In yet another incident of miscalculation, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that Pakistan enjoys the support of 58 member countries of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) against Indian actions in held Kashmir, while the global rights body only has 47 members.
“I commend the 58 countries that joined Pakistan in Human Rights Council on 10 Sept reinforcing demands of int community for India to stop use of force, lift siege, remove other restrictions, respect & protect Kashmiris’ rights & resolve Kashmir dispute through UNSC resolutions [sic],” the premier tweeted Thursday.
I commend the 58 countries that joined Pakistan in Human Rights Council on 10 Sept reinforcing demands of int community for India to stop use of force, lift siege, remove other restrictions, respect & protect Kashmiris’ rights & resolve Kashmir dispute through UNSC resolutions.
He also welcomed “the EU’s call in the Human Rights Council for a peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute in line with UNSC resolutions, int law and bilateral agreements”.
I welcome the EU’s call in the Human Rights Council for a peaceful solution of the Kashmir dispute in line with UNSC resolutions, int law and bilateral agreements.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar also made the same mistake and said that Pakistan has the support of 58 member countries.
Twitterati, however, didn’t spare the premier. Expectedly, within a short time, several people started pointing out the error and poking fun at him. Here’s what they tweeted:
Isn’t the UN Human Rights Council made of 47 countries? However, there are 58 countries that PM wants to thank. I think he is counting the djinns too.. https://t.co/uD8OSAF2sm
Previously, PM Imran had found himself in a similar soup when, at a conference, he said that Germany and Japan are immediate neighbours who share a border.
“Germany and Japan killed millions of their civilians until after the Second World War when they decided that they would have, on the border region of Germany and Japan, joint industries,” he had said.
We all know that Cows are sacred for Hindus but now an Indian experthas come forward to claim that covering yourself with its dung or urine can save you from nuclear radiations.
The expert claims that NASA’s research has proved what he’s saying, and you can also google it. He further went on to claim that cow’s dung, urine, its breath, and everything is pure and purity gives birth to purity.
The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee, chaired by two-time Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, has selected crime thriller Laal Kabootar as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars.
The Oscar committee which includes Zeba Bakhtiar, Zarrar Khuhro, Sarmad Khoosat, Asim Abbasi, Rizwan Beyg and Sanam Saeed among others chose the film to be submitted for Oscar consideration in the ‘International Feature Film Award’ category for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Laal Kabootar features Ahmed Ali Akbar and Mansha Pasha in the lead roles. Ahmed plays a taxi-driver, looking for a way out of Karachi while Mansha plays Aliya, a strong-headed woman navigating through the city. The film was well-received both critically and commercially.
The film has been directed by Kamal Khan while Hania Chima and Kamil Chima were the executive producers.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will choose the final nominees for all award categories including International Feature Film in December 2019. The complete and final list of Oscar nominees will be announced on 13th January 2020 with the presentation show for the 92nd Academy Awards scheduled to take place on 9th February 2020.
Speaking about the selection, producers Kamil and Hania said, “This is very exciting news. This is a moment of immense pride for the entire team, from the investors who put their faith in us, to the cast and crew that worked tirelessly to tell a daring story.”
Meanwhile, committee member Sarmad Khoosat was all praises for the film remarking, “Laal Kabootar is an authentic representation of the new wave cinema in Pakistan. Karachi’s raw and fierce beauty has never been shown like this on screen before.”
Daughter of Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and sister of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been convicted for making her bodyguard beat and humiliate a local craftsman who was renovating her luxury apartment in Paris three years ago.
According to CNN, a French court handed Princess Hassa bint Salman Al Saud a 10-month suspended sentence and a fine of $11,000. She was sentenced in absentia and found guilty of armed violence and complicity to hold someone against their will. Meanwhile, Salman’s bodyguard was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and directed to pay a fine of $5,600.
Ashraf Eid, an Egyptian-born French national, had alleged that the princess’s bodyguard attacked him after she accused him of taking photos and videos of her in September 2016. He alleged the guard hit him, tied up his wrists, put a gun to his head and ordered him to kiss the princess’s feet.
Eid previously said he was working in a bathroom in the apartment on Paris’ exclusive Avenue Foch and took photographs of the furniture “for reference” when he noticed the princess’s reflection in the mirror. He shared that when the princess saw him, she allegedly ordered her bodyguard to take his phone. Eid claimed that the bodyguard then manhandled him and kicked him in the face.
