Lucasfilm’s visual effects and animation studio in Singapore will close down in the coming months due to economic reasons, parent firm Disney said on Tuesday.
The Singapore studio was set up in the 2000s by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), which was founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas and is a division of Lucasfilm.
For years, its home in Singapore was the striking Sandcrawler building, named after the Star Wars transport that inspired its design. Lucasfilm sold the building in 2021.
“Over the next several months, ILM will be consolidating its global footprint and winding down its Singapore studio due to economic factors affecting the industry,” Disney said in a statement. It did not say how many employees will be affected in Singapore.
Disney said in February it was cutting 7,000 jobs worldwide — part of a reorganisation as its traditional television business erodes and in the face of stiff competition and eroding subscriber numbers for its streaming service, Disney+.
“Lucasfilm’s decision to wind down its Singapore operations is in response to changes in the industry and business conditions,” Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) said in a joint statement.
“The global media industry is facing disruption from rapid technological advancements, while studios are coping with challenges relating to talent and profitability.”
The Singapore studio was involved in high-profile Hollywood productions including “Iron Man”, “The Avengers” and Star Wars films, according to the EDB’s website.
On August 14th, a Malaysia Airlines flight from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur was forced to turn back when an agitated man claimed he had “explosives” in his backpack, Australian police said.
The 45-year-old was arrested after the plane returned to Sydney and has been charged with one count of making a false statement about a threat to damage an aircraft.
Videos of the man went viral where he can be seen praying on a prayer mat in the airplane’s aisle and repeatedly asking people if ‘they are a slave of Allah’.
The Current has confirmed with multiple sources that the man is a former Pakistani model and actor, Muhammad Arif Ali. According to his LinkedIn profile, he graduated from NCA in 2002. He worked as an architect at a number of firms in Karachi and Lahore from 2002-2016.
He was also featured in renowned Pakistani singer Abrar-ul-Haq’s song, “Preeto” and as an actor he was in a Pakistani sitcom, “Kollege Jeans”, which revolves around the campus life of the National College of Arts, directed by Jawad Bashir.
Most of his entertainment industry friends say that they lost contact with him while one of our sources confirmed that, “I lost contact a long while ago but I heard that he has developed extremist views”.
We followed his social media and here is what we found:
His Behance profile as an architect was made in January 30th, 2012, where he shared different projects he worked on during his career.
His Facebook profile is open and shows that he lives in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. People have started commenting on his public posts.
His YouTube channel “food for thought” is made up of shorts and videos, mostly based on his religious views. The last video on August 12 2023.
His Instagram profile was made in June 2014 and has a throwback video with his “Kollege Jeans” co-actors. His former colleagues and his lawyer say they hope he is given a psychological assessment and is dealt with in a fair manner, saying that he likely suffers from mental health issues.
On the occasion of Independence Day, President Arif Alvi conferred Pakistani citizens as well as foreign nationals for showing excellence and courage in their respective fields and for the martyrs of Covid-19, reports APP.
The investiture ceremony for these civil awards will take place on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2024.
Here’s a complete list of the recipients:
NISHAN-I-IMTIAZ
Mr. Muhammad Hafeez Qureshi (Late) Nuclear Science
Mr. Iftikhar Arif Literature (Poetry / Writing)
Mr. Islahuddin Siddiqui Sports (Hockey)
Syed Qaim Ali Shah Public Service
Raja Zafar Ul Haq Public Service
Dr. Shamshad Akhtar Public Service
Air Marshal (R) Najib Akhtar Public Service
