Author: newsdesk

  • President house will be open tomorrow for public

    President house will be open tomorrow for public

    The President House (Aiwan-e-Saddar) in Islamabad will be open to the public for one day in the new year, according to the administration.

    Face masks will be required, and vaccination certificates for Covid-19 will be checked at the gate before entering the president house.

    Visitors will not be permitted to carry any electronic devices with them, including cell phones and cameras.

    This is not the first time it will be open to the general public; since 2018, it has been open to the public for a day every year.

    Soon after taking office, Prime Minister Khan promised that the public will have access to these government assets.

  • ‘Not everyone can take revolutionary decisions as PTI’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan during the launch of the Naya Pakistan Sehat Card for all citizens, stated that each family would be eligible for medical treatment of up to one million rupees per year under the universal health coverage programme.

    PM Khan stated that not everyone can take such revolutionary decisions as the PTI did, citing the example of the health card.

    “None of the governments in the past took such a bold decision of providing Rs1 million health insurance to the entire population,” the PM said.

    “The Punjab government has moved on a course that will uplift the country in pursuance of the forefathers’ vision to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state,” he said.

    “Our forefathers had dreamed to make Pakistan an Islamic welfare state but unfortunately it could not be developed on that course,” PM Imran said.

    In a dig at the PML-N’s mantra of transforming Pakistan into an Asian Tiger, the premier stated, “Asian Tiger is nothing in comparison to the State of Madina; we are attempting to put Pakistan on a path of prosperity.”

    He stated that now the government will not spend money on building hospitals because private individuals will build them instead.

    “We want to ensure that everyone in rural areas has access to health care, and by March 2022, all families in Punjab will have health cards.”

  • Video: Female MNAs physically fight during the mini-budget session

    The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmakers got involved in a physical fight during the National Assembly’s session at the time of the presentation of the controversial finance bill i.e. mini-budget.

    In a video, PTI’s Ghazala Saifi and PPP’s Shagufta Jumani can be seen shouting and pushing each other when the protesting opposition members had gathered in front of the seats of ministers.

    However, immediately after that the members of the treasury and the Opposition separated the two members of the National Assembly.

    PTI’s Saifi issued a statement claiming that she had got her thumb fractured. She said, “I am appalled at the way Shugafta Jumani has conducted herself. To behave in such a way, in a space which has such specific codes of ethics, a place for us to voice the concerns of the people we represent, for it to be reduced to this sort of brawl-like behaviour should be a cause of intense shame for Ms Jumani.”

    On the contrary, according to PPP’s Jumani and other party members, Jumani was attacked by Saifi and she only retaliated.

    PPP MNA Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Jumani had come to him complaining that a PTI lady had attacked her. He claimed that she also received a minor injury and termed the incident unfortunate, reports Dawn.

  • FIA to create list of sexual offenders in Pakistan

    FIA to create list of sexual offenders in Pakistan

    The Cyber Crime Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to create lists of culprits involved in sexual offenses, reports Geo News.

    Director of Operations Cyber Crime, Babar Bakht Qureshi has directed cybercrime officers to compile a list of sex offenders, following the passing of the Anti-Rape Act.

    The director of operations stated that the records of those accused of rape, child pornography, and filming obscene videos of women will be collected and the information would aid the court in sentencing the perpetrators.

    Apart from habitual rapists, he said, records of women who have been involved in blackmailing would also be compiled with data collected on a regular basis under the Anti-Rape Act.

    The FIA has also asked police to provide a list of rape suspects.

  • Man gets married without bride in Sindh

    A man named Faisal got married without a bride in Tando Fazal, a town located in the Hyderabad district of Sindh. He was unable to ‘really marry’ someone as he is a special needs person.

    According to details, the man had a strong desire to get married but he was unable to due to his disability. He used to express his eagerness to marry at other people’s marriages in his neighborhood.

    His wish was granted by the people in his neighborhood.

    https://twitter.com/AsgharNarejoo/status/1473723148692598792

    On the occasion, a stage was set up for the groom. The residents danced to the beat of drums, and a band was also arranged. The people of the area showered him with money, and Faisal’s happiness was visible as a result of his unusual marriage.

