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  • Petitioner demands ban on Tiktok after ten deaths

    Petitioner demands ban on Tiktok after ten deaths

    An application has been filed in the Lahore High court demanding an immediate ban on the TikTok.

    Advocate Nadeem Sarwar moved the application on behalf of a citizen. According to the lawyer, the petitioner move to the High Court because over 10 deaths have been reported in Pakistan that were linked with TikTok in one or the other way.

    The lawyer also said that the app has become a portal of sharing inappropriate content just for the sake of fame and rating on the social media platform.

    He also argues that the video application is a “great-evil and the app has been banned in several countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh due to its nature of insulting and mocking people.”

    On the other hand, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Punjab, Ashfaq Ahmad Khan also thinks that the app should be banned.

    “I request the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency to look into the matters and immediately impose a ban on the video-sharing mobile application.” said the DIG.

    According to several news reports, the officials of Punjab Police are preparing a report that will highlight all negative aspects of TikTok and how it is negatively influencing the young adults of the country.

    The police will submit the reports to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

  • Fawad Chaudhry urges to unban PUBG immediately

    Fawad Chaudhry urges to unban PUBG immediately

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has opposed the ban on popular battle royale game, PUBG Mobile. In response to a tweet, he said: “I am against such bans because it is destroying our tech industry.”

    He urged Syed Aminul Haque, who is currently serving as Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, to take action to eliminate hindrances in the digital growth of our country.

    PUBG Mobile was banned in Pakistan on 1st July after PTA received complaints from all quarters. PTA was later asked to explain the reasons behind the decision and submit a lawfully written order to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    In another hearing on 15 July in IHC presided by Justice Amir Farooq, the judge said, “PTA should have consulted with a psychologist to learn about the pros and cons of the game before the ban.”

    Explaining the reasons behind the ban, PTA’s counsel said that the game includes anti-Islamic material as well as obscene content. In response, the judge said that there are numerous games with more violence than PUBG, however, it doesn’t mean banning everything is the solution.

    Until now, youngsters have launched multiple social media campaigns to get the attention of PTA, Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, and other notable names to resolve the matter and unban the game.

  • Cabinet bans employing children as domestic workers

    Cabinet bans employing children as domestic workers

    The federal cabinet has approved a bill against the employment of children as domestic help across the country, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has said.

    According to details, the minister during her speech in the Senate on Friday said it will be applied once further work on the bill is finalised.

    “Violence and mistreatment of children start from these households,” Mazari said, mentioning that the new bill is government’s effort to end the violence against children.

    According to the new clause, any child under the age of 14 years can not be hired as domestic help. If anyone violates the law, strict action will be taken against them.

    The move came after several child abuse cases were reported from across the country. A campaign was also started on social media against the domestic employment of children. The government had also faced criticism for its lack of laws on the issue.

    Dr Mazari had been trying to include domestic labour by children as an unsafe line of work under this act.

  • VIDEO: News anchor stays calm as she loses a tooth live on TV

    VIDEO: News anchor stays calm as she loses a tooth live on TV

    Ukrainian news anchor Marichka Padalko was in the middle of a live news bulletin when her tooth fell out. However, she kept her calm and did not stop the broadcast. 

     In a video which is being circulated on social media, Marichka quickly put her hand to her mouth to catch the loose front tooth and continued with the bulletin.

    “Yes, I lost part of my front tooth today during the live broadcast of TSN at 9:00,” Padalko wrote on Instagram, according to a translation. “This is probably my most curious experience in twenty years as a presenter. Live broadcasting is wonderful because it is always unpredictable.”

    The newscaster said her dental problem happened about a decade ago when her young daughter knocked her in the mouth with a metal alarm clock.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqr6gsJ-1_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Padalko said that her news program “deliberately” did not post her recent disaster to YouTube, for the sake of discretion.

    “Honestly, I thought the incident would go unnoticed…. But we underestimated the attention of our viewers,” the anchor explained.

    Padalko thanked fans for their support.

    “We keep calm in any situation,” the journalist concluded. “See you tomorrow morning.”

