Here is today’s dose of Daily Digestible News covering Mustafa Kamal’s press conference, FIRs registered against Islamabad protestors, suspension of licenses for automatic weapons by Interior Ministry and much more!
Mustafa Kamal: MQM-PSP alliance met at Sattar’s request
Digestible News 01: At a press conference in Karachi on Saturday, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal stated that the establishment called upon the PSP to form an alliance with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Farooq Sattar’s request. The press conference is a response to the developments following the announcement of his party’s alliance with the MQM-P. “ Today I want to tell all of Pakistan that, yes, the establishment called us and made us meet Farooq Sattar. When we reached, Sattar, was already there and it was on his request that we were called. This did not happen a few hours ago. Sattar and his team have been calling us with help from the establishment for the past eight months,” claimed Kamal.
More FIRs registered against Islamabad protestors
Digestible News 02: On Saturday, Islamabad police registered eight cases for the alleged kidnapping and torture of four police officers by members of religious groups led by the Tehreek-e-Labaik Yah Rasool Pakistan (TLY) and Sunni Tehreek Pakistan (ST). The religious parties have been protesting a lack of punishment for individuals involved in making changes to the Khatm-I-Nabuwat declaration for electoral candidates. The government has stated that the change was due to a clerical error and has since been reversed. The policemen were released early Saturday morning, following their abduction on Friday night.
Supreme Court to hear PTI’s appeals regarding PPP and PML-N funding sources
Digestible News 03: Petitions submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) by Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf (PTI) MNAs Asad Umar and Shireen Mazari, asked the SC to order the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to look into the source of funding for Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and withdraw the election symbols allotted to them. On Saturday, the SC accepted for hearing PTI’s petitions seeking action against the parties for receiving funding from ‘illegal’ foreign sources.
Interior Ministry: licenses for automatic weapons across country suspended
Digestible News 04: Licenses for prohibited bore weapons, through which automatic weapons have been registered were suspended by the interior ministry. Prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi supported the decision to ban all automatic weapons. According to a notification issued earlier this week, owners of automatic weapons will be allowed to get their weapons replaced with semi-automatic firearms or get Rs 50,000 in exchange for their weapons from the district administration.
$700 million allotted by US Congress to reimburse Pakistan
Digestible News 05: Up to $700 million in Coalition Support Fund (CSF) has been authorized by the American Congress to reimburse Pakistan for activities carried out in support of US operations in Afghanistan. The reconciled version released on Thursday makes $350m of $700m available to Pakistan provided there is certification from the secretary of Defence that Pakistan is taking steps against the terrorist Haqqani network.
Water tanker accident in Karachi kills 3 siblings on a motorcycle
Digestible News 06: A speeding water tanker on a road turning overturned on a motorcycle carrying three siblings, all of whom died on spot in Karachi’s Shah Faisal Colony on Saturday. The tanker’s driver managed to flee the scene but the police were able to apprehend his aide. The bodies were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center for medico-legal formalities with further investigation of the accident currently underway.