  • Justice Athar Minallah wants people to have fun on New Year’s Eve

    Justice Athar Minallah, while hearing a petition seeking a ban on fireworks in Islamabad on New Year’s Eve (December 31 and January 1), remarked, “What’s the problem? Let people have fun.” Justice Athar Minallah dismissed the petition and said fireworks on New Year’s Eve are held across the world, even in Saudi Arabia .

    “The mall is located near GT Road. People in huge numbers come out on the streets to watch it [the fireworks] and block roads,” the resident of Islamabad said in his petition to ban fireworks.

    However, in Punjab fireworks been banned due to the smog. Lahore Police Operations Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Abid Khan said over 5,000 police personnel would be deployed across the city on New Year’s Eve.

  • Don’t go back on your commitment: Ben Cutting urges Aussies to tour Pakistan

    Don’t go back on your commitment: Ben Cutting urges Aussies to tour Pakistan

    Australian cricketer Ben Cutting has said that Aussies should not back out from a Pakistan tour and visit the country as there are no security issues.

    The 34-year-old stated that people in Pakistan are passionate about the game and hoped that Australia won’t go back on their commitment to tour the country.

    “I hope the Aussie boys get to tour there,” Cutting told AAP. “The locals would certainly love that . They’re just so passionate. They get massive crowds for games and if one of the best teams in the world, like Australia, are playing, they’d absolutely love it.”

    Cutting has regularly visited Pakistan, over the past few years, with stints in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and also being a part of the World XI side for the exhibition series in 2017.

    “Not once have I been worried about the security side of things,” he said. “The second visit [during PSL] I was more worried about Covid than anything else because that was kicking off.”

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already announced the details of Australia’s first tour of Pakistan since 1998, which will take place in March and April 2022, and comprise three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I.

    The Tests will be held in Karachi (March 3-7), Rawalpindi (March 12-16) and Lahore (March 21-25), while Lahore will host the four white-ball matches from March 29 to April 5.

  • Woman gives birth unassisted on hospital floor in Haripur due to nurse neglect and doctor absence

    A woman has given birth to a baby without any assistance on the floor of one of the biggest government hospitals in Haripur in extremely freezing weather.

    On Tuesday, a man brought his pregnant wife to the hospital in the morning and she fell on the ground due to labour pain. The woman got no assistance from any medical staff during her labour until she delivered a child on the cold floor.

    Once her condition started to worsen, her husband and family members raised a big hue and cry which the medical personnel took her to the general ward.

    According to hospital sources that this incident happened due to the negligence of nurses who were on duty as they did not arrange a bed for her in the gynaecology ward despite its availability. No gynaecologist/obstetrician was present on duty at night in the hospital and the incident took place before 8 am.

    On the other side, relatives of the woman claimed that they did not receive treatment because they are poor. The nurses shifted the woman to the ward after the family raised major concerns.

    Meanwhile, her family members have demanded an inquiry into the incident.

  • 2021 Rewind: Everything that Pakistani social media went crazy about

    2021 Rewind: Everything that Pakistani social media went crazy about

    2021 might feel like it was the shortest year but it has also given us a lot of things to look back at. From Prime Minister Imran’s comments about rape to Pawri girl’s viral video, here are all things that the Pakistani internet went crazy about in 2021:

    January: Cannoli Café Soul faces backlash for elitist comments

    In the start of 2021 a video of the owners of Cannoli Café Soul in Islamabad, Uzma and Diya, went viral in which they both could be seen mocking and ridiculing their restaurant manager for his English speaking skills.

    February: Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s Statue, Groove mera and Pawri ho rahi hai:

    The internet was not pleased about a statue of poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal that was installed at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Lahore. The statue started a meme fest on social media, and it eventually resulted in the removal of the statue.

    Groove Mera:

    Iqbal was not the only topic to be discussed by social media users in February. Naseebo Lal also made social media Groove with her PSL special song.

    Pawri Girl and her party

    How can we forget Pawri girl? She took the internet by storm not only in Pakistan but in India too. Pawri Ho Rai Hai became a trend on social media with many people including celebrities sharing their own take on it. The Pawri girl Dananeerr Mobeen can be seen in an ISPR sponsored drama these days.

    Many people recreated the video.

    March: Strings Split broke hearts

    Many hearts were broken in March because on March 25 Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood announced that they have parted ways and are ‘concluding’ Strings after producing music for 33 years. Social media talked about it for days.

