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Pakistan Army recovers Canadian-American family abducted in Afghanistan in 2012

2017-10-12T17:32:00.000+05:00

Pakistan Army in collaboration with intelligence agencies recovered on Thursday five foreign hostages captured from Afghanistan in 2012, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

“Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) recovered five Western hostages including one Canadian, his US National wife and their three children from terrorists’ custody through an intelligence based operation,” it announced in a statement.

“They were captured by terrorists from Afghanistan during 2012 and kept as hostages there.”

US intelligence agencies, it added, had been tracking them and shared their shifting across to Pakistan on Oct 11, 2017 through Kurram Agency border.

The communiqué said that the operation by Pakistani forces, based on actionable intelligence from US authorities, was successful. “All hostages were recovered safe and sound and are being repatriated to the country of their origin,” the military’s media wing added.

The success, it added, underscores the importance of timely intelligence sharing and Pakistan’s continued commitment towards fighting the menace through cooperation between two forces against a common enemy.

Nawaz Sharif set to return as PML-N chief on October 3

2017-10-01T04:03:00.003+05:00

Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif (C) is surrounded by supporters as he leaves after a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has convened a meeting of its general council on Oct 2 and 3 to formally begin the processof re-electing ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the party president.

PML-N central information secretary and Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan said on Friday that Mr Sharif was unlikely to leave for London till he was re-elected as the party chief. He added that separate meetings of the PML-N’s central working committee (CWC) and general council — a 1,600-strong electorate — had been summoned to elect the party’s central leadership.

Earlier, there had been reports that the ousted prime minister would fly to London on Thursday to inquire after his wife, Begum Kulsoom, who is undergoing treatment for cancer at a private hospital in the United Kingdom.

Begum Kulsoom was on Friday discharged from the hospital where she was admitted after her condition deteriorated three days ago.

In a tweet, Maryam Nawaz said her mother returned home and her further treatment would begin next week.

“Shukar Alhamdolillah Ami is better, discharged from the hospital & back home. Her further treatment including chemotherapy starts next week,” she tweeted.

Mr Mushahidullah said: “Since Begum Kulsoom’s condition has stabilised, Mr Sharif has no plans to leave for London before Oct 3.”

The first meeting of the council would be held at the Islamabad Convention Centre on Oct 2 after a meeting of the CWC earlier in the morning to amend the PML-N constitution that also barred a disqualified person from holding any party office, he said, adding that the second session would be held on Oct 3 to elect a new party president.

He insisted that all legal hurdles in the way of Mr Sharif re-assuming his role as party chief would be removed by Oct 3, and he would take over his former role.

Mr Sharif had relinquished the position of PML-N chief after his ouster from power under the July 28 verdict of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.

The Representation of Peoples Act 1976 bars anyone who is ineligible to become a member of parliament from holding office in a political party. Ever since the Supreme Court’s verdict, the PML-N has been run by its acting president Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar, a senator from Balochistan.

The bar is, however, being removed through the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 passed by the National Assembly on Aug 22 and the Senate, with some amendments, a month later on Sept 22.

The Bill has now been referred back to the lower house of parliament to pass the amended draft law.

“As a session of the National Assembly has been convened for Oct 2 to pass the amendments made by the Senate in the Electoral Reforms Bill, the meetings of the CWC and general council have been scheduled accordingly to re-elect Mian Nawaz Sharif sahib as the party president,” the minister told Dawn over the phone from Islamabad.

According to the parliamentary calendar, the National Assembly was originally scheduled to meet on Oct 6.

Mr Khan added that in the meantime Mr Sharif would continue to appear before court(s) in the National Accountability Bureau references.

A NAB court has summoned the ex-PM on Oct 2 to indict him in a graft case.

Pakistan's 'Mother Teresa' Dr Ruth Pfau passes away

2017-08-10T22:55:00.001+05:00

Pakistan’s magic leprosy healer Dr Ruth Pfau passed away early Thursday morning at the age of 87 in Karachi.

The founder of the National Leprosy Control Programme in Pakistan, Dr Pfau passed away around 4am today. The funeral mass will be held on Saturday, August 19, at 11am at St Patrick’s Cathedral, and thereafter will be laid to rest in the Christian Cemetery (Gora Qabristan).

The body will be taken to St Patrick’s Cathedral on August 19, 2017 at 8:30am for viewing. The 87-year-old was admitted to the Aga Khan Hospital on Wednesday in critical condition.

Dr Pfau dedicated her life to treating patients in Pakistan. She founded the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre in Karachi and in all provinces of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan. She had treated over 50,000 families since the inception of the centre.

Dr Pfau had been living in Pakistan since 1960 and came to the country when she just 29. When she witnessed the suffering of the country’s leprosy patients she decided to stay here. She was a German nun and a member of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary, who devoted the last 50 years of her life to fighting leprosy in Pakistan.

She had travelled to various parts of Pakistan to medically facilitate leprosy patients, a journey she said enjoyed tremendously because of the marked difference made in the lives of her patients.

With her efforts, in 1996, the World Health Organisation declared Pakistan one of the first countries in Asia to have controlled leprosy. She was awarded the Hilal-e-Pakistan in 1989 and Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 1979 by the government of Pakistan. Dr Pfau was also on the front line when Sindh was hit by floods in 2010.

In December 2015, Dr Pfau, was awarded the Staufer Medal at the German consulate. “I could have left Pakistan earlier if I wanted to but I will stay here,” said Dr Pfau as she accepted the award from German consul-general Rainer Schmiedchen.

A ceremony was organised at the German consulate to mark Dr Pfau’s services and for the German consul-general to award her with the Staufer Medal, the highest award of the German state of Baden-Württemberg for her work to eradicate leprosy in the country.

“When I came to Pakistan no one recognised me but then people started to appreciate my work across the country,” said Dr Pfau of the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre. “I have worked hard with my team to eradicate leprosy in Pakistan, our hard work could not completely eliminate this disease but at least we managed to decrease it,” she said. “This award is not just for me but for all of my teammates,” Dr Pfau added.

Four army men, including major, martyred during operation in Lower Dir

2017-08-09T19:10:00.000+05:00

Major Ali Salman, Havaldars Ghulam Nazir and Akbar

At least four army personnel, including a major, were martyred on Wednesday as they foiled a major terror bid during the wee hours in Lower Dir, Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major Ali Salman, who was working with an intelligence agency, along with his team carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) against a terrorist hideout in Sherotkai area of Timergara in Lower Dir. When the security personnel raided the hideout, the militants opened fire on the soldiers. One of the two suicide bombers present inside blew himself up, while the other was killed in the exchange of fire with soldiers.

One terrorist was apprehended during the operation, the ISPR statement added.

Among the martyred army men were an officer and three soldiers. The deceased were identified as Major Ali Salman, Havaldar Ghulam Nazir, Havaldar Akhtar, Sepoy Abdul Karim.

Prime Minister Khaqan Abbasi expressed grief over the martyrdom of the four army personnel. “Each drop of blood of our heroes is a testament to the fact that we all are united as a nation to cleanse our beloved motherland from terrorist elements,” the premier was quoted as saying.

He added that Pakistan’s valiant forces have inflicted huge damage upon terrorists and have rendered huge sacrifices in doing so. “These cowardly attacks on our law enforcing agencies can never shake our resolve to back-off or slowdown in our resolve to continue with the anti-terror operations,” PM Abbasi said.

