Author: newsdesk

  • Govt to reduce taxes on food items: reports

    The government has reportedly decided to reduce taxes on the prices of food items, Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai reported for Geo News.

    According to sources, a meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to review the rising inflation and the overall economic situation in the country. The impact of the rising prices of petroleum products was also discussed in the meeting. 

    During the meeting, PM Khan issued orders to the federal ministers to take steps for the implementation of Price Control Committees.

    The premier also directed the ministers to keep an eye on the artificial price hike in their constituencies and to take strict measures against hoarders 

    Commodity prices have gone up in recent weeks.

    Addressing a news conference on Monday, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said the government had decided to reduce GST rate and customs duty by half to 8.5 per cent and would abolish 2 per cent additional customs duty to cut cooking oil prices by Rs45 per kilo.

    He said that the decision would be implemented on the return of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin.

  • Ayeza Khan opens up about working with Hamza, Fahad and Imran

    Ayeza Khan opens up about working with Hamza, Fahad and Imran

    Actor Ayeza Khan is currently basking in the glory of her successful serial, Laapata. An interview of the Meray Paas Tum Ho diva is resurfacing on the web in which she is spilling the beans on her favourite male co-stars.

    When the host asks her about her favourite co-star, the Chupke Chupke star stated that when she started off in the industry, she was very fond of Fahad Mustafa whom she collaborated with in ARY’s Pul Sirat.

    She added that currently Imran Abbas is her best co-star to work with and tops the list of her favourite colleagues, “Imran ke saath bohat maza aata hai, pura saal me uske saath kaam kar sakti hoon. Koi bhi project dedo mujhe Imran ke saath.”

    The Koi Chaand Rakh duo has worked together in four successful dramas so far and recently hinted at reuniting for another drama serial.

    Imran Abbas and Ayeza Khan can't stop praising each other on Instagram

    On being asked about working with Hamza Ali Abbasi by the host, the Laapata diva mentioned that, “Haan maine Hamza ke saath bhi kaam kia magar Hamza ke saath kaam karna bohat mushkil hai, wo bohat hansta hai, to uske saath jitne bhi serious scenes thay jinme gussa aana tha or wo saaray emotions to wo hansta rehta tha.”

    Ayeza Khan wishes to work with Hamza Ali Abbasi in 'Pyaare Afzal 2'

    “Yes I have worked with Hamza but its really difficult to work with him, he laughs a lot, so whenever there is a serious scene with him which requires certain emotions, he keeps on laughing.”

    Ayeza khan with hamza ali abbasi | Celebrities, Ayeza khan, Indian movies

    She added, “I once asked him kya kar rahay ho? Tum nahi dogay mujhe acting cues, tum bilkul na dena mujhe, Nadeem Bhai (director) dengien cues. So Nadeem Baig used to give me my acting cues and hence I started referring to him as Pyarey Nadeem and that’s how I did the entire serial.

    Hamza and Ayeza later on reunited for a television commercial.

    Ayeza Khan nd Hamza Abbasi | Beautiful celebrities, Celebrities, Favorite celebrities

    In the recent years, Ayeza’s on-screen chemistry has been appreciated with Humayun Saeed and Osman Khalid Butt.

    Adnan Siddiqui Responds to Criticism on 'Mere Paas Tum Ho' - Hit In Pakistan
    What's Ayeza Khan and Osman Khalid Butt doing in this viral video?
  • Zoya Nasir glams-up for birthday celebrations with Farhan Saeed and friends, Zara and Aima cheer

    Zoya Nasir glams-up for birthday celebrations with Farhan Saeed and friends, Zara and Aima cheer

    Actor and vlogger Zoya Nasir celebrated her birthday with close friends including singer-actor Farhan Saeed. The Zebaish star took to her Instagram to share glimpses from her intimate yet fancy event.

    The actor thanked all those who made her birthday special adding, “After three days it’s finally (hopefully) a wrap.”

    Have a look at the pictures:

    Fellow female celebrities Aima Baig and Zara Noor Abbas sent love to Zoya on her birthday.

    Zoya Nasir recenltly broke up with her fiance Christian after he had passed some insensitive comments on Pakistan and Islam.

