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  • Matiullah Jan arrested from PIMS hospital

    Matiullah Jan arrested from PIMS hospital

    Prominent journalist Matiullah Jan has been arrested alongside journalist Saqib Bashir from the parking lot of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) hospital in Islamabad on Wednesday night.

     

    Abdul Razaq Jan, son of Matiullah Jan, claimed in a video message that Saqib Bashir had been released after a while. However, his father was still “missing.”

     

    Matiullah Jan’s son stated that he was informed about the “abduction” of his father by Saqib Bashir at around 4 AM.


    Veteran journalist Hamid Mir took to X (formerly Twitter) to claim that Matiullah Jan was detained at Margalla Police Station.

     

    “We are informed that he [Matiullah Jan] is required in an FIR along with Ali Amin Gandapur and Bushra Bibi,” Hamid Mir wrote.


    However, no official response has been issued by the authorities.

     

    Matiullah Jan was also apprehended during the PTI-led govt in July 2020 from Islamabad sector G-6 but was released after a while.

  • TikTok to prevent under-18 users from using beauty filters

    TikTok to prevent under-18 users from using beauty filters

    TikTok has decided to implement restrictions to prevent users under the age of 18 from using beauty filters.

     

    Users under the age of 18 will soon be prevented from using effects that enhance their beauty and attractiveness. The change is aimed at protecting minors from mental health problems.

     

    Beauty filters are applied to real-time video images to enhance physical attractiveness. Common effects of such filters include smoothing skin texture and enlarging eyes or narrowing the nose. A filter called ‘Bold Glamour’ turns anyone into a supermodel.

     

    However, according to the company, the age restriction will not apply to filters that are designed for entertainment purposes.

     

    TikTok will also use machine learning technologies that can help identify accounts belonging to children under the age of 13.

  • Big names return as probable names for South Africa series revealed

    Big names return as probable names for South Africa series revealed

    The consultations on squad for the national cricket team’s tour of South Africa have entered their final stage, and big names are likely to return to the team.

     

    A strong squad will be selected for the ODI series and could mark the return of former skipper Babar Azam as well as fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi.

     

    With Champions Trophy just around the corner, Fakhar Zaman’s return has been declared “necessary”, and so, it is possible that the star batter will be selected for Pakistan’s white-ball squad. Imam-ul-Haq’s name is also being considered for the red-ball team while senior batters and bowlers can be rested in the T20 series to give a chance to young players, reports said.

     

    The squads are expected to be announced after the end of the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe. The board is also mulling setting up a camp for Test players in South Africa.

     

    Pakistan are scheduled to play a series of three ODIs, three T20Is and two Test matches in South Africa. The series will be played from December 10 to January 7.

  • Hopefully, Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan: Mohsin Naqvi

    Hopefully, Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan: Mohsin Naqvi

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that the Board is in constant contact with the International Cricket Council (ICC), adding that, “Hopefully, the Champions Trophy will be in Pakistan.” 

     

    While talking to media in Lahore, Naqvi said, “It is not possible for us to go and play in India, and they do not play in Pakistan. Hopefully, the Champions Trophy will be in Pakistan; whatever decision is made, we will come out with the best for Pakistan.”

     

    Pointing out that the Gaddafi Stadium has been upgraded to international standards, he said, “The reconstruction work of the stadium started on October 10. The capacity of the stadium will be increased to 35 – 40 thousand, and the view will be much better. I wanted the Rawalpindi stadium to be ready at the same time; if I had received the report of the Pindi Stadium earlier, it would have been better. After seeing the whole situation, we will come out with something better from the ICC meeting.”

     

    The ICC board meeting will be held on Friday to consider the future of the ICC Champions Trophy.

     

    The option of adopting a hybrid model for the Champions Trophy will be presented in the board meeting, and an attempt will be made to convince Pakistan. However, Pakistan has already rejected the hybrid model, and if the decision to vote is against Pakistan, PCB will respond in consultation with the government.

  • Sunblock for solar: Winter package might dim solar market spark

    Sunblock for solar: Winter package might dim solar market spark

    Business owners celebrated as Islamabad announced the Winter Electricity Package for the next three months.

     

    As per the Power Division, commercial electricity is priced in a band between Rs39.5 to Rs52. However, they would only be charged Rs26.07 per unit for incremental usage.

     

    This spells great news for businesses as the lower costs of electricity will directly translate into an increase in their profit margins. The money that these reduced costs free up can then be reinvested back into the business. This could allow business owners to expand the scope of their business activities without having to take on any debt or give up equity to new stakeholders for investments.

     

    The dip in commercial electricity prices for incremental units below the base rate will be especially beneficial for industries that use up lots of electricity. For instance, the textile sector is a major consumer of electricity standing at 28 per cent of overall electricity consumption.

    The reduced prices will allow for textile exports to benefit from more competitive prices in international markets. This is simply because a fall in their production costs will result in international customers finding it cheaper to import Pakistani textiles.

     

    The textile sector is responsible for bringing in 60 per cent of export earnings, and this number could see an upward revision soon. This is undoubtedly great news for Islamabad, too, as the increased export earnings will improve Pakistan’s balance of trade, which has historically remained poor.

