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  • Hira & Mani’s European concert gets polarising reviews by netizens

    Hira & Mani’s European concert gets polarising reviews by netizens

    Celebrity couple of Hira Jamal and Salman Saqib was recently seen vacationing in Manchester. The pair used their Instagram accounts to serve their fans and followers a sneak peek at their Manchester arrival.

    The duo staged a performance in London. Hira was spotted impressing the audience with her singing abilities and dance capabilities.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEVOjjBMW0E

    The Sun Yaara star sung her chartbuster OSTs of Meray Paas Tum Ho and Do Bol.

    After the video went viral on social media, the public began to criticize the pair. Hira Mani’s concert video has gotten mixed response from netizens, while some praised her for representing Pakistan internationally and for confidently singing despite being an actor, others mocked her for her questionable dance antics and singing abilities.

    Here are the comments from the audience:

  • Aurat March issues statement on ‘brutality against PTI workers’

    Aurat March issues statement on ‘brutality against PTI workers’

    Aurat March Lahore has issued a statement to condemn police brutality and tactics used by the government to suppress the right to assembly and political participation.

    “We are alarmed by the police brutality & tactics used by the government to suppress the right to assembly & political participation; illegal detentions of students & activists during protests for Baloch missing persons in Karachi and the brutality against PTI’s political workers,” said the Aurat March statement.

    “As a movement that has routinely faced resistance from the state & ironically the PTI itself, we recognize how important the right to protest is. We cannot allow this precedent to be set over and over again because it inevitablely harms marginalized groups the most.”

    The police yesterday resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse PTI workers in Liberty Lahore and D-Chowk Islamabad. During the demonstrations in Karachi, several policemen including a superintendent of police (SP) were injured as the protesters pelted stones at them. The police then started aerial firing.

    Read more- PTI Azadi March: Khan leaves D-Chowk, says will come back in 6 days if no election announced

    Imran Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad’s 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies and warned that he would return to the capital with the “entire nation” otherwise.

  • IMF programme will only revive if Govt hikes fuel, electricity prices

    IMF programme will only revive if Govt hikes fuel, electricity prices

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated unequivocally that the loan programme under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) will not be revived unless oil and electricity prices are increased. The Pakistani delegation, on the other hand, has asked for more time to withdraw the subsidy.

    The delegation would meet with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif to discuss it. Both parties have agreed to continue discussions. Apart from the withdrawal of the subsidy, officials claim that all other issues have been resolved.

    Pakistan was unable to persuade the IMF despite a week of discussions in Doha, Qatar, from May 18 to May 25.

    IMF postponed the rollback of Pakistan’s stalled $6 billion External Financing Facility (EFF) programme late Wednesday as the government hoped that the revival would bring stability to the financial markets, the rapid weakening of the local currency with depleting foreign exchange reserves.

    In a statement, the Fund underlined the elimination of petroleum and energy subsidies, among other conditions, as a prerequisite for the program’s restoration. Following the conclusion of the talks, Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief for Pakistan, stated that the Fund held meaningful talks with Pakistani representatives.

    “The Mission has engaged in highly constructive discussions with Pakistani authorities in order to reach an agreement on policies and reforms that will lead to the completion of the awaiting seventh evaluation of the authorities’ reform programme, which is backed by an IMF Extended Fund Facility arrangement”.

    As per Porter, significant progress was made during the mission, including the need to continue addressing massive inflation and rising fiscal and current account shortfalls, whereas ensuring sufficient protection for the weakest.

    The Fund also lauded the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) decision to raise the policy rate from 12.25 per cent to 13.75 per cent in order to combat rising inflation. However, the mission chief noted that there were fiscal deviations from the policies agreed upon in the previous review, reflecting in part the fuel and power subsidies announced by the authorities in February.

    The PTI-led government initially concurred to increasing the prices of energy and petroleum products, but Imran Khan announced a subsidy on both commodities later in March, and the present government is proceeding with the same arrangement.

    As per Porter, the IMF team highlighted the importance of tangible policy actions, including the removal of fuel and energy subsidies and the FY2023 budget, to achieve programme objectives. He went on to say that the IMF team is looking forward to proceeding with its discussion and close engagement with the Pakistani government on policies to ensure price stability for the benefit of all Pakistanis.

  • PTI Azadi March: Khan leaves D-Chowk, says will come back in 6 days if no election announced

    PTI Azadi March: Khan leaves D-Chowk, says will come back in 6 days if no election announced

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addressed the protesters at Islamabad’s 9th Avenue and gave a six-day deadline to the government for announcing elections and dissolving assemblies.

