Tag: Pakistan

  • Hina Rabbani meets Deputy PM of Interim Afghan Govt

    Hina Rabbani meets Deputy PM of Interim Afghan Govt

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, held a meeting with Deputy PM of Interim Afghan Govt. Abdul Salam Hanafi. Bilateral trade, connectivity & people-to-people contacts were discussed during the meeting.

    In the meeting matters of bilateral importance focused on political consultations between the two governments.

    She also held a meeting with Women Chamber of Commerce. During the meeting Pakistan expressed a keen interest in strengthening linkages between women entrepreneurs of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    This visit is being perceived as important because it is led by a female minister and that this is a top Pakistani official’s first visit since the April government transition.

  • Ben Stokes will donate match fee to Pakistan flood victims

    Ben Stokes will donate match fee to Pakistan flood victims

    The captain of England cricket team Ben Stokes has announced to donate his match fee for the three-match series against Pakistan.

    In his entire statement, the England Test captain said: “It is great to be in Pakistan for the first time for this historic series. To be back here after 17 years as a Test side is very exciting. There is a sense of responsibility amongst the playing and support group and to be there is special.”
    “The floods that devastated Pakistan earlier this year were very sad to see and have had a significant impact on the country and the people,” he added.

    England is currently on Pakistan’s tour for a test series. This is the first time in 17 years that England have toured Pakistan and the three-match series will be a part of the World Test Championship.

  • Pakistan Customs seizes 67 non-custom paid vehicles in an operation

    Pakistan Customs seizes 67 non-custom paid vehicles in an operation

    Pakistan Customs has impounded 67 non-custom paid vehicles in a crackdown against the smugglers in Quetta.

    67 non-custom paid vehicles, sugar, and fertiliser valued at approximately Rs336 million were confiscated in accordance with the Prime Minister’s goal to eradicate smuggling.

    The Customs team launched a crackdown in Nokandi, Quetta, and thwarted the attempt to smuggle goods across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

    Earlier, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on February 21 that non-custom paid vehicles worth Rs11.2 billion were seized between July 2021 and January 2022.

    During the July–January 2020–2021 period, smuggled goods worth a total of Rs35 billion were discovered, compared to Rs22 billion during the same time the previous year.

    Many people in Quetta continue to purchase non-custom vehicles despite the fact that they are illegal since they are much more expensive than legal or custom-paid vehicles.

    For instance, if a car is sold for Rs5 million at a dealership or local car market, it may be offered by smugglers for Rs2.5 million or even less. As these are smuggled vehicles, non-custom-paid automobiles are less expensive and lack the necessary paperwork or legal documents.

  • Saad Rafique directs PIA to install mobile charging points in aircraft

    Federal Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday directed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to install charging stations for electronic devices in their aircraft.

    The minister also instructed the national flag carrier to make seats more comfortable for the passengers. In addition, it was advised to install a flight entertainment system in the aircraft.

    Officials were directed to review its current branding as well.

    “Special arrangements should be made for cleaning the washrooms,” he added.

    The directions were issued after a meeting headed by Saad Rafique, which was attended by officials from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA), the Airport Security Force (ASF), and the PIA.

    The aviation minister hopes that the upgrades will boost customer service standards.

  • Award ceremonies, listen up – glorifying abuse is not acceptable

    Award ceremonies, listen up – glorifying abuse is not acceptable

    From glorifying abusers and then giving them awards, the Lux Style Awards (LSAs) became a sorry affair this year. The coveted LSAs rolled out nominations for its 21st edition. As soon as the names were dropped, viewers condemned what they felt was an injustice to other artists and women.

    Actor Feroze Khan, who recently came under fire for alleged abuse against his ex-wife Aliza Sultan, had been nominated in the Best TV Actor – Viewers’ Choice category for his drama Khuda Aur Mohabbat. Aliza had shared proof of domestic violence in court and on social media. Actor Feroze Khan released a statement denying all abuse allegations levied against him a day after fellow celebrities and social media rallied behind his ex-wife. Many are saying the case is still in court, and the court has not given a final verdict on Khan but the court will not be deciding whether Khan abused his wife or not. They are deciding a case of child custody. The proof that his wife submitted, which later went viral on social media, is enough to believe Aliza.

    So here are a few questions LSA should answer: Why was a man accused of domestic abuse, one of the nominees? How can a brand that capitalises on selling soap to women, become so insensitive towards their target market? LSA should have set the bar by upholding ethics. It takes courage to stand with victims and survivors of violence and abuse. In a country, where we are still dealing with the horror of the murder of Noor Mukadam, we haven’t yet healed as a nation. Having witnessing the bone-chilling gruesome murder of Sara Shah Nawaz at the hands of a man who was raised as a result of patriarchal norms, here the LSA decides to nominate Khan, further legitimising that men can get away with anything.

    We at The Current, on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, decided to delete all videos and coverage of the LSA. As a platform that supports women’s rights and the rights of all marginalised communities, we strongly believe change starts from within. We hope all award ceremonies in the future, keep in mind that when women come forward with their stories of horror, we, as a community and society, need to support the women, not nominate the men for stardom and applause.

