Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • More than 120 million people will vote on February 8, says Murtaza Solangi

    More than 120 million people will vote on February 8, says Murtaza Solangi

    The Caretaker Information Minister, Murtaza Solangi, said on Monday that over 120 million people will vote on February 8, as the general elections are scheduled on the same date.

    According to PTV, he passed the remarks while addressing a ceremony.

    Murtaza Solangi also said that the caretaker government helped the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to make the election process smooth.

    “Elections are just two days away,” he added. “People will choose their representatives by exercising their right to vote.”

    The information minister also said that according to the constitution, elected representatives will run the country.

  • Pakistanis observe Kashmir Solidarity Day

    Pakistanis observe Kashmir Solidarity Day

    People across Pakistan are showing support for their Kashmiri brothers and sisters’ fight against human rights abuses in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) by observing Kashmir Solidarity Day on Monday.

    The Ministry of Kashmir Affairs issued a press release, stating that they have made all necessary arrangements to observe Kashmir Solidarity Day.

    The ministry is organising solidarity walks all over the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In Islamabad, a rally on Constitution Avenue showed support for the Kashmiri people.

    A minute of silence was also observed at 9:30am to pay homage to the martyrs of Kashmir.

    “Posters and billboards have been displayed around important Avenves, airports, and railway stations to highlight the plight of Kashmiri people,” said the statement.

    Additionally, educational institutions across the country have arranged debate and declamation contests along with essay writing competitions for the occasion.

    President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the right to self-determination is a cardinal principle of international law, but regrettably, the Kashmiri people have not been able to exercise this inalienable right.

  • Hania Aamir surprised by Babar Zaheer’s playful joke about her marriage

    Hania Aamir surprised by Babar Zaheer’s playful joke about her marriage

    No, Hania Aamir is not getting married next month. No, Babar Zaheer was not lying when he said Hania was getting married.
    Confused? Let us explain.

    It all started when makeup artist Babar Zaheer cracked a joke about the actress getting married. “Hania Aamir is getting married next month.”

    A video featuring Zaheer and Hania is going viral on social media platform Instagram.

    In the viral video, the makeup artist can be seen doing the actress’ hair. At one point, he smilingly says that Hania Aamir is getting married next month.

    The actress herself gets confused.

    Seeing Hania’s expression, Babar asks, “Is it funny,” to which Hania says that it is not funny at all.
    Babar says that he had tried to arranged Hania’s marriage multiple times, to which Hania responds that this series should now come to an end.

    Babar Zaheer then promises that he will not spread such rumors in the future.

    So there you have it. Just two friends cracking jokes about marriage. There’s no reason wedding happening next month.

  • Gold price in Pakistan falls by Rs1,200 per tola, breaking winning streak

    Gold price in Pakistan falls by Rs1,200 per tola, breaking winning streak

    In a reversal from its recent gains, gold prices in Pakistan opened the new week in the red, witnessing a decline of Rs1,200 per tola for 24-karat gold, bringing it to Rs214,800 on Monday.

    The Karachi Sarafa Association reported a decrease of Rs1,029 in the 10-gramme 24-karat gold, settling at  184,156. The 10-gramme 22-karat gold closed at Rs168,810.

    This comes after a notable surge last week, where gold prices rose by Rs2,100 per tola due to an upswing in international prices. Contrary to gold, silver prices remained steady in the domestic market, with 24-karat silver selling at Rs2,600 per tola and Rs2,229.08 per 10-gramme.

    The international context reveals a 0.8 per cent drop in spot gold during today’s early trade session, amounting to $16.18.

    This decline is attributed to a rise in US Treasury yields and the dollar, fueled by diminished expectations of a rate cut. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell dismissed the idea of lowering interest rates in the spring, expressing confidence in inflation returning to the 2 per cent target, according to Reuters.

    Adding to the pressure on domestic gold prices is the Pakistani rupee’s continued success against the US dollar. As the PKR maintains its positive trajectory, it further contributes to the challenges faced by the domestic gold market.

  • Bilawal urges people to vote for “arrow” if they want to stop lion

    Bilawal urges people to vote for “arrow” if they want to stop lion

    Just days before the February 8 general elections, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari launched criticism at all opposing political parties as election campaigning reached its peak.

    While addressing an election rally in Hyderabad, Bilawal asked his audience to vote for arrow, the symbol of the PPP, if they want to block the lion, the symbol of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Stressing the need for hard work, the ex-foreign minister asked the participants, “You just get PPP to win [elections]. I will handle this lion.”

    The PPP chairman also criticised the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). “If people ask you to vote for ‘kite’, then tell them, ‘We will not vote for those who raise anti-Pakistan slogans.’”

    Reply that the kite will be ripped apart, he added. The PPP leader urged the people not to waste their vote on any independent candidate — an apparent reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates.

    PTI candidates are taking part in the upcoming general elections as independent candidates after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) didn’t allot them their election symbol (bat).

  • A shameful verdict

    A shameful verdict

    Last week, former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were handed a seven-year sentence each by a trial court in the iddat or ‘un-Islamic nikah’ case. Senior civil judge Qudratullah pronounced the verdict during proceedings at Adiala jail, on a petition filed by Bushra Bibi’s former husband Khawar Maneka, against the couple’s marriage. The verdict has been termed shameful and an assault on women’s rights by legal experts and civil society.

