Twitter has reacted to Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry’s invitation to American billionaire and owner of Tesla, Elon Musk, to establish a car factory in Pakistan in a rather amusing way.
Taking to Twitter and tagging Musk, the minister had on Sunday replied to a news story regarding an announcement by the United States (US) automaker to build half a million electric vehicles a year at its future factory outside Berlin.
“Dear Elon Musk your next destination may be Pakistan where 68 per cent of world population lives within 3.5 hours flight radius from Islamabad,” tweeted Fawad.
Dear @elonmusk your next destination may be Pak,68% of world population lives within 3.5 hrs fligt radius from Isld,we offer ten years zero tax facility and custom free import for factory setup,no other country may offer,plus we are worlds 3rd biggest freelance software exporters https://t.co/CkHznHAQ1P
“We offer ten years zero tax facility and custom free import for factory setup, no other country may offer, plus we are the world’s 3rd biggest freelance software exporters,” he added.
It wasn’t later that Fawad’s proposal attracted trolls, especially from India.
According to reports, Tesla is planning to build half a million electric vehicles a year at its future factory outside Berlin.
Planning documents posted online Friday reveal that the US automaker wants to construct Model 3 and Model Y vehicles at the site in Gruenheide, as well as “future models.”
The so-called Gigafactory – Tesla’s fourth – will include facilities to assemble entire electric vehicles, including the production of batteries.
The plans will have to undergo an environmental impact review and public consultation.
Tesla aims to start operating the plant in July 2021, an optimistic time frame by German standards.
Construction of a nearby airport for Berlin began in 2006 and the opening has been delayed for eight years.
The government of Pakistan freed 20 Indian fishermen as a sign of goodwill from the Malir District Prison. The fishermen have returned to their homeland with nothing but good memories from Pakistan.
Indian fisherman Gir Somnath on his release from prison said, “We were arrested at sea by the Pakistan Coast Guard for crossing over to Pakistan waters in November 2018. At the time we prepared ourselves for the worst. But our 14 months in jail has helped clear all misconceptions about this country we used to see as our enemy earlier.”
“Whatever we used to hear in the news about Pakistan seemed like a piece of fiction while we were in prison here,” he added.
Speaking further, the fisherman said, “We are taking back with us good memories of Malir jail. We never felt like we were in another country here. The jail staff was nice to us. They told us that they knew that we were here due to our ill fate. We were not real criminals so they were not treating us as such while providing us with all kinds of facilities.”
The Indian fishermen, most of whom belong to the
Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, were handed over to the Edhi Foundation by the
jail police. They boarded the train to Lahore from the Cantonment Railway
Station.
Meanwhile, 199 Indian prisoners including 189 fishermen and 10 civilians are still in jails in Pakistan.
Twitter on Sunday lost it after the staff at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, India used hair dryers and steam irons to dry the pitch after rain delayed the start of the first Twenty International (T20I) between India and Sri Lanka.
As per the details, in the beginning, it just looked like a passing shower, but then it was pouring down minutes. Around 8 pm though the heavens relented, the rain had already affected the state of the pitch with wet patches.
Just when ground staff started its repair work, rain returned to make things worse. This time though, more care was taken with an extra cover being placed on the 22 yards. However, the damage was already done, and when it all cleared around 8:45 pm, the ground staff much to everyone’s surprise brought out a hair dryer, steam iron, and vacuum cleaner to dry the wet patches.
The hair dryer and steam iron are being used now to dry the pitch. Sri Lanka should have taken R Premadasa stadium rain covers to India 🇱🇰🏏 #INDvsSLpic.twitter.com/tQxR50axPL
Indian captain Virat Kohli had opted to field first after winning the toss. However, just as pacer Jasprit Bumrah was getting ready to bowl the first delivery, rain arrived and stopped the play.
The match was eventually called off due to a damp pitch. The teams now head to Indore for the second T20I on January 7.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor has quoted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa as telling United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that White House’s misadventure in Baghdad was detrimental to efforts aimed at regional peace.
“The region is making progress towards peace from a very bad situation and the Baghdad incident is detrimental to the peace efforts in the region,” the ISPR chief quoted the COAS as telling Pompeo as US-Iran tensions soar following the killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and other officials in a US President Donald Trump-ordered drone strike on Friday in Baghdad.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Maj Gen Ghafoor also said that Pakistan will only play the role of a peacemaker and not take sides in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.
