In 2013, Amir Sarfraz Tamba allegedly killed a convicted Indian Spy Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat prison, Lahore. Amir was at his residence in Lahore’s Islampura area when two armed men entered his home and shot him on April 14.
Initially, media reports claimed that Amir succumbed to his injuries but Dawn confirmed that while he was indeed critically injured, he was still alive.
The incident has raised serious concerns among authorities over foreign involvement.
Interestingly, just a few days ago, The Guardian reported that the Indian government assassinated individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate “terrorists” living on foreign soil.
A high-profile investigation has been launched to probe the motive behind the attack including finding out if there was Indian involvement.
Amir Tamba and his accomplice were acquitted in 2018 after all witnesses retracted their statements. Sarabjit Singh was killed a few months after a Kashmiri freedom fighter Afzal Guru was hanged in Tihar Jail, Mumbai in 2013 for his role in the 2001 Indian parliament attack
Sarabjit Singh was serving his death sentence awarded by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for his role in a series of bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990.
The world may be at the brink of a very dangerous war but social media’s trolling of Israel continues unabated.
Right after Iran retaliated against Israel on Saturday night for destroying its embassy in Syria, Israel hurriedly called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Social media users did not fail to roast the country for its own recent actions.
BREAKING: Israel calls for emergency meeting of the UN Security Council
A political analyst picked up on Israel’s continuous violations of all international laws and UN conventions.
It’s strange to be Israel: You violate a mountain of UN resolutions, condemn the UN at every turn, bomb UN schools & shelters, murder UN employees, & then you demand a UN meeting over another country responding to your bombing of their consulate https://t.co/AwMof4bWj8
Iran has launched more than 200 drones and missiles on Israel in an unprecedented attack late on Saturday “in response” to a deadly airstrike on its Damascus consular annexe earlier this month.
Iran’s allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and blasts were heard in the skies above Jerusalem early on Sunday.
Iran had vowed to strike back in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe while America had warned repeatedly in recent days that the retaliation was imminent.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched “extensive” drone and missile strikes — as part of what they called the Operation ‘True Promise’ against “certain targets” inside Israel.
“Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
Videos emerged as people in Jerusalem sought cover and flooded the roads. “As you can see it’s empty, everybody is running home,” said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighbourhood.
US President Joe Biden expressed “ironclad” support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the current attack against Israel.
Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square, waving Iranian and Palestinian flags to celebrate the unprecedented military action against Israel.
On the other hand, Israeli military official said, “So far, we’ve intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles,” Hagari said. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept “all aerial threats”.
Iran’s allies in the region joined the attack with Yemen’s Houthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement announcing rocket fire at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.
The official Irna news agency said the attack had dealt “heavy blows” to an air base in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage.
US help for Israel neutralizing all the attacks
The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Iran’s conflict with Israel. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!” it said.
Despite Tehran’s warning not to get involved, US forces took part in shooting down drones aimed at Israel.
Biden said in a later statement that the United States had “helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles”, but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength.
The US president said he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, after recent tense relations over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
“I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” he said.
He said he had ordered US military aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the Middle East in recent days, as the likely threat following a presumed Israeli strike on Iranians in Damascus became clear.
Matter of a ‘truce’ in Gaza
The Gaza crisis began October 7 and has claimed lives of more than 33 thousand in Gaza.
In the main central city of Deir al-Balah, fire burned in the rubble of a destroyed mosque. Israel’s military “demanded that the whole area be evacuated” before it was “wiped out in minutes”, said Abdullah Baraka, a witness.
In nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, Abd Thabet said residents had been warned to evacuate on Friday evening ahead of a large explosion that caused “massive destruction”.
Hamas said it had submitted its response to a Gaza truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks in Cairo this week.
The Palestinian group said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on “a permanent ceasefire” and the “withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip”.
During the October attack, Hamas seized about 250 hostages, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead.
The Israeli prime minister’s office accused Hamas of sabotaging efforts for an exchange of hostages for prisoners. “Hamas to this day has refused any deal and any compromise proposal,” it said.
Arshad Khan, a tea-stall owner who rose to fame for his exceptionally good looks is in news again as the famous Chaiwala has run into serious financial troubles. He launched his Chaiwala London café a year ago in London, England with the help of two franchise owners, who also happen to be cousins.
Arshad Khan has not been paid royalty as promised by UK franchise owners, according to an insider. He has been requesting the London café owners who have refused to pay him because of business losses. Additionally, they also refused to pay rent to the landlord.
Background
Arshad Khan’s brand was brought to the UK last year by two cousins: Nadir Khan Durrani and Yaver Akbar Durrani. UK Companies House record shows that Yaver Akbar Durrani registered Cafe Chaiwala Ltd under company number 13205566.
Nadir is a UK national and Yaver Akbar Durrani is a Canadian national who lives in the United States. They registered the company in early 2021 and are currently running the business actively.
Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan is located in East London on 229 Ilford Lane. The situation is bad to the extent that the café never opened its ground floor section to the public because of poor quality of service. It was a big hit when it opened last year but the poor quality, mismanagement and lack of hygiene at the café deterred the customers, according to reports.
When opening the café last year in London Yaver Akbar Durrani and Nadir Durrani announced that they would open several franchises of “Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan” in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
Now the two cousins have run into a legal dispute with the owner of the building after failing to pay rent of over six months, citing business losses and complaining that that the rent is too much and should be reduced. Yaver Durrani met Arshad Khan in Islamabad and made promises to clear the pending monthly royalty but later on told him he cannot pay him until the business goes into profit. He told Arshad Khan that too many Chai cafes have opened nearby on the same street and that has damaged the business. Arshad Khan has been trying to keep the issue private to protect his brand, he says. Durrani is also accusing Arshad Khan of not delivering the full recipes to the London café as promised originally.
