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Tag: Pakistan

  • Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior speaks out against killing of endangered Indus River Dolphin

    Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior speaks out against killing of endangered Indus River Dolphin

    Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, the grandson of former Pakistani President and Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, has voiced distress over the killing of the endangered Indus River Dolphin. Bhutto Junior, a visual and performance artist and curator known for his advocacy for wildlife and climate justice, highlighted the incident in an emotional video statement on Instagram.

    Recalling a letter written by his aunt, the late former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto following the death of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Bhutto Junior drew attention to his grandfather’s deep bond with the region of Sindh and its environment. The letter described Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto as being akin to the River Indus – “strong and kind”. Bhutto Junior underscored his late grandfather’s efforts to protect the Indus River Dolphin, known locally as ‘Bhulan’, including imposing a hunting ban on the species.

    Expressing deep sorrow, Bhutto Junior relayed the tragic news of a recent incident where an Indus River Dolphin was killed by hunters. He passionately asserted, “If you have killed one dolphin, it’s like you have killed a part of Sindh.” He pleaded with the culprits to refrain from such actions in the future, emphasizing the significance of the creatures and the importance of their preservation.

    The Indus River Dolphin, or ‘Bhulan’, is a unique species of toothed whale endemic to the Indus River Basin in Pakistan and northwestern India. It is the first discovered side-swimming cetacean and is known for navigating and hunting through echolocation. Despite being the national mammal of Pakistan and the state aquatic animal of Punjab, India, its population has significantly declined due to human activities, including entanglement in fishing nets, water poisoning from industrial and agricultural chemicals, irrigation, and dam construction.

    Protecting the remaining sub-populations is critical for the species’ long-term survival.

  • No role in the selection of Judges: University of Hull

    No role in the selection of Judges: University of Hull

    The University of Hull in Manchester has offered a clarification on the participation of Judge Humayun Dilawar in a training programme at their campus, after supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protested against the university.

    PTI activists have been tagging university to record their objection against the inclusion of Judge Dilawar, who convicted Imran Khan in the Tosha Khana case on August 5, sentencing him to three years imprisonment and disqualification.

    PTI supporters demanded that the judge be expelled from the training session.

    However, Judge Dilawar did not, in fact, fly to the UK out of the blue, as revealed by a statement issued by the university in response to the controversy. The statement says that his participation was a result of being chosen by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the training.

    Stressing that the university has been organising training sessions on human rights and the rule of law for Pakistani Judges Since 2014, the university said that it has no role in selecting judges for the training.

    “The current cohort has been selected by the Islamabad High Court, the Peshawar High Court, and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The University has no role in the selection of judges”.

  • Pakistani media, stop obsessing over Sunita Marshall’s religion

    Pakistani media, stop obsessing over Sunita Marshall’s religion

    The country’s media has decided that the average citizen is not raging inflation but whether a fully grown woman has decided to convert from Christianity to Islam or not.

    In an interview with Youtuber and journalist Maliha Rehman, actor Hassan Ahmed, Sunita Marshall’s husband, was asked about how he deals with the negative comments, especially regarding his marriage to the ‘Sar-e-rah’ actress. The actor responded that it is his deepest desire that his wife converts to Islam, but understands that these things do take time. He further went on to say that Sunita will only come towards Islam when she notices the positive inside him.

    But newsflash for the two of you, Sunita isn’t special just because she ‘could’ convert to Islam. She’s a fully grown human being who can dress how she wants and follow what religion she chooses. It is shameful how this is a topic that needs a 10 minute long discussion.

    The discussion arose just a few weeks after Sunita was questioned by controversial Youtuber Nadir Ali about her religious beliefs. She calmly handled the situation saying that it was her choice whether she chooses to remain a Christian or convert to Islam. But the fact remains, Sunita’s religion is not something to debate, and it’s shameful that her husband is commenting on personal matters in the public sphere.

    We were incredibly happy to witness how a flood of celebrities and social media users applauded the ‘Khuda Aur Mohabbat’ actress for bravely handling Ali’s misogynist remarks, but it doesn’t mean she needs to be subjected to this kind of questioning time and time again. This is the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan, where under the law, people from all kinds of faiths are allowed to practice their religion without any fear.

