Category: Uncategorized

  • Nawaz muted as PEMRA bans airing of speeches by absconding, proclaimed offenders

    Nawaz muted as PEMRA bans airing of speeches by absconding, proclaimed offenders

    Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Thursday barred television channels from airing the speeches of the absconding accused and proclaimed offenders.

    The regulatory body in a handout barred to broadcast the speeches and interviews of proclaimed offenders and absconders on national television. PEMRA also barred the broadcast of any sort of debate on the possible outcome of the undergoing trials.

    The decision has come after the speeches of the absconding three-time prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif were broadcast on the national television and the government demanded the authorities to take notice of it.

    Nawaz was seen “laughing the ban off”.

    https://twitter.com/MurtazaViews/status/1311709224045604864?s=19

    “A lot more might follow,” he said during an informal conversation with journalists in London.

    In October 2019, PEMRA directed all satellite television channels licensees to form an in-house committee to ensure compliance with the Electronic Media Code of Conduct, 2015.

    The directives issued by PEMRA said that TV channels should ensure deployment of effective time delay mechanism and an impartial and independent Monitoring Committee or Editorial Board be constituted, as required under clause 17 of Electronic Media (Programs and Advertisement) Code of Conduct 2015, Radio Pakistan reported.

    The news channels’ owners have been asked not to allow their platform to be used by anyone to mislead the public through disinformation conjecturing and speculations.

    PEMRA warned the media owners that licencees shall be held responsible for any biased, unfair analysis or propaganda against the judiciary and state institutions by their employees.

    It also advised media channels to invite participants with due care, having credibility as fair and unbiased analysts with requisite knowledge and expertise on the subject matter.

  • Dilip Kumar recalls memories of his ancestral home in Peshawar

    Dilip Kumar recalls memories of his ancestral home in Peshawar

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s decision to buy and restore the house of Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar located in Peshawar’s historical Qissa Khwani Bazaar – or Street of Storytellers – has won the actor’s heart who took to social media to express his excitement. The legendary actor also requested his fans residing in Peshawar to share photos of his ancestral house on Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/TheDilipKumar/status/1311217944764973056?s=20

    Later, Kumar’s manager Faisal Farooqui penned a thread on Kumar’s “sentiments on his ancestral home” which he had shared in a blog post in 2011.

    “I am at once full of fond remembrances of my parents, grandparents and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins who filled the house with the sounds of their chatter and hearty laughter,” Kumar, 97, had written in his blog.

    “I have memories of the sitting room where the family gathered for high tea in the evenings, the large room where the ladies prayed, the terrace, the bedrooms, everything. I can vividly recall the piggy rides on my grandfather’s back and the scary stories my grandmother cooked up to forbid me from wandering out of the house alone,” he wrote further.

    Dilip Kumar’s home

    He continued: “I have lovely memories of Qissa Khwani Bazaar, where I received my first lessons in storytelling, which later provided the impetus to choose meaty stories and scripts for my work. Every day as the trading closed in the market of Qissa Khwani Bazaar, a storyteller would sit in the centre of the square narrating stories of valour and victory, deceit and retribution which I would listen to with wide-eyed attention, seated next to my father and uncles.”

    Restoration work underway

    As per the latest reports, the Peshawar district administration visited Kumar’s house as well as the Kapoor Haveli on Wednesday for a survey and measurements. According to details, the deputy commissioner and revenue staff will determine the value of the land. Both buildings are in dilapidated conditions. While only the outer walls of Kumar’s house remain, the Kapoor Haveli is in a better condition. The owners of the houses had planned to demolish them and build plazas instead but the government has registered cases against the owners and prevented them from tearing them down. Reports have further suggested that the owner of the house has demanded Rs 2 billion for Kumar’s house.

    Kapoor Haveli

    The Archaeology Department has already allocated funds to buy the houses and plans to restore them and convert them into museums are already underway. According to details, the museums will feature biographies and photographs of the actors, their affiliation with Peshawar, along with other records of the two artists and their families.

