Author: newsdesk

  • Fiza Ali criticizes Adnan Siddiqui for fly comment as KRQ supports him

    Fiza Ali criticizes Adnan Siddiqui for fly comment as KRQ supports him

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui faced a lot of criticism after making a comment comparing women to house flies on TV. He said it was just a joke, but people didn’t like it. TV host Fiza Ali even talked about it on her morning show, criticizing the veteran actor.

    Fiza started by saying, “As a woman, I feel upset. Adnan Siddiqui, you called women flies. You’re famous, so you need to be careful about what you say.”

    Fiza reminded Adnan of the risks of making such a statement, even as a joke. “You have made these comments about women, but remember, you have women in your life. Do you view your mother as a fly? Your sister? Your daughter? If she goes out in the world to study, and some other guy says she is just like a fly, how would that make you feel? Would you like it,” she asked.
    “You should have thought before speaking. You need to say sorry. You owe it to all women. Just upload a video apologizing. It will make people respect you.” And to make herself clear, Fiza ended by saying, “Women are NOT flies.”

    While fans agreed with Fiza in the comments, some other celebrities saw Adnan’s comments differently. Controversial screenwriter and director Khalilur Rehman Qamar defended Adnan during an Eid show.

    “He’s a good man,” said KRQ when asked about it. “I know him. He’s a friend. He respects women a lot. Sometimes when you’re trying to say something, you might end up saying the wrong thing.”

    To explain, KRQ called Adnan during the show and asked about the comment. Adnan clarified, “I was on Nida’s show, and a fly kept bothering me. I wasn’t comparing women to flies. I just used the fly to say that when you chase women, they might avoid you.”

    Both men agreed that Adnan’s comments were just a joke. Adnan criticized today’s society, saying, “You can’t speak plainly anymore. If you call someone black, deaf, or fat, people criticize you. Even though I’m Pathan, I can’t play a Pathan role without people thinking I’m making fun of all Pathans.”
    “Agreed, agreed,” concurred KRQ.

    A little while later, KRQ shared his thoughts on the topic. He said, “A joke is supposed to make people laugh, nothing more.” With Adnan’s comment spreading quickly, it’s uncertain how much longer people will keep talking about it.

  • Interior Ministry ordered banning of Twitter in Pakistan

    Interior Ministry ordered banning of Twitter in Pakistan

    The Ministry of Interior, headed by Mohsin Naqvi, has accepted that it directed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ban X, formerly Twitter. The Ministry revealed this information in a reply to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), after the court had asked why the social media platform had been shutdown.

    In its reply to the IHC, the Ministry quoted the controversial 2021 social media rules stating that Twitter had not registered itself in Pakistan nor signed any MoU with the government of Pakistan.

    The reply to IHC said, “As a foreign entity operating in Pakistan, Twitter/X is subject to the regulatory framework of the country, including the compliance with legal directives issued by the Government of Pakistan.”

    It further said, “The ban on Twitter/X serves as a necessary step to address this regulatory vacuum and compel the platform to respect the sovereignty and legal jurisdiction of Pakistan.”

    The Ministry’s reply also said that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has forwarded numerous requests to Twitter/X through PTA to block those accounts involved in a defamatory campaign against CJP Qazi Faez Isa and criticized the lack of cooperation from Twitter/X.

    It also mentioned that TikTok was also banned for a while by Pakistan, after which the company signed an MoU to abide by local laws, address content moderation issues, and enhance cooperation with Pak authorities.

    Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court (SHC) also directed the Ministry of Interior to revoke its letter regarding the suspension of X within one week.

    “What are you [interior ministry] achieving via shutting down trivial things […] The world must laugh at us,” said SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi.

    As of now, X/Twitter has been inaccessible in Pakistan for the last two months.

  • Former CM Parvez Khattak likely to join PPP

    Former CM Parvez Khattak likely to join PPP

    Former Chief Minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak, who faced a stunning defeat in the general elections on February 8, is now actively trying to join the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), The News reported on Wednesday.

    Sources close to Parvez Khattak told The News that the former defence minister is thinking of joining the PPP even though he had announced that he would quit politics after his defeat.

    Pervez Khattak had formed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P) after parting ways with former prime minister Imran Khan in the aftermath of the May 9 violence.

  • Selection committee picked weak team with big names: Muhammad Hafeez

    Former cricket captain and director Muhammad Hafeez has lashed out at the selection committee, alleging that they chose a weak team with big names.

    Talking to Express News, Hafeez criticized the current selection committee and said, “The selection committee has tried to strengthen the team by calling the players sitting at home.”

    Talking about Babar Azam’s captaincy he said, “Babar was removed from the captaincy for some reason but then made captain again. When Babar was the captain, he was accused of favoring every group.”

    He said, “Shaheen Shah Afridi was removed from the captaincy within two months without any solid reason. I brought a four-year plan to improve the team, but I was removed from the post after two months.”

    Muhammad Hafeez and former chairman PCB Ramiz Raja criticised Muhammad Amir’s return to the national team on several occasions, while selection committee member Wahab Riaz also termed the former cricketer’s statement as his personal opinion.

  • Pakistan Army will take action against ‘malicious’ propaganda targeting military

    Pakistan Army will take action against ‘malicious’ propaganda targeting military

    During the 264th Corps Commanders’ Conference, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir expressed concern about malicious propaganda against armed forces on social media.