“Pakistan has defeated terrorism on its territory and will not allow its soil to be used against any other country.”
According to Geo News, to a question regarding claims made in Indian media that Pakistan’s policy towards Iran has changed in the light of US resumption of military training program for Pakistan Army, the ISPR chief deemed it “Indian propaganda” and “fake news”.
“Islamabad and Washington were in talks for the last four or five months over the issue and linking it as Pakistan aligning with US is Indian propaganda,” he said. “Pakistan Army is a responsible and professional force and has exercised restraint despite provocative statements from Indian leadership.”
The military spokesperson also said that Gen Bajwa had an important role to play in regional security and Afghan peace process, and Pakistan didn’t want to see another conflict in the region.
“Pakistan would oppose any thing that is affecting Afghan reconciliation process as it needs focus from all parties. We are of the view that dialogue is the way forward to achieve lasting peace,” he said.
Pakistani mountaineer Mohammad Ali Sadpara climbed the highest mountain in the Alps and deadliest in the world, Mont Blanc with two other hikers.
Mont Blanc rises 4,808 meters above sea level and is considered one of the deadliest peaks in the world. Muhammad Ali Sadpara has also climbed four of Pakistan’s five mountains above 8,000 meters high.
Sadpara has climbed all five, 8,000-metre high peaks in
Pakistan, including K2 (8,611m), Gasherbrum I (8,080m), Gasherbrum II (8,034m),
Nanga Parbat (8,126m) and Broad Peak (8,051m).
He is the first Pakistani to have climbed Nanga Parbat in
the winter. He also climbed the 8,516-metre Lhotse peak and 8,485-metre Makalu
peak in Nepal.
Rescue 1122 in Attock received 39,000 prank calls in 2019, troubling officials at the main control room who remained alert round-the-clock to fight emergency cases.
According to reports, District Emergency Officer Ishfaq Mian revealed that emergency calls were only 16,332 while pranks calls amounted to 39,000. The officer lamented that these pranks calls wasted the precious time of rescuers.
“The fake phone call phenomenon has troubled our human resource and sometimes leads to a tragedy because many genuine calls are then missed and not responded to on time,” he said.
He asserted that citizens should understand the importance of emergency numbers and try not to deprive real victims of their right to be provided with emergency medical treatment. Rescue officers are directed to ensure immediate emergency care to citizens without any discrimination.
Punjab Emergency Service (PES), Rescue 1122 Attock handled 16,332 cases in which 17,720 people were saved and given trauma services. Reports reveal that help and support was provided to 2,473 road accident victims, 11,216 medical emergencies, 297 fire incidents and 27 drowning cases.
Rescue staff maintained their standard response time is seven minutes to emergency. He said during the year 27,000 volunteers from different schools, colleges and other educational institutions were also given rescue and emergency training.
With United States (US) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to discuss heightening tensions with Tehran following the killing of top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani, Twitterati are wondering why did Pompeo choose the army chief over Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan or Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The telephonic conversation came after Iran’s top security body vowed to retaliate in the “right place and time” following Revolutionary Guards commander Soleimani’s death in an airstrike ordered by US President Donald Trump on Friday.
“America should know that its criminal attack on General Soleimani has been the country’s biggest mistake in west Asia, and America will not avoid the consequences of this wrong calculation easily,” the Supreme National Security Council said in a statement.
The dramatic escalation and subsequent fears of “World War III” were followed by both Washington and Tehran alerting their allies.
“#Pakistan’s Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about U.S. defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver,” Pompeo tweeted on Friday.
#Pakistan's Chief of Staff General Bajwa and I spoke today about U.S. defensive action to kill Qassem Soleimani. The #Iran regime’s actions in the region are destabilizing and our resolve in protecting American interests, personnel, facilities, and partners will not waver.
In another tweet, Pompeo disclosed he spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as well about Soleimani’s killing “to protect American lives at stake”.
Spoke with Afghan President @AshrafGhani on @realDonaldTrump's decision to kill Qassem Soleimani to protect American lives at stake. The Iranian regime’s actions are a source of instability throughout the region. The U.S. will protect its people and its interests.
Separately, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) disclosed that the army chief and the US secretary of state discussed “regional situation including possible implications” after the escalation in the Middle East.
