Blog

  • Lahore High Court grants bail to Parvez Elahi

    Lahore High Court grants bail to Parvez Elahi

    Former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi received significant relief on Tuesday when Lahore High Court (LHC) approved his bail application in a case involving illegal appointments in Punjab Assembly.
    Justice Sultan Tanveer Ahmad of the LHC announced the decision on the reserved verdict.

    During the hearing, Parvez Elahi’s counsel argued that the former Punjab chief minister did not receive any money from candidates in exchange for hiring them. He alleged that the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) framed Parvez Elahi with fabricated evidence.

    In contrast, the ACE lawyer maintained that the case against Elahi is lawful, and he was arrested on October 25, 2023.
    According to an ACE spokesperson, Elahi made 12 illegal recruitments in the Punjab Assembly for grade 17 positions.
    The candidates were hired in the Punjab Assembly by illegally altering records.

  • Civilians’ military trials are ‘no-no’ under international law, says Amnesty International

    Civilians’ military trials are ‘no-no’ under international law, says Amnesty International

    Amnesty International’s Secretary General Dr Agnès Callamard said on Tuesday that according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, military courts can not conduct trials of civilians.

    In an exclusive interview with Dawn, Dr Agnès Callamard, who is on an official visit to South Asia, said that conducting civilian’s trials in military courts is a “no-no” under international law; “sadly it has happened throughout Pakistan’s political history… [and] is not a novelty”.

    Dr. Callamard said that Pakistan must maintain its international obligations and follow the country’s constitution for fair trials. She stressed the importance of transparency, due process, and urged Pakistan to protect civilians’ rights. 

    “The use of military courts is threatening the constitutionality of what’s happening right now,” she said.

    Talking about the ban on X (formerly Twitter) in Pakistan, she said yhat Amnesty is quite concerned by constricting space for freedom of speech in Pakistan.

  • Maira Khan is having the most laid back London vacation

    Maira Khan is having the most laid back London vacation

    Actress and model Maira Khan is currently in London enjoying a hard-earned vacation.
    Maira Khan enjoys travelling and she has visited many countries. In pictures that she posted on Instagram , she can be seen wearing a white casual yet chic outfit as she goes sightseeing in the British capital.

    Here are the pictures of Maira Khan from her London trip:

  • College timings changed in Punjab as heatwave lingers on

    College timings changed in Punjab as heatwave lingers on

    Working hours of colleges in Punjab have been changed as the prevalent heatwave intensifies across the province.

    Department of Higher Education Punjab has announced that from May 21 to 31, colleges will be open from 7:30 am to 11:30 am and on Fridays from 7:30 am to 11:00 pm, while the second shift of colleges will be from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

    Provincial Disaster Management Authority Punjab has issued a heatwave alert from May 21 to 27 and the district administration has been directed to create awareness through a helpline, announcements in mosques, and media.

    The Health Department is directed to set up special counters in hospitals, ensure the availability of medicines, and cancel the leave of doctors and paramedical staff.

  • India shuts schools as temperatures soar

    India shuts schools as temperatures soar

    Indian authorities in the capital have ordered schools shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures hit 47.4 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) with Delhi gripped by a “severe heatwave”.

    Delhi city officials asked schools to shut with “immediate effect” due to the blistering heat, according to a government order quoted by the Hindustan Times Tuesday, cutting short the term by a few days.

    India’s weather bureau has warned of “severe heatwave conditions” this week, with the mercury reaching the sizzling peak of 47.4 degrees Celsius in Delhi’s Najafgarh suburb on Monday, the hottest temperature countrywide.

    Authorities in other states — including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan — have also ordered schools close, Indian Today reported.

    India is no stranger to searing summer temperatures.

    But years of scientific research have found climate change is causing heatwaves to become longer, more frequent and more intense.

    The Indian Meteorological Department warned of the impact of the heat on the health especially for infants, the elderly and those with chronic diseases.

    In May 2022, parts of Delhi hit 49.2 degrees Celsius (120.5 Fahrenheit), Indian media reported at the time.

    The next round of voting in India’s six-week-long election takes place on Saturday, including in Delhi.

    Turnout in voting has dipped, with analysts suggesting the hotter-than-average weather is a factor — as well as the widespread expectation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will easily win a third term.

    India’s election commission has formed a task force to review the impact of heatwaves and humidity before each round of voting.

    At the same time, India’s southern states including Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been lashed by heavy rains over the past few days.

    Severe storms also hit parts of the country last week, including in the financial capital Mumbai, where strong winds flattened a giant billboard that killed 16 people and left dozens more trapped.

    ash/pjm/sn

    © Agence France-Presse

  • Cricket Australia to start ticket sales for Pakistani fan zone

    Cricket Australia to start ticket sales for Pakistani fan zone

    Cricket Australia will start the sale of fan zone tickets for this year’s Pakistan-Australia white ball cricket matches and India-Australia Border Gavaskar Trophy from June 4.

