Tag: Top News

  • Palestinian faith gives rise to Islamic belief system around the globe

    Palestinian faith gives rise to Islamic belief system around the globe

    It has been more than 100 days since Israel began the genocide in Gaza. Not just for people in the West but also for Muslims at large, this period has been a time of self-realization and a strengthening of their beliefs. Yakeen Institute for Islamic Research, surveyed 1800+ English-speaking Muslims to gauge the change of attitude in their religiosity and the results are astounding.

    Demographics of the Yakeen sample include 74 per cent female; 61 per cent live in North America, 13 per cent live in Europe, 18 per cent live in Asia, and 6 per cent live in Africa; 41 per cent are under 35 years of age; 50 per cent were South Asian, 17 per cent Arab, and 10 per cent black/African.

    70 per cent of people in Yakeen’s sample believe that the liberation of Palestine is a religious issue. Consequently, 93 per cent believe that Palestine is ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ important to them personally, and 97 per cent believe its liberation is a high priority for the Muslim world, with 70 per cent saying it is the highest priority for the Muslim world. The people are also in agreement that Muslim nations should not normalize relations with Israel, with 96 per cent stating they are opposed to normalization and feel that it would cause additional harm to the people of Palestine.

    78 per cent of those surveyed reported that their relationship with Allah has improved since the assault on Gaza began. Yakeen Institute said that this is likely because people were reminded of death but the most important factor is the unshakeable faith of the people of Gaza, elevating the ummah’s religiosity and consciousness.

    There are many videos from the besieged strip but one, of a little boy thanking Allah Almighty even in the most dire circumstances where 8 of his family members have been martyred, is particularly hard-hitting.

    Witnessing this has caused 91 per cent of respondents to state that the people of Gaza have given them ‘quite a bit’ or ‘a lot’ of religious inspiration, with 97 per cent reporting being ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ proud of the people of Gaza.

    Many have started opening the Qur’an to understand the divine message that instills messages of resilience in the people of Gaza. Famous TikToker Meghan B Rice is one such example. 85 per cent of Muslims reported feeling ‘quite a bit’ or ‘a lot’ of comfort in the Qur’an, and 80 per cent found similar levels of comfort in the biography (seerah) of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Qur’an has come to life in new ways for Muslims.

    The details of the afterlife found in the Qur’an and Sunnah have also brought tremendous comfort and clarity to Muslims worldwide. For example, 96 per cent reported that knowing that our brothers and sisters who were martyred are alive in paradise brought ‘quite a bit’ or ‘a lot’ of comfort.

    Almost 30 Australian women accepted Islam seeing the steadfastness of Gazans.

    TikTok is the budding platform promoting such voices as the famous pro-Palestine Instagram account palestineonaplate posted, “The faith of the Palestinians in Gaza has woken up the world. Not just in support against the genocide that is happening but also towards Islam. Atheists, Christians, non-believers, reverts, everyone has been inspired by the faith the Gazans have in Allah and more and more people are converting to Islam because of this.”

  • More than half a million Afghans return from Pakistan

    More than half a million Afghans return from Pakistan

    More than 500,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan in the four months since Islamabad ordered undocumented migrants to leave or face arrest, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Monday.

    According to the latest figures reported by the UN migration agency, 500,200 Afghans left Pakistan between September 15, 2023 and January 13, 2024.

    Most rushed to the border in the days leading up to a November 1 exit deadline Islamabad set for the 1.7 million Afghans it said were living illegally in Pakistan, and as police opened dozens of holding centres.

    “Since the initial peak around November 1, the number of individuals crossing these official border points have consistently decreased but remains higher than pre-September 15th,” an IOM statement said.

    Pakistan defended the crackdown by pointing to security concerns in its regions bordering Afghanistan and pressure on its struggling economy.

    “Some Afghans forced to return may be at risk of persecution, arbitrary arrest and detention and/or torture or ill-treatment,” the UN’s Afghan mission said in a report on Monday.

    Meanwhile, the busiest border crossing between the two countries remained closed for the tenth day running in a dispute over document rules for commercial drivers.

    The row centres on demands for drivers from both sides to have visas and passports — documents many Afghans do not have — as Pakistan cracks down on cross-border movements.

    More than 400 trucks were stranded on the Pakistan side of the Torkham crossing on Monday, according to a border official who asked not to be named.

    Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have grown increasingly fraught in recent months, with Islamabad accusing the Taliban government of failing to root out militants staging attacks in Pakistan from their soil.

    Kabul has always rejected the allegations.

    Millions of Afghans fleeing conflict have poured into Pakistan over the past four decades, including some 600,000 since the Taliban ousted the US-backed government and imposed its harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

    Some of the Afghans crossing into Afghanistan as a result of Islamabad’s eviction scheme were entering the country for the first time, having lived their whole lives in Pakistan.

    Upon arrival, migrants have received modest assistance from the government and NGOs in a country contending with one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

  • Why shouldn’t court try Qasim Suri for violating Constitution, asks CJP Isa.

    Why shouldn’t court try Qasim Suri for violating Constitution, asks CJP Isa.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has asked why the Supreme Court (SC) should not proceed against former National Assembly (NA) deputy speaker and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Qasim Suri for violating the Constitution.

    “Qasim Suri did not hold [voting] on the no-confidence motion. He became the cause of the constitutional crisis in the country,” the CJP remarked while referring to the 2022 crisis related to the ouster of then-prime minister Imran Khan via parliamentary vote.

    The CJP also stated that it was suggested that a former NA deputy speaker should be tried under Article 6 for treason. “Then tell us, why we should not proceed against you on abrogation of the Constitution?”

    The CJP passed the remarks during the hearing of Suri’s 2019 petition challenging the election tribunal’s decision to declare his election from NA-265 (Quetta-II) unlawful on September 27, that same year.

    In 2019, a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Umar Ata Bandial rejected the petition of the election tribunal and restored Qasim Suri’s membership.

    Baloch leader Lashkari Raisani had challenged Suri’s victory in the Quetta constituency during the 2018 elections.

  • Baloch protestors call off Islamabad sit-in after a month

    Baloch protestors call off Islamabad sit-in after a month

    The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) led by Dr Mahrang Baloch, has on Tuesday called off their over 30 day-long sit-in outside the National Press Club (NPC) in Islamabad, Geo News has reported.

    Baloch protesters had been protesting in the federal capital since December 20, 2023, against “enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings”.
    Activist Dr Mahrang Baloch said they are returning to Balochistan from Islamabad.

    “We will hold a rally in Balochistan on January 27,” she added.

    The development comes a day after NPC Islamabad on Monday lodged a complaint with the Kohsar Police Station requesting to remove the Baloch protesters from the open park in front of the NPC.

    According to The News, the club’s administration, in its complaint, felt a security threat due to certain reasons as many political and social personalities of national stature visit the NPC to attend different functions.

    The NPC administration said that the protesters’ sit-in had been going on for over two months, causing financial loss as the people belonging to political and social sectors, avoided holding press conferences and other political and social functions at the NPC. However, it is also important to note that the security situation in Islamabad raised concerns when several educational institutes located in Islamabad reportedly were closed until further notice amid security concerns.

    Earlier this month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had ordered local authorities and police to refrain from creating any hindrance or using force to remove the Baloch marchers.

    Moreover, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani had issued orders on a petition filed by a Baloch activist Sammi Deen Baloch, who was also among the protesting families in Islamabad, against harassment and attempts to remove marchers by force.

  • Former DG ISI Faiz Hameed denies meeting former judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui

    Former DG ISI Faiz Hameed denies meeting former judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui

    Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hameed, former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has firmly denied allegations of him meeting former Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and manipulating the judicial proceedings related to the Panama Papers case, Geo has reported.

    General Hameed labeled the accusations as “absolutely false, frivolous, concocted, and based on an afterthought.”

    He emphasized that he neither contacted Judge Siddiqui nor engaged in any meetings with him, rejecting any involvement in discussions about the appeals filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif in the court.

    IHC former chief justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi also submitted his response to the Supreme Court rejecting Siddiqui’s allegations.

    In addition, Brigadier (retd) Irfan Ramay’s reply has also been submitted to the top court, in which he denies the allegations against him and meeting Siddiqui.

    Contrary to Faiz Hameed’s reply, Siddiqui claims he has concrete evidence of two meetings with Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed at his official residence in 2018.

