Author: newsdesk

  • Shakib Al Hasan gets support from teammates as murder case looms ahead

    Shakib Al Hasan gets support from teammates as murder case looms ahead

    Bangladeshi captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim have come out in support of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in a case charging him with murder.

    A case has been registered in Dhaka against the all-rounder who was a former Awami League Member of Parliament. At the same time, a egal notice has also been sent to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

    According to AFP, Bangladeshi captain Najmul Hossain Shanto said, “Shakib Al Hasan kept the country’s name high in the world of cricket for 17 years. He is a great asset to our country; the murder case against him is unexpected.”

    On the other hand, Mushfiqur Rahim said that he does not support false allegations against Shakib Al Hasan.

    A few days ago, Shakib was charged with the murder of an employee of a garment factory in Dhaka.

  • Ahsan Iqbal’s phone stolen during funeral prayers

    Ahsan Iqbal’s phone stolen during funeral prayers

    Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives of Pakistan, Ahsan Iqbal, became the victim of pickpocketing as he lost his mobile phone while he was attending the funeral of party leader Rana Afzaal Hussain who passed away on August 26.

    The Minister went to Sheikhupura to attend the funeral prayers of the late brother of Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain.

    Dunya News reported that Iqbal was offering the funeral prayers when his mobile was stolen.

    The police have launched an investigation into the incident and are working to trace the minister’s phone.

  • Gen Faiz was Khan’s choice for next army chief, claims PTI founder member

    Gen Faiz was Khan’s choice for next army chief, claims PTI founder member

    A founding member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Abdul Samad Yaqoob, revealed on Mansoor Ali Khan’s August 25 podcast that former ISI chief Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was Imran Khan’s choice for the next Army chief, calling it “an open secret.”

    On August 12, Gen Faiz was taken into custody by the military over allegations of misuse of authority and court martial proceedings were started against him.

    The former Prime Minister had repeatedly stated that he did not intend to appoint Gen Faiz as the next army chief even though the duo had good relations.

    Yaqoob stated, “Would Khan have nominated Gen Asim Munir for the chief position if he were the Prime Minister? No, he would not have chosen him. It is an open secret.”

  • Heavy rains expected in Karachi, police on high alert

    Heavy rains expected in Karachi, police on high alert

    The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted heavy rainfall in Karachi, and city police have been alerted.

    Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz said, “The system is intense, moving westward and southwestward. As of now, there is no indication that it’s going to lose its severity and is expected to bring about a very heavy to hefty fall in lower Sindh,”

    He said, “Karachi is also expected to receive heavy rains, though not of the same intensity,”

    Sarfraz said that the torrential rain in areas of Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tando Allah Yar, Tando Muhammad Khan, and Tharparker could increase from 400mm to 500mm.

    He added that Metropolice might record 150mm to 200mm of rain.

    Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Karachi Javed Alam Odho instructed police to provide alternate traffic routes in areas with more water accumulation.

  • PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for unity against enemies

    PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for unity against enemies

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for national unity and a firm stance against terrorism, emphasising the need to recognise and confront the nation’s enemies.

    During a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he stressed that there is no room for weakness in addressing terrorism.

    Sharif expressed the government’s willingness to engage with individuals in Balochistan who respect Pakistan’s constitution and flag, but warned that those who act as enemies while pretending to be allies will face no leniency.

    He described recent terrorist attacks as deeply troubling and underscored the government’s resolve to overcome these challenges.

    The Prime Minister highlighted that terrorist groups aim to disrupt the country’s progress and sabotage the development of Balochistan. He called for decisive action to eliminate these threats and ensure the security and stability of the nation.

  • 12-year-old girl raped, body found in garbage dump

    12-year-old girl raped, body found in garbage dump

    A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed before being thrown in a garbage dump in Karachi’s Saddar area on Sunday.

    Geo News cited police and hospital officials to report that on Sunday, the body of a minor girl was found stashed in a sack in the garbage dump near Lucky Star.

    The police said that the victim looked like a “destitute girl from her appearance”.

    The girl’s body was brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medical examination, and the initial post-mortem report reveals that the girl was subjected to “sexual abuse”. At the same time, the cause of death will be ascertained after further testing.

    Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed said that samples had been collected from the victim’s body for DNA testing.

    The police registered a case at Saddar Police Station on the complaint of the victim’s mother.

    Dawn quoted DIG-South Syed Asad Raza as saying that eight suspects have been taken into custody for the investigation until now.

    The DIG informed Dawn that investigators managed to identify the victim, who belonged to the Hindu community and lived under the Lilly Bridge with her mother.

    He said the girl and her mother had come to Karachi from Sukkur around 20 days ago to look after an ill relative. Her mother also fell ill and went to the JPMC for treatment on Saturday night. She returned to the bridge around 2 am but could not find her daughter.

    The DIG confirmed that the victim had gone to a nearby restaurant to get free food, and it appeared that she was kidnapped from there.

    He said CCTV footage obtained from the crime scene showed that a motorcyclist threw the body. He hinted that there were indications of her being poisoned as there were no injury marks on the body.

    Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the rape and murder of the minor Hindu girl and directed the police to take immediate action and ensure the arrest of the culprits involved.

  • Lionel Messi out of Argentina World Cup qualifiers squad

    Lionel Messi out of Argentina World Cup qualifiers squad

    Lionel Messi is out of Argentina’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia after sustaining ankle injury.

