Tag: Top News

  • WATCH: Video shows Pakistan Army aircraft crashing in Rawalpindi

    WATCH: Video shows Pakistan Army aircraft crashing in Rawalpindi

    Moments after at least 17 people, including five military personnel, lost their lives when a plane of Pakistan Army Aviation crashed near Mora Kalu in Rawalpindi, a video of the tragic incident has surfaced.

    According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the aircraft was on a routine training flight when it crashed around 2 am, but there was no immediate word on the cause of the accident or the type of aircraft involved.

    Two pilots were among those killed in the incident, the military’s media wing said, adding that it also resulted in 12 fatal civilian casualties and injuries to 13 others.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Lt Col Saqib, Lt Col Wasim, Naib Subedar Afzal, Hawaldar Amin and Hawaldar Rahmat were the military personnel who lost their lives.

    Soon after the crash, a massive fire broke out that engulfed several houses in the locality.

    Rescue teams of 1122 and Pakistan Army immediately reached the site and started the rescue operation. 

    ISPR added, rescue officials had extinguished the fire caused by the crash and moved the injured to a local hospital.

  • 5 Instagram posts we loved from Government of Pakistan

    5 Instagram posts we loved from Government of Pakistan

    We did some stalking and here are 5 posts we loved from the Instagram account of Government of Pakistan.

    1. ” Do you know?” posts are always good as they add to your information. Government of Pakistan telling us about Edhi Foundation and its largest ambulance network is amazing.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0d1dV_lmdN/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    2. Monsoon is here. The rainy, windy weather in burning days feels too good but there are few things we should take care of. House maintenance is one of them and the government of Pakistan is helping us through its Instagram posts

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0YoF3CF9ST/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    3. This one is our favorite. Government of Pakistan hired a Transgender as Naib Qasid for Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. We not only loved the post but also the hashtags.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0VWA8zF-18/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    4. According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, 75% Pakistanis do not read books. This is good to see a book review on the government’s Instagram account. We hope this might help us to develop the habit of reading books.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5tNzVlKdP/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

    5. We found this very sweet that the government wants us to stay hydrated in summers and here are some tips it shared on its Instagram account.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/By2AY6BlRek/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
  • 1000-year old Hindu Mandir to reopen in Sialkot after 72 years

    1000-year old Hindu Mandir to reopen in Sialkot after 72 years

    An ancient Hindu temple, closed since Partition will once again be opened for worshippers after a long hiatus of 72 years.

    As per details, the Shawala Teeja Singh Temple, located on Circular Road in Sialkot, is more than a 1,000 years old. Prime Minister Imran Khan directed Evacuee Trust Property Board (EPTB) Chairman Dr Amir Ahmed to facilitate its reopening. Members of the Hindu community had long been demanding for the temple to be opened. Pakistani Hindu community leader Surinder Kumar welcomed the decision and thanked the government for supporting the Hindu community.

    Made of granite and sandstone, the temple sits high on a sand dune in a congested, residential neighborhood. Over the years, the temple has fallen prey to neglect as a result of which the intricate carvings on the thick outside pillars have long faded or been scrubbed off by drug addicts. The sacred idols of Lord Shiva in the building have also been stolen or destroyed.

    According to Arab News, basic repair work on the temple is underway and a boundary wall has been constructed to mark the perimeters of the building. Doors have also been refitted near the prayer room. Officials said that complete restoration would take up to five years, for which UNESCO and the Karachi-based Aga Khan Foundation have been taken on board.

    On August 5, a formal opening ceremony would be held to mark the day Hindus celebrate the snake festival of Nag Panchami. Idols of Hindu deities will be transported to the temple from other temples in Pakistan and India for the ceremony.

    Earlier in July, an inauguration ceremony was carried out with several Hindu leaders present.

    Punjab is full of religious sites for both Hindus and Sikhs. Earlier, a gurdwara dating back 500 years in Sialkot was opened for Sikh pilgrims.

