LOS ANGELES: Cher’s rescue of an elephant long held in dismal conditions is a one-of-a-kind story, as would be expected from the singular star.
Even she was surprised by what her efforts — in concert with a team of animal aid groups, wildlife veterinarians and Pakistan’s legal system — achieved for Kaavan, she said during a panel discussion taping.
“‘I don’t know anything about this. I’m just an entertainer. I can’t save this elephant,’” Cher recalled thinking when the animal’s plight was brought to her attention by what she calls “the kids” on her Twitter feed.
They demanded Kaavan’s release from a ramshackle, now-closed zoo in Islamabad, Pakistan, which launched the quest detailed in “Cher & the Loneliest Elephant,” debuting Wednesday on the Smithsonian Channel.
Cher accepted the challenge after seeing a photo of the 4-ton animal chained in a solitary, cramped enclosure and in apparent ill health, both physical and emotional.
Recalling a brief meeting with businessman Mark Cowne and his interest in wildlife, she sought his help. The result was Free The Wild, an organization co-founded by Cher, Cowne, Gine Nelthorpe Cowne and Jennifer Ruiz to advocate for Kaavan, which turned into a four-year effort.
(Free The Wild’s expanded mission is to “stop the suffering of wild animals in captivity” and gain their release to sanctuaries or better-equipped zoos, according to its website.)
Cher recorded a song, “Walls,” to amplify the growing social-media clamor for Kaavan’s release, and her involvement went far beyond her comfort zone: She flew to Pakistan amid the COVID-19 pandemic when, she said, the government made it a condition of Kaavan’s transfer to a sanctuary in Cambodia after the zoo’s court-ordered closure.
Her trademark candor is on exhibit in the documentary, in which she admits to hesitation about the journey that she and a small group of intimates were about to make.
“I kept saying to my friends … ‘Are we really going to Pakistan? Is this really happening?’” she recounted during the panel discussion about her efforts and the documentary’s production. “Then I just went, ‘Yeah, come on, you’re doing it. Stop playing around and just do it.”
It wasn’t just trepidation weighing on her, Cher said. There had been so many times that it looked like the effort would fall short that she honestly began to wonder if “anybody would be all that interested” in what was being attempted.
Her unstinting effort resulted in an endearing scene in which Cher is coaxed by veterinarian Amir Khalil to bond with Kaavan by feeding him watermelon and singing the elephant’s favorite song: “My Way,” made famous by Frank Sinatra.
The chart-topping pop star balked at the impromptu performance because she hadn’t sung recently. The other reasons: The song choice, and her duet partner, the admirable but out-of-tune Khalil, who lovingly tended Kavaan during his daunting transfer to a new life.
“Cher & the Loneliest Elephant” debuts at 8 and repeats at 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday on the Smithsonian Channel. It will air again at midnight EDT Thursday and is available on Smithsonian’s video-on-demand channel and on the Paramount+ streaming service.
In one-of-a-kind story, Cher’s star power helps rescue ‘loneliest elephant’
https://arab.news/zeay3
In one-of-a-kind story, Cher’s star power helps rescue ‘loneliest elephant’
- Cher recorded “Walls” to amplify the growing social-media clamor for Kaavan’s release, flew to Pakistan amid the pandemic
- “Cher & the Loneliest Elephant” debuts at 8 and repeats at 10 p.m. EDT Wednesday on the Smithsonian Channel
Karachi man arrested in child pornography case involving US minors — Pakistani investigators
- Suspect Agha Sarwar Abbas was arrested on Mar. 11 on complaint of US Consulate in Karachi
- Court in Karachi has granted Federal Investigation Agency five-day physical remand of Abbas
KARACHI: A Pakistani man has been arrested in Karachi on charges of possession of child pornography and blackmailing minors in the United States following a complaint from the American consulate in the port city this week, a Pakistani official said on Thursday
The suspect, Agha Anwar Abbas, was arrested on Mar. 11 following a complaint filed by a special agent of the US Department of State that alleged he was in possession of child pornography and was extorting US minors by using material obtained through various online platforms, the First Information Report (FIR) filed by police said. After a request from the US Consulate in Karachi, a case was registered under Sections 16, 22 and 24 of Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which criminalizes offenses related to child pornography and online exploitation.
“Agha Anwar Abbas has been arrested on a complaint from the US consulate for his alleged involvement in child pornography and blackmailing minors in the US,” Ameer Ali, an investigation officer with the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), told Arab News. “The court granted us a five-day physical remand for further questioning.”
