#Pakistani Journalists

[emergingpakistan]

صحافی ہونا اتنا آسان بھی نہیں

کل (تین مئی) عالمی یوم صحافت تھا۔ اگر گزشتہ اور موجودہ سال کو ملا لیا جائے تو دو ہزار تئیس اور چوبیس صحافؤں کے لیے خونی ترین سال قرار پائیں گے۔ سب سے بڑی وجہ غزہ کا انسانی المیہ ہے۔ وہاں سات اکتوبر سے اب تک میڈیا سے وابستہ ایک سو چھبیس شہادتیں ہو چکی ہیں اور ان میں ایک سو پانچ عامل فلسطینی صحافی اور بلاگرز ہیں۔ جو زخمی ہوئے یا جنھیں علاقہ چھوڑنا پڑا ان کی تعداد الگ ہے۔ یونیسکو کے مطابق سات اکتوبر کے بعد کے صرف دس ہفتے کے اندر غزہ کی چالیس کلومیٹر طویل اور چھ تا بارہ کلومیٹر چوڑی پٹی میں اسرائیل نے میڈیا سے وابستہ جتنے لوگوں کو قتل کیا ان کی تعداد کسی بھی ملک میں کسی بھی ایک سال میں قتل ہونے والے میڈیائؤں سے زیادہ ہے۔ یہ سلس��ہ تب تک جاری رہے گا جب تک غزہ میں نسل کشی جاری رہے گی۔ اس اعتبار سے خدشہ ہے کہ سال دو ہزار چوبیس صحافیوں کی سلامتی کے اعتبار سے تاریخ کا سب سے خونی برس ثابت ہو سکتا ہے۔ رپورٹرز وڈآؤٹ بارڈرز ( ایم ایس ایف ) نے گزشتہ برس غزہ کے بحران سے پانچ ماہ پہلے ہی یہ نتیجہ اخذ کر لیا تھا کہ دنیا کے ایک سو اسی میں سے صرف باون ممالک ایسے ہیں جہاں اظہارِ رائے کا حق اور صحافی محفوظ ہیں۔بالفاظِ دیگر ہر دس میں سے سات ملکوں میں آزادیِ اظہار اور صحافت کی حالت بری سے ابتر کی کیٹگریز میں شامل ہے اور اس کیٹگری میں سال بہ سال اضافہ ہو رہا ہے۔

اگر ہم دنیا کی سب سے بڑی جمہوریت کی بات کریں تو بھارت ایم ایس ایف کی انڈیکس ( دو ہزار تئیس) میں سات پوائنٹ نیچے چلا گیا ہے اور اب میڈیا کی ابتری کی عالمی رینکنگ میں ایک سو چون سے بھی نیچے ایک سو اکسٹھویں نمبر پر گر چکا ہے۔ جب کہ بنگلہ دیش میں ریاستی بیانیے کے متبادل اظہار کے لیے عدم برداشت کی فضا جنوبی ایشیائی ممالک میں سب سے زیادہ تیزی سے سکڑ رہی ہے اور وہ عالمی رینکنگ میں بھارت سے بھی نیچے یعنی ایک سو سڑسٹھویں نمبر پر آ گیا ہے۔ بالخصوص گزشتہ برس نافذ ہونے والے سائبر سیکؤرٹی ایکٹ کے تحت مخالف آوازوں کا گلا گھونٹنے کے لیے حکومتی اداروں اور ایجنسؤں کو بھاری اختیارات تفویض کیے گئے ہیں۔ سری لنکا میں بھی صحافتی حالات مثالی نہیں۔ جہاں تک پاکستان کا معاملہ ہے تو بلاشبہ اس کی رینکنگ بہتر ہوئی ہے اور دو ہزار بائیس کے مقابلے میں سات پوائنٹس حاصل کر کے وہ آزادیِ صحافت کے اعتبار سے انڈیا اور بنگلہ دیش سے کہیں اوپر یعنی ایک سو پچاس ویں نمبر پر آ گیا ہے۔ البتہ عارضی اطمینان یہ خبر سن کے ہرن ہو جاتا ہے کہ صحافؤں کے تحفظ کو درپیش خطرات کی رینکنگ میں پاکستان چوٹی کے بارہ ممالک کی فہرست میں گیارہویں پائدان پر ہے۔

