Author: newsdesk

  • Canada’s Trudeau tells Israel to end ‘killing of women, of children, of babies’

    Canada’s Trudeau tells Israel to end ‘killing of women, of children, of babies’

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called for Israel to “stop killing of women, of children, of babies” in the besieged Gaza Strip. However, he did not mention the word ceasefire.

    Trudeau has received flak for his silence on civilian deaths at the hands of Israeli forces. In a video that emerged from a public meeting at Vancouver, Trudeau can be seen surrounded by protestors chanting, “Ceasefire Now”.

    In other videos, it can be seen that people were calling him out for his lack of conscience as protestors were shouting about him “having blood on his hand”

    In a conference in the western province of British Columbia Prime Minister Trudeau said, “The world is witnessing this killing of women, of children, of babies. This has to stop.” He further made his tone harder and said, “I urge the government of Israel to exercise maximum restraint, The world is watching, on TV, on social media – we’re hearing the testimonies of doctors, family members, survivors, kids who have lost their parents.”

    The statement has gained him the ire of Israel’s Netanyahu who addressed Trudeau in a post on X, “It is not Israel that is deliberately targeting civilians but Hamas that beheaded, burned and massacred civilians in the worst horrors perpetrated on Jews since the Holocaust, the forces of civilization must back Israel in defeating Hamas barbarism.”

    While Trudeau has maintained that Israel has the right to defend itself, Trudeau’s statement is seen as a major shift in the country’s stance, even though a complacent one. “The price of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” Trudeau said on Tuesday. “All wars have rules. All innocent life has equal worth. Israeli and Palestinian.”

    Last week, Trudeau called for a significant humanitarian pause in the conflict to allow for the release of all hostages and the delivery of enough aid to address civilian needs in Gaza.

    After France’s Macron, he has become the second leader from the West to call out Israel as a major shift of stance.

  • Harbhajan Singh slams Inzamam ul Haq for suggesting that he was converting to Islam

    Harbhajan Singh slams Inzamam ul Haq for suggesting that he was converting to Islam

    Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh took to social media to express his displeasure over the viral story shared by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq during an interview.

    Haq claimed that Harbhajan Singh was infatuated with Maulana Tariq Jameel and even thought of converting to Islam.

    According to Inzamam, the incident took place when cricketers, including Harbhajan were participating in prayer meetings led by Maulana Tariq Jameel. Inzamam said that after witnessing the session, Harbhajan praised Maulana Tariq Jameel and expressed his desire to follow his teachings. Inzamam-ul-Haq said, “We had a room where prayers were offered.

    Maulana Tariq Jameel used to visit us in the evening and lead prayers. After a few days, Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Kaif and Zaheer Khan also started coming. Four other Indian cricketers were sitting and watching us.” He added that Harbhajan, who did not know about Tariq Jameel being a Maulana, said that he was inspired by the man and wanted to follow his words.

    However, Harbhajan denied the whole story in a social media post, saying that the story is false. Harbhajan asserted his identity as a “proud Sikh” and denied claims he was considering converting to Islam.

  • Bushra Bibi wants solitary meeting with Imran Khan

    Bushra Bibi wants solitary meeting with Imran Khan

    In a notable development, Bushra Bibi, former First Lady, and the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, has submitted a request to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission for a solitary meeting with her husband, reported Geo News.

    The request filed by Bushra Bibi in the IHC emphasises the legal constraints that hinder private interactions on domestic matters.

    The application states that the court has granted permission for meetings with Chairman PTI every Tuesday.

    It further states that discussions on personal matters are challenging in the presence of prison officials. 

    Bushra Bibi, in her plea, implores the court to issue specific instructions to the Superintendent of Adiala Jail, ensuring that solitary meetings are facilitated in accordance with legal provisions.

    The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala Jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.

    He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock Jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.

    Khan was first convicted by a lower court in the Toshakhana case in August and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. The IHC suspended his sentence the same month.

