Pakistan must demonstrate its desire to partner with US in defeating terrorism: Tillerson

The United States is prepared to partner with Pakistan to defeat terrorist organisations seeking safe havens, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wrote in an op-ed published in the New York Times on Wednesday.

In an opinion piece titled 'I Am Proud of Our Diplomacy', the US's top diplomat said Pakistan "must demonstrate its desire to partner with us" to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

"Pakistan must contribute by combating terrorist groups on its own soil," he wrote, adding that a commitment to stopping terrorism and extremism had motivated the Trump administration to unveil a new South Asia strategy, which focuses on Afghanistan.

“That country [Afghanistan] cannot become a safe haven for terrorists, as it was in the days before the Sept 11 attacks.”

Tillerson defended his country's foreign policy record in the article, saying progress had been made in the last year to rein in North Korea's nuclear ambitions and to counter the “immense challenges” posed by Russia, China and Iran.

The secretary said some 90 per cent of Pyongyang's export earnings had been cut off by a series of international sanctions after the Trump administration “abandoned the failed policy of strategic patience”.

Tensions have escalated dramatically on the Korean peninsula this year after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests — and as US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un traded personal insults.

Washington wants North Korea to abandon its nuclear programme and has spearheaded three rounds of UN sanctions against the isolated regime, restricting crucial exports of coal, iron, seafood and textiles from the cash-starved state.

Pyongyang has hit out at those sanctions, calling the latest round “an act of war”, and has vowed to never give up its nuclear programme.

In his piece, Tillerson said “a door to dialogue remains open” for Pyongyang but warned “until denuclearization occurs, the pressure will continue”.

At the same time he called on China — Pyongyang's only major ally — to “do more” to pressure North Korea.

Trump's administration has been dogged by allegations his campaign team colluded with Russia to help him win last year's election.

Addressing relations with Moscow, Tillerson said the Trump administration had “no illusions about the regime we are dealing with” and that they were “on guard against Russian aggression”.

But he added that Washington needed to “recongize the need to work with Russia where mutual interests intersect”, citing Syria civil war where the two countries have backed opposing sides but pushed for peace talks.

On Iran he struck a less conciliatory tone.

“The flawed nuclear deal is no longer the focal point of our policy toward Iran,” he warned. “We are now confronting the totality of Iranian threats.”

He also defended his cuts to the State Department and USAID budget, saying they were designed to “address root problems that lead to inefficiencies and frustrations”.

Critics say Tillerson's first year in office has seen scores of key diplomatic posts go unfilled, embassies hampered by cuts and many veteran staff leave the foreign service altogether.

India lower house approves bill banning instant divorce

India's lower house of parliament on Thursday approved a bill making the practice of instant divorce illegal and punishable with up to three years imprisonment for offending husbands.

The bill came months after India's Supreme Court ruled that the Muslim practice that allows men to instantly divorce their wives was unconstitutional.

Several opposition parties criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for not discussing the legislation with them before introducing it in Parliament on Thursday. The approved bill will now go to the upper house of parliament, where it needs approval before it becomes law.

More than 20 Muslim countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, have banned the practice. But in India, the practice has continued with the protection of laws that allow Muslim, Christian and Hindu communities to follow religious law in matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption.

While most Hindu personal laws have been overhauled and codified over the years, Muslim laws have been left to religious authorities and left largely untouched.

Women's rights activist Zakia Soman said it was a much needed law for Muslim women, who have suffered legal discrimination with Hindu and Christian women enjoying protection under separate laws.

Most of the 170 million Muslims in India are Sunnis governed by Muslim Personal Law for family matters and disputes. Those laws include allowing men to divorce their wives by simply uttering the Arabic word “talaq” or divorce, three times and not necessarily consecutively, but at any time, and by any medium, including telephone, text message or social media post.

Kamal Farooqi, a leader representing the All India Muslim Personal Board, a top grouping of Islamic organisations, said the organisation was opposed to the practice of instant divorce but argued against the government or courts interfering in religious laws.

He said the board was in favour of leaving the divorce issue to the Muslim community to tackle. But several progressive Muslim activists decried the board's position.

Two girls allegedly kidnapped from Darul Aman in Rajanpur

Two girls were allegedly kidnapped from a Darul Aman (a government-run shelter home) in Punjab's Rajanpur district in the early hours of Wednesday, police said.

Saba Zahra, the head of the Darul Aman, told police that unidentified kidnappers reportedly scaled the rear wall of the building and took away the two girls.

According to her statement to police, a security guard and a peon had been deployed at the premises, however, both were sleeping at the time of the alleged abduction.

Police have registered a case and launched a probe into the matter.

Rajanpur Deputy Commissioner Ashfaq Ahmed took notice of the security breach at the Darul Aman and constituted an inquiry committee to fix responsibility of the matter.

One of the two girls, hailing from Muzaffargarh, was admitted to the Darul Aman a week ago on December 20, whereas the second, hailing from Kot Mithan, on December 23.

Women will no longer be arrested for flouting dress code: Tehran police

Police in Iran's capital say they will no longer arrest women for failing to observe the Islamic dress code imposed since the 1979 revolution.

The reformist daily Sharq on Thursday quoted Gen Hossein Rahimi, the Tehran police chief, as saying “those who do not observe the Islamic dress code will no longer be taken to detention centres, nor will judicial cases be filed against them”.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said violators will instead be made to attend classes given by police. It said repeat offenders could still be subject to legal action.

Younger and more liberal-minded Iranian women have long pushed the boundaries of the official dress code, wearing loose headscarves that don't fully cover their hair and painting their nails, drawing the ire of conservatives.

Khawaja Asif rejects Indian criticism on Kulbhushan, family meeting

In response to unceasing criticism and accusations from the Indian external affairs ministry, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday categorically rejected all allegations and complaints raised by India while stressing that the meeting between Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family had been permitted on humanitarian grounds, in line with Islamic teachings and in the tradition of compassion and grace.

Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had rejected Pakistan's claim that 'something suspicious' was found in Jadhav's wife's shoes, terming the allegation "an absurdity beyond measure".

While addressing the Rajya Sabha — the upper house of India's parliament — Swaraj had said that it was "absurd to suggest there was a mystery chip or camera or recording device planted inside Kulbhushan's wife's shoes."

Swaraj also reiterated claims that the trial conducted by Pakistan to convict Jadhav was "farcical" and that his mother and wife were humiliated by Pakistani authorities before and after their meeting with him.

Asif, in his statement, said the meeting had been held successfully despite all impediments and this needs to be acknowledged.

"The success of the meeting was evident by the fact that the mother thanked Pakistan after the visit," he added.

Referring to questions being raised by Indian media and authorities on the modalities of the visit, the foreign minister highlighted that the decision to allow the meeting "did not obviate the fact that this was not an ordinary meeting between a mother and wife with their son and husband."

"The reality remains that Kulbhushan Jadhav is a serving Indian Naval officer and a convicted Indian terrorist and spy responsible for multiple deaths and destruction in Pakistan," he stressed, adding that comprehensive security check for the visitors was therefore essential.

"This was agreed between both the countries, in advance, through diplomatic channels. The visitors were treated with respect and dignity. The change of clothes and removal of jewellery and ornaments etc was purely for security reasons," the minister added.

He further said that the visitors were returned all of their belongings before they left. Only the wife’s shoes were retained as they did not clear a security check.

"A metal chip was found in one of the shoes, which is being analysed," he stated.

