Author: newsdesk

  • Fakhar Zaman likely to be dropped for Australia tour

    Fakhar Zaman likely to be dropped for Australia tour

    Pakistan left-handed opener batsman Fakhar Zaman is likely to be dropped from the squad for the Australia tour.

    According to Express, Fakhar’s selection in the squad seems unlikely as he has failed the fitness test. After returning from a long trip to the West Indies, he was given the task of running two kilometres in eight minutes, which he failed to complete.

    Zaman reportedly suffers from a problem with his knees; he is playing domestic cricket to be fit, while the selection committee has decided not to compromise on fitness.

    Earlier, he tweeted in favour of Babar Azam before the squad announcement against England for the second Test, but after some time, the announcement of dropping the star batsman came out. It seemed like Fakhr criticized the decision. Later, PCB issued a show-cause notice to him.

    Some former cricketers had also suggested that Fakhr be given leadership in the white ball.

    Till Thursday night, Salman Ali Agha was the favourite to take over the White Ball captaincy, but now again, Muhammad Rizwan seems to be leading the race.

  • PTI MNA speaks out on harassment ahead of Constitutional Amendments

    PTI MNA speaks out on harassment ahead of Constitutional Amendments

    Journalist Hamid Mir, while talking to Aaj News on October 18, revealed that an unnamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA is allegedly being subjected to harassment to get him to vote for the upcoming constitutional amendments in the parliament.

    “A PTI MNA from Punjab called me from a different number. He is currently hiding in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Not only was his house demolished, but also the women of his family were subjected to severe pressure,” revealed Hamid Mir.

    However, Mir also stated, “This has been done so that they [PTI MNAs] show their detachment from PTI and vote for the constitutional amendment in favour of the government. However, despite oppression and repression, these MNAs are steadfast and will not vote for the government under any circumstances.”

    Mir narrated that he received calls from an Indonesian number, but he did not pick up. Then he received a message from a UK number telling him the identity of who was calling.

    Hamid Mir further stated that this PTI MNA belongs to Punjab, but currently, he is hiding in Peshawar. Mir said, “I asked him why he was calling me. He replied: I am calling you to make you a witness that I am resisting and won’t go to Islamabad to participate in any voting.”

    On October 16, PTI member Meher Bano Qureshi, the daughter of former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, posted on X that her sister-in-law, the wife of PTI MNA Zain Qureshi, was abducted from near their home by “masked men in plain clothes and multiple cars.”

    “They have not been able to break us for the last year and a half despite all kinds of threats and are now resorting to such low-level tactics. Mine & my family’s faith in Allah is unbreakable. He will see us & Pakistan through this fascism,” she wrote.

    A few hours later, Qureshi posted a photo with the caption: “Alhamdulillah, she’s home. Thank you for your prayers and support!”

    In a separate post, the PTI member also revealed on X: “She was taken literally yards away from interior minister’s @MohsinnaqviC42 house who happens to be our neighbour.”

    Furthermore, Chairman Balochistan National Party (BNP) Akhtar Mengal, who recently handed over his resignation as an MNA citing unheard grievances of Balochistan, took to X (formerly Twitter) to write that his lodges in Islamabad had been raided.

    Mengal also wrote: “My party Senator Naseema Ehsan is confined to her apartment, and her son has been abducted. Meanwhile, my party’s other Senator Qasim Roonjo, who went for his dialysis at 8 a.m. in Islamabad, has been untraceable along with his son since then. Is this what democracy looks like?!!!”

    Mengal also showed solidarity with PTI’s Meher Bano Qureshi, writing, “All boundaries have been breached to ensure the votes get pushed through. It’s a déjà vu of Musharaf’s dictatorship. Shameful act.”

  • Lawrence Bishnoi’s life to be portrayed in upcoming web series

    Lawrence Bishnoi’s life to be portrayed in upcoming web series

    Notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, imprisoned in an Indian jail, is in the news for the murder of former Maharashtra minister and National Congress Party leader Baba Siddique, who was killed in Mumbai last week, and fresh threats against superstar Salman Khan.

    According to Indian media reports, Jonny Fairfox Film Production House will release a web series, ‘Lawrence, A Gangster Story’, based on the life of Lawrence Bishnoi.

    The Indian Motion Pictures Association has reportedly already approved the series titled Lawrence Bishnoi.

    The web series will explore the life of Lawrence Bishnoi, especially his rise to become a dangerous gangster.

    Lawrence Bishnoi from Ferozepur in the Indian state of Punjab has been imprisoned in a Rajasthan jail since 2014, but it is said that he is running a criminal network in the country and abroad while sitting inside the jail.

  • Here’s how the chief justice will be appointed after 26th Constitutional Amendment

    Here’s how the chief justice will be appointed after 26th Constitutional Amendment

    A draft of the government’s proposed 26th Constitutional Amendment has unveiled the process of the appointment of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

    Ruling out the scenario of the most senior judge being appointed the Chief Justice of Pakistan, it has been suggested in Constitutional Amendments that the appointment shall be made from among the three most senior judges of the Supreme Court on the recommendation of a special parliamentary committee.

