Arisha Razi has gotten married and a series of events took place to mark the event. She had events like Dholki, Mayun, Dua E Khair, and Game Night. Last night was her Shendi event (a mix of Mehndi and Wedding) in Karachi. Arisha wore opulent and beautiful red clothes.
Now, videos of her dancing at the wedding are getting popular on Instagram. She danced to famous songs and her fans really liked her moves.
Allure Salon & Spa did her makeup and hair, making her look beautiful. She wore a stunning outfit from Ali Xeeshan Theater Studio that matched her hair and makeup perfectly. Her jewelry was from Opal by Madiha Ihsan.
As the general elections are over and results tabulated, 27 women candidates have emerged victorious in the February 8 polls, 11 more than in the 2018 elections.
This time, 882 women candidates contested for national and provincial assembly seats. Among them, 312 women contested for the NA, and 570 for provincial assemblies. This shows a notable rise in the number of women participating as candidates in the 2024 elections.
111 political parties had nominated 275 women candidates to contest the elections for general seats, making up 4.6 percent of the total of 6,037 candidates they have fielded.
In 2018, 183 women ran for seats in the National Assembly (NA), but only eight of them managed to win. Among the winning women, four secured seats in Sindh, three in Punjab, and one in Balochistan. None of the women candidates won a general seat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This time a record 27 women have been elected from all five assemblies — 12 from NA, 11 Punjab Assembly, two from the Sindh Assembly, and one from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Quetta Gladiators has decided to remove captain Sarfaraz Ahmed from the captaincy after eight years.
Gladiators owner Nadeem Umar said in a special conversation with Geo News that Sarfaraz Ahmed wants to take a break from the captaincy of the team himself. Coach Shane Watson will decide who the new captain will be after consulting team management.
According to Geo sources, it is believed that Rilley Rossow or Saud Shakeel is being considered to replace him as the captain, and the decision will be taken in the next two to four days.
Quetta Gladiators have also replaced coach Moin Khan after eight years. He has been made the team director while Shane Watson has been given coaching duties.
Nadeem Umar added that the old family of Quetta Gladiators has started coming together again, with team mentor Sir Viv Richards joining the team next week. “We wish Kevin Pietersen also comes in some role with Quetta Gladiators,” he said.
PSL franchise Quetta Gladiators won the 2019 title under the captaincy of Sarfraz Ahmed, while the team has played the final in 2016 and 2017.
According to a NBC News report, US President Joe Biden has been expressing his frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in private conversations. Citing five sources familiar with the matter, NBC News revealed that Biden is seeking to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in Gaza, but Netanyahu is perceived as “an obstacle” in this process.
The sources stated that Biden has used strong language to convey his frustration, reportedly describing Netanyahu actions as “giving him hell” and expressing a sentiment that “this has to stop.”
There have been instances where Biden has reportedly referred to Netanyahu with derogatory terms, including “bad fking guy” and “ahole,” according to sources cited by POLITICO and NBC News.
When questioned about Biden’s remarks, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said, “The president has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private.”
Despite the outward display of mutual respect, Biden’s private frustrations highlight a stark contrast to the public perception of the relationship between the two leaders.
Behind closed doors, Biden’s comments suggest a growing impatience with Netanyahu’s handling of Israel’s assault on Gaza, with the president reportedly viewing him as a significant obstacle to achieving desired outcomes.
A source told NBC about Biden’s view on the Gaza campaign: “He just feels like this is enough. It has to stop.”
More than 28,000 people are reported to have died since the war broke out on October 7. Israel is planning a ground assault on Rafah city in the south of Gaza – where more than one million displaced Palestinians are. Despite the US’s public opposition to the operation, Netanyahu is said to be pressing ahead with it.
The reported tensions come amidst ongoing efforts to address the situation in Gaza and calls for a ceasefire. Biden’s private sentiments underscore the complexities and challenges faced in navigating the relationship between the United States and Israel, particularly concerning matters of regional security and diplomacy.
