In the midst of a visa delay affecting Pakistani cricket fans and journalists attempting to attend the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup in India, Interim Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar emphasized the importance of keeping sports separate from politics.
In a recent interview on the YouTube channel “Talk Shock”, the Premier talked to journalists Azaz Syed and Umer Cheema, staying that, “Sports should be kept away from politics.”
As of now, the Indian government has not granted visas to Pakistani cricket fans and journalists. This marks the first time since the 1975 World Cup that no Pakistani journalist is present in the press gallery at an ICC Cricket World Cup event.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to former Army Chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former ISI Chief Lieutenant General (retired) Faiz Hameed over allegations of violating rules by giving interviews after their retirement, where they are accused of misrepresenting events.
The notices were issued in response to a complaint filed by a private citizen named Atif Ali.
The petition says that journalists Shahid Maitla and Javed Chaudhry conducted interviews with Bajwa and Faiz for the sake of viewership which had a “negative impact” on society. The petitioner said that he had been taken aback when he saw the articles as they could “pollute” society. It added that the garb of freedom of expression was used for a “criminal act”.
The petition further alleges that events were misrepresented in the interviews and that the “criminal act” was conducted through connivance between the journalists and the generals.
The petition says that the interviews portrayed a negative image of the institution and tried to create a rift between it and the people of Pakistan. Copies of the articles have also been attached to the petition.
In addition to Gen. Bajwa and Lt. Gen. Hameed, notices have also been issued to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and the Press Association of Pakistan. Two journalists, Shahid Maitla and Javed Chaudhry, who conducted the interviews in question, have also been summoned by the court.
Islamabad High Court’s Chief Justice, Aamer Farooq, in a written order issued on Monday, expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for not responding to the petitioner’s repeated requests to file a complaint.
The first Pakistani woman to go into space returns along with two other travelers
In this fourth commercial spaceflight the other two passengers were British advertising executive Trevor Beattie and American astronomy educator Ron Rosano.
The flight started with take-off at precisely 8:10 pm PST (1540 GMT) when Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity Space plane lifted off under the wings of its carrier craft called Virgin Mothership (VMS) Eve. Unity was taken to the height at roughly 1624 GMT at an altitude of around 45,000 feet (13,700 meters). Unity then powered its way into suborbital space, reaching its highest point of 54.3 miles from Earth and hit a top speed of Mach 2.95 (nearly three times the speed of sound) during its short trip. The flight ended at 12:43 pm EDT (1643 GMT), when Unity finally touched down at Spaceport America.
On coming back, Namira posted a picture with the caption: From space back to Earth! First Female Virgin Galactic Founder Astronaut! And many more Firsts!
Previously she was excited about having used the same spaceflight gear as the one used by the founder of Virgin Galactic’s founder Richard Branson himself back in July 2021.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Masood Khan, also applauded Namira Salim on her feat, saying: “Because of you our nation’s flag fluttered in space today.”
Who is Namira Salim? Namira is a multidimensional personality with interests ranging from singing to space-exploration. Based in Monaco and Dubai, she is the founder of Space Trust and describes herself as the First Female Astronaut at Galactic and the first Asian to have skydived from The Everest. She secured the ticket with Virgin Galactic back in 2006 and the price of the ticket has appreciated to $450,000 since then.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s attorney, Salman Safdar, said on Monday that the former Prime Minister has objected to the way he is being treated at Adiala jail.
Salman Safdar said that Imran Khan has been kept in jail like any other prisoner.
“The chairman protested that he was provided with a room where it was difficult to live. It is also difficult to move or walk in the cell,” said Safdar. He added that he felt that the PTI chief’s blood pressure was high during today’s hearing. “The PTI chief strongly protested during the hearing in the court,” said Safdar. Moreover, Imran Khan’s attorney requested that the trial be conducted in an open court so that the public could be aware of it, adding that it is not “right” to conduct the trial in jail.
On the other hand, Khan’s other lawyer, Sher Afzal Marwat, has said that Imran Khan and PTI’s vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, were standing in a “cage” during the hearing. Terrorists are not even presented before court in this manner, the indignant lawyer commented. The special court also announced that PTI leaders will be indicted in the cipher case on October 17.
