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  • ‘Weakened arm muscles’; Bushra Bibi requests court to ensure Imran’s safety in jail

    ‘Weakened arm muscles’; Bushra Bibi requests court to ensure Imran’s safety in jail

    Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister Imran Khan, has submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday, requesting the court to address the conditions in which her husband is incarcerated in at Attock Jail.

    After meeting with her husband on August 22, Bushra Bibi submitted the affidavit to the court through advocate Hamid Khan.

    In her affidavit, she raised questions about Imran Khan’s health, stating that there are evident signs of drastic weight loss and weakened arm muscles.

    She also expressed concerns that her husband’s life is at risk because of his age of 70, requesting immediate action to ensure Imran Khan’s safety.

  • Controversial coach Raja Ziaul Haq taken down from YouTube

    Controversial coach Raja Ziaul Haq taken down from YouTube

    Controversial Youtuber Raja Ziaul Haq’s channel has been taken down by YouTube on Wednesday, putting a temporary halt on the rise of the speaker well known for spewing sexist and transphobic comments.

    On various occasions, Haq criticised Aurat March and Commissioner Nazimabad Hazim Bangwar for what he thought was promoting LGBTQ values in Pakistan.

    On his Instagram account, which has around 448000 followers, Raja said his team are unaware of why his channel was shut down and were appealing to Youtube.

    “Our YouTube channel has been taken down or terminated. We have appealed it. We are checking what were the reasons that led to this. Inshallah, we are hopeful it will be restored, but obviously, there is some work to do on our part.”

    In an older clip of a discussion on Aurat March, Raja Ziaul Haq alleged that the movement was not interested in uplifting the rights of women or educating the masses, but were more interested in gaining sexual liberation and removing Islam’s influence from Pakistan.

    In a 2021 clip, Raja slammed the movement for going against Islam, citing the placcard ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’ as a reason.

    He had then claimed in 2022 that the movement did not lend their support for the Muslim girl in India who protested against the anti-burkha law implemented across schools.

    He also slammed leading transgender activists in Pakistan for setting up ‘Scrap Fest’, claiming that they were starting Muslim Pride. However, speaking to The Current, organiser Urvah Khan confirmed the event was not LGBTQ exclusive, but was supporting performances by minority communities in Pakistan.

    Haq also lashed out at the Green Entertainment show ‘College Gate’ on his Youtube channel, ranting that it was promoting feminist agendas. However, the creators addressed the controversies in a conversation with Arab News, stating that their show was not anti Pakistani culture, but was about a group of friends who tackle issues like peer pressure, and how friendships promote good values within each other.

  • Pakistani rupee’s fall continues, settles at new record low of Rs301 against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee’s fall continues, settles at new record low of Rs301 against US dollar

    The Pakistani rupee continued its unsettling descent, marking a fresh all-time low against the US dollar, with a settlement at Rs301 in the inter-bank market on Friday. As reported by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the local currency reached the 301 mark, experiencing a decline of Re0.78 or 0.26 per cent.

    On the preceding day, the rupee concluded at a historic low against the US dollar, reaching a settlement of Rs300.22.

    On the global front, the US dollar achieved its highest position in over two months on Friday, poised for its sixth consecutive week of gains, as financial markets eagerly awaited a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to gain insights into the trajectory of monetary policy.

    The dollar index, a measure of the US dollar’s strength against six other major currencies, witnessed a 0.019 per cent increase, reaching 104.11, the highest level since June 7. With a 2 per cent increase in August, the index is poised to end its two-month losing streak.

    Oil prices, a pivotal gauge of currency equilibrium, surged by over 1 per cent on Friday due to the firming of the dollar, as anticipation built ahead of a highly awaited speech by the head of the US Federal Reserve. This speech is expected to provide insights into the future of interest rates.

  • Sindh industries to face two-day gas supply suspension due to shortage

    Sindh industries to face two-day gas supply suspension due to shortage

    Gas supply to industries and power plants in Sindh will be stopped for 48 hours starting Saturday, as informed by the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

    The reason for this interruption is the low gas pressure in the system. There’s been a drop in pressure in the gas lines, leading to reduced supply.

    According to The News, the SSGC stated that due to insufficient gas supply, the available gas has decreased, causing low pressure in the system.

