The Sindh government, on behalf of the Federal government, has decided to resume collection of withholding tax on registration of vehicles from October 1.
The announcement was made by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah at a cabinet meeting at Chief Minister House on Wednesday.
He told the cabinet that the Federal Board of Revenue had declared the Excise and Taxation Department as the withholding tax collecting agent without the consent of the provincial government.
“The department used to collect withholding tax on registration of vehicles on behalf of the FBR,” he said, adding that in 2016 the FBR on an incorrect information deducted Rs5.427 billion from the account of the provincial government on account of withholding tax.
The Sindh government took up the matter at the board but its authorities, instead of returning the deducted amount to the Sindh government, deducted another Rs421.328 million.
The Sindh government, therefore, decided to stop collecting withholding tax on behalf of the FBR on July 1, 2020.
Shah said that he discussed the matter with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Hafeez Shaikh, who then intervened.
Following this, the board passed an order in which they admitted that the deduction of money from Sindh government’s account was based on incorrect information. The FBR shared it with the government along with a request to resume tax collection.
The FBR also agreed on certain conditions such as returning the Rs5.427 billion at once and deciding on the case of the remaining Rs421.328 million pending in board.
Renewal of lease
The meeting also discussed the legal position of the renewal of old leases granted for construction purposes in Karachi.
The cabinet, after thorough discussion, said that there was a FBR valuation table for different localities/categories for the renewal of lease. The provincial government will charge a fixed 10% rate above the valuation table of the FBR.
Land allotment to SSGC
The Sindh cabinet, on the request of Sui Southern Gas Company, has also approved allotment of land to the company in Malir, Jamshoro and Thatta for to lay gas pipelines.
The cabinet approved the allotment of 5.8 acres in Deh Ghaghar, 10.27 acres in Dhabeji-I and II, and 0.18 acres in Dhabeji-I and II of District Malir.
An approval of the allotment of 18.22 acres land to SSGC in four dehs of Jamshoro district at a rate of Rs600,000. Similarly, allotment of 108.29 acres in seven Dehs of Thatta district at a rate of Rs400,000 and Rs700,000 (of different dehs) was also approved.
This allotment/ lease of land has been given to SSGC for a period of 99 years.
The cabinet reiterated its stance that the provincial government would never accept re-gasified liquefied natural gas. Cabinet members said that residents of Sindh have the first and foremost right to natural gas being produced in the province.
KSE attack
The home department requested the cabinet to approve compensation to the legal heirs of deceased and injured policemen, private security guards and civilians in the attack on the Karachi Stock Exchange on June 29, 2020.
In the attack, three security guards had lost their lives. The chief minister had announced a job for legal heirs of the victims and Rs5 million to each martyred security guard’s family. Compensation of Rs500,000 each was already covered under the policy, whereas the remaining Rs4.5 million to each, totaling Rs13.5 million, was approved by the cabinet.
Three policemen were injured and their compensation of Rs1 million was approved by the cabinet. Similarly, seven policemen of RRF had participated in the operation against the terrorists and the cabinet approved a cash price of Rs500,000 for each.
The chief minister directed the finance secretary to release the amount within a week .
SIMPA
The cabinet approved the establishment of the Sindh Institute of Music & Performing Art (SIMPA), Jamshoro.
The culture minister told the cabinet that theatre performances before partition were rich in Sindh but have now faded. He added that establishing the institute was to enable continuity of indigenous music for upcoming generations and was also in accordance with the UNESCO Convention for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage and to preserve and revive the diminished theatrical activities in the field of art.
The cabinet approved the act of SIMPA which has its own building in Jamshoro and other required infrastructure and instruments.
Bykea, the Karachi-based motorcycle riding service, secured $13 million in series B funding that will help it expand operations to tier two cities.
Series B or the second round of fundraising brings the total money raised by the five-year-old firm to $22 million. Prosus Ventures, which invested for the first time in a Pakistani startup, led the funding, according to TechCrunch. Middle East Venture Partners and Sarmayacar, which already have stakes in the company, also pumped money into it during series B funding.
A homegrown startup, Bykea accounts for more than half of the bike ride market with more than two-thirds of its business coming from Karachi alone. Bykea is the only app in Urdu that Pakistan’s middle class uses for affordable transport, the company says.
The money will be used to expand operations beyond existing business (Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi). Bykea has partnered with banks for micro payment services, such as fund transfers and bill payments. The company leads in the bike-ride segment where it also offers delivery services. It has 30,000 riders on board, a majority of whom drive part-time.
The funding was secured earlier and announced in July but didn’t materialise because investors were concerned about the ban on pillion riding, which 90% of Bykea’s business depends on.
The Sindh government had restricted Bykea’s services as part of a lockdown strategy to contain the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. It caused losses to many businesses, including Bykea.
Loss in business forced the company to cut costs. Bykea used to pay $60,000 per month to Google to use its maps and navigation services but after the lockdown was imposed, the company developed its own navigation system with the help of its riders, according to TechCrunch. It now pays less than a tenth of that amount.
The Federal Board of Revenue has extended the deadline for filing income tax returns of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 by more than two months, a notification said on Wednesday.
Every year, individuals, associations of persons, and companies are required to submit their income tax returns with the FBR by end of September. However, the deadline has now been extended till December 8, the FBR said adding that no further extension in the deadline would be granted.
The FBR didn’t specify the reason for this extension but there were reports that the national exchequer didn’t upload the required forms until the second week of September and the extension was inevitable. For tax year 2018, the FBR extended the date multiple times and stretched it over a year beyond the first deadline of September 30. It published taxpayers’ directory up to fiscal year 2018 earlier this month, showing a lag of at least one year.
According to provisional estimates, the government will collect Rs4.7 trillion in federal taxes in the latest fiscal year and have a budget deficit of Rs3.3 trillion or 8% of the GDP.
High expenditure and low revenue has been a big challenge for the government, which ends up borrowing money to plug this gap. The country has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios (approximately 15%) because of tax evasion. For fiscal year 2018, the tax authority selected 12,553 cases for audit of which more than 10,000 are related to income tax and 2,000 to sales tax.
Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer termed right-back Joshua Kummich as a classy player after his side beat Borussia Dortmund to win the German Super Cup 2020.
