The Ministry of Interior has informed the Federal Cabinet that Indian and Afghan citizens will not be given visa-free entry under the program launched for businessmen from friendly countries.
According to a Business Recorder report, the Cabinet was informed on July 24, 2024, that in alignment with the Prime Minister’s vision of visa-free entry for businessmen and tourists from other countries, the Ministry of Home Affairs, in consultation with key stakeholders and the PM Office, has developed various proposals for visa reforms.
Previously, the Prime Minister had directed a further relaxation of the visa system to attract businessmen, investors, and tourists from friendly countries.
The Ministry has also taken several initiatives, including signing visa-free entry agreements with Nepal and the Maldives. Additionally, a ‘Visa on Arrival’ facility was available for 108 countries on the Business Visa List (BVL) and 64 countries on the Tourist List.
Businessmen traveling to Pakistan now need only to complete the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) form 24 hours before travel, after which the visa will be issued electronically.
Visas will now be issued through the electronic travel authorization form, which has reduced the required fields from 161 to 30 for basic information only, according to the Ministry.
In a new twist to the story, police claim that the murder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding member Dr Shahid Siddique was planned by his son.
Siddique was shot dead in Valencia Town, Lahore, on August 2 when he was returning from the mosque after offering Friday prayers. His son was present at the crime scene but remained unhurt.
Police alleged that Siddique’s son, Qayyum, planned his father’s murder with a friend because he wasn’t allowed to marry a girl of his choice by his father.
Qayyum had made a deal of Rs. 5 million for the murder of his father in January for the same reason, said police, adding he paid Rs20 million for the second attack on Siddiqui. Dr Shahid was attacked in January as well, but police remained unsuccessful in finding the culprits at the time.
Police said that the same son who was the mastermind behind the murder led his father’s funeral prayer.
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One of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s founding members, Dr Shahid Siddique, was shot dead in Valencia Town, Lahore, yesterday as he returned from the mosque after offering Friday prayers.
As he was returning from the Khizra Mosque in the H-block of Valencia Town, an unknown man approached him and opened fire.
The victim suffered four bullet wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital where he passed away.
IG Punjab Usman Anwar ordered immediate action to arrest the perpetrator(s) and sought a detailed report from DIG Operations.
PTI leaders expressed shock and condemned the incident, with Zulfi Bukhari saying that he was “devastated to learn the assassination of Dr Siddique.”
Actor and model Emmad Irfani has captivated audiences for years with his looks and remarkable acting talent.
Recently, Irfani appeared as a guest on Haute Talk, hosted by Amna Isani. During the interview, the host asked the former supermodel about the tragic death of his son. “You went through a personal tragedy, and I don’t know how comfortable you are talking about it, but could you share how it impacted your work?”
Getting emotional about his son Zaviyar’s passing, Emmad replied, “Yes, his death did affect my work. And I will just say don’t cry because it’s worse, smile because it just happened. He was an angel sent from the heavens. Before that, I think he taught me a lot about life; before that, I was snowboarding through life. After becoming a father, I realized why I was here, and I believe that this is the power of true unconditional love. You work on yourself, you become better, and you realize that there are people who depend on you. He came for a specific purpose, and he wanted to tell me to make something out of myself.”
The actor said that he has changed since the incident, becoming a different person. “Although this is a major setback and there can never be healing, I have learned that one may move on in life by using their work as therapy. Work and time have the ability to heal,” Irfani said.
Currently Emmad Irfani is starring in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum, which airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:00 PM on ARY Digital. The drama is written by Farhat Ishtiaq, directed by Badar Mehmood, and produced by Big Bang Entertainment.
The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has made significant strides in investigating Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bukhari’s fake videos, which circulated online last week.
A Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has been formed, with Assistant Director Rana Shawaz leading the team and in charge of handling the case.
Samaa News reported that the JIT has successfully traced the culprits behind the video and they will be apprehended soon. The FIA also used sources of NADRA in identifying the social media accounts involved.
Meanwhile, the FIA’s cybercrime wing has summoned Falak Javed, an activist of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in connection with the case. However, she did not appear for questioning.
Student leaders rallied Bangladeshis on Saturday for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government weathered a worsening backlash over a deadly police crackdown on protesters.
Rallies against civil service job quotas sparked days of mayhem last month that killed more than 200 people in some of the worst unrest of Hasina’s 15-year tenure.
Troop deployments briefly restored order, but crowds hit the streets in huge numbers after Friday prayers in the Muslim-majority nation, heeding a call by student leaders to press the government for more concessions.
Students Against Discrimination, the group responsible for organising the initial protests, urged their compatriots to launch an all-out non-cooperation movement from Sunday.
“This includes non-payment of taxes and utility bills, strikes by government workers and a halt to overseas remittance payments through banks,” the group’s Asif Mahmud told AFP.
Mahmud’s fellow student leaders also said another round of nationwide rallies would be staged on Saturday.
