Tag: Pakistan

  • No ‘illegal alien’ sent back on Friday thanks to verification process installed by Afghan Consulate General

    For the first time since the start of the repatriation plan of undocumented immigrants early this month, not a single ‘illegal alien’ was sent home via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday as Afghan authorities has announced to link the acceptance of deportations with the verification of their status by the Afghan consulate-general here.

    The decision was made after multiple cases of Afghan-looking Pakistanis being deported to Afghanistan surfaced. “Multiple cases of Pakistanis being sent to Afghanistan as illegal migrants have been reported,” an official source in the Afghan Consulate told Dawn.

    Unfortunately, whenever Afghan authorities took such Pakistanis to the border, Pakistani officials refused to receive them.

    The other reason stated by Afghan consulate is the harassment Afghan deportees are facing at the hands of Pakistani authorities even though many of them are repatriating voluntarily.

    “Many illegal aliens are leaving Pakistan voluntarily but they’re stopped and taken into custody on their way before their repartition. They’re not given time to carry their belongings,” an official told Dawn.

    Afghan consulate expressed concern over the separation of families that has been observed over the month. They said in “many” cases, men from undocumented families were deported, leaving behind their female dependants.

    Pakistani authorities have said that they have not been informed about the deportation condition, claiming that all allegations leveled by Afghan consulate are “baseless”, delaying the process of deportation.

    “Only deportation is linked with the verification letter. The voluntary repatriation is still continuing without any hurdle,” Pakistan responded.

    However, around 119 illegal migrants were deported from Punjab to Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing on Thursday, according to officials.

  • Artificial rain in Lahore to cost Rs 350 million

    Artificial rain in Lahore to cost Rs 350 million

    As Lahore battles with hazardous levels of smog, Punjab has been mulling artificial rain to dispel toxic pollution. The Punjab government has planned to carry out cloud seeding in Lahore to cause artificial rain, estimated to cost a whopping Rs 350 million.

    A summary for the same has been moved to the finance division.

    Earlier this week, Chief Meteorologist Chaudhry Aslam said that artificial rain is expected in Lahore next month and preparations are underway as the government raises its efforts to curb smog, reports The News.

    On Friday, the concentration of PM 2.5, or tiny particulate matter, in the air hit 269, considered very unhealthy, according to Swiss-based IQ Air. “PM2.5 concentration in Lahore is currently 43.8 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value.”

    In a press conference, Punjab Interim Information Minister Amir Mir said that the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, wants to experiment with artificial rain during the current year. In this context, he announced, “Chinese experts will soon visit Pakistan.”

    Lahore and other cities of Punjab have been engulfed by heavy smog in the past month or so turning into a “poisonous gas chamber” where citizens continue to face serious health problems. Artificial rain is the most effective solution to reduce the toxicity of the air.

    To know more about cloud-seeding: How does the artificial rain happen?

  • Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Marriyum Aurangzeb

    Non-bailable arrest warrants issued for Marriyum Aurangzeb

    An anti-terrorism court in Lahore issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Marriyum Aurangzeb, former Information Minister and a prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), on Saturday.

    The warrants were issued after Aurangzeb’s repeated absence from hearings of a terrorism case filed against her last year.

    The case, registered on September 19, 2022, implicated both Aurangzeb and senior PML-N leader Javed Latif for allegedly “using religion to instill and spread hatred” against Imran Khan, the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and former prime minister.

    The FIR

    According to the FIR, the complainant had said Latif accused the PTI chief of “attacking the basic principles of Islam” by “supporting” the Ahmadiyya community during his tenure.

    “When Imran made the Naya Pakistan, units of Qadianis became active in Karachi […] Did Imran not give interviews to the foreign media in which he said that Qadianis will be given religious freedom,” Latif had said.

    The FIR had said Latif made the controversial remarks at the behest of the party leadership as well as Aurangzeb in order to spread religious hatred against Imran.

