The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested three suspects involved in online sexual harassment from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
According to a spokesperson of FIA, the men, identified as Muhammad Umar, Muhammad Javed and Jibran Khan, have been arrested from different areas of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
The spokesperson said the accused have been found involved in sharing pictures and videos of the affected women on social media.
The accused also kept demanding money under threat of sharing objectionable material.
The spokesperson further says that investigation has been initiated with the arrested accused.
Mobile phones and objectionable materials have been recovered from the accused.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, famous for his eccentric statements, spoke at the first National Mothers’ Meeting in 11 years held in Pyongyang, emphasising the importance of mothers in preventing a decline in birth rates. He framed it as a collective responsibility to strengthen national power. Kim got emotional during his speech while women in the audience were seen sobbing as well.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looked emotional and wiped his eyes at a meeting of mothers, state television showed.
Kim made speeches at the start and end of the event, drawing attention with a call for more births and more children in his socialist state. pic.twitter.com/4YuLjtIdHG
Addressing the women as “Dear Mothers”, he pleaded with them to fulfill their role as birth-givers against the rising concerns of a drop in the North Korean birth rate. “Preventing a decline in birth rates and good childcare are all of our housekeeping duties we need to handle while working with mothers,” Kim was quoted as saying by the news agency Reuters at the event for mothers in Pyongyang on Sunday.
He also thanked mothers for their role in strengthening national power.
“I too always think about mothers when I have a hard time dealing with the party and the state’s work,” Kim said.
Experts highlight the unique societal challenges influencing North Korea’s fertility decline, noting Kim Jong Un’s public appearances with his daughter, Ju Ae, as potential efforts to encourage family values.
His pleas reflect the government’s determination to the cause of counterbalance South Korea’s older population.
The United Nations Population Fund estimates that as of 2023, the fertility rate, or the average number of children being born to a woman, stood at 1.8 in North Korea, amid an extended fall in the rate during recent decades.
The decline in fertility has been attributed to various factors, including urbanisation, delayed marriage, and women’s participation in the workforce. However, North Korea’s birth rate is still higher than most of its neighbours. The fertility rate remains higher than in some of North Korea’s neighbours, which have been grappling with a similar downward trend.
South Korea saw its fertility rate drop to a record low of 0.78 last year, while Japan saw its figure drop to 1.26.
The Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum has been ordered by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to submit a report on who is responsible for an alleged audio leak between the former first lady Bushra Bibi and her lawyer, Latif Khosa, Geo has reported.
The court also asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to do forensics of the leaked audio between Bushra Bibi and Latif Khosa to know about the origin of its release.
Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC said during a hearing of a plea filed by Latif Khosa that a copy of the petition be sent to DG ISI, seeking a report on who is behind the audio leak.
The court also issued notices to FIA, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), seeking their response on the matter.
The hearing was then adjourned till December 11.
Later, while leaving the courtroom, Justice Sattar said, “Big Boss is listening to everything, you must know this.”
He then went on to ask who was recording the audio, in reply to which Khosa said, “Everyone knows who records.”
A new report by Reuters reveals that as per estimates, there has been at least a 50 per cent rise in paediatric patients in Lahore hospitals due to respiratory issues caused by poor air quality.
According to provincial health minister Dr. Javed Akram, hospitals are on high alert with extra beds and ventilators on standby for additional emergency cases.
The UN children’s agency highlights that outdoor air pollution across the world contributed to 154,000 deaths of children aged below five in 2019. As for Pakistan, it is one of the top five causes of death among the entire population among whom young children and the elderly are the most vulnerable and severely affected.
“Children are physiologically more vulnerable to air pollution than adults because their brains, lungs and other organs are still developing,” said UNICEF, further explaining that children breathe twice as fast as adults which increases their exposure to the pollutants.
Former army chief General (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa can surprise founder and former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, as he is “willing to appear” as a witness in the cipher case, The News has reported.
During the last hearing in cipher case, Imran Khan said while speaking to journalists, “I will include General Bajwa and US Embassy officials as witnesses in the case.”
A source from The News confirmed that the former army chief also showed willingness to appear as a witness. However, he will require permission from military authorities.
The former prime minister is currently in Adiala jail and facing charges under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. A special court is hearing the cipher case against Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Imran had alleged that “General Bajwa did everything on Donald Lu’s directives”.
This accusation does not match the statements given by witnesses, including the former secretary of foreign affairs and Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US. Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US was in contact with Donald Lu, and their communication’s result was a cable that was sent to the foreign ministry, which is a normal thing.
Imran Khan had also claimed that the cipher was a conspiracy against him to remove him from the office.
The National Security Committee (NSC) deliberated over the cipher twice, once when Imran Khan was the prime minister of Pakistan and later in the tenure of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif.
The NSC found no evidence of conspiracy on both occasions against Imran Khan in the cipher.
Proteas fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Hannah Haythorne in a wedding ceremony at Ellandskloof Farm in Helderstrom with close friends and family in attendance.
Gerald Coetzee is known for his speed and skill on the cricket field. He has taken a short break from his career to start a new journey in life.
Cricket personalities also attended the wedding ceremony while fellow players and friends expressed their best wishes for the newly wedded couple.
Gerald Coetzee has so far represented South Africa in 14 ODIs, 3 T20Is, and 2 Tests.
Clive Stafford Smith, the lawyer of neuroscientist Dr Afia Siddiqui, currently jailed in America, has said in a shocking interview to Geo News that she has been subjected to sexual abuse as an investigation tactic, including being assaulted twice by prison guards in America, and harassed multiple times by fellow jail inmates.
