Amid security threats, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided to shift to his home in Bani Gala, Islamabad.
The former Prime Minister (PM) is currently living in his family home in Zaman Park in Lahore.
Preparations are being made to increase the security of his Bani Gala residence so that Khan can stay there.
Two special bulletproof rooms have been set up for the PTI chief, with bullet-resistant glass being fitted in the windows. It has also been decided that his private security will be increased.
Imran Khan has been living in Lahore since November of last year, when an assassination attempt injured the former Premier.
Imran Khan’s convoy was attacked on November 3 while passing through Wazirabad. The PTI chief was leading a protest march toward Islamabad at the time. He suffered bullet injuries on his legs and received treatment at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.
PTI has claimed several times that Khan’s life is at stake. On January 27, Khan alleged that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which Zardari had hired terrorists.
PPP denied the accusations, with the party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slamming the allegations against his father. The party even sent a legal notice to Imran Khan, stating that it will sue him unless he apologises within 14 days.
Due to the continuing economic crisis, Pakistan’s automobile industry is struggling much like all other businesses. In the most recent development, Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) has temporarily halted automobile production.
Non-production days (NPDs) will be observed by the automaker from February 1 to February 14, 2023. Due to limited supply, the corporation will also switch to single-shift manufacturing from February 15, 2023.
An official notification from Toyota IMC reads:
The company and its vendors continue to face major hurdles in import of raw materials and receiving clearance of their consignments from commercial banks. This has disrupted the entire supply chain and the vendors are unable to supply raw materials and components to the company. Accordingly, the company has insufficient inventory levels, therefore, the company is unable to continue its production activities.
Last month, the State Bank of Pakistan decided to withdraw the restrictions placed on imports with effect from January 2, 2023. The SBP said that Authorised Dealers (ADs) may prioritise or facilitate imports under essential imports, energy imports, imports by export-oriented industry, imports for agriculture inputs, deferred payment / self-funded imports and import for export-oriented projects near completion.
However, import restrictions due to dollar shortage are still hampering many industries including the auto sector.
The prices of Toyota IMC’s vehicles have already increased twice in a single month. The uncertainty caused by the continued economic decline is now casting doubt on the future of Pakistan’s auto sector.
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took responsibility for Monday’s suicide bombing that claimed 100 lives and left more than 200 people injured, reports Geo News. However, now TTP claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.
ٹی ٹی پی پشاور حملے سے لاتعلقی کر رہی ہے، جبکہ اس سے منسلک دھڑا اسکو قبول کر رہا ہے اور خالد خراسانی کی موت کا بدلہ قرار دے رہی ہے۔ کیا یہ ظاہر لرتا ہے کہ ٹی ٹی پی کے دھڑے نا صرف اس کے کنٹرول میں نہیں بلکہ اس سے زیادہ خطرناک ہیں۔ یہ مذاکرات کی پالیسی پر ہر طرح سے سوالیہ نشان ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/REiEHZxqxS
The bomb blast ripped through a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines area around 1:40 pm, right as people lined up to offer zuhr prayers. It has been reported that the suicide bomber was standing in the first row at the mosque when he exploded the bomb.
According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan, a number of people are still stuck under the rubble after the roof collapsed. He also said between 300 to 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to Geo News, revealed that the roof fell due to the intensity of the blast, adding that the hospitals have been overwhelmed.
He said that even though they receive threats, people cannot be stopped from entering a mosque.
Condemnations by the politicians
After the attack made waves across the country, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif condemned the brutal suicide blast. He said that the brutal murder of Muslims went against everything that was taught by Islam.
Shehbaz added that they will form a policy to more effectively counter rising terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the “terrorist suicide attack” and expressed sympathies with the families of the victims.
Strongly condemn the terrorist suicide attack in police lines mosque Peshawar during prayers. My prayers & condolences go to victims families. It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.
Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, condemning the incident, said that strict action will be taken against the terrorists, their backers and facilitators.
