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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    ROSEAU, Dominica: West Indies will be looking to spoil the international farewells of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq and senior batsman Younis Khan in Wednesday´s decisive third and final Test at Windsor Park.
    Buoyed by a series-levelling win five days ago the hosts are in pursuit of a first Test series success in five years against a team ranked higher.
    But despite being routed for 81 on the final day of the second Test in Barbados, Pakistan are still in with a chance of pulling off their first-ever Test series triumph in the Caribbean.
    "It´s a special game for us because we have a chance to make history," said Misbah, focusing instead on the importance of the result for the team.
    Still, the fact that both himself and Younis will be retiring from international cricket after the match is a reality that could not be avoided.
    "It gives us additional motivation and I hope it´s the same for the team as well," he explained. "Sometimes the emotion will come in when you have an occasion like this but it´s important for us to just focus on our jobs and score runs for the team."
    After scoring 58 to become the first Pakistani to go past 10,000 Test runs in the first innings of the series in Jamaica, Younis has tallied just 11 runs in the next three innings.
    In contrast, Misbah was unbeaten on 99 in setting up the first Test win before falling for 99 in the first innings of the second Test, a disappointment he was quick to put in perspective.
    "Ninety-nine is far better than zero, which is what I got in the second innings," he noted. "If we perform up to our potential we can beat any side. We have to get our disciplines right and be at the top of our game."
    Following severe criticism from both camps over the surface at Kensington Oval, there was general acceptance that the pitch for the series finale appeared much better on the eve of the match despite again being virtually devoid of grass.
    "It doesn´t look too bad," was West Indies captain Jason Holder´s guarded verdict.
    "It might be on the slow side to start but hopefully it quickens up as the game goes on."
    With Shannon Gabriel leading the fast bowlers´ demolition of the opposition for just 81 to earn a 106-run win less than a week earlier, no changes are anticipated to the hosts´ bowling attack.
    However the top-order batting remains a concern even if the selectors opt not to tinker with a winning line-up.
    Pakistan had already decided on their final eleven 24 hours before the start but Misbah chose not to reveal it.
    After enjoying tremendous success in the limited-over matches earlier in the tour, leg-spinner Shadab Khan struggled on Test debut in Barbados with match figures of one for 145.
    He is expected to make way for fast-medium bowler Hasan Ali in support of fellow pacers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Abbas.
    Pakistan´s greatest bowling threat remains Yasir Shah though, the leg-spinner´s match haul of nine for 177 in the losing effort in the second Test giving him 17 so far in the series.
    Prolonged showers two days before the match disrupted preparations and despite a scorching eve of the fixture, a forecast for more rain raises the prospect of the elements playing a significant role in the final result.
    Probable teams:
    West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Vishaul Singh, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (wicketkeeper), Devendra Bishoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel.
    Pakistan: Misbah ul Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Ahmed Shehzad, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.


  2. Waqas Dar
    WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday made the shock decision to fire his FBI director James Comey, the man who leads the agency charged with investigating his campaign´s ties with Russia.
    "The president has accepted the recommendation of the Attorney General and the deputy Attorney General regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters.
    A search for a new FBI director was to begin "immediately," the White House said in a statement.


  3. Waqas Dar
    TURIN: Juventus defender Dani Alves produced in an inspired display capped by a stunning volleyed goal in a 2-1 win over AS Monaco that took the Italians into their second Champions League final in three years on Tuesday.
    Alves provided the cross for Mario Mandzukic to score the first goal in the semi-final, second leg and then added the second himself with an explosive strike to effectively finish off the tie by halftime.
    Juventus, who had won the first leg 2-0, were coasting until Kylian Mbappe pulled one back in the 69th minute, ending a run of six successive clean sheets in the competition for the Serie A side and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
    Tempers then flared when Monaco defender Kamil Glik appeared to stamp on Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain, although the referee took no action against the Pole, leading to a bad-tempered final 20 minutes.
    Juventus, who ran out 4-1 aggregate winners, will face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, who meet in the other semi-final on Wednesday. The final is in Cardiff on June 3.


