Month: October 2020

The Chinese government has asked the US to stop interfering in China’s internal affairs or undermining the development and stability of the country’s Tibet region after Tibetian President-in exile Lobsang Sangay met with the US special coordinator for Tibetan issues Robert Destro.

Lobsang last Friday has tweeted saying it was the first time a president of the exiled government, called the Central Tibetan Administration, had been formally invited inside the State Department.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a daily briefing in Beijing on Tuesday that Destro “violated the commitment and the policy stance of the US side on not supporting Tibet’s independence and not acknowledging this government in exile.”

The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman termed the Tibetan government in exile as a “separatist political organization” that is “organized and has a program that vainly seeks to achieve ‘Tibet independence.'”

“It completely violates the Chinese Constitution and laws and has not been recognized by any country in the world. As its leader, Lobsang Sangay is a complete anti-China separatist. China firmly opposes Lobsang Sangay’s anti-China separatist activities in any country in any capacity and in any name, and firmly opposes any contact between officials of any country in any form,” Zhao said.

The US, time and again, has expressed concerns with the People’s Republic of China’s repression of the Tibetan community and severe restrictions on Tibetans’ religious freedom and cultural traditions within China. (ANI)

Journalists and the media are a priority target of Pakistan’s military and inter-intelligence services to subjugate freedom of speech, EU Chronicle reported, adding that such actions of intolerance towards independent journalism has increased dramatically since July 2018 when Imran Khan became prime minister.

In a report, EU Chronicle said the murder of a Pakistani journalist Sajid Hussain had all the hallmarks of a Pakistani extra-judicial killing. Sajid Hussain is just one example of the horrendous treatment of journalists inside and outside of Pakistan, it added.

Sajid (39), the editor-in-chief of the Balochistan Times was found dead in a river by police in Uppsala. He was missing since March 2.

He left Pakistan in 2012 and had been living as a refugee in Sweden since 2017.

Sajid Hussain was the nephew of Shaheed Ghulam Mohammad Baloch, the founder of the Baloch National Movement.

“Sajid Hussain is just one example of the horrendous treatment of journalists inside and outside of Pakistan. Journalists and the media are a priority target for Pakistan’s “deep state”, constant manoeuvring by the military and inter-intelligence services to subjugate freedom of speech,” the report read.

“Such actions of intolerance towards independent journalism has increased dramatically since July 2018 when Imran Khan became prime minister. Of course, Pakistan is just one of many countries where such examples can be found, and who despite their signature and ratification, are failing to comply with commitments and respect for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),” it added.

A press freedom charity had suggested Pakistani intelligence was behind Hussain’s disappearance in early March, according to a report.

A leaked Pakistani government internal memo, about stopping the “rhetoric against Pakistan”, specifically targets six journalists based abroad. The murder of Sajid Hussain had all the hallmarks of a Pakistani extra-judicial killing.

According to confidential information obtained by Reporters Without Borders, a list of Pakistani dissidents who are now refugees abroad has been circulating within Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence, the most powerful of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. (ANI)

Vidya Balan has resumed the shooting for her upcoming film ‘Sherni’ in Madhya Pradesh.

The shoot for the film came to a halt in mid-March as the nation went into a lockdown due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

With productions getting back on track while following the requisite safety protocols, Vidya Balan too has started shooting for the film.

‘Sherni’, directed by Amit Masurkar, explores the man-animal conflict. It features Vidya Balan as a forest officer.

Earlier this year in February, the ‘Kismat Konnection’ star announced the movie with a poster of the film. She wrote on Instagram, “Thrilled to announce my next film – #SHERNI … Cannot wait to start shoot!Directed by: #AmitMasurkar ,Produced by: @BhushanKumar @ivikramix #KrishanKumar & #AmitMasurkar. Written by: @aasthatiku”

Last seen in ‘Shakuntala Devi’, Vidya Balan shifted the release to the OTT platform because of the coronavirus outbreak and nationwide lockdown. (ANI)

Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday issued a warning to Pakistan Army asking it stop interfering in civilian matters of the government and police or there will be no unity in the country.

Rehman told reporters that the recent Karachi incident proves the strict control of Army on everything in Pakistan.

“The army has control over the whole country. In every tehsil, there is a major sitting, in every district, there is a colonel. In every apex body in the country, there is an army officer and in front of them, these commissioners, DIGs look helpless,” he said.

“Yesterday’s incident has proved the strict control of the Army. Pakistan Army should vacate all tehsils, districts, towns and divisions and stop interfering in civilian matters of governments and police or else there will be no unity in the country,” he added.

