Latest news with #NaveedAkhtar
Arab News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Schools reopen in Azad Kashmir after Pakistan-India ceasefire
CHAKOTHI: Schools reopened in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday after some of the residents of border villages returned home, following a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The truce was reached after four days of intense exchanges of fire as the old enemies targeted each other's military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians. In the border town of Chakothi near Line of Control (LoC), attendance was thin at schools as many people, who had moved to safer places due to Indian shelling, were still slowly coming back to the area. 'For the past many days, my school remained closed due to [cross-border Indian] shelling,' said Junaid Munir, a 6th-grader. 'Today, it is open. I have to study and get ahead [in life].' The military confrontation began on May 7, when India said it launched strikes on nine 'terrorist infrastructure' sites in Pakistan and Azad Kashmir, following an attack on Hindu tourists by militants in Indian-administered Kashmir's Pahalgam town that killed 26 men last month. Islamabad denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation. A local school principal said some residents were waiting for a more definitive peace solution before considering to move back to their border town homes. 'Some of the children, two or three girls, have arrived so far. But [most] parents and the rest of the people have obviously shifted elsewhere,' said Naveed Akhtar, who heads a school in Chakothi. 'That's why children are not here. The message [about reopening of schools] has been conveyed to them, and, God willing, very soon these children will return to school and our academic system will resume.' Syeda Zohra Kazmi, who studies in 7th grade, said some mortar shells had partially damaged her home, but she insisted on attending classes as the school reopened on Tuesday. 'There was shelling outside our residence as well, and some shells landed on our house,' she said. 'As the schools got reopened today, I said I will go to school. I am not afraid of shelling.'
Daily Record
23-04-2025
- Daily Record
Man left for dead after being beaten with 'glass bottles and bricks' in 'racist Glasgow attack'
Naveed Akhtar, 27, was with four friends when they were attacked by a gang of around 10 to 15 people in Castlemilk on Friday night. A man was left for dead after a masked gang beat him with "glass bottles, bricks and sticks" in a "racist attack" in Glasgow. Naveed Akhtar was with four friends when they were battered by a gang of around 10 to 15 people on Tormusk Road in Castlemilk on Friday night. His friends managed to escape, but the masked gang launched a brutal attack on Naveed, 27, which left him fearing he was going to die. Naveed says his friends were also assaulted the previous day in the same area, with his friend's car also being "vandalised". He told Glasgow Live: "They were wearing black clothing and had masks on their faces. They started beating me up and mostly hit me over the head with glass bottles and bricks. "They hit me with sticks as well. I was so scared and thought I was going to die. They didn't stop until they thought I was dead or unconscious. "A lot of people were shouting at them to stop. A man and woman stopped their car when they saw what was happening and that's when the group ran away. I'm lucky to have survived." Police and paramedics were called and Naveed was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment before being discharged the following day. He added: "They just came out of nowhere and started hitting us. It didn't cross my mind that something like this would ever happen. "I had no involvement or issue with them before this happened, I don't know who they are. I can't see any reason other than racism why they attacked me." Opening up on the impact the ordeal has had on him mentally, Naveed added: "I am very nervous and depressed. When I see a group of people now, I feel like they are going to grab me and start beating me up. In the evening, I am anxious about leaving the house in case something happens again. "They were able to attack an innocent person, unprovoked, and tried to kill me - I don't want them to be able to do this to any other person. They need to be caught. "Please try to be careful if you are going out at night time, be vigilant because you don't know who could attack you, without any reason. What I'd say to the people in Scotland is to stop this racism - we are very worried." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. Police Scotland confirmed an investigation has been launched following the serious assault. A spokesperson said: "Around 11.45pm on Friday, 11 April, 2025, we received a report of a serious assault in the Hoddam Avenue area of Glasgow. A 27-year-old man was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for treatment. A vehicle was also vandalised. Enquiries are ongoing." A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson added: "We received a call at 23.57 on 11 April 2025 to attend an incident on Tormusk Road, Castlemilk. An ambulance was dispatched to the scene and one patient was transported to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital."
