Seven students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, occupied Jammu and Kashmir, were arrested under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for raising pro-Pakistan slogans on India’s defeat against Australia in ODI World Cup final.
According to ‘Times Now’ sources, a student from India’s Punjab filled a complaint against Kashmiri students stating that he was “threatened and abused” by Kashmiri student after India’s defeat in the World Cup final.
The student who filed the complaint mentioned that ‘We were all watching the World Cup final between India and Australia, and I was watching as an Indian cricket team fan. When India lost the match, some Kashmiri students names, Umar, Asif, Mohsin, Tauqeer, Khalid, Sameer and Ubaid Gulzar started abusing me for being an Indian fan. They even threatened me and ask to shut my mouth otherwise I will be shot. They didn’t stop there even they started raising pro-Pakistan slogans Jeve Jeve Pakistan.”
Indian police has arrested the students under UAPA act and detained them at a local police station in Ganderbal district.
India’s Bhartiya janta party (BJP) applauded the police act. BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said, “Those who celebrated India’s loss are not less than a terrorist and should be booked.”
On the other hand People Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the police act. PDP spokesperson Rauf Bhatt said “This barbaric and such act won’t be tolerated and it’s unfortunate, it is injustice with those seven students.”
Remember that in the ODI cricket World Cup final Australia defeated India by six wickets at Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.
As general elections in Pakistan draw near, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has set its dialogue committee into action, assigning them crucial tasks related to discussions with other political parties and politicians.
The committee has been mandated to schedule meetings with national and provincial figures to explore possibilities of seat adjustments in the upcoming polls slated for February 8 next year.
Chaired by PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, the committee convened on Monday, with PPP President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Muhammad Bacha and PPP Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi in attendance.
Qamar Zaman Kaira and Sajid Turi participated through video link.
During the inaugural meeting focused on Punjab and KP, the committee delved into the overall political situation in the country and the upcoming elections.
Bukhari, in the meeting, delegated responsibilities to committee members, tasking them with arranging meetings with key national and provincial political figures.
The committee collectively resolved to organise separate negotiation committee meetings for each of the four provinces, aiming to forge alliances and discuss potential collaborations.
The formation of the committee was approved by Asif Ali Zardari last week on November 25, with a well-planned strategy to engage in discussions with various political entities.
According to a notification released on Saturday, a five-member committee formed for Punjab and K-P includes Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Faisal Karim Kundi, Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha and Sajid Toori.
A two-member committee for Sindh includes Saeed Ghani and Syed Nasir Hussain Shah while a three-member committee for Baluchistan includes Changez Khan Jamali, Rozi Khan Kakar and Sabir Ali Baloch.
This move comes in response to the efforts of the Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to form alliances with political parties, particularly in Sindh, considered a PPP stronghold. PML-N members recently initiated talks on alliances and seat adjustments with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) to counter the PPP’s influence in Sindh.
Facing challenges in its historical stronghold, particularly with the formation of an anti-PPP coalition, the PPP aims to solidify its political position by actively seeking alliances and seat-to-seat adjustments ahead of the upcoming general elections.
Four police officers who allegedly forced national cricketers Sohaib Maqsood and Amir Yameen to give them money have been arrested and suspended.
According to Geo,’ SSP Haider Raza has said that on the orders of IG Sindh, action was taken against police officials who took money from cricketers. DIG Shaheed Benazirabad has compiled an inquiry report on the issue .
According to the DIG, four policemen of Sakrand police station were found involved, and legal action is being taken against them. Sindh police officials say that the SHO and chief secretary of Sakrand police station have been suspended for neglect of duty and the inquiry report is being sent to IG Sindh.
Cricketers allege Sindh Police forced them to pay bribes
Pakistani cricketers Aamir Yameen and Sohaib Maqsood have alleged that Sindh police asked them for bribed, refusing to let them go until they did so.
On November 27, national cricketer Sohaib Maqsood wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “We are very lucky to live in Punjab and not in Sindh, for the first time in my life I am traveling from Karachi to Multan by road and the Sindh police are so corrupt that after every 50 km they stops you and asks for money, If you don’t pay, you are threatened to be taken to the police station without any reason.”
We are so lucky that we live In Punjab not in Sindh first time in my life I am travelling from Karachi to Multan by Road and sindh police is so corrupt that they stop you after 50 km and ask for money or they threat you to go to the police station for no reason if you give them
In another of his tweets, he said, “If you gave them money, after 50 km you will be stopped again, we told them that we are international cricketers who are going to Multan after our match in Karachi. Still, they took 8,000 rupees and then let us go.”
money then they will stop you again after 50 km and ask for money again corruption at it’s peak in sindh police We told them that we are international cricketers travelling to multan after our match in Karachi they still took 8000 thousand rupees and then let us go it will
Aamir Yameen also narrated the same incident on X, detailing how he was harassed by Sindh Police during the journey.
