Just when we breathed a sigh of relief after it emerged that Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kavaan will soon head to Cambodia, where he will retire at an animal sanctuary, videos and pictures of a brown bear in dreadful conditions at the Karachi Zoo have sparked furor and outrage on social media. Celebrities including Ushna Shah, Armeena Khan and Mashal Khan expressed their distress over the condition of the bear and urged authorities to shut down the zoo.
In a message penned in Urdu, Ushna said that zoo culture should be completely eliminated and that citizens should actively campaign for them to be shut down.
“If you like looking at animals, go observe them in their natural habitat. When you come and look at them in zoos, you add to their agony”, said the actor.
“Raise your voice for those who can’t speak,” she added.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFqZ11hhKDw/
Armeena urged her followers to help the brown bear or else he would die.
Here we go again This time it’s Karachi zoo. This poor bear is thirsty, extremely hot and probably very, very hungry. The poor creature will die if something isn’t done for it. Please help #savethebearpic.twitter.com/Zuoy401XiI
Mashal Khan said that she is “sick to my stomach after learning of this poor baby in Karachi zoo, being jailed without food, water, health care”. She asked her followers to raise their voice for the bear and help end her ordeal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFpMZ1yA2s2/
Later, the actor shared that she and her friends are filing a Constitutional Petition in the Sindh High Court to rescue the baby bear and have her transferred to Skardu where she can be reunited with her family.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFrSJyBgPe0/
Meanwhile, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Dr Iftikhar Ali Shallwani slammed the claims and said that the bear is “hale and hearty” at the zoo. Sharing a video of the bear playing in his enclosure as well as a report on its condition, Dr Shallwani said: “The KMC is trying it’s best to give natural habitat to the animals at Karachi Zoo.”
However, reports have suggested that all is not well as the administrator has claimed. According to a senior Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) official, the bear is not used to living in Karachi’s hot weather conditions, especially during this time of the year when it needs to hibernate in freezing temperature.
Another SWD official said that Karachi Zoo’s management was responsible for the bear’s dreadful condition. He said that the animal does not belong in the zoo and that she needed to be kept in an air-conditioned room, in darkness.
After the pictures of the bear went viral on social media, a picture of a malnourished and underfed lion was also widely circulated with people criticising the Karachi Zoo administration for mistreating animals.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFuxCefnd6s/
However, it later emerged that the picture of the lion was not from Karachi Zoo.
Sad and Horrific!But it’s not Karachi zoo.Picture was used by @ACFAnimalRescue in a Facebook post,as an example but it’s being spread on social media as KHI even after it was made clear its a downloaded photo.This needs to stop as it will only damage genuine future campaigns https://t.co/8HymX55nao
The boy, who became popular after a video of his calling out Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for the miserable conditions in interior Sindh, went viral on social media has now decided to make TikTok videos to solve problems of his area. Ahmed Marri had criticised the Pakistan People’s Party chairman for lack of clean drinking water in his village near Khapro in district Sanghar.
Talking to Independent Urdu, the boy said that even several weeks after his complaint, the problem has still not been resolved and the contaminated water is still there creating difficulties for the people of his area.
Bilawal and many other celebrities had sent him chickens as a gift for which he is thankful but the boy asserts that there is no solution to the lack of clean drinking water in his area. He shared that locals have to travel ten kilometers away regularly to get clean drinking water.
An Indian court on Wednesday acquitted all 32 accused in the Babri Masjid case after a judge controversially ruled that the demolition was not preplanned.
A special court of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Lucknow issued the verdict nearly thirty years after a mob of Hindu extremists razed the historic mosque to the ground.
As expected, the verdict attracted strong reactions not only from around the globe, but Indians too.
Sangh Parivar Leaders took out a Rath yatra, collected shovels & bricks, assembled thousand of people & shouted ‘Ek Dhakka Aur do, Babri Masjid Tod do’
But apparently all this was not a pre-planned conspiracy!
It took 28 years for the courts to say #BabriMasjid fell on its own.
About 10 years of instigation, nationwide Rath Yatra led to gathering of 1.5 lakh people with rope, iron rods, sickle and other weapons at #BabriMasjid. All these preparation couldn’t prove conspiracy. But Delhi police says Delhi riots was conspiracy based on WhatsApp chats.
The only case in the world were the accused confesses to his crime, uses the confession to ride to power, cites video evidence to back up his claim and the judge says ” Shut up, You stand acquitted”
We should stop assuming that we live in a functional democracy. Outwardly, it might still appear to be one, but it really is not in many aspects. The assumption also gives a false sense of security to citizens who should know that their rights may not be their rights anymore.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has also strongly reacted to the decision, calling it shameful.
