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  • ‘International community should deliver on commitments’: PM asks world to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund

    ‘International community should deliver on commitments’: PM asks world to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that as part of his interactions during the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, he drew world leaders’ attention to the exogenous shocks that created polycrisis for developing countries like Pakistan.

    In a statement issued by the Premier, it is mentioned that shocks from floods badly affected stalling growth. “Supply chain disruption became the reason for back-breaking inflation, and Pakistan faced a $30 billion loss due to an unprecedented flood,” it read.

    The PM also mentioned that it’s essential for the international community to deliver on the commitments they made at COP 27 in Sharm al-Sheikh, Egypt, adding that the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund should be based on the principle of equity.

    “The world should also use the present economic and climate turbulence as an opportunity for course correction,” the PM stated.

    He has also said, “The starting point could be rethinking the global financial architecture where International Financial Institutions (IFIs) design their programmes to be pro-growth and aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate justice goals.”

  • From hopeless ashiq to feared warrior: celebrating three powerhouse performances by Hamza Ali Abbasi on his birthday

    From hopeless ashiq to feared warrior: celebrating three powerhouse performances by Hamza Ali Abbasi on his birthday

    Happy birthday Hamza Ali Abbasi! Since his debut thirteen years ago, he has been gracing our screens with powerful performances revered by audiences. Within a short time, he has played a lovelorn man willing to decieve parents for his crush, a rebellious filmmaker who learns how to find a path back to God and a terrifying villain, cementing his status as one of Pakistan’s most versatile stars. While Abbasi has announced that he is set to come back on the big screen with two new projects, lets take a jog down memory lane in celebration of his birthday, and review three outstanding performances.

    1 Alif

    If there will be a Pakistani drama remembered years from now, it will definitely be ‘Alif’. The serial aired I 2020 but has remained alive within Pakistani pop culture as one of the few times a drama dominated all public discourse. Abbasi plays the troubled and rebellious Momin, who is grieving from childhood trauma and has completely lost his way in life. When he crosses paths with Momina (played by Sajal Aly), a struggling actress trying to make a living for her family, they help each other reach their destinations, and Momin learns to find refuge in God.

    2 Maula Jatt

    Action-thriller Maula Jatt made a wave around the world, raking in money and praise alike. Abbasi and Fawad Khan took the remake to dizzying heights, recreating old magic and generating plenty of new thrills. Hamza took the feared Noori Natt to new heights with his chilly portrayal of a psychopathic killer.

    3 Pyarey Afzal

    If Maula Jatt changed the way Hamza Ali Abbasi went from being the token good boy to a dark villain, then the lovelorn aashiq in ‘Pyarey Afzaal’ was the role that cemented his position in the industry. Acting opposite Ayeza Khan, who played Farah, Abbasi portrayed the titular character Afzal, who has a crush on Farah, and writes letters to himself that he claims to have received from her. But his world changes when Farah reaches out to him and requests him to pretend to be a love interest, so her parents don’t marry her off against her wishes.

  • Lal Masjid’s Maulana Abdul Aziz booked for firing at police

    Lal Masjid’s Maulana Abdul Aziz booked for firing at police

    Lal Masjid’s Maulana Abdul Aziz has been booked on terror charges along with four others, for opening fire on police officials on Wednesday.

    The case was registered at a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station. The first information report (FIR) invokes six sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 324 (attempt to commit murder), as well as sections 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) and 11E (measure to be taken against a proscribed organization) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

    On Wednesday, a CTD team went to the Lal Masjid area to ask him to present himself for answering queries. However, a “suspicious” vehicle opened fire on the police.

    According to the FIR, Aziz’s name is listed in the ATA’s fourth category, which states that anyone suspected of supporting terrorism must be kept under watch.

    The FIR further said Aziz and other people in the car opened fire on the cops with the intention of killing them.

