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  • Motorway gang-rape: Lahore CCPO could be arrested

    Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umer Sheikh, who recently made headlines for his controversial statements regarding survivor of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway gang-rape victim, can be arrested if he continues to ignore the summons from the upper house of the parliament.

    As per the details, Senate Committee on Human Rights has dismayed over the absence of Lahore top cop who had been directed by the body to appear in person during its Wednesday meeting. Other than not appearing before the human rights body of the upper house, Sheikh did not notify any reason either.

    Irked over the cop’s absence, the committee chairperson, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, has said that it is unacceptable.

    While the committee has reportedly decided to submit a privilege motion against the CCPO and issued summons to ensure the officer’s presence at its next hearing, Khokhar has also hinted at the possibility of arresting the cop in case of continued absence.

    Speaking to senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir, Khokhar said that the committee “will issue CCPO’s arrest warrants” if needs be.

    “Despite public outrage, the CCPO hasn’t had the courtesy to appear before public representatives. If he doesn’t appear, we will have no other option than to issue his warrants,” he said, adding that all committees of the parliament can do so owing to the powers vested in them under the constitution.

  • How govt outnumbered opposition for passage of FATF-related bills during joint session

    How govt outnumbered opposition for passage of FATF-related bills during joint session

    Opposition absentees outnumbered their counterparts on the treasury benches during the joint sitting of parliament on Wednesday, which passed three bills related to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), official records revealed Thursday.

    According to The Express Tribune, the attendance record released by the National Assembly Secretariat showed that more than two dozen opposition lawmakers did not turn up for the joint sitting, including 13 from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and 11 from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    From the treasury side, those conspicuous for their absence were Asim Nazir, Amir Liaquat Hussain, Ahmed Hussain Dehar and Abdul Majeed Khan of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Chaudhry Moonis Elahi of the Pakistan Muslim League.

    In the parliamentary session, 317 members of National Assembly, out of the Lower House’s current strength of 340, were present. From the Upper House of parliament, which currently has 103 members, around 14 opposition senators were absent.

    The prominent absentees included former president Asif Zardari, who did not attend because of illness and Syed Khurshid Shah, who is in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau. Besides these two top PPP lawmakers, Sardar Akhtar Mengal of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), was also absent.

    The list also includes Amir Haider Hoti of the Awami National Party (ANP), Ali Wazir, a lawmaker from the former tribal areas, Afrin Khan of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), PML-N’s Afzal Khokhar, Ahmad Raza Maneka, Ehsanul Haq Bajwa and Riaz Pirzada and the PPP’s Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman, Amir Magsi, Khalid Loond, Roshan Junejo and Ghulam Ali Talpur.

    According to the attendance record, the senators who skipped Wednesday’s joint sitting were PML-N senators Kulsoom Parveen, Chaudhry Tanveer, Shamim Afridi, Raheela Magsi, Saleem Zia, Dilawar Khan, Yaqub Nasir and Najma Hameed.

    Other absentee senators were Talha Mahmood and Ataur Rehman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Rubina Khalid of the PPP, Sitara Ayaz of the ANP, Ashok Kumar of the National Party (NP) and Tahir Bizenjo and Shafiq Tareen of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

    PASSAGE OF FATF BILLS:

    Earlier, the government on Wednesday managed to pass three crucial FATF-related laws in a joint session of the parliament that was marred by the opposition’s protests.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also attended the joint session which was chaired by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others, including senators Sirajul Haq, Mushtaq Ghani and Raza Rabbani among others were also in attendance.

    After walking out in protest, opposition leaders held a joint press conference and criticised the government over the passage of FATF-related bills.

    Opposition leader Shehbaz termed today as a “black day in the history of democracy”. He said that the government “crossed red lines” today and added that “until now, the opposition cooperated with the government for the sake of Pakistan”.

    The PML-N president also said that the NA speaker had “disappointed everyone”.

    PPP chief Bilawal also lashed out at the government, saying that the vote count could have been conducted again but the treasury members were “scared of being exposed”.

    “The opposition only has one option remaining and that is [to move] a no-confidence [motion],” said Bilawal.

    Both Shehbaz and Bilawal told reporters that the opposition will come up with a strategy in the multi-party conference.

  • Punjab CM Usman Buzdar served food with expired masala at inauguration ceremony

    Punjab CM Usman Buzdar served food with expired masala at inauguration ceremony

    Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar, at a recent gathering, was served food with expired masala, leading to action against the caterer, local media reported Friday.

    According to reports, the incident took place in Tibba Sultanpur town of Vehari where Buzdar, as well as several others, had arrived for the inauguration of a building of Danish School.

    Besides the provincial chief executive, among others served food with expired ground spices were Punjab parliamentarians, including Education Minister Murad Raas and Transport Minister Jahanzeb Khan Khichi; Multan Commissioner Javed Akhtar Mehmood, Vehari Deputy Commissioner Capt (r) Waqas Rasheed and journalists.

    While the incident has raised a question mark on the efficiency of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA), action is reportedly being taken against the caterer and his restaurant without any names being revealed.

