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  • Khan’s arrest warrants finally cancelled

    Khan’s arrest warrants finally cancelled

    After much chaos, drama in Lahore and Islamabad, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest warrants in Toshakhana case were cancelled on Saturday by the Islamabad sessions court.

    The hearing was adjourned till March 30 (Thursday) due to the turbulence and chaos witnessed today, with the judge ordering Imran to appear in personal capacity in the next hearing.

    Imran Khan allowed to mark attendance in car

    Prior to this, Khan arrived at the Islamabad Judicial Complex but didn’t go inside due to security concerns.

    Amid unruly crowds and security concerns, the judge gave permission that Khan can mark his attendance while sitting in the car which he did and then left for Lahore.

    After Lahore, clashes erupt in Islamabad

    PTI supporters started throwing stones at the Islamabad police in the capital when Imran Khan made his way to court for a hearing of the Toshakhana case.

    In the video, supporters carrying sticks can be seen attacking police cars.

    ‘Part of London plan’: Imran lashes out after police raids his Zaman Park residence

    Khan lashed out at Punjab police for raiding his house in Zaman Park, Lahore.

    “Meanwhile Punjab police have led an assault on my house in Zaman Park where Bushra Begum is alone,” he said in a tweet.

    “Under what law are they doing this? This is part of London Plan where commitments were made to bring absconder Nawaz Sharif to power as quid pro quo for agreeing to one appointment.”

    The operation is over, however, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah alleged that contraband was discovered at Khan’s residence

    Police broke into the house in Zaman Park, Lahore, after claiming that they were fired at from inside the house. Using heavy machinery, police smashed the entrance of the house and entered into the premises.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, in a tweet, accused Khan of using people as human shields.

    He said that “from using people as human shields to throwing petrol bombs at police to leading ‘jathas’ to intimidate judiciary, he has taken a leaf out of the RSS book.”

    Where is Bushra Bibi?

    Later in the evening, Khan’s sister came forward to give her side of the story of the unfolding situation after police raided her brother’s house in Zaman Park.

    She said that Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi is still inside the house in Zaman Park.

    Khan’s sister said that police aggressively broke into Khan’s house and they even took away some children who were present at home at the time.

    ‘Inhon ne pura plan banaya huva hai mujhe arrest karne ka’: Imran Khan

    Earlier in the day, when Imran was en route to Islamabad, he claimed that he is aware that the government will arrest him.

    “I am going to court despite knowing they’ll arrest me because I believe in the rule of law.”

    He mentioned being delayed due to an accident and claimed that a premeditated plan to arrest him is in place, alleging that it is part of a larger “London Plan” orchestrated by former PM Nawaz Sharif.

    In line with PTI’s insistence that Khan’s life is in danger and he needs security, Islamabad Chief Commissioner shifted the hearing from F-8 Court Complex to the Judicial Complex in G-11.

  • Sanitary pads, rifles, bullets: Here are the things that Punjab police found at Imran Khan’s house

    Sanitary pads, rifles, bullets: Here are the things that Punjab police found at Imran Khan’s house

    The Punjab Police on Saturday raided the house of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan shortly after he left for Islamabad to appear before a court in the Toshkhana case.

    Now, the police has left the area and the operation is reportedly over.

    According to media reports, several things have been discovered by the police at Khan’s residence.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed that police found 16 rifles, arms, bombs and a bomb-making factory in Zaman Park.

    He said that Inspector General (IG) will bring all proofs before the nation.

    In a video, which is being shared on Twitter, police can be seen picking up sanitary pads.

    Moreover, the bottles that were used to make petrol bombs have been found along with marbles, slingshots, five kalashnikovs and bullets, reports Geo News.

    Reacting to this news, PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry took a jibe at the police and said that “Cannon, tank shells, anti-aircraft and cocaine, and petrol bombs were recovered from Imran Khan’s residence. But Imran Khan took tanks and cannons with him.”

    To refute the claims made by the government, he in another tweet claimed “that the police has taken food and drinks from the fridge and not even left the biscuits.”

    According to him, a hundred thousand watches have been also taken from the pockets of the employees.

  • Pakistani-born businessman receives MBE from Prince William

    Pakistani-born British entrepreneur and restaurateur Suleman Raza was awarded the MBE by Prince William for his services to the business and philanthropy sector in Britain. Raza revealed on Twitter that he was happy to witness immigrants coming to Britain and becoming successful.

    According to his Medium article, Raza hails from Rawalpindi, but had moved to London where he started working as a chef in an eatery. He went on to open a restaurant in Tooting where he served Pakistani food.

