Author: newsdesk

  • Palestinian journalist along with children killed by Israel

    Palestinian journalist along with children killed by Israel

    Israel has killed Palestinian journalist Wafa Aludaini along with her family in a targeted airstrike.

    On Monday, Wafa, along with her husband Mueir Aludaini, and their two children were martyred in an overnight attack. She was a prominent English speaking journalist working for international news outlets, residing in Deir-Al-Balah, central Gaza strip.

    Many fellow journalists praised her dedication to bringing the stories of Gaza to the world.

    Journalist Noor Harazeen shared pictures of Waffa and bid her farewell.

    “Aludaini was well-known among European media outlets and conveyed the suffering of our people in English, which she was a master of,” Ahmed Abu Artema, a Palestinian journalist and friend of Aludaini, told Middle East Eye.

    Pakistani journalist and an Executive Producer at Geo News, Hassam Ahmed, shared his experience of interaction with Wafa in a Facebook post in which he revealed that despite all the bombardments and cruelty, Wafa used to reply to him calmly, “We’re okay, we are under Allah’s protection.”

    However, one day she said, “No. We are not okay.”

    He said that he helplessly told her that all he can do as a journalist is raise his voice for them and she replied, “Your voices are all we need now.”

    The death toll of Palestinian journalists has reached 174.

  • Pakistani band performs in Bangladesh; military called in to control massive crowds

    Pakistani band performs in Bangladesh; military called in to control massive crowds

    A massive crowd forced the Bangladeshi army to intervene during Pakistani band Jal’s recent concert in Dhaka.

    Jal returned to perform in Bangladesh after 14 years alongside local bands at the Legends of the Decade concert in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Saturday.

    “Dhaka Arena was initially chosen for the concert, but due to rain, the venue was changed urgently and the concert was organized in a mall,” GEO reported.

    According to the organisers, the emergency change of venue led to severe chaos at the concert.

    Many fans forcibly entered the concert without purchasing tickets.

  • Barrister Saif accuses Maryam Nawaz of mistreating Bushra bibi

    Barrister Saif accuses Maryam Nawaz of mistreating Bushra bibi

    Information Advisor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Barrister Saif has claimed on Tuesday that former First Lady Bushra Bibi, wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, is being mistreated in Adiala jail on Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s orders.

    Barrister Saif claimed that Bushra Bibi was frisked in jail continuously under the guise of prison check by the police in front of cameras and added that she was also mentally tormented after being forcefully awakened at night, ARY News has reported.

    He said, “Bushra Bibi kay through Imran Khan ko toornay ki koshish ki ja rahi hai.”

    Meanwhile, responding to Barrister Saif’s accusations, Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bokhari said, “Maryam Nawaz is not even aware of which cell Bushra Bibi is in at Adiala Jail.”

    She further added, “Bushra Bibi can eat eggs, chicken, or chicken broth; Maryam Nawaz doesn’t care.”

  • Gari check karo: Punjab to buy 79 new luxury vehicles worth crores for govt officials

    Gari check karo: Punjab to buy 79 new luxury vehicles worth crores for govt officials

    The Punjab government is reportedly planning to purchase 79 new luxury vehicles for provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and other senior officials at a cost of 61 crore, 24 lakh 75 thousand rupees.

    According to Dawn News, the Ministry of External Affairs has requested the Punjab government to provide vehicles to 15 VVIPs, including bulletproof vehicles for 12 prime ministers, which will begin on October 15 in Islamabad. They are coming to attend the 2-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    Additional Chief Secretary Punjab briefed the Cabinet Standing Committee on Finance and Development about the need for vehicles with plans to strengthen the transport pool of the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) with luxury vehicles.

    Senior S&GAD officials say that every new government in the province, including the caretaker government, had bought luxury vehicles for provincial ministers, parliamentary secretaries, judges and other senior officials. Can release funds with advance withdrawal authorization of Rs.75 lakhs.

    The Additional Chief Secretary informed the Cabinet Standing Committee on Finance and Development that the Punjab government recently appointed 29 Parliamentary Secretaries under Section 3 of the Parliamentary Secretaries (Salary, Allowances and Perks) Ordinance, 2002 (LXXI of 2002). have been appointed and assigned departments to them.

    Under the constitution, every Parliamentary Secretary has the right to use a sanctioned vehicle for both functionary and private purposes.

    The fresh Chief Secretary informed the commission that the government had appointed 29 administrative registers in August, for whom the S&GAD was looking for luxury vehicles.

    So far, the transport wing has provided several vehicles to 20 parliamentary secretaries from the transport pool of S&GAD; the ACS said the government needs to purchase nine more new official vehicles for the remaining parliamentary secretaries.

    He also said that in view of the possibility of expansion in the provincial cabinet and parliamentary secretaries in the future, they also need 20 more vehicles as a reserve.