The US Consulate said it could not comment on an ongoing legal case.
On Wednesday, FIA informed Judicial Magistrate East Karachi that Abbas had admitted to creating a fake online identity and was pretending to be a US citizen named Brandon Liechier to gain the trust of minors.
According to the FIR, the suspect has confessed during interrogation “to using personal data for the purposes of blackmail and threats based on recorded videos of US minor citizens.”
The agency said it had raided Abbas’s residence in Karachi’s New Rizwia Society and seized multiple devices, including a laptop and an iPad, that allegedly contained child pornographic material. Investigators said they had also identified several online platforms, including Whereby.com, Google Meet, Snapchat, and 411.com, that the suspect was using to establish contact with victims. Through these platforms, he engaged in video calls and text chats, allegedly forcing minors to share personal and objectionable content.
According to the police report, the investigation had so far revealed that Abbas used personal data, including home addresses, to threaten victims with the release of “compromising material” unless they complied with his demands. Abbas also allegedly accessed adult websites to facilitate his activities, with a digital forensic analysis confirming the presence of child pornographic content and extortion messages on his seized devices.
On Wednesday, the FIA sought a 14-day police remand for Abbas from a local magistrate who only granted five days, until Mar. 18.
Child pornography is illegal in Pakistan. Suspects convicted in child pornography cases can be subject to up to 20 years in prison and large fines.
Pakistan dismisses US travel ban reports as ‘speculative’
- Foreign Office says Pakistan has not received any such indication in this regard so far
- A media report said last week a travel ban by Trump could prevent Pakistanis from entering the US
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan on Thursday rejected reports of a US travel ban on Pakistani nationals as “speculative,” saying that Islamabad had received no such indication so far.
A Reuters report last week, citing sources, suggested that a new travel ban under US President Donald Trump could bar travelers from Afghanistan and Pakistan based on a government review of security and vetting risks.
Amid the speculation, Pakistani Ambassador to Turkmenistan K.K. Ahsan Wagan was detained and denied entry into the US this week. However, the Foreign Office clarified that he was traveling for personal reasons, was not eligible for diplomatic immunity and that officials were looking into the matter.
“As of now, this is all speculative and hence does not warrant a response,” Khan said in response to a question at the weekly media briefing.
“So far we have not been given any indication of such a ban on the Pakistan nation.”
He added the foreign ministry and Pakistan’s mission in Washington were in constant contact with relevant US authorities to obtain further details on the matter.
On Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order mandating intensified security vetting for foreigners seeking admission to the US.
The order instructed US cabinet members to submit a list by March 12 of countries from which travel should be partially or fully suspended due to inadequate vetting and screening information.
The Reuters report also said the new ban could affect tens of thousands of Afghans who had been cleared for resettlement in the US as refugees or on Special Immigrant Visas, adding these people were at risk of Taliban retribution for working for the US during a 20-year war in their home country.
Pakistan urges Afghanistan to bring militant masterminds to justice after deadly train attack
- Separatist militants took over 200 passengers hostage in Balochistan after targeting a passenger train
- Pakistan says it is taking a ‘multifaceted approach’ involving diplomacy, military action to deal with the threat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called on the interim administration in Afghanistan to bring to justice the masterminds behind a militant attack on a passenger train in Balochistan, asking Afghan authorities to take action against those responsible for orchestrating the assault since they were based on its soil.
The attack, which took place in the southwestern Bolan region, saw separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) militants bomb a railway track and storm the Jaffar Express, taking over 200 passengers hostage.
This was followed by a security forces rescue operation, which led to the killing of 33 BLA fighters who had stationed suicide bombers near civilians to prolong the standoff.
The separatist group accuses the government of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources while leaving its people in poverty. Government officials deny the allegation and say they are developing the province through multibillion-dollar projects, including those backed by China.
“Terrorists were in direct communication with Afghanistan-based planners throughout the incident,” foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said during his weekly news briefing. “Pakistan has repeatedly asked the interim Afghan government to deny the use of its soil for a terrorist group like BLA to attack Pakistan.”
“We urge Afghanistan to hold perpetrators, organizers and financiers of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and cooperate with the government of Pakistan to bring all those who are concerned with this attack, including the real sponsors of terrorism, to justice,” he added.
Pakistan has frequently attributed the recent surge in militant violence in the country to cross-border attacks originating from Afghanistan, alleging that such incursions are “facilitated” by authorities in Kabul. The Afghan government has denied these allegations.
The foreign office spokesperson said Pakistan was addressing the threat through a multifaceted approach, combining military action, intelligence-based operations and diplomatic efforts to expose foreign sponsors of terrorism.
