Infinity Social Updates

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has sent a legal notice to former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi and sought Rs1 billion in damages over allegations that the party received money to suppress public protests, according to a statement by the JI. The statement said the legal notice was sent on July 27 through Advocate Tahir Iqbal Malik on the directives of the party’s Karachi General Secretary Taufiquddin Siddiqui. When Dawn contacted Zaidi for his comment on Tuesday, the former FBR chief said he had forwarded the notice to his lawyer for legal advice. The JI’s statement, citing the party’s notice, said Zaidi made serious allegations against the party during a podcast interview and subsequently in statements circulated on YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, WhatsApp and other social media platforms. The notice alleged that the former FBR chairman described the party as the “establishment’s firewall” for “diluting” public issues and protests. In the notice, the statement said, ...

Father after father AFP spoke to in Afghanistan about the education ban that stops their daughters from going beyond primary school choked up in despair. The pain and anguish it is causing behind closed doors is clear from interviews AFP conducted across the country, with even deeply religious fathers questioning the ruling. The Taliban authorities justify the ban — the only one of its kind in the world — on their interpretation of Islamic law. But “you will never find in the Quran that education is only for men”, said one devout father, while another — who praised the Taliban government for restoring security and reducing corruption — said he couldn’t “find any proper justification for this”. All the men — whose identities AFP is protecting — described the emotional turmoil the bar is causing, with fathers losing sleep over what to do to help their bright and frustrated daughters. Nine out of 10 Afghan men questioned in a UN survey last year said it was important for girls t...

In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai on Monday urged the appointment of a new chief election commissioner of the Election Commission of Pakistan, as well as two members representing Sindh and Balochistan. In the letter, dated August 10 and available with Dawn , Achakzai, who heads the Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and is chairman of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, drew the prime minister’s attention to a “critical constitutional duty” and stated that the statutory tenure of the CEC and the members representing Sindh and Balochistan had ended on January 26, 2025. To that effect, he urged the “immediate filling” of the offices, terming it “essential for maintaining the operational continuity, independence, and credibility of the commission”. In his letter, Achakzai cited two provisions of the Constitution, including Article 213(2A), which he said “mandates that the prime minister shall, in consultation wit...

FIFA President Gianni Infantino came under renewed fire on Monday as a joint letter from three confederations — European football’s governing body UEFA, Confederations of North America, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) and Asia (AFC) — declared football “belongs to no individual”. Infantino has been the butt of scathing criticism ever since launching, and then withdrawing within days, a plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including World Cups. FIFA had hit back on Saturday at “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” football’s governing body and Infantino. However, Monday’s letter from UEFA, CONCACAF and AFC showed his critics are unbowed. “Leadership in football is not a possession. It is not about holding — or demanding — power to be held,” they wrote. “When trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned,” the confederation...

BANNU/SWAT: A terrorist attack on the Chatkekal police post near Jarogo Waterfall in Upper Swat was foiled after police personnel mounted a strong counterattack late on Sunday night, District Police Officer (DPO) Mushtaq Ahmad said. According to police, more than 12 terrorists surrounded the post and opened fire from all sides. The police personnel deployed at the post immediately retaliated with effective gunfire, forcing the attackers to retreat and flee the area. Initial reports suggest that two terrorists were injured in the exchange of fire. Security personnel have intensified surveillance in the area, while further details are being ascertained. The DPO praised the personnel deployed at the post for their prompt response and bravery, saying Swat police remained at the forefront of the fight against terrorism. “Such cowardly attacks cannot demoralise Swat Police. Our personnel know how to respond effectively to terrorist attacks,” he said. The ...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a Gaza plan hailed by US President Donald Trump, vowing no military pullout until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed. After more than a week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, Netanyahu explicitly opposed it as he faced pushback from his right-wing base ahead of elections. “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said, referring to a plan endorsed in late July by Hamas. The Israeli military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens”, Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting. The document, the latest stage in a US-led ceasefire announced in October that has reduced but not ended Israeli operations in Gaza, said Hamas would surrender weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body. The plan said Israel would begin pulling out forces in tandem with the disarmament, an idea adamantly rejected by Israel, which als...

More than 100 days after being taken hostage by Somali pirates, crew members on board MT Honour 25 have released another distress message in which they appealed directly to the Pakistani government for their release, it emerged on Sunday. The Honour 25 — a Palau-flagged oil tanker carrying 17 to 19 crew members, including 10 Pakistanis — was hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Puntland, Somalia on April 21. Despite over three months passing, there has been no progress either in negotiations or the payment of the ransom, said to be around $3 million, for the recovery of the hostages, despite concerns abounding about their declining health. In two video messages seen by Dawn , the Pakistani hostages and foreigners can be seen in a state of extreme distress, with most looking sick and weak. They requested that the Pakistani government talk to the Somali pirates and take steps to release them. Yasir Khan, a hostage aboard the ship, said that many of the crew members had falle...