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Author: News Desk

  • Hania Aamir reveals reason for dropping out of college

    Hania Aamir reveals reason for dropping out of college

    Hania Aamir is currently a hot favourite because of her stellar performance as Maheer in ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the actress, who has spoken up about her personal struggles on screen.

    As a guest on the show ‘The Fourth Umpire’, Aamir was asked about education. The actress revealed that she was a college drop out:

    “I was a good student..I left because I started acting.”

    The actor explained that she had started making money from her career, and had to support her family:

    “I need money and I needed to manage my house since I was the breadwinner of my family. Luckily, acting came along and I was good at it.”

    Listen to the complete interview below:

  • The moving interaction between Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan at the Oscars was more significant than audiences think

    The moving interaction between Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan at the Oscars was more significant than audiences think

    There was a wholesome moment at the Oscars when Harrison Ford stepped up to announce the Best Picture award, and the winner was ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’. A viral clip of the moment shows Ke Huy Quan and Ford hugging each other on the stage as the team walked up to receive their award.

    It is perhaps not well known that this pivotal moment between Quan and Ford is much more significant than it seems because the two actors had worked together in ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’, Quan’s debut Hollywood project.

    Quan had starred as the popular archaeologist’s tiny side kick, Short Round, who helped him find an ancient stone in India which had been stolen by an evil priest.
    Speaking about his experience in ‘Temple of Doom’, Quan regarded it as one of the happiest moments of his life because he had been able to travel to Sri Lanka.

    After the success of the film, Quan went on to act in television series like ‘Together We Stand’, but chose to leave Hollywood as he wasn’t getting any roles that weren’t racist or stereotyped.

    It was only after the success of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ that Quan decided to venture back in to acting. Hiring a friend as an agent, he came across the script for ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ and recalled to the Telegraph that he laughed a lot while reading the script: “I laughed so hard and I cried so hard and I told my wife, ‘I think this role was written for me.’”

  • Punjab govt to provide free flour to 15.8 million deserving households during Ramzan

    Punjab govt to provide free flour to 15.8 million deserving households during Ramzan

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has announced a scheme to provide free flour to impoverished individuals during the holy month of Ramzan. The premier stated that the distribution of free flour will encompass 15.8 million households throughout Punjab from 25 Sha’ban to 25 Ramzan.

    To ensure effective implementation of the scheme, the Prime Minister directed the utilisation of 8,500 utility stores and the establishment of an additional 20,000 distribution points for public convenience.

    Moreover, PM Shehbaz stressed the need for the transparent and modern distribution of free flour among the poor while also emphasising that the quality of flour provided should be of the highest standards.

    Eligibility for the program can be confirmed through SMS, and the federal government will also support other provinces in this regard.

    During a review meeting to discuss the distribution of free flour under the Ramzan package, chaired by the Prime Minister himself, the Punjab government provided a detailed briefing on the program.

    The meeting was attended by the Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Adviser to the Prime Minister Ahad Cheema, and other relevant senior officials.

    This decision is expected to bring much-needed relief to the underprivileged during the holy month of Ramzan. By utilising modern technology and additional distribution points, the distribution of free flour can be carried out efficiently and transparently, ensuring that the benefits reach those who are most in need.

  • Monitoring committee takes action against use of luxury cars by officials to cut expenses

    Monitoring committee takes action against use of luxury cars by officials to cut expenses

    State-run Radio Pakistan has reported that the monitoring committee responsible for overseeing the implementation of austerity measures has expressed serious concerns about some officers using vehicles above 1,800cc.

    The committee, chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, met in Islamabad on Monday to review the implementation of the decisions made at its first meeting regarding austerity measures. As part of an austerity drive to save the government Rs200 billion ($766 million) a year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had asked ministers and advisers to fly economy class and forgo luxury cars and their salaries.

    These cuts were made as Pakistan, facing a balance of payment crisis, negotiates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure $1 billion in funds that have been pending since late last year over policy issues.

