Tag: Korean resturant

  • Zahra Noor Abbas, the food critic? Check out her review of a Korean family restaurant

    Zahra Noor Abbas, the food critic? Check out her review of a Korean family restaurant

    Renowned actress Zara Noor Abbas recently gave her fans a fun peek into their family life with a light-hearted vlog.

    Abbas and her family went to a restaurant to try what she called the “infamous” Korean BBQ.

    The vlog featured Zara’s mom, Asma Abbas, husband Asad Siddiqui and Asad’s mother, who were testing Korean BBQ for the first time.

    The reactions were priceless! Asma Abbas hilariously admitted that she’d rather stick to good old khichdi than these foreign dishes. Her comments added a hilarious twist; she couldn’t wait to return to her favourite comfort food.

    The caption for the video read: “No offence to Korean food but I guess, we don’t have the taste for it. The experience was fun but I won’t have Korean to save my life. I can’t. We can’t. Just can’t. We good with BIRYAAANI all the way.”

    Even though the Korean BBQ didn’t get rave reviews, the family had a blast, laughing and enjoying the moment together.

    Zara and Asad’s shared laughter and the light-hearted nature of the Vlog highlighted the warmth and camaraderie between their families, endearing them further to their fans.

    Check out the fun-filled vlog Zara shared below:

  • PTI women wing leaders use wrong video to criticise the government

    PTI women wing leaders use wrong video to criticise the government

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s women wing held a press conference on Monday at the KPK House, Islamabad. During this press conference, while criticising the current government, PTI women wing president Kanwal Shauzab and Maleeka Bokhari announced that Imran Khan did not go to D-Chowk on May 25 because the government had allegedly planned to kill a large number of protesters. To back up this conspiracy, they also showed a video clip to the audience which showed tear gas attack.

    While they claimed that the video shows Shehbaz Sharif government attacking PTI’s women political workers. When someone in the audience pointed out that this is an old video, Kanwal Shauzab replied that because it is old, there is not as much smoke.

    The shared video clip is from 2021 when during Imran Khan’s government, the law enforcement attacked the civil servants’ protest at D Chowk and subjected the protesters to severe teargas shelling.

    Several PTI workers and supporters shared a video clip on Twitter and have been corrected by journalists, politicians belonging to the Opposition and other social media users, some examples can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

  • Fruit and Vegetable prices getting out of control in Quetta

    Fruit and Vegetable prices getting out of control in Quetta

    During the holy month of Ramzan, the price of vegetables and fruits in Quetta rocketed instead of decreasing. Tomatoes, which were previously selling for Rs120 per kilogramme in the vegetable market are now being sold at Rs160.

    Some other reports even suggest that a few shopkeepers were selling tomatoes for up to Rs190, minting money directly in front of the district administration’s eyes.

    Ladyfinger which was sold at Rs240, is now available for Rs280, potatoes, and onions after getting a hike of Rs10 are being sold at Rs50 and Rs60, respectively. Ginger, lemon, and garlic are now priced between Rs300 to Rs320.

    The government of Balochistan has not set up any Ramzan or ‘Sasta bazaar’ this year to facilitate citizens during the holy month of fasting. Formerly, district governments held Ramazan bazaars on the orders of provincial governments to assist the people.

    Previously, the Quetta administration had issued shops with a detailed list of commodities and their pricing. The shop owners, on the other hand, are not obeying the administration’s directives and selling items at their desired rate. These artificial rates have multiplied the problems of the common man.

  • Pakistan’s exports grew 25% in the last nine months

    Pakistan’s exports increased by 17.3 per cent in March 2021 to $2.773 billion, up from $2.365 billion in March 2021 and 25 per cent in the last nine months.

    The Prime Minister’s Adviser on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood, said that exports increased by 25 per cent to $23.332 billion in the July-March fiscal year 2021-2022, compared to $18.688 billion in the same period last year, implying a $4.644 billion upsurge.

    On the other hand, according to preliminary data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports fell 2 per cent on a month-on-month (MoM) basis to $2.77 billion in March 2022, down from $2.82 billion in February 2022.

    Dawood said in a tweet, “We are glad to share that Pakistan’s exports for Mar-2022 grew by 17.3 per cent to $2.773 billion as compared to $2.365 billion Mar-2021. For Jul-Mar 2022, our exports grew by 25 per cent to $23.332 billion as compared to $18.688 billion in Jul-Mar 2021. This is an increase $4.644 billion”.

    While talking about the target for exports he added that “We expect to achieve our yearly target. The import figures would be shared when finalised by the PBS. We would like to congratulate our exporters for maintaining the momentum of exports under these testing times in the global market”.