    The Pakistan and Indian fan zone tickets will cost between $30 and $70.

    According to Cricket Australia, there will be a discount in the first part of the ticket sale from June 4 to 14. Cricket fans have to register to get discount tickets, while in the second part, they can book their tickets without registration.

    Pakistan will tour Australia for six white ball matches and India will play the Border Gavaskar Trophy this year.

  • Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani says either rule of law or rule of agencies can take place

    Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani says either rule of law or rule of agencies can take place

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) senior judge Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Monday strongly criticised intelligence agencies due to their alleged role in forced abductions.

    “The country will either be run as per the law or the whims of agencies,” Justice Kayani said.

    The Court held a hearing regarding the recovery of Kashmiri poet Ahmed Farhad Shah, abducted from his home last week. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had called on authorities for his immediate release.

    A petition was filed by Shah’s wife in the IHC last Wednesday, requesting that he be found and produced before the court and to identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible for his disappearance.

    In a notable development, the petitioner filed a separate plea on Saturday to withdraw the main petition after officials from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) contacted Shah’s wife and assured her that the poet would be released on Saturday night.

    Petitioner’s legal representation include Advocates Imaan Zainab Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha. Mazari said that she received a Whatsapp call from Shah’s number on May 17 asking them to withdraw their petition but since he did not return back, “So we are not withdrawing the application.”

    “I want the man (Shah) from the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). You should inform the DG (director general) ISI [Nadeem Anjum] that the man should be produced at any cost. Remove the label from yourself that you abduct [people],” said the judge to SSP Zafar.

    Justice Kayani went on to say “The sector commander [ISI] is not living on the moon, what is his status?”

    Judge asked the defence ministry official whether any of his relatives were ever abducted to which he said no, to which the judge said: “That’s why you don’t understand. Ask the feelings of those whose [relatives] are abducted.”

    When AAG Duggal requested an extension of the hearing because “the ISI has said they do not have him,” the judge replied, “They send messages on one hand and now they are saying we don’t have him.”

  • Train fares reduced by more than 50 per cent

    Train fares reduced by more than 50 per cent

    Railway authorities have reportedly reduced train fares from one kilometer to 200 kilometers following the decrease in price of diesel.

    According to the notification, the fares of all classes of trains have been reduced.

    Prices for economy class of some trains have been reduced by up to 54 per cent; whereas the AC class fares have been reduced by 40 per cent.

    The minimum fare of the train railcar economy class running between Lahore to Rawalpindi route was 250 rupees, which has now been reduced to 100 rupees.

    Similarly, the fare of Khyber Mail Train economy class from 1 km to 130 km was also Rs 250 which has been reduced to Rs 100.

    The decision has been taken to facilitate passengers traveling in trains on short duration routes.

    The new lease came into effect today, May 21.

  • Who is Nawal Saeed saying goodbye to?

    Who is Nawal Saeed saying goodbye to?

    Actor Nawal Saeed has bid farewell to an important ‘person’ in her life.

    The actress said adieu to her beloved character Gulzaib after the second-last episode of the popular serial ‘Jaan-e-Jahan’ aired on Saturday.
    Sharing her emotions on Instagram on Sunday evening, Nawal expressed gratitude for the love from fans. She posted a series of behind-the-scenes photos with her co-star Haris Waheed, captioning them with ‘Goodbye’ and thanking everyone involved in the project.

    Fans flooded her post with likes and praising comments for her performance on screen.
    In the drama, Nawal Saeed played Gulzaib, a factory worker and wife of Tabraiz Shah (played by Haris Waheed). In the latest episode, her character, Gulzaib, takes a drastic step to avenge her ex-husband’s murder.

    Besides Nawal Saeed, the serial also stars Srha Asghar, Emmad Irfani, Zainab Qayyum, Savera Nadeem, Nausheen Shah, Saqib Sumeer, and Noor-ul-Hassan, among others.

    The much-awaited finale of “Jaan-e-Jahan” will be aired on Friday.

  • ‘I was told it is haraam’: Salma Hassan on working with ex-husband

    ‘I was told it is haraam’: Salma Hassan on working with ex-husband

    Actress Salma Hassan recently appeared in ‘Hasna Mana Hai’ which is hosted by Tabish Hashmi.

    The host asked her at one point, “In our society, divorce is a taboo. Naturally, when people get divorced, they don’t see each other, visit each other, or talk to each other. But you and Afzar continued to work together even after the divorce. Doesn’t it feel awkward?”

    She replied, “I was told this is haraam and how can you work with your ex-husband. I’m an actress, so I’d work with anyone. And for our daughter’s sake, I want to put our differences aside and have a good relationship with her father.”

    There you go, that’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.