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  • Justice Ayesha Malik is part of this year’s BBC 100 inspiring women

    Justice Ayesha Malik is part of this year’s BBC 100 inspiring women

    The first female judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, (SCP) Justice Ayesha A. Malik, has been listed as one of the 100 most influential and inspiring women of 2022 by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC ).

    On Wednesday, BBC revealed the names of 100 influential and inspiring women from around the world who made it to the privileged list for this year. Among the honourees is Justice Malik, the only Pakistani woman to have been featured on the list.

    The BBC highlighted that Justice Ayesha has authored judgments protecting the rights of women, including her “landmark judgment which banned the so-called two-finger test of rape victims” which was performed during the examination of sexual assault cases.

    “Alongside her role on the Supreme Court, Malik also conducts training for judges around the world and has inaugurated conferences for women judges in Pakistan, encouraging debate around and including the gender perspective in the justice system”.

    Earlier this year, the 56-year-old judge made history after being sworn in as the top court’s first female judge. She will become the first woman Chief Justice of Pakistan after Justice Yahya’s retirement in January 2030.

    Her elevation to the apex court was hailed by human rights activists and civil society across the country.

  • ‘Pasoori’ beats ‘Butter’, ‘Srivali’, becomes ‘Google’s most ‘hum to search’ song of 2022

    ‘Pasoori’ beats ‘Butter’, ‘Srivali’, becomes ‘Google’s most ‘hum to search’ song of 2022

    Coke Studio Pakistan’s Pasoori has become the most Googled ‘hum to search’ song of 2022. Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s iconic track has left behind chartbusters like BTS’ Butter, Siravali and Chaand Baaliyan.

    Sethi and Coke Studio’s producer, Xulfi, former EP frontman, took to social media and expressed gratitude. 

    The greatest developments in search on the well-known search engine over the previous 11+ months are summarized in Google’s “Year in Search 2022.” Google has compiled a list of the top 10 searches in a variety of categories, including persons, movies, current events, and much more.

    “Can’t thank the universe enough. Just can’t,” Xulfi shared while posting a screenshot of a news article. “And can’t thank all of you, the people, enough too. Ap subka dilse shukriya for giving us your love, your attention and your kindness that made our, your Coke Studio‘s Pasoori the most Googled song in the world in 2022.”

    Adding how the song beat BTS’ track, the Waqt Crooner penned, “Surreal knowing that BTS is second in the list. It’s a music act we researched before the season. And then Imagine Dragons, one of my favourite music acts, is on the list too. Just unbelievable. Congratulations Team.”

    The 14th installment of Coke Studio has been praised globally for its fresh take on the celebrated show. As Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (Xulfi) held the reigns this year, there was one song that truly surpassed all expectations. Sethi and Gill’s Pasoori transcended borders and managed to win the hearts of fans the world over.

  • Daily Mail apologises to PM Shehbaz for ‘error’ in 2019 article

    Daily Mail apologises to PM Shehbaz for ‘error’ in 2019 article

    Daily Mail tendered an apology to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif while withdrawing all allegations of corruption against him and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf.

    In an article published on July 4, 2019 Daily Mail had accused the Premier of “stealing British foreign aid money”.

    The British publication also removed the said article, written by David Rose, from all platforms of Mail publishers.

    The United Kingdom-based publication has failed to prove the allegations levelled by its journalist David Rose in an article against Premier Shehbaz about the alleged misappropriation of public funds.

    Since the publication of the report, Shehbaz Sharif has maintained that he was not involved in any wrongdoing and also approached a court in the United Kingdom (UK) challenging the allegation — resulting in an apology from the newspaper.

    Apology from the Daily Mail

    In a clarification published on its website today, the British publication said: “In an article concerning Mr Shahbaz Sharif entitled ‘Did the family of Pakistani politician who has become the poster boy for British overseas aid STEAL funds meant for earthquake victims’ published on 14 July 2019 we reported on an investigation by Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau into Mr Sharif and suggested that the money under investigation included a not insubstantial sum of British public money that had been paid to the Punjab province in DFID grant aid.”

    It said that the premier “has never been accused by the National Accountability Bureau of any wrongdoing in relation to British public money or DFID grant aid”.

    “We are pleased to make this clear and apologise to Mr Sharif for this error,” Daily Mail added.

    What did the article say in 2019?

    In July 2019, UK’s Daily Mail newspaper accused Prime Minister Shehbaz of “embezzling tens of millions of pounds of public money and laundering it in Britain’”

    The report, quoting Pakistani investigators, claimed that “some of the allegedly stolen money came from DFID-funded aid projects”.

    The report — titled “Did the family of Pakistani politician who has become the poster boy for British overseas aid STEAL funds meant for earthquake victims, asks DAVID ROSE” — said the newspaper was given exclusive access to “some of the results of a high-level probe ordered by [then] prime minister Imran Khan”.

