Pakistani, Indian lovers defy all to be together

LAHORE a f p

A love-struck couple from arch-rivals

Pakistan and India who met in a gaming chatroom before sneaking across borders to be together say their passion trumped national rivalries or fear of religious backlash Sachin Meena, 22, an unmarried Indian shopkeeping assistant and a Hindu, connected with 27-year-old Seema Haider, a married Pakistani mother of four and a Muslim playing the online shooting game PUBG during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020

We became friends and our friendship turned to love and our chats became longer every morning and night before we finally decided to meet ” said Seema speaking to AFP from the cramped courtyard of Sachin’s tworoom family home where she now lives

Seema who left Pakistan and her husband with her four children by smuggling herself into India via Nepal in May for which the couple were arrested then bailed out last week said she has since married Sachin and taken

NEW YORK

S ta f f R e p o R t

Pakistani education advocate and UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai called for increased efforts to provide education to over 120 million girls who are currently out of school

Speaking at a gathering in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on the tenth anniversary of her landmark Malala Day address at the UN Headquarters, Yousafzai emphasized the need for global action against illiteracy poverty and terrorism

The event was attended by UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, who introduced Yousafzai as someone who has transcended borders, cultures, and generations with her message and passion Mohammed highlighted that quality education for both girls and boys is not merely a dream but a fundamental human right Over the past decade Yousafzai has completed high school and university, traveled to more than 30 countries, and established the Malala Fund, which his name I converted to Hinduism she said sitting next to Sachin in the village of Rabupura about 55 kilometres (35 miles) from New Delhi I d rather die than return or leave Sachin” While the lovers have found each other the history of their respective nations is bitter India and Pakistan both nucleararmed nations have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent in 1947 Each expelled the other s high commissioner in 2019, and bilateral diplomatic, cultural, business and sporting links are very limited Indian police insist that Seema’s long-term stay will be impossible I request the Indian government to grant me citizenship Seema pleaded a red headscarf covering her hair and her four young children playing nearby ‘DESTINED’

Apostasy is considered punishable by death in some interpretations of Islam

Seema said she had already received online threats and insisted the couple would live and die together

Seema s proclamation of undying love for Sachin and a promise to only return to Pakistan “as a dead woman” when they featured on a raucous Indian TV debate this week drew cheers from the crowds sitting around them Seema said she had been first attracted by Sachin s gaming skills Three years later, the couple met in person in March in Nepal She became sure about leaving her abusive Pakistani husband charges he denies after the first meeting

The couple said it took months of meticulous planning with help from YouTube videos on how to enter India via Nepal In May, she succeeded “It was very difficult to travel from Pakistan to India ” she said I believe that with God s love we were destined to meet Sachin s family only learned of her existence when he rented a nearby apartment with her There was some resistance, but my father and everyone accepted us They are happy for us,” said Sachin “I will do everything for them ” Indian police found out after they tried to get married at a local court ‘STILL MY FAMILY’ Seema s estranged husband, Ghulam Haider, left his job as a labourer and rickshaw driver to earn more money for as indigenous girls in Brazil

She has also made multiple trips to Nigeria engaging with activists young women and parents of the Chibok school kidnapping victims W h i l e a c k n o w l e d g i n g g l o b a l i n i t i a t i v e s t o p r o m o t e e d u c a t i o n a n d g e n d e r e q u a l i t y, Yo u s a f z a i w a r n e d t h a t s u b s t a n t i a l p r o g r e s s h a s y e t t o b e a c h i e v e d S h e e x p r e s s e d c o n c e r n o v e r t h e l i m i t e d i m p a c t o f t h e s e e f f o r t s o n t h e l i v e s o f h u n d r e d s o f m i l l i o n s o f g i r l s , p a r t i c u l a r l y his family in Saudi Arabia

Haider who said he had not heard of PUBG wants his family back I earnestly appeal to Indian and Pakistani authorities to bring my wife and children back to me,” Ghulam Haider told AFP by phone from Saudi Arabia

Haider said the couple from different Baloch tribes have a defiant love story of their own Forbidden by their families from marrying they ran away to get hitched a taboo in Pakistan that can sometimes lead to so-called honour killings “Later, a jirga (council of elders) was summoned to settle the matter and a fine of Rs1 million was slapped on me he said I am far from my home from my family and it is very agonising for me because we married out of love ‘SHE IS AN ADULT’ In India, the couple have received a popular welcome Crowds from nearby villages have been visiting them since their arrest grabbed national headlines

We took selfies said Rakesh Chand, 37, who drove over an hour to offer his congratulations, one of the dozens lining up to greet them provide 12 years of quality education to all children She stressed the importance of holding leaders accountable for their commitments to gender equality and education

Addressing the cultural and religious barriers faced by girls, Yousafzai urged the breaking of the stranglehold of patriarchy and misogyny disguised as traditions She expressed hope for the future having met young girls who understand the power of education and are actively working to ensure access for all children

