Modi’s wife hurt, relative killed in road accident

Jashodaben, who is married to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was injured, and her cousin Basant Modi (67) was killed in a road accident on the Kota-Chittorgarh highway at Begun town near Chittorgarh . Joshodaben along with relatives, was returning to Unjha in Gujarat after attending a wedding in Baran, Rajasthan, when their vehicle crashed into a trailer truck from behind. Basant, his wife Vimla (62) and Jashodaben’s security officer Jayendra Singh (45), who were critically injured, were rushed to the Chittorgarh government hospital. Basant died during treatment.
“Seven persons were travelling in the car that rammed into a truck around 10am. Eyewitnesses claim the truck driver suddenly changed his lane. The speeding car rammed into the heavy vehicle,” Shyam Singh, SHO of Parsola police station, told media in India.

Pak bans media coverage of Valentine’s Day

Pakistan’s electronic media watchdog has directed the local media to refrain from promoting and showing celebrations of Valentine’s Day as such activities were against the Islamic teachings. The Islamabad HC in a verdict on February 13, 2017, had prohibited the celebration of Valentine’s Day in public spaces and a year later the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has issued the directive.

Pak to hang 1 of 31 convicted for lynching student for ‘blasphemy’

A Pakistani antiterrorism court has awarded death sentence to one person, life sentences to five people and jail term of four years to 25 others for last year’s lynching of a 23-year-old university student who was falsely accused of blasphemy.
A student of mass communication, Mashal Khan, 23, was beaten and shot to death in the hostel of Abdul Wali Khan University in northwestern Mardan district in April last year for allegedly posting “blasphemous content” on Facebook. His half-naked body was later thrown out of the building where dozens of men started kicking and hitting it with sticks and planks.
The incident shocked the nation and sparked a debate over misuse of Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws. A total of 57 accused were indicted in the case. Three suspects, including a tehsil councilor of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, are still absconding. Talking to media, Mashal Khan’s father, Iqbal said he felt justice had not been delivered as the court acquitted 26 suspects despite video evidence. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Pervez Khattak said his government would appeal against the acquittal of 26 people. “The police is trying to arrest three absconders,” he said.

Abdul Hamid re-elected as President of Bangladesh

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid has been re-elected uncontested for another five-year term, becoming the only leader who will be serving for a second consecutive term. “He has been elected president unopposed,” Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said as no one else contested for the highest office. A veteran politician, Hamid was first elected unopposed as the president in 2013.

Muslims for this country is never questioned”

All-India Majlis-e-Itteha-dul Muslimeen (AIMIM ) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has  sharply responded to the statement of BJP MP Vinay Katiyar that stated that Muslims divide the country in the name of religion and they should leave the country.

Asaduddin Owaisi said that since  Vinay Katiyar’s tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP is about to end soon, he has started talking a lot more. “Now what can we say? His tenure is about to end and before the lamp is extinguished, there is a lot of flare,” Owaisi said.  He further went ahead and explained as to why he demanded that the Central government should bring about a law that would make calling an Indian Muslim “Pakistani” a punishable offense. “I have nothing to do with the partition but associating Muslims with the partition is not correct. I want more integration; I want the country to be strengthened. People in power question our love for this country. If Modi wants a new India, he should make this law. Please make this law so that the love of Muslims for this country is never questioned,” added Owaisi.