ایک اور سرکردہ عالمی ادارے کمیٹی ٹو پروٹیکٹ جرنلسٹس ( سی پی جے ) کی صحافؤں کے قتل کے مجرموں کو کھلی چھوٹ کی فہرست میں پاکستان گیارہویں نمبر پر ہے۔ ہؤمن رائٹس کمیشن آف پاکستان کے مطابق انیس سو ترانوے سے دو ہزار تئیس تک تین دہائؤں میں ستانوے پاکستانی صحافی اور کارکن مارے جا چکے ہیں۔ جب کہ دو ہزار گیارہ سے تئیس تک کے بارہ برس میں میڈیا اور سوشل میڈیا سے وابستہ ساڑھے تین ہزار سے زائد ارکان جبری گمشدگی یا اغوا کی وبائی لپیٹ میں آئے ہیں۔ ایک پاکستانی این جی او فریڈم نیٹ ورک کی تازہ رپورٹ کے مطابق مئی دو ہزار تئیس سے اپریل دو ہزار چوبیس کے دورانیے میں ریاستی اور غیر ریاستی عناصر کی جانب سے دباؤ کم ہونے کے بجائے مسلسل بڑھا ہے۔ اس عرصے میں چار صحافؤں کی شہادت ہوئی۔ لگ بھگ دو سو صحافؤں اور بلاگرز کو قانونی نوٹس جاری کر کے ہراساں کرنے کی کوشش کی گئی۔ ان میں سے بیسؤں کو اغوا اور قتل کی دھمکیاں موصول ہوئیں یا وہ تشدد کا شکار ہوئے۔ بہت سوں کو جے آئی ٹی میں طلب کیا گیا۔ مگر اکثر صحافؤں کو عدالتوں نے ضمانت دے دی یا ان کے خلاف داخل ہونے والی فردِ جرم مسترد کر دی۔

اس عرصے میں سوشل میڈیا پلیٹ فارمز کو متعدد بار معطل کیا گیا۔ ٹویٹر ایکس پلیٹ فارم اٹھارہ فروری سے آج تک معطل ہے۔ رپورٹ میں دو مجوزہ قوانین ’’ ای سیفٹی بل ‘‘ اور ’’پرسنل ڈیٹا پروٹیکشن بل ‘‘ پر تشویش ظاہر کی ہے۔ ان دونوں قانونی مسودوں کی شہباز شریف کی سابق حکومت نے جاتے جاتے منظوری دی تھی۔ اگر یہ بل قانونی شکل اختیار کرتے ہیں تو پھر سوشل میڈیا کی جکڑ بندی کے لیے علیحدہ اتھارٹیز قائم ہو گی۔ یہ اتھارٹیز ریاستی بیانیے کے متبادل آرا اور آوازوں کو خاموش کروانے کے لیے تادیبی کارروائی بھی کر سکیں گی۔ حالانکہ اس مقصد کے لیے پیکا ایکٹ پہلے سے نافذ ہے جو کسی غیر منتخب حکومت نے نہیں بلکہ مسلم لیگ ن کی تیسری جمہوری حکومت کے دور میں نافذ کیا گیا۔ اور پھر اس قانون کی زد میں خود مسلم لیگی بھی آئے۔ حالیہ برسوں میں ایک اور عنصر بھی پابندیوں کے ہتھیار کے طور پر متعارف ہوا ہے۔ یعنی فون پر چینلز اور اخبارات کے سینئر ایڈیٹوریل اسٹاف کو زبانی ہدایات دی جاتی ہیں کہ کس سیاستداں کا نام نہیں لیا جائے گا۔ کون سا جلسہ میڈیا کوریج کے لیے حلال ہے اور کون سی ریلی کی رپورٹنگ حرام ہے۔ حتیٰ کہ عدالتی کارروائی کی بھی من و عن اشاعت کی حوصلہ شکنی کی جاتی ہے۔

باقاعدہ سنسر کا تحریری حکم جاری کرنے کے بجائے زبانی ہدایات دینے کے اس بڑھتے ہوئے رجحان کا مقصد یہ ہے کہ سانپ بھی مر جائے اور لاٹھی بھی نہ ٹوٹے اور ایسے کسی زبانی حکم کو کسی عدالت یا فورم پر چیلنج کرنے کے لیے کوئی ثبوت بھی نہ چھوڑا جائے۔ مگر میڈیا کے لیے یہ حالات نئے نہیں ہیں۔ ایک مستقل جدوجہد ہے جس کی شکلیں وقت کے ساتھ ساتھ بدلتی رہی ہیں۔ آزادیِ اظہار کی لڑائی ایک نہ ختم ہونے والا سلسلہ ہے۔ لہٰذا جہاں ہے اور جیسا ہے کی بنیاد پر عالمی یوم صحافت کی میڈیا کارکنوں کو مبارک باد۔

وسعت اللہ خان 

بشکریہ ایکپسریس نیوز

[risingpakistan]

