Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Hamas claims responsibility for West Jerusalem shooting after Israeli forces kills two children in West Bank

    Hamas claims responsibility for West Jerusalem shooting after Israeli forces kills two children in West Bank

    Hamas has claimed responsibility for a West Jerusalem shooting, stating that the two gunmen were their members, one day after Israeli forces killed four Palestinians, including two children, in the occupied West Bank.

    The attack was carried out at a bus stop on Thursday, killing three people and wounding several.

    The shooters, too, have been killed.

    “The operation came as a natural response to unprecedented crimes conducted by the occupation,” Hamas said in a statement, highlighting Israel’s military operation in Gaza and their behaviour towards Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

    On Wednesday, two Palestinian children, both boys, aged eight and 15, were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.

  • ‘Shadi to hogai lekin dekh lo, bhola nahi mein’; Imam shares pictures with Babar

    ‘Shadi to hogai lekin dekh lo, bhola nahi mein’; Imam shares pictures with Babar

    Pakistani batsman Imam-ul-Haq has taken to X (formerly Twitter) after his wedding to share photos with former captain Babar Azam, writing, “Shadi to hogai lakin dekh lo bhola nahim mein.”

    The post was a reference to a dig friends take at each other after marriage, that they have forgotten their friends. Imam ul Haq playfully reminded Babar that he hasn’t forgotten his friends.

    Imam-ul-Haq has now left with his wife for a tour of Australia with the national team after the wedding ceremonies were over, while the wives of other players are also going with their husbands.

    Imam’s wife Anmool, a resident of Norway, is a doctor by profession. Most of the players of the national team participated in the wedding after obtaining special permission from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) despite being busy in the training camp.

  • ‘Balach’s murderers be punished’; Protests in Turbat enter eight-day

    The Balochistan government has put together a four-member committee to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killing of Balaach Mola Bakhsh in a clash with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in Turbat.

    The committee, formed under Section 3(1) of the Balochistan Tribunal of Inquiry Ordinance 1969, will be led by Fisheries Secretary Imran Gichki and includes the Deputy Inspector General of Quetta police, Deputy Commissioner of Kech, and Gwadar SSP.

    The committee is mandated to complete its inq­uiry, determine the incident’s motives, and submit its report within 15 days.

    Balaach Mola Bakhsh’s funeral took place on Wednesday, and a subsequent sit-in at Fida Shaheed Chowk saw the family and organizers expressing their commitment to continuing protests until justice is served.

    The case

    On November 24, four men were killed in an alleged encounter by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). Among them, Mr Bakhsh, Shakoor Baloch, Saif Baloch were identified, while the identity of one person remains unknown.

    However, conflicting accounts emerged as the family refuted the CTD’s claims, asserting that Balaach was not involved in any unlawful activities and was picked up on October 29, leading to his alleged killing in a “fake encounter.”

    The ongoing protest, now in its eitht day, has garnered attention and renewed discussions on extrajudicial detentions and deaths, shedding light on concerns of police impunity in Balochistan province.

    Baloch’s killing has triggered outrage in cities across the Makran division, with a complete shutter-down strike observed in Turbat and other towns on Wednesday while roads leading from the area to Pakistan’s main business hub, Karachi, were blocked by protesters.

    Following a demand by Baloch’s family, a local court in Turbat had ordered the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), or police complaint, against the CTD team involved in the operation in which the 24-year-old was allegedly killed.

    “Now we are protesting because despite court orders, why are the authorities not registering an FIR against the people who killed my brother,” Balach’s elder sister Najma Baloch told Arab News.

    On the government’s inquiry tribunal, she said: “Neither do I know anything about the inquiry committee nor has anyone from the committee contacted us.”

    “Now hundreds of people have joined the protest and are demanding registration of FIR against the CTD team,” she added, saying her family’s “clear demand” was that Baloch’s murderers be punished.

