Tag: Top News

  • There are no black sheep in supreme court, Justice Minallah tells PM

    There are no black sheep in supreme court, Justice Minallah tells PM

    Supreme Court Judge Justice Athar Minallah while talking to the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP), advised the AG to tell the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that there are no black sheep in the SC.

    A five member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faiz Isa heard the government’s appeals against the nullification of the NAB amendments in the top court today.

    Justice Minallah further said, “Ask the Prime Minister if there are any black sheep in the Supreme Court then file a reference against them.”

    The comment by Justice Athar came just two days after PM Shehbaz while addressing the PML-N General Workers’ Council said, “Majority of judges agree on the country’s prosperity, but a few black sheep in the judiciary are bent on giving relief to Imran Khan.”

  • Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian track ‘Hind’s Hall’ rules the music charts

    Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian track ‘Hind’s Hall’ rules the music charts

    Joining the many celebrities speaking up for Palestinians, American rapper Macklemore has found success with his latest song, ‘Hind’s Hall.’ The track openly condemns Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    According to The Guardian, ‘Hind’s Hall’ is named after a Columbia University building that student protesters renamed from Hamilton Hall, to honour Hind Rajab, a five-year-old child killed by Israeli military in Gaza.

    “If students in tents posted on the lawn / Occupying the quad is really against the law / And a reason to call in the police and their squad / Where does genocide land in your definition, huh?” Macklemore raps, pointing out the police crackdown on student protests in the US. Students across college campuses made headlines for standing in solidarity with people suffering in Gaza.

    Making a splash on several Billboard charts, Forbes reported that in its first week, ‘Hind’s Hall’ sold 6,773 copies. The song achieved high positions on several charts thanks to strong sales, marking a notable win for the Grammy-winning rapper.

    ‘Hind’s Hall’debuted at number 7 on the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart. This is only the second time Macklemore has reached the top 10 on this list without his former collaborator, Ryan Lewis.

    The track also topped the Rap Digital Song Sales chart, which ranks the best-selling rap-only tracks in the country. Although it didn’t hit number 1, it came close behind Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

    ‘Hind’s Hall’ also performed well on the R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales chart, debuting at number 3. True to his values, Macklemore announced that proceeds from the song will go towards helping Palestinian refugees.

  • After iCUBE-Q, another Pakistani Satellite to be launched into space

    After iCUBE-Q, another Pakistani Satellite to be launched into space

    After the successful launch of iCUBE Qamar, Pakistan’s newest Communication Satellite, MM1, is to be launched into space today (May 30).

    The satellite which is officially names as PAKSAT MM1will be launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC), China.

    The satellite will help bring in Pakistan into the digital era as it will provide internet to remote areas, according to SUPARCO officials.

    “Our team is very excited for the upcoming launch of PakSat MM1 on May 30,” Project Director PakSat MM1 said.

    The launch ceremony will be shown live for media from the Islamabad and Karachi establishments of SUPARCO.

    The satellite is expected to contribute to the establishment of a sophisticated communication network and help meet the growing demands of the telecom sector and its advanced capabilities will address the increasing demand for high-speed internet and seamless connectivity.

    “It will prove to be a stepping stone in the transformation of the country into Digital Pakistan. It will provide various communication services like broadband internet, TV broadcasting, Mobile bank –hauling and VSAT connectivity.”

    Project Manager MM-1 Usman Iftikhar said that the primary objective behind the PAKSAT MM-1 satellite is to strengthen Pakistan’s communication infrastructure and pave the way for broadening the horizons for connectivity.

    This satellite is a communication satellite that will be sent in a Geostationary Orbit.

    Earlier, Pakistan’s historic lunar mission (iCUBE-Q) was launched on May 3 on board China’s Chang’E6 from Hainan, China.

    The satellite iCube-Qamar mission marked Pakistan’s first lunar exploration effort.

  • No stability until May 9 Perpetrators brought to justice: Pak Army

    No stability until May 9 Perpetrators brought to justice: Pak Army

    The Pakistan Army on Thursday reiterated the call for bringing to justice the planners, perpetrators, abettors, and facilitators of the May 9 riots for the “collective good of the country”.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s resolve was communicated during the 83rd Formation Commanders Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) presided by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir.

    “Digital terrorism unleashed against state institutions, especially Pakistan’s armed forces, is being carried out with the help of external facilitators to achieve nefarious political objectives,” said the presser.

    Furthermore, the military leadership believed that there are efforts to sow discord between the state institutions and the Pakistani nation.

    The conference concluded with the determination that, “All threats to the security and stability of the country will be thwarted with the full support of a proud nation.”

  • Supreme Court rejects petition for live coverage of NAB amendment case

    Supreme Court rejects petition for live coverage of NAB amendment case

    The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government’s request for live streaming of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendment case hearing on Thursday, Geo News reported.

    The top court rejected the plea filed by the KP advocate general, with Justice Athar Minallah being in favour of live broadcasting of the case.

    “The [hearing of] case should be broadcast live since this was the case before as well,” the judge said.

    The development comes as the SC is hearing intra-court appeals filed by the federal and provincial governments against the NAB amendments struck down by the top court.

    Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Minallah, and Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi are part of the larger SC bench hearing the case.

