Author: newsdesk

Azam Swati sent to jail on judicial remand for tweeting against Gen Bajwa

A local court in Islamabad on Monday has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati to jail on judicial remand in a case involving “controversial tweets” against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

During the hearing, Swati’s lawyer Babar Awan told the court that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was praying for the recovery of the tweet sent by Swati. He also claimed before the court that the senator had an injury on one of his fingers and had a fracture as well.

On the other hand, the prosecutor requested the court that a three-day physical remand of the senator be approved. But the court rejected the request and instead sent Swati to jail on judicial remand

Azam Swati in custody: Court rejects FIA request, extends one-day physical remand instead of eight days

A district and sessions court on Saturday extended the physical remand of Swati for one day. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had requested an eight-day extension.

On October 13, Swati was arrested in the early hours of the morning for tweeting against General Bajwa. According to Swati, he was tortured by the investigation agency while in custody.

Earlier in the day, when the hearing began, the Senator was presented in the court after a delay.

During the hearing, FIA officials, along with their eight-day remand request, presented the record of Swati’s “controversial tweets” in the court.

Giving the reason for the extension, Special Prosecutor Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that the FIA has to recover the said Twitter account’s password. He also informed the court that Swati wasn’t cooperating in the interrogation.

Moreover, he said: “The said tweet is not the only tweet as Azam Swati has posted such tweets earlier as well.” He added that the FIA has records of the planned tweets from Swati’s official account.

PTI’s lawyer Babar Awan also presented arguments, maintaining that the defence admits that Swati did post the tweet in question but there was legal cover.

Awan said that he had told the senator to not say anything now. “If you want to check anything, check his [Swati’s] wounds,” he added.

October 17, 2022
Imran Khan wins big: PTI bags 6 NA, 2 Punjab Assembly seats

The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan — who was contesting from seven constituencies — won the by-elections in six of eight National Assembly (NA) seats across Pakistan on Sunday.

The PTI chief won seats in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Faisalabad, and Nankana Sahib after beating the ruling coalition’s candidates, but faced defeat at the hands of Pakistan Poeple’s Party’s (PPP) Abdul Hakeem Baloch and Musa Ali Gillani. PPP managed to clinch two — NA-157 Multan and NA-237 Karachi — which were bagged by the PTI in the 2018 general elections.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) and the Awami National Party (ANP), could not manage to grab any NA seat.

Details of National Assembly seats

The constituencies where polling took place included NA-22 Mardan-III, NA-24 Charsadda-II, NA-31 Peshawar-V, NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII, NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II, NA 157 Multan-IV, NA-237 Malir-II, NA-239 Korangi, Karachi-I.

NA-22 Mardan-III:

Imran Khan bagged 76,681 votes while the JUI-F’s nominee Muhammad Qasim got 68,181 votes, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said, adding that the voter turnout was 32.9per cent in Mardan.

NA-24 Charsadda-II

The PTI chief got a total of 78589 votes against Awami National Party (ANP) Aimal Wali Khan’s 68,356 votes. Khan won the contest by 10,233 votes.

NA-31 Peshawar-V

Khan bagged 57,824 to defeat his rival in Peshawar’s NA-31 by-election, according to unofficial results, with ANP’s Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour securing 32,253 votes — allowing the PTI chairman to win by more than 25,000 votes. In Peshawar, the turnout was recorded at 20.28 per cent.

NA-108 Faisalabad-VIII

In Faisalabad (NA-108), Imran Khan won after securing 99,841 votes against PML-N leader Abid Sher Ali, who got 75,266 votes.

NA-118 Nankana Sahib-II

Khan also won Nankana Sahib (NA-118 ) after getting 90,180 votes against PML-N nominee Shezra Mansab Ali Khan Kharal, who got 78,024 votes.

NA-239 Korangi, Karachi-I

The PTI chief also won Karachi’s NA-239 by-polls with 50,014 votes, according to unofficial results, as the party retained the seat in Korangi. Khan defeated MQM-P’s Nayyar Raza in an easy contest.

NA-237 Malir-II

In Karachi, PPP won the Malir constituency (NA-237), with its candidate Abdul Hakim Baloch securing 32,567 against Imran Khan’s 22,493.

NA 157 Multan-IV

In Multan (NA-157), former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s son Ali Musa Gillani managed to defeat Meher Bano, daughter of former foreign minister and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and grabbed the seat for the PPP with a wide margin. Musa Gillani secured 107,327 votes while Meher Bano Qureshi got 82,141. This was the only NA seat where Imran Khan did not contest the by-poll.

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Details of Provincial seats

By-elections were also held on three Punjab Assembly seats — PP-241 Bahawalnagar-V, PP-209 Khanewal-VII, and PP-139 Sheikhupura-V.

PP-209 Khanewal-VII

In Khanewal (PP-209), PTI’s Faisal Khan Niazi won after securing 71,156 votes against PML-N’s Chaudhry Ziaur Rehman who got 57,630 votes only.

PP-241 Bahawalnagar-V

In Bahawalnagar (PP-241), PTI nominee Malik Muzzaffar Khan got 59,957 against PML-N candidate Amanullah Sattar’s 48,147.

PP-139 Sheikhupura-V

PML-N’s Iftikhar Ahmad Bhangoo won PP-139 Sheikhupura seat after getting 40,829 votes against PTI nominee Muhammad Abu Bakar’s 37,712 votes.

October 17, 2022
‘My ex-girlfriend passed away, marriage soon’: Aadi Adeal Amjad makes revelations about his love life

Actor and host Aadi Adeal Amjad has revealed during an interview with Fuchsia that his girlfriend at the time passed away and that losing her had a profound impact on him. Although he was still very young at the time, he struggled for a while to maintain his sense of humour.

Additionally, Aadi discussed his upcoming nuptials. He claimed that he is currently prepared for marriage. Aadi claimed that he had always desired a love marriage because he want a partner who would respect his way of life and career and would not have insecurities. Aadi continued by saying that a person of that simple mind would not be content with him being unable to wed a ghareloo lady due to his employment.

Earlier this year, he took to his Instagram stories to criticise a newly married couple to share their smoking video amidst their post-wedding shoot.

The Beinteha star stated that the day is not far when married couples will start sharing their wedding night videos to get viral.

October 17, 2022
Atif Aslam, Sara Bharwana party with Bollywood celebs in Dubai

Pakistani star-singer Atif Aslam was invited to Sanjay Kapoor’s birthday bash in Dubai. Atif attended the event with his wife Sara Bharwana.

Both Pakistani artists posed for pictures with Bollywood actors and their family members. Cricketer Shoaib Malik’s better half Sania Mirza also graced the event with her presence.

Actor Sami Khan also met Anil in the Dubai and shared the moment on social media.

October 17, 2022
Air Quality: Lahore is the most polluted city in the world right now

Lahore on Monday topped the list of the most polluted cities in the world with the worst air quality levels on the globe.

Karachi is second on the list while India’s New Delhi is third on IQAir.

Lahore was measured to have 172 Unhealthy particulate matter and Karachi had 106 particulate matter, according to the air quality index.

The numbers keep changing.

As per United States Environmental protection agency, a hazardous category indicates an AQI of 301–500. The ‘good’ category is 0–50, which is followed by ‘moderate’ at 51–100 while anything in the 101–301 AQI range is considered unhealthy.

October 17, 2022
Pakistan likely to exit FATF grey list after 4 years

Pakistan is expected to leave the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list on October 21 after topping the dreaded chart for over four years.

According to Dawn, a 15-member team of the money-laundering watchdog concluded its onsite visit to Pakistan on September 2, with the final decision on the country’s grey list status now expected at its next meeting set to take place in Paris this week.

According to an official statement, panellists from 206 Global Network members and observer organisations, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, the World Bank, Interpol, and the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, will attend the Working Group and Plenary meetings in Paris.

The outcome of the two-day deliberations on Pakistan’s status would be announced. The FATF Onsite team’s report on Pakistan is scheduled to be reviewed at the plenary meetings.

Pakistani authorities believe that after four years of hard effort, the country has achieved not just a high level of technical compliance with FATF standards, but also a high degree of efficacy through the implementation of two comprehensive FATF action plans.

It is worth noting that the FATF found Pakistan generally compliant on all 34 issues in June of this year and opted to send an onsite team to verify it on the ground before formally declaring the country’s removal from the grey list in August and September.

Pakistan was rated “compliant or generally compliant” with FATF criteria in 38 of 40 recommendations, putting the country among the top FATF-compliant countries in the world.

Pakistan was officially placed on the FATF grey list for the third time on June 28, 2018, and has been working to remove itself off the list ever since.

The country was originally placed on the FATF grey list in 2008 after failing to meet international anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) requirements. Pakistan was removed from the list in 2010 after upgrading its AML/CFT regime. However, Pakistan was placed on the grey list again in 2012 and remained there until 2015.

October 17, 2022
Govt increases petroleum levy by Rs14.84 to Rs47.26

The government has increased the Petroleum Levy (PL) on petrol by Rs14.84 to Rs47.26 per litre, while decreasing it on diesel, with immediate effect from October 16, 2022, maintaining the prices at Rs224.80 and Rs235.30 per litre, respectively. From October 1, 2022, the PL for petrol was Rs32.42.

The rise in the petroleum levy on Mogas was enforced in response to the IMF’s concerns after the finance ministry lowered the levy on petrol by Rs5 to Rs32.42 per litre on October 1, 2022, from Rs37.42.

