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  • Arrest warrants issued for Imran Khan in two more cases

    Arrest warrants issued for Imran Khan in two more cases

    An Accountability Court in Islamabad on Monday issued arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in cases pertaining to the Toshakhana and 190-million-pound Al-Qadir Trust. 

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an application to comply with the arrest warrants of Chairman PTI.

    Judge Mohammad Bashir conducted the hearing on the two cases where NABfiled an application seeking Khan’s arrest warrants.

    Judge Bashir approved the issuance of the warrants while directing the jail superintendent to take measures to ensure the warrants were complied with.

    Deputy Prosecutor General NAB Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi, Prosecutor Irfan Bhola, Investigation Officers Mohsin, Waqarul Hasan, Mian Umar Nadeem, and others appeared before the court.

    The court asked the prosecutor what the High Court did in these cases.

    To which the prosecutor replied that the matter was pending, mentioning that the court neither suspended the order nor issued a standing order.

    The warrants are expected to be complied with in jail today. Imran Khan will be provided with a copy of the warrant as well as briefed about the reasons for his arrest.

    Sources said that the NAB has decided to immediately arrest Khan after the issuance of his arrest warrants, as per Aaj News.

    The anti-graft body is likely to arrest the PTI chief today from Adiala jail where a team including investigation officers of the Bureau will arrive to ensure compliance with the warrants, they added.

    The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.

    He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.

    Bushra Bibi in trouble

    Earlier today, former First Lady Bushra Bibi was summoned by NAB in a £190 million case, and as per media reports her arrest could be on the cards.

    Bushra was summoned at 2 pm to the NAB office in G-6 in Islamabad. Farhat Shahzadi, alias Farah Gogi, a former close aide of Bushra, has also been summoned in the same case today.

    Moreover, NAB also provided Bushra Bibi with an 11-point questionnaire in the Al-Qadir Trust case. 

    During her appearance in the NAB office, Bushra Bibi was questioned about Farah Gogi.

    The questionnaire given to her also included queries about her relations with Farah Gogi, the reasons for creating Al-Qadir Trust, whether she took any courses in jurisprudence or pedagogy, whether she continued to receive benefits from Al-Qadir Trust as a teacher, whether she was satisfied with Farah Gogi’s financial affairs and if Malik Riaz himself showed interest in Al-Qadir Trust or she contacted him. 

  • Al-Shifa staff unable to bury 100 decomposing bodies: What we know about day 38

    There are presently around 650 patients, 500 healthcare workers, and an estimated 2,500 displaced people inside al-Shifa Hospital, reports Mohammed Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza.

    Al-Shifa staff unable to bury 100 decomposing bodies

    Wafa news agency has reported that according to Gaza’s Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila, the staff of Al-Shifa Hospital are not able to bury the remains of at least 100 people who were killed in recent days as Israel continued its attacks in Gaza.

    hospital workers also have to deal with increasing medical waste accumulation inside the hospital compound. Now, Al-Shifa Hospital is not allowing in new patients, “even as it continues to deal with thousands of refugees who are also taking shelter there”, reports Al Jazeera.

    It has also been revealed that Israeli snipers have been firing at anyone near the hospital.

    At least 32 al-Shifa patients dead

    Over the past three days, at least 32 hospital patients in al-Shifa Hospital have died, claims Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al Qidra.

    Among the dead are three premature babies whose incubators were shut off after fuel stocks finished. 

    After the hospital ran out of fuel on Saturday, operations were also suspended.

    Credits: Al Jazeera

  • Babar Azam returns home after World Cup disappointment

    Babar Azam returns home after World Cup disappointment

    After failing to qualify for the cricket World Cup semi-finals, Pakistan captain Babar Azam has returned to Lahore from Dubai via a private airline flight on Sunday. The team manager and other Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials accompanied him.

    On Babar’s arrival at Lahore Airport, fans raised ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans. The squad that left Kolkata for Dubai on Sunday morning included captain Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, and others.

    A second group of 22 members of the team have also left for Dubai from Kolkata, including Shaheen Afridi, Imamul Haq, Salman Agha, Muhammad Nawaz, coaching staff and other players.

    Pakistan failed to make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup after a disappointing string of defeats, losing five out of nine matches of the group stage.

  • ‘I’ll never call her back’: Nida Yasir addresses Rabia Anum walking off her show

    ‘I’ll never call her back’: Nida Yasir addresses Rabia Anum walking off her show

    Television host and actress Nida Yasir was a guest on Ahmed Ali Butt’s podcast where she opened up about the infamous incident on her show when Rabia Anum walked off her show.

    Anum was invited as a guest on Yasir’s show alongside controversial actor Mohsin Abbas Haider. Rabia won public praise when she announced during the show that she was walking off air to show solidarity with domestic abuse survivors.

    Addressing the incident on Ahmed’s podcast, Nida revealed that the exit was not planned, and she felt humiliated by Rabia’s actions

    “She (Rabia) said she found out in the morning who would be the guest alongside with her on the show. We have one makeup room where all our guests are present so she knew who was arriving. She could have consulted with me in private but she didn’t. She had spoken with my team but not with me because I was on set. She could have taken a stand behind the camera.”

