Author: newsdesk

  • ‘With more vehicles, comes more pollution,’ Zartaj Gul blames Azadi March for smog

    Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul has said that the pollution in Lahore is increasing due to the extra number of vehicles entering Lahore for Azadi March.

    In a video posted on Twitter from Gul’s official account, the minister has termed all reports fake which are claiming that Lahore has entered into the list of most polluted cities of the world.

    She said that the company which has released this data wants the government to install their equipment for monitoring air pollution and is spreading misleading reports for the past two years.

    “They take their equipment out for recording data when the traffic is dense and use these reports to spread panic”, the minister added.

     

    Yesterday, the air quality monitoring station installed in US Consulate Lahore indicated that the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the city is near 469, while the threshold for hazardous levels of air quality is 300.

    Moreover, the London-based non-governmental organisation, Amnesty International in a statement released to the media on Wednesday stated that the levels of air quality in the province has been rated “near unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” for most of the year.

    The report also said that the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Lahore has reached 484 in the early morning. Meanwhile, EPA is still unable to show the actual picture of the scenario and is showing the unrealistic data in this regard.

    The South Asia Campaigner at Amnesty International, Rimmel Mohydin has also urged the government to do more to adequately address such a severe public health crisis — one that endangers people’s health and even their lives”.

  • Spooky halloween events in your city

    Spooky halloween events in your city

    Halloween is the day when the boundary between the living and the dead becomes a blur and the ghosts of the dead return to earth. But the question is how to celebrate this creepy day properly.

    Here are a few events in major cities that might make your Halloween a little more spooky.

    For people in Lahore

    Howdy, Johar Town

    Lahoris can head over to Howdy Johar town for a drum circle and wear the spookiest costume if they want to win the best costume award.

    Date: 31st Oct (Today)

    Time: 7 PM – 10 PM

    Venue: 7 R3, Johar Town, Near Shaukat Khanum Hospital

     

    Emporium Mall

    Emporium mall’s spooktacular Halloween will last till 3rd November. You can find the gruesome graveyard, tarot card reading, exorcism room, and haunted house all in one place.

    Date:  24th Oct- 3rd Nov

    Time: 11 AM-11 PM

    Venue: Johar Town

     

    Karachi

    Halloween at islands of fun

    If you are a Karachiite, you can spend your Halloween with some adventurous rides along with Halloween competitions and prizes at ‘Halloween at islands of fun’.

     

    Date: 31st Oct

    Time: 3PM-12AM

    Venue: Islands Of Fun, Main University Road, Gulshan-e-Iqbal

    Koyla Chai

    If you are more of a scary movie type person, you can visit the Koyla Chai for an Open Air cinema to watch horror movies.

    Date: 31st oct

    Time: 7 PM – 10 PM

    Venue: 7 R3, Johar Town, Near Shaukat Khanum Hospital

    Islamabad

    Safa Gold Mall

    Grab your broomsticks and head over to Safa Gold Mall for trick or treat.

    Date: 29th Oct- 3rd Nov

    Time: 3 pm-9 pm

    Venue: Safa Gold Mall, Jinnah Super, College Road, F-7 Markaz

    Centaurus Mall

    At Centaurus mall’s haunted city, you can explore horror house, blood-curdling makeover and photo booth.

     

    Date: 1-3rd Nov

    Time: 11AM-11PM

    Venue: F-8, 4th floor, Centaurus Mall.

  • Nation accuses govt of killing 74 as minister blames passengers for train fire

    Nation accuses govt of killing 74 as minister blames passengers for train fire

    With Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed blaming passengers for the train fire that killed at least 74 near Rahim Yar Khan, people across the country have stepped up to condemn the minister’s remarks and accuse Pakistan Railways (PR) of criminal negligence.

    The train, Tezgam, was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi when a gas cylinder carried by a passenger exploded, resulting in hundreds of casualties on Thursday morning. The fire destroyed three of the train’s carriages, including two economy class and one business class carriage.

    “It isn’t PR’s fault and passengers are to be blamed for it,” the minister said while speaking to journalists after the tragedy left the nation shaken.

    “It is unfortunate that passengers take cylinders with them. They don’t fear the law,” he said, adding that several people jumped to their deaths from the burning train.

