Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Three policemen shot dead at Islamist rally in Pakistan

Three policemen shot dead at Islamist rally in Pakistan

AT LEAST three policemen were shot dead and 70 more wounded when supporters of a banned Islamist party opened fire at a rally in Pakistan on Wednesday (27), the country's interior minister said.

The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is protesting over the detention of its leader Saad Rizvi, arrested in April when the group was outlawed by authorities and is demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador.


It has been behind major anti-France protests that earlier this year led to the embassy issuing a warning for all French citizens to leave the country.

"They opened fire on police with Kalashnikovs... three policemen were martyred," Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad told a press conference, adding that eight of those injured were in a critical condition.

Punjab’s police chief Rao Sardar Ali Khan said in a separate press conference that four officers died on Wednesday (27).

The TLP in turn accused the police of firing on the crowd, with four of its supporters killed.

Police in Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital, denied using rubber bullets or guns and would not comment on claims that protesters had died.

"We have used no such weapons against them," police spokesman Mazhar Hussain said.

Police said they used tear gas and batons to control the crowds.

The latest demonstration began on Friday (22) in the group's stronghold city of Lahore, from where thousands of people have begun moving towards Islamabad.

Clashes between the two sides left two police officers dead on the first day of protests, while the TLP reported on Saturday (23) that five of its supporters had died.

Police have closed off major roads and junctions leading to the capital, around 300 kilometres from the current protest site.

Information minister Fawad Chaudhry said prime minister Imran Khan and the security services had agreed to treat the TLP as a militant group.

The government earlier this week announced a breakthrough in talks with the TLP but the march resumed on Wednesday (27).

"We tried our best for the success of the talks but the government is not serious about fulfilling its commitments," TLP spokesman Sajjad Saifi said, adding, “the expulsion of the French ambassador is our main demand."

The government has repeatedly said it is not willing to close the French embassy or expel the current acting ambassador.

Rizvi was arrested in April when violent anti-France protests erupted, leading to the deaths of six police officers. The TLP has waged an anti-France campaign since president Emmanuel Macron defended the right of a satirical magazine to republish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, an act deemed blasphemous by many Muslims.

Few issues are as galvanising in Pakistan as blasphemy, and even the slightest suggestion of an insult to Islam can supercharge protests, incite lynchings, and unite most of the country's warring political parties.

(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, Maya Sondhi, Shobu Kapoor and Meera Syal 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