Tag: politics latest

  • PML-N’s Miftah Ismail NAB-ed

    PML-N’s Miftah Ismail NAB-ed

    The National Accountancy Bureau (NAB) on Wednesday arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail.

    Ismail, who was taken into custody from outside the courtroom after his pre-arrest bail plea was rejected, was wanted in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) case in which ex-prime minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan was also arrested last month.

    The arrest comes a month after the PML-N leader was granted bail by the Sindh High Court (SHC). Earlier, a NAB team had also raided his residence in Karachi, but Ismail had evaded arrest and the bureau had to return empty-handed.

    After the expiration of his bail, Ismail had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    LNG CASE:

    The apex court in September 2018 had directed NAB to complete the inquiry against former premier Abbasi, Ismail and others for alleged corruption in the LNG contract.

    According to NAB, the contract allegedly cost billions of rupees to the national exchequer. In January 2019, NAB had interrogated Ismail in the same case.

    NAB documents show that the contract for LNG import and distribution was awarded to Elengy Terminal, a subsidiary of Engro, in 2013, in violation of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules and relevant laws.

  • Pakistan makes its first move, ‘to close airspace for India again’

    Pakistan makes its first move, ‘to close airspace for India again’

    As tensions soar on either side of the border ever since India abrogated Article 370 of its constitution, which makes way for ethnic cleansing in Muslim-majority Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK), Pakistan has reportedly finally made its first move.

    According to local media reports, Islamabad is set to close its airspace for Indian flights for the second time this year, a decision that earlier cost India a whopping $80.1 million (Rs12,800,000,000).

    Pakistan opened its air space for all types of civil traffic in July. It had been fully closed since February when Pakistan shot down two intruding Indian Air Force (IAF) jets.

    Over 800 flights use the Pakistani and Indian airspace to transport passengers from South Asia, South East Asia to Europe and North America.

  • Zardari, Shehbaz, Bilawal ridicule Imran by entering one by one, interrupting his NA speech

    Zardari, Shehbaz, Bilawal ridicule Imran by entering one by one, interrupting his NA speech

    A video showing opposition leaders Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari entering the National Assembly (NA) one by one as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan tries to address the house, has gone viral over the internet.

    As per the details, the parliament on Tuesday held a joint session to devise a joint strategy after India abolished Article 370 of its constitution, paving way for a Muslim genocide in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).

    With PM Imran arriving in the house to deliver a policy statement as proceedings continued, opposition leaders ridiculed the premier by entering one by one and interrupting his speech as non-government benches’ applause escorted them to their seats.

    PM Imran continued to struggle with his address until finally Shehbaz asked the opposition members to keep quiet.

    The premier was also heard requesting the opposition benches to understand the significance of the session.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The Indian government on Monday abolished Article 370 that granted special status to IoK — a development that can pave way for ethnic cleansing in the Muslim-majority region.

    With Pakistan’s opposition parties demanding answers from the government over the episode in the disputed territory of Kashmir, President Dr Arif Alvi had on Monday summoned the joint session of the parliament.

  • US knew about India’s plans for occupied Kashmir: report

    US knew about India’s plans for occupied Kashmir: report

    With Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) being robbed of its special status, it has emerged that the United States (US) already knew about the development that could lead to a Muslim genocide in the troubled valley.

    In a move to tighten its grip on occupied Jammu and Kashmir, India on Monday dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the disputed territory to make its own laws.

    According to The Print, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi-led government’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had told his American counterpart Mike Pompeo of his government’s plan last week.

    It, however, wasn’t the first time Washington was briefed on the matter as two days after February 14’s Pulwama attack, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had also called his US counterpart John Bolton and shared New Delhi’s plans to do away with the special status, reports said.

    While the decision to bifurcate the state came much later than the Doval-Bolton phonecall, Jaishankar’s meeting with the US secretary of state came on the sidelines of the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bangkok on August 1.

    Jaishankar had also reiterated to Pompeo that the US does not need to mediate in the Kashmir dispute and that any discussion on this issue, “if at all warranted”, will only be with Pakistan unilaterally.

    The Modi government did not want to take any chances when it came to the US, and so, all necessary safeguards were taken, the report quoted sources as saying.

