Tag: trending

  • Heartfelt reunion in Makkah: American friend helps divided families meet

    Heartfelt reunion in Makkah: American friend helps divided families meet

    On November 21, 2023, a touching reunion happened in Makkah, bringing together families who were separated during the partition. Hujra Bibi, whose family was split during India’s partition, moved to Pakistan while her sister stayed in India, BBC shared the story.

    The partition of India in 1947, led by the British, created two separate countries, India and Pakistan, causing many people to leave their homes.

    Hujra Bibi’s story is special because the reunion happened in a different country. After being separated during the partition, Hujra, now living in Jhang, Punjab, Pakistan, met her sister’s family from India in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

    The credit for this emotional meeting on November 20 goes to Naseer Dhillon, a native of Faisalabad, Pakistan, and his friend. Naseer, through his YouTube channel, has been actively helping families reconnect.

    Despite facing challenges from the government, the families remained determined. Hujra applied for an Umrah visa, and Hanifan, her sister’s daughter, applied from India. Naseer’s friend, Pal Singh Gill from the United States, played a crucial role in making the meeting possible.

    Naseer highlighted the importance of their efforts, mentioning that despite the distance and obstacles, love and friendship can bring families back together. Hujra BiBi and her niece finally met in Makkah, ending years of being apart. Naseer traveled all the way from Dubai to Saudi Arabia to make this reunion possible. He said, “We thanked Allah for making it happen.” This story shows how families can stay strong and connected, even when they are separated by borders and obstacles. It’s truly amazing how love and determination can bring people together.

  • ECP orders federal government to remove IG, DC Islamabad

    ECP orders federal government to remove IG, DC Islamabad

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has instructed the federal caretaker government on Wednesday to remove Islamabad Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan and Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon from their posts.

    Dr Akbar Khan is a grade 20 officer, and Irfan Nawaz Memon is a grade 19 officer in the Pakistan Administrative Service.

    ECP had earlier directed the government on October 26 to remove both officials from their posts, but the Secretary Establishment Division didn’t implement the order at that time.

    Now there is progress in the matter, as the interior ministry wrote a letter to the Establishment Division to change officials.

    Dr Akbar Nasir Khan was appointed as IGP on May 21, 2022. He was serving in the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) then.

    In October of last year, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab registered a corruption case against IGP. ACE Punjab summoned him multiple times, seeking a reply on corruption charges, accusing him of tampering with documents to award contracts and causing Rs30.5 million loss to the government.

  • Why is a Pakistani journalist on the ‘most wanted list’?

    Why is a Pakistani journalist on the ‘most wanted list’?

    Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has released the latest “most wanted terrorists” list, which shockingly includes the name of a prominent tribal journalist and author, Ihsanur Rehman Dawar.

    The counter-terrorism department on Tuesday placed the name of Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) assistant director Ihsanur Rehman Dawar on the list of most wanted fugitives announcing a bounty of Rs1 million for information leading to his arrest.

    Mr Dawar, a former journalist and an author, is part of the list along with over 150 other proclaimed offenders. The profile shared by the CTD has incorrectly named him Ihsanullah Khan.

    Dawar expressed shock at the inclusion, stating that he has been residing in Peshawar since 2011 and has no criminal record.

    Dawar asserts that his father’s name, home address, and picture are correctly identified as per Dawn.

    “This is how our institutions are working. They have ruined my reputation,” Dawar lamented, vehemently denying any connections to militants within his family.

    The CTD, in a statement, insisted that Ihsanullah Khan was nominated in an FIR for attacking an army picket in North Waziristan in 2019, leading to his proclamation as a wanted offender.

    The department justified the Rs1 million bounty, claiming it was recommended by the district police officer and duly notified by the home department.

    The Miramshah Press Club criticized the CTD’s move, describing Dawar as an “honorary member” and denouncing the reward for his arrest.

    The case in question involves a 2019 firing incident at the Khar Kamar checkpost, which resulted in casualties. Dawar was declared a proclaimed offender, but lawmakers Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar were acquitted in 2020.

