Author: newsdesk

  • National Assembly passes amendments bill to bypass SC reserved seats ruling

    National Assembly passes amendments bill to bypass SC reserved seats ruling

    The National Assembly on Tuesday approved a bill proposing amendments to the Elections Act 2017, to disallow lawmakers from changing their political party even as the opposition terms the legislation “unconstitutional”.

    Last month, the Parliamentary Affairs Committee approved the bill tabled by Bilal Azhar Kiyani, a lawmaker from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    When it becomes a law, the bill might reverse the PTI’s return to the parliament after the party got significant relief from the Supreme Court’s verdict in the reserved seats case on July 12.

    Since the landmark SC ruling, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has notified as many as 93 lawmakers from three provincial assemblies as PTI members.

  • ‘We made Udaari and Mayi Ri in this country’: Rubina Ashraf defends Barzakh

    ‘We made Udaari and Mayi Ri in this country’: Rubina Ashraf defends Barzakh

    ‘We made Udaari and Mayi Ri in this country’: Rubina Ashraf defends Barzakh
     
    The latest web series on Zee Zindagi, ‘Barzakh,’ directed and written by Asim Abbasi and starring Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, M Fawad Khan, and Salman Shahid, has generated heated debates on social media.

    A possible queer character and bold storyline have not sat well with some viewers and artists. 
    Veteran actress Rubina Ashraf has defended the show during an appearance on ‘Subh Saveray Samaa Ke Saath’ hosted by Madeha Naqvi.
    “We have made dramas on many topics that are considered taboos. We made Udaari and Mayi Ri in this country,” the A-lister said.

    “We have even created dramas based on complex relationships. Dramas portray society as it is, not the other way around. Barzakh is a drama that also shows reality, with the characters having liberty to protect themselves from what is happening in this world,” Rubina added.

  • Aima Baig steps up to lead Pakistan’s ‘#MeToo’ movement

    Aima Baig steps up to lead Pakistan’s ‘#MeToo’ movement

    Famous singer Aima Baig has announced that she will start a nationwide ‘#MeToo’ campaign after her recent Umrah pilgrimage.

    Aima shared her plans on Instagram, saying that her religious journey gave her new strength and purpose.

    In her Instagram story, the songstress said that performing Umrah made her feel the need to help and protect women in Pakistan from harmful people.

    “There are many people who have hurt young girls,” Aima said. “I stayed quiet before, but not anymore.”

    Aima admitted she regrets not speaking up earlier, but now she is determined to lead a ‘#MeToo’ movement to give women a voice.

    “I will speak up for women,” she declared. “We are not toys or jokes; we are important and deserve respect.”

    Aima urged women to raise their voices against unfair treatment and abuse, pointing out that many girls suffer physically and mentally from mistreatment.

    She promised to take action, saying, “I have a list of those who have wronged women. We will use evidence and support all women.”

  • ‘Bangladesh is going to become the next Pakistan’; Sheikh Hasina’s son

    The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wazed, resigned on Monday, fleeing the country as massive protests gripped the nation. The protests, that initially started as student protests against civil service job quotas metamorphosised into demands for Hasina to quit after more than 200 people were killed in violence.

    Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, reacted to the developments by saying, “Bangladesh is going to become the next Pakistan.”

    He also said that his mother is very disappointed in the people of Bangladesh “Because after all she’s done…after all the development.”

    Siddhant Sibbal, correspondent at Wion News, asked Sajeeb whether his mother planned to return to power, to which he replied, “No, absolutely not. She is 77-years-old. This was going to be her last term, and she was going to retire after this anyway.”

    The journalist asked Hasina’s son whether he had plans to join the politics of Bangladesh in future, to which he replied laughingly, “No. My family has been through this three times. After this, we are done. We are tired of saving Bangladesh. Bangladesh can handle its own problems now. It’s not our problem.”

  • Marriage or career? Young men, listen to what Mathira says

    Marriage or career? Young men, listen to what Mathira says

    Renowned television host Mathira has many many years of work and life experience under her belt. She’s channeled all that into advise for men.

    The mother of three, who has successfully balanced her career and single motherhood, talked about fitness, societal views on women, and the obsession with marriage in Pakistan. Mathira advised young men about the importance of personal growth and career stability before getting married.

    “Our society is obsessed with marriages,” Mathira said during the podcast. “Men need to have a foundation first. Work on yourself and your career before you try to get married. Men should be able to provide for their wives when they get  married.”

  • Bangladeshi protesters set fire to former cricket captain’s home

    Bangladeshi protesters set fire to former cricket captain’s home

    Protesters in Bangladesh have set fire to the house of Awami League MP and former cricket team captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

    According to the local newspaper Daily Star, protesters also attacked the houses of Awami League parliamentarians and offices in other cities of Bangladesh. After a month of violent protests in the country and hundreds of deaths, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid resigned on Monday before leaving the country.

    After her resignation, protesters set fire to her party headquarters in Gulistan, Dhaka. The incident took place at 4 p.m., during which time the protesters kept shouting slogans against Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League.

    Around the same time, protesters set fire to 32 Dhaan Mandi, the personal residence of Bangladesh’s founder, Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, which is now the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum.

  • Picture of Olympic gold medalist sleeping in park goes viral

    Picture of Olympic gold medalist sleeping in park goes viral

    Pictures of Italy’s swimming gold medalist at the Paris Olympics 2024, Thomas Ceccon, nicknamed ‘The Shark,’ sleeping in a park have gone viral.

