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Tag: Pakistan

  • Elon Musk’s X plans to remove headlines from links to news articles

    Elon Musk’s X plans to remove headlines from links to news articles

    (Reuters): Elon Musk is pushing for a change in news links on his social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, in a move that could potentially undermine the ability of news publishers to draw an audience.

    X is planning to remove the headline and text while retaining just the lead image from links to news articles shared on the platform, Musk said in a post late on Monday.

    The move is likely an attempt by Musk to get users to spend more time on X and push them to opt for the subscription service for more details.

    It is not immediately clear how the move will impact advertisers on the platform that Musk claimed in July had 540 million monthly users.

    Currently news links come up on the timeline of users as “cards” along with an image, source address and an abridged headline. Such a packaging helps draw clicks and helps publishers gain readers.

    But with the shortened links, users might end up writing some text along with their posts and eventually they could consider X’s premium service that allows a single post of up to 25,000 characters.

    With the changes, Musk is pitching X as a more relevant platform for content creators. Premium subscribers can now post longer videos, their posts are shown higher up and they also receive a cut of ad sales.

  • ‘I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India’; Times of India removed Zubin Mehta’s comment from interview

    ‘I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India’; Times of India removed Zubin Mehta’s comment from interview

    Distinguished classic music conductor Zubin Mehta has claimed that The Times of India omitted one line from an interview he recently gave to them. Mehta had said, “I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India”.

    He made the allegation towards the end of a conversation with journalist Karan Thapar. Mehta gave the statement after he was asked about his views on the “sort of country” India was becoming, especially in view of its treatment towards the minorities, particularly Muslims.

    “It [the line] was cut off, and the writer couldn’t give me a reason why”, he added, to which Thapar responded, “They don’t want to offend Mr. Modi and the government,”

    “How would that offend anybody? …This morning I read that they were burning churches in Pakistan. One has to get over this madness of religious persecution. Hopefully, things will change,” Mehta expressed.

    According to The Wire, Mehta’s excluded comment was not incorporated in the print version of The Times of India. But on Monday, August 21, the online version included the quote after Mehta publicly pointed it out.

    The Times of India responded to Zubin Mehta’s on X that the interview had been “trimmed to fit the page” and “the line being referred to was towards the end of the interview and got left out in that process”.

    But The Wire evaluated that the 33 worded line that was cut actually fits and got restored in middle of the interview rather than the end of it.

    X users respond

    While some praised the censorship, many Indians criticized The Times of India and showed their concern about the increasing hatred towards Muslims in the country.

  • Was Asad Umer under arrest in the Cipher case?

    Was Asad Umer under arrest in the Cipher case?

    Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal planning minister Asad Umar has dismissed claims of his arrest by the FIA in the Cipher case. Meanwhile, he was able to secure pre-arrest bail.

    While exclusively talking to Geo News reporter Arfa Feroz, Umar said that the reports regarding his arrest are false, as he has appeared before FIA twice to record his statement and answer their questions during the investigation. He was confident that his name will be cleared.

    Umar asserted that this is a politically motivated case with intentions to harass and blackmail him. He assured the court about his availability and readiness to depose before the inquiry agency and cooperate with investigators.

    The Official Secrets Act Court has granted him bail until August 29 against a Rs100,000 surety.

  • FIA arrests harasser, Iqra University denies any connection

    FIA arrests harasser, Iqra University denies any connection

    Iqra University Islamabad has denied association with its former director Rizwan Barri. 

    The Current has received an official email from Iqra University in which they denied any connection with Barri. 

    The university has claimed that Barri procured his appointment at Iqra University on 11 October, 2022 through “fraud and misrepresentation” based on fake educational documents and degrees. Five months later, on March 10, 2023, he was terminated from the university. They claim that the on-going case pertains to conduct committed in his personal capacity and has nothing to do with Iqra Univeristy.

    On August 20, however, 24 News, Jang News, and PNN reported the case and referred to Rizwan Barri as the director of Iqra University. It was reported that he was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on charges of harassing female students.

    As per FIA sources, Barri had made an email address as well as social media accounts in the name of a girl. By pretending to be a girl on social media, he sent objectionable content to several people.

    The case was registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) Act and further investigations were underway.

