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  • Hamza Ali Abbasi says he is the ‘happiest’ he has ever been

    Hamza Ali Abbasi says he is the ‘happiest’ he has ever been

    Despite stepping away from the public eye to focus on his spiritual journey, Hamza Ali Abbasi continues to attract attention from his countless fans from across the world.

    In a recent Twitter interaction, when a follower asked Hamza if he doing good, the actor responded, “I am the happiest I have ever been Alhamdulillah.”

    In a follow-up tweet, Hamza said:

    While Hamza has mainly been using his platform to impart religious knowledge, his wife Naimal Khawar has been sharing snippets of their life in America. The couple has reported set up base in Texas, where Hamza is studying at the Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_hbSsjM6_/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_VjW-3DcoB/

    Meanwhile, Hamza also requested those who he may have hurt by his words or actions to forgive him.

    Read more – Hamza Ali Abbasi says he now ‘trembles’ before saying something publicly

    Late last year, Hamza had announced that he was quitting acting to focus on his spiritual journey.

    “I had this divine revelation some time back, that all that I am doing in this world will end the moment I die,” Hamza said in a video message, adding that death is inevitable.

    “All these trophies, all these accolades will not bring me any good on the day of judgment when I meet my Maker. I have decided that I want to leave everything that might be a hurdle when it comes to making my matters easier on the day of Judgment.”

    Though Hamza will be quitting acting, he shared that he will still continue to make videos and use his voice and popularity to spread the message of Islam and inspire others to undertake this spiritual journey.

  • ‘I’m fine’: Alamgir shuts down death rumours

    ‘I’m fine’: Alamgir shuts down death rumours

    Renowned pop singer Alamgir has shut down rumours and reports of his death and clarified that he is doing fine in Karachi.

    Alamgir’s clarification comes after rumours started circulating on social media that the singer has passed away due to COVID-19.

    Read more – Pakistan mourns as Tariq Aziz passes away

    Veteran actor Bushra Ansari also shared a video of herself talking to Alamgir to clear the air and elucidate that he is still alive.

    Talking to Alamgir, Ansari jokes, “You are 100-years-old and have not passed away. You have survived till now so you don’t have any right to die.”

    In response, Alamgir laughs and says: “I will not die before 200.”

    “I was so scared [when I heard the rumour]. Mujhe aadat hogayi hai teri. I have told everyone to stop spreading such nonsensical stuff,” continued Bushra, adding, “We’re already receiving such bad news and I would never want to hear something like this. You are so brave and fighting against your illness for so long. I love you. Stay safe.”

    For the unacquainted, Alamgir inherited the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) from his mother.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBn6XKup26F/

    Alamgir Haq is one of Pakistan’s most notable singers and one of the pioneers of pop music in Pakistan. He is popularly known as ‘Babae Pop‘ which translates to ‘King of Pop’. His style of singing is inspired by playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and Elvis Presley. Alamgir received the Pride of Performance Award in 2013 by the President of Pakistan.

  • The Sher I knew

    The Sher I knew

    “Rest in peace Khalid Sherdil. You are loved beyond measure, and we will miss you terribly.”

    They say things happen for a reason. There wasn’t a reason why on Friday, May 22, I felt the need to check if Khalid had reached Karachi. Strange that my phone buzzed in my hand the exact moment I wanted to check his whereabouts. I had received a text message from a friend that something was not quite right; Khalid’s plane had bumped on the runaway a few times and taken off again. In those few moments, I knew something was wrong.

    Moments later, flight PK-8303 crashed. My first thought: this is not happening. The plane was too close to the runway. Khalid will be okay. He had to be okay. You can’t joke with a person the night before their flight and not have them be alright. It didn’t work that way.

    Khalid at Altit Fort in Hunza in October 2019.

    The day worked its way, getting ready to deliver the knockout punch that Khalid was gone. People gathered, wept and stayed with us. I remember the quiet, the horrid gut-wrenching silence when people run out of words.

    Strangely no one from Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) ever came. Everyone who was anyone in the bureaucratic machinery reached out to help us, to somehow get Khalid’s body back to us. For days we didn’t even know if there was a body. Would we get one back? If we did, would it be Khalid’s? Worst still, what if someone had mistakenly claimed his body? These questions, nauseatingly real and unimaginable, simultaneously ate through my family.

