Current Final

Tag: Pakistan

  • Interim PM Kakar cancels trip to Kenya

    Interim PM Kakar cancels trip to Kenya

    Interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has cancelled a three-day official trip to Kenya, scheduled to start on September 4 (Monday), The News has reported.
    According to the Foreign Office, PM Karar was invited by President William Samoei Ruto to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, from September 4 to 6, where he would attend the Africa Climate Summit.
    The publication claimed that the prime minister decided to cancel the trip after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the prevailing atmosphere in the country.

    Kakar’s trip to the African country would have been his first foreign sojourn since taking oath of office as interim Prime Minister of Pakistan. Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, caretaker cabinet members, advisers, and special assistants would have accompanied the PM on the visit.
    It was previously reported that the trip to Kenya was related to the strategy the previous government had developed to promote bilateral relations with African countries.

  • Missing girl found after 12 years: The story of Saba Khalil

    Missing girl found after 12 years: The story of Saba Khalil

    On Friday, Urdu News published a detailed report on the return of a missing girl from Lari Adda.

    12 years ago, it was reported that 8-year-old Saba Khalil, a resident of Lahore’s Lari Adda, had gone missing. She had gone to the market and got lost on the way back home. After searching for her everywhere, the parents approached the police.

    Her father, Mohammad Khalil, used to sell naan chana on a cart in Lari Adda. He has two sons and a daughter.

    Failure of the system

    This year in May, Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. Usman Anwar tasked his subordinates to take an initiative to find the parents of missing children. Mustansar Feroze, Chief of City Traffic Police, has handed responsibility for listing down children who have no guardians and for tracing their relatives to a branch of his department that deals with education.

    When the traffic police team compiled the lists of abandoned children in all 42 centres, the Child Protection Bureau came to know of 68 girls whose cases have been closed and whose parents have become almost impossible to trace.

    After receiving the list, a three-member traffic police team headed by Traffic Warden Mohsin Abbas Malik started the process of interviewing the children according to the order of the list. Saba Khalil was first in the list.

    The traffic police personnel had no training for this work, but they were determined to finish the task. The head of the team, Mohsin Abbas, told Urdu News that when he was interviewing Saba Khalil, the team of the Child Protection Bureau was also present.

    “Gaining children’s trust is very difficult,” he stated. Then they started questioning the girl in order to get whatever information they could. “She remembered a few main things: father’s name is Khalil, that he used to drive rickshaws in the area of Lari Adda, and the shop of Mithu chaiwala was near her house. And the tandoor.”

    Journey back home

    With this basic information, the traffic police team started the process of tracing Saba’s parents.

    Mohsin Abbas says that there were three people and all three of them reached the Lari Adda and went in different directions. The child was kept in the car with the child protection team. It was 10:30 in the morning and we decided to ask all the porters at the Lari Adda about Khalil. We had asked everyone for three hours, but no one was found.

    When Saba Khalil went missing 12 years ago, the area looked different at the time. Now major changes have taken place including the roads and paths. And for 20-year-old Saba sitting in the car, everything was new now.

    Theteam started searching all four sides of Iqbal Park up to Bati Chowk one by one. And they found a man named Khalil, but he was not Saba’s father.

    According to Mohsin, a shopkeeper in Taxali said that he knew a Mithu chai wala in a street adjacent to the Lari Adda. “We took him with us and took him to that street, but this Mithu was not the same person because Saba did not recognize that street. But in the same street we found three things together, there was a naan shop and a milk-yogurt shop. There were about 50 houses in this area. We decided to knock on the door of each house.”

    At around 2:30, the team went out to the other side of this street and saw another naan shop. Mohsin says that “The owner of this shop, Faqir Hussain, who was working inside, saw the girl and came out and said that he seems to have seen this girl. He asked ‘Is her father’s name Khalil?’ to which we nodded yes,” Abbas recalled.

    “He used to live here on rent and a few years ago he set up a shop in the old city side and shifted there. His daughter is also missing.”, recalled Hussain.

    It was around 3:30 PM when the traffic police team took Faqir Hussain and left for Phaja Siripaye Chowk.

    Mohsin Abbas says that they parked the car, taking Saba with them and started walking towards the naan shop which according to Faqir Hussain was Khalil’s shop. Outside this shop, a person was sitting on a chair and eating. As soon as he mouthed the first bite, his eyes fell on Saba and he became still.