“So it’s a complex and multifaceted approach,” he said. “This is not a one-track approach.”
Pakistan urges global action to stop Israel’s ‘genocidal campaign’ in Gaza, calls for accountability
Pakistan urges global action to stop Israel’s ‘genocidal campaign’ in Gaza, calls for accountability
- The foreign office says Israel is ‘weaponizing humanitarian aid’ by stopping global agencies to operate in Gaza
- Gaza war began in October 2023 and continued until an uneasy ceasefire was brokered in January 2025
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan urged the international community on Thursday to bring an end to Israel’s “genocidal campaign” against Palestinians in Gaza while calling for it to be held accountable for its “war crimes.”
Israel’s war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, and continued until an uneasy ceasefire was brokered earlier this year in January. The war completely devastated the Palestinian territory, with Israeli military attacks destroying houses, schools and hospitals, leading to more than 48,000 deaths.
Pakistan is among the countries that have raised concerns about the potential resumption of hostilities between Hamas and Israel.
“The international community must step in to end Israel’s genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza,” foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said during his weekly press briefing.
“We also urge the international community to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Khan condemned Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid, the disruption of Gaza’s electricity supply and the ongoing assault, which has led to the tragic loss of lives, including women and children.
Calling Israel’s actions to dismantle humanitarian agencies “unacceptable,” he said preventing aid agencies from carrying out their tasks was a “manifestation of Israel’s systematic campaign to weaponize humanitarian aid and dehumanize Palestinians.”
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar attended the extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, where he reiterated his country’s support for the Palestinian cause and condemned a recent American proposal to permanently displace the residents of Gaza, stressing the need for a two-state solution for lasting peace.
Israeli officials confirmed on Sunday they had cut off Gaza’s electricity, impacting a desalination plant that provides drinking water, with Hamas denouncing it as part of Israel’s “starvation policy.”
Pakistan, which does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, has consistently called on the United Nations to enforce resolutions supporting a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Pakistan advocates for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
At least 25 bodies retrieved from Pakistan train siege
- The deceased include 19 military passengers, one police and a railway official
- Security forces freed more than 340 passengers in a two-day rescue operation
MACH, Pakistan: The bodies of at least 25 people, including 21 hostages, killed in a train siege by separatist gunmen in Pakistan were retrieved from the site on Thursday ahead of the first funerals, officials said.
Security forces said they freed more than 340 train passengers in a two-day rescue operation that ended late on Wednesday after a separatist group bombed a remote railway track in mountainous southwest Balochistan and stormed a train with around 450 passengers on board.
The assault was claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), one of a number of separatist groups that accuse outsiders of plundering natural resources in Balochistan near the borders with Afghanistan and Iran.
Death tolls have varied, with the military saying in an official statement that “21 innocent hostages” were killed by the militants as well as four soldiers in the rescue operation.
A railway official in Balochistan said the bodies of 25 people were transported by train away from the hostage site to the nearby town of Mach on Thursday morning.
“Deceased were identified as 19 military passengers, one police and one railway official, while four bodies are yet to be identified,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.
A senior local military official overseeing operations confirmed the details.
An army official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, earlier put the military toll at 28, including 27 off-duty soldiers taken hostage.
Passengers who escaped from the siege said after walking for hours through rugged mountains to reach safety that they saw people being shot dead by militants.
The first funerals are expected to take place on Thursday.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was also expected to visit Balochistan, his office said.
“The Prime Minister expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of security personnel and train passengers during the operation,” it said in a statement.
The BLA released a video of an explosion on the track followed by dozens of militants emerging from hiding places in the mountains to attack the train.
Attacks by separatist groups have soared in the past few years, mostly targeting security forces and ethnic groups from outside the province.
Muhammad Naveed, who managed to escape, told AFP: “They asked us to come out of the train one by one. They separated women and asked them to leave. They also spared elders.”
“They asked us to come outside, saying we will not be harmed. When around 185 people came outside, they chose people and shot them down.”
Babar Masih, a 38-year-old Christian laborer, told AFP on Wednesday he and his family walked for hours through rugged mountains to reach a train that could take them to a makeshift hospital on a railway platform.
“Our women pleaded with them and they spared us,” he said.
“They told us to get out and not look back. As we ran, I noticed many others running alongside us.”
Security forces have been battling a decades-long insurgency in impoverished Balochistan but last year saw a surge in violence in the province compared with 2023, according to the independent Center for Research and Security Studies.
