Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Louder message to the killer, murderers’: Twitter celebrates Mashal Khan’s sister’s graduation

    Storiya Khan Mashal, sister of slain student Mashal Khan, has graduated with a degree in BioMedical Engineering from State University Of Buffalo. In a tweet, Storiya Khan wrote that she has dedicated her degree to her brother Mashal Khan who was killed by a mob in 2017 at his university.

    “Graduated from The State University of New York – University at Buffalo with a Degree in Biomedical Engineering I have also completed my “Student Engagement Ambassador’s Internship and Peer Mentorship. I dedicate my degree to Mashal Khan the Martyr of Knowledge,” she wrote in her tweet.

    Twitter is celebrating Storiya’s graduation after the family faced the tragedy with courage. Have a look at the tweets here:

    Mashal Khan, a 23-year-old student of the Department of Mass Communication at Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, was lynched by a mob and shot over allegations of blasphemy on April 13, 2017.

    In June 2017, a 13-member joint investigation team concluded that the allegations of blasphemy against Mashal Khan were unfounded and were used as a pretext to incite a mob against him.

    https://twitter.com/Biaacc85/status/1661164682051297281

    Mashal Khan, a 23-year-old student of the Department of Mass Communication at Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, was lynched by a mob and shot over allegations of blasphemy on April 13, 2017.

    In June 2017, a 13-member joint investigation team concluded that the allegations of blasphemy against Mashal Khan were unfounded and were used as a pretext to incite a mob against him.

  • ‘They will not let you go without a press conference’; court orders Asad Umar’s immediate release

    ‘They will not let you go without a press conference’; court orders Asad Umar’s immediate release

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday morning accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar’s plea for bail and ordered that he be released immediately.

    However, Justice Gul Hasan Aurangzeb passed cryptic remarks to Asad Umar’s lawyer Babar Awan, stating that, “They will not let you go until you hold a press conference.”

    To which Babar Awan replied, “We are not going to hold a press conference.”

    The remarks seem to be in reference to PTI members holding press conferences to either denounce the May 9 attacks on military installations or announce that they are leaving PTI.

    On Tuesday, Shireen Mazari said in a short press conference that she’s leaving PTI and politics too, citing what her children went through during her detention.

    The IHC has ordered Asad Umar to delete two tweets and give in writing that he will not take part in protests.

    Justice Aurangzeb warned that if Asad Umar renegades on his affidavit to the court, he should be prepared to forget about his political career.

  • Twitter weighs in on the times movies and dramas downgraded from the originals

    Do you feel like sometimes the entertainment industry should maybe stop tearing apart masterpiece films by remaking them over and over again? Once a television show is done and over with, don’t try to re-vamp the hype by drawing up another couple of seasons. Instead maybe try to come up with more original shows?

    This debate began on Twitter when a user shared their distate with the recent season of ‘Khuda Aur Muhabbat’, starring Iqra Aziz and Feroze Khan, saying that Season 1, which had starred Imran Abbas, was much better.

    It led to more Twitter users coming up with their suggestions of shows and movies they feel weren’t necessary at all. Here are some of the replies, and honestly we’re shook.

    This even led to Bollywood fans jumping in to share their opinions about the films that had failed to surpass the original’s.

  • Twitter demands release of Imran Riaz Khan

    Twitter demands release of Imran Riaz Khan

    Twitter users are demanding the release of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan, who has been missing since May 11.

    Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah appeared on Munizae Jahangir’s programme on Aaj News on May 22. During the show, he was asked about Imran Riaz Khan’s whereabouts to which he said that there is a possibility that Imran Riaz Khan has planted his own abduction to defame ‘agencies’.

    Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar yesterday revealed that there was no trace him at any police department across the country.

    Imran Riaz Khan was arrested by the police on May 11 from Sialkot Airport.

    The vlogger is a prominent supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Have a look at the tweets demanding his release:

  • Uncertainty on Asia Cup about to end, India up for the hybrid model

    Uncertainty on Asia Cup about to end, India up for the hybrid model

    Sections of the Indian media have announced that India will agree to the hybrid model with a few caveats attached.

    The uncertainty surrounding Asia Cup 2023 hosting venue is seemingly about to be resolved amicably on some give and take conditions, the two neighboring boards Board of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have decided, with both holding negotiations on what they can do for each other.

    Indian media reports have stated that if Pakistan will give written surety that they will travel to India for World Cup 2023 than they will accept the hybrid model proposed by PCB.

    BCCI will formally announce the decision at its May 27 meeting of the general body of the board.

    However, there are now questions on the statement of PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi in which he said without mincing his words that if India agreed on hybrid model then Pakistan will also propose a similar model for the World Cup in which the country will play their matches in Dhaka.

    If India has security concerns in Pakistan, likewise Pakistan has security concerns in India.