Rehman remarks come a day after almost all police officers in Sindh police applied for leave in protest against the humiliation meted out to the Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mehr, during the PML-N leader Safdar Awan’s arrest saga, The News International reported.

PML-N leader and spokesman for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz’s and former Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair said that the IGP Sindh was “kidnapped” by Rangers who forced him to file an FIR for Safdar’s arrest.

The development caused extreme bitterness among the police officers who retaliated by submitting leave of absence.

The incident sent shockwaves in top Army brass with Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa himself stepping in and ordering an inquiry into the “Karachi incident”.

Recently, political parties including Jamiat Ulema-e Islam under the banner joint opposition alliance–Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)– protested against the “puppet” government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his resignation.

Following the rally, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz’s husband Safdar Awan was arrested from his hotel room.

Almost the entire top brass of the police, including three Additional IGs, 25 DIGs, 30 SSPs and dozens of SPs, DSPs and SHOs across Sindh, tendered leave applications, as a protest against the “resentment and heartache caused to all ranks of the force” by the unfortunate incident of October 18/19.

In a tweet, the Sindh Police termed their reaction of filing leave application “as a spontaneous and heartfelt reaction and made on an individual basis rather than on a collective basis.”

Following the meeting with the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto at the IGP’s residence, the IGP deferred his own leave and ordered his officers to set aside their leave applications for 10 days in the larger national interest, pending the conclusion of the inquiry. (ANI)

Heaping praises on her writer friend and actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife Tahira Kashyap, actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra on Wednesday urged her fans to read Kashyap’s new book ‘The 12 Commandments Of Being A Woman.’

The ‘Dhadkan,’ actor took to Instagram to share a video of herself where she is seen talking about the book and how she is “amazed,” by Kashyap’s talent.

“Guys I have laughed my guts out. I am just reading the 12 commandments of being a woman written by my dear friend Tahira Kashyap Khurrana. It is a hilarious read, I just can’t call it hilarious, it’s actually quite a slice of life,” she said.

“I am amazed that how amazing a multi-tasker you are Tahira. It’s wonderful and it’s so inspiring this book. So, guys please go check out and you must read it because it will be totally worth it. I am actually so proud of you,” Kundra added.

The 45-year-old actor also went on to laud her “dear friend,” a little more in her caption by quoting a line from the book.

“”NO Guts, NO Glory”, they say… That explains why you are so glorious my darling, @TahiraKashyap Loved #The12CommandmentsOfBeingAWoman, devoured it, but love you more! More power to you. Keep roaring and soaring higher,” she wrote in the caption. (ANI)

Defence Minister and BJP leader Rajnath Singh on Wednesday slammed the Congress and RJD’s Mahagathbandhan during a public rally here in Kahalgaon ahead of the Bihar assembly election.

Singh said at the rally, “The lantern (RJD) has cracked and oil has spilled. Now, hands (Congress) and their games will not work.”

The Defence Minister said that around 25 lakh people in Bihar are receiving benefits under Ayushman Bharat Scheme, adding that in near future everyone in state will receive healthcare benefits.

“Around 25 lakh people in the state of Bihar are receiving benefits under Ayushman Bharat Scheme. There will come a time when everyone in Bihar will receive healthcare benefits from the scheme,” said Defence Minister Singh.

Congress, CPI, CPM are part of the grand alliance under the leadership of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Meanwhile, the NDA in Bihar comprises the BJP, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM) and Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP)

Bihar with 243 assembly seats will go to polls in three phases: October 28, November 3 and November 7. The results will be declared on November 10. (ANI)

At least 12 women were killed and 12 others were injured during a stampede, which occurred in Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar province among a huge crowd of people seeking Pakistani visas, said local officials.

The crowd had gathered close to the Pakistan Embassy in Jalalabad when the incident occurred, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, reported TOLO News.

“Deeply saddened at the reports of casualties at a stadium in Jalalabad 5 km from Pakistani Consulate where visa applicants were being organized by Afghan provincial authorities. We sympathize with the families of the victims,” said Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, in a tweet following the stampede.

“We are engaged with Afghan authorities for better facilitation of visa applicants. We are committed to continue visa issuance to Afghan nationals under new visa policy while making the process smoother and streamlined at our end,” he said.

According to TOLO News, hundreds of people gather for Pakistani visas outside the Pakistan Consulate every day, with some people even spending the whole night waiting in line.

