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  • Bajay na bajao; Loud Baja banned in capital on August 14

    Bajay na bajao; Loud Baja banned in capital on August 14

    The infamous August 14 ‘Bajas’ have been banned in the federal capital territory during this year’s Independence Day celebrations.

    Samaa News has reported that Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad Irfan Nawaz imposed a ban on the sale and use of “Baja” to ensure order and the peaceful observance of Independence Day.

    The DC requested the public to refrain from using these items, “In light of recent observations and to ensure a safe and orderly Independence Day celebration, we are enforcing a complete ban on the sale and use of bajas,” he stated.

    “We request all residents to cooperate by avoiding the use of these items,” the notification added.

    The DC has also instructed stall owners to stop the sale of ‘baja’ immediately. He warned that legal action would be pursued against anyone found violating this directive.

    However, Samaa reported that the baja is being sold openly at various stalls across Islamabad.

  • Imane Khelif files case following gender dispute

    Imane Khelif files case following gender dispute

    Imane Khelif, the Algerian female boxer involved in a gender dispute at the Paris Olympics 2024, has filed a legal complaint against the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for harassment.

    According to French newspaper Le Monde, the boxing champion has filed a complaint with the Paris correctional court against an unknown person for online harassment. Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, confirmed that the complaint was submitted on Friday.

    Boudi stated that she is now fighting for justice, dignity, and honour and that the complaint for “aggravated online harassment” has been sent to Paris prosecutors.

    Read this also: Social media rallies behind Imane Khelif as racism over Muslim boxer turns ugly

    Khelif said, “The things being said about me on social media are wrong, and I want to change people’s opinions worldwide.”

    She won the gold medal in the women’s boxing competition, defeating China’s Yang Liu 0-5 in the final match of the 66 kg category in the Paris Olympics’ women’s boxing final.

    Imane made headlines when her first-round opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, refused to fight her after just 46 seconds.

    After that, her eligibility to participate in women’s boxing started to be questioned, based on a controversial decision of the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year.

    Read this also: IBA declares Angela Carini champion despite defeat against Imane Khelif

    Based on unspecified tests, the IBA barred Iman Khalif from participating in women’s boxing last year, saying she did not meet the eligibility criteria as a female athlete. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported Imane and declared her eligibility to fight in women’s boxing.

    Imane’s father has also confirmed that she is a girl and has grown up with her other siblings.

  • Paris Olympics ends with USA in first spot with 126 medals

    Paris Olympics ends with USA in first spot with 126 medals

    The United States has established supremacy in the Paris Olympics 2024 by taking the first position on the table after winning the gold medal in women’s basketball, tying with China’s 40 gold medals.

    The United States won 126 medals at the event, followed by China with 91 and Japan with 45, including 20 gold medals.

    The last gold medal match of the Paris Olympics was the France-USA women’s basketball final. America won by a score of 66-67 in the thrilling decider.

    On the medals table, Pakistan ranked 62nd while India was 71st. Athletes from 90 out of 206 countries won medals.

  • Arshad Nadeem’s father-in-law announces to give a buffalo as a gift

    Arshad Nadeem’s father-in-law announces to give a buffalo as a gift

    Pakistan Javelin star Arshad Nadeem, who won the gold medal for Pakistan in the Paris Olympics, is being honoured with prizes worth crores of rupees from all over Pakistan.

    Talking to the local media, Arshad Nadeem’s father-in-law, Muhammad Nawaz, expressed happiness over his son-in-law’s gold medal win.

    Arshad’s father-in-law said, “I am pleased that Arshad won the gold medal, and I will grandly welcome my son-in-law, showering him with flowers. I will give a buffalo to Arshad as a gift.”

    Arshad Nadeem won a gold medal for Pakistan in the Paris Olympics 2024 in the Javelin competition.

  • ‘Share receipts’; Gohar Rasheed demands proof from people announcing rewards for Arshad Nadeem

    ‘Share receipts’; Gohar Rasheed demands proof from people announcing rewards for Arshad Nadeem

    Renowned actor Mirza Gohar Rasheed has asked everyone who promised rewards for Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem, to show proof that they will keep their promises. Taking to Instagram, he asked those who announced rewards to “share receipts” to prove they will actually give them.

    Arshad’s record breaking feat at the Olympics led to a deluge of monetary and real estate rewards from provincial governments, real estate developers, media tycoons and former cricketers. Rasheed wants to make sure these promises are real and not just lip service.

  • Afghan female athlete participating in Paris Olympics declared ineligible

    Afghan female athlete participating in Paris Olympics declared ineligible

    Manizah Talish, an Afghan woman breakdancer in the refugee Olympic team, has been disqualified from the Paris Olympics 2024.

