In an unusual development, the Foreign Office (FO) Pakistan on July 31st re-issued its press release condemning the assassination of Hamas’s Ismael Haniyeh, expunging the word “Israel”.
Both press releases were issued on the same day; however, in the last paragraph of the initial press release, it was written, “Pakistan views with serious concerns the growing Israeli adventurism in the region.”
First statement:
Later, it was changed to “Pakistan views with serious concerns the growing adventurism in the region,” redacting the word “Israel” from its statement.
Updated statement:
Social media noticed the correction instantly and reacted with suspicion, with most questioning the intent behind FO Pakistan’s move.
An Islamabad-based think tank has revealed that terrorist violence surged across the country in July following a slight decline in June.
The Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) reported that 79 militant attacks took place in July, resulting in 108 deaths and 71 injuries.
Attacks rose by 14 per cent, while deaths surged by a staggering 80 per cent, and injuries increased by nine per cent from June.
In response to the rising violence, security forces intensified their operations and killed at least 50 terrorists in July, a 56 per cent increase from June.
Most of the terrorist attacks occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its merged tribal districts (formerly FATA), with 36 attacks reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the deaths of 60 people and 27 others injured. In the tribal districts of the province, 30 people died in 26 attacks.
In Balochistan, 12 terror attacks resulted in 12 deaths and 24 injuries. Sindh experienced five attacks, leading to 6 deaths and two injuries.
A significant development in July was the arrest of Al-Qaeda leader Aminul Haque by Punjab’s counter-terrorism unit on July 18.
Security forces also killed 6 key commanders of the outlawed TTP in various operations based on secret information. This included Najeeb alias Abdul Rahman and Ashfaq alias Muawiya in the Tirah Valley of Khyber tribal district, Irfanullah alias Adnan in Bajaur, Shah Faisal in the Diamar district of Gilgit-Baltistan, and Noor Rehman in North Waziristan and Peshawar, where the shadow governor of the banned TTP was also targeted.
Renowned actor Danish Taimoor recently channeled Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan by striking his iconic arm pose in a sunflower field in the UK.
In a reel shared on his Instagram on Tuesday, Taimoor was seen recreating the signature pose, accompanied by SRK’s song ‘Main Yahan Hoon’ from the Bollywood movie ‘Veer Zara.’ He captioned the post, “Good memories are the timeless treasures of the heart.”
The video quickly went viral, amassing over 5 million views and thousands of likes and comments from fans who dubbed Taimoor the “King of Pakistan,” drawing comparisons to Bollywood’s Shah Rukh Khan.
Ayeza Khan also shared a gallery of photos from their trip, captioning it, “Sunflower field vibes, feeling like we’re in a Yash Raj movie song!”
In recent years, the Pakistani film industry has experienced an incredible comeback, which led to a number of hit movies that have captivated viewers both locally and globally.
Despite facing challenges, Pakistani cinema has produced many great films that people love. Here are the top ten highest-grossing Pakistani films:
The Legend of Maula Jatt
The Legend of Maula Jatt was released in 25 countries, making it the highest and widest-ever release for any Pakistani or Punjabi film yet, with a worldwide box-office gross of more than Rs. four billion. Maula Jatt in Pakistan has earned over 121 crore. The film is written by Bilal Lashari, Nasir Adib, and directed by Bilal Lashari. Featuring Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, the film has set a new benchmark for Pakistani cinema with its stunning visuals and gripping storyline.
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 did well at the Pakistani box office. It crossed over Rs. 70.35 crores. People loved the film’s direction, script, cast, and performances. It was a huge success for the revival of the film industry.
London Nahi Jaunga
London Nahi Jaunga was also a successful film and the film gave tough competition to Bollywood film Shamshera, which was released after London Nahi Jaunga. The film’s worldwide collection was Rs. 53.58 crores, and in Pakistan it collected 29.48 crores at the box office. The film is written by writer Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar and directed by Nadeem Baig.
Punjab Nahi Jaungi
Punjab Nahi Jaungi is a rom-com that stars Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat alongside Urwa Hocane. It recorded the biggest bang in a single day for any Pakistani film with a collection of Rs. 2.80 crores and then a worldwide gross over Rs. 51.65 crores.
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani
Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, the first movie in the Jawani series made a worldwide gross of Rs. 49.44 crores. The film stars Humayun Saeed, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahmad Ali Butt, Vasay Chaudhry, and Mehwish Hayat. The film is written by Vasay Chaudhry and directed by Nadeem Baig.
