
A better solution would be to break up Pakistan into its component parts !
Indian authorities have sent 50 Pakistani students and their teachers back to Lahore from New Delhi, after the recent row, which has raised tensions between the two arch-rivals.According to details, an Indian NGO had invited a delegation of 50 Pakistani students and their teachers to India. The delegation of Pakistani students and teachers arrived in India on May 1."The ministry advised the NGO that it was not an appropriate time for such exchanges after we learnt that the children had crossed over to India on May 1," Gopal Baglay, a spokesperson of the MEA, said.
"Keeping in view the security and sentiments of fellow Indians the delegation has been sent back to Lahore safely," Rakesh Gupta and Tina Vachani, founders of Routes2Roots, said in a statement.Part of Modi-ji's overall plan to "diplomatically isolate Pakistan "!
Before being elected, President Trump made a promise he said would take “two minutes” to fulfill: Facilitating the release of Shakil Afridi, who helped the CIA find Osama bin Laden in 2011 and was subsequently arrested by Pakistani authorities.
But 103 days into Trump's administration — and on the sixth anniversary of the raid in which bin Laden was killed in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad — the Pakistani surgeon is still being held on vague charges. His case adds to concerns that the administration is not willing to back foreigners who have risked their lives for the United States during conflicts abroad. In this matter, the Trump Admin does not have too much leverage with the Pakis ![/quote]The covert 2011 U.S. raid in Abbottabad — conducted without the prior knowledge of Pakistani authorities — left officials there deeply embarrassed. Days after bin Laden's death, Afridi was captured and accused of having run a fake vaccination program for the CIA to obtain DNA samples that could prove the al-Qaeda leader was in the city.The criticism came at the right time for Pakistani authorities who sought to prosecute Afridi. A government commission initially said the hepatitis immunization program constituted “a case of conspiracy against the State of Pakistan and high treason.” But officials later announced that Afridi had instead been sentenced for alleged ties to Islamist militant groups.( trumped up charges !)
LAHORE:
Reports suggest that there is a hospital administration in the city that forces its non-Muslim staffers to either recite verses from the Holy Quran at morning assembly or be marked absent for the day.The Mian Mir Hospital, run by the City District Government Lahore, was named after Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Mir who rose to prominence during the time of Mughal emperor Jehangir. The saint himself was a big proponent of interfaith harmony. Is it "state approved" or is Islamic zeal on the part of haspatal mulazims ?
The matter came to light when Mian Mir Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Sarfraz allegedly slapped a Christian paramedical staffer for not attending the assembly. Following the incident, all paramedical staff protested against the MS and other hospital administration by shutting down all functions of the medical facility. Looks like the act o a "rogue employee"
“This act of the MS is a violation of the Constitution of Pakistan,” commented a Christian paramedical staffer named Marshal.
Talking to the media, he asked religious scholars to sort out the issue as the administration of the hospital was pressurising them to leave their jobs.”Another paramedical staff member of the medical facility, Fahad Ahmed, said both Muslims and Christians were working in harmony. “It is professional workplace; I don’t know why the administration is forcing our Christian brothers to do this. This is totally unacceptable.” Someone should find out if this institution is receiving foreign funding and if so, inform the foreign patron of this !
Center for Social Justice Chairman Peter Jacob told The Express Tribune that religious freedom is guaranteed to all under Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan. “This act goes against the constitution and should be dealt with accordingly,” he commented. Can someone imagine would have happened to a Muslim para-medic in European or in North American hospital forced to say some verses from the Bible. It would make it to the international media !
Experts said extremism was creeping into public hospitals and was a massive concern for law enforcement agencies. A senior law enforcement official, requesting anonymity, said the phenomena of extremism among doctors and other paramedical staff was nothing new. He urged the health department to frame a code of conduct to avoid any such incident in future. “The issue of Mian Mir hospital is just a small manifestation and also serves as an alarm bell,” he concluded. One more example of the Islami Jinni being out of the box !
More than half of londonistan is beyond the 25 KM as-the-crow-flies range.Falijee wrote:Maryam Nawaz SharifVerified account @MaryamNSharif
Salient features of PIA Premier Service. #BrandNawazSharif. One correction: 25 miles , not km.
