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  • Court sentences Hindu teacher to life in prison over ‘blasphemy’ charges

    Court sentences Hindu teacher to life in prison over ‘blasphemy’ charges

    A session court sentenced a Hindu teacher, Nautan Lal, to life imprisonment over charges of ‘blasphemy’ in Ghotki, a district in Sindh. He was fined Rs50,000 as well, reports SAMAA News.

    The verdict was announced by the additional session judge, Mumtaz Ali Solangi today. The court took two years to convict Nautan Lal who has been in jail since 2019 as an undertrial prisoner.

    According to the verdict, he is charged with Section 265-H of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

    A case was also registered against Lal under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). He was accused of passing derogatory remarks about the Holy Prophet P.B.U.H

    He was sent back to Central jail in Sukkur. His requests for bail have been rejected twice for the past two years.

    In September 2019, a video was circulated across social media in which an intermediate student claimed that the owner of Ghotki’s Sindh Public Higher Secondary School committed blasphemy.

    Member of Jamaat Ahle Sunnat, Mufti Adul Karim Sayeedi registered a blasphemy case against the school owner.

    However, teachers clarified that the Nautan Lal did not teach at the school but he just visited on that day. He used to teach Physics at Government Degree College Ghotki.

    A protest erupted in the town and a violent mob attacked the Hindu Temple in Ghotki and damaged its idols.

  • ‘Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival,’ says Shehbaz as PML-N meets MQM-P delegation

    ‘Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival,’ says Shehbaz as PML-N meets MQM-P delegation

    Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met the Muttahida Qaumi Movement – Pakistan (MQM-P) delegation.

    Addressing a press conference along with MQM-P Deputy Convenor Amir Khan and other party members, Shehbaz said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is not concerned about the problems of the people but is only “concerned about the Opposition”.

    “Today’s ally can become tomorrow’s rival,” said Shehbaz, adding that the delegation discussed all issues highlighted during the meeting with their party leadership in Karachi.

    “Life has become hard for the people due to additional taxes, rising electricity prices, etc,” said Shehbaz.

    “The kind of problems people are facing because of the federal government in the provincial capital, we are facing the similar kind of torture and oppression in Sindh because of them,” said Amir Khan.

    “There are no two opinions about the devastating economic conditions of Pakistan,” said Amir, adding that the MQM-P also has reservations regarding the rising inflation.

    “Inflation has become unbearable and a solution needs to be found as soon as possible,” asserted Amir.

    It is pertinent to mention here that MQM-P is one of the allies of the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

  • ‘Nothing compares to what Roy delivered for us,’ Shahid Afridi on Roy’s innings for Quetta

    ‘Nothing compares to what Roy delivered for us,’ Shahid Afridi on Roy’s innings for Quetta

    Former Pakistan captain of Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi, who is currently representing Quetta Gladiators in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), praised Jason Roy’s magnificent 116-runs knock against Lahore Qalandars on Monday.

    Taking to Twitter, Afridi lauded the outstanding knock that steered the Gladiators to the victory in the 15th match of the PSL 7. The match was the last of the Karachi leg.

    “I have seen some amazing innings in the PSL, but nothing compares to what [Jason Roy] delivered for us,” the star all-rounder wrote.

    Roy, who played his first match of the PSL 7 last night, stormed himself into the record book as the batter smashed the second-fastest century of the PSL. He took just 49 balls to reach the triple-figures.

    In his astonishing inning, the right-handed batter smashed 11 boundaries and eight sixes. He also scored the third-highest individual score of the PSL history, scoring 116, led by the then Karachi Kings’ batter Colin Ingram, who scored an unbeaten 127 against the Gladiators.

    West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards also praised the batter for his innings.

    Taking to Twitter, Roy wrote: “That one felt extremely special. Thank you to everyone for the kind words and support. @TeamQuetta @thePSLt20.”

  • ‘India should stop harassing journalists’: Human Rights Watch

    ‘India should stop harassing journalists’: Human Rights Watch

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released its report to address the unlawful arrest of journalists in Indian-Occupied Kashmir (IoK). According to the report, so far at least 35 journalists in IoK have faced police interrogation, raids, threats, physical assault, or fabricated criminal cases for their reporting.

