Blog

  • Locals claim that ‘djinns’ caused women to drown in Indus

    Locals claim that ‘djinns’ caused women to drown in Indus

    Five women drowned in the River Indus near Gilgit on Thursday. While local residents in Jaglot managed to recover the bodies of two women, the search for the remaining three is underway.

    According to the police, the women were washing clothes alongside the river when one of them slipped on the wet bank. The other four women, in their efforts to pull her out, were carried away by the current.

    However, locals and relatives of the women claim that “djinns” are behind the tragedy.

    Speaking to the media, a local man said that everyone in the family knew that one of the women was “possessed by a djinn.” and it was the djinn “who forced her to jump into the river.”

    The man further went onto say that people in the area were of the view that the women wouldn’t have died without any role of supernatural forces.

    Even at the funeral prayers of the two women, local clerics asked people to recite more verses from the Holy Quran to seek God’s forgiveness and save themselves from paranormal forces and the wrath of the djinns.

    Meanwhile, police officials dismissed the superstitions and said that “there is no such thing in the law.”

    Belief in supernatural powers is a common concept in Gilgit-Baltistan where families often seek help from Aamils (exorcists) in matters relating to health, marriage, etc.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi is an ‘ISI agent’: Indian media claims

    Hamza Ali Abbasi is an ‘ISI agent’: Indian media claims

    Hamza Ali Abbasi’s stance on current affairs, especially regarding Kashmir, appears to have caused quite a stir across the border, so much so that the actor has been labelled an “ISI stooge” by Indian media outlets.

    Republic TV in a clip posted to Twitter said that Kashmiris are welcoming Article 370 while “a desperate ISI is using its stooges to spread fake news on Kashmir.” They went onto say that the television channel has identified multiple verified handles which are being used for information warfare. The media outlet called out Twitter for being biased and asked them to remove these handles.

    One of those “stooges” was Hamza who has been accused of trying to “destabilise the peace and calm in Jammu and Kashmir and create disaffection within the boundaries of India.” Pictures of Hamza with Hafiz Saeed were used as a backdrop to the conversation.

    Apart from being an actor, Hamza was also referred to as a “communal aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan”

    But here’s what Hamza had tweeted on Kashmir and Article 370.

    What’s even more interesting is that the Indian media claims that they have silenced the “fake news handlers” by exposing them, when in reality, the reason Hamza is not active on Twitter is because he has gone for Hajj.

    Meanwhile, the Indian media also accused Zaid Hamid of being a “convicted criminal.” Along with that, he was also called “an assault rifle-happy former Pak Army veteran-turned ‘security analyst’.”

  • Tips to stay healthy this Eid

    Tips to stay healthy this Eid

    Eid ul Azha is just around the corner and everyone is gearing up for the four days of meaty dawats. But there always is a risk of overeating which can cause uneasiness and nausea. Here are a few tips that can help you maintain your health and stomach this Eid.

    Avoid fried meat

    Try to consume meat which has boiled or grilled and avoid taking it in fried form as this increases the calories and leaves you feeling heavy. Barbequed tikkas and kebabs are an excellent choice of food on Eid.

    Go for a light walk

    Dieticians and doctors suggest eating your last meal 2 hours before sleeping. After some time, you can go for a long walk for almost 30 minutes to make sure that the food is digested. So you can go to bed feeling light and healthy.

    Take green tea after your meals

    Take a cup of green tea after every heavy meal. Green tea can helps to increase the metabolism rate. You can also take tea but without sugar.

    No fizzy drinks

    While it may seem a great idea to have fizzy drinks with your meal for digestion, the reality is the opposite. Fizzy drinks are full of sugar and do more harm to your body than good. Rather than having a soft drink, have a glass of lassi with mint leaves in it for better digestion. Buttermilk will not only improve the digestion process but will also make you feel fuller so you eat less.

    Add veggies to your meat

    Veggies are packed with vital nutrients and fiber which would make you feel full so that you can abide yourself by eating less high calorie and fats. Eat your meat with a side of vegetables or start your meal with a bowl of salad or stir fry veggies because then your belly would ask for very little malai boti or nihari.

  • Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    Gandapur announces heading to LoC, leading from front if war breaks out

    As tensions soar on either side of the border, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has announced heading to the Line of Control (LoC) and leading from the front if a war breaks out.

    Heavy troop movements reportedly continue along the LoC in both Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) after India revoked Article 370 of its constitution last Monday.

    The move that snatched away the disputed territory’s autonomy, can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and ultimately result in the transformation of the region into majority-Hindu.

    READ: Articles 370 and 35A explained

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Gandapur on Friday eulogised those who had laid their lives for the Kashmir cause and said that if India imposed war, he would be in the forefront in fighting the occupying forces.

    “The entire nation stands in solidarity with Kashmir and if needs be, I will head to the LoC to fight the war,” the minister added.

    In an earlier statement, Gandapur had said that Kashmir was the country’s jugular vein and every Pakistani was ready to fight for it till death. He had further said that the country’s armed forces were ready to befittingly respond to any Indian misadventures.

  • PEMRA directs TV channels to not air Eid special shows

    PEMRA directs TV channels to not air Eid special shows

    The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has requested news channels to not air pre-recorded or live special programmes on Eid-ul-Azha in solidarity with Kashmir.

    According to details, the electronic media regulator has said that airing of festive segments “may hurt sentiments of not only our nation but also of the Kashmiri brethren”. Hence the day will be “celebrated with simplicity as a religious event.”

    PEMRA told media outlets that August 14 will also be observed in “solidarity day with brave Kashmiris”.

    Meanwhile, August 15 will be observed as black day and the national flag will fly at half-mast. Media outlets have been requested to “turn their logos black and white throughout the day on August 15, 2019” to highlight Indian atrocities in Indian occupied Kashmir.

    On August 8, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has reiterated that no Indian movie will be screened in Pakistani cinemas. News channels had also been directed not to invite any Indian celebrity, politician, journalist, and analysts in their talk show for any kind of “comments” or “analysis”.

  • Indian guy dumps BMW in river after father refuses to buy Jaguar

    Indian guy dumps BMW in river after father refuses to buy Jaguar

    The son of a landlord in Haryana, India pushed his brand new BMW car into a river after his father rejected his request of buying a new Jaguar car.

    As per reports, the boy also made a video of himself pushing the high-end BMW car into the river and later posted the video on social media. The car got stuck in the middle of the river due to a patch of tall grass.

    Later, the youth was seen trying to get the car out of the river with the help of local divers. Local police have registered a case in the matter.

    It seems like the car is either a BMW 3-Series or a 5-Series meaning the cost of the drowned BMW is no less than 35 Lakh Indian Rupees which translates to more than 70 lakh Pakistani Rupees.

  • Hajj Facts

    Hajj Facts

    The annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj began Friday with more than two million Muslims performing the rituals under sweltering conditions. Saudi officials said that 2.26 million pilgrims had arrived in Mina by late Friday, of which 1.86 million were from abroad.

    Ariel view of the pilgrims

    The Hajj, one of the world’s largest annual religious gatherings, is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be undertaken by all Muslims with the means at least once in their lives.

    Tents at Mina

    The pilgrims on Saturday performed the Rukn-e-Azam of Hajj Waqoof-e-Arafat in Maidan-e- Arafat and listened to the Hajj sermon delivered from Masjid-e-Nimra. They will spend the day in prayer after which they will leave for Muzdalifah where they will offer Maghrib and Isha prayers together and spend the night under the open sky. From Muzdalifah, they will gather pebbles and perform the symbolic “stoning of the devil”. That marks the beginning of Eid al-Adha, the festival of sacrifice, marked on Sunday. Pilgrims then return to the Grand Mosque to perform a final “tawaf” or walk around the Kaaba.

    Meanwhile, the annual ceremony to change the Ghilaf-e-Kaaba (Kiswah) was also held on Saturday at the Grand Mosque of Makkah (Masjid-Al-Haram). The new Ghilaf has been prepared at a cost of seven million Saudi Riyal. Six hundred seventy kilogram pure silk, 120 kilogram gold and one hundred kilogram silver have been used in it.