  • ‘Iss tarhaa ki audio college ke bachay bhi bana lete hain’: Zulfi Bukhari responds to audio leak

    ‘Iss tarhaa ki audio college ke bachay bhi bana lete hain’: Zulfi Bukhari responds to audio leak

    Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has denied the authenticity of an audio recording between him and former First Lady Bushra Bibi which surfaced online earlier in the day.

    In a tweet, he said that he has neither bought or sold any watches. “Earlier, it was being said that watches were sold to a person named Umar Zahoor through Farah Gujjar. But when a legal notice was served [to Zahoor], a new story popped up that I have sold the watches”, he said.

    Bukhari went on to say that “even college students can make such cut-copy-paste audio”.

    He also demanded that a forensic audit of the audio should be immediately conducted and he is “ready to pay for it”.

    Prior to this, the audio got leaked, in which Bushra Bibi can be heard allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Bukhari. According to the clip, Bushra asks Zulfi to sell her husband’s watches as they are of no use to him. Zulfi Bukhari can be heard agreeing with his party chairman’s wife.

    It is pertinent to mention here that this is the second time that Bushra Bibi’s audio got leaked. Earlier in the year, another alleged leaked audio of the former First Lady came to light in which she could be heard saying, “Khan Sahib told you to run a hashtag of treason. I have been getting calls from people that your social media was very active but after a week, it is not. You should have been very active nowadays.”

  • 62 % of men aged 15-24 want to leave Pakistan: survey

    62 % of men aged 15-24 want to leave Pakistan: survey


    The Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE    ) found that 62 per cent of the male population of Pakistan aged between 15 to 24 years wants to leave the country.

    The survey reveals that slightly more people in urban Pakistan (40%) than in rural Pakistan (36%) desire to leave the country.

    Among the four provinces, the desire to leave the country is highest in Balochistan (42%), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.

    The desire is lowest in Punjab but not by much.

    Better income remains the top reason for both males and females to leave the country. “Looking for more income and equal/better all-around opportunities was not surprising but moving out to gain more respect was an unexpected response. At the national level, it is the second most reported reason for the desire to leave the country,” reads the research report.

  • US warns Taliban of action if terrorists ‘regroup’ in Afghanistan

    US warns Taliban of action if terrorists ‘regroup’ in Afghanistan

    The United States (US) has warned of action if the superpower sees “international terrorists regrouping in Afghanistan” while saying that US’ broader goal was to make sure that “terrorists and others aren’t able to use Afghanistan as a launch pad for attacks on Pakistan.”

    US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, in a press briefing, stated: “We also have capabilities when it comes to counterterrorism in the region that does not leave us entirely beholden to the Taliban.”

    He also mentioned the killing of the al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri by a US strike in August this year to prove the superpower’s capabilities to act against terrorists.

    The spokesperson also added that the Afghan Taliban had been “either unable or unwilling to live up to the commitments that they’ve made in a number of areas.”

    Answering a question, Price said, “Of course, we’ve seen other groups also active. You mentioned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), among others. We are determined to work with our partners in the region, including Pakistan, to do what we can to take on the threat of terrorism in the region, and certainly the threat of terrorism that extends well beyond the region.”

    Terming Pakistan an “important partner”, Price said that the US values its bilateral relationship with the country. “We welcome opportunities to expand cooperation in areas that are of mutual interest to us and to Pakistan. That, of course, does include when it comes to counterterrorism”, he added.

    Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Head of Mission to Kabul Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani escaped an assassination bid in Afghanistan. Last month, a suicide attack— for which TTP claimed responsibility— rammed a police escort for a polio vaccination team in Quetta.

  • ‘Didn’t buy any watch, don’t have anything to do with this’: Watch shop owner distances himself from PTI claims

    ‘Didn’t buy any watch, don’t have anything to do with this’: Watch shop owner distances himself from PTI claims

    The owner of a small shop at the center of the Toshakhana scandal has distanced himself from the narrative given by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership about the sale of state gifts.

    PTI has argued that the Master Graff wristwatch which was gifted to its Chairman Imran Khan when he was the Prime Minister, was sold to a retail business store by the name of “Art of Time” in Islamabad.

    Among the gifts alleged to have been sold by the former Premier is a bejewelled Master Graff wristwatch that was gifted to the PTI chief by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

    A multi-millionaire Dubai-based businessman, Umar Farooq, has said that he bought the precious watch from Imran Khan’s trusted family friend Farah Gogi after paying a hefty amount of $2 million in cash.

    The receipt of the sale of this same special edition watch to “Art of Time” was deposited by the former premier himself before the Cabinet Division.

    Earlier today, an audio recording of former First Lady Bushra Bibi has surfaced online.

    In the brief clip, Bushra Bibi can be heard allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Zulfi Bukhari, a close confidant of her husband.

    As soon as the audio was leaked, Mohammad Shafiq, the owner of “Art of Time” in a video statement, distanced himself from the controversy.

