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Waqas Dar

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Blog Entries posted by Waqas Dar

  1. Waqas Dar
    New Delhi on Thursday rejected Chinese offer to mediate over the Kashmir issue saying that it doesn't want any third country's intervention in improving India-Pakistan relations, adding that its stand on resolving issues through bilateral framework has not changed. ANI reported.

    The remarks came in the backdrop of China's offer saying that it is ready to play a constructive role in improving ties between both the nation, which has been in conflict over the Kashmir issue.
    "We are ready to have a dialogue with Pakistan, among other issues, but in a bilateral framework. So the (India's) position of addressing all issues with Pakistan, including the Jammu and Kashmir issue, in a bilateral framework has not changed," he added.
    Earlier Beijing stated that the conflict between India and Pakistan is threatening peace and stability in the region.
    "Both Pakistan and India are important countries in South Asia. The conflict between the two countries along the Line of Control in Kashmir is neither conducive to their own stability and development nor regional peace and tranquillity," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said during a press conference on Wednesday.
    "China hopes relevant parties to do more to help with regional peace and stability and refrain from escalating the tension. China stands ready to play a constructive role to improve the relations between Pakistan and India," he added.


  2. Waqas Dar
    Company was dissolved in 2014, says Hussain Nawaz ISLAMABAD: Hussain Nawaz, son of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has claimed that the premier does not own any shares or has ever drawn salary from the company FZE Capital. 
    He added, while talking to The News, that there is no evidence that the prime minister has any share in the said company or any salary was transferred to his account. 
    "If any salary was ever transferred to the account of the prime minister from this company, the Sharif family must be penalised for it," said Hussain while talking to The News. 
    Hussain added that the company is owned by the Sharif family but the premier never held any shares and he was appointed chairman simply for facilitation of visa and visits to UAE in 2006.
    The company was dissolved in 2014, the prime minister's son claimed. 
    The News reported that the JAFZA letter mentioned the salary from the same appointment letter.




  3. Waqas Dar
    PTI chairman gestures to newsmen at a presser in Peshawar. ? Geo News screengrab PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Thursday claimed that India considers Nawaz Sharif its ally and is concerned for his possible ouster.

    The statement was based on a report in India's English-language daily, Times of India, stating that PM Sharif's loss may strengthen (Pakistani) army, which has India worried. The article said it would create "new security complications for India".
    Speaking to media in Peshawar, Khan quoted the article published in the Indian daily and claimed, "India fears for the loss of its ally". He said ethics are true spirit of democracy and prime ministers, all over the world, step down for speaking a mere lie.
    Referring to Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the PTI chairman said the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazli chief was backing PM for the sake of money.
    He also spoke of his party-led government's efforts for improving health facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
    Khan said the system of public hospitals in KP was functioning rightly and that they were intended to improve it. "We have recruited another 6500 doctors and now 95 per cent district hospitals have a doctor."
    He said the provincial health budget was increased from Rs18 billion to Rs65 billion.
    The PTI chairman termed health card as their major success. "We started off with 1.8 million families and soon the health cards will be available to 70 per cent population of the province." 


  4. Waqas Dar
    KARACHI: Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed said that international teams played Champions Trophy tournament in England despite security concerns hence it is now time that international cricket resumes in Pakistan.

    Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, he said that the national team captain of all three formats of the game said that Pakistan cricket is facing a detrimental loss because of no home cricket.
    Ahmed said that captaining notational test side is nothing less than a challenge and the team will certainly miss Misbahul Haq and Younis Khan, adding that he is aiming to bring consistency in the team.
    He added that the cricket team has a good combination of senior and junior players ? a cricket team always need senior players in the squad and the seniors must be in the team if they are performing well.
    Ahmed said due to Pakistan Super League young players got much-needed exposure.
    ?Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman have played domestic cricket but PSL gave them an identity,? he said.
    He said that Pakistan cricket has a got a new life after winning the Champions Trophy as people now have raised their expectations for the team.
    ?We have to progress more. We have to win more series,? he said. ?Things have become better in last two years. We have to now give more such good performances.?    


  5. Waqas Dar
    Nawaz lacks the courage to confront the democratic political parties of the country, says Shah. -Geo News ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader Khursheed Shah on Thursday said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lost moral legitimacy and should resign following the submission of the Panama Joint Investigation Team?s (JIT) report. 

    Shah added the PML-N government should complete its tenure by nominating another party leader for the position of prime minister. 
    "The government wants confrontation with the judiciary."
    Shah said the PPP stands along side national institutions while the incumbent leadership has caused irreparable loss to institutions and said the PML-N has attacked the Supreme Court in the past.
    Taking a swipe at the leadership, he asked if they will again confront the public and the judiciary.
    He also questioned why no action has been taken against the prime minister yet. 
    Shah said that Nawaz lacks the courage to confront the democratic political parties of the country.
    'Will not let anyone derail democracy'
    Leader of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai expressed his support to the government after the JIT report.
    He said his party`s alliance with Nawaz Sharif is for the sake of democracy and PKMAP will not let anyone derail democracy.
    He added that no leader is more popular in the country than Nawaz today.
    Terming corruption as the biggest issue facing the country, he said one person alone should not be targeted under the garb of accountability.
    Achakzai added that it is a good omen if the JIT wants to eradicate corruption from the country but corruption has not yet been defined in the country.   