Brand Makeover For Disgraced Pakistan Airline- (Overseen By Maryam Sharif !)
...for breaching the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two cricketing bodies, in which six bilateral series were scheduled to take place between 2015 and 2022.
Pakistan was suffering lost revenues (and honor, dignity...)
Of the six bilateral series initially agreed upon in the MoU signed in 2014, revenue from four series was supposed to go to Pakistan and two series were meant to generate money for India.
Najam Sethi, while talking to the press in December last year, said: “PCB has suffered a loss of $200 million because India refused to play the promised series against Pakistan.”
With Pakistan-India ties consistently at a low, it is unlikely that the arch-rivals will be playing a series against each other in the near future.
Hain? MOU is the same as an agreement? So has the lwsuit been filed in anticipation of India not meeting its so-called commitments till 2022? Their lawyer should be shot - basing his lawsuit on the terms of an MOU. An MOU usually does not contain legally enforceable promises. Time to stop even having an MOU with these beggars.Bangladesh, too, refused to come to Pakistan to play cricket over "security concerns", earlier this year. Earlier in March, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said they may ask Bangladesh for compensation for not touring Pakistan before agreeing to visit them for a series in July-August this year.
Maybe she is getting a cut from the limo services provided by Paki taxi cab drivers or brokering a deal for the A330!Falijee wrote:Maryam Nawaz SharifVerified account @MaryamNSharif
Salient features of PIA Premier Service. #BrandNawazSharif. One correction: 25 miles , not km.
Brand Makeover For Disgraced Pakistan Airline- (Overseen By Maryam Sharif !)
PS: Is that her job these days ? proof reading PIA Press Releases![]()
Why are they demanding only $60m and not $200m?anupmisra wrote:For honor, dignity and sovirginity (HS&D), we claim thee...
PCB sends $60m 'Notice of Dispute' to BCCI over breach of agreement
Najam Sethi, while talking to the press in December last year, said: “PCB has suffered a loss of $200 million because India refused to play the promised series against Pakistan.”
That the black market organ trade still continues in the face of existing legislature is criminal, quite literally. Yet there is no word to aptly describe the doctors who are complicit in this. Those who rake in millions as they proceed to systematically exploit the poor and uneducated who turn to them for help.Very Important Question; what does the Book say about "organ selling" ; has a fatwa yet been issued by the "geniuses" of Malsi headquartered in Mecca, Medina , Cairo, Deoband, Krachi, Akhora Khatack, Isloo and La-whore![]()
According to the FIA, the two individuals whose kidneys had been removed immediately before the raid included a rickshaw driver and a 20-year-old woman — both of whom had sold their kidneys to pay off debts.The recent busting of an illegal organ trade gang by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Lahore — whose members include two doctors, two foreigners and two organ donors — sadly represents just a drop in the ocean of such illegal racketeering that operates nationwide. The involvement of well-reputed doctors and the exploitation of hapless organ donors seeking money raises not only questions on the inefficiency of the authorities but also ethical concerns.Money beats Islam any time !
The legislation prohibits the sale of organs to foreigners and allows only voluntary organ or tissue donation to a blood relative or someone related by marriage.Is this practiced .
As a first step, the authorities should set a strict precedent by throwing the book at the doctors involved, including up to 10 years’ imprisonment and the cancellation of practising licences. A law that exists on the books is one thing, implementation is quite another.![]()
If the authorities fail to crack down on black market organ trading — blood will be on their hands. Or would they tell us that the blood of the poor doesn’t count? * In Islam all are "brothers" . And Pakistan is an Islamic Country .
Pakistan’s orphaned tourism sector has suffered a huge decline in the last seven years, thanks to the abruptly done 18th Amendmentto the Constitution. The amendment had been unanimously passed by the Parliament and notified in the Gazette of Pakistan on April 20, 2010. Tourism was one of the subjects devolved, along with culture, youth, environment, and health, without envisaging the implications for the country’s national and international obligations related to these sectors.
