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KARACHI: The chief minister of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this week directed authorities to investigate the death of local reporter Khawar Hussain, whose body was recovered from a car in the southern city of Sanghar on Saturday night. 

As per media reports, Hussain’s body was recovered from his hometown city of Sanghar outside a local restaurant on Hyderabad Road on Saturday night. News reports said Hussain was found with a gunshot wound to his head.

Sanghar Senior Superintendent of Police Abid Baloch told reporters that police were still collecting evidence and were still probing the cause of his death. He confirmed police had recovered a pistol clutched in Hussain’s hand and had also retrieved his mobile phone. 

Hussain was a Karachi-based correspondent for Dawn News. News of his death drew condemnations from the Karachi Press Club and senior members of the Sindh government. 

“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the unnatural death of senior journalist Khawar Hussain in Sanghar,” a statement from Murad’s spokesperson said on Saturday. 

“The chief minister has sought a report from the inspector general of police.”

He said Shah had directed the IG to assign the investigation into Hussain’s mysterious death to the province’s “best police officer.”

“The real cause of death must be determined through investigation,” Shah was quoted as saying by his spokesperson. 

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over Hussain’s death. Zardari, whose PPP rules Sindh, directed the provincial government to conduct a transparent inquiry into the journalist’s death. 

“Journalist Khawar Hussain was a dutiful and responsible professional,” Zardari said as per a statement released by his official residence, Bilawal House. “His sudden demise is deeply saddening.”

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also expressed grief over Hussain’s death, saying that authorities had been tasked to carry out a probe into the incident. 

“Khawar Hussain’s murder is a great tragedy for journalism and society,” he added. 

Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili, Secretary Sohail Afzal Khan, and the governing body described the news of Hussain’s passing as a “highly tragic incident,” saying it has left the entire journalist community in “shock and grief.”

“They demanded that the Sindh government conduct an impartial investigation to uncover the real causes and underlying motives behind his death, and take strict action against those responsible,” the statement said. 

As per a report released by the Pakistan-based media and development sector watchdog Freedom Network last year, 184 incidents of violence against journalists took place in Sindh between 2018 and 2023. These included the killings of 10 journalists in the province.

Pakistani journalists have frequently accused the state and influential politicians of subjecting them to threats, intimidation and harassment for reporting on sensitive topics over the years. These allegations, however, have been denied by the state.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Saturday it has extended the deadline for receiving Hajj applications under the government scheme by one day, with designated banks set to accept forms on Monday, as authorities reported receiving more than 110,000 applications over the past 12 days.

The country has a Hajj quota of 179,210 pilgrims, of which 129,210 seats have been allocated to the government scheme and the rest to private tour operators.

The religious affairs ministry said earlier the State Bank of Pakistan had accepted its request and ordered 14 designated banks to keep branches open for Hajj applications on the final day, which fell on Saturday, though the deadline was later extended in the evening.

“The receipt of Hajj applications has been extended by one day,” a ministry spokesperson said in a statement.

“Designated banks will continue receiving applications on Monday, Aug. 18," it added. "More than 110,000 applications have been received in the last 12 days, with only 7,000 seats left under the government scheme.”

The ministry said the extension was on a “first-come, first-served basis” and that applications would close as soon as the quota was filled.

It clarified that no extension would be granted for the ministry’s online portal, which would stop accepting applications at midnight on Aug. 16.

Pakistan began receiving applications on Aug. 4. Applicants were advised to obtain computerized receipts and verify their details through the ministry’s portal or the Pak Hajj 2026 app.

Under the government scheme, pilgrims can choose between a long package (38-42 days) and a short package (20-25 days), with costs ranging between Rs1,150,000 and Rs1,250,000 ($4,050–4,236).

Applicants are required to deposit a first installment of Rs500,000 or Rs550,000 depending on the package, while the remaining dues will be collected in November.

�������� had approved the same quota for Pakistan in 2025, though private tour operators last year struggled to utilize their share, saying they faced technical and financial delays, even as the government filled its quota of over 88,000 pilgrims.