One of Pakistan’s leading media outlets, Geo News while showing JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s press conference live announced on air that they have to cut off the live streaming because of PEMRA’s instructions that his pressers cannot be covered on the media anymore.
Member of the opposition, Rehman, in the past couple of weeks has been making headlines after he announced that he is planning to march towards Islamabad in an attempt to topple Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government. His “Azadi March” plans to enter Islamabad on October 31.
As per reports, a written order has not yet been issued but the orders have been sent through WhatsApp messages. It is pertinent to note that it is illegal to issue “written and verbal” directives to “blackout” any particular party or leader.
Previously, Geo News anchor, Hamid Mir, on October 12 had tweeted that Pemra has “forced TV channels not to show” the press conferences of Maulana Fazalur Rehman. He said that the government was showing weakness by “imposing unannounced censorship” in Pakistan.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority forced TV channels not to show the press conference of opposition politician Maulana Fazalur Rehman we can differ with Maulana but Govt is showing weakness by imposing unannounced censorship in Pakistan @RSF_inter@pressfreedom
After creating waves and winning hearts on the first day of their visit, the Duke and Duchess began the second day of their trip by heading straight to the beautiful mountainous North of the country.
On the third day of their five-day visit, Kate and William are visiting the mighty Hindu Kush mountain range to witness the effects of climate change, which is one of the key areas of focus of their visit.
They arrived in Chitral on a helicopter where they were gifted the traditional Chitrali cap and a book of photos commemorating the trip of Princess Diana, who visited the valley in 1991.
Upon receiving the book, William remarked “Fantastic,” as he sifted through the pages of the book. The residents also gifted an embroidered coat to the Duke and a shawl to the Duchess.
The Duchess wore a long taupe-coloured skirt and a darker coloured shirt under a leather vest for the visit. She opted for flat knee-high brown boots and accessoried with gold earrings and a beige pashmina, while William wore a teal shirt and beige chino trousers. People couldn’t help but compare her to Diana.
The couple then visited the northern tip of the Chiatibo Glacier in Broghil National Park and were shown how it has retreated rapidly in recent years due to global warming. It was the first time the couple had seen a melting glacier.
Standing between the snowy peaks of the mountain range, the duke said communities “vulnerable to change” needed “more education, more awareness and political action.”
Following that, they travelled to Bombaret village in Kalash valley, where they interacted with the locals and spent time with children. They also enjoyed performances of traditional dances and music by the local people.
The Duchess was all smiles as she took part in the festivities.
A special cultural show, focused on the life in the Northern Areas, was also held for the royal couple.
The grand Royal reception hosted for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew and his wife saw the who’s who in Pakistan in attendance. From politicians to celebrities to sportsmen to entrepreneurs – it was a star-studded event and one we wish we also had a chance to attend. But since that didn’t happen, we were glued to our phones for all the live updates from the event.
While a lot of celebrities were in attendance at the event, not everyone got a chance to snap a picture with the royal couple.
King of Couture, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin was among the few lucky ones who were introduced to William and Kate. He not only got a picture but also got a chance to interact with them. We hear that Kate will be donning an outfit by the designer on the visit.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3pj4EdBvUq/
Maheen Khan, whose creation the Duchess wore for her first royal engagement also interacted with the couple.
Mehwish Hayat said that it was a “real pleasure” to meet the royal visitors.
Was a real pleasure to meet with the royal visitors last night. William is a real life Prince Charming & was genuinely excited abt being here. Hope that this visit helps show the world the real side of Pakistan & not what media has been showing. #RoyaltourPakistan#PrinceWilliampic.twitter.com/9wY8BRDGp0
Mahira Khan and Masarrat Misbah also got a moment with the Prince.
As did Shehzad Roy.
Others who attended the event included Atif Aslam, Hareem Farooq, Momina Mustehsan, Yousaf Sallahuddin, Ahad Raza Mir, Sajal Aly, Wasim and Shaniera Akram and Shaan Shahid.
Atif looked dapper in a sherwani by Mohsin Naveed Ranjha while Mahira looked lovely in Misha Lakhani.