    Pakistan’s current account deficit (CAD) decreased by 78.46 per cent to $545 million in February from $2.531 billion in January, owing primarily to a steep drop in imports.

    Read more: FBR records 29.1% growth during July 2021 to March 2022, despite providing ‘massive tax relief’

    Surprisingly, the CAD crossed the $12 billion level in the first eight months of FY22, showing no signs of improvement in the external account. The CAD was only $34 million in February 2021.

  • Gloria Jeans and La Montana closed due to court order

    Gloria Jeans and La Montana closed due to court order

    A month after the closure of Monal Restaurant, the Ministry of Climate Change and Pakistan Environment Protection Agency issued notices to two other hilltop eateries, La Montana and Gloria Jeans, to immediately stop operating in the National Park.

    The restaurants were established without environmental approvals while the managements didn’t provide plans for solid waste management, sewerage water, and drinking water supply despite several notices.

    “The Islamabad High Court, in its orders dated January 11, 2021, observed that protection of ecosystems and natural habitat is a constitutional obligation of the state, its institutions, and public dignitaries,” it stated. “The destruction of the national park is violative of the fundamental rights of the people of Pakistan and saving it from harm is the inviolable duty of the State.”

    The notification issued under section 16 (2) of EPA Act 1997 cited.

    The law permits:

    • Immediate to stoppage, preventing, lessening or controlling the discharge, emission, disposal, handling, act or omission, or to minimize or remedy the adverse environmental effect.
    • Installation, replacement or alteration of any equipment or thing to eliminate or control or abate on a permanent or temporary basis, such discharge, emission, disposal, handling, act or omission.
    • Action to remove or otherwise dispose of the effluent, waste, air pollutant, noise, or hazardous substances.
    • Action to restore the environment to the condition existing prior to such discharge, disposal, handling, act or omission, or as close to such condition as may be reasonable in the circumstances, to the satisfaction of the Federal Agency or Provincial Agency.

    Last month, the Islamabad High Court ordered authorities to seal Islamabad’s Monal Restaurant.

    The National Park’s land belongs to the state and no commercial activities can be carried out here, the court ruled.

  • Karachi court says woman convicted of murder is ‘not guilty’ seven months after she died in jail

    Karachi court says woman convicted of murder is ‘not guilty’ seven months after she died in jail

    A Karachi court on January 10 exonerated a woman, Saima Farhan, and four of her family members, for their alleged involvement in a murder case. 

    However, it was too late for Saima, as she was exonerated seven months after her death in Central Jail, where she remained incarcerated for almost a year-and-a-half.

    Saima, 35, who was an aalima and used to teach the Holy Quran to the person she was accused of killing, died in jail on June 14, 2021, due to severe abdominal and kidney issues. Jail authorities, in her death report, also revealed that she was a cancer patient.

    The defence counsel — Muhmmad Akbar Khan and his associate Sheikh Saqib Ahmed — while talking to Geo.tv said: “During the trial, Saima asked us at every hearing: ‘Wakeel sahib, hamein bail kab milegi? (when will we be granted bail)?”

    The lawyers, however, lamented not being able to share the happy news that she was finally exonerated.

    Saima’s incarceration began on February 14, 2020, after she was arrested for allegedly poisoning her neighbour and friend, Rukhsar.

    Following Rukhsar’s death, her mother, Shahnaz, sought to register a complaint against Saima and her family members for allegedly poisoning her daughter.

    Saima’s family members, speaking to Geo.tv, said the complainants built a “false case” against them with the “help of the police” to usurp the property Saima owned.

    Murder charges against Saima were officially framed on February 6, 2021.

    Even after winning a legal battle and emerging innocent, Saima’s family members still await action against the jail authorities, whose denial of her timely medical treatment led to her death.

  • Global tourism won’t return to pre-covid levels until 2024

    Global tourism won’t return to pre-covid levels until 2024

    With the highly contagious Omicron variant in the picture, global tourism arrivals have further been affected, and will not return to the pre-pandemic levels until 2024, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday.

    The highly contagious Omicron variant, though mild, will “disrupt recovery” for 2022. Last year in 2021, tourism saw a four percent growth over 2020, according to the Madrid-based UN agency’s World Tourism Barometer.

    Meanwhile, tourism revenue in 2020 was 72 percent lower than that in 2019.

    “The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence,” the UNWTO said in a press release.

    In Europe and the Americas, foreign visitor arrivals increased by 19 percent and 17 percent in 2021, respectively, when compared to 2020.

    In the Middle East, however, arrivals declined by 24 percent in 2021, while in the Asia-Pacific region, they were 65 percent below the 2020 levels, and 94 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.

