Current Final

Category: National

  • PTV won’t give coverage to Opp, says new chairman

    Newly-appointed Pakistan Television (PTV) Chairman Naeem Bukhari, who has also remained the lawyer of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has the national television will not broadcast any speeches by the opposition parties.

    Bukhari’s comments pertaining to the blackout of the opposition on PTV came despite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) manifesto that promised to transform PTV on the lines of BBC — the British state broadcaster. The ruling party had also protested during the PML-N government after the latter refused to allow PTI leaders air-time on PTV.

    Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court building, Bukhari said there will be no equal air-time for the opposition parties on PTV, as being a state-run organisation, it will only air the stance of the incumbent regime. “Only government?” asked the reporter. “Yes, only government,” Bukhari said.

    On Monday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified Bukhari, who has a vast experience of doing TV programmes, as chairman of PTV. The appointment was made after a court ruling in Sept 2020 declared the appointments of PTV chairman Arshad Khan and independent members of the board of directors illegal while directing the government to fill the vacant slots in accordance with the law. 

    Bukhari, who has worked as an anchorperson and commentators on PTV for decades, had joined PTI in June 2016. At the time, he called Imran Khan the “only political leader who had the courage to speak the truth”. Bukhari also represented Imran when he went to the Supreme Court against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Papers leak.

    The pleas that were later admitted by the apex court which disqualified Nawaz Sharif for being “dishonest” under Article 62 (1)(f).

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also hired the services of Bukhari as a special prosecutor to take up cases against close confidants of Sharif brothers — former Lahore Development Authority chief Ahad Cheema and former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.

  • Will Nawaz stay in London till end of Imran govt?

    Will Nawaz stay in London till end of Imran govt?

    Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif is not going to accompany the dead body of his mother Shamim Akhtar, who died last week, giving rise to speculations that the ex-PM will not come back till the end of the incumbent government.

    His decision of staying in London couple with a tweet by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz — wherein she asked her father to stay in London because the government was hell-bent on exacting revenge — has prompted people to ask if this was his plan all along.

    In a tweet following the death of her grandmother, Maryam had said: “I have requested Mian sahab not to come back [to Pakistan] at all. These are tyrants, these are the people hellbent on exacting revenge, and no humanity is expected from them.” Maryam also said that the government didn’t inform her of her grandmother’s death while she was attending a rally in Peshawar.

    Nawaz has been living in London since November last year when he was released on conditional medical bail for his treatment abroad. Dar, on the other hand, has taken self-exile in the United Kingdom after his removal from the post of Finance Minister in 2017 following the emergence of allegations of accumulation of assets beyond means against him. Both of them are wanted back home in multiple cases of graft and abuse of power

    Political analysts said the remarks by the PML-N vice president were devoid of logic, as Maryam couldn’t hold the government responsible in this case. “It is however her right to advise her father,” analyst Irshad Bhatti said in a Geo News show. According to Bhatti, the elder Sharif’s decision not to return was a “pre-planned” strategy by the PML-N to pressurise the government and seek reprieve.

    Similar views were shared by analysts Hassan Nisar, Dr Rasul Baksh Rais, and Muneeb Farooq.

    Farooq and Dr Rais said the former prime minister will not be coming back to Pakistan during the government of Imran Khan, and a recent statement by Maryam Nawaz, asking him to stay in London indefinitely, has proved it. Dr Rais said the decision that Nawaz will not return during the PTI government tenure was taken a long time ago and the statement made by Maryam was an attempt at political damage control.

    Shamim Begum, the Sharif family matriarch, breathed her last in London on Sunday due to a chest infection at the age of 89. Her body will be moved to Pakistan within next few days. Her grandsons, Hassan and Hussain, will also not accompany her dead body to Pakistan.

  • PM approves law for chemical castration of rapists

    PM approves law for chemical castration of rapists

    The federal cabinet has approved a law that proposes chemical castration as a punishment for convicted rapists.

    In a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, the Ministry of Law and Justice presented a draft of an anti-rape ordinance. The draft proposes a fast-track trial in rape cases, effective involvement of women in matters pertaining to gender-based violence, maintaining a database of serial rapists, and witness protection.

    During the meeting, the prime minister said the government will not tolerate any lax attitude in the implementation of anti-rape laws and added that the safety of all citizens was the utmost priority of the government. The premier said the legislation will be clear and transparent with strict enforcement. He said the rape survivors will be able to register complaints without fear, adding that the government will protect their identity.

    During the meeting, some ministers also proposed public hanging for rapists, but the premier postponed this suggestion for another time.

    According to PM’s aide Senator Faisal Javed, the government needs to bring tougher laws to curb crimes against women. He said the new proposed legislation will be presented before parliament for approval.

    It may be noted here that Pakistan reported over 120 rapes from Oct 12 to Nov 24, according to a tally kept by The Current. Legal experts say that the rape conviction rate in Pakistan can be as low as 2 per cent, so instead of bringing harsher punishments, the government must focus on strengthening its criminal justice system to punish such crimes.

