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  • Meher Bano Qureshi among PTI leaders, workers arrested for ‘Black Day’ protests

    Meher Bano Qureshi among PTI leaders, workers arrested for ‘Black Day’ protests

    Multiple leaders and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been arrested from Multan and Muzaffarabad on Saturday as the party attempts to mark one year since what it calls the rigged elections of February 8 2024, dubbing it a ‘Black Day’. 

    According to media reports, PTI leader and daughter of incarcerated former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Meher Bano Qureshi, was arrested from Multan for violating section 144.

    PTI leaders Zahid Bahar Hashmi and Dalir Meher were detained by police at Pull Chatta for violating Section 144. Over 10 PTI workers were also arrested for attempting to hold a rally in the area.

    The Punjab government had earlier imposed Section 144 across the province, which restricts all kinds of political assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies and other activities.

    An official told a private media outlet that opposition leader in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) legislative, Khawaja Farooq, among 16 others, was arrested from AJK.

    Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur had stated earlier that ‘Black Day’ is being marked to protest against the “historic theft of the people’s mandate”.

    Alluding to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Gandapur said that the party, which had merely won “17 seats”, was imposed upon the nation and given power.

    Criticizing the incumbent government, CM KP accused the government of destroying every institution in the country.

    Gandapur, the face of many PTI protests, is not leading the convoy of party workers as he heads to Swabi for PTI’s protest rally. Gandapur was recently replaced with PTI leader Junaid Akbar as the party’s KP President.

    Defense Minister Khawaja Asif took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, writing, “If you [PTI] want to hold a political gathering, come to Punjab, Sindh, or Balochistan — places where you claim injustices have been done to you.”

    In other provinces, he said, forget about the public attending gatherings; even PTI’s leadership was nowhere to be seen on the ground. Criticising the PTI, he said that the party was like a plant that only grows in government nurseries.

    On PTI Secretary General Salman Akram, while speaking to media in Islamabad, said that the party would hold a rally only in Swabi, while protests would take place at tehsil and union council levels. He clarified that there were no plans for confrontation or chaos.

    Lahore’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) had rejected a PTI request to hold a rally at Minar-e-Pakistan on February 8 (today). “The decision not to allow the rally was made to maintain law and order situation,” the DC said in a statement.

    DC mentioned that important events were scheduled in Lahore on February 8, such as a cricket match, an international speaker conference, and the horse and cattle show.

  • Pakistan’s fiscal deficit surges ahead of crucial IMF talks

    Pakistan’s fiscal deficit surges ahead of crucial IMF talks

    The federal government’s contractionary fiscal policy measures failed to hold a budget surplus, as a deficit of 1.54 trillion rupees was recorded. According to reports, the fiscal balance of the cash-strapped nation reverted from a surplus in the first quarter of the fiscal year (FY) 2024-25 into a deficit at the end of the first half of the current FY.

    The budget deficit amounts to 1.2 percent of Pakistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tax officials at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) recently failed to generate a respectable amount of revenue as collection levels fell short by 386 billion rupees in the first half of FY 2024-25. This failure on the part of the tax watchdog could partially explain the fiscal deficit Islamabad is grappling with.

    As per reports, a 0.43 trillion rupee statistical discrepancy was noted in the one-trillion-rupee plus deficit.

    For Islamabad, news of the fiscal deficit comes at a horrendous time as a mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expected to arrive at the end of February. IMF officials are expected to engage with Pakistan’s top leadership for review talks with respect to the disbursement of additional funds to Pakistan from the seven-billion-dollar Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program.

    According to financial experts, one of the primary factors for the fiscal surplus in the first quarter of FY 2024-25 was the unnaturally large profit levels that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was able to generate. These funds resulted in the deficit turning into a surplus when allocated to the budget.

    The SBP was able to generate these abnormally large profits because of the high interest rate. The surge of policy rates to 22 percent undoubtedly slowed the economy down. However, the SBP emerged as a beneficiary of the high rates.

    IMF Mission Chief Nathan Porter has been hosting conferences with FBR officials to finalise details regarding the upcoming review talks. According to reports, the talks between the IMF and concerned Pakistani authorities will be held in Islamabad at the end of February.

