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Author: News Desk

  • Shaheen Afridi opens up on Babar, Rizwan’s exclusion from Asia Cup squad

    Shaheen Afridi opens up on Babar, Rizwan’s exclusion from Asia Cup squad

    Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has shared his thoughts on the absence of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the Asia Cup squad.

    Babar and Rizwan, who have represented Pakistan in every major tournament since the 2021 T20 World Cup, have been out of the T20I side since the series against South Africa in December 2024 due to poor form. Both players did not make it to the Asia Cup squad, a decision that sparked criticism from fans and former cricketers.

    Speaking during a training session at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday, Shaheen said, “I might not be part of the team in the future as well. Everyone should get a chance. Babar and Rizwan have played great cricket for Pakistan, and Inshallah they will play again, but youngsters should also get opportunities, and we need to support them.”

    Shaheen added that preparations for the Asia Cup are going well and emphasized the importance of the upcoming tri-nation series. “There is a big match coming up in the Asia Cup, and we are preparing well for it. The tri-series will help us in preparation. In T20 cricket, no team is easy.” 

    The pacer also dismissed rumors of internal issues in the team. “We hear things from outside about differences in the team, but nothing like that exists. Even in families, small things do happen, and they should stay within the family. Our job is to play cricket and bring happiness to Pakistan,” he said.

    Pakistan will play a tri-nation T20I series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE from August 29 to September 7, followed by the Asia Cup starting on September 9.

  • Instagram permanently disables account of popular content creator Talha Ahmed

    Instagram permanently disables account of popular content creator Talha Ahmed

    Instagram has permanently disabled the account of Talha Ahmed, a popular content creator known for his unique and family-friendly videos, citing an age-related policy violation.

    Speaking to a digital media outlet, Talha’s brother Taha Ahmed revealed that the platform claimed Talha was under 13 years old, which led to the account’s suspension. “Instagram says Talha is under 13, which is why they disabled his account, but he is actually 16,” Taha said.

    When asked what steps they took after the suspension, Taha explained, “As soon as the account was disabled, we appealed on Instagram. The platform asked for identity documents or any proof to verify his age through a form.”

    Taha added that Instagram required a photo on the submitted documents. “Since Talha does not have a CNIC, I submitted his school documents that included his name, photo, and age. But even after that, Instagram has not restored the account,” he stated. 

    When asked about the possible reason for the sudden suspension and whether Talha plans to return with a new account, Taha responded, “We have no idea if the account was reported or what happened. It has been permanently disabled. As for content creation, Talha plans to return soon on social media with a new account.”

    Meanwhile, followers on Talha Ahmed’s Facebook page are sharing reactions and comments on the account suspension.

    Talha has built a massive following with his family-oriented videos, which even earned him recognition at the highest level. 

    In July, he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The Prime Minister praised Talha for his creative work, presented him with an honorary shield, and gifted him an electronic tablet. Shehbaz Sharif said that young Pakistanis are showcasing their talent to the world and called Talha “a shining example of the limitless potential of the Pakistani nation.” Talha expressed his gratitude for the recognition and encouragement.

    He has over 800,000 followers on Instagram.

  • Matthew Breetzke creates history in ODI cricket

    Matthew Breetzke creates history in ODI cricket

    South Africa’s Matthew Breetzke continued living his dream start in ODI cricket, smashing 88 runs in the second match against Australia to extend his record-breaking run. The 25-year-old opener dominated the Australian attack with eight boundaries and two sixes, showcasing complete control at the crease.

    Breetzke, who scored 150 on debut against Pakistan, the highest ever score in a first ODI, has now added 83, 57, and 88 in his next three innings. This remarkable sequence makes him the first player in history to register 50-plus scores in each of his first four ODIs.

    India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu had previously managed four consecutive fifties in his debut series, but he achieved the feat in five matches during the 1987 World Cup. Breetzke also holds the record for the most runs across a player’s first three ODI innings.