HILAL-I-PAKISTAN
HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Services to Pakistan
Mr. He Lifeng Services to Pakistan
HILAL-I-SHUJAAT
Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera Gallantry
HILAL-I-IMTIAZ
Brig. Syed Sarfraz Ali (Late) Strategic Planning & Development
Prof. Dr. Shahid Mahmood Baig Science
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed Education
Prof. Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan Education
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Umar Education/ Medical Sciences
Mr. Rahat Ali Khan Arts (Qawwali/ Singing)
Mr. Mohammad Ahmed Shah Arts (Culture)
Mr. Mehmood Ahmed Tahir Bhatti Film Direction & Fashion Designing
Mr. Muhammad Anwar Masood Literature (Poetry)
Mr. Zahid Malik (Late) Journalism
Dr. Muhammad Amjad Saqib Social Services
Mr. Ahmed Irfan Public Service
Raja Naeem Akbar Public Service
Lt. Gen. (R) Muhammad Akram Khan Public Service
Brig. Atif Rafique Public Service
Dr. Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan Public Service
Syed Tariq Fatemi Public Service
Mr. Tariq Bajwa Public Service
Mr. Tariq Mahmood Pasha Public Service
Mr. Shahid Khan Public Service
Mr. Sibtain F. Haleem Public Service
Capt. (R) Zahid Saeed Public Service
Mr. Zahid Zaman Public Service
Mufti Abdul Shakoor (late) Public Service (Religious Scholar)
Syed Babar Ali Philanthropy
Prof. Dr. Adil Najam Education
HILAL-I-QUAID-I-AZAM
Mr. Luo Zhaohui Services to Pakistan
Mr. Ning Jizhe Services to Pakistan
Mr. Nong Rong Services to Pakistan
Mr. Sha Zukang Services to Pakistan
H.H. Sheikh Mansoor Bin Zayed Al Nayan Services to Pakistan
Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser Services to Pakistan
Mr. Jin Liqun Services to Pakistan
Mr. Sultan Bin Abdul Rehman Al-Marshad Services to Pakistan
Mr. Oktay Memis Services to Pakistan
Mr. Khalifa Bin Jassim Al-Kuwari Services to Pakistan
Mr. Najy Benhassine Services to Pakistan
Mr. Young Ye Services to Pakistan
Julien Harneis Services to Pakistan
Mr. Knut Ostby Services to Pakistan
Mr. Philippe Steinmetz Services to Pakistan
Dr. Sebastian Paust Services to Pakistan
Michal Rossman Services to Pakistan
Joe Moyer Services to Pakistan
SITARA-I-PAKISTAN
H.E. Engineer Talal Bin Abdullah Al-Otaibi Services to Pakistan
SITARA-I-SHUJAAT
Mr. Tariq Mahmood Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Aamir Naseem Gallantry
Mr. Majid Saleem Malik Gallantry
Mr. Akhtar Hayat Khan Gallantry
Lt. Cdr. (R) Muqaddas Haider Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Younas (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Nizam Ullah (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Rahat Saleem (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Ghulam Abbas (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Abdul Latif (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Saeed Ahmed (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Ajmal Masih (Late) Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Ramzan (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Shams Ullah (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Sohrab (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Asad Ullah Khan (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Israr Muhammad Gallantry
Mr. Zia Ullah Khan (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mir Zubair Mahmood Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Adnan Gallantry
SITARA-I-IMTIAZ
Mr. Castaldo Fabio Massimo Services to Pakistan
Meer Behrose Regi Services to Pakistan
Dr. Jamshed Iqbal Science
Prof. Dr. Amjad Siraj Memon Science
Dr. Abid Mehmood Science (Agriculture Research)
Dr. Sumeera Ikram Science (Chemistry)
Dr. Muhammad Sarwar Metallurgical Engineering & Material Science
Syed Raza Akhlaq Engineering
Dr. Abdul Manan Engineering (Aero Space)
Dr. Muhammad Nzar Guidance, Navigation & Trajectory Design
Mr. Naveed Maqbul Nuclear Safety
Prof. Dr. Mahmood Ayyaz Education
Ms. Shama Hafeez Education
Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Education
Prof. Dr. Sohail Nadeem Education
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Farooque Hassan Education
Qari Hafiz Buzurg Shah Al Azhari Arts (Qira’at)
Ms. Malika Junaid Arts (Architecture)
Mr. Bilal Lashari Arts (Direction, Cinematography, Script writing)