Citing the example of routine airport security checks for ordinary people, he termed the statements made by Indian authorities a bid to "distort an agreed security check" and attempt to portray it as 'disrespect'.

"It is unfortunate that the frenzied Indian media is driving Indian politics," he remarked.

Also on Thursday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal reiterated that the family of convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav had been allowed to met him purely on humanitarian grounds.

"The footwear of Kulbhushan's wife was taken only because of security concerns," he said, adding that the shoes will be handed over to Indian authorities after complete screening.

"The details of the screening will also be shared with media in the next two days," he said.

The FO spokesperson further said that a letter has been sent to Indian authorities seeking details on the whereabouts of retired Col Habib Zahir, who had gone missing from Nepal in April this year.

Religious group threatens Mansehra barbers with 'consequences' over 'un-Islamic' beards

Pamphlets warning barber shop owners against styling customers' beards in 'un-Islamic' designs have been distributed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Mansehra district, it emerged on Thursday.

The pamphlets, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, have been issued by a group called the International Khatm-i-Nabuwat Movement (IKNM).

The group has warned barbers to refrain from styling beards in styles such as the 'French' or 'L' cuts, arguing that "desecrating beards" in such a way is an un-Islamic practice, local barber shop owners confirmed.

The shop of any hairdresser found violating the directive will be vacated on a 15-day notice, the pamphlets warn.

According to reports, a local barber’s shop was attacked by a mob over the violation of this code a month ago. He later settled the matter with local activists of the IKNM.

Most shop owners have since stopped styling beards in 'fancy' designs. A barber shop owner told Dawn.com that two shops have already been shuttered over the alleged violation of the IKNM's directives.

IKNM Hazara division President Qari Wasiur Rehman confirmed that pamphlets were distributed by their organisation in various parts of Mansehra district.

Rehman claimed that the code was being implemented initially in Mansehra and will later be enforced throughout the province and then the entire country.

He warned that those violating the directive will themselves be responsible for the "consequences", which include the closure of their businesses in the area. He claimed no government official or police department was creating hurdles in this "mission" of the group.

The district administration denied that any such order was in rotation in Mansehra. It also would not comment on the matter any further.

Co-operation with Pakistan, Afghanistan no threat to any third party: China

China clarified on Wednesday that its plan to include Afghanistan into the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and a recently held trilateral meeting featuring the three countries does not target a 'third party' and that the project will be beneficial for 'the whole region'.

The inclusion of Afghanistan into CPEC, which will give China access deep into Central Asia, was portrayed by some media outlets as China's cornering of India; but Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, in a press briefing, insisted that such a negative perspective on the matter was uncalled for.

"The CPEC targets no third party," said Chunying. "Instead, it is expected to benefit third parties and the whole region."

"Trilateral dialogue and cooperation does not target any third party and shall be free from any external disruption or disturbance," she reiterated.

Regarding CPEC's extension to Afghanistan, the spokesperson explained: "Afghanistan is an important neighbor to China and Pakistan. It keenly aspires to develop its economy, improve people's livelihood, integrate with the regional connectivity process, and leverage its geographic advantage to connect CPEC with the China Central and Western Asia Economic Corridor."

"In order to realize a larger-scale connectivity under the Belt and Road framework, the three parties agreed to identify concrete cooperation projects through equal-footed consultations to achieve common development and security as well as regional peace and stability," she added.

Earlier this week, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan's foreign ministers had met in Beijing as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s initiative to strengthen relations and develop cooperation between the three neighbouring countries.

'What is the evidence against me?' Musharraf asks Bilawal in response to murder accusation

Former president Pervez Musharraf has once again pointed the finger at PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as Benazir Bhutto's killer, arguing that the latter had the most to gain from her death.

In a video response to Bilawal Bhutto's chants of "Musharraf qatil" at Benazir's death anniversary commemoration at Gari Khuda Bux on Dec 27, Musharraf took the misogynistic route to begin his argument, saying, "I would like to say to Bilawal, who is raising these slogans like a woman, that he should first become a man."

"The other thing I would like to say to him is that saying these things like a child will lead to nowhere, what is the evidence for it [your accusation]?" he asked.

"The one who benefited the most (from Benazir's death) is their father, sitting in their own house, who terrifies them and forces them into raising these slogans against me," Musharraf said, before beginning another tirade about how, in his view, the evidence in the case all points to Zardari as Benazir's killer.

"What evidence is there against me? You only keep saying that I did not provide any security (to Benazir), How can you say that? I say that the government provided 100 per cent security to her and it was not even my job."

"There was full security, Benazir came to Liaquat Bagh for two hours and then she passed through the crowd to sit in her bomb-proof car, which we had provided. How is it that not even a hair was out of place in the case of the other five people in the car?"

"He [Zardari] got a fake will written and took over the party. He also became owner of Benazir's property. He has become so rich (because of Benazir's death)."

"Now if we examine the evidence, lets talk about the bomb-proof car that they were provided. Whose idea was it to cut a hatch on the top of a bomb-proof car?" he asked.

"More importantly, whose idea was it to call Benazir three times and ask her to raise herself out of the hatch and wave to the crowd?"

"Then, who mysteriously took away the phone that Benazir was called on — how did that phone mysteriously disappear for a year and a half?"

"And now think about the fact that their interior minister, Rehman Malik, who was their [Benazir's] security in-charge, fled the scene. How could he disappear when his duty was with Benazir?" Musharraf asked, continuing his series of questions.

"And then that other guy, his [Zardari's] jail-mate, Khalid Shehenshah, who got him murdered?" he asked, recalling that, even more mysteriously, the murderer himself was also killed under mysterious circumstances.

Wrapping up his series of questions, Musharraf said, "All this evidence points to the same person. It is not enough to just say that I am the killer — they need to provide evidence against me as well."

"If I would have done nothing and just sat there, it would have been okay since these external powers — the superpower, America — did not want me to leave," Musharraf claimed.

"They wanted me to remain the president. So [the killing] would not have affected me in any way, because I had an agreement with Benazir."

According to Musharraf, the reason for Bilawal's allegations is to put him down, as well as to put the army down, indirectly.

"There is one thing in all of this that makes me happy: it is that these people are now afraid of me; they are worried I may become too popular," Musharraf said.

"I will come to Pakistan at a suitable time soon and I will face their cases too."

In an interview given to BBC recently, Musharraf had said that during his reign, there may have been elements within the establishment who conspired with the Taliban to murder former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He had added that this was a hunch, but that he was confident of his assessment.

Bilawal challenges Musharraf to 'come back and stand trial'

Bilawal speaks to journalists at the Sukkur Press Club.

Hitting back, Bilawal on Thursday challenged Musharraf to come back to Pakistan and "face his court cases, if he has the courage to do so."

A day after alleging that Musharraf was responsible for the assassination of his mother, Bilawal levelled more accusations at the former military dictator, claiming that "he is also responsible for the 2007 Karsaz bombing as well as the killing of [Baloch nationalist] Akbar Bugti".

"I have never seen a more cowardly man than Musharraf," Bilawal said while talking to media at the inauguration of the Sukkur Press Club's new building.

Bilawal also said he has hopes in Pakistan's judicial system, which has kept him from suing Musharraf in other countries.

"I could have sued him in Dubai and London too, but doing so would show a lack of confidence in Pakistani courts," he said. "I am still hopeful that I will get justice from these [Pakistani] courts. I appeal to these courts to give me and my family justice."

