Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s legal battles continued as the accountability court in Islamabad undertook the hearing of the Toshakhana reference today. The proceedings, overseen by Judge Muhammad Bashir, saw significant developments and stringent security measures.
Rana Muhammad Irfan, the designated pleader, was present at the court. The lawyer representing Nawaz assured the court of his client’s compliance with any orders issued by the court. The judge subsequently postponed the Toshakhana reference hearing until November 20, calling for arguments on the appeal concerning property confiscation.
Additionally, the judge honored the request made by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor to suspend Nawaz’s warrant in the case.
The court made it clear that copies of relevant documents would be distributed during the upcoming session, while also issuing a notice to the NAB regarding the property confiscation request.
Ahead of the hearing, strict security protocols were observed, with a bomb disposal squad conducting a thorough sweep of the courtroom premises. The Federal Judicial Complex in Islamabad was heavily guarded by police, allowing only relevant legal representatives and journalists to access the accountability court.
Notably, the case also involves Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Zardari and former Prime Minister, Senator Yusuf Raza, Gilani as co-accused.
Nawaz’s legal representative, Qazi Misbah, filed several applications on his behalf, including the restoration of annexed property, the appointment of a pleader, and the submission of bail bonds.
Meanwhile, Asif Zardari’s lawyer and senior PPP leader Farooq H Naek sought an exemption from attending the hearing on his client’s behalf.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) extended Nawaz’s bail pleas in the Al-Azizia and Avenfield references till October 26 (Thursday), after issuing notice to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over the pleas seeking restoration of appeals in the graft cases.
A special bench headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb had taken up the pleas seeking restoration of appeals against the accountability courts’ verdicts in the graft cases.
The high court had granted protective bail to the three-time prime minister — who returned to Pakistan after four-years-long self-imposed exile on Saturday — prohibiting his arrest in the case.
The anti-graft body had not objected to Nawaz getting the security bond.
His counsel filed the petitions, requesting the court to hear the appeals on merit as earlier they were discarded for non-compliance when the PML-N supremo did not return from London after he was granted permission by the court in November 2019 to go abroad for medical treatment.
As the high-voltage World Cup 2023 Pakistan – India match plays out in Ahmedabad, there are no Pakistani fans at the Narendra Modi stadium.
Pakistani fans were not given a visa by the Modi government but the Green Shirts have all the support off the ground from home with the public glued to the screen and politicians, along with celebrities, cheering for them on social media.
Caretaker PM Anwar-ul-haq Kakkar extended his support to the team in a tweet saying, “Let’s bring it home”.
Best of luck to our cricket team for today’s match against India! May you play with determination, skill, and the unwavering fighting spirit that you’re known for. The entire nation is behind you, cheering for you. Let’s bring it home! #PAKvIND
Shaharyar Ejaz, a journalist tweeting live from the ground, wrote that he hoped to see the team win on Indian soil.
Alhamdulillah safely reached Narendra Modi Stadium to witness the big clash. In Sha Allah, I will witness Pakistan Win on Indian Soil Today, Pakistan Zindabad ♥️.#PAKvIND#INDvPAK#INDvsPAKpic.twitter.com/amPtqG4DzN
On the other side, there are people vehemently criticizing the Indian Government for not issuing visas to Pakistani fans.
Professor Ashok Swain lambasted the Government by saying that “It’s not Cricket, It’s Low-life’s Politics”.
Pakistan cricket team is playing against India in Gujarat today in Modi Stadium. The Hindu supremacist regime has not given visas to Pakistani fans. It is not cricket, it is low-life’s politics.
Another user criticised the crowd for trampling the spirit of the game as videos of them booing Pakistan captain Babar Azam circulated on social media.
Ahmedabad crowd booing @babarazam258 when he begins speaking at the toss . Not done. Sorry to all those in the city of my birth.. this is NOT cricket. #INDvsPAK
British thespian Michael Gambon, best known for playing the beloved headmaster Dumbledore in ‘Harry Potter’ movies has passed away at the age of 82, BBC has reported.