    Mohsin says that every single moment is imprinted in his eyes. That man was standing there and his eyes were fixed on the girl. When we got close and he didn’t even notice us, I grabbed his shoulder and shook him. So he came to his senses. I asked if your name is Khalil. So he said yes. I told him to stand and I asked him, “Do you recognize this girl?” To which he replied, “This is my daughter Saba”, and he started crying.

    Saba’s father said while crying that “I just observed Friday prayer and cried and prayed for my daughter to find her.”

    Many people gathered at the spot. And every eye was full of tears. The father hugged his daughter and remained in a state of disbelief for a long time.

    Saba is still with the Child Protection Bureau as she will be handed over to her parents only after completing the legal process.

    Urdu News writes that many aspects of this story pose questions about the system itself, about the extent to which there is a lack of communication between the responsible agencies. Saba was just 10 km away from her home for 12 years.

    According to official data, the traffic police team has reunited 10 such children with their parents in the last two months.

  • Nepal, Pakistan: anything better than cricket to bring people together?

    Nepal, Pakistan: anything better than cricket to bring people together?

    Pakistan v Nepal from Moorhead to Multan: A Journey of Friendship and Fervour

    Picture this: a chilly midnight in Moorhead, a tiny university town near Fargo. Amidst the freezing air, two cricket fanatics — me and my Pakistani roommate, Shehzad — walk to the end of 20th Street just off campus to a house full of friends from Nepal. Our connection with these guys? Cricket. We had known each other through an indoor tape ball cricket tournament we played together.

    It was the turn of the millennium; TV apps and online streaming weren’t a thing back then. These guys from Nepal were our cricket saviours, the only ones in the area with Direct TV and video on demand available to watch Pakistan vs India 2004 Test series. I remember the first Test was in Multan. Sehwag smashed a triple ton and Tendulkar 194 to stamp their authority on the game. India won the match by an innings and also the series 2-1.

    Even though we had great respect for each other, there were moments when we had tempers flared during this series as all of these guys were rooting for India. That’s the nature of this encounter, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. People from Pakistan and India living abroad will relate: no matter how close you are with each other, this game will always get your emotions out of control.

    Fast-forward to 2023. Two decades later, Asia Cup is being co-hosted in Pakistan. The venue for the first game was Multan where Nepal faced Pakistan head to head for the first time. I have been in touch with these guys on and off, mostly through Facebook. As the national anthem of Nepal was being played, I dropped a one-liner message about the clash to Pawan Adhikari, now living in Houston, Texas. His response, I can feel, triggered a cascade of emotions for him just like it did for me. Memories flood in of chai-fuelled nights, banter, and heated arguments at his apartment.

    This particular game in Multan seemed to create a nostalgia that’s etched in our memories. For me this wasn’t just a game where Pakistan was playing a minnow, it was a symphony of emotions that cricket had orchestrated two decades ago. This memory and this game flung the door open to tomorrow, to the possibility of sitting with old mates, Pawan, Neeraj, Prajowl, and Shehzad; watching Nepal and Pakistan take on the world in the West Indies and Americas next year.

    From that viral image of a packed cricket ground in Katmandu of their famous victory, Nepal’s cricketing journey is a tale of resilience, a narrative that echoed the nation’s spirit, much like conquering the Everest.

    In a world often divided, cricket emerges as the unifier, a magical thread that weaves tales transcending time zones and cultures. From Moorhead’s chilly cold streets to Multan’s scorching heat, this is more than just a cricket story; it’s a tale of friendships woven by cricket’s tapestry. It’s a reminder that amidst the chaos, there’s a language we all speak, a language that unites us, This is why we love this game.

  • TW: Four rape cases registered in Lahore on August 28

    TW: Four rape cases registered in Lahore on August 28

    TRIGGER WARNING: DISCUSSION OF RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT.

    In a horrifying case, four women were reportedly raped on August 28 in Lahore, according to Dawn. While First Information Reports (FIR) have been lodged against the suspects, some media reports have stated that the suspects have gotteb pre-arrest bails, while others have not been caught as yet.

    Two of these cases involve the survivor being tricked on the promise of finding a job. A student of class 9, who lives in Old Anarkali, filed an FIR revealing she was gang-raped by two men in a hotel room. The survivor said she met suspect A on social media. He offered her a job abroad and claimed he knew friends who were working in big businesses in other countries. On Aug 28, the suspect offered the survivor to work part-time at a hotel for a couple of months, picking her up from Kalma Chowk, took her to a juice corner, after which she was taken to a hotel belonging to his friend in Gulberg to discuss the job offer. The survivor said she was taken to a room where the suspect and his friend gang-raped her, and made video clips to further blackmail her. The culprits threatened to upload the videos on social media if the survivor filed an FIR.

