The federal government on Tuesday announced two-day public holidays for Muharram 9 and 10.
“[…] the Prime Minister is pleased to declare 16th and 17th July, 2024 (Tuesday and Wednesday) as public holidays on the occasion of Ashura (9th & 10th Moharram 1446 AH),” a notification issued by the Cabinet Division stated.
The government also approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army across the country as a security measure during the Holy Month.
The interior ministry stated that the details of troop deployment, which will be enforced for an indefinite period, will be finalised with the authorities concerned, including the governments of Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Punjab government has requested the federal government to suspend social media platforms for one week.
However, the federal government has not yet taken any decision to suspend internet services during Muharram and any decision in this regard will be taken with the consultation of provinces.
Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed a press conference yesterday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor House, criticising former Prime Minister Imran Khan for “whining so much” about his incarceration.
“Shouldn’t the law be the same for everyone in the country? Who was that person who used to say, ‘If NAB files a case against me, I’ll fight it myself,’” said Bilawal, referring to Imran Khan.
“When he’s [Khan] in power, he tries to catch everyone, but when you [Khan] yourself are caught [in legal cases], then you make so much of a hue and cry that we can hear your cries from the USA to Pakistan,” remarked the PPP Chairman.
Bhutto argued that there isn’t a politician in Pakistan, from Union Council members to prominent political party leaders, that haven’t faced legal cases but “Nobody has whined as much as your Qaidi 804.”
Indian rapper Badshah recently praised his Pakistani friend Hania Aamir and hinted at a possible collaboration.
On a recent radio show, Badshah spoke highly of Hania, saying, “She is brilliant; insanely talented and sharp. I think she deserves all the success she is getting and deserves much more.”
When asked when she might appear in one of his music videos, he simply crossed his fingers without saying a word.
During the show, Badshah aced a quiz about the actress, answering every question correctly.
Their friendship began last year when Badshah shared his admiration for Aamir and followed her on Instagram.
Earlier, on the same show, Hania spoke about Badshah, saying, “He is a great friend. He is such a simple human being. Apart from his Badshah persona, he is a nice person and is just so real. I think that’s one thing that is common and why we are friends. If I’m feeling low or not posting much, he would inquire about what’s wrong or what happened.”
Video jockey and television actor Anoushey Ashraf recently engaged with fans in a Q&A session on Instagram, sharing personal insights just days after getting married.
Ashraf answered various questions, including one about her pets. When asked if she would bring her pets to her new home after marriage, she replied, “My husband lives in London! We had a Nikkah and are planning an intimate wedding soon, Inshallah. The dog goes where I go. They’re family and we don’t abandon family, ever.”
Another question was about moving abroad with her husband. Ashraf said, “Have no solid plans yet but we will be travelling a lot! Yay.”
Ashraf also expressed gratitude for her younger female fans, especially a mother whose daughter finds her inspiring. She warmly replied, “Thank you so much. These messages make me so happy. May God bless you tenfold. And lots of love to all your children. May their future be bright, and may they grow up to be happy and wise.”
In response to a fan who shared their struggle with loneliness while traveling, Ashraf offered empathetic advice. She said, “Loneliness can’t be taken away by a wrong partnership or marriage. Don’t rush. Have faith in the process. Be your own best friend and enjoy all your travels and work to the most. It’s all a blessing. Not being married at this time may be a blessing also and you just don’t know it. The right person will come when you’re sufficient by yourself. When you’re happy with yourself. When you’re okay on your own.”
Ashraf concluded with a hopeful message, urging her audience to embrace life’s adventures with optimism. “The glass is always half full. Don’t let moments pass. See the world, laugh and explore and you’ll meet someone when the time comes.”
Ashraf also discussed the seriousness of postpartum depression. Responding to a mother who expressed feeling overwhelmed, she wrote, “Postpartum depression is very real. No, you don’t want anyone taking away your baby, you just need the right kind of help and support. I suggest you speak to your gynecologist as soon as possible. Tell your family how you feel and ask them for help and support at this crucial time.”
Six people have died of heatstroke in Tokyo as Japan swelters under a rare rainy season heatwave, prompting authorities to issue a flurry of health warnings.
Over the weekend, the central Shizuoka region became the first in Japan to see the mercury reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) this year, far surpassing the 35-degree threshold classified by weather officials as “extremely hot”.
Such severe heat in the middle of Japan’s rainy season is “rather rare”, caused in part by a strong South Pacific high-pressure system, a weather agency official told AFP.
Temperatures also hit record highs near 40 degrees Celsius on Monday at observation posts in Tokyo and in the southern Wakayama region, according to local media.
The past few days, authorities have issued heatstroke alerts in much of the country, urging residents to avoid exercising outside and to use air conditioning.
The capital logged three deaths linked to heatstroke on Saturday and three more on Monday, when the mercury hovered around 35 degrees Celsius at midday, according to the city’s medical examination office.
“Without the AC on, I find it difficult to survive,” Tokyo resident Sumiko Yamamoto, 75, told AFP, adding she feels “it’s gotten drastically hotter” since last year.
“Through the advice given on TV, I try to stay hydrated as much as possible. Because I’m old, I’m being careful not to collapse,” she said.
Heatstroke is particularly deadly in Japan, which has the second-oldest population in the world after Monaco.
Yamamoto’s age puts her in the demographic flagged by health experts as particularly vulnerable to heatstroke, along with infants and those living alone or who are too poor to afford air conditioning.