In a statement released to the press, the actor’s widow Lady Gambon, and son Fergus, said the actor suffered from a bout of pneumonia, and passed away with family members next to him at a local hospital.
Gambon was best recognised for his performance in six of he eight Harry Potter films, where he played headmaster Albus Dumbledore, a mantle he took up after the death of veteran actor Richard Harris in 2003.
Gambon was recognised as ‘The Great Gambon’ in acting circles. He recieved an Emmy nomination in 2010 for his performance in Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ as well as a Tony nomination in 2010 for his role in David Hare’s paly ‘Skylight’.
Gambon was knighted for his services to the entertainment industry in 1998.
Harry Potter stars have expressed grief on social media at the actor’s passing. James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the fantasy franchise released a statement, sending prayers to the actor’s family.
Very sorry to hear about the passing of Michael Gambon. He was, on and off the camera, a legend. Just a little memory of Michael pic.twitter.com/4M6E6inWMy
On World Pharmacists Day 2023 on Tuesday, The News highlighted that 80,000 prescription errors have been reported in the past year at major health centres in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
Prescription errors means that doctors either prescribed wrong medicine, incorrect dosage, or did not take into consideration the interaction between drugs, a potentially fatal error.
“Of these 80,000 prescription errors, 96% errors were accepted and recognized by the prescribing physicians and surgeons and they rectified their prescriptions in consultation with clinical pharmacists to ensure patient safety”, Sardar Shabbir Ahmed, President of Pakistan Pharmacists Association (PPA), told a ceremony to mark the World Pharmacists Day 2023.
He also highlighted that prescription error is the sixth leading cause of death in developed countries like America as 7000-9000 people die every year due to this mistake.
He urged that there is an urgent need to “introduce clinical pharmacy services at all the public and private health facilities to prevent deaths and disabilities due to medication errors and adverse drug reactions”.
A solution for that, as Shabir Ahmed provided, is pharmacovigilance centers across the country that will keep the prescription procedure in check by detecting, monitoring and preventing “adverse drug reactions” and keep patients safe.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have arrested four people, including an employee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Public Service Commission (KPPSC) on Tuesday on suspicion of killing a director of the commission, AAJ TV has reported.
This was confirmed by SSP Operations Kashif Aftab Abbasi. Allegedly a KPPSC employee was also involved.
Arshad Khan was KPPSC director of the examination.
The case is still being probed as some suspects have been traced and additionally, mobile data has also been recovered from them.
According to SSP Abbasi Khan was killed as he did not leak the paper to the students.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) journalist Iftikhar Firdous shared an AAJ TV clip reporting that the student paid Rs400,000 to a target killer to kill the Director Examination.
So students who appeared in an examination paid 400,000 rupees to a target killer to kill the Director Examination, so that they don’t fail. Bizzare! https://t.co/vu2ZwrDa08
Mexican senators have been presented with supposed remains of “non-human” mummies as a witness stated, “we are not alone” in the universe.
Two withered bodies were presented before Mexican Senators on Tuesday, simultaneous to a video footage of “unexplained anomalous phenomena” by Jaime Maussan, a sports journalist turned UFO enthusiast.
Claiming that the remains were more than 1,000 years old, Maussan said they belonged to “non-human beings that are not part of our terrestrial evolution”.
“It’s the queen of all evidence,” Maussan claimed. “That is, if the DNA is showing us that they are non-human beings and that there is nothing that looks like this in the world, we should take it as such.”
However, previous claims by Maussan about mummies found in Nazca, Peru, in 2017, turned out to be false. Tuesday’s hearing, organised by Sergio Gutiérrez Luna -a lawmaker from the governing Morena party- included participants from around the world who made calls for transparency and international cooperation.
Maussan proposed that Mexico could become the first country to accept the existence of aliens. Gutiérrez Luna, however, said that Congress did not have a stance on the theories as of yet but he also highlighted the importance of listening to “all voices, all opinions”.
