Author: newsdesk

  • ‘I was called dark and fat when I started working in the industry’: Kajol

    Bollywood actress Kajol has a long list of hits to her credit, including ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham’ (2001), ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (1995) and ‘Baazigar’ (1993).

    However, in an interview with ‘Humans of Bombay’ the actress talked about the struggles she faced when she started out in the film industry. Kajol, who is the daughter of yesteryears heroine Tanuja, said that she struggled to find good roles because of inappropriate comments about her skin and weight.

    “‘She is dark, she is fat and she wears specs all the time.’ These were some of the judgments that were passed when I first started working in the industry,” the ‘Dilwale’ actress recalled.

    However, Kajol, known for her feisty sense of humor and outspoken personality, revealed that she didn’t let the negativity hold her back and kept fighting hard for success.

    “I couldn’t care less. I knew I was smart, cool and better than everyone out there who had any negative thing to say about me. So, I kept continuing to be myself and never let it show. Sooner or later, when they couldn’t pull me down, the world simply embraced me for who I was.”

    Kajol had previously starred in the critically acclaimed documentary ‘The Romantics’ where she had spoken about starting as Simran in the critically acclaimed Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaien Ge (DDLJ), and revealed that initially she had found her character to be boring and couldn’t relate to her at all.

  • Pak Suzuki extends shutdown of motorcycle plant due to lack of raw materials

    The Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) has confirmed that it will keep its motorcycle plant closed until April 28 due to ongoing import restrictions that have impacted the auto sector, resulting in low inventory levels. A notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) stated that “the management of the company has decided to extend the shutdown period of its motorcycle plant till April 28, 2023.”

    The company had already shut down its motorcycle plant from April 4 to April 15 due to a lack of raw materials, while the automobile plant was shut from April 7 to April 14. PSMC assembles, manufactures, and markets Suzuki cars, pickups, vans, 4x4s, motorcycles and spare parts. The Suzuki brand originates from Japan.

    Pakistan’s auto sector is facing several crises, with other listed companies such as Indus Motor Company Limited and Honda Atlas Cars halting production in recent months due to economic difficulties. Honda Atlas Cars Pakistan extended the shutdown of its plant by another 15 days. Similarly, other automakers, including Indus Motor Company Limited, have announced temporary production shutdowns. According to the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), Pakistan’s auto industry reported a 66 per cent decline in car sales in March 2023 compared to March 2022.

    JS Research analyst Wasil Zaman has predicted a cumulative volume decline of over 50 per cent year-on-year in fiscal year 2023, extending to the first half of fiscal year 2024. Zaman stated that “with foreign exchange reserves at critically low levels leaving little room for improvement on the supply side for auto manufacturers.”

  • BPL Team owner Nafisa Kamal eager to buy new franchise in PSL

    BPL Team owner Nafisa Kamal eager to buy new franchise in PSL

    Nafisa Kamal, owner of the four times Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) champions Comilla Victorians has shown interest in buying a franchise in Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    Bangladeshi journalist Fahim Rahman has reported that Nafisa is one of the individuals who are keen to acquire a franchise in the Pakistani league.

    Earlier this year in February, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman, Najam Sethi, had revealed that the PCB regime under Ramiz Raja and Ehsan Mani had reached an agreement with the current six franchises, which made it improbable that any new teams will be added to the PSL in the next two seasons.

    “There is immense pressure to increase the number of teams in PSL, but unfortunately Ehsan Mani and Ramiz Raja made an agreement with the franchises that only six teams will play in the next two years. However, it was an eight-team project.

    We have to convince the franchises to include two more teams. No one will lose anything, and if a franchise suffers a loss, the PCB will take responsibility,” Sethi said.

    “But there is a high demand to include two more teams, and it will be more successful with many people showing interest to be part of it. Let me tell you, even if there were 10 teams now, all of them would be sold due to the high demand,” he added.

