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  • PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal baton-charged at symbolic opening of Karachi bus project

    PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal baton-charged at symbolic opening of Karachi bus project

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal and other party members came face to face with the Rangers on Thursday when the paramilitary troops prevented the members of the PML-N from performing ‘symbolic opening’ of the Green Line bus service in Karachi.

    The confrontation led to a brawl and scuffle between the two sides. It all began when a number of workers of the PML-N Karachi chapter, in line with the plan to hold a symbolic opening of the project, started to gather at one of the bus stations in North Nazimabad. The protestors were later joined by senior leaders, including former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal, former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair, and former federal finance minister Miftah Ismail.

    The PML-N workers faced resistance from the Rangers who were carrying sticks. The situation turned tense when Iqbal came forward and started arguing and insisted on exercising his democratic and legal rights.

    In the process, the PML-N claimed, Rangers also resorted to baton-charge that left Iqbal and a female worker injured.

    “But we don’t know under which law we were stopped by the Rangers. It didn’t end here. When we questioned their move, they restored to the worst state of terrorism. I hope that military leadership would take notice of the Ranger’s action,” said Iqbal.

    Showing bruises over his left hand due to the baton charge, Iqbal called it political vendetta of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, which had ordered the paramilitary force to attack PML-N workers and media.

    Twitterati condemned the act and reminded that no one deserves this treatment.

    Journalist Raza Rumi tweeted, “Shameful reminder of this terrible episode and tactic employed to undermine an elected representative and a member of the cabinet where all executive power (theoretically) resides.”

    Senior journalist Fahd Husain tweeted, “This photo is wrong for so many reasons: symbolically, optically, figuratively, and literally. No elected representative, regardless of political affiliation, should be treated like this, let alone someone as senior & respected as @betterpakistan Ahsan Iqbal.”

    Journalist Hasan Zaidi tweeted, “Meanwhile, why were the Rangers so invested in stopping a symbolic ceremony? Are they a political force?”

  • Court orders life imprisonment to two men for throwing acid on woman

    Court orders life imprisonment to two men for throwing acid on woman

    On Thursday, the Anti-Terrorism court sentenced life imprisonment to two convicts, Muhammad Ahmed and Shah Nawaz for throwing acid on a woman.

    The sentence was given under Section 336-B of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) read with section 34 PPC along with a fine of Rs 1 million being paid to the victim.

    On June 7, 2021, the victim, Maryam was going to her workplace at Sui Gas Society which is near Chungi Ameer Sadhu in Lahore when Ahmad and Nawaz were waiting for her on a motorcycle. They offered her a ride to the workplace which Maryam refused. Upon refusal, convicts threw acid on her face, due to which she suffered burn injuries on the face, neck, and hands. The case was registered at Johar Town Police Station.

    The convict, Ahmad claimed that he didn’t throw acid on a victim. When he refused to marry her, she poured the hot liquid on herself.

    The second culprit said in his statement that he was innocent and police made up a story against him.

    However, the complaintant claimed that she had no prior relationship with Ahmad and also rejected the claims he made against her.

  • Bollywood stars praise Ahmed Ali Akbar and Parizaad, special mention for Mashal Khan

    Bollywood stars praise Ahmed Ali Akbar and Parizaad, special mention for Mashal Khan

    HUM TV’s drama serial Parizaad starring Ahmed Ali Akbar as the titular character has been making headlines ever since the drama went on-air.

    Recently, Indian designer Manish Malhotra used the OST of the hit drama for his promotional video proving that Parizaad is not only loved in Pakistan but has a strong following across the border as well.

    This is what the video looks like when you open the Reels

    The highlight of the video became the background music. which the Laal Kabootar star was quick to notice, “I like the music,” shared Ahmed on his Instagram story.

    Now multiple Bollywood actors including Vikram Kapadia of Bazaar fame, Darshan Jariwala of Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani fame and Namit Das of Wake Up Sid fame indulged in an online chat about the drama, when the Kapoor & Sons star posted an appreciation note for the drama and it’s star Ahmed Ali Akbar.

    Public Lauds Ahmed Ali Akbar For His Brilliant Performance In Parizaad - Xoom

    He also gave a special mention to Mashal Khan.