Meanwhile, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Spokesperson Muhammad Khurrasani claimed that their men clashed with the security forces in Sultan Khel area of Lower Dir.

In an email sent to media houses, Khurrasani claimed that the security forces personnel were on their way for an operation when the bloody encounter took place.

The Lower Dir raid was being conducted as part of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad which was launched in February to dismantle remaining terrorists networks in the country.

“Operation aims at indiscriminately eliminating residual / latent threat of terrorism, consolidating gains of operations made thus far and further ensuring security of the borders,” the military had said while launching the operation.

Earlier in March this year, two Pakistan Army officials, including a captain, were martyred during an exchange of fire in Malikabad area of Swabi. Security forces were conducting an IBO in the area when they came under attack. The deceased were identified as Captain Junaid and Sepoy Amjad.

Nawaz Sharif's 'homecoming' rally well on track

2017-08-09T18:52:00.002+05:00

ISLAMABAD: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif began a rally on Wednesday in a defiant show of political power after a Supreme Court decision disqualified him from office late last month over undeclared assets.

The ‘homecoming’ rally reached Faizabad, three hours after the caravan left Punjab House in the capital for Lahore via the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.

Thousands of party supporters thronged the capital to join in the rally, setting up camps along the route he is expected to take and address supporters.

Before embarking on the journey, the Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz (PML-N) leader held a meeting with key party leaders, including Prime Minister Khaqan Abbasi and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

According to sources, around 1,000 vehicles are with the rally and some 5,000 supporters accompanying the ‘homecoming’ rally.

Sharif all set to lead ‘homegoing’ rally today

Sources in the ruling camp say deliberations in the party over the rally’s route continued on Tuesday, with some party circles having opposed the idea to travel via GT Road instead of the motorway due to security threats. They worried that while Nawaz himself would be travelling in an air-conditioned and bombproof container, accompanied by his family and senior PML-N leaders, the party’s rank-and-file would be exposed to serious security threats.

On July 28, a five-member Supreme Court bench hearing the Panama Papers case of Sharif family’s offshore assets had disqualified Nawaz from the PM’s office for failing to declare a salary, which he had not withdrawn as an executive of Dubai-based company, as an asset when filing his nomination papers in 2013.

“Nawaz Sharif is still our prime minister,” said worker Niaz Ahmad, who wore a lion look-alike costume, and chanted, “Lion, Lion!” referring to the election symbol of PML-N.

Rally plan

The rally will leave for Rawalpindi via Faizabad. Traffic on these routes would be diverted to alternate routes.

Sources say the PML-N leadership has instructed party officials to ensure participation in such huge numbers that it takes ‘at least three days’ to reach Lahore.

Nawaz would have overnight stops in Jhelum and Gujranwala before reaching Lahore. For this purpose, PML-N MNAs in both cities have been instructed to make arrangements to accommodate a large number of people.

Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir is handling affairs in Gujranwala and MNA Chaudhry Khadim Hussain in Jhelum, according to sources.

Citing security concerns, the Punjab government has instructed the owners of businesses located along the rally’s route to close their respective offices, shops, restaurants and other establishments ahead of the rally ‘till further orders’.

Speaking to Media, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed the development. “Businesses would only close in areas while the rally passes and would be allowed to resume business thereafter to avoid any harm,” the minister said.

PTI activists approach NAB, EC to initiate probe against Ayesha Gulalai

2017-08-09T11:12:00.000+05:00

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) local leaders on Tuesday submitted a complaint to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against lawmaker Ayesha Gulalai and asked it to initiate probe against the party’s dissident National Assembly member for embezzling funds and doing corruption in development schemes.

PTI Lakki Marwat District President Saleem Nawaz Khan, former PTI candidate for PK-76 constituency Engr Arif Marwat and Noor Zaman, personal assistant to MNA Ayesha Gulalai, submitted the complaint along with some documents to the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The complaint was filed under the title “Embezzlement/Corruption in the provincial development schemes.”

“The PTI MNA on the women reserved seat Ayesha Gulalai and her father Shamsul Qayyum are found involved in embezzlement and corruption in various provincial development schemes and this needs to be investigated on priority basis. In this regard documentary proof/evidence are attached with the complaint,” the PTI local leaders said in their complaint.

On the other hand, the NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through a press release said that it is mandated to investigate any person on allegation of corruption and corrupt practices under National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.

It stated that NAB receives scores of complaints every day alleging different offences by individuals.

“Each complaint is handled as per procedure prescribed in law. Every complaint is scrutinised by complaint officers and discussed in complaint scrutiny meetings held twice every week in the chairmanship of Brig Farooq Naser Awan, director general NAB Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the statement said. It added that in these meetings, allegations enumerated in the complaint are discussed and decisions are taken according to law in consultation with the prosecution teams.

It noted that the complaint against Ayesha Gulalai, Member National Assembly (MNA), is a routine matter and it will be processed as per law.

The PTI local leaders also submitted the same complaint to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ehtesab Commission requesting it to launch a probe against Ayesha Gulalai.

When contacted, one of the complainants Noor Zaman claimed that he was the personal assistant of Ayesha Gulalai and had filed the complaint to the NAB because she is an MNA.

To a question, he told The News that they also made the same complaint to the KP Ehtesab Commission because it embezzlement was done in the provincial government schemes.

However, Noor Zaman could not give a satisfactory reply when asked why he and others did not raise the issue of corruption against the party MNA before her press conference accusing the PTI chairman Imran Khan of sending inappropriate messages to her.

Another complainant, Saleem Khan said that they got the proof that Ayesha Gulalai was getting commission and was embezzling funds after her press conference as the evidence was brought by her personal assistant Noor Zaman.

The complainants claimed that she had embezzled and received commission totalling more than Rs12 million either herself or through her father in various development schemes in Bannu and Karak districts.

PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai quits party citing 'ill-treatment' of women

2017-08-01T18:08:00.000+05:00

MNA Ayesha Gulalai has announced that she will quit the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) on Tuesday. The announcement has come moments ahead of the prime ministerial election in National Assembly.

Gulalai cited ill-treatment of women in the party as the reason for her decision. She said that she had conveyed her grievances to the party leadership but no action was taken, forcing her to take the decision.

"Women workers are not respected in the PTI and a respectable woman worker cannot remain in the party," Gulalai said, adding that she will not be voting for Sheikh Rashid in the prime minister election in National Assembly on Tuesday.

She also said that the kind of culture some party leaders are trying to promote is not in line with Pukhtoon cultural values.

Gulalai, who was elected to the NA on a reserved seat for women from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), has been a staunch and vocal supporter of the PTI and Imran Khan and often featured in prime time talkshows to defend party policies.

She will be resigning from both, her party membership and the seat in NA.

"MNA Ayesha Gulalai's rebuke adds to the disquiet about a woman's place in the party," PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said in a tweet.

Another female politician, Naz Baloch, had quit the party earlier this month to join PPP claiming that only male members were given importance and women party workers were kept at a distance while the youth was restricted only to social media.

Panamagate verdict to be announced by Supreme Court today: reports

2017-07-28T00:00:00.000+05:00

The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision on the Panamagate case around 11:30am on Friday, according to local media reports.