    As per the Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) guidelines for industrial customers approved by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and authorised by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet, all industries, including power generation units, will remain closed during this time:

    Starting from 8 AM on Saturday, August 26, 2023, to 8 AM on Monday, August 28, 2023.

    The gas will be supplied according to the established priority order. The company issued a stern warning that strict action would be taken if anyone was found violating these rules during the gas supply suspension.

    The statement also mentioned that if any violations are noted during this gas holiday period, the company will take significant measures, which might even involve the suspension of gas supplies for a minimum of 7 days.

    The company’s strict stance against any breaches during this gas supply suspension underscores the importance of adherence to these measures, with the possibility of severe consequences, including a minimum seven-day disconnection of gas supplies.

  • World Athletics Championships: Arshad Nadeem Qualifies for Final

    World Athletics Championships: Arshad Nadeem Qualifies for Final

    Pakistani Arshad Nadeem qualifies for finals of the men’s javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2023, being held in Budapest. He has also qualified for the Paris Olympics with a throw of 86.79m in the final attempt. 

    Nadeem’s first attempt was 70.63m while the second was 81.53m.

    Nadeem recorded his career’s best throw of 90.18 metre in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which is also a record throw of the quadrennial event.

    India’s Neeraj Chopra has also qualified for the finals. of the men’s javelin throw event at the World Athletics Championships 2023, which is being held in Budapest. The Olympics gold medallist recorded a throw of 88.77m in his first attempt itself, which was enough to secure his place in the final. 

    It also happens to be among Neeraj’s best throw of the year, surpassing his previously recorded 88.67m and 87.66m attempts in the Doha Diamond League and Lausanne Diamond League respectively. 

    A total of 37 javelin throwers have been divided into two groups, with a total of 12 athletes to qualify for the final. Nadeem was in Group B along with world number one Jakub Vadlejch, who also automatically qualifies for finals in his second thrown of 83.50 meters. Meanwhile, Neeraj Chopra was in Group A. The Automatic qualifying mark for the final was 83 metres or at least the top 12. 

    The final of javelin throw will be held on Sunday, August 27.

  • ‘I hope my mother can see me’: Naseem Shah’s moving tribute has social media crying

    ‘I hope my mother can see me’: Naseem Shah’s moving tribute has social media crying

    Naseem Shah’s epic performance during the second One-Day International (ODI) between Pakistan and Afghanistan drove fans into a frenzy, as celebrations erupted across the nation.

    For the young cricketer, however, the performance was bittersweet. He dedicated his victory to his mother, who passed away in 2019, just one day before the young cricketer appeared for his first Test match in Australia, when he was 16.

    In a clip going viral on the internet, the cricket star could be heard saying:

    “All I will say is that I wish my mother was alive today and she could see this.”

    https://twitter.com/Rnawaz31888/status/1694964630559297777?s=20

    The Pakistani pacer previously revealed to Samaa that he went under severe grief after his mother passed away and had to take medication, adding that it is difficult to talk about his mother’s memories.

    READ MORE: Naseem Shah reveals he was on medication for a year after mother’s death

    Fans of the cricket star expressed their support for Naseem, telling him that his mother would have definitely been proud to see how far her son has gone.

  • ‘What the trial court did was wrong’: Chief Justice IHC

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said on Friday that the trial court which convicted Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case, “did wrong”.

    The judge made these remarks during the hearing of Imran Khan’s appeal challenging the Toshakhana judgment. It should also be remembered that Imran is already in Attock jail, serving a three-year sentence.

    CJ Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri are part of the bench hearing the appeal of the suspension of Imran Khan’s sentence in the Toshakhana case.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) lawyer, Amjad Parvez, was absent from today’s hearing. His assistant said that Amjad is unwell.

    His assistant advocate also asked the bench for an adjournment, saying, “For the last eight months, we never sought adjournment.”

    At this point, the IHC chief justice said, “The request for suspension of sentence is now at a critical stage. We can also do what the trial court did, but we will not.”

    “We adjourn the case till Monday, and even if no one comes, we will announce our decision,” Justice Farooq said, adding that what the trial court had done was wrong.