  • Let’s be tolerant of other people’s opinions: Mahira Khan

    Let’s be tolerant of other people’s opinions: Mahira Khan

    Veteran actor Firdous Jamal’s comments on Mahira Khan is all anyone and everyone can talk about.

    By now, everyone from fans to haters to colleagues have shared their two cents on the matter but apart from an Instagram post in which she shaded her haters, Mahira did not comment on the matter.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0dQGrDhm5z/

    However, Mahira has now finally responded to the controversy with a hand-written note she shared on her Instagram. In her note, Mahira thanks everyone who supported her and said that as an artist, she is “proud of her industry” and her own journey.

    She continued, “I’m grateful to my senior artists for paving the way for people like me and so many others.”

    Mahira remarked that “in a world full of hate, let’s choose to love. Let’s be tolerant of other people’s opinions.”

    She ended saying, “I read somewhere that ‘Stardom’ in Latin means – thank you to the fans when it was lonely. Stardom it is then!”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B0f_iVnBWa_/

    Have to say, Mahira responded to the matter like the superstar she is. Have you seen her exclusive interview with The Current? Catch it here:

  • Restaurant near Naran shelters 500 stranded tourists

    Restaurant near Naran shelters 500 stranded tourists

    With the monsoon rains lashing their fury throughout the country, the northern areas are experiencing heavy landsliding. And considering it is the summer (and holiday) season, loads of Pakistanis were enjoying the weather up north. As they made their way back to their cities, the climatic changes brought some problems for them.

    The heavy rains have caused land sliding which has resulted in unsafe and blocked roads. Many tourists were stuck in their cars until a restaurant in Baser “Moon Restaurant”  became their safe haven.

    Considering that Moon Restaurant was a restaurant, not a hotel, the owners were quick to lay out charpaais for the stranded tourists. The tourists were also served warm halwa and tea. The restaurant’s management did not charge anything for their occupancy.  The management of the restaurant handled the situation so well that the people couldn’t stop praising it.

    Realising that they were stuck there for a while, the tourists started to share blankets, quilts, and warm clothes. Tourists left the next morning with a wonderful experience that leaves anyone all warm and fuzzy inside.

  • Firdous Jamal’s son Hamza Firdous defends father’s comments on Mahira Khan

    Firdous Jamal’s son Hamza Firdous defends father’s comments on Mahira Khan

    Recent comments by veteran actor Firdous Jamal on Mahira Khan have set social media ablaze and everyone, including members of the film fraternity, have something to say on the matter.

    In case you missed it, Jamal sb while appearing on Faysal Qureshi’s morning show Salaam Zindagi had remarked that Mahira is not “heroine stuff,” before proceeding to say that she is “a mediocre sort of a model, she’s not a good actress and not a heroine.”

    He didn’t end there. The 65-year-old continued, “She’s quite aged as well and we don’t have heroines at this age, they only play the characters of mothers.”

    Firdous’ outdated comments on one of Pakistan’s most successful actors sparked enrage on social media and many actors also called him out for belittling Mahira like this.

    Late Sunday night, Firdous Jamal’s son, Hamza Firdous, who is also an actor, took to Twitter to defend his father.

    Some of you might remember Hamza from O Rangreza. He played Tipu.

    He said that his father is a very successful man on his own and does not need to hold any grudges. He commented that people should not shove everything “under the rug of chauvinism and misogyny.” He concluded his statements saying that he has immense respect for Mahira and hopes that her film is a superhit.

    https://twitter.com/hamza_firdous/status/1155570641904525314?s=20
    https://twitter.com/hamza_firdous/status/1155571052183019520?s=20
    https://twitter.com/hamza_firdous/status/1155571984698413061?s=20
    https://twitter.com/hamza_firdous/status/1155572250843725824?s=20

    Following Hamza’s defense, Mahira’s makeup artist Babar Zaheer attacked Hamza and commented that the industry doesn’t need him.

    https://twitter.com/hamza_firdous/status/1155753313712914432?s=20

  • PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi has fled country, media reports claim

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi, who was handed life imprisonment in the ephedrine case last year, has reportedly left the country and is currently residing in the United States (US).

