The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the maintainability of a petition seeking the removal of Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan from office for bringing the issue of pilots’ dubious licences out in the open.
The petition, filed by one Advocate Tariq Asad, submitted that the remarks tarnished the image of the country in the international community.
The petition was filed a day after the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has suspended the authorisation for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate in Europe for six months. In another related development, the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Agency suspended PIA flight operations from three airports — Birmingham, London Heathrow and Manchester.
Recalling the EASA decision, the petitioner said if a pilot possessed a fake/dubious licence, the minister should have taken action against them instead of bringing the matter in the knowledge of the National Assembly from where the national and international picked it up.
Subsequently, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah reserved his verdict on the matter which he said to announce later.
Minister for Industries Punjab, Mian Aslam Iqbal has approved a 40% fee reduction for technical education students.
He chaired a meeting to allocate the annual budget for the provincial Board of Technical Education that has been approved.
According to reports, a 13 point agenda was presented by the board on which all the members of the meeting agreed.
A decision was taken that students who have been promoted without a formal examination this year due to the coronavirus pandemic in the country will be given 40% relief in tuition fees.
The fee reduction is only for the students of Diploma for Associate Engineering (DAE), commerce, Matric (tech) and Matric (vocational).
Soon after filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt released the first poster of his comeback directorial feature Sadak 2, starring daughters Alia Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt, it was met with massive trolling and hatred. The film which was scheduled to release in cinemas on July 10, will now directly release on OTT service Disney+HotstarVIP.
Ever since the suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput last month, Bhatt has been at the receiving end of hate on social media, like many Bollywood celebrities and bigwigs who have been accused of promoting nepotism and scuttling the chances of outsiders.
Following the announcement and release of the poster, netizens and fans of the late actor unleashed their anger and hatred in the comment sections on different social media platforms and called for audiences to boycott the film. While Alia and Mahesh limited the comment section on Instagram, only allowing those who they follow to comment, Mahesh did not do the same on Twitter, following which he received a barrage of hate comments on the microblogging platform.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CCBQpM9gImB/
Reacting to his tweet, netizens slammed the filmmaker, holding him responsible for Sushant’s deteriorating mental condition and threatened to boycott Sadak 2.
“Guy who declared 26/11 as RSS ki Sazish and his own son helped terrorists to identify the places, tried to declare Sushant as mentally unstable, having a relationship with lady younger than his daughter, lowest scum possible…Don’t know why this guy is not in jail,” declared a social media user.
“When you put END to someone’s life intentionally, you’ll soon release your END,” wrote another user.
“We are not interested… get lost,” retorted another user.
A user responded by sharing the poster of Sushan’s upcoming last film Dil Bechara, which will also be released on Disney Hotstar instead of cinemas. Sushant’s fans also began to trend the hashtag #JusticeforSushantSinghRajput on social media.
However, Alia’s co-actor Aditya Roy Kapur, who shared the poster without limiting the comment sections was met with heavy trolling and hate speech aimed at Mahesh and Alia.
Sadak 2 is a follow-up of Bhatt’s 1991 hit Sadak and is produced by his brother Mukesh Bhatt. The sequel reunites the original film’s lead pair of Sanjay Dutt and Pooja Bhatt and also stars Alia and Aditya. The film also marks Mahesh’s return to filmmaking after 20 years.
Meanwhile, Disney+Hotstar also received flak for not giving equal representation to all the films releasing on the platform at their virtual press conference. While Alia, Abhishek Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan and Akshay Kumar were in attendance, Kunal Kemmu or Vidyut Jammwal were not invited, leading to online criticism. Both the actors also expressed their reservations and disappointment on social media.
Izzat aur pyaar maanga nahi kamaya jaata hai. Koi na de toh usse hum chhote nahi hote. Bas maidaan khelne ke liye barabar de do chhalaang hum bhi oonchi laga sakte hai
A BIG announcement for sure!! 7 films scheduled for release but only 5 are deemed worthy of representation. 2 films, receive no invitation or intimation. It’s a long road ahead. THE CYCLE CONTINUES https://t.co/rWfHBy2d77
Meesha Shafi, who is one of the pioneers of the #MeToo movement in Pakistan, has extended her support to women and girls who have broken their silence over being sexually harassed by their male teachers at a private school in Lahore.
In a tweet, the singer said that she feels “like the pain and trauma I have suffered is worth so much.”