Anushka Sharma is PETA India's Person of the Year

Newly-wed Anushka Sharma has been named Person of the Year by animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Sharma, who is a vegetarian, has nabbed the title for being a ‘proud animal rights proponent.’

Some of her recent efforts to protect animals include launching her cruelty-free NUSH clothing line, visiting an animal shelter and promoting its work on her social media platforms, launching a campaign called PAWsitive to raise awareness of the suffering fireworks cause to animals, and taking to Twitter to demand a ban on cruel carriage rides in Mumbai – where often-lame horses are forced to haul passengers in all weather extremes without adequate rest, food, or water.

The PK actress lives with her beloved adopted dog, Dude.

"PETA is calling on everyone to follow her lead by eating healthy plant-based meals, helping community animals by speaking up when they are suffering, and always keeping an eye out for new ways to help animals," Sachin Bangera (associate director of PETA) said in a statement.

Past recipients of PETA’s Person of the Year Award include Dr Shashi Tharoor, former Supreme Court Justice KS RadhakrishnanPanicker, and actors Kapil Sharma, Hema Malini, R Madhavan, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

Peasant attempts self-immolation during Sindh sugar cane growers' protest

A peasant on Thursday set himself on fire during a farmers' protest in Mirpurkhas calling for the implementation of the official rate of sugar cane by mill owners of Sindh.

Majeed Qambrani, the peasant, suffered 30 to 40 per cent burn injuries and was shifted to civil hospital for treatment.

A farmers’ leader, Javed Junejo, told Dawn that Qambrani attempted self-immolation during the protest sit-in at Mirpurkhas toll plaza which Junejo and others were leading.

He said Qambrani owned four acres of land where he cultivated sugar cane and that although the farmer had harvested his cane, mills were not procuring the crop from growers.

A hari (peasant) shares expenses and profit of any crop with the grower in Sindh.

The Sindh government had earlier this month notified a sugarcane price of Rs182 per 40 kilograms for 2017-18. However, the mills are not ready to pay the official price to producers on the grounds that it is not viable for them.

Shah Rukh Khan's new life resolution is 'lethal'

Shah Rukh Khan has the wit of a genius.

He can take criticism in good humour and turn it to his advantage. At one of SRK's sessions with the media, a reporter applauded the actor for gracing them with his presence on time and asked how this change came about.

The Raees star answered jokingly: Let me say this to you, whenever I have been late, it's [due to] the organisers. People think I come late. I will show this world that I reach places on time and this world is not going according to time. I will show it to them.

"I'm trying to change. I've started reaching places early now [and when I do], people panic, yet the work continues to start late. I've given humanity multiple chances but it failed," he added.

"I always tell people if I was organised I'll be lethal, when I do become organised It'll become very dangerous for people."

He went on to explain how he was five minutes early to the event and had to in fact wait so the organisers could quickly sort things out. The Bollywood actor also joked that the media would probably not show up on time and he'd be done attending the session by the time they'd arrive.

Majeed Achakzai granted bail in traffic policeman's killing case

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday granted bail to Balochistan MPA Majeed Khan Achakzai in the case concerning the killing of a traffic sergeant in Quetta last June in a traffic incident, court authorities said.

After Achakzai was produced before the court amidst tight security, ATC judge Dawood Khan Nasar ordered the defendant's counsel to submit a Rs500,000 surety bond to secure their client's release — a requirement that was immediately met.

"My client is likely to be released by tomorrow," Achakzai's attorney Noor Jahan Buledi later told DawnNews.

Achakzai is the main accused in the death of traffic sergeant Haji Attaullah, who was run over by the legislator's speeding vehicle in the GPO Chowk area of Quetta earlier this year.

Local police had, however, initially registered a case against 'unknown individuals' — but after a widely-circulated video of the incident identified the vehicle as belonging to Achakzai, law enforcement agencies moved promptly to arrest him.

The Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party politician was produced in front of a judicial magistrate a week after the incident, after which he was remanded to police custody.

Prior to his remand, however, Achakzai had 'confessed' to his involvement in the accident and claimed to have agreed to compensate the family members of the slain traffic policeman.

The bail secured is the second relief Achakzai has received in a span of a week, as days ago he was acquitted in a vehicle tampering case related to the same incident.

Cook's record double ends Australia's whitewash hopes

Alastair Cook reeled off a record-breaking double century to put England in full control of the fourth Ashes Test with a formidable 164-run innings lead in Melbourne on Thursday.

The phlegmatic opener emphatically bounced back after a lean run of scores to finish the day unconquered on 244 off 409 balls. At the close, England were 491 for nine.

Along the way, Cook surpassed the highest score by a visiting batsman in a Test match at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground, bettering the 208 by West Indian great Viv Richards in 1984.

He earlier bettered Wally Hammond's 200 set back in 1928 as the highest Test score at the MCG by an Englishman.

Cook's fifth double-century in 151 Test matches also catapulted him above West Indian Brian Lara to become the sixth highest run-getter in Test cricket with 11,956.

“It's probably one of the more emotional (ones) from where I'd been on this tour,” Cook admitted.

“It meant a lot last night and then today I was quite proud that I managed to back it up after all the emotion came out yesterday to get a real big one for the team was really important.

“It's just a shame it's three or four weeks too late. I'll have to live with that for a long time, but it's nice to score a few.”

Australia, who already have won back the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead, looked unable to stem the flow of runs in the final session as Stuart Broad supported Cook to take the game away from the hosts.

'We're being outplayed'

Coach Darren Lehmann virtually conceded Australia could not win even with two days remaining, meaning hopes of a 5-0 series whitewash were over.

“We are just being outplayed by a better side at the moment,” Lehmann said. “We are 164 runs behind, we would have to score 450 runs in a day, we have to worry about getting past them first.”

Broad, who survived a series of hair-raising short-pitched balls at the onset of his innings, thrived in his partnership with Cook, pushing the tourists close to 500 on a lifeless pitch.

It needed multiple replays before Broad was finally given out for 56 off 63 balls to a sprawling outfield catch by Usman Khawaja off Pat Cummins, ending a demoralising 100-run stand off 110 balls with Cook.

Cook cashed in on two dropped catches by Australia skipper Steve Smith along the way to add to the home side's misery.

Smith, who dropped Cook on 66 in the slips on Wednesday, put down the former England skipper for the second time on 153 in a sharp right-handed chance at square leg.

The tourists lost seven wickets for 299 on the dominant third day with captain Joe Root again failing to convert a half-century into three figures when he top-edged a hook shot off Cummins to Lyon at deep square leg.

Malan's review fail

Root reached his third half-century of the series but was clearly furious with himself when he holed out on 61 in the morning session.

Dawid Malan, a century-maker in the third Test in Perth, was out leg before wicket with Josh Hazlewood's second delivery of the second new ball for 14.

Malan conferred with Cook before deciding not to review, yet replays showed a distinct 'Hot Spot' nick on his bat which would have kept him at the crease if he had challenged the decision.

It follows James Vince's similar dismissal on Wednesday to Hazlewood for 17, when he also did not seek a review despite 'Hot Spot' showing a mark on his bat.

England lost two wickets in the middle session with Jonny Bairstow caught behind off Lyon for 22 and Moeen Ali lashing out for 20 off 14 balls.

It was the sixth time in seven innings in the series that Moeen had been dismissed by fellow off-spinner Lyon.

Chris Woakes gloved a Cummins bouncer to wicket-keeper Tim Paine for 26 shortly after tea, and debutant Tom Curran was caught behind off Hazlewood following a 'Hot Spot' review.

