Category: Uncategorized

  • US finally defends Donald Lu against PTI allegations

    US finally defends Donald Lu against PTI allegations

    More than an year after Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu was named by the then Prime Minister Imran Khan as a conspirator who got his government removed from power, a senior US official has publicly defended him.

    Elizabeth Horst, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, said that the allegations levelled by the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were “categorically false”.

    The American government has repeatedly denied Imran Khan’s allegations, however, they have never named him before Tuesday.

    Horst made the remarks at a conference held in Houston to discuss the future of American and Pakistani relations. “We do not let propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation get in the way of any bilateral relationship, including our valued partnership with Pakistan,” she said, adding that her speech was an “opportunity to address disinformation”.

    Horst also reiterated her administration’s stance of working with any government elected by the Pakistani people as the National Assembly is expected to be dissolved next month.

    “We do not have any position on any political candidate or party,” Horst said during the conference, stressing that the US supports democratic principles, freedom of speech, and the rule of law.

    The statements come in the backdrop of looming general elections, after media reports have said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have decided to dissolve the National Assembly before the completion of its tenure.

    However, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted on Tuesday that the date for dissolution of the National Assembly has not been decided yet. She has also said that the date would be decided after consultation with allied parties of the coalition government.

  • Zebby becomes ‘National Cat of the Year’ for assisting deaf owner

    Zebby becomes ‘National Cat of the Year’ for assisting deaf owner

    In an exceptional display of feline intuition and care, Zebby, an extraordinary cat, has been crowned Cats Protection’s National Cat of the Year.

    The story was covered by BBC about how Zebby has garnered this title by providing invaluable assistance to his deaf owner, Genevieve Moss, by alerting her to various sounds around their home.

    Overflowing with pride, Genevieve Moss expressed her admiration for Zebby, highlighting how he showcases the remarkable compassion and intuitive nature of cats.

    she further emphasized the positive impact these furry companions can have on people’s lives, stating, “I am so proud of Zebby for showing the world how intuitive and caring cats can be, and what a positive effect they can have on people’s lives. Without my hearing aid, I can’t hear anything, but now I have Zebby to help me.”

  • Everyone will be shocked when secret about PTI’s plan is revealed: Pervez Khattak

    Everyone will be shocked when secret about PTI’s plan is revealed: Pervez Khattak

    Former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Parvez Khattak, launched a new party on Monday under the name of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P). Pervez Khattak said that he is distancing himself from “PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] Chairman Imran Khan’s anti-country agenda,” ending his ties with the party in which he was once considered the most powerful member.

    Khattak claimed that 57 ex-assembly members and senior politicians of KP have joined his party, revealing that 20 more members will join the party soon.
    “Our existence is directly linked to that of Pakistan. The PTI is now completely finished in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” Khattak said. He alleged that his former political party lost three or more chances to win elections.

    “Why did PTI reject election opportunities three to four times? We had chances to hold elections. It is a big secret why PTI wasted the chance of going towards elections. Everyone will be shocked the day the secret is revealed about PTI’s plan,” he claimed.

  • Gold price increases by Rs6,200 to Rs221,000 per tola

    Gold price increases by Rs6,200 to Rs221,000 per tola

    On Tuesday, the gold price in Pakistan experienced a significant increase, aligning with the international market trends and the depreciation of the Pakistani rupee.

    The All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA) reported that the price of 24-carat gold rose by Rs6,200 per tola and Rs5,316 per 10 grammes, reaching Rs221,000 and Rs189,472 respectively.

    Simultaneously, the global market witnessed a $10 rise in the price of gold, settling at $1,967 per ounce.

    In contrast, the prices of silver per tola and 10 grammes remained unchanged at Rs2,650 and Rs2,271.94 respectively. The gold rate in Pakistan has shown volatility in recent times due to ongoing political and economic uncertainty, coupled with high inflation.

    Read more: Pakistan’s current account surplus soars to $334 million in June

    Furthermore, the Pakistani rupee displayed weakness against the dollar in the interbank market on Tuesday, depreciating by Rs3.78, as per data from the State Bank of Pakistan.

