Tag: Pakistan

SP Pakistan’s traditional allies in Gulf plan to suspend Pakistan origin pilots in their carriers
7Jul By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

SP Pakistan’s traditional allies in Gulf plan to suspend Pakistan origin pilots in their carriers

Pakistan’s traditional allies in the Gulf have reportedly grounded Pakistan origin pilots after the issue of commercial pilots possessing suspicious licenses came to light, casting a long shadow on the future of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates besides Oman are now among the countries which have decided to remove pilots of Pakistan origin due to a fake license issue.There are reports that Kuwait Airways, one of the oldest Airways in West Asia has grounded all its seven pilots of Pakistani origin.A UK-based Pakistani-origin journalist Gul Bukhari had tweeted, “Kuwait Airways has grounded all 7 Pakistani pilots and suspended 56 engineers and ground handling staff in the backdrop of fake license issue. Similar reports from Qatar, Oman, Emirates and Vie
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Pakistan struggles with China, CPEC
5Jul By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion

Pakistan struggles with China, CPEC

Since 2018, Pakistan has been well aware that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is going to wreck its finances and societal structures. And now, even after two years, the Imran Khan led government is saying all is well. Two years back, a 15-year master plan of CPEC revealed that Pakistan will be fully subjugated by China under the current terms and conditions of the project.The plan spells out in detail what Chinese intentions and priorities are in Pakistan for the next 15 years. It may be recalled that China has decided to invest $62 billion for the CPEC project.  Under the plan, thousands of acres of agricultural land will be leased out to Chinese enterprises in Pakistan to set up “demonstration projects” in areas ranging from seed varieties to irrigation technology. A system o
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Pakistani forces continue military operation, abductions in Balochistan
2Jul By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Pakistani forces continue military operation, abductions in Balochistan

Balochistan is fighting two wars right now, incessant search operations and raids by Pakistani forces, and the rampant spread of the coronavirus with over 10,000 confirmed cases until now.According to local reports, Pakistani forces have cordoned off various towns of Awaran district and banned the transport. Inhabitants of these areas are besieged at their homes.As per the reports, in the areas between Ketch and Awaran; Peerandar, Geshkor, Jahoo and other places, Pakistani forces have gathered and are conducting search operations. The forces have also shut all sorts of transportation, due which people have been trapped in their homes.According to area residents, Pakistani forces have abducted a boy named Sattar, son of Ilahi Baksh, from Kosnhkalat area of Tump. While forces raided many hou...
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Baloch writer refuses literary award from Pakistan due to state’s oppressive policies
2Jul By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Baloch writer refuses literary award from Pakistan due to state’s oppressive policies

Renowned Baloch poet and author Akbar Barakzai has refused an academic award from Pakistan for the best work in Baloch literature citing the Imran Khan government’s policies ‘inflicted’ on Balochistan that have ‘subjugated’ the populace.Barakzai’s book ‘Zaban Zanti-u-Balochi Zaban Zanti’ had been nominated for the Syed Zahoor Shah Hashmi Award by the Pakistani Academy of Letters (PAL).Upon hearing about the nominations, he rebuffed the academic award and the accompanying 200,000 rupees cash prize through an email sent to the Chairman of the PAL, Dr Yousuf Khushk.In his email, Barakzai thanked the PAL for the nomination but said that he cannot accept this award. When asked about his decision, he cited the policies ‘inflicted’ on Balochistan to ‘subjugate’ its populace.Akbar Barakzai hails f
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Credibility crisis hits Pakistan International Airlines, CAA over ‘dubious licenses’ of pilots
2Jul By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Credibility crisis hits Pakistan International Airlines, CAA over ‘dubious licenses’ of pilots

After the disclosure of Pakistan’s minister for Aviation about fake and dubious licenses of pilots, the credibility of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken a massive hit.The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has also expressed concern over the ‘serious lapse in the licensing and safety oversight by the aviation regulator’.The controversy drew global attention after the federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan in the National Assembly declared that 150 pilots of the national flag carrier had fake licenses.Amid the aviation crisis, the PIA management has decided to ground one-third or 150 of its pilots and started relieving them from flight rosters for allegedly possessing ‘dubious licenses’, while asking the CAA to u
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Imran Khan calls Osama bin Laden ‘Shaheed’ in Pakistan National Assembly
30Jun By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Imran Khan calls Osama bin Laden ‘Shaheed’ in Pakistan National Assembly