The apex court had concluded hearing the case and reserved its judgement on July 21.

The original five-member bench of the Supreme Court which heard the Panama Papers case is reportedly going to issue the final verdict.

The apex court had concluded hearing the petitioners and defendants in the case after the joint investigation team (JIT) submitted its report on the Sharif family's financial dealings on July 10.

The three-member implementation bench overseeing the JIT and reserved its judgement on July 21.

Panamagate verdict to be announced by Supreme Court tomorrow: reports

2017-07-27T19:37:00.003+05:00

Ch Nisar announces exit from politics; will give up NA seat, ministry on day of SC verdict

2017-07-27T19:08:00.002+05:00

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar’s much-awaited press conference on Thursday was marked by the announcement that he will leave his ministry and the National Assembly on the day of the Panamagate verdict.

Clarifying that he was not taking any extreme measure right now, "owing to the pressure of friends", Nisar nonetheless said he would resign from his ministry and the National Assembly on the day the Supreme Court announces the Panamagate verdict — "be it for the party or against it."

"My heart is no longer in politics," he said.

At the start of the presser, Nisar remarked that it was the "most difficult" press conference I've ever hosted.

In his nearly 45-minute long speech, the interior minister talked about his 33-year association with the party, conspiracies within the ruling PML-N, and his disillusionment with politics.

He concluded it with some sound parting advice to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom he praised throughout as a “great and humble leader”.

Key updates

Nisar shares details of rumoured rift with PML-N leadership
Says he was told by senior leaders not to hold press conference today
Claims he was a victim of internal conspiracies in the PML-N
Says will resign from ministry, NA on the day of the Panamagate verdict

The falling out

"I want to clarify a lot of things because of the rumours circulating these days," Nisar began. "I want to talk about the situation vis-a-vis the Panamagate case," he said.

"I said in the cabinet meeting that it did not feel right saying these things, but there comes a time when certain things need to be said. Most of my colleagues are 20-25 junior, and I thought this may be a learning experience for them."

"Some things were reported correctly about that meeting, some were not. I wanted to clarify what I said and bring on record some other things that I've always wanted to say."

"I am not angry. This is a difficult time for the party and I'm not looking [at opportunities] anywhere else. Why would I do that after 33 years [of loyalty]."

However: "For the past month and a half, I was suddenly excluded from the PML-N's cabinet meetings. I do not know why this was so. I was not invited to these consultative meetings and I do not attend if I'm not invited."

"Some people said I'd missed the train. I don't just get on any train," he said. "I've been on this train since the very beginning; but yes, I've recently been a victim of internal intrigues. This was because I was close to the leadership and I spoke straight to people's faces."

Referring to a flurry of meetings with PML-N leaders ahead of his press conference, Nisar said: "I was told by senior leaders not to do this press conference today. I told them I had to," he continued. "I had made a big decision, and I had to announce it."

"I love this party. Mian Nawaz Sharif created it and grew it through a labour of love," he said. "But I said this in the meeting, and I'll say it again: when I look around me, the people who helped create this party are nowhere to be found. Some have left the party; some have left the world."

He reiterated that: "Someone who gave 33 years to this party cannot leave it just like that; nobody believed this, and there is nothing bigger for me than this."

"All my life, I've spoken the truth to Nawaz Sharif. There has never been any duplicity in my intentions. My role was the same as the whisperers who would tell the Roman Caesar: 'Caesar you're human'. I would be the same to Nawaz Sharif."

"It pains me to say this, but when the PML-N faced its most difficult challenge, there was a conspiracy to remove me from the consultative process," Nisar said, saying some people did not like what he said.

"I went to mian sahab three months ago and I told him that I have always given you the bad news. I have played the devil's advocate. He said 'I like this in you and you should continue speaking the truth.'"

"Yet this happened. I want to ask: 'Why did you listen to these people?'" Nisar asked. "When I have never criticised anyone in the party, why was I critiqued like I was?" he added.

'Never compromised on civilian supremacy'

Speaking on civil-military relations, Nisar said he had "never compromised on civilian supremacy" even though he had strong ties to the military.

"Ask any general if I've ever sought to sacrifice civilian rule for my personal political gains," he said, in apparent reference to speculations and rumours that Nisar has always been 'the army's man'.

"I do whatever it takes to maintain civil-military relations for the sake of supremacy of civilian rule," he said.

"Ask any military or intelligence leader if I've ever attempted to undermine the government for political gain."

Will resign on day of Panamagate verdict

"My heart is no longer in politics," he said.

"I want to state unequivocally that I do not desire any position. My character is more important to me," he said. "If the verdict goes against us, I will not say anything. Don't expect me to," he added.

Parting advice to the premier

"I want to tell Nawaz Sharif — if I was with you, I would tell you that if you are absolved in the Supreme Court, keep your feet on the ground. There will be those who will ask for heads for roll: I beseech you, you are a humble man, do not fall for this."

"If the court decides against you: you are a well-loved man. This country and its people have given more to you than to anybody else. You have to behave with restraint, and you have to take the party forward. You need to ensure unity in the PML-N and you need to take it forward. Do not be angry; there are some who will want you to be angry."

"The country is under severe threat. We are being surrounded. I know this, you know this and only two more people know this. You need to rise above only protecting yourself — you need to protect the entire country. You need to pick up the pieces — whether you win or you lose," Nisar pleaded.

"I said this in the party meeting, and I'll say it again: the Supreme Court's decision should be accepted at all costs. If the apex court's decision is not respected, it will be as if Pakistan is ruled by the law of the jungle."

"Even if you lose, the country will remember you for having a big heart. Fight the political fight, but do not fall victim to conspiracies that seek to create more conflict," Nisar said as he concluded.

PML-N in damage control

An interior ministry spokesperson, speaking on behalf of Chaudhry Nisar on Wednesday evening, had dismissed media reports stating that efforts were being made to placate the interior minister and that he was 'angry' with the PML-N leadership.

"The truth is that the interior minister had adopted a contrary position on some important matters in the PML-N's internal meetings, after which he was excluded from the consultative process," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the interior minister is seeking an explanation for his exclusion from the PML-N's meetings, and wants to know if the decision was made due to his opposing stance, or due to some other reason.

The interior ministry spokesperson further said that unless a clarification is provided, "it will be difficult to resolve problems in a positive manner."

Nisar had been visited by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for the second time in two days in the lead-up to the press conference. The prime minister's younger brother had reportedly sought to talk the disgruntled interior minister out of a showdown against the ruling party.

A team of senior leaders from the PML-N had also met him on Wednesday in a bid to persuade him not to go public with internal party differences. The team had included Shahbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique.

Sources had told Dawn that the trio asked Nisar to call off his press conference. The thrust of the PML-N leaders’ argument was that differences within the party should only be discussed and addressed within the party.

Insiders said that during the meeting, the interior minister continued to insist that certain outstanding issues needed to be explained and clarified.

How can I stop someone else from using my Gmail account?

2017-07-27T18:26:00.001+05:00

I think someone I know has hacked my Gmail account. What should I do?Valeria

This is a relatively common question. Other recent examples include “Someone is using my Gmail account to steal my data on a game. How do I get rid of him?” from Rodimus Ghost, and “My daughter is using my Gmail account. How do I stop her?” I don’t recall getting these queries about other email services.