The orphaned tourism sector remains neglected even today. There has been no promotion of Pakistan as a destination country in the international arena. We don’t see any national or international campaign for the purpose. Pakistan's "image is beyond repair"![]()
Our neighbouring country Nepal hosted as many as 729,550 foreign tourists in 2016, according to the Nepal Department of Immigration — an increase of 24 per cent as compared to 2015. A total of 554,747 tourists had visited Nepal in 2015.
ver two million tourists arrived in Sri Lanka last year, contributing US$ 2.75 billion to the government revenue in the first ten months of 2016. The country saw a 14 per cent rise in number of tourist that year with the arrival of 2,050,832 visitors
Tourism sector in India is economically important and is growing rapidly. The World Travel and Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated US$220 billion or 9.6 per cent of India’s GDP in 2016 and supported 40.343 million jobs — 9.3 per cent of its total employment
Why are we so frightened and nervous about welcoming tourists, mountaineers and trekkers? Will they jeopardise our security if issued with the necessary visa to come to Pakistan? Believe me, those who threaten our national security and integrity don’t need our visas to enter the country. Every potential tourist is suspected as a "RAA Agent"![]()
India broke Promise !!! Hain !!!RCase wrote:Why are they demanding only $60m and not $200m?anupmisra wrote:For honor, dignity and sovirginity (HS&D), we claim thee...
PCB sends $60m 'Notice of Dispute' to BCCI over breach of agreement
So are they going to the UN with this as yet another 'proof' of Indian conspiracy?
KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday rejected Pakistan’s invitation to visit Islamabad.He linked his Pakistan visit with extradition of ‘Afghan Taliban hiding in Islamabad involved in attacks in Kabul and Kandahar’.He demanded of the Pakistani authorities to take practical action against the ‘Afghan Taliban using Pakistani soil against Afghanistan’.Meanwhile, Pakistan has always denied these allegations, saying her soil was not being used against any country including, Afghanistan. So, Afghanistan refuses to become the "strategic depth" of Pakiland![]()
And country’ northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province too is no exception, where women, even if permitted, opt for a teaching or nursing job. But things have changed over the years, tables have turned and women are seen progressing and rising to leading positions in politics, sports, army, bureaucracy and police. Approximately 600 women are working on various top administrative posts in the province. In a population of approx 25million![]()
The KP has established advanced training schools for the law enforcement agencies where police personnel are given state-of-the-art training to fight the menace of terrorism in the region. The KP was the first to induct females in the bomb disposal unit (BDU).
The commando sisters belong to Badin Khel, a small village of District Karak in the KPK. Their father Nooran Shah is a disabled person by birth while their mother is a simple housewife. In all, they are nine sisters and only one brother. Family planning gone to the dogsThree sisters are married while the remaining sisters and brother are studying.
The father is proud of his tiger daughters. Nooran Shah says: “I had to face much opposition from all my family members in getting my daughters educated. They boycotted and pressurized me but I remained firm on my decision. I never allowed anybody to do any harm to my daughters”.
Samina and I wanted to be a nurse, while Rukhsana wanted to be a lawyer. But, we pursued our father’s dream and joined police force.”
Pari Gul and Rukhsana joined police force in 2011, whereas Samina joined in 2009, and all three of them are very satisfied with what they are doing.
The commando sisters went through many hardships in the field. Describing those, Rukhsana said that it was very difficult to become a commando as they had to bear various hurdles including hunger, thirst, summer heat and winter cold waves, etc. Did they train with the Aam Abduls or were segregated as per the Book ?
Recalling the day when she encountered a terrorist during a search operation in Hangu, Pari said we were on a hunt of militants who were hiding in a house when I saw a veiled women inside, who was actually the militant. When I entered the house, he trained the gun at me but I was quick to overcome him and the police shoot all of them down. Are they allowed to work with the Abduls ?
