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Author: News Desk

  • ‘Will come out again for Imran Khan,’ pardoned May 9 convict says

    ‘Will come out again for Imran Khan,’ pardoned May 9 convict says

    A pardoned May 9 rioter has said that he would once again take to streets whenever jailed former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan or leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) asked for it.

    “On May 9 [2023], Imran Khan was arrested [and] our leadership told us to hold a peaceful protest,” said Said Alam, who was pardoned days after a military court sentenced him to two years in prison over his involvement in the May 9 riots.

    He accused authorities of forcing him to claim that Khan’s speeches had “brainwashed” him, but said that he refused to comply. “I was also told to record a statement against my MPA and MNA [for inciting violence], which too I declined.”

    “I have spent 20 months in jail […] my sacrifices are nothing as compared to those who lost their lives while protesting on May 9, 2023, and November 26, 2024,” he said, alleging that his only crime was being a supporter of Khan.

    To a question about the conditions in which May 9 rioters were kept, Alam said that they had not subjected to physical violence. However, he added, they sure went through mental agony.

    “We [under-trial prisoners and convicts] were not allowed to meet anyone in jail. We were kept isolated,” Alam said, adding that they were allowed to read the newspaper and use a mobile phone.

    When asked about the mercy petitions that led to the release of 19 rioters soon after a total of 85 were convicted by a military court, he said they were filed at the time of their transfer to civilian jails. “We were told to confess to our actions in mercy petitions.”

    It merits a mention that hundreds were arrested following nationwide violent protests led by the PTI following PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023.

    At least 10 people lost their lives, and over a hundred others sustained injuries in the protests that continued on May 9 and May 10. Around 40 public buildings and military installations were attacked by the rioters. 

    Alam’s interview comes hours after his release from jail. He was among the 85 rioters who have so far been convicted by a military court in connection with attacks on military establishments.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a total of 67 convicts had filed mercy petitions, of which 48 were processed for appeal. Of the 48, 19 were pardoned on humanitarian grounds.

  • ‘Comeback’s gonna be strong’: Talha Anjum posts Imran Khan’s jawani ki photo

    ‘Comeback’s gonna be strong’: Talha Anjum posts Imran Khan’s jawani ki photo

    Rapper Talha Anjum of the popular band Young Stunners has shared an Instagram story featuring an old picture of Imran Khan, the former cricketer and prime minister of Pakistan. 


     The story caption was, “Comeback’s gonna be strong. #804.” 

    Talha Anjum is known for his vocal support of Imran Khan.

    On August 2022, the Kaun Talha singer tweeted in favor of the leader, showing his unwavering support.  

    Imran Khan, known for leading Pakistan to its first cricket World cup victory in 1992, was the captain of the team. He served as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022. On August 5, 2023, Khan was arrested from his residence at Zaman Park in Lahore on multiple charges.

     
     Here Talha Anjum’s story:


     Here are some previous Talha Anjum tweets:

    In 2024, rapper, singer and lyricist Talha Anjum made history by becoming the most streamed local artist in Pakistan for 2024, surpassing Atif Aslam, who held the top spot for three consecutive years.

  • Apple agrees to $95 Million settlement over Siri privacy lawsuit

    Apple agrees to $95 Million settlement over Siri privacy lawsuit

    Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of using its virtual assistant Siri to record conversations without permission. 

    The lawsuit, filed five years ago in a California court, claimed that Siri sometimes recorded people even when they didn’t use the command “Hey, Siri.” It was also alleged that some of these recordings were shared with advertisers to target people with specific products.

    This accusation went against Apple’s promise to protect its customers’ privacy, a principle often emphasized by CEO Tim Cook as a “fundamental human right.”

    Apple did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement. However, if the judge approves the settlement, people who owned Siri-enabled Apple devices between September 2014 and the end of 2023 could claim up to $20 per device. Claims will be limited to five devices per person, and the final amount may depend on how many people file for compensation.

    The court will review the settlement on February 14, 2025. 

    Lawyers in the case may request up to $29.6 million from the settlement for their fees and expenses.

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  • Two Indian protesters set themselves on fire at environment march

    Two Indian protesters set themselves on fire at environment march

    Two people in India set themselves on fire Friday to protest against the disposal of hazardous waste from the decades-old Bhopal industrial disaster, local government officials said.

    Images on social media showed the two men dousing themselves in liquid before being engulfed in shooting flames, although officials said the men survived.

    The protests erupted on Friday after authorities moved hundreds of tonnes of hazardous waste — remaining from the world’s deadliest industrial disaster in the city of Bhopal 40 years ago — to the town of Pithampur for disposal.

    “The self-immolation attempt was unfortunate, but both people are safe now,” said Priyank Mishra, the administrative head of Dhar district where Pithampur is located.

    A long convoy of trucks with a police escort ferrying the 337 tonnes of waste — sealed inside containers — arrived in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh state overnight Wednesday.

    The waste dates back to the December 1984 disaster at the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal — when some 3,500 people were killed in the immediate aftermath of a chemical leak, and up to 25,000 are estimated to have died overall.