Mr. Satish Anand Art (Film Production/ Distribution)
Mr. Abdul Karim Baryalai Arts (Literature)
Mr. Javed Bashir Ahmad Arts (Singing)
Mr. Faakhir Mehmood Arts (Singing)
Ms. Shabnam Arts (Singing)
Mr. Wasif Nagi Journalism
Ms. Naila Kiani Sports (Mountaineering)
Ms. Saira Furqan Social Services
Mr. Farhan Faruqui Social Services
Dr. Amanullah Kassim Machiyara Public Service
Mr. Aziz Memon Public Service (Humanitarian & Community Services)
Mr. Abdul Quddoos Bizenjo Public Service
Dr. Syed Kaleem Imam Public Service
Mr. Lal Jan Jaffar Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Noor Miskanzi (late) Public Service Mr. Sher Baz Khan Public Service
Dr. Rashid Bajwa Public Service
Ms. Ismat Jabeen Afridi Public Service
Mr. Shuaib A. Malik Public Service
Mr. Mervyn Francis Lobo Public Service
Mr. Waqar Ahmed Chouhan Public Service
Mr. Mohsin Hassan Butt Public Service
Mirza Ikhtiar Baig Public Service
Dr. Nadeem Jan Public Service
Mr. Fahad Haroon Public Service
Mr. Naeem Uz Zafar Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Sarwar Gondal Public Service
Khawaja Zaka ud Din (late) Public Service
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora Public Service
Mr. Arif Habib Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Nadeem Javaid Public Service
Mr. Jameel Ahmed Public Service
Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput Public Service
Mr. Asim Ahmed Public Service
Mr. Ali Tahir Public Service
Mr. Kazim Niaz Public Service
Mr. Sualeh Ahmed Faruqui Public Service
Mr. Duraid Qureshi Public Service
Lt. Col. Khalid Mahmood (Retd) Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Raghib Hussain Public Service
Prof. Mufti Munib ur Rehman Public Service (Religious Scholar)
Mr. Saleem Bukhari Journalism
PRESIDENT’S AWARD FOR PRIDE OF PERFORMANCE
Dr. Muhammad Afzal Environmental Biotechnology
Prof. Dr. Faisal Shafait Science
Mr. Shakeel Ahmed Science (Physics)
Mr. Waseem Azhar Nuclear Engineering
Mr. Asim Mahmood Qureshi Engineering (Metallurgy & Materials Science)
Mr. Muhammad Tariq Chemical Engineering
Mr. Abrar Ali Engineering (Mechanical)
Mr. Shahid Bashir Engineering
Dr. Rizwan Asghar Computer Engineering
Dr. Nasir Mohy-ud-din Embedded Computer & IC Design
Dr. Syed Bilal Hussain Shah Aerodynamics
Dr. Naveed Iqbal Khan Durrani Aerospace Engineering
Dr. Muhammad Asad Strategic Communication Systems
Dr. Saqlain Akhtar Engineering (Aerospace)
Mr. Saleem Ud Din Engineering (Electrical)
Dr. Imtnan-Ul-Haque Qazi Engineering (Space Sciences & Technology)
Mr. Muhammad Imran Zafar Structural Engineering
Prof. Dr. Bushra Mirza Education
Dr. Umer Shahbaz Education
Dr. Kashif Kifayat Education
Dr. Naveed Arshad Education
Prof. Bilquis Shabbir Education (Medical Sciences)
Dr. Amjad Mehboob Medicine
Mr. Muhammad Khalil (late) Arts (Karakul cap making)
Mr. Muhammad Riaz Arts (Lacquer art)
Ms. Shakar Bibi Arts (Balochi embroidery)
Mr. Gulab Khel Arts (Rubab playing)
Ms. Shazia Manzoor Arts (Singing)
Ms. Dhai Bai alias Mai Dhai Arts (Singing)
Mr. Hamayoon Khan Arts (Singing)
Mr. Inayat Hussain Bhatti (late) Arts (Film Acting, Production, Direction, Script Writing)
Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Attre Arts (Music Composing)
Mr. Ajab Gul Arts (Acting / Direction)
Mr. Ishrat Abass Arts (Drama/Theater/ Radio/ Actor)
Mr. Shakir Zeb Arts (Music Direction)
Mr. Abdul Jabbar Gull Arts (Sculpturing)
Mr. Qadir Bux Mithoo Arts (Comedy)
Mr. Mehboob Ali Arts (Artist & Designer, Woodcut Print Specialist)
Ms. Mussarrat Kalanchvi Arts (Urdu / Saraiki Fiction & Play Writing)
Mr. Adnan Siddiqui Arts (Acting, Host, Production)
Ms. Zubaida (Naghma) Arts (Film Artist)
Mr. Hassan Askari Arts (Film Direction /Writing)
Mr. Mashkoor Raza Arts (Painting)
Ms. Sheema Karmani Arts (Classical Dancing/ Choreography)
Mr. Naseer Baig Mirza Arts (Comparing, Writing, Producer)
Mr. Ajab Khan Arts (Calligraphy & Painting)
Mr. Baqir Abbas Arts (Flute playing)
Ms. Farha Mehmood Rana Arts
Mr. Noor Din Alias Chacha Noora Arts (Shoe Making)
Mr. Ghulam Hussain Anjum Literature (Poetry/Writing)
Mr. Nazeer Qaiser Literature (Poetry/Writing)
Mr. Afzal Ahmad Syed (Syed Afzal Ahmad) Literature (Poetry/Writing)
Mr. Hisam-ud-Din Aseer Mengal Literature (Poetry/Writing)
Mr. Hameed Razi (Abdul Hameed Razi) Literature (Writing)
