Tag: trending

  • ‘We made a mistake, forgive us’: Khurshid Shah apologises for PPP being part of PDM govt

    ‘We made a mistake, forgive us’: Khurshid Shah apologises for PPP being part of PDM govt

    Senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Khurshid Shah has publicly admitted that his party’s decision to join the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) coalition government was a mistake.

    In an interview on Dawn News, Shah sought forgiveness for the move, emphasizing the need for a specific election date.

    “We were there 16 months [in the government]. We made a mistake, forgive us. We committed a mistake,” Shah stated, acknowledging the party’s misstep.

    The PPP leader stated that the past should be left behind and emphasized the need for a specific election date.

    When asked again if the PPP had erred by participating in the previous coalition
    government, Shah reiterated, “I say forgive us, we made a mistake. There, are you content? Now, provide the [election] date.”

    He mentioned that the PPP’s support wasn’t directed at any specific government but rather aimed at upholding democracy and the parliament.

    “We upheld and safeguarded the slogan of ‘vote ko izzat do’ (respect the vote), not the PML-N. Despite that, we say, forgive us, as we were part of the government for 16 months, so please forgive us.

    “It was a mistake, so now announce the elections. What else are we requesting?”

    In response to a query regarding the PPP’s initial congratulatory message to caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and subsequent accusations of favoritism towards the PML-N, Shah clarified, “The PML-N is part of that [caretaker government], we are not. We could also have joined and secured four ministries, but we realized that by doing so, we might hinder the prospect of timely elections.”

    He further emphasized that the PPP’s primary goal was to ensure elections proceed in accordance with the law and the Constitution.

  • Actress Indy Moore arrested alongside several Jewish American activists protesting Gaza genocide

    Actress Indy Moore arrested alongside several Jewish American activists protesting Gaza genocide

    As Israel cut off all communication services in Gaza before initiating the heaviest bombing the region has ever seen, Palestinian activists and human rights organisations are outraged as they cannot keep in touch with media organisations or their loved ones who are under Israeli siege.

    Yesterday, a massive sit-in was announced by anti-Zionist group Jewish Voice For Peace to protest against the on-going genocide in Gaza. More than 200 Jewish American activists were arrested by the police. Among them was ‘Pose’ actress Indya Moore, who could be seen chanting “Not in our name” along with the rest of the protesters as she was arrested by the police.

    Indya was also among the several actors who signed a letter asking Joe Biden to end the genocide of Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter through. Other celebrities who had signed the letter included Andrew Garfield, Florence Pugh, Oscar Isaac and Academy Award winner Joaquin Pheonix.

  • Gen Bajwa’s relative cleared in FIA investigation

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has cleared Sabir Hameed, also known as Mithu, a close relative of former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, in a case pertaining to suspicious transactions, The News has confirmed on Saturday.

    The FIA closed an inquiry against the well-known businessman as no evidence in support of allegations leveled against him was found.
    Hameed, who works for a large real estate company, gave the FIA investigators access to all of the records he had, including tax returns through the fiscal year 2022, bank statements, information on both domestic and foreign real estate, automobiles, offshore businesses, and so forth.

    The people close to him said that the FIA initially called the close relative of the former army leader on October 23. Hameed is a hardworking Pakistani who does transparent business but his rivals levelled baseless allegation against him to vilify him, FIA said after conducting an in-depth inquiry.

    In addition, Hameed was required to bring a list of all the countries he has visited as well as an explanation of why. A list of all offshore/shell firms and business vehicles owned by the ex-army chief relative, his spouse, and family members was also instructed to be brought.

  • New York police arrest hundreds at Jewish protest urging Gaza ceasefire

    New York police arrest hundreds at Jewish protest urging Gaza ceasefire

    Hundreds of people were arrested Friday when police broke up a large demonstration of mostly Jewish New Yorkers who had taken over the main hall of Grand Central station in protest of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, police and organizers said.

    The New York Police Department said at least 200 people had been arrested, while protest organizers put the number at more than 300.

    Photos from the scene showed long lines of young people standing in handcuffs and wearing black sweatshirts with the words “Not In Our Name” and “Cease Fire Now” printed in white.

    The massive sit-in was called by the group Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City, which said thousands of its members had attended the protest, blocking the main concourse of the city’s central rail station.

    Pictures showed the terminal packed with protesters who held up banners reading “Palestinians should be free” and “Mourn the dead, fight like hell for the living.”

    Organizers called the peaceful sit-in “the largest civil disobedience New York City has seen in 20 years.”

    Rabbis launched the event by lighting Shabbat candles and reciting the Jewish prayer for the dead, known as the kaddish.

    “While Shabbat is typically a day of rest, we cannot afford to rest while genocide is unfolding in our names,” said Rabbi May Ye, in a statement released by organizers.