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PLANS FOR KE

The news owners of the company have ambitious plans for its future One of the biggest plans they have is the utilization of solar and wind power The biggest problem with solar and wind is that it is very expensive to set up for the average household So if a utilities company like K-Electric can harvest this energy it can provide significantly cheaper electricity to households Another major area of possibility is Thar Coal Spread over more than 9000 square kilometres, the Thar coal fields are one of the largest deposits of lignite coal in the world with an estimated 175 billion tonnes of coal that according to some could solve Pakistan’s energy woes for not decades but centuries to come Discovered in the early 1990s by the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) Thar Coal accounts for around 660 MW of electricity produced in the country Officials of KE in Pakistan did not respond to Profit’s request for comment According to a Reuters report, Sadia

Dada Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at K-Electric said the utility was neither privy to the contents of the petition nor in a position to comment

Lahore prison introduces video calls for inmates to connect with families

LAHORE S ta f f R e p o R t

In a groundbreaking move the District Jail of Lahore unveiled a pilot project on Thursday that brings video calling facilities to inmates, transforming the way they can communicate with their loved ones The inaugural video call was made by Shakeel Ahmad Mian, the Additional Chief Secretary Home, who emphasized the government’s commitment to prisoner welfare This innovative service represents a significant step forward in enhancing prisoner wellbeing fostering a sense of connection and support during their confinement With the implementation of the video-calling system, prisoners will no longer feel isolated from their families, as they can now engage in video calls from behind bars The new system provides 100 juvenile prisoners with the opportunity to connect with their families twice a week This development marks a historic milestone in the country, as it is the first time such a facility has been made available to prisoners The Inspector General of Jails expressed optimism about the positive impact that video calling will have on the overall well-being of inmates Buoyed by the success of the pilot project plans are already underway to expand videocalling facilities to other jails in Punjab In April the caretaker chief minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi chaired a meeting focused on prison reforms, with a specific emphasis on conducting prisoner trials through video links

Bailable arrest warrants for Imran, aides in vandalism cases

ISLAMABAD S ta f f R e p o R t

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad has issued bailable arrest warrants for Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders in three separate cases related to vandalism outside the judicial complex during his court appearance During the hearing presided over by ATC Judge Abul Hasnat the lawyer representing the PTI chairman filed an exemption plea citing his necessary appearance in the Lahore High Court (LHC) However Judge ATC Abul Hasnat emphasized the significance of Khan s presence in the ongoing proceedings, stating that he would be required to appear before the court Consequently, bailable warrants were issued for Imran Khan as well as prominent PTI leaders Farrukh Habib Shibli Faraz and Hassan Niazi in connection with the case The court has directed all the accused including Khan, to personally appear on July 19 to address the charges leveled against them Furthermore, the hearing of the case has been adjourned until July 19 works to reduce barriers to girls education

She has consistently advocated for the rights of girls and highlighted the challenges they face due to poverty patriarchy climate issues and conflicts

During her travels Yousafzai has met with young women and activists in different countries, including refugees in Jordan, Iraq, Kenya, and Rwanda, as well

During her visit, Yousafzai, accompanied by her father Ziauddin Yousafzai co-founder of the Malala Fund traveled to Maiduguri the capital of Borno State in Nigeria They visited three schools focusing on providing quality education to girls affected by violence

Following her visit Mohammed will join the secretary general in UNEuropean Union meetings in Brussels to further discuss education and gender

As money flows in, the fear of default should recede

IT seems that with elections just around the corner, the coalition government has managed to avert the threat of default and with the inflow of $4 2 billion Pakistan’s forex reserves have thus doubled This clearly means that Pakistan is not likely to default any time soon

However, it should be remembered that the fresh $2 billion from Saudi Arabia and the $1 billion from UAE are deposits and cannot really be used for paying for imports However that does not mean that the country is out of the hole it was in

The news of the bolstering of reserves had led to a strengthening of the rupee, but it is likelier than not to decline once the euphoria dies down For a start one of the conditions imposed by the IMF was the opening up of imports As the pent-up demand exaggerates the outflow of foreign exchange, the rupee will come under pressure

As it was, if the present coalition, or the expected caretaker government or both tries to bring the present loadshedding under control by importing furnace oil for thermal generation, the import bill will climb up

The coalition has ridden the crisis, and the caretakers do not have one to face, while it will be up to the elected government to take the steps needed for an end to crises

If it doesn’t watch out the elected government could find itself once again embroiled in a crisis as soon as the middle of next year The IMF has set tough conditions for the current loan, but it has not insisted on several which it sees as essential for righting the country s finances

Actually the economy must either be able to export more or attract sufficient foreign direct investment to service its debt, and stop incurring more That is only possible by long-term investments in human capital and in other areas where the state has stinted before Such measures are not possible for the present government or the caretakers simply because there is not enough time Indeed even if the government thrown up as a result of the coming elections, was to focus on such measures, it would find that it had laid the groundwork only if it managed to complete its full five-year tenure To help it whatever its complexion to stick to the task it is essential that all parties, government or opposition, come together, and agree on what steps are needed, and further to agree to implement those steps if elected to power In short, there must be a Charter of the Economy If there isn t the next crisis is inevitable

Dedicated to the legac y of late Hameed Nizami

Arif Nizami (Late)

Founding Editor

Yousaf Nizami Editor

M A Niazi Joint Editor Umar Aziz Executive Editor