Tag: Top News

  • PTI hired lobbyists to malign Pakistan, alleges Attaullah Tarar

    PTI hired lobbyists to malign Pakistan, alleges Attaullah Tarar

    Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday denounced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan for allegedly masterminding the cipher conspiracy for his own gains. He said that the party hired a lobbying firm for the recent US Congress hearing involving Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State.

    Testifying before a Congressional panel yesterday, the top US diplomat said: “I wanna be very clear on this point [that] this conspiracy theory is a lie [and] it is a complete falsehood.”
    The federal information minister condemned PTI for its anti-state narrative, including recent protests that took place outside the headquarters of International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said the sole purpose of the protests were to derail the debt agreement talks currently being finalized.

    “The PTI hired lobbyists in the United States for a congress hearing on the so-called regime change conspiracy, but their leader could not evade divine justice,” he said citing a proverb “man proposes and God disposes”.

    He pointed out that historically Pakistan had rarely witnessed an instance where a person would jeopardize national interests for his own ego, pointing towards Imran Khan.

    PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan talked with the media outside the High Court and said that the protests outside the IMF’S headquarters in the US were organized by overseas Pakistanis and that the party did not send anyone from Pakistan to organize it.

  • Azfar and Mani speak out: Reasons behind ending support for Imran Khan

    Azfar and Mani speak out: Reasons behind ending support for Imran Khan

    Comedians and actors Azfar and Mani have talked to The Independent Urdu about why why they were disappointed with former Prime Minister Imran Khan on their popular show, ‘The Azfar Mani Show’.
    “We liked Imran Khan since we were kids, so we talked about why we changed,” Azfar said.
    “I’ve been supporting PTI for 8 to 9 years,” said Mani.

    “We did many interviews with Imran Khan and visited him in Bani Gala. We thought he was great,” said Azfar. “But when he changed, we decided to change too,” he added. “When he became the PM, we were shocked by how quickly he changed. That’s when we decided to make the episode, which was quite long,” explained Azfar.

    The duo said they didn’t criticize PTI but only talked about how Imran Khan had changed. After the episode aired, they received a lot of criticism. When they saw how many people watched the episode, they decided to start the show.
    Mani explained why he stopped supporting Imran Khan in the interview:

    “In 2011, I joined PTI and was very involved at that time, especially when elections were delayed. I began making videos criticizing MQM, especially Altaf Hussain. I faced a lot of online abuse on Facebook, but Mustafa Kamal encouraged me to continue,” Mani shared.

    Mani mentioned that during the 2013 elections, he was very active and vocal, campaigning in Karachi. He recalled a time when the former prime minister lost, and his wife Hira protested against it. “But there came a point when I realised that Imran Khan is not the right fit for Karachi,” recalled the ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ actor.

  • Political rallies are not terrorism: SC

    Political rallies are not terrorism: SC

    The Supreme Court granted bail to five suspects nominated cases pertaining to May 9 riots.

    A three-member bench led by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and comprising Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Mussarat Hilali on Wednesday took up bail applications of the accused suspects nominated under various laws including the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 for rioting and vandalizing Hamza Camp in Rawalpindi.

    Last year, nationwide protests and riots took place on May 9 after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from the premises of Islamabad High Court. Social media feeds were filled with videos showing acts of vandalism all over the country.

    During the hearing, Justice Mandokhail asked, “How is carrying out rallies [equivalent to] terrorism?”
    Justice Mandokhail asked the authorities whether they were aware of the conditions under which Anti-Terrorism Act could be enacted.

    “Recently, an incident of terrorism occurred in which officers were martyred [in North Waziristan]. The attack on Peshawar’s Army Public School was an act of terror. The suicide attack on lawyers in Quetta was an act of terror.”

    Justice Mandokhail criticized the authorities and asked, “Is carrying out rallies or being a worker of a political party a crime?”

    The Judge also emphasized that banning political parties and student unions had gotten the country to this point.
    The SC later granted bail to the suspects by accepting their bail requests against surety bonds of Rs50,000 each.

  • Lodhran: Man kills pregnant wife for slapping him

    Lodhran: Man kills pregnant wife for slapping him

    A man from Lodhran has allegedly killed his pregnant wife and one-and-a-half-year-old daughter during a domestic dispute.