    The Islamabad accountability court issued arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana and £ 190 million Al-Qadir Trust cases on Tuesday.

    Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 for the first time.

    The £ 190 million (approximately Rs60 billion) settlement case pertains to the money of property tycoon, Malik Riaz, being laundered and caught by the UK authorities during Imran’s government in 2019. 

    The UK government had informed the Pakistani authorities regarding the money being caught.

    The former premier is already in prison as he was subsequently booked in the ‘cipher’ case.

    In the cipher case, Khan, along with his close aide and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has been accused of leaking state secrets.

  • Pensions in dollars for 164 retired government servants settled abroad

    A Right to Information (RTI) request has revealed that civil and military pensioners living abroad are receiving their pensions in foreign currency, mainly dollars.

    According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), there are as many as 164 pensioners who are living in foreign lands and receiving their pensions in a currency other than the Pakistani rupee. On the contrary, there are tens of thousands of government servants complaining about the non-payment of pensions which they receive in rupees.

    This information was extracted by Naeem Sadiq, an RTI activist who got to know, through an acquaintance, about a retired squadron leader who left the country to settle abroad and is receiving a pension from Pakistan in dollars. Before filing a petition in Islamabad High Court, Sadiq opted for all the official channels mentioned in the constitution, The News reports in detail.

    Sadiq then filed an RTI request to the Pakistan Air Force under the Right of Access to Information Act (2017), inquiring about the number of retired PAF officers living abroad and receiving pensions in foreign currency; he made sure not to ask for their names. The information however was not shared.

    The RTI Activist thought of asking MoFA about the same information. He inquired how many pension cases of such individuals are processed through it. The ministry was reluctant to share any information and so advised him to check with the Accountant General of Pakistan (AGPR). The AGPR also declined to provide the requested information.

    As all doors remain closed, Sadiq decided to approach the Pakistan Information Commission. This is the appellant body you turn to when such departments refuse information. The commission didn’t entertain his request either.

    This is when he decided to move to the Islamabad High Court. All the bodies mentioned previously were made a party to the case. When the court served a notice to the respondents to provide an explanation for refusing to furnish the requested information, MoFA agreed to share details with the complainant.

    The reply from the ministry stated, “There are a total of 164 civil and military Pakistani government pensioners, residing abroad, who are every month paid pension in foreign exchange, sent from Pakistan. That the yearly burden of this select few government pensioners is Rs200 million (paid in foreign exchange).”

    Sadiq wrote to both MoFA and AGPR that this practice is a sheer violation of Article 25 of the constitution which ensures the equality of all citizens before law. He accused the two departments of violating the law of the land harming the country’s interests. “The payment of pensions in forex to a chosen few deprives Pakistan of its critical and deficient resource ie foreign exchange. This is a country that had to sell its self-respect and compromise its sovereignty to beg for every single dollar. How come when Pakistan fights its battle for financial survival, you decide to provide special indulgence to an elite group of 164 individuals, this must come to an immediate end and all pensions of all retired government officials be paid in Pakistani rupees only,” Sadiq wrote in his letter.

    Incidents of diplomatic staff not getting their salaries on time due to a shortage of dollars have been reported in the past while the media has carried multiple reports of pensioners not getting their dues every month due to a shortage of funds.

  • Babar Azam’s place is not in T20: Imad and Amir’s opinion

    Babar Azam’s place is not in T20: Imad and Amir’s opinion

    Cricketers Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir say that Babar Azam’s place is not in T20 team.

    Fast bowler Muhammad Amir Imad Wasim and former cricketer Abdul Razzaq participated in the Geo News program ‘Harna Muni Hai’, during which Abdul Razzaq while talking about Babar Azam’s captaincy, said that if I am given the option, I will make Babar Azam the Test captain only.

    Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir said Babar Azam’s place is not in T20. Imad Wasim said that there is no doubt that there is grouping in the team, changes will have to be made in the team for the Champions Trophy.

