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  • Currency worth Rs3 crores was being smuggled on PK8303; discovered in PIA plane’s debris

    Currency worth Rs3 crores was being smuggled on PK8303; discovered in PIA plane’s debris

    In a shocking development, local and foreign currency amounting to Rs30 million was allegedly being smuggled in the plane that crashed in a Karachi neighbourhood on May 22, a spokesperson of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has claimed.

    “Local and foreign currency worth millions of rupees was recovered from the crash site,” said the spokesperson, adding that a total of Rs30 million had been recovered from three separate bags.

    The PIA official said that such an amount cannot be transported without informing the airline and that an extra seat ticket needs to be purchased for transporting such huge amounts of cash. “A passenger cannot carry it in their luggage or cabin baggage.”

    He said for such large amounts of cash, a passenger has to be seated next to the cash but no passenger had brought an extra seat.

    So far, three people have come forward to claim the money, the spokesperson said.

  • Coronavirus equipment to US was sent by armed forces, not govt: Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal

    Coronavirus equipment to US was sent by armed forces, not govt: Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal

    National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has clarified that the personal protective equipment (PPE) sent to the United States (US) as a gesture of solidarity amid the coronavirus pandemic, was by the country’s armed forces and not the government, Dawn reported.

    The consignment of PPE arrived at Andrew Air Force Base (AFB), Maryland Via C-130 flight from Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Dr Asad Majeed Khan, and senior officers of the embassy’s defence wing were present at the airport.

    Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey with other American officials were also present on the airbase.

    On the occasion, Ambassador Khan referred to the cordial ties between the people of two countries and their armed forces.

    He said that armed forces of both countries fought together in the global war on terrorism and would stand together in the fight against COVID-19 too.

    The Pakistani envoy said that it was a manifestation of the longstanding and close cooperation between the armed forces of both countries, particularly in dealing with the natural calamity.

    The equipment has been handed over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for delivery to the US Armed Forces.

  • ‘Murree Brewery is a juice brand’: BOL clarifies how beverages manufacturer sponsored its Iftar

    ‘Murree Brewery is a juice brand’: BOL clarifies how beverages manufacturer sponsored its Iftar

    BOL Network, which many deem as one of the country’s most controversial media outlets, has clarified its position after a viral screen grab from its Iftar transmission, showing Pakistan’s popular alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages manufacturer Murree Brewery as a sponsor, caused outrage over the internet.

    “Iftar sponsored by: Murree Brewery” could be seen popping up on television screens during BOL’s transmission in Ramzan as the channel hosted religious scholars, clerics and celebrities for Iftar every day.

    Here’s what Twitterati had to say about it:

    https://twitter.com/salarzai_/status/1262483061108871173

    https://twitter.com/FarazYasin97/status/1264691048699305989

    “Murree Brewery is a juice manufacturer,” actor Danish Taimoor clarified as he hosted his game show on BOL with host of the Iftar transmission in the hotseat.

    While it was also pointed out by several Twitterati that Murree Brewery also manufactured non-alcoholic beverages, Taimoor went on to name some of the juices and other non-alcoholic drinks by the beverages manufacturer.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “People are assuming its just alcohol. But as Muslims, we cannot even think of doing it,” he said as the host of the Ramzan transmission also clarified and said he had also apologised during his own show and the logo had been removed.

    “It was a misunderstanding and we cannot even think of doing something of the sort,” the two reiterated.

  • ‘Searching for mother’s body a nightmare’: Desperate pleas for help after losing family in PIA crash

    ‘Searching for mother’s body a nightmare’: Desperate pleas for help after losing family in PIA crash

    As Fazal Rahman, 80, and his wife, Wahida Rahman, 74, boarded a plane in on Friday, their family’s biggest fear was that they might get catch the coronavirus on their way to spend the holiday in Karachi.

    Instead the couple, who had been married for 54 years, were among the 97 people killed when an Airbus A-320, operated by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), crashed into a Karachi neighbourhood — country’s worst air disaster since 2012.

