Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Pak-China trade to resume through Khunjerab pass after 2-year hiatus

    A lucrative trade route connecting Pakistan and China, the Khunjerab Pass will finally reopen for trade activities on April 1, 2022 after more than a 2-year hiatus. The pass was closed in November 2019 as a preventive measure against the spread of COVID-19.

    As per a credible resource, Chinese authorities sent Pakistan a letter requesting the reopening of the border, in reference to the agreement made in May 2013 between the neighboring countries.

    Port authorities on the Chinese side have been advised to take all preventive measures related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Likewise, the Pakistani border authorities have also been instructed to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus spread.

    The Khunjerab Pass was temporarily opened for less than two weeks from July 29, 2020 to August 10, 2020 to allow the passage of stranded containers filled with goods. The prolonged closure of Khunjerab Pass had caused severe financial hardships to the local business community.

  • ‘Good driver, sharif admi, I eat whatever is given to me’: All things we will miss about soon to exit CM Buzdar

    ‘Good driver, sharif admi, I eat whatever is given to me’: All things we will miss about soon to exit CM Buzdar

    Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar, whom Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan protected through thick and thin and called ‘Wasim Akram Plus’, is now getting sacrificed as the premier nominated Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi for the much-sought-after Punjab’s chief ministership.

    Buzdar was known for keeping a low profile and not many know much about him. So here’s all you need to know about our soon-to-be-former-chief minister.

    Last year in May, Usman Buzdar appeared for an interview on Express News morning show, “Expresso”. During his interview, a rather candid Buzdar revealed his favourite food, choices in clothes, his favourite colour and his love for jeep rallies.

    “Whatever I am given to eat, I like it. My personal favourite dishes are daal ghost and Balochi dish Sajji,” said Buzdar, adding, ” I don’t have any specific food choices. I eat whatever is given to me.”

    Anchorperson Hina Nizai questioned Buzdar about his favourite colour. “I like simple clothes. Blue, black and white are my favourite colours.”

    “Earlier I used to go out for shopping but ever since I became chief minister, I don’t get the time to buy my own clothes,” said Buzdar.

    Talking about his music choices, Buzdar said that he enjoyed listening to folk music. He revealed that he could speak English, Urdu, Siraiki and Pashto.

    Buzdar said that he really enjoyed jeep rallies. “I really enjoy driving, especially off-road driving, which I enjoyed since my childhood. I am a very good driver as well,” he said.

    “Who is the chief minister of your house?” asked the anchorperson.

    “Everyone is a chief minister in the house,” responded Buzdar.

    In September 2019, Buzdar gave an interview on Dunya News programme, “On The Front with Kamran Shahid”. Anchorperson Kamran Shahid questioned Buzdar about his background and why he deserved the CM slot, to which he responded, “Main koyi miss nahi karta tha trainings [I did not miss any training].”

    CM Buzdar was asked how can a “sharif admi [decent man]” could be CM Punjab. He said, “Was there any criteria that a sharif admi could not become a chief minister?”

    Shahid asked Buzdar how many times he met PM Khan before he became the chief executive of Punjab. Buzdar said, “I met Imran Khan at Banigala the day I was nominated [for Chief Minister].”

    Talking about his relationship with Elahi, Buzdar said, ” I have a very good understanding with Pervaiz Elahi. It wouldn’t be wrong if I say that I have an ideal understanding …. he supports me a lot… he is an elder to me.”

    Responding to the question of his removal, Buzdar said, “Jab tak meray quaid ka mujh par aitebaar hai aur meri assembly ka, tou mujhe koyi nahi hataa sakta [Till the time my leader and assembly believe in me, no one can remove me],” adding, “Jis din mujhe jaana hoga, aik minute mujhe koyi tok nahi sakega [The day I have to leave, no one can stop me for a minute].”

    On Monday, Elahi was nominated for the post of the Chief Minister of Punjab after Buzdar tendered his resignation to the premier.

  • Private students in Punjab will soon be able to take FSc exams

    Punjab’s Higher Education Department (HED) has decided to make another alteration to the intermediate test guidelines to facilitate private students in the province.