Mr. Ahmad Hussain Mujahid Literature (Poetry/Writing)
Mr. Ghulam Abbas Alias Abbas Tabish Literature (Poetry)
Mr. Khalid Masood Khan Literature (Writing, Poetry & Columnist)
Ms. Farkhanda Bokhari (Late) Literature (Poetry & Writing)
Mr. Muhammad Ilyas Literature (Writing)
Dr. Nasrullah Khan Nasir Literature (Poetry / Research)
Mr. Shakeel Jazib (Rana Shakeel Asghar) Literature (Poetry)
Mr. Ghulam Muhammad Arif Najmi Journalism (Photography)
Mr. Suhail Sarwar Warraich Journalism
Mr. Salman Ghani Journalism
Ms. Ifrah Wali Sports (Skiing)
Mr. Muhammad Sharif Tahir Sports (Wrestling)
Mr. Zaman Anwar Sports (Wrestling)
Mr. Shajar Abbas Sports (Athletics)
Dr. Maryam Verzgani Public Service
Dr. Muhammad Atif Ikram Public Service
SITARA-I-QUAID-I-AZAM
Dr. Huseinef. Kavazovie Services to Pakistan
Ms. Salma Salman Zahid Services to Pakistan
Mr. Piotr Opalinski Services to Pakistan
SITARA-I-KHIDMAT
Mr. Nasruddin Rupani Services to Pakistan
Ms. Samantha Power Services to Pakistan
Mr. Alexander N. Green Services to Pakistan
Mr. Asif Rangoonwala Services to Pakistan
TAMGHA-I-SHUJAAT
Syed Amer Akhtar Gallantry
Mr. Farman Ullah Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Bilal Riaz Burki Gallantry
Mr. Azmat Ali Shah Gallantry
Mr. Mujeeb Ullah Gallantry
Mr. Abdul Malik Bhutto (Shaheed) Gallantry
Capt. I Wahid Mehmood Gallantry
Mr. Abdul Malik Kamangar (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Deen Muhammad (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Jatoi Khan Pitafi (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Saleem (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Arshad Khan Jadoon (Shaheed) Gallantry
Mr. Muhammad Adnan Gallantry
Mr. Mishkat Ullah Gallantry
Mr. Ashfaq Ahmad Gallantry
Mr. Mujeeb Ullah Shah Gallantry
Mr. Shahid Iqbal Gallantry
Syed Adeel Hussain Gallantry
Mr. Khaliq Dad Gallantry
Mr. Khalid Baqi Gallantry
Mr. Umar Khalid Gallantry
Mr. Abdul Nasir Gallantry Mr. Muhammad Usman Gallantry
Mr. Mumtaz Akhtar Social Services
Mr. Muhammad Balach Nosherwani (Shaheed) Public Service
TAMGHA-I-IMTIAZ
Mr. Zubair Imam Malik Philanthropy
Mr. Abdul Hafeez Khan Philanthropy
Mr. Asad Ullah Khalid Gallantry
Dr. Mohammad Al-Arabi Bouazizi Services to Pakistan
Dr. Mukhayo Abdurakhmonova Services to Pakistan
Dr. Javaid Ahmed Sheikh Services to Pakistan
Mr. Salman Ilyas Khan Services to Pakistan
Dr. Shaukat Saeed Science (Materials Chemistry)
Prof. Dr. Sardar Khan Science (Environmental Science)
Prof. Dr. Abdul Naeem Khan Science (Chemistry)
Dr. Haider Abbas Science
Mr. Abdul Aleem Haider Science (Physics)
Dr. Muhammad Usman Akram Engineering
Dr. Tahir Masood Engineering
Dr. Salman Raza Naqvi Engineering
Dr. Hammad Omer Engineering
Mr. Murli Dhar Engineering (Architect)
Syed Sabahat Hussain Mechanical Engineering
Mr. Muhammad Amin Warraich Project Management
Mr. Asif Iqbal Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Manzoor Ikram Science (Physics)
Dr. Muhammad Zamurad Shah Electrical Engineering
Dr. Rashid Ahmad Bhatti Electrical Engineering
Dr. Nasir Mehmood Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Nadia Jamil Genetics
Dr. Sajid Yaqub Engineering (Mechanical)
Mr. Imran Sarwar Satellite Communications
Dr. Muhammad Imran Afzal Engineering (Mechanical)
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yar Education (Chemistry)
Prof. Dr. Aamer Saeed Bhatti Education (Chemistry)
Prof. Dr. Shahid Munir Education
Dr. Waseem Azhar (USA) Education
Dr. Talat Mehmood (Germany) Education
Dr. Muhammad Ajmal Sawand (Shaheed) Education (I.T.& Higher Management)
Prof. Dr. Zia ul Haq Education
Prof. Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Education
Dr. Hassan Imran Afridi Education
Mr. Anwar Amjad Education
Dr. Syed Mehmood Raza Education
Dr. Shagufta Jabeen Medicine
Prof Sajjad Naseer Education
Ms. Kanwal Amin Education
Dr. Shahid Hamid Medicine
Dr. Rashid Siddiqui Medicine
Dr. Shaukat Yousaf Khan Medicine
Mr. Muhammad Arshad Chohan Medicine
Prof. Rizwan Taj Medicine (Psychiatry, Medical Education)
Dr. Nadeem Qamar Medicine (Cardiologist)
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Afridi Medicine (Psychiatry)
Dr. Umraz Khan Medicine (Plastic Surgery)
Mr. Khalid Waheed Medicine
Dr. Rizwan Jamil Rahman Medicine
Prof. Dr. Irfan Manzoor Bakhshi Medicine
Mr. Moquit Usman Medicine
Dr. Ghulam Abbas Medicine
