Tag: Karachi

  • Will summon Faiz Hameed in Parliament, says Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that he will demand in the parliament that former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director-General (DG) Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed should be summoned to the floor.

    Speaking on Mohammad Malick’s show “Breaking News” on 92 News, he alleged that Hameed brought Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) back to the country. Referencing to Hameed’s visit to Kabul in 2022 asked why Hameed gave out assurances that everything would be okay.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the former spy chief went to Kabul following the withdrawal of United States (US) troops from Afghanistan.

    He was expected to discuss border management and the overall security issue — to ensure that spoilers and terrorist organisations do not take advantage of the situation — with the Taliban.

    Further lashing out at Hameed, the federal minister said that hundreds of thousands of Afghanis are still in Pakistan and put the blame for the recent extreme episodes of terrorism on the former spy chief’s head.

    He also pointed out that terrorism incidents in the country did not increase just within six to eight months.

    Since government talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks across Pakistan including attacks on the police.

    According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018.

    In January, more than 100 people lost their lives in a suicide attack at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines. The TTP initially claimed responsibility for the attack, however, it later backtracked and claimed that it did not perpetrate the bombing.

    TTP is also responsible for the recent attack on Karachi police chief’s office which took place on February 17.

  • Member National Assembly Ali Wazir finally released from prison after more than two years

    Member National Assembly Ali Wazir finally released from prison after more than two years

    Member of National Assembly (MNA) and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Ali Wazir has been released from Central Jail Karachi today (Tuesday) after more than two years behind bars.

    Wazir was transferred to Central Jail Karachi on 31 December 2020 on sedition charges for delivering hate speeches.

    In November, Peshawar High Court’s Bannu Bench granted bail to Wazir in one sedition case.

    Earlier, Wazir also claimed that his life was in danger. He was admitted to Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate and Medical Centre, where he claimed that he was attacked twice.

  • Gul-e-Rana, Nabeel Qureshi, Hira Mani and Mani attacked and robbed by mob while shooting in Karachi

    Film director Nabeel Qureshi took to Twitter to share that while shooting a scene near Jamsheed Quaters Martin Road in Karachi, they were attacked and robbed by a mob who stole their phones and equipment. Among the crew were veteran actress Gul-e-Rana, Hira Mani and her husband Mani.

    “We have been attacked by mob in PIB colony/ jamsheed quater martin road during shoot they got into the house we were shooting a hundred people they harassed women, beat the shit out of crew, stole mobiles, equipment.”

    The director went on to share that the actors were currently at the PIB police station to report all of their missing items. He further went on to demand that the Sindh Police take strict action, and also reached out to fellow actors to raise awareness about proper security.
    “We are sitting here in PIB police station, they attacked like anything honestly this never happened before in karachi, they were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles wallet they do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc.”

    He continued by asking that Sindh Police and Sindh Rangers “take strict action against these ppl, to make example out of it @ManiSalmanKhi@HiraMani_real i request to my fraternity all the actors producers to make sure that this shouldn’t happened again to any of us!”

    “We are sitting here in PIB police station, they attacked like anything honestly this never happened before in karachi, they were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles wallet they do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc.”

    “We want #sindhpolice & #sindhrangers to take strict action against these ppl, to make example out of it @ManiSalmanKhi@HiraMani_real i request to my fraternity all the actors producers to make sure that this shouldn’t happened again to any of us!”

    Other actors like Falak Shahzad Khan, who was also present at the scene of the crime, shared Qureshi’s post on Instagram, and said that he was attacked by the mob, along with Gul-e-Rana and Hira Mani.
    “We were at the shoot. …they attacked on the team. Got into the house.”

    Hira Mani also addressed the incident on Instagram, saying that it was an unfortunate incident to witness. She further wrote that she was grateful for her team members for fighting against the culprits.

    ‘It was a very unfortunate incident to witness today and I wish and pray no one faces that ever in their life.

    I want to thank my team members who fought till their last with the culprits to save us and are very bad condition in the hospital right now.

    Please take a moment to pray for their speedy recovery.”

    Other actors like Ahsan Khan and Mahira Khan have reached out to send their solidarity to the actors.

    Taking to his Instagram page, Ahsan Khan called for law enforcement to take swift action against the group that was responsible for attacking the crew.

    “In these days and times security is a must for areas like Jamsheed Quaters. I demand the law enforcement agencies to take swift action in this regard and bring the people responsible for this cowardly act to justice! What happened with Nabeel and his team is not ok and we should stand up for them!”