    The complainant had said he watched another presser by Latif a day later wherein he insisted that he stood by his earlier statement.
    The complainant said, “The world knows Imran Khan for his welfare work. He is a true Muslim, a Prophet (PBUH) lover and a patriotic Pakistani.

    “He (Imran) made Quranic teachings in schools compulsory and also constituted Rehmatullil Alameen Authority. He also made it clear before the world through his speech at the United Nations that we will not tolerate blasphemy at any cost and raised his voice against Islamophobia which is matchless.

    “In his news conference, Latif declared Imran a non-Muslim and deliberately used words to incite his followers to create a law and order situation.”

    The FIR added that the PTI chief’s followers and supporters were enraged by the derogatory remarks of the PML-N leader.

    “Latif made the controversial remarks at the behest of his party leadership as well as Marriyum in order to spread religious hatred against Imran.”

    Complainant Rehman said that he had watched another news conference a day later in which Latif said that he stood by his earlier statement.

    He demanded action be taken against the PML-N leaders and others nominated in the complaint under the law.

  • Girl gang raped by five including TikToker friend in Rawalpindi

    Girl gang raped by five including TikToker friend in Rawalpindi

    A girl from Lahore, visiting her brother, was allegedly gang-raped by a TikToker friend and his accomplices within the jurisdiction of the Waris Khan police station in Rawalpindi, it emerged on Thursday, reports the Express Tribune.

    According to the complaint lodged by the victim, she was visiting her brother in the Sadiqabad area of the garrison city and had come all the way from Lahore.

    She befriended a boy named Sardar on TikTok, who invited her to 6th Road. Upon arrival, Sardar and an unknown friend picked her up in a car and took her to a house in Amarpura. After leaving her there, Sardar informed her that he was going to get food.

    During his absence, another person forcibly raped her. Subsequently, two unknown boys arrived and assaulted her. Upon Sardar’s return, he, too, allegedly raped her.

    The victim raised the alarm, attracting the attention of the neighbours. The accused dismissed them, claiming it was a personal matter.

    She seized this opportunity to contact Rescue 15.

    Meanwhile, Waris Khan SHO Inspector Malik Naseer stated that a case has been registered, with the main suspect Sardar and another individual named Mohsin already being detained.

    Raids to arrest the rest are underway, while the medical examination of the victim is being carried out, police said.

  • Adil Farooq Raja and Haider Raza Mehdi convicted for ‘inciting sedition’

    Adil Farooq Raja and Haider Raza Mehdi convicted for ‘inciting sedition’

    Two retired officers of the Pakistan Army have been convicted and sentenced for “inciting sedition” under the Army Act and violations of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday.

    “Major (Retired) Adil Farooq Raja and Captain (Retired) Haider Raza Mehdi, both retired officers of the Pakistan Army, were convicted and sentenced through Field General Court Martial (FGCM),” said the military’s media wing.

    “The retired officers have been sentenced under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 for the charges of inciting sedition among army personnel from the discharge of duties and violation of the provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 related to espionage and acts prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state.”

    The statement added that the court of competent jurisdiction convicted and adjudged both individuals on the date of 7th and 9th October 2023, through a due judicial process. Major (retd) Raja has been given 14 years of rigorous imprisonment while Captain (retd) Mehdi is awarded 12 years of rigorous imprisonment, it said.

    “Pursuant to the awarded sentence, the ranks of both officers have been forfeited on November 21, 2023,” added the ISPR.

  • Petition against Imran, Bushra nikah dismissed

    Petition against Imran, Bushra nikah dismissed

    Civil Judge, Islamabad, Qudrat Ullah has dismissed a petition challenging the nikah between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Friday after it was withdrawn by the petitioner.

    Muhammad Hanif, the petitioner, had moved the court seeking legal action against the former prime minister for marrying his present wife while she was reportedly on iddat, but he withdrew his case, leading to its dismissal.

    In an application submitted in the court, the petitioner said: “For the time being, the applicant wants to withdraw the above said complaint due to technical reasons.”

    “If permission to withdraw the complaint is not accorded, applicant shall suffer irreparable loss,” he stated.