کیا اسلام آباد میں ایک دیوانے کی گنجائش بھی نہیں؟

نگران حکومت کے سنہرے دور کے آغاز میں ہی ایک وزیر نے سب کو خبردار کیا تھا کہ پاکستان ایک ایٹمی قوت ہے اس لیے یہاں پر اداروں کو بدنام کرنے کی اجازت نہیں دی جا سکتی۔ میرا خیال تھا نگران شاہ سے زیادہ شاہ کے وفادار بننے چلے ہیں۔ جتنا بڑا آپ کے پاس ہتھیار ہوتا ہے، خوف اتنا ہی کم ہونا چاہیے۔ جب سے ہم نے بم بنایا ہے ہمیں یہی بتایا گیا ہے کہ اب دشمن ہمیں کبھی میلی آنکھ سے نہیں دیکھ سکتا۔ امریکہ سے انڈیا تک جتنی آوارہ طاقتیں ہیں، جہاں چاہے گھس جاتی ہیں وہ پاکستان کی سرحدوں کے اند آتے ہوئے سو دفعہ سوچیں گے۔ دفاعی تجزیہ نگار بھی یہی بتاتے تھے کہ یہ والا بم چلانے کے لیے نہیں، دشمن کو دھمکانے کے لیے استعمال ہوتا ہے۔ جب نگران وزیر صاحب نے اس بم سے اپنے ہی عوام کو دھمکانا شروع کیا تو لگا کے شاید پاکستان ایک اور طرح کی دفاعی ریاست بننے جا رہی ہے۔ کل اسلام آباد میں زیرِ حراست صحافی اور یوٹیوبر اسد طور کی 78 سالہ والدہ کا ایک مختصر سا ویڈیو دیکھا جب وہ اپنے بیٹے سے مل کر آئی تھیں۔ وہ کھانا لے کر گئیں تھیں طور نے نہیں کھایا، وہ اصرار کرتی رہیں۔ طور بھوک ہڑتال پر تھا اس لیے غالباً والدہ کو ٹالنے کے لیے کہا بعد میں کھا لوں گا۔

ان کی والدہ نے ایف آئی اے کو، عدالتوں کو یا کسی اور ادارے سے کوئی شکوہ نہیں کیا صرف یہ دعا کی کہ اللہ میرے بیٹے کو ہدایت دے۔ اسلام آباد کو ہمیشہ دور سے حسرت کی نظر سے دیکھا ہے۔ کبھی جانے کا اتفاق ہوا تو ایک ہی شام میں دس سیانوں سے ملاقات ہو جاتی ہے۔ کسی کے پاس اندر کی خبر، کسی کے پاس اندر سے بھی اندر کی اور پھر وہ جو اندر کی خبر باہر لانے والوں کے نام اور حسب نسب بھی بتا دیتے ہیں۔ اسد طور سے نہ کبھی ملاقات ہوئی نہ کبھی سیانا لگا۔ کبھی کبھی اس کے یوٹیوب چینل پر بٹن دبا دیتا تھا۔ منحنی سا، جذباتی سا، گلی کی نکڑ پر کھڑا لڑکا جو ہاتھ ہلا ہلا کر کبھی ٹھنڈی کبھی تلخ زبان میں باتیں کرنے والا۔ گذشتہ ماہ اسلام آباد میں بلوچستان سے اپنے اغوا شدہ پیاروں کا حساب مانگنے آئی ہوئی بچیوں اور بزرگوں نے کیمپ لگایا اور اسلام آباد کے زیادہ تر سیانے اپنے آتش دانوں کے سامنے الیکشن کے نتائج پر شرطیں لگا رہے تھے تو وہ کیمرا لے کر احتجاجی کیمپوں سے ان کی آواز ہم تک پہنچاتا رہا۔

میں نے سوچا کہ یہ کیسا یوٹیوبر ہے جسے یہ بھی نہیں پتا کہ بلوچ کہانیاں سنا کر کبھی بھی کوئی یوٹیوب سٹار نہیں بنا۔ اس سے پہلے سنا ہے کہ جب سپریم کورٹ کے موجودہ چیف جسٹس پر بُرا وقت آیا تھا تو ان کی عزت کا محافظ بنا ہوا تھا۔ عدلیہ کی سیاست کی کبھی سمجھ نہیں آئی لیکن میں یہی سمجھا کہ سیانوں کے اس شہر اسلام آباد میں شاید ہمیشہ ایک دیوانے کی ضرورت ہوتی ہے۔ ہماری تاریخ اور ثقافتی روایت بھی ہے۔ بادشاہ بھی اپنے دربار میں مسخرہ رکھتے تھے، گاؤں کا چوہدری بھی میراثی کو برداشت کرتا ہے۔ گاؤں میں ایک ملنگ نہ ہو تو گاؤں مکمل نہیں ہوتا۔ اسد طور بھی مجھے کیمرے والا ملنگ ہی لگا جس کے بغیر اسلام آباد کا گاؤں مکمل نہیں ہوتا۔ اس گاؤں میں ابھی تک یہ طے نہیں ہے کہ طور پر زیادہ غصہ عدلیہ عظمیٰ کو ہے یا ان کو جن کے لیے اسلام آباد کے صحافی کندھوں پر انگلیاں رکھ کر بتاتے تھے، پھر کسی نے بتایا کہ یہ کوڈ ورڈ پاکستان کے عسکری اداروں کے لیے ہے۔ اسلام آباد کے ایک بھیدی نے بتایا کہ مسئلہ یہ نہیں کہ کس ادارے کی زیادہ بےعزتی ہوئی ہے لیکن یہ کہ اسد طور تھوڑا سا بدتمیز ہے، کسی کی عزت نہیں کرتا۔

