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  • Turkey arrests 67 after mob attacks Syrian properties

    Turkey arrests 67 after mob attacks Syrian properties

    Turkish police were holding 67 people Monday after a mob went on the rampage in a central Anatolian city after a Syrian man was accused of harassing a child.

    A group of men targeted Syrian businesses and properties in Kayseri on Sunday evening, with videos on social media showing a grocery store being set on fire.

    President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the latest bout of violence against Turkey’s large community of Syrian refugees.

    “No matter who they are, setting streets and people’s houses on fire is unacceptable,” he said, warning that hate speech should not be used for political gains.

    Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said the Syrian national, identified only by his initials as I.A., was caught by Turkish citizens and delivered to the police.

    Yerlikaya said on X that the Syrian man was suspected of harassing a Syrian girl, who was his relative.

    He said Turks who gathered in the area acted “illegally” and in a manner “that does not suit our human values”, damaging houses, shops and cars belonging to Syrians.

    Sixty-seven people were detained after the attacks, he said.

    “Turkey is a state of law and order. Our security forces continue their fight against all crimes and criminals today, as they did yesterday.”

    In one of the videos a Turkish man was heard shouting: “We don’t want any more Syrians! We don’t want any more foreigners.”

    Local authorities called for calm and revealed the victim was a five-year-old Syrian national.

    Turkey, which hosts some 3.2 million Syrian refugees, has been shaken several times by bouts of xenophobic violence in recent years, often triggered by rumours spreading on social media and instant messaging applications.

    In August 2021, groups of men targeted businesses and homes occupied by Syrians in the capital Ankara, after a brawl which cost the life of a 18-year-old man.

    The fate of Syrian refugees is also a burning issue in Turkish politics, with Erdogan’s opponents in last year’s election promising to send them back to Syria.

  • Will Khalil ur Rehman Qamar ever learn to respect women?

    Will Khalil ur Rehman Qamar ever learn to respect women?

    Controversial screenwriter Khalil ul Rehman Qamar is once again in the spotlight for his misogynist behavior towards women. At a recent panel discussion, the ‘Teri Meri Khanaiyan’ co-writer joined Sahil Adeem.


    During the show, they had a heated exchange with a female audience member who questioned their regressive views on women’s rights. At one point, Sahil Adeem claimed that 95 percent of women in Pakistan are uneducated, causing an uproar among the audience. The incident has sparked renewed controversy over their views on women’s rights in Pakistan.


    Samaa TV’s show ‘Mukalma,’ hosted by Ayesha Jahanzeb, turned into a battle ground. During the discussion, a female audience member confronted Sahil Adeem for his rude remarks about women.


    “If you have called girls ‘Jahil,’ you should apologize or show me where the Quran says to use this word for those who don’t know certain things,” she said angrily. In response, Sahil shared Arabic verses, which angered the girl. Her reaction to the use of Arabic upset Khalil ul Rehman Qamar, leading to a heated argument between him and the girl. The host eventually calmed them all down and moved on to another guest.

    Here is the link to the video:


    A social media user shared a clip of the heated argument on her X account, calling for Khalil ul Rehman Qamar and Sahil Adeem to be banned from live television.


    “Such archaic views should be condemned and have no place in modern discourse. He must be held accountable for his irresponsible remarks,” the post said.

    Social media users praised the woman for bravely standing up to the screenwriter.

  • Cattle burnt alive in Sargodha, suspect arrested

    Cattle burnt alive in Sargodha, suspect arrested

    Six cattle were burnt alive in Sargodha as personal grudges were taken to a brutal extent. Police have arrested the main suspect.

    The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of Bhagtanwala police station in Sargodha, where influential individuals set fire to a poor farmer’s cattle. The suspects managed to escape.

    As a result of the brutality, six cattle valued at hundreds of thousands of rupees were burnt to death, while more than a dozen others were seriously injured.

    Taking note of the incident, IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar directed DPO Sargodha to take strict action against the suspect. Bhagtanwala police registered a case against the man and initiated an investigation.

    On the micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter), Punjab Police shared photos of the crime scene.

    Reportedly, yesterday, police arrested the main suspect who tried to harm his adversary due to personal enmity. While the main suspect was apprehended, his wife and son have been released on bail prior to arrest.

  • Next elections will be held in 2029, Tarar responds to Maulana

    Next elections will be held in 2029, Tarar responds to Maulana

    Minister for Information, Broadcasting, Culture and National Heritage Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday that general elections will be held in 2029 after the completion of the current government’s tenure.

    Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had demanded fresh elections in the country.
    Attaullah Tarar said that the parliament is the only appropriate platform for politics in the current situation. “The solution to all the problems in politics lies in negotiations and dialogue,” Tarar added.  

    The federal minister called on Maulana Fazlur Rehman to appreciate the government’s economic policies as they are for the betterment of the country.

    Fazlur Rehman on Sunday demanded fresh elections after rejecting February 8 polls. The JUI-F chief said that the government has no authority to address their concerns.

  • Shocking: Govt has access to citizens’ messages, audio/video content, browsing history

    Shocking: Govt has access to citizens’ messages, audio/video content, browsing history

    During the court hearings of the illegal surveillance of Bushra Bibi’s case last month, the Islamabad High Court made a startling discovery, learning that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had ordered telecom operators to finance, import, and install a system enabling mass surveillance of citizens’ data.

    The surveillance system currently in operation is known as the Lawful Intercept Management System (LIMS), the system allows access to private messages, video/audio content, call records, and web browsing histories, Geo News reported.

    Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC noted that the LIMS was being utilised by “designated agencies” for surveillance purposes.

    Justice Sattar noted that mass surveillance was illegal and it lacked any judicial or executive oversight.