Prof. Dr. Ali Raza Hashmi Medicine
Dr. Yasir Arafat Gabol Medicine
Dr. Awais Ahmed Lakhair Medicine
Qari Waseem Ullah Amin Arts (Qira’at)
Mr. Muhammad Shahbaz Qamar Arts (Naat Khawani)
Ms. Sajal Ali Arts (Acting)
Syeda Mehrbano Kazim (Alias Juggan Kazim) Arts (Anchoring /Acting)
Mr. Abdul Batin Farooqi Arts (Acting)
Mr. Almas Khan Khalil Arts (Folk Pashto Singing)
Mr. Fazal Wahab Dard Arts (Singing)
Ustad Rustam Fateh Ali Khan Arts (Classical Singing)
Mr. Imran Aziz Mian Arts (Qawwali)
Mr. Arbab Khan Khoso Arts (Alghoza Playing)
Mr. Jehanzeb Malik Arts (Painting)
Mr. Jamil Ahmed Baloch Arts (Painting, Sculpturing)
Mr. Gulraiz Ghouri Arts (Photography)
Prof. Dr. Gul Rahim Khan Arts (Archaeology & Numismatics)
Dr. Asma Ibrahim Arts (Archeology)
Syed Ghalib Baqar Arts (Painting)
Mr. Ghulam Abbas Khaskheli Arts (Egg Shell Painting)
Mr. Mushtaque Ali Lashari Arts (Painting)
Mr. Bandah Ali Arts (Folk Artist/ Painting
Mr. Rahmatullah Khan Arts (Photography)
Dr. Khalid Bin Shaheen Acting / Production
Mr. Shahzad Rafique Arts (Film Direction)
Mr. Khan Shahnawaz Malhi Arts (Painting)
Mr. Muhammad Waseem Arts (Calligraphy)
Mr. A.S Rind Arts (Painting / Calligraphy)
Ms. Fizza Ali Meerza Arts (Production / Screen Writing)
Mr. Amjad Sheikh Arts (Film Production/ Distribution)
Mr. Abdul Wasay Chaudhary Arts (Film/Drama Acting)
Mr. Farooq Hassan Arts (Host)
Mr. Misbah Uddin Qazi Arts (Visual Arts)
Dr. Aqeel Abbas Jafri Literature (Poetry & Linguistics)
Mr. Ali Dost Aajiz Literature (Poetry / Writing)
Mr. Anwer Sen Roy Literature (Poetry / Writing)
Dr. Mushtaq Ali Leghari Literature (Poetry / Writing)
Mr. Shams ul Qamar (Late) Literature (Poetry / Writing)
Dr. Muhammad Ismail Literature (Writing)
Prof. Dr. Abdul Saboor Baloch Literature (Writing)
Mr. Ahmed Ataullah Literature (Poetry)
Mr. Aziz Ijaz Literature (Poetry)
Mr. Ghulam Qadir Buzdar (Late) Literature (Poetry)
Mr. Muhammad Salim Shahzad Literature
Mr. Amjad Aziz Malik Journalism
Mr. Fahad Saleem Malik Journalism (Media / Technology)
Syed Naqi Haider Naqvi Journalism
Ms. Shama Junejo Journalism
Mr. Waqar Satti Journalism
Mr. Farooq Adil Journalism
Mr. Fahad Hussain Journalism
Mr. Iftikhar Ahmed Journalism
Mr. Usman Tajwar Sports (Boxing)
Ms. Ushna Sohail Sports (Lawn Tennis)
Mr. Danish Atlas Sports (Squash)
Ms. Farzana Shoaib Social Services
Syed FerozAlam Shah Social Services
Ms. Fadia Kashif Social Services
Molana Muhammad Maaz Religious Scholar
Moulana Khabeer Azad Religious Scholar
Lt. Col. Syed Maozzam Ali (Retd) Public Service
Syeda Arooba Bilal Hussain Gillani Public Service
Dr. Muhammad Salim Habib Public Service
Dr. Syed Saif ur Rehman Public Service
Mr. Fazal Karim Dadabhoy Public Service
Syed Zafar Abbas Jafri Public Service
Dr. Muhammad Quraish Khan Public Service
Mr. Abdul Rauf Baloch Public Service
Mr. Bashir Ahmed Bangulzai Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Imtiaz Buzdar Public Service
Mr. Amjad Hussain Public Service
Mr. Irfan Saleem Public Service
Mr. Saqib Sultan Al Mehmood Public Service
Mr. Ijaz Shafi Gillani Public Service
Mr. Musaddaq Zulqarnain Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Asif Jameel Public Service
Syed Murtaza Ali Shah Public Service
Mr. Muhammad Mushtaq Public Service
Mr. Farooq Mehboob Public Service
Ms. Aisha Khan Public Service
Mr. Basharat Mehmood Shehzad Public Service
Syed Rizwan Mahboob Public Service
Mr. Ali Tauqeer Shaikh Public Service
Mr. Afaq Ahmed Qureshi Public Service
Dr. Inayat Hussain Public Service
Mr. Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh Public Service
Mr. Rashid Mahmood Langrial Public Service
Mr. Zulfiqar Younas Public Service
Mr. Tanvir Butt Public Service
Mr. Asim Iftikhar Ahmad Public Service
Mr. Bilal Siddique Kamyana Public Service
Mr. Shamim Ashraf Khawaja Public Service
Mrs. Abida Malik Public Service
Mr. Zubair Ali Public Service
Haji Masood Parekh Public Service
Mr. Maqsood Ahmad Public Service (Heritage Management)
Ms. Sarah Ahmad Public Service (Child Protection)
Dr. Mimpal Singh Public Service (Inter-faith harmony)
In Pakistan, it is a common practice to come out on the roads in groups to celebrate sports wins, new years, and of course, Independence Day. It is also often customary to celebrate these feats by firing guns into the air and lighting up firecrackers.
