Author: newsdesk

  • Bollywood actor Asif Basra found dead, suicide suspected

    Bollywood actor Asif Basra, who was recognised for his roles in Jab We Met, Koi Po Che! and Ek Villian was found hanging at a private guest house in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. He was 53.

    According to reports, Basra’s body was discovered by the police and a team of forensic experts is on the spot to investigate the death. Initial investigation has revealed that Basra committed suicide by hanging himself with the leash of his pet dog. As per the police, Basra had returned from a stroll in the locality along with his dog, just before the alleged suicide.

    It is also being reported that the actor had a property on lease in the area for the past five-six years and often visited it. Some reports have also suggested that the actor, who was under depression, was staying there with a British woman. However, no suicide note has been recovered from the place.

    Basra was born in Maharashtra’s Amravati in 1967. He moved to Mumbai in 1989 to pursue a career in acting. In a career that spanned over two-decades, Basra played supporting parts in many popular films including Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, Krrish 3, Hichki as well as the Hollywood film Outsourced.

    The actor’s most recent outing was Amazon Prime Video’s smash-hit series Paatal Lok.

    Basra’s suicide comes almost five months after his Kai Po Che! co-star Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his apartment on June 14.

    Several Bollywood stars including Emran Hashmi, Manoj Bajpayee and Raees director Rahul Dholakia expressed their shock over his sudden death.

  • PML-N ready to talk with establishment ‘on one condition’

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has hinted at opening up a dialogue channel with the military establishment while ruling out any backdoor negotiations.

    In an interview with BBC Urdu, the PML-N leader said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership would consider talking to army generals but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government will have to go home first.

    She claimed that the establishment approached a number of her party leaders, but no one has approached her directly with an offer to sort things out. She said the PML-N respects the army as an institution, but it has no authority to transgress beyond its role enshrined in the constitution.

    According to Maryam, there will be no secrecy in talks with the army generals, everything will take place in front of the people of Pakistan.

    Responding to her critics who said the PML-N’s anti-narrative was harmful to the party, Maryam said the anti-establishment line that the party has adopted has attracted thousands of people across Pakistan. The massive gatherings in Gujranwala, Karachi, and Quetta are proof of the PML-N’s popularity, she added.

    In a comment on the interview, Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the PML-N only wants an end to the cases against its leadership.

    In a tweet, he said if the PML-N is not willing to talk to the military or the government, then it is difficult for him to comprehend their narrative.

  • Sony PlayStation 5 is now available for sale

    Sony PlayStation 5 is now available for sale

    Seven years after a successful run of PlayStation (PS) 4 – the only console with over 112 million units sold worldwide – the new PS5 is now officially available in markets for sale.

    The news comes days after Microsoft released its next-generation console, the Xbox Series X.

    PlayStation 5 comes in two different models, one with disc compatibility which will cost $499, while the the other is a digital version that will let users buy games online and will cost $399. The digital version is slimmer in comparison to the disc compatible version.

    In the wake of the ongoing pandemic, the PS5 will not be available for in-store sales and can only be purchased through online stores in western countries.

    Sony is expecting a boost in sales soon as holiday season is right around the corner and also because the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the demand for home entertainment. The Japanese conglomerate expects to sell 7.6 million PS5 units by March next year.

    Analysts predict that Sony will sell 17.9 million consoles by the end of 2021 and will hit the 67 million mark by 2024.

    Those in the UK wanting to get the console will have a slightly longer and frustrating wait as it launches on November 19 in UK markets.

    “In a completely ideal world, we would like to launch everywhere in the world on the same day,” said Jim Ryan, the PlayStation boss. “We just needed an extra few days to get everything in order to be able to have a proper, professional, seamless PlayStation-style launch.”

  • Fawad, Sanaullah favour live coverage of corruption trials

    Fawad, Sanaullah favour live coverage of corruption trials

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Rana Sanaullah have endorsed the live broadcast of graft trials for greater transparency.

    The lawmakers were participating in a talk show hosted by senior journalist Hamid Mir. During the show, Mir asked Fawad if he would support the plea of PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi seeking live coverage of his trial in an accountability court. At this, Fawad said he would fully support it.

    According to the science and technology minister, the live coverage of trials was standard practice in the UK. “Pakistan follows many practices and laws of the UK, why can’t it do it in terms of trials,” he added.

    He said the people must know what are the charges and what is defence.

    At this, Sanaullah said he also supported the idea of the televised trials, adding that his narcotics case should also be aired.

    On Wednesday, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi filed a petition in an accountability court of Islamabad, seeking live media coverage of his trial proceeding in LNG-Terminal project reference.

    The plea argued that Article 19-A grants the public the right to know factual information about a trial. People would get the authentic information about the trial through live coverage, he added.

    “There are other public benefits; let the people know whether their representatives are innocent or corrupt or they have been involved in false and politically motivated cases; let the people see whether complaints are ‘stock witnesses’, whether the case is politically motivated,” the application quoted by Dawn newspaper said.

  • Did you know Usman Buzdar is a crorepati?