    “As a host it is my job to be respectful to everyone…When there is a guest in front of me I can’t start accusing them of being wife beaters, chalo leave my show. Who am I to say such a thing like this? I am a host so I have to respect everyone.”

    Nida Yasir further elaborated that the incident left her feeling quite insulted, and after Rabia left the show she was never invited back.

    Rabia had addressed the comments in a post on Instagram stories, writing there were bigger issues on this planet to care about than media gossip.

  • Lahore court orders closure of schools on Saturday, work-from-home twice a week

    Lahore court orders closure of schools on Saturday, work-from-home twice a week

    Justice Shahid Kareem of the Lahore High Court on Monday ordered the caretaker provincial government to close all educational institutions on Saturdays across the province. The judge also ordered that work-from-home-policy be enforced two days a week for offices. 

    The ruling was passed during a hearing of a petition pertaining to the measures taken by the Punjab government to control air pollution. “Commissioner Lahore has failed completely in controlling smog. He talks big but nothing happens on the ground. Just a notification is issued to shut everything,” he reprimanded the authorities of Lahore. 

    “Videos of crop residual burning being shared are very disappointing,” Justice Karim said, ordering the instant removal of deputy commissionaires in Sheikhupura, Jhang, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Nankana and Bahawalnagar, citing the deteriorating situation of smog in these districts. He ordered the Chief Secretary to immediately issue a notification to transfer the aforementioned officers. 

  • What is the ‘Farah Gogi fiasco’?

    What is the ‘Farah Gogi fiasco’?

    The disclosed assets of Farhat Shahzadi, also known as Farah Gogi, alleged to be the front person of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, surged by an astonishing Rs4.52 billion between 2017 and 2020, a report by Express News has stated. 

    The revelations, made public on Thursday, suggest widespread corruption involving Shahzadi, a close associate of Imran Khan and his wife, former First Lady Bushra Bibi. 

    The details of Farah Gogi’s assets were made public by journalist Zahid Gishkori in 2022, who was associated with Samaa News at that time.

    Farah Gogi, who confessed to owning assets worth Rs950 million in 2020, saw a staggering 420% increase in her declared assets during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. 

    The report alleges that she also possesses undisclosed assets amounting to Rs3.82 billion.

    The disclosed assets, as per the report, include agricultural land in Bahawalpur and Gujranwala, residential and commercial properties in Islamabad and Lahore, and 200 kanals of agricultural land in Chakri. 

    Furthermore, investigations revealed her involvement in crimes such as money laundering, with accusations of working as a fake doctor in the UK alongside her husband.

    The report claims that Gogi took advantage of the tax amnesty scheme in 2018, regularizing Rs489 million in black money collected through bribes for various postings, transfers, and government contracts. 

    The report further alleges that Gogi received 240 kanals of land as a bribe from a property tycoon involved in an out-of-court settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency.

    According to the report, the number of Gogi’s bank accounts showed a significant abnormal increase from 2019 to 2021, with Rs426 million deposited in one account through 47 transactions from 2018 to 2022. 

    In total, 102 bank accounts linked to Gogi, her husband, and associates across the country were identified, with a sum of Rs14.5 billion.

    In response to these allegations, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Central Deputy General Secretary Ataullah Tarar held a press conference in Lahore, accusing Gogi and others of engaging in corruption. 

    He urged Gogi to return to Pakistan and testify about Imran Khan’s involvement.

    Imran Khan’s lawyer, Sher Afzal Marwat, dismissed the allegations as a new wave of propaganda against Bushra Bibi, Imran’s wife. 

    Marwat emphasized the need to avoid further political unrest in Pakistan.

    Secret foreign passport

    Recent developments indicate that Farah Gogi used a secret foreign passport to travel abroad for the alleged purpose of laundering wealth belonging to Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi as per Geo News.

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered a money-laundering and kickbacks case against Gogi in March, with her bank accounts reportedly holding over Rs14 billion.

    Meanwhile, Gogi sent a legal notice to the NAB chairman, FIA DG, Punjab IG, and Anti-Corruption Department (ACE) DG on the issue of leaking her property details.

    According to the fresh reports, Gogi used to travel abroad on the passport of Vanuatu, a string of more than 80 islands once known as the New Hebrides which is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

    The sources also claimed that the son of a property tycoon had been given the task of arranging a secret international passport for Gogi. The property tycoon’s son paid $130,000 to a renowned trader to obtain the passport.

    On March 28, 2022, the secret passport was handed over to Gogi, the sources added.

    In order to get her escape from accountability, Gogi was sent abroad on a Pakistani passport just six days before the Khan-led government was toppled. 

    In a bid to dodge the investigation agencies, she travelled abroad on a foreign passport, except Dubai.