But flirting with danger has its consequences that many innocent people fall victim to every year.
Ten years back, in 2013, aerial firing resulted in the death of at least one person and more than 30 were wounded in Karachi. Jinnah Hospital alone received 33 wounded people, one of whom died shortly after.
In 2018, three people were killed and more than 35 were injured including children and women. Apart from aerial firing, a 22-year-old man was struck by firecrackers in Nazimabad.
In 2022, one man died while 23 were wounded in Karachi.
This year, as the public celebrated the 76th year of Independence, two people were killed and 85 were injured as a result of aerial firing carried out in Karachi.
According to Jamshed Quarters Station House Officer (SHO) Gul Baig, a 25-year-old woman was crossing the People’s Chowrangi on a motorbike with her family when a stray bullet hit her. Simultaneously, a seven-month-old baby was also hit at People’s Square.
Baghdadi SHO Ghulam Yasin said that a man sleeping on the roof of his house in Lyari’s Aath Chowk passed away as a random bullet hit him.
A police surgeon, Dr Summaiya Syed has claimed that Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital received 32 injured people each. These cases include a critical case of a head injury, children, teenagers, and women.
What Does the Law Say?
As per statements issued by City police and Central district police, eight people in total have been arrested in Kalakot, Kharadar, and Liaquatabad Bridge whereas seven pistols have been seized. The culprits have been charged with attempted murder, possessing illegal weapons and aerial firing.
Under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the district administration can issue a ban on an activity “for a specific period of time”. Such a ban is often enforced by the police and any violation of the ban can be tried under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code which carries “a maximum penalty of six months in prison or fine or both”.
Similarly, cases of aerial firing can be registered under Section 337 (H) (II) of the Pakistan Penal Code for a negligent act of endangering lives.
337-H. (2) states:
Whoever does any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the
personal safety of other, shall be punished with imprisonment of either-description for a
term which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both.
Teenage domestic helper Rizwana has received plastic surgery from doctors on her face, while her head injuries were disinfected during the procedure, ARY has reported. Hospital sources say the procedure was three hours long, while the possibility two or three more plastic surgeries in the future cannot be ruled out.
“She was shifted to the ward after applying bandage on her wounds,” the doctors said.
The horrifying case shocked Pakistan when the teenage domestic helper was tortured and abused while working at a civil judge’s home in Islamabad, after she was accused of stealing jewelry. The family has revealed the girl was not paid a single penny by the family for the extensive workload she was doing.
Since the case went viral, actress and children rights activist Nadia Jamil spoke out publicly against employing children for domestic labor, leading a campaign to get the perpetuators arrested, while prominent celebrities like Mahira Khan, Wahaj Ali and Hamza Ali Abbasi have also lend their voice.
Jamil shared an update yesterday that Rizwana had opened her eyes, but was still in casts.
Look who can open her eyes now! A reminder they were viscously gouged. Alhamdolillah Alhamdolillah Shukar Alhamdolillah they are now opening.
She is still in casts from fingers to shoulders in both arms. Her wouldn’t are still open and healing slowly. She’s still susceptible… pic.twitter.com/w5eeQjxv1v
Khudkaar, now known as xWave, started when Wardah Noor, 23, visited far-flung areas of district Layyah during a ration drive in the lockdown period. She observed how laborers were distraught while their economic conditions worsened day by day. That urged her to start something sustainable in case such circumstances arise again and “people have something to eat at home.” She decided to take a gap year from her university and work on the idea for a couple of months.
