Infinity Social Updates

The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee on Wildlife on Tuesday approved amendments to the Wildlife Act 1974 and announced the setting up of special courts to take action against those committing violence against wildlife. Recently, the incidence of killings of striped hyenas, grey wolves and leopards in the tribal areas of Punjab (Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur) and Balochistan (Dera Bugti, Khuzdar) has raised concerns over the sustainable growth of endangered species. To regulate the rising trend of keeping large cats, including lions, tigers and cheetahs, in homes, and putting an end to illegal ownership and public and social media display of these animals, the Punjab Wildlife and Parks Department had also proposed changes to the relevant law. “The Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee approved amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act,” Aurangzeb wrote on X, adding that the government decided to establish special courts to address crimes against wildlife, including abuse and illegal...

Security forces killed four terrorists during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Wednesday. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), security forces conducted an IBO on Tuesday night in the Spinwam area of North Waziristan “on the reported presence of khwarij ”. “During [the] conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij’s location, and after an intense exchange of fire, four khwarij were sent to hell,” the statement said. Security forces also recovered weapons and ammunition from the terrorists who were “actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces as well as target killing of innocent civilians”. Sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists, the ISPR said adding, “[The] security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.” In July, the government...

Bushra Bibi, the wife of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, said during a court hearing on Tuesday that her “faith in the law has been lost”. She made the remarks while appearing at an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad for a hearing related to the Rangers accident case. The case revolves around the death of four personnel of Rangers in an alleged hit-and-run incident on Srinagar Highway during the PTI’s Nov 26 protests, with contesting claims made by the government and the party. Last month, the court had directed the police to produce the suspects on Dec 26. Imran, Bushra, Ali Amin Gandapur, Omar Ayub Khan, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Salman Akram Raja, Murad Saeed, Zulfi Bukhari, Hammad Azhar, Raoof Hassan and other PTI leaders have been nominated in the first information report (FIR). “After what happened to the PTI founder Imran Khan and me, my faith in the law has been lost,” she said while addressing Judge Tahir Abbas Supra, who presided over the hearing. The ...

Defence ministry lawyer Advocate Khawaja Haris on Tuesday told the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench, hearing the case of military trials of civilians, that the “masterminds” who hatched what he described as the May 9 conspiracy would also be tried under the Army Act in military courts. The case pertains to the military trials — and recent sentencing — of civilians for their role in attacks on army installations during the riots that followed ex-premier Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, 2023. The seven-judge constitutional bench is headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan and also includes Justices Afghan, Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Hassan Azhar Rizvi, Musarrat Hilali, and Shahid Bilal Hassan. In recent hearings, SC judges have questioned why the accused were “ specifically ” tried in military courts instead of anti-terrorism courts, with Justice Mandokhail observing that “the executive cannot play the role of judiciary”. A day ago, Justice Hilali wondered whether the...

In a bustling market in Sahiwal, a food vendor who locals say bears an uncanny resemblance to US President-elect Donald Trump gets more business — and attention — than others. “We feel as if Trump has come here to sell kheer (pudding),” said Mohammad Yaseen, a local resident who prefers to buy the dessert from Saleem Bagga, the look-alike vendor who also sings to draw customers. Saleem Bagga, seen by some as a lookalike of US President-elect Donald Trump, poses for a photograph while selling kheer, along a road in Sahiwal, Pakistan January 13, 2025. — Reuters “When he sings to sell kheer, we come down to him,” Yaseen said. Bagga, 53, pushes his colourful wooden cart along the road delivering the milky pudding, a black jacket over his beige shalwar kameez to keep out the winter cold. A crowd gathers as Bagga, who sports a distinctive blond quiff because of his albinism, sings the lyrics to a Punjabi song: “Now you come down to me my love, don’t delay, my eyes are tired of waiti...

The Space and Upper Atmo­sphere Research Comm­ission (Suparco) announced the launch of the country’s Indigenous Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite on January 17 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China, APP reported. The Indigenous Electro-Optical (EO-1) satellite is an advanced imaging satellite developed to capture high-resolution optical images of the Earth. Such satellites are typically used for a wide range of applications, including environmental monitoring, urban planning, agriculture, and defence and surveillance. According to today’s announcement, the launch of the EO-1 mission “reflects Suparco’s dedication and expertise in advancing Pakistan’s technological capabilities in space science and innovation” marking a significant milestone in Pakistan’s space journey. The indigenously developed satellite will enhance the country’s ability to monitor and manage natural resources, predict and respond to natural disasters, support food security, and drive economic growth thr...

Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani on Monday issued a production order for PTI Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, who has been incarcerated for 18 months, so that he can attend the Senate session tomorrow. This is not the first production order issued for the senator, who is imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. In March last year, he was due to be produced in the Senate, but was unable to attend the session. In November, Chaudhry was among 21 other PTI figures formally indicted by a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in cases related to the countrywide riots on May 9, 2023, registered at the Racecourse and Sarwar Road police stations. Chaudhry said that despite being a member of the Senate, he was not allowed to attend sessions parliamentary sessions. “No hardship has been able to break us and nor will it. The state oppression will end,” he added. According to the production order — a copy of which is available with Dawn.com — the request to produce Chaudhry was made by Opposition Lead...