Tag: Pakistani government

  • Husband and wife about to be separated amidst Afghan deportation

    Amidst the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the media is uncovering instances of families getting ripped apart.

    One such story is that of Bilal and Rabia in Karachi, who are now facing the risk of separation after 15 years of marriage, Geo has reported.

    Bilal, born to immigrant Afghan parents in 1988, has lived all his life in Karachi. Rabia, originally from DG Khan, used to live in the same locality as Bilal. The two fell in love.

    Bilal talked to his parents to ask for her hand in marriage, however, his brothers threatened to cut all ties with him if he married a Pakistani girl. Unfazed by their sentiments, he married Rabia. Bilal’s brothers left for Afghanistan and Rabia’s family gave them their consent and blessings.

    Fifteen years on, the two are happy and Bilal is also taking care of his widowed mother-in-law and a divorced sister-in-law. In the wake of Afghan expulsion from the country, fear is looming over the couple’s minds constantly. Despite every effort to get Bilal a CNIC, he has not got one in all these years and the couple is determined to get it through a legal route.

    Addressing this predicament, Bilal said, “I heard about the directive from the Peshawar High Court to grant identity cards to Afghan nationals married to Pakistani citizens. I joined the struggle in light of this landmark judgment. Unfortunately, it did not yield results. I regret not taking this matter more seriously at first. I was unaware that lacking an identity card in Pakistan could lead to separation from our families. My roots are in this country, and I have a deep affection for it. Regardless of legal decisions, our financial commitments are in Pakistan, and even if we are deported, our homeland will remain Pakistan.”

    Rabia said, “My husband’s brothers have not accepted us in the fifteen years of our marriage. They even threatened us, saying if you return, we will harm you. I am worried for my husband because he is my only support. As for myself, why should I go anywhere? I am a Pakistani. They are not my people, and neither is Afghanistan my homeland.”

    The couple, parents to five children, urged the government to review its decision or reconsider its policies regarding cases like their own.

  • Govt notifies 26-member anti-rape committee

    Govt notifies 26-member anti-rape committee

    A new committee against rape was announced by the Law Ministry on Friday in an effort to combat the worrying increase in sexual violence cases across the nation. The special committee’s primary responsibility will be to aid sexual assault victims in getting legal representation, in addition to attempting to stop cases of rape against children.

    Former senator Ayesha Raza Farooq will head the committee.

    Other members include Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, chief secretaries of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Balochistan, and Sindh, representatives of the National Database and Registra­tion Authority (NADRA), Pakis­tan Elec­tro­nic Media Regulatory Auth­o­rity (PEMRA), and the law ministry, ex-prosecutor general Punjab Ehti­sham Qadir, ex-additional inspectors general Kamal­uddin Tipu, Taimoor Ali Khan, advocate Ismat Mehdi, Khalid Parveen, Amb­reen Qureshi, Ghazala Yasmeen, Nida Ali and Sharafat Ali, development consultant Valerie Khan, Mohammad Ali Nekokara, Zainab Mustafa, anchor Maria Memon, police surgeon Sumayya Syed and forensic expert Ayesha Sarwar.

    Earlier this year in June, Punnjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar announced that the Punjab government will declare an emergency following an increase in rape and sodomy cases in the province.

    The Current records the tally of rape cases that are reported in news outlets on a daily basis to highlight the alarming situation. We have used many different sources as listed. When will it stop?

  • Here’s how Overseas Pakistanis can renew their Pakistani passport online

    Here’s how Overseas Pakistanis can renew their Pakistani passport online

    The Pakistan government has introduced a convenient way for overseas Pakistani to renew their passports online. The applicants whose passport has expired or going to expire within the next 12 months can send an application.

    Here are the requirements which you will need to register for a passport renewal.

    How to Apply online

    • Visit the website https://onlinemrp.dgip.gov.pk/
    • Go to Apply option and click Renew Your Passport
    • Click on the “Get Started” button
    • Register your account

    If you are in Pakistan, you will receive a code on SMS and email for registration purposes.

    If you are residing abroad, you will receive the required codes by email only.

    • Create an application for the renewal of your machine-readable passport and fill up the details.
    • Provide your eligible address for passport delivery.
    • Pay Fee through a Credit Card/Debit Card.
    • Provide the required personal details.
    • Provide your present and permanent addresses.
    • Upload your photograph.
    • Upload the supporting documents required by the application.
    • Download the form, capture the 4 fingerprints asked by the system.
    • Set the scanner at 600 DPI, JPEG/JPG, and Grayscale. Scan and upload the form.
    • Review the information you provided, sign the declaration, and then submit the application.

    Important notes which not to be missed by applicants

    Users already registered in the Pak-identity system can log in from their registered Pak-identity “Username” and “Password.”

    The authority has no refund policy against any application initiated/submitted for issuance of a machine-readable passport. The applicant is requested to carefully review the information and guidelines provided on the website.

    Currently, the home delivery option is only available in a few countries.

    You can contact the authority if you face any issues regarding filling up the application.