    From Oct 12-Nov 24: 123 rape cases and 11 death

    “The conviction rate drops even lower in cases where a minor has been raped. That is one of the reasons that rape is rarely reported,” the experts observed. They blamed social stigma attached to sex crimes and the ‘abhorrently misogynistic attitude’ of many police officials for the underreporting of rape cases.

  • Attack on CTD office foiled, suspected bomber killed

    The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) foiled a terrorist attack on CTD Police Station Burki Road, Lahore, as it neutralised a would-be suicide bomber who tried to blow up the building.

    A police guard on duty shot the alleged suicide bomber when he did not stop for identification, a CTD spokesperson said. He said the terrorist fired at the check post, but the guard on duty shot him down in retaliatory fire. The alleged terrorist wanted to carry out a suicide attack on the police station; however, timely action by the security officials foiled his plan, the CTD official said.

    The suicide bomber was wearing a suicide vest and had two hand grenades and a handgun in his possession. The bomb disposal squad defused the suicide jacket and took into possession the weapons. It also collected evidence for forensic evaluation.

    No information was given about his identity by the police. Meanwhile, the police have started an investigation and were trying to trace his collaborators.

    Following the attempted attack, the security forces started a search operation after cordoning off the area.

  • Nawaz welcome to attend mother’s funeral in Lahore, govt says

    Nawaz welcome to attend mother’s funeral in Lahore, govt says

    The government on Tuesday dismissed the impression of placing restrictions on the arrival of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his sons — Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz — and former finance minister Ishaq Dar for the funeral of Begum Shamim Akhtar, the mother of Sharif brothers who passed away in London on Sunday.

    Nawaz has been living in London since November last year when he was released on conditional medical bail for his treatment abroad. Dar, on the other hand, has taken self-exile in the United Kingdom after his removal from the post of Finance Minister in 2017 following the emergence of allegations of accumulation of assets beyond means against him. Both of them are wanted back home in multiple cases of graft and abuse of power

    Speculations arose after the sudden demise of Akhtar, who had travelled to London in February to live with her son, whether or not Nawaz and Dar will return to attend the funeral.

    Later on Sunday, Nawaz’s daughter and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz, in a tweet, said she had advised her father not to return because of what she claimed was the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government’s vendetta against the Sharif family.

    “They are welcome to come to Pakistan and attend the funeral,” Minister for Information Shibli Faraz said on Tuesday.

    In a tweet, Faraz warned the opposition party of trying to politicise the matter. “The narrative of state suppression is deliberate propaganda and an attempt to politicise this issue. Who are you trying to fool?”

    Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to bring the body back to Lahore within a couple of days to be buried next to the grave of her husband, Mian Sharif, at the family’s Jati Umra residence.

  • Examination centres in Quetta violate COVID-19 SOPs

    Students in Quetta were forced to appear in BA and BSc examinations with no heater arrangements.

    A video doing the rounds on social media shows that no COVID-19 standard operating procedure (SOPs) were followed at the examination centers. SOPs including social distancing and wearing of masks were overlooked.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg8xbcVtwEs
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AroAT3JXhm8

    Furthermore, very few students can be seen wearing masks in the examination center.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLF0f7Hs8SE
  • Mubasher Lucman wants Pakistan to establish ties with Israel

    Mubasher Lucman wants Pakistan to establish ties with Israel

    A day after the reports of a secret meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, journalist and anchorperson Mubasher Lucman urged the Pakistani state to revisit its foreign policy and “establish diplomatic ties with Israel”.

    The anchorperson who appeared on an Israeli news channel to supposedly comment on the controversy surrounding the latest push of Arab countries to normalise ties with Israel said that it was time for Pakistan to be “friends with everyone”, including Tel Aviv.

    https://twitter.com/TeamMLucman/status/1328780163283226624

    According to Lucman, Pakistan needs to put itself first and stop fighting for the rights of other nations — Palestinians in this case. “I am one of those people who believe both countries should shake hands and establish diplomatic ties,” said Lucman, as he went on to call Israel a “vibrant country”.

    The journalist also undermine the struggle for self-determination of the Palestinian people, while trying to play down the atrocities committed by the Israeli troops against the Palestinian people. “People in Pakistan do not know much about Israel, except that it is a zionist state carrying out ‘whatever it is doing against Palestinians’”.

    “The Israeli nation is a great nation in their own way. They are fighters, they are survivors,” said Lucman, comparing it with Pakistan which is a “great country in its own right with many accolades”.

    Lucman also commented on a recent media reports that claimed Pakistan was being pressurised by the US and another Muslim country to recognise Tel Aviv. He said: “If Israel and Pakistan ever ever have to shake hands, it must not be due to a third party, it must be directly. We don’t need to be subservient to anyone, be it the US or Saudi Arabia.”

    He also said the “animosity between Pakistan and Israel” existed for over 70 years now, and both states needed to educate their masses if things have to “progress” from this stage to the next.

