A child protection court on Saturday sentenced a cleric to death for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in Peshawar two years ago. Judge Wadeeya Mustaq Malik ruled that Qari Saeed based in Peshawar was found guilty of an offence of rape.
As per reports, the convict was also given a fine of Rs300,000 as the girl had suffered mental and physical torture and lifelong trauma. The convict should compulsorily pay a fine to her in the form of saving certificates to be withdrawn by her on reaching the age of 18 years, stated the court in its order.
“As far as the quantum of sentence is concerned, no mitigating circumstances could be found and rather, aggravating circumstances exist. The rape was committed of a girl aged eight years,” said the judge, adding that the convict was a mosque’s pesh imam (prayer leader), who committed the crime in one of its rooms.
The convict held the Master’s degree in Islamiyat and led Friday prayers in his mosque.
The court added that the crime was gruesome, as the convict was also found guilty of committing sexual violence by biting and bruising the child on her neck.
“The statement of child witness not only found confidence-inspiring, truthful but also has not been contradicted on the material aspect,” said the court. “[The] sole testimony of [the] victim of an offence if inspires confidence can be safely relied upon for the purpose of conviction and when as rule of prudence same is supported through confirmatory medical evidence not a single circumstances can be inferred for false implication of the accused facing trial at behest of police.”
The FIR of the sexual assault was filed by the police on March 14, 2019, on the complaint of father of the girl.
The complainant had stated that he and other family members were present in their house when his daughter came from outside crying and said Qari Saeed called her to the mosque on the excuse of giving away an amulet but sexually assaulted her in a room there.
The convict didn’t accept the charge and claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case at the behest of the Ahmadi community as he was very vocal against it. However, he failed to verify that claim.
The defence counsel also insisted that the girl might have received injuries accidentally and that she was not subjected to a sexual assault.
The girl was also presented in the court as witness where she testified against the prayer leader.
She said that her father gave her Rs 10 to buy candies and when she was returning from the shop, the convict had asked her to accompany him to the nearby mosque so that he can give her an amulet (taweez). The girl said the convict took her to his room in the mosque and sexually assaulted her.
The court has also invoked a provision of the KP Child Protection and Welfare Act, 2010, prohibiting the publishing of any information regarding the girl’s identity, including picture, name, status, address or school.
TransPeshawar, which manages the bus rapid system in Peshawar, on Thursday launched a public sharing bicycle system, ZU Bicycle to further facilitate citizens traveling through Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
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The launch ceremony, held at the University of Peshawar, was attended by Finance Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra, KP Minister for Transport Shah Muhammad Wazir, Advisor to Chief Minister on Science and Technology Ziaullah Bangash, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Kamran Bangash and other officials of TransPeshawar.
Sharing pictures from the launch on social media, Jhagra encouraged citizens to use the first public sharing bicycle system.
“Pakistan’s first bicycle sharing system is now open for public use in Peshawar. If you live in Hayatabad, or work or study in the University Campus area, use any of 360 bikes at 30+ stations to get around, be green, and be healthy. Remember to take care of public assets responsibly,” said the minister, adding: “I tried it out. So should you.”
All the required arrangements have been made and as many as 360 bicycles have been stationed at the transit centers across the city.
Interested riders may register for the ZU Bicycles at TransPeshawar’s sharing system as follows:
The following membership fare breakdown will be applicable on single-day/bi-weekly/monthly passes.
The membership fee expires in accordance with relevant packages as per the BRT regulations.
Individuals who are members of the ZU bicycle Sharing System can use the facility as per the following:
The system will measure the time of use and will deduct the fare/usage fee in accordance with the chosen payment plan. If the available balance is less than the deductible amount, passengers are allowed a one-time option to dock the bicycle and pay the remaining amount the next time.
Meanwhile, TransPeshawar reserves the right to block ZU cards in case of unpaid loans. In this regard, passengers looking to reinstate/reset their cards are required to visit the KIOSK website and pay their pending loans with penalties.
When using the ZU app, customers must tap the Entry while releasing a bicycle from the dock. If a user loses a bicycle in their possession, they will have to pay Rs. 60 per hour until the full amount is paid in compensation to TransPeshawar.
As per the company’s guidelines, a bicycle will be considered lost if it is not returned within 72 hours. If the bicycle is lost, the refundable security will be forfeited. For compensation, the customer will be required to pay service charges at the rate of Rs. 60 per hour for up to 200 hours.
TransPeshawar also reserves the right to block cards if the service charges are not paid in full, or in the event of misuse.
The University of Peshawar has reinforced a dress code for students, first introduced in 2013.
As per a notification issued by the university management, women must wear “white shalwar with kameez of their own choice, while men should wear decent/modest clothes.”
The dress code is being implemented to “lessen the financial burden on the parents” said the university’s spokesperson while talking about the notification.
Earlier in January, the Hazara University in Mansehra issued a new dress code for students, faculty members and administrative staff. In the notification, female students were advised to wear abaya/scarf/dupatta in neutral colours without any decorative material. The female students were also instructed to wear shalwar kameez with dupatta or chaddar.
Dilip Kumar’s nephew Fuad Ishaque, who is based in Peshawar, has claimed that Dilip Kumar wanted to gift his property in Peshawar to the people of the city, Hindustan Times has reported.
He further claimed that he has legal and proper power of attorney to the legendary actor’s property in Peshawar, adding that Kumar drafted the proper power of attorney in 2012.
Ishaque further said that Kumar has great respect for the people of Peshawar and that the love and affection for his ancestral city has never diminished from his heart.
