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Author: News Desk

  • ‘Nawaz Sharif cannot play without his own umpires’: Imran Khan

    ‘Nawaz Sharif cannot play without his own umpires’: Imran Khan

    The legal saga surrounding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s jail trial and the controversial cipher case took center stage in Islamabad this week.

    On Tuesday, three witnesses provided their testimonies against the PTI chief and his party’s Vice Chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

    Judge Zulqarnain presided over the proceedings at Adiala jail under the special Official Secrets Act court. PTI legal representatives included Barristers Salman Safdar, Taimur, and Gohar Ali Khan, while special prosecutors comprised of Shah Khawar, Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi, and Raja Rizwan Abbasi.

    During the proceedings, PTI’s lawyer, Salman Akram Raja, representing Khan, raised concerns over the trial’s confined space within the jail premises, emphasizing that it wasn’t in line with legal protocols.

    Family members met the two leaders before witnesses’ statements and cross-examination were conducted; legal teams consulted with Khan and Qureshi. The PTI chief met with his wife Bushra Bibi and sisters Aleema Khan, Noreen Khanum, and Uzma Khan, within the jail premises.

    Qureshi’s daughter, Meharbano, was also present during the trial. She also spoke with the media outside the jail, and demanded justice and a fair trial for her father.

    “Let the family in; no one can have security concerns from their family. Fair trial is my father’s right and as a daughter, I have the right to see the trial,” she added.

    Contempt of court petition

    Adiala jail superintendent responded to the contempt of court petition filed by Khan on Wednesday, requesting the court to dismiss the contempt of court petition.

    “Can’t even think of disobeying the court order,” he stated in his reply.

    The superintendent told the court there is no permanent facility to make phone calls abroad on WhatsApp. He informed the court that the PTI chief spoke with his children on October 18, after the jail took special measures to make the call possible.

    “Arrangements are made for prisoners to speak with family and lawyers at the jail PCO,” he said, adding that the court can direct the Punjab Home Department to amend the rules with regard to making phone calls.

    The court, meanwhile, adjourned the hearing of the contempt petition till Monday due to the absence of Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain.

    Islamabad High Court

    Islamabad High Court’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb asked the Attorney General of Pakistan to ensure that the cipher case trial was not conducted in an inappropriate manner, otherwise, it might collapse like a house of cards.

    An IHC bench, comprising Justice Aurangzeb and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz, heard the intra-court appeal filed by Khan against his jail trial and the appointment of the special court’s judge in the cipher case.

    The court adjourned the proceedings to November 14, allowing time for the attorney general to present arguments.

    Nawaz wants his own umpires

    Talking to media persons outside Adiala Jail, Imran Khan’s lawyer Barrister Umair Niazi said the PTI chief had criticised PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and also rejected the trial of civilians in military courts.

    The PTI lawyer quoted Mr Khan as saying that Nawaz Sharif cannot play without his own umpires and is again looking towards them. All political parties, except the PML-N, are calling for a level playing field, he added.

    Khan expressed concern over the fresh wave of terrorism in the country and said this was because of a “weak” Afghan policy as Mr Bhutto-Zardari, being the foreign minister, did not visit Kabul to address the issue of terrorism.

  • ‘Painful to watch’: social media horrified after Congress votes to censure Palestinian-American politician Rashida Tlaib

    ‘Painful to watch’: social media horrified after Congress votes to censure Palestinian-American politician Rashida Tlaib

    On Tuesday night, the US House voted to censure Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib over comments she made on the situation in Gaza.

    Among the voters were 22 Democrats who backed a resolution saying Tlaib has been “Promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for destruction of the state of Israel.”

    The death toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes has soared to 10,000 civilians. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder has called Gaza “a graveyard for thousands of children”, urging world leaders to call for a ceasefire.

    Tlaib provoked ire by using the slogan ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, which Republican politicians claimed was anti-Semitic.

    Speaking on the House floor, Rashida defended her stance and urged fellow lawmakers to end USA’s complicity in the genocide of Gaza.

    “I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib responded. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”

    Social media users were horrified by the censure, hailing Rashida as the bravest politician for having the courage to speak truth during a time of censorship.

  • Child domestic worker, 9, found dead at employer’s home

    Child domestic worker, 9, found dead at employer’s home

    Ehsan, a 9-year-old domestic worker, was allegedly sodomized and then murdered by his employer Shan Ali, an estate agent, in Lahore. The employer claims that the boy committed suicide by hanging himself.

