Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • UN chief arrives in Ukraine

    UN chief arrives in Ukraine

    Following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced his arrival in Kyiv on Wednesday. “I have arrived in Ukraine after visiting Moscow,” he wrote on his official Twitter account as he landed ahead of talks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

    “We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zones. The sooner this war ends, the better — for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world – it will be ,” Guterres tweeted.

    During talks in Moscow on Tuesday, Guterres repeated calls for both Russia and Ukraine to work together to set up “safe and effective” humanitarian corridors in war-torn Ukraine.

    “Despite the fact that the military operation is ongoing, we still hope that we will be able to reach agreements on the diplomatic track,” the Russian leader said in televised remarks.

  • Pakistan to broaden ties with US for the bright future of IT sector

    Pakistan to broaden ties with US for the bright future of IT sector

    Pakistan is taking steps to establish a welcoming environment for the digital industry, and now is the right time to elevate tech relations with the United States (US) according to Ambassador Masood Khan.

    The United States is willing to assist, and we are ready to join the IT revolution by integrating and adopting breakthroughs in US technologies, Khan said at the Pakistan Tech Summit 2022 in Silicon Valley, California.

    According to the Pakistani ambassador, the Forum provides a venue for Pakistani business leaders, tech startups, and technology professionals to come together and establish affinities, expand contacts between Silicon Valley and the Pakistani startup ecosystem, and team up for Pakistan’s better future.

    He said that more than 64 per cent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30, and the country’s burgeoning middle class is likely to surpass the 100 million mark in the near future. This youth bulge, paired with a rising middle class, envisioned a bright future for the country’s IT sector.

    He claimed that tech entrepreneurs in Pakistan have made half a billion dollars in the last 18 months, largely due to US funding, and that the sector is poised to create tens of billions of dollars in the next decade.

    Ambassador Khan stated that the Pakistani government will continue to take initiatives to make the tech industry more welcoming. He stated that laws are being made more business-friendly, that ease of doing business is a focus, and that venture capitalists are being offered incentives.

    The Envoy mentioned many incentives being offered to boost the tech sector, including the ability for investors to return their funds, data protection legislation in the works, and intellectual property challenges being handled.

    Read more: US launches $23 million project to enhance Pakistan’s power sector

    “We want to open a consulate general in the Bay Area to connect Silicon Valley with Pakistan in order to promote and assist the growth of entrepreneurs in Pakistan,” the Ambassador continued.

    During the conference, he invited participants to share the results of their discussions and to identify areas where the government and embassy could assist.

  • Khloe Kardashian makes revelations about developing ‘anxiety’ from social media trolling

    Reality television star and entrepreneur Khloe Kardashian never fails to speak up about what’s on her mind, and this time she claims that social media is no ‘fun’ anymore for her.

    After being trolled for her highly photoshopped images and pressured by her fans to post more natural photos of herself, Khloe now reveals that now has “Anxiety” due to Instagram.

    Recently, the Hulu diva spoke about the anxiety that she has regarding her Instagram after fans accused her of Photoshopping her images. On the premiere episode of the family recently arrived Hulu series The Kardashians, Khloe claimed that the social media platform is no longer fun. Later in the second episode, Khole was seen in a conversation with her close friend Malika Haqq before her interview with late-night host James Corden.

    In that instance, Khloe Kardashian said, “I have such anxiety about going. It’s never the interview, it’s always the aftermath. Now you have to listen to everyone say this, or judge you or over-analyze something you say and pick this apart.” Later while speaking with the cameras, she continued, “Social media used to be fun and silly. There’s definitely always trolls. Now, everything is so critical. The way I look, my situation with Tristan, is my hair done the right way, this, that. I’ve got to the point where it’s literally safer to stay home.”

    Replying to that Malika Haqq said, “Anxiety is real and the amount of criticism and scrutiny you have to deal with is also real, but I do like that you do deal.” She also said, “You could disappear and decide you don’t want this to be your life anymore because someone doesn’t have something nice to say to you.” Later in the scene, the KUWTK star was seen talking to the camera and stating that she is currently living by the mantra “f*** the haters” and claims that tuning out criticism is “much easier said than done”.

