Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) addressed a press conference today, stating that the entire nation needs to stand up against “digital terrorists.”
“Digital terrorism is being carried out on social media. The army is standing up against terrorists and digital terrorists. The time has come for the entire nation to stand up against them,” he stated.
He underscored that critical national issues were being politicized in the country, referring to Azm-e-Istehkam as an example.
“Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation per se as it is being presented,” the DG ISPR said during a press conference in Rawalpindi.
He further said, “Azm-e-Istehkam is not a military operation. Why is Azm-e-Istehkam being made controversial? There’s a strong lobby which wants the objectives of Azm-e-Istehkam not to be fulfilled. It is being politicized.”
Meanwhile, the military spokesman also dismissed rumours that the establishment had no role in the recent Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protest: “There’s so much fake news that people keep saying whatever they want to. Since the protesters cleared the area peacefully, it was being claimed that there’s ‘someone’s hand’ behind it.”
An accountability court has approved a seven-day physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, in the newly filed Toshakhana reference.
Previously, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had sought a fourteen-day remand; however, the court turned down this request while ordering NAB to produce them in court on July 29.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been imprisoned for almost a year now in many cases, including the cipher, Toshakhana, and Iddat cases.
However, a court suspended his sentence in the Toshakhana case, while other courts overturned his convictions in the cipher and iddat cases, respectively.
Chances grew that Khan would be out of jail but all hopes dwindled when NAB charged him and his wife on fresh charges related to the sale of state gifts.
The Punjab government has approved launching a tram service in Lahore, ARY reported.
The project was approved by Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif during her recent visit to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) headquarters.
The project will spread around 11 kilometers and include 10 stops, approximately 1 to 1.5 kilometers apart. The LDA has been asked to draw inspiration from modern tram models in Finland and China, with an estimated cost of Rs27 billion for the project.
The tram route will include prominent localities such as Main Boulevard from Kalma Chowk, Liberty, Main Market, Mini Market, and Hali Road. With Maryam Nawaz’s approval, MM Alam Road is expected to be converted into a one-way street to accommodate the tram route, as part of the re-modeling.
The tram service will also have a special stop within Gaddafi Stadium, making it a convenient option for sports enthusiasts and even-goers. However, ticket prices for the tram service will be determined after the launch.
After videos emerged of several individuals, allegedly Afghan nationals, vandalising the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt, Islamabad urged Germany to take immediate measures to investigate the security lapse and hold those responsible for it accountable to the law.
The incident happened on July 20, when a “gang of extremists” attacked the consulate and “endangered” the lives of the consular staff on the premises, says the statement from the Pakistani mission.
In one of the viral videos, it can be seen that protesters carrying placards gathered outside the consulate.
The videos show three men — one of whom is seen clutching an Afghan flag — climbing a flagpole to remove the Pakistani flag.
However, some reports also indicated the protesters pelted the consulate building with stones.
Protest outside consulate
German media outlet DW reported that Saturday’s demonstration was arranged to “highlight complaints against Pakistan’s military and intelligence services, which organisers accused of killing critics and political opponents”.
DW quoted police as saying that about 400 people carrying Afghanistan flags took part in the demonstration outside the consulate.
Netizens on X also speculated that the people who vandalised the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt belonged to the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement headed by Manzoor Pashteen.
However, Manzoor posted an official denial on X condemning the violence in Frankfurt. “Local authorities should take action against the perpetrator. Trained people are doing such acts on planning to create negative propaganda against people’s protests,” he asserted.
Pakistan’s reaction
The Foreign Office in Pakistan called out the German authorities for failing to protect the “sanctity and security of the premises of its consular mission” under the Vienna Conventions on Consular Relations, 1963.
“We are in contact with the German authorities to ensure such a situation doesn’t arise again and the miscreants face legal consequences,” the Pakistani embassy in Germany posted on its official X handle.
Information Minister Atta Tarar, in a press conference, revealed that NADRA is asked to analyse the footage of the incident in Frankfurt to ascertain whether any Pakistanis were involved.