    “I had decided that I will sit here until the government dissolves assemblies and announces elections, but of what I have seen in the past 24 hours, they (govt) are taking the nation towards anarchy,” he said, claiming that the government was also trying to create a divide between the nation and the police.

    “The government tried every method to crush our Azadi March. They used teargas on peaceful protests, our homes were raided and our privacy was violated. However, I have seen the nation free itself of [the] fear of slavery,” said Khan addressing his caravan.

    He claimed that five PTI protesters were killed in clashes after the PTI’s march, saying that one had fallen off the Attock bridge amid tear-gas shelling and the other was pushed into Ravi river. He said he had also received information that three were killed in Karachi.

    Addressing the Supreme Court (SC), he asked, “What crime were we committing?”

    He said he “wants justice for the people of Pakistan from Supreme Court judges and the lawyers’ community”.

    “I am again asking the judiciary to save your FIA (Federal Investigation Agency). In the future, no FIA officer will investigate the powerful if he will meet the same end as Dr Rizwan and Asghar,” he added. Imran said peaceful protest was the right of every Pakistani and no one “gives you [the government] to treat the people in the manner that you treated them”.

    People have completely rejected the riot: Sanaullah

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, meanwhile, said the people “have completely rejected the riots”. In a statement posted on PML-N’s official Twitter account, Sanaullah was quoted as saying he had been personally monitoring the security situation.

    “Imran Niazi entered the city after getting permission from the Supreme Court to hold a rally at a designated place in Islamabad and broke his promise by announcing plans to go to D-Chowk.”

    Read more: PTI Azadi March: Imran sets out to lead party caravan, tensions escalate

    Army summoned to control the situation

    As the situation turned chaotic in Islamabad after Khan and his convoy entered the federal capital and started marching towards the city’s D-Chowk, the government decided to seek the help of the army to control the situation and protect the government’s offices located in the Red Zone.

    The government, in a notification, said that the army was summoned to control the situation under Article 245 of the Constitution.

    PTI, govt negotiations fail

    Following the Supreme Court’s order for the government and the PTI to hold negotiations in a bid to control the situation at 10pm Wednesday, the government’s team headed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq, reached the commissioner’s office in Islamabad but the PTI team, led by Bawar Awan, returned without holding the talks due to the late arrival of the government’s team.

    Sadiq said it was decided to meet at 10pm but “due to the closure of roads, the government’s team reached the Islamabad commissioner’s office 25 minutes late”.

    “We were gathered here on SC’s orders but now leaving as a sign of protest,” he told journalists. The PML-N leader added that the purpose of the dialogue was to select a place and set a guideline for PTI’s protest.

    “Following the court’s order, we have removed obstacles but the city was set on fire,” he added. “The chief commissioner had been continuously calling the PTI team but they were not responsive. However, we will wait here a little longer for them.”

    SC directs govt to provide PTI with ground between H-9, G-9 areas to hold jalsa

    The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the federal government to provide the PTI with a ground between the H-9 and G-9 areas of Islamabad to hold its public gathering.

  • ‘Khuda ka khauf karo, PML-N chali jayegi’: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar schools Punjab police

    ‘Khuda ka khauf karo, PML-N chali jayegi’: Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar schools Punjab police

    Writer Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar took to his social media handle to school Punjab police for their conduct with the protestors.

    While posting a video of a protestor, Qamar penned a heartfelt note.

    The Mere Paas Tum Ho writer stated that “the government will eventually go but you (police) will only be left with hatred in your kitty.”

    Large-scale skirmishes between the Punjab police and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers erupted in the provincial metropolis on Wednesday when the law-enforcers blocked their routes for their participation in the ‘Azadi March’, announced by party chairman Imran Khan.

    Dozens of PTI workers and leaders were arrested including former Punjab health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Andaleeb Abbas, Zubair Niazi, Mian Mamunur-Rasheed, Ejaz Chaudhry, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, and former vice chairman Chief Minister’s Complaint Cell Nasir Salman. However, most of the leaders were released soon after their arrest.

    The party workers responded to the call given byImran Khan, who had been demanding immediate dissolution of assemblies and announcement of date for general election. The government’s plan that not a single vehicle should get out of Lahore,however, failed.

    Police tear-gassed and lathi-charged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf marchers at Batti Chowk and Bhatti Gate area whenthey attempted to remove containers, placed on roads. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaflawyers and workers had scuffles with the police outside Aiwan-e-Adl and Post Master General Office. Police subjected lawyers to torture outside the Aiwan-e-Adl. A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader, Zubair Niazi,was injured during a scuffle with the police. He was also arrested, but lawyers managed to rescue him from police. Lawyers also removed barriers from in front of Aiwan-e-Adl.

