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  • Despite partial lockdown in Punjab, over 4,000 COVID cases reported in 24 hours

    Despite partial lockdown in Punjab, over 4,000 COVID cases reported in 24 hours

    Pakistan reported 4,062 new coronavirus infections over the last 24 hours in country for the first time in seven days.

    According to National Command Operation Center (NCOC), a total of 63,161 COVID-19 tests were taken on Thursday, out of which 84 people lost their lives to the deadly virus, pushing the toll to 26,497. 

    All Punjab educational institutions were closed last week due to the high spike in cases. Punjab government has also imposed lockdown in various areas of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Faisalabad.

    Currently, the country is fighting against the fourth wave of the global pandemic and the average daily case count has been fluctuating between 3,000-4,000 range for almost a week.

    The positivity rate now remains at 6.43%. Moreover, Pakistan is reporting 3,778 new infections on average each day.

    Last week, the country averaged about 1,192,780 administered vaccine doses each day.

  • ‘Was offered ‘Verna’, refused ‘HKKST’ initially’: Usman Mukhtar gets candid

    ‘Was offered ‘Verna’, refused ‘HKKST’ initially’: Usman Mukhtar gets candid

    Actor Usman Mukhtar has revealed that he initially refused to work in his successful drama Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay.

    In a recent interview, the Anaa star mentioned: “I’m generally a little picky with my scripts especially after Sabaat when I received the script of Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay, I initially refused to be a part of it.”

    “When I read the script and the novel I thought that the character of Aswad was too toxic. I wanted to do something different this time. Then later on we had a conversation with the team and we changed many things in Aswad’s character. I refused to portray a violent character. The team cooperated with me and changed what I requested them to change in script”, added Usman.

    “Aswad does not come from that background, born and brought up in a household of women. Not a lot of boys were involved in his life,” he stated.

    The Parchi actor revealed: “Now we’re getting a massive response on Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay. People are loving the storyline and everything. Meanwhile, I’m also receiving threatening messages that what you are doing to Mehreen is totally wrong, you’ll be destroyed. I used tell them that it’s just a character and drama.”

    He also confessed that this isn’t the first time that he was supposed to work with Mahira Khan as he was also approached for Verna by Shoaib Mansoor but that couldn’t materialise.

    Along with Usman in the Farooq Rind directorial, Mahira Khan and Kubra Khan can be seen in lead roles as Mehreen and Mashal, respectively.

  • VIDEO: Doctors sing to calm scared patient before surgery

    VIDEO: Doctors sing to calm scared patient before surgery

    An Egyptian patient was scared before her surgery so the doctors sang a song for her to divert her mind, Gulf News reported.

    They sang a popular song by Egypt’s Mohamed Hamaki called ‘Don’t leave again’ to take her mind off the procedure.

    The video shows the patient expressing discomfort and pain and then she starts enjoying the song along with the doctors.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbis4MYmzjw&t=19s
  • ‘I apologise to the Afghan people’: Ashraf Ghani

    ‘I apologise to the Afghan people’: Ashraf Ghani

    Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in a statement posted on Twitter, said: “It is with deep and profound regret that my own chapter ended in similar tragedy to my predecessors — without ensuring stability and prosperity. I apologise to the Afghan people that I could not make it end differently.”

    “Leaving Kabul was the most difficult decision of my life, but I believed it was the only way to keep the guns silent and save Kabul and her six million citizens,” said Ghani.

    “If I stayed, there was a risk of the same horrific street-to-street fighting the city had suffered during the Civil War of the 1990s.”

    Refuting the allegations that Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash, he said, “These charges are completely and categorically false.”

    “Corruption is a plague that has crippled our country for decades, and fighting corruption has been a central focus of my efforts as president,” he said, adding that he and his Lebanese-born wife were “scrupulous in our personal finances”.

    “I have publically declared all my assets. My wife’s family inheritance has also been disclosed and remains listed in her home country of Lebanon,” said Ghani.

    “I welcome an official audit or financial investigation under United Nations (UN) auspices or any other appropriate independent body to prove the veracity of my statement,” added Ghani.

    He appreciated the sacrifices the Afghans had made over the past 40 years of war in their country.

  • ‘TTP may be considered for general amnesty, provided they follow constitution of Pakistan’: Arif Alvi

    ‘TTP may be considered for general amnesty, provided they follow constitution of Pakistan’: Arif Alvi

    President Dr Arif Alvi has said that if anyone wants to leave the ideology of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and work as per the Constitution of Pakistan, the government may consider a general amnesty.

    Speaking on Dawn News programme, ‘Khabar se Khabar’, President Alvi said, “The TTP is a threat to us. We have been told that they will stay with them [Afghan Taliban] but do nothing against Pakistan.”

    “It’s one step, Pakistan will consider general amnesty, if anyone surrenders,” further added Alvi.

    Earlier, Afghan Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid had said in an interview that TTP is not a problem of Afghanistan but of Pakistan, so it is Pakistan’s job to formulate a strategy in this regard.

    “If TTP believes in our followers and our Amir-ul-Mominin, then they [TTP] will have to follow them as well,” added Mujahid.

