Author: newsdesk

  • Imran Khan files petition against superintendent jail after not being allowed to talk to sons

    Imran Khan files petition against superintendent jail after not being allowed to talk to sons

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has filed a petition against the superintendent of Attock jail on Monday for not allowing him to speak to his sons over the phone.

    Khan is in custody until September 13 under the cypher case. He had been arrested on August 5 in the Tosha Khana case, and since then he has been in Attock jail.

    Last month, Khan was allowed to speak to his sons over the phone by a special court formed to hear cases registered under the Official Secrets Act.

    However, Imran Khan has claimed in his petition against the Attock jail superintendent that he is not following the court orders.

    Judge Abdul Hasnat Zulqarnain has issued a notice to the superintendent, asking for the submission of an implementation report of the court’s orders on September 15.

  • Morocco’s earthquake death toll rises above 2,100

    The total number of people who died in Friday’s deadly earthquake in Morocco has risen to 2,122 with the number set to rise further as recovery operations proceed.

    On Friday night, around 11:11 pm local time, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the area around the ancient city of Marrakech, with tremors spreading deep into rural communities on Atlas Mountains.

    The country has announced a three-day mourning period as local and foreign rescuers mount frantic searches for survivors buried beneath rubble.

    The earthquake, originating from the High Atlas Mountains located southwest of Marrakesh, was felt across the country, including in the provinces of Ouarzazate, Marrakesh, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant; travelling all the way to southern Spain.

    As of now, 2,421 people have been injured while the United Nations has estimated that about 300,000 people have been affected.

    Since the catastrophe, locals have been sleeping on the streets in towns and cities. Rural areas have taken a huge blow, while a historically significant 12th century mosque has also collapsed along with parts of Marrakech old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

    Al-Jazeera spoke with Lanchen Haddad, a Moroccan senator and former minister, who said that the area was “not known for being active in terms of earthquakes”.

    “There’s not been very many earthquakes in that part of Morocco, most occur in the area much farther north on the Mediterranean coast near the tectonic plate,”

    World offers aid

    The rescue operation in remote mountain areas was mainly undertaken by local teams and no broad demand for international aid had been issued by the capital, Rabat, up till Sunday.

    Many countries have offered aid to Morocco including Spain, Tunisia, Qatar, Italy, Israel.
    Turkey, US and Taiwan have rescue teams and specialist search ready and are ready to dispatch their aid as soon as Morocco send a green signal.

    Its neighbour, Algeria, has a frictional relationship with Morocco, but after the tragedy, it opened its airspace that was closed for two years, to ease the flights carrying humanitarian aid and the injured.

    At the G20 Summit in New Delhi, President Emmanuel Macron said, “France is ready to offer aid to Morocco if Morocco decides it is useful,”

    “The second they request this aid, it will be deployed,” he added.

  • Asia Cup 2023: Colombo weather still cloudy on reserve day

    Asia Cup 2023: Colombo weather still cloudy on reserve day

    Latest Weather Updates:

    Sun’s out! Match is likely about to start! Pakistan vs India: ROUND TWO

    Match will start on 4:10 PM.

    Heavy rain started in Colombo.

    It’s Bright and Sunny in Colombo. Indian team has arrives at Stadium.

    It’s been sunny with minor clouds in Colombo. Hopefully, we will have full match without any rain.

    The highly anticipated Pakistan- India was called off on Sunday due to rain in Colombo, Sri Lanka. A reserve day, Monday September 11, was scheduled in to complete the match. However, the weather is still not clear as predictions of heavy rainfall persist on Monday too.

    Pakistani legend fast bowler Wasim Akram shared an update on platform X ( Formally known as Twitter) on Colombo weather.

    It has been drizzling at regular intervals in Colombo. According to the weather department, there are chances of heavy rainfall after 4 PM.

    Yesterday, India scored 147 runs with the loss of two wickets in 24.1 overs. Rohit Sharma scored 56 runs while Shubam Gill scored 58. Rohit and Shubam score 121 runs in partnership for the first wicket. Shadab Khan and Shaheen Afridi took 1 wicket each. The umpires waited for approximately four hours before putting the match on hold but it was drizzling continuously.

    The match will start today from the point where it ended yesterday. If the match is not complete on the reserve day, both teams will get one point each.

    Earlier, the group match between Pakistan and India played at PalleKele Stadium was ruined by the rain.

