PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday expressed his hope of forming a government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), seeking “better results” from the public in the upcoming elections than in the previous one.

He made the remarks while addressing a public rally in AJK’s Kotli ahead of the regional elections set for July 27.

The PPP chairperson said that his party had contested the last election in AJK even when the PTI was in power in the Centre.

“During the last elections, the PPP had the majority seats and the party had won the elections, but now the conditions are different,” he said.

“For the past six months, the PPP has been in government in AJK, and our friend, Shehbaz Sharif, has been in power at the Centre for some years,” he elaborated, referring to the ruling coalition led by PML-N.

Contending that there will be “no difficulties like before”, he told the public: “You have to furnish better results in this election than before.”

Bilawal also criticised the registration of a murder case against one of his party’s candidates, who he identified as Javed Badhanvi.

Expressing his hope of forming a government in AJK, the PPP chairman said that to get the required majority, his party need each and every seat in the AJK Assembly from Kotli.

The Bhutto scion made pledges to the people of AJK similar to those he made during the PPP’s election campaign in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) last month.

“I have come to you with a promise to ensure the right to self-government, the right to self-ownership, and the right to employment for the people of AJK,” he said.

Bilawal said that there would be no need to protest and shut down the whole of AJK if its representatives had their representation in Islamabad to raise their issues in the National Assembly or Senate on a provisional basis.

“The land of Kashmir 100 per cent belongs to the people of Kashmir, and I promise that I will continue defending the right to ownership of the people of Kashmir,” the PPP chairman vowed.

He claimed that throughout Pakistan, the PPP was the only political party that ensured employment for the people, promising employment opportunities for the youth of AJK.

“If you give an opportunity to the son of Shaheed Bibi (Benazir Bhutto), I will try to create employment opportunities for the youth of AJK.”

Referring to the current situation in AJK, he said, “I can feel the pain of the police and army officers, who had left their homes to protect the people of Pakistan and its border and were unable to reach their homes; likewise, I also feel the pain of the families who have lost their youth during the recent protests.”

“What holds more weight: the life of a common man or that issue of the 12 refugee seats?” he questioned.

Bilawal further said, “I believe that the people of Kashmir, especially the youth, want change; they are not ready to advance on past terms. They say that they have to win the right to self-government on an international level; however, they also want some rights on the national level, too.”

He said that he had a dream, like his mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who had secured observer status for AJK in the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation, to ensure AJK’s representation in the decision-making bodies in Pakistan.

“Would that not be good, until the census, that AJK had the provisional representation in the Council of Common Interests and National Finance Commission?” he said.

“However, this is your decision; we can give suggestions,” he added.

“The PPP wants only Kashmir to decide for Kashmir.”

During the rally, the PPP chairman also reminded the audience of his proposal to form a truth and reconciliation commission to address the recent issues in AJK.

“If this proposal is accepted, we can create a space and move forward; however, neither the protesters nor the foreign minister, with whom I have been in contact over these issues, have responded to my letter,” he added.

The PPP has announced candidates for 35 of the 45 seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly, while withholding decisions on eight constituencies and allocating two seats to its electoral ally, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F).

Social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were taken into custody in the US on Sunday, officials said, as Britain seeks their extradition to face new charges of rape, sex trafficking and assault.

Karena Thomas, assistant chief constable of the UK’s Bedfordshire Police, said the pair had been detained “pending ongoing legal proceedings.”

The US Marshals Service confirmed the arrests.

US news outlet TMZ posted video of law enforcement officers placing the self-professed misogynist and his younger sibling in handcuffs and escorting them into waiting vehicles in Miami on Saturday.

Asked by an onlooker if he had something to say, Tristan Tate did not respond, the footage posted on X showed.

UK prosecutors, who are now due to seek the brothers’ extradition, said the arrests came after they brought forward 38 further charges against the pair.

The Tate brothers now face 59 charges in total — 42 against Andrew and 17 against Tristan, British authorities said on Sunday.

