Author: newsdesk

  • City Traffic Police Lahore announces free motorcycle riding training for women

    City Traffic Police Lahore announces free motorcycle riding training for women

    Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Dr Asad Malhi on Tuesday said that the city traffic police are offering free training for motorcycle riding to women under the “Women on Wheels” project.

    Speaking at the “Women on Wheels” initiative ceremony held at Police Lines Qila Gujar Singh, he said that up until now, more than 7,000 women had been trained to drive motorcycles, while the 67th batch of women was under training at the Women on Wheels School at the LOS Rescue Academy.

    The CTO said that motorcycle riding training would be given to women free of cost at Police Lines Qila Gujar Singh from today onward.

    He continued by saying that the goal of the “Women on Wheels” project was to empower women so they could make a meaningful contribution to the development and prosperity of the nation.

    According to Dr Asad Malhi, women’s roles alongside those of males are crucial for societal development, hence it is necessary to implement measures for their welfare and capacity growth.

    Additionally, the CTP established a driving school in Manawan Lines where women received free instruction in motorbike and car operation, according to the CTO, who said that after completing the training programme, the women were also given driving permits.

    According to Dr Asad Malhi, residents can contact Helpline 15 to request admission to driving schools, advice from the Rasta app, or access to CTP’s social media.

    Honda Atlas presented two brand-new motorcycles to Driving School Police Lines Qila Gujar Singh during the ceremony, and the CTO also demonstrated how to operate a motorcycle on a simulator.

  • Netizens react to Behroze Sabzwari slamming women for wearing ‘tight’ clothes

    Netizens react to Behroze Sabzwari slamming women for wearing ‘tight’ clothes

    Senior actor Behroze Sabzwari appeared on Nadir Ali’s podcast and shared his take on the “inappropriate” dressing of women and the increasing “vulgarity” in dramas. After the host highlighted how “vulgarity is becoming a norm in Pakistani dramas,” the Chauraha star immediately confessed to taking part in such projects as well.

    “Yes, I am against all of this but I am also acting in these dramas and that’s the bitter truth. In these narratives, sisters are having affairs with their brothers-in-law. I don’t like these scripts and watching them with family is absurd to me. I mean what is this nonsense, is there no other subject left to explore for writers?” lamented Sabzwari.

    The Diyar-e-Dil actor also disclosed why penning such scripts are in fashion today. He said, “It’s wrong, but the viewership is massive and the ratings of these dramas always skyrocket. Now if one takes their clothes off onscreen that will do the trick too.”

    Bushra Ansari, Rubina Ashraf, Behroze Sabzwari and More Groove Together [Video] - Lens

    Taking his moment, Ali then diverted the subject to female actors and how they wear “see-through pajamas on sets to grab attention.”

    In response to Ali, Sabzwari then advised actors to take pay more attention to their dress code. He remarked, “They should think about this. [Their choice of clothing]. It is the responsibility of an actor to take control of their attire and make sure they aren’t dressed in something that doesn’t look pleasing.”

    Sabzwari also pointed out that the clothes in style today are mostly adopted from other cultures. “Why don’t we wear our own cultural attire like shalwar kameez and dupatta? Allah will grant you respect even in these clothes. You don’t get popular by copying clothes from foreign countries, you actually get disrespected in society,” added the Tanhaiyaan actor.

    Talking about women wearing tight clothes, he said, “In Pakistan a lot of people have motorbikes, obviously, everyone can’t afford cars, there is inflation and people are barely surviving, but, I have noticed one thing that the dressing of women is not appropriate while sitting on bikes, some women wear weird clothes which cannot be called appropriate, they are not good at all, the clothes are not only see through but usually are very tight, it shows home training, women should be fully covered while sitting on the motorbike. This should be strictly kept in mind. Men should also control their eyes and women should be dressed up in an appropriate manner.”

    After this interview went viral, actor Iffat Omar slammed Behroze on her Instagram story for his stance on women’s choice of clothing. She termed him a hypocrite and an illiterate.

    Netizens also shared their take on Sabzwari’s remarks.

  • Arshad Sharif’s murder ‘planned and targeted assassination’, says fact finding team report

    Arshad Sharif’s murder ‘planned and targeted assassination’, says fact finding team report

    The fact-finding team (FFT) probing the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif has concluded that his killing was a case of planned and targeted assassination.

