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Author: News Desk

  • Are you a woman looking to start your own business? State Bank of Pakistan has an interest-free loan for you

    Are you a woman looking to start your own business? State Bank of Pakistan has an interest-free loan for you

    In pursuit of fostering both economic stability and enhanced female workforce participation, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has initiated a noteworthy endeavor. It involves extending interest-free loans to unemployed women, empowering them to embark on substantial entrepreneurial ventures.

    During a seminar titled ‘Women Bankability and Banking on Equality’ at the Government Polytechnic Institute for Women in Dera Ismail Khan, Fazal Muqeem, Deputy Chief Manager of SBP in Dera Ismail Khan, articulated this pivotal announcement.

    Muqeem underscored that women, through the establishment of their own businesses, would not only be able to provide for their families but also confront the pervasive impact of the current inflationary trends that affect every echelon of society. He highlighted the financial difficulties faced by economically disadvantaged individuals in meeting their daily expenses due to limited income avenues.

    In light of the restricted employment opportunities within the country, the pursuit of self-employment emerges as the most viable option in such circumstances, according to Muqeem. He elucidated that these initiatives are the result of collaborative efforts between the Prime Minister and the central bank, aimed at cultivating productive citizenship among unemployed women.

    These policies have facilitated the opening of bank accounts for unemployed women on an equitable basis with men, thereby enabling them to access interest-free loans of up to Rs0.5 million.

    Muhammad Zubair, Assistant Director, asserted that the contemporary era is characterised by digital mobility, and citizens should harness this resource to their advantage. He encouraged citizens to become income tax filers, which would help them reduce their tax liabilities.

    Sara Khan, Principal of GPI for Women, expressed her gratitude to the SBP for their support and highlighted their institution’s dedication to equipping students with skills that empower them to be self-sufficient and valuable contributors to society.

    According to Geo News, she envisioned that numerous women would benefit from SBP’s policy in the future and hoped that such insightful seminars would continue to be organised, enabling the underprivileged and eligible women of Dera Ismail Khan to reap the benefits.

    The event also saw the presence of key figures such as Muhammad Amir Ejaz, Assistant Chief Manager of SBP in Dera Ismail Khan, Rizwanullah Shah, Zafar Awan, Placement Officer at GPI (Women), and a substantial gathering of teachers and female students.

  • Tesla CEO Elon Musk is buying an iPhone 15 due to its ‘incredible’ camera

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk is buying an iPhone 15 due to its ‘incredible’ camera

    Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 15, made headlines after its debut at the company’s Wonderlust event on September 12. It became available to eager customers on September 22, causing long queues at Apple stores worldwide. Billionaire Elon Musk has announced his intention to purchase the iPhone 15, a sentiment shared by many.

    Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share images featuring renowned photographers Stephen Wilkes and Reuben Wu. One image depicts the photographers presenting their work to Cook, demonstrating the limitless creative potential of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The vibrant photos capture breathtaking scenes, from the beauty of summer in Rhode Island to the otherworldly landscapes of Utah. Cook expressed his appreciation, saying, “Thank you for showing me your work.”

    In response, Elon Musk praised the iPhone’s incredible capabilities, stating, “The beauty of iPhone pictures & video is incredible.”

    Cook also shared images of Apple’s new product launches at the Fifth Avenue store in New York, celebrating the latest iPhone 15 family, the first carbon-neutral Apple Watch models, and the latest AirPods. Musk, impressed by these new offerings, exclaimed, “I’m buying one!”

    Musk’s announcement sparked curiosity among social media users. One person wondered about his choice of model and color, while another playfully questioned if he was buying a single unit or the entire company. Some users even joked about Musk promoting Apple products.

    Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 15, made headlines after its debut at the company’s Wonderlust event on September 12. It became available to eager customers on September 22, causing long lines at Apple stores worldwide. 

    Billionaire Elon Musk has announced his intention to purchase the iPhone 15, a sentiment shared by many.

    Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share images featuring renowned photographers Stephen Wilkes and Reuben Wu. One image depicts the photographers presenting their work to Cook, demonstrating the limitless creative potential of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The vibrant photos capture breathtaking scenes, from the beauty of summer in Rhode Island to the otherworldly landscapes of Utah. Cook expressed his appreciation, saying, “Thank you for showing me your work.”

    In response, Elon Musk praised the iPhone’s incredible capabilities, stating, “The beauty of iPhone pictures and video is incredible.”

    Cook also shared images of Apple’s new product launches at the Fifth Avenue store in New York, celebrating the latest iPhone 15 family, the first carbon-neutral Apple Watch models, and the latest AirPods. Musk, impressed by these new offerings, commented, “I’m buying one!”

