After being sentenced by the Accountability Court in the Toshakhana case, former First Lady Bushra Bibi reached the jail to surrender herself for arrest.
The Accountability Court has earlier todat sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife to 14 years imprisonment with hard labor in the Toshakhana case, while the court has also disqualified Imran Khan for 10 years.
According to sources in Geo, Bushra Bibi is currently sitting in the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Jail, and she has not been arrested yet.
A day earlier, Imran Khan and senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each in the cipher case.
Judge Abual Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain heard the cipher case and delivered the verdict at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has on Wednesday ordered equal media attention for all candidates taking part in the February 8 general elections, including jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Lahore High Court issued a directive in response to a plea filed by the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who claimed there was a ban on media coverage of his speeches.
Earlier this month, the LHC disposed of the PTI founder’s petition with the observation that directions with regard to telecasting the speeches of the PTI leader would be issued in a detailed judgement.
LHC’s Justice Shams Mirza Mehmood issued a 10-page written verdict on Imran Khan’s appeal regarding a ban on media coverage.
The LHC verdict stated that, according to Article 17, every citizen has freedom of speech.
The LHC also said that running an election campaign and promoting a party’s manifesto are fundamental rights of political parties.
You knew Taylor Swift was influential, but Republicans are now crediting the singer with James-Bond-villain-level powers in a wacky conspiracy theory claiming the singer’s romance with NFL star Travis Kelce is really a plot to rig the Super Bowl and get President Joe Biden reelected.
The relationship between the pop powerhouse and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has gripped the nation for weeks, with TV cameras repeatedly panning from the field during the team’s surging NFL season to a cheering Swift in the stands.
Fascination peaked this weekend when the Chiefs defeated the Baltimore Ravens to book their berth in February’s Super Bowl and, in the midst of celebrations, Swift descended onto the field to kiss Kelce, fresh from playing one of the best games of his life.
It’s not much of a fairytale for Republicans in America.
Right-wingers — who, like their leader Donald Trump, increasingly see conspiracy theories under every stone — detected not a love story but a deep-state psychological operation against the American people and the November presidential election.
Fox News hosted a discussion with a former FBI agent asking: “Is Taylor Swift a Pentagon asset?”
A Trump media booster, Laura Loomer, told her more than 800,000 followers on X, the former Twitter, that “The Democrats’ Taylor Swift election interference psyop is happening in the open.”
And Vivek Ramaswamy, a failed Republican presidential candidate now fully behind Trump’s bid for a second term, suggested there is a plot to boost Biden through a faked Swift-Kelce relationship and a rigged Chiefs victory in the Super Bowl.
“I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month. And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple,” he wrote on X. “Just some wild speculation over here, let’s see how it ages over the next 8 months.”
A major pro-Trump broadcast personality, Mike Crispi, said it all even more clearly: “EVERYONE knows Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce is fake and the Super Bowl is rigged. You’re a whacko at this point if you DON’T believe it.”
Swift will appear on stage at the Super Bowl halftime show, he said, and endorse Biden.
The nutty furor has roots in long-running hatred on the right for Swift, who is not only a global entertainment megastar but openly liberal and against Trump. She endorsed Biden in his successful 2020 bid to unseat Trump and flexed her muscles again last September by urging fans to register to vote -tens of thousands did.
Kelce, something of a legend for his outsized personality off the field and heroics during games, has become an unlikely target of the right himself after promoting Covid vaccines and, now, for being the boyfriend of an even bigger female celebrity.
The saga has already veered into distinctly dark territory. AI-faked pornographic images made to look like Swift got millions of views on X before being removed last week.
And things may get weirder.
The Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on February 11 and the right-wing media-sphere is lining up behind the Californians – even though their team represents one of the most liberal cities in the world.
“I know we’ve all been roasting your city for years,” posted Rogan O’Handley, a hard-right personality with 1.3 million X followers.
