Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • UK asked to probe Indian army chief, home minister over alleged war crimes in occupied Kashmir

    UK asked to probe Indian army chief, home minister over alleged war crimes in occupied Kashmir

    A London-based law firm has filed an application with the British police seeking the arrest of India’s army chief and a senior Indian government official over their alleged roles in war crimes in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, reports TRT World.

    Law firm Stoke White said on Tuesday it submitted extensive evidence to the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit documenting how Indian troops headed by General Manoj Mukund Naravane and Indian Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah were responsible for the torture, kidnapping, and killing of activists, journalists, and civilians.

    The law firm’s report was based on over 2,000 testimonies taken between 2020 and 2021. It also accused eight unnamed senior Indian military officials of direct involvement in war crimes and torture in Occupied Kashmir.

    “There is strong reason to believe that Indian authorities are conducting war crimes and other violence against civilians in [Indian-Occupied] Jammu and Kashmir,” the report stated.

    Hakan Camuz, director of international law at Stoke White, said he hoped the report would convince the British police to open an investigation and ultimately arrest the officials when they set foot in the United Kingdom (UK). Some of the Indian officials have financial assets and other links to Britain.

    “We are asking the UK government to do their duty and investigate and arrest them for what they did based on the evidence we supplied to them. We want them to be held accountable,” Camuz said.

    The police application was made on behalf of the family of Zia Mustafa, a jailed rebel fighter whom Camuz said was the victim of an extrajudicial killing by Indian authorities in 2021, and on behalf of human rights campaigner Muhammad Ahsan Untoo, who was allegedly tortured before his arrest last week.

    Human rights lawyers have increasingly used the universal jurisdiction principle to seek justice for people who were unable to file criminal complaints in their home countries or with the International Criminal Court, located in The Hague.

    Last week, a German court convicted a former Syrian secret police officer of crimes against humanity for overseeing the abuse of thousands of detainees at a jail near Damascus a decade ago.

    Camuz said he hoped the request to the British police seeking the arrest of Indian officials will be followed by other legal actions also focusing on Kashmir.

    “We are sure this is not going to be the last one, there will probably be many more applications,” he said.

  • ‘My son is not adopted’: Ayeza Khan hits out at trolls

    ‘My son is not adopted’: Ayeza Khan hits out at trolls

    Actor Ayeza Khan’s interview is resurfacing on social media in which she opens up about the worst rumour that she has heard about herself.

    The Meray Paas Tum Ho star said that when people speculated that her son is adopted, that was the worse rumour she heard about herself.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4fmn032NYU
    Ayeza Khan Clears The Rumors Of Adopting A Baby Boy

    Earlier the Chupke Chupke diva addressed the rumour on her social media platforms when a netizen made a fake account of hers and spread this lie.

    Don't Like To Show Skin And Baby Bump: Ayeza Khan!

    Ayeza said that such rumours upset her and the reason she didn’t reveal her baby bump is because she doesn’t like to flaunt it.

    Ayeza Khan turns down the rumors that she had adopted her son
    Ayeza Khan turns down the rumors that she had adopted her son
  • ‘No infrastructure’: Hafeez questions PM Khan over no focus on sports

    ‘No infrastructure’: Hafeez questions PM Khan over no focus on sports

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Mohammad Hafeez has some reservations with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government over no clear sports policies for athletes in the country.

    Talking to Cricket Pakistan, the former cricketer said that it is a big question mark on “sportsman” Imran Khan that there are no special arrangments for sports in Pakistan by him.

    “Personally, I am disappointed with the current government,” Hafeez said.

    “No infrastructure has been set where sportsperson in our country can excel. This is a huge setback for me. I know our prime minister is a sportsman and if there is no focus on sports in his tenure, then this is a huge question mark,” Hafeez added.

    The 41-year-old cricketer further talked about Khan’s decison to shut down departmental cricket while he also praised the former head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and Test player Azhar Ali for raising the matter.

    “I am proud of them. They took a big step and sincerely raised concern for others. Pakistan is not yet a welfare state and departments were catering to many players, they were fulfilling financial needs. No alternative has been found yet either.”

    Meanwhile, Hafeez urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not to call back players from franchise leagues as they receive huge contracts and calling them back damage their reputation.

    “Calling back players from leagues put a dent on a player’s portfolio. Recently, Pakistan players were called back from BBL. I want PCB to revisit this process. When players get NOC, he must play completely as his and Pakistan’s reputation is at stake.” Hafeez emphasised as he has been called back from leagues midway on many occasions in the recent past.

    Hafeez also lauded skipper Babar Azam for brilliantly leading the national team.

    The cricketer also cleared the air about his clashes with the board. “There was no rift with anyone but yes, I had some principle stances on which I don’t compromise. I stood tall against the things and raised my voice. People were unhappy with it and they took some decisions which were felt that my relationships were not on good terms with higher authorities.”

    Hafeez recently announced his retirement from cricket and said that he had planned to announce it after the 2020 World Cup but it got delayed due to Covid and then he announced it after playing the T20 World Cup in 2021.

