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Author: News Desk

  • Did Indian bowler Muhammad Shami avoid sajda?

    Did Indian bowler Muhammad Shami avoid sajda?

    Indian team’s fast bowler Mohammad Shami took five wickets while bowling brilliantly in the match against Sri Lanka. After taking the fifth wicket, the bowler looked like he was about to prostrate (do sajda) but then stopped. A video of the moment has gone viral on social media.

    In the 33rd match of the World Cup played yesterday at the Wakhande Stadium in Mumbai, India qualified for the semi-finals by defeating Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 302 runs in a one-sided match.

    Shami, expressing happiness after taking the fifth wicket, first looked to the sky and then sat down on the ground in a position that resembled prostration. Social media users expressed their views on the bowler’s intentions.

    Here are some reactions on social media;

  • ‘Sickening’: social media criticises McDonald’s Mauritius after insensitive Halloween post

    ‘Sickening’: social media criticises McDonald’s Mauritius after insensitive Halloween post

    McDonalds is facing a worldwide boycott after the fast food giant’s Israeli franchise provided free food to IDF soldiers while the Israeli army bombarded Gaza. Now the company’s Mauritius franchise has come under fire after it posted what users thought was an insensitive Halloween picture.

    In the now deleted image, fries dripping with ketchup are positioned to resemble a bloody hand. The caption reads: “Forget the freights. Savour the flavours!”

    Social media users expressed their outrage.

    Previously, the McDonald’s franchise in the UK was criticised for hiding the replies in their comments demanding the organisation to withdraw their support for Israel.

  • Government announces public holiday on November 9

    Government announces public holiday on November 9

    The federal government has announced a public holiday on November 9 on account of Iqbal Day.

    “November 9, Thursday, will be a public holiday across the country,” said a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Friday.

    November 9 is celebrated as Iqbal Day nationwide in honour of Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal’s birthday, marking his 146th birth anniversary this year.

    Allama Iqbal played a vital role in encouraging millions of Muslims across the subcontinent to struggle for their separate homeland, where they could live freely.

    The day would begin with mosques holding special prayers for the advancement and well-being of Pakistan.

    Dr. Iqbal, born on November 9, 1877, in Sialkot, is widely recognised as the ‘Poet of the East’ in Pakistan and various other regions around the world.

    Iqbal was an acclaimed poet and philosopher.

  • Army gets more land for ‘agriculture’

    Army gets more land for ‘agriculture’

    The Pakistan Army is set to start agriculture farming on 41,000 acres of land in South Waziristan’s Zarmalam area.

    Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant General Sardar Hasan Azhar Hayat has said that the army was determined to increase agricultural farming in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as per Geo News.

    Lt Gen Hayat said the army has prepared a farming plan on 41,000 acres of land that had been barren for years.

    The officer was of the view that there is a vast opportunity for investment in minerals, hydropower, agriculture, and tourism in KP that can help boost the province’s resources.

    The three-star officer said the army has worked together with the civil government to bring investment in minerals, agriculture, hydropower, and tourism to the province, which is yielding positive results.

    The Pakistan Army’s decision has sparked mixed reactions among locals and experts, with some expressing concerns over the potential implications for the region.

    The move, which involves the cultivation of 41,000 acres of land, has raised questions about the long-term impact on the area’s ecosystem and implications for local communities.

    Critics argue that the project’s scale could lead to significant land and water resource depletion, impacting the livelihoods of communities dependent on the land.

    Additionally, there have been concerns about the army’s increasing involvement in civilian sectors, with some experts cautioning against potential overreach and the need to ensure civilian oversight in such initiatives.

    On October 1st this year, The Pakistan Army launched the first agriculture project under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to make barren lands cultivable in South Waziristan.

    The pilot project launched in the Zarmalam district of South Waziristan oversaw 1,000 acres of barren land made suitable for cultivation.

    The Pakistan Army’s decision has sparked mixed reactions among locals and experts, with some expressing concerns over the potential implications for the region.

    The move, which involves the cultivation of 41,000 acres of land, has raised questions about the long-term impact on the area’s ecosystem and the implications for local communities.

    Critics argue that the project’s scale could lead to significant land and water resource depletion, impacting the livelihoods of communities dependent on the land.

    Additionally, there have been concerns about the army’s increasing involvement in civilian sectors, with some experts cautioning against potential overreach and the need to ensure civilian oversight in such initiatives.

  • Allegations levelled on Zaka Ashraf for misuse of authority

    Allegations levelled on Zaka Ashraf for misuse of authority

    A member of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee has leveled accusations against Chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf, including abuse of office and serious wrongdoing.

    According to a report carried by well-known website ESPNcricinfo, PCB management committee member Zulfiqar Malik has written an email against Zaka Ashraf to the management committee, copies of which have been sent to PCB Patron-in-Chief, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Ministry of Inter-Provincial Co-operation.

    Zulfiqar Malik’s email against Zaka Ashraf comes at a time when his four-month tenure as Acting Chairman of PCB is coming to an end a few days later, on November 4.

    In the e-mail against the Chairman, it is said that:

    • Zaka Ashraf failed to meet his statutory requirements to run the day-to-day affairs of the Board.
    • Zaka Ashraf ignored the orders of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Communication and did not conduct board elections under which the permanent chairman of the board was to be elected.
    • Zaka Ashraf also did not provide his certificates which are mandatory for Chairman PCB.
    • Zaka Ashraf allowed his son Chaudhry Muhammad Khan to interfere illegally in the affairs of the board.
    • Zaka Ashraf misused the office of PCB Election Commissions against his opponents and conducted bogus elections in regions.