“For 2 weeks, 99% of America will be 49ers fans but in return you MUST defeat the Chiefs,” he wrote. If they don’t, Biden will get reelected and “WW3 will likely follow.”
Update: The DPO in Sadiqabad issued an order for departmental action while suspending the ASI for misbehaving with a foreign cyclist.
Explaining the incident, DPO Rahim Yar Khan Rizwan Omar Gondal said that 3 foreign cyclists entered Sadiqabad from Rahim Yar Khan limits from Sindh on Saturday and they were provided security as per SOP.
The cyclists were adamant that no security should be provided to them, upon which the fight took place, says the DPO.
According to the police spokesperson, the foreign cyclist sprayed the ASI in anger, on which the ASI slapped the foreign tourist.
Moreover, departmental action is being taken against the concerned police official by suspending him for inappropriate behavior.
Previously, it was reported three foreign tourists cycling in the Sadiqabad area of South Punjab have raised serious allegations of assault and sexual harassment against the Punjab police. They claim to have entered their jurisdictions on January 25.
A video of the attack on the tourists surfaced on Saturday where a policeman was seen using foul language and snatching the camera from the one documenting it. It was one of many alleged assaults that the cycling tourists, namely Alex Sidney of Italy, Charlie West of the UK, and Motahhareh Abbasi of Iran, had been facing since they entered Punjab. They have always been having a Punjab police escort supposed to ensure their security but the police allegedly attacked them.
Dawn talked to the tourists and the details narrated by them included horrific details of abuse and being manhandled brutally by a policeman, earlier identified as ASI Liaqat. Alex said the situation escalated as the officers reportedly grabbed him by the hair and subjected him to physical abuse.
Regarding the version of police, the tourists were stopped from going to Kashmore, Sindh, an unsafe area, when the confrontation happened. However, Alex said they were not going towards Kashmore but Lahore. He said they had cycled in Sindh, mostly escorted by police, but did not face any such incident there. In Punjab, he claimed, they had taken the same route as was told by police. According to him, it was not the first assault by police. “We entered Punjab on January 25 and started having assaults and harassment from January 26. In earlier assaults, we were hit by police vehicles and motorcycles as they continued telling us that we were going the wrong way. We told them that we were going to a hotel on the national highway. They would try to knock us down.” Motahhareh said the policemen in Punjab would drive their vehicles or ride motorcycles very close to her, sometimes making her get off the road. “On January 26, I fell down and got injured when a policeman stopped his motorcycle suddenly in front of her. And it was quite deliberate. I fell down and injured my leg while my heavy bags fell on me.” Motahhareh later got medical treatment for her leg.
About this alleged assault, Alex said they went to Ahmedpur Lamma Police Station and asked the policeman on the desk to register a complaint, but he refused to do so, asking them to take help from social media.
Motahhareh also raised serious allegations of sexual harassment against police in Pakistan. “Many times, they asked me for my WhatsApp number and kept on insisting. When I asked them the reason, they would start insulting me. At the start I gave my phone number to some of them and they started asking for pictures and sending creepy messages. For the last one month, I have been receiving creepy messages from Pakistani policemen.” She alleged that policemen from all three provinces they travelled in harassed her and the situation was worse in Punjab.
A policeman in Punjab held her hand forcibly for many minutes, said Alex. When asked whether there was a language barrier between the policemen and the tourists, Alex said some of the policemen spoke good English. “Whenever we stopped at some point to have a break, they would continue telling us it’s not safe here and it would be safe after a few kilometers. In fact, they wanted us to go out of their jurisdictions quickly but the next escort would do the same, telling us lies about the route as well.”
Alex said they felt safer without police as the common Pakistanis were very good and hospitable towards them and added that many times in Sindh, they did not have police escort and it was very safe.