    Talking to Geo News, Siddiqui says he not only has a list of witnesses but also material evidence to prove his allegation that the then-DG ISI visited him twice when he was a senior serving judge.

    Siddiqui says if required, he can furnish the evidence to the Supreme Court, which is presently hearing an appeal against his dismissal by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in October 2018.

    Referring to the replies of Gen (retd) Faiz and others submitted to the Supreme Court in his case, he says the replies that deny his allegations prove the point that he was dismissed from service by the SJC without inquiring about the matter.

    Siddiqui says a day after his address to the Rawalpindi Bar Association on July 22, he had formally approached the then chief justice Saqib Nisar requesting him to constitute a commission to probe the authenticity and truthfulness of what he had alleged in the address.

    “If an independent commission holds that there’s no reality in the facts presented in the meeting of District Bar Association Rawalpindi, I am ready to face the consequences, but at the same time, I have a right to enquire that if my presented facts proved correct, what would be the fate of those persons, be they the serving army personnel who are involved in manipulating the judicial system,” reads his letter written to the then CJP.

    Siddiqui requested the issuance of directives for open proceedings of an independent commission, allowing media, civil society, and the legal fraternity to attend the inquiry into his allegations.

    Expressing his distress, Siddiqui stated, “It is a matter of concern that the independence of my institution has been compromised by the intervention of a few individuals of the prestigious institution of the Army and its allied agencies.”

    He noted that he had previously pointed out this intervention, leading to the initiation of a reference against him, along with another he deemed fabricated.

    Siddiqui’s troubles began after he addressed the District Bar Association on July 21, 2018, at the invitation of the executive body.

    During this address, he presented facts related to the Constitution’s applicability, the rule of law, the independence of the bar and bench, and the dispensation of justice.

    Following his revelations, Siddiqui claimed that a false and malicious campaign was launched against him on social and electronic media.

    The former judge expressed his disappointment, revealing that he learned of the Supreme Court’s instant annoyance through social media and the press release of the Supreme Court’s Public Relations Officer (PRO). Siddiqui noted that such outbursts of anger from the Supreme Court were not new and unusual in his experience.

    Despite Siddiqui’s request for an independent commission to probe the authenticity of his claims, none was constituted.

    Read more: Supreme Court issues notice to ex-DG ISI Faiz Hameed in Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui plea

  • Election campaigns to stop at February 6 midnight

    Election campaigns to stop at February 6 midnight

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has informed all election candidates that there will be no election campaign after midnight on February 6 for the upcoming general elections set to take place on February 8.

    The ECP’s spokesperson said while talking to The News that, “According to Section 182 of the Elections Act 2017, no person shall hold or participate in any public meeting, procession, corner meeting or such political activity after midnight on February 6, 2024 and February 7, 2024.”

    “Therefore, legal action will be taken against any person who violates the above provision of the law,” the spokesperson added.

    On the other hand, caretaker federal minister for Communications, Maritime Affairs, and Railways Shahid Ashraf Tarar briefed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja on the preparations of federal and provincial governments for elections.

    Earlier last week, the ECP released its ‘Code of Conduct for Security Personnel’ cautioning them to avoid bias when they are on election duty.

  • Father kills son in Peshawar for planting PTI flag at home

    Father kills son in Peshawar for planting PTI flag at home

    A father has allegedly killed his son in Budhbir, a suburb of Peshawar after the younger man put up a PTI flag on the roof of the house following a bitter dispute, BBC Urdu has reported.

    A case has been registered on the complaint of Arifur Rahman, the brother of the deceased Atta-ul-Rehman, in which it is said that the father and son had a repeated and bitter verbal argument on politics, upon which the father got angry and opened fire on his son with a pistol.

    Son Atta-ul-Rehman in Qatar

    Arifur Rahman, the complainant in this case and the victim’s brother, told the BBC that his brother had been living in Qatar and was working as a sanitary worker. His brother had come home to Peshawar after taking a two-month leave and was supposed to return to Qatar in 20 days.

    Arif says that the argument between his father and brother started with the hanging of the PTI party flag on the roof of the house, which escalated to bitter words and his father shot Atta-ur-Rehman in a fit of rage. He was visibly upset when the BBC interviewed him. In his words, his younger brother Atta brought the flag home and put it on the roof, but his father did not like it. According to Arif, his father urged his brother to “vote whoever you want, but raising this flag is not right.”