    Did you know Usman Buzdar is a crorepati?

    After both the upper and lower houses of the parliament, details of assets and liabilities of Punjab Assembly members have also been released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), according to which, Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar is a millionaire or crorepati with his 10 immovable properties alone amounting to Rs35 million (Rs3.5 crores).

    According to details, while some members of the provincial assembly also own offshore properties, others run businesses besides owning agricultural lands.

    It has also emerged that CM Buzdar, on top of his 10 immovable properties, also has a 14-kanal bungalow in Taunsa Sharif and four kanals in Dera Ghazi Khan. His spouse, on the other hand, owns three pieces of land, whereas Buzdar himself also owns agricultural land in Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan besides three tractors, two vehicles and Rs7.7 million (Rs77 lacs) in his bank account.

    Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi owns three properties worth Rs69.4 million (6.94 crores). He also has shares in three properties and owns a house each in both Lahore and Islamabad. The former CM also has shares in the Zahoor Palace Gujarat, has Rs9.9 million (Rs99 lacs) capital in a flour mill and Rs13.5 million (Rs1.35 crores) unsecured debt.

    On top of this, he has Rs12.7 million in his bank account while his wife has assets worth Rs93.1 million in her name, including jewelry worth Rs2.1 million.

    The assets of Hamza Shehbaz, who is the leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, are worth Rs414 million (Rs41.4 crores). He owns Rs30 million (Rs3 crores) of agricultural land given by his brother Suleman Shehbaz, and has invested Rs130 million (Rs13 crores) in the country.

    Hamza also has Rs10 million (Rs1 crore) in his bank account.

    Provincial Minister Aleem Khan and his wife have properties worth Rs159.2 million (Rs15.9 crores). His daughter and wife have assets worth Rs7.8 million (Rs78 lacs) in England and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and stock shares worth Rs117.7 million (Rs11.77 crores).

    Aleem also has an unsecured loan of Rs1.21 billion and owns three luxury cars worth Rs32.1 million (Rs3.21 crores) in addition to 65 tolas of gold. He also has Rs10 million (Rs1 crore) cash and Rs139.1 million (Rs13.91 crores) in his bank account.

    Punjab Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan owns two properties worth Rs8.5 million (Rs85 lacs) while he and his spouse have a total of Rs7.9 million (Rs79 lacs) in their bank account.

    Provincial Minister Raja Basharat owns more than Rs29.3 million (Rs2.93 crores) assets, while Provincial Minister Raja Rashid Hafeez owns more than Rs111 million (Rs11.1 crores) assets.

    The documents also state that Ejaz Khan of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has total assets of only Rs274,000 (Rs0.27 million) and no car or jewelry or businesses at home or abroad. The lawmaker with the least assets and liabilities is Sajida Yousuf, who has only Rs217 in her bank account. She has no car, no jewelry and no property at home or abroad.

  • Younis to remain batting coach for two years

    Younis to remain batting coach for two years

    Former captain Younis Khan will continue as the men’s batting coach of Pakistan until the Twenty20 World Cup in 2022, the Pakistan cricket board (PCB) said on Thursday.

    Younis is the only Pakistani batsman in Test cricket’s 10,000-run club and accompanied the side on their tour of England this summer.

    “The PCB will also be utilising Younis Khan’s expertise and skills when he’s not on national duty as he will help local batsmen hone their skills,” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said in a statement.

    “This is part of the PCB’s strategy to appoint highly-qualified and respected coaches across all major centres of the country so that we can start producing cricketers who can represent Pakistan with distinction.”

    The board said the appointment of Younis will be “until, at least” the 2022 T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November.

    Younis scored 10,099 runs and 34 hundreds in 118 Tests, and also played 265 one-dayers and 25 T20 internationals for Pakistan.

    The 42-year-old said he was pleased to take up the job on a long-term basis.

    “I am particularly happy that my scope of work has been extended beyond the national duties,” he added.

    “I am equally interested and keen at working at the domestic level by identifying potential batsmen and then helping them improve their skills.”

  • Netflix renews the trending ‘Emily in Paris’ for a second season

    Netflix renews the trending ‘Emily in Paris’ for a second season

    Time to pop the champagne and bring out the bowler hats. Emily is staying in Paris for another season.

    Read more – Every Pakistani girl wants to be ‘Emily in Paris’

    Netflix has announced that it has renewed the trending Emily in Paris for a second season. The announcement came via a fictional memo sent from Emily’s place of work, Savoir, by her dry boss Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu).

    “Despite her overconfident manner and lack of prior experience in luxury goods marketing, she has nonetheless managed to charm some of our hard-to-impress clients during her short time at Savoir,” reads the note. “Call it Bonne chance, or American ingenuity —I’m leaning towards the former— her results are impressive.”

    “We love having Emily in Paris! But please don’t let her know that.”

    The series, despite its problematic and stereotypical portrayal of French people and culture, dominated the Netflix Top 10 list for weeks and continues to trend at number six on Netflix Pakistan.

