bilawal urges kashmiris
| |

Bilawal urges Kashmiris to shape their own future

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has reiterated that the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) alone should have the authority to determine their government and future, as political campaigning intensifies ahead of the second phase of the AJK elections.

In a video message focusing on the Kashmiri people’s right to self-governance, Bilawal said his party was committed to ensuring that the residents of Azad Kashmir enjoy the same democratic rights as every citizen of Pakistan.

“I want the people of Kashmir to receive the same rights that every Pakistani citizen enjoys,” Bilawal said, adding that the most fundamental of these rights is the right to sovereignty through the power of the vote.

Explaining his vision, the PPP chairman said the true meaning of sovereignty is that every vote should be respected and accurately reflected in the election results. According to him, the public mandate must remain free from outside influence so that the will of the people prevails.

Bilawal also stressed the need for greater representation of Azad Kashmir in national decision-making institutions. He argued that whenever key decisions are made regarding the region’s water resources, electricity or budgetary matters, Kashmir should have its own seat and an effective voice at the table.

He maintained that stronger institutional representation would ensure that the interests of the people of Azad Kashmir are protected while promoting more inclusive governance.

As part of his election campaign, Bilawal urged voters to support the PPP in the upcoming polls, asking them to stamp the party’s traditional arrow symbol on August 2. He said the election represented an opportunity for the people to safeguard their democratic rights and send a clear message that the future of Kashmir should be determined by its own citizens.

The PPP chairman’s remarks come as political parties intensify their campaigns across Azad Kashmir ahead of polling, with issues of governance, development, constitutional rights and public representation dominating election debates.

The second phase of the Azad Kashmir elections is expected to draw significant voter participation, with major political parties competing for crucial seats. Political analysts believe voter turnout and public confidence in the electoral process will play a decisive role in shaping the region’s next government and its political direction in the years ahead.

Similar Posts

  • |

    Netflix addresses Gandhari plagiarism allegations before release

    Netflix has finally addressed the plagiarism controversy surrounding its upcoming film Gandhari, following allegations by writer Kalyan Bandi that the project bears similarities to an original story he claims to have developed several years ago. The controversy gained attention after Bandi alleged that he had written a story titled Gandhari in 2019. According to the writer, his concept revolved around a mother who transforms into a powerful, almost divine figure while trying to rescue her child from a human trafficking network. He claimed that he later pitched the idea to Monika Shergill, who was associated with Voot at the time and is now Netflix India’s Vice President of Content. Bandi said he submitted an eight-page document containing his story and synopsis but was informed that the project did not fit the platform’s content slate. However, after Taapsee Pannu’s Gandhari was announced in 2025, he raised concerns over what he believed were similarities between his concept and the upcoming film. The writer subsequently sent a legal notice seeking Rs 40 lakh in compensation. However, Bandi has maintained that financial compensation was never his primary objective. Instead, he has repeatedly said that he wants his contribution to be acknowledged if his original idea was used. Netflix has now responded to the allegations through Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films at Netflix India. Speaking at the film’s trailer launch in Mumbai, she said the streaming platform takes questions surrounding artistic attribution seriously. She explained that Netflix receives numerous pitches and maintained that the story presented by Bandi is different from the film created by writer Kanika Dhillon and actress Taapsee Pannu. She also urged audiences to watch the movie before drawing conclusions about the allegations. She further emphasized Netflix’s commitment to supporting original storytelling and giving recognition to writers regardless of their previous experience in the industry. According to her, the platform values originality whether a storyteller has already worked on several films or is making their first project. Meanwhile, Dhillon’s production company, Kathha Pictures, has strongly rejected the plagiarism allegations. The production house stated that the claims are false and unequivocally denied them, maintaining that Gandhari is an original project written and produced by Dhillon and developed under Kathha Pictures. The controversy comes shortly before the film’s release, placing additional attention on the project as audiences await its arrival on the streaming platform. Directed by Devashish Makhija, Gandhari features Taapsee Pannu in the lead role and also stars Ishwak Singh, Chhaya Kadam, Swastika Mukherjee, Mita Vashisht and Jatin Sarna. The film is expected to explore themes of motherhood, revenge and the lengths a parent may go to protect a child. Despite the ongoing dispute, Netflix and the filmmakers have maintained that the film is an original work. With the allegations now publicly addressed by the streaming platform, viewers will have the opportunity to watch Gandhari themselves and assess the story when it premieres on Netflix on September 3.

