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  • LHC suspends court order directing FIR against Babar Azam

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended a court order, directing the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a case against Pakistan skipper Babar Azam over a harassment allegation.

    In the petition, Azam’s lawyer told the court that the trial court did not listen to his client’s point of view. He added that his client was innocent and appealed to the court for justice.

    The LHC, while suspending the order, directed the FIA to submit its response in the case within two weeks and issued a notice to complainant Hameeza Mukhtar.

    In his petition, Azam’s lawyer also appealed that he was an international cricketer and the captain of the national cricket team in all three formats. It contended that the order passed by the sessions court was an “unreasoned, non-speaking order”.

    The court directed the complainant to present her stance in person or through her lawyer.

    The Pakistan team skipper had challenged an order by a sessions court, directing the FIA to register a case against him under the cybercrime law on the harassment complaint.

    Mukhtar, in her petition, had accused Azam and two women of harassing her and sending her death threats via WhatsApp through different mobile numbers.

    She said she was continuously blackmailed by the suspects, adding that they threatened to upload fake pictures of her on social media if she did not accept their demands.

    The FIA in its report filed with the court said the cricketer did not appear before the investigating officer; however, his elder brother appeared and sought time on behalf of the defendant to record a statement.

    “Since, a regular inquiry has been commenced with respect to the complaint of the petitioner. Thus, the respondent (FIA) is directed to proceed further with respect to registration of FIR against the culprits within the stipulated time after committing legal formalities,” the sessions court had said in the order.

    Earlier, Mukhtar levelled allegations of abortion and deceitful intercourse on the false assurance of marriage against the cricketer.

    She accused Azam of maintaining illicit relations and making false promises of marriage. She also alleged that she got pregnant in 2015 with Azam’s baby but on his wish, got it aborted. Later, they reportedly reconciled.

  • Pakistan’s first tourism TV channel goes live

    Pakistan’s first tourism TV channel goes live

    Pakistan has launched its first satellite TV channel ‘Discover Pakistan‘ to boost national tourism in the country.

    Announcing the news of the channel on social media, the management of Discover Pakistan said that the TV channel aims to highlight Pakistan’s soft image with documentaries and coverage of tourism-related events and travelogues.

    Discover Pakistan will broadcast its content in HD (high definition) to project the country’s natural wonders around the world.

    The management has urged the citizens to ask their cable operators to initiate broadcasting the channel.

    As per Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision, the Discover Pakistan TV channel had been in the pipeline since 2017.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on August 26 last year had formed a 12-member National Coordination Committee on tourism to facilitate and coordinate the government’s commitment to give tourism a priority in mainstream development.

    The committee was made to oversee and review the implementation of national tourism strategy and integration of provincial and regional policies.

  • Bilawal-less PDM decides to resist PPP’s bid to field its own candidate for Senate Opp leader

    Amid rumours of a rift between joint opposition members after “a deal was struck” and pundits’ predictions of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) “backstabbing” others, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to resist a bid by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s party to bring in its own nominee as leader of the opposition in the Senate.

    According to reports, with an aim to keep the PDM on the same page, head of the opposition alliance, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, called on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Opposition Leader of Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz in Jati Umra on Sunday.

    As per details of the meeting, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) head met the PML-N leaders to discuss future strategy regarding long march and resignations from the parliament.

    It emerged that Fazl and Maryam decided during the meeting to resist the PPP’s bid to secure the leader of opposition’s slot which in principle had been awarded by the alliance to the PML-N’s nominee, Senator Azam Nazir Tarar.

    PDM has postponed the long march for an indefinite period after the PPP, a key member of the alliance, refused to resign from assemblies and stressed to continue the movement from within the parliament.

    Fazl has said that apart from PPP, all parties have agreed on giving resignations from assemblies. He said that PPP has sought more time for consultation on the issue.

    PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had said that be it long march or no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, former prime minister and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif must return to Pakistan.

    “This is not the first time that the democratic forces have encountered rigging,” he said and added he had spent 14 years of his life in jail.

    After the meeting at Jati Umra, the two senior leaders of the opposition alliance addressed the media, where Fazl said that the PDM would be present during Maryam Nawaz’s hearing on March 26 with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a show of solidarity.