Time for Afghanistan and US to do more for Pakistan: DG ISPR

"It is time Afghanistan and the US do more for Pakistan," Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor remarked on Thursday while addressing a press briefing on the national and regional security situation.

Referring to the United States' (US) demands to act against the alleged presence of terrorist elements in Pakistan, Maj Gen Ghafoor clarified again that: "No organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. We have fought an imposed and imported war twice in Pakistan and now we cannot do any more for anyone."

"Whatever we are doing, and we will do, is solely for the people of Pakistan. The aid we received (from the US) was reimbursement for the support we gave to the coalition for its fight against Al Qaeda. Had we not supported the US and Afghanistan, they would never have been able to defeat Al Qaeda," he added.

"There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region," Maj Gen Ghafoor insisted, reiterating Pakistan's stance on the US's repetitive demand for the country to "do more".

Discussing measures taken by Pakistan to stop cross-border infiltration of terrorists, Ghafoor said: "We have started the construction of forts and posts on the Afghan border for effective border management — what more does the US and Afghanistan want from us?"

"No country is more interested in Afghan peace than us, as we know that peace there [Afghanistan] means peace in Pakistan," the DG ISPR stressing, adding that the US needs to check India's role in the Afghan region.

"No amount of coercion can work — it is only trust-based cooperation that can bring enduring peace to the region," he said

"What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices [by the US]?" he asked, adding that while Pakistan Army was willing to work with its friends, it cannot compromise on its respect.

Moving on to the Indian army's recent claims that it infiltrated Pakistan's borders, Maj Gen Ghafoor said: "India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan's territory and killed Pakistani soldiers. But this is all false propaganda for their domestic audience to take the focus off the effective political struggle they are facing for Kashmir's freedom."

"You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings," the DG ISPR said.

He also thanked all media outlets for not giving in to Indian propaganda and running the "false" story regarding Indian infiltration into Pakistan.

Regarding India's complaints on Kulbushan Jadhav's meeting with his mother and wife, Maj Gen Ghafoor said: "India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter."

"The Foreign Office has given a detailed response [to the Indian accusations]. Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will colour it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state — if we were irresponsible, we would have given in to Indian pressure and allowed consular access to him," the DG ISPR said.

He concluded: "This will not impact the case at all."

Talking about the army's presence on the borders, "We have fought well on western borders despite the threats that linger on the eastern border, but danger has not subsided yet."

"When we started action in Fata, the troublemakers turned to Balochistan," he observed.

"[However,] the army took the situation in Balochistan into account and the army chief presented the Khushal Balochistan programme on November 15," he said.

He added that the purpose of the programme was to provide resources to help speed up development, provide security, carry out action against terrorism, and cleanse the region of separatist elements.

"As a result of the programme, over 2,000 Baloch nationalists have given up their arms," he stated.

While answering a question regarding Maryam Nawaz and Nawaz Sharif's continuous tirade against the armed forces, Maj Gen Ghafoor said, "We will maintain our silence on the matter as Pakistan's armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted."

He added: "Political activity is ongoing. It is for the people to decide for themselves if there is a conspiracy in the country, and if they believe there is one, they should tell us what it is."

Discussing Minister for Railway Saad Rafique's remarks regarding junior officers' apparent lack of commitment to the army chief's orders, the DG ISPR said, "The statement was extremely irresponsible and unwarranted, as it targets the chain of command. The Pakistan Army is a disciplined institution and the army chief's orders are followed without question."

He added: "The army takes pride in its discipline. These remarks should not have been made."

When asked about former president Pervez Musharraf's recent statements regarding "rogue elements" being responsible for Benazir's death, the army spokesman said, "I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army."

Zimbabwe ex-army chief who helped oust Mugabe sworn in as VP

Zimbabwe's former army commander who led a military takeover that helped end Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule was sworn in on Thursday as one of the country's two vice presidents.

General Constantino Chiwenga, 61, took the oath of office in Harare, pledging to be “faithful” to Zimbabwe and to “obey, uphold and defend the constitution”, said an AFP journalist who witnessed the ceremony.

“I will discharge my duties with all my strength and to the best of my knowledge and ability,” said Chiwenga dressed in a black suit.

Chiwenga retired from the military last week, slightly over a month after the military temporarily took control of the country on November 15, culminating in Mugabe's resignation six days later.

Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had a few weeks earlier been sacked from his job as vice president by Mugabe, then took over as the head of state.

Kembo Mohadi, a veteran politician and long-serving state security minister, was also sworn-in on Thursday as the second vice president to Mnangagwa.

Mugabe, 93, was ousted from power after the military stepped in following internal feuding and factionalism that had escalated in the ruling ZANU-PF party over who would succeed him.

145 Indian fishermen released as a goodwill gesture

Pakistani authorities on Thursday released 145 Indian nationals from Karachi's Malir Jail as a gesture of goodwill towards India, even as a war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi continued in the background on the circumstances in which a recent meeting between convicted spy Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family took place.

The freed prisoners, all fisherman who had trespassed into Pakistani waters, were taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they will be sent to Lahore on board the Allama Iqbal Express.

The prisoners will subsequently be handed over to security forces at the Indian border.

The Indian prisoners seemed delighted upon learning of their release and have been looking forward to their repatriation.

They also appreciated the way they were treated by Pakistani jail authorities, telling DawnNews that upon reaching home, they will demand from Indian authorities that they reciprocate and free Pakistani prisoners held in Indian jails.

The prisoners were also given gifts and cash prizes by Edhi Foundation head Faisal Edhi, who revealed that negotiations to have 140 more Indian prisoners released are underway.

Absurd to suggest mystery chip planted in Kulbhushan's wife's shoes: Sushma Swaraj

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday rejected Pakistan's claim that 'something suspicious' was found in Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife's shoes, terming the allegation "an absurdity beyond measure", India Today reported.

While addressing the Rajya Sabha — the upper house of India's parliament — today, Swaraj said that it was "absurd to suggest there was a mystery chip or camera or recording device planted inside Kulbhushan's wife's shoes."

Earlier this week, Pakistan's Foreign Office (FO) had explained that the shoes of the Indian spy's wife, Chetankul, had been confiscated on security grounds after "something metallic" was found in her shoe. The explanation had followed Indian accusations that the guest had been humiliated by Pakistani authorities who took away her shoes.

Swaraj today also reiterated claims that the trial conducted by Pakistan to convict Jadhav was "farcical" and that his mother and wife were humiliated by Pakistani authorities before and after their meeting with him.

The FO has already rejected these claims, saying: "If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC [deputy high commissioner] should have raised them during the visit, with the media, which was readily available, but at a safe distance, as requested by India."

Saying Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a "meaningless battle of words", the FO spokesman had said it is a fact that Jadhav's mother "publicly thanked Pakistan for the humanitarian gesture", therefore "nothing more needs to be said."

Convicted Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother and wife had been allowed to meet him on "humanitarian grounds" by Pakistan 21 months after Jadhav's arrest and as a gesture of goodwill on Muhammad Ali Jinnah's birthday.

"We note with regret that the Pakistani side conducted the meeting in a manner which violated the letter and spirit of our understandings," India had complained in a statement hours after Jadhav's wife and mother met officials at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi following their visit, triggering a spat between the two neighbouring nuclear powers.

Vin Diesel is the highest grossing actor of 2017

Vin Diesel has earned the title of the top grossing actor this year, reported Forbes.

