Tag: trending

  • Who are the cabinet members in caretaker government?

    Who are the cabinet members in caretaker government?

    Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s 24-member cabinet comprising of politicians, TV artists and anchors, retired bureaucrats, and servicemen has been sworn in by the President of Pakistan, Dr. Arif Alvi, on Thursday.

    Of the 24 members cabinet, 16 are federal ministers, three are advisers to the prime minister, and five are Special Assistants to the Prime Minister (SAPMs). Most of them are new faces, not seen before in a government set-up.

    Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, the 14th former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, who has also served in Asian Development Bank (ADB) as its Director General of the Southeast Asia Department, has been given the portfolios of Finance, Revenue, Economic Affairs and Privatization.

    The portfolios of Defense and Defence Production have been given to Anwar Ali Hyder, a retired lieutenant general, who formerly served as chairman Naya Pakistan Housing and Development Authority and has an association with Army Welfare Trust.

    Jalil Abbas Jilani, a former foreign secretary, who has served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Belgium, Luxemburg and the E.U, and Australia, has been appointed the foreign minister.

    Former Balochistan minister for Home, Tribal Affairs, Prisons and PDMA, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, has been given three portfolios — federal minister for Interior, Overseas Pakistanis and Narcotics Control.

    The information ministry has gone to senior journalist Murtaza Solangi, who has served as director general of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and has been in journalism for over 30 years.

    The ministries of Law and Justice, Climate Change and Water Resources were given to Ahmed Irfan Aslam, a senior lawyer who has served as a member of the Supreme Court’s International Arbitration Cell . His significant contribution is facilitating Pakistan’s successful resolution of the Karkey and Reko Diq cases through out-of-court settlements.

    The ministries of Power and Petroleum have been given to Muhammad Ali, a former SECP chairman, who has also served as a Director on the Boards of reputable companies like Engro Corporation Limited, Karachi Stock Exchange (Guarantee) Limited, Dawood Bank Limited, etc.

    The portfolios of Commerce, and Industries and Production have been given to industrialist Dr. Gohar Ejaz, chairman of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association, a recipient of Sitara e Imtiaz, who has also been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in management from the Uniersity of Punjab, Lahore.

    Dr Umar Saif, a former Chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), has been given two portfolios of Information Technology and Telecom, and Science and Technology. Dr. Saif served on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Pakistan between 2013-14. He has served on the Boards of several government and semi-government organizations, including Aitchison College, Bank of the Punjab, Technical Education & Vocational Training Company (TEVTA), Engineering Consultancy Services of the Punjab, Urban Sector Planning and Management Services Unit, Lahore Parking Company, Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company and Punjab Educational Endowment Fund.

    The portfolio of Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives has been given to Muhammad Sami Saeed, a former federal secretary and former director of Asian Development Bank representing Kazakhstan, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines and Timor-Leste. He joined the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1980 and has extensive experience in public finance and development.

    Prominent TV artist and former Director General, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Jamal Shah has been picked up as federal minister for National Heritage and Culture. Jamal is also the founder of Artists Association in Pakistan and Hunerkada College of Visual and Performing Arts.

    Madad Ali Sindhi — a famous Pakistani writer, columnist and journalist, who has written numerous Sindhi books — has been given the portfolio of federal Education and Professional Training.

    The portfolio of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination has been given to prominent health expert Dr. Nadeem Jan, a professional for 24 years who has worked with UN, USAID, World Bank, EU, DFID, INGOs and national Governments.

    Khalil George of the Balochistan Awami Party, former Parliamentary Secretary for Minority Affairs, has been awarded the Human Rights ministry.

    Religious scholar, TV anchor, host on Dunya Tv, popular for his religious show Peyam-E-Subh, Aneeq Ahmed, graduated from Karachi University in International Relations and started his career from PTV in 1999, joined GEO in 2002 and then moved to ARY in 2005. He has been with DUNYA TV since June, 2011. Aneeq Ahmed has been appointed as the minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

    Shahid Ashraf Tarar, a retired captain, has been given three portfolios — Communications, Maritime Affairs, and Railways. Shahid Ashraf is also the Chairman of Federal Public Service Commission. He formerly served as Executive Director World Bank Group where he led HR Committee as Chairman for two years. He also worked as Federal Secretary Communication, Chairman NHA, Secretary Excise & Taxation, Director General NAVTEC, Deputy Commissioner, Director to the President and Head of Economic Sector Los Angeles, USA.