According to Geo, Pakistan has to raise Rs850 billion in income during the current fiscal year by increasing the Petroleum Levy to Rs50 per litre on petrol and diesel.

However, it has lowered the diesel levy by Rs5.44 to Rs7.14 per litre beginning October 16, 2022. From October 1, 2022, the petroleum levy on diesel was Rs12.58 per litre.

Currently, the petroleum duty on HOBC is Rs30 per litre, kerosene oil is Rs8.90 per litre, light diesel oil is Rs1.59, and E-10 gasoline is Rs23.21 per litre.

The inland freight equalisation margin (IFEM) on gasoline was cut by Re0.52 to Rs2 per litre from Rs2.53.

The district margin, which includes the extra margin on petrol, is Rs3.68 per litre, while the dealer margin is Rs7 per litre.

IFEM on diesel has risen by Re0.07 per litre to Rs1.83 from Rs1.76 per litre. The dealer margin on diesel is similarly Rs7 per litre, while the district margin, including extra margin, is Rs3.68 per litre.

October 17, 2022
Eight-year-old raped by six men in Chiniot

An eight-year old girl was allegedly gang-raped by six men in Chiniot, reports ARY. As per the details, all six perpetrators fled away from the scene.

The rape survivor has been shifted to the hospital for medical treatment and tests.

According to the police, the father of the rape survivor filed the complaint. The police have also said that further action would be taken in light of the girl’s medical report.

Almost 21,900 women were reported to have been raped in Pakistan from 2017 to 2021, Zahid Gishkori reported for Samaa. The data has been complied by SAMAA TV Investigation Unit (SIU) from the Punjab Home Department and Ministry of Human Rights (MoHRs).

This means that approximately 12 women were raped every day, or one every two hours, throughout the country.

October 17, 2022
Protesting terror: Swat Valley has had enough

The people of Swat have already witnessed enough bloodshed. The people of Swat were displaced. Peace returned in 2009. In the blink of an eye, the situation turned into chaos where despite the presence of a large number of security forces, the Taliban entered, resettled, and sabotaged peace in the region.

Earlier this month, one man was killed while two students were injured when unidentified militants opened fire on a school van in Charbagh tehsil. This incident of violence gripped the valley, prompting citizens to take to the streets against the rising tide of insurgency. The incident brought back memories of the attack on the then-school girl Malala Yousafzai, on October 9, 2012, who survived a gun attack by Taliban gunmen nearly a decade ago. Though militants had been behind the attack on the Nobel Prize winner, the authorities are tight-lipped about the latest incident, while no group has claimed responsibility yet.

The outfit known as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is gaining ground across Swat Valley once again. The people of Swat and other areas of KP must be commended for courageously demanding their right to live in peace. They have witnessed firsthand the bloody rule of the militants, and the associated pain of conflict and dislocation. No one can say for certain how and why TTP members have now resurfaced in Swat as well as several other adjoining tribal districts. This is the main reason for the unease among the people of Swat and is sure to give many a sleepless night to officials, both in the civilian setup as well as the military. And what have the latter done to allay the fears of the people? Not much, unfortunately.

The return of TTP militants to their respective areas is part of the TTP-government negotiations being held in Kabul, Afghanistan, but no agreement has been reached to this effect. It, therefore, remains unclear who, if anyone for that matter, allowed the militants to return before a formal deal had been reached. It would not be wrong if we say the ghosts of the past are coming back to haunt the residents of Swat Valley. The valley has seen enough bloodshed, we hope and pray peace prevails in the region.

Pakistan has lost 80,000 lives in the war on terror. We fought bravely to get rid of terrorism on our soil. The return of terrorism is a bad omen for peace in the country and the region.

October 16, 2022
Who is the only Pakistani in the commentary line up for ICC T20 World Cup?

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday (October 15) unveiled the list of a star-studded commentary panel for the T20 World Cup 2022.
Bazid Khan from Pakistan is part of the panel.

What an elite commentary line-up for #T20WorldCup 2022

Details https://t.co/sCOReFrnTH pic.twitter.com/CuTJlwBeOk

— ICC (@ICC) October 16, 2022

List of all commentators for T20 World Cup 2022 includes

Adam Gilchrist, Athar Ali Khan, Bazid Khan, Brian Murgatroyd, Carlos Brathwaite, Dale Steyn, Danny Morrison, Dirk Nannes, Eoin Morgan, Harsha Bhogle, Ian Bishop, Ian Smith, Isa Guha, Mark Howard, Mel Jones, Michael Atherton, Michael Clarke, Nasser Hussain, Natalie Germanos, Niall O’Brien, Pommie Mbangwa, Preston Mommsen, Ravi Shastri, Russell Arnold, Samuel Badree, Shane Watson, Shaun Pollock, Simon Doull, Sunil Gavaskar.

The tournament, that has started today, will end on November 13.

October 16, 2022