Well-known politicians, such as US Republican senator Marco Rubio, have pushed for more disclosure, and in 2022 Barack Obama told CBS that the government has “footage and records of objects in the skies, that we don’t know exactly what they are, we can’t explain how they moved, their trajectory”.
As a country with rich history and diverse cultural heritage, Pakistan is home to a variety of museums. Too often, however, fascinating artifacts and exhibitions in these museums are overlooked. From locomotives dating back to the British Raj, to astronomical devices from the Mughal Era; there are numerous exhibits that many do not know about.
Here is a list of 5 exhibits in different museums you are bound to find interesting:
Rare Handwritten Quranic Manuscripts- National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi
An intricately decorated Quranic manuscript at the National Museum of Pakistan- Photo by Discover Pakistan
The National Museum of Pakistan was established in the 1950s. It is Pakistan’s biggest museum and contains an important collection of artifacts relevant to the country’s cultural heritage.
This museum holds 300 copies of the Quran from different times. 52 of these copies are rare, handwritten manuscripts, some of which are in early Kufic and Bahr Arabic scripts. Some of these scripts date back to the 1300s, showing the changes in Quranic manuscripts over the years as well as the intricate craftsmanship of various writers. Many pages are also embellished with different gems, copper and even silver.
The Seated Buddha Statue- Taxila Museum, Taxila
Taxila Museum opened in 1928 and holds one of the most significant collections of artifacts from the Gandhara Civilization. It is famous for its collection of Buddhist stone and stucco sculptures from Gandhara. The museum is located in the middle of numerous archeological sites, and its core collection was excavated from Taxila Valley.
The Seated Buddha statue displayed at the Taxila Museum is one of the earliest representations of the Buddha in human form. Until the 1st century CE, the Buddha was represented through various symbols, like his footprint or the Bodhi tree. This particular statue was made in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Thus, it is considered to be one of the oldest known Buddha statues. It was found in the site of the ancient Gandhara civilization in northwestern Pakistan. The statue is also known for its intricate carvings and striking resemblance to Buddha statues found in Tibet.
Steam Engines from the British Raj- Golra Sharif Railway Heritage Museum, Islamabad
A narrow gauge steam engine at the Golra Sharif Railway Heritage Museum- Photo by Zameen.com
Inaugurated in 2003, the Golra Sharif Railway Heritage Museum has many names. It is also known as the “Pakistan Railways Heritage Museum”, or simply goes by “Golra Sharif Station”.
Located on the outskirts of Islamabad, this museum allows visitors to experience what railway stations were like during the British Raj. Various railway equipment and largely obsolete locomotives can be explored here too. The station is still active and functioning.
Among the locomotives on display, there are three steam engines and one electric engine.
These engines are also connected to coaches, which are said to have belonged to the Maharaja of Jodhpur and Viceroy Lord Mountbatten. These coaches include first-class and economy coaches. Not only can visitors view these engines from the outside, but they can also explore them from the inside! Various old equipment and tools such as guns, crockery and bells can be observed too.
The Mercedes Pullman 600 displayed at the Pakistan Monument Museum- Photo by Mariam FarooqThe Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow displayed at the Pakistan Monument Museum- Photo by Mariam Farooq
Established in 2010, the Pakistan Monument Museum focuses on the struggle for independence and pays tribute to those who took part in the Pakistan movement. The museum covers various past events, including the arrival of Islam in the subcontinent, the magnificence of the Mughal Empire and the creation of Pakistan.
In 2018, two historic luxury cars, the Mercedes Pullman 600 and the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, were added to the museum’s collection. This exhibit was inaugurated soon after an auction to sell them off was cancelled by the government of Pakistan.
During the 1970s, the Mercedes Pullman 600 was one of the most expensive cars available.
