Author: News Desk

  • Farah Gogi declared proclaimed offender in £190 million scandal case

    Farah Gogi declared proclaimed offender in £190 million scandal case

    The names of the suspects in the £190 million scandal case were published as proclaimed offenders by an Accountability Court of Islamabad on Friday, SAMMA has reported. 

    The names of individuals allegedly involved in the corruption case, including former Accountability Adviser Shahzad Akbar, ex-Special Assistant Zulfi Bukhari, Zia Al Mustafa, and Farah Gogi, were displayed on Friday outside the Judicial Complex as proclaimed offenders. Farah Gogi is currently not in Pakistan, having successfully evaded authorities till now.

    The Accountability Court asked individuals facing charges in the said case to appear before the court on January 6.

    Judge Muhammad Basheer of the Accountability Court ordered to publish the names of suspects involved in the £190 million scandal. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, are also suaoects in the same case.

    According to the order issued by Judge Muhammad Bashir, the investigation officer of the case, Mian Umar Nadeem, stressed that the arrest warrants for Shahzad Akbar, Zia-ul-Mustafi Naseem, Zulfi Bukhari, Ahmed Riaz, Farhat Shahzad, and others implicated in the reference should be strictly implemented.

  • Lahore High Court orders Rs. 50,000 fine for late-night restaurants

    Lahore High Court orders Rs. 50,000 fine for late-night restaurants

    Justice Shahid Karim on Friday ordered local authorities to fine late-night restaurants a whopping 50,000 rupees. The Lahore High Court (LHC) has imposed a fine on restaurants and cafés violating the time bar imposed on eateries to curb smog. Last month the court ordered the government to close restaurants, particularly in the Johar Town area, by 10 pm as a measure to tackle smog, Arshad Ali reported on Samaa News.


    The court also directed the government to take immediate action against those running cafes without permission. In addition to that, the court sought a reply from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) about the final date for the completion of city underpasses till the next hearing.


    “If the underpasses are allowed to be renovated even during the day, then how many days will it take to consult on this and give a date of completing the decoration of the underpasses,” the judge remarked.


    The court also sought a report on green projects from the Central Business District (CBD).


    “Has Central Business District (CBD) launched any green projects,” the court inquired. “They are erecting high-rise buildings, but who will start the green project,” the court further inquired. Judicial Water Commission said that CBD had said that they would start the green project. The court issued stay orders against the launch of the new CBD project on Walton Road. The court sought a report from the CBD on the next hearing on Monday.

  • Mizna Waqas was wrongly told by doctors that her unborn baby had died

    Mizna Waqas was wrongly told by doctors that her unborn baby had died

    Pakistani actress Mizna Waqas revealed her personal struggles with her pregnancy during a recent interview on a digital platform. Best known for her role as Fazila in Geo TV’s drama ‘Mannat Murad,’ Mizna shared insights into career challenges and personal life. The actress disclosed that she faced criticism initially due to her fair complexion. “In the early days of her career, roles were assigned based on skin colour,” Mizna revealed.
    Talking about pursuing a master’s degree before diving into acting, Mizna said she followed her dreams.

    Moving on to personal milestones, she said that she became a mother eight years into her marriage. In 2019, she welcomed her son Ahil, after experiencing three miscarriages.
    During her fourth pregnancy in 2018, Mizna went through a harrowing ordeal when doctors at a famous hospital initially gave her unborn baby a negative prognosis, saying that the baby’s vital signs were not there and suggesting that the pregnancy be terminated. But after seeking a second opinion and getting another ultrasound, Mizna was shocked to find out that her baby was actually alive and healthy. “When the doctor showed me the second ultrasound, the baby was alive. The doctor even showed me the heartbeat. I was surprised why the last doctor told me that the baby was dead,” the actress shared.

    Her mother’s support was crucial during this difficult time. She encouraged Mizna to get a second opinion, and it turned out to be a game-changer.

    The actress’s story sheds light on the challenges faced by women, both in the entertainment industry and in their personal lives. Mizna’s resilience and determination to pursue her passion despite criticism, as well as her journey through pregnancy struggles, make for a compelling and inspiring narrative.


  • Denmark’s parliament passes law banning Quran burning

    Denmark’s parliament passes law banning Quran burning


    Denmark’s Parliament on Thursday passed a law widely known as the Quran Law, banning the “inappropriate treatment” of religious texts. Offenders now face a fine or up to two years in jail after a vote followed a five-hour debate in parliament and 94 members voted in favour, 77 against.


    During Thursday’s heated debate in Denmark’s 179-strong parliament, The Folketing, many opposition MPs argued against the bill but the country’s center-right coalition government of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen argued that criticising religion would remain legal, as the bill would only have a marginal impact.


    It follows a series of burnings of Islam’s holy book that led to uproar in Muslim countries.


    Denmark and neighbouring Sweden have recently seen several street protests over such incidents, raising security concerns in Scandinavia.

    Sweden is also considering a similar bill.

  • Palestinian poet Dr. Refaat Alareer killed in Israeli strike in Gaza

    Palestinian poet Dr. Refaat Alareer killed in Israeli strike in Gaza

    Palestinian poet, writer, literature professor, and activist Dr. Refaat Alareer was killed in an Israeli airstrike, announced on Thursday evening.

    “My heart is broken, my friend and colleague Refaat Alareer was killed with his family a few minutes ago,” wrote his friend, the Gazan poet, Mosab Abu Toha.

    The Israeli airstrike also killed his brother, his sister, and four of her children. He is now survived by his wife, Nusayba, and their children.