    Earlier, speaking to the media, CM Buzdar had said that Danish School is a state of the art institution which has been built at a huge cost.

    “With the establishment of the school, the children of Vehari and nearby districts will be able to seek quality education,” he had said, announcing the construction of new Danish Schools in Bhakkar and Taunsa as well.

    He announced Honihaar Punjab Programme to encourage good performing students and said students will be encouraged to excel in academic, sports, fine arts, science and technology fields.

  • VIDEO: Police arrest TikToker for risking his life for TikTok video

    A boy who got hit by a train while recording a TikTok video in Abbottabad has been arrested. Umar Hayat was shooting a video of himself near the railway tracks of the Haripur station.

    In the video, Hayat can be seen posing beside the railway tracks while one of his friends was filming him. It looked like he misjudged the distance between him and the train and was hit by one of its handles on the back of his head. 

    Read more – TikTok reunites man with family after more than a year

    The boy survived and was later arrested by the police.

    According to the details, a case under Section 325 (attempt to commit suicide) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 122A1 of the Railways Act, 1980 has been registered against him.

  • Prime suspect of motorway rape case escapes police again; this time after pushing cops away

    Prime suspect of motorway rape case escapes police again; this time after pushing cops away

    The prime suspect of the motorway gang-rape case has once again managed to avoid arrest after dodging the cops, this time in Nankana Sahib, The Current has learnt.

    “Abid Ali was visiting his sister-in-law in Nankana Sahib on Thursday afternoon when local authorities received information about his whereabouts and cordoned off the area,” police sources said, adding that suspect Abid Ali, however, managed to escape.

    According to Dunya News, this was the fourth occasion within the past 10 days when Abid managed to escape.

    “He was present at a park with his sister-in-law, and despite intel, the police responded after a delay of at least 30 minutes. When they tried to nab him, he pushed the cops and fled,” sources said.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Abid managed to avoid being arrested when a heavy contingent of police and other law enforcement agencies raided Raja Jang area of Kasur.

    According to reports, police had received information about Abid’s arrival but he disappeared into nearby fields amid suspicion over heavy cop presence.

    The incident was followed by a five-hour search operation in vain and the arrest of five of Abid’s relatives from Kasur for interrogation.

    Meanwhile, Abid’s ID card has been blocked to keep him from fleeing abroad.

    The statement of the gang-rape survivor, on the other hand, has also not yet been recorded.

    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 last week.

    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: ‘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.

    Amid a strong reaction by the public and countrywide protests, at least one of the two culprits has surrendered. Abid is the arrested individual’s co-accused.

  • Intl Equal Pay Day: Women earn 84% of what men earn

    Intl Equal Pay Day: Women earn 84% of what men earn

    International Equal Pay Day is being observed for the first time this September 18 under an initiative by the UN. According to the UN, the day aims to highlight the importance of achieving equal pay for work of equal value.

    While, a paycheck may bring a sense of relief or joy, it can also represent inequalities between men and women at the workplace.

    According to UN Women Pakistan, “Globally, the gender pay gap stands at 16% meaning women workers earn an average of 84 percent of what men earn. For women of colour, immigrant women, and women with children, the difference is even greater.”

    These differences in pay add up and have real, daily negative consequences for women and their families.

    Equal pay means that all workers have the right to receive equal payment for work of equal value. While the concept is straightforward, what equal pay actually entails and how it’s applied in practice has proven to be difficult.

    Work of equal value can mean a job that is similar, as well as a job that is not the same but is of equal value. This distinction is important because women’s and men’s work sometimes may involve different types of qualifications, skills, responsibilities, or working conditions, yet be of equal value, and, therefore, merit equal pay.

    Gender pay gap estimates can vary significantly across regions and even within countries. Higher-income countries tend to have lower levels of wage inequality compared to low and middle-income countries.

  • India in flames as govt moves to change status of Gilgit-Baltistan with representation in parliament?

    India in flames as govt moves to change status of Gilgit-Baltistan with representation in parliament?

    The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government plans to make Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) the country’s fifth province, two years after powers of the Islamabad-controlled council for the region were transferred to a local assembly.

    The government’s plans have been outlined by Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, who said the region will be accorded the status of a full-fledged province with constitutional rights such as representation in both houses of the parliament.

    “After consultation with all stakeholders, the federal government has decided in principle to give constitutional rights to GB,” he said, adding that the government has decided to deliver on the promise it made to the people there.

    PM Imran is expected to visit the region soon and make a formal announcement about the change, Gandapur said.

    While there has been no immediate reaction to the minister’s remarks from Indian officials, New Delhi has consistently opposed changes made in the region by Pakistan because it claims GB as part of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Gandapur also said that subsidies and tax exemptions for the region wouldn’t be withdrawn after the grant of constitutional rights. “Until the people there stand on their feet, they will continue to enjoy this facility,” he said.

    The minister contended that the deprivation faced by the people of GB for 73 years would end with the change. “Besides constitutional rights and a provincial setup, important steps are being taken for developing the region.”

    People familiar with developments told The Current that people concerned, including those a part of the establishment, had been in touch with political parties regarding the changes.