Hosts Bayern built a 2-0 lead with first-half goals by Corentin Tolisso and Thomas Mueller, only for Erling Braut Haaland to equalise early in the second half after Julian Brandt pulled a Dortmund goal back just before the break.
However, Kimmich settled the matter through sheer determination behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena.
His initial shot was saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz but the rebound clipped Kimmich’s boot and looped in for the winning goal eight minutes from time.
“Joshua is a classy player. The way he chipped that ball in,” said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer in admiration.
Having had their record 23-match winning streak ended by a shock defeat at Hoffenheim on Sunday, Bayern bounced back with Kimmich leading the charge.
“As long as I have known him (Kimmich), his mentality is very special. He is well on his way to being one of those players who shape this club,” Bayern head coach Hansi Flick told broadcaster ZDF.
Bayern have already won an eighth-straight Bundesliga title, the German Cup, Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup this year.
This is the fourth time in five years they have won the showcase match.
Sancho missing
Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Buerki and England winger Jadon Sancho missed the flight to Munich with “a respiratory infection”, the club said, but both tested negative on Monday for Covid-19.
Flick made five changes from the side which lost 4-1 at Hoffenheim.
Leroy Sane was sidelined by a knee injury, Leon Goretzka rested and Segre Gnabry started on the bench.
Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies moved up to the wing and Tolisso started in central midfield.
The Frenchman gave Bayern the lead when Robert Lewandowski put in a short cross from the right wing and Tolisso side-footed home on 18 minutes.
Mueller grabbed Bayern’s second when he headed home after Davies floated in a cross on 32 minutes.
Brandt put Dortmund back in the game five minutes before the break when Benjamin Pavard’s loose pass was snapped up by Marco Reus and Brandt finished the move.
It was 2-1 at the break, but Dortmund defender Thomas Meunier fired a golden chance over the bar early in the second half with just Manuel Neuer to beat.
Dortmund drew level when central midfielder Thomas Delaney slid a great pass into Haaland, who showed ice cool finishing to fire past Neuer on 55 minutes.
It was the 20-year-old’s 19th goal in 22 games for Dortmund.
With time running out, Kimmich robbed Delaney of possession near the halfway line and sprinted clear with Lewandowski in support.
The pair exchanged passes and although Hitz saved the inital shot, the rebound looped over his head into the Dortmund goal after clipping Kimmich’s boot.
The Super Cup was the final game for Bundesliga referee Bibiana Steinhaus, 41, the first female to officiate in one of Europe’s top leagues, before retirement.
A man in Mirpurkhas was forced to take his deceased daughter’s body home in a chinghchi rickshaw after Civil Hospital refused to provide him an ambulance.
According to the family, their daughter was admitted to the hospital earlier this week after she came developed a high fever. She passed away on Wednesday.
“When we asked the hospital management to provide us an ambulance to take the body back home, they refused,” her father said.
The hospital’s management, on the other hand, claimed that the family never came to them or asked for an ambulance. “We don’t even know that they took the body home in a chinghchi,” an official from the hospital said.
In a similar incident in Sheikhupura, the bodies of three men killed during a fight were shifted to the hospital on a donkey cart after an ambulance failed to reach the area.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal continued to exert his dominance in the French Open 2020 after registering a crushing win over 236th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald.
The Spaniard batted aside McDonald 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 and will meet Stefano Travaglia of Italy for a spot in the last 16.
“Today was not that cold, so that’s the main thing. Not that cold, the conditions are not that bad,” said Nadal, who has described the defence of his title at a tournament postponed four months by the coronavirus pandemic as his toughest yet.
“When you win like today it’s not bad, it means you don’t make many mistakes and manage to make a difference,” he added.
The 34-year-old needs one more major to pull level with long-time rival Federer and owns an astonishing 95-2 record in Paris going back to his triumph on debut in 2005.
“I remember the match from last year, I remember also that I didn’t play what I wanted, so I will do some changes and I will just try to play better and to take my chance,” said Halep.
Bertens wins stormy Errani tussle
US Open champion Dominic Thiem swept into the third round with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) victory over American qualifier Jack Sock, saving three set points to close out the match.
The Austrian third seed will play Norway’s Casper Ruud for a place in the last 16.
“I’m very happy with my game in the first two rounds. It was not an easy draw at all and I’m very happy not to drop a set,” said Thiem, who defeated 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic in round one.
Sixth seed Alexander Zverev was taken the distance by home hope Pierre-Hugues Herbert but advanced 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4.
Dutch fifth seed Kiki Bertens had to be taken off court in a wheelchair after a tetchy win over former finalist Sara Errani.
Bertens triumphed 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 9-7 in a three-hour 11-minute clash which left her in cramps and Italian Errani screaming an obscenity as she left the court.
“After one hour, she’s injured but then she’s running around like never before,” said Errani. “It made me very angry.”
Bertens hit back at Errani who she said had squandered a series of opportunities to wrap up the tie.
“She can say whatever she feels like and if I was (faking) then maybe I should take up acting classes — I am not sure what she was thinking,” said Bertens.
Ukrainian third seed Elina Svitolina overcame Mexican qualifier Renata Zarazua 6-3, 0-6, 6-2.
Svitolina is coming off a title at Strasbourg last week and will next play Russian 27th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Stan Wawrinka, the 2015 French Open winner, followed up his demolition of Andy Murray with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat of Germany’s Dominik Koepfer.
Mirpurkhas Deputy Commissioner Zahid Husain Memon passed away at a private hospital in Karachi late Wednesday night days after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Memon, who remained at the forefront first in the fight against the deadly virus and then during the devastating floods in the district, tested positive for the novel coronavirus a few days earlier and was then admitted to the hospital where he was put on the ventilator.
He was 47years old.
Mirpurkhas Information Director Sawai Khan Chhalgari confirmed the news to SAMAA Digital and expressed his grief over Memon’s demise.
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah also expressed their sorrow over Memon’s passing.
Memon’s funeral prayers will be held in Mirpurkhas Thursday afternoon.
A few months ago, Syed Mehdi Shah, the brother-in-law of CM Shah, who was posted as the DC in Mirpurkhas district also died of the virus after he had returned from Iran.
The United States Embassy in Islamabad will resume its student visa service in the capital and at the US Consulate in Karachi.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will inaugurate the Punjab Rozgar Scheme today. Under the scheme, businesses affected by the coronavirus will be given loans from Rs100,000 to Rs10 million.
