A Pakistani-American has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the position of a federal judge on the United States (US) District Court for New Jersey.
If confirmed, Zahid Quraishi will be the first Muslim American to serve as a federal district judge.
Hailing from New Jersey, Quraishi was ppointed in 2019 to be a magistrate judge in the District of New Jersey by the judges he now seeks to join on the bench.
He is of Pakistani descent and got his law degree from Rutgers Law School, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor.
An army veteran, Quraishi was a military prosecutor with the JAG Corps and did deployments in Iraq in 2004 and 2006, according to his Rutgers bio page.
He later worked with the Department of Homeland Security then served as a federal prosecutor in the District of New Jersey.
I congratulate both Magistrate Judge Zahid Quraishi and Julien Neals on their nominations to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. With these historic nominations, @POTUS is proving his commitment to ensuring that our bench is more diverse. pic.twitter.com/vusSEOWm6N
Prime Minister Khan has responded to the letter written by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Pakistan Day, telling Modi that the Pakistani people “also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India”. The letter is dated March 29, a week after PM Khan received the letter from Modi.
PM Khan started the letter by saying, “I thank you for your letter conveying greetings on Pakistan Day. The people of Pakistan commemorate this Day by paying tribute to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers in envisioning an independent, sovereign state where they could live in freedom and realise their full potential,” clearly stating that Pakistan is a place where people live in freedom.
Letter written by Imran Khan to Narendra Modi
PM Khan said Pakistan was convinced that “durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu & Kashmir dispute” . He also added that the “creation of an enabling environment is imperative for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue.”
“Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” PM Khan concluded, after conveying his best wishes to the Indian people in the fight against coronavirus.
It should be noted that in Modi’s letter to Khan, the same phrase was used to end the letter.
In the letter that Modi wrote to Khan, Modi stated that, “an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility” was necessary if both countries were to move forward.
Social media was abuzz after the news of the letter broke, with details emerging that Pakistan and India were going to resume trade.
Islamabad had shut down all Intl border trade ties between India and Pakistan after govts reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir and 370 move on August 5, 2019. Cross LoC trade had been closed months prior to that by India. https://t.co/tPSwu2dGgY
Others were hopeful that maybe this time Pakistan and India might commit to a new peace.
“Durable peace and security in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, particularly the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” Khan’s letter said. PM imran khan response to PM Modi letter. Wish we peacefully resolve our outstanding issues
This letter from Pakistan PM Imran Khan is very significant. Until Pakistan sponsors, conspires and plans yet another terror attack in Kashmir or any other part of India. Intent is what matters. Let’s see how long this lasts. pic.twitter.com/CbYwlKzFkA
A separate message was also sent by President Ram Nath Kovind to his Pakistani counterpart Arif Alvi. Indian government officials have told the Indian press that it is a routine letter sent every year.
Minister for Planning and Development and head of the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) Asad Umar has announced that Pakistan will be getting bulk vaccine by mid-April from Cansino from which three million vaccine doses can be made.
Umar said the bulk vaccine received “will be formulated, sterilised and packed in Pakistan” and for this purpose special equipment has been procured and manpower is being trained.
We will be getting bulk vaccine by mid april from cansino from which 3 million vaccine doses can be made. The bulk vaccine recieved will be formulated, sterilized and packed in Pakistan. For this purpose special equipment has been procured and manpower is being trained
The Minister also said that the “first batch of Cansino vaccine procured [is] being received today (Tuesday).”
“This is the vaccine in which Pakistan participated in Phase 3 trials, which was the first time ever that Pakistan had done so for any vaccine,” he added.
First batch of cansino vaccine procured being recieved today. This is the vaccine in which Pakistan participated in phase 3 trials, which was the first time ever that Pakistan had done so for any vaccine.
Vaccination of people 60 and above commenced on March 10, while registrations for people above 50 started from today (March 30).
Pakistan is currently battling with its third wave of COVID-19. According to the NCOC, Pakistan has recorded 4084 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours and 100 people have lost their lives to the deadly virus.
A clip from Indian soap, showing a bride demanding that whoever will bring her a piece of the moon first will get to marry her, has gone viral on social media. One of the contenders for the groom uses a long rope to pull a piece out of the moon.
Talking about the success of his latest song Yaad, the 24-year-old singer said: “It makes me happy to see fans giving value to the craft we make.”
“I hope its an eye opener for A LOT of the artists (mainstream too) to start making original content and music videos,” he continued, adding: “Sirf brands ka wait karte reh jaoge tou hogaya kaam. Thora jaib mai haath daalo aur saath do.”
Azhar further said: “I can literally count on one hand keh sirf kitne (established) artists hain that are investing in their craft and the music industry constantly.”
“Baaki sab? Bas koi brand ajaye, koi drama karlain, koi controversy ajaye. Aise nahi hota dost. Kuch dogay tou kuch milega,” he concluded.