    As per data from the Ministry of Finance, expenditures on debt financing and defence made up the lion’s share of Pakistan’s fiscal outflows. On the other end of the spectrum stood the Federal Public Sector Development Programme (FPSD), which received a measly 0.132 trillion rupees during the first half of FY 2024-25.

    Entries into both sides of the fiscal account did not match, resulting in a statistical discrepancy in the value of 0.23 trillion rupees in the federal government’s budget. Analysts are speculating about possible outcomes of talks with the IMF regarding Pakistan’s ability to secure future disbursements if fiscal deficits persist.

  • Family continues Khuzdar protests despite abducted woman’s video message

    Family continues Khuzdar protests despite abducted woman’s video message

    Asma, who was allegedly kidnapped from Khuzdar, Balochistan, has given a statement stating that she went with the alleged kidnapper Zahoor Ahmed of her own free will. The claim comes amid Balochistan government’s raids to recover Asma, while the Chief Minister said that a suspect involved in the incident had been arrested.

    The kidnapping took place in Shehzad City, a posh area adjacent to the N-25 highway in Khuzdar, on Thursday night.

    According to police sources, more than a dozen armed men entered Inayatullah Jatak’s residence on January 6, assaulted family members, and forcibly took Inayatullah’s daughter Asma with them.

    After the incident, her relatives closed the N-25 highway for traffic at two places, Jhalawan Sabzi Mandi and Zero Point area, and staged a sit-in.

    Khuzdar police held talks with the protesters several times under the leadership of SSP Javed Zehri, but these ended in vain.

    This was followed by the spokesperson of the Balochistan government, Shahid Rind, stating that the police and Levies are conducting operations to recover Asma in Khuzdar. A suspicious person had been detained in Anjira after a raid.

    A case was also registered against the main suspect Zahoor Ahmed and his accomplices under sections 365, 354, and 397 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the kidnapped woman’s brother, Abdul Hafeez Jatak. Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to immediately arrest the perpetrators and ensure the safe recovery of the kidnapped woman.

    Shahid Rind said that the Balochistan government is taking all possible steps to protect the lives and property of the citizens and that no one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands. On the instructions of the Chief Minister of Balochistan, full cooperation is being provided to the police and Levies so that the accused are arrested soon and the kidnapped woman can be recovered.

    Meanwhile, a joint video of Asma Baloch and Zahoor Ahmed Jamalzai has surfaced, in which Asma Baloch, speaking in Brahui language, claims that she was not kidnapped but went with Zahoor of her own consent. Zahoor also takes the same stance.

    According to Zahoor, propaganda is being used against him in the media.

    In response to the video, the sister of the alleged abductee also released a video in which she rejected Zahoor’s statement and criticised the government and the administration.

    Asma’s sister said in the video statement: “As you know, a video of my sister was released on social media by her kidnappers. I and the Baloch nation completely reject [the claims]. There is no doubt that this statement was made forcibly under the influence of the kidnappers. They are trying to blackmail us in vain so that we withdraw from our peaceful protest. Moreover, they are trying to change public opinion, which is in our favour.”

    She further said, “After the release of this video, the administration and the government cannot claim that it is not possible to trace the criminals. The account or number from which this video was first shared can easily lead to the criminals. If, despite the release of this video, the government fails to arrest the criminals and rescue my sister, then I will consider that the administration is deliberately leaving the criminals free.”

    Asma’s sister asserted that, “Until my sister is released and the criminals are severely punished, our protest will continue. We will intensify and expand our protest.”

  • Yasir Arafat appointed South Africa’s bowling consultant for tri-series

    Yasir Arafat appointed South Africa’s bowling consultant for tri-series

    Former Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat has been appointed as the bowling consultant for the South African team ahead of an upcoming tri-series in Pakistan.

    He is the first Pakistani cricketer to complete a Level 4 coaching course from a British university, making him one of the most qualified coaches from Pakistan.

    Yasir has previously worked as a bowling coach with English county teams Sussex and Surrey, as well as the Big Bash League franchise Perth Scorchers. He has also served as the bowling coach for Pakistan’s National High-Performance Center and the Hong Kong cricket team.

    Reacting to his appointment, Yasir Arafat expressed excitement, saying, “Working with the South African team will be a great experience.”