    However, Sethi also recognized the valid concerns of the existing franchises, about potential revenue loss and market saturation.

    “There are a lot of concerns from the franchises regarding their revenues and whether the market can take it or not. And for this, we have to hold a discussion because without them we can’t move forward,” Sethi said.

    “They have to be part of the consultation process. But what I will say is this: so many people are interested to buy these two teams, and if new teams are coming in the PSL, then it will be a win-win situation for all,” he added.

  • Pakistan moves closer to finalising oil deal with Russia as team arrives in Karachi

    Pakistan has taken a step forward in its efforts to secure a loan deal with Russia, as a delegation has arrived in Karachi to finalise a crude oil deal with Pakistan State Oil (PSO). However, the Energy Ministry has not yet revealed the payment method or the discount rate for the crude oil prices, keeping it confidential for now.

    Technical teams from the Operational Services Centre held talks with the PSO team last month, but progress was not made on the constitution of a Special Purpose Vehicle responsible for importing crude and making payments. The Russian delegation is now in Pakistan to finalise the government-to-government agreement, including the mode of payment. Pakistan wants to pay in rupee, while Russia is asking for payment in China’s Yuan or Ruble. Once the deal is done, Pakistan will place an order with Russia for crude oil purchase.

    According to sources, the Russian ship will arrive in mid-May, and the current Brent price in the international market is $85.16 per barrel, while Russian oil is available at $47-48 per barrel. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is asking local banks to open letters of credit for importing Russian oil, but they are hesitant to do so mainly because of the G7 countries’ regulations of following the price cap of $60 per barrel or below it and making payments under Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) arrangement.

    PSO has never imported crude oil before, and refineries have been importing crude under long-term agreements from ADNOC and Saudi Aramco. However, in the case of Russian crude, refineries will not be involved in the import, but it will be an SPV with representatives from PSO and PSC. Pakistan may get Russian crude price with a discount close to $50 per barrel, $10 per barrel below the cap price imposed by G7 countries on Russian oil in the wake of the war on Ukraine.

    One of the top officials in the coalition government suggests that the decision to import Russian crude under the government-to-government agreement at a 30 per cent discount may not provide the required relief as shipping and refining costs will erode the maximum discount. Additionally, Pakistan refineries will only be able to extract 10 per cent MS out of Ural crude and 50 per cent furnace oil.

    The government needs to conduct a commercial analysis to determine if importing Russian oil will benefit Pakistan’s economy and to what extent. Industrial sources suggest that the government should evaluate the economic benefits of importing Russian oil carefully.

  • ‘I loved my character in Kuch Ankahi because she’s fearless’: Qudsia Ali

    Qudsia Ali has won accolades from audiences for her performance as Tania in ‘Kuch Ankahi’, where she plays the younger sister of the family. Speaking to BBC Urdu, Ali opened up about what drove her to the script and how she fell in love with her character:

    “When I read about Tania’s character, the first thing I loved about her was that she’s fearless. She isn’t afraid of anything. A lot of the times women in our families are scared of a lot of things like disapproval from their parents or even their families, especially my character who is scolded for eating. But she loves herself, she doesn’t mind if her mother calls her a ‘gama pelwan’ to which she responds ‘kya gama phelwan meri tarhaan cute tha?’”

    Ali also shared what set Taniya apart from other characters in Pakistani dramas is how she has male friends. It is still quite rare that a man and a woman are shown as just friends and not be romantically innvolved:

    “In the drama, Tania’s closest friend is a boy, which is a new thing for our industry to witness a boy and a girl being friends because in our society, we don’t believe in such things.”

    The ‘Betiyaan’ actress also raved about working next to actors like Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbass.

    “My first question had been ‘Who else has signed up for this drama?’ Then I was told that Sajal Aly and Bilal Abbas had, I was so overwhelmed and excited to become a part of this show.”

    On the fan-favorite moments of the drama involving her interaction with Shakeel, played by Samad Khan, Ali revealed that most of their moments weren’t scripted. Instead, they were improvised.

    “Our bond was based on how both of them are confident, despite their flaws. Shakeel fumbles while speaking but he owns it, while she is told she eats a lot but she doesn’t care. Which is why they have such a strong bond with each other.

    Watch the complete interview below:

  • ‘Nawaz was given assurances PTI would be crushed’: Khan lashes out after security chief’s arrest

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s security chief, Iftikhar Rasool Ghumman in a case pertaining to charges of money laundering.

    Condemning the arrest, the PTI chief said people close to him were being harassed, abducted and tortured.

    Taking to his official Twitter account, Imran wrote: “When Ali Amin was abducted, the DPO told sessions judge in DIK [Dera Ismail Khan] that he would take a contempt charge but had to take custody of Ali Amin as orders came from above.

    “Today, my security in-charge Iftikhar Ghumman has been abducted. This is all part of the London Plan where Nawaz Sharif was given assurances PTI would be crushed.”

    “So now people close to me, along with my leadership, are being harassed, abducted, tortured and confronted with sham cases across Pakistan in total violation of the Constitution and rule of law.”

  • Govt vs Supreme Court: Ruling alliance rejects ‘controversial’ bench constituted to hear pleas on SC bill

    Govt vs Supreme Court: Ruling alliance rejects ‘controversial’ bench constituted to hear pleas on SC bill

    The ruling alliance on Thursday rejected the eight-member bench constituted earlier in the day to hear petitions challenging the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023.

    In a harshly worded statement, the coalition government vowed to resist attempts to remove parliament’s authority and interfere in its constitutional scope. The ruling parties further said, “such a move was never seen in the history of Pakistan and the Supreme Court”.

    The statement mentioned that top court judges — Justice Faez Isa and Justice Aminuddin Khan  — had in their earlier judgments openly expressed their objection to the “one-man show”, biased and dictatorial behaviour and the formation of special benches, while criticising the unchecked powers the Chief Justice of the apex court holds.

    “The constitution of the controversial bench in haste and fixing the bill for hearing, apart from the will and intent, also clearly expresses the decision to come, which is sad and tantamount to murder of justice,” the ruling alliance maintained.

    “With the formation of the eight-member controversial bench, the facts stated in the judgments of these honourable judges have become clearer,” the statement read.

    “The constitution of the controversial bench in haste and fixing the bill for hearing, apart from the will and intent, also clearly expresses the decision to come which is sad and tantamount to murder of justice,” the ruling alliance maintained.

    The bench set to hear plea against the bill comprises of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bnadial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Ayesha A. Malik, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Shahid Waheed.

    The Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, is aimed at depriving the office of the CJP of powers to take suo motu notice in an individual capacity. It was initially passed by both houses of parliament and sent to the president for his assent. However, President Dr Arif Alvi had sent it back, saying that the proposed law travelled “beyond the competence of parliament”.

    The formation of the bench was met with surprise from the legal fraternity as the bill is yet to become law.

  • Rare type of bird flu causes first death in China

    Rare type of bird flu causes first death in China

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a woman in China has died after contracting a rare type of bird flu, making the death the first known human fatality from the strain.

    However, the H3N8 subtype of avian influenza does not seem to spread from person to person.

    The woman, aged 56, was from the southern province of Guangdong and is the third person to have contracted this subtype, with the previous two cases also reported in China last year. Although the Guangdong Provincial Centre for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the third infection in the woman last month, no further information has been provided regarding her death.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that the person who died from the rare H3N8 subtype of avian influenza had various pre-existing health conditions and had been in contact with live birds.

    In China, sporadic cases of bird flu among humans are frequent as avian flu viruses are prevalent among the large populations of domesticated and wild birds. The WHO mentioned that samples taken from a wet market that the woman visited before falling ill tested positive for influenza A(H3), indicating that this might have been where she contracted the infection.

