Siasat Wala Blog

Pakistani celebrities have taken to social media to send prayers to the families of departed souls and victims of the Tezgam train incident. Following the horrific incident, social media reactions are pouring in amid prayers and condolences for the people who died. “ Prayers & condolences for all those who lost their lives in the #Tezgam incident. Made even more tragic by the fact that it could’ve been prevented if adequate checks on baggage had been in place,” wrote Tamgha e Imtiaz recipient, Mehwish Hayat.  Prayers & condolences for all those who lost their lives in the #Tezgam incident. Made even more tragic by the fact that it could’ve been prevented if adequate checks on baggage had been in place. How was a restricted item , a gas cylinder allowed onboard?Safety has to come first — Mehwish Hayat TI (@MehwishHayat) October 31, 2019 Taking about the affectees of Tezgam incident, Ushna Shah wrote, “Thoughts and prayers for the families of those who lost their liv

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan departed for Gilgit where he will attend the Azadi Parade ceremony marking the independence day of the region from Dogra Raj, ARY News reported on Friday. The Prime Minister will lay a floral wreathe at the monument of martyrs after attending the parade. The Governor and Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan and cabinet members are also scheduled to hold meetings with the Prime Minister. Read More: PM Khan Waives Passport, Prior Registration Requirements For Sikh Pilgrims The Prime Minister Imran Khan will also inaugurate various development schemes, projects and address a public gathering. The 72nd independence day of Gilgit will be celebrated in Gilgit-Baltistan with traditional zeal and fervor today (Friday). The day is being celebrated to pay tributes to those heroes of liberation war and Gilgit scouts who revolted against Dogra rule on 1st November 1947. Read More:  Special economic zone to be set up in Gilgit: Gandapur Political, social

NEW YORK: Apple’s new streaming service is taking a 21st century look at the life of 19th century poet Emily Dickinson in hopes it will strike a chord with America’s youth. The series, simply called Dickinson , stars 22-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld in the leading role, and hums with updated language and music by teen idol Billie Eilish and rapper Travis Scott. “It’s a great opportunity for younger people to look at Emily Dickinson’s life and work in a very new way and a modern way,” said Jane Krakowski, who plays the poet’s mother. “If we could do all history this way, I think kids would love history in school,” she added during a panel discussion with reporters in New York this month. The series lands on Friday when Apple TV+, the giant’s new subscription service, goes online. Apple is not the first broadcaster to tackle the enigmatic life of Dickinson, who only became famous after her death in 1886 at age 55. A Quiet Passion hit movie screens in 2016 and Wild Nights with

ISLAMABAD: The reaction of the government would depend on the action of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F), said Federal Minister for Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan as Azadi March of the Opposition arrived in the federal capital.  The minister said the Pakistan Army would be on standby and could be called for if needed during the anti-government rally. She added that there would be three-layered security, police would be on the first layer, ranger personnel on the second and then it would be the army. Awan approached Interior Minister Aijaz Shah to summon the army for this purpose and said the armed forces would be on standby. Read more:   Fazal-ur-Rehman rules out postponement of Azadi March rally Under the leadership of its chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, JUI-F-led Azadi March reached Islamabad on Thursday to stage an anti-government protest rally in the federal capital. Interior Minister Ijaz Shah has said the federal government will not become a barrier in opposition’s Az

KUALA LUMPUR: Nokia (NOKIA.HE) is targeting Malaysian ports in a bid to get a share of the country’s fifth-generation (5G) technology market, as the Southeast Asian country prepares to launch the ultra-fast mobile internet service next year. The Finnish company worked with Germany’s Port of Hamburg last year to test the technology in traffic-lights management, data processing from mobile sensors and virtual reality, and is keen to build on that experience in Malaysia, Siva Shanmugam, head of Nokia in Malaysia, told Reuters. Nokia’s push comes at a time when it expects to face tough competition from China’s Huawei [HWT.UL], the world’s largest telecoms equipment maker, that has already signed 5G deals with telecoms firms in Malaysia as it battles a U.S. blacklist. “Nokia is assessing the type of end-to-end use cases for 5G in Malaysia,” Shanmugam said in an email late on Thursday. “One area we are exploring is applying our global learnings to industrial applications; specifically fo

LAHORE: According to fresh report former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s blood platelets count has reached to 55,000, ARY News reported on Friday. The sources of the medical board, taking care of Sharif’s health, said that according to the complete blood count (CBC) report blood platelets of the former prime minister are increasing, which suggests improvement in his health. Nawaz Sharif has been admitted at Lahore’s Services Hospital for last 11 days. His IVIG therapy has been suspended due to heart and kidney problems and now his blood platelets will increase naturally under the formula of treatment with food, medical board sources said. Prof. Mehmood Ayaz, the head of the medical board, earlier said that Sharif’s platelets count will increase gradually. The blood platelets will now gradually increase by around five to six thousands daily, Prof. Ayaz said. The platelets will increase naturally now, he added. Nawaz Sharif’s state of health has improved then the previous days, he

