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Author: News Desk

  • The plight of the brown bear in Islamabad Zoo

    The plight of the brown bear in Islamabad Zoo

    Islamabad’s Marghazar Zoo has time and time again landed itself in hot waters over the inadequate treatment given to the animals who reside there. In the last few years, the zoo has seen the demise of over 20 animals and animal rights activists have often criticised the government for its lack of attention towards the zoo.

    The zoo has recently come under fire again because of a Himalayan brown bear who is in a sorry condition and has multiple injuries. The source of her injuries are not known but zoo authorities say Soozi got her face and right leg injured during mating, which is apparently a common phenomenon. Zoo authorities claim that the bear is being treated for injuries and that the wounds have almost healed up but pictures and videos on social media paint a different picture.

    As per social media, the matter first came to light when PAWS Pakistan posted a video of the Himalayan brown bear limping and nursing an open wound.

    https://twitter.com/pawspakistan/status/1138532356598509568

    Soozi is being kept in a small cage, which barely fits her, restricting her movement. The zoo director said that keeping the injured animal in a small cage was “necessary for her proper treatment” and that the veterinary doctor recommended it.

    https://twitter.com/wildpakistan/status/1142079219033354240

    Even then, the enclosure where Soozi and her partner, Balu, are kept is not suitable for such animals. In fact, most of the enclosures in the zoo are inadequate and reportedly do not meet the standard operating procedure (SOP). The lion’s enclosure is also too small as is that of Kavaan, the lone elephant.

    According to media reports, the government is considering transferring the administration of the facility to the Ministry of Climate Change. A few months ago, Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul had requested the government to hand over the zoo’s administration to them. Meanwhile, a case regarding the conditions of the Islamabad zoo is currently ongoing in the Islamabad High Court.

    Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz stated that maximum facilities were being provided in the given funds and that the government has not allocated any funds to the zoo. In fact, the PTI government has even dropped a project by the PML-N government worth Rs200 million for strengthening and upgrading the zoo.

  • PML-N MPA, his sons booked for ‘raping minor maid’

    PML-N MPA, his sons booked for ‘raping minor maid’

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Tahir Jamil, his sons Afaq and Saad, as well as his wife Bano, have been booked for allegedly raping their 14-year-old maid in Faisalabad, SAMAA reported.

    According to reports, the case was registered by the victim’s father under sections 376 (rape) and 377B (unnatural offences) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 34 (unauthorised custody) of the Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act (PDNCA), 2004.

    According to the victim’s father, the girl was working at Jamil’s Faisalabad residence in Al Masoom Town for the past six months.

    The girl returned home on Tuesday and told her family that she had been raped twice by Jamil a few months ago, while Afaq and Saad also molested her. According to the victim, Jamil’s wife Bano beat her up as well.

    She also claimed being threatened by the family in case she informed anyone of her ordeal, while her father has said he was pressurised against registering a case.

    The medico-legal officer has been unable to confirm the rape owing to the passage of time. No arrests have so far been made.

    PUNISHMENT:

    Section 376 is punishable by death or a 10 to 25-year jail sentence besides a fine. Section 377B is punishable by up to life imprisonment.

    PDNCA’s Section 34, on the other hand, is punishable by a jail term between three months and five years and a fine between Rs10,000 and Rs100,000.

  • 1992 and 2019? It’s not just Pakistan’s performance that’s similar…

    1992 and 2019? It’s not just Pakistan’s performance that’s similar…

    The world is coming down, the flags are up and the similarities between the 1992 and 2019 cricket world cups are uncanny.

    Back in the 1992 edition, Pakistan were hanging loosely off the edge, having their World Cup journey on the verge of conclusion before striking back; which is something that can be witnessed in 2019 as well.

    Good thing for Pakistan? The Imran Khan-led 1992 squad lifted the coveted trophy 27 years ago.

    While not just fans and critics, but even the International Cricket Council (ICC), observe the eerie similarities between the two tournaments, here’s a list of players from our current squad and their counterparts from the ’92 cup.

    Mohammad Amir and Wasim Akram

    Like Akram in 1992, Amir is carrying Pakistan’s bowling attack forward in 2019.

    Babar Azam and Javed Miandad

    Like Miandad, Babar has stepped up to perform brilliantly and rack up runs for his side.

