Pakistan/South Asia Khabrein (news)

History flash back - when there were no private news/media channels....Only one government news channel, PTV, who used to broadcast news and as well as dramas...

The time - a thing in which we really want to enter and feel. It feels like everything is stopped.

Dhoop Kinare (At the edge of the sunshine)

Dhoop Kinare meaning "at the edge of the sunshine" in Urdu was a 1987 Pakistani television series presented by Pakistan Television Corporation. The show centers on a team of doctors in a hospital in Karachi and revolves around their routines at the hospital and their private lives at home.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhoop_Kinare

A random episode of this drama, which was popular in whole Pak-India subcontinent. Just wished if there were subtitles. Still, it gives everyone an insight how life and drama/culture of Pakistan used to be back in 80s and 90s.

Dhoop Kinare Episode 11 | Rahat Kazmi | Marina Khan | Sajid Hassan | Qazi Wajid | Badar Khalil

One of the actor of this drama, at 4:54, you can see him, Qazi Wajid, recently passed away. May he rest in heaven. Ameen.

Now compare this old drama with today's drama serials of Pak which are broadcasted by unlimited number of private channels. Media industry has boomed, really

Suno Chanda (Listen dear) Episode #2 HUM TV Drama 18 May 2018

Pakistani drama serials are still the best in subcontinent while in film industry, India takes the lead.

RENDEZVOUS with IMRAN KHAN Parts 1,2,3 (NO AD BREAKS. UPDATED)

PM Khan accepts Angela Merkel's invitation to visit Germany

German Chancellor Angela Merkel telephoned Imran Khan to congratulate him on his election as the prime minister of Pakistan. — Geo News FILE

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday accepted German Chancellor Angela Merkel's invitation to visit Germany during a telephonic conversation between the two leaders, according to a statement issued by the PM's Office.

Merkel telephoned Khan to congratulate him on his election as the prime minister of Pakistan. She emphasised the importance of deepening bilateral relations, expressed desire to expand cooperation in diverse fields and work together on issues of mutual interest at the regional and global levels, the statement said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked the German chancellor for her call, and expressed the desire for further enhancing bilateral relations with Germany into a mutually beneficial, broad-based and long-term partnership.

He said that Germany is the largest trading partner of Pakistan in Europe and there is a substantial potential for cooperation in the spheres of energy and automobile sectors, and investment in hydroelectric power generation, it read further.

Khan also briefed the German chancellor on the regional situation, especially the importance of a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan and relations with India.

He underscored the need for resumption of comprehensive dialogue with India to address all outstanding issues.

On the occasion, Chancellor Merkel invited PM Khan to visit Germany at his earliest convenience, the statement added. The prime minister accepted the invitation.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/213194-pm-khan-accepts-angela-merkels-invitation-to-visit-germany

Khan made quite a impression on Germans as well

Old video

Pakistani Population in America Reaches 600,000

Foreign-born Pakistani immigrant population in the United States rose 31% since 2010 to reach nearly 400,000 as of 2017. This figure includes naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents (green card holders), temporary workers, and foreign students from Pakistan. An earlier 2015 estimate put the number of US-born Pakistani-Americans at 180,000. It is safe to assume that the total number of Pakistanis in the United States exceeds 600,000 in 2018.

2017 US Census Update:

On September 13, 2018, the US Census Bureau released some of the data from the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS). The survey reflects the U.S. population as of July 1, 2017.

The source countries with the largest increases in the number immigrants since 2010 are India (up 830,215), China (up 677,312), the Dominican Republic (up 283,381), Philippines (up 230,492), Cuba (up 207,124), El Salvador (up 187,783), Venezuela (up 167,105), Colombia (up 146,477), Honduras (up 132,781), Guatemala (up 128,018), Nigeria (up 125,670), Brazil (up 111,471), Vietnam (up 102,026), Bangladesh (up 95,005), Haiti (up 92,603), and Pakistan (up 92,395).

