THE SPEAKER of Pakistan's parliament adjourned a motion of no-confidence in prime minister Imran Khan on Friday (25), provoking opposition accusations he was buying time for the ex-cricketer to muster support after a spate of defections from his party.
The motion will now be tabled on Monday (28) after which seven days of debate should take place before an actual vote.
The political turmoil comes as Pakistan faces a recurring economic crisis, and Khan's government is banking on the International Monetary Fund to release the next tranche of a $6 billion (£4.55 bn) rescue package to shore up dwindling foreign currency reserves.
Khan, a former captain of Pakistan's national cricket team, came to power in 2018, after the leaders of the country's two mainstream parties were discredited by accusations of corruption.
Political analysts say the country's powerful military had supported Khan's rise to power, and that the generals have now become disenchanted with his leadership. Khan has denied receiving backing from the military.
During the latest power struggle, the military has said it would remain neutral, leaving it to political parties to decide Khan's fate.
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, took aim at Asad Qaisar, the speaker of the lower house, for adjourning the no-confidence proceedings until after the weekend.
"We strongly protest it," Sharif told a news conference on Friday.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of the rival Pakistan People's Party, described the speaker as acting like a "personal servant" of the prime minister.
The speaker said in a live telecast that he adjourned the proceedings to conform with a longstanding tradition to refrain from carrying out parliamentary business on the first day of a session convened shortly after the death of an MP.
In recent weeks, more than 20 lawmakers deserted Khan, leaving him short of the minimum 172 that he needs for a simple majority in parliament. Political analysts expect Khan's supporters to use the weekend to persuade some of the turncoats to return to the fold.
Meanwhile, an IMF review that was scheduled for this week has yet to happen, and undermined by political uncertainty the rupee remains under pressure, with the central bank's foreign currency reserves having fallen to $14.9 bn (£11.30 bn) as of March 18.
(Reuters)
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Sara Sharif: Starmer demands safeguards for home-schooled children
Dec 12, 2024
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer on Thursday (12) called for better safeguards for home-schooled children and said there were "questions that need to be answered" after the brutal murder of a 10-year-old girl.
Sara Sharif's father and step-mother were convicted of murder on Wednesday (11) in a trial that revealed gruesome details of the abuse inflicted on her, and the failure of child protection services to intervene despite warning signs.
Months before her death, her father Urfan Sharif had taken her out of school to be taught at home, after Sara's teacher reported her bruises to child services.
At the time, child services had probed the incident but did not take any action.
Starmer said the "awful" case was "about making sure that (there are) protecting safeguards for children, particularly those being home-schooled".
The Department for Education said it was "already taking action to make sure no child falls through the cracks" and "bringing in greater safeguards for children in home education".
The government plans to "make sure that schools and teachers are involved in safeguarding decisions", a Downing Street spokesperson said, adding that details would be included in upcoming legislation.
Parents will also need local authority consent for home-schooling at-risk children under the proposed changes, and a register of children who are not in school will be drawn up.
Sara was found dead in her home in August 2023, with extensive injuries including broken bones, burns and even bite marks after being subjected to years of abuse.
Sara was discovered dead in her bunkbed on 10 August 2023. Sara was discovered dead in her bunkbed on 10 August 2023.
She had also been in and out of foster care after Sharif separated from her mother, Olga Sharif, to marry the step-mother Beinash Batool.
Despite previous allegations of abusive behaviour against the father made by Olga, Sharif won custody of Sara in 2019, just four years before she was killed.
Lucy Powell, Leader of the House of Commons, expressed the government's shock and commitment to child safety during a parliamentary statement on Thursday.
Powell indicated that stronger safeguards for home-educated children would be detailed imminently, stressing that protecting children remains a top priority. She described the emerging details of Sara's murder as deeply disturbing, with the government pledging to reform children's social care.
Meanwhile, Will Forster MP called for a comprehensive investigation into Sara's death, highlighting the need to examine every aspect of her care. He stressed the importance of an inquest that would scrutinise potential systemic failures, including concerns about cultural sensitivities potentially preventing teachers from raising questions about her welfare.
Forster argued that Sara's removal from school after being seen with bruises must be carefully examined to prevent similar systemic abuse. He described the abuse Sara suffered as "heartbreaking and vile" and added that while justice has been served, preventing such tragedies in the future is crucial.
Children's Commissioner Rachel de Souza said Sara's death highlighted "profound weaknesses in our child protection system".
De Souza said it was "madness" that an at-risk child could be taken out of school, calling for a ban on home-schooling of suspected abuse victims.
According to a child safeguarding report published on Thursday, 485 children in England died or were seriously harmed by abuse or neglect in the year to April 2024.
Urfan Sharif, Beinash Batool and Sara's uncle Faisal Malik, who was cleared of murder but convicted of causing or allowing her death, are due to be sentenced on Tuesday (17).
(with inputs from AFP)
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According to Leicestershire Police, the two male passengers remain in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. (Photo: X/@leicspolice)
Indian student dies, four injured in Leicestershire road accident
Dec 12, 2024
A 32-YEAR-OLD Indian student has died in a road accident in Leicestershire, with four others hospitalised with serious injuries, according to police.
Chiranjeevi Panguluri, a passenger in the car, died at the scene when the vehicle left the road and came to rest in a ditch. The accident, involving a grey Mazda 3 Tamura, occurred on Tuesday morning as the car travelled from Leicester towards Market Harborough.