    Hafeez said that he will happily serve Pakistan cricket in the future in any capacity but won’t run after money as a job-seeker in the cricket board.

    He concluded by hailing Shaheen Shah’s growth as a pacer and is looking forward to playing under him for Lahore Qalandars in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), starting from January 27 at the National Stadium Karachi.

  • Police physically assault women in Quetta without presence of female constable

    Police physically assault women in Quetta without presence of female constable

    Policemen assaulted three women physically and dragged them towards a police mobile in Quetta in the absence of a female constable.

    Chief Minister of Balochistan, Abdul Quddus Bizenjo took notice of the incident after the video went viral and ordered strict action against the policemen who were involved in the incident.

    The senior superintendent of police (SSP) Quetta has suspended the additional Station House Officer (SHO) Naveed Mukhtar.

    According to the police, one of the girls allegedly escape from her house and was living with two friends.

    Police further revealed that the father of the girl filed a complaint and relatives told the police after spotting her location.

    Defending themselves, the police said that the girls were resisting and hitting them when they were trying to get hold of them.

    Today, the court of a judicial magistrate in Quetta handed over the arrested girls to their parents.

    The video got heavy criticism from netizens regarding the mistreatment of the girls by the police.

    According to the law, a woman cannot be arrested or searched without the presence of a female constable.

  • NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    NCOC bans indoor events in cities with Covid positivity rate over 10%

    According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), all indoor gatherings and events have been banned in the districts and cities with Covid-19 positivity rate exceeding 10 per cent. However, only outdoor wedding events are allowed to be organised with a maximum of 500 guests.

    The ban will go into effect from January 24 , the NCOC said.

    The decisions were taken after the NCOC held a detailed review of the country’s current coronavirus situation along with the corresponding Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). The forum differentiated the new NPIs depending on whether districts have Covid-19 positivity rate up to 10 per cent or above.

    The NPIs to be implemented are as follows depending on the positivity rate and specify that they are for fully vaccinated individuals:

    Gatherings

    • Indoor gatherings allowed up to 300 individuals, outdoor up to 500 for districts with positivity up to 10pc
    • Indoor gatherings banned, outdoor up to 300 for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc (with effect from Jan 24)

    Weddings:

    • Indoor weddings allowed up to 300 individuals, outdoor up to 500 for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor weddings banned, outdoor up to 300 for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc (with effect from Jan 24 and will remain effective till February 15)

    Dining:

    • Indoor and outdoor dining both allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor dining banned (with effect from Jan 24), outdoor allowed for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

    Education sector:

    • Education activities will continue for those under and over 12 in districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Education activities will continue with staggered attendance at 50pc capacity for those under 12 and 100pc attendance for those over 12 in districts with positivity rate more than 10pc
    • Those over 12 will need to be fully vaccinated in both situations
    • Vaccination will be mandatory (at least one dose) for those over 12 from Feb 1
    • Aggressive sentinel testing to be carried out for targeted closures in institutes with high disease prevalence
    • Federating units in consultation with health authorities will decide limits for closure of educational institutions

    Gyms, cinemas, shrines, amusement parks:

    • Indoor activities allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Indoor activities allowed at 50pc capacity for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

    Sports:

    • All sports activities allowed for districts with positivity rate up to 10pc
    • Ban on contact sports (karate, boxing, martial arts, rugby, water polo, wrestling and kabaddi) for districts with positivity rate more than 10pc

     

    The NCOC decided that markets and business activities will continue without any restrictions. Employers are encouraged to let people work from home where possible.

    Similarly, intercity public transport has been restricted in districts with high coronavirus positivity ratios at 70pc and 80pc in railways. The ban on serving of meals was also maintained for public transport and domestic air travel.

    The curbs come as the country is in the grip of the fifth wave, which is being driven by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

    It should be noted that in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus positivity ratio in Pakistan was 9.48pc when 5,472 infections were recorded, with Sindh and Punjab leading the charge in new cases reported.

    Owing to a surge in the number of Covid-19 cases, several educational institutions in Islamabad and Karachi have also decided to close all schools to curb the rapid spread of the virus.

  • PML-N’s Khaqan Abbasi knows 22 NA members who want to leave PTI govt

    PML-N’s Khaqan Abbasi knows 22 NA members who want to leave PTI govt

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khandaza Kay Sath’, said, “I know 22 members of the National Assembly who don’t want to remain part of the incumbent government anymore.”

    Abbasi said that if those 22 people step aside, the government will lose its majority in the House.

    Responding to Fawad Chaudhry’s claim that four PML-N leaders are “hell-bent on removing Nawaz Sharif from the party,” Abbasi said: “I am unable to understand Fawad’s statements as he is just trying to seek attention.”

    He said that “no one desires the throne in PML-N”, adding that party leaders “just want the implementation of the Constitution in the country”.

    “I never had the desire to become the prime minister,” Abbasi added.

    The former premier said that the “government itself is walking with the help of crutches and can’t stand without it even for a single day”.

    On being asked why did the four names turn up, Abbasi said the government is lying.

