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Author: News Desk

  • Sanjay Leela Bhansali thought about including Pakistani actors in Heeramandi

    Sanjay Leela Bhansali thought about including Pakistani actors in Heeramandi

    The much-hyped Netflix series ‘Heeramandi’, directed by renowned Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is now streaming on Netflix. It marks Sanjay’s debut as a director on OTT platforms and features a stellar cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Richa Chadha, Fardeen Khan, Sharmin Segal and Shekhar Suman. The ‘Heeramandi’ team has been giving many interviews on social media and in the media as they promote the expensive project.

    Bhansali shared in an interview on YouTube that he once thought about casting top Pakistani actors for the series.
    “I thought about casting many actors over eighteen years. Initially, I considered Rekha Ji, Kareena, and Rani Mukherji. Later, I had Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Imran Abbas in my mind for ‘Heeramandi, but I ended up with this ensemble cast.”


    Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is a visually stunning drama, easily identifiable as a Bhansali production. It tells the stories of courtesans, known as tawaifs, living in Lahore’s red-light district of ‘Heera Mandi’ during the Indian independence movement in the British Raj.

  • PCB will make T20 World Cup 2024 anthem

    PCB will make T20 World Cup 2024 anthem

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will make the anthem for International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup 2024.

    PCB has advertised for anthem sponsorship rights on their official website.

    PCB has also advertised for the new Chief Curator, according to which interested and eligible candidates will be able to submit their applications till May 16.

    ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played from June 1 to June 29 in USA and West Indies.

  • Rana Sanaullah appointed PM Shehbaz’s adviser on political affairs

    Rana Sanaullah appointed PM Shehbaz’s adviser on political affairs

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah as his adviser on political and public affairs.

    The President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari approved the appointment of Sanaullah as the PM’s advisor.

    Rana Sanaullah served as the interior minister during the previous government but lost his seat in the general elections 2024 in the National Assembly (NA-100) constituency in Faisalabad.

    Sanaullah’s appointment came just after a day Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was given the additional role of Deputy Prime Minister.

    Sanaullah had recently hinted at the possibility of him taking a role in the federal government, stating that Nawaz Sharif would decide the matter after coming back from his China visit.

  • ‘Aik film tou banti hai’; Aamir Khan on working with Salman, Shah Rukh

    ‘Aik film tou banti hai’; Aamir Khan on working with Salman, Shah Rukh

    Bollywood’s resident thespian king Aamir Khan has revealed that he’s been discussing a movie collaboration with the other two reigning Khans of Indian cinema, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. During an appearance on Netflix’s The Great Indian Kapil Show, Aamir responded to a fan’s question about teaming up with the other two Khans by saying, “We think alike,” in a clip that hadn’t been shown before.


    The perfectionist Khan said that he had a meeting with Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan where they talked about a possible project they could work on together.


    “I told them, we’ve been in this industry for many years, and at this point in our careers, not making a film together would be unfair to our fans. We should make at least one film together,” he narrated, getting fans excited about the prospect. “I hope we come across great stories, and talented directors present those stories to us.”

  • Sher Afzal Marwat will be new PAC chairman, announces Gohar Khan

    Sher Afzal Marwat will be new PAC chairman, announces Gohar Khan

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has announced the name of party leader Sher Afzal Marwat as the new chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), putting an end to internal conflicts within the party.

    The PTI chairman told journalists in Rawalpindi that “All disputes are over [now] as the party has picked Marwat for the slot.”

    Last week, opposition leader in parliament and PTI member Omar Ayub Khan said that Sher Afzal Marwat should be the chairman of PAC, as PTI’s founder Imran Khan had suggested his name.

    Earlier, PTI senior leader Sardar Latif Khosa announced the name of Hamid Khan as the new chairman of the PAC.

    PTI formed a committee of three party members on Tuesday, including chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur, Shibli Faraz, and Omar Ayub, to hold a dialogue with the military establishment.

  • Iranian Oil smuggling skyrockets after new government takes over

    Iranian Oil smuggling skyrockets after new government takes over

    Urdu News reported on April 30 that under the new government that came into being after the February 8 elections, the smuggling of Iranian oil has increased by 67 per cent.

    During the previous caretaker set-up, a crackdown resulted in smuggling being reduced by half across the country.

    89 lacs litres of Iranian oil is being smuggled to Pakistan daily through six land and sea routes of five districts in Balochistan out of which 70 per cent is further smuggled to three major provinces, Urdu News revealed.

    According to a report prepared by the Civil Intelligence Department in April, 105 people, including many current members of the Balochistan Assembly, former provincial ministers and politicians, were involved in the smuggling of Iranian oil.

    After the general elections, the smuggling of Iranian oil has again reached an estimated 8.9 million litres per day.

    The smuggling causes a loss of at least Rs 277 billion to the national exchequer.

  • Pakistan about to launch first satellite mission to moon

    Pakistan about to launch first satellite mission to moon

    Pakistan is about to send a satellite mission to the moon with help from China.

