Category: Uncategorized

  • No hurdles; Qalandars vs Sultans match will be played as per schedule

    No hurdles; Qalandars vs Sultans match will be played as per schedule

    Since the last 24 hours, the law and order situation in Lahore’s Zaman Park, the residence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has turned critical. Clashes between supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)workers and state turned violent, leaving Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in limbo.

    Now Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the Lahore Qalandars vs Multan Sultans PSL match will be played as per schedule in Lahore.

    The PCB statement, which it shared from its official Twitter handle, came after the law and order situation in the Zaman Park area worsened over the expected arrest of former Premier Imran Khan.

    “The PSL8 Qualifier in Lahore today will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium as scheduled,” the PCB tweeted allying concerns over the law and order situation.

    Yesterday both teams had to cancel their practice session at due to the clashes. Both teams are scheduled to play the playoffs match of PSL 8 in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium today.

    The match between the two favorites of PSL 8 will be played today at 7pm.

    Defending champions Qalandars are confident they will maintain their winning momentum against the Sultans, while the Rizwan-led side will be looking to jump back to its feet and power up to the final as they did last year.

    While the winning side will qualify for the final, the losing side will play the second eliminator against the winning side of the first eliminator.

  • ‘Tell Khan to give in’: Yasmin Rashid allegedly asks President to intervene and talk to Khan

    ‘Tell Khan to give in’: Yasmin Rashid allegedly asks President to intervene and talk to Khan

    Amidst the clash between police, rangers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters, a second alleged audio leak of former provincial Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid has surfaced online.

    In the alleged audio, Rashid is in conversation with President Dr Arif Alvi, asking him to intervene in the crisis at Zaman Park.

    The audio leak is transcribed as follows;

    Rashid: Sir, the situation is very bad here.

    Dr Alvi: Yes, absolutely.

    Rashid: Our workers have started throwing Molotov cocktails. Before bloodshed takes place, I think you need to talk to someone and intervene.

    Dr Alvi: I have talked.

    Rashid: You should tell him that you will talk to him and try to sort… to Khan sahab.

    Dr Alvi: I don’t understand what you’re saying.

    Rashid: Sir, the situation right now is that people may die, some policemen will be killed. The situation will worsen so much that the elections will be postponed. This was our purpose.

    Dr Alvi: Okay.

    Rashid: I think what you need to do is, tell him [Khan sahab], that he should give in and fight another day. This is what I think and the rest is up to you. He will not give up.

    Rashid: Petrol bombs were thrown. I am intentionally sitting outside. I had to call people.

    Dr Arif: Let me consult Asad Umar.

    Rashid: I talked with Asad, he asked me not to say anything. We both are sitting outside.

    Dr Alvi: Okay.

    Rashid: I think you should talk with Shah Saab [Shah Mahmood Qureshi]. He is sitting inside with Khan.

    Dr Alvi: Okay.

    Earlier in the day, Rashid in another alleged audio leak told former Federal Minister for Narcotics Ejaz Shah that Khan Sahib has said at that it is time to call all MNAs and MPAs.

  • ‘Whatever is happening is the result of your actions’; IHC slams Imran’s lawyers

    ‘Whatever is happening is the result of your actions’; IHC slams Imran’s lawyers

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday morning slammed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s legal team as a hearing began on a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging arrest warrants for the Chairman on security grounds.

    PTI had filed the plea on Tuesday and requested a hearing on the same day. However, the Registrar raised objections because there was no biometric verification on the application.

    IHC Chief Justice Amir Farooq began hearings by asking Imran Khan’s counsel if they had removed the Registrar’s objections. PTI lawyer Khawaja Haris replied that what is happening in Lahore is known.

    “Whatever is happening is a result of your actions,” replied the Chief Justice.

    He also said that the plea is yet to be fixed, and he will hear it once it is fixed for hearing. Khawaja Haris asked the court to fix 12PM for the hearing.

    Meanwhile, Imran Khan tweeted on Wednesday morning that the real intent of arrest was to “abduct and assassinate” him.

  • ‘Here for you’: Celebrities send their solidarity to Imran Khan after arrest attempt by govt

    Celebrities are offering solidarity to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan as attempts to arrest the former Prime Minister continue.

    On Tuesday, police reached Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence to arrest him with warrants for not appearing at court hearings in Islamabad.

    Clashes between the police and PTI supporters left 54 officers and eight civilians injured while Imran Khan managed to avoid arrest.

    Amidst the political turmoil and clashes between protesters and police forces who had deployed tear gas in order to disperse crowds, Pakistani celebrities took to social media to stand in solidarity with Imran Khan.

    Actor Haroon Shahid took to Twitter, urging the people of Lahore to never give up.

    Actor Muneeb Butt expressed dissapointment by calling yesterday’s violence “blatant fascism at its peak”.

    Singer and actor Farhaan Saeed also condemned the arrest attempt and said that the people of Pakistan will always side with him

    TikTok star Janaat Mirza shared a video uploaded by Imran Khan on her Instagram stories, and wrote in the caption: ‘May Allah paak protect you’

  • Donald Blome assures Pakistan of US cooperation on IMF deal

    The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, expressed hope for a deal between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stating that Washington was prepared to support the country’s efforts to resume its stalled $6.5 billion bailout program.

    Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Blome assured journalists that the IMF bailout package for Islamabad would take its final shape in a couple of days. He added that the United States was ready to cooperate with Pakistan to help address the issue and expressed a willingness to help Islamabad with its ongoing terrorism challenges.

    Blome recently visited important cities in Pakistan to meet with groups from different walks of life and noted that there had been significant progress in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

    Pakistan and the IMF have been in discussions regarding a stalled bailout package since late last year, with the country seeking a $1.1bn tranche to address its worsening balance of payments crisis and to enable friendly affluent capitals to provide assistance to overcome ongoing financial complexities.

    Both sides are engaged in negotiations to reach a mutually agreeable package that would help the cash-strapped nation come out of its ongoing economic turmoil.

    Interestingly, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had previously stated that Pakistan would strike a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the IMF in a few days, as the government remained committed to completing the loan program signed in 2019.

    However, after failing to convince the lender, Dar had reportedly contacted the US envoy earlier this week to get “lenient treatment” from the Fund, which has been persistent with its demands.

  • Pakistan will not visit India for WC 23 if India does not come for Asia Cup 2023

    Pakistan will not visit India for WC 23 if India does not come for Asia Cup 2023

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket board Najam Sethi has talked about the controversy surrounding India’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023. India has threatened Pakistan several times that their cricket team will not come to the neighbouring country, pressurising the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to change the venue and shift the tournament to UAE.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi on Monday said that the government will take a final decision on whether the national team will travel to India for this year’s World Cup.

    Sethi stated unequivocally that PCB will deal on a vice versa basis with the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) which has said that it will not send its team to Pakistan to feature in the Asia Cup ahead of the World Cup.

    Pakistan is also due to host the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 and clarity on what happens is due to come during meetings of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the ACC in the United Arab Emirates on March 20.

    “Our stance is that if the BCCI continues to take a stand against Pakistan, we will also boycott to visit India,” Sethi told reporters at a news conference. “It is an unsolved matter. We have to speak with the ACC and ICC and take a position. I have asked to the Govt to take the decision about visiting India.

    “India says that there are security issues in Pakistan whilst teams from the entire world have no issues with it. If I say that we also have security threats in India due to communal environment there, it carries weight. It’s a complex issue and we have to keep in front the input of the government and our security agencies.”

    Recently Indian former opening batter and misanthropist against Pakistan Gautam Gambhir say “Personally I think Jawans are more important than a cricket match 2 points are matter nothing, Country comes first.”

  • After much drama, IK’s arrest warrant suspended

    After much drama, IK’s arrest warrant suspended

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest warrant has been suspended till March 16 in a case registered against him for hurling threats at a female judge, Zeba Chaudhry.

    At the outset of the hearing today (Tuesday), Khan’s legal team challenged the arrest warrants.

    A day earlier, non-bailable arrest warrants were issued by a district and sessions court in Islamabad.

    According to Geo News, Islamabad Police reached Lahore via helicopter to arrest him, however, he was not incarcerated.

    In August 2022, Imran Khan threatened police officials as well as the judiciary over the alleged custodial torture of Shahbaz Gill and announced that his party would file cases against Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan, the DIG and Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

    Court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan in Judge Zeba Chaudhry case

    On Monday, a district and sessions court in Islamabad issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for Khan for failing to attend hearings of a case registered against him for hurling threats at a female judge.

    The PTI filed a plea requesting an exemption for personal appearance for Khan.

    However, Judge Rahim issued a warning that non-bailable arrest warrants could be issued for the former prime minister if he failed to appear before the court on Monday.

  • ‘I have paid back the total value of the gifts which I retained’: Ahsan Iqbal

    ‘I have paid back the total value of the gifts which I retained’: Ahsan Iqbal

    Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has announced that he has paid back the total value of the gifts which he retained from Toshakhana- when his party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was in power in 2018.

    In a letter written to the Cabinet Secretary Amir Ashraf Khawaja, Iqbal mentioned that he had taken three gifts from Toshakhana — a Rolex gents watch, a Rolex ladies’ watch and a carpet.

    The planning minister deposited a payment of Rs1,991,000 to the national kitty through a cheque.

    Iqbal said that even though he is “not required to make any additional payment for the same”, he is paying the remaining amount to dispel “any misplaced allegation or even an iota of doubt that I wrongfully benefitted from the gifts”.

    In February, Ahsan Iqbal returned the V8 vehicle he had been allotted and asked the govt to give a him a smaller car, citing the economic crunch in the country as his reason for returning the fuel-guzzling SUV.

  • Is Shae Gill planning on acting in Pakistani dramas?

    Is Shae Gill planning on acting in Pakistani dramas?

    Shae Gill became the breakout star of 2022 after Pasoori, her debut duo with Ali Sethi on Coke Studio, dazzled listeners across the globe. She is now singing at international concerts and has become an Equal Ambassador for Spotify.

    So what’s next for the singing sensation? We have seen Pakistani singers making their way to the big screen or television, like Atif Aslam, who had starred in the film ‘Bol’ and then ‘Sang-e-Mah’. Will Gill be following in on their footsteps?

    In an interview with Aamna Haider Isani, Gill revealed that she did receive offers to act in dramas and play the role of asinger, but she rejected it.

    “If the script would have been nice then I would have been ok..” she admitted.

    Later on in the interview, Gill agreed that a lot of Pakistani singers have decided to perform as actors, but she will only do so if she finds a good script:

    “My generation doesn’t really watch dramas all that much. We do, but very few. I’ve seen Udaari, I’ve seen Humsafar, a little bit of Bhaagi…they were outstanding..But if a good script comes along, then I could try.”

    Listen to the full interview below:

  • Islamabad High Court upholds Zahir Jaffer death sentence

    Islamabad High Court upholds Zahir Jaffer death sentence

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has announced its verdict on appeals filed against the sentences awarded to the convicts and the acquittal of co-accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, upholding the death sentence given to prime accused, Zahir Jaffer.

    The IHC reserved its verdict on appeals in the high-profile case in which Jaffer was sentenced to death after a long-drawn-out trial of over four months.

    27-year-old Noor was found dead at the residence of the prime suspect, Jaffer, in Islamabad’s F-7/4 Sector on July 20, 2021, beheaded by her murderer.

    The gruesome murder sent shockwaves across the country and sparked nationwide outrage and calls for justice for Noor, cumulating in a sensational trial and eventual convictions.