The sending countries with the largest percentage increases since 2010 are Nepal (up 120%), Burma (up 95%), Venezuela (up 91%), Afghanistan (up 84%), Saudi Arabia (up 83%), Syria (up 75%), Bangladesh (up 62%), Nigeria (up 57%), Kenya (up 56%), India (up 47%), Iraq (up 45%), Ethiopia (up 44%), Egypt (up 34%), Brazil (up 33%), Dominican Republic and Ghana (up 32%), China (up 31%), Pakistan (up 31%), and Somalia (up 29%).

The states with the largest increases in the number of immigrants since 2010 are Florida (up 721,298), Texas (up 712,109), California (up 502,985), New York (up 242,769), New Jersey (up 210,481), Washington (up 173,891), Massachusetts (up 172,908), Pennsylvania (up 154,701), Virginia (up 151,251), Maryland (up 124,241), Georgia (up 123,009), Michigan (up 116,059), North Carolina (up 110,279), and Minnesota (up 107,760).

The states with the largest percentage increase since 2010 are North Dakota (up 87%), Delaware (up 37%), West Virginia (up 33%), South Dakota (up 32%), Wyoming (up 30%), Minnesota (up 28%), Nebraska (up 28%), Pennsylvania (up 21%), Utah (up 21%), Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Florida, Washington, and Iowa (each up 20%). The District of Columbia's immigrant population was up 25%.

Education and Income Levels of Pakistani-Americans:

56% of Pakistani-Americans have at least a bachelor's degree, much higher than 33% of Americans with college degrees. Among Pakistani-American college grads, 33% have a bachelor's degree while 23% have master's or Ph.Ds.

Median annual income of Pakistani-American households is $60,000, higher than the $50,000 median household income of all Americans. 33% of Pakistani-American households earn at least $90,000 while 18% earn more than $140,000.

Pakistani Doctors in America:

Pakistan is the third biggest source of foreign doctors who make up a third of all practicing physicians in the United States, according to OECD. Vast majority of Muslim doctors in America are of Pakistani origin. Among them is Dr.Mark Humayun who was awarded top US medal for technology by President Barack Obama in 2016.

About 30% of the 800,000 doctors, or about 240,000 doctors, currently practicing in America are of foreign origin, according to Catholic Health Association of the United States. Predictions vary, but according to the American Association of Medical Colleges, by 2025 the U.S. will be short about 160,000 physicians. This gap will most likely be filled by more foreign doctors.

As of 2013, there are over 12,000 Pakistani doctors, or about 5% of all foreign physicians and surgeons, in practice in the United States. Pakistan is the third largest source of foreign-trained doctors. India tops with 22%, or 52,800 doctors. It is followed by the Philippines with 6%, or 14,400 foreign-trained doctors. India and Pakistan also rank as the top two sources of foreign doctors in the United Kingdom.

Pakistanis in Silicon Valley:

is home to 12,000 to 15,000 Pakistani Americans. Thousands of them are working at Apple, Cisco, Facebook, Google, Intel, Oracle, Twitter and hundreds of other high-tech companies from small start-ups to large Fortune 500 corporations. Pakistani-Americans are contributing to what Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee describe as "The Second Machine Age" in a recent book with the same title.

Pakistani-Americans are the largest foreign-born Muslim group in San Francisco Bay Area that includes Silicon Valley, according to a 2013 study. The study was commissioned by the One Nation Bay Area Project, a civic engagement program supported by Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, Marin Community Foundation and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy.

Overall, US-born Muslims make up the largest percentage at 34% of all Muslims in the Bay Area, followed by 14% born in Pakistan, 11% in Afghanistan, 10% in India, 3% in Egypt and 2% each in Iran, Jordan, Palestine and Yemen.

