Blog

  • Treason case: Gen (r) Musharraf handed death sentence

    Former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday was handed death sentence in the high treason case against him.

    The case was being heard by a a special bench comprising Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice (CJ) Waqar Ahmad Seth Akbar and Justice Shahid Karim of the Lahore High Court (LHC). The bench was formed on the orders of the Supreme Court (SC).

    According to reports, the court, in its short order, said that it analysed complaints, records, arguments and facts in the case for three months, adding that it found Musharraf guilty of high treason according to Article 6 of the constitution.

    It was a majority verdict.

    TREASON CASE:

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had in 2013 filed the treason case against Musharraf over the president’s imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

    Earlier this year, head of the prosecution, Mohammad Akram Sheikh, tendered his resignation. In his resignation letter sent to the interior secretary, Sheikh expressed his inability to proceed with the case after the imminent change of government at the centre.

    Akram was appointed as the head of the prosecution in the case in November 2013, by the then ruling PML-N.

    Musharraf was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and rejected all charges.

    On March 18, 2016, the former president left the country for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the exit control list (ECL) on the orders of the Supreme Court (SC).

    A few months later, the special court had declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his continuous inability to appear.

    Later, his passport and identity card were also cancelled on orders of the apex court.

  • Saudi Arabia ‘forces’ PM Imran to cancel Malaysia trip

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has cancelled his scheduled visit to Malaysia following his meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman in Riyadh, The News reported.

    According to reports, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be representing Pakistan in the premier’s place at the Kuala Lumpur Summit scheduled for December 18-20, which will also be attended by notable Muslim leaders, including Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

    “Saudi Arabia raised serious concerns over the statement of Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohammad who had recently said that the Muslim countries at Kuala Lumpur Summit would form a new platform to replace the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which he said had failed to deliver on issues faced by the Muslims across the world,” the report quoted sources as saying.

    Saudi Arabia and its allies, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait and Bahrain are perturbed over the expected presence of Qatari emir, Turkish president and Iranian president at the summit and fear a new but parallel leadership forum is being developed to undermine Saudi Arabia and its allies, it said.

    The report further claimed that the UAE has also raised its concerns over Mahathir’s statement and has requested Pakistan to avoid the Kuala Lumpur Summit that “may trigger a new controversy among the Muslim Ummah”.

    “PM Imran was also conveyed concerns by Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa over the intentions of the Kuala Lumpur Summit. The premier assured the royals of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain that he would not be a partof any scheme being planned to undermine the Gulf leadership,” sources were quoted as saying.

    They said that UAE’s Emir Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan had raised his concerns with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa three days ago on December 14 as well.

    Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said decision about Imran Khan’s visit to Malaysia to attend the Kuala Lumpur Summit will be taken according to national interest.

    She noted that after his Bahrain visit, the premier will travel to Geneva and return to Pakistan Wednesday, following which a final decision regarding his Malaysia trip would be taken.

  • Women’s museum to be set up in Islamabad

    The National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) have signed a principal agreement to set up a women’s museum in Islamabad.

    According to reports, the aim of establishing this museum is to preserve women movements throughout history and to provide a resource for newly enfranchised women to enter public life.

    The museum will support and protect education, research and training on the roles and contributions of women.

    NCSW is striving for the development of women’s libraries, museums and archives.

  • Kashmir Markhor trophy-hunted in Chitral

    Kashmir Markhor trophy-hunted in Chitral

    American hunter Joe Lawrence Walreven hunted a 48-inch long Kashmir Markhor in Toshi Conservancy in Lower Chitral.

    According to reports, the hunt was done after a permit worth $140,000 was obtained from the wildlife department.

    The divisional forest officer of wildlife division, Mohammad Idrees, shared that the 82-year-old hunter faced no difficulty in finding an animal for hunting as he spotted and earmarked a 10-year-old markor within an hour after he disembarked from his vehicle on Garam Chashma Road near Chitral city.

    Joe reportedly “wasted no time in shooting the animal” and achieved his trophy skillfully. He fired a shot at the markhor from a distant range by his Remington rifle. The animal fell down instantly.

    Last week, Italian hunter Carlo Pasco hunted the season’s first Markhor trophy in Skardu town. According to reports, Pasco successfully hunted a flared-horned markhor after paying a permit fee of $85,000.

    Meanwhile, last month, it was reported that the wildlife department of Gilgit Baltistan has auctioned four licenses for hunting the markhor, the official national animal of Pakistan after the Ministry of Climate Change agreed to the licenses, including for trophy hunting of the much in demand flare-horned Astore markhor, a large goat species native to Pakistan.

    Each license was sold for over $80,000, of which 80 percent will go to the villages where the hunt takes place for developing their infrastructure.