The actor earned $1.6 billion in global ticketing receipts owing to the highly successful eighth installment of Fast And The Furious. The film grossed $1.2 billion at the global box office and became the second-best performer in the action-packed, car heist series.

Although his film xXx: The Return of Xander Cage alongside Deepika wasn't well received by critics, it topped $300 million worldwide - which boosted his score.

Second on the list is Vin's Fast And The Furious co-star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, at $1.5 billion, who owes it to the car saga for making up for the spectacular loss of his film Baywatch.

Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, makes it third on the list with $1.4 billion. Her superhero film made $822 million worldwide and become the highest-grossing live-action movie ever directed by a woman.

'Targeted for pursuing justice in Shahzeb murder case': Jibran Nasir slams Bol allegations

Activist Jibran Nasir, in a tweet late Wednesday night, said that the allegations of "blasphemy, foreign funding and treason" against him by Bol Network were in response to the social activist "pursuing justice in the Shahzeb Khan murder case".

Bol TV's show 'Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga' on Wednesday made the potentially life-threatening claim that Nasir's appeal in the Supreme Court against the Sindh High Court decision to retry Sharukh Jatoi and his accomplices in the Shahzeb Khan murder case is "akin to going against Islamic laws".

"Like last time, your lies won't succeed, your resources won't matter, we won't be intimidated, nor distracted," said Nasir on Twitter. "Our focus is and will remain on the issue. We will fight our battles in court against the injustice in the Shahzeb Khan and Shahrukh Jatoi case."

The show — previously hosted by televangelist Aamir Liaquat — claimed that Nasir was "educated in an enemy country" and was "involved in hateful and mischievous activities in Pakistan".

During the length of the episode, however, no evidence was presented to support the serious accusations against Nasir.

The show, which is currently being 'hosted' by an anonymous figure called 'Mr Qoum' [Mr Nation], claimed that the social activist was linked to an organisation operating on Indian funding.

Calling attention to the allegations, Nasir shared a message on Twitter: "For pursuing justice in the Shahzeb Khan murder case, for exercising my constitutional right of approaching supreme court, Bol Network is for the second time this year falsely accusing me of blasphemy, foreign funding and treason just to protect Shahrukh Jatoi. For BOL its all about money."

In January, Nasir had approached the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) against Aamir Liaquat and Bol for running a defamatory and life-threatening campaign against him.

Acting on several similar complaints, Pemra initially slapped a ban on Liaquat's show shortly thereafter but later asked him to apologise "unconditionally to the viewers" by "specifically naming all individual complainants against whom hate speech was aired".

Blasphemy is a sensitive charge in Pakistan, where even unproven allegations can trigger mob lynchings and violence. A man was sentenced to death for committing blasphemy on Facebook in June.

In May, a 10-year-old boy was killed and five others wounded when a mob attacked a police station in an attempt to lynch a Hindu man charged with blasphemy for allegedly posting an incendiary image on social media.

At least 65 people have been murdered by vigilantes over blasphemy allegations since 1990.

Late PML-F activist Saira Naseer's son 'confesses' to killing mother

The son of late Saira Naseer, a provincial women's wing leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), on Thursday, along with his wife, confessed to killing his mother on the pretext of 'honour'.

PML-F activist Saira Naseer.

Both the son, Fahad Ali, and his wife, Sadaf Sarhandi, are currently in police custody.

Earlier this month, police had found Naseer's charred remains in her burnt car. She had been identified by her daughters by the rings removed from the car. The police believe that she had been murdered before being set alight.

Speaking at a crowded press conference in Hyderabad, the couple said they killed the PML-F activist because of her "character".

Fahad was arrested on Wednesday night after being summoned to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pir Mohammad Shah's house along with his father, Zaheer and stepsisters, Hina and Sana. He was separated and taken into custody while his family members were allowed to go.

“I spoke to Fahad Ali and confronted with him with the evidence which we had gathered so far and he subsequently confessed to the murder. Then he recounted how it happened around midnight on December 6-7,” said SSP Shah.

The SSP said that he had personally supervised the investigation of the case, during which he analysed "thousands of pages" of cellphone records and studied the movements of an unspecified vehicle. He claimed that one detail in particular had helped him resolve the mystery surrounding the murder.

Explaining, SSP Shah said that the clue was the location of Fahad's mobile phone at his mother's Defence Phase-II residence at the time he received two messages from his father, Zaheer, who himself had been present in Latifabad at the time. Secondly, he said, the movement of Sadaf’s footprints in Naseer's house that night had been "abnormal", identifying which helped greatly in the investigation.

The SSP said police had also visited the crime scene, where eyewitnesses had told them they had seen a young man and a woman near a burnt car.

“Both the man and the woman, who were sweating profusely on a cold night, had taken water from a nearby dhaba [roadside restaurant] and then consumed more water from another dhaba,” the SSP said.

Shah pointed out that the location of Fahad’s mobile belied his oft-repeated alibi: that he had left his car at his mother's house around 4pm on December 6 and returned at 9pm again to get some money, as he was to travel to Karachi early morning on December 7.

In fact, the couple had been living at Naseer's house since November 20 after reconciling with the mother, who had initially objected to Fahad’s marriage with Sadaf, he said.

“On Wednesday night, when I showed Fahad his mobile phone’s location in the Defence area where he received two messages at 11:30pm and 11:36pm, he [Fahad] started to sweat, because he had initially insisted that he was at his flat in Latifabad [at the time of the murder]. He had claimed he had slept early that night because he was to leave for Karachi on Dec 7, and had therefore replied to those messages at 4:30am," the police officer said.

"In order to reconstruct the crime scene, we also took him [Fahad] to the restaurant where he and his wife had drunk water,” he said.

“He initially said he did this on the pretext of honour, and then said he had hit her with a blunt object once [without intent to kill], but it proved fatal for the victim as she fell from the impact,” the SSP said.

He said that gasoline available in the house where the murder took place had been used by Fahad to torch the car after shifting his mother's body into it and taking it to a desolated place in the Husri area.

“I am confessing it before police that we have done it,” Fahad said at the press conference. His wife, Sadaf, meanwhile said that they had torched the car only to frame it as an accident, but hadn't realised that the fire would be that massive.

“Fahad did it [killed Naseer] in a fit of anger after seeing his mother’s pictures and videos. He had given up the company of his friends because of his mother’s character, as his friends used to say different things," his wife said.

She alleged that Naseer used to say that she was an independent person and would spend her life whatever way she deemed fit, which irked her son.

"Fahad avoided [the situation] on many occasions, but for how long can it be avoided," she said.

Jahangir Tareen nominates son for NA-154 by-poll

BAHAWALPUR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf former general secretary Jehangir Tareen, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court, announced on Wednesday nomination of his son Ali Tareen as party candidate to contest by-election in NA-154 (Lodhran).

Tareen made the announcement while addressing an election rally at Lodhran on Wednesday.

Addressing the workers, he said he would always stand by PTI and serve the people of the area despite his disqualification. He claimed that on the desire of party workers, Ali Tareen was nominated as a PTI candidate.

As Wednesday was the second day to file nomination papers by the candidates to contest the by-election, no one turned up to submit papers.

District Returning Officer (DRO) Ibrar Ahmed Jatoi told Dawn by cell phone that Thursday would be the last day to file nomination papers.

According to election schedule announced by ECP, the final list of the candidates would be displayed on Dec 29 while scrutiny of papers would be completed by Jan 5, 2018. Polling would be held on Feb 12.

