Author: newsdesk

  • Famous Pakistanis who met Queen Elizabeth

    Famous Pakistanis who met Queen Elizabeth

    Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on Thursday in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.

    In 1961, Queen Elizabeth visited Pakistan. She was accompanied by her husband, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip. She visited Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, and other areas of the country.

    The Queen next visited Pakistan 36 years later in 1997 when the country was celebrating 50 years of independence. She was again accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip.

    Here is the list of the Pakistanis who met Queen Elizabeth II during her lifetime.

    In 1974, Queen Elizabeth met Imran Khan, who was a cricketer back then. In the picture, she can be seen shaking hands with Khan.

    In 1997, Queen Elizabeth met former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif (who was in power at the time) when she visited Pakistan for the second time. During her visit, knighthood was given to Sharif by the British monarch.

    The Queen also met former PM Benazir Bhutto.

    In 2013, the Queen and Prince Philip invited Pakistan’s young activist Malala Yousafzai to a reception at the Buckingham Palace, where they met and chatted for a short time.

    Malala, who was accompanied by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, presented the Queen with a copy of her newly published memoir, titled “I am Malala”.

    Before the start of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) World Cup 2019, all team captains met The Queen. At the time, Pakistani cricket team captain Sarfraz Ahmed also met her at the Buckingham Palace.

  • Queen Elizabeth has passed away: Here is what may happen in the next ten days

    Queen Elizabeth has passed away: Here is what may happen in the next ten days

    Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on Thursday in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.
    “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” a display message on the official website of the Royal family reads.

    “The official website of the Royal Family is temporarily unavailable while appropriate changes are made.”

    Who is the new King?

    Charles, as the queen’s eldest son, inherited the sovereign title and job as head of the Commonwealth, along with other assets such as land and property.

    Charles, 73, is the longest-serving heir in British history after waiting decades to get to the throne. The queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, had four children together, with him being the oldest. He became Britain’s heir apparent at age 3 when his mother succeeded to the throne at the age of 25. Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, and Earl of Carrick are some of Charles’ titles.

    The Prince and Princess of Wales were born after Charles wed Diana Spencer in 1981. William and Harry, two princes, were born to them. Charles and Diana separated in 1992. Charles wed Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now known as the Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005 after Diana passed away in 1997.

    Will Camilla become the new Queen?

    The title of queen is typically bestowed upon the king’s wife, but in Camilla’s case, this hasn’t always been the case.
    At the time of Charles and Camilla’s wedding in 2005, it was agreed that she would be referred to as princess consort rather than queen. However, now that he is king, Charles has the option of changing this designation.

    What is expected to happen in the next ten days?
    Day 1:

    Charles will be officially proclaimed King. This happens at St James’s Palace in London, in front of a ceremonial body known as the Accession Council. The same day, in the afternoon, the new king will have audiences with the prime minister and cabinet, the leader of the opposition, the archbishop of Canterbury and the dean of Westminster.

    Day 2:
    The Queen’s coffin will return to Buckingham Palace. Proclamations will be read in the devolved administrations. Tributes are likely to continue in parliament.

    Day 3:
    In the morning, King Charles will receive the motion of condolence at Westminster Hall.
    In the afternoon, he will embark on a tour of the United Kingdom, starting with a visit to the Scottish parliament and a service at St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.

    Day 4:
    King Charles will land in Northern Ireland, where he will attend a ceremony at St. Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast and receive a further motion of sympathy at Hillsborough Castle.
    Rehearsals for the funeral will be taking place.

    Day 5:
    On the fifth day, a procession will begin, starting at Buckingham Palace and ending at the Houses of Parliament, then a service will be held at Westminster Hall.
    The Queen will then be placed on display for three days so that the public can view her coffin.

    Day 6:
    On the fifth day, a procession will begin, starting at Buckingham Palace and ending at the Houses of Parliament, then a service will be held at Westminster Hall.

    Day 7:
    King Charles will travel to Wales to receive another motion of condolence at the Welsh parliament and attend a service at Liandaff Cathedral in Cardiff.

    Day 08:
    Prime ministers and governors general from the countries are anticipated to attend King Charles’ coronation.

    Day 09:
    Charles will extend an invitation to visiting royal families from other countries the night before the funeral. VIP foreign visitors are anticipated at the lying in state.

