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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan took on Thursday notice of the 12-year-old maid who was allegedly raped by her employer and four others in Karachi.
    The CJP also directed the Inspector General of Police Sindh AD Khawaja to submit a report on the issue in a week.
    According to SSP Kashmor Samiullah said that the young girl used to work at a house in Malir, belonging to Rahib Saharyani.
    On Tuesday, the girl, who is a resident of Kashmore, along with her parents reached Kandhkot police station (E-section) and gave a statement to police.
    Reports also suggest that the girl’s parents are being pressurised into resolving the matter through a jirga and staying away from the media.
    Read more: 12-year-old maid allegedly raped in Karachi
    According to sources, the prime suspect, Rahib Saharyani, had fled to Dubai on Monday. However, SSP Kashmore Samiullah Soomro claimed that he does not know if the prime suspect has fled to Dubai or not.
    The officer further informed that another police party has been dispatched to Karachi to arrest the suspects. He remarked that the medical reports show that the girl was raped, however, there were no torture marks on the girl’s body.
    The DNA test of the girl and two arrested suspects will soon be done, he added.  
    Earlier, the IG Sindh had taken notice of the matter and a case was registered against seven suspects in the E-section police station.


  2. Waqas Dar
    Americans need to do more than stop reaching for the salt shaker if they want to cut back on the amount of sodium in their diets, according to a new study.
    Only a small fraction of sodium in most people's diets in the US comes from salt added at the table, researchers found. The majority comes from manufacturing processes and what's added to foods during cooking at restaurants.
    "Only 11 percent is coming from home - from salt shaker or cooking," said lead author Lisa Harnack, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis. "The rest is coming from other sources."
    Harnack and colleagues write in the journal Circulation that since 1980 the Dietary Guidelines for Americans put out by the government urged reducing sodium. Most Americans get too much.
    "About a third of Americans have high blood pressure and people who have high blood pressure are told to reduce sodium in their diet," Harnack told Reuters Health.
    The current recommendation is that people get less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day, which is the amount in about 1 teaspoon of salt.
    The Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2010 recommended reducing sodium in commercially packaged and prepared foods, the researchers note.
    To determine the sources of salt in people's diets, the researchers recruited 450 adults from Birmingham, Alabama; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Palo Alto, California between 2013 and 2014.
    The participants were interviewed to determine everything they ate over four days. They were also seen in clinics, and gave researchers a plastic bag containing the same amount of salt they added when eating foods.
    The average amount of sodium in people's daily diets was 3,501 mg, on average, researchers found.
    Some groups had more sodium in their diets than others. For example, men ate more sodium overall than women. Black or Asian participants tended to add more salt to their food than Hispanics. Also, people with lower levels of education tended to consume more sodium than those with higher levels.
    For all groups, sodium added during the manufacturing process was the leading source in the diet.
    The researchers found that 71 percent of sodium in the participants' diets came from outside the home, through restaurants or processed foods. Another 14 percent occurred naturally in food.
    About 6 percent of sodium came from what people added during meal preparation, and 5 percent came from what they added while they were eating.
    Less than 1 percent of sodium came from dietary supplements and water sources.
    Harnack said the results show most sodium is coming from items bought in stores - like potato chips - or foods like hamburgers ordered at restaurants.
    "They really need to be reading the nutrition panels in grocery stores and choose carefully at restaurants," said Harnack.
    The results have implications for patients, doctors and policy, Dr. Lawrence Appel and Kathryn Foti of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, write in an editorial accompanying the new study.
    People should focus on product selection, they add, and doctors should also emphasize this to patients. For policymakers, they say the study reinforces the 2010 IOM recommendation to reduce sodium in products.
    "Efforts to reduce the sodium content in our food supply have tremendous potential to lower (blood pressure) and prevent cardiovascular disease," Appel and Foti conclude.


  3. Waqas Dar
    PARIS: The life expectancy of HIV-infected people in Europe and the United States has been boosted by a decade since anti-AIDS drugs became available in the mid-1990s, researchers said on Thursday.
    In fact, a 20-year-old who began treatment any time since 2008, now has an expected lifespan, about 78 years, approaching that of an uninfected person, said a study in The Lancet HIV.
    Life expectancy in the “general population”, excluding people infected with the AIDS-causing virus, is 79 years for men and 85 for women in France, and 78 for men and 82 for women in the United States, said the researchers.
    People who started taking antiretroviral treatment [ART] in 2008 or thereafter lived longer, healthier lives than those who started treatment in earlier years, they added. This was likely because modern drugs have fewer toxic side-effects, there are now more options for people with a drug-resistant HIV strain, and better treatment of other infections and conditions.
    “With the perception that HIV-positive people will live into old age, clinicians are screening for and treating comorbidities [diseases on top of HIV] more aggressively,” said the paper. These included heart disease, hepatitis C and cancer.
    Conducted in Europe and America, the study included data on more than 88,000 HIV patients. “Information about life expectancy in people living with HIV and the knowledge that it could be approaching that of the general population is important to motivate at-risk individuals to test for HIV and convince those infected to start ART immediately,” said the study.
    It could also “decrease stigmatisation of people living with HIV and help them to obtain insurance or employment”. ART, a cocktail of three or more drugs that block the virus from replicating, first became widely used in 1996. It does not cure the disease, and treatment is lifelong.
    The World Health Organisation recommends that ART be started in all people as soon as possible after diagnosis. Many people in poorer nations are diagnosed too late, if at all, and treatment is not always readily available or affordable.


