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Author: News Desk

  • ‘Shah Rukh Khan was the first person to console me after Dilip died’: Saira Banu

    ‘Shah Rukh Khan was the first person to console me after Dilip died’: Saira Banu

    Yesteryear leading lady Saira Banu shared a heart warming story about Bollywood Badshah Shah Rukh Khan on her Instagram page. The actress revealed that the superstar was the first to console her after the death of her husband, legendary actor Dilip Kumar in . The thespian and Banu had been married for 54 years when the thespian died at the age of 98 years.

    In a detailed account, she wrote on Instgram page, that she first met the ‘Pathaan’ actor at an event where he appeared shy and reticent, resembling Dilip’s personality.

    When he bowed before Saira and asked for her blessings, the actress realised his hair resembled her husband’s.

    “Since that day, whenever Shahrukh and I met, he graciously lowered his head, allowing me to offer him my blessings. Interestingly, on one occasion, I forgot to run my hand through his hair, and immediately after, Shahrukh lowered his head, saying, “Aaj Aapne Mere Baalon Par Hath Nahin Phera”, and without hesitation, I lovingly ran my fingers through his hair, completing our familiar ritual.”

    Saira wrote about thf Bollywood Badshah being especially considerate when Dilip Kumar passed away.

    “In that moment,’ writes the ‘Junglee’ actress. “His affection for the ‘Kohinoor of Hindustan,’ Dilip Sahib, shone brightly as he was among the very first to offer his comforting presence in the face of adversity.”

    Saira also reflected how Shah Rukh’s respect and affection for her late husband shined when he came to their house to get the ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ poster signed by him, and which he has kept in his private theatre.

    Read her complete caption here

  • From ‘great people to fly with’ to ‘great debt to deal with’: PIA expected to ground several aircraft

    From ‘great people to fly with’ to ‘great debt to deal with’: PIA expected to ground several aircraft

    Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is facing a critical financial crisis, prompting the grounding of several aircraft due to difficulties in securing funds. This crisis has resulted in arrears with various stakeholders, including creditors, aircraft lessors, fuel suppliers, insurers, and airport operators. Boeing and Airbus are also on the verge of discontinuing spare parts supply by mid-September.

    The Ministry of Aviation has urgently requested a cash injection of Rs23 billion and the suspension of duties, taxes, and service charges, although no concrete business plan has been presented. The restructuring of PIA is expected to be a complex eight-month process, and the airline must remain operational during this period for divestment to yield a fair value.

    Regrettably, PIA serves only a small fraction of Pakistan’s population while consuming significant public funds. The government, holding a 92 per cent share in PIA, faces mounting losses attributed to competition, mismanagement, and inadequate funding for fleet expansion.

    As of December 31, 2022, PIA’s debt and liabilities stood at Rs743 billion, five times more than its assets’ total value. The airline’s annual losses reached Rs86.5 billion for the last financial year, with projections indicating debt and losses could further rise.

    According to Dawn, previous attempts to make PIA sustainable through cost-cutting and fleet expansion have failed. Alternately, efforts focused on financial, legal, and operational restructuring to attract private investment have been explored but not implemented.

    In June 2023, a decision was made to restructure PIA based on the Dubai Islamic Bank Consortium Report. This involves creating a new holding company to retain legacy loans and non-aviation assets while keeping PIACL subsidiaries intact. Recent legal restrictions hindering private investment have been lifted.

    However, the restructuring plan is pending government approval. The Aviation Division has requested Rs23 billion in funds and relief from various financial obligations. A separate panel has been formed to assess the restructuring plan, with support from the finance ministry and the State Bank of Pakistan expected once the plan is fully finalised.

  • ‘Stop’: Adnan Siddiqui slams fake news of his death

    ‘Stop’: Adnan Siddiqui slams fake news of his death

    Actor Adnan Siddiqui has become the latest target of fake death rumours on the internet, and he has had enough of it.