    Day 10:
    The state funeral itself will be held at Westminster Abbey.
    There will be a two-minutes’ silence across the nation at midday.
    Processions will take place in London and Windsor.
    There will be a committal service in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, and the queen will be buried in the castle’s King George VI Memorial Chapel.

  • Queen Elizabeth: World leaders remember when they met her

    Queen Elizabeth: World leaders remember when they met her

    Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on Thursday in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.

    In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and the Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

    The royal family’s official website carried the message: “Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022” along with an official statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

    Flags on landmark buildings in Britain were being lowered to half mast as a period of official mourning was announced. Royal residences that are open to the public will be closed.

    Shortly after the official announcement, world leaders took to Twitter to extend their condolences.

    President Arif Alvi expressed his sincere condolences.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif extends his heartfelt condolences to the Royal Family, people and government of the UK.

    https://twitter.com/PresOfPakistan/status/1567934211637628940?s=20&t=59bb4GrkTNi98ERzhcRB8A

    UK’s newly elected PM Liz Truss mourned the death of her country’s monarch. She released a statement that reads: “With the King’s family, we mourn the loss of his mother. As we mourn, we must come together as a people to support him. To help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.”

    United States (US) President Joe Biden shared a statement on the demise of the Queen. “Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity constancy who deepened the bedrock of the Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special,” Biden said.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping offered “sincere sympathies to the British government and people” following the Queen’s death, adding: “Her passing is a great loss to the British people.”

    Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his “deep sorrow”. “The loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a great loss not only to the British people but also to the international community. Japan’s thoughts are with the United Kingdom as the British people overcome this deepest sadness”, he said.

    Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau said, “It was with the heaviest of hearts that we learned of the passing of Canada’s longest-reigning Sovereign, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She was a constant presence in our lives – and her service to Canadians will forever remain an important part of our country’s history.”

    French President Emmanuel Macron said, “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II embodied the British nation’s continuity and unity for over 70 years. I remember her as a friend of France, a kind-hearted queen who has left a lasting impression on her country and her century.”

    Indian PM Narendra Modi, in a tweet, said he had memorable meetings with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

    “I had memorable meetings with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during my UK visits in 2015 and 2018. I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings, she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her at her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture.”

    Finish PM Sanna Marin said, “My deepest condolences to the Royal Family, people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

    Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto said, “Queen’s sense of duty and devotion to service are an example to us all. Deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the UK.”

    Earlier, it was reported that Queen’s doctors were concerned about her health and she was under observation.

    All the Queen’s children travelled to Balmoral, near Aberdeen, after doctors placed the Queen under medical supervision.

    Her grandson, Prince William, is also there, with his brother, Prince Harry, on his way.

  • Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

    Queen Elizabeth II dies at 96

    Royal family officials reported that the queen passed away peacefully on Thursday afternoon at Balmoral Castle, her home in the Scottish Highlands.

    She is currently at Balmoral with her son King Charles, who will return to London on Friday.

    The longest reigning British monarch was Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the United Kingdom for seven decades.

    Here’s the tweet from the royal family:

    The queen has performed fewer official responsibilities in recent years, occasionally skipping engagements where her attendance used to be expected.

    Her recent mobility problems have caused her to spend a lot of time at the family’s rural estate near London, Windsor Castle, and the Scottish castle, Balmoral.

  • ‘Never seen this level of devastation’: first-hand account of what’s going on in flood affected areas

    ‘Never seen this level of devastation’: first-hand account of what’s going on in flood affected areas

    Pakistan is in the throes of devastating floods that have wreaked havoc across all four provinces. The scale of devastation has been estimated to be more than $10 billion. Midwife, public health practitioner and founder of Mama Baby Funds (MBF), Neha Mankani, visited the flood-affected area of Dadu, located in Sindh, which is through and through inundated with floods.

    Neha Mankani, who was in the area for two days shared her experience of what she calls a devastation she has never seen in her career. Dadu is strategically located in an area where it gets water from Manchar, Hamal Lakes and hill flows from Gorak Hills.

    Talking about the wreckage, Mankani said, “It’s safe to say I have never seen this level of devastation in my entire career.”

    Sharing pictures from the site on her Instagram story, Mankani wrote, “The next few images are of the water separating Dadu city and Juhi- which now has many many villages under it.”