  4. Waqas Dar
    NEW DELHI: New Delhi has instituted proceedings in the International Court of Justice in the matter of Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian spy captured and sentenced to death in Pakistan earlier this year.
    Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a Counter-Intelligence Operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan for his involvement in espionage and sabotage actives in Pakistan.
    According to a press release on Tuesday from The Hague based ICJ, India has requested the United Nations' judicial organ to provide relief "by way of immediate suspension of the sentence of death awarded to the accused".
    India has contended that it was not granted consular access to Jadhav, which was in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. India has also claimed that it learned about the death sentence by way of a press release.
    Jadhav, a serving Indian Navy officer and an on-duty RAW operative, was arrested on March 3, 2016, through a counter-intelligence operation from Mashkel area of Balochistan.
    He also confessed to his involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan in a video statement last year.
    On April 10, Jadhav was awarded a death sentence by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA) for espionage and sabotage.
    Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa ratified Jadhav's sentencing by the FGCM.


  5. Waqas Dar
    FIFA are to investigate the world-record transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United, a source at world football's governing body told AFP on Tuesday.
    French midfielder Pogba was transferred for more than £89.3 million ($111 million, 105.2 million euros) in August 2016 from Italian club Juventus.
    Confirmation of the investigation came after French media reports said FIFA had opened an inquiry.
    It is not yet clear what aspect of the transfer FIFA is investigating.
    Pogba, 24, started his career with the English club but made just three appearances in the Premier League before heading to Italy, after an apparent falling out with then manager Alex Ferguson.
    He flourished in Serie A, winning four league titles with Juventus between 2012 and 2016.
    Pogba also appeared in the 2015 Champions League final, which Juventus lost 3-1 to Barcelona.
    At the same time, the powerful midfielder made himself a mainstay of the French national team.
    He made his debut in March 2013, just a week after his 20th birthday, in a World Cup qualifier against Georgia.
    He also featured as part of the 2014 French World Cup squad and was named the tournament's best young player.
    Pogba's performances at the 2016 European Championship helped attract the attention of his former club Manchester United, under new manager Jose Mourinho.
    After a protracted transfer saga, lasting several weeks, Pogba eventually signed for United last August and has so far appeared in almost 50 league and cup games this season.


  6. Waqas Dar
    While Pakistani singing sensation Ali Zafar has made his mark as an actor, singer, and painter in both Pakistan and India, reports suggest that his younger brother is all set to make his entry into the Bollywood.
    It has also been reported that Danyal Zafar will be launched by none other than Yash Raj Films.
    Danyal Zafar is starring in a movie directed by Habib Faisal, whose last movie Daawat-e-Ishq failed to impress the audiences.
    Moreover, the movie will also launch five newcomers alongside Danyal, according to Indian media.
    Out of the five, two actors are foreigners and one actress from north-east India. Danyal will be playing the main lead in the movie, which revolved a music band formed by criminals.
    The movie will be shot towards the end of October.
    Only time will tell if Danyal is able to live up to the expectations set by his brother Ali Zafar, who has starred in Bollywood movies such as Tere Bin Laden, London Paris New York and Kill Dill among others.


  7. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) Deputy Director Jamil Ahmed on Tuesday said that the gangs involved in organ trafficking have been identified.
    "A gang has been identified and there were many others who are performing this crime independently in Punjab, KPK and Kashmir," he said in Geo News` show, Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.
    Ahmed said that the group's agents in the Middle East have also been identified, adding that few of them are Pakistani agents and a few are Middle Eastern agents.
    He said that organ trafficking is a cross-border crime being operated by an international racket in the Middle East and Pakistan.
    Replying to a question that why prior action was not taken against the racket, he said that FIA has been given the mandate recently to act against such groups.
    "FIA has only conducted one raid as the action was not under its purview before", he added. 
    "FIA was not competent for cognizance, investigate and prosecute," he claimed.
    When asked by the host that what the agency have done to ensure that the arrested gang would not be freed from the custody.
    Jamil said, "We called the technical people after the raid, forensic experts, Punjab forensic science agency at the crime scene so that we could secure the evidence such as blood soaked clothes, DNA and tissues could be matched.,” he added.
    "The digital and forensic evidence have been secured on the scientific basis and the circumstantial evidence is also with us.
    Earlier today, the main accused of the gang was arrested from Sialkot.
    The arrested person, Abdul Majeed, has been accused of tracing kidney patients in foreign countries and then connecting them to Dr Fawad, another accused.
    Majeed would charge Rs4 million for a kidney.
    Earlier in the month, FIA arrested Dr Fawad, Dr Khalid and Dr Altamash.  
    The arrests were made during the raid at a private housing society, where the clinic was being run, in Lahore. 
     