“We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offences including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child,” Malcolm McHaffie, head of UK’s Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) Special Crime Division, said in a statement.

“The CPS has requested the extradition of the Tates from the US,” he said, adding that the latest charges stem from receipt of new evidence from Bedfordshire Police that bring the total number of alleged victims in the Tates case to seven.

Earlier this year, police in Hertfordshire, north of London, said they were reopening a probe into rape and sexual assault allegations made by women against Andrew Tate between 2014 and 2015.

They also face separate rape and human trafficking allegations brought by different women and investigated by Bedfordshire Police, which covers their hometown of Luton, also north of London.

‘Face justice’

The Tate brothers are also accused of tax evasion and money laundering in the UK.

Their attorney, Joseph McBride, said in a press release that the brothers “are innocent.”

“We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free,” McBride said.

The Tates are dual British-US citizens who have been avid supporters of US President Donald Trump.

Lawyer Matt Jury, of McCue Jury & Partners who represent four alleged British victims of Andrew Tate, said Tate was “now facing the real prospect of extradition to the UK after years of public campaigning by the four British women I represent.

“They have spent years fighting for action to be taken, and I now urge the authorities to ensure this case proceeds as quickly as possible.

“Andrew and Tristan Tate are accused of some of the most serious offences, including multiple counts of rape and human trafficking. It is time they face justice,” he was quoted by the PA news agency as saying.

In March 2025, the US state of Florida launched a criminal investigation against them. The status of that investigation is unclear.

Andrew Tate is one of the most prominent proponents of the so-called “manosphere” network of communities, many of them online, that focus on traditional masculinity, anti-feminism, and self-improvement.

He promotes his divisive views, often incorporating alpha-male and aggressively misogynistic themes, to millions on social media, including 10.8 million followers on X.

In Romania, where they have been based in recent years, the Tates face allegations of trafficking minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, and money laundering.

ISLAMABAD: After criticism on a bill seeking to allow the issuance of blue passports to former parliamentarians’ children, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry has assured that measures would be taken to ensure that the travel document is used for “only official duties” abroad and issued for a limited time in most cases.

The bill, seeking the issuance of blue passports to dependent children under the age of 28 of ex-members of parliament, was approved by a Senate panel on July 10. If the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2026 becomes law, the legislation would place former members of parliament on par with retired Grade-22 government officers, whose dependent children already enjoy the same entitlement.

An official press statement released by the Senate Secretariat earlier this month noted that Chaudhry had “also agreed on the passing of the bill”.

However, he later claimed he had opposed the bill during the July 10 proceedings of the Senate committee. He said he had informed the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that the issue should first be discussed with the federal cabinet and other stakeholders. “Despite my reservations, they proceeded to pass the bill,” he had said.

He has now told Dawn that each application for a blue passport would be processed only after the interior ministry’s approval here onwards.

“Each case will be referred to the interior secretary, and if need be, to the interior minister,” he said.

He also acknowledged that Pakistan had a “large number of blue passport holders”, which he said was a “major impediment” in the signing of visa abolition agreements with other countries.

“Our focus is on having agreements for visa-free entry with as many countries as possible,” he said.

According to Chaudhry, the number of blue passports issued in the country was brought down from around 70,000 to less than 50,000 in the recent past. “It will now be further reduced by 15-20 per cent,” he said.

He said discussions on an agreement for visa exemption for blue passport holders are at an “advanced stage” with Saudi Arabia and negotiations with some other countries, including Italy, are also under way.

Speaking specifically about the bill seeking the issuance of blue passports for ex-parliamentarians’ children, he said the fate of the legislation would be decided by political parties.

“A decision on supporting or opposing the bill is to be taken by the political leadership,” he said. He, however, added that the bill was contrary to the government’s intent to reduce the number of blue passports.

He also suggested that if the purpose of the legislation was to bring former parliamentarians on par with retired Grade-22 government officers, then a “better course will be an amendment to take away the facility available to the retired bureaucrats”.

When PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Barrister Ali Zafar, was approached for his views on the matter, he said the blue passport was not a privilege that should be given to those other than individuals who genuinely required it for official state functions.

“It is meant to facilitate official diplomatic responsibilities, not to serve as a status symbol or a lifelong entitlement,” he stressed.

“I opposed the proposal in the Senate to extend such passports to the children of members of parliament because it is inconsistent with the purpose for which diplomatic passports exist. Although the matter was referred to the relevant committee, where we were not members and therefore could not pursue our objections, we intend to oppose any such proposal again if it is brought before the Senate for approval,” he added.

Zafar noted that “public office should be about serving the people, not creating or expanding privileges for public representatives and their families”.

Who gets blue passport?

Visa-free access to 55 countries

GUJAR KHAN   –   Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani on Saturday inaugurated the Sohawa Model Bazaar completed at a cost of Rs109.2 million under Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Barrier-Free and Beautiful Markets” initiative. After the inauguration, the minister toured the facility and reviewed the upgraded infrastructure, including pedestrian walkways, street lighting, sewerage and drainage systems. 

He said model bazaars in Jhelum, Dina and Sohawa would provide improved public amenities and set new standards of urban development, adding that the projects in Jhelum and Dina were also nearing completion.

Later, Mr Kayani held an open court at the Municipal Committee Hall in Sohawa, where Adviser to the Punjab Chief Minister on Health Maj Gen (Retd) Dr Azhar Mahmood Kayani was also present. The minister spent more than six hours hearing public complaints and directed the relevant departments to resolve citizens’ issues on the spot.

Senior officers of the district administration, police and various government departments also attended the open court.

Attock  –  District Police arrested six suspects from different areas of Attock in three separate operations and registered cases against them under relevant laws, police sources said 

According to police, Rangoo Police arrested Ahsan, a resident of village Kaloo Kotha, for allegedly raping a teenage girl at his residence. As per the FIR, the victim had gone to her aunt’s house. When her aunt was not present, the suspect, who is the husband of the victim’s aunt, allegedly assaulted her and threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed the incident to anyone. 

Police have registered a case and the suspect has been sent behind the bars for further legal proceedings. In another operation, Hazro Police arrested Ismail Khan, a resident of Rawalpindi, on charges of allegedly attempting to kidnap a girl. 

A case has been registered against the suspect and he has been taken into custody.

Separately, Jand Police conducted a raid and arrested four gamblers identified as Wajid Ali, Muhammad Irfan, Dilawar and Faqeer, all residents of Sargodha. 

Police said cash and other valuables worth Rs 280,000 were recovered from their possession. A case has been registered against them under the Gambling Act and all four have been sent behind bars.

District Police officials said that strict action is being taken against anti-social elements across the district to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of citizens. 

They added that investigations are underway and further legal action will be taken as per law.

Rawalpindi   –  A man downed in Nullah Leh while attempting to save his six-year-old drowning son. Both the father and son died in the nullah as the rescuers found the body of the father and search for the children went on Saturday evening.

According to the available details, Muhammad Zahid, 6, was resident of Lane 3 in Gulistan Colony. He fell in Leh as he along with other children was playing near the nullah around 2pm. To save his son, Mehrban Khan, 36, jumped in the nullah and got drowned. Khan hailing from Mohemand Agency was resident of Gulistan Colony.

The water rescue teams started searching for the father and the son. Later, they were able to locate and retrieve                         the dead body of Mehrban and the body of the child was yet to be found till filing of this report.

In a statement, the 1122 rescuers said that the child fell in the deep water and father jumped in to save his son. However, both drowned as water was very deep and its flow was also very fast.

The statement noted that the rescuers put in all their efforts to locate the body of Zahid but remained unsuccessful. The rescue operation was stop as the night fell and the efforts will be resumed on Sunday morning.