Author: News Desk

  • ‘I am going to leave PTI’: Did Fawad Chaudhry really say this?

    ‘I am going to leave PTI’: Did Fawad Chaudhry really say this?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry’s Twitter account got hacked in the early hours of Saturday morning.

    PTI ‘s official Twitter account confirmed the news and said efforts are being made to recover his account.

    “Please note that Fawad Chaudhry’s account has been hacked. Recovery in process,” tweeted PTI.

    Hackers also posted inappropriate tweets on Chaudhry’s account.

    Among the tweets posted by hackers was one which said, “I am going to leave PTI.”

    https://twitter.com/Abbasxkhan/status/1565806086707355651?s=20&t=ZKaUy_6oVxEbiuTGiWUOFg

    However, the account has now been recovered.

    Read more: Imran Khan’s Instagram account was hacked, now recovered

    Earlier last month, PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Instagram account was hacked. Prior to that Asad Umar’s Twitter account and Hammad Azhar’s e-mail, Twitter, and Apple accounts were also hacked.

  • People in Rajanpur await relief packages

    People in Rajanpur await relief packages

    Hundreds of flood affectees in Rajanpur district, Punjab, are awaiting government aid as they continue to camp on roads to escape the devastation of high water levels in their villages and towns, reports Ilyas Gabol for Samaa News.

    According to the affectees, no one from the government has reached out to them with relief packages.

    “No one has come here to deliver relief package to us despite several claims by the government that aid is being disbursed among the needy persons,” a flood victim told Samaa.

    Another woman said, “We are helplessly sitting on the side of the road fending for ourselves and cooking whatever is available.”

    She requested the authorities to send help immediately.

    ’90 per cent of people still await assistance’: Faisal Edhi

    Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Foundation said that the situation is critical and warned that it’s going to worsen.

    He highlighted that people’s participation in relief work as compared to the 2010 floods and 2005 earthquake in Pakistan isn’t sufficient.

    Edhi revealed that despite a great deal of effort made by the Edhi Foundation, government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), help has reached 10 percent of people. “90 per cent of them still await assistance,” he observed.

    “There are people who say that they don’t want to come to the streets with their children. They only ask for food. Water has entered their houses,” he said.

    Moreover, he said he fears that international migration from Pakistan will begin as thirty to forty million people have been affected by the catastrophe.

    In the last 24 hours, 57 more deaths have occurred which has taken the death toll to 1,265.

    The Current has compiled a list of things that you can donate.

  • ‘Pehaly insan bano, phir siyasatdan bano!’: Bilawal on Khan for holding public rallies

    ‘Pehaly insan bano, phir siyasatdan bano!’: Bilawal on Khan for holding public rallies

    Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari berated former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for holding public rallies as the aftermath of severe flooding keeps on unfolding across the country.

    “Pakistan is facing the biggest disaster in our history. One-third of our country is underwater! One-seventh of our citizens are affected, 35 million people. The former PM is holding concerts in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa & Punjab,” tweeted Bilawal, directing his anger towards Khan who addressed a public gathering in Gujrat, on September 2.

    The chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are busy organising concerts of the former prime minister instead of helping flood victims, accused Bilawal.

    Calling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) behaviour “shameful”, Bilawal said, “Pehaly insan bano, phir siyasatdan bano! [First, become a human being, then become a politician].”

    Addressing a public rally in Gujrat, Khan warned the government against political victimisation of PTI activists. “If this continues, PTI will come to Islamabad, and there will be no place left for them to hide,” the former Premier said.

    Khan has repeatedly said that the PTI’s movement for Haqeeqi Azadi will continue alongside its flood relief work. In his recent speeches, Khan has made it clear that his struggle against ‘thieves’ will continue whether come what may.

    Pakistan is in the throes of devastating floods which have wreaked havoc across all four provinces. The scale of devastation has been estimated to be upwards of $10 billion.

