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  • ‘#LUMSFeeHike’ trends as varsity increases tuition fee by 40pc

    ‘#LUMSFeeHike’ trends as varsity increases tuition fee by 40pc

    ‘#LUMSFeeHike’ is trending on twitter after the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) confirmed its students through email that they would increase tuition fee by 40 per cent for the upcoming semesters.

    Once this news came out, people reacted strongly to the decision made by the varsity.

    A large number of people went to Twitter to express their anger against the unpopular decision made by the private university. People are angry and presenting different arguments; however, the most common sentiment is that they see it as “capitalistic exploitation”.

    https://twitter.com/roobiboobie/status/1257300208519540738?s=20

    It is very disturbing for many people because they are being laid off from their jobs. Several others, on the other hand, have not been paid for months.

    https://twitter.com/Witcheeha/status/1257294273319444480?s=20

    Moreover, people are also seeing this act as a step of depriving them of quality education. LUMS has maintained its reputation of giving the modern and best education to its students. However, it is now getting more and more difficult for people to support their education.

    Apart from all these sentiments, students have openly confessed that to pay the tuition fee of one student, some parents have to sacrifice the fee of other siblings at home.

  • India’s Shami opens up about having suicidal thoughts before comeback

    India’s Shami opens up about having suicidal thoughts before comeback

    India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has revealed how he thought of committing suicide while struggling with personal problems before making a spectacular comeback to the national side.

    Shami battled weight issues, injury and a legal quarrel with his estranged wife before a stellar performance at the World Cup last year re-established the 29-year-old as a key player.

    With cricket and sports halted in the coronavirus lockdown, Shami opened up about his own and his family’s fears to teammate Rohit Sharma during an exchange on Instagram.

    “I think if my family had not supported me back then I would have lost my cricket. I thought of committing suicide three times during that period due to severe stress,” said Shami.

    “I was not thinking about cricket at all. We were living on the 24th floor. They were scared I might jump from the balcony.”

    With Virat Kohli

    Shami’s contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was withheld in 2018 because of allegations of domestic violence, only to be reinstated later.

    The bowler also struggled with injury that saw him spend nearly a year on the sidelines, leading to weight gain. He said his family and friends helped him bounce back.

    “My two or three friends used to stay with me for 24 hours (during my days of depression). My parents asked me to focus on cricket to recover from that phase and not think about anything else,” he said.

    “I started training then and sweated it out a lot at an academy in Dehradun.

    “Then my family explained that every problem has a solution no matter how big the problem. My brother supported me a lot.”

    A lean and hungry Shami made a strong comeback in the Indian team at the 50-over World Cup. He took 14 wickets in four games including a match-winning hat-trick.

    Shami has claimed 180 wickets in 49 Tests and 144 scalps in 77 one-day internationals since making his debut for India in 2013.

    Last year Shami led the pace pack in the absence of yorker king Jasprit Bumrah and claimed 13 wickets during India’s 3-0 home Test sweep of South Africa.

    Skipper Virat Kohli heaped praise on the fast bowler, saying, “he is someone who can change the complexion of the match totally when you don’t see it coming”.

  • ‘Sabaat’ will have you hooked

    ‘Sabaat’ will have you hooked

    Six episodes in, Sabaat has managed to capture the audiences with its compelling and entertaining storyline and strong performances. The drama had intrigued viewers before it even aired thanks to one of the main leads Mawra Hocane, who is an ace at the social media game – but a few episodes in, it has everyone, myself included, hooked.

    Sabaat is centred on two families: Hasan Fareed (Ameer Gillani) and Anaya Aziz’s (Mawra). Anaya belongs to an average middle-class family. She has big dreams and wants to make a difference in society. She actively campaigns for harassment against women in workplaces and is a class topper. Hasan, on the other hand, is from an affluent and well-off family. He and Anaya are class fellows and start off as fierce competitors but an incident changes that and the two become acquaintances following which Hasan develops feelings for Anaya and wants to marry her. Though Hasan’s character development is a little weak, given how the swiftly the drama is progressing and how sparkling the chemistry is between him and Anaya, we are willing to overlook this.

    While these two are in their own little university bubble, Hasan’s elder sister Miraal (Sarah Khan) is the real devil of the show. She is a spoilt brat who cannot take no for an answer. Miraal is rude, arrogant and selfish and thinks she can get away with anything because she is rich to the point that she goes to her brother’s university and slaps Anaya for no reason. She generously uses the dialogue “Tumhari aukaat kya hai” and is enabled by her father who is also a snob.

    While Mawra’s character, for now, is one-dimensional, it is Sarah who steals the show with her bratty act. Her facial expressions, body language and moods are on point and she delivers a convincing performance making you hate Miraal. Nonetheless, it is refreshing to see both women essay strong and confident characters. At this point, I’d like to add here that Sarah’s wardrobe, hair and makeup are brilliantly done and she looks super chic in all of her scenes.

