KABUL: Taliban forces fired shots into the air on Thursday to disperse a women’s rally supporting protests in Iran over the death of a woman in the custody of morality police.
Deadly protests have erupted in neighboring Iran for the past two weeks, following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while detained by the Islamic republic’s morality police.
Chanting the same “Women, life, freedom” mantra used in Iran, about 25 Afghan women protested in front of Kabul’s Iranian embassy before being dispersed by Taliban forces firing in the air, an AFP correspondent reported.
Women protesters carried banners that read: “Iran has risen, now it’s our turn!” and “From Kabul to Iran, say no to dictatorship!“
Taliban forces swiftly snatched the banners and tore them in front of the protesters.
Defiant Afghan women’s rights activists have staged sporadic protests in Kabul and some other cities since the Taliban stormed back to power last August.
The protests, banned by the Taliban, contravene a slew of harsh restrictions imposed by the hard-line extremists on Afghan women.
The Taliban have forcefully dispersed women’s rallies in the past, warned journalists against covering them and detained activists helming organization efforts.
An organizer of Thursday’s protest, speaking anonymously, told AFP it was staged “to show our support and solidarity with the people of Iran and the women victims of the Taliban in Afghanistan.”
Since returning to power, the Taliban have banned secondary school education for girls and barred women from many government jobs.
Women have also been ordered to fully cover themselves in public, preferably with the all-encompassing burqa.
So far the Taliban have dismissed international calls to remove the curbs on women, especially the ban on secondary school education.
On Tuesday, a United Nations report denounced the “severe restrictions” and called for them to be reversed.
The international community has insisted that lifting controls on women’s rights is a key condition for recognizing the Taliban government, which no country has so far done.
Taliban fire into air to disperse women’s rally backing Iran protests
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Taliban fire into air to disperse women’s rally backing Iran protests
Pakistan president confers civilian award on citizen who saved pilgrims’ lives during Hajj 2024
- Asif Bashir was instrumental in saving 17 pilgrims’ lives during Hajj 2024 when they fainted due to extreme heat
- Indian Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijju also thanked Bashir in letter of gratitude last year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari this week conferred the country’s third highest civilian award on Asif Bashir, a Pakistani Hajj assistant who saved the lives of several pilgrims during last year’s pilgrimage after they fainted due to the extreme heat.
Bashir was among 550 Pakistani Hajj Moavineen (assistants) recruited by the government to provide facilities to Pakistani pilgrims. However, they also provide facilities to pilgrims belonging to other countries.
Bashir, along with his five-member team, rushed to provide first aid to several pilgrims as they fainted to the ground while the temperature soared above 51 degrees last year. He was able to transport 26 to the hospital, most of whom were Indians. Nine of them died while 17 survived.
“President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday conferred the Sitara-i-Imtiaz award on Asif Bashir in recognition of his outstanding services in the field of public services,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Friday.
The state-run media said Zardari conferred the award during a special investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr or President House, which was attended by parliamentarians.
Bashir and his team were able to save the pilgrims by giving them water and ORS [Oral Rehydration Solution] and transporting those who needed medical attention to a nearby hospital that was almost 5-6 kilometers from their check-post.
Out of the 17 that Bashir was able to save, 15 were Indians, one was British and one was a Canadian national.
In recognition of Bashir’s efforts, Indian Minister for Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijju even wrote him a letter of gratitude.
KSrelief continues global humanitarian activities
RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) continues with its global humanitarian activities including the distribution of basic food items, clothing vouchers as well as the provision of emergency services.
In Pakistan’s Shahdadkot area of Sindh province, the aid agency on Wednesday handed out 1,050 food boxes benefiting 6,524 individuals who mostly have been affected by floods.
In Yemen, KSrelief on Thursday distributed 1,247 double desks, 560 single desks, 56 wheelchairs, computers and office supplies to support 35 centers for people with disabilities and 26 adult education schools across several Yemeni governorates.
The latest initiative is part of the second phase of the project on local capacity building for educating illiterate students and people with disabilities in the governorates of Aden, Hadramout, Dhale, Lahij, Shabwa and Al-Mahra.
In Sudan, 40 tonnes of dates were distributed in Wad Madani, Gezira State as part of a larger project to share 441 tonnes of dates to the most vulnerable families in the states of Kassala, Gedaref, Red Sea, River Nile, Blue Nile, White Nile, Sennar and Gezira.
In the northern Gaza Strip, KSrelief collaborated with the Saudi Center for Culture and Heritage to provide shelter bags for Palestinian people and assist them in rebuilding their damaged homes and property resulting from over 15 months of war.
In Poland, the aid agency recently concluded a volunteer prosthetic project and was able to provide 30 prosthetic limbs to Ukrainian refugees from January 15 to January 21.
In Jindires of Syria’s Aleppo governorate, shopping vouchers were given to 1,288 beneficiaries for them to purchase winter clothing from designated stores.
Meanwhile, the ambulance service of Subul Al-Salam Social Association in the Miniyeh district of north Lebanon – which is funded by KSrelief – carried out 82 missions during the past week.
The services, which included transporting patients to and from hospitals and treating burn injuries, were provided to Syrian and Palestinian refugees and the local community.
Kashif Ali to debut for Pakistan as West Indies opt to bat in second Test
- Pakistan lead series 1-0 after winning first Test in Multan by 127 runs last week
- Pakistan retain three specialist spinners in playing XI after their first Test heroics
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani pacer Kashif Ali will make his debut against West Indies today, Saturday, at the Multan Cricket Stadium as the two sides lock horns in the second Test match of the series.
Pakistan lead 1-0 in the two-match series after winning the first one at the same venue by 127 runs. Pakistan’s spin duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan once again did the trick for Pakistan, spinning a web around West Indies batters to dismiss them before they could chase Pakistan’s target.
