Latest news with #AliZafar
Express Tribune
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Patchwork or reformed justice?
Listen to article Selective morality does not make for sound legislation. That, unfortunately, is what Pakistan's latest move to curtail the death penalty seems to embody. In a bid to retain GSP+ trade concessions from the EU, the Senate of Pakistan has passed a bill that abolishes capital punishment for harbouring hijackers and for the public stripping of women — two serious offences — while leaving more than a hundred others untouched. This piecemeal amendment reeks of convenience rather than conviction. It appears designed to tick boxes for international partners rather than reflect any meaningful shift in the state's approach to justice or human rights. No broader framework has been presented to justify why certain crimes merit the death penalty while others do not. Instead, the government has opted for selective rollback without a principled foundation. Criticism from both treasury and opposition benches in the Senate points to this very disconnect. PTI's Barrister Ali Zafar equated the public stripping of a woman with murder, arguing that such crimes warrant the harshest possible punishment. Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri cautioned that lighter sentences in such cases may embolden criminals rather than deter them. There is merit in these concerns — not necessarily because the death penalty is the answer, but because the reform itself lacks depth and cohesion. If capital punishment is to be curtailed, it must be done with a comprehensive review of all offences that currently carry the sentence, followed by a national debate on what constitutes a "most serious crime". The removal of the death penalty for just two offences, without a broader review of Pakistan's capital punishment regime, reflects an ad hoc approach that neither satisfies moral imperatives nor strengthens the justice system. It only deepens the confusion. Eventually, lawmakers must consider the role of capital punishment in a modern justice system and within the context of Pakistan's socio-economic paradigm, through proper consultation with legal and human rights experts.
Business Recorder
10-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Radio Pakistan buildings in Karachi: Senate body alarmed over illegal occupation, power theft
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has expressed serious concern over the illegal occupation of Radio Pakistan buildings in Karachi and electricity theft through unauthorized connections. Senator Waqar Mehdi raised the issue during the committee meeting on Tuesday, urging immediate inspections of Radio Pakistan properties across the country to assess conditions and prevent further encroachments. The meeting, chaired by Senator Ali Zafar, also advanced the Prohibition of Unethical Advertisements Act, 2025, as lawmakers pushed for stricter controls on content promoting gambling, alcohol, and inappropriate clothing while calling for a balanced approach that avoids excessive regulation and police overreach. The committee decided to proceed with voting on the bill, seeking the Information Minister's formal stance. Senator Afnan Ullah cited gambling ads during cricket matches and depictions of alcohol in TV dramas as examples of regulatory lapses, while Senator Sarmad Ali proposed oversight by PTA or religious advisory boards. Senator Pervaiz Rashid, however, warned against overregulation of cultural norms and urged a focus on enforcing existing PEMRA laws. Deliberations also included the Right of Access to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2023, where Senator Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur criticized the practice of government departments providing incomplete or selective data. She called for written justifications for denials of information, a move backed by Chairman Ali Zafar. The committee resolved to invite the Information Commissioner for further consultation. On the state of the cinema industry, concerns were raised over stagnant film production due to a lack of screening venues. Senator Pervaiz Rashid urged the government to invest in cinema infrastructure and suggested involving the Ministry of Finance to explore funding avenues. Addressing financial matters, the committee reviewed Pakistan Television's (PTV) exhausted Rs. 11 billion annual budget, with Rs. 8.5 billion consumed by salaries. Senator Zafar questioned inconsistencies between reported payments and on-ground realities, seeking employment data from the past five years and calling for a future briefing on potential reforms. The panel also discussed the chronic losses of PTV and raised the prospect of privatization. Lastly, the committee voiced frustration over the lack of data concerning PECA-related cases against journalists and social media activists. Chairman Zafar noted the Ministry of Information had failed to submit its report and the Ministry of Interior had not responded. The committee resolved to summon the Interior Secretary in the next session for clarification. The meeting was attended by Senators Pervaiz Rashid, Sarmad Ali, Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur, Jan Muhammad, Syed Waqar Mehdi, and senior officials from the Ministry of Information and other concerned departments. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
India Today
11-06-2025
- India Today
Noise Buds F1 review: Priced at Rs 1,099, these budget-friendly earphones are light and long-lasting
India's budget smart audio market is booming. While previously, you would have to spend a good amount of money to get a decent pair of wireless earphones, now you can get them for as low as Rs 1,000. Case in point: the new Noise Buds F1, a pair of affordable earphones with compact design and powerful 11mm drivers – all for Rs 1,099. advertisementThere is a lot to like about Noise's entry-level showing which, given its low pricing, would seem unbelievable to some. But these earphones are indeed real. So, the question is, as good as they appear on paper, do the Noise Buds F1 also deliver in the real world? We will try and find the answer to this question in this India Today Tech review. Noise F1 Buds: Beautiful and light-weight designBefore we step into the audio performance, it is worth mentioning that the Noise F1 Buds have an eye-catching design. The buds and case combo is light and compact and so, the buds remain mostly comfortable in the ears even on extended use while the charging case they come in slips easily in your pocket. Noise also offers a good selection of colours that should attract many people, particularly the youth. We have the mint green variant, it looks cool and fresh (no pun intended). advertisement The case has other conveniences apart from pocketability. It has a USB Type-C port and an LED pairing indicator, the latter isn't very common even among some of the pricier options so it's nice that Noise thought of that. This LED serves several purposes, indicating low battery, pairing status, charging and lid of the case is quite sturdy for the price and stays put in day-to-day use without much trouble. The buds remain securely in place unless you