Author: newsdesk

  • Aima Baig files Rs100 million lawsuit against FMH Pakistan for spreading misinformation

    Aima Baig files Rs100 million lawsuit against FMH Pakistan for spreading misinformation

    Singer Aima Baig has shared on Instagram that she was suing the online celebrity tabloid ‘FMH Magazine’ for spreading misinformation and fake news about her for the sake of likes and traction.

    “This is high time when we should stand against yellow journalism and fake reporting (which is only done for the sake of comments and likes). I have had it enough so here I am standing up for myself and many others to become their next prey.”

    The ‘Washmallay’ singer then shared clips of the defamation notice she has sent to FMH Pakistan for posting a story that was “false, untrue, malicious and highly defamatory.”

    In the next clip, the legal notice read:
    “Being a digital and print media/ news company, you are required under the law to be truthful, honest, correct and highly responsible for the public posts/ stories/ statements / articles/ news you publish…It is evident that the scandalous and false and defamatory statement you have attributed to my client is explicitly intended to harm her reputation and to malign her before the public, for the monetary gain you are getting from clicks, views, comments and shares of your scandalous news..”

    In the last clip, the news organization was directed to pay Rs 100 million for the damages made by their misinforming post, as well as upload a written apology within 48 hours on the receipt of this notice.

  • Pakistan’s proposal to increase number of beneficiaries for BISP rejected by IMF

    Pakistan’s proposal to increase number of beneficiaries for BISP rejected by IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected the Pakistani government’s proposal to increase the number of beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and expand its scope to cover 20-30 per cent of the population living in poverty.

    The proposal aimed to provide quarterly stipends to those below the poverty line. While the IMF approved an increase in the BISP allocation by Rs40 billion, increasing it from Rs360 billion to Rs400 billion for the current fiscal year for 8.9 million beneficiaries, the proposal to expand coverage could not be implemented due to a shortage of budgetary resources.

    According to sources, the IMF refused to increase the Proxy Mean Test (PMT) ceiling for enhancing coverage and providing monthly stipends to around 30 per cent of the population living below the poverty line, citing a lack of budgetary resources. The Finance Ministry official stated that there was no disagreement, and the government has been providing a quarterly stipend of Rs7,000 to 8.9 million beneficiaries.

    The IMF staff suggested increasing tax revenues and abolishing un-targeted subsidies but did not initially oppose the idea of expanding coverage. The IMF high-ups recommended using the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) of the BISP to provide targeted subsidies on electricity, gas, and provision of POL for motorcycles and small vehicles.

    According to Geo, different proposals to start a targeted subsidy mechanism were discussed but ultimately dropped due to various reasons. The weekly Sensitive Price Index (SPI) touched 45.64 per cent on a weekly basis, and Consumer Price Index (CPI) crossed 31.5 per cent on a monthly basis in February 2023. Both the CPI and SPI are expected to rise further in the weeks and months ahead of the current fiscal year.

    To protect vulnerable segments from falling below the poverty line, there is no other option but to implement a targeted subsidy mechanism over the short and medium-term period. Pakistan and the IMF will need to place a target subsidy mechanism, given the possibility of a new IMF program after the expiration of the current one under the Extended Fund Facility in June 2023.

  • Gong Yoo, Lee Min-Ho named among ‘world’s most favourite Korean actors’ list

    Gong Yoo, Lee Min-Ho named among ‘world’s most favourite Korean actors’ list

    A survey conducted by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) ran a survey to determine the most popular Korean entertainers, with 25,000 participants of ages 15 to 59 from 26 different countries taking part in it.

    According to Next Shark, the results showed that actors Lee Min-Ho and Gong Yoo were the top five most popular Korean actors globally.

    Gong Yoo rose to international fame with romantic comedy ‘Coffee Prince’ in 2007, in which he played a playboy bachelor who falls in love with a boy who is actually a girl.

    Lee Min-Ho rose to fame for his dramas ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’, ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ and ‘Pachinko’ which released in 2022.