  • Woman in India dies as husband attempts delivery at home

    Woman in India dies as husband attempts delivery at home

    A 27-year-old woman in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri died while giving birth at home after her husband attempted to carry out the delivery himself using a technique he saw on YouTube.

    Nadu lost an excessive amount of blood as the husband failed to cut the umbilical cord properly, fainting from blood loss.

    Her husband took her to the Primary Health Center (PHC), however, she was declared dead. According to India Today, a medical officer at the hospital, Rathika, filed a complaint with the police. The police filed a case under Section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

  • Pakistan clinches thrilling victory against Afghanistan in 2nd ODI by one wicket

    Pakistan clinches thrilling victory against Afghanistan in 2nd ODI by one wicket

    In an intense match on Thursday in Hambantota, Pakistan narrowly defeated Afghanistan by one wicket, securing their series victory after a dominant performance in the first ODI.

    Naseem Shah, known for leading Pakistan to success in the Asia Cup 2022, once again played a pivotal role, guiding his team to victory in the final over when they needed 11 runs off 6 balls.

    During the chase of 301 runs, Pakistan faced setbacks with the early loss of Fakhar Zaman, but Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam’s partnership of 118 runs steadied the innings.

    After Babar’s dismissal, Pakistan’s victory seemed uncertain, but Shadab Khan’s 48 off 35 balls brought them back into the game. A dramatic final over included Shadab’s mankading and Naseem Shah’s heroics, ultimately leading Pakistan to triumph.

    In Afghanistan’s innings, Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s outstanding 151-run knock propelled his team to post 300-5, with a 227-run partnership alongside Ibrahim Zadran. Despite Gurbaz’s impressive display, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah secured crucial wickets.

    The match highlighted Afghanistan’s batting prowess, but Pakistan’s resilience and Naseem Shah’s performance stood out, sealing a thrilling victory.

  • Average 12 children sexually abused daily, new report says

    Average 12 children sexually abused daily, new report says

    Sahil, a non-profit organization working for the rights of children in Pakistan, has published a new report, “Six Months Cruel Numbers 2023”, revealing cases of sexual violence reported in the first half of 2023.


    A total of 2,227 children have been subjected to sexual violence from January to June this year alone. This means that on an average, 12 kids have suffered sexual violence every day in these months.

    The source for Sahil’s data are media reports; the actual number of cases might be higher considering all cases are not documented.
    1,207 of the cases are of girls — more than half, 54 percent. While 1,020 of the cases are of boys. In the same period in 2022, the number of girls encountering abuse was the same as 2023, while cases involving boys have risen.

    Age bracket:

    The most vulnerable to abuse are in the age group of 6-15 years, in which more boys than girls were victimised. This age bracket makes up 47 percent of the total cases recorded — 593 boys and 457 girls.

    Types of cases:

    Cases of abduction are still the most prevalent with 44 per cent, 13 per cent cases of sodomy, 10 per cent of cases of rape and nine per cent of cases of missing children were reported.


    53 cases of pornography have also been reported that are being tracked by the Federal Investigation Agency on the dark web. As per the report, 72 per cent of victims were boys and 28 per cent of victims were girls

    Abusers:

    2,531 abusers have been involved in child abuse in the first six months of 2023. In most cases, they were acquainted or related to the victims or their families.

    The abusers were acquaintances in 912 cases, strangers in 498 cases, and both in 215 cases.

    Location:

    According to the report, between January and June, the crime was committed at the “abuser’s place because the abusers trap innocent children and take them to their places”.

    However, in most cases, the place of abuse remained unknown with 31 per cent committed in the streets, 11 per cent at victims’ place, four per cent in fields, and two percent at places of worship.

    45 per cent cases were reported from rural areas and 55 per cent from urban areas.

    As per provincial breakdown, the highest number of cases, 74 per cent, were reported from Punjab, followed by 14 per cent from Sindh, seven per cent from Islamabad, three per cent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and two per cent from Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

    88 per cent of all the cases were registered with police while 25 cases were either not filed or police refused to register them.

    Violence against children:

    Sahil also reveal that a total number of 963 cases of accident and/or violence were allegedly reported against the children among who 760 died: 268 drowned, 148 murdered, 144 accidents and 61 children committed suicide.

    Highest number reported were from Sindh with 483 cases followed by Punjab in second place with 233 cases.