    “There are IDP’s on the embankments of cities in makeshifts tents. The boat ride was an hour long and cost Rs 600 per person, a simple equation of demand and supply. We encountered two maternal deaths and 25 pregnant women in the first hour of our arrival. Both women died because they couldn’t get care on time.”

    “I wore a lifejacket for the first time. We heard many incidents of boast tipping over because they got stuck in trees or electric poles under the water. A flood water lake that’s swallowed 100’s of homes felt a lot more untrustworthy than the sea I’m used to.”

    Mankani explaining the aftermath and the toll the devastation has caused said, “Sujag Sansar [a right-based development organization working for the marginalized in most backward areas] told us that no one is really thinking about the children and how they are dealing at camps.” She further explained that women were given basic things like baltis, lotas, detergent, mosquito coil, towels, shoes, matches, and hygiene products. Sujag Sansar also informed them about how floods had taken them 50 years back, as everything was drowned under water.

    Mankani along with the volunteers who had accompanied her said that women their were told how to use medicals kits, make ORS and how will they be able to manage basic health challenges at their camps. Mankani also conducted an antenatal clinic both for women and some babies in a school.

    Explaining the conditions of health care, Mankani said that a baby was born on a boat without any medical support. She said that they found no health care providers on either side of the water- except for one government dispensary with a caretaker who dispenses medicines when he felt like and one woman who had turned herself into a dai after she reached the camps.

    The MBF founder further said that once they reached the boat dock, the only option for them was a donkey cart or wading through knee deep water. Adamant on spreading the message of the antenatal camp, Mankani said that they wanted to give women on both sides of the water the idea of the camp. And on how many clean delivery kits were needed to get to them.

  • Imran Khan to be indicted on Sept 22, response deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ by court

    Imran Khan to be indicted on Sept 22, response deemed ‘unsatisfactory’ by court

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday decided to indict Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on September 22 after he failed to submit an unconditional apology in contempt of court proceedings against him for passing controversial remarks against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

    “Imran Khan’s response was unsatisfactory”. said IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who is heading a five-member bench — comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangir, and Justice Babar Sattar — that heard the case.

    Justice Athar Minal­lah observed that Khan’s replies to the court’s show-cause notice appeared to be “Justifying contempt of the judiciary” and showed “No remorse or regret”.

    Justice Minallah went on to ask why the judges of the lower courts were considered different to those of higher courts. “You are justifying contempt of court which means that you have no remorse or regret,” the judge observed.

    Expressing his disappointment in the response given by Khan to the court, which was the second of its kind, the court asked: “Even after the court’s input on the matter, this is the response submitted?”

    “It seems you want to fight this case […] and you have no realisation that the case against you is extremely seriously,” noted Justice Minallah.

    Declaring subordinate judiciary a ‘red line’, IHC CJ Minallah warned the PTI chairman that threatening a district judge is a more serious offence than a Supreme Court justice.

    Before appearing for the hearing, the PTI chairman told journalists that he would become “more dangerous” if the government decides to send him behind bars.

    “They have been trying to [put me in jail for long now]. I will be more dangerous if they send me to jail,” Khan said to media, confidently smiling ahead of the hearing.

    Hours before the proceeding, Khan filed a new plea at the high court. He argued that the high court cannot exercise suo moto jurisdiction as per the Constitution. The arguments on the inadmissibility of the contempt case should be kept on record.

    “The written arguments will also be explained in the oral arguments during the course of the proceedings,” read the plea.

    A day earlier to the proceedings, Khan submitted a fresh response to the contempt of court case, in which in he expressed deep regret for his words.

  • ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    ‘Jis ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote deeya, woh Allah ke farman ke khilaf jayega’: Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, addressing a rally in Chishtian, said, “Agar ap ne Nawaz Sharif ko vote toh matlab ap mujrim ko vote de rahy hai. Is ka matlab ap burai ke sath khary hai. Is ka matlab ke ap Allah ke farman ke khilaf ja rahy hai.” (People who vote for PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif will be siding with a convict and are on the wrong side. This also means that you will go against Allah’s orders.)

    This is not the first time that PTI leader has played religious card against opponents or has mentioned religion in his speeches.

