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  • ‘We do not comment on rumours,’ Telenor Pakistan responds to reports suggesting that the company is being sold for $1 billion

    ‘We do not comment on rumours,’ Telenor Pakistan responds to reports suggesting that the company is being sold for $1 billion

    Multiple online news outlets reported that Telenor, a telecom operator, intended to sell its business in Pakistan for $1 billion, which ignited a debate on social media.

    There is a lot of uncertainty about the authenticity of this news since a few Telenor employees have also denied the reports and asserted that they are fake.

    The company has yet to make an official announcement in this regard, with the exception of responding to a Twitter user’s question who asked whether these reports are legit. “We do not comment on speculations and rumours,” Telenor replied. 

    According to Bloomberg, Telenor is moving forward with plans to sell its business in Pakistan, which might be worth $1 billion, according to people familiar with the situation.

    The Norwegian telecommunications operator is working with Citigroup Inc. and will welcome first-round bids for the firm later this month, according to insiders.

    Telenor announced in July that it would conduct a strategic assessment of its Pakistan unit after incurring a 2.5 billion-krone ($244 million) loss on operations in the growing market.

    The people predict that strategic customers with operations in Pakistan from the Middle East and Asia will express interest. They stated that there is no assurance that the ongoing discussions would result in a transaction. Telenor and Citigroup representatives declined to comment.

    Telenor’s stock increased as much as 2.4 per cent on Wednesday. The company’s market worth increased to $13 billion as the stock rose 1.8 per cent in Oslo.

    In October, Telenor said that the third quarter’s underlying profitability in Pakistan decreased by 22 per cent, in part as a result of the nation’s growing energy costs. This had a negative effect, but it was partially offset by a gain from Pakistan’s repeal of a SIM tax.

    One of Telenor’s four Asian countries, Pakistan, saw a gain of 600 million crowns ($57.79 million), which was related to a court ruling on the applicability of tax on SIM cards for mobile phones from 2014 to 2020.

    In recent years, Telenor, which serves 175 million users across eight countries in the Nordic region and Asia, has worked to reduce expenses and increase cash flow in order to fund greater dividends and 5G expenditures. The company’s greatest efforts to date have involved attempts to consolidate markets in South-East Asia, including a $8.6 billion acquisition in Thailand and a $15 billion merger to create a telecoms leader in Malaysia.

    Telenor Asia, which also manages the company’s operations in Pakistan and Bangladesh, is in charge of both units.

    During the first three quarters of 2022, Telenor Pakistan’s income decreased by about 8 per cent in Norwegian Kroner terms but increased by 4 per cent in Pakistani Rupee terms, staying at NOK 3.390 billion (Rs82.57 billion) as opposed to NOK 4.270 billion (Rs79.36 billion) during the same period of 2021.

    In comparison to NKO 1.425 billion (Rs26.68 billion) during the same period last year, or in 2021, Telenor Pakistan reported total revenues of NOK 1.320 billion (Rs29.53 billion) during the third quarter of 2022. This represents a 7.5 per cent decline in NOK terms and a 10 per cent increase in rupee.

    Intense floods throughout the quarter had a negative impact on the Group’s business in Pakistan. Consumers’ purchasing power was impacted by the circumstance, which also resulted in network failures and raised prices.

  • Videos: Huge mob misbehaves with Hania Aamir in Gujranwala

    Videos: Huge mob misbehaves with Hania Aamir in Gujranwala

    A massive mob aggressively intimidated actor Hania Aamir in Gujranwala on Tuesday. The Mere Humsafar star visited the city to make a professional appearance but a crowd of male fans swarmed her after she was heading back home.

    The Dil Ruba star had to be helped by male escorts after a large group of fans mobbed her and her friends.

    Charged fans can also be seen pushing her and misbehaving with her as some shoved each other while others attempted to grope her too.

    As fans desperately tried to click pictures, Hania luckily managed to escape in her car.

  • Exclusive: Gohar Rasheed reveals the secret of his special bond with Kubra Khan

    Exclusive: Gohar Rasheed reveals the secret of his special bond with Kubra Khan

    Actors Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed make a BFF duo that doesn’t shy away from flaunting their friendship and camaraderie on social media. They have even made appearances together on chat shows like The Ahsan khan show and Jeeto Pakistan together.

    Now in an exclusive conversation with The Current, the Digest Writer star has spilled the beans on his special bond with Kubra.

    Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed becomes a Close Relationship - Pak Showbiz Celebrity

    On being asked by the host Uzair Anwer, Gohar said: “Honestly the secret is that there is no incentive that we are seeking from each other. to keep a difference between our personal and professional spaces. It’s really simple, don’t bring work in between your friendship, I believe this is the biggest reason for our long-lasting and successful friendship.”