    The detailed interview of the president is yet to be aired on Dawn News. A short teaser of the show was aired by the channel on Wednesday.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Australia warns of cancelling Afghanistan Test if Taliban ban women’s cricket
    
			
    Australia warns of cancelling Afghanistan Test if Taliban ban women’s cricket
    
			
    Cricket Australia (CA) warned to cancel the Test match against Afghanistan in November if women are not allowed to play the sport under the Taliban regime.
    

    The updated stance from CA follows the developments on Wednesday where the Taliban indicated that women would not be able to participate in sport, including cricket.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    In a statement released on Thursday, Cricket Australia confirmed it would be unable to proceed with the planned Test at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena from November 27 if news reports of Taliban views on the women’s game were true.
    

    “Driving the growth of women’s cricket globally is incredibly important to Cricket Australia,” the statement said.
    

    “Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level.”
    

    “If recent media reports that women’s cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed Test Match due to be played in Hobart,” it added.
    

    The ICC has said that Afghanistan’s status in the international game will be discussed at their next board meeting but that is not scheduled until November, which raises further questions about their participation in the T20 World Cup.
    

    Afghanistan is the only Full Member to have received that status without having an operational women’s team in place. Last year, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had announced their first contracts for women as they looked to build a team.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Not necessary,’ Afghan women to be banned from playing sports by Taliban
    
			
    The Taliban spokesperson has said that the Afghan women, including the country’s women’s cricket team, will be prohibited from participating in sports under the new Taliban regime, The Gurdian has reported. 
    

    Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy chairman of the Taliban’s culture commission, claimed in an interview with Australian network SBS that women’s sport was neither appropriate nor required.
    

    “I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,” Wasiq said. “In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this”.
    

    “It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate [Afghanistan] do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.”
    

    On September 7, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced members of the new interim government in Afghanistan. Afghanistan will be led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund while the group’s co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy Afghan leader.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    12-year-old girl killed after rape in Bahawalnagar
    
			
    12-year-old girl killed after rape in Bahawalnagar
    
			
    A 12-year-old girl was murdered after the alleged rape in Manchinabad area of Punjab’s Bahawalnagar district, ARY News reported on Thursday.
    

    According to details, a 12-year-old girl was killed after being raped in Manchinabad. The police detained the two suspects in the case after it was reported.
    

    Taking notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has also asked for a report from IG Punjab and ordered strict action against the persons involved in the crime.
    

    CM Punjab Usman Buzdar also assured the victim’s family that justice will be served.
    

    Earlier, a girl in Gujrat died after three men allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped her. Three men abducted a girl from Chak Ghazi in Gujrat district on September 1. The accused gave a tranquilliser to the girl and then raped her.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Arrest warrants issued for Iffat Omar and Ali Gul Pir
    
			
    Arrest warrants issued for Iffat Omar and Ali Gul Pir
    
			
    Judicial Magistrate Yousuf Abdul Rehman has rejected the plea of Iffat Omar’s exemption from appearance and has issued arrest warrants. The court has also issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Ali Gul Pir.
    

    Earlier singer Ali Zafar filed for a defamation case against Iffat Omar and Ali Gul Pir in context of Meesha Shafi’s harassment allegations.
    

    The Dour diva has opened up on the matter:
    

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is WhatsApp-Image-2021-09-09-at-2.57.48-AM-702x1024.jpeg
    

    

    The court has also summoned singer Meesha Shafi on the next hearing and dismissed the pleas of co-accused Leena Ghani, Fariha Ayub, Faizan Raza and Haseemuz Zaman for permanent exemption from appearance. The court adjourned the case till October 6.
    

    According to the FIA, Meesha Shafi and Iffat Omar made allegations of sexual harassment against the Madhubala singer on Twitter.
    

    The Federal Investigation Agency last year registered the case on the complaint of Zafar. He had accused Meesha Shafi, Leena Ghani, Iffat Omer, Fariha Ayub, Faizan Raza, Haseemuz Zaman, Ali Gul Pir and Maham Javed of running a coordinated vilification campaign against him on social media.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Afghan journalist confuses Aamir Liaquat as dead Pak Army soldier in Panjshir
    
			
    Afghan journalist confuses Aamir Liaquat as dead Pak Army soldier in Panjshir
    
			
    An Afghan journalist, Noor Quraishi, claimed that Pakistani commando Colonel Adil was killed in Panjshir Valley and shared a picture of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Aamir Liaquat.
    

    He shared the picture on his Twitter account, claiming that he [Amir Liaqat] was killed in the clashes with anti-Taliban forces. His tweet translated to, “The first casualty of Pakistani commandos: Colonel Adil died during the fighting in Panjshir.”
    


     
    

    Shortly after the tweet, netizens started mocking the journalist for a faux pas.
    


     
    


     
    


     
    

    Fake and misleading news regarding Pakistan’s involvement in Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has been making rounds on social media.
    

    Earlier, a Twitter user had shared a picture of a fighter jet, claiming that a Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane was shot down in Afghanistan’s Panjshir valley. Later, a fact check by Dawn showed that the picture is actually from 2018 in the United States.
    

    Apart from this, Indian News Channels, Republic TV and Zee Hindustan, ran footage from a video game Arma-3 as visuals stating that it was the PAF attacking the anti-Taliban fighters.