Pakistani-American entrepreneurs, advisers, mentors, venture capitalists, investment bankers, accountants and lawyers make up a growing ecosystem in Silicon Valley. Dozens of Pakistani-American founded start-ups have been funded by top venture capital firms. Many such companies have either been acquired in M&A deals or gone public by offering shares for sale at major stock exchanges. Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN) has become a de facto platform for networking among Pakistani-American entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley. It holds an annual event called OPEN Forum which attracts over 500 attendees.

Entertainment and Sports:

Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistani-American actor-comedian, recently made news with the successful release of his feature film The Big Sick on hundreds of screens across the United States. It is a cross-culture romantic comedy based on actual events that breaks new ground by casting a brown-skinned Pakistani-American in a lead role in a movie produced and widely screened in the United States. Acquired by Amazon Studios for $12 million after a bidding war at Sundance film festival, the film has already grossed over $36 million so far.

Shahid Khan, a Pakistani-American engineer who made his multi-billion dollar fortune in auto industry, became only non-white owner of an NFL franchise team when he bought Jacksonville Jaguars for $760 million in 2011.

Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers franchise general manager is a Pakistani-American named Farhan Zaidi, an MIT and Berkeley-educated economist.

Kamala Khan is a new Ms. Marvel comic book character created by Pakistani-American Sana Amanat for Marvel Entertainment. Kamala is both female and Muslim. It is part of the American comic giant's efforts to reflect a growing diversity among its readers.

Academy Award winning Hollywood hits Frozen, Life of Pi and The Golden Compass have one thing in common: Each used extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI) created by Pakistani-American Mir Zafar Ali who won Oscar statuettes for "Best Visual Effects" in each of them.

Pakistani-American Organizations:

Rockefeller Foundation-Aspen Institute Diaspora (RAD) program identified 79 Pakistani-American organizations. Of these, 5 organizations had revenue exceeding $1m while two had over $200,000 in their most recent fiscal year. The top organizations are The Citizens Foundation (TCF), the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent in North America (APNA) and the Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN). Other large organizations are American Pakistan Foundation, Imran Khan Cancer Foundation and Human Development Foundation (HDF). These organization help raise funds for education, health care and other development and human welfare activities in Pakistan.

Trump's America:

Some Pakistani-Americans, like members of other ethnic and religious minorities, are alarmed by the increasing bigotry in America since the election of President Donald Trump. This is particularly true of places like New York's Little Pakistan were Pakistanis were targeted after 911 terrorist attacks. At the height of the sweep, over 20,000 people in Brooklyn’s South Asian communities left the United States, a COPO survey found, according to Gotham Gazette, a New York City publication. Many sought political asylum in Canada and Australia, and some returned to Pakistan and other countries. A number of them never returned. Many had their legitimate US immigration applications pending at the time. Others had their cases in immigration courts and they were waiting for disposition by judges.

Summary:

There are an estimated 600,000 Pakistanis in the United States as of 2018. With few exceptions, most Pakistani-Americans, making up a tiny fraction of the US population, are thriving. They have significantly higher incomes and education levels than the general US population. Pakistani-Americans are engaged in diverse occupations ranging from doctors, engineers and lawyers to large and small business owners and drivers. In addition to participating in local philanthropic and community activities, several Pakistani-American organizations help raise funds for schools, hospitals and other human welfare activities in Pakistan.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2018/09/pakistani-population-in-america-reaches.html

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Pakistan opposition leader Sharif arrested

Zaheer Babar, Associated Press
October 5, 2018 8:21pm

Pakistan opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif has been arrested over his alleged links to a multi-million dollar housing scam, the country's anti-graft body has announced.

It was the first high-profile arrest in a corruption case since former cricket star Imran Khan became prime minister following July's elections.

Khan ran on a "new Pakistan" platform, vowing to rid the country of corruption.

The National Accountability Bureau in a statement on Friday said it arrested Sharif after questioning him for several hours at its office in Lahore, the capital of the eastern province of Punjab.

Sharif is accused of abuse of power during his tenure as the chief minister of Punjab from 2013 to 2018 by influencing authorities to award contracts for a government-run housing program for low-income citizens to a company with which he had political connections.

