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  • PSL 9: Islamabad United defeats Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs

    PSL 9: Islamabad United defeats Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs

    In the 20th match of Pakistan Super League 9, Islamabad United defeats Peshawar Zalmi by 29 runs in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam won the toss and invited Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan to bat first.

    Islamabad United inning

    Islamabad captain Shadab Khan played an aggressive innings of 80 runs off 51 balls, hitting 4 fours and 6 sixes. Agha Salman played an innings of 37 runs while Jordan Cox and Azam Khan remained not out scoring 26 and 29 runs respectively.

    For Peshawar Zalmi, Saim Ayub took 2 wickets while Salman Irshad and Luke Wood took one wicket each.

    Peshawar Zalmi inning

    Chasing the target of 197, Peshawar Zalmi lost their both openers in first over. On the total of 18 runs Peshawar half team returned to the pavilion, but Aamir Jamal and Paul Walter make a partnership of 107 runs but could not led their team to victory. Walter scored 33 runs on 29 balls while Aamir Jamal scored brilliant 87 of 49 balls.

    From Islamabad United Captain Shadab Khan took 3 while Hunain Shah and Ruman Raees took 2 wickets each.

  • ‘Sexually assaulted in 7th grade,’ Adeel Hashmi reveals traumatic childhood incident

    ‘Sexually assaulted in 7th grade,’ Adeel Hashmi reveals traumatic childhood incident

    In a sincere moment on Masarrat Misbah’s show, Pakistani actor and television host Adeel Hashmi bravely shared his personal story of being a victim of sexual assault during childhood.

    Hashmi recounted the distressing incident where he was targeted by older students.
    “The smile you see now is after facing many challenges in life,” he said ruefully. He admitted that the trauma had left lasting scars on him.

    He revealed that the traumatic events happened when he was in 7th grade, causing him emotional distress as a younger and smaller student facing bullying from older peers. Describing the difficult times, Adeel mentioned, “It was the 1980s. I was in 7th or 8th grade. Since I was in a public school, many students were older due to failing grades. They had been in the same class for years while I had just moved up from 6th grade.”
    He went on to recount that he was not big or tall at that point. “Even my behavior was timid, like a cat or a mouse. These eight or 10 students would bully me.” Adeel bravely disclosed a distressing incident from those years, saying, “I can share one incident from that time. I might not tell everything as it’s hard for me. I was sexually assaulted in 7th grade. This happened in an all-boys school where no one could help me.”
    Seeking guidance, he turned to his elder brother at the time, unsure of how to handle the situation. Unfortunately, his brother, unaware of the gravity of the bullying and assault, advised him to deal with it on his own. This left Adeel feeling isolated and without a support system.

    “I would stutter and I knew if I told my teachers, these kids would bully me more. Only one time I said to my brother that these hostel kids tease me and whether I should tell our father. And he said no, you can resolve that on your own.”
    Despite the challenges, Adeel chose not to confide in his parents due to fears of their reaction and the difficulty of explaining his painful experiences. This conversation on the show marked the first time he openly discussed these difficult memories with the public.
    His mother would hear about these traumatic experiences through the show. Adeel stressed the importance of creating a safe space for survivors to speak out about child sexual abuse and its long-term effects on individuals’ lives.

  • No reserved seats for PTI backed Sunni Ittehad Council: Election Commission

    No reserved seats for PTI backed Sunni Ittehad Council: Election Commission

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the request of the Sunni Ittehad Council on the issue of reserved seats.

    The issue of reserved seats came to light after independent candidates of Tehreek-e-Insaf joined the Sunni Ittehad Council. On the plea of ​​the Sunni Unity Council, the ECP ruled that it could not get the quota of reserved seats for women and minorities.

    The decision said that the Election Commission informed all political parties that they needed to submit their names for the reserved and minority seats, but the Sunni Ittehad Council did not do so.

    The Election Commission in its decision also stated that it is a legal requirement to provide the list of specific seats before the elections, and the failure of the Sunni Ittehad Council to provide the list of specific seats on time is a legal defect.