    Keeping in view the statement of the complainant, Judicial Magistrate (East) Qudrat Ullah granted permission for the withdrawal of the complaint under Section 248 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and wrapped up the case.

    Imran-Bushra marriage case

    The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, had claimed that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November 2017 and married Khan on January 1, 2018, despite the fact that the iddat period had not ended, “which is against the Sharia and Muslim norms.”

    The complainant submitted in the court the statement of Mufti Muhammad Saeed, who solemnised the marriage between Imran and Bushra, where he had said that the PTI chief married Bushra Bibi during the latter’s iddat (the time a woman goes into isolation after her husband dies or divorces her), despite knowing everything.

    In his statement to a lower court, Saeed said he had solemnised Khan’s nikah with Bushra Bibi on January 1, 2018, over the assurance of a woman claiming to be the former first lady’s sister.

    “Then the former premier contacted me again in February 2018 and requested me to solemnise his nikah with Bushra Bibi again as the first time it was against the Shariah,” Saeed stated before the court.

    He said that the first time when the nikah was solemnised, Bushra Bibi’s Iddat hadn’t ended.

    He quoted Khan as saying that Bushra Bibi had been divorced in November 2017 and that there was a “prediction” that the PTI chairman would become the prime minister of Pakistan if he married Bushra Bibi.

    Mufti Saeed added that the first nikah was illegal, which had been solemnised based on the “prediction”.

    The complainant also submitted the statement of Aun Chaudhry, a witness to the marriage and former political secretary to former prime minister Imran Khan, who claimed in court that their marriage ceremony and Nikkah were based on “fraud”.

    According to his statement, Imran’s divorce from his previous wife, Reham Khan, took place in 2015, after Bushra Bibi told the former premier to give her divorce immediately.

    “At the time, Reham Khan was not present in the country, but Imran Khan divorced her through email on the advice of Bushra Bibi,” he said.

    “On December 31, 2017, Imran said to me that he was going to marry Bushra Bibi the next day. I was surprised and told him that Bushra Bibi was already married. Imran Khan said that Bushra Bibi had been divorced,” he added.

    Aun Chaudhry claimed Imran Khan instructed them for the preparations for the marriage on January 1, 2018, adding that he accompanied Mufti Saeed, the cleric who solemnised the couple’s Nikkah, and PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari to Lahore where Imran Khan’s marriage was solemnised.

    Later, when they realized that the iddat period had not been completed yet, Aun stated “Imran Khan said that the waiting period (Iddat) would be completed on February 18, 2018, and asked me to make arrangements for the marriage on the same date. The waiting period had to be completed between February 14 or 18, 2018. Imran Khan’s second Nikkah took place in Bani Gala whereas the first one had taken place in Lahore.”

    He revealed that Bushra Bibi had been given an “order” that if the Nikkah took place on the first day of 2018, Imran Khan would become the prime minister, adding that the date was chosen keeping in mind the “prediction”.

    Marriage

    In February 2018, the PTI announced that Khan married Bushra Riaz Watoo, better known now as Bushra Bibi, who is a respected faith healer. The ceremony was held in Lahore.

    Although Khan’s sisters were not in attendance, the bride’s mother and friends attended the intimate ceremony.

    Before marrying the spiritual guide, Khan was married twice.

    He first married Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a British billionaire, in 1995, but it ended in 2004. He has two kids, Suleman and Qasim, from his first wife. Both of them live with their mother.

    His second marriage was to Reham Khan in January 2015, which dissolved in a short span of 10 months.

  • What did Bilawal and Zardari talk about before he left for Dubai?

    What did Bilawal and Zardari talk about before he left for Dubai?

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called his father, party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, soon after a controversial interview he gave to Hamid Mir aired on Geo News.

    The former president of Pakistan and Bilawal’s father, Asif Ali Zardari, during an exclusive interview with Hamid Mir on Geo News’ program “Capital Talk”, said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take some time for him to gain more exposure, on Thursday.

