Author: newsdesk

  • Abid Ali undergoes second heart procedure, updates PCB

    Abid Ali undergoes second heart procedure, updates PCB

    Pakistan Test opener Abid Ali has been advised to rest for two months after angioplasty, confirmed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    Abid suffered from Acute Coronary Syndrome. While batting during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match, the cricketer complained of chest pain after which he was taken to the hospital. There he had angioplasty and stents were inserted. The stent was inserted for the second time on Thursday.

    As per details, the doctors have advised him to rest for two months after which he would be re-examined.

    The PCB stated that its medical team is consulting cardiologists abroad. While the board also requested the people to give the player and his family some privacy.

    Taking to Twitter, PCB wrote: “Abid Ali on Thursday commenced his rehabilitation.”

    “As part of his rehabilitation process, he did light walking in the morning without showing any discomfort. He will continue his rehab in the hospital until he is discharged early next week.”

  • Sajal, Saboor and Zoya up the glamour quotient at Mariam Ansari’s extravagant wedding

    Sajal, Saboor and Zoya up the glamour quotient at Mariam Ansari’s extravagant wedding

    Actor Mariam Ansari is ringing in her wedding week with regular family gatherings and pre-wedding festivities. Mariam and Owais’ Shendi took place last night in Karachi. The event was attended by the family and friends of the couple.

    Earlier this year in February Mariam and son of a former cricket captain Moin Khan, Owais Khan had their Nikkah ceremony in Karachi.

    Have a look at the pictures:

    Mariam Ansari’s sister in law to be Saboor Aly was also seen having fun at the event.

    Her brother Ali Ansari was looking the happiest at his sisters wedding.

    Earlier, Mariam faced criticism for dancing on her qawali night.

  • CM Buzdar cancels overseas convention over differences with Governor Punjab

    Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Usman Buzdar has reportedly ordered to cancel the first ‘Overseas Global Convention’ of nearly 1,000 overseas Pakistanis living around the world, reports Murtaza Ali Shah for Geo News.

    The media outlet report states that CM Punjab has said that affairs related to the event were being used for the projection of a “few groups” and that many who had travelled to Pakistan were considered close to Governor Punjab Muhammad Sarwar.

    “The Punjab Chief Minister gets intelligence reports from various sources. Evidence was shown to him that many people who were invited as main guests of the event defamed Buzdar in WhatsApp groups and social media,” revealed the source.

    “They belong to a particular group which doesn’t align ideologically with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and criticises Usman Buzdar’s policies, who has the full trust of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. The governor’s remarks in London about the International Monetary Fund (IMF) taking over Pakistan have not gone down well with the power circles.”

    However, according to the organisers, the convention which has cost tens of thousands of dollars was cancelled due to “security reasons”. On the contrary, a source close to Governor Punjab has rejected the allegations that the event is not an initiative of the Governor House and said, “The Governor House is one of the most secure places in the country, we have no idea what the security issue was. A dinner event at the Governor House will be organised for those who have travelled to Pakistan from overseas as the convention has been cancelled.”

    PM Khan’s involvement:

    According to the details in the report, PM Khan had accepted the invitation by the Overseas Pakistani Commission Punjab Vice Chairman Syed Makhdoom Tariq Ul Hassan. The premier was also expected to address the convention.

    Upon asking, whether PM Khan was aware or not that the convention had been cancelled at the last minute, the Punjab government source said that the CM takes decisions on his own and later takes the premier into confidence when needed.

  • Bhang will bring in more dollars in Pakistan, says Shibli Faraz during the crop’s inauguration

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz said that the experiment to plant bhang (edible mixture made from the buds, leaves, and flowers of the female cannabis, or marijuana, plant) has remained successful as it helps in producing medicines to deal with cancer, body pain, and other illnesses, reports ARY News.

    He shared that other than the medicine industry, the bhang plant is also used extensively in the textile and paper industries. “Medicines produced from CBD [cannabis] oil could also be exported,” he said.

    “A seed of bhang is worth US$12 in the international market and encouraging its lawful export will help in curbing its illicit trade,” Shibli Faraz said and added that bhang plantation is 10 times more fruitful than profits from the sale of drugs.

    He shared that the CBD or cannabis oil is being sold at Rs10,000 per litre in the international market. The minister said that bhang could prove to be an alternate crop for cotton and would help the country in earning foreign exchange.

    Shibli also informed that plans to establish an authority to improve bhang plantation were in process, adding that foreign investors have also shown their interest in its plantation.

    The minister further announced to improve ginger plantation in order to shun its imports.

  • Senate official suspended for harassing woman

    An 18-grade employee of the Senate’s legislative branch, Rana Azhar Siddique has been suspended for harassing a woman by filming her without her consent in the federal capital, Islamabad.

    The video of the incident went viral on social media and clearly shows the man caught by a woman while filming her at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). She lashed out and threatened to call the police helpline 15 when he was asked to show the video but the man ran away from the scene.

    The Islamabad police took notice of the incident and the woman was contacted and a case was filed under her name.

    The Kohsar police station booked the accused and anti-harassment provisions were added in the case. Officials said that more facts would come into light during interrogation.

    In the first information report (FIR), the woman stated that she stopped by an ATM and he started recording her.

    The complainant said, “I asked the person why he was shooting the video. At this, the man admitted that he was filming me and made a run for it.”

    Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate, Sadiq Sanjrani suspended him and ordered further investigation regarding the harassment matter.

  • ECP reserves verdict in Faisal Vawda’s disqualification case

    ECP reserves verdict in Faisal Vawda’s disqualification case

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved its verdict on a disqualification petition filed against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda.