  • Islamabad hike rape case false accusation, guy was set up: Islamabad Police

    Islamabad hike rape case false accusation, guy was set up: Islamabad Police

    The ‘victim’ in the Margalla Hills hiking trail case has confessed to be a part of a scam group, Islamabad Police has said on Tuesday.

    The case turned out to be a dramatic episode with plenty of twists and turns, as revealed by police. In a statement on Twitter, the capital city police said that the petitioner, Sidra who has accused Noman of raping her at the Margalla Hill trail, was taken before the magistrate for her statement, where she confessed to being a hired imposter by the suspect’s friend-cum-enemy.

    According to the girl’s statement, the main accused Noman had a quarrel with his friend Anwar who hired a gang to take revenge. The gang of scammers included Saima, Dr. Sidra, Ismail and Shakeel [fake journalists] and also a fake police officer Manzoor.

    The police investigation revealed that the man behind it all- Anwar- contacted Saima, a resident of Rawalpindi, to falsely accuse Noman of rape. Saima further contacted Sidra, who is from Sheikhupura, to play the role of victim.

    The master plan was that Sidra will walk with the accused to trail three and then start screaming for help, saying that Noman has attempted to rape her. Meanwhile, the rest of the group would reach the spot and make videos, which could be used to blackmail Noman and his family for extortion.

    The plan turned out to be an epic fail as Sidra waited for her accomplices after they reached trail three, but they couldn’t make it in time and she had to return with the accused to Rawalpindi. Afterwards, the gang opted for plan B. Sidra lodged a FIR for rape against Noman in Rawalpindi and went back to Sheikhupura.

    The police launched an investigation covering every aspect of the case which led to Sidra’s confession in front of the magistrate. The probe further disclosed that two cases had been filed against Sidra in Sheikhupura and Anwar-al-Haq, an operative of the scammer gang, was a proclaimed criminal in police record.

    A campaign was launched on social media while the case was under investigation, which according to the police was too soon to jump to conclusions. The police underscored that haste could lead one in the wrong direction and it’s better to wait at least for the investigative report before forming a conclusion, especially during the probing phase of such sensitive cases.

    “Citizens are requested not to believe in rumors until the final report of the police. Such a campaign could affect the police investigation which would benefit the accused,” said police.

  • Marriyum Aurangzeb says date for dissolution of assembly not finalised as yet

    Marriyum Aurangzeb says date for dissolution of assembly not finalised as yet

    Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has in a tweet denied that the date of the dissolution of the National Assembly has been finalised.

    “The date [of dissolution] will be decided in consultation with the PDM and other allied parties. The decision on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly will be officially announced,” she wrote.

    Earlier in the day, Geo News reported that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the two major partners in the ruling coalition, have agreed to dissolve the National Assembly on August 8, a few days before the end of the assembly’s tenure.

  • National Assembly will be dissolved in August; PPP, PML-N agree

    National Assembly will be dissolved in August; PPP, PML-N agree

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the two major political parties in the ruling coalition, have agreed to dissolve the National Assembly on August 8, Geo News has reported.

    However, Information Minister Mariyum Aurangzeb has tweeted that the date of the dissolution of the National Assembly has not been decided yet.

    “The date [of dissolution] will be decided in consultation with the PDM and other allied parties. The decision on the date of dissolution of the National Assembly will be officially announced,” she added.

    The National Assembly is completing its tenure on August 12 at midnight, but it seems like the lower house is going to be dissolved before time. According to sources, August 9 and 10 also came under discussion, but both major political parties agreed on August 8 to dissolve the National Assembly.

    “A general election to the National Assembly or a provincial assembly shall be held within a period of sixty days immediately following the day on which the term of the assembly is due to expire, unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved,” Article 224 of the Constitution states.

    In the previous week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said, “Next month, our government will complete its tenure. We will leave before the completion of our tenure, and an interim government will come”.