This specific model was used by president Yahya Khan as well as prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In addition to this, the car was used by foreign dignitaries like Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, Saudi king Faisal bin Abdul Aziz, the Queen of Brunei and many other world leaders.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow was built in 1976 and gifted to the Pakistani government by Saudi king Shah Khalid bin Abdul Aziz on his visit to the country. During its service with the government, the car remained in the use of prime ministers Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. It was also used by foreign dignitaries like the Queen and Prince of Brunei, Prince Karim Agha Khan, world boxing champion Muhammad Ali and Princess Diana among many others.
Astrolabes from the Mughal-Era- Lahore Museum, Lahore
The Lahore Museum opened in 1894 and is Pakistan’s oldest cultural institution. The museum is famous for its blend of Mughal and British style architecture. Its permanent collection contains almost 60,000 artifacts of prehistoric as well as contemporary times. Many artifacts displayed here are also linked with Islamic, Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu and Jain histories.
Derived from Greek, the term “astrolabe” essentially means “star holder”. This device is one of the oldest scientific instruments in the world, and was used to make different astronomical calculations using the movement of the sun and other prominent stars. Many muslim scholars played a significant role in the creation and refinement of astrolabes. Between the times of Mughal emperors Humayun and Aurangzeb, Lahore was a major centre in astrolabe making.
There are two astrolabes displayed in the Lahore museum, both made in Lahore. One was made in 1640 AD, and the other in 1841 AD, making them both from the time of the Mughal Empire.
According to The News, War Against Rape (WAR), an advocacy organisation, published a report based on data taken from Punjab Home Department and Ministry of Human Rights which reveals that 21,900 women were raped in the province between 2017 and 2021. This indicates that an average of 12 women were raped daily or one woman assaulted every two hours.
However, as per the organisation, this number is only representative of a small portion as many cases are not reported due to stigma, fear, victim-blaming, and systemic biases in the justice system.
18 per cent of women are subjected to early and forced marriages. There are about 19 million child brides at the moment. Sindh has legalised marriage for boys and girls at 18 while other provinces have set the age for girls at 16.
Karachi As per the police surgeon’s office in Karachi, there were 3,649 cases of domestic violence reported in 2022.
WAR team investigated 66 cases of different forms of sexual violence from July 2022 to June 2023.
The News highlighted statistics from the report: 44 survivors were children under 18 years with the most vulnerable age group being 4-11 years; the average age of survivors was only 13 years, with the youngest survivor being mere four years old; and of these cases, 85 per cent involved women and female children. A total of 35 of the 66 cases were of rape, 11 were gang rape cases, another 11 were attempted rapes, and nine involved incest.
Additionally, in 10 cases, boys were also victims while 12 children were murdered after being subjected to sexual violence, including nine girls and three boys.
Korangi has been deemed a red alert zone as it has the highest sexual violence cases with 31 per cent, followed closely by Surjani Town with 30 per cent of reported cases.
The Saeedabad area reported 11 per cent of the cases, Iqbal Market nine per cent, Orangi Town seven per cent, Mehmoodabad six per cent and Gulshan-e-Iqbal reported five per cent of the cases of sexual violence.
Cases underreported The official data from three major public hospitals of Karachi revealed the conduction of 1,256 medico-legal examinations (MLEs) in sexual assault cases from January 2021 to December 2022 whereas only 499 first information reports (FIRs) were filed in this same duration.
WAR report stated: “This underscores the urgent need for improved mechanisms to encourage survivors to report incidents. In the first six months of 2023, Pakistan witnessed a harrowing increase in child sexual abuse cases, with an average of 12 children sexually abused daily, totalling 2,227 cases. The comparison with 2021-22 data shows a disturbing upward trend in child sexual abuse cases.”
Workplace harassment The News highlights that the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat for Protection Against Harassment (FOSPAH) reveals that more than 2,000 complaints were filed between 2018 and 2022 in the government sector and around 1,400 cases in the private sector, involving both men and women.
“Due to harassment, a large number of complainants end up leaving their jobs or normalising the harassment and hostile work environment. This discourages women from entering the workforce and restricts them from reaching financial independence”
Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has died at the age of 49 after a prolonged battle with advanced colon and liver cancer. He is survived by his wife, Nadine, and four children.