    In the second ODI, Breetzke anchored South Africa’s innings after early setbacks, building crucial partnerships with Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs. His 89-run stand with Stubbs ensured the Proteas posted a competitive 277.

    Having crushed Australia by 98 runs in the first ODI, South Africa will clinch the series if they seal victory in the second match.

  • Aleema Khan’s other son also arrested from Lahore

    Aleema Khan’s other son also arrested from Lahore

    Hours after the arrest of former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan’s nephew Shahrez Khan, Aleema Khan’s other son, Shershah, was also reportedly taken into custody in Lahore.

    Reports claimed Shershah was arrested after law enforcement intercepted his car near his Lahore residence, however, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said he was “abducted” from his house.

    “Shershah was taken from his house after his appearance at a Lahore anti-terrorism court for his brother’s case,” media outlets quoted Aleema’s lawyer Advocate Rana Mudassir Umar as saying.

    While police have not yet confirmed the reason behind the arrest, sources say it is in connection with the May 9 case. 

    Shahrez, who was also arrested for his alleged involvement in said riots, was on Friday morning presented before a Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). The court handed him over to police on an eight-day physical remand.

    The investigating officer told the presiding judge, Manzar Ali Gul, that Shahrez was arrested in relation to the Jinnah House attack, adding that the suspect was first named in the case on September 23, 2023, in supplementary statements.

    The investigating officer’s remarks prompted Shahrez’s counsel and PTI’s Secretary General Salman Akram Raja to allege that his client had never been named in the case, dubbing the arrest an act of “harassment”.

    Meanwhile, family sources exclusively told The Current that Shahrez was not even in Lahore on the day of the May 9 riots.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Imran’s arrested nephew was in Chitral on day of Jinnah House attack

    EXCLUSIVE: Imran’s arrested nephew was in Chitral on day of Jinnah House attack

    Lahore police on Thursday night raided the residence of jailed former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, arresting her son Shahrez Khan for his alleged involvement in the two-year-old May 9 rioting case.

    Shahrez’s friends, who accompanied him on the trip, however, exclusively told The Current that Shahrez was not even in Lahore on the day authorities claim he attacked Jinnah House – the residence of Lahore’s corps commander.

    Shahrez was “picked up” from his residence in front of his wife and kids in a late-night raid at their Lahore residence, his father told media persons during a brief chat following what Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said was an “abduction”.

    With police confirming the arrest shortly after, saying he was arrested for his involvement in the ransacking of Jinnah House on May 9, 2023, Shahrez was on Friday morning presented before an anti-terror court that sent him on an eight-day physical remand.

    Amid concerns and criticism from PTI quarters over “unfounded” action against a person “who has nothing to do with his uncle or mother’s political agenda”, family sources shared with The Current pictures and videos that showed Shahrez on a trip to Chitral from May 6 to May 12.

    “Shahrez was in Chitral on a friends and family trip as May 9 events unfolded back in 2023. His friends returned to Lahore on May 10, but he stayed back along with his wife who is from Chitral,” they said and shared metadata of pictures and videos from the trip, as well as WhatsApp messages with timestamps, which The Current independently verified.

    The claim was echoed by PTI’s Salman Akram Raja, who said the arrest proved there was “no rule of law” in the country.

    Speaking to journalists following Shahrez’s court appearance, Raja said the jailed former premier’s nephew had been “falsely implicated” in the case.

    “He remained in Lahore for 27 months and was never summoned even once. This sends a message to the nation that there is no rule of law in this country,” he said.

    Raja went on to say that hundreds of people faced legal proceedings over the course of the case with no action against Shahrez. “This is panic-driven […] every case is being fabricated for this calculated conspiracy.”

    He also claimed the action against Shahrez was “retaliation” against relief granted to the PTI founder by the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday.