While the celebrities have not yet shared high-quality pictures yet, UK-based DJ Noreen Khan who was the red carpet host, shared pictures with the celebrities.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s maiden tour of Pakistan is in full swing and the two won the hearts of all the countrymen by arriving in a brightly-painted rickshaw for an event hosted by British High Commissioner Thomas Drew and his wife.
While Kate shimmered in a dress by Jenny Packham, William looked absolutely dapper in a sherwani by Karachi-based designer Naushemian. Kate accessorised her look with bespoke earrings by Onitaa, which were sourced from Pakistan.
Prince William also addressed the event which had Pakistan’s who’s who – from politicians to entrepreneurs – in attendance.
He started his speech, which he had penned himself, with a “Shukriya” to the people of the country for a warm welcome, adding that he was enjoying the delicious food here.
He then said: “For a country so young, Pakistan has endured many hardships, with countless lives lost to terror and hatred. Tonight I want to pay tribute to all those who have endured such sacrifice and helped to build the country that we see today.”
“The challenges ahead are great. But we cannot be daunted, nor distracted.”
He continued: “Instead we should draw strength from our shared bonds and heed the words of Muhammed Ali Jinnah as we do so. My message to you all is of hope, courage, and confidence.”
The royal reception was the last event in their jam-packed schedule.
The royal couple commenced their trip with a visit to Islamabad Model College for Girls where they interacted with the staff and students and visited classrooms.
Kate looked stunning in a beautiful custom Periwinkle Silk outfit by designer Maheen Khan. Her nude court shoes were from British high-street brand New Look.
Following their visit to the school, they went to Trail 5, Margalla to attend an event regarding environmental protection. They also set a leopard camera trap with children.
William and Kate are about to set a leopard camera trap with children in Margallah Hills National Park in Islamabad in the foothills of the Himalayas. There are two families of leopards here apparently. Not too close, I hope. pic.twitter.com/uwlBjE5xCw
After a change in outfit, Kate and William visited Aiwan-e-Sadr where they met with President Arif Alvi and his wife as well as Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his wife.
Following that, they arrived at the Prime Minister House for a lunch hosted by PM Imran Khan in their honour.
Kate is wearing trousers by Maheen Khan and a tunic by Catherine Walker, with a scarf by Satrangi and earrings by Zeen.
Several members of PM Imran’s cabinet were present on the occasion including Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, Special Assistant to the PM for Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari and Special Advisor to PM for Information and Broadcasting.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued a stay order on 845 recent appointments in Pakistan Railways (PR) through “balloting” — a move that had earlier been challenged by PR Employees (PREM) Union, journalist Asad Malik tweeted Tuesday.
According to Dawn, the PREM Union had last week pointed out that a majority of the newly appointed staff belonged to the two Rawalpindi constituencies of Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and his nephew Sheikh Rasheed Shafiq.
Filing the petition before the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC through its counsel Imran Shafique, the union had requested the court to set aside the inductions.
PR authorities had advertised 322 posts of different categories in BS-1 to BS-5 in October 2018, according to the petition. Another advertisement was published only a month later, with the number of vacant positions being increased from 323 to 845, the court was informed.
The petition said thousands of people had applied for the posts, but the appointments were made through balloting rather than on the basis of merit.
“The candidates who secured highest marks in the skill/written test and proved their mettle in the interviews deserved to be appointed on the basis of open merit, but the railways authorities, while changing the criteria, placed all successful candidates in the same position and decided their fate on the basis of draws/balloting,” it added.
Informing the court that more than half of the so-called successful candidates belonged to the constituency of the incumbent railways minister and his nephew, MNA Shafiq, the petition said it was unfortunate how “secret balloting was staged to select the blue-eyed ones”.
The LHC was informed that 58 per cent seats were to be filled on the basis of open merit, 20 per cent quota was reserved for the children of railways employees, 10 per cent was reserved for ex-employees, 5 per cent for orphans and handicapped, and 2 per cent for disabled persons.
However, the petition maintained, even those quotas were not taken into consideration during the induction through balloting.