    “The lives of Palestinians and Israelis are intertwined, and safety can only come from justice, equality, and freedom for all,” the rabbi said.

    Israel launched its bombardment of Gaza after Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on 7 October, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 220 others, according to Israeli officials.

    The Hamas-run health ministry said Friday that Israeli strikes on Gaza had now killed 7,326 people, more than 3,000 of them children.

  • Two lac children sexually abused by Spanish clergy, report reveals

    Two lac children sexually abused by Spanish clergy, report reveals

    In a staggering revelation, a 700-page long report released by the Spanish national ombudsman Angel Gabilondo, it has been estimated that over 200,000 minors have been abused by the Roman Catholic clergy since 1940 in the country.

    The poll conducted by the independent commission of over 8,000 people found that 0.6 percent of Spain’s adult population of around 39 million people said that they suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy when they were still minors.

    “Unfortunately, for many years there has been a certain desire to deny abuses or a desire to conceal or protect the abusers,” said Gabilondo while addressing the press.

    Over the last two decades, the allegations against the Spanish Catholic Church have mounted to a great level often involving children. The report is also critical of the clergy as the response by them was “insufficient” thus, it recommends the state to pay reparations to victims.

    Spain’s parliament in March 2022 overwhelmingly approved the creation of an independent commission led by the ombudsman to “shed light” on allegations of sexual abuse of “defenceless boys and girls” in the Catholic church.

    The church, initially reluctant, said in June that it has discovered 927 cases of child abuse through a complaints procedure launched in 2020, and in response to that it has set up a “child protection” office.

    El Pais, a leading Spanish Newspaper, states in their investigation of 2018 dark facts dating back to 1927 about thousands of victims and alleged abusers. The recent report is dubbed as the “tip of the iceberg” by them.

    The church’s abuse crisis is rampant all across Europe-first surfaced in 2002-and these investigations stir governments to take serious steps to stop the malice. Spain has been leading the effort as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the release of the report was a “milestone” in the country’s democratic history. Child Protection Activist, Juan Cuatrecasas, commented, “This must be the start of something, not an end in itself.”

  • ‘It doesn’t matter’: Ranbir Kapoor responds to label of ‘toxic masculinity’

    Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor was the center of criticism from the public when certain moments with his wife, actress Alia Bhatt, didn’t sit well with fans. Recently, the ‘Barfi’ actor went viral after Alia’s interview with Vogue where she revealed Ranbir forbade her from wearing lipstick. This attracted severe criticism from X (formerly Twitter) users who lashed out at Ranbir by labelling him a ‘red flag’ all women should avoid.

    READ MORE: ‘While we were dating, Ranbir told me not to wear lipstick’: Alia’s Vogue interview sparks outrage

    Recently in an interview the actor, who’s the son of late star Rishi Kapoor, acknowledged the backlash, stating that he is fine with being labeled the face of toxic masculinity.

    “Recently, I was reading an article about being toxic and something relating to some statement I made, and I understand. Listen, I am on your side. Whatever you are fighting against this toxic masculinity, I am on the side of people who are fighting for it. So, if they want to use me as a face, I am fine because their fight is bigger than just me feeling bad about them having an opinion on what I said,” the actor opined according to The Indian Express.

    The ‘Tamasha’ actor said he accepted a long time ago he would become a part of “gossip blogs”, and further said it didn’t matter to him what critics said.

    Ranbir also said him not being active on social media helps in not having to deal with the negativity that comes with being an actor “which is a great thing.”

    But also, Ranbir added, his focus always remained on his work, and takes opinions about his image with a pinch of salt:

    “Sometimes a lot of things are written about you as an actor, and many opinions are made, which are not necessarily true, but you have to take it with a pinch of salt. Because this image of mine, which is being created by the movies or the characters I play or by media, is something that I don’t own. It is owned by the public, it is owned by people who like or dislike my work and they are allowed to say anything as long as they give my work a chance. My focus has always been just to act.”

  • Ana Dammi Falastini: From Arab Idol to the national song of Palestine 

    Ana Dammi Falastini: From Arab Idol to the national song of Palestine 

    “Ana Dammi Falastini” , a song that won Muhammad Assaf the title of Arab world in 2015, has over the years became the national song of the land-a musical and patriotic piece they rejoice in, in the face of occupying forces. It is one of the key performances of his concerts.

    The lyrics can literally be translated as “My Blood is Palestinian”. It proclaims the pride of Palestinian and Arab heritage in its opening words:

    Keeping my oath, following my religion

    You will find me on my land

    I belong to my people, I sacrifice my soul for them

    My blood is Palestinian, Palestinian, Palestinian

    My blood is Palestinian

    The whole chorus of the song is an ode to the years of resistance and resilience of Palestinians in a celebratory, hip tone. Assaf himself was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp of Gaza and this song has been his magnum opus. This refrain got popular during Israel’s attack on Sheikh Jarrah in 2021 and since then has gained the status of an anthem among Palestinians. Nowadays, the song is popular on social media, especially TikTok, where people are using it as a background score in protesting against Israeli aggression.