    The statement said tourism professionals “see better prospects” for this year after turbulence in the early months because of the Omicron wave.

    Many countries are highly dependent on tourism and are eagerly awaiting a return to normal.

    “The economic contribution of tourism in 2021 (measured in tourism direct gross domestic product) is estimated at $1.9 trillion (1.68 trillion euros), above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of $3.5 trillion,” the statement noted.

  • PCB to award cash incentives to 15 cricket players

    PCB to award cash incentives to 15 cricket players

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be giving cash incentives to 15 Pakistani cricket players in recognition of their outstanding performance throughout 2021.

    Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja is expected to present the cash prize of Rs1.5 million to each of the top 15 players who remained an integral part of the unit in all three formats of the game.

    Two Test specialists Abid Ali and Sajjid Khan have also been invited apart from 18 players (three reserves) for their exceptional show in the longer version of the game.

    “The reception to honour the top cricketers is meant to recognise the services of all those cricketers who have helped the team stand tall in almost all the formats of the game,” a PCB official said in a statement.

    “Barring some brief hiccups, the team members have given exceptional performance throughout the year. Be it T20 World Cup performance, Test matches performance at home and abroad, the team has shown exceptional courage in all the departments of the game.”

    “Beating South Africa at their own soil and later sweeping through Bangladesh in their own backyard were exceptional achievements that needed to be recognised,” the PCB official said.

    Pakistan won 20 of 29 T20Is during the year which also saw them putting up some resolute show in the T20 World Cup. The team that was unbeaten eventually lost to Australia in the semi-finals but not before winning many hearts for the competitive element that was on display.

    The reception which will only be attended by the PCB high-ups is supposed to improve morale of the team members in front of the hectic season that also incorporates some important series and T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October/November.

    Pakistan may also host leading international outfits including Australia, England, New Zealand, and West Indies through the coming season.

    Every player in the 15-man squad would receive Rs1.5 million each as cash incentive while the rest of the five including three reserves and two Test specialists will also be awarded.

  • PIA to fly to European countries once again as EU decides to lift ban

    PIA to fly to European countries once again as EU decides to lift ban

    The ban imposed by the European Union (EU) on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight operations is expected to be lifted soon, local media reported quoting the country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official.

    The ban had been imposed following the crash of a PIA aircraft in May last year, which resulted in the deaths of 97 passengers and crew.

    An International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit team that had visited to undertake a safety audit of the aviation authority completed the process on December 10. Its final report will be released in a few weeks and shared publicly, The News reported.

    According to The News, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) had extended travel restrictions imposed on PIA in April for an indefinite period and directed the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to get its safety audit done by ICAO scheduled in July.

    In its January 4 letter to DG CAA Khaqan Murtaza, ICAO’s Deputy Director Denis Guindon wrote that the committee conducted the audit in December 2021 and “determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC (Significant Safety Concern).”

    “I wish to refer to the Significant Safety Concern (SSC/PEL-01/09-2020/PAK refers) that was issued to Pakistan on September 18, 2020, as well as the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) audit that was conducted by an ICAO team in Pakistan from 29 November to 10 December 2021.”

    He further said that until the CAA received the approval, PIA would not be able to resume flight operations to the EU.

    “In accordance with the USOAP SSC process, […] the ICAO SSC Validation Committee reviewed the actions and relevant evidence validated in Pakistan. The Committee determined that the actions taken by Pakistan had successfully resolved SSC,” the letter stated.

  • 2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    2021: The year of records in Pakistani cricket

    The Pakistan cricket team is considered to be the most unpredictable team of all. The Men in Green have seen many ups and downs this year but the green shirts flourished with bright colours, making record breaking partnerships, personal and team records and many more. We have collected some major events that happened in cricket in Pakistan and how the year 2021 was for the Shaheens.

    Our champions reshaped the face of T20I Cricket in 2021. Have a look at their phenomenal performance.

    PSL 6 Winners

    Mohammad Rizwan, leading the Multan Sultans, won the sixth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in 2021. Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs in the final to win their maiden trophy of the tournament in June, 2021. Rizwan replaced Shan Masood as the captain of the team after he was traded from the PSL franchise Karachi Kings.

    Sultans started at the second leg of the PSL fifth on the points table, having lost four of their first five matches but led by their captain Rizwan, went on to win four of the next five to finish the league stage second. They then swatted the Islamabad United challenge in the first qualifier and lead themselves to the win in the final, a crowning glory in their magnificent UAE leg of the season.

    Pakistan beats India in T20WC

    Pakistan made history by beating arch-rival India for the first time in a T20 World Cup match in October. The green shirts’ 10-wicket win ended a decades-long defeat streak that began in 1992. Pakistan had lost all 12 of their previous World Cup matches against India.