    Another girl, a resident of Faisal Town, said her friend got her in touch with a man who promised to get her a job. The man picked her up from a restaurant where she was waiting with a friend, along with another man. Both men took the survivor to a house where they gang-raped her, fleeing the scene later. So far, no arrests have been made.

    The third case was from a resident of Amir Town, who said his friend, the suspect, had offered his wife a job to work at a hostel with a handsome salary. On August 28, the FIR states, the wife was out shopping, when the suspect called and asked her to reach a location from where he could take her to the hostel for the job. When the woman reached the given location, the man took her to a house and raped her, and then fled the scene.

    The fourth case was from the Manawan area, where the suspect took a woman to a house to return her Rs 45,000, but instead when the survivor reached the house she was raped and later the suspect escaped.

  • ‘Never leaving home again’: social media is in tears after ANOTHER petrol price hike

    ‘Never leaving home again’: social media is in tears after ANOTHER petrol price hike

    Kuch rehnay nahi dena? Yesterday night, the caretaker government announced yet another price hike in petrol charges, taking it to a historic high of Rs 301 per litre.

    In a statement, the finance ministry said that the reason behind the hike included escalating prices in the international market as well as shifts in exchange rates.

    But social media users were in dismay that after exorbitant electricity bills, they will have to pay unheard of sums for fuel.

    Sab se pehle tou, get used to the social distancing times and start staying more at home, like this user put it.

    Waisay this would be a good excuse

    https://twitter.com/ShaanKohr/status/1697293232722280468?s=20

    Go back to ye olde times and send letters to your beloved?

    *Dances to the bop while wailing*

  • President Alvi wants elections in November

    President Alvi wants elections in November

    President Arif Alvi will likely defy the opinion of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the law ministry as he is reportedly contemplating announcing the date for the next general elections, sources familiar with the development have said, reported Kamran Yousaf for The Express Tribune.

    It is expected that the president will write another letter to the ECP, suggesting a date in November for the elections. The sources said that President Alvi was in conversation with his legal team and was advised that an act of parliament could not override the provisions of the Constitution and that parliament might have amended the Election Act 2017 but the Constitution was clear that polls would have to take place within 90 days.

    “Based on that opinion, the president will communicate the election date to the Election Commission soon,” a source revealed.

    Previously, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja decided that he would not meet President Dr. Arif Alvi for a discussion on fixing the date for the general elections. After a recent amendment to existing laws, fixing the date for the election is at the discretion of the ECP.

    The CEC called a meeting of the commission last week to talk to its members about the matter of fixing the date before taking a formal position. It is not the ECP’s responsibility, according to the law, to consult with the president on this matter. “The law is very clear about it. The President has cited the wrong article for this purpose.”

    Alvi had invited Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, for a meeting on August 23 or 24, to fix an appropriate date for holding the general elections.

  • Election Commission adamant about ensuring timely elections

    Election Commission adamant about ensuring timely elections

    After completing consultations with political parties, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday announced that the delimitation process will be finalised by November 30. 

    A statement issued by the electoral body said the purpose of reducing the duration of the delimitation process is to ensure elections are held as early as possible.

    The ECP also said that a date for the elections will also be announced keeping in view the schedule for the delimitation process, adding that the date was announced after deliberation with the parties. 

    A day earlier, the Election Commission said that polls would be held by mid-February at the most or by January end if the delimitation of constituencies is completed earlier. 

    The Election Commission has held consultations with political parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Muttahida Qoumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Jamiat Ulema Islam-Faiz (JUI-F) and others regarding the road map to general elections. 

    On August 17, the ECP announced the schedule of new delimitations to be carried out as per the new census approved by the Council of Common Interest (CCI) last month. 

    According to the schedule, the new delimitation of the constituencies was expected to be completed in December. However, the date has now been shortened to November. 

    Earlier, the ECP schedule had shown that the fresh delimitation would take nearly four months. 

    Last month, the CCI meeting chaired by then-prime minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the final results of the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023 reporting the country’s population at 241.49 million with a growth rate of 2.55%.

    The CCI approval made it constitutionally mandatory for the ECP to hold elections following fresh delimitations in the light of the results of the 7th census.