  • Destroying Buddha

    Destroying Buddha

    Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday arrested four men involved in smashing an antique Gandharan Buddha statue found during construction work in Mardan. The remaining parts of the 1,700-year-old statue have also been recovered by Mardan police.

    When videos of a man breaking the antique statue surfaced on social media, many Pakistanis expressed their anger and disappointment at the blatant vandalism of an ancient cultural heritage. According to reports, the man who broke the Buddha statue was instigated by local cleric[s]. The video reminded one of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, which were once the world’s tallest Buddhas but were blown up and destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 on orders by Mullah Omar.

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that if the progressive people of Pakistan remain silent observers and neutral, all hopes of a progressive and modern Pakistan will be dashed. Chaudhry added that “social degradation is immense and silence is not an option unless you want this society to be as dead as [a] graveyard”. His words about a dead or decadent society should be pondered over. Pakistani society is fast turning into a reactionary and intolerant one. The construction of a Hindu temple was halted just a week ago in Islamabad after protests by religious groups and now we have witnessed the destruction of a Buddha statue.

    While the KP government must be appreciated for its quick response in arresting those involved in this crime, we must ask ourselves if we want Pakistan to be a country envisioned by founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah or if we want it to turn it into a land of bigotry. The mistreatment meted out to our religious minorities renders the white in our flag meaningless. Unless and until all citizens are treated equally, regardless of their colour, caste, creed, religion and ethnicity, Pakistan cannot prosper.

    It was also unfortunate to see some of our lawmakers, including Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, justify and defend the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in Turkey by citing Turkey’s laws and system of judiciary. This kind of obfuscation leads to the justification of bigoted acts. The progressive people of Pakistan do speak out against injustices but they are a minority, or so it seems. We used to say that the ‘silent majority’ in Pakistan is tolerant and against discrimination of religious minorities but in the past few years, we have seen that the so-called ‘silent majority’ actually nods in agreement with the reactionaries.

    It is rather sad to see Pakistan spiral into a regressive society. We must go back to the vision of our founding father who wanted to see a progressive and pluralist Pakistan.

  • ‘Har jaga muhalle ki phupho nahi bante’: Asim Azhar hits back at trolls

    ‘Har jaga muhalle ki phupho nahi bante’: Asim Azhar hits back at trolls

    Hania Aamir’s big revelation that Asim Azhar and her are just good friends sent the awaam (masses) into a frenzy considering everyone was convinced that the two are dating. After Hania cleared the air regarding their relationship, social media was lit with memes and fans poked fun at Asim for being ‘friend-zoned’.

    Following the trolling and flood of memes, Hania had hit back at trolls and said that Asim is a “beautiful part” of her life.

    “Asim is a beautiful part of my life and we have seen some insane times together and we share a bond beyond anyone’s comprehension,” the actor had written on social media. “We choose to look at and acknowledge love not hate. That being said, we know Pakistanio ka humour acha hai lekin easy hojao. Social media kai troll siphayon. Bilkul free na ho. Aur zayada over bhi nahi. Shukriya.”

    And now a few days later, Asim has broken his silence on the matter.

    “As Hania said, the bond we share is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It is bigger than any label for me,” said Asim in a social media post. “Tou araam se betho saare, har jaga muhalle ki phupho nahi bante.”

    The singer then went on to praise Hania.

    “She’s the kindest and most beautiful human. I will always be there for her and vice versa because that’s the impact she’d had on me. Made me learn to give and love. Like I said, it is beyond a label.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCydpXmFfQR/

    Meanwhile, Asim also opened up about his journey as a singer.

    “It has not been an easy journey from the beginning. Imagine a 16-year-old putting himself out there for the world to judge. I’ve had my fair share of sleepless nights and irritable mornings but if it wasn’t for these challenges and the support from my loved ones – I wouldn’t have been the man that I am today & would definitely not have the courage to write this,” shared Asim.

    He then went onto thank everyone for the love and support they have shown.

    “Thank you for showing love to all my songs and especially the response on Tum Tum, which has been overwhelming,” said Asim.

    Asim also revealed that his new single Soneya is releasing next week on July 23.

  • Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday approved the relocation of Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kaavan to Cambodia. The court had ordered Kaavan’s freedom in May and instructed wildlife officials to find him a “suitable sanctuary”.

    According to AFP, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said authorities would “ensure that he lives a happy life”. He revealed that a team from Cambodia is coming over to take the 36-year-old elephant with them.

    “We are bidding Kaavan farewell with a heavy heart. It is a sad decision,” he said.

    Amin also shared that he had discussed Kaavan’s plight with Prime Minister Imran Khan and it had been decided that a safari zoo will be built in Islamabad.

    Authorities told the court that an expert committee had recommended he be moved to a 25,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement.

    Kaavan was kept in chains at Islamabad Zoo and exhibited symptoms of mental illness, prompting global outrage over his treatment and a petition demanding his release that garnered over 400,000 signatures.

    Though zoo officials have denied this and claimed that he was pining for a new mate after his partner died in 2012, Kaavan’s behaviour — including signs of distress such as bobbing his head repeatedly — demonstrated “a kind of mental illness”.

    Activists also said Kaavan was not properly sheltered from Islamabad’s searing summer temperatures, which can rise above 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

    Kaavan’s plight drew the attention of Cher, who spent years calling for his freedom.

    She tweeted in May that the court’s decision to order his release was “one of the greatest moments of my life”.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Arriving in Pakistan as a one-year-old in 1985 from Sri Lanka, Kaavan was temporarily held in chains in 2002 because zookeepers were concerned about increasingly violent tendencies. He was freed later that year after an outcry but it emerged in 2015 that he was once more being regularly chained for several hours each day.

    The court’s May ruling also ordered dozens of other animals — including brown bears, lions and birds — to be relocated temporarily till the zoo improves its standards.

  • KP Police arrest offenders involved in vandalising ancient Buddha statue

    KP Police arrest offenders involved in vandalising ancient Buddha statue

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have arrested offenders involved in smashing an antique Gandharan Buddha statue in Mardan, Adviser to KP Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Kamran Khan Bangash has said.

    In a Twitter update, the CM’s aide also said that an FIR has been lodged against the culprits under the Antiquities Act. Under the Act, demolition of archaeological sites is illegal.

    The ruling party’s official Twitter handle also shared the update and said that the remaining parts of the Buddha have been recovered by the Mardan Police.

    Read more – After Kartarpur, Pakistan is ready to welcome Buddhist pilgrims

    According to reports, the statue was discovered by locals while construction work was being done in a village near Takht-i-Bahi Tehsil in Mardan District. Situated 80km from the provincial capital Peshawar, Takht-i-Bahi is an important site for Buddhist archaeological remains dating back nearly 2,000 years.

    In a video, which is being widely circulated on social media, several men are seen smashing the Buddha with a sledgehammer and congratulating each other for doing so.

    Preliminary reports suggested that the locals smashed the Buddha at the behest of a local maulvi sahab who advised them to smash the statue or else they would lose their imaan (faith) and their nikkah would become invalid. However, Director Archeology Dr Abdul Samad Khan has said that the Buddha was broken due to lack of knowledge.

    Dr Samad added that the statue belonged to the Gandhara civilisation and was approximately 1,700 years old.

    Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry condemned the act.

    Actor Ali Rehman Khan also expressed his outrage at the incident.

  • Friendship ended with India, now China is Iran’s best friend?

    Friendship ended with India, now China is Iran’s best friend?

    After being “dropped” from a key rail project in southeastern Iran along the border with Afghanistan, India is also set to lose an ambitious gas field project in the country that had been in the pipeline for the past 10 years. 

    India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said in a statement that Tehran would develop the Farzad-B gas field in the Persian Gulf region “on its own” and might engage India “appropriately at a later stage”.

    Last week, Masoud Karbasian, managing director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), told reporters that a new operator had been roped in to develop the gas field, replacing India’s ONGC.

    The field, estimated to possess 21.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, 12.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 212 million barrels of gas condensates, was discovered in 2008 by a consortium of three Indian companies — ONGC, Oil India Limited and Indian Oil Corporation.

    According to the deal, the Indian side was supposed to develop the field but they abruptly stopped work in 2012, following the intensification of sanctions against Iran.