    It’s the year 2023, you have people leaving the country because they’re unable to make a decent living, so obsessing over whether Sunita Marshall will become a Muslim or not is irrelevant. Celebrity tabloids, please do better and let her live without feeling like her religion is in the spotlight all the time.

  • Pakistan beat China to register first win in Asian Hockey Champion trophy

    Pakistan beat China to register first win in Asian Hockey Champion trophy

    Pakistan Hockey team have won their first match 2-1 against China in Asian Hockey Championship taking place in India.
    In the first half, the Pakistani team played aggressively, with Shayan Ali scoring the first goal in the 19th minute, setting a match-winning lead for Pakistan. However, in the in the 33rd minute of the second half, China scored to make the lead equal on both sides. Pakistan’s Afraz then scored another goal in the 39th minute which was the match-winning goal for Pakistan.
    Earlier, the Pakistani team had drawn their match with Japan by 3-3 and with Korea by 1-1. Pakistani team lost to Malaysia by 1-3.
    Pakistan will play the highly anticipated match with India on 9 August. If the Pakistani team wins, they will have a solid chance to enter the semi-finals. Pakistan and India both won the Asian Champion trophy thrice.
    All the teams will play five matches to try and make a place in the top 4 to reach the semi-finals. Final will be played on August 12.

  • Bilawal expresses dissatisfaction with Nawaz and Zardari’s political stance

    Bilawal expresses dissatisfaction with Nawaz and Zardari’s political stance

    In a rare public display of divergence within the ruling coalition, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed his unhappiness with the political stance of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz head Nawaz Sharif and his father, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

    While addressing the National Assembly (NA) on Monday, Bilawal Bhutto categorically stated that, “Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari should make decisions that make it easier for me [Bilawal] and Maryam Nawaz to pursue politics in the future”.

    In an important statement, Bilawal Bhutto said that his government had failed to keep institutions within their constitutional limits.

    He regretted that, despite his previous assertions that institutions should operate within their legal restrictions, the objective had not been met.
    He urged all political parties to think about how they can tackle the issue as elections approach.

    Referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the Foreign Minister said that it is a success of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to remove the ‘Selected Prime Minister’ through a no confidence motion.

    However, Bilawal Bhutto also mentioned that it’s the responsibility of the opposition to criticise the wrong policies of the government. He pointed out that PDM has an opposition party that has no concern for democracy and doesn’t even believe in parliament.

    This opposition party crossed the “red line,” and it happened for the first time in history, he added.

    Regarding the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the foreign minister said, “I have seen politicians either in jail or in politics in Pakistan.”

  • New York City co-names street ‘Allama Iqbal Avenue’ in honor of Pakistani National Poet

    New York City co-names street ‘Allama Iqbal Avenue’ in honor of Pakistani National Poet

    In the run-up to Pakistan’s Independence Day, an avenue in New York City has been co-named “Allama Iqbal Avenue”.

    The honor recognizes Allama Iqbal, an international icon and symbolic figure of Pakistani nationhood, who was instrumental in envisioning a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent — a dream that was realized in 1947.

    Ambassador Masood Khan lauded the development, extending his congratulations to Ali Rashid, the President of the American-Pakistani Advocacy Group (APAG), for his leadership in this initiative.

    “Naming an avenue after our national poet in such a globally renowned city not only cements Pak-US ties but is also a source of pride for the Pakistani diaspora across the United States,” Khan said.

    Adrienne Adams, Speaker of the New York City Council, expressed her honor at celebrating the co-naming of the avenue as “Allama Iqbal Avenue” as Pakistan’s Independence Day approaches. She paid tribute to Iqbal’s work and vision that led to the creation of Pakistan and recognized the vibrant Pakistani community’s contributions to the cultural fabric of New York City.

  • Accusations of sexual assault, blackmail leveled against two professors in DG Khan

    Accusations of sexual assault, blackmail leveled against two professors in DG Khan

    Trigger warning: Sexual assault

    A young girl has complained of being sexually assaulted and blackmailed by two male teachers at Ghazi University in Dera Ghazi Khan.

    The details of the incident were shared by Geo News on Tuesday, after a video of the victim started circulating on social media. In the video, the girl states the names of two physics teachers from her university, who “kept her in the hostel with them overnight”.

    She added that the suspects are now blackmailing her younger sister and if action is not taken against them, she would self-immolate.

