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  • ‘There is a serious threat alert,’ Azma Bukhari defends barring meetings with Imran Khan in Adiala Jail

    ‘There is a serious threat alert,’ Azma Bukhari defends barring meetings with Imran Khan in Adiala Jail

    Punjab government has clarified on Tuesday that recent restrictions imposed at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail were not intended to obstruct meetings of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders with party founder Imran Khan.

    The statement came after Khan, the former prime minister imprisoned in several cases and serving more than three decades of sentences, was barred from holding meetings inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail for two weeks owing to security concerns.

    “This move wasn’t made to take away any facility from him [Khan]. There is a serious threat alert, which is under investigation,” Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari told Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada.

    Denying PTI’s claims of a false flag operation, Bukhari assured that Khan was being provided with all necessary facilities and emphasized the importance of ensuring the security of all prisoners at Adiala Jail.

    “The incident is under investigation. A series of threat alerts have been issued. These measures were taken to ensure the security of all the prisoners. The security of the facility has to be improved,” she said.

    Slamming PTI’s allegations that the capture of the terrorists was a false flag operation, Bukhari clarified that the opposition party “sees conspiracies” in everything, assuring the party that their leader was being provided all prison facilities.

    “There’s a threat in general [to the Adiala Jail], not Imran Khan, that something unpleasant might happen. Therefore, it is important not only to ensure Imran Khan’s security but everyone else’s.”

    Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan expressed severe concerns over the sudden ban on Khan’s meetings, fearing for the former prime minister’s safety. He demanded immediate consultations with Khan and sought details regarding his health.

    In a related development, the Punjab Home Department requested the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to postpone a meeting between KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Imran Khan due to the prevailing security situation. Temporary restrictions on visits and meetings have been imposed in various jails across Punjab as a precautionary measure against potential threats.

    The Home Department highlighted the existence of multiple security threats to several jails, including Adiala Jail, and directed authorities to conduct security audits and bomb disposal operations promptly.

    As tensions escalate, the Punjab government remains vigilant in safeguarding the security of inmates and ensuring the smooth functioning of correctional facilities across the province.

    Read more: No more meetings with Imran Khan in Adiala Jail but who ordered the ban?

  • ‘Katespiracy’ explodes after UK royal photo gaffe

    ‘Katespiracy’ explodes after UK royal photo gaffe

    The picture was meant to douse speculation about the whereabouts and health of Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales, but instead her manipulated image unleashed a torrent of internet-breaking rumors and conspiracy theories.

    The storm in the royal tea pot erupted after Kate, 42, on Monday apologized and admitted to editing a palace-issued photograph of herself with her three children after the altered image was withdrawn by news agencies including AFP.

    The fiasco gave way to a fresh swirl of speculation about the British royal — dubbed online as “Katespiracy” — laying bare the fragility of the digital landscape in the age of rampant disinformation that has eroded trust and turned social media users into amateur sleuths.

    The internet guessing game had already begun after the princess was not seen in public since attending a Christmas Day church service and underwent abdominal surgery in January.

    Amid a vacuum of information, online posts speculated whether her marriage to William, heir to the British throne, was on the rocks. Others pondered whether Kate was recovering from an eating disorder or the cosmetic procedure known as a Brazilian butt lift — while some wondered whether she were even alive.

    Proof of life landed on Sunday, when the palace released a photograph they said was recently snapped by William, but eagle-eyed social media users began tearing it apart for inconsistencies, such as a misaligned zipper on Kate’s jacket.

    The inconsistencies were so clear that several global news agencies, including AFP, pulled the picture from publication.

    Then the rumor mill began spinning even faster after the princess declared in a statement that, whoops, she had edited the photograph — without disclosing the reasons for doing so or what she had edited out.

    “The moral of the editing of the royal picture is simple. Tell all,” wrote Guardian newspaper columnist Simon Jenkins.

    “At this stage, privacy does not work. It breeds rumour, gossip and fabrication.”

    Internet rabbit holes

    That is exactly what happened. Social media exploded with memes exploring what the palace was hiding.

    “Every family hides a secret,” read the text inscribed in one photo swirling on Twitter, now X, designed as a promo for a fictitious Netflix show titled: “Royal Conspiracy. The disappearance of Kate Middleton.”

    Kensington Palace declined to release an unedited copy of the photograph, prompting social media detectives to go down new rabbit holes.

