Khawaja Asif claps back at critics over Marilyn Monroe AI riddle

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday brushed aside online criticism after being mocked for responding to an AI-generated image of Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, saying he personally operated his social media account and saw nothing unusual about his response. Speaking on private television channel programme Naya Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz stalwart was asked about the post and whether he managed his account on X himself. “200% I operate it myself,” Asif said, adding that he led an ordinary life despite holding a prominent government position. “I have a personal life and a normal life. I am a normal human being; there is nothing special about me,” he said, stressing he had no airs about him. Read: Khawaja Asif trolled over Marilyn Monroe AI puzzle on X The controversy began on Tuesday when Asif responded to an AI-generated image depicting Monroe, which challenged social media users to identify an object that would have been out of place in the 1950s. Resharing the image on X, the defence minister identified the smartwatch worn by Monroe as the anachronism. The original post shared by Asif has since been deleted. Addressing the criticism, Asif defended his response, arguing that he had simply answered the question posed in the post. “They presented a riddle asking about what was amiss with the photo [of Monroe], asking what should not have been present in 1956, and that was a smartwatch, so I wrote ‘watch’. What is non-serious about this?” he said. Asif maintained that being the defence minister did not mean he had to give up his personality or refrain from engaging with light-hearted content on social media. He said he operated his account himself and used it “for fun”, questioning why his position should prevent him from expressing himself like any other individual. “Am I not Khawaja Asif? If I am the defence minister, should I let go of my identity? Whether it be good or bad?” he asked.

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Lahore Fort, Shalimar Gardens to stay open late

The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has decided to keep the historic Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens open to visitors at night, with both sites set to remain open from 7pm to 11pm under a night tourism initiative. The authority has also fixed ticket prices for night visits to Lahore Fort. The entry fee for local visitors will be Rs1,000, while children aged three to 10 will be charged Rs500. Foreign tourists will have to pay Rs2,000. During night visits, tourists will be able to explore several historic sites within Lahore Fort, including Hazuri Bagh, Sheesh Mahal, Pechowala, Barood Khana and the selfie point. Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Aam and the Royal Kitchen will also be open to visitors. The initiative aims to make Lahore's historic heritage more accessible and provide residents and foreign tourists with an opportunity to explore the city's Mughal-era landmarks after sunset.

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Islamabad court grants interim bail to co-suspect in student suicide case

The Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday granted interim bail to the co-suspect in the Laiba Ijaz suicide case up to October 20. Laiba, who had aspired to study at a top US university, was found hanging from a tree near a road in Islamabad on October 9, after her family allegedly lost around Rs7 million to a consultant who had promised to secure her admission and a scholarship. The Federal Investigation Agency registered a case against suspects Muhammad Nauman and Fatima Sarwar under Sections 419 (cheating), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code, read with Sections 18 and 22 of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took notice of the incident and directed the inspector general of Islamabad police and the chief commissioner to take immediate action against the suspect. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also vowed to look into the case personally. During the proceedings of the session court, co-suspect Nihar Muhammad pleaded not guilty. His legal counsel said he was innocent and had been wrongfully implicated in the case. Read: PM Shehbaz takes notice of gold medallist’s suicide in Islamabad following education funds scam He also urged Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka to grant his client interim bail, which was granted against surety bonds worth Rs20,000. The court also issued notices to the parties and directed them to present their arguments at the next hearing. It is worth noting that the prime suspect in the case, Nauman, was sent on 5-day physical remand on Monday, October 12. Police had registered the case against the suspects in the suicide case at Ramna Police Station.