    It should be noted that Babar Azam’s captaincy has ended after the defeat in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Test, ODI, and T20 captain Babar Azam will now play as a player.

  • Nawaz Sharif attracts over 30 electables to PML-N camp

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has successfully garnered the support of more than 30 influential electables from Balochistan, Geo News reports.

    The seasoned politician, who recently returned to Pakistan after a four-year self-imposed exile, orchestrated the feat during his visit to Quetta.

    Accompanied by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, Nawaz engaged in discussions with leaders from various political factions during his visit to Balochistan.

    Following these deliberations, over 30 individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Balochistan National Party–Mengal (BNP-M), National Party (NP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) joined the ranks of PML-N.

    From BAP, former Balochistan chief minister Jam Kamal Khan, Mir Saleem Khosa, Noor Mohammad, Baba Buledi, Sardar Masood Luni, Rubaba Buledi, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Shoaib Nosherwani, Ramin Jan Muhammad Hassni and Muhammad Khan Lehrijoined the PML-N ranks.

    PPP leaders Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail, Sardar Fateh Muhammad, and Faiq Jamali jumped ship to join the PML-N.
    From the National Party, Mujib Mohammad Hassni and former senator Dr Ashok Kumar, while Zeenat Shahwani of BNP-M and PTI’s Muhammad Jamali and Sardar Atif Sanjrani also joined the PML-N.

    The PML-N delegation, which held discussions with a BAP delegation led by Nawabzada Khalid Magsi, also marked a noteworthy reconciliation between the historically contentious parties. BAP, founded in 2018, has roots in political dissidents from both PML-N and the PML-Q.

    To strengthen its position in the province, PML-N is reportedly exploring electoral alliances, including with the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F).

    Talks suggest that, if successful, the parties may jointly contest the general elections, with a shared decision on the chief minister’s candidacy.

    Sources said that the JUI-F has also put forward the name of Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri conditioning their support if he is made the province’s chief executive.

    The development comes as earlier this month the PML-N and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced their electoral alliance to jointly contest the upcoming general elections in Sindh.

    In response to these developments, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari offered a suggestion to Nawaz Sharif, urging him to “focus on Lahore,” on Tuesday.

    “Mian sahab has been adviced to visit other provinces. I would suggest that he should stay in Lahore and focus on its problems,” said the PPP chairman during a presser in Mithi, calling on PML-N to do politics on its own and stop relying on others.

  • Muslim dating app ‘Muzz App’ offers to pay legal fee of woman detained for calling Rishi Sunak coconut

    Muslim dating app ‘Muzz App’ offers to pay legal fee of woman detained for calling Rishi Sunak coconut

    A woman in England went viral on social media when she was spotted at a pro-Palestine protest in London with a poster that labelled British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and now-sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman ‘coconuts.’ She was arrested by the Met Police and charged with passing ‘hateful remarks’.

    Coconut, commonly used by people of Asian descent, is an insult used to describe a person of colour who may be brown on the outside, but his personal views and political alliances are always with the oppressor. It is not a racist slur.

    Twitter users were outraged by the Met Police’s remarks by pointing out racism is rife within pro-Israel supporters, but pro-Palestine supporters were relentlessly targeted for their beliefs.

    The CEO of the Muslim dating app Muzz App, Shahzad Younas, has appealed to followers to send them the details of the arrested woman and announced that they will be paying her legal fees.

    “I believe she has been arrested and charged. If anyone knows her please ask her to get in touch with me.

    @muzz_app will pay her legal fees to defend her. This action by the

    @metpoliceuk is outrageous. The double standards around free speech to Muslims is baffling.”

  • Israeli soldiers going door to door in Shifa Hospital for patient interrogation 

    Israeli soldiers going door to door in Shifa Hospital for patient interrogation 

    Al Shifa hospital in Gaza, which was surrounded by Israeli armed forces for the past few days, is now being raided by Israeli soldiers.