  • Pakistani currency strengthens amid crackdown on smuggling

    Pakistani currency strengthens amid crackdown on smuggling

    The Pakistani rupee continued its upward trajectory against the US dollar, registering a 0.6 per cent appreciation in the inter-bank market on Monday.

    At precisely 2:15 pm, the rupee was quoted at Rs301.10, marking a notable increase of Rs1.85 within the inter-bank market.

    In the preceding week, the rupee exhibited a 0.83 per cent gain, concluding at 302.95 in its exchange rate against the US dollar within the inter-bank arena. However, this performance is only part of a larger narrative, as the gap between the inter-bank and open market rates underwent a substantial reduction.

    This shift occurred in conjunction with reported measures taken to combat smuggling and speculative activities, leading to a remarkable turnaround for the currency after it had reached a record low just the previous Tuesday.

    The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) initiative to fortify controls over Exchange Companies, coupled with reports of the army chief’s intervention and the deployment of law-enforcement personnel at currency dealer outlets, played pivotal roles in the rupee’s resurgence.

  • ‘Shah Rukh Khan was the first person to console me after Dilip died’: Saira Banu

    ‘Shah Rukh Khan was the first person to console me after Dilip died’: Saira Banu

    Yesteryear leading lady Saira Banu shared a heart warming story about Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan on her Instagram page. The actress revealed that the superstar was the first to console her after the death of her husband, legendary actor Dilip Kumar in . The thespian and Banu had been married for 54 years when the thespian died at the age of 98 years.

    In a detailed account, she wrote on Instgram page, that she first met the ‘Pathaan’ actor at an event where he appeared shy and reticent, resembling Dilip’s personality.

    When he bowed before Saira and asked for her blessings, the actress realised his hair resembled her husband’s.

    “Since that day, whenever Shahrukh and I met, he graciously lowered his head, allowing me to offer him my blessings. Interestingly, on one occasion, I forgot to run my hand through his hair, and immediately after, Shahrukh lowered his head, saying, “Aaj Aapne Mere Baalon Par Hath Nahin Phera”, and without hesitation, I lovingly ran my fingers through his hair, completing our familiar ritual.”

    Saira wrote about thf Bollywood Badshah being especially considerate when Dilip Kumar passed away.

    “In that moment,’ writes the ‘Junglee’ actress. “His affection for the ‘Kohinoor of Hindustan,’ Dilip Sahib, shone brightly as he was among the very first to offer his comforting presence in the face of adversity.”

    Saira also reflected how Shah Rukh’s respect and affection for her late husband shined when he came to their house to get the ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ poster signed by him, and which he has kept in his private theatre.

    Read her complete caption here

  • From ‘great people to fly with’ to ‘great debt to deal with’: PIA expected to ground several aircraft

    From ‘great people to fly with’ to ‘great debt to deal with’: PIA expected to ground several aircraft

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is facing a critical financial crisis, prompting the grounding of several aircraft due to difficulties in securing funds. This crisis has resulted in arrears with various stakeholders, including creditors, aircraft lessors, fuel suppliers, insurers, and airport operators. Boeing and Airbus are also on the verge of discontinuing spare parts supply by mid-September.

    The Ministry of Aviation has urgently requested a cash injection of Rs23 billion and the suspension of duties, taxes, and service charges, although no concrete business plan has been presented. The restructuring of PIA is expected to be a complex eight-month process, and the airline must remain operational during this period for divestment to yield a fair value.

    Regrettably, PIA serves only a small fraction of Pakistan’s population while consuming significant public funds. The government, holding a 92 per cent share in PIA, faces mounting losses attributed to competition, mismanagement, and inadequate funding for fleet expansion.

    As of December 31, 2022, PIA’s debt and liabilities stood at Rs743 billion, five times more than its assets’ total value. The airline’s annual losses reached Rs86.5 billion for the last financial year, with projections indicating debt and losses could further rise.

    According to Dawn, previous attempts to make PIA sustainable through cost-cutting and fleet expansion have failed. Alternately, efforts focused on financial, legal, and operational restructuring to attract private investment have been explored but not implemented.

    In June 2023, a decision was made to restructure PIA based on the Dubai Islamic Bank Consortium Report. This involves creating a new holding company to retain legacy loans and non-aviation assets while keeping PIACL subsidiaries intact. Recent legal restrictions hindering private investment have been lifted.