    Considering the current law and order situation in the province, the government has requested 30 new Toyota Hilux single cabins (with special fibre hoods installed at the back), which are also necessary for the security of the provincial ministers.

    The meeting was informed that the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is scheduled to be held in Islamabad on October 15 and 16. The government of Pakistan expects 12 heads of government to attend the meeting.

    The committee was told that the Ministry of External Affairs had procured 15 bulletproof or non-bulletproof VVIP vehicles (Mercedes Benz, BMW, Toyota Land Cruiser and Fortuner) from the Punjab government for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting during the first three weeks of October.

    Currently, S&GAD is facing a shortage of vehicles and SUVs for protocol duties as well as VVIPs, especially during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Islamabad, for this purpose, 2 Toyota Fortuner and 15 Toyota Corolla Alts 1.6 vehicles can also be purchased, the Additional Chief Secretary told the Standing Committee that a total of 76 new vehicles need to be bought from the dealers of Indus Motor Company Limited in the transport pool of S&GAD.

    This includes Rs 22.13 lakh 99 thousand for the purchase of 29 Toyota Corolla Alts X Grande 1.8 CVT Ones for Parliamentary Secretaries. For the purchase of 15 Toyota Corolla Alts X 1.6 CVT cars, S&GAD needs Rs 9.96 crore per car.

    In order to fulfil the protocol duties at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, the government’s transport pool will have to purchase two Toyota Fortuner Sigma 2.8 litre T diesels at the cost of Rs 1 crore 80 lakh 93 thousand.

  • The missing paintings featured in ‘Kabhi Mein, Kabhi Tum’ have been returned to the artist

    The missing paintings featured in ‘Kabhi Mein, Kabhi Tum’ have been returned to the artist

    Safdar Ali Soomro, a talented artist from Daharki in Ghokti, Sindh, never imagined that his paintings would be featured in the smash hit drama Kabhi Mein Kabhi Tum. He lost the paintings a long time ago.

    Now, Ferrier Hall management has returned the paintings to the artist, who confirmed their discovery in a Facebook video.

    “I was previously asked to collect my paintings on September 30, and I have now retrieved my paintings after many years.”

    He demanded, “Over the past seven years, my paintings, which have earned crores of rupees by being displayed in various exhibitions, plays and cafes should also earn me royalty payments.”

    He thanked the media for raising its voice, stating, “It was only due to media support that I was able to recover my paintings.”

    Later, when the paintings were featured in the play Kabhi Mein, Kabhi Tum he raised the issue on social media, prompting the Sindh Culture Department to form a committee to investigate the matter.

    The Inquiry Committee, in its report, claimed that Safdar Ali Soomro’s paintings were not stolen but remained in Ferrier Hall. The confusion arose because the paintings were frequently moved from one place to another for exhibitions, leading to the mistaken belief that they had been stolen.

  • Imran Khan calls on PTI to organize nationwide protests

    Imran Khan calls on PTI to organize nationwide protests

    Founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has announced a series of nationwide protests by his party, including the federal capital Islamabad, with the aim of achieving the “independence of judiciary.”

    Addressing his supporters through a statement issued from Adiala Jail Rawalpindi on Monday, Khan announced that protests will be held at D Chowk Islamabad on October 4, at Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore on October 5, and in Mianwali, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur on October 2 as well, Tribune has reported.

    Meanwhile, section 144 has been imposed at Faisalabad for October 2 and 3.

    Predicting that the protests would be peaceful, Khan said, “We have always protested peacefully, but this system has failed to protect us.”

    Imran Khan also backed Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur in his conduct on the recent PTI protest in Rawalpindi, stating, “Gandapur awakened the province’s people.”

    PTI called a nationwide protest despite a freshly passed public order law which noted: “Every party wanting to hold a protest has to appoint an event coordinator who would write to the district magistrate for permission to hold the gathering at least seven days before the intended date of the event.

    It also added, “Upon receipt of the application, the district magistrate, before granting permission, shall examine the prevailing law and order situation and obtain security clearance reports from law enforcement agencies.”

  • Indian poet stands with Palestinians, refuses American award

    Indian poet stands with Palestinians, refuses American award

    Indian poet Jacinta Kerketta has declined an award from an American organization as an act of protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    Jacinta Kerketta was selected for the ‘Room to Read Young Author Award 2024’ by an Indian non-governmental organization in collaboration with USAID, for her children’s poetry collection Jirhul. However, she refused to accept the award, citing the USA’s involvement in the Gaza genocide.

    “The local organization that selected me for the award works for children’s education, but it is funded by organizations like USAID, which do business with arms companies responsible for the massacre of children in Gaza,” she said.

    She added, “How can the business of armaments and the care for children coexist when the world of children is being destroyed by these same weapons?”

    She concluded, “Books are important for children, but thousands of children were killed in Palestine, and elders are unable to protect them.”