Alex said they were staying in Sadiqabad near the site where they were assaulted by police as Motahhareh’s leg was recovering, rejecting the earlier police report that they had left the area for Lahore. He said he wanted to cycle through Punjab and meet the people who are very good. He said they felt safe when they were on their own without police and were in fact more in danger in presence of their escort, which ironically was there to protect them. Charlie West wanted to cycle separately towards Lahore as he rides it fast but the situation is unclear now.
Police in Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad have not provided their official version. However, Dawn’s sources in Rahim Yar Khan police said the tourists had left Sadiqabad hotel they were staying in on Saturday and now they were staying at a restaurant along a filling station in the middle of Sadiqabad and Rahim Yar Khan. The sources denied the allegations of assault but insisted that police escort was there for the tourists’ security.
Alex started his travel on bicycle from Italy in 2022 and cycled through Europe during the last two years. He was joined by Mohtahhare in Tehran when he was travelling towards Pakistan. They entered Pakistan from the Balochistan-Iran border and cycled through Balochistan and Sindh. In Karachi, they were joined by Charlie West who landed in Karachi from the UK.
In a tragic turn of events, Rehan Zeb Khan, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and independent candidate from NA-8 Bajaur, was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in the Siddiqabad Phatak Bazar area on Wednesday.
The district police officer and SHO Rashid Khan have confirmed the news of the PTI leader’s murder.
Khan, who was contesting as an independent, was also a candidate for the provincial assembly seat PK-22. Reports suggest that he had tried to get a PTI ticket but had been refused by the party.
Rehan zaib, a fabulous young & passionate upcoming PTI leader was martyred today by so called unknowns. He was threathned so many times but he never backed down.
The official candidate for PTI from NA 8 is Gul Zafar Khan, as per a reply from Imran Khan’s Facebook page message, “Halqa: NA-8, Bajaur, Candidate: Gul Zafar Khan, Symbol: SHOWER شاور”
The incident occurred when Khan was at Siddiqabad Gate, engaging in canvassing activities for the upcoming general elections. The assailants targeted him while he was in his vehicle, marking a disturbing incident of violence against a political figure.
This unfortunate incident comes on the heels of another attack on PTI’s electioneering within the past 24 hours. A day earlier, a bomb detonated at a PTI rally in Sibi, claiming the lives of at least four people and injuring five others, as reported by both police and witnesses.
Saddam Tareen, the PTI candidate for the National Assembly constituency of NA-253, who was leading the rally on Jinnah Road in Sibi, fortunately escaped unharmed. The injured individuals were promptly transported to the Sibi district headquarters (DHQ) hospital for urgent medical attention.
Unidentified Persons shot dead Awami National Party (ANP) local leader Zahoor Ahmed and injured another in a firing raid attacking the ANP office, in Chaman district, Balochistan as per officials.
ALERT: Unidentified Persons shot dead Awami National Party (ANP) local leader Zahoor Ahmed and injured another in a firing raid attacking the the ANP office, Chaman district, Balochistan: Officials pic.twitter.com/46VOK044Kf
At least three were injured in a grenade attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) election office in Quetta, ARY News reported.
According to police officials, the attack occurred on Saryab Road Quetta where a hand grenade attack was launched on the PPP election office that injured three people.
At least 3 injured in a grenade attack on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) election office in Quetta. According to media reports, the attack occurred on Saryab Road Quetta where hand grenade attack was launched on PPP election office that injured 3 people.https://t.co/RpD3Ssy1CE
Reacting to the incident, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the attack and sought a report from the chief secretary and IG Balochistan.
The ECP spokesperson said that suspects involved in such incidents will be tried under the election laws.
The incidents underscore the growing concerns over the safety of political candidates and campaigners as the general elections approach.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardari has said that his party knows how to take Pakistan out of the crisis it is currently facing.
While addressing an election rally in Kahuta, the former President said that the PPP will build a medical college in the city.
The PPP co-chairman also said, “We will solve the problems of people and also provide gas facilities in the area.”
He told the people of Kahuta that he will keep coming to them.
