In the warm-up match of the Junior Hockey World Cup, Pakistan defeated South Africa by 2-0, the first goal for Pakistan was scored by Abdul Hanan, and the second goal by Ghazanfar.
The Junior Hockey World Cup organized by FIH will start tomorrow in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The Pakistani team will start their campaign with a match against the Netherlands on December 6. New Zealand, while the third and final match will be played against Belgium on December 9.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has barred television channels from airing anything that casts doubt on the electoral process.
The notification, issued on November 3, states, “All the satellite TV channel licensees were directed vide this office directives dated 3* November, 2023 to strictly comply with the PEMRA’s Code of Conduct 2015 and ensure that no speculative, doubtful and false information/content with reference to electoral process or conduct of General Elections is aired, broadcasted or televised in any manner, whatsoever, which may subsequently hamper smooth conduct of the General Elections 2024.”
It further says that all the licensees, while airing their transmission before General Elections 2024, must be mindful of the fact that no such content/discussion / comment is aired which may create doubts or an impression in the minds of the public about the polls or may sabotage elections through any negative/false news, information or report aired on any satellite TV channel, inadvertently.
Anchor Person Mohammad Malick took to X (former Twitter) and wrote, “Has Pemra gone absolutely bonkers? media barred from even discussing the possibility of flawed election process by EC. All media outlets & journo orgs must outrightly reject this ridiculous ‘unholy commandment’. this is brazen censorship and must be resisted.”
Has Pemra gone absolutely bonkers? media barred from even discussing the possibility of flawed election process by EC. All media outlets & journo orgs must outrightly reject this ridiculous ‘unholy commandment’. this is brazen censorship and must be resisted. pic.twitter.com/a7XSHqBAlp
— Mohammad Malick (@MalickViews) December 5, 2023
Secretary General South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Imtiaz Alam said, “Indeed, Election Commission of Pakistan should be respected, but it must earn respect by ensuring even-playing field fo all and transparently conducting electoral process. However, PEMRA order must be rejected. Media must critically evaluate the conduct of elections and ECP.”
Indeed, Election Commission of Pakistan should be respected, but it must earn respect by ensuring even-playing field fo all and transparently conducting electoral process. However, PEMRA order must be rejected. Media must critically evaluate the conduct of elections and ECP. pic.twitter.com/RAQyAwcppU
— Imtiaz Alam (@ImtiazAlamSAFMA) December 5, 2023
The interim Sindh government has alloted 52,000 acres of state land for corporate cultural farming, disclose official documents.
As per a report filed by Geo’s Benazir Shah and Rasheed Memon, the caretaker government of Sindh gave ultimate approval last week to allot 52,713 acres of state land for the project, out of which 28,000 acres will be rendered in Khairpur, 10,000 in Mithi, 9,305 in Dadu, 3,408 in Sujawal, 1,000 acres in Thatta, and 1,000 in Badin.
The land is being allotted under the authority of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). SIFC is a top military body that was established in June this year to attract foreign investment in the country.
According to state documents seen by Geo.tv, earlier this year, the chief secretary of Sindh issued a directive to the provincial Land Utilisation Department and the Board of Revenue to explain the availability of land in the province.
The documents even recommend that the land be leased out to the Pakistani army, insisting that the latter had “well-trained manpower” for the job.
The minutes of a cabinet meeting in Sindh on December 1st imply that the interim government in Sindh is considering leasing state-owned land to a private company affiliated with the Pakistan military.
The agenda read: “…approval of a joint venture agreement for the corporate agro-farming initiative in Sindh between the Land Utilization Department and Green Corporate Initiative Pvt Ltd”.
Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen was arrested by the police in Chaman, Balochistan on Monday. Consequently, the Interior Ministry has decided to shift him to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. With this, Pashteen has been banned from Balochistan, Caretaker Information Minister Balochistan Jan Achakzai has said.
Pashteen was arrested yesterday from Chaman when he was going to speak to a massive sit-in, protesting against the alleged murder of a Baloch student at the hands of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), in Turbat.
پشتون تحفظ موومنٹ کے رہنما منظور پشتین ایک قافلے کی شکل میں چمن سے تربت کی طرف جارہے تھے کہ چمن میں فوج اور پولیس نے ان کی گاڑی پر سٹریٹ فائرنگ کردی ہیں، انکی گرفتاری کی کوششیں جاری ہیں، پورا علاقہ فوج، ایف سی اور پولیس نے محاصرہ کر لیا ہے۔
— Manzoor Pashteen (@ManzoorPashteen) December 4, 2023
پی ٹی ایم سوشل میڈیا ٹیم
The Deputy Commissioner of Chaman has claimed that Pashteen was arrested after armed men from his vehicle allegedly opened fire at a police vehicle. PTM leaders have accused law enforcement officers of initiating the gunfire, saying that Pashteen emerged unharmed from the shooting incident. In a video released by PTM on Youtube, member central committee Haji Abdul Samad Khan can be seen relating the incident where people inside their vehicle were also injured, including a woman.
