Tag: Pakistan

  • Joy oh joy! Joyland has been officially shortlisted for the Oscars

    Joy oh joy! Joyland has been officially shortlisted for the Oscars

    This has been an amazing year for the Pakistani entertainment industry. With the Ali Sethi and Shae Gill song Pasoori topping charts worldwide, our singer Arooj Arif winning a Grammy, and now the film Joyland has been shortlisted for the Oscars.

    This is the first time a Pakistani film has been officially recognized for the category Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.

    The official page for the movie uploaded a clip where activist and executive producer of the movie Malala Yousafzai was on the phone congratulating director and writer Saim Sadiq and also extending her well wishes to the rest of the team.

    Other Pakistani-British actors like Riz Ahmed also sent their congratulations to the team behind the film, as he posted this screenshot of an article by Deadline this morning.

    Joyland had began generating excitement among Pakistani audiences when it received the Jury Prize in the Uncertain Regard Awards Category at the Cannes Film Festival. It also received a 10 minute standing ovation at its debut.

  • Malala condemns Taliban ban on university education, says ‘can not lock up women’s minds’

    Malala condemns Taliban ban on university education, says ‘can not lock up women’s minds’

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai has condemned the ban on higher education for Afghan women by Taliban administration.

    “The Taliban may lock all the classrooms and university gates in the country — but they can never lock up women’s minds. They cannot stop girls from seeking knowledge. They cannot kill the quest to learn,” the wrote in a tweet.

    The Taliban on Tuesday banned women from universities in Afghanistan. The statement was made by the minister of higher education, who stated that it will go into effect right away.

    “You all are informed to implement the mentioned order of suspending education of females until further notice,” said the letter signed by the minister for higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem. The letter was issued to all government and private universities.

    The decision is being condemned across the globe, with U.N.’s mission in Afghanistan asking the Taliban-run administration to “immediately” revoke the ban.

    The US government has declared the ban ‘unacceptable’, with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, announcing that he was “deeply dismayed” at the development.

  • Why are women still being pushed back from their right of public transport?

    Why are women still being pushed back from their right of public transport?

    We’ve heard sleazy men behind anonymous accounts push back against this. We’ve seen boomers roll their eyes every time they see this happen. Now, recently, we’ve had to listen to the unsolicited opinion of Behroze Sabzwari on this issue. Can you guess what causes these men to go into frenzied anger? It’s the ability of a woman to choose independence by taking public transport.

    It is amusing how this country won’t revolt in a political or economic crisis, however, our mard hazarat will unleash hell when a Pakistani woman is walking down the street without a dupatta or even riding a bike. The consistent way women have to fight away unsolicited opinions that drag her in to a box, unable to express her individuality and bound away from walking outside is a by-product of centuries of male entitlement and patriarchal oppression that consider women as inferior beings.

    A few days ago, women had to witness a mansplaining Behroze Sabzwari expressing anger that women shouldn’t wear tight-fitted clothes while riding bikes. “The clothes are not only see through but usually are very tight, women should be fully covered,” said the television veteran who owes his career mostly to women’s writing. It’s shocking that not only does Mr Sabzwari encourage drivers to spend more time oogling women while driving, but also does not take into account how dupattas or abayas can get caught in wheels, potentially causing a dangerous accident.

    Founder of Soul Sisters Pakistan, Kanwal Ahmed, has now jumped in to take back the narrative from men and allow women to express their own choices whether that includes driving motorbikes wearing abayas or refusing to sit sideways. The film maker has posted on Twitter that she wishes for women to stop feeding in to misogynist policing that is making them neglect proper safety while riding bikes on roads, and shared how today she had seen a woman suffer because her dupatta had gotten entangled in the tire of her bike.

    Women soon began to flood the comments with instances of how they had to counter sexism and shame when choosing to ride motorbikes .

    This user shared how even in situations of life and death, a man’s honor is considered more important than a woman’s safety because of how little regard is given to the way women are sitting on motorbikes.

    https://twitter.com/m1shkat/status/1605306717927272448?s=20&t=Mls-QjW0ZTGLmpJl5VZl3Q

    We need to stop validating male honor and giving it preference to the point that women have to risk the chance of an accident rather than riding motorbikes safely. Women should not be forced into molding themselves according to what men think, and it’s about time the anonymous Bashir’s of the internet back off, let women reclaim the streets wearing whatever they want and ride any vehicle of their choice.

  • US offers ‘resolute’ support to Pakistan to counter terrorism

    US offers ‘resolute’ support to Pakistan to counter terrorism

    The United States (US) has offered its “resolute” support to Pakistan to counter terrorism while Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari spoke to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

    Antony Blinken tweeted, “I hope for a productive climate conference next month and give my condolences for the lives lost in recent terrorist attacks.”