    In a recent statement Mr. Sethi cleared that he has not said that Pakistan will not play the International Cricket Council (ICC) mega event. It is the decision of the government, he said.

    According to hybrid model, India will play their matches at a neutral venue like UAE or Sri Lanka.

    According to sources, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will announce the Asia Cup schedule after India’s decision.

    It should be noted that the ICC World Cup is to be played in India this year, but before that, the Asia Cup will be hosted by Pakistan, in which India refused to participate, after which Pakistan also refused to go to India to participate in the World Cup. However, discussions are ongoing between the two boards on the hybrid model proposed by Pakistan.

  • Musarrat Jamshed Cheema to leave PTI along with husband

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Jamshed Cheema and his wife Musarrat Jamshed Cheema have decided to quit PTI, their lawyer confirmed on Tuesday.

    “I am confident that they will quit PTI as soon as they come out of jail,” their lawyer said after he met them both in jail.

    The husband and wife duo have been in jail since the last 12 days. They were arrested after the May 9 protests in which PTI supporters clashed with law enforcement agencies.

    The Cheemas are not the first to leave the party which has been besieged by politicians leaving it in droves. In the past week, many leaders, including Imran Khan’s close friend Amir Kiyani and Malik Amin Aslam, have quit PTI.

    Party Chairman Imran Khan, in an informal conversation with media in Islamabad today, said that people are not leaving the party by choice, they are being forced to leave.

    A rather confident Imran further said that parties do not end like this, they end in the way Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is ending.

  • Man who killed police officer in Karachi arrested in Sweden

    Man who killed police officer in Karachi arrested in Sweden

    Abdul Rehman in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase V in 2022, has been arrested in Sweden. The breakthrough was confirmed by a senior police official on Monday.

    According to Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) South Asad Raza, Nisar was apprehended by Swedish authorities.

    “A Swedish police delegation has also arrived in Karachi,” the SSP said. He further said that the suspect will be transferred to Karachi in ten to fifteen days after the completion of all legal formalities.

    Karachi police also made contact with Interpol to request their assistance in arresting the suspect.

    According to the police, Nisar came to Karachi last year from Sweden in November. He lives there with his wife and two children.

    Murder:

    A heated exchange between Khurram Nisar and the police officer came to light in CCTV footage last year, in which the accused was seen pulling out his gun after getting out of a black car.

    Khurram is the son of a former Deputy Commissioner. According to the authorities, he had arrived in Karachi on November 5, 2021 from Sweden, before flying back in November the next year.

  • Crisis on wheels: Pakistan’s automotive industry grapples with mass layoffs and 70% sales drop

    Crisis on wheels: Pakistan’s automotive industry grapples with mass layoffs and 70% sales drop

    The automotive industry in Pakistan is facing a severe setback as thousands of workers were laid off due to a decline in vehicle and spare parts sales. The government’s ban on raw material imports, coupled with the depreciation of the rupee and soaring inflation, has caused a significant strain on the industry. With foreign exchange reserves dwindling and the local currency hitting historic lows against the US dollar, the economic crisis has reached unprecedented levels.

    Pakistan finds itself in the midst of its most formidable economic crisis to date, as the State Bank of Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have plummeted to a mere $4 billion. This amount is barely sufficient to cover three weeks of imports, raising concerns about the country’s economic stability. The ban on raw material imports, implemented to prevent the outflow of US dollars, has caused a sharp decline in industrial output and triggered widespread layoffs and unemployment.

    Dollar crunch and inflation

    In the midst of the worsening dollar crunch, commercial banks have also halted the opening of letters of credit (LCs), leaving importers in a state of uncertainty regarding the provision of the necessary funds for already placed orders. This further exacerbates the challenges faced by the automotive industry, hindering its ability to procure essential raw materials and sustain production.

    The country is grappling with soaring inflation rates, which surpassed 36 per cent in April, the highest recorded since 1964. As a result, consumer purchasing power has diminished significantly, leading to a sharp decline in vehicle sales. Munir Karim Bana, Chairman of the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), laments the dire situation, stating that thousands of workers have been laid off, and production has ground to a halt. The closure of auto manufacturing plants has further exacerbated the industry’s challenges.

    Auto parts manufacturers are grappling with demurrage charges as raw materials worth billions of rupees remain stuck at the Karachi port. PAAPAM, responsible for supplying approximately 90 per cent of local vehicle parts, is bearing the burden of these charges. Furthermore, with production units closed, income streams have dried up, exacerbating the financial strain on the industry.

    Rana Ihsan Afzal, the coordinator to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on commerce and industry, acknowledges that the automotive industry’s full efficiency may not be restored until the revival of the IMF bailout program. As a sector heavily reliant on imports and foreign currency, the automotive industry is particularly vulnerable to the country’s economic challenges. The delay in the staff-level agreement on the ninth review of the IMF bailout deal signed in 2019 has further hampered the industry’s prospects.