مجھے اب بھی امید ہے کہ اسلام آباد میں کوئی سیانا کسی بڑے سیانے کو سمجھا دے گا کہ ہم ایک ایٹمی قوت ہیں اور ہم نے دشمن چنا ہے اتنا دبلا پتلا طور۔ اچھا نہیں لگتا۔ ہمارے نگران وزیراعظم ہمیں ایک دفعہ یہ بھی بتا چکے ہیں کہ دہشت گردوں کی بھی مائیں ہوتی ہیں۔ اسد طور کی والدہ کیمرے پر دعا مانگ چکی ہیں کہ اللہ ان کے بیٹے کو ہدایت دے۔ دونوں ادارے جن کے ساتھ اسد طور نے بدتمیزی کی ہے، ان کے سربراہ ہمیں کبھی کبھی دین کا درس دیتے ہیں۔ دعا ہر دین کا بنیادی عنصر ہے۔ اگر وہ انصاف نہیں دے سکتے تو طور کی والدہ کی دعا کے ساتھ دعا کریں کہ اللہ ہمارے بیٹے کو ہدایت دے اور اس کے ساتھ اپنے لیے بھی اللہ سے ہدایت مانگ لیں۔

محمد حنیف

بشکریہ بی بی سی اردو

[yourdailyqueer]

Mobeen Azhar

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

DOB: Born 1980  

Ethnicity: Pakistani

Nationality: British

Occupation: Journalist, presenter, producer

[xtruss]

The One & Only, The Legend of Legends Former Prime Minister of Pakistan IMRAN KHAN!

Corrupt to their Cores, Thieves, Looters and Traitors Pakistan’s Army Generals, Politicians of Thirteen Dirty Political Parties, Judges and Yellow Journalists are Scared of IMRAN KHAN, The Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. This is the real honest man who showed the World their Abominable Faces who were destroying Pakistan By licking the Scrotums of the Hegemonic, Conspirator, Two-Faced, Liar and War Criminal United States for the past 75 Years!

[dumpshittybrain]

India has not attacked Pakistan, it has only attacked terror camps in the territory that has been occupied by Pakistan for the last 70 years.

Muslims in India are fortunate to be living in a country where they can breathe freely and they should believe in "Islam of Allah, and not in Islam of Mullah".

~Tarek Fatah,Pakistani-Canadian journalist and author.

If I have one idol, it is Mr. Tarek Fateh

A little about him:

Tarek Fatah (November 1949–24 April 2023) was a Pakistani-Canadian journalist and author.

Fatah advocated LGBT rights, a separation of religion and state, opposition to sharia law, and advocacy for a liberal, progressive form of Islam.

He called himself "an Indian born in Pakistan" and "a Punjabi born into Islam" and is a vocal critic of the Pakistani religious and political establishment.

To this end, Fatah has criticized the partition of India.

The struggles he had to face for speaking the truth and opposing radical Pakistani Islamic policies:

He was a leftist student leader in the 1960s and 1970s and was imprisoned twice by military regimes.

In 1977, he was charged with sedition and barred from journalism by the Zia-ul Haq regime.

In early 2011, Fatah said that he received a threat via Twitter. Fatah contacted Toronto Police Service and later met with two police officers from 51 Division. Fatah said that police intelligence officers, one a Muslim officer who had shut down a previous investigation into a death threat, shut down the investigation and claimed there was no threat.

Assassination attempt:

In 2017, Indian police arrested two men who were hired by Chhota Shakeel to assassinate Fatah.

Wikipedia article:

We lost this warrior, one of the bravest and most influential personalities of our time to cancer on 24 April 2023.

May the highest power grant him peace.

[waterforcarefoundation]

Pakistan’s Path Forward: Restoring the Founders’ Vision Through the Role of the Army

A I Khalil 4th Sept.2024 Pakistan has long been identified as an Islamic state, shaped by historical events often perceived as controversial. However, this Islamic identity was not at the heart of its formation. The partition of India was driven by the deteriorating relations between Hindus and Muslims in a united India. This growing rift […]Pakistan’s Path Forward: Restoring the Founders’ Vision…

[beenasarwar]

Sarmad Khoosat live; Celebrating love in Boston; Sapan News tribute to a harmonium soloist

Some updates about what we are up to at the Sapan network, including my latest venture Sapan News syndicated features, furthering the narrative of regionalism, peace, and dialogue. What can you do to help? Read on

A compilation of offerings from our Sapan network, including my latest venture Sapan News syndicated features. Together, we aim to further the narrative of regionalism, peace, and dialogue. What can you do? Read on Visual: Aekta Kapoor/Sapan Delighted to have acclaimed actor and director Sarmad Khoosat join us Sunday July 16 for Sapan’s first fundraiser, hosted by poet Dr Arvinder Chamak in…

[creative-pens]

Family Of Pakistani Journalist Says He Is Missing, Police Deny Claim

Many social media users have expressed concern over the disappearance of Abid Mir.

The family of a Pakistani journalist has claimed that he is missing since Wednesday, according to Dawn. Abir Mir, who also works as a human rights activist in Balochistan, was last seen at an ATM in capital Islamabad on February 8, according to his family. However, the Islamabad Police said on Twitter on Thursday that Mr Mir returned home, but the claim has been denied by his family, the outlet added. As the news about Mr Mir's disappearance spread, social media users expressed concern and demanded that he should be brought back.

Mr Mir's brother Khalid posted a video on Twitter yesterday in which he said that the journalist was in touch with his family and friends till 6.30pm and then disappeared.

