Former jailed prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari are ready to strike a deal for their release on the condition that PM Imran Khan leaves politics, senior journalist Dr Moeed Pirzada has said.
Sharing a “theory doing rounds in political quarters”, while hosting “Hard Talk Pakistan” television programme on a private media outlet Monday night, the journalist said that the two incarcerated leaders were ready to pay even more than $10 billion, but do not want to plead guilty.
“They are seeking plea bargains and might pay up to $20 billion, but are not ready to confess. They’re ready to leave the country but want a future for their children in politics,” he said.
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Rumours are rife for the past few days as several journalists claim an underhand deal allegedly being negotiated between political leaders jailed over corruption charges and the PM Imran-led government.
No official statements have made headlines as of yet.
TV anchor Juggun Kazim in a heartbreaking post on social media opened about her recent miscarriage and how she was fat-shamed while being pregnant.
Juggun shared that she was recently pregnant but did not share it because her pregnancies have “generally been precarious.” Because of which she put on weight really quickly. But what surprised her was the reactions of the people who assumed that she had gained weight and proceeded to fat-shame her.
Juggun further revealed that a week ago she miscarried. And when she returned to work someone again commented on how she was looking “extra healthy.”
Juggun requested everyone to stop fat-shaming other people, or even commenting on their body, because they don’t know what the other person is going through.
Shaniera Akram may have moved to Pakistan after she married cricket legend Wasim Akram, but she’s made a strong mark in the country, being a more responsible citizen than any of us. Shaniera is often seen working towards social causes be it for children, animals or for the environment. Shaniera has now used her voice to highlight the terrible condition of Karachi’s Clifton Beach.
Taking to social media, Shaniera posted several pictures and videos of the beach littered with medical waste, syringes, and vials of blood, calling on authorities to close down the beach for the public until it is safe.
Medical waste, syringes, viles of blood that has come in from the ocean has spread across Clifton beach for kilometres. The beach is biohazardous and in a state of emergency
“I have walked on Clifton beach every day for the last 4 years and I have never been scared until today. This beach needs to be shut down now,” Shaniera asserted.
I have walked on Clifton beach everyday for the last 4 years and I have never been scared until today. This beach needs to be shut down now
I have stayed silent for too long. Every tv channel needs to be running this now. You have a duty of care to protect the lives of the people of Karachi and tell them Clifton beach, as it stands, is totally unsafe for anyone!
Why is the beach still open? For me,This is not a blame game this is a “we need to act now”problem & close the beach. I don’t want to be in this position but I have no choice peoples lives are at stake and I was faced with a moral obligation. People needed to know about this
Shaniera urged Karachiites to abstain from visiting and cleaning the beach since it is hazardous for the people.
DO NOT go to the beach and try to clean it, this is biohazardous waste and needs to be a restricted area and cleaned by professionals. The sea and beach needs to be declared unsafe for everyone immediately
I have found over 4 dozen open syringes in the last 10 minutes. This is a biohazard and our beach needs to be closed down until the proper authorities can guarantee the people of Karachi are safe. This has gone on long enough, peoples lives are at risk
Following Shaniera’s protest and outrage on Twitter, the Sindh Police took to social media to announce that the police have cordoned off the affected area and imposed Section 144.
The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) has demanded the Indian government to immediately lift the 29-day curfew in occupied Kashmir, which has created a humanitarian crisis in the troubled valley.
Expressing serious concern over the continued lockdown, suspension of all communication means and media blackout in the Muslim-majority region, the European Parliament strongly criticised India and condemned the Modi-led government for its brutal action that has brought life to a standstill in the held Kashmir.
Raising their voice for the oppressed Kashmiris, the members also demanded India to begin a dialogue with Pakistan, adding that the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament should issue a reactionary statement on the situation in occupied Kashmir as soon as possible.
BRITISH KASHMIRIS BOYCOTT INDIAN RICE
Meanwhile, over a million Kashmiris in the United Kingdom (UK) have boycotted Indian rice in protest against New Delhi’s move to strip Kashmir of its special status.
According to Radio Pakistan, 1.2 million British Kashmiris have boycotted the Indian product to send a message to the country against abrogation of Article 370.
The report said that Indian rice has also been put on sale at lower prices due to the decrease in demand in the UK.
Pop singer Justin Bieber, in a heartfelt social media post, opened up about his struggles with growing up in the spotlight, including being “resentful” and using “heavy drugs.”
The chart-topping performer, who became an international sensation as a teenager, commented that early fame led him to make “every bad decision.”
Bieber began his lengthy note by saying that he understands what it feels like to be overwhelmed by life, job, responsibilities, family, finances and relationships.
“When it feels like there is trouble after trouble after trouble,” Bieber wrote.
He then talked about what happens when a child is thrust into the spotlight like he was.
“Have you noticed the statistics of child stars and the outcome of their life? There is an insane pressure and responsibility put on a child whose brain, emotions, frontal lobes (decision making) aren’t developed yet,” he wrote. “No rationality, defiant, rebellious, things all of us have to go through. But when you add the pressure of stardom, it does something to you that is quite unexplainable.”