    Source: PNN

    According to PNN news, Director Rizwan Bari had harassed more than 70 female students and resultantly, some girls left their degree midway due to the constant blackmail. Despite these cases, Barri continued to work there.

    When asked about Barri’s exact job description during his appointment at Iqra University, the university refused to provide the information.

  • CCTV camera points towards Khan’s open bathroom in prison cell, judge takes notice

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan has termed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s privacy concerns “genuine” regarding the presence of a CCTV camera around his toilet at Attock jail. Imran Khan had claimed that the camera breached his privacy, with the judge asserting in a report after an inspection of the prison facilities that the camera violated prison rules.

    Punjab Prisons Department, in response to Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan’s report, stated that Khan is being provided with all the facilities in accordance with Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978.

    A new toilet with five feet high walls, a door, and toiletries have been constructed in his cell. The statement said Khan was also given a bed, pillow, mattress, table, chair, air cooler, exhaust fan, fruit, honey, dates, prayer mat, Holy Quran with English translation, several books for reading, a thermos with tea, newspapers and tissue papers.

    The statement further reads that five doctors have been appointed to provide medical facilities to Khan, “One doctor is present at all times on an eight-hour duty.” Special meals are given to Khan as per the doctor’s advice and with the approval of Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Farooq Nazir. It further said the meals are served by a special team after a doctor’s inspection.

    The prisons department confirmed that Imran was allowed to meet his family on Tuesdays and lawyers on Thursdays.

    “CCTV cameras have been installed outside Imran Khan’s room for his and the jail’s security. More than 4,000 CCTV cameras have been installed not only in District Jail Attock but also in other jails of Punjab for security purposes,” the statement concluded.

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, while speaking on the Geo News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, reassured the viewers that Imran Khan was allowed to meet visitors and provided facilities according to the prison class he had applied for. He said that the concerns raised in the inspection report, including those related to the CCTV camera, would be thoroughly investigated and addressed in accordance with the law.

    “We will ensure that all those facilities and class he (Imran) applied for and deserves as the ex-prime minister according to the law are provided to him. As far as I know, he has a bed and newspaper so the behavior with him will be according to whatever the law permits,” he said.

    Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqut Ullah Khan visited Attock jail and compiled a report on 15 August, after his fortnightly inspection of the prison facilities, which was released on August 21. The report stated that Khan’s concern regarding the presence of CCTV cameras is genuine and is in violation of the prison rules 257 and 771.

    Rule 257 (Sanitary and bathing arrangements) of the Pakistan Prison Rules states: “Prisoners shall be granted adequate facilities for bathing and latrines, ensuring privacy.”

    Meanwhile, Rule 771 refers to “latrines,” specifying that “latrine floors should be elevated and frequently renewed. Each latrine must have a proper seat and partitions for the sake of privacy.”

    The judge further noted in his report that the superintendent of police present has provided assurance to address the grievance raised by the PTI chairman.

    The PTI’s official X (former Twitter) account tweeted in response to the report “Absolutely shameful how a national hero, former Prime Minister Imran Khan is being denied his fundamental human rights, and basic facilities he’s entitled to.”

  • ‘A patient revealed she was kicked out of her house by her husband because of her stretch marks’: Shaista Lodhi

    ‘A patient revealed she was kicked out of her house by her husband because of her stretch marks’: Shaista Lodhi

    Actress and aesthetic physician Shaista Lodhi appeared as a guest on the ‘The Talk Talk Show’ where she spoke about her career as an aesthetic physician, who provides cosmetic medical surgeries to celebrities, politicians and the general public. She spoke about the dark side of her career, revealing that young women and girls come to her after being bullied by men about their features.

    The ‘Samjhota’ actress said that many young girls and women visited her clinic led by insecurity about their features, after their husbands send them pictures.

    “Those pictures were given to them by their fiancés,” revealed Shahista. “Then I tell them that they should get rid of this man first. Can you imagine? It’s such an insult for a man to tell you to look like this woman.”

    Shahista shared another horrifying instance where a patient came with her husband, who jokingly asked the surgeon to make his wife look like her. The actress recalled feeling outraged and wanting to lash out at the man.