    April: PM Khan’s problematic statement about Rape

    Prime Minister Imran Khan in April, during an interactive session with the public, blamed the rising cases on vulgarity on what women wear. His comment sparked an outrage on social media, prompting Pakistanis to not only bust myths related to rape but also call him out for his insensitive remarks. Some even shared their own personal experiences to make it more clear that why rape happens and why it is never okay to blame the victim.

    May:  Kissing couple on local flight

    May was all about the man who could not handle a public display of affection on a local flight. Internet users debated every kind of opinion on it.

    On May 25, the news of a couple kissing in a flight that was going from Karachi to Islamabad blew up on social media and people expressed their anger over the public display of affection. The hashtag #airbluekissing trended for days.

    June: Firdous Ashiq Awan vs Qadir Mandokhel

    A video of Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan slapping Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhel went viral on social media in June. Twitter was flooded with memes.

    July: “Our Culture is our husband.”

    “Our culture is our husband”, was the most talked statement of 2021 in July. Sadaf Kanwal’s problematic statement on a woman’s role in a marriage went viral on social media. Her comments caused quite a bit of anger among Pakistanis online.

    August: Junid Safdar’s singing

    In the last week of August, Mariyam Nawaz’s son tied the knot with Ayesha Saif. The marriage was the talk of the town, but more than the marriage, Junaid’s singing skills were the center of attention.  Junaid was seen crooning to the chartbuster song, Kya Hua Tera Waada from the hit Bollywood film Hum Kisi Se Kam Nahi starring Rishi Kapoor. Junaid’s hidden talent won the hearts of Pakistanis.

    September: Nida Yasir’s Formula 1 car

    In September, an old video of Nida Yasir surfaced from Good Morning Pakistan. The Nadaniyaan star was finding it tough to understand the meaning of a ‘Formula 1’ racing and Internet did not forgive her.

    Even her husband could not stay away from the trend and re-created the video.

    October: Pakistan beats India

    Pakistan defeated India in T20 World Cup for the first time and obviously the internet went crazy about it. From Shaheen Shah Afridi’s explosive spell to Rizwan and Babar’s record breaking innings, Pakistani social media just could not stop praising the Pakistani team. It was overall a good year for Pakistani cricket.

    November: Malala tied the knot

    In November, Malala surprised everyone by tying the knot with Asser Malik. She tied the knot in a small intimate nikkah ceremony.

    People talked about the couple for days. Some even dug out all the details about Asser.

    December: Junaid Safdar, Ayesha and Katrina, Vicky’s wedding

    December is known as the month of weddings and Junaid Safdar and Ayesha’s, and Katrina and Vicky’s wedding was all over internet.

    After the nikkah of PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz’s son, Junaid Safdar took place in London, the wedding festivities took place in mid of December in Pakistan.

    Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal’s wedding :

    Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal officially tied the knot on December 9. The star couple got married in a traditional Indian wedding ceremony and their fairy tale wedding was one of the most talked about on the Internet in Pakistan and India.

  • 2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    The Pakistan cricket team is considered to be the most unpredictable team of all. The Men in Green have seen many ups and downs this year but the green shirts flourished with bright colours, making record breaking partnerships, personal and team records and many more. We have collected some major events that happened in cricket in Pakistan and how the year 2021 was for the Shaheens.

    Our champions reshaped the face of T20I Cricket in 2021. Have a look at their phenomenal performance.

    PSL 6 Winners

    Mohammad Rizwan, leading the Multan Sultans, won the sixth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2021. Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs in the final to win their maiden trophy of the tournament in June, 2021. Rizwan replaced Shan Masood as the captain of the team after he was traded from the PSL franchise Karachi Kings.

    Sultans started at the second leg of the PSL fifth on the points table, having lost four of their first five matches but led by their captain Rizwan, went on to win four of the next five to finish the league stage second. They then swatted the Islamabad United challenge in the first qualifier and lead themselves to the win in the final, a crowning glory in their magnificent UAE leg of the season.

    Pakistan beats India in T20WC

    Pakistan made history by beating arch-rival India for the first time in a T20 World Cup match in October. The green shirts’ 10-wicket win ended a decades-long defeat streak that began in 1992. Pakistan had lost all 12 of their previous World Cup matches against India.

    The two former champions clashed after more than two years in the 2021 T20 World Cup opening fixture at the Dubai International Stadium.

    Pakistani openers Azam (68) and Mohammad Rizwan (79) produced a batting masterclass to chase down the 152-run target without losing a wicket, and finishing the game in the 18th over.

    Rizwan and Babar partnership

    Babar and Rizwan made a formidable partnership for Pakistan at the top of the order. They scored a total of 6 century stands, which is the most by a batting pair in the history of T20Is. Out of these, 4 were in excess of 150 runs which is also the most for a batting pair in T20Is and came against the likes of England, India, South Africa, and West Indies.

    The duo was magnificent for Pakistan throughout the 2021 T20 World Cup. They were influential as Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India for the first time in World Cup history. The batting pair scored an unbeaten knock of 152 runs and registered the highest opening stand in T20 World Cup history.

    Babar and Rizwan’s opening partnerships were all the more impressive because of pressure situations. Out of their six century partnerships, three came while chasing a target. This also included 197 run stand against South Africa at Centurion.

    The duo also became the first batting pair in history to score more than 1,000 runs in a year. They scored 1,380 runs at an average of 57.50 in 25 innings while batting together.

    Rizwan T20 Runs

    Mohammad Rizwan rounded off a magnificent year in T20 cricket by becoming the first batter in the history of the format to cross 2,000 runs in a calendar year. The wicket-keeper batter scored 2,036 runs at an average of 56.55 and a strike rate of 132.03 in 45 innings he played in the year. Rizwan also became the highest run-scorer in T20Is in a calendar year as he became the first batter in history to cross 1,000 runs in T20Is. He scored 1,326 runs at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89 in 26 innings.

    The star wicket-keeper batter was Pakistan’s most influential player in all formats this year. Rizwan won a total of 6 player-of-the-series awards in 2021, equaling the record of most player-of-the-series awards held by Sachin Tendulkar since 1998. Rizwan bagged 4 player-of-the-series awards in T20Is and 2 in red-ball cricket.

    Record 20 T20I wins in a year

    During the year, Pakistan played 29 matches in the shortest format and won 20 – the most by any team. They lost six while three ended with no result.

    The Men in Green played seven bilateral T20 series, and won six – against South Africa, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. They only lost to England.

    Pakistan also won all group matches in the T20 World Cup – against India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland. They lost the semi-final against Australia in a thriller.

    Babar number 1 T20 and ODI player

    Babar Azam’s incredible 2021 has been capped off with a number1 T20I batting ranking.

    Combining in an opening partnership of 158 with Mohammad Rizwan against the West Indies in Karachi to set up a 3-0 series win, Babar’s 79 from just 53 balls propelled him back to the top, overtaking Aiden Markram and Dawid Malan. He now sits number1 in both the men’s T20I and ODI rankings going into the final days of the year.

    This was only the second time in history that a batter was ranked number one in both formats at the end of a year. Australian legend, Ricky Ponting, achieved the feat in 2005.

    Babar Nominated for ODI Player of the Year Award

    The Skipper of Pakistan is also nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award. He scored 405 runs in six matches in the outgoing year at an average of 67.50 with two centuries in the 50-over format.

    Alongside Azam, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, Ireland’s Paul Stirling and South Africa’s Janneman Malan have been named as contenders for the award.

    Rizwan Nominated for T20Player of the Year Award

    The star batter is also nominated for the T20I Player of the Year award for his exceptional performances with the bat.

    Alongside Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Wanindu Hasaranga and Mitchell Marsh are the four nominees for the Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year Award.

    Two Consecutive Whitewash

    The Pakistan cricket team had a great two series against Bangladesh and West Indies. First the green shirts beat Bangladesh with a 2-0 clean sweep in Test matches and 3-0 whitewash in T20Is and the national team later triumphed a T20I series at home against West Indies.

    Meanwhile, led by the dynamic opening duo of Rizwan and Babar, Pakistan pulled off a record chase in the third and final T20 international to register a 3-0 series whitewash over the covid-hit West Indies team.

    Pakistan beats India in U19 Asia Cup

    Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by two wickets in a nail-biting match of the group stage of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Under-19s Asia Cup, with young stars Muhammad Shehzad and Zeeshan Zameer’s heroics leaving the Men In Blue surprised.

    Skipper Qasim Akram put India to bat after winning the toss and restricted the Men In Blue to 237 in the 50-over match at the ICC Academy Ground.