  • Singapore sets a mosquito factory to curb dengue cases

    Singapore sets a mosquito factory to curb dengue cases

    Every year dengue fever comes and makes us all worried even though the government is trying to control the deadly virus with initiative like fumigation, surveys to check larvae, public awareness campaigns on television and radio etc. However, the mosquito-borne disease is far from being under control.

    But what Singapore has done to fight against dengue is surprising as well as interesting.

    Instead of killing mosquitoes, Singapore has set up mosquito factories which produces a new type of mosquito. What happens is when this ‘new kind’ of mosquito goes out and ‘falls in love’ with other mosquitoes, the outside world mosquito will no longer be able to reproduce which means that the mosquito population decreases.

    And what’s even more interesting is that this new mosquito does not bite.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJfBmHgSxBA

  • Bollywood reacts to Delhi violence

    As protests ravage India, more than 100 students have been injured after baton-wielding police charged at them and fired tear gas at two federally-run universities where students were holding anti-citizenship law protests.

    According to reports, students in New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Uttar Pradesh state’s Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had been protesting since the new law was passed last week.

    The contentious law grants citizenship to religious minorities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians – from neighbouring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    While critics say it is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist agenda to marginalise the 200-million strong Islamic minority, Modi denies this, saying that the new law “does not affect any citizen of India of any religion”, while accusing “vested interest groups” of stoking the “deeply distressing” unrest.

    As the protests get bloodier, people are asking Bollywood celebrities especially Shah Rukh Khan who is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Delhi, to speak up on the matter and express their solidarity.

    https://twitter.com/artwhoring/status/1206447623839727616?s=20

    While A-lister celebrities including the Khans, Kapoors and Priyanka Chopra have remained silent on the matter, other celebs including Sidharth Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurana, Dia Mirza and Vicky Kaushal have condemned this violence.

    https://twitter.com/RajkummarRao/status/1206486037658243072?s=20

  • VIDEO: Lawyer slaps citizen trying to cross street during protest

    VIDEO: Lawyer slaps citizen trying to cross street during protest

    Days after the lawyers’ had attacked the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), a new video has surfaced on the social media in which a lawyer can be seen slapping a motorcyclist.

    In the viral video a lawyer can be seen stopping a motorcyclist passing between the lawyers protesting outside PIC and snatching his motorcycle keys.

    After exchanging few words, the lawyer slapped the man prompting others present there to intervene.

    Watch Video:

    After Wednesday’s attack on PIC, several videos showing the violent acts committed by the lawyers have been coming out on social media platforms.

    A group of over 200 lawyers, following an earlier quarrel with the doctors, stormed the hospital, vandalised property and damaged dozens of vehicles parked in the hospital premises and burned a police van.

    Three people had lost their lives amidst the chaos as doctors abandoned their patients to escape the angry mob.

    The police have registered a first information report (FIR) against 200-250 unidentified lawyers on the complaint of an official of the hospital.

  • SC issues detailed judgement in Gen Bajwa’s case, points out flaws

    SC issues detailed judgement in Gen Bajwa’s case, points out flaws

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday issued its detailed judgment on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, pointing out the flaws in the process undertaken by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Citing procedural loopholes, the top court had last month suspended a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in August for the army chief’s reappointment till 2022.

    It had directed the federal government to legislate and remove lacunae in the reappointment/extension of tenure of the COAS within six months.

    The detailed written judgement released Monday in connection with the previous short, the SC said it had “found that the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 falls deficient of the structural requirements for raising and maintaining an Army under clause (3) of Article 243 of the Constitution”.

    EXPLAINED:

    The verdict noted that “no tenure or age of retirement for the rank of General is provided under the law. As per the institutional practice a general retires on completion of a tenure of three years. Although an institutional practice cannot be a valid substitute of the law.”

    “There is no provision in the law for extending service of a General for another tenure; nor is there any consistent and continuous institutional practice of granting such extension,” Justice Shah wrote, adding that the summaries for the reappointment, extension and fresh appointment of General Bajwa were “meaningless” in absence of the relevant law.

  • Foods to beat the winter blues, improve skin, hair

    Foods to beat the winter blues, improve skin, hair

    Nothing can be worse for the skin and hair than winter if proper care is not taken. Cold and dry air can cause dry skin, chapped lips, and a flaky face. While everyone focuses on maintaining a proper skincare routine, one tends to overlook the fact that the diet also plays an important role.

    Here are a few foods that will help you beat the winter blues and help maintain healthy skin and hair.

    Broccoli

    Broccoli is a part of the cruciferous vegetable which is good for your skin. It is rich in Vitamins A and C. Vitamin A keeps the skin healthy and lowers scars. Vitamin C assists to maintain collagen production. Broccoli also has B-vitamins that help reduce dry and flaky patches.

