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Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Moved from a small jail to a bigger one’: Asia Bibi reveals hardships, poverty in exile

    Asia Bibi has given her first interview since 2020 to New Lines Magazine. She left for Canada in 2019 after being acquitted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in a false blasphemy case that led to a death sentence.

    Ailia Zehra writes that despite claims from right-wing groups that Bibi received funding from anti-Pakistani groups to live a comfortable lifestyle in Canada, the truth is far from it.

    Bibi was a farm labourer residing in the Nankana Sahib district in Punjab. In 2010, she was arrested under the blasphemy laws after an argument with her Muslim neighbours. In 2010, she was arrested and sentenced to death by a judge in Sheikhupura, while the verdict was upheld by the Lahore High Court.

    Local politicians like Salmaan Taseer, who was then the Governor of Punjab, and Shahbaz Bhatti, who was the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs and also a Christian, had condemned this arrest. Both were outspoken critics of the blasphemy law and vowed to release Bibi from prison. However, Taseer was shot dead by his bodyguard in 2011, while Bhatti was also assassinated the same year by the Pakistani Taliban.

    In 2018 when Bibi was cleared of blasphemy charges by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Bibi was kept under protective custody for six months and then flown to Canada in secret where she reunited with her husband and two daughters.

    However, in this interview Bibi reveals that despite getting international support from organizations for her release, since her arrival in Canada she had not received financial support for her ailing husband and two disabled daughters. She works 14 hours a day at a menial job which is not able to cover her expenses. Her health is deteriorating because of a joint ailment.

    Bibi said that she was not able to bring her other three children with her. Her husband is unemployed and needs heavy medication without which he could get extremely sick. Bibi also got teary-eyed by opening up about not being able to visit her parents, as her mother passed away while she was in prison and her father is still in Pakistan.

    “My biggest sorrow is that I could not get to meet my father before coming to Canada. I will carry this grief in my heart for the rest of my life,” she said.

    Bibi also disclosed that there are no organizations to reach out to in order to get her children currently in Pakistan back to her, because the support she was offered at the time of her departure was limited.

    Since the three years Bibi and her family have been staying in Canada, she confessed that it has been incredibly hard to adjust to a new lifestyle because of the cultural and language barriers, especially the limited support from Pakistani authorities:

    “My husband and I are illiterate,” she confessed. “Our children could not get an education either. You could imagine how hard it would be for someone like us.”

    The article explained that although there are many government programs that provide facilities for refugees like Asia and her family, going through the process is over whelming as Bibi was not used to carrying out such procedures. On whether the Pakistani Consulate in Canada had reached out to help with facilities, Bibi said she couldn’t expect them to support her as she is still regarded as a criminal in Pakistan with extremist groups still targeting Christian communities:

    “Tehreek-e-Labbaik was asking the government to kill me,” Bibi said. “Under such circumstances, how can the government offer me support?”

    Although there was an outpouring of international support, after her escape to Canada media attention faded away and left her with little support to fend for herself and her family:

    “Many individuals who used my name to make money have also forgotten me…After my release, I felt like I had been moved from a small jail to a bigger one. During the six months I spent in protective custody, I feared I would be killed or sent back to jail.”

  • PM, president awaken spirit of service as nation celebrates Pakistan Day

    Amidst political turmoil, the 83rd Pakistan Day is being celebrated on Thursday.

    Pakistan Day is the celebration of the passing of the Lahore Resolution on March 23, 1940, when the All-India Muslim League demanded a separate nation for the Muslims of the British Indian Empire.

    According to Radio Pakistan, the day started off with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in provincial capitals.

    A change of guards ceremony was also held at the mausoleums of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal in Karachi and Lahore, respectively.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif gave a message to the country, urging the nation to pay tribute to the sacrifices of the country’s founding fathers but stressed not to lose sight of the challenges staring the country in the face.

    “The challenges are topped by a combination of economic instability and the inability to settle the rules of the game. An environment of political chaos explains why we have failed to develop our economy on a sustainable basis,” said the PM.

    The premier said that for Pakistan to “achieve great heights”, the countrymen will “have to forge unity in our ranks, equip ourselves with national purpose and vow to wage a struggle in line with the legacy of our forefathers”.

    “Today the nation pays homage to Pakistan’s founding fathers for their political wisdom, sagacity & determination to wage a relentless struggle for a separate homeland,” the premier tweeted.