  4. Waqas Dar
    While 'Beliebers' from all over India thronged Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium to see the Sorry singer perform live on stage – even though almost all of it was lipsynched, it was the Bollywood celebrities that took most of our attention.
     

    Indian fans gather at the DY Patil stadium ahead of a concert by Canadian pop star Justin Bieber in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / PUNIT PARANJPE
     
    Check out who turned up at see the Canadian singing sensation here!
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Mahima Chaudhary arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan (L) and actress Malaika Arora Khan arrive to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Udita Goswami arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     
    A 'Bieber mania' swept the city on Wednesday when the Canadian pop star landed in Mumbai for his first-ever concert in India in front of 45,000 fans. "I've been listening to his music for five years. I absolutely love him as an artist and I'm very excited to be seeing him," 18-year-old Rahul Tiwari, who had travelled from neighbouring Gujarat state, told AFP.
     

     
    The award-winning artist performed for approximately 90 minutes, according to various media reports.
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actor Ronit Roy arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actor Amir Ali (L) poses with his wife Sanjida as they arrive to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Suman Raghunathan arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Sridevi (C) poses with her daughter (L) and husband Boney Kapoor (R) as they arrive to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     

    Indian Bollywood actress Poonam Dhillon arrives to attend a concert performance by Canada's Justin Bieber at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on May 10, 2017. AFP / Sujit JAISWAL
     
    Fans, who had gathered outside the Mumbai airport to get the first glimpse of Bieber, got their wish granted when Bieber, garbed in a pink hoodie, dark shorts, and white trainers, arrived at 1:30 AM on a chartered flight.
    Some of the fans carried signs that read "We love you Justin", "Welcome to India," and "Justin Forever".
    "We have not slept for two nights, you never know when he will arrive," said one fan. Another added that he hadn't washed for three days.
     

    Canadian singer Justin Bieber leaves the airport terminal after arriving in Mumbai, India, May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade
     


  5. Waqas Dar
    JAIPUR: A wall crashed down on an Indian wedding party during a storm killing at least 24 people including four children, police said Thursday, with one rescuer describing the scene as "horrific".
    Dozens more were injured when the 13-foot (four-metre) high concrete wall collapsed, trapping guests who had taken shelter from violent rain in a tin shack on Wednesday night, police superintendent Anil Tank told AFP.
    "We worked through the night," one rescue worker at the scene in Bharatpur, Rajasthan state, told India TV news network.
    "We tried to rescue as many people as possible, the scene was horrific."
    Tank, a senior officer in Bharatpur, said 26 people were injured, 15 of them seriously. Television footage showed anxious relatives standing next to hospital beds.
    Police have launched an investigation and detained a wedding hall manager on charges of causing death by negligence.
    "We have registered a case and taken one of the managers of the banquet hall into custody," district magistrate Narendra Kumar Gupta told reporters.
    "We will investigate if the hall owners had a valid licence. In case they did not have a licence, appropriate action will be taken against them."
    At the accident scene, food for the wedding feast lay scattered across the floor, which had caved in places under the weight of the collapsed wall.
    A stage traditionally set aside for the bride and the groom had also incurred severe damage.
    Gupta also announced compensation of 50,000 rupees ($775) for the family of each person killed.
    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the incident had pained him "beyond words".
    "My thoughts are with the families of the deceased. I hope the injured recover soon," he tweeted.
    Indian weddings are often grandiose affairs with huge numbers of guests and lavish ceremonies that run for several days.
    Many families pour their life savings into them, and it is not uncommon for affluent urban families to host thousands of guests.
    In 2014, one guest was killed when a floating platform carrying the bride and groom that was suspended from the end of a crane collapsed onto a wedding party.
    Disasters more often result from celebratory firing into the air, particularly in rural north India where gun ownership is widespread.
    Last year, at least three people died in such incidents, and earlier this month a 12-year-old boy died of gunshot injuries sustained at a wedding in northern Uttar Pradesh state.
    Rajasthan is one of India´s most arid states, but suffers frequent dust and rain storms during the hotter months.
    A heatwave has swept across much of India in recent weeks, with temperatures reaching 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in the capital Delhi.
    Building collapses are common in India, especially during the annual monsoon season.
    A massive influx of people to cities in search of jobs and a shortage of low cost housing have fuelled the construction of illegal buildings across the country, often with sub-standard material.
    Some 1,885 people died from the collapse of various structures in India in 2015, according to the National Crimes Record Bureau.