    Advisers

    Retired air marshal, Farhat Hussain, a recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) , and Sitara-i-Basalat, has been made an adviser to the premier on aviation with the status of a federal minister. He is the Chairman of Scaled Aviation Pvt Ltd and President of Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies.

    Ahad Khan Cheema, a confidant of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, has been appointed as an adviser on establishment, also with the status of a federal minister. Cheema joined the District Management Group (now called Pakistan Administrative Service) in 2001 and had served under former chief ministers Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi and Shehbaz Sharif on various welfare and development projects. He was the first high-profile arrest in Punjab by the NAB before the 2018 general elections. A BPS-19 PAS officer, he became the head of the Lahore Development Authority, in 2013, during the last PML-N government and was conferred the award of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in recognition of his services for carrying out the Lahore Metro Bus Service Project.

    Former federal secretary for Finance Division, an eminent economist with wide-ranging experience of both public and private sectors, Dr Waqar Masood will perform as a special adviser on finance, with the status of a state minister. He has held several prestigious positions in the Federal Government including Special Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary Finance Division, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Secretary Petroleum & Natural Resources and Secretary Textile Industry.

    Special Assistants

    The caretaker PM also appointed five special assistants, with the portfolio of adviser on human rights and women empowerment going to Mishal Hussain Malik, wife of the Kashmiri freedom movement leader Yasin Malik. She is the chairperson of Peace and Culture Organisation which highlights the plight of people of Kashmir in IIOK&K.

    Jawad Sohrab Malilk, a qualified lawyer and businessman, has become an SAPM for overseas Pakistanis. He was formerly SAPM for Shehbaz Sharif. He has been successfully running a vast business empire stretched to Lon¬don, Pakistan and Dubai and has good contacts inter¬nationally including with the Ameri¬can members of Congress, British parliamentarians, global business elite, Gulf royal families and political parties in Pakistan across the board.

    Retired vice Admiral Iftikhar Rao has been made the adviser on maritime affairs, He has more than 40 Years of Maritime Experience. He has served on board and commanded ships and is also a Naval Aviator.

    TV anchor and writer Wasih Shah has been made advisor on tourism. He is famous for his poetry and contribution to literature and has been hosting TV shows for a while now.

    Syeda Arfa Zehra has been made advisor on federal education and professional training. She is a Pakistani educationist and urdu language expert. Zehra is also a former caretaker provincial minister of Punjab. She is recognized for her knowledge on the Urdu language and literature and is specialized in intellectual history and South Asian social issues; outside of the university sphere, she speaks at language conferences and televised forums.

  • Case against UK-based PTI activist Shayan Ali filed under anti-terror law in Islamabad

    Case against UK-based PTI activist Shayan Ali filed under anti-terror law in Islamabad

    A case has been filed under anti-terror laws against Shayan Ali – a UK-based based activist of the the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)- at Ramna Police Station in Islamabad.

    According to the First Information Report (FIR), Shayan Ali made videos of a judicial officer Humayun Dilawar and harassed him in London.
    “An attempt was made to attack a judicial officer, he was saved by a security official,” the FIR adds.
    According to the copy of FIR received by Geo News, the SHO of the Ramna Police Station Nasir Iqbal filed the FIR due to the several videos of Shayyan threatening a judicial officer.

    “In one video which went viral on social media, Shayan said that he would make the life of the judicial officer hell who was come to a training at an educational institution in the United Kingdom,” the FIR stated.

    The report asserted that Shayan had also called on other Pakistanis to join him in “making the official’s life hell”.
    Moreover, Adil Farooq Raja, another prominent PTI social media activist, joined the activities online by making these videos aiding and abetting the “terrorist activators”, the FIR claimed.

  • Indian professor compares how Pakistani artists respond to communal riots vs Bollywood

    Indian professor compares how Pakistani artists respond to communal riots vs Bollywood

    After the Jaranwala riots, where a Christian neighborhood was burned down by a violent mob because of blasphemy allegations, many Pakistani celebrities and public figures were quick to condemn the authorities that failed to control the violence , and called for swift action to be taken against the perpetuators. Ashok Swain, the chairperson of the UNESCO International Water Cooperation and professor at Uppsala University, pointed out how Pakistani celebrities were quick to condemn communal riots and ethnic violence against minorities, while in Bollywood the silence of public figures is deafening when it comes to speaking out against the rising hate crimes against minorities.