Eid further added that the princess insulted him, saying, “You’re all the same, bastards, dogs. You’ll see how you should speak to a princess, how one should speak to the royal family.”
He said that the bodyguard then put a gun to the back of his head and gave him two choices: “Kiss the princess’s feet or risk further assault.”
After he was released from the apartment, Eid registered a complaint with the police who questioned the princess for two hours before letting her go. Three days later, she left the country.
Hassa’s lawyer denied all the charges and said that the princess is “totally innocent of the allegations that have been made against her.” He added that they would file for an appeal.
Acclaimed writer and son of Indian journalist Tavleen Singh and former governor Salmaan Taseer, Aatish Taseer has written a controversial piece for Vanity Fair. From interviewing PM Khan’s former wife Reham Khan to singer Ali Zafar, Taseer is being severely criticised for writing a puff piece with quotes from an ex-wife and a singer accused of sexual harassment.
Aatish Taseer
The Current decided to sum up the major points from his article.
1. Pakistan’s first lady Bushra Bibi has two jinns
According to a journalist who has not been named, Bushra Bibi, known as “Pinky Peerni” has two jinns and when people seek her guidance, she asks them for “great vats of cooked meat,” that she “fed to the jinns she has kept at her disposal”.
Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s Nikkah – Feb ’18
2. Khan married Bushra Bibi because of a dream
When PM Khan sought guidance from Bushra Bibi, according to Taseer, she told him that she had had a dream and according to the dream, “it was imperative he be married to the right woman—i.e., a member of Maneka’s own family.”
Taseer then relates that Bushra “offered her sister to Khan,” as well as her daughter. PM Khan refused and “then Maneka went away to dream again…and the voice in her head told her that she, Bushra Maneka, a married woman and a mother of five, was the wife Imran Khan needed.”
According to the article, Bushra Bibi’s husband Khawar Maneka, “agreed to give her a divorce,” so she could marry Khan.
Imran Khan pictured in Bani Gala in 2012
3. “I have seen women from the age of just 6 to 60 going crazy over him”
Long-time friend Yousaf Salahuddin tells Taseer that Khan was a very wanted man in his younger days and girls as young as six years were crazy about him. This quote was inserted in a paragraph that describes Khan as a sex symbol.
4. Zulfi Bokhari refused to give Taseer an interview with Khan
Taseer said that he approached close aide and Special Assistant to the PM on Overseas Pakistanis, Zulfi Bokhari to set up an interview with PM Khan. But “when I spoke to Zulfi Bokhari, a frequenter of nightclubs from the London days… he sought assurances that my piece would be positive; otherwise, he told me, it would be his a** on the line. A few days later, Bokhari WhatsApped me: “Unfortunately the PM has said he can’t do it right now. Perhaps in the near future.”
5. Khan was envious of Benazir’s death
Taseer writes that when Benazir Bhutto died in 2007, Khan came to Pakistan a few days later “with a French girlfriend” and had been “photographed poolside in swimming trunks as his country was engulfed in trauma”.
Imran Khan sunbathing at Godrej bungalow at Juhu in Mumbai on 28 Dec. 2007
Taseer also mentions the time when he met Khan alone after BB’s death, Khan said that God had saved Benazir. Khan said that BB, in making a deal with General Musharraf had done, “the most immoral thing you could have done. So this thing has come as a blessing for her.” Taseer asked Khan what he meant by “this thing” and Khan replied, “Death,” as a matter-of-fact. Then, with what sounded almost like envy, he added, “Benazir has become a martyr. She has become immortal.”
6. Khan identified himself as a “liberal”
In a discussion with singer Ali Zafar, Khan said that he was “a liberal” and said about his “right-wing” tilt that, “you just can’t talk about those issues so openly, because you’re going to be penalized for it.”
Khan told Ali that “You know me…I’m a liberal; I’ve got friends in India; I’ve got friends who are atheists. But you’ve got to be careful here,” meaning Pakistan.
Social media had mixed reactions to Taseer’s account.
That Vanity Fair article was less about Imran Khan and more an excuse for Aatish Taseer to name-drop how many of the rich and privileged he knew.