  • Sharmila Tagore thinks today’s television content is regressive: ‘Women are portrayed as each other’s worst enemies’

    Sharmila Tagore thinks today’s television content is regressive: ‘Women are portrayed as each other’s worst enemies’

    Bollywood veteran actress Sharmila Tagore made her comeback to the big screen recently with the film ‘Gulmohar’, and in an interview with Times of India, she believed that television today has gotten more regressive in how women are portrayed:

    “The content TV is offering today is quite regressive. Most TV serials portray women as women’s worst enemies, and that is so unfortunate. The government does keep a tab on this, and then it finally comes to us.”

    The actress, who is also a member of the Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCI) had revealed she had often called producers to request them to remove objectionable material, but they refuse to, citing commericial reasons:

    “Sometimes, we call the show makers, asking them to tweak or remove certain objectionable portions. But, producers mostly refuse to budge as commerce often overrides logic.”

  • ‘Those who are creating issues over military courts have political motives’: Khawaja Asif

    ‘Those who are creating issues over military courts have political motives’: Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on the floor of the National Assembly on Thursday that the people who have issues with military courts are politically motivated.

    He further said that to avoid conflicts, institutions should not trespass on each other’s boundaries.

    The defence minister remarked that it is very obvious that the people who have issues with military courts have political motives, adding that these types of crimes have not happened before in the country’s history. He has also said that the attackers involved in the May 9 riots are political activists.

    Mentioning that the attackers were brainwashed by their leaders to attack military installations, he further said that I would tell the judiciary to leave a legacy if they wanted to be remembered.

  • Billionaire stepson goes to concert while father missing in titanic submarine, Cardi B says rather be poor than be like him

    Billionaire stepson goes to concert while father missing in titanic submarine, Cardi B says rather be poor than be like him

    Was this day already not long enough that celebrities decided to step in and fire up some drama?

    As the search for the missing submarine goes on, with approximately 8 hours left till the oxygen runs out, the world watches with baited breath.
    However, it seems like on land there is a different sort of problem brewing up, started by the stepson of one of the missing billionaires: Brian Szasz.

    Szasz, the stepson of wealthy British explorer Hamish Harding, went viral on Twitter when he was seen commenting under posts by Only Fans models, and shared pictures of himself attending a Blink 182 concert on Tuesday while reports emerged that search for the missing billionaires remained unsuccessful.

    Rapper Cardi B schooled Szasz in a post on her Instagram stories, where she lamented that the son chose to spend his time at a concert, rather than remain with his family at home to wait for news.

    “People is like, ‘Well, what is he supposed to do? Be sad at the house? Is he supposed to go look for himself?’ Yes.”

    You supposed to be at the house sad. You supposed to be crying for me. You supposed to be right next to the phone waiting to hear any updates about me. You’re supposed to be consoling your mom and **.”

    Then finally the ‘Bodak Yellow’ rapper slammed the step=son by saying, “Isn’t it sad that you a whole ******* billionaire and nobody gives a ** about you? […] That’s crazy. I’d rather be broke. I’d rather be broke and poor, but knowing that I’m loved.”

    https://twitter.com/deepimpactcrier/status/1671557038856630274?s=20

    Szasz had responded to Cardi’s comments in a lengthy Twitter post, lamenting the rapper’s outburst.

    “Cardi is trying to get clout off me and my family’s suffering. I went to a Blink-182 concert for coping rather than sitting at home and watching the news.”

    The ‘WAP’ artist responded to Szasz’s comments, slamming him for searching for clout himself by publicly sharing the fact that he went to a concert, while the whole world was praying for his stepdad to come back safely.

    “The point was the whole world is praying for these people in the submarine and this man son is online shaking d***s for girls off onlyfans and going to Blink 182 concerts. You was looking for clout all along, nobody knew who you were until you said that was ya stepdad!!! This is why people hate you spoiled brat billionaires yall soo desensitize.”

  • HEC withdraws notification banning Holi

    The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has withdrawn a controversial ban on Holi celebrations in universities.

    A notification issued by HEC on Thursday stated that the commission is respectful of faith, religions, beliefs and the festivals associated with them.

    “Considering that the message inferred from the communication has regrettably led to misinterpretation, HEC is pleased to inform the same,” the notification added.