    Actor Mahira Khan had shared Nabeel’s post, and in the tweet she demanded authorities to investigate the perpetuators behind this incident.

    “I don’t believe this!! Who is responsible ? Who will answer for this?”

  • Commissioner in the day, rock star at night: here are some fun facts about North Nazimabad’s new Assistant Commissioner

    Commissioner in the day, rock star at night: here are some fun facts about North Nazimabad’s new Assistant Commissioner

    North Nazimabad’s new Assistant Commissioner Hazim Bangwar is creating a storm on social media which has yet to see a government officer who is also a model, singer and a philanthropist. Take a deep dive along with us all about this trendy dude’s background.

    1. Bangwar’s mother is from Iraqi descent and is an architect, while his father, Ali Akbar Bangwar, has served as the Police General D.I.G of Pakistan.

    2. Bangwar moved to New York at the age of six where he finished high school from Midwood High School. He later got his Bachelors in Fashion Design and Marketing from AIU London, and then his LLB from University of London.

    3. He spent his academic years producing music, and signed a two year deal with Interscope Records. Bangwar’s first mix tape ‘One Man Army’ was promoted in both US and UK. He was later offered a deal by Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. under Young Money Entertainment as a singer/songwriter. He released many tracks like ‘Hell Ya’ and the Urdu track ‘Tujko Bhulaya’.

    4. Aside from his singing career, Bangwar is a philanthropist and has founded the Hamza Bangwar Foundation, and doesn’t shy away from having the best lewks as we can see from his insta page!

  • Illegal screening of ‘Pathaan’ in Karachi cancelled

    Illegal screening of ‘Pathaan’ in Karachi cancelled

    A film screening of Bollywood’s smash hit Pathaan organized by Firework Events in DHA, Karachi has been cancelled.
    The event was gaining traction on social media with many lining up to buy tickets.

    However, the Sindh Board of Film Censors issued a statement calling for the screening to be banned, stating that only films approved by the board are allowed to be played in public or private cinemas.
    “No person shall make or arrange a public or private exhibition of a film by means of cinematograph unless the film has been duly certified for public exhibition by the Board.”
    The Censor Board also cited laws that include imprisonment of up to 3 years along with a fine of up to Rs 100,000. SBFC demanded that Firework Events cancel the screening of the film.

  • Ahmadi Ibadatgah vandalised in Karachi

    Ahmadi Ibadatgah vandalised in Karachi

    An Ahmadiyya Ibadatgah in Karachi was vandalised by a mob on Thursday, Dawn has reported. The news was confirmed by police and the spokesperson of the community.

    A police officer who requested anonymity reported that the spokesman, Mr. Mehmood, said that 10 to 12 masked men attacked and damaged the minaret of the place of worship in Saddar in an attack similar to the one that occurred in the Martin Quarters neighbourhood on January 18.

    The incident happened around 03:30 pm, the spokesman told local police. Although there were several officers there, he said that they were helpless to stop the assailants.
    The Supreme Court of Pakistan in a landmark judgment on minorities’ rights issued in 2014, had asked the government to form a special task force for the protection of minorities’ places of worship.

  • Islamabad, Karachi put under high alert after Peshawar attack

    Islamabad, Karachi put under high alert after Peshawar attack

    Following the suicide bombing in a mosque in Peshawar on Monday, officials have raked up the security of Islamabad and Karachi.

    Special measures have been taken at key sensitive buildings in Islamabad, including the President House, Prime Minister (PM) House and Parliament among other places.

    Moreover, high security was also beefed up at all the entry points of the capital, Islamabad police’s Twitter account said on Monday.

    Snipers have been deployed at all locations and residents are instructed to carry identity cards and essential documents along with them while travelling.

    Meanwhile, the Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police has also ordered officials to start patrolling and snap checking in Karachi.

    A day earlier, Peshawar was attacked by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which claimed the lives of 93 people and left more than 200 injured. In a surprise turn of events, the TTP later claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.

    Pakistan is currently facing a resurgence in terrorist activities.

    After the Peshawar attack, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that such cowardly terror attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve and that all the terrorists and their facilitators involved in the attacks will be punished.

