As the global coronavirus pandemic continues to take toll across the globe, a video highlighting the uncanny similarities between statements by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and United States (US) President Donald Trump — two leaders accused of “failing to deal with the outbreak” — regarding the novel virus, has gone viral over the internet.
From spreading misinformation regarding the virus to saying things like “summers can heat kill coronavirus”, “there are no local cases”, “political opponents know nothing”, “our country is safer than others” and urging people “not to worry”, the video highlighting the similarities between the two leaders’ coronavirus statements has left many wondering “if they only translate each other’s statements”.
This isn’t the first time that the two global leaders have been trolled for being similar.
Soon after the 2018 general election, US-based South African comedian Trevor Noah had branded Imran and Trump as ‘twins’, stressing that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief’s background story was “unnervingly similar” to that of Trump’s, wherein the two belonged to privileged families and were known for their good looks.
Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” famed television host, who is known for never shying away from calling out world politics and the hypocrisy that it brings along, in an episode, had called Imran an “even more tan version of Trump”.
The 34-year-old comedian had said that media also portrayed Imran and Trump similarly. A clip from the show featured a political commentator stating that Imran seemed to contradict himself during speeches just like the US president had also often been accused of.
Among other things, Noah had also pointed out the similarities between Imran and Trunp’s speeches.
In a shocking development, a former prime minister (PM) and two of his cabinet members have been accused of manhandling and sexually assaulting Islamabad-based United States (US) blogger nine years ago.
As per the details, Cynthia Dawn Ritchie has accused some of the top Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders of subjecting her to the treatment during the party’s third tenure in Centre from 2008 to 2013, also alleging that PPP stalwart and then federal minister for interior Rehman Malik raped her — an accusation denied by both Malik and then PM Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani.
The accusation comes a week after the blogger posted some controversial tweets involving slain former PM Benazir Bhutto which attracted a load of criticism and cyberharassment both from party’s local leadership and its support base.
“In 2011, I was raped by the former interior minister Rehman Malik. That’s right, I’ll say it again. I was raped by the then interior minister Rehman Malik,” Ritchie said in the live video on her Facebook page.
She also accused former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin of “physically manhandling” her while the former was staying at the “President’s House”.
Ritchie said she was reserving “some of the more graphic details” because her audience could include children, but added that she would be “happy to go into more detail” with neutral investigative journalists.
The blogger alleged that she has endured harassment “primarily from the PPP” for a number of years now. “I have received countless threats against my life, rape threats, claims that PPP has my father,” she claimed, adding that she has “evidentiary support” of everything she has been posting.
Ritchie also said she had informed about the incident to “someone” at the US Embassy in 2011, “but due to ‘fluid’ situation and ‘complex’ relations between US and Pakistan, [the] response was less than adequate”.
And, yes, I did tell someone at the UsEmb in 2011, but due to 'fluid' situation and 'complex' relations between US and Pakistan, response was less than adequate.
I've been engaged to a wonderful man who I met in 🇵🇰. He encouraged me to speak out, so we can move on as a couple. https://t.co/PpfdF9Fuib
— Cynthia D. Ritchie, M. Ed (@CynthiaDRitchie) June 5, 2020
The US embassy in Pakistan has not reacted to the claims as of yet.
ACCUSED DENY CLAIMS:
In their responses, both Gillani and Malik strongly denied the accusations.
Gilani said that he even considered responding to such allegations “humiliation and disgrace”.
Talking to a private news channel on Friday, the former premier questioned as to what Richie was doing at the Presidency when she was allegedly manhandled, and why she had been staying in Pakistan.
Interestingly, it was Gillani himself who in 2010, through the Ministry of Interior which was then headed by Malik, empowered then Pakistan ambassador in Washington Hussain Haqqani to directly issue diplomatic visas to Americans without clearance of relevant authorities.
The former premier further alleged that the blogger had come to Pakistan as part of a campaign to malign politicians.
Gillani claimed that Ritchie was maligning him because his two sons had filed a defamation case against her for her allegedly defamatory tweet against Benazir.
I had gone to the @cybercrimefia against cynthia’s baseless allegations on our party leader, late Benazir Bhutto shaheed. So this #muftkhorcynthia decided to attack my father former prime minster Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. He has responded to her filthy allegation.1/3 https://t.co/oHB8gIW3zj
— Ali Haider Gilani (@ahaidergilani86) June 5, 2020
The PPP has also lodged a complaint with the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against her for making “extremely derogatory and slanderous remarks” against Benazir.