  6. Waqas Dar
    American Airlines planes are viewed at Philadelphia International Airport in July 2017 - AFP DOHA: Qatar Airways and Abu Dhabi's Etihad said Thursday they were disappointed with an American Airlines decision to end its codeshare relationships with them as part of its push against government subsidies of Middle Eastern carriers.
    On Wednesday, American notified both carriers of its decision to no longer share flights with them over what it described as "illegal subsidies".
    "We are disappointed," Akbar al-Baker, chief executive of Qatar Airways, said on Thursday.
    But he said the decision would not lead to his airline reducing services to the United States.
    "If this is any way for them to make us reduce or stop our operations to the United States, we are not going to do so," he said.
    "We have other partners who want to work with us so we will continue."
    An Etihad spokesman said the carrier was also "disappointed" by American's decision.
    "We view the decision by American Airlines as being anti-competitive and anti-consumer," the spokesman said, adding it will "reduce choices for consumers and may result in higher fares".
    He said Etihad rejected the "allegations of American and the two other dominant US carriers regarding violations of the relevant air transportation agreements".
    American -- along with fellow US carriers Delta Air Lines and United Airlines -- has called for the White House to crack down on an alleged $50 billion in state subsidies to Middle East carriers.
    The US companies say the home-country financial backing allow the airlines to illegally compete in the American market, something which Qatar Airways has also denied.
    An American Airlines spokesman on Wednesday said that maintaining the programme "no longer (makes) sense for us".
    "This decision has no material financial impact on American and is an extension of our stance against the illegal subsidies that these carriers receive from their governments."
    American's decision came after Qatar Airways said in June that it wanted to buy as much as a 10 percent stake in American Airlines, which caught the US carrier by surprise.
    Foreign policy experts viewed the move as an attempt by Qatar to garner foreign support amid a diplomatic clash between Qatar and four neighbouring states, including Saudi Arabia.


  7. Waqas Dar
    A Saudi girl waves a flag during celebrations marking Saudi Arabian National Day in Riyadh on September 23 - AFP DUBAI: Rights campaigners on Thursday welcomed an "overdue" reform in Saudi Arabia to allow girls to take part in sports at state schools in the ultra-conservative kingdom.
    The education ministry on Tuesday said state schools for girls would offer physical education from the next academic year providing they had the facilities.
    "This overdue reform is absolutely crucial for Saudi girls, who have been denied their basic human right to health through exercise, joining teams, and the long-term health, economic, and education benefits of sports," Human Rights Watch's Minky Worden said.
    "This important step forward can advance human rights and health for women despite the daunting legal hurdles that remain in the country."
    Saudi Arabia has some of the world's tightest restrictions on women and is the only country where they are not allowed to drive.
    Under the country's guardianship system, a male family member -- normally the father, husband or brother -- must grant permission for a woman's study, travel and other activities.
    And women are effectively barred from sports arenas by strict rules on segregation of the sexes in public.
    The ministry said introducing sport classes in girls schools come as part of the kingdom's "Vision 2030" plan for economic and social reforms.
    Last year, Saudi Arabia appointed a princess to oversee women's sports in the kingdom.
    Saudi Arabia was represented by four female athletes at the 2016 Olympics, up from just two in 2012.
    A Saudi state school for the first time introduced sports for girls in 2014, after a consultative council recommended the ban on women in sports be scrapped.


