Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Trials of civilians have not started yet in military courts, Supreme Court told

    Trials of civilians have not started yet in military courts, Supreme Court told

    Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan confirmed on Tuesday that military trials of civilians had not started yet.
    The AGP gave the statement during the fourth hearing of the petitions filed against the cases of civilians in military trials.


    During Monday’s hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial asked for reassurance from the AGP that no such trial will be tried until the case is heard in the court.


    The AGP confirmed that trials of civilians have not started yet.
    Earlier, Petitions against military trials were filed by former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Jawwad S. Khawaja, Aitzaz Ahsan, Karamat Ali, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

  • Govt offers Islamabad International Airport for lease to foreign investors

    Govt offers Islamabad International Airport for lease to foreign investors

    The government has made the decision to initiate the leasing process of New Islamabad International Airport to international investors in its initial phase. This decision follows the encountered practical difficulties in outsourcing the international airports located in Karachi and Lahore.

    Compared to other airports, the New Islamabad International Airport has been deemed a clean transaction, prompting the government to explore outsourcing options as soon as possible.

    The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has also indicated that there are parties expressing interest in managing the operations of all three airports, as mentioned during a presentation to Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar in the federal capital.

    However, expediting the process will not be easy for the government since no airport outsourcing has been formally advertised thus far. Top official sources confirmed that there are practical issues that must be resolved before handing over the airport to an international party.

    One major concern revolves around the national flag carrier, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), which has defaulted on various airport facilities. Even if the government were to assume PIA’s past liabilities, the new airport operator would face the challenge of providing free-of-cost facilities to the carrier.

    Furthermore, in Karachi and Lahore, certain sections of the airports are occupied by relevant agencies, necessitating a permanent solution to enable potential investors to utilize the entire airport for commercial purposes. The Airport Security Force (ASF) also poses an obstacle to completing the transaction smoothly.

    It remains to be seen how the government will address these challenges. Sources indicate that the government is exerting all efforts to outsource New Islamabad International Airport before the end of its tenure in the second week of August 2023. However, accomplishing this goal within the given timeframe appears to be a challenging task.

  • ‘He understands what is comfortable for a woman’: Kajol confirms Shah Rukh is a gentleman

    ‘He understands what is comfortable for a woman’: Kajol confirms Shah Rukh is a gentleman

    Every 90s kid knows Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol will remain the OTP.

    And now, Kajol has confirmed what we already know, that the Badshah remains a charming guy even behind the cameras.

    The Indian Express reported that Kajol opened up about the process of shooting their iconic song 1995 ‘Jaati Hoon Main’, Kajol recalled how she was clueless about the song design, doing only what she was asked to do.


    Khan helped ease her into the song, being aware of what women were comfortable to do and what they didn’t want to do.

    “I had no clue what was being done. I was told before the shot ye karna, woh karna hai and I did just that. Bohot mushkil se kiya, lekin kiya. I would say one thing about Shah Rukh that he is still one of the most understanding costars because he understands what is uncomfortable for a woman to do and not to do and he tries his level best to make you most comfortable to do that.

    “I would say that he is the most understanding of actors that I have worked with in my whole (career). He really gets it, that, ‘This is not comfortable for her to do and it’s ok, I will figure a way out to make it as comfortable as possible,’” she gushed about the superstar.

    Our K3G self is sobbing our eyes out.

    Shah Rukh Khan is set to star in his daughter Suhana Khan’s debut venture, according to Pinkvilla. The movie will reportedly be produced by Siddharth Anand, the creator of SRK’s Pathaan, who will also be directing Tiger vs Pathaan.


    Meanwhile, Kajol is set to make her on-screen comeback with Netflix’s ‘Lust Stories 2’.

  • Pakistan receives second shipment of discounted Russian crude oil

    Pakistan receives second shipment of discounted Russian crude oil

    On Tuesday, the second shipment of discounted Russian crude oil, comprising a total of 55,000 tonnes, reached the Karachi port.

    The vessel carrying Urals oil, named ‘Clyde Noble’, had been en route to the port of Karachi in the Arabian Sea, according to earlier reports from reliable sources. Once the ship’s berthing plan is finalized, it will be docked at the oil pier.

    An insider from the oil industry had previously informed The News that the vessel was expected to reach Karachi Port by Tuesday. Originally scheduled to arrive on June 20, the second cargo faced a one-week delay due to limited storage space in the tanks of Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL).

    The PRL, being the first domestic refinery to receive crude oil from Russia under the government-led deal, encountered logistical challenges.

    Pakistan had received its initial shipment of Russian crude oil on June 12 when a tanker carrying 45,000 tonnes of crude oil docked at the Karachi port. The government had placed an order of 100,000 tonnes of Russian crude oil in April of this year after months of negotiations with Moscow to finalize the terms and conditions of the agreement.