    The lawyercaravan clashed with the police, broke barriers and left for Islamabad. Police damaged busses, hired by lawyers for the marchers. The marchers were also intercepted at Shahdara. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers removed all containers at Batti Chowk, Ravi Bridge, Niazi Chowk and Shahdara and cleared the roads to move towards Islamabad.

    Meanwhile, another Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf caravan, led by Hammad Azhar, managed to overcome obstacles and leave Lahore for Islamabad. However, he received a minor injury. The police stopped the PTI workers about 100 metres before the Ravi Bridge.

    Police refused to allow Dr Yasmin Rashid to move towards Batti Chowk. When she tried to move ahead, the policemen hit her vehicle with a heavy stick,damaging badly the windscreen. Shahdara and Farrukhabad areas were turned into battlefield where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers offered resistance and managed to cross the city by removing the obstacles.

    The marchers threw tear-gas shells back at police and threw stones and bricks. Police resorted to baton-charge and fired tear-gas shells from Ravi Toll Plaza to Shahdara Chowk, which forced the PTI workers to disperse for some time.

  • Pakistani rupee drops to Rs202 as market ambiguity extends

    Pakistani rupee drops to Rs202 as market ambiguity extends

    Pakistani currency slid to another historic low of Rs202 versus the US dollar on May 25 and lost ground in the interbank market.

    It fell 0.25 per cent against the US dollar today, closing at Rs201.92 after losing 51 paisas in the interbank market. During today’s open market session, the rupee hit an intraday low of Rs202.12 against the US dollar. In two weeks, the dollar has gained Rs15.23 against the rupee, and Rs18.98 since the new regime took power.

    The political situation in Pakistan also played a significant role in keeping the forex market on its toes, as players on both sides of the fence intensified their narratives against one another. Riots have broken out across the country after the month-old government shut down roads leading to Islamabad, where former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party is planning a large rally calling for the removal of the incumbent and immediate general elections.

    International oil prices maintained Monday’s gains as concerns about tight global supply continued to outweigh short-term trade forecasts. Brent crude rose to $114 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude in the United States rose to $111.

    Today, the PKR fell further against the majority of the other major currencies in the interbank market. It fell two paisas against the Pound Sterling (GBP), 13 paisas against the Saudi Riyal (SAR), and 38 paisas against the Australian Dollar (AUD).

    In today’s interbank currency market, it gained 12 paisas against the Canadian Dollar (CAD) and 17 paisas against the Euro (EUR).

    It is worth noting that the PKR reported losses against the greenback for the fourteenth day in a row.

  • Kashmir freedom fighter Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment

    Kashmir freedom fighter Yasin Malik sentenced to life imprisonment

    Mohammed Yasin Malik, 54, founder of the organization Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front who was accused and charged with participating in alleged ‘acts of terrorism, illegally raising funds, being a member of a “terrorist organization”, terrorism financing, criminal conspiracy and sedition’, has now been sentenced to life in imprisonment.

    On 19 March, Judge Praveen Singh set May 25 as the date for hearing arguments from both sides and sentencing. She also directed Malik to provide an affidavit regarding his financial assets. JKLF reports that while in court, Malik said, “Terrorism-related charges leveled against me are concocted, fabricated and politically motivated.”

    The case is based on events from the 1990s when Malik and his associates were charged with the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989 and the killing of four Indian Air Force officers in 1990.

    Malik’s wife Mushaal Malik also appeared in a press conference in Islamabad, alongside PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb. She spoke of the severely unjust treatment that the Indian government is subjecting on her husband, absolutely restricting the family from communicating with him and taking away his right to a free and fair trial. She demanded that her husband’s case be tried in the International Court of Justice and requested the United Nations to take action and establish an inquiry into this case.

    On Monday, the Pakistani Senate passed an unanimous resolution condemning the case against Hurriyat leader and expressing solidarity with his family. The resolution was tabled by former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

    Cases against Yasin Malik

    Malik, who has been kept under arrest at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in April 2019, when he was already in jail for violating the Indian Public Safety Act, according to which one can be jailed for an entire year without any trial.

    Malik, along with seven others, is charged with killing four Indian Air Force officers in 1990. However, their counsel has argued that since the group announced a unilateral ceasefire in 1994, the charge is not true.

