Author: newsdesk

  • Punjab Assembly members to take oath today

    Punjab Assembly members to take oath today

    The Punjab Assembly will hold its first session after the February 8 elections today with members poised to take oath.

    The Punjab Assembly is the first assembly out of five provincial houses to hold its first opening session after the general elections in Pakistan on February 8. The assembly meeting is scheduled to begin shortly.

    Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman formally issued a notification calling for the assembly meeting.

    The speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Sabatin Khan, will take the oath of office for the newly elected representatives, welcoming them into the new legislative body.

    Meanwhile, the schedule for the election of new speaker and deputy speaker of the house will also be released. After the induction of independent MPA-elects in the party, PML-N has become the largest party in the Punjab Assembly which has announced to form the government in the province as Maryam Nawaz its head, The News reported.

  • PSL9: Quetta Gladiators defeats Islamabad United by 3 wickets

    PSL9: Quetta Gladiators defeats Islamabad United by 3 wickets

    In the eighth match of the HBL Pakistan Super League season 9, Quetta Gladiators easily defeated Islamabad United by 3 wickets and achieved their third consecutive victory.

    Quetta Gladiators captain Riley Rossow won the toss and invited Islamabad United to bat first.

    Islamabad United’s inning

    Islamabad United scored 138 runs for 9 wickets in the allotted 20 overs, Agha Salman scored 33 runs, Faheem Ashraf, Colin Munro scored 20 runs each and Jordan Kaz scored 19 runs.

    Apart from this, Imad Wasim scored 9, Shadab Khan 2 and Azam Khan scored 1 run.

    On behalf of Quetta Gladiators, Muhammad Wasim and Abrar Ahmed took 3, 3 wickets, Aqeel Hussain took 2 wickets and Muhammad Hasnain took one wicket.

    Quetta Gladiator’s inning

    The Gladiators team easily achieved the target of 139 in the 19th over for the loss of 7 wickets. Jason Roy 37 and Riley Rossow played an innings of 34 runs. Sherfane Rutherford scored 29 while Muhammad Amir scored 11 runs.

    From Islamabad United Naseem Shah and Shadab khan took two wickets each.

  • Indus Motor Company invests Rs3 billion to boost local auto production

    Indus Motor Company invests Rs3 billion to boost local auto production

    In a significant move within Pakistan’s automotive sector, Indus Motor Company Limited (INDU) has greenlit an investment of approximately Rs3 billion (around $10.76 million) aimed at bolstering the localisation of production.

    The company, renowned for being the manufacturer of Toyota-brand vehicles in the country, disclosed this pivotal development in a notice submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Thursday.

    The announcement conveyed, “We are pleased to announce that the Board of Directors, in its meeting held on February 21, 2024, has approved an investment of around Rs3 billion to be made by the company for additional localization of parts and components of various existing vehicles.”

    Indus Motor revealed that this investment aligns with the company’s overarching strategy to continually augment the localization of parts and components of vehicles manufactured within the country.

    This move is poised to curtail the outflow of foreign exchange and foster growth within the local auto industry.

    “The announced investment shall be made towards expenditure in plant and machinery, moulds, dies, equipment, and related expenses for localization of parts and components to be manufactured locally for various existing vehicles,” stated Indus Motor.

    The timeline for this substantial investment is set to conclude by the third quarter of the calendar year 2025.

    Indus Motor has previously indicated its commitment to increasing product localization. Notably, the company introduced its Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Corolla Cross last year, emphasising that 50 per cent of its value was localized.

    CEO Ali Asghar Jamali highlighted that, after accounting for government taxes, over 50 per cent of the Corolla Cross’s value comprises localised parts, distinguishing it among other assembled hybrids in the country.

  • 24-karat gold price rises by Rs100 per tola

    24-karat gold price rises by Rs100 per tola

    In the local market, the price of 24 karat gold witnessed a modest rise on Thursday, marking an increase of Rs100 per tola.

    The precious metal was traded at Rs215,300, compared to its previous rate of Rs215,200 during the last trading session.

    Similarly, the cost of 10 grammes of 24 karat gold experienced an uptick, registering a rise of Rs85 and reaching Rs184,585 from its previous value of Rs184,500.

    The All Sindh Sarafa Jewellers Association disclosed that the prices of 10 grammes of 22 karat gold also showed an increase, climbing to Rs169,203 from Rs169,124.

    However, the silver market remained stable, with the cost of per tola and ten-gramme silver remaining unchanged at Rs2,570 and Rs2,203.36, respectively.

    Internationally, the price of gold demonstrated a slight escalation, as it rose by $3 to $2,051 from its earlier value of $2,048, according to reports from the Association.

    Market analysts attribute these fluctuations to various factors, including global economic conditions, geopolitical events, and changes in investor sentiment.

