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  • Maryam Nawaz gets her passport back after three years

    Maryam Nawaz gets her passport back after three years

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz received her passport on Monday after Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered that the passport be returned to her.

    She had surrendered her passport three years ago in order to get bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case.

    “Alhamdulillah, my passport has been returned”, Maryam said in a tweet.

    “Due to the fear of my jalsas (rallies), fitna kept me in NAB for three months and in death cell in Kot Lakhpat Jail for investigation, but the case has not been filed to date”, she added.

    A three-member bench of the LHC, headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Muhammad Ameer Bhatti and comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh heard the case on Monday (today). During the proceedings, Maryam’s counsel Muhammad Amjad Pervaiz argued that his client had been granted bail after she surrendered her passport in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills money laundering case but that despite the passage of a span of four years, no reference had been filed against her.

    Maryam, through her counsel, moved the fresh petition, arguing that in 2019, NAB had forced her to surrender her passport in this case, fearing that she would flee the country.

    Pervaiz also informed the court that the conviction in the Avenfield case could have caused difficulty in the return of her passport, but that the case has been closed.

    During the hearing, the federal government said that they have no objection to the plea. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor also said that his organisation has no objection to it. He added that they did not know whether the case came under their jurisdiction or not after the new amendments to NAB’s law.

    Last month, Maryam approached the court to get her passport released. She stated that she was unable to exercise her fundamental rights for the last four years despite the absence of any charge sheet or trial, as she had surrendered her passport in accordance with the court’s order when she was arrested in 2019.

    The case:

    As per details of Chaudhry Sugar Mill’s money-laundering investigation, NAB in January 2018 received a Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) report describing suspicious transactions of billions of rupees under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

    After receiving the FMU report, NAB started an inquiry in October 2018 and found that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, the incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif, Abbas Sharif and family were shareholders in the company, along with foreigners from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom (UK).

    A probe revealed that investments in Chaudhry Sugar Mills from 2001 to 2017 worth billions of rupees were made under the guise of issuing shares for foreigners.

    Interestingly, later on, the same shares of the company were transferred back to Maryam, Hussain, and Nawaz Sharif on various occasions without any money paid to the said foreign business partners.

  • Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    Here’s how Pakistan’s inflation is impacting consumer buying pattern

    In Pakistan, the real value of income has been undermined by inflation, while high interest rates have raised the cost of borrowing.

    Record inflation rates have dominated news for the past year, coupled with supply chain problems, material shortages, elevated fuel prices, and vegetable prices that increased by 500 per cent in September.

    According to a poll by Pulse Consultant, which was conducted in August 2022, 78 per cent of Pakistanis think that their country’s economy is going on the wrong path. Inflation has affected 66 per cent of people hard, and 12 per cent of people say their expenses aren’t keeping up.

    Pulse Consultant asked an open-ended question in a nationwide computer-assisted telephonic study in which more than 1,600 people across the country responded and revealed how they are dealing with the current wave of inflation.

    The following are the areas where customers lowered their spending:

    • Reduced Grocery Purchasing – 24 per cent
    • Avoid Going Out – 18 per cent
    • Stop Unnecessary Shopping – 16 per cent
    • Reduced Fast Food – 10 per cent
    • Reduced Overall Expenses -9 per cent
    • Save Petrol – 7 per cent
    • Reduced Children Expenses – 5 per cent
    • Avoid Beauty Parlor / Salon – 3 per cent
    • Save Electricity – 3 per cent
    • Avoid Family Gatherings – 3 per cent
    • Reduced Meat Consumption – 2 per cent

    In Pakistan, CPI inflation increased to 27.3 per cent in August 2022 from 12.1 per cent in January 2022. There are a number of causes for the sudden rise in inflation, despite the fact that core inflation (excluding oil and food costs) is at 18 per cent. The incidence of imported inflation has increased as a result of the rupee’s depreciation. From April through August 2022, the rupee’s value against the US dollar decreased by around 23 per cent.

