Gender equality leads to greater productivity, growth
Gender equality can lead to greater productivity and growth in countries. This was stated by Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner Joanne Frederiksen on Saturday at the inaugural workshop on raising awareness of violence against women by encouraging gender-sensitive reporting. Frederiksen said that promoting equality and the rights of women and girls are central to Australia’s development, economic and bilateral cooperation with Pakistan. Australian journalist and advocate for gender equity Virginia Haussegger joined women Pakistani journalists and legal expert in the workshops to share experiences about the transformative role media can play in preventing violence against women and girls. Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2020.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:37 UTC
Shifting Indian posture destabilising region
The acquisition of advanced military and nuclear capabilities by India through its strategic cooperation with the United States has weakened deterrence stability in the subcontinent leading to greater volatility. The Indian diaspora, he maintained, played an important role in shaping the US strategic idea about India as a net security provider in the Asia Pacific and promoting New Delhi as a counterweight to China. This strategic realignment underpinned all defence agreements signed over the past two decades under the Indo-US strategic partnership, the most prominent of which are the four foundational agreements. India, he said, conducted its first Anti-Satellite (ASAT) test, an exclusive military capability formerly possessed by US, Russia, and China only. Prof Rajesh Rajagopalan from India’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, offered the Indian perspective on the programmes, and said South Asian strategic stability was a function of both behaviour and capability of the states in the region.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:26 UTC
Freedom and uncertainty: A lonely elephant’s journey into a whole new world
Today, Kaavan, dubbed the loneliest elephant in the world, stands on the brink of a 24 hour journey of uncertainty to his Cambodian asylum. Drawing international attention“When I first met Kaavan, now a 30 year old Asiatic elephant, he was showing signs of severe stereotypical behaviour. Soon after which a legal team was hired and so began the long-running process of pressing for the elephant’s freedom. All other elephants in our zoos are from Africa and Asian and African elephants cannot be put together in the same space,” Saeed highlighted. Muse for a movieWhere Kaavan’s life has been of many trials and tribulations, through it all he has emerged as an international name, no short of stardom.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:26 UTC
Seven Pindi schools sealed for staying open
Students walk home after the last day of school ahead of the extended winter break announced by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19. PHOTO: ONLINEThe Rawalpindi district administration on Saturday sealed seven schools found open despite closure orders. In some instances the owners of schools had closed the main gates, but staff was working inside. Hussain said that the campaign against the schools has been started on a daily basis and will continue till December 24. Any school that is found to be open will be sealed.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:24 UTC
Covid-19: Wrestling tournament postponed
The 4th Kyrgyz Ambassador National Mas-Wrestling Championship, which was scheduled for December 4 in the city, was postponed due to the current situation of Covid-19. Pakistan Mas-Wrestling Federation President Furqan Khan said that the two-day event was scheduled at Sports Stadium, Multan. Pakistan Mas-Wrestling Federation decided to proceed after the situation got better. The championship was scheduled from December 4 to December 6. Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2020.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:05 UTC
Minor girl abducted, killed in Sahiwal
A 10-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and murdered in Chak No 711L, on the outskirts of Harappa, on Saturday. Police said the minor girl, a second grade school student, was allegedly abducted and brutally killed with a sharp-edged weapon on the outskirts of Harappa. The police transferred the victim’s body to the district headquarters hospital for postmortem. As per hospital officials, in the initial postmortem report revealed that the minor girl was sexually abused. In an earlier case on June 7, a seven-year-old boy, who was abducted from D-Type Colony area, was killed after being raped.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:03 UTC
MNA, son involved in liquor smuggling, says IO
An investigation officer (IO) from the Customs Anti-Smuggling Organisation submitted on Saturday the interim challan of a case pertaining to the alleged smuggling of liquor under cover of diplomatic immunity in a Customs court. Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Roshan Junejo and his son, Ghias Junejo, were nominated as the accused in the challan submitted by the IO. It further states that the Hyderabad DIG had completed a report as per the directives of the Sindh IGP, finding police officials to be involved in illegal activity. It claims 6,000 bottles of liquor, being smuggled under cover of diplomatic immunity, were confiscated by Customs officials. Furthermore, the challan alleges the accused were involved in the liquor black market, while the Sindh Police had been used in the smuggling as well.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:03 UTC
Will head to court, warn PSM workers