    He further added, “As a bowling consultant, my focus will be on identifying and correcting the team’s mistakes while also helping them adapt to the playing conditions before their matches.”

    He will join the Proteas squad in a training session before their first match against New Zealand on February 10.

    Yasir represented Pakistan in three Tests, 11 ODIs, and 13 T20Is.

  • Chahat Fateh Ali Khan proposes to TV host on air

    Chahat Fateh Ali Khan proposes to TV host on air

    Self-proclaimed singer and social media star Chahat Fateh Ali Khan has become the centre of another controversy. A video of his interview on Suno To Sahi, hosted by Hina Niazi, went viral, and social media users criticised both of them.

     

    On the set of the show, Chahat made several videos with host Hina Niazi, which he shared on his social media.

     

    One of the video clips from the show, also shared by the private channel’s official TV social media page, particularly sparked criticism in which Chahat proposed the young TV host.

     

    During the said clip, Hina asked him about the type of partner he wanted to marry, to which Chahat, claiming to be single, replied to Hina Niazi that he wanted a beautiful Pashtoon and blue-eyed girl like her.

     

    He also tells the TV host that he has been waiting to meet her for a year, and now “God has accepted my prayers.”

     

    The Hina responds with laughter, jokingly saying, “I value your sentiments, but my family is very strict, so you are not my choice.”

     

    Another video under criticism was posted on Chaht Fateh Ali Khan’s Instagram, in which the host asks which program he enjoyed the most, to which Chahat names the said host.

     

    But then Chahat also jokes about the two being the same height and that she is single, and so is he, “Today, our pair is meant to be made.”

    This comes days after Chahat Fateh Ali Khan threatened legal action against television host Mathira after she revealed she was very uncomfortable during an interaction with him.

    Khan recently appeared on Mathira’s talk show The 21mm Show, and posted a video on his Instagram where he was moving closer to the host while singing his popular song, Bado Badi, while she kept moving away. Khan also gave her a one-armed hug and held her arm repeatedly, despite her nervous laughter.


    In a video titled “Mathira breaks silence on harassment by Chahat Fateh Ali Khan,” she spoke about the incident and said, “Whenever a guest comes to our show, I respect them and treat them with love and kindness, but making a video in this way was a very bad move. Being bold does not mean that anyone will see and hug me,”  Mathira said. 

    “I was feeling very uncomfortable. This video was not made with our cameras, but by Chahat Fateh without permission. My team and I did not know that this video was made. The show’s cameras are somewhere else, while this video was made from another spot, which is not allowed,” she explained.

    “As a woman, all this was painful because I do not do all these things to hug people,” she remarked.

    Chahat responded in a video posted on his Instagram account, stating that Mathira was speaking out against him when in “reality” she had pleaded for months that he appear on her show because it wasn’t doing well.

  • ‘Solitary confinement, power cuts, no TV’: Imran Khan complains to army chief in second letter

    ‘Solitary confinement, power cuts, no TV’: Imran Khan complains to army chief in second letter

    Days after confusion on the receipt of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s letter to the army chief, the former prime minister (PM) has claimed to have written a second letter, this time complaining about the reaction to the first letter among other things.

    “I wrote an open letter to you with sincere intentions for the betterment of the nation… However, the response I received was highly unserious and irresponsible [sic],” read a statement on Khan’s official X account as confusion prevailed on if the letter was ever received by the military.

    The confusion was added to with an Adiala Jail official claiming that Khan never wrote any letter in the first place.

    However, in the second letter, the jailed former premier went on to pen down a series of complaints to chief of army staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. “I was placed in solitary confinement under extreme conditions for 20 days… in a cell where even sunlight could not reach. For five days, my cell’s electricity was cut off, leaving me in complete darkness,” he claimed.

    “My exercise equipment and television were confiscated and I was denied access to newspapers… apart from those 20 days, I was also kept in solitary for 40 hours,” he said and added that he had only been allowed to talk to his sons three times over the past six months despite a court order allowing him to contact his children regularly.

    Khan also said that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had allowed him to meet his wife Bushra Bibi, but court orders were being ignored. “My wife is also being kept in solitary confinement,” he claimed.