drop them hard. Having said that, it is prone to smudging easily. Inside, you have the buds and a reset earbuds are also lightweight, so much so that I often forgot I was even wearing them. They come with three sizes of ear tips: small, medium, and large, with the medium tips fitted by default. I found the Noise F1 Buds to be exceptionally comfortable. I was able to wear them for hours without any significant discomfort. The buds also sport touch sensors on the stem area. They work as follows:Single tap on right to increase the volume and same on left to decreaseDouble tap to play and pause the song or videoTriple tap to change the songLong press to switch on the gaming mode (we will come to this in a while)Noise F1 Buds: Decent acoustics, but no ANCadvertisementThe sound quality of the Noise F1 Buds is decent, especially considering their budget-friendly price of Rs 1,099. Equipped with 11mm drivers, the earbuds manage to capture most of the beats and rhythm, but the bass performance leaves you asking for more. Tracks ranging from Imagine Dragons' 'Believer' to Ali Zafar's 'Vo Dekhnay Mein' tend to sound a bit flat, lacking the depth and richness that strong bass usually brings. Hence, if you are looking for a decent TWS and do not care much about immaculate sound – which is what you won't find at this price anyway - the Noise F1 Buds are worth a look. The lack of active noise cancellation is a missed opportunity, but again, it is understandable at this on, the Noise F1 Buds feature a quad-mic system with ENC. Phone calls made through them are good, not life and connectivityNow, the best part about the Noise F1 Buds is their battery life. The company claims that the TWS can run 50 hours on a single charge. At first it seems to be a little far-fetched, but after using the buds I can say that it is close. I used the buds for a week, and I have only charged it once. Specifically, I use the earbuds for at least 6 hours every day, and even longer, say 7 hours, on the weekends. These earbuds are fast and easy to connect to any device. Noise says it uses proprietary technology called HyperSync to pull this off. I tried connecting them to an iPhone and a laptop, and switching was quick and F1 Buds: Should you buy?Priced at Rs 1,099, the Noise F1 Buds offer decent sound quality, impressive battery life, and a comfortable fit. While the audio may feel somewhat flat and the absence of Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is sorely missed, compared to other TWS options, they still manage to stand out as a fine choice for everyday use.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pak politician's ‘water bomb' and ‘famine' warning to his govt over suspension of Indus Waters Treaty
A Pakistani opposition politician on Friday reportedly referred to India's suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty following the Pahalgam attack as a 'water bomb' and urged his country's government to 'defuse' it to avoid famine in the country. 'Water scarcity is a war being imposed on us. Predictions about 21st-century wars being fought over water are proving true,' PTI news agency quoted senator Ali Zafar of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party as saying. 'If we don't solve our water issues, we may face famine. The Indus is our lifeline – it's essentially a water bomb hanging over us that we must defuse,' he told the senate, according to the news agency. Zafar claimed that the Indus Water Treaty "explicitly bars India from stopping Pakistan's water share and claimed that it cannot be unilaterally suspended. Also Read | Pakistan minister calls for 'dialogue' with India, warns over Indus Waters Treaty: 'Act of war…' 'If India wants to terminate the agreement, both countries must negotiate a new one. They (Indians) cannot simply nullify it – they would have to dismantle their dams first,' he said. Zafar also claimed that under international law, force can be used in self-defence if the water flow is stopped, according to PTI. A day after the April 22 terrorist attack in Baisaran near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, India took major punitive actions against Pakistan, including the decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance. Brokered by the World Bank, the 1960 treaty defines a mechanism for water sharing and information exchange between the two nuclear-armed neighbour nations for the use of the Indus River water and its five tributaries Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab. Also Read | India's 5 big moves against Pakistan: One month since Pahalgam terror attack Pakistan has called on India to reconsider its decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, describing it as unilateral and a violation of the pact's terms. Questions over the treaty were also raised after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire understanding on May 10, following intense cross-border fighting after Operation Sindoor. Also Read | India to rebuild canals, dig new ones to tap into Indus However, external affairs minister S Jaishankar made it clear that New Delhi is willing to hold talks with Islamabad only on the issue of terror. He asserted that the Indus Waters Treaty will remain in abeyance until cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is "irrevocably stopped". On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed that Pakistan will not get water from India's rivers, reiterating the continued suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty. "Pakistan will not get a single drop of water that belongs to India. Playing with the blood of Indians will cost Pakistan dearly. This is India's resolve and no one in the world can deter us from this commitment," he said.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Find ways to defuse it before it's too late': Pakistan politician tells Sharif govt on IWT suspension
After India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty ( IWT ) following the Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam, senior Pakistani opposition leader Senator Ali Zafar warned of serious consequences. Speaking on Friday, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader said the country could face famine if the issue is not addressed. Speaking in the Senate, Zafar said, 'Water scarcity is like a war being forced on us. People said that future wars would be about water, and that's what's happening now.' He added, 'The Indus River is our lifeline. It's like a water bomb hanging over our heads. We must find a way to defuse it before it's too late.' Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 기미 잡티, 이거 몰라서 평생 방치했네요 두아이연구원 Undo On April 22, a terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. In response, India announced several tough steps against Pakistan, one of them was suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, an agreement on river water sharing. Under this treaty, Pakistan gets water from the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers, while India uses the Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas rivers. However, the rivers flowing into Pakistan provide 80% of its drinking and farming water. Live Events Inputs from PTI
