Pakistan Parliament To Dissolve For An Election Without Ex-PM Imran Khan

Pakistan's parliament was due to be dissolved Wednesday, ushering in a technocrat-led interim government to oversee an election that will not include the country's most popular politician, Imran Khan.

The country has been in political turmoil since the former international cricket star was booted from power in April last year, culminating in his being jailed for graft at the weekend following a months-long crackdown on his party.

By law, elections should be held within 90 days of parliament's dissolution, but the outgoing government has already warned they are likely to be delayed.

The unlikely coalition between the country's usually feuding dynastic parties -- which came together to kick out Khan -- has won little popular support during its 18 months at the helm of the world's fifth-most populous country.

The economy is still in the doldrums despite a new International Monetary Fund bailout, with crippling foreign debt, soaring inflation and widespread unemployment from factories made idle because they lack foreign currency to buy raw materials.

"Economic decisions are invariably tough and often unpopular, requiring a government with a longer tenure to effectively implement them," said Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency think tank.

"This election holds significance as it will result in a five-year term for a new government, which ideally should be empowered to make essential decisions vital for economic recovery."

Question mark over election date

There has been speculation for months that there could be a delay to elections as the establishment grapples to stabilise the country, which is facing overlapping security, economic and political crises. 

Data from the latest census carried out in May was finally published at the weekend and the government says the election commission needs time to redraw constituency boundaries -- a sore point for several political parties.

Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center, told AFP that any delay could give time to the main coalition partners, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), to figure out how to address the challenge of PTI.

"But in reality, delaying the election could simply anger the public more and galvanize an opposition that has already suffered through months of crackdowns," he said.

Behind any election in Pakistan lurks the military, which has staged at least three successful coups since the country was forged from the partition of India in 1946.

Khan enjoyed genuine widespread support when he came to power in 2018, but analysts say it was only with the blessing of the country's powerful generals -- who he reportedly fell out within the months before his ousting. 

He later waged a risky campaign of defiance against the military, accusing them of meddling in politics and even naming an intelligence officer as being behind an assassination attempt that saw him shot in the leg in November. 

He heaped pressure on the government to hold early elections by holding mass rallies and pulling his MPs from parliament, but ultimately his gambit failed. 

Khan crackdown

Khan, who has been hit with more than 200 legal cases in recent months, has said the charges against him are politically motivated and designed to prevent him from contesting elections. 

His first arrest and brief detention in May sparked days of sometimes violent protests -- with unprecedented anger directed towards the military.

It was met with a fierce crackdown that crushed his street power.

Thousands of his supporters were rounded up -- some still in jail to face a military court -- and most of the party's leaders arrested or forced underground. 

Kugelman said the interim government faced a tough task in the months ahead.

"Ultimately, the biggest challenge will be for the caretaker administration to stay above the partisan fray and not be dragged into the political battles being waged between the politicians and the military," he said.

"It is after all a hyperpartisan and hyperpolarised moment -- not an easy environment for an apolitical caretaker to navigate."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Man In Singapore Locks Up 9 Ex-Employees In Office After Being Fired

A man who was angry over being fired by his company locked up nine ex-employees in the office in Singapore. Fifty-two-year-old Vict Lim Siong Hock padlocked the main door - the only entrance to his former workplace - in September last year, according to Channel News Asia (CNA). On Monday, Lim pleaded guilty to one count of wrongful confinement, with an additional charge of sending an abusive message to a former colleague, the outlet further said. He has been fined $2,983 (Rs 2.47 lakh).

Citing court records, the CNA report said that Lim began working as a driver and logistics assistant at an electronics company situated in Pantech Business Hub in late May 2022. His job began on July 1, 2022, and he worked from 8am to 5pm, with an allotted one-hour lunch break. However, his employment was terminated on August 30, 2022, before he could complete his probation period.

Following his dismissal, Lim purchased a padlock from a hardware store with the intention of locking up the sole entrance to his former workplace. This act stemmed from his resentment towards the termination, the court was told. On September 1, 2022, around 2:20pm, Lim arrived at the office and secured the entrance door with the padlock. According to Lim, he assumed his ex-colleagues were all on their lunch breaks and that "probably all of them" had left the office.

