Tag: Pakistan

  • Imran Khan removes Sher Afzal Marwat from key party roles

    Imran Khan removes Sher Afzal Marwat from key party roles

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has removed maverick leader Sher Afzal Marwat from main party roles, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

    An internal party source claimed that removing Marwat from key party roles was the decision of the party’s core committee.

    Marwat’s name is not on the list of individuals who can meet Imran Khan in Adiala jail anymore. The new focal persons are Umar Ayub, Barrister Ali Zafar, Shibli Faraz, and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.

    Adiala jail authorities are also aware of the development.

    After Eid-ul-Fitr, PTI and other opposition parties are going to form an alliance to start an anti-government movement in the country.

    Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Majlis-e-Wadhat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), and Balochistan National Party (BNP) will also be part of the opposition alliance.

  • Pakistan’s exports surge by 8.93% to Rs22.91 billion

    Pakistan’s exports surge by 8.93% to Rs22.91 billion

    Pakistan’s export sector has shown a notable surge, with an 8.93 per cent increase recorded in the initial nine months of the current fiscal year (2023–24) compared to the corresponding period in the previous year.

    Data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) indicates that exports soared to $22.914 billion from July to March (2023–24), marking a significant rise from the $21.036 billion recorded during the same timeframe in 2022–2023.

    Conversely, imports experienced a decline of 8.65 per cent, dropping to $39.944 billion from $43.724 billion in the previous year.

    This resulted in a notable improvement in the trade deficit, which amounted to $17.030 billion for the first nine months of the current fiscal year, showcasing a substantial decrease of 24.94 per cent from the $22.688 billion recorded during the corresponding period last year.

    Analyzing the performance for March 2024 against March 2023, exports registered a notable uptick of 7.99 per cent on an annual basis, climbing from $2.366 billion to $2.555 billion.

    Conversely, imports surged by 25.86 per cent, reaching $4.726 billion compared to $3.755 billion in March 2023.

    In terms of month-to-month performance, while exports in March 2024 experienced a marginal decline of 1.08 per cent from February 2024’s $2.583 billion, imports demonstrated a noteworthy increase of 9.25 per cent from the $4.326 billion recorded in February 2024, as per PBS data.

    Pakistan, exports, trade deficit, fiscal year 2023–24, economic growth, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, imports, March 2024, global trade, commerce, trade statistics,

  • Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck buy mansion worth huge amount from Indian billionaire

    Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck buy mansion worth huge amount from Indian billionaire

    Hollywood couple Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are in the news again, this time for buying fancy houses. The power couple are looking for a house in New York city.

    Indian media reports the pair own a huge mansion is Los Angeles’ Beverly Hills, which used to belong to Indian business leaders Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal. The mansion is massive, covering 38,000 square feet. It has 12 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, and lots of fancy things like an indoor pickleball court, gym, salon, spas, and a 155-foot-long infinity pool. Outside, there’s a kitchen and big lawns, great for throwing fancy parties.

    Jennifer and Ben supposedly bought the Los Angeles mansion last June for a whopping $61 million (about INR5 billion). Before this, Ben had a house in Pacific Palisades that he sold for $28.5 million in 2022. Jennifer also sold her Bel-Air estate for $34 million last October.

    It’s interesting that the Los Angeles mansion meant a lot to its old owners, Isha and Anand. They got married in 2018 and spent a lot of time there when Isha was pregnant in 2022. They had their twins, Krishna and Aditya, in November of that year.

    The Los Angeles mansion holds special memories for the Ambani-Piramal family, but Jennifer and Ben are ready to make new ones in their fancy new home. As they look for a house in New York City, fans are excited to see where they’ll live next. This marks another exciting chapter for one of Hollywood’s most famous couples.

    Ben and Jennifer, known affectionately as Bennifer, started dating in the early 2000s. They got engaged but broke up. More than twenty years later, during the pandemic, they got back together and got married in 2022.

  • Judges were sent letters possibly containing anthrax: CJ Islamabad High Court

    Judges were sent letters possibly containing anthrax: CJ Islamabad High Court

    The Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC), Aamer Farooq has made the startling revelation on Tuesday afternoon that judges have been sent suspicious letters possibly containing anthrax spores, leading to a delay in the divisional bench’s hearing of the cipher case.