    The finding was disclosed in the report of the two-member fact team (FFT) from a committee comprising of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Dr Athar Wahood and Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director General Omer Shahid Hamid.

    In its 592-page report, the team learned that Arshad Sharif, who had been compelled to leave UAE and seek refuge in Kenya, wanted to return to the Emirates but found his way back blocked, losing his life in the African country.

    The report stated that some of the FIRs which compelled Arshad Sharif to leave Pakistan were filed at the behest and under pressure of the ISI according to the policemen who filed them.

    The report said per testimonies provided by his former colleagues and employer, Arshad Sharif had been forced out of UAE after he reportedly met with UAE security officials in his hotel lobby in mid August.

    Arshad Sharif had left the UAE even though he had a valid visa for the country.

    Arshad Sharif FFT reportDownload

    The FFT report further said that his departure from UAE came after consultations with the Dubai based team of his employer.

    The report stated that Waqar – who sponsored and hosted the journalist – was connected to Kenya’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other international agencies and law enforcement organisations.

    It further said that the fact that Waqar handed over Sharif’s personal cell phone and iPad to a NIS officer, rather than to the police, ‘established’ his link with the NIS.

    “His linkage with national and international agencies provides a scope of possibilities of transnational characters in this case,” the report states.

    The narrations presented by Khurram, who drove the vehicle prior to Sharif’s murder, regarding the sequence of events and the crime scene, were contrary to logic and facts, and that there were no penetration marks of a bullet on Sharif’s car seat, the report points out. It also highlights that the Kenyan police quickly declared the killing a case of “mistaken identity” without investigation. The post-mortem report in Pakistan identified that four fingernails of the slain journalist’s left hand were missing, giving rise to speculation that Sharif had been tortured before his death, says the report but adds that while the Kenyan post-mortem did mention “fingernails” taken as DNA samples, it did not mention how many fingernails were taken.

    “Keeping in view the apparent differences in the two post-mortem reports, there is no concrete evidence to establish that Arshad Sharif was tortured before the killing,” the report said.

  • ‘No country has used terrorism better’; Hina Rabbani Khar slams India as ‘rogue state’

    ‘No country has used terrorism better’; Hina Rabbani Khar slams India as ‘rogue state’

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, has said that India is a “rogue state” that projects itself as greatest victim of terrorism but is the perpetrator of it.

    During a press conference in Islamabad, Khar said that India’s objective was to undermine Pakistan’s peace and security through terrorism, saying, “No country had used terrorism better than India”.

    Khar’s presser came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that India’s footprints are seen in all terror activities carried out in Pakistan and New Delhi’s activities have gone “beyond that of an enemy state” just to hide its atrocities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

    The state minister said that it was important for everyone who speaks of “justice and the universality of the value system to call a spade a spade”.

    “This particular effort is to bring to the attention of the world and to expect them and really encourage them to see things based on evidence as they are,” said Khar. 

    Khar told the press that Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan had called members of the diplomatic corps in Islamabad and shared Pakistan’s dossier on the 2021 Johar Town blast — that claimed six lives.

    Around 17 others sustained injuries in the blast in Johar Town, Lahore, in June 2021. The explosion took place in a residential area near Allah Hu Boulevard, police said.

    “This dossier has detailed evidence of how India has been found to be fully behind this incident that led to the loss of life,” Khar said on the Johar Town blast.

    The state minister reminded New Delhi that it cannot have islands of excellence in a sea of depravity. 

    “When you try and harm your region, you actually end up harming yourself,” she added. She said that Lahore, the Samjhota incident, and the Khulbushan Yadav evidence all point out that New Delhi plays as a victim of terrorism and gains sympathy.

    “This dossier, as you already know, has details and evidence of how India is fully behind this particular incident which led to the loss of lives. And we do not blame one country or the other the next day, unlike our neighbors. We waited till we had strong hard evidence to be making the case we are making today,” stated the minister.

    “I don’t think I need to remind anyone that India has had a role in destabilising its neighbouring countries and weaken their economies to try and pursue its hegemonic designs in the region,” she said, citing China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Balochistan as two examples of India’s designs.