    Some observers called it the Streisand effect, royal edition — the palace secrecy and botched PR had made the speculation about Kate worse, leaving even those who typically steer clear of such gossip hooked.

    There were questions about whether or not it was actually Kate who had edited the image.

    Some turned to horticulturists, demanding to know the plant in the background of the altered photograph, as it looked suspiciously leafy for this time of the year in England.

    A breed of self-declared Kate Middleton Truthers demanded to know her whereabouts, while some speculated –- with a dash of humor — whether she had ditched her family to do an intensive Photoshop course.

    An entreaty from royal sympathizers seemingly went ignored as they insisted Kate was entitled to her privacy and should to be left alone.

    ‘Transparency’

    The manipulated image dropped at a time when concerns around false or misleading visual information are at an all-time high, particularly following the rapid advances in generative artificial intelligence.

    “People now feel a pervasive, low-grade disorientation, suspicion, and distrust,” US writer Charlie Warzel wrote in the Atlantic Monthly.

    “As the royal photo fiasco shows, the deepfake age doesn’t need to be powered by generative AI — a hasty Photoshop will do.”

    The furore also prompted many to ask whether British royals had altered images before, with media outlets such as CNN saying they were reviewing all handout photos previously provided by Kensington Palace.

    The climate of online distrust has spurred new calls for transparency, even among British royal family members with a long tradition of secrecy.

    Last month, King Charles III, Kate’s father-in-law, won plaudits for publicly announcing his cancer diagnosis.

    But many health experts faulted him for not declaring the type of cancer, a move that would have encouraged members of the British public to emulate him and get themselves examined.

    “If the royals really want to model important values to the nation, they should start by overhauling their approach to media in favour of transparency (and) scrupulous honesty,” Catherine Mayer, author of the book “Charles: The Heart of a King,” wrote on X.

    “They should stand against disinformation, not contribute to it.”

  • Maryam Nawaz to launch free WiFi pilot project in Lahore

    Maryam Nawaz to launch free WiFi pilot project in Lahore

    A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, in which it was decided that a free WiFi project will be launched in 10 different places in the provincial capital in two weeks while free WiFi points will be set up at 516 places in the city.

    Maryam Nawaz has directed officials to start free WiFi preferably at educational institutions, airports, railway stations and bus stands.

    She has also approved the construction of the 21-storey Arfa Karim Tower 2.

    While briefing the meeting, it was said that the IT, Education and Film City project will start soon; while Microsoft, Oracle and other big companies have expressed their willingness for IT City.

    Maryam Nawaz has also directed authorities to invite Chinese IT companies to build offices, adding that the best IT companies of the world will be provided business opportunities in the IT City.

    The Chief Minister of Punjab has set a deadline for the plan of the establishment of Lahore Knowledge Park and IT City.

  • Hezbollah Launched Over 100 Rockets At Israeli Positions

    Hezbollah Launched Over 100 Rockets At Israeli Positions

    Lebanon’s Hezbollah said Tuesday it launched over 100 rockets at Israeli military positions in retaliation for a strike on the country’s east that killed one person the day before.

    Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily cross-border fire since the genocide in Gaza erupted in October, but several Israeli strikes have recently hit Hezbollah positions further north, raising fears of a full-blown conflict.

    Hezbollah launched “more than a hundred katyusha rockets” Tuesday morning at two military bases in the occupied Golan Heights, the group said in a statement.

    This was “in response to the Israeli attacks on our people, villages and cities, most recently near the city of Baalbek and the killing of a citizen”, it added.

    On Monday, Israeli air strikes near Lebanon’s eastern city of Baalbek killed one person, in the second raid on the Hezbollah stronghold since cross-border hostilities began.

    The Israeli military confirmed its jets had hit two sites belonging to “Hezbollah’s aerial forces” in retaliation for strikes on the occupied Golan Heights over several days.

    On February 26, Israeli strikes targeted Baalbek, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the border, killing two Hezbollah members.

    Earlier on Tuesday, Hezbollah said its chief Hassan Nasrallah met with Khalil al-Hayya, a leading member of Hamas’s political bureau.

    They discussed ceasefire talks for the Gaza war, as well as attacks by Hamas’s regional allies to support its war efforts, the Hezbollah statement said.

    Nasrallah is due to give a televised speech on Wednesday.