    Talking to Geo News, Dr. Khurram Khurshid, a member of the Core Committee of the Institute of Space Technology, said that Pakistan’s first satellite mission will be sent to the moon on May 3 at 12:50 pm from China’s Hainan Space Launch Site. The launch of satellite ICUBE-Q will be telecast live on the website.

    Institute of Space Technology (IST) has said that satellite ICUBE-Q has been designed and developed by IST in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO.

    ICUBE-Q orbiter carries two optical cameras to image the lunar surface. Following successful qualification and testing, ICUBE-Q has now been integrated with the Chang’e6 mission. Chang’e6 is the sixth in a series of China’s lunar exploration missions.

    The launch activity will be telecast live on the IST website and social media platforms, informs The Express Tribune.

    Chang’6 will touch down on the moon’s far side to collect samples from the surface and return to Earth for research.
    The mission holds significance for Pakistan as it will also take a Pakistan CubeSat Satellite iCube-Q, developed by IST.

    CubeSats are miniature satellites typically characterised by their small size and standardised design. They are constructed in a cubic shape, consisting of modular components that adhere to specific size constraints.

    The primary purpose of cubesats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.

    These satellites are utilised for a wide range of missions, including Earth observations, remote sensing, atmospheric research, communications, astronomy, and technology demonstration.

    Due to their compact size and relatively low cost compared to traditional satellites, CubeSats offer opportunities for universities, research institutions, and commercial entities to participate in space missions and gather valuable data for scientific advancement.

  • Najam Sethi is angry at FIA’s inappropriate behavior with PCB female staff

    Najam Sethi is angry at FIA’s inappropriate behavior with PCB female staff

    Former Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi is angry over the misbehavior of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) staff during a raid on the PCB.

    “FIA officials took PCB ticketing head Mehwish with them, Mehwish has done important work for PSL first and then as ticketing head for Pakistan cricket,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

    “Total worth of 60 crore of tickets were sold in PSL, but Mehwish is accused of corruption of 80,000, such behavior with a PCB professional is regrettable.”

    Yesterday, the FIA started an investigation into irregularities in the sale of tickets for various cricket series.

    A woman working under Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer and two other employees were called to the FIA office for questioning. The checks issued for the sale of tickets are being scrutinized.

  • AstraZeneca admits in court that vaccine had rare side effects

    AstraZeneca admits in court that vaccine had rare side effects

    AstraZeneca has admitted in court that its vaccine can cause rare side effects, including blood clots and low platelet count.


    The vaccine, which was developed with the University of Oxford, was sued over claims that it caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases.


    The lawsuit was spearheaded by Jamie Scott, whose life took a tragic turn after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine in April 2021. Scott suffered a permanent brain injury, prompting legal action against this pharmaceutical giant.


    “We need an apology, fair compensation for our family and other families who have been affected. We have the truth on our side, and we are not going to give up” said Kate Scott, the wife of the victim.


    In total, 51 cases have now been lodged in Britain and victims and relatives are seeking damages worth £100 million.


    “It is admitted that the AZ vaccine can, in very rare cases, cause TTS (Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome). The causal mechanism is not known,” the company said in court documents, quotes Dawn.


    While the company has contested the claims of Scott, the court submission marks the first time it has admitted that the vaccine can cause side-effects that are characterised by blood clots and a low blood platelet count in humans.


    “Further, TTS can also occur in the absence of the AZ vaccine (or any vaccine). Causation in any individual case will be a matter for expert evidence,” the admission in court added.


    The UK government has indemnified Astra­Zeneca against any legal action but has so far refused to intervene.


    According to the Council for International Organisat­ions of Medical Sciences, “very rare” side effects are those reported in less than 1 in 10,000 cases.


    AstraZeneca vaccine was developed by the British-Swedish company in collaboration with Oxford University, and produced by the Serum Institute of India. It was widely administered in over 150 countries.


    Some studies conducted during the pandemic found the vaccine was 60 to 80 per cent effective in protecting against the covid-19.

  • Gold prices fall for third consecutive session, dropping by Rs2,000 per tola

    Gold prices fall for third consecutive session, dropping by Rs2,000 per tola

    Gold prices in Pakistan continued their downward trend for the third consecutive session on Tuesday, mirroring the decline in international markets.

    The price per tola of gold fell by Rs2,000 to settle at Rs241,900, according to data released by the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association (APGJSA).

    In the local market, the cost of 10 grammes of gold decreased by Rs1,715, bringing the price to Rs207,390. This marks a notable reduction compared to the previous day’s loss of Rs500 per tola.

    The drop in local gold prices corresponds with a fall in the international market.

    According to the APGJSA, the global price of gold reached $2,316 per ounce, which includes a premium of $20, after a single-day decrease of $19.

    Silver prices also saw a decline, with a reduction of Rs20, bringing the price down to Rs2,630 per tola.

    Over the past three sessions, gold prices in Pakistan have fallen by Rs3,100 per tola, a significant correction from the record high of Rs252,200 per tola earlier this month.

    This continued downward trend suggests a possible easing of demand or adjustments in the international gold market.