  • 24 karat gold price declines by Rs200 to Rs241,500 per tola

    24 karat gold price declines by Rs200 to Rs241,500 per tola

    The price of gold in Pakistan saw a decline on Monday, with 24-karat gold being sold at Rs241,500 per tola, marking a decrease of Rs200 per tola.

    This reduction is noteworthy as the price has been maintained at Rs1,500 below its actual cost due to diminished purchasing power among consumers.

    According to the Karachi Sarafa Association, the price of 24-karat gold per 10 grammes also fell, now standing at Rs207,047, a reduction of Rs172 per 10 grammes. Similarly, the price of 22-karat gold was recorded lower at Rs189,793 per 10 grammes.

    Meanwhile, silver prices in the domestic market remained stable. The price of 24-karat silver was unchanged, selling at Rs2,850 per tola and Rs2,443 per 10 grammes.

    On the international front, spot gold traded near $2,327 an ounce, an increase of $2.8 or 0.12% from the previous session.

  • Man sentenced to life for abduction, marital rape of minor wife

    Man sentenced to life for abduction, marital rape of minor wife

    A local court in Shangla has convicted a person for the abduction and ‘marital rape’ of his minor wife and sentenced him to life imprisonment, and imposed a fine of Rs300,000 on him.

    Dawn’s Umar Bacha, in his report, states that the judge convicted the accused on two counts and sentenced him under section 365-b (kidnapping) of the Pakistan Penal Code to life imprisonment with a fine of Rs100,000 and to 25 years imprisonment with a fine of Rs200,000 under section 376 (rape) of PPC.

    The court acquitted seven of the convict’s family members due to a lack of evidence. 

    The lawyer appearing for the convict said that the victim was his client’s legal wife, and hence, he committed no offence.

    However, the judge, in his judgement, observed that a close and critical reading of section 375 PPC, defining the offence of rape, made no exception to marriage.

    “If the allegation of rape in marriage is ignored, yet another question is the victim’s juvenility. The victim, being just above 16 years of age, is still covered in the definition of ‘child,’ being under 18 years of age,” the verdict read. 

    The victim’s mother in the FIR stated that her husband died around ten years ago, and around two years ago, she arranged the Nikkah of her daughter (the victim) with the accused, but Rukhsati was yet to take place.

    She had put a demand to the family of the accused to arrange separate accommodation for her daughter before formal marriage, but they declined. She alleged that on the night of the incident, the accused, along with his father and four other relatives, barged into their house and forcibly took away the victim while the complainant, her son and another daughter were beaten and tied.

    In the beginning, FIR was registered for abducting the girl, but eventually, when she was recovered by police, different provisions of PPC and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Act, dealing with sexual assaults and sexual abuse, were also included in it.

    The girl, upon her recovery after four days, said in a statement that she was assaulted during captivity, and her medical examination also confirmed that she was subjected to sexual assault.

    The court eventually found the accused guilty of the offence of the abduction of the victim and having sex without her consent.

    Even though the lawyer Mian Safeer said it was the first-ever conviction in a case of ‘marital rape’ after amendments in 2021 but a man in Karachi was sentenced to three years in jail after he was found guilty of having non-consensual sex with his wife earlier in the year on January 20. 

    Read More: First ever conviction on Marital Rape opening new doors of discussion: A religious and legal context

  • PCB stops Saim Ayub and Azam Khan from playing in CPL

    PCB stops Saim Ayub and Azam Khan from playing in CPL

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has stopped cricketers Azam Khan and Saim Ayub from playing in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

    PCB has strengthened its stance on the No Objection Certificate (NOC) policy following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup co-hosted by the US and the West Indies. The policy restricts central and locally contracted players from participating in more than two overseas leagues per year to manage the workload of players and prioritize national duty.

    Earlier, when leg-spinner Usama Mir was told he had exhausted his quota of two leagues, he argued that since he is not currently part of the Pakistan team, he should be allowed to play in England.

    However, he was told that this decision was not for him to make but for the board. The decision, which rests solely with the PCB, underscores the board’s determination to retain control over players’ participation in international leagues.

    PCB officials have informed the cricket boards and franchises conducting T20 leagues about this stand and warned them against including Pakistani players without the NOC issued by the PCB.

  • ‘Men deserve leverage too’: Zara Noor Abbas on societal pressures

    ‘Men deserve leverage too’: Zara Noor Abbas on societal pressures

    Actress Zara Noor Abbas recently shed light on the societal pressures faced by men, emphasising their need for leverage in both society and relationships. She was invited as a guest in ‘Zardast’ hosted by Wasi Shah, where she speaks out about the pressures men face.

    Zara Noor Abbas said, “Men deserve leverage in society and from their partners. The pressure of being responsible for everything, amidst economic stress and a challenging environment, is not easy. If women want their rights, they should also be willing to give men their due rights.”

    She stressed that its essential that everyone in the household shares responsibilities, allowing men to have quality time with their families and not be perpetually burdened with work. “Men need to prioritise their health, too, as they’re more prone to heart attacks. It’s crucial for them to take care of themselves and quit harmful habits like smoking.”

    Zara Noor Abbas is the daughter of Asma Abbas, and niece of Bushra Ansari. She is married to actor Asad Siddiqui.

  • Babar Azam will play under the captaincy of Rizwan?

    Babar Azam will play under the captaincy of Rizwan?

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam will now play under the captaincy of Muhammad Rizwan.

    Rizwan, the newly appointed captain of the Vancouver Knights in Canada’s Global T20 League, will lead the squad which includes Babar Azam, Muhammad Amir, and Asif Ali.

    In addition, South Africa’s Devine Pretorius and Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichanne are part of the squad. The Vancouver Knights added ‘Sir’ to Rizwan’s name in the announcement of his captaincy.

    The Global T20 League will be held in Canada from July 25 to August 11.