Tag: Pakistan

  • Dawn photographer beaten up by Rangers in Karachi

    Faysal Mujeeb, a photographer working for Dawn, was beaten up by Karachi Rangers for covering Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Yaum-i-Shuhada event.

    The event was held near ‘Nine Zero’, formerly the headquarters of the MQM led by its founder leader, Altaf Hussain.

    According to Mujeeb, he was covering the event. He recalled that the relatives of slain MQM activists had started arriving at the venue, ‘Yaadgar-i-Shuhada’ on Thursday morning and were laying rose petals on their graves, reports Dawn.

    He stated, “Some of the people present there started raising slogans in favour of Hussain, which prompted Rangers and they started detaining them. I and another media worker, Mehboob Ahmed Chishti, were also picked up.”

    Mujeeb said that he proved his identity as a press photographer and that he was on the duty assigned to him by Dawn. However, he said, the Rangers personnel did not listen to him and started beating him up and his camera and mobile phone also got smashed during the episode.

    “They kept me in detention for about an hour and subjected me to severe thrashing. I was set free only after a Rangers officer came and got my identity verified from his sources,” he revealed.

    Several organisations and journalists condemned the act.

  • Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ends ceasefire with Pakistan

    Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ends ceasefire with Pakistan

    Taliban militants in Pakistan declared an end to a month-long ceasefire. Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) accused the government of breaching terms, including a prisoner release agreement and the formation of negotiating committees.

    A statement issued by the TTP gave out details of the six-point agreement that it said it had reached with the government under the protection of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” (IEA) on October 25, 2021.

    According to the statement, the government not only failed to implement the decisions reached between the two sides but the security forces conducted raids in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Bajaur, Swabi, and North Waziristan and killed and detained militants.

    “Under these circumstances, it is not possible to extend the ceasefire,” the TTP said.

    Official sources had earlier said that both sides had agreed to initiate “formal talks” and had finalised five names of negotiators each. The government’s negotiating team included two senior civil officers with good experience of having served in conflict zones. While the TTP said it had formed a five-member committee for negotiations, the government, it appears, took time to notify the committee.

  • Pakistan declines United States invitation to Democracy Summit

    Pakistan has turned down an invitation by the United States (US) to the summit for democracy which was going to be held virtually from December 9-December 10.

    The Pakistan Foreign Office thanked the United States for the invitation to participate in the Democracy Summit. According to the statement issued by the Spokesperson. Pakistan said that they would engage with the country on a wide range of issues “at an opportune time in the future.”

    The statement further added that Pakistan is committed to promoting democracy, eradicating corruption, and safeguarding the human rights of all our citizens.

    “We value our partnership with the U.S. which we wish to expand both bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation. We remain in contact with the U.S. on a range of issues and believe that we can engage on this subject at an opportune time in the future,” he added.

    The statement concluded, “Pakistan will, meanwhile, continue to support all efforts aimed towards strengthening dialogue, constructive engagement, and international cooperation for the advancement of our shared goals.”

    According to the official website of the State Department, President Biden will be hosting the virtual meetings on December 9-December 10. He will discuss issues regarding democracy with leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector.

    The statement stated, “The summit will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies and will provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy, and human rights at home and abroad.”

    The summit will be based on key important points which include defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights.

    In this summit, leaders will be persuaded to share their policies and plan of action for reforms and initiatives to curb the issues that meet the goals of the summit.

    Pakistan is being criticised by some for not attending the summit, with people saying that Pakistan has refused to attend because President Biden has not called PM Khan since he came to power.

    Afghanistan has not been invited to the summit and India’s PM Modi will be attending and speaking about commitment to democracy

  • Exclusive: Junaid Safdar reveals his honeymoon plans

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz and Captain (R) Safdar’s son, Junaid Safdar’s wedding is surely the talk of the town these days. The wedding reception will be held on December 14 in Islamabad and the Valima in Lahore on December 17.

    We approached Junaid and got to know some exclusive details regarding his wedding, views on his mamu’s [Hamza Shehbaz] singing and the honeymoon.

    When asked if is he going to sing at his wedding, he replied: “I have nothing planned in particular. It really depends on how the event proceeds. It was quite spontaneous during the Nikkah as well. Singing is something quite personal to me but because the nikkah was a strictly family affair.” He revealed that he sang a few lines from one of his favourites on his Nikkah.

    Hamza Shehbaz’s singing videos from one of Junaid’s pre-wedding events became a social media hit. When we asked Junaid if he thinks his uncle sings better than him, he clearly said he has no doubt about it, adding that “I cannot possibly attempt to tackle the songs he sings so effortlessly.”

    As the wedding is just around the corner, we asked if he is planning to go back to London after the Valima? Junaid answered it with a ‘yes’. He said, “This event would be incomplete without Abujan’s [Nawaz Sharif] blessings, and the blessings of Hassan and Hussain Mamu, my Khala [Asma], and Ali Dar Khalo.”

    While talking about his wedding, Junaid clearly seemed really excited about it. He said that this event is a breeze for the family after a long spell of turmoil.

    He talked about the recent tragic events in his family that have happened in the past few years. He said, “Political turmoil is a recurrent theme and therefore, insignificant when compared to personal, family turmoil. I am talking about personal, family turmoil here. My grandmother’s fight against cancer. The passing of my grandmother whilst my mother, grandfather and father were in prison. The passing of my great grandmother. The smiles have now returned Alhamdulillah and it’s a heartwarming sight.”

    Talking about his honeymoon plans, he disclosed that plans were initially finalised. However, they are now pending as the couple is waiting for further covid-related information.

