Author: News Desk

  • UK lifts restrictions on face masks, Covid passports

    UK lifts restrictions on face masks, Covid passports

    The Prime Minister (PM) of the United Kingdom (UK), Boris Johnson announced that the government will lift restrictions on face masks and covid passports from next Thursday, January 27, 2022.

    The Prime Minister also urged citizens to continuously follow precautionary measures to keep themselves away from the virus.

    He added that this decision should be considered as a “finish line” because the virus and its variants cannot be eradicated and instead, “we must learn to live with Covid in the same way we live with flu,” he said.

    The following restrictions are ending from next Thursday which was introduced in December last year.

    1. Compulsory Covid passports for allowing entrance to nightclubs and other bigger events would end though some organisations could ask for NHS covid pass if they want.
    2. Citizens can return to offices after discussion with their employers, they can no longer be suggested to work from home.
    3. Face masks are not compulsory but it is highly recommended to wear face masks in crowded and enclosed public places.
    4. Secondary school pupils will no longer wear face masks in classrooms and the advisory for using communal areas would be abolished soon.

    The orders for easing travel rules and visiting care homes will be announced in the coming days.

    PM Johnson also shared that the government intended to remove the requirement for covid positive people of being self-quarantined with some guidance and advice.

    The current directives for self-isolation will end by March 24th this year.

    The United Kingdom recorded new cases of 108,069 which is a high rate of infections on a daily basis. 359 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded on Wednesday.

    Nearly 37 million boosters have been given across the UK so far.

  • ‘My only bara bhai’: Aly Syed drops a comment on Ali Ansari’s post

    ‘My only bara bhai’: Aly Syed drops a comment on Ali Ansari’s post

    Brother of A-list actresses Sajal Aly and Saboor Aly has made a revelation under the comment section of Ali Ansari’s post. When the Khaani star posted a family hug picture, Ali was quick to comment that he is his only elder brother.

    Syed deleted the comment later.

    On Saboor and Ali’s reception, Syed even confessed his fondness for his new brother-in-law in an emotional speech.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjY2En-MbfE
  • Court allows PML-N’s Khawaja Asif to cross-examine PM Khan

    Court allows PML-N’s Khawaja Asif to cross-examine PM Khan

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Khawaja Asif to cross-examine Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan with reference to the premier’s defamation case against him.

    During the hearing, headed by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, the civil court directed to conclude the proceedings within two months, states Dawn.

    Barrister Haider Rasool, the counsel for Asif argued that since 2012 his client had sought adjournment 28 times while the court adjourned the proceedings on PM’s request on nearly 50 occasions.

    The court observed that it was the defendant’s [Khawaja] right to cross-examine the PM.

    Earlier this year, the high court had sought a reply from the premier.

    Back in 2012, the premier had filed the defamation suit against Asif for recovery of Rs10 billion as the latter at a press conference levelled allegations about misappropriation of funds and money laundering through the Shaukat Khanam funds.

  • Man brushes teeth, shaves during viral court hearing

    Man brushes teeth, shaves during viral court hearing

    In an incident at the Kerala High Court, a person was seen either brushing his teeth or shaving, during the proceedings before Justice VG Arun, on Monday, January 17.

    Following the surge in covid-19 cases in the state, the Kerala High Court had decided to conduct virtual hearings. A man who entered the virtual session was seen brushing his teeth or shaving, mostly facing the camera. While it appeared that the judge did not notice the incident, a video of the man was shared across social media.

    The man, in the video, appears to have just woken up and is seen walking back and forth in a room that appears to be a washroom. It appeared that he was either shaving his beard or brushing his teeth during the proceedings and was seen doing so by other attendees.

    As covid-19 cases in India continue to surge, several High Courts have reverted to conducting virtual hearings again. In the first and second waves of the pandemic, many judges had complained about decorum in the virtual courtroom, as people appeared to be carrying out personal activities during the proceedings.

  • PM Khan predicts winning team of PSL 7

    PM Khan predicts winning team of PSL 7

    Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has met a delegation of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Lahore Qalandars. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qalandars Atif Rana met the PM with newly appointed Captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    During the meeting, PM Khan wished the franchise good luck and predicted that they can win this edition of PSL.

    Imran Khan said that the decision of making a young captain can be fruitful for the team. The youth has always made difference in changing the results.

    PM has said that the franchise has adapted a unique style among the other franchises. Finding the talent from grass-root level is the USP of Qalandars.

    On this occasion, the CEO Atif Rana informed the PM about the services of the franchise in the past while he also briefed him about the franchise’s future plans.

    PM Khan said that the contribution of this talent hunt in the Kamyab Nojawan Programme is admirable.

    Along with Atif and Shaheen, Director Cricket Operation Aqib Javed and Special Assistant to PM Usman Dar were also present at the meeting.

    The seventh edition of the league is set to begin from January 27, with the first match to be played between former champions Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings at National Stadium Karachi.

  • Did Maryam Nawaz gift a car worth 14 crore to son Junaid on his wedding?

    Did Maryam Nawaz gift a car worth 14 crore to son Junaid on his wedding?

    News reports have been circulating, stating that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz gave a car worth 140 million (140 crore) to son Junaid Safdar as a wedding present.

    One of the news report stated, “Maryam Nawaz Gifts Junaid Safdar Rs 140 million Mercedes, Most expensive car to be registered in Punjab.”

    However, Maryam has denied the news reports. “This blatant lie is all over social media. It is disappointing how reputed accounts propagate fake news without verification,” she wrote in a tweet while sharing the screenshots of the news reports.

