Tag: Pakistan

  • Six Pakistani nationals convicted of violating sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabawi

    Six Pakistani nationals convicted of violating sanctity of Masjid-e-Nabawi

    At least six Pakistani nationals have been convicted of violating the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi (PBUH) in Madinah during Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, reports Geo News.

    According to media reports, a court in Madinah gave three Pakistani nationals — Anas, Irshad, and Muhammad Saleem — 10 years of jail term, while the other three — Khawaja Luqman, Muhammad Afzal, and Ghulam Muhammad — have been given eight-year sentences.

    A fine of Saudi Riyal 20,000 each has been imposed on the convicts and their mobile phones have also been confiscated.

    In April, during PM Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Saudi Arabia, a group of protesters chanted slogans of “chor, chor (thieves)” when they saw the premiere and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

    Responding to the incident in Saudi Arabia, Aurangzeb said that there was a specific group that chanted those slogans. She also said that she prayed for those people at Masjid-e-Nabawi.

    In videos that were widely shared on social media, the Pakistani delegation, including Marriyum Aurangzeb, was seen surrounded by people yelling “chor chor”.

  • Flyover or Dam: PM Shehbaz gets candid with a Twitter follower

    Flyover or Dam: PM Shehbaz gets candid with a Twitter follower

    Pakistani weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt has bagged a maiden gold medal in the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022. In the 109+kg category, Butt lifted 173kg in snatch and set a new record. In clean and jerk, he lifted 232kg to set another record. In total, he lifted 405kg to claim a gold medal for Pakistan.

    “This wasn’t possible without the support and prayers of my friends and family members,” said Butt while talking to Geo News. “I dedicate this gold medal to my father, who worked for 12 years and helped me reach this stage.”

    “Winning a medal for your country is always a proud moment, and gold is something special.”

    “I have done my duty. Now it’s up to the government of Pakistan to do their job,” he added.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Nooh on winning a gold medal for Pakistan.

    “Prime Minister sahb Well done say BAAT nahe chalni, Butt Sahab Kay name ka flyover hona chahiye,” Twitter user Faizan Khan commented on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s congratulatory tweet after Nooh Butt won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games last night.

    “Or a dam,” was PM Shehbaz’s candid response.

    Social media users are expressing their joy over the achievement of the weightlifter from Gujranwala.

    Have a look at some of the tweets:

    https://twitter.com/hamzabutt61/status/1555010742625124352

    Butt won a bronze medal in the 105+kg division at the 2018 CWG. Pakistan won a gold medal in the CWG’s weightlifting event in 2006 when Shujauddin Malik won gold in the 85kg division.

  • Asia Cup 2022: Shoaib Malik not part of Pakistan squad

    Asia Cup 2022: Shoaib Malik not part of Pakistan squad

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced a 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2022.

    The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced last month that the Asia Cup 2022 will be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from August 27 to September 11. However, Sri Lanka will still officially have hosting rights.  The Asia Cup, which was last played in 2018, will be played in the T20 format, with nine teams participating.

    Shoaib Malik and Shan Masood are not part of Pakistan’s batting squad while fast bowler Naseem Shah has replaced Hasan Ali.

    Shoaib Malik is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Asia Cup. He has scored 907 runs in 21 matches with an average of 64.78.

    Shoaib Malik was part of the T20 World Cup 2021 and scored 101 runs in the tournament with a match-winning knock of 54 on 18 balls against Scotland.

    “It’s been 25 years but Pakistan has not found a replacement for Shoaib Malik,” said former Pakistani cricketer Aaqib Javed said in an interview.

    Read more – Asia Cup 2022 to be held in UAE

    People are expressing their disappointment over the decision to drop Shoaib Malik and Shan Masood.

    Have a look at some of the tweets:

    https://twitter.com/aleeybae/status/1554740957286785024

    Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2022: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir

  • Poliovirus detected in sewage samples from 7 cities in Pakistan

    Pakistan’s federal authorities have confirmed the presence of the poliovirus in seven cities after samples were collected from various cities in the country. The presence of the poliovirus was confirmed in the samples collected from Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Bannu, Nowshera and Swat.

    Lahore and Islamabad were declared polio-free in April 2021.

    Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel said in a statement that the government was committed to eradicating polio and had established a strategy to do so.

    “We have been taking steps to control the virus in seven cities that have reported positive environmental samples. I appeal to the parents to make sure that their children are vaccinated during every polio campaign,” said Qadir Patel.

    Read more – Shehbaz Sharif, Bill Gates discuss anti-polio campaign

    In order to raise awareness about the virus, the health ministry also solicited collaboration with civil society, religious scholars, academics and the media.

    Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio has not yet been eradicated. To formally eradicate the disease, a nation must be polio-free for three consecutive years. Nigeria was declared free from wild polio in August 2020.

  • Covid-19: Positivity rate in Pakistan jumps to 3.85%

    Covid-19: Positivity rate in Pakistan jumps to 3.85%

    According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Covid-19 positivity rate in Pakistan has reached 3.85 per cent.

    In addition, 806 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Pakistan on August 2 and nine people have lost their lives to the deadly virus. A total of 20,949 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours.

    According to the NIH data, 160 Covid-19 patients are in critical care.

    In March this year, the government announced the closure of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The body was set up in March 2020 to deal with Covid-19.

    Read more- Surge in Covid-19 cases: PM urges nation to follow SOPs

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif in June urged Pakistanis to follow Covid-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) amid a surge in coronavirus cases.