She was enrolled in B.A. LLB from LUMS at the time. The first half of Wardah’s gap year was consumed in traveling across Pakistan including KP and Sindh, visiting different institutes in Karachi, and residing in Islamabad for some time to see what is happening in other cities. That’s when she learned that skills training and development is something that might result into sustainability. In the second half, she started crowdfunding; her friends who were running other social ventures donated laptops, furniture, books and, “that’s how we started in Layyah.”
Today for me in pictures: Out of 10 people who joined stage, 7 were women and that is what’s gonna change the future. More representation, more say and more power. SO SO HAPPY SEEING THESE WOMEN PARTICIPATE. @khudkaarpic.twitter.com/PLRLO3j7xD
“During crowdfunding, we asked people that a minimum of Rs100 and a maximum of whatever they can pledge for a year. We used to meet our monthly expenditures, and for furniture, different people donated different things,” she said. She started the venture in a room at her home where they initially made a computer lab and, in another section, women were taught stitching.
She was able to secure The Spark Fund- Global Fund for Children through which they managed the finances for next year. Till now they are crowdfunding and simultaneously applying for grants. Recently they have started enrolling wealthy students who pay a certain amount of fee which helps in covering a small part of expenditure. She believes that this venture has given a direction to her life.
“This has given me a purpose which gives me satisfaction too. I have the energy to get up every morning and work on this idea. I initiated another startup during my gap year. I prepared a curriculum for overseas Pakistanis to give them Urdu tuition and I taught people the Urdu language because it is not their first language,” she added.
She explains that this helped her in saving money, but it distracted her from her focus. She eventually took a decision at the start of this year, ending the Urdu tuition startup and giving all her energies to enhance xWave. The salary she has started drawing from xWave after a donor’s funding is 5 times less than what she was earning from her Urdu startup, but this gives her satisfaction, and she is determined to live and die for the cause. What gives her energy, and an adrenaline rush is knowing the success stories of her students and fellows.
Happy to share that I am starting a new venture named @xWavePak , going to Balochistan and Sindh tomorrow.
We will be training youth of flood affected areas in web 3.0 technologies in the first phase & our target is to create economic impact of $14M in the next 10 years. pic.twitter.com/jFRPSmVD0I
Shazia Gull, a 23-year-old young woman, hailing from Layyah couldn’t continue her studies due to personal reasons. She used to stay at home and got to know about this center through her cousin. She secured admission there and started learning illustration and 2D animation. She had no source of earnings prior to this.
She says, “I am working on multiple projects, I have a full-time job at xWave, and earning a good amount of money. I am instructing about teaching-related courses at Coursera to enhance my skills and earn more.”
Another student of xWave, Muhammad Zain Abbas, also a resident of Layyah, got to know about this institute through his college teacher. He joined last year to learn video editing. “I made my account on Fiver a year ago and I have earned 150 dollars so far. I bought a decently working mobile phone as it was important for my work and I am hopeful that I will earn around 5000 dollars per month in the future,” he said.
Afshan kawal, a student of video editing living in Layyah, has shown remarkable dedication and hard work in pursuing her passion for video editing.
According to data released by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication (MoITT), 2022 saw a growth of 2.74% as the remittance inflows stood at $397.328 Million as compared to 396.243 Million in 2021. There were around 3 Million freelancers in Pakistan in 2022, as per the report released by MoITT, which have possibly increased in 2023.
Pakistani freelancers earn an average of $20 per hour, and the majority of freelancers in Pakistan are under the age of 30. The most popular payment gateway for freelancers in Pakistan is Payoneer. The global freelance industry is valued at $3.5 Billion, and the Pakistan industry accounts for 9% of the global market.
According to data released by Payoneer and Upwork, women make up 47% of the freelance market in Pakistan, which is more than the 35% global average.
40% of freelancers in Pakistan are from Punjab, 29.5% from Sindh, 14.7% from KPK, 10.5% from Balochistan, and 5.3% from Azad Kashmir.
Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi collectively account for 88% of Pakistan’s freelancing industry.
Wardah Noor is an inspiration for young Pakistanis, and she advises others to dream big.
“Keep struggling, you have unlimited opportunities and endless avenues to learn from. Don’t look for shortcuts to be rich overnight; learn as many skills as you can consistently. You can achieve anything in your life,” she says.
Pakistani students have slammed Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) after results for 2023 examinations came to light.
Cambridge exams were disrupted in Pakistan due to riots on May 9 and 12. However, instead of rescheduling the affected papers, Cambridge allegedly opted to allocate average marks. The announcement of the results, on August 10, has stirred frustration among students across Pakistan, as only a small number managed to attain A and B grades. More than 45,000 students appeared in the exams.
In response, students expressed their intent to stage peaceful protests in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore, to highlight what they perceive as an injustice done by Cambridge.