Jan Achakzai stated that Pashteen had addressed the Chaman sit-in without the approval of the administration, referring to PTM as “an anti-state organisation”, reports Express Tribune.
He also stated that an FIR had been lodged against Pashteen by police in Chaman, noting that four people were injured as the PTM chief’s guards opened fire on them.
Renowned Journalist Azaz Syed criticised the arrest as a move against the freedom of speech.
منظور پشتین کی گرفتاری اس بات کا ثبوت ہے کہ ہم سچ سننے اور سمجھنے کے لیے تیار نہیں۔ اگر ملک ٹھیک کرنا ہے تو منظور پشتین کا سچ سن کرمسائل حل کرنا ہونگے۔ پورے پاکستان کو منظور کی فوری رہائی کے لیے آواز اٹھانا ہوگی۔#ReleaseManzoorPashteen #truth #reality #HumanRights… pic.twitter.com/VvmYZFPuue
— Azaz Syed (@AzazSyed) December 4, 2023
Fellow PTM leader Ali Wazir reasserted his determination to the cause they stand for in face of the oppression of the state.
دھونس دھمکی قید وبند سے ہمارے حوصلے اور جذبات کو تھوڑا نہیں جا سکتا ہمارےعظم و جذبے میں مزید پختگی اور استقامت أٸے گا۔#ReleaseManzoorPashteen#StopStateTerrorism#StopPakiMafia pic.twitter.com/3FUPv4geh0
— Ali Wazir (@Aliwazirna50) December 4, 2023
Salma Khan, member of the PTM, called out the state for using disruptive tactics to create chaos.
v#ManzoorPashteen is a figure respected and loved by all Pashtuns, including those who stand opposed to him. It’s both foolish and cruel to attack or arrest him.
— Salma khan (@Salma_Pashteen) December 5, 2023
State must cease these disruptive tactics that aim to create chaos.#ReleaseManzoorPashteen pic.twitter.com/ujRGCfVFJG
Anchor and Journalist Sanna Ejaz condemned the attack and arrest.
Strongly condemn the attack and arrest on PTM leader @ManzoorPashteen in Chaman, it is the obvious reason to malign the genuine cause of the Pakhtun crossing (freedom of movement as per UN Human Rights charter) across the Durand Line boundary.#ReleaseManzoorPashteen pic.twitter.com/wYPr2NzKZu
— Sanna Ejaz(سیاله) (@sanaejaz2) December 4, 2023
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed ARY News to apologise and pay Rs50,000 in damages to senior journalist Asma Shirazi for misreporting against her.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the IHC issued a verdict on Shirazi’s appeal against the December 21, 2022, verdict of the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority’s (Pemra) Council of Complaints.
“The court is of the view that editorial side and the airing committee of the licensee/respondent No.3 [the TV channel] is not vigilant enough that picture of the appellant was wrongly placed along with the news content, when she has nothing to do with that particular news item on aired by respondent No.3 […],” the verdict stated.
“The facts were deliberately concocted to make the viewers’ believe that the appellant’s journalism was criticised during the [SC] proceedings,” the journalist had contended in her appeal against the TV channel.
Shirazi said that Pemra rejected her complaint against the TV channel as non-maintainable, stating that “no legal point had been made by the complainant in the instant matter as a proper forum for defamation was available” to her.
The IHC, in its decision, said that TV channels are obligated by Pemra laws to disseminate news and reports in an accurate manner.
It is also mentioned in the decision that a senior journalist has a right to damages; however, it is not the duty of the court to determine the extent of damages when there is no information available on record.
It also stated that Shirazi still has the right to approach the competent court to seek damages under defamation law.
The process of repatriating undocumented Afghan citizens to Afghanistan is underway across Pakistan.
So far, two lacs 55 thousand and 29 illegal residents have returned from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan.
According to the Interior Department, a total of 250, 814 immigrants have gone back to Afghanistan via Torkham, while 3,516 people have returned to their homeland through Angoot Ada border and 698 people have returned to their homeland from Kharlachi border.
According to the data of the Immigration Department, 255,029 immigrants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have returned to Afghanistan.
An investigative report by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) unveiled a disconcerting situation in Pakistan, affecting thousands of electricity consumers during the months of July and August this year.
The report disclosed that distribution companies (Discos) had billed consumers for over 40 days, a major contributor to the issue of overbilling in the mentioned months. Notably, MEPCO, followed by GEPCO, FESCO, LESCO, and HESCO, were identified as the Discos significantly involved in this overbilling, implicating all Discos collectively in this unjustified practice.