    However, the restructuring plan is pending government approval. The Aviation Division has requested Rs23 billion in funds and relief from various financial obligations. A separate panel has been formed to assess the restructuring plan, with support from the finance ministry and the State Bank of Pakistan expected once the plan is fully finalised.

  • ‘Stop’: Adnan Siddiqui slams fake news of his death

    ‘Stop’: Adnan Siddiqui slams fake news of his death

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui has become the latest target of fake death rumours on the internet, and he has had enough of it.

    The ‘Maat’ actor shared a clip on his Instagram account of a video spreading news that he had passed away, slamming irresponsible journalism:

    “All those spreading the rumours of my demise in the name of journalism and breaking news, next time give me a fair idea before making me the headline. I’ll personally come to your studios and confirm it, complete with my epitaph. Your (ir)responsible journalism should look flawless after all.”

    Actress Simi Rahael sent prayers in the comments and called out trolls for spreading such dangerous news.

    Other actors like Faysal Quraishi and Aijazz Aslam also agreed with Adnan’s post.

    Previously, it was veteran actor Mahmood Aslam who became the target of rumors that he had passed away, and the ‘Bulbulay’ actor took to social media to slam the fake news and called for users to be mindful about his friends and family members who could be deeply hurt by such actions.

    “I’m Mahmood Aslam, breathing, fit and alive in front of you. A few hours ago, someone reported on social media that I have passed away. Whoever spread this news, I want to request them, for God’s sake, to not spread such news without verifying it. I am sitting in front of you, healthy and alive.”

    “If not me, please think of my friends and family, relatives and fans and how they would feel after reading this unverified news. You can post about people who die so everyone can grieve them but please do not post fake news about those who are alive.”

    “I made this video to tell all of you to not believe the news. I’m here and alive. And I’d like to request the people behind the fake news to stop their malicious attempts. Think 10 times before doing such a thing. It might be fun and games for you but it isn’t a joke. Fans and families could get affected in the worst possible way.”

  • Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said in a media talk on Sunday that the federal administration will have zero tolerance against smuggling. He also said that the caretaker government will give prize money to those who provide information on smuggling, hoarding, and illegal immigrants.

    In a joint press conference with the caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, Sarfaraz Bugti also stressed that all state institutions will go to any length to eliminate the menace of smuggling and hoarding in the country.

    The caretaker government recovered sugar and urea in a very large quantity in different parts of the country, and operations against wheat, sugar, urea, dollars, and other commodities is still continuing, he added.

    Almost 59 people who were involved in the illegal business of Hundi-Hawala have also been arrested, the security czar said.

    “But what is ironic is that now the elements involved in smuggling have started hoarding various things,” he added.

    On a question regarding terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, Bugti said that the neighbouring country should abide by the Doha Agreement, which is a surety that Afghan soil will not be used against any country.

  • FC official killed in targeted Peshawar blast, eight injured

    A vehicle belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC’s Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted Monday morning at 10:30am in Peshawar. According to the Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan the blast occurred when the vehicle was headed toward Peshawar from Machni.

    A Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was martyred and eight others, including two civilians were injured. The blast took place near Prime Hospital Complex on Peshawar’s Warsak Road.

    The incident took place just one day after acting interim Minister Sarfraz Bugti downplayed the rise in militancy in the country, stating there was no need for fear since “a little surge [in terrorism] is not so big as to make us panic.”

  • MDCAT candidates caught cheating via Bluetooth

    MDCAT candidates caught cheating via Bluetooth

    Dozens of candidates have been caught cheating in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) MDCAT exams conducted in a number of cities on Sunday.

    Over 40 candidates, including 20 female candidates, were arrested in Peshawar while 10 were taken into custody in DI Khan.

    All of the detainees were said to be using Bluetooth to cheat in the test. And as reported by Geo, DI Khan police sources claimed that VIP passes were issued to the candidates for which a hefty amount was paid to take the exam through dishonest means.

    Moreover, police received reports of MDCAT paper getting leaked via Bluetooth devices.

    Initially, FIRs were lodged at police stations Sharqi, Faqirabad and Pahari Pura. All the 43 candidates were later released on personal surety and will be produced before the court on September 11.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary has issued instructions on tracking down government officials involved in cheating and to bring the facilitators to justice. He also asked the IT Board and higher education department to ameliorate their test strategy.