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has raked up yet another controversy by calling a slain terrorist and 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden a "shaheed" (martyr) while addressing the National Assembly.A viral video clip showed how the PTI leader lashed out at the United States for how Laden had been killed in Abbottabad."We helped the Americans in 'war on terror' but the embarrassment we had to face for their allegations of Pakistan being a safe haven for terrorists is very terrible. Our ally is secretly coming into our country and killing a terrorist and we don't even have an idea," he said.Osama bin Laden was the head of the Al Qaeda and the brains behind the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States in 2001.Osama bin Laden was killed in a military operation by US Navy Seals in 2011 at the ga...
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Opposition lambastes PM Imran for saying Osama bin Laden was ‘martyred’
30Jun By Nectar GanNo Comments
Politics

Opposition lambastes PM Imran for saying Osama bin Laden was ‘martyred’

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has come under fire from opposition MPs after telling parliament that the US "martyred" Osama Bin Laden."I will never forget how we Pakistanis were embarrassed when the Americans came into Abbottabad and killed Osama Bin Laden, martyred him," Khan said in the National Assembly on June 25.Soon after, PML-N senior leader Khawaja Asif lambasted Imran Khan over his speech in which he referred to slain Al Qaeda leader and the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks Osama bin Laden as "martyred"."Imran Khan called Osama bin Laden shaheed (martyred). Bin Laden brought terrorism to our lands, he was a terrorist through and through and he [premier] calls him shaheed?" said Asif during the National Assembly session.In a late-night tweet, Special Assistant to the Prime Mini...
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Creeping religiosity in Pakistan
30Jun By Stuart WhiteNo Comments
Opinion

Creeping religiosity in Pakistan

It is not by accident that the dark forces of bigotry and obscurantism have become stronger than ever in Pakistan. The regularization of madressahs and the reform of their curriculam were given top priority in the National Action Plan of 2014. While that plan remains unimplemented due to the obduracy of the religious lobby, some school textbooks will not be published unless they are approved and cleared by a religious body. Where is the sanction for this extraordinary decision?It sounds strange that even after 40 years of effort by Ziaul Haq and his successors to impose their version of Islam on the people, a law has to be enacted and executive orders issued to persuade young people to study the Quran Sharif. Now, if there are any hearts in which the fear of God should be planted, then the...
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Probe launched against torture of two journalists in Balochistan
30Jun By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Probe launched against torture of two journalists in Balochistan

The authorities in Pakistan said they have launched an investigation into torture of two journalists in Chaman for reporting on a coronavirus quarantine centre near the Afghan border.Television reporters Saeed Ali Achakzai and Abdul Mateen Achakzai said they were abused while spending three days in detention in Balochistan province. Photos released by the men showed them with apparent red welts across their backs.Balochistan´s Home Minister Ziaullah Langove said an inquiry was underway into the "brutal incident"."Three officials who were directly involved in the incident have been suspended," Langove said, adding that the original case against the journalists had been dropped.Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also showed concern over the incident.Meanwhile, Pakistan Feder
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Protesting students arrested for demanding internet facilities Quetta
30Jun By Yusara AskariNo Comments
Asia

Protesting students arrested for demanding internet facilities Quetta

The police in Pakistan’s Balochistan province arrested over two dozen students while they staged a protest from Quetta Press Club to Balochistan Assembly, demanding access to internet for online classes.The students have been staging a demonstration in Quetta for the past few weeks under the banner of Baloch Students Alliance. They are protesting against online classes in universities across the province.“We were protesting for the availability of internet for online classes,” said Mahrang Baloch, an activist and student leader, who was among the arrested female students.According to a police officer the students tried to organize a rally in the city when there is a complete ban on every kind of gathering as section 144 is imposed. The arrested students were shifted to different police sta
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