    Bilawal Bhutto also tweeted about the conversation, writing, “Spoke with @SecBlinken & conveyed gratitude of GoP for USG’s flood assist. of $97 m. Will continue coop. for rebuilding resilient infrastructure in & to further enhance & diversify bilateral relations & to work together for regional peace & stability.”

    Earlier, the US offered to help Pakistan in dealing with threats posed by militant outfits.

    “Well, first, we are aware of the ongoing situation in Pakistan. We’ve been closely following reports that militants have seized control of the counterterrorism centre in Bannu. We offer our deepest sympathies to those injured,” said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

  • Restaurant owners and traders denounce government’s national energy conservation plan, calling it ‘counterproductive’

    Restaurant owners and traders denounce government’s national energy conservation plan, calling it ‘counterproductive’

    Restaurant owners and traders condemned the national energy conservation plan the government announced yesterday, warning that it will create more problems rather than solutions.

    Under the National Energy Conservation Plan, the government has announced that all restaurants and markets shall be closed by 8 pm, while the timing for wedding halls will be limited to 10 pm.

    President of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran, Ajmal Baloch, urged the government to reconsider the decision, stating that it might bankrupt traders as they purchase the most expensive electricity during the timings 6pm to 8pm.

    “The government, before defaulting the country, will bankrupt all traders.”

    Rizwan Irfan, the President of the Karachi Electric Dealers Association, said while lamenting the policy. He pointed out that traders were facing problems due to electricity and gas load shedding, stressing that such a decision might cause merchants to start protesting in the streets.

    The President of the All Pakistan Restaurants Association, Athar Chawla, has called the national energy conservation plan a “counterproductive” approach to ressolving the energy crisis in Pakistan. In a letter to the Minister of Defence Khwaja Asif, who had unveiled the plan at a press conference on Tuesday, he asked that the policy be reconsidered because of how much it could harm restaurants.

    “All restaurants carry an inventory of perishable items, which is to be kept in cold storage 24 hours a day and seven days a week, another major electricity consuming machinery are air-conditioners which are already off due to winter season,” he said.

    The letter also urged the minister to consider the losses restaurants suffered during Covid-19, and mentioned that almost 50% restaurants suffered losses due to the present economic situation:

    “Any further restriction will aggravate the situation resulting in huge unemployment and loss of revenue for the government.”

    The letter requested that the government allow restaurants to operate their dine-in function till 1 am, and food delivery to function 24/7.

  • World Bank approves $1.69 billion financing for flood-hit Sindh

    World Bank approves $1.69 billion financing for flood-hit Sindh

    The Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank approved funding for five projects totaling $1.692 billion on Tuesday in order to support those residing in Sindh, Pakistan’s flood-affected areas.

    According to Geo, out of the five initiatives, three support rehabilitation, home reconstruction, and the restoration of crop production for vulnerable populations, according to a statement released by the World Bank. Two of the three projects have a combined value of $500 million, while the third is worth $292 million.

    “Sindh was the province worst affected by the 2022 floods. There were huge damages to the housing, health, and agriculture sectors and people lost their livelihoods. Beyond the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged houses and infrastructure, our engagement in the flood response effort is an opportunity to strengthen resilience, and reform institutions and governance structures”, said Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan.

    The “Sindh Flood Emergency Rehabilitation Project,” which will cost $500 million, will prioritize creating short-term livelihood opportunities and enhancing the province’s ability to respond to emergencies.

    “The project will help restore and improve critical irrigation and flood protection infrastructure, water supply schemes, roads, and related infrastructure. At least 2 million people—approximately 50 per cent of whom are women—in the most flood-affected districts will benefit from the restoration and the resilient reconstruction of critical infrastructure”.

    About 100,000 households will get short-term financial support through a community-level cash-for-work program.

    “The $500 million Sindh Floods Emergency Housing Reconstruction Project will support owner-driven and multi-hazard resilient reconstruction of core housing units. A housing subsidy will provide reconstruction and restoration grants for 350,000 housing units (almost 20 per cent of the total housing rehabilitation needs for Sindh). Cash grants will be provided for houses with structural damage to partially finance reconstruction or restoration. “

    To increase access to water and sanitation, twin pit latrines and simple rainwater collection systems will also be provided.

    Furthermore, the $292 million approved for the “Sindh Water and Agriculture Transformation Project” will enhance integrated water resource management, boost agricultural water productivity, and enable farmers who were impacted by the flood to resume crop production.

