The drama serial Zulm, written by Rehana Aftab and directed by Ilyas Kashmiri, is produced by Momina Duraid’s MD Productions. Zulm is a new 2023 Pakistani drama series on Hum TV. The drama story revolves around issues of injustice and resilience. Faisal Quraishi, known for versatility in portraying different characters, will be taking on the role of a cruel and notorious man, along with remaining cast members Sahar Hashmi and Shahzad Sheikh in the lead roles.The plot explores the dark side of human behavior, where cruelty and resilience intersect.
The drama revolves around a really menacing character who causes distress to everone around him. The story is a rollercoaster of emotions, and we hope that justice wins in the end!
At the core of “Zulm” lies a thrilling saga, a continuous battle between good and evil, with criminal supremacy casting dark clouds over society. The audience is invited to tune in to Hum TV at 8 pm to witness the unfolding saga, eagerly anticipating each twist and turn in the fight for life and justice.
Caretaker Punjab government has announced the new fee for the learner’s driving licence, as part of the decisions taken in the 33rd meeting of the provincial cabinet, reports The News.
After the cabinet’s approval, the fee for the learner’s driving licence in Punjab has been increased from Rs60 to Rs1,000.
The cabinet decided that the increase in the licence fee would come into effect from January 1, 2024.
However, citizens of the United States and Pakistani citizens living in the US, Canada and any other foreign country can get a driving licence by paying $100 online, the provincial cabinet’s official press release stated.
Last month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the authorities to arrest motorists driving without a licence and expressed displeasure over the violation of traffic rules. Justice Ali Zia Bajwa passed the remarks while hearing an appeal filed by the suspect challenging the insertion of Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Muhammad Bilal Pasha came under the spotlight as a candidate who cleared CSS examination, securing 85th position in the prestigious test having come from a humble background. In an old video that emerged after the result, he was seen standing next to his father against the backdrop of a brick wall, advocating about keeping the field open for those who work hard for it. He credited his father for his hard work.
He then got interviewed by TV Channels to share his struggle of being a son of a mason, yet reaching for the stars.
I still remember the day when he passed his CSS, he were called on the morning show at “Hum News “and I was having breakfast at that time and Bilal’s story was heart touching, a boy that came from lower middle class family. I don’t know where Bilal was posted 1/2#BilalPashapic.twitter.com/8MioaNifeJ
On November 27, the sad news of his demise surfaced online. #BilalPasha is trending on Twitter since the news broke out. He allegedly committed suicide.
Bilal was serving as a Chief Executive Officer in the Bannu Cantonment Board. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cantt Azmat Khan, Pasha was suffering from mental stress for several days which led to the suicide.
The police said that they found Pasha’s body covered in blood inside his residence where he shot himself. They added that his body has been moved to the District Headquarters Hospital, Bannu, reports Geo.
According to a media report, the police have launched an inquiry into the incident to find out whether Pasha committed suicide or was murdered. They also said that he had a bullet wound in his head.
His funeral prayers were offered in his home district of Khanewal. His father talked to BBC, stating that the last conversation he had with his son was on Saturday in which he told him that he is getting a transfer.
The old man who worked hard to raise his son was crying at the loss. Ahmed Yar told BBC that a week ago his son was telling him about the tiresome job and that he want to either quit or get time off so that he could just sleep and unwind.
Bilal’s father talked about how he was not able to reach him after the last call and that his friend broke the news to him.
Bilal separated from his wife a few months into the marriage about two to three years ago.
He pledged to be a guiding light for those who can not afford to join big academies for CSS preparation in his initial viral video and fulfilled the promise by becoming a mentor for many.
His unfortunate death has diverted people’s attention towards the importance of mental health.
Senior CSP Hamza Shafqaat tweeted about all those who have committed suicide in past years stressing how they are not mere numbers but people dealing with mental health issues.
Following CSS officers committed suicide in last few years .. 2 PAS , 2 PSP , 2 Audit and 1 MLCG. These are not mere numbers; they are not just a few faces #MentalHealthMatters#CSSpic.twitter.com/J0GksR1XQg
Many of his seniors and other colleagues are expressing grief in social media messages. Zoha Malik Sher wrote, “The passing of our colleague, Bilal Pasha, is a moment of grief, not a topic for discussion.”
In this difficult time, let’s prioritize empathy. The passing of our colleague, Bilal Pasha, is a moment of grief, not a topic for discussion. May Allah grant peace to the departed soul, strength to his family, and may we collectively honour his memory with sensitivity
“Politically incorrect, but amusingly ironic is the fact that many of the civil servants putting up hefty, poignant statuses/tweets about this would be really small people in their own offices, doing their best to make it a toxic environment for those working under them.”
