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  • Kashmir Markhor trophy-hunted in Chitral

    Kashmir Markhor trophy-hunted in Chitral

    American hunter Joe Lawrence Walreven hunted a 48-inch long Kashmir Markhor in Toshi Conservancy in Lower Chitral.

    According to reports, the hunt was done after a permit worth $140,000 was obtained from the wildlife department.

    The divisional forest officer of wildlife division, Mohammad Idrees, shared that the 82-year-old hunter faced no difficulty in finding an animal for hunting as he spotted and earmarked a 10-year-old markor within an hour after he disembarked from his vehicle on Garam Chashma Road near Chitral city.

    Joe reportedly “wasted no time in shooting the animal” and achieved his trophy skillfully. He fired a shot at the markhor from a distant range by his Remington rifle. The animal fell down instantly.

    Last week, Italian hunter Carlo Pasco hunted the season’s first Markhor trophy in Skardu town. According to reports, Pasco successfully hunted a flared-horned markhor after paying a permit fee of $85,000.

    Meanwhile, last month, it was reported that the wildlife department of Gilgit Baltistan has auctioned four licenses for hunting the markhor, the official national animal of Pakistan after the Ministry of Climate Change agreed to the licenses, including for trophy hunting of the much in demand flare-horned Astore markhor, a large goat species native to Pakistan.

    Each license was sold for over $80,000, of which 80 percent will go to the villages where the hunt takes place for developing their infrastructure.

  • Singapore sets a mosquito factory to curb dengue cases

    Singapore sets a mosquito factory to curb dengue cases

    Every year dengue fever comes and makes us all worried even though the government is trying to control the deadly virus with initiative like fumigation, surveys to check larvae, public awareness campaigns on television and radio etc. However, the mosquito-borne disease is far from being under control.

    But what Singapore has done to fight against dengue is surprising as well as interesting.

    Instead of killing mosquitoes, Singapore has set up mosquito factories which produces a new type of mosquito. What happens is when this ‘new kind’ of mosquito goes out and ‘falls in love’ with other mosquitoes, the outside world mosquito will no longer be able to reproduce which means that the mosquito population decreases.

    And what’s even more interesting is that this new mosquito does not bite.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJfBmHgSxBA

  • Bollywood reacts to Delhi violence

    As protests ravage India, more than 100 students have been injured after baton-wielding police charged at them and fired tear gas at two federally-run universities where students were holding anti-citizenship law protests.

    According to reports, students in New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and Uttar Pradesh state’s Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) had been protesting since the new law was passed last week.

    The contentious law grants citizenship to religious minorities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Christians – from neighbouring Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

    While critics say it is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist agenda to marginalise the 200-million strong Islamic minority, Modi denies this, saying that the new law “does not affect any citizen of India of any religion”, while accusing “vested interest groups” of stoking the “deeply distressing” unrest.

    As the protests get bloodier, people are asking Bollywood celebrities especially Shah Rukh Khan who is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Delhi, to speak up on the matter and express their solidarity.

    https://twitter.com/artwhoring/status/1206447623839727616?s=20

    While A-lister celebrities including the Khans, Kapoors and Priyanka Chopra have remained silent on the matter, other celebs including Sidharth Malhotra, Ayushmann Khurana, Dia Mirza and Vicky Kaushal have condemned this violence.

    https://twitter.com/RajkummarRao/status/1206486037658243072?s=20
  • VIDEO: Lawyer slaps citizen trying to cross street during protest

    VIDEO: Lawyer slaps citizen trying to cross street during protest

    Days after the lawyers’ had attacked the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), a new video has surfaced on the social media in which a lawyer can be seen slapping a motorcyclist.

    In the viral video a lawyer can be seen stopping a motorcyclist passing between the lawyers protesting outside PIC and snatching his motorcycle keys.

    After exchanging few words, the lawyer slapped the man prompting others present there to intervene.

    Watch Video:

    After Wednesday’s attack on PIC, several videos showing the violent acts committed by the lawyers have been coming out on social media platforms.

    A group of over 200 lawyers, following an earlier quarrel with the doctors, stormed the hospital, vandalised property and damaged dozens of vehicles parked in the hospital premises and burned a police van.

    Three people had lost their lives amidst the chaos as doctors abandoned their patients to escape the angry mob.

    The police have registered a first information report (FIR) against 200-250 unidentified lawyers on the complaint of an official of the hospital.

  • SC issues detailed judgement in Gen Bajwa’s case, points out flaws

    SC issues detailed judgement in Gen Bajwa’s case, points out flaws

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday issued its detailed judgment on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, pointing out the flaws in the process undertaken by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Citing procedural loopholes, the top court had last month suspended a notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in August for the army chief’s reappointment till 2022.

    It had directed the federal government to legislate and remove lacunae in the reappointment/extension of tenure of the COAS within six months.

    The detailed written judgement released Monday in connection with the previous short, the SC said it had “found that the Pakistan Army Act, 1952 falls deficient of the structural requirements for raising and maintaining an Army under clause (3) of Article 243 of the Constitution”.