  • Elon Musk tells advertisers, ‘Go f*** yourself’

    Elon Musk tells advertisers, ‘Go f*** yourself’

    Owner of X (formerly Twitter), and one of the richest men on the planet, Elon Musk, famous for controversial statements, has told big advertisers to not blackmail him with money, and, “go f* yourself.”

    The billionaire tycoon of Tesla was invited to the DealBook Summit in New York on Wednesday where he was asked about recent controversial tweets and if he would like to apologize for remarks widely termed as anti-semitic. To this Musk instantly replied, “If somebody’s gonna try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f*** yourself. Go. F**. Yourself. Is that clear?” Musk singled out Disney CEO Bob Iger in the audience, saying “Hi Bob!”


    He told interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin, “I have no problem being hated. Hate away.”


    He also implied that his fans would boycott those advertisers in kind. “The whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company and we will document it in great detail,” Musk threatened.


    Musk’s inflammatory posts on the social media platform, among other things, have led large advertisers, including Disney, Apple, and many others, to suspend campaigns there and drove some famous users to abandon the platform.


    The contents of the tweet promoted the conspiracy theory that white people in the West are being “replaced” through immigration from the Global South with the help of progressive Jews – “the actual truth”.


    However, in the recent talk, he called those tweets, “one of the most foolish if not the most foolish thing I’ve ever done on the platform,” he said, adding that he was sorry for the tweet.

    Elon went to Israel and met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Herzog earlier in the week. “It was jarring to see the scene of the massacre,” said Musk later in an X Spaces conversation with Netanyahu, adding Israel has “no choice” but to eliminate Hamas.


    The tour took place after one of his tweets, dubbed anti-semitic by critics, went viral on social media. Musk reached an agreement with Israel “in principle” that internet access to Gaza may be provided through Starlink, but only using units operated by Israel and with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications.

  • FIR to be lodged against Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Sarfraz Bugti : Islamabad High Court

    FIR to be lodged against Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Sarfraz Bugti : Islamabad High Court

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a directive to the federal government, ordering the recovery of all missing Baloch students.

    During a hearing related to the implementation of recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani warned that a case will be registered against the caretaker prime minister if the recovery of the students is not ensured.

    Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan told the court that 22 Baloch students had been recovered and reached home while 28 Baloch students were still missing and efforts will be made to recover all the missing persons.

    Referring to the missing persons, the senior judge wondered: “Are such things take place in a civilised society? Every missing person who is recovered says I don’t want to pursue the case.”

    If the missing persons are not recovered, the IHC judge said he will order the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti.

    “I am stating this in very clear words.”

    The judge’s warning follows the non-appearance of the caretaker prime minister, who failed to attend the court hearing on November 29 as summoned by the IHC. The caretaker PM cited foreign trips as the reason for his absence, indicating that he is currently on an official visit to the Middle East.

    Justice Kayani also held the defense secretary and the interior secretary responsible for the recovery of the Baloch students if it didn’t take place. He urged the authorities to present the missing persons in court, even if they are labeled as terrorists.

    The hearing of the case has been adjourned until January 10.

  • Petitions seek postponement of elections, citing ‘snowfall’ and ‘terrorism’

    Petitions seek postponement of elections, citing ‘snowfall’ and ‘terrorism’

    Two separate petitions seeking the postponement of elections have landed before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) a day before the commission is set to publish final delimitation lists.

    The petitions, filed by individuals hailing from Balochistan, cited security issues and snowfall in several districts as reasons to seek the postponement of elections.

    One of the petitions filed by Meena Majeed, a general councilor from Mand tehsil of Kech district, through Advocate Fatima Nazar, stated that Balochistan was dealing with heightened security concerns.

    “Specifically, the Mekran division has witnessed a surge in terrorist activities, ranging from target killings of innocent daily wage earners to alarming incidents such as IED blasts and women suicide bombing,” it stated. The impact was most pronounced in districts such as Kech and Gwadar, where 61 acts of terrorism during the last three months alone claimed 32 lives, it read.

    “This topography coupled with inadequate road infrastructure and poor connectivity presents a formidable obstacle to implementing effective security measures and ensuring the feasibility of free and fair elections,” it added.

