ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee (PASC) announced its official Oscar submission for this year on Saturday, breaking away from more conventional choices and opting for a horror film that made its premiere at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in May.
Directed by Zarrar Kahn, “In Flames” follows a mother and her daughter as their lives are upended by tangible and spectral forces from their past, making them realize their unique bond is their only defense against the looming darkness.
The committee, a non-governmental body of Pakistani film directors, producers, writers, actors and distributors, nominated the film for the international festival while praising it for its overall quality.
“As the Chair of the Pakistani Academy Selection Committee, it is with immense pride and a deep sense of responsibility that we select and submit ‘In Flames’ as Pakistan’s official entry for the International Feature category at the 96th Academy Awards,” PASC chairperson Mohammed Ali Naqvi said. “This selection not only underscores the film’s brilliance but also marks a pivotal moment in the evolving narrative of Pakistani cinema.”
“‘In Flames’ is a testament to the boundless potential of Pakistani cinema on the global stage,” he added.
The Pakistani horror film is destined to be screened at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah which is scheduled to begin toward the end of the next month.
“I’m deeply honored that our film has been recognized by Pakistan’s Oscar committee,” Kahn, the director, said after the nomination. “We’re currently self-distributing the film in Pakistan, as despite clearance from the local censor board, we were considered too controversial by local distributors — so we’re doing it ourselves.”
He said the response from Pakistani audiences had been “rapturous.”
“‘In Flames’ is an urgent call-to-action, exposing the brutality of the patriarchy and the power of community,” he continued. “In today’s divided world, it offers solace to the oppressed — and tells them that hope can never be extinguished.”
The film is currently running in cinemas across Pakistan.
Pakistani committee picks Cannes-premiered horror film for this year’s Oscar run
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Pakistani committee picks Cannes-premiered horror film for this year’s Oscar run
- Pakistani film directors, producers and writers call ‘In Flame’ a testament to the boundless potential of local cinema
- The top PASC official says the selection marks a pivotal moment in the evolving narrative of Pakistani film industry
Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system ‘highly stable, foolproof’ — Pakistan Hajj organizers’ association
- Association says Hajj organizers have been transferring funds to Office of Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan account since 2024
- Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system has been operating transparently and securely for a long time, says association
KARACHI: The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan (HOAP) this week described Saudi Arabia’s digital Hajj system as “highly stable” and “foolproof,” crediting the Kingdom for operating it transparently for a long time.
Local news outlets this month published reports stating Pakistani pilgrims could face delays in their Hajj journey as millions of Saudi Riyals meant for their expenses were mistakenly sent to an account linked to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). An official at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on Tuesday rejected the reports, reiterating the Kingdom’s electronic Hajj system operated with the “highest standards of transparency.”
HOAP clarified that local media reports had misreported the briefing its representatives had given to the Senate and National Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs on Apr. 23. HOAP said its representatives had referred to the Office of the Pilgrims Affairs Pakistan (OPAP) account, not OPEC. It further said Hajj organizers have been transferring their funds to OPAP’s account since last year.
“The Hajj Organizers Association of Pakistan would like to clarify that the digital system of Saudi Arabia is highly stable and foolproof, leaving no room for any kind of ambiguity,” the association said on Wednesday. “The Hajj system of Saudi Arabia has been operating transparently and securely for a long time, and we continue to benefit from it.”
The association clarified it has never been a part of any “political campaign,” alleging that local media’s misreporting is the “outcome of a conspiracy, which is equivalent to harming the long-standing relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.”
“We have religious harmony and heartfelt affiliation with Saudi Arabia. We and our Government of Pakistan have longstanding relations with Saudi Arabia, of which we are proud,” it added.
This year’s annual pilgrimage will take place in June, with nearly 89,000 Pakistanis expected to travel to Saudi Arabia under the government scheme and 23,620 Pakistanis through private tour operators. The total quota granted to Pakistan was 179,210, which could not be met.
Pakistan kicked off its Hajj flight operations on Tuesday morning with the first batch of 442 pilgrims departing from Islamabad for Madinah.