  • Blind Cricket Series: Pakistan defeats India in the first match

    Pakistan’s blind cricket team defeated India in the first match of the blind cricket series played in United Arab Emirates.

    India’s inning

    India scored 212 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs, given Pakistan a target of 213 runs to win,

    Indian captain Dargah Rao scored 61 runs and Venkateshwara Rao scored 49 runs.

    Badar Munir and Kamran Akhtar took two wickets each for Pakistan. Matiullah and Muhammad Salman took one wicket each.

    Pakistan’s inning

    The Green Shirts won the match by 5 wickets after a thrilling contest.

    Pakistan chased down the target of 213 runs in 19.2 overs, vice-captain Badar Munir played an innings of 129 runs off 63 balls while captain Nisar Ali scored 18 runs.

  • Mathira gets upset by Momin Saqib’s talk about death

    Mathira gets upset by Momin Saqib’s talk about death

    Model and actor Mathira recently criticized fellow actor and host Momin Saqib’s Instagram Stories, calling them “stupid” and worrying about how they might affect people dealing with mental health issues.

    In an Instagram post, Mathira said, “I’m sorry but this is so stupid because there are so many people these days [who are] going through tough times, are suicidal and struggling with their mental health. Such videos sometimes break a person more than they make them. Everyone knows we shall all taste death. We need to teach people how they can walk through this rough life instead of just highlighting death.”

    In Momin’s Instagram stories, he talked about death while walking through a graveyard. “This is tomorrow. This is the future. This is the only reality, the only certainty in life. This is the future for all of us,” he said. He goes on to add: “No matter what you do, how much money you make, how famous you get, this is the end. All your pride, any failure, any embarrassment in life, a moment of happiness, all of that will end when death comes.”

    Momin wanted to remind people that everyone will pass away someday. But Mathira’s reply highlights the need for creators to think about how their content can impact people’s emotions, especially during tough times.

  • Who is the richest footballer in the world?

    Who is the richest footballer in the world?

    Football is the most played and watched sport in the world and it is also a source of earning not millions but billions of dollars for the players.

    According to a foreign media report, Brunei’s prince and footballer Faiq Bolkiah owns $20 billion and tops the list of richest footballers.

    Argentina’s Lionel Messi is second with a net worth of $600 million, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently plays for the Saudi football club Al Nasr, has a total net worth of $500 million.

    British former footballer and entrepreneur David Beckham is the fourth richest sportsman with a net worth of $450 million, former England footballer Dave Whelan is in fifth place with a net worth of $210 million.

  • Musarrat Cheema rebuked by Imran Khan’s sister in court

    Musarrat Cheema rebuked by Imran Khan’s sister in court

    Rifts within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) became obvious at the Anti-Terrorism Court during the hearing of the Jinnah House attack case. Party chairman Imran Khan’s sisters had a chance encounter with ex-PTI leader Musarat Jamshed Cheema where they scolded her for leaving their brother in his time of need.

    Imran Khan’s sisters had a conversation with Cheema in the courtroom, during which she informed Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan about the cases she faced and the hardships of hiding, upon which both of them scolded her in return. “You were hiding when our brother was in need,” Aleema said, adding that when the party was going through a tough time, Cheema held a press conference against it and when the PTI founder needed her, she left.

    Aleema Khan stressed that Musarrat was considered the closest to Imran Khan and today she is telling them about the constraints.

    Aleema quipped, “Politicians are considered incomplete without jail.” Musrat Jamshed Cheema reportedly went quiet after hearing Aleema Khan’s words.

    The Anti-Terrorism Court has extended the interim bail of Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan in the Jinnah House attack case till March 12.

  • No conflict with military, says Sher Afzal Marwat

    No conflict with military, says Sher Afzal Marwat

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat has said that the military and government should be seen as separate entities. He praised the military, stating that there’s no conflict with them. However, he expressed concerns about the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) involvement in seat issues, delays in cases, and alleged theft of mandate by other political parties.

    The PTI leader said, “Our intra-party elections are happening within 15 days. We need to mobilize our party. All PTI workers will participate in this election. I’ll support those who want to contest from our platform.”

    Talking about a recent raid at his house, he said that his employee has returned, stating he was treated well.

  • Ahsan Khan and Sonam Bajwa team up for photoshoot

    Ahsan Khan and Sonam Bajwa team up for photoshoot

    Pakistani actor Ahsan Khan and Indian actress Sonam Bajwa have appeared together on stage.
    Recently, a video of Pakistani actor Ahsan Khan and actress Sonam Bajwa has been circulating on social media.

    In the viral video, both artists expressed excitement about working together.
    Sonam Bajwa said she didn’t feel like it was the first time she was working with a Pakistani team.
    The Indian actress and Ahsan Khan are working together for a photo shoot for a fashion magazine.