The Lux Style Awards were met with criticism this year, with major film and drama actors speaking out against the unfair selection process that only seemed to recognise few of the best projects that came out this year. The production team behind the critically acclaimed film ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ had justified their reason for not sending their nomination for the awards in a statement, that criticised the lack of categories honouring film directors and writers, “disregarding their major and substantial creative contributions, while including one for best playback song doesn’t resonate with our vision for comprehensive film recognition. Therefore, we’ve decided not to make an exception in this case.”
Several fans expressed their disappointment on Wahaj Ali’s, pointing out that the actor was not nominated despite having submitted his portfolio for the drama series ‘Jo Bichar Gaye’.
Actress Sajal Aly took to Instagram to call out the selection jury, suggesting ways to improve their criteria so that deserving performances are given due credit. She questioned why several actors who gave excellent performances this year including Zara Noor Abbas for ‘Badshah Begum’ or Ushna Shah for ‘Habs’ weren’t given awards.
“It is greatly dissapointing to me as an artist that LSA routinely ignores other artists who are doing great work. For example, Mehwish Hayat who was great in London Nahi Jaunga’. Zara Noor Abbas for ‘Badshah Begum’ and Ushna Shah for ‘Habs’. Who exactly are the jury members, do they watch our shows even? Or do they simply choose who is popular? It is one thing not to win an award but to simply be ignored even if you have done great work is heartbreaking!”
Moving on, the ‘Kuch Ankahi’ actress requested the Lux Style Awards to include categories honouring the technical teams “who create magic for us, us actors and for the audiences who see us.”
Lastly, the ‘Ye Dil Mera’ actress expressed her disappointment at Wahaj Ali’s snub from the Lux Style Awards, and called for a seperate category honouring supporting actors in films and actors to be set up.
‘My third request is: please add a way/caetgory to honor supporting actors. We have great actors who make our plays stronger because of their contributions. Let’s appreciate them please. PS: How could Jo Bichar Gaye not even be nominated?”
Sajal Aly was not the only actress who expressed her disdain at the jury board, but Farhan Saeed, who was nominated for his performance in drama ‘Mere Humsafar’, but then lost to Arsalan Naseer for ‘Paristaan’, called out the awards in an Instagram post for refusing to honour actors for their hard work.
“If you had to fix it , it could have been done intelligently at least #LSA2023 ! I don’t say this for myself but for anyone who deserves a fair chance at winning for their hard work at any platform, I say this to encourage ppl who aspire to join our industry! I say this to keep people’s faith in us intact ! Nevertheless Your Love Is The Biggest Award I Have !! Congratulations to all the winners!”
In a recent development, Punjab’s Special Prosecutor, Syed Farhad Ali Shah, revealed that the Home Department has issued a notification to conduct the trial of the May 9 cases within the confines of a jail facility.
Speaking about the matter, Syed Farhad Ali Shah stated, “The Jinnah House trial is set to be completed within a timeframe of one to one and a half months.” He also confirmed that the challan (charge sheet) has been submitted to the court.
The notification issued by the Home Department specifies that not only the Jinnah House case but also the arson and siege cases related to Askari Tower and Shadman police station will be conducted within jail premises. The move aims to streamline legal proceedings and enhance security during the trials.
In a related development, Justice Ali Baqir Najfi of the Lahore High Court (LHC), on Monday, directed Punjab government prosecutors to apprise the court in the Khadijah Shah case after taking directions from the government.
The petitioner, through a lawyer, pleaded that she was unduly implicated in the May 9 riots incidents and Gulberg police station had illegally involved her in the case against the facts. “The Anti-Terrorism Court dismissed the bail by ignoring the facts,” Khadija Shah pleaded via her lawyer in the provincial apex court.
Earlier, the LHC had conditionally dismissed the registrar’s objections to Khadija Shah’s bail plea, deciding to remove objectionable documents from the application and dismissing the objection itself.
In another recent development, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) has ordered the release of Sanam Javed Khan, a prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activist, and eight other party members in connection with the Jinnah House attack case. The decision comes after a series of legal proceedings surrounding the incident earlier this year.
Presiding over the case, ATC Judge Arshad Javed announced the verdict, granting bail to the nine suspects involved in the Jinnah House attack. The court approved their bail pleas, requiring surety bonds worth Rs 0.1 million each, thereby paving the way for their release.
Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, has asserted that there are no restrictions on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) contesting the upcoming general elections, emphasizing that announcing a date for polls is not the responsibility of the caretaker government.
The election will be held on the date announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Solangi said, showing confidence in the ECP as an autonomous body mandated with conducting elections.
