Tag: Top News

  • When is rain expected in Lahore?

    When is rain expected in Lahore?

    Lahore is experiencing bone-chilling cold as the smog-choked city waits for rain. The Meteorological Department has predicted that rains will start on January 15, reports City 42.

    According to Chief Meteorologist Muhammad Aslam, there is no possibility of rain in Lahore this week, however, a spell will start after January 15. In the next few days, the weather will remain cold and dry, which is likely to drop temperatures in the city.

    Karachi recorded the coldest night of the season with the temperature dropping to 12 degree Celsius. It is expected to get colder in the coming days as the temperature is expected to drop as low as 10 C in the coming days while the maximum temperature is likely to rise between 25 C to 27°C, reports Geo.

    On the other hand, a severe cold wave in the country continued to cause fog in the plains while snow falls on the mountains. In Skardu, temperatures dropped to -8 C.

    The plains of Punjab, Upper Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continue to be shrouded in fog. In North Balochistan, rain fell in some places while it snowed in the mountains.

  • Israeli soldier blows up Gaza neighbourhood as gift for wife

    Israeli soldier blows up Gaza neighbourhood as gift for wife

    A video of an Israeli soldier blowing up a Gaza neighbourhood as a gift for his wife is being slammed on social media.

    The soldier, who says his wife has been his strength, pays tribute to her. “My life, I wish you good luck, you are the best in the world and because of your strength, I am here.” He goes on to explain that as a gift he is dedicating the explosion to her. “This explosion is for you, as big as your heart,” he says.

    This is not the first time Israeli soldiers are seen committing what experts call war crimes as tributes to their families. In another video, soldiers are seen celebrating the bombing.

    IDF troops from unit 9219 of the Combat Engineering Corps Battalions were filmed in another video blowing up multiple residential buildings while smoking hooka to depict that they do not care about the consequences of their actions.

    IDF soldiers also proudly take photos after bombing Gaza’s residential area.

    In an online livestream, an Israeli woman confessed to killing five Palestinians in a celebratory manner.

  • PML-N to release final list of candidates by today or tomorrow, says Rana Sanaullah

    PML-N to release final list of candidates by today or tomorrow, says Rana Sanaullah

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has said on Wednesday that the party has finalized the list of its candidates for general elections 2024, and will release the names by today evening or tomorrow morning.

    “We will issue the list today evening or tomorrow,” Sanaullah said during an appearance on Geo News show Geo Pakistan.

    He also confirmed that the matter of seat adjustment between PML-N and the Jahngir Tareen-led Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has been settled.

    The former interior minister also stated that PML-N has now agreed to provide seven National Assembly (NA) seats and 11 provincial assembly seats, against the IPP’s demand for 13 NA seats and 22 provincial seats.

    PML-N has also agreed on seat adjustments with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), he acknowledged.

    “PML-N will hold 60 rallies in the country,” said Sanaullah while sharing details of the party’s election campaign, confirming that party head Nawaz Sharif will start his own election campaign on January 17.

  • Tribunal declares Imran Khan ineligible to contest polls from NA-122 Lahore

    Tribunal declares Imran Khan ineligible to contest polls from NA-122 Lahore

    An election tribunal established at the Lahore High Court (LHC) has validated the returning officer’s (RO) decision to dismiss Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s nomination papers from the NA-122 constituency in Lahore.

    The lawyer of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) argued before the tribunal that Imran Khan is not eligible to contest the election and his proposer didn’t reside in the constituency.

    Justice Tariq Nadeem of the appellate tribunal announced the decision after hearing all the parties.

    On December 30, 2023, Imran Khan’s nomination papers were rejected for National Assembly (NA) seats from Lahore and his home town, Mianwali.

    The former prime minister and PTI founder had submitted nomination papers from Lahore’s NA-122 and Mianwali’s NA-89 for the upcoming polls set to take place on February 8, 2024.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Naseer raised objections to Imran Khan’s nomination papers, mentioning that the PTI founder is disqualified for five years in Toshakhana case, and the ECP found him guilty of corrupt practices under Section 167 of the Elections Act, 2017.

    After viewing the objections, the RO rejected the nomination papers of the former prime minister.

