An anti-terrorism court has turned down the bail petition of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan in three cases related to the May 9 violent protests, GEO News reported on Tuesday.
Judge Khalid Arshad of Lahore ATC announced the reserved verdict after hearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) founder bail pleas in the May 9 violent protest cases.
The riots occurred last year after Imran Khan was arrested in a corruption case.
Several PTI supporters attacked multiple state buildings, including Jinnah House Lahore and GHQ Pakistan Army Rawalpindi.
The incarcerated former Prime Minister was ousted from office through a no-confidence motion in April 2022, and currently, he is in Adiala jail facing corruption and terrorism cases.
Imran Khan also secured relief in multiple cases, including a £190 million reference and the Toshakhan case. However, he will remain behind bars due to his conviction in the Iddat case.
If you’re a Netflix user in Pakistan, get ready to pay more for the streaming service. The Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) has added new taxes to your subscription fees. Starting now, Netflix users will have to pay a 3% sales tax on IT services. Additionally, if you’re making an international transaction to pay for your subscription and you’re a tax filer, there’s a five percent advance tax. On top of that, there’s a four percent card transaction charge when using debit or credit cards, plus a federal excise duty.
Out of all the over-the-top (OTT) streaming services, Netflix continues to be the most well-known. It offers highly regarded TV series, films, documentaries, and other original material in various genres. The platform allows viewers to stream content on-demand over the internet to a variety of devices, including PCs, mobile phones, tablets, TVs, and consoles. While Pakistanis consume a lot of free content, many are happily paying for premium OTT services like Netflix.
Recently, a new Finance Bill was introduced in 2024 that imposes tax on tech companies like Netflix that earn income in Pakistan through digital means and presence, even without a physical establishment. Last month The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has served a notice to Netflix for recovery of over Rs. 200 million in income tax. Effective immediately, subscribers will see additional charges on their Netflix subscriptions. Here’s how the new taxes will affect the current subscription rates:
Mobile Plan: PKR 250 Basic Plan: PKR 450 Standard Plan: PKR 800 Premium Plan: PKR 1,100
Here are the Netflix subscription plans and their rates in Pakistan after the new taxes:
Mobile Plan: PKR 324.80 Basic Plan: PKR 584.64 Standard Plan: PKR 1,039.36 Premium Plan: PKR 1,429.12
These new taxes are part of the government’s efforts to generate more revenue from digital services. So, the next time you settle down for a Netflix binge, be prepared for these extra charges on your bill. This new taxes significantly increase the total cost of Netflix subscriptions in Pakistan. This is something users need to be aware of when budgeting for their monthly entertainment expenses.
The security situation in Pakistan has gotten grim as eight people – five security officials and three children – lost their lives in three separate terror attacks in Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, and South Waziristan yesterday.
In North Waziristan, Captain Muhammad Osama Bin Arshad, 24, who belonged to Rawalpindi district, embraced martyrdom during an intense clash between forces and terrorists.
The military’s media wing has stated that a sanitisation operation was underway to eliminate any remaining militants in the area.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir attended the Captain’s funeral on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, in South Waziristan, three soldiers lost their lives, and 12 others were injured in a militant attack in the district.
A police officer and his three minor nephews lost their lives in Lakki Marwat district.
Unsatisfied with his academic low score, a matriculation student in Lahore committed suicide after the result was released yesterday (July 9).
15-year-old Arsalan, a resident of the border village of Padana in Lahore, took his own life by jumping from the water tank. He suffered multiple head and neck injuries, which proved fatal, reported Dawn.
The police said that the boy was disappointed by his low score. The forensic team and the police collected the evidence.
Results of matriculation examinations have been announced by 9 education boards of Punjab, including the Lahore Board.
Gory grottos with demons impaling sinners on stakes and people drowning in a pool of blood are not part of your average theme park experience.
But at Hell’s Museum in Singapore, the main attraction at the Haw Par Villa Park, visitors are welcomed to a kitschy, air-conditioned hell on Earth.
Inside the sprawling park complex, which features over 1,000 statues and dioramas showcasing Asian culture, faiths, and philosophy, Hell’s Museum exhibits various religious views on the afterlife.
Visitors are encouraged to learn about the 10 Courts of Hell through intense depictions of punishments for earthly sins.
At court number two, for instance, corruption gets you frozen in ice, while rapists at court Seven are thrown in boiling oil.
The 10 Courts of Hell are “the result of the mixing of four different religions and philosophies: Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Confucianism”, said Eisen Teo, the chief curator of Hell’s Museum in the multicultural city-state.
“The sculptures and dioramas are a visual dissection of many classics, stories and moral values that many Singaporeans have and are familiar with,” Teo said.
Visitor Gin Goldberg told AFP she wasn’t so surprised to learn that many religions had differing opinions on the afterlife.
“One person’s heaven would be another person’s hell,” the American said.
Party in hell
The odd park stands apart from gleaming Singapore’s mainstream tourist attractions such as the luxury shops of Marina Bay Sands or the towering “supertrees” of Gardens by the Bay.
Haw Par Villa was built in 1937 by entrepreneur Aw Boon Haw, known for co-developing Asia’s much-loved Tiger Balm pain relief rub.
While fondly remembered by older generations, the park has had trouble attracting the Gen Z crowd and younger millenials, according to Journeys, the firm that manages the park.
To broaden appeal, it has held several rave parties and other private events — but not too near to religious exhibits.
“After they came here (for the parties) they fell in love with the quirky, eccentric park, with these cool sculptures. Fell in love with them and they keep doing repeat visits,” said Savita Kashyap, Journeys’ executive director.