Addressing the gathering, Ali Tareen said he would try his utmost to live up to the expectations of the party. He assured that if elected, he would raise his voice for the rights of cultivators in the national assembly.

arrested: Five sugarcane brokers were taken into custody while three others booked on charges of installation of illegal scales and purchase of cane from growers on less rates than the fixed Rs180 per maund.

This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Rana Muhammad Saleem while briefing Punjab Agriculture Minister Naeem Akhtar Khan Bhabha who visited Ashraf sugar mills, Bahawalpur, on Tuesday.

The DC informed the minister that the district administration imposed fine to the tune of Rs400,000 on middlemen for allegedly exploiting growers.

He said under the supervision of Saddar Assistant Commissioner Sarmad Taimoor a complaint cell was opened in the mill while the district control room was also made functional for facilitating growers.

On the occasion, the minister directed the mill management to prefer small landholders in the purchase of sugarcane.

GANG BUSTED: Musafir Khana police claimed on Wednesday to have unearthed Ijazi gang and arrested its ring leader Ijaz along with his two accomplices.

Police said suspects Nauman and Aziz were involved in murder of Muhammad Shoaib during a dacoity on Nov 17. Shoaib was deprived of his motorcycle, cash and mobile which were also recovered from their possession.

LAID TO REST: Sepoy Usman Arshad was laid to rest amid full military honour at his native village 360/WB graveyard in Dunyapur tehsil on Wednesday.

Usman Arshad embraced martyrdom during the indiscriminate firing by the Indian forces in the Rakh Chakri-Uri sector (Kashmir).

At least 40 killed in attack on cultural centre in Kabul

At least 40 people were killed and dozens more wounded in multiple blasts at a Shia cultural centre in Kabul on Thursday, officials said, in the latest deadly violence to hit the Afghan capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the Taliban was quick to deny involvement in the assault near the Afghan Voice Agency, a media outlet which earlier reports had suggested could have been the target.

Deputy interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP the blasts were in fact aimed at the Shia Tabayan cultural centre.

“A ceremony was being held to mark the 38th anniversary of Soviet invasion in Afghanistan when the explosion went off,” he said.

“We have 40 killed, 30 wounded, but this is not the final toll. It might go up.” Rahimi said the main blast was followed by two smaller bomb explosions that did not cause casualties.

Kabul has become one of the deadliest places in war-torn Afghanistan for civilians in recent months, as the Taliban step up their attacks and the militant Islamic State group seeks to expand its presence in the country.

Friday's assault comes days after a suicide bomber killed six civilians in an attack near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the city, which was claimed by IS.

The militant group has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015 and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul, including on security installations and the country's Shia minority.

A hospital official told local TV that 18 wounded had been brought to his facility.

“Five of the wounded are in critical condition and our doctors are working to save their lives,” Sabir Nasib, head of Istiqlal hospital, said.

A man attending the anniversary ceremony said he heard a “big boom”.

“We do not know the numbers (of casualties). When the explosion happened we immediately fled,” he told Tolo News.

Mohammad Hasan Rezayee, a university student also at the ceremony, told Tolo News he had suffered burns to his face in the blast.

“After the blast there was fire and smoke inside the building and everyone was pleading for help,” he said.

Photos posted on Afghan Voice Agency's Facebook page showed the inside of a compound with debris and bodies lying on the ground.

Security in the city has been ramped up since May 31 when a massive truck bomb ripped through the diplomatic quarter, killing some 150 people and wounding around 400 others — mostly civilians.

Afghan media has previously been targeted by militants, underlying the risks faced by journalists in the war-torn country.

In November an attack on Afghan broadcaster Shamshad TV in Kabul, claimed by the Islamic State group, left at least one person dead and two dozen others wounded.

Governor Punjab's son issues unconditional apology in SC during medical colleges' fee case

As the Supreme Court (SC) Lahore registry resumed hearing a suo motu case on the inflated fee structure of private medical and dental colleges in Punjab on Thursday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar made it clear that "the court does not want money to be a hindrance in the way of an education".

The CJP had earlier this week taken notice of deteriorating standards in the medical profession and the unavailability of sufficient health facilities and launched an inquiry into the government's efforts towards improving the health sector.

Governor Punjab Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana's son, who had on Wednesday been accused of pressuring a female lawyer involved in the case, issued an unconditional apology in court today, claiming that the prosecutor in question, Advocate Anjum Hameed, was "like his mother" and that they had family ties as well.

Advocate Anjum had earlier told the court that Asif had been telephoning and texting her to offer admission to a student who was among her acquaintances only if she refrained from raising the issue in court.

When he was asked why he had called Advocate Anjum, Asif Rajwana said that the Vice Chancellor of Faisalabad University, Dr Farid — who had been suspended by the SC a day earlier — had asked him to do so.

The CJP expressed concerns over the fee structure of medical colleges and summoned the chief executives of all 14 private medical and dental colleges in Lahore to furnish details of their bank accounts and the amount of fee they charged from students. They were also asked to submit sworn affidavits on how they were meeting Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) criteria.

The colleges were directed to submit their prospectuses; the number of seats available and how many of them had been filled on merit and quota basis; and the charges collected from students besides fee fixed by the PMDC.

The court also restrained all unrecognised private medical colleges from offering admissions.

The two-judge bench hearing the case today asked the Punjab chief secretary to brief the court on the fee structure of medical colleges, and said that there must be a policy allowing students who could not afford to pay the fee to take admission in medical institutions.

The chief secretary, however, assured the court that the Punjab government had enough funds to ensure that students who could not afford a medical education due to lack of financial resources, could be admitted to colleges on the basis of merit.

The CJP, who is heading the bench, said the court would not "hesitate from contacting philanthropists if that is what it takes to allow lesser-privileged students to get a medical education."

Justice Nisar also ordered that the details of hospitals' bank accounts and other financial details be submitted in court in the next hearing.

The principal of Sharif Medical and Dental College also appeared in court today ─ much to the bench's dismay ─ as it had ordered the main trustee of the college — Nawaz Sharif — appear before the court.

What to expect from Pakistani fashion and style in 2018

There’s going to be lots of fashion in 2018 …. loads of it … too much of it, even.

The events are going to be filing in one after the other, the soirees will go on endlessly and far too many catwalks will be laid out than you ever wished for. There will be exciting bits, of course, but we have a sense of foreboding that the year to come may careen quickly into fashion overkill.

If it was great, original fashion we’d still be cheering but lately we’ve seen far too much mediocrity and it has managed to erode away all our optimism.

Peering into the future, here’s what you can look forward to in fashion in the year to come … and what you may not look forward to…

Everyone’s going solo!

Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar walked as celebrity showstoppers at the Diva'ni solo show, shortly after its Lahore flagship store's opening last year

Faraz Manan started off the whole solo show trend when he broke off from the fashion week omnibus in 2014 and apparently, now the entire local fashion fraternity thinks that it’s a fabulous idea.

Elan is now synonymous with grand, floral-infested displays and in 2018, we’ll be seeing many more jump onto the bandwagon. There’s HSY planning to bring his quintessential love for luxury with a show in Karachi; Shehla Chatoor spinning out luxe in an individual outing; Ali Xeeshan who has fantastical plans in motion for later in the year and Deepak Perwani planning to go his own way. Faraz Manan and Elan will also be showcasing couture and we’re sure that many others are bound to join the fray.

