A woman was ‘raped’ by an influential in Islamabad, ARY News reported on Sunday.
As per details, a woman has accused the brother of two police officers in Islamabad police of raping her and alleged that police have denied registration of the case.
The woman alleged that the brother of the accused, Safdar, who is a police officer, is putting pressure for the settlement of the issue.
It is pertinent to mention here incidents of rape and sexual assault against women have been reported time and again amid calls for strict action against the culprits.
A report on criminal activities in Lahore shared by police authorities on June 08 showed that 327 incidents of kidnapping were reported in the city of which also included eight women being sexually assaulted.
The figures were more than the previous year when 265 abduction cases were registered including gang-rape of four women.
NAIROBI, Kenya: Somalia’s president has signed a law “nullifying” a contentious agreement between Ethiopia and Somaliland in a largely symbolic gesture of his government’s displeasure over the deal to grant port access.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the law voided the “illegal” pact giving landlocked Ethiopia long-sought access to the Red Sea through Somaliland, a separatist northwestern region over which Somalia exercises little real authority.
The central government in Mogadishu has vowed to strenuously oppose by any legal means the port agreement between regional power Ethiopia and Somaliland, whose 1991 claim of independence from Somalia is not recognised internationally.
Somalia called the surprise pact signed on Monday an act of “aggression” and a violation of its sovereignty and appealed for international support.
It staunchly opposes Somaliland’s claim to independence but in reality has little say over the affairs of the de facto state, which has its own government, security forces and currency and a long coastline on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Somaliland’s leadership has said Ethiopia would “formally recognise the Republic of Somaliland” under the deal, but this has not been confirmed by the government in Addis Ababa.
The agreement has raised tensions in the Horn of Africa and the African Union, United States, European Union and the Arab League have called for calm and for Somalia’s sovereignty to be respected.
The memorandum of understanding gives Ethiopia access to commercial maritime services and a military base, with Somaliland leasing it 20 kilometres (12 miles) of coastline for 50 years.
Ethiopia, the second most populous country in Africa and one of the biggest landlocked nations in the world, was cut off from the coast after Eritrea seceded and declared independence in 1993 following a three-decade war.
Addis Ababa had maintained access to a port in Eritrea until the two countries went to war in 1998-2000, and since then Ethiopia funnels most of its trade through Djibouti.
As per the reports from foreign-based news agencies, German actor Christian Oliver, best known for his work in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’, ‘Speed Racer’ and ‘Valkyrie’, and his two daughters, Madita, 12, and Annik, 10, were killed in a plane crash on Thursday.
According to the details shared by the authorities, a small, single-engine plane carrying three of a family and pilot-owner Robert Sachs, took off on Thursday afternoon from J.F. Mitchell Airport on the tiny island of Bequia, heading to St Lucia, when it crashed into the sea off a Caribbean island.
While the cause of the crash is under investigation, local media reports suggest that the pilot was experiencing trouble shortly after taking off and was on the way back, as informed in the last communication from the plane.
US actor Christian Oliver and his two daughters died in a plane crash near a tiny private island in the eastern Caribbean, according to police in St Vincent and the Grenadines.https://t.co/i0MwuG8E4Ypic.twitter.com/xrgxbDMYW6
“Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced difficulties and nose-dived into the ocean. Fishermen and divers from Paget Farm went to the scene of the incident in their boats to render assistance,” said the statement from the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force on the incident.
Officials also confirmed that all four dead bodies have been recovered.
SHIROMARU , Japan: Rescuers and residents sifted through rubble Saturday as focus turned to recovering bodies and cleaning up rather than finding survivors, five days after a huge earthquake struck central Japan killing at least 110 people.
The death toll from the New Year’s Day 7.5-magnitude quake in the Ishikawa region of Japan’s main Honshu island was certain to rise, with 210 people still unaccounted for, authorities said.