    Secondly, Malik is accused of abducting the then federal home minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s daughter, Rubaiya Sayeed in 1989. Both of these cases have been presented in courts by the NIA under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act [TADA].

    Unfair trial

    Despite there being no cases or new charges against Malik and his group throughout the BJP government, the court is now rushing through to reach sentencing in the trial.

    In his open letter from prison, Malik wrote, “Though I have every legal right to be presented physically before the court, but the judge and the CBI at the behest of government are not allowing me to present myself before the trial court physically. I am being presented through video conference, where neither I am able to hear the arguments of the lawyers nor am I being allowed to speak.”

    Commenting on the speed with which the case is being tried, Malik’s lawyer Tufail Raja told Al Jazeera, “When you reopen a 30-year-old case and pursue it at a fast pace in a bid to hastily produce judgement, you can understand the intentions of this government.” He added “This is a political rather than a judicial move.” 

    The verdict

    Leading up to the announcement of the verdict, people had started coming out on the streets in Kashmir, on either side of the issue – in his support as well as those against him. The court also imposed various fines including a 5,000 INR and a 10,000 INR fine on Yasin Malik, along with two life imprisonment sentences, which will both run simultaneously.

    DG ISPR and wife Mushaal Malik have vehemently condemned this decision on Twitter and held up Kashmir’s right to self determination.

  • Elections for 20 de-seated Punjab Assembly seats to be held on July 17: ECP

    Elections for 20 de-seated Punjab Assembly seats to be held on July 17: ECP

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Wednesday that the by-polls on the 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly will be held on July 17.

    The date for the by-elections comes after the ECP on Monday de-notified the 25 PTI MPAs that it had de-seated over defection from the party for voting in favour of Hamza Shehbaz in the chief minister election. The decision to de-seat the 25 PTI dissidents came during the announcement of the verdict in a case pertaining to the dissident Members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs).

    The ECP had issued official notifications for the cancellation of the dissidents’ election from respective constituencies of Punjab and seats reserved for women and non-Muslims.

    “Pursuant to the Order dated the 20 May 2022 passed by the Election Commission of Pakistan in case No. 13(1)/2022-Law, upon confirmation of the declarations under Article 63A(1)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby de-notify the following member’s Provincial Assembly of Punjab from the respective Constituencies, seats reserved for women, and non-Muslims in terms of Article 63A(4) of the Constitution,” the notification said.

  • Texas school shooting: 19 children, 2 adults killed inside Robb Elementary School

    Texas school shooting: 19 children, 2 adults killed inside Robb Elementary School

    On Tuesday, May 24, an 18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, who killed at least 19 children and two adults in a school shooting at Robb Elementary School, in Uvalde, a small city west of San Antionio. The school had second through fourth grade kids attending and apart from those killed, several were injured.

    Only ten days ago, 10 people were brutally killed by another gunman in an aggressive racist attack, inside a grocery store in Buffalo, New York.

    Addressing the American nation on the night of Tuesday, President Biden called for action and severely lamented that the attack had taken place, but did not clarify his policy decision or vote. “Where in the God’s name is our backbone, the courage to do more and then stand up to the lobbies? It’s time to turn this pain into action,” says President Biden

    Some images of students and teachers who were killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School – [Top L to R]: Xavier Lopez (10 y/o), Nevaeh Bravo (4th grade), Tess Mata (4th grade). [Bottom L to R]: Makenna Lee Elrod (10 y/o), Amerie Garza (10 y/o), Eva Mireles (17 years of teaching)

    Eva Mireles, a fourth grade teacher who had been teaching at the school for almost 17 years now. She had one daughter and was married to a law enforcement officer in Uvalde. Her daughter was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and she was trying harder every day to provide a better future for her. Parents of her students tweeted in her memory.

    10-year-old Amerie Jo Garza, who was in fourth grade was also shot this Tuesday, and had celebrated her birthday only two weeks ago before the shooting. It is reported that she was attempting to call 911 for help. Finding out about her death, her father said, “My little love is now flying high with the angels above. Please don’t take a second for granted. Hug your family. Tell them you love them. I love you Amerie jo. Watch over your baby brother for me.”

    10-year-old Makenna Elrod’s father Brandon Elrod spoke to ABC News on Tuesday afternoon, and said that he was searching for his 10-year-old daughter but he feared that she might not be alive. Unable to find her initially, he headed towards the funeral home.

    Parents of the children who were shot have given several statements to the national media expressing disbelief and denial in having lost their children in this manner. Although the gunman also died on the spot, the family members of these children were left extremely traumatized.