By Slideshow KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Police in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, are deploying an armed rollerblading unit to curb theft and harassment on its teeming streets.Gliding in a circle with their weapons pointed inwards, and lifting and lowering the guns in unison, the 20-member unit clad in black undergoes rigorous training.“We felt we needed to come up with an innovative approach to control street crime,” said Farrukh Ali, chief of the unit, explaining that officers on rollerblades could more easily chase thieves on motorcycles through the city of 20 million.Ali conceded...…By Slideshow KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Police in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, are deploying an armed rollerblading unit to curb theft and harassment on its teeming streets.Gliding in a circle with their weapons pointed inwards, and lifting and lowering the guns in unison, the 20-member unit clad in black undergoes rigorous training.“We felt we needed to come up with an innovative approach to control street crime,” said Farrukh Ali, chief of the unit, explaining that officers on rollerblades could more easily chase thieves on motorcycles through the city of 20 million.Ali conceded...WW…

By , , KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of an Islamist convicted of beheading American journalist Daniel Pearl, a decision that shocked his family and drew condemnation from Washington.Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter, was acquitted by a panel of three judges.“By a majority of two to one, they have acquitted all the accused persons and ordered their release,” a provincial advocate general, Salman Talibuddin, told Reuters.Pakistan’s attorney general...…By , , KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of an Islamist convicted of beheading American journalist Daniel Pearl, a decision that shocked his family and drew condemnation from Washington.Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter, was acquitted by a panel of three judges.“By a majority of two to one, they have acquitted all the accused persons and ordered their release,” a provincial advocate general, Salman Talibuddin, told Reuters.Pakistan’s attorney general...WW…

CUSTOMER SERVICEBy Syed Raza Hassan KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Lawyer Nisha Rao maneuvers among the throng of black-coated attorneys clustered near Karachi's city courts searching for her client. But Rao, 28, is not just another lawyer running for a meeting. As Pakistan's first transgender lawyer, she has carved a path from the streets to the courtroom and her example is inspiring other transgender people in the conservative Islamic Republic. "I am proud to have become Pakistan first transgender lawyer", Rao told Reuters. Life is hard for transgender persons in Pakistan, where the...…CUSTOMER SERVICEBy Syed Raza Hassan KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Lawyer Nisha Rao maneuvers among the throng of black-coated attorneys clustered near Karachi's city courts searching for her client. But Rao, 28, is not just another lawyer running for a meeting. As Pakistan's first transgender lawyer, she has carved a path from the streets to the courtroom and her example is inspiring other transgender people in the conservative Islamic Republic. "I am proud to have become Pakistan first transgender lawyer", Rao told Reuters. Life is hard for transgender persons in Pakistan, where the...WW…

By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi on Sunday as part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged election two years ago.Slideshow The mass demonstration in Karachi was the second in three days launched by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), formed last month by nine major opposition parties to begin a nationwide agitation against the government.Under Khan, Pakistan has experienced mounting censorship of the media and a crackdown on...…By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi on Sunday as part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged election two years ago.Slideshow The mass demonstration in Karachi was the second in three days launched by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), formed last month by nine major opposition parties to begin a nationwide agitation against the government.Under Khan, Pakistan has experienced mounting censorship of the media and a crackdown on...WW…

By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi on Sunday as part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged election two years ago.Slideshow The mass demonstration in Karachi was the second in three days launched by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), formed last month by nine major opposition parties to begin a nationwide agitation against the government.Under Khan, Pakistan has experienced mounting censorship of the media and a crackdown on...…By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi on Sunday as part of a campaign to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, who they accuse of being installed by the military in a rigged election two years ago.Slideshow The mass demonstration in Karachi was the second in three days launched by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), formed last month by nine major opposition parties to begin a nationwide agitation against the government.Under Khan, Pakistan has experienced mounting censorship of the media and a crackdown on...WW…

By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - At least 30 people were injured in a grenade attack on a rally in Karachi on Wednesday, as Pakistan marked the first anniversary of India’s revocation of Kashmir’s semi-autonomy.The wounded were rushed to different hospitals, where one was in a critical condition, an official from the provincial health department said.“A grenade was lobbed in the rally, causing several casualties,” Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon told Reuters.The attack was claimed by Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army, a separatist outfit that has become active in the past months.In June,...…By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - At least 30 people were injured in a grenade attack on a rally in Karachi on Wednesday, as Pakistan marked the first anniversary of India’s revocation of Kashmir’s semi-autonomy.The wounded were rushed to different hospitals, where one was in a critical condition, an official from the provincial health department said.“A grenade was lobbed in the rally, causing several casualties,” Karachi police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon told Reuters.The attack was claimed by Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army, a separatist outfit that has become active in the past months.In June,...WW…

By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities are encouraging people to buy sacrificial animals online or at least wear masks when visiting cattle markets, fearing preparations for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha could reverse a decline in COVID-19 infection numbers.Government social-distancing restrictions this year including half-day closing have seen a drop in customers at the normally bustling markets which, like in other Muslim countries, are set up in urban centres ahead of one of Islam’s most important festivals.The main cattle market of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city,...…By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities are encouraging people to buy sacrificial animals online or at least wear masks when visiting cattle markets, fearing preparations for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha could reverse a decline in COVID-19 infection numbers.Government social-distancing restrictions this year including half-day closing have seen a drop in customers at the normally bustling markets which, like in other Muslim countries, are set up in urban centres ahead of one of Islam’s most important festivals.The main cattle market of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city,...WW…

By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - A group armed with guns and grenades attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange in the city of Karachi on Monday in a bid to take hostages, killing two guards and a policeman before security forces killed all four attackers, security officials said.Separatist insurgents from the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan claimed responsibility, a senior counter-terrorism official, Raja Umar Khattab, told Reuters.The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed the attack on Twitter but Reuters could not verify the account. Spokesmen for the group were not...…By KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - A group armed with guns and grenades attacked the Pakistan Stock Exchange in the city of Karachi on Monday in a bid to take hostages, killing two guards and a policeman before security forces killed all four attackers, security officials said.Separatist insurgents from the troubled southwestern province of Balochistan claimed responsibility, a senior counter-terrorism official, Raja Umar Khattab, told Reuters.The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed the attack on Twitter but Reuters could not verify the account. Spokesmen for the group were not...WW…