    Arif says that his younger brother started an argument with his father that it was not a big deal to plant the flag and eventually the argument escalated to such an extent that Noor Rehman pulled out a pistol and fired at his son.

    According to the FIR of this case, Atta-ur-Rehman was being taken to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment, but he died on the way.

    Arif has said that his father had retired from his job some time ago. His father does not seem to belong to any political party, but the Awami National Party is supported in his area and representatives of this party are elected. He says that there is an atmosphere of sadness in the house now. Our breadwinner brother is no more and the whole area is saddened by the incident. Atta-ur-Rehman has been buried. His brother relayed that it was not such a big deal, just that the bitterness in the conversation increased so much that no one understood what happened.

    The father has escaped from the house. SP President Division Abdul Salam Khalid says that raids are being conducted in search of the accused.

  • Man found hanging from bridge in Islamabad was mentally ill: Police

    Man found hanging from bridge in Islamabad was mentally ill: Police

    A video of a dead body hanging from the pedestrian bridge at Express Highway has gone viral on social media.

    Update: Islamabad police on Monday declared that the man who hung himself from the bridge was “mentally ill’.

    The details as per police investigation reveal that the full name of the 30-year-old deceased is Umar Shaham, son of Umar Bahadur. Further investigation is being carried out with the help of the family, reports Geo.

    “A dead body hanging from a bridge, in an incident that seems to be suicide, was discovered within the Aabpara Police Station’s jurisdiction […] and the deceased has been shifted to the PIMS hospital,” read the investigation officer’s (IO) report.

    Previously, a social media account named Islamabad Updates shared the disturbing video on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today. As per ARY News, the body kept hanging for several hours as it was not visible in the dense fog in Islamabad.

    The police has confirmed that they found the body of a young man identified as Umar, a resident of Mardan’s Katlang area. He is presumed to be 30 years old. Initial reports said that the young man had committed suicide, while an investigation has been launched into the incident.

    Police officials stated that the family of the deceased man has not been found even after several hours had passed.

  • Ayesha Omar ‘surprised’ at rumours about dating Shoaib Malik

    Ayesha Omar ‘surprised’ at rumours about dating Shoaib Malik

    Ayesha Omar is no stranger to the trials and tribulations of being in the entertainment industry, including unfounded rumours.

    The actress shared her thoughts on the recent marriage of former captain Shoaib Malik and actress Sana Javed.

    Ayesha congratulated the newlyweds in the comments section of their photo. She praised the couple by writing “Mashallah” along with a red heart emoji, and also added a ‘safe from the evil eye’ emoji.

    It’s worth noting that in the past, there were speculations about a relationship between Shoaib Malik and Ayesha Umar when rumours circulated about differences between Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza.

    In an interview with Iffat Omar, Ayesha said, “I am very afraid of rumours. I used to get panic attacks. Some of my personal and private pictures circulated social media. Also, they made rumours about me and Shoaib as well. After my dating rumours with Shoaib went viral, was like, are u serious?”
    She added “People who know me also know my choice and principles.”

  • A step towards restoring friendship: Iran’s foreign minister to visit soon

    A step towards restoring friendship: Iran’s foreign minister to visit soon

    Following Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar, Pakistan and Iran have mutually agreed that ambassadors of both countries will return to their respective posts by January 26, 2024 and the Iranian Foreign Minister is going to visit on January 29, 2024.

    In a joint statement issued on Monday, the Foreign Office said that at the invitation of Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian will undertake a visit to Pakistan on January 29.

    In a post on X, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran Mudassir Tipu said he was “so delighted that leaderships of both Pakistan and Iran so deftly handled a challenging moment astutely- swiftly putting relations back on track”.

    Along with that the Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday that Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian would visit Pakistan on January 29.

    The visit comes days after tensions escalated between the two countries following an Iranian air strike in Pakistan, leading Islamabad to strike terrorist hideouts in the neighbouring country’s Sistan-Baluchestan province.

    “Following the telephone conversation between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has been mutually agreed that ambassadors of both countries may return to their respective posts by January 26, 2024,” the FO said in a statement.

    The FO said that the Iranian foreign minister would travel to Pakistan on Jan 29 at the invitation of FM Jilani.

