Author: newsdesk

  • Is Pakistan’s spy agency allegedly interfering in legal matters?

    Is Pakistan’s spy agency allegedly interfering in legal matters?

    Calls to investigate the ‘Islamabad High Court (IHC) letter to Supreme Judicial Council’ gain ground as the bar associations of Sindh, Lahore, Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and many senior legal experts express concern.

    Why? Earlier, six judges of the IHC penned a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa expressing worry over alleged interference of intelligence agencies in judicial matters.

    The Sindh High Court Bar Association released a statement which said, “Interference in the affairs of the judiciary is tantamount to attacking the judicial system.”

    Similarly, the Islamabad High Court Bar Association condemned the alleged interference and reaffirmed its faith in the importance of autonomy of judiciary. “Public confidence in the justice system is linked to the independence and autonomy of the judiciary,” the bar said.

    Furthermore, Lahore Bar Association also expressed concerns and said, “Action should be taken against those who violate the constitution and law.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council also released a statement, “Interference in judicial matters is condemnable.”

    Meanwhile, the veteran legal expert and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hamid Khan, commended the six judges for taking this ‘daring initiative’. He also said that this matter is significant and should be investigated in a judicial commission.

  • Fazila Qazi talks about why marriages fail in entertainment industry

    Fazila Qazi talks about why marriages fail in entertainment industry

    Fazila Qazi and Qaiser Nizamani are a famous couple in the entertainment industry, working since more than thirty years.

    During an appearance on Life Green Hai, the hosts asked the couple why they think marriages are failing now. Fazila Qazi responded, “While there isn’t a set formula for a successful marriage, contemporary individuals, including both men and women, tend to prioritize their careers over their relationships. There is no manual for a successful marriage, but people today, both men and women, have become extremely career-oriented.” She said that in such situations, there’s often competition and clashes of egos between celebrity couples. “I myself stopped working because I wanted to spend more time with my kids, who were feeling neglected. Although Qaiser never directly told me to stop working, I made the compromise for the sake of our family.”

  • Performance matters more than who your father is, says Zaviyar Ejaz

    Performance matters more than who your father is, says Zaviyar Ejaz

    In a sincere and honest talk, Pakistani actor Zaviyar Ejaz, son of celebrated thespian Nouman Ejaz, talked openly about his time in showbiz, what he hopes for, and the difficulties he’s encountered. He had a chat with Independent Urdu where he talked about trying comedy and what he wants to do in future movies.

    Discussing his new comedy show called ‘Rafta Rafta’, the actor said, “I chose this project because I’ve never tried comedy before, and I was excited to give it a shot. Plus, it’s a short series, just six episodes, so I thought it would be a fun experiment.”

    Ejaz said he really likes trying out comedy and enjoys it, stressing how important it is to act in a way that feels real to people watching. He believes that real success comes from how viewers react to the performances.

    The actor explained his role in the show. He said, “I act as a guy who ran away from Lahore to Karachi because he doesn’t want to marry his cousin, and his mom is pushing him to. Now in Karachi, he lives with Saheefa’s character, Savera, who is his landlady. He’s broke and loves her, but she’s strict and proud.”

    When asked if he’s happy with his comedy acting compared to his serious roles before, Ejaz said each type of acting has its own difficulties and good parts. He mentioned there’s no real way to compare them directly. But he believes it’s important to feel good about each scene and make sure every moment feels real to the audience.

    He said, “When I look back at the last two years, I really enjoyed doing comedy. It wasn’t as tough as I expected. But we’ll have to see how it looks on screen. I always give my best in whatever I do. If it feels natural, that’s great. If not, people will notice.”

    He said, “If people enjoy seeing me in comedies and I get more chances, I’ll surely do it.” Talking about possible movie offers, Ejaz said he’s gotten offers, but he wants to keep getting better at acting and wait for the perfect chance to shine in movies. He’s ready to take on the challenge of moving to the big screen whenever the moment feels right.

    Talking about working with his dad, famous actor Nauman Ejaz, he said he was nervous at first but learned a lot from his dad’s professionalism and advice. He thinks it’s important to concentrate on doing a good job no matter what pressure or expectations there are.