Outraged students have turned to social media, urging a rescheduling of the exams to provide them with a fair opportunity to showcase their capabilities and receive grades reflective of their performance.
Students took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to run an online campaign and raise their concerns regarding the issue.
X user, Muhammad Awais Sial mentioned that Cambridge graded them on components where scoring marks are inevitable. https://twitter.com/MASial34789939/status/1690045360998322176?s=20
Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Maryam Nawaz, also expressed concerns, stating that numerous students have reached out to her. She urged the CIE to consider the conditions in which students sat during these exams while reviewing the results on fairgrounds.
Many hundreds have reached out voicing their dissatisfaction with the CIE grading this year. It appears that the grading this year has produced unfair results which has led to severe unrest & anxiety amongst the students. Expected A*s have ended up with Cs & Es. These students…
Chief organiser of President Punjab PML(N), Mohammad Sarwar mentioned that he has been contacted by students who are disheartened after receiving E grades. The former chief minister of Punjab stated that he has reached out to a member of the House of Lords, Wajid Khan, for support in urging CIE to review their grading process.
I’ve been approached by countless students who sat Cambridge exams this yr highlighting overall lower grading by CIE- A* students receiving E grades is disheartening. I’ve reached out to @LordWajidKhan for support in urging CIE for fair review & reconsideration of grading process
Activist and lawyer Jibran Nasir explained the issue in detail while demanding that “Cambridge Assessment International Education and British Council Pakistan needs to provide details and transparency in the mechanism adopted this year and it must ensure that students of Pakistan did not suffer in particular due to some discriminatory or flawed policy.”
Understanding the controversy around #Cambridge exams grades this year:
– There are three categories of students who are complaining about their grades:
i) Those who missed some components of a subject due to exam cancellation between 10th and 12th May due to political unrest… https://t.co/yW9oPNja7K
Addressing the concerned Cambridge students, Uzma Yousuf, the Country Director for CAIE Pakistan, stated, “Cancelling the exams on 10, 11 and 12 May has been a difficult decision for the British Council. Your safety and well-being come first, and that’s why this decision was taken.”
She further added, “Our team is continuously monitoring the situation, and we will keep you updated as we have more information. We are completely committed to providing a safe and secure environment for you to sit for your exams.”
On Sunday, law enforcement officials arrested Kazim Khan on charges of murder and trying to hide evidence. Khan has been arrested for killing and secretly burying his wife, Diane Cristo Khan, in a graveyard in Lahore, Geo has reported.
Police officials told Geo that Diane was physically tortured and murdered at Lahore’s Factory Area. The murderer was trying to bury his wife when the grave digger called the police, who arrested him on the spot.
The police also confirmed that they found the murder weapon in the murderer’s possession. Superintendent of Police (SP) Cantt, Owais Shafiq, said that a case has been registered and the murderer is being interrogated. The body of the victim has been shifted to a facility for post-mortem examination.
A teacher linked to a language center was shot and killed by unidentified armed men in Turbat town, Kech district. Abdul Rauf, a 22-year-old English teacher, was attacked near a graveyard in the Malikabad area while on his way to an ulema jirga to address allegations of blasphemy.
Students of the language centre had accused Rauf of committing blasphemy during a lecture, which gained attention on social media. Sudhir Ahmed, the centre’s principal, stated that ulema visited to listen to both sides, with Rauf denying the allegations and apologising for any objectionable words.
Despite the attempt to resolve the matter, Rauf was killed before reaching the jirga, attended by over 100 ulema. The police were informed, though the family did not file a case. The body was taken to their hometown, Bal Nagor, for burial.
A case against unknown individuals has been filed, and a special police team is investigating the incident. Authorities discourage spreading hate or unverified news on social media. Rauf was part-time teaching at the centre while studying at Turbat University.
Happy Independence weekend! As the independence day draws closer, you’re probably wondering about whether good discounts are being offered by stores to celebrate the joyous day. We have to tell you that there definitely are! Swipe through this list for some good places that are offering amazing discounts which you should check out.
Looking for a classy pair of slippers or khussas that will make your outfit pop? Startlet shoes is currently offering a 25% discount on all of their brands just this weekend! So don’t forget to visit their store!
If jewelry featuring the cresent moon or stars is the aesthetic you’re looking for, then definitely check out this local brand that is offering gorgeous pairs of earrings, necklaces and even rings they are currently displaying on their website. And TBH, these earrings are what we’ll be pairing with our outfits for the rest of the year.
The bright, alluring colors of Gul Ahmed are about to make your Independence weekend a little more joyous than before. The brand is currently offering a discount of 30% on all their collections!
If there is anything a woman wants more than anything in her life, its a crescent and moon ring. Check out this local brand and their gorgeous rings displayed on their Instagram page, which are available at a discount of 30% on their website!
