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  • US report on Khashoggi killing expected to single out Saudi crown prince

    US report on Khashoggi killing expected to single out Saudi crown prince

    A declassified version of a US intelligence report expected to be released on Thursday finds that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, four US officials familiar with the matter said.

    The officials said the report, for which the CIA was the main contributor, assessed that the crown prince approved and likely ordered the murder of Khashoggi, whose Washington Post column had criticised the crown prince’s policies.

    President Joe Biden, a Democrat who succeeded the Republican Donald Trump five weeks ago, told reporters on Wednesday he had read the report and expected to speak soon by phone with Saudi Arabian King Salman, 85, father of the crown prince, the country’s 35-year-old de facto ruler.

    The report’s release is part of Biden’s policy to realign ties with Riyadh after years of giving the Arab ally and major oil producer a pass on its human rights record and its intervention in Yemen’s civil war.

    Biden is working to restore the relationship with Riyadh to traditional lines after four years of cozier ties under Trump.

    White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday Biden would only communicate with the Saudi king and said the declassified Khashoggi report was being readied for release soon.

    While Biden restricts his contacts to the king, others in the Biden administration are talking to Saudi officials at various levels.

    “We have been in touch with Saudi officials at numerous levels in the early weeks of this administration,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.

    The 59-year old Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist, was lured to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, 2018, and killed by a team of operatives linked to the crown prince. They then dismembered his body. His remains have never been found.

    Riyadh eventually admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a “rogue” extradition operation gone wrong, but it denied any involvement by the crown prince. Five men given the death penalty for the murder had their sentences commuted to 20 years in jail after being forgiven by Khashoggi’s family.

    In 2019, a UN human rights investigator, Agnes Callamard, accused Saudi Arabia of a “deliberate, premeditated execution” of Khashoggi and called for further investigation.

    “There is sufficient credible evidence regarding the responsibility of the crown prince demanding further investigation,” Callamard said after the six-month probe.

    A classified version of the report was shared with members of Congress in late 2018.

    But the Trump administration rejected demands by lawmakers and human rights groups to release a declassified version, seeking to preserve cooperation amid rising tensions with Riyadh’s regional rival, Iran, and promote US arms sales to the kingdom.

    Biden’s new director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, committed at her confirmation hearing to complying with a provision in a 2019 defense bill that required the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to release within 30 days a declassified report on Khashoggi’s murder.

    Biden pledged during the 2020 presidential campaign to reassess US-Saudi ties in part over Khashoggi’s murder. Since taking office, he has ended sales of offensive arms that Riyadh could use in Yemen and appointed a special envoy to boost diplomatic efforts to end that country’s grueling civil war.

  • What did PM Imran’s Sri Lanka trip cost taxpayers?

    What did PM Imran’s Sri Lanka trip cost taxpayers?

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka cost taxpayers a mere $34,800 (Rs5,507,771 or Rs5.5 million), his special assistant on political communication, Dr Shahbaz Gill, has revealed in a tweet.

    The 2016 visit of former premier Nawaz Sharif to Sri Lanka, on the other hand, had cost the treasury $276,266, he stated further.

    During his two-day-long visit to the country, PM Imran met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his Sri Lankan counterpart besides notable business personalities.

    While Gill went on to say that PM Imran’s trip had proven to be more fruitful as compared to that of Nawaz, Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed also claimed that the incumbent premier’s Sri Lanka visit cost the treasury “just $34,000”.

    The minister further said the premier had cut his office’s expenses by 49%. He maintained the incumbent government was carefully spending public funds that were a sacred trust.

    Saeed’s statements come a week after it was reported that the expenditures of PM House and Office have reportedly reduced by 49% and 29%, respectively.

    According to reports, the total expenditure of the PM House narrowed down to Rs280 million (Rs28 crores) in 2020 from Rs339 million (Rs33 crores) in 2019 and Rs590 million (Rs59 crores) in 2018 — the year when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was handed reins of the country.

    The PM Office witnessed a considerable decrease in its expenditure from 2018 to 2020, but last year was slightly more than in 2019. It stood at Rs334 million (Rs33 crores) in 2020, Rs305 million (Rs30 crores) in 2019 and Rs514 million (Rs51 crores) in 2018.

    The premier, since assuming office in 2018, has been pushing for austerity measures to save taxpayers’ money and reduce the burden on the national exchequer.

    Despite the steps taken by PM Imran in this regard, the austerity drive has faced multiple setbacks owing to the apparent reluctance of the lawmakers in cutting down expenses.