But does that mean that the fashion is going to be brilliant each and every time? Not likely. Add to this two fashion weeks by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, two by Fashion Pakistan Week, two Bridal Couture Weeks, one Hum Showcase and even TDAP possibly joining the crowd and the fashion calendar’s already making us dizzy.

Can we focus on quality fashion rather than this mind-numbing penchant for quantity?

A year for newbies?

Lahore's Hussain Rehar is expected to make his fashion week debut at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week

Here’s another perturbing notion: with so many of fashion’s most famous names flying solo, we wonder if this year’s fashion weeks will be teeming with new names. We do know that Lahore’s Hussain Rehar will be making his fashion week debut at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week and having caught glimpses of his designs, the designer has definite promise. But some downright atrocious ‘Rising Talent’ shows in the past have left us jaded and we wonder if any of the other newcomers will deliver on design.

We’re going to be supportive here and cheer the newbies on – local fashion is in dire need of fresh, creative blood. And we have our fingers crossed that the fashion will impress.

Elan will come to Karachi

Elan will share its Karachi store with Sherezad Rahimtoola and Yousuf Shahbaz... we know that's a combo (seen above) we can get behind!

Possibly one of the most anticipated shop openings of the year will be that of Elan in Karachi. We can’t reveal too much about the new store right now but we do know that it’s a beautiful classic location where Khadijah Shah’s couture will be sharing space with jewelry by Sherezad Rahimtoola and artistic furniture by Yousuf Shahbaz.

Elan reaching out to Karachi makes sense, of course. The brand has long had a steady clientele within the city and it was about time that it extended herself beyond regular trunk shows to a proper shop in order to facilitate regular business.

The Elan-Sherezad Rahimtoola combo is also bound to be a great one, given how well the jewelry tends to look with Elan bridal wear on catwalks.

Faraz Manan spins out more Bollywood magic

Faraz Manan and Sri Devi, whom the designer dressed for the Russian premiere of Mom

We’ve always loved Faraz Manan’s trysts with Bollywood A-listers. In recent times, the designer has dressed Indian actresses Jacqueline Fernandez, Sri Devi and of course, long-time friends Kareena and Karisma Kapoor.

He’s also the only local designer to have a retail store in Dubai, allowing him to reach out increasingly to a high-end clientele traversing the Middle East and India.

In 2018, the designer’s going to take his brand a step further with his designs featured at major Bollywood events. There’s a chance that one of India’s most famous heroines will be wearing his design at the prestigious Filmfare awards. That’s a big first for a local designer and we’ll be cheering all the way … and of course, manically posting the images on social media!

Sapphire gets a makeover

Mahgul takes over from Khadijah Shah as Creative Head of Sapphire

Sapphire’s steamrolled its way to high-street success within three short years but the brand made noise for all the wrong reasons when it broke off ties with designer Khadijah Shah, who had helmed it from the onset.

We wondered how Sapphire would manage churning out regular stock without Khadijah’s designing acumen and which designer would be filling in her considerably big shoes. It turns out that the brand is gearing for a makeover in 2018 with Mahgul Rashid of Mahgul as its new Creative Head. Mahgul is now heading an in-house design team and according to Sapphire’s CEO Nabeel Abdullah, she is overseeing the different aspects of the brand including patterns, marketing and shop interiors.

Will Mahgul, hitherto better known for her couture, be able to make an impact in Sapphire’s prêt friendly waters? And will Sapphire develop a new distinctive signature of its own instead of trundling towards a design mish-mash like so many other brands? We’ll know in a few months!

Nabila swoops into Bloomingdale’s!

Nabila's Zero Makeup will be available at Bloomingdale’s and the Versace Spa in Dubai

Nabila’s all-in-one face palette ‘Zero Makeup’ has made major headway in the local market, proving to be a hit with women on the go who enjoy natural-looking makeup. The palette was in the news this year when the stylist relaunched it in shiny new packaging and we also know that Nabila had been spending considerable time overseas, prepping the palette for an international launch.

She’s been retailing ‘Zero Makeup’ worldwide via her e-store but come this January, the makeup will be available at Bloomingdale’s and the Versace Spa in Dubai. Following this, Nabila hopes to expand her market further afield and add new products to the mix. We’ll follow up on that as the year progresses!

ALDO Shoes for Pakistan

We’re hoping that the upcoming ALDO store brings in the latest international shoe trends swiftly in Pakistan

Only a small smattering of international brands have ventured into Pakistan so far, which is why it’s great that ALDO will be joining the fray in early 2018. The brand is set to be launched by the Al-Karam group which also manages the Pakistani branches of MANGO, Splash and Babyshop. We love a fancy pair of shoes and we’re hoping that the upcoming ALDO store brings in the latest international shoe trends swiftly in Pakistan.

On another note, it’s good to see a semblance of international investment being made into the country. Brands like ALDO – and even Zara and H&M – have thousands of stores scattered around the world but only a small trickle of foreign brands have so far tried their luck in Pakistan. We need so many more to swoop into our malls – for the love of Pakistan … and the love of fashion, of course!

The lawns, the soirees, the same, the same, the same

 

An 'it' girl launch is a real-life lesson in how to style your lawn jora

On to the very predictable: designer lawns – that don’t usually have anything ‘designer’ about them – will be churned out in multitudes and there will be soirees galore. These ‘it’ affairs will run the gamut from lawn launches to collection launches, exhibits, after-parties, meet n’ greets, success parties down to the birthday parties and the grandest of ‘em all, the shaadis!

Each event is going to be flooded with socialites wearing the latest designer-wear and even if you’re not attending in person, you’ll feel like you’re there in spirit because the pictures will be strewn all across social media.

Nothing very exclusive or ‘it’ about a party that’s all over Instagram, if you ask us.

And what we would wish to see… and what we wouldn’t

On a completely different note, we’d love to see fashion get more interesting rather than follow the market-friendly generic path that it has become so fond of. Whether they choose to be part of fashion weeks or go solo, designers should be able to showcase a distinct, original signature. Above all, less Sabyasachi lookalikes please!

Also, with shows being a dime a dozen, designers need to deliver experiences rather than merely shows. One remembers a Sonya Battla-Kiran Aman collaboration from long ago held at the Karachi Planetarium and Nabila’s spun out some very creative installations in the past. In a milieu where simply laying out a catwalk no longer makes impact, designers need to come up with more out-of-the-box concepts.

Designers, passing off a traditional kameez with side-slits as a short dress is just plain silly. Make a New Year’s resolution, won’t you, to never ever do that again?

We’d also love to see better fashion from fewer fashion shows, better lawn and fewer lawn brands, celebrity stylists delivering on style rather than garish statements and a savvier high-street. Certain trends that are far too ubiquitous to be considered fashionable anymore need to be ditched immediately: the cold shoulder tops, digital prints and the peplums, the peplums, the peplums!

And designers, we love risque, bold designs as long as you know how to work the silhouette. Showing skin just for the sake of it, without any sense of design, doesn’t impress. And when you try to pass off a traditional kameez with side-slits as a short dress, you’re not fooling us. It’s just inexcusable and plain silly. Make a New Year’s resolution, won’t you, to never ever do that again?

This musical series is making TV history with USA’s largest transgender cast yet

Cable channel FX said on Wednesday it had green-lit Glee creator Ryan Murphy's Pose, a dance-musical series featuring the largest transgender regular cast in US television history.

The series will star Evan Peters (American Horror Story) and Kate Mara (The Martian, House of Cards) as a New Jersey couple who get sucked into the glamour and intrigue of New York City in the 1980s.