    As per the terms of the deal, Russia dispatched the first oil tanker carrying 100,000 metric tonnes of crude, which arrived at the Omani port earlier this month.

    However, due to the Pakistani port’s limitations in handling heavy ships carrying over 50,000 tonnes of oil cargo, it was decided to transport the crude to Pakistan using smaller vessels.

    It is noteworthy that the vessel, loaded with Ural crude on April 21 at a Russian port, faced a 10-day delay due to technical issues. Subsequently, it reached Egypt’s Suez Canal on May 17, where it endured a 12-day wait in a lengthy queue before crossing the canal.

    Currently, Pakistan imports 70 per cent of its crude oil, which is refined by PRL, National Refinery Limited, Pak Arab Refinery Limited, and Byco Petroleum. The remaining 30 per cent is domestically produced and refined by Attock Refinery Limited.

    To meet the demand for petroleum products, PRL is presently in the process of refining the Russian crude oil, blending it with Arabian crude that arrived a few days ago following a PRL order.

  • Ahmedabad will host India vs Pakistan World Cup match, ICC reveals schedule

    Ahmedabad will host India vs Pakistan World Cup match, ICC reveals schedule

    Ahmedabad is set to host the all-important India vs Pakistan World Cup, as International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the schedule for the mega event.

    The Cricket World Cup 2023 will be held in 10 venues across 46 days later this year.

    The World Cup kicks off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 Final as England take on New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

    Hosts India begin their campaign on October 8 against five-time World Cup winners Australia in Chennai.

    A total of 10 teams will participate in the showcase event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe, which concludes on July 9.

    Each team plays the other nine in a round-robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals.
    Key Fixtures

    The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash is scheduled for Sunday, October 15 in Ahmedabad. Their last encounter in the 2019 World Cup was a high-scoring affair with India achieving a huge victory in Manchester.

    Pakistan will face Australia in Bengaluru on October 20, while England clash against South Africa the next day in Mumbai.
    The final group stage match will be England up against Pakistan in Kolkata on November 12.

    Knockout Stages

    The first semi-final will be held on Wednesday, November 15 in Mumbai, and the second semi-final will be held the following day in Kolkata. Both semi-finals will have a reserve day.

    The final will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19, with November 20 slated as the reserve day.

    All three knockout fixtures will be day-night affairs, with the matches beginning at 14:00 local time.

    Tournament Venues

    There will be a total of 10 venues – Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Dharamsala, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kolkata.

    Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram, in addition to Hyderabad, will host the warm-up matches from 29th September to 3rd October.

    Pakistan’s World Cup schedule:

    Pakistan vs Qualifier, Oct 6, Hyderabad

    Pakistan vs Qualifier, Oct 12, Hyderabad

    Pakistan vs India, Oct 15, Ahmedabad

    Pakistan vs Australia, Oct 20, Bengaluru

    Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Oct 23, Chennai

    Pakistan vs South Africa, Oct 27, Chennai

    Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Oct 31, Kolkata

    Pakistan vs New Zealand, Nov 4, Bengaluru

    Pakistan vs England, Nov 12, Kolkata

  • India agrees with Pakistan: Pasoori remake is terrible

    India agrees with Pakistan: Pasoori remake is terrible

    These last two days will probably go down in history as the only time Pakistan and India combined forces to take on the urgent matter of Bollywood taking up classics and destroying them.

    On Monday, T-Series released their own version of Coke Studio’s massive global hit ‘Pasoori’, giving credit solely to Ali Sethi, excluding Shae Gill and Xulfi even though they had an equal part to play in making the song what it is today.

    The new version is sung by Arijit Singh, and even though for Pakistanis it’s like kisi ne dil par pathar mara hai, across the border the verdict has been announced: they can’t feel the new version either.

    Jo bacha ab Pakistan Studies agay ja kar parhay ga, it wasn’t peace talks or Fawad Khan’s smolder that got India and Pakistan to unite, it was the utterly incompetent T-Series.

    It’s confusing for us as well

    https://twitter.com/RajatDutta13/status/1673300407895064576?s=20

    Mubarakien maybe Pasoori can be called the song that finally united India and Pakistan together.

    https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/1673217713865654272?s=20
  • Senator Sherry Rehman schools CDA Chairman on Twitter

    Senator Sherry Rehman schools CDA Chairman on Twitter

    Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman is not one to hold back when it comes to calling out audacious ideas. Earlier this week, Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Noor Ul Amin Mengal tweeted a suggestion for alleviating traffic congestion on the road to Daman e Koh and Peer Sohawa on Margalla Hills. He pondered planning a road from Peer Sohawa to Barri Imam and 3rd Avenue to make it a loop to facilitate traffic movement.