  • Sindh govt cancels registration of Karachi private school after teacher encourages class to laugh at student for speaking Urdu

    Sindh govt cancels registration of Karachi private school after teacher encourages class to laugh at student for speaking Urdu

    An incident at Civilizations Public School, a private school in Karachi, went viral a few days ago when a distressed father uploaded a video where he narrated a harrowing account of what his son went through.
    The father revealed that his son’s teacher, Sadaf Mateen, had overheard the student speaking in urdu to his friends. She called him over and began to humiliate him by making a black mark on his face, and then encouraged other students to laugh at him.
    The father went on to reveal that he had sought the school’s administrations help but they had refused to cooperate, so he was compelled to make a video and make it public.

    Video taken courtesy of Geo news

    After the video went viral, the Directoriate of Inspection/ Registration of Private Institutions Sindh had announced that they were launching an investigation into the matter which reportedly took place on January 27. An inquiry committee comprising of five members has now said in a statement released on their public pages that the accusations were proven to be true.

    “The accusation of applying blackness on the face of student Moosa by his teacher is correct. Indeed, the teacher in question punished the student for not speaking in English, which is quite in contradiction of the feeling of patriotism and love for the national language. The administration of the school failed to handle the situation or deal with the parents on their complaint properly.”

    Therefore, the school was charged a fine of Rs 100,000 and their registration was also suspended.
    In a statement uploaded on their Facebook page, a representative from Civilizations Public School revealed that they had accepted the resignation of the school teacher and said that the incident was against the school’s ethos.

    “Civilizations Public School takes great pride in being one the few educational institutions to promote, encourage and celebrate Urdu. Its role in promoting Urdu is unmatched in the country. In the last few years, the school has organized four mushairas and poets such as Iftikhar Arif, Fehmida Riaz and Amjad Islam Amjad have read their poetry to audiences in thousands which included out students, faculty, staff, guests and members of the media. The coverage of these events is publicly available. Books by Urdu masters such as Yousufi, Patras Bukhari and Ibn-e-Insha comprise the entirety of our Urdu curriculum. Lines from Faiz, N. M. Rashid and Majaaz often echo through the corridors and auditoria.

    The School in no way promotes English over Urdu. The regrettable incident that took place on January 27 is against the school’s ethos, ideology, philosophy and spirit. We are a considerate and empathetic institution that does not condone or allow anyone to embarrass a student. You are welcome to come to our next Urdu event and witness the school’s culture.

    The teacher who took the said step is no longer part of the school and her resignation has been accepted.

    The faculty and staff are fully trained and socialized to embrace diversity and a multilingual environment.

    We hope to continue to produce the next generation of leadership and further our mission of celebrating our Urdu heritage.”

  • Gold price hits all-time high of Rs195,500 per tola after removal of an unofficial dollar cap

    Gold price hits all-time high of Rs195,500 per tola after removal of an unofficial dollar cap

    Gold prices in Pakistan continued their record-breaking spree as the price of 24-carat gold reached an all-time high of Rs195,500 after gaining Rs4,900.

    In addition, the price of 10 grammes also witnessed an increase of Rs4,201 to settle at Rs167,610, according to the All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA).

    Moreover, the bullion rate in the international market reached $1,936 after a surge of $11.

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) on Thursday dropped drastically to approach an all-time low, days after exchange companies abolished the cap on the rupee-dollar exchange rate.

    The sudden hike in yellow metal prices comes as the weakening rupee pushed investors to the safety of bullion to hedge against intensifying economic turmoil in the country.

    On Thursday, the local currency crashed to approach another historic low, as it dropped to Rs255.43 versus the US dollar in the interbank market, sliding Rs24.54 or 9.61 per cent from Wednesday’s close, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.

  • Color me pink; Sindh launches bus service for women

    Color me pink; Sindh launches bus service for women

    The Sindh government has launched a bus service solely for women in Karachi. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that the Sindh Transport Department has launched the bus service in the metropolis.

    He also shared pictures of the buses, which are painted in a distinct shade of pink.

    “Transport department government of Sindh is going to start Pakistan’s First bus service only for the women and girls exclusively. Inshallah Pink buses will start their operation from 1st February in #Karachi. Peoples Bus Service, At Your Service.”

    Twitter users lauded the launch of the bus service as a step towards improving access to public transport for women in Sindh.

    “Another good initiative of the transport department, the women-only bus service will be launched very soon on the roads of Karachi from February 1 Thanks to Chairman @BBhuttoZardari, Transport Minister @sharjeelinam is changing Karachi for all of us in the journey of development.”

    https://twitter.com/SyedGhazan25/status/1618541200549769217?s=20&t=5uUZLsQazK–8yMRHq-Kyw

    Mental health blogger and therapist Maheen Ghani said that the decision would help ‘bringing safety for women.’