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  • ‘Parliamentarians being threatened to legalise homosexuality in Pakistan’

    ‘Parliamentarians being threatened to legalise homosexuality in Pakistan’

    Lawmakers belonging to both the National Assembly and Senate are receiving threats for refusing to move the parliament for the legalisation of homosexuality in Pakistan, senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir has claimed.

    In his latest column for Daily Jang, Mir has quoted a senator as saying that students of a reputable educational institution are nowadays approaching parliamentarians to move the house for the legalisation of homosexuality in the country.

    “They [the youngsters] have been contacting different lawmakers and demanding, that like many other countries, homosexuality should be legalised in Pakistan,” the journalist quoted the senator as saying.

    He claimed that when the lawmaker advised one of the students to focus on religion and praying five times a day so that “their thoughts do not go astray”, the youngster urged the senator to at least move the Upper House in this regard.

    “When the senator strongly turned down the student’s demand, they were threatened by the youngsters,” Mir wrote. He further claimed that some students have also approached parliamentarians belonging to religio-political parties, but they not yet responded.

    HOMOSEXUALITY IN PAKISTAN:

    The Colonial British government criminalised homosexuality in India under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860. Pakistan, after independence, adapted the same laws under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) that states, “Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than two years nor more than ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

    In the 1980s, rules against homosexuality stiffened even more under General Muhammad Ziaul Haq. The punishment for homosexual activities increased to life imprisonment or even death by stoning as a result of the Sharia Law added to the PPC.

    Religious leaders have consistently forbidden and condemned homosexual activities as being immoral under the constitution of Islam. People in Pakistan, who identify themselves as homosexual, do not expose their sexual preference in public due to the fear of being looked down upon or physically attacked.

  • Naya Pakistan: Govt to set up 50,000 shops to sell daily-use items on subsidised rates

    Naya Pakistan: Govt to set up 50,000 shops to sell daily-use items on subsidised rates

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has reportedly decided to provide jobs and daily-use items to people on subsidised rates under which 50,000 new retail shops will be opened.

    Reports quoted sources as saying that Rs25 billion have been allocated for the programme in the first phase, citizens will get loans up to Rs500,000 for opening retail shops and 1,500 such shops will be opened immediately.

    The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) will reportedly supply 60 per cent items to retails shops, while shop owners will get remaining items from the open market. This plan of the government will provide jobs to 50,000 families.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has also directed to continue the Rs7 billion relief package to Utility Stores till the end of Ramzan. The premier was informed that Utility Stores need up to Rs10 billion funds after which he had directed the ministries concerned to make arrangements for the same.

    Meanwhile, PM Imran has said that his government would announce various measures to reduce the prices of basic food items for the common man.

    He explained that the government departments concerned had also begun doing an in-depth probe into the flour and sugar price hike.

    In a series of tweets, the premier said he was aware of the difficulties being faced by ordinary people, including the salaried class, and had decided to announce a number of measures for giving relief to them come what may.

  • PTI: Firdous admires Fawad Chaudhry’s ‘struggle to always stay in headlines’

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has admired her predecessor, former federal minister for information Fawad Chaudhry, for his “struggle to always stay in headlines”.

    According to the details, with cracks continuing to emerge within the ranks of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and rumour having it that both Awan and Chaudhry are not the best of friends ever since the latter was sacked and replaced by the former, the SAPM, in an exclusive interview with The Current, was asked what she liked the most about her predecessor.

    “His [Fawad Chaudhry’s] struggle to always stay in headlines,” she said.

    Chaudhry has time and again been accused of “pulling political gimmicks” as the federal minister for science and technology and an aide of PM Imran Khan, by the general public, leaders of his own party as well as those belonging to the opposition.

    To another question, Awan, who is not an elected member of the parliament, said that election defeat under Imran was not a defeat. “It’s a victory for my ideology,” she said.

    “Social media is an unguided missile with warheads but no target,” the SAPM said when asked what was that she disliked the most about social media.

    Awan also said that she was not a misogynist — her verbal attacks “were for people and not genders” –, shared how she thought that parliamentarians should not get a pay raise, and those who criticised her for not being an elected representative, “lacked sense”.

    WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:

  • Nasir Jamshed’s wife warns cricketers of corruption after husband gets jailed

    Nasir Jamshed’s wife warns cricketers of corruption after husband gets jailed

    Pakistani cricketer Nasir Jamshed’s wife, Dr Samara Afzal, has penned a heartfelt letter on the difficulties her family faced and advised other players to not get tempted into corruption after her husband was jailed on Friday for match-fixing.

    After a Manchester Crown Court judge handed Jamshed a 17-month jail sentence for being involved in fixing a February 2018 Pakistan Super League (PSL) match in Dubai, Dr Samara took to social media and wrote: “Today is the most difficult day of my life as Nasir starts his custodial sentence & I figure out what to tell my 4-year-old.”

    “I’ve felt the need to write this in the hope that others learn from Nasir’s mistakes & no one goes through the pain we have suffered in the last 3 years,” she added.

    She further wrote: “Nasir could have a bright future had he worked hard and been committed to the sport that gave him so much but he took a short cut and lost everything: his career, status, respect and freedom. He would have got UK nationality and played country cricket and he threw his chance away. He would do anything to turn the clock back and not lose everything, especially his daughter who he’s very close to but it’s too late for him. I hope all cricketers look at his example as a deterrent against corruption.”

    She wrote she was aware that there are too many financial expectations from families in Pakistan but nothing justifies corruption.

    “An international cricket can probably earn more than I as a doctor can so I can’ understand the need to partake in corruption. I know in Pakistan one person is expected to provide for a dozen others but that doesn’t justify corruption. Praying for your country is a privilege and not an entitlement which as we have seen can be taken at any time.”

    “I hope and pray no other cricketer gets lured into to this temptation for money and no family has to bear the pain and humiliation we have endured and continue to do so.”

    Jamshed was arrested with Yousef Anwar and Mohammed Ijaz last February in a National Crime Agency (NCA) probe. He had encouraged other players to fix a PSL game back in February 2018 by getting batsmen to avoid scoring runs from certain balls in return for a share of £30,000 (Approx Rs 6,000,000). Anwar and Ijaz were jailed for 40 and 30 months, respectively.

  • ‘PCB owes me Rs40-60 million,’ report quotes Younis Khan as saying

    Former national cricket team captain Younis Khan has claimed that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) owes him Rs40 million [Rs4 crores] to Rs60 million [Rs6 crores], but he is ready to join forces with them and work towards the betterment of the sport in Pakistan.

    Khan, who is the country’s all-time leading run-getter in Tests, also said that he had never asked for money from the board as “it had never been an issue”. “In terms of money, PCB owes me 4-6 crore rupees if you look back. But I have never demanded money, money is never an issue,” he reportedly said.

    “It’s destiny from Allah, you get what is destined for you so you should never run after money, I never ran after money and have always been willing to work with PCB. I was one of the few players who retired and left, players rarely do that. I have 17-18 years of services for Pakistan and PCB.”

    “I don’t know why we can’t come on board together. I played cricket so I want to help in the field of cricket. Why we don’t come on board… perhaps PCB doesn’t change or Younis Khan doesn’t change.”

    “I don’t think anyone in Pakistan would be so personal that he wouldn’t want to work with Younis Khan. Even if I was a big critic of Younis Khan, I would like to still work with Younis Khan. What things are there with my demeanour or what is it with PCB that doesn’t allow us to come on one page,” he added.

     The statement was also tweeted by renowned sports journalist Saj Sadiq, who is also the editor of the media outlet that reported it.

    Younis also reportedly gave his thumbs up to the work done by head coach cum chief selector Misbahul Haq, whom he claims has gotten Pakistan cricket team back on track.

  • ‘Over my dead body,’ says Khadim Rizvi on Zindagi Tamasha release

    ‘Over my dead body,’ says Khadim Rizvi on Zindagi Tamasha release

    Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi has said that he would not let Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha release no matter what anyone does, Pakistan Today reported.

    “We will not let Zindagi Tamasha release and will do whatever it takes to make sure it does not see the light of day,” he said, adding ‘jo karna hai kar lo’ (do whatever you can), as he addressed party workers and supporters at Faisal Chowk on Kashmir Solidarity Day.

    Earlier on January 28, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had set up a four-member committee that would review the film Zindagi Tamasha and submit a report to CII Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz.

    The members of this committee include Ghulam Majid, Abdul Rasheed, Taaj Muhammad and Muhammad Ashfaq, all of whom are said to be experts in the concepts of Shariah.