    Carrots

    Carrot is one of the best foods for your skin during the winter season. It is a great source of Vitamin A and other antioxidants that help keep the skin healthy, nourished and glowing. These antioxidants assist fight wrinkles, discoloration, and scars. Carrots also have lycopene, which protects your skin from the harsh sun rays.

    Spinach

    Apart from being a good source of iron, spinach is also another must-have if you want to get a glowing skin. This leafy green is a powerhouse of nutrition. It contains Vitamins A and C, and antioxidants that thwart off all kinds of skin infections. Spinach is high in iron and can help you counter anemia and adds color to your pale skin.

    Almonds

    Almonds are natural remedies that hydrate your skin and prevent dryness. They are also high in Vitamin E, which helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays of the sun. Almonds contain various antioxidants that counter the signs of aging on your skin.

    Green Tea

    Green tea is a potent source of antioxidants, which eliminate free radicals from your body and prevent flaky skin. The antioxidants present in it also help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

    Chia Seeds

    Chia seeds provide you two essential fatty acids, omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, and omega-6 linolenic acid. Both omega-3 and 6 contains anti-inflammatory powers, that may help boost skin regeneration and contribute to a better youthful complexion. Your body needs essential fatty acids for good health, but it cannot produce them, so they need to be consumed.

    Sweet Potatoes

    Sweet potatoes assist lock-in moisture provides your skin a healthy glow and saves it from damage thanks to their high amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A can assist with skin renewal and decrease dry and flaky skin. Sweet potatoes are a good option in the winter.

    Oatmeal

    Start your winter day right and nourish your hair with a popular healthy bowl of oatmeal. It is rich in omega-3 and iron, both of these promote hair growth and keep your strands looking super shiny.

    Vitamin E

    Vitamin E is a quintessential nutrient when it comes to your hair care. A base ingredient included in a range of hair care products; it is a very important nutrient for healthy hair. It helps in building and repairing hair tissue and also in protecting hair from any damage. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E.

    Cinnamon

    Cinnamon is helpful in increasing the blood circulation in your body that in turn would provide your hair follicles with adequate oxygen and nutrients. Hence, add some cinnamon to your food be it on any meal or your coffee and tea.

  • We forget…

    It was a cold December morning when Pakistan had woken up to the gloom of having lost Dhaka over four decades ago.

    Leaving their abodes, hundreds of thousands – if not millions – had taken to social networks to vent their frustration over the tragedy that until December 16, 2014, was deemed the darkest in the 70-something years history of the country.

    Little did they know that 150 coffins, 134 of which were to be the heaviest, were to be lifted later that day; that a tragedy much similar to 2004’s Beslan massacre in Russia, was in the offing.

    Six gunmen affiliated with Tehrike Taliban Pakistan (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on Army Public School (APS) Peshawar at around 10 am. The militants, all of whom were foreign nationals, entered the school and opened fire on staff and children, killing 150, including 134 between the ages of eight and 18.

    The attack sparked widespread reactions from across the country, as condemnations from the public, government, political and religious entities, journalists and celebrities, poured in. Imran Khan’s infamous 126-day Islamabad sit-in as a member of the opposition was also called off.

    While media reacted strongly to the events as major newspapers, news channels and many commentators called for a renewed and strong action against militants, many countries, international organisations and important personalities also condemned the attack.

    Reacting to the carnage at the army-run school, terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda said that “soldiers should be targeted, not their children”.

    Today marks five years since wails of the nation broke through the deafening silence of December amid the state’s failure to protect its own; since those at odds vowed to rise above their differences to unite and fight extremism, and since the moment when we started forgetting yet another tragedy.

    Although it is believed that memories hanging heaviest are the easiest to recall, it is regrettable how we tend to forget even the ones that hold in their crinkles the ability to change not only our lives as individuals but also the fate of the entire nation.

    It is regrettable how we have limited our recalling of these painful memories to certain days such as December 16, without thinking of the families that go through the pain of losing their loved ones, especially minors, all day every day.

    Make no mistake as what we argue is not torturing ourselves with the misery that is our own creation, but what we advocate for is realising every day what led to the tragic episode that should’ve defined us for the generations to come.

    Because it is regrettable how we were let down, it is regrettable how we let down those 150 innocents, regrettable how we let down millions of others killed because of the failure of the state to protect its citizens, and regrettable how many of us fail to realise there still is time for us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back in the saddle.

    Here’s to the courageous survivours who beat the cowards five years ago… here’s to the memory of the 150 souls, from the ashes of whom, we must rise.