    The CTD’s most-wanted list, however, has raised eyebrows, with several inaccuracies noted.

    The inclusion of surrendered TTP spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsan, and individuals previously reported dead in Afghanistan, such as Omar Mukarram Khurasani, has underscored concerns about the authenticity and verification of information within the CTD’s records.

    Some of the individuals on the wanted list include Jalaluddin, Muhammad Asif Khan, Asif Siddiqui, Muhammad Fayyaz, Inam Qari, Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Rizwan, Shehkar Din Bhatti, Wajid Khan, Niaz Muhammad, Naqab Khan, Kaleem Khan, Zarif Saeed, Yasir Ilyas and Muhammad Kashif.

    According to the fresh list, Said Qadar of Mardan carries the highest reward of Rs8 million while Zahid Qadar of the same district carries Rs7 million head money.

    In October this year, to combat militancy effectively, the CTD launched an aggressive initiative aimed at apprehending 135 of the most-wanted terrorists, announcing bounties on their heads.

    The CTD unveiled a comprehensive list containing the names and photographs of the 135 most-wanted terrorists. This initiative, designed to combat militancy, also included the unprecedented inclusion of a female suspect in the K-P province.

    The alleged female terrorist, known as Quratulain, is believed to be the wife of Iqbal, also known as Bali Khiyara, who was a prominent commander of a terrorist group in DI Khan. Iqbal’s life came to an end in a recent encounter with the CTD.

  • SHOs to be taken to task if underage driver causes accident, says Lahore High Court

    SHOs to be taken to task if underage driver causes accident, says Lahore High Court

    “If an underage driver causes a road accident, the relevant SHO and sector in-charge will be taken to task,” Justice Ali Zia Bajwa remarked during the hearing of a petition of Afnan Shafqat, the prime suspect in the DHA car accident that resulted in deaths of six members of a family, reports Dawn.

    The underage suspect approached the court against alleged harassment by the police and for the protection of his right to fair trial.

    However, the court ordered traffic police to continue its crackdown on underage drivers and warned it against any harassment to law-abiding citizens.

    CTO Traffic police Mustansir Feroze told the court that a crackdown was underway against driving vehicles without licences and as many as 2,986 cases had been registered in three days.

    Talking to the media, the CTO said more than 4,000 cases had been registered during the crackdown against underage driving. He said hundreds of vehicles had been confiscated in police stations and over 16,000 learner permits had been issued in a single day.
    He said the city had 30 licencing offices, ten mobile vans, and three 24-hour open centres. He said three new licence centres were being established in the city.

    Consequently, Traffic Police in Attock arrested 26 underage drivers, 14 were arrested in Attock City, eight in Fatehjang and four in Jand.

  • Pakistani shepherdess, midwife make it to BBC’s top 100 women list

    Pakistani shepherdess, midwife make it to BBC’s top 100 women list

    Two Pakistani women have been included into the BBC’s list of this year’s top 100 inspiring and influential women. The list highlights women who became trailblazers in their field and worked to spread awareness about issues like climate change, political instability and natural disasters. Among the list are famous Muslim figures like lawyer Amal Clooney, Pakistani Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Iraqi-American beauty mogul Huda Kattan.

    The first Pakistani woman included in the list is Afroze-Numa, one of the last Wakkhi shepherdess who has taken care of goats, yack and sheep for over three decades.

    “Having learnt the trade from her mother and grandmothers,” the BBC description reads, “she is part of a centuries-old tradition that is now dying out in Pakistan’s Shimla valley.”

    “Every year these shepherdesses take their flocks to pastures 4,800m (16,000ft) above sea level, where they prepare dairy products to barter, while their animals feed.

    Their income has brought the village prosperity and allowed them to provide an education for their children. Afroze-Numa still fondly remembers being the first woman in the valley to own a pair of shoes.”

    The second Pakistani woman included in the list is Neha Mankani, a midwife who travelled to flood-affected areas in order to provide life-saving birthing kits and midwifery care to mothers and their babies.