    Hezbollah has repeatedly said it will only stop its attacks on Israel with a ceasefire in Gaza.

    But Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant recently said any truce in Gaza would not change Israel’s goal of pushing Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon, by force or diplomacy.

    Since the increased Israeli attacks on Gaza following October 7, at least 317 people, mainly Hezbollah fighters but also 54 civilians, have been killed in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally.

    In Israel, at least 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed in the cross-border hostilities.

  • Atif Aslam sings ‘Allah Hu Allah’ for Ramazan 2024

    Atif Aslam sings ‘Allah Hu Allah’ for Ramazan 2024

    Atif Aslam may have numerous pop and romantic hits to his credit, but he always makes time for singing devotional songs.

    The superstar often recites naats and hamds, not only for his fans but also for himself and his children, a fact he confirmed in an interview. Reciting Kalam makes him feel peaceful and he even wishes to recite aazan someday in Makkah.

    Atif Aslam has sung Tajdar e Haram, Mustafa Jaan e Rehmat Pe Lakhon Salam, and Wohi Khuda Hai. This year, for Ramadan 2024, he worked together with Sarsabz and sang Allah Hu Allah. When you hear Atif’s mesmerizing voice against the backdrop of the stunning Badshahi Mosque, you’ll feel amazed.

  • Sanam Saeed used to get irritated by her name popping up in every song

    Sanam Saeed used to get irritated by her name popping up in every song

    Actress, model, and singer Sanam Saeed has revealed that there was a time in which she did not like her unique name.

    The actress recently appeared as a guest on a talk show hosted by her husband Mohib Mirza.
    Mohib Mirza asked her with the name Sanam- beloved in Urdu- what difficulties did she face.

    Sanam Saeed said, “My name used to come up in almost every Indian song, everyone used to sing using my name, and I didn’t like it.”
    Mohib laughingly said, “Your name ‘Mere Sanam’ is written on rickshaws.”
    Upon this, the actress also laughed, saying that her name was used everywhere, even on rickshaws, so at first, she didn’t like her name, but now she has started liking it.

  • Shebaz Sharif wants uninterrupted gas, power supply during Ramazan

    Shebaz Sharif wants uninterrupted gas, power supply during Ramazan

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed authorities on Monday to ensure uninterrupted gas and power supply, aiming to help people during the holy month of Ramazan.

    In a high level meeting on the petroleum sector, the premier instructed officials to give all possible support to private sector, local, and foreign investors in exploring and refining gas and oil, as well as distributing these natural resources.

    Addressing the participants, Shehbaz said that the government is not meant to do businesses, rather its responsibility is to extend all kinds of facilities to the private sector and ensure protection of the rights of consumers, especially the vulnerable segments of society.

    The chief executive asked for steps to promote global investment in exploration of tight gas and undersea oil and gas reserves, regretting that Pakistan’s maritime area was huge in size when compared with Balochistan province, but no steps were taken to explore its hidden natural resources.

  • European Countries That Allow Assisted Dying

    European Countries That Allow Assisted Dying

    France could become the next European country to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill under a proposal set out by President Emmanuel Macron.

    In an interview with two French newspapers he suggested that adults with full control of their judgement, suffering an incurable and life-threatening illness in the short-to-medium term and whose pain cannot be relieved should be able to “ask to be helped to die”.

    Several other European countries already allow the terminally ill to receive help to end their lives.

    Here is a round-up of the situation:

    In April 2002, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalise active euthanasia, whereby doctors administer lethal doses of drugs to patients suffering from an incurable condition.

    It also legalised assisted suicide, where patients can receive help to voluntarily take their own life.

    The Dutch law said the patient must have “unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement” and must have requested to die in a way that is “voluntary, well considered and with full conviction”.

    In 2012, the Netherlands expanded the law to authorise euthanasia for over-12s in great suffering, provided they have parental consent, and in 2020 to patients with severe dementia, if the patient had requested the procedure while still mentally competent.

    The Dutch government in April 2023 also approved euthanasia for children under 12 after years of debate, permitting mercy deaths for young minors suffering “unbearably and without hope”.

    Belgium was the second country to adopt euthanasia and assisted suicide in May 2002, and with similar caveats to the Dutch.

    In 2014 it went further than the Netherlands by allowing terminally ill children of all ages to also request the procedure, with the consent of their parents.