Actor Ahmed Ali Butt remembered his late father in an emotional post eight years after his death.  Taking to Instagram , he penned a note for his father Haroon Rasheed Butt and wished he was still there to see his grandson, and how much of a resemblance they have. The Parey Hut Love actor hopes to be as wonderful a dad as his own was. Butt thanked his father, who passed away in October 2011, for all his sacrifices as well. View this post on Instagram My dear Pappee (Gul G) 8 years have gone and thought I'd miss you a little less and think of you a little less but Allah has a funny way of showing us how our parents never leave even after they are gone. I see so much of you every day in my Son and how I wish you were here to see your grandson grow. I try to be the father that you were to me and I hope that I will live up to your expectations of the man you taught me to be. Thanks you for all your sacrifices and lessons you taught us, I lov

SYDNEY: Australia’s pro-coal government threatened harsh new penalties against “apocalyptic” activism Friday as a global wave of climate protests has become increasingly disruptive for the country’s lucrative mining industry. Prime minister Scott Morrison told a peak mining body that his conservative government was seeking ways to legislate against activists engaged in “secondary boycotts”, or pressuring firms not to deal with the resources industry. “We are working to identify serious mechanisms that can successfully outlaw these indulgent and selfish practices that threaten the livelihoods of fellow Australians,” Morrison said at an event in the mineral-rich state of Queensland. “The right to protest does not mean there is an unlimited licence to disrupt people’s lives and disrespect your fellow Australians.” Morrison has been ratcheting up the rhetoric since his surprise election victory early this year when a political gamble ahead of the vote to green-light a huge new coal mi

The 72nd independence day of Gilgit will be celebrated in Gilgit-Baltistan with traditional zeal and fervor today (Friday). The day is being celebrated to pay tributes to those heroes of liberation war and Gilgit scouts who revolted against Dogra rule on 1st November 1947. Read More: Special economic zone to be set up in Gilgit: Gandapur Political, social and literary circles have finalized programs to celebrated the day in a befitting manner, Radio Pakistan reported. A ceremony in this regard will be held at Helipad ground in Gilgit at 9 am. Besides, a grand function will also be held in Aga Khan Shahi polo ground in Gilgit after today Friday prayer. Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan is also scheduled to take part in the ‘Azadi Parade’ which will be conducted to mark the occasion. PM Imran Khan will lay a floral wreathe at the monument of martyrs. Read More: PM Khan Waives Passport, Prior Registration Requirements For Sikh Pilgrims The Governor and Chief Minister of Gi

MIRPURKHAS: Distraught relatives gathered Friday for the first funerals of some of the 74 people killed when fire ripped through a crowded train in Pakistan, with many of the victims residents of a single town. Sobbing family crowded an official building in Mirpurkhas overnight as the first bodies covered in white cloth began arriving by ambulance from the scene of the disaster. After morning prayers, with women watching from nearby rooftops, more than a hundred men attended the first funeral — of a car mechanic named Mohammad Saleem, who was in his late 40s. It was held at the Bismillah Mosque, from which at least 42 pilgrims had left to board the train one day earlier bound for a religious festival near Lahore. The first funerals began of some of those killed when a passenger train caught fire in Pakistan. AFP Officials say as some of the train’s passengers cooked breakfast around dawn Thursday, two of their gas cylinders exploded, sending flames racing through three carriage

PARIS: Encased in headsets and carrying electronic replicas of weapons in their hands, the players prowl around the arena, ducking behind virtual obstacles before emerging to shoot at the enemy. All around, screens allow an enthralled public to follow the action live at Paris Games Week, where the company SmartVR studio has installed an immense arena to hold the first virtual reality (VR) competition in its popular game After-H. Industry participants agree that such groundbreaking VR technology is going to be crucial to the future of eSports, although it remains unclear how radical the revolution will be and whether it will change the nature of eSports for good. “The future is going to be VR,” said Jean Mariotte, cofounder of SmartVR Studio. “The ‘in-game’ experience is, to a certain extent, the dream of every player. To feel oneself move inside a game and this way experience it more intensely,” he said. “There will be eSports before and after VR,” added Laurent Michaud, directo

WASHINGTON: A deeply divided Congress formally opened a new, public phase of its investigation into Donald Trump on Thursday as US lawmakers voted for the first time to advance the impeachment process targeting the US president. “Today the House takes the next step forward as we establish the procedures for open hearings… so that the public can see the facts for themselves,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Washington’s top Democrat. “What is at stake in all of this is nothing less than our democracy.” The House of Representatives voted along party lines, 232 to 196, to pass a resolution that lays out guidelines for the next stages of the impeachment process. All Republicans opposed the measure, despite agitating for weeks for such a vote that could end the secretive depositions and bring the process into the open. Democrats are seeking to learn whether Trump abused his presidential power by pressuring a foreign government to investigate a domestic political rival. Trump has rep

