With skipper Sarfraz Ahmed celebrating his 32nd birthday on Wednesday, a plethora of wishes continues to flood Twitter.
On the occasion, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have congratulated the Pakistan cricket team captain in their tweets.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s nephew and reporter of a private media outlet have escaped in Lahore a gun attack “by the goons of a minister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)”.
As per the details, lawyer Hassaan Khan Niazi and journalist Rai Saqib Kharral were attacked in the Gullo Kot area of the provincial capital, where Darul Hikmat (DuH), a Christian education centre, has been illegally occupied by land mafia.
Today 4 fires were fired at me and the neo tv anchor @RaisaqibKharal – and Punjab human rights provisional minister and his son in law Nauraiz were behind the firing. They are involved in land grabbing of charity school land. @SHABAZGIL it’s shame that we(PTI) have such ministers
“At least four shots were fired at us as we reached the charity school to meet the person in charge,” Hassaan Khan told The Current, alleging that the attackers are related to a Punjab minister.
We have filed a complaint for registration of FIR in the nishter colony thana lahore and FIR has not been lodged. @Lahorepoliceops@ICT_Police is this the Naya Pakistan we were promised. You need act. No minister is above the law https://t.co/lOpiDhvyzd
“Norez, one of the people responsible for the attack, is a provincial minister’s son-in-law,” he said further.
CM TAKES NOTICE:
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident and illegal occupation of the school.
According to a private media outlet, CM Inspection Team Chairman Malik Asad Khokhar has sought a report from the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).
Breaking: CM Punjab takes notice of the qabza of charity school in yuhanabad by Nauraiz with help of PTI human rights minister. There can’t be two laws. Thank you CM Punjab And CM complaint Cell pic.twitter.com/9J2iCxgDJ9
Owned by the Darul Hikmat Trust, the community school was established in 1986 and houses hostels for both boys and girl, besides multiple lawns as well as a football ground.
Relative of PTI human rights minister directly involved in turning this trust property into housing scheme in Christian community area. His people fired 4 gun shots at us today. This used to football ground. No action taken. 1500 students used to study. Within 2 years 70 Left pic.twitter.com/PsN8CVQK3B
The administrative affairs of the institute are now being run by the minister’s relatives.
Meanwhile, several deserving students from nearby localities who were studying at the institution have started leaving the school amid the catastrophic situation that’s prevailing there.
No official version of the incident had been released by the time this report was filed.
Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry has said that his ministry has “nothing to do with science”.
In a recent interview with Independent Urdu, the minister was asked what relation was there between his law degree and science.
There is no connection, he said, adding: “In fact, the Science and Technology Ministry itself has no relation with science.”
Earlier, in an interview to The Current, Fawad, who was sacked as the federal minister for information and broadcasting in last month’s cabinet reshuffle, had said he himself had chosen the Science and Technology Ministry.
“I was offered two or three ministries by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and I voluntarily chose this ministry because science and technology is the way forward,” he had said.
Saudi Arabia has intercepted two missiles headed for Makkah, the kingdom announced on Tuesday night.
According to an official statement, the ballistic missiles, reportedly intercepted over Taif, were fired by Yemeni Houthi rebels and were headed for the holy city as well as Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea.
— WATCH — Air Defense system in Saudi Arabia intercepts a Houthi missile in the sky’s of Taif. pic.twitter.com/odU0WQqofV
— Saudi Embassy USA (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) May 20, 2019
PAKISTAN CONDEMNS:
Meanwhile, Islamabad has condemned the reported firing of ballistic missiles.
The Foreign Office, in a statement, issued its condemnation and also commended Saudi forces for their “vigilant” defence.
“Pakistan condemns the firing of ballistic missiles by Houthis towards Makkah province and commends the vigilant Saudi defence forces for intercepting the missiles,” read the statement.
“Pakistan reaffirms its solidarity with Saudi Arabia and reiterates its support against any threat to the security of the kingdom.”
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of Muslim states that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government that was ousted from power by Houthi rebels in late 2014.