The arrest drew condemnation from Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party, which said the government was targeting Sharif for political reasons.

Friday's arrest came months after authorities arrested two key former officials in connection with the same alleged scam. It is believed that Sharif's arrest was made in the light of their statements against him, despite Sharif having earlier said he did not award contracts to his political allies.

https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/pakistan-opposition-leader-sharif-arrested/news-story/eb1215d886850bc0db042ac03a679630

How Pakistan Army saved US troops in battle of Mogadishu?

October 15, 2018 News Desk

Col (R) Maqbool Afridi |

My unit, 15 Frontier Force Regiment “Fighting Fifteen” was deputed for UNOSOM II, Mogadishu, Somalia from Aug 1993 to Oct, 1994. The unit underwent a remarkable experience of hostile actions & humanitarian work. The unit took part to rescue US Rangers from the clutches of hostile Somali militia in the famous operation termed by the Americans “Battle of Mogadishu”.

On 3rd Oct, 1993, US Rangers Rescue Operation was carried out along with US Rangers / Delta Force / QRF, comprising of 160 soldiers, 19 aircrafts (including 8 Black Hawk Helicopters & 8 Little Birds). The Pakistani force comprised of 15 FF & 19 L, having APC borne Platoon & troop of tank respectively. The Malaysian force comprised of few empty APCs for accommodating the stranded soldiers.

At about 1500 hrs, US Rangers raided Olympic Hotel, in the middle of city, to apprehend Gen Farrah Aidid & his aides. As per plan the US Rangers were dropped from the helicopters & they apprehend few Somalis. Once the Rangers were being retrieved, 2 helicopters were shot by the Somalis with rocket launchers. The helicopters fell down and the crew took up defensive position in the nearby buildings.

Read more: Lt Gen Asim Munir: A tough man for a tough job

Mean while, many ground attempts were made by US troops to reach the hotel and extricate the stranded soldiers. But Somalis had by then erected many road blocks on the roads leading to the hotel. The Somali militia effective fires on helicopters as well as on ground forces nullify all efforts of the US troops to extricate their stranded soldiers.
At about 1700 hrs, Pakistan contingent was asked to help to rescue the stranded Rangers. The Pakistani force was given the task to lead the Rangers Force / Delta Force from sea port till the Olympic Hotel, give fire support at the site and once the stranded Rangers are rescued then cover the withdrawal of the Force. The operation started at about 2300 hrs from the sea port.

Pakistani force was in the lead followed by US troops in their humvees and the Malaysian APCs at the end. Throughout the move Pakistani force came under heavy fire from the close by buildings / streets but due to effective counter fire they made the headway. At last the force reached the site at about 0030 hrs.

As per plan the US Rangers / QRF started contacting the stranded troops and some troops were extricated. The whole night Pakistani force provided fire support to US troops and was also fighting the Somali militia who was firing on them from multiple directions. Due to stiff resistance & effective fire by the militia, there was lack of coordination / coherence amongst the various US fighting groups. The US Rangers were not able to contact the group which was in the south of the Olympic Hotel and they were worried as day light was approaching.

Read more: Indo-Pak nuclear arms race at sea

The last group was contacted at 0500 hrs but due to panic and fatigue the US soldiers started firing on each other and few got injured. Many US soldiers were accommodated in own APCs. One of the badly wounded US soldier left behind was dragged and accommodated by Lt Baber in his own APC (Lt Baber being light weight couldn’t pick him being heavy weight). After retrieving the stranded soldiers the force started moving back at about 0530 hrs. The Pakistani troops were at the tail end to protect the force from Somali militia who was chasing them with intense fire from every direction. The complete force reached Soccer Stadium at about 0700 hrs on 4th Oct, 1993. They were provided with first aid, tea & water etc by Pakistan contingent. From there, the US troops were lifted by helicopters to their camp.