    The letters were sent by Resham, wife of Waqar Hussain. However, the envelopes were not marked by an address.

    The threatening letters prompted the judges to call on the Islamabad Inspector General of police. A team of experts is now present in the vicinity of the court.

    Reportedly, when the letter was opened, it contained a powder which caused intense burning in the eyes. The staff immediately disinfected their hands with sterilising liquid. A crossbones symbol was also stamped inside the letter.

    The powder has been handed over to the Anti Terrorism department for further investigation.

    Anthrax is a potentially fatal disease caused by the Bacillus Anthracis bacteria. It is commonly found in soil and infects domestic DND wild animals. Dangerous levels of exposure to the spores can cause sepsis in humans, inflammation of the spinal cord and even death if internal hemorrhaging begins.

  • Fans can’t forget Adeel Hussain’s acting

    Fans can’t forget Adeel Hussain’s acting

    For fans of Pakistani dramas, there’s one thing they all agree on: Adeel Hussain is unforgettable. Whether he’s playing Jamshed in Jackson Heights or Junaid in Daam, Adeel has become one of the biggest stars in Pakistani entertainment.
    Adeel started his career in 2007 with ‘Dunya Goal Hai’. Four years later, he won a Best New Male Actor award for Daam, cementing his reputation as a formidable actor. Even though he’s been in many TV dramas since then, Adeel hasn’t been in the spotlight much lately. But that doesn’t mean his fans have forgotten about him.

    Getting lots of love on X (formely Twitter), one fan shared four pictures of Adeel Hussain from different roles and said, “Adeel Hussain was special. He just didn’t have social media back then.”

    The fan continued, saying that back in his best days, Adeel was even more popular than the biggest stars in Pakistani showbiz now. “Adeel Hussain was a more reliable actor than Humayun and Fawad at that time. People watched his dramas because they knew if he was in it, it would be a good drama overall, not just because of good looks or scenes.”

    It’s obvious: whether he’s in the spotlight or not, Adeel has really won over his fans’ hearts.

  • Bakhtawar Bhutto calls Najam Sethi a fraudster

    Bakhtawar Bhutto calls Najam Sethi a fraudster

    Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, the daughter of President Asif Ali Zardari, has called analyst Najam Sethi a “fraudster” on X, formerly Twitter, after he talked about her sister Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s unopposed win on NA 207.

    During an episode of his talk show on Samaa news, Najam Sethi went on to relate a story about Zulifqar Ali Bhutto and how he had his political opponents step down in 1977 elections because Bhutto wanted to win unopposed.

    Then Sethi claimed that a similar chain of events has taken place in the by-polls in which Aseefa Bhutto won unopposed.

    The seat was vacated by her father, Asif Ali Zardari, after he was elected as the president. A total of 11 individuals filed their nomination papers. Three withdrew their names from the race and seven nominations were rejected by the Returning Officer (RO).

    Sethi claimed that when the reason was asked it was said, “She’s a kid, it’s scorching outside so we thought let’s get her elected unopposed, she would’ve won anyways.”

    Bakhtawar Bhutto reacted furiously to a clip of the show, writing, “Actually our grandfather had him arrested for being a fraudster and clearly he’s still awfully bitter about it.”

  • Which cricketer sent a message praising Nawal Saeed’s beauty?

    Which cricketer sent a message praising Nawal Saeed’s beauty?

    Actress Nawal Saeed has once again caught the public’s attention, this time by revisiting revelations she made about Pakistani cricketers in a past interview. A resurfaced video clip from Momin Saqib’s show ‘Had Kurdi’ resurfaced online, shedding light on her interactions with Pakistani cricket stars.

    In the viral clip, Saeed disclosed that she received numerous messages from Pakistani cricketers, expressing admiration for her beauty. The actress expressed astonishment at receiving such attention from players representing Pakistan on the global stage hinting at inappropriate behavior from cricketers with verified Instagram accounts.

    Further fueling speculation, additional revelations emerged during a Ramadan transmission hosted by Nadia Khan and Ejaz Aslam. Saeed’s vague responses to questions about cricketers’ messages added more mystery to the situation. When asked about cricketer Naseem Shah, she hesitated, and a similar reaction followed when Shoaib Malik’s name was mentioned.