The Houthis, on the other hand, denied that their missiles were targeting Makkah, roughly 70 km (40 miles) from Jeddah and 50 km (30 miles) from Taif. The group called the claim “a tactic by Saudi Arabia to rally support for its war”.
Following the continuous devaluation of the rupee, a resident of Gujranwala set his US dollars on fire.
According to ARY News, Amjad burned his dollars to initiate a movement to stabilise the Pakistani rupee.
Speaking to the media about his actions, Amjad urged masses to do the same and avoid trading in US dollars to strengthen the Pakistani rupee.
Meanwhile, Islamic scholar Mufti Taqi Usmani, in a tweet, said that purchasing dollars in this hour of economic crisis is a grave sin and disloyalty to the country.”
He added that “those involved in hoarding are cursed by Allah,” according to some “narrations of a Hadith.”
Purchasing dollars to hoard and earn profit by the increase in its price is a grave sin and disloyalty to the country in the present economic situation. According to some narrations of a Hadith those involved in hoarding are cursed by Allah Taala.
— Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Official) (@muftitaqiusmani) May 20, 2019
On Tuesday, the dollar touched a new record high of Rs153 in the open market.
As leaders of major opposition parties joined hands to attend an Iftar dinner hosted by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday, their united stance against the government left social media divided.
ATTENDANCE:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) senior leader Liaquat Baloch, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Sherpao and Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were all in attendance for the event organised at Zardari House in Islamabad.
AGENDA:
Bilawal is working to unite all opposition parties and his Iftar was an opportunity for them to reach consensus on launching an anti-government movement after Ramzan.
The grand show of around ten political parties discussed strategies against the government. Sources had earlier informed The Current that the meeting was set to unite opposition leaders against the country’s economic crisis — falling rupee value and inflation.
It was decided that solutions will be found to the issues the country is facing and all opposition parties will launch a protest inside and outside the parliament after Eid.
They also agreed that the government has failed in running the affairs of the country and after Eid, an All Parties Conference (APC) would be held where a joint strategy would be formulated.
The meeting also expressed concerns over “political victimisation” by the National Accountancy Bureau (NAB).
PM IMRAN’S REACTION:
Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan hit out at the opposition and said, “Today certain people have gathered for an event but we really know that it is because of them that Pakistan has not moved forward.”
He said that the economy was being used “as a source of blackmail by corrupt political mafia”.
DIVIDED SOCIAL MEDIA:
Some social media users lauded Bilawal and Maryam as the new faces behind the two biggest opposition parties in the country, “taking forward the ideas of their parents” — former PMs Benazir Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz.
The legacy continues Its really great to see the future leadership nd opposition on one table. The days of Mr Selected r numbered In Shaa Allah he have to go.. Democratic leaders r indeed a threat to the selectors nd selected#PTIAikIftaarKiMaar@MaryamNSharif@BBhuttoZardaripic.twitter.com/3gFPGc8AJN
— Samana Malaika Raza (@MalaikaSRaza) May 19, 2019
Meanwhile, some others stepped up to criticise the “unholy alliance”.
Pakistan People’s Party and PMLN are those two parties which becomes one when things come to their corruption they can not survive without each other PMLN and PPP are the worst memory of Pakistan these two parties have destroyed our country from roots#کرپشن_بچاو_اپوزیشن_اتحادpic.twitter.com/ZpGEsGIDUG
#کرپشن_بچاو_اپوزیشن_اتحاد We the people of Pakistan are aware of the economic situation and we also know that the crops we are harvesting now was cultivated by the previous governments.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was spotted visiting different areas of Multan as a pillion rider on a motorbike, without any protocol and listening to the problems of his constituents.
Hardly anyone is not familiar with the lines our political leaders can cross while trying to score attention or approval of the masses.
Here are four of The Current’s favourite Pakistani political stunts.
4. Shehbaz Sharif’s overenthusiastic address to party workers:
Shehbaz and his signature “mic drops”. Here’s a private news channel’s report on it.