    The other petition, filed by Toor Gul Khan Jogezai from district Kila Saifullah Khan through Advocate Azizullah Kakakhel, pointed out that many districts and divisions in the country face heavy snowfall in winter which affects the daily routines of residents.

    As a result, elections can not be held in such areas, since the inhabitants of these areas were either displaced or are limited, until the month of May or restoration of normal life.

    The petition argued that if elections are held in such areas, it is feared that provincial or national assembly candidates would either lose their vote bank or voters would lose their votes in favor of their candidates.

    Hence, it is need of time that the election be postponed to any other suitable time through which the citizens of such an area could participate in a free and fair election and elect representatives according to their choice of constituency, the petition read.

    Elections ‘on time’

    ECP issued a firm rebuttal, cautioning that legal action could be taken against individuals disseminating misleading news about a potential delay in the polls scheduled for February 8, 2024.

    The ECP had earlier set February 8, 2024, as the election date following consultations with President Arif Alvi and in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives.

    Despite the announcement and a consensus among political parties welcoming the development, some political leaders and analysts persisted in casting doubts on the scheduled elections.

    A spokesperson for the ECP, in a statement on Thursday, termed the media reports regarding election delay as “baseless and misleading”.

    The statement said a report claiming that the voters’ lists were not being prepared is “completely false”.

    The spokesperson further said that it has approached the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to take legal action against those “spreading misleading news”.

  • Ahmed Shahzad refused to play in Abu Dhabi T-Ten League

    Ahmed Shahzad refused to play in Abu Dhabi T-Ten League

    Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad refused to play in the T-Ten League in the Abu Dhabi.

    In a statement on social media platform X, Ahmed Shehzad said “He has refused to play in the Abu Dhabi T-Ten League, he wants to play domestic cricket in Pakistan and will keep trying to return to the Pakistan team”.

    Ahmed Shahzad thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for giving NOC to play in the T-Ten League and thanked to Bangla Tigers who allowed me to play. The national cricketer said, “I feel proud to recognize my performance in the National T20 Cup”.

  • ‘In Flames’ and ‘Kamli’ win major international awards

    ‘In Flames’ and ‘Kamli’ win major international awards

    Two Pakistani films are winning prestigious awards at international platforms. ‘In Flames’, directed and written by Zarrar Kahn, has won local and international praise since its release. The film has now won the prestigious ‘International Newcomer Award’ at the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg. Taking to his Instagram account, Zarrar quoted a statement from the festival’s jury along with a picture where he posed with the award:

    “Our award goes to a filmmaker who manages to shift and play with genre while maintaining a connection both to his audience as well as his protagonist throughout the film. The main character is a young woman who is allowed to be both brave and fragile, and she is brought to life through a wonderful debut performance that complements the mise-en-scene. The winner is In Flames.”

    The Instagram account for the movie shared another clip from the event, adding in the caption that this was the first time in 70 years a Pakistani director had the honour to take home such a prestigious award.

    While Sarmad Khoosat’s film ‘Kamli’ continues to win accolades even a year after its release. In Belarus, the Saba Qamar starrer bagged three awards at the prestigious Minsk International Film Festival. Qamar received the Best Actor Award, director Sarmad received Best Director and the Viewer’s Choice award.

  • PSL 9 trade: Iftikhar joins Multan Sultans, Rilee Rossouw moves to Quetta Gladiators

    PSL 9 trade: Iftikhar joins Multan Sultans, Rilee Rossouw moves to Quetta Gladiators

    In what is the most surprising move of the HBL Pakistan Super League 9 trade window, Multan Sultans have snapped Iftikhar Ahmed, while Rilee Rossouw has moved to Quetta Gladiators.

    The trade deal with Quetta Gladiators also sees Multan Sultans get the first pick in the platinum round one in exchange for Rilee Rossouw and the first Silver category pick.

