Category: Uncategorized

  • JUI-F’s Mufti Kifayatullah injured in attempt on life

    JUI-F’s Mufti Kifayatullah injured in attempt on life

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI-F) senior leader Mufti Kifayatullah was injured in an assassination attempt near Mansehra Interchange on Wednesday morning, Geo News reported. 

    According to the details, Kifayatullah along with his two sons and a companion were travelling to Mansehra from Islamabad when another vehicle hit their car from behind and stopped it near Mansehra Interchange.

    The attackers tried to pull the JUI-F leader from his car and attacked them with iron rods, leaving all inhabitants of the car wounded.

    Mufti and the others were later shifted to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital Mansehra for treatment. 

    Police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the attack.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s former wife Reham Khan has condemned the attack and said, “If the culprits behind this attack are not arrested immediately we will consider that the incumbent government is itself involved in this attack”.

  • Did PU cancel the degree of the main organiser of Students Solidarity March?

    Did PU cancel the degree of the main organiser of Students Solidarity March?

    It has been alleged that Punjab University has cancelled the degree of the student who is the main organizer of the students solidarity march.

    Activist Ammar Ali Jan took to twitter and wrote that “Hasnain, who was an M.Phil student of political science at Punjab University, has had his degree canceled”, adding that targeting Jameel was proof of the fact that the university administrations were afraid of the rising power of students.

    Journalist Rabia Mehmood has stated on Twitter that the student was never given a warning. He was also barred from entering Punjab University’s campus.

    In a viral video, Hasnain Jameel, was seen playing the drums with his friends singing  ‘Sarfaroshi ki tamana’ during the campaign for the march at the Faiz International Festival.

    Not entirely true

    According to PU mouthpiece, the student has been declared persona non grata. He has 15 days to challenge the “indiscriminate” decision also taken against Jamiat students in light of campus unrest earlier this year. He can seek an apology, but might not even need to do so since he is from an earlier session of MPhil.

  • Sanam Chauhdry gets married

    Sanam Chauhdry gets married

    It’s wedding season all around. After Ali Xeeshan and Zainab Abbas, actor Sanam Chauhdry tied the knot in an afternoon wedding.

    The Ghar Titli Ka Par actor shared pictures from her Nikkah on Instagram, surprising fans.

    The big moment

    Awww

    Sanam’s husband Somee Chohan is a Punjabi singer and composer, based in Brooklyn, New York

    Girl gang

    The one with Mama

    Earlier, in July, there were reports that Sanam had quit acting and will be settling abroad. However, Sanam slammed the rumours and said: “It is a rumor and not true, I have worked so much in the past two years without a break that now I am on a vacation and that is it,” adding that she has several projects in the pipeline.

    Wishing the happy couple all the very best.

  • Extension or no extension? All you need to know about Gen Bajwa’s case hearing from Wednesday

    Extension or no extension? All you need to know about Gen Bajwa’s case hearing from Wednesday

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, has adjourned the hearing of the case regarding the extension in service of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa until Thursday morning.

    Here are key points of Wednesday’s hearing as the extension of Gen Bajwa, who is set to retire on November 29, hangs in balance:

    • Federal Law Minister Farogh Naseem, who resigned from office on Tuesday to to represent the army chief, submits his power of attorney to the court
    • CJP asks Attorney General (AG) Anwar Mansoor Khan if the government has accepted the points raised by the court on Tuesday. AG says they have not accepted the mistake.
    • “We will hear everyone as it is an important issue. Earlier, this question was never raised and now that it has been brought forward, all legal aspects will be reviewed. We are not in a hurry,” CJP Khosa remarks.
    • “In the past, five or six generals had their tenures extended by themselves and no one questioned them,” Khosa maintains.
    • Top judge comments on government’s reliance on Article 255 of Army Regulations, says the rule applies to officers and not the army chief.

    Following the SC’s suspension of notification of Gen Bajwa’s extension Tuesday, the federal cabinet had met in two sittings led by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and decided to amend Section 255 of the Army Rules, which pertains to “suspension or limitation of retirement”.

    As per the amendment, it will now also contain “extension in tenure” of the army chief. According to Federal Minister Shafqat Mehmood, the amendment is in line with the premier’s intention to grant an extension to Gen Bajwa.