BABRI MOSQUE:
Babri Masjid was a mosque in Ayodhya, India. Located in Ayodhya district, at a spot believed by Hindus to be the birthplace of Hindu deity Rama, it has been a bone of contention between the Hindu and Muslim communities since the 18th century.
The destruction of the mosque in 1992 sparked massive Hindu-Muslim violence that left around 2,000 people dead.
Hindu hardliners say the mosque was built after a temple dedicated to the Hindu god was destroyed by Muslim invaders. After the demolition of the mosque, Hindus and Muslims took the issue to a lower court, which, in 2010 ruled that the disputed land should be divided into three parts — two for Hindus and one for Muslims.
Late last year, the Indian Supreme Court (SC) had put to rest the decades-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case, deciding in favour of Hindus.
The Indian top court had allotted Ayodhya land to Ram Janambhoomi Nyas (Ram Birthplace Trust).
Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas is an organisation to promote and oversee the construction of a temple in Ayodhya at the Ram Janmabhoomi, the reputed site of the birth of Rama, the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Hindu God Vishnu.
The Law Ministry has rejected a proposal by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to extend the tenure of its chairperson Justice (r) Javed Iqbal, deputy chairperson and prosecutor general.
According to reports, the anti-graft watchdog had suggested the Law Ministry that the NAB Ordinance be amended to extend the tenure of the three officials.
Rejecting the proposal, the Law Ministry said that the tenure of the said posts was in line with the tenure of other autonomous bodies and that NAB could not provide clear reasons for an extension.
Justice (r) Javed Iqbal is the incumbent chairman of NAB.
NAB CHIEF HEARS PEOPLE OUT:
Separately, Justice (r) Iqbal last Thursday listened to complaints of the people about housing societies after they turned up at NAB headquarters from across the country to directly register their complaints to the chairman.
According to a statement, he patiently listened to complaints against various housing societies and directed the bureau officers concerned to address the same on priority basis.
It merits mentioning here that Justice (r) Iqbal after assuming the coveted responsibilities in October 2017 decided to himself listen to the complaints on the last Thursday of every month.
He had also directed director generals of all bureaus to ensure listening to the complaints of the aggrieved persons personally.
With primary schools set to reopen today (Wednesday) in the twin cities in the third phase of educational institutions reopening after a long break due to coronavirus, the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has instructed all area education officers to visit at least seven schools daily and ensure that health guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOP) are being followed strictly.
As per reports, a total of 193 FDE-run primary schools in Islamabad will reopen.
FDE officials said that a team of FDE directors and officers from the Ministry of Federal Education and the capital administration will also visit schools. They added that teams from the Private Educational Institution Regulatory Authority (Peira) will also visit primary schools.
Officials further said that imposing social distancing would be more challenging in primary schools compared to high schools, colleges or universities, particularly with students in nursery to third grade, which is why teachers will have to put an extra effort.
Islamabad-based educational institutions have reported more than 30 cases of COVID-19 out of around 15,000 tests.
Minister for Federal Education Shafqat Mehmood said that the positivity rate is 0.8pc in educational institutions across the country.
At a press conference in Islamabad, he said that out of 171,436 tests carried out in educational institutions – not including primary schools – 1,284 have come back positive for the virus.
He said school administrations, teachers and parents must be more attentive from Wednesday, when primary schools reopen, because young children cannot follow SOPs and practice social distancing on their own.
Renowned TV actor and comedian Mirza Shahi passed away on Tuesday, a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19. According to details, he died of cardiac arrest at Karachi’s Civil Hospital. He was 70.
Nida Yasir took to social media to announce his demise and prayed for the departed soul. The two had shared the screen in the hit sitcom Nadaaniyaan. Earlier, Nida and her husband Yasir Nawaz had shared that the veteran actor was on the ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19 and requested their followers to pray for him.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFueMsZhks5/
Faysal Quraishi, Shaan, Adnan Siddiqui and Fahad Mustafa took to social media to express their grief at the actor’s demise and prayed for him.
