Category: Uncategorized

  • Imran finally condemns attack on Lahore CC House

    Almost 10 days after Corp Commander House in Lahore was ransacked and burnt during protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, party Chairman Imran Khan has condemned the attack, Geo has reported.

    In an informal chat with journalists outside an anti-terrorism court in Lahore, Imran Khan said that the attacks led to Pakistan’s image being damaged, adding that they should not have happened.

    “I have condemned it earlier too. Every Pakistani is condemning it,” the former Prime Minister reportedly said.

    He also lashed out at the Pakistan Democratic Movement led government for “arresting 7000 people.” However, he said that he has been stressing on dialogue since 11 months.

  • ‘Auspicious day’: Pakistan, Iran inaugurate Polan-Gabd electricity transmission

    ‘Auspicious day’: Pakistan, Iran inaugurate Polan-Gabd electricity transmission

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif along with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi inaugurated an electricity transmission line project from Iran to Gwadar at Mand-Pishin crossing point of Pakistan-Iran border on Thursday.

    The two leaders also inaugurated a sustenance marketplace at the Mand-Pishin crossing point.

    “This is an auspicious day for Pakistan-Iran friendship,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said while addressing a press briefing.
    “In coming years, these markets would emerge as major trade points,” he added.

    “We have decided to finalise the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries at the earliest,” said the prime minister.

    The project, which has been delayed since 2009, was finished in a record-breaking four months, according to Minister of Information Marriyum Aurangzeb.

  • Imran Khan asks NAB for his shaving kit left in police lines Islamabad

    Imran Khan asks NAB for his shaving kit left in police lines Islamabad

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has submitted a written response to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.
    The PTI chairman was summoned today by NAB in connection with an investigation related to a £190m settlement from the UK at 10am today.

    In the written response, Imran said that it was not possible for him to appear before NAB Rawalpindi and join the investigation as he was in Lahore for obtaining bail in a multitude of cases.

    Imran said that the allegations made by NAB are “absolutely false, frivolous and concocted”.

    He said he was in the process of applying for, and obtaining, bail in a number of other legal cases and would not be available before his protective bail expired on May 22.

    Imran has also asked back for his shaving kit and the clothes that he left behind in Police Lines Islamabad. “Kindly note that although the inquiry report was provided to me during custody, I could not carry the said Inquiry report, or for that matter, my clothes and shaving kit, with me when I attended the court proceedings before the honourable Islamabad High Court on 12-05-2023,” read the document.

    “As such, I would request that before serving me a Call Up Notice and pursuant thereto recording my statement and requiring production of documents accordingly, a copy of the said Inquiry report (along with my clothes and shaving kit that have been left behind in the room where I stayed in Police Lines Islamabad) may be immediately forwarded to me at my address at Zaman Park, or, in the alternate I will instruct my legal counsel in Islamabad, Mr. Gohar Ali Khan, ASC to visit your office at your convenience, to collect the copy of the report of Inquiry I left behind while proceeding to attend the Court hearing on 12-05-2009.”

  • Shah Rukh Khan steps away from Don 3

    Excitement rose when Excel Entertainment confirmed that work on the film ‘Don 3’ had started, with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan joining ‘Don 3’. Farhan Akhtar is set to write the script while Ritesh Sidhwani will produce.

    However, Bollywood news website E Times has now reported that King Khan has decided to step away from the project, after long discussions with Akhtar and Sidhwani. The report revealed that the ‘Pathaan’ actor wasn’t keen on reprising his iconic role because it did not fit in to the kind of cinema he wants to do at the moment. Furthermore, the actor felt that the film wouldn’t help him cater to a wide-set audience, which is why he decided to exit the production of ‘Don 3.

    This news is indeed heartbreaking for fans who had grown up loving the Don franchise but currently, Akhtar is looking for an actor from the new generation of Bollywood actors who can take on the ever-loved gangster. The original script, according to media reports, had planned on bringing three generations of actors together who had played the beloved villain, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan- and a new actor who would be the next ‘Don’.

  • Pakistan ke saath nahin khelna chaahtay: Jay Shah on Indo-Pak bilateral series

    Pakistan ke saath nahin khelna chaahtay: Jay Shah on Indo-Pak bilateral series

    Ahead of World Cup 2023 to be played in India, the matter of hosting Asia Cup has become a thorn of contention between Pakistan and India.

    Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to shift the whole tournament from Pakistan to another venue as the Indian government is not allowing their team to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns.

    In a tit for tat move, Pakistan has also threatened India that if BCCI and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) do not resolve the issue on a happy note, then Pakistan also will not travel to India for the World Cup and will instead play their matches at a neutral venue.

    In this chaos, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman offered a bilateral test series on a neutral venue including England, Australia, South Africa or where ever India wants.

    In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Sethi had mentioned the possibility of arranging bilateral Test matches between the arch-rivals at neutral venues, citing the potential for a successful turnout in Australia or England.

    “Yes, I think bilateral Test matches can be played in Australia, England, South Africa,” Sethi had said. “But I think the best bet would be England, and following that Australia. If you can get a house full in any of the Australian stadiums, fine, that would be great.”

    However BCCI secretary Jay Shah refuses to play any kind of bilateral series with Pakistan, saying that they are not at the stage to play any kind of series in the future or in upcoming days.

    The source reaffirmed the BCCI’s stance, making it clear that they are not ready to pursue any cricketing engagements with their Pakistani counterparts.

    “No plans for such kind of series to happen in the future or upcoming days. We aren’t ready for any kind of bilateral series with Pakistan,” the BCCI source was quoted as saying.

    Jay Shah is the son of BJP leader Amit Shah; the ruling party of India who do not want good relations with Pakistan.

    Jay Shah is also the main person behind Asia Cup 2023 controversy between Pakistan and India.

    Despite the extensive popularity of Pakistan-India matches at the box office, both arch-rivals have rarely met outside of major cricketing events due to political issues between the two nations. Their most recent bilateral series was in 2013, and they last played a Test match against each other in December 2007.

  • ‘Army Act ke tehat kaarwaayi hosakti hai, magar nahin honi chaahiye’: PTI’s Ali Zafar on May 9th protesters

    ‘Army Act ke tehat kaarwaayi hosakti hai, magar nahin honi chaahiye’: PTI’s Ali Zafar on May 9th protesters

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Senator Barrister Ali Zafar while talking to media about the May 9 protests, said that only those protesters can be prosecuted under Army Act who have actually attacked any military installations, adding that they should not be charged under a “conspiracy theory.”

    The Barrister continued by saying that action against those who attacked Army installations can be taken under Army Act. However, it should not happen because the matter is a political issue, adding that fair trial can only be provided in civil courts.

    He also condemned the attacks on Corp Commander House and other military installations, adding that he had told PTI Chairman Imran Khan the same thing.

    Read more: PDM be warned: allow Army Act trials and some day military laws might be used against you too

    A Special Corps Commander Conference held on Monday at the General Headquarters (GHQ), presided by Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, decided that the planners, instigators, abettors and perpetrators of the attacks on military installations and buildings during the protests led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters will be tried under relevant Pakistani laws, including the Army Act and Official Secret Act.

  • Islamabad High Court orders release of Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    Islamabad High Court orders release of Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued an order for the release of senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and declared his arrest illegal under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law.

    The orders were given by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb of the IHC while hearing a case pertaining to Qureshi’s arrest.

    The court instructed the PTI leader to produce an undertaking identical to the one provided by former state minister Ali Muhammad Khan when it issued his release orders.
    Following PTI chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case on

    May 9, several PTI leaders, including Qureshi, were detained for “inciting violent protests.

  • PCB’s hybrid model under discussion as Pankaj Khimji and Jay Shah meet

    PCB’s hybrid model under discussion as Pankaj Khimji and Jay Shah meet

    After a strict warning from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is trying to find the best possible way to resolve the hosting matter for Asia Cup 2023.

    Najam Sethi warned ACC that Pakistan will stick to its stance if hosting rights will be compromised. More likely, Pakistan will boycott World Cup 2023 in India and will not play its matches in the arch-rival country, citing security concerns.

    After Sethi’s clear stance, ACC officials have now called a meeting. Jay Shah, President of ACC who is also secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will meet with the Vice-President ACC Pankaj Khimji today.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered to host the Asia Cup in two phases, first in Pakistan and the other at a neutral venue which is said to be decided mutually.

    Khimji will meet Shah to give him a briefing on the second option of the hybrid model. Moreover, Khimji will also share the details of his meeting with Najam Sethi with Shah.

    After Bangladesh and Sri Lanka agreed on the second hybrid model via email, as per sources, PCB is confident of a final decision by ACC very soon. The second option of the hybrid model is most likely to be accepted.

    ACC is also likely to call a meeting of board members by the end of this month.

    It must be noted that BCCI has refused to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is set to take place in September this year, and is keen on ensuring that the event is held at a neutral venue. However, the PCB is not interested in hosting the event outside Pakistan since it would affect its efforts with regards to the return of international cricket in the country.

    Despite being considered one of sport’s greatest rivalries, India and Pakistan have not met on home soil in any version of the game since 2012, and only play each other in multinational tournaments on neutral grounds.

  • ‘My criticism on army is like criticism on children’: IK gives address as he expects arrest

    ‘My criticism on army is like criticism on children’: IK gives address as he expects arrest

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan addressed party workers from his Zaman Park residence through video link on Wednesday.
    “I am afraid today that Pakistan is on the route to destruction,” he said during the speech.

    While talking about his criticism of the army, Imran said, “When I criticise the army, it is like me criticising my children.”

    He blamed PDM for “deliberately trying to create a conflict between the PTI and the army.”

    “If an inquiry is properly conducted into this, it would be revealed who was behind this conspiracy to ban a political party,” said Imran, adding that putting 7,500 people behind bars was pre-planned.

  • ICC revenue model: Najam Sethi wants clarity before approval

    ICC revenue model: Najam Sethi wants clarity before approval

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are not happy with International Cricket Council (ICC) new revenue distribution model in which the game’s biggest financial engine India will get most of the shares.

    ICC has proposed a new revenue-sharing model for the 2024-27 cycle to be voted on at its next board meeting in June.

    According to reports, in the revenue model, India would claim 38.5 per cent, while England and Australia would pocket 6.89pc and 6.25pc respectively. Pakistan stands to earn 5.75pc of the ICC’s projected earnings, primarily from its media rights sale.

    The 12 full members of the ICC would collectively get 88.81pc, while the rest would be distributed among its 96 associate members.
    “We are not happy with the figures shared with us. We are insisting that the ICC should tell us how these figures were arrived at,” Sethi told Reuters from London.

    “Come June, when the board is expected to approve the financial model, unless these details are provided to us, we are not going to approve it,” he stated.

    Disney Star shelled out $3 billion last year to acquire the 2024-27 media rights for the Indian market.

    Sethi said that we asked ICC to explain how the finance and commercial affairs committee headed by Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah determined the share.

    This despite the fact that all nations will get more money and despite that PCB is not happy with the model, two other test playing nations are also unsatisfied with the biased model.

    The ICC, which considered factors such as the performance of a country’s men’s and women’s teams and their contribution to the ICC’s commercial revenue, was not immediately available to comment.

    “In principle, India should get more, there is no doubt about that but … how is this table being developed?” Sethi asked

    The proposed revenue split has become a major talking point in world cricket, which is already facing a rapidly altering landscape because of the Indian-driven rise of franchise-based leagues.

    Former England captain Mike Atherton, writing in The Times newspaper on Monday, criticised the “flawed” model, which he feared would only deepen the game’s existing inequality.

    “If that distribution comes to pass, then the strong will get stronger, the weak weaker (relatively) and international cricket will continue to become less competitive — which is in nobody’s long-term interest,” Atherton wrote.