  • ARY UK apologises to Ishaq Dar on air over fabricated allegations

    ARY UK apologises to Ishaq Dar on air over fabricated allegations

    A private channel New Vision TV, the broadcaster of ARY UK, has issued an apology on air to the former finance minister Ishaq Dar, who is currently residing in London.

    In an apology aired by ARY UK, the channel said, “We unconditionally apologise to Ishaq Dar for the significant distress, upset and embarrassment which these broadcasts have caused him.”

    “Dar never managed the Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), never impeded its work, nor did he do anything to protect anybody in any case including the alleged Chaudhry Sugar Mills case”.

    According to Dawn, the defamatory remarks were made in two news shows which were aired in 2019. A transcript of the Special Minister Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar’s claims on the show that Dar did not allow the FMU to function.  It was also alleged that Dar had taken these steps to protect individuals involved in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case.

    Sources told Dawn that Dar issued proceedings against the channel in July 2020 and later served a claim in the UK High Court. In 2021, ARY UK made an offer for amends — a procedure in which a defendant in an action for defamation may make a written offer to publish an apology and pay damages. Acceptance of such an offer terminates defamation proceedings and parties settle the matter between themselves.

    Dar along with a restriction and an apology had claimed damages for libel of around 200,000 pounds.

    In a statement shared with Dawn, the former minister said, “I have never been involved in corruption or any unlawful activity and never used any influence against any institution. The allegations made by the pro-government media house and Shahzad Akbar were aimed at damaging my reputation but Allah SWT has been most kind and the TV channel has accepted in the UK judicial process that the allegations were fabricated, false and untrue. The TV channel has accepted that I was maligned and nothing wrong has been done by me.”

  • Indian retailer Fabindia withdraws Diwali ad after backlash from Hindu groups

    Indian retailer Fabindia withdraws Diwali ad after backlash from Hindu groups

    Indian retailer Fabindia, which sells home furnishings, furniture, clothes and food, has withdrawn an ad about a new Diwali line after backlash from right-wing Hindu groups, reported BBC.

    Social media users accused the ad of using Urdu — a language spoken by many Muslims in India — to celebrate a collection for the Hindu festival of Diwali.

    #BoycottFabIndia trended on Twitter in India on Monday after Fabindia called Diwali “Jashn-e-Riwaaz” (celebration of tradition) in a tweet. Following the tweet, many social media users called for a boycott of the company, claiming that the Urdu phrase had been used to hurt sentiments of the Hindu community.

    A spokesperson from Fabindia told the Times of India newspaper that Jashn-e-Riwaaz was not its Diwali collection.

    The tweet, which went viral on Monday, said: “As we welcome the festival of love and light, Jashn-e-Riwaaz by Fabindia is a collection that beautifully pays homage to Indian culture.” The tweet has since been deleted and the ad has also been withdrawn.

    Fabindia’s deleted tweet

    This is not the first time an Indian brand had to withdraw ads following backlash from right-wing Hindu groups. Last year in October, popular Indian jewellery brand Tanishq had to withdraw an advertisement featuring an interfaith couple after a right-wing backlash on social media.

    A recent advert by clothing brand Manyaavar featuring Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt in a wedding attire also caused a social media furore. The ad, which appeared to question an old tradition (Kanya Daan), received widespread backlash as it was seen as an attack on Hindu wedding rituals.

  • Shahzeb Khanzada warns of December crisis, Hammad Azhar ignores question in heated debate

    Shahzeb Khanzada warns of December crisis, Hammad Azhar ignores question in heated debate

    Energy Minister Hammad Azhar appeared in Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Monday, during which the minister indulged in a heated debate with the host of the programme, Shahzeb Khanzada.

    During the show, Khanzada asked Azhar about the expected shortfall of gas in the winter season but the minister refused to answer the question. The minister kept refusing to answer the question about an expected gas crisis in December saying that he will appear again to talk about it.

    The federal minister said that he has only come to talk about the facts presented on Friday’s episode of the programme. The host mentioned that in Friday’s programme, he did talk about the expected shortfall of gas in the winter.

    The show on Friday, October 15, shared data from a report, compiled by Nepra, on the performance of the Ministry of Energy and asked the question: why is the ministry delaying the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is costing the public dearly.