    Pakistani currency is presently strengthening as a result of the restoration of the IMF package following its derailment last winter. Additionally, even though the oil bill still accounts for around 26–30 per cent of all imports, import reduction has improved the current account situation. The administration has promised to pass along any decrease in oil prices to the public.

    The lag effect of the significant budget deficit experienced in the previous year is one of the other primary causes of the high level of inflation. In contrast to the 4.2 per cent agreed upon with the IMF, the budget deficit during the FY ending on June 30, 2022, reached as high as Rs6,900 billion, or about 9 per cent of GDP.

    In addition, $20 billion in debt, as opposed to $53 billion between 2008 and 2018, was committed over the past four years. As a result, more money is being spent in pursuit of fewer commodities.

    The challenges of recession and skyrocketing inflation are pretty much universal. Despite having low inflation rates, China and Japan’s economies are expected to slow down. Inflation is being fueled by earlier Covid and current high oil, gas, and commodity costs in the wake of the Ukraine war, which is slowing growth.

  • BTS member Jimin, his father receive death threats, here’s why

    BTS member Jimin, his father receive death threats, here’s why

    Park Ji-min, commonly known as Jimin of the K-Pop band BTS has received a death threat from an anonymous netizen.

    Jimin, the vocalist of the South Korean septet, was threatened by an Instagram fan account of fellow BTS members Jeon Jung-Kook and Kim Tae-Hyung aka V. The story was shared by the account with the username ‘vkookv_123’.

    Ahead of the much-anticipated Busan concert of the global sensation, the account shared a picture of guns followed by the warning statement for the ‘Filter’ singer. The person wrote, “When you go to the concert, I hope you hurt Jimin or his father.”

    https://twitter.com/lakenne3/status/1575831992117395456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1575831992117395456%7Ctwgr%5E4c792247ccfd437cd373b17ec9fa36ea146ef77e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Farynews.tv%2Fbts-star-jimin-receives-death-threats%2F

    “I promise I’ll kill him,” the statement read further, as the OP alleged Jimin to be an ‘obstacle’ between Jungkook and V.

    “Please kill him, I will try to shoot him. Tell all the Taekookers, I will kill him.”

    The screengrab of the story was shared on the micro-blogging site and the BTS ARMY on Twitter reacted to the ‘non-existing ship’, slamming the toxic shippers among the fandom.

    “It’s genuinely, genuinely, so so concerning that Jimin and his family are getting death threats on a public social media platform and being posted to their 7K followers audience that they will hurt him and his family all for what?? a non-existing ship they fantasise about,” read a tweet on the matter.

    Another BTS ARMY wrote, “This is crazy, and big hit is giving more importance to a rumor, I mean, ofc tae situation is bad, but here we’re talking about death threats not only towards a member but also his whole family.”

    It is pertinent to mention that the account which made the temporary post on Instagram, was taken down within hours.

    About the K-Pop sensation, the band will take the Busan stage on October 15, two days after the 26th birthday of Jimin.

  • 125 people die in football stadium stampede in Indonesia

    125 people die in football stadium stampede in Indonesia

    A football game in Indonesia turned deadly Saturday night as security personnel clashed with soccer fans, prompting a stampede and leaving 125 dead with dozens of others injured, officials and eyewitnesses said.

    Four people present at the game told The Washington Post that armed security officers in uniform discharged what seemed to be tear gas into the crowd randomly and directly, which caused panic. It was predicted that 42,000 people would attend the event.

    Frustrated supporters of the losing home team invaded the pitch in Malang in the province of East Java late on Saturday. To control the situation, police officers fired tear gas which triggered the stampede and led to suffocation.

    “I can still hear the voices of children calling for their mothers,” said Bima Andhika, 25, who escaped the stampede with his 14-year-old sister. His uncle and three of his neighbors are among the dead, he said.

    A police spokesperson said 323 people were injured, up from the initial count of 180.