  6. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: The daughters of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former President and co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari continued training with former champion boxer Amir Khan.
    In a video available with Geo News, the three can be seen going to the gym for training
    Earlier, speaking to Geo.tv from Dubai, Amir said he had a really great time with them, further adding that the duo also invited him to visit Lahore.
    “I met Bakhtawar and Aseefa through my wife Faryal and they invited me to Lahore. We had some food with them and had a great time with them. They are really really nice people, [their] hospitality was amazing.,” Amir said.
    The former world champion was all praises for Bakhtawar Bhutto, he said that he had a boxing training session with Bakhtawar Bhutto.
    “We went to the gym; as Bakhtawar trains and she loves boxing so I trained her with the coach, helped her. We learnt boxing and everything. She did great. Honestly, she boxes very good. She is very strong. She is very committed and very focused.”
    “Bakhtawar loves boxing and I trained with her in the gym,” he said, adding he also said that she gifted him and his wife the autobiography of her mother, “Daughter of Destiny”. The former world champion also shared videos of him training with Bakhtawar in the gym, with Bakhtawar showing her punching skills during the training session.
    “Nice spending day with Aseefa and Bakhtawar, training them at the gym in Dubai,” Amir tweeted.
    Amir, who has a record of 31-4 in 35 fights to date, was scheduled to fight with Manny Pacquiao last month, but the fight was later rescheduled for November, this year.
     
     
     


  7. Waqas Dar
    FRANKFURT: German industrial conglomerate Siemens on Thursday said it would slash 1,700 jobs in Germany in the coming years as part of a restructuring and efficiency drive.
    The sprawling engineering giant also said that it would transfer a further 1,000 jobs to supplier companies or to other units within the group.
    Siemens, which manufactures a wide range of products -- from gas and wind turbines to trains and medical equipment -- said the job cuts were part of an efficiency drive across a number of different divisions.
    The group´s IT department would bear the brunt of the cuts, with 1,350 posts to go over the next three years.
    But its "digital factory" and "mobility" divisions would also be affected.
    Munich-based Siemens said it would help employees concerned to apply for other positions in the group, which plans to hire around 9,000 people in Germany over the same period.
    In its 2016 annual report, Siemens said that it employs around 350,000 people worldwide.


  8. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A video of an angry, uncontrollable woman slapping airport security officials and other personnel in plain clothes at Karachi airport surfaced on Thursday.
    In the video, the woman can be seen misbehaving with the security personnel and slapping Airport Security Force official.
    It was revealed that the woman, who is employed Pakistan International Airline Assistant Manager traffic department, was physically harassed by a plain-clothed official, after which she was outraged.
    The incident occurred at the Jinnah terminal’s departure lounge at the airport.
    Following the incident, the PIA official was taken to another room by a female ASF officer and the matter was resolved. Interestingly, no complaint of the incident was lodged in the log book.
    The footage which surfaced is also incomplete, as the PIA female official reportedly slapped the man who misbehaved with her first and then misbehaved with the ASF official.
    The PIA has a cell to register physical harassment complaints but that deals specifically with PIA staff. In this case, a plain-clothed official was involved so it is unlikely that the complaint centre would interfere in the matter.
    Last month, three different videos of a brawl between two female passengers and a lady constable of the Federal Investigation Agency at Islamabad airport had surfaced. the videos showed the different angles of the story; scuffle over a petty issue at the airport, passengers misbehaving with the female officer, officer berating the same women. 
    Read more: New video emerges of passengers-FIA constable brawl at Islamabad airport
    In response, FIA has suspended the official for manhandling the passengers. 


  9. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s civil leadership informed high-level officials of the army that the recent meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian tycoon Sajjan Jindal was a part of back-channel diplomacy, according to a BBC Urdu report.
    The report said that some important official sources informed that PM Nawaz, during one of his recent meetings with Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa, had taken the latter into confidence over the Indian tycoon’s visit to Pakistan.
    According to sources, Jindal came to Pakistan upon the insistence of important Indian officials, calling it an endeavour on India’s part, to reduce friction between the two neighbouring countries.
    Meanwhile, the report stated that COAS Bajwa also took his officials into confidence over the matter.
    The foreign office had declined to comment on the meeting which gained much ire from the opposition circles. The FO had said that the meeting was of private nature.
    In April, Indian businessman and entrepreneur Sajjan Jindal made an unannounced visit to Pakistan and met with Nawaz Sharif.
    Sajjan Jindal, who is also said to be accompanied by other businessmen, met PM Nawaz Sharif for a personal meeting in Murree, where the premier had gone for a private trip.
    The meeting came at a time when India and Pakistan were going through tense times; Indian security forces brutality being at all time high in Kashmir, along with the contention over RAW agent Kulbhushan Jadhav.
    Nawaz Sharif’s daughter had also tweeted over the matter: “Mr. Jindal is an old friend of the Prime Minister. Nothing 'secret' about the meeting & should not be blown out of proportion. Thank you.”
    Opposition leaders had raised concerns over the Indian businessman’s visit, with Pakistan Peoples Party’s Khursheed Shah saying that Nawaz Sharif should reveal the details of his meeting with Jindal.


  10. Waqas Dar
    CHICHAWATNi: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday chided his political opponents for using abusive language and hurling new accusations everyday.
    Addressing a rally here, he said that such people are unaware of the “culture of Pakistan”, a culture where the elderly are respected and where women are respected
    “They speak without thinking. This is why people are gradually ceasing to support them,” he said.