    Another actor included in the top five list was Song Hye-Kyo, whose Netflix drama ‘The Glory’ is currently among the top ten most popular dramas worldwide, and had also received praises for her other dramas like ‘Descendants of the Sun’ and ‘Encounter’.

    Among the most popular musical groups, it was BTS and ‘Black Pink’ that were the most common answers, according to the survey.

    The all-girl Kpop band Black Pink was recently named by Time Magazine as the “Entertainer Of The Year”

    Among the most popular musical groups, it was BTS and ‘Black Pink’ that were the most common answers, according to the survey.

    The all-girl Kpop band Black Pink was recently named by Time Magazine as the “Entertainer Of The Year”

    Among the most popular Korean dramas, the most popular answer was the thriller series ‘Squid Games’ which was about contestants competing in a dangerous game to win a large cash prize.

  • Urwa Hocane speaks out after being labelled as ‘difficult to work with’ by director Nadeem Baig

    Urwa Hocane speaks out after being labelled as ‘difficult to work with’ by director Nadeem Baig

    Nadeem Baig made national headlines when, on talk show ‘The Fourth Umpire’, he was asked which actress was the most difficult to work with on set, and he revealed it was Urwa Hocane.

    Hocane and Baig was worked together in ‘Punjab Nahi Jaungi’ in 2017.

    Now, Hocane has responded in a post on Friday where she addressed the allegation that she was ‘difficult’ by revealing her side of the story:

    “Nadeem bhai and I have only done one project together and had one difference of opinion about the song ‘Lak Hilna’ where we eventually went with his aesthetics, choice of song and dance step as I sensed he was unwilling to hold a discussion probably because as a society we have become so intolerant to difference of opinion, specially when it’s a woman.”

    Hocane revealed that despite being trolled heavily for the past few days since Baig’s comment on the show, she had never thrown him under the bus out of respect for him.

    “Despite being extremely trolled for the song I never threw my director under the bus out of respect for him. I am so hurt with how my personality is being misrepresented publicly merely for holding a healthy discussion on set which I believe is a basis to team work while in all these years it was never pointed out to me in person.”

    You can read her complete statement here:

    Other celebrities had applauded Hocane’s post, including her husband, Farhan Saeed, who had writtten:

    “Tu shaheen hai basera kur paharon ki chatanon par ❤️”

    Nadia Jamil applauded Hocane for her ‘values and authenticity’

    Hocane’s sister, Mawra, also commented that she was proud of the strength and grace her sister had shown

  • State should handle PTI in the same way it handles terrorist organisations: Maryam Nawaz

    Senior Vice-president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Maryam Nawaz, has said that the state should handle arch-rival Imran Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the same manner that it handles terrorist organisations.

    The PML-N leader sat down with Mansoor Ali Khan for a long interview about a host of topics including her promotion in the party, PTI’s clashes with the police outside Zaman Park in Lahore and judiciary, the first part of which has gone on air.

    “I stood by Hamza when he became Chief Minister”

    When asked whether she deserves the spot of Chief Organiser of the party, Maryam referred to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s interview with Hamid Mir. “I spent 5-6 years working very passionately for the party. This is an acknowledgment of my relation with the people that was forged in what was the toughest period of my life and for the party,” she observed.

    Mansoor pointed out that she is now holding a position above her cousin Hamza Shehbaz. “When he became Chief Minister, which is a big post, I stood by him like an elder sister,” Maryam pointed out.

    Dispelling a question about whether Hamza was upset with the decision, Maryam Nawaz said that he has only one daughter who has heart problems and had surgery for it two years ago. “His daughter is unwell,” she revealed. The host asked that if the two cousins both win their respective seats to reach Punjab Assembly, who will be the candidate for Chief Minister. Maryam demurred and said the party will decide.

    On the matter of PML-N losing the 2022 by-elections, Maryam said that their own workers did not accept the candidates who were from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). She also rejected that the Vote of No Confidence was a mistake, implying that there was a 12-year-long plan to rig multiple elections.

    “The entire front line of PML-N was put in jail. I spent five months in jail once and then give months again. Whoever was put in jail could not come out before six months,” she reminded the anchor.

    “Let’s build a bullet-proof court inside Zaman Park”

    Dismissing the 84 cases filed against Imran Khan, Maryam Nawaz said that if he was innocent, he should prove it in court. “We showed up in court for 200 hearings,” she reminded Mansoor.

    About whether it was fair to use pictures of sitting judges while criticising the judiciary, she said, “When the law will have double standards, then it is Maryam Nawaz’s right to speak up about it.”

    Referring to Imran Khan’s reluctance to attend court proceedings, she said that she went again and again to court hearings herself when she was facing a trial. “If his life is under threat, are his workers also not facing the same who fight outside?” The host said that was there a need for such vindictiveness when Pakistan had already lost a former Premier, Benazir Bhutto, to an assassination. “Let’s then build a bullet-proof court inside Zamam Park,” she sarcastically replied.

    “State should handle Imran Khan and PTI in the same way it does terrorist organisations”

    She did not hold back when it came to the Supreme Court bench that disqualified her father Nawaz Sharif when asked about the “atmosphere of civil war” at Zaman Park when police clashed with PTI protestors. “Justice Khosa who led the Panama bench must have realised who is ‘Don’, ‘Sicilian Mafia’ and ‘Godfather’.” She said that terrorists were hiding inside the house in Zaman Park while police from Gilgit Baltistan was also there. Pointing out that this is the first time any political party had used petrol bombs to fight the police, Maryam Nawaz said only terrorists and proscribed organisations do so. “I think the state should handle Imran Khan and PTI in the same way as it does terrorist organisations,” she stressed.

    “This is cowardice”

    When Mansoor Ali Khan asked her why her party was reluctant to name former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, Maryam Nawaz said that he himself had admitted to mistakes in interviews. “No he hasn’t,” the host said. The PML-N leader responded that her father had named General Bajwa in a rally and she had given an application against the then Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence General (retd) Faiz Hameed in court. Stating that she does not agree with Imran Khan’s criticism of Bajwa, she reminded viewers that he used to praise the former army chief when he was prime minister. “Till one day before his retirement, they were meeting him, to ask him to bring them back into power” she stated, adding that now Imran Khan was demanding court martial for General Bajwa. “This is a huge dichotomy, this is cowardice. I do not take a coward’s statements seriously,” she firmly said.

    However, Maryam Nawaz did not give a direct reply when Mansoor Ali Khan asked whether her govt will court martial Generals Bajwa and Hameed. “Bravery is to challenge cruelty when it is in full might,” she said.

  • Clash of the titans as Qalandars and Sultans clash in PSL final

    Clash of the titans as Qalandars and Sultans clash in PSL final

    On the final day of Pakistan Super League, (PSL) Season 8, the two best teams of the event, defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, will clash for the title.

    The PSL final will be played between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans for the second consecutive year.

    The winner will be crowned champions for the second time, but the Qalandars could become the first team to successfully defend the title.

    Apart from the covered trophy, the champion team will get prize money of Rs12 crore while the runners-up will get Rs4 crore, 80 lacs.

    Tomorrow lahore Qalandars brilliantly chase the and knocked out Zalmi ruthlessly

    Zalmi give the the target of 172 Lahore Qalandars chase the Target and step in to the finals to clash the horns with Multan Sultans again.
    “May the best Team win”

  • Short-term inflation skyrockets to record 45.64% in Pakistan: What’s causing the surge?

    Short-term inflation skyrockets to record 45.64% in Pakistan: What’s causing the surge?

    The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has released data revealing that short-term inflation based on the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) rose to a record 45.64 per cent for the combined income group on a year-on-year basis for the week ending March 16.

    This increase was driven by the consistent rise in the prices of essential commodities. However, on a week-on-week basis, short-term inflation increased by 0.96 per cent due to the rising cost of tomatoes, potatoes, cooking oil and fruits.

