Category: National

A digital news network, The Centrum Media (TCM) Originals, has removed a video featuring actor and social media activist Adeel Afzal criticising the script of the drama serial Ehd-e-Wafa.

The video was removed from all social media platforms days after a short clip from it went viral online.

In the video, the social media activist launched a scathing critique of the drama’s script, arguing that Ahad Raza Mir’s character, army officer Saad Faraz, was glorified while the other main characters were downplayed. Afzal declared the script a biased narrative with an unbalanced portrayal of characters.

The drama’s main story revolves around four friends, Saad, Shahzain, Shariq, and Shehryar, who pursue careers in prestigious fields after completing their education at Lawrence College in Murree.

Ahad Raza Mir’s character, Saad, is depicted as a disciplined and courageous army officer dedicated to the defense of the nation, while Osama Khalid Butt’s character, Malik Shahzain, is portrayed as ambitious yet flawed. Later, he steps into politics.

Wahaj Ali’s character, Shariq Habeeb, becomes a journalist who is ambitious about uncovering the truth and passionate about using his words as his weapon. Ahmed Ali Akbar’s character, Shehryar, hails from a lower-middle-class family, clears the prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) exams, and becomes an Assistant Commissioner (AC).

Storyteller Adeel Afzal sharply criticised Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for allegedly funding the drama, which, according to him, portrayed politicians, journalists, and bureaucrats as inferior.

He objected to the script for painting the politician character as “negative” and uninterested in education, while politician grandfather’s character was portrayed as “funny.”

Afzal further highlighted that the drama depicted the journalist’s family background as mediocre, pointing out that “the journalist’s sister was shown as a nurse” who had a court marriage, and Shariq himself was portrayed as a cunning boy before entering journalism.

Taking a dig at the drama’s script for portraying the army officer, his family, and even his dog as noble while depicting other characters as unintelligent and inferior in status and respect, he asked, “Ye drama aap banayenge? Ye investment aap karenge? Kin se likhwa rahe hain, kin se banwa rahe hain?” (“Will you make such a drama? Will you invest in it? Who are you getting it written by, and who are you getting it filmed by?”)

“Hum aap ki is game se tang aa chuke hain (We are tired of this game of yours),” he concluded.

Later in the day, the interview in question was reuploaded with said part trimmed out.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) marked its 25th anniversary by introducing Pakistan’s first-ever Dematerialized (Digital) ID Card.

A grand ceremony was held at the NADRA headquarters, where congratulatory messages from President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were read out.

President Asif Ali Zardari lauded NADRA’s efforts, stating, “NADRA’s services in providing citizens with legal and secure identification are commendable. It is strengthening the bond of trust between the state and the people.”

He further urged NADRA to enhance its performance by expanding the use of modern technology, saying, “NADRA should further broaden its technological advancements to improve efficiency.”

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his message, emphasized the role of technology in economic progress, remarking, “NADRA’s expertise in technology will play a fundamental role in the country’s economic development.”

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, while speaking at the event, described the Dematerialized ID Card as a significant step toward digital identification.

“The Dematerialized ID Card is a crucial move towards digital identity,” he said, adding that “A digital verification system will soon be introduced, and an integrated system for verifying Dematerialized ID Cards is also being developed”.

Zahid Ahsan, NADRA’s founding chairman, attended the Silver Jubilee event as the guest of honour.

The launch of Dematerialized ID Cards marks a new era for Pakistan’s digital identity system, reflecting NADRA’s commitment to innovation and technological progress.

United States (US) immigration officials barred Pakistani Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ahsan Wagan from entering the country upon his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport during a private visit on Monday.

According to media reports, despite holding a valid visa and all legal travel documents, the ambassador was denied entry into the US and deported from Los Angeles airport.

US immigration authorities maintained that there were “certain visa references” related to Ambassador Wagan in their system, leading to the denial of entry. However, the details of these alleged visa references or any specific security concerns have not been disclosed publicly.

As per reports, the Pakistani Foreign Office has expressed surprise and dissatisfaction, emphasising that despite possessing all the required travel documents, the ambassador was deported from the airport.