“Please don’t stay at home. Join your nearest protest march,” Mahmud wrote on Facebook.
Students are demanding a public apology from Hasina for last month’s violence and the dismissal of several of her ministers.
They have also insisted that the government reopens schools and universities around the country, all of which were shuttered at the height of the unrest.
Crowds on the street have gone further, chanting demands for Hasina to leave office.
Hasina, 76, has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.
Her government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.
Demonstrations began in early July over the reintroduction of a quota scheme — since scaled back by Bangladesh’s top court — that reserved more than half of all government jobs for certain groups.
With around 18 million young Bangladeshis out of work, according to government figures, the move upset graduates facing an acute employment crisis.
The protests had remained largely peaceful until attacks on demonstrators by police and pro-government student groups.
Hasina’s government eventually imposed a nationwide curfew, deployed troops and shut down the nation’s mobile internet network for 11 days to restore order.
Foreign governments condemned the clampdown, with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell this week calling for an international probe into the “excessive and lethal force against protesters”.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters last weekend that security forces had operated with restraint but were “forced to open fire” to defend government buildings.
At least 32 children were among those killed last month, the UN said Friday.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) official page on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, announced the cancellation of the basic party membership of maverick leader Sher Afzal Marwat for a “gross violation/ breach” of discipline.
In an interesting development, however, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has termed the notification “fake” even though the post still hasn’t been removed from the party’s social media platforms.
“The notification regarding cancellation of Sher Afzal Marwat’s membership is fake. It’s not possible,” stated Gohar, clearly signalling rifts within the party leadership over Marwat’s future.
In the notification, it was said that Marwat was on notice and was asked to “restrict himself, and his statements to within the limitation as outlined in the letter. A committee was setup to monitor his statements, media appearances and tweets.”
It further stated that if Marwat was an honourable person he would resign from the NA seat because he won as a nominated PTI candidate and seek re-election.
Meanwhile, Marwat has accepted the party notification on X, saying, “I respect the party’s decision, but let me make one thing clear: I was Khan’s soldier.”
He also stated that Khan had been misguided about him and that he would clarify his position in front of Imran Khan.
Asim Abbasi’s Barzakh, with big names including Salman Shahid, Fawad Khan, Mohammad Fawad Khan, and Sanam Saeed, has grabbed all the headlines since its release on Zee Zindagi’s YouTube. Fans can be found online discussing themes and episodes.
Recently television host Nadia Khan also shared her review. During her show ‘Kya Drama Hai’ on Channel 24,
Nadia said, “There are five reasons why you should watch the web series ‘Barzakh’. Firstly, it marks Fawad Khan’s comeback after a long time, which is a big deal. Additionally, the pairing of Fawad and Sanam is a hit and it’s been a while since we’ve seen them together. The theme of the series is also unique as it’s an international platform, which means there are no restrictions on language, clothing, or scenes. This makes it a relief for those who are tired of the usual saas-bahu and family dramas. Lastly, the series has a dark and mysterious tone with a murder mystery that will keep you engaged.”
Here is the link to what Nadia Khan said about Barzakh:
A report released by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) reveals an increase in gender-based violence across Pakistan.
The report also notes an increase in pending gender violence cases in the courts.
The number of pending gender violence cases rose from 21,891 to 39,665 in 2023.
In Punjab, the number of pending gender violence cases increased by 100 percent, while Sindh saw a three percent increase, KP experienced a 14 percent rise, Balochistan had a two percent increase, and Islamabad saw a one percent rise.
Most cases of gender-based violence involve sexual assault, and pending cases also include kidnapping, human trafficking, and murder of women.
Crimes committed using electronic means related to gender cases have also increased, while economically motivated crimes have decreased.
According to the report, the conviction rate for those involved in gender crimes is only five percent, and the acquittal rate for accused individuals in gender crimes is 64 percent.
Additionally, 480 special courts were established in 2019 to address gender-based crimes across the country.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi paid a surprise visit to Kahna police station in Islamabad, where he found drunkards sleeping in one of the rooms.
Geo News reported that Naqvi reached Kahna police station without informing police officials. There, he found investigating officers absent from the room where petitioners were seated. Upon inquiring about why the officers were absent, the sub-inspector could not answer any of his questions.
The interior Minister visited the front desk and lockup cell and asked questions about the cases of arrested people. He also expressed disgust over the smell of cigarette smoke in the front desk room.
In one of the rooms, he found two sleeping drunkards, and the interior minister tried to wake them up but couldn’t.
Mohsin Naqvi was angry upon seeing the condition of the police station and also suggested that there is no justification for parking so many motorcycles there; most should be returned to the owners.
The Interior Minister ordered the release of the four people arrested on charges of parking their cart in the wrong place after completing the necessary legal process.
Naqvi asked to address the requests of all the petitioners instead of making them wait that long.
