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  • National Assembly dissolved: hunt for caretaker PM underway

    President Dr Arif Alvi, late on Wednesday, dissolved the National Assembly on the counsel of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

    The prime minister’s decision to dissolve the assembly was swiftly acted upon, with the president endorsing the summary earlier presented by PM Shehbaz Sharif for the dissolution.

    However, despite this dissolution, Shehbaz Sharif will remain at the helm of affairs as prime minister until the nomination of a caretaker premier.

    This dissolution now mandates the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to organise general elections within the subsequent 90 days, as per constitutional requirements.

    Reinforcing this, the Senate, earlier in the day, passed a resolution urging the ECP to ensure preparations for the impending general elections occur within the constitutionally stipulated timeframe.

  • We have no Prime Minister if the government refuses to nominate a name as another meeting is delayed

    We have no Prime Minister if the government refuses to nominate a name as another meeting is delayed

    In a crucial turn of events, the highly anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz, scheduled for today, to decide on a name for the caretaker prime minister, has been postponed.

    The meeting has been rescheduled for tomorrow.

    The opposition leader has denied rumours that the meeting had been postponed for nefarious reasons and expressed eagerness for the upcoming conversation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

    “The information circulating regarding the postponement of today’s meeting is not accurate,” declared Raja Riaz during a conversation with SAMAA TV.

    “The discussions between the Prime Minister and me are expected to take place today,” said Raja Riaz, highlighting the ongoing nature of the dialogue.

  • In last NA speech, Shehbaz says he’s not happy that leader of a party is in jail

    In last NA speech, Shehbaz says he’s not happy that leader of a party is in jail

    In a poignant last speech on the floor of the National Assembly as Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif said that if the leader of a political party is jailed, “we are not happy about it”.

    “If someone has been distributing sweets [to celebrate], it is not right. This is not a good tradition,” the Premier said, in a thinly veiled reference to political rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    Khan has been sentenced to three years imprisonment in the Tosha Khana case, and is currently at Attock jail.

    Talking about the severe economic crisis in the country, Shehbaz said that his government faced severe difficulties in its 16-month long tenure.

    He thanked legislators from all parties and both sides, including Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir, for showing confidence in him.

    Calling the assembly a “bouquet”, the Prime Minister said that such a bunch of Pakistanis has never been put together before and will never be put together again.

    In a lighter moment, he asked members to thump their desks with more force after he paid tribute to Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

    He also singled out Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for praise, thanking the outgoing Foreign Minister for keeping the coalition together and for his diplomatic prowess.

  • ‘Get me out of Jail’, Imran tells lawyers

    ‘Get me out of Jail’, Imran tells lawyers

    According to the sources of Geo News in Attock jail have said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has told his lawyers to get him out of jail, as he doesn’t want to remain in prison.

    According to a report in geo.tv, Imran Khan was “unhappy and worried” that he was in jail. On the other hand, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Haider Panjutha, has said in a media talk on Tuesday that Imran Khan’s morale is high.

    “Take me out of here; I don’t want to remain in jail,” the officials quoted Khan as saying during a meeting with his lawyer.

    Following an altercation with the personnel of the Attock district jail, two of Imran Khan’s lawyers have been charged with ripping off a government official’s uniform.

    According to Geo News, a “coded conversation” took place between a jail official and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    However, the administration of Attock Jail has decided to investigate the matter of this coded conversation, in which some words were indecipherable.

  • Whose face is on Maryam Nawaz’s new coffee mug?

    Maryam Nawaz has finally ditched the metal glass she would carry around with her, replacing it with a new coffee mug that has a photo right up front on it.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has uploaded a video on their social media accounts where Maryam Nawaz says that her previous cup was the subject of “many discussions, analysis and TV programs”.

    She then turns a light coloured insulated mug she’s holding towards the camera and says, “Coffee tastes better in the cup I’m using now.”

    She goes on to elaborate that on one side the cup says “Mian day naaray wajjan gay” (Mian’s praise will resound everywhere), a slogan used for her father, PML-N head Mian Nawaz Sharif.

    The other side of the mug features a photo of the former Prime Minister.

    She then turns towards party officials including Azma Bokhari and Talal Chaudhary, instructing them to use the same cups. “I promise you, the coffee tastes better,” she said as the short clip draws to a close.

  • Which male celebrity wants to marry Babar Azam?

    Which male celebrity wants to marry Babar Azam?

    Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Rameez Raja’s effusive praise for Babar Azam during his commentary at the Lanka Premier League (LPL) has set the internet abuzz. Raja expressed his admiration for Babar Azam in a rather unique manner after the latter scored a century in a LPL match on Monday. Rameez Raja’s comment, “I want to marry Babar,” has gone viral on social media, garnering considerable attention and sparking discussions.

    Notably, Babar Azam delivered an exceptional century while representing the Colombo Strikers against the Galle Titans at the Paley Kale International Cricket Stadium. This outstanding achievement not only created a buzz within Pakistan but also captured the attention of cricket enthusiasts in Sri Lanka.