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the petition filed against Vawda in Islamabad pertaining to his dual citizenship. Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Qadir Khan Mandokhel and Faisal Vawda appeared before an ECP bench.

    CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja asked Mandokhel whether he wanted to present more documents or give additional arguments.

    Mandokhel said today is the 30th hearing of the case but he could not get the answers to his questions. The PPP leader said, “ECP has been issuing warnings for the last one-and-a-half years.”

    On this, Raja said that the ECP will decide the case whether it gets the answers or not.

    Mandokhel was of the view that Faisal Vawda had held United States (US) nationality at the time of filing his election nomination papers. He said that the concerned RO was not punished as he had rejected his papers instead of disqualifying Vawda.

    The PPP leader said that Vawda had falsely declared in an oath to the ECP that he did not hold any foreign nationality. The PTI leader had concealed his dual nationality during the scrutiny of his nomination papers, said Mandokhel.

    Vawda’s counsel rejected the allegations, saying that his client had never applied for another country’s nationality. He said Vawda was born in the US and that his client had cancelled his American passport.

    As per NADRA’s record, Vawda’s US citizenship had been seized on May 29, 2018, said his counsel.

    The chief election commissioner inquired whether NADRA could issue a certificate that says an individual is a Pakistani citizen and not that of any other country.

    “How can NADRA know this? We will look into this matter,” said the chief election commissioner.

    After hearing the arguments of both sides, the ECP reserved its verdict in Vawda’s disqualification case.

    The ECP had adjourned the hearing till December 23 while directing Vawda to submit his arguments by this date.

  • Social media calls for boycott of anti-Christmas bakeries, Delizia refuses to comment

    Social media calls for boycott of anti-Christmas bakeries, Delizia refuses to comment

    People on social media are calling out two bakeries in Karachi for refusing to write “Merry Christmas” on cakes. A Facebook user on a Facebook group wrote, “Shame on Delizia and Auntie Muanaver’s Food and Dessert for their jahalat. Their bigotry has no place in progressive and pluraistic Pakistan.”

    Earlier, in another post, a Facebook user posted about how a Karachi based bakery chain Delizia, refused the request of a customer to write ‘Merry Christmas’ on a cake.

    The Current reached out to Delizia for comment but their customer service representative refused to comment on the matter, saying “they are not allowed to comment.”

    The Current also tried to reach out to Auntie Muanaver’s Kitchen but no one picked up on the number provided on their Facebook page.

    People on social media are calling out the bakeries for refusing to write Merry Christmas.

    In 2018, a similar incident happened in the Badar Commercial branch of Delizia bakery when a customer was declined a cake with ‘Merry Christmas’ written on it. The staff made a similar excuse at that time as well that it was not company instructions. It was reported on another Facebook page, Karachi Food Diary.

  • US appoints first-ever Pakistani-American New York inspector

    US appoints first-ever Pakistani-American New York inspector

    The New York Police Department (NYPD) made history by appointing its first-ever Pakistani-American deputy inspector Adeel Rana.

    In a tweet, the Pakistan Embassy in the United States (US) congratulated Rana for the achievement.

    Rana also took to Twitter and shared a video from the ceremony. It can be seen that as his name was called out, many of his colleagues are shouting with joy.

    “What a great moment to hear cheers of coworkers, friends, family & community members when my name was called for promotion to Deputy Inspector. A historical moment indeed!”, he said.

    Last year, Rana made history when he became the first Muslim-American to be appointed as Commanding Officer of a precinct in the force’s history.

  • Kashmiris rage at India’s proposal to redraw voting map

    A proposal to redraw the Indian-administered Kashmir’s electoral map has given rise to a controversy in the region, reports BBC.

    Many view that the recommendation is an assault on the political centrality and supremacy of the Indian people. The proposal has raised eyebrows as the Muslim population thinks that it will lessen their choice for electing their leaders.

    People in the Kashmir Valley believe that the proposal of redrawing the voting map is part of India’s ‘dream project’ of installing a Hindu minister in the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir.

    It will further dissociate the Muslim majority from the rest of India.

    The people of Kashmir have another fear of constant security clampdowns and communication jamming of Kashmir, keeping it away from the world.

  • Gang-rape survivor Mukhtar Mai once again faces security issues after police withdraw security

    Gang-rape survivor Mukhtar Mai once again faces security issues after police withdraw security

    Gang-rape survivor Mukhtar Mai is facing serious life threats again as the police withdrew security in Meerwala, Alipur Jatoi in Muzaffargarh district, reports Nadeem Shah for The News.

    Mukhtar Mai said that she was provided police security but all of a sudden it was withdrawn without any notice. She said she herself and her students and children underwent a shock due to the withdrawal of police security.

    After the withdrawal of security, she held a meeting with Muzaffargarh District Police Officer (DPO) Hassan Iqbal and repeatedly requested him to redeploy police security for her. She said the DPO promised to do so, but nothing had happened.

    Two cops were deputed to provide her lifetime security in 2001 when she was gang-raped on the directives of the village council. Mukhtar Mai also reported to the DIG Dera Division on several occasions but he also did nothing.

    Mukhtar Mai said now she and her family members were feeling insecure and a man identified as Wasim entered her house waving a pistol and threatened to kill her.

    When contacted, Dera Ghazi Khan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Waqas Nazir said Muzaffargarh district police actually deputed a constable for her security. The district police transferred him somewhere but Mukhtar Mai did not accept it because the transferred constable was her husband. The matter came to his notice and he directed Muzaffargarh DPO to post the constable of her choice.