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  • Modi accuses Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism at SCO Summit

    Modi accuses Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism at SCO Summit

    This year, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) summit was hosted by India, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched thinly veiled accusations against Pakistan, saying “some countries” are “terror havens“.

    Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was in attendance, along with other SCO member countries leaders, such as Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin.

    The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic and security organisation, which unites China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and, as of yesterday, Iran. It’s currently the world’s largest regional bloc in terms of geographic scope and population.

    Addressing the online summit, Dawn reports Modi to have said, “Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument of their policies, provide shelter to terrorists. SCO should not hesitate to criticise such nations. There should be no place for double standards on such serious matters.”

    India claims that a part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor passage passes through a ‘disputed’ region. Modi told leaders that “terrorism has become a major threat to regional and global peace. Dealing with this challenge requires decisive action. Regardless of its form or manifestation, we must unite in our fight against terrorism.”

    Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif responded in turn, saying that the SCO stands for observance of the UN principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and people’s right to self-determination, considered a reference to the Kashmir dispute.

    “UNSC resolutions offer us a workable framework for the resolution of longstanding disputes in the region,” Dawn reported Shehbaz to have said. “These must be addressed immediately and settled amicably before it is too late.”

    Kashmir has been a contentious point between the two countries since partition, but especially since India abolished Articles 370 and 35A in 2019. These articles were decades-old and provided a measure of autonomy to the disputed Muslim-majority region.

    In the earlier SCO summit in May, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto criticised India’s decision to scrap the special status of the disputed region of Kashmir, saying New Delhi’s unilateral move in 2019 had undermined the possibility of holding talks between the neighbours.

    India has also accused Pakistan’s military of backing Kashmiri rebels, a claim Islamabad has denied.

  • Pakistan strongly condemns Israeli airstrikes, raids in occupied Palestine

    Pakistan strongly condemns Israeli airstrikes, raids in occupied Palestine

    Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned raids and airstrikes by the Israeli armed forces in Jenin. Up to 10 Palestinians were killed and 50 were injured in the attacks.

    “Pakistan condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the raids and airstrikes carried out by the Israeli occupation forces since yesterday in Jenin in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, which killed 10 Palestinians and injured some 50 others,” the Foreign Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

    The Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement, “This latest episode of violence against the occupied people of Palestine by the occupying power must end immediately.”

    The spokesman repeated Pakistan’s calls for the international community to raise its voice against these brutal and unlawful actions by the Israeli armed forces to ensure the protection of the fundamental human rights of the Palestinian people.

    Pakistan reasserted its strong and unwavering support for the justifiable struggle of the people of Palestine for the complete realisation of the basic human rights of freedom and self-determination.

  • Mother needed 20K from sons for financial support, son calls her ‘petty, wants unnecessary things’

    Mother needed 20K from sons for financial support, son calls her ‘petty, wants unnecessary things’

    A Twitter thread posted by a son about his mother is going viral on social media. A Reddit user has explained that he found his mother’s desire to take money from her sons “petty”.

    The user explained that his widowed mother asked him and his brothers each to pay her Rs 20,000 so that she would be able to fulfill all of her needs, but the reddit user termed this to be selfish, arguing that his mother would be spending the money on frivolous things like parties and clothes.

    “While the amount is not large by any means, and I can give it, it’s her reasoning for this that bugs me. First, this means that she gets more than one lakh month in total, counting the rental income – like I said, her necessities are already covered so she really is going to spend all this on frivolous things like party clothes, attending parties, etc etc. Doesn’t really seem fair when I keep on imposing restrictions on my own wife and kids to not spend a single paisa needlessly.”

    Twitter users slammed the thread as entitled, arguing that men feel entitled to withhold financial support from the women in their lives, even their widowed mothers who had spent their lives taking care of them. As Digital Rights Foundation founder and lawyer Nighat Dad wrote:

    “It’s not only about sending 20k a month to a single mother but how dare an elderly single mother think about enjoying life & spending money to pamper herself. Goes to show how much women are despised if they dare to spend their lives on their terms after passing of their partners.”

    https://twitter.com/c4ndynecklaces/status/1676490948157804546?s=20

    Some users were horrified that the way the user was trying to justify how spending a small amount like 20K on his mother was a ‘selfish’ act

  • Lahore faces severe flooding as rain takes over the city

    Lahore faces severe flooding as rain takes over the city

    The provincial capital of Punjab experienced an onslaught of heavy rainfall, resulting in the submergence of streets and low-lying areas on Wednesday.