    Continuing her conversation she said, “It’s so deteriorating on your self-esteem, your confidence, the way that you view yourself. Even posting photos on Instagram, I’m anxious, even when I barely did retouching. I’m still so afraid to post it because people are going to say I did this.”

  • This 8-year-old started driving two years ago

    This 8-year-old started driving two years ago

    We have previously heard or seen 13-year-olds driving confidently on Pakistani roads, but this time a YouTube video of an 8-year-old boy driving a full-fledged Toyota SUV with his 10-year-old sister has stunned everyone.

    The video posted on the internet was shot by his own father, who owns the white Toyota Fortuner. The boy claimed in the video that he has been driving since he was six years old, which is even more surprising given that he is struggling to look out the window, confirming that he is unable to obtain a clear view of the road.

    In the comments section, the majority of viewers critiqued the video for encouraging underage driving and putting others’ lives at risk, while others applauded the boy’s driving skills. It is worth adding that this is not the first time a video of this kind has gone viral. Earlier, a kid who seemed to be 11–12 years old was recorded months ago driving a Toyota Land Cruiser on a busy road.

    Read more: This Mercedes has a smaller engine than the Honda Pridor

    Promoting underage driving is becoming a worrisome trend in Pakistan, which the government must address promptly.

  • Kangana Ranaut opens up on being sexually harassed at the age of six

    Kangana Ranaut opens up on being sexually harassed at the age of six

    The reality series Lock Upp has lately been gaining a lot of attention on social media and most of it has to do with the secrets that are revealed by the contestants every once in a while. In a recent episode of the show, contestant Munawar Faruqui was seen opening up on the traumatic sexual abuse he went through, as a child and everyone seemed visibly moved by his claims.

    Host Kangana Ranaut also decided to join the conversation as she shared her own experience with child abuse.

    For the unversed, the show kicked off in February this year and has been experiencing record-breaking viewership numbers, ever since. Its premise revolves around a group of controversial celebrities who have to survive on minimum utilities while fulfilling a bunch of tasks to keep themselves safe. It is being produced by Ekta Kapoor and actor Karan Kundrra is also a part of it as a jailor.

    In the Judgement Day Special episode of Lock Upp, inmate Saisha Shinde was under the threat of getting eliminated when Munawar Faruqui decided to reveal one of his secrets to save her for the week. He shed some light on how he was sexually abused by two of his relatives for five years at a time when he was too young to even understand what was happening. He further explained how he had to face both of them every day, which was one of the reasons why he could never really speak about it in the past.

    Lock Upp: Munawar Faruqui admits he is married and has a son, fans react

    Host Kangana Ranaut was extremely touched by his story and added to the discussion by revealing how she had been a victim of s*xual abuse as well.

    “This is something that even I have witnessed. I was too young, and there was a guy in our hometown, who was a few years older than me. So, he used to touch me inappropriately… but I didn’t understand his intention at that time.”

    “That guy was exploring his sexuality, so he used to call us, asked us to strip down our clothes, and he used to check us…. we were around 6-year-old.”

    Earlier the Woh Lamhe diva strongly criticised a video of a little female vlogger who recreated a scene of Alia Bhatt’s upcoming biopic film, Gangubai Kathiawadi.

    An Instagram influencer, Kiara Khanna who is also known as ‘chhoti Alia Bhatt’, re-enacted a dialogue of Alia from her upcoming film which went viral across social media. She shared two screenshots on Instagram stories and tagged Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani.

    She penned, “Should this child imitate a sex worker with a beedi in her mouth and crude and obscene dialogues? Look at her body language, is it ok to sexualize her at this age? There are hundreds of other children who are being used similarly.”

    The film is based on the life of a real sex worker based in Mumbai who is mentioned in the book ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’ by S. Hussain Zaidi. This film is being released under the banner of Bhansali Productions with the collaboration of Pen India Limited. Ajay Devgn and Vijay Raaz will also be seen in interesting roles.

    Prior to it the Queen actress, also slammed Deepika Padukone‘s newly released film, Gehraiyaan.

    She wrote, “I am also a millennial but I identify and understand this kind of romance … in the name of millennial/new age/urban movies don’t sell trash pls … bad movies are bad movies no amount of skin show or p*rnography can _ save it … it’s a basic fact koi gehraiyaan wali baat nahi hai (there is no depth in it).”