However, the lunch breaks were staggered to ensure that at least one employee was present in the office at any given time.

Approximately 10 minutes after Lim locked the door, an employee attempted to exit the office to use the restroom but was unable to do so. The man realised that the door had been locked from the outside, and informed his other colleagues trapped inside. In total, nine employees were confined within the office. They sought the assistance of a colleague from a different part of the building who confirmed that the entrance door had been padlocked.

To resolve the situation, the company hired a locksmith, incurring a cost of around $60 to remove the padlock that same day. The owner then filed a police report against Lim, whose actions were caught on CCTV.

Facing the charge of wrongful confinement, Lim could spend three years in jail, fined, or face a combination of both penalties.

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France To Offer 5-Year Schengen Visa For Indian Alumni Under New Programme

France on Tuesday said its goal to welcome 30,000 students from India by 2030 is aimed at fostering academic excellence, boosting cultural links and enhancing long-lasting friendship between the two nations.

Under the new programme, France plans to offer a five-year Schengen circulation visa for Indian alumni.

France announced major new initiatives to roll out the "red carpet" for Indian students and alumni during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Paris last month.

The French embassy, giving out details of the programme, said France believes that when an Indian student spends even just a semester in France, it creates a connection that "ought to be fostered and cherished".

"That is why, Indian students who hold a Master's degree or above and have spent at least a semester studying in France are eligible for a five-year short-stay Schengen visa," it said.

This is a special provision for Indian alumni to enable them to keep close links with France and their French counterparts, it noted.

"Our teams are working double time to implement the decisions taken by President (Emmanuel) Macron and Prime Minister Modi in Paris to benefit students," French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said.

"France has always been an inclusive and diverse country, eager to share our rich cultural heritage and world-class education opportunities with Indian students," he said.

"My message for Indian students: France will always be your friend, and we will do everything possible to ensure you have an amazing academic and life experience in our country," he added.

The embassy said the specialised programmes will provide comprehensive training in the French language and other academic disciplines, enabling Indian students to excel in their studies and adapt seamlessly to the French education system.

It said the decision reflects France's commitment to making life as easy as possible for Indian students.

French President Macron announced France's goal to welcome 30,000 students from India by 2030.

"This ambitious target signifies France's conviction that welcoming more Indian students fosters academic excellence, cultural understanding, and long-lasting friendship between our two nations," the embassy said in a statement.

In the light of the initiative, the embassy and the French Institute announced the upcoming 'Choose France Tour 2023'.

Organised by the French government and Campus France, the education fair will be held in four major Indian cities, Chennai (8th Oct), Calcutta (11th Oct), Delhi (13th Oct), and Mumbai (15th Oct).

"It will provide an excellent opportunity to Indian students and their parents to interact with the representatives of more than 40 French higher education institutions present at the fair, and explore a wide range of study options," the embassy said.

With 570 French companies employing more than 400,000 staff in India, graduates with French qualifications gain access to a wide spectrum of career prospects, and the chance to work with globally renowned organisations, it said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Norway To Fine Meta Nearly $100,000 A Day For Defying Data Use Ban

Norway's data protection agency said Tuesday it would start fining Facebook and Instagram owner Meta nearly $100,000 per day for defying a ban on using users' personal information to target ads.

The Norwegian watchdog, Datatilsynet, said Meta would be fined one million kroner ($97,000) per day, starting August 14.

Tobias Judin, head of Datatilsynet's international department, said the fine related to a decision made on July 14, where the agency had temporarily "imposed a ban on behavioural advertising on Facebook and Instagram."

"Meta's behavioural advertising entails intrusive surveillance of its users, negatively impacting their right to data protection and freedom of information," Judin told AFP in an email, adding that there were many vulnerable groups on the platforms, such as "young people, the elderly and people with cognitive disabilities."

"We are also concerned that sensitive personal data may be used for advertising purposes. We have therefore found that Meta's practices are contrary to data protection law," Judin continued.

Datatilsynet announced the ban on July 17 and originally said that Meta had until August 4 to take corrective measures.