Khalid further said that the family is in contact with the police to file an FIR. He added that the journalist had not been involved in any controversial issue and did not face any threat from anyone.

Speaking to Dawn, Khalid said he didn't pay much attention to the news yesterday as Mr Abid often left the house late at night to study with his friends.

But he received a call from Mr Abid's family on Thursday morning and was informed that he is missing.

The Islamabad Police, meanwhile, said in a tweet posted in Urdu that Mr Mir had returned home. They further said that the impression of Mr Abid going missing was false and had been created after the journalist lost contact with his family, according to an English translation of the tweet.

The issue gave ammunition to the opposition to attack the government in Pakistan. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune that the number of such cases has increased under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

[ermdoctorwho]

If every doctor had a news coverage abt them

IN THE NEWS TODAY :

-Teachers get kidnapped ; old homeless man suspected.

- Excentric self-proclaimed doctor and scottish boyfriend cause mischief with Yetis in London Underground ; Futurist female friend and her photograph girlfriend still at their search.

-Old fancy man defeats bearded leader with karate and military intervention.

-Beloved bohemian scientist falls off of a tower ; Thinks Dr.Sullivan is an imbecile, and develops affection for peculiar robotic pet dog. Journalist Sarah-Jane Smith refuses to cover the news.

-Cricket-like Father of four takes on adventures into space ; unfortunately becomes father of three as the fourth sacrifices himself.

-Arrogant blonde man with horrible fashion choices fights the Matrix with american woman and redhead woman ; gets defeated by "The Rani".

-Goofy but manipulative spoon-player unofficially adopts troubled teenage girl who masters explosives.

-Young man goes back between the 19th and the 20th century to find hot girls and guys to fuck.

-Bald man saves people around time and space and cheats on blonde woman with Sherlock Holmes.

-Adored silly man ruins redhead woman's marriage ; still revered by thousands.

-Knockoff of the adored silly man forgets how to interact with humans and has a complicated romance with woman called River Pond.

-Old emo teenager accused of murder ; says the victim was 'dead already'.

-Silly blonde woman who has midlife crisis at age 20 has pakistani lesbian lover ; denies.

-Adored silly man resurrects from death ; is Jesus ?

I'M YOUR ANCHOR ANNE KERR, THIS IS TODAY'S NEWS AND WTF ?!?

[ausetkmt]

Video shows migrants waiting before ill-fated migrant boat voyage

03:41 - Source: CNN

CNN  — 

The hull of the fishing trawler lifted out of the water as it sank, catapulting people from the top deck into the black sea below. In the darkness, they grabbed onto whatever they could to stay afloat, pushing each other underwater in a frantic fight for survival. Some were screaming, many began to recite their final prayers.

“I can still hear the voice of a woman calling out for help,” one survivor of the migrant boat disaster off the coast of Greece told CNN. “You’d swim and move floating bodies out of your way.”

With hundreds of people still missing after the overloaded vessel capsized in the Mediterranean on June 14, the testimonies of those who were onboard paint a picture of chaos and desperation. They also call into question the Greek coast guard’s version of events, suggesting more lives could have been saved, and may even point to fault on the part of Greek authorities.

Rights groups allege the tragedy is both further evidence and a result of a new pattern in illegal pushbacks of migrant boats to other nations’ waters, with deadly consequences.

This boat was carrying up to 750 Pakistani, Syrian, Egyptian and Palestinian refugees and migrants. Only 104 people have been rescued alive.

CNN has interviewed multiple survivors of the shipwreck and their relatives, all of whom have wished to remain anonymous for security reasons and the fear of retribution from authorities in both Greece and at home.

One survivor from Syria, whom CNN is identifying as Rami, described how a Greek coast guard vessel approached the trawler multiple times to try to attach a rope to tow the ship, with disastrous results.

“The third time they towed us, the boat swayed to the right and everyone was screaming, people began falling into the sea, and the boat capsized and no one saw anyone anymore,” he said. “Brothers were separated, cousins were separated.”

Another Syrian man, identified as Mostafa, also believes it was the maneuver by the coast guard that caused the disaster. “The Greek captain pulled us too fast, it was extremely fast, this caused our boat to sink,” he said.

The Hellenic Coast Guard has repeatedly denied attempting to tow the vessel. An official investigation into the cause of the tragedy is still ongoing.

Coast guard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told CNN over the phone last week: “When the boat capsized, we were not even next to (the) boat. How could we be towing it?” Instead, he insisted they had only been “observing at a close distance” and that “a shift in weight probably caused by panic” had caused the boat to tip.

The Hellenic Coast Guard has declined to answer CNN’s specific requests for response to the survivor testimonies.

Direct accounts from those who survived the wreck have been limited, due to their concerns about speaking out and the media having little access to the survivors. CNN interviewed Rami and Mostafa outside the Malakasa migrant camp near Athens, where journalists are not permitted entry.

The Syrian men said the conditions on board the migrant boat deteriorated fast in the more than five days after it set off from Tobruk, Libya, in route to Italy. They had run out of water and had resorted to drinking from storage bottles that people had urinated in.