    It may be noted that the arrest comes a day after the apex court granted bail to the former premier in eight May 9 cases against him. While Shahrez’s mother Aleema has already been discharged from cases pertaining to said riots, his cousin and lawyer Hassaan Khan Niazi is currently serving a 10-year sentence for the same.

  • Sindh pushes for male sterilisation in new population control campaign

    Sindh pushes for male sterilisation in new population control campaign

    The Sindh government has launched a new campaign to curb the province’s soaring population, which grows by nearly 1.4 million people each year, the equivalent of adding a new district annually.

    The new strategy focuses on increasing male participation through vasectomy and expanding access to self-administered contraceptives for women. 

    Sindh Population Welfare Secretary Hafeezullah Abbasi told a private news channel that the department, in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, plans to carry out door-to-door surveys across all 1,600 union councils.

    At the same time, the campaign will engage around five million industrial workers in awareness sessions, while students at schools and universities will also be educated on the consequences of unchecked population growth. 

    “Since men are usually the key decision-makers in households, it is crucial to involve them in these programmes,” Abbasi said.

    He noted that around 3,000 men in Sindh have already opted for vasectomy, many due to conditions like thalassaemia or HIV/AIDS.

    Abbasi added that a wide range of contraceptive services are being offered in coastal and island areas, including sterilisation, birth-spacing devices, pills and Sayana Press, a self-injectable contraceptive that provides protection for three months. 

    Since 2018, women in Sindh have used Sayana Press about 1.3 million times. Major hospitals, the provincial health department, and non-governmental organisations often receive contraceptive supplies, including sterilisation kits, IUCDs, implants, injections, and pills, according to Director of Administration Faisal Meher. 

    IUCDs that are effective for up to 10 years and implants that last three to five years are also offered by family planning units in 20 gynaecology wards spread throughout nine large hospitals.

    Meher said Sindh’s contraceptive prevalence rate stood at 31% in 2017-18, with targets to raise it to 47% by 2025 and 57% by 2030. He pointed out that male sterilisation cases in Karachi have surged in recent years from just 23 to 2,500 in 2022, thanks to more than 1,000 male mobilisers from HANDS being trained to promote vasectomy awareness. 

    Highlighting the urgency, Meher noted that early marriages in rural Sindh often result in women having six to eight children by the age of 30. The programme, supported by Johns Hopkins University, SZABIST University and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is designed to help the province meet its Family Planning 2030 commitments.

    Vasectomy, a surgical procedure that blocks or cuts the vas deferens, prevents sperm from being released during ejaculation, but does not affect sexual desire, performance or pleasure. Doctors advise that men can typically resume sexual activity within one to two weeks of the procedure.

  • Bangladesh approves visa-free entry for Pakistani officials for first time since 1971

    Bangladesh approves visa-free entry for Pakistani officials for first time since 1971

    Bangladesh has approved visa-free entry for Pakistanis holding diplomatic and official passports, a facility that had remained suspended since the country’s independence in 1971, media reports have confirmed. 

    In a conference held in Dhaka on Thursday, Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam stated that a mutual visa exemption agreement was approved by the Advisory Council of Bangladesh’s interim administration.

    “The agreement will be for five years. Those who have diplomatic and official passports will be able to travel to Pakistan without a visa,” Alam said, adding that Bangladesh already has similar arrangements with 31 other countries.

    The development comes after Bangladeshi Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chaudhary and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a meeting in Dhaka last month during which the two sides maintained they were finalising a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for visa-on-arrival for official passport holders.

    Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday night for a four-day official trip. According to an official statement, the purpose of the visit is to enhance bilateral trade relations and promote economic cooperation.

    Following the August 2024 uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government, which had a pro-India stance, ties between Dhaka and Islamabad were improved.

    On November 13 last year, a cargo vessel from Karachi docked at Bangladesh’s Chittagong port, marking the first direct maritime link between Pakistan and Bangladesh since 1971.

  • 16-year-old girl strangled to death in Chiniot

    16-year-old girl strangled to death in Chiniot

    A 16-year-old girl was found strangled to death at her home in Chiniot after unidentified individuals broke in, police said Friday.