  • ‘I fell victim to conspiracy’: Humayoun Ashraf exposes showbiz’s ‘use and throw’ culture

    ‘I fell victim to conspiracy’: Humayoun Ashraf exposes showbiz’s ‘use and throw’ culture

    Actor Humayoun Ashraf, who recently delivered the blockbuster soap Rang Mahal, appeared on Naumaan Ijaz’s show G Sarkar. The Inteqam star talked about the grey elements of the entertainment industry and shared how he got caught up in them.

    After a long break, Ashraf returned to the screens with Rang Mahal, as the antagonist. He stated that he was hesitant at first, but the serial went on to be a huge success.

    Humayoun talked about his time in the entertainment business and said that everyone pulls each other’s legs.

    “I fell victim to the industry’s conspiracy. No one here is your friend, if someone is being nice to you there must be some reason behind it. They probably want a favor or to use you and when their purpose is over they abandon you.” he said.

    The host asked him why he had chosen to take on only negative roles, to which Ashraf replied, “I have mostly done positive roles but my negative roles are more popular with the audience”.

    The star has appeared in several hit drama serials, including Manjhdar, Haasil, Tere Bina, Saza-e-Ishq, Rang Mahal, Inteqam. He also won the Hum Award for Best Soap Actor in 2013 for his role in the serial Ishq Hamari Galiyon Mein.

    Humayun Ashraf
  • Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal kick off pre-wedding festivities, ooze couple goals

    Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal kick off pre-wedding festivities, ooze couple goals

    Bollywood actors Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal are currently in Delhi for their pre-wedding festivities. The duo updated their fans by sharing dreamy pictures from their pre-wedding ceremonies.

    Inside pictures from Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal's phool haldi and sangeet ceremonies go viral on the internet! | Hindi Movie News - Times of India

    On Sunday, the actress shared new photos from her mehendi and haldi ceremonies. The Fukrey pair can be seen laughing and dancing, as they enjoy their ceremonies. The bride-to-be Richa looks lovely in an embroidered pink lehenga designed by designer Rahul Mishra, while Fazal looks dashing in an ivory white angrakha from the shelves of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. 

    Sharing the pictures, Chadha wrote, “Because love is all there is… – Rumi”. Soon after she shared the post, fans flooded the comment section with heart emoticons. 

    Here have a look: 

    On Saturday, the couple shared similar pictures from their cocktail party in which they can be seen looking adorable together. In the pictures, Richa looks stunning in a golden saree from the shelves of Kresha Bajaj and Ali, on the other hand, looks handsome in a sherwani designed by Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla. Sharing the pictures, Richa wrote, “I hide YOU in my eyes – Rumi #RiAli blessed,” while Ali dropped a heart emoticon in the caption. 

    Soon after they shared the post, their industry friends flooded the comment section. Sonakshi Sinha, commented, “Congratulations you two,” Shruti Haasan wrote, “Congratulations you two !!! Wishing you all the love light and happiness,” while others dropped heart and love-struck emoticons. 

    Here have a look at Richa Chadha’s post: 

    Their wedding will be held on October 4th.

    Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal have a wedding logo! Logon, have you seen it yet? - Movies News
  • Let the trans live: They’re already marginalised

    Let the trans live: They’re already marginalised

    Any marginalised community in a country goes through struggles and challenges of its own. From their right to live to their right to freedom, their existence revolves around many obstacles. Pakistan is no different. The transgender community in Pakistan is a marginalised community that on a daily basis is ridiculed, harassed, abused, and given life threats. And this has been a pattern for many years. The recent propaganda about the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights), Act (2018) is extremely dangerous and life-threatening.

    The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018 has come under intense criticism from some sections of society during the past few weeks with two petitions also having been filed in the Federal Shariah Court against the Act. The act was enacted in the year 2018 to guarantee transgenders’ equal rights to education, basic health facilities, issuance of CNICs and passports, and giving them a right to vote and contest elections. The Supreme Court’s decision on September 25, 2012, that said that eunuchs were entitled to all of the rights protected by the Constitution and enjoyed by other members of society led to the passing of the 2018 Act. However, now a few religious parties are seeking amendments to the act. The major amendment that is being considered is that a trans person should be allowed to change their gender identity after evaluation from the medical board instead of their self-perceived identity.