Pakistan slashes petrol, diesel prices by Rs2 per liter till next fortnight
- Price of petrol after reduction is Rs252.63 per liter, high-speed diesel Rs256.64 per liter
- Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed fortnightly owing to fluctuations in global oil prices
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government has reduced the price of petrol and high-speed diesel by Rs2 per liter each for the next fortnight, state media reported on Thursday.
Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted on a fortnightly basis. This mechanism ensures that changes in import costs are reflected in consumer prices, helping to sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.
The latest price reductions were undertaken due to the fluctuations in global oil prices. After the latest revision, a liter of petrol will now cost Rs252.63 while high-speed diesel will be sold at Rs256.64 per liter, according to a notification from the Ministry of Finance.
“The government has reduced prices of petroleum products for next fortnight,” Radio Pakistan said. “New prices are effective from today (Thursday).”
Petrol is primarily used in Pakistan for private transportation, including small vehicles, rickshaws and two-wheelers. Diesel, on the other hand, powers heavy vehicles used for transporting goods across the country.
Pakistan significantly increased fuel prices after securing a short-term, $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2023. The rising rates also led to spiraling inflation in the country, though the government started offering relief to the people by gradually bringing down the petroleum prices subsequently.
Since then the government has undertaken financial reforms and registered some economic gains in its quest to ensure Pakistan achieves sustainable economic growth.
Pakistan reaffirms commitment to promote safe, dignified conditions for laborers on May Day
- Labor Day, observed on May 1, is a global celebration of workers’ rights and the labor movement
- Laborers in Pakistan often work in dangerous places and exploitative conditions in mines, factories
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensure safe and dignified working conditions for laborers in Pakistan, as the world marks May Day to recognize the struggles of low-income workers.
Labor Day, observed on May 1, is a global celebration of workers’ rights and the labor movement. It honors the struggles and achievements of workers in securing fair wages, safe working conditions and dignity in the workplace. In many countries, including Pakistan, it serves as a reminder of the importance of social justice and the ongoing need to protect labor rights in the face of economic and social challenges.
Labor laws are rarely implemented in Pakistan, where laborers often work in dangerous and exploitative conditions at construction sites, mines and factories. In most instances in Pakistan, especially in the informal jobs sector, laborers are hired below the minimum wage set by the government and not provided proper safety equipment.
“Today, as the nation observes Labor Day, Pakistan reaffirms its unwavering commitment to promoting safe, healthy and dignified conditions for its workers — the real driving force behind our nation’s growth and resilience,” Sharif said in a message shared by his office.
“The protection of fundamental labor rights is enshrined in our Constitution and fully aligns with the International Labour Organization’s core conventions.”
Sharif noted Pakistan had undertaken legislative and administrative reforms in recent years to strengthen the protection of workers. He said the government took steps to broaden the coverage of the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Workers Welfare Fund.
Pakistan’s labor class has suffered immensely as the South Asian country desperately tries to escape a prolonged economic crisis. Inflation reached a record high of 38 percent in 2023 as Islamabad scrapped fuel and food subsidies to comply with the International Monetary Fund’s demands for a financial bailout package.
Heartbreak at the border: India-Pakistan tensions tear mother apart from her family
- Muhammad Imran visited New Delhi last month with his wife, an Indian national, for his son’s treatment for spinal injury
- Imran was forced to leave India with children but without wife after India, Pakistan suspended visas for each other’s nationals
KARACHI: When Muhammad Imran arrived in neighboring India last month, he thought the journey would culminate in his son recovering from an unfortunate spinal injury. Little did he know that he would be forced to head back to Pakistan. That too, without his wife.
Imran, 43, traveled to India with his wife Nabeela Imran, an Indian national, and children in March clinging to the hope that doctors at New Delhi’s Apollo Hospital would help his 17-year-old son Muhammad Ayan walk again. Ayan was left paralyzed in 2023 after he suffered a gunshot wound in his spine after getting in the crosshairs of a gunfight between police and street criminals in Karachi.
However, ties between India and Pakistan deteriorated after New Delhi blamed Islamabad for being involved in a militant attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on Apr. 22 that killed 26 people. Islamabad denies involvement.
Both nations downgraded ties, with India suspending visas for almost all Pakistani nationals and Islamabad responding with tit-for-tat measures. The move triggered panic among visiting families — including Imran’s, who had married his maternal cousin Nabeela, a resident of New Delhi, 18 years ago.