    The actor shared, “I was scared because I was working with Nauman Ejaz. And there was no father-son relationship with him on set. He told me from day one that I am your colleague on set and I am your senior, not your father. So he kept that relationship with me and I worked on that.”

    He said the experience was “totally scary,” but he’s good at separating his personal and work life. “When I had to act with them, I had to stop thinking about our relationship and just focus on my character.” He said, “You need to block out distractions and concentrate on your job. On camera, no one cares about your personal stuff. If you do well, that’s what matters. It’s all about your performance, not your identity or who your father is. That’s what I think.”

    Ejaz said he wants to keep working with experienced actors to learn more. He might even play negative roles again because people liked his last one. He’s excited about what’s coming next.

  • Maulana Fazlur Rehman announces protests against February polls

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman announces protests against February polls

    Leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said that his party had decided to boycott by-elections and will be holding protests in different cities from April 25.

    “Just like in 2018 elections, the mandate of people has been stolen in elections of 2024. We decided that our party would not accept the results of recent elections because this parliament is more of a representative of the establishment rather than the people,” said the chief of JUI-F.

    By now, major political parties like Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, JUI-F, and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have rejected the results of February 8 elections, making the general elections controversial.

    “This is our narrative and we have decided to move forward with it. We will start this movement named ‘Awami Assembly’ from April 25 from Balochistan’s Pishin,” said the JUI-F leader. The second ‘Awami Aseembly’ will begin from Karachi on May 2 and the third phase would be in Peshawar on May 9.

    He also said that his party is in contact with other political parties, “so that a united opinion of people comes forward.”
    He criticized the Elections Commission of Pakistan for neglecting its legal obligations and accused the security agencies of overstepping their boundaries.

  • Pregnant woman raped and killed in front of family by Israeli soldiers: Palestinian media reports

    Pregnant woman raped and killed in front of family by Israeli soldiers: Palestinian media reports

    A number of journalists from Gaza took to social media to report that Israeli forces conducting operations inside Al-Shifa hospital are torturing and raping women present inside.

    Photojournalist and videographer Wissam Nasser from Gaza said that a man and his wife taking shelter inside the hospital along with their two children had an alleged heinous encounter with the Israeli forces. “The preganant wife was forcibly undressed by Israeli forces despite informing them of her pregnancy; they continued to kick her. Then they assaulted and raped her in front of her family and other men,” Wissam shared.

    He also shared a dark art work by the artist Ibrahim Ghunaim featuring a pregnant woman with tears of blood running down her eyes. He captioned it, “According to testimonies from inside Al shifa hospital, Israeli invading troops raped a Palestinian pregnant woman in front of her husband and other men then they killed her. This is happening situation the holy month of Ramadan while starving Palestinians are fasting. Absolutely shocking, disgusting and shows their evil nature‼‼”

    Another Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary took to Instagram stories and posted, “Women in Gaza are raped and tortured.”

    Various Palestinian media outlets have also confirmed the claims and presented eye-witness accounts.

    Middle East Eye reported a woman’s eye-witness account by Ms. Jamila al-Hissi as to what is happening inside Al-Sifa hospital. “They raped women, kidnapped women, executed women, and pulled dead bodies from under the rubble to unleash their dogs on them.” She further lamented, “Is there anything more horrifying than hearing women call for help, and when we try to reach them to provide assistance, they shoot at us.”

    Israeli forces have been attacking and laying siege to al-Shifa Hospital since Monday, March 18. The medical complex is the largest in the Gaza Strip, with some 30,000 people seeking refuge there prior to the current raid.

    Journalist Sami Alsultan shared a video testimony of a woman who was forcefully expelled from Al Shifa complex with her children while IDF took her husband, killed her husband’s uncle and grandfather.

    In another video shared by Middle East Eye, a woman named Nisreen was seen sharing how IDF barged into their home, stripped her naked and took all her belongings away.

    Doctor Aliyah Khan spoke to Middle East Monitor and shared testimonies from Canadian physicians serving in Gaza. They reported on a case where a woman was raped for two days until she lost the ability to speak. Another woman was stripped in front of her brother and husband. When they tried to cover her, they were killed by Israeli soldiers.

