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  • Man sues tailor for not delivering sister’s bridal dress on time

    Man sues tailor for not delivering sister’s bridal dress on time

    A man in Lahore sued a local dress designer for not delivering his sister’s bridal dress on time. He demanded Rs1 million in damages from the tailor, claiming that the family had to buy another dress for the ceremony at the last minute and suffered mental trauma because of it.

    As per reports, the court has set the case for hearing and has summoned the defendant on March 6 to submit his version on the matter.

    In his complaint, the man accused the tailor of not delivering his sister’s bridal dress on time due to which the family’s stress doubled with awaiting wedding and then they had to buy a ready-made bridal dress following severe mental stress.

    Earlier in a similar incident in Karachi, a man approached a consumer court seeking action against a shop owner who allegedly sold his wife a pair of poor quality shoes.

    The claimant stated that his wife bought a pair of shoes from a shop at Tariq Road worth Rs1,600. One piece of the pair broke into two pieces in a few days. The man also added that the shoes were his wife’s favourite ones.

  • Here’s why you were stuck in traffic in Lahore despite South Africa playing Test in Rawalpindi

    Massive jams in major parts of Lahore on Thursday spelt misery for citizens on the second consecutive day with little or no public knowledge regarding the jams except assumptions that the South African cricket team was in town.

    According to the details of the jam, the city’s arteries, including Jail Road, Canal Bank Road and The Mall, remained blocked for traffic as contingents of police and rangers barred motorists from movement on the said roads.

    As a result, all routes leading to the aforementioned major roads also remained choked with traffic jams in Shadman, Shah Jamal, Gulberg, Mozang, Upper & Lower Mall, Lytton Road, Liberty Chowk, Kalma Chowk and Davis Road among other adjoining areas.

    But what could have been the cause, especially when the South African team is currently playing its second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi?

    Well, a separate Proteas T20 squad arrived in Lahore on Wednesday for three-match series against the Green Shirts.

    Security before the movement of the team was beefed up in the Punjab capital and the guests were shifted to the hotel in the fully escorted motorcade.

    Heinrich Klaasen will lead the South Africa squad in the three fixtures which will be played on February 11, 13, and 14. The first practice session is scheduled for Friday.

    The series will start at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on February 11, and so, the current traffic situation is likely to prevail until February 15, after which the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches could add to motorists’ woes.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bat in the second and final Test in Rawalpindi against South Africa on Thursday.

    Pakistan retained the playing XI which won the first Test by seven wickets inside four days at Karachi last week.

  • Five KP policemen suspended for beating up women suspects

    Five KP policemen suspended for beating up women suspects

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Sanaullah Abbasi has suspended five police officials after their video beating up three women, accused of robbery, in Swat went viral on Wednesday.

    According to Express Tribune, the women who were detained by the Saidu Sharif police for alleged robbery were slapped and kicked in broad daylight by the police officials, including the SHO, as they were bundled into a police vehicle. An ASHO of the Kokarai Police Station was also among the suspended policemen.

    According to the report, suspended cops are: SHO Police Station Saidu Sharif SI Rafiullah, ASHO Police Station Kokarai SI Ayaz Ahmad and constables Muhammad Alam, Ishaq, and Fazal Khaliq.

    KP Inspector General Dr Sanaullah Abbasi reportedly arrested the three SHOs involved in the incident. “Respecting women is important in Peshawar. The investigation against the women who allegedly stole is underway but no one is allowed to take the law into their own hands,” the KP IG stated.

    KP CM Mahmood Khan also took notice of the violence against the suspects and ordered an inquiry into the incident. “The incident of public violence against women by the police is intolerable,” the chief minister said in a statement.

  • Indians lose it after an old picture of Rihanna with Zulfi Bukhari surfaces

    Indians lose it after an old picture of Rihanna with Zulfi Bukhari surfaces

    Rihanna on Tuesday created a flutter in India by wading into months-long farmer protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agricultural reforms. Tens of thousands of young and old farmers have blocked roads leading into New Delhi for more than two months, sheltering in tractors from the cold.