  8. Waqas Dar
    Fans are in for a treat as Katrina Kaif is going to be a part of Aamir Khan’s much-awaited project Thugs of Hindostan.
    Indian media reports quoting sources said that Dangal star Fatima Sana Shaikh will rejoin Aamir on this project.
    Aamir Khan and Katrina were seen together in film Dhoom 3.
    It was earlier speculated that Salman Khan had suggested Katrina’s name for the film and seems like the role finally landed onto her lap.
    Not only that, Kat will make a special appearance in a film featuring Shah Rukh Khan, directed by  Anand K Rai who directed ‘Tanu Weds Manu’.


  9. Waqas Dar
    A tweet by US teen has left behind Ellen DeGeneres’ famous group selfie tweet, getting the most retweets in the world.
    “Yo @Wendy’s how many tweets for a year of free chicken nuggets,” tweeted Carter Wilkerson from the state of Nevada. Wendy’s a US fast food company, replied 18 million—surely in jest. Little did they know the tweet will not only reach the limit but also exceed it.

    Although the fast food chain had said it would take 18 million retweets for the 16-year-old to receive a year of free chicken nuggets, they immediately promised a year of free nuggets.
    The teen’s accomplishment was also acknowledged by The Guinness Book of World Records in a tweet.
    The record was previously held by the 2014 Oscars selfie tweeted by Degeneres, which had gone viral and inspired various similar group-selfies around the world.
     


  10. Waqas Dar
    New York: The Grammys will move next year from Los Angeles to New York to mark the 60th edition of the music industry´s premier awards, the Recording Academy announced Tuesday.
    The Grammys will take place on January 28 at the iconic Madison Square Garden after 14 years at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
    The move follows a concerted campaign by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who estimated that the awards -- typically accompanied by days of concerts and parties with the music world´s elite -- would bring $200 million to the Big Apple´s economy.
    "Playing host to the music industry´s marquee awards show is a unique creative, artistic and economic boon to the rich cultural fabric of our city," de Blasio said in a statement.
    The Recording Academy, the body of music professionals that administers the awards, announced the news on social media with a short video by New York director Spike Lee.
    The film goes on a celebrity-led tour of music sites in New York from Carnegie Hall to Harlem´s Apollo Theater to the defunct CBGB punk bar to Marcy Houses, the public housing complex in Brooklyn where rap mogul Jay Z grew up.
    Since the first awards in 1959, the Grammys have alternated between New York and Los Angeles. But Los Angeles has kept the Grammys since 2004 -- in part because it is generally less expensive than New York.
    The Recording Academy announced New York as the venue only for 2018, with expectations that the Grammys could return to Los Angeles in subsequent years.
    While the decision to shift to New York had long been in the works, a battle had grown over which venue would win the lucrative, live-broadcast show.
    Madison Square Garden played host when the Grammys last came to New York in 2003 and is one of the most famous arenas in the world.
    But it faced competition from Barclays Center, the Brooklyn arena partially built by Jay Z that has been home to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions.
    Los Angeles will remain home to the year´s most watched award extravaganza, the Oscars, which are scheduled for March 4.
    This year´s MTV Video Music Awards are also due to take place in Los Angeles after shifting last year to Madison Square Garden.


  11. Waqas Dar
    It seems that even French President-elect Emmanuel Macron also had his fill of the media spotlight on his wife, Brigitte Trogneux – who happens to be 25 years his senior.
    In a press conference, Macron finally addressed the issue, saying that all the interest regarding the couple’s age difference tells about the misogyny in France.
    “If my wife was 20 years older than I am then nobody would have questioned the legitimacy of the relationship even for a second,” he was quoted as saying in an Independent.co report.
    The couple’s relationship has been a special topic of interest for media organisations and social media discussions alike.
    Newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron's wife, now 64, has been constantly by his side during his campaign, managing his agenda, editing his speeches and advising him on his stage presence.