    READ: PK8303 — not the first: Timeline of major Pakistani air crashes

    “We held many calls deliberating with doctors and family […] Our biggest concern was that they made the trip safely,” said their son, Inamur Rahman, who instead of welcoming his parents for the Eidul Fitr holidays found himself picking through the wreckage of flight PK-8303 praying for a miracle.

    https://twitter.com/SiddiquiNaveid/status/1265341000987394050

    “I got in my car and followed the smoke and the ambulances,” said Rahman. “When I saw the area, I realised that it would be a miracle if they had made it,” he added.

    “I lost both my parents in this tragic & horrific crash. I submit to Allah’s will. However the ordeal we are suffering at the hands of #PIA is inexcusable. Callous, Insensitive, incompetent…. #PIAPlaneCrash [sic],” tweeted his brother, Adil Rahman.

    There were two survivors from onboard the aircraft, while no fatalities were reported on the ground in the densely packed neighborhood of multi-story homes abutting the eastern edge of Jinnah International Airport where the plane came down.

    More than two dozen homes were damaged as the airliner roared in, leaving a tangle of severed electric cables and exposed rebar — a broken wing rested against the side of a home, an engine on the ground nearby.

    The jet fuel set the wreckage ablaze, along with homes and vehicles, sending black smoke into the sky, a Reuters witness said.

    Crowds rushed to the site, relatives searching for loved ones, rescue workers and the curious. Scores of ambulances and fire-engines jammed the narrow, debris-cluttered streets.

    One rescue worker told Reuters two bodies were found with oxygen masks on. Many bodies pulled from the wreckage were charred beyond recognition.

    Airline’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Air Marshal Arshad Malik said on Friday the last message from the pilot indicated a technical problem. A team from Airbus is due to arrive to investigate, a PIA spokesperson said.

    SCREAMS AND FIRE:

    Shahid Ahmed, 45, was at the airport waiting for his mother to arrive. When he reached the crash site he saw rescuers retrieving bodies and people taking selfies.

    “There was no one responsible at the site, people were busy posing for pictures,” said a distraught Ahmed, who lost his mother, Dilshad Begum, 75, who was also flying to Karachi for Eid.

    After scouring the site and failing to find his mother, Ahmed went to look for her in hospitals.

    There was no list of the dead or injured at any of the hospitals, it was all chaos and mismanagement,” said Ahmed, who sobbed as he recounted the ordeal.

    “Searching for our mother’s body was a nightmare.”

    READ: ‘Ertuğrul’, Bollywood stars react to PIA crash

    One of the survivors, engineer Muhammad Zubair, told a local media outlet the pilot came down to land, briefly touched down, then pulled up again.

    He announced he was going to make a second try shortly before the plane crashed, Zubair said from the hospital.

    “I could hear screams from all directions. Kids and adults. All I could see was a fire. I couldn’t see any people – just hear their screams,” he said.

    PLEA FOR HELP:

    Meanwhile, Arif Ali Faruqui says his entire world came crashing down just two days before Eid as his wife and three children were also onboard the ill-fated plane.

    In a video message, Faruqui of Lahore asked Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to help him in identifying the remains of his family while casting doubt over the handling of the DNA sampling by authorities.

    “If I hadn’t identified my wife or daughter’s bodies, the authorities could have handed over the remains of the wrong people,” says Faruqui in a video message that, according to The Express Tribune, has gone viral.

    He urged PM Imran to take action against the “red tape and bureaucracy” faced by people who lost loved ones in the crash.

    Faruqui says his wife wanted to spend Eid in Karachi with her mother, who has terminal cancer.

    “The decision to send the kids was taken very late as they wanted to see their grandmother,” he told.

    READ: PIA crash survivor recalls what happened

    Sitting outside the emergency ward of Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital in, he broke down while narrating his ordeal.

    “The process for getting death certificates and collecting remains is extremely insensitive and inept,” said Faruqui, who had to identify the charred remains of his family.