    The unfortunate double murder took place in Massa Kotha, Kahror Pakka Tehsil of Lodhran.

    The police said that the accused, Mohammad Irfan had an argument with his pregnant wife Ruqiya Bibi during which she allegedly slapped him on the face after which he strangled her. He then killed his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Amina by placing a pillow over her mouth, reports Geo.

    The victim Ruqiya was married to Irfan for four years. She was four months pregnant with their second child at the time of her demise.

    The bodies were transported to Tehsil Headquarters Hospital for post-mortem examination. Meanwhile, Irfan was apprehended on-site, while police initiated a thorough investigation into the matter. The cloth used in the murder, pillow, and other evidences were recovered from the crime scene as well.

    Muhammad Irfan used to work as a mason in the nearby neighborhood, where he would plaster walls with cement. Around 10 days ago, he expelled his wife from the house after beating and assaulting her. Subsequently, the mother and daughter went to stay with the woman’s father in the neighbourhood of Busti Aaroo Wala, as per The Express Tribune.

    Following social pressure, the suspect brought them back home, according to the preliminary investigation.

    Upon the request of the victim’s father-in-law, Muhammad Islam, police station Saddar has initiated action against the accused.

    The police has vowed that legal proceedings will be pursued rigorously to ensure justice for the victims, Ruqiya Bibi and Amina.

  • Dananeer’s charity video goes viral for the funniest reasons

    Dananeer’s charity video goes viral for the funniest reasons

    You all remember Dananeer Mobeen, right? The girl who made “Pawry Horahi Hai” the coolest catchphrase overnight? Well, she’s back in the spotlight again, but this time for her Ramadan charity video – and not necessarily in the way she hoped.

    Dananeer has been riding high on her newfound fame since her viral video, branching out into acting with two successful dramas under her belt: ‘Sinf e Aahan’ and ‘Mohabbat Gumshuda Meri.’ Now, she’s making waves in a Ramadan special drama called ‘Very Filmy’, where she stars alongside Ameer Gilani.

    But let’s get back to the charity buzz. Dananeer, along with her celebrity buddies Anika Zulfiqar (you might recognize her from ‘Namak Haram’) and the talented designer-cum-actress Parishae Adnan, decided to spread some Ramadan joy. They hit the streets to shop for iftar goodies and distributed them to those in need. Sounds heartwarming, right? Well, not everyone saw it that way!

    Unfortunately, instead of receiving praise for their charitable act, the video stirred up quite the chatter online – and not all of it positive. People seemed more focused on the girls’ accents and why they filmed the charity than the actual act of giving.

    Watch the video here:

    Here are some people reaction:

  • Who Banned X (former Twitter) in Pakistan? We finally have an answer

    Who Banned X (former Twitter) in Pakistan? We finally have an answer

    Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) disclosed to the Sindh High Court (SHC) that the nationwide ban on the social media platform X, implemented on February 17, was executed upon directives from the Ministry of Interior, citing intelligence agency reports.

    Since February 17, the X website and application have remained predominantly offline, with sporadic service restorations, primarily occurring following statements made by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chatta alleging election irregularities.

    PTA Chairman Hafeezur Rehman announced his intention to address the disruption of X with the interior ministry during a telephonic conversation with Dawn.com.

    Rehman emphasized the need for clarity or accountability regarding the platform’s closure, highlighting that such actions are typically directed by the Interior Ministry.

    During a hearing, a two-member SHC bench, comprising Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi and Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho, consolidated four petitions filed by lawyer Jibran Nasir, journalist Zarrar Khurho, and others concerning internet disruptions at various instances.

    In court, the PTA presented a copy of a letter dated February 17 from the Ministry of Interior instructing the telecommunication authority to block social media platform X.

    The letter sent by Muhammad Hashim Shah, section officer FIA, to The Chairman PTA stated, “It is, therefore, social media platform i.e. X (formerly Twitter) may be blocked immediately till further orders.”

    The PTA further revealed that these orders stemmed from intelligence agency reports.

    Expressing dissatisfaction over the interior ministry’s failure to provide a written response, Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi urged Deputy Attorney General Khaleeq Ahmed to submit a “serious response,” prompting the latter to later present a written reply on behalf of the interior ministry. The response stated that services were disrupted on May 9, following orders from all provincial governments, citing concerns for state and citizen security. However, it refrained from commenting on other aspects of the case.

