Latest news with #Mengal
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
BNP's Mengal off-loaded from Dubai flight
BNP chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal was off-loaded from a Dubai-bound flight on Sunday as his name was included in a no-fly list. Taking to his X handle, the BNP chief wrote that he was offloaded from the aircraft by immigration staff when traveling from Quetta to Dubai. He added that he was informed that his name had been put in provisional national identification list (PNIL). Mengal also shared a screenshot of his ticket, immigration counter and the PNIL notepad, which says, "Prevent from leaving abroad." Following the episode, people from different walks of life condemned the incident as Senator Sana Ullah Baloch stated, "We strongly condemn the arbitrary and politically motivated restriction imposed on Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, Member of National Assembly and former Chief Minister Balochistan, who was offloaded from his Dubai-bound flight at Quetta airport by immigration authorities." "According to Mr. Mengal, he was informed that his name has been placed on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL)a deeply concerning act that undermines his constitutional right to freedom of movement guaranteed under Article 15 of the Constitution of Pakistan," he added. "Such measures not only violate the law and spirit of democratic values but also reflect the continued erosion of civil liberties."
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
BNP chief Akhtar Mengal barred from traveling abroad, offloaded at Quetta airport
Balochistan National Party (BNP) President Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal was stopped from boarding an international flight on Sunday, with immigration officials citing his name on the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), a watchlist used to restrict international travel. According to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Mengal was offloaded from a private airline flight bound for Dubai at Quetta International Airport. The officials said his name being on the PNIL was the reason he was prevented from flying. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mengal confirmed the incident and said he was informed by immigration staff at the airport that he could not travel because his name was listed on the PNIL. 'I was scheduled to fly to Dubai, but was offloaded without prior notice,' he said. The move has sparked condemnation from senior BNP leaders. Former federal minister Agha Hassan Baloch and Ghulam Nabi Marri termed the act 'illegal and unconstitutional.' Mengal and BNP are supporters of terrorists: PPP They emphasised that Mengal is still a sitting member of the National Assembly, and his resignation, submitted earlier, has not yet been officially accepted. 'The government has no legal grounds to bar a serving MNA from international travel,' the BNP leaders said, calling for an immediate explanation from the authorities concerned. Mengal, a key voice from Balochistan in the federal legislature, has been vocal about rights violations in the province and the enforced disappearances issue. The travel restriction is likely to draw further criticism from political and human rights circles, who see such actions as part of a broader clampdown on dissenting voices.
Express Tribune
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Water, sanitation network expanded to 10 cities
In a move to improve clean drinking water and sewerage services across Punjab, the Housing Department has approved the establishment of 10 new Water and Sanitation Agencies (WASAs) in various cities. These include Hafizabad, Jhang, Sialkot, Jhelum, Rahim Yar Khan, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Dera Ghazi Khan. The relevant authorities have been instructed to appoint managing directors for the newly proposed agencies. The announcement came during an emergency visit by Punjab Secretary for Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Engineering Noorul Amin Mengal to the WASA headquarters in Faisalabad. He chaired a high-level meeting attended by FDA Director General Muhammad Asif Chaudhry, WASA Managing Director Aamir Aziz, DG PHA Dilawar Khan, and other officials, where an extensive review of ongoing development schemes, sewerage improvements, and clean water supply projects was conducted. Mengal emphasised the Punjab chief minister's personal commitment to ensuring the availability of clean drinking water and modern sewerage infrastructure for the public. He said projects worth Rs150 billion are currently being executed under WASA's supervision and assured that their progress and quality will be closely monitored by the department. To ensure transparency and high standards, Quality Assurance Committees are being formed and special monitoring cells will oversee the technical aspects of all ongoing projects. Mengal issued directives to prioritise public convenience during development work by avoiding unnecessary excavations and ensuring prompt restoration of affected areas to minimise disruption to daily life. The housing secretary made it clear that negligence, malpractice, or delays in project execution will not be tolerated and that strict departmental action will be taken against those found responsible.