ISLAMABAD: Verdict was reserved today in a hearing pertaining to a contempt of court case against Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Media and Broadcasting, Firdous Ashiq Awan, ARY News reported on Friday. SAPM Awan tendered an unconditional apology in the court of law, agreeing to the fact that she had transgressed legal boundaries and was liable of contempt. Read More: Capt (r) Safdar Awan granted bail in hate speech case Chief Justice, Islamabad High Court, Athat Minallah remarked during the hearing that the notion of a possible ‘deal’ is being carelessly spoken of and the idea entertained in front of the media. The court expressed dismay at the attitude and strongly opposed all such rumors and conspiracy. Chief Justice also said that the Awan had discussed a matter on the media which had been declared sub-judice hence discussing and speculating upon the matter was strongly forbidden by law. SAPM Awan tried to speak during the Chief Justice’s remarks but was asked to ho

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan waives off two requirements for Sikh pilgrims coming to Kartarpur from India as a gesture of appreciation and gratitude, ARY News reported on Friday. In a tweet earlier this morning, he announced that Sikhs traveling to Pakistan would not need a passport and could travel on the basis of just there National Identity Card. For Sikhs coming for pilgrimage to Kartarpur from India, I have waived off 2 requirements: i) they wont need a passport – just a valid ID; ii) they no longer have to register 10 days in advance. Also, no fee will be charged on day of inauguration & on Guruji’s 550th birthday — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 1, 2019 Imran Khan also waived off the condition requiring pilgrims to register ten days in advance to perform their religious duties in Kartarpur. Read More: US welcomes finalization of Kartarpur Corridor agreement Lastly, he mentioned that on the auspicious occasion of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s 5

NEW YORK: Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN) has departed to London after ending her tenure at the global peace and security maintenance body, ARY News reported on Friday. She met the President of UN General assembly, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande before departing and vacating the seat for the next ambassador, Munir Akram . Read More: Indian troops raping women, atmosphere of fear being cultivated in IoK: Lodhi She reiterated Pakistan’s stance with regards to the illegal annexation of Kashmir and demanded the world take note of usurped rights and human tragedies occurring in the landlocked valley. She also said that it was a responsibility of the UN to resolve the lingering dispute between two nuclear armed countries according to the resolutions on the region which have been passed by the very institute. Lodhi also said that Kashmiri hopes and desires should be kept at the forefront of any decision on the matter and there consent be given the topmost priority in the decisi

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi slashed the price of a key anti-tuberculosis drug on Thursday, boosting the battle against the world’s deadliest disease alongside the US launch of tests for a new treatment. The initiatives came as the United Nations seeks to galvanize the campaign against TB, which killed 1.5 million people last year and saw 10 million more infected. Scientists, who hailed Sanofi’s decision to cut the price of its rifapentine drug by two thirds, said the medical shield offered by such treatments would be crucial to the UN aim of eradicating the disease by 2030. “This lifesaving drug has, until now, been completely unaffordable in developing countries,” said Lelio Marmora, head of Unitaid, a global health initiative that helped broker the landmark deal between the firm and the Global Fund. “This agreement will help transform political commitment to tangible action,” he added. Sanofi, the world’s third biggest pharmaceutical maker by turnover, has cut the price

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Eyewitness accounts of the tragic Tezgam express inferno claim a short circuit in the ceiling fan of an air conditioned sleeper bogie of the train, ARY News reported on Thursday. Witnesses to the incident say that reports of a possible gas cylinder leakage, or explosion are false and did not trigger the flames. Read More: PM Imran Khan directs provision of best healthcare to train accident affectees Witnesses also narrated how many of them jumped from the moving vehicle engulfed in flames to save their lives from jeopardy. Seventy three people reportedly dead and forty others injured when fire engulfed three bogies of Tezgam Express due to an alleged cylinder explosion at Liaquatpur in Rahim Yar Khan on Thursday morning. The train was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi when the unfortunate occurrence took place. Read More: Pak Army mobilized to help in rescue, relief efforts of train accident A Pakistan Railways officia l confirmed that the fire was caused by

LAHORE: President of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will reportedly make his way to Islamabad and participate in the ongoing ‘Azadi March’, ARY News reported on Thursday. Sources privy to the information said that the leader of the opposition in the national assembly is slated to travel from Lahore to Islamabad in the afternoon and will address the crowd from the stage. Read More: Govt not to stop Azadi March under democratic norms, says Ijaz Shah Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s convoy of ‘Azadi March’ will reach Islamabad on Thursday (today), which is currently staying at Gujjar Khan. A venue for the so-called ‘Azadi March’ led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, spreading over 100 acres, has been prepared at H-9 sector of Islamabad. Read More: Fazl-ur-Rehman led ‘Azadi March’ to reach Islamabad today Federal capital’s administration has stepped up security arrangements in the city ahead of the arrival of the opposition parties’ protest march. Th