I was such a big fan of mirza sb s work . What a fine actor and a gentleman . May his soul rest in peace . his characters that he played lives in our heart and mind. ♥️
Deeply saddened by the demise of #Mirzashahi sahib. Fought like a warrior but whatever is Allah’s will. Let’s remember the legacy of work he leaves behind. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah. Prayers to the family . #pakistanilegend#veteranpic.twitter.com/CatIRsbA3o
Shahi began his career in 1965 in the East Pakistani film industry. He rose to prominence after he appeared in filmstar Nadeem’s first movie Chakori in 1967.
Following the fall of Dhaka, Mirza moved to Karachi where he took up minor jobs due to financial hardships. Later, he resumed acting and worked in several hit PTV dramas including Fifty Fifty.
Locals in Faisalabad have found a bomb weighing 750 pounds from fields which, according to District Civil Defence, may have been dropped during the 1965 or 1971 Indo-Pak wars, but did not explode.
The unexploded ordnance (UXO) was unearthed when locals were digging in agricultural fields near Faisalabad airport.
The bomb — in rusty and dilapidated condition — was handed over to Civil Defence officials shortly after it was discovered.
District Civil Defence officer Rana Abbas was quoted as saying that the bomb will be handed over to Pakistan Air Force (PAF).
UXO:
UXO of war is an explosive that did not explode when it was employed and still pose a risk of detonation, sometimes many decades after it was used or discarded.
It does not always originate from wars; areas such as military training grounds can also hold significant numbers, even after the area has been abandoned.
UXO from World War I continue to be a hazard, with poisonous gas filled munitions still a problem. When unwanted munitions are found, they are sometimes destroyed in controlled explosions, but accidental detonation of even very old explosives also occurs, sometimes with fatal results.
Around 80 countries are contaminated by land mines, which kill or maim 15,000–20,000 people every year. Approximately 80% of casualties are civilians, with children the most affected age group. An estimated average of 50% of deaths occurs within hours of the blast.
In recent years, mines have been used increasingly as weapons of terror against local civilian populations specifically.
In addition to the obvious danger of explosion, buried UXO can also cause environmental contamination. In some heavily used military training areas, munitions-related chemicals can enter soil and groundwater.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden cast doubt during Tuesday night’s debate on whether United States (US) President Donald Trump would ever release his tax returns.
“You’ll get to see it,” Trump said repeatedly as moderator Chris Wallace pressed him to commit to a firm timeline. Biden retorted, “When? InshaAllah?”
While the Arabic language phrase literally means “God Willing,” it also has colloquial connotations of ambiguous commitment.
As Muslims, especially Arabs, pointed out the phrase used by Biden, many wondered if they had mistaken something for InshaAllah.
Yes I know Biden said “in July” just let me have this
Biden earlier released his personal income taxes, which show the former vice president and his wife Jill Biden paid about 30% of their $985,000 gross personal income.
Trump has refused to voluntarily release his income taxes, which had been a presidential custom stretching back decades.
The New York Times reported Monday that Trump did not pay any federal income taxes in 10 of the last 15 years. It said the former businessman paid just $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and another $750 in 2017, the year he took office.
Trump disputed the report during Tuesday night’s debate, saying he has “paid millions of dollars in taxes, millions of dollars of income tax.”
A 16-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh, India was surprised when she was informed that she had nearly Rs10 crore (Rs100 million) in her bank account.
As per reports, Saroj told the media that she had an account in an Allahabad Bank branch in Bansdih town since 2018, and had never even seen so much money.
Saroj immediately went to the police station and registered a complaint.
She told the police that a person named Neelesh Kumar had called her about two years ago and had asked her to send her Aadhaar card details and her photograph so that she could get funds under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana is an initiative by the Indian Government in which affordable housing will be provided to the urban poor. Saroj said that she had sent the details to Kumar but never got any information from him after that.
She told the police that the number from which Kumar used to call her was now switched off. She also said that she did not know where the money came into her account.
The bank manager told the police that Saroj had deposited and withdrawn amounts ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 several times.
Police station in-charge Rajesh Kumar Singh said the matter is being investigated and action would be taken accordingly. He said that cyber experts are also analyzing the money trail.
From “will you shut up, man?” to “elections have consequences”, following are some of the quotes making news after Tuesday’s United States (US) 2020 presidential debate between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
The polling is scheduled for November 3.
SUPREME COURT NOMINATION:
Trump, asked by moderator Chris Wallace about whether U.S. appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett should be nominated to the Supreme Court before the election: “We won the (2016) election. Elections have consequences.
“We have the Senate and we have the White House and we have a phenomenal nominee respected by all.
“ […] I think that she (Barrett) will be outstanding. She will be as good as anybody who has ever served on that court. We won the election and therefore we had the right to choose her.”