    The incident occurred in Baghbanpura, Lahore on Tuesday as per the police. A murder case has been lodged while Shan has been nominated in the FIR on the complaint of the child’s mother, Nawab Bibi.

    The child, a resident of Kasur, was sent to work as a house help at Shan’s residence some five years ago. According to the mother, her brother-in-law, Imran, used to collect wages from the employer while family members were not allowed to meet the boy. They met him only once in five years. The suspect himself called the family to inform them that the boy has taken his own life. Reportedly, the alleged killer shifted the body to the morgue before the boy’s parents arrived at his home. She told the police that her son was sodomized and then hanged by Shan.

    The alleged murderer has already fled the scene, while the police is in search of the suspect.

  • Husband and wife about to be separated amidst Afghan deportation

    Husband and wife about to be separated amidst Afghan deportation

    Amidst the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the media is uncovering instances of families getting ripped apart.

    One such story is that of Bilal and Rabia in Karachi, who are now facing the risk of separation after 15 years of marriage, Geo has reported.

    Bilal, born to immigrant Afghan parents in 1988, has lived all his life in Karachi. Rabia, originally from DG Khan, used to live in the same locality as Bilal. The two fell in love.

    Bilal talked to his parents to ask for her hand in marriage, however, his brothers threatened to cut all ties with him if he married a Pakistani girl. Unfazed by their sentiments, he married Rabia. Bilal’s brothers left for Afghanistan and Rabia’s family gave them their consent and blessings.

    Fifteen years on, the two are happy and Bilal is also taking care of his widowed mother-in-law and a divorced sister-in-law. In the wake of Afghan expulsion from the country, fear is looming over the couple’s minds constantly. Despite every effort to get Bilal a CNIC, he has not got one in all these years and the couple is determined to get it through a legal route.

    Addressing this predicament, Bilal said, “I heard about the directive from the Peshawar High Court to grant identity cards to Afghan nationals married to Pakistani citizens. I joined the struggle in light of this landmark judgment. Unfortunately, it did not yield results. I regret not taking this matter more seriously at first. I was unaware that lacking an identity card in Pakistan could lead to separation from our families. My roots are in this country, and I have a deep affection for it. Regardless of legal decisions, our financial commitments are in Pakistan, and even if we are deported, our homeland will remain Pakistan.”

    Rabia said, “My husband’s brothers have not accepted us in the fifteen years of our marriage. They even threatened us, saying if you return, we will harm you. I am worried for my husband because he is my only support. As for myself, why should I go anywhere? I am a Pakistani. They are not my people, and neither is Afghanistan my homeland.”

    The couple, parents to five children, urged the government to review its decision or reconsider its policies regarding cases like their own.

  • Nawaz Sharif will visit Balochistan on November 13

    Nawaz Sharif will visit Balochistan on November 13

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif will visit Balochistan on November 13, marking his first visit within the country after his return to Pakistan on October 21.

    Nawaz Sharif will meet more than 20 electable politicians and known political personalities of the province.

    According to Samas, the politicians will join PML-N after meeting Sharif.

    On the other hand, the PML-N will announce seat adjustment with the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

    The former prime minister will also meet with the newly formed party structure in Balochistan.

  • Suffocating smog in India leads to World Cup practice sessions getting canceled

    Suffocating smog in India leads to World Cup practice sessions getting canceled

    Hazardous levels of smog in India have created problems for international players who have come to play in the cricket World Cup, leading to practice sessions being canceled.

    According to data released by IQ Air, a company that monitors air pollution, some of the major cities in India where World Cup matches are being held have unhealthy air, while others are extremely polluted.

    Cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata are among the top 10 cities in the world in terms of air pollution.

    Before the match in New Delhi on Monday, the training session of the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka cricket teams was canceled on the advice of the doctors, some players were shifted to the hotel due to breathing problems.

  • ‘Be considerate’: Hasan Raheem outraged at racist comment about Afghan cricket team

    ‘Be considerate’: Hasan Raheem outraged at racist comment about Afghan cricket team

    Tuesday’s World Cup thriller between Afghanistan and Australia ended with the latter grabbing victory from the former after Glen Maxwell’s blistering knock of 201 runs.

    As X (formerly Twitter) became flooded with memes and tweets about Maxwell’s performance, one user went viral for celebrating the loss of the Afghan cricket team by comparing it to the ongoing illegal deportations of Afghan refugees. The user wrote:

    “Afghanistan to World Cup se bhi deport ho gaya.”