    Musk’s announcement sparked curiosity among social media users. One person wondered about his choice of model and colour, while another playfully questioned if he was buying a single unit or the entire company. Some users even joked about Musk promoting Apple products.

    Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 series boasts four models: the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus come in three storage options (128GB, 256GB, and 512GB) and five colours (pink, yellow, green, blue, and black).

  • Shah Rukh Khan not part of Don 3 for this reason

    Shah Rukh Khan not part of Don 3 for this reason

    Indian director and actor Farhan Akhtar has talked to Variety about the reason why the iconic action franchise ‘Don’ has rebooted with Ranveer Singh and not Shah Rukh Khan, who played the role in 2006 and 2011.

    The announcement that Ranveer Singh will play the iconic villain was made in August, leaving audiences divided.

    Now, Akhtar has revealed that he and King Khan had parted mutually after they couldn’t find any common ground on how the story is supposed to go forward.

    “I’m not in the position of replacing anybody. These are things that we discussed over the years, I wanted to take a certain direction with the story, somehow we just couldn’t find common ground. We just parted mutually knowing that it’s probably for the best. So that’s where it is.”

    The son of lyricist Javed Akhtar went on to express his excitement about Ranveer playing Don, and said the actor was charged up for the project.

    “I’m really excited Ranveer’s on board. He’s so charged and so ready to go. It’s a big film, just purely from the point of view of an actor, it’s a big thing to do, and we’re really excited to have him on board. His energy is energizing us, so to speak.”

    In a lengthy post on his Instagram account, Ranveer gushed about this being a childhood dream that he was selected to perform the role of the iconic villain, previously played by Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.

    “As a child I fell in love with the movies, and like the rest of us,” gushed the ‘Rocky and Rani ki prem kahani actor. “Watching and worshipping Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan – the two G.O.A.Ts of Hindi Cinema. I dreamed of growing up to be like them. They are the very reason I wanted to become an actor and a ‘hindi film hero’. Their impact and influence on my life cannot be overstated. They’ve shaped the person and actor that I am. Taking their legacy forward is a manifestation of my childhood dream.”

  • Programs need to stop having sexist Khalil Ur Rehman as a guest after he insults yet another Pakistani woman

    Programs need to stop having sexist Khalil Ur Rehman as a guest after he insults yet another Pakistani woman

    It’s about time that television programs and producers stopped giving screen time and importance to sexist writer Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar, because it seems like he can’t stop spewing his misogyny everywhere he goes.

    We thought the entertainment industry had felt the ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’ screenwriter had crossed all boundaries when he abused journalist Marvi Sirmad on live television for defending the slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’, and then bashed actress Mahira Khan for criticising this horrifying display of violence. It was shocking that despite this, the screenwriter was invited back on public shows and wrote dramas for entertainment channels but like always- the industry knows the best way to capitalise and earn ratings is when women are made into punching bags.

    Now once more, we have the misfortune to bear witness to Mr Qamar’s disgusting rants towards women. The writer appeared as a guest on a show by 7 News Digital along with the winner of the Miss Pakistan 2022 competition Sana Hayat, where the pageant winner can be seen talking at length about the difficult realities Pakistani women must endure at workplaces in order to achieve success. Sana spoke about how women have to face all kinds of pressures from their families and society.

    When it was Mr Qamar’s turn to respond, he started by rudely saying that Sana might have had some bad experiences. When Sana tried to elaborate, he snapped, “Don’t interrupt me,” launching into a rant about how Sana is wrong when she says Pakistani women have it hard in the workplace. Khalil Ur Rehman said any person who gives their own personal experiences when discussing issues have poor knowledge of the world.

    Acknowledging that women are being exploited by the workplace, Qamar said men are also being exploited in some places.

    “For example in the private sector if a woman is determined that she will find work based on her merit then she will find work on that basis. But then they use other ways to find work, through which men lose their right to work.”

    “If women want equality,” the screen writer further drawled. “Then they should give up on the 33% quota they are offered and make everything on merit.”

    It’s shocking that in 2023, Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar is being invited on shows to dismantle and mansplain the very issues that women in Pakistan actively suffer from. Why is it necessary to get his opinion, a man, on the issues that women are dealing with? Even after witnessing him time and time again misbehave with actresses, make light of the growing issues of rape and violence against women in Pakistan, why do our channels constantly need to offer him a platform? On top of everything, it was disappointing to watch a female host partaking in this spectacle by humiliating her female guest this way. For her to dismantle the articulate explanation by Sana Hayat by inviting a man who is known for his misogynist rants just proves how television channels are aware that women’s misery= more money for them.

