Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Here is how much money PCB spent on stadiums’ renovation

    Here is how much money PCB spent on stadiums’ renovation

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will take control of two renovated cricket stadiums—National Stadium in Karachi (NSK) and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore—on February 5. Both the arenas have been upgraded just two weeks before the Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin on February 19.

    According to reports, the PCB has spent PKR 12 billion on upgrading the stadiums in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. 

    The stadiums have been revamped to meet international standards, with improvements being tested during a tri-series featuring Pakistan, South Africa, and New Zealand. 

    Despite ongoing work, PCB officials are confident the renovations will be complete by the end of January.

    A new five-story building at NSK includes modern facilities like anti-corruption units, physio rooms, and updated dressing rooms. Additional upgrades include better seating, new washrooms, a pedestrian bridge, digital scoreboards, and advanced LED floodlights.

    Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore has undergone similar improvements, ensuring a better experience for players and fans. These changes mark a big step in improving cricket infrastructure in Pakistan ahead of the mega event.

  • Ireland knocks out Pakistan in Women’s U-19 World Cup

    Ireland knocks out Pakistan in Women’s U-19 World Cup

    Ireland Women U-19 has defeated Pakistan by 13 runs on the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method in the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.

    The match was reduced to just nine overs per side after  it rained. Ireland batted first and managed to score 69 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Alice Walsh played a key role for Ireland, scoring 31 runs on 19 balls.

    In response, Pakistan’s batters struggled to keep up with the required run rate. Despite some resistance from their lineup, the team could only score 59 runs for seven wickets in their nine overs. 

    With this win, Ireland secured an important victory in the tournament, while Pakistan has been ruled out of the World Cup.

    The rain may have shortened the game, but it did not take away the excitement, as both teams fought hard to claim victory.

  • Here’s why Saba Qamar was taking a break from social media

    Here’s why Saba Qamar was taking a break from social media

    Renowned actress Saba Qamar recently shared a heartfelt story on Instagram, addressing her fans’ concerns about her absence from social media.

    “To my lovely fans who are worried about me, I just wanted to say thank you for all the love and concern. I know I haven’t been posting much or making stories lately, and I really appreciate you all checking in. Sometimes in life, you just need to take a step back, be quiet for a bit, and give yourself some time to heal and recharge. That’s all it is—I’m okay, so please don’t worry about me.”

    She reassured her fans, promising that this break is only temporary. “I promise this is just a little pause, not the end of anything. Even the brightest stars need to rest sometimes so they can shine even brighter. I’ll be back soon, full of energy and positivity, and I can’t wait to share more moments with you all. In the meantime, take care of yourselves and keep smiling. Love you all so much! SQ,” the star wrote.

    Stars are routinely targeted by trolls on social media, with many of them taking a break to recuperate.

  • Bushra Ansari fires back at trolls after comments on her dancing

    Bushra Ansari fires back at trolls after comments on her dancing

    Senior actress Bushra Ansari has recently given a befitting reply to those who criticized her for sharing a video of herself dancing to a song.


    Bushra Ansari shared a lighthearted video of herself dancing on Instagram last week, after which she was targeted by trolls. 

    Leaning against a wall, looking at the camera, Bushra adjusts her dress in front of the camera.


    While her colleagues and fans praised her beauty and her dress, some social media users criticized her and also taunted her for her age.


    Now she has given a befitting reply to the critics by sharing a screenshot of the criticism she received: “Puray kapray pehen ke jhoomnay se bhi logon ko siyapa par jata hai. Itni jealousy?” 

    “Allah he Allah Kia karo dukh na kisi ko dia karo.. itni jealousy? Uff Allah. !” 

    Bushra Ansari is one of the biggest names in the industry, with decades of experience behind her. No mere trolls can dissuade her from dancing when she wants to.

  • Watch: How Barcelona scored three goals In 18 minutes

    Watch: How Barcelona scored three goals In 18 minutes

    FC Barcelona made an incredible comeback against Benfica to secure their spot in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. After being 2-4 down in the 75th minute, Barcelona scored three goals in the last 20 minutes to complete a remarkable turnaround. 

    Brazilian winger Raphinha played a key role, scoring twice, including the dramatic winner in the 96th minute, while Robert Lewandowski also scored two goals. The win pushed Barcelona up to second place in their Champions League group.

    Barcelona started poorly, conceding a goal just two minutes into the match, with Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis scoring. Although Lewandowski equalised from the penalty spot 10 minutes later, things got worse for Barcelona in the first half. 

    Pavlidis took advantage of a mistake by Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to score into an empty net, making it 2-1. Soon after, Pavlidis completed a hat trick by converting another penalty, leaving Barcelona 3-1 down after the first 30 minutes.

    In the second half, Raphinha equalised in the 64th minute after intercepting a poor goal kick from Benfica and scoring with a header. However, Barcelona’s hopes of a comeback seemed dashed when Ronald Araujo scored an own goal, leaving Barcelona trailing 4-2. 