  • Judge in Toshakhana case denies he posted against Imran Khan on his Facebook page

    Judge in Toshakhana case denies he posted against Imran Khan on his Facebook page

    Justice Humayun, the judge presiding over the Toshakhana trial, has disowned anti Imran Khan posts made on his Facebook page when he was sensationally shown the social media material by the former Prime Minister’s lawyers.

    Imran Khan’s lawyer, Gohar Ali, showed the Facebook posts in court to argue that the Judge should not be hearing the case. In reply, Justice Humayun admitted that the Facebook page was his, however, he denied making the posts.

    He also asked the PTI lawyer if he thought that a judicial inquiry should be made about the Facebook posts.

    Gohar Ali replied that it was upto the judge to send the posts through a judicial inquiry, but stressed that it was appropriate if the court did not continue to hear the case.

    The court reserved it’s verdict on the plea as well as another plea by Imran Khan to exempt him from in-person hearings.

  • In aftermath of Masood’s suicide, govt blocks 43 loan apps

    In aftermath of Masood’s suicide, govt blocks 43 loan apps

    The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) on Tuesday blocked 43 illegal loan apps operating in the country following Masood suicide case.

    The Ministry has initiated a crackdown on illegal loan apps operating in Pakistan. The Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication stated that the ministry has acted swiftly to implement instructions for blocking these apps.

    The suicide of an unemployed man, Masood, in Rawalpindi who became a victim of an illegal loan app, has jolted the government into action. In a significant move against such scams and to save people from falling prey to online loan sharks, the government has decided to take the matter very seriously and therefore, the IT minister has instructed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take action against such entities without waiting for complaints.

    The minister stressed the importance of launching an awareness campaign to protect people from falling prey to such fraudulent activities.
    A survey conducted earlier this year by Karandaaz Pakistan, a nonprofit organization, revealed that the number of Pakistanis using personal finance apps has more than doubled to 19% in 2022 compared to two years prior. To thwart this growing menace, a crackdown is being carried out nationwide, and citizens are advised to check the SECP website to verify whether a company’s app is licensed or not.

    It has been strictly advised that the individuals should report complaints to relevant authorities, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Division, and local police, in order to take appropriate action against such apps.

    In this regard, FIA Director General has also instructed all cybercrime units to take strict action against companies and individuals offering loans through unregistered and illegal mobile applications.

  • Meray Pass Old Gentleman Hai? Yumna Zaidi, Humayun Saeed pairing draws mixed reviews

    Meray Pass Old Gentleman Hai? Yumna Zaidi, Humayun Saeed pairing draws mixed reviews

    Yesterday, it was officially announced that actress Yumna Zaidi and Humayun Saeed will be pairing up for an upcoming drama for Green Entertainment, penned by the ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ screenwriter Khalil-ul-Rehman Qamar, and produced by Saeed’s wife, Samina Humayun.

    This is the first time the two will be coming together on the screen together. Social media users were thrilled that the actress never stops dominating the screen.

    https://twitter.com/kyakaruun/status/1681005153023926273?s=20

    However, not everyone agreed that the news was exciting, slamming screenwriter Rehman and Humayun Saeed for once more, pairing an older actor with a woman decades younger than him. Yumna Zaidi is currently 33 years old, while Humayun is 51.

    Many were happy with the casting because of the stellar performances both actors have given in past projects, but were concerned because of the age difference.

    Saeed has been criticised in the past for working with younger women as romance leads in films, like Ayeza Khan is 32 years old but had played his wife in ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’. While in the film ‘London Nahi Jaunga’, Kubra Khan was 30 years old.

    https://twitter.com/xakyanaseem/status/1681199828414476290?s=20

    If we revert back on Pakistan’s pop culture history a bit, then some would remember in 2019, veteran actor Firdous Jamal was a guest on an ARY show where he said that Mahira Khan is of the age where she should be playing grandmother roles. A bit rich considering that men of the same age are still romancing younger women?

    Hopefully, Pakistani dramas can listen and get out of this creepy mindset!