  • Four crores looted from bus passengers in Rawalpindi

    Four crores looted from bus passengers in Rawalpindi

    Four crore rupees were looted late in the night from passengers in a bus on Chakwal road, reports 24 Pakistan.

    The late-night robbery was been committed in Dhok Amb area of Jatli police station in Rawalpindi.

    The robbers looted all the passengers on the bus, travelling from Peshawar to Lahore, on Suhawa Chakwal Road after the vehicle had to exit the Motorway at Balaksar Interchange due to intense fog.

    A passenger named Daniyal informed the police over the phone that he was a cattle trader who was going to Lahore from Peshawar by public transport bus. The robbers fled the scene.

    Passengers on the bus were mostly cattle traders travelling from Peshawar to Lahore to buy cattle.

    Police were told that seven robbers, riding in a Toyota Corolla, blocked the bus before looting the passengers.

  • Bat is back for PTI

    Bat is back for PTI

    The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has restored Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) election symbol ‘bat’ after hearing PTI’s petition against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision revoking the party’s election symbol and declaring its intra-party polls “unconstitutional”.

    A two-member bench of the PHC was hearing PTI’s writ petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision declaring the intra-party election as null and void and revoking their symbol of a cricket bat, a sign that depicts the party’s founder, Imran Khan’s career in the sport.

    In its verdict, the court termed the ECP’s decision “incorrect”.

    A two-member PHC bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Arshad Ali announced the verdict today. 

    A day earlier, the court heard the arguments by the counsels of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the PTI.

    Earlier today, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Barrister Gohar Khan, said that the party is withdrawing its plea seeking the ‘bat’ symbol from the Supreme Court (SC), adding that the party is hopeful that Peshawar High Court (PHC) will give a favourable decision in the matter.

    “Today, our petition was fixed at the Supreme Court, but we have withdrawn it,” he said while talking to media outside the apex court, adding that the decision from PHC will be issued in the party’s favour.

    Earlier, the PHC had accepted ECP’s review petition and restored the electoral authority’s ruling on intra-party polls and election symbol of the PTI.

  • Grades 9 and 10 to have fewer subjects

    Grades 9 and 10 to have fewer subjects

    Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) announced the reduction of one subject each for matric and ninth classes.

    In a report, Geo’s Ummay Farwa talked to the spokesperson of the board who said that for the session 2024-2026, only ninth-standard students will take Islamic Studies exams, while matric students will appear for the Pakistan Studies examination.

    The report elaborates that marks for Islamic Studies have been increased from 50 to 100, while the same applies to Pakistan Studies. Since the marks have been moved up, the Punjab Textbook Board has been asked to print books in line with the development, it added.

    Moreover, BISE Lahore has also announced that Punjab Matric Exams for 2024 will begin on March 1.

  • Missing persons commission taking salaries in lacs, haven’t solved 2,297 cases from 2011-2023: missing persons report

    Missing persons commission taking salaries in lacs, haven’t solved 2,297 cases from 2011-2023: missing persons report

    A report submitted on orders of the Supreme Court by the Missing Persons Commission has said that most of the cases of missing persons have been reported by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed by Balochistan.

    A total of 2297 cases of missing persons are pending while members of the commission as well as the heads are all being paid hefty salaries. The report was presented in front of the two-member commission for missing persons constituted by the Interior Ministry on the Supreme Court’s directions. It is headed by Justice (R) Javed Iqbal while the second member is the former inspector general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Muhammad Sharif Virk.

    According to the information extracted by Samaa’s Sohail Rashid via Auditor General Pakistan, the highest number of 3,485 cases of missing persons were reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by the enforced disappearance of 2,752 citizens from Balochistan.

    The report states that the reason behind the said disappearances in KP was extremism, war, and deaths in drone attacks. Moreover, moving to another country without informing one’s family owing to a war-like situation was also a reason behind the said disappearances, as per the commission.

    Furthermore, 744 production orders were issued to produce the missing persons, while only 52 were executed. The 692 production orders issued by the commission were not even implemented by the relevant authorities, the commission reported.