  8. Waqas Dar
    The US Supreme Court last month reinstated a modified version of President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries including Iran - AFP TEHRAN: An Iranian cancer researcher with alleged links to a hardline militia in Iran says he was denied entry to the United States and deported with his family.
    Mohsen Dehnavi had flown to the US with his wife and three small children to conduct postdoctoral research at Boston Children's Hospital, affiliated with Harvard University.
    They were stopped by the immigration police at Boston's Logan international airport and deported the next day, Dehnavi told state broadcaster IRIB at Tehran airport on Wednesday night.
    "The US government, with the new restrictions on Iranians, did not let us enter although the goal of our trip was scientific and our research was aimed at saving cancer patients," he said.
    Dehnavi said the police detained them for 30 hours without any outside contact and confiscated his research equipment and laptop.
    "They said it is clear to us that you are a top scientist in children's cancer treatment which is a completely humane, non-military and non-dangerous field, but we cannot allow you into the US due to existing security protocols," he said.
    Dehnavi said he had been in contact with Harvard for two years and obtained his visa in March.
    According to the archives of the conservative Fars news agency, Dehnavi was head of the Basij militia at the prestigious Sharif University in 2007.
    Iran's vice president for science and technology, Sorena Sattari, said the researcher had been deported on the basis of "unconventional excuses" and that it was cancer patients who would suffer the consequences, Tasnim news agency reported.
    Former US secretary of state John Kerry called the incident "tragic".
    "A doctor comes to the US to save lives and this happens. This is not who we are," he wrote in a tweet Wednesday in response to an article on the case in The Boston Globe.
    The US Supreme Court last month reinstated a modified version of President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens from six predominantly Muslim countries including Iran.
    Trump says the ban is needed to keep "terrorists" out of the country but Tehran has called it "truly shameful".
    The Basij paramilitary volunteer force, established by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the 1979 revolution, played a key role in crushing opposition protests in 2009.
    Largely recruited from among young Iranians, the militia also plays an important social role, being deployed in vaccination campaigns and relief efforts after earthquakes and other natural disasters.
    In 2013, Dehnavi was a key campaign official of Saeed Jalili, a hardline opponent of President Hassan Rouhani in the presidential election, according to Fars and Khabar Online reports at the time.




  9. Waqas Dar
    Calderwood appreciated and acknowledged Pakistan's continuous efforts for peace. -ISPR RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday met with Canadian High Commissioner Perry Calderwood, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations. 
    The dignitary appreciated and acknowledged Pakistan's continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region, added the statement.  
    Matters of mutual interest and regional security were discussed. 








  10. Waqas Dar
    Senator Nehal Hashmi (right). Photo: File  KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court approved Senator Nehal Hashmi?s bail request on Thursday, directing him to furnish a security bond of Rs200,000.

    During the hearing, Hashmi?s counsel informed the court that the investigation officer included terrorism charges in the challan 35 days after registering the FIR.
    The speech was held at a closed-door event and only part of it was leaked, the counsel added.
    The hearing was later adjourned till July 21.
    An FIR was registered against Hashmi at the Bahadurabad Police Station on the instructions of the federal government after a controversial speech of his was leaked to the media on May 31.
    In the speech, Hashmi allegedly threatened members of the Supreme Court and the Panama case joint investigation team.
    The Supreme Court took a suo motu notice of the speech and initiated contempt proceedings against Hashmi.
    Following the controversy, Hashmi was suspended from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and asked to resign from his Senate seat, however, he has refused to do so.
    Hashmi claims his speech was distorted, and that he could never imagine maligning the judiciary. 


  11. Waqas Dar
    LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Thursday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has unanimously rejected the report by the Panama case JIT.
    ?The PML-N has unanimously rejected the JIT report. We are proud of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the entire PML-N stands firmly behind the PM,? Sanaullah said while speaking to reporters here.
    The provincial law minister said the JIT inquiry had failed to taint Nawaz Sharif?s reputation.
    Referring to Imran Khan as ?ilzaam? Khan, Sanaullah mocked the PTI chief?s remarks.
    ?Ilzaam Khan says the PM?s children became billionaires. His efforts to remove the PM will not succeed,? Sanaullah said, adding that if the nation rejected him, the premier would leave by himself.
    ?It?s not just the Punjab Assembly, the entire Punjab trusts Nawaz Sharif,? the minister added.
    Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said earlier today he will not resign regardless of the demands being made by the group conspiring against him as the people of Pakistan have elected him.
    PM Nawaz Sharif rejects resignation demands
    Cabinet members repose confidence in Nawaz Sharif following Panama JIT's report
    Addressing the cabinet members, Sharif termed JIT report a concoction of allegations and stories regarding his family's private businesses.
    "Without any hesitation I presented myself and family before the JIT," he stated, adding that his family business predates the entry of any family member in politics.
    "My family didn?t earn anything from politics but did lose a lot," he said, adding that despite reservations he accepted the JIT's formation.


  12. Waqas Dar
    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Photo: File   ISLAMABAD: All opposition parties on the same page when it comes to the premier's resignation, said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a press conference on Thursday.
    He said a session of the Senate has been called at 4pm on July 17, the day the Supreme Court?s special bench will hold its next hearing in the Panama case.
    Qureshi said he is in touch with all opposition parties, adding that the PTI and Pakistan Peoples Party have signed the application calling for a session of the National Assembly.
    The PTI leader said he is also in touch with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Jamaat-e-Islami.
    Qureshi claimed the premier was forced to summon a cabinet meeting today to reassure members that ?all is well? following the Panama case JIT report. 
    The political impact of the JIT is that even members of the cabinet are not convinced when it comes to refuting the report, he said. ?They do not seem to be on the same page?, he added.
    There is a difference of opinion inside the PML-N, claimed Qureshi.


  13. Waqas Dar
    Ford bagged his first major role as space smuggler Han Solo in the original Star Wars in 1977. Photo: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Harrison Ford turns 75 today and the Indiana Jones star doesn?t seem too keen on retiring from Hollywood anytime soon!