    Previously, Pakistan has targeted terrorist hideouts inside Iran in response to the violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that killed two children and injured three girls.

    Hideouts used by terrorist organisations namely Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front were successfully struck in an intelligence based operation, code name ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’, ISPR has stated in a recently released statement.

    According to a statement by the Foreign Office (FO), a number of terrorists were killed during the intelligence-based operation codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’. Meanwhile, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that nine people, including seven “non-Iranian nationals”, were killed in the strike targeting a village near the city of Saravan.

    The Khorasan Diary reported, that “7 BLF millitants involved in attacks in Pakistan have been killed/injured in Pakistan’s strikes in Iran.”

    In a video posted, it can be seen the damage caused by Pakistani Strikes in approximately 200 kilometres away from PAK-Iran border.

    Publication The Khorasan Diary also claimed that Jaishul Adal, the same militant group, Iran claimed to have targeted has taken the responsibility for the attack on Saravan Corps of Sistan Wa Baluchistan province, Colonel Hossein Ali Javadanfar, adding that the security official was assassinated along with two of his guards.”

    Previously, The Iranian strikes were part of a series of attacks carried out by the country in recent days in Syria and Iraq as a response to recent terrorist attacks on its territory. They have heightened concerns about regional stability, particularly amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

    Pakistan undertook a series of highly coordinated and specifically targeted precision military strikes against terrorist hideouts in Siestan-o-Baluchistan province of Iran. A number of terrorists were killed during the Intelligence-based operation – codenamed ‘Marg Bar Sarmachar’, says the official statement released by the Foreign Office of Pakistan.

    “Last night’s unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by Iran is a violation of international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,” FO Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement on Wednesday.

    A context to the response by the Foreign Office

    Foreign Ofiice of Pakistan provided a detailed context to Operation Marg Bar Sarmachar.

    “Over the last several years, in our engagements with Iran, Pakistan has consistently shared its serious concerns about the safe havens and sanctuaries enjoyed by Pakistani origin terrorists calling themselves Sarmachars on the ungoverned spaces inside Iran. Pakistan also shared multiple dossiers with concrete evidence of the presence and activities of these terrorists. However, because of lack of action on our serious concerns, these so-called Sarmachars continued to spill the blood of innocent Pakistanis with impunity. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large-scale terrorist activities by these so called Sarmachars,” the statement read.

    The Foreign Office described the action as a part of its resolve to “defend its national security against all threats.” Moreover it mainatianed that “Pakistan fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The sole objective of today’s act was in pursuit of Pakistan’s own security and national interest which is paramount and cannot be compromised.”

    Strict monitoring of Air Space

    Geo News’ Azaz Syed quotes Civil Aviation Authority that amid the escalation of tensions in Islamabad-Tehran ties, Pakistan has started strict monitoring of all flights from the West including Iran.

    Meeting of Foreign Minister with Iranian Counterpart

    Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani Wednesday told his Irani counterpart that no country should follow its path of launching an attack on a neighbouring nation’s soil against the menace of terrorism unilaterally.

    “No country in the region should tread this perilous path,” Jilani told Iran’s FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a telephone call hours after Tehran claimed it had targeted “terrorists” in Pakistan.

    Iranian response

    There is a group called Jaishal Adal, which is an Iranian terrorist group that have taken refuge on Pakistan-Iran border. Several times we have talked to Pakistani security officials that this group killed our security personnel and we responded by killing Iranian terrorist on Pakistani soil. I have spoken to my Pakistani counterpart, the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, we do respect the sovereignty of Pakistan but we don’t allow our national security be compromised and be played with. We have no hesitations when it comes to our national interest and those terrorist groups inside Pakistan and those affiliated with Israel” the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said while speaking in Davos at The World Economic Forum.

    India
    India in a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said, “This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self-defence.”

    China

    China, close partners of Iran and Pakistan, urged restraint, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning saying both should “avoid actions that would lead to an escalation of tension”.

    United States of America

    The United States, meanwhile, condemned the Iranian strikes in Pakistan, Iraq and Syria, with State Department spokesman Matthew Miller saying Tehran had violated the “sovereign borders of three of its neighbours in just the past couple of days”.

    To read more: Pakistan expels Iranian ambassador from Pakistan, suspends all high level visits in response to Iranian attack on Pakistan