    “You can see the way women are treated in our society,” lamented the ‘Pardes’ actress. “That girl was sitting in a corner and politely laughing while I wanted to slap him right away. But that woman kept silent, even though it must be torturous for her to stay with such a man who keeps taunting her with things like ‘Tumharay baal hain’, ‘tumharay boaht ziada baal hain’..”

    Shahista Lodhi said women are consistently scrutinized and made to feel inferior because of their looks, and bullied by their in-laws over things like their skin coloror body type. She went on to point out that these things don’t prove that there is a problem with women, but it is men who have complexes.

    Shahista further stressed that if people want to get plastic surgery, they should, but never at the cost of their insecurities.

    When asked about she deals with women coming to her wanting to change features, Shahista spoke about the time a woman came to her clinic asking to remove her stretch marks because she was kicked out her house- which completely shocked the actress.

    “Three days ago a woman came to me and said she recently delivered a baby, and her husband kicked her out of the house because of her stretch marks. And the woman had been staying at her mother’s house for the past 20 days.

    “I tried in any way I could to console her and tell her she’s earned this. Allah made you a gift, and you’re not alone in this. How could a man tell you this!”

    Shahista re-called the woman begging her to fix her marks so she might save her marriage, and the actress said “If you think fixing your stretch marks would save your marriage, then its better such a union never happened!”

    Kudo’s to Shahista for taking such a powerful standard against imposing such beauty standards on women- and reminding them that its not worth fixing a marriage where you are imposed into taking such measures.

  • Pakistan women’s football team set to participate in six-nation tournament in Saudi Arabia next month

    Pakistan women’s football team set to participate in six-nation tournament in Saudi Arabia next month

    Pakistan’s women’s football team is set to participate in a six-nation tournament hosted by Saudi Arabia from September 18 to 30, as confirmed by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). The tournament will include teams from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Laos, Malaysia, and Bhutan. The PFF will soon announce a training camp to prepare the women’s squad for the upcoming event.

    The PFF released a statement mentioning that the Pakistan women’s football team will be part of the six-nation tournament taking place in Saudi Arabia from September 18 to 30.

    In January of this year, Pakistan traveled to Saudi Arabia for a four-nation tournament, competing against Comoros and Mauritius. The team achieved victory against Comoros but lost to Mauritius 2-1. They concluded the tournament on a strong note by drawing 1-1 against Saudi Arabia, which ultimately won the tournament.

    According to Arab News, one of the recent accomplishments of the Pakistani women’s football team was a significant 7-0 triumph over the Maldives in the South Asian Football Federation championship in September 2022. In April of the same year, Pakistan achieved an impressive 1-0 victory over Tajikistan in the qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    This win marked Pakistan’s first major tournament victory since resuming regular international football in September 2022, following a lengthy break. Previously, the team had secured victories mainly in friendly matches or exhibition tournaments such as the Four-Nation Cup in Saudi Arabia.

  • Arif Alvi dismisses Secretary to President as bills mystery deepens

    Arif Alvi dismisses Secretary to President as bills mystery deepens

    Hours after the President said that he does not need Waqar Ahmed’s services, the Secretary has said in a statement on Monday that Dr. Arif Alvi did not sign the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, or the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, nor did he make a written decision to send them back to parliament for further consideration.

    On Monday, the official X (formerly Twitter) account of @PresOfPakistan stated: “In view of the definite statement of yesterday, President’s Secretariat has written a letter to Principal Secretary to Prime Minister that the services of Mr. Waqar Ahmed, Secretary to President, are no more required and are surrendered to the Establishment Division, immediately”.

    President Arif Alvi caused a sensation on Sunday when he said in a tweet from his personal account that he did not sign the official secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, or the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, as he does not agree with the laws. He said that despite his orders to return the bills to parliament, his staff disobeyed him.
    “I confirmed from them many times that whether they have been returned & was assured that they were,” Alvi wrote about the bills in a tweet, adding that he just found out that his staff “undermined my will and command”.
    He also asked for forgiveness from those who are affected by the bills.