    Shaheen Afridi and Aaqib Javed

    Like Aaqib was a second fiddle to Wasim, Shaheen is undoubtedly that to Mohammad Amir.

    Haris Sohail and Inzamamul Haq

    Inzamam played some brilliant innings in ’92; quite similar to Haris’s against South Africa and New Zealand.

    Shadab Khan and Mushtaq Ahmed

    Mushtaq had a huge impact 27 years ago, while Shadab has one for Pakistan in 2019.

    Hassan Ali and Iqbal Sikandar

    Hassan is rather non-existent in the World Cup so far; and just like Sikandar, not many people might even remember if he even played or not.

    Shoaib Malik and Saleem Malik

    Saleem was horribly out of form in 1992 and did nothing for his side; Shoaib hasn’t done anything so far either.

    Imad Wasim and Ijaz Ahmed

    Just like Ijaz, Imad is an “all-rounder” who is playing in the team for the sake of his label. Does knowing a little bit about both batting and bowling really make you an all-rounder? (Ijaz quit bowling in the later days of his career)

    Imamul Haq and Ramiz Raja

    The thing both Imam and Ramiz have in common is the strike rate. Imam in 2019 bats at the same strike rate as Ramiz did in 1992.

    Sarfaraz Ahmed and Moin Khan

    Both Sarfaraz and Moin, other than being wicketkeeper-batsmen, have a role crucial for the entire team. In Shoaib Akhtar’s words, “Moin didn’t, while Sarfaraz doesn’t perform up to the mark”.

    Imran Khan

    Last, but undoubtedly not the least is Imran Khan – the dashing skipper who steered his ‘Cornered Tigers’ to victory in the 1992 World Cup. In all honesty, Khan has no match on the cricket field; however, he still is the captain.

  • Sonam Kapoor reveals how Fawad Khan was cast in ‘Khoobsurat’

    Sonam Kapoor reveals how Fawad Khan was cast in ‘Khoobsurat’

    Fawad Khan’s Bollywood cross-over was possibly one of Pakistan’s most successful. The heartthrob won hearts across the border and was offered a plethora of projects before India-Pakistan border tensions cut short his flying Bollywood career.

    In a recent interview with Filmfare Magazine, Sonam Kapoor shared how Fawad Khan ended up being cast in the role. While discussing her struggles in India’s film industry, Sonam said, “Do you know how much effort it took to make Khoobsurat? No hero wanted to work with me because it was called Khoobsurat.”

    “I had to get Fawad Khan from Pakistan. And look what happened. Fawad became a huge star. He had the confidence,” she continued.

    This is not the first time Sonam has praised Fawad. She has often complemented him for his acting and professionalism and even said that she looks best with him onscreen.

    Previously, Anil Kapoor also shared that no male actor was ready to take up the lead role opposite Sonam in Khoobsurat.

    He had said, “We still kept looking for an apt actor and Rhea (Kapoor; co-producer) told me about Fawad Khan and showed me some of his work.”

    They asked Fawad to give an audition and and immediately cast him because they really liked it.

    The film was a huge success on both sides of the border and garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Late last year, producer Rhea even expressed her keenness to do a sequel of the film.

  • Army removes ‘Christians-only’ condition for sanitary workers

    Army removes ‘Christians-only’ condition for sanitary workers

    After being criticised for discrimination towards Christians, Pakistan Army has removed the “Christian-only” clause in its call for applications for sanitary workers.

    The move was pointed out by activist and former Punjab Chief Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit director general (DG) Salman Sufi. Taking to Twitter, he thanked Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Major General Asif Ghafoor.

    “Great news. Thanks to @OfficialDGISPR [Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor] for removing the ‘Christian-only clause in the call for application for sanitary workers, paving the way to ensure Pakistani Christians aren’t labeled as just for sanitary jobs,” he wrote.

    “We are grateful that this clerical error was addressed as usually Christians are [stereotyped] as sanitary workers so it is considered a norm and we wanted that changed,” Sufi told a private media outlet.

    Earlier, activists had taken to social media to urge the ISPR chief that the discriminatory clause is removed from the call. It specified that only Christians could apply for the posts of sanitation workers in the army’s Mujahid Force.

    Vacancies for the posts of drivers, sepoys and tradesmen were also mentioned, but had no such religious criteria.