  11. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: As part of the efforts to transform existing collaboration in the field of defence industry into a strategic partnership, Pakistan and Turkey concluded three important documents on Thursday.
    According to a message received from Pakistan embassy in Ankara, these documents were signed in the presence of Minister for Defence Production of Pakistan Rana Tanveer Hussain and Minister for National Defence of Turkey, Fikri Isik on the sidelines of the 13th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2017, being held in Istanbul from 9-12 May.
    Firstly, the two sides signed the contract for the sale of Pakistan's 52 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft.
    Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) would supply these aircraft to Turkish Air Force.
    The contract was signed by Chairman PAC Air Marshal Arshad Malik and Turkish Undersecretary SSM Prof. Dr. Ismail Demir.
    It may be recalled that Letter of Intent (LoI) with Turkey for the sale of this aircraft was signed on 22 November during International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) held in Karachi from 22-25 November 2016, in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
    Secondly, the two countries signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on the four MILGEM Ada class corvettes project.
    The LoI was signed on the Pakistan side by Secretary, Defence Production, Lt. Gen. Muhammad Owais, Undersecretary SSM Prof. Dr. Ismail Demir signed on behalf of Turkey.
    The third document was signed between Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) for collaboration in the aviation field.
    The signatories were Chairman PAC Air Marshal Arshad Malik and CEO of TAI Dr. Temel Kotil.
    Speaking at the occasion, Minister Rana Tanveer said "today is a historic day."
    With the signing of these three documents, the level of Pakistan-Turkey defence industry collaboration would be further intensified and enhanced, he said.
    He added that the defence industries of Pakistan and Turkey had significant capacities and capabilities and closer mutual collaboration between the two would help them realise the full potential in an optimal manner.
    Among future plans, he specifically mentioned the possibilities of joint ventures and co-production.
    Congratulating Pakistan and Turkey on achieving this milestone, Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said Pakistan was a brother, true friend and strategic partner of Turkey.
    He added that these agreements would further intensify bilateral defence industry collaboration, which was growing and could be further expanded through concerted efforts.
    Recalling the support extended by the Muslims of South Asia during the Turkish War of Independence, he said Turkey would always be the development partner of Pakistan.
    Earlier, opening session of the Working Group meeting among Turkey-Indonesia-Pakistan-Malaysia-Qatar was held.
    Speaking on the occasion, Minister Rana Tanveer emphasized the importance of closer collaboration among these countries, which possessed important capacities and could develop concrete cooperation through combined efforts.
    Separately, Minister Rana Tanveer had a bilateral meeting with Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik.
    The two ministers had a comprehensive exchange of views on bilateral cooperation and specific industry projects being pursued by the two sides.
    Expressing satisfaction at the flourishing relationship between Pakistan and Turkey, the two ministers vowed to further deepen and broaden defence and defence industry cooperation.
    They noted that the agreements signed would usher in a new era of enhanced collaboration, based on the respective strengths of both countries.
    They agreed to further increase mutual interaction and exchange of visits and information with a view to realising the full potential in defence collaboration and identifying new projects.
    They noted that the growing level of bilateral cooperation was consistent with the vision of the leaders on both sides who had directed to develop a comprehensive, long-term and forward-looking strategic framework for defence collaboration.
    Secretary Defence Production Lt Gen (R) Syed Muhammad Owais, Secretary Defence Lt Gen (R) Zamir Ul Hassan Shah, Chairman PAC Air Marshal Arshad Malik, Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey Sohail Mahmood and other high ranking officials were also present during these meetings.
    Senior officials of Turkey’s defence sector also attended.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hizb-i-Islami party is preparing to place thousands of fighters in Afghanistan's security forces, in one of the most complex parts of last year's peace deal between the Western-backed government and the former insurgent warlord.
    Hizb-i-Islami has drawn up a list of 3,500 members of its militia for vetting and has handed over some 80 names, mostly senior officers, to a special commission set up to oversee the integration, said Karim Amin, one of Hekmatyar's closest aides.
    The move was agreed under the terms of the peace deal which brought in Hekmatyar, notorious for his forces' indiscriminate bombardment of Kabul during the 1990s civil war, after years of armed opposition.
    While Hizb-i-Islami played little part in combat in recent years and ceased all operations since the accord, thousands of its fighters have not been disarmed, said Ahmad Farzan, the official in charge of overseeing implementation of the agreement.
    Officials said the 80 names handed over were mainly older commanders who might be put on the payroll but who would probably go onto the inactive list.
    However, younger fighters present a bigger problem.
    Strict vetting is intended to weed out fighters who could pose an internal threat; in the first two months of 2017, at least a dozen so-called "insider attacks" took place where service members turned on their colleagues.
    Defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said there would be no problem integrating Hizb-i-Islami members, provided they met selection criteria.
    "Joining the national army is voluntary and anyone eligible who meets certain criteria can join to serve, and that includes Hizb-i-Islami members," he said.
    However, the process, involving formal lists of fighters to be included in the army and police goes beyond personal decisions to enlist.
    That raises questions over how to integrate members of a militia, which refuses to disarm and retains strong personal loyalty to its leader, into a NATO-trained force intended to represent the nation as a whole.
    "They can be enrolled in the army, but the concern is that these guys will always be Hekmatyar's forces," said one senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
    Challenges
    The issue illustrates wider challenges facing the government, as it seeks to implement an agreement with former insurgents that it hopes will pave the way for a broader peace deal with the Taliban, Afghanistan's dominant insurgent group.
    Hekmatyar, who has called for the constitution to be amended and said President Ashraf Ghani's government was not working, has already made it plain since his return to Kabul last week that he would not simply blend in quietly.
    In public remarks, he called the Taliban his "brothers" and urged a peace agreement with them that would get foreign forces, which train the Afghan army, out of Afghanistan.
    Karim Amin went further this week, saying in a television interview that all combatant deaths in the war, including Taliban, should be referred to as "shaheed" or "martyred", a term currently used by the government only for its own forces and civilians.
    While the Kabul government and its Western partners agree that only talks with the Taliban will end fighting, Hekmatyar's sympathetic stance risks complicating his militia's integration into forces that lost 6,785 killed last year fighting militants.
    The Hizb-i-Islami militia's refusal to disarm suggested continued mutual suspicion between former insurgents and the government.
    "No one can guarantee that if a commander puts down his weapon he would survive," said Hizb-i-Islami spokesman Qareem ur Rahman. "They can't put down their weapons, but they won't fight against the government."