    The recent arrest of Fahad Shah, an editor-in-chief of a leading Kashmir-based news site The Kashmir Walla, has led to condemnation from several journalism organisations including United States (US)-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

    South Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said, “Instead of ensuring justice for security force violations in Kashmir, the [Indian] government is more interested in silencing those who bring these abuses to light.”

    Ganguly also demanded Indian authorities in Kashmir to release Shah and all journalists, activists, and critics jailed on “politically motivated charges” and stop harassing them with draconian laws.

    Furthermore, HRW has stated a number of journalist names who are behind bars on baseless grounds. Last month, the police arrested another journalist at the Kashmir Walla.

    In September, the police raided the homes of four Kashmiri journalists and confiscated their phones and laptops. Not only this, the Indian authorities give threats to journalists with jail if their work criticises them and pressured them to self-censor, says the HRW report.

    It states that India has placed over 40 people, including 22 journalists, on lists to stop them from travelling abroad.

  • PM Khan, army chief reach Balochistan’s Naushki to spend a day with troops

    PM Khan, army chief reach Balochistan’s Naushki to spend a day with troops

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrived in Balochistan on Tuesday to pay tribute to the martyrs in Panjgur and Naushki.

    The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the army chief will spend the day with troops and also meet those who repulsed the attack on February 2.

    “COAS will be given [a] detailed update on [the] security situation in the area and operational preparedness of the formation to counter terrorist activities,” it said, adding that the army chief will also “meet troops who participated in repulsing [a] terrorist attack on Feb 2.”

    It was reported that PM Khan will visit Naushki where he will be briefed about the operation against terrorists. The PM will meet Balochistan chief minister and the governor in Quetta and will preside over a meeting on security issues.

    On Saturday, the security forces had completed the clearance operations, which were launched after terrorists attacked their camps in Panjgur and Nushki districts on Wednesday evening.

    At least 20 terrorists were killed during the operations while nine security personnel embraced martyrdom, the military’s media wing had added.

    In Naushki, the ISPR had said, nine terrorists were killed while four security forces personnel, including an officer, embraced shahadat during the “shootout with terrorists while repulsing the attack”. In Panjgur, the security forces had repulsed the terrorist attack after an intense exchange of fire during which some terrorists fled the area, it had added.

  • Woman gets pregnant by alleged rape, police waiting for birth of the child to prove

    Woman gets pregnant by alleged rape, police waiting for birth of the child to prove

    An 18-year-old unmarried girl with mental health challenges was found to be five months pregnant when she went to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre’s (JPMC) emergency with complaints of abdominal pain on January 20, reports Samaa News.

    A doctor sent her for an ultrasound for diagnosis, which revealed that she is about five months pregnant. The family members who accompanied her were shocked.

    After being questioned by her relatives, she said that she was raped five months ago by her neighbour, Muhammad Mukhtar, who is a policeman.

    The victim recalled the full incident that the accused called her in his house when the victim’s family went to attend a funeral. She said that she was slapped and dragged by Mukhtar into a room where he raped her at gunpoint.

    The victim was brought to the medico-legal section of JPMC for examination. A Woman Medico-Legal Officer (WMLO) wrote a report in which she mentioned that it was difficult to prove rape after five months.

    The victim’s father filed a case against the accused at the South Woman Police Station on January 24.

    The next day, her family members and neighbours gathered outside the police station on Sharah-e Faisal for protest and demanded the arrest of the accused.

    Late night on January 25, the accused, Muhammad Mukhtar, surrendered before District South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Investigation-I. The case did not make any further progress even though the accused was arrested.

    South SSP Investigation-I, Dr Farrukh Raza, said that WMLO issued a Medico-Legal Certificate which has shown that she is pregnant but it did not mention proof of rape. SSP said, “The police will have to wait for the delivery of the baby to get the forensic evidence.”

    “A paternity test will confirm who raped the woman,” he added.

  • Australian Marnus Labuschagne ‘excited’ to be a part of series against Pak

    Australian Marnus Labuschagne ‘excited’ to be a part of series against Pak

    The number one ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne is excited to be part of Australia’s historic tour to Pakistan, starting from March 4 in Rawalpindi.