    The meeting today was updated on the status of the use of luxury vehicles and was informed that a majority of the allocated vehicles have been returned by cabinet members. However, the committee expressed concerns over the non-return of the remaining luxury vehicles and directed the Cabinet Division to strictly implement the decision and retrieve the luxury vehicles within three days. The committee also discussed the withdrawal of the use of security vehicles and decided to implement the decision.

    Furthermore, the Ministry of Law and Justice was tasked with suggesting the implementation of austerity measures in the judiciary to the superior judiciary and approaching the Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker to suggest the use of teleconferences for all meetings to save time and expenditure. The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination has also approached provincial governments to suggest the implementation of similar austerity measures.

    The committee also deliberated on working timings and decided that the new timing for office work will be 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, and up to 12:30 pm on Fridays, starting from the first of Ramzan and will be followed in the summer season, as per the cabinet’s decision. A notification will be issued accordingly. The finance minister, speaking at the occasion, directed all to expedite the implementation of austerity measures with sincerity and true spirit without any exception. These cuts are part of an effort to prevent an economic meltdown as Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves have fallen below a month’s import cover.

  • Ali Sadpara’s son all set to summit world-highest peaks in Nepal without oxygen

    Ali Sadpara’s son all set to summit world-highest peaks in Nepal without oxygen

    Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of famous mountaineer late Muhammad Ali Sadpara, has reached Nepal to summit some of the world’s highest mountains without supplemental oxygen.

    He is going to climb Kangchenjunga (8,586 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m) and Makalu (8,481m) peaks, reports Dawn.

    They are the world’s third, seventh, and fifth-highest mountains, respectively. The climber said his mission will be completed in three months.

    In an Instagram post Sadpara put up on Saturday, he shared that he is all set to summit Mountain Annapurna, 8091m high, considered to be among the deadliest of high peaks due to avalanche prone slopes and shifting ice.

    At home, Sajid Ali Sadpara has twice climbed K2 — the world’s second-highest mountain — one time without supplemental oxygen. In 2022, he summited the Manaslu peak without supplemental oxygen, becoming the first Pakistani to achieve the feat.

    Earlier this year, he announced the “K-2 Clean Up Campaign”, a voluntary cleanliness campaign that will start in June this year.

    In February 2021, Sajid Sadpara survived an expedition in which his famous father, Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s Juan Pablo Mohr went missing while attempting to summit K2 during the winter season.

  • Maryam Nawaz and Fawad Chaudhry clash on Twitter after he accuses her of getting watch from Toshakhana

    Maryam Nawaz and Fawad Chaudhry clash on Twitter after he accuses her of getting watch from Toshakhana

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday accused Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz of retaining a watch from Toshakhana and said that she should be summoned by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

    He also claimed that this matter should be investigated because “a private citizen got a 2 crore worth watch for 10 lac.”

    Reacting to this, Maryam tagged her Political Secretary Zeeshan Malik to report Fawad for “propagating lies”.

    On Monday, Fawad took to Twitter to share that Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has taken notice of his accusation within a few hours of Maryam’s tweet and pointed out that Supreme Court is quiet when the rights of citizens are suspended in the country.

    In the notice attached with the tweet, the FIA purportedly had asked Fawad to appear in person on Friday (March 17). The tweet was later deleted.

    The Cabinet Division made records of the Toshakhana available to the public on Sunday night.

    Aaj News also aired the false claim related to Maryam, but later apologised to the PML-N leader. However, Maryam Nawaz said that she will take legal action against the channel.

    In a tweet, Maryam said she will lodge a complaint with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) against journalist Amir Mateen for also airing the false claim.

  • Pakistani rupee reverses marginal gains, closes at Rs281.61 against US dollar

    Pakistani rupee reverses marginal gains, closes at Rs281.61 against US dollar

    On Monday, the Pakistani rupee faced renewed pressure against the US dollar, declining by 0.30 per cent in the inter-bank market after posting marginal gains on Friday. According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the rupee settled at Rs281.61, representing a decrease of Re0.84.