  • Government begins restoration of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor’s Peshawar homes

    Government begins restoration of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor’s Peshawar homes

    The restoration and renovation work of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor’s ancestral homes in Peshawar has started after the government got possession of the properties.

    Raj Kapoor’s ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, and Dilip Kumar’s ancestral residence are situated in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar area of Peshawar.

    As per Geo News, the government is planning to restore the homes to their original state.

    Initially, the debris from both houses was removed to begin the restoration work.

    Meanwhile, Dilip Kumar’s nephew Fawad Ishaq lauded the government’s decision to restore his uncle and Raj Kapoor’s ancestral home.

    He further said Dilip Kumar’s attachment to Peshawar never diminished.

    Read More – Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu: A love story that lasted over five decades

    The veteran Bollywood actor died of long ailment in July 2020. After his death, his wife Saira Banu, 77, has been diagnosed with a heart problem, termed as acute coronary syndrome.

  • Pakistanis lash out at their govt for celebrating the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan

    Pakistani Twitter has lashed out at ministers of the ruling party for celebrating the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Two notable Ministers, including Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul and Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, tweeted on the situation in Afghanistan.

    WAIT A MINUTE…WHAT’S HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTAN?

    In a rapid turn of events, President Ghani of Afghanistan has reportedly fled the country as the Taliban enter Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.

    The Taliban took the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, late on Saturday, and on Sunday morning, they seized the city of Jalalabad. They are now in control of the Torkham border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Within a week they have taken down Afghan government flags and hoisted their own white banners.

    Despite two decades of war with American-led forces, and reportedly more than 83 billion dollars spent by the US, the Taliban have survived and are now effectively in control of Pakistan’s neighbouring country. They have managed to do this in 10 days time with little resistance from the Afghan forces.

    WHAT DID PAKISTANI POLITICIANS DO ON TWITTER?

    Zartaj Gul in a tweet said, “India gets an appropriate gift on its Independence Day- its fascist terror-oriented Government should celebrate now today with tears and sorrow.”

    “The Kabul regime it used to wreak terrorism in Pakistan across many years has fallen and people are rejoicing all across Afghanistan,” said Zataj Gul in a tweet, which was later deleted.

    People on social media are calling out the ministers for their tweets.

    https://twitter.com/laaleen/status/1426877258770391040
    https://twitter.com/apniISPdot/status/1426869676500529154

    Shireen Mazari posted an image of the US leaving from Vietnam after the war ended in 1975 with an image of a US carrier leaving Afghanistan. Many on Twitter thought it was a ‘celebration’ of the US leaving an occupied territory, although she tried to clear her stance that it is not what she meant.

    WHERE IS HAMID KARZAI?

    According to a video message circulating on social media, the former president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has said that he will stay in Kabul with his family.

    TALIBAN STANCE

    Three diplomatic sources said Ali Ahmad Jalali, a US-based academic and former Afghan interior minister, could be named head of an interim administration in Kabul, though it was unclear whether the Taliban had agreed, Reuters has reported.

    A Taliban spokesman has told the BBC that the group “will respect rights of women” as it takes control of Afghanistan.

    A spokesperson for the Taliban, Suhail Shaheen, told BBC News: “We will respect rights of women…our policy is that women will have access to education and work, to wear the hijab.”

    PAKISTAN’S STANCE:

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi says Pakistan will keep on playing a positive role in the establishment of peace in Afghanistan.  Addressing the media in Multan, he said the whole world has acknowledged Pakistan’s stance regarding the Afghanistan issue. He further said that Afghan people want peace in their country and they are to decide their future for themselves. The minister added that Pakistan has no favourites in Afghanistan and whoever forms the government there, Pakistan will accept it.

    Meanwhile, an Afghan political delegation led by Wolesi Jirga Speaker Mir Rahman Rahmani arrived in Pakistan on Sunday evening.

  • Govt of Pakistan’s official Instagram following one ‘мαиσ вєℓι ??’ besides president, PM, ministers

    Govt of Pakistan’s official Instagram following one ‘мαиσ вєℓι ??’ besides president, PM, ministers

    In what appears to be a rather confusing episode, it has emerged that the official Instagram account of the Pakistani government is following an account titled ‘мαиσ вєℓι ??’, purportedly run by one Maham, among the total 14 accounts it follows, including President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his teammates.

    While it is not yet confirm who the handler of the account is or why it is followed by the government of Pakistan, netizens seem to be having a field day coming up with theories as to why does the official government handle follows it.

    Among other users followed by the official account are:

    President Arif Alvi

    PM Imran Khan

    Information Minister Shibli Faraz

    Radio Pakistan

    PM’s ex-information aide Asim Saleem Bajwa

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad

    Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    Foreign Office of Pakistan

    PM’s aide in capacity of Minister of State Zulfi Bukhari

    Ministry of Overseas and Human Resource Development

    Kashmir Committee Chairperson Shehryar Afridi

    PM’s aide on Youth Affairs Usman Dar

    The complete list can be viewed here.

    UPDATE: Later in the day, The Current was informed by sources that someone from the government’s social media team had accidentally followed the account.

    They further said that the Instagram account had now been unfollowed.