    “The apparent reasons cited by NAB have exposed the bureau for the puppet institution it is. It has approached the court for cancellation of [Maryam’s] bail on the basis that she speaks against institutions.

    “So the institution has been formed not to combat corruption but to serve other institutions,” he said.

    Fazl maintained that the workers of the PDM will number in the thousands. Furthermore, he shot down any rumours of a rift within the alliance after the appointment of Yousaf Raza Gillani was appointed as the leader of the opposition in the Senate.

    “PDM is not only united, through mutual consultations we have matters under control. We all have to move ahead forward. The nine parties that have a particular ideology will request the PPP to respect their viewpoint,” he said.

    Fazl said that nine parties of the PDM are united on one principle while the PPP has yet to make a decision. He added that the PDM would wait for the decision of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) – which will meet in April – so that the alliance can move forward effectively.

    “The PDM is united and we are trying to resolve our internal issues mutually. We are trying to find a solution and we are ready to consider further the arguments of the PPP. We will effectively improve our issues with the PPP and will wait for the decision of the PPP CEC. We will tell the PPP to agree on the decision of nine parties,” he said.

    He said that the PDM is united and we have to move together while the people of Pakistan will stand by the sovereignty of the country.

    He said that there was a detailed discussion with Maryam on the situation facing the country.

    “NAB has summoned Maryam Nawaz on March 26. I wonder whether the NAB has been tasked to serve and represent the state institutions? The reasons given for Maryam Nawaz’s NAB summoning have exposed the NAB. PDM workers and leaders will be present on the occasion of Maryam Nawaz’s appearance in NAB,” he warned.

  • Study shows Thai sniffer dogs 95% accurate in detecting COVID-19 from human sweat

    Thai sniffer dogs trained to sense COVID-19 in human sweat proved almost 95% correct during training and could be used to identify virus at busy transport hubs within seconds, the head of a pilot project said.

    According to details, six Labrador Retrievers were involved in six-month research that included unleashing them to test an infected patient’s sweat on a spinning wheel of six canned vessels.

    “The dogs take only one to two seconds to detect the virus,” Professor Kaywalee Chatdarong, the leader of the project at the veterinary faculty of Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, told Reuters.

    “Within a minute, they will manage to go through 60 samples.”

    The dogs can detect a volatile organic compound secreted in the sweat of COVID-19 patients, even if hey are not showing any virus symptoms, the Thai researcher said.

    The dogs would not need to directly sniff people, but could screen samples of sweat, a task that should not be difficult in a tropical country such as Thailand, she added.

    Chile, Finland and India are other countries that have also launched efforts to get sniffer dogs to detect the virus, with a German veterinary clinic saying last month its sniffer dogs had achieved 94% detection accuracy in human saliva.

    “The next step is we will put them out in the field,” said Kaywalee.

    “In the future, when we send them to airports or ports, where there is an influx of commuters, they will be much faster and more precise in detecting the virus than temperature checks.”

    Thailand has been relatively successful in containing the virus with a new wave of infections in the first two months of the year now levelling off and after recording 88 deaths.

    The country has also started vaccinating front-line health workers and hopes to find a way to let tourists come again after its tourism-dependent economy was affected by the pandemic.

  • Ignore conspiracy theories; get vaccinated!

    Prime Minister Imran Khan and First Lady Bushra Bibi tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday. They are both self-isolating at home and are feeling “comfortable with mild symptoms” according to government spokespersons.

    the news of PM Imran testing positive was announced by Dr Faisal Sultan on Twitter, we saw that a lot of people started questioning the efficacy of the coronavirus vaccine as the premier had just been administered the first dose two days ago.

    It also led to a lot of conspiracy theories. In a country where the anti-vaxxers have led a vicious campaign against polio drops, it is extremely crucial that these myths be busted. Thus it was good to see the Government of Pakistan’s official social media accounts as well the Ministry of National Health’s social media account give a clarification about the vaccination process.

    They tweeted that PM Imran “was not fully vaccinated when he contracted the virus”. They explained that he only got the first dose merely two days ago, which is too soon for any vaccine to become effective. They also clarified that anti-bodies develop 2-3 weeks after the second dose.

    We have seen the mistrust surrounding the global pandemic in our country. When the pandemic broke out, many people bought into the false theories that this was some kind of conspiracy by the west. Then we saw how many people refused to follow SOPs like wearing masks because they thought it was just a “flu”.