    With Blade Runner 2049, alongside Ryan Gosling, set to release in October later this year, Ford shows no signs of slowing down or letting go off his action hero image, which fans have come to love.
    Born on July 13, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, Ford was a late starter in the cinematic world, initially working as a carpenter till he was 30, and finally doing minor roles on television and in films to support his wife and two children.
    It was not until the age of 35, when Ford bagged his first major role as space smuggler Han Solo in the original Star Wars in 1977.
    Contributing almost 50 years of unforgettable iconic roles, Ford has played Han Solo in the Star Wars series, an archaeologist gone rogue in Indiana Jones, and Rick Deckard in Blade Runner.
    As of 2016, his films have grossed over 6 billion worldwide making Ford the highest-grossing US domestic box-office star.
    He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and too many awards to count, including an Oscar nomination for the role of a detective in The Witness (1985).


  14. Waqas Dar
    A view shows the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland August 14, 2012 - Reuters file photo  A novel cell treatment that saved the life of 9-year-old Austin Schuetz was given the green light by US regulatory advisers on Wednesday and doctors hope it can save the lives of more children with the most common type of childhood cancer.
    An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration voted unanimously to recommend approval of Novartis AG's tisagenlecleucel for treating B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and young adults who relapsed or failed chemotherapy. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of its advisers but typically does so.
    Austin Schuetz, who lives in Wisconsin, was treated in 2013 with the Novartis therapy as part of a clinical trial after leukemia cells were detected in his brain just two months after a bone marrow transplant from an anonymous donor.
    "We knew it was risky ... but it was the only option for us," said Kim Schuetz, Austin's mother. She said Austin, then age 6, suffered fever and severe headaches after the engineered T-cells were administered, but today shows no signs of cancer.
    The new drug class, known as chimeric antigen receptor T-cell or CAR-T, involves a complicated process of extracting immune system T-cells from an individual patient, altering the cell DNA to sharpen their ability to spot and kill cancer cells, and infusing them back into the patient.
    "The majority of calls we are getting are from patients looking for immunotherapies - particularly CAR-T therapies," said Dr Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
    Novartis has lagged some other big drugmakers in the first wave of immunotherapy drugs that are revolutionizing cancer treatment. Companies including Merck & Co Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co are logging billions of dollars in annual sales of drugs known as "checkpoint inhibitors" that fight cancer by removing a brake on the body's immune system.
    "The word is out there that this is different from traditional chemotherapy," Dr Nichols said.
    Between 80 percent and 90 percent of children with ALL are cured with intense chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant, but there are few options for remaining patients. "If your child is in that 10 to 20 percent, you are desperate," Dr Nichols said, while cautioning that it is too early to tell whether CAR-Ts offer lasting remissions for patients.
    In a clinical trial, 79 percent of patients given the Novartis therapy were alive a year later. Patients with ALL who fail chemotherapy typically have only a 16 percent to 30 percent chance of survival.
    CAR-Ts can also pose serious risks, including a potentially life-threatening inflammatory condition.
    Austin Schuetz, one of a handful of CAR-T patients to achieve multi-year remission of his cancer, requires biweekly infusions of immunoglobulin to replace B-cells wiped out by the engineered cancer-killing T-cells. Without B-cells, his body would not be able to fight off common infections.
    If approved by the FDA, CAR-T therapies could cost up to $500,000 and generate billions of dollars for their developers.
    As the cost of cancer drugs increases, health insurers have placed tighter restrictions on patient access.
    "While CAR-T is a promising new type of immunotherapy, it is not commercially available and we have yet to complete our evaluation," T.J. Crawford, a spokesman for health insurer Aetna Inc said in a statement.
    About 6,000 people are diagnosed with ALL in the United States each year and about 60 percent are children, according to the American Cancer Society.
    The FDA's decision on the Novartis drug, expected by late September, has significant implications not only for the Switzerland-based drugmaker but for companies making similar drugs, including Kite Pharma Inc , Juno Therapeutics Inc and Bluebird bio Inc.
    The agency is expected to decide by Nov. 29 whether to approve Kite's CAR-T, axi-cel, for treatment of adults with advanced and aggressive lymphoma.
    Kite has also reported data showing remission in 73 percent of 11 patients with relapsed ALL treated with axi-cel. It plans to launch a Phase 2 trial in the fourth quarter.
    Juno scrapped its initial CAR-T candidate for ALL after five patient deaths. The company has since reported early trial results for a different CAR-T showing that 66 percent of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients responded to the drug, and 18 percent suffered severe neurological side effects.


