Tag: trending

  • ‘Judge who is affected by criticism on social media violates his oath’: Justice Athar Minallah

    ‘Judge who is affected by criticism on social media violates his oath’: Justice Athar Minallah

    Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah, addressed a seminar on the significance of freedom of expression on Saturday, shedding light on its historical context and impact on Pakistan’s trajectory.

    The seminar, a part of the second law bridge workshop on superior court reporting, provided a platform for Justice Minallah to share his insights on the intersection of freedom of expression and judicial independence.

    Expressing his concern over the potential influence of social media on judicial decision-making, Justice Minallah asserted the importance of maintaining judicial independence, stating that any judge swayed by social media violates his/her oath and called upon fellow jurists to remain resolute in upholding justice despite external pressures.

    Addressing the delicate balance between constructive criticism and trust in the judiciary, Justice Minallah emphasized that critics should retain faith in the legal system, considering it a litmus test for its strength.

    He welcomed constructive criticism while underscoring the need to strike a balance in fostering trust in the judiciary.

    Reflecting on the challenges of freedom of speech in the country, the Chief Justice traced the roots of censorship to historical actions following Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s speech on August 11, 1947. He stressed the necessity of balancing freedom of expression with responsible reporting to navigate these challenges.

    Sharing a personal anecdote from his early days as a judge, Justice Minallah recounted a case involving a 16-year-old accused of displaying a banner against a senior apex court judge.

    He highlighted the importance of judiciously addressing such incidents and cautioned against making blanket judgments without thorough investigations.

    “When the matter of the 18th constitutional amendment was raised, many forces were against it. A reporter asked me, what will the Supreme Court do about the 18th Amendment. I replied ‘In my opinion, the SC should not interfere in the constitutional amendment’,” he said.

    The apex court judge said he had said he would resign if the 18th amendment was annulled and the next day news was published that “Athar Minallah has threatened the court”.

    Citing former Ugandan president and the modern world history’s most brutal dictator, Idi Amin, Justice Minallah said, “A society is ruined, if someone gags freedom of expression like Idi Amin.”

  • ECP releases postal ballots for February 8 elections

    ECP releases postal ballots for February 8 elections

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started providing postal ballot papers as general elections are set to take place on February 8, draw nearer.

    The development was announced by the electoral body today.

    ECP confirmed that all eligible individuals can cast their votes by January 22 through the postal ballot paper.
    An application form for the postal ballot is also available on the ECP’s website.

    Through the postal ballot, the voter can send his vote to the District Returning Officer (RO).
    Pakistan’s upcoming general elections, scheduled for February 8, are witnessing extensive preparations by the ECP. The electoral body is actively working to guarantee comprehensive arrangements nationwide, aiming for a foolproof electoral process.

    To ensure strict security measures in place ahead of the polls, the ECP issued it’s “Code of Conduct for Security Personnel”, warning them against bias while being on election duty.

  • Quetta becomes even colder; Drizzle expected in Karachi

    Quetta becomes even colder; Drizzle expected in Karachi

    Cold weather has increased in different cities of Balochistan after rain spells while a drizzle is expected in Karachi tonight (Saturday). The cold wave in other parts of the country is likely to become stronger, the Meteorological Department has said, reports Geo.

    The coldest temperature during the last 24 hours was hit in Skardu, where the mercury dropped to minus 9 degrees Celsius.

    The federal capital, Islamabad, is shrouded in dense fog which is affecting the flight schedule. Three international flights to Islamabad have been grounded in Karachi and Lahore. Due to low visibility, more than 500 flights have been delayed in the first 20 days of 2024.

    The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy fog in the plains of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Upper Sindh during the next few days. Karachi is likely to remain partially cloudy during the next 24 hours, while the possibility of drizzle has also been indicated at some places this evening. On Sunday and Monday, the city is expected to be partly cloudy and cool at night.

    The minimum temperature of the coastal city is expected to be between 13 and 15 degrees Celsius, while winds will continue to blow from the northeast and southwest in the city throughout the day.

  • Dear Shoaib and Sana, public marriages should have public closure

    Dear Shoaib and Sana, public marriages should have public closure

    Needless to say, today’s big story has hit some people hard — and harder hit are the ones who were taken by surprise. We still remember the time when Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza got married.

    Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza married in a traditional Muslim ceremony in Hyderabad, India in 2010, followed by a Valima ceremony in Sialkot, Pakistan. Izhaan, the couple’s first child, was born in 2018.

    The rumours of Sania and Shoaib’s separation were around for a long time, but nothing was confirmed. There was an ongoing debate on social media which spiked whenever they either stopped following each other or removed pictures from Instagram.

    On the other hand, Sana Javed and Umair Jaswal’s marriage was also under discussion as rumours of their separation were widely spread on social media. In November 2023, speculations about the couple’s separation gained traction as users observed that Sana Javed and Umair Jaswal had deleted all traces of their shared moments from their Instagram accounts.