    Dr. Alareer was one of the leading contemporary authors in Gaza who settled on writing in English to tell stories of the besieged strip. He was one of the most prominent voices conveying details of the atrocities Israel is committing to global audiences.

    He had been working as a professor of literature and creative writing at the Islamic University of Gaza since 2007.

    His other contributions included co-editing Gaza Unsilenced (2015) and being editor of Gaza Writes Back: Short Stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine (2014).

    Dan Sheehan quotes in LitHub that in his contribution to the 2022 collection Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, titled “Gaza Asks: When Shall this Pass?”, Refaat writes:

    “It shall pass, I keep hoping. It shall pass, I keep saying. Sometimes I mean it. Sometimes I don’t. And as Gaza keeps gasping for life, we struggle for it to pass, we have no choice but to fight back and to tell her stories. For Palestine.”

    He was also one of the founders of We Are Not Numbers, a nonprofit organisation founded in Gaza following the 2014 Israeli attack and devoted himself to establishing “a new generation of Palestinian writers and thinkers who can bring together a profound change to the Palestinian cause.”

    In November, Alareer published a poem on X entitled “If I must die” that was shared tens of thousands of times. It concludes with the words: “If I must die, let it bring hope, let it be a tale.”

    Via his X (formerly Twitter) account, “Refaat in Gaza“, Dr. Alareer also openly condemned Israeli atrocities being committed in Gaza and was also vocal against the US who has been supporting Israel in its operations.

    Remembering Refaat

    The announcement of Dr. Refaat Alareer’s death evoked a cascade of sorrow and anguish across social media, shared by his friends, colleagues, former students, and followers:

  • Israel drops leaflets containing ayats from The Quran on Palestinians

    Israel drops leaflets containing ayats from The Quran on Palestinians

    Residents of Khan Yonis in the besieged Gaza Strip have received leaflets quoting a verse in the Quran which states “The flood overtook them as they were wrongdoers.”

    The witnesses say that the Israeli army has showered the leaflets through a plane in the area, the latest focus of Israeli military’s ground offensive.

    Journalist Aamer Tabsh in Khan Younis says he saw Israeli planes drop thousands of fliers.


    Tabsh says residents are convinced the reference to the epic flood of Noah in the Quran and the Bible “means that something much worse is coming.”
    Some are linking it to Hamas’ name for its October 7 onslaught against Israel, “Al Aqsa Deluge,” or flood.

    Al-Jazeera points to recent reports that the Israeli forces are considering flooding Hamas’s subterranean tunnel network with seawater to force out its fighters.

  • Winter vacations around the corner for Federal educational institutes

    Winter vacations around the corner for Federal educational institutes

    The federal government has announced the schedule for winter vacations for educational institutes functioning under the administration.


    Vacations in federal educational institutes will officially commence from December 25 to December 29. However, Federal Directorate of Education officials said that the institutes will close on December 22, which falls on Friday, and reopen on January 1, 2024, reports Geo.


    In Sindh, holidays will start on December 22 and end on December 31.


    In Punjab, vacations will start on December 18, 2023, in public and private schools across the province and continue till January 1, 2024.

  • ECP likely to announce election schedule on December 14

    ECP likely to announce election schedule on December 14

    As a result of the rise in political temperature in country, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is going to announce the schedule for upcoming general election on December 14, as per a report in The News.

    Political parties are making political alliances with multiple stakeholders to win the polls on February 8.

    ECP recently released the final list of delimitations, which was the only obstacle to the announcement of  election. Now the final step is the appointment of district returning officers, returning officers and assistant officers according to the Elections Act 2017.

    According to Sections 50 and 51 of the Elections Act, a district returning officer is appointed for each district or a specified area and a returning officer for each constituency for elections to an assembly.

    The provincial election commissioner and election commission secretariat have designed lists of government officers for election duty. Their appointment will follow the election-related training.

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja also confirmed that ECP is ready to provide voters with complete security, privacy, and transparency in the entire election process.

  • Will GTA 6 include Babar Azam’s character?

    Will GTA 6 include Babar Azam’s character?

    An uproar erupted on social media after an animated picture of Babar Azam shared by Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi hinted at his expected appearance in Grand Theft Auto (GTA) 6.

    Peshawar Zalmi’s introduction of former captain Babar Azam as a character in GTA 6 has left fans wondering about the virtual mixing of the world of cricket and gaming.

    Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam is once again trending on social media but this time the reason is not his batting. Babar Azam has caught the attention of fans regarding his possible involvement in the upcoming GTA 6 game.

    The 29-year-old batsman, known for his cricketing skills, was portrayed by Peshawar Zamli as a character of the well-known GTA 6.

  • Zulm: A gripping tale of injustice and courage

    Zulm: A gripping tale of injustice and courage

    The drama serial Zulm, written by Rehana Aftab and directed by Ilyas Kashmiri, is produced by Momina Duraid’s MD Productions.
    Zulm is a new 2023 Pakistani drama series on Hum TV. The drama story revolves around issues of injustice and resilience. Faisal Quraishi, known for versatility in portraying different characters, will be taking on the role of a cruel and notorious man, along with remaining cast members Sahar Hashmi and Shahzad Sheikh in the lead roles.The plot explores the dark side of human behavior, where cruelty and resilience intersect.


    The drama revolves around a really menacing character who causes distress to everone around him. The story is a rollercoaster of emotions, and we hope that justice wins in the end!


    At the core of “Zulm” lies a thrilling saga, a continuous battle between good and evil, with criminal supremacy casting dark clouds over society. The audience is invited to tune in to Hum TV at 8 pm to witness the unfolding saga, eagerly anticipating each twist and turn in the fight for life and justice.