Tag: trending

  • Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Nawaz ‘was not’ ready to become prime minister for fourth time, says senior PML-N leader

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui has said that former prime minister and party supremo Nawaz Sharif wasn’t ready to become prime minister for the fourth time.  

    “It was Nawaz’s own decision to not become the prime minister,” Siddiqui said while speaking on Geo News’ programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath on Wednesday.

    PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif became the country’s prime minister for the second time following the party’s nomination after Nawaz decided against running for the coveted post after returning to the country following a four-year self-imposed exile from London.

    The party eagerly awaited the veteran politician’s return and built its election campaign around him. They portrayed him as a saviour who could tackle the country’s problems and guide it to prosperity.

    After the February 8 polls, where major political parties like PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independent candidates, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) didn’t win enough seats for a clear majority in the National Assembly, PML-N chose Shehbaz as their candidate for prime minister.

  • Finance Minister Aurangzeb meets Donald Lu in Washington DC

    Finance Minister Aurangzeb meets Donald Lu in Washington DC

    Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a high-level meeting with the United States State Department Assistant Secretary Donald Lu at World Bank headquarters in Washington to discuss financial reforms that Pakistan is planning to implement.

    The meeting was held in the background of the Finance Minister’s visit to Washington in order to finalize talks about the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

    Aurangzeb and the US official focused on upgrading economic partnerships, with emphasis on alternate energy, agriculture, climate resilience and technology.

    Aurangzeb was positive about the investment opportunities by America in information technology, renewables, agriculture and minerals extraction.

    He also pledged close collaboration with the US International Development Finance Corporation and Exim Bank for mutual development.

    Aurangzeb has been conducting high-level meetings with top officials in the US on the sidelines.

  • Arooj Aftab collaborates with ‘Thor’ Star Tessa Thompson for first music video

    Arooj Aftab collaborates with ‘Thor’ Star Tessa Thompson for first music video

    Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab has exciting news for her fans. She’s releasing her first music video for the song ‘Raat Ki Rani.’ And guess what? It’s directed by Tessa Thompson, the famous American actor known for playing Valkyrie in Marvel movies. This is her first time directing a music video, adding to the excitement.

    Aftab made the announcement on her Instagram, posting a casual black and white photo with Thompson. “Raat Ki Rani is my first music video ever, and you get to see Tessa Thompson as your favorite film director on earth.”

    Aftab also shared her thoughts on Thompson, saying, “Her work and her personality are incredibly inspiring and strong. This project is really special to both of us. I am extremely thankful. And the music video will be released tomorrow.”

    In response to Aftab’s heartfelt announcement, the star from Creed shared the post on her own Instagram Story. She added a touching note, saying, “This caption touched my heart. Love you, my debut sis, Arooj Aftab. Thank you for trusting me.” The music video will premiere on April 18 at 6:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time.

    ‘Raat Ki Rani’ is a big moment for Aftab. She became famous worldwide with her Grammy-winning song Mohabbat.
    Next, Aftab will perform at the famous Glastonbury Festival in London this June.

  • Assailants reveal sinister motive of firing at Salman Khan’s home

    Assailants reveal sinister motive of firing at Salman Khan’s home

    The Mumbai Police has finished their interrogation of the people who shot at Bollywood star Salman Khan’s house.

    According to reports from Indian media, the two gunmen who fired at Salman Khan’s house in Mumbai’s Bandra area were caught in Bhoj, Gujarat. Both of them are from Bihar area in Gujarat state.

    Unit 9 of India’s Crime Branch completed the investigation and gave the report to the local court, revealing that the gunmen wanted to kill the Bollywood superstar. After opening fire, they threw their guns into the Surat river.

    Now, the police want the court to keep the two suspects for 14 days to find out who planned the attack. Earlier, the suspects were already with the police for nine days.

    The suspects told the police they shot at Salman Khan’s house because gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who’s in jail, paid them to do it.
    The police told the media the suspects didn’t want to hurt Salman Khan or his family, but to scare people.

  • US tells Taliban to stop terrorists from using Afghan soil

    US tells Taliban to stop terrorists from using Afghan soil

    The US State Department has supported Pakistan’s initiatives against terrorism and called on Taliban leaders to stop terrorists from using Afghanistan’s land.

    In a conversation with Geo News, a State Department spokesperson said, “We support Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of its citizens in a manner that promotes the rule of law and protection of human rights.”

    The spokesperson said that Pakistan suffers a lot due to terrorism, adding that no country should suffer this much due to terrorism.

    “We urge the Taliban to ensure that Afghan soil is not used to support terrorist groups, movement of terrorists, or acts of terrorism.

    “We have been very clear that we will judge the Taliban by what they do, not what they say. The Taliban wantsl international legitimacy. This requires the Taliban to meet their commitments to the international community,” the official said.

    The US state spokesperson also said that the only concern of the US was to make sure that Afghanistan is not a secure and comfortable place for terrorists who want to harm the US, its partners, and allies. 

