New Delhi, March 25: For Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, countering the pro-Iran Shia mobilisation in the country is increasingly becoming a headache. For Pakistan, countering this mobilisation is important as it is threatening to become bigger. However, the dilemma the establishment faces is that it cannot use its official machinery to take on the mobilisation of the Shias.

Pakistan has chosen to mediate between Iran and the United States, and hence it needs to remain neutral. Any direct action against the Shia mobilisation would infuriate Iran, and this is something that Islamabad wants to avoid.

An official said that Pakistan has now brought back its proxies to take on this problem. The Pakistan Army chief has ordered hardline Sunni elements and leaders from the Sipah-e-Sabah (SeS) and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) to take on the Shias who are mobilising in large numbers in support of Iran. These groups have, in the past, come to the rescue of the Pakistan establishment. When it comes to countering protesters who were seeking justice for jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was these elements who took to the streets.

The members of the SeS and JuD have the backing of the army and ISI and have been given a free hand to indulge in street violence against those who are questioning the establishment, an official said.

The SeS is a banned Sunni Deobandi Islamist organisation and a former political party that was founded in 1985. This outfit came into existence only to oppose Shia influence in Pakistan. The SeS has a history of being involved in sectarian conflicts, including violence with the Shia organisation, Shipah-e-Muhammad, Pakistan.

The JuD, on the other hand, is the charity wing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The JuD follows the Ahl-i Hadith interpretation of Islam, which is similar to Wahhabism and Salafism.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that by involving the SeS and JuD, the Pakistan army chief would look to put down the mobilisation of the Shia. Since these groups have no accountability, the violence would not be blamed on the state, but on two individual organisations. This helps in the deniability factor, when Pakistan speaks with Iran, the official added.

Such violence will no doubt be scrutinised internationally and by foreign Intelligence agencies. The establishment would, however, try to get away by putting the blame on the SeS and JuD, while stating that it has nothing to do with them.

Another official said that both groups have been given immunity by the establishment. This means that they can choose to act the way they please.

Another official said that with such a plan in place, one could anticipate street violence and bloody clashes with the Shias in Pakistan.

By trying to mediate between Iran and the US, Pakistan wants to place itself in a position of power. Pakistan also wants to claim geopolitical relevance by offering to mediate between the two warring nations.

Field Marshal Asim Munir has taken this task upon himself and has been engaging directly with Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian. He has also been leveraging his relations with some of the Gulf nations and the US.

With Pakistan wanting geopolitical relevance, it cannot afford to officially crush the mobilisation that is taking place in support of Iran. If Pakistan ends up angering Iran at this juncture, then Tehran may not come to the table. This would hurt Pakistan’s ambitions of playing mediator and reclaiming geopolitical importance, another official said.

The JuD and the SeS have readily accepted what the Pakistan army chief has said, as they have done in the past. Officials say that both these outfits have had an agenda against the Shias for a long time, and hence the offer made by Field Marshal Munir is more than welcome for them.

Mumbai: The special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has refused to grant bail to 48-year-old businessman Amit Thepade, arrested last year for alleged money laundering to the tune of Rs 117 crore linked to a bank fraud. The court observed that Thepade is the kingpin of the fraud.

Thepade, director and promoter of Galaxy Construction and Contractors Pvt Ltd (GCCPL) and Mitsom Enterprises Pvt Ltd (MEPL), was arrested on August 24, 2025, from a city-based five-star hotel where he had been hiding for two months. A search of his room led to the seizure of gold bullions, ornaments, diamond jewellery and silver valued at Rs 2.33 crore, along with Rs 9.5 lakh in cash. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that Thepade fraudulently availed enhanced credit facilities from Canara Bank, Pune, in 2011. These accounts were declared non-performing assets (NPA) in 2017, with an NPA value of ₹82.30 crore.

Defense lawyer Mithilesh Mishra argued the loans were secured by mortgaging properties and part of the amount was returned. However, ED prosecutor Arvind Aghav opposed the plea, revealing that Thepade had mortgaged properties already sold to third parties. In one instance, he allegedly demolished row houses mortgaged to the bank to develop and sell new flats.

The prosecution further argued that the suspect used 23 entities and 62 bank accounts in the names of his staff to inflate turnovers and siphon off loan proceeds. The court noted that while Thepade returned Rs 26 crore towards interest, this did not discharge him from criminal liability. Citing the lack of explanation regarding the double mortgaging and demolition of secured assets, the court rejected the bail plea.

Mumbai: Days after a seven-year-old boy, Divyansh Maurya, died by falling into a water-filled construction pit in Malad East, the Kurar police have arrested contractor Darshan Patel for negligence. Patel, 42, was remanded to judicial custody on Sunday, while site engineer Kishan remains at large. Both, along with other persons, face a case under Section 106(1) (causing death by rash and negligent act) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The tragedy occurred at a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project managed by Mauli Sai Developers. The site, located near the victim’s house, had been under construction for several months with piling work underway. Investigation revealed the pit was left open without any barricading or safety precautions.

Residents reported that following the drowning, workers were seen hurriedly installing tin sheets around the previously exposed pit on Friday morning. The SRA issued a notice to the developers on March 20 regarding these safety lapses. Dinesh Mahajan, executive engineer at Malad, told The FPJ, “SRA is a planning authority and not an executing authority. The developer and the architect are fully responsible for implementing the project and ensuring safety. We issued a notice to the construction company regarding safety the very next day.”

The incident took place around 7 pm on March 19 while Divyansh was playing outside. CCTV footage shows the child attempting to retrieve his ball from the pit with a stick before losing his balance. His father, Rajesh Maurya, later discovered the boy’s legs protruding from the water. Divyansh was rushed to Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali West but was declared dead on arrival. The area is surrounded by partially demolished slums and frequented by children playing in the bylanes. The site is located in a dead-end lane locally known as ‘Bhoot Galli’.