Express Tribune
25-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Repeat sex offenders face GPS monitoring
The user would have to enable GPS so the police may locate them. PHOTO: REUTERS The Punjab government has announced a new initiative to electronically monitor habitual sex offenders through GPS-enabled ankle devices. The system, introduced by the Crime Control Department (CCD), will initially be implemented for repeat offenders convicted in rape and sodomy cases, with plans to expand the programme to include individuals involved in other serious crimes. According to CCD officials, offenders with two or more convictions will be fitted with tamper-proof electronic bands that send real-time location updates every hour to a central control room. If an offender attempts to leave designated areas without permission or tampers with the device, authorities will be notified immediately. "These electronic restraints will physically restrict offenders while allowing us to track their movements 24/7," a CCD spokesperson told The Express Tribune. The first deployment of 30 devices is scheduled to take place in Lahore this week, with an additional 100 monitors to be distributed across the province in the coming phase. The bands may only be removed after an offender has demonstrated consistent behavioural improvement over a monitored period. This initiative is part of a broader electronic surveillance strategy approved by Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal. The programme includes the procurement of 1,500 GPS trackers for suspects on the Fourth Schedule and repeat offenders under the supervision of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), CCD, and parole authorities. A few days earlier, Secretary Mengal chaired a high-level meeting at his office where the import of more than 1,500 GPS monitoring bands was approved. Habitual criminals The provincial home department has also drafted 'The Punjab Control of Goondas Act, 2025' to curb the activities of habitual criminals, enhance public safety and deter anti-social behaviour. The draft provides a legal framework for identifying, monitoring, and restraining elements that pose a threat to public order. It provides the legal definition of Goonda as "a person habitually involved in disorderly conduct, criminal activity, or anti-social behaviour that endangers peace or creates public nuisance". The District Intelligence Committees (DICs) will be empowered to declare an individual a 'Goonda' on the basis of credible reports from police officers, assistant commissioners, intelligence agencies or written complaints. The grounds for the declaration include involvement in drug trafficking, gambling, extortion, cybercrimes, harassment, organised criminal activity, use of forged documents, display of weapons, running a brothel, impersonation of public officials and other listed offences. Upon the declaration, the DIC may impose various restrictions on the targeted individuals, including, requiring a bond for good behaviour in future, placement on no-fly list, blocking CNIC and passport, confiscation of digital devices and data and freezing of bank accounts. The proposed requirements include community service and restriction upon visiting sensitive public places. The law allows for technical surveillance, including digital monitoring and biometric data collection, to ensure compliance and detect criminal conduct.
Express Tribune
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Volunteer registration portal launched
The telecommunication authority says that MICO has been registered as a Significant Social Media Company (SSMC) under Rule 7 (6) of the requisite provision. PHOTO: FILE In an effort to revitalise Civil Defence and bolster disaster preparedness, the Punjab Home Department has launched an online volunteer registration portal and established 22 Combined Control and Report Centres across the province to ensure rapid emergency response. The announcement came during a visit by Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal to a Civil Defence underground bunker at Nasir Bagh, Lahore on Thursday. Director Civil Defence Zameer Hussain briefed the secretary on existing safety protocols and operational preparedness. Highlighting the government's commitment, Mengal urged citizens to actively register through the new portal, noting that the department aims to train one million new volunteers across Punjab. "We are mobilising all necessary resources to meet this target," he said. According to the Home Department, Punjab now has 1,113 designated safe shelters with the capacity to accommodate up to 77,000 people in case of emergencies. The newly operational control centres are intended to streamline real-time communication and enable swift decision-making during crises. Mengal also stressed the urgent need to modernise Civil Defence infrastructure. "We have allocated Rs500 million for the immediate and transparent procurement of essential equipment and supplies," he said. He further revealed that Civil Defence, in collaboration with Rescue 1122, has trained over 150,000 citizensincluding a large number of studentswithin the past week through extensive awareness campaigns and disaster response drills. Despite Civil Defence having become largely inactive over the past decades due to the absence of conflict or urban attacks, the department is now being restructured to serve as a frontline institution for civil emergency response and public safety.