    In his message to the nation, President Dr Arif Alvi recalled that the country established state institutions, made its defence impregnable, achieved nuclear deterrence, curbed terrorism, overcame the Covid-19 pandemic, and displayed the spirit of sacrifice and cooperation in the face of natural calamities.

    However, he said, we still have a long way to go to ensure the rule of law, strengthen democracy, reduce inequalities in our society, empower women, provide the rights of persons with disabilities, eradicate terrorism and extremism, ensure the political and economic stability of the country, and protect the human rights of our citizens.

    Today, we pay tribute to the founding fathers of our nation whose struggles and sacrifices led to the creation of Pakistan, he said.

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also conveyed his wishes to the citizens on the occasion.

    In a tweet posted on Thursday, he wished for the country to “grow, prosper and thrive in peace and harmony consistent with the vision of our founding fathers”.

  • Mobile phone imports in Pakistan drop by nearly 70%

    Mobile phone imports in Pakistan drop by nearly 70%

    According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Pakistan’s import of mobile phones has decreased by 68.29 per cent during the first eight months of the current fiscal year (2022-23) compared to the same period last year.

    The value of mobile phones imported from July to February (2022-23) was US $447.855 million, whereas it was US $1412.445 million in the corresponding period of the previous year.

    In February 2023, the import of mobile phones decreased by 76.73 per cent compared to February 2022. The imports for February 2023 were valued at US $33.054 million, whereas the exports for February 2022 were US $142.033 million.

    Furthermore, the data shows that the import of mobile phones witnessed a month-on-month decline of 36.39 per cent during February 2023, as compared to January 2023, with imports valued at US $51.960 million.

  • SBP expected to increase interest rates again on IMF insistence

    SBP expected to increase interest rates again on IMF insistence

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is reportedly considering increasing the interest rate by 2 per cent during the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in a bid to unlock the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

    This follows failed negotiations between the Shehbaz Sharif-led government and the IMF, with the latter demanding that Pakistan raise the interest rate by 4 per cent due to its belief that inflation is lower in Pakistan as per the interest rate.

    The SBP had already increased the interest rate by 2 per cent, but now the IMF is reportedly pressuring Islamabad to raise it again by 2 per cent. The MPC is scheduled to meet on April 4 to review the interest rate as per the IMF’s demand.

    According to The News, the SBP has reportedly agreed to raise the interest rate by 2 per cent in accordance with the Fund’s demands. On March 2, the SBP raised the monetary policy rate by 300 basis points to 20 per cent due to a deterioration in inflation outlook and expectations amid recent external and fiscal adjustments.

  • Twitter users, activists condemn Mahira Khan, Anwar Maqsood’s sexist remarks about Maryam Nawaz, Marriyum Aurangzeb

    Social media was enraged yesterday at the comments made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator Afnan Ullah Khan who remarked that Mahira Khan had mental health problems and Anwar Maqsood was a drunkard, in a tweet which celebrities and feminist activists slammed as sexist.

    What had prompted this reaction? It was a conversation at a session titled ‘An Evening With Mahira Khan’ held at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi. In a clip that went viral, Mahira Khan was seen commenting about two females fighting and poisoning each other. To which Maqsood responded by saying that these two women were PML-N leaders Marriyum Aurangzeb and Maryam Nawaz.

    “I am restricted from talking about politics, I can’t say anything about anyone. Hopefully the situation will get better soon. What you said about poisoning, abusing each other so I gave an example, it is also happening in real life. Also both are actors, not character actors.”

    Can we condemn the disparaging comment made by the PML-N senator, whose party is currently under the leadership of a woman, and is also the one ruling the country? Absolutely, because how a politician comments about their critics reveals how thin-skinned and shallow-minded they are, especially when the critic is a woman.

    But to completely sideline the fact that Khan, who has been outspoken about gender inequality and the need to improve the way media represents women on screens, especially sitting next to a renowned leftist screen writer, could resort to making sexist jokes about female politicians whose views she doesn’t agree with? Twitter users could not over look this fact, and criticised Khan’s sexist behavior for directly targeting female politicians of the opposite party as a way to score points.