    The two former champions clashed after more than two years in the 2021 T20 World Cup opening fixture at the Dubai International Stadium.

    Pakistani openers Azam (68) and Mohammad Rizwan (79) produced a batting masterclass to chase down the 152-run target without losing a wicket, and finishing the game in the 18th over.

    Rizwan and Babar partnership

    Babar and Rizwan made a formidable partnership for Pakistan at the top of the order. They scored a total of 6 century stands, which is the most by a batting pair in the history of T20Is. Out of these, 4 were in excess of 150 runs which is also the most for a batting pair in T20Is and came against the likes of England, India, South Africa, and West Indies.

    The duo was magnificent for Pakistan throughout the 2021 T20 World Cup. They were influential as Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India for the first time in World Cup history. The batting pair scored an unbeaten knock of 152 runs and registered the highest opening stand in T20 World Cup history.

    Babar and Rizwan’s opening partnerships were all the more impressive because of pressure situations. Out of their six century partnerships, three came while chasing a target. This also included 197 run stand against South Africa at Centurion.

    The duo also became the first batting pair in history to score more than 1,000 runs in a year. They scored 1,380 runs at an average of 57.50 in 25 innings while batting together.

    Rizwan T20 Runs

    Mohammad Rizwan rounded off a magnificent year in T20 cricket by becoming the first batter in the history of the format to cross 2,000 runs in a calendar year. The wicket-keeper batter scored 2,036 runs at an average of 56.55 and a strike rate of 132.03 in 45 innings he played in the year. Rizwan also became the highest run-scorer in T20Is in a calendar year as he became the first batter in history to cross 1,000 runs in T20Is. He scored 1,326 runs at an average of 73.66 and a strike rate of 134.89 in 26 innings.

    The star wicket-keeper batter was Pakistan’s most influential player in all formats this year. Rizwan won a total of 6 player-of-the-series awards in 2021, equaling the record of most player-of-the-series awards held by Sachin Tendulkar since 1998. Rizwan bagged 4 player-of-the-series awards in T20Is and 2 in red-ball cricket.

    Record 20 T20I wins in a year

    During the year, Pakistan played 29 matches in the shortest format and won 20 – the most by any team. They lost six while three ended with no result.

    The Men in Green played seven bilateral T20 series, and won six – against South Africa, Zimbabwe, West Indies and Bangladesh. They only lost to England.

    Pakistan also won all group matches in the T20 World Cup – against India, New Zealand, Afghanistan, Namibia and Scotland. They lost the semi-final against Australia in a thriller.

    Babar number 1 T20 and ODI player

    Babar Azam’s incredible 2021 has been capped off with a number1 T20I batting ranking.

    Combining in an opening partnership of 158 with Mohammad Rizwan against the West Indies in Karachi to set up a 3-0 series win, Babar’s 79 from just 53 balls propelled him back to the top, overtaking Aiden Markram and Dawid Malan. He now sits number1 in both the men’s T20I and ODI rankings going into the final days of the year.

    This was only the second time in history that a batter was ranked number one in both formats at the end of a year. Australian legend, Ricky Ponting, achieved the feat in 2005.

    Babar Nominated for ODI Player of the Year Award

    The Skipper of Pakistan is also nominated for the ODI Player of the Year award. He scored 405 runs in six matches in the outgoing year at an average of 67.50 with two centuries in the 50-over format.

    Alongside Azam, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, Ireland’s Paul Stirling and South Africa’s Janneman Malan have been named as contenders for the award.

    Rizwan Nominated for T20Player of the Year Award

    The star batter is also nominated for the T20I Player of the Year award for his exceptional performances with the bat.

    Alongside Rizwan, Jos Buttler, Wanindu Hasaranga and Mitchell Marsh are the four nominees for the Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year Award.

    Two Consecutive Whitewash

    The Pakistan cricket team had a great two series against Bangladesh and West Indies. First the green shirts beat Bangladesh with a 2-0 clean sweep in Test matches and 3-0 whitewash in T20Is and the national team later triumphed a T20I series at home against West Indies.

    Meanwhile, led by the dynamic opening duo of Rizwan and Babar, Pakistan pulled off a record chase in the third and final T20 international to register a 3-0 series whitewash over the covid-hit West Indies team.

    Pakistan beats India in U19 Asia Cup

    Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by two wickets in a nail-biting match of the group stage of the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) Under-19s Asia Cup, with young stars Muhammad Shehzad and Zeeshan Zameer’s heroics leaving the Men In Blue surprised.

    Skipper Qasim Akram put India to bat after winning the toss and restricted the Men In Blue to 237 in the 50-over match at the ICC Academy Ground.