    The minister also reminded India that there could not be “islands of excellence in a sea of depravity”, stressing that when the country will try and harm the region, they actually end up harming themselves.

    “India’s unabated slip into the abyss of terrorism is being clouded by this growing India, emerging India narrative,” emphasised Khar.

  • Andrew Flintoff airlifted to hospital after accident while filming Top Gear

    Andrew Flintoff airlifted to hospital after accident while filming Top Gear

    Former English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was immediately taken to the hospital via helicopter on Tuesday after injuring himself in an accident while filming the famous BBC TV show ‘Top Gear’.

    The 45 years old cricketing star was given first aid at the scene while filming an episode of Top Gear, BBC’s famous show about automobiles.
    BBC has stated that his injuries are not life-threatening.

    The incident happened at the program’s test track at Dunsfold Park Aerodrome, south of London.

    Flintoff, a celebrated all-rounder better known as “Freddie”, played 79 Tests for England before retiring from cricket aged 32.
    “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning (Tuesday) with crew medics attending the scene immediately,” a BBC spokesperson said, according to the BBC and Sky

    “He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.”

    During his cricket career, Flintoff played a pivotal role in England winning the Ashes in 2005 and 2009.

  • New Zealand passes world’s first tobacco law to prevent future generations from smoking

    New Zealand passes world’s first tobacco law to prevent future generations from smoking

    As part of its attempts to become smoke-free by 2025, New Zealand has passed new regulations. The newest legislation prohibits anyone under the age of 14 from ever being able to legally purchase cigarettes. The decision to ban smoking for the next generation would be a first in the world.

    According to associate health minister Ayesha Verrall, “Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be $5bn better off from not needing to treat the illnesses caused by smoking, such as numerous types of cancer, heart attacks, strokes, amputations.”

    The laws passed their final reading on Tuesday evening and will come into force in 2023. The number of stores legally allowed to sell cigarettes will be reduced to a tenth of their existing levels – from 6,000 to just 600 countrywide.

    Tobacco will not be sold to anyone who was born on or after January 1, 2009, in New Zealand, which will be the first country in the world to specify the age for smoking that increases every year.

    The amount of nicotine that is legally allowed to be present in tobacco products will be drastically reduced, and instead of being sold in corner stores and supermarkets, they will have to only be sold through specific tobacco stores, according to The Guardian.

    These laws will also be accompanied by a number of other initiatives to make smoking more expensive and less accessible.

  • Back to 2020? Markets, restaurants to be closed by 10pm

    Back to 2020? Markets, restaurants to be closed by 10pm

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued orders to close markets and restaurants in Lahore by 10pm in order to control the worsening smog in the city.

    The court gave out its ruling after a hearing on a petition seeking the court’s intervention to curb smog. According to the orders, the closure of markets and restaurants by 10pm will be enforced on weekdays.

    On weekends, however, restaurants will be allowed to close at 11pm. Although it has been suggested that markets should remain closed on Sundays but the suggestion has been put off for now.

    Regarding schools, the court said that schools that remained open on Fridays will be sealed and directed the education department to strictly implement its orders.

    Last week, the Punjab Government ordered closure of schools in the provincial capital for three days a week— Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

    Pakistan’s biggest cities have ranked among the most polluted in the world for the past few weeks, with Lahore, the capital of Punjab, having topped the list the metropolises with the most polluted air several times in the last month.

  • ‘Main Ranveer ka dost bol raha hoon, us ne surf kha liya hai’: Social media reacts to photoshoot of Pakistani model

    ‘Main Ranveer ka dost bol raha hoon, us ne surf kha liya hai’: Social media reacts to photoshoot of Pakistani model

    Pakistani supermodel Aimal Khan’s latest photoshoot has sent social media users into a tizzy when the images surfaced on the internet. Some are criticising him for the nude photoshoot while others are commenting that Pakistani model’s photoshoot is better than Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot.

    Have a look at the reactions:

    Have a look at the reactions.

    https://twitter.com/OldSukool_/status/1602746885977931776

  • Aanay waalay dinon mein koyi barra toofaan barpa ho sakta hai: Hamid Mir

    Aanay waalay dinon mein koyi barra toofaan barpa ho sakta hai: Hamid Mir

    Senior journalist Hamid Mir has warned that all is not well in Islamabad and a big storm may hit the corridors of power in the near future.

