The burnt body of a married young woman was found in her father’s furniture showroom in Gujranwala, reports Geo News.
While the reason for the murder is unknown as yet, the husband of the victim is absconding and according to the preliminary investigation of the police, he is the prime suspect.
According to further details, 24-year-old Maryam, a resident of Dhariwal, was first married to her cousin. After the marriage ended in a divorce, Maryam’s second marriage took place with Sajid, a resident of Kot Ishaq.
Sajid and Maryam used to fight often. About six months ago, Maryam’s parents brought their daughter and son-in-law to their village and offered them a room adjacent to her father’s furniture showroom to live in.
Maryam’s father told the police that he had gone to a nearby mosque for Fajr prayers in the morning and came back to see the burnt body.
The police say that the search for the woman’s husband is going on.
On Wednesday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced the closure of bank branches in Lahore division and certain districts of Punjab severely affected by smog.
According to a statement issued by the central bank, all banks and Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) are required to keep their branches closed in Lahore Division, including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, and Kasur districts, as well as Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sialkot, and Narowal districts, on November 10.
This decision was made in accordance with a notification from the Punjab government dated November 8, 2023. The Punjab government declared an “environmental and health emergency” in Lahore and two other divisions from November 9 to 12 to address the smog’s impact.
According to the notification, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, gymnasiums, schools, and both public and private offices will remain closed for four days in Lahore, Gujranwala, and Hafizabad divisions. Public and private transport to and from these areas will also be restricted.
Section-144 and health emergencies have been imposed in the Lahore division to control smog, following deteriorating air quality in the region over the past few days. Section 144 has been imposed in Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, and Nankana Sahib districts.
During environmental and health emergencies, educational institutions, government and private offices, cinemas, parks, and restaurants will remain closed, and markets will be shut on Saturday, as specified in the notification.
Update: Shumaila, the woman who was burnt alive by her husband Naseer and his first wife Robina has expired in a hospital in Lahore. She was admitted to the hospital five days back but could not survive the severity of her burns. The incident happened in a village near Gujranwala, Chak Behlol.
Further investigation has revealed that she got divorced from her first husband to marry Naseer who was already married. The constant tussle between the two wives led to this tragic situation where she was burnt alive by Naseer and his first wife in the presence of a crowd of villagers who kept making videos.
Naseer is already in the custody of the police.
Previously, a harrowing video of a woman being burnt alive-in a village near Gujranwala-has gone viral on social media. The crowd watching kept making videos whereas Shumaila, the woman, was burning.
An FIR has been registered after a delay of two days. Shumaila’s husband, Naseer, has been arrested and the search for his other wife is going on.
Shumaila, the victim, has told the police that the husband sprayed petrol on her while the other wife was his accomplice in setting her on fire. The two have been constantly fighting since the man married for a second time. The woman is in critical condition, being treated in a hospital in Lahore.
Two Palestinian students in Gujranwala Medical College were injured by a group of hooligans with a sharp instrument over the weekend, media reports have confirmed.
A case has been filed against the group of six whereas the two Palestinians have been provided with medical aid in the hospital.
According to the police, Khuldoon and Abdul Karim have been living in a rented apartment near the medical college. The group was involved in eve-teasing their fellow female Palestinian students living in a neighbouring apartment. The Arab boys tried to stop the harassers, getting attacked in response.
Four of the attackers have been arrested by the police.
The Punjab police have pressed charges of ‘criminal conspiracy’ against Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and all other suspects in May 9 cases across the province. Official sources have disclosed to Dawn that a total of 50 cases were registered, encompassing charges under anti-terrorism and other relevant laws. Among these, 14 cases were filed in various police stations in Lahore and Rawalpindi, while nine were recorded in Sargodha, seven in Sheikhupura, five in Faisalabad, and one in Gujranwala.
Moreover, the Punjab police have recently added offenses under sections 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or aiding such efforts against Pakistan), 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to influence a soldier, sailor, or airman from their duty), and 146 (rioting) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to the FIRs.
Dr. Anoosh Masood Chaudhry, Lahore SSP (Investigation), while talking to the media, revealed that the police have also incorporated certain offenses/sections, including 34 and 120b of the PPC, into the May 9 cases.
Section 34 reads: “Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. When a criminal act is done by several persons, in furtherance of the common intention of all, each such person is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.”
Section 120b states: “Whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall, where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence.”
As per the Lahore police’s investigation, Dr. Chaudhry stated that there appears to be substantial evidence confirming incitement to mutiny and the planning of vandalism on May 9.
Responding to a question regarding Imran Khan’s presence at the crime scene, she emphasized that it is immaterial whether he was physically there or not, as evidence suggests that he incited the suspects to carry out violent attacks on sensitive installations of the Pakistan Army.
