Tag: trending

  • TikToker Ayesha pardons all suspects in Minar-i-Pakistan assault case

    TikToker Ayesha pardons all suspects in Minar-i-Pakistan assault case

    TikToker Ayesha Akram, the victim in the 2021 Minar-i-Pakistan assault case, has pardoned all suspects charged with assaulting her.

    The victim appeared before the court on June 3 and submitted an affidavit in which she said she did not wish to pursue the case further as she had forgiven “all her suspects for the sake of Allah and his Holy Prophet (PBUH)”.

    The female TikTok added that she had “no objection” to the suspects’ acquittal and wanted to record the statement “of her own consent and without any fear or threat.”

    The official order was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Gul Abbas on June 25.

    Case history

    In August 2021, a video of a woman being sexually assaulted by a large group of men at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on 14 August, Pakistan’s Independence Day, went viral on social media.

    Sections 354-A (assault or use of criminal force against a woman and stripping her of her clothes), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to commit the robbery), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) had been included in the FIR. The case was in the court since then and many accused had been acquitted in multiple hearings over the years.

  • Will Khalil ur Rehman Qamar ever learn to respect women?

    Will Khalil ur Rehman Qamar ever learn to respect women?

    Controversial screenwriter Khalil ul Rehman Qamar is once again in the spotlight for his misogynist behavior towards women. At a recent panel discussion, the ‘Teri Meri Khanaiyan’ co-writer joined Sahil Adeem.

    During the show, they had a heated exchange with a female audience member who questioned their regressive views on women’s rights. At one point, Sahil Adeem claimed that 95 percent of women in Pakistan are uneducated, causing an uproar among the audience. The incident has sparked renewed controversy over their views on women’s rights in Pakistan.

    Samaa TV’s show ‘Mukalma,’ hosted by Ayesha Jahanzeb, turned into a battle ground. During the discussion, a female audience member confronted Sahil Adeem for his rude remarks about women.

    “If you have called girls ‘Jahil,’ you should apologize or show me where the Quran says to use this word for those who don’t know certain things,” she said angrily. In response, Sahil shared Arabic verses, which angered the girl. Her reaction to the use of Arabic upset Khalil ul Rehman Qamar, leading to a heated argument between him and the girl. The host eventually calmed them all down and moved on to another guest.

    Here is the link to the video:

    A social media user shared a clip of the heated argument on her X account, calling for Khalil ul Rehman Qamar and Sahil Adeem to be banned from live television.

    “Such archaic views should be condemned and have no place in modern discourse. He must be held accountable for his irresponsible remarks,” the post said.

    Social media users praised the woman for bravely standing up to the screenwriter.

  • Next elections will be held in 2029, Tarar responds to Maulana

    Next elections will be held in 2029, Tarar responds to Maulana

    Minister for Information, Broadcasting, Culture and National Heritage Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that general elections will be held in 2029 after the completion of the current government’s tenure.

    Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had demanded fresh elections in the country.
    Attaullah Tarar said that the parliament is the only appropriate platform for politics in the current situation. “The solution to all the problems in politics lies in negotiations and dialogue,” Tarar added.  

    The federal minister called on Maulana Fazlur Rehman to appreciate the government’s economic policies as they are for the betterment of the country.

    Fazlur Rehman on Sunday demanded fresh elections after rejecting February 8 polls. The JUI-F chief said that the government has no authority to address their concerns.

  • Shocking: Govt has access to citizens’ messages, audio/video content, browsing history

    Shocking: Govt has access to citizens’ messages, audio/video content, browsing history

    During the court hearings of the illegal surveillance of Bushra Bibi’s case last month, the Islamabad High Court made a startling discovery, learning that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had ordered telecom operators to finance, import, and install a system enabling mass surveillance of citizens’ data.

    The surveillance system currently in operation is known as the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), the system allows access to private messages, video/audio content, call records, and web browsing histories, Geo News reported.

    Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC noted that the LIMS was being utilised by “designated agencies” for surveillance purposes.

    Justice Sattar noted that mass surveillance was illegal and it lacked any judicial or executive oversight.

  • Man sentenced to life for abduction, marital rape of minor wife

    Man sentenced to life for abduction, marital rape of minor wife

    A local court in Shangla has convicted a person for the abduction and ‘marital rape’ of his minor wife and sentenced him to life imprisonment, and imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on him.

    Dawn’s Umar Bacha, in his report, states that the judge convicted the accused on two counts and sentenced him under section 365-b (kidnapping) of the Pakistan Penal Code to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs100,000 and to 25 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs200,000 under section 376 (rape) of PPC.

    The court acquitted seven of the convict’s family members due to a lack of evidence. 

    The lawyer appearing for the convict said that the victim was his client’s legal wife, and hence, he committed no offence.

    However, the judge, in his judgement, observed that a close and critical reading of section 375 PPC, defining the offence of rape, made no exception to marriage.

    “If the allegation of rape in marriage is ignored, yet another question is the victim’s juvenility. The victim, being just above 16 years of age, is still covered in the definition of ‘child,’ being under 18 years of age,” the verdict read. 

    The victim’s mother in the FIR stated that her husband died around ten years ago, and around two years ago, she arranged the Nikkah of her daughter (the victim) with the accused, but Rukhsati was yet to take place.

    She had put a demand to the family of the accused to arrange separate accommodation for her daughter before formal marriage, but they declined. She alleged that on the night of the incident, the accused, along with his father and four other relatives, barged into their house and forcibly took away the victim while the complainant, her son and another daughter were beaten and tied.

    In the beginning, FIR was registered for abducting the girl, but eventually, when she was recovered by police, different provisions of PPC and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, dealing with sexual assaults and sexual abuse, were also included in it.