    “Pakistani film stars have spine. Indian film stars only know how to count money,” Swain tweeted.

    Since Wednesday, prominent public figures like Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Mahira Khan and Azekah Daniels have all spoken against the brutal act of injustice against the Christian community in Pakistan. Taking to her Instagram stories, Chinoy, a two- time Oscar winner, slammed ‘hypocritical’ Pakistanis who are quick to react when the Holy Quran was burned but were silent when churches were demolished yesterday by a lynch mob.

    “Two faced: That word best describes Pakistanis who are quick to point out the state of Muslims in India but who turn the other way when someone says look at the state of minorities within your own borders.”

    ‘Pasoori’ singer Shae Gill, who is a Christian, described how the incident made her completely speechless, and expressed hopes that the masses are educated so that these atrocities can come to an end.

    Meanwhile, celebrities in Bollywood have been called out publicly in the past for promoting communal violence and Islamophobia through their films. Akshay Kumar was publicly criticised when his film ‘Sooryavashni’ promoted Islamophobia. During an interview when he was asked about the anti-Pakistani themes of his film ‘Bell Bottom’ to which the A-list actor had responded: “It’s just a film.”

    Recently, Shah Rukh Khan was targeted by BJP politicians as a ‘terrorist’ and in January, the music video for his film ‘Besharam Rang’ was targeted because of the baseless ‘Love Jihad’ theory- that claims Hindu women are seduced by Muslim men and then converted into Islam- by conservatives who threatened to burn down the theaters where the movie would play.

    This obviously doesn’t mean that cinema in Pakistan is more progressive and open to accepting minorities, but we cannot deny the power of public figures who use their platforms to educate masses about sensitive topics, is far more important in today’s troubling issues in order to help fight against the growing communal violence and hatred.

  • ‘I wish her the best’: Sam Asghari confirms divorce from Britney Spears

    ‘I wish her the best’: Sam Asghari confirms divorce from Britney Spears

    Model and former dancer Sam Asghari has confirmed the rumors that he is separating from pop singer Britney Spears after being in a relationship for six years, and married for 14 months. In a post on his Instagram account, Asghari said that the two will hold on to the love and respect they have for each other, and requested everyone in the media to be kind and thoughtful.

    ‘After 6 years of of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together. We will hold on to the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. S*** happens. Asking for privacy seems ridiculous so I will just ask everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”

    Troubled pop singer Britney Spears and her husband Sam Asghari are divorcing after 14 months of marriage, TMZ has reported. The split comes after allegations of cheating emerged, the outlet has stated, adding that the couple, who got married in 2022 after being in a relationship since 2016, have been having heated arguments. Sam has reportedly moved out and is living in a place of his own.

    Another insider told Page Six that a source of their conflict has been Britney’s prenup which was filed before her marriage and protects all her assets and finances, however, a source has confirmed that the 29-year-old model threatened to go public with the 41-year-old pop-star’s secrets in an attempt to negotiate what the prenup provides.

    The two had announced their engagement to the with both Britney and Sam sharing pictures of the engagement ring, right after she won a legal battle to remove her father as her conservator, a binding agreement that the singer had been placed in since 2008.

    The ‘One More Time’ singer has publicly slammed both her father and sister in multiple Instagram posts for bullying her. In a now-deleted post put up in 2022, Spears slammed her sister and mom, revealing how she had been made to work to earn a living for the family while her younger sister Jamie, indulged her interests:

    “I flew home to Jamie Lynn on the couch watching her TV shows right after Justin [Timberlake] and I broke up… I was a ghost there! I had worked my whole life and I didn’t know how to be served by Mamma, sit there and get served the chocolate milkshakes with the perfectly crushed ice with the secret chunky sugar.

    “Meanwhile Jamie Lynn is 12, she indulges with the TV for hours then goes to lay out on a raft at the pool. I’m in shock because this was never my life!”