  15. Waqas Dar
    LOS ANGELES: Corrupt football official-turned-whistleblower Chuck Blazer, whose evidence helped trigger the FIFA bribery scandal, died Wednesday, his lawyers said.
    Blazer, who was banned for life from all football activities for corruption in 2015, had been battling cancer up to his death. He was 72.
    "We are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer," his lawyers said in a statement to AFP.
    "His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck´s positive impact on international soccer," the statement added.
    The bearded, hulking football official was a pivotal figure in the corruption scandal which convulsed FIFA in 2015 and ultimately led to the downfall of former supremo Sepp Blatter.
    Yet for years Blazer himself was seen as emblematic of the worst excesses of FIFA during the Blatter era, unapologetically pocketing millions to fund a luxurious, globe-trotting VIP lifestyle.
    His notorious excesses included an $18,000-a-month apartment in Trump Tower in New York -- and a separate $6,000 unit in the same building just to keep his mob of unruly cats.
    Blazer had pleaded guilty in 2013 to charges of racketeering, wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion as part of a web of corruption that spanned multiple decades.
    "Chuck felt profound sorrow and regret for his actions," his attorneys said Wednesday. "He expressed sincere remorse towards his former constituents and colleagues, and to all of the soccer players and fans disappointed by his conduct."
    While FIFA banned Blazer in 2015, he had in fact cut a deal to work with investigators years earlier, taking recording devices into meetings to help build a case against corrupt officials across the globe.
    ´Mr Ten Percent´
    Blazer had risen to power through his work with CONCACAF, the ruling body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, where he served as general secretary from 1990 until 2011.
    He was a powerful member of FIFA´s corruption-tainted Executive Committee from 1996 to April 2013, when he was succeeded by US Soccer´s Sunil Gulati.
    Blazer notoriously trousered vast earnings during his years as a football powerbroker, with one estimate suggesting he raked in millions to fund his extravagant lifestyle.
    A 2013 report by CONCACAF´s integrity committee said Blazer had received more than $20.6 million in commissions, fees and rental payments from the organisation between 1996 to 2011.
    Blazer was famous for posing with his blue and green parrot Between 2004 and 2011, some $26 million of CONCACAF expenses were charged to his personal American Express account.
    He was a close confidante of former CONCACAF President Jack Warner, who is also facing charges in the United States related to the scandal.
    Blazer was nicknamed "Mr Ten Percent" due to an arrangement he had with CONCACAF which granted him 10 percent of the regional confederation´s revenues.
    Blazer was unrepentant about the sums directed his way, however, insisting they were just reward for his work in helping to build the profile of football in the CONCACAF region.
    "I´m perfectly satisfied that I did an excellent job," Blazer once said about his sweetheart deal with CONCACAF.
    "I spent 21 years building the confederation and its competitions and its revenues and I´m the one responsible for its good levels of income."
    Opulent lifestyle: for cats
    However the opulent trappings of his office became ever more blatant.
    During his tenure as one of football´s senior chieftains, Blazer kept a blog -- "Travels with Chuck Blazer and Friends" -- dedicated to chronicling his brushes with celebrities and world leaders, posing with the likes of Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela and Miss Universe.
    Yet his luck ran out when he attempted to conceal his true level of income after failing to file tax returns between 2005 and 2010.
    According to one account, Blazer was arrested in New York by an FBI agent and an Internal Revenue Service official in 2011 as he trundled along on a mobility scooter to a favorite Manhattan restaurant, the now-defunct celebrity hangout Elaine´s.
    "We can take you away in handcuffs now or you can cooperate," Blazer was reportedly told.


  16. Waqas Dar
    The Pakistan Stock Exchange. Photo: File KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) took a bearish turn when the KSE-100 index fell 650 pips to hit 43,150 late afternoon, on Thursday.
    Traders showed mixed trading sentiments, with the index crossing the 44,100-points? level after it increased by 250 pips at the beginning of trade.
    The PSX witnessed a turbulent day on Wednesday when it bounced back late in the day after falling over 1,000 points earlier in the day. The KSE 100-index settled at 43,980 points around 2pm.
    Analysts blamed the uncertainty surrounding the prime minister?s future in light of the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report submitted to the Supreme Court on Monday for the recent declines.
    Nearly all leading opposition parties have called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resign from his post.
    Even though senior government officials, in a press conference on Tuesday night, asserted that the premier will not be resigning and instead prove his innocence in court, the stock market continues to dip.
    The Supreme Court will begin hearing the case following the JIT's report submission on July 17.
    Stock market experts said the market is reacting to the political uncertainty prevailing in the country. 


