Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto took a dig at the PTI-led ‘opposition alliance’, stating that the group is hatching a conspiracy against Pakistan by staging protests on alleged poll rigging.
The Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman, while addressing a public gathering at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in Larkana on Sunday in connection with 45th death anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, made a veiled reference to Imran Khan that he wanted to launch a PNA-II.
The Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) was a nine-party alliance launched in 1977 against the Zulifqar Ali Bhutto.
“Many forces did not believe in democracy. They used to hatch conspiracies but President Asif Ali Zardari foiled their designs,” he remarked.
The six-party alliance, led by PTI, launched the movement against the alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections.
Bilawal said that some politicians want to play with the fate of country for their “personal ego”, warning that common people would suffer the most if democracy is derailed.
In a recent interview with Ahmed Ali Butt, veteran star Sohail Ahmed discussed various topics such as theater in Pakistan, his experiences working with several individuals including Aftab Iqbal, and the country’s political landscape, including periods of dictatorship.
During the interview, the comedian heavily criticized Aftab Iqbal, his co-worker on Hasb e Haal. Ahmed accused Iqbal of lacking respect for his colleagues and behaving arrogantly, considering himself a know-it-all, charges that have been levelled at the host many times. Ahmed also disapproved of Iqbal’s conduct, suggesting that he should adopt a more humble attitude towards life and his colleagues.
Not one to take criticism lying down, Aftab Iqbal fired back at Sohail Ahmed’s comments, stating that he used to feel shy in front of the camera but clarified that he had been writing columns before starting Hasb e Haal, a show he had come up with. Aftab also praised Sohail’s acting abilities and highlighted the significance of having a good writer and director for an actor’s success. He also expressed respect for Sohail’s talent, noting the lack of greatness in various fields in the country nowadays.
He said, “I was the one who suggested to Sohail Ahmed to bring on more comedians. Initially, he didn’t want to bring on more actors. However, later on, he implemented everything I had suggested for Hasb e Haal. I understand how my clothing provides material for comedians, and that’s something I aim for every time I make a fashion statement.”
In 2013, Amir Sarfraz Tamba allegedly killed a convicted Indian Spy Sarabjit Singh in Kot Lakhpat prison, Lahore. Amir was at his residence in Lahore’s Islampura area when two armed men entered his home and shot him on April 14.
Initially, media reports claimed that Amir succumbed to his injuries but Dawn confirmed that while he was indeed critically injured, he was still alive.
The incident has raised serious concerns among authorities over foreign involvement.
Interestingly, just a few days ago, The Guardian reported that the Indian government assassinated individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate “terrorists” living on foreign soil.
A high-profile investigation has been launched to probe the motive behind the attack including finding out if there was Indian involvement.
Amir Tamba and his accomplice were acquitted in 2018 after all witnesses retracted their statements. Sarabjit Singh was killed a few months after a Kashmiri freedom fighter Afzal Guru was hanged in Tihar Jail, Mumbai in 2013 for his role in the 2001 Indian parliament attack
Sarabjit Singh was serving his death sentence awarded by the Supreme Court of Pakistan for his role in a series of bomb attacks in Lahore and Faisalabad in 1990.
Several flights of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) were canceled and delayed due to overcast skies across much of the country.
The cancelled flights included PIA flight 503 from Karachi to Gwadar, and PK 768 from Karachi to Islamabad, while flight PK 308 from Karachi to Islamabad was delayed.
Similarly, a flight from Iraq to Karachi could not operate due to the tense situation between Iran and Israel.
The arrival of the flight from Istanbul to Karachi is expected at 5:30 pm, while the flight from Karachi to Istanbul is also delayed by several hours.
An Airblue flight from Karachi to Lahore was also cancelled.
Former Pakistani cricketer Nasir Jamshed finally apologized for his spot-fixing scandal after seven years.