    After facing delays in the handing over of remains of identified family members, Faruqui says he is being harassed by police as the burial took place without issuance of death certificate.

    “I was questioned for 90 minutes and the document is still not issued,” he told

    There is also a trust deficit between authorities, he added. “Two separate teams of Sindh and Punjab are conducting DNA tests.” He added that some people had even taking remains from the morgue without confirmation of identity.

  • PIA crash survivor recalls what happened

    PIA crash survivor recalls what happened

    One of the two people to survive a plane crash in Karachi that killed 97 people has described jumping from the burning wreckage of the aircraft after it hurtled into a residential neighborhood.

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane came down among houses on Friday after both engines failed as it approached Karachi airport, the airline said.

    Its wings sliced through rooftops, sending flames and plumes of smoke into the air as it crashed onto a street, sparking a rescue operation that lasted into the night.

    Commercial flights in the country resumed only days ago, ahead of Eidul Fitr, after planes were grounded during a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.

    “After it hit and I regained consciousness, I saw fire everywhere and no one was visible,” Mohammad Zubair, 24, said from his hospital bed in a video clip circulated on social media.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “The cries were everywhere and everybody was trying to survive. I undid my seat belt and I saw some light and tried to walk towards it. Then I jumped out.”

    Zubair had suffered burns but was in a stable condition, a health ministry official said.

    The airline named the other survivor as the president of the Bank of Punjab (BoP), Zafar Masud.

    The health ministry for Sindh on Saturday confirmed that the 97 bodies recovered from the crash site had been on the plane.

    At least 19 had been identified so far, while DNA testing was being carried out at the University of Karachi to help name the rest of the victims.

    A local hospital earlier reported it had received the bodies of people killed on the ground.

    The disaster comes as Pakistanis prepare to celebrate Eid, with many traveling to their homes in cities and villages.

    “Eid has become meaningless not only for Karachi but the whole of Pakistan,” said Ziaul Huq Qamar, who lives near the crash site.

    Several members of the armed forces who were flying home to their families to celebrate the holiday were among the dead, the military said.

    Shahbaz Hussain said his mother, who was also among the victims, had been flying back to Karachi after becoming stranded by the lockdown in Lahore while visiting her daughters.

  • Punjab ‘controls’ coronavirus numbers by sending lab staff on Eid holidays, resulting in less testing

    Punjab ‘controls’ coronavirus numbers by sending lab staff on Eid holidays, resulting in less testing

    The secret behind the sudden drop in number of new coronavirus cases being reported in Punjab has been revealed as journalist Amber Rahim Shamsi quoted Punjab Minister for Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skill Development Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal as saying that lab workers had been given Eid holidays, resulting in less testing.

    After easing lockdown restrictions, Punjab has generously announced six Eidul Fitr holidays from May 22 to May 27, which means the rate of increase in the number of cases in Punjab started going down Friday as lab personnel, who had been working tough shifts since the outbreak began, started getting off work and heading home to celebrate Eid with their families.

    The number of COVID-19 infections in Punjab, which increased from 13,914 to 14,584 from May 16 to May 18 and then 16,685 on May 20, stood at 18,455 on Friday with over a thousand cases being reported every day since May 17-18.

    However, the same number on Saturday stands at 18,730 with an increase of just 275 cases — unlike what trends had suggested.

    “It is true that labs have started working at a lower capacity that is leading to the number of cases going unreported as of yet,” a provincial health official told The Current on the condition of anonymity. They refused to comment on the government’s decision of allowing Eid holidays to lab personnel, but said it was a much-needed relief.

    “Things will get back to normal and the testing capacity will be restored after… or maybe even during Eid,” the official added.

    By the time this report was filed, the total number of coronavirus infections in Pakistan stood at 52,437 with 1,101 deaths. Sindh topped the chart with 20,883 cases, followed by Punjab with 18,730 infections, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 7,391 and Balochistan with 3,198. Islamabad had reported 1,457 cases while Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) and Azad Kashmir had 607 and 171 infections, respectively.