    “Her typical practice focuses on low-resourced settings, emergency response and climate-affected communities,” the BBC said, adding that Mama Baby Fund has now raised enough money to launch a boat ambulance that will transport pregnant women living in coastal communities to nearby hospitals and clinics for urgent treatment.

    Taking to Instagram to share the post, Mankani wrote she was honoured to receive the acknowledgement from BBC.

    “Really honoured to be on the @bbc100women list this year as a climate hero, celebrating the important role of midwives in climate emergencies and highlighting my work with @mamababyfund in last year’s floods and in the climate affected island communities of Karachi. Head over to @bbc100women to read about all the really amazing women highlighted this year”

  • How much does the wedding dress of Imam-ul-Haq’s bride-to-be cost?

    How much does the wedding dress of Imam-ul-Haq’s bride-to-be cost?

    Imam ul Haq is the next cricketer in line to sign off bachelorhood and get married. Yesterday, social media went wild when pictures posted by fashion designing giant HSY revealed the gorgeous bride Anmol Mehmood, who is set to tie the knot with the cricketer in Norway this month.

    Anmol looked dazzling in maroon bridal attire adorned with gold patterns, and a pinch of green to pop off the look Her jewellery comprised of a manga tikka and heavy jhumkay, along with green bangles to top off her look.

    Samaa has revealed that HSY charges around Rs1.5 million for a custom made dress. The bride’s jewellery is from Opal by Madiha Ihsan.

    Social media users were also provided a sneak peek to the elaborately crafted Mehndi celebrations held in Norway which were set up by Tailor Made Vision.

    Wedding festivities are set to commence from November 23 with a Qawalli night in Lahore, and the Nikkah is to be held on November 25. It is reported that cricket stars including Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan will be present during the joyous occasions.

    Previously, HSY had crafted the bridal outfit for veteran actress Reema Khan for her wedding.

    HSY also won hearts when he revealed the gorgeous pink and gold bridal outfit he designed for actress Madiha Imam

  • MDCAT saga: Alleged test leak in Sindh, retesting in KP

    MDCAT saga: Alleged test leak in Sindh, retesting in KP

    Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023 has been embroiled in major controversy involving cheating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh. The test is mandatory for admission in disciplines of medicine and dentistry.

    Sindh

    A retest was conducted on Sunday, November 19, across four centres in Sindh as the previous one was cancelled due to overwhelming complaints of cheating. Almost 41,000 students appeared for a total of 4,790 seats — 3,600 for MBBS and 1,190 for dental studies. As per the reports, answer sheets are circulating on social media, fueling speculation that the exam paper was leaked.

    This raised questions over the feasibility of leaking the entire paper through social media, given the ban on phones and smart watches at test centres. Additionally, students have expressed dissatisfaction with the test’s content, citing questions beyond the prescribed syllabus and errors in the answer keys, reports The News.

    In a recent statement, President PMDC Dr Rizwan Taj has acknowledged social media reports alleging the leak of MDCAT paper conducted under the supervision of DOW University of Health Sciences (DUHS). He asserted that both the managing authorities-DUHS vice-chancellor and Sindh Chief Secretary-have denied the allegations, saying the news is not correct and question papers were released by students post-test at 4pm as the test had ended at 2pm.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    After the cancellation of the September 10 test in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the exam is to be reconducted on November 26. A plan has been devised according to which police will be deployed to provide security to the staff involved in in transportation of test material to all centres in the designated cities, including Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Mardan, Dir Lower, Swat and Abbottabad. A total of 46,220 candidates will appear in test.
    To ensure transparency police will be also be involved during printing, packaging, transportation and scanning of examination material inside and outside Khyber Medical University Peshawar from 20 November to 30.

    Section 144 will be imposed around the centres, mobile phone will remain jammed, power supply will remain uninterrupted from 9am to 3pm on date of test are also part of the plan, says the report by Dawn.