    Twenty-seven tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC), used in the production of pesticides, swept through the city of over two million people after one of the tanks storing the deadly chemical shattered its concrete casing.

    Communities have for decades blamed a high level of sickness on the contamination of the groundwater in the wake of the highly toxic gas leak.

    The order to clear the waste was made in December, and Mishra insisted that its disposal would be done safely.

    “The process is being carried out under the aegis of the top scientific institutions of the country,” he said.

    “We have already held many public consultations and we will continue to explain to people in even simpler terms that it is a safe exercise.”

    Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Singh has also said that trial disposal exercises had showed that there it had “no impact on the environment”.

    In Bhopal, testing of groundwater near the site in the past revealed cancer- and birth defect-causing chemicals 50 times higher than what is accepted as safe by the US Environmental Protection Agency.

    Communities blame a range of health problems — including cerebral palsy, hearing and speech impairments and other disabilities — on the accident and the contamination of the groundwater.

  • Is establishment happy with Maryam Nawaz’s performance?

    Is establishment happy with Maryam Nawaz’s performance?

    Senior analyst Najam Sethi has revealed whether the military establishment is satisfied with Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s performance in the province during his show on Samaa News. 

    “Maryam Nawaz is doing an excellent job as Chief Minister in Punjab. She isn’t accepting any political favours, even for her own party MNAs and MPAs. At the same time, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is saying that they had an agreement for their accommodation,” stated Najam Sethi. 

    “Establishment is happy with Maryam Nawaz’s role as the CM of Punjab. If they’re happy with Shehbaz Sharif then they’re happy with Maryam as well. Because she’s running the administration on merit.  Critics can say anything about her performance, but there is no denying the fact that she’s doing everything on merit,” said the former PCB Chairman. 

    Najam Sethi also revealed that the PPP is not happy with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz because she does not listen to anyone asking for political favours. 

    It merits a mention here that Governor Punjab Saleem Haider, who belongs to PPP,  on November 23 publicly complained that his party was not being taken on board by the ruling PML-N in the decision-making process.

    Punjab Governor Saleem Haider had also showed his frustration with the ruling party in the province by delaying the appointment of vice-chancellors to universities. “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has become an empress. She never calls or consults me on issues of merit,” he stated, while referring to the appointment of vice-chancellors.

    The PPP Governor also warned Maryam Nawaz: “PML-N government will come to its knees if PPP withdraws its support.”

    “Over the past six months, I tried to contact her repeatedly by phone but got zero response as she never consulted with us on any issue. So now I won’t meet her,” he said.

    While referring to PPP’s frustration with Maryam Nawaz, Sethi stated: “Because no unjust transfers are being carried out among bureaucrats, Deputy Commissioners aren’t being transferred, so MNAs and MPAs are worried. PPP is very angry with her over this because, according to them, they should be accommodated in four or five regions where PPP ministers are in power.”

    The former PCB chairman opined that contention between PPP and Maryam Nawaz became such a serious issue that now the Chief Minister Punjab has started listening to them.

  • Bangladesh rewrites books to claim ex-army chief, not Sheikh Mujib ‘declared’ independence

    Bangladesh rewrites books to claim ex-army chief, not Sheikh Mujib ‘declared’ independence

    New textbooks for primary and secondary students in Bangladesh will now name former army chief and president Lt Gen (r) Ziaur Rahman, not founder Sheikh Mujib Ur Rahman, as the person who declared independence in 1971.

    According to reports, the interim government in Bangladesh rung in the new year with the distribution of new textbooks among students, as per which Zia and not Mujib declared independence for the people of Bangladesh.

    In 2010, Mujib’s daughter and then-prime minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, after coming to power for the second time, had ordered to mention her father as the person who declared independence via a wireless message just before he was arrested by Pakistani forces on March 26, 1971.

    Leading Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star quoted National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Chairperson Prof AKM Reazul Hassan as saying that the textbooks for the new academic year would state that on March 26, 1971, Zia declared the independence of Bangladesh, and on March 27, he made another declaration of independence on behalf of Bangabandhu – Bengali term used to refer to Mujib as “friend of Bengal”.

    The Daily Star also cited researcher Rakhal Raha, who is behind the changes to the textbooks, as saying that it was an attempt to free the textbooks from “exaggerated” and “imposed” history. “Those who revised the textbooks found it wasn’t fact-based information that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman sent the wireless message [declaring independence] while being arrested by the Pakistani army, and so they decided to remove it.”

    It merits a mention that Mujib’s declaration of independence is a widely accepted belief among the supporters of his daughter-led Awami League. They claim Zia, who was an army major and later a sector commander of the forces, only read out the declaration upon Mujib’s instructions.

    On the contrary, supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which is headed by Zia’s daughter Khalida Zia, claim their party’s founder was the one to make the declaration.

    Both sides have attempted to make their claims a part of the national discourse during their respective tenures.


    The NCTB official, however, says it is not a point of debate. “This isn’t a matter related to the Awami League or BNP. This is a national issue. We’re trying to make sure that focusing on factual representation remains consistent.”