    Revival prospects and government assurance

    Amid the decline in sales and mass layoffs, the coordinator to the Prime Minister expressed his concern but assured that the government is tirelessly working to revive the economy. The coordinator acknowledges the temporary phase that necessitates import restrictions on the automotive industry to protect foreign exchange reserves. However, he remains optimistic that once reserves are replenished, the industry will experience a significant upturn.

    Pakistan’s automotive industry is facing a dire crisis, with plummeting sales, layoffs, and manufacturing plant closures. The ban on raw material imports, along with the economic challenges of soaring inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, has pushed the industry to the brink. Despite the difficulties, the government is committed to revitalizing the sector and assuaging the concerns of manufacturers.

  • Sindh lawyers team up against a female judge for exposing water scam

    Sindh lawyers team up against a female judge for exposing water scam

    Sadaf Khokhar, a female jurist posted as a District and Sessions Judge at the Malir court in Karachi, has exposed a scam in which water from Karachi court’s RO filter plant was being illegally sold for profit.

    After she exposed the scam, lawyers from different groups of the province pitted themselves against the female judge.

    She had a sign displayed at the court’s RO filter plant last week on Thursday, May 11, prohibiting the sale of the water.

    Given the lack of access to clean drinking water for those who visit this court, the Malir Bar Association requested authorisation to establish a RO plant in 2021.

    However, when senior civil judge and supervisory officer Khurram Amin Khan paid a surprise visit to the RO facility last week, he discovered that a man by the name of Hajan Ali was peddling packed bottles of water from it.

    Hajan Ali informed the civil judge that he had a contract in place to sell the water with the current elected Malir Bar Association board.

    At the plant, the civil judge discovered bottles and packing materials.

    Justice Khokhar was then informed by the civil judge about the scam. “[D]istilled water is being sold commercially,” Khokhar said in a letter she wrote to the registrar of the Sindh High Court on May 13.

    “The RO plant is donated and being maintained at the [cost of] court/public exchequer (electricity etc).”

    The District Bar Association then promptly organised a strike, scheduled for the following day.

    The lawyers accused the female judge of harassing and humiliating the lawyers of the Malir Bar and stopping the service of drinking water.

    According to the Malir Bar lawyers, the female judge had violated the law,and they had declared a strike that would last until Monday, May 15.

    The case then moved on to further courts, with the Sindh Bar Council bringing it before the Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court by May 18.

    The Chief Justice Ahmad Ali M Sheikh was informed about the judge’s behaviour by the Sindh Bar Council, the Sindh High Court Bar Association, the Karachi Bar Association, and the Malir Bar Association.

    However, they were dissatisfied with the judge’s response.

    Amir Saleem, the president of the Karachi Bar, said on May 20, they will go on strike in protest of the Chief Justice’s and District and Sessions Judge Sadaf Khokhar’s lack of cooperation.

    On Monday, May 22, the strike was still in effect. Her transfer out is what the solicitors desire.

  • Transgender activist Shehzadi Rai, Twitter users criticise ‘Guru’ for hiring cis man to play intersex character

    Express Entertainment has recently released the teaser trailer of the upcoming drama ‘Guru’ about an intersex character, with the main character to be played by Ali Rehman Khan.

    The announcement has received backlash on social media, with transgender activists like Shehzadi Rai taking to Twitter to criticise how such castings prevent opportunities for members of the khwajasira community to tell their own stories:

    “Cisgender men taking opportunities in acting roles that intended for transgender individuals. It is important to promote diversity and inclusivity in all fields, including acting. Kuch tu chor do.”

    Speaking to The Current on the use of ‘intersex’ to describe the khwajasira community, as well as giving third gender roles to men, Rai said:

    “People who do not want to declare themselves as intersex, why are you pushing the label on them? And roles that are about the third gender, you should give them to people who identify under it. A man’s role would be played by a man, while a woman’s role would be played by a woman.”

    Other Twitter users have slammed the announcement as a disservice to the khwajasira community, by profitting of their stories but refusing to lift up members of the community. One user added:

    “Most Pakistani celebrities will never utter a word in support of the khawajasira community when their rights are being taken away but would be the first ones to accept roles to portray khawajasira characters in dramas. Token inclusion at its finest.”

    Another user compared the response of this casting to the backlash the film ‘Joyland’ had received, for which the transgender actress Alina Khan had been cast, and how the backlash began because an actual person from the marginalized community had stepped forward to tell their own story:

    “This is hypocrisy. When Joyland featured an actual khwajasira person, the entire country is up in arms. But we seem to be totally okay with basing our movies and shows on their lives as long as we’re not actually giving them opportunities in the process.”

    Many also criticised Express Entertainment for representing a marginalised community with someone who does not belong to it.

    “Express tv really think they are making difference by representing marginalised community featuring a cis man in mainstream media & capitalising from it? when u could hire someone from the community because Im sure there are talented trans people who deserve this opportunity.”