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Category: Politics

  • Inspection of all chair lifts in KP mandatory

    Inspection of all chair lifts in KP mandatory

    The caretaker government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has directed authorities to inspect all chairlifts installed in the province and conduct safety audits following the cable car incident in Battagram. A chairlift got stranded hundreds of feet above the ground midway through its journey across a valley on Tuesday morning as children were making their way to school inside the pod in Allai Tehsil.

    The dramatic and dangerous rescue began with army helicopters and SSG commandos saving two children via a sling, with locals joining in for the ground operation which began when darkness fell. The rescuers used a cable as a zipline to rescue the remaining people later in the night.

    Directives from the provincial government were issued on Tuesday after the rescue operation was completed, asking all the deputy commissioners in KP to carry out a safety audit of chairlifts within their jurisdictions.

    It further instructed them to immediately check chairlifts at all commercial, domestic and recreational places, adding that the inspection of cable cars installed over rivers and canals should also be done by the relevant authorities.

    DCs have to submit a report within a week after reviewing the design, capacity and safety measures of all chairlifts.

    It has also been made mandatory to get a No Objection Certificate from the district administration before the installation of cable cars.

  • ‘If you don’t get a joke then the joke is on you’; Indian actor Prakash Raj arrested after posting meme on X

    ‘If you don’t get a joke then the joke is on you’; Indian actor Prakash Raj arrested after posting meme on X

    Actor Prakash Raj has been booked by police in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district in India after jeering at the country’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3.

    According to the police, a complaint was filed by the leaders of Hindu organizations who demanded that action be taken against the actor.

    What happened?

    On Sunday, Raj posted a cartoon picture on X in which a man wearing a shirt and a lungi is pouring tea. According to The Wire, the screenshot was from an old short meme about Neil Armstrong coming across a shopkeeper, a Malayalee entrepreneur offering him a glass of legendary Kerala tea on the moon.This picture was captioned : BREAKING NEWS:- First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking

    This was taken as an offence by many Indians since Chandrayaan-3 mission is considered as a matter of national pride. Raj resultantly faced heavy backlash on social media by angry Indians.

    Some people, however, came to Raj’s rescue

    One corrected a famous news platform, India Today

    Prakash Raj eventually responded to the trolling and criticism in another tweet saying,
    “Hate sees only Hate.. i was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times .. celebrating our kerala Chaiwala .. which Chaiwala did the TROLLS see ?? .. if you dont get a joke then the joke is on you .. GROW UP #justasking”

  • ‘Elections not possible before May 2024,’ says former ECP secretary

    According to a former Secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) , Kanwar Dilshad, general elections are not possible before May 2024, stressing that polling will only be possible after nine months.

    He explained his point further while talking to The News that the process of delimitation of constituencies will take almost four months.

    The former ECP secretary said that four months for delimitation, three months for finalising the voter list, and two months for the election schedule will make the upcoming election possible. So, according to the former ECP, more than nine months are required to make the general election possible.

    He also said that the ECP should not ignore the factor of revision of electoral rolls, as it is very necessary according to the Election Act 2017.

    On the other hand, according to the sources of Geo News, ECP has decided to consult all the major political parties about the final date of the upcoming general election. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will also be consulted regarding this matter.

    The ECP’s meeting with the political parties, the sources added, is expected to begin in the next few days.

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are the major political parties in the country.

  • ‘I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India’; Times of India removed Zubin Mehta’s comment from interview

    ‘I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India’; Times of India removed Zubin Mehta’s comment from interview

    Distinguished classic music conductor Zubin Mehta has claimed that The Times of India omitted one line from an interview he recently gave to them. Mehta had said, “I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India”.

    He made the allegation towards the end of a conversation with journalist Karan Thapar. Mehta gave the statement after he was asked about his views on the “sort of country” India was becoming, especially in view of its treatment towards the minorities, particularly Muslims.

    “It [the line] was cut off, and the writer couldn’t give me a reason why”, he added, to which Thapar responded, “They don’t want to offend Mr. Modi and the government,”

    “How would that offend anybody? …This morning I read that they were burning churches in Pakistan. One has to get over this madness of religious persecution. Hopefully, things will change,” Mehta expressed.

    According to The Wire, Mehta’s excluded comment was not incorporated in the print version of The Times of India. But on Monday, August 21, the online version included the quote after Mehta publicly pointed it out.

    The Times of India responded to Zubin Mehta’s on X that the interview had been “trimmed to fit the page” and “the line being referred to was towards the end of the interview and got left out in that process”.

    But The Wire evaluated that the 33 worded line that was cut actually fits and got restored in middle of the interview rather than the end of it.

    X users respond

    While some praised the censorship, many Indians criticized The Times of India and showed their concern about the increasing hatred towards Muslims in the country.

  • Was Asad Umer under arrest in the Cipher case?

