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  • Adding to arrested leaders’ misery: PM orders amending production order law

    Adding to arrested leaders’ misery: PM orders amending production order law

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has ordered to amend the parliamentary procedure of issuing production orders that are necessary for a detained lawmaker to attend assembly sessions, a private media outlet reported Tuesday.

    “Money launderers and financially corrupt individuals should not be facilitated via production orders,” the premier reportedly said while chairing a cabinet meeting to discuss corruption inquiries and the economic situation of the country.

    Stating that people facing corruption inquiries cannot be awarded the status of political prisoners, PM Imran ordered the Law Ministry for further action and possible amendments to the law, reports said.

    The move comes after National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser issued production orders for former president Asif Ali Zardari, who was arrested by the National Accountancy Bureau (NAB) last month.

    Similarly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Hamza Shehbaz and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Faryal Talpur were brought to the Punjab and Sindh assemblies, respectively, after the speakers concerned issued their production orders.

    Earlier in the day, an appeal submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) also challenged the production orders of opposition leaders arrested over corruption allegations. The application challenged the production orders issued by speakers of the national and provincial assemblies.

    The appeal also sought nullification of the production orders citing that such orders can’t be issued when the accused is under physical remand of a law enforcement agency.

  • Meet the members of PM Khan’s National Youth Council

    Meet the members of PM Khan’s National Youth Council

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar on Sunday announced that Prime Minister Imran Khan has established the National Youth Council which aims to empower and enable the youth. The council includes influential persons from the fields of sports, education, religion, arts, culture and economy who will assist and advise the government on matters of the youth.

    Some of the more prominent members of the council, such as Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan, need no introduction so here are some of the lesser-known members who have several accomplishments to their name.

    Samina Baig

    Samina Khayal Baig is the first Pakistani woman and the third Pakistani ever to summit Mount Everest. Hailing from Shimshal, Baig is also the first Pakistani to climb the Seven Summits. She is UNDP’s (United Nations Development Programme) National Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan.

    Shazia Batool

    A differently-abled artist from Hazara, Shazia Batool is fighting against polio through her paintings. She has also been awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for her work and efforts.

    Hassan Ali

    A modern-day fast bowler hailing from Punjab, Hassan Ali is Pakistan’s quickest bowler to take 50 wickets in ODIs.

    Marvia Malik

     A journalism graduate, Marvia Malik is Pakistan’s first transgender newscaster. She has also worked as a model in different projects.

    Major Tanvir Shafi

    A soldier who had fought in the Operation Zarb-e-Azb lost his leg during Shawal operation represents the jawans in the council.

    Karishma Ali

    21-year old Karishma is the first girl from Chitral who has played football at a national and international level. She has also represented Pakistan at the Jubilee Games in Dubai and is one of those five Pakistanis who have made it to the Forbes.

    Adnan Shaffi

    Shaffi is the founder of PriceOye.com, a price comparison platform for electronics. He is among those five Pakistanis who have made to the Forbes 30 under 30.

     Muneeba Mazari

    She is an anchorperson, motivational speaker and Pakistan’s goodwill ambassador for UN Women.

    Sana Mir

    Sana Mir is a cricketer and the former captain of the Pakistan women’s cricket team. She is also the most successful spinner in women’s one-day international history. Sana has tirelessly worked to uplift women cricket in Pakistan and has been successful in her mission.

    Dileep Kumar

    A lawyer from Thar (Sindh), Kumar is an activist working for the progress of youth.

    Zoe Viccaji

    Zoe Viccaji is a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and actress from Karachi. 

    Zain Ashraf Mughal

    An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Zain Ashraf Mughal is the founder of Seedout, a not for profit crowdfunding platform which is working to end poverty by establishing micro-entrepreneurs through interest-free Micro Financing.

    Sadia Bashir

    Pakistani entrepreneur Sadia Bashir is the founder of Pixel Art Games Academy which aims to bridge the gap between industry demand and education by providing training in video game development and recruitment opportunities.

  • Pakistan beats Israel in global military strength rankings

    Pakistan has beaten Israel in the Global Firepower (GFP) Military Strength Index 2019, according to data released by the group on its official website.