Boeing announced Thursday up to 50 of its popular 737NG planes had been grounded after cracks in them were detected, in another blow to the US aircraft maker following two deadly crashes. Australian national carrier Qantas became the latest airline to take one of the planes out of the air, as it said it would urgently inspect 32 others but insisted passengers had nothing to fear. The announcement by Qantas came after authorities in Seoul said nine of the planes were grounded in South Korea in early October, including five operated by Korean Air. Boeing had previously reported a problem with the model’s “pickle fork” — a part which helps bind the wing to the fuselage. This prompted US regulators to early this month order immediate inspections of aircraft that had seen heavy use. Following the Qantas announcement, a Boeing spokesperson on Thursday told AFP in Sydney that less than five percent of 1,000 planes had cracks detected and were grounded for repair. The spokesperson did n

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on the bail petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz in Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, ARY News reported. The high court will announce its verdict on Friday (tomorrow) over the plea of Maryam Nawaz seeking bail in the case. A two-member bench headed by LHC’s Justice Ali Baqar Najafi resumed the hearing on the petition which was earlier postponed due to the absence of a senior official of National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The NAB prosecutor appeared before the court in today’s hearing where he continued arguments. He told the court that the petitioner sought bail for looking after her father and the law has not space for the genre of bail. Background Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz and Yousaf Abbas are being investigated in the reference filed by the accountability bureau over alleged money laundering through Ch

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan expressing great sadness over the unfortunate train accident in Liaquatpur, Rahim Yar Khan earlier today ordered an immediate inquiry into the matter, ARY News reported on Thursday. The prime minister took to Twitter expressing deep sense of sadness over the incident and informed that an urgent inquiry report had been sought by him over the matter. The tweet read: “Deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy of the Tezgam train. My condolences go to the victims’ families & prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured. I have ordered an immediate inquiry to be completed on an urgent basis.” Deeply saddened by the terrible tragedy of the Tezgam train. My condolences go to the victims’ families & prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured. I have ordered an immediate inquiry to be completed on an urgent basis. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 31, 2019 Earlier in the day, The prime minister also tendered his condolen

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ijaz Shah on Thursday said that the federal government will not become a barrier in the organisation of the opposition’s Azadi March following the democratic norms, ARY News reported. While addressing a press conference along with Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan, Ijaz Shah urged Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to respect court orders while holding its march.  “PM Imran Khan had decided that the government will not stop [opposition’s] march under the democratic norms. The permission closed all doors to the elements willing to create chaos in the country.” Read: Maulana’s Azadi March could be a catastrophe: Ijaz Shah “We are democratic people and believe in dialogues. For the first time in history, the federal government constituted a dialogues’ committee under the supervision of [defence minister] Pervez Khattak. The dialogue team and the opposition’s Rehbar Committee had made an agr

ISLAMABAD: Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman’s convoy of ‘Azadi March’ will reach Islamabad on Thursday (today), which is currently staying at Gujjar Khan, ARY News reported. A venue for the so-called ‘Azadi March’ led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, spreading over 100 acres, has been prepared at H-9 sector of Islamabad. Federal capital’s administration has stepped up security arrangements in the city ahead of the arrival of the opposition parties’ protest march. The government has made it clear to the marchers, they would not face any obstacle to the venue of the public meeting until they will not try to enter the red zone, which will be countered with the use of force. The ‘Azadi March’ reached to Gujjar Khan on Wednesday night amid arrangements made for the procession. Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman stayed at the residence of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader in the city. The authorities have prepared a route-plan for entry of the protest march in Islamabad. The march will be allowe

ISLAMABAD: The United States Embassy in Islamabad expressed condolence to the victims of the horrific incident of fire in a passenger train, in which at least 70 people were reported to be dead so far, earlier this morning.  On Thursday, the US Embassy shared the statement of Deputy Chief of Mission John Hoover on Twitter saying, “On behalf of the U.S. Mission in Pakistan, I extend my sympathies to all those affected by the tragic train accident in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab. Chargé d’Affaires a.i. John Hoover.” On behalf of the U.S. Mission in Pakistan, I extend my sympathies to all those affected by the tragic train accident in Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab. Chargé d'Affaires a.i. John Hoover #RahamYarKhan #Pakistan #USEmbassyISB #USPAK #USinPAK #train pic.twitter.com/lL07LOPcDQ — U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) October 31, 2019 Around 70 people were reported dead and 40 others were injured when fire engulfed three bogies of Tezgam Express due to a cylinder explosion