    Raza also launched the project ‘No One Eats Alone’ in 2019 to provide meals to elderly and homeless communities during Christmas. He received public praise for his campaign “One Million Meals” to support National Health Service (NHS) workers in hospitals during the pandemic by providing them with hot meals.

  • Newark mayor duped into partnership with Hindu country that doesn’t exist

    Newark in New Jersey is gaining viral traction for all the wrong reasons. The town has become the brunt of many a jokes after it was revealed that mayor Ras Baraka had been duped into forming a sister city partnership with a delegation from the ‘country’ Kailasa, which was found out to be fake six days later.

    A signing ceremony was held on March 6 between the delegation from the fake country and city officials of Newark where Baraka had said:

     “I pray that our relationship helps us to understand cultural, social and political development and improves the lives of everybody in both places.”

    Last week, Newark officials admitted that they had been scammed by the Indian fugitive Swami Nithyananda, who was the head of the delegation from ‘Kailasa”, but said they were still committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures:

    “Although this was a regrettable incident, the city of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support and mutual respect.”

    The partnership lasted for only six days, until it was dissolved for baseless.

    The head of Kailasa, Swami Nithyananda, is an Indian guru who is currently charged with rape and child abduction by the Indian government. He has denied the accusations.

    Nithyanananda writes that Kailasa was founded in order to ensure the “restoration, preservation and propagation of authentic Hindu culture and civilization after centuries of oppression and subjugation. It is the home and refuge for the international Hindu diaspora.”

    According to its website, Newark is not the first town to be duped into forming the partnership, as so had Virginia, Ohio and Florida.

    Residents of Newark found the incident to be shocking. Shakee Merritt spoke to CBS that he was suprised no one did a simple Google search on whether the country was real or not.

  • ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi is more than just being about clothes’: Amna Ilyas

    Actor Amna Ilyas was a guest on “The Talk Talk Show’ where she opened up about being a feminist, and clarified the misinformation around the Aurat March slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’.

    When the placcard was raised at the 2018 Aurat March, it caused outrage after many right-wing critics said that the chant supports promiscuity and challenges family values in Pakistan. Many religious clerics had used the placard as justification to call ‘Aurat March’ un-Islamic and accused it of promoting a Western agenda in Pakistan.

    Many feminist activists have defended the slogan for protecting women’s bodily autonomy, and now Ilyas has also done the same, as she explained that the slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ was more than about clothes, it’s about protecting the rights of women:

    “It’s about having body autonomy rights and consent. It’s about harassment, domestic violence, and concepts like, ‘No one has the right to touch me without my consent, even if I’m married to you’.”

    Ilyas went on to debunk the stereotype associated with feminism that women who support this ideology are promoting vulgarity, when in reality the ideology supports the rights of women to have the same opportunities as men:

    “Whenever I talk about feminism, people always object by saying ‘Oh, Amna is bold, of course, she will spread vulgarity as she’s from the industry, she wants all our daughters to be like her’. No, I don’t want that, I only do what I want to for myself.”

    “When we speak of equal rights, it’s about having the same opportunities to thrive in my career as the man beside me. If you’re a father of four children who excel in your profession, why can’t I do the same? Honestly, it’s not about whether you’re getting permission to wear jeans or not. What we truly need, is the space to work in a cerebral capacity,” she explained.

    Watch the complete interview here:

  • Aima Baig files Rs100 million lawsuit against FMH Pakistan for spreading misinformation

    Aima Baig files Rs100 million lawsuit against FMH Pakistan for spreading misinformation

    Singer Aima Baig has shared on Instagram that she was suing the online celebrity tabloid ‘FMH Magazine’ for spreading misinformation and fake news about her for the sake of likes and traction.

    “This is high time when we should stand against yellow journalism and fake reporting (which is only done for the sake of comments and likes). I have had it enough so here I am standing up for myself and many others to become their next prey.”

    The ‘Washmallay’ singer then shared clips of the defamation notice she has sent to FMH Pakistan for posting a story that was “false, untrue, malicious and highly defamatory.”

    In the next clip, the legal notice read:
    “Being a digital and print media/ news company, you are required under the law to be truthful, honest, correct and highly responsible for the public posts/ stories/ statements / articles/ news you publish…It is evident that the scandalous and false and defamatory statement you have attributed to my client is explicitly intended to harm her reputation and to malign her before the public, for the monetary gain you are getting from clicks, views, comments and shares of your scandalous news..”

    In the last clip, the news organization was directed to pay Rs 100 million for the damages made by their misinforming post, as well as upload a written apology within 48 hours on the receipt of this notice.