They will copy-paste beautiful sentiments about mental health because it is apparently the correct thing to do, without ever stopping to think how their own demeanour and conduct is absolutely vitriolic for those around them. There is no introspection. https://t.co/nyvPBHqHjn
Another officer of 46th Common, Mirza Bilal Hassan tweeted, “I have never met Bilal Pasha and i can never feel the agony he went through. Civil service is rotten to its core and is frequently killing people. It is high time for the young civil servants to speak up and alter the old, rotten, corrupt, and inhumane values of civil service OR WAIT FOR THE NEXT/YOURS DEATH.”
For a person who is Fair , Just, intelligent, and Compassionate, civil service and our society are death beds. Its a Murder by Depression. Depression shoved down his throat by seniors, horrible working culture, continuous helplessness to do right, family and friends, and a mental… pic.twitter.com/mR0m9fTC5i
Bilal’s father and brother have been interviewed by different media outlets where they denied any knowledge of him being depressed. The two have also narrates stories of his hard work and commitment to the job while maintaining humility.
Bilal’s father clearly told Urdu Point that there was no work-related pressure on his son.
Bilal’s eldest brother talked about his last conversation with his sibling and said that he inquired about his son’s studies with Bilal and the latter told him that he is doing fine and will become a CSP in the future.
Many of Pasha’s students are demanding an investigation into his death, expressing dissatisfaction over the declaration of his demise as a suicide. To them, he was a happy-go-lucky person, patriotic and optimistic. There are an ample number of tweets with #JusticeforBilalPasha.
#JusticeForBilalPasha The authorities must thoroughly investigate the incident of his death so as to save the other civil servants and those having so much fame like Mr. Pasha from such a painful end. pic.twitter.com/VlXQKjItew
We demand an immidiate impartial judicial inquiry into this tragic inicident as we have seen biased behavior of @KP_Police1 So an independednt judicial investigation team must be comprised to probe into it and bring out the complete truth and #JusticeForBilalPasha
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, famous for his eccentric statements, spoke at the first National Mothers’ Meeting in 11 years held in Pyongyang, emphasising the importance of mothers in preventing a decline in birth rates. He framed it as a collective responsibility to strengthen national power. Kim got emotional during his speech while women in the audience were seen sobbing as well.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looked emotional and wiped his eyes at a meeting of mothers, state television showed.
Kim made speeches at the start and end of the event, drawing attention with a call for more births and more children in his socialist state. pic.twitter.com/4YuLjtIdHG
Addressing the women as “Dear Mothers”, he pleaded with them to fulfill their role as birth-givers against the rising concerns of a drop in the North Korean birth rate. “Preventing a decline in birth rates and good childcare are all of our housekeeping duties we need to handle while working with mothers,” Kim was quoted as saying by the news agency Reuters at the event for mothers in Pyongyang on Sunday.
He also thanked mothers for their role in strengthening national power.
“I too always think about mothers when I have a hard time dealing with the party and the state’s work,” Kim said.
Experts highlight the unique societal challenges influencing North Korea’s fertility decline, noting Kim Jong Un’s public appearances with his daughter, Ju Ae, as potential efforts to encourage family values.
His pleas reflect the government’s determination to the cause of counterbalance South Korea’s older population.
The United Nations Population Fund estimates that as of 2023, the fertility rate, or the average number of children being born to a woman, stood at 1.8 in North Korea, amid an extended fall in the rate during recent decades.
The decline in fertility has been attributed to various factors, including urbanisation, delayed marriage, and women’s participation in the workforce. However, North Korea’s birth rate is still higher than most of its neighbours. The fertility rate remains higher than in some of North Korea’s neighbours, which have been grappling with a similar downward trend.
South Korea saw its fertility rate drop to a record low of 0.78 last year, while Japan saw its figure drop to 1.26.
The Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum has been ordered by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to submit a report on who is responsible for an alleged audio leak between the former first lady Bushra Bibi and her lawyer, Latif Khosa, Geo has reported.
The court also asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to do forensics of the leaked audio between Bushra Bibi and Latif Khosa to know about the origin of its release.
Justice Babar Sattar of the IHC said during a hearing of a plea filed by Latif Khosa that a copy of the petition be sent to DG ISI, seeking a report on who is behind the audio leak.
The court also issued notices to FIA, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), seeking their response on the matter.
The hearing was then adjourned till December 11.
Later, while leaving the courtroom, Justice Sattar said, “Big Boss is listening to everything, you must know this.”