    “I neither bought any watch nor have I got anything to do with this matter,” said Shafiq in a video. He added that propaganda was going against him —tying him to purchasing the watch.

    “Neither is that my shop’s bill (receipt), nor is that my signature. Even that handwriting is not mine. My business stamps and other things have been used unlawfully,” Shafiq shared.

    He added that he was hoping the matter would die down by itself —which was why he did not respond to any questions being raised.

    Shafique warned of legal action [against the propagandists] if he was dragged deeper into the matter.

  • Arshad Sharif murder: Govt forms new investigation team after SC suo motu

    Arshad Sharif murder: Govt forms new investigation team after SC suo motu

    The federal government has formed a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif after the Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu of the slaying and ordered that a new team be formed.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan, (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, is heading the five-member bench that is hearing the suo motu case.

    During Thursday’s hearing, the federal government informed the apex court that a new JIT has been constituted, including members DIG Islamabad Owais Ahmed, Director Cybercrime FIA Waqaruddin Syed, Sajid Kayani from Intelligence Bureau, Murtaza Afzal from Military Intelligence and Mohammad Aslam from Inter-Services Intelligence.

    Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Amir Rehman informed the court that an investigation into the murder is being launched immediately, specifying that the JIT would first record the statement of the slain journalist’s mother.

    “The JIT will probe all relevant persons in Pakistan and then start investigations in Kenya,” the AAG added.

    The chief justice stressed an impartial and transparent investigation and directed the JIT to submit a progress report fortnightly. The top court also said that “JIT can approach the Supreme Court in case it faces any hurdle.”

    Moreover, the SC stated that the team should submit progress reports to judges in chambers for review.

    A day earlier, the apex court sought the names of senior and competent for the JIT from the government.

  • Lahore Traffic Police issues 99,000 challans to motorcyclists in less than a month

    Lahore Traffic Police issues 99,000 challans to motorcyclists in less than a month

    In the last three weeks, 99,000 motorcyclists received challans from the Lahore City Traffic Police (CTP) for not wearing helmets. Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Dr Assad Malhi emphasised the value of wearing helmets during his interview with the media.

    He claimed that after the enforcement effort, 95 per cent of motorcycle riders on Mall Road are now wearing helmets. Helmets should be used for self-defense and to prevent Challan since they shield the head from 70 per cent of fatal injuries, he continued.

    As more people wear helmets, the number of head injuries treated in Lahore hospitals has fallen. It noted that both senior and junior physicians have praised CTO for tackling this issue.

    According to Pakwheels, the entry of bikers without helmets was completely prohibited last month by the Lahore City Traffic Police. No biker would be permitted on Mall Road without a helmet, according to CTO Lahore, Dr Asjad Ahmed Malhi, in a statement to the media.

    Malhi warned, “In case of violation, there will be a heavy fine.” He further said this is a model stage and will be spread across the city in the next phase.

    The CTO continued by saying that the new law will be fully implemented and would have 100 per cent continuity.

    In order to make helmets mandatory, the traffic police have started a number of projects and initiatives in the city. More motorcyclists have started using helmets over time. There are still a sizable amount who don’t, though. A few years ago, the police started the “no helmet, no petrol” campaign to encourage people to use helmets.

  • Audio leak: Bushra Bibi allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Zulfi Bukhari

    Audio leak: Bushra Bibi allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Zulfi Bukhari

    An audio recording for former First Lady Bushra Bibi has surfaced online on Thursday.

    In the brief clip, Bushra Bibi can be heard allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Zulfi Bukhari, a close confidant of her husband, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Following is the audio transcript of the clip.

    Bushra bibi: Hello

    Zulfi Bukhari: Asalam-o-Alikum Jee

    Bushra Bibi: Jee Waalikum Asalam. How are you?

    Zulfi Bukhari: I am well Murshad. How are you are?

    Bushra Bibi: All is well by the grace of God. There are a few watches of Imran Khan Sahib. He has asked me to send them to you so that you can sell them. They are not of his use.

    Zulfi Bukhari: Yes

    Bushra Bibi: He wants that you take them somewhere.

    Zulfi Bukhari: Yes Murshad. I will do so.

    On November 15, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor claimed in the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, that the PTI government had sold the expensive Graff wristwatch gifted by Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, for a cash amount of $2 million or Rs.280 million at the time of sale in 2019.

    Zahoor claimed that he had bought the watch through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi.

    The Dubai-based businessman also claimed that Farah wanted to sell the watch for $4-5 million “but after negotiations, I purchased it for $2 million”. The payment, he added, was made in cash on Farah’s insistence.

    It is pertinent to mention here that earlier in the year, another alleged leaked audio of the former First Lady came to light in which Bushra Bibi could be heard saying, “Khan Sahib told you to run a hashtag of treason. I have been getting calls from people that your social media was very active but after a week, it is not. You should have been very active nowadays.”