    “The PTI is backing changes with an eye on upcoming elections in GB so that it can make political gains and form the next government in the region,” an official told this scribe on the condition of anonymity.

    Preparations for the elections that are likely to take place in November are complete, and the distribution of tickets by the PTI will begin soon, they added.

  • Teacher shares exact time kids should go to bed

    Teacher shares exact time kids should go to bed

    Now the schools have reopened and kids are back in classes after a break of almost 6 months, some parents may find it a bit challenging to get their children to go to bed a little earlier or they might worry if their child is getting enough sleep.

    Recently, a chart made by a teacher of America’s Wilson Elementary School has been doing rounds on social media which shows the exact time children should go to bed depending on their age and what time they need to get up in the morning.

    For example, it claims a seven-year-old, who needs to be up at 7 am in the morning should go to bed at 08:15 pm, while a 10-year-old getting up at 6:30 am should be in bed by 08:30pm.

  • ‘Plz forgive me’: Nida Yasir apologises for being ‘insensitive’ towards rape victim’s family

    ‘Plz forgive me’: Nida Yasir apologises for being ‘insensitive’ towards rape victim’s family

    Nida Yasir is without a doubt controversy’s favourite child. Her morning show has sparked more controversies than you can count and the host appears to have found herself in hot water once again after she invited the family of four-year-old Marwah, who was brutally gang-raped and murdered, on her show and questioned them about the mortifying incident. Several viewers thought that Nida was insensitive in her questioning and forced the victim’s family to relive the horror. They then took to social media to express their distaste and outrage over the matter. As the clips from the show began to circulate on social media, users started calling for a boycott of Nida and her show and demanded PEMRA to take notice.

    https://twitter.com/uhreebs/status/1306326470177021953?s=20

    Following the outrage, Nida posted an apology video in which she responded to the backlash and explained what went on behind the scenes.

    “I’ve heard a few people are upset with me over the questions I asked Marwah’s family”, said Nida.

    “First of all I’d like to apologise,” said the morning show host. “If I unconsciously hurt anyone’s intentions with my words and the questions I asked Marwah’s parents.”

    Nida then went onto say that her shows are planned a week in advance and that her only goal is to make sure that her viewers are entertained with her show.

    She then revealed that her team did not approach Marwah’s family, but the victim’s family approached the show because they wanted media coverage and attention. She said that she cancelled whatever she had planned for the day and decided to invite them to her show.

    “God is witness”, said Nida. “I did not do this for TRPs. Ours is an entertainment show, not a news show. We get ratings and TRPs on shows which have excitement in them. Such shows are depressing, even I get depressed doing them.”

    “But Marwah’s needed my support at this point and I considered it my duty to invite them to my show. And you will not believe it but two days after my show, Marwah’s rapist was caught. Her family is very grateful to me. They are poor people and were in a dire state before they got some financial support because of our show,” shared Nida.

    Almost close to tears, Nida further said: “I cannot return Marwah to them, but they only felt relieved once the rapist was caught.”

    “In any case, I would like to apologise again if I hurt anyone. I am also a human being. I also got shocked at the revelations,” she continued.

    “Please forgive me, I am a human being after all. And I hope that I will be me more careful in the future,” pleaded the host.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFO5ilJBruU/

    Later, when a social media user commented that Nida did not let “the poor mother grief for her child properly”, Nida said the lady on the show was not Marwah’s mother and urged everyone to watch the complete show before passing any judgement. It is pertinent to mention here that the lady in question was Marwah’s grandmother.

    Four-year-old Marwah, a resident of Karachi, had gone to a shop on the morning of September 4 when she went missing. Two days later, her body was found from a garbage collection point in the locality. As per the latest reports, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi has remanded three suspects in police custody. The investigating officer told the court that during the course of the investigation and as per statements of witnesses, it was discovered that the minor girl was subjected to sexual assault. One of the suspects has also reportedly confessed to his crime and revealed that the minor girl died after being gang-raped.

  • Man finds monkey’s selfies after finding lost phone in jungle

    Man finds monkey’s selfies after finding lost phone in jungle

    A Malaysian man found monkey selfies and videos on his lost phone a day after finding it in the jungle behind his house.

    Zackrydz Rodzi, a student in Batu Pahat, Malaysia, woke up to find his mobile phone missing.

    Speaking to the BBC, Rodzi said he located his phone the following day after hearing it ring in a jungle area behind his house.

    There were a series of blurred photos of the monkey, trees in the phone’s gallery. 

    The monkey also recorded a video and tried to eat the device.

    Rodzi said he failed to find any trace of his phone until Sunday afternoon when his father noticed a monkey outside their house. He dialed his son’s number from his phone and heard a distant ringing in the jungle behind their back garden. He then found the phone under a palm tree, covered in mud.

    The gallery had a few pictures of a monkey, peering down the lens with bright green foliage and birds in the background.

    But it remained unclear exactly how the mobile went missing.

    “Unlike some parts of the world where monkeys live in or near urban areas, there is no history of monkeys stealing things from houses in the local neighbourhood”, said the student. He suspects the monkey may have entered the house through his brother’s open bedroom window.