The Parliamentary Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Wednesday approved a bill proposing amendments to the Election Act 2017 seemingly barring elected assembly members from changing their party affiliation.
The amendments to the bill propose that those individuals who contested elections as independent members cannot change their “affidavit” later to change their party affiliation, apparently bypassing the recent Supreme Court verdict in the case of the reserved seats.
It also proposed that if political parties fail to submit their candidates’ list for reserved seats in the stipulated time by the Election Commission of Pakistan, then it won’t be eligible for those seats.
The bill was passed by the panel with eight votes in favour while four opposed it.
Meanwhile, federal law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stated that the issue of “reserved seats” and independent members joining any political party is obvious.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Ali Muhammad Khan said that this is a private member’s bill and the law minister shouldn’t advocate for it.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Bilal Azhar Kiyani tabled the bill on Tuesday. The amendments were proposed to Section 66 and Section 104 of the Election Act, 2017.
After being released from the military, Jin has been participating in a number of events, such as concerts, commercial deals, and even the 2024 Paris Olympics torch relay, but his most recent activity has fans buzzing with excitement.
The BTS member has announced the return of the beloved variety show Run BTS with a solo spin-off titled Run Jin. But the show ended as the cast members started working in the military, creating a Tuesday opening that fans were unable to fill.
Currently, the upcoming series, which debuted on the BTS YouTube channel on July 30, attempts to fill the gap left by the original show’s absence in terms of games and fun for ARMYs.
Run Jin will feature Jin participating in various activities, starting with a hiking trip to Hallasan, a volcanic mountain in South Korea. Run Jin is set to premiere on Tuesday, August 13.
Afghanistan’s leg-spinner Rashid Khan has become the only spinner to complete 600 wickets in T20 cricket.
The Afghan bowler is second in the list of overall bowlers who have taken the most wickets in T20 cricket, followed by former West Indies captain DJ Bravo, who took a total of 630 wickets during his T20 career, but he is a fast bowler.
West Indies spinner Sunil Narine is third with 557 wickets, South Africa’s Imran Tahir is fourth with 502 wickets, and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is fifth with 492 wickets.
The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was informed on Tuesday that Pakistanis are found to be involved in almost 50 percent of the crimes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
While giving the brief, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Dr Arshad informed the committee that the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait have shared reservations on various issues related to the Pakistani labour force working in these states.
In September 2023 the same committee was informed that out of all the Pakistanis leaving the country, beggars are going abroad the most. Out of all the beggars who were arrested, 90 percent turned out to be Pakistanis.
Tahir Niaz from The Nation reported that the secretary of the ministry told the committee that the domestic labour force comprised 71.8 million people, while the diaspora includes 10.7 million individuals, primarily in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, the UK, and Canada.
“Moreover, there are issues like criminal activities among the Pakistani workforce abroad. For instance, 50 percent of the crime rate among the labour force in the UAE is reportedly attributed to Pakistanis,” the ministry official told the committee.
However, Nausheen Shah from The News reported the current development has come after a significantly more concerning issue as it highlights the rather “inappropriate” behaviour of Pakistanis in the UAE which includes them making videos in front of women in Dubai.
Ministry officials told the committee today that around 0.6 to 0.8 million Pakistanis go abroad each year, of which 200,000 to 300,000 come back.
Out of the total people travelling abroad, 96 percent go to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, they said.
What problems do other nations have with Pakistanis?
Briefing about the problems other nations have with Pakistan, the officials told the committee that the UAE informed us that we had a quota of 1.6 million, which has exceeded to 1.8 million.
Pakistanis, they said, visit Malaysia for a year, extend their stay, and are then sent to jail. People have also slipped in Iraq, the officials said, noting that their exact number is unknown.
Senator Nasir Abbas said Bangladeshis are securing more jobs than Pakistanis. In Iraq, Pakistanis are “helpless” as they are employed as cheap labour. Abbas added that they are kept as “prisoners” in Iraq.
Moving forward, the officials told the committee members that two million Pakistanis reside in Saudi Arabia and 0.4 million go to the Kingdom every year.
KSA authorities, the officials said, have asked Pakistanis not to send “beggars and sick people”. They added that GCC is modern now, they are focusing on technology and development.
The overseas ministry officials said that Pakistanis going abroad are “unskilled” and noted that our people aren’t being trained as well. “People from other nations are replacing ours.”
Work ethics, work attitudes, and involvement in crime are issues of Pakistanis.
Kuwait has complained of Pakistani nurses refusing to perform certain job-related duties and instead telling ward boys to help patients sit up. The nurses do not learn the language but want to be sent to Europe after spending six months in the country.
Meanwhile, Qatar, as per the officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, has complained about Pakistani labourers refusing to wear safety helmets.
Saudi Arabia has maintained that they will only give jobs to workers who can pass the test of their relevant authority, i.e., the National Centre for Human Resources Development (Takamul).
The officials said nations are “suspicious” of Pakistanis. Around 600,000-800,000 people go abroad, of which 96 per cent travel to the Middle East.
Future of Pakistani workforce
Ringing the alarm bells for the future of the Pakistani labour force seeking to secure jobs in the UAE, the ministry said that Gulf states are now looking towards Africa as their workers offer even cheaper labour than that of the Pakistani expatriates.
In a dramatic development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Imtiaz Chaudhry escaped from the custody of an anti-corruption team in Gujrat on July 31.
