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  • 18-year-old Pakistani girl allegedly killed in Italy for refusing to marry

    An 18-year-old girl of Pakistani origin in Italy is believed to be killed by her family after refusing an arranged marriage. Police in Italy are searching for the body of the girl named Saman Abbas who has been missing since May 5, AFP has reported.

    Lieutenant Colonel Stefano Bove of the Carabinieri police has said that the girl’s parents, an uncle and two cousins, are under investigation for murder, adding that all are supposed to have taken part in the crime.

    Saman Abbas, who lived in the northern town of Novellara, reportedly refused to come to Pakistan to marry her cousin.

    “Saman, tonight you are not alone and you will never again be alone,” Mayor Elena Carletti said in a video posted on the local news website Reggioonline.

    In May, Mayra Zulfiqar 24-year-old girl was found dead in Lahore, who had arrived in Pakistan with her parents about two months ago to attend a family wedding. Prior to her brutal murder, she had asked police for protection after accusing a man of abducting her at gunpoint.

  • VIDEO: Babar Azam trains in isolation

    VIDEO: Babar Azam trains in isolation

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam is seen training as he is in quarantine for remaining matches of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) sixth edition in Abu Dhabi.

    “Training must go on,” wrote Babar while sharing the video on social media.

    The captain in the video can be seen doing dips, running, and other fitness-related exercises.

    Earlier, Imam ul Haq had posted a picture of a video conference of himself and other players, who are residing on the same floors of a hotel can’t meet each other for several days on end.

    Haq shared a screenshot of a video call in which the cricketer can be seen interacting with Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Babar and Shoaib Malik.

    It seems as if the screenshot has been taken while the players were having a hearty laugh as everyone, from Azam to Malik, can be seen smiling in the picture.

    “So close, yet so far. Bio-secure bubble at its full flow. We’re all in close proximity. Some even on same floors but still not meeting.

    “Keeping ourselves entertained with video calls, so that we can all entertain you from the ground in a few days,” wrote Imam.

    Meanwhile, Sania Mirza commented on his post and said: “All that is fine but where are your clothes?”

    A few days ago, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had confirmed receiving all the necessary permissions to hold 20 remaining matches the PSL 6 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under strict precautionary measures.

  • Relations with India would be ‘betrayal’ to Kashmir: PM

    Relations with India would be ‘betrayal’ to Kashmir: PM

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that normalisation of terms with India would be a betrayal to the Kashmiri struggle.

    PM Imran held a live Question and Answer (Q&A) session with the public on Sunday. He said that “re-establishing ties with India would be ignoring all the struggle of Kashmiris as more than 100,000 people have martyred.”

    PM Imran said he tried to resolve problems with India through dialogue. However, it cannot be the case now as India has illegally annexed Kashmir. The normalisation of terms after this is a betrayal to the Kashmir cause, said PM Khan.

    “There is no doubt that trade will improve but all their [Kashmiris] blood will be wasted, so this cannot happen. This cannot happen that our trade improves at the cost of their blood.”

    Pakistan can resume talks if New Delhi reverses its longstanding semi-autonomous status of Indian Occupied Kashmir, he maintained.

    On August 5, 2019, Modi government revoked the status of Article 370 and other related provisions and split Kashmir into two federally controlled areas. The government also locked down the region, imposed movement restrictions while imposing communication blackout.

    In retaliation, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with India while also suspending trade.

  • Hasnain Lehri pens heartfelt note for late father

    Hasnain Lehri pens heartfelt note for late father

    Hasnain Lehri has penned a heartfelt note for his late father, who passed away on May 22.

    Lehri uploaded a picture of his hand holding his father’s for the last time. “Papa jaan, holding your hand for the last time was the second most difficult thing I have ever had to do,” he admitted while sharing his thoughts on social media.

    “Letting go of your hand for the last time was the first.”

    “This is the price you pay for having a great father. You get the wonder, the joy, the tender moments — and you get the tears at the end, too. I love you and I miss you the most, Papa Jaan I talk to you all the time, I hope you hear me,” he went on.