    While Rasheed promised an inquiry to ascertain how the passengers had managed to carry cylinders with them, his statements were not very well received by the people.

    “Be the change you talk about,” journalist Adeel Raja tweeted while urging Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to sack the minister. There has been a significant increase in the number of train mishaps ever since Rasheed was handed the reins of PR. Hundreds of casualties have been reported in derailings and collisions.

    Senior journalist and analyst Moeed Pirzada pointed out that the train didn’t have any fire-fighting equipment and the staff appeared to have no training to deal with such untoward situations.

    Retweeting his colleague Rauf Klasra’s statement, Moeed also accused PR of incompetence and criminal negligence over its failure to bar passengers from carrying gas stoves with them as per the rules.

    Meanwhile, an eyewitness has claimed that the fire was caused by a short circuit in one of the bogies’ fans.

    “The train kept moving even when it was on fire and there were no emergency facilities available inside the train,” the witness said as he blamed PR authorities for not taking complaints of the passengers seriously.

  • VIDEO: Another old statement comes back to bite Imran as 65 killed in train fire

    With 65 people losing their lives and hundreds reportedly sustaining injuries in Thursday’s tragic train fire incident, an old statement has come back to haunt Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    The train, Tezgam, was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi, when a gas cylinder carried by a passenger exploded, leaving several dead and injured. The fire destroyed three of the train’s carriages, including two economy class carriages and one business class carriage.

    As the incident shook the entire nation, people on social media started sharing old videos of then member of opposition Imran, who had said that a South Korean PM resigned from office after a ferry sunk.

    “He wasn’t helming the ferry, but he resigned because he couldn’t bear that someone died under his rule,” the now premier can be heard as saying in the video.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief was referring to former South Korean PM Chung Hong-won, who resigned after a ferry sank leaving around 300 people dead or missing and resulted in widespread shame, finger-pointing and blame.

    Chung had stepped down after claims by the victims’ relatives that the government did not do enough to protect or rescue their loved ones.

    Demanding resignation from both the premier and Federal Minister for Railways Shiekh Rasheed over negligence and poor performance, here’s what Twitterati have to say about the episode:

    https://twitter.com/WajidShahPAK/status/1189786784131092480

    https://twitter.com/KhuwajaMax/status/1189785023219740674

    https://twitter.com/AlarmaDita/status/1189791729534287872

    Meanwhile, the minister has blamed passengers for the tragedy.

     

  • Pakistan introduces commemorative coin for Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary celebrations

    Pakistan introduces commemorative coin for Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary celebrations

    To mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Devji, the founder of the Sikh religion, the Government of Pakistan has issued a memorial coin.

    The move comes after Islamabad and New Delhi signed a treaty to open the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib without a visa. The Gurdwara is one of Sikhism’s holiest pilgrimage sites in Narowal district of Punjab.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan will
    formally inaugurate the corridor on November 9, three days before the 550th
    birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak.

    The PM also laid the foundation stone of Baba Guru Nanak University in Nankana Sahib on Monday.

    As per reports, pilgrims will be able to buy this coin worth Rs 50. Postage stamps, worth Rs 8 with the image of Gurdwara Janam Asthan will also be issued. They can be used commonly.

  • Earn $20,000 – by completing a terrifying tour at a ‘Haunted House’

    Earn $20,000 – by completing a terrifying tour at a ‘Haunted House’

    Russ McKamey, owner of a Haunted House in Tennessee, offers visitors $20,000 if they complete a 10-hour tour of the house. The tour is apparently a very disturbing and horrifying experience. No one has so far been able to complete the tour. McKamey’s Manor tour is known as the scariest haunted attraction in the United States.

    Before you go on this haunted tour, you are required to sign a 40-page waiver, insurance and get a doctor’s clearance.

    Details of the waiver here:

    Participants who can visit the Manor have to be 18-20 with parental approval or be 21 and older. Once they go inside, “there is no quitting unless serious physical or psychological injury is present.” Having a panic attack doesn’t count!

    The haunted experience

    Reports say that the disturbing tour may also include choking, shock dog collars, and tasers.