The caretaker minister said that all the registered political parties have equal opportunities, including PTI. “All the parties and their leadership have the freedom to give their point of view on an important issue,” he added.
“There are no restrictions on PTI as a political party,” said Solangi.
Commenting on Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming on October 21, the caretaker information minister stressed that the interim setup has nothing to do with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo’s return.
On Sunday, Australia and India clashed in the cricket World Cup 2023 in Chennai. The happening match was disturbed by a British fan named Jarvo, who came onto the ground before the toss, wearing an Indian cricket jersey.
However, security officers stopped Jarvo and pushed him out of the ground, while an unrelated person entering the players’ and officials’ area raised questions about World Cup security.
The Indian cricket team itself was also angry when Jarvo entered the field. According to Indian media, ICC has banned this particular fan from coming to World Cup matches.
It should be noted that Jarvo has previously attempted pitch invasions in England, earning himself a ban from British stadiums.
Fashion designer Hussain Rehar has responded to allegations of plagiarism by Instagram art page Kook Studio, who alleged that the fashion designer stole their art pieces without giving credit. In a lengthy Instagram statement, the fashion designer wrote that his recent collection ‘Jugnu’ did not draw inspiration from any specific individual’s work.
“Jugnu, a project in the making for over a year, derives its inspirations from traditional African embroidery designs. While there may be similarities in using the same monochrome palette, these elements are commonly found in various art forms across cultures. In an effort to maintain transparency, we are sharing all relevant images and references.”
Hussain further wrote that his fashion brand was dedicated to “upholding the principles of artistic expression, cultural appreciation and ethical design practices. We hold the artistic community in high regard and are committed to resolving any misunderstandings in a respectful manner. We encourage open dialogue and look forward to ensuring that our shared passion for creativity continues to thrive.”
Rehar then shared screenshots of his designs along with the pieces that he had used for inspiration.
Addressing the backlash after the accusations went viral, Rehar wrote that it had taken a toll on his reputation as well as his mental health.
“I urge everyone to pause and consider the consequences of reacting to a one-sided story. These comments and criticisms have a real impact on an individual’s life and mental health. I hope we can all strive for a more compassionate and empathetic online environment.”
An online art store named Kook Studio has accused fashion designer Hussain Rehar of plagiarising their artwork.
In a video shared by the account, the fashion designer requested the artist to collaborate on a fashion shoot.
The next few screenshots have suggested that Hussain and the artist had met up to discuss the collaboration, but the fashion designer backed out after finding the artist’s fee too high.
Then three months later, the designer allegedly plagiarised the same designs he referenced to the artist during their meeting.
A Twitter user shared the video clip on their account, slamming the way big artists plagarise smaller designers.
Hussain Rehar contacted my friend, who is a small artist, for a collaboration. They discussed possible designs and she quoted her fee. He never followed up again and then launched a new line that had almost the same art style as hers and her signature motifs on it. pic.twitter.com/fWDadNmTUa
A user wrote: “these big “designers” will suck out the blood of smaller designers by stealing or exploiting their craft. its almost impossible to rise as a designer until or unless you have the tag of a foreign brand with you. get outta this country asap.”
these big “designers” will suck out the blood of smaller designers by stealing or exploiting their craft. its almost impossible to rise as a designer until or unless you have the tag of a foreign brand with you. get outta this country asap https://t.co/zLTzyylpGU
“fffs man top rated designer stealing work of small artists? who are already under paid? is how the dumbing down of a society begins” another user wrote.
fffs man top rated designer stealing work of small artists? who are already under paid? is how the dumbing down of a society begins. https://t.co/TX74x7IZlP
For the first time, a transwoman was crowned Miss Portugal beauty pageant.
According to foreign media, 28-year-old Marina Machet is an air hostess by profession.
Before winning the title, Machet posted on social media stating, “Proud to be the first trans woman to compete for the title of Miss Universe Portugal,”.
“For years it was not possible for me to participate and today I am proud to be part of this incredible group of finalists,” , she added.
As per reports, Miss Portugal will now compete with another transwoman, Rikkie Kolle, for the title of Miss Universe in the Central American country of El Salvador.
22-year-old Rikkie Kolle became the first transgender woman in July to win the Miss Netherlands title.
Both the winners will succeed Angela Ponce of Spain, who became the first transgender candidate for the Miss Universe title in 2018.
