Author: newsdesk

  • Usman Mirza Case: Court rejects acquittal plea of co-accused

    Usman Mirza Case: Court rejects acquittal plea of co-accused

    A court in Islamabad on Monday rejected the acquittal plea filed by Umar Bilal, a co-suspect, in the couple harassment case. Umar Bilal filed an application seeking his acquittal, after the female victim in the case retracted her statement.

    The verdict was announced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Atta Rabbani. The court observed that the trial has entered its final phase.

    Read more- Follow up: What happened in the Usman Mirza case?

    The state is pursuing prosecution in the case, as the victims retracted their statements and refused to recognise the accused people.

    On January 11, the female victim refused to identify any of the accused and said she does not want to pursue the case. However, a journalist reported that the couple has reportedly taken one crore rupees from Usman Mirza.

    The case was highlighted last year in July, when a video of Usman Mirza harassing a couple went viral on social media.

  • Babar Azam named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

    Babar Azam named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

    Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam has been named the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for his achievements as a captain of Pakistan cricket team and his individual performances.

    Babar scored 405 runs in six matches at an average of 67.50 with two centuries. He played only six ODIs in 2021, but he made vital contributions in the two series that Pakistan played this year.

    He was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was the Player of the Match in both of Pakistan’s wins in the 2-1 series victory against South Africa. The architect of Pakistan’s chase of 274 in the first ODI, Babar made a century and laid the foundation with an 82-ball 94 in the final ODI where the visitors posted 320 batting first.

    He was the lone warrior for Pakistan when they were swept by England 3-0. He accumulated 177 runs in three games but found no support as none of the other batters managed to score more than 100 in the series.

    Azam’s best performance this year came in a losing cause in the final ODI against England.

    With the series already lost, Pakistan were playing for pride as well as crucial ICC Cricket World Cup Super League points in the third ODI at Birmingham. Put in to bat first, Pakistan posted 331, with Babar scoring close to half of the team’s runs.

    Read More – ICC receives criticism for not naming Babar Azam T20 World Cup ‘Player of the Tournament’

    Not only in ODIs but Babar was also good with the bat in the ICC T20I World Cup 2021. Azam registered the most number of runs in a maiden T20 world cup with 303, which makes him the first batsman to score 300 runs in the T20 World Cup 2021.

    Twitter is flooded with congratulatory notes for the 27-year-old skipper. We have collected a few, have a look:

    https://twitter.com/mdk_gul/status/1485513152708157443?s=20

    https://twitter.com/AhmadDaniyal33/status/1485514895932248067?s=20
  • Taliban meet Afghan women activists and journalists in Oslo

    Taliban meet Afghan women activists and journalists in Oslo

    A delegation of the Afghan Taliban, led by Foreign Minister (FM) Amir Khan Muttaqi, met women activists and journalists in Oslo, Norway.

    “It was a positive icebreaking meeting,” feminist activist Jamila Afghani told AFP.

    “They listened patiently and responded to most of our concerns. Let’s see what their actions will be, based on their words,” she added.

    Anas Haqqani, a leader of the most violent faction of the Taliban movement, is also a part of the delegation.

    Following the talks, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted: “Afghanistan is the shared home of all Afghans. They need to work together for the political, economic and security prosperity of the country.”

    Taliban representatives will meet delegations from other western nations [United States (US), France, Britain, Germany, Italy and the European Union (EU)] today (Monday) and will be certain to press their demand to unfreeze $10 billion by the US and other western countries as the country is currently facing a humanitarian crisis.

    It has been confirmed by Norwegian FM Anniken Huitfeldt that the meetings are not for legitimation or recognition of the Taliban.

    So far, the Taliban have visited Russia, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, China and Turkmenistan.

  • Bismah Maroof to lead Pakistan in Women’s World Cup

    Bismah Maroof to lead Pakistan in Women’s World Cup

    Bismah Maroof has become the captain of Pakistan’s cricket team for the ICC Women’s World Cup, which will be held in New Zealand. The tournament will be played from March 4 till April 3.

    The selection committee led by Asmavia Iqbal, which includes Saleem Jaffar and Taufeeq Umar, announced the complete squad.

    An experienced all-rounder, Nida Dar has been appointed as Vice-Captain for the ICC Women’s World Cup.

    The committee also announced the comeback of leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima and opener Nahida Khan in the national team.

    Bismah is returning from a two-year break after she gave birth to her daughter in December 2020.

    According to the new parental policy of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), a support person will be responsible for taking care of her child to keep her focus on the tournament.

    Bismah Maroof said, “It is a great honour for me to lead my country into another World Cup. I am thrilled to be back in action and do what I love and have dedicated my life to.”

    She added, “The recent selection matches proved to be fruitful for me and the whole side as we got some match practice under competitive and challenging environment leading into the mega event. The aim is to reach the World Cup semi-finals and I believe this team has the potential to pull it off.”