    EXPLAINED:

    The verdict noted that “no tenure or age of retirement for the rank of General is provided under the law. As per the institutional practice a general retires on completion of a tenure of three years. Although an institutional practice cannot be a valid substitute of the law.”

    “There is no provision in the law for extending service of a General for another tenure; nor is there any consistent and continuous institutional practice of granting such extension,” Justice Shah wrote, adding that the summaries for the reappointment, extension and fresh appointment of General Bajwa were “meaningless” in absence of the relevant law.

  • Foods to beat the winter blues, improve skin, hair

    Foods to beat the winter blues, improve skin, hair

    Nothing can be worse for the skin and hair than winter if proper care is not taken. Cold and dry air can cause dry skin, chapped lips, and a flaky face. While everyone focuses on maintaining a proper skincare routine, one tends to overlook the fact that the diet also plays an important role.

    Here are a few foods that will help you beat the winter blues and help maintain healthy skin and hair.

    Broccoli

    Broccoli is a part of the cruciferous vegetable which is good for your skin. It is rich in Vitamins A and C. Vitamin A keeps the skin healthy and lowers scars. Vitamin C assists to maintain collagen production. Broccoli also has B-vitamins that help reduce dry and flaky patches.

    Carrots

    Carrot is one of the best foods for your skin during the winter season. It is a great source of Vitamin A and other antioxidants that help keep the skin healthy, nourished and glowing. These antioxidants assist fight wrinkles, discoloration, and scars. Carrots also have lycopene, which protects your skin from the harsh sun rays.

    Spinach

    Apart from being a good source of iron, spinach is also another must-have if you want to get a glowing skin. This leafy green is a powerhouse of nutrition. It contains Vitamins A and C, and antioxidants that thwart off all kinds of skin infections. Spinach is high in iron and can help you counter anemia and adds color to your pale skin.

    Almonds

    Almonds are natural remedies that hydrate your skin and prevent dryness. They are also high in Vitamin E, which helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays of the sun. Almonds contain various antioxidants that counter the signs of aging on your skin.

    Green Tea

    Green tea is a potent source of antioxidants, which eliminate free radicals from your body and prevent flaky skin. The antioxidants present in it also help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

    Chia Seeds

    Chia seeds provide you two essential fatty acids, omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid, and omega-6 linolenic acid. Both omega-3 and 6 contains anti-inflammatory powers, that may help boost skin regeneration and contribute to a better youthful complexion. Your body needs essential fatty acids for good health, but it cannot produce them, so they need to be consumed.

    Sweet Potatoes

    Sweet potatoes assist lock-in moisture provides your skin a healthy glow and saves it from damage thanks to their high amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A can assist with skin renewal and decrease dry and flaky skin. Sweet potatoes are a good option in the winter.

    Oatmeal

    Start your winter day right and nourish your hair with a popular healthy bowl of oatmeal. It is rich in omega-3 and iron, both of these promote hair growth and keep your strands looking super shiny.

    Vitamin E

    Vitamin E is a quintessential nutrient when it comes to your hair care. A base ingredient included in a range of hair care products; it is a very important nutrient for healthy hair. It helps in building and repairing hair tissue and also in protecting hair from any damage. Nuts and seeds such as almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are a great source of vitamin E.

    Cinnamon

    Cinnamon is helpful in increasing the blood circulation in your body that in turn would provide your hair follicles with adequate oxygen and nutrients. Hence, add some cinnamon to your food be it on any meal or your coffee and tea.

  • We forget…

    It was a cold December morning when Pakistan had woken up to the gloom of having lost Dhaka over four decades ago.

    Leaving their abodes, hundreds of thousands – if not millions – had taken to social networks to vent their frustration over the tragedy that until December 16, 2014, was deemed the darkest in the 70-something years history of the country.

    Little did they know that 150 coffins, 134 of which were to be the heaviest, were to be lifted later that day; that a tragedy much similar to 2004’s Beslan massacre in Russia, was in the offing.

    Six gunmen affiliated with Tehrike Taliban Pakistan (TTP) conducted a terrorist attack on Army Public School (APS) Peshawar at around 10 am. The militants, all of whom were foreign nationals, entered the school and opened fire on staff and children, killing 150, including 134 between the ages of eight and 18.

    The attack sparked widespread reactions from across the country, as condemnations from the public, government, political and religious entities, journalists and celebrities, poured in. Imran Khan’s infamous 126-day Islamabad sit-in as a member of the opposition was also called off.

    While media reacted strongly to the events as major newspapers, news channels and many commentators called for a renewed and strong action against militants, many countries, international organisations and important personalities also condemned the attack.

    Reacting to the carnage at the army-run school, terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda said that “soldiers should be targeted, not their children”.

    Today marks five years since wails of the nation broke through the deafening silence of December amid the state’s failure to protect its own; since those at odds vowed to rise above their differences to unite and fight extremism, and since the moment when we started forgetting yet another tragedy.