My usual response is: “How do you know?”

There might be emails in the Sent Mail folder that you didn’t write, though hackers can cover their tracks by deleting copies of sent emails. However, incoming emails are not an indicator. I’ve had emails from Instagram, GoCompare, Barclaycard Business, Apple, Prattville YMCA and many other organisations where people have entered my Gmail address, probably by mistake. It doesn’t mean they have accessed my account.

The best way to tell if someone else has used our account is to scroll down the Gmail inbox and look for “Last account activity” in the bottom right. Clicking on Details produces a nice table that shows how someone accessed the account (browser, mobile, POP3 etc), their IP address, and the date and time. You should recognise any sessions that aren’t yours.

In fact, Gmail will, by default, notify you of any unusual activity. You may get an alert if you log on with a new device or from a different country. These alerts can be annoying but they increase your security. Don’t turn them off.

You can also check the Recently used devices page, which lists all the PCs, phones and tablets used in the previous 28 days. Again, it should be obvious if any of them are not yours.

Double-check Settings

There are simple ways to read someone else’s emails without leaving obvious traces. These are controlled from Gmail’s Settings, which you can find by clicking the cogwheel in the top right.

On the Settings page, click Accounts and Import and go to the penultimate entry: “Grant access to your account”. Someone could click “Add an email account”, enter another Gmail address, and access your emails from that account. They can keep these emails marked as Unread even if they’ve read them.

Next, click Forwarding and POP/IMAP and review the top section on mail forwarding.

Email services allow users to forward all incoming emails to another email address, and I think everyone should do this. I have Gmail forward all my emails to my account at Microsoft’s Outlook.com. As a result, I can still read and reply to emails even if Gmail is inaccessible. Further, if Gmail locked me out, I’d still have copies of emails going back to April 2004.

So, if you can access someone’s mailbox, you can set up mail forwarding to an address that you control, and they’ll probably never notice. Make sure nobody has done that to you.

If you only read Gmail in a web browser, you could also disable the POP and IMAP access features. This would provide a small increase in security, but I don’t recommend it. In fact, there are advantages to using a PC email program such as Microsoft Outlook, Thunderbird or eM Client to collect Gmail using the IMAP protocol. These programs have more features than the web version of Gmail, and they store emails on your PC so that you can easily access them offline. IMAP leaves the original emails online, so you can still access them using different devices. (Yes, you can also install “Gmail Offline” via the Offline tab.)

Remember to save any changes before switching tabs.

Password security

Once you are sure your mailbox is not being hacked, change your password to keep other people out.

In Gmail, go back to Accounts and Import and click “Change password”.

Choose a strong password or passphrase that includes numbers and upper-case characters. Gmail requires at least eight characters, but aim for 12 or 16 or even more. Longer is better. It won’t be random, unless you use a password manager, but avoid family names, names of pets, birthdays, sports teams and other obvious elements.

For convenience, your browser or email program can remember your password. If you allow this, your email is only as secure as your PC. Anyone who can access your PC can access your email.

Nowadays, of course, the simplest way to hack someone’s email is to use a phishing attack. In this case, someone sends you a link in an email that pretends to come from Google. Clicking the link opens a browser tab where “Google” asks you to log in with your email address and password. The attacker harvests the results.

If you’re going to leave your PC unattended or fall for a phishing attack, it doesn’t matter how strong your password is.

Do the two-step

If someone can access your Gmail account, they can change your password and lock you out. You can prevent this by using “two-step verification”. With Gmail, this usually means Google will text a code to your mobile phone. This is fine until you don’t have a signal or lose your phone. Gmail therefore asks for a back-up phone number. (Landlines work: you get a voice message.) Gmail also allows you to print out a small set of verification numbers that you can use when travelling.

Google provides an alternative to SMS in the form of Google Authenticator, a free app for Google Android devices and Apple iPhones and iPads.

You can also simplify two-step verification slightly by using “application specific passwords”. For example, if you access Gmail via a smartphone app or an email client that can’t handle two-step verification, you can request a separate password for each email program on each device. It only has to be entered once.

To use these extra security features in Gmail, go to Accounts and Import, click “Other Google Account settings” and then “Sign-in & security”. This provides access to password changes, two-step verification, and account recovery options.

Account recovery

What if your password stops working and you can’t get into Gmail? The traditional approach to account recovery is to ask for some personal information, such as your mother’s maiden name. This enabled people to hack email accounts by using information gleaned from social media accounts. You can prevent this by using random letters or something obscurely incorrect – “Mother’s maiden name: Quetzalcoatl” – but then you have to remember the answers.

Google’s recovery options include a phone number, another email address and a security question. It also likes to ask when the account was opened and when you last used it.

You may be able to find out when you created your Gmail account by searching for (in my case) before: 2004/04/15, or any date in YYYY/MM/DD order. That won’t work if you deleted your welcome message, but vary the date to find the oldest message you can.

Account recovery is the only way to get your Gmail back if you forget your password or a hacker changes it. But it doesn’t always work, and you may be told that “You weren’t signed in because Google couldn’t confirm that xxxxxxxx@gmail.com belongs to you.”

Then – as another reader, Paul, found earlier this year – you end up in a “failed online recovery loop. No contact centre. No online chat. No contact details at all.” It looks as if there’s nothing you can do except open a new account, change all your online passwords and email addresses, and hope nothing bad happens.

Source:The Guardian

Panamagate case: SC judges question Sharif children's lawyer on Qatari letters

2017-07-20T23:19:00.001+05:00

As Salman Akram Raja, the lawyer representing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children in the Panamagate case, began his arguments before the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday, the judges expressed their displeasure over the “media trial” being conducted outside the court.

A three-member bench of the SC, headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, has been holding the proceedings since Monday following the submission of the joint investigation team's (JIT) report. Lawyer Salman Akram Raja is representing Maryam, Hassan and Hussain Nawaz in the case.

“You’ve been conducting a trial in the media — all the documents [submitted to the court] have already been discussed in the media," remarked Justice Saeed. “There’s a media dais outside, you should give your arguments there as well.”

The counsel, however, told the court that he had not given any documents to the media.

During the proceedings, Justice Ejaz Afzal warned the lawyer that if the PM's children fail to provide the money trail, Nawaz Sharif would have to suffer the consequences since he holds a public office. “We will be forced to take a decision against the PM [in such circumstances].”

The judges questioned the authenticity of the documents submitted in court, pointing to the deed for the four London flats.

Turning to Additional Attorney General (AAG) Rana Waqar, who was also present in court, the judges inquired about the consequences of submitting fake documents in the SC. “A case would be registered and the punishment could be imprisonment up to seven years but parties can clear their position,” said AAG Waqar.

“According to the JIT report, the font used in the deed [for the London flats] was not commercially available until 2007 while the trust deed was prepared in 2006 — how were fake documents submitted in the court?” asked the irked judges.

The hearing was adjourned until tomorrow (Friday) when Raja will continue his arguments.

Qatari letters

Raja had objected to the JIT's conclusion that recording Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani’s statement was unnecessary, urging the court that "there should be a complete inquiry into the matter".