    Although the H3N8 subtype of avian influenza is uncommon in humans, it is prevalent among birds and typically does not cause any noticeable symptoms in them. It has been known to also infect various other animals. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that no other individuals who were in close proximity to the woman were found to have been infected.

  • Pakistan’s auto sector records 98% sales growth in March despite high prices

    Pakistan’s auto sector records 98% sales growth in March despite high prices

    Despite high car prices, Pakistan’s auto sector has seen a growth of 98 per cent in March, selling about 7,201 units compared to 3,642 units sold in the previous month. The increase has provided a ray of hope to the auto sector, which has picked up some pace after several months.

    However, car sales, including sales of non-Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) vehicles, plunged 68 per cent in March compared to the same month last year, due to non-production days and a decline in purchasing power.

    The monthly growth is due to better volumetric sales of Pak Suzuki Motor Company (PSMC) and Indus Motors, which increased by 475 per cent and 6 per cent respectively on a month-on-month basis. Arif Habib Limited also stated that due to rising inflationary pressure, consumers have switched to affordable vehicles of below 1000cc, which increased by 423 per cent.

    Despite the recent growth, fears of a slowdown still exist due to measures taken by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to curb imports, resulting in production limitations as auto assemblers require prior permission to import completely knocked-down (CKD) units and raw materials.

    Sales of all other variants of cars, jeeps, tractors, pick-ups, three-wheelers and two-wheelers have also witnessed a year-on-year decline in March 2023, according to data released by PAMA a day earlier.

    In the first nine months of fiscal year 2022-23, 85,776 units were sold, down 50 per cent from 172,612 units sold during the same period in FY22. Sales of 1300cc and above cars were recorded at 2,913 units, down 67 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year’s sales of 9,280 units. In March 2023, 1,000cc cars recorded sales of 964 units, including 475 units of Suzuki Cultus and 489 units of Suzuki WagonR, against 2,410 units in the same month last year.

    Further breakdown of the data reveals that below 1000cc vehicles recorded a sale of 3,324 units, lower by 70 per cent than 11,109 units sold last year. Suzuki’s new Alto sold 2,542 units in March 2023 compared to 9,814 units in March 2022.

    Buses and trucks saw a decrease to 308 units in March from 565 units in the same month last year, while sales of jeeps and pick-ups decreased to 2,150 units from 4,403 units sold during the same period last year. Sales of tractors dropped to 2,984 units from 5,651 units in March 2022, while sales of rickshaws and motorbikes also decreased to 84,307 units in March against 151,010 units in the same period last year.

    PSMC recorded a jump of 475 per cent on a monthly basis to 5,628 units primarily due to the availability of CKD parts amid an easing of LC issues, while Indus Motors reported an increase of 6 per cent month-on-month to 1,912 units in March. However, Honda Car (HCAR) sales declined by 49 per cent month-on-month to 835 units in March due to the closure of the plant for 23 days on account of CKD issues.

    Hyundai sales were down 34 per cent month-on-month, with Tucson down 46 per cent month-on-month to 380 units and Sonata down 40 per cent month-on-month to 118 units in the period under review.

  • President Alvi shares list of 10 must-read books

    President Alvi shares list of 10 must-read books

    Dr Arif Alvi, the President of Pakistan, has shared a list of his favourite books for readers.
    In a 31-minute-long video, President Alvi listed his top must-read books and encouraged the youth to study them too.

    Check out President Alvi’s recommendations below:

    • The End of History and the Last Man
    • The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
    • Journey into Europe
    • The Islamic Enlightenment: The modern struggle between faith and reason
    • Humane: How United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War
    • Three Presidents and an Aide: Life, Power & Politics
    • Think Again
    • Through Two Doors at Once: The Elegant Experiment That Captures the Enigma of Our Quantum Reality
    • The Illustrated Rumi: A Treasury of Wisdom from the Poet of The Soul
    • Sukhn-e-Iftikhar | سخن افتخار