    The downpour, described as “record-breaking” by officials, caused significant urban flooding and water accumulation on roads. Over a span of nine hours, Lahore received an astonishing 272 millimeters of rain, leading to chaotic conditions.

    The Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), revealed that Lakshmi Chowk recorded the highest rainfall amount, reaching 236mm.

    The government of Punjab’s official Twitter account shared a video of the Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, inspecting different areas of the city and overseeing the water drainage process.

    Meanwhile, the Met Office predicted that intermittent showers would continue in Lahore for the next 24 hours, prolonging the challenges faced by the city.

    The National Disaster Management Authority has also issued directives for all relevant departments to maintain vigilance due to the predicted rainfall until July 8.

    It further advised tourists and visitors to stay informed about weather conditions before traveling.

  • Pakistani dramas, stop treating topics like sexual harassment so lightly

    Pakistani dramas, stop treating topics like sexual harassment so lightly

    Ab ye hi reh gaya tha?

    Pakistani dramas have a strict formula. To make sure that a drama turns into a hit. They try not to even think about emphasising the understanding of social issues or for once making a drama that is not about sass bahu jhagray. The problem is that they include scenes like women being abused, exploited, and even flip the narrative by trying to justify that women make up harassment scandals just to entrap men.

    ‘Mujhay Pyaar Hua Tha’ decided to take the cake after showing two cousins getting married, a weird love triangle, father getting paralysed after daughter tries to rebel, now the good-at-heart male lead is getting trapped by another woman, who falsely accuses him of harassing her, because obviously women don’t get sexual harassed or assaulted in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. They just make up stories, right? So wrong.

    https://twitter.com/eliteclownn/status/1675888756648464386?s=20

    In this scene, a woman shows up to Saad’s office, threatening him that she has personal pictures of his wife Maheer (played by Hania Amir) and her ex-lover Areeb (Zaviyaar Nauman Ijaz), which she will leak on social media unless Saad visits her house. When he arrives there, she hands him coffee which she had drugged with something that makes him unconscious. When Saad awakens, the woman calls the police and re-arranges the scene to make it look like she was sexually assaulted, and Saad is arrested and taken away.

    We hope that the makers of ‘Mujhay Pyaar Hua Tha’, its writer and the lead actors understand that sexual harassment is a serious crime, and not a made up fantasy that women endorse just to make money and trap innocent men. If it’s so hard for the lead actors to understand why being well aware about social issues is important when working in dramas, take an example from Mawra Hocane when she revealed that she refused to work in the drama ‘Qisa Meherbano Ka’ which was depicting marital rape, that after discussing this issue with the producer Momina Duraid and the director Iqbal Hussain, they all agreed to re-write the scene and then shot it.

    Twitter users had to condemn Pakistani dramas for once more proving that we could take one step forward, but in exchange we’ll go several steps back.

    “It’s extremely irresponsible to show false rape allegations in countries with rape culture,” one user wrote. “I hope makers realise they are feeding victim complex of Desi men for lukewarm twists.”

  • Yamaha proposes a ferry service linking Do Darya and Port Qasim, expanding water sports facilities in Sindh

    Yamaha proposes a ferry service linking Do Darya and Port Qasim, expanding water sports facilities in Sindh

    In a groundbreaking announcement, a Japanese firm, Yamaha, has presented a proposal to launch a ferry service connecting Karachi’s Do Darya with Port Qasim, as well as develop various water sports facilities across the province of Sindh.

    The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah and Yoshiyuki ITO, the Senior General Manager for Central Asia and the Middle East at Yamaha Japan.

    The officials explored the potential of establishing water sports facilities at different barrages and lakes in Sindh, with a particular focus on enhancing recreational activities.

    A statement issued by the CM House outlined the discussion, revealing that the proposed ferry service between Do Darya and Port Qasim was among the key topics.

    Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed enthusiasm for the idea, emphasising the immense potential to develop water sports facilities in collaboration with Yamaha Pakistan.

    The chief minister further highlighted the possibilities for establishing these facilities at various barrages in Sindh, including Keenjhar, Guddu, Sukkur, and Kotri Barrages.

    He underlined the importance of involving the private sector in such endeavors, which would contribute to the growth of water-based recreational activities in the region.

