President lauds prompt action taken by PM regarding Sialkot incident

President Dr Arif Alvi has appreciated the prompt action taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan, regarding the Sialkot incident.

In a statement, he said the incident is very sad and shameful, and not religious in any way whatsoever.

In his remarks, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa expressed all out support to civil administration to arrest the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to justice.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said political leadership and Pakistani nation strongly condemn killing of a Sri Lankan national in Sialkot.

In his tweet, he offered condolence to bereaved family, government and people of Sri Lanka. He said perpetrators will be brought to justice.

The Minister said such acts have no place in our faith and country.

Condemning the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said this tragic incident has left every Pakistani in shock, and those responsible for this awful act do not deserve to be called human beings.

Meanwhile, different segments of the society are pouring in with strong condemnation of the horrific killing of a Sri Lankan national by a violent mob in Sialkot.

In a statement, Former Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman said there is no ground to take the law into hands when a constitutional and legal system is present in the country.

Talking to the media in Lahore, Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said sanctity of Hazrat Muhammad Rasool Allah Khatim un Nabiyeen Sallallaho Alaihe Wa Ala Alayhee Wa Ashabehi Wassalam is part of our faith but it is also incumbent upon us to follow his teachings which say do not cause any harm to trees.

Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said that in the presence of a state and its institutions, individuals cannot be allowed to stage courts and decide cases.

Addressing a news conference in Lahore, PML (N) President and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif the incident has caused the whole nation to hang its head in shame and no amount of condemnation would be enough.

He said Pakistan has very good relations with Sri Lanka and it should be hoped that the culprits will be given exemplary punishment.

Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industries highly condemned the act of violence at a private factory in Sialkot.

In a press release, President SCCI Mian Imran Akbar urged the government to crackdown on all the perpetrators and inciters of the incident.

While expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, the President said 3rd December would go down as a dark day in the history of Sialkot.

Taking to social media, celebrities including Mehwish Hayat and Mahira Khan said they look to Prime Minister Imran Khan to take swift action against such kind of mob violence.

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124 arrested so far in Sialkot lynching case

Police on Saturday night arrested six more suspects in connection with the lynching of Sri Lankan factory manager Diyawadanage Don Nandasri Priyantha in Sialkot.

So far, a total of 124 suspects, including 13 key suspects, have been arrested in the gruesome murder case. Police will produce all the arrested suspects before court to seek their physical remand for interrogation in the killing, said police officials.

A day earlier, the Punjab government had sent an initial investigation report of the Sialkot tragedy to Prime Minister Imran Khan, well-placed.

As per the preliminary report, a dispute had emerged when Kumara removed some posters from the walls of the factory at 10:28am. The posters were reportedly inscribed with the name of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

Shortly after, the factory owner had reached the spot and resolved the issue. Kumara had apologised for the misunderstanding on his part.

After Kumara made the apology, the matter was reportedly considered settled and the factory workers had dispersed.

However, some workers then incited their colleagues to attack the manager.

Within a few minutes, a mob formed and set on the victim within the premises of the industrial unit, eventually killing him.

A total of 13 security guards were present in the factory as the brutal attack was occurring. None of them tried to rescue the victim or disperse the mob, the report had said.

Kumara’s body was later dragged outside the factory.

Police received a phone call at 11:28am about the incident, officials had said. A police party had reached the site within 12 minutes.

Priyantha’s wife pleads for justice

The wife of Diyawadana Priyantha pleaded for justice for her slain husband from both Pakistani and Sri Lankan leaders, Sri Lankan news outlet Newswire reported.

“I got to know about the brutal murder of my husband from the news. Later, I saw this on the internet as well. He was a very innocent man,” she said, talking to reporters from BBC Sinhala.

“I request leaders of Sri Lanka and Pakistan to do justice for my husband and two children, by bringing the perpetrators to justice,” she went on to say. The deceased's brother said that Priyantha had been working in the Sialkot factory since 2012.