The work of thousands of rescue workers has been hampered by bad weather — snow was forecast for Sunday — and roads torn apart by gaping cracks and blocked by an estimated 1,000 landslides.
Two elderly women were pulled from the wreckage of their homes on Thursday in the badly hit city of Wajima on the Noto peninsula, but since there has been no reason for cheer.
In Suzu, where dozens of homes lie in ruins, a dog barked while an AFP team filmed the clean-up operation on Friday, the signal of a grim discovery.
“Training for disaster rescue dogs begins with something similar to a game of hide-and-seek,” canine trainer Masayo Kikuchi told AFP.
“Finally they are trained to bark when seeing a person under the rubble.”
Houses containing any fatalities that are discovered are being marked and left alone until a coroner can come with relatives to identify the body.
In the port city fishing boats were sunk or lifted like toys onto the shore by tsunami waves that also reportedly swept one person away.
The coastal community of Shiromaru, which was hit by a tsunami several metres high on January 1, was a tangled mess of wooden, metal and plastic debris.
“The tsunami came from the cove of Shiromaru through the river, and then ran up through the street,” said one of its roughly 100 residents, Toshio Sakashita.
“We have received no public support here. Look, the main street is still blocked due to the rubble, which has been left untouched,” the 69-year-old told AFP.
“We cannot live in our house any more,” Yukio Teraoka, 82, told AFP as he and his wife shovelled heavy, sodden sand brought by the waves out of their wrecked home.
Local authorities said Saturday that 110 people were confirmed dead, with 210 unaccounted for.
“We sincerely pray for the repose of the souls of those who have passed away,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on X, formerly Twitter.
In an emergency response meeting he told ministers “urgently and swiftly” to repair roads to help hundreds of people in cut-off areas.
Despite frosty ties with Japan, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of “deep sympathy and condolences”, state news agency KCNA reported, echoing the United States, China and other countries.
Around 23,800 households were without electricity in Ishikawa region and more than 66,400 without running water.
Power and water outages have also affected hospitals and facilities for taking care of elderly and disabled people.
More than 30,000 people were in 357 government shelters.
The country is haunted by the monster quake of 2011 that triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a nuclear catastrophe at the Fukushima plant.
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court resumed on Friday hearing a set of petitions seeking to determine whether the disqualification period for a lawmaker was for five years or a lifetime, ARY News reported.
A seven-member larger bench, headed by the CJP and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, is hearing the case.
The proceedings are being broadcast live on the apex court’s website.
As the proceedings commenced today, Advocate Makhdoom Ali Khan, representing Jahangir Khan Tareen, argued that the Samiullah Baloch case created a “complete disconnect” between Article 62 and Article 63 of the Constitution regarding lawmaker disqualification.
Makhdoom emphasized the distinction between civil liability and disqualification, stating, “[…] a citizen is denied the right to exercise, or the protection of a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution for the rest of his life.”
Responding to queries about the role of civil courts, Makhdoom asserted, “There is no civil court in this country which can grant that,” referring to a declaration of honesty and truthfulness.
Chief Justice Isa expressed concern over neglecting the constitutional history of Pakistan, emphasizing the need for logic and reasoning behind lifetime disqualification. He questioned the effectiveness of the current law, asking, “Have we lost all logic and sensibilities?”
“What is the Constitution all about? What does it do? What are the fundamental rights?” the top judge asked, lamenting that the constitutional history of Pakistan was being disregarded.
Makhdoom referred to a US Supreme Court judgment rejecting new qualifications for lawmakers and highlighted that the 18th Amendment did not specify lifelong disqualification.
The lawyer outlined declarations by an election tribunal and the role of session judges in trying offenses under the Elections Act. He argued against the “business of civil law declaration” that strips fundamental rights permanently.
Previous hearing
CJP Isa urged logical explanations, emphasizing the Constitution’s purpose for the people of Pakistan. Makhdoom suggested leaving the Samiullah case judgment for another day, stating, “Wait for the issue to mature,” and highlighting that the lifelong ban was introduced by the court.
