Tag: deaths

  • Sheheryar Munawar urges people to speak against ‘injustice’ in Palestine

    Sheheryar Munawar urges people to speak against ‘injustice’ in Palestine

    Sheheryar Munawar has urged his fans and followers to speak for the people of Palestine.

    Taking to Instagram stories, Munawar wrote: “I have never asked you anything for myself, but today I ask you not to stay quiet. To open your minds and hearts and speak for the people of Palestine. Speak against the injustice.”

    Read more – ‘Use your influence for the right thing’: Hania Aamir, Zara Noor urge people to call out violence in Palestine

    The actor urged his followers to educate themselves on the current situation in Palestine and further educate others.

    “Take some time to first educate yourselves, not only about what’s happening now in the region but what has been going on for the past 70 odd years,” he added.

    Munawar said: “And then if it feels right to you, educate those around you.”

    In another post, Sheheryar went on to say, “There are 14.7 million Jews in the world – and a total of around two billion Muslims in the world. How many narratives (films) each year do we consume on the holocaust? Now compare that to the number of films, documentaries, shows about the ethnic cleansing, genocide in Palestine? Or for that matter, what’s happening in Syria, Yemen (I could keep going but you get the point), exactly right?”

    “We need more narratives, we need media agencies to start talking, we need people to start talking,” he concluded.

    With the constant airstrikes pounded on Gaza, at least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed since the attacks began. About 1,500 Palestinians have been wounded.

  • ‘Fighting must stop immediately’: UN Secretary-General

    ‘Fighting must stop immediately’: UN Secretary-General

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday called on Israel and Palestine to “immediately end fighting” and return to negotiations.

    “The United Nations is actively engaging all sides towards an immediate ceasefire,” António Guterres added.

    All members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), who participated in an emergency meeting on the situation in Palestine on Sunday, urged Israel not to make demographic and territorial changes in the occupied territory and immediately cease its hostilities.

    Pakistan on Sunday urged the US to play its role in addressing the worsening Palestine crisis and restore peace in the region.

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday. They discussed bilateral relations and important regional developments, particularly the deteriorating situation in Palestine.

    The Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in their emergency meeting on Sunday condemned what they described as “barbaric” Israeli attacks on Palestinians and urged the UN Security Council to act swiftly to bring an end to the atrocities.

    The meeting was convened by Saudi Arabia. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi represented Pakistan at the virtual session. He stressed upon the member states that the OIC must not fail the people of Palestine at this critical juncture.

    Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have claimed the lives of 42 more people, taking the death toll to 188. According to Gaza health officials, 16 women and 10 children were killed in the recent air strikes which also targeted the home of a Hamas leader.

  • ‘Use your influence for the right thing’: Hania Aamir, Zara Noor urge people to call out violence in Palestine

    ‘Use your influence for the right thing’: Hania Aamir, Zara Noor urge people to call out violence in Palestine

    Hania Aamir has urged fellow celebrities and others to use their influence to speak up against the violence on Palestinians.

    Read more – Bella Hadid joins ‘Free Palestine March’ in New York

    In a video posted on social media, the actor got emotional and said that she is ashamed of herself for living a comfortable life whereas, people in Palestine are being bombed. She all those watching to talk about the issue openly so that the pleas of the Palestinians could be amplified and heard across the world.

    “Don’t stop talking! Be a better person,” wrote Aamir in the caption.

    Hania also regretted how she was posting Eid photos and videos on social media instead of talking about the ongoing situation of Palestine.

    The Ishqiya actor added that civil pressure is important for social change, saying: “So talk about it, just one hashtag or two hashtags won’t harm or consume your time.”

    Agreeing with Hania, Ayesha Omar commented: “Absolutely. Absolutely. I couldn’t agree more.”

    Meanwhile, Zara Noor Abbas also urged people to raise their voices for Palestinians saying that she is disappointed with those posting Eid pictures on social media.

    “For people talking about Palestine/Gaza now, what happened to this conversation when everyone was posting pictures of Eid outfit [of day] 1,2 and 3,” said the actor.

    She continued: “Let’s not make this topic convenience related. If you feel ashamed or broken for Gaza, then change your perspective on how you celebrate life of social media and put that particular light on the current chaos in Palestine.