A meeting of PML-N’s Central Working Committee will be held in Lahore.
A combined investigation team of the Federal Investigation Agency has summoned PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s son Salman Shahbaz in money laundering and sugar mills corruption cases. Salman will not be able to appear in court as he’s not in Pakistan.
The Sindh government has ordered schools to collect 80% fees from April to September.
Petrol will not get more expensive from October 1. The price of diesel has been reduced by Rs2.40.
A hearing of the Toshakhana reference will be held today against former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gillani.
Disney’s blockbuster remake of The Lion King”is getting a follow-up from Oscar-winning Moonlight director Barry Jenkins, the company told AFP Tuesday.
The 2019 movie featuring photo-realistic graphics and a star-studded voice cast including Beyonce took over $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office, despite mixed reviews.
The film about young lion cub Simba avenging his father’s death became the highest-grossing of the Mouse House’s many recent remakes, more than justifying its estimated $250 million budget.
It employed cutting-edge technology that saw a traditional camera crew “film” computer-generated characters roaming the African savannahs from inside a virtual reality world.
The follow-up is expected to use the same approach, though no start date for production, plot or cast has yet been announced.
Jenkins, whose 2016 coming-of-age drama “Moonlight” about an African-American gay man won the Academy Award for best picture, said in a statement that he “grew up with these characters” after helping his sister raise two young boys in the 1990s.
“Having the opportunity to work with Disney on expanding this magnificent tale of friendship, love and legacy while furthering my work chronicling the lives and souls of folk within the African diaspora is a dream come true,” he said in a statement to AFP.
The 1994 “Lion King,” on which last year’s remake was closely based, is seen as the peak of Disney’s 1990s “renaissance,” spawning a smash-hit Broadway musical version as well as a direct-to-video sequel.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Imad Wasim and Fahim Ashraf have been ruled out of the National T20 Cup First XI tournament.
Imad was to lead defending champions Northern in the 20-over competition. The all-rounder has been replaced by Mohammad Ismail, who has been promoted from the Second XI team.
Central Punjab pacer Fahim Ashraf has been replaced with Ali Shan.
Ghulam Mudassir replaces the injured Rumman Raees in the Sindh team.
Earlier, it was reported that left-arm pacer was ruled out of the entire domestic season due to a back injury.
The National T20 Cup First XI begins on September 30 in Multan with defending champions Northern playing against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the opening game.
Muslims across the US were gleeful when former vice president and current presidential candidate Joe Biden said Inshallah, which means God willing, in a dig to President Donald Trump during the first presidential debate on Tuesday.
This happened when Biden interrupted Trump while he was talking about paying his taxes. Trump said that he will release his tax returns soon.
When the moderator of the debate pressed the president to say when he will release his taxes, Biden interjected with, “When? Inshallah?” The vice president then proceeded to laugh at his own joke.
Inshallah is a commonly used phrase by Muslims which hopes that something anticipated will happen. Biden, however, used it in a sarcastic way, something often done by Muslims.
Following this, a video of the debate started getting viral on social media after which people came up with new name suggestions for Biden. Some favourites were Joe Hussein O’Biden, Joe ibn Biden and Yusuf Biden.
Okay, for those of you wondering – did Joe Biden really drop an “inshallah” with the appropriate sarcastic usage?
Yes, he did. I confirmed with his campaign – that is indeed what the man said. https://t.co/MqseBsl2Ck
Joe Biden’s #inshallah is the most unanticipated thing I’ve seen in politics in so long it is also funny how he used it for its sarcastic meaning not the literal meaning, just like Arabs do a lot. This is a smarter way to appeal to the targeted group than usual empty slogans
People are, however, also confused and doubtful that Biden actually said the phrase. Some think he said “when it’s the law”, while others believe it was “when, in July?”.
What do you think? Did he actually say Inshallah?
The first presidential debate that was held on September 29. President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden came face to face to tell America to vote for them ahead of elections on November 3.
Fourteen victims of the van crash on the M9 Motorway near Nooriabad have been identified as of Wednesday morning.
The accident occurred on September 26 night while a van was travelling from Hyderabad to Karachi. It crashed and then caught fire.
The accident occurred because a car in front of the van lost its bonnet. The van driver said he saw a large projectile fly towards the vehicle and hit the front tyres, causing it to crash.
CCTV footage of a car without a bonnet crossing a toll plaza has prompted a search for the vehicle. The police believe the driver forgot to close the bonnet and it flew off.
A case has been registered in Nooriabad on behalf of the State.
The Karachi University forensic laboratory has issued DNA reports of the victims. Families can take the bodies from the Edhi morgue.
The victims have been identified as 27-year-old Hira Ahmed, 30-year-old Humair, 30-year-old Madiha Gohar, 24-year-old Sumaira Khan, 45-year-old Shehzadi, seven-year-old Nabira, 30-year-old Mahjabeen, 20-year-old Rukhsarr Khan, one-year-old M Habib, 40-year-old Qamar Bano, 50-year-old Asad Khan, 28-year-old Usman Ghani, 40-year-old Muhammad Nasir and eight-year-old Muhammad Hassan.
The CPLC and Jamshoro police have set up a help desk as well. Most of the victims are from Hyderabad. Five of the victims were related.
The motorway police have taken into custody the bonnet and luggage of the van passengers.
Three victims’ bodies have been handed over to their families. The remaining 15 bodies are at the morgue.
A woman was raped in front of her children by two unidentified men on the motorway on September 9. The case has rattled the country and reignited the debate on whether capital punishment should be fixed for rapists or not.
Here are all the latest updates:
September 30
Survivor agrees to record statement
The survivor in the motorway rape case has agreed to record her statement via telephone. She is also expected to confirm the identity of in custody suspect Shafqat Ali as one of the rapists.
Suspect’s remand extended
The police also received a 14-day extension in suspect Shafqat’s judicial remand. The identification parade hasn’t been held yet.
September 28
CCPO apologises
Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh apologised with folded hands before the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights over the Lahore motorway rape case. Throughout the session, Sheikh repeatedly misnamed the main suspect in the case. He kept calling him Babar Ali, while his actual name is Abid Ali.
During the committee meeting, the CCPO said, “It looks like the woman left the house without her husband’s permission.” When he said this, senators grew furious and called him out.