  • Rizwan, Fawad promoted to Category A and C

    Rizwan, Fawad promoted to Category A and C

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Test Cricketer of the year 2020, Mohammad Rizwan, has been promoted to Category A of PCB’s Central Contract List 2020-21 following stellar performances across all formats in the ongoing season. In the elite category, the 28-year-old has now joined Pakistan captain Babar Azam, former captain Azhar Ali and star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Since the current central contracts were announced on May 13, 2020, Rizwan is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Tests with 529 runs in seven matches at an average of 52.90, while he is overall the third leading run-scorer in T20Is with 325 runs at an average of 65 and strike-rate of just under 139. In the three ODIs against Zimbabwe, he scored 25 runs.

    Behind the wickets, Rizwan has accounted for 16 batsmen in Tests, three in ODIs and eight in T20Is in the season during which Pakistan played international cricket against England, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and South Africa. Their upcoming assignments are in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

    As part of its policy to acknowledge, incentivise and reward high-performing cricketers, the PCB has also elevated Fawad Alam from A+ domestic contract category to Category C of the PCB Central Contract List 2020-21, while it also offered Category C contract to T20I specialist Mohammad Hafeez, which he politely turned down.

    Fawad Alam scored centuries against New Zealand and South Africa and has now aggregated 320 runs in 11 innings of six Tests. His 102 against New Zealand in the Boxing Day Test earned him the PCB Individual Performance of 2020 award.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan while talking about the promotions said: “I want to congratulate Rizwan and Fawad for earning well-deserved and well-earned promotions. This is a reward for their hard work and high-quality performances during the difficult and challenging bio-secure environments that tested their determination, resolve, commitment, mental toughness and physical fitness to the limits.

    “The decision to promote the players was made during a meeting with the Chair of the Selection Committee, Muhammad Wasim, while we were reviewing player performances in the 2020-21 season and discussing the upcoming commitments.

    “It was agreed during the meeting that three players were the most deserving and outstanding performers in the season to date and, as such, they needed to be rewarded now instead of waiting for the time when PCB Central Contract List for 2021-22 will be reviewed and announced.

    “However, Mohammad Hafeez declined the reward and while I am disappointed, I fully respect his decision. He wants to wait for the PCB Central Contract 2021-22 list, which he is fully entitled to. Hafeez has been one of our star performers of the season and we hope he will carry the form and momentum to Africa.

    “I am sure this merit and performance-based decision will once again send out a loud and clear message to all professional cricketers that the PCB will not only recognise, appreciate and acknowledge their performances and achievements, but will also reward them so that they can strive to do better next time.”

    Taking to Twitter, Alam expressed his happiness over the promotion, writing: “Alhamdulillah! Can’t thank Allah enough for always being in my favour and granting me successes. Hard work pays off indeed. Thank you PCB for elevating me to category C of the PCB’s Central Contract list 2020-21.”

    Read more – Fahad Mustafa says ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade was ‘a failure of our system’

    Similarly, Rizwan also expressed his “relief” over the promotion on social media.

    Updated PCB Men’s Central Contract List for 2020-21:

    Category A: Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Babar Azam (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

    Category B: Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Asad Shafiq (Sindh), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shan Masood (Southern Punjab) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan)

    Category C: Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imad Wasim (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab) and Usman Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

    Emerging Players’ Category: Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern) and Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh)

  • Yasir Hussain vs Nausheen Shah: Who said what?

    Yasir Hussain vs Nausheen Shah: Who said what?

    Yasir Hussain should just add ‘controversy’ as his middle name given the number of controversies he is involved in. The actor is famous for his online banters and heated exchanges with followers and colleagues. This time, the actor has gotten into an online feud with Nausheen Shah after he claimed that she attended his wedding as an uninvited guest.

    While appearing on Vasay Chaudhry’s new talk show Ghabrana Mana Hai, when the host asked Hussain if anyone from the entertainment industry attended his and Iqra Aziz’s wedding uninvited, Yasir went on to name Nausheen Shah. A series of wisecracks followed after which Yasir tried to gloss over the matter by saying that he admired Nausheen’s sense of style. This made the situation even worse.

    As expected, the clip from the interview went viral on social media with people criticising Vasay and Yasir for their crass comments.

    Nausheen initially ignored the matter, opting to post two quotes on her Insta-story instead.

    “Weak people revenge. Strong people forget. Intelligent people ignore,” read one, while another said: “When you are building an empire you don’t pay attention to nonsense. I am too busy to get distracted.”