     

    However, a policy that creates winners implies that there will be losers too. The ones who will lose out as a result of the reduced incremental electricity charges will be businesses that sell solar panels and inverters.

     

    As it stands, Profit.pk has reported that Pakistan currently ranks as the sixth-largest solar market globally. This is largely due to the fact that tariffs on electricity purchased from the national grid surged by a whopping 155 per cent in just a little over three years.

     

    As a result of these staggeringly high tariffs, residential, commercial and even industrial consumers began to transition away from the national grid in favour of powering up their spaces using solar energy. Reports have confirmed that the demand for electricity dropped by over 10 per cent in the previous fiscal year due to sky-high prices and solar adoption.

     

    However, with the introduction of the winter package, experts are predicting a fall in demand for solar panels. This does not bode well for those involved in trading or installing solar panels. It will be interesting to note what the new prices will be once the winter package ends.

  • Zara Noor Abbas embraces hope and positivity in her 30s

    Zara Noor Abbas embraces hope and positivity in her 30s

    Actress Zara Noor Abbas recently shared her thoughts on optimism as she enters her 30s.

     


    On Instagram, she wrote a note aimed at millennials. Although she used to laugh at motivational content, she now embraces hope and positivity.

     


    Abbas confessed to enjoying self-deprecating humor and often felt a cloud of despair. But she admits that her 30s have made her more grounded, helping her understand her life better and realize what she needs to do to live the way she wants.

     


    She highlighted that self-awareness can be tough, but it’s crucial. Abbas stated, “Knowing too much activates the part of your brain that likes to simplify.” Knowing herself well allows her to avoid unpleasant surprises. Abbas is now channeling her self-knowledge into hope and positivity, appreciating her journey and looking forward to the future with clarity.

     


    In closing, Abbas expressed her newfound optimism by saying, “All this knowledge of self cannot go unused, come on! I channel most of it into hope: hope to appreciate how far I’ve come despite all the cynicism, and hope to see how far I can go with a tad more clarity.” We love the positive energy she’s bringing into this new chapter of her life!

  • PTI’s protest ongoing, will continue till Imran Khan calls it off: Gandapur

    PTI’s protest ongoing, will continue till Imran Khan calls it off: Gandapur

    Hour after fleeing from Islamabad to Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur has broken silence over the abrupt end to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “decisive” protest in the federal capital, saying that the “sit-in will continue” until party founder Imran Khan calls it off.

     

    “This is not just a political demonstration but a fight for our fundamental rights,” CM Gandapur said while addressing party workers and media persons in Mansehra on Wednesday.

     

    PTI had on late Tuesday night called off its Islamabad sit-in “for the time being” after violent clashes with law enforcement.

     

    “In view of the government’s brutality and plan to turn the capital into a slaughterhouse for unarmed citizens, [we] announce the suspension of the peaceful protest for the time being,” PTI’s official X (formerly Twitter) account said in a press release on Wednesday morning.

     

    In his maiden public appearance following the developments, CM Gandapur accused the government of oppressive actions against PTI supporters and highlighted the “illegal detentions”, “uncalled for violence against peaceful demonstrators” and restrictions on freedom of assembly.

     

    He also claimed that hundreds of his party workers were killed during the grand clearance operation in Islamabad.

     

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar had, however, on Tuesday night said that “no bodies fell in the operation”. Government officials and ministers have also alleged that PTI protesters caused severe damage to public and government property in Islamabad.

     

    Addressing media persons, CM Gandapur also complained that whenever his party announced a rally or procession, they were denied permission. “Even the courts are not providing justice,” he said.

     

    “When we approach courts for justice, we don’t get justice, nor do we get the floor of the parliament that is against the sanctity of the House. Our only option to deliver our message is to protest if we are not allowed to hold public gatherings,” Gandapur added.

     

    He claimed that the government was involved in direct attacks on him and Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi during the protest, and called out the federal government by saying that they had “broken Pakistan once before” and were “doing so again”.

     

    “Our province knows how to secure its mandate, it knows how to claim its rights, and it knows how to protect its people.”

     

    The government had on Tuesday night launched a grand operation starting from D-Chowk in Islamabad to end PTI’s protest campaign. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Information Minister Tarar at around 2 am addressed media persons to announce that the government had successfully quashed the demonstrations that continued for three days.

  • Hamas says ‘Ready’ for Gaza truce after Lebanon ceasefire

    Hamas says ‘Ready’ for Gaza truce after Lebanon ceasefire

    Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a senior official in the Palestinian resistance group said Wednesday, hailing the ceasefire that took hold in Lebanon.

     

    “We have informed mediators in Egypt, Qatar and Turkey that Hamas is ready for a ceasefire agreement and a serious deal to exchange prisoners,” the official told AFP, however, accusing Israel of obstructing a deal.

     

     

    In a statement released later Wednesday, Hamas said, “the enemy’s acceptance of the agreement with Lebanon without achieving its preconditions marks a significant milestone in shattering (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu’s illusions of reshaping the Middle East through force”.

