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Author: News Desk

  • Battagram incident: What, When, Where, Who?

    Battagram incident: What, When, Where, Who?

    After a long and tense 14 hours, all the eight passengers stuck on a cable car were rescued around 10: 45 p.m. on Tuesday night. Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti confirmed the mission’s completion on X (formerly Twitter).

    The incident occurred at GHS Batangi Pashto spot where the cable car was suspended at the height of approximately 600 feet and its sling spanned over 200 meters. The cable car was crossing over Jangri Khwar stream carrying eight students. Around 8:30 a.m., while the passengers were making their way to school, two of the main cables that regulated the movement of the cable car snapped due to a technical malfunction.

    Makeshift cable cars are commonly used in eastern Mansehra, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit Baltistan, sometimes being the only alternative to traditional mediums of transportation in a topography that includes mountains and rivers. While there are no roads or schools in some of these areas, cable cars are the only means of travel for many.

    Who were the people stuck in the cable car?

    There were a total of eight passengers: seven students and one local. 20-year-old Gulfaraz spoke with Geo News over the phone while stuck in the cable car. According to him, the children were aged between 10 and 15. One boy had fainted because of fear and heat.

    The students present in the cable car were Ibrar (son of Abdul Ghani), Irfan (son of Umraiz), Usama (Muhammad Sharif), Rizwan Ullah (son of Abdul Qayyum), Atta Ullah (son of Kifayat Ullah), Niaz Muhammad (Umar Zeb), and Sher Nawaz (son of Shah Nazar).

    While these students were stuck and awaiting rescue, Geo News reported that the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Abbottabad had announced results. Three of the students to receive results were among the trapped passengers, including Attaullah, who obtained 442 marks; Niaz Mohammad, who secured 412 marks; and Usama, who took 391 numbers. All the three boys had been promoted to class 10.

    The rescue operation

    Even though the operation began near noon, the first boy was not rescued till late evening. The situation got tricky with wind picking up speed and the looming darkness. By nighttime, the military helicopter rescue operation was called off with only two children rescued till then. However, ground-based rescue operation began, with flood lights and a platform quickly built along the cable. In the hours that followed, all the passengers were successfully saved.

  • ‘If you don’t get a joke then the joke is on you’; Indian actor Prakash Raj arrested after posting meme on X

    ‘If you don’t get a joke then the joke is on you’; Indian actor Prakash Raj arrested after posting meme on X

    Actor Prakash Raj has been booked by police in Karnataka’s Bagalkot district in India after jeering at the country’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3.

    According to the police, a complaint was filed by the leaders of Hindu organizations who demanded that action be taken against the actor.

    What happened?

    On Sunday, Raj posted a cartoon picture on X in which a man wearing a shirt and a lungi is pouring tea. According to The Wire, the screenshot was from an old short meme about Neil Armstrong coming across a shopkeeper, a Malayalee entrepreneur offering him a glass of legendary Kerala tea on the moon.This picture was captioned : BREAKING NEWS:- First picture coming from the Moon by #VikramLander Wowww #justasking

    This was taken as an offence by many Indians since Chandrayaan-3 mission is considered as a matter of national pride. Raj resultantly faced heavy backlash on social media by angry Indians.

    Some people, however, came to Raj’s rescue

    One corrected a famous news platform, India Today

    Prakash Raj eventually responded to the trolling and criticism in another tweet saying,
    “Hate sees only Hate.. i was referring to a joke of #Armstrong times .. celebrating our kerala Chaiwala .. which Chaiwala did the TROLLS see ?? .. if you dont get a joke then the joke is on you .. GROW UP #justasking”

  • ‘Elections not possible before May 2024,’ says former ECP secretary

    According to a former Secretary of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) , Kanwar Dilshad, general elections are not possible before May 2024, stressing that polling will only be possible after nine months.

    He explained his point further while talking to The News that the process of delimitation of constituencies will take almost four months.

    The former ECP secretary said that four months for delimitation, three months for finalising the voter list, and two months for the election schedule will make the upcoming election possible. So, according to the former ECP, more than nine months are required to make the general election possible.

    He also said that the ECP should not ignore the factor of revision of electoral rolls, as it is very necessary according to the Election Act 2017.

    On the other hand, according to the sources of Geo News, ECP has decided to consult all the major political parties about the final date of the upcoming general election. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will also be consulted regarding this matter.

    The ECP’s meeting with the political parties, the sources added, is expected to begin in the next few days.

    Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP), and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) are the major political parties in the country.

