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Category: National

  • Flying to Saudi Arabia? PIA says you need a polio vaccination certificate

    Flying to Saudi Arabia? PIA says you need a polio vaccination certificate

    A spokesperson for the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has advised passengers flying to Saudi Arabia to bring along a polio vaccination certificate with them. 

    The Kingdom has made polio certificates mandatory for flying to the country, the spokesperson clarified, adding that many passengers have faced hassle and delays at airports without certificates. 

    The vaccine can be taken at least four weeks before travelling but inoculation should not be more than six months old. The spokesperson stressed that the vaccine is necessary for all kinds of travellers, whether they are on Umrah visa, tourist visas or work permits. 

    However, travellers who are on transit in the Kingdom for less than 12 hours are not required to present a vaccination certificate. 

    The rules will apply to all airlines, not just PIA. “Travel to Saudi Arabia will not be allowed without a polio vaccination certificate, so avoid problems as these guidelines apply to travel through all airports and all airlines,” said the spokesman.

    On Thursday, Pakistan reported its second case of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in 2025 in Badin, Sindh. The first case was detected in Dera Ismail Khan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 

    2024 saw 74 confirmed cases of polio in Pakistan, with 27 detected in Balochistan, 23 from Sindh, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

  • Internet divided after Maria B ‘harassed at Aurat March’

    Internet divided after Maria B ‘harassed at Aurat March’

    After another back-and-forth between the Lahore court’s refusal and then allowing the socio-political demonstration, this year’s Aurat March Lahore took place on February 12 — Pakistan’s National Women’s Day — as folks marched from the Press Club to the Faletti’s Hotel.

    However, this was yet another year of backlash from naysayers who focused on placards against Pakistan’s fashion designer-turned-activist Maria B.

    One of the targets following the march was Leena Ghani, an artist and women’s rights activist, after she reshared an X (formerly Twitter) post, which, alluding to the placards, claimed that Maria B was “harassed” at the Aurat March.

    “ Maria B Harassed at Aurat March: A Call for Justice It is highly concerning and disappointing that a Pakistani successful business woman symbol of woman empowerment , Maria B, was harassed and defamed at the Aurat March rally, and the posters slogan against @RealMariaButt @mishilicious was posted from Aurat March’s official social media accounts also,” read one post on social media.

    It went on to say it was shocking that under a female chief minister, and with a female police official in a position of authority, such “harassment of a woman occurs”.

    “We demand that those who participated in this should be held accountable #دھندہ_ہے_پر_گندہ_ہے,” it added.

    To this, Leena responded in her stories saying, “Oh NOOO! Poor bully Maria B, queens of hate-mongering, was harassed at Aurat March… because of a placard. Public accountability hits differently, huh? Thoughts and prayers.”

    People on social media also reacted to the placards, some in support, while others harshly condemned it.

    One woman wrote, “What is this logic? Is Maria B not a woman? If aurat March participants are advocating for our rights, so why this discrimination? In both rights and among women? [sic]”

    A man suggested, “She should file a defamation case against the organisers of Aurat March.”

    Another jumped in as saying, “This reveals a hidden agenda to not just hurt Pakistan’s social fabric but also target Pakistan’s major economic contributors so they can hurt Pakistan to get their way. Seems like they’re killing many birds with one stone.”

    Several others shed light on the reasoning behind the anger against Maria B, reminding people of her dangerous activism that has put lives at stake in the name of religion and using advocacy for Palestinian rights to promote her fashion brand.

    One user wrote, “And what maria b is doing for fame? [sic]”

    Another added, “Loved every bit… religion sellers like maria b. Deserve every bit of it.”