In a statement on X he wrote, “I won’t forgive myself for what I did with my career and I am truly sorry but I will try to pass my talent on to my daughter and give her the best chance.”
Jamshed is facing a 10-year ban for spot-fixing in PSL and BPL, while he also served 17 months in jail in the UK.
At Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, a young girl was roughly thrown to the ground by an Airport Security Force (ASF) officer.
In a video circulating on social media, it can be seen that a young girl rushes towards her father and an ASF officer yanks and grabs the girl by her hair and throws her down.
A report has been sent to the Aviation Division regarding the mistreatment of the girl by the officer.
According to ARY News, sources say that the incident took place last month on March 10 in the international arrival section. An investigation was conducted against the ASF officer and two personnel for misbehavior.
According to ARY, after the matter came to light on social media, the misbehaving officer is likely to be court martialed.
Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Mohsin Naqvi called for a list of ‘political-based recruitments’ in the Pakistan Cricket Board after he assumed office as chairman.
According to Geo sources, Naqvi asked for details of the current posting, position and salary of the employees in addition to the list of ‘political and recommended recruitments’.
On Naqvi’s instructions, the compilation of employee records has begun and important decisions are expected in this regard next week. It has also been stressed that lobbying or advocacy culture will be discouraged.
Sources say that Naqvi will take immediate steps for trying to create a ‘smart team and smart operations’ in the organization.
The world may be at the brink of a very dangerous war but social media’s trolling of Israel continues unabated.
Right after Iran retaliated against Israel on Saturday night for destroying its embassy in Syria, Israel hurriedly called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. Social media users did not fail to roast the country for its own recent actions.
BREAKING: Israel calls for emergency meeting of the UN Security Council
A political analyst picked up on Israel’s continuous violations of all international laws and UN conventions.
It’s strange to be Israel: You violate a mountain of UN resolutions, condemn the UN at every turn, bomb UN schools & shelters, murder UN employees, & then you demand a UN meeting over another country responding to your bombing of their consulate https://t.co/AwMof4bWj8
Iran has launched more than 200 drones and missiles on Israel in an unprecedented attack late on Saturday “in response” to a deadly airstrike on its Damascus consular annexe earlier this month.
Iran’s allies also carried out coordinated attacks on Israeli positions as sirens sounded in many places and blasts were heard in the skies above Jerusalem early on Sunday.
Iran had vowed to strike back in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on its Damascus consular annexe while America had warned repeatedly in recent days that the retaliation was imminent.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) launched “extensive” drone and missile strikes — as part of what they called the Operation ‘True Promise’ against “certain targets” inside Israel.
“Iran launched UAVs from its territory towards the territory of the state of Israel,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement.
Videos emerged as people in Jerusalem sought cover and flooded the roads. “As you can see it’s empty, everybody is running home,” said Eliyahu Barakat, a 49-year-old grocery shop owner in Jerusalem’s Mamilla neighbourhood.
US President Joe Biden expressed “ironclad” support for Israel after an urgent meeting with his top security officials on the current attack against Israel.
Hundreds of Iranians gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square, waving Iranian and Palestinian flags to celebrate the unprecedented military action against Israel.
On the other hand, Israeli military official said, “So far, we’ve intercepted the vast majority of incoming missiles,” Hagari said. The army said it had scrambled dozens of fighter jets to intercept “all aerial threats”.
Iran’s allies in the region joined the attack with Yemen’s Houthi rebels also launching drones at Israel, according to security agency Ambrey, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement announcing rocket fire at Israeli positions in the annexed Golan Heights.
The official Irna news agency said the attack had dealt “heavy blows” to an air base in the Negev desert, but the Israeli army said there had only been minor damage.
US help for Israel neutralizing all the attacks
The Iranian mission to the United Nations warned Washington to keep out of Iran’s conflict with Israel. “It is a conflict between Iran and the rogue Israeli regime, from which the US MUST STAY AWAY!” it said.