Approximately 20 US Rangers killed, 75 wounded & 1 captured alive, 1 Malaysian killed & 7 wounded, 1 soldier of my unit got a shrapnel wounded on his cheek but refused to go to hospital. Approx 1500 – 3000 Somali killed / wounded.

On 4th Oct, in the morning, the Subedar Major came to give the routine OK report, told me jubilantly that, “Americans are saluting our flag” (while passing through our camp). Once the platoon came back, I asked them in light mood that how was the night. They smiled, with glowing faces & shine in their eyes, in loud voices replied “Sir, we have rescued the American Rangers from Somali militia”.

Read more: Hybrid wars of 21st Century – Ikram Sehgal

The Hollywood has made Oscar winning award movie “Black Hawk Down”. The US Rangers action has been amply covered with exaggeration. I wish the action of Pakistani force should have been given due coverage. I shall not write much about US Rangers / Delta Force battle worthiness – for poor planning, execution & fighting abilities of the soldiers in battle field because, “A soldier should not disgrace a soldier”. But do give them credit for requesting Pakistan Army contingent to rescue them else they all would have been butchered by the hostile militia at night.

Pakistani Troops: Zindabad
Pakistan Army: Paindabad

The author participated in the operation. This article has been published here with permission.

https://theinfocorridor.com/2018/10/15/black-hawk-down-battle-of-mogadishu-the-untold-story/

The Express Tribune > Pakistan

PM plays it cool as quake panics colleagues during party meeting

October 19, 2018

PM Imran Khan refused leaving office during low intensity earthquake. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday refused to leave his office during a low intensity earthquake felt in the capital.

According to sources, tremors were felt when PM Khan was chairing a meeting with fellow party leaders. His security officers tried shifting him to an open place but he refused.

The 5.3-magnitude earthquake jolted most parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The tremors were also felt in Islamabad.

The epicentre of the quake was 120-kilometre deep near China-Tajikistan border along the Hindu Kush mountains, according to the met office.

Most party leaders stood up from their seats when jolts were felt during the meeting, said sources. However, Prime Minister Khan remained seated and refused to act on the request made by security officials, who had entered the briefing room to shift the premier and others.

The prime minister denied leaving the room, saying that earthquake would also be felt whichever place he would be evacuated to. “A man can’t do anything during an earthquake,” he said as he continued his meeting.

PM Khan’s composure encouraged other party leaders to get back to their seats and the meeting continued.

The meeting pertained to policy issues on the economy. Ministers and party leaders were being briefed on energy, gas and economic issues.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1829661/1-pm-plays-cool-quake-panics-colleagues-party-meeting/

Most Cute Little Pashtun School Kid Funny Conversation With Teacher - Pakistani Funny Kid

:lol:

Imran Khan at Saudi forum: Pakistan needs loans to overcome debt crisis

DULMIAL, PAKISTAN – The Village with the Gun

Jan 24, 2015 Guest Blogger

Remembering the soldiers of the First World War, 100 years on.

By Dr Irfan Malik and Michael Noble (The Centre for Hidden Histories, University of Nottingham)

A nineteenth century cannon sits at the centre of a Pakistani village. Here we take a look at the story of the Dulmial Gun.

Dulmial is a village approximately a hundred miles south of Islamabad, in the Salt Range region. A century ago, the area was part of British India, which meant that its inhabitants were drawn into the Great War on the side of the Allies. A settlement steeped in military history, Dulmial sent 460 of its men to fight in the British Army, including both of Dr Malik’s great grandfathers. The largest single participation of any village in Asia. Nine gave their lives. In recognition of the significant military service and sacrifice, in 1925 the British Government offered Dulmial an award of their choosing. The man in charge of choosing was Captain Ghulam Mohammad Malik, the highest ranking and most decorated soldier of the village. The Captain was a man of great experience, having commenced his military life in the Derajet Mountain Battery and participated in Lord Roberts’ famous march from Kabul to Kandahar in 1880. His photograph and achievements are documented in the book ‘The History of the Indian Mountain Artillery’ by Brigadier-General Graham published in 1957. A career soldier, Captain Malik eschewed the British offers of land, money and water facilities, choosing instead to have Dulmial’s contribution recognised with the presentation of a cannon.

