FARUKH SHEHZAD

ISLAMABAD, JAN 23: A key member of the federal cabinet and one of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) top-tier leaders spilled the beans about the government’s decision to allow former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to proceed abroad on medical grounds, saying the decision was “100 per cent taken solely by Prime Minister Imran Khan”.

Appearing on the Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said that he was one of six to eight senior PTI leaders in the room when the decision to send the former PM abroad was made.

He also revealed that there was a difference of opinion over whether the former PM should be allowed to leave.

However, he said the prime minister now believed that the medical reports on the basis of which the decision to allow Mr Sharif to leave the country for treatment was taken, were falsified.

PTI cancels ex-official Ahmed Jawad’s membership

During his line of questioning, programme host Shahzad Iqbal pointed out that the PM blamed the judiciary for letting the former prime minister get away and asked Mr Umar, who also heads the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC), whose decision was it to allow the elder Sharif to proceed abroad for treatment.

Clarifying his position, Mr Umar told Dawn that he made the remark in the context of the question that was being asked, i.e. whether permission to leave the country was given to Mr Sharif by the government or someone else.

“In response to that question, I said the government was fully independent to take its own decisions and the decision about Nawaz’s departure was solely taken by the prime minister,” he said.

Nawaz Sharif, who was convicted in a corruption case, was allowed to travel abroad for treatment in November 2019. In the past, the prime minister and his aides had tried to justify their decision several times, saying that the government had allowed Mr Sharif to depart on the basis of ‘genuine medical reports’.

Before his departure, while Nawaz Sharif was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lahore, the prime minister had also claimed that he had secretly sent medical experts to inquire about his health.

Mr Asad also told Dawn that he was one of the people who had supported the decision to allow Mr Sharif to leave the country.

He said Dr Faisal Sultan and other medical experts had also gone through Nawaz Sharif’s medical reports and suggested that he should be allowed to proceed abroad.

“Medical experts were of the view that ‘most probably’ nothing will happen to Nawaz, but medical reports suggested that his condition could be life threatening,” he said.

Mr Umar claimed that in view of Nawaz’s medical history, in addition to his new ailment, the government was not ready to accept any blame for keeping Mr Sharif from getting treatment because of a political vendetta.

PTI leader’s membership cancelled

Separately, the ruling PTI cancelled the party membership of its former information secretary Ahmed Jawad for ‘violating’ party discipline.

According to the PTI announcement, Mr Jawad had levelled serious allegations on the party leadership and had been served with two show-cause notices this month.

However, the party said instead of replying to the notice, Mr Jawad instead hurled more accusations on the party leadership.

Dawn tried to reach Mr Jawad to obtain his point of view, but he could not be reached for comment.

Aid to Afghanistan

In a tweet on Saturday, PM Khan once again called upon the international community to provide immediate humanitarian relief to the millions of Afghans who were facing the imminent threat of starvation.

The PM also recalled that providing immediate relief to an impoverished Afghanistan was also obligatory under the unanimously-adopted UN Principle of Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

In his tweet, the prime minister also linked to a news story, published in the UK daily Guardian, carrying excerpts from a letter written by former British premier Gordon Brown to UK foreign secretary, Liz Truss, calling on her to help convene a donor conference to raise $4.5bn (£3.3bn) for Afghanistan.

In his article, Mr Brown had warned that more than 23 million people were at risk of starvation if aid did not materialise.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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• Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has announced results of various academic programs offered in Spring 2021 semester

ISLAMABAD, JAN 22: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has announced results of various academic programs offered in Spring 2021 semester.

These programs include BA, BA Associate degree, BS, and B.Ed. Students can check their results online by visiting AIOU website.

According to Examination Department, the students can view their result by pressing "view grade" and then "my grade" option after clicking on exam and grade tile under CMS.

The university has informed all the desiring candidates for admission in the first stage of Spring 2022 semester that admissions forms and prospectus of all the programmes are available at the University's website.

