Here is your dose of Daily Digestible News covering Sindh Rangers DG’s statement denying links to any political party, Pakistani film’s win at Alexandria Film Festival, Rickshaw service app launch and more!
Armed forces have not supported any political party: DG Sindh Rangers
Digestible News 01 : Sindh Rangers Director General Maj Gen Muhammad Saeed issued a statement on Monday, which clarified that the military established has no links to any political party. He further added that the armed forces had no role to play in the formation and following breakup of an alliance between Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP).
“We don’t want Karachi’s law and order situation to deteriorate, as it was before 2014 ,” Mr. Saeed concluded.
PML-N pledges to resist opposition’s demand for early elections
Digestible News 02: Several notables of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) met at Party Chief Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umra residence where they agreed to reject opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI’s) demand for early polls. The participants also agreed to not remove Nawaz from the party, adding that he will continue to address rallies and take measures to keep the party intact. Following the meeting, Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said that early elections might lead to a constitutional crisis as “ a constitutional amendment has to [take] place, early elections are not possible.”
‘Awami Sawari Client’ app launched by rickshaw drivers to counter the rise of Uber & Careem
Digestible News 03 : Rickshaw drivers managed to launch their own application titled Awami Sawari Client in Lahore, after losing clientele for the local transport means as many shifted to using Careem and Uber for transportation services instead. It is a self-help approach aimed at strengthening rickshaw owner’s business and incomes. The rickshaw union chairman Majeed Ghauri at the launch ceremony remarked that the app is a move to challenge “rogue” companies which are not paying taxes within Pakistan but transferring their money abroad instead.
Pakistani film ‘Saawan’ wins Best Foreign Film at Alexandria Film Festival
Digestible News 04 : Director Farhan Alam’s Saawan won the Best Foreign Film award at the Alexandria Film Festival in Virginia, United States. The film that revolves around a polio-stricken nine-year-old from Balochistan was triumphant in competing against indie films from Austria, Finland, Norway, UK, and Cyprus. It has also been chosen as Pakistan’s entry in the Foreign Language Film category for Oscars 2018.
More details can be found on the director’s Facebook post.
Quetta’s Hazara women defying norms, becoming breadwinners in their families
Digestible News 05: A number of women in Quetta from the Hazara minority community are stepping into non-traditional professions in the culinary business, the professional arts, the judiciary, politics, and sports. These women are defying odds in a community that is heavily persecuted in Pakistan, with women often left behind to act as breadwinners in their families. Read The Express Tribune’s special report on some Hazara women challenging norms.
K-P CM Khattak says JUI-S chief’s leadership is crucial for Islamic reforms
Digestible News 06: Calling Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Samiul Haq the ‘elder’ of the province Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) CM Pervez Khattak said on Monday that Haq should lead the way for Islamic reforms in the country. Khattak also lauded Haq’s efforts in reforming the curriculum of textbooks in accordance with Islam in the province. Visiting Haq at his seminary in Akora, Khattak also thanked the JUI-S chief for supporting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate in the NA-4 Peshawar by-election in October.