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Pakistan: Former chief justice Muhammad Noor shot dead in terror attack in Balochistan

Agencies
October 15, 2022

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Islamabad, Oct 15: A former high court chief justice of Pakistan's Balochistan province was shot dead outside a mosque on Friday, police officials said.

Assailants opened fire at Muhammad Noor Meskanzai outside the mosque in the Kharan area, which left him gravely injured, Kharan Superintendent of Police Asif Halim told Dawn.

The former chief justice was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of his injuries, the report said.

Expressing condolences over the death of the "fearless judge", Balochistan chief minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo said his services were "unforgettable".

Bizenjo said that the "cowardly attacks of the enemies of peace cannot intimidate the nation".

Maskanzai authored the landmark judgement that declared the Riba-based banking system against the Sharia.

Quetta Bar Association (QBA) President Ajmal Khan Kakar also condemned Muskanzai's killing. He said every citizen of Pakistan was deeply saddened by the death of the former judge.

"We strongly condemn this incident and demand that the killers must immediately be arrest and brought to book," Ajmal Kakar was quoted as saying by Dawn.

This comes amid the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Earlier this month, Pakistan's State Minister for Law Shahadat Hussain conceded that terror activities had witnessed a sharp increase.

The highest number of terror incidents in Pakistan this year was recorded in September, said an Islamabad-based think tank pointed to the resumption of attacks by the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The number of terror attacks increased in September compared to August this year, the Dawn said in an earlier report citing the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).

September witnessed 42 terrorist attacks with an increase of 35 per cent compared to August. The Pakistani think tank also observed an increase of 106 per cent in violence in erstwhile Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

In August this year, the think tank said the militants carried out 31 attacks across Pakistan, in which 37 people were killed and 55 others injured.
 

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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