  • India beats UK to become fifth-largest economy in the world

    India beats UK to become fifth-largest economy in the world

    India has surpassed the United Kingdom to take over as the world’s fifth-largest economy. The country was ranked as having the fifth-largest economy after outperforming England in the first three months of 2021.

    The UK has moved up to the sixth spot from where it was rated during the 2019 fiscal year. According to a survey by Bloomberg, the US economy was worth USD 854.7 million in ‘nominal’ cash terms in the quarter ending in March, compared to USD 816 million for the UK.

    According to reports, the mark was calculated using an adjusted basis and the dollar exchange rate on the last day of the relevant quarter.

    The update was released two days after the government published the first-quarter GDP figures.

    According to statistics, the Indian economy is expanding by 13.5 per cent annually. Despite the fact that this figure was lower than the RBI’s prediction, the rate is reported to be the highest among emerging nations.

    This fiscal year, India is expected to grow at a rate of about 7 per cent.

  • WhatsApp bans 2.4 million Indian accounts due to violations

    WhatsApp bans 2.4 million Indian accounts due to violations

    WhatsApp banned 2.39 million Indian accounts in July, the most this year, according to a monthly report released by the Meta-owned popular instant messaging platform.

    Owing to the Asian country’s tighter IT legislation, huge internet platforms are required to produce compliance reports every month.

    According to Reuters, draft guidelines issued in June recommended establishing a panel to review user appeals and stated that major social media messaging platforms must allow identity of the primary creator of material if ordered to do so by courts.

    1.42 million accounts were “proactively blocked” before any reports from users.

    According to the social media platform, some accounts were blocked based on complaints received through the company’s grievances channel and the techniques and resources it utilises to detect such infractions. WhatsApp received a total of 574 complaints in July.

    The messaging app, which has previously been chastised for spreading false news and hate speech in India and throughout the world, deactivated 2.21 million accounts in India in June.

  • US to send team to assess damage caused by floods in Pak

    US to send team to assess damage caused by floods in Pak

    The Central Command of the United States military will send a team to Pakistan which will assess the damages caused by the floods.


    According to a press release issued by Centcom Communication Director Colonel Joe Buccino on September 2, General Michael contacted Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa by telephone and offered condolences over the loss of lives in historic floods across the country.


    As per the statement, an assessment team will be travelling to Islamabad to assess what possible help the Department of Defence (DoD) may offer to USAID as part of the United States’ response to the flooding disaster in Pakistan.

    USAID announced earlier this week that the US will provide $30 million in humanitarian assistance to Pakistan to deal with damage caused by devastating floods.

    Heavy monsoon rains in the country have triggered massive floods that have submerged a third of the country and killed at least 1,208 people.


    Approximately 116 districts across the four provinces have been affected. Infrastructure, including bridges, roads, schools, homes and hospitals. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 888 health facilities have been inundated with flood water

  • Casting coup: Iqra Aziz set to star opposite Imran Ashraf and Feroze Khan in her comeback project

    Casting coup: Iqra Aziz set to star opposite Imran Ashraf and Feroze Khan in her comeback project

    Actor Iqra Aziz is returning to the television screens with a magnum opus project after taking a brief post-pregnancy break. The Raqeeb Se heroine will star opposite Imran Ashraf and Feroze Khan in Geo TV’s next project, Sanwal Yaar Piya. Written by Hashim Nadeem, this Wajahat Rauf directorial will be produced by Shazia Wajahat.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHbpA1MMkp8&t=1s

    The director took to Instagram and confirmed all speculations. Feroze Khan, Iqra Aziz, and Imran Ashraf are working in his forthcoming project Sanwal Yaar Piya which is written by renowned playwright Hashim Nadeem.

    “It gives me great pleasure to announce this labour of love called Sanwal Yaar Piya in association with Geo TV, featuring this dream cast Feroze Khan, Iqra Aziz, and Imran Ashraf along with some of the most talented actors in the country. It is an honour teaming up once again with the great Hashim Nadeem sb (after Raqse Bismil) who has given us this intense story!” he wrote.