The Japanese Association for Acute Medicine on Monday warned of the rising death toll from heat exhaustion nationwide, which grew from just a few hundred per year two decades ago to around 1,500 in 2022.
The sheer number of fatalities suggests that heatstroke now poses a danger on par with that of “a major natural disaster”, the group said, warning against non-essential outings.
Tokyo business executive Mikio Nakahara, 67, says the difference between Tokyo 50 years ago and now is stark.
“Tokyo wasn’t as hot as it is now,” he told AFP.
But these days, “I try to work remotely as much as possible so I don’t have to go outside.”
With ever-hotter summers becoming the norm around the world, tourists like Ainhoa Sanchez, 29, aren’t too surprised by Tokyo’s temperatures.
“So the plan is going sightseeing a little bit. Drinking a lot of liquids. Maybe when we get too hot, we can get into a shop, look around, chill a bit and then go back to the street,” she told AFP.
Popular drama actor Javeria Abbasi, who announced her second engagement earlier this year, recently shared why she decided to remarry. During a morning show appearance with her friend and fellow artist Shahood Alvi, Javeria said, “I was all alone after Anzela’s marriage. She was my main focus.
“When she married, I felt lonely and realized I didn’t want to be alone forever,” she added.
Javeria said that she talked to Shahood about it, and he encouraged her to remarry. “My mother’s passing added to my loneliness,” the actress recalled.
When asked why she didn’t remarry earlier, Javeria explained, “I had responsibilities for my parents, daughter, and siblings, so I never thought about it.”
She met her fiancé at a dinner with friends, and they stayed in touch. “He proposed, and though I turned him down at first, he eventually won over my family and Shahood,” she said.
For those who don’t know, Javeria was married to actor Shamoon Abbasi for 12 years. She announced her second engagement in May this year with a video of a Paris proposal. Her daughter Anzela married Tashfeen Ansari in August last year.
Actress Mariyam Nafees has shared a mysterious post on her Instagram account, criticizing men who stare at women. Her post said, “Thanks to Pakistani men’s ogling. Nothing to be proud of – they must cover up so you don’t die staring at them Bitter Facts.”
Mariyam responded to a tweet about Pakistanis living abroad wearing Western clothes while foreigners visiting Pakistan wear traditional clothing. Her comments have sparked a discussion on social media about Pakistani men and their behavior.
The actress, currently on holiday in London, was trolled by internet creeps after posting pictures of herself in bright, summery clothes and receiving negative feedback from a social media user.
While some argue that staring is a global issue, not just in Pakistan, others highlight cultural and religious reasons for modest clothing.
A video of a group of girls beating up a shopkeeper in Lahore has gone viral on the internet. Some netizens claimed that the girls were daughters of an influential lawyer, adding that they had beaten the boy because they thought he was harassing them.
In the video, the girls appear to have initiated the assault, with the boy at the receiving end of their blows and slaps.
CCTV footage shows girls standing at the cash counter of a tuck shop holding coffee mugs while a young salesman is sitting at the counter with the cashier. The girls start talking angrily and then barge inside the counter.
One girl, clad in a black T-shirt, grabs the salesman’s neck and slaps him; the other girls grab the boy’s hair and hit him. An elderly customer forbade the girls, but reportedly, they hurled abuses at him and went to the police station.
The incident happened on Saturday night in the Garden Town area of Lahore at a petrol pump tuck shop. The boy was then arrested on charges of harassment, as per Geo, on the complaint of one of the girls, Iman Zahra.
She stated in the complaint that both the salesmen made obscene gestures, and when she complained, salesman Yusuf, along with the cashier, abused them. Social media lambasted the girls for their inhumane behaviour.
Ihtisham ul Haq called the whole act of violence “disgusting”.
Activist Shama Junejo pointed out that the girls come from an influential background. Lahore Police’s Twitter handle replied to her, “On July 7, the police registered an FIR on a harassment complaint by the girls. Today, based on video evidence, these boys were acquitted. However, if any application is received from these boys, action will be taken according to merit.”
To this, Shama replied, “When a crime is shown in a video, is it necessary to take action only on the complaint of the victim? Can’t it happen?”
Netizens criticised Lahore police for this response as Ashir Azeem Gill, an ex-civil servant, actor and activist sarcastically wrote, “Well Done, Lahore police. Tomorrow you’ll say, how can we catch the killer, the deceased hasn’t filed a case.”
United States’ State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday that the US supported the right of the public to protest, adding that it opposes violent actions, looting, and arson, while addressing a news briefing in Washington, DC.
“We support legitimate, free expression, including the right to protest, the right to peaceful assembly, and we oppose violent actions, we oppose vandalism, looting, arson,” the spokesperson added.
Miller replied to a journalist’s question on May 9 riots, saying, “Governments should deal consistently with the rule of law and free speech.”
On May 9, 2023, riots were triggered across the country when former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Following the attacks on military and civilian installations, scores of PTI workers and leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in thr violence.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved the provision of solar panels to households consuming 50 to 500 units of electricity monthly under the provincial government’s “Roshan Gharana Programme.”
The Chief Minister presided over a meeting of the Energy Department on Monday, saying, “The Punjab government will provide solar systems to crores of consumers consuming electricity from 50 to 500 units, and 90 percent of the solar panels’ cost will be paid by the provincial government and 10 percent by consumers.”
Furthermore, she also said that the government will not leave people alone in difficult situations. “Programme beneficiaries will pay the government-provided amount in easy instalments in five years,” she stated.
“Through a transparent procedure, solar systems will be given to the poorest families in phase-I”, the Chief Minister clarified.