Dr. Chaudhry further noted that the prosecution and police are awaiting final reports from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) concerning videos and other evidence related to the planners and perpetrators of the May 9 incidents. She assured that all objections raised by the prosecution have been addressed, and the challans for the May 9 cases will be submitted to the courts of law after receiving reports from the FIA and Pemra.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has received summons on Tuesday from a civil court in Gujranwala over the recent increase in the prices of petroleum products.
Judge Mohammad Awais summoned the caretaker PM, secretary petroleum, and Gujranwala commissioner against the hike in petrol prices.
Advocate Manzoor Qadir filed a petition on September 16 asking for a stay order on the decision of the caretaker government to increase fuel prices. According to the petition, the caretaker prime minister and other officials are “concerned parties” and responsible for the price hike.
The court has ordered the caretaker prime minister and other officials to appear before the court on September 20 (Wednesday).
The caretaker government had increased the petrol price by more than Rs 26 and the diesel price by over Rs 17 per litre last week.
According to the Finance Ministry, the decision was taken due to the increase in oil prices in the international market.
BTS fans will continue to go to all lengths to prove that they’re indeed the most wholesome and wonderful people to exist on the planet.
A BTS fan from Gujranwala, Syeda Binte Zainab, moved social media a few days ago when she celebrated the birthday’s of both BTS members Jung Kook and Namjoon’s by donating 125 boxes of food to patients suffering from thalassemia at Sundus Foundation, in an effort to spread awareness about providing blood donations to help children suffering from the disease.
Namjoon aka RM, is a popular rapper and song writer from the South Korean band BTS, which comprises of six other members including Jung Kook, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V and J-Hope. The band, declared by Time Magazine to be the ‘Princes Of Pop’, partnered with UNICEF in 2017 for their campaign to end violence against children, and have received 5 Grammy nominations.
Guyz I need your Prayers because I’m almost going to start Namkook Birthday Project Celebrations with Thalassemia patients and right now I’m packing food for them while streaming “Slow Dancing” Please drop your wishes or Purple heart pic.twitter.com/xkOkkCzpix
— Syeda BinteZainab⁷♥ #HBD_NAMJOON♥| ʟᴀʏᴏ(ꪜ)ᴇʀ ⍤⃝ (@BinteZainab33) September 9, 2023
The viral tweet received praise from fans and non-fans alike on social media, who appreciated the woman for undertaking such an amazing charity project on her own to celebrate her idol’s birthday.
감사합니다 아미 ♀️ You did a really really good Job Our boys will probably be so proud of you, and of course ARMY too… Fightingggg ♀️ https://t.co/GsnSyYMidC
Syeda Zainab also shared a link to her Youtube account which showed how she set up the project. She also included an interview with a doctor who spoke in detail about the disease and encouraged others to donate blood to patients and help save their lives.
Speaking to The Current, Syeda Zainab, who works as a teacher had previously collaborated with Sundas Foundation to organise 180 gifts food boxes, and this year had decided had collaborated with a student to bake a cake and a fellow BTS fan from Twitter, who baked cookies for the occasion.
“This year in collaboration with #BTS_Pk_Streaming , I thought of doing something different, so I texted the Director and asked for his permission to organise a little activity to which he instantly agreed. So I saved my 1 month salary and decided to arrange a special meal for Thalassemia fighters and their families. My student ‘Haider’ who is also BTS ARMY member, prepared the BTS Themed Cake to celebrate Namkook’s (Namjoon & Jungkook of BTS) birthday . A kind ARMY friend *Saira from Twitter specially prepared ‘Namjoon & Jungkook day special cookies’ for patients. I’ve Donated Blood before Starting the celebration because I know the importance of blood donations. My Blood can save 1 life so what’s better then this to celebrate this special month?”
Syeda Zainab told us she had been organising charity efforts for Sundas Foundation since 2021, when she donated blood to the patients and was in touch with the director whom she described as a ‘noble’ man. In 2022, she had celebrated Jung Kooks’ birthday with the rest of the patients by packing more than 180 gifts for the patients, and also brought along a cake to celebrate the occasion as shown from pictures she shared with us.
Speaking on the overwhelming praise her project received from social media, Zainab said she found it “over whelming and heart touching”. Several patients suffering from thalassemia exchanged phone numbers with her in order to see her vlog. “They literally longed for blood and happiness. I’m glad I was the reason behind their smile and happiness.”
“BTS is the reason behind spreading smiles all around the world and we ARMYs simply follow their footsteps. Alhumdulillah I feel incredibly happy to spread happiness around me just like my idols.”