    • CJP rubbishes media reports claiming Gen Bajwa’s case is a suo motu case. Says court is hearing the petition filed by Advocate Riaz Hanif.
    • Justice Shah wonders how an army chief can be reappointed to the office “when he is no longer part of the staff”, to which, CJP once more inquires whether a retired officer can be reappointed.
    • Hearing gets adjourned twice before top court shifts focus to Army Act.
    • CJP emphasises that the court is looking at the rules regarding the tenure of the army chief, not a general; it must understand Army Act before AG’s arguments.
    • “This is a court of law; it is the law we are looking at, not personalities,” He remarks. “If something is wrong as per the law, we cannot say that it is correct. If [the decision] is not correct as per the law, we will give our verdict,” apex judge says.
    • CJP reiterates he is apolitical. “I will never involve myself in any political activities. This sentence is also part of the oath. It is a very good thing to stay away from political activities.”
    • Hearing has been adjourned until Thursday.

    The government on August 19 had reappointment Gen Bajwa, extending his tenure for three years, citing the “regional security environment”. However, on Tuesday, the SC suspended the notification and issued notices to the federal government, COAS through the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Law.

  • Army is embarrassed over Gen Bajwa’s extension controversy: Lt Gen (r) Amjad Shoaib

    Defence Analyst Lt Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib has said that the controversy surrounding the extension of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa is a matter of embarrassment for the army.

    While speaking on Geo News talk show, the analyst said that the army had no role in the process and the real work was supposed to be done by the bureaucracy.

    The analytst Amjab Shoaib said that usually the ministers do not know about such matters and get details from the bureaucrats, adding “that those involved in the process should be held accountable”.

    “I can tell you that General Bajwa was not interested in extension but the government convinced him after PM Imran Khan’s US visit”, the former military officer said.

    He also noted that the COAS has helped the government foreign policy and economic affairs and he also arranged loans from the Middle East to assuage the crippling economy.

    When asked about the response of the army chief in Supreme Court, he said Gen Bajwa, in his opinion, would tell the court that it is the prerogative of the government and that the civil bureaucracy must be aware of the procedure and the rules and regulations in this regard.

  • Balochistan university bans political activities on campus

    Balochistan university bans political activities on campus

    The University of Balochistan banned all political activities and gatherings on campus. A notification, issued by the governor secretariat, ordered the university’s chancellor not to allow any political activities and gatherings on the university campus.

    According to reports, the action was taken to avoid disturbance in the conductive environment of the campus. The governor has ordered the university chancellor and management to follow the orders strictly.

    It is pertinent to mention that the notification has been delivered three days before the Student Solidarity March which is scheduled to take place across the country on November 29. The march demands better education and a fair academic environment. One of its most important demands is the elimination of the rule binding students not to take part in on-campus politics.

    This decision has again put the university in the spotlight. Earlier in October 2019, students claimed that CCTV cameras were installed by the university admin to blackmail them.

    Staff members even exposed that secret cameras were placed inside switchboards and keyboards to check the students’ activities. After widespread criticism, Prof Dr. Javed Iqbal, the former vice-chancellor
    of the university, stepped down from his post until the Federal Investigation
    Agency completes its inquiry.

    Meanwhile, the university was also embroiled in a harassment issue, following which, it made compulsory for students to wear uniforms as a measure to control harassment. The Balochistan High Court chief justice had instructed the university administration to make uniforms compulsory for students.

  • Karachi University students make bandages from fish skin to heal burn wounds

    A team of marine science students from Karachi University (KU) have made portable bandages from fish skin to treat burns on the spot.

    According to the team members and their supervisor, fish skin was used to heal burn wounds since 1992 but a bandage hadn’t made until the KU students’ effort.

    The project supervisor told shared that the fish-skin processed bandages, called Sanitatem, can be used on small-scale burns instead of topical creams.

    The project was started two years back and currently, the team is working on its shelf life.

    The students added that this innovation is unique because the design, methodology and end product are different. With the healing process taking just five days, the bandage does not need to be replaced. As the burn heals, the bandage starts to dry and also prevents scarring.

    The four students – Minaal Fatima, Iqra Mansoor, Anushae Saeed, and Shahnoor Mehboob – said this is the first such portable bandage in Pakistan specifically to heal burns.

    “Our project is all about the portability of fish-skin bandages. All other bandages are for wounds.”

    Besides the processes involved in creating the bandage, the students also culture their own fish in the lab. One of the students said they have to take great care of the fish so that they don’t get any disease.

  • Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence: Pakistan Bar Council

    Farrogh Naseem can go to jail for representing Gen Bajwa with a suspended licence: Pakistan Bar Council

    Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Vice Chairman Amjad Shah has said that Law Minister Farogh Naseem, who on Tuesday resigned from office to fight for an extension to the army chief in the Supreme Court (SC), cannot legally represent General Qamar Javed Bajwa because the minister’s practice licence was suspended by the council a few months ago.