  13. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned on Thursday Indian Deputy High Commissioner, JP Singh, and condemned the ceasefire violation by the Indian border forces.
    Indian forces carried out unprovoked firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Tandar, Subzkot, Khuiratta, Baroh, Bagsar, Khanjar sectors early Thursday morning. 
    As a result of the firing, one civilian, identified as Muhammad Rizwan of Subzkot village, martyred, while two others, Willayat Bibi of Subzkot village and Abdul Aziz of Tain village, were injured.
    Read more: Civilian martyred, two injured in unprovoked Indian firing at LoC
    “The deliberate targeting of civilians is indeed condemnable, and contrary to human dignity and international human rights, and humanitarian laws,” read the statement issued by the foreign office.  
    The Director General SA and SAARC, Dr Mohammad Faisal, also urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit and maintain peace on the LoC. 
    After the incident was report, FO spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said, “we condemn Indian acts of deliberate targeting of civilians.”


  14. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The offices of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa have taken notice of the threats to Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (PEMRA) employees and contacted its Chairman Absar Alam assuring him full support in this regard.
    Pemra Chairman Alam shared this information during the Regional General Managers (RGM) conference held at the authority’s headquarters here on Thursday, said a press release.
    He said that the offices have further conveyed that strict action will be taken against those who are creating hurdles in establishing the writ of PEMRA.
    This is a welcome step and investigations are already underway, the Pemra Chairman told the meeting.
    Alam had addressed a press conference on May 8, 2017 and had revealed about the threats to the employees of the electronic media regulator.
    In that press conference, he had also appealed to the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chief of Army Staff to provide security to the staff of Pemra.
    He had claimed that the lives of Pemra employees and their families are in danger.
    Chairman Pemra also played an audio file during the press conference, which was allegedly of a blackmailer.
    During the phone call, the unknown blackmailer addressed the chairman asking him why he blocked a certain TV channel.
    The blackmailer made strong threats, saying if the said channel wasn’t restored within a short time then the authority’s in charge should not complain of the consequences.


  15. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah met with Commandant Marine Corps, Maj Gen Bambang Suwantono, and Commandant Western Fleet Command, Rear Admiral Aan Kumia of Indonesia while on an official visit to Indonesia, a press release by the Navy’s media wing said.
    Upon his arrival at Marines Base and Western Fleet Command Headquarters, Admiral Zakaullah was presented Guard of Honour.
    During the meeting with Maj Gen Bambang Suwantono, diverse matters of professional interest ranging from Maritime security and stability, Coalition Maritime Campaign Plan (CMCP), counter-piracy operations, drug trafficking were discussed. Various avenues to enhance interoperability between Pakistan and Indonesian Navy were also dilated upon.
    Admiral Zakaullah also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment and performance in fight against terrorism in general and Pakistan Navy’s efforts for maintaining regional peace and security in particular. Gen Suwantono acknowledged strong foundations and historical ties between Pakistan and Indonesia. He also lauded Pakistan Navy’s efforts and focused commitments in support of collaborative maritime security in the region and extending cooperation in diverse fields to Indonesian Navy.
    Admiral Zakaullah alos called on Commandant Fleet Command, Rear Admiral Aan Kumia. Upon his arrival at Western Fleet Command Headquarters at Jakarta, Indonesia, he was warmly welcomed by Rear Admiral Kumia and was also given detailed briefings regarding western Fleet Command of the Indonesian Navy.
    During the meeting, professional matters of mutual interest came under discussion. Admiral Zakaullah appreciated the professionalism and commitment of Indonesian Navy officers and men. The commandant Western Fleet Command lauded the role and contributions of Pakistan Navy in spearheading various initiatives for maintaining peace and stability in the region.