    Later the university responded to the video, clarifying that the case is four months old and the suspects have been suspended. The university further added that the video statement is now being used by those teachers in the university against whom inquiries are going on for malpractice cases on campus. This video has been made viral by them, at a time when admissions are on the rise to tarnish the reputation of the university, the statement claimed.

    The university also shared an image of an official notice, dated May 5, 2023, which stated that the two implicated professors, Dr. Zafar Wazir and Dr. Khalid Mehmood Ur Rehman, have been suspended from their duties.

  • ‘Shah Rukh Khan, 365 days star Michele Morrone wanted to work with me’: Meera

    ‘Shah Rukh Khan, 365 days star Michele Morrone wanted to work with me’: Meera

    Lollywood superstar Meera was recently a guest on the celebrity talk show ‘Hasna Mana Hai’. While speaking about her career and the challenges she faced, the ‘Baji’ actress revealed that not one, but two A-list actors had wanted to star her in their movies! It was Shah Rukh Khan, the actress claimed, who wanted to cast her in the film ‘Jab tak Hai Jaan’ before he eventually went with Katrina Kaif. However, the offer couldn’t work out because Meera wasn’t able to secure a visa to London.

    Then the other A-lister was the ‘365 days’ Italian actor Michele Morrone, who had reached out to Meera to do a film together.She confirmed on the show that the two are planning to do a film together once his current projects finish:

    “Yes, for work…He said, ‘Let’s work together.’ Once his current projects finish, we will work together professionally, God willing.”

    Meera has been the butt of misogynist and elitist jokes in the past because of her limited English speaking skills, among other absurd reasons, but the actress revealed she doesn’t let this backlash shatter her self-confidence or her resilience:

     “If you wish to be successful or live a peaceful life, you must forget about what people will say…If you love me, what does my age, personal life, or past have to do with it?” she declared.

    However, the actress said after living a public life, she now prefers to remain out of the news, humorously answering a question from an audience member:

    “When I was in the news, people had objections that I’m constantly in the news, always on television. Now that I’m not in the news, how do you feel now?” She continued, “Those in print media would write, ‘Learn the talent of staying in the news from Meera Jee.’”

  • IHC to hear PTI petition about Imran Khan’s transfer to Adiala Jail

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear a petition asking that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be transferred from Attock Jail to Adiala Jail after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman was sentenced to three years incarceration in the Tosha Khana case.

    IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the petition today. Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had filed a petition in the IHC to transfer Imran Khan from Attock Jail to Adiala Jail to get A-class facilities.

    “Keeping in view the petitioner’s social and political status, his education, and his being accustomed to a better living style, the Petitioner was entitled to A-Class facilities in terms of Rule 243 read with Rule 248 of the Pakistan Prison Rules,” the petition read.

    It is also requested in the plea that personal physicians and family members be allowed to meet him.

    Imran Khan’s lawyer said on Monday, after meeting his client in jail, that Imran Khan has been kept in an unhygienic and suffocating environment. However, he stressed that Khan’s morale was high.

  • No shower in washroom aur kamra bhe woh jahan Sazai-e-maut kay qaidiun ko rakha jata hai: Imran Khan’s lawyer reveals details of his cell

    No shower in washroom aur kamra bhe woh jahan Sazai-e-maut kay qaidiun ko rakha jata hai: Imran Khan’s lawyer reveals details of his cell

    Naeem Panjutha, former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s lawyer, has revealed on Monday details of the conditions in which his client is being incarcerated.

    After meeting Khan in Attock district jail, the lawyer said that the behaviour of the jail administration was not satisfactory. He said that Imran Khan is living in a very small jail cell, while the washroom has no shower.

    Naeem Panjutha stated that Imran Khan has been kept in a very unhygienic and suffocating environment. However, Imran Khan was happy with PTI’s victory in Peshawar against JUI-F, the lawyer narrated.

    “Imran Khan’s morale was high,” Panjutha told media personnel outside the jail.

    “If they keep me in more severe condition than this, I’m ready for this too,” Khan reportedly told his lawyer.

    Imran Khan gave a message to the nation from the Jail through his lawyer: “I will not bow down”.

    According to PTI, the police ransacked and tortured the staff in Bani Gala while attempting to arrest Imran Khan. It is also mentioned by the PTI that while arresting Imran Khan, the policeman said “Chal Saday Nal” and “Kapra Pao Aeday mun ty”.