    The model went on to ask Allah for the patience to bear such a heavy loss.

    “Allah has given me Himmat, hope He give us Sabbar,” wrote Lehri.

    Lehri posted the same picture on Twitter, and fans rushed to his support.

    Lehri had lost his younger brother, Mansoor Lehri, to a heart attack on May 26, 2019. He had written a similar heartfelt message for him upon his death.

  • Covid-19 vaccination of citizens over 18 to start June 3

    Covid-19 vaccination of citizens over 18 to start June 3

     The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) decided on Monday to start scheduling Covid-19 vaccination for citizens above 18 years of age from June 3.

    Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, who also heads the NCOC, tweeted: “In today’s NCOC meeting it was decided to start scheduling vaccination of registered 18 plus from Thursday the 3rd of June.”

    On May 27, the government started registering citizens aged 18 and above for vaccination against Covid-19.

    On Sunday, Asad Umar said that Pakistan set a new record of most vaccinations in a day after nearly 400,000 people received Covid jabs on Saturday. Taking to Twitter, Asad Umar said that over 383,000 people received Covid jabs on Saturday, setting a new record of most vaccinations in a day.

    The country has a total of 921,053 Covid positive cases with a positivity rate of 4.0 per cent.

  • ‘Pakistan prepared to send limited Hajj pilgrims’

    ‘Pakistan prepared to send limited Hajj pilgrims’

    Saudi Arabia has not announced a Hajj policy yet, however, Pakistan has made complete arrangements to send limited pilgrims for Hajj, says Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Dr Noorul Haq Qadri.

    In an interview with Ali Furqan on Voice of America (VOA), Qadri said that this year’s Hajj would be a bit expensive as compared to the last year due to COVID-19 SOPs, however, an exact estimate can only be made after the final announcement by Saudi Arabia regarding SOPs and number of pilgrims.

    It would not be possible for Saudi Arabia to make normal arrangements as there’s a little time left for Hajj. He said Saudi Arabia will be able to make limited arrangements, but it has not confirmed the number of pilgrims.

    Qadri told that the Pakistan government is in contact with Saudi authorities and Saudi Arabia also wanted to take major Muslim countries in confidence before a final decision. He said that Saudi Arabia was making strict SOPs for Hajj during the pandemic. Pakistan will be ensuring the application of these coronavirus SOPs.

    Read More: Saudi Arabia says COVID-19 vaccination is ‘must’ for 2021 Hajj

    He further added that all pilgrims would have to submit negative COVID-19 tests results before leaving Pakistan and after the arrival in Saudi Arabia, all pilgrims will have to self-isolate for three days. 

    A coronavirus test will also be compulsory on arrival in Madina from Makkah and on returning back to Makkah.

    Regarding the issue of Saudi Arabia’s not accepting the Chinese vaccine, the minister said, “Pakistan will convince Saudi Arabia to recognise Chinese vaccine as WHO has approved the Sinopharm vaccine of China and most Pakistanis have been administered with the Chinese vaccine.” 

    In the proposed Hajj policy, Saudi Arabia has recommended vaccines including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson’s.

  • ‘I should get justice by now’: Jahangir Tareen

    ‘I should get justice by now’: Jahangir Tareen

    Speaking to the media outside a Lahore sessions court, estranged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Monday said he wants justice. “Don’t do politics with us, do justice with us,” said Tareen.

    Tareen was asked by a reporter if he had any contact with any high-ranking government official in Islamabad.

    “I have had no meeting with any senior government official. There was no meeting and this news is wrong and based on a misunderstanding. We are fighting our case in court and waiting for (Senator Barrister) Ali Zafar’s report,” he responded.

    Tareen said speculations were doing the rounds that Zafar had provided a “verbal report” to Prime Minister Imran Khan, which he said, was in his favour.

    “Imran Khan promised justice will be done. A lot of days have passed, I should get justice by now,” he said.

    Tareen said whatever Zafar had said about the cases against him should be made public.

    When questioned if the report was against him, would he accept it, the sugar baron answered: “We know some things which I don’t want to tell in the media. When the report comes and whatever happens then I will put everything in front of the media.”