    BBC spoke to a journalist inside Al Shifa hospital who has told that Israeli soldiers are checking through all the areas and interrogating people.

    Al Jazeera also reported that the Israeli military has stormed into the hospital’s main buildings “under the cover of heavy gunfire and tank shells”. They are reportedly inside the emergency department, the specialised surgeries department and the maternity ward.

    Israeli soldiers are doing search operations “room by room, corridor by corridor, interrogating doctors and medical staff individually.”

    Israel is basing and justifying their operation on the claims that al-Shifa Hospital is being used by Hamas, however, this has not been proven with any evidence as yet.

    The Israeli army has also set up electronic checkpoints at multiple doors of the main buildings of the hospital and they are calling people inside including medical team, patients, the injured — to “officially” interrogate everyone in the premises.

    Gaza’s health ministry has reported that there are about 2,500 people inside the hospital at the moment. Apart from medical teams and patients, there are 600 wounded people and 36 neonates as well as displaced people seeking shelter.

  • BCCI under fire for switching pitches in semi-final match

    BCCI under fire for switching pitches in semi-final match

    The first semi-final of the World Cup 2023 between India and New Zealand is to be played today, but news circulating on social media that India has changed the pitch surface for the semi-final game, has led to controversy even before the first ball has been bowled.

    According to Daily Mail sources, India has changed the pitch surface ahead of the semi-final game against New Zealand. A fresh pitch had to be used for the crucial match but now Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has changed the pitch surface to a slower pitch to make it easy for their spin trio, Kuldeep, Jadeja, and Ashwin, and make the match more difficult for the New Zealand seamers.

    Indian Express sources have said that Indian team officials asked BCCI curators to remove grass from the pitch and make it slow for the match against New Zealand without the permission of International Cricket Council (ICC).

    A WhatsApp message is circulating in (ICC) and BCCI officials group that Pitch number seven was to be used for the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, which was not used earlier, but now the match has been shifted to pitch six, on which India bowled out the Sri Lankan team for just 55 runs.

    ICC pitch consultant Andy Atkinson said that when he asked BCCI who authorized these changes they said it was GCA (Gujrat Cricket Association). “But when I asked GCA, they said we are working under BCCI and these changes were directly asked by the Indian team management.”

    Andy Atkinson is frustrated that the pitch for India vs New Zealand semifinal was changed at the last moment.

    A leaked email from Atkinson speculated “This is the first ever ICC CWC final to have a pitch which has been specifically chosen and prepared at the request of the team management and/or the hierarchy of the home nation board.”

    “Or will it be selected or prepared without favoritism for either of the sides competing in the match in the usual manner, and unquestionably because it is the usual pitch for the occasion?”

    English former cricketer Michel Vaughan also wrote on X, “The World Cup semi-final should be played on a fresh pitch, its simple as that.”

  • Grade system to be introduced in Matric and Intermediate by 2024

    Grade system to be introduced in Matric and Intermediate by 2024

    The Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) has decided to curb the race to obtain more marks by introducing a 10-point grade system in 2024. The results of classes 9 and 11 will be announced under the new grading system.

    The development of the new grading system has been in the process for years and it has finally been announced for 2024. Contrary to the previous marks-based system, based on a 7-point grading system (A-1, A, B, C, D, E, F), the ten-point grading system includes A++, A+, A, B++, B+, B, C, D, E, U. This system is designed to enhance the assessment criteria and evaluation process for students.

    Addressing the IBCC transformative workshop dedicated to the implementation of the new grading scheme for Sindh Examination Boards on November 14, Chairman Ghulam Ali Mallah said “The event witnesses an overwhelming response and reflects the commitment Sindh Examination Boards towards embracing progressive changes aimed at enhancing the quality of education and assessment.”

    Even though the system of grading has changed, the scheme of studies has not.