Ppl outraging over this need to: a) read Vanity Fair to understand their brand of interviews/profiles — its not an academic journal, folks; and b) need to finally come out as ‘Insafians’ of the youth variety
I’m not sure why there is so much backlash against this piece @AatishTaseer piece from both pro and anti-PTI people. I think it is well written and has some important insights: https://t.co/fDQ6tiJUzx
Beautifully written but really, after being in the politics for over two decades, should we be concerned about Imran Khan’s past or worry about the future he has planned for this country? https://t.co/YgkMlX0JX3
Amid reports claiming that Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar will soon be sacked by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, his spokesperson, Dr Shahbaz Gill, has resigned from office.
“I hereby resign from the post of official spokesperson to Punjab CM,” Gill stated in a handwritten note submitted to the office of the provincial chief executive.
Initially, Gill did not cite any reason behind his abrupt decision, however, reports quoted the former spokesperson as saying that “it was difficult for him to defend the poor performance of the Punjab government”.
In a tweet posted earlier in the day, Gill had said that he would be sharing an “important decision” very soon.
This morning took an important decision. Inshallah will share with you soon.
Shahid Afridi, Humayun Saeed, Maya Ali, Hareem Farooq, Shehzad Roy, Faakhir and Javed Sheikh have landed in Muzaffarabad to participate in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Kashmir Solidarity Rally.
PM Imran on Wednesday had announced that he will hold “a big jalsa in Muzzafarabad on Friday 13 Sept, to send a message to the world about the continuing siege” of Indian occupied Kashmir and “to show the Kashmiris that Pakistan stands resolutely with them.”
I am going to do a big jalsa in Muzzafarabad on Friday 13 Sept, to send a message to the world about the continuing siege of IOJK by Indian Occupation forces; & to show the Kashmiris that Pakistan stands resolutely with them.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has banned the use of mobile phones in Peshawar’s Bacha Khan Airport’s restricted areas, the apron (where the planes are parked, unloaded or loaded, refuelled, or boarded) and lounges.
The new rule has been introduced after a video showing passengers climbing onto the luggage conveyor belt and crossing over into the baggage area went viral. The passengers, who had landed in Peshawar from Saudi Arabia, were impatient for their bottles of Ab-e-Zamzam and decided the airport staff was taking too long to give it to them. Hence, they decided to climb onto the conveyor belts.
According to the CAA notification, “not obeying this new rule will result in airport entry passes being confiscated. The matter will [also] be taken up with the higher authorities of the concerned department/functionary”
The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased 2.2 per cent on a weekly basis, data released by the central bank has revealed.
According to The Express Tribune, the reserves had earlier spiralled downwards, falling below the $7 billion mark, which raised concern over Pakistan’s ability to meet its financing requirements. However, financial assistance from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and other friendly nations helped shore up the foreign exchange reserves.
On September 6, the foreign currency reserves held by the SBP were recorded at $8,462.3 million, up by $181.8 million compared with $8,280.5 million in the previous week. The central bank cited official inflows as the reason for the increase in reserves.
Overall, liquid foreign currency reserves, held by the country, including net reserves held by banks other than the SBP, stood at $15,751.7 million. Net reserves held by banks amounted to $7,289.4 million.
Pakistan received the first loan tranche of $991.4 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on July 9, which helped bolster the reserves. Previously, the reserves had jumped on account of $2.5 billion in inflows from China.
Over time, the declining reserves have forced the central bank to let the rupee depreciate massively, sparking concern about the country’s ability to finance a hefty import bill as well as meet debt obligations in coming months.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is facing massive criticism from prominent South Asian lawyers, human rights activists and philanthropists in the United States (US) after it announced to honour Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi with an award, The Guardian reported.
According to the details, the foundation is said to give Modi “The Global Goalkeeper” award for his “Clean India Programme” under which millions of toilets were set up and benefits of sanitation and hygiene were publicised.
Reacting to the news about the award, a group of South Asian Americans working in philanthropy on Tuesday wrote an open letter to the Gates Foundation, alleging that Modi had effectively confined millions to their communities.
The letter also urged the organisation to rescind the award.
“For over a month now, PM Modi has placed 8 million people in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) under house arrest, blocked communications and media coverage to the outside world, detained thousands of people, including children, and denied basic benefits,” said the letter.
The award comes amid growing criticism of detention and deportation of Muslims in Assam and Kashmir and human rights violations in IoK since August 5 under Modi’s rule have made front pages around the world.
While Modi’s government claims that the programme has given 90% of Indians access to clean toilets, press reports suggest otherwise. Reports claim that many of the newly-built toilets remain unused because of poor access to water and caste rules that restrict people from cleaning them.