  • PK8303 — not the first: Timeline of major Pakistani air crashes

    PK8303 — not the first: Timeline of major Pakistani air crashes

     

    At least 97 people have been killed after an Airbus A320 passenger airliner crashed into a residential neighbourhood while on approach to the airport in Karachi.

    Only two male passengers of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK8303 from Lahore to Karachi survived the crash that wasn’t the first in Pakistan’s history, and, unfortunately, might not be the last.

    The country has a chequered aviation safety record, and here is a timeline of the air crash tragedies that shook Pakistan.

    May 20, 1965

    PIA Boeing 707 crashes during inaugural flight while attempting to land at Cairo airport, killing 124 passengers.

    August 6, 1970

    PIA Fokker F27 aircraft crashes while attempting to take off from Islamabad in a thunderstorm, killing 30 on board.

    December 8, 1972

    Another PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Rawalpindi, leaving all 26 passengers dead.

    November 26, 1979

    A PIA Boeing 707 bringing home Pakistani Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia crashes shortly after take off from Jeddah airport, killing 156 people.

    October 23, 1986

    PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Peshawar, leaving 13 out of 54 passengers dead.

    August 25, 1989

    Another PIA Fokker crashes in Gilgit with 54 people on board. The wreckage was never found.

    September 28, 1992

    A PIA Airbus A300 crashes while approaching Kathmandu after the plane descended too early, killing 167 people.

    July 10, 2006

    PIA Fokker F27 crashes in Multan shortly after take off, killing 45 people.

    July 28, 2010

    Airblue Airbus 321 from Karachi crashes in Margalla Hills outside Islamabad, leaving all 152 passengers dead.

    April 20, 2012

    A Bhoja Air Airbus 737 from Karachi crashes in Islamabad due to bad weather, killing all 127 passengers.

    December 7, 2016

    PIA ATR-42 aircraft flying from Chitral to Islamabad, crashes near Abbottabad. 48 people died in the incident, including singer-turned-preacher Junaid Jamshed.

    Friday’s tragic episode was the first commercial airliner crash since 2016. There have, however, been a number of chartered and military jet crashes.

  • COAS Gen Bajwa ‘takes notice’ of misbehaviour of army colonel’s wife towards police

    COAS Gen Bajwa ‘takes notice’ of misbehaviour of army colonel’s wife towards police

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has reportedly taken notice of the mistreatment of police personnel by a woman claiming to be the wife of an army colonel, a video of which went viral on social media on Wednesday night.

    According to journalist Gharidah Farooqi, Gen Bajwa has ordered “prompt disciplinary action” against the military officer.

    “[The case of the] video of a serving military officer’s wife misbehaving with police at a check post on Hazara Motorway. COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa takes prompt notice. Immediate disciplinary action initiated against the officer concerned,” she tweeted while welcoming the army chief’s decision.

    It was also tweeted by Senator Rehman Malik of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    “We must appreciate the prompt notice taken by Gen Qamar Javed Bajawa by ordering disciplinary action against the officer whose family misbehaved with the police,” he said, adding that the development spoke volumes of the army’s accountability system.

    READ: Inflation: Armed forces demand 20 per cent increase in salaries

    On Wednesday night, a viral video showed a woman misbehaving with police officials at a check post on Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) after she was stopped for what netizens say were security reasons.

    Claiming to be a colonel’s wife, the woman seemed insulted as she launched verbal attacks against the cops who continued to calm her down. The woman was also seen maneuvering her car at the police personnel until finally driving off after removing the barricade.

    WATCH VIDEO [STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING]:

    As ‘#ColonelKiBiwi’ trends on Twitter in Pakistan, a group of netizens has claimed that the woman’s husband, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Farooq Khan, has also had a similar reaction to police officers conducting their job and doing a routine security check.