He then went on to ask who was recording the audio, in reply to which Khosa said, “Everyone knows who records.”
Former army chief General (r) Qamar Javed Bajwa can surprise founder and former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, as he is “willing to appear” as a witness in the cipher case, The News has reported.
During the last hearing in cipher case, Imran Khan said while speaking to journalists, “I will include General Bajwa and US Embassy officials as witnesses in the case.”
A source from The News confirmed that the former army chief also showed willingness to appear as a witness. However, he will require permission from military authorities.
The former prime minister is currently in Adiala jail and facing charges under the Official Secrets Act, 1923. A special court is hearing the cipher case against Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Imran had alleged that “General Bajwa did everything on Donald Lu’s directives”.
This accusation does not match the statements given by witnesses, including the former secretary of foreign affairs and Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US. Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US was in contact with Donald Lu, and their communication’s result was a cable that was sent to the foreign ministry, which is a normal thing.
Imran Khan had also claimed that the cipher was a conspiracy against him to remove him from the office.
The National Security Committee (NSC) deliberated over the cipher twice, once when Imran Khan was the prime minister of Pakistan and later in the tenure of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif.
The NSC found no evidence of conspiracy on both occasions against Imran Khan in the cipher.
Veteran actress Saba Faisal was a guest on the Samaa show ‘Subh Ka Samaa Madehaa Kay Sath’ where she spoke about girls having unrealistic expectations from marriage, including immediately becoming the owner of a home after marrying a man. Her advise to these girls who wished to become financially secure was, not to look for better jobs, but to marry older man.
“Today’s girls think they will immediately become owner’s of homes after getting married and have a lot of wealth. They don’t realise that young men are struggling with their jobs in these periods. If you’re looking for financial stability, then a better choice is that you marry a man who is between the ages of 40 or 50. Since he would be able to fulfil all of your needs.”
Turns out this wasn’t the only housekeeping tip Miss Saba had to offer on the show. She also urged parents to pray for their son’s fortunes, rather than entirely focusing on their daughters because after all it is the son who is responsible for running the entire household. Women can’t become bread winners, Miss Saba? They are solely just burden on their parents because they have to eventually get married and become the responsibility of someone else?
“Parent’s shouldn’t just pray that their daughters fortunes are good, but they should also pray that their sons are blessed in life. They are the ones who are responsible for handling an entire household, and when they get married they have to get a wife who would take care of the entire family. Men have an enormous responsibility.”
Can celebrities please stick to solely acting projects and not churn out advice we never asked for?
Clive Stafford Smith, the lawyer of neuroscientist Dr Afia Siddiqui, currently jailed in America, has said in a shocking interview to Geo News that she has been subjected to sexual abuse as an investigation tactic, including being assaulted twice by prison guards in America, and harassed multiple times by fellow jail inmates.
Her lawyer also mentioned that the Pakistani government is also aware of the two instances of sexual assault. Smith revealed that a sexual assault complaint was, therefore, filed on her behalf. “What they have been doing to her is pretty much unspeakable,” he said. Clive pointed out the tragic fact that there are close to 10,250 women in the American federal prison system. The woman who is treated the harshest of them all is Afia Siddiqui, currently in FMC Carswell Jail in Texas.
He stressed that the Government of Pakistan has been informed about these instances and since it represents Afia on international forums, it is a failure on the part of the government of Pakistan that they have not tried enough to get her back.
In August, Clive also posted about having compiled a report about “the sexual abuse that poor #Aafia has suffered at American hands in the last 20 years”.
I have just completed a report on the sexual abuse that poor #Aafia has suffered at American hands in the last 20 years. It is a shame upon my country & Pakistan @ForeignOfficePk needs to multiply their efforts by 1000% @Aafiamovement@FreeAafiaM
These comments by Afia’s lawyer also pointed to a 2018 report prepared by Aisha Farooqui, Pakistan’s former consul general in Houston, in which she cited physical and sexual abuse that Dr. Aafia was subjected to during her detention. That report recommended “Exploring a legal mechanism for her repatriation to Pakistan to complete her sentence in Pakistan, where at least she would be safe and would be able to meet her mother and children, who she has not met in almost eight years.”
Clive posted about his last meeting with Dr Afia, “She ended our meeting sobbing, ‘I’m not going back to that cell & the sexual predators. Take me out of here. I’m innocent!’ Over&Over&Over for 28 minutes before they made me leave.”