Parwaaz Hai Junoon
Parwaaz Hai Junoon includes Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ahad Raza Mir, Hania Aamir, and Kubra Khan. The film, which is a tribute to the Pakistan Air Force, made a worldwide gross of Rs. 43.20 crores. The film is written by Farhat Ishtiaq and directed by Haseeb Hassan.
Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad
Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad stars Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan. It was an action-comedy film that made a collection of Rs. 42.05 crores. Written and directed by Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Mirza.
Teefa in Trouble
Teefa in Trouble, which includes Ali Zafar and Maya Ali, was overall good in the box office collection. The total collection of the film was Rs. 50.3 crores. Directed by Ahsan Rahim and written by Ali Zafar, Ahsan Rahim, and Danyal Zafar.
Bin Roye
Bin Roye stars Humayun Saeed, Mahira Khan, Armeena Khan, and Zeba Bakhtiar. The film is based on the novel Bin Roye Ansoo by Farhat Ishtiaq. Bin Roye was praised by critics and became the sixth highest-grossing Pakistani film. The worldwide collection of the film was Rs. 40.5 crore.
Wrong No. 2
Wrong No. 2, which is a romantic comedy film, features Sami Khan, Neelum Muneer, Javed Sheikh, and Mehmood Aslam. The worldwide revenue of Wrong No. 2 was Rs. 21.75 crores. The film is directed and written by Yasir Nawaz.
These films are representative of the diversity of storylines and the talented skill in Pakistani cinema, as well as audience interest in local film content. Pakistani films are earning their due place and pulling people into cinemas.
A girl fell in a storm drain in Rawalpindi while travelling to her office on a scooty.
CCTV footage shared by ARY News shows the girl being swept away in the storm drain after slipping from her bike.
A search and rescue operation by the District Emergency Service was launched. Spokesman Rescue 1122 said that a missing girl has been identified as Ammara, 20. She was a resident of Ghauri Town, Rawalpindi. She was going to her office when she got stuck in a heavy water wave.
Initial reports suggest that the victim fell from the scooty and was swept away by the water stream into a nullah.
Till the publishing of this story, Ammara hasn’t been found from the drain by rescue teams.
“The search and rescue operation has been extended to the nullah’s linked spot at Swan river opening”, said the spokesperson to ARY News, adding that the missing girl couldn’t be found in the nullah where she reportedly fell.
However, the operation to find the missing girl is underway.
Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman, stated that social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which is currently banned on government request, will be restored only if the government authorises so.
Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman reaffirmed that there have been no cyber attacks on telecom infrastructure in the past two years. He stated that the PTA engages platforms on complaints related to social media content violating Pakistani laws and can block social media platforms upon government directive. He noted TikTok’s prompt response to complaints compared to X (formerly Twitter), which acts on only seven per cent of reported violations.
Responding to Senator Abdul Qadir’s query about unblocking X, Chairman PTA reiterated that the decision rests with the government. He also discussed the licensing process for IoT technology, revealing recent initiatives.
Federal Minister of Law and Justice Nazir Tarar expressed concerns over posts on social media platforms that could provoke religious sentiments, emphasizing that protests often follow such incidents. He differentiated government actions on YouTube and TikTok from those on X, highlighting differing approaches.
Chairman PTA addressed VPN usage in Pakistan, acknowledging a significant decline in X users (70%) due to VPN restrictions. He mentioned plans to whitelist specific VPNs for legitimate use in Pakistan.
Chairman PTA also highlighted the tax burden on telecom users in Pakistan (34.50%), comparing it with rates in neighboring countries like Sri Lanka (20-40%), Bangladesh (21-33%), India (18.5%), and Nepal (26%).
Usman Riaz’s first hand-drawn animated film, The Glassworker, made a successful debut with more than Rs 10 million collected at the box office in its opening weekend. The movie has created interest among people of all age groups and brought audiences to Pakistani cinemas.
The Glassworker is produced by Geo Films and directed by Usman Riaz and Mairam Riaz Paracha. The film showcases Riaz’s unique storytelling and artistic vision in the Studio Ghibli style. The film became a success story and is a new chapter in Pakistani cinema, after Geo Films’ previous hits like Khuda Kay Liye, Teefa in Trouble, The Legend of Maula Jatt, and The Donkey King.
In an interview with BBC, the writer and director of The Glassworker talked about how many years it took to make the film.
“These 10 years for me have just been purely driven with passion and obsession. The film’s production took four years, but the entire journey took 10 years. I was 23 when I started, and I am 33 now,” Usman Riaz added.
The Glassworker was released on July 26, 2024 all across Pakistan.
Former supermodel Iffat Omar has spoken out in defense of controversial playwright Khalilur Rehman Qamar following the scandal involving his leaked videos.
