Tag: trending

  • 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.”

  • Supreme Court approves live telecast of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference case

    Supreme Court approves live telecast of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference case

    The Supreme Court (SC) has approved a live telecast of a 12-year-old presidential reference regarding the contentious death sentence of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

    On Monday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari requested live broadcast of the hearing of the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference.

    The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa is heading a nine-member, larger SC bench that is going to hear the 12-year-old presidential reference regarding the controversial death sentence awarded to the former prime minister.

    The decision to fix the case was made under Section 2(1) of the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023, by a three-member committee comprising CJP Isa, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and Justice Ijazul Ahsan.

    Last week, the SC appointed a panel of two judges, Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, to decide on the issue of the live broadcasting of 12-year-old presidential reference after former president Asif Ali Zardari the approached SC in 2011 to revisit the trial of the former prime minister.

    Previously, an 11-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry conducted five hearings on the presidential reference. The last hearing in the said case was on November 11, 2022.

  • 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.”

  • Ayesha Omar shines in ‘Dhai Chaal’; Brace yourself for an exciting espionage thriller

    Ayesha Omar shines in ‘Dhai Chaal’; Brace yourself for an exciting espionage thriller

    Ayesha Omar is all set to sparkle in the film ‘Dhai Chaal’ where she’s taking on the role of a high-profile journalist unraveling the story of Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav’s conviction in Pakistan. Ayesha’s versatility and enthusiasm for the project shine through while she got to experience working in Quetta.

    The film’s producer, Dr. Irfan, played a crucial role in convincing Ayesha to embrace the character, and she saw working with a new team as an exhilarating adventure.

    On X (formerly Twitter) there is a tweet urging Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar to watch ‘Dhai Chaal’ as it counters Indian-sponsored terrorism in Balochistan. It’s great to see independent productions shedding light on untold stories.

  • PPP leader Abdul Qadir Baloch proposes election delay in security challenged regions

    PPP leader Abdul Qadir Baloch proposes election delay in security challenged regions

    Former federal minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Abdul Qadir Baloch has recommended postponing the general elections in areas that are not safe or facing security challenges.

    The PPP leader said in an interview on Saturday that by-polls can be conducted in these areas later, stressing that it will not be good to postpone general elections due to just six or seven constituencies.

    “Attacks by TTP in Balochistan are way higher than those by Baloch separatists,” the PPP leader said, adding that the terrorist organisation often targets Kalat, Mastung, and neighbouring areas.

    He also said that security threats are real because Baloch separatists don’t believe in the politics of parliament, calling the elements a hurdle for politicians to run their election campaigns.

    Abdul Qadir Baloch then said that interior minister Sarfraz Bugti should not have publicly talked to the media about threats to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, adding that it’s the caretaker government’s responsibility to give security to all politicians.

  • Indian govt issues notices to Shah Rukh, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar over gutka ads

    Indian govt issues notices to Shah Rukh, Ajay Devgan, Akshay Kumar over gutka ads

    The Indian government has issued notices to Bollywood A-listers Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgan for appeared in gutka advertisements despite a ban on promoting the addictive and harmful products.

    The actors have been issued notices by the government after a court hearing in which the state lawyer mentioned that the Supreme Court is already looking into the. matter.
    The actors appeared in the ads years ago. Akshay Kumar has even apologized to his fans for doing the advertisement.

    Gutka is an addictive substance made from areca nuts and tobacco. Once extremely popular in the subcontinent, gutka is known to cause cancers of the mouth, head and neck.

    The next court hearing is on May 9, 2024.

  • Rao Anwar targets Asif Zardari in new interview

    Rao Anwar targets Asif Zardari in new interview

    The controversial former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Malir, Rao Anwar, has targeted former President and co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari in an interview, offering details of alleged corruption within the Sindh government.

    Talking to SAMAA, Rao Anwar claimed that Asif Ali Zardari was involved in corruption of RS 700 billion, stating, “Asif Ali Zardari is the king of the system mafia. In the last five years, 700 billion rupees have been laundered outside Pakistan.”

    He also disclosed that after 2013, Sindh police had also been involved in seizing individuals’ land. He criticised the Sindh government, saying that instead of controlling crimes in Karachi and interior Sindh, they were busy doing other activities.

    Rao, one of the most contentious police officers in Karachi, retired in 2019, mired in allegations of extra judicial murder among other serious charges. He had been charged with carrying out fake encounters and involvement in corrupt practices, including orchestrating the murder of Naqeebullah Mehsud, an aspiring model from Waziristan. Later, an anti-terrorism court acquitted the former SSP.