“People were dying. People were fainting. We used a rope to dip clothes into the sea and use that to squeeze water on people who had lost consciousness,” Rami said.

CNN’s analysis of marine traffic data, combined with information from NGOs, merchant vessels and the European Union border patrol agency, Frontex, suggests that Greek authorities were aware of the distressed vessel for at least 13 hours before it eventually sank early on June 14.

The Greek coast guard has maintained that people onboard the trawler had refused rescue and insisted they wanted to continue their journey to Italy. But survivors, relatives and activists say they had asked for help multiple times.

Earlier in the day, other ships tried to help the trawler. Directed by the Greek coast guard, two merchant vessels – Lucky Sailor and Faithful Warrior – approached the boat between 6 and 9 p.m. on June 13 to offer supplies, according to marine traffic data and the logs of those ships. But according to survivors this only caused more havoc onboard.

“Fights broke out over food and water, people were screaming and shouting,” Mostafa said. “If it wasn’t for people trying to calm the situation down, the boat was on the verge of sinking several times.”

By early evening, six people had already died onboard, according to an audio recording reviewed by CNN from Italian activist Nawal Soufi, who took a distress call from the migrant boat at around 7 p.m. Soufi’s communication with the vessel also corroborated Mostafa’s account that people moved from one side of the boat to the other after water bottles were passed from the cargo ships, causing it to sway dangerously.

The haunting final words sent from the migrant boat came just minutes before it capsized. According to a timeline published by NGO Alarm Phone they received a call, at around 1:45 a.m., with the words “Hello my friend… The ship you send is…” Then the call cuts out.

The coast guard says the vessel began to sink at around 2 a.m.

The next known activity in the area, according to marine traffic data, was the arrival of a cluster of vessels starting around 3 a.m. The Mayan Queen superyacht was the first on the scene for what soon became a mass rescue operation.

Human rights groups say the authorities had a duty to act to save lives, regardless of what people on board were saying to the coast guard before the migrant boat capsized.

“The boat was overcrowded, was unseaworthy and should have been rescued and people taken to safety, that’s quite clear,” UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Vincent Cochetel told CNN in an interview. “There was a responsibility for the Greek authorities to coordinate a rescue to bring those people safely to land.”

Cochetel also pointed to a growing trend by countries, including Greece, to assist migrant boats in leaving their waters. “That’s a practice we’ve seen in recent months. Some coastal states provide food, provide water, sometimes life jackets, sometimes even fuel to allow such boats to continue to only one destination: Italy. And that’s not fair, Italy cannot cope with that responsibility alone.”

Survivors who say the coast guard tried to tow their boat say they don’t know what the aim was.

There have been multiple documented examples in recent years of Greek patrol boats engaging in so-called “pushbacks” of migrant vessels from Greek waters in recent years, including in a CNN investigation in 2020.

“It looks like what the Greeks have been doing since March 2020 as a matter of policy, which is pushbacks and trying to tow a boat to another country’s water in order to avoid the legal responsibility to rescue,” Omer Shatz, legal director of NGO Front-LEX, told CNN. “Because rescue means disembarkation and disembarkation means processing of asylum requests.”

Pushbacks are state measures aimed at forcing refugees and migrants out of their territory, while impeding access to legal and procedural frameworks, according to the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR). They are a violation of international law, as well as European regulations.

And such measures do not appear to have deterred human traffickers whose businesses prey on vulnerable and desperate migrants.

In an interview with CNN last month, then Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis denied that his country engaged in intentional pushbacks and described them as a “completely unacceptable practice.” Mitsotakis is widely expected to win a second term in office in Sunday’s election, after failing to get an outright majority in a vote last month.

A series of Greek governments have been criticized for their handling of migration policy, including conditions in migrant camps, particularly following the 2015-16 refugee crisis, when more than 1 million people entered Europe through the country.

For those who lived through last week’s sinking, the harrowing experience will never be forgotten.

Mostafa and Rami both say they wish they had never made the journey, despite the fact they are now in Europe and are able to claim asylum.

Most of all, Mostafa says, he wishes the Greek coast guard had never approached their boat: “If they had left us be, we wouldn’t have drowned.”

[avizou]

Pakistan is in the process of deporting 1.7 million Afghan refugees.

At least 60% of them are children born and raised in Pakistan, as Afghans have been seeking refuge within their southern neighbour's borders since the 1970s. Harrassment by Pakistani law enforcement has increased to unprecedented levels as they have started raiding refugee camps. People are held at newly constructed detention centers without transparency or access to legal representation.

Afghans are now being forced to return to a country ruled by a group that doesn't grant women equal rights and is aiming to establish a gender-apartheid state. Ethnic and religious minorities continue to suffer state-sanctioned violence. Among these refugees, journalists, former government employees and ISAF collaborators will all have to fear for their lives upon return.

Additionally, Afghanistan is facing a humanitarian crisis. Higher grain prices, an on-going draught and continued international sanctions are currently putting 20 million people at risk of a famine. Just recently, several magnitude 6 earthquakes killed over 3,000 and injured over 10,000 in the Western province Herat.

