ISLAMABAD: Saudi authorities have launched a health awareness campaign in several languages, including Urdu, for pilgrims arriving in the Kingdom for the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Pakistani state media reported on Friday.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and requires every adult Muslim to undertake the journey to the holy Islamic sites in Makkah at least once in their lifetime if they are financially and physically able.
This year, around 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform the pilgrimage, of which around 70,000 people will undertake the journey under the government scheme, while the rest will use private tour operators.
The health awareness campaign for Hajj pilgrims is being carried out at key locations in the Kingdom through dozens of screens, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The campaign is being carried out through 97 smart display screens at various locations including Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport, the Haramain High Speed Railway Station, shuttle buses, pilgrim reception centers, malls and the health cluster’s facilities,” the report read.
“Messages cover issues such as the dangers of direct sun exposure, heat exhaustion, dehydration, food poisoning, first aid, personal hygiene and other health topics.”
More than 42,000 Pakistani pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia and around 390 assistants, including Pakistani civil and uniformed officers, are currently working for their travel and accommodation as well as for providing quality food to the pilgrims, according to the Pakistani religion ministry.
Over 150 officers of the religious affairs ministry are facilitating pilgrims at the Main Control Office, Madinah and Jeddah Airports, Lost and Found Department, Madinah Departure Cell, Monitoring Cell, and Accounts and Administration Departments.
This year’s pilgrimage is expected to run from June 14 till June 19.
Saudi Arabia launches health awareness campaign for Hajj pilgrims in Urdu, other languages
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Saudi Arabia launches health awareness campaign for Hajj pilgrims in Urdu, other languages
- This year, around 179,210 Pakistani pilgrims are expected to perform the annual pilgrimage
- Pakistan has appointed nearly 550 assistants, staff to ensure well-being of these pilgrims
Pakistan government says X ban ‘legitimate,’ aimed at addressing national security concerns
- Authorities have blocked X, formerly known as Twitter, since Feb 17 after protests swept Pakistan over alleged vote rigging
- Digital rights activists and rights groups have described the shutdown, either partial or full, as a ‘violation’ of civil liberties
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government on Monday said it had imposed a “legitimate” ban on social media platform X, which was aimed at addressing national security concerns.
The statement was part of the interior ministry’s written response submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) with regard to a number of petitions filed against the ban and intermittent suspension of Internet services.
Authorities have blocked X, formerly known as Twitter, since February 17 after protests swept the South Asian country over allegations of vote rigging in a general election held earlier that month.
Digital rights activists and rights groups have described the shutdown, either partial or full, as a “violation” of civil liberties in the South Asian nation of more than 241 million.
But the interior ministry in its response said the ban did not contravene Article 19 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.
“The decision to impose a ban on Twitter/X is a legitimate exercise of the Government’s authority to regulate the use of social media platforms,” the ministry said.
“It is aimed at addressing genuine concerns related to national security and public safety, and it is undertaken with due consideration for the overarching goal of promoting responsible and lawful communication in our society.”
Pakistani authorities have long struggled to regulate social media content through different legislations, prompting critics to accuse them of trying to quell dissent.
In May this year, the government established the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to probe electronic crimes, making digital rights activists describe it as yet another official attempt to stifle criticism online.
The NCCIA was approved by the caretaker government of Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar last year to take over cybercrime investigations from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
While the government says the move was meant to protect digital rights of millions of users, encourage responsible Internet use and prevent hate speech and disinformation, digital rights activists say successive governments have drafted new laws or amended old ones to curb online dissent and file criminal charges against journalists and activists to restrict freedom of speech and expression.
Major coalition partner calls for consensus before final decision on Pakistan anti-militancy operation
- Pakistan’s top national security body last month notified decision to launch Operation Azm-e-Istehkaam amid spike in militancy
- Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urges stakeholders to avoid ‘partisan politics’ at the all-parties conference to be held in the coming days
ISLAMABAD: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of major coalition partner Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), on Monday stressed a consensus between all stakeholders at the upcoming All Parties Conference (APC) to make a final decision on an operation to wipe out militants from the South Asian country.
Pakistan’s top national security body last month notified the launch of Operation Azm-e-Istehkaam amid a spike in militant violence in Pakistan. Leading opposition factions, including former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, objected to the announcement without any debate over the issue in parliament.
Following the backlash from the opposition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office issued a statement, clarifying that “no large-scale military operation” would be launched in Pakistan. Sharif’s government has now planned to convene an APC to address the concerns of political stakeholders in the South Asian country.
“PPP will try for a consensus and play its role,” Bhutto-Zardari said at a press conference in Peshawar. “The decision taken after a consensus will be a better decision.”
The statement came days after Pakistan’s top military brass raised concerns over “unwarranted” criticism of the newly announced operation, saying it would assist the government in addressing all security-related challenges undermining investor confidence in cash-strapped Pakistan that has been striving to boost foreign investment.
Confirming that his party would send a delegation to the APC, Bhutto-Zardari said he would share all concerns they had regarding the operation at the “appropriate forum,” adding that they wanted to hear the government’s motive behind it.
He highlighted that the security situation of the country was linked to the economy and both had to be managed properly. “Whatever decision the government takes, we feel the APC will be the appropriate forum to raise concerns,” the PPP chairman said.
He lauded PM Sharif’s decision to organize the APC and urged all political parties to keep their “partisan politics out of this game” as the matter at hand revolved around national security and fighting militant groups.
The government’s decision to launch the operation came against the backdrop of a surge in militant violence in different parts of the country. It also came shortly after a top Chinese leader visited Pakistan and expressed concerns about militant attacks against Chinese nationals working o various projects in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government plans to hold the all-parties conference to take all political stakeholders on board with its anti-militancy plan, though the exact date of the conference has yet to be announced.