    The SPI is expected to intensify further as the full impact of depreciation, an increase in petroleum products, a hike in general sales tax and higher energy costs has yet to be reflected in official data. Commodity prices are likely to increase rapidly with a spike in demand. The year-on-year SPI surged to 45.5 per cent during the week ending September 1, 2022, and stayed above 40 per cent for the first time since August 18 last year when the reading was 42.31 per cent.

    Of the 51 items in the SPI basket, prices of 28 items soared, while those of 11 items decreased, and rates of 12 items remained unchanged. During the week under review, the prices of onions, cigarettes, gas charges for Q1, diesel, tea Lipton, petrol, rice irri-6/9, rice basmati broken, bananas, eggs, pulse moong, wheat flour and bread increased the most over the same week a year ago.

    On a week-on-week basis, the biggest change was observed in the prices of tomatoes, tea Lipton, potatoes, bananas, sugar, wheat flour, cooking oil 5 litre, vegetable ghee 2.5 Kg, lawn, diesel, shirting, and petrol. Products whose prices saw the highest decline over the previous week were onions, chicken, garlic, pulse masoor, eggs, LPG, vegetable ghee 1 Kg, pulse gram, pulse mash, pulse moong, and mustard oil.

    The government has been taking strict measures, such as hikes in fuel and power tariffs, withdrawal of subsidies, market-based exchange rate, and higher taxation, under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to generate revenue for bridging the fiscal deficit, which may result in slow economic growth and higher inflation in the coming months. The increase in the policy rate to 20 per cent, general sales tax rate from 17 per cent to 18 per cent on most items, and to 25 per cent on more than 800 imported food and non-food items will further increase the retail prices of consumer goods.

  • 2 underaged girls married off by jigra as tribal fine in Jacobabad

    A jirga in Thull, Jacobabad decided to marry off two minor girls as punishment for their parents’ elopment. According to Aaj News, both the girls are seven years old.

    The jirga had decided on the case of Hajira Mangi, a 30-years-old widow and mother, had eloped with a man, Dadu Mangi, who was also married and had daughters. They were accused of committing karo kari.

    In order to appease Hajira’s family who said that she had gotten married without their permission, village head Zukfiqar Khan Sarqi was asked to step in and resolve the issue. It was decided that both Hajira’s and Dadu’s daughters from their previous marriages would be wedded off to Hajira’s brothers. Furthermore, the couple were ordered to pay Rs 200,000 as a fine. They paid Rs 50,000 and promised to pay the rest in installments.

    According to Aaj News, although jirgas were banned by the Supreme Court in 2019, there has not been a police case filed against the village head or the family for this forced marriage.

  • ‘Yeh toh dracula ban gaya hai’: Khawaja Saad lashes out at Imran for chaos in Zaman Park

    Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has lashed out at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, calling him “Dracula”.

    The minister started off by saying that his party leaders “never shed a tear or created drama when the court asked them to appear”, however, he was of the view that “Khan pressurised the courts.”

    He said that police reached Imran Khan’s residence in Zaman Park on the court’s order with arrest warrants. Emphasising that the police was unarmed except for shields, Rafique said that PTI loyalists injured not only the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) but also 65 other officers.

    “Imran hasn’t done it for the first time, he has become Dracula”, said the minister.

    He also claimed that there are some people within the establishment, judiciary and media who are still in Khan’s favour.

    It is pertinent to mention here that since Tuesday the Islamabad police and Rangers have been trying to arrest Imran but failed to do so.

    The police arrived with Khan’s arrest warrant which was issued by a court in Islamabad on Monday, March 13, due to his continuous absence from the hearings of the Toshakhana case. The court had also directed police to present the ex-premier in court by March 18.

    A case was registered against Khan that he hadn’t disclosed gifts that he received and was supposed to deposit in Toshkahana before selling them. Despite the court’s numerous warnings, Khan didn’t appear before the judge.