    A tractor rally by farmers last week in New Delhi turned violent. Police responded by shutting down the internet, digging ditches, driving nails into roads and topping barricades with razor wire to prevent farmers from entering the capital again.

    “Why aren’t we talking about this?!” Rihanna said in a Twitter post, sharing a CNN article on the demonstrations with her 101 million followers on the platform, using the hashtag #FarmersProtest.

    Rihanna’s tweets triggered an online storm in India, with Indians claiming that Rihanna is an ‘ISI agent’. To make matters worse, an old picture of Zulfi and Rihanna surfaced on social media further convincing Indians that the star is backed by Pakistan.

    https://twitter.com/pushpendra__kul/status/1356742818811637762?s=20
    https://twitter.com/razaikvillan/status/1356691985713795075?s=20

    What’s interesting is that most of the tweets have the same text indicating that they are part of a online campaign against the singer.

    While it is not clear when the picture of Zulfi and Rihanna was taken, reports indicate that it was taken in September 2018.

    Later, Zulfi also lauded Rihanna for raising her voice, saying: “Well said and well done.”

    Meanwhile, India’s government has bristled at international remarks on the protests, calling them an “internal matter”.

    In an official statement, the foreign ministry said that the celebrities needed “a proper understanding of the issues”.

    “The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” read the statement, with the hashtags #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.

    “We would like to emphasise that these protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the Government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse,” it added.

    The Indian government has also activated its PR machinery with several Bollywood bigwigs including Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn and Suniel Shetty and cricketers urging their Indian followers not to let anyone divide the country or fall for “false propaganda”.

    https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/1356897467850059780?s=20
  • Two PHA officials suspended for ‘inefficiency and negligence’ over Iqbal sculpture

    Two PHA officials suspended for ‘inefficiency and negligence’ over Iqbal sculpture

    Two officials of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) have been suspended for “inefficiency and negligence of duty” over the Allama Iqbal sculpture placed in Lahore’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park.

    According to a notification issued by the authority, the two officers have been suspended for “negligence of duty and inefficiency”. 

    The park’s Deputy Director Horticulture Shah Nawaz Wattoo, and Assistant Director Horticulture Ghulam Sibtain have been suspended with “immediate effect”. 

    The sculpture of the Allama Iqbal sparked social media outrage after netizens pointed out that it barely resembled the national poet. Chairman PHA Yasir Gillani later clarified that the sculpture was built by the gardeners of the park in order to pay tribute to the great poet.

    However, following the backlash, CM Punjab Usman Buzdar ordered the sculpture to be removed.

    Nadia Tufail, a spokesperson of the park located in the city’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, confirmed to The News that the sculpture had been removed and will be put up again after necessary improvements. 

  • Kangana defines ‘porn singer’ for Ali Gul Pir

    Ever since Rihanna extended her support for the farmers’ protest in India, Kangana Ranaut is having a meltdown and has been brutally attacking the singer on social media.

    During the Twitter tirade, Kangana referred to Rihanna as a “porn singer”. The actor also accused the singer’s friend and Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh of being a “terrorist”.

    “There is a Khalistan in his head also,” said Kangana about Jagmeet. “A porn star followed him and that’s his biggest achievement.”

    Responding to Kangana’s tweet, Pakistani comedian Ali Gul Pir asked her to define “porn singer” for him.

    “Porn singer? Is that a singer who makes music for porn films only?” asked Pir.

    “They will refuse to sing for normal films? Please explain further. I didn’t know such a niche existed, just curious,” he added.

    Replying to Pir’s tweet, Kangana explained the meaning of “porn singer” saying: “Someone who can’t sell music without making it sensual/adult. Unlike classical and genuine singers where the body is of no consequence.”

    “A porn singer is hugely dependent on his/her flesh show off, private parts exposure, and mediocre talent. This makes them absolutely massy, and junk,” added Kangana.

    https://twitter.com/KanganaTeam/status/1356891798011052032

    “Like someone who doesn’t have talent, hasn’t done much work and relies on controversy and putting people down to stay in the news,” said Ali after Kangana explained the meaning to him.

