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Posturing of inclusion: Pakistan cabinet gets first Hindu minister in 20 years

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Posturing of inclusion: Pakistan cabinet gets first Hindu minister in 20 years

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Two-time member of Pakistan National Assembly, Darshan Lal, was formerly a doctor in Mirpur Mathelo town in Ghotki district of Sindh province. He has been assigned the portfolio of inter-provincial coordination which works on synchronising the Pak administration’s works in the country’s four provinces

As the newly sworn-in Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, formed his cabinet on Friday, one name stood out in the robust exercise that saw federal and state ministerial positions swell from 25 under Nawaz Sharif to 47, that of Darshan Lal Punshi – the first Hindu cabinet minister in Pakistan in nearly 25 years.

Posturing of inclusion: Pakistan cabinet gets first Hindu minister in 20 years

Dr Darshan, as he is popularly called in Pakistan politics and within Sharif’s party – Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) – is a two-term member of the Pakistan National Assembly, elected under the minority quota that has five other Hindu representatives to for the fledgling religious minority that comprises just 2 per cent of the country’s population.

Formerly a practicing doctor in Mirpur Mathelo town of Sindh province’s Ghotki district, Darshan Lal was allotted the portfolio of inter-provincial coordination shortly after being sworn in as a member of the Abbasi cabinet. His job would involve maintaining crucial dialogue between the federal government and the four provinces of Pakistan besides overseeing and coordinating the Centre’s initiatives in them.

With his induction in the cabinet, Darshan Lal joins the illustrious club of Jogendranath Mandal (a Dalit from Bengal who was the only Hindu member in Pakistan’s first cabinet under Mohammed Ali Jinnah) and Rana Chandra Singh (a Sodha Rajput royal from the erstwhile Umerkot jagir in Sindh and founding member of ZA Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party).

While the Indian establishment and observers may take a Hindu minister’s appointment as a sign of Pakistan’s goodwill gesture towards India and its willingness to at least project a polity that is inclusive, Pakistani political observers are certain that Darshan’s induction – like that of the other ministers who were sworn in on Friday – is purely an effort by the PML-N to shore up nationwide support before the 2018 general elections.

The Hindu minority in Pakistan – although just 2 per cent of the population – is concentrated in small pockets of the Sindh and Punjab provinces and having a person from the community in the federal cabinet could help in incremental electoral gains for the PML-N. Unlike Punjab, which is a stronghold of the Sharif family and has Nawaz’s younger brother Shahbaz as its chief minister, Sindh has traditionally been a bastion of the PPP – the arch political rival of the PML-N and the only other party besides Sharif’s to have a pan-Pakistan appeal. Since Hindu’s have a sway in some seats in Sindh (which sent the last Hindu minister to the Pakistan cabinet in Rana Chandra Singh), Darshan Lal – who also belongs to this province – could help PML-N make further in-road here before next year’s general elections.

Meanwhile, Abbasi has also appointed Khwaja Asif as his foreign minister, the first leader to hold the crucial office since 2013. In the earlier dispensation Sartaj Aziz was serving as PM’s advisor for foreign affairs but no one was officially granted the foreign affairs portfolio.

Asif has earlier served as Minister of Defense, Water and Power. He was Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources in the Yousaf  Raza Gilani government and has been representing the Sialkot constituency in the National Assembly since 1993.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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World Earth Day 2024: Google Doodle showcases aerial view of planet’s natural beauty

Google celebrated Earth Day 2024 with a special doodle featuring an aerial view of our planet’s biodiversity.

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Google shared a doodle today to celebrate World Earth Day 2024, which showcased aerial photos of the planet’s biodiversity and natural beauty. Google reminded us of the importance of protecting planet earth for future generations with the help of this doodle.

The Google letters depict specific locations across the globe where people, communities, and governments work every day to help protect the planet’s natural beauty, biodiversity, and resources, according to the explanation of the annual Earth Day 2024 doodle on their website.

It said, these examples remind us that there’s much more to do to address the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, but also offer the promise of hope and optimism.

The islands of Turks and Caicos are represented by the letter “G.” The islands’ conservation efforts are concentrated on protecting important regions for biodiversity and addressing persistent environmental problems.

The largest reef in the southern Gulf of Mexico and a UNESCO biosphere reserve, Scorpion Reef National Park, is represented by the letter “O” in the Mexican flag.

The letter “O” features Iceland’s Vatnajokull National Park, which was designated as a national park in 2008 following decades of advocacy. The ecology within and surrounding the biggest glacier in Europe is safeguarded by this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The letter “G” has the Jau National Park in Brazil on it. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the biggest forest reserves in South America.

The Great Green Wall of Nigeria is represented by the letter “L,”  and the Pilbara Islands Nature Reserves of Australia are represented by the letter “E.”

Meanwhile, Earth Day is a worldwide event that promotes protection of the environment every year. April 22 serves as a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts and sustainable practices to guarantee a healthier world and a brighter future.

The occasion inspires people across the world to come together and take action to protect the environment, strengthening our bonds with nature and promoting good change.

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Bigg Boss 14 contestant Rahul Vaidya struggles walking in knee deep water, compares Dubai rains with Mumbai floods

Singer and TV personality Rahul Vaidya was recently stranded in the Dubai rains.

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Rahul Vaidya, who was in Dubai ahead of his show which was scheduled to take place today, left the country due to heavy rains and reached Kolkata. The artist shared on social media his encounters in the UAE city, including challenges like walking through knee-deep water. Rahul provided an update regarding the heavy rainfall in Dubai on his Instagram profile.

The Bigg Boss 14 contestant revealed that he was in Kolkata and prepared to do an evening performance. Recalling the terrifying period he went through, Vaidya said there was a lot of confusion and panic in Dubai. The situation was similar to that when heavy floods hit Mumbai in 2005.

Vaiday also posted seval other images and videos of cars that were underwater and flooded roadways. The Bigg Boss 14 contestant, who shared his ordeal, claimed that even though it had just rained for two hours, the situation was dire.

In one of the video, which went viral he can be seen struggling in walking in knee-deep water. He can be also seen holding his sneakers in one hand and with other hand he was seen managing other things.

This is the result of the two hours of rain that it had, he can be heard saying in the video. Vidya also said he dosen’t believe Dubai is accustomed to a lot of rain. Everything had stopped working, he remarked.

After taking part in the first season of the singing reality show Indian Idol, Rahul Vaidya gained widespread recognition. In addition to Bigg Boss, he took part in Khatron Ke Khiladi 11.

Meanwhile, heavy rains that triggered flooding in the UAE and Bahrain, which left 18 people dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday, have paralyzed the financial hub of the Middle East, Dubai.

A lot of incoming flights were diverted from Dubai’s international airport because of the rain. At 7:26 p.m., the busiest airport in the world for foreign visitors stopped accepting new arrivals; a gradual resumption was announced for more than two hours later.

Images of planes navigating flooded tarmacs are making the rounds on social media.

According to pictures shared on social media, the flagship malls Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both experienced heavy floods, while at least one Dubai Metro station had water up to the ankles.

There were several road collapses, severe flooding in residential areas, and numerous reports of leaks from windows, doors, and roofs.

Due to the unfavourable weather, schools around the United Arab Emirates were forced to close, and as more storms are predicted, the closures are anticipated to last until Wednesday. The government of Dubai allowed its staff to work remotely till this Wednesday.

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Dubai sky turns green during storm in UAE, video goes viral

The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain.

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1 person was killed in UAE as it witnessed heavy rainfall on Tuesday, stranding commuters, flooding roads, disrupting trains and flights and resulting in water leakage from mall ceilings. The UAE witnessed record-breaking rainfall on Tuesday and the National Centre of Meteorology recorded 254 mm of rainfall in less than 24 hrs in the Khatm Al Shakla area in Al Ain. It is being said that the rainfall was the highest documented since the start of data collection in 1949.

The heavy rainfall in UAE came days after a similar situation in neighbouring Oman, where 13 people were killed in flash floods. Many parts of Oman saw torrential rains, which caused students to be trapped in buses and swept away motorists and trapped people in their homes.

Videos from Dubai circulating on social media showed widespread waterlogging on roads in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other important cities. This left daily commuters in cars and other vehicles struggling to get back home. Dubai metro station too was seen flooded and closed.

One such video circulating on social media shows the aerial view of the city of Dubai from the top of a building. In the video the stormy winds are seen blowing over the city of Dubai. As the storm intensifies the Dubai sky turns green and ultimately gets covered by heavy rainfall. The video has gone viral on social media with more than 1.1 million views.

Another video showed water leakage from the ceilings of shopping malls, flooding the floors and destroying goods. A video which was shot in the famous Mall of the Emirates, showed pieces of ceiling falling as the rainwater gushed inside. Videos from many outlets of the Deira City Centre mall chain showed escalators being rendered unusable. Majid Al Futtaim, the company which owns the Mall of Emirates, said that the shopping complexes have been kept open and the customers are being sent away from the flooded areas. 

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