Failed Promises
A source at Arshad Khan Chaiwala told Pakistan Today that Arshad sold the international franchise to the Durrani brothers but they have broken the contract and agreement by not paying royalties to Arshad Khan and continuing to use his name. Therefore, Arshad Khan will not allow them to use the brand and franchise anymore. “Both sides have threatened legal action against each other,” said the source from Islamabad.
During the London launch, the Master Franchisees-UK promised that Arshad Khan will visit London soon to meet his fans and to brew ‘karak’ chai for them. Later, they didn’t make arrangements for his travel to the UK as the non-payments estranged the two parties.
Information Minister from Punjab Azma Bukhari recently appeared in an Eid interview with Geo Pakistan where she was asked about Chief Minister Punjab and her Party’s (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz’s looks and styling.
To this she replied, “I can categorically say that she just applies a thing or two on her face (cosmetics) and gets simple lawn dresses worth 700-800 stitched and wears them.” Azma further added that “it is not about the cost of the items but the way you carry them,” adding that she is inspired by Maryam Nawaz because she carries the clothes well.
The video surfaced on social media a day earlier and has taken the net by storm as people are grilling Azma for being so oblivious of current prices.
A number of users commented that not even a lawn shirt cost 800 now let alone a whole dress. Some quipped that they want the address of the place Maryam Nawaz gets her dresses from.
Many other lambasted Azma by pointing out the expensive collection of shoes and bags Maryam Nawaz uses on daily basis which are worth hundreds of dollars.
A user commented that CM Punjab should suffix the cheap dresses with costly bags and shoes actually.
She donned a Saira Habib dress paired with Dior sandals at the oath-taking of her uncle Shehbaz Sharif on his oath-taking ceremony as Prime Minister of Pakistan. The look in totality is worth way more than Rs800 contradictory to what Azma claimed.
The meteorological department has predicted rains in various parts of the country, reports Geo.
The weather became pleasant with thundershowers in many cities of Punjab including Rajanpur and Bhakkar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Parachinar city and adjacent areas received rain and snow on the mountains. In Quetta and its surrounding areas there were heavy spells of rains.
Azad Jammu Kashmir’s Neelum valley also experienced overcast along with strong winds.
The sand storm from the border desert of Afghanistan entered the Pakistani areas due to which trees were uprooted, mud walls and solar panels fell in many areas including Chaman, Qila Abdullah, Pashin, Gulistan, Jangal Pir Alizai, Saranan due to which high alert was issued.
Gusty winds will continue intermittently in South Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir according to the Department of Meteorology. Heavy rain and hail may also occur at some places.
Apart from this, the weather department has also that there is a possibility of rain in Karachi today and tomorrow (Saturday and Sunday).
Pakistan Army and Punjab Police announced on Friday that they will work together to investigate the incident where masked men in military clothing attacked cops in Bahawalnagar. The decision came after short video clips of the incident went viral on social media.
The military’s media wing stated that a recent unfortunate incident happened in Bahawalnagar. The military and police authorities worked together to promptly address and resolve the situation.
“Despite this, certain factions with vested motives started fanning vitriolic propaganda on social media to create divisions between state institutions and government departments,” the statement read.
“To ensure a fair and deliberate inquiry, and to determine responsibility for violations of laws and misuse of authority, a joint inquiry comprising security and police officials will be conducted for ascertaining the facts and apportioning responsibility,” it concluded.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the Punjab Police condemned the “fake propaganda” being spread on social media websites after videos emerged showing cops being assaulted by Pakistan Army officers in Bahawalnagar.
A man killed his wife and seven children with an axe in Alipur Tehsil of Muzaffargarh. Police have arrested him along with recovering the instrument of murder.
Sajjad Khokhar killed his wife and children in Mudwala area of Alipur after a domestic dispute erupted at home.
The ages of the children are between six months and eight years, said the police. Funeral prayers of the eight victims have already been carried out.
Police later arrested the suspect who was walking with a limp. Preliminary investigations indicate that Sajjad massacred his family due to poverty and growing domestic disputes.
Unknown assailants gunned down at least 11 people in two separate terror incidents in the Nushki district of Balochistan, as reported by Geo News on Saturday.
The militants stopped a bus on the National Highway from Quetta to Taftan and abducted nine people from Punjab who were travelling in it.
The police launched a search operation for the abductees; however, their bodies were found under the bridge near a hill. All of them had been shot dead.
Nushki Superintendent of Police (SP) Allah Bukhsh stated that the murdered men were from Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin, Wazirabad, and Gujranwala areas and were labourers.
Nushki Teaching Hospital MS Dr Zafar Mengal said the murdered men had been shot in various parts of their bodies.
At least 18 Sindhi pilgrims were killed and more than 40 wounded after a truck carrying them to a shrine in Khuzdar fell into a ditch while taking a sharp turn.
The unfortunate incident happened in Balochistan’s Hub district on Wednesday night when dozens of people from Sindh’s Thatha district were traveling to the shrine of Shah Noorani located nearly 300 kilometers from Balochistan’s provincial capital of Quetta.
20 passengers with critical wounds were referred to Karachi after being administered initial medical care. They were visited by the Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
“All efforts will be made to provide the best medical facilities to the injured,” assured CM Sindh while talking to media.
Abdul Waheed Baloch, Station House Officer (SHO) told the media that the truck driver was inexperienced and unfamiliar with the road leading to the shrine.
“He was traveling to Balochistan for the first time and didn’t know the routes and curves leading to the shrine,” he said.
The SHO added that the driver was speeding and jumped out of the truck to save his life. He has been arrested by the police.