    The comment drew outrage from Twitter users, including singer Hasan Raheem who quoted the tweet and responded:

    Zunaira Imam, the wife of actor and director Usman Mukhtar expressed her disdain over the insensitive tweet by writing:

    “This is not funny. This is not a joke. People are suffering right now. Our policies are not only harming Afghans but also Pashtuns who are being wrongfully incarcerated or deported. People’s pain and hardship should not be the punchline for a joke.”

    Right now, more than 100,000 Afghan refugees are detained in holding centres despite most of them being registered in Pakistan. Aurat March has highlighted cases such as that of a 17-year-old boy who was picked up and deported without informing his family.

    READ MORE: ‘Afghan-looking’ Pakistanis taken to holding centres for deportation, says Aurat March

    In light of the trauma Afghan families face with the on-going deportations, X users were aghast at the insensitivity of the tweet. Especially when Pakistanis are championing the right for Palestinians to be given back their land.

  • ECP ready to conduct ‘free, fair, transparent’ election in country

    ECP ready to conduct ‘free, fair, transparent’ election in country

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is ready to conduct “free, fair, and transparent” general elections in Pakistan on February 8, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja said on Tuesday.

    Sikandar Raja met with caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar at PM House to brief him about  preparations for the upcoming general elections in the country.

    During the huddle, PM Kakar reassured the CEC that the interim government will fully cooperate with ECP, providing all necessary resources to make the general elections free, fair, and transparent.

    PM Kakar also said that the caretaker government will also provide funds and security to make polls possible.

    On the other hand, CEC also invited PM Kakar to visit ECP to review preparations for the upcoming elections.

    He further said the process of updating electoral lists is in the final phases, and they will soon be dispatched to all respective districts.

  • ‘I swear it smelled like the Kaaba’: Palestinian journalist’s wife remembers him on baby’s first birthday

    ‘I swear it smelled like the Kaaba’: Palestinian journalist’s wife remembers him on baby’s first birthday

    The world mourned the loss of Palestinian journalist Roshdie Sarraj who was killed after an Israeli airstrike hit his home in Gaza, leaving behind his wife and newborn daughter Dania.

    Social media was moved to tears yesterday when the late journalist’s wife Shrouq posted a loving note for her husband on their baby’s birthday, honouring Roshdie as a devoted father and husband who died defending the truth.

    “Habibi Roshdi,

    Exactly one year ago today, you were holding my hand, comforting me during labor. Having you by my side made it so much easier. We chose the name Dania for our daughter, which means “close” in Arabic, so she would forever remain close to our hearts.

    Today marks her first birthday, and we had planned a grand celebration, envisioning the memories we would create for her.

    Habibi, it has been two weeks since you were tragically killed while eating breakfast together, and I still hold onto the hope that you will be here to help her blow out her first candle.

    I am devastated by the idea of how she will remain “close” to Daddy’s heart without remembering his face. She is far too young to be orphaned, and I am far too young to be a widow. You were too young to lose your life simply for being a journalist.

    Never forgive,

    Yours.”

    Social media users expressed their grief in the comments and prayed Roshdie is resting in peace.

    In another post, Shrouq shared a picture of her and Sorraj at the Holy Kaaba in Makkah. In the caption she asked her followers to pray for her husband:

    “Pray for my beloved.. Pray for him a lot.. I swear it smelled like the smell of Kaaba.. Martyr my baby martyr”

  • Sri Lankan court restores sacked Lankan cricket board

    Sri Lankan court restores sacked Lankan cricket board

    Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal overturned the sports minister’s decision to sack the country’s crisis-hit cricket board and reinstated sacked officials pending a full hearing on Tuesday.

    The court accepted a petition filed by board president Shami Salva on Monday challenging Minister Roshan Ranasinghe’s move to dismiss the Sri Lanka Cricket Board and appoint an interim committee. Ranasinghe has accused the board of widespread corruption while his sacking of its members came days after the islander’s men’s cricket team was thrashed by India at the World Cup.

    As Tuesday’s court verdict was read, members of the interim committee headed by former captain Arjun Ranatunga walked out of Sri Lanka Cricket’s offices and restored officials took over.

    The government is divided over the issue, with the cabinet appointing a rival committee headed by Foreign Minister Ali Sabri to resolve “remaining issues” at the cricket board.

    (Clonazepam)