Tag: Pakistan

  • Pink taxis for women in Sindh

    The Sindh government is all set to launch a “Pink Taxi Service” featuring electric cars for facilitating female citizens of the province.

    The development was announced by Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon.

    The minister said that initially, 200 electricity-powered taxis will start operating in Karachi, of which fifty will be women-only taxis driven by female drivers. He said that the hiring of female drivers and setting up of charging and parking depots is yet to be done.

    He said that the project will also provide job opportunities to unemployed youth, while eco-friendly taxis will save oil worth billions of rupees.

    Prior to this, the government also launched a pink bus service for women which is being frequented by a large number of female commuters.

  • History made as Shahzadi Rai becomes first transgender to serve on Karachi Metropolitan Corporation

    Shahzadi Rai announced on her Twitter account on Wednesday that she has become the first transgender person to serve on the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the first such appointment in history. In a tweet she said:

    “I’m excited to share that I have submitted my papers KMC for transgender/Khawajasara reserved seats. It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that such an opportunity has been available, and I am grateful to the @PPP_Org @BBhuttoZardari @SyedNasirHShah @BakhtawarBZ @SaeedGhani1.”

    Speaking to The Current, Rai talked about her goals to help empower the transgender community and ensure that protecting human rights for all remains a priority for the organisation:

    Our priority is that any policy or project initiated should be inclusive for transgender people. We want to work for all the people in Karachi and make life better for them, whether it is men, women or khawaja sira people. We want to implement human rights because I am a feminist and a human right’s activist for the last 12 years, so when we enter politics we shouldn’t forget about our basic principles.”

    Since her announcement, civil society bodies and transgender activists on Twitter have offered congratulations on the historic feat, welcoming it as a necessary step towards including the transgender community into all kinds of policy making.

    https://twitter.com/Bubbleskhanum/status/1661354767380099072?s=20

  • Student dies from heatstroke during board exam in Sindh

    A tragic accident took place at the Government Degree College in Khairpur, Sindh, when a student, Mehtab Ali, passed away during Grade XI intermediate board examinations due to load shedding in extreme heat.

    According to The Nation, Ali fainted during his exam and was rushed to the hospital where he passed away despite attempts to revive him.

    While students are giving their final examinations, the ongoing power outrage has exposed them to the heatwave, putting many at risk of suffering from heat strokes or nose bleeds. The Sindh Minister for Board and Education, Ismail Rahoo, has encouraged authorities to ensure that examination halls have uninterrupted power supply so that such fatal incidents can be avoided.

  • Did Imran Khan just admit that Nawaz was removed by establishment?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has filed a petition in Supreme Court (SC) asking that an ‘undeclared martial law’ be termed unconstitutional.

    Imran Khan has nominated Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Azam Khan and others as parties in his petition.

    A passage in the petition has caught the attention of political commentators.

    “The respondents intend to create a wrong impression about the armed forces which is the main objective and target of Maryam Nawaz who found it is a great opportunity to take revenge for the removal of his father from power by the establishment,” the excerpt from the petition read.

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    The words are being seen as an admission by Imran Khan that his arch rival, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif was removed from power as Prime Minister on the behest of the establishment.
    

    Nawaz Sharif has long maintained that his dismissal from the post of Prime Minister and his lifetime disqualification order by the Supreme Court was done at the behest of the establishment.
    

    Khan’s petition also read, “It is now matter of general information that the respondent Nawaz Sharif made a deal with establishment (statement of Khawaja Asif on TV) and there being a condition that the petitioner and his political party should be banned and declared a terrorist organization to pave the way for Nawaz Sharif and his daughter coming back to power.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    The petition also requests the Supreme Court to declare the detention of PTI workers under Army Act and the Official Secrets Act illegal, and to order the immediate release of the PTI workers.
    

    Imran also asked the SC to make a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 when party supporters are alleged to have attacked military and civilian installations.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    Jisko mai PTI ka ticket doonga, woh Insha’Allah jeetega: Imran Khan
    
			
    Jisko mai PTI ka ticket doonga, woh Insha’Allah jeetega: Imran Khan
    
			
    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addressed party workers on Wednesday through a video link. During his speech, Imran said he was ready to constitute a committee to hold talks “with anyone in power”.
    