  • Shehbaz Sharif candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership, says Rana Sanaullah

    Shehbaz Sharif candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership, says Rana Sanaullah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Rana Sanaullah has said that former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif will be the party’s next candidate for Punjab’s chief ministership.

    Shehbaz Sharif has served as a three-time chief minister of Punjab, as well as being Prime Minister for around 16 months when the Pakistan Democratic Movement came into power after ousting the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan.

    “In my personal opinion, given the destruction during the Buzdar regime and in the manner in which Punjab was progressing till 2018, it is Punjab’s need that Shehbaz Sharif take charge of Punjab’s affairs,” PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah told Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada.

    “Had Shehbaz Sharif got the opportunity to [serve as the chief minister] after the 2018 elections as well, then Punjab would have become an example for the rest of Pakistan,” Sanaullah, who served as the interior minister under Shehbaz in the Centre, said.

    According to the PML-N leadership, Shehbaz Sharif can work in any capacity under the leadership of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    “My assessment says that Shehbaz Sharif will be ready to work with Nawaz Sharif in any capacity. He will not complain about it,” the ex-interior minister said.

  • BBC edits out multiple calls for ceasefire during Scottish BAFTA awards

    BBC edits out multiple calls for ceasefire during Scottish BAFTA awards

    At the Scottish Bafta awards, multiple actors who took the stage to call for a ceasefire were edited out by the BBC, sparking criticism from audiences. An exclusive piece written by The National reveals that the media giant edited out the producers of ‘A Long Winter’ who won the award for Best Short Film And Animation. In their speech, Eilidh Munro and Finlay Pretsell urged audiences to pressure institutions and governments to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.

    The speech was shared widely on the livestream produced by BAFTA Scotland, but removed from BBC iPlayer’s edit.

    Egyptian actor Amir El-Masry was also censored in the BBC coverage. Before announcing the nominees for the Best Actress category, he said: “Before I start, I just want to echo the sentiments earlier in saying my heart goes out all women, men and children who are suffering right now in Gaza. Let’s hope and pray that we see peace in the region and an imminent ceasefire.”

    Speaking to The National, Munro revealed he was deeply concerned at how mainstream media censored peaceful protests in this manner

    “It is deeply concerning that the BBC decided to cut the entire segment of our award acceptance speech from their coverage of the Bafta Scotland Awards.

    “October was the deadliest month for Palestinian journalists and filmmakers in the last 30 years and the scale of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region is horrific.

    “Awards ceremonies have always been a platform to express solidarity and humanity, and we wanted to use this opportunity as filmmakers to call for peace. For the BBC to cut this, as well as actor Amir El-Masry’s appeal to a ceasefire, is simply shocking.

    “It is also somewhat surreal that an event which celebrates artists and filmmakers for using their voices and creating work to speak out against injustice can also be censored.

    “In my opinion, the BBC’s editorial decision to omit these peaceful signs of solidarity is neither neutral nor impartial.

    “As an emerging director creating and celebrating independent documentaries, it’s also disappointing to have this platform taken away from a sector that is already largely underrepresented in mainstream media.”

    The censorship of pro-Palestinian voices by the BBC has caused outrage on social media.

  • ‘Glaring double standards’: Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera pay the price for speaking up for Palestine

    ‘Glaring double standards’: Susan Sarandon, Melissa Barrera pay the price for speaking up for Palestine

    Two pro-Palestinian voices in Hollywood had to pay the price for speaking up for the cause. Hollywood legend Susan Sarandon, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian people, was dropped by her talent agency UTA.

    X (formerly Twitter) users were horrified, given Susan’s impressive career as a Hollywood leading lady.

    ‘Scream’ franchise lead actor Mellisa Barerra was fired from the series after she took to Instagram to voice criticism against the genocide of Gaza. The actress had written:

    “I too come from a colonized country. Palestine will be free.”

    witter users pointed out how genocide supporters like Sarah Silverman and Amy Schumer continue to have careers in Hollywood but it takes one pro-Palestine post that gets actors fired from their jobs.