Rukhsana said: “We are not interested in politics nor we intend to enter in this field but Imran Khan is our favourite politician, he is an honest man. In sports, we like cricket and Shahid Afridi is the favourite of mine and Pari Gul, while Samina likes Shoaib Akhtar”. Do their families know that they have fantasies about Imran, Shahid and Shoaib ; are they in contact with them by social media![]()
In reply to a question, Samina said her engagement was decided by her father. “In our family, parents take decisions for our marriage. But we cannot marry any person who would ask us to leave the police force. This uniform has given us an honour.”So "love marriage" is out of the question![]()
Telling about their wishes, Pari Gul said we all want to send our parents for Hajj. “Our second ambition is to achieve martyrdom. I also wish that somebody would write my biography.”Some of her many admirers, after reading this, would "love" to write for her![]()
ramana wrote:Anup, Who from India in BCCI signed the MOU?
It's a ridiculous case. If this is to be construed as a business deal, there has to be a quid pro quo or exchange of money or other interests to seal the deal. It's like getting an airfare for Rs 0 due to some computer error - you can buy such a ticket but airline is within its rights to not honour it because there was no consideration in exchange. BCCI's MOU will most likely be such an agreement (and not a contract) and legally unenforceable.putnanja wrote:Are MoUs legally binding? Isn't it more of a "agree in-principle" kind of a document, especially in business? Also, given the nature of Indo-Pak relations, I would be hugely surprised if there is no clause in the MoU which states that all games would be played subject to government approval/force majeure !
When President Xi Jinping announced in 2015 that China would pump $46 billion worth of investments into Pakistan, the recipients of his largesse seemed less surprised than one might have expected. The military and political elites of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have long extracted aid from outside powers in return for keeping a lid on things at home. As far back as April 1948, barely eight months after independence, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan assured Pakistani military commanders that three-quarters of the new nation's Budget would be devoted to defence -- fully expecting that the US would underwrite the pledge.
China's Silk Road
Xi will no doubt tout the Pakistan investments -- which include a network of road, rail, power and port projects that are collectively known as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPECBSE -- at his massive "Belt and Road" conference later this month. The Chinese argue these projects won't just link China to markets and suppliers from Europe to Southeast Asia, but also promote stability and development in the countries on its periphery. Indeed, even the International Monetary Fund hopes that China's billions will ease Pakistan's chronic supply-side constraints and perhaps reduce the pressure on the country's development budget.
That, however, reflects the sort of blind optimism to which Pakistan's US sponsors have succumbed for decades. If the Chinese aren't careful, they, too, will find that their money has bought them little more than headaches.
As part of CPEC, Chinese loans will flow into Pakistan for urban transport infrastructure, for power plants and for ports and highways. The first tranche focuses on power -- $18 billion is earmarked for the sector, particularly for coal-fired plants -- and $10 billion has been promised for highways, ports and Pakistan Railways.
China usually struggles to live up to such big promises, of course. But the numbers being bandied about have already seized Pakistan's imagination. Sectors like cement have started growing in response, boosting the Karachi Stock Exchange, which was the world's best-performing last year. Real estate prices have increased, too.
For China, the benefits of the corridor seem obvious. Much of its grand strategy rests on trying to avoid the "Malacca dilemma": 80 per cent of its oil, and much of its trade, flows through a narrow chokepoint at the Straits of Malacca that would be dangerously easy for the US, say, or India to blockade. One way to reduce that dependence would be to land oil or goods at China's new Arabian Sea port at Gwadar, in Pakistan's Balochistan province, and move them overland to Xinjiang province. In the process, Chinese analysts insist, China might well be able to improve Pakistan's economy, stabilize its politics and render it a bit less troublesome than it currently is.
Such reasoning overlooks several lessons of the past. The first: Don't ignore Pakistan's domestic politics. Already the whole program has become tangled in an internal tug-of-war. Leaders from restive Balochistan complain that CPEC, which was originally supposed to run mostly through their province and neighboring Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, now looks to benefit mostly the richer eastern provinces of Punjab and Sindh. Protesters say the route was changed to benefit Punjab in particular; the province is the stronghold of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and is ruled by his brother Shahbaz.
For the Chinese, these are uncharted waters. They will have to balance gains to the ruling elites in Islamabad and Lahore with those to the locals in Balochistan, who are more than capable of violently disrupting work on the corridor. If China fails to do so, Pakistan will end up more unstable, not less.