    Khalil Ur Rehman represents every toxic man in our society. His popularity that surged after the meltdown on live television is proof that what our audiences love is to watch a woman in misery. Our channels endorse his mediocre scripts that peddle the narrative that an ambitious woman is a toxic woman, and turn violence inflicted upon women into comedy relief because there’s nothing that fuels money and ratings more than capitalising on the pain and misery of other women- and Khalil Ur Rehman is nothing but a sum of everything that is wrong with Pakistani men.

    We could go on and on with the numerous examples of how brazingly unfiltered Mr Rehman continues to be when it comes to his open disregard towards women and their issues- but we’re tired of constantly writing the same think pieces over and over again. We’d honestly just ask entertainment channels to stop relying on Mr Qamar for your ratings, because we can see through your formulae. Relying on toxic narratives and gossip tabloids that turns women into scapegoats is no longer acceptable, and Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar owes Sana Hayat, and every other female public figure he’s publicly misbehaved with- an apology for his actions.

  • University of Melbourne to host academic conference on Taylor Swift

    University of Melbourne to host academic conference on Taylor Swift

    Taylor wasn’t joking around when she said ‘Well they didn’t teach you that in prep school so it’s up to me!’

    The University of Melbourne in Australia has announced that an academic conference titled ‘Swiftposium’ will be held in 2024 to discuss the global and cultural impact of the phenomenon that is Taylor Swift. The conference will be held from February 11 -13, coincidently around the same time the ‘Anti Hero’ singer’s Eras tour concert will take place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

    The organisers, scholars from seven Australian and New Zealand universities, have said the academic conference will be for scholars to “engage in critical dialogue about Swift’s popularity and its profound implications for a range of issues including gender, fandom, popular culture, literature, the economy, the music industry, and more.”

    Organisers also said they will invite Taylor to make a special appearance.

    The conference’s co-founder Jennifer Beckett, a senior lecturer in media and communications at the University of Melbourne, spoke to The Guardian about the purpose behind the conference.

    “I think it’s very important to look at how celebrities or artists impact on our lives and the different facets of our life. Taylor Swift has such an outsized impact on elements of everyday life. For example, she’s been credited with drawing attention back to public transport in a post-pandemic era. A lot of the cities she’s going to – the public transport planners have been speaking out about adding extra services.”

    It’s nothing new that Taylor has become a topic of academic discourses. A string of universities across the US has recently announced a variety of courses inspired by the ‘Reputation’ singer. Arizona State University announced in August that a course titled “Psychology of Taylor Swift — Advanced Topics of Social Psychology” will be offered to students, connecting various themes from Taylor’s music like revenge, trauma, anxiety- and link it to psychology.

    READ MORE: Six universities are now offering courses on Taylor Swift

    In August 2022, University of Texas at Austin introduced ‘Literary Contests and Contexts — The Taylor Swift Songbook’, where the 12 time Grammy award winning’s music will be studied alongside masters of literature like Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare and Sylvia Plath.

  • We need more conversations about women and postpartum depression

    We need more conversations about women and postpartum depression

    After giving birth to a daughter for the third time, a woman jumped off the second floor of the hospital in Lahore, sustaining severe injuries.

    22-year-old Sidra Afzal was suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth to a baby girl for the third time in a row. She jumped from the second floor of the Lahore General Hospital.

    Postpartum depression is the name given to the wave or phase of sadness and anxiety some women experience after giving birth.

    Resultantly, oftimes, women do not feel like looking out or caring for the baby or themselves. They have trouble sleeping and eating and might constantly worry about the baby’s well-being. This condition can also make it difficult for mothers to bond with their baby or enjoy motherhood.

    As in Sidra’s case, according to Dawn newspaper, the initial investigation revealed that she wanted to avoid the “comments or taunts” passed by her relatives for not giving birth to a boy.

    As per hospital management officials, the incident took place when Sidra was undergoing treatment in the hospital’s labour room where she jumped from the window and sustained severe injuries and was admitted to the Punjab Institute of Neurosciences (PIN) in a critical condition.

    Sidra gave birth on September 18 at a private hospital in Kasur and was then brought to General Hospital Lahore.

    According to sources, Sidra had gone to use the washroom from where she jumped from the window and sustained several serious injuries.

    The Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Professor Nudrat Sohail, said that Sidra reached the facility from Kasur, the doctors conducted tests and decided to again operate on Sidra. Considering her medical condition and complications, she was shifted to the intensive care unit where two female attendants looked after her.

    Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal Prof Al-Fareed Zafar formed a five-member committee headed by Professor of Urology Dr. Dr Khizar Hayyat Gondal to investigate the matter and bring the facts before the public. The police are currently investigating the matter further.

