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  • PIA, Railways among other state entities’ losses rose to record Rs191.5bn under PML-N

    PIA, Railways among other state entities’ losses rose to record Rs191.5bn under PML-N

    Net losses faced by Pakistan’s State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) rose to mammoth Rs191.5 billion during the fiscal year (FY) 2016-17 of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, The News has reported.

    According to reports, during FY2014-15, Pakistan’s SOEs were running into net profits of Rs52 billion, but they later turned into net losses of Rs44.7 billion during FY2015-16, followed by whopping losses of Rs191.5 billion — witnessing a record surge by over 330 per cent — in just one year.

    A report, prepared and released by the Ministry of Finance, admitted that among the top loss-making public sector entities were the National Highway Authority (NHA) by incurring that of Rs 133.488 billion, followed by Pakistan Railways (PR) with losses worth Rs40.702 billion and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) with Rs39.5 billion.

    Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), that is now being revived through a public-private partnership, also clinched a spot among the top ten loss-making SOEs for suffering those worth Rs 14.852 billion during FY2016-17.

    Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO), Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) and Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) were also among the entities that faced the most losses.

  • Wondering who’s Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wife to be?

    Wondering who’s Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wife to be?

    Looks like hot, humid August is the month to be married in. And the biggest bombshell hit us last night when Actor Hamza Ali Abbasi’s wedding invitation went viral last night. People were asking anyone and everyone: is it true? If yes, who is Naimal Khawar? Believe it or not, you’ve seen her before.

    Naimul’s mother is from Iran and her father is from Khyber Pakthoonkhua. She grew up in Islamabad and studied visual arts from the National College of Arts in Lahore.

    She made her acting debut in Verna, alongside Mahira Khan.

    She was discovered by Shoaib Mansoor who asked her to take an audition when he saw her pictures on social media.

    In Verna, she played a supporting role as the hero’s sister.

    She is also playing the role of Izzah in Hum TV’s drama Anaa. She plays a supporting role as the main character’s best friend.

  • ‘Remove Priyanka Chopra as goodwill ambassador,’ Mazari writes to UNICEF director

    ‘Remove Priyanka Chopra as goodwill ambassador,’ Mazari writes to UNICEF director

    Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has written to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore regarding the Priyanka Chopra controversy.

    As per the details, Dr Mazari has asked Fore to remove the Indian actor as UN’s Goodwill Ambassador for Peace as she has “made a mockery of the title” by supporting the Modi government’s unlawful actions in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK), besides “supporting a nuclear war”.

    Chopra had come under fire for her patronising and dismissive comments when asked by a Pakistani-American activist Ayesha Malik about her support for war with Pakistan.

  • Video: Hassan Ali bids goodbye to bachelorhood

    Video: Hassan Ali bids goodbye to bachelorhood

    Hassan Ali bids goodbye to bachelorhood in Dubai.

    The fast bowler got married to Indian national Shamia Arzoo in a dazzling ceremony in Dubai on Tuesday. The ceremony was attended by relatives and close friends including spinner Shadab Khan.

    As per reports, the valima reception will be held in Dubai while a separate ceremony is scheduled in Pakistan too.

    Here are a few pictures from the ceremony.

    https://twitter.com/pakistaniexpats/status/1163901067513520130
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B1WflwbATqg/?utm_source=ig_embed

    After pictures from the nikkah ceremony went viral, Hassan took to Twitter to thank everyone for their wishes.

    Hasan Ali is the fourth Pakistani cricketer to marry an Indian girl after Zaheer Abbas, Mohsin Khan and Shoaib Malik. 

    Congratulations poured in for the cricketer soon after the pictures went viral.

  • Govt begins revival of Pakistan Steel Mills, aims to boost production to 3 million tonnes

    Govt begins revival of Pakistan Steel Mills, aims to boost production to 3 million tonnes

    The government has initiated the revival process of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and is aiming to enhance its production capacity from 1.1 million to 3 million tonnes a year, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported.

    According to the details, the government, under the new revival plan, wants to make PSM a profitable organisation through public-private partnership.

    For the purpose, the government is inviting applications for PSM’s new chief executive officer (CEO) and is looking for a dynamic, results-oriented leader with immaculate credentials and experience.

    Currently, PSM is the largest industrial mega-corporation. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had put PSM on the privatisation list, but the government had later decided against it and initiated the process of reviving the steel mills through a public-private partnership.

  • Moeed Pirzada gets robbed in London; loses passport, travel bags

    Moeed Pirzada gets robbed in London; loses passport, travel bags

    Renowned anchorperson and analyst Dr Moeed Pirzada has been robbed on his London trip, a tweet by the journalist revealed Wednesday.

