A four-year-old girl was killed in a cross-fire between a store guard and dacoits at a mini-mart near Landhi Manzil Pump in Karachi last night.
According to the closed-circuit television (CCTV), three robbers entered the store to rob it. The security guard retaliated with his firearm when three dacoits opened firing during an escape from the mart.
According to the police, the guard shot and injured one of the suspects, Pyar Ali, while two others fled from the crime scene. During the shoot-out, a minor girl was shot, who was passing by with her older brother on a motorbike.
The wounded girl was rushed to a nearby hospital but she was declared dead on arrival. Her brother is demanding justice from the government.
The body of the girl was transferred to Jinnah Hospital for her postmortem to investigate whether the victim was killed from a gunshot by the security guard or the robbers. The injured robber was also moved to a hospital.
Police arrested the injured suspect and also recovered weapons and Rs 50,000 cash from him.
The Governor of Sindh Imran Ismail attended a convocation ceremony at the Sindh Madressa-tul-Islam University on Wednesday along with heavily armed guards due to “security concerns”.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader reached the venue late and the degree-awarding ceremony had to start without him.
Upon his arrival, guards stood around the stage and directed the teachers and students present there to maintain a certain distance. They told a teacher and a gold-medal student to step down from the stage.
The Provincial Minister for Universities and Boards Ismail Rahoo also attended the ceremony.
The university awarded 528 degrees this year. A total of 32 students were awarded Master of Science (MS) degrees, while 37 students were awarded Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday received a brief report on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) defeat in the recent local government (LG) polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), indicating ‘wrong’ selection of candidates based on ‘favouritism’.
A source in the Prime Minister Office (PMO) told Dawn that the performance report was presented by KP Chief Minister Mehmood Khan who was also grilled by PM Khan for not fielding ‘deserving’ and ‘poll-winning’ candidates.
The premier during his visit to Lahore (Thursday) in Punjab will select the best possible candidates and prepare well for the local government polls, which are expected to be held in the province in March or April next year.
On Wednesday, PM Khan said amidst all the noise over the election result, nobody appreciated the fact that the government had empowered the LG system for the first time in 74-year history of Pakistan.
The premier took to Twitter and wrote, “Directly elected Tehsil nazims will improve governance & create [a] future leader. Ist time in our 74-yr history we have an empowered LG system.”
Amidst the noise over KP LG elec, no one realises these elections are start of modern, devolved LG system as exists in successful democracies. Directly elected Tehsil nazims will improve governance & create future ldrs. Ist time in our 74-yr history we have an empowered LG system
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has said that he asked pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to not assume the role of a captain for a few years, but the fast-bowler did not pay heed to the cricket great’s advice.
Shahid Afridi, speaking during a programme on Samaa TV, said: “I had advised Shaheen to wait for a year or two before accepting captaincy so that he can focus more on his bowling. But since he is also an Afridi, he didn’t listen to me.”
“Having said that, I’m happy that he has decided to accept this responsibility and I hope that he proves me wrong,” the former skipper said.
Shaheen, during the same show, said he would attempt to do well for his team and also noted that he had experienced players on his side, who would help him during his role as the captain.
“I will try to do well for my side and maintain a good environment. I have players like [Mohammad Hafeez], Fakhar [Zaman], and Rashid [khan], who have the experience of captaincy, in the team which will help me in the leadership department,” the pacer said.
The PSL’s latest edition will be played in Karachi from January 27 to February 7 and in Lahore from February 10-27.
The first match will be staged under the lights of the National Stadium Karachi, where Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans will go head-to-head.
More than 2,290 students has graduated from the PepsiCo-supported career-prep fellowship by the Amal Academy. The educational start-up held its graduation ceremony for students from 180 cities, towns, and villages at a series of celebratory events held in Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar. The graduation ceremony was attended by Amal Academy CEO Mr. Ali Siddiq, PepsiCo Senior Director Sales and Corporate Affairs Mr. Mohammad Khosa, and chief guestand notable academic Director and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), Dr. Faisal Bari.
The fellowship is part of PepsiCo’s ‘Roshan Kal’ platform aimed at developing students’ professional skills through internships and skills development programs. The program creates opportunities for youth to develop skills such as communications, teamwork, leadership, positive thinking, and growth mindset. It focuses on specific career skills such as interview preparation, job placement, and project presentation. Enhancing professional skills enable university graduates to improve their chances of gaining meaningful employment. To date, Roshan Kal has created over 6,300 opportunities for youth through its internship program and its professional skills development program that is run in collaboration with Amal Academy. Based on graduate surveys, seventy percent of the program’s graduates receive an offer of employment within three months of completing this program.
Present at the occasion, Amal Academy CEO, Mr. Ali Siddiq, said, “I would like to express my gratitude to PepsiCo for enabling us to expand the reach of our fellowship program across Pakistan, and also for helping us launch a teacher training initiative this year to help bridge the industry-academia gap.”
In his address to the fellows present at the ceremony, he added, “I’m humbled and proud to see how you have chosen a path of lifelong learning and civic responsibility. You are the leaders this country needs, and we are honored to be part of your journey to reaching your full potential.”
Senior Director Sales and Corporate Affairs, PepsiCo Pakistan, Mr. Mohammad Khosa, commented, “I am truly proud of Amal Career-Prep Fellows 2021 for successfully completing the program and joining us on this life-changing journey to emerge as resilient, knowledgeable, and socially responsible youth, working toward a brighter future of our country. PepsiCo’s investment in this program is part of our broader social impact commitment toward fostering positive developments in accordance with PepsiCo’s In, With and For Pakistan mission.”