  • Gold price reaches Rs234,000 per tola, nearing new record high

    Gold price reaches Rs234,000 per tola, nearing new record high

    Gold prices in Pakistan continued to rise on Tuesday, influenced by the Pakistani rupee’s decline against the US dollar and an uptick in global prices. 

    According to the All Pakistan Gems and Jewellers Sarafa Association, the cost of 24-carat gold settled at Rs234,500 per tola, marking a substantial increase of Rs4,600. Similarly, the price of 10 grammes of gold rose by Rs3,944 to reach Rs201,046.

    It is expected that the price of gold might reach unprecedented levels due to the relentless and rapid decline of local currency against the greenback.

    The movement of gold prices in Pakistan closely follows the path of the US dollar due to the country’s reliance on gold imports. 

    The Pakistani rupee saw a notable decrease, falling to a new all-time low against the US dollar. It ended at Rs299.01 rupees per dollar, reflecting a decline of Rs1.88, as reported by the State Bank of Pakistan.

    Currency experts attribute the surge in gold prices to the recent depreciation of the rupee. 

    With growing concerns about the country’s economic situation, investors are turning to gold as a safe-haven asset. This shift has resulted in a significant increase of Rs12,700 per tola in just one week.

    Read more: PKR to USD rate

    Notably, the hike in gold prices coincided with political turmoil and a decrease in the local currency’s value, leading to an all-time high valuation of Rs240,000 per tola on May 10, 2023. On the international front, the price of gold saw a $10 increase, reaching $1,901 per ounce on Tuesday.

  • Elon Musk’s X plans to remove headlines from links to news articles

    Elon Musk’s X plans to remove headlines from links to news articles

    (Reuters): Elon Musk is pushing for a change in news links on his social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, in a move that could potentially undermine the ability of news publishers to draw an audience.

    X is planning to remove the headline and text while retaining just the lead image from links to news articles shared on the platform, Musk said in a post late on Monday.

    The move is likely an attempt by Musk to get users to spend more time on X and push them to opt for the subscription service for more details.

    It is not immediately clear how the move will impact advertisers on the platform that Musk claimed in July had 540 million monthly users.

    Currently news links come up on the timeline of users as “cards” along with an image, source address and an abridged headline. Such a packaging helps draw clicks and helps publishers gain readers.

    But with the shortened links, users might end up writing some text along with their posts and eventually they could consider X’s premium service that allows a single post of up to 25,000 characters.

    With the changes, Musk is pitching X as a more relevant platform for content creators. Premium subscribers can now post longer videos, their posts are shown higher up and they also receive a cut of ad sales.

  • Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 142 runs in first ODI

    Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 142 runs in first ODI

    Pakistan have beaten Afghanistan by 142 runs in the first ODI of a bilateral series between the two neighibouring countries. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first, losing the early wicket of Fakhar Zaman on the second ball of the first over. Captain Babar Azam fell on the last ball of the 2nd over, adding to Pakistan’s troubles. In the first power play (first 10 overs) Pakistani team scored only 41 runs with three early wickets lost.


    After drinks, Pakistan was at 59/3, completing 100 runs in 25.1 overs. Imam-ul-Haq scored 61 runs while Muhammad Rizwan put up 21 runs. Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab scored 30 and 39 runs, bringing Pakistan to a total of 170 runs. At the tail end, Nasim Shah contributed 18 runs, finishing the inning with a total of 201 runs in 47.1 overs.


    Mujeeb ur Rehman took three wickets while Rashid Khan and Muhammad Nabi took two wickets each. Fazal Haq Farooqi and Rehmat Shah also took a single wickets each.


    The second innings was dominated completely by Pakistani bowlers, as the team made it difficult to play for Afghan batters. The Afghan side lost four early wickets with the score at 21 in the first power play. Afghan batters struggled in the whole match and finished at a total of 59 runs in 19.2 overs.


    Haris Rauf took a five-wicket haul with an economy rate of 2.84. Shaheen Afridi picked up two wickets while Nasim Shah and Shadab Khan succeeded in taking a single wicket each.

  • All still stuck in cable car after 10 hours; gusty winds and nighttime will make rescue process more difficult

    All still stuck in cable car after 10 hours; gusty winds and nighttime will make rescue process more difficult

    Another Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) team has reached Battagram to rescue eight people who have been stuck in a cable car for about 10 hours now. They have not been able to rescue anyone so far even though a couple of rescue attempts have been made. However, they have supplied them with water and food.

    According to witnesses, gusty winds and with the night approaching, rescue process will get more difficult.