    The official added, “We are in regular communication with Pakistani leaders as a part of our partnership on counterterrorism issues. We continue to discuss Afghanistan in detail, including through our annual counterterrorism dialogue and other bilateral consultations.”

  • ‘Not happening now, just relax’; Yasir Hussain ends pregnancy rumors

    ‘Not happening now, just relax’; Yasir Hussain ends pregnancy rumors

    With all the talk online about celebrities, Yasir Hussain and Iqra Aziz became the center of rumors with speculation about them expecting another baby. It got really crazy on social media, especially after Yasir said something intriguing on a show with Nadia Khan.
    In the interview, when asked about having another child, Yasir replied, “Second baby Insha Allah jald karenge hum”. Some fans thought this meant they were announcing a pregnancy.
    But Yasir was quick to clarify what he meant.

    He said, “Not happening now, just relax.” So, take a chill pill guys! “It’ll happen when it’ll happen.”
    The clarification came because there were lots of rumors going around. Even though Yasir talked about having another baby on the show, he made it clear they didn’t have specific plans yet. He just said ‘soon,’ not that they’re expecting a baby right now.

    Yasir’s response to the situation shows how important it is to communicate clearly to stop false rumors. It also reminds media to be careful before sharing news that isn’t confirmed. Wrong information can really hurt celebrities’ lives and work.

  • President Zardari will address joint Parliament session today

    President Zardari will address joint Parliament session today

    The joint session of the two houses of Parliament will be held today in Parliament House under the presidency of Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq.

    President Asif Ali Zardari will address the parliament today at 4 pm. All arrangements have been made for what will be the first joint session of Parliament after the formation of the 16th National Assembly.

    The President of the State called the joint session of the Parliament to exercise the powers conferred under Articles 54(1) and 56(3) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

  • Non-formal education will be provided to out-of-school children in Sindh, says Sindh education minister

    Non-formal education will be provided to out-of-school children in Sindh, says Sindh education minister

    Sindh Minister for Education and Mines & Minerals, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, announced on Wednesday that out-of-school children in the province will be provided a facility to complete their studies through a non-formal education strategy. Geo reported on Wednesday.

    A non-formal education authority will be established, which will work with the collaboration of UNICEF and through public-private partnerships. 

    The remarks came during a meeting on Wednesday in Karachi with Education Secretary Sindh Zahid Ali Abbasi and other officials.

    Education minister explained that through a non-formal strategy, a child who is out of school will complete his/her education up to eighth grade within four years. He also said that almost two million children in Sindh will be able to get benefit from the facility.

    He also stated that Sindh is the only province that will take initiatives for out-of-school children in the form of non-formal education.

    He stated that non-formal education centres will be established in areas where the number of out-of-school children is high.

  • I was told to quit PTI by Western ambassador, claims Shandana Gulzar

    I was told to quit PTI by Western ambassador, claims Shandana Gulzar

    Shandana Gulzar, a senior member and elected MNA of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), recently appeared on a talk show with Hamid Mir and claimed that a foreign ambassador advised her to quit the party.

    She stated that this matter is directly concerned with the 2022 vote of no confidence brought against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    Shandana said, “I was called by many people including an ambassador of a Western country who asked me to think about my future and leave Khan because our party [PTI] is ending.”

    The MNA replied to the ambassador that the reason why she’s not quitting PTI is because it is a matter of “honour” for her.

    Gulzar further emphasized that the entire process of VONC was “stupid” and “botched up”. And that it could have been done with finesse and elegance rather than being so clumsy.

    An X user @DanMir_musings posted an old video of Shandana where she claimed that she was not told explicitly to quit PTI and Imran Khan. The user wrote, “Shandana Gulzar has already backtracked on this lie of hers that she was called by an embassy after VONC motion and was told to leave PTI and Imran.”

  • TIME magazine finally recognises Motaz Azaiza in top 100 influential figure list

    TIME magazine finally recognises Motaz Azaiza in top 100 influential figure list

    ‘TIME Magazine’ just released its yearly list of the top 100 most influential people worldwide, highlighting the individuals who’ve made big impacts on the global arena. One standout this year is Motaz Azaiza, famous for being one of the brave journalists exposing Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

    Motaz, a photo journalist from Gaza, got onto the TIME100 list after gathering a worldwide following who watched the genocide unfold through his camera lens.

    TIME described Motaz as the “World’s eyes and ears in his native Gaza”. The description continued to read, “Armed with a camera and a flak jacket marked ‘PRESS,’ the 25-year-old Palestinian photographer spent nearly four months documenting life under Israeli bombardment: families displaced from homes, women mourning loved ones, a man trapped beneath the rubble. His pictures showed what life is like in Gaza, which most international reporters can’t see because they’re not allowed in there. But doing this was dangerous. Since October 7, at least 95 journalists have been killed in Gaza. This is the deadliest time for journalists since 1992. Many more have been hurt or arrested. Motaz left Gaza in January. Now, he works to tell people about the crisis and asks for help from other countries.”