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  • Punjab opposition leader, PTI MNA disqualified after conviction in May 9 cases

    Punjab opposition leader, PTI MNA disqualified after conviction in May 9 cases

    Days after Punjab Assembly (PA) Opposition Leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bachar and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Member National Assembly (MNA) Mohammad Ahmed Chattha were convicted in a vandalism case related to May 9 riots, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified them from holding their seats.

    According to the notification issued by the ECP on Monday, an anti-terrorism court found both lawmakers guilty and sentenced them to 10 years in prison.

    “As a consequence, Chattha, MNA from NA-66 Wazirabad and, Ahmad Khan, MPA from PP-87 Mianwali-lll, have become disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan for being members of National Assembly and Provincial Assembly of Punjab respectively,” read the notification.

    Resultantly, the electoral watchdog stated, notification to the extent of Ahmed Chattha and Ahmad Khan as returned candidates is recalled with immediate effect.

    The case was registered in Mianwali over vandalism and riots related to the protests triggered by the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a corruption case on May 9, 2023.

    Meanwhile, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, who was awarded a 10-year imprisonment by the ATC, has also been disqualified, said a separate notification issued by the ECP.

    The commission stated that following his conviction, Chaudhry no longer meets the criteria to remain a senator under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution.

    Last week, Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed and Ex-Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, were among the PTI leaders who were handed a 10-year rigorous imprisonment by ATC in Lahore each in connection with the May 9 violence case


    Meanwhile, the court acquitted former foreign minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the same case, who, according to his defence, was in Karachi on the day of the alleged incident. Others acquitted in the same case include Hamza Azeem Pahat, Rana Tanveer, and Aizaz Rafiq.

    The May 9 cases are linked to violent protests that erupted across the country following the arrest of Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a graft case. The unrest included attacks on public property and military installations, such as the Corps Commander House in Lahore, also known as Jinnah House.

     
    While multiple PTI leaders and workers were released on bail after their arrests, many still remain behind bars.

  • Pakistan’s Mehwish Ali handed six-month squash ban for obscene gesture

    Pakistan’s Mehwish Ali handed six-month squash ban for obscene gesture

    The Asian Squash Federation has imposed a six-month ban on Pakistani squash player Mehwish Ali after she made an obscene gesture toward her opponent during the Asian Junior Squash Championship.

    The incident took place after Mehwish lost her pre-quarterfinal match against a player from Hong Kong. Following the defeat, she not only made an inappropriate gesture but also refused to shake hands with her opponent, violating the sport’s code of conduct.

    The disciplinary action highlights the importance of sportsmanship and respectful behavior in international competitions.

    A similar controversy occurred in 2023 when Russian tennis star Karen Khachanov received a warning during the Australian Open for making a racially and politically sensitive gesture. 

    He wrote a message on camera related to the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, which triggered an inquiry. Although Khachanov did not face a ban, his actions were criticized globally as an attempt to bring politics into the sporting arena.

  • Pakistani food obsession got UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov kicked off US flight

    Pakistani food obsession got UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov kicked off US flight

    Former UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed that he was removed from a US flight earlier this year simply because he wanted to reach San Francisco in time to eat at his favorite Pakistani restaurant Chutney before it closed.

    Speaking on a podcast with host Adam Zubayraev, Khabib shared how his love for Pakistani cuisine led to a now-viral airline incident in January. 

    The MMA star explained that he specifically booked a budget Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas to San Francisco because it was the only option that would get him to Chutney before its closing time.

    “There is a restaurant in San Francisco called Chutney. Pakistani. Number one restaurant. For all of us,” Khabib said. “Honestly, I recently flew to America and I booked a ticket through San Francisco just so I could eat there.”

    “I’ve been going to Chutney since 2012,” he said. “Every time I’m in San Francisco, I go there.”

    According to Khabib, the restaurant closes at 9 or 10 PM, and he calculated that only the Frontier flight would get him there in time. Although there was a business class flight available on Delta, its departure time didn’t fit his tight schedule.

    “There was a Delta business class flight at 8 PM, but I would’ve missed the restaurant. I needed to leave at 5 PM,” he said. “Only Frontier had that timing. My friend said it was economy class, but I told him, it’s just an hour and a half. What’s the problem?”