"The coercive fine is issued because Meta has not yet complied with our ban," Judin said.

The social media giant said last week it intends to ask users in the European Union, EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland to give their consent before allowing targeted advertising on its networks.

European regulators in January had dismissed the previous legal basis -- "legitimate interest" -- Meta had used to justify gathering users' personal data for targeted advertising.

Judin said this was a "positive change -- but personal data continues to be processed unlawfully in the interim."

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On Outcry Over Bilkis Bano's Rapists Walking Free, Supreme Court Says...

Public outcry will not affect judicial decisions, the Supreme Court asserted on Tuesday, as it began weighing the legality of the remission granted to all the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan made it clear that agitations and society's outcry will not have an effect on its decisions and that it will go only by the law.

"Public outcry will not affect our judicial decisions. We will consider only legal submissions and will not go by this (public anger over the incident). Suppose, there is no public outcry. Are we supposed to uphold the order? If there is a public outcry, does it mean it is a wrong order?" the bench told advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bilkis Bano.

The observation came after Ms Gupta submitted that "public outcry" is one of the important factors to be considered while granting remission to convicts.

She said there was an outcry in society after the convicts in the case were released and there were agitations across the country.

As the hearing began on Tuesday, Bilkis Bano's counsel told the top court the Additional Director General of Police, Prisons and Correctional Administration, Gujarat had tendered a negative opinion about remission to the convicts and not recommended premature release of one of them - Radheshyam Shah.

She told the bench that after Radheshyam Shah's plea seeking premature release under the Gujarat government's July 9, 1992 policy on remission was declined by the Gujarat High Court, he approached the top court in a writ petition for relief.

"How is this writ petition before this court maintainable after he has already availed remedy under Article 226 (before HC), accepted order and acted on it? For what purpose did he come to this court, and how did this court entertain the petition?" he bench asked.

Article 226 gives high courts the power to issue instructions, orders, and writs to any person or authority, including the government.

Radheysham Shah had moved the Supreme Court seeking remission on the ground that he had completed 15 years and 4 months in jail. He was sent to life imprisonment by a CBI court in Mumbai in 2008. In accordance with the rules then in force, a convict could apply for remission after 14 years, which was then considered the period of life imprisonment.

Hearing Shah's petition, the court had asked the Gujarat government to look into the matter and decide within two months whether he could be granted remission.

Bilkis Bano's counsel Gupta submitted that after the Supreme Court order directing the Gujarat government to consider his plea, everything got expedited and all the convicts got released on August 15, 2022.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing in one of the PILs, recalled how the convicts were garlanded and felicitated and statements were made about their being Brahmins who cannot commit crimes.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju said those who garlanded the released convicts were their family members. "What is wrong in garlanding by a family member?" he asked.

At the fag end of the hearing on Tuesday, the top court said it will hear arguments on August 9 on the locus standi of multiple people who have filed PILs in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.

Besides the petition filed by Bilkis Bano, several other PILs including one by CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, independent journalist Revati Laul and former vice-chancellor of Lucknow University Roop Rekha Verma have challenged the remission. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra has also filed a PIL against the remission.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for one of the convicts, told the bench that once the victim individual is in court, others may not have a locus standi (entitlement to bring a lawsuit in court) to intervene in the matter of this nature.

The convicts in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots chased her with a "blood thirsty approach" to hunt Muslims and kill them, the top court was told on Monday, as it commenced the final hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the remission granted last year to all the 11 convicts in the case.

The top court had on April 18 questioned the Gujarat government over the remission granted to the 11 convicts, saying the gravity of the offence should have been considered before showing leniency, and wondered if there was any application of mind. All of them had walked free on August 15, 2022.

Asking for reasons for the premature release of the convicts, the top court had also questioned frequent parole granted to them during their incarceration.

"It (remission) is a kind of grace, which should be proportional to the crime," it had said.

Terming Bilkis Bano's gang-rape and the murder of her family members a "horrendous" act, the top court had on March 27 asked the Gujarat government whether uniform standards, as followed in other murder cases, were applied while granting remission to the convicts.

