Latest news with #Sidra
Kuwait Times
a day ago
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Zain, Lei Wa Lakom partner to promote financial awareness
KUWAIT: Zain Kuwait has announced a new strategic partnership with Lei Wa Lakom, a non-profit initiative dedicated to empowering individuals through financial awareness, knowledge sharing, and community development. This partnership reflects the alignment of both parties' visions in advancing sustainability and community empowerment on both local and regional levels. The agreement was signed at Zain's headquarters in Shuwaikh, joined by Waleed Al-Khashti, Chief Corporate Affairs and Relations Officer at Zain Kuwait, and Taiba Al-Humaidhi, Founder of Lei Wa Lakom, alongside the Zain team. Commenting on the occasion, Waleed Al-Khashti said: 'At Zain, we believe that knowledge is power, and that financial empowerment is one of the keys to building stable communities and sustainable economies. Our partnership with Lei Wa Lakom falls under our sustainability strategy and reflects our deep commitment to supporting initiatives that make a real difference in the lives of individuals and communities.' Taiba Al-Humaidhi expressed her pride in the collaboration, saying: 'We're delighted to have Zain join us on our journey. The alignment in values and vision between us strengthens our ability to reach wider segments of society and to help build communities that are more aware, educated, and equipped to face economic challenges.' KUWAIT: Waleed Al-Khashti and Taiba Al-Humaidhi announce the partnership. The partnership aims to support a number of impactful initiatives led by Lei Wa Lakom, foremost among them the Financial Education Program, which includes engaging workshops and a digital interactive tool that promotes continuous learning. The program is also developing a national Financial Literacy Index, supported by academic partners including the London School of Economics. In addition, the partnership supports knowledge-based and cultural initiatives such as the Sidra platform, which spotlights intellectual leadership in the Gulf region, and an innovative animated awareness series to be broadcast on Kuwait TV and digital platforms to raise awareness about financial literacy among a wider audience. As part of Zain's commitment to supporting education beyond borders, the partnership also includes the Zanzibar Library Project, through which Lei Wa Lakom is establishing a library and cultural center in the heart of Zanzibar. The project will serve more than 200 families and includes a comprehensive library, a Holy Quran recitation center, and a water well, creating an integrated educational and spiritual environment that enhances quality of life and provides the tools for knowledge and growth. This partnership falls within Zain's broader commitment to social responsibility, with a focus on youth empowerment, education, and inclusive development, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Kuwait's New Vision to invest in human capital.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Sidra Arab's body exhumed in honour killing probe in Rawalpindi
Authorities in Rawalpindi exhumed the body of 17-year-old Sidra Arab on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into her killing seemingly over honour. Police said Sidra's post-mortem was carried out at Pirwadhai Graveyard by a team from Holy Family Hospital, led by Senior Medical Officer Dr Misbahur Rehman. The medical board also included Dr Arif Saleem, mortuary supervisor Muhammad Saeed, and a hospital dispenser. Samples collected from the body will be sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency in Lahore. The results are expected to help determine the cause of death. Preliminary findings indicate signs of torture. Police sources said that Sidra's body was swollen due to water exposure, her tongue was protruding, and her neck bones were broken. The burial site had reportedly been tampered with to erase evidence, despite heavy rainfall on the day of the funeral. Read: Man kills wife for 'honour' Police believe Sidra may have been strangled in a suspected honour killing. Hospital officials said the medical board will submit a sealed report to the court once the forensic tests are complete. Eight suspects, including former union council vice chairperson Ismatullah Khan, have been arrested. Police say the suspects exhibited "extreme brutality" and are now being presented before the court under special security. Investigators are seeking extended physical remand for further interrogation. Sidra's second husband, Usman, and his father Muhammad Ilyas were brought to the graveyard for formal identification of the body. The exhumation and autopsy were conducted under court orders. Sidra had married her second husband, Usman, in