Pakistan News

THE streets of Kashmore have been witnessing an unusual sight; an elderly woman, surrounded by people dancing around her, distributing pamphlets among shopkeepers and community members. This woman is Begum Khatoon, who is campaigning for the elections by ‘promoting her culture’. The cultural dance is an integral part of her drive. For her, ‘fear’ is certainly not an option, and she makes it clear by joining the dancers once she is done with the distribution of her manifesto. Unfazed by any possible repercussions for contesting the general elections, Ms Khatoon has received a ticket from the Awami Workers Party (AWP) for PS-04 (Kashmore-I). Abdul Rauf Khosa of PPP will also be contesting from the same constituency. This is the first time Ms Khatoon will be vying for a seat in the provincial assembly, having previously taken part in local government elections. “I have grown up in this area and live around eight kilometres from the main city of Kashmore. I am a farmer and I work on...

The Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday that the bodies of nine Pakistani nationals, who were shot dead in Iran last week, would be airlifted today from the Taftan border to Multan. Nine Pakistani workers were gunned down by unidentified attackers in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan province near the border with Pakistan on January 27, as the neighbouring countries sought to ease tensions after deadly cross-border fire . Iran’s Mehr news agency had reported that “according to witnesses, unknown armed men killed nine non-Iranians in a house in the Sirkan neighbourhood of Saravan city” in Sistan-Baluchestan province near the border with Pakistan. It added that no group or individuals had claimed responsibility for the attack. Three Pakistanis were also injured in the indiscriminate fire. The individuals who lost their lives in the incident hailed from Pun­jab, specifically originating from Multan, Muzaff­argarh and Bahawalpur districts. After the incident, Pakistan had demanded a compre...

ABIDJAN: Hosts Ivory Coast stunned Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, knocking out the reigning champions on penalties in the last 16 to keep their hopes of winning the title on home soil alive. A week ago it looked as if the Ivorians were set for a humiliating group-stage exit from their own Afcon, but now they are into the quarter-finals after beating Senegal 5-4 on penalties following a tie that finished 1-1 at the end of extra time. The Elephants scraped into the knockout phase with the worst record of the four best third-placed sides to advance, after finishing the first round with a humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea, their heaviest ever home defeat. They followed that by sacking veteran French coach Jean-Louis Gasset and trying unsuccessfully to bring in former boss Herve Renard on a short-term deal. But instead former player Emerse Fae was appointed on an interim basis, hoping to rouse a shell-shocked team for a daunting tie against the holders. It look...

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli will miss Tuesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues due to a cut on his leg from a skate. The Blue Jackets add that Fantilli will be further evaluated after the team returns home following the Blues game. The 19-year-old Fantilli was forced to exit Sunday’s game against the Seattle Kraken in the second period after he threw a hit on Kraken forward Jared McCann and McCann’s skate came down on Fantilli’s left leg. Fantilli was seen leaving the arena on crutches and was in a walking boot. The Nobleton, Ont., native registered one hit and one blocked shot in 7:30 of ice time before being forced to leave. Fantilli, the third overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft, has been one of the lone bright spots for the struggling Blue Jackets this season. In 49 games this season, Fantilli has 12 goals and is tied for second on the Blue Jackets with 27 points. More from Sportsnet Maple Leafs Mailbag: Who should Toronto target in a t...

After a special court handed former prime minister Imran Khan and ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi 10-year jail sentences each in connection with a case involving the disclosure of state secrets, legal experts and political analysts unanimously criticised the verdict, questioning its merit as well as the haste with which the trial was concluded. The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister. The conviction, which came after Special Court (Official Secrets Act) judge Abual Hasnat Moham­mad Zulqarnain appointed a state counsel for Imran and Qureshi — a move they vehemently opposed — means that both stand disqualified from contesting elections for the next five years, including the one that is a little over a week away. Here is what legal eagles and political experts Daw...

Hong Kong will create its own national security law “as soon as possible”, city leader John Lee said on Tuesday, adding insurrection and other crimes not covered by existing legislation imposed by Beijing four years ago. Massive pro-democracy protests rocked the finance hub in 2019, bringing hundreds of thousands of people to the streets to call for greater freedoms. In response, Beijing imposed a national security law to punish four major crimes — secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces — with sentences ranging up to life in prison. Officials on Tuesday said Hong Kong’s security law — mandated by Article 23 of the city’s mini-constitution — will cover five offences: treason, insurrection, espionage, destructive activities endangering national security, and external interference. “While we society as a whole looks calm and very safe, we still have to watch out for potential sabotage and undercurrents that try to create troubles, particularly some of ...

India’s navy said on Monday it had freed an Iranian fishing vessel that had been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia in the latest attack against shipping in the Indian Ocean. The hijacking off Somalia fuelled concerns about a resurgence of Indian Ocean raids by opportunistic pirates, coming on top of a separate surge of attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. “The fishing vessel had been boarded by pirates and the crew taken as hostages,” Indian navy spokesman Commander Vivek Madhwal said, naming the vessel as the Iranian-flagged Iman. India had deployed its warship INS Sumitra — which was on anti-piracy patrol off the east coast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden — after receiving a distress message from the fishing vessel. The warship “intercepted the vessel” and then worked to “coerce” the hijackers to release the crew and boat, Madhwal said, without giving an exact location. The warship “ensured the successful release of all 17 crew members along with the boat”, he ad...

