Here’s what’s happening across the border: Punjab police introduce new measure to prevent honour killing, and a special force deployed in Murree for tourist safety.
Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen was refused permission to board a private airline for his flight from Islamabad to Karachi Saturday, for a rally to be held Sunday.
After failing to secure another seat from Islamabad, Pashteen got a confirmed flight from Lahore, but on the way to Lahore by road, his car was followed by two unknown vehicles. He was then stopped for a check near the Lahore airport, where he was held for two hours, and was allowed to leave only past his flight’s departure time.
Pashteen also took to social media Sunday morning to address the situation, updating his followers that special intelligence and the police are planning to arrest him, having already arrested his friend. “We are trying to reach Karachi since 11am yesterday. They are creating many hurdles on our way,” he said, encouraging his followers to keep calm and prepare for the Karachi rally.
Reports emerged that Pashteen and two of his friends were detained for around 20 minutes by a station house officer named Sajjad near a toll in Bahawalpur. They were stopped again, according to an update by his friend and co-traveller Bilal. He also asked the PTM members to organise logistics for the Karachi rally, but it is being reported that suppliers are refusing to rent out items like lights to the organisers of the rally.
Punjab police’s anti-honour killing step
The abysmally low conviction rate in the increasing number of cases of honour killings has led Punjab police to revise its orders. Such crimes will now be treated as a non-compoundable offence, where no compromise or settlement is allowed.
A recent report about violence against women, compiled by Aurat Foundation, showed that at least 3,973 women were killed in Pakistan from 2008 to 2014, with honour killings being a major contributor.
The order was issued by additional inspector general of police investigations, Abu Bakar Khuda Baksh, who was quoted by the Dawn newspaper as saying: “Honour killing of women is a national tragedy.”
‘Dolphin Force’ to protect tourists in Murree
Harassment of tourists was reported on social media from the mountain resort town of Murree in the Galyat region of northern Pakistan recently, and the administration has acted on them by deploying special ‘Dolphin Force’ personnel in the area.
Members of the force are now present in all tourist spots to prevent any incidents. They are required to inform the local police officials if anything untoward takes place, as well as take complaints from visitors.
In April, a #BoycottMurree campaign had broken out on the social media after videos of some visitors getting assaulted by local guides and agents in Murree went viral.
14 dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa storms
Heavy downpour and windstorms in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) killed 14 people and left 22 injured Saturday.
The heavy rains, accompanied by windstorms, started around 5pm and continued for around two hours around Bajaour, making the walls and roofs in the area collapse and causing casualties, according to Bajaur Agency administration.
The heavy rains also caused flash floods in different areas, and the strong winds uprooted trees and sign boards. A dust storm also struck in Peshawar, followed by rains, which led to many road accidents due to poor visibility.