  • BBZ follows ZA Bhutto, becomes Foreign Minister in 30s

    BBZ follows ZA Bhutto, becomes Foreign Minister in 30s

    Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has taken oath as 30th Foreign Minister of Pakistan today (Wednesday).

    The 33-year-old minister joined Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif-led cabinet in an oath-taking ceremony held at Aiwan-i-Sadr, Islamabad.

    He was elected as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the general elections 2018. It is for the first time he will be serving as a member of the federal cabinet.

    Former PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto first took the charge of the Ministry of Foreign Ministry in 1963 at the age of 35 during the regime of General Ayub Khan.

    As foreign minister, Bhutto significantly transformed Pakistan’s hitherto pro-Western foreign policy. Moreover, he began asserting a foreign policy course for Pakistan that was independent of the United States (US) influence.

    Bhutto worked to establish stronger relations with China. Bhutto also signed the Sino-Pakistan Boundary Agreement on March 2, 1963, which transferred 750 square kilometers of territory from Azad Kashmir to Chinese control. 

    Moreover, Bhutto advocated hardline and confrontational policies against India over the Kashmir conflict and other issues.

  • Female suicide bomber is a double masters, mother of two: Who is Shari Baloch?

    Female suicide bomber is a double masters, mother of two: Who is Shari Baloch?

    The 30-year-old Shari Baloch committed a suicide bombing near the Confucius Institute of Karachi University on April 26. In the suicide attack, she targeted four people including Chinese nationals and a van driver, reports Independent Urdu.

    She was an educated woman who belonged from Kech, Balochistan. She had been with Balochistan Students Organisation-Azad (BSO Azad) since college. She later joined the separatist movement of the Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). She completed her master’s degree in education from Allama Iqbal Open University in 2014

    However, as per Urdu news reported that he completed a bachelor’s in Education (B.Ed) in 2014 and earned a Master’s degree in education in 2018. Later, she also earned a master’s degree in Zoology. As per her allegedly Twitter account, she has done M.Phil in education as well. She was married to a doctor and have two children together, one son and a daughter. She was teaching in a government school in Balochistan but the school did not confirm it yet.

    Her relative revealed to a reporter that most of the family members are part of the bureaucracy.

    According to her relative, “It is being said on social media that some members of Shari Baloch’s family went missing so she took such a step to take revenge but not a single person in her family has gone missing to date. She was ideologically committed to it, so maybe she took such a step.”

    Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Raja Umar Khattab also confirmed that it was the suicide attack that was carried out by a female clad-in-burqa. Police also released CCTV footage in which Shari Baloch was standing near the gate of the Confucius Institute. She blew up when a van was about to enter the institute at 1:52 pm.

    [TRIGGER WARNING] VIDEO MAY BE SENSITIVE TO SOME AUDIENCE

    https://twitter.com/Irumf/status/1518929328502890496

    Four people lost their lives including three Chinese nationals and a driver while three people survived from injuries including Ranger personnel, one Chinese national, and a security guard. The injured people were taken to a nearby hospital

    The deceased three Chinese nationals are identified as Prof. Huang GuiPing, Ding Mufang, and Chen Sai while Wang Yuqing received injuries.

    Later, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) took the responsibility for the suicide attack near the Confucius Institute.

    A spokesperson of BLA spokesman said, “Shari joined the Majeed Brigade two years ago and six months ago she confirmed that she was determined to carry out the attack. She has been active in her mission ever since.”

    A tweet from her husband, Habitan Bashir Baloch also came to light for appreciating his wife’s selfless act.

    He penned down, “Shari Jan, your selfless act has left me speechless but I am also beaming with pride today. Mahroch and Meer Hassan will grow into very proud humans thinking what a great woman their mother was. You will continue to remain an important part of our lives.

    https://twitter.com/HabitanB/status/1519041873691791362?t=-m4FM_PQuDEQQYY2WTSe1g&s=08

    “The police had received reports regarding security threats to Chinese nationals and security was also provided to them, however, no intelligence report of suicide attack through a female bomber was received,” the top police official said while speaking on Geo News program Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath.

    China has strongly condemned the recent suicide attack on Karachi University and extended deep condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims.

