Babar Azam became the fastest Pakistani batsman to reach 12000 runs in international cricket during the first One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand on Thursday at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
When asked about his achievement and how excited he was, Babar Azam humbly replied that he has never focused on individual milestones.
“I have never focused on individual milestones. My focus has always been to deliver for the team and give such performances that win matches for my team. When you play with that goal, you achieve milestones along the way,” the skipper said.
Stating that a player’s aim should always be to give impactful performances, Azam credited the milestones as, “byproducts of that mentality.”
The captain of the team emphasized that he does not have any personal ambitions. “What I want is to strive for the country’s success. I have never focused on achieving one record or the other. These things come with performance. But my main aim has always been to win the matches and tournaments for the country and make my performance count,” he added.
When asked about Fakhar Zaman’s compliments on his and Mohammad Rizwan’s accomplishments for Pakistan, Azam responded that Zaman’s words were indicative of genuine team camaraderie.
“What Fakhar has said is a reflection of our team culture. We back and encourage each other. We spend time with each other a lot more than we do with our families and to become a well-bonded unit, it is important to stand by your teammates and enjoy each other’s success. We back each other in an effort to get the best results for the team and for the country,” he said.
The second ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand will take place on Saturday at Pindi Cricket Stadium.
In the late hours of Friday night, a heavy contingent of officials from anti-corruption department and police reached the Gulberg residence of former Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi in Lahore to arrest him in a corruption case.
According to Elahi’s lawyer, pre-arrest bail had already been taken from a court until May 6 in the particular case. However, the team insisted that they need Elahi in a new case and they would not leave without arresting him.
Sometime later, the raiding team used an armoured vehicle to break down the main gate of Elahi’s house, arresting multiple staff members. Female police officers also took women into custody.
The plan was to arrest Elahi too, however, after a thorough search they couldn’t find him.
They also tried to force their way into the adjoining residence of PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, but they were resisted by Shujaat’s sons.
After the episode, Elahi’s son moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) to stop the police. Many politicians, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, strongly condemned the raid.
laundering Sharif & Zardari families in this manner? Enough is enough. Tomorrow I will give roadmap to our nation on how to stand up against this destruction of our Constitution & democracy.
فاشسٹ حکومت طاقت کے نشے میں اندھی ہوگئی پرویز الہی صاحب کے گھر پر حملہ کردیا گیا ہے۔ گھر کے دروازے توڑے جارہے ہے چادر اور چار دیواری کا تقدس پامال کیا جارہا ہے۔ پرویز الہی نے پنجاب اسمبلی تحلیل کردی تھی اس کی سزا انکو دی جارہی ہے۔ @MoonisElahi6pic.twitter.com/lKAvF4MwQb
ایک طرف مذاکرات دوسری طرف گرفتاریاں؟ چوہدری پرویز الہی کے گھر چھاپہ سے ثابت ہوتا ہے کہ اسحق ڈار، سعد رفیق اور اعظم تارڑ کی اپنی حکومت میں کوئ حیثیت نہیں ، اس چھاپے کی شدید مذمت کرتے ہیں
The citizens of Pakistan, a poor country with a population of 220 million, have been struggling with record-high inflation due to the government’s inability to control prices. According to the weekly bulletin released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the weekly inflation increased by 46.82 per cent year-on-year and 0.15 per cent week-on-week, ending on April 27.
The rise in the sensitive price indicator (SPI) was attributed to the increase in the prices of potatoes, chicken, wheat flour, gur, bread, and rice irri-6/9. On the other hand, there was a decrease in the prices of tomatoes, bananas, onions, sugar, LPG, pulse masoor, and mustard oil during the same period. The SPI for the week under review was recorded at 252.20 points, up from 251.83 points the previous week and 171.78 points recorded during the week ended on April 28, 2022.
Fahad Rauf, head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, attributed the moderate increase in SPI mainly to the rise in the prices of potatoes and mutton. The price trend of perishable food items during the Eid week has been mixed, with the prices of some items going up and some going down. Ismail Iqbal Securities predicted that the CPI for April 2023 would come around 38 per cent, up from 35.4 per cent in March 2023, due to house rent revisions and higher wheat prices.
The absence of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and persistent inflationary pressures may result in another rate hike, as per Ismail Iqbal Securities. An interest rate hike could further discourage businesses, which have already postponed their expansion plans and hiring. Import restrictions have also added to the woes of industries and businesses that have faced frequent shutdowns, resulting in uncertain or no wages for millions of workers.