    The tweets came about after news broke that he had signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Army Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Now both bills are part of the law.
    On the other hand, former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has said that “the tweet of President Arif Alvi was inappropriate”.
    Raza Rabbani pointed out that if an inquiry is initiated, the president will have to appear before a committee of the upper house since he is a part of the parliament under Article 50 of the Constitution.
    “As per Article 75 of the Constitution, when a bill is sent for assent, the president has two options: either give assent, or refer the matter to the parliament with specific observations. Article 75 does not provide for any third option,” he stressed.
    The ministry has said neither of the requirements was fulfilled. Instead, the president purposely delayed the assent, it added. Returning the bills without any observations or assent is not provided for in the Constitution, the spokesperson said, adding that such a course of action is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
    “If the president had any observations, he could have returned the bills with his observations like he did in the recent and distant past. He could have also issued a press release to that effect,” the law ministry said.

  • Policemen being investigated for filming female colleagues for TikTok without their permission

    Policemen being investigated for filming female colleagues for TikTok without their permission

    A TikTok video has been circulating across Twitter (now X) recorded by two male police officers of the Punjab police. The video shows female police officers in the middle of a meeting, being recorded without their knowledge. The video has been dubbed with a Bollywood song while the policemen give unprofessional expressions.

    When the video was criticized by Twitter users, the official page of Punjab Police responded, condemning the action and stating that an investigation against the two men is underway.

  • Anti-terrorism court grants 3-day physicial remand of Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir

    Lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Former Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Ali Wazir were produced before Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain on Monday. Imaan’s legal team argued that “Police have not yet found anything,” and that “officials had also not investigated anything related to Imaan”.

    It was also mentioned that Imaan fainted at the police station and was unable to meet her mother. “Imaan Mazari wants accountability of institutions for which she is being called a terrorist,”

    Similarly, Ali Wazir affirmed that “nothing wrong” has been done and that they had insisted the interim government let them gather in islamabad. “We wanted our voices to be heard in Islamabad”, added Wazir.

    The court reversed its verdict and granted a three-day physical remand of the two.

    On Sunday, 20 August, human rights lawyer Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and former lawmaker Ali Wazir were arrested by “unidentified persons”. While the reasons for the arrests have not been given by the police, Islamabad Capital Police stated, “No one is authorised to give a statement from a police station.”

    Imaan Mazari’s mother, Shireen Mazari, said while talking to the media that Imaan was dragged out and taken away. The policewomen also dragged Shireen Mazari herself but the officials let her go since they were only there to arrest Imaan Mazari.

    About twenty men made their way to Imaan’s bedroom and confiscated her laptop and phone. They did not let her change her clothes either and dragged her out where another 20 officials were standing outside. No men, however, wore police uniforms.

    The cases so far

    On Friday, 18 August, approximately 300 people attended the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement protest in Islamabad. The speakers included Ali Wazir and Imaan Mazari. The focus of the speeches was condemnation of discrimination against the Pashtuns and called for the return of missing persons.

    Imaan Mazari and Ali Wazir were presented before district and sessions court where Judicial Magistrate Ihtasham Alam Khan heard two of their cases on Sunday.

    In the first, terrorism case, the investigating officer (IO) requested for a 10-day physical remand. The judge, however, has ordered for the two to be presented in an anti-terrorism court. Imaan was to be kept in a women police station till Monday.


    In the other case, the IO requested a five-day physical remand for Mazari and Wazir but the judge said the court could not grant Imaan’s physical remand.


    She has been sent on 14-day judicial remand with orders to be produced on September 2 whereas Wazir has been granted two-day physical remand after pre and post-medical examination.


    Two first information reports (FIR) have been registered against Wazir and Imaan.


    The first FIR was registered on the complaint of Tarnol Station House Officer (SHO) Miam Mohammad Imran who was present at Tarnol Phatak chowk to ensure peace during a rally led by Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM). According to the complainant, the rallly devaited from the allocated area violating no-objection certificate


    The SHO has claimed that the participants of about 700-800 were armed with sticks who attacked the police, official vehicles, and shut down shops when asked to restore access to GT road that they had blocked.


    The second FIR was registered under the complaint of Inspector Mohammad Ashraf who was present when about 950 PTM supporters blocked GT road. He said that people including Manzoor Pashteen and Iman Mazari spoke against the state, inciting hatred and revolt.


    A PTM spokesperson told AFP that many more members have also been detained since Friday protests.