    Khanzada claimed earlier that he had invited the minister on his show 27 times, but the minister refused to come.

    Earlier in Friday’s show, Khanzada warned of the expected gas shortage during the winter season as Pakistan will not have the required number of LNG cargoes. He explained that during the winter season the government will only have 10 LNG cargoes. The government has the capacity to have 14 LNG cargoes but in the winter, the demand for LNG is more than 14 cargoes.

  • US envoy to Afghanistan resigns two months after chaotic withdrawal

    US envoy to Afghanistan resigns two months after chaotic withdrawal

    United States envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is stepping down, the State Department has announced, less than two months after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of the country, reported Al Jazeera.

    Zalmay Khalilzad led the US dialogue with the Taliban. The Taliban took control in August after capturing the capital Kabul.

    In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Zalmay Khalilzad acknowledged that “the political arrangement between the Afghan government and the Taliban did not go forward as envisaged”, reports BBC.

    “The reasons for this are too complex and I will share my thoughts in the coming days and weeks,” he wrote, saying he was stepping aside as the US entered the “new phase of our Afghanistan policy”.

    He added that he was “saddened” for the Afghan people given the current outcome.

    Khalilzad will be replaced by his deputy, Tom West, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Monday, noting that West will work closely with the US embassy, which is now based in Doha, on US interests in Afghanistan.

  • VIDEO: ‘Buddha ho gaya hai’: Babar Azam to Shadab Khan

    VIDEO: ‘Buddha ho gaya hai’: Babar Azam to Shadab Khan

    Pakistan crushed West Indies by seven wickets in their T20 World Cup 2021 warm-up fixture in Dubai on Monday.

    Apart from Pakistan’s dominance with both bat and ball, the match also saw a hilarious banter involving Babar Azam and Shadab Khan.

    During the first over of West Indies’ innings, Lendl Simmons took a quick single on the second ball, prompting the Pakistan captain to point out Shadab’s lack of agility on the field.

    “Buddha ho gaya hai. Jawani vich tera run out si (You’ve gotten old otherwise it would have been a wicket for you if you were young),” stump mic caught Babar as saying.

    This video caught Twitterati’s attention and got viral in minutes.

    Pakistan will open their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign against arch-rivals India in Dubai on October 24.

  • Kumail Nanjiani dons Pakistani designer’s customised attire at ‘Eternals’ premiere

    Kumail Nanjiani dons Pakistani designer’s customised attire at ‘Eternals’ premiere

    Eternals’ premiere in Los Angeles turned out to be a star-studded affair with stars like Angelina Jolie gracing the red carpet. Kumail Nanjiani who is a Pakistani-American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host attended the premiere in a Sherwani.

    Nanjiani wore a Sherwani by a Pakistani designer Umar Sayeed.

    The Stuber star revealed to the Hollywood Reporter, “I wanted to wear a Sherwani because 1. They look awesome and 2. My costume in the film always reminded me of Sherwanis. And I wanted to use a designer in Pakistan, not just a Pakistani designer in the U.S. So I called my mom, she gave me names of three amazing designers in Pakistan.”

    His stylist, Jeanne Yang, and the actor ultimately connected with the House of Umar Sayeed, a designer based in Karachi, Pakistan, via Instagram.

    Directed by Oscar-winning Chinese director Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Nomadland), Eternals is the 26th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

  • PDM announces nationwide protests against inflation from October 20

    PDM announces nationwide protests against inflation from October 20

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday announced countrywide protests against rising inflation and poor economic policies from October 20, reports Dawn.

    Speaking to the media after the PDM meeting, Maulana Fazl said that the nation is suffering due to high inflation, adding that the PDM stands with the public shoulder to shoulder.

    “Rallies and demonstrations will begin from the district level while all PDM component parties will meet at the provincial level. PDM will lead rallies and demonstrations, stand shoulder to shoulder with people and get them their due rights,” Maulana Fazl said.

    “We will go a step further and hold wheel-jams and long march, but step by step,” he said and also called for fresh general elections in the country.

    “We are not discussing local bodies polls – the main issue is holding of free and fair general elections in the country. There is no reason of holding local government elections when there is no legitimate government in the country,” said Maulana Fazl.