    However, the constitution of the country proclaims Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as the “Father of the Nation” stating that the telegram of the Declaration of Independence of Bangladesh was made by Bangabandhu on March 26, 1971. 

    Notably, along with the changes in the textbooks, the NCTB has also removed the title “Father of the Nation” with regard to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

    It merits a mention that the move comes months after the collapse of Hasina’s tenure at the hands of Bangladeshi students who started a movement against unfair job quotas in the country. With the movement taking the country by storm, it forced Hasina to flee to India, marking the end of her 15-year rule.

    After the fall of her government, thousands of protesters were also seen taking down the monument of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the capital city of Dhaka.

  • Rohit Sharma declines Australian PM’s invitation amid team turmoil

    Rohit Sharma declines Australian PM’s invitation amid team turmoil

    Indian captain Rohit Sharma has turned down an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to address a New Year ceremony during India’s ongoing tour of Australia.

    India’s tour Down Under has become a nightmare not only for the Indian team but also for captain Rohit Sharma. Defeats have made it difficult for India to reach the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) during this tour. Rohit Sharma himself is under severe criticism after a string of poor performances, and reports of differences with head coach Gautam Ghambir are circulating online.

    According to foreign media, during the controversy, Indian captain Rohit Sharma turned down an invitation to address an official ceremony by the Australian Prime Minister on the occasion of New Year.

    Rohit was supposed to address the ceremony, but at the last minute, he refused. Head coach Gautam Gambhir had to address the ceremony in his place. 

    The reason why Rohit refused could not be revealed, but sources say that he could not prepare himself for the address due to differences in the team and consecutive failures.

    Rohit Sharma has been dropped from the Sydney Test starting today. Jasprit Bumrah is leading in his place.

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  • Second Test: Saim Ayub injured, likely to miss upcoming matches

    Second Test: Saim Ayub injured, likely to miss upcoming matches

    Pakistan’s opener batter Saim Ayub has been injured while fielding in the second match of the series at Cape Town on Friday.

    The opener was taken off the field with the help of his teammates.

    He will likely be taken to the hospital, where his foot will be scanned, after which a decision will be made regarding his participation in the rest of the match. 

    South Africa won the toss against Pakistan and decided to bat first. 

    Earlier, Pakistan included Mir Hamza in the playing XI in place of Naseem Shah.

    Yesterday, it was reported that Mir Hamza is likely to join the team in place of Aamir Jamal, while left-arm spinner Noman Ali is unlikely to play. 

    Read this: Dropped players to return for Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign

    The South African team defeated the Green Shirts by 2-0 in the three-match T20 series, while the third and final T20 match was washed out due to rain. The Pakistani team swept hosts Proteas by 3-0 in the three-match ODI series. 

    South Africa has a 1-0 lead in the ongoing Test series, defeating the Green Shirts in the first Test match by two wickets.

  • ‘Irresponsible person’; Aliza Sultan takes jab at Feroze Khan

    ‘Irresponsible person’; Aliza Sultan takes jab at Feroze Khan

    Parenting is never easy, but single parents often face unique challenges that test their resilience and strength.


    Aliza Sultan, who became an influencer after her marriage ended, has referred to ex-husband Feroz Khan as an irresponsible father. 


    At the start of the new year, Aliza shared a photo on her social media and asked her followers to reflect on their lives by the end of 2024. Many praised her strength, and one user asked about the challenges she faces raising children as a single mother.


    Aliza responded by saying, “Raising two children as a single mother is not an easy task.This task becomes even more difficult when the father you share with is an irresponsible person. Despite all the difficulties, as a mother, you have to do everything. Sometimes you have to be strict with the children, sometimes you have to be gentle with them, sometimes you have to listen to them, and sometimes you have to tell them.”


    Aliza criticized Feroz Khan and his new wife regarding the children’s upbringing. She also praised mothers whose husbands are busy with work, saying, “Those mothers whose husbands are employed are also praiseworthy, as they are not able to give time to the house and children. In such a situation, women who take care of children are no less than heroes.”


    Many users agreed with Aliza’s response. 


    Aliza and Feroz, who is an actor, singer, and YouTuber, got married in 2018 and have two children, Sultan and Fatima. They announced their divorce in 2023. Feroz got married again in mid-2024.

  • Aqib Javed hints at forming separate teams for different formats

    Aqib Javed hints at forming separate teams for different formats

    National cricket team head coach Aqib Javed has hinted at forming separate teams for white-ball and red-ball cricket.

    “We cannot burden a player with all matches to be played in a calendar year. We have to form separate white and red-ball teams. Playing cricket continuously, reduces a player’s interest,” he said while talking on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast.

    Javed also expressed hope that defending champions Pakistan will yet again win the Champions Trophy scheduled to be hosted by the country here next month. “We will try to take full advantage of our home conditions.”

    “Victory brings happiness to the team… [and] people are disappointed after continuously losing series [recently]. The aim of the sudden change in the team and management was to help the team move towards victory,” he said further.

    The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will be hosted by Pakistan. The event  is scheduled from February 19 to March 9, 2025. The tournament will feature 15 matches over 19 days, with games hosted across Pakistan—in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi—and in Dubai.