    The list by GFP relies on more than 50 factors to assign the 137 countries included in the survey an individual Power Index (PI) score, based upon their conventional war-making capability across land, sea and air.

    According to the 2019 GFP Index, Pakistan’s armed forces have been ranked the 15th most powerful in the world, beating Israel and other countries, including oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

    The ranking also includes factors concerning the respective states’ economic muscle and geographical characteristics. The report details Pakistan’s present military strength at 654,000 army personnel, 786 jet aircraft and 2,200 operational tanks.

    In addition, Pakistan’s naval capacity stands at a total of 197 vessels.

    Israel’s armed forces, on the other hand, have been ranked 17th, with a total of 170,000 military personnel, 506 warplanes and 2,760 tanks. Its naval strength stands at 65 assets.

    The ranking comes amid a flare in tensions between Pakistan and Israel, owing to alleged Israeli involvement in the failed February 26 airstrikes by India in Balakot.

  • Govt withdraws food-from-home facility for jailed Nawaz

    Govt withdraws food-from-home facility for jailed Nawaz

    The Punjab government has decided to withdraw food-from-home facility for former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is currently serving a seven-year sentence at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail.

    According to media reports, the jail administration, anytime this week, would order the withdrawal of the facility that Nawaz has been availing since his days in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

    After the withdrawal of the facility, the former premier would have to be content with the jail food — which according to Nawaz’s family, is “unfit to consume” considering his deteriorating health.

    A three-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa had last month rejected a petition by the ex-PM for an extension in the bail granted to him on medical grounds in the Al-Azizia reference.

    It was followed by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also rejecting his bail plea. Nawaz had been granted bail on medical grounds by the apex court on March 26 for six weeks.

    On April 25, he had submitted a review petition in the SC seeking a permanent bail. His bail expired on May 7.

  • Google Maps leads people to the middle of nowhere

    Google Maps leads people to the middle of nowhere

    No matter how much we rely on Google Maps, it is not always 100% accurate. Approximately 100 people ended up in the middle of nowhere in Denver, Colorado after Google Maps directed users to take a detour.

    According to the CNN, about 100 drivers trying to avoid a traffic jam near Denver International Airport ended up on a muddy road after Google Maps provided users with a detour. Some vehicles couldn’t make it through the sludge, and dozens became trapped behind them.

    Google said the road was not marked as private. They added, “While we always work to provide the best directions, issues can arise due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather. We encourage all drivers to follow local laws, stay attentive, and use their best judgment while driving.”

    Hence proven, Google is not 100% reliable. Think twice before you take that detour or tell your Uber or Careem driver to follow the map. And if you’re short of time, don’t even think about it.

  • Zaira Wasim’s decision to quit Bollywood stirs debate

    Zaira Wasim’s decision to quit Bollywood stirs debate

    Bollywood actor Zaira Wasim, who gained popularity after her appearances in blockbusters Dangal and Secret Superstar, recently announced that she is quitting Bollywood because she felt it was interfering with her imaan (faith).

    The 18-year-old, who hails from Kashmir, took to social media to announce her decision. In a detailed post, in which she also quoted verses from the Quran, Zaira said that she wasn’t entirely happy with her line of work and the identity it gave her. Hence, she decided to quit the industry after working in it for 5 years to focus on her relationship with Allah.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BzUBXYrlsml/

    Zaira’s decision and announcement stirred a debate on social media. While many including fellow actor Raveena Tandon and journalist Barkha Dutt criticised her for using the religion card, others including Former CM J&K Omar Abdullah supported her.

    Raveena Tandon felt Zaira was being ungrateful.

    https://twitter.com/TandonRaveena/status/1145327226490982400

    But when she received backlash on her comments, she wrote:

    Journalist Barkha Dutt felt that it was the society that pressured the young actress into giving up her career.

    Actor and director Kamal R Khan felt the whole thing was just a publicity stunt.

    However, there were others who supported Zaira. They drew comparisons to Vinod Khanna, who quit the film industry at the peak of his career to follow his spiritual guru Osho Rajneesh and pointed out the film industry’s double standards.

  • Indian leader encourages ‘Hindu brothers to gang rape Muslim women’

    Indian leader encourages ‘Hindu brothers to gang rape Muslim women’

    A leader of the hardliner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been removed from her position in the party’s women wing after she encouraged “Hindu brothers to gang rape Muslim women openly in the streets”, Indian media reported.

