pakistan

Thai Muslim politicians held talks with Hamas in Iran seeking hostage release

Published

7 months ago

November 3, 2023

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Thai Muslim politicians held talks with Hamas in Iran seeking hostage release

Politicians from Thailand’s Muslim minority have held talks with Hamas in an effort to secure the release of around a dozen Thai hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group in Israeli-besieged Gaza, a former lawmaker said on Friday.

At least 23 Thai nationals were among more than 240 people taken captive by Hamas militants when they burst out of Gaza on Oct. 7 and went on a killing and kidnapping spree through southwestern Israeli communities. Israel responded by relentlessly bombarding the enclave, then invading it.

Areepen Uttarasin, a veteran Thai politician and former education minister, said he travelled to the Iranian capital Tehran and met senior Hamas officials there on Oct. 26 for over two hours.

“They told me that the Thai hostages are living comfortably and are out of danger,” Areepen told Reuters, declining to name the Hamas officials he met. “I told them that I am here not to negotiate but simply to ask for their release.”

The 23 Thais form the largest group of captives in Gaza from any single foreign country.

Thailand’s foreign ministry did not confirm the politicians’ talks with Hamas but said it welcomed assistance from all parties as the government seeks the release of the Thai hostages via multiple channels.

The foreign ministry said Qatar, Iran and Egypt had agreed to formally convey Thailand’s request for the release of the hostages to Hamas immediately.

“I wanted them to convey that to Hamas, because I’m worried Hamas doesn’t know that they are just agricultural workers,” Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara Pranpree said on Friday after visiting the Middle East earlier this week.

Of the more than 1,400 people Israel says were killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 rampage, at least 32 were Thai.

About 30,000 Thai labourers work in Israel, mainly in the farm sector, and 7,200 of those have been repatriated since the Gaza war erupted, according to the foreign ministry.

Last week’s meeting in Tehran was arranged through long-standing ties that Thailand’s parliamentary speaker Wan Muhamad Noor Matha and other members of its small Muslim community enjoy with Iran, Areepen said.

“This was not a government-to-government channel but it’s through special personal relations,” said Areepen, 72, who like Wan Noor hails from Thailand’s Muslim-majority deep south region where a slow-burn insurgency has simmered for decades.

About 90% of Thailand’s 70 million people are Buddhist and have co-existed largely peacefully with its Muslim minority.

At the Tehran engagement, during which the two sides also prayed together, Areepen said he emphasised to Hamas officials that Thailand was not a part of the conflict.

“They saw us in a friendly light,” he said, referring to the Hamas officials. “They were amazed at how us Muslim rose to high positions in Thailand even when there are few of us.”

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Court reserves verdict on PTI founder’s bail plea in May 9 case

Published

23 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Court reserves verdict on PTI founder's bail plea in May 9 case

The Islamabad district and sessions court has reserved verdict on the bail plea of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder in the May 9 case.

Judicial Magistrate Omar Shabbir heard the case against the PTI leader registered in Shahzad Town police station.

Naeem Haider Panjhota, Sardar Masroof and Amina Ali appeared before the judge as counsel for the PTI leader.

The lawyers said the case against the PTI founder had not been pursued by an authorised officer. All cases against him had been instituted on the basis of politics and should, therefore, be quashed, they demanded.

The court after listening to the arguments reserved the verdict.

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pakistan

Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

Published

23 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Rawalpindi court bins plea for initiating case against former commissioner Liaquat Chattha

The Rawalpindi Sessions Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a case against former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Hakim Khan issued a two-page written order on the petition.

In its order, the court observed that apart from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a departmental inquiry was also being conducted against the former commissioner.

If the allegations were proven in the ECP and departmental inquiries, a legal action was certain, the order stated, adding that in this situation, there was no justification for registering a separate case against the former Rawalpindi commissioner.

Two lawyers from Rawalpindi had filed the petition seeking the registration of a case against former commissioner.

In a Feb 18 presser, the former commissioner admitted that elections in his division were “rigged”.

The commissioner accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja of being complicit in the rigging and asserted that he, along with the CEC and Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, deserved punishment, even the death penalty, for their injustice.

Chattha expressed remorse for forcing his subordinates to engage in wrongdoing and admitted that winning candidates were made to lose on 13 seats in the Rawalpindi division.

Later on Feb 23, Chattha retracted his earlier statement in a written statement submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In the statement, Chattha confessed to having supported the narrative of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about rigging in the general elections and maligning state institutions in exchange for a lucrative position in the future.

He stated he had been made this offer by a Lahore-based PTI leader with whom he had developed a close friendship.

Chattha alleged that “this entire planning had been formulated after consultation and approval of the senior leadership of PTI”.

He stated that this proposal was made by the said [PTI] individual in consideration of the fact that he was about to retire from service after having remained a part of the services for 32 years and enjoyed all the perks and privileges.

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pakistan

IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Published

23 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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IHC orders Zartaj Gul to appear before court with record in ECL name removal case

Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought the record from Zartaj Gul’s counsel on a petition seeking the name removal of PTI leader and MNA Zartaj Gul from the Exit Control List (ECL).

IHC’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri heard the case on Zartaj Gul’s name removal from ECL.

During the hearing, the state counsel stated that Zartaj Gul’s name has been included in the Provisional National Identification List (PNIL).

Upon inquiry from the court, the state counsel informed that Zartaj Gul’s name was included in PNIL on the order of Islamabad and Punjab police, and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was responsible for including the name in PNIL.

Also read: PTI’s Shibli Faraz, Raja Basharat, Zartaj Gul secure bail in May 9 cases

State counsel added that five cases were registered against Zartaj Gul in Islamabad and Punjab.

The petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Usama, disclosed that Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in those cases. He reiterated that the name was being included in the PNIL list despite being on bail.

During the hearing, Justice Tariq Jahangiri inquired about how many cases Zartaj Gul has been granted bail in and ordered the petitioner to appear before the court in the next hearing.

Consequently, IHC has adjourned the case hearing until next week by directing Zartaj Gul’s counsel to appear before the court in the next hearing with records.

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