Dreadfully sad today: Aafia ended our meeting sobbing, “I’m not going back to that cell & the sexual predators. Take me out of here. I’m innocent!” Over&Over&Over for 28 minutes before they made me leave. @Aafiamovement@FowziaSiddiqui@senatorMtalha@SenatorMushtaq
Dr Afia is currently being visited by her sister Dr Fowzia Siddiqui where they are not allowed to touch or hug each other and have to talk to each other been separated by glass screens. Fowzia shared in a video message that she found her sister to be in a worse condition than before.
Earlier this year, the sisters met after 20 years when the elder Dr Fowzia visited her in June at a prison hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, US. Dr Fowzia said: “Due to her condition, I could not even recognise her,” reports Geo.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, a US-educated Pakistani scientist, was jailed in 2010 for 86 years by a New York federal district court in September 2008 on charges of attempted murder and assault, stemming from an incident during an interview with the US authorities in Ghazni, Afghanistan — charges that she denied.
Time magazine announced yesterday that the coveted title of ‘Person Of The Year’ 2023, went to singer Taylor Swift. The decision was met with severe backlash from the internet, who called it out as another example of how the Western media has silenced journalists in Gaza, who were risking their lives to reveal the realities of the genocide.
A Twitter user is going viral for drawing a comparison between Ukraine-Russia war and Israel’s aggression.
times person of the year when russia invaded ukraine vs when israel is committing literal genocide against palestinians pic.twitter.com/rvhzkUUXxu
Twitter users were outraged at Gazan journalists like Motaz Azaiza, Plestia, Bisan and Saleh being ignored, stressing that censorship lays bare that Gazan lives are considered disposable by the western media.
72 Journalists and their families have been killed by israel since october 7th, they are among the 20,000+ palestinians slaughtered. We can honor ukraine in 2022 but god forbid you honor the brown people risking their lives to show whats happening in Gaza. Screw this. https://t.co/uwg7mPzzSP
Today I choose to honor the real people of the year: the Journalists in Palestine. Their constant strength and courage in the midst of a genocide is something so admirable. They lose family and friends but never stop showing us what’s actually happening in Gaza. #freepalestinepic.twitter.com/jBCCdnNnWI
Many Twitter users are also criticising Taylor Swift to be a white feminist, after a quote from her article with Time went viral where she spoke about the intersection of capitalism and patriarchy.
“What has existed since the dawn of time? A patriarchal society. What fuels a patriarchal society? Money, flow of revenue, the economy. So actually, if we’re going to look at this in the most cynical way possible, feminine ideas becoming lucrative means that more female art will get made. It’s extremely heartening.”
She’s basically saying that her being rich is because of feminism and her “female art” (whatever that means) is justified in making money because it’s feminist. Guys look she’s such a feminist for using feminism to profit more money even if she’s a billionaire. White feminist https://t.co/SzaDsgZ7oG
— সব নিপীড়িত মানুষের মুক্তি Ujala/নিশিথিনী (@shimmeringolds) December 6, 2023
i’m so glad she did this interview. She’s the final (girl)boss liberal white woman, and I am saying this neutrally. stuck in a vacuum, staid politics, pussy ear hats, daughter of a witch they couldn’t burn https://t.co/kogXstlqjN
— Bolu Babalola is technically on leave & (@BeeBabs) December 6, 2023
Explore the lively spirit of Karachi with Jalebi Express’s Mix Plate City Tour, a Sunday morning ride on the iconic W-11 Karachi Mini Bus. From 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, discover the city’s rich culture, blending old and new aspects. Experience the charm and diversity of Karachi with Jalebi Express – turning every Sunday into an adventure!
Mark your calendar for a night full of laughter as comedian Hashim takes the stage at Cafe Forex (Lahore) on December 9th. From 7 to 9 PM, join in for continuous comedy, promising an evening of hearty laughs with friends and family. Don’t miss this chance to relax and enjoy a Comedy Night that will leave you in stitches!
Join us for an unforgettable day at BazaarFest 2.0, a unique event on December 9th, 2023, at Lahore Fort. Experience cultural fusion and futuristic fun with live performances, rhythmic dhamaal, futuristic light shows, food stalls, family-friendly shopping, and much more from 3:00 pm to 12:00 am. Don’t miss the Faris Shafi concert, Baeyyet dance, open mic sessions, pottery workshop, live graffiti, and experiential rooms!
Support over 150 home-based women entrepreneurs at the Islamabad Women Gala on December 9th and 10th, 11 am to 9 pm, at Pakistan China Friendship Centre. Enjoy a vibrant family atmosphere with a kids’ arena, interactive activities, food court, magical show, Christmas corner, and a craft corner promoting inclusion and religious harmony. Join them for a festive and empowering experience!
