Author: newsdesk

  • ‘World renowned Mufti Menk visits Pakistan for flood victims

    ‘World renowned Mufti Menk visits Pakistan for flood victims

    Leading Islamic scholar, Mufti Dr Ismail Menk, is visiting Pakistan to help flood victims after the natural catastrophe wrecked havoc across the country, turning one-third of the country into inland seas.

    The famous cleric, who is loved across the world by millions of Muslims, visited flood affected areas of Sindh.
    After his visits he noted that the situation is “unimaginable” and urged people to give as much charity and aid as they could to ease people’s suffering.

    “Please do whatever you can with any reliable charity or partner for those affected. We will have to assist for the next few YEARS,” he said in a video posted on his Instagram.

    Devastating floods in Pakistan have wreaked havoc across the country, leaving a path of destruction and loss in their wake. More than 1,599 people have lost their lives, one-third of whom are children.

    Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers triggered the disaster. The United Nations (UN) and Pakistan have linked the extreme weather to climate change; some 600,000 people have fled their homes.

    As many as 33 million people of the 220 million South Asian nation have been affected in some way by the floods that swept away houses, roads, railways and bridges and submerged around 4 million acres of farmland.

  • ‘Here to tell Pakistan’s story to world’: PM Shehbaz arrives in New York

    ‘Here to tell Pakistan’s story to world’: PM Shehbaz arrives in New York

    After attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London on Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the United States (US) on Tuesday ahead of his address to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which is to be held on September 23 in New York.

    Talking about his trip, the premier said that he is in America to “tell Pakistan’s story to the world, a story of deep anguish and pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods”.

    “In my address at UNGA and at bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan’s case on issues that call for the world’s immediate attention,” he said.

    PM Shehbaz is also scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and will attend the reception of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today.

    On Wednesday, the prime minister will meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank (WB) President David Mills.

    Other engagements of the premier include meetings with Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob, UNGA President Csaba Korosi, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the UN Secretary-General as well as Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

    During this visit, he reportedly may have a meeting with US President Joe Biden, however, as yet there is no confirmation of the meeting. Both PM Shehbaz and Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will attend the dinner reception hosted by President Biden for heads of state and governments of countries attending the General Assembly.

    The head of government will be in the US for five days from September 19- 24.

  • Pak Suzuki discontinues Bolan’s AC variant after one year

    Pak Suzuki discontinues Bolan’s AC variant after one year

    Pak-Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) will no longer sell the Suzuki Bolan’s AC variant. After almost 15 years, this variation was finally introduced last year, and tragically, its production will cease once again.

    The company’s decision to stop producing the AC variant of the Suzuki Bolan is a blatant indication that it has failed to pique consumer interest for a variety of reasons, some of which include its inflated cost and the extraordinarily uncomfortable ride.

    Despite all of these factors, other variants of Suzuki Bolan are extremely common in Pakistan and are seen running on almost every road and in every city.

    The first Suzuki Bolan with AC was introduced in 2006-2007, however it was a flop due to overheating, poor engine performance, and subpar AC.

    Moreover, the Bolan’s engine is housed underneath the driver’s seat, which makes it extremely challenging for the driver and front passenger to sit, particularly when the engine is hot.

    Despite expectations that the AC variation would be successful this time, it was not able to attract buyers.

  • Why are Hindus, Muslims fighting in England since Pak vs India match?

    At least 47 people have been arrested in an operation to “deter further disorder” in Leicester, England, as the city deals with unrest since Saturday amid tensions involving mainly young men of Muslim and Hindu communities.

    As per Guardian, almost half of the 18 people arrested after violence erupted between Hindu and Muslim communities in Leicester over the weekend came from outside the county.

    How did it all start?

    The clashes began after a cricket match between India and Pakistan on August 28 in Leicester. Tensions between groups from India and Pakistan erupted right after the match, leading to a clash.

    In the days that followed reports of more clashes, rumours and speculation were spread on social media. The rumours were spread by miscreants from both sides, blaming the other group for the fights. Additionally, followers from one religious background accused the other religious group of violence.

    As a result of the rumours, people from outside of Leicester decided to visit the city and participate in more protests over the weekend, which led to further unrest.

    Community leaders in the city have called for “peace and engagement”.

    The recent disturbance in the city is unprecedented.

    Suleman Nagdi, of the Leicester-based Federation of Muslim Organisations, told the BBC, that cricket matches between India and Pakistan lead to unhappiness among supporters, matters have not turned so ugly in the past.