    Stressing that he was “illegally convicted” in four cases, Khan said that the judge who decided his fate was “under pressure”.

    “My wife [Bushra Bibi] and Dr Yasmin Rashid, a 75-year-old cancer patient, besides hundreds of other women have been unjustly detained,” he said further.

    Dubbing the recently passed Prevention Electronic Crime Act (PECA) amendments 2025 “a draconian law”, Khan claimed Pakistan’s GSP-plus status was at risk.


    He also expressed concerns over internet outages. “Internet disruptions have already caused losses worth billions of dollars to our IT industry, destroying the careers of countless young people,” he lamented.

    Khan also said that he spent his entire life bringing honour to Pakistan’s name on the global level. “My 55 years of public life since the 1970s and my 30 years of earnings are all open for everyone to see. My life and death are solely for Pakistan.”

    While an official confirmation on receipt of the second letter is still awaited, the first letter was announced by Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry while speaking to media outside Adiala Jail on Monday.

  • VIDEO: Shahid Afridi meets his ‘hero’ kickboxer Agha Aleem

    VIDEO: Shahid Afridi meets his ‘hero’ kickboxer Agha Aleem

    Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi met renowned kickboxer Agha Kaleem, who showcased his medals and championship belts during the meeting. 

    Afridi praised Kaleem’s achievements and called him a source of pride for Pakistan, saying, “He is my hero. His success is the result of his hard work. Agha Kaleem has represented Pakistan on international platforms and made the country proud. We should keep praying for his continued success so that he brings more glory to Pakistan.”

    The former captain also urged the private sector to step forward and support talented athletes like Agha Kaleem. “There are many talented young people in our country, but unfortunately, their talent is being wasted. The private sector should come forward and support them,” Afridi added.

    Earlier, Afridi congratulated Agha on winning the World Caucasian Championship on January 27.

  • Onijah t-shirts flood Etsy as Americans follow saga of American lady

    Onijah t-shirts flood Etsy as Americans follow saga of American lady

    T-shirts featuring Onijah Robinson, the America lady who came to Pakistan to marry her online paramour, have flooded the online retailing site Etsy as western audiences breathlessly follow her saga of rejected love. 

    Onijah, 33, who arrived in Pakistan in October to marry her 19-year-old online boyfriend Nidal Ahmed, finally left for the US in the early hours of Saturday morning, ending a four-month-long journey that included a frenzied media blitz and social media storm. 

    Quotes from the multiple press conferences she addressed quickly went viral on TikTok, with many users vowing to make her quotes their catchphrases. 

    A couple of t-shirts with her sayings have also popped up on retail giant Amazon.


    Onijah in Pakistan

    Onijah Andrew Robinson, the American woman who had been in Karachi ever since her Pakistani lover abandoned her after making false promises of marriage last year, now returned to the US on February 7, 2025.

    She reportedly landed in Karachi on October 11, 2024, while her visa was set to expire on November 10, but despite her online paramour’s refusal to marry her, she chose to stay.

    In February, she was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi, with concerns for her mental health.

    According to media sources, incoherence in speech and swelling in her hands and feet caused concerns. Admitted to the  Department of Psychiatry, reports of her detailed examination are due.

    Jeremiah Andrew Robinson, Onijah’s son, revealed in a video statement earlier this week that his mother is mentally unwell and experiences cognitive hindrances. He stated that her claims and actions must be perceived and dealt with accordingly.

    He also claimed that Onijah was supposed to return to the US two weeks after she arrived in Pakistan in October, and that he and his brother had bought a return ticket.

    The 33-year-old US national’s criminal record shows that she was arrested in Charleston County in South Carolina in 2021, “ENTERING PREMISES AFTER WARNING”. It also revealed that a bail bond of $465 is possibly not paid.

    On February 7 a medical board gave the green signal for her to travel, deeming her fit to go, after which the police escorted her to the airport. US Consulate staff also paid her a visit in the hospital, persuading her to go back to the US, and organised her flight.

    While Onijah Robinson was in Pakistan, people around the world, especially in America, followed her story with zesty as her odyssey turned into a media storm. Foreign netizens shared how their perspective of Pakistanis changed upon witnessing the hospitality given to Onija and the patience people here showed towards her. Comparisons were drawn with the depiction of Pakistanis in Western media, which is often bleak and fearful.

