LAHORE // As the eight-hour siege of the Police Training Centre at Manawa in Lahore ended, elite police commandos emerged from the bullet-pocked building amid loud applause from hundreds of onlookers.
There were cheers of Allahu Akbar (God is Great), echoing the shouts of the militants who had taken over the centre earlier that day, but this time they were coming from the security forces and their supporters.
As Pakistan is racked by militant violence and both sides claim to be fighting in the name of Islam, analysts predict this latest siege is just a sign of things to come.
The attack on Monday morning left at least 12 dead, including six police trainees and two civilians. Four militants were killed while at least 80 police recruits were wounded.
The anger among local villagers, who stood on rooftops and outside the security cordon set up by police as commandos and rangers tried to regain control of the training centre, was palpable.
"Can a Muslim kill a Muslim?" said Abdur Rashid, 43, an auto-mechanic who lives near the centre.
Another man wearing a shirt with the colours of the Pakistani flag worked up the crowd. "Long Live Pakistan", "Long Live Punjab police", he shouted as others joined in the chant.
Lahore, also known as the cultural capital of Pakistan, is the latest target of a series of terrorist attacks, and was hit just weeks ago when around a dozen armed men attacked a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricket players on March 3. The cricketers survived the attack but six people were killed and the attackers managed to escape with ease.
It was not immediately clear if the two attacks were linked. Monday's attack was an attempt to make the authorities feel vulnerable, said one high ranking police officer in Lahore, who was present at the training centre.
Security forces arrested four suspects, one of whom was confirmed as one of the attackers, Pakistani officials said. The individual was identified as an Afghan national hailing from Paktia province, interior minister Rehman Malik told Pakistan television.
Mr Malik said the attacker came to Lahore more than two weeks ago and had rented a house along with his fellow attackers. The group, he said, were linked to Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban.
Mr Malik also said they had planned the attack in South Waziristan, the restive tribal area straddling the border with Afghanistan and a hotbed of militancy.
Lahore police officials said they had been expecting an attack and security in the city had been bolstered since March 25, after they received an intelligence report.
About 800 police cadets were enrolled at the training centre, a dilapidated building on the outskirts of Lahore with paint peeling from the dusty walls. With a boundary wall barely 1.5 metres high, security seemed to be lacking.
On a typical day, the young recruits start their training at 5.30am with an hour of physical exercise. After taking half an hour for breakfast, they assemble on the parade ground.
On Monday, that routine was broken by the staccato of gunfire and explosion of grenades.
Gunmen armed with assault rifles entered the premises of the training centre at around 7.30am after scaling the rear boundary wall, lobbing grenades and firing indiscriminately at the young recruits, most in their early twenties, who were assembled in the parade ground.
They then made their way indoors where they holed up on the rooftop and the third floor of the training centre.
Before long they found themselves surrounded by around 1,000 police and commandos, many of whom had been brought in from surrounding cities and provinces. Snipers positioned themselves around the premises. Helicopters hovered over head.
"They fired straight at us and it was very intense," said Allah Rakha, 20, a commando who took part in the operation and who was wearing a bulletproof vest.
"They had small machine guns, pistols and hand grenades as well as suicide vests."
Commandos who took part in the gunfight said three of the attackers blew themselves up after realising they had no chance of escape.
"The Pakistan army strengthened the cordon and provided cover fire. Our police officers completed the operation," said Mushtaq Sukhera, the Lahore police deputy inspector general. "They announced through megaphones that the terrorists should surrender but they blew themselves up."
By 3pm, the operation had ended. Pakistani officials deemed the operation "well co-ordinated and successful".
But analysts said the attack and those that had preceded it were a sign of things to come.
"The attacks were designed to demonstrate that the war is not limited to Pakistan's periphery, but can take place in the heart of the country," said Arif Rafiq, a New York-based analyst who has worked for several think tanks.
"Despite the redirection of many Pakistani militant groups towards Afghanistan, some remain keen on combating the Pakistani state."
Others analysts agreed.
"The frequency and scope of terrorism in Pakistan will increase," said Tariq Fatemi, a former foreign secretary told Duniya television. "The Taliban want to show they are effective as ever, especially after the new strategy announced by the Americans."
According to an editorial in Lahore's English-language Daily Times, the location of the attack was symbolic.
"Just as President Asif Ali Zardari announced a beefing up of the police in all the provinces, the message from the terrorists is: don't join the police and those who are already employed should resign and go home."
smasood@thenational.ae
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Traces%20of%20Enayat
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The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