Earlier, the former president said in an interview that the Bilawal Bhutto-led party could even clean sweep Karachi and win from all constituencies of the metropolis if not for certain hindrances.
Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI), has once again been elected as the President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), marking the third time he has held on the seat.
A meeting of the Council was held in Bali, Indonesia, in which Pakistan was represented by Acting Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shah Khawar and COO Salman Naseer.
According to Geo News reports, Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah has been elected as the president for the third year in a row.
During the last Asia Cup, jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, continuous rains in the island nation affected many matches, due to which Jay Shah was severely criticized.
In a recent appearance on the Hum News program ‘Faisala Aap Ka with Asma Shirazi,’ Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif stated that ‘Vote Ko Izzat Do’ has a different meaning.
When asked why the civilian supremacy narrative of ‘Vote ko Izzat do’ can’t be heard anymore, he said, “It means respecting the person who voted for me and fulfilling the trust they have shown in me.”
“ووٹ کو عزت دو” کا مطلب یہ ہے کہ جس نے مجھے ووٹ دیا ہے میں اس کی عزت کروں۔”
He claimed that the May 9 riots were a deliberate conspiracy against Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, masterminded by Imran Khan, the founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his party.
عمران خان کی سزا پر شہباز شریف کا رد عمل: بات اچھے برے کی نہیں قانون کی ہے، یہ سرکاری راز کو افشا کرنے کا معاملہ ہے جو قانونی نوعیت کا ہے، یہ سب کے لیے سبق ہے، وزیراعظم کو سرکاری راز کو راز رکھنا چاہیے، قومی راز سینے میں دفن رہنے چاہئیں، شہباز شریف۔۔۔فیصلہ آپ کا۔۔ ہم نیوز… pic.twitter.com/5Dz6GVEx4O
Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the distinction between statements and conspiracies. He alleged that on May 9, the founder of PTI and his team conspired to create divisions within the military, leading to betrayal against Pakistan. He criticized PTI for diverting the nation from progress to chaos.
نو مئی ایک منظم غداری کا منصوبہ تھا یہ چاہتے تھے جنرل عاصم منیر کو ہٹایا جائے، فوج میں تقسیم پیدا کی جائے، فوج بغاوت کر دے اور ان کی مرضی کے لوگ آ جائیں، کئی حاضر فوجی اور ریٹائر فوجی جو اس میں ملوث تھے، انہیں اریسٹ کیا۔ کور کمانڈر لاہور کو ریٹائرڈ کردیا گیا۔ نو مئی سازش تھی… pic.twitter.com/rq2NAGWpvF
Sharif expressed his views on various matters, including the loss of PTI’s iconic electoral symbol ‘Bat,’ attributing it to the party’s missteps. He also commented on Imran Khan’s recent 10-year jail sentence, emphasizing that the issue is about upholding the law, irrespective of whether decisions are perceived as good or bad.
Responding to a question about PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s invitation for a public debate, Shehbaz Sharif said, “I’m in favor of Bilawal’s debate challenge but let him extend the invitation in his province for a fair comparison.”
بلاول بھٹو کا مناظرے کا چیلنج شہباز شریف نے قبول کر لیا: میں بلاول کے مناظرے کے حق میں ہوں، مگر وہ دعوت دیں اپنے صوبے میں تاکہ مناظرہ بھی ہو جائے اور موازنہ بھی ہو جائے۔چیلنج کرتا ہوں راجن پور میں جو ہم نے اسپتال بنایا اس کے برابر کا کوئی اسپتال اپنے صوبے کے کسی شہر میں بتا دیں۔… pic.twitter.com/3TwJ6iqG8h
Regarding political decisions, Shehbaz Sharif mentioned that if the majority is not attained through elections, consultations would be held. He confirmed that Nawaz Sharif would be the candidate for the premiership, subject to consultation, and the decision on the Chief Executive of Punjab would be made through consultation with Nawaz Sharif. The decision for the presidency would be made by the parliament.