    Emily in Paris follows Emily (Lily Collins), a bright, vivacious and a tad bit annoying marketing executive from Chicago, who unexpectedly finds herself in Paris for a new job. She is tasked with revamping the company’s social media strategy. Emily’s life in Paris is filled with intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles winning over her work colleagues, making friends and navigating new romances.

    Season one of the series ended on a cliffhanger, as Emily finally got together with her dreamy neighbor Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) after he almost left town with his girlfriend.

  • Are IPL’s Mumbai Indians the greatest domestic T20 side ever?

    Are IPL’s Mumbai Indians the greatest domestic T20 side ever?

    Mumbai Indians on Tuesday defeated Delhi Capitals in the final of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 becoming the most successful IPL team in history. The defending champions lifted the trophy of IPL for the fifth time, following which the International Cricket Council (ICC) asked their followers if the team was “the greatest domestic T20 side ever.”

    Soon after the post by ICC, a debate erupted in which some Twitter users pointed out that the council is forgetting Sialkot Stallions, the most successful Pakistani domestic team, which under Imran Nazir and Shoaib Malik’s captaincy has six National T20 Cup wins in Pakistan. This record is jointly held by Pakistan’s Sialkot Stallions and South Africa’s Titans.

    Many teams have registered pretty long winning streaks in recent times but have fallen a long way behind the biggest winning streak ever recorded in Twenty20 cricket but Stallions hold the record as they won 25 consecutive matches in the T20 format which they played across six domestic competitions. The dream run came to a tragic end in October 2010 when Sialkot fell 14 runs short of a 198-run chase against Rawalpindi Rams.

    Mumbai now needs only one more title to equal the aforementioned record. Though Mumbai has two Titles of Champions trophy, it does not fall under the domestic radar. Hence, it is premature to announce them the greatest domestic T20 side ever.

    Meanwhile, check out some arguments on Twitter below:

  • VIDEO: Cameras were installed in Maryam Nawaz’s jail cell, bathroom?

    VIDEO: Cameras were installed in Maryam Nawaz’s jail cell, bathroom?

    Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has claimed that cameras were installed in her jail cell and bathroom during detention in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases against her and other members of the Sharif family.

    In an interview on Wednesday, Maryam said that she has been to jail twice and if she revealed the details about how she and other female inmates were treated during detention, “they” will find no place to hide their faces.

    Maryam is currently leading PML-N’s election campaign for the November 15 Gilgit-Baltistan election.

    “I don’t want to hide behind these incidents at all. I’m struggling today, so I don’t want to show that I was affected; I don’t want to cry today that I have been abused,” she said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The PML-N vice president added that if her door room could be broken, if she can be arrested in front of her father for speaking the truth, if cameras can be installed inside her jail cell and bathroom, and if she can be targeted personally, then no woman in Pakistan is safe.

    “Be it in Pakistan or elsewhere, a woman cannot be weak,” she said.

    MARYAM IN JAIL:

    On July 6, 2018, Maryam was sentenced to seven years in jail by the NAB on corruption charges in the Avenfield reference case.

    The court had held that trust deeds presented by Maryam before the apex court were fake and had been tampered with. As a result, she was disqualified from contesting elections for 10 years.

    The next day, Maryam announced that she would return to Pakistan on July 13 to file an appeal against the decision. The same day, NAB announced to arrest her and Nawaz Sharif upon their arrival in Pakistan.

    She, along with her father, was taken into custody on July 13 upon their arrival at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport and were airlifted to Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.

    On July 26, she challenged her sentence in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and filed a petition for bail. The next day, the court rejected her request for release on bail and adjourned the hearing till the end of the 2018 general election on July 25.

    While she was released following the suspension of the verdict against her father, husband and herself by the IHC, Maryam was once again arrested in August 2019 over Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption charges; this time upon her arrival at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore to see Nawaz, who was serving his sentence in a separate corruption case.

    In November 2019, Maryam was released on bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

  • VIDEO: On-air fight between PTI’s Firdous, PML-N’s Azma goes viral

    VIDEO: On-air fight between PTI’s Firdous, PML-N’s Azma goes viral

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Azma Bukhari had engaged in a verbal spat during a talk show, as both sides accused each other of stealing people’s mandate in the general elections.

    The show host tried to calm the duo down, but his attempts remained futile.

    Responding to Bukhari’s allegations, Firdous — who was appointed as chief minister’s information aide last week — said Nawaz Sharif was in cahoots with the military establishment in past. She gave examples of IJI [Islami Jamhoori Ittehad] — an alliance funded by the powers-that-be against then PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto in the late ’80s.

    The CM’s aide also referred to a Supreme Court judgement in the Asghar Khan case. She asked how did Nawaz Sharif become the prime minister for three times?

    Responding to claims that Imran Khan was a ‘selected’ prime minister, Firdous said Nawaz had become the PM after going through the same process — getting 2/3 majority in parliament.

    “Whose mandate did he steal to become the PM?” Firdous asked Azma Bukhari, saying they didn’t question the polling when their party had won the elections.