In September 2020, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government announced its decision to buy and restore Kumar’s house located in Peshawar’s historical Qissa Khwani Bazaar – or Street of Storytellers. This announcement won the actor’s heart who took to social media to express his excitement. He also requested his fans residing in Peshawar to share photos of his ancestral house on Twitter.
Not only Kumar but his wife, Saira Banu also appreciated the government’s move to conserve the actor’s house.
Later, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan approved Rs 23.56 million to purchase the ancestral homes of Kumar and Raj Kapoor.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced that it will offer legendary comic actor Charlie Chaplin’s Pakistani doppelgänger Usman Khan a job to encourage talent in the province.
According to details, KP Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai invited Khan to his home and offered him a job.
Talking to the media, Yousafzai said the provincial government will offer Khan a suitable job and ensured that they will support him at every level. The minister added that he had forwarded Khan’s videos to the chief minister.
Khan thanked the minister and the provincial government for the appreciation and job offer.
Earlier, videos of ‘Peshawar’s Charlie Chaplin‘ went viral on social media due to his comic expressions and style. His objective was to bring smiles to people’s faces amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stand-up comedian wears Chaplin’s trademark oversized shoes and baggy pants, and holds a cane and black bowler hat as he performs across the city.
The owner of Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar has refused to sell the house to the government at the price set by the authorities.
According to a report in The News, the owner of the mansion Haji Ali Qadir is asking for Rs 2 billion for the property whereas, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has set a price of Rs 15 million for the house.
Speaking to the publication, Qadir had said that the price set by the government was ridiculous as “half a marla of land is not available in Dhaki Nalbandi near historical Qissa Khwani bazaar for Rs15 million and the government is giving us Rs15 million for a six marla house”. He added that the government has yet not made any formal contact for property and that he is getting news about it from the media.
He further shared that his father Haji Khushal had bought the property in 1965 through a government auction.
“When our father bought the house, the gold was Rs50 per tola,” said Qadir. “In this house, diyar wood has been used which is very expensive.”
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On the other hand Director Archeology and Museum, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Abdul Samad said the government has fixed the price of the house at DC rate as plots are bought and sold at DC rate in the area, adding that the government cannot pay more than the said price.
Dr Samad further commented that if the owner has an objection to the price, he can submit an application to the Deputy Commissioner.
Previously, when it had been reported that the owner is demanding at least two billion rupees for the historic haveli, the province’s archaeology department had said that it will use legal powers to purchase the Kapoor Haveli as well as Dilip Kumar’s house if needed.
Read more – Dilip Kumar recalls memories of his ancestral home in Peshawar
Meanwhile, Chief Minister KP Mahmood Khan recently approved funds of Rs 23.56 million to purchase the ancestral houses of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor in Peshawar. Both houses will be converted into museums after restoration work.
Dirilis: Ertuğrul’s Esra Bilgiç aka Haleema Sultan has left fans in a tizzy after she posted a picture of Islamia University Peshawar with the caption “The City of Flowers”. This led to fans and followers speculating if the star was in Pakistan.
While it has not yet been confirmed whether the star is in Pakistan, it is being speculated that Esra will be visiting soon as she has reportedly signed a contract with Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi.
Shortly after Esra posted her story, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi posted one on his Instagram account writing “The City of Flowers” and tagging Esra, further convincing fans.
Earlier in July 2020, Afridi had asked Zalmi fans what they thought about having the cast of Dirilis: Ertuğrul as the brand ambassador of the team.
Responding to Afridi’s tweet, the Turkish actress had said: “I will be sharing some good news with you soon.”
Recently, several Turkish actors from the super hit drama series have visited Pakistan for different purposes. From Engin Altan Düzyatan (Ertuğrul Bey) to Cavit Çetin Güner (Dogan Alp) and Celal AL (Abdur Rehman Alp), almost every prominent actor from the drama series has visited different cities of the country.
While it is too early to say if Bilgiç is in Pakistan, we are sure she will be coming soon.
The local administration in Peshawar on Saturday has imposed a smart lockdown in different areas of the city after a surge in COVID-19 cases.
According to details, the lockdown has been imposed in:
People in the aforesaid areas have been asked to avoid unnecessary movement.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has reported 2,432 new infections during the last 24 hours.
In the past 24 hours, 45 people lost their lives taking the death toll to 10,908. 2,793 patients have recovered from the virus in a day.
The country has reported 516,770 cases so far.
A man from Peshawar, Usman Khan has taken the initiative of spreading smiles after the area where he has lived has witnessed decades of suicide attacks, explosions, and threats from hardline militant groups.
The stand-up comedian wears Charlie Chaplin’s trademark oversized shoes, baggy pants, cane and black bowler hat and performs across the city.
“The sole purpose of this art is to bring a smile to the faces of people,” 30-year-old Khan told Arab News while walking on the streets of Peshawar.
“For the past decades, Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have faced terrible times. I know I can’t perform as well as the great Charlie Chaplin, but with limited resources, I am doing my best to spread happiness,” said Khan.
He added: “I have adopted Chaplin’s character and style in such a deep way that I perform even when I am sleeping. My wife has complained about this.”
Khan shared he started watching Chaplin’s films from childhood and was soon able to copy his iconic walk.
Now, when he travels through Peshawar imitating the famous actor, crowd around him claps for him and ask for selfies.
“This man has been among the few sources of smiles during the toughest times,” local shopkeeper Wali Afridi said. “Khan is now a kind of star in this area; he comes to our shops and takes what he wants and performs a few comic sketches.”
Four friends of Khan help him with his routine. The team is now recreating many of Chaplin’s old routines on video. They are hopeful that social media will help them gain larger audiences and turn their passion for comedy into an earning profession.
“Cheerful faces and crowds around us encourage us to do more funny videos,” Khan said, posing with a local for a selfie.