    Rehman clapped back today, reminding the Chairman of his domain of authority:


    Correcting the Chairman, Rehman stated that planning infrastructure through a Wildlife Board-protected green area is not under the CDA’s domain of authority. She reiterated that the plan is against Pakistan’s existing wildlife laws and goes against the country’s international commitments to preventing climate change. 

    Other Twitter users also chimed in with their opinions:

    Many users supported Rehman’s sharp response:


    Pakistan’s climate promise

    As part of UNDP’s Climate Promise, Pakistan intends to set a cumulative ambitious conditional target of an overall 50% reduction of its projected emissions by 2030, with a 15% reduction from the country’s own resources and a 35% reduction subjected to the provision of international grant finance.

    Cutting down trees in order to build concrete infrastructure stands decidedly against Pakistan’s Nationally Determined Contribution to the Climate Promise.

  • Survey resurfaces: 40 per cent Pakistani men believe beating wife justified five years ago

    Survey resurfaces: 40 per cent Pakistani men believe beating wife justified five years ago

    According to a resurfaced Demographic and Health survey taken in 2018 by the National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS), around 40 per cent men agreed that a husband is justified in beating his wife.

    However, the reasons for beating were as follows: If she burns his food, goes out without his permission, neglects his children or refuses to have sex with him. Surprisingly, 42 per cent women had also agreed with the statement. Around 34 per cent women, the report reveals, had experienced spousal violence, whether it was physical, sexual or emotional.

    The report states that 28 per cent married women had experienced physical violence since the age of 15, and 15 per cent women had experienced violence in the past year.

    Up to seven per cent married women admitted that they experienced violence during their pregnancy.

    On experiencing sexual violence, six per cent married women had experienced sexual violence and the most common perpetuator was revealed to be the husband, while 14 per cent women who were divorced, seperated or widowed had experienced sexual violence.

    Moving on to financial stability and empowerment, the survey reported that only 19 per cent married women had been working in the past 12 months, compared to 98 per cent married men.

    Half of the married women who are employed and earned an income, made independent decisions on how to spend their earnings, while 41 per cent made joint decisions with their husband. 76 per cent of working women reported making less money than their husband.

    The survey also found that only three per cent of ever-married women owned a house, alone or jointly, compared to 72 per cent ever-married men.

    The survey sampled from all four provinces including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, including Azad Jammu Kashmir and FATA. A total of 12,364 women between the ages of 15-49 and 3,145 men had participated in the survey.

  • State Bank announces aggressive policy rate hike to 22% in response to inflation risks

    State Bank announces aggressive policy rate hike to 22% in response to inflation risks

    During an emergency meeting convened on Monday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) made the decision to raise the policy rate by 100 basis points (bps), resulting in a new rate of 22 per cent.

    The announcement was made subsequent to a gathering of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC).

    The SBP clarified that the MPC acknowledged a heightened potential for upward risks to the inflation outlook compared to its previous meeting held on June 12.

    The committee highlighted that these risks primarily stem from the implementation of new measures in the fiscal and external sectors, which hold significant importance in the context of concluding the ongoing programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    “MPC noted that today’s action is necessary to keep the real interest rate firmly in positive territory on a forward-looking basis that would help in bringing down inflation towards the medium-term target of five to seven per cent by the end of fiscal year 25,” the SBP said.

  • Taylor Swift rejected Meghan Markle’s personal request to appear on podcast

    Taylor Swift rejected Meghan Markle’s personal request to appear on podcast

    Cuz baby now we got bad blood?

    The end of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $15.7 million partnership with Spotify has been the subject of much commentary in news media. The parting of ways had a lot to do with production hurdles, mismanagement and simple laziness on the part of the Sussexes who put out only one season of one podcast.

    According to the Wall Street Journal, at one point, Meghan Markle sent a personal letter to Taylor Swift, requesting the pop star to make an appearance on her show, which had also featured celebrities like Serena Williams, Paris Hilton and Mariah Carey. But the ‘Midnight Rain’ singer rejected the invitation through a representative.

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had set up multiple content-creation deals with production giants like Spotify and Netflix, after the duo had announced that they were stepping down from their positions as senior members of the Royal Family.

    They had signed a three year deal with Spotify, which was worth around £15.7 million.

    However, insiders report that the Duke and Ducchess’ production company, Archwell, had been unable to reach production benchmarks required to justify the payout.

    Another report by WSJ revealed that there were several production mishaps and mismanagement in the process, including Markle making last-minute changes to the episodes. The partnership also failed to honor a term in their deal that Harry and Meghan would be directly innvolved in the production and voicing the podcasts.

    Spotify executives were also reportedly frustrated by the length of time it had taken for Archwell to finalise the idea about Meghan’s show, and also put together a team for production to begin.

    Netflix too is reportedly contemplating ending ties with the royal duo.

    Whatever the reasons for ending the lucrative deals, we can safely say that not even a personal invite from the Duchess of Sussex was enough to impress the reigning queen of pop.