  12. Waqas Dar
    PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Tuesday that a few lobbies and institutions pressurised him to join Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government after last general election – however, he refused.
    In an apparent jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he said that those who raise their voice against corruption, ironically corruption is thriving in their governing province.
    Speaking in rally he claimed that PTI was brought into power in the KPK to weaken the religiosity in the Pashtun areas of the country.
    The JUIF chief said that he has already won the battle and would “not beat a dead snake”.
    Earlier, Fazl while speaking at a press conference in Nowshera stated:“I have defeated Imran Khan and don’t want to waste more time on the issue.” Adding, “His [Khan’s] opinion does not deserve a reply from our end.”
    The people of KP will support us in the next elections, he added.
    In a rebuttal to his statement PTI Chairman Imran Khan remarked: “In the country’s politics, Fazal-ur-Rehman has become history now.”
    Separately Khan has also called Rehman the ‘vice-captain of Nawaz’s corruption team’. “For God’s sake don’t use Maulana with your name,” he said in a message to the JUI-F chief.


  13. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Census material from first phase of 6th Housing and Population Census has been safely transported to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in Islamabad under Pakististan Army’s protection, according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
    The first phase of the population census, which covered 63 districts of all provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, concluded on April 15.
    The second phase is in progress and set to conclude on May 25.
    Read more: Sixth population census begins in 63 districts across Pakistan
    The 6th Housing and Population Census began after a period of 19 years on March 15. The census were conducted in 16 districts of Punjab, eight districts of Sindh, 14 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 15 districts of Balochistan, five districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and five districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.
    In the second phase which commence on April 25, the census process will be conducted in 21 districts each of Punjab and Sindh, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 in Balochistan, Islamabad Capital Territory, and five each in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.


  14. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan General Zubair Mahmood Hayat met Australian Chief of Defence Forces, Air Chief Marshall Mark Binskin in Australia on Tuesday.
    The CJCSC is on an official visit to Australia, according to the ISPR.
    During the meeting, matters of mutual professional interests with particular reference to global and regional security environment were discussed, the ISPR said.
    The ISPR added that the CJCSC also held separate meetings with other Australian armed forces chiefs, Minister of Foreign Affairs and other Australian officials.
     Australian dignitaries appreciated the high professional standards of Pakistan Armed Forces and their valued contributions in regional peace and stability, the ISPR statement said.


  15. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: A 12-year-old maid was allegedly raped in Karachi. Following the incident, Inspector General of Police Sindh took notice of the incident and seven suspects were arrested upon his directions.
    According to SSP Kashmor Samiullah said that the young girl used to work at a house in Malir, belonging to Rahib Saharyani.
    The girl, who is a resident of Kashmor, along with her parents reached Kandhkot police station (E-section) and gave a statement to police.
    She claimed that four men raped her after she was drugged.
    Police said that a letter was issued for the girl’s medical check-up and she has been sent to the Civil hospital.
    The parents of the girl came to Karachi seeking justice but reportedly to no avail.
    Following the IG Sindh’s notice of the matter, a case was registered against seven suspects in the E-section police station and further investigation is underway. 


  16. Waqas Dar
    LONDON: A British man jailed after trying to assassinate Donald Trump said on Tuesday that screaming voices in his head urged him to lunge for a policeman’s gun.
    Michael Sandford, 21, who has a history of mental health issues, told The Sun newspaper how he feared being shot dead himself after being flattened by officers, six metres away from Trump who was campaigning to become US president.
    Sandford, who is back at his family home in Dorking, south of London, after being released last Tuesday, said he decided to take action after feeling angry about Trump. “I was hearing voices telling me to kill Donald Trump,” he said. “They’d been coming on for a while and getting stronger and more frequent. At one point they were screaming at me.”
    “My friends had said Trump needed to be stopped. They said he was going to destroy the country – but it was the voices in my head which were telling me to kill him.”
    “Then one day I saw he was speaking in Las Vegas and I decided to drive there and do something myself,” he added.
    The incident happened on June 18 last year as the Republican candidate was campaigning in the Nevada gambling city. The day before, Sandford – who was in the United States to be reunited with his US girlfriend and overstayed his visa – went to a shooting range and practised firing pistols. “Deep down I knew there was something wrong but I tried to convince myself it was OK,” he said.
    At the rally, when he tried to pull an officer’s gun from its holster, it got stuck and Sandford was bundled to the ground. He admitted being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and disrupting government functions as part of a plea deal for a shorter sentence. He was jailed in December for a year and a day.
    Much of his sentence was spent on remand and he was released early. “I’m disgusted by what I did but I’m so glad no-one was hurt,” he said.
    His mother Lynne, who was powerless to stop him leaving Britain, is calling for new laws to help the parents of mentally ill youngsters protect them after they become adults.


