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  • Rana Sanaullah case: ‘Political victimisation an open secret,’ court says

    Rana Sanaullah case: ‘Political victimisation an open secret,’ court says

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday issued its detailed verdict on the bail granted to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah in the drug trafficking case against him, saying that “political victimisation in the country is an open secret”.

    Opposition parties have been accusing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of cracking down on opposition leaders in what they call is “selective accountability”, alleging that members of the PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) are arrested “only because the government cannot tolerate dissent”.

    Among other opposition leaders’ arrests, Sanaullah’s detention in the case against him was also termed as “political victimisation” by opposition parties as they accused the government of being unable to take criticism.

    The nine-page judgement issued Thursday was authored by Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad of the LHC, and gave some weight to the “political victimsation” argument made by the petitioner.

    “In the context of the petitioner being a vocal political leader of [the main] opposition party, this aspect of the case could not be ignored as political victimisation in our country is an open secret,” the court said.

    It questioned in its judgement as to why the former provincial minister’s physical remand had not been sought by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to investigate the allegations against him, and why were the formal documentary proceedings of the seizure of narcotics not conducted at the time of arrest.

    “Why a sample of only 20 grams of the heroin recovered was sent for testing when the seized quantity was as high as 15 kilogrammes,” the court questioned.

    In the judgement, it was reasoned that from the facts of the case, there needed to be further investigation of the charges against Sanaullah. However, since “the co-accused in the case were granted bail by a trial court, and their bail was not challenged by the prosecution in the high court”, it would be unfair to not allow Sanaullah the same recourse.

  • IN PICTURES: ‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse enthralls observers in Asia

    IN PICTURES: ‘Ring of Fire’ eclipse enthralls observers in Asia

    Skywatchers from Saudi Arabia and Oman to Pakistan and Singapore were treated to a rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Thursday.

    Annular eclipses occur when the Moon is not close enough to the Earth to completely obscure the Sun, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible.

    While these types of eclipses occur every year or two, they are only visible from a narrow band of Earth each time and it can be decades before the same pattern is repeated.

    Depending on weather conditions, this year’s astronomical phenomenon was set to be visible from the Middle East across southern India and Southeast Asia before ending over the northern Pacific.

    Hundreds of amateur astronomers, photographers and set up by Singapore’s harbour for what some described as a “once in a lifetime” event.

    Bahrain
    Dindigul in Tamil Nadu, India
    Singapore
    Bangkok, Thailand
    Sanaa, Yemen
    Bangkok, Thailand

    Meanwhile, in Pakistan due to the dense fog, smog and cloudy skies, the eclipse wasn’t very visible.

    The next annual eclipse in June 2020 will be visible to a narrow band from Africa to northern Asia.

    The following one in June 2021 will only be seen in the Arctic and parts of Canada, Greenland and the remote Russian far east.

  • Malala declared decade’s most famous teenager by UN

    Malala declared decade’s most famous teenager by UN

    The United Nations (UN) has declared Pakistani education activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai as “the most famous teenager in the world” in the second decade of the 21st century, Pakistan Today reported.

    According to the details, the UN in part one of its review series has taken into account the events that happened between 2010 and the end of 2013 and highlighted the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, the beginning of the ongoing Syrian conflict for 2011 and Malala’s work in favour of girls’ education for the year 2012.

    Malala became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 in recognition of her efforts for children’s rights. She was shot in the head at point-blank range by the Taliban in October 2012 as she was returning home from her school in Swat valley.

    UN in its report wrote, “The attack made waves around the world, and was widely condemned: on Human Rights Day that year, a special tribute to Malala Yousafzai was held at the Paris headquarters of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), pushing for action to ensure every girl’s right to go to school, and to advance girls’ education as an urgent priority”.

    “Malala’s activism and profile have only grown since the assassination attempt. She became a UN Messenger of Peace in 2017, with a special focus on girls’ education,” the report noted, adding that she was known for speaking out in favor of the educating girls and highlighting the atrocities of the Taliban from a young age.

    The 22-year-old was also recently chosen by Teen Vogue — a United States (US) print magazine — as its cover person for its last issue of the decade.

  • VIDEO: Sheikh Rasheed ‘spotted on late night video call with Hareem Shah’

    VIDEO: Sheikh Rasheed ‘spotted on late night video call with Hareem Shah’

    A video going viral over the internet has allegedly shown Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed on a “late night” video call with TikTok celebrity Hareem Shah.

    The man in the video that has widely been shared with the claim it features Rasheed, can be heard saying, “I am at a funeral right now, my niece has passed away and I will talk to you in the morning.”

    The video was tweeted by Shah herself, but has now been removed from her micro-blogging handle.

    Hareem Shah, who is known for her TikTok videos, gained popularity owing to her viral videos with celebrities, especially government ministers and officials, including Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his colleagues in Islamabad.

    Shah was earlier spotted inside the Foreign Office as well, following which the government had initiated an inquiry “to get to the depth of the matter and identify the person” who had allowed her access to one of the most important government buildings in the federal capital.

  • Astrologers blame Pakistan’s woes on eclipse

    Astrologers blame Pakistan’s woes on eclipse

    As Pakistan prepares to witness a magnificent annular solar eclipse, after almost 20 years, astrologers are of the view that the eclipse has brought with it plenty of problems for the country. The last annular solar eclipse was witnessed back in 1999.

    The annular solar eclipse is also called the ‘Ring of Fire’ because only the boundaries of the sun will be observable from behind the moon.

    According to a report in The Express Tribune, astrologists say the eclipse’s negative effects are experienced 15 days before and after the event. The eclipse affects both domestic and societal lives.

