Former ISI head jailed 14 years in Pak
ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: Pakistan’s former ISI chief, Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, was sentenced to 14 years in jail by a military court on Thursday for violating the Official Secrets Act, engaging in political activities, misusing authority, and causing wrongful losses. The Field General Court Martial, initiated in August 2024, lasted 15 months. Hameed, who headed the ISI from 2019 to 2021 and was previously commander of XXXI Corps, is the first former ISI chief to be convicted. The army said all legal rights, including defense representation, were provided, and Hameed can appeal. Officials described the verdict as historic, strengthening accountability in Pakistan. Hameed has faced accusations of supporting PTI politically, influencing court proceedings, and harming national institutions. Investigations into his political involvement continue, and the case is seen as a precursor to broader probes, including May 9-related incidents. His conviction highlights increasing efforts to enforce accountability in Pakistan’s powerful military and intelligence sectors.(PTI)
Two children die in KPK mortar strike
PESHAWAR, Dec 11: Two children were killed and 16 others injured when a mortar shell exploded inside a seminary in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, local police said on Thursday. The incident occurred in the Esuri area of Mirali tehsil, North Waziristan district bordering Afghanistan, on Wednesday. Some students brought an abandoned mortar shell they had found outside the seminary, Madrassah Shams-ul-Quran, in Sher Mohammad Kot village, which later exploded. According to initial reports, the children mistook the device for a toy and were playing with it when it went off. The explosion left two young children dead on the spot, while 16 others sustained injuries. The wounded were shifted to hospitals in Bannu and nearby areas for treatment. Authorities are investigating how the unexploded ordinance ended up near the seminary. Dozens of children, mostly in northwest Pakistan, have lost their lives in the past when playing with things that turned out to be explosive devices. (PTI)
Library collapse in South Korea kills two, two people trapped
SEOUL, Dec 11: In Gwangju, South Korea, a steel structure at a library construction site collapsed on Thursday, killing two workers and trapping two others, authorities said. The accident occurred at 1:58 pm while ready-mixed concrete was being poured, causing the second-floor rooftop to collapse onto the first floor without any supporting structures. Firefighters rescued a 47-year-old worker in cardiac arrest, who later died, and recovered a second victim, pronounced dead on site. Two others remain missing as search operations continue. All four were Korean technicians working for a subcontractor. The library, a USD 35 million project covering 11,286 square meters, is being built on a former waste incineration plant. President Lee Jae Myung ordered full mobilization of personnel and equipment for the rescue efforts. (IANS)