    Imran questioned why the powers-that-be wanted to conduct elections in October. “Because they wanted to crush PTI,” he claimed.
    

    “I am forming a committee. It will talk to anyone who is in power on two matterss — if it helps the country according to ‘them’, I will leave politics. Second, how is it beneficial for the country if elections are held in October,” said Khan in his address.
    

    “Convince us on these two things. If they believe and satisfy the committee that my leaving politics will benefit the country, I will step back and leave politics,” he promised.
    

    Without naming anyone, Imran said that “they” have benefitted from arson at the Lahore Corps Commander House (Jinnah House) and used it to crack down on his party.
    

    “[Such] a crackdown has never been seen in the history of the country,” he said.
    

    “They have jailed the entire leadership and even those who are not even a part of the party,” added Imran.
    Khan also requested his party workers to remain steadfast. During the address Imran said that who ever he gives a party ticket to, will win.
    

    “Your captain is standing till there is blood in his body,” he said. “Your captain fights till the last ball, there is no question of accepting defeat. Whatever they are going to do, I am ready for it,” he added.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    Everything we say is not reported correctly: CJP
    
			
    Everything we say is not reported correctly: CJP
    
			
    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, heard a review petition filed by Election Commission of Pakistan ECP, pertaining to Supreme Court’s earlier decision about election date in Punjab.
    

    During the hearing the CJP addressed Attorney General of Pakistan, and talked about the controversy surrounding his “Good to see you,” comment to Imran Khan. “We saw you and said ‘Good to see you’, with an open heart. Things said in a different context were reported in such a way that they gave a wrong impression, everything we do is not reported correctly.”
    

    While talking about news reports claiming that the CJ provided a Mercedes to Imran Khan to commute in, Justice Bandial said, “It was said that Imran Khan was given a Mercedes by the court, I don’t even use a Mercedes myself.”
    

    Earlier, Supreme Court’s spokesman also clarified that the court did not provide a Mercedes to Imran Khan.
    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
			
    In the latest really messed up development of ‘Tere Bin’ it turns out that Meerab, Murtasim did it consensually
    
			
    We all know that the latest act in the cesspool that is the Pakistani drama circus was the controversial promo of ‘Tere Bin’ which aired last week. The trailer implied that female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) was raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali).
    

    Twitter users were shocked, tagging the actors, production staff and even the writer, Nooran Makhdoom herself, to criticise the development as deeply misogynist and horrifying. But then, instead of reassuring the audience, Makhdoom decided to fan the flames even more with controversial statements given to Arab News, defending the marital rape by saying that it has been going on for a long time on Pakistani screens.
    

    Mmmm.. still not a good reason though.
    

    Finally, the episode has aired and it turns out, the sex was not rape. It was consensual.
    

    Yes, you read that right.
    

    We are dragged through the first agonizing 15 minutes of Mariam’s marriage, and her reluctance to open her heart, yada yada.
    

    And then we are reluctantly led to THAT scene where our favorite toxic jori, Murtasim and Meerab, actually did the deed in a consensual manner, but even that led to a lot of ronay dhonay.
    

    Twitter was mostly amused but some were horrified at how a once popular show has destroyed itself by pandering to sensationalism. Kudos to them for taking out the marital rape but really, where is the plot going?
    

    

    


    

    

    

    On God this is hilarious 
    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    Chalo iss baat mein hilarious memes tou mil gayien 
    

    

    
https://twitter.com/thatdumbkido/status/1661426180237525023?s=20

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
			
    Pakistan’s Population: A Brighter Future For All
    
			
    Population Experts and Government officials gathered in Islamabad to discuss improving population health in Pakistan.
    

    Islamabad, Pakistan – May 24, 2023 – Today marks the beginning of a two-day learning event by DAFPAK, a leading organization dedicated to improving population health outcomes in Pakistan, focused on ensuring a brighter future for Pakistan, titled “Pakistan’s Population: A Brighter Future For All.”
    

