Infinity Social Updates

PTI founder Imran Khan on Thursday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) to preempt his possible detention by the army amid “circulating rumours” that plans were underway to try him for the May 9 riots through a “court martial”. The move comes as the LHC today hears Khan’s July 18 petition against his physical remand in 12 criminal cases related to the violent attacks last year that his supporters allegedly carried out to target military installations and state properties. Countrywide protests erupted on May 9 last year after the paramilitary Rangers whisked away Imran from the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case. While protests against his arrest were underway, social media was flooded with footage of rioting and vandalism at various spots, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s residence and General Headquarters, the army’s head office in Rawalpindi. Thursday’s petition, filed by Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari and a copy of which is available with Dawn.com , req...

PTI founder Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail, said on Wednesday that certain individuals with no understanding of social media were dishing out “ digital terrorism ” labels. Faced with an intensifying wave of criticism on social media, the army in May had labelled such expressions as “digital terrorism” and declared a firm commitment to combat and defeat anti-military campaigns proliferating across online platforms. The statement that marked further stiffening of the stance of the military towards online dissent and suggested an impending crackdown against the critics had come at the end of the 83rd For­mation Commanders Conference. Over the past couple of years, social media campaigns against the army have escalated, reflecting broader tensions within the country’s political and social fabric. The government, often in tandem with the military, has responded with stringent measures aimed at controlling the narrative and stifling dissent. These measures have ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday called out Imran Khan’s PTI for carrying out a propaganda campaign against the armed forces, adding that such actions will “not be tolerated at all.” His remarks came during a meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Islamabad, during which he addressed a range of issues facing the country. Earlier this week, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif had said during a press conference that the country was recently witnessing a rise in “organised propaganda” against the armed forces based on “false and concocted news”. He also said that a false narrative was being propagated against the army and its leadership on social media, where “digital terrorists” were using tools such as cell phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society “akin to terrorists”. Echoing similar sentiments, PM Shehbaz declared a zero-tolerance policy for propaganda against the armed forces. ...

A passenger plane crashed on takeoff in Kathmandu on Wednesday, with the pilot rescued from the flaming wreckage but all 18 others aboard killed, police in the Nepali capital told AFP . Nepal has a woeful track record on aviation safety and the Himalayan republic has seen a spate of deadly light plane and helicopter crashes over the decades. The Saurya Airlines flight was carrying two crew and 17 of the company’s staff members, Nepali police spokesman Dan Bahadur Karki told AFP . “The pilot has been rescued and is being treated,” he added. “Eighteen bodies have been recovered, including one foreigner. We are in the process of taking them for post-mortem.” The flight was being conducted for either technical or maintenance purposes, Gyanendra Bhul of Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority told AFP without giving further details. Bahadur and Bhul were unable to confirm the nationality of the sole foreigner aboard. Images of the aftermath shared by Nepal’s military showed the plane’s fu...

Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Ambassador Asif Khan Durrani on Tuesday said the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group was the country’s “red line” and there were hopes that the interim Afghan government would take effective action against the outfit. “Terrorism emanating out of Afghanistan is a concern not only for Pakistan but other neighbouring countries like China, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as well,” Ambassador Durrani said at a roundtable discussion on “Pak-Afghan Relations: Challenges and Opportunities” at the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) Islamabad. He urged the Afghan interim administration to take steps against terrorist groups. At the same time, Durrani said, “We have to deal with the Afghan government with patience and perseverance. Pakistan desires peace and stability in Afghanistan.” The comments come a day after the Pakistan army killed three terrorists trying to infiltrate the Pak-Afghan border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dir ...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday warned the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) against any delays in refunding exporters, aiming to alleviate concerns about meeting the $60 billion export target. While speaking at the National Export Development Board (NEDB), the prime minister directed the commerce ministry and other departments to take “all necessary measures” to achieve the ambitious export target of $60bn in exports within three years. The prime minister directed the ministry to resolve the issues raised by exporters and present a report within two weeks. He added that he would personally chair the NEDB meetings every six weeks. The prime minister noted that the country’s exports had surpassed the $30 billion mark during the previous fiscal year, with IT exports contributing over $3.2 billion, thanks to government policies. He called it a “welcoming development.” He lauded the business community and investors for their role in increasing exports despite challenging circumst...

Following in the footsteps of its coalition partner PML-N, the PPP has filed a review petition challenging the Supreme Court’s verdict on the reserved seats case, it emerged on Tuesday. In a landmark ruling on July 12, the top court had declared Imran Khan’s PTI eligible for seats reserved for women and minorities, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling alliance. The verdict means that the PTI is poised to become the single largest party in the National Assembly. The court had given its verdict after hearing a set of appe­als moved by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) aga­inst the denial of the reserved seats to it by the Pesha­war High Court (PHC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). PTI-backed candidates, who had contested and won the February 8 elections as independents after their party was stripped of its election symbol, had joined the SIC to form a coalition of convenience. The SC annulled the PHC’s decision and declared the election reg...