    But Barcelona wasn’t done yet. Lewandowski scored another penalty in the 78th minute, and Eric Garcia equalised with a header from a Pedri cross in the 86th minute, making it 4-4.

    The match reached its dramatic conclusion in the 96th minute. Despite only four minutes of stoppage time being added, Barcelona continued playing after a Benfica corner, with Raphinha breaking free on the counter. 

    He showed great composure to cut inside and score the winner, securing Barcelona’s place in the Round of 16 alongside Liverpool.

  • Hamza Sohail celebrates four years in entertainment with love and gratitude

    Hamza Sohail celebrates four years in entertainment with love and gratitude

    The adored Pakistani actor Hamza Sohail recently celebrated his four years in the entertainment industry and shared a heartfelt Instagram story with his fans. He shared a childhood photo from his first acting role, reflecting on his journey and thanking his supporters.

    In his post, Hamza wrote, “4 Years of Love, Hard Work, and Gratitude. Wow! 4 years already of this beautiful journey. It all feels like a dream. To everyone who created hundreds and hundreds of edits to celebrate with me, I’m honestly overwhelmed by your love. I tried my best to share as many as I could, but I know I couldn’t even repost half of them. My apologies for that. Instagram has its limits, but trust me every single edit has been seen, appreciated, and cherished.”

    He continued, “Your love and dedication towards me inspires me to keep growing. Not just as an actor but more importantly as a person. Your love and support mean the world to me. The journey hasn’t been smooth sailing, but your support makes it all worth it!”

    Hamza expressed his appreciation for his fans, saying, “Here’s to many more years of growth and love together. Thank you for being my family, my strength, and my inspiration. I’ll always try to make you all proud. I share this small milestone with you all.”

    The post also included a touching note about his early acting days, as he shared, “(Oh and here’s a picture of my very first and very unprofessional acting debut).”

    Hamza’s heartfelt message and nostalgic photo have resonated with his fans, who continue to show their unwavering support for the actor.

  • I played a role in making Feroz Khan a star: Yasir Nawaz

    I played a role in making Feroz Khan a star: Yasir Nawaz

    Senior director Yasir Nawaz has revealed that he was the one who gave controversial actor Feroz Khan his first acting opportunity and played a role in making him a star.

     
    Feroz Khan started his acting career with the drama Chup Raho, aired on ARY in 2015.  The serial was directed by Yasir Nawaz, who also played a role in the drama, which featured actors like Sajal Ali and Syed Jibran Nasir.


    Recently, Yasir Nawaz participated in a program where he spoke openly about his career and talked about his experience working with Feroz Khan, including giving him an acting opportunity.


    During the interview, when host Ushna Shah asked Yasir Nawaz about Feroz Khan’s career, he said, “I played a role in making Feroz Khan a star by giving him a break in the drama serial ‘Chup Raho’.”


    The director told an interesting story about casting Feroz Khan, saying, “My assistant told me about Feroz Khan and said, ‘This young actor, cast him for a new drama.’ To which I said, ‘Okay, you find his number and tell him to talk to me.’”


    He said that Feroz Khan came to his house that same night and their meeting lasted for about 20 to 25 minutes. “I realized in the first meeting that this boy had talent. Then that drama also became a super hit and Feroz’s character made a place in the hearts of the audience,” he narrated. 


    “I also played a role in making Feroz Khan a star,” he added.


    He also mentioned that soon he will be seen working with Feroz Khan in another drama, in which the actor will be portray his son. 


    He further said, “In the upcoming drama, I have dyed my hair white for the first time.”
    Usually, he has played roles without dyeing it, but in the new drama, he has become Feroz Khan’s father, so he has dyed his hair white.

  • Army’s chilgoza forest in Shawal goes viral for earning billions in revenue

    Army’s chilgoza forest in Shawal goes viral for earning billions in revenue

    An infotainment TV channel, Discover Pakistan, recently interviewed a senior Frontier Corps (FC) official who revealed that the Pakistan Army has grown Asia’s largest pine nut orchard in North Waziristan, earning around Rs2 billion in revenue last year.

    “We collect the pine nuts and supply them all over Pakistan. The quality of pine nuts in this area is very good, and they are also exported out of the country. The total area of pine nut forest spans around 650 to 700 square kilometres, which earned around two billion rupees in revenue last year,” stated Lt Colonel Waqar of FC Corps.

    Pine nuts, also known as chilgoza in the local language, are famous for their creamy flavour. The very expensive commodity is  an important source of income for local communities. Pakistan continues to be one of the top producers of pine nuts in the world.

    “This area where we are standing is Shawal Valley. Its area spans around 800 square kilometres, and it is one of the most beautiful valleys in Pakistan. Shawal Valley is on the boundary between North and South Waziristan, and it is around 18 kilometres away from our international border with Afghanistan,” explained the security official.

    The interviewer asked the Colonel whether the local population, which was displaced after military operations, had been settled back in their native area, to which he replied: “Yes, the area where we are standing right now is known as Turiali. The population of this area is around seven to eight thousand people, and during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, the native people were shifted to Baka Khel camps near Bannu.”