On October 13, Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul at a press release said it had taken urgent measures to facilitate Pakistani visas for Afghan nationals. (ANI)

Actor John Abraham and Divya Khosla Kumar on Wednesday kick-started the shooting for the upcoming action-thriller film ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ in Lucknow. The ‘Dishoom’ actor along with Divya and producer Milap Javeri has commenced the shoot for the much-anticipated sequel.

In the pictures from Day 1 of the film, John is seen clad in a white kurta and a grey bandhgala jacket. He is also sporting a badge featuring the Indian flag above his left pocket. On the other hand, Divya looks stunningly beautiful in a red-bordered white saree. The actors have posed with the director Milap Zaveri in the first picture. On the sets of the film, producer Nikkhil Advani was also captured giving the Mahurat clap to initiate the shooting.

Before the coronavirus struck, ‘Satyameva Jayate 2 ‘was based in Mumbai. The director Milap Zaveri – confided that the roots of John’s character in the film are in Varanasi. The transition will give the film a pan-India feel, appealing even to the viewers in the interiors, he said.

The team will also be shooting for a few days at a Mumbai studio early next year before calling it a wrap.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar (T-Series), Monisha Advani, Madhu Bhojwani and Nikkhil Advani (Emmay Entertainment), Satyameva Jayate 2 is slated to release on May 12, 2021. (ANI)

It is not just political parties in Pakistan who are protesting against the ‘deep state’ in the country, police officers in the Sindh province are also revolting against the atrocities of the powerful army.

Recently, political parties under the banner joint opposition alliance—Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)– protested against the ‘puppet’ government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his resignation. Thousands of people participated in the rally in Karachi.

Following the rally, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz’s husband Safdar Awan was arrested from his hotel room.

Almost all police officers in Singh Police applied for leave in protest against the humiliation meted out to the Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mehr, during the PML-N leader Safdar Awan’s arrest saga, The News International reported.

PML-N leader and spokesman for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz’s and former Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair that the IGP Sindh was ‘kidnapped’ by Rangers who forced him to file an FIR for Safdar’s arrest.

The development caused extreme bitterness among the police officers who retaliated by submitting leave of absence.

Almost the entire top brass of the police, including three Additional IGs, 25 DIGs, 30 SSPs and dozens of SPs, DSPs and SHOs across Sindh, tendered leave applications, as a protest against the “resentment and heartache caused to all ranks of the force” by the unfortunate incident of October 18/19. The incident sent shockwaves in top Army brass with Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa himself stepped in and order an inquiry into the ‘Karachi incident’.

In a tweet, the Sindh Police termed their reaction of filing leave application “as a spontaneous and heartfelt reaction and made on an individual basis rather than on a collective basis.”

Following a low key letter of leave by the IGP Mushtaq Mehr, Additional Inspector General of Police, Special Branch, Sindh, Yaqoob Minhas submitted his. Minhas in his application submitted to the IGP that during the recent episode of registration of FIR against the PML-N leader, “the high command of the Sindh Police was ridiculed and mishandled, which has left the entire provincial police force demoralized and shocked.”

Asking to proceed on leave, Minhas said: “In such a stressful situation, it is quite difficult for me to discharge my duty in a professional manner. In order to come out of this shock and settle down, I may kindly be granted 60 days earned leave.”

The senior police officers were extremely annoyed and upset with the way their IGP was treated.

They warned that they could tender resignations if it is for their dignity.

They asserted that the police force was the first line of defence and thousands of cops have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty and how this force has been treated is unfortunate.

“Right now, we are going on leave but we can tender our resignations too,” warned a frustrated a senior police officer who wished not to be named. “How can we work in this stressful environment where there is no respect for us”.

Later in the night on Tuesday, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, visited the residence of the IGP Sindh Mushtaq Mehr where a large number of PSP officers had also gathered, to defuse the situation and to express solidarity with the police force and appreciate their role as a frontline force against crimes and terrorism.

On the occasion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari informed them of his telephonic conversation with Bajwa in which General Qamar Javed Bajwa had assured him of a transparent inquiry into the incident and hoped its results would be announced soon.

Following the meeting with the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto at the IGP’s residence, the IGP deferred his own leave and ordered his officers to set aside their leave applications for 10 days in the larger national interest, pending the conclusion of the inquiry.

Meanwhile, Sindh Police spokesperson issued a statement via Twitter appreciating Bajwa for realising the sense of hurt that prevailed within a uniformed force and instituting an impartial inquiry to restore the prestige of the Sindh Police. He also expressed gratitude to the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and CM Sindh for expressing solidarity with the police leadership. (ANI)