In 2021, PepsiCo Amal Career-Prep fellows initiated and led some remarkable community impact projects. The fellows came together to collect PKR 5 million for Edhi Foundation during a fundraising drive and executed other mega projects to positively impact the lives of 9,000 people across Pakistan. In addition, there has been an eighty percent success rate in terms of job placements for the graduate fellows this year.
“Our collective hard work and passion has brought us here today, and my heart is dancing with joy. I have never been this excited or happy to have completed a course or degree. This is a real life-changing experience, and I am truly thankful to PepsiCo and Amal Academy for giving me an opportunity to go beyond my comfort zone, inspiring me to do better,” said Saeeda Wasi, a 2021 graduate fellow.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, and 7UP. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of our business strategy and brands. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.
The Health Department in Tamil Nadu’s Ranipet district has registered a complaint after a man allegedly tried to help his wife deliver a baby at home with the help of YouTube videos, as a result of which the woman gave birth to a stillborn.
Lokanathan (32), who runs a small store at Panapakkam near Nemili in the district, allegedly relied on YouTube videos to help his wife Gomathi (28) deliver their baby.
The Nemili police said they are conducting inquiries, but no one has been booked yet. “The family members said the delivery was done with Gomathi’s permission and that there was nothing wrong on the part of Lokanathan, so we have not booked anyone yet. We are conducting the inquiry, further action will be taken based on its outcome,” said a police official from Nemili station.
Police said that the woman was due to give birth on December 13. On December 18, she experienced labour pain, but instead of visiting the hospital, Lokanathan decided to help her deliver the baby at home. He sought the help of his sister Geetha and they also watched YouTube videos. After a long struggle, Gomathi delivered a stillborn male. Since she was bleeding profusely, her husband took her to a Primary Health Centre nearby, from where they were sent to the Vellore Government Hospital.
A staff member of a famous Karachi based bakery chain, Delizia, refused the request of a customer to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on a cake.
The incident took place in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) branch. The management has ensured to take action against the staff and will release an official statement soon regarding the incident on social media.
An uproar was seen on the Facebook post in which netizens expressed their disappointment and anger.
Senior management of the bakery said, “At the moment we are taking action against him. It was done in an individual capacity and is not company policy. It may have been done due to lack of education and awareness that ‘Merry Christmas’ means wishing someone a happy Christmas, nothing else.”
In 2018, the same incident happened in the Badar Commercial branch of Delizia bakery when a customer was declined a cake with ‘Merry Christmas’ written on it. The staff made a similar excuse at that time as well that it was not company instructions. It was reported on another Facebook page, Karachi Food Diary.
The representative of the company stated in the previous incident that the staff responsible was dismissed and the same might to happen in the recent matter.
Indian men’s hockey team won the bronze medal at Asian Champions Trophy after beating Pakistan 4-3 in third-place play-off match.
Earlier, India suffered defeat at the hands of Japan with a 3-5 scoreline in the semifinals the previous day after having topped the round-robin stages with an unbeaten record.
In the other semifinal, South Korea beat Pakistan 6-5.
India will be going home with the bronze medal.
It was India’s second win over Pakistan in the tournament after having beaten the same opponents 3-1 in the round-robin stages.
“It is disappointing for us because we scored more field goals,” said Pakistan captain Umar Bhutta after the semi-final match, referring to his side’s four field goals while the South Koreans only got one from open play.
“We played a good match but the two goals we conceded from penalty corners hurt us,” he said.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja on Wednesday addressed the recent controversy surrounding spinner Yasir Shah and said that it is not good for cricket in the country.
Shah was booked in a case registered at Islamabad’s Shalimar Police Station for allegedly aiding in the rape and harassment of a 14-year-old girl. In the first information report (FIR) that has been registered, the girl stated that Yasir Shah’s friend Farhan had allegedly raped her at gunpoint and then filmed the act.
“Yasir Shah is a circuit player and it is a no-brainer on whom players need to hang out with and socialise with, while we train and educate these players, they are in ambassadorial positions and should know with whom and where to socialise,” said Raja while addressing the media on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what is the truth in this case but it is a fact that such headlines are not good for Pakistan cricket and especially at a time when there is a feel-good factor going through Pakistan cricket now,” he added.
The girl had further stated that Yasir Shah had warned her of severe consequences if she went to the authorities to tell about the incident.
“Yasir Shah said that he was a very influential person and that he knew a high-ranking official. Yasir Shah and Farhan make videos and rape underage girls,” she has stated in the FIR.
Responding to the entire incident, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said: “The PCB is presently gathering information at its end and will only offer a comment when in possession of complete facts.”
Yasir Shah has played 46 Tests for Pakistan, managing to take 235 wickets with his best figures being 8-41.
According to the Punjab Relief Commissioner Babar Hayat Tarar, the province has registered over 2,970 First Information Report (FIR) in less than three months (October 1 to December 18) to tackle the smog problem, reports Geo News.
A heavy fine has been imposed on industrial emissions, stubble burning, and traffic violations.
The commissioner also stated that the smog has been reduced as a result of effective government measures.
In the past few weeks, travel had been affected due to smog and poor visibility.
The Motorway-2 (M2) from Bhera, M4 from Shershah to Shamkot, and M5 from the Jalalpur interchange to Shershah and from Rohri to Guddu were also blocked due to fog and smog.
Recently, several flights from the Lahore and Sialkot airports faced delays and four flights scheduled for Lahore were diverted to Islamabad. The schedule of trains from Karachi and Quetta was also affected.