    Dulha Junaid is set to get married to Ayesha Saif, daughter of former politician Saif-ur-Rehman. The couple got nikkahfied in August this year in London.

  • Driver who stopped train to get yogurt suspended

    An assistant driver of a train, who stopped the locomotive to fetch yogurt, has been suspended.

    Federal Minister for Railways Azam Swati took notice of the incident and immediately suspended train driver Rana Muhammad Shahzad and assistant driver Iftikhar Hussain, Ministry of Railways announced.

    The minister tweeted, “Such incidents will not be tolerated in future,” he said while warning that strict action would be initiated against anyone found involved in such activity in the future.

    In a viral video, the assistant driver can be seen carrying yogurt back to the train which was stopped for him to get off and get it.

    The train stopped near the Kahna Kacha railway station in Lahore division according to ARY News.

  • Sidra Niazi’s Birthday: celebrities and politicians cheeringly celebrate

    Sidra Niazi’s Birthday: celebrities and politicians cheeringly celebrate

    Actor Sidra Niazi celebrated her birthday on the sets of her forthcoming drama serial Badzaat. Celebrity friends including Imran Ashraf and Sharmila Faruqi wished the Qayamat diva on her special day.

    Co-stars Ali Abbas and Mehmood Aslam can be seen cheering her on-sets of her next biggie.

    In November, Sidra Niazi trended on social media for her latest successful campaign for a beauty and hair care product.

    Sidra has received back-to-back critical acclaim and commercial success with hit projects like Qayamat, Maqafat and Chupke Chupke. Her pairing with Haroon Shahid and Osman Khalid Butt have also been appreciated by netizens.

    On the acting front, Sidra will be seen next in Tumhare Husn Ke Naam opposite Imran Abbas and Asad Siddiqui, she also has a starring role in Geo TV’s Badzaat costarring Imran Ashraf.

  • Four women stripped naked, paraded, beaten on the accusation of theft

    Four women stripped naked, paraded, beaten on the accusation of theft

    Four women in Faisalabad were stripped naked and were beaten by locals on the accusation of theft. The incident took place on Monday, in Bawa Chak Market where dozens of people locked the women inside an electric shop. The women came there to drink water.

     A first information report (FIR) was registered and the suspects have been charged under sections 354-A (assault or use of criminal force against a woman and stripping her), 509 (insulting modesty or causing sexual harassment), 147 (punishment for rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

     “They continued to beat us for around an hour and made our videos in naked condition,” the complainant said in FIR, as reported by Dawn.

    “The suspects committed gross injustice by stripping us, dragging us through the market and torturing us and strict action should be taken against them,” the complaint’s statement read in the FIR.

    As per reports, no one stopped people from beating the women and many were making videos from their phones. After the video went viral, the police took action against the accused people and arrested five people.

  • Pak includes more countries in restriction list, announces strict travel policies

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) added nine more countries especially from Europe after a reviewal of the covid situation around the globe on Monday.

    According to the notification issued by NCOC on their website, they revised the list of countries due to the worsening Covid situation.

    The nine countries which are banned by the NCOC are Croatia, Hungary, Netherlands, Ukraine, Ireland, Slovenia, Vietnam, Poland, and Zimbabwe.

    In case of emergency travel from recently banned countries, a strict protocol has to be observed by passengers, including foreigners. Passengers above the age of six years will require full vaccination and must possess a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test report which must be issued 48 hours prior to boarding a plane. On arrival to Pakistan, rapid antigen testing (RAT) will be conducted. Passengers will be allowed to enter Pakistan who test negative.

    Meanwhile, passengers will face compulsory quarantine of three days after a PCR test from South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

    Passengers will have to be quarantined for an extra 10 days if they get a positive PCR result on arrival or could be transferred to a hospital depending on the advice from health workers as stated by NCOC.

    However to facilitate the stranded Pakistani nationals from countries who are not able to get double dose vaccination because of some reasons including expiry visa, illegal immigration, medical conditions, pending court cases, pregnancy or partially vaccinated from Pakistan are exempted from the requirement of full vaccination.

  • No more travel on M2 Motorway without M-Tag from December 7

    No more travel on M2 Motorway without M-Tag from December 7

    The Lahore High Court has directed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to ban vehicles without M-tag on the Lahore-Islamabad Motorway (M2) from tomorrow, December 7.

    The decision has been made in order to reduce long queues of vehicles at the M2 Motorway Toll Plaza and curb the resulting air pollution from vehicles. Lahore High Court’s decision said that cars that don’t have a balance of M-tag are harmful to the environment.

    As per IG National Highways & Motorway Police Inam Ghani, there will be no need for the vehicle registration documents in order to get an M-tag. It will be processed on the basis of CNIC and mobile phone number.

  • ‘Aag laga de gaye’: PML-N Rana Sanaullah warns government

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said if the government tries to hold the upcoming elections using Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) he will burn them.

    In a press conference on Friday, Sanaullah while talking about foreign loans stated, “Pakistan has gone bankrupt. The entire economy including the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been handed over to International Monetary Fund (IMF).”

    He said, “Electronic machine par intekhaab hua toh machino ko polling station se nikal kar aag laga de gaye” (We will try every strategy against EVMs. If the election is held through this [EVMs], we will take out the machines from polling stations and set them on fire.)

    Talking about PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s leaked audio, he claimed that the government is exaggerating about the relevance of the audio.

    Prior to this, Rana talked about EVMs in a show and said if the government tries to force the elections through EVMs, the party would be left with no option but to follow the TLP way of protesting.