Latest news with #GhulamSarwar
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Castigation versus prosecution
EDITORIAL: United Kingdom has lifted the ban on operation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in its territory and it can now apply to resume operations after five years of suspension. The airline suffered incalculable financial (projected though not verified at 200 billion rupees) and prestige loss subsequent to a statement made on 24 June 2020 by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan on the floor of the House, claiming that there were 860 active pilots in the country and 262 had appeared in exams through proxies. According to him, almost 30 percent of pilots held fake or improper licences and did not have flying experience to boot. This generated legitimate concern in the international aviation agency and Western countries, including the UK, and PIA operations were banned in Europe and the US in July 2020 while Pakistani pilots employed in international airlines were grounded. The following day, PIA spokesman announced that the airline had grounded 150 pilots of 434 pilots based on bogus licences which led to the European Union banning the airline from its airports. In July, European Union and the US banned PIA flights. Sarwar's statement followed the 22 May 2020 devastating plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 with the final report released by Aircraft Accident Investigation Board of Pakistan on 25 February 2024 that stipulated that primary causes of the accident were (i) the aircraft made gear-up landing where both engines' nacelle made contact with runway; (ii) both engines were damaged causing loss of engine oil and lubrication, which resulted in failure of both engines during go-around; and (iii) lack of communication between the ATC and the flight crew regarding gear-up landing, particularly once aircraft was on the runway. And a contributing cause cited was non-adherence to SOPs and disregard of ATC instructions during the event flight, a rather disturbing finding. Twenty-five days before the final report of the 22 May crash was released, on 31 January 2025, the federal cabinet ordered an inquiry against Ghulam Sarwar for 'irresponsible and speculative statements' that triggered a ban on PIA in Europe and the US. Explosions of justified outrage have been expressed by members of the incumbent government at the majorly negative repercussions of Sarwar's 2020 statement, which accounted for the losses suffered by the airline that, in turn, required massive annual injections at the taxpayers' expense — an outrage that is without doubt shared by the hundreds of thousands who were forced to fly by foreign airlines and take a circuitous and more expensive route to Pakistan. However, while clamour for prosecution and restitution against Ghulam Sarwar is justified yet the constitution of Pakistan expressly states that 'all executive actions of the federal government shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the President and the federal government shall by rules specify the manner in which orders and other instruments made and executed [in the name of the President] shall be authenticated, and the validity of any order or instrument so authenticated shall not be questioned in any court on the ground that it was not made or executed by the President' — who has immunity from prosecution till his holding of office. This immunity is available to decisions, however flawed, taken by cabinet members around the world. Furthermore, no action can be taken against anything said during the proceedings of parliament and, therefore, it may not be possible to prosecute Ghulam Sarwar for his outrageous and inaccurate claims made on the floor of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
The Independent
13-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pakistan says train attack was orchestrated from Afghanistan: ‘It was like a rain of rockets and bullets'
T he hijacking of an entire train in Balochistan was orchestrated by militants based in Afghanistan, Pakistan's military said citing intelligence as the 36-hour siege concluded on Wednesday. The audacious assault began on Tuesday at 1pm local time after militants from the Baloch Liberation Army hijacked the Jaffar Express train carrying more than 400 passengers in the isolated mountains of Balochistan province. By Wednesday night, the military said security forces killed 33 armed assailants and all the remaining passengers were rescued. But at least 21 passengers were killed in the assault on the train. Militant leaders based in Afghanistan remained in contact with the attackers throughout the incident using satellite phones, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces, said in a statement. 'Intelligence reports have unequivocally confirmed that the attack was orchestrated and directed by terrorist ring leaders operating from Afghanistan, who were in direct communication with the terrorists throughout the incident,' it said. 'Pakistan expects the interim Afghan government to uphold its responsibilities and deny use of its soil for terrorist activities against Pakistan.' Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director general of ISPR, also doubled down on Dunya News TV on allegations that Afghanistan was supporting militants and said the attack 'changes the rules of the game', without specifying what changes will take place. "Whoever does this, let me say it very clearly, will be hunted down and brought to justice. Let me also say that this incident of Jaffer Express changes the rules of the game,' he said. "We cannot allow anyone to target Pakistanis on behalf of their foreign paymasters," he said, pledging to hunt down those responsible wherever they were. He said the passengers were used as human shields by the militants and they had to carry out the operation with extreme caution. The passenger train was travelling from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, to Peshawar in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with scheduled stops in many cities. But the train came under attack near Sibi city, about 160km (100 miles) from Quetta. Ghulam Sarwar, 48, an assistant sub-inspector of the Pakistan Railways Police, said he was travelling with four railway personnel and five soldiers when the attack began, ensuing a heavy gunfighting. 'It was like a rain of rockets and bullets on the train, but we retaliated with gunfire,' he told Aljazeera. 'When we ran out of bullets, they came down and started pulling the passengers from the train.' He said attackers systematically sorted passengers based on ethnicity by checking their identity cards. They specifically singled out ethnic Punjabi passengers and individuals they suspected of having ties to the Pakistani military. Those selected were executed. He said they killed so many people that they lost count and killings continued till 10km before some of the militants left. Information minister Attaullah Tarar said they averted 'a potential catastrophe' and claimed no passengers died because of the military operation. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for attacking the train in a tunnel in a remote part of Balochistan and gave a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding the 'unconditional release of Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists'. Spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch had said the group was ready to free passengers if authorities agreed to release jailed militants. The attack drew condemnation and concerns from countries across the world including the US, China and Iran. The US embassy in Islamabad said it condemns the 'horrific attack' and expressed support to Pakistan in its efforts to ensure security. 'We strongly condemn the attack on the Jaffar Express train, and the hostage-taking of passengers in Kacchi, Balochistan, claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army, a US-Specially Designated Global Terrorist group. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to the victims, their families, and all those affected by this horrific act,' it said. 'The Pakistani people deserve to live free from violence and fear. The United States will remain a steadfast partner of Pakistan in its efforts to ensure the safety and security of all its citizens. We stand in solidarity with Pakistan during this difficult time.' China, whose nationals working on multibillion-dollar infrastructure projects in Balochistan have been regularly targeted, also condemned the attack. 'We noted the reports and strongly condemn this terrorist attack,' Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. 'We will continue to firmly support Pakistan in combating terrorism, maintaining solidarity and social stability and protecting the safety of civilians.' Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, called on those who've taken people hostage to 'release them at once'. According to a global terrorism index released by the Institute for Economics and Peace, an international think tank, Pakistan was among the nations most impacted by terrorism last year, ranking second only to Burkina Faso in Africa. Just last week, a coalition of separatist groups, including the BLA, declared their intent to escalate attacks on Pakistani security forces, infrastructure, and Chinese interests in the region.