    “Don’t showcase happiness if you feel helpless,” she added.

    Early on Monday, the Israeli military launched a fresh series of air raids on the Gaza Strip with explosions rocking the Gaza City from north to south in a bombardment that was heavier, wider and lasted longer than the air raids that killed at least 42 Palestinians and wounded dozens more on Sunday.

    As per reports, at least 192 people, including 58 children and 34 women, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since violence erupted a week ago.

  • Devastating stories from Gaza as Israeli air strikes claim 188 lives

    Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have claimed the lives of 42 more people, taking the death toll to 188. According to Gaza health officials, 16 women and 10 children were killed in the recent air strikes which also targeted the home of a Hamas leader.

    Stories being shared from the region are devastating. A ten-year-old girl, heartbroken and tired from the atrocities she is having to face, questions the world,” I am only ten. How can one expect me to fix the ongoing situation?”

    https://twitter.com/TanveerAbbasATI/status/1394118078477357057

    “When I see all this, I cry everyday. I ask my myself, Why do we deserve this ?” cried the girl.

    Palestinians are scared as Gaza continues to bleed and Israeli barbarism doesn’t seem to end.

    A little girl cries to her mother that she doesn’t want to die. ” I’m scared that my home will be demolished,” cries the girl to her mother.

    https://twitter.com/chul_da_watta/status/1394115292247252992

    A deaf child who survived the air-strike explains what he experienced.

    Israeli warplanes unleashed a new series of heavy airstrikes at several locations in Gaza early on Monday, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalled that the bombings would rage on.

    In a televised address on Sunday, Netanyahu said the Israeli air raids were continuing at “full-force” and would “take time”, adding that his country “wants to levy a heavy price” from Gaza’s Hamas rulers.

    While Palestinians mourn the loss of their loved ones, others called out Israel, standing with Palestine.

    US Representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, “If the Biden admin can’t stand up to an ally, who can it stand up to?”

    She further tweeted,” Apartheid states aren’t democracies.”

    People from across the world marched in solidarity with Palestinians.

    “There is no space in any of the hospital rooms,” Journalist Youmna Al Sayed reported, saying that Gaza’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapsing.

  • ‘I am PM of Pakistan and we stand with Palestine’ – PM Khan on Twitter

    ‘I am PM of Pakistan and we stand with Palestine’ – PM Khan on Twitter

    Bloodshed between Israel and Hamas escalated overnight, with at least 35 Palestine Muslims killed in Gaza and five people killed in Israel in the most intensive aerial exchanges for years.

    https://twitter.com/aqadir97/status/1392337789480431619

    Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Gaza into the early hours of Wednesday, and Gazans fired multiple rocket barrages at Tel Aviv and Beersheba in response.

    One multi-story residential building in Gaza collapsed and another was heavily damaged after they were repeatedly hit by Israeli air strikes.

    Prime Minister Khan tweeted in solidarity with Palestine, saying “I am PM Khan and we stand with Palestine”.

    As tensions rise between Palestinians and Israelis, the international media, social media noticed that the coverage of the international press was incredibly one-sided.

    Financial times wrote: “Hamas rocket attacks provoke Israeli retaliation in Gaza.”

    The Economist’s headline for the brutality of Israel on the Palestinians was : “Israel exchanges fire with Hamas as tensions in Jerusalem boil over.”

    BBC reported saying, “Pleas for calm as Israel-Gaza violence erupts”.

    The New York Times read: “After raid on Aqsa Mosque, Rockets From Gaza and Israeli Airstrikes”.

    As tensions rose between Palestinians and Israelis, people voiced their concerns and sympathies on social media.

    U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland tweeted: “Stop the fire immediately. We’re escalating towards a full scale war. Leaders on all sides have to take the responsibility of de-escalation.

    “The cost of war in Gaza is devastating & is being paid by ordinary people. UN is working w/ all sides to restore calm. Stop the violence now,” he said.

    The world reminded the people of Palestine that they are not alone is such devastating times.

    Human Rights Minister in PM Khan cabinet, Shireen Mazari said, “Palestinians prevented from praying in Al Quds mosque & killing of innocent Palestinians in Gaza incl children – & all UN can do is express ‘concern’.”