    Why We Love Lubna of Parizad! - HIP

    The actor also mentioned that he enjoyed working with Fawad in Kapoor & Sons and would like to work with the cast of Parizaad.

    Read More: Manish Malhotra uses Parizaad’s OST for latest campaign, Ahmad Ali Akbar reacts

  • ‘Sub mere peechay kyun par jatay hain?’: Mahira Khan breaks silence over criticism on her acting skills

    ‘Sub mere peechay kyun par jatay hain?’: Mahira Khan breaks silence over criticism on her acting skills

    Actor Mahira Khan has finally opened up on criticism on her acting skills in a recent interview. Earlier her colleagues such as Firdaus Jamal, Nadia Khan and Mehwish Hayat have passed rude comments on her acting skills.

    She started off by saying, “Jub mujhe pe baat aati hai sub aisay peechay partay hain that I don’t know why?”

    “Why do some journalists feel apologetic while appreciating me?”

    “Most times I am quite because I feel silence sometimes speak louder.”

    She elaborated further, “I find it so sad that I work really hard on my characters but I don’t get the deserving appreciation. I have to constantly prove myself, I am playing a blind girl in Neelofer, what do I have to play, next? A monkey?”

    “When people comment on my acting skills, at times I want to ask them that what have you done, how sad of you to say that?”

    “I am an easy target because I am silent and don’t blow my own horn and I am not friends with journalists.”

    The Raees star concluded by saying, “One day I’ll die and then tributes would be pouring in and people would appreciate me but it will be too late by then.”

  • Dawn photographer beaten up by Rangers in Karachi

    Faysal Mujeeb, a photographer working for Dawn, was beaten up by Karachi Rangers for covering Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Yaum-i-Shuhada event.

    The event was held near ‘Nine Zero’, formerly the headquarters of the MQM led by its founder leader, Altaf Hussain.

    According to Mujeeb, he was covering the event. He recalled that the relatives of slain MQM activists had started arriving at the venue, ‘Yaadgar-i-Shuhada’ on Thursday morning and were laying rose petals on their graves, reports Dawn.

    He stated, “Some of the people present there started raising slogans in favour of Hussain, which prompted Rangers and they started detaining them. I and another media worker, Mehboob Ahmed Chishti, were also picked up.”

    Mujeeb said that he proved his identity as a press photographer and that he was on the duty assigned to him by Dawn. However, he said, the Rangers personnel did not listen to him and started beating him up and his camera and mobile phone also got smashed during the episode.

    “They kept me in detention for about an hour and subjected me to severe thrashing. I was set free only after a Rangers officer came and got my identity verified from his sources,” he revealed.

    Several organisations and journalists condemned the act.

  • 40 camels disqualified from beauty pageant for using botox

    A “beauty pageant” in Saudia Arabia has disqualified 40 camels from the contest after it emerged that their owners used botox and other cosmetic supplements to beautify the animals. The contest is a highlight of the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, where $66m (£45m) in prize money is at stake.

    According to the report, camels are judged on the basis of physical attributes, including long droopy lips, a big nose and a nicely-shaped hump.

    Judges employed some advanced technology to figure out whether the animals are naturally beautiful or have their features been artificially enhanced, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

    All the camels participating in the contest were first taken to a hall where professional experts inspected their external appearance and movements to check out if they were healthy.

    Later on, samples were taken from the animals for examination, while their torsos, necks, and heads were scanned with X-ray and 3D ultrasound machines.

    Twenty-seven contestants in the cup for Majaheim camels alone were unfit for having stretched body parts and 16 were put out for receiving injections, according to SPA. The owners of camels in Saudi Arabia have been caught enhancing their animals’ looks for a beauty contest.

    The organisers of the pageant, the Camel Club, mentioned that they were “keen to halt all acts of tampering and deception in the beautification of camels” and promising to “impose strict penalties on manipulators”.

    They described how Botox was injected into camels’ lips, noses, jaws and other parts of their heads to relax muscles; collagen fillers were used to make their lips and noses bigger; and hormones were given to boost muscle growth.

    Rubber bands were also used on animals to make body parts bigger than normal to stop the flow of blood, they said.