    Sarah Khan Sabaat

    Usman Mukhtar is yet to make an entry and fans are waiting with bated breath for it. While the theme of the drama is still unclear, Mawra in an interview had shared it is primarily a love story which is meant to entertain audiences and not deliver sermons or lessons. However, she added that the drama will highlight several issues including classism in our society.

    Read more – We take it back; ‘Ghalti’ is ARY’s best running drama

    Sabaat has been penned by Kashif Anwar and directed by Shehzad Kashmiri of Anaa fame. Apart from the four leads, the drama also starres Simi Raheel, Laila Zuberi and Mohammad Ahmed.

    It aires every Sunday at 8 pm on Hum TV.

  • After ‘Ertugal’, PM Imran Khan wants Pakistanis to watch ‘Yunus Emre: Aşkin Yolculuğu’

    After ‘Ertugal’, PM Imran Khan wants Pakistanis to watch ‘Yunus Emre: Aşkin Yolculuğu’

    It appears that Prime Minister Imran Khan is a big fan of Turkish cinema because Senator Faisal Javed Khan has revealed that the premier wants Yunus Emre: Aşkin Yolculuğu to be telecast in Pakistan.

    Read more – PM Khan calls out Bollywood for spreading vulgarity

    In a Twitter update, Khan shared that PM Khan wants Pakistanis to watch this drama because it highlights Islamic history.

    Yunus Emre: Aşkın Yolculuğu is a Turkish biographical historical television series created by Mehmet Bozdağ, the man behind Diriliş: Ertuğrul. It starres Gökhan Atalay in the lead role. According to Faisal, the series is a journey of transformation. It centres around the life of Yunus Emre, the 14th century Anatolian Sufi poet, who greatly influenced the Anatolian culture.

    The first episode of the series was released on June 18, 2015 and over the years it has become a favourite among the Turkish audiences. It has an IMDb rating of 7.8.

    Read more – Shaan is disappointed with PTV for airing ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’

    Meanwhile, on the recommendation of PM Imran, PTV has started airing Diriliş: Ertuğrul with Urdu dubbing. The drama has proven to be a big hit among Pakistani audiences.

  • VIDEO: Indian police sing, clap for couple who got married at home without violating any lockdown rules

    VIDEO: Indian police sing, clap for couple who got married at home without violating any lockdown rules

    Indian police congratulated a couple by playing a Bollywood song and clapping who got married at home without violating any lockdown rules.

    A video, doing the rounds on social media, shows a group of policemen in Nashik city giving a heart-warming reception to a newlywed couple. Cops can be seen congratulating the newlyweds on a loudspeaker. Dressed in traditional wedding attire, the couple is standing in the balcony of their house looking down at the celebration.

    The policemen then play a song from a Bollywood movie as a group of policemen clap for the newlyweds.

    The couple even received a shoutout from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

    https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_sBGqdJLG5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Social media users congratulated the couple and appreciated the gesture by the police.

  • New deal on the table? Proposed NAB law can undo Nawaz and Maryam’s conviction

    New deal on the table? Proposed NAB law can undo Nawaz and Maryam’s conviction

    Amid government’s efforts to amend the 18th Amendment that turned Pakistan from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic, which the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) cannot do without the support of opposition parties owing to its strength within the parliament, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in collaboration with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has prepared a draft of proposed changes in NAB Ordinance and shared it with power brokers which, if incorporated, will undo the conviction of former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz for now.

    According to The News, a Lahore-based businessman who was in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) until recently, is a go-between in this process as he is equally close with the power brokers. In a meeting arranged at his place on April 24, a draft was prepared. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi represented PML-N and Farooq H Naek was from the PPP side.

    While Abbasi says he did not attend any such meeting, a picture of the same showed him present there. It has also been learnt that Nawaz is not up for amendments and insists on scrapping the anti-graft body altogether.

    Former premier Abbasi has not only confirmed the preparation of a new draft, but also said that he offered a set of recommendations aimed to reform NAB and they were incorporated in the draft. However, he dispelled the impression that the draft has either been shared with apolitical players or is being used as a bargaining ploy on the 18th Amendment.

    A PML-N leader, however, was quoted as saying that Abbasi has been given the task at his own desire to mend the fences through a common friend as the channel used during the amendment to the Army Act had now become dysfunctional.

    According to reports, the draft indicates that it will be beneficial for the entire political class in general and for Nawaz in particular — Nawaz, who was thrown out as the country’s chief executive through the instrument of disqualification. The proposed amendment under question is related to section 15 of the ordinance dealing with disqualification. In sub-section (a), reads the proposed change, the words “forthwith cease to hold public office” shall be omitted and substituted by “cease to hold public office after the appeal process against his conviction has been exhausted”.