    “More than 385,000 households (approximately 1.9 million people) are expected to benefit from the project. As an immediate response to the floods, the project will provide cash transfers to approximately 300,000 flood-affected farming households to help restore crop production through the purchase of seeds, fertilizer, and other critical inputs. In the medium term around 70,000 households will benefit from improved irrigation services and agricultural support that will help boost farming income. An estimated 14,000 households will receive direct financial benefits from the pilot smart subsidy schemes targeting small- and medium-sized farmers,” the WB said.

    By improving access to and use of mother and child health services, the Sindh Strengthening Social Protection Delivery System Project ($200 million) will also boost the province’s social protection delivery system. As part of the project, the Federal National Database Registration Authority will be aligned and connected, and conditional cash transfers (CCTs) will be given to 1.3 million mothers and their kids to support better maternal and child health outcomes, particularly in the wake of service disruption caused by the floods.

    The CCTs will be made available to Sindh’s bottom 15 districts, selected depending on the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), and will cover 65 per cent of the province’s total flood-affected areas. They are intended to help lessen the effects of the floods, particularly food insecurity, and to maintain access to maternal and child health services open.

    The Sindh Integrated Health and Population Project have been granted $200 million by the lender. The project will assist in raising the standard and uptake of fundamental nutrition, and maternal, neonatal, child, and adolescent health care. Additionally, it will aid in the repair and reconstruction of health infrastructure that was harmed during the floods and impeded the provision of these services.

    The initiative would enhance the population’s access to high-quality healthcare services in Sindh’s flood-affected settlements as well as in distant and peri-urban areas, particularly for women, girls, and children.

    “The World Bank will continue to support the Government and people of Pakistan to recover from the recent flood emergency and strengthen long-term resilience to such climate-related shocks,” the statement concluded.

  • Pakistan ‘played good cricket’ despite England’s 3-0 win: Brendon McCullum

    Pakistan ‘played good cricket’ despite England’s 3-0 win: Brendon McCullum

    The last Test match of the historic series between Pakistan and England was won by the visiting team by eight wickets at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi. This gave the visiting team a 3-0 series victory.

    For the first time ever, Pakistan was thoroughly defeated at home in a Test series. In addition, it is the first time in the previous 22 years that England has triumphed in a Test series against Pakistan.

    The Babar Azam-led team’s campaign for the 2021–23 ICC World Test Championship final, which is set to take place at Lord’s in the year 2023, has also come to an end as a result of the series loss.

    Pakistan has had trouble winning Test series this year because to its struggles in red-ball cricket. Earlier this year, they suffered a 0-1 home loss to Australia, while the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka ended in a draw.

    Regarding the third game, only the captain managed to get a half-century as Pakistan was bowled out for 304 runs in the first innings. In response, England lost early wickets but gained a 50-run lead thanks to their tailenders.

    Rehan Ahmad, a debutant leg-spinner, grabbed five wickets for 48 runs to help the home team collapse in the second innings and be dismissed for 215 runs.

    The team captained by Ben Stokes had a 170 run target to reach in two days, which they did with the loss of two wickets. Zak Crawley scored 41 runs off of 41 while Ben Duckett quickly scored 75 runs at a strike rate of over 100.

    England’s head coach Brendon McCullum said that Pakistan played well despite England’s 3-0 win against the home team, according to Geo Super.

    “I think Pakistan has actually played some really good cricket throughout the series. If we look at all three Test matches, I think there was some defining moments in each of those Tests. And, whilst we might have maybe dominated a little bit more throughout the series, I think, Pakistan certainly had their opportunities and played their part,” he said.

    “I look at it from a holistic point of view, I think the series has been a really watchable one for people around the around the world and Test cricket has always been like that. I take my hat off to Pakistan for the part that I’ve played in it and obviously to our boys for how we’ve played also,” McCullum added.

  • ‘Youth ko sabaq seekhna chaahiye’: Twitterati reacts to Imran Khan’s alleged sex audio leak

    ‘Youth ko sabaq seekhna chaahiye’: Twitterati reacts to Imran Khan’s alleged sex audio leak

    The season of audio leaks never really ends in Pakistan. On Monday, December 19, a recording of former Prime Minister Imran Khan allegedly indulging in a graphic conversation of a sexual nature surfaced on social media.

    Khan can be allegedly heard talking to an unidentified woman on the phone call. The brief recording sent Twitterati into a frenzy, spurring a flurry of responses. While many questioned if the audio was fake, others were of the opinion that no one’s privacy could be breached in this manner.

    Here are some of the reactions:

    Maheen Ghani tweeted, “Political differences aside. I stand by IK on this. It’s a despicable invasion of privacy, unwarranted and highly condemnable.”

