Category: Politics

News stories of Politics, for the topics that matter the most to young professionals and college students, political news reported with a different angle.

  • VIDEO: ‘No one drives cars as old as our jets,’ Indian air chief says

    VIDEO: ‘No one drives cars as old as our jets,’ Indian air chief says

    Indian Air Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa has exposed the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) weakness by saying that they are still flying 44-year-old MiG-21 fighter jets “when no one even drives cars that old”.

    Addressing a seminar on the modernisation and indigenisation of the IAF, he said even the Russians were not flying the MiGs, but the IAF was because they had “overhauling facilities”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Dhanoa also said the basic version of the Russian fighter jet would be phased out this year, “Hopefully, I will fly the last sortie in September, subject to visibility”.

    Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and later taken into custody in February this year, was also flying the MiG-21 fighter jet.

    Abhinandan’s jet called MiG-21 Bison, however, was an upgraded version of the aircraft.

  • Naya Pakistan: Communications Ministry generates record revenue of Rs43.32 billion in a year

    Naya Pakistan: Communications Ministry generates record revenue of Rs43.32 billion in a year

    The Ministry of Communications has registered over a 52 per cent increase in its annual revenue during the first year of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    According to the one-year performance report of the PTI issued Monday, the ministry generated record revenue of Rs43.32 billion during the fiscal year 2018-19, as compared to Rs28.64 billion in the fiscal year 2017-18, witnessing an increase of over Rs14 billion.

    The ministry has so far recovered Rs7 billion through audits. In addition, a new system containing facilities such as e-billing, e-tendering and a mobile app has been introduced by the ministry to enhance transparency.

    In the head of accountability, total audit recoveries of Rs7.02 billion were made in 2018-19, whereas no recoveries were made in 2017-18.

    A special audit of delayed projects of the National Highway Authority, including Lyari Expressway, Khuzdar-Shahdadkot Highway(M-8), Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab Highway (M-8), Lowari Tunnel (N-45) Civil Works, and Kalat-Quetta-Chaman Highway (N-25) was also ordered.

    During past one year, NHA launched an anti-encroachment drive under which 3,347 encroachments were removed and 448.25-kanal land was recaptured. The estimated cost of the vacated land stood at Rs2.503 billion.

  • Pakistan should threaten Saudi Arabia of destroying Ambani’s oil refinery: Zaid Hamid

    Pakistan should threaten Saudi Arabia of destroying Ambani’s oil refinery: Zaid Hamid

    Self-proclaimed defence and security analyst Zaid Hamid has
    suggested the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government to “threaten
    Saudi Arabia of destroying Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s oil
    refinery” to secure the Kingdom’s support.

    The world is divided as Pakistan and India face-off over
    Kashmir ever since New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of its constitution, robbing
    the disputed territory of its autonomy.

    Hamid’s advice to the government comes after Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the Kingdom might not be standing up in Pakistan’s support since it has hefty investments planned in India.

    Earlier this month, Ambani had announced that his Reliance Industries’ plan to sell 20% stake in its refining and petrochemicals business for $15 billion to Saudi Aramco. The oil refinery has an enterprise value of $75 billion.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Hamid criticised FM Qureshi
    for “making Pakistan’s position weaker in the diplomatic war against India” and
    suggested the government to threaten the Kingdom of destroying the refinery to
    garner its support.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    He further said that Pakistan should threaten Israel of a nuclear
    attack to put India on a short leash.

    “India took Israel and the United States (US) into
    confidence before moving to annex held Kashmir,” he claimed and added that therefore
    Pakistan should target Israel instead of talking to India.

  • India may change its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy: defence minister

    India may change its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy: defence minister

    Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the country may see a major shift in its nuclear weapons doctrine by doing away with the ‘no first use’ policy in the future, a private media outlet reported.

    ‘No first use’ is a pledge by a nuclear power to not use its nuclear weapons as a means of warfare unless first attacked by the opposition using its nuclear arms.

    “Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘no first use’. What happens in future depends on the circumstances,” the Indian defence minister said while addressing a gathering in Pokhran, the site of India’s nuclear tests in 1998.