The judges, however, dismissed further investigations into the case, saying that since the JIT had completed its work, the documents [relating to the two Qatari letters] had been sent to the registrar. "The court’s decision will be based on the documents,” the bench maintained.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked: "The [former] Qatari [prime minister] was your star witness and it was your responsibility to produce him before the court."

Justice Azmat Saeed pointed out that Al Thani was asked to appear before the court in Pakistan or record his statement at the Pakistan Embassy in Doha, but he declined both options. “Are we all supposed to go to Doha?” he asked.

“Show [us the] the law firm's account [that carried out the transaction] and the money trail will be evident,” added Justice Ahsan. “This is not Panama or Africa, it’s England — all the records will be available.”

“We have been asking you about the funds for the London flats for more than a year, but you haven't been able to give any answer,” said Justice Ejaz Afzal.

The lawyer said Al Thani could answer the question of the missing records, to which the judge replied, “The Qatari prince has refused to answer even via video link.”

An official letter from Sheikh Al Thani addressed to the JIT — dated July 17, 2017 — was also submitted in court, in which the former Qatari prime minister verified that he had not "received any confirmation yet" from the JIT regarding his appearance before "any court of law [in Pakistan] or tribunal for any purpose whatsoever."

The former Qatari prime minister added that upon receiving such confirmation, he would propose a meeting in Doha in the coming week with the JIT "to confirm the veracity of [his] previous two statements."

The Qatari letters submitted before the SC in the Panamagate case were the mainstay of the defence mounted by the prime minister’s son, Hussain Nawaz, who claimed that the London properties were handed over to the Sharif family by the Al Thanis under a settlement.

Additional documents given as evidence

Raja submitted further documents on behalf of his clients before the SC, including one acquired from Abu Dhabi customs to show that scrap and machinery from the Gulf Steel Mills did move from Dubai after its liquidation, and an invoice from Ahli Steel Company verifying the shipment of dismantled rolling mill equipment from the Al-Azizia Steel Company.

The lawyer also presented a document from JPCA Ltd, an accountancy firm, dealing with the ownership of Nescoll and Neilsen, as well as papers from Minerva Financial Services Limited, the holding firm for both companies. One of the documents given to the court, confirming an agreement between PM’s cousin Tariq Shafi and Mohammad Abdullah Ahli for the sale of his 25pc shares in Ahli Steel, had been shown by TV channels on Wednesday night.

'Show us the money trail'

A day earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister's lawyer, Khawaja Harris, had concluded his arguments before the bench trying to draw a distinction between owning an asset and deriving benefits from it. He maintained that the JIT had not accused his client of abusing his authority or committing corruption.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar's lawyer, Tariq Hassan, had also presented arguments before the bench. He was told by the court to submit documents instead of a summary to establish that the minister had filed income tax returns between 1981-82 and 2001-02, as well as wealth tax returns from 1985 to 2007.

The judges had reminded the PM's lawyer that the onus of establishing a money trail after claiming ownership of the Avenfield flats was on the Sharif family, adding that the money trail of the flats "remained shrouded in mystery — even to this day."

The apex bench had also asked the counsel point-blank whether the judges should form their own opinion over the concealment of facts by his client or refer the matter to an accountability court.

The bench had resumed the Panamagate case on Monday, nearly three months after ordering the formation of a JIT to investigate the allegations of money laundering against the Sharif family.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) lead counsel Naeem Bokhari was the first one to present arguments. He had requested that PM Nawaz Sharif should be asked to come to court for questioning. During his arguments, Bokhari highlighted several findings of the JIT report that he said "incriminate" the Sharif family.

Key facts about Quba Mosque

2017-06-01T02:20:00.002+05:00

JEDDAH: Quba mosque has a special and unique place in the hearts of Muslims due to its association with the prophet Muhammed -peace be upon him- as it is the first mosque ever built.

It is also known to be the second largest and prominent mosque in Madina after the Prophet’s Mosque.

It is considered by many to be the third most sacred shrine in Saudi Arabia, and an all-but-mandatory stop for pilgrims visiting Madina.

According to several sources, 622 AD was the founding date of the mosque right after prophet Muhammed arrived on his emigration from holy capital of Saudi Arabia, Makkah.

Quba Mosque is located on the outskirts of Madina, where the prophet used to go to Cuba Mosque every Saturday, “The Prophet used to go to the Mosque of Quba every Saturday (sometimes) walking and (sometimes) riding,” Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said narrated by Abdullah bin Dinar.Among many prestigious characteristics of Quba Mosque, Prophet Muhammed said: “Whoever makes ablutions in this house and offers one prayer therein, will be rewarded the equivalent of one Umrah.”

Many interpretations say that the following verse was said in reference to Quba Mosque: “A mosque founded on righteousness from the first day is more worthy for you to stand in. Within it are men who love to purify themselves; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.” Surah Tawbah [9:108].

The first renovation was made by the third Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan. Umayyad Caliph Omar bin Abdul Aziz built the first minaret of the mosque. Abu Yali Al-Husaini renovated the mosque again in 435 A.H. He constructed a prayer place known as the “Mihrab”, also known as a prayer niche.

There are 7 major entrances and 12 supplementary ones. The mosque is cooled by three middle units, each with a capability of one million and eighty thousand cooling units.

The northern section is reserved for women worshippers. The mosque now has four minarets and 56 domes connected to a house of Imams and muezzins, a library, a place for the guards in a part of 112 sq. meters, and a marketable center with 12 shops covering an area of 450 sq. meters.

The mosque has 64 toilets for men and 32 toilets for women, and 42 units for ablution.

UAE among top ten most competitive countries in the world

2017-06-01T02:02:00.000+05:00

Dubai: The UAE made it into the coveted list of the ten most competitive countries in the world in the 2017, according to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.

This year, the country improved its ranking by five positions from its 2016 overall global competitiveness ranking of 15th, securing a place among the world’s top ten most competitive nations.

The IMD World Competitiveness Centre, a research group at the IMD business school in Switzerland, has published the rankings every year since 1989.

It compiles them using 260 indicators, about two thirds of which come from ‘hard’ data such as national employment and trade statistics; and a third from more than 6,250 responses to an executive opinion survey that measures the business perception of issues such as corruption, environmental concerns and quality of life.

This year 63 countries are ranked, with Cyprus and Saudi Arabia making their first appearance.

The 2017 report shows that the world’s most competitive countries continue to jostle for the top positions. Hong Kong has consolidated its dominance of the annual rankings compiled by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre, taking the top spot for the second year running.

Switzerland and Singapore came in second and third, with the United States placed fourth, its lowest position in five years and down from third last year. The Netherlands completed the top five, jumping three places from eighth last year.

The UAE’s achievement looks more emphatic as it has surpassed some of the world’s developed countries such as Norway, Canada, Germany, Taiwan and Finland — in 11th to 15th positions respectively — on the overall global competitiveness index.

The indicators that stood out among the most improved countries are related to government and business efficiency as well as productivity.

“These countries have maintained a business-friendly environment that encourages openness and productivity. If you look at China, its improvement of seven places to 18th can be traced to its dedication to international trade. This continues to drive the economy and the improvement in government and business efficiency,” said Professor Arturo Bris, director of the IMD World Competitiveness Centre.

In the region, the UAE continued to lead with the highest competitiveness score of 94.08. While Qatar slipped four positions from 13th position last year to 17 this year while Saudi Arabia was ranked 36th position. Other GCC countries are not featured.