    Some 33,000 camel owners from as far away as the US, Russia and France are participating in the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, which is the largest in the world and lasts 40 days.

    As many as 100,000 tourists are also expected daily at the event.

  • Anushka Sharma has a message for her new neighbours Vic-Kat

    Anushka Sharma has a message for her new neighbours Vic-Kat

    Bollywood’s newly wedded couple Katrina kaif and Vicky Kaushal are the talk of B-Town. Many celebrities and people from the entertainment industry are sending love to the couple. Actor Anushka Sharma also has a message for Vic-Kat.

    Taking to Instagram stories, the PK star congratulated the couple, saying: “Congratulations to both you beautiful people! Wishing you guys a lifetime of togetherness, love and understanding.”

    The actor further said that she is glad that they are finally married. “Also glad that you are finally married so that now you can move into your house soon and we can stop hearing construction sounds.”

    As per the Indian media, Katrina and Vicky will move into a sea-facing apartment in Mumbai’s Juhu, and the newlyweds will have another celebrity couple Anushka and Virat Kohli as their neighbours.

    The couple tied the knot in a traditional Indian wedding ceremony and took their seven pheras on Thursday afternoon.

  • Zardari case records went missing seven years ago during transportation

    Zardari case records went missing seven years ago during transportation

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday noticed that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has challenged the acquittal of former President Asif Ali Zardari without obtaining the original record of the case, reports Dawn.

    A two-member bench comprising of Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq was hearing NAB’s appeal against the acquittal of Zardari in a case.

    NAB Additional Prosecutor General Jahanzaib Khan Bharwana informed the bench that the original record of the reference had gone missing.

    The court noted that it took NAB seven years to realise that the appeals were filed without possessing the original record.

    Bharwana told the court the record had gone missing while it was being transported from the Lahore High Court to the Supreme Court.

    Justice Aamer Farooq questioned, “Please, tell us whether the anti-corruption watchdog is interested in pursuing its appeal or not?” reports The News.

    Farooq said that NAB’s cases do not have any substance, adding, “NAB’s job is to hold corrupt people accountable. Now it is time to hold it accountable.”

    CJ Minallah said NAB should now admit it had made a mistake by filing these references since it did not have proof against the former president.

    “And if indeed, there were no proofs, then the court will also take action against the former bureau chairman in whose tenure these cases had been filed,” said IHC CJ.

    Justice Minallah asked whether the NAB officials had any idea what cost the country’s economy had to pay for their rash steps. “Truth of the matter is that the bureau had failed to satisfy the accountability court with respect to allegations against Zardari,” he added.

  • Malala Yousafzai sends love to Katrina, Vicky on their wedding

    Malala Yousafzai sends love to Katrina, Vicky on their wedding

    Nobel laureate and women’s education rights activist Malala Yousafzai has congratulated Bollywood celebrity couple Katrina Kaif and Vicky Kaushal on their wedding.

    Katrina and Vicky tied the knot at the Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan on Thursday. The couple shared stunning pictures from the wedding event with a heartfelt caption.

    Malala wished the couple by commenting under the Dhoom 3 star’s post followed by heart emojis.

    India media has reported that the wedding was attended by 120 guests including, Neha Dhupia, Kabir Khan, Gurdas Mann and others.

  • US embassy nominates ASP Amna Baig for prestigious award

    US embassy nominates ASP Amna Baig for prestigious award

    United States embassy has nominated Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amna Baig for International Women of Courage award. She was nominated during an event held to mark the 30th anniversary of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign, hosted by US Embassy Charge d’affaires Angela P Aggeler.

    Amna Baig is in charge of the law enforcement’s Gender Protection Unit – a government initiative to facilitate women and transgender individuals in their fight against discrimination and injustice. 

    The award recognises women from around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.

    “Even though gender-based violence is pervasive, it is not inevitable,” Charge d’affaires Aggeler said at the event. She also added that it was in this spirit that the embassy nominated ASP Baig for the award.

    “It can and must be prevented. This is why we take this time each year to reinvigorate our efforts against gender-based violence and to call for greater collective and individual action to prevent and respond to all forms of violence against women.”