Ahsan Wagan is currently serving as Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkmenistan.

On March 8, International Women’s Day came and went; however, the staggering disparities between economic indicators for men and women remained. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report for 2024 shows how Pakistan has regressed, falling by three ranks in comparison to the previous year.

Pakistan was able to secure a measly 0.570 on the global gender gap index, allowing it to rank only above war-torn Sudan out of the 146 countries which were part of the study. For reference, a score of 0 indicates a complete lack of equality between genders, whereas a score of 1 suggests perfect parity.

Statistics indicate that women face barriers in attaining education, as the female literacy rate sits at 52 percent compared to 73 percent for males. Consequently, women are often confined to the unskilled labour force, earning meagre incomes. Even if they are qualified to secure a decent-paying job, they are usually deprived of the opportunity to seek employment altogether.

Women are frequently denied the right to actively participate in the economy and often lose out on opportunities to increase their standard of living. They are locked out of the workforce and are relegated to unpaid tasks – such as custodial duties in the household.

Proof of the aforementioned fact can be found in Pakistan’s economic parity value, which is at an uneasy 36 percent. When a certain stratum of the population, in this case, women, are deprived of economic opportunities, the prolonged absence of an income stream can result in imbalances in wealth and property ownership.

Moreover, the gap in property ownership is exacerbated as women are denied their right to inherit their share. A survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan in October 2024 revealed that approximately 35 percent of Pakistanis share the view that women are blocked from claiming their rightful share.

Data from the latest Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) revealed that only two percent of women own land as opposed to their male counterparts, of whom 27 percent are land owners. The gap is even more insidious when home ownership is concerned, as 72 percent of males own houses compared to just three percent of women.

While the PDHS has not been conducted in a while, the findings from 2018 remain highly relevant in offering insights as no notable shifts have been noted in key metrics to suggest that ownership levels have significantly deviated from the aforementioned values.

Comparing property ownership along the lines of gender is essential as owning property can unlock access to credit – as formal banking institutions require collateral before issuing loans. This results in female entrepreneurs running into issues blocking them from operating their businesses efficiently.

As per a recent World Bank report on women’s economic empowerment in Pakistan, women are, on average, 55 percent less likely to operate full-time businesses, and are 11 percentage points less likely to run businesses with ‘regular wage’ employees.

If Pakistan seeks to improve the standing of its women, the government could consider investing in education and protecting women’s property rights. Perhaps such investments could allow for future reports to reveal a fall in the hardships women have to face in Pakistan.

Indian media has claimed that well-known religious scholar Mufti Shah Mir, accused of facilitating the arrest of Indian operative Kulbhushan Jadhav, was shot dead in Turbat, Balochistan, on Friday.

Bikers reportedly ambushed Mir and shot him multiple times at point-blank range as he was leaving the local mosque after night (Taraweeh) prayers.

Indian media details that two other persons linked to the religious political party, Wadera Ghulam Sarwar and Maulvi Amanullah, were shot dead last week by bike-riding assailants in what the local police described as targeted killings. The security guard of one also sustained bullet injuries.

Mir had reportedly survived two assassination attempts last year and had recently restricted his movements.

Meanwhile, police told a leading Pakistani English newspaper that the religious scholar was shot by armed men in Turbat town, Kech, as he was coming out of the mosque after performing night prayers.

Police said, “Armed men riding motorcycles opened fire on Mufti Shah Mir and injured him seriously,” adding that Mir was immediately shifted to Turbat Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries.

Kulbhushan Jadhav

Yadav, a former Indian Navy commander deployed by the Indian covert agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) as a high-level spy in Pakistan to orchestrate terrorism and insurgency in Balochistan, was arrested on March 3, 2016.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, Jadhav was arrested through a counter-intelligence operation in Balochistan’s Mashkel area for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities against Pakistan.

In April 2017, a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) handed Jadhav the death sentence after trial for his involvement in espionage and sabotage activities in Karachi and Balochistan.

“The spy was tried through Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) and awarded the death sentence. Today Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa confirmed his death sentence awarded by FGCM,” the military’s media wing had said.