In a recent press conference, interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar strongly defended the delay in announcing election results, citing security concerns as the primary reason.
He was asked during the press conference by a journalist, “Probably this is your last press conference, on a lighter note: who told you how long you’ll be Caretaker Prime Minister?”
To this PM Kakar said, “I am disappointed after giving you a chance. Do I have cancer? As this is my last press conference according to you.”
While discussing the disruption in mobile services, Kakar emphasized, it was a necessary measure to ensure the safety of voters and prevent terrorist attacks.
“We could afford delay, but terrorist attacks, we could not […] delay does not mean rigging,” Kakar, whose government was appointed to oversee the country through elections until an elected set-up takes charge, said during a post-election press conference.
Kakar’s remarks came amidst mounting criticism from various political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), who protested the delay in election results, labeling it as potential rigging.
More than three days have passed since polling day and the complete election results are still pending, with one seat yet to be decided.
The prime minister informed journalists that in 2018, the entire result-gathering process took 66 hours; however, in 2024, it was completed in 36 hours. The official Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) deadline is around nine hours.
The premier compared Pakistan’s election process to that of other countries, citing instances of delayed results in Sweden and Indonesia, suggesting that such delays are not uncommon in large-scale elections.
In response to criticism from foreign governments, Kakar asserted that Pakistan would conduct its investigation if necessary, rather than succumbing to external pressures.
“These friendly countries, unfortunately, frame their initial assessment on the fabricated and fractured information available on social media and the digital space,” he said.
“A responsible government should take time and then have a position; that would have been better. If we have to investigate, we will not do it on the demand of the United States, United Kingdom, or the EU,” he further added.
Kakar noted that Pakistan has its law and will deal with it accordingly. “We did not ask a judicial inquiry on Capitol Hill riots. It is not for us to demand it and it is not for them. For me, the demand of a PTI individual than the US, UK, and EU combined.”
Acknowledging the possibility of irregularities, Kakar assured that appropriate forums were available for addressing complaints.
To a question, PM Kakar said that the upcoming elected parliament would decide about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the elections. “There should be an open discussion on EVMS.”
Two days back, expressing his annoyance over the delayed election results, President Dr Arif Alvi had said that the country would have been spared the ongoing crisis if the EVMs had been used during the February 8 general elections.
Remember ‘our’ long struggle for Electronic Voting Machines. EVM had paper ballots that could be counted separately by hand (like it is being done today) BUT it also had a simple electronic calculator/counter of each vote button pressed. Totals of every candidate would have been…
It is pertinent to mention here that the ECP’s new Election Management System (EMS) fell flat despite the commission’s tall claims. Taking to his X handle, the president had said: “Had EVMs been there today, my dear beloved Pakistan would have been spared this crisis.”
In a Monday market report, the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA) revealed that gold prices in Pakistan remained unchanged, defying a slight decrease observed in the international market.
As per the rates provided by APGJSA, the gold price per tola stood firm at Rs214,300, showcasing resilience in the local market.
The 10-gramme gold rate echoed this stability, with APGJSA reporting it at Rs183,728, remaining unchanged from the previous close.
Despite the international market witnessing a slight dip, Pakistan maintained its pricing consistency.
Internationally, the gold rate, with a $20 premium, settled at $2,043 per ounce on Monday. This marked a marginal decrease of $2 in the wake of market fluctuations, according to APGJSA.
The association emphasised the steadfast nature of the local gold market despite the international trend.
In contrast, silver rates in Pakistan remained unwavering, standing at Rs2,600 per tola on Monday, reinforcing the stability observed in precious metal markets locally.
We realise that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Rana Sanaullah’s loss in February 8 general elections must be quite a shock but his Twitter (now X) account has gone off in an unexpected direction.
Unlike PML-N leader Khwaja Saad Rafique, who used his account to gracefully concede defeat and congratulate his opponent Sardar Latif Khosa, Rana Sanaullah has decided that he wants to troll journalists.