  • |

    Snapchat cracks down on fully AI-made videos flooding Spotlight

    Snapchat is now drawing a clear line between videos made by humans and those made entirely by machines. The company is betting this move will make its Spotlight feed worth scrolling through again. On Friday, Snap confirmed a major change to its Spotlight recommendation system. Videos that are completely AI-generated will no longer be surfaced through recommendations. Creators can still post this type of content on the platform. However, it will only reach their existing followers going forward. This effectively cuts off the discovery boost that once made Spotlight appealing for fully automated content. Snap isn’t rejecting AI tools altogether, though. Videos edited or enhanced using Snapchat’s own built-in AI features will remain eligible for recommendations. These videos will also carry a visible label, letting viewers know AI played a role in the process. According to Snap, the real issue here comes down to authorship, not the technology itself. Content generated purely from a prompt, without any human involved in filming, performing, or editing, is what’s being pushed out of recommendations. This decision follows similar moves from other major platforms in recent months. YouTube recently revised its monetization policy to exclude videos built around generic, template-based content. That update came after reports last year revealed that several AI-driven creators had built massive followings and earned significant ad revenue through such content. LinkedIn has made changes of its own as well. The platform is now allowing users to report AI-generated posts. At the same time, it’s removing its built-in AI writing prompt that previously encouraged automated post creation. Substack has taken things a step further. The platform introduced a detection system designed to identify AI-generated articles. Speaking on the matter, CEO Chris Best warned that platforms which continue rewarding fake, synthetic content risk starting what he called a race to the bottom. As for Snap, some details remain unclear. The company has not explained exactly how it plans to distinguish fully AI-generated videos from AI-assisted ones at a larger scale. It also hasn’t confirmed whether this policy will eventually expand beyond just Spotlight recommendations into other parts of the app. For now, though, the move adds to a growing pattern across social media. Platforms increasingly appear to be prioritising authentic, human-made content over mass-produced material flooding user feeds every day.

  • | |

    Fazlur Rehman welcomes SC order for Imran’s hosp…

    Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to transfer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to hospital. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Fazlur Rehman described the decision as a positive development. He said the hospital transfer should have been ordered much earlier. The JUI-F chief said the current political situation in the country should be assessed carefully before drawing conclusions. He also called for issues concerning the provinces to be discussed openly rather than reduced to simple political positions. Fazlur Rehman said the opposition had an important responsibility in a parliamentary system. He said opposition parties should identify weaknesses and shortcomings in government policies. He stressed that debates on provincial matters should focus on both principles and practical realities. According to him, political issues require serious discussion instead of being viewed only through the lens of support or opposition. The JUI-F chief also criticised what he described as a tendency in journalism to divide every issue into opposing camps. He said drawing a rigid line between supporting and opposing a position had contributed to worsening national problems. His remarks came after the Supreme Court ordered Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment. The court also directed authorities to facilitate regular meetings between Imran and his family. The ruling has been welcomed by several political figures, including members of the opposition. The court has also ordered the formation of a medical board to assess Imran’s condition and directed that his personal physician be given access.