    ” OIC also needs to move beyond rhetoric on Palestine & Kashmir,” she added.

    However, this has been the heaviest offensive between Israel and Hamas since a 2014 war in Gaza, and prompted international concern that the situation could spiral out of control.

  • Feroze Khan wants you to remember Kashmir while praying for India

    Feroze Khan wants you to remember Kashmir while praying for India

    As India battles a deadly second wave of COVID-19, Feroze Khan wants you to remember and pray for Kashmir, which has been out of oxygen “since God knows when”.

    “I am sure it’s a tough time in India and I pray for humanity everywhere. But just imagine what Kashmir has been going through and why?” wrote Khan on social media.

    When a user remarked that “this is a very wrong time to tweet this [and] most of the people suffering are innocent”, Feroze said: “What? Kashmir is out of oxygen since God knows when. They just are not nuclear power so we don’t talk much about it.”

    “They’ve been caged and killed dirty. Again I am praying for humanity in India and in Kashmir,” he added.

    When another social media user called out the actor for being “cold-hearted”, Khan said: “I have prayed for humanity there and everywhere but I would still don’t want to be quiet for a few likes and views.”

    “The drama could fail too and I would still not want innocent to be killed, suppressed and caged. Praying for everyone everywhere,” he continued.

    Responding to yet another user, Feroze said that he loves his fans “but if I bring them no real image what’s the point of this media handle?”

    Later, Feroze Khan also shared some statistics regarding the healthcare situation in Kashmir, asserting that he stands with Kashmir but is praying for everyone everywhere.

    Meanwhile, India’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapse with doctors predicting that the worse is yet to come.

    “The situation is critical right now. This pandemic is the worst we have ever seen until now. The next two weeks are going to be hell for us,” Dr Shaarang Sachdev from the Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital told Sky News.

    In some of the worst-hit cities, including the capital Delhi, bodies were being burnt in makeshift facilities offering mass services.

    Twitter in Pakistan has been trending with hashtags showing solidarity with India. Prime Minister Imran Khan and other cabinet members also extended their prayers for India while Faisal Edhi wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.

  • In a first, Kangana thanks Pakistan for extending prayers

    Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut has made headlines every now and then. Apart from her argument on nepotism, the actress has also been very vocal about her dislike of Pakistan. However, as Twitter in Pakistan trends with hashtags showing solidarity to India, Kangana’s heart, too, turned soft. But she was still misinformed about one detail.

    Taking to Twitter, Kangana wrote: “Heartwarming to see top trend from Pakistan #PakistanstandswithIndia. Narendra Modi provided the country with the vaccine. Nice to see them appreciate his kindness and reciprocate with love. We too acknowledge their empathy in these testing times.” But the actress was misinformed about the vaccine available in Pakistan.

    Pakistan is currently administering Sinopharm and Sputnik, which have been sent from China and Russia, respectively. Some users also clarified that the vaccines in Pakistan were not supplied to them by India.

    https://twitter.com/Little_knightss/status/1385846303574269953?s=19
    https://twitter.com/talkingcurves/status/1385834239837540352?s=19

    As of Saturday, the coronavirus death toll in India stood at 1,66,10,481 with 2,624 fatalities reported in 24 hours, out of which Maharashtra saw the maximum casualties (773) followed by Delhi with 348 daily deaths, reported the Hindustan Times.

    People across the country are scrambling for life-saving oxygen supplies, while patients lay dying outside hospitals. There is a shortage of life-saving medicines and hospital beds too.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan has also expressed solidarity for the people of India in the current wave of COVID-19.

  • Third COVID-19 wave: 135 deaths in a day set new record for Pakistan in 2021

    Third COVID-19 wave: 135 deaths in a day set new record for Pakistan in 2021

    Pakistan reported its highest number of coronavirus-related deaths so far this year on Wednesday, amid third wave of the pandemic that is putting the country’s health service under extreme strain.

    The government portal keeping track of the outbreak in the country registered 135 deaths in the last 24 hours — up from 118 a day earlier and the highest number of fatalities since June 20 — taking the total number of deaths on the measure to 15,754.