    Feminist activist Leena Ghani mentioned that it was male politicians who are consistently over-emotional, and behave in a horrible manner, but it’s astounding why Khan chose to overlook them and target Aurangzeb and Nawaz

    The Twitter page of Aurat March condemned Khan’s and Maqsood’s comments as ‘cringe’

    Twitter users like journalist Gharidah Farooqi criticised these comments as ‘shameful’:

    Zebunnisa Burki criticised both Khan and Maqsood for making such disgusting comments

    Another user wrote that it wasn’t proper for a woman to mock another woman politician in this manner

  • ‘Check on your loved ones’: Celebrities are praying for followers after magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolts Pakistan

    ‘Check on your loved ones’: Celebrities are praying for followers after magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolts Pakistan

    On Tuesday night, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake jolted Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

    The powerful jolts killed nine while 44 were injured, according to Al-Jazeera.

    Celebrities across Pakistan urged their followers to take necessary precautions to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

    During an earthquake, please remember to wear proper shoes and exit your home to prevent any injuries from the jolts, and stay on open ground until the situation is safe.

    Actor Saba Qamar sent her prayers and wished for everyone to stay safe:

    Cricket captain Babar Azam urged his followers to take care of their loved ones

    Pakistan cricket player Shaheen Afridi prayed that everyone remained safe during the earthquake

    Actor Mahira Khan wrote on her Instagram stories that she was praying for everyone’s safety.

  • ‘We need more men like him’: Writer behind ‘Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha’ revealed why she wrote Saad as a non-toxic character

    Saad from the drama ‘Mujhe Pyar Hua Tha’ has won the nation’s heart for breaking stereotypes that are associated with the toxic male lead in Pakistani dramas, and being an attentive husband and care giver to the female lead, Maheer (played by Hania Amir).
    Twitter users have praised Wahaj Ali for brilliantly portraying the sensitive and caring Saad, and how at every step he has remained a character who was fearlessly devoted to his wife, and was a dedicated son to his parents.

    https://twitter.com/Kamforsure/status/1635305041585381376?s=20

    The writer behind the iconic drama, Sidra Sahar Imran, gave an interview to Fuchsia magazine where she opened up about the character of Saad, and why she felt that it was important to address the toxic double standards in our society that shame men for showing emotions or for being ‘kind-hearted’:

    “I had observed that often romance novels will depict the girl as the sati savitri who will sacrifice all that she has, but I used to think that men also exist in our society why can’t we depict them the same way?”

    Looking at the feedback Saad’s character was receiving, Imran said that most people were shocked.

    “I can see that mostly people are shocked that a man like Saad is acting this way. Because we are so used to men not being able to tolerate a lot of abuse. Our society cannot understand the fact that men should be sensitive and soft-spoken, since we are used to the standards telling them to be tough and loud. In our male-dominant society, we encourage men that to be a real man, they need to be aggressive and out-spoken to prove their worth. But there are a lot of men like Saad out there and I wanted to write a character like him.”

    Imran also revealed that there was a way she could have catered to these expectations after Maheer and Saad’s marriage, and demonstrate his anger and possessiveness but she refused:

    “I didn’t want my character to act in this manner, after coming a long way. He will not cater to such toxic standards about what a real man is.”

  • What was happening when the earthquake came in Pakistan?

    What was happening when the earthquake came in Pakistan?

    A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake jolted parts of Pakistan on Tuesday night.

    The epicentre of the earthquake was Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region, while its depth was 180 kilometres, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

    According to reports, tremors were felt in Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, DI Khan, Swabi, Bahawalpur, Quetta, Parachinar, Skardu and other cities of the country. 

    The tremors continued for 30 seconds, and people came out of their homes in panic.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif ordered the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other institutions to be ready to deal with any emergency.

    Below are scenes as to what was happening in different parts of the country when the earthquake came in Pakistan.

  • Khan agrees to sit with rivals for ‘greater national consensus’

    Khan agrees to sit with rivals for ‘greater national consensus’

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has agreed to sit with rival political parties for “greater national consensus” on elections.

    To try and defuse political tensions in the country, a delegation of civil society members called on the former prime minister on Tuesday evening. Calling themselves “mediators”, the group convinced Khan to agree to talks.

    Speaking about the matter, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said, “The civil society has spoken to Imran Khan and he has agreed to be part of the multi-party conference (MPC) to develop a consensus on the elections date and the process that leads to polls.”

    Speaking with Dawn, an individual who was part of the meeting said, “The civil society initiative and its acceptance by Imran Khan has come after some of the [party] leaders realised that the current confrontational strategy had the former ruling party in a bind.”