    There was a strange incident of malpractice by Olympic organizers when the gold medalist was forced to sleep in a park in Paris.

    Thomas is seen lying on a towel on the grass next to a bench in search of a peaceful sleep shared by a fellow athlete from Team Saudi.

    Saudi team member Husein Alireza shared the photo on his Instagram with the caption: “Rest today, conquer tomorrow” on Saturday and tagged the Olympic Village’s St. Denis location.

    Husein wrote that Thomas came out after winning the gold medal in the men’s 100m backstroke.

  • Political instability in Bangladesh: will they visit Pakistan for the Test series?

    Political instability in Bangladesh: will they visit Pakistan for the Test series?

    The Bangladesh cricket team’s arrival in Pakistan has been delayed due to protests and the tense situation in Bangladesh. They were supposed to reach Islamabad on August 7, but this has now been postponed for 48 hours. There is a possibility of a change in the series schedule.

    The spokesperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told DAWN, “PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have been in contact for two consecutive days, and both the boards are working on the revision of the schedule.”

    He said, “PCB has sent a message to the Bangladesh board that Pakistan’s law and order situation is much better than in Bangladesh, and the Bangladeshi team can train and practice extra before the Test series.”

    However, the BCB has yet to respond to this offer.

  • Syed Noor, Jannat Mirza face-off on responsibility for flop debut film

    Syed Noor, Jannat Mirza face-off on responsibility for flop debut film

    Social media star and TikToker Jannat Mirza is a social media sensation with 25.1 million TikTok followers and 5.8 million Instagram fans and recently appeared in the movie, Tere Bajrey Di Rakhi, directed by veteran director, Syed Noor.

    Recently, Mirza appeared as a guest on ‘Ahmed Ali Butt’s podcast, Excuse Me’.
    Host Ahmed Ali Butt asked her, “Syed Noor thought your followers would watch the film, but they didn’t. How do you feel about his statement, especially since you were part of his film?”

    Jannat replied, “Well, I think the movie’s script was a little weak. Let me tell you, that movie was good; I did it with my parents’ permission; I’m not sure why he said that, and a successful film needs a modern script and story. Syed Noor is my uncle, and I respect him a lot. Also, I did the movie because I thought that I should try acting in films.”

    “I thought they [the producers] were telling me a nice story, but it was actually something else. I didn’t do my homework because it was my first time, and the Canadian male lead also made his debut in this movie,” she explained, “I was let down after seeing it. I had no idea at the time that I should read the script before shooting a movie.”

    Talking about her debut, Jannat Mirza confessed,

    “I understand that people don’t always come for great stories, and that sometimes Shahrukh Khan’s films fall flat. I also realize that my fans didn’t show up. Many of our well-known actors perform badly; the script is everything.”

    The director of the film, Syed Noor also had a lot to say. He recently gave an interview to Ambreen Fatima on her Youtube channel. Talking about the experience of working with Jannat Mirza,
    Noor said, “Jannat is a very educated girl; she comes from a very learned and well-off family. She was an accomplished Tiktoker and didn’t feel affected by the film’s failure because she didn’t have the desire to be a movie star. I added her in the film because I like her and we get along well with her family. We didn’t force her to dress provocatively or imagine scary scenarios. We signed her because we wanted her fans to see the movie, but Humayun Saeed was correct, not many people showed up.”

    Noor added that he felt that Mirza’s fan didn’t show up because they had to pay to watch the movie. “It happened because Tiktok content is typically viewed for free. Jannat had previously experienced great success in her life, and her fans were receiving free content from her.”

  • Pakistan produces 11.15 million smartphones, 6.19 million 2G mobiles in first half of 2024

    Pakistan produces 11.15 million smartphones, 6.19 million 2G mobiles in first half of 2024

    During the first half of 2024 (January-June), Pakistan’s local mobile assembly and manufacturing sector produced a total of 17.34 million mobile phones. In contrast, commercial imports for the same period amounted to 0.84 million units.

    Breaking down the local production figures, 11.15 million of these devices were smartphones, while 6.19 million were 2G models.

    Notably, Infinix emerged as the leading manufacturer, producing 2.49 million units during the first half of the year. It was followed by TECNO and Itel, which manufactured 1.89 million and 1.83 million units respectively.

    The industry has faced challenges, with production figures showing a downward trend since 2022. Economic difficulties and rising interest rates have constrained local manufacturing.

    In 2021, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) reported a production of 24.66 million devices, but this dropped to 21.28 million in 2023, a decrease of approximately 13.71 per cent.

    Commercial imports have also seen a significant decline, falling from 24.51 million units in 2020 to just 1.58 million in 2023. This drop is largely attributed to import restrictions imposed by the central bank, aimed at narrowing the trade deficit and conserving foreign currency.

    Despite these challenges, the penetration of smartphones in Pakistan has increased, with the proportion of smartphone users on the national network rising to 61 per cent in 2024, up from 59 per cent in 2023 and 56 per cent in 2022.

    Conversely, the share of 2G devices has decreased to 39 per cent, down from 41 per cent in 2023 and 44 per cent in 2022.

    This evolving landscape reflects both the resilience and adaptability of the local mobile industry amidst economic fluctuations and regulatory changes.