Muzaffarabad on July 12. According to court documents, she had appeared before a judicial magistrate days later, confirming the marriage was consensual and stating that she feared for her life. She also requested court protection. Usman surrendered to police shortly after her death and handed over the marriage certificate and supporting documents. His father Ilyas released a video statement alleging that Sidra had been taken from their home by armed members of a local jirga, who promised a respectful farewell but instead killed her. Police say Sidra's burial was organised to hide the crime. CCTV footage from the graveyard, burial tools, and the loader rickshaw used to transport her body were recovered. Officials also found the relevant burial receipt had been removed from cemetery records. The jirga was allegedly led by Ismatullah Khan, a former Union Council Vice Chairman and local trader affiliated with the PML-N. Party officials have since publicly distanced themselves from him. Investigators say Section 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code has been invoked, ensuring the case cannot be settled privately and will proceed under state prosecution.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
'Honour killing' probe deepens
In a significant development in the ongoing and much-debated investigation of 17-year-old Sidra Arab, who was brutally murdered for honour and buried secretly following a controversial jirga (tribal council) decision in Pirwadhai's Fauji Colony in Rawalpindi, her second husband, Usman, surrendered himself to police on Sunday. He also handed over their marriage certificate and supporting legal documents to the police. Usman's physical remand will be sought in court today (Monday). Official documents confirmed the couple legally married in Muzaffarabad on July 12. Prior to her death, Sidra appeared before a judicial magistrate, affirming that her marriage was consensual and stating she feared for her life. She had also sought court protection. A video statement by Usman's father, Muhammad Ilyas, has also emerged, shedding light on the tragic case. According to Ilyas, Sidra had approached them after facing pressure for a forced marriage by her family. Upon her request for protection, Ilyas provided financial support and accompanied the couple to court, where they solemnised the marriage and gave formal statements. Four days after the wedding, 10 armed men of a local Jirga forcibly entered their home upon discovering Sidra's marriage to Usman. Claiming they intended only to see Sidra off respectfully, the girl's relatives convinced the family to let her go. Under the pretense of giving her a respectful farewell, they took her away. She was later murdered. Two days later, news of her murder emerged. Fearing retribution, Ilyas voluntarily handed Usman over to the police and appealed for protection, saying the entire family was now under threat. Probe continues Police have seized the CCTV DVR from the graveyard committee's office, the loader rickshaw used to transport the body, burial equipment, and the cemetery's burial register. Police have already taken gravedigger Rashid Mehmood, cemetery secretary Saifullah, and rickshaw driver Khayal Muhammad -- who allegedly transported Sidra's body, concealed in polythene bags, from her residence to the grave – into custody. Police have also reviewed CCTV footage from the cemetery office, which shows jirga members present during the heavy rainfall on the day of burial. The footage and other evidence confirm the body was transported in a loader rickshaw. Tools used to conceal the graveshovels and digging equipment — have also been recovered. The gravedigger testified that the burial occurred at approximately 5:30am on July 17, under the direction of Gul Badshah, a graveyard committee member. Due to heavy rainfall and a shortage of labour, preparations were delayed. Gul Badshah arrived with roughly 25 Pashtun men who assisted in digging the grave. The body, covered in a red tarp, was swiftly buried. The ground was later leveled, erasing any signs of a grave. A burial receipt in the name of "Sidra d/o Arab Gul" was issued and handed to Gul Badshah's son. However, when officials later examined the cemetery's receipt book, record of that specific receipt number (78) was missing. Rawalpindi City Police Officer Khalid Hamdani said that the case is now being pursued by both the police and the state, with Section 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code invokedeliminating any possibility of legal compromise or reconciliation. Sidra's father and brother have reportedly confessed to her brutal killing. Further arrests are anticipated within the next 48 hours, including key members of the Jirga. Body to be exhumed today The body of Sidra is scheduled to be exhumed