Author: newsdesk

  • Saif Ali Khan might have lost feeling in one hand if he didn’t get surgery

    Saif Ali Khan might have lost feeling in one hand if he didn’t get surgery

    Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has recently been discharged from a hospital after knee and shoulder surgery.

    Saif Ali Khan had a fracture in both his knee and his shoulder, which were operated on at the Kokilabin Hospital in Mumbai. His wife, superstar Kareena Kapoor, was present with Saif in the hospital.
    Saif Ali Khan has said that he had been feeling pain in his hand since a long time, but he did not know how deep the injury was.

    According to Saif Ali Khan, while doing an action scene for the film ‘Dewara’, he got injured, after which the intensity of the pain increased. An MRI scan found that the tricep tendon was badly torn.
    Saif Ali Khan revealed that if the surgery had not been done on time, he could have lost one of his hands.
    “II only had an injury on my hand, no back or shoulder surgery, it was not a serious surgery due to which I was discharged from the hospital soon.”

  • You won’t believe who makes Asma Abbas’ clothes

    You won’t believe who makes Asma Abbas’ clothes

    Our favourite character artist Asma Abbas is formidably talented, but did you know her expertise isn’t limited to acting?
    Abbas has revealed that she’s also a designer with an affordable brand.

    Participating in a private TV channel’s comedy program, Asma responded to a question by stating that people should go for artificial beauty but not become Michael Jackson. “You should not spoil your face by doing injections and botox etc., you should look as you are,” she remarked.

    Answering a question about expensive brands, the senior actress said, “I have my own small brand which I run for my hobby and everyone can afford to buy my brand of clothes.”

    Asma Abbas said, “You have seen pictures of me sewing clothes on social media, I design and sew my own clothes, I have never worn designer clothes because I don’t want to wear clothes on demand. That’s why I make my own clothes, I’m my own designer and I love myself.”

  • Tempers fly high in court as Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are given state lawyers

    Tempers fly high in court as Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are given state lawyers

    In a surprising turn of events, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi found themselves represented by state-appointed lawyers in the ongoing cipher case, after their legal representatives failed to show up in court.

    A special court formed to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act appointed on Saturday state counsels for former premier Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

    The decision was announced by special court Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain after the counsels representing the accused were absent from court proceedings on Friday.

    Malik Abdul Rehman is set to represent Imran Khan, while Hazrat Younus will stand in for Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both undertaking the responsibility of cross-examining the witnesses in the high-profile case. Both PTI leaders are presently detained at Adiala jail.

    Deliberating on the facts and circumstances, the court emphasised that it provided ample opportunities for the accused’s legal representation to be present in court. However, with no senior lawyer appearing on behalf of either Imran or Qureshi, the court had no recourse but to appoint state defense counsel.

    Tensions escalated during the hearing as Qureshi, dissatisfied with the situation, took the file from the state-appointed lawyer and, in an unexpected move, threw it against the wall.

    The development transpired following the absence of PTI founder and vice chairman’s counsels in the special court, established under the Official Secrets Act. The prosecution had filed a petition seeking to terminate the right to cross-examine witnesses, prompting a reserved verdict by Special court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain on Friday.

    During today’s proceedings, special prosecutors Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi and Raja Rizwan Abbasi were present, while the accused lawyers remained conspicuously absent. Assistant lawyers Qamar Anayat Raja and Khalid Yusuf Chaudhary took on the defense in their absence.

    In response to inquiries about the senior lawyers’ non-appearance, Raja, in an application seeking to postpone the hearing, explained that senior counsel Sikander Zulqarnain was undergoing dental surgery, rendering him unable to attend.

    Expressing concern over repeated adjournment requests, Prosecutor Naqvi questioned the regularity of lawyers’ appearances, suggesting a deliberate pattern of delays. Despite Raja’s defense of unintentional delays, Judge Zulqarnain expressed frustration, citing the case’s significance.

    As tensions mounted, the court instructed assistant lawyers to contact the absent senior lawyers by 12:30 pm, warning that proceedings would continue according to the law if they failed to appear. After the expiration of the two-time deadline, the court reserved its decision and adjourned the hearing until today. The legal saga continues to unfold as the case takes center stage.

  • Rain and snowfall finally on the way

    Rain and snowfall finally on the way

    The Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Punjab has issued an alert to the administration about rains and snowfall incoming in the next week.