Malik, in his response, called the allegations “baseless, shameful, and inappropriate”.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the former minister said that the purpose behind the allegations was to damage the reputation of the PPP leader.
While support pours in for the US blogger, a number of people are also engaging in war of words over social media over the validity of her claims.
With the government approving retrenchment of all 9,350 remaining employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) with a one-time severance cost of about Rs20 billion, an old video of now Federal Minister for Planning, Development, Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has come back to haunt the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Wednesday approved firing all employees of the PSM, reasoning that the mills haven’t been functioning for years and the employees haven’t been doing anything.
There are 9,150 employees who will be fired within a month and another 250 will be let go within three months. The ECC meeting, chaired by Prime Minister’s (PM) Adviser of Finance and Revenue Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, also approved a Rs20 billion package for the employees, which amounts to Rs2.3 million per person.
As the decision made headlines, mixed reactions were drawn. While some lauded the government’s ‘full and final’ human resource rationalisation plan for the PSM employees in accordance with the judgments and observations of the Supreme Court (SC), others criticised the same for leaving thousands unemployed.
Amid war of words on social and mainstream media, an old video of then opposition member Asad Umar resurfaced, wherein he was seen garnering the support of PSM employees by vowing to stand by them if the PTI is elected to power. The undated video is said to be from the tenure of former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), during which PSM was shut down after becoming a burden on the national exchequer under the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
WATCH VIDEO:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tZf62l5Vms
“Record this so that you can embarrass me by showing me this video if I backtrack on my promise. If PTI comes to power and PSM employees are deprived of their rights, I won’t be standing with the PTI government, but will be supporting PSM employees instead,” Asad can be heard as saying in the video that is doing rounds over the internet as netizens troll him for “taking a U-turn”.
Meanwhile, opposition parties are also criticising the government for its decision.
Though the mills have been closed for years, they are running a Rs550 billion deficit and billions are being spent on debt servicing. However, the move will not be finalised until it is approved by the federal cabinet.
Reports said that PSM stopped its commercial operations in June 2015 without formulating any human resource plan for its 14,753 employees, now reduced to 9,350. Presently, the per month net salary bill of PSM employees is approximately Rs350 million, adjusted as a loan in the financial accounts of PSM. Since 2013, an aggregate loan of Rs34 billion has been extended to PSM by the government on account of net salary payment.
Violent protests have erupted across the United States (US) since after the death of George Floyd who died in police custody, sparking outrage over police brutality, especially the treatment of African-Americans at the hands of authorities.
With people across the country taking to streets, shaking the States to its core as some protests turn ugly, here is everything you need to know about it.
WHO WAS GEORGE FLOYD?
On May 25, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, died in Minneapolis city of Minnesota after a white cop, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while the suspect was handcuffed face down in the street.
Two other officers further restrained Floyd while a fourth prevented onlookers from intervening.
During the final three minutes, Floyd was motionless and had no pulse, but officers made no attempt to revive him and Chauvin kept his knee on Floyd’s neck even as arriving emergency medical technicians attempted to treat him.
VIRAL VIDEOS & CRIMINAL COMPLAINT:
Several bystanders took videos of the incident, which were widely circulated and broadcastalong with security-camera footage from nearby businesses; two of the officer’s body cams footage has, however, not yet been released.
[GRAPHIC WARNING]
A criminal complaint later filed against Chauvin stated that Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe while standing outside a police car, resisted getting in the car, and intentionally fell down; he went to the ground face down and, after Chauvin placed his knee on Floyd’s neck, Floyd repeatedly said “I can’t breathe”, “mama” and “please”.
POSTMORTEM EXAMINATION:
Two autopsies determined the manner of Floyd’s death to be a homicide. The Hennepin County medical examiner’s autopsy found that Floyd died from cardiac arrest during the application of “neck compression”, also noting as significant conditions “arteriosclerotic and hypertensive heart disease; fentanyl intoxication; and recent methamphetamine use”.
An independent autopsy commissioned by Floyd’s family found that the “evidence is consistent with mechanical asphyxia as the cause” of death, with neck compression restricting blood flow to the brain, and back compression restricting breathing.