    Director of KP’s Archeology and Museums Department Dr Abdul Samad said that the plan to restore the Havelis is “part of the Peshawar revival plan.”

    Read more – Rishi Kapoor’s unfulfilled wish: a visit to Pakistan

    Earlier, Kumar’s wife Saira Banu had praised the government’s decision to restore her husband’s childhood home.

    Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu

    “I wish the provincial government success in its efforts and sincerely hope that this time the dream comes true. MashAllah,” the actor had said. “My heart fills up with joy each time I receive the same news about the ancestral home of Yousuf Saheb in Peshawar which the provincial government has been repeatedly trying to turn into a monument for posterity. It has come up so many times in the past and I have appreciated the tenacity with which the government is pursuing the mission of turning the house into a museum for the public to visit and feel the vintage charm of the house where Dilip Saheb grew up like any bright boy of the province.”

    It is pertinent to mention here that Shah Rukh Khan’s ancestral home is also located in the old city of Peshawar. Khan is reported to have visited the city twice during his childhood.

  • VIDEO: Nawaz distances himself from Khawaja Asif’s remarks, says he does trust Zardari

    Deposed prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has reiterated his trust in Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari after stalwart Khawaja Asif attacked the former president saying he could not be trusted.

    “I have a lot of respect for Asif Zardari in my heart. Zardari is part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and I absolutely respect him in my heart and I don’t know if Khawaja Asif made a statement against Zardari or not,” the PML-N supreme leader told The News.

    When told that Khawaja Asif had actually said that he doesn’t trust Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz said that his party leader’s remarks about the former president were not PML-N’s party policy. “I have expressed to you the sentiments I have in my heart.”

    Earlier, Asif had cast shadows of doubts on opposition parties’ newly formed alliance, the PDM.

    “It is difficult for me to trust him [Zardari] even today,” he said in a private news channel talk show.

    The PML-N leader said that he still has qualms about Zardari and his opinion of the former president has not changed.

  • We have broken free of British colonisers only to be enslaved by our own: Nawaz

    We have broken free of British colonisers only to be enslaved by our own: Nawaz

    In yet another provoking, strong-worded address, deposed prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif has said that the people of Pakistan have been “enslaved by their own”.

    In his second virtual address in less than two weeks, Nawaz said he has been informed that “someone else” was running the parliament houses, in lieu of its members.

    “People tell me that someone else is running the parliament. Other people come and give directions about the day’s agenda and voting on bills etc,” he said while addressing the central executive committee of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) almost two weeks after marking his return to the political ring with a fiery speech to a gathering of the opposition parties, taking the military establishment head-on.

    Nawaz has been residing in London since November last year on the pretext of medical treatment.

    In another video shared by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, the former premier said that a colonel could be seen hiding his face during the hearing of a case against him by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

    “What was the reason behind hiding his face? You were being insincere that is why you hid your face,” he said.

    The speech comes days after Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed rocked the domestic political landscape by revealing the closet meetings between the military leadership and the opposition parties.

    Shortly after, chief military spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar further jolted the anti-establishment image of the PML-N as he disclosed former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair, a close aide to Nawaz, twice reached out to Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss the political and legal woes of the Sharif family.

    Nawaz, in a separate statement released by the party, also said he was saddened by the arrest of his brother and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif.

    “However, our spirits will not be dampened by what is happening,” he said, adding that the party would double its efforts. “We are proud that our party workers are facing the current situation with courage. There is no example in the history of the treatment meted out to our children,” he said.

    He added that Shehbaz has shown unparalleled strength and courage during these times and paid tribute to his brother for serving the nation with honesty. “He worked day and night to set up power plants in Punjab.”

    Nawaz also paid tribute to the efforts of government officers who played a role in addressing the energy shortage. Commending his brother on his resilience, he said Shehbaz never bowed down in the face of difficulty.

    “Shehbaz has played a role in strengthening our narrative. I am proud of my brother who has sent an example of being loyal and committed to one’s ideology,” he said.

  • Restaurants sealed in Karachi for violating SOPs

    Restaurants sealed in Karachi for violating SOPs

    The city administration sealed several hotels, restaurants in various areas of Karachi over violation of COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs).