    A female Twitter user was of the view that audio leaks were a grand corruption of the society and our political system.

    https://twitter.com/AasmaaHaq/status/1605074317024366592?s=20&t=kuRxzIsxvhZO33dbBrz61Q

    Another twitter user said that she always hated Imran Khan but she condemns the violation of his privacy.

    One Tweet said that he prays that the audio is fake and that if in any way it is true then the youth of the country should learn from such incidents.

  • BJP leader places Rs2 crore bounty on Bilawal Bhutto’s head for calling Modi ‘butcher of Gujarat’

    BJP leader places Rs2 crore bounty on Bilawal Bhutto’s head for calling Modi ‘butcher of Gujarat’

    Manupal Hansal, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Uttar Pradesh, has placed a Rs 2 crore bounty on the head of Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stating that Indian people are angry at the minister’s remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “Mai ailaan karta hoon ke jo uss mantri Bilawal Bhutto ka dhar se sar alag karega, 2 crore ka inaam mai doonga” [I declare that I will give a reward of ₹2 crore to anyone who will behead Minister Bilawal Bhutto], Hansal had said.

    The BJP also held protests across India and in front of the Pakistan Embassy in New Delhi, burning effigies of the Pakistani foreign minister.

    Minister of Climate Change Sherry Rehman has condemned Hansal’s remarks in a tweet, saying that this was a testament of “the shocking impunity that extremism enjoys for doing only what terrorists do in Modi’s RSS-defined India”.

    In an interview with “Bloomberg“, Bilawal Bhutto stood by his statement about Modi by pointing out that what he had said was “a historical fact”. He also pointed out that the term “butcher of Gujarat” had not been coined by him, but by the people of Gujarat after the 2002 Godhra incident. He further added that he was aware of the bounty a BJP leader had placed on his head.

    “I was referring to a historical reality. The remarks I used weren’t my own. I did not invent the term ‘butcher of Gujarat’ for Mr Modi. The Muslims of India following the Gujarat riots used that term for Mr Modi. I believe I was referring to a historical fact and they believe that repeating history is a personal insult. If I was incorrect then … So what has happened today… it’s been two days since my remark, a member of Mr Modi’s party has announced 20 million rupee bounty on my head. So I don’t think the best way to disapprove the fact that Mr Modi is the butcher of Gujarat is to adopt such extreme steps,” he said in the interview.

    When the interviewer had further questioned Bilawal on whether these comments might further sour relations with India and even the possibility of nuclear war, the FM pointed out that Indian citizens had the right to protest, but the threat to his life was very problematic:

    “As far as my remarks concerned they resulted in protests all over India and that’s their right. I think you cross the line when you officially announce head money for your neighboring country’s foreign minister’s assassination. I think that’s a line we’re normalizing in crossing and the fact that we get to move on from that question is troubling for me when I’m engaging with Bloomberg which is an important international forum. As far as nuclear war no one has threatened nuclear war. A minister did say that Pakistan is a responsible nuclear country and should be treated as such.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZKjz4SUs7s&t=436s

    At a press conference in New York on December 16, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had responded to accusations that Pakistan had sheltered Osama bin Laden by pointing out that Modi, who is regarded as ‘butcher of Gujarat’ is still the Prime Minister of India:

    “I would like to remind Mr Jaishankar that Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives, and he is the prime minister (of India).”

  • ‘Ready to assist Pakistan with TTP threats’: US urges militants to release hostages

    ‘Ready to assist Pakistan with TTP threats’: US urges militants to release hostages

    The United States (US) has offered to help Pakistan in dealing with the threats posed by militant outfits.

    “Well, first, we are aware of the ongoing situation in Pakistan. We’ve been closely following reports that militants have seized control of the counterterrorism centre in Bannu. We offer our deepest sympathies to those injured,” said State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

    Last week at least four police personnel were martyred and as many others wounded in an overnight terrorist attack on the Bargai police station of Lakki Marwat. Terrorists launched an armed assault on the police station from two sides. A fierce exchange of fire took place between the police and the outlaws, leaving four police officers dead and as many injured.

    On Sunday, militants detained at a facility run by Khyber Pakhtun­khwa police’s Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Bannu took over the department, held interrogators hostage, demanding a safe evacuation to Afghanistan. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility for the incident.

    “The government of Pakistan is a partner when it comes to these shared concerns, including the challenge of terrorist groups inside Afghanistan… terrorist groups along the Afghan-Pakistan border… we stand ready to assist, whether with this unfolding situation or other situations,” said Price.

    “We offer our deepest sympathies to those injured. We urge those responsible to cease all acts of violence, release the hostages and end the seizure of the counterterrorism centre,” he said.

    US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price made these remarks at a news briefing, hours after Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari reached Washington for talks with US officials.