today (Monday) for an autopsy in the presence of Civil Judge and Magistrate Qamar Abbas Tarrar. The police, accompanied by the magistrate, will formally identify the exact burial site with the help of the arrested gravedigger, the cemetery secretary, and the rickshaw driver. A day earlier, a local court had ordered the exhumation of the victim's grave. According to investigators, Sidra was initially smothered with a pillow and then strangled. A medical board comprising senior forensic experts from Holy Family Hospital (HFH) has been constituted to conduct the autopsy. The designated section of Chatti Graveyard in Pirwadhai has been sealed off and cordoned to ensure security. According to Investigating Officer SI Shabbir Ahmed, tissue samples collected from the body will be dispatched to the Lahore Forensic Science Laboratory later today. Jirga leader's history The jirga was allegedly led by local PML-N leader and former Union Council Vice Chairman Ismatullah Khan, who is also a Bara Market trader. A resurfaced video shows him firing a Kalashnikov during a previous incident in Fauji Colony, further stoking public outrage. Although authorities have not yet officially arrested Ismatullah or other prominent jirga members, they are under surveillance. Following intervention by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the entire local leadership of PML-N, including MNAs and MPAs, have distanced themselves from Ismatullah, withdrawing all support.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Court orders exhumation of newlywed victim's body
A court in Rawalpindi has ordered the exhumation of the 17-year-old newlywed honour killing victim's grave. The exhumation is scheduled for early morning on Monday, July 28. Sidra Bibi was allegedly murdered in the name of 'honour' in the Pirwadhai area of Rawalpindi. Civil Judge Qamar Basit Tarar ordered the exhumation. The judge will personally oversee the process. The unidentified grave will be located with the help of the arrested gravedigger, the cemetery secretary, and the rickshaw driver who transported the body. Workers from the municipal corporation will carry out the exhumation, while a team of doctors from Holy Family Hospital will conduct the post-mortem. Three suspects — gravedigger Rashid Mehmood, cemetery secretary Saifullah, and rickshaw driver Khayal Muhammad — have been remanded into police custody for three days. The court has rejected a plea by Sidra's parents to stop the exhumation, stating that the truth can only be revealed through a post-mortem. Serious charges including murder, desecration of a corpse, and evidence tampering have been added. According to investigators, Sidra was initially smothered with a pillow and then strangled. Her body was kept in a rickshaw for two hours during heavy rain and buried without a shroud or funeral prayers. Gravedigger Rashid confessed to receiving Rs20,000 to bury her secretly. Police have named 32 suspects in the case, including tribal council head Ismatullah, the victim's parents Arab Gul and Bafar Bibi, her husband Ziaur Rehman and other family members and tribal elders. Crucial evidence was recovered from the Pirwadhai cemetery office, including tampered records and surveillance footage showing the body wrapped in plastic. Police uncover cover-up Police foiled an attempt of the accused to conceal the gruesome honour killing The Express Tribune investigations revealed that Sidra's body was secretly buried without any legal procedures, Police have taken the family members, in-laws and others into custody for interrogation and legal action. According to sources connected to the police investigation, Sidra, the wife of Ziaur Rehman, went missing from her home on July 11 following domestic disputes. Ismatullah, a trader leader from Bara Market, along with Sidra's father Arab Gul and husband Ziaur Rehman, are all relatives. After Sidra disappeared, her husband and parents suspected she had a connection with a man named Usman. Acting on this suspicion, they went to Usman's house in the same area, but neither he nor Sidra were found there. On the night of July 16, Ismatullah, Sidra's father, her brother, and others traveled to Muzaffarabad. There, through a jirga and persuasion, they managed to bring Sidra back to Rawalpindi. Upon her return, a jirga was held at the home of her husband Ziaur Rehman, attended by her father Arab Gul, father-in-law Saleh Muhammad, and other relatives. The jirga was allegedly led by Ismatullah, a trader from Bara Market and a family associate. In the early hours of July 17, the jirga declared that Sidra had "lost her right to live" by leaving her home without permission. Acting on this verdict, her father, brother, and paternal uncle-in-law reportedly took her into a room and suffocated her to death using a pillow.
