Tag: trending

  • Supreme Court grants conditional permission for military courts to announce May 9 verdicts

    Supreme Court grants conditional permission for military courts to announce May 9 verdicts

    The Supreme Court of Pakistan has granted conditional permission to military courts to announce reserved verdicts in cases related to civilians allegedly involved in the May 9 riots.

    The directive came during a hearing on a set of intra-court appeals (ICAs) against the apex court’s previous ruling nullifying military trials of civilians connected to the riots.

    The six-member bench, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan and including Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Azhar Hasan Rizvi, Shahid Waheed, Musarrat Hilali, and Irfan Saadat Khan, presided over the proceedings.

    The case revolves around the trial of over 100 civilians accused of attacking army installations during riots following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan on May 9 of the preceding year.

    Last year, a five-member Supreme Court bench unanimously declared military trials of the accused civilians unconstitutional, directing their trial in criminal courts established under the ordinary or special law of the land.

    However, on December 13, the Supreme Court conditionally suspended its previous ruling pending final judgments on a set of ICAs. These appeals were filed by the then-caretaker federal government and provincial governments of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab. The defense ministry also filed an ICA seeking suspension of the ruling’s operation during the appeal process.

    During the hearing, the AGP also hinted at the possibility of 15 to 20 of the accused being released by the special courts. “A total of 105 accused are in the army’s custody,” he said.

    AGP Awan further said that there were three stages to the release of the suspects. The first step would be the pronouncement of the reserved judgements; the second would be its confirmation; and the third step would be for the army chief to give concessions to those with reduced sentences.

    The attorney general then urged the apex court to allow military courts to announce the reserved verdicts.

    “Even if permission is granted, it will be subject to the final decision on the appeals [against the Oct 23 ruling],” Justice Khan remarked.

    Justice Rizvi then inquired about the names of those who would be released. AGP Awan replied that the names could not be released until the military courts decided the cases.

    “Those whose punishment is one year will be given concessions,” the AGP said.

    Subsequently, the SC gave conditional permission to military courts to announce the reserved verdicts. It directed that judgments be announced in cases in which the nominated suspects could be released before Eid.

    The court also accepted the request from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to withdraw its appeal against the October 23 ruling. The hearing was adjourned until the fourth week of April, with the attorney general instructed to submit a report on the matter to the registrar.

  • Lights, Camera, Marriage: actors shocked at their ‘real’ marriages

    Lights, Camera, Marriage: actors shocked at their ‘real’ marriages

    Hey there, fellow movie buffs and drama enthusiasts! Get ready to have your minds blown because a recent revelation from a religious scholar on SAMAA TV has sent shockwaves through the entertainment world.

    Remember those glamorous on-screen weddings you’ve seen in your favorite films and dramas? Well, it turns out they might not be as pretend as we thought! According to this scholar, tying the knot on screen could mean saying “I do” in real life too.

    Yep, you heard it right! That snippet from SAMAA TV’s Sehri show last year, where the scholar dropped this bombshell, has resurfaced and gone viral faster than a gossip scandal.

    But hold onto your popcorn, because the surprises don’t end there. Not only did the scholar suggest that on-screen marriages could be legit, but they also hinted that on-screen divorces might spell the end for real-life couples. Talk about drama on and off the screen.

    Now, while we’re all for a good love story, some folks online are scratching their heads over this revelation. After all, when was the last time you saw a full-blown wedding ceremony in a movie? And how exactly does a fake “I do” translate into a real deal?

    But amidst the confusion, there’s one group of people who are having a field day with this news – single actors! They’re joyfully tallying up their on-screen spouses, with some even joking about having more marriages than they can count. “Just counted… I have got 97 nikkahs then. Where are my wives, bro?” actor Ali Abbas asked in the comments section

    Ushna Shah thought it was time to have an “awkward conversation” with her husband. Ahsan Khan responded with a surprised, “Seriously?”

    Daniyal Afzal Khan jokingly demanded someone to bring him his wives. Umer Alam Khan made a lighthearted remark, saying, “Going by this, I’ve been married thrice now. Still have room for one more. That’ll probably happen in the next drama.”

    Rapper and comedian Ali Gul Pir shared the video on his Instagram stories to make fun of the situation. He joked, “And you can get divorced by saying ‘Say pencil, your wedding’s cancelled’.”