    “Thanks for clearing it out for me,” he added.

    To further prove her point, Kangana tweeted pictures of herself and Rihanna side by side.

    What do the protesters want?

    According to details, farmers hailing from northern Punjab and Haryana states, the two biggest agricultural producers, are demanding the repeal of laws passed by the parliament in September that they say will favour large corporate farms, devastate the earnings of many farmers and leave those who hold small plots behind as big corporations win out.

    On the other hand, Modi has billed the laws as necessary to modernise Indian farming.

    At the heart of these protests are Indian farmers’ fears that the government’s moves to introduce market reforms to the farming sector will leave them poorer — at a time when they are already frustrated over their declining clout as the government aims to turn India into a hub for global corporations.

  • Bilawal shares unseen family photo from Bakhtawar’s wedding

    Bilawal shares unseen family photo from Bakhtawar’s wedding

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has shared an unseen family photo from Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari’s wedding celebrations while wishing his sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari on her birthday.

    The picture which also features Bakhtawar’s husband Mahmood Choudhry shows Bilawal and Aseefa enjoying a light moment as the bride and groom pose for the photograph.

    Bilawal also shared pictures of himself and his siblings from their childhood and one of him and Aseefa with their late mother Benazir Bhutto in the post.

    Similarly, Bakhtawar also shared an old picture with Aseefa while wishing her on social media.

    Meanwhile, newlyweds Bakhtawar and Mahmood visited Garhi Khuda Baksh in Larkana, days after their wedding. Bakhtawar shared pictures their visit on social media.

    Garhi Khuda Bakhsh is a small village in Ratodero, notable for the Bhutto family mausoleum, where Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto, Nusrat Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto are buried.

    Read more – ‘All in the details’: Bakhtawar shares closeup of mehndi outfit

    Bakhtawar and Mahmood tied the knot on January 29 in an intimate nikkah ceremony at Bilawal House. The nikkah was preceded by a mehndi and followed by a grand reception. While pictures and other details from the wedding festivities were limited considering the ‘no cellphone’ policy at the event, Bakhtawar while thanking everyone for their prayers and wishes, had promised that the couple “will be sharing [their] joy” with their wellwishers through the moments captured.

  • India slams Rihanna, Greta Thunberg, Mia Khalifa for supporting farmers protest

    Rihanna on Tuesday created a flutter in India by wading into months-long farmer protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agricultural reforms. Tens of thousands of young and old farmers have blocked roads leading into New Delhi for more than two months, sheltering in tractors from the cold.

    A tractor rally by farmers last week in New Delhi turned violent. Police responded by shutting down the internet, digging ditches, driving nails into roads and topping barricades with razor wire to prevent farmers from entering the capital again.

    “Why aren’t we talking about this?!” Rihanna said in a Twitter post, sharing a CNN article on the demonstrations with her 100.9 million followers on the platform, using the hashtag #FarmersProtest.

    The same article was shared by teen climate activist Greta Thunberg, who also expressed solidarity with the farmers.

    US Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris also extended her support to the protest, writing: “We ALL should be outraged by India’s internet shutdowns and paramilitary violence against farmer protesters.”

    https://twitter.com/meenaharris/status/1356747965713371138?s=20

    Similarly, Mia Khalifa and John Cusack also extended their support to the protesting farmers.

    The international celebrity tweets triggered an online storm in India, where the farmers’ protests have become one of the biggest challenges to Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he took power in 2014. Modi has asserted the laws are necessary to modernise India’s agriculture sector, but farmers fear they would be placed at the mercy of big corporations.

    India’s government has bristled at international remarks on the protests, calling them an “internal matter”.

    In an official statement, the foreign ministry said that the celebrities needed “a proper understanding of the issues”.

    “The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” read the statement, with the hashtags #IndiaTogether and #IndiaAgainstPropaganda.

    “We would like to emphasise that these protests must be seen in the context of India’s democratic ethos and polity, and the efforts of the Government and the concerned farmer groups to resolve the impasse,” it added.