    To make the economy trip more comfortable, they selected exit row seats for extra legroom. But that decision backfired. Cabin crew, doubting Khabib’s ability to operate the emergency exit due to language issues, asked him to move. He refused, calmly explaining, “I know the language, I know how to help,” but was eventually removed from the flight by security.

    Videos of the incident sparked widespread backlash, with many accusing the airline of xenophobia. Khabib, however, remained calm and simply described the crew as rude, urging airlines to treat passengers more respectfully.

    The undefeated UFC legend, who hails from the Muslim-majority region of Dagestan in Russia, said that while he prefers his native cuisine, when it comes to foreign food, nothing beats Pakistani dishes.

  • The Manto Cringe

    The Manto Cringe

    Episode 4 of Mai Manto Nahi Hoon and the teaser of Episode 5 reveals exactly what we had feared with a Khail-ur-Rehman Qamar drama. Misogynistic remarks have started to creep in and comments by teachers towards their female students, which are not okay at all under any circumstances, seem to be heading towards the norm. 

    The effect is cringe at best because how much can a beautifully crafted drama with superstar characters do, if the dialogues are packed with off-putting misogyny. 

    We get inklings of where the drama could be headed, with the standard comments of “our girls don’t attend university” and the pressure to get married to a guy selected by the parents but it comes to the forefront in episode 4 with Mehmal (Sajal Aly) saying that Mr. Manto (Humayun Saeed) looked like he likely had a “moti biwi”. Sexist remarks aside, we also see a very strange relationship developing between – you won’t guess this if you haven’t seen it – Ms. Maria (Sanam Saeed) and Mehmal. Ms. Maria invites her students to her party, blurring professional lines, but then also calls Mehmal on the phone to make sure that she’s coming to the party, so people would know that the great don’s daughter is there. Maria also gets Manto to call Mehmal and pressurise her to come, despite, of course, her not being allowed to go out at night. 

    In the teaser for episode 5, we see Manto telling Mehmal that she looks beautiful when she comes to the party, which is so cringey, you want to set the set on fire. Why? Such high hopes from this beautifully shot drama, the A-listers that are part of the cast, especially Sanam Saeed who chooses her scripts so carefully, and here we have the hero professor hitting on the student. You can actually hear Qamar bellowing, “So what? What’s the big deal?” 

    The big deal is that we are once again, through one of the most impactful mediums of change, telling society that girls sent to universities are looking for – and falling into – trouble; the age-old story with the same incredibly problematic messaging. I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think I am. 

    The episodes air on ARY Digital on Friday and Saturday at 8pm and are uploaded on YouTube on the same night.

  • Brain drain costing economy $4.2 billion a year despite growing remittances

    Brain drain costing economy $4.2 billion a year despite growing remittances

    Pakistan achieved a staggering $2.1 billion current account surplus in fiscal year (FY) 2024-25, marking the largest surplus in 22 years through record-high remittance inflows.

    According to reports, while remittance inflows from migrant workers prop up Pakistan’s economy, the loss of human capital downgrades the productivity of the domestic labour force. Data from the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) has revealed that in terms of human capital migration, Pakistan ranks third in South Asia and sixth globally.

    Pakistani workers have been heading abroad in large numbers for better economic prospects as the country remains beset by political uncertainty, economic instability and a lack of opportunities. Reports reveal that the emigration of highly skilled professionals jumped up by a staggering 26.6 percent between 2022 and 2023. 

    On the surface, higher emigration levels seem to be a beneficial outcome for Pakistan. This is because a decrease in the supply of workers in the domestic labour market results in an increase in wages as companies offer higher salaries to attract the smaller number of workers left in Pakistan.

    Moreover, an uptick in emigration levels caused remittances to balloon to $38.5 billion in 2024-25 after witnessing a 25.2 percent increase on a year-on-year (YoY) basis. This has helped stabilise the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign exchange reserves along with improving the standard of living for the families of migrant workers.

    However, reports suggest that the surge in remittances conceals the true cost of brain drain on Pakistan’s economy. For reference, brain drain is the phenomenon wherein highly skilled individuals emigrate from a particular country, often in large numbers.

    As per reports, Pakistan invests a large sum of money annually into training and educating these workers who move abroad. When these workers emigrate, Pakistan essentially loses the funds invested in that individual. 