    “Justin’s family was all I knew for many years. Things were different now and Jamie Lynn had a new Nickelodeon show. All I remember saying was ‘DAMN! How the hell does a 12 year old land a Nickelodeon show?

    “… I’m grown up right! But then maybe I might need a little support. It was a People Magazine cover…”

  • ‘Sach chupta nahi hai’: Alizeh Shah responds to Minsa Malik’s FIR

    ‘Sach chupta nahi hai’: Alizeh Shah responds to Minsa Malik’s FIR

    Actress Alizeh Shah has responded to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by Minsa Malik, addressing the allegations in a detailed post by blogger Ayesha Jahangir Malik on her Instagram stories, debunking the version of events narrated by Malik.

    According to Ayesha, Malik slapped Alizeh first and accused her of misconduct.

    “…In reality this other woman slapped Alizeh first and initiated physical violence breaking all and any professionalism on set.”

    The post also mentioned that despite the claim made by Minsa, footage exists of evidence that Alizeh began the conflict, while crew members sided with the ‘Tanaa Banna’ actress had been professionalism and kept work ethic in check despite being assaulted:

    “The crew, fellow artists and everyone involved is on Alizeh’s side because the incident occurred around 6 pm and Alizeh did not even leave the set till 12 am after she completed her shoot even after being humiliated and assaulted infront of everyone and that speaks volumes of her work ethic.”

    Actress Minsa Malik has filed an FIR against Alizeh Shah, accusing her of abuse and misbehavior during a shoot.

    According to multiple news outlets, the FIR was filed in Islamabad on August 15, with Malik requesting authorities to provide her with security.

    Speaking to Samaa, Malik revealed that an accident occurred during filming of a scene for an upcoming drama. She stated that Alizeh was unprofessional towards her since the day they started shooting, nagging her in a variety of ways, describing her behaviour as a case of “professional jealousy.”

    “The camera was rolling, and I was in the scene. Alizeh Shah was also present, and she was clearly high on drugs. She approached me and threw a marijuana cigarette at me. I moved back to avoid her, and in reaction, I slapped her. She then started acting violently. She used abusive language and tore her own clothes while yelling.”

    “Alizeh Shah tried to throw her sandal at me, but I moved out of the way. She was completely high when she misbehaved. The camera shooting the scenes also captured the video of us during the chaos. Alizeh insisted that the video should not get out, as it would be the ultimate source of her defamation.”

    We will update this article after we receive a statement from Alizeh Shah or her team.

  • Arijit Singh beats Taylor Swift to become third most followed artist on Spotify

    Arijit Singh beats Taylor Swift to become third most followed artist on Spotify

    Indian singer Arijit Singh has surpassed global superstars like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish to become the third most followed artist on Spotify. The musical prodigy, who rose to fame with songs like ‘Agar Tum Saath Ho’ and ‘Channa Meraya’, has a total of 86 million followers on his Spotify page.

    Taylor currently has 83 million followers, making her the fourth most followed artist on the music streaming platform.

    According to chart masters, the most popular artists among the top five on Spotify include Ed Sheeran, pop singer Ariana Grande, Arijit Singh, Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish.

  • Imran booked under Official Secrets Act in cipher case

    Imran booked under Official Secrets Act in cipher case

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan has been booked under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Geo News has reported.  

    Alleging that as Prime Minister, Khan deliberately got involved in using the classified document fraudulently, the FIA registered the case against Imran Khan. Last year in April, Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly (NA).

    Government sources told Geo News on Thursday that Imran Khan has been booked under Section 5. However, authorities were not sharing a copy of the FIR.

    The punishment in this case is imprisonment for two to 14 years, or even a death sentence in some cases.

    According to Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923: “(1) If any person having in his possession or control any secret official code or password or any sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information which relates to or is used in a prohibited place or relates to anything in such a place, or which has been made or obtained in contravention of this Act, or which has been entrusted in confidence to him by any person holding office under [Government], or which he has obtained or to which he has had access owing to his position as a person who holds or has held office under [Government], or as a person who holds or has held a contract made on behalf of [Government], or as a person who is or has been employed under a person who holds or has held such an office or contract —

    a) wilfully communicates the code or password, sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information to any person other than a person to whom he is authorised to communicate it, or a Court of Justice or a person to whom it is, in the interests of the State, his duty to communicate it; or
    b) uses the information in his possession for the benefit of any foreign power or in any other manner prejudicial to the safety of the State; or c) retains the sketch, plan, model, article, note or document in his possession or control when he has no right to retain it, or when it is contrary to his duty to retain it, or wilfully fails to comply with all directions issued by lawful authority with regard to the return or disposal thereof;
    d) fails to take reasonable care of, or so conducts himself as to endanger the safety of, the sketch, plan, model, article, note, document, secret official code or password or information;

    He shall be guilty of an offence under this section.