In the wider Middle East, Jordan in the only country that made it onto the list, coming in at 56th this year, having slipped slightly from 53 in 2016.

Globally, the bottom of the table in competitiveness is largely occupied by countries experiencing political and economic upheaval.

“You would expect to see countries such as Ukraine (60), Brazil (61) and Venezuela (63) here because you read about their political issues in the news. These issues are at the root of poor government efficiency which diminishes their place in the rankings,” Bris said.

Recently released 1967 war archives expose Israeli arrogance

2017-06-01T01:50:00.001+05:00

Damascus: On the 50th anniversary of the Six-Day War, the Israeli government has released 150,000 pages of previously classified material dating back to the early summer of 1967.

Still in Hebrew, they are yet to be translated into other languages. The releases were made public under mounting pressure from a recently established centre by Israeli scholars, lawyers, and activists, aimed at promoting transparency and human rights.

Netanyahu was originally not too enthusiastic about the idea, having signed an earlier order extending the classification of Israeli archives from 50 to 70 years.

Meaning, documents related to 1967 were supposed to have been released in 2037.

During that war, which Egyptian President Gamal Abdul Nasser famously called a “nakba” or “disaster,” Israel crushed the armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, occupying the entire West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. Through the minutes of 36 cabinet meetings, the ground-breaking documents speak volumes about attitudes and fears within the Israeli government, led at the time by Levi Eshkol, the fourth prime minister of the Zionist state.
On day one, Eshkol was clearly uneasy, fearing a “real massacre” of Israeli troops at the hands of Egypt’s army, with Defence Minister Moshe Dayan saying: “There are limits to our ability to defeat the Arabs.”

Future Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was then Chief-of-General Staff of the Israeli Army recommended striking first.

In just six days Israel dealt a humiliating defeat to Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian armies.

Dayan boasted at the time “within a few hours we can be in Beirut”, while Foreign Minister Abba Eban noted: “Israel is expanding and expanding and the world is applauding.”

After Israel’s occupation, Eban, a seasoned Israeli diplomat, said Israel was now perched on a “barrel of dynamite.”

Eshkol dismissed his worries, noting: “If it were up to us, we would send all the Arabs to Brazil!”

Justice Minister Yaakov Shimshom Shapira objected, “They are inhabitants of this land and today you are ruling over it. There is no reason to take Arabs out of here and transfer them.”

Menachem Begin, then minister without portfolio, proposed giving a seven-year residency to the Palestinians of the West Bank, while denying them the right to vote for the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), arguing that meanwhile Jewish emigration from Europe should be expanded, while boosting the Jewish birth rate.

“Much security-related material, vital to understand the workings of the post 1967 occupation, is still not available at all and access is difficult if not impossible. But as far as I know state archives are closed everywhere in the Arab world, or selectively available only to “trusted” historians,” Ian Black, the former Middle East Editor at The Guardian told Gulf News.

Palestinian scholar Kamal Khalaf Al Tawil, an expert on Abdul Nasser, and former director-general of the Beirut-based Centre for Arab Unity Studies, thinks that the document release is good for researchers, telling Gulf News: “I trust the Israeli archives, because of their previously proven dependability. Israel can afford to let its secrets out in the open.”

Back in the 1980s, Israel had released documents related to the first Palestine of 1948, only to put them under lock and key again, after they were reviewed by three seasoned Israeli historians; Ian Pappe, Benny Morris, and Avi Shlaim. Those documents revealed plenty about the founding years of Israel, how it had summarily executed Palestinians and forcefully uprooted them from their homes.

The Israeli documents can be found on: www.archives.gov.il/en/p1967

Jordanian King performs Umrah, meets Saudi King

2017-05-31T18:51:00.002+05:00

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday performed the Umrah pilgrimage to Makkah, Maghreb, Ishaa and Tarawih Prayers, at the Al Masjid Al Haram, the Grand Mosque, in teh holy city of Makkah, and met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King of Saudi Arabia.

During the visit, both leaders discussed Jordanian-Saudi ties and current developments in the region, and the high level of historic and brotherly relations between the two countries, the Petra News Agency said.

They also expressed keenness to further boost relations in all fields to serve Arab and Islamic causes, and reviewed the Middle East crises, efforts to reach political solutions, and means to enable region's peoples to live in peace and security.

Three suicide blasts send Iraq death toll to 42

2017-05-31T18:41:00.002+05:00

BAGHDAD: Three suicide bombings in Baghdad and a city to the west have killed at least 42 people, targeting Iraqis breaking their fast and elderly people collecting their pensions, officials said Tuesday.
The strikes came as forces fought to retake the last areas held by the Daesh group in their former stronghold of Mosul.
The first IS-claimed car bombing struck a Baghdad ice cream shop during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when Iraqis often stay out late shopping or socialising after breaking their daily fast.
A second attack claimed by the group targeted the country’s main pension office, while a third bombing was carried out at an army checkpoint in Hit, some 120 miles (200 km) west of Baghdad.
Haidar Hussein, 22, had been sitting with friends at a coffee shop near the Al-Faqma ice cream parlour in the capital’s central Karrada district.
A police captain tried to prevent a small white pickup truck from approaching the area, but the driver kept going forward and then the truck exploded, he said.
The blast sent rubble flying, sparked a fire and threw Hussein to the ground, injuring his arm and leg. At least 16 people were killed and 75 injured in the attack.
After checking himself for wounds, Hussein began to look for his friends.
“Many people were on the ground, including women and children, and the screams of the women and children got louder,” he said.
Among the dead was Hussein’s 22-year-old friend Karar, who left behind two wives and three children.
Images posted on social media showed the devastating impact of the attack, which left ice cream cups scattered on the blood-stained ground.
In the second strike, a suicide bomber blew up a vehicle near Iraq’s main pension office, which is close to one of the principal bridges over the River Tigris, said the Baghdad Operations Command.
The blast killed at least 11 people and wounded at least 40, officials said.
The bombing at the Hit checkpoint killed 15 people, including four soldiers and a journalist, while 23 others were injured, Anas Al-Ani, spokesman for the department of health in Anbar province told AFP.
The Iraqi chain Asiasat TV said its journalist Souhaib Al-Hiti had died in the attack, for which no group has yet claimed responsibility.

The US State Department said in a statement that it condemned the Baghdad bombings in “the strongest possible terms.”
“These brutal attacks, whose victims included innocent children breaking the Ramadan fast and elderly Iraqis collecting their pensions, demonstrate once again the wanton savagery of the enemy we face,” spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.
The UN called the bombings an “outrage” while Paris turned off the lights of the Eiffel Tower on Tuesday night in tribute to the victims.
The bombings in Baghdad come as Iraqi forces fight to retake the last IS-held areas of Mosul, a city that was the jihadist group’s emblematic stronghold.
Iraqi forces are more than seven months into a massive operation to recapture the city, and have already taken back its whole eastern side and much of the west.
Three neighborhoods north of Mosul’s Old City — Al-Shifaa, Al-Saha and Al-Zinjili — are now the target of a broad assault by Iraqi soldiers, police and special forces that was launched last week.
IS is mainly relying on “snipers and suicide bombers” to target Iraqi forces, as it is running low on mortar rounds and explosives after losing sites it previously used to produce them, Iraqi Brig. Gen. Shakir Kadhim Mohsen told AFP.
The United Nations has warned that up to 200,000 civilians who are believed to remain in IS-held areas of the city are in grave danger and that large numbers could flee.
“We are deeply concerned that right now, in the last final stages of the campaign to retake Mosul, that the civilians... in (IS) areas are probably at graver risk now than at any other stage of the campaign,” Lise Grande, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, told AFP.
The World Food Programme said Tuesday that it “has identified worrying signs of an increase in the rate of malnutrition among newly displaced children from western Mosul.”