    In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, “The government of the People’s Republic of China expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major terrorist attack and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families.”

    Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao called the Pakistan Ambassador to China Moinul Haque and demanded that Pakistan should immediately make a thorough investigation into the tragic incident, and apprehend and punish the perpetrators to the full extent of the law. “We expect that Pakistan will take all possible measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens living across Pakistan and to avoid the recurrence of such cowardice incidents happening again.”

    Moin ul Haque, in a message, said, “The entire nation is in shock and mourns the loss of these precious lives including our Chinese friends.”

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif also visited the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad after the incident to offer condolence over the incident.

    PM said, “The blood of the Chinese people should not be shed in vain, and those behind this incident will surely pay the price.”



  • Rawalpindi faces water shortage amid repeated power outages

    Rawalpindi faces water shortage amid repeated power outages

    Water supply from Rawal Dam and Khanpur Dam has been disrupted, causing severe water shortages in the city.

    The water crisis has been attributed to long hours of unscheduled load shedding by Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco), which cuts the electricity every hour and on a regular basis, according to the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Managing Director.

    Wasa claims that the water supply from Khanpur Dam and Rawal Dam has been severely impacted and that it is insufficient to meet demand.

    On a daily basis, the city requires around 60 million gallons of water. It is, however, only supplied with 30 million gallons per day.

    All tube wells remained closed due to long and unexpected load shedding, according to Wasa Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mehmood. In this situation, he stated, getting water from Rawal Lake Filtration Plant was impossible.

    He stated that we are not receiving enough water from Khanpur Dam to meet demand. Due to persistent load shedding, we were unable to store water in tanks, he said. He said that hardly half of the water from Rawal Dam is delivered to the city and cantonment board districts.

    Read more: Shopkeepers fined in Islamabad for not adhering to DC rates

    Mehmood further stated that due to low voltage and tripping, some motors have been burned. He has pleaded for the provision of uninterruptible electricity in order to deliver water to the inhabitants.

  • 4th bench: Maryam Nawaz withdraws passport return plea

    4th bench: Maryam Nawaz withdraws passport return plea

    PML-N Vice President on Wednesday withdrew her petition filed in Lahore High Court (LHC) for the return of her passport so that she could travel abroad to perform Umrah.

    According to ARY News, the fourth bench – special division bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem had taken up the petition Wednesday morning.

    During the hearing, Counsel for Maryam Nawaz Advocate Amjad Pervez, told the LHC that the PML-N leader wished to withdraw her plea.

    Maryam’s withdrawal comes after four benches were formed to hear the petition due to judges recusing themselves one after the other.

    Last week, a bench comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Farooq Haider was hearing the petition when the former remarked that his colleague was not willing to hear the case due to unknown reasons.

    The matter was then sent to Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti to place it before another bench. Later, another bench was constituted under the stewardship of Justice Najafi and comprising Justice Asjad Javed Ghural as a member.

    Shortly after the proceedings started, Justice Najafi said that Justice Ghural was not willing to proceed ahead with the case. The matter was once again sent to the LHC chief justice with a request to constitute a new bench.

    Before that, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Shehbaz Rizvi had refused to hear the case on April 21.

    It is worth mentioning here that former premier Nawaz Sharif’s daughter had submitted her passport in the court after it approved her bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case.

  • Exclusive: PM Shehbaz says next army chief will be appointed as per rules, regulations

    Exclusive: PM Shehbaz says next army chief will be appointed as per rules, regulations

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday called the PM House a ‘Jamhoori House’ (Democratic House) and said that his government believed in media freedom. In an interaction with journalists at the PM House on April 26, Sharif said that the previous government was not just incompetent and corrupt but had damaged the country’s economy and foreign relations. PM Shehbaz talked about several issues.

    New army chief

    PM said that he has the constitutional right to appoint a new army chief. He added that he will appoint the new army chief as per the constitution and rules and regulations when the time comes for his appointment. This was in response to a question about the appointment of a new army chief since General Bajwa will not take an extension as per DG ISPR.

    Pak-US relations

    While answering a question about Pakistan’s relationship with the US, PM said that the US is a superpower so we need to maintain good relations with them. “Amreeka dushmani hamaaray waaray nahin” (we cannot afford enmity with the US). He added that we need to do some stock-taking regarding Pak-US ties and improve relations with the US.