  17. Waqas Dar
    The six girls from Herat, Afghanistan reportedly were blocked from attending the robotics competition - AFP WASHINGTON: A team of Afghan girls who had been denied visas to attend a Washington robotics competition are now allowed to come, organizers said Wednesday.
    US authorities had originally denied access to schoolchildren from a number of Muslim-majority nations to participate in the science competition, decisions that followed implementation of stricter visa policies under President Donald Trump.
    But following public outcry over the Afghan girls' inability to attend the event, the US president urged US authorities to reverse course, according to US media.
    "I am most grateful to the US Government and its State Department for ensuring Afghanistan, as well as Gambia, would be able to join us for this international competition this year," said the president of the First Global organization, Joe Sestak, who noted that teams from Yemen, Libya and Morocco would also attend.
    "All 163 teams from 157 countries have gained approval to the United States, including Iran, Sudan, and a team of Syrian refugees," said Sestak, a former US Navy Admiral and congressman.
    "I could not be more proud."
    The six girls from Herat, Afghanistan reportedly were blocked from attending the robotics competition even after two rounds of interviews for a one-week visa.
    The visa rejections appeared to contradict the administration´s claim that it wants to empower women globally.
    When the reversal was announced, Trump adviser and daughter Ivanka Trump tweeted: "I look forward to welcoming this brilliant team of Afghan girls, and their competitors, to Washington DC next week!"
    The July 16-18 competition aims to build interest and confidence in engineering and technology in schools worldwide.
    Meanwhile in March, every single African due to attend the African Global Economic and Development Summit, a trade conference in California, had their visa request rejected, according to organizers.
    A limited version of Trump's travel ban -- termporarily visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- recently took effect, after the US Supreme Court allowed it to be enforced pending a full hearing in October.
    Travelers from Afghanistan and The Gambia are unaffected by that measure.


  18. Waqas Dar
    Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairperson Mahmood Khan Achakzai (R) was addressing a press conference on Thursday. QUETTA: We will never compromise or let go of our democratic values, said Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairperson Mahmood Khan Achakzai while addressing a press conference on Thursday.

    The leader also remarked that his party allied with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif due to their commitment towards democracy, adding that he will never support anti-state forces.
    ?We are and will always be against Martial Law.? Corruption is country?s most dangerous diseased, he added.


    Speaking about the current political scenario, Achakzai said that targeting someone on the basis of corruption is a political move.


  19. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court directed on Thursday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to submit complete details of his London apartment at the next hearing. 
    The PTI chief reportedly purchased the apartment from his cricket earnings and declared it as part of a government amnesty scheme in 2000.
    The three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing the petition of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi, who has accused the PTI chief, and party leader Jahangir Tareen, of not declaring their assets and seeks to unseat them on alleged violations of the lncome Tax Ordinance 1979 and Peoples Act 1974.
    Hearing the disqualification case against the PTI chief, the bench was informed by PTI counsel Naeem Bukhari that they have received half the record regarding the party?s international funding and will hopefully receive the second the half by tomorrow.
    Bukhari said the case?s original counsel, Anwar Mansoor, can return to the country on July 27 after his heart surgery.
    The court adjourned the hearing till July 25, directing the PTI counsel to furnish the financial record of Imran's apartment in London.
    Offshore companies are usually used to hide assets and launder money, observed the court, stating further that it wants to establish if the property was purchased through laundered sums.

    Addressing the media after the hearing, Abbasi criticised the constant excuse by PTI lawyers of not being present in the country. He claimed Imran has not furnished the money trail of his Bani Gala estate.

    Speaking earlier, PTI Spokesman Fawad Chaudrry claimed ?There is no chance of Imran?s disqualification in the case as we have submitted all the things demanded by the court?.
    He said Akbar Babar?s documents were provided by the PML-N in the Supreme Court as well, adding that PML-N counsel Akram Sheikh has no clue about the case.
    Babar, a PTI dissident, has petitioned the Election Commission of Pakistan claiming that there are gross irregularities in the party?s accounts and that it also receives ?foreign funding?. That case is ongoing. 


  20. Waqas Dar
    Talks between Trump and Macron are expected to focus on joint efforts to combat the Daesh group - AFP PARIS: Donald Trump arrived in Paris on Thursday for a presidential visit filled with Bastille Day pomp and which the White House hopes will offer respite from rolling scandal back home.

    Air Force One touched down at Paris' Orly airport shortly after 0630 GMT, with US president beginning a 24-hour trip that coincides with France's national day on Friday and the 100th anniversary of US involvement in World War I.
    Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the 71-year-old stepped onto French soil for the first time as president hoping the visit will distract from weighty allegations that his family and inner circle colluded with Russia to win the 2016 US election.
    The scandal has put his son and top aides in legal jeopardy and cast a pall over his efforts to remake American politics.
    During the lightning visit, Trump -- who sees himself as a transformative figure in US politics -- will be the guest of honour festivities marking a pivotal point in the French Revolution, after a trip to Napoleon's tomb and a Michelin-starred dinner at the Eiffel Tower.
    Trump and his host, recently-elected French President Emmanuel Macron, will watch troops parade down the Champs-Elysees and mark 100 years since America entered World War I on France's side.
    Macron, 39, is hoping to use the weight of history and French grandeur to charm the unpredictable Trump -- six weeks after welcoming Russia's Vladimir Putin at the grandiose Palace of Versailles.
    In London, Berlin, Brussels and Paris, European leaders are wondering how best to handle the US president, whose nationalist "America First" agenda has upended transatlantic relations.
    Macron hopes to build a relationship with the new occupant of the White House that might enable him to influence US policy or, at the least, help avoid serious strains between the EU and Washington.
    There are already tensions over climate change and trade, while Trump was openly critical of the EU last year and snubbed a handshake with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during their first meeting in March.
    "It's very difficult to play chess with a man whose strategy is a complete mystery and whose only consistency is his pursuit of American national interest," foreign affairs expert Bertrand Badie of Sciences Po university in Paris told AFP.
    "To imagine that you might change his mind on something is simply mad."
    Macron, the 'anti-Trump' 
    Talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on joint efforts to combat the Daesh group in Iraq and Syria, where American and French troops are in action side-by-side.
    They will dine together at the Jules Verne restaurant up the Eiffel Tower, enjoying stunning views of the French capital along with their wives Melania and Brigitte.
    Trump and Macron appear to have little in common, with their views at odds on everything from globalisation to immigration.
    Macron was even described as the "anti-Trump" during his run for the French presidency this year.
    As well as a huge generational gap -- Trump at 71 is almost twice Macron's age -- there is scant evidence of any overlap of interests in their personal lives.
    Macron also criticised Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the global Paris climate change agreement last month and used the American's own slogan against him, saying: "Make our planet great again."
    Macron told regional newspaper Ouest-France on Thursday that Paris and Washington had "an essential point of convergence: fighting terrorism and protecting our vital interests".
    However, he also lamented "a protectionist tendency (which) has resurfaced in the United States".
    "I want to defend free and fair trade," he added.
    But sources in the French presidency insist ties are healthy even after a muscular handshake seen as a battle of wills between the two of them when they first met at a NATO summit in May.
    "The relationship is excellent," said one member of Macron´s team.
    Pragmatic approach
    Manuel Lafont-Rapnouil, an expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said Macron had no choice but to try to build ties with the US president.
    "Whatever you think, the United States is still the United States and we need them on lots of issues. You can't just say 'Trump is there so let's wait until he's gone'," he told AFP.
    "Even if it is very difficult to handle someone as unpredictable as him, you need to try to salvage what you can."
    Nearly 11,000 police officers will be on duty, with France in its highest state of alert after a string of terror attacks since 2015 that have killed more than 300 people.
    And in early July, police charged a 23-year-old suspected far-right activist with plotting to assassinate Macron at the Bastille Day parade.
    It is also just one day shy of one year ago when on July 14 the country was plunged into mourning again after a truck ploughed into families enjoying a fireworks display in the southern Riviera city of Nice, leaving 86 dead. The Daesh group claimed responsibility.


  21. Waqas Dar
    Kohli and Anushka pictured together earlier this year While the Indian cricket team continues to make rounds in the media for its change in the coaches, skipper Virat Kohli is happily roaming the streets of New York City with his Bollywood ladylove Anushka Sharma.
    The high-profile couple seems to be enjoying some quality time together, as Anushka prepares to glam up the red carpet at the IIFA Awards 2017, scheduled to be held in New York City on July 14-15.
    Kohli, meanwhile, is having some ?much needed break? out in the Big Apple with the Bollywood diva and sent the internet into a meltdown with an adorable selfie of himself with Anushka.
    ?Much needed break with my [heart emoticon],? the skipper captioned the photo on his Instagram, which has drawn almost 1.5 million likes from starstruck fans within just 16 hours.


    The break is definitely a precious one, as Kohli gears up to lead out his team against Sri Lanka later this month. Anushka, on the other hand, is busy in the promotions of her movie ?Jab Harry Met Sejal? in which she stars with Shah Rukh Khan, and has also started working on her next project as a producer called PARI.



  22. Waqas Dar
    ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria said on Thursday that Pakistan strongly condemns Indian troops? violations along Line of Control (LoC).

    Nafees Zakaria was speaking during the weekly media briefing at foreign office.
    He also remarked that India has continuously been violating the ceasefire agreement, adding that innocent Kashmiris, including children, have been targeted by the violations by Indian troops.
    On July 10, five innocent people, including four women, were martyred in unprovoked firing by Indian troops along Line of Control (LoC), according to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
    Four Indian troops killed, two check posts destroyed by Pak Army on LoC: ISPR
    Five innocent people, including four women, were martyred
    Four others including three girls were injured due to the firing, which occurred in Rawalakot sector, Satwal, Manwal, Tatrinote areas along the LoC.
    Pakistan Army befittingly responded and killed four Indian troops and destroyed their two check posts, said Pakistan Army's media cell.
    Before this, back-to-back violations occurred on July 8 and July 9 after which at least two civilians were killed due to unprovoked Indian firing.
    Following, FO had summoned Indian Deputy High Commission JP Singh twice in a row to record protest. 