Israeli rule 'key cause' of Palestinian hardship: UN

2017-05-31T18:33:00.004+05:00

JERUSALEM: Fifty years after Israel occupied the Palestinian territories, its policies in the West Bank and Gaza are at the root of Palestinian hardship, the United Nations said Wednesday.
"Occupation policies and practices remain the key cause of humanitarian needs in the occupied Palestinian territories," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a report.
West Bank and Gaza residents suffer from a lack of basic security, it said, adding that the split between president Mahmud Abbas's West Bank-based administration and the rival Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza also restricts humanitarian work.
"At its heart, the crisis is one of a lack of protection for Palestinian civilians -- from violence, from displacement, from restrictions on access to services and livelihoods, and from other rights violations."
Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the 1967 Six-Day War. Repeated efforts to negotiate a solution to the conflict and establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel have stalled.
A wave of unrest that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of 266 Palestinians, 41 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP tally.
Israeli authorities say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.
Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
OCHA's 15-page Humanitarian Overview for 2016 notes a sharp fall in bloodshed over the year compared to 2015.
"Palestinian fatalities from conflict-related violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel declined by 37 percent compared with 2015," it said.
"The decline in Israeli fatalities was 48 percent."
However, Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, had peaked, it said.
"In the West Bank, more Palestinians were displaced in 2016 (1,601, including 759 children) due to demolitions of their homes by the Israeli authorities than in any year since OCHA began recording the phenomenon in 2009," it said.
In the Gaza Strip, where unemployment is among the highest in the world, a strict Israeli blockade has been in force for over a decade.
"Israeli restrictions on the entry of national staff of aid organisations to and from Gaza intensified in 2016, with 31 percent of permit applications to enter or exit Gaza denied," OCHA said.
That is up from an average of four percent in 2015, it added.
It said humanitarian operations in Gaza were impeded by restrictions imposed by the Hamas authorities, donors blocking contact with them, the ongoing closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt and the internal Palestinian divide.

PPP's Firdous Ashiq Awan joins PTI

2017-05-30T19:59:00.003+05:00

Former federal minister and PPP stalwart Firdous Ashiq Awan joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday.

Awan, along with her husband, was a staunch supporter of the PPP until party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari consolidated his control over the party.

It was reported recently that she had been in contact with PTI leaders and it was speculated that she would be changing her allegiance to PTI soon.

Those speculations were confirmed on Tuesday when the PTI tweeted a picture of her meeting with PTI's senior leadership.

"Firdous Ashiq Awan meets Jahangir Tareen. In a while, she will meet Imran Khan after which she will announce her inclusion into PTI," a tweet from PTI's official Twitter account read.

A few hours later, another tweet posted to the PTI account announced her inclusion in the party.

"I welcome Dr Firdous [Awan's] decision to join the PTI," Imran Khan was quoted as saying on the page. "Her inclusion in the party will strengthen the PTI in Punjab," he said.

"I have complete confidence in the PTI leadership," Dr Firdous was reported to have said.

"I will take up the PTI flag as a party worker and contribute towards the movement to build Pakistan," she added.

"The party's supporters will build a new Pakistan," Awan said.

Deaf, mute woman raped on Lahore-bound train undergoes test thrice

2017-05-30T19:49:00.000+05:00

LAHORE: A deaf mute woman, who was allegedly raped on a Lahore-bound train near Samasatta (Bahawalpur) two days ago, had to undergo medical examination thrice.

‘S’, a mother of three, was travelling with her sister and brother-in-law to Lahore from Quetta by Akbar Bugti Express on Saturday night.

The woman told her relatives [through sign language] that she went to washroom where an unidentified man barged in and raped her.

Victim’s brother-in-law Ali Aqdus reported the matter to railway police and they checked all bogies of the train and arrested a man ‘K’, a sepoy in Punjab Regiment and posted in Chaman, Balochistan.

The Samasatta railway police later registered a rape case against the suspect on the complaint of victim’s brother-in-law.

The complainant told Dawn that they were travelling from Quetta to Lahore when a man raped his sister-in-law in the washroom of the train.

He said his sister-in-law reported the matter to his wife and they raised an alarm [in the train] while adding the railway police reached there and inquired about the incident.

He said his sister-in-law narrated the incident by using sign language and also pointed to the man who was sleeping in other bogie near the washroom.

He said the police arrested the man and also registered a case but he did not understand why the police had his sister-in-law medically examined thrice.

He said first [medical] examination was carried out in Bahawal Victoria Hospital, second in Multan and again the officials called them to Lahore for third examination.

He alleged that the policemen were not cooperating with them and dealing [with them] like they were suspects.

Samasatta SHO Malik Iqbal told this reporter that the army personnel had contacted them and sought custody of the suspect for trial under military laws.

He said they had sent samples of the suspect for DNA test.

To a query, he said they would hand over the suspect to the respective authorities.

The SHO said he did not know why the authorities carried out three medical examinations.

He said the police registered the case and after medical examination allowed the family to continue with their journey.

Indian rights lawyer to lead U.N. probe into Rohingya crackdown

2017-05-30T18:37:00.002+05:00

The United Nations on Tuesday appointed an Indian human rights lawyer and two other experts to a fact-finding mission investigating alleged killings, rape and torture by security forces against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

The mission will be led by Indira Jaising, an advocate of the Supreme Court of India, a U.N. statement said. The other two members are Harvard-trained Sri Lankan lawyer Radhika Coomaraswamy and Australian consultant Christopher Dominic.

Some 75,000 Rohingya fled northwestern Rakhine state to Bangladesh after the Myanmar army carried out a security operation last October in response to attacks by Rohingya insurgents on border posts in which nine police officers were killed.

A U.N. report from February, based on interviews with some of the Rohingya refugees, said Myanmar's security forces have committed mass killings and gang rapes of Rohingya in a campaign that "very likely" amounts to crimes against humanity and possibly ethnic cleansing.

The U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to set up the mission in March. It was brought by the European Union and supported by countries including the United States that called for "ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims".

China and India distanced themselves from the resolution.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar's civilian government and also its foreign minister, has said she would only accept recommendations from a separate advisory commission led by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan. Any other input would "divide" communities, she has said.

Myanmar diplomats have rejected the move as "not acceptable" and "not in harmony with the situation on the ground and our national circumstances". They asked for time for its national investigation to conclude its findings.

Jaising drafted India's first domestic violence act, allowing women to bring civil and criminal suits against attackers for the first time.

The mission will present an oral update to the U.N. Human Rights Council in September and a full report in March 2018. The members will meet in Geneva in the coming weeks to plan their work.