    In the match, the Galle Titans set a target of 189 runs for the Strikers. Babar Azam, partnering with Pathum Nissanka, opened the Strikers’ innings and together, they established an impressive 111-run partnership with the Sri Lankan batsman. Babar Azam’s stellar performance included 8 boundaries and 5 sixes, allowing him to reach a total score of 104 runs off just 59 balls.

    It is worth noting that Ramiz Raja resumed his role as a commentator during the recently concluded Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Raja had been absent from the commentary box since September 2021, following his election as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for a three-year term.

  • Security guard assaulted over parking tiff, prime suspect still at large

    Security guard assaulted over parking tiff, prime suspect still at large

    A violent confrontation in a car park under the jurisdiction of Lahore’s Defence police station has led to the brutal beating of a security guard.

    According to Dunya News, despite making some arrests, the prime suspect has eluded capture.

    The altercation began after a heated exchange between the security guard and a group of armed men over a parking spot. It escalated quickly, leading the armed individuals to violently assault the guard after stepping out of their vehicle.

    Defence B police station promptly registered a case against five unidentified individuals in connection with the incident. While two suspects, identified as Tanzeel and Adnan, were apprehended, the primary instigator of the violence, Ahmad Mayo, remains at large.

    Mayo was reported to be seated at the front of the vehicle during the altercation and subsequent attack on the security guard.

    Addressing the press, DIG Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi revealed that two SMGs, 29 magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized from the apprehended individuals. Rizvi said that raids to nab the remaining three suspects are going on, stating, “All those involved, including the prime suspect, will be arrested soon.”

  • Ranveer Singh confirmed to be the next ‘Don’

    Ranveer Singh confirmed to be the next ‘Don’

    Don ka intezar sirf gyaaran mulkon ki police nahi, balkay poori dunya kar rahi thi.

    There was a lot of anticipation in the air when it was announced that the iconic thriller film ‘Don’ is going to be revamped for a third film. While rumors suggested that Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan will reprise his iconic performance in Don and Don 2, many were heart broken when SRK reportedly walked away from the project. At the time, sources revealed to media outlets that the superstar was not sure that this was the kind of cinema he wanted to support.

    READ MORE: Shah Rukh Khan steps away from Don 3

    There was all kinds of suggestion about who would embrace the staple black jacket and say ‘Don ko pakarna mushkil nahi, namomkin hai” which had begun with the veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan.

    But now, it has been revealed that the next Don is…Ranveer Singh.

    A teaser released by Excel Movies yesterday has confirmed the casting.

    In the comment section, fans were incredibly excited with this choice, and were anticipating to when the movie would release in theatres

  • Aamir Khan’s daughter says he was trigger for her depression

    Aamir Khan’s daughter says he was trigger for her depression

    Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira spoke to ET Times about how she came to recognize her bad mental health, stating that it was her parents’ divorce that triggered the episode. The actor and his first wife, Reena Dutta, divorced amicably in 2002, however, Ira revealed that both Aamir and Reena made her feel that it “was not a big deal”.

    The mental health activist went on to say that because of Aamir and Reena’s divorce, she had mental misunderstandings but never found the courage to discuss them with anyone. Hence, she “blames herself’ for suffering from depression, believing erroneously that one had to be sad to get love from others. On a positive note, she said that now she is working on making herself happy, and has a better relationship with her parents.

    Ira revealed she is in a group chat with her parents and reaches out to them every time she is in need, while her fiance Nupur Shikhare is one of her strongest supporters.

    READ MORE: ‘Mental disorders run in the family’: Aamir Khan’s daughter opens up about dealing with depression, handling parents divorce

    Ira recently made national headlines when she revealed to a publication that mental health disorders run in her family:

    “Every 8-10 months I will have a big crash. It’s partly genetic, partly psychological, and partly social. It took me a while to figure it out. But I have mental health disorders in my family. I also did not make healthy choices and I systematically walked into depression.”

  • Govt employees get flat 50% increase in travel allowance

    The current government has announced a 50% increase in the daily travel and mileage allowances for all on-duty government employees. A notification to the same was issued by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday.

    According to the notification, different calculations will be used for different grades of employees. There is an increase of Rs 7,200 per day for employees in Grade 22 and Rs 6,000 for Grade 21 employees. On the other hand, the employees in Grades 12 to 16 can get an increase of Rs 1320 and Rs 1200 per day for the employees in Grades 5 to 11.

    Additionally, the cost of transportation has increased by 50% to Rs7.5 per kilometer for vehicles and Rs3.75 per kilometre for motorcycles. For personal vehicles or taxis, the per-kilometre mileage allowance has increased by 50% to Rs15, Rs6 for motorcycles, Rs3 for bicycles, and Rs3.75 for public transport.

    The aforementioned daily allowance prices are applicable to certain stations for special rates as announced, including Hyderabad, Karachi, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Quetta, Sargodha, Sialkot, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Pesha­war, Gwadar, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muzaffarabad and Mirpur in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

    Government employees in grades 1–19 can stay in hotels (not five-star ones), motels, public sector corporations, rest houses, and guest houses.