پی ٹی آئی حکومت کے لئے برا دن۔ لاہورہائیکورٹ نے ریلوے میں کی گئی 845 بھرتیوں کے خلاف حکم امتناعی جاری کردیا۔ 500 افراد صرف وزیرریلوے شیخ رشید اور ان کے بھتیجے شیخ راشد شفیق کے حلقہ انتخاب سے بھرتی کئے گئے
When approached, PR Chairperson Sikandar Sultan Raja told Dawn that the directions to fill the vacancies from BS-1 to BS-4 through balloting were issued by the federal government.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, touched down in Islamabad Monday night on their first official visit to the country.
The royal couple was welcomed by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, his wife and British High Commissioner in Pakistan Thomas Drew after their airplane landed at the Nur Khan Airbase.
Kate looked resplendent in a sky blue flowy outfit by Catherine Walker accessorised by earrings and clutch by Zeen.
Here’s a closeup of the Duchess’ accessories:
The five-day visit, which will end on October 18, has been organised at the request of the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The last royal visit was in 2006.
With the Royals due in Pakistan, excitement levels in the country are high as everyone waits for the historic moment. Their schedule is being tightly guarded due to security reasons which means we don’t exactly know what is on their itinerary but media and social media has been lit with speculations of their four-day visit.
Kensington Palace in an official statement had shared that the royal couple’s trip “will range from the modern, leafy capital of Islamabad to the vibrant city of Lahore, the mountainous countryside in the North, and the rugged border regions to the West.”
UK envoy Thomas Drew said that Kate and William “hope to meet as many Pakistanis as possible during the course of the visit. They are looking forward to building a lasting friendship with the people of Pakistan.”
While the full guest list has not yet been revealed, here’s who is expected to meet the Duke and Duchess, according to our social media sleuthing:
Hina Butt
PML-N MPA Hina Butt, in a Tweet, shared that she will be attending a reception in honour of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Pakistan Monument on Tuesday.
Fashion designer Maheen Khan recalled Queen Elizabeth II’s first visit to Pakistan and said that she looks forward to meeting “TRH the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in person.”
.The feverish excitement of both the press and the women of PK is so wonderful to watch .in 1961 i stood with my father and my sisters waving at H.M the queen as she drove past .on the 15th i look forward to meeting TRH the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in person! https://t.co/LYTxquPKMO
Last night’s episode of Ehd-e-Wafa was a rollercoaster – the SSG fought and broke up and Osman Khalid Butt’s character Shahzain shot dead a horse for losing a race.
Those invested in the drama were naturally upset with the way things progressed and the scene in which Shahzain shot the horse triggered many. No disclaimer was given before the scene. However, the gun was blurred out.
As social media users took to Instagram to express their disgust at the scene, Butt explained to them the context and other details behind it.
While he was at it, Osman also decided to answer some other questions.
Like how he made Ahad slap him for the scene.
And how it was DG ISPR who decided the cast of the drama.
National heartthrob Fawad Khan rarely makes public appearances which means that when he does, pictures and videos of him go viral.
Fawad and wife, Sadaf recently celebrated their daughter Elayna’s third birthday with a princess-themed party and pictures from the event are super cute.
Family photos
The one of the Mama and baby
Sadaf looks absolutely chic in this rose pink dress. Perfect for a day-time event.
The one of the gang
Ahmed Ali Butt ho aur selfie na ho – aisa ho nai sakta.
The celebrity Mommy gang
The decor of the event was done by Peppermint Parties.
A video of Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kaleem Imam regretting how his own family members, including his in-laws, have also been looted in Karachi, is going viral over the internet.
“My mother-in-law was looted… my nephews were looted, my sister and brother were also looted, but I am still smiling in front of you,” the IGP can be heard as saying in the video of his address at a seminar on community policing in Karachi.
“Just imagine how my married life would be after my mother-in-law was forced to give up her jewelry,” he said, adding that unemployment and illiteracy were to be blamed for street crime in the port city.
WATCH VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/fAd89B2JuSo
The IGP then claimed that police have largely overcome the menace of serious crimes in Karachi and it was now working hard to eliminate street crime.
According to a recent survey, at least 31 people have been killed and 282 injured while resisting robberies in Karachi so far this year.