[darkeagleruins]

Headline: Democrat Charged with Murdering Investigative Journalist Spins Wild Tale in Court, Claims He’s Being Framed by Realty Company. Very odd story Robert Telles is telling in his murder trial.

Backstory: the FBI had met with Stephen Paddock just before the Las Vegas shooting. A Las Vegas Review Journal investigative journalist and friend, Jeff German, had tracked down a video of that meeting between the FBI and CIA asset Stephen Paddock in a Pakistani Cafe. We had alerted German of the meeting but were unable to find if there was an actual video.

Days later, Robert Telles, in a disguise, stabbed German to death on his front porch.

Police say German was about to reveal a negative story on Telles.

We believe the same retired FBI Special Agent that met Paddock in Las Vegas, convinced Telles that he had to kill German because he was about to reveal the Democratic administrator of a Clark County office that handles unclaimed estates had been running scheme stealing unclaimed property.

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

A searing analysis from Melanie Phillips that uncovers the reasons for Britain's current rioting debacle, including facts that many other journalists have not discussed.

The violence on our streets today, as disgusting and inexcusable as it is, is the result of a failed policy and social experiment: mass immigration. While I am no friend to criminals and racial bigots, I am no friend to those who wrought this disastrous policy upon Britain, either.

Many of us warned that constant demonisation of critics of mass immigration only served to empower the extremists. One wonders whether that was deliberate: the act of marginalising criticism of mass immigration so that extremists would become enraged, thereby allowing supporters of mass immigration to dismiss their opposition entirely.

While the new government justifiably seeks the punishment of thugs, it must recognise that its support of uncontrolled immigration is the biggest cause of division and unrest in this country. Millions do not want it. Millions never asked for it in the first place. Millions have consistently voted against it.

When the British public discovered that gangs of Pakistani Muslim and British-Pakistani Muslim men were collecting white English girls in multiple cities for rape, gang rape, kidnapping, and even torture, and that police and social services aware of these accusations kept silent for fear of stoking racial division, the powers that be were extremely lucky that we did not see mass riots like we're seeing today.

This woeful story has left a lasting disgrace upon this country, and is an exact representation of why mass immigration and multiculturalism are profoundly foolish, reckless, failed ideas.

After at least 20 years of discontent over the rapid increase in immigration and total transformation of our country without consent, this violence is the inexcusable, yet predictable, result.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

𝗔 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 (just a list of feel good movies you can watch this weekend)

𝟭. 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲) – A heartwarming story of a boy in 1980s Dublin who forms a band to impress a girl, discovering his passion for music and creativity along the way.

𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗻 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵) – A feel-good adventure where a young man with Down syndrome follows his dream of becoming a professional wrestler, forming unexpected friendships.

𝟯. 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲) – A quirky New Zealand film about a rebellious kid and his foster uncle going on the run in the wilderness, leading to heartwarming moments of family and belonging.

𝟰. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯) – A shy teenager finds self-confidence and belonging during a summer at a water park, with uplifting themes of growth and friendship.

𝟱. 𝗬𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵) – After a global blackout, a struggling musician wakes up in a world where The Beatles never existed and uses their songs to find fame and joy.

𝟲. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵) – An inspiring and humorous journey of a woman who decides to run a marathon, transforming her life and self-worth along the way.

𝟳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱-𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟰) – A delightful tale about an Indian family opening a restaurant in the French countryside, bringing cultures together through food.

𝟴. 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯) – A romantic drama with a time-travel twist, reminding viewers to appreciate every moment of life and the people we love.

𝟵. 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵)– Set in the 1980s, this is a coming-of-age story of a Pakistani-British teenager whose life is changed by the music of Bruce Springsteen.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗔 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵) – A journalist’s life is transformed after interviewing Fred Rogers, a film about kindness, healing, and human connection.

𝟭𝟭. 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗹 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬) – A Pixar animation that delves into purpose, passion, and finding joy in the small, everyday moments of life.

𝟭𝟮. 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟰) – A group of LGBTQ+ activists join forces with a small mining community during a strike, bringing warmth and unity against adversity.

𝟭𝟯. 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯) – A heartfelt film about two lost souls in New York City who collaborate to create an album, finding themselves in the process.

𝟭𝟰. 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀 (𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬)𝟯) – A fun and uplifting musical series where a teenage girl forms a band with three ghosts, blending humor, heart, and catchy tunes.

𝟭𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲) – A quirky and uplifting story of a caregiver and his disabled patient who go on a road trip, finding friendship, humor, and hope.

[xtruss]

Kenya: UN Expert Urges Full Accountability For Pakistani Journalist’s Killing After Landmark Ruling

— 25 September 2024 | United Nations 🇺🇳

Mr. Arshad Sharif, Journalist

Geneva — A UN expert said today Kenyan and Pakistani authorities must step up efforts to fully investigate the killing of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and prosecute those responsible, in line with a landmark ruling by a Kenyan High Court Judge S. N. Mutuku .

“It is now almost two years since Arshad Sharif’s death and several months since the Kenyan High Court delivered a historic judgment ruling his killing “unlawful”, “arbitrary” and “disproportionate”. “None of the police officers linked to the shooting has been arrested and no charges have been filed by prosecutors in Kenya yet”, said Irene Khan, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression.