    According to SAMAA, a report by the World Watch Monitor says that minority representation in sanitation work in Pakistan is above 80%. According to the report, 824 of 935 sanitation workers in the Peshawar Municipal Corporation (PMC) are Christian.

    About 6,000 out of 7,894 sanitation workers in the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) are Christians and so are 768 of 978 workers in the Quetta Municipal Corporation (QMC).

  • ‘PTI govt repays record $9.5 billion foreign loans’

    ‘PTI govt repays record $9.5 billion foreign loans’

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has retired record foreign loans worth $9.5 billion during the current fiscal year, which according to Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar, had never been done by any government in a single year.

    On point of personal explanation in the National Assembly, Azhar said that during the first year of PTI government, external debts increased by $2.7 billion whereas, in the last year of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, foreign loans surged by over $7 billion.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Responding to the opposition’s claim of obtaining domestic loans worth Rs7,000 billion or Rs 10,000 billion during PTI’s first year in power, he further said the figures were highly exaggerated.

    The minister added that previous governments were responsible for the current economic situation of the country, while the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government was taking the economy towards stability.

  • Yeh mera Pakistan hai ft. Momin Saqib

    Yeh mera Pakistan hai ft. Momin Saqib

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq17gkygzfA
  • Abdul Razzaq offers to make ‘faulty Hardik Pandya world’s best all-rounder in two weeks’

    Abdul Razzaq offers to make ‘faulty Hardik Pandya world’s best all-rounder in two weeks’

    Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq has offered to coach Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya to “improve his faulty techniques”.

    “Today I saw Pandya batting against West Indies and found a few issues in his foot movement, bat swing and body balance while hitting,” the former all-rounder said in a video on his official YouTube channel.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXIaYFasBE

    On Thursday, Pandya scored a brisk 46 and shared a crucial 70-run partnership with MS Dhoni to help India post a competitive total of 268/7 against West Indies in their ICC World Cup 2019 game at the Old Trafford.

    Pandya chipped in with the ball and also took the wicket of opener Sunil Ambris. In fact, his send-off to the Windies opener became one of the talking points of the game.

    However, Razzaq, who scored 5,080 runs in ODI, said Pandya’s game had weaknesses, which needed to be worked upon.

    “If Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) gives me just two weeks to coach Pandya, he can become world’s no 1 hitter and all-rounder,” he added.

  • Bankruptcy? ‘Ishaq Dar’s son shuts down school in Dubai over financial issues’

    Bankruptcy? ‘Ishaq Dar’s son shuts down school in Dubai over financial issues’

    Days after it was reported that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is tightening the noose around former finance minister Ishaq Dar, reports claiming his family is going through a financial crunch, have surfaced.

    According to reports, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s son, Hasnain Dar, has decided to shut down his Ontario International Canadian School (OICS) in Dubai citing “financial issues” as the family “starts to wind up their ventures abroad”.

    Mirdiff based OICS was opened in 2014 and follows the Canadian curriculum for kindergarten to grade 10, with fees ranging from Dh28,000-56,000 a year.

    Last week, the school administration issued to parents a circular signed by Dar, which has reportedly left over 200 parents in an awkward position while around 50 teaching and non-teaching staffers will also be affected.

    “I have continuously been engaged in discussions with KHDA regarding the future of OICS. However, it is only fair for me to share with you that —the school does not have the financial support to continue beyond June 30, 2019,” the circular read.

    “I understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for families and we at OICS are committed to ensuring a smooth transition of your children to other schools. As a part of our effort for this smooth transition, we have asked Kings’ Education to honour the OICS fee structure for the next two academic years for any students who wish to transfer to Kings’ Schools,” it said further.

  • Afghan President in Lahore; roads to avoid today

    Afghan President in Lahore; roads to avoid today

    Afghan President Ashraf Ghani landed in Lahore on Friday morning where he was received by Governor of Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Chief Minister of the province Usman Khan Buzdar.

    The Afghan President is in the country on a two-day official visit on the invitation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. President Ghani is expected to participate in a business forum attended by representatives from both countries.

    He offered his Friday prayers at the Governor House before fulfilling his formal commitments.

    In order to avoid getting stuck in traffic, it is best to avoid all roads leading to and from the airport. Avoid Mall Road as well as it will be closed for VIP movement.

    Try staying within Defence or Model Town and avoid Gulberg and other areas surrounding the Mall Road. Better still, just stay at home today and chill.