    The girl, upon her recovery after four days, said in a statement that she was assaulted during captivity, and her medical examination also confirmed that she was subjected to sexual assault.

    The court eventually found the accused guilty of the offence of the abduction of the victim and having sex without her consent.

    Even though the lawyer Mian Safeer said it was the first-ever conviction in a case of ‘marital rape’ after amendments in 2021 but a man in Karachi was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of having non-consensual sex with his wife earlier in the year on January 20. 

    Read More: First ever conviction on Marital Rape opening new doors of discussion: A religious and legal context

  • Salaried class fights back: Petition filed against high taxes in Supreme Court

    Salaried class fights back: Petition filed against high taxes in Supreme Court

    After the National Assembly approved the controversial economic budget for the next fiscal year last week, a group called the Salaried Class Alliance of Pakistan has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, citing discrimination in taxation against salaried classes in the recent budget.

    “This budget marks the third consecutive year in which the burden of taxation has disproportionately fallen upon the salaried class, neglecting broader efforts to expand the tax base in the country,” read the petition.

    The alliance raised key issues such as an unbalanced tax burden, neglect of tax base expansion, impact on economic growth and brain drain, and disparities in taxation.

    It urged the Supreme Court, “Under Article 184(3) of the constitution of Pakistan to uphold justice and protect the rights of salaried class and all taxpayers in Pakistan.”

  • PTI forms five-members committee to hold talks with Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    PTI forms five-members committee to hold talks with Maulana Fazlur Rehman

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has constituted a five-member negotiation team for holding talks with Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to establish an extensive opposition alliance.

    The negotiation team includes PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, former National Assembly (NA) speaker Asad Qaiser, party’s Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, Senator Shibli Faraz, and NA Opposition Leader Omar Ayub Khan.

    Both parties have the same agenda, namely that the February 8 general elections were not free and fair. PTI formed a six-party opposition alliance in April to give the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) a hard time.

    In a meeting between PTI’s Asad Qaiser and Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad last month, both the leaders agreed to play a vital role of opposition in NA.

  • Christian youth awarded death sentence for ‘sparking’ Jaranwala riots

    Christian youth awarded death sentence for ‘sparking’ Jaranwala riots

    Sahiwal’s Anti-terrorism Court (ATC) has awarded the death sentence to a Christian man who allegedly circulated a social media post that led to riots in Jaranwala last year, reports Dawn.

    Judge Ziaullah Khan sentenced the young man to 22 years in prison and imp­osed a fine of Rs1 million. The final judgment said he was awarded the death sentence and a fine of Rs500,000 under Section 295(C), ten years rigorous imprisonment under Sec­tion 295(A), seven years under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, and five years and Rs500,000 fine under 7(1) (G)-ATA.

    The Punjab police claimed last year that around 135 miscreants had been booked for the attacks, but according to Advo­cate Akmal Bhatti, only 12 people are currently facing trials in the court.

    However, the convict was accused of sharing a social media post which allegedly contained blasphemous content.

    He was picked up by police on intelligence reports three days after the riots.

    Complainant Amir Farooq, who is now SHO at the Ghala Mandi police, told Dawn that while the man in question did not produce the blasphemous content, he did share it on TikTok, where it went viral.

    Background

    In March, Faisalabad ATC had acquitted two Christian brothers who were ‘framed’ for desecration after a police probe revealed that the two had been implicated in a blasphemy case over a personal enmity.

    Dozens of Christian homes and around 20 chu­rches were vandalised and ransacked by mobs in Jaran­wala following allegations that a copy of the Holy Quran had been desecrated.

  • Turkiye airport workers refuse to refuel Israeli airplane

    Turkiye airport workers refuse to refuel Israeli airplane

    Israel’s national carrier, El Al, said Sunday that its Warsaw to Tel Aviv flight was not allowed to refuel at Antalya airport after making an emergency landing to evacuate a passenger for medical reasons.

    Turkish workers at Antalya airport refused to refuel flight LY5102 before it could take off for Israel, El Al said in a statement.

    “Local workers refused to refuel the company’s plane even though it was a medical case,” it said, adding that the passenger was evacuated.

    The plane then took off to Rhodes in Greece, where “it will refuel before taking off to Israel”, the airline said.

    Relations between Turkey and Israel have deteriorated since October 7, with all direct flights between the two countries cancelled since.

    Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed the plane was allowed to make an emergency landing to evacuate a sick passenger.

    “Fuel was to be provided to the plane due to humanitarian considerations, but as the relevant procedure was about to be completed, the captain decided to leave of his own accord,” a Turkish diplomatic source said.

    Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel said the plane was on the tarmac at Antalya for several hours before it took off for Rhodes.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a vocal critic of Israel’s blistering military operations in Gaza and has often expressed support for Hamas as defenders of their homeland.

    Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 37,877 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

  • Khan’s release not possible under current PTI leadership, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Khan’s release not possible under current PTI leadership, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Former leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fawad Chaudhry, has criticized the party’s current heads, stating that there is no possibility of incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s release in the presence of the current leadership, Geo News reported on Sunday.

    “[Due to] lack of political strategy of current PTI leadership, all of us are suffering,” said the former vice president of the party, who left PTI after the May 9 events.

    He also replied to criticism that those who left Imran Khan during a difficult time have started speaking up for him now that the draught period has passed.

    “Tough times have not ended for the jailed former premier and other PTI leaders. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and others are still behind bars and going through a difficult time,” Fawad Chaudhry said.

     “Some people start their journey from Peshawar and return after staging a rally in Lahore,” he remarked.