    Private students will now be eligible to sit at the FSc yearly examinations, according to reports, with the latest modification due to take effect in the academic year 2023.

    However, the students will be required to submit certificates to confirm their appearance in practical exams before taking the annual exams.

    The students will be able to obtain these certificates from any college affiliated with any of the eight boards of secondary and intermediate education.

    This change is undoubtedly great news for private candidates who wanted to enroll in sciences. Previously, private students were bound to choose between humanities and commerce.

  • Female teacher killed after 13-year old girl ‘saw’ her committing blasphemy ‘in her dream’

    Female teacher killed after 13-year old girl ‘saw’ her committing blasphemy ‘in her dream’

    In a horrific incident, female madrassa teachers have allegedly ‘slaughtered’ their fellow teacher for allegedly committing blasphemy in Dera Ismail Khan on Tuesday, Journalist Iftikhar Firdous tweeted.

    “Female Madrassa teachers have slaughtered another female teacher from the same seminary in the street leading to the seminary this morning an official from Dera Ismail Khan has confirmed, the reason they cited has been alleged blasphemy. Two women have been arrested so far,” the tweet read.

    However, as per Dawn, three women have been arrested. According to the first information report (FIR), when police reached the location, they saw the victim lying in a pool of blood with her throat slashed.

    As per, DPO Hasnain the suspects are 17, 21 and 24 years of age. They killed the 21-year-old victim over allegations of blasphemy and “difference of opinion on religious issues.” The victim, he added, was a devotee of well-known Islamic scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel, who the accused didn’t like.

    The suspects further claim that a 13-year-old female relative witnessed a dream in which she learned of the alleged blasphemy committed by the victim and was then “ordered to slaughter her”, according to the DPO. The relative who claimed to see the dream has also been arrested.

  • Karachi man charged for molesting woman for the second time after viral video

    Karachi man charged for molesting woman for the second time after viral video

    Karachi police have arrested a man for molesting a woman on the streets of Karachi. Fahim Ahmed was arrested after he molested an unidentified woman, reports Samaa.

    The CCTV footage shows Fahim riding a motorbike. He slowed his bike as he approached the victim, who was coming from the opposite direction. Fahim groped her before speeding away.

    The victim claimed that Fahim did similar act with her a week ago. He was arrested after the CCTV footage of him went viral.

    “I was coming back from school when he misbehaved with me,” said the victim. She also said she wants to press legal charges against him.

    A case has been registered against Fahim and he also confessed to the crime. According to the statement, he said he is sorry, it was a mistake and he won’t do it again.

  • Mila Kunis raised $35 million for Ukraine relief in less than 30 days

    Mila Kunis raised $35 million for Ukraine relief in less than 30 days

    Since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis, individuals all over the world have come together to offer monetary and non-monetary relief to the war-torn country. Mila Kunis and her husband Ashton Kutcher were among the first fundraisers to help.

    The American actress instantly created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Ukrainian refugees fleeing for their lives. They even kicked off the fund with a $3 million donation of their own, and donations only escalated from there.

    The couple had exceeded their $30 million goal in less than 30 days and then increased it to $40 million. They have raised more than $35.3 million from nearly 73,400 donors as of March 29, 2022.

    DST Global and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, are among the fund’s major contributors. DST contributed a total of $3.5 million to the cause, with Ellison donating the most money of all, $5 million.

    Several anonymous donors, in addition to many others, gave significant contributions totaling more than $1 million.

    GoFundMe created a hub for verified fundraisers trying to raise money for humanitarian help in Ukraine in the wake of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

    Presently, the hub organizes fundraisers ranging from supporting major humanitarian groups such as ‘Save the Children’ to raising donations for particular Ukrainian families.

    To get verified on the donation hub, GoFundMe’s trust and safety team need to know the identity of the organizer along with how the funds will be used and who they are raising money for.