According to Circle Officer Anti-Corruption Aftab Haider, unknown people riding in a car opened fire on the vehicle in which Chaudhry was being taken, after which the perpetrators fled with the MNA.
The MNA was on physical remand and was scheduled to be produced in court today.
Imtiaz Chaudhry was arrested on July 25 from his home due to allegations of receiving kickbacks in development schemes.
Torrential monsoon rains and flash floods have devastated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in 19 deaths and 15 injuries over the past two days.
According to a report from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), severe weather has affected Dara Adamkhel, Bajaur, Chitral, Dir, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Haripur, Swat, Charsadda, Swabi, South Waziristan, and Hangu. Fatalities include 11 children, four women, and four men, while 15 others have been injured.
The report also states that 61 houses have been damaged, with 24 completely destroyed. Landslides have blocked roads in Kohistan, Mansehra, Swat, Chitral, Dir, and other areas, and many bridges have been washed away. Relief efforts are underway, with machinery being deployed to clear blocked highways and assist affected areas.
Many games have partner programs designed to support and empower individuals in developing their video games. These programs can be run by gaming companies, educational institutions, or independent organizations, and they often provide resources such as tools, mentorship, funding, and platforms for showcasing the games.
How does the Game Partner Programs work?
Application Process
To join the program, you need to apply. The application usually involves providing information about the creator’s content, audience, and previous work. To submit an application, you need to visit the game’s official website (the game you like and want to join the creator program) and submit your application.
Criteria and Approval
The program administrators review the applications based on specific criteria such as content quality, audience size, engagement, and relevance to the game or platform.
In addition, you must follow their criteria, such as the number of followers, videos, and likes per month. Once approved, partners receive access to exclusive resources and opportunities.
Promotion and Content Creation
Partners create and share content related to the game or platform, such as live streams and short videos. They use specific tags, links, or codes the program provides to track their promotional activities.
Earning and Rewards:
Partners earn rewards based on the performance of their content, such as views, clicks, purchases, and player sign-ups. Rewards can include monetary payments, in-game items (like UC in PUBG mobile or Diamonds in Free Fire), exclusive content, and more.
Examples of Gamers partners programs:
PUBG mobile Next Star program
To apply for the PUBG mobile next star program, you must have more than 50,000 followers on YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, or any platform. Once you apply, they will see your request, and you can earn in-game rewards and cash rewards once your application is approved.
PUBG Mobile also announced a USD 100,000,000 prize pool for Next Star content creators.
Free Fire also has partner programs like PUBG Mobile. Here are the criteria to join
New creator (3-month probation period)
More than 10,000 Followers At least four videos per month By the 3rd month, meet the requirements below to enter the KOL program
Regular creators
More than 10,000 Followers At least eight videos per month At least 50,000 views per month
Here are Partner Programs for gaming platforms
1-Twitch Affiliate and Partner Program:
Twitch is a gaming platform that offers two levels of partnership: Affiliate and Partner. Affiliates can start earning revenue through subscriptions, bits, and ads, while Partners enjoy additional benefits such as custom emotes and priority support.
How to Join?
You need to identify a minimum of 8 individual streams over the last 30 days and eight individual streams over the prior 30 days, with each of these streams meeting the minimum requirement of +75 average viewers.
2-YouTube Gaming Partner Program:
YouTube Gaming offers a Partner Program that allows content creators to monetize their gaming videos through ads, channel memberships, channel memberships (monthly subscriptions from viewers), Super Chat (paid messages during live streams), and sales of branded merchandise.
How to Join?
You must join the YouTube Partner Program, which requires 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past 12 months. After meeting these criteria, they can enable monetization of their gaming content.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala jail, has categorically signalled that his party was ready for talks with the military establishment, Dawn News has reported.
However, while talking to reporters at Adiala jail, Khan set three preconditions for the talks: the return of PTI’s alleged ‘stolen mandate’, the release of all of the party workers currently detained, and transparent elections.
Earlier, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan delivered a message from Imran Khan to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir to “become neutral for the sake of Pakistan.” In 2022, Khan repeatedly berated the army’s leadership for being “neutral”, repeatedly saying that only animals are neutral.
Khan stated that his party has never levelled allegations against the army, saying that even a “spoilt child” was liable to criticism.
He also recalled that General Ziaul Haq was responsible for the judicial murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and General Yahya Khan was responsible for the fall of Dhaka.
Khan stated that the party had already nominated Mehmood Khan Achakzai for negotiations and urged the military to nominate their representative for talks.
Actress and digital content creator Fatima Effendi is never afraid to speak her mind. Recently, she appeared as a guest on ‘FHM Podcast’ where she talked about her unfiltered thoughts on extramarital affairs, social media, and the changing dynamics of relationships.
Fatima said, “These days’ men are a bit scared before they start affairs as they fear being found out on social media and their wives leaving them. This is a change from what used to happen before.”
Fatima highlighted that women frequently target the other woman when they find out about an affair. “When an affair comes to light, women should not target the other woman. Women should look at their own men instead of looking at the women around them.”
About society’s growing materialism, she said, “Today, people have become materialistic, and it’s alarming that single women now go for married men, not because they love them but because they only want financial stability.”
Fatima Effendi and Kanwar Arsalan have two sons together after their marriage in November 2012.