    On the other hand, responding to Abbasi’s comments during the show, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that “without taking any names, we had just hinted at four senior leaders of PML-N, and now people can guess themselves who we were referring to.”

    “PML-N is an incompetent party with an incomplete narrative and its leadership lacks democratic thoughts,” added Faraz.

  • Usman Buzdar is ahead of all Chief Ministers in performance: survey

    Usman Buzdar is ahead of all Chief Ministers in performance: survey

    The Institute for Public Opinion Research (IPOR) in its recent survey has found Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar is leading in satisfaction level for developmental works in comparison to other chief ministers, reports The News.

    As per the survey, Buzdar is ahead as 51 per cent of respondents from Punjab are satisfied with him. CM KPK Mahmood Khan ranked second by securing a 48 per cent satisfaction rating. CM Balochistan Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo secured 43 percent while CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah got only a 38 per cent rating.

    The research center surveyed from December 22, 2021, to January 9, 2022, in which they ask the opinion of 3,700 respondents from different provinces.

    About the improvement in the performance of provincial health departments, 72 per cent are satisfied with Buzdar while CM Shah is at last with a 53 per cent rating.

    Similarly, in the education sector 86 per cent of people have shown their satisfaction with CM Punjab and KPK education department drew the appreciation of 80 per cent of respondents.

    In all the sectors, Pakistan People’s Pakistan (PPP) CM Sindh is behind among all the other CMs.

  • PTI spokesperson slammed after implying reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ shows less inflation

    PTI spokesperson slammed after implying reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ shows less inflation

    Spokesperson to the Finance Minister, Muzzammil Aslam has shared a screenshot of a message he received from a departmental store. In the message, the supermarket offered reduced prices of a few local commodities.

    Muzzammil while sharing the tweet wrote, “Everyone is talking about inflation but on the other hand, the prices of local commodities are continuously decreasing. Isn’t this an open contradiction?”

    He shared some prices of local products which lowered their prices.

    Netizens slammed the spokesperson for sharing reduced prices of ‘Shoop Noodles’ on Twitter which shows less inflation in Pakistan.

    A netizen replied in the same manner, “Everyone is talking about that the country has no gas but on the other hand, we are doing so much gaslighting every day. Isn’t this an open contradiction?” 

    




    
https://twitter.com/AliMaken/status/1483705646503579655

    




    




    Another user added, “It is a Simple Demand-Supply Crisis.”
    




    


    




    




    Another netizen questioned the intelligence of the person who appointed him as a spokesperson.
    




    


    




    Some users have expressed extreme disappointment with the government’s spokesperson.
    




    


    




    


    




    




    




    


    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Global tourism won’t return to pre-covid levels until 2024
    
			
    Global tourism won’t return to pre-covid levels until 2024
    
			
    

     
    




    With the highly contagious Omicron variant in the picture, global tourism arrivals have further been affected, and will not return to the pre-pandemic levels until 2024, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday.
    




    The highly contagious Omicron variant, though mild, will “disrupt recovery” for 2022. Last year in 2021, tourism saw a four percent growth over 2020, according to the Madrid-based UN agency’s World Tourism Barometer.
    




    Meanwhile, tourism revenue in 2020 was 72 percent lower than that in 2019.
    




    “The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence,” the UNWTO said in a press release.
    




    In Europe and the Americas, foreign visitor arrivals increased by 19 percent and 17 percent in 2021, respectively, when compared to 2020.
    




    In the Middle East, however, arrivals declined by 24 percent in 2021, while in the Asia-Pacific region, they were 65 percent below the 2020 levels, and 94 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
    




    The statement said tourism professionals “see better prospects” for this year after turbulence in the early months because of the Omicron wave.
    




    Many countries are highly dependent on tourism and are eagerly awaiting a return to normal.
    




    “The economic contribution of tourism in 2021 (measured in tourism direct gross domestic product) is estimated at $1.9 trillion (1.68 trillion euros), above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of $3.5 trillion,” the statement noted.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Bilawal offers to rejoin PDM but has some conditions
    
			
    Bilawal offers to rejoin PDM but has some conditions
    
			
    

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that there is now a high probability of the Opposition parties working together in the future.
    




    The PPP chairperson while talking to reporters outside the Parliament House on Tuesday said, “If they [Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)] are ready to withdraw their stance on the issue of en-mass resignations and consider my proposal of bringing a no-confidence motion, then certainly there is a possibility that we can work together.”
    




    He said all parties have to play their role. “We have to dislodge the government, no matter the number of marches we have to take.”
    




    He said his party’s reservations regarding the prices of essential commodities being multiplied due to the mini-budget had proved correct as Pakistan had already been facing an economic crisis before the mini-budget, which has now led to a historic price hike, unemployment, and poverty. “People are being crushed under this burden,” he said.
    




    Bilawal Bhutto along with former Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani, said that they protested inside and outside the Parliament against the mini-budget. They were promised that tax will not be imposed on a few items, but that was false as well.
    




    “The people of Pakistan are demanding that we take to the streets against this government and our CEC has decided that we will take to the streets on February 27,” added Bilawal.