The incident

Priyantha Kumara, working as a manager at a private factory in Sialkot, was lynched on Friday by a mob after being accused of blasphemy.

The gruesome incident was dubbed by Prime Minister Imran Khan as "a day of shame for Pakistan".

Workers of a garment industry, located on Sialkot’s Wazirabad Road, had alleged that the foreigner had committed blasphemy. He was subsequently lynched and his body set on fire.

The mob had also vandalised the factory and blocked traffic, according to police.

The brutal murder drew widespread condemnation from senior government functionaries, including the prime minister and president, as well as the military's top leadership, who promised to bring all those involved to the book.

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Deteriorating situation in Afghanistan may trigger a new refugee exodus: FM Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on Afghanistan situation will be held in Islamabad on 19th of this month.

Addressing a news conference in Lahore, he said the extraordinary meeting is being held after the gap of forty-one years.

The Foreign Minister said P-5 countries and the European Agency have also been invited to attend the meeting.

Talking about prevailing situation in Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister warned that Afghanistan could face an economic collapse if the frozen assets were not released to cope with the burgeoning needs. He further said half of Afghanistan's population can suffer from food shortage.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said deteriorating situation in Afghanistan may trigger a new refugee exodus.

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Process to appoint new NAB chairman starts this week

The process to appoint a new chairman for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will finally start this week.

The tenure of the current NAB Chairman Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal was extended with the promulgation of the National Accountability (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, by President Arif Alvi in October.

Under the ordinance, Iqbal will continue to serve on the post until a new chairman is appointed.

Sources privy to the matter said that the Ministry of Law will forward a summary to President Arif Alvi this week in compliance with the prime minister's instructions.

They said that the president will seek names for the post from the prime minister through a letter and send them to the opposition leader.

Under the new law, the president will appoint the NAB chairman in consultation with the prime minister and the Opposition leader.

In case of a failure to reach a consensus on the appointment, the matter will be sent to a 12-member parliamentary committee formed especially for the matter of the appointment.

The ordinance states that the new chairman for the anti-graft watchdog will be appointed for a period of four years and his term may be extended.

The method followed for the appointment of the NAB chairman will be the one employed while granting an extension.

It also states that the NAB chairman can send his resignation to the president.

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New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel creates history in Test cricket

New Zealand’s Mumbai-born spinner Ajaz Patel claimed all 10 Indian wickets in the second Test, becoming only the third bowler in cricket history to achieve the feat on Saturday.

Ajaz, a left-arm spinner, added to his tally of four wickets on the opening day to return figures of 10-119. India were all out for 325.

England off-spinner Jim Laker was the first bowler to take a Test ten-for, against Australia in 1956 at Old Trafford. He ended up with 19 wickets in an encounter that came to be known as "Laker’s Match".

Indian spin ace Anil Kumble is the only other player to do so, against Pakistan in 1999 at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla.

"Welcome to the club #AjazPatel #Perfect10 Well bowled! A special effort to achieve it on Day1 & 2 of a test match," the former leg-spinner tweeted.

Ajaz, who emigrated to New Zealand in 1996 with his parents, was playing just his 11th Test for New Zealand since making his debut in 2018.

Now 33, his previous Test best was 5-59.

"Honestly, it’s surreal and to be able to do that in my career is pretty special," he said. "The stars have aligned for me to do it in Mumbai.

"I’m in very illustrious company with Kumble sir as well."

Veteran Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh lauded his feat, saying: "Ajaz Patel This will be remembered forever 47.5-12-119-10 simply outstanding. Let me stand and clap."

Australia’s Aaron Finch said: "That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!! Ajaz Patel... What a phenomenal performance."

Ajaz had already described his return to Mumbai as "special" after taking four wickets on the opening day, adding that "this is what dreams are made of".

He had a middle-class upbringing in the Indian port city, where his father worked in refrigeration and his mother was a school teacher.

At the time the family emigrated he had little knowledge of New Zealand aside from the chocolates relatives already living there had sent them.

