The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a letter to Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, staring that deputy commissioners are issuing NOCs for new housing societies in Punjab.
According to the letter, the ECP reminded the interim CM that issuing of NOCs and announcing policies is not the domain of the caretaker government. An elected government can work on policy-making, but not a caretaker setup.
The ECP said they are hopeful that caretaker government will work within constitutional and legal limits. According to ECP, the caretaker setup can prepare a case in case of an emergency and get it approved by the commission.
The constitutional terms of the caretaker governments of Punjab and Khyber Palhtunkhwa were set to end in mid-April but the federal government did not issue funds needed by the ECP to hold elections in the two provinces despite a Supreme Court order. Some legal experts and opposition parties have raised questions about the legitimacy of the two caretaker governments, describing them as illegal.
Tickets for the Pakistan-India Asia Cup group match have sold out within hours. The $300 VIP tickets are sold out on online ticketing sites. While the $125 Be Lover VIP tickets are also sold out online. A $300 ticket is priced at PKR 87,000 and a $125 ticket is priced at PKR 36,500.
Online tickets for the two expensive booths sold out within hours, but there were still hundreds of tickets for the regular booth, which cost $30, on the website. The Asian Cup group match between Pakistan and India will be held in Kandy, Sri Lanka on September 2.
Pakistan Bar Council has held a meeting and strongly condemned the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to delay elections beyond the constitutional limit of 90 days, citing delimitation.
According to sources, the members discussed the situation regarding the delay in elections and decided to launch a “lawyers’ movement in case elections are not held within 90 days.”
Pakistan Bar Council apex regularity body of lawyers has strongly condemned ECP’s decision to delay elections beyond constitutional limit of 90 days due to delimitation. pic.twitter.com/OmCBSr5V6X
They reiterated that Article 224 of the constitution of Pakistan binds ECP to conduct the general election within 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies.
The Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Executive Committee said, “It is the duty of the commission to conduct free, fair and transparent elections within stipulated period as mandated by the constitution.”
Earlier this week, The Supreme Court Bar Association challenged the decision to hold the upcoming general elections based on the fresh census, seeking suspension of the decision.
It further demanded that the Supreme Court order the ECP to hold general elections immediately in the country. The SCBA says elections on the new census is an attempt to unconstitutionally delay the exercise. In the petition, the federation, the Council of Common Interests, the four provinces and the Election Commission of Pakistan have been made parties. The formation of the Council of Common Interests was not constitutional, the petition maintains.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s 24-member cabinet comprising of politicians, TV artists and anchors, retired bureaucrats, and servicemen has been sworn in by the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, on Thursday.
Of the 24 members cabinet, 16 are federal ministers, three are advisers to the prime minister, and five are Special Assistants to the Prime Minister (SAPMs). Most of them are new faces, not seen before in a government set-up.
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, the 14th former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, who has also served in Asian Development Bank (ADB) as its Director General of the Southeast Asia Department, has been given the portfolios of Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs and Privatization.
The portfolios of Defense and Defence Production have been given to Anwar Ali Hyder, a retired lieutenant general, who formerly served as chairman Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority and has an association with Army Welfare Trust.
Jalil Abbas Jilani, a former foreign secretary, who has served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Belgium, Luxemburg and the E.U, and Australia, has been appointed the foreign minister.
Former Balochistan minister for Home, Tribal Affairs, Prisons and PDMA, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, has been given three portfolios — federal minister for Interior, Overseas Pakistanis and Narcotics Control.
The information ministry has gone to senior journalist Murtaza Solangi, who has served as director general of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and has been in journalism for over 30 years.
The ministries of Law and Justice, Climate Change and Water Resources were given to Ahmed Irfan Aslam, a senior lawyer who has served as a member of the Supreme Court’s International Arbitration Cell . His significant contribution is facilitating Pakistan’s successful resolution of the Karkey and Reko Diq cases through out-of-court settlements.
The ministries of Power and Petroleum have been given to Muhammad Ali, a former SECP chairman, who has also served as a Director on the Boards of reputable companies like Engro Corporation Limited, Karachi Stock Exchange (Guarantee) Limited, Dawood Bank Limited, etc.
The portfolios of Commerce, and Industries and Production have been given to industrialist Dr. Gohar Ejaz, chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, a recipient of Sitara e Imtiaz, who has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in management from the Uniersity of Punjab, Lahore.
Dr Umar Saif, a former Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), has been given two portfolios of Information Technology and Telecom, and Science and Technology. Dr. Saif served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Pakistan between 2013-14. He has served on the Boards of several government and semi-government organizations, including Aitchison College, Bank of the Punjab, Technical Education & Vocational Training Company (TEVTA), Engineering Consultancy Services of the Punjab, Urban Sector Planning and Management Services Unit, Lahore Parking Company, Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company and Punjab Educational Endowment Fund.