  • No change in Nawaz Sharif’s return to country, says Shehbaz Sharif

    No change in Nawaz Sharif’s return to country, says Shehbaz Sharif

    Shehbaz Sharif, the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has said that he went to London to discuss legal and political initiatives regarding the arrival of the former prime minister and his brother Nawaz Sharif in Pakistan on October 21.


    The PML-N President said while talking to the media that an important meeting of the party was attended by Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Ishaq Dar, Talal Chaudhary, and others at the Stanhope House in the British capital.

    Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed that there is “zero substance” in speculations about going back to London in a rush and receiving “a special message” for Nawaz Sharif.
    The reports indicated that earlier this week, Shehbaz Sharif had received a message in a special meeting in Gujranwala.


    “Imran Khan taught vulgarity to the nation. Nawaz will end this poison and will educate the youth and will give them employment”, Shehbaz added. Sharif also said that his brother Nawaz is a “ray of hope” for Pakistan.


    On the other hand, Maryam Nawaz has said in media interactions that her father will get a historic reception on his arrival in Pakistan next month.

  • ‘Mastermind’ behind MDCAT cheating scam arrested

    ‘Mastermind’ behind MDCAT cheating scam arrested

    Peshawar police have arrested seven suspects on Friday, including the mastermind “facilitating” cheating in the recent Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).

    City police issued a statement saying that they had received several complaints of some students cheating via Bluetooth devices and more.

    So far, 74 candidates, including men and women have been arrested and 19 cases have been registered at eight police stations in the provincial capital.

    The police claim to have arrested Zafar Khattak, the alleged mastermind of the scandal following the initiation of a formal investigation — a joint operation by the Peshawar and Kohat police led to the arrest.

    Khattak’s brother, along with Fahad, Fazal Subhan, Arshad, Fazl Wahab and Aminullah have also been arrested; all of whom are said to be highly-educated people.

    Electronic devices have been recovered which are to be sent to the Federal Investigation Agency for forensic examination.

    According to the police, other districts have also recovered 44 devices including microphones, mobile phones and a smart watch.

  • World Bank urges urgent economic reforms in Pakistan to tackle rising poverty

    World Bank urges urgent economic reforms in Pakistan to tackle rising poverty

    The World Bank has issued a grave warning regarding Pakistan’s economic state, urging the nation to take swift action. They propose taxing key sectors like agriculture and real estate while reducing wasteful expenditures to stabilise the economy. This endeavour aims for a significant fiscal adjustment, equivalent to over 7 percent of Pakistan’s economic size.

    The World Bank also revealed alarming statistics, with poverty levels surging to 39.4 percent in the last fiscal year, pushing an additional 12.5 million people below the poverty line. Currently, nearly 95 million Pakistanis live in poverty.

    To address these challenges, the World Bank has drafted a set of policy recommendations in collaboration with stakeholders, focusing on low human development, unsustainable fiscal practices, overregulation in the private sector, and issues in the agriculture and energy sectors.

    Immediate measures include raising the tax-to-GDP ratio by 5 percent and reducing expenditures by about 2.7 percent of GDP, primarily targeting previously protected sectors.

    Tobias Haque, the lead country economist at the World Bank, underscores the need for substantial policy changes, given Pakistan’s economic and human development crises.

    According to Express Tribune, the World Bank’s recommendations encompass a range of fiscal reforms, including the removal of tax exemptions, increased taxation on real estate and agriculture, and mandatory use of CNIC for transactions.

    Furthermore, the institution advises cutting energy and commodity subsidies, implementing a single Treasury account, and adopting temporary austerity measures for short-term savings. Medium-term savings entail streamlining federal spending and enhancing the quality of development expenditures.

    Najy Benhassine, the country director for Pakistan at the World Bank, emphasises the importance of political consensus and domestic solutions to address Pakistan’s challenges.

    The World Bank highlights the need to address the human capital crisis, reduce energy subsidies, and promote inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient development in Pakistan. These measures are imperative to stabilise the nation’s precarious economic situation and alleviate the growing poverty crisis.

  • Gautam Gambhir has high praise for one Pakistani cricketer

    Gautam Gambhir has high praise for one Pakistani cricketer

    Former Indian cricket player Gautam Gambhir has high words of praise for one Pakistani player.

    In an interview with Star Sports, Gambhir was asked which player he would look out for the host asked Gautam Gambhir which player will perform brilliantly in the World Cup.

    The choices included Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, David Warner, Steve Smith and Babar Azam.

    Gambhir replied, “Babar Azam, because he has all the qualities required to set fire to this whole World Cup, I have seen very few players who have that much batting time.”

    Gautam Gambhir also said that Babar Azam has a “different level of quality.”

    It should be noted that the ICC ODI World Cup is going to start in India from October 5.