Tag: Top News

  • Chances high for Nawaz to contest election after victory in Al-Azizia reference

    Chances high for Nawaz to contest election after victory in Al-Azizia reference

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) showed confidence regarding the “eligibility” of party head Nawaz Sharif to contest in the upcoming general election after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) acquitted him in Al-Azizia reference on Tuesday.

    This significant development can increase the chances of the PML-N supremo becoming a prime minister for the fourth time. Party leader Azam Nazeer Tarar has claimed that Nawaz Sharif is now eligible to take part in the election after the IHC’s verdict.

    “Today, Nawaz Sharif stands eligible to contest the elections. He will participate in the polls,” the former law minister said.

    PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb was also grateful after the acquittal.

    “Today, the reality of these false cases has been exposed to the nation,” she said, regretting that getting justice took seven years.

    Marriyum Aurangzeb also said that the people of the country faced severe difficulties during these years.

    “InshaAllah, Nawaz Sharif will become the prime minister for the fourth time with the nation’s votes,” she said, expressing hope that the PML-N supremo will lead the country to “prosperity.”

  • Ali Ansari’s new song is pure aspirational fantasy

    Ali Ansari’s new song is pure aspirational fantasy

    Singer Ali Ansari has released a new song called Escobar, and it’s getting a lot of attention. Unlike many Pakistani hip-hop songs that talk about going from poor to rich, Ansari does something different. He follows the Western style of showing off wealth, enjoying parties, and living a fancy life.

    In his song, Ansari proudly talks about being rich, making it clear that he lives a life that most people can only dream of. The music video adds to the overall effect by showing Ansari with fancy cars and piles of money.
    The term “Desi Columbia” is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the country’s cartels, making it seem like he’s as powerful and rich as a mafia boss or a big superstar. Ansari’s lyrics mention his expensive shoes that groove all night and the dollars around him. He even shares his playlist, including Jay-Z, to show his love for Western hip-hop.
    Even though Ansari admits that his dealings might be a bit “shady,” he confidently says he’s a millionaire, and everything is fine. The song might not be everyone’s favorite, but it’s different and definitely worth a listen.

  • Tiktokers Maaz Safder, Kanwal Aftab slam Fahad Mustafa

    Tiktokers Maaz Safder, Kanwal Aftab slam Fahad Mustafa

    Popular TikTokers Maaz Safder and Kanwal Aftab have hit back at Fahad Mustafa’s recent criticism of YouTubers and lifestyle vloggers.

    In a recent episode of the “Nonstop Podcast,” Maaz Safder, joined by Kanwal Aftab and Jalal Karim, addressed Fahad Mustafa’s comments. Maaz Safder choose not to react immediately and highlighted the similarity in their work. He mentioned that everyone, including actors in films, have to support their families.

    Kanwal Aftab questioned the difference between selling something on social media and on television, pointing out that people on TV are also selling something. Host Jalal Karim added that family vlogging is usually watched by families, indicating its relatability.
    Maaz Safder further emphasized that normalizing slapping on television is not acceptable. It’s great to see influencers and vloggers standing up for themselves and expressing their perspectives.

  • 23 soldiers martyred in a terrorist attack in DI Khan: ISPR

    23 soldiers martyred in a terrorist attack in DI Khan: ISPR

    At least 23 soldiers of the Pakistan army were martyred after militants attacked a checkpost with an explosive-laden truck in Khyber-Paktunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Tuesday.

    The ISPR added that the terrorists rammed the truck after their attempts to gain entry were “effectively thwarted”.
    “The attempt to enter the post was effectively thwarted which forced the terrorists to ram an explosive laden vehicle into the post, followed by a suicide bombing attack.

    “The resulting blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties; 23 brave soldiers embraced shahadat, while all six terrorists were effectively engaged and sent to hell,” the ISPR said.

    It added that sanitisation operations were being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists present in the area. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthens our resolve,” the ISPR said.
    Separately, 17 terrorists were killed in an intelligence-based operation in the Darazinda area of Dera Ismail Khan.