    Was Asad Umer under arrest in the Cipher case?

    Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal planning minister Asad Umar has dismissed claims of his arrest by the FIA in the Cipher case. Meanwhile, he was able to secure pre-arrest bail.

    While exclusively talking to Geo News reporter Arfa Feroz, Umar said that the reports regarding his arrest are false, as he has appeared before FIA twice to record his statement and answer their questions during the investigation. He was confident that his name will be cleared.

    Umar asserted that this is a politically motivated case with intentions to harass and blackmail him. He assured the court about his availability and readiness to depose before the inquiry agency and cooperate with investigators.

    The Official Secrets Act Court has granted him bail until August 29 against a Rs100,000 surety.

  • CCTV camera points towards Khan’s open bathroom in prison cell, judge takes notice

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan has termed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s privacy concerns “genuine” regarding the presence of a CCTV camera around his toilet at Attock jail. Imran Khan had claimed that the camera breached his privacy, with the judge asserting in a report after an inspection of the prison facilities that the camera violated prison rules.

    Punjab Prisons Department, in response to Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan’s report, stated that Khan is being provided with all the facilities in accordance with Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.

    A new toilet with five feet high walls, a door, and toiletries have been constructed in his cell. The statement said Khan was also given a bed, pillow, mattress, table, chair, air cooler, exhaust fan, fruit, honey, dates, prayer mat, Holy Quran with English translation, several books for reading, a thermos with tea, newspapers and tissue papers.

    The statement further reads that five doctors have been appointed to provide medical facilities to Khan, “One doctor is present at all times on an eight-hour duty.” Special meals are given to Khan as per the doctor’s advice and with the approval of Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir. It further said the meals are served by a special team after a doctor’s inspection.

    The prisons department confirmed that Imran was allowed to meet his family on Tuesdays and lawyers on Thursdays.

    “CCTV cameras have been installed outside Imran Khan’s room for his and the jail’s security. More than 4,000 CCTV cameras have been installed not only in District Jail Attock but also in other jails of Punjab for security purposes,” the statement concluded.

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, while speaking on the Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, reassured the viewers that Imran Khan was allowed to meet visitors and provided facilities according to the prison class he had applied for. He said that the concerns raised in the inspection report, including those related to the CCTV camera, would be thoroughly investigated and addressed in accordance with the law.

    “We will ensure that all those facilities and class he (Imran) applied for and deserves as the ex-prime minister according to the law are provided to him. As far as I know, he has a bed and newspaper so the behavior with him will be according to whatever the law permits,” he said.

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan visited Attock jail and compiled a report on 15 August, after his fortnightly inspection of the prison facilities, which was released on August 21. The report stated that Khan’s concern regarding the presence of CCTV cameras is genuine and is in violation of the prison rules 257 and 771.

    Rule 257 (Sanitary and bathing arrangements) of the Pakistan Prison Rules states: “Prisoners shall be granted adequate facilities for bathing and latrines, ensuring privacy.”

    Meanwhile, Rule 771 refers to “latrines,” specifying that “latrine floors should be elevated and frequently renewed. Each latrine must have a proper seat and partitions for the sake of privacy.”

    The judge further noted in his report that the superintendent of police present has provided assurance to address the grievance raised by the PTI chairman.

    The PTI’s official X (former Twitter) account tweeted in response to the report “Absolutely shameful how a national hero, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is being denied his fundamental human rights, and basic facilities he’s entitled to.”

  • Arif Alvi dismisses Secretary to President as bills mystery deepens

    Arif Alvi dismisses Secretary to President as bills mystery deepens

    Hours after the President said that he does not need Waqar Ahmed’s services, the Secretary has said in a statement on Monday that Dr. Arif Alvi did not sign the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, or the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, nor did he make a written decision to send them back to parliament for further consideration.

    On Monday, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of @PresOfPakistan stated: “In view of the definite statement of yesterday, President’s Secretariat has written a letter to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister that the services of Mr. Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately”.

    President Arif Alvi caused a sensation on Sunday when he said in a tweet from his personal account that he did not sign the official secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, or the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, as he does not agree with the laws. He said that despite his orders to return the bills to parliament, his staff disobeyed him.
    “I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned & was assured that they were,” Alvi wrote about the bills in a tweet, adding that he just found out that his staff “undermined my will and command”.
    He also asked for forgiveness from those who are affected by the bills.