Jadhav confessed before a magistrate and court that he was tasked by RAW to plan, coordinate and organise espionage and sabotage activities seeking to destabilise and wage war against Pakistan by impeding the efforts of law enforcement agencies for the restoration of peace in Balochistan and Karachi, the ISPR said.

However, the order of sentencing the Indian spy is yet to be implemented as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a stay on it in July 2019.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik Monday said that the President Donald Trump-led United States (US) administration had not imposed a complete travel ban on Pakistani citizens, however, some restrictions could be introduced.

Speaking to a private media outlet, Malik said that while the US had expressed concerns over the surge in terrorism-related incidents in Pakistan, it had not imposed a blanket ban on Pakistanis travelling to the US.

The minister’s remarks comes days after Reuters reported the possibility of a ban on Pakistanis and Afghan nationals entering the US.

“We are in contact with the State Department, but nothing has been shared yet,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said in conversation with a local English daily.

When asked about Pakistan’s possible placement in the restricted travel category, he said, “It’s currently based on news reports. Nothing official as yet. We are still awaiting confirmation.”

Following the Reuters report, The New York Times had also suggested that Pakistanis might not face an outright travel ban but could be subjected to increased scrutiny when applying for US visas.

The report indicated that Pakistan might be placed in the “orange” category, which would impose restrictions on specific visa types. Countries in this category would be eligible for certain visas, such as business travel for affluent individuals, but would face restrictions on immigrant and tourist visas.

Additionally, visa durations could be reduced, and applicants would be required to undergo in-person interviews.

The draft proposal also recommends a “red list,” which would primarily include countries previously restricted under earlier versions of the travel ban. These countries reportedly include Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, according to The New York Times.

The proposed draft tentatively adds Afghanistan to the list, but it is unclear whether Pakistan is included. However, reports suggest that some Pakistani students studying in the US have been advised not to return home, as their institutions are uncertain if they would be allowed back into the country.

Last week, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) warned Pakistanis — including individuals of nearly a dozen other nationalities — not to travel from the US until the administration officially announced the new travel policy.

Journalist Iftikhar Firdous has revealed details of the arrest of Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K) leader Mohammad Sharifullah whose handing over to the United States (US) made headlines with President Donald Trump thanking Pakistan.

Appearing on a private media outlet, Firdous said that Sharifullah’s name came to light after Pakistani intelligence agencies interrogated Adil Panjsheri, who was responsible for the bombing at Kabul University in 2020.

“Pakistani intelligence conducted the operation after Americans provided information about Sharifullah’s whereabouts,” he added. To a question about US forces’ involvement in the on-ground action, Firdous said that the operation was “purely conducted” by Pakistani intelligence.

He claimed that more than 20 countries provided intelligence for the arrest of 48 terrorists, but intelligence on Sharifullah was provided by the US alone.

The 48 terror suspects who were arrested by Pakistan, Firdous said, were involved in the Moscow attack, a twin suicide attack on Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani’s anniversary which killed over 100 people, and the attack on American soldiers at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport during the final days of the US troop withdrawal from the country in 2021.

When asked if Sharifullah was arrested from Afghanistan or Balochistan, Firdous said that the terrorist was held in central Balochistan, whereas others were arrested over the course of seven months from different areas.

Speaking to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump had thanked Pakistan for its role in arresting the alleged mastermind behind the 2021 Kabul Airport bombing, Sharifuulah, also known as Jafar.

“Three and a half years ago, ISIS terrorists killed 13 American service members and many others during the Abbey Gate bombing. Tonight, I am pleased to announce that we have apprehended the top terrorist responsible for that atrocity, and he is now on his way to face American justice. I especially want to thank the Government of Pakistan for helping to arrest this monster,” Trump had said while announcing the arrest and imminent extradition of the suspect.

On August 26, 2021, a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during the final days of the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan killed 13 American soldiers and at least 113 Afghan civilians. Islamic State-Khorasan ISIS-K had claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to media reports, suspect Sharifullah was produced in a Virginia courtroom Wednesday for trial. Sharifullah was told that if proven guilty, he would face lifetime imprisonment.