  • Pakistan’s proposal to increase number of beneficiaries for BISP rejected by IMF

    Pakistan’s proposal to increase number of beneficiaries for BISP rejected by IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected the Pakistani government’s proposal to increase the number of beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and expand its scope to cover 20-30 per cent of the population living in poverty.

    The proposal aimed to provide quarterly stipends to those below the poverty line. While the IMF approved an increase in the BISP allocation by Rs40 billion, increasing it from Rs360 billion to Rs400 billion for the current fiscal year for 8.9 million beneficiaries, the proposal to expand coverage could not be implemented due to a shortage of budgetary resources.

    According to sources, the IMF refused to increase the Proxy Mean Test (PMT) ceiling for enhancing coverage and providing monthly stipends to around 30 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, citing a lack of budgetary resources. The Finance Ministry official stated that there was no disagreement, and the government has been providing a quarterly stipend of Rs7,000 to 8.9 million beneficiaries.

    The IMF staff suggested increasing tax revenues and abolishing un-targeted subsidies but did not initially oppose the idea of expanding coverage. The IMF high-ups recommended using the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) of the BISP to provide targeted subsidies on electricity, gas, and provision of POL for motorcycles and small vehicles.

    According to Geo, different proposals to start a targeted subsidy mechanism were discussed but ultimately dropped due to various reasons. The weekly Sensitive Price Index (SPI) touched 45.64 per cent on a weekly basis, and Consumer Price Index (CPI) crossed 31.5 per cent on a monthly basis in February 2023. Both the CPI and SPI are expected to rise further in the weeks and months ahead of the current fiscal year.

    To protect vulnerable segments from falling below the poverty line, there is no other option but to implement a targeted subsidy mechanism over the short and medium-term period. Pakistan and the IMF will need to place a target subsidy mechanism, given the possibility of a new IMF program after the expiration of the current one under the Extended Fund Facility in June 2023.

  • Gong Yoo, Lee Min-Ho named among ‘world’s most favourite Korean actors’ list

    Gong Yoo, Lee Min-Ho named among ‘world’s most favourite Korean actors’ list

    A survey conducted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) ran a survey to determine the most popular Korean entertainers, with 25,000 participants of ages 15 to 59 from 26 different countries taking part in it.

    According to Next Shark, the results showed that actors Lee Min-Ho and Gong Yoo were the top five most popular Korean actors globally.

    Gong Yoo rose to international fame with romantic comedy ‘Coffee Prince’ in 2007, in which he played a playboy bachelor who falls in love with a boy who is actually a girl.

    Lee Min-Ho rose to fame for his dramas ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’, ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ and ‘Pachinko’ which released in 2022.

    Another actor included in the top five list was Song Hye-Kyo, whose Netflix drama ‘The Glory’ is currently among the top ten most popular dramas worldwide, and had also received praises for her other dramas like ‘Descendants of the Sun’ and ‘Encounter’.

    Among the most popular musical groups, it was BTS and ‘Black Pink’ that were the most common answers, according to the survey.

    The all-girl Kpop band Black Pink was recently named by Time Magazine as the “Entertainer Of The Year”

    Among the most popular musical groups, it was BTS and ‘Black Pink’ that were the most common answers, according to the survey.

    The all-girl Kpop band Black Pink was recently named by Time Magazine as the “Entertainer Of The Year”

    Among the most popular Korean dramas, the most popular answer was the thriller series ‘Squid Games’ which was about contestants competing in a dangerous game to win a large cash prize.

  • Urwa Hocane speaks out after being labelled as ‘difficult to work with’ by director Nadeem Baig

    Urwa Hocane speaks out after being labelled as ‘difficult to work with’ by director Nadeem Baig

    Nadeem Baig made national headlines when, on talk show ‘The Fourth Umpire’, he was asked which actress was the most difficult to work with on set, and he revealed it was Urwa Hocane.

    Hocane and Baig was worked together in ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’ in 2017.

    Now, Hocane has responded in a post on Friday where she addressed the allegation that she was ‘difficult’ by revealing her side of the story:

    “Nadeem bhai and I have only done one project together and had one difference of opinion about the song ‘Lak Hilna’ where we eventually went with his aesthetics, choice of song and dance step as I sensed he was unwilling to hold a discussion probably because as a society we have become so intolerant to difference of opinion, specially when it’s a woman.”

    Hocane revealed that despite being trolled heavily for the past few days since Baig’s comment on the show, she had never thrown him under the bus out of respect for him.

    “Despite being extremely trolled for the song I never threw my director under the bus out of respect for him. I am so hurt with how my personality is being misrepresented publicly merely for holding a healthy discussion on set which I believe is a basis to team work while in all these years it was never pointed out to me in person.”