The account has, till now, picked a Twitter fight with Meher Bokhari, shared a song by the late Indian rapper Sidhu Mosewalla, and targeted legal analyst Reema Omer for praising Geo’s election coverage.
It has also sent snarky replies to Hamid Mir and Gharidah Farouqi, while also tweeting multiple times against media channels.
Rana Sanaullah has distanced himself from the the account, telling Geo’s Shehzad Iqbal that he doesn’t run the account, instead a team runs it.
I mean, a few people who are self-proclaimed seniors or somehow manage to sit left or right and have zero credibility are using different platforms to manipulate audiences, misleading people every time because of personal agendas, and ignoring the crucial time period. And yet… pic.twitter.com/6dtnjKhc6l
رانا ثنااللہ اور مسلم لیگ ن کے اکاؤنٹ سے جیو پر الزامات
رانا ثنااللہ کا اپنے ہی اکاؤنٹ کو نہ ماننے پر اسرار مگر رانا ثناللہ اپنے ذاتی اکاونٹ سے اسی اکاونٹس کے ٹوئٹس کو ری پوسٹ کرتے رہے ہیں جسے وہ لاتعلقی کا اظہار کر رہے ہیں
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have discussed the possibility of their parties appointing prime ministers for half of a five-year term as part of a power-sharing plan.
The idea of appointing a prime minister for half the term was discussed during their first huddle on Sunday following the February 8 elections as part of their efforts to form a coalition government in the Centre and provinces, according to sources privy to the development.
In 2013, PML-N and the National Party (NP) in Balochistan worked together to create a power-sharing plan. Under this plan, two chief ministers from the two parties took turns holding office for half of the five-year term.
In Sunday’s meeting, the PPP and PML-N agreed to work together for the political stability of Pakistan after the general elections.
Barrister Gohar Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said on Monday afternoon that his party will prefer sitting in the opposition rather than talking to political rivals Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) about forming a coalition.
The statement comes as the other parties talk to independent winners and smaller parties to form a coalition government.
PTI – backed candidates still form the largest group in the National Assembly, however, it will have to partner with other parties to get the requisite number to form a government.
Gohar further hinted that the party is entitled to reserved seats in the assembly, and is forming a strategy to get them.
In January 2024, Pakistan witnessed a notable increase in the inflow of overseas workers’ remittances, reaching $2.4 billion, as revealed by data released by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday. This marks a 1 per cent rise compared to December 2023, where remittances stood at $2.38 billion.
Year-on-year analysis underscores a substantial surge, with a 26 per cent increase from the same period last year, when remittances totaled $1.9 billion in January.
The significance of these remittances cannot be understated, as they play a pivotal role in bolstering Pakistan’s external account and fueling economic activity. Additionally, they serve as a vital supplement to the disposable incomes of households dependent on remittances.
Despite the uptick in January, the cumulative figure for July-January FY24 reflects a 3 per cent decline year-on-year, amounting to $15.83 billion, down by $386 million from the $16.32 billion recorded in the same period of FY23.
Breaking down the sources of remittances, overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia retained their leading position, contributing $587.3 million in January 2024. This marked a 2 per cent increase from the previous month and a substantial 43 per cent rise from the corresponding period last year.
Remittances from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced a slight dip of 3 per cent month-on-month, decreasing from $419.2 million in December to $407.6 million in January. However, the yearly comparison reveals a remarkable surge of nearly 51 per cent.
The United Kingdom witnessed a marginal decline in remittances, with $362.1 million recorded in January, down by 2 per cent from December 2023.
In contrast, remittances from the European Union saw a significant 20 per cent year-on-year increase and a 2 per cent monthly rise, totaling $290.1 million in January 2024.
Meanwhile, overseas Pakistanis in the United States contributed $283.4 million in January 2024, marking a notable 32 per cent increase from the same period last year.
The consistent flow of remittances, despite fluctuations in individual sources, underscores their enduring importance to Pakistan’s economy and the livelihoods of millions of households reliant on them.
