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Imran Khan makes party decisions based on Bushra Bibi’s dreams: Awn Chaudhry

Former adviser and very close friend to ousted Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Awn Chaudhry revealed the reason for not attending the oath ceremony of the former premier, saying that he was stopped from attending Khan’s oath-taking after ‘somebody dreamt about it’ at Bani Gala.

“When I was informed about it by Imran Khan himself through a message before the night of the oath-taking, that someone has seen a dream and I cannot attend the oath-taking ceremony, I was hurt badly and thought was this the reward for my hard work? He sent the message at 2am and I have saved it on my phone. It is strange that decisions were made in the party on the basis of dreams,” Awn said.

Aun opened up about the issue while talking to Geo News programme ‘Jirga’s’ host Saleem Safi. Chaudhry said that he had Khan’s message saved and can show it anytime he asks for it.

Safi asked if the person whom Awn is mentioning in relevance to dreams was the first lady, Bushra Bibi. To this Awn said, “Everyone knows who is associated with such dreams and the implementation of work done because of these dreams.”

Anchorperson Safi reminded Chaudhry that Chaudhry was the one who made Khan meet Bushra Bibi and that Khan got married six months before becoming prime minister. So the question is why was not Awn Chaudhry distanced from Khan earlier? To which Chaudhry responded, “I cannot say what the plan was but now it’s pretty clear. Had I committed something wrong, I am sure Khan Saab would have said it to everyone within three seconds. My wrong was my loyalty to Khan Saab. Had my loyalties been somewhere else I would still be there.”

“I am grateful to the Almighty that he showed me the mirror. These people are not the ones to show loyalty to. I was the hindrance between a lot of things. A gang has come in front of Pakistan. The ones who called the shots and did the work in the country. This is the very gang that used to run Punjab. The gang includes the first lady’s friend Farah, Farah Gogi, Ahsan Jameel Gujjar, and then there was another gift which they presented in the face of Usman Buzdar. This was a planned conspiracy,” said Chaudhry.

“I came to Khan Saab and said that you have committed a blunder. I complained that you have given Punjab to such an incompetent man [Usman Buzdar]. The reward i got saying this was, I was taken out of the Punjab cabinet within a week,” revealed Chaudhry.

He said FIRs were lodged against Jahangir Tareen and his children while Tareen helped Imran Khan form governments in the Centre and Punjab. “Tareen allowed Imran Khan to use his plane and bore expenses of party meetings and offices, including Imran Khan’s sit-in at Islamabad. Imran Khan also leveled false allegations against Aleem Khan over his housing society. If he was so notorious, why had you accepted him to your party?” he asked.

Chaudhry said Shehzad Akbar had set up private cells to investigate Tareen after a commission was set up to investigate the sugar crisis. “Tareen also supported Principal Secretary to PM Azam Khan but he asked Imran Khan to form a commission against Tareen,” he added.

Awn Chaudhry alleged that Prime Imran Khan had phoned for closing NAB cases against many people close to him. “The truth will come forth if an inquiry is held,” he added.

Chaudhry said that the PTI chairman had not appointed Pervez Khattak as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister for the second time because he thought he did not obey him as he desired. He said Mehmood Khan had been appointed KP CM because he was a weak person. “Khattak has a political vision and he would have benefited the party better but he was criticised in party meetings,” he added.

May 23, 2022
PPP’s Gilani becomes leader of house in Senate

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Yusuf Raza Gilani has taken charge as the leader of the House in the Senate today (Monday).

Earlier, Gilani contested for the slot of Senate chairman against Sadiq Sanjrani but lost. Gilani has been appointed to fill the slot by the current PM Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Senator Dr Shehzad Waseem will now become the leader of the Opposition.

The National Assembly (NA) session has resumed today and it has been indicated that a resolution of condemnation against PTI Chairman Imran Khan for using obnoxious language against Maryam Nawaz in his Multan rally would be tabled in the two houses separately by women lawmakers.

According to The News that PM Shehbaz Sharif will avail the sitting of the upper house to make an important policy statement on the political and economic situation in the country.