  • Nadeem Baig says awards have ‘no value’ after Arsalan Naseer wins against Naumaan Ijaz

    Nadeem Baig says awards have ‘no value’ after Arsalan Naseer wins against Naumaan Ijaz

     
    Director Nadeem Baig has raised concerns about the credibility of awards shows in the entertainment industry.
     
    Recently, Baig appeared as a guest on Say It All with Iffat Omar, where he talked about how Arsalan Naseer won the Best Actor award, beating Naumaan Ijaz.
     
    “For instance, in front of Naumaan Ijaz, Arsalan Naseer, who just entered the industry through YouTube, he gets an award for Best Actor. I’m sorry, this surprises me. Actually, such awards don’t exist in Pakistan. There is one award for fashion, and they have to include the film and TV category so that they have good attendance and good faces sitting in the front row. They give five awards each for film and TV. So it’s about the category. You cannot put Sajal Aly and Saba Hamid in the same category, it will be very unfair.”
     
    Talking about the credibility of the current awards show, he categorically stated:

    “I think the awards that are being given, they hold no value. I’m not saying this lightly, I mean, when something is so public, if you don’t acknowledge it, it diminishes your worth. The awards you give then lose their significance. It’s as if everyone just shows up today and gets one of these social media awards, including Lux, I don’t know what the format is, but when the public is voting, it can be hacked. You can hire 500 people to vote or do something else. At the end of the day, what happens is that you receive a surprise there that leaves you  stunned.”

  • Baloch Artist Akhtar Chanal reveals secrets behind ‘Dane Pe Dana’ and the ‘Afghan Jalebi’ controversy

    Baloch Artist Akhtar Chanal reveals secrets behind ‘Dane Pe Dana’ and the ‘Afghan Jalebi’ controversy

    Akhtar Chanal Zahri, the renowned Balochi folk artist, has talked about his popular hits, emerging Balochi musicians, and the controversy surrounding his song ‘Afghan Jalebi,’ during the 35-day international cultural fair organized in collaboration with Geo Digital and the Karachi Arts Council. The fair features performances by artists from 40 countries, and Pakistani folk artists are making a mark with their unique styles.

    His popular song ‘Dane Pe Dana’ is the one that catapulted him to fame. However, he changed the song after hearing it from a fakir and first performed it for a local news network.

    He said, “I had gone to Qalat, where I heard a fakir singing this song in a beautiful style. I changed it, and when I sang the song, I was amazed by the love and affection I received from people. It was a miraculous song that eventually made it to Coke Studio.”

    “Currently, I am upset with the Coke Studio people, for several reasons which I will explain later,” he added.

    Regarding the song ‘Afghan Jalebi,’ which is from an Indian movie and sung by Pakistani musician Asrar Shah, Akhtar Chanal was asked about his connection to the song and whether he knew the film’s story was anti-Pakistan.

    In response, he said, “I got a call that an Indian film was being made, and they wanted me to sing a song in it. I said okay, send the song. The lyrics sounded very inappropriate; the song had a very tapori style. I said, sir, I am a folk artist—I can’t sing these lyrics.”

    He further explained, “They kept following up with me and asked me to sing. Then they said, ‘Akhtar Bhai, if you don’t like the lyrics, you can change the words.’ So I sang the song. My original version was released online, but the version in the film was sung by Pakistani musician Asrar.”

    Regarding the film, he added, “I did not know that Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan were in it, but later I realized the film had an anti-Pakistan storyline, so I decided to step away from it.”

    He also congratulated new and emerging Baloch artists including Kafi Khalil, Wahab Bugti, and Eva B, for the popularity of ‘Kanha Yaari’ and their role in promoting Balochi music.

    Balochi music is very popular in the Middle East, and Akhtar Chanal explained the reason behind its appeal.

    “This style of music has an attraction that draws listeners to it. Despite language differences, people are becoming fans of Balochi music after hearing it.”

    He also congratulated the President of the Karachi Arts Council, Ahmed Shah, and Jang and Geo News for organizing the International Cultural Fair. He said, “I have dedicated myself to those who know the value of art and music. The arrival of international artists in Pakistan helps present a positive image of the country. Such fairs should continue to be held.”

  • Pakistan rickshaw driver and martial artist breaks India’s Guinness World Record

    Pakistan rickshaw driver and martial artist breaks India’s Guinness World Record

    Pakistani martial artist Arshad Mehsood, a rickshaw driver from South Waziristan, broke the Guinness World Record previously held by Indian Chinmay Sharma.

    Indian martial artist had 334 elbow strikes in one minute, while Arshad Mehsud of Pakistan broke the Indian record by a large margin by making 373 elbow strikes.

    Talking to Geo News, Arshad said, “My father has passed away. I belong to Upper South Waziristan, and now I go to the fight club every day after driving a rickshaw in Dera Ismail (DI) Khan.”

    Arshad is a disciple of Presidential Award Winner and Guinness World Record Holder Irfan Mehsood.

    More than 20 Irfan students have made Guinness World Records.