The second lesson is to beware of the Pakistan Army. Decades of foreign support have only further entrenched the military at the center of not just Pakistan's state, but its economy and society.
Pakistan is noisy and disputatious enough to make Chinese planners wonder whether the army might not make a better partner than the civilian government or the private sector. Already, CPEC has exacerbated civil-military disputes in a country that saw its first peaceful democratic transfer of power only a few years ago. Military organisations have begun much of the corridor's work, especially road-building. CPEC was at the top of the agenda when Pakistan's Army chief visited Beijing last month. And the Army has cited the task of securing the corridor as an excuse to raise an entire new division of nine battalions and six "civil wings." {This reminds me of Field Marshal Ayub Khan. In order to defeat the Indian army, he devised a plan to raise five-and-a-half Divisions with modern weapons, amounting to a quarter million soldiers, with the help of the US under the various defence treaties. Of course, these divisions were 'meant' to counter the communists like the USSR & China! That effort needed a large scale recruitment and prompted the UK High Commissioner Sir Morrice James, to remark “It is not so much the case of Pakistan having an Army but the Army having Pakistan”. Let us wait to see where the CPEC cloak takes the Pakistani Army to.}
The pattern is familiar to many in Washington: Money sent to Pakistan has a habit of winding up further bolstering the Army's power. Meanwhile, the civilian government is quietly but rapidly losing enthusiasm for CPEC projects, which it correctly recognises may wind up draining its resources instead of increasing them. For two successive years, the government has stepped in to reduce the amount of Pakistan's own money committed to the corridor.
The stronger the Army, and the weaker the incentives for the civilian government to open up the economy to countries other than China, the less likely Pakistan is to prosper in the coming decades. There's no question a more stable and prosperous Pakistan is vital for South and West Asia, for China and for the world. But it's far from certain that CPEC will produce one.
Russia wants to develop trade ties with Pakistan, like China, and can be instrumental in eliminating joblessness in Pakistan in a few years, said Russian Business Council for Cooperation Pakistan chapter Vice Chairman Noor Habib Shah.
Mr Shah, who is also chairman of the Russian-Pakistani community and resides in Moscow
some 6,000 containers daily entered Russia after 45 days of travel. However, through Pakistan, he said, containers could reach different Russian states within a few days
Pakistan could import diyar wood, which was abundant in Russia
https://www.dawn.com/news/1330958/russi ... h-pakistanHe also said that Islam was the second official religion in Russia, adding that Europe’s biggest mosque was situated in Moscow and a large proportion of the Russian army comprised Muslims.
The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday announced that it would take up the matter of the return of Pakistani students and teachers visiting India through diplomatic channels.A group of 50 Pakistani students and teachers who were visiting India at the invitation of an non-governmental office were sent back from India a day earlier after receiving threats from Hindu extremist organisation Shiv Sena.
FO Spokesperson Nafees Zakaria today said, "In India, growing incidents of intolerance, extremism and terrorism have attracted the world's attention... India's hostile policy towards Pakistan, and persecution of religious minorities including Muslims, Christians and others within India have been noted by the International community with concern." I think the next logical step would be to take it up with the United Nations and/or Ummah community :mrgreen:
Can this be verified - that Liaquat Ali Khan made that assurance?As far back as April 1948, barely eight months after independence, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan assured Pakistani military commanders that three-quarters of the new nation’s budget would be devoted to defense -- fully expecting that the U.S. would underwrite the pledge.
I would be also interested if the above can be authenticated somehow because it is widely known that right until sometime in 1950, the US was not showing any interest in Pakistan as its efforts were towards overcoming the Berlin seige. Therefore, April 1948 looks too early and intriguing to me.A_Gupta wrote:Can this be verified - that Liaquat Ali Khan made that assurance?As far back as April 1948, barely eight months after independence, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan assured Pakistani military commanders that three-quarters of the new nation’s budget would be devoted to defense -- fully expecting that the U.S. would underwrite the pledge.