  17. Waqas Dar
    RAWALPINDI: Security forces on Tuesday recovered suicide jackets, explosive cylinder, IEDs, anti-tank mines and detonators in an intelligence-based operation conducted under Operation Raddul Fasaad in Federally Administrative Tribal Areas, informed Pakistan Army`s media wing.
    ISPR said that a large quantity of arms & ammunition of various caliber including SMGs, pistols,12.7 & 14.5 mm and rockets were also recovered from an abandoned terrorist compound in village Lalejai and Weshtonai area of South Waziristan agency.
    Meanwhile, it further said that scores of suspect were apprehended along with arms and ammo in a joint search operation conducted by Punjab Rangers, police and intelligence agencies in Lahore, Attock, Islamabad, Sialkot, Narowal, Shiekhupura, DG Khan, Rahimyar Khan and Rajanpur.
    Recently, Chief of Army Staff Qamar Jawed Bajwa confirmed death sentences of 30 hardcore terrorists involved in terrorism including the attack on Army Public School in 2014.
    The COAS signed the execution orders (black warrants) of the terrorists today.
    The ISPR said that the death sentences were given to the terrorists in military courts, and the trial process was expedited during ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
    The terrorists carried out terrorist attacks, murder of civilians, and were also involved in APS school attack, which killed 144 students and staff members.
    The ISPR said that some of the terrorists had involvement in attacks which resulted in the death of FC personnel, adding that they also had a part in Saidu Sharif airport attack.


  18. Waqas Dar
    SHEIKHUPURA: A landlady cut the hand of a 13-year-old boy for refusing to feed the cattle in the Wahiwala village.
    Muhammad Irfan used to work for Chauhdry Shafqat Bibi at Rs3,000 per month.
    According to the boy’s mother, around 10 days back, the boy, starving, had refused to feed the animals. On this Shafqat Bibi got enraged and put his hand on in a fodder-cutting machine.
    The boy was immediately rushed to the hospital but the doctors were unable to fix his hand.
    Irfan’s family said that they went to file a First Information Report (FIR) but the police kept delaying it. An FIR was finally registered after 10 days on court order, but by then Shafqat Bibi had already obtained a pre-arrest bail.


  19. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The complicated case of Indian woman’s marriage to Pakistani man took another turn as Uzma’s brother reiterated on Tuesday her earlier claims in an interview with Geo News.
    Waseem Ahmed said that Uzma had only travelled to Pakistan just to see Tahir. However, she informed him that she was coerced into marriage, adding that she was berated, beaten and threatened by Tahir.
    According to Uzma, she was duped into marriage by Tahir, he said. Waseem also said that he spoke to his sister last on May 7.
    The case has come to the forefront after her husband claimed that Indian High Commission has stopped her wife from leaving the premises during their visit to apply for visa on Saturday. 
    Uzma, who belongs to New Delhi, and Tahir fell in love with each other in Malaysia, after which she travelled to Pakistan on May 1 via the Wagah border, and got married to him on May 3, according to Tahir.
    Later, Indian High Commission claimed that Uzma has been staying there out of her own will.
    On Monday, Uzma alleged that he was forced to marry Tahir Ali at gunpoint, adding that she was unaware that Tahir was married and was the father of four children while speaking to the media. 
    Read more: Tahir rejects coercion claims, says Indian wife knew about his first marriage
    The claims were denied by Tahir, who said that Uzma was aware of his first marriage and gave her consent before their nikkah. He also provided a screenshot of WhatsApp conversation between the couple proving his side of the story, and shared video of the wedding.
    Uzma to be sent back after completion of legalities: FO
    The Pakistan Foreign Office said on Tuesday that Uzma would only be sent back once all legal requirements in the case are completed.
    Read more: Indian citizen to be sent back after legal requirements complete: FO
    According to sources in the Indian High Commission, they have sent a copy of Uzma's statements made before the magistrate and other relevant documents to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
    They added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan was cooperating in the matter, expecting Uzma would soon get her travel documents.
    However, the Pakistani authorities said the case was in the court and the woman would get her documents after legal procedures are completed.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     


