https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBLj90Ofk0Y
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
ISLAMABAD: Registering a strong protest against what is believed to be a blatant attempt to curb freedom of expression through a controversial ordinance, representatives of media and journalist organisations on Monday walked out from a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and vowed not to hold any further engagement with the ministry until its withdrawal. Hours after members of the media’s Joint Action Committee (JAC) walked out of the meeting, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) endorsed their position, announcing, “HRCP stands in solidarity with media for freedom of expression.” Besides the strong stance adopted by the…
The UAE government has abolished the requirement of pre-departure rapid PCR tests at airports for passengers travelling to Dubai and Sharjah from Pakistan and three other countries, according to a spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). However, passengers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka will still have to submit a valid negative PCR test certificate for a test conducted at an approved facility within 48 hours of departure. “The 48-hour period will start from the time the sample is submitted to a laboratory,” CAA spokesperson Saifullah said. “Passengers will also undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan would during his two-day official visit to Russia, which begins from Wednesday, seek to further cement bilateral relations with Moscow. The Foreign Office on Monday announced the prime minister’s trip, saying Mr Khan will visit Russia on Feb 23-24 on the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the cabinet, on the “official visit”, the FO said. “The visit of the prime minister will contribute to further deepening of the multifaceted Pakistan-Russia bilateral relationship and enhancement of mutual cooperation in diverse fields,” it added. The announcement…
LAHORE: The police have registered an FIR against the younger son of PM’s wife Bushra Bibi from her previous marriage and his cousin and a friend on charges of possession of liquor. According to the FIR, the Ghalib Market police had recovered liquor from their car early on Monday and registered a case against Muhammad Musa Maneka, cousin Mohammad Ahmad Maneka (son of PML-N MNA Ahmed Raza Maneka) and a friend Ahmad Shaharyar. The FIR was lodged under subsections 3, 4, and 11 of The Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd Order, 1979) against the three suspects who were arrested while crossing…
KABUL: As the country descends into economic crisis due to looming sanctions on the Taliban regime, the United Nation’s children’s agency has announced it will pay a monthly stipend to Afghanistan’s teachers, who have remained unpaid as most schools across the country remained closed since August last year. The payments, of roughly $100 per month, would be paid in local currency to around 194,000 primary and secondary schoolteachers for January and February, and would be funded by the European Union, Unicef announced. “Following months of uncertainty and hardship for many teachers, we are pleased to extend emergency support to public…
The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, a non-profit journalism group, in the “Suisse Secrets” investigation revealed the names of thousands of notable people and groups from across the world whose dirty money was handled by Credit Suisse. Following are just a few of the names mentioned in the investigation. Sani Abacha In 2000, Credit Suisse has been accused of ignoring anti-money laundering rules when accepting $214 million in deposits from two sons of late Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha. Two years after accepting the money from Abacha’s son, the Swiss Banking Association fined Credit Suisse750,000 $505,100 over its handling…
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognised two Moscow-backed rebel regions of Ukraine as independent, in a move that could set off a potentially catastrophic war with Kyiv’s Western-backed government. In an often angry 65-minute televised national address, Putin railed against Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbour Ukraine as a failed state and “puppet” of the West, repeatedly suggesting that it is essentially part of Russia. He accused authorities in Kyiv of persecuting Russian speakers and of preparing a “blitzkrieg” against the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine’s east. “As for those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we…
WASHINGTON: A new report released on Monday shows how Arab rulers stashed hundreds of millions of dollars at the Credit Suisse bank before the so-called Arab spring in 2011. The report titled “False Spring” shows the Arab elite had deep ties to Credit Suisse on the eve of those historic uprisings that jolted the Middle East. The Arab Spring also drew enormous scrutiny to the wealth Arab elites had stashed abroad. On Sunday, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a consortium of investigators and journalists, unveiled a trove of secret bank accounts associated with the Credit Suisse bank.…
WASHINGTON: Journalists and investigators who uncovered a new Swiss banking scandal this weekend said on Monday that some account holders tried to stop their investigation but government officials did not interfere. At an online news conference from Lisbon, Portugal, members of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) said “there have been steps from clients who tried to, in my opinion, threaten in a legal way to prevent (the data’s) publication, not authorities.” A US journalist was interested in knowing if US or Swiss authorities contacted OCCRP for follow-ups and if some authorities or individuals also tried to stem…