ن لیگ کا وزارت عظمی کا امیدوار کون؟؟؟ میرے اور پارٹی کے وزارت عظمی کے امیدوار نواز شریف ہیں۔ شہباز شریف سوال: اگر نواز شریف نے آپ کو وزیراعظم بنا دیا؟ شہباز شریف: آپ میری نوکری کے پیچھے کیوں پڑی ہیں۔ @FaislaAapKaa @humnewspakistan@humnews_urdupic.twitter.com/pvVllDrW57
Stressing the importance of political and economic negotiations, Shehbaz Sharif called for the completion of the five-year term in Parliament. He recounted an incident during tensions with India, where the founder of PTI allegedly refused to attend a meeting, leading the then head of the army, General Bajwa, to return in disappointment.
Pakistani pop star and songwriter Atif Aslam, who ruled the Bollywood music landscape a few years ago, is now returning to the Indian film industry after a gap of almost seven years.
The superstar singer is lending his vocals to romantic songs for the film ‘Love Story of 90’s’.
The film is a Amit Kasaria directorial venture and will be produced by Sangani Brothers. It will star Adhyayan Suman alongside Miss Universe Diva, Divita Rai. Expressing excitement about the momentous collab, the producers stated, “We are very ecstatic as Atif Aslam has sung the very first song in our film LSO90’s. Fans of Atif Aslam will be thrilled. He is making a return in Bollywood through our film.”
The Sangani brothers elaborated on the challenge of bringing Atif on board, stating, “It was a challenge to bring Atif Aslam on board as he focuses on the storyline and the ensemble of the cast. He was really impressed and prepared to lend his voice to the film’s song. It’s a moment of pride and joy for us.”
The title song of Punjabi film ‘Jee Ve Sohneya Jee’, starring Pakistani heartthrob Imran Abbas, has sung by music maestro Atif Aslam, has been released on Tuesday. With dramatic cords and low beat, it has the ability to grow on the audience.
As late winter tightens its grip on the northern parts of the country, Naran, Kaghan, Shogran, and Murree, are transforming into winter wonderlands. The recent snowfall has not only captivated tourists but also prompted local authorities to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors.
In Naran, Kaghan, and Shogran, heavy snowfall has persisted for the third consecutive day, with Babusar Top expected to remain under its winter coat until the coming Sunday, according to Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) official Mozam Ali.
Notable snowfall accumulations include 1.5 feet in Shogran, 2.5 feet in Naran, 3.5 feet in Babusar, and seven inches in Kaghan.
The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) road has been opened up to Rajwal, allowing tourists to explore beyond this point. To assist both tourists and locals, the KDA has established a tourist facilitation center at Balakot.
The typical winter pattern in these areas involves initial rains in the last 10 to 15 days of November, followed by snowfall in December.
However, climate change has disrupted the pattern, resulting in a lack of rain and snow. This deviation has significantly decreased tourist activity in the region, causing concern among those involved in the sector.
Meanwhile, in the popular hill station of Murree, the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) has proactively initiated snow clearing and garbage removal operations following the season’s first snowfall.
The efforts of the RWMC have allowed motorists to move easily in and around Murree, ensuring normal traffic flow.
RWMC CEO Rana Sajid Safdar’s instructions to deploy additional workers during the snow season have proven effective in maintaining cleanliness despite the influx of visitors.
The Murree district administration, under the directives of Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Abbas Sherazi, has finalized arrangements for the snowfall season. Tourists are being provided with weather updates and travel advisories at all entry points, with a special control room set up to facilitate inquiries and assistance.
The district administration advises tourists to take necessary precautions, follow traffic rules, and stay informed about weather conditions before traveling to Murree.
Strict actions are being taken against parking rules violators to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. In case of difficulties, tourists can seek assistance from dedicated tourist facilitation centers and the 24/7 operational control room.
