Latest news with #Shahbaz
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
As Pakistan moves to ban black magic, astrologers see a bad omen
The curtain glows under ceiling lights, and a soft cream-colored screen guards the privacy of clients who slip inside. On a glass panel by the door, bold white letters offer quiet assurance: Shahbaz, Astrologer & Palmist. Shahbaz Anjum has worked in Shop 2-A inside the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore, Pakistan, for 24 years. He does not advertise. Yet rich and poor, believer and skeptic, come to him for luck, direction, a glimpse behind the veil. "I help people," Anjum said. "That's all. I don't claim to heal, and I certainly don't do black magic ." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Average Cost To Rent A Private Jet May Surprise You (View Prices) Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo He felt compelled to make that distinction as the Pakistani government moves to crack down on occult practices that lawmakers call a threat to the country's social fabric. A bill approved by the country's Senate in March would impose prison terms of up to seven years and thousands of dollars in fines on people who provide a vaguely defined set of supernatural services. Live Events Spiritual practitioners worry that a range of esoteric practices will be targeted in this deeply religious and culturally conservative country. They point to the inherent difficulty and danger in policing belief, and say that the legislation risks conflating spirituality and superstition with con artistry and criminality. Supporters say the legislation is needed to combat fraud. The bill speaks in moralistic terms about protecting families from "sorcery" and "ignorant malpractices" carried out in the name of spiritual healing. The bill, which now moves to the lower house of parliament, would require spiritual practitioners to register with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which would decide which activities are outlawed. Aiysha Mirza, a Lahore-based spiritual healer who blends tarot cards, birth charts and hypnotherapy in her practice, said that the ministry "cannot understand what I do." "The government needs to broaden its perspective," she said. "What we really need is a new Religion and Metaphysical Authority." Mirza fears that the legislation would fall hardest on those who are visible and aim to be law-abiding -- not those operating in secret or inflicting indisputable mental, physical or financial harm. "Real black magic," she said, "is something entirely different. Those people never show their faces." Pakistan is no stranger to spiritual contradiction. A nuclear-armed state with a highly wired population, it is also a place where political leaders consult holy men before taking office and where television anchors read horoscopes on prime-time news shows. Everyday believers -- many of them highly educated -- seek solace in a mix of religion, ritual and metaphysics, even as orthodox Islamic scholars have long declared astrology, palmistry and fortunetelling incompatible with faith. Shabana Ali, a tarot reader who has a steady following among professionals in Islamabad, the capital, said she had no intention of registering with the government. "I'm not interested in being judged by clerics who think in binaries -- haram and halal, real and fake," she said. In legislating belief, Ali said, "you're not just regulating fraud. You're deciding what kind of spirituality is allowed." The bill's backers say spiritual fraud is so rampant that something must be done. "There are advertisements in newspapers, there's wall chalking in many cities -- people promoting Bengali magic, fake pirs, people offering love spells," said Faisal Saleem, chair of the Senate's Interior Committee, referring to fake holy men. "It has to stop," he added. Others, like Syed Ali Zanjani, whose family runs a spiritual center in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, believe that the legislation's intent may be right -- but that care must be taken in putting it into practice. Zanjani receives clients at a large house opposite a stretch of military residences and a golf course. An assistant greets visitors in the main hall and offers tea as they wait. His family has been in the spiritual trade since 1945, holding public prediction sessions and advising a cross-section of society, including politicians, generals and businessmen. "This field has been abused by frauds," Zanjani said. "If someone wants to clean that up, it's a good thing." But he is wary of how the law might be applied. "You have to define whether astrology is science or a spiritual subject," he said. "You can't punish what you can't explain." There have been attempts to regulate the occult across the region. In Saudi Arabia, the religious police have pursued people accused of sorcery, in some cases leading to their execution. But rights groups warn that laws targeting spiritual practices -- often vague by design -- can be weaponized. At the Pearl Continental in Lahore, where Anjum works with a magnifying glass and a birth chart opened on a laptop, he describes his work not as mysticism, but as "mere calculations." Zanjani, however, believes such skills cannot be distilled into equations. "Our work," he said, "falls under spirituality, rooted in a long tradition of Islamic mysticism." Between those two -- the astrologer who believes in reason, and the spiritualist who believes in tradition -- lies a country that must now decide how far it wants to go in policing the unseen. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Business Recorder
7 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
RTI doesn't extend to any legitimate privacy interest: LHC
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) held that right to information (RTI) does not extend to any legitimate privacy interest and request for provision of information can validly be withheld which violates the privacy of an individual. The court passed this order in an Intra Court Appeal (ICA) of a citizen Shahbaz and burdened the appellant with special cost of rupees one million. The court held that the amount of special cost should be recovered as decree in favour of the respondent department. The court said that the single bench has rightly allowed the constitutional petition of the respondent department; however, the Punjab Information Commission passed the order in blatant excess of its jurisdiction, the court added. The court said the appellant made request for getting information qua disclosure of names of taxpayers and information regarding their properties but imparting of requisite information is subject to an unambiguous consent of said individuals; otherwise, the request could validly be regretted under Section 13 (1) (b) of the Act, the court added. The court observed that the privacy directly relates to an individual's personal life, such as his name, address, phone number, family details, medical history, financial status; etc., which has validly been safeguarded in almost every law, the court added. The court said that any legitimate privacy interest of an individual is protected under the Punjab Transparency and Right to Information Act and it can be withheld under Section 13 (1) (b) of the Act. The court said the right to information is primarily intended to give access to the citizen to the information gathered and maintained by public authorities to ensure that government is functioning in a transparent manner and accountable to the people it serves. The court; however, observed that the provisions of the Act gives the power to public information officer to refuse the application for access to information where such disclosure of information is likely to harm the legitimate privacy or interest of individual unless the person concerned has consented to disclosure of information. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Gulf Today