    He urged calm and warned that “The disorder has to end and it has to stop now.” He described what was happening on the streets as “extremely frightening.”

  • Shaista Lodhi, Ken Doll, Mathira blast Dananeer Mobeen for sharing dangerous beauty hacks

    Shaista Lodhi, Ken Doll, Mathira blast Dananeer Mobeen for sharing dangerous beauty hacks

    The ‘Pawri’ girl, Dananeer Mobeen who recently made her acting debut in Nadeem Baig’s Sinf e Aahan, recently shared a lip-plumping hack.

    Mobeen’s beauty hack has garnered scrutiny by the local celebrities and influencers. Make-up artist and influencer Ken Doll aka Adnan Zafar posted a video in which he criticised Dananeer for sharing a very dangerous kitchen trick to make lips fuller.

    Dananeer told her fans to put Vaseline, red pepper, and cinnamon powder on their lips. She said that this trick can make lips look perfectly full. Well, Ken Doll didn’t like this kitchen hack at all. He said that if someone wants fuller lips, they should spend money and go to a doctor. He went on to talk about a few products that can easily make the lips look full and perfect. He has told the girls that they can’t put red pepper on their lips or in their mouths because it can cause allergic reactions. He has said that these cheap kitchen tricks are too dangerous and that you shouldn’t fall for every one of them.

    Celebrity and dermatologist Shaista Lodhi has also slammed Dananeer in a podcast, “I don’t understand that how a person having a mobile becomes a doctor or a influencer herself. It’s very dangerous, please don’t do such things. Don’t apply red chilli direct on your lips at all, use a pink or red colored blush for such beauty hacks.”

    “If a person becomes a doctor or an expert, it happens through a process like I became a doctor through a process. I’m sure that if the internet of this country goes down for a day, 90% of the influencers will vanish away”, added the Pardes star.

    Actor Mathira also commented on the matter, “Omg wow why would anyone guide someone to put chillliiii on the lips pls everything on google babaaaaa ain’t always right and okay for all people some peoples skin are really sensitive”

  • ‘The middle order is not a cause for concern’: Babar Azam

    ‘The middle order is not a cause for concern’: Babar Azam

    Pakistan skipper, Babar Azam, while talking to the media at Karachi stadium responded to questions about the opening pair and middle order ahead of the home T20I series against England.

    Babar said he was concerned about his performance in Asia Cup 2022 but was content with middle order. The middle order helped team in gaining many crucial victories.

    “The middle order is not a cause for concern, and since it is cricket, your graph will fluctuate up and down. Therefore, our goal is to support those that are underperforming,” said Babar.

    Pakistan opening batters are subjected to criticism because of maintaining slow run rate in powerplay overs. Rizwan was criticised badly for scoring 55 on 49 deliveries in Asia Cup 2022 final against Sri Lanka. Babar however has backed his opening pair and said that he was satisfied with their performance.

    The Captain said, “Our opening partnership has been very successful for the last two years. Look, there are different situations and scenarios, what the team requires, and what are the conditions. So, it depends on the planning.”

    “So, in my opinion, the way our opening partnership had been in the last two-year period, helped our team and gave Pakistan many victories. So, the momentum established by our opening pair is later on continued by the middle-order,” he went on to say.

  • High court accepts former judge’s apology for accusing Saqib Nisar of favouring Imran Khan

    High court accepts former judge’s apology for accusing Saqib Nisar of favouring Imran Khan

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday accepted the unconditional apology of former Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Justice (CJ) Rana Muhammad Shamim.

    Earlier, Shamim submitted an apology to the high court because of his own controversial affidavit that incriminates former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar of favouring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah expressed satisfaction over the apology by Rana Shamim.

    Justice Minallah remarked that the effect of Shamim’s affidavit has died down with the unconditional apology . He said that, “there is no case against him unless he backtracks from what he has stated in the apology”.

    The court also exempted the former judge from personally appearing at the next hearing on September 29.

    Former judge Rana Shamim apologises to court for accusing Saqib Nisar of favouring Imran Khan

    Last week, Rana Muhammad Shamim submitted an unconditional apology to IHC and completely disowned a controversial affidavit associated with him.

    The first unconditional apology was submitted to the Court on September 12, 2022. However, at the time he stood by his allegations against former CJP Saqib Nisar. Then again on Friday (September 16), he submitted an unconditional apology, disowning his own ‘controversial’ affidavit and withdrew from its contents.

    The affidavit contained allegations that Saqib Nisar had attempted to influence a case against former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, in an attempt to bring Imran Khan into power.

    In the apology submitted on Friday, the former CJ said, “I tender an unconditional apology for an affidavit which was neither correct nor required.”

    Expressing his regret over the “grave mistake”, the judge said it should never have happened.

    “I place myself at the mercy of this honourable court,” he added.

    He, further said that the affidavit was due to his “glaring misunderstanding and unintentional mistake”.

    “Hence, I withdraw from the contents of the said affidavit. I profusely apologise for the wrong and unnecessary affidavit”, he added.

    “I, while suffering through the extreme stress of loss of my close family members in such quick succession, realised the importance of writing down the incident in my knowledge as soon as possible, as per my beloved late wife’s will; therefore, I chose to do so during my transit stay in London,” he wrote.

    Earlier, this month the high court fixed a contempt case against Shamim, on September 5.

  • Priyanka Chopra reveals her heartbroken state on being termed as ‘Plastic Chopra’ by media

    Priyanka Chopra reveals her heartbroken state on being termed as ‘Plastic Chopra’ by media

    Actor and singer Priyanka Chopra made headlines with her autobiography titled Unfinished. From her personal experience in the Bollywood industry to her family revelations, the actress gave an insight into her life to her fans. One of the excerpts from the memoir was about her nose surgery that went totally wrong.

    Priyanka Chopra revealed, “I was having trouble breathing. This is a problem someone with asthma can’t ignore. I ended up seeing a doctor recommended by a family friend, who discovered a polyp in my nasal cavity that would need to be surgically removed.”

    While shaving her polyp, the doctor accidentally ended up shaving the bridge of her nose. Priyanka Chopra added, “When it was time to remove the bandages and the condition of my nose was revealed, Mom and I were horrified. My original nose was gone. My face looked completely different. I wasn’t me anymore. I didn’t think my sense of self or my self-esteem would ever recover from the blow. Let’s just call it out right now. I remember the media giving me the nickname ‘Plastic Chopra’ after my surgery.”

    The actress then had to fix the damages via polypectomy. Well, that indeed is one horrific incident. But this unfiltered version of Priyanka Chopra makes her the global icon that she is today.

    Earlier this year Chopra, called out an online publication for referring to her as ‘wife of Nick Jonas’. The Fashion diva took to her Instagram story to express her displeasure over being referred to as her husband’s wife instead of her own name.

    “Very interesting that I’m promoting one of the most iconic film franchises of all time, and I’m still referenced as ‘the wife of…’. Please explain how this still happens to women? Should I add my IDMB link to my bio?” the actor wrote in her story.

  • Pakistani rupee inching towards all-time low once again

    Pakistani rupee inching towards all-time low once again

    In the first hours of trade on Tuesday, the Pakistani rupee (PKR) fluctuated between Rs238 and Rs239 as it lost value versus the US dollar in the interbank market.

    During intra-day trade at roughly 10:20 am, the rupee was quoted at Rs237.99, a devaluation of Rs0.08 or 0.03 per cent versus the greenback.

    In the interbank market on Monday, the local currency fell for the 12th straight session to end at Rs237.91 as pressure on the currency increased due to the expectation of a higher import bill and the globally strong dollar.

    The PKR has continued to lose value after receiving the IMF tranche of $1.2 billion at the beginning of September and has not yet seen a positive session this month.

    According to experts, the country’s borrowing requirements would rise in the wake of the devastating flash floods, which will also boost the cost of imports. As floods destroy standing crops in Sindh and lower Punjab, the country’s borrowing requirements may rise further in the near future.

  • IN PICTURES: Queen’s funeral

    IN PICTURES: Queen’s funeral

    On Monday, the United Kingdom celebrated the life of Queen Elizabeth II with a state funeral steeped in tradition.

    The site of the funeral service was Westminster Abbey in London. The Queen was crowned here 69 years ago and it was also where she married Prince Philip 75 years ago.

    Leaders from around the world attended the state funeral of Britain’s longest serving monarch. Kings and Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, celebrities and friends from across the globe were among the 2,000 guests at the Queen’s funeral service

    The Queen’s coffin was then taken to St. George’s Chapel in Windsor where after a committal ceremony, she was to be laid to rest with her parents, her sister and her late husband.

    Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, breathed her last on September 8 in Balmoral Castle, United Kingdom (UK) at the age of 96.