A delegation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) has reached Pakistan to review arrangements for the Champions Trophy scheduled to be played in Pakistan in February next year.
According to ARY News, the ICC Event Operations team arriving in Pakistan includes Senior Manager Sarah Edgar and Manager Aoun Zaidi.
The delegation will inspect various parts of the National Stadium in Karachi while the management of the stadium will brief the delegation on relevant arrangements. The ICC delegation is also likely to meet representatives of law enforcement agencies.
The delegation will also visit Lahore and Rawalpindi stadiums while ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley will join them in Rawalpindi.
Global superstars Penelope Cruz and Angelina Jolie are raising their voice for the starving people of Gaza.
Cruz, the Spanish actress famous for Vanilla Sky, shared a United Nations Instagram post about the imminent famine in Gaza and how people in the besieged strip are starving to death.
Former prime minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said on Sunday that he didn’t ever seen former Army Chief General (R) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Director General (DG) Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. General (R) Faiz Hameed breach the constitution.
Any wrongdoing should be addressed in a proper way, the former Prime Minister said on Samaa TV’s show “ Do Tok with Kiran Naz. He also talked about different domestic issues and Pakistan’s relationship with other countries.
Abbasi criticised the debate about Muhammad Aurangzeb’s selection as Finance Minister in the federal cabinet, emphasising the significance of competence rather than just party membership.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also advocated for accountability and said that the establishment of a truth commission is necessary to keep the facts transparent.
Abbasi also emphasised that the Prime Minister should chair the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to ensure quick and effective decision-making in economic affairs.
Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) has ordered the removal of kites and strings hanging from electric wires in the city after a young man on a bike died when his neck was slit by a string.
While such cases have been common and the government has banned kite flying and the production of glass/metal coated strings, the local administration is now active after the video of the recent incident went viral on social media and people criticised the use of the deadly string.
Field staff reportedly remained on duty in all eight districts of the region.
Background
21-year-old Asif Ashfaq, killed by a kite string on Dijkot Road, was laid to rest as hundreds gathered at the Samanabad graveyard on Saturday.
Police have initiated investigations, leveraging CCTV footage, to apprehend the unidentified assailant responsible for the fatal incident.
As per the police reports, ASI Javed Iqbal detailed the sequence of events, highlighting that Asif Ashfaq was commuting on his motorcycle when the kite string fatally slashed his throat near T-Chowk Dijkot Road.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) maverick leader Sher Afzal Marwat and the party’s social media team are facing off on the issue of criticism of former cricketer Shahid Afridi.
Ali Muhammad Khan is also upset with the behavior of the PTI social media team.
Sher Afzal Marwat wrote on X, “Why Shahid Afridi? Now a campaign is going on against Shahid Afridi due to an alleged statement on May 9. I saw few statements attributed to me against Shahid Afridi. So we should reject fake news. I have not come across any such statement from Shahid Afridi and it seems that some elements are spreading false news against him. Shahid Afridi is a living legend, a Pashtun (Afridi) who became the hero of Pakistan.”
“I am inspired by the Afridis with their many qualities and Shehryar and Shahid Afridi have always been my heroes. I know that Shahid Afridi holds Imran Khan in a high regard and the propaganda against Shahid Afridi seems to be in the hands of those who want to settle a personal score with him.”
Talking about PTI’s social media team he said, “PTI social media teams are requested to spread good things about Shahid Afridi. We also need to react swiftly to false propaganda from PTI’s platform in future. Such unwitting participation in a malicious campaign against individuals should always be stopped as soon as possible. I personally confirm that the campaign against Shahid Afridi is false and futile and I deeply regret it.”
On the other hand, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan has said, “The founder of PTI and Shahid Afridi are both national heroes. If Shahid Afridi’s words are not appropriate, it can be his personal opinion.”
PTI’s social media activist Azhar Mashwani responded to Marwat’s statement about Shahid Afridi and said, “Marwat Sahib! This sentence of yours is reprehensible and should be deleted immediately, do not respond or comment on internal party talks on social media. You should avoid such action.”
Veteran actor Bushra Ansari and her family went through devastating family losses in recent years. Recently, she was a guest on Ramazan transmission Life Green Hai, where she discussed her life, daily routine, and project choices. She said, “My life has changed a lot after losing my family,” Bushra Ansari shared. “Losing my sister Sumbul Iqbal during the Covid era was a big shock. We had lost our nephew (Sumbal’s son) before that. Then, shortly after losing my sister, my mother passed away. All this grief has changed a lot in my mindset.”
Bushra Ansari said, “Losing my sister and nephew made me understand that things we own aren’t so important. I don’t care about houses or fancy things anymore,” she added. “When I was stuck in Canada during Covid, I worried about who would handle everything if I passed away. So, I sold my big house and bought a small apartment to make things easier for everyone.”