    Another time, while addressing his supporters, he said “You have to spread my message to the public just like the prophets of Allah did”.

    The former prime minister once also said that those who defected from his party [PTI] committed shirk. Shirk, or infidelity to God, is considered a severe sin in Islam.

    “Those who do wrong things to save their jobs commit sin, it is shirk [idolatry]. Those who sell their self-respect and themselves, it is also counted as shirk because Allah is Al-Haqq”, he said.

    Moreover, in Chishtian, the PTI leader said Chishtian is not a stronghold of the PML-N as it claims.

    “We make the country’s biggest robbers prime ministers. Today, the people ruling the country have been robbing the country for 30 years,” he reiterated.

    He once again accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and said that the body is a “Pet of the coalition government”.

    Clarifying his earlier remarks against the Pakistan Army, Khan said that “this country is mine and so is the army”.

  • ‘People have forgotten that I am also a bowler’: Naseem Shah

    ‘People have forgotten that I am also a bowler’: Naseem Shah

    At the very end of the nail biting match between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Naseem Shah smashed two sixes on two balls and powered Pakistan into final of Asia Cup 2022 against Sri Lanka on September 11. In the process, he sealed his place in history too.

    At the post match celebrations, an ecstatic Naseem Shah spoke with presenter Ravi Shastri and said that he was confident of hitting the winning runs since he had practiced a lot.

    “There was full confidence that we can win this match. We practice in the net, so we were confident that we would achieve the target,” said Naseem.

    He further added, “I knew the bowler would try to go for a yorker and was confident I could hit sixes. So, I tried and it paid off.”

    After Asif Ali’s dismissal, Naseem Shah went to Mohammad Husnain to change the bat and then won the seemingly lost match for Pakistan.

    The Pakistani pacer went on to say that after hitting those two sixes, people have forgotten that he is a bowler.

    Pakistan skipper Babar Azam praised Naseem Shah’s performance and said that the maximums reminded him of Javed Miandad’s famous six against India in Asia cup 1986 final.

  • Saudi Arabia and Gulf neighbours threaten Netflix over immoral content

    Saudi Arabia and Gulf neighbours threaten Netflix over immoral content

    Persian Gulf states threatened to sue the streaming service Netflix if it does not take down content that is objectionable to Islam. The Arab nations mentioned content representing sexual minorities but did not name the seasons or films.

    The streaming service was warned if it continued to broadcast the content then ‘necessary legal measures’ will be taken.

    The declaration was also released by the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

    They are a part of the six-nation council, along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar.

    The UAE further stated that it would monitor the content broadcast by the platform in the ensuing days and “evaluate its commitment to broadcasting restrictions” in the nation.

    A lady designated as a “behavioural expert” was interviewed by Saudi state media, and she claimed that Netflix was a “official sponsor of homosexuality” in the interview.

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    It simultaneously broadcast fuzzy footage from the Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous cartoon, in which two women kiss.

    Additionally, a segment on Saudi state television suggested that Netflix might be outlawed in the country due to concerns about its children’s programming.

    Because it has characters who are in a same-sex relationship, the animated feature film Lightyear from Walt Disney-Pixar was earlier this year banned from theatres in the UAE and other Muslim nations.

  • Australia passes climate bill to cut emissions by 43% by 2030

    Australia passes climate bill to cut emissions by 43% by 2030

    The Australian government has passed its first major climate legislation. The legislation will need royal assent before it officially becomes law. The Labor government’s climate bill cleared the Senate by 37 votes to 30 after accepting minor amendments. It also enshrines net zero emissions by 2050.

    The recently passed bill includes the national targets of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by at least 43 per cent by 2030 (compared with 2005) and reaching net zero by 2050.

    The country is one of the highest emitters per capita in the world, and the bill brings it in line with other developed countries such as Canada, South Korea, and Japan.

    Minister for climate change and energy, Chris Bowen, said the legislation sends a message to the world.”The passage of the climate change legislation sends a message to the world that Australia is serious about driving down emissions and serious about reaping the economic opportunities from affordable renewable energy,” Minister Bowen said, adding that “Legislating these targets gives certainty to investors and participants in the energy market and will help stabilise our energy system.”
    “It also strengthens transparency and accountability through the annual climate change statement and will ensure public debate informs government decisions,” he concluded.