In a exhilarating match on Thursday, the Pakistani cricket team were officially out of Asia Cup 2023 after losing to Sri Lanka by two wickets, paving the way for the island nation to face off against India in Colombo. Although many expressed their disappointment at the lack of performance, including former captain Shahid Afridi, many were still proud of the effort the boys in green displayed. Since yesterday, prominent celebrities like Shahista Lodhi and Mawra Hocane sent uplifting messages to the cricket team, especially to captain Babar Azam for his efforts to make it this far.
The aesthetic surgeon and actress took to Instagram to express her pride at the way Babar Azam kept fighting till the end.
“Dear skipper Babar Azam, proud of the way you fought. I will never stop supporting you no matter what. Chin up King don’t let your crown fall.”
Hocane sisters Mawra and Urwa rallied behind the boys in green, commending them for their hard work and prayed that more achievements will arrive soon.
Koi baat nahi..you put up a great fight Pakistan..the better team won.. #AsiaCup2023 congratulations Srilanka well done Pakistan ❤️❤️❤️❤️ My heart will always pray for you..never hopeless ever..I won’t lie, I cried a tear or two but here’s to many many heart warming…
BTS fans will continue to go to all lengths to prove that they’re indeed the most wholesome and wonderful people to exist on the planet.
A BTS fan from Gujranwala, Syeda Binte Zainab, moved social media a few days ago when she celebrated the birthday’s of both BTS members Jung Kook and Namjoon’s by donating 125 boxes of food to patients suffering from thalassemia at Sundus Foundation, in an effort to spread awareness about providing blood donations to help children suffering from the disease.
Namjoon aka RM, is a popular rapper and song writer from the South Korean band BTS, which comprises of six other members including Jung Kook, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V and J-Hope. The band, declared by Time Magazine to be the ‘Princes Of Pop’, partnered with UNICEF in 2017 for their campaign to end violence against children, and have received 5 Grammy nominations.
Guyz I need your Prayers because I’m almost going to start Namkook Birthday Project Celebrations with Thalassemia patients and right now I’m packing food for them while streaming “Slow Dancing” Please drop your wishes or Purple heart pic.twitter.com/xkOkkCzpix
— Syeda BinteZainab⁷♥ #HBD_NAMJOON♥| ʟᴀʏᴏ(ꪜ)ᴇʀ ⍤⃝ (@BinteZainab33) September 9, 2023
The viral tweet received praise from fans and non-fans alike on social media, who appreciated the woman for undertaking such an amazing charity project on her own to celebrate her idol’s birthday.
감사합니다 아미 ♀️ You did a really really good Job Our boys will probably be so proud of you, and of course ARMY too… Fightingggg ♀️ https://t.co/GsnSyYMidC
Syeda Zainab also shared a link to her Youtube account which showed how she set up the project. She also included an interview with a doctor who spoke in detail about the disease and encouraged others to donate blood to patients and help save their lives.
Speaking to The Current, Syeda Zainab, who works as a teacher had previously collaborated with Sundas Foundation to organise 180 gifts food boxes, and this year had decided had collaborated with a student to bake a cake and a fellow BTS fan from Twitter, who baked cookies for the occasion.
“This year in collaboration with #BTS_Pk_Streaming , I thought of doing something different, so I texted the Director and asked for his permission to organise a little activity to which he instantly agreed. So I saved my 1 month salary and decided to arrange a special meal for Thalassemia fighters and their families. My student ‘Haider’ who is also BTS ARMY member, prepared the BTS Themed Cake to celebrate Namkook’s (Namjoon & Jungkook of BTS) birthday . A kind ARMY friend *Saira from Twitter specially prepared ‘Namjoon & Jungkook day special cookies’ for patients. I’ve Donated Blood before Starting the celebration because I know the importance of blood donations. My Blood can save 1 life so what’s better then this to celebrate this special month?”
Syeda Zainab told us she had been organising charity efforts for Sundas Foundation since 2021, when she donated blood to the patients and was in touch with the director whom she described as a ‘noble’ man. In 2022, she had celebrated Jung Kooks’ birthday with the rest of the patients by packing more than 180 gifts for the patients, and also brought along a cake to celebrate the occasion as shown from pictures she shared with us.