چیئرمین پیپلزپارٹی اور وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی پشاور میں خودکش حملے کی مذمت
ضمنی اور عام انتخابات سے قبل دہشتگردی کے واقعات معنی خیز ہیں، بلاول بھٹو زرداری
دہشتگردوں ،ان کے سرپرستوں اور سہولت کاروں کے خلاف سخت کاروائی ہوگی ، بلاول بھٹو زرداری @BBhuttoZardari
Meanwhile, Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Muhammad Azam Khan imposed a medical emergency in all hospitals of Peshawar. The interim CM also instructed rescue organisations to speed up relief activities.
پولیس لائنز پشاور میں دھماکہ۔
نگران وزیراعلی خیبر پختونخوا محمد اعظم خان کی پشاور کے بڑے ہسپتالوں میں ایمرجنسی نافذ کرنے کی ہدایت۔
وزیراعلی محمد اعظم خان کی ریسکیو اداروں کو امدادی سرگرمیاں تیز کرنے کی ہدایت
Hassan Raheem has finally revealed the reason he is reluctant to give interviews. While talking to Gloss Etc, the Joona singer said that he isn’t asked about his art; instead the media is only interested in his personal life.
“Personally for me, the media doesn’t highlight the musical aspect when talking about me, despite how emotionally connected we are to it. They are always interested in my personal life, which is stuff that I don’t want to talk about. Which is why when someone comes up to me I want them to ask me about my music,” Raheem said.
He also talked about the conversation on proper security and protection provided to women and families on concerts, after the Karachi Eat Festival debacle. Singer Kaifi Khalil, who had cancelled his session after the event was mismanaged, had taken to social media to criticize men for behaving badly by drinking, harassing women and even attending the festival without a ticket.
Raheem revealed that his fan base comprised mostly of young women, and some of them also attended his concerts with their families, and cared about the fact that they have a good time, because an artist’s true connection with a fan happens on stage.
“My fans are mostly young women, and then other people who come to my concerts bring along their families. When you see something like this happening from the stage it creates a lot of discomfort for me, and I don’t want to take the show forward until we resolve this issue… I hope that any one who listens to me in their bedrooms, should be able to attend my concerts because they feel safe. That fees like a dream come true and that’s what I want. An artist’s main connection with a fan happens on stage. I forget everything when I’m on stage for the next hour. When I climb the stage, I go into a different state, and I know that I have to sing for that fan who is here to listen to me. I know that when I look them in the eye and sing, I know that I’m having a lot of fun and so is that fan. We have this telepathic connection which takes me to some other place. So when this is happening in a safe environment then that’s even better for me.”
On how this matter could be resolved, the ‘Faltu Pyar’ singer said there should be separate circles for men and women in concerts to prevent harassment or accidents from taking place.
“We create separate circles for both men and women who come to attend concerts. And then we dictate to everyone who is coming to the show that how they should behave, and act in a civilized manner at a place where they’ve come to listen to a singer. Aside from having fun, remember to be mindful of your manners if you’re at a public space. This is something I feel people are beginning to understand, which is why my shows are getting such a high attendance rate. There is a revival in the show industry. I feel like step by step we would have to start taking initiatives to address this matter, so we can over come this.”
Elaborating further, Raheem said that the government should also get involved and provide resources for proper security at concerts.
“The government should also take some action to fix this problem…because as artists, usually, there is a limit to what we can do. At some point, a limit falls over our resources. And I don’t want us to be limited. I would like that we all come together as a community to get to the bottom of this and make sure it doesn’t happen again…It’s necessary that we establish a proper system so such incidents don’t keep happening over and over again.”
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has restored Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) setting aside his removal as the head of the party by his cousin, former Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
The commission also stated that the PML-Q’s Central Working Committee’s (CWC) decision to remove Shujaat as party chief was illegal, declaring it null and void.
On January 16, PML-Q’s CWC removed Shujaat as the party chief. His brother, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain was given the command of the PML-Q.
