Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Excellent’: says PM Shehbaz after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    ‘Excellent’: says PM Shehbaz after meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting at the Royal Palace of Riyadh.

    During the meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the bond between both Islamic countries, reports Radio Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz thanked the Saudi leadership for extending assistance to Pakistan during the recent devastating floods, particularly for establishing the air bridge between Riyadh and Islamabad to provide relief goods in flood-affected areas.

    Meanwhile, crown prince Salman termed the fraternal ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia very important for the two countries as well as for the region and the world.

    Taking to Twitter, PM Shehbaz described the meeting as “excellent”. He said, “We agreed to upgrade and enhance bilateral ties and fraternal bonds between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to new heights in line with the requirements of the changing world. I told the crown prince that people of Pakistan are eagerly looking forward to his visit,” he added.

    Later, the premier and his accompanying delegation performed Umrah at Makkah’s Grand Mosque, where he “prayed for the peace and prosperity of Pakistan as well as Muslim ummah.”

    PM Shehbaz addressed the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Saudia

    PM Shehbaz addressed the Future Investment Initiative Conference in Saudia and highlighted the importance his government attaches to enabling the participation of Pakistani youth to become agents of change in the technology world.

    In his address with attendees at the sixth edition of the FII summit, Sharif called the conference a “remarkable” forum launched by his Saudi “friends.”

    “For the investment in solar and wind energy projects in Pakistan, I am standing before you, inviting you to please come forward and invest in these fields”, PM said on the occasion.

    PM Shehbaz landed in Riyadh on Monday where he was received by Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal Bin Bandar Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud at the airport. The premier is accompanied by several federal ministers. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and other officials are with him.

    The Saudi Crown Prince is likely to visit Pakistan on an official visit in November.

    The last time the crown prince visited Pakistan was in February 2019 when former PM Imran Khan was in power.

  • Director FIA, Deputy Director Intelligence Bureau to go to Kenya for Arshad Sharif’s murder investigation

    Director FIA, Deputy Director Intelligence Bureau to go to Kenya for Arshad Sharif’s murder investigation

    The Ministry of Interior has established an inquiry team to look into the killing of prominent journalist Arshad Sharif.

    In this context, the government has released a notification.

     Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Athar Waheed, Deputy Director-General IB Omar Shahid Hamid are part of the probe team.

    Autopsy of Arshad Sharif:

    An autopsy of slain journalist Arshad Sharif will be carried out in Pakistan.

    According to Sharif’s family, police and the federal capital’s administration will help in conducting the postmortem procedure with a team of three doctors. The late journalist’s mother has reportedly insisted that a renowned surgeon be present during the hospital autopsy.

    The senior journalist’s remains will be transported to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the largest government hospital in the capital. The body has been kept in the Quaid-e-Azam International Hospital’s mortuary for now.

    In the early hours of Wednesday, a Qatar Airways jet carrying his body landed in Islamabad. The coffin containing his mortal remains was handed over to his family at the airport in Islamabad.

    “My Arshad is back, but in [a] coffin,” his wife Javeria Siddique said on Twitter

    In the early hours of Wednesday, a Qatar Airways jet carrying his body landed in Islamabad. His body was handed over to his family at the airport in Islamabad.

  • ‘Investigation should be held on why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan’: DG ISPR

    ‘Investigation should be held on why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan’: DG ISPR

    Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Babar Iftikhar, has said that the military has requested the federal government to conduct a “high-level investigation” into the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.

    On October 23, Sharif was shot dead near Nairobi, Kenya, by the local police. The local law enforcing authorities have termed the killing a case of ‘mistaken identity’.

    While talking to 24 News, DG ISPR said, “We have requested the government to hold a high-level investigation so that all these speculations can be put to rest.”

    Gen Iftikhar stressed that it is important to find out why the journalist left Pakistan, where did he live all this time, and what circumstances led to this incident.

    “Investigation should be held that why Arshad Sharif had to leave Pakistan,” the DG ISPR said while adding that we have to put an end to the speculations.

    He regretted that people are accusing institutions, stressing that the military has also requested the government “to take legal action against all these people who are leveling allegations without any evidence”.

    “This is why it is most upsetting that his death is being used for baseless conversations and fingers are being raised on it. We just have to see who is using this unfortunate incident, who is the beneficiary of this thing,”‘ General Iftikhar pointed out.