  • Virat Kohli might be getting surprise position in Indian team: reports

    Virat Kohli might be getting surprise position in Indian team: reports

    India’s star batter Virat Kohli may just be about to get a shocking position in the team, right before the prestigious Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin. 

    The batting maestro might be appointed as India’s Test captain on a temporary basis since younger players are not yet ready for the role.

    A report claims that India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has spoken to Kohli about leading the team again, but Kohli has not given a clear response. Jasprit Bumrah may not be considered for captaincy with concerns about his workload. 

    “Coach Gautam Gambhir has backed the idea of Virat leading the Test team again. But he is yet to clear his stance officially. Team India has done well under Virat’s aggressive captaincy, especially in overseas conditions. With the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle starting, the team needs a leader like Kohli because the next line of Test leaders is still in development. In the interim, Kohli looks like the most suited option,” the report said.

    Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma seemed annoyed when asked about his poor form ahead of the first ODI against England. He responded, “What sort of a question is that? This is a different format at a different time. As usual, as cricketers, we know there will be ups and downs. I have faced that a lot in my career. This is nothing new to me. We know that every day is fresh, and every series is a new one. I am looking forward to the challenge and not looking at the past. Clearly, you don’t. So I don’t have any reason to look at the past.”

    Commenting on the criticism he is facing, his teammate Ravi Chandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “This is not easy. If you look at it from Rohit’s point of view, then obviously, it is frustrating for him. He wants to concentrate on the series. He thinks that I’ve done well in this format, and I’d like to continue. I’m going into the tournament with a lot of confidence on the back of the One-Day tournaments that I’ve played.”

    He further explained, “But people will ask questions. The ones who are watching will obviously ask. It’s a catch-22 situation. You can’t stop these questions. When will they stop? When he performs.”

    Rohit, who returned to international cricket after a month, managed only two runs in the first ODI in Nagpur.

  • Private video leaks: Case dropped as Imsha Rehman forgives accused ‘for Allah’s sake’

    Private video leaks: Case dropped as Imsha Rehman forgives accused ‘for Allah’s sake’

    TikToker Imsha Rehman has “for Allah’s sake” forgiven the man accused of leaking her alleged private videos online.

    Rehman, a popular social media star with over 200,000 followers on TikTok, had in November last year deleted her account after viral videos allegedly showed her sharing an intimate moment with an unidentified person. The alleged leaks had come within days of similar videos of TikToker Manahil Malik, sparking widespread criticism over the internet.

    According to media reports, the case against the arrested accused took an unexpected turn as Rehman on Friday forgave the accused “Fi Sabilillah [for Allah’s sake]” during a hearing at a court in Islamabad.

    Subsequently, the court granted the man bail and ordered his release.

    The development comes days after Rehman finally broke silence and revealed that the culprit who released her “fake videos” had been arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). 

    “The videos circulating online were fake and purposely spread to harm me,” she said in her maiden interview since after disappearing from spotlight. The situation, Rehman said, affected her deeply and she could no longer go to the university or face people.

    The social media influencer revealed that she had even received death threats, and called netizens out over the prevalent culture where people don’t find it problematic to produce or share such content. “People think it’s cool to share others’ videos without understanding the damage it can cause.”

    Rehman said that instead of releasing a video statement back in November, she chose to take legal action against the culprit, which has led to the arrest of an accused. Praising the FIA for its help, she confirmed that the agency had in its custody the man who allegedly produced and shared the videos.

    The videos, which seemed to show the social media influencer sharing an intimate moment with a male friend, sparked strong reactions from people online. Many also expressed concerns over the growing number of cases involving digital privacy violations.

    While she had not given an official statement prior to the interview, Rehman had deactivated her Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook accounts. She had also posted a message on her Instagram saying, “Jab tak video viral hai mein ne id off kar di hai [I have deactivated my accounts for as long as the video is doing the rounds].”

    Social media activists and other influencers had also called for the removal of the viral videos and urged people to respond more compassionately to such sensitive situations.

    The alleged leaks had not only brought to fore the menace of deepfakes but also highlighted issues of privacy violations and the responsibility of social media platforms to protect users’ content.