Tag: Pakistan

  • Issue of missing person can’t be solved overnight, says law minister

    Issue of missing person can’t be solved overnight, says law minister

    Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Tuesday, in a press conference in Islamabad, that missing persons were involved in the Gwadar attack. He highlighted the struggle of the government to resolve the issue, but also emphasised that the problem can’t be resolved overnight.

    He also said that the issue of missing persons in Pakistan is closely linked with terrorism.

    Tarar disclosed that the Supreme Court (SC) has taken notice of the problem and has sent over 10,000 cases to the commission responsible for investigating missing persons. He said they’ve successfully resolved approximately 8,000 of these cases.

    During the press conference, he stressed that the government is aware of its responsibility on the issue and is making efforts to resolve it. He also stated that earlier in 2022, the coalition government formed a committee to handle the issue.

    Under the directive of the Prime Minister, efforts to address missing persons cases have been reignited, he added.

  • Abducted student from Karachi married forcefully in Rahim Yar Khan

    Abducted student from Karachi married forcefully in Rahim Yar Khan

    A video has emerged online showing a girl who got abducted from Karachi getting forcefully married in Rahim Yar Khan.

    The girl, named Asma, allegedly stated her age as 19 in the marriage certificate issued in Rahim Yar Khan, reported the Nikahkhawan. The nikah ceremony took place at his house and he told ARY News that he asked the girl to go back but she declined stating her mother will sell her to an old man if she goes back.

    On the other hand, the girl’s mother, asserted her daughter’s age to be between 14 and 15 years old. She disclosed that the man, who allegedly lured her daughter into marriage, won’t let her talk with Asma in person nor over the phone.

    Karachi police authorities are currently in the process of seeking permission from the Home Department to initiate necessary actions, stressing that only the statement of the girl can confirm whether the marriage occurred with her consent or under compulsion.

    However, the police authorities of Rahim Yar Khan have asserted that the girl provided a statement affirming that the marriage was entered into of her own free will.

  • Are you ready for Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2?

    Are you ready for Bajrangi Bhaijaan 2?

    The script is ready and Producer Radha Mohan has confirmed that it is ready to be presented to Bollywood’s Salman Khan.

    Mohan is currently in Hyderabad promoting Ayush Sharma’s upcoming film, ‘Ruslaan’.
    He said, “Scriptwiter Vijayendra Prasad has written two stories for me, including ‘Vikram Rokkudu 2’, the sequel to ‘Rowdy Rathore’ in Hindi. The story is complete, and now we are searching for a good cast.”
    However, it is uncertain if Akshay Kumar will take part in the sequel of Rowdy Rathore.

    Bajrani Bhaijaan was released in 2015 and starred Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor.

    The movie is about a man who helps a girl return to Pakistan. Pawan Kumar Chaturvedi, a devotee of the Hindu deity Hanuman, embarks on a journey to take a mute six-year-old Pakistani Muslim girl, Shahida, separated in India from her mother, back to her hometown.

  • Fake videos of Bollywood stars stir up election worries in India

    Fake videos of Bollywood stars stir up election worries in India

    In some fake videos spreading widely on the internet, two top Bollywood actors from India are shown speaking out against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They’re asking people to support the opposition Congress party in the current general election. In one video, Aamir Khan talks for about 30 seconds, and in another, Ranveer Singh speaks for about 41 seconds. They say Modi didn’t fulfill his promises during his time as prime minister and didn’t solve important economic problems.

    The fake videos made by artificial intelligence show the symbol and slogan of the Congress party at the end. The slogan is “Vote for Justice, Vote for Congress.” These videos have been watched more than half a million times on social media since last week, according to Reuters.

    The spread of these videos shows how AI-generated content could affect the huge Indian election that began last Friday and will go on until June. AI, or artificial intelligence, creating fake videos, called deepfakes, are becoming more common in elections worldwide.

    Since 2019, in India, there’s been a big shift towards using WhatsApp and Facebook for campaigning. This year’s general election, where Modi is likely to win a third term, marks the first time AI is being used in Indian elections.

    A spokesperson for the Congress party named Sujata Paul shared actor Ranveer Singh’s video with her 16,000 followers on a platform called X on April 17. By Saturday afternoon, her post had been shared 2,900 times, liked 8,700 times, and viewed 438,000 times. Paul told Reuters on the phone that she knew the video was labeled as “manipulated media” by X, but she didn’t want to remove it. When she posted it, she thought the person in the video looked like Singh, and she thought it was ‘creative’.

    The post disappeared from X on Sunday, shortly after Reuters asked Congress’ social media head for comments, but received no response. Both actors have said the videos are fake. Facebook, X, and at least eight fact-checking websites have also confirmed they’re altered or manipulated, which Reuters verified too.

    Aamir Khan was worried about the viral “fake” video, and Ranveer Singh is planning to sue the account that originally released the video. Singh’s team is investigating, said a spokesperson for both actors. Singh warned on X on Friday: “Be careful of deepfakes, friends.”

  • Dutch Actor Donny Roelvink embraces Islam

    Dutch Actor Donny Roelvink embraces Islam

    Dutch model and singer Donny Roelvink has embraced Islam, joining the growing number of people converting to the faith. Donny’s journey towards Islam began after a series of life-altering experiences, starting with a severe accident during a shoot that left him with broken ribs and a punctured lung. Following this ordeal, he was diagnosed with cancer and underwent treatment.

    These challenging experiences led Donny to seek spirituality, ultimately leading him to Islam. He observed Ramzan this year and recently took his Shahadah, marking his official entry into the Muslim community. Pictures of Donny taking his Shahadah in the mosque circulated on social media platforms, garnering widespread attention.