    In a tweet, Singh added:

    The comments come amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and India ever since New Delhi revoked Article 370 of its constitution and robbed occupied Kashmir of its special status.

    Condemning the move, Pakistan has approached the United Nations (UN) against the development that can pave way for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the disputed valley.

  • Indian media falls for Pakistani meme, fact checks Arya Stark’s picture as ‘Kashmiri girl’

    Indian media falls for Pakistani meme, fact checks Arya Stark’s picture as ‘Kashmiri girl’

    Amid the ongoing unrest in held Kashmir, a viral picture of Game of Thrones (GoT) character Arya Stark being portrayed as a Kashmiri girl, has been fact-checked by Indian media.

    As per the details, the image was first shared by a Twitter handle, “Fan of Zaidu”, mentioning Arya — played by Maisie Williams — as a Kashmiri girl “who had gone blind after being hit by a pellet gun”.

    https://twitter.com/TheZaiduLeaks/status/1157727539873402882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1157727539873402882&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsmobile.in%2Farticles%2F2019%2F08%2F14%2Fpicture-of-gots-arya-stark-shared-as-kashmiri-girl-heres-the-fact-check%2F

    It wasn’t later that the image took the micro-blogging website by storm.

    Despite the handle clearly stating that its tweets are nothing but satire and “100% fake”, Indian media has started doing fact checks over the image, claiming that Pakistan’s premium intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), was “leading the propaganda campaign against India”.

    Moreover, a noted Indian scholar and activist, Madhu Kishwar, has retweeted the image and asked Fact Check India to “confirm if it is real”.

    India TV Editor-In-Chief Rajat Sharma has also accused Pakistan of spreading false propaganda.

    https://twitter.com/TheZaiduLeaks/status/1161722132214308864

    The image comes as tensions soar on either side of the border ever since India robbed occupied Kashmir of its special status. Pakistan fears the move can lead to a Muslim genocide in the troubled valley.

  • Chinese company to provide millions of job, business opportunities to Pakistani women

    Chinese company to provide millions of job, business opportunities to Pakistani women

    Chinese services company, Timesaco, will be providing millions of jobs and business opportunities to women through different e-commerce platforms in six major cities of the country, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    Reports quoted Timesaco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Donald-Li as saying that the company plans to introduce different e-commerce platforms for women, through which they will be able to do different online businesses.

    He said Timesaco’s e-services platform would create millions of jobs for women and help them start their own businesses without any investment.

    Li said that Timesaco’s platform will uplift women living in poverty and facing greater challenges in earning a steady income, educating and feeding their children.

    Earlier it was reported that the company is looking to invest $600m in the country in service sectors. Eyeing opportunity in the country’s transport business, Timesaco has prepared to launch a new ride-hailing service called Buraq Taxi Service across 10 major cities on August 10.

    Devised using a comprehensive strategy to take on the current titans in the market, the taxi service will provide five types of services to customers, including taxi service, heavy cargo delivery, orders delivery, moving automated teller machines (ATM) and vehicle advertisement facilities.

  • Pakpattan’s woman SHO solves 200 rape cases in two months

    Pakpattan’s woman SHO solves 200 rape cases in two months

    Pakpattan district’s first woman Station House Officer (SHO), Kulsoom Fatima, has solved 200 rape and sexual abuse cases within just two months of her appointment, BBC Urdu reported.

    In an interview to BBC, she said that the incidents of sexual abuse of minor girls made her angry, but she was not able to do anything at that time.

    “I got the opportunity. I was appointed as a sub-inspector in Punjab Police after passing the competitive exams,” Fatima said, adding that she had earlier hoped to be in the position one day so she could do something for the little survivours.

    The cop said that she was handed over cases related to women and minor girls — a task she always wanted.

    Pakpattan District Police Officer (DPO) Ibadat Nisar had appointed Fatima as SHO at Model Police Station Daloryam. He said that the appointment of women officers in Pakpattan has helped in dispensing justice to people.

  • Senator vs ISPR: Army rejects claims that Senate vote was ‘hijacked by ISI’

    Senator vs ISPR: Army rejects claims that Senate vote was ‘hijacked by ISI’

    Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has rubbished Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo’s remarks that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief was “involved in manipulating the results” of the no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman.