Gulf Today
08-07-2025
- Health
- Gulf Today
From Karachi to Gaza: Pakistani startup enlivens Palestinian child amputees with prosthetics
As soon as eight-year-old Sidra Al Bordeeni returned from the clinic with her prosthetic arm, she jumped on a bicycle in the Jordanian refugee camp where she lives, riding for the first time since a missile strike in Gaza took her arm a year ago. Sidra was injured while sheltering at Nuseirat School, one of several Gaza schools converted into makeshift refuges from Israeli strikes. Her mother, Sabreen Al Bordeeni, said Gaza's collapsed health services and the family's inability to leave at the time made it impossible to save her hand. "She's out playing, and all her friends and siblings are fascinated by her arm," Al Bordeeni said on the phone, repeatedly thanking God for this day. "I can't express how grateful I am to see my daughter happy." The arm was built over 4,000 kilometres away in Karachi by Bioniks, a Pakistani company that uses a smartphone app to take pictures from different angles and create a 3D model for custom prosthetics. CEO Anas Niaz said the social enterprise startup had fit more than 1,000 custom-designed arms inside Pakistan since 2021 – funded through a mix of patient payments, corporate sponsorship, and donations – but this was its first time providing prosthetics to those impacted in conflict. A technician uses a mobile phone for 3D scan of a patient before developing a prosthetic limb at Bioniks Private Limited. Reuters Sidra and three-year-old Habebat Allah, who lost both her arms and a leg in Gaza, went through days of remote consultations and virtual fittings. Then Niaz flew from Karachi to Amman to meet the girls and make his company's first overseas delivery. Low costs Sidra's device was funded by Mafaz Clinic in Amman, while donations from Pakistanis paid for Habebat's. Mafaz CEO Entesar Asaker said the clinic partnered with Bioniks for its low costs, remote solutions and ability to troubleshoot virtually. A technician checks the grip of a patient with a prosthetic hand at Bioniks Private Limited. Reuters Niaz said each prosthetic arm costs about $2,500, significantly less than the $10,000 to $20,000 for alternatives made in the United States. While Bioniks' arms are less sophisticated than US versions, they provide a high level of functionality for children and their remote process makes them more accessible than options from other countries such as Turkey and South Korea. "We plan on providing limbs for people in other conflict zones too, like Ukraine, and become a global company," Niaz said. A man with a prosthetic hand, produced by Bioniks Private Limited, uses a mobile phone at home in Karachi. Reuters Globally, most advanced prosthetics are designed for adults and rarely reach children in war zones, who need lighter limbs and replacements every 12-18 months as they grow. Niaz said they were exploring funding options for Sidra and Habebat's future replacements, adding the cost wouldn't be too high. "Only a few components would need to be changed," he said, "the rest can be reused to help another child." Bioniks occasionally incorporates popular fictional characters into its children's prosthetics such as Marvel's Iron Man or Disney's Elsa, a feature Niaz said helps with emotional acceptance and daily use. 'Finally hug my father' Gaza now has around 4,500 new amputees, on top of 2,000 existing cases from before the war, many of them children, making it one of the highest child-amputation crises per capita in recent history, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in March. An April study by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics found at least 7,000 children have been injured since Israel's war in Gaza began in October 2023. Local health authorities say more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly one-third of them children. A technician checks a prosthetic limb at the Bioniks Private Limited in Karachi. File/Reuters The World Health Organization has said Gaza's health system is "on its knees" with Israel's border closures drying up critical supplies, meaning the wounded cannot access specialised care, especially amid waves of wounded patients. "Where it's nearly impossible for healthcare professionals and patients to meet, remote treatment bridges a critical gap, making assessments, fittings, and follow-up possible without travel or specialised centres," said Asadullah Khan, Clinic Manager at ProActive Prosthetic in Leeds, UK, which provides artificial limbs and support for trauma patients. Bioniks hopes to pioneer such solutions on a large scale but funding remains a roadblock and the company is still trying to form viable partnerships. Anas Niaz, mechatronic engineer and CEO of Bioniks Private Limited. Reuters Sidra is still adjusting to her new hand, on which she now wears a small bracelet. For much of the past year, when she wanted to make a heart, a simple gesture using both hands, she would ask someone else to complete it. This time, she formed the shape herself, snapped a photo, and sent it to her father, who is still trapped in Gaza. "What I'm looking forward to most is using both my arms to finally hug my father when I see him," she said. Reuters