    Foreign Policy

    Talking about foreign relations, PM Shehbaz said that the previous government had alienated allies and friends. “How can we say that we can raise the Kashmir issue without Saudi Arabia?”

    PM said that the members of the previous government had lied about loans on 8% by China apart from allegations of corruption against Chinese investment by Pervez Khattak and several others in PTI. “China helped us get rid of load shedding by investing in power plants.”

    Saudi Visit

    PM will be visiting Saudi Arabia tomorrow (April 28-30) on the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. PM Shehbaz said that he is likely to meet the Saudi leadership during his visit.

    Load shedding

    He said that there there is no other reason for frequent load shedding other than the negligence of previous government for not buying LNG and furnace oil on time. He also criticised the previous government for its baseless allegations against the LNG contract signed by the previous PML-N government. He said that Qatar must have been amazed that instead of thanking them for such a good deal, PTI indulged in “ilzaam taraashi” [allegations].

    Economic crisis

    “Pakistan is going through one of the most difficult times. We are trying to take the country in the right direction. We have seen how Japan and Germany rebuilt their economies after tough times. We have the examples of South Korea and Bangladeshi economies too. Once upon a time, Pakistan had a better per capita income than China but look at us now. Our currency was better than India’s. When India was ahead of us in the steel industry, we were ahead of them in textiles.”

    “There is no point crying over spilt milk but now it is time to rebuild our economy,” said PM Shehbaz. He said that it will be a difficult challenge but is not impossible to bring back our lost place in the comity of nations by strengthening our economy. “Rome was not built in a day.”

    “If we were economically strong, our foreign policy would have been stronger.”

    PECA

    The PM was asked if roll back of PECA was on the cards, to which he said that his government believes in freedom of media and media will not have to face any curbs but they need to differentiate between truth and fake news. “Media should highlight our mistakes. We welcome that. But it should not spread fake news.”

    Missing files

    When asked that there are reports that some files have been taken by the previous government from the PM House regarding sugar scandal and other scandals, Shehbaz said that if he is given evidence about the missing files, he will find them.

    Accountability

    He said that in the name of accountability, there will be no revenge. “Ehtesaab ke naam par intiqaam nahin leinge,” said PM Shehbaz. He said that businessmen say they will not invest here because the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will either arrest them or harass them. “Businessmen kehte hain ya NAB giraftaar kar leinge ya zaleel kareinge unko.”

    Elections

    The PM said that we will go for elections after carrying out necessary reforms, especially electoral reforms.

    Threat letter

    PM Shehbaz said that the National Security Committee meeting issued a clear statement that there was no conspiracy. “The punchline of the statement was that there is no saazish, no conspiracy.”

    Shehbaz said that if the threat letter was received on March 7, why did the PTI government talk about it on March 28? “March tak moonh mein taalay kyun laga kar baithay thay?” He asked when did the previous government turn this letter into a conspiracy. “When they knew they were going to lose in parliament. There is no question of a conspiracy whatsoever.”

    Karachi attack


    “The attack in Karachi University is a huge tragedy where three Chinese nationals died. China is our friend. I went to the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad for solidarity,” said PM. He added that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah will go to Karachi on Wednesday (today) and help and coordinate with the Sindh government. “After our Saudi visit, we will hold a comprehensive meeting on security.”

    Afghanistan

    Afghanistan is not just our neighbour but our “baraadar mulk” (brother country). “If there is peace in Afghanistan, there will be peace in Pakistan. What is good for Afghanistan is good for Pakistan.”


    PTI resignations

    PM said that they have found out that many resignations were taken by force from PTI MNAs and were not given voluntarily. “We will know the truth when the legal process has been completed.” He was asked whether the government could convince PTI to take back its resignations to be an effective Opposition.

    PTI long march

    While answering a question about Imran Khan’s call for march to Islamabad, PM said that if they won’t do anything unlawful, nothing will happen to them but he won’t allow anyone to spread anarchy on the roads.

    Pak Army

    The PM said that the Pak Army has given a lot of sacrifices for this country. “It is wrong to say anything negative about Pakistan’s army. It is condemnable,” said the PM when responding to a question about social media trends against the army.