The SPI is compiled by PBS by collecting prices of 51 essential items from 50 markets in 17 cities of the country. During the week, prices of 21 items increased by 41 per cent, while prices of seven items decreased by 13.73 per cent, and prices of 23 items remained unchanged, accounting for 45.10 per cent of the total. Various weightages are assigned to different commodities in the SPI basket, with milk, electricity, wheat flour, sugar, firewood, long cloth, and vegetable ghee having the highest weights for the lowest quintile. The price of milk and wheat flour increased, while the price of sugar decreased. The prices of electricity, firewood, long cloth, and vegetable ghee remained unchanged. However, the prices of all these commodities increased on a yearly basis.
Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah has revealed that he suffered from mental stress after the death of his mother and took medication for a year to combat it.
Shah’s mother passed away a day before he made his international debut in Brisbane, Australia in 2019. The fast bowler was just 16 years of age at the time.
In an interview given to Samaa, Naseem Shah said that even today he can’t talk about his mother’s memories. The fast bowler further said that he still talks to her in solitude, adding that she was the only person with whom he shared details of his life, whether good or bad.
Talking about dealing with his mother’s death, Naseem said that it was such a trying time in his life that he had to take medication to relax. The heartthrob said he avoids visiting his home because it reminds him of his mother. Additionally, he revealed that he envisions his mother sitting in front of him.
In a surprising statistic, in the three last years at least 54.53 per cent of candidates, who appeared for the Central Superior Services (CSS) Examination failed Pakistan’s national language Urdu subject.
In 2019, 30 per cent of candidates failed in Urdu, while in 2020 and 2021, the rate of failure shot up to 59 per cent and 73 per cent.
Regarding the success rate in English, 35,000 out of 49,500 candidates failed in the subject in 2019 with a rate of failure of 73 per cent, which got better in 2020 when only 39 per cent got failed. However, in 2021, 92 per cent failed the subject.
The details of the candidates were presented in the National Assembly (NA) on Friday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has clarified that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s statement about Pakistan army not being fully compatible to fight against India has been taken out of context.
“To this end, views of the former army chief on the future threats to Pakistan, which he shared with media persons in an off-the-record interactive session, have been quoted out of context,” ISPR said.
It added that the army “always took and will continue to take pride in our operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness.”
Earlier, Senior Journalist Hamid Mir said that Bajwa had told journalists in 2021 that the Pakistan Army is not capable of getting into combat against the rival country.
He claimed that immediately after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had to visit Pakistan in 2021 but the then-Foreign Minister (FM) Shah Mahmood Qureshi and former PM Imran Khan weren’t aware of it.
When Khan demanded that details regarding Modi’s visit should be given to Foreign Office (FO) “Bajwa came to the FO with his entire convoy and gave a lecture”.
“This was the same lecture that he gave in front of us once too that army tanks are not capable of running and there is no diesel for troop movement,” the journalist said.
The journalist’s claims were picked up by Indian media and reported by major news outlets.
Lightning strikes in the Indian state of West Bengal have killed at least 14 people. The disaster management department confirmed that four individuals lost their lives in Purba Bardhaman district, while two each were killed in Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas districts.
According to police officials in West Bengal, an additional six deaths were reported in the Paschim Midnapore and Howrah Rural districts. “Three deaths each were reported from Paschim Midnapore and Howrah rural,” an official said.
Officials have stated that the majority of the victims were farmers who were working in agricultural fields and were struck by lightning after moderate rainfalls.
There hasn’t been a better time to watch Pakistani dramas than now, what with a whole range of shows and actors set to make their mark on our screens. It looks like finally the entertainment industry has started listening to our calls for something other than the saas-bahu jhagray, because these shows range from celebrating women in sports to satire to exploring the thrills of first love.
It also looks like Pakistanis are about to see fresh faces as well as some beloved actors make their debute on screen as Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed are coming back once more, and Instagram influencers like Mamia Shahjaffer, Khushhal Khan and Dananeer are set to star as main leads.
We’re definitely certain that you’re cancelling your plans to set up your movie night after scrolling through our list.
22 Qadam
Starring Hareem Farooq and Wahaj Ali, the drama is set to explore the lives of women in sports, through the story of Fari (played by Farooq) who aspires to become a cricketer. Speaking to The Current, Farooq called 22 Qadam “the voice of the unheard” and said that the sole inspiration behind this show was women like Sana Mir:
“The first person that comes to our mind when you talk about women and cricket is Sana Mir, she’s been an inspiration for so many women out there. It is just about breaking stereotypes and the taboos out there that women can also excel in sports, and if nothing else it makes you more independent and gives you that confidence that allows you to face the world in the best way possible.”