    “Muslim mothers and sisters should have their honour looted as there is no other way to protect India,” said Sunita Singh Gaur in a Facebook post.

    The viral post was later deleted; however, with screenshots being posted all over Twitter, Gaur was sacked as the Mahila Morcha leader.

    “Be assured, BJP Mahila Morcha will not tolerate any hateful comments whatsoever from any karyakarta [worker],” BJP Mahila Morcha National President Vijaya Rahatkar said.

    This is not the first time a member of BJP has spewed hate online. However, many were shocked to see the leader openly encourage rape and sexual violence.

  • UAE PM writes poem to condemn ‘runaway’ wife, Princess Haya of Jordan

    UAE PM writes poem to condemn ‘runaway’ wife, Princess Haya of Jordan

    Prime Minister (PM) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has written a furious poem criticising the “treachery and betrayal” of his wife.

    His wife and the daughter of the late King Hussein of Jordan, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, secretly fled to Europe with their son Zayed, 7, and daughter Al Jalila, 11, last week. She is also the half-sister of King Abdullah II.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BzBI5aChdCT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Al-Maktoum, 69, is known for frequently marking great occasions of state and family events such as weddings, in verse.

    “You Lived and You Died” is the new poem, which appears to have been written by the prince in outrage at his wife’s decision to leave.

    “Some mistakes are known as betrayal, and you have transgressed and betrayed,” the poem begins. “You traitor, you betrayed the most precious trust, you exposed your games and nature,” he adds in the piece.

    The royal then continues to accuse his wife of lying, suggesting the claim was backed by evidence.

    “You no longer have a place within me, go to who has kept you occupied,” he wrote, ending with “I do not care whether you live or die”.

    While the subject behind the poem was not disclosed by al-Maktoum, the tone suggests it was addressed to a woman who had betrayed him.

    Princess Haya is believed to have initially sought asylum in Germany, while reports claim her application has been approved in principle.

    According to reports, she is also said to be seeking refuge in the United Kingdom (UK) as her preference is to live in London, where she is currently said to be residing at a secret location.

  • Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi part of country’s first ever National Youth Council

    Mahira Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi part of country’s first ever National Youth Council

    Superstars Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi are part of the country’s first ever National Youth Council set up by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    As per details, PM Khan will be Patron-In-Chief of the council, while Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Usman Dar will be the chairman.

    The council constitutes of famous personalities from the fields of sports, education, religion, economy, arts and culture.

    Cricketers Hassan Ali and Sana Mir, artists Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan, K-2 climber Samina Baig and motivation speaker Muneeba Mazari are among the 33 members chosen to be part of the council.

    Apart from that, Shazia Batool, an artist hailing from Balochistan, national footballer Karishma Ali and first transgender news anchor Marvia Malik have also been selected for the youth council. Major Tanvir Shafi, the veteran soldier, who fought in Operation Zarb-e-Azb and lost his leg, has also been made a member. All provincial ministers for youth affairs will also be part of the council.

    In a video message, Dar shared that the council’s agenda will be to “uplift the youth for development and prosperity” and empower them, while the members’ task will be to work and represent the youth and advise the government on matters relating to them. They are also expected to help mobilise the youth.

    Those selected for the council took to social media to express their gratitude.

    https://twitter.com/SaminaKBaig/status/1145306098146172928
  • 96 tourists rescued after Patriata chairlift derails

    96 tourists rescued after Patriata chairlift derails

    It was a holiday turned nightmare for 96 tourists who were stuck mid-air for almost 10 hours after the Patriata chairlift derailed due to a storm.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), who assisted rescue officials to retrieve the tourists suspended in the air, the chairlift wire detached from the pulley due to a storm in Murree. 12 cable cars shifted off the pulley wire and were hanging dangerously.

    Fortunately, all the tourists were rescued successfully in an operation that took almost 10 hours. The operation involved getting the people out of the lowest car with ropes and then slowly pulling the next car to the end using a makeshift pulley. This process was repeated with all 12 cars.

    The Patriata chairlift in Muree is a popular tourist attraction. It is the highest point in the area and the hills stand 7,500 feet above sea level.