     “We are ready to talk to everyone for elections. We are peaceful people, with only one demand: hold elections,” said Pervaiz Khattak, former defence minister.

    The Pakistan Bar Council has agreed to host the MPC if “major political parties respond to this call”.

  • ‘Jahil’: Celebrities, activists slam Senator Afnan Ullah Khan for horrifying remarks about Mahira Khan, Anwar Maqsood

    Yesterday, a clip from a session named An Evening With Mahira Khan went viral on social media, featuring Anwar Maqsood. The renowned writer made a disparaging comment about two female Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Maryam Aurangzeb and Maryam Nawaz.

    In the clip, Khan was seen asking about two women who are fighting and shouting with each other, to which Maqsood responded that these women are Maryam Nawaz and Maryam Aurangzeb,

    “I am restricted from talking about politics, I can’t say anything about anyone. Hopefully the situation will get better soon. What you said about poisoning, abusing each other so I gave an example, it is also happening in real life. Also both are actors, not character actors.”

    This comment was rightfully criticized because of how it chose to directly target the female politicians through the same misogynist stereotypes Khan was condemning in her session. Twitter users also slammed Khan for her selective morality, urging the actor to reflect on the feminist morals she is presenting because repeatedly calling out misogynist slurs used to put down women, but in the same breath applauding this way of publicly targeting female politicians and humiliating them? Baffling.

    https://twitter.com/Bubbleskhanum/status/1637942268773519367?s=20

    “I don’t expect anything good from him, because he is a man, but it’s so baffling to see Mahira Khan applauding over this incitement of misogyny and sexism, she literally made a brand by capitalizing over feminism, but is not consious about how harmful this is for Pakistani women,” one user wrote.

    This is the proper manner of responding to an opinion you disagree with, by pointing out mistakes and urging the other person to reflect and correct themselves. Because after all, celebrities have a public platform through which they can influence other people to follow their actions.

    What is the most vile, awful way to counteract? By using abelist, abusive language and making personal remarks like the way Senator Afnan Ullah Khan did on Twitter

    “Mahira Khan has mental health problems and Anwar Maqsood has become a drunkard at this stage of life. Both of them are shameless characters and the public should condemn them for it. There are books written about Mahira Khan’s character, and she is known for even flattering Indian actors for the sake of money and Anwar Maqsood is filled with hatred at this point of his life,” wrote the PML-N senator on Twitter.

    To condemn a misogynist remark is the right of any politician, but to go even lower and make personal, completely distorted and abusive comments about someone is completely not acceptable.

    Targetting Khan and Maqsood with such awful comments from the politician whose party is currently ruling the country proves how deep misogyny runs in this country. Celebrities like Atiqa Odho and Farhan Saeed openly condemned these comments for showcasing Dr Ullah Khan’s misogynist state of mind.

    Farhan Saeed retweeted this comment and condemned the way free speech in Pakistan has been suppressed

    “This is the mentality that doesn’t let #Pakistan grow , this is what they do when someone just gives an opinion or has a political preference . They get personal so people stop giving their opinion . Senator ? Zuban jahilon wali,” he wrote.

    Odho shared a picture of both Khan and Maqsood on her Instagram account and in the caption she condemned the PML-N politician for using such foul language against two “hard working and committed people.”

    She wrote: “#AnwerMaqsood a living legend and mentor and #MahiraKhan our beloved star. Both shine where ever they go and leave others way behind. Shameful when anyone dares to say anything against such hard working and committed people as these are national treasurers. PMLN should expel the senator who behaved so poorly from their party at once to teach him a lesson and show their sincerity towards our iconic soft image ambassadors. Such acts must not go unnoticed as these are not political people and as citizens have a right to an opinion within a true democracy. Hope action is taken and a public apology is given by #PMLN !”

    Actor and writer Mira Sethi tweeted that these remarks are ‘utterly shameful’.

    https://twitter.com/sethimirajee/status/1638106602828865539?s=20

    Actor Iffat Omar, who is critical of Imran Khan, also condemned the tweet and tagged Maryam Nawaz, urging her to take action against the senator.

    The twitter account of Aurat March called out the Senate of Pakistan to teach their politicians to refrain from using such abusive, sexist language against their critics, especially when it is a woman involved.