    Recently, Sania posted a story on Instagram which stated, “Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard….Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard. Pick wisely.” And people felt for her, picking up that something was yet again, not okay. And she wasn’t able to fully express it, yet.

    Even now, stories are circulating through sources that Shoaib and Sania have divorced – with no comment by the reportedly former couple themselves

    We aren’t here to moral police two of our biggest superstars. But we would like to say, we expected that seasoned celebrities would show their fans a better, more respectful way to starting new chapters in their lives. Sania, Shoaib, Sana, Uzair, there are people who connect with them, follow them, want to be like them, which is why we would’ve appreciated an understanding of what’s going on.

    Sania, throughout this process, has said nothing. Amidst all this, Shoaib posts a picture with Sana, announcing his third marriage, and while we are happy for the new couple and their new beginning — we do have to ask — perhaps it might have been better to give their fan following who are invested in their lives, closure.

  • Social media in frenzy on Shoaib Malik’s wedding

    Social media in frenzy on Shoaib Malik’s wedding

    Cricketer Shoaib Malik and actor Sana Javed have caused media frenzy and social media uproar early on Saturday morning when both announced that they had gotten married, complete with photos from the ceremony. In the photos, they are wearing similar outfits while hugging each other. The caption says “Alhamdullilah” and quotes the Holy Book: “And We created you in pairs.”

    The sudden announcement surprised many because Shoaib Malik was married to tennis star Sania Mirza, and Sana Javed was married to singer Umair Jaswal. There had been no official confirmation of the two marriages ending.

    Social media was taken by surprise but is not holding back.

    Someone on X (formerly Twitter) said, “Shoaib Malik got married again, but King Babar hasn’t married yet,” along with a thinking John Cena GIF. Another X user asked, “Did Shoaib Malik and Sana Javed really get married? This is why Malik Sahab was supporting Sana when half the showbiz was speaking out against her.’”

    One fan joked, “Now I know why Shoaib Malik was so excited on Jeeto Pakistan.” Another person on X made a joke, “Where did you guys first meet: Jeeto Pakistan – Ramzan transmission.” Some people from across the border were also upset.

    Here are some reactions:

  • Aik, do, teen….. nahin, pooray sau; Khushab’s ‘Madhuri’ loots 100 men

    Aik, do, teen….. nahin, pooray sau; Khushab’s ‘Madhuri’ loots 100 men

    A Khushab woman named Nasreen, also known as Madhuri, has been accused of marrying more than 100 people in the last eight years to steal money from them. She was finally arrested by the police from Khushab along with her gang of dacoits, reports City 42.

    A differently-abled man named Junaid made a request in the open court of DPO Khushab Tawqir Muhammad Naeem, stating that a woman named Nasreen married him but ran away after two days, stealing household goods and cash.

    It was found out that Nasreen alias Madhuri is a resident of Quaidabad Tehsil of Khushab. Further investigations revealed that the woman had cheated several people along with a gang which included her fake parents and a fraudulent nikahkhwan.

    Police arrested the con woman and her gang, while Junaid was returned his three lacs rupees. Police officials have revealed that the gang’s operating style involved luring men into marriage and then exploiting them.

  • PTI’s “Baingan Campaign” is ruling Twitter like no other

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has always remained ahead of others when it comes to the use of social media in Pakistan’s political landscape. As for elections 2024, the party has not been given one symbol, in fact, candidates have different symbols now. Making the best of bad circumstances, the party has come up with entertaining campaigns that are enthralling Twitter (now X).

    Baingan (desi name for eggplant) is ruling the internet, surpassing all levels of creativity with this campaign. The symbol has been allotted to Alamgir Khan in Karachi and Amir Mughal from Islamabad. The constituency of the former is NA 236 and that of the latter is NA 46.

    The chant they have invented is “Ab zulm ka badla baingan se, ab sitam ka badla baingan se.”

    The candidates have designed posters of an eggplant in varying ways. Alamgir Khan shared a video of an Indian animated film of a farmer and his wife getting rich by cultivating eggplant in their farm. That has people in fits.

    Alamgir also posted a funny video from a Bollywood film where he showed how the opposition (previously PDM) was seen beaten up by PTI.

    Amir Mughal also posted about how baingan will be seen everywhere as he posted a picture of a baingan being placed among flowers.

    An internet user even used a clip of the army chief along with ex-Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to promote Baingan.

    Another user showed his appreciation for baingan by making it a part of his salad with PTI engraved in it.

    Netizens used a clip of the Pakistani drama where a mother was telling her daughter about the benefits of baingan from making the skin glow to bone strength.

    Arsalan Khan, a twitter user, incorporated all the symbols including vegetables in a video of a man relating his recipe of making eggplants.

    A user even shared the picture of a baingan and rhymed his chant as, Baingan stands tall, a symbol for all.