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi are in the running on the basis of seniority.

    Eight members of the National Assembly and four members of the Senate will be part of the 12 members of the special parliamentary committee.

    The majority of the special parliamentary committee will be from the ruling government.

    The proposed Constitutional Amendments further suggested that if the National Assembly is dissolved, then all committee members will be from the Senate.

    However, the special parliamentary committee will send the name of the judge to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and then the President will give consent to the appointment of the top court judge.

    The next senior judge’s name would be considered for the CJP if the Prime Minister rejects the special committee’s proposed judge name, and the process will continue until the CJP is appointed.

    The majority of the special parliamentary committee would be responsible for sending the name of the nominated judge to the Prime Minister prior to 14 days of retirement of the CJP.

    No decision or action of the commission or committee shall be questioned or deemed illegal following the vacancy in membership or the absence of any member in the special parliamentary committee, the 26th constitutional amendment concluded.

  • Hezbollah drone hits Netanyahu’s home in Israeli town

    Hezbollah drone hits Netanyahu’s home in Israeli town

    A drone was launched towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home in northern Israel on Saturday, his spokesman informed, adding that he was not in the vicinity and there were no casualties.

    Earlier, the Israeli military announced that a drone was launched from Lebanon and that it had hit a building. It was not immediately clear what the building was.

    However, two more drones that crossed into Israeli territory were intercepted.

    There were no casualties reported and police said explosions had been heard in the town where Netanyahu has a holiday home.

    The drone attack was not immediately claimed by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has been trading fire with Israel since last October, or any other militant group.

  • ‘Nation salutes you’: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tells Qazi Faez Isa

    ‘Nation salutes you’: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tells Qazi Faez Isa

    Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari praised Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa over his verdicts on risky cases in the past.

    Speaking at a PPP rally in Hyderabad held to mark the 17th anniversary of the Karsaz incident, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, in a roaring tone, remarked that Qazi Faez Isa delivered a brave judgement on the Faizabad Dharna case, which no other judge had the courage to deliver.

    “History will remember you (Qazi Faez Isa) for declaring former dictator General Musharraf a traitor and showing courage in calling Musharraf a dictator,” the former Foreign Minister stated.

    “The nation salutes you,” he added.

    Responding to the political parties’ lack of consensus on the 26th Constitutional Amendment in parliament, Bhutto said that he would be forced to push the Constitutional Amendments through parliament using a “brute majority” to break the ‘one unit’ system in the judiciary.

    “It is my desire to have consensus among all political parties in parliament for this amendment. The second option, which is not my preferred path, is to rely on the majority’s vote to pass it,” he maintained.

    However, the incumbent government is reportedly short of 13 votes in the National Assembly (Lower House) and nine in the Senate (Upper House) to pass the Constitutional amendments.

  • Hiba Ali Khan received threats for negative role in Jaan Nisar

    Hiba Ali Khan received threats for negative role in Jaan Nisar

    Actress Hiba Ali Khan played the negative role of Kashmala in the trending drama Jaan Nisar with such dedication and skill that she received threats for ruining the lives of Hiba Ali Bukhari and Danish Taimur’s characters.

    Kashmala is the first wife of the hero Danish Taimur, while Hiba Bukhari plays Dua, his second wife.

    Hiba’s character is always trying to create cracks in her relationship by plotting against her husband and his second wife.

    The actress has done such a good job that people are having trouble distinguishing fact from fiction.

    Hiba recently gave an interview to GeoDigital, in which she opened up about her role and the drama.

    “I accepted the role immediately after reading the script, as I felt that my character was different and the most lively,” she said.

    She added, “Throughout the drama, I was always seen trying to spoil the life of Danish Taimur and Hiba Ali Bukhari, on which my character is getting a lot of hate. I was threatened in Instagram messages for trying to spoil the relationship between HIba Bukhari and Danish Taimur, i was told that my sin was unforgivable.”

    According to the actress, people seem to be hating her character on other social media platforms including drama reviews on YouTube.

    She also revealed, “The shooting of the drama took place during intense summer heat, which caused the director to faint twice. Additionally, both she and Hiba Ali Bukhari also fell ill.”

    She added, “At the end of the drama, people will start pitying my character because in the last episodes, it will be shown why she is so negative.”

    Earlier, she gave an interview to Independent Urdu where she talked about the last few episodes of the drama serial Jaan Nisar which will include major flashbacks to reveal why her character is so obsessive and negative.

    She said, “Kashmala can’t be justified, but at least I can give 20 percent justification for the hatred you all have towards her. In the end, in the last few episodes, you’ll get a complete flashback that will reveal why Kashmala became the way she is, and that she too has been wronged in a way. I am not defending Kashmala, she is indeed a wrong person.”

    “All your curses for her are justified, and bad people should face consequences in the end. But still, Kashmala has a side that made her this way. So, nobody is a born criminal; circumstances and situations can turn people into something else. I feel that this aspect is totally ignored, and she is completely misunderstood, as if her side of the story doesn’t even exist,” she added.

  • Adnan Shah Tipu missed a chance to share the screen with THIS Bollywood superstar

    Adnan Shah Tipu missed a chance to share the screen with THIS Bollywood superstar

    Every actor hopes for a big break, but sometimes chances are lost, leaving behind feelings of regret.

    Adnan Shah Tipu recently opened up about a major career regret during his appearance on the Faysal Quarishi podcast.

    The host asked him ‘Tipu you mentioned that you realized that it wasn’t in your destiny to be in ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ with Madhuri Dixit.’”

    Adan replied, “I had given around nine or ten auditions for the character of Nawab, which was played by Vijay Raaz, who is an amazing actor. I even received a call from Vishal Bhai, telling me to prepare. Then, Vishal Bhai himself went to Delhi for the audition, and they said, ‘We can’t do it.’ It’s all about fate, when it’s meant to happen, it happens. “

    Instead of Vijaz Raaz, Adan Shah Tipu would have been playing the character of Nawab opposite the legendary Madhrui Dixit.

    He also reflected on his relationships within the industry, saying, “I have a good relationship with Imran Abbas, and he is our colleague, but we don’t meet often, we rarely discuss work. One time, someone was saying that they needed a certain type of role, and he mentioned that only one person in all of Pakistan could play that role: ‘Tipu.’ Everything just fell into place, and if it wasn’t meant to be, it wouldn’t happen.

    Tipu also opened up about his experience meeting with American actor Robert De Niro.

    “I’m heading there, and I see Robert De Niro. You know how big of a fan I am of De Niro. I was wearing a tuxedo, and there he was, standing right in front of me, coming down. When he saw me, our eyes locked, I waved, and he waved back. I was watching him, and even as I climbed up, I was still looking at him. Our eyes were locked in that moment, and it felt like I knew him, like he was my friend or my mentor. That moment at the Cannes Film Festival was an experience I can’t even explain,” the Parizaad actor added.

    Dedh Ishqiya, written by Vishal Bhardwaj, was released in 2014.

  • Committee formed to investigate Punjab College case declares alleged rape as fake

    Committee formed to investigate Punjab College case declares alleged rape as fake

    The evidence collected by a seven-member committee formed by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has presented its finding in the Punjab College alleged rape case. The committee, headed by Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Zaman, said that the alleged rape incident of a student was based on fake news that was viral on social media.

    The nine-page report was prepared by the committee members, including the Punjab Chief Secretary, Advocate General Punjab, Home Secretary, Higher Education Secretary and Special Education Secretary.

    The News reported that the social media post that resulted in violent protests by students in front of various campuses of Punjab Colleges pushed the government to impose Section 144 across the province.

    During the formulation of the report, the committee recorded the statements of the alleged rape victim and her parents, who categorically denied that such an incident took place.

    They further informed the committee that the girl got injured at home, leading to her being admitted to a private hospital for treatment. They also said that the girl had never been a student of the said campus and that she did not attend the college from October 2 onwards because of her injury. The college record also complied with this statement.

    The committee also quoted statements from 16 individuals, which were recorded on October 15 and 16.

    These were recorded by Lahore police officials and officials of General Hospital, Evercare Hospital and Ittefaq Hospital in Lahore.

    The committee recommended curbing fake news on social media.

    “Students need to handle their affairs in a positive manner,” said the report and emphasised that students should distinguish between positive and negative activities.

    It also advised parents to protect their children from exploitation.

    The report emphasised that there is dire need to enhance the capacity of law-enforcement agencies.

    The committee recommended further investigation into the hate-related issues regarding the alleged incident. It also pointed out that influencers and vloggers should be prevented from spreading chaos in society.

    The report says that innocent students were targeted through fake news with a demonstration.

  • This cricketer gifted new shoes to Sajid Khan when he had none to play

    This cricketer gifted new shoes to Sajid Khan when he had none to play

    Pakistan right-arm spinner Sajid Khan has revealed that when he was selected for the national team cricket camp, he had no shoes to play in.

    In a viral clip on social media, Sajid talks about his struggles. He said, “When I was selected for the cricket camp, I had no shoes to wear. Then fast bowler Imran senior saw me. He asked, ‘Sajid, you don’t have shoes to wear’. I was shy, so I said no, I have two pairs. But he understood that I have no shoes, so he gifted me his cricket spike shoes.”

    “Whenever I played cricket, I used to perform at my best, but I was the first to be dropped from the team. I have played school cricket in Peshawar, from U-13 and U-16. I used to perform everywhere. The best performance in the comeback inspired me, and I had a unique way of celebrating,” he further added.

    Sajid Khan has taken seven wickets for 111 runs in the first innings of the second Test match against England, while he has also taken one wicket in the second innings of the game.

    Sajid Khan was not part of the team against England, too, but the worst defeat in the first Test and Abrar Ahmed’s poor performance and injury forced the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to give Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali another chance.

    Sajid Khan has proven his selection right, but only the PCB selection committee knows whether he will continue to be a part of the permanent team.

    He took seven wickets in the first innings of the second Test while 2 in the second innings against England in Multan on October 17, 2024.