    Later, while speaking to a local media publication, Nausheen said that there was no truth to Hussain’s claims.

    “Would anyone go to someone’s house uninvited? I wouldn’t go to anyone’s house if I wasn’t invited, let alone someone’s wedding,” she said. “A fool is known by his speech and a wise man by his silence. Yasir called me himself and invited me. I feel so sorry for Yasir because certainly has serious memory issues. I also feel really sorry for Iqra. She is taking one for the team,” she snapped back.

    Later, responding to Nausheen’s comments and social media outrage, Yasir said that social media needs to get over the whole issue. In a series of Insta-stories, he defended his comments saying that he was telling the truth and if that made him wrong, then the TV channel airing the show was also wrong and the bloggers and Instagram pages pumping up the issue were also at fault.

    “Poora system ghalat hai mai akela nahi (the whole system is wrong and not just me alone),” said Yasir, adding that if audiences wanted to watch shows following the Koffee with Karan format, they needed to be able to bear with the answers as well.

    “Enjoy the show and move on,” said Yasir. “Sarr per sawaar na ho jao.”

    The actor further went on to say that he once requested a blogger to publish a poem on rape victims that he read, asking them to also post good things about him, “Magar nahi. Negativity hee bikti hai, positive cheez post kar k likes lena mushkil hai toh enjoy karen sab.”

    “Ghussa aur sawal kyon?” he questioned.

    In another story, Yasir stood by his stance and asserted that Nausheen did attend his wedding uninvited.

    “I shared the truth about senior actor Nausheen ‘that some people came forcefully’,” wrote Yasir.

    “If Miss Shah insists, then I can share the voice notes she sent after which I sent her the location of the wedding. She continued to annoy everyone at the event. She was desperate to come to my wedding just as she is being right now. After sharing to ignore things, she couldn’t even resist herself for 30 minutes,” continued the actor.

    “And Miss Shah please stop using my wife’s name for views. You feel sorry for her? Good… After your voice note, she also felt sorry for you,” he added.

    Meanwhile, speaking to another publication, Shah said: “I am just shocked. I am following a different path than this and I really don’t want to get involved in this sort of controversy. Yasir and the host chose to discuss all this and they can keep discussing it if they like. I was ignoring the whole matter but I am thankful for all the support that I have gotten from the media and from my fans commenting on social media.”

    “If I had known that going to Yasir and Iqra’s wedding was such a big problem, I wouldn’t have come. I don’t really want to get involved in this,” she repeated. “The only reason why I am saying all this is that you reached out to me.”

    While the industry till now has chosen to remain silent on the matter, Noor Bukhari commenting on a post said: “I have worked with Yasir and Nausheen Shah. We were in London and Yasir and Nausheen were good friends. And Nausheen is not somebody who will go anywhere without an invite. But this shouldn’t be dragged this much. He should have apologised politely.”

    Anoushey Ashraf, who had earlier gotten into a spat with Yasir on social media, also lashed out at the actor, saying: “People don’t remember what you said and what you did but they certainly remember how you made them feel.”

    What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments below.

  • ‘Turki Lala’: Everything you need to know about Pak-Turk’s joint production venture

    Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to air Diriliş: Ertuğrul on state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) has opened new doors for the Pakistani entertainment industry with a new alliance formed between Pakistani production house Ansari Films and Turkish production house Tekden Films.

    According to a press release, “Countering the narrative of Islamophobia and highlighting the teachings of Islam and the goodness the religion propagates will be a key focus of the new alliance between Pakistan-based Ansari Films and Turkish production house Tekden Films. This was discussed during one of the many meetings held during the recent Turkey visit of Pakistani delegation to Turkey.”

    The Pakistani delegation comprising of Adnan Siddiqui, Humayun Saeed, producers Dr Kashif Ansari of Ansari Films and Dr Junaid Ali Shah met senior ministers in the Turkish government and discussed an upcoming series Turki Lala, which will be a joint production venture between the two countries. Turki Lala is expected to go on floors soon. The plot of the upcoming venture is based on “Turki Lala who is considered to be one of the most glorious Muslim nationalists to have assisted Turkey during the Balkan War and World War I.”

    According to the Ansari-Tekden team, this will [the partnership] start a new chapter in the cross-border talent exchange including actors and writers and more programmes on popular names in the history.”

    During their three-day visit, the Pakistani delegation also met several Turkish dignitaries including Governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Youth and Sports Minister M. Muharrem Kasapoglu.