"When I think back on that, it is quite surprising that I sit here in New Zealand as an international cricketer knowing where I come from," Ajaz once wrote.

He found his calling in cricket and his heart was set on becoming a devastating fast bowler in the mould of national hero Richard Hadlee.

It was not until his mid-20s that he realised he was too short to make it as a quick, and switched from left-arm medium-pace to spin under former New Zealand spinner Dipak Patel. He thought it "might be fun" to try being a spinner, he once recalled.

The change transformed his career: he was selected for the national team at the late age of 30, and has now overtaken New Zealand’s previous Test best of 9-52 by Hadlee himself, against Australia at Brisbane in 1985.

On Saturday the spinner rattled India in the first session with wickets in successive balls to be on a hat-trick before overnight batsman Mayank Agarwal reached 150 to help India to a challenging total.

But Ajaz sent back Agarwal, who started the day on 120 with India on 221-4, to break a 67-run stand with Axar Patel, who made 52.

The wily spinner soon got Axar lbw and wrapped up the Indian innings with Mohammed Siraj his final scalp as the Kiwi players surrounded their hero with hugs and applause.

He sent down 47.5 overs in four spells out of a Kiwi total of 109.5 and bowled almost unchanged on day two.

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Lahore: Polling for NA-133 by-election underway

By-elections in the National Assembly constituency of NA-133 Lahore are being today (Sunday).

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it had finalised arrangements to hold the by-polls in an impartial atmosphere. The polling started at 8am this morning and will continue till 5pm without any break.

The seat fell vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik who had died of heart complications on October 11.

According to the Punjab election commission, there are 254 polling stations in the constituency, including 22 polling stations of A category, 198 of B category and 34 polling stations of C category. Of them, 199 polling stations have been declared sensitive. Around 200 separate polling stations have been set up for men and women and 54 mixed polling stations have also been set up.

The total number of voters in the NA-133 constituency is 440,485, including 233,585 male voters and 206,927 female voters.

Political dynamics

After the PTI candidate went out of the election race, there were 11 candidates left, including PML-N's Pervaiz Malik's widow Shaista Pervaiz Malik and PPP's Aslam Gill.

The PPP actively campaigned for the NA-133 by-election in Lahore, which is considered a stronghold of the rival PML-N, in the hopes of reviving the party in Punjab.

The PML-N has retained the seat thrice in the past with Pervaiz Malik winning it in 2018 with 89,699 votes, Waheed Alam Khan in 2013 with over 100,000 votes and Naseer Bhutta in 2008 with a margin of over 32,000 votes.

Election arrangements

Ballot papers and other polling material have been handed over to the presiding officers for by-elections. Polling material, including ballot papers, is being delivered to the polling stations under the supervision of police and Rangers.

Presiding officers have been paid Rs6,000 each for a full day's duty while assistant presiding officers and polling officers have been given Rs4,000 each.

The ECP directed each presiding officer to get snapshots of the original form 45 along with forensic details showing time and location and hand it over to the returning officer. The commission has asked presiding officers to keep their location service on, take a picture of form 45 and WhatsApp it to returning officers by taking polling agents on board.

In case of non-availability of internet, the presiding officer should personally hand over the original form 45.

The election commission has urged all presiding officers to save relevant details in their computer. Presiding officers will receive polling bags from the returning officer under the guard of police and Rangers.

In the meantime, the ECP has asked each candidate to ensure proper training of their polling agents. Candidates have also been asked to ensure that no polling agent could leave the polling station without receiving from 45. Each presiding officer is bound to provide the signed copy of form 45 to relevant polling agents at the polling station.

Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja inspected the distribution of polling material and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements.

CEC Raja said that all arrangements, including security, are complete. He also urged voters of the constituency to exercise their right to vote.

The election commission said it has assigned security duties to law enforcement agencies, including police and rangers.
The ECP said it has established a control room in the office of the Returning officer, which would continue working throughout the polling process until results are compiled.

