Founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Monday strongly criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman and the federal interior minister Mohsin Naqvi saying, “Naqvi is the biggest beneficiary of favouritism.”
Khan was responding to Naqvi’s remarks about the need for “surgery” in the national cricket team after its poor performance in the Pakistan vs India T-20 match.
Khan also condemned the government over the deteriorating security situation in the country saying, “Our soldiers are being martyred, and robberies are occurring in Islamabad, yet they do not care.”
The former Prime Minister also alleged that efforts are being made to silence him and cover up election rigging, chastising the authorities for action against PTI leaders across Punjab for holding conventions.
The price of gold in Pakistan saw a notable increase on Wednesday, with 24-karat gold reaching Rs241,900 per tola, marking a rise of Rs600 per tola.
According to the Karachi Sarafa Association, the price of 24-karat gold per 10 grammes also climbed, now standing at Rs207,390, an increase of Rs514.
Similarly, 22-karat gold experienced a price hike, with the new rate quoted at Rs190,108 per 10 grammes. In contrast, silver prices remained stable in the domestic market. The price of 24-karat silver held steady at Rs2,750 per tola and Rs2,358 per 10 grammes.
On the international stage, spot gold traded near $2,314 per ounce, showing little change from the previous session. Investors are keeping a close watch on the upcoming US inflation data, which is set to be released just hours before the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates today.
This data could significantly influence gold prices, as any shifts in interest rates may impact investor sentiment and demand for precious metals.
The recent surge in gold prices in Pakistan reflects the broader global economic uncertainties and the anticipation of key economic indicators that could sway the market in the coming days.
Pakistan’s most expensive film is set to make its debut in cinemas, marking a new era for the film industry.
Actors Usman Mukhtar and Faran Tahir, recently appeared on FHM podcast, where they talked about their film ‘Umro Ayyar’, calling it the most expensive production in the country’s history. Hollywood star Faran Tahir, who plays the primary antagonist, expressed immense pride on being part of the project.
“This film marks the dawn of a new era for our industry, introducing a genre that we’ve traditionally left uncharted. The movie’s title is only one part of this new beginning’s excitement and complexity,: the Iron Man star said.
Usman Mukhtar, who plays the legendary ‘Umro Ayyar’, highlighted the need for local support for Pakistani science fiction projects.
Usman asked the public, “You watch similar films from our neighboring country, so you should definitely watch this one since it’s derived from our own literature. Pakistan’s first superhero movie.”
Faran took the opportunity to highlight the gap between Pakistani literary heritage and the current generation. “Though we’re not expanding as an industry, we’re taking a bold and dangerous step forward today. We’re making important content for our youth, bridging the gap between them and our traditional stories like Umro Ayyar.”
The actors found great satisfaction in the film’s basis in classic literature. Faran provided more information on the creative methods used in the production, especially the use of European stunt directors with prior expertise on popular television shows like ‘Game of Thrones.’
“We identified gaps and brought in international talent where necessary. However, we also established our own VFX studio in Islamabad, which is now fully operational,” he pointed out.
UmroAyyar – A New Beginning
The fantasy film is about Umro, a character from the classic beloved Urdu novel.
The cast includes Ali Kazmi, Farhan Tahir, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Manzar Sehbai, Sana Fakhar, Sanam Saeed, Simi Raheal, Usman Mukhtar. The genre of the film is sci-fi movie. It is directed by Azfar Jafri and produced by VR Chili Production. It’s coming to cinemas on this Eid Ul Azha, June 17.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have agreed on the annual budget being presented in Parliament today, ARY News reported on Wednesday.
PPP had earlier expressed concerns about the budget, but the publication stated that the party will vote for it to extend its support to PML-N.
PPP leader Nayyar Bukhari had said the party has yet to decide whether to vote in favor of the budget.
The matter is now reportedly settled between the top leadership of both parties. “Despite protest and speeches in the parliament, the PPP will support the passage of the budget,” sources confirmed to ARY.
However, PML-N has assured PPP of adding some of their proposals to the budget.
Pakistan Railways has scheduled special trains on Eid-ul-Azha to accommodate the large number of passengers traveling during the religious holiday.