  • Federal Minister Hina Rabbani likely to attend FIFA World Cup

    Federal Minister Hina Rabbani likely to attend FIFA World Cup

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, is expected to attend the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup in Qatar in the first week of December.

    According to The News, the dates for her trip are still being finalised. Earlier this week, Ambassador of Qatar in Islamabad Saoud Abdulrahman Al-Thani called on Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to extend an invitation from his Qatari counterpart to watch the World Cup.

    Pakistan’s Foreign Office had received the invitations before the World Cup started with the inauguration being attended by world leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

    According to the newspaper, it is important for Pakistan to show solidarity with a fellow Muslim state which was the first to hold the World Cup and which is being attacked by the West over alleged human rights records.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif showed solidarity with Qatar in the face of western media onslaught, tweeting, “Unfortunate that Qatar is being subjected to a barrage of propaganda as host of FIFA World Cup. It should be rather commended for wonderful arrangements for the mega event and being a promoter of global peace and development. Pakistan stands in solidarity with HH Emir and the people of Qatar.”

  • Will boycott ICC World Cup 2023 in India if it refuses to come to Pakistan for Asia Cup: Ramiz Raja

    Will boycott ICC World Cup 2023 in India if it refuses to come to Pakistan for Asia Cup: Ramiz Raja

    Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, has said that Pakistan will boycott the ICC World Cup 2023 if India refuses to visit Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup.

    “Who will watch the World Cup in India without Pakistan?” Raja. “We are very clear, if they don’t come to play in the Asia Cup here, we won’t go there for the World Cup,” the PCB chief added.

    Earlier, this year in October, Jay Shah, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president who is also secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year.

    “The Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue,” Shah told the media after a BCCI annual general meeting. “It’s the government which decides the permission of our team visiting Pakistan so we won’t comment on that but for the 2023 Asia Cup, it is decided that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue.”

    “I am saying this as ACC President. We [India] can’t go there [to Pakistan], they can’t come here. In the past also, the Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue,” he said.
    Prior to the ICC Cricket World Cup in India, which is slated for October and November 2023, Pakistan will host the 50-over Asia Cup. India last travelled to Pakistan in 2008 for the Asia Cup .

  • Lt General Faiz Hameed plans to take early retirement after COAS appointment

    Lt General Faiz Hameed plans to take early retirement after COAS appointment

    Lieutenant Generals (Lt Gen) Faiz Hameed and Azhar Abbas are reportedly contemplating planning early retirement following the appointment of Lt Gen Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    Lt General Abbas is officially set to retire on April 27 next year while Lt General Hameed is scheduled to retire on April 30, 2023.

    Both are from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Long Course.

    Earlier in the week, General Headquarters (GHQ) sent a summary containing the names of the six senior-most lieutenant generals to the Ministry of Defence for consideration for the two top military posts.

    It is pertinent to mention that the summary included the names of Lt Gen Azhar Abbas and Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as candidates for the posts of army chief and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJSC).

    On November 25, Lt Gen Asim Munir was officially appointed as the new army chief of Pakistan while Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza was appointed (CJSC), the two seniormost men on the list making the final cut.

  • Peshawar SHO announces he will resolve issues according to Sharia

    Peshawar SHO announces he will resolve issues according to Sharia

    Abdul Ali, Station House Officer (SHO) of Shahpur Police Station in Peshawar, has announced that he will resolve issues reported to his station according to Sharia.

    In the video, he can be heard saying that he will not let eunuchs or dancers be invited to marriage ceremonies, there will be a complete ban on fireworks and aerial firing in marriage ceremonies and strict action will be taken against violations.

    “If there is any issue in the area, i will take fatwa from the madrassa and tell people openly how it works,” he said while talking to Geo News.

    SHO Abdul Ali told Geo that he did not say anything wrong in the video.

  • Pakistan calls for ‘Global Action Plan’ against Islamophobia

    Pakistan calls for ‘Global Action Plan’ against Islamophobia

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, talked about the importance of “continued and robust inter-religious, inter-civilisational and inter-faith dialogue as a catalyst to promote peaceful co-existence, mutual understanding, and harmony,” while addressing the ninth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

    UNAOC was hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in the city of Fez on November 22-23, 2022. Khar expressed Pakistan’s viewpoint and concerns over the global problem of religious intolerance, discrimination, Islamophobia.

    She also brought the delegates’ attention to the state-driven prejudice, animosity, and phobia against Muslims and Islam, as well as the resulting environment of impunity for such atrocious acts.

    “Given its pervasive and widely documented impacts, it is time for the international community and the United Nations to formulate an action plan to meaningfully address the insidious phenomenon of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred,” she said.
    The UN Alliance of Civilizations was established in 2005 as a result of the tensions that developed between the Muslim world and the West in the wake of 9/11. Promoting tolerance for different cultures, customs, and religious beliefs is one of its main goals.