    Hind Khoudary in collaboration with Palestinian Feminists shared the disturbing surge of women victims of rape and torture in Gaza. It called out the deafening silence of Western feminists and mainstream media over the issue.

  • IHC grants permission to PTI for rally in Islamabad

    IHC grants permission to PTI for rally in Islamabad

    The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday directed the administration authorities of the capital city to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to conduct a rally.

    Previously, district authorities denied permission to PTI for staging a protest against alleged poll-rigging in the general elections 2024 in Islamabad citing security risks.

    “One’s right of assembly cannot be taken away,” IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said while hearing PTI’s petition seeking the court’s permission for staging the rally. The justice emphasized that public gatherings are for everyone and it should not come under any restrictions.

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad had warned PTI to avoid public gathering without getting a formal approval from relevant authorities.

    Furthermore, according to PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat, the party has moved up the date for holding the rally to April 6.

  • Three kidnapped Pakistanis rescued in Iran

    Three kidnapped Pakistanis rescued in Iran

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has recovered three Pakistanis kidnapped in Iran, and arrested a suspect.

    According to the FIA spokesperson, three citizens who had gone on pilgrimage visas were abducted on arrival in Iran, adding that human traffickers received Rs 20 lakh for the release of the citizens.

    He also revealed that the kidnappers demanded more money by sending videos of torture on the hostages to their families.

    The recovered persons include Muhammad Adnan, Kashif Mehboob and Muhammad Dawood.

  • US doesn’t support Pak-Iran gas pipeline project

    US doesn’t support Pak-Iran gas pipeline project

    State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has stated that the United States does not want the gas pipeline project between Pakistan and Iran to continue. “We do not support this pipeline going forward,” he said.

    The State Department’s statement came right after Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik hinted that Pakistan would “vigorously” present its case to seek US sanctions waiver for the pipeline.

    It is also important to highlight that a few days ago, the foreign ministry’s spokesperson said that Pakistan does not require any country’s permission to move forward with a regional project.

    “We always advise everyone that doing business with Iran runs the risk of touching upon and coming in contact with our sanctions, and would advise everyone to consider that very carefully,” said Matthew Miller.

    The project began in 2009 and to this day Pakistan has not completed any major portion of construction whereas Iran has completed 900-kilometres of pipeline. That’s also why Iran issued a third notice to Pakistan that it would approach arbitration court to seek penalties.

  • Shahid Afridi slams attack on his charity organisations

    Shahid Afridi slams attack on his charity organisations

    Former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi has slammed the attempted boycott of his charity organisations and brands as the war of words between PTI supporters and the cricketer heat up.

    Afridi took a defensive position and not only came clean about himself but also called PTI founder Imran Khan his hero. However the attacks and criticism continued.

    One such user wrote in a post on X that all brands of Shahid Afridi should be boycotted.

    Reacting to this, Shahid Afridi said, “Whatever share I have in these brands is spent on girls’ education, clean water wells in different areas, hospitals, welfare of the elderly and distribution of ration to the deserving. I have not taken even a single rupee till date from all these projects but I have provided all resources to run them. The political ignorance and false propaganda of you and people like you cannot stop me from giving the rightful people their right. My mission will continue through my foundation.”

    The clash begun when YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan heavily criticised Shahid Afridi to which the all-rounder replied by calling him a “troll”.

  • From beloved child star to grown-up actor, do you recognise this face?

    From beloved child star to grown-up actor, do you recognise this face?

    We have had many a hit drama serials in the last few years but none became quite as big as Humsafar. In between swooning on the leads, fans of the serial also fondly remember child star Sara Kashif Rajput. She portrayed the character of Hareem, the daughter of Khirad (played by Mahira Khan) and Ashar (played by Fawad Khan). With her innocence and charming appearance, she captured the hearts of millions of fans. Sara’s flawless performance as a child dealing with her parents’ separation also left a lasting impression on viewers. Fans particularly adored her captivating colored eyes.

    The young actor Sara Kashif Rajput didn’t appear in many dramas after Humsafar. She chose to focus on her studies and personal life. Now, she has grown up and is actively working in dramas and regularly shares her daily routine pictures on Instagram. Sara has also posted photos with Saniya Shamshad Hussain from their drama serial Kahain Kis Se.
     Take a look: