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  • Govt gives three housing units each to 19 bureaucrats

    Govt gives three housing units each to 19 bureaucrats

    A total of 19 bureaucrats of grade BS-22 secured three housing units each, including Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Establishment Shehzad Arbab.

    According to the papers obtained by Dawn, the officers had already been allotted a double-story “grey structures” house each in the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) scheme.

    The PHAF traditionally built low-cost housing schemes for its members and this was the first time that it introduced a scheme for senior bureaucrats.

    Previously, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had cancelled the allotment of “choice” apartments to influential bureaucrats in the same locality [PHAF] and ordered an investigation into the manipulated balloting carried out by the housing scheme.

    Not only this, the official documents say that 185 of the 588 bureaucrats right after this allotment were allotted plots in the capital’s new sectors of F-14 and F-15.

    Following this, the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) recently allotted two plots each to senior bureaucrats, judges of superior courts, lawyers, and judicial officers of Islamabad’s subordinate judiciary.

    Earlier, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled against the allotment of more than one plot to top bureaucrats at public expense under Article 25 of the Pakistan Constitution and then set aside the policy of allotment of the second plot and referred the matter to the federal cabinet.

    While talking to Dawn, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Farogh Naseem said the allotments would be examined in light of the IHC judgment. Federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “The government is working on the issue in the light of the IHC directive and has formed a committee as well.”

    Initially, civil servants were entitled to one plot each only. However, in 2006, the then prime minister allowed two plots each for BS-22 officials.

    However, an insider said the policy to make such allotments had never been approved by the federal government.

  • Fiza Ali gets hospitalised after suffering an accident, daughter inseparable

    Actor Fiza Ali has been hospitalised, the Kaisay Kahoon star took to her Instagram stories to update her fans with her health status.

    Fiza can be seen getting the medical care in the pictures. Her daughter is inseparable from her at the hospital.

    Last week, the Tum Ho Ke Chup diva suffered injuries during the shoot of a music video in Punjab’s Kasur after which she was needed immediate medical attention.

  • PCB announces team for first ODI against Kiwis

    PCB announces team for first ODI against Kiwis

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced its team for the first One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand.

    According to the PCB’s press release, the first ODI against the Kiwis will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.

    The team includes Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakil, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mahmood. While the second and third ODIs will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on September 19 and 21.

    The Gaddafi Stadium will host the T20Is from September 25 to October 3 in Lahore.

  • G-gang: Mahira, Sanam and Sarwat bond like BFFs at star-studded party

    Actor Sarwat Gillani shared some pictures of her hang out with A-list female stars of Pakistan, Mahria Khan, Sanam Saeed, Tooba Siddiqui and Mehreen Jabbar.

    The Jackson Heights director termed it to be their ‘annual meet-up’.

    On the work front, Mahira is currently featuring in ‘Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay’, Sanam will be seen next in Ishrat: Made In China, whereas Sarwat is shooting for her web-series opposite Zahid Ahmed.

  • ‘Victim-blaming never ends’: Sharmila Faruqi schools Gohar over violent scene with Sarah

    ‘Victim-blaming never ends’: Sharmila Faruqi schools Gohar over violent scene with Sarah

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqi recently responded to actor Gohar Rasheed’s reflections on violence against women on Instagram, disagreeing with the actor’s assertion that “oppression is a choice.”

    The Digest Writer actor had posted a message on Instagram to address a slap scene from his drama Laapata that was being widely shared on social media.

    The actor had posted that the reason he accepted the role of Daniyal in the drama was to “prove that oppression is a choice”. “If any insecure man with his fragile ego tries his ‘so called’ muscles on you, make the choice that Falak did without any fear,” he had written. “One tight slap back from a brave woman to such weak man in our society would be a giant leap for women kind.”

    Faruqi replied to Rasheed’s post, saying that oppression is “not a choice”. “It’s a hard reality,” she wrote.

    “Thousands of women are oppressed daily not because they chose to be oppressed but because they don’t have the choice to hit back or leave. Marital rapes, domestic violence, acid victims, child marriages are rampant because the victims are helpless physically and financially. They suffer in silence and those who do muster the courage to fight back are either silenced, murdered or divorced with no where to go. The victim blaming never ends, it’s a vicious cycle.”

  • Pakistan Army rescues three mountaineers stranded on Rakaposhi

    Pakistan Army rescues three mountaineers stranded on Rakaposhi

    A Pakistan Army helicopter has rescued three mountaineers who were stranded on Rakaposhi mountain on Wednesday morning, Geo News reported.

    As per details, Pakistani climber, Wajidullah Nagri, and two Czech Republic mountaineers had been stuck at an altitude of 6,900 metres on the mountain for the past five days.

    Taking to Twitter, Deputy Commissioner Nagar Zulqarnain Khan confirmed the news of their rescue.

    He stated that the mountaineers have been moved to Gilgit and thanked the Pakistan Army, Sajid Sadpara and a few climbers from Hunza.

    Talking to Dawn, DC said that the three climbers had begun the climb of Rakaposhi, one of the world’s most challenging peaks, on September 1 from the South Ridge and had summited the mountain on September 9. They began their descent the same day but then got stuck there.

  • Asad Qaiser states press gallery closed in consultation with journalists, journalists deny

    Asad Qaiser states press gallery closed in consultation with journalists, journalists deny

    National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said that he closed the doors of the press gallery during President Arif Alvi’s speech to a joint session of parliament after getting ‘reports’ that there was a possibility of a ruckus between two journalists’ groups.

    The speaker while speaking to journalists, claimed that he made this decision after consulting the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA).

    “I couldn’t afford a fight between two groups in Parliament which could have resulted in the disrespect of media and the House,” Qaiser said adding, “however, there was some misunderstanding.”

    After Qaiser’s claims, the PRA categorically denied the speaker’s statement and challenged him to name the journalists who met him as PRA representatives, reported Dawn.

    “PRA delegation has not met the Speaker National Assembly nor has the PRA been taken into confidence over the closure of the Press Gallery,” says the statement issued by PRA’s information secretary Malik Saeed Awan.

    “PRA delegation has not met the Speaker National Assembly nor has the PRA been taken into confidence over the closure of the Press Gallery,” says the statement issued by PRA’s information secretary Malik Saeed Awan.

    “PRA strongly condemns this black lie of the Speaker”. Awan demanded an inquiry to determine which delegation met with and misrepresented the journalist organisation.

    In a first in Pakistan’s history, reporters were not allowed to enter a joint session of Parliament on Monday, September 13.

    Parliamentary reporters were to be present in the press gallery for the president’s address but entered the hallway to find that the door was locked. The press gallery was closed for the journalists.

    PRA strongly condemned the closure of the press gallery and said, “Closing the gallery is the worst dictatorship.”

    Pakistani journalists protested in front of the Parliament House against the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), which aims to muzzle media freedom. The protest started on Sunday, September 12, Journalists marched from the National Press Club to the Parliament House and stayed overnight.

  • ‘Khana chordo’: Nausheen Shah wants Fawad Chaudhry to change his shape

    ‘Khana chordo’: Nausheen Shah wants Fawad Chaudhry to change his shape

    Actor Nausheen Shah appeared on Tabish Hashmi’s show TBH, on which the Pehli Si Mohabbat diva was asked to give suggestions to certain politicians.

    When the host asked her to give an advice for the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, the Dudugi star was quick to suggest that he should stop eating junk and change his shape.

    She elaborated that since he is not diagnosed with any disease he should be more mindful of his appetite.

    The Deewar-e-Shab actor concluded by mentioning that the politicians who are corrupt should be ashamed and rather die.

    ‘Uske bohat baray dant hain’: Nausheen Shah opens up on comparisons with Kareena Kapoor

  • More than half of Pakistanis ‘happy’ with Taliban takeover

    A survey conducted by a leading research firm has revealed that around 55 percent Pakistanis were ‘happy’ that the Taliban would be ruling Afghanistan, Arab News has reported. The study was released by the Gilani Research Foundation (GRF) and carried out by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan (GGP).

    The survey was conducted from August 13 to September 5 and 2,170 men and women in urban and rural areas of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were surveyed.

    “Some people are happy that the Taliban will now rule Afghanistan. Some are not happy about that. What is your opinion?” this question was asked in the survey.

    In response to the question, 55 percent said they were happy. Moreover, 25 percent said they were unhappy, 16 percent did not know and four percent did not respond.

    The highest numbers of respondents were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and more 65 per cent were happy with the Taliban take over. In Punjab 54 per cent, 55 per cent in Balochistan, and around 54 per cent were happy in Sindh.

     56 per cent of men and 36 per cent women were happy.

    The Taliban on September 7, announced the formation of its interim government, amid heavy criticism that not one woman was among the 33 members.

  • Newly-wed bride asks groom to bring water, runs away with cash, jewellery

    Newly-wed bride asks groom to bring water, runs away with cash, jewellery

    A bride robbed her husband while going to her in-laws’ in India’s Uttar Pradesh after she sent him to bring water for her.

    As per reports, the groom’s marriage was fixed through a mediator and the latter had mentioned a condition that made the groom’s family pay INR80,000 to the bride.

    The groom named Raju agreed to the condition and gave the money along with jewellery, gifts and clothes.

    Read More: Bride slaps groom for chewing ‘gutka’ during wedding ceremony

    The newly-married couple went to a bus station to leave for home.

    The bride asked her husband to fetch her a glass of water at the bus station, as she was thirsty. After he returned, the bride was not there. She disappeared depriving him of money, gifts and clothes that were given to her, as they were also not there.

    Later, the husband reported the case to the police.