    While speaking on Geo News’ programme Geo Pakistan, Mir said, “Maujooda haqoomti ittehaad mein sab kuch acha nahin hai aur Islamabad mein honay waali siyaasi garma garmi aanay waalay dinon mein koyi barra toofaan barpa kar sakti hai” (All is not well within the incumbent coalition government. The political heat in Islamabad could create a big storm in the coming days).

    Mir said that if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan dissolves the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab Assembly, then the heat in Islamabad can create a huge storm.

    He was of the view that junior coalition parties could also force Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s government to hold general elections.

    Separately, differences can also be seen within Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and his predecessor Miftah Ismail put forward their conflicting views on the state of Pakistan’s economy.

    While Dar argued that the country’s performance criteria are up to the mark and “complete” for the International Mone­tary Fund’s (IMF) ninth review, Ismail insisted that the default risk wouldn’t subside unless the Fund came to the table.

    Mulk mein default ka khatra hai, says Miftah Ismail

    Miftah Ismail said on Tuesday that there is still a threat of the country defaulting until the government completes the IMF ninth review. On the contrary, Dar said that he was not concerned whether the IMF team arrived or not for the ninth review, asserting that the IMF could “not dictate” the government.

    Appearing on Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”, Miftah rang alarm bells, stating that Pakistan is in jeopardy. “It has gone back in jeopardy and as long as IMF is not back on the table, the threat of default will remain high,” he emphasised.

    Moreover, he believed that the path Pakistan is on might take the country toward default urging the incumbent government to take steps to prevent that from happening.

    On the show, the former minister blamed Khan for the ongoing economic crisis. He said, “Khan is responsible for pushing Pakistan towards default; he is the one who broke his promise with the IMF; Khan is the one who wanted to derail the IMF programme when we tried to revive it under PM Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership.”

    When asked that the incumbent finance minister Ishaq Dar has said several times that IMF is being unreasonable, Miftah responded that first we need to take a good look at ourselves.

    “When the IMF gives you a loan, this means they are helping you out. We need to look at ourselves, why did we go to the IMF previously. Dealing with the IMF is not an easy task,” Miftah said. He reiterated that if the IMF didn’t come to the table, “It will be very difficult to save Pakistan from a default”.

    He stressed that the country needed to take action on certain matters to bring the IMF mission to Pakistan, saying that funds from neighbouring countries could only last the country for weeks.

    Earlier this month, Pakistan ended its immediate default risk when the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) made a payment of $1 billion for sukuk bond.

  • ‘Company CEO more respected than us’: BNP, JUI-F not happy with PM Shehbaz led govt

    ‘Company CEO more respected than us’: BNP, JUI-F not happy with PM Shehbaz led govt

    Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-Mengal) — boycotted a federal cabinet meeting over a controversial bill regarding the revival of the Reko Diq copper and gold mine project in Balochistan.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif formed a cabinet committee to address the grievances of JUI-F and BNP-M while assuring them that an amendment bill would soon be tabled in the parliament after consulting the two allies.

    Both JUI-F and BNP-Mengal were of the view that the recently passed Reko Diq related bill — the Foreign Investment (Promotion and Protection) Bill, 2022, in the Senate, was against the rights of the people of Balochistan and that both parties had not been taken on board during the preparation of the bill.

    Chairman BNP Akhtar Mengal has signalled that he may separate his party from the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government at the centre.

    Discussing his reservations during Geo News programme “Capital Talk”, the BNP-M leader said that the coalition government, instead of taking allies into confidence, takes investors into confidence. “More importance is given to companies instead of the parliament. We will have to think about the basis of our unity,” he warned.

    Expressing his displeasure, Mengal said that a CEO of a company is respected more than the allies. He added that his province was “looted” by everyone. “The resources change people’s lives, but it is Balochistan’s misfortune that the way the resources were discovered there, they became a disaster for the people,” he said.

    During the programme, another ally of the government Jamaat-e-Islami-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza said that the Foreign Investment Bill has been passed forcefully and with deceit which is a threat to Pakistan.