Younis Khan says give me freedom to deliver, not power

KARACHI: The forensic examination of a shirt belonging to Karachi youth Mir Raza has been completed. The report has been received by the police and is now being examined as part of the investigation. According to investigative sources, traces of hydrochloric acid were reportedly detected on the shirt during the chemical analysis. The sources also said that substances associated with a sedative were found in a blood sample taken from Mir Raza. The chemical examination was conducted to determine whether the shirt contained any material that could help investigators understand the circumstances surrounding the incident. The findings are expected to be considered along with other forensic evidence collected during the investigation. Investigators also reported the presence of gunshot residue (GSR) on the waist area of Mir Raza’s shirt. Sources said the concentration of GSR was higher around the waist section. They said this finding could provide investigators with important information about the direction and circumstances of the shooting. However, the forensic findings are expected to be assessed alongside other evidence before investigators reach any final conclusion. Police are also examining other aspects of the case to establish what happened. Meanwhile, further shortcomings in the investigation have reportedly emerged. Investigative officials said several important steps had not been completed despite days having passed since the incident. According to officials, geofencing of the crime scene has not yet been carried out. Geofencing could help investigators identify mobile devices that were present in or around the area at the relevant time. Officials also said that Mir Raza’s mobile phone data had not been obtained. The phone record could potentially help investigators establish his movements and identify contacts or activities around the time of the incident. Another issue raised by investigators concerns Mir Raza’s smartwatch. Officials said its forensic examination had also not been conducted. Such devices can sometimes contain information about movement, activity and other data that may assist an investigation. The latest findings have added new elements to the case. Investigators are now expected to examine the forensic report along with other available evidence. The police are also facing questions over why some investigative procedures were not carried out earlier. The family has previously called for a thorough investigation and answers about what happened to Mir Raza.

BAGH: Voting is underway at 23 polling stations in two constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bagh district as authorities conduct re-polling following the suspension of results from the earlier phase. Polling began at 8am and is scheduled to continue until 5pm. Security arrangements have been strengthened around the polling stations to ensure voters can cast their ballots without fear or disruption. The re-polling covers parts of LA-15 Bagh Central and LA-16 Eastern Bagh. Voting had earlier failed to take place at nine polling stations in LA-15 and 14 stations in LA-16. The AJK Election Commission subsequently withheld the results of both constituencies and ordered voting at the affected stations. In LA-15, Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Sardar Ziaul Qamar had secured 16,637 votes in the polling that took place earlier. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas was second with 15,015 votes, while Jamaat-i-Islami candidate retired Brigadier Dr Muhammad Khan received 12,259 votes. In LA-16, PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar was leading on the basis of votes already counted. He had obtained 19,515 votes and held a lead of 3,225 votes over PPP candidate Sardar Qamaruz Zaman. The contest in both constituencies has remained tense. Candidates have levelled allegations of large-scale rigging against their political opponents. AJK Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said adequate security had been deployed at the polling stations. He said sufficient police and other law-enforcement personnel were available to provide voters with a secure environment. The re-polling is part of the third phase of the AJK elections, which has been conducted amid concerns over law and order in parts of the region. The third phase was initially scheduled across Poonch Division, covering 11 constituencies in Bagh, Haveli, Poonch and Sudhnoti districts. However, the Election Commission limited polling to Bagh and Haveli because of security concerns. Polling was held earlier in both districts, but the commission withheld the results of two Bagh constituencies after voting could not be conducted at the 23 affected stations. The commission had already announced the result of LA-14 Bagh-I, commonly known as Dhirkot. Jammu Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu Party candidate Sajid Iqbal Abbasi won the seat by securing 40,522 votes. Another closely watched contest was LA-17 Haveli, where AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore was a candidate. The constituency became embroiled in controversy after the returning officer declared Rathore the winner. PML-N candidate Engineer Mohsin Aziz challenged the result and claimed that an assurance had been given that the result would not be announced before his complaint was considered. The AJK chief election commissioner heard arguments from both sides and later reserved his decision.

Police personnel in Bannu staged a protest on Tuesday against the transfer of seven Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police officials to other districts, with the dispute disrupting policing and traffic management in parts of the district. The protest was organised after the Police Peace Committee called on affected personnel to gather at the police lines and suspend their duties. Similar calls were reportedly made by peace committees in Lakki Marwat and Tank. The protesters are demanding that the transfer orders be reviewed or withdrawn. They have warned that the protest could be expanded if their demands are not addressed. Head of the Bannu Peace Committee Hazratullah said the boycott would continue until the transfer orders were cancelled. He said members of the peace committees had worked alongside police to maintain security and restore peace in Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Tank. The boycott reportedly affected security arrangements at several important government and sensitive locations. The absence of traffic personnel also caused congestion at various points in Bannu and Lakki Marwat, leaving commuters facing delays. The transfer orders were issued by the Peshawar Central Police Office on the directions of the Additional Inspector General. Seven personnel were moved to different districts and units. Under the orders, Head Constable Nisar Ali was transferred from Police Lines Lower Dir to PTS Swat. Constable Ghulam Abbas Khan was moved from Elite Force Peshawar to Haripur, while Constable Muhammad Arif was transferred from Elite Force Peshawar to Dera Ismail Khan. Constable Shafiullah was transferred from Investigation Bannu to Swat. Constable Muhammad Atif Khan was moved from Elite Force Bannu to Upper Chitral. Meanwhile, Constable Samiullah was transferred from Lakki Marwat to the Counter Terrorism Department in Peshawar, while Constable Khalid Rahman was moved from District Traffic Mobile Lakki Marwat to Shangla. Police personnel have argued that sudden transfers to distant districts could create difficulties for the affected officials and their families. They have called for the orders to be reconsidered. Authorities have so far not issued a detailed official response to the reported boycott or confirmed whether disciplinary action will be taken against personnel who stopped performing their duties. IGP transfer also under review The protest comes amid uncertainty over the appointment of a new K-P inspector general of police. The proposed transfer of IGP Zulfikar Hameed was put on hold a day earlier as the federal government sought further consultations over the candidates proposed for the post. Provincial government sources said the list of three senior police officers submitted for consideration could be revised. One name may be removed, while another officer could potentially be added before the appointment process resumes. A senior police official said the transfer of the current IGP was not being actively pursued for the moment because of the worsening security situation in the southern districts. The official said the provincial police chief was therefore likely to remain in his position temporarily while consultations between the federal and provincial governments continued.