    It was only when a strict lockdown was imposed and when we saw deaths around the world that it was taken seriously. Luckily, Pakistan managed to control the virus after the first wave. When lockdowns were relaxed, we saw another wave, though that too was relatively controlled. Now there is a third wave and this time the UK-variant, which is said to be quite deadly, has also been found in the country. The government has started a vaccination drive for the elderly — those who are above 60 are eligible and need to register themselves to get the vaccine.

    While many people have opted to get themselves vaccinated, there is still hesitation among some. And when the PM got COVID-positive, just two days after his first vaccine dose, it led to some unbelievable theories.

    The government has so far countered the false propaganda about vaccines but it should also start countrywide awareness campaigns busting these myths.

    We hope that all those affected by coronavirus remain healthy. Our prayers are with the PM and First Lady as well as all patients. And we hope that all those who are eligible for vaccination do get vaccinated at the earliest.

  • Kriti Sanon breaks silence on Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

    Kriti Sanon breaks silence on Sushant Singh Rajput’s death

    Kriti Sanon who shared the screen with Sushant Singh Rajput in 2017’s Raabta, has opened up about the actor’s death and revealed why she chose to remain silent on the matter.

    Sanon, who was also rumoured to have dated the late actor, chose to step away from the spotlight following Rajput’s alleged suicide, even as people reportedly used his death to claim their five minutes of fame in the media.

    Speaking to an Indian media outlet, Sanon shared why she decided to stay silent on the matter.

    “At one point, there was so much noise around that I didn’t want to be a part of it,” said Kriti. “It reached a point where people stopped being sensitive, and there was too much negativity around. I didn’t want to be a part of that negativity.”

    “I knew what I felt about the situation and I wanted to keep that to myself. I didn’t feel the need to talk to anyone about anything that I was feeling. Also, what you want to say, you can always say it on social media. You can write and express yourself instead of talking out loud.”

    Two days after Sushant’s death, Kriti had penned a heartbreaking note for her late co-star, writing: “Sush…I knew that your brilliant mind was your best friend and your worst enemy…but it has broken me completely to know that you had a moment in your life where dying felt easier or better than living.”

    “A part of my heart has gone with you, and a part will always keep you alive,” Kriti had written in her note.

    On June 14, 2020, Singh was found dead at his home in Mumbai. While the police initially reported Rajput’s death as suicide, the federal police agency later began to investigate foul play after fans of the actors expressed outrage on social media and his family filed an FIR against his alleged girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. Chakraborty was also investigated and arrested in the case.

  • ‘Ao Ehad Karain’: Coke Studio releases ‘message of hope’ for Pakistan Day

    ‘Ao Ehad Karain’: Coke Studio releases ‘message of hope’ for Pakistan Day

    To commemorate Pakistan Resolution Day, Coke Studio has released a new track Ao Ehad Karain, which presents a concept of peace, hope and celebrates the young and emerging talent of the country.

    The track has been produced by Ali Hamza and features a diverse set of musicians from different genres including the Army Brass Band of Pakistan to reinvent the legendary national songs of Pakistan.

    “It’s a grand multi-city, multi-producer, 75 artists on board kind of a production and it’s been a 4-month long labour of love putting it together,” says Hamza.

    According to a press release, the song has been “envisioned in collaboration with Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) and begins on an introspective note with Wattan ki Mitti, Gawah Rehna in the voices of Saadat Shafqat, son of legendary singer Shafqat Amanat Ali, and Zaw Ali, daughter of iconic singer Sajjad Ali.”

    These powerful verses are followed by a unique recitation of Sir Allama Iqbal’s poetry done by the veteran artist, Ali Hamza, who provides gravitas to the narration.

    Talking about the track Hamza, in a statement, said: “Ao Ehad Karain is a journey through time and emotion. It starts introspectively, looking back in time to when the Pakistan Resolution was passed on March 23, 1940.”

    “It then moves through ups and downs, like history has and life does: questions, conflicts, resolutions, awakening, rejuvenation and then celebrates a new beginning at the turn of a new decade – 2021,” adds the singer.

    Following Hamza’s recitation, the track moves to the Young Stunners, who give yet another out-of-the-box performance in the words of Sir Allama Iqbal. The Young Stunners recently also received praise for their performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) anthem Groove Mera.