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EU wants more legal migration from Pakistan

The European Union needs to make legal travel easier for Pakistanis and address obstacles faced by genuine travelers, the bloc's migration chief has said, calling Pakistan's nearly 50% Schengen visa refusal rate "too much" and acknowledging difficulties in securing visa appointments. Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview during his first visit to Pakistan that the EU needed to improve legal migration pathways while Pakistan also had to improve the quality of documents submitted with visa applications. "We have to do a better job there as a European Union," Brunner said, referring to visa access. "The quality of the documents to get a visa [needs to] improve, to be diplomatic, because this has actually led to refusal rates of Schengen visas in Pakistan [of] almost 50%, which is too much. So we have to work on both sides, I think." During his visit, Brunner held talks with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other officials, with migration, legal mobility, border management and human smuggling high on the agenda. Brunner said cooperation between Pakistan and the EU had helped bring down irregular migration significantly. "The numbers are good, they are going down. We see a decrease of Pakistanis coming illegally to the European Union of more than 50%, which is great news," he said. Separately, Pakistani officials said during Brunner's visit that irregular migration from Pakistan to Europe had fallen by 64% over the past 18 months. Brunner said bringing irregular migration under control was important for creating greater political space within Europe for legal migration. "It is so important for the public perception to get the illegal part right in order to give also more room for a serious discussion on legal pathways," he said. Asked about difficulties faced by Pakistanis in even securing appointments to apply for Schengen visas, Brunner acknowledged the problem. "Sometimes it's a bit frustrating, I suppose, for Pakistanis who want to travel legally to the European Union," he said. He stressed that visas remained largely the competence of individual EU member states but said the European Commission was trying through its visa strategy to improve coordination and make the process quicker. Brunner said Europe also needed legal migration because of demographic changes and labour shortages. "The people get older each year, and that's why we need, of course, legal migration for our labour markets," he said. On the EU's Talent Partnership with Pakistan, Brunner acknowledged that its potential had yet to be fully realised. "We haven't achieved enough, I think," he said, adding that one of the reasons for his visit was to explore how the skills of young Pakistanis could be better matched with the needs of European economies. He cited Italy as an example of an EU member state offering opportunities to foreign workers but acknowledged that other countries could do more. "There is room for improvement for other member states," he said. Brunner said the challenge for Europe was to match skills available in countries such as Pakistan with jobs required by European economies. He also praised Pakistan's efforts to develop legal labour pathways with other countries, citing its arrangements with South Korea. "In general, I think Pakistan does a very good job in strategically looking into legal pathways all over the world, but also towards the European Union," he said. At the same time, the commissioner said Europe had tightened its approach towards irregular migration following years of political pressure over the issue. He said irregular migration into the EU overall had fallen by around 55% during the past two years following reforms. Brunner identified the routes from Pakistan and Bangladesh through Gulf countries, Egypt and Libya towards Italy and Greece as particularly dangerous. "What we see at the moment is that the most dangerous route, where a lot of people lose their lives, is from Pakistan, Bangladesh, through the Gulf countries, to Egypt, to Libya, and from Libya to Italy and Greece," he said. He said Pakistan was playing an important role in the EU's Eastern Corridor Initiative aimed at tackling irregular migration and human smuggling along the route. "A lot of Pakistanis have lost their lives actually, and that's what it's about... to save lives," Brunner said. The commissioner also said cooperation under the EU-Pakistan readmission agreement was progressing, although there was room for improvement. "We have a readmission agreement with Pakistan which is going well. The return numbers are at 30%, around about 30%, which is in general okay, but also there, of course, room for improvement," he said. He said Pakistani authorities had given him a clear commitment that the country would take back its nationals found to be staying illegally in the EU. Brunner had a direct warning for young Pakistanis considering dangerous irregular routes to Europe. "Don't put your life into the hands of the smugglers and the human traffickers because it's very dangerous. You can lose your life and the probability of getting asylum in the European Union is almost zero," he said. "Stick to the education, the right skills, and then find the legal ways to the European Union. We are very happy to have you legally, on a legal basis, on a legal pathway." Turning to security, Brunner said terrorism in Pakistan could have implications well beyond the country and called counterterrorism a shared objective. "We do everything to support Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and also radicalisation," he said. "This is our common goal." Asked about the safety of Muslim communities in Europe amid concerns over Islamophobia and racism, Brunner pointed to the EU's internal security strategy. "I think we have to do everything to keep the people safe altogether and to avoid a misuse of religion, which then leads to radicalisation and extremism," he said. Brunner also praised Pakistan's diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad had demonstrated its importance as an intermediary. "Pakistan has shown that the role of Pakistan is really important. And to be the middleman between those two, I think, is really important," he said. "I trust totally the Pakistani government. They're doing everything they can to bring peace and this is what we as Europeans, of course, support."