  16. Waqas Dar
    First it was Deepika, and then came Katrina, but now there are reports circulating in the Indian media that Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor has found his soulmate in London.
    As per the freshest gossip, Ranbir, along with mummy Neetu Singh, flew to London to meet this Ms Perfect through a mutual friend. While the mother-and-son duo has since returned to India, the desi Tinseltown is buzzing with rumours surrounding the Rockstar icon meeting a girl from a business family.
     

     
    Who's the lucky lady?
     

     
    “Ranbir is keen to settle down now and Neetu has made no bones about the fact that she would like to choose the girl who is not from Bollywood for her son. She never approved of his earlier girlfriends Deepika Padukone or Katrina Kaif. Both, Ranbir and Neetu, met the girl and her family and liked them," Indian Express reported citing a source close to DNA India.
     

     
    Who knows the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil actor may be hoping to get hitched the traditional way? As he once said, "I want to get married, I want to have children and I will do it in the right way you know. Meet a like-minded person, fall madly, deeply, truly in love and take it from there.”
     

     
    Nevertheless, there has been no official confirmation from the Kapoor clan. But... if this is true, you should definitely get ready for a fabulous, Bollywood-style wedding.
     

     


  17. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Pakistani man Tahir Ali filed a petition meet his wife Indian citizen Uzma privately in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday.  
    Uzma, on May 8, alleged that she was forced to marry Ali at gunpoint, adding that she was unaware that the latter was already married and a father of four children. The claims were denied by Tahir.  
    The complicated case took another turn as Uzma’s brother on Tuesday reiterated her earlier claims of travelling to Pakistan in an interview with Geo News.
    Read more: Indian woman Uzma coerced into marriage, claims brother
    Secretary Interior, Secretary of Foreign Ministry, the Indian High Commission, and Uzma are all party to the application filed in court by Ali.
    “Uzma made false allegations against me under pressure,” Ali claimed.
    Read more: Wife stopped from leaving Indian HC, claims Pakistani husband
    The applicant requested that Uzma should be barred from travelling abroad till a decision on his petition is announced.
    Ali also requested the court to schedule the hearing for his petition on Monday.
    Was married at gunpoint: Uzma
    Uzma, on Monday, alleged that she was forced to marry Pakistan citizen Tahir Ali at gunpoint. She further remarked that she was unaware that Tahir was married and was the father of four children while speaking to the media. 
    She also said that she was given sleeping pills and forcefully brought to Pakistan. “I was mentally, physically and sexually tortured,” she remarked, adding that she has been staying at the IHC of her own accord.
    Uzma also claimed that her immigration documents were snatched and she was harassed and tortured regularly while living with her Pakistani husband.
    She filed a case under the Pakistan Penal Code section 506, and recorded her statement in front of the magistrate on Monday, stating she did not want to leave the Indian High Commission in Islamabad till she could safely travel back to India.
    According to the Pakistan High Commission, Uzma's immigration documents state that she travelled to Pakistan on a visit visa.
    The Pakistani authorities declared that the Indian citizen did not disclose her plans to marry in Pakistan when she applied for the visa and instead expressed her intent to visit her relatives in Pakistan. 
    Tahir challenges Uzma’s claimsUzma’s claims were challenged by her husband, Tahir
    Uzma’s claims were challenged by her husband, Tahir Ali, while speaking to the media.
    He said that Uzma knew that he has been married before and have four children from his first wife, further adding that if Uzma doesn’t want to live with him then that’s her right which she can rightly exercise.  
    He also remarked that he has all the proofs to show that he is speaking the truth. “I have a proof of all my claims and witnesses.”
    He also rejected the claims that he had assaulted her. He said, “you can get her medical tests done to see if I have harmed or tortured her in any way.” Tahir said that he also knew that Dr Uzma had a daughter from her first marriage.
    Tahir said that he also knew that Dr Uzma had a daughter from her first marriage.
    Speaking about how the two met, he told Geo News that they met for the first time in Malaysia, where he was working as a taxi driver.
    “We stayed friends for eight to nine months,” he said, adding that later Uzma expressed her desire to marry him.
    Uzma had claimed that I gave her sleeping pills but it is all a lie, he claimed.
    After coming to Pakistan via Wagah Border, we had even stopped for lunch at Swabi. We waited for two days before our marriage. During this time, she knew about my first marriage and children.
    Speaking about why Uzma made such allegations, Tahir said that Uzma is possibly being forced by the embassy to make such statements.
    He also expressed the desire to meet his wife one more time and clear out the misunderstandings between them.
    Nikkah video surfaces
    Earlier, a video of the nikkah ceremony of the couple had emerged which also contradicted the statements of Dr Uzma that she was forced into marriage at gunpoint.
    Earlier, a video of the nikkah ceremony of the couple had emerged which also contradicted the statements of Dr Uzma that she was forced into marriage at gunpoint.
    In the video, Tahir can be seen sitting with Uzma, who is donning a white niqab, with a moulvi and three witnesses for their nikkah in a local court in Daggar tehsil of District Buner. No signs of intimidation or violence are present in the video, which contradicts Uzma’s earlier statement that she was forced into marriage at gunpoint.
    Over the matter, the moulvi, identified as Humayun Khan, who solemnised the couple’s marriage, spoke to Geo News. 
    Reiterating what Tahir had said before, Humayun explained that Dr Uzma came to Buner on May 1. “I asked her if she is willing for the marriage,” he said, adding she told him that she is getting married of her own accord.
    “I also have a video of the nikkah and other proofs,” he remarked.
    Father’s name controversy
    Another twist in the tale emerged when Uzma's documents disclosed that her father's name as stated on her visa form, marriage contract, and an affidavit was different from the name submitted to the magistrate.
    Another twist in the tale emerged when Uzma's documents disclosed that her father's name as stated on her visa form, marriage contract, and an affidavit was different from the name submitted to the magistrate.
    While her documents declared the woman as the daughter of one Muhammad Naushad, while she was listed as Sagheer Ahmed's daughter in the form submitted to the magistrate.