  • First acknowledge past mistakes, SC writes to British HC

    First acknowledge past mistakes, SC writes to British HC

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan penned a letter to the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Pakistan Jane Marriott, defending the top court rulings including stripping the PTI of its symbol while reminding her of past British injustices.

    “The matter was resolved in just 12 days by the Supreme Court, and general elections were held throughout Pakistan on 8 February 2024; a copy of the decision is attached as ‘A’,” read the letter by SC.

    It then went on to defend the SC ruling in which a political party was stripped of its electoral symbol days before the election, “To ensure compliance with this democratic principle the law stipulates that if a political party does not hold intra-party elections, then it would not be eligible for an election symbol.”

    It further criticised the British for its complicity in “violent undemocratic mistakes” such as overthrowing the elected democratic government of Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953, to capture Iranian oil.

    The letter also mentioned the British role in the creation of a settler-colonial state Israel and urged the UK commissioner to acknowledge its past mistakes.

  • Heavy monsoon spell on its way to Pakistan

    Heavy monsoon spell on its way to Pakistan

    The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Thursday forecast said that many areas in the country will receive extraordinary monsoon rains from June to August.

    This forecast is a relief amid the ongoing heatwave but is also concerning because of the fear of floods in the country, reports Geo.

    As per the predictions by the weather department, there is a chance of usual and above-normal rains in most places this year. However, central and northern Punjab will remain affected the most.
    While southern Sindh is expected to receive torrential rains, Balochistan might experience extraordinary rainy weather.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan are expected to experience average rainfall this year, informs the meteorological department.

    The department has predicted heavy rainfall in the first phase of the monsoon in comparison with the second phase.

    PMD has also predicted that Punjab and upper parts of the country are expected to receive rain during the ongoing week which could break the heat spell.

    Severe heatwave conditions were likely to subside in upper parts if it rained, said the Met Department.

  • Imran Khan acquitted in two more May 9 cases

    Imran Khan acquitted in two more May 9 cases

    The district and session court in Islamabad acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in two more cases related to May 9 violence, ARY News reported on Thursday.

    Judicial Magistrate Omar Shahab announced the decision on two May 9 cases registered against PTI founder at Shahzad town police station.

    The court cleared the former prime minister in both cases due to insufficient evidence. The prominent lawyers Mirza Aim Beg and Naeem Panjootha were representing Khan in both cases. 

    An unofficial person registered the FIR against Imran Khan and falsely accused him under Section 109, but Khan’s lawyers pointed out that the evidence is not sufficient to support the charge.

    However, Imran Khan’s lawyer and PTI leader Naeem Panjootha told the court that Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case has been suspended, but the court has yet to announce on the illegal marriage case and the cypher case.

  • Hina Pervaiz Butt falsely claims Khan’s interview with Mehdi Hassan was paid

    Hina Pervaiz Butt falsely claims Khan’s interview with Mehdi Hassan was paid

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Parvaiz Butt recently got into a Twitter feud with journalist Mehdi Hassan after she called his recent interview with founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan “paid content.”

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan gave an exclusive interview with renowned journalist Mehdi Hassan for his new platform Zeteo where he openly talked about his imprisonment experience, past regrets, and the country’s worsening political situation.

    The interview was available to paid subscribers on his new platform Zeteo and the MPA highlighted the ‘paid’ written at the start of the article alleging that it is paid content, a claim that is false.

    Mehdi called her out saying, “This Pakistani politician from the governing party is pushing a conspiracy theory that I was “paid” to do my interview with Imran Khan. ‘Paid’ on the post below means it’s a post only for paid subscribers to Zeteo.”

  • North Korea drops rubbish-filled balloons on South Korea

    North Korea drops rubbish-filled balloons on South Korea

    North Korea just dropped at least 260 filth-filled balloons on South Korea, prompting officials to warn residents to stay indoors.

    South Korea’s army cautioned the public against touching the balloons and the plastic bags attached to them because they contain “filthy waste and trash”.
    The balloons have been found in eight of nine provinces in South Korea and are now being investigated.

    The recent incident comes days after North Korea said it would retaliate against the “frequent scattering of leaflets and other rubbish” in border areas by activists in the South.

    Photographs shared on various social media platforms show bags attached via string to white translucent balloons carrying toilet paper, dark soil, batteries, and leaflets, among other contents.

    BBC quotes South Korea’s Yonhap news agency’s report: “Some of the fallen balloons carried what appears to be faeces judging from its dark colour and odour”.

    Battle of Ballons

    North and South Korea have both used balloons in their propaganda campaigns since the Korean War in the 1950s.

    South Korea’s military had earlier said it was investigating whether there were any North Korean propaganda leaflets in the balloons.

    Earlier this month, a South Korea-based activist group claimed it had sent 20 balloons carrying choco pies, leaflets, and USB sticks containing Korean pop music and music videos across the border, all of which are banned in North Korea.

    Back in 2016, North Korea launched balloons southward that attacked Seoul’s leaders The balloons reportedly carried toilet paper, cigarette butts, and rubbish.

    However, Seoul police described them as “hazardous biochemical substances”.

    “It seriously threatens the safety of our people. North Korea is entirely liable for what happens due to the balloons and we sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop this inhumane and crass action,” the South’s military said.