Pope Francis arrives in Iraq's Mosul to meet Christian communities

Pope Francis arrived in Iraq's Mosul city on Sunday to meet Christian communities who suffered under the Daesh's rule a few years ago.

The heaviest deployment of security forces yet has been mobilised to protect the 84-year-old on what is perhaps his riskiest day in Iraq.

Francis landed early on Sunday at the airport in the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil, targeted just a few weeks ago by a volley of rockets that killed two people.

He held a brief meeting with regional president Nechirvan Barzani and his cousin, the prime minister Masrour Barzani.

The pontiff will then travel by helicopter to lead a prayer "for the victims of the war" in the city of Mosul, an ancient crossroads overrun by Daesh in 2014.

"We believers cannot be silent when terrorism abuses religion," Francis said at an interfaith service Saturday, one of the many stops on the first-ever papal visit to the war-scarred country.

Pope Francis' trip to Iraq as a "pilgrim of peace" aims to reassure the country´s ancient, but dwindling, Christian community and to expand his dialogue with other religions.

The leader of the world´s 1.3 billion Catholics on Saturday met Iraq's top scholar, the reclusive Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who agreed that Iraq's Christians should be able to live in "peace".

"We all hope that this visit will be a good omen for the Iraqi people," Adnane Youssef, a Christian from northern Iraq, told AFP. "We hope that it will lead to better days."

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Shaheen Shah Afridi thanks 'Lala' for prayers for his continued success

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on Sunday thanked former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi for his prayers for continued success on the field.

Shahid, as he wished Shaheen success, was responding to reports that his family and that of Shaheen's have planned that the former skipper's daughter and the fast bowler be engaged in the near future.

The former skipper downplayed news that anything has been finalised, saying that discussions are ongoing.

"Shaheen's family approached my family for my daughter. Both families are in touch, matches are made in heaven, if Allah wills this match will be made too," he said.

"My prayers are with Shaheen for his continued success on and off the field," Afridi added.

Responding to Shahid, Shaheen thanked 'Lala' — as Shahid Afridi is fondly called by the cricketing fraternity as well as fans — for his best wishes for the young bowler.

"Alhumdulillah. Thanks Lala for your prayers. May Allah SWT make things easier for everyone. You are the pride of entire nation," Shaheen wrote on Twitter.

Both families confirmed a day earlier that star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has sought cricketing legend Shahid Afridi's daughter's hand in marriage.

Reports suggest that the two families have reached an understanding, but a formal engagement will be announced in some time.

Shaheen Shah Afridi's father Ayaz Khan told the media that the two families have longstanding relations and that Shahid Afridi's family has agreed to the proposal. He said that a ceremony to formalise the engagement will be held "soon".

Shahid Afridi's family said that since Shaheen is playing cricket and Shahid Afridi's daughter is still studying, the engagement has not yet been formally announced.

They said that the engagement could be formalised shortly before the wedding in two years' time.

The family has requested that the matter not be speculated on. Shahid Afridi will make a proper announcement when the time is right, they said.

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Anti-coronavirus vaccination of persons above 60 to start from Wednesday: Asad

The vaccination drive for people above 60 years old will begin from Wednesday, March 10, said the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) chief Asad Umar on Sunday, adding that further details for the process will be issued tomorrow.

In a tweet, the federal minister said that the vaccinations will be done in reverse order by age. “The vaccination of people 60 years and older will be starting from Wednesday the 10th of March.”

The vaccination of people 60 years and older will be starting from Wednesday the 10th of March. Vaccinations will be done in reverse order by age. Which means the oldest person who has registered will be vaccinated first. Full details will be issued tomorrow.

— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) March 7, 2021

“Vaccinations will be done in reverse order by age. This means the oldest person who has registered will be vaccinated first. Full details will be issued tomorrow,” read the tweet shared by the minister.

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Four people injured after fight erupted between two groups over TikTok

At least four people were injured after a fight erupted between two groups in Faisalabad over TikTok, the popular video-sharing app.