German consulate in Karachi suspends services for non-EU citizens due to ‘security concerns’
- The development comes amid renewed wave of violence in Pakistan, including attacks on foreigners and police in Karachi
- Militants have also recently targeted Chinese working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
KARACHI: The German consulate in southern Pakistani city of Karachi has suspended its services for people who are not European Union (EU) citizens, the consulate said on Monday, citing “security concerns.”
The development comes amid a renewed wave of militant violence in the South Asian country, including attacks on foreign nationals and police officials in Karachi.
Unidentified militants on Sunday shot dead a senior counter-terrorism official, while five Japanese workers narrowly escaped a suicide attack in the city in April. No group claimed responsibility for attacks.
“Due to imminent security concerns the Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany will remain closed for services of non-EU-citizens until further notice,” the German consulate said in a statement. “Already issued visa for non-EU-citizens can be picked up.”
A spokesperson for the German consulate offered no further details when asked about the nature of the security concerns.
Pakistan has primarily witnessed an uptick in militant attacks in its two western provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, since the Pakistani Taliban called off their fragile truce with the government in November 2022.
Insurgents have also targeted Chinese working in Pakistan on projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in recent months. In March, five Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed when a suicide bomber in northwest Pakistan rammed his explosive-laden car into a vehicle when they were heading to the Dasu Dam, the biggest hydropower project in Pakistan, where they worked.
It followed a Mar. 20 attack on a strategic port used by China in the southwestern province of Balochistan, where Beijing has poured billions of dollars into infrastructure projects, and a Mar. 25 assault on a naval air base, also in the southwest. Both attacks were claimed by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), the most prominent of several separatist groups in Balochistan.
Islamabad has blamed the surge in violence on militants operating out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue of Islamabad.
TikTok says took down 20 million videos in Pakistan this year for violating guidelines
- The video-sharing platform made the disclosure in its report for the first quarter of the year
- The app has been banned in Pakistan several times in past over ‘immoral, obscene’ content
KARACHI: Video-sharing platform TikTok has taken down approximately 20 million videos in Pakistan for violating community guidelines, the company said on Monday, underscoring its resolve to effectively combat violations.
TikTok, a social media app that allows users to create and share short-form videos, made the disclosure in its report for the first quarter of the year. The platform has become extremely popular among younger generations, with over a billion active users worldwide.
However, this is not the first time that TikTok has removed videos from Pakistan. In July 2023, the video-sharing app had taken action against 11.7 million videos from Pakistan for the same reason.
“In Pakistan alone, the platform took action against 20,207,878 videos for breaching its community guidelines in the first quarter,” TikTok said in a statement on Monday, following the release of its Community Guidelines Enforcement Report 2024.
In the past, Pakistani authorities have banned the video-sharing service several times, with the first ban instituted in October 2020 over what was described as widespread complaints about allegedly “immoral, obscene, and vulgar” content on the app.
The service has been prohibited from operating in the country thrice more than 15 months since then. In November 2021, a Pakistani court finally reversed the ban after TikTok assured the government it would control the spread of objectionable content.
TikTok said the latest report highlighted the platform’s commitment to transparency, safety and inclusivity apart from how the company reflected its dedication to building trust and ensuring a safe platform for its global community.
The video platform removed 166,997,307 videos worldwide during the Jan-March period of 2024, of which 129,335,793 were identified through an automated detection technology, whereas 6,042,287 videos were reinstated, according to the report. The platform “removed and filtered” 976,479,946 comments also, using the safety tools.
“TikTok aggressively pursued spam accounts and related content, implementing robust measures to prevent the proliferation of automated spam accounts,” the company said, highlighting that 93.9 percent of videos violating guidelines were removed within 24 hours of posting with the removal rate resting at 99.8 percent globally.
TikTok also deleted 21,639,414 accounts suspected of belonging to children under the age of 13, the company said.
Pakistan to conduct fitness tests of players after humiliating T20 World Cup exit
- The 2009 champions suffered a shock defeat to first-timers USA before losing to arch-rivals India in last month’s World Cup
- The national team was dogged by allegations of internal discord and that some players were in squad because of favoritism
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be conducting fitness tests for the first time ever in 104 districts across the 16 regions in the country, the PCB said on Monday, weeks after the national side’s humiliating exit from the Twenty20 World Cup.
The 2009 champions crashed out of the World Cup on June 15 after the USA-Ireland match was abandoned because of rain. It was the earliest-ever elimination from a T20 World Cup for Pakistan. They suffered a shock defeat to first-timers USA before losing to arch-rivals India. Pakistan’s only win was against Canada.
Throughout the tournament, the team was dogged by allegations of internal discord and that some players were in the squad because of favoritism and not merit. A week later, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said players would now be selected only on the basis of fitness and performance in domestic cricket.
“Over 2,300 players are appearing in the ongoing countrywide fitness tests. These tests are being conducted as per the Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi’s vision for incorporating a culture of fitness at grassroots level,” the PCB said in a statement.
In order to assemble squads for the Regional Inter District Senior Tournament 2024-25, 23 players in each district have been shortlisted after the Challenge Cup that took place in April and May. These 23 players in each district are undergoing strenuous fitness and strength testing under the respective district and regional coaches and trainers, according to the PCB.
The players, after passing the fitness test, will be summoned for a 45-day camp in their respective districts leading to the Inter District Senior Tournament in September.
“The PCB has decided to conduct fitness tests at the district level instead of the regional level starting from this domestic season,” said Abdullah Khurram Niazi, a PCB director for domestic cricket operations.
“This initiative will surely push the players to prioritize their fitness right from the start and the culture will then expand to other domestic competitions. With more fitter players participating in the tournaments, the quality of cricket will also increase.”
