Tag: Iraq

  • Government to block passports of over 2,000 ‘beggars’

    Government to block passports of over 2,000 ‘beggars’

    The federal government has decided to block the passports of more than 2,000 Pakistani beggars operating in foreign countries.

    The Director General (DG) of Immigration and Passports has requested details from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding these beggars. The Ministry will obtain lists of these beggars from its missions worldwide.

    Passports of Pakistanis engaged in begging in foreign countries will be blocked for seven years.

    The government has also decided to block the passports of agents who facilitate the movement of beggars abroad.

    Most beggars travel to Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq for Umrah and pilgrimage purposes.

    Data on individuals travelling abroad for begging purposes has been compiled.

    The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are developing a coordinated policy.

  • Iraqi female TikTok star shot dead: officials

    Iraqi female TikTok star shot dead: officials

    A gunman on a motorbike shot dead a well-known Iraqi social media influencer known as Om Fahad outside her Baghad home on Friday, Iraqi security officials told AFP.

    An unidentified attacker shot Om Fahad in her car in the Zayouna district, a security official said, requesting anonymity because he was not cleared to speak to the media.

    Another security source said the attacker appeared to have pretended to be making a food delivery.

    Om Fahad had become known for light-hearted TikTok videos of herself dancing to Iraqi music wearing tight-fitting clothes.

    In February 2023, a court sentenced her to six months in jail for sharing “videos containing indecent speech that undermines modesty and public morality”.

    The Iraqi government launched a campaign last year to clean up social media content that it said breached Iraqi “morals and traditions”.

    An interior ministry committee was established to scour TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms for clips it deemed offensive.

    Several influencers have since been arrested, according to authorities.

    Despite years of war and sectarian conflict after the 2003 US invasion to overthrew Saddam Hussein, Iraq has returned to a semblance of normality.

    But civil liberties — for women, sexual minorities and other groups — remain constrained in the conservative society.

    In 2018, model and influencer Tara Fares was shot dead by gunmen in Baghdad.

  • ‘If you harm an American, we will respond,’ says Biden after launching airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

    ‘If you harm an American, we will respond,’ says Biden after launching airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

    The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has cautioned, “If you harm an American, we will respond,” as US forces attacked more than 80 targets in Iraq and Syria in a wide-ranging air assault on sites belonging to Iran-linked fighter groups and Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard.

    The US president said the strikes had been launched in retaliation for the drone strike that killed three US troops in Jordan earlier in the week, adding: “Our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing,” reports The Guardian.

    The US military’s Central Command said it had struck with more than 125 bombs in an attack that took place around midnight local time in what was described as the first of multiple attacks against the groups.

    “US military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from the United States,” Centcom said in a statement. The raids were aimed at facilities believed to be controlled by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.

    John Kirby, the White House national security spokesman, said the strikes lasted about 30 minutes. “These responses began tonight. They’re not going to end tonight. So there will be additional responses. There will be additional action that we will take, all designed to put an end to these attacks and to take away capability by the IRGC.”

    The 85 targets were grouped in seven different locations: four in Syria and three in Iraq, according to US officials. Lt Gen Douglas Sims, director for operations on the joint staff, said the timing of the strikes was determined by the weather.

    “The initial indications are that we hit exactly what we meant to hit with a number of secondary explosions associated with the ammunition and logistics locations,” Sims said, although this could not be verified.

    On Thursday, the US said it blamed Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran-linked militias, for the deadly drone attack last weekend on the remote Tower 22 logistics base in Jordan, near the border with Syria and Iraq. Three US army reservists were killed after living quarters were struck at night and more than 80 wounded.

  • Pakistani passport once again least powerful

    Pakistani passport once again least powerful

    Henley & Partners‘ Passport Index has published a list portraying the world’s travel access hierarchy.

    Top on the list of countries that encourage travelling are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, whose citizens can visit an astounding 194 destinations without requiring arduous visa procedures. This group of countries offer passport-to-plane experience, setting the bar high for unmatched worldwide mobility.

    With access to 193 locations, Finland, South Korea, and Sweden share second place. Many visa-free or visa-on-arrival options are available to their well-travelled inhabitants, providing access to a variety of cultures and environments.

    Austria, Denmark, Ireland, and the Netherlands take third place with access to 192 destinations. These nations serve as entry points to a wide range of travel opportunities.

    The long list goes on, honouring countries that place a high priority on global connection. Among the notable entries are the United States, Canada, Greece, Switzerland, and New Zealand, all of which provide their inhabitants with an abundance of travel options.

    On the other hand, the Passport Index identifies states with more limited travel options. Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan are among the least accessible, offering their passport holders entry to just 34 countries that require no visa or one upon arrival.

    The London-based company, which offers residency and citizenship consultancy services, teamed together with the International Air Transport Association to create a unique ranking that takes into account passport holders’ access to countries without a visa or with one upon arrival.

