Australia Reaffirms Friendship with Pakistan on Independence Day
Islamabad – Australia’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Neil Hawkins, has congratulated the people of Pakistan on the country’s 78th Independence Day, calling Australia a “longstanding friend” of the South Asian nation. In his message, Hawkins highlighted the breadth of bilateral relations, saying that from cricket to classrooms, and from agriculture to trade, the two countries…
Islamabad – Australia’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, Neil Hawkins, has congratulated the people of Pakistan on the country’s 78th Independence Day, calling Australia a “longstanding friend” of the South Asian nation.
In his message, Hawkins highlighted the breadth of bilateral relations, saying that from cricket to classrooms, and from agriculture to trade, the two countries have maintained enduring ties.
He underscored the strength of people-to-people connections and mutual respect, and expressed Australia’s commitment to expanding cooperation in education, sports, commerce, and sustainable development.
The greeting comes as both nations look to deepen collaboration in regional stability, climate resilience, and economic growt
Karachi | The Sindh Assembly has approved a significant increase in the salaries and allowances of its members, raising the total package from PKR 155,000 to approximately PKR 450,000. The bill to raise salaries was presented on August 8 and unanimously passed by the assembly. Following its passage, a parliamentary committee headed by Speaker Awais…
KARACHI: Seven-month-old Mayur Sunil experienced his first Raksha Bandhan festival when his older sister Nomisha and cousin Jaya Ramesh tied the sacred thread around his little wrist with the flowing waters of Chinna Creek as witness at the Shri Lakshmi Narayan temple here on Saturday.
It was a memorable moment for the children’s mother and aunts, who were beaming with a glint of joy in their eyes. Earlier, Mayur’s older cousin Nikhil Ramesh, who held the baby while his sisters tied the red rakhi on his wrist, also got his rakhifrom his younger sister Jaya.
Meanwhile, Faqira Vikash got a rakhi from Radhika Parmar. They were not real brother and sister but Radhika said that she saw Vikash as her protector and wanted to honour him by making him her brother.
Raksha Bandhan, the bond of love and protection between sisters and brothers, is celebrated annually on purnima, a full moon, in the Hindu month of Shravana, which is also commonly known as Sawan in North India. It is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar.
Hindus celebrate the festival of siblings on the full moon of Sawan
There are many myths and legends attributed to Raksha Bandhan, one of which is about Lord Krishna injuring his hand which was quickly bandaged by Daupadi who tore off a strip of cloth from her saree pallu to do the needful and stop the bleeding. She always looked up to him as a brother.
Later, when she was harassed by some rascals who pulled her saree pallu, Krishna came to her rescue. With his extraordinary powers, the pallu kept unwinding as the men pulled without any end to it.
The rakhis used in this sweet ritual were available in abundance in an extensive variety from right outside the temple. You could buy 12 Pakistani rakhis for a hundred rupees and Indian rakhis, brought here in personal baggage, for double the price.
All the vendors were surprisingly Muslim. But then it was also not surprising to find Muslim women also coming to buy the rakhis for friends whom they look up to as brothers.
“In Pakistan, the festival may carry religious significance for Hindus but for Muslims, it is also a cultural festival. I’m going to tie a rakhi around my friend in college, who is always looking out for me,” said Ayesha Mahmood, a customer buying several threads from a stall.
Asked how many were she going to tie around one person’s wrist, she laughed and shared that many of her female friends had also requested her to get a rakhi or two for them as they also wanted to honour someone special.
By Farzana Chaudhry | Lahore, PakistanLAHORE: Punjab Minister for Housing and Urban Development Bilal Yasin has announced a zero tolerance policy for drain cleaning and manhole covering across the province, emphasizing strict accountability for officials failing to meet performance standards.The announcement came during a high-level meeting at the WASA Headquarters, chaired by the minister. Director…
Peshawar: Investigators have made a major breakthrough in the attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) Headquarters in Peshawar, revealing that the facilitators involved in the incident were also Afghan nationals.According to investigation officials, key arrests have been made following the attack, targeting both the terrorists and their facilitators. Further investigations are currently underway.Authorities said preliminary…
Media freedom in Pakistan continues to deteriorate, according to new global assessments that highlight mounting pressures on journalists across the country. The latest Worlds of Journalism Study reveals that only 16% of Pakistani journalists believe the media operates freely, while a significant majority cite political interference, institutional pressure and economic instability as primary obstacles to…
Ankara/Jerusalem (International Desk) — The Global Solidarity Flotilla, carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza, is expected to reach the besieged enclave today. The flotilla consists of several vessels with volunteers and activists from multiple countries on board, aiming to deliver food, medicine, and essential supplies to civilians facing shortages under the blockade. Israeli authorities…
