Author: newsdesk

  • Met Gala 2024: Alia Bhatt blooms bright, Zendaya graces ‘Garden of Time’ with grape clusters

    Met Gala 2024: Alia Bhatt blooms bright, Zendaya graces ‘Garden of Time’ with grape clusters

    Celebrities brought their A-game to this year’s Met Gala, with standout looks like Zendaya’s dark blue gown adorned with grape clusters and Lana Del Rey’s dramatic headpiece featuring tree branches. The event, themed ‘Garden of Time’, saw stars walking a lush green and white carpet surrounded by foliage and flowers.

    Zendaya, one of the event’s hosts, stunned in a blue lamé and organza dress designed by John Galliano, with grape clusters adorning her outfit. She later changed into a black Givenchy gown and a floral Alexander McQueen hat. Lana Del Rey turned heads in a beige Alexander McQueen gown and a headpiece with natural hawthorn branches draped in sheer tulle.

    The gala, a high-profile annual event, serves as a fundraiser for the New York museum and marks the opening of its Costume Institute’s fashion exhibit. This year’s exhibit, titled “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” will feature rare items from the Costume Institute’s collection, displayed through animation and projections.

    Among the attendees were Jennifer Lopez in a beaded Schiaparelli gown, Rita Ora in a colorful beaded ensemble, and Queen Latifah in a black dress with orange bird of paradise accents. Ariana Grande dazzled in an ivory gown, while Lil Nas X wore a suit and jacket adorned with Swarovski crystals.

    Indian celebrities Alia Bhatt and Isha Ambani showcased Indian couture at the gala. Bhatt wore a mint green Sabyasachi sari with real gems and a 23-foot-long train, while Ambani donned a couture sari gown by Rahul Mishra with intricate hand embroidery.

    Outside the event, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered nearby, chanting slogans as Rafah got heavily bombarded by Israeli sources.
    Despite heavy police presence, the protest continued through New York’s Upper East Side.

  • ‘No talks with anarchist group’ says DG ISPR

    ‘No talks with anarchist group’ says DG ISPR

    Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the people involved in the May 9 riots must be punished as per the law.

     “The issue of May 9 riots is not limited to the Pakistan Army but [in fact] concerns the whole nation,” said the General during a rare press conference.

    The military spokesperson also emphasized that dialogue should take place between the politicians rather than institutions and said, “No talks will be held with any political leader, or group which attacks its own army and indulges in propaganda [against them].”

    “There can be no dialogue with an anarchist group,” he said firmly, adding that the “only way forward for the anarchists [group] is to apologise sincerely [for their acts], abandon the politics of hate and indulge in constructive politics [instead]”.

    DG ISPR remarked, “For such people, it is said: ’ You can fool all the people some of the times, some of the people all the times but you cannot fool all the people all the times.’”

    When the General was asked about PTI’s demand of a judicial commission to probe the entire May 9 events, he replied, “Fine, we are ready, make a judicial commission but if you have to, then go to the root of this entire incident. The judicial commission should also determine what the goals of the 2014 dharna (sit-in) were and how Parliament was attacked. It should also look into the PTV attack and how people were encouraged to stand against the state, indulge in civil disobedience, and burn utility bills.”

    The Commission, the army spokesperson said, should also investigate “How Islamabad was attacked in 2016 with KP’s federal resources, and then again in 2022.”

    “It must also see how letters were written to the IMF and lobbying was conducted abroad so that Pakistan would not be given loans and fall into a state of default.”

    PTI’s response to DG ISPR’s press briefing

  • Ushna Shah amazed by Nida Yasir’s fluent German

    Ushna Shah amazed by Nida Yasir’s fluent German

    Actress Ushna Shah, known for her roles in various dramas, recently had an unexpected revelation on the set of a Ramzan show. While Ushna Shah was already known she was taken aback when she discovered that television host Nida Yasir was also fluent in the language.

    The unexpected moment happened during their time on set, where Ushna witnessed an engaging conversation between Hamza Amin, who is originally from Austria, and Nida Yasir, revealing their shared fluency in German.

    Ushna posted a video on her Instagram story from the Ramazan transmission set, showing her husband and the host Nida conversing easily in German, leaving her pleasantly surprised.