    “During the conduct of the operation, terrorists’ hideout was busted and 17 terrorists were sent to hell,” the military’s media affairs wing said.

    ️ The ISPR further stated that two soldiers embraced martyrdom while four more terrorists were neutralised in another IBO in the Kulachi area.

    “️ The killed terrorists were actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against security forces as well as killing of innocent civilians. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operations,” it added.

    This is the military’s highest single-day death toll from terrorist attacks reported this year. Before this, 12 soldiers were martyred in separate military operations in the Zhob and Sui areas of Balochistan in July.

  • Zara issues clarification over controversial photoshoot, Faryal Makhdoom calls it ‘utter b/s’

    Zara issues clarification over controversial photoshoot, Faryal Makhdoom calls it ‘utter b/s’

    Spanish fashion label Zara has removed all the pictures of their latest campaign which took the internet by storm for its glaring similarity with the ongoing siege of Gaza. “Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone,” states the statement of the brand.

    The statement says that the idea was purely artistic and it was conceived and executed way before October 7.

    Netizens are commenting and criticising Zara without having any qualms as a fashion blogger and YouTuber Faryal Makhdoom commented, “whatever, utter b/s”.

    Blogger Sana Khader posted, “How easy for you to come and gaslight us. We all know it was intentional. What do you have to tell us about the Map of Palestine in the background of your pictures? Was it also planned before? Don’t be ridiculous. You’re done.”

    Model Romi Allata, commented, “Boycott Zara FOREVER , Now the whole world can know the true you we don’t need a toxic apology.”

    Previously, fashion label Zara ignited a new wave of controversy with its recently launched ad campaign, with model Kristen McMenamy standing in a room with mannequins covered in white shrouds surrounded by rubble.

    The caption however suggests that Zara’s latest is a “limited edition collection” to celebrate the label’s “commitment to craftsmanship and passion for artistic expression”. However, internet users are alleging that the ad bears a striking resemblance to images of Gaza under Israeli airstrikes.

    Zara has not offered any official statement addressing the claims. However, the most controversial picture from the ad campaign, featuring the model holding a ‘body’ wrapped in white sheets appears to have been removed from the label’s Instagram and Twitter.

    “And the award for the most tone-deaf brand of the year goes to Zara. Using imagery of Israel’s genocide of Palestinians to sell their fast fashion brand of clothing,” criticised a Twitter user.

    Pro-Palestinian accounts took to Twitter to start the campaign against the Spanish retailer for it to be banned altogether for using genocide in Gaza to promote their new collection. #boycottzara has been trending on Twitter ever since.

    Some were reminded of the heart-wrenching picture of a mother holding her dead child in funerary shrouds, almost similar to the one posted by Zara.

    Others demanded the brand be boycotted for hitting a new low.

    In 2021, the company experienced a similar backlash after its head designer, Vanessa Perilman, made anti-Palestinian comments on social media.
    “Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza,” Perilman had told Palestinian model Qaher Harhash on Instagram.

    Actor Ushna Shah laments the world we live in where they are openly killing and openly mocking.

    Zara’s branches in occupied territories reportedly suffered significant financial losses due to the previous boycott, estimated at tens of millions of shekels within a short period.

    Since October 7, many have joined the boycott campaign against several multinational brands for their links to Israel and in some cases their support for them.

    The brands include McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, and H&M, among others.

  • Are Ahmed Ali Akbar and Yumna Zaidi getting married? Ahmed addresses rumours

    Are Ahmed Ali Akbar and Yumna Zaidi getting married? Ahmed addresses rumours

    Ahmed Ali Akbar and Yumna Zaidi are one of the on-screen couples having a huge fanbase all over the world and like many other celebrity on-screen pairs audiences root for them to turn into real-life couples. It was Gauzarish which put the two on the map but their scintillating chemistry caught the attention of fans in Yeh Raha Dil as Zaki and Hayat and in Parizad where Ahmed was playing the titular character and Yumna was his ultimate love interest, Annie.