Speaking on the overwhelming praise her project received from social media, Zainab said she found it “over whelming and heart touching”. Several patients suffering from thalassemia exchanged phone numbers with her in order to see her vlog. “They literally longed for blood and happiness. I’m glad I was the reason behind their smile and happiness.”
“BTS is the reason behind spreading smiles all around the world and we ARMYs simply follow their footsteps. Alhumdulillah I feel incredibly happy to spread happiness around me just like my idols.”
Pakistani BTS fans have gone viral on several occasions for setting up extensive charity projects to celebrate birthdays of the band members, asking for nothing in return. “BTS and the ARMY fandom have been actively involved in social causes and have raised millions for charities. I remember back in June 6th 2020, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, and the ARMY fandom matched that amount within 24 hours.”
Continuing further, Zainab said “We organize projects like this because our icons inspire us every single day. Jungkook donated millions of won (Korean currency) to hospitals and universities on his birthday. When the severe earthquake disaster happened in turkey, it was BTS band members who donated millions of dollars to help the victims. The list is too extensive to share how many times they have contributed to help others.. We ARMYS do good things on BTS name all around the world so it doesn’t matter for us that our idols live in Korea or anywhere else. The thing which only matter is “THE MESSAGE”. The message BTS gives to ‘LOVE YOURSELF’ & ‘BE HUMAN’.”
Zainab told The Current that Pakistani BTS fans have done several projects in honor of their idols in the past, as last year they had celebrated Namjoon’s birthday by donating wheelchairs to Manawan Hospital Lahore. On September 1, which was Jungkook’s birthday, ARMY members donated 50 notebooks to schools in order to provide educational facilities for students from lower income backgrounds, along with Rs 7000 to Edhi Foundation, just proving how their fandom continues to do good and keep making their icons proud.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gave a GBP 50 tip to a guy for delivering his favourite kheer.
The unnamed delivery guy said in a video that Nawaz Sharif likes to eat their kheer, a dessert made from rice and milk, which he orders regularly. The delivery man said that the former Premier, who often orders the dessert, gave the man GBP 50 as tip about three weeks ago.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar got pre-arrest bail in US cipher case from a special court on Thurday. On the other hand, PTI’s Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s bail pleas got rejected in the same case while their judicial remand has been extended till September 26.
Special prosecutor Shah Khawar told the judge Abul Hasnat that Umar’s arrest is not necessary at this stage.
“Asad Umar’s arrest is not required in the case as yet and no evidence against him has been gathered as of now,” Shah Khawar told the judge, adding that if investigators found evidence against the former finance minister, he would be informed.
“If Asad Umar’s arrest is required, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will proceed according to law,” the judge ordered.
Judge Hasnat also instructed FIA to inform Asad Umar before arresting him.
The Pakistani Rupee (PKR) has extended its impressive winning streak against the US dollar for the seventh consecutive session, concluding at PKR 297.96 to the dollar. This marks a gain of 86 paisas when compared to the previous rate of Rs298.82 in the interbank foreign exchange market on Wednesday.
The PKR’s recent surge follows its all-time low of PKR 307.10 on September 5, 2023. Within this short span, the Pakistani rupee has appreciated by PKR 9.14, equivalent to an impressive 3 percent increase in the interbank foreign exchange market.
Following a concerted effort by authorities to suppress illicit black market activities in the major cities of Pakistan, the Pakistani rupee continued its upward trajectory against the US dollar, marking a substantial three-point gain in the open market on Thursday.
The Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP) reported a noteworthy recovery of the rupee, which surged to 298 in relation to the greenback, reflecting a significant increase.
This crackdown on black market operators was initiated earlier in the month in response to a precipitous decline in the rupee’s value, hitting a record low of Rs333.7 on September 5. The impetus for this decisive action stemmed from appeals made to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir by currency dealers, beseeching him to intervene and stabilise the escalating value of the American currency.
As a direct outcome of these concerted efforts, the Pakistani currency rebounded to a level below 300 per dollar in the open market earlier this week. This positive shift also saw a substantial influx of tens of millions of dollars back into the country’s interbank and open markets, according to reports from dealers.