    “Khalid was all around us and yet I knew that the Almighty had played His final hand and he was gone. We were awash with grief, the kind that gnaws inside bones and never leaves.”

    For days we didn’t have Khalid’s body and yet we had so much of him around us. I sat every day in his room, looking at the feature stone wall which he had put up with so much love. He had sent photos of the tiles to everyone in the family to see if we approved. Outside his giant, floor to ceiling window lay the sprawling lawn where he played endless hours of soccer with my children. If it wasn’t soccer, it would be chess or games that Khalid invented with their own hilarious rules. Even the house cat had some role to play in his playtime with the children. I was waiting for the moment that Khalid would walk in, chapstick in hand and start some silly game.

    Khalid was in a hurry to get someplace all the time. He had boundless energy and the soul of an adventurer. He loved his bold and beautiful belts, his colourful sunglasses and chocolate. I’ve never met a kinder soul than his, his smile always saying more than his words. Khalid was kind, magnanimous, spirited and gentle beyond belief. He helped others without ever thinking about it. Khalid even helped me find a new home for my dog because he knew I just couldn’t give it away to anybody. You’d never think a man in that dark suit would know how to love so much.

    Khalid at Khunjerab National Park in October 2019.

    Khalid was all around us and yet I knew that the Almighty had played His final hand and he was gone. We were awash with grief, the kind that gnaws inside bones and never leaves.

    Grief, as it so happens, at least according to the Kubler-Ross Cycle, has five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Thanks to PIA, which incidentally offered no assistance to locate Khalid’s body or help in the least in any humane way, my husband’s grief cycle jumped straight to acceptance. There was no room for denial or anger as he got down to the business of getting his brother home.

    “I can only hope for the best but somehow I’m reminded of a famous quote at the conclusion of The Shawshank Redemption, where Andy Dufresne says to his friend, ‘Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.’”

    It wasn’t easy. Four days later, Khalid’s DNA matched and he was on his way home. PIA was still absent, behaving like a child who throws away a toy after it’s broken.

    As an on-again-off-again writer, I like to get to the bottom of things. I wanted to distill all the information in my wrecked brain and re-create what happened that day. PIA didn’t even bother to have a press briefing as to what may have happened to flight PK-8303. A grieving mind will settle for any information that provides closure. I watched video after video on YouTube to make sense of what might have happened. And still, silence from the airline that could make sense of it all.

    Adventurous, determined and committed to helping humanity.

    They say the smallest coffins are the heaviest. After receiving Khalid’s coffin draped in our national flag, it could not have been heavier. Khalid loved wearing the Pakistani national flag lapel pin on his suit collar, and as fate would have it, he was buried with our flag. Khalid was a true patriot and he loved his country. His friends, fellow Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) officers and family helped bring him home. An airline bearing our national flag perished with 97 souls on board and all the PIA could offer was a compensation cheque after everything was done. Keep your money PIA; don’t use it as a means to absolve yourself of guilt.

    As days pass by, my friends and family offer words of comfort. I can only hope for the best but somehow I’m reminded of a famous quote at the conclusion of The Shawshank Redemption, where Andy Dufresne says to his friend, “Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” Something pure and good died on flight PK-8303.

    Rest in peace Khalid Sherdil. You are loved beyond measure, and we will miss you terribly.

  • 21-year-old hangs himself while playing PUBG

    21-year-old hangs himself while playing PUBG

    A 21-year-old committed suicide in India’s Uttar Pradesh state while playing the popular online game Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).

    As per reports, a 21-year-old man named Shivam hanged himself while playing PUBG. 

    Read more – Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide elicits three deaths

    The victim was an IT graduate who moved to Kanpur to look for a job and was living at his grandmother’s house when he took the extreme step.

    Family members of the deceased claimed that he was addicted to PUBG and used to play the online game for hours on his smartphone.

    They claimed that he was playing PUBG in his room so they were not aware when he hanged himself from the ceiling fan after which they called police.

    The post-mortem report confirmed that Shivam died of suicide.

    PUBG is is an online multiplayer battle royale game that has billions of downloads and a huge fan base. 