    He added, “There is no motive or incentive involved, this is why our bond is still intact. She is someone I can absolutely count on.”

    While Gohar was answering, a netizen highlighted that Hamza maintained a mysterious smile on his face.

    Last year the duo went viral for setting the dance floor on fire with their electrifying moves at Sultana Siddiqui’s family event.

    On the work front, their last project together was blockbuster London Nahi Jaunga. They re also currently shooting a drama serial.

  • Khan-Bajwa friendship kharab honay lagi when Bajwa told Khan to make Aleem Khan Punjab CM and Khan said no

    Khan-Bajwa friendship kharab honay lagi when Bajwa told Khan to make Aleem Khan Punjab CM and Khan said no

    Former Prime Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, in an exclusive interview to Dawn, talked about his relationship with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar General Javed Bajwa.

    “The army chief wanted me to appoint Aleem Khan [as CM Punjab] and I wouldn’t. Because not only were there NAB cases against him, he had occupied and sold land worth millions belonging to the government,” Imran Khan said while discussing how his infamously close relationship with the Chief went sour.

    “We always thought they were just allegations. And he defended himself. But when I asked the vice chairman of the LDA [about Aleem], he showed me on a map how Aleem Khan had occupied government land. This was around the end of my second year, and beginning of the third of my government, said Khan while answering a question why did he include Aleem in his party.

    “They were organised, you could get their help, we were on the same page regarding foreign policy. It was just the last six months, the issue of them making deals with these crooks when they should be behind bars,” he added.

    Imran Khan talked about former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who also had a falling out with the establishment. “The army was going after these people before I came to power. 95 per cent of these cases preceded my government. The Nawaz Sharif case, the Avenfield case… he would not have got convicted had the army not provided the two brigadiers in the JITs — that was before me.”

    Admitting that he doesn’t know about the internal politics of the army, Imran emphasized that his relationship with them was “going well”, however, “Later, I discovered there was a big issue going on about the next army chief. I had never ever thought about who the army chief would be in November — why would I care, if it’s on merit? It should be the best person. It matters to the Sharifs and Zardari… but not to me.”

    Imran further said that he was hopeful that the Army would help him when he will try to bring rule of law in the country, adding “NAB was controlled by the army. I couldn’t do anything. They would say, ‘yes there are cases, we are working on it’. But nothing would happen. I discovered that, actually, the establishment controlled NAB and proceeded as it wanted… It was to control politicians by having files about their corruption. They would squeeze someone, but then he would be out on bail.”

    Talking about the allegations that General Faiz Hamid is his man, Khan said, “General Faiz was the only general I knew, because he was working with me as the ISI chief… and I didn’t know anyone else. I told Gen Bajwa ‘I will take your recommendations because I don’t know the other guys’, but at the time my worry was Afghanistan. I feared it would go into civil war. And I felt Americans would blame us and we would be sanctioned. Ashraf Ghani told me there are 300,000 Afghan soldiers and they will be outnumbered. Not just Ashraf Ghani, ISI was telling us there will be civil war [in Afghanistan]. I wanted Gen Faiz to stay till the winter till the transition happened,” he stated.

  • Yasir Hussain is looking forward to son Kabir’s friendship with Alia Bhatt’s daughter, netizens react

    Yasir Hussain is looking forward to son Kabir’s friendship with Alia Bhatt’s daughter, netizens react

    Actor and director Yasir Hussain is known for expressing his controversial takes on social media. Now the Jhooti star has made an unexpected comment while sharing the news of Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt’s newborn daughter.

    The Baandi star wrote, “Tabhi Aaj kabir bohot khush hai. Do mulkon ki dosti k liye mai tayaar hun.” (No wonder why Kabir is happy today. I am ready to help both nations befriend each other.)

    The post was an indirect prediction of Kabir Hussain’s bond with the Kapoor baby.

    Netizens trolled the Koyal director’s comments for his statement, registering their opinions.

    Yasir yet again received flak for his statement as netizens started a troll fest on social media.

    Hussain recently grabbed headlines for mocking actors who claimed to skip Hum Awards, in solidarity with the flood victims.

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is FotoJet.jpg

    The Lahore Se Aagay hero wrote, “Jo actor(s) baqwas kar rahay hain ke wo khud nahi gaye, unko business class ticket nahi di. Maine chat parhi hai beta. (I have read the chats, the actors who are claiming utter rubbish that they skipped the award show themselves, weren’t provided with business class tickets.)”

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is c7144a77-26a3-4880-a978-fc4090754f0e.jpg

    Hussain’s statement for actors who skipped the award show came after Azfar Rehman announced on Instagram that he opted out of his participation in the 2022 HUM Awards in Canada to express solidarity with the flood victims in Pakistan.

    The Aatish star was praised by his industry colleagues and netizens for his generous act.

