The lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir has been arrested. Photo: video screen shot / @ImaanZHazir/twitter
The lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir has been arrested. Photo: video screen shot / @ImaanZHazir/twitter
The lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir has been arrested. Photo: video screen shot / @ImaanZHazir/twitter
The lawyer and activist Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir has been arrested. Photo: video screen shot / @ImaanZHazir/twitter

Pakistani ex-minister Shireen Mazari says daughter arrested in overnight raid


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Former Pakistani minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) official Shireen Mazari has said her daughter was arrested at their home in an overnight raid she described as abduction.

Plainclothes officers broke down the door and seized her daughter Imaan Mazari-Hazir, a lawyer and activist, Ms Mazari said on social media platform X.

"Of course no warrants or any legal procedure. State fascism," she wrote.

Her daughter is a founding partner of a law firm in Islamabad.

Early on Sunday morning, she tweeted about "unknown persons" jumping over the gate to her home and shutting down her security cameras.

Police confirmed she was arrested for "interference in state affairs, staging a sit-in and resistance", according to Pakistan's Geo TV.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has condemned her arrest.

In the country's latest political standoff, Pakistan's President and PTI member Arif Alvi said on Sunday he had refused to sign into law two bills that would give authorities more power to prosecute people for acts against the state and military, a move the law ministry said was unconstitutional.

"The manner in which @ICT_Police broke into her home, allegedly without a warrant, is unacceptable and points to a larger, more worrying pattern of state-sanctioned violence against people exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly," it said.

Her arrest comes a day after opposition leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi was detained amid disputes over the country's upcoming elections.

Mr Qureshi, twice foreign minister, was arrested at his Islamabad home only hours after he said he would launch a legal challenge to any delay of the national elections at the Supreme Court.

PTI spokesman Zulfi Bukhari said Mr Qureshi had been "arrested for doing a press conference and reaffirming PTI stance against all tyranny and pre-poll rigging that is going on currently in Pakistan".

Mr Qureshi, who has led PTI since the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan, told the press conference: "It will be unconstitutional if the 90 days deadline is breached."

Elections are due to be held by November, within 90 days of parliament's dissolution last week.

A caretaker cabinet has since been announced, led by Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar, a little-known politician said to be close to the military.

Analysts have warned Pakistan could return to military rule if the current caretaker set-up stretches beyond the 90 days.

Ms Mazari, who served as minister for human rights, resigned from politics after violence broke out over the arrest in May of Mr Khan, who was sentenced to three years in prison this month for selling state gifts.

Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf minister Shireen Mazari, whose daughter was arrested overnight. AP
Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf minister Shireen Mazari, whose daughter was arrested overnight. AP

His three-day detainment sparked deadly violence across the country and led to a crackdown on the PTI, with almost all senior leadership arrested or forced into hiding.

The popular leader has been barred from contesting an election for five years.

Violence erupted between his security forces and large crowds of his supporters on several occasions, including during several attempts to arrest him as supporters camped outside his home.

Protesters gathered outside his Lahore home following his sentencing, while others took to the streets in Peshawar, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.

Mr Khan was found guilty of buying and selling state gifts valued at more 140 million Pakistani rupees ($635,000).

The 70-year-old has appealed the conviction. More than 180 allegations were made against him.

"The arrests of PTI workers [after] the May arrest of Imran Khan coupled with draconian laws passed in haste by [the coalition government] have had a chilling effect on Pakistani citizens," columnist Usama Khilji told AFP.

The PTI and Mr Khan's supporters say he is a victim of a "witch hunt" led by former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Mr Sharif denied holding any personal grudge against Mr Khan in an interview with UK newspaper The Guardian last week.

"We were treated shabbily and the jail manual was violated when Khan was PM" he said. "We were terribly victimised. But we don’t believe in tit for tat."

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

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China

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UAE

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Japan

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Norway

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Canada

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Singapore

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

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B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

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• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
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From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.

1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'

You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.

2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'

Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.

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Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.

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Scores

Rajasthan Royals 160-8 (20 ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)

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The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

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Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world

New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.

The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.

Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.

“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.

"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."

Updated: August 20, 2023, 10:41 PM`