Last date for admissions of Matric, FA and I.Com programs has been set as February 22 whereas admission forms of BS, M.Sc, MS/M.Phill and Ph.D will be submitted online till 14 February, 2022.

Click Here For Result.

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 21: Brighto Paints Pakistan's first multinational paint company, is launching an exciting Digital Show for its fans during the HBL Pakistan Super League (HBL PSL) 2022. 

The show is titled as "Brighto Bari Game Ka Bara Scene" and it will be the maiden digital show of Brighto's sports dedicated content property Brighto Sports. 

National Volleyball player turned broadcaster Meesha Imran will be hosting Pakistan’s favorite stats man Mazhar Arshad and a star studded guest lineup. Throughout the HBL PSL 7, the show will be live every match day 30 minutes after the match.

Brighto Paints is also giving a unique chance to its fans to become part of the show through the campaign “Brighto Digital Fan Of The Day”. Every show will have one digital Fan who will become part of the show through Brighto Sports digital activities. 

Each lucky fan will be announced on Brighto Sports Facebook (@Brightopaintssports), Twitter and Instagram accounts (@brighto_sports).

Talking about the digital show Mr. Ali Khan – Head of Marketing Brighto Paints said: 

"We at Brighto paints strongly believe that HBL Pakistan Super League is a brand that we are all very proud of, be it fans, sponsors, crickets, or management. Therefore, I feel that this is our duty to take part in making this an international brand and take it as a duty. 

As a brand manager of Brighto it is my wish that fans come out to support the HBL PSL and those who cannot come to the stadium must show their support on social media and fans' zones. As fans we should use this opportunity to build a positive image of Pakistan."

Cricket fans are encouraged to keep following Brighto Sports for further exciting announcements and engaging digital content. 

Brighto Sports Bari Game Ka Bara Scene will air every day through HBL PSL 7.

Follow Brighto Sports for amazing Updates on Sports & HBL PSL 7 – get a chance to win amazing Gift hampers & Signed memorabilia from your favourite stars every day. 

Twitter : @Brighto_Sports

Instagram : @Brighto_Sports

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LAHORE, JAN 21: India and Pakistan will lock horns in a blockbuster T20 World Cup group clash for the second year running after the fixtures for the October-November 2022 tournament in Australia were announced on Friday.

The arch-rivals will lock horns at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23, a day after Australia begin their title defence against New Zealand in Sydney — a repeat of the 2021 final in Dubai where Aaron Finch’s team won their maiden crown.

The 16-nation tournament will begin on October 16 with Sri Lanka facing Namibia in Geelong — one of seven venues as Australia hosts for the first time.

“Our planning was ultra-detailed last time and knowing what the groups look like nine months out is really helpful because it can help your level of detail in that planning phase more and more,” Finch said.

“It’s a tough group though, and when you throw in qualifiers like the West Indies and Sri Lanka, you’ve got to play really well to get out of that group stage.”

The top two teams from both Group A and Group B in the preliminary first round will join the automatically qualified nations in the Super 12 stage.

England, New Zealand, Australia and Afghanistan have been drawn together in Group 1. India, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh are clubbed in Group 2.

The spotlight will be on the Group 2 India-Pakistan contest at the MCG, with the two in recent years only meeting in multi-nation events due to tensions over occupied Kashmir.

Pakistan recorded their first win over India in World Cups last year in Dubai when they hammered Virat Kohli’s team.

The Sydney Cricket Ground will host the first semi-final on November 9 while the second last-four clash will be held at the Adelaide Oval.

The final will be played at the MCG on November 13 under lights. The tournament will begin with a six-day preliminary stage of two four-team groups.

Sri Lanka and Namibia in Group A, and West Indies and Scotland in Group B will be joined by four qualifiers yet to be determined.

Australia had been due to host the T20 World Cup in 2020 but it was delayed two years because of the coronavirus pandemic with India retaining the 2021 edition — though that edition had to be shifted to Dubai because of Covid.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 21: Zong 4G, Pakistan's leading cellular and digital services provider, has partnered with DHA Multan to provide it with best-in-class 4G connectivity.