The portfolio of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives has been given to Muhammad Sami Saeed, a former federal secretary and former director of Asian Development Bank representing Kazakhstan, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines and Timor-Leste. He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1980 and has extensive experience in public finance and development.
Prominent TV artist and former Director General, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Jamal Shah has been picked up as federal minister for National Heritage and Culture. Jamal is also the founder of Artists Association in Pakistan and Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Madad Ali Sindhi — a famous Pakistani writer, columnist and journalist, who has written numerous Sindhi books — has been given the portfolio of federal Education and Professional Training.
The portfolio of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has been given to prominent health expert Dr. Nadeem Jan, a professional for 24 years who has worked with UN, USAID, World Bank, EU, DFID, INGOs and national Governments.
Khalil George of the Balochistan Awami Party, former Parliamentary Secretary for Minority Affairs, has been awarded the Human Rights ministry.
Religious scholar, TV anchor, host on Dunya Tv, popular for his religious show Peyam-E-Subh, Aneeq Ahmed, graduated from Karachi University in International Relations and started his career from PTV in 1999, joined GEO in 2002 and then moved to ARY in 2005. He has been with DUNYA TV since June, 2011. Aneeq Ahmed has been appointed as the minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
Shahid Ashraf Tarar, a retired captain, has been given three portfolios — Communications, Maritime Affairs, and Railways. Shahid Ashraf is also the Chairman of Federal Public Service Commission. He formerly served as Executive Director World Bank Group where he led HR Committee as Chairman for two years. He also worked as Federal Secretary Communication, Chairman NHA, Secretary Excise & Taxation, Director General NAVTEC, Deputy Commissioner, Director to the President and Head of Economic Sector Los Angeles, USA.
Advisers
Retired air marshal, Farhat Hussain, a recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) , and Sitara-i-Basalat, has been made an adviser to the premier on aviation with the status of a federal minister. He is the Chairman of Scaled Aviation Pvt Ltd and President of Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies.
Ahad Khan Cheema, a confidant of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been appointed as an adviser on establishment, also with the status of a federal minister. Cheema joined the District Management Group (now called Pakistan Administrative Service) in 2001 and had served under former chief ministers Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi and Shehbaz Sharif on various welfare and development projects. He was the first high-profile arrest in Punjab by the NAB before the 2018 general elections. A BPS-19 PAS officer, he became the head of the Lahore Development Authority, in 2013, during the last PML-N government and was conferred the award of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in recognition of his services for carrying out the Lahore Metro Bus Service Project.
Former federal secretary for Finance Division, an eminent economist with wide-ranging experience of both public and private sectors, Dr Waqar Masood will perform as a special adviser on finance, with the status of a state minister. He has held several prestigious positions in the Federal Government including Special Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary Finance Division, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Secretary Petroleum & Natural Resources and Secretary Textile Industry.
Special Assistants
The caretaker PM also appointed five special assistants, with the portfolio of adviser on human rights and women empowerment going to Mishal Hussain Malik, wife of the Kashmiri freedom movement leader Yasin Malik. She is the chairperson of Peace and Culture Organisation which highlights the plight of people of Kashmir in IIOK&K.
Jawad Sohrab Malilk, a qualified lawyer and businessman, has become an SAPM for overseas Pakistanis. He was formerly SAPM for Shehbaz Sharif. He has been successfully running a vast business empire stretched to Lon¬don, Pakistan and Dubai and has good contacts inter¬nationally including with the Ameri¬can members of Congress, British parliamentarians, global business elite, Gulf royal families and political parties in Pakistan across the board.
Retired vice Admiral Iftikhar Rao has been made the adviser on maritime affairs, He has more than 40 Years of Maritime Experience. He has served on board and commanded ships and is also a Naval Aviator.
TV anchor and writer Wasih Shah has been made advisor on tourism. He is famous for his poetry and contribution to literature and has been hosting TV shows for a while now.
Syeda Arfa Zehra has been made advisor on federal education and professional training. She is a Pakistani educationist and urdu language expert. Zehra is also a former caretaker provincial minister of Punjab. She is recognized for her knowledge on the Urdu language and literature and is specialized in intellectual history and South Asian social issues; outside of the university sphere, she speaks at language conferences and televised forums.
YouTube is set to remove content that promotes ineffective or harmful cancer treatments and discourages professional medical care-seeking. The decision is part of YouTube’s effort to refine its medical moderation guidelines, following experiences combating misinformation on subjects like COVID-19, vaccines, and reproductive health.