OFFICERS’ FATE & PROBE:
All four officers were fired the day after the incident. On May 29, Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter while on June 3, Minnesota attorney general amended Chauvin’s charges to include second-degree murder, and the other three officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is conducting a federal civil rights investigation at the request of the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is also investigating.
WIDESPREAD PROTESTS:
After Floyd’s death, demonstrations and protests against use of excessive force by police officers and lack of police accountability were held globally.
Protests in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area were initially peaceful on May 26, and became violent as a police precinct and two stores were set on fire, and many stores were looted and damaged. Some demonstrators skirmished with police, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets.
BREAKING: The third precinct police station is on fire. Rioters have taken over pic.twitter.com/AJg4jDr9Tz
Tens of thousands of people have demonstrated, mainly peacefully, across the US for the ninth night while one of the largest protests, joined by Floyd’s relatives, took place in his hometown of Houston, Texas.
Many defied curfews in several cities, imposed after violence and looting in some districts.
“I’m protecting my business and they’ve robbed us after being closed for 3 months”.
With the episode drawing reactions from across the world, from global leaders, including the Canadian president among others, the Pope has also issued a call for racism not to be ignored.
Addressing his “brothers and sisters in the United States” from the Vatican on Wednesday, Pope Francis condemned the death of George Floyd and lead a prayer for "all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism." https://t.co/t2NsjfRz1spic.twitter.com/xZ4718Zh2X
“We cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism,” he said, but also condemned the violence.
Police stations and other buildings have been set ablaze, government establishments and offices of media organisations among other prominent structures across the country have been vandalised, and grocery, as well as luxury stores, looted.
While military has now been deployed after President Donald Trump’s warning to protesters, support for protesters and against the regime is widespread.
Cops, at places, have also been spotted lending support to peaceful protests.
As part of the protests, the White House was also almost attacked. The president spent nearly an hour in an underground bunker at the White House last week when hundreds of protesters gathered outside the mansion.
The bunker, also known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), has been used on rare occasions to secure US presidents in times of peril.
Meanwhile, a photo of blackout at White House also started making rounds on the internet with people calling it a “powerful symbol” of Trump’s “lack of leadership”.
The federal government has abolished the 48-hour quarantine condition for Pakistanis returning home from abroad, and they would now be sent to their homes after a medical check-up and test at the airports, The Express Tribune reported.
The report stated that the government changed the standard operating procedures (SOPs) because the capacity at quarantine centres had been contracting due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
According to the new SOPs, all passengers would undergo a complete medical check-up at the airports, while the staff deputed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and provincial health departments at the airports will test the travellers for coronavirus.
After the medical check-up and the coronavirus test, the passengers will be allowed to go their homes, instead of the quarantine centre, if they do not show any symptoms of COVID-19. The decision about suspected coronavirus patients has been left at the discretion of doctors.
Under the new policy, all the passengers will be checked at the health counters of the airports. The record will carry the names and addresses of suspected coronavirus travellers and will be quarantined at home upon not showing any symptoms.
On Wednesday, the NIH team conducted medical check-ups and coronavirus tests of all the passengers including 281 travellers coming from the United States (US) and 253 travellers coming from Saudi Arabia via a special Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight at the Islamabad airport, after which all the travellers were permitted to go to their homes, the report said.
Meanwhile, with yet another record hike in number of infections, the tally of coronavirus cases in Pakistan now stands at 85,264 with at least 1,770 deaths.
Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and lawmaker Rana Sanaullah was on Wednesday morning intercepted by police off Lahore’s The Mall. He, however, refused to step out of the vehicle and let the officials check it in the absence of media, The Current has learnt.
According to sources, the PML-N stalwart was stopped by the police in the Regal Chowk area of the provincial capital in connection with the arrest of party president and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Shehbaz Sharif.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) since Tuesday had been attempting to arrest Shehbaz in the assets beyond means case against him. The bureau had, however, failed to trace the PML-N chief despite raiding his Model Town and Jati Umra residences among other locations.
Wednesday’s incident took place before a Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench granted pre-arrest bail to Shehbaz till June 17.
“I will not let you check my vehicle in the absence of media because I fear being framed for carrying drugs once again,” Sanaullah, who had earlier been arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), told the cops who stopped him to check if Shehbaz was also present in the vehicle.
The ANF had last year detained the lawmaker after accusing him of carrying a cache of drugs in his vehicle and for “supplying it to drug dealers”.