    The Aussies are scheduled to tour Pakistan for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I. While replying to a fan on Twitter, the 27-year-old said that it is the “first Australia tour to Pakistan in 24 years. So excited to be a part of this series.”

    Earlier in January, in a question and answer (Q & A) session, Labuschagne had said that he can’t wait to play in Pakistan and is itching to face ICC Cricketer of the Year, Shaheen Afridi.

    The tour will now start and end in Rawalpindi with the opening Test to be played from March 4-8 and the four white-ball matches to be played from March 29 to April 5.

    The change in the first Test venue means that the second Test will be played in Karachi from March 12-16 and the third in Lahore from March 21-25.

    The only T20 match of the series will be played in Rawalpindi on April 5.

    The schedule was earlier revised to ease logistical and operational challenges as well as to avoid Pakistan Day rehearsals, which usually commence in Islamabad in the second week of March.

    Meanwhile, it must be noted that Labuschagne has amassed 2220 runs in 23 Tests for Australia. The right-hander has scored six centuries since making his debut in 2018.

    Cricket Australia announced the full-strength squad for Pakistan tour on Tuesday. While squads for the limited-overs matches that will follow the Tests are yet to be named, the fact that no Test players have pulled out is a vote of confidence for the tour.

  • ‘Jigar to Jigar’: woman donates liver to husband

    ‘Jigar to Jigar’: woman donates liver to husband

    A woman donated part of her liver to save her husband’s life in Sindh, reports Geo.

    After the operation, the woman said that they have been married for ten years but they have no children and her husband is everything for her. She also said that she can donate every organ of her body just to save her husband’s life. In the video, the woman looked happy with a smile on her face.

    The reporter asked her how is she feeling about donating her jigar (liver), to which she said, “He is my jigar.” She added that she loves her husband a lot.

    The successful and free liver transplant was performed at Abdul Qadir Shah Jilani Institute of Medical Sciences, Gambat, Khairpur. According to doctors, both the husband and wife are healthy after the operation.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w23oy23Cw0&feature=youtu.be
  • Zardari meets Chaudhry brothers to discuss no-confidence motion

    Zardari meets Chaudhry brothers to discuss no-confidence motion

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and the current Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi to seek support from them regarding the no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    According to Dawn , PML-Q agreed that primarily it had reservations with the government, but it could not become a part of any “political misadventure”.

    PML-Q also questioned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders’ seriousness about a no-confidence motion and the numbers required in parliament to support it.

    However, it is expected that the PPP and PML-Q leadership will meet once again in the next few days, as per Geo News.

    PML-Q is a key ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Centre and Punjab. Despite the Opposition approaching PML-Q for the no-confidence motion, the party has reassured its support to the ruling party.

    PPP and PML-Q meeting was held two days after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari attended a luncheon meeting with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif and other (PML-N) leaders, including Maryam Nawaz in Lahore.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) today (Tuesday).

  • Court dismisses petition against PM Khan’s marriage, terms it ‘absurd and derogatory’

    Court dismisses petition against PM Khan’s marriage, terms it ‘absurd and derogatory’

    The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Monday dismissed a petition seeking an order against the marriage of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on the basis of ten questions related to Islamic laws and constitutional provisions, reports Malik Asad for Dawn.

    A three-member FSC bench declared the petition as non-maintainable with an observation that the petition was “not filed in accordance with the Federal Shariat Court (Procedure) Rules 1981”.

    The court order mentioning the 10 questions asked by the petitioner stated that some questions were “absurd, derogatory and absolutely irrelevant”, while two questions that were related to Nikkah were “ambiguous, inconceivable and not understandable, rather [they] were not supposed to be framed at all.”

    The questions put forward in the petition were in relevance to Khula and the dissolution of marriage.

    The order stated that the petitioner had “not specified any specific provision of law being repugnant to the injunctions of Quran and Sunnah as required by the Constitution, as elaborated in the Federal Shariat Court (Procedure) Rules, 1981. Subse­quen­t­­ly, it dismissed the petition declaring it as non-maintainable”.