    One recalled, “she’s hardly a role model, i remember her sending her servant back to his village when he was suffering from covid. also while she talks about islam and culture .. she hardly practices it in her professional or personal life… she’s selling religion nothing else. [sic]”

    Calling for equality across domestic, social, and political spheres, this year’s Aurat March was themed as a tribute to the founding members of the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) Lahore, among whom are notable names like lawyer and activist Asma Jahangir, Madiha Gohar, Lala Rukh, and Farida Sher. These women played an instrumental role in the 1983 march when WAF and the Punjab Women Lawyers Association gathered on Mall Road in Lahore and marched towards the Lahore High Court to protest the discriminatory Law of Evidence and other Hudood Ordinances.

    Maria B. under fire

    In August 2024, Maria B was under fire after being accused of copying designs for her Palestine campaign.

    The fashion designer launched a capsule line called the Falesteen Collection. The collection includes T-shirts, two-piece and three-piece lawn suits featuring prints of the black-and-white keffiyeh, colourful houndstooth patterns, and watermelon, symbolising Palestine’s resistance.

    One of the designs featured a map of Palestine with a boy merged into the pattern, along with the Palestine flag wrapped in olive branches.

    This design caught the attention of artist Leena Ghani, who noticed it was copied. She shared Maria B.’s campaign on her Instagram stories and tagged the page Palestine Quebec, which confirmed that Turkish artist Hacı Balina Atölye created the design.

  • Aseefa Bhutto drives two Presidents in girl-boss move

    Aseefa Bhutto drives two Presidents in girl-boss move

    First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Thursday took to X (formerly Twitter) to share footage of herself driving a car with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sitting next to her and President Asif Ali Zardari seated in the backseat. She called it an unforgettable moment. 

    Sharing footage of herself driving besides a smiling Erdogan, Aseefa wrote, “An unforgettable moment driving President 


    @RTErdogan during his visit to Pakistan. Very mindful while in the driving seat with two Presidents as passengers, but not a moment I will ever forget!”

    The youngest sister of the Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari drove the vehicle after Erdogan visited President House and gifted the Turkish-made TogT10X electric car to Asif Ali Zardari.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif also received an e-car as a gift from the Turkish President following the latter’s visit to PM House.


     
    Internet users lauded the respectful gesture of the First Lady, calling the moment “most beautiful”. A social media user commented on Aseefa’s post, “Two Presidents in your safe hands! MashaAllah! This is just the beginning, InshaAllah! May you drive the future of the people of our land. Aameen!”

    Another user wrote, “A very powerful message from Pakistan to the world on women empowerment. The First Lady of Pakistan @AseefaBZ driving the Turkish President @RTErdogan.”

    A third user commented, “Proud daughter of #SMBB and #MardHur. This is a very powerful message from Pakistan to the world on women’s empowerment. The First Lady of Pakistan @AseefaBZ driving the Turkish President @RTErdogan.”

    “This is brilliant and empowering. My sister also drive her car and with examples like @AseefaBZ many more women/girls will be able to get these empowering fundamental rights. Hats off to our women leaders for their display of diplomacy and power today (sic),” another netizen said.

    The Turkish President, who arrived on Thursday night in Islamabad from Indonesia, was warmly welcomed by Asif Ali Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif at the airport.

    During a high-level meeting in PM House on Thursday, the Turkish President maintained that both countries considered expanding the scope of their current goods and trade agreements, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

    Following the meeting, Erdogan told reporters, “Turkish investors will be encouraged to engage more in Pakistan and develop flagship projects.” 

    “Our military dialogue and cooperation in the defence industry have grown our trade and investment relations exponentially.”

    Speaking at the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum in Islamabad, the PM said, “We had committed that together, we will achieve a target of $5bn volume in bilateral trade, but unfortunately, it is a long way to go.”

  • COAS denies receiving Imran Khan’s letter

    COAS denies receiving Imran Khan’s letter

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has denied receiving any letter from incarcerated former premier Imran Khan.

    In a formal conversation with the media on Thursday, the Army chief, while alluding to the jailed Imran Khan’s open letter, said that he would not “read it [the letter] even if I receive it.”

    He maintained that he would forward any such communication to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif if he received it.

    “Pakistan is moving forward, and Pakistan has to move forward,” the army chief said.