    As per reports, 10 restaurants were sealed in District Central, two in Clifton, three at Boat Basin food street, and two in the Saddar area of District South, Karachi.

    The management of the restaurants were violating SOPs for running the business during the pandemic.

    Meanwhile, the Sindh government on Wednesday imposed a “micro smart lockdown” in several areas to control the spread of coronavirus.

    According to a notification, the government has imposed micro smart lockdown in different localities of District West, Karachi. The district West areas that have been put under micro smart lockdown include Manghopir Union Council 8 and Gadap Town.

    The move came after more than 20 cases were reported from Manghopir Union Council.

    Police officials have been positioned in these areas to impose the lockdown restrictions. The provincial government has asked the deputy commissioner and senior police officials in Karachi to ensure micro smart lockdowns and implementation of SOPs at designated sites.

  • Celebrities express outrage over condition of brown bear in Karachi Zoo

    Celebrities express outrage over condition of brown bear in Karachi Zoo

    Just when we breathed a sigh of relief after it emerged that Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kavaan will soon head to Cambodia, where he will retire at an animal sanctuary, videos and pictures of a brown bear in dreadful conditions at the Karachi Zoo have sparked furor and outrage on social media. Celebrities including Ushna Shah, Armeena Khan and Mashal Khan expressed their distress over the condition of the bear and urged authorities to shut down the zoo.

    In a message penned in Urdu, Ushna said that zoo culture should be completely eliminated and that citizens should actively campaign for them to be shut down.

    “If you like looking at animals, go observe them in their natural habitat. When you come and look at them in zoos, you add to their agony”, said the actor.

    “Raise your voice for those who can’t speak,” she added.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFqZ11hhKDw/

    Armeena urged her followers to help the brown bear or else he would die.

    Mashal Khan said that she is “sick to my stomach after learning of this poor baby in Karachi zoo, being jailed without food, water, health care”. She asked her followers to raise their voice for the bear and help end her ordeal.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFpMZ1yA2s2/

    Later, the actor shared that she and her friends are filing a Constitutional Petition in the Sindh High Court to rescue the baby bear and have her transferred to Skardu where she can be reunited with her family.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrSJyBgPe0/

    Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Dr Iftikhar Ali Shallwani slammed the claims and said that the bear is “hale and hearty” at the zoo. Sharing a video of the bear playing in his enclosure as well as a report on its condition, Dr Shallwani said: “The KMC is trying it’s best to give natural habitat to the animals at Karachi Zoo.”

    https://twitter.com/Shallwani/status/1311036764744802304?s=20

    However, reports have suggested that all is not well as the administrator has claimed. According to a senior Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) official, the bear is not used to living in Karachi’s hot weather conditions, especially during this time of the year when it needs to hibernate in freezing temperature.

    Another SWD official said that Karachi Zoo’s management was responsible for the bear’s dreadful condition. He said that the animal does not belong in the zoo and that she needed to be kept in an air-conditioned room, in darkness.

    After the pictures of the bear went viral on social media, a picture of a malnourished and underfed lion was also widely circulated with people criticising the Karachi Zoo administration for mistreating animals.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFuxCefnd6s/

    However, it later emerged that the picture of the lion was not from Karachi Zoo.

    Last week Feroze Khan had also posted pictures of Karachi Zoo’s dilapidated conditions and had questioned where his taxes were going.

  • Viral Sindhi boy to join TikTok to solve problems of his area

    Viral Sindhi boy to join TikTok to solve problems of his area

    The boy, who became popular after a video of his calling out Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for the miserable conditions in interior Sindh, went viral on social media has now decided to make TikTok videos to solve problems of his area. Ahmed Marri had criticised the Pakistan People’s Party chairman for lack of clean drinking water in his village near Khapro in district Sanghar.

    Talking to Independent Urdu, the boy said that even several weeks after his complaint, the problem has still not been resolved and the contaminated water is still there creating difficulties for the people of his area.