    Junaid Safdar tied the knot Last year in August. The wedding festivities of the couple took place in December 2021.

  • ‘Will avoid commenting on Nadia’s polygamy but she ridiculed my mother’: Sharmila Faruqi takes legal action

    ‘Will avoid commenting on Nadia’s polygamy but she ridiculed my mother’: Sharmila Faruqi takes legal action

    Pakistan People’s Party Leader, Sharmila Faruqi has filed a complaint in Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against Nadia Khan on Thursday over a controversial viral video with her mother, Anisa Faruqi.

    Sharmila Faruqi shared an image on her Twitter while registering the complaint at the cybercrime head office of FIA.

    Pakistani morning TV host, Nadia Khan was seen in the viral video sarcastically praising Sharmila Faruqi’s mother on her make-up, jewelry, and dresses at Saboor Aly’s wedding event.

    https://twitter.com/NaylaAmir/status/1483526716815552523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1483526716815552523%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcurrentold.perceptiond.net%2Fexclusive-im-going-to-fight-it-out-with-this-woman-sharmila-faruqi-slams-nadia-khan-for-trolling-her-mother%2F

    Sharmila Faruqi said, “She is shameless and heartless and it’s very very unfortunate,” adding, “I have a lot of respect for people in showbiz, they work really hard.”

    She also posted elaborative notes in her Instagram stories.

  • ‘They [PML-N] are mafias, always influence courts’: PM Khan

    ‘They [PML-N] are mafias, always influence courts’: PM Khan

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Thursday, lashing out at the Opposition, said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are known for “using unfair tactics” to influence courts.

    While referring to the affidavit case of the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim, the prime minister said the PML-N generated the controversy of the affidavit to pressurise the court which was hearing the case of its leaders Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

    “They [PML-N leaders] are mafias and they always influence courts when they feel that they are about to decide their cases,” said the premier.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed informed the media that PM Khan had said that the Sharif family had again been exposed for trying to pressure the judiciary, reports The Express Tribune.


    “The PML-N has pressured courts in the past as well for making decisions in its favour. Everyone knows that the PML-N has a history of pressuring the judiciary” the senator quoted the prime minister as saying.

    “The Sharif family is fighting for its survival while we [PTI] are fighting the nation’s war,” said Javed.

    Talking to a group of spokespersons, the premier urged his spokespersons to vehemently counter “controversies” being created by Opposition leaders, especially in the media, reports Dawn.

  • ICC T20 World Cup: When will Pakistan play arch-rival India?

    ICC T20 World Cup: When will Pakistan play arch-rival India?

    Arch-rivals Pakistan and India will start their 2022 ICC T20 World Cup campaign by having a clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, October 23 2022.

    Both sides are placed together in group 2 in the Super 12 round for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 to be played in Australia. They will be joined by Bangladesh, South Africa and two teams from the first round in the group.

    The schedule for the T20 World Cup 2022 was announced on Friday by the ICC which confirmed that the 16-team tournament will be played from October 16th to November 13th at different venues of Australia.

    Hosts and defending champions Australia will play New Zealand in the opening match of the Super 12 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Saturday, 22 October in a re-match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 final.

    Pakistan will kick off its World Cup 2022 campaign with a match against India on October 23 in Melbourne. The match will start at 1pm PKT.

    On October 27, Pakistan will face the winner of the first round’s Group B, which most likely can be the West Indies. On October 30, the green shirts will take on runner up of first round’s Group A, which – going by seedlings – can be Namibia.

    The semi-finals will be played at the SCG and Adelaide Oval on November 9 and 10, respectively. It will be the first time the Adelaide Oval will host a World Cup semi-final.

    The MCG will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final, which will be contested under lights on November 13, 2022.

    Read More – Video: Indian ‘Mauka Mauka’ ads you might have missed

    Meanwhile, on their last encounter in the 2021 T20 World Cup, Pakistan thrashed India by winning from 10 wickets. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan produced a magnificent batting performance as they remained unbeaten on 68 and 79 respectively to chase down the target with 13 balls remaining.

  • Karachi court says woman convicted of murder is ‘not guilty’ seven months after she died in jail

    Karachi court says woman convicted of murder is ‘not guilty’ seven months after she died in jail

    A Karachi court on January 10 exonerated a woman, Saima Farhan, and four of her family members, for their alleged involvement in a murder case. 

    However, it was too late for Saima, as she was exonerated seven months after her death in Central Jail, where she remained incarcerated for almost a year-and-a-half.

    Saima, 35, who was an aalima and used to teach the Holy Quran to the person she was accused of killing, died in jail on June 14, 2021, due to severe abdominal and kidney issues. Jail authorities, in her death report, also revealed that she was a cancer patient.

    The defence counsel — Muhmmad Akbar Khan and his associate Sheikh Saqib Ahmed — while talking to Geo.tv said: “During the trial, Saima asked us at every hearing: ‘Wakeel sahib, hamein bail kab milegi? (when will we be granted bail)?”

    The lawyers, however, lamented not being able to share the happy news that she was finally exonerated.

    Saima’s incarceration began on February 14, 2020, after she was arrested for allegedly poisoning her neighbour and friend, Rukhsar.

    Following Rukhsar’s death, her mother, Shahnaz, sought to register a complaint against Saima and her family members for allegedly poisoning her daughter.

    Saima’s family members, speaking to Geo.tv, said the complainants built a “false case” against them with the “help of the police” to usurp the property Saima owned.

    Murder charges against Saima were officially framed on February 6, 2021.

    Even after winning a legal battle and emerging innocent, Saima’s family members still await action against the jail authorities, whose denial of her timely medical treatment led to her death.