    Another unique feature in the track is the introduction of the iconic Army Brass Band, which has been the flag bearer of a long-standing tradition in Pakistani culture.

    “They have energized this nation for decades with reverberating performances of national songs of Pakistan,” says the press release while talking about the band.

    Meanwhile, the choir is provided by Farwa Batool, Rida Batool, Nabiha Saleem, and Zahab Hussain. Ao Ehad Karain also features Shamu Bai & Vishnu – sibling duo from Sindh and Kashif Din, a young singer from Gilgit-Baltistan.

    Listen to it here:

  • Modi, Bilawal, Tariq Jamil among others wish PM Khan a swift recovery

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 20 tested positive for COVID-19. According to details, the premier is suffering from ‘mild symptoms’ and is self-isolating at home. PM Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi has also tested positive for the virus.

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan, while talking to the media, said that they “are monitoring his clinical parameters, and medical treatment will be given to him if required.”

    “Right now, there is no need for any treatment, as such,” added Dr Sultan.

    Soon after the news of PM Imran testing positive spread, prayers started pouring in for his speedy recovery. Among those who sent him good wishes include Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maulana Tariq Jamil, PPP co-chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal.

    “Best wishes to PM Imran for a speedy recovery from COVID-19,” said PM Modi.

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with him during this time of difficulty,” said PM Rajapaksa.

    “May Allah grant him full and speedy recovery,” said Maulana Tariq Jamil.

    PPP’s BBZ and Sherry Rehman and PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal also prayed for the PM’s swift recovery.

    PM Khan’s former teammates Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja and Waqar Younis also prayed for his swift recovery.

  • VIDEO: US President Joe Biden stumbles twice while boarding Air Force One

    President of the United States of America Joe Biden stumbled three times while climbing the stairs to board Air Force One. The video of him losing his footing is being widely shared on social media.

    Boarding a flight to Atlanta, where he was to speak to the Asian-American community about a shooting there earlier this week, Biden stumbled slightly about halfway up the 25 or so stairs, recovered, then stumbled again and briefly went down on one knee, according to video footage.

    The president appeared to rub his left knee before getting back up, then completed the stairs at a slower pace. He stopped at the top of the stairs, turned around and offered a crisp salute.

    Following the incident, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told White House reporters that the president was “doing fine” after the fall.

    “It was very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself. He is doing 100 percent,” she told reporters.

    “He’s doing fine. He’s preparing for the trip just fine,” she added.

    Biden’s stumbling has raised concerns about the 78-year-old President’s health, was the oldest person ever to assume the presidency. In late November, Biden suffered a hairline fracture in his right foot while playing with one of his dogs.

    In November 2020, Biden won an extremely close US election battle against former president Donald Trump. He was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in January 2021.

  • Motorway rape case culprits handed death sentence

    Motorway rape case culprits handed death sentence

    An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has handed two culprits in the motorway rape case – Abid Malhi and Shafqat Bagga – a death sentence. They have also been sentenced to prison for life and slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

    According to reports, the two have been sentenced to death for gang-raping a woman on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway in September 2020. The court, which had earlier reserved the verdict, announced it today at Lahore’s Camp Jail, where the trial took place.

    This is the first time that convicts in a gang-rape case have been handed death sentences.

    The court has also ordered to confiscate the two convicts’ properties.

    THE INCIDENT

    A woman, along with her three children, was driving to Gujranwala in her car when she was forced to stop at the Gujjarpura section of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway after running out of fuel at around 1:30 am in September 2020.

    She immediately called a relative and sent him her location. He asked her to also dial the Motorway Police helpline 130 but she was reportedly refused help.

    In the meantime, two robbers approached the car, broke the window and took the woman and her children to nearby bushes where they raped her repeatedly in front of the children. They also snatched her purse that had cash around Rs100,000, one bracelet, car registration and three ATM cards.

    Read more – ‘We took her kids to the bushes to make her follow us,’ says man who gang-raped mother of three

    The Gujjarpura police have registered a case, while Motorway Police spokesperson said they had not been able to take action as the incident did not occur in the limits of Motorway Police.

    The case had sparked outrage and protests across the country following which the government formulated the Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020, under which special courts will be set up across the country to expedite trials of rape cases on a priority basis and award harsher sentences, such as chemical castration.