Despite Tehran’s warning not to get involved, US forces took part in shooting down drones aimed at Israel.
Biden said in a later statement that the United States had “helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles”, but appeared to guide the key US ally away from retaliating against Tehran by saying Israel had now shown its strength.
The US president said he had called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm Washington’s “ironclad” support for Israel, after recent tense relations over Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
“I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” he said.
He said he had ordered US military aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the Middle East in recent days, as the likely threat following a presumed Israeli strike on Iranians in Damascus became clear.
Matter of a ‘truce’ in Gaza
The Gaza crisis began October 7 and has claimed lives of more than 33 thousand in Gaza.
In the main central city of Deir al-Balah, fire burned in the rubble of a destroyed mosque. Israel’s military “demanded that the whole area be evacuated” before it was “wiped out in minutes”, said Abdullah Baraka, a witness.
In nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, Abd Thabet said residents had been warned to evacuate on Friday evening ahead of a large explosion that caused “massive destruction”.
Hamas said it had submitted its response to a Gaza truce plan presented by US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators at talks in Cairo this week.
The Palestinian group said it was sticking to its previous demands, insisting on “a permanent ceasefire” and the “withdrawal of the occupation army from the entire Gaza Strip”.
During the October attack, Hamas seized about 250 hostages, 129 of whom Israel says remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead.
The Israeli prime minister’s office accused Hamas of sabotaging efforts for an exchange of hostages for prisoners. “Hamas to this day has refused any deal and any compromise proposal,” it said.
Arshad Khan, a tea-stall owner who rose to fame for his exceptionally good looks is in news again as the famous Chaiwala has run into serious financial troubles. He launched his Chaiwala London café a year ago in London, England with the help of two franchise owners, who also happen to be cousins.
Arshad Khan has not been paid royalty as promised by UK franchise owners, according to an insider. He has been requesting the London café owners who have refused to pay him because of business losses. Additionally, they also refused to pay rent to the landlord.
Background
Arshad Khan’s brand was brought to the UK last year by two cousins: Nadir Khan Durrani and Yaver Akbar Durrani. UK Companies House record shows that Yaver Akbar Durrani registered Cafe Chaiwala Ltd under company number 13205566.
Nadir is a UK national and Yaver Akbar Durrani is a Canadian national who lives in the United States. They registered the company in early 2021 and are currently running the business actively.
Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan is located in East London on 229 Ilford Lane. The situation is bad to the extent that the café never opened its ground floor section to the public because of poor quality of service. It was a big hit when it opened last year but the poor quality, mismanagement and lack of hygiene at the café deterred the customers, according to reports.
When opening the café last year in London Yaver Akbar Durrani and Nadir Durrani announced that they would open several franchises of “Café Chaiwala Arshad Khan” in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
Now the two cousins have run into a legal dispute with the owner of the building after failing to pay rent of over six months, citing business losses and complaining that that the rent is too much and should be reduced. Yaver Durrani met Arshad Khan in Islamabad and made promises to clear the pending monthly royalty but later on told him he cannot pay him until the business goes into profit. He told Arshad Khan that too many Chai cafes have opened nearby on the same street and that has damaged the business. Arshad Khan has been trying to keep the issue private to protect his brand, he says. Durrani is also accusing Arshad Khan of not delivering the full recipes to the London café as promised originally.
Failed Promises
A source at Arshad Khan Chaiwala told Pakistan Today that Arshad sold the international franchise to the Durrani brothers but they have broken the contract and agreement by not paying royalties to Arshad Khan and continuing to use his name. Therefore, Arshad Khan will not allow them to use the brand and franchise anymore. “Both sides have threatened legal action against each other,” said the source from Islamabad.
During the London launch, the Master Franchisees-UK promised that Arshad Khan will visit London soon to meet his fans and to brew ‘karak’ chai for them. Later, they didn’t make arrangements for his travel to the UK as the non-payments estranged the two parties.