The department says the addition of a fourth special train for Eid has been adopted to meet the expected large number of passengers travelling from Karachi to Lahore.
The carrier will operate four special trains for Eid-ul-Azha, the first of which will depart from Karachi on June 14.
The second special train is slated to leave Karachi on June 15 at 9 p.m., while the third will depart for Lahore in the afternoon.
The fourth special train will depart on the night of June 15.
Previously, on May 31, Pakistan Railways announced that it would run three special trains on Eid-ul-Azha.
The first train was set to depart Karachi at 6 p.m. on June 14 for Peshawar, while the second one would travel through Multan, Faisalabad, and Lalamusa.
Another train was set to leave Quetta for Rawalpindi at 10 am.
The train route will be via Multan, Sahiwal, and Lahore.
The last Eid train will leave for Lahore on June 15 at 9 am.
Karachi-Lahore Special route via Multan, Sahiwal has been notified.
A lawyer named Manzoor Qadir Bhinder has approached the court over the disappointing performance of the national cricket team in Gujranwala.
The lawyer filed a petition against the national cricket team captain Babar Azam, team members and Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi in the local court of Gujranwala.
The team should be banned, the petition asks, and the selection committee should be dissolved as well as PCB accounts should be frozen. Billions of rupees are being spent on cricket annually, which is an injustice to the people of Pakistan, the lawyer maintains.
Our players play for their ego and money, not caring for the honor of Pakistan, the petitioner wrote.
The petition has been filed in the court of the District Sessions Judge under Sections 22A and 22B of the Penal Code.
During the T20 World Cup, India deprived the green shirts of a sure victory by exploiting Pakistan’s weak batting and successfully defended the meagre target of 120 runs. Earlier, USA defeated Pakistan on June 6 in a super over by five runs.
The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has released a report on the National Assembly’s performance of the first 100 days.
The report underlines that the legislative process was slow in the first 100 days of the National Assembly. The delay in the formation of standing committees also affected performance.
In total, the House held 23 meetings covering 66 hours and 33 minutes, 159 (51 per cent) of the existing 310 members of the House actively participated in the meetings, the average attendance of members in the House was 231, the highest was 302 and the lowest was 176.
The report stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended only two out of 23 sessions of the National Assembly, which is 10 percent, while in the past, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attended 26 percent and Imran Khan 29 percent of the sessions.
Incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have requested the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday to transfer the Iddat Nikkah case back to Islamabad district and session court judge Shahrukh Arjumand, The Express Tribune reported.
IHC judge Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb heard the petition, eliminated objections raised by the registrar’s office on the plea, and sent notices to Bushra Bibi’s former husband, Khawar Maneka, in the case.
During the hearing, Khan’s counsel, Salman Safdar, requested the court to transfer the case back to judge Shahrukh Arjumand or IHC to hear the plea itself.
Actor Faysal Quraishi recently appeared on LetsTalk with Sadia Salman. The star talked about how much Indians love Pakistani dramas. “I was told by a famous Indian choreographer that when Meri Zaat Zara e Benishan and Humsafar were airing, streets in India would shut down. People loved them that much! He shared this with me personally, and I was amazed by the impact our Pakistani dramas had across the border.”
While discussing the credibility of awards in the entertainment industry, Faysal said, “I believe that awards should be judged by industry experts, not by audience votes. Globally, credible awards are given by juries comprising field experts. I’d be proud to receive an award decided by experts, not just based on popularity. Currently, audience-based awards often favor those with massive followings, rather than true talent.”
Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi visited Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore late on Tuesday night, prompting speculation on the reason for the surprise visit.
The head of PCB reviewed ongoing work on upgrading Gaddafi Stadium Lahore last night and expressed displeasure over the closure of upgrade work in the stadium.
Naqvi had previously ordered teams to work 24 hours a day to speed up the work. He said, “This big project can be completed on time only by working 24 hours a day. Ensure the early drainage of the water accumulated under the main building of the stadium due to the burst pipe.”
Chairman PCB noted that more resources needed to be mobilized to complete the upgradation work of the stadium before the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan is hosting Champions Trophy 2025. PCB has also sent the final schedule of the tournament to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for approval.