Apple is expected to release iPhone 15 units manufactured in India for sale in India and other countries. This means that we might also see these made in India iPhones in Pakistan, as Pakistani mobile sellers import iPhones from various countries like China, Japan, Hong Kong, and the US. While these Indian-made iPhones may not arrive in Pakistan directly from India, they are likely to become available as they enter international markets.
Unfortunately, there are no official Apple stores in Pakistan, and there are limited authorised Apple product sellers. It remains uncertain how many iPhones made in India will be available in Pakistan in the future, but as Indian iPhone production increases, we can expect to see more of them.
Although the majority of iPhone 15 units will still come from China, Apple’s efforts to scale production in India are making progress, reducing its reliance on Chinese manufacturing. Apple began assembling previous iPhone generations in India in 2017 and has been producing flagship iPhones there since 2020. The company aims to increase its production in India from 7 per cent to 25 per cent by 2025. However, there may still be some delays due to logistical challenges.
Closing the production gap between China and India is crucial for Apple, as it provides a reliable manufacturing alternative and helps the company comply with India’s Make in India law to avoid steep tariffs. This move also aligns with Apple’s strategy to navigate geopolitical issues and local labour disputes.
Given recent Chinese nationalism, which encourages the use of domestic brands like Huawei, this shift in production location is timely. Despite their high cost and the requirement for PTA approval in Pakistan, Apple iPhones remain popular among those who can afford them.
Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah has been injured on Thursday in a blast in the Mastung area of Balochistan, Geo News has reported.
According to initial details, the senator and JUI-F spokesperson was going to Mangochar when the roadside explosion took place.
JUI-F has said in a statement that Hafiz Hamdullah was sent to Quetta after he was given initial medical aid and is “out of danger” now.
The senator’s gunman, also injured in the blast, has been sent to Mir Ghaus Bakhsh Raisani Hospital for further treatment.
Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Levies officials reached the site and cordoned off the area. Investigations have begun.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandial has said on Wednesday that judges of the apex court only disagree on whether constitutional cases should come to the Supreme Court (SC) or not.
While addressing a ceremony hosted by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in his honour, the Chief Justice said that judges only disagree on whether constitutional cases should come directly to the apex court or not. “There is no contradiction amongst us on constitutional principles,” he stated, emphasizing that the apex court and judiciary are the protectors of the constitution.
A large numbers of lawyers along with nearly all SC judges attended the farewell dinner ceremony, however, Justices Yahya Afridi and Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi didn’t attend the event.
CJP Bandial is going to retire on September 16, while Justice Qazi Faez Isa will be the next CJP, joining office on September 17.
The chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, has said on Wednesday that it’s weird that only one party knows the election date. Bilawal Bhutto didn’t take the name of any party, but his statement was about the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as President Arif Alvi proposed November 6 as the date for the country’s general elections in response to the appeal from his party. The former foreign minister also said that one party cannot resolve the issues in the country. “All parties will have to sit together to take the country out of this crisis.”
“The PPP is answerable for its ministries and the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] for its own,” Bilawal added. “As far as the PTI is concerned, those who were involved in the May 9 attacks, it is very difficult for us [to hold talks with them],” Bilawal said, adding, “An incompetent and ineligible prime minister was imposed due to which [country] had to face a crisis at the economic and foreign level.”
Right-arm fast bowler Zaman Khan has replaced Naseem Shah in today’s Asia Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka.
According to a press release issued by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Naseem Shah got injured on Monday in the last match against India. Pakistan team’s medical panel is continuously monitoring his health as the upcoming one-day international World Cup is going to start on October 5.
Zaman Khan joined the team on Thursday and will bowl against Sri Lanka in today’s crucial match.
PCB also said about pacer Haris Rauf that he “continues to recover well” after he felt discomfort in his right flank in the match against India.
“These two fast bowlers are our assets, and the team’s medical panel will provide them the best possible care ahead of the all-important World Cup,” the press release quoted the team’s doctor, Sohail Saleem, as saying.
Shahnwaz Dhani also joined the 17-player squad on Thursday.