The step was taken by the committee after Shujaat had suspended the basic membership of the-then CM Elahi — for his statement about a possible merger with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
After the ouster of PTI’s chief Imran Khan from power, rifts within PML-Q widened as the party got divided into two camps over the issue of joining hands with the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
Elahi, his son Moonis Elahi and the majority of party leaders sided with the PTI while Chaudhry Shujaat, Salik Hussain and Tariq Bashir Cheema supported the PML-N.
Special measures have been taken at key sensitive buildings in Islamabad, including the President House, Prime Minister (PM) House and Parliament among other places.
Moreover, high security was also beefed up at all the entry points of the capital, Islamabad police’s Twitter account said on Monday.
Snipers have been deployed at all locations and residents are instructed to carry identity cards and essential documents along with them while travelling.
اسلام آباد کیپیٹل پولیس تھرمل امیجنگ کی صلاحیت سے لیس ہے۔
Meanwhile, the Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police has also ordered officials to start patrolling and snap checking in Karachi.
A day earlier, Peshawar was attacked by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which claimed the lives of 93 people and left more than 200 injured. In a surprise turn of events, the TTP later claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.
Pakistan is currently facing a resurgence in terrorist activities.
After the Peshawar attack, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that such cowardly terror attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve and that all the terrorists and their facilitators involved in the attacks will be punished.
Gujranwala police on Monday arrested two brothers who have allegedly killed their cousin for having more followers on TikTok. The Rasool Nagar police station arrested the two brothers during the investigation of the murder of 17-year-old Rizwan Aslam.
According to the police, Aslam and his cousins were all frequent users of TikTok. Additionally, they used to play the popular online game PUBG.
When the victim allegedly swore at both brothers while playing the game, things got out of hand. The brothers were also envious of Aslam’s quick ascension on TikTok, where he had accumulated more followers than the brothers.
After that, the brothers hatched a plan to kill their cousin. They called him to a guest house and murdered him, the police have said.
Shah Rukh Khan’s grace and ability to demonstrate determination and hard work in the face of hate is the reason why he’s the last superstar of Bollywood.
Speaking at a press conference to mark the release of Pathaan, he opened up about the controversies surrounding the film. Pre-release, Pathaan was attacked for being anti-Hindu, with BJP politicians and activists repeatedly sending threats to the actor and rest of the crew. Despite this, Pathaan became a massive hit, with multiple screenings playing even past midnight in cinemas across India.
Addressing the attacks the film faced, Khan called himself, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham ‘Akbar, Amar and Anthony’ and said that the main purpose of cinema is to spread love rather than hate. “This is what makes cinema: Amar, Akbar and Anthony. There are no differences that any of us have for anybody, any culture, any aspect of life. We love you that’s why we make films. We love you to give us love. We’re hungry for love.” Khan also revealed that it didn’t matter how much money the film made or how many box office records it broke, what mattered was the love and appreciation they got from people, and wanted to keep inspiring audiences with their work. “This person was saying a million times ‘100 crore’, ‘200 crore’ or ‘1000 crore’. Despite the millions, the love we receive from the fans, and the happiness they experience from watching our film, there is nothing that we want more than that. We have to maintain our culture, our old stories, all that has seeped from our beautiful country. We have to tell the stories in modern ways, in different ways, in no way we are deriding any body,” the superstar said.
“That’s the quality he has. A quality to make people understand what love truly means and what it stands for. Duniya me kitni hai nafraratein,fir bhi dilon me hain chahatein, marr bhi jaayein pyaar wale,mitt bhi jaayein yaar wale, zinda rehti hai unki Mohabbatein.”
That's the quality he has. A quality to make people understand what love truly means and what it stands for. Duniya me kitni hai nafraratein,fir bhi dilon me hain chahatein, marr bhi jaayein pyaar wale,mitt bhi jaayein yaar wale, zinda rehti hai unki Mohabbatein ❤️#ShahRukhKhanhttps://t.co/BplVekzcQW
As the value of the Pakistani rupee (PKR) against the US dollar falls to an all-time low, Kia Lucky Motors Corporation (KLMC) has announced a significant hike in their car prices in Pakistan.