Bilkis Bano was 21 and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while fleeing the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra train-burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family members killed in the riots.

The 11 convicts granted premature release are Jaswantbhai Nai, Govindbhai Nai, Shailesh Bhatt, Radheshyam Shah, Bipin Chandra Joshi, Kesarbhai Vohania, Pradeep Mordhiya, Bakabhai Vohania, Rajubhai Soni, Mitesh Bhatt, and Ramesh Chandana.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Woman Tweets About ''Unfair'' Container Charge, Zomato Clarifies

A Zomato customer took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain about the ''excessive and unfair'' container charge and demanded an explanation from the food delivery company. The woman, in her tweet, shared a screenshot of her bill which showed she paid Rs 180 for three plates of theplas and Rs 60 for the food containers. 

Notably, each plate of the dish was priced at Rs 60, the same as the fee charged for the food container.

"Container charge is equivalent to the item that I have ordered Rs 60 for the container charge. Seriously?" Khushboo Thakkar wrote. She also tagged Zomato and Zomato Care to 

See the tweet here:

Container charge is equivalent to the item that I have ordered
₹60 for the container charge
Seriously?? @zomato @zomatocare @zomato#zomato #zomato pic.twitter.com/2ceQFgiB5h

— Khushboo Thakkar (@khush_2599) August 2, 2023

Responding to her tweet, Zomato explained that the container charge is levied by the restaurant.

They replied, ''Hi Khushboo, while taxes are universal and vary from 5 - 18% depending on the type of food. Packaging charges are levied by our restaurant partners, they are the ones who implement and earn from this practice. For further clarification please feel free to initiate a private message using the link given below.''

The aggrieved customer further said that it should be the restaurant's responsibility to provide containers without extra cost to customers.

Many other users also shared their opinions on the issue. While some agreed with her and criticised the restaurant, others said that she should have checked the packaging charges before placing the order.

One user wrote, ''Clearly, the restaurant is recovering Zomato fees from the customer through packaging charges. @zomato This is against the spirit of Rev share and safeguards need to be in place against unreasonable packaging charges.''

Another commented, ''Additional charges makes us irritable…'' A third wrote, ''Aree! Make theplas at home, Zomato and their Restaurant charges will loot your money.''

A fourth said, ''Did you not review it before confirming the order? If you had concerns you shouldn't have confirmed the order. Simple.''

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Watch: Lionel Messi's Stunning Free-kick In 4-4 Goal Fest For Inter Miami

The entire Europe has seen Lionel Messi scoring clutch goals for Barcelona over the years in his club career. On Sunday, even Major League Soccer saw the Argentine maestro rising to the occasion and scoring a much-needed equaliser for the club from a free-kick. Messi, known for scoring some of the most spectacular free-kicks in his distinguished football career, put the ball past the FC Dallas goalkeeper late in the game, helping his team equalise 4-4 and pushing the Leagues Cup Round of 16 match into the penalty shootout.

Messi, who had opened the scoring for Inter Miami in the 6th minute, was involved in a goal-fest that saw both teams score 4 goals each. While Messi would've liked to win the match for his side in normal time with a hat-trick, such a result couldn't become a reality. However, he did convert the opening penalty in the shootout for his side to put Inter Miami into the quarter-finals.

OTRO GOLAZO DE NUESTRO CAPITÁN #DALvMIA | 4-4 pic.twitter.com/aOhBw7LJGZ

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 7, 2023

Inter Miami looked down and out at one point in the game. At the half-way mark, Messi's side trailed 1-2 before Dallas extended their lead to 2-goals, making it 3-1. But, Robert Taylor's own goal at the 68th minute mark gave Miami hope. Messi's free-kick then ensured that the game wouldn't end without a penalty shootout. 

In the penalty shootout, Inter Miami converted all 5 of their chances from the spot, securing a 5-3 win over Dallas to move into the next round. Miami's Benjamin Cremaschi scored the final penalty to seal the win for his side after Dallas' Paxton Pomykal had missed the second kick.

"It was a demonstration of character because it's difficult to come back in a game twice," Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said in a postgame interview with Apple TV. 

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