    Earlier in the year, the song was removed from Spotify and Apple Music in an attempt seen as Israel’s way of sabotaging the worldwide popularity of the song even though the platform claimed that it was taken off by the distributor but there is no proof to that. The singer was unaware of the reason as well. Fans around the world slammed the Israeli government for getting triggered by a harmless song.

    The song, however, has now transcended boundaries in the most unconventional way. There is a plagiarised copy of the song doing rounds on social media made by Israel reeking of Zionism with Falastini replaced by “Yahoodi”.

    On one hand it is a testament to the popularity of the song but on the other a proof of sheer hatred that showcases the mindsets of a class of hegemons.

    One user remarks, “Did Israel colonised the song as well?”

    Assaf however has not given up and there are countless other songs of him paying homage to his homeland. Another of his popular song is “Falasteen Enty El Rouh” which means “Palestine, you are the soul.”

    The existence of these artists keep the resistance alive.

  • General Elections ki date aa gaee?

    General Elections ki date aa gaee?

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is getting ready for the next big elections.

    The commission is thinking of setting January 28 as the day for the General Elections in 2024, as per Waqar Satti of Geo News.

    ECP is set to apprise the Supreme Court (SC) after it sought the commission’s response in a case pertaining to timely elections.

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, earlier this week, during the apex court’s hearing on the issue of timely elections, observed that it was “not possible” to meet the 90-day deadline for holding elections and lamented the lack of preparations of the petitioners.

    The CJP’s remarks came as he is leading a three-member bench comprising himself, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Amin-Ud-Din Khan to hear petitions filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others, seeking elections within the 90-day constitutional limit.

    During the hearing, the SCBA lawyer apprised the court that the “90-day period will complete on November 3″.

    To this, CJP Isa inquired whether it would even be possible to hold the polls within 90 days, to which the lawyer conceded that even if the top court gives the order even then it will not be possible to hold the elections within 90 days.

    The National Assembly, as well as the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies, were dissolved by the Shehbaz Sharif-led government on August 9.

    This was done so the ECP could have enough time to organize the elections within the 90-day limit.

    However, the ECP had to wait a bit longer to get everything sorted because they needed to consider the new population census approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI). This meant they had to do some fresh planning and organization.

    The ECP later announced that the new elections would happen in the last week of January 2024. But before they made this announcement, some people had filed petitions in the Supreme Court, asking them to make sure the elections happen within the 90-day limit.

    These petitions were filed a while back but weren’t looked at during the tenure of former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

  • Supreme Judicial Council issues show-cause notice to Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi

    Supreme Judicial Council issues show-cause notice to Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi

    The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) has formally issued a show-cause notice to Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi of the Supreme Court to explain his stance in response to complaints against him, Geo News reported on Friday.  

    The notice was issued after a meeting of SJC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, was held after a gap of three years. Justice Tariq Masood and Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan of the Supreme Court (SC) are also part of SJC.

    In the show-cause notice, the judge has been asked to submit his response by November 10.

    Earlier, the CJP called a meeting of SJC to discuss the complaints against Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi.

    Notably, this will mark the first SJC meeting under the leadership of CJP Isa, following a gap of over three years since the previous moot.

    However, the SJC has the authority to remove judges from power on different charges.

  • PTI leaders met Maulana Fazlur Rehman in surprise move

    PTI leaders met Maulana Fazlur Rehman in surprise move

    In an unexpected turn of events, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) top leadership, with the approval of PTI chief Imran Khan, met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday.

    Imran and Fazal were considered arch-foes, targeting each other in the past while addressing political rallies. Maulana Fazlur Rehman was part of coalition government when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Shehbaz Sharif was the prime minister of the country, a political coalition that removed Imran Khan from power.

    Talking to journalists after the meeting in Islamabad, PTI’s senior leader Asad Qaiser said: “Everyone, including the PTI chairman, had approved of this meeting.”

    The former speaker of the National Assembly (NA) also said that, “Today, we came to offer our condolences [over the demise of Fazl’s mother-in-law], this is our culture. We did not discuss politics in the meeting.”

    According to sources in GEO News, the ongoing political situation came under discussion in the hour-long meeting.

    Asad Qaiser, Ali Muhammad Khan, Barrister Muhammad Ali Khan Saif, and Junair Akbar were part of the meeting from PTI’s side.

    After the meeting, the JUI-F chief showed interest in playing a leading role in bringing political stability to the country after discussing things with former senator Muhammad Ali Durrani.