  20. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan State Oil has cancelled a tender to buy jet fuel for delivery in June amid a border dispute between the South Asian country and Afghanistan, a source at the company said on Tuesday.
    PSO initially sought to buy a cargo of 10,000 tonnes of jet fuel for delivery in June but this has now been cancelled due to restrictions in shipping oil across the border, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with media.
    About 70 to 80 percent of the company´s imports of jet fuel are re-exported to neighbouring Afghanistan, the source added.
    "We still have a cargo waiting to unload outside of Afghanistan and it´s been waiting for the past four to five days," the source said.
    US and Afghan special forces, backed by drone strikes and other air support, have waged a series of operations against Daesh in Afghanistan since March, killing dozens of their fighters, mainly in Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan.
    Separately, PSO also cancelled a tender to buy gasoil cargoes for June as it has sufficient inventory, the source said.


  21. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Opposition members in Sindh Assembly continued to protest for the second consecutive day on Tuesday for not being given a chance to speak.
    MQM’s Dr Zafar Kamali moved a motion on community development programme but it was rejected after which the opposition members protested.
    Moreover, resolutions on chikungunya and cheating mafia were also rejected in the session.
    The opposition members also chanted slogans of ‘Go Nawaz Go’, ‘Go Shehla Go’ [against Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza] and ‘No Corruption No’.
    Afterwards, they also staged a walkout.
    Speaking to the media after the session, Pakistan Muslim League- Functional (PML-F)’s  Mahtab Akbar Rashdi remarked that the important issues such as chikungunya can no longer  be discussed in the assembly’ session. She also asked if the sole purpose of the session was to praise the ruling party.
    Opposition leader Syed Sardar Ahmed said that Pakistan Peoples Party just wants to created distractions in the province.
    Imdad Pitafi’s offensive remark
    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Imdad Pitafi landed in hot waters after he lost his cool and made an offensive remark regarding the Prime Minister.
    Following his remark, slogans of ‘Shame Shame’ were chanting against him.
    However, when he was explaining his use of the word he again used the same word. He explained, “load shedding is rampant in the entire province. There is no electricity due to which I am not able to sleep properly. My brain is not functioning properly. I meant to say something else but said something completely else.”
    Govt’s ‘defensive response’
    In response to the aggressive behaviour of the opposition members, the government endorsed a defensive stance and passed a resolution favouring a change in reserved seats.
    PPP’s Sohail Anwar Siyal moved a motion according to which reserved seats will be re-distributed according to party positions in the provincial assembly.  
    The resolution was passed with a majority votes.
    Despite the absence of opposition members, Deputy Speaker dealt with all the issues raised.
     


  22. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan was called to the Foreign Office here Tuesday for conveying Pakistan's concerns over the reported remarks of the Iranian Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces regarding cross border actions.
    The foreign office in statement said it was conveyed to the Iranian ambassador that such remarks were against the spirit of brotherly relations existing between the two countries.
    Recently, the frequency of high level exchanges from both the sides has strengthened the bilateral cooperation and during the visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister to Islamabad on May 3, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation on the border issues.
    The Iranian side was urged to avoid issuance of such statements that could vitiate the environment of fraternal relations.
    On Monday, the head of the Iranian armed forces had warned Islamabad that Tehran would hit bases inside Pakistan if the government does not confront militants who carry out cross-border attacks.
    Ten Iranian border guards were killed by militants last month. Iran claimed militant group Jaish al Adl, had shot the guards with long-range guns, fired from inside Pakistan.
    The border area has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and separatist militants.