Khan took nine wickets in the Multan Test while Noman took six and Pakistan’s third spin option Abrar Ahmed took five wickets to skittle the West Indies.
“West Indies win the toss and elect to bat first,” the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement.
Kashif Ali will get the Test cap today as Pakistan announced its playing XI on Friday. He will serve as the sole pacer in the upcoming fixture as Pakistan retain their spin-heavy bowling attack, featuring Sajid Khan, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed.
Pakistan’s playing XI:
Shan Masood (c), Muhammad Huraira, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Kashif Ali.
West Indies squad:
Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Joshua Da Silva (vc), Alick Athanaze, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Amir Jangoo, Mikyle Louis, Gudakesh Motie, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Jayden Seales, and Jomel Warrican.
Harris English makes a late charge to take 3rd-round lead at Farmers Insurance Open
- The four-time PGA Tour winner put his 131-yard third shot inside 3 feet on the 18th, holing out for the 54-hole lead
- A large group of players had to finish its second rounds Friday morning after ferocious wind forced an 86-minute delay Thursday and affected scores across the board
SAN DIEGO: Harris English finished his 6-under 66 with three straight birdies Friday, charging into a one-shot lead over Andrew Novak at 9-under 207 heading into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open.
English capitalized in the third round after Torrey Pines’ brutal wind calmed down and the coastal South course returned to picture-perfect weather, making three birdies in four holes before the turn and adding four in his final six holes. The four-time PGA Tour winner put his 131-yard third shot inside 3 feet on the 18th, holing out for the 54-hole lead.
“Today was way easier condition-wise,” English said. “Yesterday was wild. ... You’ve just got to manage your game, and I’ve done that.”
English went to a four-way playoff at Torrey Pines in 2015, but lost to Jason Day. He had nine top-10 finishes in the past two seasons, but he hasn’t won since 2021, when he survived an epic eight-hole playoff with Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championship.
Novak also shot 66, but he went bogey-free and held the lead until English nudged in front with his big finish. South African rookie Aldrich Potgieter was at 7-under 209, while Joel Dahmen, Lanto Griffin, Matti Schmid and K.H. Lee were four shots back of English at a tournament that has seen its share of electrifying final-day rallies..
A large group of players had to finish its second rounds Friday morning after ferocious wind forced an 86-minute delay Thursday and affected scores across the board. There was minimal wind Friday, although the breezes are expected to kick up again Saturday.
The Farmers Insurance Open began on Wednesday and ends Saturday to avoid a conflict with the NFL’s conference championship games Sunday.
Potgieter, the promising 20-year-old, birdied three par-3 holes and eagled the par-4 12th. He holed out from 173 yards with an 8 iron, celebrating with a hug from his caddie.
“Par 3s probably aren’t my strongest out of the pars, but I was hitting the ball a lot better today,” Potgieter said. “Especially on those holes, I put myself in good spots to hole some putts.”
Potgieter battled through the wind to a 76 on Thursday, but got better along with the weather.
So did Novak, who buried a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th. Novak is chasing his first victory in his fourth season on tour.
“You want to win, and anytime you want something, you might put pressure on yourself,” Novak said. “There’s going to be nerves (Saturday). You know, I’ve gone through Q-school. I’ve been sweating out cut lines. It’s all just nerves. I’ve been nervous a lot of times playing golf. It’s just part of it. You just have to step up and hit the golf shot.”
Pakistan police say bound to follow SOPs to protect Chinese nationals amid harassment allegations
- Group of Chinese nationals filed petition in high court accusing Sindh Police of extorting, imposing unlawful restrictions on them
- Chinese nationals, under threat from separatist groups in neighboring Balochistan, have suffered attacks in Karachi in recent past
KARACHI: The police in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province this week said they are bound to follow the federal and provincial governments’ instructions to ensure protection for Chinese nationals, responding to a group of Chinese citizens who filed a petition against alleged police harassment and extortion.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday sought a response from Pakistani authorities over alleged harassment, extortion and unlawful restrictions on Chinese nationals imposed by police in Sindh, after a group of 12 Chinese nationals filed a petition in December alleging their families were confined to their residences for nearly a week, forcing them to pay police hefty bribes.
A significant number of private Chinese investors have arrived and established businesses with local partners in Pakistan since both countries initiated the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2015.
In Sindh, the provincial government has established a Special Protection Unit (SPU) within the provincial police force to ensure security for Chinese nationals, under threat from separatist groups operating in neighboring Balochistan province which have also carried out attacks on Chinese interests and citizens in Karachi, the commercial hub of the country.
“Sindh Police is bound to implement at any cost the instructions/SOPs issued by the Government of Pakistan and the Sindh government in the context of the safety of Chinese guests,” a statement from the Sindh Police’s Public Relations officer said on Friday.
It said the provincial police aims to provide convenience and security to Chinese investors, and is ensuring all possible measures for their “foolproof security measures.”
“The responsibility of the security of Chinese citizens associated with non-CPEC projects lies with Sindh Police and local sponsors,” the statement said, adding that security lapses and gaps are regularly checked to ensure security for Chinese nationals.
The provincial police said In case of any security complaints by Chinese investors, senior officers immediately check and resolve it.
“Sindh Police will ensure the implementation of instructions issued by the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Sindh regarding the safety of Chinese citizens so that a safe environment can be provided to Chinese investors,” it concluded.
China has repeatedly urged Pakistani authorities to ensure protection for its citizens living and working in the South Asian country.
A suicide blast claimed by the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) killed two Chinese nationals in Karachi in October, while five Chinese workers were killed in a suicide bombing in March 2024 in northwest Pakistan.