After months-long incarceration, Sanaullah had been granted bail amid lack of evidence. He had then accused the ANF of planting the drugs in his vehicle for the registration of a “bogus” case against him.
A team of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) accompanied by police on Tuesday reached the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to once again arrest him, this time in the assets beyond means case.
Videos available with The Current showed a contingent of police’s anti-rioting force also reaching the PML-N chief’s Model Town residence in Lahore to make the arrest that comes after Shehbaz, being a cancer survivor, once again avoided appearing before the anti-graft watchdog amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The teams, however, had to return empty-handed as the leader of opposition in the National Assembly (NA), who has also sought pre-arrest bail in the case, was not at home.
The teams were headed to the Sharif family’s Jati Umra residence near Raiwind by the filing of this report.
PRE-ARREST BAIL AND THE CASE:
Earlier in the day, Shehbaz filed a bail plea in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to avoid arrest in the assets beyond means and money laundering cases against him, which is to be taken up by the court tomorrow (Wednesday).
NAB had summoned the PML-N president to record his statement in both cases today (June 2) as the bureau needs Shehbaz’s statement to bring the cases to their logical conclusion.
It had also provided the ex-Punjab chief minister (CM) with a detailed questionnaire as per its standard operating procedure (SoPs), which the PML-N says was submitted by the younger Sharif’s lawyers.
However, Shehbaz on Monday filed a petition in the LHC requesting the court to grant him bail before arrest in both the cases “in the interest of justice”. He requested that he might also be admitted to ad-interim pre-arrest bail till the decision of the petition.
The petitions said the power to arrest was permissive and not obligatory and the arrest was not desirable even in most heinous offences so long as the accused cooperated and kept joining the investigation.
According to The Express Tribune, The PML-N president contended that on October 31, 2017, a complaint was made to various authorities including NAB chairman against management of the public limited companies in Punjab. The complaint claimed that the companies were incorporated and operated in violation of the Constitution and law.
On November 15, 2017, NAB director general (DG) ordered an inquiry into the complaint “in a slipshod and mechanical manner, without application of judicious mind”.
On January 10, 2018, the director general passed an order under section 18(C) of NAO 1999 for an inquiry into against management/officers/officials of Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), management /owners of M/s Lahore CASA Developers (JV) and officers/officials of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in Lahore’s Ashiana housing scheme.
Shehbaz said the above-said order was passed on the basis of an anonymous complaint and neither the complaint nor the order for inquiry mentioned the name of the petitioner or his office “yet under its cover”, NAB officials embarked upon “a fishing and sniffing expedition” against him.
On October 5, 2018, when Shehbaz appeared before a NAB team in response to call up notice in the matter of Saaf Paani Company but he was arrested in Ashiana case.
During his 64 physical remand, the PML-N chief was also arrested in Ramzan Sugar Mills/Construction of Sullage Carrier case. He was still in NAB’s custody when NAB authorized yet another inquiry against the petitioner and others in assets beyond means case.
Later, the petitioner was granted bail after arrest in both the above said cases but just after one week’s time of his bail, NAB put his name in the Exit Control List (ECL) – the country’s no-fly list.
“The petitioner assailed the above said memorandum February 21, 2019 before this court and his petition was allowed.” He contended that NAB served him another call up notice requiring his appearance before the CIT on April 17, 2020.
Shehbaz said he did not appear before NAB team in view of his ill health and the lockdown. Later NAB again issued call up notice requiring his presence on April 22, 2020.
“However, hectic efforts were made and a comprehensive reply was submitted within time with an assurance of personal appearance after the holy month of Ramazan subject to lifting of the lockdown.”
Later, the petitioner appeared before the CIT whereupon he was interrogated for about 2 hours, however, he could not be confronted with any evidence worth name on record to show any act of commission or omission by him to attract the mischief of any offence under NAO 1999.
“That now the petitioner has again been served with a call up notice for June 2, 2020 requiring his personal appearance and written reply before CIT,” it added.
India has rejected Pakistan’s contention that two high commission staffers were detained on unsubstantiated charges and tortured, people familiar with developments told Hindustan Times, adding that the officials “were caught red-handed while indulging in spying”.
New Delhi on Sunday expelled two junior officials of the Pakistan High Commission after they were detained during an operation by the Delhi Police and Military Intelligence while allegedly trying to obtain classified documents on security installations.
