Tag: Top News

  • Bilawal pledges to eliminate 17 federal ministries if PPP voted into power

    Bilawal pledges to eliminate 17 federal ministries if PPP voted into power

    Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), pledged on Monday to eliminate 17 federal ministries if his party secures victory in the general elections. This measure aims to save taxpayers a sum of “Rs300 billion.”

    Addressing a public gathering in Nawabshah, Bilawal said the 17 federal ministries should have been devolved to provinces after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Geo News reported.

    The leader of the PPP stated that an amount of Rs300 billion was allocated for the ministries, and the government provided a subsidy of Rs1,500 billion to the ‘elite’ individuals in different sectors, such as energy and fertilizers.

    Bilawal said his party would end the subsidy for elites to provide funds to labourers and farmers through cards, he said.

    On April 8, 2010, the 18th Constitutional Amendment was enacted, leading to the decentralization of numerous federal ministries and the transfer of powers to provinces.

    Referring to the youth as the future of the nation, the PPP chief said old politicians are a thing of the past.
    Bilawal said the country’s issues could be resolved by burying the politics of “hatred and division”.

  • 2023 terror stats: Suicide attacks highest since 2014

    In a report issued by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), it has been revealed that the country has experienced a surge in suicide attacks, reaching the highest level since 2014.

    According to the data released by PICSS, reported by Geo, 29 attacks have been reported in the year 2023, claiming 329 lives. 582 individuals were injured in these attacks. This marks the highest death toll since 2013 when 683 people lost their lives in 47 suicide bombings. 623 militant attacks in 2023, as compared to 380 such attacks in 2022. Among total attacks in 2023, 29 were suicide attacks; whereas in 2022, 15 were suicide attacks.

    Compared to the previous year, 2022, the report shows a tragic 93% increase in the number of suicide attacks, a 226% rise in resultant deaths, and a 101% surge in the number of injured individuals.

    In a comparative analysis of the regions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bore the brunt of these attacks, reporting 23 instances that resulted in 254 fatalities and 512 injuries. Within KP, newly merged districts (NMD) experienced 13 suicide attacks, leading to 85 deaths and 206 injuries. Balochistan faced five attacks, causing 67 deaths and 52 injuries, while Sindh witnessed one suicide attack resulting in eight deaths and 18 injuries.

    There was a stark increase in the attacks against military forces, with civilians constituting the second-largest victim category. A visual representation in the form of pie charts illustrates that 48% of deaths (157) and 58% of injuries (340) were inflicted upon security personnel. The number of civilian casualties was close to these statistics with 130 deaths and 242 injured.

    Taking notes from the historical trajectory, PICSS’s militancy database indicates a notable decline in suicide attacks from 30 in 2014 to a mere three in 2019. Contrary to the earlier statement, there was no significant surge in 2020 and 2021, as both years witnessed only four attacks each.

    The year 2022 witnessed a sudden and significant surge, recording 15 attacks resulting in 101 deaths and 290 injuries. This worrisome trend persisted into 2023, reaching a new high with 29 reported suicide attacks.

  • Palestinians feel ‘no joy’ as Israel bombs Gaza on Christmas

    Palestinians feel ‘no joy’ as Israel bombs Gaza on Christmas

    Palestinians said they felt “no joy” this Christmas as Israel bombed Gaza on Monday, with no end in sight to the war that Hamas says has claimed more than 20,000 lives.

    Festivities were effectively scrapped in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, with few worshippers or tourists on the usually packed streets.

    In the besieged Gaza Strip, the Hamas-run ministry of health said early Monday Israeli strikes had killed at least 18 people in the southern city of Khan Yunis, the centre of recent fighting.

    At a hospital in the city, Fadi Sayegh — whose family has previously received permits to travel to Bethlehem for celebrations — said he would not be celebrating Christmas this year.

    “There is no joy. No Christmas tree, no decorations, no family dinner, no celebrations,” he said while undergoing dialysis. “I pray for this war to be over soon.”

    Sister Nabila Salah from the Catholic Holy Church in Gaza — where two Christian women were killed by an Israeli sniper earlier this month according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem — struck a sombre tone.

    “All Christmas celebrations have been cancelled,” she told AFP. “How do we celebrate when we are… hearing the sound of tanks and bombardment instead of the ringing of bells?”

    The war broke out when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7 and killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and seized 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

    Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas in response and its military campaign, which has included massive aerial bombardment. The campaign has killed 20,424 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

    Pope Francis kicked off global Christmas celebrations on Sunday with a call for peace.

    “Our heart goes to Gaza, to all people in Gaza but a special attention to our Christian community in Gaza who is suffering,” the Catholic leader said.

    Christmas eve strike

    Just ahead of Christmas, the Hamas-run health ministry said at least 70 people were killed in an Israeli air strike on Sunday at the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza.

    Health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said the “toll is likely to rise” as many families were thought to be in the area at the time of the strike.

    In a separate incident, the ministry said 10 members of one family were killed in an Israeli strike on their house in the Jabalia camp in northern Gaza.

    AFP was unable to independently verify either toll.

    Vast areas of Gaza lie in ruins and its 2.4 million people have endured dire shortages of water, food, fuel and medicine due to an Israeli siege, alleviated only by the limited arrival of aid trucks.

    Eighty percent of Gazans have been displaced, according to the UN, many fleeing south and now shielding against the winter cold in makeshift tents.

    The head of the UN refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, called for an end to the suffering.

    “A humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is the only way forward,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “War defies logic and humanity, and prepares a future of more hatred and less peace.”

    World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also renewed calls for a ceasefire, saying: “The decimation of the Gaza health system is a tragedy.”

    ‘No choice’

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday the war was exacting a “very heavy price”, as the death toll of soldiers killed in the conflict continued to mount.

    “But we have no choice but to keep fighting,” he said, adding: “This will be a long war.”

    The army said Monday two more soldiers had been killed, taking to 17 the number of troops killed since Friday and 156 since Israel’s ground assault began on October 27.

    Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus indicated that forces were close to gaining control in northern Gaza and that now “we focus our efforts against Hamas in southern Gaza”.

    Two freed detainees and a medic said Sunday that Palestinians held by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip had suffered torture, a charged denied by the military.

    The two men were among hundreds detained by Israeli forces over alleged links with Hamas during Israel’s ground offensive.

    About 20 men released from Israeli custody “have bruises and marks of blows on their bodies”, Marwan al-Hams, hospital director in the southern city of Rafah, told AFP.

  • Which women are on the priority list of political parties?

    Which women are on the priority list of political parties?

    Political parties have submitted their priority list to the Election Commission of Pakistan for reserved seats for women.

    According to details, major political parties Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) and others issued the priority list of the women candidates.

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leads with Hina Rabbani Khar topping the list for National Assembly seats from Punjab, followed by Samina Khalid Ghurki, Natasha Doultana, Neelam Jabbar, Shagufta Chaudhary, and Syeda Samina Raza.

    Shazia Marri was placed on the first number in the list for the National Assembly’s (NA) reserved seats for women.

    Other candidates include Dr Nafisa Shah, Shagufta Jumani, Shehla Raza, Mehtab Akbar Rashidi, Musarrat Rafiq, Shazia Soomro, Naz Baloch, Seher Kamran, Sharmila Farooqi, Shazia Abid, Rehana Baloch, Neelum Jabbar, Nargis Faiz, Nayab Gohar and Shazia Nizamani.

    The PML-N has nominated candidates such as Tahira Aurangzeb, Shaista Parvez, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Nuzhat Sadiq, Musarrat Asif Khawaja, Seema Jilani, Shiza Khawaja, Romina Khurshid Alam, Wajiha Qamar, and Zeb Jafar.

    The PML-N issued the priority list of 58 women candidates from Punjab.

    The candidates include Kiran Dar, Anusha Rehman, Tahira Wudood, Afia Naz, Saba Sadiq, Farah Naz, Shehnaz Salim, Muneeba Iqbal, Iffat Naeem, Zakia Khan, Ishrat Ashraf, Tehmina Daultana, Uzma Bukhari, Hina Parvez Butt, Saima Saadia, Rahila Khadim, Uzma Kardar and Tamkeen Akhtar.

    The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) presented Munazza Hasan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, and Asia Azeem in the list.
    Meanwhile, the PTI’s priority list was withheld by the ECP as the party’s election symbol was revoked after intra-party elections were declared null and void.

    Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) suggested 23 women candidates for the Punjab Assembly in its priority list. IPP issued the list of 14 women candidates and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) recommended 21 women candidates.

  • PPP doesn’t believe in political adjustments, says Nayyar Bokhari

    PPP doesn’t believe in political adjustments, says Nayyar Bokhari

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has said that it is dedicated to the welfare of the people rather than engaging in political or electoral accommodations, stated Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Secretary General of the party.

    Bokhari asserted that the assurance of national prosperity and the prerequisite for national development is rooted in economic stability and political stability, as per The News.

    “For the sake of the state and democracy, the party that gives the charter of democracy will give the charter of economy to ensure prosperity, development and employment for the people of Pakistan,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
    Bokhari expressed confidence in the PPP’s success, emphasizing their commitment to a manifesto centered around national development, prosperity, and performance.

    “As in the past, in 2024, workers, farmers and women will also bring unprecedented plans for prosperity,” he said.
    The senior politician said the leaders and followers of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto are expressing full solidarity with the candidates of the PPP.

    Bokhari emphasized that the economic stability would be fostered through the supremacy of the Constitution, ensuring equality and equal rights within a democratic system.

  • Rs 2.5 crore gold stolen from Lal Shehbaz Qalander shrine

    Rs 2.5 crore gold stolen from Lal Shehbaz Qalander shrine

    The Sindh Auqaf Department has nominated one of the managers of the tomb of Lal Shehbaz Qalander shrine in a First Information Report (FIR) filed for allegedly stealing gold and silver worth Rs 25.7 million from the shrine.

    Muhammad Zubair Baloch, serving in the shrine for 12 years, was suspended from his job a day earlier. Caretaker Sindh Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Mohammad Umer Soomro suspended him for stealing gold worth Rs. 12.3 million from the offering box over the last month, as reported by Dawn. The case was registered at Sehwan police station, Jamshoro district.

    A private employee, Ali Raza Gopang, was also named in the FIR along with Baloch under sections 407, 409, 380, 457, 427, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). He is yet to be arrested.

    Auqaf’s administrator for Sukkur and Larkana divisions, Irshad Ali Samo, the complainant in the FIR, told police that over 57 tolas of gold and 3,133 tolas of silver had been stolen from the shrine’s maalkhana [store]. He told the police that the shrine received 210.6 tolas of gold in 20 years from November 22, 2004, to August 17, 2023, reported the Express Tribune.

    The Auqaf department deposited 141 tolas in a locker of the National Bank of Pakistan’s (NBP) main branch in Hyderabad on July 2, 2013. While 68.15 tolas of gold and 4,836.13 of silver accumulated at the shrine’s storage during the last decade. “However, when a jeweler was called to weigh gold and silver on December 19, only 11.8 tolas of gold and 1703.4 of silver were found in the store”, the spokesperson of the department added.

    The administrator informed the police that during the departmental investigation, the suspect conceded negligence and admitted that he gave keys to the store to Gopang without authorisation.

    Devotees give gifts in the form of cash and ornaments during their visits to the Lal’s shrine and at other shrines in the province. However, embezzlement of those gifts has long remained a subject of concern.

    The spokesperson of the ministry quoted the minister saying that a similar investigation into possible theft of offerings against managers of all shrines in the province would be conducted.

  • What is the meaning of the lyrics of Animal movie song Jamal Kadu?

    What is the meaning of the lyrics of Animal movie song Jamal Kadu?

    Have you also searched ‘Bobby Deol Entry song meaning Jamal Kadu?

    Bobby Deol‘s character in Animal, Abrar, has created quite a buzz, particularly for his entry song “Jamal Kudu,” which has taken social media by storm. The song, a revamped version of the popular Irani track “Jamaal Jamaaloo,” has become a trending sensation, with fans creating reels and making it a potential contender for the Song of the Year.

    I was searching for the meaning of the song and came across the comment of a YouTube user which said that the song is a duet between an “Iranian white woman and a Zangi black man (Afro-Iranian with origin from Zanzibar) from southern Iran.”

    Who wrote Jamal Kudu?

    Iranian poet Bijan Smandar wrote the lyrics of the original Jamal jamalo song while Iranian composer and pianist Anoushirvan Rohani composed the music. The song is traditional Bandar (port) music from South Iran.

    Who is the singer of Jamal Kudu original?

    The song, which was sung by the Shirazi Choir, a ladies’ musical choir from Kharazemi Ladies’ High School, became a dancing anthem at every wedding and event in Iran in the 1950s and received a lot of acclaim.

    A version of this song was uploaded on YouTube Channel Taraneh seven years ago.

    What Jamal Kudu song mean in English?

    I was able to find the entire lyrics of the song.

    Ahai Sia He Zangi Delamu Nakon Khun Naoaitu Rafti Kuja Manam Shu Majnun Ahai Sia He Zangi Delamu Nakon Khun Naoaitu Rafti Kuja Manam Shu Majnun
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu
    Del Tumakhteki Sineh
    Oyai Arom Nimi Shineh
    Hal Yaosa Halel Yaosa
    Khos Twahao Nimi Khowsa
    Oyai Mar Mar Sine
    Belarjun Belarjun Belarjun
    Korteye Schamartak
    Bescharkhun Bescharkhun Bescharkhun
    Oyai Mar Mar Sine
    Belarjun Belarjun Belarjun
    Korteye Schamartak
    Bescharkhun Bescharkhun Bescharkhun
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu
    Ahai Sia He Zangi Delamu Nakon Khun
    Naoaitu Rafti Kuja Manam Shu Majnun Ahai Sia He Zangi Delamu Nakon Khun
    Naoaitu Rafti Kuja Manam Shu Majnun
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu
    Jamal Jamalak Jamaloo Jamal Kudu

    My dear friend Nida Fatima Zaidi translated these in English.

    Oh my heart, hey my friend
    Oh my heart, hey my friend Habib

    My world of hope
    O rusty black (eyes)don’t make me cry, blood
    Wow, you went on a trip, I’m get crazy or become majnu
    Oh, don’t break my heart
    If you go away I start getting crazy
    Now Jamal Jamal Jamal Qadoo
    Jamal Jamal Jamal
    Jamal Qadoo
    Jamal Qadoo
    My heart you are dear to me
    The whole thing that you are is delicious
    Oh my heart, is filled with you
    Oh my heart, Yala Habib
    Oh my heart, Yala Habib
    My dear, you are dear
    The whole thing is delicious
    Don’t shake my restless heart, don’t shake
    Don’t follow me, don’t follow me
    Jamal Jamal Jamal Jamal Kadu

    What Jamal Kudu song mean in Urdu?

    My beloved Lawyer friend Jalila Haider translated this into Urdu.


