Tag: trending

  • You can’t get 100-page passports now

    You can’t get 100-page passports now

    The government has announced a temporary suspension on the issuance of passports with 100 pages. A statement issued by the Passport office expresses regret for the inconvenience and clarifies that this decision is part of the Directorate General (DG) of Immigration and Passports’ plan to introduce electronic passports (e-passports) nationwide.

    The transition initially began in Islamabad and has since been extended to all passport offices across the country following the federal government’s introduction of e-passports in June.

    As of August 16, 2023, new fee schedules have been implemented for e-passports, while fees for standard passports will remain unchanged.

    Here are the updated fee details for e-passports:

    1. For a standard 36-page passport valid for 5 years, the cost is set at Rs. 9,000.
    2. An urgent e-passport option is available for Rs. 15,000.
    3. A 72-page e-passport for regular processing will cost Rs. 16,500.
    4. Urgent service for the 72-page e-passport is priced at Rs. 27,000.
    5. If you opt for a 36-page passport with a 10-year validity, the normal fee is Rs. 13,500.
    6. The urgent service for this passport type costs Rs. 22,500.
    7. Additionally, a 72-page passport with a 10-year validity will incur a standard fee of Rs. 24,750, with an urgent processing fee of Rs. 40,500.

    The government’s decision to temporarily suspend the issuance of 100-page passports is in line with their efforts to streamline passport services and introduce more secure electronic passports to enhance the travel experience for Pakistani citizens.

  • Mannat Murad is heartwarming in the best way possible

    Mannat Murad is heartwarming in the best way possible

    ‘Mannat Murad’, written by Pakistani drama writer Nadia Akhtar and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain, is a heartwarming blend of comedy and romance. Produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi, the story revolves around two central characters: Mannat, played by Iqra Aziz, and Murad, played by Talha Chahour.

    Mannat, the youngest in her family, holds a special place as her birth came after numerous prayers and wishes, hence her name. The series thoughtfully explores the often misunderstood topic of depression, shedding light on how it’s perceived and the unfortunate neglect of mental health in our society.

    Mannat’s life unfolds in the backdrop of her progressive family, who value love, care, and individual choices. After the tragic loss of her parents, Mannat finds solace in Nafees, who becomes her loving elder brother and a pillar of support.

    On the other hand, Murad belongs to a more traditional family, where his mother’s influence casts a long shadow over his life decisions. As the sole son, Murad carries the weight of fulfilling his family’s expectations.

    The series is captivating, exploring the dynamics of love, family, and the choices we make in the face of societal expectations. It’s a story that touches the heart and offers a glimpse into the complex interplay between personal desires and family obligations.

  • ‘I was so confused’: Ice Spice addressed controversial comments by Matty Healy in podcast

    ‘I was so confused’: Ice Spice addressed controversial comments by Matty Healy in podcast

    Lead singer of the band ‘The 1975’, Matty Healy, created controversy earlier this year when while dating Taylor Swift, clips from an old podcast ‘The Adam Freidland Show’ emerged where he was seen passing racist comments about the rapper Ice Spice. The ‘About You’ singer was heard referring to the rapper as “one of the Inuit Spice Girls” and also called her “a f***ing Eskimo”. Swifties were outraged and Healy apologised.

    Now Ice Spice has addressed the controversy during an interview with Variety.

    The ‘Barbie World’ star revealed that when she heard the comments, she was quite confused:

    “When I had heard that little podcast or whatever, I was so confused. Because I heard ‘chubby Chinese lady’ or some shit like that, and I’m like, ‘Huh? What does that even mean? First of all, I’m thick. What do you mean Chinese? What?”

    The singer had apologised to the rapper, as Ice Spice noted, and they met at a party a few days ago where Matty had again apologised. She continued, “The whole time, I didn’t really care. But that’s funny because I saw him at the Jean Paul Gaultier party a couple days ago, and he was like, ‘Hey, you OK?’ and I’m like, ‘Of course.’ He apologized to me a bunch of times. We’re good.”

    Ice Spice also opened up about her friendship with Taylor Swift with whom she has collaborated on a new version of her song ‘Karma’. “That’s my sis. We was talking about a bunch of things. She’s so funny. We was sipping on a little something something. Just chatting, vibing.”

    Taylor also gushed about the rapper and in an email she had written “I relate to Ice in many ways, but I think her dedication and focus is what blew me away from the very start. She’s extremely professional without being cold. Playful and fun without ever taking her eye off the prize.”