PPP Senator Quratulain Marri corrected him for incorrect information he said about a man calling the police immediately after seeing the woman’s car.
She questioned him regarding his knowledge of the case and said he was unaware of the investigation. To this, Sheikh folded his hands and apologised.
September 18
Suspect’s ID card blocked
The police have blocked suspect Abid Ali’s ID card and his name has been placed on the Black List.
There are 28 investigation teams and 31,000 police officers looking for him.
The police have taken four people into custody in Raja Jhang who were in contact with him. They say they have received important information from one suspect, Shafqat Ali, and his wife.
September 15
Suspect presented in court
The police presented Shafqat, who confessed to the crime, in a Lahore district and sessions court. He was remanded into police custody for six days.
His face was covered with a cloth and strict security measures were taken as the suspect appeared before the court of Additional Sessions Judge Misbah Khan.
The police said that terrorism charges have been included against him in the FIR too.
Prime suspect’s ‘gang member’ arrested
The Lahore police have arrested another suspect, identified as Iqbal alias Bala Mistry, in the case.
Mistry, who was arrested in Sialkot, is said to be a suspected gang member of the prime suspect Abid Malhi. His name was disclosed by another suspect, Shafqat.
Shafqat said that Malhi had called him to Lahore and he was accompanied by Mistry. But Mistry drove away even before they reached Lahore.
September 14
Two suspects arrested
The police arrested one of the two main suspects from Dipalpur in Okara district. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar confirmed the arrest of Shafqat Ali, saying that his DNA had matched and the suspect had confessed to the crime.
Earlier in the day, another suspect surrendered to the Sheikhupura police. The suspect, identified as Abbas, is the brother-in-law of Waqar, who was named as one of the main suspects in the case during a press conference on September 12. The police said that Waqar’s name propped up as his mobile SIM was traced at the motorway during geofencing.
Lahore CCPO should apologise for blaming survivor: court
The Lahore CCPO and cabinet should’ve apologised for blaming the survivor in the Lahore motorway rape case, said Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan while hearing a petition on the formation of a judicial commission in the case. “What sort of a departmental head holds the victim responsible for the crime?”
The chief justice has summoned a complete report from the government’s lawyer. He has instructed the Punjab IG to submit a report on the security plan of all the roads.
CCPO Lahore appears in court
“This portion [of motorway] was operating without handing and taking over,” CCPO Lahore Umar Sheikh remarked. Many motorways have been built in the last few years. “I have said in earlier meetings that we don’t have the personnel to depute.”
The 130 [motorway helpline] person did the right thing by arranging a conference call of the woman and an FWO major. She should have called 15. It’s common sense, he said.
The chief justice asked him, why should she have called herself? “When she had called 130, they should have contacted 15. The major she talked to should have informed 15.”
‘Chemical castration should be the punishment for rapists’
Murad Saeed: Lahore rape didn’t take place on motorway
Minister for Communications Murad Saeed said that the Gujjarpura gang rape of a woman that enraged the whole country didn’t take place on the Sialkot-Lahore motorway.
“Let me repeat it again, the incident didn’t take place on the motorway,” Saeed said in the National Assembly. The minister, however, didn’t specify the area where it took place.
Suspect Waqarul Hassan surrendered to the CIA Model Town police. The suspect denied any involvement in the case.
The 36-year-old surrendered after his CNIC card and picture were flashed across multiple television channels. He arrived at the police station with a relative at 11am on Sunday and surrendered before duty SP Hasnain.
Police sources say that the man has denied being near the crime scene at the time of the rape. He has a criminal background and was released from jail two weeks ago.
September 12
Punjab IG reveals the names of suspects
Punjab IG Inam Ghani announced, in a press conference, that they have identified the two men involved in the crime, adding that the police tried to arrest them but they managed to escape.
The prime suspect was identified as Abid Ali, a resident of Fort Abbas in Bahawalnagar, and Waqarul Hassan as his accomplice.
The police asked people to help them trace the suspects. The CM even announced a Rs2.5 million award each for those who will help.
Women and men stage protests across Pakistan
Women and men across Pakistan staged a protest against the rape. The protests were held in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and Hyderabad.
Photo: SAMAA Digital
CJP says govt needs to ‘wake up’
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed expressed concern over the Lahore motorway rape case and says the government needed to “wake up”. He said that the police were currently in the hands of “juvenile” and “non-professional” individuals.
Court petitioned to form judicial commission
A lawyer, Nadeem Sarwar, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court seeking the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the case. In his petition, he has mentioned rape cases from 2018 and 2019 and asked the court to summon five years worth of data on rape cases and make them public.
Punjab Forensic Authority matches possible rapist’s DNA
Fifty-three DNA samples were taken after the rape. One of the samples taken from the crime scene matched with DNA already in the Punjab Forensic Authority’s database.
The match was of a 25-year-old Bahawalnagar resident who raped a mother and daughter in 2013, according to police sources. His DNA was at three spots at the crime scene– the victim’s clothes, the smashed car window, and inside the car itself.
September 13
Punjab Police take charge of motorway’s security
The Punjab Police took charge of the security of the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and deployed 250 personnel of the Special Protection Unit, CSP, and Highway Patrol Unit.
The stretch of the motorway was unmanned.
48 DNA samples collected by Punjab police
The Punjab police decided to obtain DNA samples of residents living in areas near where the woman was raped. At least 48 samples were taken.
September 10
Twelve suspects arrested
Twelve people were taken into custody over their suspected involvement. The police even collected evidence from the site.
At least 20 teams were formed to investigate the case. This includes teams of the Special Branch, CIA, and Investigation Police.
Police say there is only one village near the area. Residents are being questioned about the incident.
CCPO Lahore to lead the investigation
Shahbaz Gill, the special assistant to the PM on political communication, said the Lahore CCPO is leading the investigation and they are using the techniques of urban and rural policing.
CCPO Lahore Umar Sheikh’s controversial remarks
Lahore CCPO Umar Sheikh’s remarks about the woman’s decision to take the motorway with her children have been widely criticised by politicians and activists on social media.
Umar Sheikh, the Lahore CCPO, appeared on Dunya News after the rape was reported and preferred to talk about the survivor’s decision to take the motorway with her children before explaining what his force was doing to apprehend the criminals.