    Presently, disqualification comes into effect with conviction from a trial court whereas the proposed change suggests it be actualised only after the entire appeal process is exhausted.

    In addition, the burden of proof has been proposed to be shifted on NAB, unlike the present practice where the accused has to prove that the allegations leveled against him or her are untrue. Likewise, the proposed change requires that an offence should form part of NAB jurisdiction only when public money equivalent to Rs1 billion or above is involved. Remand duration has been proposed to be limited to 14 days instead of making it extendable up to 90 days.

    Among other proposed rules, NAB chairman’s power has also significantly been curtailed in the proposed draft. His term has also been cut to three years from four.

    The arrest of an accused has been linked with his/ her non-cooperation and it has been proposed that the chairman’s power to order arrest should be delegated to the court along with prescribed criteria as to when arrests can be ordered by a judge. NAB is required to formally inform an accused about the nature of charges along with a set of questions the investigators want him/ her to answer, according to the proposal.

    Likewise, entire interrogation shall be video-recorded and the accused is entitled to have an attorney of choice during the course of interrogation, according to the proposed amendment. NAB is required to focus on the charges it leveled instead of opening new fronts and there must be no supplementary challan unlike the present practice, the draft revealed.

    Public office holders have also been proposed to be redefined as this definition should be limited to those holding executive powers; parliamentary secretaries and lawmakers must not fall in this jurisdiction. As per the proposal, decisions made by the cabinet or a statutory policy-making body can’t be called into question by NAB that would also be required to complete any investigation within a period no longer than six months.

    Likewise, NAB can’t recommend placing anyone on the no-fly list once the accused has been granted bail.

  • Flight from UAE carries 104 coronavirus patients to Pakistan

    Flight from UAE carries 104 coronavirus patients to Pakistan

    The Rawalpindi district administration on Monday said that 104 passengers who were flown in from Abu Dhabi have tested positive for coronavirus.

    “Out of 209 passengers, 104 tested positive for COVID-19,” the district administration said, adding that the flight carrying the passengers had arrived in Islamabad on April 28.

    Following the SOPs prepared by the government, all the passengers were screened at the airport and were shifted to the quarantine centre at Fatima Jinnah Women University.

    With the country having blocked all international commercial flights since mid-March — a ban that’s now set to continue for an indefinite period of time — many of the country’s residents have struggled to find a path back to their homeland, making government repatriation flights a necessity.

    On the other hand, Pakistan has reported 22 more fatalities from novel coronavirus as the death toll in the country has reached 471. The nationwide tally of COVID-19 patients jumped to 20,725 while over a thousand cases were reported in 24 hours.

    According to the latest figures by the National Command and Operation Center, Sindh remains the worst-hit province by the pandemic followed by Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

    Till now 7,882 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Sindh, 7,646 in Punjab, 3,129 in KP, 1,218 in Balochistan, 415 in Islamabad, 364 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 71 in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK).

    Earlier in the day, it was reported that three crew members of a special PIA flight from Australia had also tested positive for COVID-19.

    The PIA staffers had performed duties on the flight from Melbourne to Lahore.

  • Police arrest culprits involved in murder of rapper Ghani Tiger’s father

    Police arrest culprits involved in murder of rapper Ghani Tiger’s father

    Ghani Tiger is among the first singers and rappers in Pakistan who got famous through TikTok. Hailing from Pasrur near Sialkot, Ghani is one of the most followed Tiktokers of Pakistan. The rapper recently took to social media to tell how his father was brutally murdered.

    In a video message, he explained the incident of his father’s murder. Ghani told how a group of men came with rods and pistols and murdered his beloved father. They also shot his brother who is now in the hospital.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whcyUzKc1hA&feature=emb_title

    He accused his city’s organization of ATI Pasrur and named the culprits involved. According to Ghani, almost 50 to 60 people beat up his father. He urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the incident. Ghani said he would not be quiet until his appeal was heard among the highest official ranks.

    Soon after he posted, the video went viral and #JusticeForDawoodButt started trending. Zara Noor Abbas also condemned the incident and demanded justice for Dawood.

    Fortunately, Punjab police took immediate action against the culprits and have claimed to have arrested three culprits involved in the incident. However, further inquiry is still in progress.

  • Punjab govt gives 25-acre army land to 47 civilian officials

    Punjab govt gives 25-acre army land to 47 civilian officials

    An approval has been given for the allotment of up to 25 acres of state land, which was meant for the families of the martyred soldiers and war veterans under the Army Welfare Scheme (AWS), to 47 civilian government officials instead.

    According to Dawn, the Punjab government has made the allotments without legal sanction on the orders of former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf in contravention of merit and law. The report also quoted two officials at the Chief Minister’s (CM) Secretariat also confirming this on the condition of anonymity.