    Twitter is enjoying the new trend of #voteforbaingan as a user commented: “I bet they’re regretting giving him the baingan symbol. This is hilarious.”

    A user even tagged Alamgir Khan and said he better has a feast of dishes having baingan at his constituency.

  • Latif Khosa no more part of Imran Khan’s legal team

    Latif Khosa no more part of Imran Khan’s legal team

    In a significant development, former Prime Minister and founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has made changes to his legal team handling National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases, expressing dissatisfaction during consultations last week.

    As per We News, Imran Khan voiced uncertainty about the effectiveness of his current legal team and directed Barrister Ali Zafar and Sikander Zulqarnain to take charge of NAB cases.

    Particularly raising concerns about the performance of senior lawyer Latif Khosa in handling NAB cases, Khan remarked that he was not confident in the actions taken by the legal team and specifically questioned Khosa’s preparedness in dealing with legal matters.

    Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah took to X (former Twitter) and wrote, “Imran Khan has removed Latif Khosa from his legal team saying he appears before judges without doing proper homework. Imran Khan accepts his legal team was not prepared, behind the loss of BAT symbol. The video below explains.”

    It is worth noting that on Friday, proceedings related to a £190 million NAB reference were postponed until January 24. The action related to the individual case was halted until the mentioned date.

    Imran Khan’s decision to replace his legal team has led to the postponement of the proceedings, with the court granting time for the new legal team, consisting of Barrister Ali Zafar and Sikander Zulqarnain, to prepare for the upcoming hearings. The next hearing is expected to feature appearances by Barrister Ali Zafar, Sikander Zulqarnain, and Osman Gul on behalf of Imran Khan and his wife Bushra BiBi.

  • Fact Check: Did Damon Imani actually tell World Economic Forum to f*** new world order?

    A video circulating on the internet featuring Damon Imani allegedly hurling swear words at Klaus Schwab-Chairperson of the World Economic Forum-during the 2024 Davos Meeting, has sparked curiosity among netizens. The video claims that “A new WEF participant does the unthinkable at the 2024 Davos Meeting.” However, the video is satirical and the incident did not occur in reality.

    The video of Damon Imani was released at a time when the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting held in 2024 brought together nearly 3,000 global leaders from over 125 countries to discuss the challenges and crises the world faces.

    Imani is an Iranian producer and artist based in Denmark. Specializing in creating video content covering a range of topics, including societal issues, news, and current events, Imani is known for his satirical approach.

    The video in question is an edited one shared by Imani. He even posted on X, “Satire but true. This video is also available on Rumble here and Klaus Schwab can go f*** himself.” As social media users came across the viral video, some of them jokingly wished that it had really happened.

    The comedian also shared a series of videos where he was apparently calling out the leadership of WEF and people appreciated him for speaking his heart out. He shared a message he received from USA Today to verify if the video is real and how people are responding to it. He replied that actually people understood the meaning of his message which was that the “World Economic Forum is a global communist party that is not elected by the people of Earth.”

  • Imran Khan’s message to the nation from Adiala Jail

    Imran Khan’s message to the nation from Adiala Jail

    In a message to the nation released from Adiala Jail, the Founder Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, talked passionately about the upcoming general elections, highlighting the significance of February 8 as a day that symbolizes the dichotomy between freedom and slavery.

    Expressing confidence in the resilience of the nation, Khan stated, “I believe that my people stand united with the cause of freedom. Through their votes, they will safeguard Pakistan’s liberty.”

    Drawing attention to electoral manipulation on February 8, the Chairman voiced concern that a faction seeks to shackle the nation in chains of slavery.

    He pointed out that under what he calls the London Plan, a certified criminal was brought back to the country unjustly, wreaking havoc on the judicial system and trampling on the principles of justice and the constitution.

    Khan emphasized that efforts to manipulate the electoral process and undermine the rule of law have jeopardized the nation’s democratic foundations.

    Khan lamented that despite snatching the ‘bat’ from PTI to accommodate rivals, worst rigging is happening.

    Acknowledging the resilience and courage displayed by mothers, sisters, daughters, and party workers in facing injustice, the Chairman pledged to defeat all criminals within the bounds of the law and constitution, with the support of Allah and the nation.

    From his jail cell, the Chairman asserted that, with the blessings of Allah and the support of the people, all these criminals would be defeated, maintaining the integrity of the legal system.

    He urged citizens to exercise their right to vote on February 8, endorsing the movement for governance by law, supremacy of the constitution, and the restoration of democracy.

    The former Premier cautioned against unconstitutional forces attempting to subjugate the nation, warning that if these anti-constitutional powers succeed on February 8, they will establish a regime of theft and plunge the country further into turmoil.

    He called upon the people to exercise their voting power on February 8, making a decisive choice between freedom and slavery.

    “I want every individual in the nation to prepare, cast their votes, and ensure the protection of their votes, securing Pakistan’s path to constitutional governance on February 8,” Khan said.