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  • Meesha Shafi extends support to victims of harassment at Lahore school

    Meesha Shafi extends support to victims of harassment at Lahore school

    Meesha Shafi, who is one of the pioneers of the #MeToo movement in Pakistan, has extended her support to women and girls who have broken their silence over being sexually harassed by their male teachers at a private school in Lahore.

    In a tweet, the singer said that she feels “like the pain and trauma I have suffered is worth so much.”

    “Your bravery is my reward. I am with you all,” said Shafi, who had accused Ali Zafar of sexual harassment in April 2018, propelling the #MeToo movement in Pakistan.

    When a follower suggested that victims should opt for the legal route, Meesha responded with sarcasm.

    On Sunday, dozens of girls came forward with accounts of harassment and inappropriate behaviour by teachers at Lahore Grammar School (LGS) 1A1 Ghalib Market Branch. The management of the school, including female teachers, also came under fire for brushing the matter under the carpet for years. It is pertinent to mention here that most of the girls studying at the school were minors at the time.

    Such incidents had reportedly been going on for the past four or five years and the victims had been reporting the matter to the admin and their teachers. However, they took no action and resorted to victim-blaming. Strict and immediate action was only taken after the girls shared their ordeal on social media and the matter became public.

    According to details, students have come forward and shared their experiences of being harassed by three teachers namely Aitezaz Rehman Sheikh, Umer Shareef and Zahid Iqbal Warraich. All three teachers were fired soon after the allegations surfaced.

    Following the uproar on social media, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said that she has taken serious notice of the allegations and has alerted regional offices of the ministry. Education Minister of Punjab Dr Murad Raas also said that he will personally deal with the case.

  • Europe bans PIA

    Europe bans PIA

    • UK, which is no longer a part of the EU since after Brexit, has also banned certain PIA flights

    Amid the controversy around the alleged fake licences of hundreds of Pakistani pilots, operations of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in Europe were on Tuesday banned for six months by the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA).

    According to a spokesperson of the national carrier, EASA has suspended PIA’s authorisation to operate in European Union member states for six months effective July 1, 2020 at midnight.

    A statement from the national carrier added that PIA would discontinue all its flights to Europe temporarily.

    All passengers booked on its flights to European destinations will have the option to either extend their bookings to a later date or get a full refund.

    “PIA is in contact with EASA to allay their concerns and to take necessary corrective measures along with filing the appeal against the decision,” the press release said.

    The national flag carrier said it “sincerely hopes that with reparative and swift actions taken by the Pakistani government and PIA management, earliest possible lifting of this suspension can be expected”.

    Meanwhile, according to journalist Murtaza Ali Shah, United Kingdom (UK), which is no longer a part of the EU since after Brexit but remains subject to EU law, has also suspended PIA flights from and to Birmingham, Heathrow in London, and Manchester with immediate effect.

    “The UK Civil Aviation Authority is required under law to withdraw PIA’s permit to operate to the UK pending EASA’s restoration of their approval that it meets international air safety standards,” the journalist quoted a spokesperson as saying.

    The moves follow the grounding of hundreds of pilots whose licences Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan termed “dubious”. Most pilots were affiliated with PIA.

  • Nigar Johar becomes first woman Lt Gen of Pakistan Army

    Nigar Johar becomes first woman Lt Gen of Pakistan Army

    Nigar Johar has been promoted by the Pakistan Army to become the first woman lieutenant general, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

    According to the military’s media wing, Johar, who hails from the Panjpeer area of Swabi district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), also holds the accolade for becoming the first woman surgeon general of the Pakistan Army.

    Earlier, in 2017, Johar became the third woman officer to reach the rank of major general.

    Lt Gen Johar belongs to the Army Medical Corps and is the niece of Major (r) Mohammad Aamir, a former Pakistan Army officer who served in the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

    Lt Gen Nigar Johar’s father Colonel Qadir also served in the ISI. He and his wife were killed in a road accident about 30 years ago.

    Swabi has produced a number of generals, but this is the first time that a woman has reached the said army rank.

  • Singer Haroon ties the knot

    Singer Haroon ties the knot

    Lockdown weddings have become a trend with many celebrities getting married during this time. The latest celebrity to tie the knot is Haroon of the 90s pop band Awaz. The singer got married in a low-key ceremony amidst close family members and friends.