Biden: “We should wait, we should wait and see what the outcome of this election is.”
Trump: “As far as a say is concerned, the American people have already had their say. … I’m not elected for (just) 3-1/2 years.”
Responded Biden: “He’s elected until the next election. […] The election’s already started.”
HEALTHCARE:
Biden, told by Trump he had adopted former Democratic presidential rival Bernie Sanders’ “socialised medicine” proposals, said of the president: “Everybody here knows he’s a liar. […] You picked the wrong guy on the wrong night at the wrong time.”
“[…] Folks, do you have any idea what this clown’s doing? I tell you what, he is not for anybody needing healthcare.”
After Trump explained his healthcare proposal, Biden said: “He has no plan for healthcare. … The fact is this man has no idea what he’s talking about.”
DEALING WITH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC:
Biden to Trump: “You should get out of your bunker and get out of the sand trap and … the golf course and go in the Oval Office and (put) together Democrats and Republicans, and fund what needs to be done now to save lives.”
Trump to Biden: “You didn’t think we should’ve closed our country (to China) because you thought it was terrible.”
“… We’ve done a great job. But I tell you, Joe, you could never have done the job we’ve done. You don’t have it in your blood.”
Biden on Trump’s leadership on the pandemic: “He panicked or he looked at the stock market. … A lot of people died, and a lot more (are) going to die unless he gets a lot smarter a lot quicker.”
Responded Trump: “There’s nothing smart about you, Joe.”
RACE RELATIONS:
Biden on Trump: “This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division.”
Trump to Biden, citing the then-senator’s support for the 1994 crime bill: “You’ve treated the Black community about as bad as anybody in this country.”
Biden: “Yes, there’s a systemic injustice in this country in education and work and in law enforcement and the way in which it is enforced.”
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND URBAN UNREST:
Trump: “The top 10 cities and just about the top 40 cities are run by Democrats in many cases, radical left, and they’ve got you wrapped around their finger, Joe, to a point where you don’t want to say anything about law and order. And I’ll tell you what the people of this country want and demand law and order, and you’re afraid to even say it.”
Biden said Trump had done nothing to calm the protests. “He just pours gasoline on the fire.”
Responding to Trump attacking him on the suburbs, Biden said: “He wouldn’t know a suburb unless he took a wrong turn. I know suburbs.”
WHITE SUPREMACISTS:
Wallace: “Are you willing tonight to condemn white supremacists and militia groups and to say that they need to stand down and not add to the violence or the number of these cities as we saw in Kenosha, and as we’ve seen in Portland?”
Trump: “I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not from the right. … I’m willing to do anything. I want to see peace.”
Wallace: “Then do it, sir.”
Biden: “Do it, do it. Say it.”
Trump: “You want to call them. What do you want to call them? Give me a name.”
Biden, referring to a right-wing group: “Proud Boys.”
Trump: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by.”
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT:
Trump: “I believe that we have to do everything we can to have immaculate air, immaculate water, and do whatever else we can that’s good.”
Biden: “The first thing I will do, I will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord.”
ELECTION INTEGRITY:
Biden encouraged mail-in voting by saying Trump does it, too. “He sits behind the Resolute Desk (in the White House) and sends his ballot to Florida.”
Biden: “He cannot stop you from being able to determine the outcome of that election. … If I win, that will be accepted. If I lose, that will be accepted.
“If we get the votes, he’s going to go. He can’t stay in power.”
Trump: “Don’t tell me about a free transition. This is going to be a fraud like you’ve never seen. This is not going to end well.”
Biden: “You will determine the outcome of this election. Vote, vote, vote. If you’re able to vote early in your state, vote early. If you’re able to vote in person, vote in person – whatever way is the best way for you. Because he cannot stop you from being able to determine the outcome of this election.”
Asked by Wallace if he would urge his supporters to stay calm and pledge not to declare victory until the election is certified, Trump said: “I’m urging my supporters to go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
Trump: “If I see tens of thousands of ballots being manipulated, I can’t go along with it. They cheat.”
Biden: “The fact is I will accept it and he will too. You know why? Because once the winner is declared after all the ballots are counted, all the votes are counted. That’ll be the end of it.”
INTERRUPTIONS:
At one point when Trump was interrupting him, Biden said: “Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.”
Wallace to Trump: “I think the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions. I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.”
Trump, referring to Biden, responded: “And him, too.”
Wallace: “Well, frankly you’ve been doing more interrupting.”