    She is the first athlete on a refugee Olympic team to compete at the Paris Olympics.

    During her break routine in the pre-qualifier of the competition, she wore a scarf-like cap with the words “Free Afghan Women” written on it, after which the management disqualified her from the event.

    According to Olympic rules, political slogans and statements are prohibited on the sports field and podiums.

    The federation has also confirmed her disqualification.

  • Man arrested for digging up grave, raping dead woman

    Man arrested for digging up grave, raping dead woman

    Karachi police on Friday arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of digging up the grave of a recently-buried woman and sexually abusing the body in a Korangi graveyard.

    DAWN has reported that the police registered a case against the suspect on the complaint of the son of the deceased woman against charges of trespassing of burial places and rape.

    The FIR states that the complainant had buried his mother in the graveyard on Thursday evening. Shortly after that, at around 10:30 pm, he came to know that the suspect dug up the body and raped it. However, he got caught, beaten up and handed over to the police.

    Korangi police confirmed in a statement that the suspect had been arrested “on the rape charge” in the Bagh-i-Korangi graveyard.

    During the investigation, the suspect told the police that he used to keep an eye out for recently buried women in the cemetery. He had dug up graves to commit heinous crimes against the dead.

    The police statement said he disclosed that he had sexually abused the corpses of four women in the past.

    Meanwhile, Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the suspect had been brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for a medical examination.

    She said that the relatives of the deceased woman had re-buried her body, but the police required permission from a judicial magistrate to exhume the body for further investigation.

  • Rashid Mahmood’s appointment as FBR chairman sparks controversy over overlooked senior officers

    Rashid Mahmood’s appointment as FBR chairman sparks controversy over overlooked senior officers

    The recent appointment of Rashid Mahmood as Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has ignited debate, as it appears that a number of senior FBR officers were bypassed for the role.

    According to sources, Mahmood’s appointment has overlooked 24 senior officers in the field and 6 at the FBR headquarters, highlighting concerns over the lack of a seniority-based appointment process at the FBR—a stark contrast to other key institutions.

    Further sources reveal that Members of Customs Operations are currently on extended leave, and many senior officers are absent, which points to potential inefficiencies within the department

    Notably, Mahmood’s predecessors, including Amjad Zubair Tawana, Asim Ahmed, and Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, were also appointed despite more senior officers being available, raising questions about the appointment criteria.

    The timing of this appointment is particularly critical as the government faces a daunting tax target of Rs12.31 trillion for the coming 11 months. According to Mettis Global, if revenue collection falls short, even by a month or two, achieving this goal will be increasingly difficult.

    In addition to these challenges, the new chairman will need to navigate ambitious revenue collection targets and oversee essential system digitisation efforts.

  • IMF wants FBR to bring over 20 million Pakistanis into tax net in five years

    IMF wants FBR to bring over 20 million Pakistanis into tax net in five years

    To broaden the tax base, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has outlined its five-year objectives to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), sources reveal.

    The FBR aims to include over 20 million individuals in the tax net over the next five years, as per the IMF’s requirements.

    To meet this goal, the FBR plans to register 3.72 million people and 23,500 associations of persons within the current year. Additionally, more than 9,500 companies will be incorporated into the tax system during this financial year.

    For the following fiscal year, the FBR’s target is to add 3.91 million individuals, associations, and companies to its records. By FY27, the board aims to enrol 4.1 million non-filers, with a further increase to 4.31 million individuals by FY28.

    The goal for the 2028-29 financial year is to incorporate 4.525 million people into the tax net.

    Sources indicate that the IMF has insisted on the strict implementation of this plan, starting from the current financial year.

  • Imran Khan hurt Pakistani sports, says Mansoor Ali Khan

    Imran Khan hurt Pakistani sports, says Mansoor Ali Khan

    Journalist Mansoor Ali Khan has taken exception towards political parties, particularly Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on his podcast, criticising them for trying to take credit for Arshad Nadeem’s big win at Olympics 2024.

    “Imran Khan closed down all the departments. Go and take a look to find out how many athletes left sports in Khan’s era,” exclaimed Mansoor when he recalled that PTI supporters were crediting Imran Khan for supporting Arshad.

    Mansoor stated that Khan hurt Pakistan’s sports industry at unprecedented levels. Meanwhile, the journalist also lashed out at the ruling PML-N for doing the same.

    He recalled the poor facilities of professional swimming sports in Punjab, underscoring that the government had done nothing to support the athletes.