College Gate
It looks like the entertainment industry has finally understood that there isn’t any one out there willnigly ready to sit down and listen to another shaadi story about underaged women marrying men twice their age, because we’re finally getting a story about college students and their personal experiences. The show, starring Khaqan Shahnawaz, Mamia Shahjaffer and veteran actress Saba Hameed, promises to be a drama unlike what has been shown before with topics like addiction, peer pressure and depression thrown into the story.
Barzakh
Starring power leads Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed along with newcomer model Khushhal Khan, the series has definitely captured our attention, especially the fact that it is written and directed by the mastermind behind Churails (2018), Asim Abbasi. Speaking to Variety, Abbasi said that the inspiration for the series came after the death of his father and watching his own son grow into a young boy:
“In the aftermath of my father’s passing, and witnessing my son grow into a young boy, I found myself consumed with nostalgia, and memories of times gone and loves lost. And I began to think about my fears – the end of consciousness, the end of imagination, the end of love. And from these fears, grew a story where love was indeed eternal. Where it survived us – making it the ultimate human legacy.”
Producer of the series Kerjiwal said:
“‘Barzakh’ is a product of COVID brain – it was a time where like everyone else, Asim and I were talking about love, life, death, losing loved ones, unable to say our goodbyes. There was a sense of loss, but also confusion, because of a lack of completion. Death and parting didn’t seem like a finality like it used to because funerals and weddings were both happening on Zoom.
This new reality was surreal and to make any sense of it, physical contact or in-person meeting with friends and family became crucial. Hence the idea about a show which essentially was a family reunion came up.”
101 Talakhien
This looks like the perfect drama for anyone (especially us) who is bored to death of marriage obsessed culture, and wants something dark and satirical- which is exactly what the show promises to deliver. Zahid Ahmed stars as famous lawyer Rustom Kavasji, who artfully decodes how couples begin to fall apart after getting married.
Muhabbat Gumshuda Meri
This seems like a Pakistani version of K-dramas which will explore the thrills of high school relationships, because this trailer has already got us counting down the days to the release. TikTok star Dananeer and model and actor Khushhal Khan are the main leads of the drama and are shown to be complete opposites, who slowly come to fall in love with each other. However, their relationship is threatened by their parents leading to the couple going to any lengths to protect their relationship.
Idiot
Fans of Ahmed Ali Akbar who loved him in ‘Parizaad’ and ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ are in for a treat because the hearthrob has already sparked anticipation with his upcoming film ‘Gunjal’ and now with his drama ‘Idiot’ where he is set to star opposite Mansha Pasha.
As soon as he used the expression, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique burst into laughter. PM Shehbaz turned around to look at the members seated closest to him. He asked if he pronounced the word correctly, to which they laughed and nodded.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari can also be seen smiling up at Shehbaz Sharif from his chair.
However, the exact meaning of the word eluded many. So we did some sleuthing on Twitter.
According to one social media user ‘Bhambhal bhoochiyan‘ means putting someone in trouble or confusion.
یہ لفظ ۲۰۰۳ میں پہلی بار ICMA میں اکنامکس کے ٹیچر سے سنا تھا جو کہ Phd Ecnomics, وزٹنگ لیکچرر اور ساتھ گریڈ ۲۰ کے بیوروکریٹ بھی تھے ہم اس لفظ کو کوئی گندہ لفظ سمجھے تھے اور ساری کلاس ہنسنے لگی تھی مگر انھوں نے ا سکا ترجمہ شاید “مشکل میں یا الجھن میں ڈالنا” بتایا تھا
A study conducted by scientists from China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group has estimated the cost of a proposed China-Pakistan railway project to be $57.7 billion. The railway will connect Gwadar Port with Xinjiang’s Kashgar, and is expected to have strategic significance, potentially reshaping trade and geopolitics. The project will improve connectivity among the countries along the ancient Silk Road trade routes and is part of a plan to reduce dependence on Western-dominated routes.
The study urges the Chinese government and financial institutions to provide strong support for the project, including increasing coordination and collaboration among relevant domestic departments and striving for the injection of support funds. Pakistan’s economy is expected to receive a much-needed boost from the infrastructure and will easily trade with China. The researchers said the project is expected to create more jobs, boost infrastructure investment, and increase trade.
However, the study notes that Pakistan’s GDP last year was just six times the estimated cost of the project, making sufficient financing difficult. Pakistan is mainly relying on Chinese enterprises for investment and construction, as it is unable to provide sufficient financial and material support.
Moreover, the security issues in Pakistan pose a risk to Chinese workers and investments, which may hinder the railway project. Despite these challenges, the study emphasizes the strategic significance of the railway project and urges strong support and policy guarantees for its construction.