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Pakistan 'saddened' by deadly plane crash in India
Gulf Today Report Leaders from Pakistan expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of at least 242 lives in the tragic plane crash incident in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday. Minutes after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, the London-bound Air India flight 171 crashed with 242 on board. Reacting to the plane crash indecent, Prime Minister Shahbaz said: 'Saddened by the tragic crash of Air India flight near Ahmedabad today.' He added: We extend our condolences to the families of the victims grieving this immense loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.' Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday he was "saddened" by a plane crash in neighbouring India, where all 242 people on board an Air India flight are believed killed. "Condolences over the loss of precious lives in this tragic incident. Our sympathies are with the families of the victims in this hour of grief," Dar, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on social media platform X. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has also offered condolences on Air India crash tragedy. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic crash of #AirIndia Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad today. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of all aboard. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected," he said. The defence minister said, "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones of all aboard. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected." Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said he was 'saddened to hear a tragic incident occurred', mentioning the Air India crash. 'I express my profound condolences to the people of India,' he said on X. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has also expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss of lives in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Nawaz Sharif offered heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the Air India plane crash. In his message, he wrote that the devastating tragedy goes beyond borders and reminds us of our shared humanity. He extended his deep sympathy to Prime Minister Modi and the people of India, saying that his thoughts and prayers are with the grieving families. Sharif's message struck a note of compassion and unity, highlighting how such incidents touch hearts on both sides of the border. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Pakistan International Airline (PIA) also extended condolences to the families of all those who lost loved ones in the crash. Taking to X, the spokesperson said: Our hearts go out to the families & loved ones affected by today's tragic crash. At #PIA, we stand in solidarity with our fellow aviation community, offering our deepest condolences to Flight 171 and all those impacted.'
Gulf Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Pakistan's PM Shahbaz set to embark on UAE visit on Thursday
Gulf Today Report Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to undertake an official visit to the UAE on Thursday, along with a high-level delegation. A press release issued by the Foreign Office on Wednesday said that the visit reflected the 'deep-rooted fraternal ties' between Pakistan and the UAE, marked by mutual trust, shared values, and close cooperation across multiple sectors. 'The PM will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers, and other senior officers,' the press release said. During the visit, PM Shahbaz will hold high-level meetings with the UAE leadership, including a bilateral meeting with the President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual interest and concern will be discussed during the high-level interactions. According to the Foreign Office, the prime minister's visit will serve to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE, deepen economic ties, and foster multifaceted collaboration. It said that the visit was a 'manifestation of Pakistan's and UAE's shared commitment to bolstering the mutually beneficial strategic partnership, enhancing cooperation in existing areas of mutual interest, and exploring new avenues for further strengthening the bilateral cordial relations.' In February, Shahbaz was invited by UAE leader to participate in the World Governments Summit (WGS) in Dubai, where he delivered a keynote address highlighting Pakistan's vision for inclusive economic growth, digital transformation and governance reforms. The UAE is one of Pakistan's largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances, with a large Pakistani expatriate population living and working there.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Time of India
Shahbaz murder: Five accused granted Plus One admission
Kozhikode: Five of the six students accused in the Shahbaz murder case were granted Plus One admission following the directions of the high court. Three students were admitted to the Thamarassery govt vocational higher secondary school while the two others secured admission to two schools in Kozhikode. The high court had directed the superintendent of the observation home in Kozhikode where the students are staying to take necessary steps to facilitate the admission of the students, observing that right to admission of students should not be curtailed. Student organisations including KSU and MSF staged protest before the Thamarassery GHSS over the admission of the accused students. They were arrested and removed before the students were brought to the school for seat allotment process. The court heard the bail application of the six accused students and has reserved the judgement. Mohammmad Shahbaz, a student of the MJ higher secondary school, was assaulted using a nunchaku (a martial arts weapon) during an altercation at a farewell function at a tuition centre on Feb 28. He succumbed to the injuries the next day at the Kozhikode govt medical college hospital. Thamarassery Police had booked the students under murder charges. The accused students were allowed to write the SSLC examination while they were at the Vellimadukunnu observational home. Father of Shahbaz said that granting of Plus One admission to the accused students gives a wrong message.