In January, Gilani stepped down as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate after his absence led to the passage of the State Bank (Amendment) Bill, 2021, in the Upper House of Parliament.

May 23, 2022
Tourists stranded at Babusar Top after heavy snowfall

Heavy snowfall in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Babusar Top area has trapped many tourists including their vehicles.

According to the government, up to 3 inches of snow have fallen on the Babusar Top and emergency teams have been sent to the area to evacuate tourists who have got stuck in their vehicles. Passengers and visitors are advised to avoid using the highway until further notice.

Heavy snowfall is continuing at Babusar Top, according to the Gilgit-Baltistan chief secretary, and the Babusar-Naran National Highway has been momentarily closed for all kinds of traffic.

More than 50 vehicles, carrying lots of passengers and visitors, were evacuated at Babusar Top due to snowfall and harsh weather, as per rescue personnel. The rescued tourists were taken to Babusar Centre.

Periodic snowfall is continuing at Babusar Top, according to rescue officials, while the mercury has fallen below freezing.

May 23, 2022
Coalition partners finally decide to complete govt term

The coalition partners have decided that the present government will go ahead with the completion of its term instead of early elections in the country, reports Geo News.

The decision comes after a meeting of the heads of the ruling alliance today (Monday). The allied parties’ heads met to discuss the political situation in the country after the announcement of a long march towards Islamabad by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on May 25.

As per the news outlet, the government has also decided to take tough decisions in a bid to steer the country out of an economic crisis. As Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has left for Doha, Qatar, for talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the tough measures will reportedly be taken in a couple of days.

The Shehbaz Sharif government has stated that it needs support from “all sides” to take tough decisions in order to revive the economy.

May 23, 2022
Good News for Pakistani filmmakers: SHC orders 85% preference for local films

After the mess that local films like Chakkar, Dum Mastam and Pardey Mein Rehne Do faced with regards to their screening times being allotted to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there has been a major development in the situation.

The Sindh High Court has ordered that local films get 85% of playing time at Pakistani cinemas, with foreign cinemas being allowed 15% of the exhibition space.

According to the high court order, foreign releases must comply by rules of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979, which states that internationally produced films screening in Pakistan can be allowed 15% screen space of locally created films are screening as well.

The order states that the defendants must follow the rules of the Motion Picture Ordinance “strictly in letter and spirit” and to provide 85% exhibition time to Pakistani films till the next date of hearing on June 2.

The Sindh High Court suits numbering 754, 754 and 755 have Cereal Entertainment (Adnan Siddiqui and Akhter Hasnain), Wajahat Rauf and Shazia Wajahat, and Farid Nawaz Productions (Yasir Nawaz and Nida Yasir) as plaintiffs, for their films Dum Mastam, Parde Mein Rehne Do and Chakkar respectively.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Central Board of Film Censors, Punjab Film Censor Board, Sindh Board of Film Censors, Competition Commission of Pakistan, J.B. Films, Nueplex Cinemas, Cinepax Cinemas, Cinegold Cinemas, HKC Entertainment and the Karachi District South deputy commissioner.

Local filmmakers called for compensation in the face of damages the films and makers faced with the distribution of screen time, of which the relevant teams have been vocal about on social media.

While chaos has already ensued for local films in the wake of the release of Doctor Strange, this ruling may prove beneficial (if gone unchallenged) for upcoming local releases such as Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and London Nahi Jaunga. Moreover, while the Marvel film has amassed big figures at the box office, upcoming foreign releases such as The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Memory, and Top Gun: Maverick stand to potentially be impacted by this decision.

Earier this year the Zindagi Gulzar Hai star, Sanam Saeed expressed her disappointment over the absence of posters and standees of her newly released film, Ishrat Made in China, in one of the outlets of Nueplex Cinemas at Minhas Road, Karachi. There were no posters displayed of the film in the cinema.

She took to her Twitter handle to express her concern and tagged JB Films who is the owner of Nueplex cinemas.

She wrote, “A little disappointed in #nuplexcinemas for not putting up any of our film posters, especially on Rashid Minhas Road.”