    The ‘Maat’ actor shared a clip on his Instagram account of a video spreading news that he had passed away, slamming irresponsible journalism:

    “All those spreading the rumours of my demise in the name of journalism and breaking news, next time give me a fair idea before making me the headline. I’ll personally come to your studios and confirm it, complete with my epitaph. Your (ir)responsible journalism should look flawless after all.”

    Actress Simi Rahael sent prayers in the comments and called out trolls for spreading such dangerous news.

    Other actors like Faysal Quraishi and Aijazz Aslam also agreed with Adnan’s post.

    Previously, it was veteran actor Mahmood Aslam who became the target of rumors that he had passed away, and the ‘Bulbulay’ actor took to social media to slam the fake news and called for users to be mindful about his friends and family members who could be deeply hurt by such actions.

    “I’m Mahmood Aslam, breathing, fit and alive in front of you. A few hours ago, someone reported on social media that I have passed away. Whoever spread this news, I want to request them, for God’s sake, to not spread such news without verifying it. I am sitting in front of you, healthy and alive.”

    “If not me, please think of my friends and family, relatives and fans and how they would feel after reading this unverified news. You can post about people who die so everyone can grieve them but please do not post fake news about those who are alive.”

    “I made this video to tell all of you to not believe the news. I’m here and alive. And I’d like to request the people behind the fake news to stop their malicious attempts. Think 10 times before doing such a thing. It might be fun and games for you but it isn’t a joke. Fans and families could get affected in the worst possible way.”

  • Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Prize money for informants against smuggling, hoarding, illegal immigrants, says Sarfaraz Bugti

    Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said in a media talk on Sunday that the federal administration will have zero tolerance against smuggling. He also said that the caretaker government will give prize money to those who provide information on smuggling, hoarding, and illegal immigrants.

    In a joint press conference with the caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, Sarfaraz Bugti also stressed that all state institutions will go to any length to eliminate the menace of smuggling and hoarding in the country.

    The caretaker government recovered sugar and urea in a very large quantity in different parts of the country, and operations against wheat, sugar, urea, dollars, and other commodities is still continuing, he added.

    Almost 59 people who were involved in the illegal business of Hundi-Hawala have also been arrested, the security czar said.

    “But what is ironic is that now the elements involved in smuggling have started hoarding various things,” he added.

    On a question regarding terrorist attacks from Afghanistan, Bugti said that the neighbouring country should abide by the Doha Agreement, which is a surety that Afghan soil will not be used against any country.

  • FC official killed in targeted Peshawar blast, eight injured

    A vehicle belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa FC’s Mohmand Rifles regiment was targeted Monday morning at 10:30am in Peshawar. According to the Warsak Superintendent of Police (SP) Mohammad Arshad Khan the blast occurred when the vehicle was headed toward Peshawar from Machni.

    A Frontier Constabulary (FC) official was martyred and eight others, including two civilians were injured. The blast took place near Prime Hospital Complex on Peshawar’s Warsak Road.

    The incident took place just one day after acting interim Minister Sarfraz Bugti downplayed the rise in militancy in the country, stating there was no need for fear since “a little surge [in terrorism] is not so big as to make us panic.”

  • MDCAT candidates caught cheating via Bluetooth

    MDCAT candidates caught cheating via Bluetooth

    Dozens of candidates have been caught cheating in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) MDCAT exams conducted in a number of cities on Sunday.

    Over 40 candidates, including 20 female candidates, were arrested in Peshawar while 10 were taken into custody in DI Khan.

    All of the detainees were said to be using Bluetooth to cheat in the test. And as reported by Geo, DI Khan police sources claimed that VIP passes were issued to the candidates for which a hefty amount was paid to take the exam through dishonest means.

    Moreover, police received reports of MDCAT paper getting leaked via Bluetooth devices.

    Initially, FIRs were lodged at police stations Sharqi, Faqirabad and Pahari Pura. All the 43 candidates were later released on personal surety and will be produced before the court on September 11.

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Secretary has issued instructions on tracking down government officials involved in cheating and to bring the facilitators to justice. He also asked the IT Board and higher education department to ameliorate their test strategy.