  23. Waqas Dar
    Jakarta's Christian governor was jailed for two years Tuesday after being found guilty of blasphemy, in a shock decision that has stoked concerns over rising religious intolerance in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.
    Hardliners gathered outside the Jakarta court as news came through that Basuki Tjahaja Purnama would be sent to prison for insulting Islam, a surprisingly harsh punishment after prosecutors recommended only probation.
    Purnama, Jakarta's first non-Muslim governor for half a century and its first ethnic Chinese leader, looked calm when the verdict was announced and said he would appeal, as some of his supporters in court burst into tears.
    He was immediately transferred to jail and authorities said his deputy would take over running Jakarta for the final few months of his term. Hundreds of his supporters descended on the prison shouting "Free Ahok"—Purnama's nickname—and shook the gate of the facility.
    The 50-year-old was hauled into court last year to face trial on charges of insulting the Holy Quran while campaigning for re-election, after the blasphemy accusations sparked a series of mass protests in Jakarta spearheaded by radical groups and encouraged by his rivals.
    Tuesday's jail sentence and his loss last month to a Muslim challenger in the Jakarta vote, which he had once been favourite to win, has fuelled fears that hardliners are growing increasingly influential and that the country's much-vaunted tolerance is under threat.
    "It's another big step in the slow decline of religious freedom in Indonesia," said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher for Human Rights Watch, after Purnama was jailed.
    "If someone of that political stature can be charged and sent to prison, what will happen to others?"
    Indonesia, 90 percent of whose 255 million people are Muslim, has a long tradition of pluralistic values and is home to substantial populations of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists. But there has been a rise in attacks on minorities in recent years.
    'He has insulted us'
    The five-judge panel at the Jakarta court found Purnama guilty of blasphemy after a months-long trial, in a case criticised as politically motivated.
    Announcing the verdict, presiding judge Dwiarso Budi Santiarto said Purnama was "convincingly guilty of committing blasphemy and is sentenced to two years in prison" and ordered him to be detained.
    Blasphemy carries a maximum jail term of five years in Indonesia but the sentence was a surprise as judges typically follow the recommendation of prosecutors—in this case, they had proposed two years probation.
    Analysts said the shock verdict could be a result of Purnama's political rivals putting pressure on the country's notoriously corrupt judiciary to remove him from power as soon as possible.
    President Joko Widodo, an ally of the governor, urged people to respect the decision of the court but added that "we must also respect the move by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama to file an appeal".
    Outside the court, hundreds of radicals celebrated as they heard about the jail sentence.
    "Thank God, he should be jailed—this is right. He has insulted us," Bachtiar, 38, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP.
    Despite the trial, Purnama retained a loyal following in Jakarta due to his determination to clean up the traffic-clogged and polluted city, and his supporters rallied outside the court and the prison.
    "Ahok is innocent and he doesn't deserve this—he has done good things for us and the city," said Sari Puji Astuti, 47, as she fought back tears.


  24. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz remarked on Tuesday that Bab-e-Dosti border, between Afghanistan and Pakistan, will not be opened till Afghanistan government addresses Pakistan’s reservations.
    Aziz met with Afghan Ambassador Omar Zakhilwal at the Foreign Office on Tuesday.
    During the meeting, the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan were also discussed in detail. Sartaj Aziz also said that the ambassador should have raised problems of the Afghan government with Pakistan.
    Afghan forces targeted innocent citizens during the Chaman firing incident, he remarked.
    According to the sources, the ambassador later conveyed Pakistan’s reservations to the Afghan government.  
    On Monday, Sartaj Aziz had condemned the Chaman incident and called it “unfortunate” while addressing a news conference at the Foreign Office.
    He also remarked that Pakistan responded to the firing from across the border. 
    On May 5, at least 11 people were martyred and 46 injured when Afghan border forces opened fire on Frontier Corps Balochistan soldiers deployed for security of census team near the Chaman border.
    Read more: 11 martyred, 46 injured in firing by Afghan forces at Chaman border
    In response, the gate between both the countries on the Chaman border, Bab-e-Dosti was closed following firing from the Afghan border police. 
    On May 7, more than 50 Afghan soldiers were killed and about 100 injured when Pakistan retaliated to unprovoked firing and shelling by Afghan forces at Chaman border, Balochistan Frontier Corps Inspector General Major General Nadeem Ahmed said.


  25. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the central leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held on Tuesday demanded that the investigation carried out by the Joint Investigation Team in the Panama Papers case be made public.
    The party’s chairman Imran Khan presided over the meeting.
    According to the party’s spokesman, PTI leaders demanded that the media be allowed to cover the developments in the JIT probe as had happened in the Panama Papers case.
    “Any attempts to keep the JIT probe secret will not be acceptable,” said that spokesman.
    The meeting also asked the government to avoid doing politics on the Dawn Leaks report and demanded that the report be made public. The party’s leadership decided that any attempts to save those behind Dawn Leaks will not be allowed to succeed.


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