The British agreed to this selection and provided Dulmial with a twelve pounder. The cannon itself was made at Carron ironworks, in Falkirk, Scotland in 1816. Its stand was built in Cossipore Gun Foundry, India, under the leadership of Captain A. Broome, in 1847. The gun was first collected from the First Punjab Regimental Centre in Jhelum, from where it was carried by train to Chakwal. There the gun was dismounted and loaded in a cart to be pulled by three pairs of oxen for the remaining 28 kms. The roads were semi-mountainous and the passage was difficult. It would take the ox carts two weeks to cover the distance. From 5 kms out, at ChoaSaiden Shah, the route became more difficult still and Dulmial had to dispatch five additional pairs of oxen to relieve the initial sixto complete the gun’s journey.

Safely in Dulmial, the gun was placed at the centre of the village and a photograph taken with the local commissioned officers. It remains there today, a reminder of the contribution that Dulmial made in the First World War.

Dulmial is now known within Pakistan as the ‘village with the gun’, but is rather less well known in the UK. This is because little has been written or published about the village in English. Dr Malik in collaboration with Michael Noble, The Centre for Hidden Histories, University of Nottingham aims to research the First World War history of the village as it played such an impressive part during that period. Since that time Dulmial has continued to produce many generations of high ranking, distinguished Army officers. It is our intention to bring this hidden history to a wider audience and help to share the reasons of just what a nineteenth century Scottish cannon is doing in the Salt Range region of Pakistan.

After informing the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London of Dulmial’s significant history, several representatives of the village attended the First World War Centenary reception at the British High Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan, on 10th November 2014. This is a great honour and privilege for the inhabitants and worldwide descendants of Dulmial.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/articles/dulmial-pakistan-village-gun.html

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Civil Aviation Authority rejects news of ‘Israeli aircraft’ landing in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Civil Aviation Authority has categorically rejected any news regarding landing of a rumoured Israeli aircraft in Pakistan.

The CAA on Saturday issued a notification rejecting the rumours. “There is absolutely no truth to the rumours that any Israeli plane landed at any airport in Pakistan. No such plane landed at any airport in Pakistan,” the authority clarified.

An Israeli journalist earlier this week sparked a storm of speculation on social media when he tweeted that an aircraft flew from Tel Aviv to Islamabad.

On October 26, Avi Scharf, editor of Israeli newspaper Haaretz, said in his tweet that the alleged plane did not directly fly from the Israeli capital into Islamabad. Instead, it followed a trick flight route by landing in Amman briefly to make it look like an Amman-Islamabad flight rather than a Tel Aviv-Islamabad flight.

The journalist in a series of tweets today (Saturday) provided details he had and did not have about the flight.

"As my previous post caused uproar in Pakistan, here are all the details I have, and have not. Please follow: Bizjet M-ULTI tracked dep TLV (23Oct, 2000 UTC) , hopped Amman, got new sqwk 0757, then over Saudi Arabia, and lost track Gulf of Oman (23:00) Sqwk 0757 type: Glex XRS," Scharf said in his tweet after the CAA's denial.

"Re-appeared (24Oct, 00:40 UTC) descending into Islamabad, still sqwk 0757 and type. Desc to 20K feet, and then lost track again. After 10 hours (11:20 UTC), re-appeared heading SW from Islamabad, continued same track back to Amman, then TLV."

He said he did not know who owned the aircraft or who flew it, however, argued that there was no reason for it to descend from 40,000 feet to 20,000 feet for continuing north to Kashmir.

"I DONT know who OWNS it ("Multibird Overseas Ltd" in isle of man), or who FLEW on it. I DONT have 100% confirm landed Islamabad, because it lost track (not enought flightradar24 receivers there). However, no reason to desc 40K to 20K if continuing north to Kashmir or China. Mountains very high there (15K+)."

