Nation celebrated Founder of Pakistan
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinah 143rd birthday
Founder of nation 143rd birthday observed with traditional zeal and enthusiasm across the country. The day started with a change of guard’s ceremony at Jinnah’s mausoleum in Karachi. The national flag was been hoisted at all government and private buildings and special events have been planned for the day in order to shine a light on Jinnah’s life and legacy.
Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Governor Imran Ismail also visited Jinnah’s mausoleum on the occasion.
A number of events, including seminars, debates and exhibitions, were arranged both at official and civil society levels to highlight life, achievements and different aspects of the personality of the Quaid.
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Two Pak Army soldiers martyred in Indian ceasefire violations
( December 26, 2019) Naib Subedar Kandero and Sepoy Ehsan of Pak Army embraced martyrdom in Dewa sector, informed ISPR. Two Pakistan Army soldiers embraced martyrdom due to Indian ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Dewa Sector, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
The military wing further said that Pakistan Army troops damaged Indian posts in Haji Pir Sector and killed three Indian soldiers including a subedar in response to Indian ceasefire violations during the past 36 hours. A few had also been injured, informed ISPR.
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Former military dictator Musharraf handed death sentence in high treason case Islamabad (Tuesday, December 17, 2019)
A special court in Islamabad, found former military ruler retired Gen Pervez Musharraf guilty of high treason and handed him a death sentence under Article 6 of the Constitution. This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that a military chief has been declared guilty of high treason and handed a death sentence. The verdict was split 2-1. Article 6 of the Constitution says: “Any person who abrogates or subverts or suspends or hold in abeyance, or attempts or conspires to abrogate or subvert or suspend or hold in abeyance the Constitution by use of force or show force or by any other unconstitutional means shall be guilty of high treason.”
The punishment for high treason is death or lifetime imprisonment, according to the High Treason (Punishment) Act, 1973. The three-member bench of the special court headed by Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth and comprising Justice Nazar Akbar of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC announced the verdict in the long-drawn high treason case against Musharraf after hearing final arguments today. A detailed verdict will be issued in 48 hours.
The former military chief is currently in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. He was admitted to a hospital following deterioration of his health earlier this month. In a video statement from his hospital bed, he called the treason case “absolutely baseless”. “I have served my country for 10 years. I have fought for my country. This [treason] is the case in which I have not been heard and I have been victimised,” he had stated. His team can appeal verdict in the Supreme Court. If the top court upholds the special court’s verdict, the president possesses the constitutional authority under Article 45 to pardon a death row defendant.
The high treason trial of the former military dictator for imposing the state of emergency on Nov 3, 2007, had been pending since December 2013. Musharraf came to power after ousting then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a 1999 bloodless coup. In an infamous purge in 2007, Musharraf imposed a state of emergency and placed several key judges under house arrest in Islamabad and elsewhere in Pakistan. He was booked in the treason case in December 2013, when the PML-N government under Nawaz returned to power. Musharraf was indicted on March 31, 2014, and the prosecution had tabled the entire evidence before the special court in September the same year. However, due to litigation at appellate forums, the trial of the former military dictator lingered on and he left Pakistan in March 2016 to seek medical treatment, promising to come back to his “beloved homeland” in a few weeks.
The special court was reformed six times during the course of the case.
Female polio worker gunned down in Bannu
BANNU(December 09, 2019) : A female polio worker and her rickshaw driver were killed by unidentified armed assailants near Nazim Bazar area. The lady health worker, identified as Bastaj Bibi daughter of Munawar Shah, was attacked while returning from Baka Khel Wazir IDPs camp during a three-day polio vaccination drive launched on December 9.
Suspects riding a motorcycle opened fire on her as she disembarked from rickshaw, leaving both Bibi and rickshaw driver, Abdul Rauf a resident of Hassan Khel area, critically injured. They were rushed to Khalifa Gulnawaz Teaching Hospital but succumbed to their injuries soon after. The assailants escaped after committing the murder. Police cordoned joff the area and launched a search operation. However, no arrest was made during the operation.
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Pakistan named No 1 travel destination for 2020
Pakistan was on Saturday named the top holiday destination for travelers for the year 2020 by the United States-based luxury and lifestyle publication Conde Nast Traveler. The listing follows several positive reviews of the tourist attractions in the country by travel bloggers, YouTube vloggers, magazines and adventure clubs.
It would not be wrong to say that the world is waking up to the enormous tourism potential Pakistan has, and with a government willing to invest in the sector to boost economic growth, the year 2020 could be pivotal in shaping the tourism industry of the country.
It could put Pakistan firmly on the adventure map for travel enthusiasts.
Travel company Wild Frontiers named Pakistan as the country to travel to in 2020. In a short announcement, the company tipped Pakistan as the next big destination for a couple of years, reporting a 20 per cent increase in customers willing to travel to Pakistan compared to 2018. In 2018, the British Backpacker Society had also ranked Pakistan the number one travel destination in the world.
As the world comes to Pakistan in 2020, here is a list of holiday destinations in the country for anyone who wishes to experience adventure and beauty on their travels to the country.
Naran Kaghan
The Naran Kaghan valley always tops the list of places to visit while touring northern Pakistan. The valley is replete with beautiful scenery and pleasant weather through the summer months, although it does get chilly in the winters.
Skardu
Skardu is a paradise for climbers and trekkers. The ever-flowing Indus river runs along the length of the region, and finds its path through mountains, valleys and forests.
Hunza
On the third place, we have the crimson valley of Hunza that is well known for being colourful and having a rich historical background. Hunza has so many captivating spots that they cannot all be depicted here.
Ziarat
Ziarat is also a place that should be explored. Located in the south-western province of Balochistan, and encompassed by mountains, the area is a popular tourist spot both in the summers and winters.
In addition to positive reviews, the tourism industry in the country has also been given a local boost by new policies adopted by the government. Prime Minister Imran Khan, earlier this year, announced a new visa policy for 175 countries to promote tourism and investments in Pakistan.
The new policy drops the requirement of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for foreign travelers to visit certain areas. The requirement of an NOC, however, remains in place for visiting border regions. In June this year, British Airways also resumed flight operations to Pakistan.