    He said he has withdrawn “by choice with due respect to the coveted event”.

    “Sorry to disappoint my fans in Toronto Canada, I shall not be attending the HUM Awards this year even though I’m nominated in the best actor in a negative role category. I stand in solidarity with my brothers and sisters drowning in the floods. I request the authority at the awards to kindly donate my ticket and stay money to the flood relief,” he wrote, adding the hashtag Pakistan Zindabad.

    Celebrities like Ayesha Omar, Mehwish Hayat, Nadia Afgan, Ali Kazmi, Sadaf Kanwal and Shagufta Ejaz praised Rehman for his stance.

    The award show organisers and attendees were scrutinised on social media for their timing. Amongst these attendees was Yasir Hussain, who has now made an indirect dig at Azfar.

    Although Hussain didn’t tag Rehman in his post but since Azfar is the only mainstream actor who announced this publicly, it is pretty evident that Yasir has slammed him.

    Last year on Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf’s The Couple Show, Yasir Hussain said that Azfar thinks that he’s a great actor but he’s absolutely not.

    The Couple Show | Episode 2 Promo | Yasir Hussain & Iqra Aziz | Aagha Ali & Hina Altaf - Aaj.tv

    A netizen recently commented a derogatory remark under his post, calling him, “a barking dog and a flop actor”.

    Yasir sarcastically replied to the troll by saying, “MashaAllah language.”

  • Rhea Kapoor ropes in Tabu, Kareena and Kriti in her forthcoming comedy film ‘The Crew’

    Rhea Kapoor ropes in Tabu, Kareena and Kriti in her forthcoming comedy film ‘The Crew’

    The stellar trio of actresses Tabu, Kareena Kapoor Khan & Kriti Sanon will be seen together in producer Rhea Kapoor’s forthcoming madcap comedy film The Crew.

    Promised to be a laugh riot, it is set against the backdrop of the struggling airline industry. It tells the story of three women, who work and hustle to move on with life.

    Commenting on the occasion of the announcement, Kareena Kapoor Khan said: “‘Veere Di Wedding’ holds a special place in my heart. Working with Rhea and Ektaa was an incredible journey. So when Rhea came to me with her new project ‘The Crew’ I was quite intrigued. This also means I get to share screen space with two stellar actresses, Tabu and Kriti. I am looking forward to starting this project and can’t wait to bring this trifecta to the fold.”

    As the three women in the film try to make their way forward, their destinies lead to some unwarranted situations leading them to get caught in a web of lies.

    Tabu, Kareena Kapoor And Kriti Sanon In The Crew - A Glimpse Of

    Kriti Sanon, who is now busy with promotions of her upcoming film ‘Bhediya’, said: “I always look forward to strong characters and unique stories and ‘The Crew’ is one of them. I am thrilled to work with two powerhouses of talent, Tabu ma’am and Kareena.”

    “I’ve always admired and looked up to them and their work. I’ve met Tabu ma’am on a few occasions and she has always been extremely warm. Bebo is simply iconic, I’ve been a fan girl.”

    She added: “On the other hand, Rhea and Ektaa are just phenomenal, strong producers who have backed empowering and progressive female characters and subjects. I’ve always wanted to do a fun quirky all girls film and this one just ticked all the boxes and I instantly loved the script! Can’t wait for the journey to begin.”

  • SBP reduces cash-carrying limits by 50% for international travel

    SBP reduces cash-carrying limits by 50% for international travel

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in a statement that the cash-carrying limitations on foreign currency for international travel have been cut in half to $5,000 (or equivalent in other foreign currencies) each visit and $30,000 per year for individuals aged 18 and over.

    Under-18s (minors) will be subject to a 50 per cent reduction in both ceilings, or $2,500 per visit and $15,000 per year.

    The cap on withdrawing foreign currency in cash, however, will continue to be $1,000 per visit and $6,000 per year for visitors to Afghanistan.

    Now, overseas debit and credit card transactions are also subject to the same annual cap ($30,000).

    To curb speculation and the grey market, the SBP and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have independently decided to work together against illegal foreign exchange businesses.

    The yearly trip cash limits, according to the central bank, won’t take effect until January 1, 2023, but the per-visit limits will be effective right away.

    A $30,000 yearly restriction on overseas transactions was also imposed by the SBP after it discovered that debit and credit cards were being used for transactions that “are not linked with the profile of the individual or are meant for commercial purpose.”

    SBP advised banks to “ensure that the use of debit and credit cards for international transactions was aligned with the profile of cardholders and for their personal needs only”.

    “It is emphasised that the purpose of debit/credit cards is to facilitate individuals in making payments for transactions that are of personal nature. The limits on these cards as well as payments through them, both domestic and international, should therefore be aligned with the profile of the cardholder,” it said.