    According to media reports, Abbasi is living with a former PML-N leader at his residence in Alexandria, Virginia and plans to stay out of the country “until the situation in Pakistan improves”.

    A trial court had sentenced Abbasi to life in prison back in July 2018, after he was found guilty of illegally selling 500kg of ephedrine — a medication and stimulant used to prevent low blood pressure during spinal anesthesia — to narcotics smugglers.

    The ephedrine case surfaced in March 2011 when then federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the National Assembly that the government will investigate the alleged allocation of a quota for the production of 9,000kg of ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies — Berlex Lab International and Danas Pharmaceutical Limited.

    According to the rules, a company cannot be allocated a production quota of more than 500kg of the drug, a limit fixed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).

    The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had eventually registered a case in June 2012 against nine suspects, including Abbasi. He was accused of obtaining the controlled chemical for his company, Gray Pharmaceutical, in 2010.

    However, instead of using it for medicinal purposes, Abbasi sold it on to narcotics smugglers. A fine of Rs1 million was imposed on the PML-N leader along with the life sentence. Seven other accused were acquitted in the case.

    Abbasi’s sentence was suspended by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in April this year.

  • Pakistanis can now get a Canadian student visa ‘in less than three weeks’

    Pakistanis can now get a Canadian student visa ‘in less than three weeks’

    Good news for Pakistani students planning to go to Canada for higher studies.

    The Canadian government has decided to expand its’ Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme to include international students from Pakistan, enabling them to get a student visa in ‘less than three weeks’. The Canadian government had initiated the programme for students from India, China, Philippines and Vietnam last year.

    According to the press release issued, “SDS applications require prospective students to provide more up-front information to officers, including meeting language test requirements in English or French and providing additional information that shows their ability to finance their education,” to expedite the visa process.

    It added, “Many international students who graduate from a program in Canada often become eligible for a post-graduation work permit. With a Canadian education and skilled work experience in Canada, former international students are well-positioned for success in applying for permanent residence through Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program or the Atlantic Immigration Pilot.”

    High Commissioner of Pakistan to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar welcomed the decision and said that it would facilitate students who wished to study in Canada. The high commissioner, in his meetings with the Canadian officials, had urged them to include Pakistani students in the SDS programme as “academically, Pakistani students are second to none”.

  • Mehwish Hayat pledges to promote hockey in Pakistan

    Mehwish Hayat pledges to promote hockey in Pakistan

    Award-winning actress Mehwish Hayat has vowed that she will work towards promoting Pakistan’s national sport, hockey.

    After a video of thirsty hockey players searching for water outside the stadium during the ongoing National Hockey Championship went viral, Mehwish took to Twitter to express her shock at the conditions of the players and called for the revival of the sport in Pakistan.

    The following day, she visited the Abdul Sattar Hockey Stadium in Karachi to promote the ongoing championship. Mehwish even tried her hand at the sport with the players.

    At the stadium, while speaking to the media, Mehwish expressed her disappointment on the conditions of the players and stadium in general. Mehwish said that more attention needs to paid to the sport and requested the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan to help the sport. She even urged the authorities to integrate sports into the school curriculum.

    Mehwish later shared her thoughts on Twitter as well and encouraged others to also support the game.

    Mehwish’s initiative gathered a lot of appreciation on social media and several other renowned personalities also spoke on the matter.

  • Seedless mango makes its way to mango lovers

    Seedless mango makes its way to mango lovers

    What’s the best thing about summer? Mangoes! Juicy, sweet and divine, this king of fruits is much valued and most looked forward to. Make smoothies, salads use them in chutneys or make curries. While making these hardest part is peeling the mango but in the coming years that won’t be a problem as a new seedless species of mango has introduced at a Mango festival at the Centaurus Mall, Islamabad

    According to the reports, the seedless
    mango is under development stage at Multan University. The seedless mango is a
    large fruit with a substantial amount of pulp and its seed is very small. The
    variety was developed accidentally at a private orchard in Shujabad area of
    Multan. Officials say that it could take three to four years for the new kind
    to be finalized.