    Clarifying her stance, Saeed admitted to receiving messages from cricketers but expressed regret over making the statement public. She emphasized the importance of professionalism and dignity, particularly for individuals in official positions such as cricketers and sports personalities.

    Nawal Saeed, who rose to fame for her acting skills after her debut in 2017 with the drama serial ‘Yeqin Ka Safar,’ has quickly become popular among millions of fans.

  • Ramy Youssef gets resounding applause on SNL at emotional call for freedom in Palestine

    Ramy Youssef gets resounding applause on SNL at emotional call for freedom in Palestine

    Ramy Youssef has spoken up about the genocide in Gaza on Saturday Night Live, earning resounding applause. He made a heartfelt request to “stop the suffering” and “stop the violence.”

    Ramy Youssef, the creator of the show ‘Ramy’ and an actor in “Poor Things,” said: “This weekend is very spiritual. We’re in Ramadan, a holy month. Tomorrow is Easter. And yesterday, Beyoncé released a new album. There are just so many religions celebrating all at once.”
    Talking about prayer, Youssef said, “In my friend group, I’m one of the few who prays. I’m friends with a lot of sinners—really bad people. They call me when they’re in trouble because they want me to pray for them.”

    The publication mentioned that Youssef then made a joke about a friend who was in the middle of a custody battle over his dog. He then talked about another friend named Ahmed who called him asking for prayers for his family in Gaza. Youssef, who strongly supports peace in Palestine, said, “I’m like, ‘Dude, I got you.’ So that night, when I prayed, it was… complicated. I had a lot to ask for. I said, ‘God, please help Ahmed’s family. Please stop the suffering. Stop the violence. Please free the people of Palestine, please.’”
    While the audience cheered, Youssef said, “And please free the hostages, all the hostages, please.” Then he joked, “And while you’re at it, you know, free Mr. Bojangles. He’s a beautiful dog. I’m praying for that dog.”

    Youssef was among the people wearing an Artists for Ceasefire pin at the Academy Awards in March. He told Variety on the red carpet, “We’re asking for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

    “We’re asking for peace and long-term fairness for the people of Palestine. It’s a message for everyone: ‘Let’s stop hurting children. Let’s not make more war.’ Nobody has ever thought bombing was a good idea when looking back at war. It’s amazing to be around many artists ready to speak out… the support is growing. Many people will wear these pins tonight. There’s a lot of talking on the news, but this is about speaking from the heart. We’re aiming to spread a big message of humanity.”

    Youssef was born in New York to parents from Egypt who moved to the United States. His TV show ‘Ramy,’ which he made and acted in as the main character, started in 2019. The show reflects his own life. It’s about a first-generation millennial American with immigrant parents. Youssef won a Golden Globe in January 2020 for his role.

  • Despite criticism, Nawaz Sharif continues leading administrative meetings in Punjab  

    Despite criticism, Nawaz Sharif continues leading administrative meetings in Punjab  

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif continues leading administrative meetings with his daughter, chief minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, despite facing heavy criticism. 

    The PML-N head also chaired a meeting on Monday to review problems in Punjab’s agricultural sector.

    Since the general elections on February 8, the leader of the PML-N has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. But in the few times he’s been seen in public since then, he’s been taking charge alongside his daughter, leading administrative meetings of the Punjab government.

    Now the question is that if Nawaz Sharif has not held any official or administrative position, then why is he leading administrative meetings in Punjab as he is just a member of the National Assembly (NA)?

    Sharif said during a meeting that the quality of seeds is still a big concern even after decades.

    He called for “effective steps” to save 37 million acres feet (MAF) of water from being wasted during agricultural activities in the province.

  • Omar Ayub becomes leader of opposition in NA

    Omar Ayub becomes leader of opposition in NA

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub has been notified as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

    Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the National Assembly, declared Omar Ayub as the opposition letter after completing the due process.

    Ayub met the speaker with Gohar Ali Khan and Malik Amir Dogar, also opposition members.

    Ayub’s name was proposed by the majority of the opposition. The PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) alliance had nominated him on March 10 as the leader of the opposition.

    Leader of the opposition enjoys the status of a federal minister. He gets a separate office where opposition parties hold meetings. Moroever, the Public Accounts Committee is usually headed by leader of the opposition, as well.