An MQM-P worker was killed while a PPP worker was wounded in a clash between the two parties during an election campaign in Karachi’s Nazimabad on Sunday, police said. Gulbahar Police Station House Officer (SHO) Shabbir Hussain told Dawn.com that the incident took place outside the MQM-P office in the area when a PPP rally was passing through. He said workers of both parties chanted slogans against each other before getting into a physical altercation that led to firing from both sides. SHO Hussain said the firing led to the death of an MQM-P worker, identified as 40-year-old Faraz Ahmed Qureshi, while PPP’s Rao M Talha, 22, suffered a bullet injury. “A mob surrounded the area following the shooting and vandalised two Toyota Vigos belonging to PPP workers before setting them on fire,” the official added. Hussain said no arrest had been made so far and a first information report (FIR) would be registered after the MQM-P worker’s funeral. Meanwhile, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed...

EVERY street and corner of Karachi has a lot of colour and vibrance to offer, but there is a noticeable dearth of greenery in the metropolis. This is because little to no attention has been paid to environmental improvement of the city. However, a young face has thrown his hat into the electoral arena to achieve exactly that; turn the blues of this city to green. Ahmed Shabbar, who is contesting independently from PS-110 in Karachi with the electoral symbol ‘roots’, which symbolise his environment-heavy manifesto, will be taking on another, more notable independent candidate, lawyer and activist Jibran Nasir, as well as Syed Najmi Alam of the PPP, PTI-backed Bilal Jadoon and PML-N’s Babar Anwar. A physics student-turned-engineer, Mr Shabbar is contesting the election with the idea of ushering a ‘green’ revolution. “This election is my first step towards building the ideology of green politics in the country. A lot of young people are a part of my campaign, so far wherever we...

VANCOUVER – We were going to tell you about the bad luck in the first period, and then the bad plays in the second. We were going to explain that even with what has been a magical mystery tour this season for the Vancouver Canucks , who have two regulation losses since Dec. 5 and are on a 9-0-2 run, there are nights when it’s not going to go your way. But then, after being down three goals in the third period, it still went the Canucks’ way. So we’re telling you now about another Vancouver win, its 33 rd  in 49 games heading into the National Hockey League All-Star Break. And to do that, we’re going to start with Brock Boeser , who scored a hat trick Saturday and then set up Elias Pettersson’s overtime winner in a 5-4 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets . Because Boeser embodies everything that used to be wrong with the Canucks that now seems inexorably right. Nearly six years after serious back and wrist injuries halted his rookie season at 29 goals, the 26...

West Indies speedster Shamar Joseph bowled through pain to rip through a shellshocked Australia on Sunday and help deliver an extraordinary eight-run upset for his inexperienced side on day four of the second test in Brisbane. Forced to retire hurt from a toe-crushing Mitchell Starc yorker the previous evening, Joseph bounced back to claim six wickets in a session and 7-68 overall to lift West Indies to their first test win Down Under since 1997, as Australia were bowled out for 207 in pursuit of 216. Australia’s new opener Steve Smith (91 not out) farmed the strike to protect Josh Hazlewood (0), but it was to no avail as Joseph sent the tailender’s off-stump flying to register the win which sent the tourists running in celebration at the Gabba. Before the West Indies were dismissed for 193 in their second dig, Australia skipper Pat Cummins had courageously declared at 289-9 with his side still behind the visitors’ first innings total of 311. Australia prevailed by 10 wickets ...

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Police on Saturday allegedly tortured and misbehaved with three international tourists and cyclists from Italy, England and Iran, including a woman, in the Sadiqabad area on Saturday. Police deny the allegations, saying the incident was triggered when police did not allow them to go to an unsafe area of Sindh. The tourists had shown an irresponsible attitude regarding their security and alleged that the woman tourists had first slapped an assistant sub-inspector who paid in the same coin, the police spokesman claimed. The footage of the incident was posted on social media. In the first footage, the policeman, later identified as Assistant Sub-Inspector Liaqat, is seen scolding the woman tourist, asking her to get up in anger. When she refuses to do that, he shouts, repeatedly asking her to get up but she refuses to do so, saying she wants to sit there. He snatches the camera from her while sound of slaps is heard. In the second footage, recorded by the woman, the ma...

Elias Pettersson knocked home a shot by Brock Boeser to score his second goal of the game with 59 seconds left in overtime as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 in a thrilling NHL game Saturday night. Boeser snapped a six-goal goal drought by scoring three goals, including two on the power play in the third period. Vancouver scored three power-play goals in 5:17 of the third to overcome a three-goal deficit and force the three-on-three overtime. Pettersson also had a power-play goal and an assist for the Canucks, who have registered points in 11 straight games. J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes each had three assists, while Pius Suter had two assists.  Alexandre Texier had a short-handed goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (15-23-10). Kirill Marchenko, on the power play, Sean Kuraly and Jake Bean also scored for Columbus which is (3-4-2) in their last nine games but sit last in the Metropolitan Division. After missing the playoffs seven...