    (2) If any person voluntarily receives any secret official code or password or any sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information knowing or having reasonable ground to believe, at the time when he receives it, that the code, password, sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information is communicated in contravention of this Act, he shall be guilty of an offence under this section.

    (3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be punishable, (a) where the offence committed is a contravention of clause (a) of sub-section (1) and intended or calculated to be, directly or indirectly, in the interest or for the benefit of a foreign power, or is in relation to any work of defence, arsenal, naval, military or air force establishment or station, mine, mine-field, factory, dockyard, camp, ship or aircraft or otherwise in relation to the naval, military or air force affairs of Pakistan or in relation to any secret official code, [with death, or] with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years; and (b) in any other case, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”

    The cipher case against the former premier took a turn after his former principal secretary Azam Khan stated before a magistrate as well as the FIA that the former PM had used the US cipher for ‘political gains’ and to avert a vote of no-confidence against him.

    Azam Khan also stated that he told Imran Khan not to proceed with using the cipher. However, in response, Imran Khan said that the classified document can be used to divert the public’s attention towards “foreign involvement” in the opposition’s no-confidence motion.

  • Jannat Say Aagay is a story of envy and inspiration

    Har Pal Geo TV is airing the new drama serial Jannat Say Aagay, starring Talha Chahour, Kubra Khan, Ramsha Khan and Gohar Rasheed. Haseeb Hassan is the author and director of what is turning out to be a complex love story.

    ‘Jannat say aagay’ is about a morning show host Jannat Khan, played by Kubra Khan. The other main character is Tabbasum (Ramsha Khan), a fan inspired by Jannat’s success.

    Jannat hosts the morning show Jannat Jahan and goes to all kinds of lengths to make her show a superhit, treading into the dark side if need be.
    Tabbsum takes up a caretaker job in Jannat’s house to become close to her, so she gets to know about the reality of the superstar.

    It’s an intriguing beginning to a promising show. Let’s see where it takes us in the future.

  • Elections delay inevitable as ECP announces delimitation schedule

    Elections delay inevitable as ECP announces delimitation schedule

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the schedule of delimitation of constituencies as required by Article 51 of the constitution of Pakistan and section 17(2) of the Elections Act 2017, in accordance with the official results of the 7th Population and Housing Census-2023. The schedule makes it almost impossible to conduct elections in the next 90 days, as per constitutional requirements.

    According to the given schedule, the final publication of the delimitation will be on December 14th, 2023.

    As per the schedule, boundaries of administrative units across the country will stand frozen from today (August 17) and delimitation committees for all the provinces and the federal capital will be formed by Aug 21.

    In another notification, the ECP has directed its provincial chief secretaries, chief commissioner, the federal government, and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to provide assistance in the process.

  • ‘Best of luck’: Celebrities rally behind Imran Ashraf as he begins hosting Mazaaq Raat

    ‘Best of luck’: Celebrities rally behind Imran Ashraf as he begins hosting Mazaaq Raat

    TV fans were left heartbroken when popular actor, screenwriter and host of the late night comedy show ‘Mazaaq Raat’ Vasay Chaudhry left the show. There was a lot of anticipation about who would be the next person to fill Chaudhry’s shows. Last week it was revealed that the next host would be none other than Imran Ashraf.

    A week ago, Ashraf officially began his stint as a television host, requested fans for their love and prayers in an Instagram post.

    “Apki muhabbat aur dua ki hamaisha ki tarah zaroorat hai.”

    Celebrities like Humayun Saeed, Yasir Hussain and Hira Mani flooded the comments section with positive accolades, and sending their prayers to the ‘Ranjha Ranjha Kardi’ actor for his show.

    In a recent post, Imran thanked his fans and everyone else for the love and support he was receiving.