According to details, the incident took place on Saturday evening in the Faisalabad neighborhood, leading to four members of a family receiving bullet injuries.

A TikToker identified as Zain used to make TikTok videos with his friend Suleman. The mother of Suleman identified as Fauzia reached the home of his son’s TikToker friend and complained with the mother of Zain that he is spoiling her son [Suleman] by recording useless TikTok videos.

This led to an argument between them and mother of Zain came into anger for complaining about her son and started beating Fauzia and severally tortured her.

When Fauzia, mother of TikToker Suleman reached her home, the mother of Zain along with other women and an armed man stormed the house of Fauzia and opened firing.

As a result, four family members including a minor girl were injured in the firing.

Those who opened firing and attacked Fauzia’s house identified as Zain, his mother, Khurrum and five other women. The victims were identified as Soniya, Shehnaz, 10-year-old Tayyiba, and Ghulam Shabbir.

The police have launched an investigation and a case has been registered against the accused party.

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39 more coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours

Pakistan has recorded 39 more coronavirus-related deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the overall death toll to 13,205.

According to the latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the COVID-19 has claimed 39 more lives and 1,780 fresh infections were reported during the said period.

The total count of active cases is 17,352 and the positivity rate stands at 4.57 per cent.

In the past 24 hours, as many as 1,038 patients have recovered from the virus in a day and 1,595 patients are still in critical condition.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), with the fresh inclusion of the infections in the country the national tally of cases now currently stands at 590,508.

A total of 38,887 tests were conducted across the country during this period. Overall 559,248 people have recovered from the deadly disease so far while 9,212,480 samples have been tested thus far.

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Security Forces recovered huge cache of arms from hideouts in North Waziristan,

Security Forces conducted two separate intelligence-based operations (IBOs) on terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan, killing eight militants including three commanders.

According to the ISPR, the intelligence-based raids were carried out in Boya and Dosalli areas of North Waziristan and after an exchange of fire, eight terrorists including three militant commanders were killed.

Sharing the identities of the slain terrorists, the army’s media wing said that Abdul Aneer alias Adil (TTP Toofan group), Junaid alias Jamid (TTP Tariq group) and Khaliq Shadeen alias Rehan (TTP Sadiq Noor group) were killed in the operation.

“These terrorists remained involved in militant activities against security forces, law enforcement agencies and locals of the area since 2009 including carrying out IED attacks, firing, target killing, kidnapping for ransom and extortion,” it said.

The ISPR further said that the terrorists were also involved in recruiting terrorists in the area. “Security Forces recovered huge cache of arms from hideouts,” it said.

In a similar action recently, two terrorists including an IED expert were killed during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on February 20.

The security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation on terrorist hideouts in MalikKhel, North Waziristan, said the military’s media wing.

During intense exchange of fire, two terrorists including a terrorist commander Rehmat alias Khalid killed, the ISPR said and added that soldier Shahzad Raza also embraced martyrdom.

Terrorist Rehmat alias Khalid was an IED expert and remained involved in different terrorist activities against security forces, extortion, kidnapping for ransom and target killing since 2009 in the area, reads the ISPR statement.

During the search operation, security forces recovered a huge cache of weapons.

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One dead, 30 injured in passenger train accident

A woman passenger was killed while 30 other passengers got injured after nine bogies of Lahore-bound Karachi Express derailed near Rohri.

On getting information, rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital.

Sources at the Civil Hospital Rohri relayed that 23 injured were brought to the health facility, eleven of whom were discharged after being given first aid while two are under treatment.

Railway officials said the train derailed due to old, rundown tracks, suspending rail traffic on the up-track. Six to eight trains were stopped at different stations after the accident, they added.

IG Railway Arif Nawaz said the accident occurred at around 1am. A high-level committee will be set up to determine the cause of the accident, he added. Railways Minister Azam Swati himself monitored the rescue operation.

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