    “I was in London, experienced a high street robbery, lost travel bags & passports, just reached back after getting travel documents, will resume TV programs from Friday, Insha Allah [sic]!” he tweeted when asked by a follower about his absence from the micro-blogging website.

    Sharing if he had ever experienced such an incident in Pakistan, Pirzada wrote:

    “Had you ever experienced such a thing in Pakistan?” another user had asked.

  • Savour Foods sealed, fined after staff misbehaves with officials of climate ministry

    Savour Foods sealed, fined after staff misbehaves with officials of climate ministry

    Popular food joint Savour Food has been sealed and fined Rs 200,000 after their staff “manhandled, pushed and misbehaved” with officials of the Ministry of Climate Change and Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency.

    The action was taken after videos of the incident, which show a man being pushed and shoved, went viral on social media. Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir said that nobody is above the law and “mishandling with ministry officials will not be tolerated.”

    According to details, officials from the ministry went to the food outlet for inspection and implementation of their new ‘no plastic bags’ policy. When the officials questioned the staff, an argument ensued following which a scuffle broke out between the two parties.

    After the video of the incident went viral, people began to call for a boycott of the food outlet and arresting of the owners.

    https://twitter.com/MHBHanif/status/1163808758427860992?s=20

    Savour Foods is an extremely popular food spot in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Their signature pulao kabab is a local favourite.

  • VIDEO: ‘No one drives cars as old as our jets,’ Indian air chief says

    VIDEO: ‘No one drives cars as old as our jets,’ Indian air chief says

    Indian Air Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa has exposed the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) weakness by saying that they are still flying 44-year-old MiG-21 fighter jets “when no one even drives cars that old”.

    Addressing a seminar on the modernisation and indigenisation of the IAF, he said even the Russians were not flying the MiGs, but the IAF was because they had “overhauling facilities”.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Dhanoa also said the basic version of the Russian fighter jet would be phased out this year, “Hopefully, I will fly the last sortie in September, subject to visibility”.

    Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was shot down by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and later taken into custody in February this year, was also flying the MiG-21 fighter jet.

    Abhinandan’s jet called MiG-21 Bison, however, was an upgraded version of the aircraft.

  • Tips to minimize water damage from a flood

    Tips to minimize water damage from a flood

    As
    monsoon season is in full swing and there is also a flood alert after India
    releases water in River Sutlej.  Most of us are mostly worried that water
    is going to get into our houses.

    Here are the ways you
    can protect your home.

    Before the flood: Prevent

    Clean the drains and
    gutters

    Seal the cracks (if
    any) in your house with plaster of Paris.

    Don’t dispose of fats,
    oil, grease or other objects in your sinks or toilets as they block the
    drainage systems.

    Electrical equipment
    should be at least one foot above flood level to help reduce the risk of
    electrical damage.

    Moving your valuables
    items and documents to the first or second floor will help to protect them. Or
    try to put them on higher places if you live on the ground floor.

    During
    the flood: Protect

    If the flood is imminent then these are the ways that might help to minimize the damage

    Open up windows and
    door (if it is not raining) to allow air to circulate through your home and dry
    things out

    Shut off all the
    electrical appliances if safe.

    Try to place handy electrical appliances to wooden or cement blocks.

    After a flood: Restore

    Remove the water and
    damaged material.

    Disinfect and dry
    every flood-contaminated room.

    Keep fans running. Make sure switches are dry and safe to touch.

    Most
    importantly follow all the instructions by the official departments of the
    government.

  • The Laddoo Diet

    The Laddoo Diet

    There is a new diet in town. It’s called the ‘Laddoo Diet’. We all love laddoos — especially the moti-choor variety — but we thought it only piles up pounds! Well, maybe that’s not the only thing it does. The Laddoo Diet can also lead to divorce.

    An Indian man from Uttar Pradesh has sought divorce on the grounds that his wife was feeding him laddoos every day.

    The couple has been married for 10 years and they have three children. Unfortunately, due to the advice of a tantric (shaman), the UP man’s wife was giving him four laddoos to eat in the morning and four laddoos in the evening. He was not allowed to eat anything else in between. The man approached a family court and said that he wasn’t feeling well for some time and his wife approached the ‘tantrik’ who asked her to make her husband eat only laddoos.

    Officials at the family counselling centre don’t know what to do about the wife’s superstitions.

    “We can call the couple for counselling, but we cannot treat the woman for being superstitious. She firmly believes that laddoos will cure her husband and is unwilling to accept otherwise,” said a counsellor.

    Well, who thought yummy sweets can actually lead to divorce!