We are so lucky that we live In Punjab not in Sindh first time in my life I am travelling from Karachi to Multan by Road and sindh police is so corrupt that they stop you after 50 km and ask for money them @SindhPoliceDMC@BBhuttoZardari@faizanlakhani@MuradAliShahPPP
Mohammad Amir, along with his son, saved the lives of 25 people in the fire that broke out in Karachi’s RJ Mall on Rashid Minhas Road on November 25. The fire ended up killing 10 people and left many injured.
Just met and did a segment with Muhammad amir who saved his son and 25 others in the RJ mall fire in karachi pic.twitter.com/4FZeQYRvtA
Amir and his son were invited on the show Zara Hat Kay by Zarrar Khuhro and Wusatullah Khan to honour his efforts. The fire that erupted on Saturday, trapped people in the building without access to an exit. Amir reached the mall earlier at dawn and participated in the rescue operation. His son Subhan worked the night shift in the call centre located on the upper storey of the mall. He called his father in panic to inform him about the fire in the office, pleading with him to come and help. The father rushed to the mall and called 15 Rescue Services. The lift was jammed while the stairs were ablaze. The lifter of the rescue team could not reach the fourth floor so he entered the third one and cut the grill with his hands and a cutter. A rescue team member refused to enter as it was hard to breathe but Amir ploughed ahead for his son. He managed to rescue his son along with 25 of his colleagues as he paved the way back to third floor from where they were taken back to the ground.
In the interview, Amir asserted that buildings should be designed to favour the public so that if such an incident happens, people can be rescued quickly.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has given the green light for intra-party polls as general elections loom closer.
The decision was made during a PTI Core Committee meeting, where the party’s legal team proposed the holding of intra-party elections.
Intra-party elections will be held on Friday.
The committee approved the schedule and deliberated on the prevailing political situation, organizational activities, and ongoing cases against party members.
Barrister Ali Zafar, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier declared the party’s intra-party election null and void due to technicalities.
“To avoid any discrepancies with the ECP, another leader may temporarily stand in for the PTI Chairman during this election,” he said.
The PTI core committee expressed its commitment to democratic processes within the party and emphasized the importance of upholding democratic values in all aspects of political engagement.
Previously slated for June 13, 2021, under PTI’s constitutional framework, the intra-party elections faced postponements, drawing a show-cause notice to Imran Khan from the ECP in May 2021 due to the delay.
The ECP granted PTI an extended deadline, shifting the intra-party elections to June 13, 2022. Yet, the party failed to meet this revised timeline, prolonging the unresolved status of its intra-party polls.
The commission had issued warnings, citing potential repercussions under the Elections Act, 2017, that could render the party ineligible for future polls if non-compliance persisted.
What is an Intra-Party election?
Intra-party elections in Pakistan refer to the process of electing leaders and representatives within a political party. This is distinct from general elections where the public votes for candidates from different parties. Intra-party elections are a key aspect of internal party democracy and governance.
Since October 7 when Netanyahu declared war on Gaza and commenced bombardment that many experts are calling a genocide, social media users have expressed outrage against celebrities remaining silent about the atrocities, especially those who work with UNICEF. The UN body provides protection and aid for children from marginalised communities in countries like Syria and Vietnam.
But as the genocide of Gaza goes on, several people have noticed how prominent big names have remained silent.
Social media feels it’s absolutely necessary to point out that any person with a massive platform and influence has a responsibility to condemn a genocide or at least ask for a ceasefire. If you’re the goodwill ambassador of an organisation that is advocating for the rights of children, then the onus lies on you to speak out when it matters.
We have a list of big names who are working with UNICEF, and what was their stance on the death toll in Gaza.
Selena Gomez
Selena, the most followed person on Instagram, sparked outrage when she posted a vague statement on her social media accounts, writing that she was against the murder of little children, and was taking a break because of the violence. She also added that “an Instagram post doesn’t change anything,” leading many to criticise the actress for being a hypocrite for using her 430 million followers to promote products, but not to stop a genocide.
Later, Selena announced she was deleting her account because of the backlash, causing further outrage. She then signed the petition calling for a ceasefire, and donated to charities in both Israel and Palestine. Social media was still not happy because the CEO of Rare Beauty, Selena’s beauty brand, has publicly expressed his Zionist ties.
Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry
Orlando released a neutral statement on October 14 on his Instagram account expressing his grief on the innocent lives lost both in Israel and Palestine, calling for an end to the war. Then the celebrity couple signed the open letter calling President Biden to bring all hostages home and ending the Hamas.
David Beckham
The former football star and UNICEF ambassador released a statement on his Instagram stories expressing his grief on lives lost on both sides and called for the violence to stop.
Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka was among the several South Asian celebrities who signed the petition calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and had also not attended the Diwali party held by Kamala Harris at the White House.
Alyssa Milano
The actress released a statement criticising the calls for ‘no ceasefire’ at the Israeli march held in Washington, and called for a radical peace movement that helps the innocent children of Palestine.
Amitabh Bachchan
The Bollywood giant was previously seen taking a selfie with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a 2018 event. He has not released a statement about the death toll of children and women killed in Gaza.
Leo Messi
The Argentinian football player is a UNICEF ambassador and has made no public statement about the children killed in Gaza.