  • India accuses China of preparing attack on border troops

    India accuses China of preparing attack on border troops

    India has accused Chinese troops of meticulously preparing an attack on its soldiers on the treacherous Himalayan border, claiming they erected a tent on the Indian side, dammed a river, brought in machinery and then lay in wait with stones and batons wrapped in barbed wire, The Guardian reported.

    The incident on Monday night, in which 20 Indian soldiers died and 76 were injured, was the worst violence between India and China in 45 years. China has not said whether it sustained any casualties.

    Ten Indian soldiers who were reportedly captured by Chinese troops during the attack were back in India on Thursday night. China said it had not seized any Indian personnel.

    Both sides continue to blame the other for the clash. China is now claiming sovereignty over the Galwan valley in Ladakh, where the attack happened, and has accused Indian troops of three times crossing into its territory. “The responsibility entirely lies with Indian side,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs.

    India accused China of carrying out a “premeditated and planned action” on its side of the border. Satellite images of the Galwan Valley taken by Planet Labs, an imaging company, in the days before the clash appear to show increased activity on the Chinese side, including the damming of a river and the movement of troops and machinery close to the disputed and poorly defined border.

    The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said its analysis of satellite images found there was “evidence that strongly suggests People’s Liberation Army forces have been regularly crossing into Indian territory temporarily on routine patrol routes”.

    Indian officials said commanders from the Indian and Chinese sides had met on 13 June and agreed to each retreat back two kilometres in the Galwan valley and Pangong Lake area.

    But rather than retreating, the officials said, Chinese troops erected a tent in disputed territory close to what is known as Patrolling Point 14. They said India’s 16 Bihar Regiment, led by Col Santosh Babu, dismantled the structure in an attempt to push back the PLA troops.

    According to accounts given to the Hindu newspaper, when Babu and his troops later approached the Chinese side to challenge the refusal to retreat, they were ambushed by PLA forces on the steep mountain precipice. The Chinese allegedly unblocked the dammed river, releasing a rush of water to destabilise Indian soldiers, and they attacked with stones and makeshift spiked weapons.

    Indian troops retaliated, it was reported, and reinforcements were summoned on both sides until there were upwards of 600 soldiers in hand-to-hand combat in the dark and icy conditions. No shots were fired.

    There were reports that the Indian soldiers were unarmed, but India’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said: “Let us get the facts straight. All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so.”

    Due to the treacherous conditions, many of the bodies of the Indian soldiers could not be retrieved until the next morning, by helicopters working with troops and border police. The injured were taken to hospitals in the Ladakh city of Leh.

    India and China have agreed to continue the process of disengagement that was first agreed on 6 June, and discussions are ongoing through political and diplomatic channels. Army generals from both sides have also had three days of talks at Patrolling Point 14. However, the Indian army and air force in Ladakh remain on high alert.

  • Heard that solar eclipse on Sunday is going to end your life? Here’s what will really happen

    Heard that solar eclipse on Sunday is going to end your life? Here’s what will really happen

    The annual solar eclipse will be witnessed on Sunday, June 21 when the sun would appear like a circle or ring of light. During a solar eclipse, the Moon comes between the sun and the Earth, blocking its rays. At that moment, the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned.

    This solar eclipse will be an extremely rare one and will create a “ring of fire”. Amid all this, a conspiracy theory is doing rounds on social media that the world is ending on June 21.

    But you all might be thinking what would happen and what we should be doing? Certain precautionary measures should be taken to avoid any harmful side effects. The solar eclipse will be witnessed from 09:30 am to 02:00 pm. 

    Nobody should go out during the eclipse time and must avoid looking at the sun. Anyone viewing the eclipse from the ground is advised to use specialized eclipse viewing glasses to avoid causing serious damage to their eyes. Keep yourself especially the kids indoors. 

    A WhatsApp video is doing rounds on social media that shows Pediatric ophthalmologist telling about how the eclipse can harm the children’s eyes.

    Whatsapp forwarded video

    There are also many myths and superstitions that eclipse could cause facial deformities or birthmarks to their babies. While there is no scientific backing to that, nobody should go out because “Eclipse blindness” is a real thing. It’s never safe for anyone to view the sun with a naked eye because it could permanently damage the retina. There are no proven eclipse-related health concerns for pregnant women or their babies. 

    Here’s when it will be maximum in your city.