    Delivering Accelerated Family Planning In Pakistan (DAFPAK) is a £90m Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) programme that aims to improve family planning outcomes across Pakistan by improving access to family planning services for the most vulnerable and disseminating messages for the common good under a platform called KhairKhwah.
    

    

    


    

    

    “The British High Commission has been investing in family planning since 2012. Our current support programme, DAFPAK is the largest donor-funded program on family planning which has served over 8 million women and girls in mostly marginalized areas”, said Andrew Dalgleish, Acting British High Commissioner to Pakistan while addressing the event in Islamabad.
    

    Chief Guest, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry, emphasized the urgency of addressing the population growth rate, stating, “Unless we control our population, we won’t be able to distribute resources in a manner where we can provide healthcare, education and bright futures to our people. Our future is linked to how fast we can control Pakistan’s population growth.”
    

    Rapid population growth in Pakistan has created immense pressure on the country’s resources, and it has become difficult to provide essential services such as healthcare and education to all citizens. The event aims to address these issues and come up with strategies to improve population health.
    

    Dr Sara Shahzad, Health Advisor, FCDO highlighted the need for increased investment in healthcare infrastructure, improved partnerships with the private sector, and a holistic multi-sectoral approach towards family planning.
    

    Goodwill Ambassador for Population & Family Planning, Shehzad Roy, while addressing the event emphasised the significance of transforming mindsets alongside policy changes. “As a global ambassador of Family Planning, I would like to share that while inventing new policies is very important, what’s even more important is changing mindsets because only then we’ll be able to bring true change.”
    Over the course of two days, participants will share their insights on family planning, population growth, and its impact on the country. The event features keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions.
    

    The event is being organized by Palladium Pakistan under DAFPAK-PSSD in collaboration with UNFPA, PSI, MSS, DKT, and M&C Saatchi in partnership with The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Islamabad, and provincial Health and Population Welfare Departments of Punjab, Sindh, and KP.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    ‘Democratic values, freedom of expression, rule of law should be applied to everyone’: US state department on Pakistan political crisis
    
			
    ‘Democratic values, freedom of expression, rule of law should be applied to everyone’: US state department on Pakistan political crisis
    
			
    United States (US) State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, while briefing the media in Washington on Tuesday, said that US is closely monitoring Pakistan’s political situation adding that his country has “no a position on one political candidate or another”.
    

    “We call for the respect and equal application of democratic principles, freedom of expression around – and rule of law around the world, and of course, in Pakistan we urge that these principles be respected for all people,” said Miller while replying to a question about a crackdown following May 09 protests.
    “We have already said that we are monitoring the situation in Pakistan, there is no position on any single political candidate or party, the enforcement of democratic values, freedom of expression, and the rule of law should be applied to everyone,” he added.
    

    On May 09, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets after Imran Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court. In the ensuing riots, many military and government installations sustained damage, most notably, Jinnah House, the residence of Corp Commander Lahore.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    Khawaja Asif says government is considering banning PTI
    
			
    Khawaja Asif says government is considering banning PTI
    
			
    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said on Wednesday that the federal government is considering putting a ban on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
    

    While talking to members of the press in Islamabad, the federal minister said, “It is under consideration to ban the PTI,” citing what he called an attack on the very basis of the state by PTI.
    

    “The PTI has attacked the very basis of the state, that never happened before. It can’t be tolerated”.
    

    “The May 9 events were way different than those political movements which took place in the 1970s and 80s. They never targeted our defense institutions, they didn’t challenge the writ of the state, although they had political difference with the sitting government.”
    

    He further accused PTI chairman Imran Khan of coordinating attacks on military installations. “There is a lot of evidence and their people are telling themselves that they were briefed about this beforehand,” he said.
    

    “I feel that his struggle of a year … all his plans failed and this was his last move against the armed forces,” he added.
    

    On May 09, supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took to the streets after Imran Khan was arrested from Islamabad High Court. In the ensuing riots, many military and government installations sustained damage, most notably, Jinnah House, the residence of Corp Commander Lahore.