She also urged the cinema owners to support Pakistani content as Hollywood does not need promotion for superheroes films.

pic.twitter.com/qS67abZi3a

— NueplexCinemas (@NueplexCinemas) March 7, 2022

Meanwhile, Nueplex cinemas also released their official statement and clarified their stance.

According to the cinema management, the distributor/producer is solely responsible for providing promotional material such as standees and posters. It added, “Hence, this issue may be better addressed if it is taken up with them.”

They also explained that the film was given only two dedicated screens throughout the opening weekend at Askari IV and DHA. They urged to bring this matter to the distributor first to resolve the issue.

Ishrat Made in China was released on March 4 along with Hollywood’s superhero film, The Batman starring Robert Pattison in Pakistan.

May 23, 2022
‘Was shaken with her death’: Bollywood’s Alankrita Shrivastava announces Qandeel Baloch’s biopic

Acclaimed Indian filmmaker Alankrita Shrivastava has announced the biopic of Pakistani model and social media star Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered in an honor killing incident in 2016.

Shrivastava, along with producers Vikas Sharma and Sunny Khanna has acquired the rights to the book The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch, by Sanam Maher, published by Aleph, it was revealed ahead of the Cannes Film Market.

Shrivastava’s credits include feminist films Lipstick Under My Burkha and Netflix series Bombay Begums.

Baloch, whose real name is Fouzia Azeem, had stoked controversy in Pakistan by living a Westernized lifestyle and posting her thoughts on social media, including Facebook and Twitter. Divorced from her husband, she had been nicknamed “Pakistan’s Kim Kardashian” and “Pakistan’s first social media star.”

“When Qandeel Baloch was murdered in Pakistan in 2016, I was shaken up,” Shrivastava said. “It was a heinous honor killing. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I started watching Qandeel’s videos repeatedly, and I was fascinated. She was so charming and full of life. A poor girl from a small village, who worked her way up to being provocatively famous. She was just 26 when she was killed. And ironically, it’s only after her death that she has been reclaimed as a feminist.”

“Qandeel’s story needs to be told by a sensitive filmmaker who is passionate about women’s stories,” Sharma said. “Alankrita is just the filmmaker for it. And not just because she is an award-winning feminist filmmaker, but because she has so much empathy for her characters. She tells their stories with candor and warmth.”

Khanna added: “Qandeel Baloch’s story is important and relevant. Even today women often continue to be at risk when they dare to express their individuality and challenge the status quo. I believe the world needs to watch stories like this.”

Shrivastava noted: “I see this film as an ode to the courageous spirit of Qandeel Baloch. It will chronicle her sensational and astonishing rise to fame. I hope to piece together the memories of the rebellious, funny and vulnerable young girl, whose life was cut short because she shimmered too bright. The film will celebrate her spunk and lust for life by telling her story without judgment, hopefully the way she would have liked to tell it.”

Recently actor Osman Khalid Butt has challenged the acquittal of Baloch’s brother in the Supreme Court (SC), Barrister Khadija Siddiqi stated on Twitter. She also termed it as a “test case”.

May 23, 2022
When Salman Khan rejected superhit ‘Chak De India’ for his Pakistani fans

A major report in Indian media has unveiled that Bollywood actor Salman Khan rejected the blockbuster film Chak De India to not upset his fans in Pakistan.

Later the film was offered to Shah Rukh Khan in 2007 and the film turned out to be a huge blockbuster. During his interview with The Indian Express, he said that he does not regret not doing the film.

It’s no secret that Shah Rukh Khan’s 2007 hit Chak De! India was first offered to Salman Khan, however, what many might not know is that Salman rejected the film to safeguard his Pakistani fans’ feelings. Talking to The Indian Express in 2007 about the film which went on to become a major hit for SRK and filmmaker Aditya Chopra, the Dabangg actor said, “I don’t regret not doing the film but I agree that my judgement about it was wrong.”

The Ek Tha Tiger hero went on to list two reasons based on which he had rejected the film at the time.