Through its well-equipped and bespoke solutions, Zong 4G is aiming to deliver the greatest communication services for the development of present and future residential developments.

Zong 4G will be providing total network coverage throughout the DHA Multan premises as part of the collaboration.

More in more, the company will also play a significant part in DHA Multan's future digital initiatives and ESS solutions for Smart Homes.

DHA Multan is one of the leading housing projects in Pakistan. Spanning over an area of 10,000 acres, DHA Multan is a future hub of educational, cultural, sports, and recreational modernization that would stand out to serve the people of Southern Punjab, especially the people of Multan.

"We're delighted to have partnered with DHA Multan to address the project's connection demands," said Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqui, General Manager Commercial at Zong.

"The DHA brand is a guarantee of high-quality living, with amenities that provide a safe and enjoyable existence for its dwellers.

Residents will have a holistic living experience with all of their needs covered flawlessly thanks to our best-in-class 4G services."

"Joining forces with the country's premier cellular and digital services provider is a significant step forward in the construction of this massive project," said Brig Shoeb Anwar Kayani, Project Director DHA Multan.

"Through this relationship, we are certain that we are providing our residents with the finest possible connectivity within and around the premises."

Zong is directly collaborating with corporate clients around the country to create a digital environment for them, delivering tailored solutions to disrupt daily procedures and innovative approaches to handle both simple and complex challenges.

Zong wants to change how businesses function with a large Business Solutions portfolio, with a broader impact on Pakistan's corporate ecosystem.

Its unrivalled technology advancement and telecommunications expertise have served as a forerunner in the development of these diverse commercial solutions.

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• Ladies Mehndi Design: 20+ Best Arabic Mehndi Designs For Ladies

Ladies Mehndi Design: 20+ Best Arabic Mehndi Designs For Ladies

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Please drop your views in the comment box below about how you think about these mehndi designs?

Courtesy wedmegood

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KARACHI, JAN 20: The leading international wholesale company, joins the consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany in Karachi for the launch of an environmental project at Clifton’s Aunty Park. 

As part of Corporate Social Responsibility, METRO Pakistan provided the cleaning equipment, gloves, garbage bags and bins, and extended its support for the initiative. The DG Parks Karachi, Junaidullah Khan, was the chief guest for the occasion.

Speaking at the occasion, Mrs Birgit Nicole Kuhlmann, the Deputy Head of Mission at the German Consulate General in Karachi, said “We are here to inaugurate the Aunty Park environmental project 2022, together with our Pakistani partners METRO and TrashIt. 

We will be refurbishing and cleaning up the park, and will be placing garbage bins, and at the same time we will be running awareness drive for cleanliness of the premises and protection of the nature”.

Representing METRO, Imran Shamim, Senior Manager Corporate Affairs, said “METRO being the biggest wholesale company always supports the constructive initiatives to protect environment and nature, and today we have sponsored this activity by the German Consulate Karachi. Such projects are necessary for less polluted and healthy public spaces."

METRO Pakistan is working on many sustainable and green projects throughout Pakistan, and has been the first wholesale company to shift to solar power solutions to generate clean and green energy and to reduce 260,000 kg of carbon emissions per year.

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WASHINGTON, JAN 19: Major international airlines cancelled flights heading to the US or changed the planes they’re using on Wednesday, the latest complication in a dispute over concerns that the new 5G mobile phone service could interfere with aircraft technology.

Carriers took widely different approaches to the brewing crisis affecting international travel, from Middle Eastern airline Emirates drastically reducing its US-bound flights to Air France saying it would fly as normal.

It wasn’t immediately clear why the airlines made those decisions — or whether they took into account that mobile carriers AT&T and Verizon agreed this week to pause the rollout of the new high-speed wireless service near key airports.

US officials had said that even with the concession, there could be some cancellations and delays because of limitations of equipment on certain planes.