The officials were identified as Abid Hussain Abid, 42, an assistant in the Pakistani mission, and Mohammad Tahir Khan, 44, a clerk.
Pakistan condemned India’s decision to declare the two officials persona non grata and to expel them, saying they were detained on false and unsubstantiated charges. A statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) also contended that the two men were tortured and threatened to “accept false charges” despite identifying themselves as diplomatic staff.
The FO said the Indian action was in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as well as the norms of diplomatic conduct.
“The High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi has always worked within the parameters of international law and diplomatic norms. The Indian action is clearly aimed at shrinking diplomatic space for the working of Pakistan High Commission,” it said.
The FO said that the Indian ploy to heighten tensions would fail in diverting attention from the ongoing internal and external issues faced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government or from the worsening situation and gross human rights violations being perpetrated by the Indian forces in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
It again called on the world to take note of the Indian designs and play its role in ensuring peace and security in South Asia.
“The assertions of the Pakistan FO are false. The two officials were caught red-handed while indulging in espionage activities,” said one of the people cited above, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“They did not disclose their identity that they were high commission officials. When they were taken into custody and questioned, they confessed to indulging in espionage and also informed that they were high commission officials,” the person added.
The Pakistani mission was immediately informed and the two men were handed over, the person said.
“They were never subjected to any torture. They have also undergone medical examinations. Pakistan appears to be making false accusations and possibly creating ground for some tit for tat reaction and torture of Indian officials in Islamabad,” they said.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday said that the future of enduring peace and stability in South Asia hinges on the ability to resolve long-pending disputes within the region.
“This can be complemented through meaningful international support and will to take on challenging regional issues,” he said while addressing officers and faculty during a visit to Command and Staff College in Quetta, a press statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The statement comes two days after Islamabad approached the United Nations (UN) over New Delhi’s blatant attempt to turn the Muslim-majority in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoJ&K) into a minority.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has written letters to the UN Security Council president and the UN Secretary General, apprising them of the latest situation in the occupied valley particularly the recent changes brought by the Modi government in domicile laws that would pave the way for non-Kashmiris to acquire permanent residence there.
Addressing the military officials, Gen Bajwa said that a well-trained and professionally competent Army is guarantor for peace. “Pakistan Army with the backing of the nation is one such formidable force,” he maintained.
The COAS stressed the need for officers to remain focused on pursuit of professional excellence and keeping abreast with latest developments to overcome new challenges.
Dilating upon COVID-19 pandemic, Gen Bajwa said that Pakistan Army along with other state institutions will do all to mitigate the challenges faced by people of Pakistan.
Only a cohesive national effort shall take Pakistan to progress and prosperity COAS, he stressed.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Bahramand Tangi has objected to the provincial authorities’ decision to not call personnel of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police by informal names, highlighting that one of the names approved for the cops is that of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s pet dog.
According to media reports and a written order issued by KP Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Headquarters, a copy of which is available with The Current, no informal names such as “mama ji”, “khan ji” and “pehlwana” will be used for the police, which “undermine the sacrifices rendered by the force”.
Instead, the personnel will only be addressed by their own names or by approved nicknames that are “jawaan“, “sheru” and “sahib“.
چلے جی اب خیبر پختونخوا کے پولیس جوانوں کو سرکاری طور پر "شیرو" کا نام دیدیا گیا pic.twitter.com/cONRoq35ro
With the order making headlines, it drew a strong reaction from the PPP leader who said that “Sheru [tiger]” was the name of one of PM Imran’s dogs.
“This is unethical,” he said in a statement, adding that the personnel of KP police weren’t employees of Bani Gala.
IMRAN & HIS SHERU:
The premier has had a total of five pet dogs, all of which have been a focus of interest in several media reports.
In 2011, former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf gifted a puppy to Imran before the former’s self-imposed exile. The puppy was born at Musharraf’s farmhouse, and according to the premier’s former wife Reham Khan, his name was Sheru, who was an Alsatian.
In September 2014, Imran in a television talk show revealed that Sheru had died three months earlier. However, in April 2018, reports and social media rumours emerged that he had removed Sheru from his Bani Gala residence on the advice of his third and current wife Bushra Bibi.
According to local media, a new quarter was then built for the dog outside the main residence building, as his wife was not comfortable with pet animals inside the house.
However, the premier, during a press conference had later denied the media reports, saying that Sheru died three to four years ago.