“Your bravery is my reward. I am with you all,” said Shafi, who had accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment in April 2018, propelling the #MeToo movement in Pakistan.
Proud to see all the women/girls break their silence, even though the world is SO ugly to those who speak up. Today, I feel like the pain and trauma I have suffered is worth so much! Your bravery is my reward. I am with you all! ♥️ #lgs1a1#LGS#LUMS#MeToo
On Sunday, dozens of girls came forward with accounts of harassment and inappropriate behaviour by teachers at Lahore Grammar School (LGS) 1A1 Ghalib Market Branch. The management of the school, including female teachers, also came under fire for brushing the matter under the carpet for years. It is pertinent to mention here that most of the girls studying at the school were minors at the time.
Such incidents had reportedly been going on for the past four or five years and the victims had been reporting the matter to the admin and their teachers. However, they took no action and resorted to victim-blaming. Strict and immediate action was only taken after the girls shared their ordeal on social media and the matter became public.
According to details, students have come forward and shared their experiences of being harassed by three teachers namely Aitezaz Rehman Sheikh, Umer Shareef and Zahid Iqbal Warraich. All three teachers were fired soon after the allegations surfaced.
Following the uproar on social media, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said that she has taken serious notice of the allegations and has alerted regional offices of the ministry. Education Minister of Punjab Dr Murad Raas also said that he will personally deal with the case.
I will deal with the case in Lahore Grammar School 1A1 myself. Have talked to the Principal this morning. Getting all the details. These Children are my Children. I will protect them. This case will be brought to a proper conclusion according to law. Make NO mistake about it.
UK, which is no longer a part of the EU since after Brexit, has also banned certain PIA flights
Amid the controversy around the alleged fake licences of hundreds of Pakistani pilots, operations of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Europe were on Tuesday banned for six months by the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA).
According to a spokesperson of the national carrier, EASAhas suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate in European Union member states for six months effective July 1, 2020 at midnight.
A statement from the national carrier added that PIA would discontinue all its flights to Europe temporarily.
All passengers booked on its flights to European destinations will have the option to either extend their bookings to a later date or get a full refund.
“PIA is in contact with EASA to allay their concerns and to take necessary corrective measures along with filing the appeal against the decision,” the press release said.
The national flag carrier said it “sincerely hopes that with reparative and swift actions taken by the Pakistani government and PIA management, earliest possible lifting of this suspension can be expected”.
Meanwhile, according to journalist Murtaza Ali Shah, United Kingdom (UK), which is no longer a part of the EU since after Brexit but remains subject to EU law, has also suspended PIA flights from and to Birmingham, Heathrow in London, and Manchester with immediate effect.
UK Civil Aviation Authority suspends PIA flights from/to Birmingham, London Heathrow and Manchester with immediate effect following the decision by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to suspend permission for PIA to operate services to the European Union
“The UK Civil Aviation Authority is required under law to withdraw PIA’s permit to operate to the UK pending EASA’s restoration of their approval that it meets international air safety standards,” the journalist quoted a spokesperson as saying.
The moves follow the grounding of hundreds of pilots whose licences Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan termed “dubious”. Most pilots were affiliated with PIA.
Nigar Johar has been promoted by the Pakistan Army to become the first woman lieutenant general, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the military’s media wing, Johar, who hails from the Panjpeer area of Swabi district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), also holds the accolade for becoming the first woman surgeon general of the Pakistan Army.
Major General Nigar Johar, HI (M) promoted as Lieutenant General. She is the 1st female officer to be promoted as Lieutenant General. The officer has been appointed as 1st female Surgeon General of Pak Army. Lieutenant General Nigar Johar hails from Panjpeer, District Swabi KPK. pic.twitter.com/ytw8YvSz76
Earlier, in 2017, Johar became the third woman officer to reach the rank of major general.
Lt Gen Johar belongs to the Army Medical Corps and is the niece of Major (r) Mohammad Aamir, a former Pakistan Army officer who served in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Lt Gen Nigar Johar’s father Colonel Qadir also served in the ISI. He and his wife were killed in a road accident about 30 years ago.
Swabi has produced a number of generals, but this is the first time that a woman has reached the said army rank.
Lockdown weddings have become a trend with many celebrities getting married during this time. The latest celebrity to tie the knot is Haroon of the 90s pop band Awaz. The singer got married in a low-key ceremony amidst close family members and friends.