CJP said here the question arises if SC enjoys powers under Article 62-1F. The top judge said a candidate is disqualified over nomination papers. How can one be disqualified for life, he remarked.
“Lifetime disqualification under Article 62(1)(F) was determined according to one’s own perception and not the Constitution”.
CJP observed that dictators amended the constitution of Pakistan and put conditions of Saadiq and Ameen for Parliamentarians. Why they did not place the same conditions on them for contesting elections?
The top judge also inquired if the provisions of disqualification were amended in the Constitution by a dictator, saying that a “hypocrite was worse than a non-believer”.
He lamented that amendments were made on “gun points” and asked how the wisdom of five judges sitting in a court could be more than the people sitting in the Parliament.
Dictators also come into power by violating the constitution not after being elected as politicians, the top judge remarked.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked when the Election Act had been amended by the Parliament, how can the condition of lifetime disqualification remain?
Subsequently, Advocate Usman Karim came to the rostrum. He highlighted that the preconditions of saadiq and ameen were also applied to non-Muslims, arguing that hence these conditions were not about Islam.
Karim said the judgment of lifetime disqualification was written by former CJP Umar Ata Bandial, who adopted different grounds on similar cases, later.
He said a lawmaker can only be disqualified on nomination papers and if by-polls are held, the said person can take part in it.
Usman Karim also opposed the tenure of the 5-year disqualification of lawmakers in the Election Amendment Act.
The case
In 2018, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously held that disqualification handed down under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution is for life.
Under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan, which sets the precondition for a member of parliament to be ‘sadiq and ameen’ (honest and righteous), former prime minister and PMLN chief Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the SC bench on July 28, 2017, in references about the Panama Papers.
Later, an accountability court awarded him 10-year imprisonment in the Avenfield apartments and seven years in Al-Azizia references.
Similarly, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder was also disqualified under the same article in the Toshakhana case in 2023.
However, in June, last year, the then-coalition government passed an amendment to the Elections Act 2017, which limited the disqualification of lawmakers to five years.
Bollywood siblings Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, daughters of late actor Sridevi, recounted the heartbreaking moments after they learnt about the death of the celebrated film star.
In the recently-dropped new episode of Karan Johar’s ‘Koffee With Karan’ season 8, featuring Janhvi and Khushi Kapoor, the celebrity sisters opened up on the moments when they got to know about the passing of their mother Sridevi.
Janhvi shared, “The thing that I remember is that when I got the call, I was in my room. I could hear wailing from Khushi’s room. I think I barged into her room howling and crying. But what I do remember, Karan, is that the minute she looked at me, she just stopped crying.”
“She just sat next to me and started comforting me. I have never seen her cry about it since,” she added.
Khushi, who mentioned that it took her some time to process the tragedy, continued, “I felt like I had to hold it together for everyone because I feel like I’ve always been the strong one.”
During another segment, the ‘Mili’ actor also revealed that her younger sister is more like the ‘English Vinglish’ star than her. “She is a very quiet person and I think that is one thing she has in common with Mumma. But in front of the camera, she just explodes,” she told the host.
It is pertinent to mention that the Bollywood diva Sridevi, passed away in February 2018, in UAE, due to an accidental drowning in a bathtub.
Notably, Janhvi Kapoor, the elder daughter of Sridevi and film producer Boney Kapoor, made her Bollywood debut in 2018, the same year her mother passed away, with Dharma Productions’ romance flick ‘Dhadak’, co-starring Ishaan Khatter. She was last seen in the romantic drama ‘Bawaal’, opposite Varun Dhawan.
On the other hand, her younger sister, Khushi Kapoor, debuted in the recently released teen musical on Netflix, ‘The Archies’.
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday reserved its verdict on a review plea filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the January 26 single-member bench order on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) electoral ‘bat’ symbol and intra-party polls, ARY News reported.