Pakistani BTS fans have gone viral on several occasions for setting up extensive charity projects to celebrate birthdays of the band members, asking for nothing in return. “BTS and the ARMY fandom have been actively involved in social causes and have raised millions for charities. I remember back in June 6th 2020, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, and the ARMY fandom matched that amount within 24 hours.”
Continuing further, Zainab said “We organize projects like this because our icons inspire us every single day. Jungkook donated millions of won (Korean currency) to hospitals and universities on his birthday. When the severe earthquake disaster happened in turkey, it was BTS band members who donated millions of dollars to help the victims. The list is too extensive to share how many times they have contributed to help others.. We ARMYS do good things on BTS name all around the world so it doesn’t matter for us that our idols live in Korea or anywhere else. The thing which only matter is “THE MESSAGE”. The message BTS gives to ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ & ‘BE HUMAN’.”
Zainab told The Current that Pakistani BTS fans have done several projects in honor of their idols in the past, as last year they had celebrated Namjoon’s birthday by donating wheelchairs to Manawan Hospital Lahore. On September 1, which was Jungkook’s birthday, ARMY members donated 50 notebooks to schools in order to provide educational facilities for students from lower income backgrounds, along with Rs 7000 to Edhi Foundation, just proving how their fandom continues to do good and keep making their icons proud.
Gold prices in Pakistan continued to rise on Tuesday, influenced by the Pakistani rupee’s decline against the US dollar and an uptick in global prices.
According to the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association, the cost of 24-carat gold settled at Rs234,500 per tola, marking a substantial increase of Rs4,600. Similarly, the price of 10 grammes of gold rose by Rs3,944 to reach Rs201,046.
It is expected that the price of gold might reach unprecedented levels due to the relentless and rapid decline of local currency against the greenback.
The movement of gold prices in Pakistan closely follows the path of the US dollar due to the country’s reliance on gold imports.
The Pakistani rupee saw a notable decrease, falling to a new all-time low against the US dollar. It ended at Rs299.01 rupees per dollar, reflecting a decline of Rs1.88, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan.
Currency experts attribute the surge in gold prices to the recent depreciation of the rupee.
With growing concerns about the country’s economic situation, investors are turning to gold as a safe-haven asset. This shift has resulted in a significant increase of Rs12,700 per tola in just one week.
Notably, the hike in gold prices coincided with political turmoil and a decrease in the local currency’s value, leading to an all-time high valuation of Rs240,000 per tola on May 10, 2023. On the international front, the price of gold saw a $10 increase, reaching $1,901 per ounce on Tuesday.
Indus Motor Company (IMC) announced a 37 per cent decrease in its profit-after-tax (PAT) for the third quarter of financial year 2022-23, with earnings of Rs3.216 billion compared to Rs5.118 billion in the same period last year.
Despite this, the automaker saw an increase in its quarterly PAT by 142 per cent, which was attributed to an improvement in gross margins, resulting in an operating profit after two consecutive quarterly operating losses. The company also declared an interim cash dividend of Rs24.4 per share, in addition to the previously paid interim cash dividend of Rs18.4 per share.
Muhammad Abrar, an investment analyst at Arif Habib Limited, explained that IMC was able to offset the impact of currency devaluation by raising the prices of its cars significantly. The automaker’s operating expenses were also curtailed. While revenue decreased by 29 per cent due to lower units sold, IMC’s gross profit was Rs3.05 billion during 3QFY23, compared to Rs5.23 billion in the same period last year.
Pakistan’s auto sector has been struggling due to the government’s decision to curb imports and restrict issuance of Letters of Credit (LC), higher finance cost, and massive increases in car prices. Despite this, IMC’s gross margins improved to 6.3 per cent on a QoQ basis, which was unexpected, according to Abrar.
According to Brecorder, the company’s earnings per share (EPS) stood at Rs40.92, compared to Rs65.11. IMC’s board of directors met to review the company’s financial and operational performance in the first nine months ended March 31, 2023. While higher profits are expected in the upcoming quarter due to the increase in car prices and the reduction of operating expenses, the country’s auto industry reported a 66 per cent decrease in car sales compared to March 2022.
Last week, Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited also reported its highest-ever quarterly loss of Rs12.9 billion in the first three months of 2023 due to decreased sales and high finance costs.
Twenty-five outfits were stolen from a tailor’s shop in a unique robbery case.
As per the details, the incident took place in Rahwali, Gujranwala.
The thieves entered the shop pretending to be customers and then held the tailor and his employees hostage at gunpoint.
Twenty-five outfits that were given to the tailor by various customers for stitching were stolen by the criminals. Additionally, they took away the employees’ cell phones before running away from the crime scene.
The shopkeeper has requested authorities to act quickly and bring the thieves to justice.