  • Here are the dramas fans are celebrating on Ahad Raza Mir’s birthday

    Here are the dramas fans are celebrating on Ahad Raza Mir’s birthday

    Happy birthday Ahad Raza Mir! The singer and actor turns 30 today and fans are celebrating the occasion by sharing some of their favorite performances by the actor. Since the moment he stepped on to the screen in 2017 as Dr Asfandyar in ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’, he has been praised consistently. Here are some of the dramas fans are highlighting as their favorites

    Hum Tum

    We will start this article by mentioning the highlight of Ahad’s career because seriously, how could y’all forget the range he has? Ahad plays the studious Adam Sultan, who is rivals with Neha (played by Ramsha Khan). The two regularly compete to get the highest grades in college. However, their rivalry takes a huge turn when a proposal comes for Neha, and Adam realises that he has fallen for her.

    Ye Dil Mera

    Ahad plays the serious and reserved CEO of an oil industry, Amanullah Khan, who is traumatised by the death of his parents- and he believes the murderer to be Mir Farooq (played by Adnan Siddiqui) who is the father of college student Aina (played by Sajal Aly). When Amanullah attempts to get back at Mir Farooq by getting closer with Aina, both realise their past traumas are connected and work to uncover the mystery about the deaths of their loved ones.

    Yaqeen Ka Safar

    We couldn’t end this without mentioning the performance that made Ahad a household name. In this drama, he plays the traumatised Dr Asfandyar, who is grieving the death of his brother Daniyal, after he challenges a landlord’s son for gang raping a girl. He meets Zubia (played by Sajal), who ran away from her home after false accusations and suffering abuse from her family members, and the two slowly fall in love as they continue to work together.

  • Four dead, 12 Injured in a suicide blast in Hungu Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    Four dead, 12 Injured in a suicide blast in Hungu Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

    An explosion in a mosque in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has caused four fatalities, including a police officer, and injuries to 12 individuals on Friday, local authorities have confirmed.

    The incident took place within the confines of Doaba Police Station during the Friday sermon, when a large number of worshippers gathered at the mosque for their weekly prayers.

    Hangu District Police Officer (DPO) Nisar Ahmed reported that a group of 30–40 individuals is currently trapped beneath the debris after the mosque’s roof collapsed, and an operation is underway to rescue them.

    Ahmed said two suicide bombers were involved in the attack; one targeted the gate of the police station, and the other blew himself up inside the mosque.

    He mentioned that the 12 individuals who were saved from the debris have been transferred to a nearby hospital.

    Caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken notice and instructed officials to declare a state of emergency in all city hospitals.

  • BTS’s managment to take legal action against fans sending gifts to idol’s homes

    BTS’s managment to take legal action against fans sending gifts to idol’s homes

    Jab pyar kya tou darna kya? Thora sa ab dar lo.

    Korean band BTS’s management BigHit Entertainment has announced that they’re taking legal action against fans who are sending packages directly to the band members homes. The band comprises of seven members: Suga, Jungkook, Namjoon, V, J-Hope, Jimin and Jin.

    In a statement released on Weverse, the management said a criminal case was filed against the people and investigations are currently underway:

    “Hello. This is BigHit Music. Our company regularly initiates legal proceedings against perpetrators of malicious activities related to BTS, including defamation, personal attacks, sexual harassment, the spread of groundless information, and ill-intentioned criticism. We would like to provide an update on these important activities. During this quarter, we filed multiple criminal complaints with law enforcement agencies based on evidence related to acts infringing on the rights of the artists, including defamation, submitted by our fans as well as collected through our own monitoring.”

    The statement shared details of some of the packages the fans had sent to the singers homes, which were directly causing harm to their family members.

    “In particular, we gathered ongoing evidence regarding individuals who repeatedly sent mails and packages to the artists’ residences, even causing harm to the artists’ families, and filed criminal complaints against them on charges of violating laws regarding stalking crimes (Act on Punishment of Crime of Stalking). The court has issued an interim restraining order, and a prosecutor’s investigation is underway. We remain committed to an upcompromising, zero-tolerance policy in addressing stalking crimes that infringe on the privacy and safety of our artists.”

    “A decision was handed down in the second quarter of 2022 declaring a non-suit and halting the investigations against some of the suspects, and we filed objections and requested reinvestigation of these cases. As a result, through prosecution referrals, the suspects were ultimately found guilty of personal attacks and defamation against the artists, and legal penalties were imposed.”

    Ending the note, the management requested for the fans to cooperate with them in this investigation.

  • Indian director has a wish related to Pakistani actors, musicians

    Indian director has a wish related to Pakistani actors, musicians

    After viral videos showed the Pakistani cricket team getting a warm reception at Hyderabad from fans and media alike, its clear that the politics of hate failed to diminish the love and respect Indian fans have for Pakistani celebrities, and vice versa. Given this, Indian director Rahul Dholakia has suggested that it’s about time Pakistani actors were given permission to act in Indian films.

    “Now that Pakistani cricketers are officially here, can we also invite Pakistani actors to act in our films? Or musicians to perform?” the ‘Raees’ director wrote in a viral tweet.