    This “investment” can come in various forms, such as infrastructure utilised by emigrants during their time in Pakistan, subsidised education and training. 

    While Pakistan bears the cost to attract highly skilled workers, it loses out on tax revenues from their incomes as they choose to work abroad. As such, every emigrant is a sort of bad investment for the government as their expenditures do not yield any revenues.

    Calculations by an economist suggest that Pakistan could be losing upwards of $4.2 billion to foreign countries as a result of brain drain. However, it is unlikely that the emigration of highly skilled workers will halt, as a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan in 2023 revealed that 62 percent of young workers wanted to work abroad if they had the opportunity to do so.

  • Hania Aamir celebrates Sardaar Ji 3’s record-breaking success

    Hania Aamir celebrates Sardaar Ji 3’s record-breaking success

    Hania Aamir celebrated the smashing success of Sardaar Ji 3 with a glamorous party attended by some of the biggest names in Pakistan’s entertainment industry.

    With stars, music, and laughter filling the air, the celebration was a fitting tribute to the film’s record-breaking performance. The star-studded guest list included Humayun Saeed, Ushna Shah, Yasir Hussain, Sonia Hussyn, Ayesha Omar, Yashma Gill, Momal Sheikh, Komal Aziz, and several others.

    Dressed to impress, the celebrities posed for pictures, danced, and shared joyful moments with Hania, who was all smiles as she marked a major milestone in her career.

    Released worldwide, including in Pakistan, on June 27, Sardaar Ji 3 has become a massive box office hit. With an overseas collection of Rs220 crore, including Rs50 crore from Pakistan, the film has officially surpassed Carry On Jatta 3 to become the highest-grossing Indian Punjabi film in Pakistan.

    The comedy adventure, starring Diljit Dosanjh and Hania Aamir, follows a hilarious ghost-hunting journey that has clearly won hearts on both sides of the border.

  • Man booked for sexually abusing minor girl outside her house in viral video

    Man booked for sexually abusing minor girl outside her house in viral video

    A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against an unidentified man for sexually abusing a minor girl as she played outside her home in Kasur on July 25.

    The FIR on July 26 came hours after a video of the incident surfaced online. The video showed two minors, a girl and a boy, playing in the street when a man approached them and forcibly kissed the minor girl on her face.

    The video also showed the girl resisting the man and later rushing to her house out of fear.

    “When we came to the door after hearing her scream, we saw an unidentified person running away. He disappeared while we chased him,” the girl’s uncle stated in the FIR, adding that all this happened as the girl and her brother played outside their house on tricycles.

    He further said that when he asked the girl about the incident, she told him that the unidentified man, while grabbing her, did “something to her face”.

    “When we checked the CCTV footage, it was clearly seen that the unidentified man kissed the girl,” the complainant stated in the FIR.

    It merits a mention that the incident is not the first of its kind as a significant spike in cases of child sexual abuse has been reported over the past several months.

    Earlier, a local court in Bahawalpur handed down a sentence of 20 years rigorous imprisonment and a one million rupees fine to a madrassa teacher for the attempted rape of a 10-year-old girl student.

    The victim also told her father that the teacher had been abusing her sexually for some time.

    The father then registered an FIR against the teacher under section 377-B which pertains to offence of sexual abuse in the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The accused was then arrested.

    The court ordered that in case of default on payment of the fine, the convict will have to under-go an additional imprisonment of six months.

  • FACT CHECK: Is Pakistan heading towards a currency crisis?

    FACT CHECK: Is Pakistan heading towards a currency crisis?

    A social media post on X (formerly Twitter) by a private media outlet regarding “Pakistan’s currency crisis” has been gaining traction, outlining the country’s precarious economic position. Data, however, indicates that the entire post is riddled with misinformation and statistical inconsistencies. 

    According to the outlet, Pakistan’s total external debt is $219 billion when “hidden exposures” are included. Moreover, the post claims that external debt amounts to 73 percent of Pakistan’s GDP, as opposed to the “official” figure of 42 percent. The language suggests that the authorities are actively attempting to conceal the true extent of the country’s foreign debt by manipulating data.