Though the Foreign Office did not point to the nationality of the miscreants, some of them were draped in the tri-colour Afghanistan flag. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, lashed out at the Afghan nationals, saying Islamabad needed to rethink its hospitality towards Afghan citizens in the wake of this incident.
“There’s a limit to hospitality. They swore at us; they swore at Pakistan. They talk against the integrity of Pakistan. They carry out proper rallies [against Pakistan]. They burn our flags,” he told Geo News, claiming that Pakistan fought wars for Kabul. “I think Pakistan needs to rethink their hospitality,” he said.
Pakistan hosts over three million Afghan refugees and recently launched a deportation drive to expel those who were residing in the country without documents.
Earlier this month, the government extended the stay of registered Afghan refugees by one year.
Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Hafiz Naeemur Rahman on Sunday warned the government against starting a new military operation, saying it would push the country towards a blind war.
Rahman said that the establishment, rulers, and the bureaucracy should confess their failure and mend their ways.
The JI Chief pointed out the historical reasons for prevalence of terrorism in Pakistan, saying, “The country has always suffered the consequences of its love for the US.”
“The situation of peace in the country has worsened, and the country is passing through a paradox where nobody knows who stands with whom,” the JI chief remarked. He said the country’s sensitive air bases, logistic support, and intelligence network were handed over to the US.
“General Musharraf had said that the country would get dollars in return for the war. They got the dollars, but nothing was given to the people,” he added.
He said that the JI would stage a sit-in in Islamabad on July 26 for which all-out arrangements have been made.
The meteorological department has predicted rain in different cities today.
Rain may occur in some parts of Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Gujarat, Faisalabad, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today, as per the weather department.
Battered with heat, Karachi is expected to receive rain this evening. Drizzling is expected in other areas of Sindh, such as Umarkot, Tharparkar, Mirpurkhas, Mithi, Sanghar, Thatta, Badin, and Sjawal are also likely.
The Meteorological Department reported that the highest rainfall was recorded yesterday (Sunday)at Old Airport, around 20 mm, while 11 mm was recorded at Sarjani Town and 9.4 mm at Jinnah Terminal. Ten mm of rain was recorded on University Road, 7 mm on Shaara Faisal, 6.5 mm on Hassan Square, 2.5 mm on PAF Base Masrur, and 0.8 mm on North Karachi.
Rain is also likely to descend in Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir today.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has predicted the fourth spell of monsoon to start in Punjab from today, while south Punjab is likely to experience cloudy skies from tomorrow.
Kareena Kapoor Khan recently shared insights into her marriage with fellow actor Saif Ali Khan in an interview with The Week. With a touch of humor, she mentioned that Saif sometimes takes her “for granted.”
Kareena talked about balancing her professional and personal life, highlighting the importance of family time. “It’s very tough being married to an actor,” she admitted. “Sometimes, he’s sleeping when I’ve left for work. Even though we live in the same house, we’re trying to make time for the kids. Two actors in the same house can be challenging.”
Despite the challenges, Kareena believes her marriage has positively changed her. “I’ve changed for the better,” she said, noting that Saif helps keep her grounded when she’s feeling overwhelmed. “He grounds me when I’m going a little crazy.”
The couple often seeks advice from each other, though Kareena joked about the effectiveness of her advice. “I always ask him for advice, and he does ask me too. I don’t know if he takes my advice. I am critical of his films. He hasn’t seen Crew yet because he’s been busy shooting. But I have to watch all his films. So, in that sense, yes, he’s taken me for granted this time.”
Joe Biden on Sunday dropped out of the US presidential election and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s new nominee, in a move that upends the 2024 race for the White House.
The 81-year-old Biden stepped aside after weeks of pressure from Democrats following a disastrous debate performance, throwing the election battle against Republican Donald Trump into unprecedented turmoil.
“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a letter on X while recovering from Covid at his beach house in Delaware.