    It continued by stating that it was the customer’s duty to make sure that their annual quota was never exceeded. However, banks are required to track these caps for every person on a combined basis.

  • ‘I am captain who brought neutral umpires’: IK on whether he wants military out of politics or not

    ‘I am captain who brought neutral umpires’: IK on whether he wants military out of politics or not

    Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that he is the one who in the entire history of the game, brought in a neutral umpire to get fair results.

    Khan was talking on TRT World’s “The Newsmakers” with Andrea Sanke, when the anchor asked, “You want the military out of Pakistan’s politics, or do you want the military on your side in Pakistan’s politics?”

    Khan replied: “Let me say one thing. In the two hundred year history of test cricket, and international cricket, I am the captain who brought the neutral umpires. I am the one who actually brought in the neutral umpires in cricket because we wanted a fair result.”

    “You must understand, for me right now, the most important thing in Pakistan is how do we get out of the quagmire, how do we get out of this situation”, he stated.

    During the interview, Khan again mentioned the names of PM Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer as the minds behind the assassination attempt on his life. “We are governed by criminals”, Khan said.

    He reiterated that he wants an independent investigation. “We are a popular party in Punjab but we couldn’t get a case registered against them because the provincial police refused,” he told the host.

    “If they turned out to be innocent in the investigation so it’s fine. At least it’s my right, they almost killed me”, Khan said.

    He claimed that all the investigative agencies in the country are under these three people [Shehbaz, Sanaullah and Faisal Naseer].

    About Naveed, the gunman who shot at the former Prime Minister, Imran Khan said, “After 20 minutes of the incident, a man appears and says that I shot Imran”.

    Khan raised a question: “Who brought him on television? Police are not allowed to do this unless a proper investigation is carried out.”

    Stressing that he was more determined now, Imran Khan said that he was expecting something to happen. “I predicted this four months ago that there was a plot against me,” he said.

    Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister and a senior leader of the ruling coalition, also spoke with The Newsmakers and called the allegations levelled by Khan tragic. “It is a tragedy that a person of Imran Khan’s stature, who served as the prime minister of the country, would stoop so low to accuse the [sitting] prime minister and intelligence officials of being behind this shooting,” he said.

    Abbasi said the shooting took place in a province that Khan’s PTI party controls and called for an investigation to ascertain the motivation behind this shooting. “The shooter has been arrested and the truth should come out. I think for Imran Khan to speculate and try to gain political points out of this is something that is very much not acceptable,” Abbasi said.

    Imran Khan rejected Abbasi’s statement, saying he does not need popularity gained by accusing others.

    Khan called on the Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to be “more assertive” when it comes to dispensing justice.

    “Justice persists when every person, even the most powerful, is brought under the rule of law. I, as the head of a province, can’t get the three people to be investigated, imagine what the situation will be for the common man,” he said, adding that PTI’s movement for “real struggle” demanded rule of law.

  • Aur humara meme game shuru: the best of the best Pak match memes

    Aur humara meme game shuru: the best of the best Pak match memes

    Pakistan has defeated New Zealand by seven wickets to reach their first T20 World Cup final since winning the competition in 2009.
    Pakistan restricted New Zealand to 152-4, before reaching their target with five balls to spare as the skipper banished his Super 12 blues with 53 from 42 deliveries in an opening stand of 105 from 76 balls with Mohammad Rizwan (57 off 43).

    Pakistan reaching the final after a not-so-good start has triggered a meme fest on Twitter. Have a look at the memes:

  • Twitter to roll out new ‘Official’ badge for prominent accounts

    Twitter to roll out new ‘Official’ badge for prominent accounts

    When it debuts its new $8 service with the blue verification badge, billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform Twitter will introduce an ‘Official’ tag for select verified accounts, including prominent media outlets, celebrities and authorities, its early stage products executive Esther Crawford said on Tuesday.

    Twitter’s safety and integrity chief, Yoel Roth, stated that the business delayed the introduction of the new Twitter Blue subscription product until after the US midterm elections on Tuesday due to concerns about impersonating public people.

    According to those familiar with the situation, fake government accounts are a common issue on Twitter around the world. Crawford stated that the “Official” badge will not be for sale and will only be available to administrations, significant media outlets, businesses, company associates, and other prominent personalities.

    A Reuters story states that the social networking site Twitter will launch a new $8 premium subscription option. According to Esther Crawford, the company’s early-stage products executive, the major media organisations and governments will be among the Twitter accounts that are verified and so referred to as “Official” on Twitter.

    Those who subscribe to Twitter Blue, a new subscription service that won’t really verify user identities, will be able to get blue checks.

    Even though the official label won’t be offered for sale, select accounts will get it, and it won’t be accessible to all. Governments, private companies, trade associations, large news organisations, and some other public personalities will be allowed to have it.