Author: newsdesk

  • Sexual assault survivors’ virginity test will be abolished

    Sexual assault survivors’ virginity test will be abolished

    The provincial health authorities have told the Lahore High Court that the two-finger test (TFT), an old practice of examining sexual assault survivors, has limited evidentiary value and will be eliminated from the protocol of medico-legal certificate (MLC) unless required.

    The test is still used in Pakistan regardless of calls for its cancellation by healthcare professionals and human rights organisations.

    “It is not objective of the medical examination of a female victim of sexual assault to comment about the character of the examinee neither TFT is being practiced with that objective nor it has any strong evidentiary value related to the determination of virginity,” says a joint reply by the Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and surgeon medico-legal Lahore.

    As per reports, the reply was submitted on Friday during the hearing of two public interest petitions challenging the TFT for being disrespectful, inhuman and violative to the fundamental rights of women.

    The petitions mainly plead the demeaning practice whereby medico-legal officers perform a hymen test and a “two-finger test” as part of medical evaluation of women victims is unreliable and unnecessary and has no scientific basis.

    Responding to the points raised in the petitions, the government’s reply states that only certified women medical officer (WMO) do the TFT and that too after the consent of the victim or her guardian in a written form.

    “In case of refusal by the victim, the medical examination is not conducted and the referring court is informed in writing,” it says.

    Justice Ayesha A. Malik will resume hearing on the petitions on Nov 6 when the petitioners will appear with their responses.

    One petition was filed by PML-N MNA Shaista Pervez Malik while women rights activists, academics, journalists and advocates were petitioners in the other. They include Sadaf Aziz, Farida Shaheed, Farieha Aziz, Farah Zia, Sarah Zaman, Maliha Zia Lari, Dr. Aisha Babar and Zainab Husain.

    Advocate Sahar Zareen Bandial and Barrister Sameer Khosa are the lead counsel for the petitioners.

  • ‘We want answers’, Mahira Khan tells PM Imran

    ‘We want answers’, Mahira Khan tells PM Imran

    Following the harrowing Motorway Rape Incident and growing intolerance towards Shias in Sindh, Mahira Khan penned a note saying that she stands with the “Shias of my country”, the “women of this country” and “against anything that goes against the basic foundation of this country”.

    Addressing Prime Minister Imran Khan, Mahira said: “We all want answers. Answers for women being raped, for those in power victim shaming, for minorities being called kaafir.”

    “We want answers,” asserted the actor.

    Read more – Coronavirus: Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan appreciate PM Khan for his efforts

    Besides Mahira, several other celebrities including Feroze Khan, Imran Abbas and Farhan Saeed have urged PM Imran to take strict action and make an example out of those involved in the motorway gang-rape.

    https://twitter.com/ImranAbbas/status/1304290321157758976?s=20

    Meanwhile, Asim Azhar told PM Khan that he’s “afraid our country is coming to a point where being from a particular sect can end your life.”

  • Allama Zameer Akhtar Naqvi passes away in Karachi

    Scholar and preacher Allama Zameer Akhtar Naqvi passed away in Karachi on Sunday.

    He reportedly suffered a heart attack and was shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital Saturday night.

    His body is being taken to the Ancholi Imambargah where his funeral prayers will be held.

    Allama Naqvi was born on March 24, 1944 in India’s Lucknow.

    He authored over 300 books in various fields, including literature, culture, religion, philosophy, logic, journalism, sociology, science, oratory, and language. He was also known for lectures he gave on topics such as science, philosophy and history.

    He was the president of the Mir Anees Academy and editor-in-chief of quarterly magazine Al-Qalam.

  • Unidentified men reportedly open fire outside theatre during Meera’s performance

    Unidentified men reportedly open fire outside theatre during Meera’s performance

    Two unidentified men reportedly opened fire outside a theatre in Faisalabad during Meera’s stage performance Friday evening. No casualty has been reported.

    According to a report in Samaa News, the incident took place outside Sabina Theatre near Chenab Chowk in Faisalabad. CCTV footage of the incident shows two men entering the theatre’s gate and firing aerial shots. They even grabbed the security guard’s weapon.