The couple looked amazing in the shades of white and muted gold. While Haroon donned an outfit by Amir Adnan, his bride’s trousseau was done by Warda Qutub Khan. According to details, Haroon’s wife Farwa hails from Gilgit-Baltistan which explains why the singer posed with a Pakol (Chitrali cap) on his head.
Pictures from their nikkah went viral on social media.
Haroon is not only a renowned singer and songwriter but he is also the creator and director behind the Pakistani animated TV series Burka Avenger, which has won two prestigious international awards.
India on Monday banned 59 — mostly Chinese — mobile apps, including TikTok and WeChat over national security and privacy concerns just weeks after a deadly border clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
India’s Ministry of Information Technology said it was banning the apps after receiving “many complaints from various sources” about apps that were “stealing and transmitting users data” in an unauthorised manner.
The apps “are engaged in activities that can be a threat to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEIT) said in a statement.
India is TikTok’s biggest foreign market, with an estimated 120 million users.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing. The parent company faced accusations for its involvement in data sharing with the Chinese government.
“TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government,” said the company on Tuesday.
In the United States, strong critics, including some senators have called for an investigation into the Chinese company.
The list of apps banned by India also includes the microblogging platform Weino, the strategy game Clash of Kings, Alibaba’s UC browser, and e-commerce apps Club Factory and Shein.
— आकाश कहोगे तो मैं कहूंगा हां कहिए (@akashbolomujhe) June 29, 2020
The banning of TikTok invites a flood of hilarious tweets on Twitter and users are wondering why PUBG is not being banned by the government which is an extremely popular Chinese gaming app.
China says it is concerned about India’s decision to ban Chinese mobile apps and was making checks to verify the situation. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Tuesday that India has a responsibility to uphold the rights of Chinese businesses.
“We want to stress that the Chinese government always asks the Chinese businesses to abide by international and local laws and regulations,” he said.
By now everyone knows that Hamza Ali Abbasi has taken a break from acting to focus on his spiritual journey and getting a better understanding of Islam. The actor turned evangelist also often shares his thoughts and understanding of religion on social media.
Recently Abbasi tweeted that he fails to understand why we need a Messiah or an Imam when we have the Quran.
I fail to understand why we need a Messiah or an Imam or a Murshid…. When we HAVE THE QURAN!… We only need good teachers…
When a follower shared his thoughts on the matter, Hamza said that he is “referring to terms that denote self-proclaimed directly divinely guided people.”
I am referring to terms tht denote self proclaimed directly divinely guided ppl…
Hamza further asserted that all problems within Islam exist today because we have started neglecting the Quran.
All problems within Islam exist today because soon after Rasool Allah SAW left the world, we slowly neglected what Quran is & says in its entirety, we picked individual verses, completely out of context, held history & conspiracy theories more sacred than the Quran.
Following Hamza’s comments, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Shahroz Sabzwari expressed their reservations and disagreed with Abbasi. While Mohsin advised Hamza to keep learning, Sabzwari commented that he fails to understand why some people become the thaikaydaar (custodians) of Islam.
“We need to make a horrible example of Mr Mohsin for all those men who dare raise there hand on the female servants of Allah & try to justify it,” Hamza had said.
On the other hand, Yasir Hussain supported Hamza’s stance and said that he is saying the right thing.
One of the martyred security personnel who thwarted the attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi on Monday, was due to retire from service two days later, SAMAA reported.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Muhammad Shahid of Lyari recruited 33 years ago in 1987, was due to retire on July 1.
Senior police officials have paid tribute to the martyred officer. They say the city owes its peace to such valiant police personnel.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa among others have also paid tribute to the brave cops and security guards who laid down their lives to foil the attack by killing all four gunmen affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) before they could enter the compound.
… and integrated response of Pak Rangers & Sindh Police, eliminating terrorists in shortest possible time. “With support of our resilient nation, we will foil all efforts of enemies aimed at destabilizing hard earned peace achieved through sacrifices of our martyrs” COAS. (2/2)
Constable Muhammad Rafiq Soomro and Constable Khalil Jatoyi are also being praised for their valour and the critical role they played in thwarting the attack within eight minutes of its launch.
Earlier, panic and fear swept across Karachi after four terrorists tried to storm the PSX building on I I Chundrigar Road Monday. The assailants came in a car and tried to enter the building, according to the police.
They were intercepted by security guards after which the militants threw a hand grenade at them and opened gunfire. All four attackers were killed after a brief encounter with commandos of the Sindh Police’s Rapid Response Force.