In the future, Google’s video platform will apply medical misinformation policies when addressing high public health risks, relying on established health authority guidance, and countering potential misinformation-prone topics. This approach aims to cover a broad range of medical subjects while maintaining a balance between harm reduction and open debate.
YouTube clarified its stance in a recent blog post, emphasising action against both harmful treatments and unproven alternatives presented as substitutes for established options. Notably, promoting vitamin C supplements as a replacement for radiation therapy would be prohibited.
These policy updates come over three years after YouTube collaborated with major tech platforms to combat COVID-19 misinformation. While the platform previously acted against vaccine misinformation, it intensified efforts during the pandemic, eventually banning all vaccine misinformation by late 2021.
YouTube also took steps against other videos violating its medical misinformation policy, including those endorsing “unsafe abortion methods” or spreading “false claims about abortion safety.”
Divergence among major tech platforms’ approaches to COVID-19 misinformation emerged after their initial united front in early 2020. Twitter stopped enforcing its COVID misinformation policy in late 2022 due to an acquisition by Elon Musk. Meta also recently relaxed its moderation approach, particularly in countries like the US, where COVID-19 is no longer a national emergency.
A case has been filed under anti-terror laws against Shayan Ali – a UK-based based activist of the the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)- at Ramna Police Station in Islamabad.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Shayan Ali made videos of a judicial officer Humayun Dilawar and harassed him in London. “An attempt was made to attack a judicial officer, he was saved by a security official,” the FIR adds. According to the copy of FIR received by Geo News, the SHO of the Ramna Police Station Nasir Iqbal filed the FIR due to the several videos of Shayyan threatening a judicial officer.
“In one video which went viral on social media, Shayan said that he would make the life of the judicial officer hell who was come to a training at an educational institution in the United Kingdom,” the FIR stated.
The report asserted that Shayan had also called on other Pakistanis to join him in “making the official’s life hell”. Moreover, Adil Farooq Raja, another prominent PTI social media activist, joined the activities online by making these videos aiding and abetting the “terrorist activators”, the FIR claimed.
After the Jaranwala riots, where a Christian neighborhood was burned down by a violent mob because of blasphemy allegations, many Pakistani celebrities and public figures were quick to condemn the authorities that failed to control the violence , and called for swift action to be taken against the perpetuators. Ashok Swain, the chairperson of the UNESCO International Water Cooperation and professor at Uppsala University, pointed out how Pakistani celebrities were quick to condemn communal riots and ethnic violence against minorities, while in Bollywood the silence of public figures is deafening when it comes to speaking out against the rising hate crimes against minorities.
“Pakistani film stars have spine. Indian film stars only know how to count money,” Swain tweeted.
Pakistani film stars have spine. Indian film stars only know how to count money. https://t.co/yS09xGBLnK
Since Wednesday, prominent public figures like Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Mahira Khan and Azekah Daniels have all spoken against the brutal act of injustice against the Christian community in Pakistan. Taking to her Instagram stories, Chinoy, a two- time Oscar winner, slammed ‘hypocritical’ Pakistanis who are quick to react when the Holy Quran was burned but were silent when churches were demolished yesterday by a lynch mob.
“Two faced: That word best describes Pakistanis who are quick to point out the state of Muslims in India but who turn the other way when someone says look at the state of minorities within your own borders.”
‘Pasoori’ singer Shae Gill, who is a Christian, described how the incident made her completely speechless, and expressed hopes that the masses are educated so that these atrocities can come to an end.
Meanwhile, celebrities in Bollywood have been called out publicly in the past for promoting communal violence and Islamophobia through their films. Akshay Kumar was publicly criticised when his film ‘Sooryavashni’ promoted Islamophobia. During an interview when he was asked about the anti-Pakistani themes of his film ‘Bell Bottom’ to which the A-list actor had responded: “It’s just a film.”
Recently, Shah Rukh Khan was targeted by BJP politicians as a ‘terrorist’ and in January, the music video for his film ‘Besharam Rang’ was targeted because of the baseless ‘Love Jihad’ theory- that claims Hindu women are seduced by Muslim men and then converted into Islam- by conservatives who threatened to burn down the theaters where the movie would play.
This obviously doesn’t mean that cinema in Pakistan is more progressive and open to accepting minorities, but we cannot deny the power of public figures who use their platforms to educate masses about sensitive topics, is far more important in today’s troubling issues in order to help fight against the growing communal violence and hatred.
Goods transporters raised their fares by 20 per cent in response to a recent surge in diesel prices on Thursday. The announcement came as the goods transporters association revealed their decision to implement a fare increase of 20 per cent, citing a substantial rise in diesel prices of up to Rs40 per litre over the span of 15 days.