    KASHMIR ROBBED OF SPECIAL STATUS:

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on Monday revoked the disputed Himalayan territory’s special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution.

    With IoK’s autonomy snatched, people from the rest of India would have the right to acquire property in the valley and settle there permanently.

    Kashmiris fear the move would lead to a demographic transformation of the region from majority-Muslim to majority-Hindu, paving way for Modi’s hardliner BJP and resulting in major setbacks to their freedom struggle.

  • Pakistan’s IT exports increase to $1bn

    Pakistan earned $1 billion through information technology (IT) services in various countries during the first eleven months of the fiscal year 2018-19, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) has reported.

    According to reports, this year’s growth is 4.37% more as compared to $966.240 million earned through the provision of services during the fiscal year 2017-18.

    During the period under review, the computer services increased by 12.21, from $654.170 million last year to $734.020 million during July-May (2018-19).

    Among the computer services, the exports of software consultancy services and repair and maintenance of computers related services increased by 26.87% and 231.93%, respectively.

    In addition, other computer services also saw an increase of 34.77%.

    The exports of call centers services also increased by 7.95%, from $93.039 million to $100.436 million, whereas the exports of other information services increased by 53.28%, from $1.068 million to $1.637 million.

  • Wilders hails India’s illegal decision, calls Pakistan ‘100% terror state’

    Wilders hails India’s illegal decision, calls Pakistan ‘100% terror state’

    Dutch Politician Geert Wilders, who is known for his anti-Islam rhetoric, has hailed India’s decision to nullify Article 370 of the Constitution in occupied Kashmir and called Pakistan “a 100% terror state”.

    “India is a full Democracy and Pakistan is a 100% terror state [sic],” leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) tweeted after the Indian government paved way for a Muslim genocide in held Kashmir.

    Wilders had earlier made headlines when he had announced his plans to hold a blasphemous caricatures contest as part of his “campaign against Islam”.

    His tweet comes after the Indian government on Monday through a presidential decree abolished Article 370 that gave a measure of autonomy to Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).

    Now with the special status of Kashmiris repealed, among other feared outcomes is that people from the rest of India would have the right to acquire property in IoK and settle there permanently, which could lead to ethnic cleansing.

    A massive shift in demographics of the Muslim-majority disputed territory can also follow.

  • Indian-occupied Kashmir: Articles 370 and 35A explained

    Indian-occupied Kashmir: Articles 370 and 35A explained

    The Indian government has rushed through a presidential decree to abolish Article 370 of the Constitution, which gave a measure of autonomy to the Muslim-majority Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK).

    Here is everything you need to know about Article 370 and what could follow the development that comes as tensions mount in the troubled valley.

    WHAT IS ARTICLE 370?

    Article 370 was the basis of Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to the Indian union at a time when former princely states had the choice to join either Pakistan or India after their independence from the British rule in 1947.

    The article, which came into effect in 1949, exempts Jammu and Kashmir state from the Indian Constitution.

    It allows IoK to make its own laws in all matters except finance, defence, foreign affairs and communications. The article established a separate constitution, a separate flag and denied property rights in the region to the outsiders.

    That means the residents of the state live under different laws from the rest of the country in matters such as property ownership and citizenship.

    WHAT IS ARTICLE 35A?

    Article 35A is a branch of Article 370, which was introduced through a presidential order in 1954 to continue the old provisions of the territory regulations.

    The article permits the local legislature in IoK to define permanent residents of the region. It forbids outsiders from permanently settling, buying land, holding local government jobs or winning education scholarships in the region.

    While Article 35A has remained unchanged, some aspects of Article 370 have been diluted over the decades.

    WHY ARE THEY BEING ABOLISHED?

    The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its right-wing allies have challenged Article 35A which it calls discriminatory. Last month, a senior BJP leader had hinted that the government was planning to form exclusive Hindu settlements in the region.

    With the special status repealed, people from the rest of India would have the right to acquire property in IoK and settle there permanently.

    Kashmiris fear the move would lead to a demographic transformation of the region from majority-Muslim to majority-Hindu, paving way for Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s hardliner BJP in the disputed territory.