    From today to January 31, there is a possibility of rain in the plains of Punjab and snowfall in the hilly areas, the spokesperson of PDMA warned. There is also possibility of snowfall with light and heavy rain in Murree and Galiyat from the 27th to the 31st of January.

    Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Narowal, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, and Sargodha will also receive rain between January 30 and 31, the spokesperson added.

    As for snowfall, the spokesperson cautioned that in Murree and Galiyat it may worsen the road conditions. Tourists are advised not to travel without checking the weather conditions. There are chances of landslides in hilly areas which may block the roads.

    PDMA has issued instructions to the administration across Punjab to remain alert.

    There is a round-the-clock information exchange system between the provincial and national institutions. Rescue agencies are on round-the-clock alert in view of the weather situation. The administration has directed the tourists coming from abroad to be especially careful and ensure their safety, PDMA informed.

  • JUI-F clerics ban women from door to door campaigning in Kohistan

    JUI-F clerics ban women from door to door campaigning in Kohistan

    Parties competing for elections in Kohistan will not be allowed to send female members for door-to-door campaigning to mobilise voters in different constituencies after a 30-member group of clerics — mostly from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — unanimously issued a verdict against it, declaring it un-Islamic.

    In their decree, the clerics have strictly banned canvassing by women for the upcoming February 8 general elections.

    In a gathering at the JUI-F central office in Kohistan’s Kamila town, Mufti Gul Shahzada of Kandia said: “Taking women door-to-door for seeking votes is against the Islamic injunctions and Shariah.”

    At least 400 clerics from different parts of the district attended the gathering and endorsed Mufti Shahzada, as he spelled out six decrees, all related to upcoming elections, in front of them.

    It is important to note that two women aspirants backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Tehmina Faheem from PK-31 Kohistan-I and former lawmaker Momina Basit, and an independent Sanaya Sabeel from PK-33 Kolai-Palas are campaigning to win seats in the February 8 general elections for the first time in the district’s history.

    Tehmina Faheem
    Momina Basit

    Mufti Shahzada told the gathering that all decrees had been issued in light of the current situation. He said these were based on Islamic jurisprudence with references taken from different religious books.

    “If anybody votes against Islamic ideology, it means he is testifying to an untrue and biased statement, which is a grave sin and also against Islamic Shariah,” he added.

    The clerics warned that taking the Holy Quran to compel people to vote was a sacrilegious act and should never be exercised.

    “Those casting votes on the linguistic, regional and clan grounds are also negating Islamic teachings and no such exercise should be carried out in this district,” the mufti added.

    When approached, the women contestants in Kohistan in the February 8 general elections said they would give their point of view after consulting their parties, The News reported.

  • Pakistani-British doctor miraculously saves woman’s life on flight through apple watch

    Pakistani-British doctor miraculously saves woman’s life on flight through apple watch

    A British doctor of Pakistani origin saved the life of an elderly woman on a flight with the help of an Apple Watch.

    According to the British broadcaster BBC, Dr. Rashid Riaz of the National Health Service (NHS) from Hereford, England, was going to Verona from Birmingham for a vacation. He was on a flight when a 70-year-old woman’s condition suddenly deteriorated, leading ti difficulty in breathing.

    Seeing the condition of the woman, the flight attendant asked if there was a doctor on board, upon which Dr. Rashid Riaz came forward to help.

    After the initial check-up, he wanted to check the patient’s oxygen saturation level but was unable to do so using the equipment on the flight. He then asked the crew if there was an Apple Watch available to monitor the woman’s health. “The Apple Watch helped me find out the patient had low oxygen saturation,” the doctor told the BBC.

    He used local health monitoring software to estimate levels.

    Dr. Rashid Riaz said that the woman was suffering from heart disease and with the help of Apple Watch, it was easy for him to detect the decreasing oxygen level of the elderly woman, thus saving her life by providing oxygen.

  • New profit rates unveiled for National Savings Schemes

    New profit rates unveiled for National Savings Schemes

    The Central Directorate of National Savings (CDNS) has recently adjusted the rates of return on several National Savings Schemes.

    Special Savings Certificates (SSC) will now offer a 16 per cent return, down by 40 basis points (bps) from the previous 16.4 per cent.

    Similarly, Defence Saving Certificates (DSC) will yield 14.22 per cent, a decrease of 19 bps from the earlier 14.41 per cent.