  23. Waqas Dar
    Ravi Shastri with Virat Kohli/File photo NEW DELHI: New India cricket coach Ravi Shastri plans to adopt a more hands-off approach to the role than his predecessor Anil Kumble, with the 55-year-old saying he has no intention of trying to act as a tutor to the players.
    Kumble stepped down last month citing a breakdown in his relationship with skipper Virat Kohli, who according to media reports, resented the former captain´s ´headmasterly´ methods.
    Shastri was handed the coaching reigns on Tuesday, a year after losing the job to Kumble, and the former all-rounder promised a fresh outlook to the job.
    "At the highest level, cricketers are more or less settled," Shastri told the Times of India newspaper.
    Shastri named India's head coach till 2019 World Cup
    Former fast bowler Zaheer Khan appointed bowling coach, Rahul Dravid named as batting consultant
    "So it is more to do with working on their mental strength, helping build their confidence, helping them stay organised in their daily activities as against tinkering with their style of play.
    "It´s not about ´tutoring´ them about everything and telling them what and what not to do. There´s very little coaching at the highest level. It´s about fine-tuning and mentoring, about effective communication."
    Shastri, who has served as team director in the past, enjoys a good rapport with Kohli and said he had no issues with players having more freedom off the field.
    "Why should I change anyone´s style, or for that matter, why should anyone change his own style of doing things? As long as there´s a level of commitment, the hard yards are being put in and results are showing, why shouldn´t there be fun?"
    The Indian cricket board has also named former seamer Zaheer Khan as the team´s bowling consultant, while Rahul Dravid was appointed as batting consultant for overseas test series.
    The first challenge for the new coaching set-up will begin later this month when India tour Sri Lanka for three Tests, five one-dayers and a sole Twenty20 international.


  24. Waqas Dar
    [embed_video1 url=http://stream.jeem.tv/vod/6296384fe8ed1a326028476b9391bb17.mp4/playlist.m3u8?wmsAuthSign=c2VydmVyX3RpbWU9Ny8xMy8yMDE3IDg6NTI6NTYgQU0maGFzaF92YWx1ZT1yMitrSVNxczVlRUp3ZS9CcXZqeFp3PT0mdmFsaWRtaW51dGVzPTYwJmlkPTE= style=center] ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday demanded early elections amid the Panamagate probe, doubling down on its calls for resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

    Speaking to reporters outside the Election Commission here, PTI leaders Babar Awan and Naeem-ul-Haque called for holding of early elections so that the ?public can choose its new leader?.
    ?We want new elections. The public wants new elections. [It?s time for] PM Nawaz Sharif to resign,? Awan said.
    PTI leaders reiterate demand for PM?s resignation

    ?We [call upon] Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Ishaq Dar to resign immediately. We call on Pakistanis to give another push to this system,? he continued.
    Referring to the imposition of Section 144 in the capital, the PTI leaders condemned the move.
    ?We oppose and condemn the imposition of Section 144 here,? they said.
    ?New allegations are surfacing every day against the Prime Minister. If he doesn?t resign he will have to face the consequences,? said Naeem-ul-Haque.
    The district administration on Wednesday imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code in Islamabad, citing "certain segments of society are planning to take out processions [and] are likely to threaten public peace and tranquility".
    The order went into effect immediately for two months.
    Section 144 prohibits public gatherings of five or more people, rallies and processions in any public place within the limits of the area where the law has been imposed.


  25. Waqas Dar
    Named the "Mural of Brotherhood," the painting is nearly two kilometers (a mile and a quarter) long. Photo: AFP TIJUANA: On the imposing metal sheets of the border fence that divides Tijuana, Mexico from San Diego, California, a hand reaches out in friendship amid a burst of butterflies.
    Nearby, in darker tones, a pile of skulls is crowned by a steely cross.
    This massive meditation on humanity at its best and worst is the work of Mexican artist Enrique Chiu, who is seeking to set a Guinness World Record for the longest mural ever painted.
    Named the "Mural of Brotherhood," the painting is nearly two kilometers (a mile and a quarter) long.
    And Chiu´s canvas could get a lot bigger if US President Donald Trump gets his way: his planned border wall would stretch some 1,600 kilometers.
    The current world record holder for the largest outdoor mural is in the US state of Colorado and measures 3.2 kilometers long and more than 17 meters high.
    Chiu is not alone in his quixotic project to set a world record covering the border wall in art.
    Some 2,000 residents of the border region have contributed to the project, painting pictures, words or simply leaving their handprints on a long section of the various types of wall and fencing that already cover about one-third of the 3,200-kilometer border.
    "It´s a project that seeks to create a link between art and society. It´s about making an artistic, social mural, in which people can come and express whatever they want, whatever is on their minds, their experience of life on the border," said Chiu.
    The project, which started last December, contains a wide array of styles, from professional artists´ paintbrushes to urban taggers´ graffiti.
    Those with less artistic flair have covered the wall in words like "unity," "equality," "art" and "freedom," in both Spanish and English.
    One of the most oft-repeated messages is: "#NoWalls."


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