    Despite the rupee having found some relief on Friday with a 0.54 per cent appreciation in the inter-bank market, the currency had depreciated by 0.82 per cent against the US dollar during the previous week.

    The SBP has received inflows from China, which have provided support to critical levels of foreign exchange, but concerns over the delay in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme have continued to impact sentiment.

    Miftah Ismail, former Federal Finance Minister, suggested on Sunday that Pakistan should ensure 15 per cent tax on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 15 per cent exports to GDP in order to avoid the need for IMF programs.

    Internationally, the US dollar experienced a sharp decline on Monday due to the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB). The US government announced various measures on Monday to mitigate the impact of the bank’s collapse, including ensuring access to deposits for SVB customers and depositors of New York’s Signature Bank.

  • Real estate in Pakistan is ‘parking lot’ for untaxed money with support of DHAs and Army, says former FBR chairman

    Real estate in Pakistan is ‘parking lot’ for untaxed money with support of DHAs and Army, says former FBR chairman

    Shabbar Zaidi, the former Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue in Pakistan, stated that only 300 companies out of the entire business sector in the country pay 70 per cent of the total taxes collected.

    According to Dawn, Zaidi dismissed the claims of some businesses that there were too many taxes in Pakistan and no dividends. He pointed out that the real estate was the “parking lot” of untaxed money, and that with the support of the DHAs and army, a system had been developed to officially launder money through real estate, which had perpetual amnesty in the country.

    He called for removing DHAs from the real estate business as there could not be fair competition between a state institution and private businesses in real estate, and also suggested that plots of land should be confiscated if construction was not done on them.

    Kashif Anwar, the president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, argued in favor of amnesty on undeclared foreign reserves to bring money back to the country.

    In another session, Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, the former Chief Justice of Pakistan, acknowledged that criticism of the Supreme Court for messing up big corporate cases was justified as the judges were not expert at finance and economics.

    Jillani suggested the formation of commercial benches in the SC and high court for such cases. In a session on local governments, Ammar Ali Jan, the general secretary of Haqooq-i-Khalq Party, criticized the absence of local government in the country, citing examples of polluted water and waste management issues.

  • Is Shae Gill planning on acting in Pakistani dramas?

    Is Shae Gill planning on acting in Pakistani dramas?

    Shae Gill became the breakout star of 2022 after Pasoori, her debut duo with Ali Sethi on Coke Studio, dazzled listeners across the globe. She is now singing at international concerts and has become an Equal Ambassador for Spotify.

    So what’s next for the singing sensation? We have seen Pakistani singers making their way to the big screen or television, like Atif Aslam, who had starred in the film ‘Bol’ and then ‘Sang-e-Mah’. Will Gill be following in on their footsteps?

    In an interview with Aamna Haider Isani, Gill revealed that she did receive offers to act in dramas and play the role of asinger, but she rejected it.

    “If the script would have been nice then I would have been ok..” she admitted.

    Later on in the interview, Gill agreed that a lot of Pakistani singers have decided to perform as actors, but she will only do so if she finds a good script:

    “My generation doesn’t really watch dramas all that much. We do, but very few. I’ve seen Udaari, I’ve seen Humsafar, a little bit of Bhaagi…they were outstanding..But if a good script comes along, then I could try.”

    Listen to the full interview below:

  • Islamabad High Court upholds Zahir Jaffer death sentence

    Islamabad High Court upholds Zahir Jaffer death sentence

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has announced its verdict on appeals filed against the sentences awarded to the convicts and the acquittal of co-accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, upholding the death sentence given to prime accused, Zahir Jaffer.

    The IHC reserved its verdict on appeals in the high-profile case in which Jaffer was sentenced to death after a long-drawn-out trial of over four months.

    27-year-old Noor was found dead at the residence of the prime suspect, Jaffer, in Islamabad’s F-7/4 Sector on July 20, 2021, beheaded by her murderer.

    The gruesome murder sent shockwaves across the country and sparked nationwide outrage and calls for justice for Noor, cumulating in a sensational trial and eventual convictions.