    On Tuesday, the Commission caused outrage when it banned Holi celebrations in educational institutes throughout the country, citing a deviation from the sociocultural values and Islamic identity of Pakistan.

    The notification read that students are prohibited from observing the festival to uphold sociocultural values.

    On Wednesday night, Salman Sufi, the head of Prime Minister’s Strategic Reform Unit, said in a tweet that HEC has been asked to withdraw the notification about banning Holi in universities.

    He wrote that he had spoken to Rana Tanveer Hussain, adding that he has asked HEC them to withdraw it.

    The decision came a few days after Holi celebrations were held on June 12 by students at Quaid-i-Azam University.

  • ‘Stop’: Twitter in no mood to accept Kanwal Aftab’s justifications of domestic violence statement

    ‘Stop’: Twitter in no mood to accept Kanwal Aftab’s justifications of domestic violence statement

    Tiktoker and Instagram influencer Kanwal Aftab was slammed by social media yesterday when during a Q & A on Instagram, the social media star was asked about advice regarding women coping with domestic violence, to which she had responded by saying more women should try to save their marriages and console their husbands rather than seek divorce.

    Founder of Soul Sisters, Kanwal Ahmed, criticised Aftab for encouraging women to fix their abusive husbands by laying the blame of a broken marriage on them.

    After backlash to her statement, Aftab had now uploaded a video where she explained that she was not trying to tell women to endure domestic violence, but was encouraging them to try and work through anger rather than begin demanding divorces.

    After this video, Aftab wrote in an Instagram story that she was deleting the reel, stating she was not promoting or supporting domestic violence.

    Twitter users shared the video on the platform, and criticised the Tiktok star for not understanding the difference between an argument and domestic violence. Couples can have small arguments, and it is perfectly okay to encourage people to work through misunderstandings to overcome them. But domestic violence is a completely different issue, and no woman needs to stick around to endure it to keep her marriage inta

    ‘There is a huge, huge difference between domestic violence and badtameezi,” one user pointed out.

  • Sonya Hussyn will play an addict in her next drama

    Sonya Hussyn will play an addict in her next drama

    Actress Sonya Hussyn is setting up her career to be that of a thespian with the wide range of characters she has played on screen. In a post yesterday, she revealed that her next character, Murshid, is an addict, and debuted her look on Instagram.

    The drama’s name is “Gangs of Kharasaan”

    The actress also revealed that this character held a special place in her heart.

    “Addicts are humans too!!!! Meet “ MURSHID
    Unveiling the first look of my new project, Gang of Kharasaan!
    After playing horain in saraab, Murshid is another character that holds a special place in my heart ”

    Hussyn had previously played a boxer from Lyari in the film ‘Daadal’ who set out to avenge her sister’s honor by becoming a contract killer.

    Since she debuted her look on Instagram, celebrities like Yumna Zaidi, Imran Ashraf Awan and Kinza Hashmi have showered praise on the actor’s commitment to completely alter her appearance to portray a character.

    “The most stunning girl,” actress Ushna Shah wrote. “Always picking off track roles that show off her acting chops. Beautiful, brave, and badass. I am SO proud of you.”

  • PTI issues notice to Khattak over ‘inciting’ members to leave the party

    PTI issues notice to Khattak over ‘inciting’ members to leave the party

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued a notice to former Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pervaiz Khattak over allegedly asking party members to leave the party.
    Omar Ayub Khan, newly appointed General Secretary of PTI, issued a notice to Khattak to explain his position in writing within seven days.

    The show-cause notice reads, “It has come to the notice of the party leadership that you are contacting party members and inciting them to leave the party. In view of these reported activities, you are hereby called to explain yourself in writing within seven days of this notice.”

    It is also mentioned in the notice that if Khattak’s reply is found unsatisfactory or he doesn’t respond, further action will be taken according to party policy.

    Earlier, Asad Umar, former secretary-general of PTI, stirred a hornet’s nest by stating in an interview with ARY’s Kashif Abbasi that he does not agree with party Chairman Imran Khan’s strategies.