I can literally count on one hand ke sirf kitne (established) artists hain that are investing in their craft & the music industry constantly. Baaki sab…? Bas koi brand ajaye, koi drama karlain, koi controversy ajaye. Aise nahi hota dost. Kuch dogay tou kuch milega 🙏🏽😊
Responding to Asim’s tweet, fellow singer from the Young Stunners Talha Anjum said: “Hard work and consistency beats talent and controversies. Let that sink.”
To which Asim added: “When talent doesn’t work hard, hard work beats talent.”
If you’ve recently been active on social media, chances are you might have come across two pictures of a white woman standing with a group of men and claiming that Pakistan “is a country that loves and respects women”.
The pictures were tweeted from an account by the name of Katherine George, which has now been deleted. Katherine’s tweets were widely shared by social media users, with some endorsing her statement and others sceptical with her comments and identity.
Turns out that Katherine George does not exist and her Twitter account was fake. Because pictures shared from that account were actually of Polish travel blogger Aleks Mroz, who took to her Instagaram account to clear the air and set the facts right.
“I can personally talk about my own experience and the hospitality and kindness I received and it’s true,” said Alex while talking about her experience in Pakistan. “But I can never speak for the Pakistani women and I will never do.”
“As any other foreigner here, I am the guest in Pakistan and and I can not speak out for local people,” she said further. “The amount of hate spread by one FAKE Twitter post influenced many people’s opinions causing huge harm not only to me (as my face was used in the highly-biased post), to other foreigners who are fully aware of the difference between the perception of a tourist and a local, but also to Pakistani people facing a FAKE white tourist who undermines their voice.”
“Spreading hatred, ignorance and colour-oriented posts is the LAST thing I would like to do,” she added.
Mroz also busted Katherine’s pretence, shared her own experience of being a tourist in Pakistan and what she thinks about the safety of local women in Pakistan.
On Monday, President Alvi announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He clarified that though he had received the first shot of the vaccine, “antibodies start developing after [the] second dose that was due in a week”.
“Please continue to be careful,” he urged.
First Lady Samina Alvi later shared that the President had mild symptoms “but is in good spirits”. She added that she had tested negative for the virus.
Alhamdulillah President @ArifAlvi has mild symptoms but is in good spirits. I had my test done too & am negative & quarantining. We had our vaccine 1st dose done but it takes time to build immunity & I request everyone to please continue to get vaccinations done & practice SOPs.
President Alvi also thanked everyone for their good wishes and prayers, sharing that he felt much better today (Tuesday).
“PM [Imran Khan] called sharing his experience. Advised rest, sleep and soups,” added the President.
I am overwhelmed & humbled by good wishes & prayers, that I believe create a palpable aura of healing. Of course with so many praying for me I feel better today. PM called sharing his experience. Advised rest, sleep & soups. Will try to thank each one of you from @ArifAlviUpdates
With crucial NA-249 by-poll in Karachi on April 29 just around the corner, candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who is the owner of Ismail Industries — parent company of Candyland and Bisconni — has a surprise for constituents.
Ismail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Amjad Afridi and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal among others are the candidates for the lower house seat that fell vacant after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda resigned from the same.
The incident took place in Rawalpindi’s Purana Qila area on Saturday when 10 to 15 people attacked the temple damaging the main door and another door in the upper storey as well as the staircase, according to a complaint registered with the police.
As per reports, the encroachment mafia had occupied the surroundings of the temple for a long time by setting up stalls and shops there. The district administration had earlier removed all encroachments with help of the police.
The security officer of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Northern Zone Syed Raza Abbas Zaidi filed the FIR at Pindi’s Banni police station stating that the renovation work on the temple was underway for the last one month.
He said there were some encroachments in front of the temple which were removed on March 24.
However, religious rites have not been initiated in the temple nor were there any idol or any other religious item.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Controller General of Accounts Pakistan (CGAP) have decided to digitise the payment system for salaries/payments of government employees.
The payments will be made through Raast.
Raast is an initiative taken by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to promote easy tax collection and move the country towards a cashless economy.
According to a press release, SBP and CGAP have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to use Raast for payments. The payroll and pension-roll data will be shared from the CGA system to SBP’s Raast through a highly secure interface, and payments to the beneficiaries’ accounts will be made instantly after validating the beneficiaries’ detail.
To ensure that payments are only credited in the intended beneficiary’s account, the digital payment system will verify the beneficiaries’ details with their banks in real-time before crediting the payment in the beneficiary’s account.
The central bank further added that they are working to make payments of social security nets like Ehaas Programme, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), and other government programmes through Raast.
Raast is Pakistan’s first digital payment system that will ensure payments instantaneously for individuals, businesses and the government.
The system can also make payments to multiple beneficiaries at a time to cater to high volume government payments like salaries, pension and social security payments.