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Canada-returned elderly couple found dead at Karachi home

The bodies of an elderly couple, who had returned from Canada a few months ago, were found at their house in North Karachi, with the cause of death yet to be ascertained, police said. According to a statement issued by the District Central police spokesperson, the bodies were found at house R-93 in Sector 11-C of North Karachi, opposite B Amma Park, within the jurisdiction of the Sir Syed police station. The deceased were identified as 70-year-old Muhammad Yameen, son of Khuda Bakhsh, and his 65-year-old wife, Nafis Akhtar. The couple had returned from Canada some time ago and were living at the house, the police said. Read: Five members of a family found dead inside home in Karachi's Malir Their bodies were taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities. An initial examination found no marks of injuries caused by a sharp-edged weapon on either body, contrary to earlier reports that the couple had been found with their throats slit, the police spokesperson said. However, blood had flowed from their noses and ears and dried on the floor. Police suspected that excessive bleeding might have caused their deaths, while the possibility that they had been given a poisonous substance was also being investigated. Sir Syed Station House Officer (SHO) Irfan Asif said the cause of death could not be immediately established. He added that poisoning was one possibility, but it was too early to reach a conclusion and the post-mortem report would be needed to determine the cause of death. The incident came to light when a close relative of Yameen visited the couple but received no response from inside the house. The police were subsequently informed. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Fareed Khan said the bodies appeared to be more than 18 hours old. Police were obtaining footage from closed-circuit television cameras installed in the area to gather further information about the incident. Also Read: Mother, three children brutally murdered Investigators were also told that workers had been visiting the house for repair work. The couple had last been seen outside the house on Tuesday evening, according to information gathered by the police. The house, a ground-plus-one structure with a shop, had reportedly been owned by the couple for several years. They planned to sell it and return to Canada to join their three children. The house had recently been vacated by a tenant, and repair work was under way. There was little furniture or other household material inside. Police recovered mobile phones from the house but found no evidence of robbery, the report said. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice of the incident and sought details from the senior superintendent of police for District Central.

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‘Very unhealthy’ 210 air quality score chokes Lahore

Lahore recorded a “very unhealthy” air quality level, with the US Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 210 at around 10pm, while the worst reading of 298 was recorded at the Urban Unit in Lahore Cantonment, according to IQAir data on Wednesday. The website also quoted Kot Addu’s AQI score at a dismal 212, advising residents to limit outdoor movement, wear masks, keep windows closed and use air purifiers where possible. Meanwhile, the Punjab Environment Protection Agency (EPA) recorded comparatively modest readings of the air quality across the province. It noted Kot Addu’s AQI at 183, the highest in Punjab, followed by Vehari at 171, Jhelum at 169 and Sahiwal at 162. Multan and Pakpattan each recorded an AQI of 159, followed by Gujranwala at 157, Dera Ghazi Khan at 154 and Bhakkar at 153. Sheikhupura recorded an AQI of 147, followed by Lahore at 143. Faisalabad and Khushab each registered 137, while Okara recorded 133, Bahawalpur 127 and Mandi Bahauddin 125. Wazirabad recorded an AQI of 124, followed by Sialkot at 118, Sargodha at 115 and Murree at 114. Mianwali registered 105, Talagang 82 and Rawalpindi 68, while Jhang recorded 52 and Nankana Sahib had the lowest reading at 40. Get hourly AQI updates, area-wise rankings, and health advisories from Punjab EPA's official website.https://t.co/2wAZKiJMXP#epapunjab #publicawareness #cleanair #aqi #aqilahore pic.twitter.com/xsHWKjL4nI — @EPCCDPUNJAB (@EPCCDpunjab) October 11, 2026 An advisory urged people vulnerable to air pollution to monitor their health, maintain healthy eating habits and avoid smoking. It also recommended monitoring health indicators, including oxygen levels and blood pressure, and keeping emergency equipment, such as a nebuliser, available if needed. The agency urged people experiencing respiratory problems to consult a doctor. Similarly vulnerable groups, including children, older people and those with existing respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, were advised to limit outdoor activities, particularly when pollution levels were high. Read: Low wind speed aggravates pollution risk Separately, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast rain, windstorms and thunderstorms in upper and central Punjab on Wednesday as a westerly wave affected most upper and central parts of the country. PMD said heavy rain and hailstorms were possible at a few places. The department said isolated rainfall was also forecast in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Kashmir and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). It warned that strong winds, hail and lightning could damage weak structures, including the roofs and walls of mud houses, electric poles, billboards, vehicles and solar panels. Weather Update for Next 24 Hours October 14, 2026 For More Information Please Visit the Link Below:https://t.co/0RoxDtyuyC#PakistanWeather #WeatherUpdate #WeatherForecast #PMD #HotAndHumid #GilgitBaltistan #Kashmir #WeatherAlert #Pakistan #Mausam pic.twitter.com/UZOiepoAXo — Pak Met Department محکمہ موسمیات (@pmdgov) October 14, 2026 It also said standing crops could be affected by the weather. The Met Office further said most parts of the country were expected to experience mainly dry weather on Thursday, although isolated rain, wind and thunderstorms were likely in north-eastern Punjab, G-B, Kashmir and adjoining areas.  