    According to Article 51 (5) of the Constitution, the seats of the National Assembly to each province and the federal capital shall be allocated on the basis of population in accordance with the last preceding census officially published.

  • Parvez Elahi arrested again hours after being set free

    Parvez Elahi arrested again hours after being set free

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf President and former Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has been arrested again after his brief release today.

    Islamabad Police arrested Chaudhry Parvez Elahi from Canal Road in Lahore, leaving with him for the federal capital. Earlier today, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to release Parvez Elahi, after the accountability watchdog’s decision to arrest the former chief minister of Punjab was challenged in court through a petition.

    After Elahi was brought before the court, LHC Justice Amjad Rafiq announced the decision, telling NAB at the hearing today that if Elahi is not produced today, the court will issue a warrant against the director-general of the accountability body.

    On the NAB prosecutor’s reply, Justice Amjad Rafiq said that there will be a complete inquiry, ordering Parvez Elahi’s immediate release.

    It should be noted that when Parvez Elahi first filed an application in the Lahore High Court, the court granted him bail in all cases. But against the decision of the single bench of the court, the Punjab government filed an appeal before a two-member bench, which suspended the decision of the single-member bench.

  • Pakistan extradites man to Italy for daughter’s murder

    Pakistan extradites man to Italy for daughter’s murder

    A Pakistani-Italian man wanted for murdering his daughter has been arrested from his native village in Pakistan and extradited to Italy for trial.

    Geo reports that according to the Italian justice minister, Shabbar Abbas was arrested in November 2022 on suspicion of killing his 18-year-old daughter, Saman Abbas.

    Saman went missing in April 2021 after she refused to travel to Pakistan for an arranged marriage.

    The father’s arrest is considered as a “step forward to allow justice to run its full course after a horrific crime” , says Carlo Nordio, the Italian justice minister, in a statement.

    According to Geo News, teenage Saman was identified by dental records after human remains were found near her family home in the northern Italian town of Novellara more than a year after her disappearance.

    Prosecutors suspect Saman having a boyfriend angered her parents.

    They further allege she was killed when she visited her home to collect some documents after living nearby under the care of social services.

    The father, however, denies the murdering his daughter. Her uncle has also been extradited from France for the trial, along with two of her cousins.

  • PM Kakar nahi jantay kisko mil rahi hai muft bijli?

    PM Kakar nahi jantay kisko mil rahi hai muft bijli?

    Interim Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar recently gave a statement that only Wapda’s employees, including retired ones, get free electricity and there is no such facility available for anyone else including judges. This statement is factually incorrect.

    Truth is that not only utility bills (including electricity bills) of the serving judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are paid by the government, but the retired ones also get free electricity of up to 2000 units a month in case of an ex-SC judge and 800 units a month in case of a former high court judge, as per Ansar Abbasi’s report for Geo news.

    Not only this, the president and prime minister also enjoy free utilities including free electricity without any limits but in the case of the ex-president, he is provided 2000 units a month of electricity at the cost of taxpayers’ money.

    President’s Salary, Allowance and Privileges Act, 1975 as amended in 2018 says in Section 7 that the actual charges for electricity and gas consumption shall be paid in each year to the president. After retirement, the president also gets gas to the extent of monthly consumption of 10 HM3 and water, all paid by taxpayers.

    Chairman of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) also enjoys similar facilities as those of a Supreme Court judge, including free electricity. There is no confirmation of what the prime minister has claimed about services’ chiefs.

    In October 2020, Justice Faez Isa and his wife released income tax and asset details in which it was clearly written that post-retirement benefits of a Supreme Court judge include 2000 units of electricity, 25 HM of gas, water and 300 litres of petrol per month.

    High Court Judges (Leave, pension, privileges) order 1997 not only talks about the payment by government for provision of electricity gas and water but also says in Section 28 that a judge on retirement and after his death, the spouse shall be entitled to certain benefits including 800 units of electricity per month as well as 25 HM3 of gas per month.

    All those quasi-judicial public offices including the offices of NAB chairman, federal ombudsman etc where retired judges, or retired civil servants are appointed, the residence utility bills are also paid from the public funds.


    According to a NAB document, “i) Chairman NAB shall be entitled without payment of rent to the use of a residence provided by the Government throughout his term of office maintained at Government expenses with all utilities to be paid on actual basis by the Government. ii) In case of non-availability of Government accommodation or the Chairman chooses to reside in a private residence, the expenses on maintenance and all utilities as per actual, will be paid by the Government, in addition to house rent allowance.”