    The clarification comes a day after Imran Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry, claimed that the PTI founder had written a third letter to the army chief.

    On February 3, Chaudhry, while speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, had stated, “Imran Khan, as a party supremo and former premier, has written a six-point letter to the army chief, expressing solidarity with the military in its fight against terrorism, and acknowledging the sacrifices made by our soldiers.”

    According to Chaudhry, Khan’s letter maintained that the entire nation was standing with its armed forces and also highlighted for Gen Munir the issue of “fraudulent elections,” the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), the 26th Amendment, and the Al-Qadir Trust case verdict against him.

    On February 8, party sources claimed Khan had written a second letter, this time complaining about the reaction to the first letter, among other things.

    “I wrote an open letter to you with sincere intentions for the betterment of the nation… However, the response I received was highly unserious and irresponsible [sic],” read a statement on Khan’s official X handle.

    In the second letter, Khan reportedly went on to write a series of complaints to General Asim Munir. “I was placed in solitary confinement under extreme conditions for 20 days… in a cell where even sunlight could not reach. For five days, my cell’s electricity was cut off, leaving me in complete darkness,” he claimed.

    “My exercise equipment and television were confiscated and I was denied access to newspapers… apart from those 20 days, I was also kept in solitary for 40 hours,” he said and added that he had only been allowed to talk to his sons three times over the past six months, despite a court order allowing him to contact his children regularly.

    On February 12, Faisal Chaudhry said in a statement, “The PTI founder, in his letter to the army chief, has raised the issue of giving preference to the minority over the majority through election fraud.”

  • NAB chief warns of capital flight as 25,000 Pakistanis shift funds abroad for foreign citizenship

    NAB chief warns of capital flight as 25,000 Pakistanis shift funds abroad for foreign citizenship

    National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman, retired Lieutenant Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt, has warned that approximately 25,000 individuals may have shifted significant capital abroad to acquire citizenship through investment.

    NAB Chairman, while speaking at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday, underscored the need to curb both brain drain and capital flight to retain Pakistan’s human and financial resources.

    An analysis by Pulse Consultants, An Overview of Pakistani Emigration Patterns (2008-2024), based on data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, found that around 10 million Pakistanis have moved abroad in search of work since 2008. These Pakistanis working overseas contributed a significant $30.251 million in remittances in the fiscal year 2023-24.

    Of these, approximately 2.389 million moved abroad during the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) era from 2008 to 2013. According to the analysis, a whopping 3.54 million people moved abroad during the time of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government from 2013 to 2018.

    Another 1.75 million Pakistanis left the country under Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) aborted tenure from 2018 to 2022. The incumbent Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, however, has seen nearly the same figure, 1.67 million, leave in just the past two years, from 2022 to 2024.

    NAB Chairman maintained that if the nation focused on growth, the country had the potential to become a trillion-dollar economy within the next six to seven years, according to the KCCI’s press release.

    He asserted that rice exports alone had reached $3.8 billion, while total agricultural exports touched $9 billion. Pakistan had shifted from an agriculture-import-driven economy to an export-driven one, a positive trend that should be leveraged, he added.

    He also emphasised that Pakistan must focus on improving its competitiveness rather than relying on trade agreements such as the European Union’s GSP+ preferential tariff scheme.

    NAB Chairman further reiterated NAB’s commitment to creating a fair business environment and discouraging harassment by government departments.

    Meanwhile, Businessmen Group (BMG) Chairman Zubair Motiwala said Pakistan’s IT sector had the potential to reach $30 billion in exports, but this potential was being undermined due to harassment by numerous departments.

  • Heated debate erupts between Gharida Farooqi, Meher Bano Qureshi on TV show

    Heated debate erupts between Gharida Farooqi, Meher Bano Qureshi on TV show

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Meher Bano Qureshi and journalist Gharida Farooqi got into a heated debate on Wednesday when the latter said that legislators are accountable to the media and the public.