Breaking away from the usual single songs and EPs, Faisal Kapadia has chosen to release a complete album, showing a big change in how he expresses his art. His album, ‘Zindagi Jahaan Le Jaaye,’ is out on his own record label, Twenty Nine Records. It’s like a summary of Faisal Kapadia’s ideas and how he’s grown since Strings ended. The album has eight songs, each made with a lot of care to make people feel different emotions and connect with them deeply.
Yaadein One of the special songs on the album is ‘Yaadein,’ which is all about remembering happy times from the past. It’s a song that makes people feel emotional and reminds them of how time passes and memories stay with us.
Jaadu Meanwhile, the song ‘Jaadu’ captures people’s hearts with its beautiful mix of heartfelt singing and captivating music. Faisal Kapadia worked with well-known artists like Zoha Zuberi on songs like ‘Dheema Dheema’ and ‘Kabhi’. Faisal Kapadia also posted a heartfelt video on his Instagram account, expressing how happy thankful he is for the album’s release. He invited fans to join him on the musical journey and stressed how important it is to listen to the whole album in order. He encouraged everyone to listen to each song in order for a more complete and enjoyable experience.
Ankh Mori ‘Ankh Mori’ is a special song from Faisal Kapadia’s first solo album, ‘Zindagi Jahaan Le Jaaye.’ It mixes eastern and western music styles smoothly. Faisal Kapadia’s heartfelt singing is matched perfectly with Amna Rai’s captivating chorus and Zohan’s lively rap part. The song is produced skillfully by Ahsan Pervaiz Mehdi. This mix of different music styles makes the song really interesting to listen to. It shows how Faisal Kapadia can adapt and bring new ideas as a solo artist in today’s music world.
La Takhoun ‘La Takhoun’ is a special song created by Faisal Kapadia and Arab singer Krystel Dib. It’s one of the best songs in Faisal Kapadia’s solo collection. In this song, Faisal Kapadia shows how he can easily adapt and bring new ideas to different kinds of music. Krystel Dib’s beautiful singing in Arabic adds something magical to the song. Her voice mixes perfectly with Faisal Kapadia’s unique voice. What makes ‘La Takhoun’ different is its interesting music chords. Instead of the usual four-chord pattern, it takes inspiration from modern Arabic pop music. This mix of music styles makes the song really catchy and unforgettable. It stands out as one of the best songs on Faisal Kapadia’s first solo album, ‘Zindagi Jahaan Le Jaaye.’
A longer Eid holiday this year across Pakistan may just be on the cards. As per meteorological forecasts, Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on Wednesday, April 10th..
Ramadan is set to comprise 29 days, as per the predictions of the Meteorological Department. Consequently, the celebration of Eid is expected on April 10th, leading possibly to six holidays.
Traditionally, Eid holidays start a day earlier to the actual celebration, allowing for a period of preparation and festivity. In light of Eid falling on a Wednesday, the government has announced a four-day holiday, extending from Tuesday till Friday. Adding the ensuing weekend, it will turn out to be a six-day long break.
The government of Pakistan has started preparing the second phase of a controversial repatriation drive, sending Afghans back to their homeland. District and police authorities have been tasked to map and collect all the relevant data of their locations across the country.
Dawn has reported that authorities have been advised to expedite the mapping of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. “We have already started the mapping process,” said Abid Majeed, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s additional chief secretary. “It will pick up pace after Ramazan and we hope to complete the survey before April 30,” he said.
As of yet no date has been formally announced, however, an official told Dawn that it could begin in early to mid-summer, following approval from the federal government.
Amnesty International has called on Pakistan to immediately stop and reverse its decision of sending back Afghan people back to their country.
Pakistan began the repatriation process of “undocumented aliens” in November last year. The repatriation of Afghan refugees, which was part of the National Action Plan, has also now found its way into Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 100-day working plan.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has stated that Pakistan will think about re-establishing trade relations with India, suspended since August 2019, when the Narendra Modi-led government ended the special status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
“Pakistani businessmen want trade with India to resume,” the foreign minister said while addressing the media at the Pakistan High Commission in London at the end of his visit to the UK and Europe on Saturday.
In August 2019, the Modi-led government unilaterally changed the special status of the occupied valley, causing Pakistan to downgrade its ties with India.
In February 2021, despite the strained relationship between the two neighbours, Pakistan and India both agreed to renew the 2003 ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan has connected its choice to improve relations with India to the reinstatement of the special status of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming of prime minister of Pakistan.
“Congratulations to [Shehbaz Sharif] on being sworn in as the prime minister of Pakistan,” Modi wrote in a brief message on X, formerly Twitter.