    اے میرے دل، اے عشق
    اے میرے دل ،اے عشق
    عشق
    عشق
    عشق
    میرے دنیا کی امید
    اے سانولی رنگت والی میرے دل کا مت کرنا خون (یا غمزدہ مت کرنا)

    ہائے
    تم چلی گئی سفر پر اور میں ہوگیا مجنون

    اے سانولی رنگت والی میرے دل کا مت کرنا خون
    تم چلی گئی سفر پر اور میں ہوگیا مجنون
    اے ،خوبصورت، خوبصورت ،خوبصورت ،خوبصورتی کے پیکر
    خوبصورت، خوبصورت،خوبصورت،خوبصورتی کے پیکر
    خوبصورت، خوبصورت ،خوبصورت ،خوبصورتی کے پیکر
    خوبصورتی کے پیکر
    خوبصورتی کے پیکر
    ہائے میرا دل، اے میرے عزیز
    آپکے ساتھ ہر چیز مزیدار ہے
    اے میرے دل، اسکی ٹھنڈک
    اے میرے دل سے میرے عشق
    اے میرے دل سے میرے عشق
    اے میرے دل ،اے میرے دوست
    اے میرے دل، اسکی ٹھنڈک
    اے میرے دل، اے میرے دوست
    اے میرے دل، اے میرے دوست
    میرے بے قرار دل کو مت لرزا نا لرزا،
    مجھے اپنے ارگرد مت گھما مت گھما
    خوبصورت، خوبصورت ،خوبصورت ،خوبصورتی کے پیکر

  • Election 2024: Imran Khan excluded from Registered Political Parties List

    Election 2024: Imran Khan excluded from Registered Political Parties List

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) unveiled a revised list on Sunday, featuring 175 officially registered political parties that reflect the diverse landscape of the country’s political arena.

    The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, is no longer listed as the leader of the party in the updated list, indicating that PTI is now considered a political entity without a designated leader.

    However, the list now includes the group headed by Pervez Khattak, identified as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTIP).

    An important development took place earlier in the week when the party led by Khan lost its electoral symbol, the “bat”, as a result of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) releasing the reserved verdict on the party’s internal elections.

    After hearing arguments from all concerned parties, the ECP initially reserved its decision.

    Following this, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, leading a five-member bench of the electoral authority, announced the invalidation of the PTI’s intra-party elections.

    After ECP’s verdict, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who took over as PTI chairman after Imran Khan, will no longer serve as the party’s leader.

  • Lahore back on top of cities with hazardous levels of smog

    Lahore back on top of cities with hazardous levels of smog

    The quality of air pollution in Lahore is back at levels deemed hazardous to human health while Karachi is out of the top ten league after a long time.

    According to the Air Quality Index, Lahore ranks first in the list of the most polluted cities in the world with an AQI of 387.

    Karachi’s air quality is also unhealthy while it stands at the eighth position on the list of most polluted cities with an AQI of 152.

    An index of 151 to 200 is unhealthy, while 201 to 300 is very unhealthy and above 301 AQI, air pollution is considered hazardous.

    To reduce smog and air pollution in Lahore, the caretaker government of Punjab experimented with artificial rain with the support of the UAE government, successfully lowering AQI levels after a light shower.

  • Shaun King suspended, Motaz asked to remove content by Instagram

    Shaun King suspended, Motaz asked to remove content by Instagram

    American writer and activist Shaun King, famous for pro-Palestine advocacy on social media, has been suspended from Instagram.

    The news of the suspension was reported by Khalid Beydoun, another important voice on social media, speaking for the distressed in Palestine. “I felt it was a violation of my principles to not tell the truth about Gaza out of fear of getting banned,” Shaun reportedly told Beydoun.

    Earlier, Motaz Azaiza, photo-journalist from Gaza with a large following, also posted that he was receiving notifications from Instagram of either deleting or editing his content with the objection that they go against the guidelines on nudity or sexual activity of Instagram. The videos showed injured children crying out in pain after being hit by Israeli strikes.

    Motaz protested, “Am I shooting Nudes or what ? A lot of naked girls keep posting on Instagram which is (normal for them) and I don’t see them removing any of their content! But showing what kids of Palestine are facing in Gaza is nudity and sexual activity? Tell me if I’m right or wrong?”

    Another Palestinian journalist Hind Khoudary also posted about her account being shadowbanned by Instagram. This implies that her posts are not visible or are losing engagement because they are against the narrative Meta wants to propagate.