    Speaking on a private news channel on Wednesday, the journalist mocked PTI’s narrative, remarking that whenever the party leadership met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir, they beamed with joy.  “We used to criticise Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz over their U-turn from ‘Vote Ko Izzat Do’ slogan,” she said.

    Gharida Farooqi further claimed that PTI came into power in 2018 with public tax money and if the party wished to form the government again, it would be accountable to the public as well as to the media.

    In reply, the daughter of imprisoned former Foreign Minister and senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Meher Bano Qureshi, alleged, “You [Farooqi] as a journalist are accountable to people, where you spread or mis spread information to {…} If you want to talk about accountability, then all the individuals who sit in parliament with false oaths, knowing that they were not actually elected, are also accountable.”

    Qureshi further said, “This is also accountability that you [Farooqi] should have to speak the truth by telling where the interference happened and who was involved in the interference.”

    The journalist countered by asserting that she would not speak the truth of someone’s choice, adding, “The patriarchal thinking that politicians are not accountable to media and public must be left behind.”

    The journalist then moved on to ask why the salaries of Members of the National Assembly (MNA) were increased, alluding to the bill passed yesterday from the National Assembly, which increased Members of Parliament’s monthly salaries from PKR 180,000 to 519,000.

    Farooqi claimed that the rationale for increasing the wages of MNAs and senators to meet their household expenses is completely illogical. “I do not pay taxes to cover your [lawmakers] household expenses, but pay for state welfare and my own convenience.”

    PML-N leader Rana Ahsan Afzal, who was also present in the talk show, chimed in, saying that the legislators get compensation in exchange for serving their role in parliamentary democracy.

    “If a laborer who gets PKR35,000-40,000 salary in this country can meet his household expenses, then our parliamentarian can definitely manage on a lac or two lacs,” asserted Farooqi.

    “Why then did the judges and journalists receive high salaries?” asked Afzal while dubbing debate “illogical”.

  • ‘Toxic’ food at Lahore marquee lands all wedding guests in hospital

    ‘Toxic’ food at Lahore marquee lands all wedding guests in hospital

    Punjab Food Authority has lodged an FIR against the owners of a marquee in Lahore’s Johar Town when 350 guests at a wedding fell ill after consuming the food served at the venue. 

    Reports indicate that all the guests complained of nausea, vomiting and severe stomach ache at the wedding held on Tuesday night, prompting them all to be shifted to various hospitals in the vicinity. 

    While the majority of the guests were shifted to private hospitals, nearly a hundred were taken to government facilities where the condition of nine patients is said to be critical. 

    A food safety officer has alleged in the FIR that unhygienic food was served to the wedding guests. After the Department was informed by a guest about the illnesses, inspection teams were dispatched to the venue to collect samples. 

    Sheikh Mohammad Javed, the owner of the marquee, has been nominated in the FIR for not maintaining hygiene standards at the cooking spot. 

    The venue had been booked by Sarfaraz, a resident of Khayaban-e-Amin, for his wedding. He has accused the owner of the marquee of serving sub-standard food to the guests.

  • Marwat says he is ‘deeply saddened’ after Imran expells him from PTI

    Marwat says he is ‘deeply saddened’ after Imran expells him from PTI

    Firebrand leader Sher Afzal Marwat has released a response hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan expelled him from the party.

    Marwat took to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday (today) to state that he always remained loyal to Imran Khan and will stand by his principals. “I am deeply saddened by the recent decision, which seems influenced by individuals who have never accepted me within the party,” he said.

    Marwat stated that he would  explain his position on Thursday night, noting, “I trust that PTI workers, who have fought for justice alongside me, will continue to stand for what is right.”

    “PTI must uphold its core values of democracy, transparency, and justice. True loyalty is not about blind obedience but about ensuring that our movement stays on the right path. Khan Sahib is, and will always remain, my leader. My struggle is not for personal gain but for the integrity of PTI and the vision we all share,” he wrote.

    Marwat’s expulsion notification, which was posted on PTI’s official X account on Wednesday night, read, “Further to the Show Cause Notice issued to Mr Sher Afzal Marwat and his subsequent reply, the party has considered his reply and also his actions subject to the Show Cause notice.”