The ECP has also established separate control rooms at provincial and central levels to register and resolve complaints. The control room will work from 7am in the morning till the compilation of results on polling day.

You may contact the provincial control room through the following live contacts: Lahore: 042 99212209; 042 99212620; Fax: 042 99212209; Email: prcpunjabcontrolroom@gmail.com.

The central control room could be contacted on phone 051-9204402; Fax no 051-9204404 for registering complaints. The complaints could also be registered through Email:- ddmonitoringisb@gmail.

A deputy commissioner and officers of police and Rangers will remain present to deal with any untoward incident.

The ECP also expressed hope that the voters would strictly follow the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

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Lahore: Polling for NA-133 by-election underway

By-elections in the National Assembly constituency of NA-133 Lahore are being today (Sunday).

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said it had finalised arrangements to hold the by-polls in an impartial atmosphere. The polling started at 8am this morning and will continue till 5pm without any break.

The seat fell vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik who had died of heart complications on October 11.

According to the Punjab election commission, there are 254 polling stations in the constituency, including 22 polling stations of A category, 198 of B category and 34 polling stations of C category. Of them, 199 polling stations have been declared sensitive. Around 200 separate polling stations have been set up for men and women and 54 mixed polling stations have also been set up.

The total number of voters in the NA-133 constituency is 440,485, including 233,585 male voters and 206,927 female voters.

Political dynamics

After the PTI candidate went out of the election race, there were 11 candidates left, including PML-N's Pervaiz Malik's widow Shaista Pervaiz Malik and PPP's Aslam Gill.

The PPP actively campaigned for the NA-133 by-election in Lahore, which is considered a stronghold of the rival PML-N, in the hopes of reviving the party in Punjab.

The PML-N has retained the seat thrice in the past with Pervaiz Malik winning it in 2018 with 89,699 votes, Waheed Alam Khan in 2013 with over 100,000 votes and Naseer Bhutta in 2008 with a margin of over 32,000 votes.

Election arrangements

Ballot papers and other polling material have been handed over to the presiding officers for by-elections. Polling material, including ballot papers, is being delivered to the polling stations under the supervision of police and Rangers.

Presiding officers have been paid Rs6,000 each for a full day's duty while assistant presiding officers and polling officers have been given Rs4,000 each.

The ECP directed each presiding officer to get snapshots of the original form 45 along with forensic details showing time and location and hand it over to the returning officer. The commission has asked presiding officers to keep their location service on, take a picture of form 45 and WhatsApp it to returning officers by taking polling agents on board.

In case of non-availability of internet, the presiding officer should personally hand over the original form 45.

The election commission has urged all presiding officers to save relevant details in their computer. Presiding officers will receive polling bags from the returning officer under the guard of police and Rangers.

In the meantime, the ECP has asked each candidate to ensure proper training of their polling agents. Candidates have also been asked to ensure that no polling agent could leave the polling station without receiving from 45. Each presiding officer is bound to provide the signed copy of form 45 to relevant polling agents at the polling station.

Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja inspected the distribution of polling material and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements.

CEC Raja said that all arrangements, including security, are complete. He also urged voters of the constituency to exercise their right to vote.

The election commission said it has assigned security duties to law enforcement agencies, including police and rangers.
The ECP said it has established a control room in the office of the Returning officer, which would continue working throughout the polling process until results are compiled.

The ECP has also established separate control rooms at provincial and central levels to register and resolve complaints. The control room will work from 7am in the morning till the compilation of results on polling day.

You may contact the provincial control room through the following live contacts: Lahore: 042 99212209; 042 99212620; Fax: 042 99212209; Email: prcpunjabcontrolroom@gmail.com.

The central control room could be contacted on phone 051-9204402; Fax no 051-9204404 for registering complaints. The complaints could also be registered through Email:- ddmonitoringisb@gmail.

A deputy commissioner and officers of police and Rangers will remain present to deal with any untoward incident.

The ECP also expressed hope that the voters would strictly follow the COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

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