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    ♬ original sound – Hina Naz

  • IHC puzzled by FIA singling out Imran, Qureshi in cipher case

    IHC puzzled by FIA singling out Imran, Qureshi in cipher case

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday questioned why the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was only specifically investigating former Prime Minister Imran khan and former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi for not returning the diplomatic cipher even though others involved in the case have done the same.

    Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb gave his remarks during the hearing of appeals filed by both Khan and Qureshi against their conviction.

    Defence council Barrister Salman Safdar presented his argument that the concerned diplomatic cipher was sent to the top eight offices, including the president, PM’s principal secretary, foreign secretary, army chief, director general of Inter-Services Intelligence, chief justice of Pakistan and cabinet secretary.

    However, the defense argued, none of the mentioned recipients returned the diplomatic cable to the Foreign Office when the inquiry commenced in October 2022.

    The other recipients didn’t return the cable for over a year and did so only when proceedings were started against only the ex-PM and FM.

    Justice Aurangzeb asked for an explanation of this move by FIA, to which Barrister Safdar replied it showed “selective prosecution, political victimisation, colourable exercise of power and defective investigation”.

  • ‘Stop arresting journalists’; Supreme Court orders FIA

    ‘Stop arresting journalists’; Supreme Court orders FIA

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, issued a directive instructing the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to refrain from arresting any journalists until the next hearing of the suo motu case concerning the alleged harassment of media personnel.

    During the hearing, the lawyer for the Press Association of the Supreme Court, Barrister Salahuddin, argued that action was taken against journalists in the name of violation of privacy. The chief justice asked the lawyer how he would define privacy.

    Salahuddin said that the FIA had become accustomed to the misuse of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). He added that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared PECA’s Section 20 null and void. He replied in negative, when the chief justice asked whether the decision was challenged.

    Chief Justice Isa raised questions about the issuance of notices to journalists under Section 160 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) before the registration of any First Information Report (FIR).

    The chief justice pointed out that many times there was a pressure from the above, so the officials send a notice to ward off the pressure, yet no FIR was registered and no arrest was made. Under this notice, he added, they could call anyone as witness.

    In response, Salahuddin stressed the importance of providing comprehensive details alongside such notices and argued that notices should only be sent after the registration of an FIR. Chief Justice Isa, however, suggested that officials might be reaching out to individuals to ascertain information before proceeding further.

    The court adjourned the hearing until April 2, ordering the FIA to refrain from arresting journalists until then. Chief Justice Isa emphasized that the court would only invalidate legal processes if they were proven illegal, highlighting the need for clarity and adherence to due process in such matters.

  • Five May 9 suspects arrested again after bail from SC

    Five workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) involved in the May 9 riots, who were earlier granted bail by the Supreme Court, have been arrested again under 16 MPO (Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960).

    The MPO order was issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi after which they were arrested. Last night, they were released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi after the suspects submitted their surety bonds.

    The five suspects — Owais, Saifullah, Nasrullah, Kamran and Waqas — were booked in the May 9 violence case registered at the New Tow Police Station.

    Scores of PTI workers were arrested across the country after the May 9 incident following the arrest of Imran Khan from court premises.

    Last week, a three member bench granted relief to five suspects and emphasized that authorities must differentiate who are the real terrorists. Their surety bonds were worth Rs 50,000 each.

  • Khawaja Asif says Afghanistan ‘source of terrorism’

    Khawaja Asif says Afghanistan ‘source of terrorism’

    Federal Minister for Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is unlike any other border in the world – terming Afghanistan a ‘source of terrorism’ for Pakistan.

    In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said, “In view of the increase in terrorist incidents, there is a need for a fundamental change in the border situation. The source of terrorism in Pakistan is in Afghanistan and despite our efforts, Kabul is not making any progress in this direction.”

    He also stated that Afghan authorities were aware of all the terrorist hideouts of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating against Pakistan inside their territory but cooperation from Afghans on this has been negligible.

    The Minister’s comments came in the aftermath of the unfortunate terrorist attack that claimed the lives of six people including five Chinese engineers in Shangla. More importantly, over the past few days a string of terrorist attacks took place including Gawadar Port Authority Complex, PNS Siddiqi naval airbase in Turbat.