    A lot of misinformation is being propagated about the Act, including accusations: “The bill is merely a disguise for the LGBT community,” while others are saying that it is creating a pathway for same-sex marriages. There is a common misconception going on that as per the act, any person can change their ID card from M to F and F to M based on their own perception. However, that is simply not the case. The rules that were notified under this act clearly say that if you are a transgender man or a woman, you can change your identification card on the basis of your self-perception but only to X, not to Male or Female.

    A person having an X card cannot marry a person with an ID card with a male or female gender mentioned on it.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Mohsin Aziz on Monday said that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018 is “disgusting”.

    “Why do we have to protect the rights of transgenders? How can we accept the rights of gays and lesbians?” he asked in the Senate.

    Siraj-ul- Haq, the Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), has said that all religious groups will demonstrate at Lahore’s Shuhada Mosque if the government does not withdraw the Transgender Rights Act seriously. He further said that the Act is more dangerous than the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Japan in 1945.

    The question remains: why are the rights of a marginalised community such a threat? Why can some sects of society not let them live? Did anyone actually read what the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018 stands for? More than 20 transgender people have lost their lives. We hope the people threatening the transgender community understands that they have a right to live and the right to dignity. Let the transgender community live: they’re already marginalised in Pakistan.

  • Ameesha Patel breaks silence on dating rumours with Imran Abbas

    Ameesha Patel breaks silence on dating rumours with Imran Abbas

    Bollywood actress Ameesha Patel has broken her silence on link-up rumours with Pakistani A-list actor, Imran Abbas in an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times.

    The Humraaz diva shared that she chuckled at these rumours. “I read them too and had a huge laugh about it. The whole thing is just crazy and full of silliness. I met my buddy after so many years. So, it was just a catch-up,” Patel told the publication.

    The Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai siren also spoke about the viral aforementioned video. She later posted the same video on her Instagram, which has apparently sparked dating rumours. “He happens to love that song of mine. It’s his favourite song… We just did an impromptu thing, which was recorded by a friend. It came out so cute, so we posted it. It was not planned,” she further shared. 

    She elaborated further, “We have known each other for many years, since the time I studied with him at a university in the US. And I have stayed in touch with most of my friends in Pakistan, who just love India. Abbas belongs to the film industry there, and we have a lot more to talk about.”

    Abbas and Patel recently did a live session with Patel on Instagram. During the live session, both stars reminisced old memories, and the stars also discussed the bond between the celebrities of both countries.

    A day prior to this the Thora Sa Haq star was ecstatic to meet his friend at the First Social Media Awards in Bahrain. He also shared a beautiful video and penned a sweet note for the Bhool Bhulaiya diva.

    “Glad to connect back with my old friend @ameeshapatel9 after many years in Bahrain at “First Social Media Awards” by @brandboxbahrain and @saaya.events . Thank you Bahrain for such an overwhelming response and oodles of love.❤️ “, captioned the Alvida actor.

    Reciprocating the love, Ameesha dropped a comment on his post which read, “Was fabulous catching up with u my dear friend and superstar Imran .. and by the way u sang superbly …. Always lovely to see u …. ❤️❤️????????”.

    The audience praised their chemistry during the live session but some social media users also raised some intriguing questions. Here are a few comments below.

  • ‘Jhoot mein bolna nahi chahta, sach mein bol nahi sakta’: Imran Khan avoids confirming his meeting with COAS Bajwa

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan responded to speculation about his meeting with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, as was reported by some journalists recently.

    On ARY News’ programme “Sawal Yeh Hai” with Maria Memon, when asked about the meeting, he said, “Jhoot mein bolna nahi chahta, sach mei bol nahi sakta”, (I don’t want to lie and I can’t tell the truth). However, he was of the view that negotiations should be held.