    At least eight students and two teachers are stuck in a chair lift 2000 meters above ground level in the Alai district of Battagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after the two of the three cables of the pod snapped midway through their journey, ARY has reported.

    https://youtube.com/shorts/lzR96FgQho4?feature=share

    Videos show the chair lift suspended high above a valley, tethering at a precarious angle, connected to land via a single cable. The cables reportedly snapped around 6 am, with the children’s ordeal spanning five hours as of the time this report is being filed.

    Local police have said that Rescue teams have run out of options, prompting Sultan Aamir, the Commissioner of Hazara, to ask the caretaker government for a helicopter.

    The Commissioner has said that a helicopter of the Pakistan Army will arrive soon to begin a rescue attempt.

    Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaar ul Haq Kakar took to X (former Twitter) on Tuesday and said that the chairlift incident is “really alarming”. He has directed the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) to “urgently ensure safe rescue and evacuation of the 8 people stuck in the chairlift”.

    Caretaker PM Kakar further added that he has also directed authorities to “conduct safety inspections of all such private chairlifts and ensure that they are safe to operate and use”.

  • Amidst legal conflicts, teaser for the upcoming Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ released

    Amidst legal conflicts, teaser for the upcoming Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ released

    In an unexpected surprise, the trailer for the Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ has been released online, with Mirza Gohar Rasheed replacing Uzair Jaswal to play the legendary cricket star. The film, directed by Muhammad Faraq Qaiser, and written by Qiaser Nawaz, will explore the struggles through which Shoaib Akhtar went from a small town boy to becoming one of the biggest cricket stars Pakistan has ever seen.

    The cast comprises of Faran Tahir, Usman Peerzada, Adnan Shah Tipu, Rahim Pardesi, Hammad Siddique, Baatin Farouqi, Saleem Mairaj, Raheela Agha, Salman Shahid and Shafqat Cheema.

    The film’s production was mired with numerous controversies, as Shoaib Akhtar had announced he had left the pre-production, citing “failure to resolve disagreements amicably and constant contractual violations finally resulted in us cutting ties with them,” as the reason. In his detailed Instagram post, the former cricket legend said he completed all legal protocols and revoked the rights to the story of his life.

    In July, Shoaib shared a screenshot of the legal notice issued against the filmmakers behind ‘Rawalpindi Express’ warning that anyone innvolved in the production would be held responsible by authorities.

    “I have issued a stay order against the filming and release of the supposed biopic being made on my life by a certain group of people. I had to do this because they had threatened in writing of continuing filming regardless of the legal termination of the agreement. Any person involved in the project should know that its completely illegal and they will be responsible for any reputational loss.”

  • ‘I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India’; Times of India removed Zubin Mehta’s comment from interview

    ‘I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India’; Times of India removed Zubin Mehta’s comment from interview

    Distinguished classic music conductor Zubin Mehta has claimed that The Times of India omitted one line from an interview he recently gave to them. Mehta had said, “I hope my Muslim friends can live in peace forever in India”.

    He made the allegation towards the end of a conversation with journalist Karan Thapar. Mehta gave the statement after he was asked about his views on the “sort of country” India was becoming, especially in view of its treatment towards the minorities, particularly Muslims.

    “It [the line] was cut off, and the writer couldn’t give me a reason why”, he added, to which Thapar responded, “They don’t want to offend Mr. Modi and the government,”

    “How would that offend anybody? …This morning I read that they were burning churches in Pakistan. One has to get over this madness of religious persecution. Hopefully, things will change,” Mehta expressed.

    According to The Wire, Mehta’s excluded comment was not incorporated in the print version of The Times of India. But on Monday, August 21, the online version included the quote after Mehta publicly pointed it out.

    The Times of India responded to Zubin Mehta’s on X that the interview had been “trimmed to fit the page” and “the line being referred to was towards the end of the interview and got left out in that process”.

    But The Wire evaluated that the 33 worded line that was cut actually fits and got restored in middle of the interview rather than the end of it.

    X users respond

    While some praised the censorship, many Indians criticized The Times of India and showed their concern about the increasing hatred towards Muslims in the country.

  • Was Asad Umer under arrest in the Cipher case?

    Was Asad Umer under arrest in the Cipher case?

    Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal planning minister Asad Umar has dismissed claims of his arrest by the FIA in the Cipher case. Meanwhile, he was able to secure pre-arrest bail.

    While exclusively talking to Geo News reporter Arfa Feroz, Umar said that the reports regarding his arrest are false, as he has appeared before FIA twice to record his statement and answer their questions during the investigation. He was confident that his name will be cleared.

    Umar asserted that this is a politically motivated case with intentions to harass and blackmail him. He assured the court about his availability and readiness to depose before the inquiry agency and cooperate with investigators.

    The Official Secrets Act Court has granted him bail until August 29 against a Rs100,000 surety.