    Although it is believed that memories hanging heaviest are the easiest to recall, it is regrettable how we tend to forget even the ones that hold in their crinkles the ability to change not only our lives as individuals but also the fate of the entire nation.

    It is regrettable how we have limited our recalling of these painful memories to certain days such as December 16, without thinking of the families that go through the pain of losing their loved ones, especially minors, all day every day.

    Make no mistake as what we argue is not torturing ourselves with the misery that is our own creation, but what we advocate for is realising every day what led to the tragic episode that should’ve defined us for the generations to come.

    Because it is regrettable how we were let down, it is regrettable how we let down those 150 innocents, regrettable how we let down millions of others killed because of the failure of the state to protect its citizens, and regrettable how many of us fail to realise there still is time for us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get back in the saddle.

    Here’s to the courageous survivours who beat the cowards five years ago… here’s to the memory of the 150 souls, from the ashes of whom, we must rise.

  • Mehwish Hayat to run for PM in 2028?

    Mehwish Hayat to run for PM in 2028?

    Mehwish Hayat has hinted that she might be running for Prime Minister in 2028.

    The actor who was recently voted the second sexiest woman in Pakistan took to Twitter to reject the title adding that “these sort of lists should now be confined to history.”

    Mehwish asserted that people should be judged on “talent, on merit, on intellect, on wit…but not on physical attributes.”

    Mehwish’s response was received with a lot of positivity by social media users. One user commented that this was “of the sexiest tweets I’ve read” adding that Mehwish for PMship in 2023.

    To this Mehwish replied, “Not 2023 but 2028,” adding a LOL (Laugh out Loud).

    When another user commented “Totally my next PM,” Mehwish remarked, “Make sure to vote for me in 2028 then.”

  • Police to wear uniforms with cameras to restore public faith

    The Islamabad Police will now be donning uniforms with cameras in order to restore public faith in law enforcement.   

    According to reports, Islamabad Policemen will now record encounters with ordinary citizens, suspects, witnesses, and passersby so that the public faith is restored in the law enforcement agency. The videos that have been recorded can also be used as evidence at the courts also.

    Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar, speaking about the initiative said, “These cameras will be connected with the Safe City Project. This way, complaints about policemen especially serving at police pickets will be resolved.”

    Twenty cameras will be bought in the trial phase, which will later be provided to cops serving at various police stations in the city. Video recordings of police’s interaction with the public would make officials act politely and responsibly as they are often blamed for taking bribes and being rude with the citizens.

  • PIC attack ‘agitator’ Dr Irfan was accused of murder in 2018: report

    The main character behind the clash of lawyers and doctors at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), Dr Irfan, was earlier nominated as the main accused in the murder case of a Christian who was tortured to death by doctors at the Services hospital Lahore last year, Pakistan Today reported.

    According to the details, Dr Irfan was nominated among the four doctors in FIR [First Information Report] “No. 163/18” registered with the Shadman Police for torturing Sunil Saleem, to death.

    According to the FIR, Anil Masih — Sunil’s brother — has stated that he, his brother Sunil and other relatives had taken their pregnant sister Kiran Kashif to the emergency labor ward of the Services hospital on March 26, 2018, because she was suffering labor pains.

    Anil said, “Kiran went to the doctor on duty, Dr Saira, who was playing with her cell phone while sipping on tea. Dr Saira told Kiran to wait outside until she finished her tea. We waited for some time, but since Kiran was experiencing severe pain, she again went inside the ward to request for immediate attention.”

    Anil Saleem added that as soon as Kiran approached Dr Saira, she started cursing her for not waiting and told a nurse to attend her.

    “When my sister protested against the rude behavior, the doctor started slapping her, throwing her on the floor,” he said, adding that she asked my sister how dare a Chuhri [a derogatory term for Christians] question her order?.

    Anil said, “On hearing the ruckus we entered the ward, but as soon as she saw us, Dr Saira shouted to the other doctors and security guards to lock the doors from the inside and teach these Christians a lesson”.

    “Around 15 to 20 paramedical staff and security guards and eight to 10 young doctors, including Dr Irfan, Dr Salman, Dr Hasan and Dr Sahi lunged at us with iron rods, chairs, leather belts and other things and started beating us,” Anil added.

    He said “Sunil, a police constable in the National Highway and Motorway Police, tried his best to placate the assailants but they continued to beat him mercilessly, kicking and punching him in the groin and chest until he fell unconscious.”

    “Sunil died after a delay in treatment and due to lack of timely emergency medical assistance”, Anil said.

    “We had pardoned the accused doctors after pursuing the case for a year”, reports quoted Anil as saying.

    It is important to mention here that Dr Irfan’s speech, which went viral on social media a few days before the attack was the core reason behind the clash between doctors and lawyers at the PIC.

    Dr Irfan in the video was seen narrating an encounter with some lawyers in front of a group of medical and paramedical staff of PIC, where he said that a group of lawyers had gone to the inspector general (IG) of police and told him to charge “two doctors” under Section 7 of ATA.

    The doctor narrated that the IG had refused while the lawyers had urged him to press charges, saying “they could save face” that way.