Liaquat Ali Khan signed an MOU with the Pak Fauj about giving them 3/4ths of the pak budget.A_Gupta wrote:Can this be verified - that Liaquat Ali Khan made that assurance?As far back as April 1948, barely eight months after independence, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan assured Pakistani military commanders that three-quarters of the new nation’s budget would be devoted to defense -- fully expecting that the U.S. would underwrite the pledge.
A charged mob gathered outside a police station located in Hub ( in Balochistan, but very close to Karachi) on Thursday demanded that a Hindu man accused of blasphemy be handed over to them so that they could administer justice to him.According to details, the mob assembled outside a police station during the day and demanded that a suspect accused of blasphemy be handed over to them. No amount of peace overtures to Pakistan is going to make a difference ; Islam ( and by extension - "Blasphemy" ) is a very touchy subject in Pakistan. Like walking on egg shells. You never know, when the eggs may crack![]()
Police and FC personnel held negotiations with the mob that refused to back down from their demand.A case of blasphemy and incitement was registered against the accused, who is a local business owner, on the complaint of various citizens. He was accused of sharing blasphemous content on social media.The situation turned violent when police refused to entertain the protesters' demands.
Protesters pelted stones at police and FC personnel due to which law enforcement personnel fired aerial shots. A DSP was also injured as a result of the altercation between the mob and law enforcement personnel.A heavy contingent of police and FC personnel arrived on the scene to control the deteriorating situation. One boy was seriously injured due to the clashes between law enforcement personnel and protesters. In another unrelated newspaper article , a Pakistani was lamenting the lack of foreign tourists, ( as comparing to other regional countries like Nepal, Sri-lanka and India ) as according to him , Pakistan had lots of "tourism potential" . Which tourist would like to risk his life in an atmosphere charged with "religious zeal" ( to put it mildly !)
LAHORE: An Ahmadi man was shot dead today in Saddar area of Rahim Yar Khan.Basharat Ahmad, 62-year-old, was returning home in Green Town from a petrol pump situated at Zahir Pir Road when he was shot by unidentified attackers. He was rushed to the hospital but he could not survive the wounds. He had received two bullet wounds.It is still not clear what the reason was behind the murder, but Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya spokesperson Saleemuddin says, “Ahmad was targeted because of his religious beliefs. He had no enmity.” He further added that the security agencies should take action against hate mongers who propagate Ahmadi killings.On the complaint of Ataul Quddoose, son-in-law of Ahmad, an FIR has been registered under section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code. Ahmad is the fourth Ahmadi to have been killed in the province in the past five weeks. The Mullahs of Pakistan ( like the Ayatollahs of Iran) are hell-bent on persecuting this tiny "minority", who in all respects are essentially Muslims ; many Ahmedis are afraid to "come out of the closet" . According to rumours, Gen Bajwa COAS of Paki fauj falls in that category![]()
Close aides of former President and co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari including Ghulam Qadri Mari are still unaccounted for as the police failed to recover them.Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered to form a Joint Investigation Team ( precedent set by Paki Supreme Court as a mechanism to let Ganja off the hook for Panama misdoings !) in connection with the missing aides of Zardari after a report was submitted to the court stating that Ghulam Qadir Mari could not be recovered despite efforts.
The Rangers submitted before the court, “None of our wings arrested Ghulam Qadir and others.” Justice Khan warned the court will issue strict order if the missing persons are not recovered.![]()
A complaint against excise officials has surfaced in which they are accused of allegedly physically torturing the North Korean ambassador to Pakistan and his wife on April 9 at their residence in Karachi.In a letter addressed to the Government of Pakistan and the Deputy General (DG) Excise department, the North Korean embassy in Islamabad requested necessary action against the incident that reportedly took place on April 9."10 or more armed and unarmed excise officers illegally entered into the embassy residence and brutally shackled the diplomat in [an] organised way," the complaint read.