Her lawyer also mentioned that the Pakistani government is also aware of the two instances of sexual assault. Smith revealed that a sexual assault complaint was, therefore, filed on her behalf. “What they have been doing to her is pretty much unspeakable,” he said. Clive pointed out the tragic fact that there are close to 10,250 women in the American federal prison system. The woman who is treated the harshest of them all is Afia Siddiqui, currently in FMC Carswell Jail in Texas.
He stressed that the Government of Pakistan has been informed about these instances and since it represents Afia on international forums, it is a failure on the part of the government of Pakistan that they have not tried enough to get her back.
In August, Clive also posted about having compiled a report about “the sexual abuse that poor #Aafia has suffered at American hands in the last 20 years”.
I have just completed a report on the sexual abuse that poor #Aafia has suffered at American hands in the last 20 years. It is a shame upon my country & Pakistan @ForeignOfficePk needs to multiply their efforts by 1000% @Aafiamovement@FreeAafiaM
These comments by Afia’s lawyer also pointed to a 2018 report prepared by Aisha Farooqui, Pakistan’s former consul general in Houston, in which she cited physical and sexual abuse that Dr. Aafia was subjected to during her detention. That report recommended “Exploring a legal mechanism for her repatriation to Pakistan to complete her sentence in Pakistan, where at least she would be safe and would be able to meet her mother and children, who she has not met in almost eight years.”
Clive posted about his last meeting with Dr Afia, “She ended our meeting sobbing, ‘I’m not going back to that cell & the sexual predators. Take me out of here. I’m innocent!’ Over&Over&Over for 28 minutes before they made me leave.”
Dreadfully sad today: Aafia ended our meeting sobbing, “I’m not going back to that cell & the sexual predators. Take me out of here. I’m innocent!” Over&Over&Over for 28 minutes before they made me leave. @Aafiamovement@FowziaSiddiqui@senatorMtalha@SenatorMushtaq
Dr Afia is currently being visited by her sister Dr Fowzia Siddiqui where they are not allowed to touch or hug each other and have to talk to each other been separated by glass screens. Fowzia shared in a video message that she found her sister to be in a worse condition than before.
Earlier this year, the sisters met after 20 years when the elder Dr Fowzia visited her in June at a prison hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Dr Fowzia said: “Due to her condition, I could not even recognise her,” reports Geo.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a US-educated Pakistani scientist, was jailed in 2010 for 86 years by a New York federal district court in September 2008 on charges of attempted murder and assault, stemming from an incident during an interview with the US authorities in Ghazni, Afghanistan — charges that she denied.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, calling on the Security Council to declare a ceasefire to put a stop to Israeli atrocities committed in Gaza.
Invoking Article 99 is one of the few powers that the Charter gives the UN Secretary-General.
In a letter written to the council’s president, Guterres cites the responsibility of the 15-member Security Council that has the obligation to maintain international peace and security, stating that the situation in Gaza and Israel “may aggravate existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security.”
He added that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza can have “potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region.”
I’ve just invoked Art.99 of the UN Charter – for the 1st time in my tenure as Secretary-General.
Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the Council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe & appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. pic.twitter.com/pA0eRXZnFJ
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric explained that the move has been taken “given the scale of the loss of human life in Gaza and Israel, in such a short amount of time.”
He described the use of Article 99 as a “dramatic constitutional move” made by Guterres in the hope that it would put more pressure on the Council – and the international community at large – to demand a ceasefire between the warring parties.
“I think it’s arguably the most important invocation”, Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters, “in my opinion, the most powerful tool that he [the Secretary-General] has.”
Explore the lively spirit of Karachi with Jalebi Express’s Mix Plate City Tour, a Sunday morning ride on the iconic W-11 Karachi Mini Bus. From 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, discover the city’s rich culture, blending old and new aspects. Experience the charm and diversity of Karachi with Jalebi Express – turning every Sunday into an adventure!
Mark your calendar for a night full of laughter as comedian Hashim takes the stage at Cafe Forex (Lahore) on December 9th. From 7 to 9 PM, join in for continuous comedy, promising an evening of hearty laughs with friends and family. Don’t miss this chance to relax and enjoy a Comedy Night that will leave you in stitches!
Join us for an unforgettable day at BazaarFest 2.0, a unique event on December 9th, 2023, at Lahore Fort. Experience cultural fusion and futuristic fun with live performances, rhythmic dhamaal, futuristic light shows, food stalls, family-friendly shopping, and much more from 3:00 pm to 12:00 am. Don’t miss the Faris Shafi concert, Baeyyet dance, open mic sessions, pottery workshop, live graffiti, and experiential rooms!
Support over 150 home-based women entrepreneurs at the Islamabad Women Gala on December 9th and 10th, 11 am to 9 pm, at Pakistan China Friendship Centre. Enjoy a vibrant family atmosphere with a kids’ arena, interactive activities, food court, magical show, Christmas corner, and a craft corner promoting inclusion and religious harmony. Join them for a festive and empowering experience!
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said on Thursday that the presence of illegal foreigners in the country is “seriously affecting” its security and economy, adding that the decision to send illegal foreigners to their home country is beneficial for Pakistan.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief passed the remarks during a visit to Peshawar, where he briefly explained the security situation, ongoing counter-terrorism operations, and the return of undocumented foreign nationals.
“Decision to repatriate them has been taken by the government in the interest of Pakistan,” General Asim said, as quoted by the military’s media wing.
The army chief also mentioned that all the illegal immigrants are being sent to their home country in a “humane and dignified manner.”
According to the Interior Ministry, almost 255,029 illegal foreigners have left for Afghanistan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
On his visit to Peshawar, Gen. Munir interacted with soldiers and officers, and he said while addressing them that “The nation takes pride and acknowledges the accomplishments of its Armed Forces. Pakistan is destined to succeed and the Pakistan Army will continue to undertake its selfless and sacred duty of safeguarding every inch of the motherland till the last drop of blood, InshaAllah.”