Nadine posted on social media: “In the early hours of this morning, Sunday the 3rd of September 2023, the greatest love of my life and the father of my beautiful children, was carried to be with the Angels from his home where he wished to spend his last days surrounded by his family and closest loved ones,”
Streak was Zimbabwe’s biggest cricketing star of the 1990s. He represented his country in 65 Tests, making him their second-most capped Test player, and 189 ODIs between 1993 and 2005. He was the team’s leading bowler, with 216 Test wickets and 239 ODI wickets, and the only Zimbabwe bowler to take more than 100 Test wickets and over 200 ODI wickets. He was also the seventh-highest Test run-scorer, with 1990 runs, and one of 16 Zimbabwe batters to score more than 2000 ODI runs, finishing with 2943.
“This is a very sad day for Zimbabwe and a sad day for cricket as we, on the one hand, mourn the demise of a true great of our beautiful game and, on the other, celebrate the greatness of what Heath gave us: he played with passion, spirit and was nothing less than an inspirational figure who raised our flag high and touched lives within the sport and beyond,” Zimbabwe Cricket chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani said.
Sad to hear about lovely friend Heath Streak’s untimely death at just 49 years of age. I played a lot of cricket against him and liked his fierce competitive nature. On one trip we stayed at his farm house and he was a generous host … a thorough gentleman he was, and will be…
Deeply pained to learn of Heath Streak's demise. While he was a big, muscular & strong guy, his agility and deceptive bowling, combined with his fielding prowess, were truly remarkable. The cricketing fraternity will feel his absence. Rest in peace, Heath. pic.twitter.com/gbD43rTz5K
At the age of 19, Heath Streak made his international debut with a match against South Africa during the 1993 Hero Cup.
The same year, he played a test match against Pakistan in Karachi, during which he took eight wickets in a match in Rawalpindi.
Streak became the captain of Zimbabwe in 2000 but resigned in 2001 as his leadership had an impact on his performance.
His career as a cricketer was also interfered with by the introduction of quota systems. Hence, selection interference and payment issues led to Streak’s first resignation as captain. He, however, became the captain again in 2002, and the team qualified for 2003 World Cup, where Zimbabwe were co-hosts.
In 2004, Streak resigned as captain for the second time after his friction with the board, resulting in 13 other white players walking out from the national side.
Inexperienced players led to poor results. Streak, being the only one, rejoined following year. He played six Tests and six ODIs (two for Africa XI against Asia XI in August 2005) before retiring from international cricket at the age of 32 in 2005.
Streak then played for Warwickshire and was their captain briefly. He joined Ahmedabad Rockets in Indian Cricket League. He returned to Zimbabwe once again, now as a coach. In 2013, however, Streak’s contract was not renewed.
He coached at domestic union, Matabeleland Tuskers, and founded his own academy, the Heath Streak Academy, in Bulawayo in 2014.
He also found gigs as a bowling coach across the world and had stints with Bangladesh (2014-2016) and Gujarat Lions (in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the IPL). He again returned to Zimbabwe as head coach in 2016. During the 2018 World Cup qualifier held in Zimbabwe, the team lost an important match to the UAE and missed out on the World Cup. Streak and his entire coaching staff were sacked. He went on to have short stints with Scotland, Somerset, and Kolkata Knight Riders.
In 2021, Streak was banned for eight years after being charged with five breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, including accepting payment in bitcoins from a potential corruptor – all of which he admitted. However, he later denied attempts to fix matches but admitted to disclosing inside information in regards to international matches.
So sad to hear about Heath Streak passing away at 49. He was a lovely person and we've had some fun interactions over the years. pic.twitter.com/5yVJt4wJjU
Sad to hear the passing away of #HeathStreak. He was a prominent figure in the rise of Zimbabwe cricket in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and very competetive. Heartfelt Condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/52WUCZ259O