    Describing Arshad Sharif as a “very professional man”, the General observed that everyone is sad about his tragic death.

    Earlier in the day, General Headquarters (GHQ) asked the government to constitute a high-level panel to look into the tragic circumstances of Arshad’s death.

  • Arshad Sharif’s body to reach Pakistan today, burial on Thursday

    Arshad Sharif’s body to reach Pakistan today, burial on Thursday

    The body of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed by Kenyan police on Sunday, will be transferred to Pakistan today, his family and government officials have confirmed, reports Samaa.

    The last remains of the senior journalist will first be transported to Doha, Qatar, and then and will arrive in Pakistan late on Tuesday.
    In a tweet, his wife Javeria Siddique has stated that he will be buried in Islamabad’s H-11 graveyard on Thursday.

    Arshad Sharif died on Sunday night in Kenya in a reported shooting incident. He was killed after being hit by a bullet in the head as his car crossed a police blockade. Admitting to the killing, Kenyan police has called it an incident of ‘mistaken identity’.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called Kenya’s President William Ruto and asked for a conclusive investigation into the incident.

  • Indian CEO of Google celebrates Diwali by watching highlights of Pakistan-India match

    Indian CEO of Google celebrates Diwali by watching highlights of Pakistan-India match

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai celebrated Diwali by watching highlights of Pakistan-India match that took place on October 23.

    “Happy Diwali! Hope everyone celebrating has a great time with your friends and family. I celebrated by watching the last three overs again today, what a game and performance #Diwali#TeamIndia#T20WC2022,” he tweeted.

    He also gave a sarcastic reply to a Pakistani cricket fan who suggested him to re-watch first three overs

    After a nail-biting match, the Indian cricket team managed to defeat Pakistan by four wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

    A crucial partnership between Indian master batsman Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya sailed India to victory. Before Pandya’s (40) dismissal, he and Kohli (82) shared scored 113 runs off 78 balls.

    At the end of the match, India stood at 160 with the loss of eight wickets. Kohli was awarded the Man of The Match award.

    On Pakistan’s side, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz took two wickets each, while Naseem Shah was able to get one.

  • ‘No shame in going down while putting up a valiant fight’: Politicians react to Pakistan’s defeat

    ‘No shame in going down while putting up a valiant fight’: Politicians react to Pakistan’s defeat

    After a nail-biting match, the Indian cricket team managed to defeat Pakistan by four wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

    A crucial partnership between Indian master batsman Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya sailed India to victory. Before Pandya’s (40) dismissal, he and Kohli (82) shared scored 113 runs off 78 balls.

    At the end of the match, India stood at 160 with the loss of eight wickets. Kohli was awarded the Man of The Match award.

    On Pakistan’s side, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz took two wickets each, while Naseem Shah was able to get one.

    While there is disappointment over the Green shirts’ defeat, Pakistani politicians have come forward to support them.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif praised the “brilliant effort” by the team, saying it was a “great game”.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President, Maryam Nawaz, was of the view that “there’s no shame in going down while putting up a valiant fight”.

    “The match was an absolute cliffhanger and could’ve gone anywhere. Buck up Boys and gear up for the next fight!,” she said in a tweet.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry praised Kohli who nearly scored a century. In a tweet, Chaudhry also asked the Indian PM Narendra Modi to let the Indian cricket team come to Pakistan.

    Apart from these politicians, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, PTI’s Senator Faisal Javed, PML-N’s Hina Parvez Butt, and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Saeed Ghani applauded Pakistan’s performance and wished them good luck for the upcoming T20 World Cup matches.

  • ‘No state, entity, individual has the right to decide’: Malala comes out in support of Iranian women protesting against forced Hijab

    ‘No state, entity, individual has the right to decide’: Malala comes out in support of Iranian women protesting against forced Hijab

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai has shared a video message to show solidarity with the women of Iran who are protesting for their rights.

    “No state, entity, individual has the right to decide what a woman should do with her body, what she should wear and how she should wear,” said Malala in the video message.
    “To the Iranian girls and young women who are in the streets to demand freedom and safety: You are already changing the world with your courage,” she wrote in the caption of the video.

    “Zan! Zendigi! Azadi! Women! Life! Freedom,” she added.

