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The Army is once again playing with fire in Pakistan

Published

9 years ago

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The Army is once again playing with fire in Pakistan

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Army’s role in first defying government orders to restore normalcy and then brokering peace with the protestors is a disturbing development in Pakistan

~By Seema Guha

A little known Islamic group, Tehreek-e-LibaikYa Rasool Allah Pakistan (TLYR) had virtually brought the government of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to its knees. By bowing to their demand for the sacking of the federal justice minister Zahid Hamid, the government finally succeeded in getting protesters out of the streets.

The angry mobs had virtually paralysed the authorities and brought life in the cities and towns of Pakistan to a halt.

The Abbasi administration had got some breathing space for the moment, but the take away from the crisis is a damning indictment of the current situation in Pakistan, where a hand full determined fanatics can plunge the nation into a monumental crisis.

It is a well known fact that the Army calls the shots in Pakistan, mainly on foreign affairs and particularly on relations with India, US and Afghanistan. It usually plays a more subtle role in internal politics, but this time round the gloves were off.

Army chief Qamar Jawed Bajwa openly flouted government orders and instead of putting its forces on the ground to clear the streets off protesters, as ordered by the executive, the Army played peace maker. The Army chief met Prime Minister Abbasi and lectured the government to handle the agitation peacefully. The Army then got into action and got the government and the Islamic group to negotiate.

In the end the protesters had their way and Zahid Ahmed had to step down.

The negotiations are said to have continued all Sunday night and into the wee hours of Monday morning. The government was represented by Interior minister Ahsan Iqbal. It is only in the fitness of things, that when the leader of the Tehreek-e-Libaik announced lifting the sit-in protests, he thanked the Army chief for diffusing the crisis.

What is more, in the agreement that was signed by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the chief of  Tehreek-e-Libaik, the Interior Secretary Arshad Mirza, and Major General, Faiz Hameed who facilitated the negotiations , there is reference to the Army chief. “We are thankful to him (General Bajwa) for saving the nation from a big catastrophe,” the document said. The Army chief and General Hamid are both guarantors to the agreement.

The Army’s support of the fundamentalist group is not surprising considering these outfits have often been used by the military ever since military dictator General Zia ul-Haq decided it was in his best interests to play the religious card.

The Islamasition of the Pakistan army began during General Zia’s time. Since then, whenever it suited the generals, they played footsie with religious leaders.

Yet ever since the brutal slaughter of school children in an army school in Peshawar, the Army had cracked down on the Pakistani Taliban and other extremist groups. Yet at a time, when the PML (N) is at its weakest, with Nawaz Sharif debarred from politics and facing trial for corruption and a weak man in the country’s top executive office, the Army’s support for the Tehreek-e-Libaik is somewhat surprising.

This group of fundamentalists grew out of the protest movement against the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, the security guard who gunned down Punjab Governor Salman Taseer in 2011, for standing up for a Christian woman facing death under the country’s tough blasphemy laws. When Qadri was hanged, a cult grew around what supporters described as his “martyrdom.’’ The group hopes to take part in national elections and promises to rule Pakistan by shariah law, if voted to power.

The current agitation by this fringe outfit is also seeped in Sunni orthodoxy. The law minister has become the target for a slight change to an oath – the finality of Prophethood – that lawmakers in Pakistan must take to run for office. The oath declares that the spiritual leader of the Ahmadi movement, a Muslim minority group, is a false prophet. The change to the oath, was slight : “I believe” from the original “I solemnly declare.” The wording was quickly changed to “I solemnly declare” but the religious group led by Khadim Hussain Rizvi bayed for the minister’s head.

The Army may be supporting the group but liberal Pakistani’s are angry at this craven submission by the PML government and the Army’s role in this sorry affair. In fact, Justice Shaukat Aziz of the Islamabad High Court did not mince words, when he questioned the government on its inept handling of the recent protests. “Is Gen Qamar Jawed Bajwa above the law and constitution?” he questioned. “It appears as though the Army was actively involved with the sit-in,” he stated.

“How long can we allow this to happen with the government?” Justice Aziz had asked.

“Army officials interested in politics are welcome to resign from the Army and join politics,” the Islamabad High Court had added while commenting that the “Government has been made into a joke of sorts.”

The Army cannot be reined in by the Court. The Army will continue to do what it pleases. But this action of playing to the extremist Islamic sentiments can come back to haunt it in future.

The Pakistan Army chief is on a visit to Saudi Arabia. Here he may find that Riyadh is also changing its stand on several key issues, including religious bigotry.

The new power centre in Riyadh, the 32-year old Crown Prince, is working towards making Saudi Arabia a moderate Islamic state. The religious police that created havoc on the streets are no longer in evidence in cities and towns. The Saudis who have long supported the austere Wahabi ideology is trying to move away from it. Why is the Pakistan Army now embracing the fundamentalists? The Pakistan Army is playing with fire.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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3 dead, several trapped after six-storey building collapses in Delhi, rescue operations continue

Three people died and two were critically injured after a six-storey PG building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan. Several others are feared trapped.

Published

4 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

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Three people have died and two others are critically injured after a six-storey building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday afternoon. Several more people are feared trapped under the debris as rescue operations continue at the site.

Nine people have been rescued so far, while authorities are searching for others who may still be trapped. The building, which was being used as a 75-bed paying guest accommodation, collapsed at around 1:30 pm, according to officials.

Building was being used as a PG accommodation

According to police, the building was around 40 to 50 years old and consisted of a basement and five upper floors. It was being used as a paying guest accommodation, with repair work reportedly underway in the basement when the collapse occurred.

The building was located in Satya Niketan, near Delhi University’s South Campus, an area with a large student population.

An eyewitness said at least 50 students were believed to have been inside the building when it collapsed. A student at the scene also reported hearing cries for help from beneath the rubble.

Rescue operation underway

Teams from the Delhi Police, National Disaster Response Force, Delhi Fire Service and Delhi Disaster Management Authority have been deployed for the rescue operation.

At least 12 fire tenders have been sent to the spot. An excavator has also been deployed, while additional machinery is being brought in to remove concrete slabs and girders from the debris.

Locals were also seen helping with the initial search before rescue teams and machinery reached the site.

The adjacent building has been vacated as a precautionary measure, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. She added that rescue work was being carried out on a war footing and that authorities were coordinating efforts to assist those affected.

Government agencies coordinate rescue efforts

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said concerned agencies, including the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service and DDMA, had been directed to work together to ensure swift rescue operations.

Local BJP MLA Anil Sharma, who was at the site, said some students were still believed to be trapped and that some were reportedly making calls from inside the collapsed structure.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj blamed alleged corruption for the incident and raised questions about building safety and inspections. His comments were political allegations and no official cause for the collapse has been established in the report.

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

13 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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