    Pakistan Women’s cricket team will start their preparations for the pre-departure camp of 10 days in Karachi from January 27 and will leave for New Zealand on February 8.

    Pakistan squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Nida Dar (vice-captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin, and Sidra Nawaz

    Traveling reserves: Iram Javed, Najiha Alvi, and Tuba Hassan

    Pakistan’s fixtures at ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022:

    6 March – Pakistan v India at Bay Oval, Tauranga

    8 March – Pakistan v Australia at Bay Oval, Tauranga

    11 March – Pakistan v South Africa at Bay Oval, Tauranga

    14 March – Pakistan v Bangladesh at Seddon Park, Hamilton

    21 March – Pakistan v West Indies at Seddon Park, Hamilton

    24 March – Pakistan v England at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

    26 March – Pakistan v New Zealand at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

  • Exclusive: Zarnish Khan opens up about marrying at seventeen and bond with Mikaal Zulfiqar

    Exclusive: Zarnish Khan opens up about marrying at seventeen and bond with Mikaal Zulfiqar

    Actor Zarnish Khan recently appeared on The Current Life series. Zarinsh revealed three qualities of co-star Mikaal Zulfiqar, “He is a lot of fun, I think our chemistry is very good, and he is very easy to work with.”

    Upon answering a question about how did she feel on winning the ‘Best Actress Soap’ at Hum Style awards in 2015 for Susraal Mera, she said, “When I started working, I was very young and I did not know much, so I did not know how much it is exciting to win an award.”

    She continued by saying that it was overwhelming to win an award for her first project, first in terms of lead. The Sun Yaara diva also said that her mum passed away, the day she heard about the news of wining the award, because of that she had mixed feelings.

    She also told The Current that her favorite childhood book is Notebook. Her favourite actress is Saba Qamar and favourite actor is Nauman Ijaz, she revealed.

    Zarnish Khan was married when she was only 17 years old. She said she would recommend it marrying at that age because one is very flexible and adaptable at that age.

    Watch the complete interview here:

  • Overseas Pakistanis used like ATM in PTI, says former information secretary

    Overseas Pakistanis used like ATM in PTI, says former information secretary

    Former central information secretary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Ahmad Jawad on Sunday announced that he will file a lawsuit against the party for terminating his membership.

    The ruling PTI had expelled Jawad from the party for “violating the party’s constitution” on social media and “slandering” senior leadership.

    Talking to Geo News, Jawad said that his termination from the party’s membership is “illegal”, adding that, “PTI voters and workers have seen the true colours of Imran Khan now.”

    The ex-PTI member said that in the last 74 years, “No one ha deceived the nation like PTI did, while overseas Pakistanis were used like Automated Teller Machines (ATM).”

    Taking to his Twitter, Ahmad said, “Imran Niazi Sahib your assumption will be proved wrong. The nation will not be fooled again, your container role will never be successful again in this country.”

    According to a statement issued by the PTI’s Standing Committee on Accountability and Discipline (SCAD) on January 12, a show-cause notice was served to Ahmad Jawad, asking him to explain his position within seven days of the receipt of the notice but the disgruntled leader did not respond to the notice.

    ” A House of garbage which started as an ideology of Change A deception which wasted two decades of this nation You can walk on toughest path with open eyes, but you will fall on a flat path with closed eyes,” tweeted Ahmad to the accusations written in the show-cause notice.

  • ‘Assumed I would be an item girl’: Alizeh Shah offered item number after viral smoking video

    ‘Assumed I would be an item girl’: Alizeh Shah offered item number after viral smoking video

    Pakistani Actor Alizeh Shah has recently opened up in an interview about her smoking video that went viral on social media in which she was smoking a cigarette. She said that she was also offered an item song after her video went viral.

    While talking to Journalist Maliha Rehman, Shah said that she was hesitent to meet her and she does not like interviews.

    Shah talked about many projects, future projects and her work in famous projects like Ehd-e-Wafa and actor Mahira Khan’s film Superstar. But she also opened up to Maliha about her controversies, saying: “It’s not fair, but that’s how it is. That’s why you and I are sitting here, right?”

    Read More – ‘Mujhe do ge kaam?’: Alizeh Shah lashes out at Humayun Saeed

    “I remember shooting in a mall for my first big project, Kun Fayakun, opposite Imran Abbas, and these girls came up to me and they were so excited. One of them had an entire photo album in her cellphone with my pictures. I was amazed. They hadn’t seen my acting but they knew me from Instagram. I think I had a really small following of about 300,000 at the time.”

    Continuing, Shah went on to say: “There have been times when little girls come up to me and they’re just transfixed. And older women who watch dramas really love me. I’m their favourite!”

    While talking about a recent Twitter video controversy, which showed Alizeh smoking in a car, Alizeh said: “Do you know I was with my family in that car? If my family does not have any issues, who are these nameless, faceless people on social media who decide to judge me?”