The diplomat was injured on his elbows and legs, and bruised on his wrists and ankles and his wife was injured on her face, head and wrists and much of her hair were pulled out by male and female excise officials, stated the letter."The female official threatened the diplomat's wife, aiming the gun at her face," the letter added. North Korea, ( like China ) is a "strategic" ally of Pakistan. Suppliers of missile technology and what not . And in turn, no less than the late Benazir, smuggled and handed the "Bum Blueprints"- stolen by photochor A.Q Khan to them in return. So how come this is allowed to happen ! All the officials of the excise dept must be taken to task for this blunder![]()
DG Excise Shoaib Siddiqui ordered an in-depth inquiry into the alleged torture on the diplomat and his wife earlier last month."We received the complaint and an investigation into the incident is underway," Siddique told media. "The accused officials have not been traced yet."According to the North Korean embassy, the CCTV footage record from the day of the incident was preserved, however the reason for the torture could not be determined.The embassy stated that diplomatic ties between the two countries could be affected due to the incident. On the other hand - to be fair- the North Koreans are notorious for not respecting the sovereignty of the country where they are based. Look what happened a few months ago in Malaysia where they used an unusual method to take out one of their own. ! The newspaper report does not mention as to why the Excise Dept were "interested" in the North Koreans. Were they doing something illegal ?. That part appears to be censored. !
A man has been lashed in Muzaffargar for protecting women.A motorcycle rikshaw driver saw a couple of influential people harassing women in bazar. He stepped forward and asked them not to do so. It angered the influential people and in return they beat him with sticks and lashed him till he fell unconscious.The police was informed about it but no action was taken. The "decent" man should not have interfered. He made a mistake. As far as the "punishment" is concerned, no one should protest, as the punishment could well be in accordance with ( I am not an expert , so only "guessing" ) "Sharia"![]()
With talks of AliBaba entering Pakistan, the hype around e-commerce is reaching fever pitch. According to projections, the industry will cross $1 billion by 2020. However, there are significant challenges that must be overcome if it is to reach that milestone. We’ve documented them quite well on this publication in the past.
Black Friday, Cyber Monday and others are familiar terms for most of us now. Celebrated mostly in the West, these shopping festivals offer incredible discounts for shoppers
To start off, discounts on any shopping festival in Pakistan have never rivaled those offered in the West. You might be able to snag a good deal but you’d be in the minority. Naturally, that creates friction between the stores and customers. Black Friday in Pakistan last year was subject to a lot of criticism with people lambasting all stores for unimpressive discounts, limited inventory and sluggish site performance. Important Question: what does the "Book" say about on-line shopping ? have the maulvis issued a fatwa (like on "Islamic finance" ) on this "new animal" yet . Are the( Paki ) maulanas (like Diesel and Ghazi ) computer savvy and know how to handle a lap top, or a smart phone![]()
Next comes localization. How many Pakistanis were aware of Black Friday before millions were spent on creating awareness for it? Even those who were familiar with it were bemused at online stores copying the exact lingo since Friday is a holy day for Muslims and calling it ‘Black’, which is a cultural byproduct of the events’ history in the US, carries a negative connotation. Definitely ! Agree 400% ; Black Friday and prayers on Friday, are like oil and water- cannot be mixed ; therefore should be declared haram !
If I am being honest, the failure of e-commerce stores in getting this right is baffling. India and China are the largest e-commerce markets in the world and some of their most successful events aren’t Black Friday or Cyber Monday, they’re based around local and cultural festivals.India and China both are not Muslim countries ; should not the comparison be between Pakistan and other Ummah nations like Bangladesh, Dubai or Saudia
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The holy month of Ramadan is almost upon us. Every year, tv channels air shows during this month, aimed at promoting the teachings of Islam. Most start preparing shows in advance. In order to facilitate these channels, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) ( otherwise known as the "TV Police" ) has announced certain rules and regulations pertaining to Ramadan transmissions.
Serving Wrong Purposes:
They say that in their race to achieve higher ratings and views than their competitors, channels write and create programs that go in the opposite direction of the spirit of Ramadan. Not only do these programs destroy the concept of religious ethics and morals, they also promote sectarianism. This also spreads discord and chaos in the society.![]()
PEMRA has received additional complaints that the programs during the Ramadan transmission do not have a written script for the sole purpose of increasing revenues. These programs are also televised without supervision. ( emotional outbursts, religious zeal)
These directives will ensure that Ramadan transmissions serve their true purpose rather than help TV channels increase their own ratings and ad revenues. "Food and sharing of food " is a "big component" during this festive season." ( food prices go up due to hoarding and consumption increase !) The Book " probably advises restraint as a disciplinary measure; is this guideline applicable to food advertising or like other guidelines - it has gone to the dogs !!!