    However, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) or the Finance Division has never denied the aforementioned foreign debt-to-GDP ratio. In fact, the only instance of data manipulation appears to be by the media outlet itself, as the 42 percent figure actually refers to the domestic debt-to-GDP ratio.

    The media outlet’s post also claims that the SBP has sold $5 billion to defend the rupee from depreciation pressures in 2024 and that the SBP spends “$5+ billion annually” to artificially stabilise the value of the rupee. However, a press release from the SBP from earlier this month indicates an increase in year-on-year (YoY) reserves of $5.12 billion.

    The outlet’s post mentions how Pakistan is running a trade deficit against its trading partners, a situation akin to spending $32,000 while only earning $58,400. However, the post does not mention the large $2.1 billion current account surplus Pakistan has achieved during fiscal year (FY) 2024-25.

    For reference, the current account value is determined by adding up the trade balance, Net Income from Abroad, and Net Current Transfers (remittances). A positive current account value means that inflows exceed outflows. Since Pakistan has posted a current account surplus, this rubbishes the outlet’s example stated above.

    The outlet’s post garnered over 257 thousand views, misleading many readers. However, netizens outlined how the statistics were incorrect and that it was a clear attempt to make Pakistan’s economic condition look much worse than it actually was. 

    An X user commented: “This entire thread is outright lie and total fabrication”. Another user highlighted that the post was “Data manipulation at its peak”. 

    It merits a mention that running the outlet’s entire thread through multiple AI detectors yields an average AI probability score of 79 percent, which may explain the inconsistencies in the data

  • Pakistan thrash Puerto Rico to stay unbeaten in U19 Volleyball Championship

    Pakistan thrash Puerto Rico to stay unbeaten in U19 Volleyball Championship

    Pakistan have successfully maintained their dominant run at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship with a commanding 3-0 win over Puerto Rico on Monday.

    The straight-sets win (25-20, 25-20, 25-15) marked Pakistan’s fourth consecutive triumph in Pool A.

    Pakistan maintained their unbeaten streak with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Türkiye on Saturday in Tashkent. The victory (25-17, 25-19, 25-19) followed earlier straight-sets triumphs against world No. 7 Belgium and hosts Uzbekistan.

    Pakistan made headlines from the very start of their debut campaign, beating Belgium 3-0 in their opening match. They then defeated Uzbekistan (25-23, 25-17, 25-21) in another performance.

    Against Türkiye, outside hitter Saud was the standout performer with 16 points, while team captain Muhammad Yahya added 13. Pakistan dominated the match across all departments, including attack points, blocks, digs, and serves.

    With four wins in four matches and no sets lost, Pakistan now sits firmly among the Pool A frontrunners. Their next challenge will be against Argentina as they aim to secure a spot in the tournament’s knockout stage.

  • Man who murdered six-year-old Palestinian-American boy dies in prison

    Man who murdered six-year-old Palestinian-American boy dies in prison

    An Illinois landlord convicted of killing a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy in a brutal hate crime has died in prison, less than three months into his 53-year sentence.

    Joseph Czuba, 73, was serving time at the Illinois Department of Corrections when he died on Thursday, according to the reports. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

    Czuba was convicted in May for the murder of Wadea al-Fayoume and the attempted murder of his mother Hanaan Shaheen, in an attack that police said was motivated by anti-Muslim hate. The incident occurred in October 2023, shortly after the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza. 

    The family was renting rooms from Czuba in Plainfield, a suburb about 40 miles from Chicago, when the attack took place. 

    Czuba stabbed young Wadea 26 times. The child later died in a hospital from his injuries. His mother survived the attack but suffered serious wounds.

    During the trial, Shaheen testified that Czuba told her, “You, as a Muslim, must die,” before attacking her with a knife and then turning on her son. Graphic footage from the crime scene was deemed too disturbing for public viewing during the trial.

    Czuba was found guilty of six counts, including first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of aggravated battery, and two hate crime charges. The jury took less than 90 minutes to deliver a unanimous verdict in a case that sparked nationwide outrage and fears over rising anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian sentiment.

    Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago chapter, responded to Czuba’s death by saying, “This depraved killer has died, but the hate is still alive and well.”

    In June, a memorial honoring Wadea al-Fayoume was unveiled at a playground in Plainfield, which is home to a significant Palestinian community.