    Ahmed has been promoting his film Gunjal nowadays and in every other interview he is asked about his chemistry with the leading actress Zaidi. While giving an interview he expressed his desire to do a full-blown romantic drama with Yumna for the fans.

    On ARY Zindagi’s talk show, the actor was asked by the host Ayaz Samo with which colleague he would like the rumours to be spread, to which Ahmed instantly replied with Yumna. Later on, he elaborated that thanks to propaganda YouTubers, the rumours of their marriage were already circulating.

    He revealed that he received congratulatory calls from people who believed in the speculated marriage between him and Yumna. However, he promptly debunked the misinformation, asserting that the news of their alleged marriage was entirely false, crushing the hopes of fans who longed to witness their favourite on-screen couple tie the knot in real life.

    Despite refuting the marriage rumour, Ahmed Ali Akbar left room for playful speculations with Yumna Zaidi, hinting that he ‘wouldn’t mind’ such rumours circulating about them.

  • Zardari accuses Jemima of paying UK bloggers to support Khan

    Zardari accuses Jemima of paying UK bloggers to support Khan

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has accused Jemima Goldsmith, the ex-wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, of paying vloggers while sitting abroad.

    In an interview on Aaj News with Asma Shirazi, the former president stated that a lobby with “multiple interests” has been funding and backing vloggers.

    The former president further added that it was a conspiracy to bring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ex-Chairman Imran Khan into power, adding that some people wanted to extend his rule until 2035.

    “He [Khan] would have sold Pakistan, and the country would have defaulted if I had not ousted that person… Sometimes a puppet does not know what its handler is doing to it.”

    Asif Ali Zardari also said that “I can be a candidate for prime ministership and Bilawal too. Even Khursheed Shah can be the candidate.”

    On the other hand, PTI supporters are showing support to Jemima on X (previously Twitter), with #StayStrongJemimaKhan trending on the platform.

  • I had to leave: Pakistani-American Hamna Zafar escaped forced marriage to pursue dreams in America

    I had to leave: Pakistani-American Hamna Zafar escaped forced marriage to pursue dreams in America

    At age 19, Hamna Zafar knew she would lose her family unless she agreed to an arranged marriage with her cousin in Pakistan. However, the dutiful daughter rebelled and opted to escape to a future in America. She is now serving in the US Air Force.

    Recounting her journey to PEOPLE, Hamna says, “I always thought about my parents. I always thought about my family. I always thought about my sisters, but that night I thought about me.”

    As a child, Hamna Zafar says, her parents didn’t mind her getting an education but insisted that she would eventually settle down as a wife and mother with a husband chosen by them.

    “I was just expecting my family to kind of get used to the culture in the United States,” she says. “Growing up, they never really mentioned arranged marriage.”

    That all changed when the college freshman went to visit Pakistan for a family trip in 2019, only to discover she was there for her engagement.
    On her return to the U.S., Hamna tried to reason with her mom.

    “My parents are very traditional and never adapted to American culture,” Hamna says. “That’s why they took me to Pakistan to get me engaged.”
    When her parents learned of her plan to join the military to escape her fate, Hamna panicked.

    “I was completely dependent on them,” Hamna says. “But I knew I had to leave.”

    Her friend’s family sheltered her and they have been with her to date.

    She knew that by taking that step, she would lose her extended family in Pakistan and that her parents would never forgive her — and deny her contact with her two beloved younger sisters.

    It was a route that Hamna, who grew up in Maryland in an immigrant family, never thought she would have to take. An obedient child who got good grades, Hamna — who now spends her days protecting the base as an Air Force Security Defender — says she stayed close to home, cared for her sister with autism, and planned on starting a career after college.

    Hamna shares that she faced a culture shock when she started training for the Air Force.