    Zulfiqar Malik wrote in his email “He noted some serious wrongdoings and illegalities in the recent tenure of Zaka Ashraf which I consider necessary to bring on record. I want to disassociate myself from illegal and wrong decisions without making them.”

    A member of the management committee said that Zaka Ashraf took some long-term decisions which he had no control over, such as the appointment of the chief selector at Rs 25 lakh per month for 3 years, several directors, consultants, officials, etc. Appointment of committees, approval of multiple projects, massive expenditure, expensive appointment of legal counsel, and removal of several officials are clear violations of the mandate of the Management Committee.

    Zaka Ashraf said that he took all the decisions according to the board’s constitution and the board also defends these decisions.

  • Kya Shahid Afridi ko koi Khush Khabri milnay wali hai?

    Kya Shahid Afridi ko koi Khush Khabri milnay wali hai?

    Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar approached national team former captain Shahid Afridi to consult about the Pakistan cricket team performance in the World Cup 2023 and other PCB issues.

    In the meeting Shahid Afridi talkwd about his association with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the future, the performance of the team in the World Cup and grooming future cricketers for the international level.

    Talking about the details of the conversation with the Prime Minister, Afridi said, “On Thursday, I received a call from Prime Minister Office and I had to go Islamabad. Talking on cricket issues with him was a great pleasure for me, he looked keen about better training in future of grooming cricketers so that they can make themselves and their country proud”.

    He said, “The Prime Minister ask me to play a role in PCB but I have sought some time to take this decision.”

    It should be noted that the tenure of Zaka Asharf as PCB’s chairman will end on November 4.

  • Children and women will be exempted from bio-metric verification, says Sarfraz Bugti

    The spokesperson for The Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan and caretaker Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti, held a discussion with Afghan High Commissioner Ahmed Shakaib, deciding that children and women will be exempted from scanning by NADRA. Only male adults will be scanned for verification.

    “The interior ministry issued directions that females and children below the age of 14 will not be scanned for entry by NADRA. Only male adults would be scanned during the voluntary repatriation,” reported Dawn. Only a “head count” of women and children will be done for record purposes.

    The decision was made keeping in context the heavy influx of Afghan citizens on the borders as the deadline for leaving has passed and deportation has started. A huge number of people are also coming in for voluntary repatriation and it was feared that the situation could spiral out of control. This directive could smoothen the process a bit.

    Authorities are asked to be gentle as any aggression will lead to consequences. A special helpline number has been set up by the ministry and every complaint will be catered to on an emergency basis. The Afghan Embassy has also been asked to send a representative who can work closely with the Interior Ministry.

    So far, 165,000 Afghan immigrants have left for Afghanistan during voluntary repatriation. On Thursday, a total of 19,344 undocumented immigrants left via Torkham.

    Officials at the border crossing in Angoor Adda in KP’s South Waziristan district said that 294 Afghan immigrants, including 129 children, voluntarily left for Afghanistan on Thursday.

    Out of 572 refugees taken into custody, 200 were sent back as they produced valid documents while 384 were sent to Chaman for deportation. 1,176 Afghans volunteered to reach Chaman on their own.

    The crackdown in Punjab will start today as per the officials.

  • ‘She knew what she was doing’: Twitter users outraged at Kim Kardashian’s insensitive Halloween costume

    ‘She knew what she was doing’: Twitter users outraged at Kim Kardashian’s insensitive Halloween costume

    Kim Kardashian is once more going viral for all the wrong reasons. The reality TV star was publicly criticised for her vocal support for Israel a few weeks ago as well as her ongoing silence on the genocide in Gaza which has now claimed close to 9000 civilian lives.

    Kim posted pictures of her family celebrating Halloween, where her sons were seen dressed as injured football stars with bruises and bandages.

    Twitter users were outraged, pointing out that the costumes bore an uncanny resemblance to photos of injured Palestinian children in football jerseys. Approximately 4000 children have been killed, as per the Gaza Ministry of Health.

    “Isn’t scary to think that an actual child in Gaza actually looks like this now? But sure Kim have fun this Halloween…” a user commented.

    “even if it wasn’t intentional, how many braincells do you need to read the room when social media is flooded with bloodied and broken children’s bodies stop looking up to these brain dead celebrities.” Another user posted.

  • ‘This is so sad’: Armeena Khan calls for end to Afghan refugees deportation

    ‘This is so sad’: Armeena Khan calls for end to Afghan refugees deportation

    Pakistani actress Armeena Khan has called for an end to the deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Armeena wrote:

    “It would be CRIMINAL of me not to talk about 1.7 million Afghans who are being displaced from Pakistan, their homes being bull dozed. This is absolutely vile! How can we treat them this way? I cannot talk about Gaza without talking about the plight of the Afghans. This is so sad.”

    When a user tried to school her, Armeena slammed him on the double standards of Pakistanis who are protesting for a Free Palestine but on the other hand, are pushing Afghan refugees out of their country.

    “People like you are no different than the war mongering factions of the Israelites. Two sides of the same coin. Spare the Palestinians your hypocrisy. The Pakistani Afghans are also your Muslim brothers and sisters.”

    Veteran actress and model Iffat Omar also joined in by sharing a picture of a boy stranded on a truck and writing in the caption “This is really heart breaking.”

  • Hamas reportedly sent texts to families of Israeli captives

    Hamas reportedly sent texts to families of Israeli captives

    Families of Israeli civilians who are under Hamas’s captivity have reportedly received text messages in Hebrew from senders claiming to be Hamas, asking recipients to click on a link to access information on the hostages.

    “We offered your government a prisoner exchange, but it did not accept,” the text read.

    “This is our message: the release of all prisoners in exchange for the release of all Palestinian prisoners.

    To know the condition of all your prisoners, stay in touch with us.”

    ”