    Widespread protests have taken hold of Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who breathed her last in September after being arrested by a police unit responsible for forcing Iran’s strict dress code for women. She was taken into custody for not complying with hijab rules.

    Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran. Photographs of Mahsa lying in a hospital bed went viral, showing the young woman in a coma with her head wrapped in bandages and breathing through tubes.

    Since then, protests have spread across the country, including Tehran, Mashad,  Esfahan, Rasht, Keramn, Chabahar and Sanandaj. Human rights agencies have said that over 244 protestors, including 32 children, have been killed by security forces while 12,500 have been arrested.

  • Shan Masood sustains head injury during practice session in Australia

    Shan Masood sustains head injury during practice session in Australia

    During a practice session for the T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistani batsman Shan Masood hit his head, following which he was reportedly taken for scans.

    A shot from his fellow team member Mohammad Nawaz struck Masood on the head and left him lying flat on the ground.

    In the picture posted on social media, it can be seen that Pakistani players and team staff surround Masood after the ball hit him on the head.

    https://twitter.com/AvinashArya09/status/1583385034475507712?s=20&t=Ej07viUSpI65lxg0wxXn8g

    The team’s Vice Captain Shadab Khan told reporters that he passed the tests taken by the physio. He has gone to the hospital for scans. Shadab hoped that Masood will stay fully fit.

    The 33-year-old batsman is regarded as a technically sound top-order batsman and has hit two half-centuries for Pakistan in 12 T20s since his debut in September.

    On Sunday, Pakistan will face its arch-rivals India in Melbourne.

  • Pakistani and Indian officials participated in ‘off the record’ sessions

    Pakistani and Indian officials participated in ‘off the record’ sessions

    Senior serving and retired Pakistani and Indian officials participated in a conference organised recently by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IIS) in Oman, reports Rezaul Hasan Laskar for Hindustan Times.

    The 15th edition of the Southern Asia Security Conference saw officials from both sides participating in “off the record” sessions that were held behind closed doors.

    The conference, which was held in Muscat from September 17 to September 18, saw the participation of an Indian delegation that included the external affairs ministry’s pointperson for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, joint secretary J P Singh, and at least two former officials from the external intelligence setup who continue to be active in tracking Pakistan-related issues, writes Laskar.

    “The Pakistani side was represented by former foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, the special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, and Brig Zulfiqar Ali Bhatty, the director of strategic communications in Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Haneef Atmar, the foreign minister in the former Afghan government led by president Ashraf Ghani, also participated in the conference.”

    The conference was held at a time when there are virtually no bilateral contacts between India and Pakistan, with relations having plummeted since New Delhi scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in August 2019.

  • ‘Lucky to have him’: The Crown’s leading lady Elizabeth Debicki reveals how much she adores Humayun Saeed

    ‘Lucky to have him’: The Crown’s leading lady Elizabeth Debicki reveals how much she adores Humayun Saeed

    Pakistani superstar Humayun Saeed is essaying Dr Hasnat Khan, Princess Diana’s love interest in season five of the hit Netflix series, The Crown.

    Saeed will be the second Pakistani to be cast in a Netflix Original which will premiere on 9th November 2022.

    'The Crown': Release date of Humayun Saeed's Hollywood debut revealed

    The actor will play alongside Australian actor Elizabeth Debicki who has been cast as Princess Diana.

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    Now Elizabeth has praised the London Nahi Jaunga hero in her latest interview, “I absolutely adored Humayun — he was such a lovely actor, and such a beautiful person,” she told Entertainment Weekly. 

    Elizabeth Debicki Praises Humayun Saeed

    “You never know how that’s going to feel when you’re playing things like that with an actor. So I was very lucky to have him and I think he does such a beautiful job.”

    When the news was confirmed earlier this year, Pakistani superstar Mahira Khan congratulated the Bin Roye hero.

    Dr Hasnat Khan, a British-Pakistani surgeon, is widely known for his romantic, two-year relationship with Diana. In May 1996, she visited his family in Lahore too. Diana’s friends are reported to have described Hasnat as the “love of her life” and to have spoken of her distress when he ended their relationship in June 1997. Dr Khan attended Diana’s funeral ceremony in September 1997.

    Season 5 will be about the turmoil of Diana and Prince Charles’ marriage breakdown and the tragic death of Diana in August 1997.