“I had a problem with the climax. My reasoning was that if you lose to Pakistan then you also have to win with Pakistan. I also had a problem with the title. I wish they hadn’t added India to the title. I felt our fans in Pakistan and Bangladesh might feel bad.”

Chak De! India starred SRK as a disgraced hockey player who goes on to coach the Indian women’s hockey team to a world cup victory.

Salman has always greeted Pakistani celebrities with warmth.

May 23, 2022
Bilal Abbas, Ramsha Khan call it quits after allegedly dating for five years

Actor Bilal Abbas Khan recently unfollowed his alleged girlfriend Ramsha Khan and her Hum Tum costar Ahad Raza Mir. The duo was reportedly dating since the days of their debut film together, Thora Jee Le.

During the Khel Khel Mein promotions, Bilal also hinted at getting hitched in the near future however the Balaa actor has created a storm on social media by unfollowing his alleged lady love and the ex-husband of his friend Sajal Aly together.

The Dobara star, who is a heartthrob of 2.4 million fans and more, has made his followers curious.

Bilal also unfollowed actor Feroze Khan.

His costar Sajal recently mentioned in an interview that, “Whenever I got time on the sets I have tried to persuade Bilal to get married. I mean if there’s someone he is interested in he should get married. And I think there is someone in his life”.

Earlier a portal covered their romantic equation.

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A post shared by Gloss Closet Pakistan (@glossclosetpakistan)

Rumour mills are also buzzing with growing proximity of Ramsha and Ahad, hence many fans believe that it could be a reason of their split.

May 23, 2022
PM rules out the removal of fuel, energy subsidies ahead of talks with IMF: Miftah Ismail

Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has once again said the government doesn’t plan to increase the prices of petroleum products. Talking to the media at the Karachi airport, he said that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif had ruled out the possibility of ending the subsidies.

“It will not happen. I have refused. Shehbaz Sharif sahib has refused. Nawaz Sharif sahib has refused,” said Ismail. “I am assuring you that I will not agree to [the terms] that Shaukat Tarin agreed to.”

He said that according to the deal finalised by former finance minister Shaukat Tarin, Pakistan would have to raise the price of diesel by over Rs150 and petrol by Rs100.

Miftah said that Imran Khan took a loan of Rs20,000 billion, which is 80% of the entire amount of loans taken in 71 years of Pakistan’s history.

He further stated that former planning and development minister Asad Umar caused Pakistan a loss of 9.1%, which was a record loss in 52 years.

“Pakistan exported wheat when we [PML-N] left the government but today the country is importing wheat,” Miftah said.

A team comprising State Bank of Pakistan and Federal Board of Revenue officials, as well as Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghous Pasha and the finance secretary, are already in Doha to negotiate with the IMF.

The talks began on May 18. At the time, Ismail had told the IMF that the government understood the current economic crisis and agreed that it would have to take “tough decisions” while mitigating the effects of inflation on middle to low-income groups.

May 23, 2022
NAB reports Rs864 billion recovery since inception

Since its formation, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has recovered Rs864 billion from corrupt elements, directly and indirectly.

The anti-graft watchdog, NAB has collected Rs584 billion during the tenure of incumbent Chairman Justice Javed Iqbal.

Due to the NAB’s aggressive prosecution, the Accountability Courts penalized 1,405 accused persons and imposed substantial fines on them, as per a NAB spokesman.

In the Accountability Courts, NAB has a 66 per cent overall conviction rate. NAB received a total of 405,768 complaints since its formation. A total of 405,212 complaints were handled. The inquiry of 556 complaints is still ongoing.

100,865 complaints have been acknowledged by the NAB. There were around 100,425 complaints investigated. While 779 complaints were still being investigated. 9883 queries have been approved by NAB.

8,953 queries were followed through to completion. A total of 930 inquiries were investigated.

NAB allowed 4,547 investigations since its establishment. A total of 42,100 investigations have been completed. While working on 346, the probe is still ongoing. Since its founding, the NAB has filed 3,645 referrals in accountability courts. 2,398 references were disposed of in accordance with the law. Currently, 1,237 referrals worth Rs1,335 billion are being tried in various accountability courts.

May 23, 2022