Using X (formerly Twitter), Omar addressed the situation without directly naming Qamar. She pointed out the irony that those Qamar had often criticized might now be the ones defending the misogynistic writer.
“If two consenting adults are together, their privacy is none of my concern. Their body, their choice.” Qamar recently made headlines after falling victim to a honey-trapping scheme, resulting in his release after a ransom was paid. The main suspect in the case claimed to possess two videos, each about an hour and a half long, showing Qamar getting intimate with the woman who had trapped him. The videos leaked online later.
Qamar has alleged that the videos were made under duress at gunpoint. His defence seems in contradiction to the video, where he can be seen smoking while sitting with the woman and chatting with her casually with his feet up.
A lawyer for a man arrested in suspicion of being a drug dealer took Lahore High Court to task for denying his clients the privileges given to former Imran Khan, currently also in jail.
A bail hearing was scheduled today at the Lahore High Court.
During the proceedings, the suspect’s lawyer cited legal precedents, including cases involving the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan who is currently incarcerated.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, presiding over the bench, deliberated on the eligibility for bail in such cases. He stated that the accused involved in drug trade deserve punishment without bail, emphasizing the detrimental impact of drugs on society and its influence in educational institutions.
The lawyer argued under Article 25 of the Constitution, the man deserved the same conveniences given to Imran in legal matters. “My client and the PTI founder should be considered equally under Article 25,” the lawyer asserted.
Responding to this, Justice Mansoor questioned the relevance of Khan’s cases to the current bail application. The lawyer replied back that despite facing numerous cases, the PTI’s founder had been granted bail in a cipher case by the Supreme Court.
“Imran Khan was granted bail despite facing over 200 cases, including terrorism charges,” the lawyer elaborated. “In contrast, my client faces only 14 cases and should similarly be eligible for bail.”
Justice Shah differentiated between the nature of charges against the PTI founder and the suspect, emphasizing the severity of the charges in each case.
The lawyer countered by highlighting the specific charge against the PTI founder, which carries the death penalty. “There is a cipher case against the PTI founder, a capital offense,” the lawyer pointed out.
The lawyer also drew attention to the disparity in facilities between the PTI founder and his client while in custody. “The PTI founder enjoys better living conditions in jail, which are not available to my client,” the lawyer argued.
After considering legal precedents and arguments presented, the three-member bench, headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, approved the bail application of the accused, Obaidullah.
Bella Hadid has broken her silence after sporting giant Adidas dropped her under pressure from pro-Israel groups. The controversy started when Adidas featured Hadid in a campaign about the 1972 Munich Olympics but did not mention the 11 Israelis killed by the Palestinian group Black September at the same event.
Hadid was wearing shoes inspired by Adidas’ SL72 sneakers, first released during the 1972 Munich Olympics. On Instagram, Hadid explained that she did not know about the tragic events linked to the Olympics when she agreed to the campaign. She said she would never knowingly take part in something connected to a tragedy.
In her statement, Hadid said, “I want you to hear directly from me about my recent campaign with Adidas. I would never knowingly engage with any art or work that is linked to a horrific tragedy. Before the campaign was released, I did not know about the connection to the events in 1972. I am shocked, upset, and disappointed by the lack of sensitivity in this campaign.”
Hadid made it clear that she would not have participated if she had known about the attack. She criticized herself, her team, and Adidas for not being aware of the historical context. She emphasized that she always speaks up against what she believes is wrong.
Hadid also addressed the issue of antisemitism. “I do not believe in hate in any form, including antisemitism. I stand by this fully,” she said. She criticized linking the “liberation of the Palestinian people” to terrorism, saying it misrepresents Palestinians. Hadid declared her pride in being Palestinian and emphasized that there is more to their culture than recent negative associations.
She stated, “I will forever stand by my people of Palestine while continuing to advocate for a world free of antisemitism. Antisemitism has no place in the liberation of the Palestinian people. I will always stand for peace over violence. Hate has no place here, and I will always advocate for my people and everyone worldwide.”
Earlier in the summer, when the Adidas campaign was launched, the American Jewish Committee called the decision a “massive oversight or intentionally inflammatory.” Adidas pulled the campaign photos and apologized in mid-July for any upset caused, stating that the connections to tragic historical events were unintentional. That did not stop pro-Palestine people from staging a boycott of the brand.
Adidas later apologized to Hadid and other partners involved, saying, “We made an unintentional mistake. We apologize to our partners, Bella Hadid, A$AP Nast, Jules Koundé, and others, for any negative impact and are revising the campaign.”