She was driving to Gujranwala when she ran out of fuel near Lahore’s Gujjarpura. The woman was sitting in her vehicle when two men walked towards her car, broke her window, and made her park on the roadside. They then took her and the children to a nearby forest and raped her.
The men fled after the rape, taking with them three ATM cards, 100,000 in cash and jewellery.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and the Punjab IG took notice of the incident and orders officials to submit a report.
Here are some of the stories we will be following today (Wednesday):
The cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee will meet today. The agenda for the meeting will include the sale price of gas and plans regarding the payment of international debts.
OGRA has given a recommendation to keep petrol prices stagnant. The Ministry of Energy will make an official announcement.
All primary classes across the country resumed today. Sindh’s primary classes resumed on September 28.
A two-member division bench will hear former president Asif Ali Zardari’s petition in the Islamabad High Court to quash the Park Lane and money laundering references filed against him by NAB.
The National Accountability Bureau has summoned former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in an illegal appointment case at its Rawalpindi headquarters.
A special Indian court will pass a judgment in the Babri Masjid demolition case. BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are among those accused. The mosque was demolished in 1992.
A meeting of PML-N’s central executive committee will be held today and that of working committee will be held on Thursday.
The suspect accused in the murder of three women and a man in Rawalpindi has been arrested. He will be presented before a court today.
Actor Mirza Shahi died due to coronavirus. His funeral prayers will be held at the Bab-ul-Ilm imambargah at Zuhr today.
The Lahore police have said that the survivor in the motorway rape case has agreed to record her statement.
PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah will appear before an accountability court in Lahore.
Two people were killed in a fight over the price of rope in Jalalpur’s Inayatpur, the police said Monday.
The deceased men, identified as Abu Bakr and Nawaz, had decided on the price of a cow. When the purchase was made, they started fighting over the cost of rope. The two couldn’t reach an agreement after which Abu Bakr opened fire on Nawaz and killed him.
When Nawaz’s family heard the news, they attacked Abu Bakr with sticks and killed him.
The bodies have been shifted to a hospital for their postmortem examination.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said that he was left awestruck following his side’s 3-1 win over Arsenal in their Premier League fixture on Monday.
Goals from Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota saw off the Gunners, who had won their opening two league games of the season.
While Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and now Arsenal have all lost in the opening three weeks of the new campaign, Liverpool have taken maximum points to lay down an early marker that they remain the team to beat in the Premier League this season.
“It’s really early in the season and with this performance it is absolutely ‘wow’,” said coach Klopp. “From the first second, (it was) dominant against a team in form. We had to be careful like hell of the counter-attacks. The football we played was absolutely exceptional. About this game tonight, there is nothing bad to say.”
The outcome of the match could have been very different, though, had Mane not escaped with just a yellow card for an elbow on Kieran Tierney after just three minutes.
Arsenal followed the game plan that had brought them two victories over Liverpool in recent months as they dropped deep then looked to play around the Reds’ press when in possession.
However, unlike when they met at the back end of last season’s Premier League when Jurgen Klopp’s men had already won the league or the Community Shield in August, Liverpool were far sharper in pulling the Gunners out of position.
The only time Arsenal did manage to pierce the Liverpool press before half-time, they opened the scoring completely against the run of play.
Robertson was at fault as he spooned Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s cross into the path of Lacazette, who also failed to make a proper connection, but the ball bounced into the ground and looped over the helpless Alisson Becker.
Wasteful Arsenal punished
Liverpool responded immediately to level within three minutes as Mohamed Salah outmuscled Tierney and when his shot was parried across goal by Leno, Mane turned into an empty net.
Robertson them made amends for his previous error as Liverpool’s flying full-backs combined as Alexander-Arnold’s cross was this time converted by the Scotland captain.
However, where Arsenal sides of recent years might have collapsed, as they did in losing 4-0 and 5-1 at Anfield in 2018 and 2019, Mikel Arteta has instilled a new-found belief in the FA Cup winners.
The visitors were more expansive after the break and created a huge chance to level when Dani Ceballos put Lacazette through on goal, but Alisson stood up well to block the French striker’s shot.
“When you come to Anfield you are not going to get 10 chances. When you are one-on-one with the goalkeeper, you have to score,” said Arteta as Liverpool extended their unbeaten run at home in the Premier League to 61 games.
“It is a really tough place to come for anyone in the world, they set incredible standards. They have different weapons. They have been together five years, we have been together a few months. The standards are this and this is what we have to reach.”
Klopp introduced Jota for his league debut 10 minutes from time and the Portuguese international quickly showed why Liverpool spent £41 million to sign him from Wolves.
Jota pounced on David Luiz’s headed clearance to control and fire a sweetly-struck volley found the bottom corner.
Transgender persons in Islamabad want support centres to be opened at police stations across the city.
Earlier this year, due to the increasing cases of sexual harassment, torture and discrimination was reported by transgender persons, the Rawalpindi police opened the first-ever department to exclusively solve their complaints.
The Tahafuz (protection) centre was set up in the city’s women police station.
Transgender people have now demanded that they want such centres to be opened in the capital and across the country. “In every part of the country, we are the marginalised groups,” a transgender person said, adding that it was the government’s responsibility to address their issues.
Another person pointed out that Islamabad, despite being the capital, has failed to provide protection and safety to transgender people.
The Tahafuz centre in Rawalpindi functions from 9am to 5pm and also solves cases of discrimination and bias against transgender people. All 30 police stations in the city refer to complaints lodged by transgender persons to the centre.
Pakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi, who has been missing from the screen for some time now, is all set to entertain his fans once again as he announced his return to acting with his two projects.
Recently, Abbasi was invited as a guest on Express Entertainment‘s new online game show Kasoti Online with Ahmed Ali Butt, and in response to a question from the host, the actor clarified that he has not left acting entirely.
The actor said that he temporarily took a break from acting a year back. He further disclosed that he is currently working on two projects, but did not give additional details.
In 2019, He uploaded a 23-minute-long video on Twitter, announcing that he is going to leave acting to become a religious activist and would work only to preach Islam.
“I will use all mediums–social media and TV to talk about God,” he said. However, the Waar actor said he is not leaving showbiz altogether.
“I will make films and dramas to give the message of God,” he said, adding that there will be no “inappropriate elements” in them.
He also revealed that one of the reasons he chose to do Alif was because it spreads the message of God. He also clarified that acting is not haram (forbidden) in Islam and that he is leaving acting because he wants to spend his life to just talk about God.