  • Walmart to keep selling guns despite recent shootings at its store

    Walmart to keep selling guns despite recent shootings at its store

    Despite two deadly shootings at its stores in less than a
    week, American retail giant Walmart has no plans to stop selling guns and
    ammunition, Agence France-Presse (AFP)
    has reported.

    A man opened fire with an assault rifle at a Walmart in
    Texas on Saturday, killing 20 people, just four days after a disgruntled
    employee shot dead two coworkers and wounded a responding police officer at one
    of the massive chain’s stores in Mississippi.

    “We are focused on supporting our associates, our customers and the entire El Paso community,” reports quoted Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove as saying.

    Following the El Paso shooting, Walmart Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Doug McMillon posted a note on Instagram saying he “can’t believe” it was the second such in a week.

    “My heart aches for the community in El Paso,
    especially the associates and customers at store 2201 and the families of the
    victims,” he wrote.

    “I’m praying for them and I hope you will join
    me.”

    Walmart founder Sam Walton loved guns — so much so that the
    American gun manufacturer Remington named a hunting rifle model after him. But
    the retail giant maintains that its target audience is sport shooters and
    hunters.

    Walmart has made gun policy changes over the years, such as
    in 1993, when it stopped selling handguns.

    The company stopped selling semi-automatic rifles in 2015,
    and after the Parkland, Florida shooting in February 2018 — which saw 17
    people killed at a high school — Walmart raised the minimum age to buy guns
    and ammunition in its stores to 21.

    Additionally, “Walmart goes beyond federal law
    requiring all customers to pass a background check before purchasing any
    firearm,” said Hargrove.

    He also noted that all new Walmart employees are required to
    complete an active shooter training program, which they then must pass on a
    computer four times a year.

    But since it is the largest retail chain in the United
    States, Walmart continues to attract criticism for its enduring stock of
    firearms.

    When the company tweeted it was “in shock” after
    the tragedy in El Paso, many Twitter users replied: “Stop selling
    guns.”

  • Chinese company to provide millions of job, business opportunities to Pakistani women

    Chinese company to provide millions of job, business opportunities to Pakistani women

    Chinese services company, Timesaco, will be providing millions of jobs and business opportunities to women through different e-commerce platforms in six major cities of the country, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    Reports quoted Timesaco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Donald-Li as saying that the company plans to introduce different e-commerce platforms for women, through which they will be able to do different online businesses.

    He said Timesaco’s e-services platform would create millions of jobs for women and help them start their own businesses without any investment.

    Li said that Timesaco’s platform will uplift women living in poverty and facing greater challenges in earning a steady income, educating and feeding their children.

    Earlier it was reported that the company is looking to invest $600m in the country in service sectors. Eyeing opportunity in the country’s transport business, Timesaco has prepared to launch a new ride-hailing service called Buraq Taxi Service across 10 major cities on August 10.

    Devised using a comprehensive strategy to take on the current titans in the market, the taxi service will provide five types of services to customers, including taxi service, heavy cargo delivery, orders delivery, moving automated teller machines (ATM) and vehicle advertisement facilities.

  • PML-N MPA ‘rapes, records, blackmails’ university student

    PML-N MPA ‘rapes, records, blackmails’ university student

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Attaur Rehman has been accused of raping, recording and blackmailing a university student in Multan, The Express Tribune has reported.

    According to reports, the Punjab Assembly lawmaker was sexually assaulting the girl for over 11 months and was blackmailing her on the basis of the video he had recorded of the victim’s ordeal.

    The police, under political influence, initially refused to lodge a complaint despite repeated attempts made by the victim, reports said and added that she was a first-year student at National College of Business Administration & Economics (NCBAE) in Multan.

    Due to studies, she relocated from Lahore to Multan over a year ago and had been working at Pakistan Human Development Foundation (PHDF), a local non-government organisation (NGO) run by the accused lawmaker.

    The accused took her to an undisclosed location, around 11 months back, in the guise of office work, where he allegedly raped and filmed her.

    Rehman later threatened her of dire consequences if she refused to obey him.

    The victim has filed an application with a local magistrate for her medical examination and attached medical records of the hospital she was recently admitted to after sodomy.