    The ECP ruling stated that the chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council contested the election as an independent despite the election symbol and the party confirmed that its candidates had contested as an independent.

    The decision said that it has clearly stated in Article 51 of the Constitution that the political parties who win seats in the National Assembly will be entitled to specific seats. The decision was a 4 – 1 dissent, with Member Punjab Babar Hasan Bharwana, writing a dissenting note.

    Bharwana said in a dissenting note that he agrees with the four members that the seats cannot be given to the Sunni Ittehad Council. But these specific seats cannot be distributed among other political parties and these seats should be kept vacant under Article 51 and 106 of the Constitution. He also said that the seats should be kept vacant until Article 51 and 106 of the Constitution are amended.

  • ‘Grammar, Geography’; CM Maryam’s school visit gets mixed reactions

    ‘Grammar, Geography’; CM Maryam’s school visit gets mixed reactions

    Maryam Nawaz has been in the spotlight since the day she took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab. She recently visited a government school in Lahore where she entered a classroom and asked the students what they are studying to which the students replied, “Conjunctions, Grammar.” She picked up a book from a child, checked the cover and responded, “Oh Geography.” To this, the students collectively replied, “No, English.”

    The interaction has been garnering a lot of reactions on social media. A user commented that people should understand that the textbooks in government schools are always compiled together and that is why she got confused. In the longer version of the video, it can be seen that a teacher explained the same to her.
    Another netizen commented that even if we accept this explanation it makes no sense how she understood geography as conjunction.

    Amidst all the conversation around the videos some also showed their awe seeing the spaciousness of a government school in Lahore as they lamented the condition of schools in rural areas.

    A Twitter user commended her for visiting a school and showing her commitment to education.

  • Maryam Nawaz announces first public cancer hospital in Punjab

    Maryam Nawaz announces first public cancer hospital in Punjab

    Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz, has announced plans to build the first government cancer hospital in Punjab. The hospital will be built near Valencia town in Lahore, as per SAMMA. 

    The newly-elected chief minister visited the potential site for the hospital and received a briefing about the project. The CM also approved the construction of a hotel building for the attendants of cancer patients.

    Maryam Nawaz said that cancer patients will get free treatment in the hospital.

    The Punjab chief minister also announced that the government will provide the best medical professionals and state-of-the art equipment to treat cancer patients.

    She declared that screening for diseases will start in the province, adding that when she vacates her office after five years, she wants a state-of-the-art hospital in every city. She also announced free medicines in all emergency departments of government hospitals starting today. The Rescue 1122 service has been asked to launch a motorway ambulance service.

  • Where does Shah Rukh rank on the most powerful people in India list?

    Where does Shah Rukh rank on the most powerful people in India list?

    Shah Rukh Khan, the famous Bollywood actor, is once again making headlines in the Indian film industry. After starring in three superhit films last year, he has achieved another significant honor.

    Reports from Indian media state that Shah Rukh Khan is now among India’s 100 most powerful people. He’s ranked 27th on this important list, indicating that his influence and presence in entertainment are long lasting.

    In 2023, Shah Rukh Khan amazed audiences with his performances in three blockbuster films: “Pathan,” “Jawaan,” and “Dunki.” Together, these movies earned a staggering 25 billion Indian rupees, reaffirming Shah Rukh Khan’s status as a box office powerhouse.

  • When is Ramzan starting in Pakistan?

    When is Ramzan starting in Pakistan?

    The holy month of Ramzan is around the corner with less than two weeks left.

    According to weather analyst Jawad Memon, although the Ramzan moon will rise on March 10, it will not be visible on that day. “The moon will be clearly visible on March 11,” he said. The first Taraweeh will take place on the night of March 11 as there is a 95 percent probability that the first Roza will be on Tuesday, March 12.

    Like every year, the meeting of the Central Royat Hilal Committee will be held in Islamabad, in which all the zonal committees will be meeting in their respective domains.