    “All the members are competent and hold qualifications in Islam and social sciences. They belong to CII’s research wing and were selected for this task after going through an interview process. We have shown them the CBFC letter and advised them on how to review the film, keeping religious sentiments in mind,” CII’s Media Coordinator Rana Zahid had said.

    “The Council’s supreme body will further take a decision regarding the film after viewing the report,” he said.

    He further told that the CII has sent a letter notifying the CBFC of its plan of action in the first phase and is expecting a reply soon.

    According to another anonymous member of the CII, the four member bench will also question the viewpoint of CBFC members over objectionable dialogues.

    “How were these dialogues and scenes that hurt the sentiments of the public even cleared if they (CBFC) watched the film? The reply of the CBFC members will also be a part of the report. We are just concerned over the objectionable dialogues that hurt the public. We have no concern otherwise. No scene or dialogue that hurts religious sentiments, would be allowed to pass,” said the member.

  • Doctor ‘beats up nurse for refusing to be photographed’

    Doctor ‘beats up nurse for refusing to be photographed’

    A doctor at the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in Jhang, Punjab allegedly beat up one of the nurses for not allowing him to take pictures of her. An FIR has been registered against the doctor for the attack.

    The closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the incident shows the doctor getting angry at the nurse and then slapping her repeatedly.

    An FIR has been registered against the doctor at the Shorkot Police Station on the request of the nurse. In her complaint, the nurse claimed that the doctor in question entered the nursing room at night when she was on duty and asked her to accompany him on rounds.

    She added that when she paused to collect medical files for the rounds, the doctor started taking pictures of her. When she tried to stop him from taking her pictures, he started beating and slapping her.

    Meanwhile, the doctor has reportedly secured a pre-arrest bail till February 14th from a local magistrate.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGovY20_gOM
  • CM Buzdar wants strict action against companies selling substandard fairness creams

    CM Buzdar wants strict action against companies selling substandard fairness creams

    Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Tuesday directed action against productions of low-quality fairness creams.

    The Punjab CM has approved ‘The Punjab Drug and Cosmetics Amendment Act’, according to which the drug regulatory authority will take action against companies making substandard fairness creams.

    During the meeting, CM Buzdar said that previous governments failed to take any action against mafia selling fake cosmetics.

    “There is no place for such kind of ‘mafias’ in PM Imran Khan’s government”, said CM Buzdar, adding that such people are playing with the health of the nation because they contained toxic ingredients.

    Last year in July, the minister for climate change, Zartaj Gul Wazir had initiated a crackdown on fairness creams across the country and ordered strict action against those selling substandard products.

  • Which celebrity friend of outgoing ISPR chief are you?

    [forminator_quiz id=”42803″]

  • OGRA proposes slashing petrol, jacking diesel price

    OGRA proposes slashing petrol, jacking diesel price

    Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) has proposed slashing petrol, and increasing diesel prices due to existing tax rates.

    According to reports, the authority has calculated and proposed a two percent increase in diesel prices. It has moved a summary with calculations of petroleum prices on the basis of existing rates of the general sales tax (GST) and petroleum demand. 

    The Ministry of Finance is expected to announce a detailed list of prices of petroleum products based on the import parity (the price that a purchaser pays or can expect to pay for the imported goods). 

    PROPOSED RATES

    OGRA says about Rs2.47 per litre of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) and Rs1.10 per litre in Light Diesel Oil (LDO) should be increased. 

    On the other hand, the regulatory has calculated six paisas and 66 paisas per litre reduction in the price of petrol and kerosene oil respectively. 

    The rate of HSD has been calculated at Rs129.73 per litre instead of Rs127.26, showing an increase of 1.9pc. In addition, light diesel oil (LDO) has been worked out at Rs85.61 per litre instead of the existing rate of Rs84.51, showing an increase of 1.3pc.

    On the contrary, petrol price has been proposed to go down to Rs116.54 per litre from the existing rate of Rs116.60, down 0.1pc.

    The ex-depot price of kerosene has been proposed to be reduced by 0.7pc to Rs98.79 per litre from the existing rate of Rs99.45 per litre.

    The government has already increased GST on all petroleum products by a standard rate of 17pc across the board to generate additional revenues.