Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Mera Bichra Yaar’: Strings split breaks hearts

    Let’s be honest. March 25 will be regarded as one of the saddest days in history, despite the fact that we won a cricket world cup on this day in 1992. This is because on this day Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood announced that they have parted ways and are ‘concluding’ Strings after producing music for 33 years.

    Announcing the news on social media, Strings said: “This post is a bit different from the usual. We have decided that today, 25/03/2021, is the day we graciously get to conclude Strings.”

    “The past 33 years have been incredible for both of us. It’s so rare to have the chance to be able to do things like this and we are infinitely grateful to all of our fans for making it possible,” read the announcement further. “We hope you found it worthwhile as well.”

    Bilal and Faisal also shared the announcement on their respective social media handles.

    Soon after the news broke, fans and followers of the band including Ahmed Ali Butt, Farhan Saeed, Gohar Rasheed and Haroon Shahid took to social media to express their “heartbreak” over the band’s split.

    https://twitter.com/Yeh_tu_hoga/status/1375112056249155585

    https://twitter.com/_narcissistniaa/status/1375117815041114118

    The duo has produced many iconic songs together including Durr Se Koyi Aaye, Mera Bichara Yaar, Dhaani, andChaaye Chaaye among others.

  • VIDEO: FIA officer, who asked for girl’s number at Karachi airport, suspended

    An immigration officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been suspended over an incident of alleged harassment at the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

    The incident took place when an FIA immigration officer reportedly harassed a young woman arriving from Bahrain to Karachi Monday night, with the security agency’s director for Sindh, Amir Farooqi, taking notice of it Tuesday morning.

    The alleged harassment incident took place when, according to the women, the FIA officer in question reportedly asked her for her number and mithai, or sweetmeat, officials said.

    When onlookers filming the suspect asked him questions, he was unable to respond.

    On the other hand, the FIA officer said he had asked the woman for her number to ” include it in the list,” while he asked her for mithai as a joke.

    Departmental action is also being taken against the officer.

  • Airlink establishes smartphone production facility in Pakistan

    Airlink establishes smartphone production facility in Pakistan

    Airlink has established a state-of-the-art smartphone production facility in Lahore which was inaugurated by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Muhammad Hammad Azhar on March 20.

    The event was attended by many renowned faces of the sector, including EDB Chairman Almas Hyder and other government officials.

    The organization has been primarily in the distribution business for the past 10 years working with top smartphone brands like Samsung, iPhone, Huawei, Xiaomi, Alcatel, TCL, Tecno & iTel.

    The company has been a strong proponent of investment in Pakistan and has established a factory with 100% owned equity and a production capacity of six million units per annum. The facility has eight production lines, two quality lines and four packaging lines.

    It is expected to bring an enormous opportunity to provide employment to 1000+ skilled and non-skilled workers.

    Airlink’s new venture is a state-of-the-art smartphone production facility in Lahore. It is the most advanced mobile phone production facility with a vision of contract manufacturing in the country by meeting all international standards of quality and production.

    The company has already secured contracts with TECNO, itel and TCL with all regulatory approvals.

    Addressing to this historic occasion, Airlink Communication Ltd CEO Muzzaffar Hayat Piracha expressed his gratitude over the inauguration of the production plant.

    “I feel honored that Airlink was able to establish this state-of-the-art facility in these unprecedented times which also resonates with the Prime Minister’s vision to promote ‘Made in Pakistan’ products that will not only create employment opportunities for people of Pakistan but also reduce the import bill, thus lessening the burden on foreign exchange reserves.”

    This initiative of the government and its governing authorities will help to focus on employment generation, import substitution and technology transfer. It will also connect Pakistan to the international supply chain and will create export potential.

    Hammad Azhar, while speaking on the occasion, congratulated the Airlink team for their efforts and said that in consonance with the vision of the PM, Ministry of Industries and Production was committed to bring in investment-friendly policies while ensuring ease of doing business in the country.

    Airlink is a pioneer in the distribution business with a 25%  share in the handset market. It is one of the fastest-growing smartphone distributors in Pakistan and has been leading a dominant number of global brands on board. It has also been declared among the top taxpayers of the country and has been awarded ‘Top tax Payer Award’ three times in a row for it in the last four years.

  • Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram recall how ‘desperation’ helped them win 1992 World Cup

    Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram recall how ‘desperation’ helped them win 1992 World Cup

    Pakistan’s legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram and former batsman Ramiz Raja, who were a major part of Pakistan’s World Cup winning side in 1992, recalled the turning points and surprising moments of their historic win.

    Talking about the memories in a YouTube video, Raja revealed that the Pakistan side, who were the first to arrive in Australia for the tournament, had a miserable start but able leadership kept them driven towards their goal of achieving glory.

    “There seemed to be a selection process when we first got to Australia because we were the first team to show up. Our captain wanted us to acclimatise to the conditions and we took several extra players. We were losing to mediocre teams there and our confidence was low. We were trying out different combinations. Then we suddenly played West Indies and lost badly. We kept losing, but one thing we had was the quality leadership of Imran Khan which kept us engaged,” said Raja.