  • Hadiqa Kiani pays a rich tribute to Ertuğrul with a song in Turkish

    Hadiqa Kiani pays a rich tribute to Ertuğrul with a song in Turkish

    Turkish historical series Diriliş: Ertuğrul continues to create waves in Pakistan, with fans tuning in to the watch the show in Urdu on PTV regularly.

    Pakistan’s renowned singer and musician Hadiqa Kiani paid a rich tribute to the series and the people of Turkey by “remastering Turkish song Sen Ağlama“. Kiani had earlier sung it at the AKM Opera House in 2005. The Atatürk Cultural Center (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi in Turkish), better known as AKM, is a cultural centre in Istanbul.

    In a statement, the singer’s team said: “The love between Turkey and Pakistan is unlike the love of any other country. Hadiqa Kiani’s maternal ancestors are from İzmir, Turkey and she has had an affinity for the country since her childhood.”

    “As a child prodigy, Kiani represented Pakistan in the International Children’s Festival in Turkey and as an adult in 2005 she returned to the great country to once again represent Pakistan at the iconic Atatürk Cultural Center and Opera House,” it added. “The biggest surprise for the audience was said to be when Kiani sang Sen Ağlama (Turkish song of Living Legend Sezen Aksu) to a standing ovation from the audience. She told the audience that as Turkey stood beside Pakistan in good and bad times, she wanted to convey the love of Pakistani people for the Turks.”

    VIDEO: ‘Ertuğrul’ star Engin Altan sings ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’

    The statement further read: “Now in 2020, a new milestone in the relationship between Pakistan and Turkey was cemented by the mammoth success of Ertuğrul in Pakistan and we thought of no better time to pay a public tribute to the people of Turkey by officially releasing Hadiqa’s original performance of Sen Ağlama.”

    “This is the first time a Pakistani singer has sung in the Turkish language but it won’t be the last. The friendship between the two countries will continue to shine through music, art and love,” the statement concluded.

    Kiani’s gesture was positively received, especially by the Turkish people.

  • Projection: August likely to be the worst month for Pakistan with one million coronavirus cases

    Projection: August likely to be the worst month for Pakistan with one million coronavirus cases

    The effects of poorly managed or no lockdowns at all are raising their ugly heads as Pakistanis has reached the 14th position in the global ranking of countries most affected by the new coronavirus — COVID-19 — with 165,062 cases, while it now ranks 6th among nations with the most number of active cases around the globe, as per Worldometers.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier this year warned that South Asia could become yet another new epicenter of the pandemic, however, despite the warning and rapidly increasing number of coronavirus cases, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has only announced the imposition of “smart lockdowns” with only certain areas in worst-hit cities being put under restrictions.

    The decision was taken keeping in view the consequent struggles of the poor, whom the government believes might not be able to survive a complete lockdown and its effects on the already deteriorating economic conditions.

    While experts, including Dr Attaur Rahman of PM’s task force, believe the government has already failed to deal with the pandemic and is grossly under-reporting both COVID-19 fatalities and infections, the virus is yet to peak — by the end of July or August –, data suggests.

    An analysis by The Current showed that before lockdown restrictions were eased in Pakistan ahead of Eidul Fitr, the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases stood at 24,648 during the first week of May. The figure then crawled up to 122,574 by June 11, while the number of coronavirus cases as of this moment stands past 165,000 with thousands of cases being reported every day despite a low testing capacity.

    It is estimated that the actual number of infections is very high with Lahore alone having more than 2 million cases by now.

    Pakistan has experienced its largest month-wise jump since the pandemic began, with 69,910 cases being reported between May 6 to June 6. Earlier, 3,858 COVID-19 cases were recorded between March 6 and April 6 while 20,209 were reported between April 6 to May 6.

    According to projections, the figure is likely to reach a million by August 6 if strict lockdowns aren’t imposed and social distancing guidelines are not followed.

    A comparison with the best and worst managed lockdowns from across the globe also puts things into perspective.

    Country Outcome
      New Zealand
    Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a strict lockdown on March 25 when 100 people had tested positive and no deaths had been reported.   After a 76-day lockdown, New Zealand lifted all restrictions, declaring the country ‘corona free’ but borders remain closed. No new case for more than two weeks has been reported in the country except three suspected ones.
    Wuhan
    The capital of Hubei province of China was the origin of the deadly virus, where 11 million residents were locked up at their homes since January. After an effective 77-day lockdown, Hubei reports zero COVID-19 infections and the country has reported zero coronavirus deaths since January.        