  18. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A motorcycle-bound fumigation machine, dubbed the ‘Motofog’, will soon be used to fumigate the streets of the metropolis to control the population of mosquitoes.
    The Motofog has been introduced for the first time in Pakistan under the Dengue Control and Prevention Program by the Sindh Department of Health. It will be used to access areas such as narrow lanes, where other fumigation vehicles cannot reach due to constrained space.

    “The induction of the new machines will be more effective in a city like Karachi since it can go in narrow lanes,” said the Dengue Control and Prevention Program manager Dr Masood Solangi.
    “The machines will be utilised from the coming week in all the areas where mosquito-borne diseases have affected the lives of people,” he said.
    Karachi recently saw an outbreak of the Chikungunya disease, a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. As many as 250 people have tested positive for the Chikungunya virus in the city so far, prompting concerns among the authorities to prevent the spread of the disease.
    A nine-member delegation of the World Health Organisation reached Karachi earlier this month to help health authorities prevent the spread of the Chikungunya disease.
    Another 10 people were reported to have been diagnosed with dengue fever – a mosquito-borne tropical disease – in March this year.


  19. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday urged not to play politics on civil-military issues, saying the Dawn Leaks inquiry report should not have been made controversial.
    Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he said the Dawn Leaks Inquiry Committee Report was a consensus document, but "an image of a conflict [between state institutions] was unnecessarily created in the media."
    "Civil-military relations should not be turned into a circus. Civil military relations is a sensitive subject, not just in Pakistan but in the rest of the world as well. Civil-military relations are not politicised anywhere in the world but in Pakistan" he said.
    Without taking names, the interior minister criticised a certain retired army general's comments on television regarding the issue, saying "some retired officials mistakenly consider themselves spokespersons of the army".
    Earlier, during his press conference, Nisar said a large number of people involved in human trafficking are concentrated in Gujranwala Division.
    "The interior ministry has worked on catching many human smugglers during the past one and a half years," he said while talking to the media in Islamabad. "We will be blocking passports of those accused who have fled the country."
    The interior minister also spoke about the issue of blocked computerised national identity cards.
    "The people whose CNICs were blocked also included Pakistanis, mostly those who did not have proper supporting documents," he maintained. "But we had to find a solution."
    Out of the CNICs against which action was taken, 156,000 have been blocked temporarily. "If these cardholders have a proof to support their nationality, their CNICs will be permanently unblocked."
    He added if a person is suspected with regard to their CNIC, they would be given a chance to prove themselves right.
    Moreover, the interior minister also spoke about tourism in Gilgit Baltistan, saying people wanting to visit the region for tourism purposes will no more be needing a no objection certification (NOC) and a notification in this regard will soon be issued.
    "The NOCs have been compulsory since the past year and a half, but it would no longer be needed by tourists so that tourism in GB flourishes," Chaudhry Nisar said. "However] diplomats, research workers and project related foreigners will be needing security clearance."
    He added this was decided at a meeting. GB Chief Minister Hafeez-ur-Rehman was also spoken to on the matter over the phone.


  20. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: The Chief Minister (CM) Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, on Thursday instructed authorities to hand over 2,000 closed schools to the Sindh Education Foundation (SEF).
    Heading the SEF board’s session at the CM house, Shah approved a PKR 7 billion budget for the SEF board.
    An annual grant of PKR 3 million for differently-abled children was approved in the session.
    Read more: EU to assist Baluchistan govt in providing basic educational facilities to schools
    Managing director (MD) of the SEF board, Naheed Shah, informed the members of the session that 428,957 primary and 69,727 secondary SEF schools are actively working to educate students.
    She added that SEF board has received requests for assistance from 850 new schools of which 80 requests have been approved.
    “A total of 348,916 students are enrolled in the Sindh Education Program 2017,” she said.