Millie Bobby Brown
‘Stranger Things’ star Millie Bobby Brown has not commented anything about the lives lost in Gaza,
Serena Williams
Famous tennis star Serena Williams has said nothing on the innocents killed in Gaza.
Liam Neeson
The actor has not said anything on the mass atrocities committed in Gaza.
Jackie Chan
The prominent Asian actor has said nothing about the civilian lives lost in Gaza.
Update: The father of the girl who was killed at the hands of brothers and father on the order of Jirga is arrested by the police. However, the picture came out to be edited in the initial report released by the police. Pictures of two girls went viral through the Facebook ID of Aman Deedar where the girls were photoshopped with Aman Deedar and Rehmat Shah, the two boys who are now hiding.
Moreover, the other girl was allowed to go back with her parents on a guarantee of 30 lac rupees by the local Palas court.
A girl from Kolai Palas, Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa got killed on orders of a local Jirga after her pictures with boys went viral. The pictures of two girls posing with boys went viral on social media after which family members in the jirga decided to kill her, says the police.
The other girl was brought to the court to ensure her safety where she stated before the judge that she does not have any threat from her family. Therefore, she was allowed to go back. Meanwhile, the boys seen in the photos are still in hiding, fearing possible outrage. Local police told Dawn that as per tradition, the jirga declared that those who appeared in the images circulating on social media ‘chor’ (thieves) and issued a decree for their killing.
Deputy Superintendant Police (DSP) Masood Khan said the victim’s body had been moved from the crime scene to a nearby health facility for autopsy. He added that videos and photos, which were apparently edited, went viral on social media three to four days ago. An FIR has been registered on the complaint of local SHO as the victim’s family did not approach the police. The culprits who issued the assassination decree and those who executed it will be brought to justice, the police official said.
Sections 109 (abetment in crime), 302 (punishment of qatl-i-amd or premeditated murder) and 311 (punishment after the waiver of qisas) of the Pakistan Penal Code have been added in the FIR.
A similar incident had been reported a decade ago where five women cheering for a dancing boy in the video were allegedly killed, along with the boy’s four brothers, on the orders of a local jirga. The alleged killings captured international attention, and then-Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry took suo motu notice of the incident.
The Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that Afghan migrants are barred from supporting candidates in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8 next year.
The caretaker government, citing security concerns, has initiated a nationwide campaign to expel millions of illegal foreigners, predominantly Afghan citizens, residing in the country.
The Ministry of Interior specified that both illegal and “legal” Afghans residing in Pakistan are prohibited from funding political and electoral activities, including providing funds to any candidate, in the upcoming polls.
“Any Afghan citizen involved in such activities will be deported regardless of his or her legal status in Pakistan,” it stated.
Pakistanis were also cautioned not to provide employment to illegal aliens or assist such individuals in obtaining employment.
“Information about any such illegal alien or the person providing employment to him should be provided to the Ministry of Interior for legal action on the helpline available on the website of the Ministry.”
Of the over four million Afghans in Pakistan, an estimated 1.7 million are undocumented, many having fled their war-torn country during decades of internal conflict, with another exodus occurring after the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.
While the government asserts that its policy targets all illegal aliens, irrespective of nationality or ethnicity, human rights organizations, including the UN, have expressed concerns, emphasizing the importance of a “voluntary” return.
Amidst the ongoing efforts, several Pakistani politicians and Human Rights activists have approached the Supreme Court, seeking judicial intervention against the caretaker government’s deportation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghans.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lifted a fine it imposed on batsman Azam Khan for displaying the Palestine flag on his bat in a National T20 tournament match played in Karachi on Sunday.
Karachi Whites player Azam Khan was fined 50 per cent of his match fee by officials for violating PCB’s code of conduct during the National T20 Cup match against Lahore Blues.
Azam Khan violated Article 2.4 of the PCB’s Code of Conduct, failing to adhere to the code of conduct despite being directed to do so by an umpire.
It should be noted that players and team officials are not permitted to wear and display any such item or convey personal messages through their equipment, subject to the approval of the player or Team Officials Association, and the PCB Cricket Operations Department’s prior approval is required.
The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has announced an update in the language proficiency test for the Fulbright Scholarship Program for the year 2025.
Applicants were previously required to pass TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which will now be replaced by the Duolingo English Test.
Fulbright scholarship program: Duolingo english test replaces TOEFL for 2025
The eligibility criteria for the Fulbright Scholarship Program, however, is the same as before.
A generously funded scholarship programme, Fulbright is open for all Pakistanis citizens with a strong academic background, who commit to return back and serve Pakistan.
Preference is given to women, individuals with disabilities, and those hailing from specific regions such as Balochistan, Northern Sindh, Southern Punjab, KP, AJK, and GB.
Application and documentation
Prospective applicants are required to submit an application form along with three reference letters, a GRE score report, and scanned transcripts.
Deadline and submission
The deadline for applications for the 2025 Fulbright Scholarship Program is February 28, 2024, accessible through the USEFP’s website.