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had cancelled the allotment, which had been ordered by the former dictator during January 2004 and May 2008 in alleged violation of the Colonisation of Government Land (Punjab) Act 1912 and the allotment policy framed in 1962 under it for the AWS.

    After the cancellation order, the PML-N government had also rejected multiple summaries put up to former CM Shehbaz Sharif for ratification. The land branch of General Headquarters (GHQ) had first approached the Punjab government in April 2009 to not revoke the allotments. The military was of the opinion that the “allotments made to the civil officials may be treated as closed chapter” and offered to work out allotment modalities for the future in consultation with the provincial government and the provincial Board of Revenue (BoR). However, Shehbaz had not obliged.

    CM Secretariat reportedly said that around 837 acres of the AWS land had been allotted to civilian officials without consulting the provincial government. The land had been allotted in districts of Bahawalpur, Pakpattan, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad.

    The former CM rejected another summary prepared by the BoR in February 2012, as the then Punjab chief secretary noted that it didn’t augur well for the civil service and the overall good governance.

    According to the fresh summary approved by the Usman Buzdar government to restore and validate the allotments, the Shehbaz government had cancelled the allotments and retrieved the allotted land from the beneficiary officials in 2010, because the land was actually allotted to the military for a specific purpose under the law.

    Those who had sold the land allotted to them were told by the Shehbaz administration to deposit the sale proceeds to the provincial treasury. The provincial officials who had benefited from the GHQ’s decision were suspended while the matter of the three DMG officers who got the land was sent to the Establishment Division. Apparently, the Establishment Division did not take any action against them.

    The prominent beneficiaries include DMG officers – Sardar Ahmed Nawaz Sukhera (currently the federal cabinet division secretary), Dr Faisal Zahoor and Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah. Ex-PCS officials who will benefit from the government decision include Mohammad Zahid Ikram, Sikandar Ali Bokhari, Syed Najaf Abbas Bokhari, Malik Mohammad Ramzan, Mohammad Ashraf Yousufi, Abdul Ghafoor Virk, Dur Mohammad Khan, Irshad Mohyuddin, Syed Zahid Hussain Jilani, Mohammad Ashfaq, Mohammad Akram Bhatti, Amir Karim Khan (currently PSO to CM Buzdar), Mushtaq Ahmed Anjum and Mohammad Azam Khan. The remaining officials mostly included district revenue officials.

    Eight beneficiary officers then filed a petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the cancellation order of the Punjab government. In June 2013, the court directed the BoR member (colonies) to set aside the cancellation order and decide the matter afresh in accordance with the law after considering all the legal and factual submissions made by the parties and after following the due process as per law.

    The GHQ then cancelled the allotments in October 2013 in its papers.

    Officials at the CM Secretariat said as long as Shehbaz was there, no one dared to bring the matter up again.

    Later in November 2019, the DG Lands at GHQ wrote to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by Usman Buzdar for the restoration of the allotments, stating that “all the orders of president/chief executive of Pakistan were subsequently given constitutional protection and also upheld by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the Tikka Iqbal case”.

    Strangely enough the DG Lands did not mention that the said judgement was overturned by a 14-member bench in July 2009 in the PCO Judges case.

    Two days after the receipt of the DG Lands’ letter, the BoR member (colonies) initiated a fresh summary for the Punjab CM, requesting Buzdar to “take an explicit decision whether to withdraw the order cancelling the impugned allotments”. The CM referred the matter to the standing committee of the cabinet on legislative business that in February endorsed the viewpoint of the DG Lands, GHQ.

    The CM later approved the allotments “as recommended by the standing committee subject to ratification by the cabinet” given last week.

  • Quarantine turns Adnan Siddiqui into Wolverine

    Quarantine turns Adnan Siddiqui into Wolverine

    We’ve seen Adnan Siddiqui essay a lot of roles on our TV screens but we never thought we’d see him as Wolverine from X-Men.

    Adnan’s son Zayd recently dressed up his father as Wolverine and the actor couldn’t resist showing off his son’s skills on social media.

    “This is the best time we can spend with our kids, how about letting them use their creativity on you,” wrote the actor.

    “Here’s Zayd’s depiction of Wolverine (X-Men) on yours truly. Master Zayd, making his debut in direction, styling, hair and photography,” he further said. “Liked his debut?”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_uniaeH077/

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui regrets being on Aamir Liaquat’s show

    Last week, Adnan was involved in a controversy after television show host Aamir Liaquat made a callous remark on the deaths of Irrfan Khan and Sri Devi. After the clip of their exchange went viral on social media, Adnan regretted being on the show and apologised to the families of both the late actors for Liaquat’s remarks. Later, Aamir also apologised for his comments and said that he didn’t realise he was being insensitive.