    Speaking about the project, Humayun said: “Turkey has very graciously extended its cooperation to us when we start shooting the series. Turki Lala is a formidable figure in Pak-Turkey relations that go back centuries. The programme will be a tribute to his heroics as well the great friendship between the two nations.”

    Similarly, Adnan while sharing his thoughts on the project said: “Plans are afoot to create content that breaks the myth surrounding Muslims which, unfortunately, has led to unnecessary hatred towards the community. We want people to know that Islam is all about purity of thought and deeds through our future productions. We had a detailed dialogue on the same with the communication director of Presidency Fahrettin Altun.”

    Earlier, Turkish actor Celal Al warmly welcomed Humayun, Adnan, Reema Khan and Sadia Khan in Turkey.

    In January when a Turkish delegation visited Pakistan, Humayun had announced that he and his “friend Adnan Siddiqui” are bringing the biggest project ever in collaboration with Kashif [Ansari] and “our Turkish brothers”. He revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed between Tekdin Films and Dr Kashif Ansari of Ansari Films and TRT Films which would lead to a collective project and Adnan and Humayun would be overseeing casting and production-related decisions in Pakistan.

    While a release date for the project has not been announced, it is being speculated that the series will begin to air some time in 2023.

    Meanwhile, Adnan and Humayun have been sharing pictures of themselves enjoying the beauty of Turkey.

  • Aleem Dar’s celebration after his decision remains unchanged despite DRS call goes viral

    Aleem Dar’s celebration after his decision remains unchanged despite DRS call goes viral

    Audiences have often witnessed batsmen celebrating a failed DRS call against them after surviving a loud shout, or even the fielding side. But during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 match between Karachi Kings (KK) and Islamabad United (IU) on February 24, it was the umpire who surprised everyone with a mini celebration.

    Pakistan’s renowned umpire Aleem Dar was delighted after his call for not-out remained unchanged despite it being referred to the third umpire. It was the first delivery of the last over in United’s innings when they scored the remaining one run to chase down 197 runs.

    Kings’ bowler Waqas Maqsood bowled a yorker as batsman Asif Ali tried to get the final run for the victory. The game was done and dusted right there but Karachi decided to go for a DRS thinking they might get the batsman out LBW.

    Replay showed there was a thick inside edge and also the ball had hit the boot well outside off; ruling out the possibility of a dismissal. The on-field umpire Dar was happy after confirmation from the third umpire and celebrated by pumping his fist before signalling the failed DRS. It was a win for Islamabad by 5 wickets.

    Later netizens picked up on the celebration and expressed happiness over Dar’s little jubilation move.

    https://twitter.com/taimoorze/status/1364635419204198404?s=20

    Australian comedian Dennis put forward a hilarious suggestion.

    https://twitter.com/DennisCricket_/status/1364669663691476992?s=20

    ‘Pawri Girl’ Dananeer also loved it, like thousands of others.

    A netizen jokingly suggested the move was Dar’s way of showing his support for Islamabad United.

    Sharing his own video on Twitter, the world famous umpire wrote: “Enjoy life. Life is very small.”

    https://twitter.com/UmpireAleemDar_/status/1364840460418752512?s=20

  • Ayesha Omar to launch her beauty brand on Women’s Day

    Ayesha Omar is all set to turn entrepreneur with her new organic skincare line scheduled to launch on March 8 on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

    Named ‘Ayesha O Beauty’, the brand will focus on natural and organic products, though the exact details of the products are not yet known.

    Announcing the news on social media, Omar shared a promotional video of her upcoming brand with the caption: “Been working on something very very close to my heart. Cannot wait to share it with all of you, very soon.”

    The promotional posts of the new beauty line feature Ayesha looking pristine in an all-white outfit soaking in nature.

    “If you’re on a quest to embrace nature truly, you’d want to watch out for what we have in store for you,” reads one of the posts on social media.

    Another post suggest that the products are going to be “100 percent organic”.

    As per details, Ayesha’s line is being launched in collaboration with Hemani, the same group behind Waseem Badami’s skincare line.

    Meanwhile, Ayesha is not the first celebrity to introduce her own beauty line. Last year, Aijaz Aslam launched his own brand of natural health and skincare products under the name of ‘Aijaz Aslam‘, while Shoaib Malik, earlier this year introduced a line of skincare products for men in collaboration with Komal Rizvi.

  • Sadaf Kanwal says she wanted Shahroz to be the father of her children

    Sadaf Kanwal says she wanted Shahroz to be the father of her children

    Sadaf Kanwal and Shahroz Sabzwari have put to rest all rumours regarding their relationship and have opened up on how they met and tied the knot.