"And it has NO relation WHATSOEVER to Netanyahu flight to Oman on Oct25th," Scharf said.

"People keep asking, so I will repeat. M-ULTI is registered in Isle of Man, firm called 'Multibird Overseas'. However, according to flight records it's based in Tel Aviv, flying regularly out of TLV, even chartered for biz passengers."

The Haaretz editor further said: "Pakistan govt issues denial. I'm sure @flightradar24 can tell what was final altitude and when landed. But I assume they won't. Maybe it only flew overhead Pakistan to go to China... Up to you investigative minds in Pakistan."

The Israeli journalist's tweets triggered a range of rumours on social media, with PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal one of many seeking an explanation from the government on the matter.

Earlier today, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry responded to Iqbal’s tweet saying that the government would neither hold any secret dialogue with India nor Israel.

“The reality is that Imran Khan is not Nawaz Sharif nor his cabinet has fake Aristotles like you. We will neither hold any secret dialogue with Modi nor Israel,” the minister replied to Ahsan Iqbal on Twitter.

“If you were so worried about Pakistan as you pretend to be, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Don’t show fake worry, Pakistan is in safe hands,” Chaudhry lashed out at the Iqbal.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also dismissed reports of an Israeli aircraft landing in Pakistan as fake and baseless.

Addressing a press conference, Qureshi said that something which is not even real does not warrant a response.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/216281-civil-aviation-authority-rejects-news-of-israeli-aircraft-landing-in-pakistan

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A Pakistan Court Overturned a Christian Woman's Death Sentence for Blasphemy. Now, Protests Are Spreading Across the Country

By Sabrina Toppa / Lahore, Pakistan 7:44 AM EDT

Pakistan was rattled by a third day of unrest Friday as hard-line Islamic protesters burned tires in city streets and chanted incendiary slogans opposing the recent acquittal of a Christian woman who spent almost a decade on death row for a blasphemy conviction.

Asia Bibi, a mother of five believed to now be in her late 40s, was accused of insulting the Prophet Muhammad after a quarrel with fellow farm laborers in 2009. Muslim laborers who worked alongside her claimed she drank water from the same cup as them, in what they argued was an affront to Islam. She was sentenced to death by hanging in 2010 — becoming the first woman ever dealt capital punishment for blasphemy in the predominantly Muslim country.

On Wednesday, after years spent waiting in solitary confinement, it appeared that freedom was finally on the horizon as Pakistan’s Supreme Court overturned her conviction despite widespread fears that it would lead to unrest. In a reference to Shakespeare’s King Lear, one of the judges said Bibi was “more sinned against than sinning.” The fallout was almost immediate; right-wing Islamic political parties quickly mounted calls for an execution despite her name being cleared. Roads were blocked, cellular service interrupted and schools were shut down across the country. Bibi is expected to leave the country to seek safety, but is currently at an undisclosed detention facility awaiting release.

Leading opposition to the ruling is the hard-line Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan party, known as the TLP, which roused its supporters to take to the streets. The party, which adheres to Sunni Barelvi beliefs, said the judges presiding over Bibi’s case were wajib-ul-qatl — liable to be killed. Party leader Khadim Rizvi castigated the newly-elected government of Prime Minister Imran Khan for traveling abroad while the country was in crisis. Khan, who is currently in China seeking to strengthen financial ties, has encouraged protestors to maintain calm and avoid escalating the protests, but negotiations between the Pakistani government and protesters dissolved bitterly late Thursday.

“This is not a normal case,” Ejaz Ashrafi, a spokesperson for the TLP, tells TIME by phone. TLP leaders have pledged to fight the verdict until the government capitulates, while another right-wing political alliance, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, also vowed to hold a “million man march” in the port city of Karachi next week. “The Prophet Muhammad is our respected leader, and upholding his honor and dignity is integral to our faith,” Ashrafi said. “Anyone who commits blasphemy against his name deserves death.”