    Iftikhar has evolved into a formidable all-rounder for his power-hitting and foxy off-spin. He brings the experience of 229 T20 matches and 4,476 runs. He also has a century in the format to go with 30 half-centuries. Since the start of his career in October 2010, the muscular batter has been smashing a boundary every 6.75 balls. He recently reached the 50-wicket landmark and his economy stands at 7.31.

    Iftikhar Ahmed said in press statment: “I am delighted to become a Sultan. It is an honor for me to represent the people of Multan as their passion for this game is second to none. Multan Sultans have evolved into a strong team and their record in the last three seasons speak for itself. Now, it is my ambition to help them bag the prestigious HBL PSL trophy.”

    Multan Sultan’s captain Muhammad Rizwan said: “I am very excited to welcome Iftikhar Ahmed. He brings outstanding all-round skills, which we need to be a champion team. He was not only his on-field skills that made us finalize this trade, but he is also a brilliant team player who uplifts dressing rooms with his presence. We are eager to put together a set of players whose skills are in sync with our positive, bold and aggressive brand of cricket.”

    Chief executive Ali Khan Tareen said: “Multan Sultans have always had experienced and aggressive batters in the middle order and that has been one of the keys to our success. With our focus on developing and protecting a domestic core, Iftikhar Ahmed aka Iftimania is the best middle order hitter in Pakistan. He adds destructive power against spin and pace and brings calmness with years of experience.”

    “I also want to thank Rilee Rossouw for giving us some incredible memories. While he will not be in our dressing room this season, we will definitely remember him for his services to the franchise. Wherever he will go, he will always be remembered for his time at Multan Sultans, as once you become a Sultan, you always stay a Sultan.”

    Amidst this, Ali Tareen and Iftikhar had an interesting interaction on X (formerly Twitter).

    General Manager Hijab Zahid said, “After putting together a highly professional, knowledgeable and skillful coaching staff, we are now committed to getting together the best set of players. I am sure our passionate, cricket-loving fans will be over the moon when we announce our complete retention list in due course.”

    Head coach Abdul Rehman declared it the biggest trade deal in the history of the HBL PSL.

    He further said, “I am delighted to welcome Iftikhar Ahmed to our camp. I have seen Iftikhar grow into a fabulous cricketer and considering the match-winner he has become, every coach wants to have him in his team.”

    “We will definitely miss Rilee Rossouw who has been an outstanding team player and has had a great role in taking us to where this franchise is today. Rilee was our Mr dependable and whenever we wanted him to deliver, he got the job done for us. We wish Rilee well for everything that is ahead of him.”

  • Day-long extension of Israel-Hamas truce agreed

    A truce between Israel and Hamas was extended on Thursday just before it was due to expire, the two sides announced, with mediator Qatar reporting it would continue for one day under the same conditions that saw hostages exchanged.

    Minutes before the halt in fighting in the Gaza Strip was due to expire at 05:00 GMT, Israel’s military said the truce would be prolonged.

    “In light of the mediators’ efforts to continue the process of releasing the hostages and subject to the terms of the framework, the operational pause will continue,” it said.

    The prime minister’s office subsequently confirmed the extension, saying it had received a new list of hostages.

    “A short time ago, Israel was given a list of women and children in accordance with the terms of the agreement, and therefore the truce will continue,” it said, without specifying the number of captives to be freed.

    Hamas said there was an agreement to “extend the truce for a seventh day”, without further details. It had earlier said Israel initially refused to extend the truce after it offered to hand over seven hostages and the bodies of three more.

    Qatar, which has led the truce negotiations supported by Egypt and the United States, confirmed the pause had been extended for a day “under the same previous conditions”.

    The announcement came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Wednesday night, and with growing pressure for an extension of the pause.

    The truce agreement has brought a temporary halt to fighting in Gaza, where authorities say almost 15,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military campaign. Israeli authorities say some 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage in Hamas’s surprise 7 October attack inside Israel.

    The truce agreement allows for extensions if Hamas can release another 10 hostages a day, but earlier both sides warned they were ready to return to fighting.