    The actress captioned the video:
    “These two speaking in German.”

  • Abrar ul Haq responds to Mishi Khan’s criticism: My biggest achievements are not international roles

    Abrar ul Haq responds to Mishi Khan’s criticism: My biggest achievements are not international roles

    Singer and songwriter Abrar ul Haq has responded to actor Mishi Khan’s disbelief over him being offered a Bollywood role. Abrar ul Haq claimed on a podcast that he had declined a role opposite Bollywood star Katrina Kaif, which caused a stir on social media.

    Mishi Khan found it so amusing that she asked in a video, “When did you get this offer? Why didn’t you tell us before? This must be the funniest thing this year! Is this what happens when people leave their political party?” Not only did she post a video, but she also wrote a caption: “Some statements are so funny, you have to say something.” The actor wrote, “Abrar ul Haq’s recent statement is funny,” and ended with a laughing emoji.

    It seems Abrar wasn’t going to let his dignity be attacked without a response. He released a video statement in Urdu, where he said that Mishi’s surprise showed what she considered achievements. Abrar clarified, “Yes, I was offered ai role in a Bollywood movie with Katrina Kaif playing a Pakistani singer. Some people made fun of me, saying I went crazy after leaving my political party. I find that really sad.”

    Abrar explained that he didn’t join any political party and stepped back from politics for personal reasons. He said he wasn’t focused on fame or making money. “What matters most to me is being remembered for helping people and building hospitals, not how many Bollywood roles I’ve been offered,” said the singer and philanthropist. “I have financially helped so many people, but no one ever sees that.”

    Abrar thinks getting an offer from Bollywood isn’t as exciting as it might be for others. He sarcastically said, “Some people may drop dead if they receive a Bollywood offer – how cute are you!” he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “But not me. My biggest achievements are not my international roles. Rather, my biggest achievements are the things I have done to help people.”

    Abrar, who is taking a break from politics, mentioned he’s been performing internationally for many years. He said there’s no reason he shouldn’t have received an offer from a nearby country. However, he turned down offers from India because, after carefully looking at the contract, he found it didn’t match his values.

    “You can’t talk about Kashmir,” the singer had explained earlier when revealing why he refused to work in Bollywood. “I believed a country that values freedom of speech shouldn’t have such restrictions. So, I didn’t accept those roles.” Abrar finished his video by criticizing artists who make fun of their colleagues online. “Please remember our values and don’t insult people from your own country like this,” he cautioned. “It just makes you look bad, not anyone else.”

  • Mawra Hocane: A good skin day makes everything okay

    Mawra Hocane: A good skin day makes everything okay

    Film and TV actor Mawra Hocane, who calls herself “sunshine in human form” on Instagram, shared positive messages on her IG Stories.

    In the pictures and videos she shared, Mawra Hocane, known for her role in the show Sammi, posted photos from her show Let’s Try Mohabbat, wearing a bright yellow outfit. In one video, she proudly showed her face without makeup on a day when her skin looked good. “When your brain spirals into endless thoughts without permission, but you’re having a good skin day, so it’s ok,” penned the actor, zooming in to show a close-up of her radiant skin.

    Staying true to her sunny personality, Mawra also shared a post about kindness during tough times. She borrowed words from Nimra Jamil’s page, starting her post with, “These words permanently altered my brain chemistry.”

    The post talked about people who want to make the world better. It said, “The kindest people aren’t born that way, they become kind. They’ve been through a lot in life. They’ve fought to learn from every bad thing.”

    It also said“The kindest people do not just exist. They choose to soften where circumstances have tried to harden them. They choose to believe in goodness because they have seen firsthand why compassion is so necessary. They have seen firsthand why tenderness is so important in this world.”

    Even though these words weren’t Mawra’s, she wants to be like the people they describe. She hopes to inspire others to be kind too.

  • ‘Bilawal tera governor bhi KP house mein nai ghusse ga,’ threatens CM Gandapur

    ‘Bilawal tera governor bhi KP house mein nai ghusse ga,’ threatens CM Gandapur

    The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur has threatened former foreign minister and PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, saying, “Bilawal tera governor bhi KP house mein nai ghusse ga, [Bilawal, your Governor will not be able to enter KP House]” after a KP minister was allegedly not allowed to enter Sindh House.