    Astrology expert Sayed Musaddiq Zanjani said that “the eclipse even has effects on newborns, and pregnant women must stay inside their homes while it takes place, so as to stay safe.”

    Zanjani also claimed that the worsening situation in Pakistan was due to the eclipse and that the PIC tragedy in Lahore and the death penalty awarded to former military dictator Pervez Musharraf were all caused due to the eclipse.

    Read more: Here’s when and how you can observe rare solar eclipse

    Meanwhile, scientists and religious scholars have struck down the superstition.

    A religious scholar said that “the Sun and Moon are signs of Allah and that eclipses can do no harm to humans.”

    According to Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the annular solar eclipse will begin at 7:00 AM on December 26 and will end at 1:00 PM and will be visible in Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Gilgit.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Shehryar Afridi reveals how he felt when Rana Sanaullah was arrested

    Minister of State for Safron & Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi in an exclusive interview with The Current in August shared how he felt when PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah was arrested for possessing drugs.

    “The most important for me are families who suffer because of this [drugs] menace,” said Afridi. “Positions and stature do not count. No one is above the law.”

    “No matter what position one is on, if found involved in such activities, they’ll be made an example [out of],” he asserted.

    When asked the one thing he liked about Rana Sanaullah, the minister responded, “I think his commitement to his party, which one should have.”

    Watch the complete interview and the place where Rana Sanaullah was first kept when arrested in this video:

    On July 1, Rana Sanaullah was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) after the discovery of a large stash of drugs in his vehicle from near the Sukheke area in Punjab. The former law minister was arrested while travelling with his guards to a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore.

    The case against him was filed in accordance with the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997.

    He was granted bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday due to lack of evidence. The LHC directed Sanaullah to submit two surety bonds worth Rs1 million each to secure his bail.

  • Indian Muslim student rejects gold medal to protest against citizenship law

    Indian Muslim student rejects gold medal to protest against citizenship law

    An Indian Muslim student refused to accept the gold medal at the Pondicherry University to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which has caused uproar in India and sparked protests across the country.

    Rabeeha Abdurehim, who secured the first position in the post-graduate department of Mass Communication, said she was asked to come out of the hall where the convocation was taking place. The special superintendent of police wanted to speak to the student.

    Rabeeha remarked that the police were worried about her viewpoint on the controversial citizenship law.

    “When I asked the police officers why was I not being allowed to take part in the event, they said they were not sure but the SSP wanted it this way,” she claimed.

    Taking to social media Rabeeha wrote that while she often dreamt about the moment she would receive a gold medal, “never did I imagine it would end up being in a way in which I could send a strong peaceful message across India.”

    “As a woman, as a student, as an Indian, today in my graduation I reject the Gold medal that is awarded to me in solidarity with all the students and public of India who are fighting against CAA and NRC in India,” she wrote further.

    Under the CAA 2019, religious minorities that have taken refuge in India till 2014 are eligible for citizenship. However, the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB 2019) makes it a point to exclude Muslims. The law requires Indian Muslims to prove their origins in India otherwise they stand to lose their citizenship.

  • Immigration staff to welcome passengers with chocolates

    Immigration staff to welcome passengers with chocolates

    Following complaints of incidents of indiscipline and rude behaviour by Islamabad International Airport’s immigration staff on the Citizen’s Complaint Portal, Deputy Director Immigration Sajid Hussain Khokar of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has passed new instructions which directed immigrations staff to be more welcoming.

    According to the orders, the immigration staff has been directed to welcome the passengers with phrases like ‘Assalaam u Alaikum’, ‘Good Morning’, and ‘Good Evening’ according to the time of the day.

    After a passenger is done with the legal formalities, the staff will have to say ‘Thank you’ or ‘Shukriya’. The immigration staff will also give chocolates to passengers as a goodwill gesture. In case a passenger is found with fake travelling documents or misbehaves with the immigration staff, the staff must exercise the lawful and legal authority conferred upon them.

    CCTV cameras have also been installed inside lock-ups, offices of the assistant directors, and restrooms of staff to monitor their behaviour.

    The staff is directed to make sure that there is only a single queue to end VIP culture at the airports. However, a separate line will still be in place for diplomats and ambassadors to facilitate them.

  • VIDEO: At 65, Javed Sheikh can still dance like a teenager

    VIDEO: At 65, Javed Sheikh can still dance like a teenager

    Some people are evergreen and Javed Sheikh is without a doubt one of them.

    Javed’s nephew Shahroz Sabzwari recently shared a video of them dancing and out of all the boys, Javed Sheikh defintely stands out. At 65, the actor has the energy of a teenager as does Behroz Sabzwari.

    The video also featured Saleem Sheikh and Shehzad Sheikh.

    Watch video:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B6dGB8hDi2b/
  • Musharraf’s hand-written note for son is endearing

    Musharraf’s hand-written note for son is endearing

    Son of former president and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, Bilal Musharraf shared an emotional letter that his father had sent him back in 1994.

    The letter, dated July 18, 1994, was penned when the former president was posted as Director General Military Operations in the Pakistan Army and contained career advice for Bilal.

    “Be honest, straightforward and upright in all your dealings; fair and just in your decisions,” read the letter. “Be bold and just in decision making – not impulsive and definitely not over-calculating. You have to strike the correct balance.”

    Musharraf further stressed that confidence is the key to life and asked his son to be humble and sympathise with the needy and the helpless.

    Bilal later deleted the letter from Twitter saying that it felt “self-promotional.”

    On December 17, a special court in Pakistan had sentenced Musharraf to death in the long-drawn high treason case against him. The case against the former president related to the imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan in 2007.