    Earlier this month, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan would not accept Israel unless Palestinians get their right to self-determination. He also told a journalist that US outgoing President Donald Trump and a Muslim country wanted Pakistan to accept Israel, which it cannot do.

    MBS-NETANYAHU MEETING:

    On Monday, Netanyahu allegedly met MBS in Saudi Arabia, which observers see a step towards recoginsation of Tel Aviv by Saudi Arabia. There has been widespread speculation, within Israel and the US, that Washington may push for other Arab states to follow suit before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in.

    However, the reports of the meeting were denied by the Saudi foreign minister. “I have seen press reports about a purported meeting between HRH the Crown Prince and Israeli officials during the recent visit by @SecPompeo. No such meeting occurred. The only officials present were American and Saudi,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud wrote on Twitter on Monday.

  • Mahira Khan, Dr Sania Nishtar among BBC’s ‘100 women of 2020’

    Mahira Khan, Dr Sania Nishtar among BBC’s ‘100 women of 2020’

    A proud moment for Pakistan as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr Sania Nishtar and Mahira Khan make it to BBC’s ‘100 women of 2020‘ list.

    According to BBC, the list includes “100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020”.

    “This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times,” said the publication.

    Writing about Mahira, BBC said: “Mahira Khan is no ordinary actress – she is outspoken against sexual violence, refuses to endorse skin-lightening creams and supports the fight against racism. She wants to tackle social issues in her native Pakistan by changing the narrative in films and on TV.”

    “Mahira is a national goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, raising awareness of the plight of Afghan refugees in Pakistan. She’s been a firm favourite with audiences ever since starting out as an MTV video jockey (VJ) in 2006. Mahira is also a devoted mother to her 11-year-old son,” it added.

    Mahira Khan with son Azlan

    Similarly, talking about Dr Nishtar, BBC wrote: “Dr Sania Nishtar is a leader in global health and sustainable development. Since 2018, she has been spearheading the transformative Ehsaas Poverty Alleviation programme, which has improved the livelihoods of millions of Pakistanis by providing mobile banking and savings accounts, and other basic resources.”

    “As SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, Sania has helped to empower the masses by taking the necessary first steps toward the development of a welfare state in Pakistan.”

    Explaining the process behind the selection, BBC stated: “The BBC’s 100 Women team drew up a shortlist based on names gathered by them and suggested by the BBC’s network of World Service languages teams. We were looking for candidates who had made the headlines or influenced important stories over the past 12 months, as well as those who have inspiring stories to tell, achieved something significant or influenced their societies in ways that wouldn’t necessarily make the news. The pool of names was then assessed against this year’s theme – women who led change – and measured for regional representation and due impartiality before the final names were chosen.”

    The list also includes Sanna Marin, who leads Finland’s all-female coalition government, Michelle Yeoh, star of the new Avatar and Marvel films and Sarah Gilbert, who heads the Oxford University research into a coronavirus vaccine. Meanwhile, one name on the list has been left blank as a tribute to countless women “around the world who have made sacrifices to help others”.

  • Meet the first-ever female PSP officer of Balochistan

    Meet the first-ever female PSP officer of Balochistan

    Women of “conservative” Balochistan have little space in the political, cultural, economic, or social fields. Conditions are even worse for Balochistan’s women in rural areas.

    Surviving all these hurdles, Pari Gul Tareen has been posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Quetta Cantt. Tareen is the first woman in the history of the province to be appointed to this post.

    She hails from the Pishin area of ​​Balochistan and is the first woman in the province to join the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) after passing the Central Superior Services (CSS) exam.

    CHANGING TIMES:

    Tareen is, however, not the only one to have made the country proud in these changing times.

    Nigar Johar had earlier this year been promoted by the Pakistan Army to become the first woman lieutenant general.

    According to the military’s media wing, Johar, who hails from the Panjpeer area of Swabi district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), also holds the accolade for becoming the first woman surgeon general of the Pakistan Army.

    Earlier, in 2017, Johar had become the third woman officer to reach the rank of major general.

    Swabi has produced a number of generals, but it was the first time that a woman had reached the said army rank.

  • PM approves national intelligence body for effective coordination among spy agencies

    PM approves national intelligence body for effective coordination among spy agencies

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved the formation of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee for effective coordination among the over two dozen intelligence organisations in the country.

    According to a report in Dawn.com, the committee will be headed by Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. According to the report, though the terms of reference of the body have yet to be finalised, the proposal for the body was submitted to the premier after a thorough discussion between the intelligence agencies.

    The move is part of the long-awaited reform of the intelligence apparatus, which aims at clarifying the role of respective agencies, improving their coordination, and optimising their capabilities, said the report.

    In past, the civilian government made multiple attempts to reform intelligence agencies, but to no avail, specifically due to differences over the leadership of the new body.

    In 2008, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government placed the ISI and Intelligence Bureau (IB) under the “administrative and financial” control of the Ministry of Interior, but the notification was retracted following a backlash from the military officials.

    Similarly, attempts by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government to reform the intelligence agencies of the country failed.