    “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced,” he said.

    Talking to Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada on Friday, Hamid Mir said that soon after the interview, Bilawal called Zardari to explain his narrative.

    “Now, after giving the interview, when he sat in his room, Bilawal called him in front of me. Bilawal tried explaining it to him — and just like a father would talk to his son — Zardari told Bilawal that you don’t need to explain yourself to me,” Mir added.

    He further explained that Zardari told his son the questions were very tough, and he needed to answer them. “Bilawal tried to explain that his narrative wasn’t targeting him and that he was talking about the politics that’s been going on for the past 70 years.”

    According to Mir, Zardari responded with a yes and further said, “But you don’t need to clarify yourself.”

    Bilawal then told Zardari that he would not be able to watch his interview completely because he was boarding a plane to Dubai, Mir said, adding that the former foreign minister said he would watch the interview later.

    Mir asked Zardari why Bilawal was leaving for Dubai. He explained that Sanam Bhutto was coming to Dubai and that he would also leave for Dubai. He said that it was a family gathering and it was pre-planned. Zardari and Bilawal are set to come back soon.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been campaigning across the country, touting his party as the solution to Pakistan’s ills, while also asking “old politicians (babay)” to sit back and allow the new generation to lead from the front in the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year.

    “Several PPP old-aged leaders, I got to know, also asked Bilawal whether he wanted them to leave. But Bilawal told them that he did not want them to leave. He told them that he wasn’t talking about them.”

    Mir, however, also said that there is no doubt that several questions have been raised after this interview. “But because I’ve known Zardari for years, his actual message wasn’t about Bilawal. But since he’s his son, it became the headlines.”

  • Cold rainy weekend ahead for Sindh and Balochistan

    Cold rainy weekend ahead for Sindh and Balochistan

    The Metrological Department has predicted rain in areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

    Punjab is to have overcast conditions in the plain regions but it will largely be covered with smog and fog earlier in the day.

    Tharparker, Umarkot, Badeen, Mirpurkhas, and Thatta will face heavy rain with thunderstorms. Light rain is possible in Karachi and Jamshoro as well.

    The Meteorological Department has said that a system of winds has entered the country from the west which will cause gales in the western and southern regions of Balochistan along with thunderstorms.

  • Pakistan to receive $1.5 billion from international lenders following IMF approval

    Pakistan to receive $1.5 billion from international lenders following IMF approval

    Pakistan is poised to secure funds amounting to $1.5 billion from global lenders, contingent on the approval of the loan tranche under the $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as highlighted by Dr Shamshad Akhtar, the caretaker finance minister, in a recent interview with a local news channel.

    It’s noteworthy that the IMF granted preliminary approval on November 15, 2023, for the disbursement of the upcoming loan tranche within the programme.

    Upon receiving approval, Pakistan will gain access to SDR 528 million, equivalent to approximately $700 million. This will contribute to the cumulative disbursements under the program reaching almost $1.9 billion.

    The agreement underscores the authorities’ commitment to advancing planned fiscal consolidation, expediting cost-reducing reforms in the energy sector, completing the transition to a market-determined exchange rate, and pursuing reforms in state-owned enterprises and governance.

    These measures aim to attract investment, support job creation, and simultaneously enhance social assistance.

    Nathan Porter remarked, “Anchored by the stabilization policies under the SBA, a nascent recovery is underway, supported by international partners and indications of improved confidence.”

    He added that the steadfast execution of the FY24 budget, ongoing adjustments of energy prices, and renewed inflows into the foreign exchange (FX) market have alleviated fiscal and external pressures.

  • Does the ex-head of Drug Regulatory Authority have a fake PhD?

    Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) has lodged a complaint against the ex-CEO of the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) for acquiring the position on the basis of a fake PhD degree, reports Geo.

    Sheikh Akhtar Hussain remained CEO DRAP from 2018 till 2019. FIA has begun searching for Hussain to investigate the matter

    The findings were discovered by the anti-corruption circle in FIA.