ISLAMABAD: A special bench of the Supreme Court constituted to oversee the implementation of Panamagate verdict on Wednesday rejected the nominees of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) ('Rejected' Says The Supreme Court !) and Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) for the joint investigation team (JIT).
The bench also summoned acting governor of SBP Riaz Riazuddin and SECP Chairman Zafarul Haq Hijazi to appear in person before the bench on May 5 with the lists of all officers of grade 18 or above.The three-judge special bench headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Wednesday commenced proceedings for implementation of top court’s verdict in Panama Papers case.He said that the list of grade 18 or above officers produced by SBP acting governor and SECP chairman would be treated as nominations and the bench would approve the names from among them. “Tell them (heads of SBP and SECP) to comply with court orders and don’t play with the court,”So, the Mylaards are flexing their "legal" muscles
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The JIT has been tasked to probe into alleged corruption of Sharif family and produce a report before the special bench fortnightly, with final report within 60 days. In the top court’s April 20 order, the special bench of the Supreme Court, after findings of the JIT, may also pass appropriate orders in exercise of its powers under Articles 184 (3), 187 (2) and 190 of the constitution including an order for filing a reference against PM and any other person having nexus with the crime if justified on the basis of the material thus brought on the record before it. Why go through this dramabaazi when every Adam, Abdul or Ali knows that the fate of Ganja Sharif will be ultimately decided not by Supreme Court but by the Deep State - or Massa !
(Agencies)NEW DELHI: India considers the mutilation of Indian soldiers a strong act of provocation said MEA.India has sufficient evidence that Pakistan army was involved in mutilation of Indian soldiers says MEA.‘Most favored nation’ (MFN) status to Pakistan is an obligation for WTO members and all members have to extend it to each other said MEA. Citing one excuse or the another, Pakistan has not reciprocated the Indian gesture ! IMO, Pakistan industry would collapse if such a step be taken !
Wojciechowska, the former editor in chief of National Geographic Poland, said on Facebook she is currently in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
“In the north-western part of Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan, where we were filming another episode of the ‘Woman at the Edge of World’ program, we were detained by the Inter-Services Intelligence,” Wojciechowska said in her post.“Our equipment was forcibly confiscated and we were prevented from working. We spent the next days under house arrest under constant police and military supervision.”She said that after almost 24 hours travelling through the mountains under escort, she arrived in Islamabad with her colleagues.“We still have not regained our cameras, but please keep your fingers crossed that our entire team returns home safe and sound,” Wojciechowska added.]Many Pakistanis are "excited" about the tourism potential of their nation and wondering why Pakistan is lagging behind regional countries ( Sri lanka , Nepal , India ) . When every potential tourist is treated like a RAA or an See Eye Aye agent (like this instance !), why bother coming here . Yours is not the only game in town![]()
YOKOHAMA: Pakistan is looking at greater financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said the country’s finance minister, as it hopes to achieve 7% economic growth by fiscal year 2018-19.Annual allocation for Pakistan, under the ADB’s infrastructural financing package, is currently $2 billion a year, which Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said was requested to be enhanced, keeping in view the country’s increasing needs.“I have asked them to reconsider the package, keeping in view the infrastructure needs of the country,” Dar told The Express Tribune on the sidelines of the ADB Board’s 50th Annual Meeting in Yokohama, Japan. “This will significantly help boost the country’s gross domestic product and help us achieve our FY19 target of 7%.”Dar said he had convinced ADB officials to increase Pakistan’s annual allotment to $2 billion last year in Frankfurt, and voiced confidence that the package would be enhanced by another $500 million.“There have been several productive meetings with ADB President Takehiko Nakao, and Pakistan’s annual fund allowance could increase to $2.5 billion.”