    During the meeting, the Yamaha representative informed Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah that the proposed ferry service would not only facilitate transportation but also provide recreational opportunities.

    Additionally, he emphasised the quality and performance of Yamaha’s WaveRunners, indicating their suitability for water sports enthusiasts.

    The introduction of a ferry service and the development of water sports facilities in Sindh would not only boost tourism but also enhance the overall experience for locals and visitors alike.

    As the proposal moves forward, collaboration between Yamaha and the provincial government holds the promise of an exciting future for water-based recreational activities in Sindh.

  • Nationwide protests on Friday against Holy Quran desecration in Sweden

    The federal government has announced a nationwide protest on Friday, July 7, against the recent incident of dishonouring the Holy Book in Sweden.

    A man burned a copy of the Holy Quran publicly outside a mosque in the capital of Sweden. This hateful act of public burning in Stockholm has hurt the sentiments of Muslims all over the world.
    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif decided in a meeting on Tuesday to stage nationwide protests over the incident. He appealed to all the political parties and the nation to take part in the rallies.

    “Speaking with one voice, the whole nation will give a message to the evil minds,” said the premier. He added that the nation will observe the “Youm-e-Taqaddus Quran” on Friday.

    The prime minister has also decided to call a joint session of parliament to frame a national strategy.
    Earlier today, the United Nations Human Rights Council announced it would hold an urgent session to address Islamophobia and religious hatred at the request of Pakistan.

  • Mianwali Police arrest Additional Deputy Commissioner for alleged rape

    Mianwali Police arrest Additional Deputy Commissioner for alleged rape

    Mianwali police on Wednesday arrested an Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) for raping a woman in the Mianwali district of Punjab.

    Police said the incident reportedly occurred in the Highway Colony area of Mianwali. A case was registered against the ADC, adding that the woman is a resident of Lahore.

    The accused has been shifted to City Police Station for further investigation.

    According to the rape survivor’s statement the ADC raped her on the pretense of marriage.

  • Man kills two daughters for ‘honour’ in Kasur

    Man kills two daughters for ‘honour’ in Kasur

    Trigger Warning: Murder

    Two young girls became victims of honour killing in a neighborhood in Kasur on Tuesday.

    Police said the tragic incident took place at Haveli Nathuwali, a village on the outskirts of Kasur, where a man named Saeed shot and killed his daughters in what is being suspected to be a case of honour killing. The father later escaped.

    The deceased have been identified as Alishba and Nadia. Both the bodies have been shifted to a hospital, the police have confirmed.

    Officials further said a case has been registered against the runway suspect and further investigation is underway.

  • Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Twitter’s worst nightmare: Facebook to launch Threads on Thursday as a rival to Musk’s platform

    Meta Platforms plans to launch a microblogging app called Threads, which aims to compete with Twitter. This development comes shortly after Twitter CEO Elon Musk faced criticism for implementing a temporary cap on the number of posts users can read on the platform.

    According to a listing on Apple’s App Store, Threads is expected to be released on Thursday. The app will enable users to maintain their followers from the photo-sharing platform Instagram and keep the same username.

    This rollout represents a direct challenge to Twitter, which has encountered several controversies since Musk acquired the company for $44 billion in 2022. Last week, Musk introduced new restrictions on the app, limiting the daily number of tweets users can view. This move sparked outcry among many Twitter users.

    Although alternative microblogging sites like Mastodon and Blue Sky have experienced an increase in user numbers following Musk’s acquisition, neither has managed to rival Twitter. However, Instagram already boasts hundreds of millions of registered users and has a track record of incorporating successful features from other social media platforms.

    In response to the growing popularity of Snapchat, Instagram introduced a feature called “stories” in 2016, allowing user posts to disappear after a certain period. More recently, Instagram’s “Reels” feature has aimed to compete with the rising prominence of TikTok.

    The launch of Threads poses a credible threat to Twitter under Musk’s leadership. His attempts to boost revenues and reshape the platform in his own image have faced significant criticism. Following the acquisition last year, Musk downsized the company by approximately 80 per cent and reinstated several banned accounts, including those of former US President Donald Trump and the conservative satirical news site Babylon Bee.

    Concerns over an increase in harmful content on the platform led hundreds of advertisers to pause their spending on Twitter. Internal documents viewed by Reuters also revealed a decline in engagement among the platform’s most active users.