Hamza said he will keep on making more videos and addressing the misconceptions that are present in our society. “Oppose my videos or support them, but don’t question my intentions,” he said, adding that he has no hidden agenda behind his decision.
After the video, the actor later clarified that he just took a long break from acting and hadn’t quit entirely.
According to Humayun, the name of the film was not finalised, however, Abbasi will direct the film.
The actor tied the knot with Naimal Khawar on August 25, 2019 in a simple ceremony in Islamabad. His wife Khawar had also announced to quit showbiz long before the marriage.
Abbasi began his acting career in 2006 in the play Dally in the Dark, which was produced by Shah Shahrahbeel.
He made his film debut in a short film, The Glorious Resolve (2010), directed by Bilal Lashari. In 2013, he appeared in two feature films, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and Waar, for which he received the Best Star Debut Male and Best Supporting Actor awards at the 1st ARY Film Awards.
Twelve-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal has said that he will be careful in not making any mistakes after reaching the second round of the French Open 2020.
The 34-year-old Spaniard needs one more Slam to match Roger Federer’s record but has described the defence of his Roland Garros crown as the “most difficult ever” given the cold and damp conditions of a tournament delayed four months by the coronavirus pandemic.
The second seed defeated Egor Gerasimov, the world number 83 from Belarus, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to launch his assault on a 13th French Open title, 15 years after his debut triumph.
“I’m really happy to be back at Chatrier. Thanks to the spectators for being here,” Nadal said in front of a smattering of the 1,000 fans permitted daily at Roland Garros. “Hopefully it’ll be back to normal next year and I’ll play in front of the beautiful crowd.”
The Spaniard is appearing for the first time in Paris without a clay title to his credit and skipped the recent US hardcourt swing over Covid-19 concerns.
He smacked 32 winners to just 20 unforced errors to down Gerasimov, one of 31 men entered into his first French Open main draw.
“I don’t want to make any mistakes. It’s a different Roland Garros this year and the weather conditions are very challenging, but we are here to try our best,” added Nadal, who faces Mackenzie McDonald in round two.
Williams is chasing an elusive 24th Grand Slam title to draw level with Margaret Court’s all-time haul, but clay is her least successful surface.
An error-prone beginning from the American star left world number 102 Kristie Ahn serving for the first set before the three-time Roland Garros champion prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-0.
Williams, playing at the French Open for the 18th time, dropped serve twice as Ahn moved 5-4 ahead in the opener in a rematch of their first-round encounter at Flushing Meadows.
But the sixth seed forced a tie-break that she sealed with an ace after a 74-minute slog before charging to an ultimately comfortable victory.
‘Play like Serena’
“She played very well in the first set, it wasn’t easy for me and she hit a lot of winners,” said Williams. “The biggest difference was just confidence. I just need to play with more confidence, like I’m Serena.”
“So that was it. I just started playing like that. And I love the clay and I started playing like it, opening the court and moving and sliding.”
Williams, seeded sixth here, has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final. Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant.
Italian journeyman Lorenzo Giustino carved out his own place in the headlines Monday when he outlasted France’s Corentin Moutet 0-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 18-16 in the second-longest match in French Open history at six hours and five minutes.
The match, held over from Sunday, fell 28 minutes short of Roland Garros’ record marathon tie between Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement in 2004.
US Open winner Dominic Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal in Paris the past two years, defeated former Slam champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in their second meeting at a major this month.
“My level was good. I was very happy with the way I played from the beginning to the end basically,” said Thiem.
Having captured his maiden Slam in New York, Thiem is trying to become the only man in the Open era to win his first two majors at successive tournaments.
“I really love this tournament, it’s by far my best Grand Slam tournament so far,” said Thiem, who plays American qualifier Jack Sock in the second round.
“I’m from Austria so I know how it is to play in these cold conditions. I love it when it’s not too fast.”
Eighth seed Gael Monfils lost 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to Alexander Bublik, likely extending the wait for a first French men’s major champion since Yannick Noah in 1983.
Play on Monday was initially delayed by more persistent rain. Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova defeated Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-5 in the only match to start on time under the new roof on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Kiki Bertens overhauled 112th-ranked Ukrainian Katarina Zavatska 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 once conditions improved while Elina Svitolina scrapped past Varvara Gracheva 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Garbine Muguruza, the 2016 champion, edged past Tamara Zidansek 7-5, 4-6, 8-6 but last year’s runner-up Marketa Vondrousova was bundled out 6-1, 6-2 by Polish teenager Iga Swiatek.
The first Test will be played at Mount Maunganui from December 26 whereas the second Test will be contested in Christchurch on January 3.
The PCB stated that the team will depart on November 23 from Lahore and will undergo a 14-day quarantine period in Lincoln as per government regulations.
“During this period, they will be restricted to the bio-secure bubble and will not be allowed to take part in any cricket-related activity. The bio-secure bubble will expire following the 14-day quarantine period,” the release read.
Unidentified men set a vehicle on fire near Perfume Chowk area. Photo: SAMAA Digital
At least 12 people were arrested after a violent clash between two religious groups in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Johar, police said Tuesday.
According to policemen deployed on the scene, the clash between the two groups started after men, belonging to a group, attempted to remove the flag of another group near Perfume Chowk Monday evening.
The supporters of religious groups attacked each other with bottles and stones, said the eyewitnesses. The police had to use tear gas and batons to disperse the enraged crowd.
Unidentified men set a vehicle on fire near Perfume Chowk area. Photo: SAMAA Digital
The Rangers and Police blocked the roads for a few hours after unidentified men set a vehicle on fire in the area. Policemen and Rangers personnel were seen asking shopkeepers to shut down their shops.
Here are some of the stories we will be following today (Tuesday):
PML-N Chairperson Shehbaz Sharif, who was arrested in a money laundering case on Monday, will appear before an accountability court in Lahore. NAB will request for his physical remand.
An accountability court in Lahore will hear an assets beyond means case against former LDA DG Ahad Cheema.
The chairperson of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, reached Pakistan on Monday on a three-day visit. He will meet the prime minister and the army chief separately and discuss the stability and peace in Afghanistan and the region.
An emergency session of the Pakistan Democratic Movement has been called in in Islamabad. Multiple opposition leaders will attend the meeting and discuss the arrest of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair a meeting of the Federal Cabinet. The government will decide over increasing the prices of wheat.
Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy said that his side’s plan of unnerving Manchester City worked to perfection in their 5-2 win in the Premier League fixture on Sunday.
The veteran striker’s hat-trick dealt an early blow to City’s hopes of wrestling back the Premier League title as they conceded three penalties.
“We set up to infuriate them and it has worked a treat,” said Vardy. “We knew if we stuck to our plan we would get some chances.”
City were without a host of first-team regulars due to injury and coronavirus infections, but the deficiencies at the back that undid their title defence last season were again exposed by the pace and finishing prowess of Vardy as a Pep Guardiola team conceded five for the first time in his coaching career.
Leicester stormed to the top of the league, but had to come from behind to extend their perfect start to the season as Riyad Mahrez’s stunning strike against his former club opened the scoring after just four minutes.
“The problem was we put extra pressure on ourselves to score the second and third,” said Guardiola. “We need to be more calm, we don’t have the players to attack the box that we need.
“I am not going to give up, I am going to try to find solutions.”
City are reportedly close to signing Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias and the need for defensive cover was obvious as Vardy tore apart the experimental pairing of Eric Garcia and Nathan Ake.
It was the more experienced Kyle Walker who was at fault to start Leicester’s revival as he brought down Vardy, who slammed home the resulting penalty.
The former England international then brilliantly flicked home Timothy Castagne’s cross and drew another penalty from Garcia’s naive challenge.
Vardy this time slotted low past Ederson and James Maddison killed off a jaded City with a sumptuous curling effort into the top corner.
Ake pulled a goal back six minutes from time from Mahrez’s corner, but after Vardy had made way, another idiotic City challenge, this time form Benjamin Mendy, allowed Your Tielemans to score Leicester’s third penalty
‘Nonsense’ penalty saves Newcastle against Tottenham
Newcastle’s late spot-kick to snatch a 1-1 draw at Tottenham has sparked fresh debate over the handball rule.
Tottenham find themselves already five points behind the Foxes and Everton at the top of the table after letting two points slip away from a dominant display against Newcastle.
Lucas Moura’s predatory finish on 25 minutes was all Spurs had to show from a first-half littered with chances as Karl Darlow made three fine saves from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min hit the woodwork twice.
Newcastle had not even registered a shot on target until they were awarded a penalty five minutes into added time when Andy Carroll’s header brushed the arm of Eric Dier and referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Hugo Lloris got a hand to Callum Wilson’s penalty but could not keep it out with even the Magpies boss Steve Bruce embarrassed to have escaped with a point.
“It is a total nonsense,” said Newcastle manager Steve Bruce of the penalty award. “We should be jumping through hoops, but I would be devastated if that was us.”
Leeds blunt the Blades
Leeds’ fine start on their return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence continued as Patrick Bamford scored a dramatic late winner to win a Yorkshire derby against Sheffield United 1-0.
After pushing Liverpool all the way in a 4-3 defeat on the opening weekend of the season, Marcelo Bielsa’s men have won their next two with the much-maligned Bamford scoring in all three games so far.
The Blades remain without a point or a goal this season after impressing to finish ninth on their return to the top-flight last season.
West Ham got their first league win of the season in style with a 4-0 victory over Wolves despite the absence of manager David Moyes due to coronavirus.
Moyes was still taking charge from home as he was in communication with his staff and will have enjoyed what he saw as Jarrod Bowen curled them into a deserved half-time lead.
Bowen doubled his tally on the rebound after Pablo Fornals hit the post before Raul Jimenez’s own goal and Sebastien Haller rounded off an impressive performance from the Hammers.
Australia’s Alyssa Healy has broken former India captain MS Dhoni’s record for most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in the T20I format.
The 30-year-old, who was named player-of-the-match in the Women’s T20 World Cup final earlier this year, set the milestone during the second T20I against New Zealand in Brisbane on Sunday.
With 92 dismissals to her name in 99 innings, she overtook former India captain who has 91 dismissals to his name to become the most prolific wicketkeeper in the 20-over format.
The 30-year-old achieved the feat when she caught Lauren Down on the bowling of Georgia Wareham’s.
The wicketkeeper admitted that she was unaware of the milestone.
“I had no idea about it,” she was quoted saying by the ESPNcricinfo. “I wondered why Mel Jones was asking me about MS Dhoni. I thought it was a very strange discussion we were about to have.”
“It’s obviously a very nice individual accolade but it reflects better on our bowling attack than myself.
“It just shows the strength of our bowling attack we’ve had throughout my career that they are giving these opportunities. Makes me think about all the ones I’ve missed but at the same it is nice, but it’s more credit to the bowlers.
“There’s a lot of stuff you do as a wicketkeeper, so for me I’m always really content when I come off the field and I’ve had a good day behind the stumps. Didn’t feel like I had a great day today so it’s sort of a weird feeling.
“I love wicketkeeping, have done it my whole life – much as I wanted to be a bowler I love my keeping – so if I come off the ground and I’ve done my job for the bowlers and team, more often than not I’m pretty happy.”
Comfortable win
The hosts won the second T20I against New Zealand by eight wickets to win three-match series 2-0
New Zealand, electing to bat first, were dismissed for just 128 with Amy Satterthwaite top scoring with 30 off 25 ball with five boundaries to her name.
Wareham and Delissa Kimmince bagged three wickets each for the host.
Rachael Haynes made 40 from 31 deliveries after hitting five boundaries whereas Healy chipped in with her 33-run knock which came off 33 balls with five fours and a six.
A Larkana policeman who arrested two suspects with bottles of alcohol was beaten up at his own police station on Sunday.
The policeman, ASI Asghar Mugheri of the Waleed police station, made a video of himself in his torn uniform after the attack and posted it on Facebook, prompting immediate outrage.
He was beaten up by the two men in front of the SHO and other police officers by Zulfiqar Jhakrani, who reportedly has ties to the PPP. Jhakrani then took the two men who were arrested with him.
The SSP took notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry by ASP Rizwan Tariq. He has already recorded the statements of the SHO and other officers at the police station.
No action has been taken against the SHO or Jhakrani yet. ASI Mugheri has refused to speak to the media until the investigation is over.
An FIR was registered 24 hours after the incident but it had no mention of the violence against ASI Mugheri. It was registered on behalf of another policeman.
Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo said that he was confident of the side’s future after helping his side secure a 2-2 draw in their Serie A fixture at Roma.
Champions Juventus were trailing 2-1 and a man down after an hour at the Stadio Olimpico after a Jordan Veretout brace for the hosts and Adrien Rabiot’s sending off.
But a towering Ronaldo header grabbed the equaliser in the 69th minute to avoid handing new Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo a first defeat.
“Going behind complicated things but we got an important point,” said Ronaldo after the stalemate. “We’re at the start of the season, with a new coach. But the team are working well, I’m confident for the future.”
“Pirlo? It’s still early days, but we’re working with a smile, that’s important.”
Edin Dzeko was back in the Roma front line after his move to Juventus fell through, the Bosnian having missed last week’s trip to Verona which ended in a forfeit defeat for the capital side for fielding an unregistered player.
Instead new Juventus signing Alvaro Morata got his first start after his move from Atletico Madrid earlier this week but the champions were pushed hard by the hosts with Veretout opening from the spot in the 31st minute after a Rabiot handball.
The French midfielder added a second shortly before the break just after Ronaldo had equalised for the first time.
Another handball, this time Lorenzo Pellegrini’s, resulted in Juventus being awarded a penalty allowing Ronaldo to slot in.
The Portuguese got his second with 20 minutes to go when his head met a Danilo cross seven minutes after Rabiot was sent off for a second yellow card.
‘Giving us a lot’
Juventus coach Pirlo believes the striker is more than just a goal-scorer for the side.
“Ronaldo gives us a lot, not just for the goals, in the end when we were down a man he ran a lot,” said Pirlo. “We have taken a step back but we are a team under construction.”
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to test game solutions in the pre-season, so we have to do these tests during these matches.
“Nevertheless, it is a point gained.”
Roma coach Paulo Fonseca added: “We had a good match, but I’m not satisfied with the result.”
Face masks may have been the standout accessory at Milan fashion week, but designers who defied the coronavirus pandemic to put on shows dispelled gloom with love letters to Italy and sunnier times.
The week ended Sunday with Valentino, which had moved its catwalk from Paris this season as a show of support for an Italy devastated by the virus earlier this year.
Here is a round-up of the top three Spring-Summer 2021 trends:
Italy my love
Whether or not people will be permitted to travel to Italy next summer, they can be transported there through their wardrobes.
Dolce&Gabbana paid homage to the designers’ beloved Sicily, with a patchwork collection evoking the island’s warmth and colours, while Etro was inspired by the picturesque Amalfi coast.
“I started the collection during the lockdown,” designer Veronica Etro said before her show.
“Like everyone else, I was at home doing housework. And my mother and I restored an old record player and started listening to old Neapolitan songs, and we were bewitched by the serenity, timelessness and elegance.
“Then I started thinking about a trip I made in 2019 to Ischia, Capri, Naples and Positano, and — maybe because we were feeling so patriotic then — I thought, okay, let’s do the collection on Italy,” she said.
Silky caftans in sorbet colours, patterned bikini tops and straw hats suggested walks on the beach before enjoying chic aperitifs.
Pucci instead headed for the island of Capri, distilling the fashion house’s signature prints and ’60s silhouettes — including its famous Canzone del Mare pattern — in pastel sheer silks and organzas.
Max Mara’s creative director Ian Griffiths thought not of seaside pleasures but summer in Italy’s art cities and the Renaissance, with hexagonal motifs mimicking the mosaic floors of the country’s cathedrals.
Retrospection, reinterpretation
The nationwide lockdown also appears to have prompted Italy’s luxury brands to dust off their archives and reinterpret key pieces from the past.
Versace led the way, with Donatella Versace building on Gianni Versace’s “tresor de la mer” collection for Spring 1992, with its starfish, coral and seashell motifs.
At Fendi, the collection was inspired by the finely embroidered household linen owned by designer Silvia Venturini Fendi’s family.
Over at Marni, coats made from up-cycled pieces from previous collections were then hand-painted with words that designer Francesco Risso collected from exchanges he had with friends and his team during lockdown.
Dolce&Gabbana used remnants of fabric from previous seasons to lower the environmental impact of their show.
Lockdown lazing
It was an oft-heard debate of lockdown: does not leaving the house mean you can stay in your pyjamas all day?
Italy’s designers gave an out to those reluctant to suit up: Armani proposed silk sweatpants, while Fendi paired outfits with slippers.
Etro encouraged lounging in caftans and nightgowns, while Max Mara indulged slouchers with hooded sweatshirts.
And Valentino provided the cherry on the home-comfort cake with a surprise collaboration with Levi’s that produced a coed model of the 517 boot cut jean.
The chairperson of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, reached Islamabad on Monday morning for a three-day visit to Pakistan.
He was welcomed by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq at the Nur Khan Airbase.
Dr Abdullah was accompanied by a delegation of members of the High Council for National Reconciliation. The chairperson will be meeting Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.
He has meetings scheduled with Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Dr Arif Alvi and will also deliver key-note speech at the Institute of Strategic Studies.
This is Dr Abdullah Abdullah’s first visit to Pakistan in his capacity as Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation. In a tweet on Monday, he said that the “visit will provide a unique opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on Afghanistan peace talks in Doha, and bilateral relations”.
Dr Abdullah added that he hopes the visit will open a new chapter of mutual cooperation at all levels, especially on achieving a lasting and dignified peace in Afghanistan.
Today I am travelling to Islamabad for three days official visit accompanied by a high-level delegation. During this visit I will meet Pakistan’s Prime Minister, President, Chairman of the Senate, Speaker of the National Assembly, Foreign Minister & other dignitaries.
Earlier this month, in a speech in Doha, the chairperson had said that a ceasefire was every Afghan’s demand. He had expressed his expectation of reaching a common ground with Pakistan over the matter.
The Foreign Office, in a statement said, “Pakistan attaches high importance to its fraternal ties with Afghanistan, rooted deep in shared history, faith, culture, values and traditions. Pakistan fully supports all efforts for peace, stability and prosperity of the Afghan people.”
(@Ambitions_Greed) 
(@DiorSauvage) 
it is also funny how he used it for its sarcastic meaning not the literal meaning, just like Arabs do a lot. This is a smarter way to appeal to the targeted group than usual empty slogans