    The couple looked amazing in the shades of white and muted gold. While Haroon donned an outfit by Amir Adnan, his bride’s trousseau was done by Warda Qutub Khan. According to details, Haroon’s wife Farwa hails from Gilgit-Baltistan which explains why the singer posed with a Pakol (Chitrali cap) on his head.

    Pictures from their nikkah went viral on social media.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCBe4mihDD6/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCBe881BUA4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCBfBCAhyV5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Haroon is not only a renowned singer and songwriter but he is also the creator and director behind the Pakistani animated TV series Burka Avenger, which has won two prestigious international awards.

  • India bans TikTok, Twitter floods with memes

    India bans TikTok, Twitter floods with memes

    India on Monday banned 59 — mostly Chinese — mobile apps, including TikTok and WeChat over national security and privacy concerns just weeks after a deadly border clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

    India’s Ministry of Information Technology said it was banning the apps after receiving “many complaints from various sources” about apps that were “stealing and transmitting users data” in an unauthorised manner.

    The apps “are engaged in activities that can be a threat to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEIT) said in a statement.

    India is TikTok’s biggest foreign market, with an estimated 120 million users.

    TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing. The parent company faced accusations for its involvement in data sharing with the Chinese government.

    “TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government,” said the company on Tuesday.

    In the United States, strong critics, including some senators have called for an investigation into the Chinese company.

    The list of apps banned by India also includes the microblogging platform Weino, the strategy game Clash of Kings, Alibaba’s UC browser, and e-commerce apps Club Factory and Shein.

    https://twitter.com/GureshC/status/1277642946431475712?s=20
    https://twitter.com/zaynanxari/status/1277650472711716864?s=20

    The banning of TikTok invites a flood of hilarious tweets on Twitter and users are wondering why PUBG is not being banned by the government which is an extremely popular Chinese gaming app.

    China says it is concerned about India’s decision to ban Chinese mobile apps and was making checks to verify the situation. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Tuesday that India has a responsibility to uphold the rights of Chinese businesses.

    “We want to stress that the Chinese government always asks the Chinese businesses to abide by international and local laws and regulations,” he said.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi’s take on religion irks fellow actors

    Hamza Ali Abbasi’s take on religion irks fellow actors

    By now everyone knows that Hamza Ali Abbasi has taken a break from acting to focus on his spiritual journey and getting a better understanding of Islam. The actor turned evangelist also often shares his thoughts and understanding of religion on social media.

    Recently Abbasi tweeted that he fails to understand why we need a Messiah or an Imam when we have the Quran.

    When a follower shared his thoughts on the matter, Hamza said that he is “referring to terms that denote self-proclaimed directly divinely guided people.”

    Read more – Hamza Ali Abbasi says he is the ‘happiest’ he has ever been

    Hamza further asserted that all problems within Islam exist today because we have started neglecting the Quran.

    Following Hamza’s comments, Mohsin Abbas Haider and Shahroz Sabzwari expressed their reservations and disagreed with Abbasi. While Mohsin advised Hamza to keep learning, Sabzwari commented that he fails to understand why some people become the thaikaydaar (custodians) of Islam.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Hamza supported Haider’s former wife Fatima Sohail when she accused him of domestic abuse and cheating.

    “We need to make a horrible example of Mr Mohsin for all those men who dare raise there hand on the female servants of Allah & try to justify it,” Hamza had said.

    On the other hand, Yasir Hussain supported Hamza’s stance and said that he is saying the right thing.

  • Cop martyred in Pakistan Stock Exchange attack was to retire two days later

    Cop martyred in Pakistan Stock Exchange attack was to retire two days later

    One of the martyred security personnel who thwarted the attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in Karachi on Monday, was due to retire from service two days later, SAMAA reported.

    Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Muhammad Shahid of Lyari recruited 33 years ago in 1987, was due to retire on July 1.

    Senior police officials have paid tribute to the martyred officer. They say the city owes its peace to such valiant police personnel.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa among others have also paid tribute to the brave cops and security guards who laid down their lives to foil the attack by killing all four gunmen affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) before they could enter the compound.