    “I didn’t have any idea of what boot camp was going to look like. I watched a few videos to give myself an image of what was going to happen,” Hamna says. “It was definitely an eye-opening experience.”

    The most difficult point for her was when she graduated from basic training and wanted her family to see her and all that she had accomplished. She says she has tried to contact her family many times, but they have not responded.

    “I wanted them to be proud of me for who I am and share that with them,” Hamna says. “I really wanted them to see that their daughter has so much potential in her.”

  • Jemima Khan calls for unconditional ceasefire in Gaza

    Jemima Khan calls for unconditional ceasefire in Gaza

    Screenwriter and film maker Jemima Khan has called for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza on Monday, citing the “unprecedented” number of children killed in Israeli airstrikes on the besieged strip.

    The ex-wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote:

    “The number of children being killed in Gaza is unprecedented.

    Fewer children were killed in Iraq in 14 years of war (2008- 2022) than in one single month in Gaza.

    The civilian death toll is significantly higher than in all the conflicts around the world during the C20th.

    Ceasefire now!”

    Jemima Khan, who is mother to two Muslim children from her marriage to Imran Khan, was heavily criticised at the beginning of the Israeli bombardment for what was perceived by her followers as an attempt to “both-sides” the war. Since then, she has steadily posted about the conflict, speaking out against Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

    Another tweet posted yesterday said, “I really don’t like the terms, “pro- Israel” or “pro- Palestine,” as it infers the choice has to be binary. You can be pro- Israel’s right to exist in safety and pro- Palestinian freedom. Those two things are not only mutually inclusive; they are contingent upon one another.”

    This one, however, got her backlash for what followers said was an attempt to conflate the oppressor and the oppressed.

    Here are some reactions:

  • Indian Supreme Court validates the revocation of Article-370

    Indian Supreme Court validates the revocation of Article-370

    A five-judge constitution bench, presided by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, has given its verdict on the Union government’s 2019 move to amend Article 370 of the constitution, the abrogation of which ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The decision was reserved earlier on September 5 this year, after 16 days of hearings.

    The unanimous verdict by the panel of five judges came in response to more than a dozen petitions challenging the revocation and a subsequent decision to split the region into two federally administered territories, the central government, on the other hand, had defended its action, asserting there was no “constitutional fraud” in nullifying the provision.

    Chief Justice said that Jammu and Kashmir held no internal sovereignty after accession to India. The court maintains that the president has the right to abrogate any of the articles in the Constitution. The same was carried out on August 5 2019.

    The order also declared that the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into Union Territories in 2019 was a temporary move, it directed the Centre for the restoration of statehood and for Legislative Assembly elections to be held.

    However, Justice Kaul recommended in his opinion that a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be set up in Jammu and Kashmir, for the acknowledgement of acts of rights violations in the region.

    The revocation was one of Mr Modi’s poll promises in 2019 and the court’s decision comes months before he seeks a third term. Local politicians in the region have expressed disappointment over the order.

    Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “disappointed but not disheartened”. An hour later, he also posted Faiz Ahmed Faiz poem, “Dil na umeed to nahi, na kaam he to hai”.

    Meanwhile, Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India wrote this decision is “a resounding declaration of hope, progress and unity”.

    Amit Shah, a major proponent of Hindutva supremacy and Indian Home Minister, criticised India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on the Kashmir issue, saying in Parliament, “I say this with full responsibility that Kashmir suffered due to two blunders by Nehru. First, the ceasefire (with Pakistan) was announced when our forces were winning…before winning the whole of Kashmir. The second blunder was to take the Kashmir issue to the United Nations.”

    Today he posted on Twitter that because of this decision “separatism and stone pelting are now things of the past.”

    Asaduddin Owaisi says, ” We are disappointed by this verdict.”

    “Pakistan categorically rejects the judgement announced by the Supreme Court of India on the status of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK),” states the statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan.

    Caretaker Foreign Minister of Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani posted on Twitter that “The judicial endorsement by the Indian Supreme Court has no legal value.”