SC gives one week to Imran Khan for financial records

2017-05-30T18:31:00.001+05:00

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and ordered him to submit relevant details pertaining to Niazi Services Limited — an off-shore company owned by the PTI chairman — before the court.

A three-member bench, comprising Chief Justice Saqib Nasir, Justice Umar Ata Bindial and Justice Faisal Arab, was hearing a petition seeking the disqualification of the PTI chief and Secretary General Jehangir Tareen.

The petition, filed by the PML-N's Hanif Abassi, accuses the two PTI leaders of not declaring their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and seeks to unseat them based on their alleged violations of the lncome Tax Ordinance, 1979 and the Peoples Act, 1974.

After Tuesday's hearing, the bench issued notices to PTI ordering the production of verifiable and certified account details before the court within a one-week period.

The chief justice, during the proceedings, reminded PTI counsel Naeem Bokhari that the petitioners had alleged that Khan's London flats were owned by Niazi Services.

"It has also been alleged that the declarations made by Imran Khan regarding the flats are incorrect," the chief justice added.

While the defence has maintained that Khan declared the flats under an amnesty scheme, the judge noted that the amnesty scheme was meant for Pakistani residents, adding that "Niazi Services is not a Pakistani company."

PML-N's lawyer Akram Sheikh, however, maintained before the court that the London flats were not declared in the 1972 nomination papers.

When the chief justice asked Bukhari if his client was a shareholder in Niazi Services, the lawyer said he was not.

Bokhari told the court that Jemima Khan, the PTI chief's ex-wife, had loaned money to Khan for the Bani Gala property via a bank transfer. He added that some of the money for the land was put up by the PTI chief himself.

The PTI counsel told the court that Khan had later returned the loaned amount to Jemima via a cross check and the payment was made through the accounts of Niazi Services.

Bukhari said that through the sale of flats owned in London, his client had earned 690,000 pounds sterling, while Jemima Khan had loaned Rs40m to the PTI chief for the land, Bukhari added.

"Why did she loan him an amount that was greater than the cost of the land?" Justice Bandiyal asked.

The chief justice also remarked that if Imran Khan had taken loans from his wife, evidence in this regard would have to be submitted before the court.

"If it is not proven that loans were taken from Jemima for the purchase of the Bani Gala property, there will be consequences," he added.

Bukhari also told the court that Imran Khan had declared his investment in the Grand Hyatt Hotel in his income tax returns.

The lawyer told the bench that documents regarding the transactions will be submitted before the court and that Jemima has been contacted in this regard.

The hearing was adjourned till Wednesday morning.

2,000 families affected by violent border clash at Chaman, says disaster management authority

2017-05-07T02:32:00.000+05:00

Unprovoked firing by Afghan border forces on Friday affected more than 2,000 families living near the Pak-Afghan border in Chaman, the director general of Balochistan's provincial disaster management authority (PDMA), Muhammad Tariq, said while addressing a press conference on Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Chaman Qaisar Khan said residents of villages located at the border had been instructed to evacuate.

"Announcements in mosques have been made and pamphlets have been distributed in this regard," the DC said.

19 PDMA trucks carrying relief goods had reached Chaman to ensure the provision of basic commodities, tents and blankets to the affected families, the DG PDMA said.

Relief goods worth Rs40 million were dispatched to the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman, he said.

"We can assure timely support to our brothers in this hour of trouble", the DG PDMA said.

He said the district administration had also been directed to assess the damages resulting from the firing by Afghan forces.

Mud-walled houses in particular had been severely damaged in Killi Luqman and Killi Jehangir when Afghan forces attacked FC personnel guarding census staff.

At least 12 people, including two Frontier Corps personnel, five children and three women were killed in the hostilities, which started in the early hours of Friday.

Idonesian Qur’an reciter Sheikh Ja’afar Abdulrahman dies live on air

2017-04-27T02:17:00.001+05:00

Indonesian reciter Sheikh Ja’afar Abdulrahman died while reciting verses of the Qur’an during a live broadcast Tuesday during a national ceremony in the presence of the Indonesian Social Affairs Minister.

The four-minute video clip that caught the moment of the Sheikh’s death has been widely circulated on social media.

The late reciter appeared to have been struck by a sudden collapse while reading verses from the Al-Mulk chapter, where he kept on reciting until he was rescued by a medical team and removed on a stretcher.

A number of social media users who circulated the footage praised the reciter’s death saying “what an honorable way to die” and wishing the same fate for them and their loved

Land allotted to Raheel Sharif under 'constitutional provision', ISPR clarifies

2017-01-27T01:57:00.000+05:00

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday stepped forward to clarify its position over the allotment of 90 acres land to the former army General (retd) Raheel Sharif, saying all such allotments were made through a "constitutional provision".

ISPR Director General Major General Asif Ghafoor took to Twitter to issue an official clarification is this regard.

"Allotment to Raheel Sharif is also under same [constitutional] provision and through government/army procedures," he maintained.

The statement said: "Issue of allotment of agricultural land to army officers and soldiers is being debated and conjectured for last few days, In this regard, it may be known that such allotments are through constitutional provision. Allotment to former COAS Raheel Sharif, is also under same provision and through government/Army procedures."

This debate with intent of maligning army also has the potential to create misunderstandings between state institutions this considered detrimental to existing cohesion," the military's media wing stated.

The allotment of 90 acres of prime land to the former army chief has already sparked a lot of debate despite security establishment’s explanation that there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

The land in the Bedian Road area has been in focus since rumours first appeared about Gen Raheel being awarded the 90 acres. These were followed by news reports questioning the logic behind the grant of land.

A security establishment official had told Dawn there was nothing unusual about the allotment. Over the last few years, the Bedian Road stretch, around where Gen Raheel’s land is located, has turned into a favourite haunt of the moneyed people looking for a privileged farm-house living away from the humdrum of the city. This has sent prices skyrocketing there.

It is believed the entry of an ex-army chief like Gen Raheel Sharif, who had previously donated a plot meant for residential purposes to the army’s martyrs, will enhance the profile of the locality.

As per rules, such allotments to army officials are decided at the General Headquarters (GHQ) and conveyed to the Border Area Committee concerned.

The official said there was “nothing unusual’ about the land allotment. Gen Raheel Sharif was allotted the land “in accordance with the existing rules and purely on merit,” he said.

“It is agricultural land and will be used for this purpose alone. It will not be used for commercial purpose as is the impression being created by some,” the official said in an obvious reference to the stories carried in the media.

The commercial value does not affect the case of Gen Raheel’s land since, as the security establishment officials insist, this agricultural land cannot be transferred.

“Every army chief gets a similar volume of agricultural land on retirement,” the official said, adding the land allotted to Gen Raheel was located some 5km from Lahore’s border area.

About the timing of the allotment of the land to the former army chief that is December 2014, he said: “The process of the allotment of agricultural land begins during the tenure of an army chief and he is given possession upon his retirement.”

The Punjab government’s role in it is minimal. All it does in such cases is register the allotment of property in its revenue record.

“It is the Border Area Committee which secures the land in the radius of 5km of the border and it is allotted to the army martyrs and officials. The Border Area Committee allocates land in collaboration with the General Headquarters (GHQ). The Revenue department of the provincial government maintains its record,” Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told media.

“It is not the discretion of the Punjab government to allot this land to any one,” he added.