    On a question that why does she not address the issue? She elaborated: “I have realised that it’s wiser to stay quiet. Often, when a woman takes a stand and decides to defend herself, people make life even more difficult for her. It’s easier for me to just disconnect from social media. I know that controversies don’t last for longer than two days and, after that, these very people will be watching my drama and getting excited about it.”

    She further revealed: “You know, I even got offered an item song right after that video got leaked? One video with a cigarette in it and it was assumed that I was ready to be an item girl! The song had some crazy lyrics, about kalashnikovs for eyes. My friends and I were in hysterics when we heard it!”

    Read More – ‘Yasir ke scenes katwaye, dur bithwaya, badtamizi ki’: Naveed Raza makes blasting revelations about Alizeh Shah

    This is not the first time that the actor got attacked by netizens or people. Shah was criticised by the social media when she had shared pictures of herself with facial acne. Shah was even attacked by some people from the entertainment industry when she had a feud with her drama’s co-actor and producer Yasir Nawaz. Netizens even lambasted the actor for having a tattoo.

  • Jamaat-e-Islami warns that it will block entry points to Karachi

    Jamaat-e-Islami warns that it will block entry points to Karachi

    Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi Chief, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman has warned that the party will block the five entrance points to Karachi if their demands are not met.

    JI has been staging sit-in protests for the past 24 days in Karachi and last night the JI Karachi chief addressed the gathering and gave a two-day ultimatum to the provincial government to accept their demands for the withdrawal of a local government act recently passed by the Sindh Assembly.

    JI Chief, Siraj-ul-Haq has also addressed the activists sitting in the protests on Sunday night.

    He said that the battle over this issue would damage the Pakistan People’s Party.

    He warned that there would be a high possibility that people would start marching on Bilawal House when Bilawal Bhutto Zardari himself would initiate his long march towards Islamabad on February 27.

    Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman also warned that when the party’s sit-in protest begins at the entry points to Karachi, they would not allow any vehicles to pass the road except ambulances.

    The bill was passed with amendments to the Sindh Local Government Act of 2013 last December 2021. In this bill, financial independence, which was allocated to the Karachi Municipal Corporation, would be taken back to the provincial government.

    JI’s stance is that these amendments which were made under the local government act would weaken the local government organisation in the province.

  • Maryam Nawaz tells PM Khan not to make a scene, pack up and move out of office

    Maryam Nawaz tells PM Khan not to make a scene, pack up and move out of office

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz responding to the warnings and threats made by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Sunday, saying, “Imran Khan Saheb! There is no use of crying and making a scene now. Pack up and move out.”

    Taking to Twitter, Maryam said, “The longer you stay in power the more problems will be for you and the masses. You have been badly defeated.”

    “Your ultimatum that you will get more dangerous if ousted from power is no more than a hollow threat. The masses will offer thanksgiving prayers the day you leave the power. You are not Nawaz Sharif behind whom masses are standing nor are you an underdog or a victim. You are a conspirator and have fallen prey to your nemesis,” tweeted the PML-N leader.

    “The ‘cartels’ you are complaining about are the MAFIAS on your right & left who have fleeced 220 million & who run your kitchen,” tweeted Maryam.

    Referring to PM’s tirade against Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif and accusing the judiciary of issuing status quo orders in certain cases, she said, “Your reality has dawned on the world, do not blame the judiciary. You have only your vindictiveness & revengefulness to blame.”

    Maryam Nawaz further criticising the premier said, “Your dashed hopes @ImranKhanPTI are a new hope for the incompetency & ineptitude stricken people of Pakistan who are waiting for you to spare them the 4-year long ordeal that has cost them their lives.”

    PM Khan on Sunday warned the Opposition said, “If I exit the government, I will pose a greater threat to you. Right now, I am sitting quietly in my office and watching the drama unfold. But if I take to the streets, you will have nowhere to hide.”

    PM Khan’s remarks came while answering callers’ questions, during the telecast of the fifth ‘Aap Ka Wazir Azam Aap Ke Sath’, a town-hall-style broadcast where the premier takes questions from the public and responds back to their queries.

  • Journalist Kamran Khan posts robbery video, Sindh govt says it’s a drama recording

    Journalist Kamran Khan posts robbery video, Sindh govt says it’s a drama recording

    Journalist Kamran Khan on Sunday shared a video of an alleged robbery incident taking place in Karachi. Khan, while sharing the video requested Karachi police and Rangers to take action. He further added that such incidents have happened 2500 times in the first 22 days of 2022.

    Karachi, City Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab took to Twitter to inform Kamran Khan that the video he shared was from a shoot of a drama serial.

    People on Twitter are sharing their opinion on the video, and while some are making fun of the video, others are questioning Murtaza Wahab about the increase in street crimes in Karachi.