  • Teenager muslim ‘hero’ credited for saving more than 100 in Moscow attack

    Teenager muslim ‘hero’ credited for saving more than 100 in Moscow attack

    A 15-year-old boy is being credited with saving over 100 people from the terrorist massacre at a Moscow concert hall on Friday.

    The teen, Islam Khalilov, who worked as a cloakroom attendant at the Crocus City Hall, quickly moved to open doors and provide exits when he saw a large crowd of people running from the besieged concert hall.

    “At first we heard some strange sounds on the first floor. We thought maybe some noisy group had come,” he explained later in an interview, according to the Daily Mail. “I understood that if I didn’t react, I would lose my life and the lives of many people,” he added.

    “We were shown and told where to send people if something happened. I knew where to take people to keep them safe,” Khalilov said.

    Islam recalled seeing one of the terrorists and how it scared him. “To be honest I don’t consider myself a hero. It was part of my job. It is better to sacrifice oneself than allow a hundred people to die,” the boy stated in a humble tone while talking to Al Jazeera.

    Russian children’s rights commissioner awarded Khalilov and 14-year-old Artyom Donskov-who was also working at the venue during the attack-with an official thank-you letter from the government.

    Russia’s Council of Muftis announced that it would award Khalilov with the Medal for Merit, the highest award of Russia’s Islamic community in the upcoming Friday prayer at Moscow’s Cathedral Mosque, reports The Moscow Times.

    At least 139 people were killed in last Friday’s attack. Russian authorities have arrested 11 suspects, four of whom they say were directly involved in the massacre.

  • Who was the famous actor providing the voice for iconic character Mera Sultan?

    Who was the famous actor providing the voice for iconic character Mera Sultan?

    In a revelation that has left fans astonished, renowned actor Farhan Ally Agha recently disclosed that he voiced the iconic character of Mera Sultan, the Turkish drama that was a runaway hit about a decade back. The disclosure occurred during his appearance on the popular show ‘Life Green Hai’ where Farhan shared intriguing insights into his diverse career.

    Turkish dramas have long held a special place in the hearts of Pakistani viewers, with titles like Ishq e Mamnu and Mera Sultan dominating television screens and captivating audiences across the nation. Mera Sultan, in particular, emerged as a sensation, drawing in viewers with its compelling storyline and engaging characters.

    While the show garnered immense popularity, one aspect that remained the unknown to many was the identity of the voice behind the titular character, Sultan. Farhan Ally Agha, recognized for his versatile performances in both comedic and dramatic roles, stepped forward to unveil this well-kept secret.

    From his notable roles in acclaimed series like Chupke Chupke and Tere Bin to his successful stint as a model, Farhan’s repertoire has consistently showcased his talent and versatility.

  • PM Shehbaz reviews security situation of Chinese citizens in high-level meeting

    PM Shehbaz reviews security situation of Chinese citizens in high-level meeting

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to review the security situation of foreign nationals, particularly Chinese citizens.

    After a suicide attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for a high-level security meeting to assess and improve security measures for foreigners, especially focusing on Chinese residents in Pakistan.

    PM Shehbaz also reviewed the overall situation of the country, however, the main focus was on the security of Chinese nationals.

    Federal ministers, heads of security agencies, inspector general of police, and other relevant authorities also participated in the meeting.

    All the participants in the meeting condemned the suicide attack on Chinese engineers in Shangla.

  • ‘Less loneliness’; Hina Bayat talks about the choice to not have children

    ‘Less loneliness’; Hina Bayat talks about the choice to not have children

    When someone’s life doesn’t follow the usual path, people start asking questions. Actor Hina Bayat does not have children and when she was on Maliha Rehman’s show, she was asked about why she doesn’t have children. She was very open as always and revealed that “Yes , my husband and I always wanted to have children, but this was not in Allah’s plans. We were always enough for each other, and our life was beautiful and complete.”

    She also shared, “I might have more support today if I had kids and there would be less loneliness. But on the other hand, the children would be college age and I would have had added pressures. So, I am thankful to Allah SWT for not putting me under any pressure. She also spoke about Madiha Imam and Osman Khalid Butt who she has a close bond with and said, “they are like my kids.”