While Haw Par Villa isn’t just about the afterlife, and raves — it also displays scenes from Chinese folklore such as “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” — its hellish attraction remains the top draw.
But not for all.
While leaving, one Filipina visitor told AFP that she won’t be returning anytime soon.
Pakistani actor Saheefa Jabbar Khattak has always been open about her mental health struggles. In a recent Instagram post, she talked more about her ongoing battles and the emotional toll it has taken on her and her family, especially her father.
In her latest post, Khattak said, “No father deserves to see his daughter in pain. I wish for health for myself so that my father can stop worrying about me. I don’t want this hollowness to go away because I can’t handle it; now I want it to go away because my father can’t take it. Allah, you are both the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate. Either make me so strong that I can bear this pain myself, or take it away forever. You know what’s best for me and what tests I should go through. I leave it in Your hands. Just make it easier for my family.”
This heartfelt message follows other posts where Khattak has shared her mental health journey, talking about the challenges and the stigma. Earlier, she said, “I don’t know about fulfillment anymore, but words matter. The right words, at the right time. I’m feeling this hollowness in my heart, exhausted by the pain and panic returning, the numbness, the fear.” She added, “I’m ashamed of this disease I have, why? Because it makes me feel shallow knowing my privileges and support system. It’s relentless, and I find myself asking Khawaja Saab, ‘Why am I like this?’ He always says the right thing: ‘You are the best the way you are. Some lows in life do not define you as a person.’”
Khattak has been honest about her use of prescribed antidepressants and the challenges of managing her mental health. “Being on prescribed antidepressants has given me mixed feelings. Initially, I felt numb—not happy or sad, just numb to every feeling, thought, and emotion. Slowly, I decided to lower the dosage to see if I have healed, but I felt an extreme shift. Previously the numbness I mentioned started to make me feel good. Now, I feel pain, fear, and anxiety coming back. I am a little scared too. But it’s alright; I’ll get through this one too.”
Following an invitation extended by the government and the local Bohra community, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the spiritual leader of the Bohra community, arrived in Karachi on July 4 to host ‘Ashara Mubaraka’ congregations this year.
Over 80,000 Dawoodi Bohras from Pakistan and around the world are expected to attend the events. He delivered the first sermon of “Ashara Mubaraka” in Taheri Masjid, Saddar, on July 8.
A Dawn report states that Syedna addressed a majlis of “over 80,000 attendees” with Bohra members from diverse areas and professions gathered in Karachi for a single purpose — the remembrance and commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husain.
Syedna elaborated upon a number of hadith by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which highlight the role of conviction and self-growth in the sermon.
For instance, he quoted the Prophet’s statement regarding the honeybee which “consumes only that which is pure, and gives back only that which is pure”.
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, 77, is currently serving as the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq and present leader of the worldwide Dawoodi Bohra community. He is currently as a Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.
Bohra community trace themselves back to Fatimis who held the caliphate from 10th to 12th century.
The federal government on Tuesday announced two-day public holidays for Muharram 9 and 10.
“[…] the Prime Minister is pleased to declare 16th and 17th July, 2024 (Tuesday and Wednesday) as public holidays on the occasion of Ashura (9th & 10th Moharram 1446 AH),” a notification issued by the Cabinet Division stated.
The government also approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army across the country as a security measure during the Holy Month.
The interior ministry stated that the details of troop deployment, which will be enforced for an indefinite period, will be finalised with the authorities concerned, including the governments of Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Punjab government has requested the federal government to suspend social media platforms for one week.
However, the federal government has not yet taken any decision to suspend internet services during Muharram and any decision in this regard will be taken with the consultation of provinces.
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed a press conference yesterday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor House, criticising former Prime Minister Imran Khan for “whining so much” about his incarceration.
“Shouldn’t the law be the same for everyone in the country? Who was that person who used to say, ‘If NAB files a case against me, I’ll fight it myself,’” said Bilawal, referring to Imran Khan.
“When he’s [Khan] in power, he tries to catch everyone, but when you [Khan] yourself are caught [in legal cases], then you make so much of a hue and cry that we can hear your cries from the USA to Pakistan,” remarked the PPP Chairman.
Bhutto argued that there isn’t a politician in Pakistan, from Union Council members to prominent political party leaders, that haven’t faced legal cases but “Nobody has whined as much as your Qaidi 804.”
Actress Ushna Shah has come to the defense of Sharmin Segal, who faced criticism for her acting in the web series ‘Heeramandi’. Shah posted a tweet on X (formerly Twitter) writing, “Sharmin Segal underplayed Alamzeb but only slightly, which seems to be difficult to digest for an audience used to be a more dramatic style. The character would have been butchered had she over-played it, it would have become generic.”
“She mastered the Urdu dialect better than most Hindi speaking actors & the grain in her voice was spectacular,” Shah added. Looking at British actor Jason Shah’s performance, who played Alastair Cartwright in the series, Ushna wrote, “The real tragedy is Cartwright not having an English accent; he was playing a British coloniser! Forget Received Pronunciation, he didn’t even bother forging a modern Brit accent? Even the English speaking Nawaabs should have had a trans-Atlantic-ish speak, similar to Jinnah, Gandhi, Nehru etc.” She added the hashtags ‘Heeramandi’ and ‘Sharmin Segal’. Sharmin Segal is Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s niece.
The web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, which co-stars Segal alongside Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, and Sanjeeda Sheikh in major roles, as well as Farida Jalal, Fardeen Khan, Shekhar and Adhyayan Suman, and Taha Shah, is available on Netflix.