    Short Term Savings Certificates (STSC) will see a decline to 20.34 per cent from the previous 20.8 per cent, reflecting a 46 bps decrease.

    Moreover, Regular Income Certificates (RIC) now offer a 15 per cent return, down by 12 bps from the previous 15.12 per cent.

    Notably, Bahbood Savings Certificates (BSC), Savings Account (SA), and Pensioners Benefit Account (PBA) rates remain unchanged.

    These adjustments will take effect from January 26. The revision precedes the upcoming Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Monday, January 29, 2023.

    In the last MPC meeting, the SBP maintained the key interest rate at 22 per cent, anticipating a significant decline in headline inflation during the second half of FY24.

    The December Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation registered at 29.7 per cent year-on-year, slightly higher than November, with a 0.8 per cent month-on-month increase.

  • International Court of Justice acknowledges Israeli genocide against Palestinians; does not call for ceasefire

    International Court of Justice acknowledges Israeli genocide against Palestinians; does not call for ceasefire

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has announced its first ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel on Friday evening, calling on Israel to take urgent and effective measure to protect Palestinians, contain death toll and destruction, acknowledging that there is a risk of genocide in Gaza. However, it did not call for an immediate ceasefire.

    The hearing took place on Friday with 16 judges out of the court’s 17-member panel, present. Presiding Judge Joan Donoghue asserted that the court has the authority to rule over emergency measures in the case.

    The court noted that the charges against Israel fall under the provisions of the Genocide Convention, additionally acknowledging that Israeli military operations have killed as well as injured a large number Palestinians in Gaza, destroyed a number of homes and infrastructure, and resulted in the internal displacement of about 1.7 million people.

    It was further acknowledged that the Palestinians’ have the right to be protected from acts of genocide.

    The issue of “dehumanising language” used against Palestinians was also highlighted, particularly shedding light on statements by Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ordering a “complete siege” of Gaza and apprising the soldiers that they are fighting against “human animals”.

    Social Media Reacts

  • ‘Submit report on all detention camps in the country’, Sindh High Court

    ‘Submit report on all detention camps in the country’, Sindh High Court

    In a significant development, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has granted a three-week deadline to the Federal Defence Ministry and the Sindh Home Department to submit a comprehensive report on all detention camps across the country.

    The directive came from a two-judge bench, with Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto presiding, during a hearing on Thursday concerning petitions related to the recovery of missing persons.

    The bench took cognizance of the case after one petitioner revealed that her husband, Tahir Rehan, had been missing since 2015, with no investigative action taken by the police.

    Expressing dissatisfaction with the public prosecutor’s claim of providing Rs500,000 in compensation, the petitioner asserted that she had not received any such compensation.

    The Sindh Home Department officially announced the suspension of compensation payments to families of missing persons, as revealed in a report submitted to the Sindh High Court.

    The court had directed the submission of a comprehensive report to federal authorities, including the Interior Secretary and Defense Secretary, concerning applications related to compensation for families of missing persons.

    In a proactive measure, the court ordered the publication of advertisements in both print and electronic media to aid in the search for Shahri Majid, missing since 2015.

    Additionally, the court directed the gathering of information on missing persons from jail authorities and various locations across the country.

  • Candidates withdraw in favour of Nawaz Sharif; PPP

    Candidates withdraw in favour of Nawaz Sharif; PPP

    Independent candidate Qazi Tayyab Shahzad on Thursday decided to withdraw from NA-15 Mansehra in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, SAMMA has reported.

    Shahzad had announced that he will support the former prime minister in the upcoming general elections. According to the details, Tayyab Shahzad’s nomination papers were accepted, but he had decided not to take part in the elections.

    The returning officer had issued a notification of Shehzad’s withdrawal from NA-15.

    On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Saifullah Abro called on Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and expressed his trust in his leadership, announcing to withdraw from the election race in NA-194 constituency and promised to support the candidate of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    On the other hand, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif promised to give youth loans after coming into power.

    Addressing the public gathering in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, the former prime minister took a dig at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying, ‘’The long march was staged against Nawaz Sharif during his tenure as the premier. The Chinese president’s tour was delayed due to the PTI’s protests.’’

    ‘’Who were those people who were indulging in such tactics? The protests in Islamabad were staged, and foul language was embraced. The conspiracy against Nawaz Sharif was started after 2013,’’ Shehbaz Sharif maintained.