    Earlier, there was speculation that Khan had a meeting with COAS last month. The meeting was arranged by President Arif Alvi and was held at the President’s House in Islamabad. Reportedly, Khan and the COAS could not reach an agreement, but Khan toned down his rhetoric pertaining to the establishment after the meeting.

    About his recent audio leaks, Khan revealed that the first audio leak between him and his then-principle secretary Azam Khan was a telephonic conversation. According to him, he hasn’t listened to the second audio leak. “I can’t comment on it”, he responded.

    However, when asked that in this second audio leak he [Khan] insisted his party members use the word “letter” instead of “cipher”, the PTI Chairman said that there is nothing wrong with it as the general public wouldn’t have been able to understand the word cipher.

    About the controversial cipher, Khan said he had not made the cipher public at once because at the time, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting was in progress in the capital and it would have been inappropriate to share the cipher then.

    He said that these leaks are a security breach as the secure line Prime Minister’s (PM) Office got leaked.

    During the interview, Khan said that he is always ready to be arrested. “These people don’t have democracy and morality in them”, he added.

    According to the former PM, when he gets disqualified, the government will hold elections.

    He termed his Toshkhana case as “open and shut”. He said he did nothing wrong in the case which is pending against him in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP.)

    It is pertinent to mention here that Khan is accused of selling state gifts and failing to disclose their value in his annual tax returns.

    Speaking about the upcoming long march, Khan said the date would be announced within a week. He said Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi is an ally of the PTI and he would support the party in its march.

    About the departure of for­­mer premier Nawaz Sha­rif to London during the PTI government on medical grounds, Imran Khan commented that when Nawaz Sharif went out of the country, he came to realise that “Everything is possible” in Pakistan.

    “Unfortu­na­tely our justice system is weak due to which these people are benefitting,” he said in a comment on the cases agai­nst his political opponents.

  • Here are top 5 highest-paying IT certifications to have in 2022

    Here are top 5 highest-paying IT certifications to have in 2022

    Owing to a fast-changing job market and increased competition for qualified professionals, it is getting harder to find and keep the best talent in the IT sector.

    Organizations look for individuals with renowned credentials that confirm their expertise and capacity as the skills gap threatens to negatively affect enterprises in crucial fields like cloud computing, data science, and cybersecurity.

    Since they have obtained credentials regarded as reliable affirmations of their abilities, these qualified professionals typically have more clout in the market.

    The certifications below are among those with the highest salaries recorded in the IT sector for professionals.

    AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional

    In this position, you design, implement and maintain sophisticated Amazon Web Services cloud architecture. AWS advises two or more years of practical experience with a scripting language, as well as proficiency with Windows, Linux, and numerous AWS services, for you to earn this kind of certification.

    Certified Information Security Manager

    You manage, plan, and evaluate an organization’s information security in this position. A particular level of proficiency in information security governance, information security risk management, information security programme, and incident management is required for certification. You must have at least five years of professional experience in a number of distinct fields before you can sit for the exam.

    Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect

    You must be able to oversee the deployment of Google Cloud services, as well as establish the infrastructure and enhance procedures, in order to earn this sort of credential. Additionally, candidates for this certification should have at least three years of professional experience, including at least one year of solution design and management in Google Cloud.

    Certified Information Systems Security Professional

    This certification is comparable to receiving a master’s degree in IT security because it evaluates your capacity to plan, carry out, and oversee a cybersecurity initiative. In order to do so, you must have at least five years of relevant work experience in two or more of the CISSP domains, such as security and risk management, security architecture and engineering, identity and access management, security assessment and testing, and software development security.

    AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate

    This certification is intended for cloud architects with experience creating fault-tolerant and cost-effective systems on AWS and serves as a prerequisite for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional badge. Deep coding expertise isn’t required, however candidates should be comfortable with the AWS Well-Architected Framework and at least the fundamentals of programming.