Some airlines said on Wednesday they received warnings from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Boeing that the plane maker’s 777 was particularly affected by the new wireless service.

It was also not clear how disruptive the cancellations would be. Several airlines said they would try to merely use different planes to maintain their schedules.

Similar mobile networks have been deployed in dozens of other countries — but there are some key differences in how the US network works that could make it more likely to cause problems for airlines.

The new 5G network uses a segment of the radio spectrum that is close to that used by radio altimeters, which measure the height of aircraft above the ground and help pilots land in low visibility. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which sets a buffer between the frequency that 5G uses and the one that altimeters use, determined that it could be used safely in the vicinity of air traffic.

AT&T and Verizon have said their equipment will not interfere with aircraft electronics.

But FAA officials saw a potential problem, and telecom companies agreed to a pause on Tuesday while it is addressed.

On Wednesday, Emirates announced it would halt flights to several American cities due to “operational concerns associated with the planned deployment of 5G mobile network services in the US at certain airports”. It said it would continue flights to Los Angeles, New York and Washington.

“We are working closely with aircraft manufacturers and the relevant authorities to alleviate operational concerns, and we hope to resume our US services as soon as possible,” the state-owned airline said.

Tim Clark, president of Emirates, pulled no punches when discussing the issue. He told CNN it was “one of the most delinquent, utterly irresponsible” situations he’d ever seen as it involved a failure by the government, science and industry.

Of particular concern appears to be the Boeing 777. Emirates only flies this model and the Airbus A380 jumbo jet — and it was among one of the most affected airlines.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways said that the FAA “has indicated that radio waves from the 5G wireless service may interfere with aircraft altimeters.” It added that Boeing announced restrictions on airlines flying its 777s, and said it cancelled 20 flights over the issue to cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

Japan Airlines similarly said that it had been informed there could be interference with the 777.

It said it will stop using the model in the continental US for now. Eight of its flights were affected on Wednesday.

Taiwan’s EVA Air also said the FAA specifically said 777s may be affected, but it did not spell out how it would adjust its schedule.

But Air France said it planned to continue flying its 777s into American airports. It did not explain why it didn’t change its aircraft as many other carriers had.

In a statement, Chicago-based Boeing Co said it would work with airlines, the FAA and others to find a solution that would allow all planes to fly safely as 5G is rolled out. It did not respond to questions about its 777.

Air India also announced on Twitter it would cancel flights to Chicago, Newark, New York and San Francisco because of the 5G issue.

But it also said it would try to use other aircraft on US routes — a course several other airlines took.

Korean Air, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific and Austrian Airlines said they substituted different planes for flights that were scheduled to use 777s. Korean Air spokeswoman Jill Chung said the airline was also avoiding operating some kinds of 747s at affected airports. Germany’s Lufthansa also swapped out one kind of 747 for another on some US-bound flights.

British Airways cancelled several planned US-bound Boeing 777 flights and changed aircraft on others.

The FAA has said it will allow planes with accurate, reliable altimeters to operate around high-power 5G. But planes with older altimeters will not be allowed to make landings under low-visibility conditions.

Among the problems that may make the 5G rollout an issue in the US and not other countries, according to the FAA, are that American towers use a more powerful signal strength than those elsewhere, the network operates on a frequency closer to the one altimeters use, and tower antennae point up at a higher angle.

“Base stations in rural areas of the United States are permitted to emit at higher levels in comparison to other countries which may affect radio altimeter equipment accuracy and reliability,” the FAA said in December.

France, for example, reduces the power of the networks near airports.

The FCC’s chairwoman said in a statement that 5G “deployment can safely co-exist with aviation technologies in the United States, just as it does in other countries around the world.” However, Jessica Rosenworcel urged the FAA to conduct its safety checks with “both care and speed.”

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it was “not aware of any in-service incidents caused by 5G interference.”

“Until the 5G initiation in the US, the technical data received from EU manufacturers offers no conclusive evidence for immediate safety concerns at this time,” it said.