    According to the Ministry of National Health Services (MoNHS) data, 48,092 tests were conducted on Tuesday after which 4,681 people tested positive for the contagion disease. The total number of cases in the country is 734,423.

    Punjab recorded the most deaths during the last 24 hours at 79 followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) with 49.

    Sindh has been the worst-hit with 269,840 cases followed by Punjab where 255,571 people have been tested positive, the statement said.

    Moreover, over 80% ventilators are occupied across the country with around 700 out of total 5,000+ patients in critical care.

    Meanwhile, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has issued revised guidelines for the second COVID-19-hit Ramzan to tackle the spread of the virus.

  • Record 111 deaths in a day as ‘Britain-like new COVID-19 strain discovered in Karachi’

    Record 111 deaths in a day as ‘Britain-like new COVID-19 strain discovered in Karachi’

    Pakistan on Tuesday recorded the highest single-day deaths ever during the second wave of coronavirus, reporting 111 fatalities amid reports that a new strain of coronavirus, similar to the one wreaking havoc in the United Kingdom, has also surfaced in Karachi.

    Geo reported Coronavirus Task Force head Dr Attaur Rehman as saying that the authorities have discovered a new strain of coronavirus in the port city that is similar to the one spreading in Europe.

    With the latest surge, the death toll in the country has reached 9,668. As per the breakdown, Punjab reported 51 deaths; Sindh 40 deaths; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 14 deaths; Islamabad four deaths; while Balochistan reported only two deaths.

    This is the second time that the country has reported over 100 deaths during the second wave of the deadly infection. On Dec 15, it had reported 105 deaths. The highest number of deaths due to the coronavirus took place in June when 141 people lost their lives to the deadly contagion.

    While, recoveries on the other hand have risen to 417,134 after 1,782 more people recovered, according to the government’s COVID-19 portal. The portal also showed that 2,361 virus patients are in critical condition.

    Health experts see the ever-increasing coronavirus cases as a result of the poor compliance of the COVID-19 protocols. It is also feared that the health system might crash soon if the tally continues to surge at the current pace.

  • Fact Check: Dozens of people have died in NAB custody

    Fact Check: Dozens of people have died in NAB custody

    Claim: Several people have died under NAB custody

    Fact: At least 12 people who died in NAB custody have been reported on by mainstream media

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar has not only claimed that dozens of people died in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) but also told HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur to “Google it”.

    Speaking to BBC, he brought the journalist’s attention to the human rights condition in Pakistan. “What’s happening in Pakistan… dozens of people have died in NAB custody.”

    When Sackur asked him if he was claiming that people had died during detention by NAB, Dar reiterated his claim and told the presenter to head to Google to verify it.

    https://twitter.com/WaraichHaider/status/1333666178250788864

    But is there any truth to the claims made by the ex-finance minister?

    Amid conflicting reports, NAB maintains that not even a single person has died in its custody, at least not because of torture and in recent times.

    One of the most recent cases remains that of the former chief executive officer (CEO) of the University of Sargodha’s Lahore campus, Mian Javed Ahmed, who was in Camp Jail in connection with a NAB inquiry.

    He died in prison reportedly of cardiac arrest in late 2018. With pictures of his dead body still in handcuffs sending shockwaves across the nation, NAB said the teacher was not in the bureau’s but in judicial custody.

    Earlier in 2004, the then NAB chairperson had ordered an inquiry into the death of a former divisional engineer of PTCL, Agha Mohammad Sajjad, who died in NAB custody.

    A NAB spokesperson had said the former PTCL official who was taken into custody on the charges of corruption from Lahore was brought to NAB police station, where he suffered a heart attack. The official died on the way to hospital, he had said and rejected allegations that the death was caused by torture.

    Former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator Sehar Kamran, however, says that “NAB custody is worse than the United States’ (US) infamous military jail, the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp”.

    The scattered data of alleged rights violations by NAB was compiled by Kamran in a brief she reportedly sent to Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari among other authorities concerned earlier this year.

    According to the brief, 11 NAB suspects, minus Mian Javed, have lost their lives while in custody or “as a direct result of the harassment by the agency”.