  • ‘All on same page’: Chaudhry Shujaat denies rumours of rift between brothers

    ‘All on same page’: Chaudhry Shujaat denies rumours of rift between brothers

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has denied all rumours that there is a rift between their party and family.

    In a statement released by the PML-Q, it said, “All political decisions were made with my consultation and I fully support them. Our family and party are on the same page, so the rumors that are circulating or are being spread are wrong.”

    “All decisions at the party or at home are made with my consultation and consent. I do not believe in explanation. I would like to say that I am considered the head of the family,” read Hussains’ statement.


    The PML-Q chief said that the term “use of money” is wrong and shouldn’t be used as educated people do not like such discussions.

    Hussain reiterated that it is inappropriate to do propaganda or manipulate facts. “Those who want to gain political advantage by propagating differences will be disappointed,” he asserted.

    “I have been told that there are differences in my family, there is no truth in this. Our family has been in politics for the last 50 years not only in Punjab but across Pakistan,” he said, vowing that all decisions are taken with his consultation.”

    On Monday, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi was nominated for the post of the Chief Minister of Punjab. It is being speculated that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has unleashed what appeared to be the long-promised ‘trump card’ by nominating Elahi as his candidate for the provincial chief executive’s slot.

  • Taliban threaten to fire govt employees for not keeping a beard

    The Taliban government in Afghanistan has threatened all government employees that they will be laid off if they do not comply with the new orders of keeping a compulsory beard and maintaining the dress code.

    Employees were instructed not to shave their beards and to wear loose trousers and shirts with a hat or turban. They were also instructed to make certain that they offer their five prayers on time.

    According to media reports, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were seen patrolling the entrance gate of government offices to inspect if everyone was following instructions on Monday. If any employee violated the order, he was not allowed to enter the office premises and would eventually get fired.

    Recently, the Taliban government barred women to travel alone on planes unless they were accompanied by their male guardian. If women have to travel abroad to study, they have to be accompanied by a male relative.

    Prior to this, the Taliban government also banned girls’ education above 6th grade. The announcement came only a few hours after they reopened for the first time in nearly seven months.

  • Man kills pregnant wife for saying ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’

    Man kills pregnant wife for saying ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’

    A man in Lahore killed his wife for chanting the slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi”, reports Geo News. According to details, the horrific incident took place in Lahore’s Shalimar area.

    Allah Ditta murdered 28-year-old Maimona, who was pregnant, by strangling her. He later tried to cover it up by burning her body and posing it as an accident.

    However, police have arrested him. The husband had married the victim four years ago and also has four children from his first wife.

    According to the police, the accused confessed to his crime during interrogation and said that his wife used to chant the slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi”, which made him angry so he murdered her.
  • Police arrest Indian woman for allegedly wishing Pakistan Day on Whatsapp status

    Police arrest Indian woman for allegedly wishing Pakistan Day on Whatsapp status

    In the Indian state of Karnataka, police have arrested a female student, Kuthma Shiekh for allegedly posting wishes for Pakistan Day on her Whatsapp status on March 23.

    According to Hindustan Times, Kuthma Sheikh posted a Whatsapp Status in Urdu which says, “Allah har mulk me ittihaad, aman, sukoon, ata farma maula [May God bless every nation with peace, unity, and harmony].”

    An activist, Arun Kumar Bhajantri filed a complaint against her in which he claimed that the woman intended to infuse tensions on a basis of ethnicity.

    According to the police, the woman is a Mudhol native and studying at a madrasa.

    The police claimed that she broke the law of Indian Penal Code Sections 153(A) (inciting hatred between groups based on religion, race, or other characteristics) and 505(2) (inciting hatred between groups based on religion, race, or other factors) (making statements that promote hostility between groups).

    Authorities claimed that Whatsapp status could prompt riots, protests to which they had to detain the woman. Police further added, “Her status might be interpreted as a celebration of Pakistan’s Republic Day.”

    “If we hadn’t moved quickly enough, it could have resulted in rioting, protests, and counter-protests, the official continued.

    She was arrested on March 24 but she was released on bail the next day.