On December 26, the high court announced the verdict on PTI’s petition challenging the ECP’s verdict, which had stripped PTI of using the ‘bat’ symbol.
A single-member bench comprising Justice Ejaz Khan conducted a hearing.
Advocate Anwar and Barrister Gohar Khan represented the PTI in this case.
Advocate Anwar said that the PHC announced its verdict on December 26, however, it has not yet been implemented.
“The political parties, in the court, said that they stand with the Election Commission,” said Anwar.
“Can the ECP approach the court against the high court’s ruling?” questioned PTI’s lawyer.
“Did your party file any contempt case in this matter?” asked Justice Khan. He further said that the PTI wants the ECP to conduct free and fair elections.
The court then reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides.
ECP verdict
On December 2, the ECP had nullified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s intra-party elections, for the third time since last year, declaring the PTI ineligible for obtaining its traditional electoral symbol of ‘bat’.
In its verdict, the ECP said, “So keeping in view the clear mandate of Elections Act 2017 – it is held that PTI has not complied with our directions rendered therein order dated 23rd November, 2023 and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution 2019 and Elections Act 2017, and Election Rules, 2017. Therefore, the certificate dated 4th December, 2023 and Form-65 filed by the alleged chairman, is hereby regretted and rejected accordingly”.
PTI had challenged the ECP verdict in Peshawar High Court.
PTI’s intraparty elections, in which Barrister Gohar Khan was elected as chairman of the party, were held on December 2.
The polls had drawn a sharp criticism as estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar announced that he would challenge the entire process. He had alleged that the PTI had carried out a selection process aimed at throwing out party workers to give the reins to a few lawyers.
Taking to her Instagram handle on Monday, Shazeal Shoukat posted a couple of behind-the-scenes clicks from her ongoing project, with co-star Syed Jibran.
With the two-picture gallery of the duo, dressed as bride and groom for a recently aired reception sequence in the show, Shoukat wrote, “Asjad & Maria ”
“Thanku for showing all of this love and support , I love each one of you,” she further expressed gratitude in her post.
A day earlier, the celebrity also posted some solo pictures from the same scene to extend new year wishes to her followers. “Happy new years from ‘MARIA’ & ‘SHAZEAL’. May this year brings all the joy, happiness & get what you all ask for inshallah,” she wrote in the caption.
Thousands of her fans showered their love on the viral posts with likes and comments for the on-screen pair.
Headlined by Shazeal Shoukat, Syed Jibran with Fatima Effendi and Saad Qureshi, ‘Adawat’ follows the story of jealousy and revenge of Areeba [Effendi] who seeks to harm her family, after she is forced to marry her brother-in-law [Qureshi], following the death of her elder sister.
Syed Jari Khushnood Naqvi’s directorial airs daily at 7 p.m. on ARY Digital.
Actor Arsalan Faisal and his now-wife Dr Nisha Talat exchanged vows in a star-studded shendi ceremony earlier this week with close family and friends, as well as whos who of the showbiz fraternity in attendance.
The Karachi event was followed by an equally glitzy Valima reception in Lahore over the weekend.
The widely-circulated visuals across the internet see the newlyweds twin in grey, where Nisha looked radiant in a silver grey ensemble by ace couturier HSY, while the ‘Rishtay Biktay Hain’ actor looked dapper in a matching suit.
Another video from the event, going viral on social media platforms, captured the ‘Habs’ actor and a doting mother-in-law gushing over his younger daughter-in-law, as she called her ‘farishta (angel)’ of her house.
In a separate clip shared by the official videography team of the wedding events, Arsalan Faisal is also seen serenading the audience with a Bollywood song ‘Hawayein’, dedicated to his beautiful wife.
Notably, Arsalan is the youngest of the three children of Saba and her husband Faisal Saeed. Their elder son and daughter, actors Salman and Sadia Faisal are already married.
LAHORE: Those prepared an idol in 2011 even protecting it today, PML-N leader Javed Latif said on Tuesday.