    READ: From interior to info, health, telecom, power, civil aviation among others: Military men serving Pakistan

    While The Current has not yet been able to independently verify the claim, here’s a video of the woman’s alleged husband.

    Support is pouring in for the cops who were and are mistreated by those who think they are above the law, as people demand an end to the culture.

    Have anything to add to the story? Let The Current know in the comments.

  • NAB to host hi-tea for all its prisoners on Eid

    NAB to host hi-tea for all its prisoners on Eid

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will give “relief” to its prisoners by offering hi-tea on Eid day, a statement issued by the anti-graft watchdog has revealed.

    “Keeping its past tradition alive, the bureau has arranged hi-tea for all detained suspects and they will also be presented bouquets on Eid day,” a NAB spokesperson said Wednesday.

    The bureau said it had decided to present bouquets to all its suspects detained at Kot Lakhpat and Camp jails on judicial remand. It said the bureau was doing so out of a goodwill gesture.

    Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz, Jang/Geo Media Group editor-in-chief Mir Shakilur Rehman and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) former director general Ahad Cheema are among the prominent NAB suspects on judicial remand.

    Meanwhile, a report in a local English daily has claimed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suspects a serious foul play behind sudden appearance and circulation of a fake draft purported as a government bill that undermined its efforts to fix anomalies in the accountability regime.

    The report quoted a member of the cabinet as saying that the issue of NAB amendments had been pushed to the back burner yet again and now the government would see after Eid what could be done. The PTI government had recently decided to consult all stakeholders, including the opposition parties, to amend NAB law either through an ordinance or if possible by convening a session of parliament to carry out the required legislation.

  • VIDEO: Woman shot ‘five times’ in Lahore’s posh Model Town colony in broad daylight

    VIDEO: Woman shot ‘five times’ in Lahore’s posh Model Town colony in broad daylight

    A woman was shot and injured in what was allegedly a robbery incident in the posh Model Town neighbourhood of Lahore.

    According to the details, a robber shot and injured the woman at an ATM and made off with cash from her at the colony’s Bank Square market.

    “The robber intercepted the woman and demanded cash and upon resistance, he opened firing leaving the woman injured,” an eyewitness said.

    Rescue 1122 responded to the emergency and shifted the victim to Hameed Latif Hospital while police reached the crime scene and collected forensic evidence.

    An official, on the condition of anonymity, told The Current that while it seemed like a robbery, it is highly unlikely for robbers to shoot a victim multiple times and that too in broad daylight.

    Meanwhile, an Instagram user, who claims to know the woman, has shared further details of the alleged robbery and an update on the victim’s health while also posting a horrifying video of the incident.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    View this post on Instagram

    This is a real footage of a beloved family member being shot five times in broad daylight in model town. Shehla Malik (former principal Divisional Public School) Shehli Api as we call her as she is our very close family member was shot five times outside a bank in a money looting spree. The shooter showed no mercy on her and kept shooting her to take off her bangles. I’m shocked and appalled at this ghastly act which also shows the real picture of disparity and how people are acting up in the times of corona outbreak and subsequent lockdown. It could have been anyone of us. Our shehli Api is a strong woman who has braved many a storms and thankfully her operation has been successful. Please do pray for her quick recovery as she’s a mother of two very young children. I hope that some sense prevail we should be careful while stepping out of the house. May allah keep all of us in His rehmat (Ameen) PS she didn’t put up any resistance but when the robber was taking off her bangle it got stuck in her hand and she screamed in pain when he began to shoot in panic .. (disclosed by shehli Api) in the hospital? it’s a huge shout out and word of thanks to my dear colleagues who helped while she was being shifted to services hospital @get.glamorized @social.inc @drushnahabib #stayhome #staysafe #quarantine #robbery #modeltown

    A post shared by Rubia Moghees (@rubiamoghees) on

    Further investigation is underway.

    It merits a mention here that while coronavirus lockdowns across the country have seen a significant decrease in street crime, experts believe such incidents of robberies are being led to owing to the economic crisis due to the pandemic.