    On the other hand:

    Country Outcome
    India
    On March 25, India imposed a countrywide lockdown that was called a curfew by PM Narendra Modi. The development had come when 519 confirmed cases and 10 deaths had been reported across India.   A bit over two months later, with India easing lockdowns and shopping malls, restaurants as well as temples being re-opened, it has become the country with 4th highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.
    Iran
    Iran shut schools, postponed events and discouraged travel since the country reported its first COVID-19 death in February. Despite these measures, the number of deaths and infections continued to grow until a countrywide lockdown was imposed in March.   With the lockdown being eased from mid-April to May 26 when everything was reopened, including shopping malls, parks, religious shrines, restaurants and historical sites, the number of deaths has jumped to nearly 10,000 with over 200,000 infections.

    By the time this report was filed, Sindh topped the chart with most infections in Pakistan (62,269), with Punjab trailing behind at 61,678, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) at 20,182, Islamabad at 9,941, Balochistan 8,998 and Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) at 1,225 and 769 infections, respectively.

  • SC dismisses presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa

    SC dismisses presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday dismissed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the top court, announcing its short verdict on the petition challenging the reference in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

    A ten-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed heard the case, reserving the verdict before it was announced after 4 pm.

    The case was wrapped up after Justice Isa’s spouse on Thursday provided the money trail pertaining to her foreign properties and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) provided its input on the matter.

    The petitioner’s lawyer, Munir A Malik, concluded his arguments in court by saying that the federation had “gotten on the wrong bus” in the case.

    The top court judge’s wife, Zarina Carrera Khoso, submitted the money trail of her three properties in the United Kingdom (UK) to a full bench of the SC via video link in an assets concealment and alleged misconduct case against her husband.

    The SJC had initiated the proceedings against Justice Isa on allegations that he purchased three properties in London in the name of his wife and children between 2011 and 2015 but did not allegedly disclose them in wealth returns declared in Pakistan.

    Justice Isa had told the apex court on Wednesday that his wife wanted to appear before the SC bench to explain the sources of her UK properties.

    Subsequently, following the top court’s approval she testified that all the money was transferred from Pakistan to UK through her two foreign accounts.

    “Properties in Karachi were sold out and two bank accounts — one in British pounds and the other in US dollars — were opened in a private bank to transfer the money.

    “From 2003-2013, a total of £700,000 was transferred through these two foreign accounts in the Standard Chartered Bank’s Karachi branch,” she added.

    Khoso clarified that she was a Spanish citizen and that she had used her passport to purchase the properties in London. She added that when her husband was a lawyer, she would get a five-year visa.

    However, the Pakistani authorities had issued a one-year visa after 2018 only to create hurdles.

    Justice Isa’s wife explained that since she was born in Spain and her father’s and mother’s names, respectively, were Khoso and Carrera, her name on her birth certificate and passport is Zarina Carrera Khoso.

    After she got married to Justice Isa back in 1983, however, the Pakistani government registered her name on her CNIC as Zarina Isa.

    In her statement, the judge’s wife said her tax returns were filed after advice from Rehan Naqvi, her solicitor, and that she owned a house in Clifton, as well as a plot in Shah Latif Town. She has also received agricultural land from her father, which is now in her name.

    Khoso said she was advised that according to the law, tax returns were not filed on agricultural land. All of her taxes were filed after consultations with Naqvi, she added, noting that the last tax return she had filed was over Rs7.6 million.

    Later, Justice Maqbool Baqar reportedly remarked that what was going on in the country in the name of accountability would also be looked into. He said destruction [of institutions] was underway in the country in the name of accountability and they would also write that in the verdict.

    Justice Maqbool Baqar asked if the SJC could review the performance of the president, to which the federation’s lawyer, Farogh Naseem, said that the council had the authority to review anyone’s performance.

    NOT SURE ABOUT THE CASE? DON’T WORRY, WE HAVE YOU COVERED:

    Justice Qazi Faez Isa is an SC justice who took oath as a judge of the top court in September 2014. He is scheduled to become the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) in August 2023 for thirteen months.