Details indicate that, depending on the model, the manufacturer has increased the price of the Kia Picanto, Kia Sportage, Kia Stonic, Kia Sorento, and Kia Carnival in Pakistan by up to Rs1.3 million.
“Due to the significant and unprecedented devaluation of PKR to USD during the last couple of days, it has become inevitable for LMC to increase the current ex-factory prices of all its vehicles,” the company announced in its notification to dealers.
The new rates will go into effect on January 31, 2023.
“While the impact of the devaluation of PKR to USD has been immense, LMC, being a customer-centric organization, has decided not to pass the full impact thereof to its valued customers,” it said, adding that only a partial impact is being passed on to the customer and the rest has been absorbed by LMC.
It is important to note that on January 30, 2023, the interbank market closed with the Pakistan rupee at an all-time record low of Rs269.63 versus the US dollar.
The price of the Kia Picanto in Pakistan has been increased by a massive Rs100,000 for both variants, bringing the new price of the M/T variant to Rs3,200,000 and the A/T variant to Rs3,400,000, compared to the old prices of Rs3,100,000 and Rs3,400,000, respectively.
An incident at Civilizations Public School, a private school in Karachi, went viral a few days ago when a distressed father uploaded a video where he narrated a harrowing account of what his son went through. The father revealed that his son’s teacher, Sadaf Mateen, had overheard the student speaking in urdu to his friends. She called him over and began to humiliate him by making a black mark on his face, and then encouraged other students to laugh at him. The father went on to reveal that he had sought the school’s administrations help but they had refused to cooperate, so he was compelled to make a video and make it public.
Video taken courtesy of Geo news
WARNING – DISTRESSING VIDEO
Father narrates details of his son getting 'humiliated' for speaking Urdu at Karachi's private school
After the video went viral, the Directoriate of Inspection/ Registration of Private Institutions Sindh had announced that they were launching an investigation into the matter which reportedly took place on January 27. An inquiry committee comprising of five members has now said in a statement released on their public pages that the accusations were proven to be true.
“The accusation of applying blackness on the face of student Moosa by his teacher is correct. Indeed, the teacher in question punished the student for not speaking in English, which is quite in contradiction of the feeling of patriotism and love for the national language. The administration of the school failed to handle the situation or deal with the parents on their complaint properly.”
Therefore, the school was charged a fine of Rs 100,000 and their registration was also suspended. In a statement uploaded on their Facebook page, a representative from Civilizations Public School revealed that they had accepted the resignation of the school teacher and said that the incident was against the school’s ethos.
“Civilizations Public School takes great pride in being one the few educational institutions to promote, encourage and celebrate Urdu. Its role in promoting Urdu is unmatched in the country. In the last few years, the school has organized four mushairas and poets such as Iftikhar Arif, Fehmida Riaz and Amjad Islam Amjad have read their poetry to audiences in thousands which included out students, faculty, staff, guests and members of the media. The coverage of these events is publicly available. Books by Urdu masters such as Yousufi, Patras Bukhari and Ibn-e-Insha comprise the entirety of our Urdu curriculum. Lines from Faiz, N. M. Rashid and Majaaz often echo through the corridors and auditoria.
The School in no way promotes English over Urdu. The regrettable incident that took place on January 27 is against the school’s ethos, ideology, philosophy and spirit. We are a considerate and empathetic institution that does not condone or allow anyone to embarrass a student. You are welcome to come to our next Urdu event and witness the school’s culture.
The teacher who took the said step is no longer part of the school and her resignation has been accepted.
The faculty and staff are fully trained and socialized to embrace diversity and a multilingual environment.
We hope to continue to produce the next generation of leadership and further our mission of celebrating our Urdu heritage.”