  • |

    Alliance Française de Lahore exhibits ‘What…

    LAHORE — The gallery at Alliance Française de Lahore opened its doors to art enthusiasts on August 10, 2026. The exhibition presented “What’s Remains”  curated by Anne Sophie Français. The evening paired thought-provoking artworks installations with a lively Kathak dance showcase. The multidisciplinary art offered attendees a rich space and human experience. The art exhibition was curated as a inquiry into what lingers after a place is traversed or a voice is silenced. “What’s Remains“ features new works by three emerging Pakistani visual artists: Rabya Khalid, Sarim Syed and Yumna Salman. They worked across diverse mediums ranging from cyanotypes and charcoal drawings to intricate textile sculptures. Rabya Khalid anchors her compositions in rich cyanotype blues overlaid with soft pastels and color pencils. Rabya focuses on urban architectural features. Water towers, elevated rooftops and quiet watchtowers dominate her skyline studies. Her works cast functional city infrastructure as silent or watchful witnesses to human activity. Sarim Syed utilized delicate charcoal rendering. Sarim creates dreamlike, atmospheric landscapes that occupy the boundary between remembering and forgetting. Her works evoke the lingering sensation of places once inhabited, capturing moments suspended between presence and absence. Yumna Salman brings a tactile, social critique to the gallery space. Yumna knots loose threads onto rigid metal wire mesh. Her labor-intensive textile installations reinterpret traditional weaving techniques to question inherited social norms, gender roles and collective memory. She turned each deliberate knot into an act of quiet resistance. Following the gallery preview, the evening changed into a vibrant 7:30 PM Kathak performance. The performance featured dedicated dance students. They celebrated an intensive month of rhythm, classical movement and expressive storytelling. The fluid footwork and rhythmic precision of the dancers created a unified dialogue with the silent, lingering themes of the surrounding artwork. Alliance Française de Lahore continues to act as an essential platform for emerging talent. The institution provides artists a non-commercial environment to showcase work, inspire public dialogue and strengthen cultural ties between Pakistani and Francophone creative communities. “What’s Remains” invites viewers to engage with stories that endure through art, memory and movement.

  • |

    Pakistan reports major gas discovery in Sarani block

    ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded a significant milestone in its hydrocarbon exploration sector with the discovery of high-quality gas from an exploration well in Sindh, marking the country’s first reported hydrocarbon find from the Jurassic-era Chiltan Formation of the Lower Indus Basin. Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) announced that its exploration well Dolphin, drilled in the company-operated Sarani Block in District Sujawal, Sindh, has encountered a potentially commercially important gas accumulation. The company described the discovery as unique and strategically significant for Pakistan’s future exploration activities. According to PPL, the discovery confirms the existence of an active petroleum system in an area that had previously presented considerable exploration challenges. The find is particularly important because it demonstrates the hydrocarbon potential of the Jurassic-age Chiltan Formation, opening up new possibilities for further exploration in the region. The company said the Dolphin well has provided valuable geological evidence that could help redefine exploration prospects in the onshore swampy areas of the Lower Indus Basin, as well as their possible extensions into shallow marine zones. The discovery is being viewed as an important development for Pakistan, which continues to face a growing gap between domestic energy demand and local oil and gas production. New indigenous gas reserves could help reduce reliance on imported energy resources, although the commercial scale and recoverable reserves associated with the discovery would depend on further evaluation and development work. PPL’s latest find also highlights the potential of relatively underexplored geological formations in the country. The identification of hydrocarbons in the Chiltan Formation could encourage exploration companies to reassess nearby acreage and investigate similar geological structures. The Dolphin discovery is therefore significant not only because of the gas encountered but also because it may establish a new exploration play in the Lower Indus Basin. Further appraisal and technical studies will be required to determine the size, quality, production potential and commercial viability of the discovery. Industry experts have long emphasized the need for increased domestic exploration to strengthen Pakistan’s energy security. Successful discoveries such as Dolphin could support that objective by expanding the country’s indigenous resource base and creating opportunities for additional exploration and investment. PPL said the discovery has effectively opened a new exploration frontier, particularly in the swampy onshore terrain and potentially adjoining shallow marine areas. The company is expected to undertake further technical assessment to establish the full potential of the newly identified gas-bearing formation.

  • |

    Peru and Mexico resume diplomatic relations after political dispute

    The diplomatic break occurred when Mexico granted political asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez, who faced conspiracy charges regarding former President Pedro Castillo’s 2022 attempt to dissolve Congress. As part of the bilateral agreement to restore relations, Peru granted Chavez safe-conduct guarantees under the 1954 Caracas Convention on Diplomatic Asylum, enabling her to leave the Mexican Embassy in Lima and travel to Mexico. Peruvian Foreign Minister Carlos Espa confirmed she departed in good health. The Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs maintained that no political persecution exists in the country and stated that granting safe-conduct does not waive Peru’s legal right to request Chavez’s extradition in the future. The diplomatic rapprochement follows commitments made by newly elected Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori ahead of her inauguration to normalize ties with Mexico, an initiative welcomed by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *