Latest news with #Faisalabad
Arab News
a day ago
- Sport
- Arab News
Pakistani cueist Muhammad Asif advances to IBSF World Masters final in Bahrain
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Muhammad Asif has qualified for the final of the Masters category at the IBSF World Snooker Championships in Bahrain, defeating India's Manan Chandra 4-2 in the semifinal, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Friday. The 42‑year‑old from Faisalabad — a three‑time IBSF World Amateur Champion (2012, 2019, 2024) and recipient of Pakistan's Pride of Performance Award in 2015 — took the first frame 118‑6 before conceding the next two, then reeled off three straight wins to secure his place in the final. He will now face Brijesh Damani in the final, scheduled for Friday, 6pm Bahrain Time, 8pm PKT, the IBSF said in a post on Instagram. 'Another Pakistan cueist Hasnain Akhtar has also reached final in the U-17 category of IBSF World Masters Final after beating Oliwier Nizialek of Poland by 4-0,' Radio Pakistan reported. Asif qualified for the semifinals of the masters after defeating Habib Sabah (Bahrain) 4-0 (68(68)-8, 57-37, 68(68)-8, 40(40)-8) in the quarterfinal on Thursday. In the pre-quarterfinals, Asif defeated Mohamed Shehab (UAE) 4-2 (56-68, 21-72, 57-21, 80(80)-0, 68-45(43), 68-58). The IBSF World Snooker Championships are being held in Manama from July 13–24 and feature top amateur players in Masters and youth categories. Pakistan has a long record of success in amateur snooker.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Pakistan to create new paramilitary force ahead of more protests by Imran Khan's party
ISLAMABAD, July 14 (Reuters) - Pakistan said on Monday it was creating a national paramilitary force, prompting concern among opposition parties and human rights groups that it could be used as a tool of political repression. The move turns an existing paramilitary force deployed on Pakistan's northwestern border with Afghanistan into a national security force that will be called the Federal Constabulary, State Minister for the Interior Talal Chaudhry told a press conference in the eastern city of Faisalabad. Its new duties will include internal security, riot control and counter-terrorism, according to a copy of the amended law reported by the local Dunya News TV. The announcement came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former jailed Prime Minister Imran Khan said it would stage nationwide protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of his arrest. Several such protests since his August 2023 arrest have turned violent, in some cases paralysing the capital Islamabad for days. "This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force. We need this force for internal security," Chaudhry said, adding that President Asif Ali Zardari had already approved amendments in the law introducing changes in the paramilitary force. The new force replaces the Frontier Constabulary (FC), whose cadres were previously recruited only from tribes in the northwestern province, Chaudhry said. Training of the new force will bring it into line with other national law enforcement agencies, he added. Khan's party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said the changes should be subject to parliamentary discussion. The new force "should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters," he said. His concern was echoed by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body. "We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament," Khalique said.
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Pakistan to create new paramilitary force ahead of more protests by Imran Khan's party
Pakistan said on Monday it was creating a national paramilitary force, prompting concern among opposition parties and human rights groups that it could be used as a tool of political repression. The move turns an existing paramilitary force deployed on Pakistan's northwestern border with Afghanistan into a national security force that will be called the Federal Constabulary, State Minister for the Interior Talal Chaudhry told a press conference in the eastern city of Faisalabad. Its new duties will include internal security, riot control and counter-terrorism, according to a copy of the amended law reported by the local Dunya News TV. The announcement came after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of former jailed prime minister Imran Khan said it would stage nationwide protests starting on August 5, the second anniversary of his arrest. Several such protests since his August 2023 arrest have turned violent, in some cases paralysing the capital Islamabad for days. "This will be a new force. This will be a stronger force. We need this force for internal security," Chaudhry said, adding that President Asif Ali Zardari had already approved amendments in the law introducing changes in the paramilitary force. The new force replaces the Frontier Constabulary (FC), whose cadres were previously recruited only from tribes in the northwestern province, Chaudhry said. Training of the new force will bring it into line with other national law enforcement agencies, he added. Khan's party spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari said the changes should be subject to parliamentary discussion. The new force "should not be used as a gimmick to silence political opponents, as has been previously witnessed when the government applied such laws against a large number of the PTI leadership and supporters," he said. His concern was echoed by Haris Khalique, secretary of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, an independent body. "We are alarmed by the changes being made to the security and law enforcement structure of the country without any debate in parliament," Khalique said.
Free Malaysia Today
10-07-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Pakistan arrests 149, including 48 Chinese, in scam centre raid
The charged individuals ran WhatsApp groups where they lured ordinary people. (EPA Images pic) ISLAMABAD : Pakistan police arrested 149 people – including 71 foreigners, mostly Chinese – in a raid on a scam call centre, the national cyber crime investigation agency said today. 'During the raid, a large call centre was uncovered, which was involved in Ponzi schemes and investment fraud,' the agency said in a statement. 'Through this fraudulent network, the public was being deceived and vast sums of money were being illegally collected.' The agency said they were acting on a tip-off about the network, operating in the city of Faisalabad, a manufacturing centre in the east of the country. The agency told AFP that the raid was at the residence of Tasheen Awan, the former head of the city's power grid, who has not been arrested. All those arrested were in custody, including 78 Pakistanis and 48 Chinese, as well as citizens from Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Myanmar. Some 18 of the 149 were women, it added. A copy of the police report said victims would initially receive a small return on their first investments, before being persuaded to hand over larger sums of money. 'The charged individuals ran WhatsApp groups where they lured ordinary people by assigning small investment tasks like subscribing to different TikTok and YouTube channels,' it said. 'Later, they shifted them to Telegram links for further online tasks requiring larger investments.'
BBC News
10-07-2025
- BBC News
Pakistan police arrest 149 in raid on 'scam call centre'
Pakistan police have arrested 149 people in a raid on a scam call centre, the country's National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on agency told the BBC it acted after a tip-off about the network, which was operating in the city of said the centre was involved in Ponzi schemes and tricked people into handing over vast sums of money in the name of fake arrested included 78 Pakistanis, 48 Chinese nationals, eight Nigerians, four Filipinos, two Sri Lankans, six Bangladeshis, two Myanmar nationals and one Zimbabwean national. Eighteen of the 149 were women, the agency added.A copy of a police report said victims of the alleged scam would initially receive a small return on their first investments, before being persuaded to hand over larger sums of money."The charged individuals ran WhatsApp groups where they lured ordinary people by assigning small investment tasks like subscribing to different TikTok and YouTube channels," the agency said. "Later, they shifted them to Telegram links for further online tasks requiring larger investments."Pakistani citizen Muhammad Sajid told BBC Urdu that he was added to a Telegram channel with tens of thousands of members and was impressed by the company's work. He said he gave them more than 3.138 million rupees ($36,600) in various raid, which took place on Tuesday, saw authorities seize hundreds of computers, servers, cryptocurrency exchanges and foreign SIM cards from the Wednesday, 149 suspects appeared in court, 87 of whom were handed over to the NCCIA on a five-day physical remand. A further 62 suspects have been transferred to the district jail on judicial remand until 23 July. The agency said the raid was at the residence of Malik Tehseen Awan, the former head of Faisalabad's power grid, who has not been arrested.
