Here is your daily dose of Digestible News covering Shahbaz Sharif Candidacy, New York terrorist attack, Abbasi’s trip to London, PIA forgetting coffins in New York and much more!
Shahbaz Sharif chosen as the PM candidate
Digestible News 1: The London meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz(PML-N) top leadership has decided to put forward Shahbaz Sharif as prime ministerial candidate after the 2018 elections if party president Nawaz Sharif remains ineligible to run for office.
The meeting, held on Monday, was presided over by Nawaz Sharif and attended by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and federal ministers Ishaq Dar, Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal.
The decision “coincided” with a full-page result of a “national opinion survey” published in an Urdu daily in which 60 per cent of respondents declared Shahbaz Sharif as the best choice for the prime ministerial job. News agencies including propergaanda has been predicting Shahbaz’s candidacy for sometime now.
PM house: Abassi’s trip to London was self-financed
Digestible News 2: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abassi reportedly left for London without any announcement or protocol. Abassi met with the top leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) in London along with the recently ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The episode caused a riot on the social media, with many accusing the prime minister and other leaders of the PML-N leaders using taxpayer money to make the trip. On Tuesday, BBC Urdu reported that Abassi bore all expenses of his visit to London personally, while quoting the Prime Minister House.
8 killed as motorist rams into pedestrians in New York “act of terror”
Digestible News 3: A pickup driver killed eight people in New York on Tuesday, mowing down cyclists and pedestrians, before striking a school bus in the city’s first attack blamed on terror since September 11, 2001.
Eleven others were seriously hurt when the truck driver struck in broad daylight just blocks from the 9/11 Memorial.“This was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Television networks identified the 29-year-old as an Uzbek citizen living in Florida who had recently been staying in New Jersey, where the truck was rented.
US policy on South Asia condemned by Senators
Digestible News 4: During a Senate session, the lawmakers called the United State’s new policy on South Asia a threat to the regional security and peace. On Tuesday, the senators stated that they had reservations about the policy as well as recent developments such as increased drone attacks and the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s visit to Islamabad. Senator Taj Haider stated that the US economy was steeped in conflict, but Islamabad would not become part of any proxy war in the region. The US President Donald Trump “wants to divide people while erecting walls,” added Haider.
Pakistan International Airlines boarded without taking along coffins in New York
Digestible News 5: Pakistan International Airlines is usually in the news for misfortunes and mishaps. This time, two coffins that were meant to be on a flight to Lahore via New York were mindlessly forgotten and left there. Later, PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar regretted to inform that it was by mistake on behalf of the agency handling luggage services to the airline. Mourning families of the deceased were left in silence after PIA expressed their solidarity and regretfulness. Chief Executive Officer of PIA, Dr Musharraf Rasool had taken notice of the incident, adding that legal action will be taken against those responsible. Rasool has also ordered the airline to undertake all funeral proceedings.
Shehzad Roy awarded with National UN Goodwill Ambassador against Drugs and Crime
Digestible News 6: Pakistani renowned singer Shehzad Roy broke the news of being awarded by United Nations on his official Twitter Account. UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) appointed Mr.Roy by its National Goodwill Ambassador. He is also a recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan.
“I have been following UNODC’s work even before joining them as a Goodwill Ambassador. Their work is commendable in the fields of criminal justice, drug demand reduction, and HIV/AIDS prevention. These things are close to my heart, especially when children are concerned, and I will give my all to my new role as National Goodwill Ambassador for Pakistan,” -Shehzad Roy