    The 57-year-old claimed that a combination of desperation and a right direction led to performances that surprised the world.

    “We were thinking forward after every loss. We were battle-hardened and ready to play our best cricket because of that initial time,” said Raja. “When a team comes into desperation mode and you know that your direction is right, you take a leap that surprises everyone including yourself. Individual performances started coming out. Everyone started pinching in. If you play as one and you want to win with a noble cause [building a hospital] nothing can stop you. The desperation mode and our spirit turned everything around.”

    Akram revealed that the Men in Green had even lost to an over-40 side before the tournament while the team still held on to hope even after defeats in the initial stages of the tournament.

    “We even lost a game against an over-40 team. Our condition was really bad. Imran Khan still gave us confidence that we would win. We peaked at the right time. We defeated one of the favourite teams of the tournament New Zealand. We had faith that we could beat them,” said Akram. “Once we started winning, we knew that we would keep the momentum going. Ramiz in the end took the final catch which was a great moment.”

    The legendary pacer stated that a newspaper article helped him bowl faster and with confidence which ended up helping the Men in Green in their pursuit of a maiden World Cup victory.

    “Before the game against Australia, when I was having breakfast I saw the newspaper. I wasn’t controlling the new ball very well. The newspaper quoted Imran as saying that Wasim should be bowling fast. I think I started bowling as fast as I could after that and that helped me get wickets. My favorite moment and the highlight of my career was taking those two wickets in one over,” he concluded.

    Later, interacting with the new-age cricketers, the legends including Aamer Sohail, Aqib Javed and Mushtaq Ahmed cherished the memories of 1992 World Cup with Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Nida Dar, Mohammad Hafeez, Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Rauf etc.

    Check out some unseen pictures and a close-up of the World Cup trophy in this video:

  • Bride in Jehlum runs away after robbing husband on wedding night

    Bride in Jehlum runs away after robbing husband on wedding night

    A woman allegedly ran away after robbing her husband on their wedding night in Jhelum.

    As per reports, the man’s family said that she gave them sleeping pills and got away with Rs 1 million cash and five tolas of gold.

    The reception of the couple was organised for Thursday and the groom’s family had invited 500 people to the event.

    “My son suffers from hearing and speaking disabilities,” said the groom’s mother, adding that she wanted someone to be with him and take care of him.

    His sister said that the woman was from Swabi and that they had paid her family Rs400,000 for the wedding.

    The family has approached the police to file a case against the woman.

  • Irresponsible? COVID-infected PM Imran spotted in meeting ‘with media team’

    Irresponsible? COVID-infected PM Imran spotted in meeting ‘with media team’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, was on Thursday spotted holding a meeting with his “media team”.

    In a picture tweeted by Information Minister Shibli Faraz, the premier was seen sitting with him as well as Senator Faisal Javed Khan among others.

    Netizens reacted to the picture rather strongly over the fact that the picture showing infected PM with at least seven others was taken in the midst of a global pandemic.

    As a result, Senator Faisal Javed, who had also tweeted the same picture, deleted it. He, however, retweeted a party worker, saying that the premier was “doing well” and “holding meetings following [coronavirus] SOPs”.

    https://twitter.com/FaisalJavedKhan/status/1375031814998405121

    When approached for a comment over the potential risk the meeting posed to the health of attendees, premier’s digital media aide Dr Arslan Khalid said that he wasn’t part of it so couldn’t exactly comment on the duration of the meeting or what kind of precautions were taken.

    “But from the released pictures it appears that doors and windows of the room were open with at least 10 feet or more distance between participants and the PM, that too with everyone in masks.”

    To a question regarding sharing such pictures with media considering the third wave of COVID-19, he said public messaging was very important and it should have been avoided. “Even though all SOPs must have been followed, a picture alone can’t convey all details,” he added.

    Speaking to The Current, one of the attendees of Thursday’s meeting, Senator Faisal Javed, said that it was likely that the premier contracted the virus while holding meetings with parliamentarians ahead of Senate elections.

    “This means that it remained undetected but it has been quite a lot of days since he got infected and is probably healthy now.”

    When asked as to what message the picture sent to the nation at a time when awareness on social distancing and isolation needs to be raised during a deadly third wave of the virus, the senator said that to him it showed how SOPs were being followed and the premier was still working.

    It merits a mention that PM Imran had tested positive for COVID-19 last Saturday. However, reports suggest that he had been showing symptoms for quite some time.

  • ‘You light up my world’: Umair Jaswal pens a sweet birthday note for Sana Javed

    ‘You light up my world’: Umair Jaswal pens a sweet birthday note for Sana Javed

    Umair Jaswal has penned a heartfelt note for wife Sana Javed on her birthday.

    Posting a super-cute picture of the couple, Umair said: “Happy Birthday Gorgeous. I LOVE YOU, You light up my world.”

    “You will always have my heart as you did from the very start,” he added.

    Umair and Sana tied the knot in October 2020 in an intimate ceremony.

    The couple recently celebrated their four-month nikkah anniversary, with Umair penning the cutest

    ” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>love note for his wife. The two are also often spotted enjoying bike rides together in Islamabad.