    The tweets came about after news broke that he had signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Army Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Now both bills are part of the law.
    On the other hand, former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has said that “the tweet of President Arif Alvi was inappropriate”.
    Raza Rabbani pointed out that if an inquiry is initiated, the president will have to appear before a committee of the upper house since he is a part of the parliament under Article 50 of the Constitution.
    “As per Article 75 of the Constitution, when a bill is sent for assent, the president has two options: either give assent, or refer the matter to the parliament with specific observations. Article 75 does not provide for any third option,” he stressed.
    The ministry has said neither of the requirements was fulfilled. Instead, the president purposely delayed the assent, it added. Returning the bills without any observations or assent is not provided for in the Constitution, the spokesperson said, adding that such a course of action is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
    “If the president had any observations, he could have returned the bills with his observations like he did in the recent and distant past. He could have also issued a press release to that effect,” the law ministry said.

  • Anti-terrorism court grants 3-day physicial remand of Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir

    Lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Former Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Ali Wazir were produced before Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain on Monday. Imaan’s legal team argued that “Police have not yet found anything,” and that “officials had also not investigated anything related to Imaan”.

    It was also mentioned that Imaan fainted at the police station and was unable to meet her mother. “Imaan Mazari wants accountability of institutions for which she is being called a terrorist,”

    Similarly, Ali Wazir affirmed that “nothing wrong” has been done and that they had insisted the interim government let them gather in islamabad. “We wanted our voices to be heard in Islamabad”, added Wazir.

    The court reversed its verdict and granted a three-day physical remand of the two.

    On Sunday, 20 August, human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested by “unidentified persons”. While the reasons for the arrests have not been given by the police, Islamabad Capital Police stated, “No one is authorised to give a statement from a police station.”

    Imaan Mazari’s mother, Shireen Mazari, said while talking to the media that Imaan was dragged out and taken away. The policewomen also dragged Shireen Mazari herself but the officials let her go since they were only there to arrest Imaan Mazari.

    About twenty men made their way to Imaan’s bedroom and confiscated her laptop and phone. They did not let her change her clothes either and dragged her out where another 20 officials were standing outside. No men, however, wore police uniforms.

    The cases so far

    On Friday, 18 August, approximately 300 people attended the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement protest in Islamabad. The speakers included Ali Wazir and Imaan Mazari. The focus of the speeches was condemnation of discrimination against the Pashtuns and called for the return of missing persons.

    Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir were presented before district and sessions court where Judicial Magistrate Ihtasham Alam Khan heard two of their cases on Sunday.

    In the first, terrorism case, the investigating officer (IO) requested for a 10-day physical remand. The judge, however, has ordered for the two to be presented in an anti-terrorism court. Imaan was to be kept in a women police station till Monday.


    In the other case, the IO requested a five-day physical remand for Mazari and Wazir but the judge said the court could not grant Imaan’s physical remand.


    She has been sent on 14-day judicial remand with orders to be produced on September 2 whereas Wazir has been granted two-day physical remand after pre and post-medical examination.


    Two first information reports (FIR) have been registered against Wazir and Imaan.


    The first FIR was registered on the complaint of Tarnol Station House Officer (SHO) Miam Mohammad Imran who was present at Tarnol Phatak chowk to ensure peace during a rally led by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). According to the complainant, the rallly devaited from the allocated area violating no-objection certificate


    The SHO has claimed that the participants of about 700-800 were armed with sticks who attacked the police, official vehicles, and shut down shops when asked to restore access to GT road that they had blocked.


    The second FIR was registered under the complaint of Inspector Mohammad Ashraf who was present when about 950 PTM supporters blocked GT road. He said that people including Manzoor Pashteen and Iman Mazari spoke against the state, inciting hatred and revolt.


    A PTM spokesperson told AFP that many more members have also been detained since Friday protests.

  • Shehbaz Sharif arrives in London to meet Nawaz

    Shehbaz Sharif arrives in London to meet Nawaz

    Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reached London on Sunday to meet Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif. According to Geo News, the agenda of the meeting between the two brothers included the upcoming general elections and Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan.

    Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shehbaz is accompanying him.


    According to PML-N sources, Shehbaz Sharif will meet his brother as well as other party leaders in London.
    Several former federal ministers are also present in the British capital to join the crucial meeting about Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country.
    Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif has said that his elder brother will return to Pakistan next month and face the law.

  • Caretaker Punjab govt should remain in its limits: ECP

    Caretaker Punjab govt should remain in its limits: ECP

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sent a letter to Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, staring that deputy commissioners are issuing NOCs for new housing societies in Punjab.

    According to the letter, the ECP reminded the interim CM that issuing of NOCs and announcing policies is not the domain of the caretaker government. An elected government can work on policy-making, but not a caretaker setup.

    The ECP said they are hopeful that caretaker government will work within constitutional and legal limits. According to ECP, the caretaker setup can prepare a case in case of an emergency and get it approved by the commission.

    The constitutional terms of the caretaker governments of Punjab and Khyber Palhtunkhwa were set to end in mid-April but the federal government did not issue funds needed by the ECP to hold elections in the two provinces despite a Supreme Court order. Some legal experts and opposition parties have raised questions about the legitimacy of the two caretaker governments, describing them as illegal.