Since then, Nabeela had been living in Pakistan on a visa that was intermittently renewed without her ever needing to acquire Pakistan’s nationality. But the suspension of visas meant Imran and his Pakistani children’s 45-day medical visa was no longer valid, and Nabeela was left behind in India.
“She was separated from us while crying and we also came here with great difficulty, crying,” an emotional Ayan told Arab News.
Imran said he arrived in India after spending “every single rupee” with the hope that his son would walk again. However, bilateral tensions between India and Pakistan, and the ensuing atmosphere in India made his family “very scared.”
“I told them, ‘I am married [to her],’ I pleaded with them, cried, and showed a lot of humility,” Imran said about his interaction with Indian authorities. “But they said, ‘No, write an exit and leave.’“
‘PEOPLE SHOULDN’T BE DIVIDED BY BORDERS’
For Ayan, the shock of being separated from his mother compounded the trauma of his paralysis and incomplete treatment.
“I went for treatment with a hope but that hope shattered because of that accident and then the fact that my mother was not coming with us,” he said.
“I was completely separated from a mother’s love. We were far apart; it made me cry.”
The ordeal is also tough for Imran, who is the sole caregiver to Ayan now that Nabeela is in India.
“Should I go to work or take care of my child,” Imran asked. “Because his mother used to handle everything — feeding him, taking care of him, and everything else.
“Now that she’s not here, I am facing a lot of distress,” he added.
Back in India, Nabeela is consumed by the same worry for her son.
“Over there, my child is paralyzed and in distress, and I am the one who takes care of everything for him,” she told Arab News via a video call.
“Now, his father will be going to work— who will take care of him? Who will look after him?“
Nabeela appealed to governments in India and Pakistan to reunite her with her children.
“I am in a lot of distress; I cannot live without my children,” she said. “My child is helpless, what should I do?“
Robbed of his mother’s affection, Ayan had the same plea.
“I appeal to both the Pakistani and Indian governments to reunite me with my mother as soon as possible,” he said.
“And I also appeal to the Pakistani government to help me with my treatment,” he added. “Please reunite me with my mother.”
Imran recalled how he saw with his own eyes when many families were separated from their loved ones and sent to the border.
“Borders may exist but people shouldn’t be divided by them,” he said.
US urges Pakistan to cooperate in Kashmir attack probe, re-establish direct communications with India
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls Shehbaz Sharif, urges Islamabad to de-escalate tensions with New Delhi
- Fears of war loom after Delhi accused Islamabad of being involved in Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir
ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week spoke to Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging his administration to cooperate in investigating an Apr. 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir and to re-establish direct communications with New Delhi amid soaring bilateral tensions.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif last week said Islamabad is willing to cooperate with “any investigation which is conducted by international inspectors” of the Apr. 22 attack in Pahalgam, a popular tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed.
India has said there were Pakistani elements to the attack but Islamabad has denied any involvement. Fears of a wider conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors breaking out loom as India has vowed to punish the backers of the Kashmir attack. Pakistan, on the other hand, has vowed a “strong” response to any military strike.
Rubio spoke to PM Sharif on Wednesday, urging the need to condemn the Pahalgam attack, the US State Department said the same day.
“The Secretary urged Pakistani officials’ cooperation in investigating this unconscionable attack,” the State Department said. “He also encouraged Pakistan to work with India to de-escalate tensions, re-establish direct communications, and maintain peace and security in South Asia.”
It added that both leaders reaffirmed their continued commitment to “holding terrorists accountable for their heinous acts of violence.”
According to Sharif’s office, the Pakistani premier asked Washington to impress upon India to “act responsibly” and “dial down the rhetoric.”
“He [Sharif] categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts,” the PMO said.
Sharif told Rubio that India’s recent behavior is “deeply disappointing and worrisome,” saying it would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat militants, particularly those based in Afghanistan.
Rubio also spoke to India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday, expressing sorrow for the loss of lives in the Apr. 22 attack.
He also encouraged India to work with Pakistan to de-escalate tensions and maintain peace and security in South Asia, the State Department said.
Several countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkiye and the UK have also called upon both India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and avoid a military confrontation.
