier. The Senate committee, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, took up the Green Enclave II and Sky Gardens matter during its meeting at Parliament House and decided to summon senior officials to explain how the disputed transactions and agreements took place. According to the briefing by NAB Director General Rizwan Khan, an inquiry into Green Enclave II, also known as Commerce Sky Gardens, was initiated on the basis of a Supreme Court judgment dated May 4, 2018. The central issue was the alleged conversion of Shamlaat land, which is common village land, into private land. NAB told the committee that the Supreme Court had placed a legal bar on the partition, construction and transfer of Shamlaat land and had declared such transactions illegal from the beginning. Despite this, more than 3,000 kanals in Moza Mengal were transferred to a private developer through two mutations in April 2018. The timing of these mutations became particularly controversial. NAB told the committee that the Supreme Court judgment came around 10 days after the mutations. The Naib Tehsildar Murree subsequently cancelled the mutations. However, after an appeal by the developer, the mutations were restored without following the required legal process, according to the NAB briefing. The issue did not end there. In April 2019, the Deputy Commissioner Murree wrote to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) and warned that the land was ineligible for a housing project because of the Supreme Court judgment. Despite this warning, the FGEHA Executive Board signed a joint venture agreement with the developer on October 11, 2019. The committee was told that 4,086 kanals were subsequently transferred to FGEHA and that by 2023, Rs5.4 billion had been released to the private contractor for development. Another issue raised before the committee was that the same party that supplied the land was also given the development contract without bidding. This raised further questions about the way the project was structured and approved. The controversy deepened over the role of NAB and two separate addenda. NAB officials told the committee that FGEHA had assured NAB in 2022 that it would not develop the disputed Moza Mengal land and would instead shift the project to Moza Kathar, which was described as clear private land. Based on that understanding, NAB closed its inquiry concerning Moza Mengal in May 2022. But according to the NAB briefing, after receiving the closure letter, FGEHA signed another addendum and brought Moza Mengal back into the project. The situation became even more serious when development funds were released. NAB said that after it learned in October 2023 that Rs5.4 billion was being released for development, it withdrew its no objection certificate and reopened the inquiry on December 12, 2023. The committee chairman questioned why FGEHA had entered into an agreement for land that had already been declared problematic. He said that if a project’s foundation was flawed, the entire project would face problems. The committee also questioned why FGEHA did not issue a warning to the developer after NAB withdrew its no objection certificate in December 2023. The Housing Secretary told the committee that FGEHA had called its joint venture partner and warned that the agreement could be cancelled if the partner failed to provide land free from legal complications. But the chairman was not satisfied. He pointed out that the committee had previously been told the NAB matter was complete, while the latest briefing showed that NAB had withdrawn its letter in December 2023 and reopened the inquiry. The chairman said this was a major issue and indicated that the committee would not leave the matter without further investigation. The committee then turned to recovering the disputed land. Revenue Officer Umer Owais told the committee that approximately 2,600 kanals had been retrieved so far. He said the entire Shamlaat land in the area had been marked in the official record with a red entry, making it non transferable. The district’s land record had also been digitised, with Shamlaat holdings digitally blocked to prevent further transactions. The administration also claimed that the recovery was not limited to paperwork. A show cause notice was issued to the Sky Gardens management on January 27, 2026. The management submitted its response on February 9, but officials said the response was unlawful and lacked supporting proof. An order was issued on March 17, 2026, after which officials went to the site. The administration found earthwork taking place and physically took back the relevant land. Officials demarcated the area and installed pillars and markings to identify the recovered land. The recovery report was also submitted to police, according to the briefing. The Secretary Housing questioned why he had not been informed about the physical recovery when he had visited the Commissioner’s office around two weeks earlier. The revenue officer replied that the matter had been discussed informally and that officials had planned to brief FGEHA and the Housing Ministry together. The chairman said the central question was simple: if the land had never been transferred, the controversy would not have developed. He questioned the role of the revenue officials who allowed the transfer and placed responsibility on FGEHA for accepting the land despite the Supreme Court judgment and the Deputy Commissioner’s