Rana Shoaib, the General Secretary of the Goods Transporters Association, conveyed in an official statement that their operational expenses had been significantly impacted by the substantial surge in diesel prices.
He further elaborated that the provision of goods transportation services between major cities such as Karachi, Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Peshawar has been sustained. However, the transporters are finding it increasingly challenging to bear the escalating financial burdens associated with fuel costs and spare parts.
According to ARY News, Shoaib said that the decision to raise fares was a necessary step due to the considerable escalation in government-imposed fuel prices. Notably, earlier in the same month, local transporters independently elevated fares by as much as 20 per cent in response to a previous hike in fuel prices without any intervention or oversight from relevant authorities.
Details indicate that local transporters unilaterally implemented fare increases ranging from Rs15 to Rs20 for stop-to-stop journeys, despite the absence of formal notifications regarding fare adjustments by the district administration.
Furthermore, the fare hikes extended to transportation services between Karachi and other destinations like Hyderabad, Larkana, and Sukkur. This trend of fare increases also extended to buses and coaches operating within the city limits.
Model and former dancer Sam Asghari has confirmed the rumors that he is separating from pop singer Britney Spears after being in a relationship for six years, and married for 14 months. In a post on his Instagram account, Asghari said that the two will hold on to the love and respect they have for each other, and requested everyone in the media to be kind and thoughtful.
‘After 6 years of of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together. We will hold on to the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. S*** happens. Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
Sam Asghari has broken his silence on his split with Britney Spears:
“We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. Shit happens. Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and… pic.twitter.com/jZttUraBao
Troubled pop singer Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari are divorcing after 14 months of marriage, TMZ has reported. The split comes after allegations of cheating emerged, the outlet has stated, adding that the couple, who got married in 2022 after being in a relationship since 2016, have been having heated arguments. Sam has reportedly moved out and is living in a place of his own.
Another insider told Page Six that a source of their conflict has been Britney’s prenup which was filed before her marriage and protects all her assets and finances, however, a source has confirmed that the 29-year-old model threatened to go public with the 41-year-old pop-star’s secrets in an attempt to negotiate what the prenup provides.
The two had announced their engagement to the with both Britney and Sam sharing pictures of the engagement ring, right after she won a legal battle to remove her father as her conservator, a binding agreement that the singer had been placed in since 2008.
The ‘One More Time’ singer has publicly slammed both her father and sister in multiple Instagram posts for bullying her. In a now-deleted post put up in 2022, Spears slammed her sister and mom, revealing how she had been made to work to earn a living for the family while her younger sister Jamie, indulged her interests:
“I flew home to Jamie Lynn on the couch watching her TV shows right after Justin [Timberlake] and I broke up… I was a ghost there! I had worked my whole life and I didn’t know how to be served by Mamma, sit there and get served the chocolate milkshakes with the perfectly crushed ice with the secret chunky sugar.
“Meanwhile Jamie Lynn is 12, she indulges with the TV for hours then goes to lay out on a raft at the pool. I’m in shock because this was never my life!”
“Justin’s family was all I knew for many years. Things were different now and Jamie Lynn had a new Nickelodeon show. All I remember saying was ‘DAMN! How the hell does a 12 year old land a Nickelodeon show?
“… I’m grown up right! But then maybe I might need a little support. It was a People Magazine cover…”
Netflix is expanding its gaming initiative by testing games on a wider range of devices, including TVs and computers, in addition to mobile phones. The initial testing is starting in Canada and the United Kingdom, with select subscribers getting to try out games on their TVs. Two games, “Oxenfree” and “Molehew’s Mining Adventure,” will be part of this test phase.
For TV gaming, the games will be available on devices from partners like Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, LG, Nvidia Shield, Roku, and Samsung Smart TVs. Notably absent is the Apple TV. More devices will be supported in the future.
Netflix recently launched an iPhone game controller app that connects to TV-based games through a QR code displayed on the Netflix app.
Gaming on PCs and Macs will use keyboard and mouse controls.
During the beta phase, Netflix aims to refine its game-streaming technology and improve the user experience.
According to Tech Crunch, Mike Verdu, Netflix’s VP of Games, emphasises the company’s excitement about expanding gaming to more devices while acknowledging the early stage of their gaming journey.
Netflix’s move into gaming was hinted at last year, along with the establishment of a gaming studio in Southern California.
Verdu clarifies that Netflix’s gaming approach differs from traditional platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, focusing on a unique business model for seamless gaming.
In the upcoming year, Netflix plans to launch a total of 40 games, with 16 from their in-house studios and 70 more in partnership with developers. Since starting in gaming in 2021, Netflix has already released 70 mobile titles.