    “I will show you here [KP] that your governor won’t be able to come here to KP House,” exclaimed Gandapur.

    The CM said that Pakistan is not the private property of Bilawal. Furthermore, he said, “If you continue to adopt this attitude then I will challenge you to even enter the Governor House here.”

  • PML-N MPA faces charges for allegedly torturing PTI MNA’s servant

    PML-N MPA faces charges for allegedly torturing PTI MNA’s servant

    A case has been filed against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Malik Tariq Awan for allegedly mistreating a servant of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) MNA Asif Khan, in Peshawar.

    Police confirmed that the case has been filed against PML-N’s MPA on behalf of Asif’s servant. Malik Tariq Awan will face multiple charges, including terrorism, the police added.

    The First Information Report (FIR) stated that at least 20 people came to the guest house, and Awan was leading them. They tortured the servant present there.

    “At least five persons have been arrested on MNA Asif’s report, which alleges Awan of attacking,” said the police.

    Superintendent of Police Faqeerabad, Usama Amin Cheema, stated that there was no firing incident during the entire episode. The SP mentioned that workers from both parties shouted slogans at each other during the face-off.

  • Transgender mob vandalises Kharian police station after being tortured

    Transgender mob vandalises Kharian police station after being tortured

    Triggered by alleged torture and illegal detention, an angry mob of transgender persons vandalised Saddar Police Station in Kharian tehsil of Gujrat district.

    On Sunday, a few transgender persons were on their way home after attending an event late at night when police personnel stopped them and tried to conduct a body search.

    This prompted a fight between the transgender persons and the cops on the road. Meanwhile, paramilitary forces shifted them to the police station and reportedly subjected the transgender persons to torture.

    After being informed about the assault, dozens of transgender persons led by their guru, attacked the police station, threw stones, and vandalised the premises.

    Footage of the incident doing rounds on social media showed angry transgender persons throwing the furniture out of the police station onto the road. The video shows the transgender persons forcefully taking a police official out of the police station.

    Later, the transgender community held a sit-in and blocked the GT Road in Kharian to record their protest.

    Geo confirms that an inquiry has been launched in this regard and disciplinary action will be taken against the cops if found involved in the torture of transgender persons.

  • The cipher was classified, copies to be destroyed within six months, Khan kept it knowingly, without authorisation: Investigation agency tells court

    The cipher was classified, copies to be destroyed within six months, Khan kept it knowingly, without authorisation: Investigation agency tells court

    Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Hamid Ali Shah informed Islamabad High Court (IHC) that former Prime Minister Imran Khan was aware of the sensitivity of the diplomatic cipher but he didn’t protect it. The FIA prosecutor also said that Imran Khan not only kept the copy of cipher without permission but also failed to safeguard it.

    He also said that the main purpose of cipher security is to prevent its circulation to unauthorised individuals.

    Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the petitions of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday in the cipher case.  

    “The cipher document is stamped as classified, and its copies are mandated to be destroyed after six months,” the FIA prosecutor explained, and added that even after declassification, stringent measures are in place for its disposal.  

    However, the chief justice asked how the accused will present a defence without a lawyer and what the impact of the accused’s statement will be. In response, the FIA prosecutor said that the defence doesn’t need legal representation under Section 342.

  • CM Gandapur wants death penalty for Ice drug peddlers

    CM Gandapur wants death penalty for Ice drug peddlers

    Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur appeared in an interview with journalist Hamid Mir and spoke against the dangers of the drug ice, aka crystal meth, mostly used by young students.

    The KP CM said that he would soon “introduce the death penalty for this drug.”

    Gandapur remarked, “This drug is destroying our nation and our youth.”

    “I will start the process of drug testing all the students in my province so their parents and I know what is happening,” he promised.

    The Chief Minister said that the process of drug tests is going to start very soon under his administration.

    Ice is the street name for the drug Methamphetamine or Crystal Meth which is a highly addictive and dangerous chemical concoction.