    Meanwhile, Kangana Ranaut, a vocal Modi supporter, responded to Rihanna by calling the protesting farmers “terrorists” and Rihanna a “fool” and an “American porn stars”. She also called Thunberg a “dumb and spoilt brat.”

    Similarly, Akshay Kumar offered traction to MEA’s statement by sharing it and writing: “Let’s support an amicable resolution, rather than paying attention to anyone creating differences.”

    India — the world’s biggest democracy — regularly uses internet shutdowns to limit information sharing during disturbances.

  • All you need to know about Indian farmers’ protests as world shames Modi govt

    With international celebrities, including Rihanna and Greta Thunberg, voicing concerns over the law and order situation in India as farmers continue to give the Narendra Modi-government a tough time while seeking fulfillment of their demands, ‘#FarmersProtest’ has become the top trend on Twitter even beyond Indian borders — in Pakistan.

    But what do the protesters, who have now been on roads for two months, really want?

    The ongoing demonstrations caught most attention when Indian law enforcement resorted to violence against the farmers who had converged on New Delhi on the country’s Republic Day.

    According to Associated Press (AP), farmers hailing from northern Punjab and Haryana states, the two biggest agricultural producers, are demanding the repeal of laws passed by the parliament in September that they say will favor large corporate farms, devastate the earnings of many farmers and leave those who hold small plots behind as big corporations win out.

    Modi has billed the laws as necessary to modernise Indian farming.

    In recent weeks, people who are not farmers have also joined in, and the protests gained momentum in November when the farmers tried to march into New Delhi but were stopped by police. Since then, they have promised to hunker down at the edge of the city until the laws are repealed.

    At the heart of these protests are Indian farmers’ fears that the government’s moves to introduce market reforms to the farming sector will leave them poorer — at a time when they are already frustrated over their declining clout as the government aims to turn India into a hub for global corporations.

    The new legislation is not clear on whether the government will continue to guarantee prices for certain essential crops — a system that was introduced in the 1960s to help India shore up its food reserves and prevent shortages.

    While the government has said it is willing to pledge the guaranteed prices will continue, the farmers are skeptical and want new legislation that says such prices are their legal right.

    Farmers also fear that the legislation signals the government is moving away from a system in which an overwhelming majority of farmers sell only to government-sanctioned marketplaces. They worry this will leave them at the mercy of corporations that will have no legal obligation to pay them the guaranteed price anymore.

    The Modi government argues that this is designed to give farmers more choice in who to sell their produce to. It also says the legislation will benefit farmers by boosting production through private investment.

    The government has offered to amend the laws and suspend their implementation for 18 months — but that has not satisfied farmers who want a full repeal.

    Clauses in the legislation also prevent farmers from taking contract disputes to courts, leaving them with no independent means of redress apart from government-appointed bureaucrats.

    These perceived threats to their income terrify India’s farmers, who are mostly smallholders as around 70% of them own less than 1 hectare of land.

  • Global Democracy Index ranks Pakistan 105/167; says Islamabad has ‘hybrid democracy’

    Democracy has had yet another bad year globally, according to the latest edition of the Democracy Index from The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

    The annual EIU’s Democracy Index provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 167 countries. This covers almost the entire population of the world and the vast majority of the world’s states (microstates are excluded).

    The index is based on five categories, electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.

    Based on its scores on a range of indicators within these categories, each country is then itself classified as one of four types of regime: “full democracy”, “flawed democracy”, “hybrid regime” or “authoritarian regime”.

    This year, the index classified 23 countries as full democracies, 52 as flawed democracies, 35 as hybrid regimes and 57 as authoritarian regimes.

    Securing the 105th slot, Pakistan, like last year, has been placed under the head of hybrid democracy, next to Turkey at the 104th rank. India, on the other hand, has been classified as a “flawed democracy” along with countries such as the United States (US), France, Belgium and Brazil.

    Among the countries topping the list are Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand and Canada, followed by Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Australia and Netherlands.

    “The authorities’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic led to a further erosion of civil liberties in 2020,” the report said.