    According to Allah Rakha’s complaint, his daughter Basheeran Bibi was home alone after his brother Ghulam Mustafa left for work. Unknown attackers then broke into the house, strangled the teen, and fled. On returning home, the family discovered Basheeran dead on the bed with clear wounds on her neck.

    Police shifted the body to the hospital for a postmortem and registered a case under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code. An investigation is underway.

    Meanwhile, in a separate case, Chiniot police have booked two serving officers and several others for allegedly kidnapping two citizens and extorting ransom from their families. 

    The FIR, lodged on the complaint of Rizwan’s wife, Mehreen, stated that ASI Imtiaz Kamoka and Constable Maisam Taimar of Kotwali Police Station, along with accomplices, raided a house in the City Chiniot Police Station limits. They are accused of tying up, threatening, and removing Rizwan and Zafar Abbas, who ran an online business.

    The suspects demanded Rs9 million in ransom, but eventually settled for Rs500,000 in cash and gold jewellery, which Mehreen handed over. 

    After her complaint, Chiniot police launched an operation and set up checkpoints to intercept the accused.

    During an encounter on Chiniot Road, the suspects opened fire at police. Two men, Mazhar and Abdul Rehman, were injured in the exchange and later taken into custody. ASI Imtiaz Kamoka, Constable Maisam Taimar, Abdullah, Sohail, and Zain are currently facing a case under several sections, including kidnapping.

     Police have also launched a search operation to arrest the remaining suspects.

  • Punjab govt launches major initiative for safety of female students

    Punjab govt launches major initiative for safety of female students

    The Safe Cities Authority has initiated the installation of pink emergency buttons in schools and colleges across Lahore to provide female students with immediate access to police assistance during emergencies.

    A spokesperson for the authority indicated that this system has currently been deployed in 39 institutions for women in the city. This initiative is part of a larger strategy that aims to install pink buttons in 450 women’s colleges across Punjab in various stages.

    The spokesperson clarified that the pink button connects directly to the Safe Cities control room. When activated, it generates an alert to the system, prompting police officers to respond to the incident without delay. Officials stated that this measure is intended to provide students with direct and quick access to assistance while on campus.

    The authority mentioned that similar technology is already operational at various locations in the province. Currently, pink button devices are installed in 101 places across Punjab, with 122 of those situated in Lahore alone. These locations include public areas and facilities where women may need prompt access to law enforcement services.

    The goal is to broaden the system’s reach to include more institutions and ensure that female students in various districts of Punjab have the same safety resources available.

    The Safe Cities Authority intends to install the system across the province in the coming months, with each phase targeting additional colleges and universities.

  • Pakistan’s javelin thrower Yasir Sultan wins bronze at Asian Throwing Championships

    Pakistan’s javelin thrower Yasir Sultan wins bronze at Asian Throwing Championships

    Pakistan’s javelin thrower Muhammad Yasir Sultan won a bronze medal at the Asian Throwing Championships in Mokpo, South Korea, on Friday with a season-best throw of 77.43 meters.

    The 27-year-old achieved his season’s longest throw on his sixth and final attempt, surpassing his earlier best of 76.07m set at the Asian Athletics Championships in May.

    Sri Lanka’s Pathirage Rumesh Tharanga dominated the event, throwing 82.05m to claim gold and becoming the only athlete to cross the 80m mark. Japan’s Gen Naganuma secured silver with a throw of 78.60m.

    Yasir started his series with a foul before hitting 75.79m on his second attempt. He then produced two throws in the 72m range, followed by another foul on his fifth attempt. On his final throw, he launched the javelin to 77.43m to seal the bronze medal.

    Last year, Yasir won silver at the same event with a 78.10m throw and bagged bronze in 2023 with a personal best of 79.93m. Despite consistent podium finishes, the javelin ace still chases the elusive 80m mark.