3. Imran Khan burning a utility bill against inflation under PML-N rule:
Fulfilling his promise to burn his electricity bill at the infamous 2014 sit-in, the PTI chief set fire to a piece of paper on night of his call to celebrate the “Day of Deliverance”.
2. Sheikh Rasheed on the run across Rawalpindi:
Despite orders for his arrest, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed made it to a rally of his supporters in Rawalpindi’s Committee Chowk on a motorbike while beating the cops after him.
1. Imran’s ‘civil disobedience campaign’ against PML-N government:
The disobedience movement was a no-confidence public campaign against the government of PML-N. It was launched by the PTI chief in 2014 to protest against the alleged corruption of Sharif family members.
In contradiction to Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed’s claims, Pakistan Railways (PR) has suffered a loss of Rs28.62 billion within the first eight months of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, it was revealed Friday.
Just last month, Rasheed had claimed that PR has generated a profit of Rs43 billion ever since he was handed the reins of the department.
However, according to a report submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, the department’s total expenditure stands at Rs72 billion, while six of the 10 new trains inaugurated by Rasheed are suffering losses.
The trains running to further ruin the crippling department include Dhabeji Express, Shah Latif Express, Mohenjodaro Express, Rohi Passenger Train, Thal-Mianwali Express, Faisalabad Non-Stop Train and Rawalpindi Express.
An Indian soldier has been arrested for passing information
on troop movements and military exercises to an alleged Pakistani spy, who “honey
trapped” him on social media.
Honey trapping is an investigative practice that uses
romantic relationships for political or monetary gains.
According to India Today, the 26-year-old havildar, posted in an infantry battalion in Madhya Pradesh, was reportedly charmed into sharing the information by a Pakistani woman whose profile claimed she was an international journalist.
As they chatted “regularly” on Facebook and WhatsApp, he
began supplying her with sensitive information on military maneuvers,
eventually even receiving assignments regarding what information to provide.
The soldier was finally arrested on Thursday after six
months’ surveillance by military intelligence.
There has been a surge in the number of Indian soldiers that
are tricked by Facebook accounts being operated from within Pakistan into revealing
sensitive information, including troop and tank movements.
According to a CNN report, Indian soldiers are “honey trapped” into giving sensitive information to fake Pakistani Facebook accounts which highlights the widespread “catfishing” problem facing India’s military.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif has applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom (UK), a private media outlet reported on Wednesday night.
According to BOL News, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, who is facing multiple National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases of corruption and misuse of power as Punjab chief minister, has applied for political refuge.
Soon after the report was aired, other media outlets made similar claims as another popular channel explained why one seeks humanitarian protection outside his or her home country.
Social media was abuzz with conflicting reports when Shehbaz’s spokesperson Attaullah Tarar took to Twitter to clarify the situation.
میاں شہبازشریف سے متعلق جو خبریں گردش کررہی ہیں کہ انہوں نے برطانیہ میں سیاسی پناہ کیلیے درخواست دی ہے یہ بالکل جھوٹی اور بے بنیاد خبریں ہیں یہ شہبازشریف صاحب کے مخالفین کی خواہش تو ہوسکتی ہے مگر اس میں کوئی صداقت نہیں.@TararAttaullahpic.twitter.com/7Fn6J89weO
Rubbishing the claims, Tarar said Shehbaz will be returning to Pakistan before the budget session for the fiscal year 2019-20 in the National Assembly and Senate on May 24.
He said that the younger Sharif had an appointment with a cancer specialist on May 8 in London and another one on May 14. “It is likely that he may be suggested a few more tests after which he will be returning to Pakistan,” he said.
Earlier, Shehbaz himself had also said he would be back in Pakistan in a matter of days.
“I have a few medical check-ups to attend to in the next few days and I will be returning to Pakistan after that. It could be much sooner than the budget session,” he had told a media outlet earlier this month.
Shehbaz, a cancer patient, has been in London for over three weeks now. He has reportedly undergone various tests as part of his medical check-ups, especially for the pain he had developed while in NAB custody.