AT&T and Verizon spent tens of billions of dollars for the 5G spectrum known as C-Band in a government auction last year.

Choi Jong-yun, a spokeswoman of Asiana Airlines, said the company hasn’t been affected so far because it uses Airbus planes for passenger flights to the US.

However, Choi raised a new wrinkle, saying airlines have also been instructed by the FAA to avoid automatic landings at affected US airports during bad weather conditions, regardless of plane type. Asiana will redirect its planes to nearby airports during those conditions, she said.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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ISLAMABAD/BAKU, JAN 19: On the night of January 19 to 20, 1990, by order of the USSR leadership, 26,000 Soviet troops invaded Baku, Sumgait, as well as other cities of Azerbaijan. 

As a result of this military intervention, 147 civilians were killed and 744 were seriously injured. This event went down in the history of modern Azerbaijan as "Black January".

Before these tragic events, the groundless territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan in late 1980s, the aggressive separatist activities of Armenian radicals in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region of the former Azerbaijan SSR and the Soviet leadership's support to this illegal activity, as well as the violent and brutal deportation of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Armenia spurred the expansion of the movement against the Soviet Government in Azerbaijan.

The Soviet Army deployed to the country in order to prevent the national movement and break the will of the Azerbaijani people for independence, committed massacre against the peaceful population, violating the norms of international law, the Constitutions of the former USSR and the Azerbaijani SSR.

At a press conference at the Permanent Representation of Azerbaijan in Moscow immediately after the tragic events, National leader Heydar Aliyev strongly condemned this atrocity and demanded political assessment of the massacre against our people and punishment for the perpetrators.

At a special session of the MilliMajlis (Parliament) in February 1994, the brutal murder of innocent people on January 20, 1990 was regarded as military aggression and crime, and as a result of the deliberations in March 1994, decision “On the tragic events committed in Baku on January 20, 1990” was adopted. Since then, 20 January has been commemorated as National Mourning Day.

32 years passed since January 20, 1990 tragedy, but this gross violation of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other international legal documents, and which was one of the serious crimes of the 20th century by its essence and scope, had not received an international political and legal assessment.

The former Soviet leadership is directly responsible for this crime. According to international law, the events of January 20 must be described as a crime against humanity, and its initiators and perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Under the leadership of Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the brave Azerbaijani Army ensured the territorial integrity of our country as a result of the 44-day war and the Republic of Azerbaijan, in its 31st year of restoration of independence, is currently a reliable and responsible member of the world community.

Strengthening the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan is the foundation of our statehood, and our struggle for the constant uphold of these basic principles is persistent. 

Any possible threats to the independence and integrity of our state will continue to be resolutely answered, and all necessary steps will be taken to bring to justice those responsible for various crimes against the people and state of Azerbaijan.

We commemorate with deep respect and gratitude the memory of all our heroes who gave their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan, as well as for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country.

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DUBAI, JAN 18: Young Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Hasnain will undergo a test on his bowling action on Tuesday after it was reported by umpires in the Big Bash League (BBL), according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.

The Hyderabad-born pacer, who made his debut over at the BBL with a triple-wicket maiden, will undergo the test at the International Cricket Council accredited bio-mechanics laboratory in Lahore, the report said.

The development comes after the 21-year-old — who played for Sydney Thunder — was accused of chucking during a match against Sydney Sixers.

The incident occurred during the first innings of the match as Sixers’ captain Moises Henriques failed to connect when Hasnain bowled a bouncer.

Words were exchanged between the duo, with Henriques telling Hasnain: “Nice throw, mate”.

According to the ICC website, an illegal bowling action is where a player is throwing rather than bowling the ball.

“This is defined by the ICC as being where the player’s elbow extends by an amount of more than 15 degrees between their arm reaching the horizontal and the ball being released,” the rules state.

If the player is found to be using an illegal bowling action, then they will be suspended from bowling until they have modified their bowling action and undertaken another test successfully, the rules add.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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