    After sanctions were eased in 2015 following the signing of a nuclear deal between Iran and Western countries, India showed its willingness to return to the project.

    However, things again fell apart amid the reinstatement of US sanctions on Iran in May 2018, which further “discouraged” India from making headway in the project, said sources familiar with the issue who requested not to be named.

    “By May 2018, the two sides had made tremendous progress and agreed on key details of the project,” the sources said. “However, the US sanctions played the spoilsport.”

    The two sides had disagreements among themselves as well, particularly on the number of pipelines to be laid and financial investment in the development plan, according to reports.

    In May 2019, Iran’s oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, said his ministry had devised a plan to finance the development of the Farzad-B gas field.

    The NIOC had asked the Indian side to submit a financial plan for the field’s development. However, Tehran was “not impressed” with the plan and asked for a new one, said the sources. India had reportedly made a $5.5 billion investment plan

    In August 2019, after slow progress by the Indian side to submit a new plan, Karbasian said Iran would proceed with another operator for the project.

    India’s External Affairs Ministry, however, said the “follow-up bilateral cooperation” was impacted by “policy changes on the Iranian side”.

    This was, however, not the only blow that Iran has served to India as just earlier this week it had “dropped” India from a rail project after the Indian side showed reluctance to start work due to US sanctions.

    The memorandum of understanding to construct the 628-kilometre railway line from the port city of Chabahar to Zahedan was first discussed between the two sides in May 2016.

    It came on the sidelines of the signing of a trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan to develop a transport and trade corridor from India to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port in southeast Iran. The port has been operational since 2016 and has been exempted from US sanctions.

    India’s External Affairs Ministry dismissed the reports that Iran excluded it from the rail project as “speculative,” saying Tehran was to “nominate an authorised entity to finalise outstanding technical and financial issues”. The matter, it said, was “still awaited”.

    “IRCON was appointed by [the] Government of India to assess the feasibility of the project. It was working with CDTIC, an Iranian company under their Ministry of Railways in that regard. IRCON has completed the site inspection and review of the feasibility report,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, referring to the state-run Indian infrastructure firm undertaking the project.

    “Detailed discussions were thereafter held on other relevant aspects of the project, which had to take into account the financial challenges that Iran was facing. In December 2019, these issues were reviewed in detail at the 19th India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting in Tehran.”

    An official from Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organisation has also denied the reports. However, he said Iran “has not inked any deal with India” for the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railroad.

    Both the developments come amid China-India tensions over a territorial dispute in the Ladakh region and as Beijing, sensing America’s internal political difficulties amid social justice protests and poor COVID-19 response, reportedly approves a $400 billion economic and security deal with Tehran.

    In addition to massive infrastructure investments, the agreement envisions closer cooperation on defense and intelligence sharing, and is rumored to include discounts for Iranian oil. If finalised, China would gain massive influence in this geopolitically critical region.

    The US is likely to push back against this partnership, which threatens its security and energy interests in the Middle East and Eurasia. According to Forbes, it is an open secret that Washington’s foreign policy interests constantly clash with those of Tehran and Beijing.

  • ‘Raj Rani’: Sindhi channel introduces new show inspired by ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’

    ‘Raj Rani’: Sindhi channel introduces new show inspired by ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’

    Ertuğrul fever in the country continues to run strong.

    After Ertuğrul-inspired cakes, dresses and even snacks named after the TV show, we now have a drama serial inspired by the superhit Turkish historical series. Kawish Television Network (KTN), a private Sindhi TV channel, has released the teaser of their upcoming drama serial titled Raj Rani, which appears to be heavily inspired by the Turkish series.

    The short 30-second teaser shows an intense sword fight with an ancient fort in the background. It is interesting to see the inclusion of women in the sword fights, something that is unusual on Pakistani television.

    While further details are not yet known about the series, watch the teaser below:

    Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in Pakistan ever since its first episode aired on PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country. According to details, more than 58 million people viewed the first episode on PTV’s YouTube channel in two months, and the entire show has had more than 250 million views. PTV’s YouTube channel has also registered an exponential rise in its viewership with more than 6 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.