  • Four Pakistani beggars went to Saudi Arabia under guise of Umrah

    Four Pakistani beggars went to Saudi Arabia under guise of Umrah

    The Anti-Human Trafficking Circle Lahore of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested four suspects who went to Saudi Arabia to beg under the guise of Umrah.

    Among the four suspects were two women and two men.

    According to the spokesperson of FIA, the accused were offloaded by FIA Immigration at Lahore Airport. They had reportedly gone to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq several times to beg, and were to be received by Pakistani agents on arrival in Saudi Arabia.

    Half of the money earned through begging was to be given to the agent.

    So far, a case against the accused and the agents has been registered while investigations are underway.

  • Protests, counter-protests escalate over Quran burning in Sweden and Iraq

    Protests, counter-protests escalate over Quran burning in Sweden and Iraq

    A group of protesters in Iraq set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad after hearing about a planned burning of the Holy Quran in Stockholmon on Thursday.

    The Swedish authorities have approved a demonstration outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where organisers plan to burn a copy of the Holy Quran and an Iraqi flag.

    Last week, an Iraqi Christian immigrant burned the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid ul-Azha.

    The incident has caused widespread condemnation in the Islamic world.

    This, along with other recent protests by a far-right activist, has sparked a debate in Sweden about the limits of freedom of speech. Swedish police have now received new requests for demonstrations by individuals who want to burn the Quran, Torah, and Bible. The Islamic world has urged Sweden to enact bans and introduce blasphemy laws.

  • Bush mistakenly described the invasion of Iraq by ‘one man’ as ‘brutal and unjustified’

    Bush mistakenly described the invasion of Iraq by ‘one man’ as ‘brutal and unjustified’

    Former United States (US) President George W. Bush mistakenly described the invasion of Iraq by “one man” as “brutal” and “unjustified” before correcting himself to say he meant to refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq,” Bush said, before correcting himself and shaking his head. “I mean, of Ukraine.”

    He jokingly blamed the mistake on his age as the audience burst into laughter.

    In 2003, when Bush was president, the United States led an invasion of Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that were never found. The prolonged conflict killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced many more.

    Bush’s remarks quickly went viral on social media, gathering over three million views on Twitter alone after the clip was tweeted by a Dallas News reporter.

  • Man divorces bride for dancing to ‘provocative’ song at their wedding

    Man divorces bride for dancing to ‘provocative’ song at their wedding

    An Iraqi man divorced his bride during their wedding ceremony for playing a ‘provocative’ Syrian song (Mesaytara – which translates to ‘I am dominant’ or ‘I will control you’), reports Gulf News.

    It was reported that the bride was dancing to the rhythm of ‘Mesaytara’, which the groom and his family considered a provocation. Later, the groom entered into an argument with his bride and divorced her in the wedding hall.

    This is not the first time this song has caused newlyweds to get divorced. Last year, a Jordanian man broke up with his bride during their wedding celebrations after she played this song.

    The first part of the song goes:

    I am dominant; you will be ruled under my strict instructions;

    ‘I will drive you crazy if you looked at other girls on the street;

    ‘Yes, I’m dominant;

    ‘You’re my piece of sugar;

    ‘As long as you’re with me, you’ll walk under my command.”

  • Alleged healer Mala Ali Kurdistani in Pakistan, greeted by PPP’s Yusuf Raza Gilani

    A video was posted from the media cell of former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, in which he be seen meeting alleged healer Mala Ali Kurdistani, who is termed as a faith healer in the caption of the post.

    Several videos has also emerged of Mala Ali Kurdistani holding public gatherings in the capital.

    However, the credibility of the alleged healer is being seriously questioned. Journalist Zarrar Khuhro shared the link of an article on his Twitter handle, in which several complaints about Kurdistani beating up customers “to heal them” were received in Istanbul. In February 2020, he was arrested in Saudi Arabia and was released later.

  • NCOC asks for cooperation as pilgrims return from Iraq, refuse to quarantine

    NCOC asks for cooperation as pilgrims return from Iraq, refuse to quarantine

    The National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has advised the pilgrims coming back from Iraq to undergo mandatory quarantine for their own safety.

    The statement has come after pilgrims refused to follow the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) upon their arrival.

    Deputy Secretary-General of Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Allama Nasir Abbas, previously warned that if the quarantine restriction of those returning to Pakistan from Karbala was not lifted, then the party would go and welcome them at the airports.

    At the airport, pilgrims caused panic that other passengers had to face as well. As a result, the administration was forced to call the police to maintain the law and order situation.

    The NCOC mentioned that Iraq was placed in Category C as the spread of coronavirus was rapid there.

    “On the occasion of Arbaeen, people from across the world gather in [Karbala], therefore, the pilgrims coming back from there are a high-risk group,” NCOC stated.