     

     

    The group also praised the “pivotal” role of its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon.

     

     

    In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority expressed hope that the ceasefire would bring stability to the region, especially in war-torn Gaza.

     

     

    “We hope that this step will contribute to stopping the violence and instability that the region is suffering from,” the Palestinian presidency said in a statement, highlighting the need to enforce a UN resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

     

    Violence in the West Bank-occupied by Israel since 1967-has surged since the Gaza war erupted after Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023.

     

     

    Notably, the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon took effect today after more than a year of fighting that has killed thousands of people.

     

     

    US President Joe Biden announced the ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his ministers had agreed to a halt.

    The United States is Israel’s key ally and military backer, and Biden hailed the deal as “good news” and a “new start” for Lebanon. 

     

    Netanyahu thanked Biden for his involvement in brokering the deal and said it would allow Israel to focus on Hamas in Gaza and Iran.

     

    Under the terms of the Lebanon truce, Israel will maintain “full” freedom to act against Hezbollah if it poses any new threat, Netanyahu said.

     

    However, a truce in Lebanon, Netanyahu said, will permit Israel to redirect its focus on Gaza, “When Hezbollah is out of the picture, Hamas is left alone in the fight. Our pressure on it will intensify.”

     

     

  • Aleema Khanum slams party leaders for leaving workers in the dark

    Aleema Khanum slams party leaders for leaving workers in the dark

    Aleema Khanum, sister of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, criticised party leadership over the lack of proper guidance and absence of instructions to party followers during the recent protest at the federal capital.

     

    Aleema Khanum, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), asked, “Why was the sound and light on the container shut early evening [on November 26]?

     

    She complained that due to the absence of a sound system and lighting, “no instructions” were issued or guidance provided to the public in “complete darkness.”

     

    “We pleaded all evening for the lights and sound on the container to be turned on, but there was no response from those giving directions,” former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum said.

     

     

    However, she was not the only one who had complained about the lack of professional approach of party leadership; PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai also pointed out the absence of coordination among the party leadership during the recent protest march.

     

    Speaking to Geo News on Tuesday night, Shaukat Yousafzai emphasised, “Authority position holders have disappointed us.”

     

    Yousafzai asked why the federal government’s offer for negotiations was not pursued? and why there was no consultation on the government’s proposal for talks?


    Meanwhile, Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Federal Information and Broadcasting, on Wednesday stated that security forces had not used the weapon against demonstrators on Tuesday night, noting, “During PTI protest, government property was damaged.”

     

    Rejecting the claims that more than 30 individuals had died in clashes between security forces in recent nights, he maintained that some people want to do politics on dead people without having “evidence.”

     

    It should be noted here that following the Islamabad Police grand operation against PTI workers, the PTI founder’s wife, Bushra Bibi, KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur, and other PTI leaders and workers had managed to escape the federal capital.

  • Javeria Saud found filming one death scene very ‘challenging’

    Javeria Saud found filming one death scene very ‘challenging’

    One of the most viewed “saas-bahu” dramas on-air nowadays recently introduced a shocking plot twist. Baby Baji Ki Bahuwain was released after the massive success of Baby Baji 1.

     

    The drama is based on a joint family and how people face several challenges while they are living through it all. The recently aired episodes shocked the drama’s fans when they brought in Jamal’s death sequence as a twist.

     

    Javeria and Saud, aka Azra and Jamal, who are both real and reel life partners, went live on Instagram and shared how they felt about the death scenario.  

     

    They shared the emotional and technical challenges they encountered while filming the heart-wrenching death scene. 

    Actress Javeria and her husband Saud have mentioned the difficulties they faced while shooting the death scene in the popular drama ‘Baby Baji 2’, admitting that it was difficult for them to get the shoot done as both of them shot at different times.

     

    Javeria and her husband also played the roles of husband and wife in ‘Baby Baji 2’ and recently Saud was shown dying in an episode of the drama.

     

    After hearing about Saud’s death in the drama, videos of Javeria Saud’s acting went viral on social media, where people praised her performance and expressed their sadness that Saud’s character was killed off.

     

    Now both the husband and wife have thanked the fans for praising Saud’s death scene in the drama and Javeria’s subsequent reaction to the news of her husband’s death.

     

    They thanked fans for praising their acting during a live broadcast on Instagram.

     

    Both actors said, “After the death scene in the drama, not only their close friends and relatives but also fans are expressing their sympathy and sending them messages on social media.”

     

    Saud said, “We had no idea that our death scene would hurt the fans so much, and we are grateful to the fans for expressing their sorrow and love.”

     

    Javeria said, “Not only fans but also relatives and friends expressed their sadness over Saud’s death scene and everyone was worried.”

     

    Javeria mentioned, “It was difficult to shoot the husband’s death scene, so I requested the drama team to shoot both at different times.”

     

    According to her, she has not yet watched the episode with the death scene, but those who have watched it are sending her messages of sorrow and sympathy.

     

    Javeria and Saud also thanked their fans for their love and admitted that such scenes are painful and not easy to watch or perform.