  • 31 cities accommodate more than 180,000 MDCAT candidates

    31 cities accommodate more than 180,000 MDCAT candidates

    Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) conducted this year’s MDCAT on Sunday. The paper-based exam took place in centres across the country.

    PMDC President Professor Dr Rizwan Taj said that a total of 180,534 students from Pakistan appeared in the MDCAT exam. 180,151 registered candidates appeared in national venues whereas 382 candidates appeared at two international centres; 185 candidates in Dubai and 197 candidates in Saudi Arabia.

    Punjab hosted 66,875 candidates, Sindh 40,528, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 46439, Balochistan 9,230, Gilgit 926, Azad Jammu and Kashmir 4,036 and Islamabad 12,118.

    The candidates were accommodated in 31 different cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Sialkot, DG Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Karachi, Jamshoro, Dera Ismail Khan, Malakand, Nawabshah, Swat, Swabi, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Abbottabad, Quetta, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Huripur, Larkana, Mansehra, and Mirpur.

    Dr. Taj pointed that special assistance had been provided to candidates with special needs or handicaps to fill out answer sheets.

    As per the spokesperson of the Sindh Medical University, MDCAT results will come out after around one week.

  • Captain America is married: Check out who Chris Evans wed in intimate ceremony

    Captain America is married: Check out who Chris Evans wed in intimate ceremony

    It looks like the Avengers superhero is officially off the market

    Actor Chris Evans has married actress Alba Baptista in an intimate ceremony at his Boston home, with only friends and family present. Page Six reports that guests had to sign NDAs, while phones were strictly not allowed during the ceremony. The 41-year-old actor’s fellow superheroes including Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth and Jeremy Renner, were present at the wedding, as was Emily Blunt and husband John Krasinski.

    In November 2022, a source told People Magazine that the pair had been dating for over a year.

    “They are in love, and Chris has never been happier,” the insider said, adding that the ‘Knives Out’ actor’s friends and family members all adored his girlfriend.

    Chris Evans previously opened up to People Magazine about his desire to have a family and getting married:

    “That’s absolutely something I want — wife, kids, building a family,” said the ‘Captain America’ actor. “When you read about most of the best artists, whether it’s actors, painters, writers, most of them [admit] it wasn’t the work they made [that they are most proud of], it was about the relationships, the families they created, the love they found, the love they shared.”

    “So it’s also something through my long 41 years that also rings true. Those things are the most important. I love the idea of tradition and ceremony, I had a lot of that in my life so the idea of creating that, I can’t think of anything better.”

  • Shadab-Kohli kay pyaar ki memes break the internet

    Shadab-Kohli kay pyaar ki memes break the internet

    Shadab Khan and Virat Kohli’s camaraderie off the field has won the hearts of Pakistani and Indian cricket fans.

    The Asia Cup 2023 match between Pakistan and India was officially called off on Sunday. It will resume tomorrow (Monday). India will resume their innings where they left off. Rain in Colombo, Sri Lanka, interrupted India’s innings at 24.1 overs, with India at 147-2.

    Here are the Shadab-Kohli memes breaking the internet:

  • Usman Dar ‘abducted’, PTI demands immediate release

    Usman Dar ‘abducted’, PTI demands immediate release

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Saturday that party leader Usman Dar has been “abducted”, demanding that the Sialkot native be recovered and presented in court, Geo News has reported.

    “First it was Aoun Abbas Buppi, then Sadaqat Abbasi, and now Usman Dar has been abducted,” the party wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

    Usman Dar is the latest in a number of PTI leaders and officials who have encountered cases and incarceration after the May 9 riots.
    PTI leader Farrukh Habib said in a tweet on Saturday that Dar “be brought to light immediately and presented in court if there was a case against him so Dar could exercise his right to defend himself and his family could meet him”.


    Earlier, Dar had said that his house, factory, and business in Sialkot were sealed in August. He had also said in one of his statements that his family members, including women, were left helpless.