“COAS received telephone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Regional situation, including possible implications of recent escalation in Middle East, was discussed,” the military’s media wing tweeted.
COAS received telephone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Regional situation including possible implications of recent escalation in Middle East was discussed. (1of2).
“COAS emphasised need for maximum restraint and constructive engagement by all concerned to de-escalate the situation in broader interest of peace and stability. COAS also reiterated the need for maintaining focus on success of Afghan Peace Process,” read another tweet.
COAS emphasised need for maximum restraint and constructive engagement by all concerned to de-escalate the situation in broader interest of peace and stability. COAS also reiterated the need for maintaining focus on success of Afghan Peace Process.(2of2).
Meanwhile, Twitterati took to Twitter to ask as to why had Pompeo not called PM Imran or FM Qureshi at such a time.
All pretence removed, with the US secretary of state engaging directly with the Pakistani army chief, rather than his counterpart the foreign minister or Pakistan's prime minister. https://t.co/V6TvvwRHvG
Pompeo calls Gen Bajwa. Not the PM not the FM. and here some incl me believed that extension can be stopped. Where is that SMQ who said now foreign policy will be made in FO.
While Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) has advised both the US and Iran to refrain from taking “unilateral action” against each other and abide by the United Nations (UN) Charter to respect each other’s territorial integrity, the premier has not yet made any statement.
A three-year-old girl was rescued alive after 21 hours from underneath the debris of a multi-story building that collapsed in Sukkur.
As per reports, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) officials along with army officers rescued the girl, who miraculously did not even have a scratch on her. She was immediately taken to the city’s Civil Hospital for a medical checkup.
Five others were also rescued from the debris. According to Sukkur Commissioner Shafiq Ahmed Mahesar, the death toll from the collapse rose to six.
The four-story building, located on Sukkur’s busy Station Road, was built above a few shops and had four families living there.
Rescuers initially faced difficulties after the collapse caused a power blackout in the area.
Commissioner Mahesar who was overseeing the rescue efforts said the building could have collapsed either because poor material was used in its construction or because it was not built according to the approved maps. An investigation will be conducted to determine the real cause behind the collapse.
Tensions between the United States (US) and Iran have escalated to an all-time high after top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani was killed on Friday in a US strike on Baghdad’s international airport.
The development has been confirmed by both Tehran and Washington, and the Pentagon has said that President Donald Trump “ordered Soleimani’s killing”, after a pro-Iran mob this week laid siege to the US embassy.
Following Soleimani’s death, Trump tweeted an image of the US flag without any further explanation.
The pre-dawn developments mark the most major escalation yet in a feared proxy war between Iran and the US on Iraqi soil.
Here’s everything you need to know about the dramatic escalation:
WHO WAS QASSEM SOLEIMANI?
Head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force Soleimani acquired celebrity status at home and abroad as leader of the foreign arm of the Revolutionary Guards and for his key role in fighting in Syria and Iraq.
He was instrumental in the spread of Iranian influence in the Middle East, which the US and Tehran’s regional foes Saudi Arabia and Israel have struggled to keep in check, Al Jazeera reported.
Soleimani survived several assassination attempts against him by Western, Israeli and Arab agencies over the past 20 years.
Under Soleimani’s leadership, the IRGC vastly expanded its capabilities, becoming a significant influence in intelligence, financial, and political spheres beyond Iran’s borders.
WHY WAS HE KILLED?
It all started on Sunday with US military airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that killed 25 fighters and left militias vowing revenge.
SUNDAY (DEC 29)
According to a report, the US military carried out airstrikes on five sites in Iraq and Syria against the Iranian-backed Kataeb Hezbollah militia, calling it retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it blamed on the group.
At least 25 fighters were killed and dozens wounded. The targeted group, which is a separate force from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, operates under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the PMF and a founder of Kataeb Hezbollah, was also killed in the strikes Thursday that killed Soleimani in Baghdad.
The two were scheduled to meet and were leaving Soleimani’s plane at the airport when Friday’s attack occurred.
MONDAY (DEC 30)
The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia vowed to retaliate while a spokesperson for Kataeb Hezbollah denied the group was behind last week’s rocket attacks, including the one that killed the American contractor, saying Washington was using them as a pretext to attack his group.