  • Masjid Nikkah, no fireworks, no dancing: Swat Jirga issues code of conduct for weddings

    Masjid Nikkah, no fireworks, no dancing: Swat Jirga issues code of conduct for weddings

    A code of conduct has been made for wedding celebrations in Swat’s Mangalore village after a jirga on Sunday decided to eliminate unnecessary wedding customs.

    The jirga decision says that weddings would be simple and nikkah would be performed only in mosques. In addition, the ‘haq mehr’ (dower) from the husband’s family would be only seven tola gold. The bride’s father will not provide money or food to the groom’s family and the dowry list would be modest and brief.

    Chairman Qaumi Jirga Fazal Ghaffar stated that his own daughter’s wedding was simple and convenient for both families.

    As per the new code of conduct, the wedding ceremony attendees would only be given dates; bridal gowns would not be overly expensive, and the groom would only provide the bride with 10 suits.

    Walima or other marriage functions would be simple and will be held according to the financial resources of both families.

    Fireworks and dances would not be permitted at weddings or other celebrations.

  • Dubai crown prince calls Dubai-based Pakistani rider to thank him for his ‘act of goodness’

    Dubai crown prince calls Dubai-based Pakistani rider to thank him for his ‘act of goodness’

    A Pakistani delivery rider won the heart of Dubai’s crown prince after a video of him removing concrete blocks from a busy street went viral. He was seen in the viral video removing two fallen concrete bricks from busy traffic.

    Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum then shared the video on his official Twitter account in an attempt to locate the man.

    “An act of goodness in Dubai to be praised. Can someone point me to this man?”

    Later, he commented on his own tweet saying that the “good man” has been found.

    The crown prince called Abdul Ghafoor to thank him.

    “Hello, this is Sheikh Hamdan,” were the first words when he called Pakistani expat Abdul Ghafoor on Sunday.

    “I could not believe my ears,” an elated Abdul Ghafoor told Khaleej Times. He was out for a delivery when the call came. “The Dubai Crown Prince thanked me for what I had done. He also said that he was out of the country right now and promised he would meet me as soon as he was back.”

    “To be honest, I’m still in disbelief that the Sheikh wanted to speak to a common man like me,” said Abdul Ghafoor. “He is really a great leader.”

  • ‘More power to her’: Inspiring story of female rider delivering food

    ‘More power to her’: Inspiring story of female rider delivering food

    A LinkedIn user named Fizza Ijaz recently posted about receiving her order from a female KFC rider, Meerab.

    Meerab belongs to Lahore and is currently pursuing a degree in fashion designing.

    “Today I ordered KFC in Lahore and received a call from a female saying: ‘Hello, I am your rider speaking’,” the post read.

    “I got so excited that I stood outside the gate to receive her and we (my friends and I) spoke to her for a good 10 minutes about many things including her pursuits, passion and bike riding skills. Meet Meerab from Youhanabad, Lahore.”

    “She is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Fashion Designing and does her night duty as a KFC rider to cover her fees. She intends to remain a rider for another 3 years until she graduates post which she plans to launch her own Fashion Brand!”

    The post has received over 50,000 likes and over 1,500 comments.

    Meerab’s university fees are paid by the KFC Female Higher Education Scholarship Programme.

    Asma Yusuf, KFC Pakistan’s Cheif People Officer (CPO), commented, “Thank you so much for the shoutout Fizza Ijaz Meerab makes us so proud! She’s not only a KFC Pakistan Dame Rider but is also continuing her education journey with the KFC Female Higher Education Scholarship Program. Indeed, there’s no force stronger than a woman who has decided to rise.”

  • Video: Uzbek singer sings Pakistani Mili Naghma

    Video: Uzbek singer sings Pakistani Mili Naghma

    An Uzbek singer sang Pakistani Mili Naghma during an official lunch at the Shanghai Coopera­tion Org­anisation’s (SCO) Council of For­eign Ministers’ meeting. The video was shared by the Foreign Office of Pakistan.

    “Warm hospitality on display by the hosts, during the recently concluded SCO Council of Foreign Minister,” tweeted Pakistan’s Foreign Office.

    The video was re-shared by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on his Instagram account.

    Bilawal Bhutto Zardari led Pakistan’s delegation to the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Tashkent from July 28-29, 2022. During his stay, he held various interactions with his counterparts.

  • ‘90% of fish consumed in Pakistan is unfit for human consumption’: WWF

    ‘90% of fish consumed in Pakistan is unfit for human consumption’: WWF

    An official at World Wide Fund (WWF) has revealed that approximately 90 per cent of the fish consumed in Pakistan is contaminated and unfit for human consumption.

    Muhammad Moazzam Khan, WWF’s technical advisor on marine fisheries, made the statement at a seminar titled “Blue Economy: An Avenue for Development in Pakistan” held at the Pakistan Institute of International affairs.

    He said that most of the fish sold on roadside carts is unhealthy for health because of lack of proper processing. He suggested that fish should be stored between 0 to 5 degrees Celsius to keep it from rotting.

    “Fish are very delicate protein items and putrefy very quickly if not iced or frozen as soon as possible,” said Khan. “It is usually kept at room temperature and sometimes at above 40 degrees Celsius and vendors sprinkle water on them to make them look fresher and keep them from decaying. But they have already become unfit for consumption, yet people buy and consequently, fall sick.”

    He also mentioned that the export of seafood was increasing but due to a lack of processing facilities and low-quality control, we were unable to achieve higher numbers. Pakistan exported around 10 per cent of the produce and the rest was degraded or damaged as most boats lacked deep freezers and other storage facilities.