  21. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Four hardcore terrorists, sentenced to death for committing heinous offences and terrorism were executed on Thursday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. 
    According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing of the Pakistan Army, the convicts were involved in the killing of innocent civilians, destruction of educational institutions, attacking armed forces of Pakistan, law enforcement agencies and the attack on the Saidu Sharif airport. 
    Detail of each case is as under.
    Bakht-e-Ameer S/O Ameer Zareen. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan which resulted in death and injuries to officers and soldiers. He was also in possession of explosives. The convict admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded death sentence. Asghar Khan S/O Ahmad Jan. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan, Law Enforcement Agencies and destruction of an educational institution which resulted in death and injuries to soldiers and civilians. The convict admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded death sentence. Muhammad Nawaz S/O Gul Muhammad. The convict was active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Armed Forces of Pakistan which resulted in the death of soldiers. He was also in possession of fire-arms and explosives. The convict admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded death sentence. Mushtaq Ahmed S/O Muhammad Miraj. The convict was an active member of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. He was involved in attacking Saidu Sharif Airport, killing employees of Metrological Department and destruction of an educational institution which resulted in the death of civilians and injuries to soldiers. He was also in possession of fire-arms and explosives. The convict admitted his offences before the Magistrate and the trial court. He was awarded death sentence.

  22. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan on Thursday rejected allegations by Khalid Latif’s lawyer that the board was trying to pressure the cricketer into confession in the PSL spot-fixing probe.
    Dismissing the lawyer’s claims, Shahryar said the board had not pressured or forced any player to confess.
    “Mohammad Irfan admitted his mistake but even he was not forgiven. We have not forced anyone,” the PCB chairman said.
    Khalid Latif’s lawyer Badar Alam claimed earlier today that the PCB was harassing his client in order to force out a confession from him regarding his alleged involvement in the spot-fixing scandal.
    Alam said the board had offered his client that he would be cleared if he accepted the allegations against him.
    On Wednesday, the PCB’s legal advisor Taffazul Rizi had said that it would be difficult for Khalid Latif to get a clean chit from the PSL spot-fixing tribunal as there were “massive proofs against him”.
    Rizvi had said that the PCB’s point of view on the case had been submitted before the tribunal, further adding that further evidences against Latif had been presented.
    He had remarked that there was no pressure on any player by the PCB.


  23. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Notable comedian and talk show host Umer Sharif, who was taken to the hospital early Thursday morning for a chest infection, is now recovering, his son Jawad told Geo News.
    The actor has been unwell since the past two days with fever and a chest infection and was taken to the hospital in the morning today for a check-up. “He is better now. Doctors have prescribed him some tests and medicines,” Jawad explained.
    Geo News learnt that Sharif has been admitted to the hospital on the insistence of Jawad, who was of the opinion that his father should be taken home once test results come in and he is cleared by the medical professionals.
    Earlier today, reports surfaced on various social media networks that the legendary humorist is in a “serious health condition”. The picture being circulated, we learnt, are from almost a year ago, when Sharif had a serious chest infection and was subsequently admitted to a hospital outside Lahore.
     

    A screenshot of the viral image, which actually dates back to mid-2016, stating that Umer Sharif is unwell
     
    With test results expected to come in later today, Jawad remains hopeful that his father will return home and recuperate soon. “Tests were conducted in the morning today and we have been told that results will be disclosed in [Thursday] evening,” he said.
    Nevertheless, here’s to hoping our beloved Umer Sharif gets well soon!
    —Editing by Haseem uz Zaman


  24. Waqas Dar
    A die-hard Pakistani fan of the Canadian prime minister (PM) Justin Trudeau changed his name to Haris Khan Trudeau. 
    “I am ready to die for Justin Trudeau,” the tenth grader's twitter bio reads.

    The tenth-grader, Haris Khan, who hails from Peshawar is deeply impressed by the Canadian PM’s political acumen.
    He has changed his location to "Peshawar, Pakistan Canada," on twitter.  

    Haris Khan Trudeau (extreme right)
    Khan – whose twitter account is full of posts about Trudeau – also expressed his desire to meet the Canadian PM.


  25. Waqas Dar
    NANKANA SAHIB: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday visited the family of 13-year-old Muhammad Irfan, who was brutally punished by a landlady for ‘disobeying orders’.
    Visiting their home in Macharwali village of Nankana Sahib, the chief minister expressed sympathy with the victim and his family, saying “the perpetrator will not be spared by the law".
    Sharif lamented the role of the police, which had initially delayed registering an FIR over the issue, and said he will personally supervise the progress of the investigation now.
    He also presented a compensation cheque to the victim’s family.
    According to Irfan’s family, almost two weeks ago, Shafqat Bibi, who had employed Irfan at her house in Wahiwala village, had his hand chopped off as punishment after he reportedly refused to feed cattle.
    The boy was immediately rushed to the hospital but doctors were unable to save his hand.
    Irfan’s family said that they went to file a case but the police kept delaying it. An FIR was finally registered after 10 days on a court order, but by then Shafqat Bibi had already obtained pre-arrest bail. 
    On Wednesday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar took suo motu notice of the incident after the incident news was reported in the media.
    The CJP also directed the Punjab Inspector-General of Police to submit a report on the issue within the next 48 hours.


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