    Wajahat also posted a picture of the first look of the drama with the three actors in it.

    While Aziz previously worked with Feroze in blockbuster drama Khuda Aur Muhabbat Season 3, while she collaborated with Imran Ashraf in Hum TV’s Ranjha Ranjha Kardi. 

    The filming will commence on September 12th. It is indeed a great cast which has never appeared together on screen.

  • Jemima Goldsmith set to donate earnings from private screening of Sajal’s next for Pakistani flood victims

    Jemima Goldsmith set to donate earnings from private screening of Sajal’s next for Pakistani flood victims

    Jemima Goldsmith is auctioning a private screening of her upcoming movie  What’s Love Got To Do With It to collect donations for flood victims of Pakistan. The movie stars Sajal Aly and Shabana Azmi in key roles.

    “In aid of Pakistan’s flood victims, We are auctioning a private screening in London for up to 20 people of our film What’s Love Got To Do With It? See you there,” Jemima wrote in a tweet.

    “One lucky winner along with 20 friends will have a private screening of What’s Love Got To Do With It? written by Jemima Khan and directed by Shekar Kapur at Working Title Films, London. This exclusive opportunity, hosted by Jemima Khan and Fatima Bhutto, means that the winner can see What’s Love Got To Do With It? before its theatrical release. The winner can choose their guests and time and date, two weeks before the film’s release in January 2023, subject to the private theatre’s availability. Jemima will introduce the film and Fatima will join her to say hello to the auction winners. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

    The movie will be released on January 27.

  • Google, Suzuki donate millions to flood-affectees

    Google, Suzuki donate millions to flood-affectees

    Tech giant Google has announced that it will donate $500,000 (Rs110 million) for flood relief efforts in Pakistan.

    Google Southeast Asia Vice President Stephanie Davis posted on LinkedIn that the tech giant would donate the amount to the Centre for Disaster Philanthropy through Google.org.

    In a post, she wrote: “Our hearts go out to each and everyone impacted by the ongoing floods in Pakistan. Even when faced with the fear of having their homes washed away and vital farmland destroyed, we have also witnessed Pakistanis and communities coming together to help each other. We are inspired by their bravery, and we want to help.”

    She added that the company would find more ways to help Pakistan through its tools and resources.

    Separately, Google’s Regional Head for South Asian Frontier Markets Farhan Qureshi said Google employees have contributed over Rs72 million so far in personal donations and company matches.

    Earlier this week, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said his company would donate to relief and recovery efforts on the ground.

    “The floods in Pakistan and surrounding areas are devastating humanitarian disasters. Our thoughts are with those that have lost loved ones, the many displaced families, and all those affected,” he tweeted.

    Suzuki has also decided to offer aid to Pakistan in support of the flood victims. According to an official notification, the company will offer a relief fund of 10 million Japanese Yen (Rs15.6 million).

    Water levels continued to rise on Friday as the overall death toll from the devastating floods has crossed 1,200.

  • Court fixes contempt case against former Chief Judge Rana Shamim

    Court fixes contempt case against former Chief Judge Rana Shamim

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has fixed a contempt case against former Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Judge (CJ), Dr Rana Muhammad Shamim, on September 5.

    Shamim allegedly signed an affidavit that incriminates former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar.

    The affidavit contained allegations that Saqib Nisar attempted to influence a case against former Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif and his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, in an attempt to bring Imran Khan into power.

    The authenticity of the affidavit, which surfaced in one of Pakistan’s leading newspapers in November 2021, has been in question.

    Journalist Ansar Abbasi who published this investigative report has also been called in for contempt of court.

    Earlier in January, IHC indicted Rana Shamim for allegations that he levelled against Saqib.

    At the time, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah deferred the framing of charges against the media personnel who were also named in the case, including journalist Abbasi and Jang Group owner Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman.