Author: newsdesk

  • Insights: Fawad-Sanam wrap up Zee5’s ‘supernatural fantasy with a family reunion’

    Insights: Fawad-Sanam wrap up Zee5’s ‘supernatural fantasy with a family reunion’

    Actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed have reunited for a Zee5 show 10 years after Zindagi Gulzar Hai that pushed the duo to superstardom in Pakistan.

    Their yet-to-be-titled web-series has just wrapped up filming. Their project is being helmed by Asim Abbasi, who also directed Churails and feature film Cake.

    Fawad Khan Sanam Saeed

    According to Variety, the show is a blend of magical realism and supernatural fantasy with a family reunion. Humsafar actor Khan is seen in a role of a single parent who tries to be the father that his own father wasn’t. Saeed, who recently starred in Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, bears otherworldly secrets in the show and takes it upon herself to heal and bring everyone together.

    The pair posted some behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot a few months ago. Khan had described the story as a “genre-bending saga of familial traumas and reconciliations, a tale of love and loss set in a world of magic and mystique.”

    The series, which blends magical realism and supernatural fantasy with a family reunion, is helmed by critically acclaimed director Asim Abbasi who also directed Zindagi’s first Pakistani original “Churails” and the feature film “Cake.”

    Khan plays a single parent who, with his son, tries to be every bit the father his own father wasn’t. Saeed plays the central female character in the series. Harbouring otherworldly secrets, she takes it upon herself to heal, and make whole, everyone who surrounds her.

    The series was shot on location in Karachi and the picturesque Hunza valley.

    “This is a very personal project for me. The shoot which spanned over five months has been the most challenging experience of my life but also the most rewarding,” Abbasi said. “The ensemble have done a beautiful job, and given some career best performances. While we have had many eventful days shooting for the series, the last day of the shoot was particularly action-packed. I remember the car we were supposed to shoot with didn’t work, so we used my personal car instead. During the shot, Fawad really had to burn the rubber, as he had to do a u-turn on a single lane road. It was a perfect shot but now I need new tyres.”

  • Amna Ilyas oozes fashion statements on Sri Lankan vacation, Netizens react

    Amna Ilyas oozes fashion statements on Sri Lankan vacation, Netizens react

    Actor and model Amna Ilyas is currently vacationing in Sri Lanka with her best friend. The Zinda Bhaag diva took to her Instagram handle to share her special moments from her getaway.

    The Baaji star taking to Instagram posted a stunning photo while posing in the sea.

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    She captioned the post, “Scars are tattoos with better stories #colombo.”

    The netizens were quick to express polarising comments on Amna’s swimsuit pictures. While some deemed it as too bold, others said that she is enjoying her life.

    The Janam Jali diva turned to her Instagram a few days back and posted a portrait of herself all glammed up in a black outfit with a beverage in her hand and took her bluntness to another level with a bold caption.

    “If someone drunk texts you, appreciate it, they are thinking of you when they can barely think straight,” she wrote.

    This controversial caption sparked criticism among the netizens and they started flaking her with harsh comments.  

    ALSO READ: Netizens grill Amna Ilyas for her ‘drunk’ statement

    ALSO READ: Amna Ilyas jokingly clarifies about sexual orientation on Wajahat Rauf’s show

  • ‘Putin has no idea what’s coming’: Biden closes all airspace to Russian flights

    ‘Putin has no idea what’s coming’: Biden closes all airspace to Russian flights

    United States (US) President Joe Biden, while addressing a joint session of Congress, announced that the US is closing its airspace to all Russian flights.

    Biden said, “Tonight, I’m announcing that we will join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy”, further adding that Putin has no idea what’s coming.

    Biden said the country is imposing “powerful sanctions” on Russia. He repeatedly hit out at Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, saying that Putin alone is to blame for the war.

    During the address, the US President also paid a nod to Kyiv’s ambassador to Washington, Oksana Markarova, who was in attendance.

    The US has shown support to Ukraine after the Russian invasion. However, Biden has made it clear that the country will not send troops to fight Russia in Ukraine.

    Currently, Russia is showing no sign of stopping an assault that has included strikes on the Ukrainian capital i.e Kyiv and Kharkiv. Dozens have been killed and hundreds of thousands have fled the country to seek shelter.

    Earlier this week, both Moscow and Ukraine sat together for talks on the Ukraine-Belarus border with the aim of an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces but no decision could be made.

  • PTI ministers are with us, claims PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal

    PTI ministers are with us, claims PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal

    In Geo News‘ Programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’ Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal claimed that the government’s decision to decrease the petroleum prices is because of their [Opposition] pressure.

    Talking about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) allies, Iqbal said they [allies] have to decide for themselves. “If someone thinks of blackmailing them [PML-N] in exchange for offering support for the vote of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, it wouldn’t work as they [PML-N] have enough support.”

    He, further claimed that the Opposition has support inside of PTI and would successfully sail a no-confidence motion even without the support of PTI allies. According to him, PML-N has strong contacts with 20 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the ruling party including some federal ministers.

    He added that everyone wants PTI to go home. When asked about the date of the no-confidence motion against the PM, the PML-N leader said there are consultations going on right now.

    A day earlier, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan met with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leadership. The Chaudhrys of Gujrat assured PM Khan that they still supported him and his government and also expressed their lack of trust in the Sharifs who ditched them in the past.

    “We know them all, and do not trust them,” said Chaudhry Shujaat.

    Last week, Pakis­tan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari began his march towards the federal capital against the government.

  • Couples will have to testify their belief in the finality of Prophethood (PBUH) before marriage: Punjab cabinet

    Couples will have to testify their belief in the finality of Prophethood (PBUH) before marriage: Punjab cabinet

    The Punjab cabinet has approved an amendment to the West Pakistan Rules under Muslim Family Laws Ordinance 1961 and has included a new clause according to which couples planning to marry would have to take oath at the moment of nikkah to testify to their belief in the finality of Prophethood (PBUH).

    The amendment was approved in the 51st provincial cabinet meeting. The cabinet met with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

    In October 2021, the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to include ‘finality of Prophethood’ in the Nikkahnama (Marriage Certificate). The resolution was jointly tabled by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Khadija Omar, Bismillah Chaudhry, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Maulana Ilyas Chinioti.

  • PM Khan strongly dislikes Pakistani media: Foreign Policy report

    PM Khan strongly dislikes Pakistani media: Foreign Policy report

    “Pakistan’s government is tightening its control of media with laws and oversight bodies that critics say enhance its power to censor and punish journalists. New laws potentially extend control to social media such as YouTube and Twitter, snuffing out investigative journalism and critical commentary,” says a report published in Foreign Policy (FP) magazine.

    The report says that Prime Minister Imran Khan “has long had deep antipathy for the media and rarely voices support for journalists who are attacked or disappeared for their work”. It adds that Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Asia programme coordinator, Steven Butler, was denied entry to Pakistan in 2019. “Journalists who find outlets abroad to publish their work and provide income are branded foreign agents intent on the destruction of the Pakistani state,” says the FP report.

    “Our society is a democratic society, and people do realise why these journalists are not on air, are not speaking, why their voices are not being heard,” said Asma Shirazi. “These critical voices are a blessing in democracies. But now that they are not there, there is a huge gap. And people know this, they see this, and they know why it is.”

    Self-censorship by journalists is an insidious consequence of the harassment, she said. “But we have been here before. We know how to deal with it—we keep fighting.”

    PECA Ordinance 2022

    In February, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Amendment (PECA) Ordinance 2022 was promulgated by President Arif Alvi. Talking exclusively to The Current, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “A person who forwards fake news over WhatsApp can be fined and go to jail under the new law.”

    Civil society, political collectives, journalists and rights activists condemned the new PECA Ordinance.

    Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that it seems like no one told the premier that there are laws for contempt other than PECA. “It seems like PM Khan was not assisted correctly over PECA Ordinance,” said Justice Minallah, adding that the law is used against critics here.

    PM Khan defends PECA Ordinance

    “The PECA law was made in 2016. We are only amending it,” said PM Khan on Monday. He said that “filth” such as child pornography was being shared on social media. He also accused journalists of taking money and blackmail.

    Joint statement by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch

    On Monday, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a joint statement that the government’s amendment to its cybercrimes act “is the latest in a concerted campaign to restrict freedom of expression and stifle dissent”.

    “PECA has been used to silence freedom of expression on the pretext of combating ‘fake news,’ cybercrime, and misinformation,” said Nadia Rahman, acting deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International. “This amendment not only violates the Pakistan Constitution, but also puts anyone who questions the government or other state institutions at further risk. It particularly endangers journalists, human rights defenders, and political opponents who run the risk of prosecution for merely doing their jobs.”

    “The Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act neither protects the public from legitimate cybercrime concerns nor respects fundamental human rights,” said Patricia Gossman, Asia associate director at Human Rights Watch. “The new amendments will further embed violations of basic rights with a thin veneer of legality.”

  • Brig Asad Munir acquitted of false allegations by NAB three years after his death

    Brig Asad Munir acquitted of false allegations by NAB three years after his death

    Brigadier (retd) Asad Munir, who committed suicide after the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had decided to file a reference of abuse of office against him back in March 2019, was acquitted of the false allegations three years after his death.

    The late army officer took his life on March 16, 2019, and left a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, pleading his innocence.

    Munir along with Brig (retd) Nusratullah, Ghulam Sarwar Sidhu, and Mohammad Hussain were accused of involvement in alleged corruption in allotting over 400 acres of land for shuttle service in the Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad, to its contractor Hussain.

    The shuttle service was planned as a security feature in the Diplomatic Enclave for those required to visit different embassies to acquire visas. 

    Even then, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had rejected the allegation and stated it follows all rules and procedures in the allotment of the land. 

    Munir’s name was put on the Exit Control List (ECL). While pleading his innocence in a letter to the then Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, he wrote that he was being driven to take his own life. Munir committed suicide on March 16, 2019.

    Advocate Imran Shafiq said that the CDA and other departments had thoroughly investigated the case and could not find any shred of evidence to prove that the deceased, Asad Munir, or any other accused Brig (retd) Nusratullah, Ghulam Sarwar Sidhu, and Mohammad had committed any wrongdoing. 

    Munir’s daughter Meena took to Twitter and wrote, “Nab destroyed our family and they should be held accountable.”

    “He lost his life in March 2019 and blamed NAB for torturing, humiliating his honour through a false case.”

    Senior journalist Hamid Mir tweeted, “Those who involved him in a fake case are still alive but they belong to the dead part of this society.”

    Veteran journalist Abbas Nasir tweeted, “Such a travesty to lose such a wonderful man to NAB shenanigans. NAB should be held to account.”

  • IN PICTURES: Lupita Nyong’o stuns in Pakistani shaadi joras

    IN PICTURES: Lupita Nyong’o stuns in Pakistani shaadi joras

    Hollywood Star Lupita Nyong’o is currently in Pakistan for a friend’s wedding and is sharing pictures of herself from the wedding festivities. She is in Pakistan for the wedding ceremony of Artist Misha Japanwala.

    The ‘Black Panther’ actor opted for traditional Pakistani clothes for her friend’s wedding. Have a look at some of the looks:

    Read more- Black Panther star Lupita Nyong’o takes a trip around Karachi, loves the desi groove

    Who is Misha Japanwala?

    Misha Japanwala is a Pakistani visual artist and designer. She has won global attention and appreciation for her work. The artist has also worked with Gigi Hadid in the past. She has tied the knot with  Actor Fisher Neal. 

  • ‘Hamaray paas paisa ziada aya hai’: PM Khan reveals reason for slashing petrol, diesel prices

    ‘Hamaray paas paisa ziada aya hai’: PM Khan reveals reason for slashing petrol, diesel prices

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday revealed the reason for giving relief to Pakistanis in terms of reduction in electricity charges and petrol prices as the country now has more money.

    Addressing a ceremony to launch the disbursement of interest-free loans for people of low-income groups under the Kamyab Pakistan Programme, the premier said, “This time we collected record tax in Pakistan. And because of this, I reduced the prices of petrol and oil.”

    “Hamaray paas paisa ziada aya hai [We have more money now]. The more tax you will pay, the more I will utilise all of it to uplift the poor in the country. This is my promise to the nation,” said PM Khan.

    Imran Khan regretted that Pakistan in the past could not achieve its due place in the comity of nations because it “did not pursue the ideology for which it was created”. He noted that the “nations that forget their ideology never succeed”.

  • PM Khan and Sharifs fighting over the Chaudhrys of Gujrat?

    PM Khan and Sharifs fighting over the Chaudhrys of Gujrat?

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Tuesday went to meet the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leadership.

    PM Khan inquired about the health of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

    The Chaudhrys of Gujrat assured PM Khan that they still supported him and his government and also expressed their lack of trust in the Sharifs who ditched them in the past. “We know them all, and do not trust them,” said Chaudhry Shujaat.

    “Shehbaz Sharif came to inquire after my health a few days ago and offered the chief ministership (of Punjab) to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (in exchange for voting against Imran Khan),” said Hussain to PM Khan according to media reports.

    “However, we know them well and do not trust them. He had offered us the same slot (in the 90s) but backed off after winning the elections. The excuse was that his father did not agree to the proposal. Although he has offered it again, we don’t trust (him) and continue to stand by the government,” Hussain assured PM Khan.

    The Chaudhrys appreciated the government’s decision to slash fuel prices and electricity rates, as well as the industrial package unveiled on Tuesday.

    Khan briefed the hosts about his recent visits to China and Russia.

    PML-Q leader Tariq Bashir Cheema, while speaking on News One programme ‘G for Gharidah’, revealed that the issue of a no-trust move was not discussed in the meeting between PM Khan and the Chaudhry brothers.

    “This is the first time PM Khan visited [Chaudhry brothers] with a delegation. There were 20 people sitting in the meeting. Not once was there any talk about the no-confidence motion,” said Cheema.

    Cheema said that PM Khan discussed his recent trips to Moscow and China, asked about Shujaat Hussain’s health. He added that the recent visits of the Opposition leaders were also discussed.

    Different accounts

    In a report for The News, Ansar Abbasi says the “accounts of the meeting by the three government sources were different from each other while the PML-Q source insisted that the media had been fed the wrong information by a government minister about what was discussed in the meeting”.

    “One of the three government sources said that ‘politics’ was not discussed as such in the meeting … The second government source said that although there was no assurance sought by the PM or given by the Chaudhrys regarding the no-trust move, the body language of the top PML-Q leadership was good and encouraging for the government. This second government source said following an inquiry from the government side, the Chaudhrys also talked about Shehbaz Sharif’s visit … The third PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] source, when approached, told this correspondent that Chaudhry Shujaat told Imran Khan to stand firm (dattay rahain). The source quoted the Chaudhrys as having told Shehbaz Sharif that in case of the failure of the no-trust move, Imran Khan would emerge far more powerful. This source claimed that the Chaudhrys had urged Shehbaz Sharif not to embark on such adventures. The third government source further said that the Chaudhrys also said that they were offered the chief ministership but only to announce the dissolution of the Punjab assembly. What will we get out of it, the government source quoted Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as saying.”