  • Rare fungal infection Histoplasmosis claims one life in Islamabad 

    Rare fungal infection Histoplasmosis claims one life in Islamabad 

    Head of the Infection and Disease department Dr Nasim Akhtar in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has cautioned that the rare and potentially fatal fungal infection Histoplasmosis may spread in Islamabad. Two cases have been reported in the capital city, with one patient dying of the fungal disease. The other is recovering slowly.

    It was previously believed that the fungus did not exist in Pakistan but the diagnosis has been confirmed after a detailed examination of the two patients. The deceased young man was admitted to the hospital six months ago, while medical staff managed to save the other patient by giving him anti-fungal medication. Professor Nasim stated that histoplasmosis, a fungal infection, thrives in soil with high levels of bird or bat droppings.

    No other case has been reported across the country but the presence of the fungus itself is worrisome, Dr.Nasim has said. Citing the lack of confirmed diagnosis, many patients remain untested, he added, stressing the need for the facility of Urinary Histoplasma Antigen Test to be made available in PIMS, Pakistan. 

    Histoplasmosis is a fungus commonly found in the soil. Although it may not afflict most people, those with compromised immune systems may suffer from fever, fatigue, and a cough, leading to severe complications like that of lung infection. 

  • Pakistan cricket team bowling coach resigns as fallout of WC debacle continues

    Pakistan cricket team bowling coach resigns as fallout of WC debacle continues

    Pakistan’s cricket team’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has resigned on Monday, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed. The former Proteas bowler joined the Pakistan cricket team for a six-month contract in June this year, with his first assignment being the tour to Sri Lanka for a two-match test series.

    PCB will soon announce a replacement for Morkel. The next assignment will be the three-match test series against Australia starting from December 14, 2023 to January 7, 2024.

    The resignation has followed a dismal performance by the national team in the ongoing World Cup in India. Pakistan lost five out of a total of nine matches, failing to make it to the semi-finals. The bowling attack, missing spearhead Naseem Shah, has come under fire for its poor performance.

  • British Home Secretary dismissed over remarks about pro-Palestine March

    British Home Secretary dismissed over remarks about pro-Palestine March

    British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been asked to leave the job by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday morning. This is the second time Braverman has been removed from her post. She resigned from Liz Truss’s government after she broke the ministerial code. She got restored by Rishi Sunak a week later, as he took over the government. 

    Braverman ignited a public storm by criticising pro-Palestine marches as “hate marches”, triggering backlash for what critics are calling dog-whistles to Britain’s far-right for taking on the marches on Armistice Day. Last week, Ms. Baverman wrote a piece in a newspaper where she accused the police of “playing favorites”, criticising the Metropolitan Police’s handling of what she called a “pro-Pleastine mob”.

    Critics, from both opposition parties and fellow Tory MPs, called Ms. Braverman’s comments “offensive” and “inflammatory”.

    Her dismissal was met with an over joyous response on social media. 

    A user celebrated her dismissal with words like, “Long Live Palestine.”

    Another claimed it to be “good riddance Cruella”

    Someone appreciated the fact that “what a great way to start the week”.

    Former cabinet minister and member of the House of Lords, Saeeda Warsi posted “Hoping and praying this morning for the appointment of a sane set of Cabinet ministers – our country desperately needs some grown-ups back in charge.”

    A rather British response was centered around her demeaning the British police as her biggest mistake.

     

     Others see the decision as a big blow to Sunak’s PMship. 

  • Small business Amaltas Studio accuses Khaadi of plagiarism

    Small business Amaltas Studio accuses Khaadi of plagiarism

    A small business by the name of Amaltas Studio took to their Instagram account to accuse Pakistani fashion giant Khaadi of plagiarising their artwork. The page posted photos of the two mirrors side by side to point out the similarities, writing in the caption:

    “Appalled to share Khaadi Home’s shameless act of plagiarism our unique mirrors! We were informed by one of our clients that our whimsical mirrors, which we submitted for the Kreate Your Mark project, were imitated instead of appreciated. Shame on them for disregarding originality and betraying the spirit of supporting women entrepreneurs.”

    In the comments section, a user claimed the designs by Khaadi were inspired, rather than plagiarised, to which Amaltas Studio responded:

    “Hi, this is not inspired, this is blatantly plagiarism. These copied our product, technique and aesthetic.

    Please note that, we specialise in exclusively making these printed whimsical mirrors, whereas Khaadi is a giant corporation. Inviting small business to apply to their programs to support women entrepreneurs and stealing their ideas is not a good look. Thank you.”

    This is not the first time a fashion brand has been accused of plagiarism by a small business. Hussain Rehar was accused of copying designs of small business Kook Studio without giving them credit. Rehar responded in a lengthy statement, explaining the designs for his collection ‘Jugnu’ took inspiration from traditional African embroidery designs.

    “Jugnu, a project in the making for over a year, derives its inspirations from traditional African embroidery designs. While there may be similarities in using the same monochrome palette, these elements are commonly found in various art forms across cultures. In an effort to maintain transparency, we are sharing all relevant images and references.”

    READ MORE: ‘Did not draw inspiration from anyone’s work’: Hussain Rehar responds to plagiarism accusations

    We have reached out to Khaadi for a statement and will update the story with their response.