    His landmark cases include the Faizabad Sit-in judgment in 2019, the Quetta Massacre Commission in 2016 — when he headed an inquiry commission to find out what happened when a suicide attack in August 2016 killed 74 people — and the Memogate Commission in 2012, a case where an alleged memo was delivered to an American official at the behest of former ambassador to the United States (US), Husain Haqqani, in May 2012.

    In May 2019, media started reporting that references were being filed against SC judges Reports became so rampant that Justice Isa approached President Arif Alvi, complaining that information being leaked to the media amounted to character assassination, which would hinder his right to a fair trial. He also asked the president if a reference was being filed against him by the president in the SJC.

    There was no reply by the president and soon, a notice was sent to the federal government by the SJC that a reference was being filed against him and another judge, accusing them of concealing assets.

    Justice Isa then wrote another letter, in which he said that he could’ve handled the inquiry against him and his family but it seemed that the independence of the judiciary was being undermined and that a judge had to preserve and protect the constitution as he had sworn to do.

    He then asked the SC that a full bench be constituted, a plea that was accepted by then CJP Asif Saeed Khosa, and after a months-long trial, a full bench of the apex court on Friday dismissed the petition against him.

  • Tareen meets Nawaz in London while not on talking terms with Imran?

    Tareen meets Nawaz in London while not on talking terms with Imran?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Jahangir Khan Tareen on Thursday said he has neither met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif nor did he wish to and that the media cell of the former premier’s party was spreading fake news.

    In an audio statement, Tareen — whose relationship with the PTI seems to have fallen apart — said “our struggle has been against them”, referring to the PML-N.

    “I have neither met Nawaz Sharif nor do I wish to [meet him],” he said.

    “I am not an opportunistic politician to go to them [Nawaz Sharif and the PML-N] just because I have developed differences with Imran Khan,” he said of the premier.

    “I am a principled politician, I tried my best with the PTI,” he added, noting that if there were any problems, it was not his fault. “I am just sitting separately; whatever is acceptable to God will happen.”

    Meanwhile, reports quoted senior leaders of the PML-N as confirming that there had been no meeting between Nawaz and Tareen, that they had neither approached Tareen for such a meeting nor do they plan to do so.

    ‘NOT ON TALKING TERMS WITH IMRAN’:

    The claims rebutted by Tareen had come amid reports that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his former friend and leading PTI stalwart Tareen were no longer on talking terms as the latter ponders his political future from his Newbury farmhouse just outside of London.

    According to The News, PM Imran has not spoken to Tareen, the former secretary general of PTI and its main sponsor and patron, in several weeks and their relationship of warmth and trust at this point of time is non-existent.

    Tareen jetted off to London two weeks ago in a chartered plane and said he was travelling for medical treatment. He didn’t respond to requests for interview and has stayed quiet but sources close to him have shared details of Tareen’s state of mind and his stance.

    Tareen is not happy with how his colleagues have treated him and believes that he was shed off like dead weight by the very people who used to fawn upon him.

    Another source close to Tareen said that people around Imran and some bureaucrats had become insecure of him as he advised Imran to reduce the role of bureaucracy to improve governance. The source said that Tareen has made more contributions for the growth of PTI than all others put together but none of this was counted when it came to his alleged involvement in the sugar crisis.

    The former powerhouse of PTI is of the view, according to the source, that the premier didn’t come to his aide as he has been surrounded by a coterie of bureaucrats who have been feeding him false information.

    The sources in government said that PM Imran is neutral viz a viz Sugar Commission Inquiry and will not interfere to save or persecute anyone. They added that the PM will not give favours to anyone.

    As Tareen left Pakistan, speculations emerged that he had left to save himself before the start of government’s punitive action on the findings of the report of Sugar Inquiry Commission that implicated PTI leader and other leading political figures and businessmen in sugar scam.

    Tareen has denied all speculations but it has been claimed, including in the National Assembly, that Tareen thought it was best to be out of Pakistan for sometime and that the PTI govt provided him a passage to fly out while keeping accused opposition figures on the Exit Control List (ECL).

    Tareen, however, says that he will return to Pakistan once his treatment is completed but has not given any timeframe and many believe that he is in important discussions about the events that will unfold when he is back in Pakistan.