    The covering cloth of the Kaaba, known as Kiswah, is changed on 9th Zilhaj every year on the day of Arafat. The Kiswah, a heavy silk cloth embroidered with verses of the Holy Quran in golden embroidery.

    To facilitate the Hajis, the Saudi government made extensive arrangements. Cooling mist sprays were deployed across the area as temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). Mobile clinics and ambulances were on standby along the route, while Saudi Red Crescent helicopters monitored the pilgrims’ progress from the sky. Tens of thousands of safety officers have been deployed to ensure a smooth pilgrimage for the worshippers.

  • Shehre Khamoshan founder seeks donations to run model graveyards

    Shehre Khamoshan founder seeks donations to run model graveyards

    International public policy and gender reforms specialist Salman Sufi has appealed to the masses to donate for the well-being of hundreds of Punjab Shehre Khamoshan Authority (PSKA) staffers, working unpaid for months.

    Lahore’s Shehre Khamoshan Model Graveyard, an initiative of chief minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU), contains all burial and funeral-related services required by families facing the loss of a loved one.

    These include hearse service, janazgah, ghusal and mortuary services, free of cost.

    While the project was considered a milestone achieved in facilitating the masses as it aimed to establish cemeteries and crematoriums to facilitate all citizens irrespective of any religious, socio-economic or caste-wise distinctions, it continues to face an uncertain future as its employees remain unpaid amid “lack of funds”.

    Continuing to highlight PKSA employees’ ordeal over the past few months, ex-SRU director general (DG) and founder of the project, Salman Sufi, has now appealed for donations for the staff.

    Tweeting his video message, Sufi wrote:

    In an earlier tweet, he had stated:

    “The government is not stepping in to solve the issue, therefore we are [now] collecting donations from people,” he tweeted.

  • Kashmir crisis: Russia steps up to support India

    Kashmir crisis: Russia steps up to support India

    Russia has come out in support of India’s move to revoke Article 370 of its constitution and integrate occupied Kashmir, which can lead to the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and transform the region into majority-Hindu.

    According to media reports, Moscow has become the first among the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to formally state that abrogation of the provision is “an internal matter for India”.

    “Moscow expects that Pakistan and India will not allow aggravation of the situation in the region due to the change by New Delhi in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted as saying.

    “We proceed from the fact that the changes associated with the change in the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir are within the framework of the Constitution of the Republic of India,” it said.

    The ministry further said that Russia was a consistent supporter of peace between the two neighbouring countries.

    “We hope that the differences between them will be resolved by political and diplomatic means on a bilateral basis in accordance with the provisions of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 and the Lahore Declaration of 1999.”

    Tensions are soaring between Pakistan and India after New Delhi on Monday revoked Article 370, which gave special status to held Kashmir and moved a separate bill to split the state into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

    Pakistan believes the move, other than snatching away occupied Kashmir’s autonomy, can pave way for a Muslim genocide as it allows people from all over India to settle in the disputed territory which could result in a massive demographic shift.

  • ‘One of us has polluted the air’: Fart forces speaker to suspend debate in Kenya assembly

    ‘One of us has polluted the air’: Fart forces speaker to suspend debate in Kenya assembly

    A heated debate about market stalls was disturbed by a foul smell caused by a member of a Kenyan assembly after which members started blaming each other.

    “Honourable Speaker, one of us has polluted the air and I know who it is,” Julius Gaya, a member reportedly told Homa Bay county assembly.

    The member he accused of farting denied the allegations saying that he “cannot do such a thing in front of my colleagues.”

    Hoping to make things better, the assembly’s Speaker instructed the members to step outside and take a break from the chamber. Reports also suggest that he asked officials to get the air freshener “to make it pleasant.“

    “Get whatever flavour you will find in any office, whether it’s vanilla or strawberry. We cannot continue sitting in an environment that smells bad,” the Speaker is reported to have remarked.

    The debate resumed after the smell lessened.