    Fellow Benelux country Luxembourg decriminalised euthanasia and assisted dying in 2009, followed by Spain in June 2021, which legalised both practices.

    Portugal in May 2023 adopted a bill decriminalising euthanasia, despite strong opposition from President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a devout churchgoer.

    The law legalised euthanasia for people in great suffering and with incurable diseases.

    Switzerland, which prohibits euthanasia, has for decades allowed assisted suicide, making it the go-to destination for patients from around Europe looking for assistance to end their suffering.

    The growth of so-called “suicide tourism” has caused much soul-searching in Switzerland but the authorities decided in 2011 against restricting the practice.

    Neighbouring Austria, a staunchly Catholic nation, also legalised assisted suicide in 2022 after its constitutional court ruled the country was violating citizens’ fundamental rights in making it illegal.

    Italy’s constitutional court by contrast in February 2022 rejected a bid to hold a referendum on decriminalising assisted dying, judging that such a vote would fail to protect the weakest.

    But the court ruled that it should not always be punishable to help someone with “intolerable” physical or psychological suffering to commit suicide.

    The issue is also the subject of renewed public interest in Britain. In 2015, MPs voted overwhelmingly against allowing assisted dying but over 150,000 people have signed a petition calling for a new debate and vote.

  • Gold price remains unchanged at Rs230,200 per tola

    Gold price remains unchanged at Rs230,200 per tola

    In a day of consistency, gold prices in Pakistan remained unaltered on Monday, mirroring the steady trend observed in the international market.

    According to data provided by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA), the local market reported no change in the price of gold per tola, maintaining a steady Rs230,200.

    Similarly, the 10-gramme gold price remained constant at Rs197,360.

    The international market echoed this stability, with the global rate of gold holding firm at $2,198 per ounce on Monday. APGJSA noted a premium of $20, maintaining the equilibrium of the precious metal’s value.

    In parallel, silver prices also exhibited stability in the local market, remaining fixed at Rs2,600 per tola.

    This unswerving trend further highlights the current stability in the precious metals market, providing insights for investors and enthusiasts alike.

  • ‘PTI will continue protests till restoration of mandate,’ Latif Khosa

    ‘PTI will continue protests till restoration of mandate,’ Latif Khosa

    Dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers were reportedly arrested in Lahore amidst allegations of violent protests, prompting PTI leader Latif Khosa to vow continued demonstrations until their “mandate” is recognized.

    Speaking to the media in Lahore, Khosa emphasized the party’s singular demand for an audit of election results, stating that the government must address this issue before progress can be made.

    Khosa also called for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan, leaders, especially female leaders, and workers, asserting that the party will persist in its protests to defend the people’s right to self-governance and elect their representatives.
    “I will register an FIR against them for kidnapping. We’ll see how this government can run,” he said referring to police’s arrest of PTI workers as abduction.

    He asked the police to tell on whose order they were carrying out action against the political activists.
    Khosa revealed his own experience at the police station where he was detained for six hours, highlighting that although he wasn’t mistreated, he asserted his immunity as a sitting MNA against arrest without permission from the National Assembly speaker.

    Regarding the charges against PTI’s Salman Akram Raja for blocking roads, Khosa insisted that their protest was peaceful and demanded surveillance camera footage to verify if arteries were indeed obstructed.

    Earlier, around 40 PTI leaders and workers were booked under serious charges including terrorism, abduction, interference in public affairs, and harassment, following protests on Mall Road in Lahore against alleged election rigging.

    The FIR alleged that PTI leader Hafiz Farhat Abbas incited activists to damage public property and that Abbas, along with others, opened fire and assaulted a police constable.

    It claimed that PTI leader Hafiz Farhat Abbas incited the party activists to damage public properties. Henceforth, they damaged a government vehicle too, it added.

    Abbas along with four to five other unidentified persons opened fire and manhandled a police constable tearing his uniform, the FIR said adding police detained the PTI leader and recovered a pistol from him. The FIR mentioned that batons and clubs were recovered from 42 suspects arrested by police.

    Meanwhile, several PTI leaders, including Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja, were taken into custody during police actions in various cities as the party staged nationwide protests against alleged election manipulation and theft of its mandate in the recent elections.

    PTI supporters rallied in cities like Rawalpindi, Karachi, Kandhkot, and Tank, responding to the party’s call for demonstrations against what they perceive as electoral malpractice.