    The National Party president and losing candidate for Senate chairman slot had on Thursday accused the country’s premier spy agency of hijacking the Senate vote by indulging in horse-trading.

    “Remarks by Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo implicating head of national premier institution are unfounded,” the military spokesperson tweeted Thursday night.

    “The tendency to bring [the] entire democratic process into disrepute for petty political gains doesn’t serve democracy,” he added.

    The response came as Bizenjo’s reply to a journalist’s query, following his shocking defeat in the upper house, started doing rounds over the internet.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “[ISI DG] General Faiz’s people are behind this,” he was heard as saying when asked to name those responsible for the defeat.

    Earlier in the day, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani survived a no-confidence resolution tabled against him by the joint opposition.

    The opposition’s no-trust motion against Sanjrani failed to receive the 53 votes required for his removal even though at the start of the session, 64 senators had stood up in support of the motion.

    Following the secret balloting, it was revealed that the motion received only 50 votes in its favour.

  • Rowing boats, making weapons: Modi to feature on Discovery Channel’s ‘Man vs. Wild’

    Rowing boats, making weapons: Modi to feature on Discovery Channel’s ‘Man vs. Wild’

    Prime minister (PM) of neighbouring India, Narendra Modi, will be seen in a never-seen-before avatar on August 12 when he ventures into his country’s wilderness along with Bear Grylls, the host of Discovery Channel’s popular show “Man vs. Wild”.

    The Discovery Channel has issued a statement saying the
    special episode featuring survivalist and adventurer Grylls and shot in the Uttarakhand’s
    Jim Corbett National Park, will be a “frank and freewheeling
    journey”.

    In a clip of the show that was shared by Grylls on his Twitter account, PM Modi can be seen riding a small dinghy down a river along with the adventure travel show host.

    In another scene, the Indian premier is seen welcoming Grylls to India and holding up a weapon carved out of bamboo and other material collected from the forest and saying, “I will keep this with me for you.”

    To this, Grylls replies with laughter, “You are the most important man in India, my job is to keep you alive.”

    “For years, I have lived among nature, in the mountains and the forests. These years have a lasting impact on my life. So when I was asked about a special show focusing on life beyond politics and that too in the midst of nature I was intrigued to take part in it,” Modi said while speaking about the show.

    He added that the show was a “great opportunity to showcase
    to the world India’s rich environmental heritage and stress on the importance
    of environment conservation and living in harmony with nature”.

  • Naya Pakistan: ‘Gold Boy’ gangster visits police station to see locked-up friend, gets arrested

    Naya Pakistan: ‘Gold Boy’ gangster visits police station to see locked-up friend, gets arrested

    One of the country’s most notorious gangsters, Zafar Khan Supari, nicknamed ‘Gold Boy’ for flaunting gold jewelry and weapons, has been arrested by the police for “obstructing official work”.

    In the episode, which somewhat proves that Supari has lost the power and respect he once enjoyed owing to his strong political clout, the Gold Boy and his friend were locked up by the R.A. Bazaar police in Rawalpindi.

    According to the details, Supari’s friend and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) activist Asad Numberdar tried to hit a rickshaw with his car near a police picket on Harley Street.

    The rickshaw driver, who was going from Lal Kurti towards Bakr Mandi, asked Numberdar why did he do it, following which the latter lost his temper, cocked a pistol and pointed it at the rickshaw driver identified as Sajjad.

    When the personnel on duty at a police picket saw him pointing a pistol at the distraught man, they jumped into action and overpowered Numberdar, who was later brought to the R.A. Bazaar police station and locked-up there.

    It wasn’t later that notorious gangster Zafar Supari walked into the precinct to meet his friend, however, he too was thrown behind bars on charges of obstructing official work.

    According to The Express Tribune, Supari has also been booked in cases of protecting wanted criminals and proclaimed offenders in his locality, besides posing with illegal firearms on social media.

    Numberdar has served a prison sentence for the murder of Raja Shoaib, a nephew of ex-Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat. Police will produce both arrestees before a judge to seek their physical remand for further investigation.