    In a video tweeted by senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir, Shah said that if Farogh appeared in court to represent chief of the army staff (COAS) with his suspended licence, they would raise objections and anyone practising law with a suspended licence could face up to one-year imprisonment.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    According to the PBC, Naseem, having joined the federal cabinet as the law minister, was required to get his licence suspended under Rule 108-O of the Pakistan Legal Practitioners & Bar Councils Rules, 1976, but failed to do so.

    Moreover, another reason for the suspension of his licence was filing a reference against an honest top judge, Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    The attorney general (AG) had subsequently quashed the PBC ruling. However, the council had said it was not AG’s jurisdiction to nullify the ruling. The former law minister will have to approach the council for renewal of his licence.

    Naseem’s resignation Tuesday came soon after a meeting of the federal cabinet. The meeting was summoned to discuss the petition filed by the Jurist Foundation against Gen Bajwa’s extension.

    The cabinet said it was a unanimous decision to give General Bajwa the extension for another three years. The participants of the meeting were of the view that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, being the chief executive of the country, had the authority to extend the army chief’s tenure.

    Earlier in the day, the SC had suspended the official notification extending the tenure of the army chief. The apex court said the AG was asked under which law an army chief’s tenure could be extended or he could be re-appointed. But the country’s top lawyer failed to explain it, the court added.

    WEDNESDAY’S HEARING:

    On Wednesday, a three-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Mazhar Alam and Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, resumed hearing the petition challenging the extension of the COAS.

    Naseem submitted his power of attorney as the CJP Khosa asked AG Anwar Mansoor Khan if they had accepted the points raised by the court Tuesday.

    To this, the AG replied that they have not accepted the mistakes. “This is not a suo motu case, media did not understand it correctly,” CJP Khosa remarked. “We are hearing the case on the petition filed by Raiz Riahi.”

    He then asked the AG to present the summary approved by the federal cabinet in its meeting on Tuesday. “I informed the court yesterday as well that we are waiting for some ministers to respond on the extension notification,” the AG said.

    “If there is no answer, so we assume the answer is yes?” the CJP inquired.

    To this, the AG replied that according to the law, that is correct.

    The top judge then said that this course of action was only acceptable when the answer has to be given in a certain time period. “If this was an open mandate we would have let it go. The cabinet has accepted the mistakes that we pointed out,” he added.

    The attorney general then submitted the documents pertaining to Tuesday’s decisions by the federal cabinet to the court and the hearing was adjorned till 1 pm.

  • Secret message hidden in viral TikTok post about beauty tips

    Secret message hidden in viral TikTok post about beauty tips

    According to the BBC, a US teenager’s TikTok video clip accusing China of putting Muslims into “concentration camps” has gone viral on the social network, which is — ironically — Chinese-owned.

    The post appears to be about beauty tips at its start — like a lesson on how to get long lashes but the young woman then changes tack to ask her viewers to raise awareness.

    Feroza Aziz also tweeted that TikTok had blocked her from posting new content, as a result.

    TikTok, however, has denied this claim. The Chinese government has consistently said the camps in question offer voluntary education and training.

    Between Sunday and Monday, Ms Aziz posted three videos about China’s treatment of the Uighur Muslims.

    The first has been watched more than 1.4 million times and “liked” nearly 500,000 times on the app.
    A copy uploaded to Twitter by other TikTok users has attracted a further five million views. And further copies have been posted to YouTube and Instagram.

    https://twitter.com/soIardan/status/1198664176304037890?s=20
    https://twitter.com/rossalynwarren/status/1199231303171944448?s=21
  • Nov 27: News you need to know before heading to work

    Nov 27: News you need to know before heading to work

    Law Minister Farogh Naseem resigns

    • Law Minister Farogh Naseem has resigned and will fight Chief Of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s case tomorrow (Wednesday), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers confirmed after an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet concluded on Tuesday. 
    • In a press conference today, federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed that Naseem had tendered his resignation during the cabinet meeting.  “Prime Minister Imran Khan has accepted Naseem’s resignation,” he said. 

    Cabinet approves new summary seeking Gen. Bajwa’s extension

    • The prime minister had called an emergency meeting of the cabinet for the second time during the day. 
    • The cabinet’s approval was sought for giving an extension to army chief General Bajwa after the Supreme Court had earlier suspended a notification over the same matter. 
    • An amendment in the Defence Act was approved by the cabinet. Reports claim that the new summary was sent to President Alvi for approval. 

    Opposition leaders reiterate demand for ‘transparent’ elections post APC meeting

    • In his address, Fazl said that the government should take up the holy quran-burning incident with the government of Norway.
    • Maulana Fazlur Rehman led all parties conference (APC) was held in Islamabad. The opposition parties are deliberating on the next course of action in their anti-government campaign.
    • Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal addressed the media after the session.