    From The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Women’s Action Forum (WAF) to Aurat March and legal experts, many have condemned the verdict vociferously. WAF Lahore in its statement said that the verdict “is an assault on women’s autonomy over their bodies, dignity and privacy, setting dangerous precedent for state’s intrusion into the private lives of citizens”. HRCP said that the verdict “could also set a precedent for Section 496 to be weaponised for political purposes”.

    Lawyer Reema Omer made a pertinent point that by making a woman’s menstrual cycle the subject of criminal inquiry, “this case has cast a blow to women’s freedom to make decisions about divorce and marriage without fear of being dragged in court”. Aurat March Islamabad will hold a protest tomorrow against this unjust verdict, which has made a mockery of the legal system in Pakistan. This is not the first time that frivolous cases have been made against politicians but it is the first time that a disgusting and vindictive accusation by an ex-husband of a former first lady was levelled and the courts actually gave a verdict in favour of the shameless man while humiliating a woman in the process by taking away her agency.
    It was good to see that Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a firm stand against the verdict and said that we should not stoop to this level in politics.

    He also highlighted how this verdict can impact the efforts made in the past to safeguard women’s rights. Mr. Bhutto is not wrong in his assertion. The low level to which the state has stooped in order to humiliate a politician who has fallen out of favour is a blot on the justice system as well as score-settling. The verdict has set a precedent that judges and courts can now monitor women’s menstrual cycles, with some saying that the country might as well let all gynaecologists go and let the judges and courts give their expertise in this department.

    From Fatima Jinnah to Benazir Bhutto to Bushra Bibi, we have seen how men hold the power to slander women for their personal gains and get away with it. No Pakistani citizen should remain silent on this shameful verdict and we all must register our protest at how this has taken our entire struggle and progress years back. It is not the state’s business to declare a marriage null and void in this shameless manner. At the end of the day, this verdict can impact each and every woman with a vindictive ex-husband. We hope that this sham of a verdict will be overturned as soon as possible in a high court. No woman will forgive the trial court that gave this verdict and no woman should ever trust the justice system again if this is not overturned and an apology issued not just to Bushra Bibi but all women of Pakistan.

  • Pakistani celebrities urge fans to vote on election day

    Pakistani celebrities urge fans to vote on election day

    As February 8, the date set for general elections in the country, approaches,
    Pakistani celebrities are using social media to tell their followers to vote. They say it’s super important for everyone to join in and choose who leads the country next, especially with all the economic and political challenges.
    Pakistani stars like TV’s veteran actress Bushra Ansari and actor Haroon Shahid talked to fans about why voting is important. Check out some of our favorite celebrities talking about why you should vote:

  • Rain in Karachi takes life of father of five

    Rain in Karachi takes life of father of five

    A Karachi resident, missing since the rains last weekend, was found dead in the storm drain near Baldia Town Factory.


    The police said that the dead body found in the rain drain was that of Fakhar Alam, a resident of Baldia town. He left the factory where he worked after finishing his shift, but along the way, he slipped in the drain.

    Fakhar was the father of five children. His body has been shifted to the morgue by the police.


    The streets of Karachi got flooded after the sudden downpour while water was still standing in different places. However, the discharge of rainwater from the Korangi Causeway is underway.


    Meanwhile, electricity was also suspended in several areas of the city

  • ECP completes printing of 260 million ballot papers

    ECP completes printing of 260 million ballot papers

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Monday that it finished printing 260 million ballot papers for all 859 constituencies across the country, as reported by The News.

    The spokesperson of the electoral body stated that they also completed the reprinting of some ballot papers for a few constituencies on time, as ordered by the Supreme Court (SC).

    He also explained that after printing, the process of delivering ballot papers across the country is in progress and will be completed today.

    The spokesman highlighted that for the 2018 general elections, they printed 220 million ballot papers using 800 tonnes of special security paper. However, for the 2024 general election, they printed 260 million ballot papers, requiring 2,170 tonnes of paper.

    According to the spokesperson, the electoral body faced many challenges during the printing process, but ECP fulfilled its responsibility with honesty and completed the printing of ballot papers on time.

  • Which wish of Javed Sheikh’s was promptly granted by Shah Rukh Khan?

    Which wish of Javed Sheikh’s was promptly granted by Shah Rukh Khan?

    We knew Shah Rukh is the badshah of Bollywood but did you know, even Lollywood actors love him?

    Veteran actor Javed Sheikh recently shared that on the set of the movie ‘Om Shanti Om,’ he made a request to Shah Rukh Khan, which was promptly fulfilled.


    Discussing his collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan, Javed Sheikh said, “Shah Rukh Khan was my ‘smoking buddy’ during the filming.”
    He explained that during the shoot of ‘Om Shanti Om,’ there were two rules on the set – no photography and no smoking. Special arrangements were made for Shah Rukh Khan, with a table and an ashtray for cigarettes.
    Recalling his interaction with the Bollywood king on set, Javed Sheikh said, “When I met Shah Rukh Khan during the film shoot, he hugged me and offered assistance, saying, ‘If you need anything on the set, let me know.’ I expressed my preference for smoking and explained that I have to go out for it. Upon my request, Shah Rukh Khan immediately arranged for a table and placed an ashtray.”


    ‘Om Shanti Om’ was released in 2007, featuring actress Deepika Padukone alongside Shah Rukh Khan.