  • Saba Qamar confirms that she has found her soulmate

    Saba Qamar confirms that she has found her soulmate

    Saba Qamar recently set the internet on fire after she responded “qubool hai” to Azeem Khan who asked her to marry him this year in her post’s comments section.

    While most followers thought Saba was just messing around, turns out she was not. The actor while speaking to a local media outlet has confirmed that she will be saying “Qubool Hai” to Khan for real “very soon”.

    “Yes, I have found the person I’d like to settle down with,” said Saba.

    “If everything goes well, I will be tying the knot very soon,” shared Saba, without going into further details about the wedding date.

    Confirming that the person she is marrying is indeed Azeem, Saba said: “He is a successful Australian-Pakistani entrepreneur who hails from Karachi but is currently based in Sydney.”

    “I know it’s a little sudden and premature right now but all I want my fans and followers to do is pray for my better life and wellbeing,” she added.

    Meanwhile, Saba has a string of releases lined up for 2021 including Ghabrana Nahi Hai and web series Manjogi.

  • Pakistan likely to resume trade with India

    The ban on trade with India is likely to be lifted soon after the recent correspondence between Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.

    PM Modi conveyed well wishes in a message to PM Imran after he tested positive for COVID-19. Later on Pakistan Resolution Day too Modi wrote a letter saying that India desired cordial relations with the people of Pakistan.

    Pakistan suspended trade with India in 2019 but recently imported life-saving drugs.

    The advisor to PM on commerce and investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, while speaking to media said, “Since the recent thawing began, the prime minister is in isolation being COVID positive. I haven’t talked to him as I don’t want to disturb him. I sincerely hope that trade with India will start again. Trade should be separated from politics.”

    Last week, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, while speaking at Islamabad Security Dialogue, also said, “It is time to bury the past and move forward.”

    On August 10, 2019, Pakistan imposed a trade ban on India after the escalation of violations on the Line of Control (LOC). In response, New Delhi withdrew the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status from Pakistan, also after the Pulwama incident.

    However, even before the suspension, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and India had been below $2 billion.

    Now, with improvement on the horizon between the two nuclear neighbours, Dawood also said that a decision on the import of cotton from India through land route is expected soon.

  • Pakistan Cricket Squad set to depart for South Africa Series after testing negative for COVID-19

    Pakistan Cricket Squad set to depart for South Africa Series after testing negative for COVID-19

    All 35 members of the Pakistan squad named for the Africa tour will depart for South Africa on Friday after the players tested negative for coronavirus, announced the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    “All 35 members of the Africa-bound side, including 22 players and 13 officials, have tested negative and, as such, the side will depart for Johannesburg, South Africa, on a chartered flight on Friday morning,” said the PCB in a statement.

    Earlier, one member of the squad tested positive for coronavirus days before the team was supposed to enter the bio-secure bubble set up for the tour.

    “A total of 35 tests were conducted on the South Africa-bound Pakistan men’s national cricket team on Tuesday, 16 March. All squad members have tested negative, except for one player,” said the PCB in a press release.

    The PCB did not identify the player who tested positive. While the social media reports suggested that it was Hassan Ali.

    Following the negative tests, the team entered the bio-secure bubble last week and trained at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

    In South Africa, Pakistan will play three ODIs from April 2-7, the matches will be counted in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. After that, the team will play four T20Is against the Proteas from April 10-16.

    After the end of the South Africa tour, the team will then go to Harare, Zimbabwe, where they will play three T20Is and two Tests. The squad will then return to Pakistan on May 12.

    Squads:

    T20I: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Asif Ali, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir.

    ODI: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Danish Aziz, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Qadir.

    Test: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tabish Khan and Zahid Mahmood.

    Players Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (Manager), Misbah-ul-Haq (head coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Col (retd) Khalid Mahmood (security manager), Malang Ali (masseur), Raza Kitchlew (Digital and media manager), Dr Riaz Ahmed (team doctor), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Waqar Younis (bowling coach), Yasir Malik (strength & conditioning coach) and Younis Khan (batting coach).

    Cricket South Africa also announced their ODI and T20I squads for the series, here are the details:

    Proteas ODI squad:

    Temba Bavuma (Captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Beuran Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon-Jon Smuts, Rassie van der Dussen, Junior Dala, Lutho Sipamla, Wiaan Mulder, Sisanda Magala, Kyle Verreynne, Daryn Dupavillon, Lizaad Williams

    Proteas T20 squad:

    Temba Bavuma (Captain), Bjorn Fortuin, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Rassie van der Dussen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Kyle Verreynne (WK), Pite van Biljon, Migael Pretorius, Lizaad Williams, Wihan Lubbe.

    South Africa tour schedule:

    April 2 – 1st ODI; SuperSport Park, Pretoria

    April 4 – 2nd ODI; Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

    April 7 – 3rd ODI; SuperSport Park, Pretoria

    April 10 – 1st T20I; Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

    April 12 – 2nd T20I; Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

    April 14 – 3rd T20I; SuperSport Park, Pretoria

    April 16 – 4th T20I; SuperSport Park, Pretoria