Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Is the word terrorist reserved solely for Muslims and Arabs?’ Queen Rania of Jordan calls out media bias in Gaza coverage

    ‘Is the word terrorist reserved solely for Muslims and Arabs?’ Queen Rania of Jordan calls out media bias in Gaza coverage

    Rania, the Queen Consort of Jordan, talked to CNN about the situation in Gaza on Tuesday evening. Right now, Al-Jazeera reports, the death toll in Gaza, where airstrikes have bombed homes, hospitals and bakeries in the South, has reached almost 6000.

    Queen Rania, who is also of Palestinian descent, criticised the silence of the West as the violence in Gaza goes on: “The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the world’s reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding.”

    Addressing the bias in the media, she pointed out that Palestinian deaths are not acknwoledged as war crimes committed by Israel:

    “For the last couple of weeks, we have recieved silence around the world. Countries have stopped expressing concern over the casualties, always with a preference of declaration of support for Israel. Are we being told it is wrong to kill a family at gunpoint, but its oaky to shell them to death? There is a glaring double standard here, and it is just shocking to the Arab world.”

    “This is the first time in modern history there is such human suffering and the world is not calling for a ceasefire. The silence is deafening, and to many in our region, it makes the Western world complicit through their support and coverage they give to Israel.” Further Queen Rania added how her people shocked to see this act as the West aiding and abetting the violence.

    Speaking on the violence of October 7, Queen Rania responded Jordan reiterated its position by being against the killing of any innocent civilian, whether Palestinian or Israeli. “But why isn’t there equal condemnation to what is happening now?”

    Queen Rania went on to slam the one-sided narrative of the Western media by emphasising how the war did not begin with the Hamas attacking out of the blue on October 7th, but because of the 75-year-long history of oppression of the Palestinians by Israel. She stressed on Israel’s history of documented crimes over Palestinians is missing from the narrative.

    “This conflict did not begin on October 7th, although it is being portrayed as that. Most networks are covering the story under the title of ‘Israel at war’. But for many Palestinians on the other side of the separation war, on the other side of the barbed wire, war has never left. This is a 75 year old story. A story of overwhelming death and displacement for the Palestinian people. It’s the story of an oppressed people under an apartheid regime that occupies land, demolishes houses, confiscates lands, night raids.”

    “Is the word terrorist reserved solely for Muslims and Arabs,” Queen Rania questioned when speaking about the way Israeli’s are protected under the claim of ‘self defense’ when Palestinians are murdered, but Palestinians are blamed as terrorists while trying to protect their homeland. “There are no two equal people in the conflict. One is an occupier and one is the occupied. One has a military force that is one of the mightiest in the world and the other doesn’t have a military at all.”

  • PTI leaders ke liye mushkil din

    PTI leaders ke liye mushkil din

    An Islamabad court has issued perpetual arrest orders for nine Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) leaders due to their alleged involvement in a violent incident outside the Federal Judicial Complex.

    The list includes prominent figures like Hammad Azhar, Shibli Faraz, Murad Saeed, Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Ali Nawaz Awan, Hassaan Khan Niazi, Umer Sultan, and Muhammad Asim. 

    The decision came out after the suspects failed to appear despite summons, prompting their declaration as proclaimed offenders.

    The incident dates back to March, during a hearing of the Toshakhana case when clashes broke out between the police and PTI workers. 

    Both sides resorted to aggressive measures, with PTI supporters reportedly using rocks and petrol bombs, leading to injuries sustained by 25 officials.

    Several cases were filed against Imran Khan and other PTI leaders, with Parvez Elahi also being arrested in connection with the case.

    Elahi’s judicial remand was extended till November 21 following his initial arrest in September, despite a temporary release granted earlier by the Islamabad High Court.

    The court has urged the authorities to apprehend the suspects and bring them to justice.

    In a separate case, the district and sessions courts, Islamabad, have once again issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for PTI leader Shahbaz Gill in a sedition case. 

    Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra heard the case on Wednesday and directed the SHO to arrest the proclaimed offender and produce him before the court. 

    The court ended the trial of co-accused Ammad Yousaf following the Supreme Court’s direction.

    This recent issuance of arrest warrants stems from the PTI leader’s continued absence from court proceedings, leading an additional district and sessions court in Islamabad to declare him an absconder on July 26, 2023.

    Despite multiple summonses, Shahbaz Gill had failed to appear before the court, prompting Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Sipra to issue arrest warrants. Furthermore, the court had instructed relevant authorities to post an absconder notice at Gill’s residence in Faisalabad.

    This is the second instance of non-bailable arrest warrants being issued against Gill, with the first set being issued on June 7, 2023, in connection with the same case.

    Shahbaz Gill is in USA now a days.

  • Rana Mujahid elected secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation

    Rana Mujahid elected secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation

    Rana Mujahid has elected secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

    The decision to elect the Secretary and Joint Secretary of PHF was taken unanimously in a general council meeting.

    According to the unanimous decisions, Rana Mujahid was elected as Secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation in place of Haider Hussain and Colonel retired Asif Khokhar as Joint Secretary.

    According to sources, the Secretary and Joint Secretary will perform duties in the Pakistan Hockey Federation till October 2026.

  • What does the Palestinian phrase, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ mean?

    What does the Palestinian phrase, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ mean?

    Civilians around the world and human rights activists are staging protests outside US and Israeli embassies demanding an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where the death toll is now about to reach 6,000 — with 2,000 among them children. At protests, the rallying cry is: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’. What does this phrase mean and why does it hold so much significance for the Palestinian civilians? We’ll decode it all here.

    The phrase ‘From the river to the sea’ was officially endorsed by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) in 1964, which called for a liberated Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, former Palestinian territories that are currently under forced occupation of Israel.

    Since then, the chant has been widely used in pro-Palestinian protests as a demand for the end to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israel and also that they are handed back their land. However, Zionists have consistently tried to paint it as ‘Anti Semite’ chant by claiming it calls for the genocide of Israeli Jews. A tube driver of the London Underground Train was suspended from his position after a viral video showed him leading the chant ”Free Free Palestine”. Similarly, UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed the chant was ‘anti semitic’, and was “widely understood” to call for the destruction of Israel.

    Along with this phrase, another common thing spotted among Palestinian protests is the symbol of a watermelon, which is plastered on flags and posters as protestors condemn the growing death toll in Gaza.

    The watermelon became a powerful symbol of resistance during 1967 when Israel seized control over the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, during which the public display of the Palestinian flag was considered a criminal offence.

    The symbolic relevance of the watermelon began in 1980 when Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour was arrested by Israeli officials along with Nabil Anani and Issam Badrl as well as their works, because they featured the colours of the Palestinian flag.

    “They told us that painting the Palestinian flag was forbidden, but also the colours were forbidden. So Issam said, ‘What if I were to make a flower of red, green, black and white?’, to which the officer replied angrily, ‘It will be confiscated. Even if you paint a watermelon, it will be confiscated,’” Mansour revealed to The National in 2021.

    Watermelons were also a popular fruit exported around the world before the Nakba, as Palestinian controlled valleys like the Jordan Valley, Jenin and Arabet Al-Batouf were well known for growing enormous watermelons. Hyperallergic writes after Israeli defence forces drove out Palestinians from their neighbourhoods and brought in their own seed companies, Palestinian watermelons still remained popular due to their size in countries like Lebanon, Jordan and Syria.

    Since then, Palestinian artists used the watermelon as a symbol of Palestinian independence to protest against Israel’s illegal occupation. Artists like Khaled Hourani crafted a silkscreen series titled ‘The Story Of The Watermelon’ (2007), which is a series of watermelon slices in front of a white background.

    Hourani later went on to co-found the International Art Academy of Palestine along with Mansour and Anani. Speaking about the growing resurgence of the political symbolism behind the watermelon, he was happy at how the Palestinian cause was receiving attention:

    “For me, it was kind of sudden. This is just one of my projects, which was not as successful or widespread as it is right now. It’s a unique kind of solidarity… It’s very powerful. I honestly don’t know how to deal with it. Some people are getting it as a tattoo, some are making patterns for clothes, putting it on flags, different mediums. I’m happy that it brings attention to the Palestinian cause.”

    Speaking on the rise of social media support for Palestine, Hourani said:

    “People around the world are standing up and saying that the occupation has to come to an end. This is a historical moment. As an artist, as a human being, I feel honoured that my work is being used as a tool or is a part of this driving force.”

  • IMF team to visit Pakistan next week for crucial $3 billion SBA assessment

    IMF team to visit Pakistan next week for crucial $3 billion SBA assessment

    A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is scheduled to visit Pakistan on November 2 to initiate discussions pertaining to the inaugural assessment of the nation’s ongoing $3 billion standby arrangement (SBA). 

    Pakistan is currently navigating a complex journey towards economic recovery, operating under an interim government. 

    This endeavour follows an IMF loan programme sanctioned in July, which was instrumental in averting a potential sovereign debt default. As part of this programme, Pakistan received an initial disbursement of $1.2 billion from the IMF in July.

    Esther Perez Ruiz, the IMF’s resident representative in Pakistan, has disclosed that a delegation led by Mr Nathan Porter from the International Monetary Fund will embark on a mission to Pakistan commencing on November 2, with the primary objective being the evaluation of the current Stand-By Arrangement.

    Additionally, the finance ministry has exerted significant efforts to maintain the budget deficit within the predefined limits agreed upon with the IMF. They issued warnings to the provinces, urging them to curtail their expenditures. Recent provisional estimates indicate that both Punjab and Sindh have made notable strides in this direction.

    However, a notable challenge in the quest to contain the overall fiscal deficit lies in the escalating debt servicing requirements. These obligations are projected to surpass Rs8.3 trillion and reach Rs8.5 trillion for the current fiscal year 2023–24. This surge is attributed to the central bank’s heightened policy rate, a departure from the initial target of Rs7.3 trillion.

  • Jahangir Tareen ki party mein kaun kaun shaamil?

    Jahangir Tareen ki party mein kaun kaun shaamil?

    Senior politician Andleeb Abbas, along with two other former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) women MPAs joined the ranks of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) on Tuesday. 

    In a significant show of support, the IPP patron-in-chief Jahangir Khan Tareen met the trio of former women MPAs, where they officially severed ties with PTI and pledged their allegiance to the IPP.

    Flanked by IPP Information Secretary Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Andleeb Abbas said: “The IPP will make a strong Pakistan. We have a cause to follow, which is above a party and an individual. We have joined the IPP for a cause.”

    Sadia Sohail said: “We are sitting here together for Pakistan. May 9 should not have happened. All institutions should be respected.”

    Sumaira Bokhari said nothing was more important than Pakistan. When asked why they chose to join hands with Tareen and Aleem Khan who [allegedly] represent mafias in the country and their reason to quit the PTI, the trio chose not to respond to any of these queries.

    A group of leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Balochistan also aligned themselves with the IPP. 

    PML-N Balochistan vice president Jaleel Ahmed Khan Musakhel, and his associates met IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan in Lahore to solidify their transition.

    Expressing his thoughts on the occasion, Aleem Khan said, “We want to see more progress in the small provinces. Apart from Punjab, the key political personalities from the other provinces are also joining the IPP.’’

    “The masses are upset by the traditional politics practiced by the PML-N, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and PTI,’’ Aleem Khan added.  

    The IPP’s momentum further gained strength as Pashtun Social Community (PSC) Punjab President Muhammad Sher Khan officially announced his decision to join the party on October 17. 

    The development came after Sher Khan held a meeting with IPP General Secretary Mian Khalid Mehmood.

    Khalid Mehmood welcomed Sher Khan by presenting a party scarf to the latter.

  • Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir slams Pakistan’s fielding, spin bowling

    Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir slams Pakistan’s fielding, spin bowling

    Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir slammed Pakistan’s poor fielding and spin bowling after continued defeats in the World Cup.

    In a recent interview with the Indian media, Gautam Gambhir said, “We have discussed it in the Asia Cup as well. A team in bowling and batting can have a bad day but it can’t have a bad day in fielding. Pakistan team’s poor fielding has continued since the Asia Cup, which has not improved till now. I believe that Pakistan is a mediocre fielding team in this World Cup.”

    “The second problem with Pakistan is their spin bowling. In the match against Afghanistan, Pakistan had a wicket where there was no dew and they also had spinners, but none of the three spinners could NOT take wickets,” added Gambhir.

    Gautam Gambhir said that cricket has become very modern now. “Cricket is not like back it was in 1990 or 2011 where you score 270 or 280 runs and think your bowling will defend it. Teams will have to play attacking cricket.”

  • Out of 687 staff members, only 45 women are employed in the Supreme Court

    Out of 687 staff members, only 45 women are employed in the Supreme Court

    New details reveal that among the total staff members of 687 in the Supreme Court, only 45 are women.

    The information came to light as a judicial order directed Supreme Court Registrar Jazeela Aslam to give details on staff following a petition filed in 2019, appealing the Right of Access to Information Act 2017 and Article 19-A of the Constitution.

    The apex court reportedly has 894 sanctioned positions at the moment but 207 of them are vacant and 687 employees were working as of September 25.

    146 are employed on a daily wage basis.

    84 new positions have been created since January 2017.

    The details also reveal that out of all the 45 women working in the apex court, 33 hold regular positions while 12 are contingent employees.

    Additionally, only two people with disabilities and two transgenders are employed.

  • Free popcorn, cold drinks for India-Sri Lanka match

    Free popcorn, cold drinks for India-Sri Lanka match

    The ICC World Cup is underway in India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced it will give free popcorn and cold drinks to all fans for the India-Sri Lanka match, which will be held at Wankhede Stadium Mumbai on November 2.

    According to the Mumbai Cricket Association President Amul Kaal, for free cold drinks and popcorn, fans will have to show their ticket at the counter, and free cold drinks and popcorn will be available for non-hospitality areas.

    The entire cost of free popcorn and cold drinks will be borne by the Mumbai Cricket Association.

  • ‘Congratulations Nawaz Sharif on becoming Ladla Plus’: PPP

    ‘Congratulations Nawaz Sharif on becoming Ladla Plus’: PPP

    The recent decision by the Punjab caretaker government to suspend the sentence of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Al-Azizia reference has triggered a political firestorm, with major parties, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), vehemently opposing the move.

    PPP’s Punjab chapter leader, Hasan Murtaza, lashed out at the decision, referring to Sharif as ‘Ladla Plus’ and labelling the suspension as a ‘cowardly’ act.

    “The caretaker government is doing everything it should not do,” the PPP leader said.

    “The caretaker government is not here to give relief to criminals, but to hold elections.” He added: “It is not the task of the caretaker Punjab cabinet to approve the suspension of Nawaz Sharif’s sentence.”

    He urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice of the partiality of the caretaker government.

    Simultaneously, PTI’s legal affairs spokesperson, Barrister Gohar Khan, condemned the decision as a direct violation of the law.

    He took to X (former Twitter) and said, “Provincial Government has no power whatsoever to extend any relief regarding sentence under CrPC to someone convicted by NAB Court – period.”

    In response to the criticism, Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi clarified that the government had not directly suspended Sharif’s sentence but had instead referred the case to the court of law under Section 401, leaving the final decision on bail to the judiciary.

    Section 401 of the criminal procedure code says, “When any person has been sentenced to punishment of an offence, the provincial government may at any time without conditions or upon any conditions which the person sentenced accepts, suspend the execution of his sentence or remit the whole or any part of the punishment to which he has been sentenced.”