Thursday, 19 August, 2021 I 10 Muharram, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 50 I 12 Pages I Karachi Edition
PM takes notice of tiktoker assault case, directs Punjab iGP to investiGate g
Mashwani says non-bailable clauses added to FiR
P
RiMe Minister imran Khan has taken note of the assault against a female tiktoker at Minar-e-Pakistan last week and directed the Punjab inspector general of police to investigate the matter, his aide reported. sayed Zulfiqar bukhari stated on twitter that the PM personally spoke to the Punjab iG on both the e manhandling of the woman and the vandalisation of Ranjit singh’s statute at lahore Fort. “Police is catching all culprits involved in manhandling of female tiktoker in lahore and those damaging statue of Ranjit singh at lahore Fort,” bukhari tweeted. the senior Pti leader said that these are gross violations of laws and social norms and the government won’t spare a single person involved in these crimes. Meanwhile, Punjab government spokesman Fayyazul hassan chohan wednesday condemned the Minar-e-Pakistan incident where a woman was as-
saulted by a mob and said the culprits are being identified through video footage. “the incident of assault on a woman in Greater iqbal Park is a shameful act which has brought shame to the society,” Fayyaz chohan said in a statement today. he said that the accused involved in the video are being identified and will be brought to justice. the incident came to light after a video went viral on social media, showing hundreds of men attacking a woman as she went to the park with four of her friends to celebrate independence day. the police registered a case against 400 men for assaulting the woman who was making tiktok videos at the park. Meanwhile, PPP chairperson bilawal bhutto has slammed the incident and asked the government to bring those responsible to the book. “the assault of a young woman by a mob at #minarepakistan should shame
coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
1,109,274
LAST UPDATED AT 9:15 AM ON AUGUST 18, 2021
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
NEW CASES:
66
3,974
RECOVERED:
DEATHS:
996,426 24,639 SINDH:
PUNJAB:
414,850
374,916
KPK:
BALOCHISTAN:
153,836 AJK/GB: 29,790/9,482
31,686 ISLAMABAD:
94,714
every Pakistani. it speaks to a rot in our society,” the PPP leader said. he said that those responsible must be brought to justice. “the women of Pakistan feel insecure and it is all our responsibility to ensure safety and equal rights to all,” he added. while talking to the media, diG investigations shariq Jamal Khan said the police were taking the case as a challenge and promised to take it to the logical end. the police officer said the investigations were underway after the case was filed. “we have the videos and the experts are analyzing as it is a technical process to ascertain who was doing what.” shariq Jamal said the case is very strong and that they have also recorded the statement of the victim. in yet another terrifying episode of violence against women, a woman in lahore’s Greater iqbal Park was assaulted by hundreds of men. the victim, along with her friends, was making a tiktok video in the park when hordes of men of all ages climbed a fence and attacked the woman. the victim told the police that the men groped her, tore off her clothes, beat her, and tossed her in the air. in addition, they robbed her of Rs15,000, snatched her mobile phone and took off her gold ring and studs. out of hundreds of men, many of who just stood there and even made a video, only one person came to the woman’s rescue and helped her get out of the park. Meanwhile, Punjab chief Minister sardar usman buzdar has sought a report from lahore capital city Police officer about the harassment of the woman in Greater iqbal Park and directed to the early arrest of the accused. News Desk
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
Exiled Ghani says he left Kabul to prevent bloodshed ABU DHABI ReuteRs
ashraf Ghani, the afghan president who fled the country following a taliban takeover, said on wednesday that he had left Kabul to prevent bloodshed and denied reports he took large sums of money with him as he departed the presidential palace. Ghani, who was speaking from exile in the united arab emirates, has been bitterly criticised by former ministers for leaving the country suddenly as taliban forces entered Kabul on sunday. “if i had stayed, i would be witnessing bloodshed in Kabul,” Ghani said in a video streamed on Facebook, his first public comments since it was confirmed he was in the uae. he left on the advice of government officials, he added. earlier in the day, the united arab emirates said that it is hosting ashraf Ghani “on humanitarian grounds”, after he fled his country amid a taliban takeover. Ghani’s whereabouts had been unknown after he fled afghanistan at the weekend. “the uae Ministry of Foreign affairs and international cooperation can confirm that the uae has welcomed President ashraf
Deadly Jalalabad protests as Taliban consolidate rule KABUL ReuteRs
at least three people were killed in anti-taliban protests in the afghan city of Jalalabad on wednesday, witnesses said, as the group tried to set up a government and western countries stepped up evacuations of diplomats and civilians. More than a dozen people were injured after taliban opened fire on protesters in the eastern city, two witnesses and a former police official told Reuters. the taliban have promised peace following their sweep into Kabul, saying they will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect the rights of women within the framework of islamic law. the witnesses said the deaths took place when local residents tried to install afghanistan’s national flag at a square in the city, some 150 km (90 miles) from the capital on the main road to Pakistan. taliban spokesmen were not immediately reachable for comment. as the taliban consolidated power, one of their leaders and co-founders, Mullah abdul Ghani baradar, returned to afghanistan
Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds,” the ministry said in a brief statement. until wednesday, speculation had mounted that he had fled to tajikistan, uzbekistan or oman. the taliban capped a staggeringly fast rout of afghanistan’s major cities in just 10 days, achieved with relatively little bloodshed, following two decades of war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. the collapse came as us President Joe biden moved to complete the withdrawal of us troops. he admitted on Monday that the taliban advance had unfolded more quickly than expected but defended his decision to leave, and criticised Ghani’s government. us-led forces invaded the country following the sept 11 attacks in 2001, in response to the taliban giving sanctuary to alQaeda, and toppled them. this would not be the first time that the oil-rich Gulf country opens its arms to former leaders and their relatives, now persona non grata in their country. in 2017, the emirate of dubai hosted former thai prime minister yingluck shinawatra, who was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
more inside
Pakistan rejects India’s ‘unwarranted’ remarks on Ranjit statue vandalism STORY ON BACK PAGE
ashura to be observed today amid tight security STORY ON PAGE 02 for the first time in more than 10 years. a taliban official said leaders would show themselves to the world, unlike in the past when they lived in secret. “slowly, gradually, the world will see all our leaders,” the senior taliban official told Reuters. “there will be no shadow of secrecy.” but thousands of afghans, many of whom helped us-led foreign forces over two decades, are desperate to leave the country. More than 2,200 diplomats and civilians have been evacuated from afghanistan on military flights, a western security official said on wednesday.
“we are continuing at a very fast momentum, logistics show no glitches as of now,” the western security official told Reuters. the taliban held their first news briefing since their return to Kabul on tuesday, suggesting they would impose their laws more softly than during their harsh 1996-2001 rule. “we don’t want any internal or external enemies,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the taliban’s main spokesman, told reporters. women would be allowed to work and study and “will be very active in society but within the framework of islam”, he said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 05
PIA evacuates 1,100 people from Kabul amid Afghan crisis STORY ON PAGE 03
council may rule afghanistan, taliban to reach out to soldiers, pilots
STORY ON BACK PAGE