Three co-passengers, including one woman and two men, along with the driver, were taken to hospital. According to Leicestershire Police, the two male passengers remain in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but has since been released on bail.
“Officers remain keen to speak to anyone who may have been travelling along the A6 on Tuesday morning and witnessed the collision. They would also like people to check whether they have captured any footage on dash cam equipment,” the police said in a statement.
All those involved in the crash are reported to be from India's Andhra Pradesh state.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Carer's allowance penalties trap many in debt: report
Dec 12, 2024
HUNDREDS of thousands of unpaid carers have been hammered by harsh penalties for minor rule breaches, a damning national audit has revealed.
The National Audit Office (NAO) report exposed a system that has pushed vulnerable carers into financial and emotional turmoil.
According to the report, over 262,000 overpayments totalling £325 million were clawed back, with 600 carers even facing criminal prosecution.
The most shocking detail is the brutal "cliff-edge" earnings rule: earning just £1 over the £151 weekly threshold can trigger a repayment of £4,258.80 instead of just £52. Currently, 134,500 carers are struggling to repay over £251 million in debt.
Critically, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) appears to have deliberately understaffed its carer's allowance unit. Only half of electronic alerts identifying potential overpayments were investigated, with staff numbers cut by 14 per cent in two years.
Vivienne Groom, a former carer who was prosecuted and had a £16,000 inheritance seized, condemned the system. "They need to stop," she said. "I feel sorry for people who might lose their house or car."
Helen Walker from Carers UK described it as a "serious failure" causing immense distress, while Dominic Carter from Carers Trust called the system "broken".
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called it "a scandal of the DWP's own making" that has caused "misery and distress on a staggering scale".
The average family carer – often already in poverty – repays nearly £1,000 in overpayments annually. Some cases have accrued over £20,000 in undetected breaches.
The DWP, however, maintains that legally, claimants must inform them of eligibility changes. However, ministers have now launched an independent review due next summer to investigate why overpayments spiralled and how to protect carers.
Social security minister Stephen Timms acknowledged the challenges, promising to boost the earnings threshold to help over 60,000 people and "make the system fairer".
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Urfan Sharif had signed agreements prohibiting 'any physical chastisement' of children after facing multiple accusations of abuse.(Photo: Reuters)
Urfan Sharif was accused of abuse before Sara's birth: Report
Dec 12, 2024
SARA SHARIF’s father, Urfan Sharif, was repeatedly accused of abuse in the 13 years leading up to her murder, according to family court documents.
These records, according to The Times, reveal a history of physical abuse, neglect, and domestic violence within the family, with multiple interventions by social services.
Sara was made the subject of a child protection plan immediately after her birth in January 2013 due to concerns about harm from Sharif and her mother, Olga Domin.
The parents signed an agreement with social workers in September 2013, committing to attend a parenting course and to refrain from physical punishment, the newspaper reported.
Despite this, reports emerged that Sara exhibited signs of distress, including standing facing a wall and showing signs of developmental delay.
The family had been under the radar of social services since 2010. Allegations included domestic violence, physical abuse, and neglect. Police reports and school notifications highlighted incidents where children were found unsupervised, showed signs of assault, or displayed fear of returning home.
In 2014, one child suffered an adult bite mark, and Domin admitted to causing the injury in anger, later accepting a police caution, The Times reported. Social workers repeatedly noted ongoing domestic abuse and concerns over unexplained injuries among the children.
Despite intervention, Sara remained in her parents’ care. Reports from foster carers and schools pointed to further abuse, with children expressing fear of being hit. In one instance, Sara reported being slapped and pinched by her mother. In another, she claimed her mother attempted to drown her, the newspaper reported.
In 2019, Sharif secured custody of the children after alleging they were unsafe with Domin. Batool, Sharif’s partner, supported his custody application, claiming the children expressed disdain for their mother.
Sara’s body, bearing multiple injuries, was discovered in the family’s Surrey home in August last year.
Sharif and Batool fled to Pakistan but were later convicted of her murder.
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Planning overhaul targets 1.5 million new homes
Dec 12, 2024
BRITAIN on Thursday (12) outlined details of an overhaul to its planning system to help boost growth and hit a target of 1.5 million new homes in the next five years, including ordering local authorities to build more houses.
The housebuilding target was one of six measurable "milestones" announced by prime minister Keir Starmer a week ago, as he pledged to revamp a planning system he described as having a "chokehold" on growth.
Even though no government has hit such a target in decades, Starmer on Thursday said there was no "shying away" from a housing crisis which meant the "dream of homeownership feels like a distant reality" to many people.
"Our plan for change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people's pockets," he said in a statement.
The Local Government Association said planning reform needed to be coupled with "work to tackle workforce challenges, the costs of construction and the financial headroom of local authorities and housing associations," adding that swifter planning decisions didn't guarantee more housebuilding.
The government said there would be new immediate mandatory housing targets, with the least affordable areas needing the most stringent targets.
Local authorities would have 12 weeks to come up with timetables for new housebuilding plans, it said, or else risk intervention from ministers.
Previously developed land, known as "brownfield" sites, would be prioritised for development. Councils must also review boundaries of the green belt - a designation intended to prevent urban sprawl - to meet targets, and look to develop lower quality "grey belt" land.
The government stressed that green belt development would have to ensure development of necessary infrastructure was prioritised.
Councils will be given an additional £100 million ($127.60m) to support their work.
(Reuters)
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