    Read more – TikTok reunites man with family after more than a year

    Bilawal and many other celebrities had sent him chickens as a gift for which he is thankful but the boy asserts that there is no solution to the lack of clean drinking water in his area. He shared that locals have to travel ten kilometers away regularly to get clean drinking water.

  • India vs India: Twitterati blast court for saying no one demolished Babri Mosque

    India vs India: Twitterati blast court for saying no one demolished Babri Mosque

    An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused in the Babri Masjid case after a judge controversially ruled that the demolition was not preplanned.

    A special court of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Lucknow issued the verdict nearly thirty years after a mob of Hindu extremists razed the historic mosque to the ground.

    As expected, the verdict attracted strong reactions not only from around the globe, but Indians too.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has also strongly reacted to the decision, calling it shameful.

    BABRI MOSQUE:

    Babri Masjid was a mosque in Ayodhya, India. Located in Ayodhya district, at a spot believed by Hindus to be the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama, it has been a bone of contention between the Hindu and Muslim communities since the 18th century.

    The destruction of the mosque in 1992 sparked massive Hindu-Muslim violence that left around 2,000 people dead.

    Hindu hardliners say the mosque was built after a temple dedicated to the Hindu god was destroyed by Muslim invaders. After the demolition of the mosque, Hindus and Muslims took the issue to a lower court, which, in 2010 ruled that the disputed land should be divided into three parts — two for Hindus and one for Muslims.

    Late last year, the Indian Supreme Court (SC) had put to rest the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, deciding in favour of Hindus.

    The Indian top court had allotted Ayodhya land to Ram Janambhoomi Nyas (Ram Birthplace Trust).

    Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas is an organisation to promote and oversee the construction of a temple in Ayodhya at the Ram Janmabhoomi, the reputed site of the birth of Rama, the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Hindu God Vishnu.

  • Govt rejects proposal to extend NAB chairman’s tenure

    Govt rejects proposal to extend NAB chairman’s tenure

    The Law Ministry has rejected a proposal by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to extend the tenure of its chairperson Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, deputy chairperson and prosecutor general.

    According to reports, the anti-graft watchdog had suggested the Law Ministry that the NAB Ordinance be amended to extend the tenure of the three officials.

    Rejecting the proposal, the Law Ministry said that the tenure of the said posts was in line with the tenure of other autonomous bodies and that NAB could not provide clear reasons for an extension.

    Justice (r) Javed Iqbal is the incumbent chairman of NAB.

    NAB CHIEF HEARS PEOPLE OUT:

    Separately, Justice (r) Iqbal last Thursday listened to complaints of the people about housing societies after they turned up at NAB headquarters from across the country to directly register their complaints to the chairman.

    According to a statement, he patiently listened to complaints against various housing societies and directed the bureau officers concerned to address the same on priority basis.

    It merits mentioning here that Justice (r) Iqbal after assuming the coveted responsibilities in October 2017 decided to himself listen to the complaints on the last Thursday of every month.

    He had also directed director generals of all bureaus to ensure listening to the complaints of the aggrieved persons personally.

    Justice (r) Iqbal’s retirement is due next year.

  • Teenage girl finds Rs100 million in bank account, informs police

    Teenage girl finds Rs100 million in bank account, informs police

    A 16-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh, India was surprised when she was informed that she had nearly Rs10 crore (Rs100 million) in her bank account.

    As per reports, Saroj told the media that she had an account in an Allahabad Bank branch in Bansdih town since 2018, and had never even seen so much money.

    Saroj immediately went to the police station and registered a complaint.

    She told the police that a person named Neelesh Kumar had called her about two years ago and had asked her to send her Aadhaar card details and her photograph so that she could get funds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

    Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is an initiative by the Indian Government in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor.
    Saroj said that she had sent the details to Kumar but never got any information from him after that.

    She told the police that the number from which Kumar used to call her was now switched off. She also said that she did not know where the money came into her account.

    The bank manager told the police that Saroj had deposited and withdrawn amounts ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 several times.

    Police station in-charge Rajesh Kumar Singh said the matter is being investigated and action would be taken accordingly. He said that cyber experts are also analyzing the money trail.