    Aslam Masood

    Aslam Masood, the chief financial officer (CFO) of Omni Group, was arrested through Interpol when he was boarding a flight from London to Jeddah in October 2018. He was subsequently extradited to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia in February 2019. He died of a cardiac arrest on August 17, 2020 while in NAB custody.

    Engineer Aijaz Memon

    Aijaz Memon, an executive engineer serving in Sindh government’s Works and Services Department, was accused of misappropriation of Rs90 million development funds for Jacobabad. He was kept in the Sukkur Central Prison, where he suffered a heart stroke, and passed away during treatment at the local Civil hospital on May 31, 2020, less than three months after being placed in NAB custody.

    Advocate Zafar Iqbal Mughal

    Advocate Zafar Iqbal Mughal was a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and district bar member from Layyah. He was detained by NAB authorities on October 11, 2019, in a bogus housing scheme case (a non-registered housing colony on 254 acres in Layyah). He remained in NAB custody for 86 days and after severe deterioration of health, he was transferred to the hospital only four days before death. He died in NAB custody on January 6, 2020, a few days before his hearing scheduled for January 17, 2020.

    Raja Asim

    Raja Asim was arrested in the stock exchange corruption case on March 26, 2014. After five years in custody without sentencing, his case remained inconclusive, while other accused individuals in the same cases were not pursued. Due to delayed provision of healthcare/medication for
    pneumonia, Raja Asim passed away in NAB custody at the age of 42. His death was declared after a delay of five days.

    Brigadier (r) Asad Munir

    Former Military Intelligence officer and prominent defense analyst Brig (r) Asad Munir committed suicide after the emergence of media reports that NAB had decided to file a reference of abuse of office against him. His body was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his apartment in Diplomatic Enclave on March 16, 2019.

    He left a suicide note, addressed to the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), seeking action against NAB’s conduct against those who have not even been convicted.

    Muhammad Nasir Sheikh

    Muhammad Nasir Shaikh, additional director (land) of KDA was arrested by NAB on November 27, 2015, for alleged China-cutting and land grabbing. With his death in April 2019, he became the second KDA official held without prosecution and to pass away in custody.

    Professor Dr Tahir Amin

    Professor Dr. Tahir Amin, a renowned educationist, international relations expert and the vice chancellor of Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan was accused of nepotism and financial malpractice. NAB chief initiated a probe against him on the complaint of a former colleague. Under tremendous stress, he also made an abortive attempt to commit suicide and later died of a heart attack on April 5, 2019.

    Qaisar Abbas

    Qaisar Abbas was arrested in Nandipur Power Project Case on August 30, 2018, he was shifted to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) after complaining of chest pain. He passed away on October 1, 2019.

    Chaudhry Arshad

    Chaudhry Arshad, chairperson of Members Welfare Committee of Ministry of Commerce Employees Cooperative Housing Society (MOCECHS), was arrested by the anti-graft watchdog over charges of corruption allegedly leveled by corrupt officials with nexus of land mafia.

    According to reports, Chaudhry Arshad was under severe pressure to sign documents in a bid to occupy the housing society when he suffered a heart attack and passed away on August 7, 2018.

    Muhammad Saleem

    Muhammad Saleem, deputy director (revenue) of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) was apprehended by NAB in September 2017 in connection with LDA commercialisation fee corruption case on the basis of an anonymous complaint.

    Despite suffering from liver disease, he was sent to Camp Jail on judicial remand by an accountability court. When his health deteriorated, he was shifted to Services Hospital where he died in NAB custody on December 24, 2018.

    Abdul Qavi Khan

    Abdul Qavi Khan, another KDA officer was arrested on November 27, 2015, he was accused of illegal construction and sale/purchase of plots in a housing scheme named “University Hill Villas”. He died under mysterious circumstances at Central Jail Karachi.

    “NAB’s little respect for human rights is widely known. The extent to which human rights are violated by NAB can only be established by documentation, a process in which this institution is obviously not interested. Surprisingly, NAB victims too have not attempted a record-based assessment of this important institution’s performance. In this situation a fact sheet prepared by former senator Sehar Kamran can only be welcomed. The first shocking fact presented in this report is that NAB is allegedly responsible for causing 12 deaths,” writes human rights champion IA Rehman.

    VERDICT: TRUE