“Despite the Kenyan High Court’s ruling, I am deeply concerned that neither the Kenyan authorities nor the Pakistani government have stepped up their efforts to fully investigate the case”, the Special Rapporteur said.

Arshad Sharif fled the country in August after cases were filed against him for an interview of an opposition politician. AP Photo

Sharif was killed by Kenyan law enforcement at a roadblock in Nairobi in October 2022, in an incident described by Kenyan security officials as a case of mistaken identity. On 8 July 2024, following a civil suit brought by Sharif’s family, the High Court of Kenya in Kajiado ruled that the use of lethal force in Sharif’s death was “unlawful and unconstitutional” and required the Kenyan State to pay 10 million shillings ($77,500) in compensation to Sharif’s family.

“The High Court judgment is an important victory, but its real impact will only be felt if the two governments bring the perpetrators of Sharif’s killing to justice”, Khan said.

Arshad Sharif's Murder 'Well-Planned' and 'Clearly Choreographed': Kenya Human Rights Commission! This Photo of Kenya Human Rights Commission Senior Programme Advisor Martin Mavenjina. — Photo: Screenshot

A State-sponsored Pakistani special fact-finding team concluded in December 2022 that Sharif’s death resulted from a planned and targeted assassination by transnational actors. Sharif had previously fled Pakistan to avoid arrest on charges of maligning Pakistan’s national institutions and because of threats to his life. In October 2023, UN experts wrote to Kenyan and Pakistani authorities demanding full investigations into the killing and the charges that led to Arshad’s exile.

Arshad Sharif was killed by two shots fired at close range. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for independent UN probe into Pakistani journalist’s murder in Kenya

“Justice for Mr Sharif and his family will not be done until the circumstances behind this murder are fully clarified, including whether it was a transnational crime, and all responsible actors are identified, prosecuted and punished in Kenya and Pakistan,” Khan said.

In February 2023, a Pakistani Joint Investigative Team established by Pakistan’s Supreme Court reported to State officials that Kenyan authorities had denied them access to evidence and the crime scene, effectively halting their investigation.

Nearly two years after his killing near Nairobi, a Kenyan court found police had acted unlawfully in the October 2022 shooting of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif. Credit: Twitter

“I urge the Kenyan and Pakistani governments to muster the political will to ensure full accountability and bring to justice all those responsible for Arshad Sharif’s murder, so that this case can become a landmark reference in the fight against impunity for the killing of journalists,” Khan said.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Naturally, the subservient Palestinians would be their useful stooges to undertake the overthrow of both regimes. Yasser Arafat and his duplicitous cohorts were overjoyed at their backer’s belief in their military capabilities and were only too willing firstly to overthrow their Jordanian brothers who had not only housed them but contributed financially and politically supported them since their creation in the 1960’s. Egypt would soon follow.

September 1970, known as Black September was the chosen date for the Palestinians to achieve their treacherous agenda which they naively considered to be an easy task. The Jordanians however were sensible enough to call on the assistance of their ally Pakistan and an ambitious Pakistani army officer, Brigadier Muhammad Zia-al-Haq who with elite Pakistani troops and the 2nd Division of the Jordanian army annihilated Arafat’s militias resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the expulsion of thousands of Yasser Arafat’s followers and their families to Lebanon.

To this day those Palestinians and their heirs were stripped and still barred from obtaining Jordanian citizenship. Treachery has a price. The exact death toll has never been quantified as media support for the Palestinians disallowed coverage let alone expose a humiliating defeat at the hands of Jordan (and Pakistan) their former supporter. Research suggests that up to 25,000 of Arafat’s army were killed and over 100,000 ‘ethnically cleansed’ to Lebanon.

As a comparison the 75-year conflict with Israel has resulted in half that number of deaths.

The Lebanese did not want but had no option than to accept the defeated Arab Palestinian presence in their country and did their best to accommodate.

Typically, as is befitting of the Palestinians, Lebanese goodwill was met with treachery. On January 20th 1976, during the very start of what was going to be a fifteen-year civil war, the Palestinians siding with Islamists, attacked a sleepy Maronite Christian town, Damour, on the main highway south of Beirut.

Armed Palestinian militants committed barbarity after barbarity, atrocity after atrocity on old men, women and children. They made mothers watch the slaughter of their children before the mothers themselves were raped and beheaded. Young men were lined up against a wall and sprayed with machine guns whilst their parents were made to watch.

The Palestinian Charter of 1968 not only commands Jew extermination but also subservience to Islam or death of all other races and religions. They certainly attempted to achieve their latter objective at Damour.

That’s how the Palestinians repaid Lebanese generosity when they were forced out of Jordan. Yet again mainstream media chose to ignore this episode given the bad light that would have been shone on Israel’s enemy. Again, the number of deaths and casualties is unknown but even the most pro-Palestinian journalists such as the late Robert Fisk, who were later allowed access to the village estimated the numbers between 300 and 500 deaths. Others suggested 1000 plus. To this very day the Lebanese naturally detest the Palestinians and impose a a system of apartheid against them. And who can blame them.