    The police and sensitive institutions filed 182 requests for revision of the production orders, the report says, adding that out of the unimplemented production orders, 503 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    From March 2011 to December 2023, 4,413 missing persons returned home, while 994 were incarcerated in various detention centres and 644 imprisoned in different jails of the country.

    From March 2011 to December 2023, bodies of 261 missing persons were found, according to the commission, which also dismissed 1,477 cases it categorized as non-enforced disappearances.

    The commission further says that the disposed of cases involved kidnapping for ransom, personal grudges or willful disappearances.

    Moreover, 260 cases from Punjab, 163 from Sindh, and 1,336 from KP are still pending in the commission as well as 468 cases from Balochistan, 55 from Islamabad and 15 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

    According to the report, the monthly salaries of the 35 officers and employees of the Missing Persons Commission are more than Rs1.5 million. Commission chief, Justice (r) Javed Iqbal receives a monthly salary of Rs674,000, while that of Zia Parvez, a member of the commission, is Rs829,000, as per the report.

    Commission member Justice (r) Amanullah’s salary is over Rs1.1 million, while that of Sharif Virk is Rs263,000.
    The Supreme Court has sought a response from the federal government within 20 days of receiving the report of the missing persons commission.

  • No more NAB cases against Sharif Family

    No more NAB cases against Sharif Family

    National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) Executive Board, chaired by the NAB Chairman, approved the closing of an investigation into the Sharif Trust case involving Sharif’s family including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

    The meeting convened on January 1 to approve the closure of corruption cases, including those against PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and his family.

    The meeting approved shutting down six corruption cases, notably a 24-year-old case against Nawaz Sharif and his family in the Sharif Trust case. This decision brings relief to the former premier and his family members.

    Among the closed cases was an inquiry into Islamabad Inspector General Akbar Nasir in the Safe City corruption case. Additionally, the board decided to conclude the investigation into the Park Enclave Housing Society, involving officers of the Capital Development Authority (CDA). Another inquiry against federal officers for alleged preferential recruitment was also approved for closure.

    Furthermore, the NAB board approved to close an inquiry against Shahid Malik and Shahbaz Yasin Malik, the CEO of Hilton Pharma.

    The investigation into the Sharif family regarding the Sharif Trust Case was initiated on March 31, 2000, based on allegations of receiving funds through illicit means, lack of audits, misappropriation of funds, and benami property acquisition by the Sharif family in the name of the Trust.

    The Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report, submitted to the Supreme Court, had criticized NAB for delays in the investigation and urged prioritization.

    Under the recently amended National Accountability Act 2002 by the previous PDM government, the NAB has concluded the Sharif Trust investigation under Section 31-B.

    This decision by the NAB’s Executive Board marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against the Sharif family, as they receive a respite from multiple longstanding corruption cases.

  • Agha Ali reveals actresses refused to work with him

    Agha Ali reveals actresses refused to work with him

    Actor Agha Ali has revealed that many times actresses were not allowed to work with him by their fiancés. The actor shared this information during a recent appearance on Geo News’ show ‘Hansna Mana Hai,’ where host Tabish Hashmi asked him various questions about his life and career.

    In response to a question, Agha Ali said, “It was in 2016- 2017 during which time I would sign any drama, after that I would get a call from the producer saying, ‘Agha, do you have any quarrel with such and such heroine?’ On this, I would tell them that I have not even met this heroine yet, on which the producer would ask that ‘You don’t have any quarrel with her fiance?’ I tell them that I don’t know who their fiancés are.”

    He further said that during this time he was also going to work with Humayun Saeed’s production house. “He also called me and asked me what are you doing that the fiances and husbands of the actresses are afraid of you?”
    Agha Ali said, “There is no specific reason for my image, but I think many times people misunderstand the actor because of the characters in his dramas. It plays such a negative role.”

    He further said that when he came into the industry, he was not very familiar to people. “So maybe that’s why they were afraid of me, but now it’s not like that, everything is fine.”

    Responding to another question, Agha shared that he was banned from working in Lahore years ago due to giving strong answers in an interview, which led to a producer dropping him from a signed project. Following the ban, a friend’s request prompted him to move to Karachi.