    Earlier, Gulf News reported that astronomers have predicted that the main connection will be on March 10 at 9 am. Resultantly, the moon will be visible only after sunset in most Islamic countries on March 10.

    However, astronomers believe that the chances of seeing the moon in the entire Arab and Islamic world on March 10 are very low.

    Ramzan is expected to start on Tuesday, March 12 in most Islamic countries including Pakistan.

  • Atif Aslam, Saboor Aly among Pakistani celebs enjoying AP Dhillon’s Dubai concert

    Atif Aslam, Saboor Aly among Pakistani celebs enjoying AP Dhillon’s Dubai concert

    AP Dhillon is arguably the biggest name in Punjabi music, with fans spread all over the globe, including Pakistan. Recently, the singer held a concert in Dubai, and many Pakistani celebrities were spotted there, enjoying his music live.

    Saboor Aly, Atif Aslam, Ali Ansari, Dananeer Mobeen, and Ken Doll were among those seen dancing and sharing moments from the concert. Take a look at some of these moments:

    @galaxylollywood Fan’s unforgettable night catching Atif Aslam’s surprise appearance at AP Dhillon’s concert! #AtifAslam #APDhillon #GalaxyLollywood #foryou #fyp ♬ original sound – Galaxy Lollywood

  • Most expensive ticket for India-Pakistan match sells for $175000: report

    Most expensive ticket for India-Pakistan match sells for $175000: report

    The most expensive ticket for the India-Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup to be held in the United States and West Indies in June this year has sold for $175000.

    According to a report filed in US TODAY, the resale tickets for the Pakistan vs India match on June 9 in New York are being sold for at least double the original prices on the website.

    The most expensive ticket for the India-Pakistan match is around 4 crore 87 lac rupees ($175000) including tax fee of $50000, the total price of the ticket is 6 crore 26 lac rupees ($225000).

    ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup general tickets are being resold on resale websites such as StubHub and SeatGeek 10 days after going on sale. The match tickets starting at 1,670 rupees ($6) in official sales.

    The most expensive ticket for the India-Pak match was $400 for premium seating without tax.

    The ICC had made it clear that no additional fees would be charged over and above certain taxes, with VIP tickets for the same match being offered for over $40,000 on the resale website, with a fee of $10,000, the total value of which becomes more than 50 thousand dollars.

    The cheapest India-Pakistan match ticket on StubHub was $1,259 till Friday. The lowest priced ticket for the match on SeatGeek was $1,166 without taxes or fees as of Friday afternoon.

  • Singapore denies paying Taylor Swift millions to not perform anywhere else in the region

    Singapore denies paying Taylor Swift millions to not perform anywhere else in the region

    Singapore said Monday its grant to Taylor Swift for her concerts in the city was nowhere near as high as speculated, following media reports that the superstar was offered millions of dollars per gig.

    Around 300,000 people from Singapore and around the region are expected to attend the six sold-out shows that began March 2 — but some neighbours were not happy about being left off The Eras Tour.

    Some, including reportedly the Thai prime minister, have said that Swift was paid millions to keep her from performing anywhere else in the region.

    “There has been some online speculation as to the size of the grant. I can say that it is not accurate and not anywhere as high as speculated,” Singapore’s culture minister Edwin Tong told parliament.

    “Due to business confidentiality reasons, we cannot reveal the specific size of the grant or the conditions of the grant.”

    Tong added that the “economic benefits to Singapore are assessed to be significant and outweigh the size of the grant”.

    Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had reportedly said, citing a concert promoter, that Singapore offered Swift up to US$3 million per concert if she did not play anywhere else in Southeast Asia.

    A lawmaker in the Philippines also criticised Singapore, reportedly saying this was not “what good neighbours do”.

    Tong played down the role the grant may have played in convincing Swift to perform only in Singapore.

    “Promoters of top artists will do their own calculation and assess where they want to perform and for how long,” he said, citing Singapore’s location and infrastructure as key factors.

    Since the end of pandemic curbs, a number of top artists have performed in Singapore, including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Blackpink and Harry Styles.