“These forces must leave,” he said of American troops in Iraq, calling Sunday’s attack a “crime” and a “massacre”.
The Iraqi government said it would reconsider its relationship with the US-led coalition — the first time it has said it will do so since an agreement was struck to keep some US troops in the country. It called the attack a “flagrant violation’’ of its sovereignty.
TUESDAY (DEC 31)
Hundreds of Iraqi militiamen and their supporters broke into the American Embassy compound in Baghdad, smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area.
The marchers, many of them in militia uniforms, shouted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” outside the compound, hurling water and stones over its walls. The group set up a tent camp overnight in front of the embassy and sprayed graffiti on its walls.
Some commanders of militia factions loyal to Iran joined the protesters outside the embassy in a strikingly bold move. Among them was Qais al-Khizali, the head of one of the most powerful Iranian-backed group in Iraq, who is on a US terror list, and Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the PMF, the umbrella group for the Iran-backed militias.
President Trump blamed Iran for the breach of the embassy compound in Baghdad and called on Iraq to protect the embassy.
Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. We strongly responded, and always will. Now Iran is orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq. They will be held fully responsible. In addition, we expect Iraq to use its forces to protect the Embassy, and so notified!
There were no reports of casualties. The State Department said all American personnel were safe and that there were no plans to evacuate the embassy. Following the storming of the compound, Defence Secretary Mark Esper ordered roughly 750 additional American troops to deploy to the region, with another 3,000 placed on standby.
The political influence of the PMF has risen in recent years, and their allies dominate the parliament and the government. That has made them the target of the anti-government protesters, who set up a sprawling protest camp in central Baghdad, and who for weeks have been trying to enter the Green Zone. Iraqi security forces have beaten them back with tear gas and live ammunition, killing hundreds.
The militiamen and their supporters, however, were able to quickly enter the Green Zone on Tuesday and mass in front of the embassy, with little if any resistance from authorities. Iraqi security forces made no effort to stop the protesters as they marched to the heavily fortified Green Zone after a funeral for those killed in the airstrikes.
WEDNESDAY (JAN 1)
The Iran-backed militiamen withdrew from the American Embassy compound after two days of clashes with American security forces.
US Marines had fired tear gas in response to stones thrown by protesters but no one was reported killed and the tent camp dispersed after the PMF called on its supporters to depart, suggesting their message had “been received.”
“We rubbed America’s nose in the dirt,” said Fadhil al-Gezzi, a militia supporter.
Embassy workers and diplomats were ultimately holed up for more than 24 hours during the situation at the embassy. Ambassador Matt Tueller, the American ambassador to Iraq, was traveling at the time of the attack but State Department officials told The Hill that he would return to the embassy amid the tensions.
FRIDAY (JAN 3)
General Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, and five others were killed in the early-morning airstrike at Baghdad International Airport, Iraqi officials said.
A senior Iraqi security official said the airstrike, conducted by an American drone, took place on an access road near the cargo area of the airport after Soleimani left his plane to be greeted by al-Muhandis and others. The official said the plane had arrived from either Lebanon or Syria.
An old video of Prime Minister Imran Khan has been doing rounds on Twitter. The video shows the PM answering the question of whether Khan had ever been offered a role in Bollywood. To which Imran replied “You won’t believe it but I was once asked by an Indian actor who we all look up to, to act in one of his upcoming films. He even turned up in England to request me, but I was puzzled.”
The host asked the details about who offered him and why he rejected it. To which Khan revealed that “It was Dev Anand, who in my time was very well known.”
The fact was also revealed in Anand’s autobiography, Romancing with Life (published by the Penguin Group in 2007) when the actor passed away in London in 2011. In the book, Anand quoted that he wanted the Pakistani cricket star to play the role of a star in decline in his film Awwal Number. Anand wrote that Khan was speechless when he first told him about the film. “You have bowled me over, Mr. Dev Anand. But I don’t think I am a good actor,” said Khan.
Anand called him from Bangalore and told Imran Khan that he would be on the next available flight to London to convince him for the film.
Anand wrote “Khan invited Anand to his flat in Soho. “Imran was hospitable and a very friendly host. Khan was ambitious for his political aim”. Anand left the script of the film with him and Khan returned it the very next evening with a note that said he wouldn’t be able to take up his offer.