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Police claim situation in Khyber under control after reported clashes

The Capital City Police Peshawar on Tuesday urged the public not to pay heed to what it described as "baseless rumours", saying the situation in Bara had been "brought under control" amid reports of clashes between protestors and security personnel. The police also denied reports that any personnel had been abducted and said around 50 people had been arrested for allegedly "attempting to create unrest". The statement said cases would be registered against those involved in damaging public property and disrupting law and order under relevant provisions relating to terrorism and sabotage, with strict legal action to follow. Read: Govt was left with 'no option' but emergency, governor rule: PM Shehbaz The statement came after clashes reportedly erupted in Bara Bazaar on Tuesday during a protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers against the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Protesters set fire to a National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office and allegedly took 15 police personnel hostage, according to police. A protest by the PTI turned violent in Bara Bazaar in Khyber district, with protesters setting fire to a NADRA office, damaging government property and pelting stones at a Rescue 1122 office. Several people, including two children, were reportedly injured in firing during the protest. PTI lawmaker Iqbal Afridi said 11 party workers had been injured and one killed. The casualties could not be independently verified. ضلع خیبر، جمرود میں گورنر راج کے خلاف پُرامن احتجاج. عوامی حقوق پر کوئی سمجھوتہ نہیں، گورنر راج نامنظور pic.twitter.com/4cBa4VAwLa — Iqbal Afridi PTI (@IqbalAfridiPTI) October 13, 2026 Khyber District Police Officer Waqar Ahmed said hundreds of PTI workers gathered in Bara Bazaar on Tuesday afternoon to protest against governor’s rule. Police used tear gas and fired into the air to disperse the crowd, which temporarily broke up. About 90 minutes later, hundreds of protesters led by provincial assembly member Abdul Ghani marched from Minar Chowk towards Bara Chowk, chanting slogans against the government. They set fire to traffic signals upon reaching the intersection, according to the account provided by the district police chief. As tensions escalated, protesters allegedly detained 15 police personnel inside the tehsil municipal office and took away their weapons and uniforms. Ahmed said the personnel remained in captivity at the time of reporting. Protesters also set fire to the NADRA office and pelted the Rescue office with stones. Police again used tear gas and fired into the air to disperse the crowd. Two PTI workers were injured by tear gas shells during the demonstrations, Ahmed said. Separately, reports from Bara Bazaar indicated that several people, including two children, had received gunshot wounds. Further details about the casualties were not immediately available. Protest in Jamrud Protests were also held at Bab-e-Khyber in Jamrud, where demonstrators chanted slogans against the government’s measures. Further details about the demonstration were not immediately available. Tensions remained high at several locations in Khyber district following the protests and violence. The status of the police personnel allegedly detained by protesters, the number of injured, and the extent of damage to public property remained unclear.

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