    He promised to take strong action against anyone trying to divide the nation and the security forces by making false accusations. The forum honoured the brave sacrifices of martyrs, including officers, soldiers, and citizens who gave their lives for peace and stability in the country, along with law enforcement agencies.

    “Unfounded and baseless allegations against law enforcement agencies and security forces have become a fashion and are part of the larger design to drive a wedge between the people and the Armed Forces of Pakistan,” the forum noted.

    “We will not allow such efforts to succeed, and as per the law and constitution, stern action will be ensured,” the forum vowed.

    General Asim Munir showed commitment to fully support the government on economic and social progress. He also promised to help the government  tackle illegal activities like smuggling, hoarding, and electricity theft, as well as ensure the safe return of all illegal foreigners.

    The Army chief also praised army officers and law enforcement agencies for their efforts in stopping terrorist attacks and eliminating multiple terrorists during ongoing counterterrorism operations.

  • Kapil Sharma could’ve been in the ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ biopic, reveals Imtiaz Ali

    Kapil Sharma could’ve been in the ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ biopic, reveals Imtiaz Ali

    Kapil Sharma could’ve been in the ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ biopic, reveals Imtiaz Ali

    Bollywood filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, maker of the biopic ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’, revealed that actor-comedian Kapil Sharma was his second choice if Diljit Dosanjh had declined the film.
     
    In a recent episode of Imtiaz Ali’s Netflix show, the cast and director of ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ discussed their experiences making the movie. Kapil Sharma shared that A.R. Rahman had called him for a role in the film, but Sharma couldn’t respond as he was out of town and still regrets it.

    “I met Rahman sir one day, and he said, ‘I called you for Chamkila’. I think he wanted me to sing a song or something. I thought he was just sweet-talking with me.”
    “I felt really bad,” the comedian said. “I cried the whole night because of it. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t speak to each other because we were overseas.”

    Imtiaz Ali added that Rahman had also talked to him about Sharma’s singing. Ali informed Sharma that if Diljit didn’t take the role, Sharma would have been their next choice. 
    Ali said, “Rahman sir said to me, ‘I mentioned your singing as well.’ If Diljit couldn’t do this film, we only had one more choice, which was you.”
    The biopic stars Parineeti Chopra as Amar Singh Chamkila’s wife, opposite Diljit Dosanjh.
     
    ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ premiered in theatres before streaming on Netflix, receiving praise for Ali’s direction, Dosanjh’s performance, and Rahman’s music.

  • MBS likely to visit Pakistan next month

    MBS likely to visit Pakistan next month

    Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is likely to visit Pakistan next month after a recent visit by the Saudi delegation led by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

    The News has reported that the Crown Prince, also the Prime Minister of the Kingdom, will come to Pakistan on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    The schedule of the visit is being worked out through diplomatic channels. Meanwhile, the Saudi foreign minister had highly productive meetings with the political and military leadership before returning home late Tuesday evening.

    Earlier, during the meeting of foreign ministers of both countries, Foreign Minister Dar expressed pleasure at the arrival of the high-powered Saudi delegation, terming it as an “impressive group of dignitaries visiting Pakistan for the first time during his long political career”.

    The Saudi FM stressed the importance of a strategic partnership between the two countries and expressed commitment to strengthening investment in the country.

  • You can go to jail for posting pictures with guns, weapons online

    You can go to jail for posting pictures with guns, weapons online

    The Rawalpindi Police have arrested a man from the Jatali area for posting pictures with weapons on social media, The News reported on Wednesday.

    The police arrested the suspect named Naqash because people were scared and worried about him sharing content about weapons.

    SP (Saddar) Muhammad Nabil Khokhar said the man will face strict action, adding that this is a clear message that those who use social media platforms to spread fear and terror will be held accountable.

  • British Muslim student loses prayer ban challenge in London High Court

    British Muslim student loses prayer ban challenge in London High Court

    A British Muslim student has lost a High Court case over permission to pray at school.

    The student approached the court after not being allowed to pray at Michaela School in Brent, London.

    Michaela School was founded by current head teacher Catherine Burbal Singh and about half of the school’s 700 students are Muslim.

    The student had argued that the policy of not allowing prayer was discriminatory, but the school was of the view that allowing prayer would affect social cohesion among students, reported BBC.

    He also questioned why the student was given legal aid of GBP 150,000 for the case when her mother wants to admit another girl in the same school.

    Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch said the court decision is a victory against activists who want to bring down public institutions.

    The head teacher has made it clear to the parents that if you don’t like the school, don’t bring the children here.

  • Muhammad Amir suspends contract with betting company Wolf777

    Fast bowler Muhammad Amir has suspended his contract with the betting company Wolf777.

    Amir was being criticised for his contract with betting (gambling) companies, but yesterday the cricketer suspended his one-year contract with the betting site.

    Under the agreement, the betting site was paying Amir 1 crore 25 lakhs (Pakistani rupees) while the cricketer had to endorse the company in return.

    After his return to the national team, Muhammad Amir has assured the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that his image will not be used by the company for their upcoming advertising campaign.

    PCB has warned Muhammad Amir that the government of Pakistan has banned betting companies, so he should not be part of such promotions.

    According to the PCB spokesperson, Amir has assured the Board that it was an old contract, the company has also removed videos of Muhammad Amir from their social media accounts.