    Meera, while speaking to the media outlet, expressed her shock over the incident and said that she is “deeply saddened to know that bullets are being fired so openly in this country.”

    The police have said that there are investigating the case but an FIR has not been filed as yet.

    Earlier this week, it was reported that Meera is returning to stage shows after she was denied financial assistance by the Punjab Government. According to details, Meera’s show titled Selfie Queen was scheduled to begin from September 11. Other cast members include Azeem Vicky, Aslam Chatta, Shahid Hashmi, Gamma BA, Anisha Khan, Sheila Chaudhry and Manahil Noor among others.

    Meera was last seen on the big screen in Saqib Malik’s Baaji, in which she played the role of a fading actress.

  • Feroze Khan lashes out at Bakhtawar, asks her ‘are you finally waking up’

    Feroze Khan has lashed out Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and asked her what her party has been doing “in power all these years”.

    Responding to a tweet of Bakhtawar’s, in which she discussed the motorway rape incident and why Pakistan needs sex education, Feroze said, “Are you finally waking up?”

    In a later tweet, Feroze also remarked that he does not think of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari “a suitable politician”.

    Feroze has been actively speaking up on matters of social interest. Earlier, when Karachi was flooded and underwater, Feroze called out PPP and the Sindh Government for being incompetent.

    Meanwhile, Feroze is urging Prime Minister Imran Khan to take strict action over the motorway rape incident.

    “I will always count on your statement that Pakistan will be ‘Riasat-e-Madina’,” wrote Feroze on social media. “I have major hope in you. This is the time you can do it. Please I beg you it’s the little that needs attention the big will all fall in place itself. Please help the voiceless please help the weak, please kill the monsters.”

    “I assure you the youth is with you if you step up and just put these guys to their place people have way too many hopes in you there needs to be rapid action please,” he said further.

    As per the latest reports, the police have revealed the identity of one of the suspects behind the gruesome incident that shook the nation. The individual, namely Abid Ali and a resident of Haroonabad town of Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, is a proclaimed offender and has been nominated in multiple cases earlier as well. However, his accomplice is still unidentified and both the suspects are at large.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Identity of motorway gang-rape suspect revealed

    EXCLUSIVE: Identity of motorway gang-rape suspect revealed

    With authorities’ failure to protect the mother of three, who was gang-raped on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway on Tuesday night, drawing a strong reaction from the masses, the police have revealed the identity of one of the suspects behind the gruesome incident that shook the nation.

    As per the details, the individual, namely Abid Ali and a resident of Haroonabad town of Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, is a proclaimed offender and has been nominated in multiple cases earlier as well.

    While accomplice of the 27-year-old is still unidentified and both the suspects are at large, it has been announced that Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat will shortly address a press conference to share further details.

    Reports, however, have cited sources as saying that the name of Abid’s accomplice is Waqar.

    IDENTIFICATION:

    Earlier in the day, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) had announced that one of the culprits had been identified following DNA testing and will soon be apprehended.

    Taking to Twitter to share the news, Dr Gill had congratulated Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh and the entire team.

    “DNA matched. The arrests will also soon be made. The people should know that Usman Buzdar, the IGP and the [Lahore] CCPO were in a meeting until 4 am. The CM himself has monitored the entire case,” he had tweeted.

    The tweet had followed a vaguely-worded tweet wherein Dr Gill said thanked Allah for his help and for listening to the prayers of the people.

    LAHORE-SIALKOT MOTORWAY RAPE CASE:

    On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.

    The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.

    In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards. 

    The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.

  • Robbers sanitize hands before looting jewellery store

    Robbers sanitize hands before looting jewellery store

    Recently, a video of two robbers following proper COVID-19 protocols before looting a jewellery store in Aligarh, India went viral. The CCTV footage shows a few customers were busy choosing jewellery when two men entered the store wearing masks and sanitized their hands before taking out pistols.

    The robbers snatched the cash and stuffed their bags with jewellery reportedly of worth Rs 40 crore.

  • DNA matched in motorway gang-rape case; arrests to follow

    DNA matched in motorway gang-rape case; arrests to follow

    Hours after rejecting a private media outlet’s claims that the prime suspect of the motorway gang-rape case had been arrested, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Saturday announced that one of the culprits had been identified following DNA testing and will soon be apprehended.