Supporters of Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan, a hardline religious political party, block a street during a protest following the Supreme Court decision to acquit Christian woman Asia Bibi, in Islamabad on Nov. 1, 2018.

Rizvi has mobilized a massive support base through social media, and his acolytes often appear on the streets chanting violent slogans such as: “The only punishment for a blasphemer is beheading.” Last year, his followers paralyzed the capital Islamabad with protests against changes to an election oath that mentioned the Prophet Muhammad. The modification was struck down in a concession to the hugely disruptive demonstrations. The party also has a growing political following, winning more than two million votes in the most recent election and scooping up two seats in parliament.

Bibi’s case has been polarizing since the start. In 2011, several prominent political figures who voiced support for her were assassinated, including Christian politician Shahbaz Bhatti and former governor Salman Taseer. The latter was murdered by a Barelvi bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, who was later hanged for the killing. The TLP made him into a martyr; party supporters still visit a shrine in his honor built near the capital. “They portrayed him as a hero,” says Mehwish Rani, a Pakistani political analyst, adding that while earlier Barelvi movements failed to inspire the masses, “the TLP is different.”

The controversy surrounding Bibi’s case poses an ironic challenge for the new Khan government, whose leader rose to power through the same kind of public protests now paralyzing the country albeit with less religious rhetoric. The writ of the state has seemed particularly weak to many Christians, who only enjoyed an ephemeral victory before safety concerns settled in. Some members of the Christian community were circulating emergency notices warning that Christian churches and gatherings would become likely targets, according to messages seen by TIME. Many Christians are hiding indoors and churches remain on high alert.

Pakistani supporters of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, a hardline religious political party, protest following the Supreme Court decision to acquit Christian woman Asia Bibi, in Quetta on Nov. 1, 2018.
Banaras Khan—AFP/Getty Images

“This is the time for the government to show that it is committed to protecting the rights of all Pakistanis,” Rabia Mehmood, Pakistan researcher at Amnesty International, tells TIME. If Pakistani society can peacefully move past its current state of unrest, Mehmood says the Bibi verdict could have wide-ranging positive impacts for other blasphemy cases. “We hope that religious minorities will be treated equally and without discrimination, and the abusive use of the blasphemy laws stops.”

And there are certainly still cases pending before the courts. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom says that around 40 Pakistanis are still facing blasphemy charges in the country, including men like Junaid Hafeez, who is accused of posting blasphemous comments on Facebook. “For blasphemy cases, the Pakistani government and state institutions must introduce reforms to the criminal justice system so that police, prosecutors and courts can work independently without fear and intimidation,” Mehmood says.

Introduced by the British in the 1800s, Pakistan’s blasphemy law criminalized action offending religious sentiments or defiling sacred spaces. The law was made even more draconian in the 1980s, during a period of Islamization under the military ruler General Zia ul-Haq, when it was broadened to impose the death penalty for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. This penalty still applies today.

Before his election, Prime Minister Imran Khan stunned many Pakistanis by defending the law, which is widely seen as a tool for settling personal scores or confiscating property from vulnerable minorities. Some Pakistanis saw Khan’s pre-election defense as an opportunistic political calculation, designed to broaden his appeal to right-wing Islamic groups and earn their votes. But in the aftermath of Bibi’s acquittal and the subsequent protests, Khan seems to have changed tack.

“Those involved in this are not doing any service to Islam,” Khan told the nation in a televised address on Wednesday, referring to those who support the repressive law. “They are, in fact, enemies of Islam.”

http://time.com/5442851/pakistan-blasphemy-asia-bibi-protest/

Well...We'll handle it soon...Protests should be peaceful in nature not damaging cars and other stuff. Other criminals also can join and cause disrupt.

I sincerely hope that Khan gets Bibi and her family out of Pakistan before they're murdered.