As a response to these findings, NEPRA recommended initiating legal proceedings against the power distribution companies, including K-Electric Limited (KEL), under NEPRA Fine Regulations, 2021. The basis for these actions lies in the violation of the provisions outlined in the NEPRA Act, Consumer Service Manual (CSM), and tariff terms and conditions.
Expressing concern, NEPRA emphasised the unfortunate deliberate malpractices by distribution companies undertaken to conceal their inefficiencies. These practices resulted in higher electricity bills for thousands of consumers.
The report highlighted the failure of Discos to adhere to the percentage checking mechanism outlined in the Consumer Service Manual (CSM), along with the unauthorised charging of detection bills, contravening Clauses 9.1 and 9.2 of the CSM, which provide a specific procedure for charging detection bills.
NEPRA noted with concern that detection bills charged by Discos were found to be fake and frivolous, contributing to a significantly low recovery ratio in certain Discos.
The authority initiated an inquiry in response to widespread complaints from consumers across the country regarding excessive, inflated, and erroneous bills during July and August 2023. A hearing was conducted on November 13, 2023, wherein CEOs of all distribution companies participated online, presenting their perspectives.
During the proceedings, it was observed that numerous distribution companies were charging metre readings, with discrepancies between snap readings and the readings recorded on consumers’ bills.
Additionally, some cases were identified where snaps of metre readings were either invisible or intentionally not taken. Monthly metre readings were reported to be taken beyond the standard billing cycle of 30 days in certain instances, leading to undue and inflated charging of upper slab bills for less frequent users and a consequent change in category from protected to unprotected.
After almost two years of anticipation and speculation, Rockstar Games has finally unveiled a major gaming announcement that could arguably be the most significant of the year. The release date for Grand Theft Auto 6, also known as GTA 6, has been revealed in a highly anticipated trailer.
For the first time since leaks emerged in 2022, fans will now get the chance to delve into the details of the upcoming GTA edition. Previous leaks offered glimpses into the game’s development and introduced some new features Rockstar was experimenting with. However, given the substantial amount of time that has passed, it’s expected that many aspects of the game have evolved.
The revelation about the release date came from Rockstar Games’ official X account, which shared an image featuring a pink and orange sky adorned with palm trees, reminiscent of the Vice City aesthetic. The accompanying text on the image reads, “Trailer 1. Tuesday, December 5. 9 AM ET,” indicating the probable date and time for the release of the GTA 6 trailer. For viewers in India, the trailer is scheduled to be released at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to HT Tech, the announcement has brought immense joy to fans worldwide, becoming one of the most popular posts by Rockstar Games on X, accumulating 1.5 million likes and 421,000 retweets, along with 58,000 comments.
In a November post on the Rockstar Newswire, the publishers disclosed their decision to release the trailer for the forthcoming GTA game in early December. They expressed their excitement, stating, “We are very excited to let you know that in early December, we will release the first trailer for the next Grand Theft Auto.”
The post also conveyed gratitude to players worldwide for their incredible support, emphasising that the opportunity to create games they are truly passionate about wouldn’t be possible without the fans. They thanked everyone for sharing the journey with them.
In today’s review of smog prevention in Lahore, Justice Shahid Kareem ordered that smoke-emitting factories be fined Rs10 lac each. Along with that he also warned the Punjab Government to not waste public money on any useless pursuit like artificial rain.
The Director General Meteorological Department was present in the court to inform the judge that some of the sealed factories had opened themselves. Member water commission informed the court that such factories are working at night and the officers of the meteorological department are paid to stay silent on this. This prompted the court to issue a warning against these officers, reports Geo.
The court ordered to fine domestic users Rs10,000 for wasting water and Rs20,000 thousand to commercial users for the same.
The court also inquired about artificial rain and when it will materialize. The public prosecutor replied that the process is underway. The court admonished the government that public money should not get wasted in this pursuit.
The court adjourned the hearing till December 8.
As Lahore battles with hazardous levels of smog, Punjab has been planning artificial rain to dispel toxic pollution. The Punjab government has planned to carry out cloud seeding in Lahore to cause artificial rain, estimated to cost a whopping Rs 350 million. This was expected to happen in December.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has arrested nine alleged beggars at Multan International Airport who were all set to travel to Saudi Arabia under the guise of Umrah pilgrims.
There were six men and three women in the group that was arrested. Authorities were able to figure out their intentions as they were unable to produce evidence of hotel reservations or other legitimate purposes for their visit to Saudi Arabia.
As they were subjected to scrutiny, the nine people admitted to engaging in begging activities during their stay in Saudi Arabia.
Subsequently, they were taken into custody by the anti-human trafficking unit for further investigation.
The operation marks the latest in a series of efforts by the FIA to stop begging rings that exploit individuals seeking to perform Umrah in Makkah. Earlier in October, FIA aimed at blacklisting people who malign the name of the country.
Previously, a report was submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis about a shocking percentage of professional beggars who were arrested in the Middle East, 90 per cent of whom are Pakistanis.