    Taking to Twitter to share the news, Dr Gill congratulated Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh and the entire team.

    “DNA matched. The arrest will also soon be made. The people should know that Usman Buzdar, the IGP and the [Lahore] CCPO were in a meeting until 4 am. The CM himself has monitored the entire case,” he tweeted.

    “Actions speak louder than words,” Dr Gill added.

    Earlier in the day, Dr Gill, in a vaguely-worded tweet, had said thanked Allah for his help and for listening to the prayers of the people.

    LAHORE-SIALKOT MOTORWAY RAPE CASE:

    On Tuesday night, it was reported that two robbers had gang-raped a mother of three on the Motorway within Gujjarpura police’s jurisdiction.

    The woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am. She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.

    In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards. 

    The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while motorway police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi cancels Netflix subscription over movie sexualising young girls

    Hamza Ali Abbasi cancels Netflix subscription over movie sexualising young girls

    Hamza Ali Abbasi has cancelled his Netflix subscription and is urging everyone to do the same after Netflix ignored criticism and went ahead with the release of Cuties. The streaming platform had received immense backlash from outraged audiences who accused them of ‘sexualising’ young girls in the film.

    Sharing a picture of his cancellation, Hamza said: “Despite global condemnation, Netflix still went ahead and released Cuties.”

    “Yup, now we have softcore pedo porn on a mainstream media platform. That’s a deal-breaker for me”, he said further. “Can’t do much, but what I can do is cancel my Netflix subscription.”

    Hamza also urged his followers to do the same.

    Earlier, Hamza had expressed his “horror” to see a show in the “mainstream blatantly sexualising 11-year-old kids.” He had signed a petition calling for Netflix to cancel the movie and had stated that he would cancel his subscription if they don’t. Till the filing of this report, 205,042 had signed the petition.

    According to details, the film, which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is about Amy, a Senegalese Muslim girl who lives in a poor neighbourhood in France. After she develops a fascination with dance, she joins a dance group called the ‘Cuties’.

    Meanwhile, the film’s official synopsis states: “Eleven-year-old Amy starts to rebel against her conservative family’s traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew.”

    The film is originally a French-language film titled Mignonnes. It was written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré, who is also Senegalese. The director, in an interview, had shared that the inspiration for the film came from seeing an amateur talent show in Paris.

    “There were these girls on stage dressed in a really sexy fashion in short, transparent clothes. They danced in a very sexually suggestive manner,” said Doucouré. “There also happened to be a number of African mothers in the audience. I was transfixed, watching with a mixture of shock and admiration. I asked myself if these young girls understood what they were doing.”

    However, parents and audiences say that the film exploits and sexualises children and demanded Netflix to remove the film from the streaming platform. Multiple petitions were filed on change.org in an attempt to force Netflix to cancel the movie.

    “The movie Cuties shows children dressed provocatively, dancing sexually and is rated only for adult viewers,” read a petition. “It was created for the entertainment of adults who are paedophiles. Please sign the petition to protect our children from exploitation in movies.”

    Following the backlash, Netflix apologised for the “inappropriate” artwork used for the film.

    The film’s original poster showed the film’s cast – all children – in midriff-baring uniforms and short shorts striking various dance poses.

  • VIDEO: Dubai couple hosts gender reveal event worth $100,000 at Burj Khalifa

    VIDEO: Dubai couple hosts gender reveal event worth $100,000 at Burj Khalifa

    An influencer couple in Dubai, named Anas and Asala Marwah hosted a gender reveal party at the World’s tallest tower, Burj Khalifa. It lit up to reveal the gender of their second baby and the video of the event has now gone crazy viral on social media.

    Anas Marwah took to his Instagram account to share the video. The video shows the couple with their daughter, friends and family watching the light-show on Burj Khalifa followed by the big reveal.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CE7NMiUAeCb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Anas and Asala Marwah have a following of over 7 million on their YouTube channel The Anasala Family. The couple had the words “It’s a boy” appeared onto the Burj Khalifa that reportedly cost them over $100,000 (Rs 16,600,000)