The singer-songwriter, who has more than 100 million followers on Instagram, further shared that being constantly told how great he was as a teen sensation only made things worse.
“I went from a 13-year-old boy from a small town to being praised left and right by the world, with millions saying how much they loved me and how great I was,” he shared. “You hear these things enough as a young boy and you actually start believing it. Rationality comes with age.”
Bieber elaborated that because of his immaturity, he turned to drugs and was abusive in his relationships.
“I started doing pretty heavy drugs at 19 and abused all of my relationships. I became resentful, disrespectful to women, and angry,” he wrote. “I became distant to everyone who loved me, and I was hiding behind a shell of a person that I had become. I felt like I could never turn it around. It’s taken me years to bounce back from all of these terrible decisions, fix broken relationships, and change relationship habits.”
He concluded by crediting his marriage to Hailey Baldwin with helping him learn “patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility and all of the things it looks like to be a good man.”
Justin signed off saying, “Even when the odds are against you keep fighting,” and love people by “God’s perfect, unfailing love.”
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has held one-on-one meetings with Punjab information and culture as well as higher education ministers, fueling rumours that Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar’s job might be at risk, Pakistan Today has reported.
According to reports, Info Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Higher Education’s Raja Yasir Humayun Sarfraz are being considered for the slot of Punjab CM in Buzdar’s place.
Some powerful circles in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are making efforts to elevate Iqbal to the top slot and it is quite likely that he will be appointed as the next provincial chief executive, reports said.
“I talked to the PM about information technology and Iqbal must have talked to him about his own ministry,” the English daily quoted Yasir as saying. “The premier is satisfied with the provincial cabinet’s performance and there are no changes expected soon.”
Meanwhile, sources also confirmed The Current that no such development was on cards.
The representative of Dera Ghazi Khan’s PP-286 constituency since his 2018 electoral win, Buzdar was nominated as PTI’s candidate for the office of Punjab CM in August last year.
His nomination by PM Imran had surprised many within the party and subsequent election as the provincial chief executive had left the opposition stunned. Despite criticism, PM Imran has time and again reiterated his support for CM Buzdar.
Expressing fear over Pakistan’s strategy on information warfare, Indian army chief General Bipin Rawat has admitted India’s defeat, Dunya News reported Tuesday.
According to reports, days after operational information of the Indian army was leaked, Gen Rawat said that such incidents had compelled him to warn former army officials to be careful while using social media.
An ex-general of the Indian Army, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, said that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) — military’s media wing — had “outclassed the Indian army in information war” by connecting with the masses.
He said that India started losing the narrative in occupied Kashmir after ISPR smartly ensured detailed alienation of Kashmiris against Indian armed forces.
“Our army has made several tactical mistakes over the past 30 years and using military operations for psychological warfare was India’s fatal mistake,” the former military general added.
The Prime Minister’s Focal Person Babar Bin Atta announced the launch of a first-ever WhatsApp helpline where people can ask questions about the polio program, report on children missed out on anti-polio campaigns in any part of the country and can also lodge complaints.
Taking to the twitter, he wrote:
Another First Ever by Pakistan Polio Programme. 24/7 WhatsApp Polio Helpline. Any question ? Missed children ? Misconceptions? Complaints ? We are at your service with just a simple WhatsApp message. 0346 – 7776546. pic.twitter.com/aFC2ombPZa
Soon after the tweet, he again tweeted, “Dear brothers & sisters this is a WhatsApp text helpline, since my tweet, there is a flurry of calls on the number. Please do not call, just send your query via WhatsApp Text”
Dear brothers & sisters this is a WhatsApp text helpline, since my tweet, there is a flurry of calls on the number. Please dont call, just send your query via WhatsApp Text. 🙄 https://t.co/5837jUVKqo
Want to work from home but don’t know how to convince your employer? Use this Harvard Business Review article to tell them that you’ll be more productive from home.
According to the research, working from home can increase productivity by a whopping 13 percent. They studied a Chinese travel agency where call center employees were allowed to work from home.
In other case studies, research shows that examiners for government offices could increase their work output by 4.4 percent when allowed to work from where they wanted while maintaining the quality of work. This increased annual value by $1.3 billion.
Older employees, like to live in cities that have a slower pace of life and an option of working from home could encourage these employees to stay in the workforce for longer.
Posters and handbills with pictures of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor have surfaced in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) despite a lockdown in the troubled valley.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the posters and handbills with pictures of Pakistan army’s spokesperson popped up in the disputed valley with the message that Pakistan would continue fighting for Kashmiris till its last soldier and bullet.
In the posters, pro-independence Hurriyat activists also announced that the people of majority-Muslim IoK would jointly push India out of their homeland, which is a paradise on earth.
The posters are reportedly being removed by Indian security forces.
The valley is under strict lockdown since August 5 when the Narendra Modi-led government stripped IoK of its special status by repealing Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and robbing the region of its autonomy.
The occupation forces have converted the valley into a garrison by deploying hundreds of thousands of troops and paramilitary personnel in every street, line and by-lane to stop people from staging demonstrations against the abrogation of the special status of the territory.