    MNA Raja Riaz, a member of the pro-Tareen group, had previously said that Barrister Zafar had completed his probe and given a ‘clean chit’ to the disgruntled PTI leader. However, Senator Ali Zafar later rubbished those claims and said that no report had been submitted by him.

  • Kuwait lifts ban on visas for Pakistani citizens after a decade

    Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Sunday announced that Kuwait will resume different visas for Pakistani citizens after a 10-year pause. Sheikh Rashid met Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah during his one-day visit to Kuwait.

    Kuwaiti Interior Minister Thamer Ali Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Syed Sajjad Haider were also present during the meeting.

    “It has been decided to immediately restore family and business visas between Pakistan and Kuwait,” wrote the interior minister in a tweet.

    He said that the restoration of work visa will create new employment opportunities for Pakistanis, and it would also boost trade between the two countries.

    Kuwait imposed a ban on the issuance of visas to Pakistani citizens in 2011.

    During the visit he also gave the Kuwaiti premier a special letter from Prime Minister Imran Khan.

  • Naftali Bennett: Israel’s next expected PM

    Naftali Bennett who is the leader of Israel’s far-right Yamina party, is likely to become Israel’s next Prime Minister. What do we know about him? First up, he dreams of annexing most of the occupied West Bank into Israel. Reuters defines him as a ‘modern-Orthodox religious Jew’, which is not good news for the Palestinians.

    “Bennett has said that creation of a Palestinian state would be suicide for Israel, citing security reasons,” Reuters has reported. In 2013, he told The New Yorker: “I will do everything in my power, forever, to fight against a Palestinian state being founded in the land of Israel.” 

    However, unlike some of his former allies on the religious right, Bennett is comparatively liberal on issues such as gay rights and Israel being a more secular state.

    Bennett studied law at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University and also worked in the technology sector. In 1999, he formed a start-up and then moved to New York, eventually selling his anti-fraud software company, Cyota, to U.S. security firm RSA for $145 million in 2005.

    Born to American parents who immigrated to Israel, Bennett is a former Israeli soldier. He entered politics in 2013 and was appointed Minister of Economy, Minister of Religious Services, and Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs.

    He threw his crucial support on Sunday behind a “unity government” in Israel to deseat Prime Minister Benjamin (PM) Netanyahu, in what would be the end of a political era.

    Bennett’s decision, which he announced in a televised address, could enable opposition chief Yair Lapid to put together a coalition of right-wing, centrist and leftist parties and hand Netanyahu his first election defeat since 1999.

  • ‘Safer in jail’: 21 Indian prisoners don’t want parole amid COVID-19

    ‘Safer in jail’: 21 Indian prisoners don’t want parole amid COVID-19

    21 prisoners in Uttar Pradesh, India do not want parole to stay safe and healthy during the Covid pandemic. Parole is a temporary hold-up of the sentence.

    As per reports, the Director-General of Jail Administration Anand Kumar said that the prisoners who have requested that to the authorities are kept in nine prisons of Uttar Pradesh.

    He said that the reason is that when they get three months of parole then these days will be added to the sentence period later.

    Read More: Indian couple gets married on plane to avoid COVID restrictions

    The second main reason is that the prisoners feel that the kind of food and the healthcare services they are getting in jails will not be possible once they are out on parole for 90 days.

    They said that medical facilities are available and daily health checkups are done in jails. They also get food on time so they are safe and healthy in prison and not when they are out trying to make money and living.

    Four requests from Lucknow jail, two from Maharajganj jail and three from Ghaziabad jail have been reported.

    Kumar said that the prisoners have written their requests clearly so they have to agree to take their viewpoint and respect it.

    Due to the extraordinary gush of Covid-19 cases in the country, the Supreme Court on May 8 ordered for decongestion of jails with immediate release of all the inmates who were approved for bail or parole last year.

    The top court had taken suo motu cognizance of the congestion of prisons all over the country on March 16, 2020, saying that it is hard for the prisoners to keep social distancing to avoid the spread of coronavirus.