    Following the inclusion of the ministry’s response in the case record, the bench adjourned the hearing until April 17, awaiting further proceedings.

  • Mission Impossible; Tom Cruise sits on top of the world

    Mission Impossible; Tom Cruise sits on top of the world

    Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise climbed the Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, USA. He wore a black t-shirt, pants, and shoes while shooting for a Mission: Impossible movie. Cruise, famous for his action roles, including Top Gun, showed his abs during filming. He’s known for doing risky stunts and is now working on Mission Impossible 8.

    The movie’s shooting almost got delayed because of heavy traffic near the studio. But Tom Cruise saved the day by arranging helicopters for everyone to reach Surrey when the roads were blocked last weekend. Even though the M25 closure caused trouble for others, Cruise had solutions for every problem to keep filming on track.
    Sources say the Hollywood star had helicopters ready in London, UK, to fly his crew to Longcross.
    Cruise will also reprise his role as Navy pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in the third Top Gun movie, after Paramount gave it the go-ahead.

    The action star first played the character in the movie Top Gun in 1986. The second movie came out in 2022 and made $1.496 billion worldwide.
    Paramount asked Ehren Kruger, who worked on Top Gun: Maverick, to write the script for another sequel.
    Originally, Mission: Impossible 8 was supposed to come out in 2024. But Hollywood writers and actors went on strike, delaying it till 2025.
    Now, news from entertainment sources outside the US says that Christopher McQuarrie’s film has a new release date: May 23, 2025.

  • PPP did not join federal cabinet as government will not last long, says Imran Khan

    PPP did not join federal cabinet as government will not last long, says Imran Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) did not join the federal government because it will not last long.

    The former prime minister spoke to journalists in Adiala jail on Wednesday, stating that the “establishment, caretaker government, and the Election Commission are all one, and everything is based on lies.”

    Terming Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja a “liar,” Khan said the CEC is still occupying the office despite five reports issued by election watchdogs on election irregularities.

    The founder of PTI also claimed that the new government will not last more than five to six months. However, inflation will increase in the country after signing a new deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    Imran Khan, who is currently in Adiala jail, stated that he is mentally ready to stay incarcerated.

    Regarding strain ties with the establishment, he responded to a question, saying: “Attempts are under way to create differences between us and the army.”

  • Indian actor fasts for sixth straight Ramzan

    Indian actor fasts for sixth straight Ramzan

    Indian TV actor Vivian Dsena, who announced his conversion to Islam in 2019, has explained why Ramazan is important to him, narrating that he’s been fasting for the entire month for six years now.

    The actor said, “Ramadan is very special to me because I embraced Islam during this month. This year is my sixth Ramadan, and by God’s grace, I’ve been fasting every year. Fasting for the whole month is important in Islam, it’s one of the five main things we do. I fast for 30 days unless I have a reason like being sick, then I can skip a day.” he explained.

    Dsena added, “At first, I was really worried about fasting, especially since water and coffee are important for me. Even my family and friends wondered how I could go without water or caffeine for 13 or 14 hours. But God has been kind to me, and fasting has been going quite smoothly.”
    The actor spends Ramazan with his family in Bahrain where he enjoys Iftar meals, especially the ones his wife cooks at home. His favorite Middle Eastern desserts are Basbousa and Kunafa.
    Vivian Dsena had confirmed his marriage to Nouran Aly when he announced he accepted Islam. They have a daughter who is one year old.

  • Karachi woman takes loud hens to court

    Karachi woman takes loud hens to court

    A hearing was held in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on a petition against keeping chickens in homes filed by a Karachiite woman named Samira, reports Geo.

    SHC has sought responses from relevant institutions including the Cantonment Board on the petition against rearing chickens in residential urban areas.
    Chief Justice Aqeel Abbasi inquired whether the relevant institutions have received complaints about the hens.

    Samira said that the Cantonment Board is not doing anything whereas hens are not allowed according to their own rules. The petitioner said that the hens create noise that reaches the whole area.

    The Chief Justice remarked that chickens indeed are very mischievous and make a lot of noise.

    The court asserted that in earlier times, naughty boys used to slaughter chickens and eat them up but what can be done now to get these chickens.

    The next hearing is scheduled to be held on April 23.