    “Taking both these aspects into consideration and on the instructions of Founding Chairman Imran Khan, Mr. Sher Afzal Marwat is being expelled from the party with immediate effect.”

    Marwat’s termination came just three days after the former ruling party staged a rally in Swabi against what it believes was the rigged election in 2024.

    A media report claims that the PTI leaders complained to Imran Khan about Marwat’s behaviour at the February 8 Swabi public gathering. 

    During his speech, Marwat cryptically said that “bad people” always became helpful during “bad times”, but some “good people in good times” have zipped their lips.

    Last month, PTI issued a show-cause notice to the lawmaker for violation of the party discipline for his remarks against the party’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja at a private news channel.


    The maverick leader challenged Raja’s position in the party, saying that according to the party constitution, Raja cannot become the party’s secretary general. “Only the elected person who has contested an intra-party election is eligible for the position of party secretary-general,” he explained.

     
    He went on to say that Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan and Firdous Shamim Naqvi are public officeholders. “Salman Akram Raja is a stranger [to the party],” he added.


    Marwat’s scathing attack on Raja follows when the PTI Secretary General, while speaking on the private media outlet, had downplayed Marwat’s claims, which he recently linked to party founder Imran Khan, saying, “Only two or four party members are deemed capable of having the right to speak about the party.


    “Marwat statement has nothing to do with the party’s official narrative. His [Marwat] statements are unimportant,” Raja said.

  • Justice Azmat Saeed passes away

    Justice Azmat Saeed passes away

    Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Azmat Saeed Sheikh, passed away on Wednesday in Lahore, multiple media reports have stated, citing sources in his family. 

    The retired Justice was reportedly receiving treatment in a private hospital since a few days. 

    Azmat Saeed served as a Justice of the Supreme Court from 2012 till his retirement in 2019. Before serving in the apex court, he had served as the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court.

    Funeral arrangements have not been announced as of yet.

  • VIDEO: French president’s Modi handshake snub goes viral

    VIDEO: French president’s Modi handshake snub goes viral

    A viral video has shown French President Emmanuel Macron ignoring a handshake with Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, sparking mixed reactions online.

    As per the details, the footage showed Macron greeting foreign leaders with a handshake at the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris. However, he ignored Modi despite the latter’s attempts to shake his hand.

    Macron was seen shaking hands with leaders in the row right behind Modi while the rather confused Indian premier looks on, abruptly starting to wave moments later. To counter the awkwardness, Modi was then seen turning to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who shook his hand.

    While some internet users call it an embarrassment for Modi, others seem curious about the alleged snub. A user on X (formerly Twitter) asked, “French President Macron ignored Modi while Modi offered a handshake while sitting! Isn’t this an international embarrassment?”

    “French President Emmanuel Macron didn’t shake hands with PM Modi despite being attempted multiple times by him. This is a blatant disregard of PM at the world forum [sic],” said another user.

    A third user wondered if the snub was related to any diplomatic tensions or was simply an awkward moment.

    “Emmanuel Macron shouldn’t have done this with World Number 1 leader Narendra Modi G tried three times to shake hands with him, but he intentionally ignored. Sh@me on you, Macron [sic],” wrote a user.

    Another opined that it was diplomatic blunder by Modi. “Macron greets leaders but skips Modi’s handshake. A telling moment on the world stage! India’s global image under BJP keeps taking hits.”

    “French President Macron shook hands with world leaders but blatantly ignored Indian PM Modi. Macron’s software refused to detect Modi,” quipped one.

    Meanwhile, some tweeted that the Indian PM had already shaken hands before the clip was recorded, and the two later entered the conference hall together, greeting other leaders.

    “Why was Modi getting up to shake hands again, then? Emmanuel Macron ignored him for the second time and met other leaders. If he already met with Modi, then why did he try for the second time? Don’t work like Modi’s PR agency,” replied a user.