Al Jazeera
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘A rain of rockets and bullets': Survivors of Pakistan's train hijacking
Quetta, Pakistan – Survivors of Tuesday's deadly train hijacking by Baloch separatists have described how they watched fellow passengers being executed and fled while being shot at. Dozens of fighters belonging to the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeted nine carriages of the Jaffar Express with rocket-propelled grenades and gunshots as it passed through colonial-era tunnels in the rugged, mountainous Bolan Pass. The train, which departed from Quetta, the provincial capital of the southwestern province of Balochistan, at 9am (04:00 GMT) for Peshawar, the capital of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, came under attack near Sibi city, about 160km (100 miles) from Quetta, at around 1pm (08:00 GMT). The train's route makes a journey of more than 1,600km (994 miles) through Punjab to reach its final destination, Peshawar. The trip takes roughly 30 hours, with stops at about 30 stations across the country. On Wednesday night, Pakistan's security forces said they had concluded a military operation against the fighters, rescuing 346 passengers, and killing all 33 of the attackers. But 26 passengers, the train driver and a paramilitary soldier were also killed, they said. There were nearly 400 passengers on the train when it was attacked. The BLA, which said it was holding the passengers hostage, had on Tuesday given the Pakistan government a 48-hour ultimatum, demanding the 'unconditional release of Baloch political prisoners, forcibly disappeared persons and national resistance activists'. 'They just took people aside and shot them' Passengers who have been freed in the security forces' operation described their hours of captivity as 'horrific'. 'I saw so many killings in front of my eyes and I knew that I was the next, but I escaped with other passengers and colleagues on Wednesday morning,' Ghulam Sarwar, 48, told Al Jazeera. An assistant subinspector of the Pakistan Railways Police, he was onboard the train and later made a daring escape with a group of passengers and fellow armed guards. Sarwar was travelling on the train from Quetta railway station along with four other armed railway personnel and five soldiers who were charged with guarding the passengers, a regular practice. When the attack began, he said he and the other armed personnel returned fire. 'It was like a rain of rockets and bullets on the train, but we retaliated with gunfire,' he recalled. 'When we ran out of bullets, they came down and started pulling the passengers from the train.' The attackers began separating the passengers according to ethnicity by checking their identity cards, removing ethnic Punjabi passengers and those suspected of being part of the Pakistani military, and executing them. 'They killed so many people,' Sarwar said. He could not count how many people were slain, he said, but he witnessed the fighters 'just taking groups of people aside from the railway track and shooting them'. 'The killings continued until 10pm after a large number of attackers left the area after hugging some remaining fighters who stayed behind. They also killed anyone who attempted to escape,' Sarwar said. In the morning, Sarwar and another group of passengers and security personnel managed to escape from the site where the hostages were being held. 'We ran out in the morning but another railway policeman who was with me was hit by a bullet on his back after the attackers started shooting at us from the near mountains,' he said. The policeman was killed, he said. As he and his fellow passengers fled, they were fired upon by the separatist fighters but managed to make it 6km (4 miles) along the tracks to the nearby railway station at Panir, where Pakistani security forces were waiting to receive them. 'I saw a rocket hit the engine' Murad Ali, 68, who was travelling to the southern city of Jacobabad with his wife, also witnessed the attack but was among those allowed to go free by the attackers. 'I saw a rocket hit the engine of the train after we heard intense firing. They came inside our compartment and asked my identity and ethnicity [Sindhi] and then allowed me to go,' he said. 'I accompanied dozens of women and children and we followed the railway track for six kilometres on foot until we reached the Panir railway station after dusk where security forces took us to Mach railway station,' he told Al Jazeera. The couple then returned to Quetta. Bibi Farzana, Murad's wife, described the train as being 'entirely covered with smoke due to firing and explosions'. She added: 'They pulled off all the passengers but they separated ethnic Punjabis from the rest of the passengers.' On Wednesday, Pakistan's security officials said its forces had killed 30 fighters in the operation to rescue the hostages and that security clearance was still going on. Balochistan province's Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the attack was an attempt by separatists to give the impression that Quetta is a 'violent environment'. The government said it had deployed additional soldiers to Quetta railway station, and dozens of coffins have been dispatched to the attack site aboard a relief train from Quetta station. Baloch separatists, who demand independence from Pakistan, accuse the state of abducting and persecuting those who speak out against it. While this is the first time a whole train has been hijacked, there have been a series of attacks on trains in the past two years. Most recently, in November 2024, separatists killed nearly 30 train passengers – most of them Pakistani soldiers – in a suicide bombing at Quetta station as the Jaffar Express was about to depart the station.