“This idol was created with expectations that it will repay the country’s loans, bring price hike down and prosperity,” Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leader said.
“That idol was failed but the idol makers till now allowing it not to be broken,” he said. “There is an uncertainty in the country because the idol makers not confessing their mistake,” he said. “They are protecting the idol to avoid their responsibility,” PML-N leader said.
He said thousands of people defaming the country on social media.
He said around 2434 nomination papers of the PTI were submitted and 2300 have been approved.
“In 2018 nomination papers were snatched from our people. Our candidates had to contest the Senate election without election symbol,” he lamented.
He also claimed that his party has not been given level playing field till today.
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) reserved on Tuesday its verdict on an appeal filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) challenging the court’s ruling to reinstate the PTI’s election symbol, ARY News reported.
The election watchdog has filed an intra-court appeal in the PHC challenging the decision of its single-judge bench.
A single-member bench comprising PHC’s Justice Ijaz Khan heard the petition.
During the hearing, the ECP’s lawyer presented his arguments. He added that the ECP also issued a notice to the PTI in this regard.
“PTI did not conduct the intra-party elections properly,” the ECP counsel said.
The lawyer maintained that the PHC single bench suspended ECP’s order and issued a stay order without hearing the electoral body’s arguments.
The PHC judge Justice Khan asked if there was anyone present from the petitioner’s party in the court.
At this, the ECP lawyer said that there was no one.
The court then reserved the verdict after hearing the arguments.
On December 26, the high court announced the verdict on PTI’s petition challenging the ECP’s verdict, which had stripped PTI of using the ‘bat’ symbol.
On December 2, the ECP had nullified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s intra-party elections, for the third time since last year, declaring the PTI ineligible for obtaining its traditional electoral symbol of ‘bat’.
In its verdict, the ECP said, “So keeping in view the clear mandate of Elections Act 2017 – it is held that PTI has not complied with our directions rendered therein order dated 23rd November, 2023 and failed to hold intra-party election in accordance with PTI prevailing Constitution 2019 and Elections Act 2017, and Election Rules, 2017. Therefore, the certificate dated 4th December, 2023 and Form-65 filed by the alleged chairman, is hereby regretted and rejected accordingly”.
PTI had challenged the ECP verdict in Peshawar High Court.
PTI’s intraparty elections, in which Barrister Gohar Khan was elected as chairman of the party, were held on December 2.
The polls had drawn a sharp criticism as estranged PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar announced that he would challenge the entire process. He had alleged that the PTI had carried out a selection process aimed at throwing out party workers to give the reins to a few lawyers.
ریڈی خاندان ایک وسیع و غریض گھر میں رہتا تھا۔ ان کے گھر کے آس پاس بہت کم پڑوسی تھے۔ پچھلے دو سال میں یہاں کچھ گھر بنائے گئے تھے لیکن قریب ترین گھر بھی ریڈی خاندان کے گھر سے کم از کم 100 فٹ کے فاصلے پر ہے۔
The Senate of Pakistan body has decided to write a letter to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Union’s Aviation Agency for the revival of pilots’ licences, ARY News reported on Monday.
The issue of pilots’ licences was raised in 2020 by the then aviation minister, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, who told parliament that a large number of commercial pilots hold fake licences or cheat in exams.
The Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Aviation Saleem Mandviwalla said they will take up the matter of pilot’s licenses with ICAO and European Union’s Aviation.
According to the details, the Senate standing committee has decided to write a letter to the ICAO and Europen Aviation Agency to revive pilots’ licences as the matter remains unresolved despite repetitive assurances by the director general Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The Senate body will write a letter for the revival of licences of over 80 pilots during the current week.
During the last hearing of the Senate body in October, concerns were raised about the economic repercussions for the country resulting from a delay in the release of pilots’ licences and directed the Ministry of Aviation and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to present a comprehensive report on the matter to help the panel in its decision-making.
”