    You can read her complete statement here:

    Other celebrities had applauded Hocane’s post, including her husband, Farhan Saeed, who had writtten:

    “Tu shaheen hai basera kur paharon ki chatanon par ❤️”

    Nadia Jamil applauded Hocane for her ‘values and authenticity’

    Hocane’s sister, Mawra, also commented that she was proud of the strength and grace her sister had shown

  • State should handle PTI in the same way it handles terrorist organisations: Maryam Nawaz

    Senior Vice-president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz, has said that the state should handle arch-rival Imran Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the same manner that it handles terrorist organisations.

    The PML-N leader sat down with Mansoor Ali Khan for a long interview about a host of topics including her promotion in the party, PTI’s clashes with the police outside Zaman Park in Lahore and judiciary, the first part of which has gone on air.

    “I stood by Hamza when he became Chief Minister”

    When asked whether she deserves the spot of Chief Organiser of the party, Maryam referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s interview with Hamid Mir. “I spent 5-6 years working very passionately for the party. This is an acknowledgment of my relation with the people that was forged in what was the toughest period of my life and for the party,” she observed.

    Mansoor pointed out that she is now holding a position above her cousin Hamza Shehbaz. “When he became Chief Minister, which is a big post, I stood by him like an elder sister,” Maryam pointed out.

    Dispelling a question about whether Hamza was upset with the decision, Maryam Nawaz said that he has only one daughter who has heart problems and had surgery for it two years ago. “His daughter is unwell,” she revealed. The host asked that if the two cousins both win their respective seats to reach Punjab Assembly, who will be the candidate for Chief Minister. Maryam demurred and said the party will decide.

    On the matter of PML-N losing the 2022 by-elections, Maryam said that their own workers did not accept the candidates who were from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). She also rejected that the Vote of No Confidence was a mistake, implying that there was a 12-year-long plan to rig multiple elections.

    “The entire front line of PML-N was put in jail. I spent five months in jail once and then give months again. Whoever was put in jail could not come out before six months,” she reminded the anchor.

    “Let’s build a bullet-proof court inside Zaman Park”

    Dismissing the 84 cases filed against Imran Khan, Maryam Nawaz said that if he was innocent, he should prove it in court. “We showed up in court for 200 hearings,” she reminded Mansoor.

    About whether it was fair to use pictures of sitting judges while criticising the judiciary, she said, “When the law will have double standards, then it is Maryam Nawaz’s right to speak up about it.”

    Referring to Imran Khan’s reluctance to attend court proceedings, she said that she went again and again to court hearings herself when she was facing a trial. “If his life is under threat, are his workers also not facing the same who fight outside?” The host said that was there a need for such vindictiveness when Pakistan had already lost a former Premier, Benazir Bhutto, to an assassination. “Let’s then build a bullet-proof court inside Zamam Park,” she sarcastically replied.

    “State should handle Imran Khan and PTI in the same way it does terrorist organisations”

    She did not hold back when it came to the Supreme Court bench that disqualified her father Nawaz Sharif when asked about the “atmosphere of civil war” at Zaman Park when police clashed with PTI protestors. “Justice Khosa who led the Panama bench must have realised who is ‘Don’, ‘Sicilian Mafia’ and ‘Godfather’.” She said that terrorists were hiding inside the house in Zaman Park while police from Gilgit Baltistan was also there. Pointing out that this is the first time any political party had used petrol bombs to fight the police, Maryam Nawaz said only terrorists and proscribed organisations do so. “I think the state should handle Imran Khan and PTI in the same way as it does terrorist organisations,” she stressed.

    “This is cowardice”

    When Mansoor Ali Khan asked her why her party was reluctant to name former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Maryam Nawaz said that he himself had admitted to mistakes in interviews. “No he hasn’t,” the host said. The PML-N leader responded that her father had named General Bajwa in a rally and she had given an application against the then Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence General (retd) Faiz Hameed in court. Stating that she does not agree with Imran Khan’s criticism of Bajwa, she reminded viewers that he used to praise the former army chief when he was prime minister. “Till one day before his retirement, they were meeting him, to ask him to bring them back into power” she stated, adding that now Imran Khan was demanding court martial for General Bajwa. “This is a huge dichotomy, this is cowardice. I do not take a coward’s statements seriously,” she firmly said.

    However, Maryam Nawaz did not give a direct reply when Mansoor Ali Khan asked whether her govt will court martial Generals Bajwa and Hameed. “Bravery is to challenge cruelty when it is in full might,” she said.