    The waiver says that “injuries may occur during their tour…which may include, but not limited to, head, neck and back injuries, death, stroke, and traumatic brain injury.”

    No one has completed the haunted house tour

    Even though some visitors have taken legal action against McKamey, he’s protected by the waivers and video footage.

    You have to sign a 40 page waiver before you can go in

    A Change.org petition was started to shut down McKamey Manor, due to concerns over physical and mental trauma. Almost 60,000 people have signed it so far, which says the experience is “a torture chamber under disguise” and “some people have had to seek professional psychiatric help and medical care for extensive injuries”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The video on the haunted house has more than 3M views on YouTube
  • Are Yasir and Iqra going Deepika-Ranveer for their wedding look?

    Are Yasir and Iqra going Deepika-Ranveer for their wedding look?

    Actor Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain are engaged and have yet to announce their wedding date but speculations have already started into what they are going to wear.

    In their latest photoshoot for one of their favourite designers, Ali Xeeshan, both look regal and heavily adorned in Mughal style looks.

    Xeeshan’s collection is called Prem Nagar and Yasir posted a picture of Iqra and himself on his Instagram.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4NErRCjG0s/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Ali Xeeshan also posted pictures of Iqra on his Insta account.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4IOITkFE6N/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Fans of the couple are saying that they duo looks like they are leaning towards a more Deepika-Ranveer look rather than keeping it simple like Anuskha-Virat.

    Deepika was wearing heavy, traditional jewelry and Ranveer was no less.

    Deepika and Ranveer on their wedding day

    Anushka Sharma, on the other hand, had kept her wedding look simple, with almost no makeup but covered in jewels.

    Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma on their wedding
  • 25,000 female students to receive scholarships under Ehsaas Program

    25,000 female students to receive scholarships under Ehsaas Program

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan says the promotion of quality education is the mission of Prime Minister Imran Khan under the banner of Ehsaas program.    

    She took to social media to announce that fifty thousand scholarships will be given to deserving students under this program.

    As per reports, scholarships will be awarded to the students whose family’s income is less than forty-five thousand rupees. Fifty percent quota will be fixed for women whilst two percent for the disabled students.

    Dr Firdous added that this scholarship will ensure the provision of books, transport, accommodation and other facilities to the students.

    PM Khan on October 24 directed an increase in the sphere of Ehsaas Program. PM Imran asked Special Assistant to the PM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar to ensure transparency in the social welfare program at all costs.

    Speaking
    on the occasion, he said that the state was responsible for the protection and
    welfare of the poor segments of the society.

  • World’s top firms to set up solar panel plants in Pakistan: Fawad Ch

    World’s top firms to set up solar panel plants in Pakistan: Fawad Ch

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has announced that the world’s two major solar panel companies will establish their plants in Pakistan.

    The minister tweeted saying, “good news gets lost in political plays, yet I am very happy that the world’s two major companies are setting up solar panel’s plants in Pakistan.”

    The minister said that China’s second-largest Lithium battery producer will also set up its workshop in Pakistan, adding that the Lithium battery-powered buses will also be manufactured in Pakistan.

    The federal minister earlier visited Beijing, where he met various Chinese officials and the country’s business leaders.

  • PEMRA’s notice to anchors was ‘a senseless blunder’, says Imran Khan

    PEMRA’s notice to anchors was ‘a senseless blunder’, says Imran Khan

    A Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) order recently barred television anchors from “giving their opinions” during talk shows and ordered them to limit their role to moderating the programme.

    The order faced severe backlash from media and also from PTI’s own ministers.

    Firdous Ashiq Awan complained about her fellow ministers to the Prime Minister

    Special Assistant to the PM on Media Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan complained to the PM that PTI’s ministers were talking about her as if they were in the opposition and reports said that PM Khan told them off.

    But according to a source, who was present at the meeting and told The Current, PM Khan didn’t tell them off but instead said that the PEMRA order was a “mistake” and was “beywakoofana” (senseless) but it’s better not to talk against it publicly.

    Fawad Chaudhry and another minister said that such orders shouldn’t be passed which have to be taken back.

    Anchor Shahzeb Khanzada also discussed the issue in his programme.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Firdous Ashiq Awan and PTI ministers have been at odds before and there were rumours that she was going to be replaced.