  • Hardly see any good acting on Pakistani TV anymore: Yasir Hussain

    Hardly see any good acting on Pakistani TV anymore: Yasir Hussain

    Yasir Hussain, a host, actor, comedian, and director, gained instant fame with his debut film ‘Karachi Say Lahore,’ his dramas and also marriage to Pakistan’s sweetheart Iqra Aziz.
    Recently, Hussain appeared on Iffat Omar’s YouTube show ‘Say It All with Iffat Omar.’ During the show, he shared his disappointment with today’s Pakistani TV creators and actors.

    Yasir Hussain, discussing TV show, said, “I hardly see good acting in Pakistani TV shows. I’m a big TV fan, watched a lot in my childhood. We grew up on shows like ‘Ankahi’, with actors like Shehnaz Sheikh, Javaid Sheikh, Saleem Nasir, and Qavi Khan. We haven’t seen anyone like Qavi Khan since. In India, they’ve had actors like Irfan Khan and Manoj Vajpai, who paved the way for stars like SRK, Salman Khan, and now Ranveer Singh. They create their own success.”

    Speaking about the roles he’s offered, he said, “I receive less roles because I decline many offers, so producers assume I’ll reject theirs too. Most drama makers don’t approach me because of this. I’m selective in my choices. However, if friends propose a role that interests me, I consider it. Additionally, I enjoy theater and film. Hosting also provides a good income.”

    Watch the video here:

  • ‘All cricketers are like brothers to me’: Nazish Jahangir responds to supposed Babar Azam proposal

    ‘All cricketers are like brothers to me’: Nazish Jahangir responds to supposed Babar Azam proposal

    Actress Nazish Jahangir landed herself in an unintended hot mess when she was asked on Instagram about a possible marriage to Babar Azam. She was asked that if the top-order batsman proposed to her what would she do. She said she wouldn’t want to marry Azam.

    After receiving criticism from the cricket player’s devoted fanbase on social media, the ‘Berukhi’ actor explained in the following statement, “Babar bhai hum sab k bhai hain but un k fans MA dil khol k negativity phila rahy hain’ (Babar is like a brother to us but his fans are spreading this negativity). I have nothing to do with cricketers, all are bros to me tbh [to be honest],” she added.

    “I have no problem with cricketers, and I don’t make any comments or judgments about them, so please keep your negativity to yourself,” she wrote on her Instagram account.

    The recent controversy came up a few days after Jahangir stated that she wouldn’t marry anyone from the entertainment industry. She emphasised that she would prefer from someone from outside Pakistan. She mentioned, “I’ve never really thought about it, but if I have the choice, I’d like to settle abroad after marriage, whether it’s in the USA, Dubai, Canada, or even London.”

  • PTI claims intelligence agencies rigged by-polls, announce protest

    PTI claims intelligence agencies rigged by-polls, announce protest

    After the recently held by-elections on Sunday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders alleged that intelligence agencies were involved in rigging polls.

    The party termed April 21 as a “black day” in the history of Pakistan while urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold the notifications of results.

    Announcing a series of protests starting from Friday, the PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, addressing a press conference, said, “[The] day of election is considered an accountability day, and people cast their votes with great zeal. However, on April 21, open and blatant violations of law were observed. The magnitude of the rigging and violation of law has never been observed in the history of Pakistan. Gates of polling stations were closed, and at some polling stations, more votes were polled than the total registered votes.”

    The PTI Chairman, accompanied by other senior members of the party, stated that in one polling station in Gujrat, only 120 votes were cast but three boxes of ballot papers were seen.

    PTI’s Omar Ayub said that pre-poll rigging began with the suspension of the internet. He also showed a letter from the RO of NA-8 Bajaur to the DRO, claiming that the RO alleged that an intelligence official had beaten the staff.

    “We will start protests, along with other parties, next Friday across the country,” said Ayub.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won a majority of seats in by-polls held on nearly two dozen national and provincial seats on Sunday.

  • Counter Terrorism eliminates eight terrorists involved in attacks on customs officials in DI Khan

    The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) stated that eight terrorists, who were involved in multiple attacks on custom officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s district, Dera Ismail (DI) Khan, have been apprehended and killed.

    The CTD said in its statement that they killed one of the most wanted terrorists, Jahanzaib, during Monday’s operation in DI Khan.

    The eliminated terrorists were also involved in attacks on security forces and target killings.

    “The escape routes of the terrorists were blocked,” the CTD said, adding that there is a fear of the presence of facilitators of terrorists in the local population.

    “Strict action is also being taken against the facilitators,” the agency maintained.

  • Hey Pakistani students: is your university among the top 1,000 in the world?

    Hey Pakistani students: is your university among the top 1,000 in the world?

    The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by subject released its list for 2024 and 14 universities from Pakistan have made it in the top 1,000.

    It consists of more than 16,300 academic programmes, with an addition of over 600 in comparison to the previous year.

    The 2024 list consists of 55 separate subjects under five broad areas. In total, 1,559 institutions are included, with 64 universities being added for the first time.

    From Pakistan, the university programmes have qualified for Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and Management.

    These have been ranked through various metrics, including academic reputation, employer reputation and the International Research Network (IRN) Index.

    The Pakistani universities among the top 1,000 universities are COMSATS University Islamabad, National University of Sciences and Technology, University of the Punjab, Bahria University, International Islamic University, Lahore University of Management Sciences, University of Karachi, University of Peshawar, Aga Khan University, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad and University of Malakand.