    Rahul Dholakia’s film ‘Raees’ starred Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. Recently, in a podcast FWhy with Freiha Altaf, the actress spoke at length about the backlash she received after the ban was imposed, preventing Pakistani actors from working in India, and how it impacted her mental health. The ‘Razia’ actress revealed that she was diagnosed with manic depression and has been on medication for the past six to seven years.

    READ MORE: ‘Psychiatrist told me I had manic depression’, Mahira opens up about mental health

    “I talk it every chance I get. This is the first time I’m opening up about the fact that I’ve been taking medicine for so many years. And when I tried leaving it like I said it was bad… And I was again in and out of hospitals trying to get help. But yes, everybody has ups and downs, bad times and happy times, but clinical depression is real like any other mental illness or physical illness.”

  • 50 martyred in Mastung mosque blast

    50 martyred in Mastung mosque blast

    An explosion in Balochistan’s Mastung district on Friday has resulted in the deaths of at least 50 individuals, including a police officer, and left over dozens others injured. This marks the second major blast in the district in September.

    Mastung Assistant Commissioner Atta Ul Munim has stated that the explosion occurred near the mosque where individuals had gathered to commemorate Eid Miladun Nabi, which is the celebration of the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

    The AC stated that the explosion, believed by law enforcement to be a suicide blast, took place near the Madina Mosque. He also mentioned that there were plans for people to participate in a procession afterward.

    Provincial Caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai said that “the provincial government will bear all the expenses for the treatment of the injured”.

    This marks the second significant blast that has struck fear into the Mastung region in the past 15 days. In the previous blast on September 14, Hafiz Hamdullah, a leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and numerous others sustained injuries.

    UK high commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott has condemned the blast in Mastung and she said in her tweet on X that ” Balochistan. Violence has no place in our world. My heart goes out to the victims and their families during this incredibly difficult time”.

    https://twitter.com/JaneMarriottUK/status/1707694012365246686
  • PTI leaders arrested in Gawadar

    PTI leaders arrested in Gawadar

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) central leader Farrukh Habib, along with eight other people, have been arrested in Gwadar by security forces.

    Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Information Jan Achakzai confirmed the arrests to Dawn.

    Security personnel in plain clothes conducted a raid and arrested Farrukh Habib and eight other people from a local hotel in Gawadar after they got a tip-off. Habib was minister of state for information in the PTI government and president of PTI’s western Punjab wing.

    Those arrested in the raid include Habib’s brother and father-in-law, who were taken to an unknown place after their arrest.

    “The PTI leader reached Gwadar along with his brother, father-in-law and six other people to cross into Iran from Gwadar,” Mr Achakzai told Dawn.

    Habib, his brother and father-in-law have been shifted to an unknown place while six other people were handed over to Gawadar police, who have been released on bail after initial investigation.

    Those released on bail were: Jawad Ehsan Raza, Muhammad Mohsin, Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Nadeem, Muham¬mad Saqib Nasim and Mudassir. They belong to Lahore, Karachi and Bahawalpur.

  • Senate approves bill for public hanging of rapists despite opposition

    Senate approves bill for public hanging of rapists despite opposition

    A Senate committee has passed an amended bill for the public hanging of rapists despite strong opposition from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), interior and foreign affairs ministries.

    The bill, proposed by Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami, aims to amend sections 375, 375A, and 376 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Schedule II of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrCP).

    The Senate Standing Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Mohsin Aziz, discussed the amendments to remove section D and introduce public hangings for rapists. The demand for public hangings gained momentum following the gang-rape incident on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway in September 2020

    Senator Sherry Rehman of PPP strongly opposed public hangings. She also took to X (former Twitter) to express her disapproval.

    “I strongly opposed public hangings being introduced in a bill in Senate Interior Committee by JI colleague Sen Mushtaq. There is no proven link between deterrence & public executions, let alone death penalty. Quite the contrary. Sorry to see others arguing for a further brutalisation of society. Ziaul Haq introduced public punishments, what did that do? Rape and human rights crimes went up and have been going up ever since. The PPP opposes such laws.”

    The committee also approved the “Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, which focuses on proper treatment and medical examination reports for rape victims through public and private hospitals. The bill was moved by Senator Mumtaz Zehri.

    They addressed the issue of private jails and passed the “Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, co-sponsored by Senators Mushtaq Ahmed and Samina Mumtaz Zehri to deter false imprisonment within residences.

    Other bills were discussed during the session, including one temporarily rejected due to its sub judice status, and another was rejected.

    The committee also passed the “Rain Water Harvesting Facility in Urban Areas, Bill 2023,” to efficiently utilize rainwater, supported by CDA representatives.

    Senator Irfan Siddiqui raised concerns about a missing bill for almost 15 months and decided to request a detailed report on the matter from relevant officials.The meeting was attended by various senators, including Saifullah Abro, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, and Sherry Rehman, as well as bill movers Senator Mushtaq Ahmed and Palwasha Khan, along with government representatives.