Through their story, the series will chronicle life and society in New York, the rise of the "luxury Trump-era universe" and the downtown social and literary scene, FX said.

Murphy said in a statement he expected the show to be "a game changer" about the "universal quest for identity, family and respect," adding that it would also feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters –- another record.

"I can't wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast," he said.

The series will be co-written and produced by Murphy, his longtime collaborator Brad Falchuk and relative newcomer Steven Canals, with Murphy directing the first two episodes.

The 52-year-old is best known as the multiple Emmy Award-winning creator, producer or writer of numerous hit shows including Glee, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, American Crime Story and Feud.

FX did not reveal how many transgender actors would appear in Pose but did say they included MJ Rodriguez (Nurse Jackie), Dominique Jackson (Strut), Indya Moore (Saturday Church), Hailie Sahar (Mr. Robot) and Angelica Ross (Transparent).

"In the 15 years we've worked with Ryan, he has demonstrated time and again that every person's story is joyful, illuminating, and must to be told," said FX chief John Landgraf.

"With Pose, Ryan and his producing partners... introduce us to a new group of characters whose talent, life force, and self-made community is greater than the daunting obstacles created by a society that can be threatened by their native identities."

FX has ordered eight episodes for season one, which is scheduled to begin production in February in New York and premiere on FX, which is carried in 91 million homes, next summer.

Deodar forest fast depleting in Dir’s Kohistan valley

UPPER DIR: Precious deodar and Kail (blue pine) trees are being felled ruthlessly to be used as firewood in the remote Kohistan valley of Upper Dir district without any check from the provincial government.

The cutting of precious deodar trees in Kumrat, Thal, Kalkot, Barikot and other areas of the Kohistan valley continues unhindered as the locals claim they have no other source of heating and cooking in the harsh winter season.

Qari Mohammad, a resident of Thal, claimed that only the Kumrat and Thal areas’ dwellers cut the precious deodar trees worth Rs1 billion each year. He said the people of Kalkot, Barikot and Byar also used deodar tree for heating and cooking purposes.

It is to mention here that the people of Kohistan valley had offered the government a few years back that they were ready stop cutting deodar trees if they were provided with the natural gas facility. However, the government did not pay any heed to their demand.

The residents worried that if the cutting of precious deodar, Kail, oak, and other trees continued at the existing pace, it would destroy the forest cover within a few years.

They said that temperatures dropped to minus 7 to 10 degrees Celsius in the winter months in Kumrat, Thal, Kakot and other areas of the Kohistan valley due to which they were forced to use huge amounts of firewood to keep them warm.

Meanwhile, the residents of the plain areas, including Dir, Chukiyatan, Bibyawar, Darora and Wari, are also facing shortage of firewood due to a ban on movement of oak tree which is the main source of firewood in the area.

They said that the ban had also caused an increase in the price of firewood, adding they had to make advance bookings at the wood sale points due to its shortage.

The sale point owners said they were facing difficulties in bringing firewood from nearby areas. The people of Upper Dir demanded of both the federal and provincial governments to provide gas facility to the district and also find out other alternate sources of fuel in the remote areas like Kohistan valley to help preserve the precious forest cover.

Search continues for Chinese engineer

RAWALPINDI: The search for a 36-year-old Chinese engineer who went missing a week ago while working on a tunnel connected to a river in Kahuta is ongoing.

Pingzhi Liu was working on the Karot Power Project when he went missing. Since his disappearance, police, Special Protection Unit (SPU) personnel and intelligence authorities have launched investigations on various lines, including the possibility of kidnapping for ransom, drowning, murder and that Mr Liu has returned to his home country.

A senior police official close to the investigation said divers had not been able to find him in the river, while sniffer dogs could not leave the workplace where Mr Liu was last seen.

The official said he may be hiding outside his workplace to return to his home country because he may have been homesick. There were two such cases, in which Chinese workers attempted to escape their workplaces, although they were apprehended and deported later on, he said.

In one such case a year ago, he recalled, a Chinese technician who was working on a development project in Nankana Sahib escaped after telling his superiors he was going to the bathroom.

He said the search for the technician had found him hiding in a house in the village. He had revealed that he was eager to join his family back home. When the matter was brought to the notice of the Chinese consulate in Lahore, the technician was sent back to China.

“It is a possibility that he might be hiding somewhere, but we will not stop searching until we find Mr Liu,” the official said, adding that it had been confirmed that he had not left the country from any airport so far.

The police have detained some people working on the same project, and questioned SPU personnel who were deployed at the project to protect foreign workers, but had yet to make any progress.

They have also been using notables from nearby villages and have been making announcements asking for the police to be informed if anyone has seen a stranger in or around their homes.

Chicken prices in Karachi come on par with beef rates

KARACHI: Chicken prices have almost come at par with veal and beef rates owing to the city government’s frequent increases in official prices, thus giving a free hand to stakeholders to fix prices at their whims.

The meeting between the officials of Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and the commissioner of Karachi on Dec 22 aimed at controlling prices has so far proved hard on the pockets of consumers.

The new official rate of live bird and its meat on Wednesday was fixed at Rs204 and Rs316 per kg which prior to the meeting was Rs186 and Rs288 per kg. The commissioner’s rates of broiler live bird and its meat prevailing in middle of November were Rs124 and Rs192 per kg.

The city government has raised the price of live bird and its meat by Rs80 and Rs124 per kg from mid-November till to date then the blame on stakeholders for overcharging holds no importance.

In the absence of any government’s writ, the owner of Muneer Chicken outlets in various areas took up the rate of live bird and its meat to new heights of Rs230 and Rs400-430 per kg on Wednesday from Rs210 and Rs360-370 per kg a few days back.

Other retailers jacked up live bird and its meat price to Rs220-230 and Rs345-350 per kg from Rs200-210 and Rs300-310 per kg. In mid-November live bird and its meat rates were selling at Rs135 and Rs190 per kg.

Good quality veal beef (with and without bones) sell at Rs420 per kg and Rs520-540 per kg. However, big cow meat is available at Rs380-400 per kg with bones and Rs480-500 per kg without bones.

General Secretary, Sindh Wholesalers Poultry Association (SWPA), Kamal Akhtar Siddiqui said the industry as well as the market traders had suffered losses due to low rates in the last six months due to which farmers did not go into bird production. As a result, the supply from the farms is low against high demand especially from ongoing marriage season.

“Chicken prices may remain under pressure for more days due to low supply problem,” he said. In overall chicken sales — the market share of marriage and commercial (hotels and outdoor dining) is 33 per cent each while the share of households sale is 34 per cent, he said adding around 700,000-800,000 birds are being daily slaughtered in Karachi alone.

He said consumers appear to have shown some resistance in their chicken buying after rising prices but robust demand for ongoing marriage season had offset depressed sales from households.

It was observed that those who were procuring one kg bird meat are now lifting half kg chicken waiting for the price reduction. By compromising on the quantity, consumers are also seen asking for slaughtering of low weight bird in order to pay less money.

This is the second time in the current year that consumers witnessed massive jump in prices when PPA had initiated two costly media campaigns — one in February rejecting allegation leveled by All Pakistan Solvent Extractors Association that soybean meal imported from India and other countries might not be halal; the other was a recent campaign to counter the ‘negative propaganda’ triggered by social media regarding the use of hormones and steroids during the various phases of bird production.

However, Kamal showed disassociation from the PPA media campaign.