Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Man accused of shooting Pakistan's interior minister appears in court

A MAN accused of shooting Pakistan's interior minister in a suspected assassination attempt possibly linked to blasphemy appeared in court Monday (7), with the attack seen as an ominous sign for security ahead of nationwide elections.

Abid Hussain appeared before the anti-terror court in Gujranwala city in Punjab province, where he was remanded into custody for ten days, police official Chaudhry Tariq told a news source.


His appearance came one day after Ahsan Iqbal, 59, was shot in the right arm as he prepared to leave a public meeting in his constituency in Punjab late Sunday (6).

A man identified by police as Hussain, said to be in his early 20s, was wrestled to the ground by officers and bystanders as he was preparing to fire a second shot.

Police are investigating whether the attack could have had any religious motive.

A local official told a news source that the shooter said he was inspired by a controversy last year in which a small amendment to the oath election candidates must swear had to be hastily reversed after it was linked to blasphemy, a highly inflammatory charge in the deeply conservative Muslim country.

The row sparked a three-week sit-in last November by a previously little-known Islamist group, which paralysed the capital.

That demonstration ended when the government capitulated to the protesters' demands -- including the ousting of the federal law minister -- in a deal brokered by the military.

At the time many Pakistanis and analysts warned that a dangerous precedent had been set in which fringe groups could bend the state to their will by citing blasphemy.

Iqbal, known as a champion for religious minorities, had pushed for a negotiated settlement to the controversy. As part of their investigation police are examining any potential links between Hussain and the Islamist group leading the sit-in.

After the shooting Iqbal was airlifted to Lahore.

Shafqat Waseem Chaudhry, one of the five-member medical team responsible for him, told AFP Monday that he was "stable" but will remain in the intensive care unit for two days.

The attack was swiftly condemned by the international community as Pakistanis voiced fears it represented an attempt to weaken democracy ahead of the federal elections.

The polls are set to be only the second ever democratic transition in the country, and are widely expected to be held late this summer.

Ziauddin Yousafzai, the father of Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, "strongly condemned" the attack, tweeting that it was a "bad omen for upcoming general elections that is supposed to be free, fair and transparent".

Security analyst Amir Rana told a news source the shooting of the minister nominally in charge of security in a country that has long grappled with militancy was a "serious" development.

"Pakistan claims that the country has returned to normalcy but such attacks continues to happen and these are downplayed," he said.

The shooting is the latest in a series of blows to hit the PML-N since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court over graft allegations last summer.

The court banned Sharif from politics for life, while foreign minister Khawaja Asif was also ousted by the Islamabad High Court late last month for violating election laws.

Sharif, who termed Sunday's shooting an "atrocity", has repeatedly denied the allegations, suggesting he is victim of a conspiracy driven by Pakistan's powerful military to reduce the sway of his party.

Iqbal was touted as a potential prime minister when Sharif was ousted last July.

A US-educated lawmaker from a political family long associated with the PML-N, he is considered the brains behind the party's development agenda and previously headed up the planning ministry.

The attack against him fuelled speculation that the election could yet be delayed, though newspaper columnist Cyril Almeida said that was unlikely.

"Barring something catastrophic, like the Benazir assassination which caused the 2008 election to be briefly postponed, it appears elections will be held on time," he told a news source, referring to the killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in late 2007.

Despite the setbacks, the PML-N has won a string of recent by-elections, proving it will likely remain a force in the vote.

Blasphemy can be punishable by death under controversial Pakistani legislation, with even unproven allegations sparking mob lynchings and murders.

AFP

More For You

Starmer scraps NHS England to cut costs and improve care

Keir Starmer speaks with medical staff during a visit to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre at Epsom Hospital in Epsom, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Starmer scraps NHS England to cut costs and improve care


HUNDREDS of millions of pounds could be saved and patient waiting lists reduced as prime minister Keir Starmer announced plans to abolish NHS England, the body overseeing the state-funded health system.

In a speech delivered in Hull, Starmer explained his decision to streamline the National Health Service's management structure: "I can't, in all honesty, explain to the British people why they should spend their money on two layers of bureaucracy."

Keep ReadingShow less
Early risers in the UK witness stunning Blood Moon eclipse

The lunar eclipse of Friday may not have been as dramatic as the total eclipses seen in other parts of the world

iStock

Early risers in the UK witness stunning Blood Moon eclipse

In the early hours of Friday morning, stargazers across the UK were treated to a partial lunar eclipse, with many enthusiasts rising before dawn to catch a glimpse. The celestial event, which saw the Earth's shadow partially covering the Moon, began at 05:09 GMT. Although only partial for most UK observers, it still presented a spectacular sight, with western parts of the country and regions further afield, such as the Americas and some Pacific islands, witnessing the eclipse.

For some, like Kathleen Maitland, the experience was magical. Stargazing from Pagham Harbour in West Sussex, she described the beauty of watching the Moon gradually darken and transform into a reddish hue, with the sunrise unfolding behind her. The eclipse gave rise to the so-called "blood Moon," a phenomenon that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, turning a dusky red as sunlight is refracted through the Earth's atmosphere.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sangam Foundation celebrates Women's Day

From L - Reetu Kabra, Sudha Sanghani, Parul Gajjar,Maya Sondhi,Shobu Kapoor, Meera Syal,Piyusha Virani, Sadhana Karia and Shobhna Shah during Sangam Foundation's Women's Day celebrations.

Sangam Foundation celebrates Women's Day

HUNDREDS of women gathered for the International Women's Day celebrations of Sangam Foundation last week. Prominent actresses Meera Syal, Shobhu Kapoor and Maya Sondhi have attended the event, a statement said.

The British Asian celebrities shared their experiences of breaking into an industry rife with misogyny and prejudice. The industry veterans also talked about challenges they faced in a male-dominated field.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian tycoon Sudhir Choudhrie  backs Liberal
Democrats with £23,000

Sudhir Choudhrie

Asian tycoon Sudhir Choudhrie  backs Liberal Democrats with £23,000

BUSINESSMAN Sudhir Choudhrie has emerged as one of the biggest British Asian donors to the Liberal Democrats in the last quarter of 2024, according to the latest data from the Electoral Commission.

Choudhrie, currently an advisor on India to the leader of the Liberal Democrats, contributed on six different occasions to the party between October and December 2024, totalling more than £23,000. He contributed in a similar fashion in the previous quarter as well.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sunak is ‘content in his MP role
and has no desire to move to US’

(From left) Rishi Sunak with wife Akshata Murty, and parents Usha and Yashvir Sunak

Sunak is ‘content in his MP role and has no desire to move to US’

RISHI SUNAK “loves being an MP” and has no intention of flying to California to begin a new life in America, as his enemies alleged during the general election campaign last year.

And, unlike Boris Johnson, he is not striving to be prime minister again, even though he is still only 44.

Keep ReadingShow less