    He has yet to play for Inter Miami since their victory over Colombia in the Copa America final. Coach Lionel Scaloni has recalled Roma forward Dybala, but he has not made an international appearance since March 2023.

    Argentina is at the top of South America, qualifying for the 2026 tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The top six teams out of 10 will be eligible for the finals.

    Argentina’s Squad

    Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Walter Benitez, Juan Musso

    Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Valentin Barco, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella

    Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez, Rodrigo De Paul, Ezequiel Fernandez, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister

    Forwards: Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Gonzalez, , Giuliano Simeone, Valentin Castellanos, Matias Soule, Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Valentin Carboni, Julian Alvarez

  • ‘I used to be very judgmental towards girls like Sumbal,’ says Hajra Yamin on her role in Noor Jahan

    Hajra Yamin is usually very vocal about women empowerment but on screen she is portraying the role of a meek, subservient and demure daughter-in-law in the popular serial Noor Jahan. She recently appeared in an interview with Fuchsia Magazine and talked about her role giving the audience some interesting insights.

    She said, “I used to be very judgmental towards real-life submissive girls like Sumbal, but now I have changed my perspective because I have seen my journey. I have a background, so I made an apology to all the real-life Sumbals.”

    She told girls facing marriage hurdles, “Women should step out of wrong relationships because life has much to offer them.”

    She further said, “I have been getting an overwhelming response about my character in Noor Jahan, and people are praising my performance.”

    Talking about marriage plans, she said, “I have no plans for marriage so far. There is no scene like that. I have very few people around me, and I love them a lot. I have a family around me, and it has set a very high bar for me, so it is very difficult for me to think about marriage.”

    “I am only focused on my work, I am only married to my work. I am very passionate about my profession. Also, I don’t feel pressured by the family to get into a relationship like marriage. I was only pressured to complete my bachelor’s and become independent. I will marry after love, I haven’t even loved someone”.

  • PIA bidders reluctant to retain employees after privatisation

    Prospective buyers of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have expressed reluctance to retain the airline’s employees. On Monday, the National Assembly panel recommended that the government order the buyer to retain all its employees for five years.

    Express Tribune reported that some bidders also indicated that all employee liabilities up to the bid date should be the government’s headache.

    Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Muhammad Farooq Sattar, who chaired the standing committee, urged that PIA’s employees be retained for at least five years and that the workers’ union be involved.

    The draft Share, Purchase and Subscription Agreement currently proposes that existing employees, regardless of their position, cannot be terminated, laid off, retrenched, or forced to resign for three years from the completion date, except in misconduct cases. However, Secretary of the Privatisation Ministry Jawad Paul noted that this is still being determined.

    He also stated that PIA has incurred Rs499 billion in losses since 2015, with cumulative losses reaching Rs842 billion.

    The government is required to conduct a special audit of PIA’s accounts by June 30th, a requirement before its privatisation.

  • Dr Omer Adil says sorry to Gharidah Farooqi

     Cultural analyst and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Omer Adil has made an important announcement in resolving a recent issue.

    In July, during an appearance on the podcast Dil Ki Baat hosted by Zohaib Butt, Dr. Adil went on a misogynistic rant: “These anchors are somehow in touch with high profile Pakistanis. Female anchors are treated in an extraordinary manner. Nobody cares about the male anchor sitting next to the female anchor.”
     
     Dr. Omer Adil added that even their show’s producers have no guts to instruct the women or criticize them on their mistakes. In fact, in those cases, producers leave the show and run away.

    The arrest warrants were brought to the media by anchorperson Gharidah Farooqi through X (formerly twitter) who asked for an apology from Dr. Adil, which was not forthcoming for some time. Later, Dr. Adil was arrested on her complaint.
     
    In a statement shared on her X (formerly Twitter) account, Gharida Farooqui wrote, “Dr. Omer Adil has been arrested after my legal request. Dr. Omer Adil made obscene, vulgar and defamatory allegations against me and all women working in the media on the digital platform; In which especially my name was taken. I gave an opportunity to Dr. Omer Adil in legal proceedings to apologize publicly, but he did not do so. Salute to all the law enforcement agencies who acted on my request for the protection of women. It is hoped that justice will be done and the perpetrators of crimes against women will be brought to an end, and women will get full protection in Pakistan.”

    Farooqui also wrote in her tweet, “This arrest has been made by FIA, and all the officials of Cybercrime Wing Lahore, including DG FIA, deserve a lot of thanks and appreciation. They are doing the legal process in the best way with full professional responsibility.”
     
    Dr. Omer Adil has now apologised: “This is an apology from my side Dr Omer Adil to the host and anchorperson, Gharidah Farooqi. This is completely an unconditional, whole hearted and sincere apology. I understand that she has been very hurt and distressed by a particular podcast which is being edited and completely manipulated by the host of the podcast.”
     
    “I want to clarify that we are just two people working in the media, and I have the utmost respect for her as a professional. I could never imagine abusing or calling her names under any circumstances. If I have unintentionally hurt, I sincerely apologize, as it was never my intention to harm anyone, especially a woman working in journalism and television. I hope she can find it in her heart to forgive me and consider withdrawing her complaint if she deems it appropriate. I am willing to go to any extent necessary to apologize and make amends for the distress caused,” Dr. Omer Adil added.