Biden said he would “speak to the nation later this week in more detail about my decision”. He later added that he was backing Harris, who is the first female, Black and South Asian vice president in US history, and will now be aiming to become its first female commander-in-chief.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year,” Biden said on X. “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” Biden is the first president in US history to pull out so late in an election race, and the first to bow out because of concerns over his mental acuity and health.
Biden spent more than three weeks resisting calls to step down following the shock of the June 27 debate, at one point insisting that only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to back out.
In a bid to show he was up to the job, he gave a number of interviews and what was billed as a “big boy” press conference in which he took numerous questions, but made further gaffes including calling Harris “Vice President Trump”. A tide of voices within his own party calling on him to go, starting with donor and actor George Clooney and ending with former president Barack Obama, sealed his fate.
Chaotic period for US
The end finally came shortly after Biden had been diagnosed with Covid, forcing him off the campaign trail and into isolation in Rehoboth Beach.
Biden’s decision to pull out also caps a tense and chaotic period in the US election, with Trump having survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally on July 13.
Biden joins a small club of US presidents who have decided to throw in the towel after just one term, with the last being Lyndon Johnson in 1968 — a year also marked by political turmoil and violence.
Johnson’s replacement as nominee, then-vice president Hubert Humphrey, went on to lose heavily to Richard Nixon. But Democrats are counting on Harris to fare better, and hoping that she can prevent convicted felon Trump from making a sensational comeback to the Oval Office.
In recent weeks, the Biden campaign has reportedly been quietly carrying out a head-to-head survey of voters measuring how she matched up against Trump.
While Harris struggled to make an impact in her first years in the White House, she has emerged in the last year as a strong performer on the campaign trail on key messages such as abortion rights. She has also made much of her life story as the first woman in US history to hold the vice presidency, as well as the first person of Black and South Asian origin.
Barring opposition from her party, Harris is now set to be nominated at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19 in what promises to be a dramatic moment — and a heartrending one for Biden.
Biden took office in January 2021 pledging to heal the “soul of America” after four turbulent years under Trump and the shock of the January 6, 2021 Capitol assault by his supporters.
Overcoming a reputation for verbal flubs, Obama’s former vice president pushed through a massive Covid recovery plan and a green industry scheme.
US allies welcomed his pledge that “America is back” following Trump’s trampling on international alliances, and his strong support for Ukraine as it battled Russia’s 2022 invasion. But he faced criticism over the catastrophic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and inflation that meant overstretched Americans ignored otherwise positive economic numbers.
Behind it all were the ongoing concerns about his age with a series of senior moments, including tripping up the stairs to Air Force One and falling off his bike, contributing to the doddery image played up by Republicans.
Controversial writer Khalil UR Rehman Qamar was abducted and robbed in Lahore, as confirmed by the police.
The incident happened when a woman named Amna contacted Qamar, inviting him to her home to discuss a drama project. When he arrived, armed men kidnapped him and carried out the robbery.
The First Information Report (FIR) states that the suspects assaulted Qamar and moved him to various locations. The scriptwriter alleged that the kidnappers threatened to kill him and demanded money from his relatives. The FIR also states that the suspects took Rs. 250,000 from Qamar’s ATM card and took his watch, cell phone, and cash.
Qamar is widely criticised for his misogynistic statements while remaining unapologetic and unwavering in his opinions in the face of controversy.
Qamar is safe now and has reported the incident to the police. The police have started investigating. the case.
General Jennie Carignan on Thursday took charge as Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), becoming the first woman to lead the country’s armed forces.
She is a military engineer by training, has led troops in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Syria during her 35 years in the Canadian Army.
Speaking at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, General Carnignan said, “I feel ready, poised and supported to take on this manifold challenge.”
Carignan takes over from General Wayne Eyre, who served as the top military commander since 2021.
“We’re facing many internal challenges such as recruitment and retention,” Carignan said. “We know the challenges we face and what we need to do to address them.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Carignan “a role model for all Canadians and for the world”.
Canada’s defence spending is expected to be 1.39 percent of GDP in the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to government projections, reported by Reuters.