    Speaking to Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf during the first episode of The Couple Show, when asked why she decided to marry Shahroz, Sadaf said: “I don’t know what was about him, but I decided that he is [going to be] the father of my children.”

    The model added that she found something in him which she felt was similar to herself.

    In the same interview, while answering a question on how the two met and connected, Shahroz said: “We met at an award [ceremony] where we had to perform together, and after that, we became good friends.”

    Shahroz added that he is a very “closed up guy” and that he only interacts and opens up in front of a few selective people.

    “When we got back [from the awards] people gave a different colour to our friendship, even though we were just friends at the time. But [the rumours] made us both think about [getting together],” he said further, joking that the media and rumours mills had a big role to play in their marriage.

    Talking about their relationship equation, Shahroz said: “Without friendship, this relation [marriage] can never be successful.”

    During the interview Shehroz also revealed what she liked most about Sadaf.

    “The best thing that would any attract any man is honesty. Especially in our industry, where we are out and about, and us men being however we are, growing up in Pakistan, we have a certain mentality,” said the actor. “So keeping that mentality in mind, her morals were in the right place.”

    Shahroz and Sadaf tied the knot in May last year after a highly controversial and public scandal forcing Sabzwari to issue several clarifications regarding his relationship with the model.

    Read more – Sadaf Kanwal says the trolling regarding her marriage does not bother her

    This is Shahroz’s second marriage. The actor was previously married to Syra Yousuf, with whom he also has a daughter Nooreh.

  • PTI govt borrows $6.7bn in FY20-21, says report

    PTI govt borrows $6.7bn in FY20-21, says report

    The government has received a total of $6.7 billion in foreign loans in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, according to a report in Express Tribune.

    It also includes a commercial loan of $500 million from China last month which helped Islamabad keep it’s gross official foreign exchange reserves at the current levels.

    According to the Economic Affairs Ministry, the government obtained external loans from multiple financing sources. It added that the gross loans were higher by 6 per cent or $380 million over the same period of last fiscal year.

    “Considering foreign exchange constraints, financing of development projects and repayments of these huge external public debts compel the incumbent government to further borrow from multiple sources,” the report quoted the Ministry of Economic Affairs as saying.

    In January alone, the government of Pakistan received $960 million, which includes $675 million from commercial banks. It was the most expensive loans.

    Almost 87% of the foreign loans or $5.8 billion were for budget financing, building foreign exchange reserves and commodity financing. Project financing was a mere $897 million or 13%. Pakistan would pay back these loans after taking new loans because no revenue-generating assets were created by using the amount.

    Additionally, China provided $1 billion worth of SAFE deposit. It also extended $1.5 billion in trade financing facility, which was the obligation of the central bank and not counted as part of the $6.7 billion borrowing in the past seven months.

    According to the newspaper, China’s continued financial assistance to Pakistan has helped in keeping the gross official foreign exchange reserves at around $13 billion despite the suspension of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme. However, the IMF and Islamabad agreed to revive the IMF programme earlier this month.

  • PTI leaders fed up with PM Imran, claims Maryam

    PTI leaders fed up with PM Imran, claims Maryam

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday held a meeting to discuss the strategy ahead of the Senate election.

    Addressing a joint press conference in Lahore, Maryam claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan was increasingly becoming unpopular within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Maryam added that she hoped that every pro-democracy would oppose Imran Khan in the Senate elections.

    The PML-N vice president also reaffirmed her support for joint opposition candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani, saying the PML-N fully backs Gillani.

    “I hope every pro-democracy person will not vote for the PTI [in the Senate elections] because we think the PTI is guilty of crimes against the people and Imran Khan is guilty of crimes against the nation,” added Maryam.

    Talking to reporters, PPP chief Bilawal said that the government had suffered defeats in the recent by-elections. “The people have rejected them in every by-election,” he said.

    According to the PPP chairman, the PDM’s decision to contest the by-polls and the upcoming Senate elections has made the government anxious about its future.

    The PPP leader said that the PDM was not bringing about a no-confidence movement against the government at the moment and was only contesting the Senate elections.

    Speaking about the Senate elections, the PPP head said his party would ask every lawmaker for a vote in the Senate election.

    Bilawal said that the PDM believed in the constitution and in the principal that each democratic government should complete its constitutional tenure. However, he said that the current system was an unjust one where political allies of the incumbent government were “tied together” to it by force.