The sacked employees of the PSM continued their protest on the National Highway on Saturday, blocking both tracks and leading to a snarl of traffic. The employees were fired in the wake of an emergency meeting chaired by the PSM CEO. The enraged workers shouted slogans against the Centre, demanding that it take back its decision and restore the jobs. Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, they said it had promised to restore PSM after forming its government in the Centre, but now it was working on shutting it down permanently. He had suffered a fatal heart attack on Friday after hearing that his son, Shakeelur Rehman, had been laid off from the PSM.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 05:03 UTC
Social media promoting gun culture
A trend of displaying weapons on social media, especially by youths, is on the rise in the provincial capital. Trainee sub-inspectors were posted in the cell and action was started against those displaying weapons on social media. The trainee officials have joined various social media groups to monitor such activities. The official said the aim of the accused was to increase the number of their followers on social media. SSP Jameel Zafar said the accused Sualeh Butt and Amjad Butt did strange things to increase followers on social media.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 04:52 UTC
Covid-19 claims 15 more lives in Punjab
The second wave of Covid-19 pandemic claimed 15 more lives on Saturday and 738 new cases were reported in Punjab. A spokesperson for the Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department (PP&SHD) said the number of coronavirus cases in the province reached 117,898 while number of deaths has reached 2,960. The Punjab health department has conducted 1,951,715 tests for Covid-19 so far while 98,289 confirmed patients recovered in the province. The Punjab health department urged the people to follow SOPs for their protection and cover their faces with masks besides washing their hands with soap several times in a day to protect themselves from the pandemic. Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2020.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 04:52 UTC
35 cattle heads burnt to death
A fire erupted in 45 cattle pens in Landhi on Saturday, resulted in the death of at least 35 livestock, including buffaloes, cows, calves, sheep and goats. According to fire department officials, the blaze, which erupted on Saturday afternoon, also gutted the cattle pens and items inside them, including a motorcycle. On being informed, firefighters reached the site along with two fire tenders but had to call for as many more. The blaze was doused after three-hour-long efforts, the official said. Published in The Express Tribune, November 29th, 2020.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 04:41 UTC
Govt shifts jailed Afghan children to Karachi
The Sindh government shifted 16 Afghan children, who had been imprisoned in a jail in Sukkur district, to a children's remand home in Karachi on Saturday. "The children have been shifted to Karachi and the Afghan consul general has also been contacted to help in their repatriation," he added. Over a week ago, the Kashmore-Kandhkot district police arrested 21 Afghan citizens, including 16 children, for illegally entering the country. Kolhi came across the children, between six to 14 years of age, during his visit to the Sukkur Central Jail on Thursday. He wrote to the CM on the same day, requesting him to deport the children "who are languishing in the youthful offender industrial school in Sukkur jail."
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 04:41 UTC
PPP minister slams PTI over rally restriction
According to him, the PDM's leadership will attend the foundation day event In Multan. He added that PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had asked the provincial ministers to prepare proposals for low-cost housing schemes for their respective areas. The centre will help the allottees of various SDA housing schemes verify the properties' ownership. According to the minister, the SDA is the first development authority in Sindh to be linked up with NADRA. The minister also directed the SDA to take action against all housing schemes operating without obtaining approval from the relevant departments.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 04:41 UTC
‘Rao Anwar not present when Naqeebullah was killed’
Former Malir SSP Rao Anwar, DSP Qamar and others accused of murdering Naqeebullah were not present at the crime scene when the alleged encounter occurred, a witness told an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday. ATC-3 was hearing the murder case at Karachi Central Jail, where Anwar, Qamar and others appeared before the court. Mobile CDR (call detail record) expert Inspector Hanif and three other witnesses recorded their statements, while one witness was surrendered by the prosecution. He claimed that Anwar, Qamar and around 10 others were therefore not present at the site of the alleged encounter when it occurred. According to Hanif, DSP Qamar was recorded as being at Razzaqabad Training Centre at 3:08pm, while his location at the crime scene was recorded at 3:30pm.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 04:41 UTC
Is PDM sinking under its own crushing contradictions?
Imran Khan refuses to take a U turn on the opposition’s demand to give them an NRO. In his inaugural speech as Prime Minister, Imran Khan perplexingly delivered a clear message. The real issue here is fearing that Imran Khan is occupying political space in the radical middle and exposing the liberals’ and mullahs’ hypocrisy. For example, if PDM continues to host jalsas during Covid-19’s rising second wave, despite government warnings, the government should start handing out masks at PDM jalsas. Seize the narrative by doing rather than talking to expose the contradictions eating out the PDM from the inside.
Source:The Express Tribune
November 29, 2020 03:45 UTC