Author: newsdesk

  • Man behind viral Aurat March poster shares inspiring story about his mother

    Man behind viral Aurat March poster shares inspiring story about his mother

    ‘I march for my mom who was not allowed to go to school’; so stated a placard at the Aurat March, pictures of which went viral on Twitter.

    Now Ehtesham Hassan, the man behind the poster, has taken to Twitter to share the inspiring story of his mother.

    Hassan revealed that since the age of 10, his mother was fond of reading and writing and had wanted to go to school like her brothers did.

    When his mother expressed her desire to her grandmother, she purchased a takhti for her because of which the mother was able to go two school for two days. Hassan revealed that every night, his mother would clean the takhti with mud so that she could use it again the next day.

    However, Hassan said it was Maulana Fazal Rehman heard about his mother going to school and forbade her family from sending her because this way the girl would write letters to the men and violate the honor of her family.

    Hassan narrated that his mother was restricted from going to school, a fact that she is sorrowful about to this day. Hassan said that being deprived of her fundamental right to receive an education, and not being supported by her family is the reason why he choose to march today so that no other woman would be treated this way.

    Since the story was posted yesterday, women on Twitter have praised Hassan for pasionately defending the right of women to receive education, calling his thread a moving tribute to his mother.

    Many women said they had witnessed the same in their families.

    “This is the story of both my maternal & paternal grandmothers. They were both not allowed to go to school after 8th grade. They made sure their daughters were highly educated – they advocated for them against hell or high water,” this user wrote.

    Another user wrote: “Mother’s carried the burden of thier broken dreams and planted seeds of hope for future generations. She might not have gone to school but her son’s daughter would! Women have been forebearers of a silent revolution for generations.”

    We hope that more men out there step out of their bubble and follow the lead of Hassan to empower the women of their lives to never stop reaching for their dreams.

  • SSAT – Become One of 3000 Top Scorers & Get Free Entry Test Preparation From STEP

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    Are you going to attempt the medical and engineering colleges’ Entry Test in 2023? If yes, now is the right time to gauge the level of your preparation, and become one of the 3,000 top scorers who will be able to get free entry test preparation from STEP.

    The STEP Scholarship-based Self-Assessment Test (SSAT) 2023 is now available, offering students a chance to assess their current standing and gain valuable insights into their Entry Test preparation.

    A Bit About STEP

    As the largest Entry Test preparatory network in Pakistan, STEP has a well-established reputation for providing high-quality education and equipping students with the necessary skills to excel in their academic pursuits. The SSAT is an excellent opportunity for students to experience the Entry Test environment and understand the test’s mechanics before taking the actual test.

    In addition to providing a comprehensive self-assessment, SSAT also presents students with an opportunity to win free Entry Test preparation from STEP. Being part of the largest educational group in Pakistan, STEP is dedicated to offering students the resources necessary to ace MDCAT & ECAT exams and achieve their academic goals.

    Identify Your Weaknesses & Strengths

    Students often struggle with determining their current level of preparedness for the Entry Test. Here at STEP, we understand that the competition can be fierce, and every mark counts. This is why we developed the SSAT, a comprehensive self-assessment test that can help you identify your areas of strength and weakness.

    Through this free self-assessment test, you will receive an experience that is similar to the actual Entry Test environment. This will help you to familiarize yourself with the test format, the level of difficulty, and the time constraints. Additionally, the SSAT will provide you with a detailed report on your performance, including a breakdown of your score by topic and question type. This information will allow you to pinpoint your weaknesses accurately and focus your efforts on areas where you need to improve.

    Eligibility Criteria For SSAT

    Anyone from Intermediate Part-II or repeater students who are aspiring to get admission in Medical & Engineering Institutions can show up for STEP Self-Assessment Test 2023.

    All students, from the Punjab Group of Colleges and Hadaf Group of Colleges or students from any other institution, can appear in this scholarship-based test.

    Note: ICS Students having combinations of statistics and economics are not eligible for SSAT 2023

    Register for SSAT For Free

    At STEP, we understand that time is of the essence for students, and we strive to make the process of registering for the Self-Assessment Test (SSAT-23) as easy as possible.

    You can now become a part of the SSAT-23 by registering online or by visiting your nearest Punjab College or Hadaf College Campuses. The registration process is entirely free of charge, and we encourage all students to take advantage of this opportunity.

    Why STEP for MDCAT & ECAT Preparation?

    Proven track record of top positions: Our track record speaks for itself. Over the years, STEP has helped countless students achieve top positions in the MDCAT and ECAT exams. In 2022 alone, 1497 students secured admissions to medical colleges and 2216 to engineering colleges. Our students have consistently outperformed their peers, and we are proud to have played a part in their success.

    Likewise, 925 students of STEP made it to the University of Engineering and Technology, 987 to the National University of Sciences and Technology, 935 to FAST, 143 to PIEAS, and 42 to GIKI in 2022. The fact that so many of our students have secured admissions to Pakistan’s top medical and engineering colleges in a single year is a testament to the quality of education at STEP and the dedication of our students. We are proud to have played a part in their success, and we are committed to continuing to provide students with the resources they need to achieve their academic goals.

    Outstanding Team: Our team of experts is made up of highly qualified and experienced teachers and professionals who are dedicated to helping students succeed. They work tirelessly to create effective study materials and provide you with the support you need to achieve your academic goals.

    Bank of 60,000+ MCQs: We understand that practice makes perfect, and that’s why we have created a bank of over 60,000 MCQs to help you do thorough preparation for the Entry Test. These MCQs cover a wide range of topics and are designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge required to ace medical and engineering college exams.

    Free STEP BY PGC Mobile App: We know that students are busy and need to be able to study on the go. That’s why we have created the Free STEP BY PGC mobile app, which provides students with access to our study materials and practice tests on their smartphones.

    Register for STEP self-assessment test 2023 today and become part of Pakistan’s most successful and largest entry test preparatory network to boost your prospects of getting admission to top medical and engineering universities.

  • WhatsApp refuses to compromise on end-to-end encryption despite UK pressure

    WhatsApp refuses to compromise on end-to-end encryption despite UK pressure

    Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, has stated that the company will not comply with the proposed online safety bill in the United Kingdom (UK), which aims to ban end-to-end encryption. Cathcart made these remarks during a visit to the UK, where he will meet with legislators to discuss the government’s internet regulation flagship policy. He further described the bill as the most concerning piece of legislation being discussed in the western world.

    Cathcart explained that users worldwide demand security, and 98 per cent of WhatsApp’s users are outside the UK. Therefore, it would be an odd choice for the company to lower the product’s security in a way that would affect the majority of its users. He added that end-to-end encryption is essential in messaging services to prevent anyone other than the communication recipients from decrypting it. WhatsApp cannot read messages sent over its service and cannot comply with law enforcement requests to hand over messages or actively monitor communications for child protection or anti-terrorism purposes.

    Cathcart noted that the online safety bill is an expansion of the UK government’s power to demand the removal of encryption, and it poses a grey area in the legislation. He called for similar language to be inserted into the UK bill as in the EU’s digital markets act, which explicitly defends end-to-end encryption for messaging services.

    Furthermore, under the proposed bill, the UK government or Ofcom could require WhatsApp to apply content moderation policies that would be impossible to comply with without removing end-to-end encryption. If WhatsApp refused to comply, it could face fines of up to 4 per cent of its parent company Meta’s annual turnover, or it would have to withdraw entirely from the UK market.

    Cathcart argued that large communities that use end-to-end encryption, such as WhatsApp’s “communities” offering, which allows group chats of over 1,000 users to be grouped together, have slim chances of causing trouble. He suggested that one person reporting any serious issues would suffice, making it easy for investigators to gain access.

    The online safety bill is expected to return to parliament in the summer, giving Ofcom significant new powers as the internet regulator and enabling it to require effective content moderation under the penalty of large fines. WhatsApp has never received a legal demand to remove encryption from the UK government, according to Cathcart.

  • ‘Dili afsos hai’: Maryam Nawaz condemns death of PTI worker in Lahore

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has condemned the death of Ali Bilal, a worker and supporter of rival party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who lost his life allegedly at the hands of police on Wednesday when a clash took place in Lahore.

    Maryam extended her condolences to the deceased’s family, saying, “Aik siyaasi kaarkun ki jaan gayi, mujhe is cheez ka behaad afsos hai aur dili afsos hai” (I feel grief that a political worker lost his life).

    The PML-N leader also said that whatever has happened should be investigated.

    On Wednesday, on the call of PTI Chief Imran Khan, PTI workers came out on the roads, resulting in a clash between PTI workers and Lahore police at Zaman Park. PTI leaders claim that the administration is to blame for Ali Bilal’s death.

    During the interview with Adil Shahzeb, Maryam also said that now that ex-Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Faiz Hameed has confessed, the establishment should take notice of his statement.

    “General Faiz will be held accountable by the institution itself,” she said.

  • LHC suspends PEMRA order banning Imran Khan’s speeches

    LHC suspends PEMRA order banning Imran Khan’s speeches

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has suspended an order of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) which banned the broadcast of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s speeches on TV.

    Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza announced the suspension of the order in a verdict he had reserved earlier today.

    Khan’s lawyer informed the court that an earlier ban imposed by PEMRA was also suspended by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    The ban was imposed after Khan lashed out at former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa for what he called “protecting incumbent rulers in their corruption cases”.

    PEMRA again bans IK’s speeches on TV after he lashed out at Bajwa

    On March 6, PEMRA imposed a ban on the broadcast of speeches, talks or public addresses of Khan and barred news television channels from airing them.

    It is pertinent to mention that this is the third ban on Khan’s speeches and press talks on all satellite TV channels.

    Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned PEMRA’s ban and demanded it to be lifted immediately.

    Earlier in the day, the PTI chief dodged arrest as Islamabad Police showed up at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore with a court summons to take him into custody for his persistent absences from Toshakhana court hearings.

    However, when the police reached Khan’s residence, they were met by a large number of PTI workers, who gathered outside his residence on Fawad Chaudhry’s call. 

    The police were informed that the PTI chief was “unavailable”. With PTI workers outnumbering the police contingent, and despite the Islamabad Police chief earlier saying that they won’t go back empty-handed, the arrest could not be made. Eventually, the Islamabad Police left Imran’s residence.

    Later, in the evening Khan addressed its supporters from his Zaman Park residence where he said that there is no security risk, adding that “they” wanted to “remove” him.

    He also said that he was being dragged into courts in fake cases while demanding that he should be allowed to attend the hearing of the Toshakhana case via video link.

    Khan, reportedly also moved Islamabad sessions court seeking cancellation of his non-bailable arrest warrant in the Toshakhana case.

  • Record of Toshakhana gifts will be posted online soon, promises Khawaja Asif

    Record of Toshakhana gifts will be posted online soon, promises Khawaja Asif

    The federal cabinet under the supervision of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has decided to make the details of state gifts received over the past two decades available to the public soon.

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif announced the development on his Twitter account where he revealed that the declassification of Toshakhana records has been allowed by the cabinet, adding that the record would be posted soon on the website of the cabinet division.

    Last year in June, PM Shehbaz Sharif constituted a ministerial committee to redesign Toshakhana policy.

    Toshakhana has been at the center of a political storm since 2021 when former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was accused of hiding details of the gifts he received during his tenure. A case and an investigation pertaining to the same are currently going on.

    However, responding to the controversy Khan said that the gifts were given to him, therefore it was his choice to keep them or not.

    Last year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also disqualified the PTI chief as Member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the Toshkhana case.

    Recently, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued for Khan in the Toshkahana case because of his continued absences from Toshakhana court hearings. Last week, Islamabad Police reached Zaman Park to arrest the PTI chief, however, he managed to evade it.

    Later, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the arrest warrant but directed Khan to appear before the trial court by March 13 or face the proceedings of declaring him a proclaimed offender.

  • Toyota IMC records worst sales in three years, selling less than 2,000 cars in February

    Toyota IMC records worst sales in three years, selling less than 2,000 cars in February

    Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC), a leading automaker renowned for offering the country’s best-selling sedan, has reported a significant decline in sales in February 2023, marking the worst sales month since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Having previously sold over 7,100 units in March 2022, the company’s sales have now plummeted to a meager 1,803 vehicles in February 2023, according to Autojournal.

    It is pertinent to note that this represents the lowest sales figures for Toyota in the past three years, since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns.

    Toyota is not the only company experiencing this phenomenon, as Pak Suzuki Motor Company has also reported a massive decline in sales, selling only 544 units in February 2023, despite having sold over 6,000 units of Suzuki Alto in a single month previously.

    Pakistan’s auto industry is currently facing significant challenges due to production halts, resulting from a lack of availability of auto parts and restrictions on imports.

    As a result, car manufacturers are facing difficulties in meeting consumer demands, leading to decreased sales figures for many companies, including Toyota and Suzuki.

  • ‘As a woman, it is insulting that I have to take Imran Khan’s name’: Maryam Nawaz

    ‘As a woman, it is insulting that I have to take Imran Khan’s name’: Maryam Nawaz

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has said that she, too, has faced harassment even though she hails from a privileged background and has a powerful father.

    Addressing a PML-N women workers convention in Lahore on International Woman’s Day, Maryam said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his party has always targeted her with “personal attacks” when she says something political.

    “They talk about my marriage. My wedding was done with alot of love and festivities by my parents and grandparents. And I am still married to the same person. I don’t want to attack anyone personally,” said Maryam.

    “As a woman, it is insulting that I have to take Imran Khan’s name. Due to the current situation in the country, I have to take his name. Being a woman, I have said this many times, I would never let a person like Imran Khan inside my house,” said Maryam, adding that when Imran is asked about politics, he never gives a political answer. Instead, he, in his jalsa says, “Maryam Nawaz, you say my name so many times, be careful; your husband might get angry with you.”

    Khan in May last year made misogynistic remarks about Maryam Nawaz.

    “In that speech, she took my name with such passion that I would like to tell her: Maryam, please be careful, your husband may get upset because you were constantly repeating my name,” said IK during the speech.

    “I am like a daughter to him [Imran Khan], and now because of the fear of arrest, he has become old and is 72 years old, but when it comes to slurs and personally attacking me, where does his old age go?” questioned Maryam.

  • Establishment ki zaroorat nahi, jiskay sath awam ho usay besaakhion ki zaroorat nahi’: Khan

    Establishment ki zaroorat nahi, jiskay sath awam ho usay besaakhion ki zaroorat nahi’: Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman (PTI) Imran Khan has said that he only wants free and fair elections for which he is ready to talk to anyone, however, he does not require “crutches”.

    Talking to BBC, Khan said that he was asked if the establishment was ready for talks, will he do so. He responded by saying that he is a political worker and is ready to work, however, he will not to talk to thieves.

    The question popped up after multiple sources disclosed that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir told a group of businessmen that Imran Khan had wanted to meet him but had refused. Imran said that he did not need the establishment.

    He further added that the people of Pakistan are with PTI so he doesn’t require crutches to seek help or support.

    Talking about the new establishment, Khan said that he hoped the changed establishment would do things differently, but nothing changed, infact, matters had become more difficult and serious.

    Talking about elections, Khan said that the caretaker government’s job is to hold elections. If elections are to be held, he asked, how can they take place without campaigns and rallies?

  • Anupam Kher honours Deepika Padukone, shares old picture from his acting institute ahead of Oscars

    Bollywood veteran actor Anupam Kher congratulated Deepika Padukone for being selected as one of the presenters at the upcoming Academy Awards, posting an old picture of her at his acting institute.

    In the caption, he praised Padukone for her achievement and said that as a teacher, he was proud to witness her journey.

    “Dearest @deepikapadukone! Congratulations on being one of the presenters at this year’s #Oscar ceremony! Every time you climb one step higher on the ladder of success, we at @actorprepares feel proud to have been part of your journey. On a personal note as your teacher I always knew sky is not the limit. You will go beyond!! Love and blessings always! Congratulations for #Pathan too! Jai Ho!  #ActorPrepares #Student #Actress“

    Padukone, along with Pakistani-British actor Riz Ahmed, are the only South Asians to be announcing the Oscar awards that will be held on 12 March.