    Constable Muhammad Rafiq Soomro and Constable Khalil Jatoyi are also being praised for their valour and the critical role they played in thwarting the attack within eight minutes of its launch.

    Earlier, panic and fear swept across Karachi after four terrorists tried to storm the PSX building on I I Chundrigar Road Monday. The assailants came in a car and tried to enter the building, according to the police.

    They were intercepted by security guards after which the militants threw a hand grenade at them and opened gunfire. All four attackers were killed after a brief encounter with commandos of the Sindh Police’s Rapid Response Force.

  • Shireen Mazari takes notice of harassment at Lahore’s private educational institutions

    Shireen Mazari takes notice of harassment at Lahore’s private educational institutions

    Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari has taken notice of allegations of harassment and inappropriate behaviour by instructors at two of Lahore’s premier private institutions. While the minister did not name the institutions, it is being speculated that she is referring to Lahore Grammar School 1A1 Branch (Ghalib Market) and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).

    In a Twitter update, Mazari said that she has taken notice of the matter and that the regional offices have been alerted on the matter.

    The Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) also announced that they have taken notice of matter and said that assistance is available on their helpline 1099.

    Earlier in the day, The Current reported that the management of LGS 1A1 Ghalib Market Branch, including female teachers, had come under fire for covering up harassment and inappropriate behaviour by instructors for years. It is pertinent to mention here that most of the girls studying at the school were minors at the time.

    Read more – Private school in Lahore comes under fire for covering up harassment

    Such incidents had reportedly been going on for the past four or five years and the victims had been reporting the matter to the admin and their teachers. However, their teachers had been covering up for their colleagues and brushing the matter under the carpet. They resorted to victim-blaming and refused to take any action. Strict and immediate action was only taken after the girls shared their ordeal on social media.

    According to details, students have come forward and shared their experiences of being harassed by three teachers namely Aitezaz Rehman Sheikh, Umer Shareef and Zahid Iqbal Warraich.

    Similarly, students and alumni of LUMS shared their experiences of being harassed by instructors and fellow students on a private group. Some of the students have also decided to pursue the matter and their perpetrators through legal channels.

  • LUMS distributes free internet devices amongst students on financial aid

    LUMS distributes free internet devices amongst students on financial aid

    The Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) has sent internet devices to those students who are studying at the university on need-based scholarship.

    Wardah Noor, a student of LUMS shared the news, which went viral on social media.

    Noor shared: “LUMS sent internet devices with free data of (75GB/ month) to the students on full financial aid.”

    She shared that she was concerned about the internet package given that she doesn’t have a job and her father’s pension is Rs 25,000.

    This initiative is being appreciated because the university — LUMS — has identified a major issue and took action without any requests from deserving students. People are also urging the administration of other universities to learn from this initiative and facilitate their students.

    This development has come when a large number of students across the country were protesting against online classes due to internet connectivity issues.

    Many students from far-flung and remote areas like Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Kashmir, Sindh and Balochistan have been protesting because they do not have an internet connection. In some cases, students have to travel more than 25 kilometres to take online classes.

    Furthermore, more than 60 students were arrested by police in Quetta for a peaceful demonstration against internet connectivity issue. Later on, they were released on the same day.

  • Indian filmmaker trolled for celebrating attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange

    Indian filmmaker trolled for celebrating attack on Pakistan Stock Exchange

    The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building was attacked by four heavily armed terrorists in Karachi on Monday morning. Police killed all four assailants who attacked the building. At least two civilians also lost their lives in the attack and multiple were injured.

    Some reports said that four guards and a policeman were also martyred.

    As the news of the incident started circulating on social media, Indian filmmaker Ashoke Pandit took to Twitter and wrote, “#TerroristsKillTerrorists in #Karachi stock exchange in Pakistan.”

    https://twitter.com/ashokepandit/status/1277483890005827584?s=20

    Following his remarks, Twitter users started criticising Pandit for his insensitive remarks and demanded him to apologise for his comments.

    https://twitter.com/VORdotcom/status/1277501262867697664?s=20
    https://twitter.com/hushamahmed/status/1277499381638475776?s=20

    Pakistani actor Armeena Rana Khan also condemned the director’s remarks.

    https://twitter.com/ArmeenaRK/status/1277613212746252288?s=20