Category: Uncategorized

  • Will Imran Khan be tried in military court? No decision yet, says Geo

    Will Imran Khan be tried in military court? No decision yet, says Geo

    No final decision has been taken yet on whether Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will be tried under Army Act in military courts for the May 9 riots, geo.tv has reported.

    A report by Ansar Abbassi of The News says that while a well-connected source says that some federal ministers are convinced of Imran Khan being the mastermind of the May 9 attack on military and civilian installations, a final decision on taking him to military court is yet to be taken.

    The report states that there is a general consensus among civil and military authorities that Imran Khan plotted the May 9 mayhem, however, establishment has yet to directly name him.

    The former Prime Minister is nominated in at least six FIRs in police stations in Mianwali, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala related to May 9 attacks. He is expected to be named in more as rioters record statements with law-enforcing agencies and police gather more evidence.

    According to the numbers presented by the federal government in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, 102 civilians are awaiting trials in military courts. This number does not include any woman or minors.

  • ‘Second green revolution’ promised by PM Shehbaz through Green Pakistan Initiative 

    ‘Second green revolution’ promised by PM Shehbaz through Green Pakistan Initiative 

    After a series of moves aimed to protect Pakistan’s failing economy, including securing a crucial IMF deal, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has now set his sights on supporting what he calls the backbone of Pakistan’s economy: the agricultural sector.

    Through his Green Pakistan Initiative, inaugurated on Monday, July 10, PM Shehbaz says 4 million jobs will be created in the agricultural sector. He also said the Green Pakistan Initiative would likely attract $50 billion in investments in the next five years.

    According to PM Shehbaz, the newly inaugurated initiative is bound to propel Pakistan into its ‘second green revolution’. In fact, the initiative follows similar schemes as those present in Ayub Khan’s regime, such as incentivising farmers by providing them with more profits for their production and providing standard seeds and fertilizers to farmers, along with equipping them with the latest technology.

    It is true that Ayub Khan’s Green Revolution changed the economic fate of the adolescent country. And a revolution of sorts is very much needed: according to PM Shehbaz, state-owned agricultural enterprises are losing PKR 600 billion annually. He noted that Pakistan imports $4.5 billion worth of palm oil, a burden on the national economy.

    At the inauguration ceremony, PM Shehbaz said that gulf countries were ready to invest in the agriculture sector and export modern machinery to Pakistan, in order to boost the production of crops in the country.

    According to The News, PM Shehbaz stated, “It is [a] demand of our national security that the country’s food security and economic security should be strengthened.”

    The inaugural seminar was attended by federal ministers, provincial chief ministers of Punjab and Sindh, chief secretaries of provincial governments, agricultural experts, and farmers from all the provinces.

    Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir also attended the seminar as the guest of honour. He pledged the Pakistan Army’s full support for all the initiatives that fall under the Special Investment Facili­tation Council, one of which is the Green Pakistan Initiative.

    According to The News, agriculture experts and farmers highly appreciated the landmark initiative, praising the focus on promoting modern technology, the collaboration of public and private sectors, as well as trickling down dividends to local farmers in order to alleviate poverty.

  • Shehbaz Sharif, Imran Khan trade barbs on Twitter

    Shehbaz Sharif, Imran Khan trade barbs on Twitter

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Prime Minister Imran Khan engaged in a tweet spat on Twitter that started on Sunday.

    The exchange of barbs directed at each other started with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan responding to a tweet by Shehbaz Sharif where the Premier accused Khan of “using the proxies to threaten the Army Chief of an assassination attempt”.

    Hours later, Imran Khan responded by stating that the Prime Minister’s statement was “nonsensical”.

    He wrote, “You cannot fool anyone by making these nonsensical and ridiculous statements just to drive a wedge between Pakistan’s biggest political party and the establishment only so that you can save billions that you’ve stolen from the people of Pakistan.”

    Not to be outdone, Shehbaz replied to Imran Khan with yet another tweet on Monday night, calling the former Prime Minister someone “who lacks the courage to face courts on charges of corruption, pilfering and crimes against the nation.”

  • How much did Aqsa Afridi’s bridal outfit cost?

    How much did Aqsa Afridi’s bridal outfit cost?

    Former cricketer Shahid Afridi has shared photos of his eldest daughter Aqsa’s barat, writing a lovely note where he declared himself to be the first love of his daughter’s life, and yes we wailed at how moving it was.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1677610611599876096?t=NbyDc8THDgBYE_Ox6P7JwQ&s=19

    But, since viewing the photos on Saturday, the question that has remained on everyone’s mind is how much did the gorgeous outfits cost.

    Aqsa wore a deep red shahrara with gold embroidery. According to Geo, the outfit was from the bridal collection of Republic Women’s Wear by Sana Sikandar Khan and had cost approximately Rs 750,000.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Cue4QXZMNwN/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

    Makeup artist Furqan Sheikh shared a picture of Aqsa’s ocean blue valima gown, which reportedly came from the same brand and cost Rs 850,000.

    Shahid Afridi’s second daughter Ansha was married to fast bowler Shaheen Afridi in an intimate nikkah ceremony in February.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1621757937600413699?t=3BByBQxHsibLkLfJphh5iA&s=19

    Obviously the main thing on everyone’s mind is how expensive the wedding clothes were! But it’s Shahid Afridi’s little princess, so she gets the world if she wants it!

  • Karachi Mayor warns of action against road defacers

    Karachi Mayor warns of action against road defacers

    The newly elected Mayor of Karachi, Murtaza Wahab, on Monday said that action will be taken against road defacers who put up banners and advertisements blocking the tidiness and beauty of the area.

    Murtaza Wahab pointed out that the posters culture, the ever popular ‘Mehboob apk Kadmoo may’ and such other ads written on the walls destroy the clean view, making the area look displeasing. He shared his thoughts during the foundation ceremony of beautification and restoration project of Shahrah-e-Faisal.

    Wahab asserted that the condition of Shahrah-e-Faisal was very bad until a few years ago and so the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government decided to improve the drainage with new drains installed at different places, rain water did not accumulate on road in the recent spells.

    Karachi Mayor said the beautification and improvement project of Shahrah-e-Faisal will cost about Rs20 crore and will be completed in one year.
    “You won’t find the flag of any political party on the Shahrah-e-Faisal,” he said and further warned of action against road defacers.

  • Birth of endangered Somali Wild Ass offers hope for the species

    Birth of endangered Somali Wild Ass offers hope for the species

    The birth of a Somali Wild Ass foal was celebrated by a zoo in Chile as a significant development for the conservation of a critically endangered species.

    The rare kind of baby donkey was born last week, as reported by Reuters. There are fewer than 200 mature individuals remaining worldwide, with drastic decline in populations attributed to habitat loss and hunting for consumption or traditional medicinal purposes.

    The Buin Zoo, located in the outskirts of Santiago, is actively participating in an international endeavor aimed at revitalizing the Somali Wild Ass population, which has been classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

    The founder and director of the Buin Zoo expressed immense joy in sharing the news. He remarked, “It’s great news for the conservation of a wild donkey that is vanishing from the face of the Earth, and we have the capability to breed it here, at the edge of the world, in Chile.”

    The recent arrival of the foal marks the fifth specimen of its kind at the zoo.

  • Films about elderly people aren’t considered commercially viable: Simi Raheal

    Films about elderly people aren’t considered commercially viable: Simi Raheal

    Veteran actress Simi Raheal recently starred with Salman Shahid in the acclaimed Eid telefilm ‘Budhi Ghori Lal Lagham’, about an elderly couple who are struck with a tragedy, then choose to live adventurously. The short film was written and directed by actor Sheheryar Munawar, who previously received rave reviews for his Mahira Khan starrer short film ‘Prince Charming’.

    We spoke to Raheal at the premier of ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ at Cue Cinema and asked what drove her to the role.

    “He wrote and directed it, and the inspiration came from his own parents. We had recently done a tv series and I don’t know why but he wanted both Salman saab and myself as pivotal characters,” she disclosed.

    Raheal was also of the opinion that people want to listen to stories other than the typical saas bahu dramas. “There are a lot of stories out there, and different types of people and a lot of issues. Elderly people have their own set of problems. They want to do things. It’s not necessary that everything is for the youth.”

    Recently, veteran actress Mahnoor Baloch also apoke up about why she refused to work in Pakistani dramas, citing a lack of roles for women who are in their forties or fifties. Speaking on this matter, Raheal said it’s because stories that didn’t fit into the ‘hero heroine’ formulae are not considered ‘commercially viable’:

    “It’s not written actually, because people don’t write stories about aged women. Mostly people are interested in writing stories about heroes and heroines, which all have the same formulae. Other stories, people feel will not be commercially viable hence they remain untouched.”

    ‘Budhi Ghori Lal Lagham’ is available to watch on Youtube.

  • ‘Nawaz Sharif is a good man’; Shehzad Akbar changes tune

    ‘Nawaz Sharif is a good man’; Shehzad Akbar changes tune

    In a surprising turn of events, accountability tsar in the previous government, Shehzad Akbar, has changed tune on political opponent, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, calling him a “good man”, Neo has reported.

    Talking informally to journalists in London, Akbar, who spent his time in government trying to prove corruption cases against leaders of PML-N, blamed former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa for the “destruction” of the country.

    “I knew beforehand that our government will be overthrown. General (retd) Bajwa is responsible for the present state of the country,” he stated, before targeting the Prime Minister.

    “He has become addicted to the Prime Minister post,” Akbar said.

  • Solar storm to illuminate Northern Lights in 17 US states, offering skygazers a rare spectacle

    Solar storm to illuminate Northern Lights in 17 US states, offering skygazers a rare spectacle

    A solar storm anticipated for Thursday is set to provide residents in 17 American states with an extraordinary opportunity to witness the Northern Lights, AP has reported.

    A stunning celestial phenomenon known as the Northern Lights or aurora borealis results from the interaction of solar wind with the Earth’s atmosphere. Northern Lights materialize when a magnetic solar wind collides with the Earth’s magnetic field, leading to the luminosity of atoms in the upper atmosphere. These lights manifest abruptly and vary in intensity.

    The phenomenon is typically observed in regions such as Alaska, Canada, and Scandinavia, but are now becoming visible in more southerly locations due to the culmination of an 11-year solar cycle projected to peak in 2024. Approximately three months ago, these captivating light displays were witnessed in Arizona, marking the occurrence of the third severe geomagnetic storm since the commencement of the current solar cycle in 2019.

    The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks has predicted heightened auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine, and Maryland. Additionally, Canada, including Vancouver, has also been forecasted to experience auroral activity.

    Auroral activity is assessed using the Kp geomagnetic index, which ranges from zero to nine, with zero representing minimal activity and nine indicating a vibrant and active display.

    The Geophysical Institute has predicted a Kp 6 ranking for Thursday’s upcoming storm.

  • Five dead, over a dozen injured in gas cylinder blast in Jhelum hotel

    Five dead, over a dozen injured in gas cylinder blast in Jhelum hotel

    At least five people died and 15 others were injuredwhen a three-storey building collapsed due to a powerful gas cylinder explosion in Jhelum yesterday.

    The hotel is located on the Grand Trunk Road Jhelum, Punjab and collapsed after the cylinder exploded in the kitchen.

    Rescue officials said that approximately 15 injured have been recovered and shifted to the hospital and two critically injured have been taken to Rawalpindi.