    The Colonel clarified that the Shawal Valley used to be a hard area, but after the army conducted grand anti-terror operations, peace and stability returned to the area.

    It merits a mention that Shawal Valley used to be a no-go area many years ago because it was under the control of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In 2016, then-Army Chief Gen Raheel Shareef gave the green light for the initiation of the final phase of operation Zarb-i-Azab in the Shawal Valley region of North Waziristan.

  • PSL 10: PCB willing to ditch English players to ‘prioritise long-term relationship’ with ECB

    PSL 10: PCB willing to ditch English players to ‘prioritise long-term relationship’ with ECB

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to prioritise long-term relationship with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) over players’ No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for Pakistan Super League’s tenth season.

    The PSL has become a key event on Pakistan’s cricket calendar, attracting talent from around the world. However, recent changes in the ECB policy have created challenges for the league. 

    The ECB has denied permission for their red-ball players to participate in the PSL during the domestic season but has allowed them to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the same.

    James Vince has decided to skip first-class cricket to ensure his availability for the PSL. Other players, including Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, and Ben Duckett, also wanted to join the PSL, but the ECB will not issue them a NOC, reports said.

    PSL franchises were informed before the draft that these players would not be available. Some players were ready to confront the ECB, with Bairstow even considering retirement from international cricket, but he has not taken that step yet.

    According to reports, an ECB official told Pakistan that even if the players took action, the issue would remain unresolved until the PSL ends. Therefore, the PCB has decided to prioritize its long-standing relationship with the ECB over the potential conflict. It means not being able to have some English players in this year’s PSL.

    The PCB believes that when the PSL returns to its original February-March window, English players will not face issues in getting approval. Similar challenges may arise in the future, and damaging relations with the ECB would not be wise.

    As a result, several English stars will not participate in this year’s PSL.

    PSL’s new chairman, Salman Naseer, recently visited England but was unable to convince the ECB to change its NOC policy. 

    The PSL season 10 will take place in the April-May window.

  • NAB comes out swinging against Bahria Town project in Dubai; Malik Riaz calls it blackmail

    NAB comes out swinging against Bahria Town project in Dubai; Malik Riaz calls it blackmail

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday cautioned the public against investing in Bahria Town’s new real estate project in Dubai, emphasising that the government was reaching out to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seek property tycoon Malik Riaz’s extradition through legal avenues. 

    “Mr Malik Riaz is residing in Dubai, UAE. He has recently launched a project for the construction of luxury apartments in Dubai, UAE. The general public at large is hereby advised and warned to refrain from investing in the stated project. If the general public at large invests in the stated project, their actions would tantamount to money laundering, for which they may face criminal/ legal proceedings,” the anti-corruption watchdog said in a press release carried by Radio Pakistan on Tuesday. 

    It added, “The government of Pakistan is reaching out to the government of UAE for the extradition of Malik Riaz through legal channels.”

    Pakistan and the UAE do have an extradition treaty, and Islamabad can legally request the Gulf country to extradite the real estate mogul.

    The development came following the conviction of former Premier Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, in the Al Qadir Trust case, commonly known as the 190 Million Pounds case, in which both were sentenced to 14 years and seven years in jail, respectively.

    Property tycoon Malik Riaz and his son are also co-accused and proclaimed offenders in the Al Qadir Trust case.  

    NAB recounted that Malik Riaz was wanted by the court with the watchdog already having frozen innumerable assets belonging to him and to Bahria Town.

    NAB was conducting investigations against Malik Riaz and his associates for “fraud, deceptive practices and cheating public at large,” said the anti-corruption watchdog.

    The watchdog said it had “cogent and credible information about the fact that Mr Malik Riaz and his accomplices have not only illegally possessed/occupied state-owned land but also land belonging to private persons situated at Karachi, Takht-Pari, Rawalpindi and New Murree.

    “He is using these lands for developing housing societies without obtaining mandatory/required regulatory permissions/no objection certificates and has committed fraud against the state and general public at large to the tune of billions of rupees.”


    NAB alleged that the property tycoon was developing housing societies under the name of Bahria Town “in a duplicitous manner” in other cities, including Peshawar and Jamshoro, by “illegally possessing/occupying land” and failing to procure the same mandatory regulatory permissions and legal documents.

    It added that he continued to “defraud the general public at large by selling them plots/files in these illegal housing societies” despite neither he nor Bahria Town having a “good/clear title” to any of the lands in “these illegal housing societies”.

    In reply, Malik Riaz declared the press release a blackmail tactic, threatening to unleash the “storm” within him. 

    “NAB’s baseless press release today is actually a new blackmailing demand. I am holding back, but there is a storm within me. If this dam breaks, then everyone’s façade will shatter. Don’t forget that the secrets of the past 25–30 years are preserved along with evidence,” he warned on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

    Riaz stressed that he will neither be used against anyone nor will anyone blackmail him, adding, “My decision yesterday was the same as it is today: no matter how much oppression you inflict, I (Malik Riaz) will not testify.”