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Author: News Desk

  • Screen legend Shafqat Cheema is in a coma

    Screen legend Shafqat Cheema is in a coma

    Screen legend and veteran actor Shafqat Cheema, known for his powerful performance as a villain in Punjabi films, is currently in critical condition.

    He has been admitted to the ICU of a private hospital in Lahore after falling into a coma due to blood clot in his brain artery.
    His family urged fans to pray for his speedy recovery, as he continues to fight for his life.

    Cheema is a household name in the entertainment industry, have working in an approximately 952 films overs his illustrious career, from intense action roles to complex villains, he has left a lasting impression on audience with his powerful performances.
    His portrayal of negative characters in Lollywood m particularly in Punjabi films, earned his widespread recognition and respect.

    He has starred in films such as Kalay Chor, Munda Bigra Jee, Zabata, Zameen Aasman, Pajero Group and The Legend of Maula Jatt.

  • Will Justice Yahya Afridi accept his nomination as chief justice?

    Will Justice Yahya Afridi accept his nomination as chief justice?

    With Justice Yahya Afridi’s name being finalized as the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP), opposition leader and netizens are speculating whether Justice Afridi will be accepting the post or not.

    President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday appointed Justice Yahya Afridi as the next CJP, who will take over the reins from incumbent CJP Qazi Faez Isa later this week. Justice Afridi has been appointed for a fixed three-year term starting on October 26, said a statement from Aiwan-e-Sadr.

    Soon after Justice Afridi’s nomination by a special parliamentary committee, formed under the 26th Amendment, PTI leader Hamid Khan, in conversation with a private media outlet on Tuesday night, expressed hope that Justice Afridi “would decline the position”.

    The statement left the internet divided, with people speculating whether Justice Afridi will be accepting the position of the country’s 30th CJP.

    Some social media users went on to suggest that Justice Afridi should not accept the position owing to the changes in process of appointment of the country’s top judge under the 26th Amendment.

    “Justice Yahya Afridi, show some grace and reject this offer. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah should be made the Chief Justice of Pakistan, as this Constitutional Amendment was illegitimate,” wrote one user, calling out the ruling coalition.

    Showing concern over the appointment of the third senior-most judge instead of senior-most Justice Mansoor Ali Shah after CJP Qazi Faez Isa, another user wrote, “This is Pakistan’s most senior judge, Mansoor Ali Shah, but his seniority is being ignored, and the third-ranked judge, Yahya Afridi, is going to be made Chief Justice of Pakistan.”

    It may be noted that neither Justice Afridi himself, any Supreme Court (SC) judges nor other relevant authorities have so far hinted at the possibility of Justice Afridi refusing to take charge as the country’s top judge. Instead, media reports on Wednesday afternoon claimed that the incumbent chief judge among other members of the judicial community had already congratulated Justice Afridi.

    On late Sunday night, the Parliament passed the 26th Amendment, ruling out the scenario of the senior-most SC judge’s appointment as the CJP. Under the changes, the appointment of the CJP shall now be made from among the three senior-most judges of the apex court on the recommendation of a special parliamentary committee.

    Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Yahya Afridi were in the race for the slot of the country’s top judge till a special parliamentary committee nominated Justice Yahya Afridi.

  • Punjab police wants domestic violence to become a non-bailable offence

    Punjab police wants domestic violence to become a non-bailable offence

    Punjab police has proposed to make domestic violence a non-bailable offence.

    Suggested amendments in the Punjab Protection of Women against the Violence Act (PPWVA-2016) include a Rs 1 million fine for the perpetrators and declaring it as a non-bailable offence to ensure the support and protection of women’s rights against violence across Punjab.

    A summary of this proposition has been moved by Inspector General of Police Punjab Dr Usman Anwar to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to place it before the provincial cabinet.

    Dawn reports that senior Punjab police felt the need for amendments following the reports that most domestic violence suspects manage to escape police action and even punishment from the courts.

    The report said that the FIRs get lodged on only six per cent of the total incidents.

    “Unfortunately, there was no explicit penal provision declaring domestic violence as a cognisable offence hence the first information report was lodged in only 3,365 cases out of 59,798,” whereas in all other cases, the matter was treated as non-cognisable,” reads the summary.

    In the majority of domestic violence cases, the matter was treated as non-cognisable when parties either reached an agreement or the victims did not pursue the criminal proceedings because of certain other reasons.

    The IG police quoted in the forwarded summary that “the absence of a strict legal regime further fuels the aggressors who have a perpetual sense of going unpunished due to legal void.”

    Shedding light on the main objective of the initiative, Dr Usman said the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act, 2016 was a significant legislation, but the effectiveness of VWPS and PPWVA has been hampered by a legal void, i.e., the absence of a penal clause specifically declaring domestic violence a cognisable offence.

    “In such circumstances, there is a dire need to amend the relevant section of the said Act to ensure the support and protection of women against violence across the province of Punjab,” reads the Punjab Police summary.

    Dawn quotes the legal amendment proposed in Section 21 of “The Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act XVI of 2016”:

    Section 21: (1) The court shall not take cognisance of an offence under this Act except on a complaint of the district women protection officer or a woman protection officer acting on behalf of the district women protection officer.

    (2) The court shall conduct the trial of an offence under this Act in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XXII of the Code relating to the summary trials.
    Section 21-A: (1) (proposed) The offence of domestic violence shall be punished with imprisonment of three years or with a fine which may extend to Rs1 million or both. The offence shall be cognisable, bailable and compoundable.

    (2) The court may take cognisance of the matter either on a police report u/s 173 Cr.PC or on a private complaint filed by the victim and try the offence summarily.

    (3) If a person is punished under this Act and he commits the offence of domestic violence again, the offence shall be treated as non-bailable.

  • Jason Gillespie reveals his role in national team selection

    Jason Gillespie reveals his role in national team selection

    Pakistan Cricket team read ball head coach Jason Gillespie has revealed his role in team selection.

    During a press conference ahead of the final Test match between Pakistan and England, he was asked about his role in squad selection.

    He said, “It’s not my place to talk about. I’m not a selector. I’m a ‘matchday strategist’ and head coach, but I would like to have more say in the selection process.”

    After the recent Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) reshuffle, Test team captain Shan Masood and coach Jason Gillespie were no longer part of the selection process, and the authority was handed over to Aqib Javed, Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar, Asad Shafiq and Hasan Cheema.

    The coach and captain now have to rely on the players that the selection committee sends to them. It remains to be seen how this change will affect the relationship between PCB and Jason Gillespie, who apparently took on the role with additional responsibilities.

    During Jason Gillespie’s tenure, the team lost the home series to Bangladesh, which was outclassed by England in the first Test, and they registered their first win under his leadership in the second Test.

  • You won’t believe how much Kapil Sharma charges for The Great Indian Kapil Show

    You won’t believe how much Kapil Sharma charges for The Great Indian Kapil Show

    Indian comedian- actor Kapil Sharma has become a well- known name as the richest celebrity in Indian television. He has outearned popular actors from long running TV shows. He began his journey with ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’ in 2013, which quickly gained popularity.

    According to reportsKapil earns a staggering five crore Indian rupees for each episode, making it one of the highest paid shows in the television industry. His total wealth is estimated to be around 360 crore Indian rupees.

    Following that success, he launched ‘The Kaplil Sharma Show’ in 2016 running until 2023. These shows have made him a household name, and he continues to attract viewers with his unique blend of humor and entertainment.

    Kapil Sharma lives with his family in a luxurious apartment in Andheri, which is worth 15 crore Indian rupees, he has also been recognized as one of the top celebrity taxpayers for 2014 paying 26 INR crore in taxes for the years.

    Currently Kapil Sharma’s hosts ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ on Netflix is nice comedy show where he interacts with different celebrities from Bollywood and other fields.
    The show is a mix of standup comedy, interview and funny skits keeps the audience entertained.

    The cast of shows includes, Kapil Sharma, Sunil Grover, Archana Puran Singh, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda and Rajiv Thakur.

    Earlier, Bollywood filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, maker of the biopic ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’, revealed that actor-comedian Kapil Sharma was his second choice if Diljit Dosanjh had declined the film.

    In an episode of Kapil Sharma Imtiaz Ali’s , the cast and director of ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ discussed their experiences making the movie. Kapil Sharma shared that A.R. Rahman had called him for a role in the film, but Sharma couldn’t respond as he was out of town and still regrets it.

    “I met Rahman sir one day, and he said, ‘I called you for Chamkila’. I think he wanted me to sing a song or something. I thought he was just sweet-talking with me.”

    “I felt really bad,” the comedian said. “I cried the whole night because of it. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t speak to each other because we were overseas.”

    Imtiaz Ali added that Rahman had also talked to him about Sharma’s singing. Ali informed Sharma that if Diljit didn’t take the role, Sharma would have been their next choice.

    Ali said, “Rahman sir said to me, ‘I mentioned your singing as well.’ If Diljit couldn’t do this film, we only had one more choice, which was you.”

  • What important decisions has Justice Yahya Afridi made?

    What important decisions has Justice Yahya Afridi made?

    Justice Yahya Afridi, who was nominated by a Special Parliamentary Committee (SPC) last night, is set to take oath as the next chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) on Saturday.

    Following the passage of the 26th Amendment, the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) will now be “appointed on the recommendation of the Special Parliamentary Committee from amongst the three most senior” SC judges.

    Previously, the president used to appoint the CJP based on the seniority principle, according to which Justice Mansoor Ali Shah would be the next CJP.

    Since the new CJP is here, let’s take a look at some of his famous cases.

    Some important decisions of Justice Yahya Afridi

    In 2018, Justice Yahya Afridi was the head of the special bench in the treason case against the dictator Pervez Musharraf. However, he recused after some time after Musharraf’s lawyer objected to his inclusion, saying Justice Afridi was former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s lawyer.

    In 2020, Justice Yahya rejected Justice Qazi Faiz Isa’s plea against the infamous Presidential Reference against him, saying the fundamental rights of a sitting judge would remain eclipsed so far as their enforcement was not in consonance with the terms of his oath of office. However, he endorsed the quashment of reference by disposing of other petitions moved by a number of bar councils and bar associations.

    In 2022, he supported the issuance of show cause notice to Imran Khan in the May 25 Long March case of Tehreek-e-Insaf when it was accused of allegedly flouting a May 25 order of the apex court that defined the limits for the party’s ‘Azadi March’ gathering in Islamabad and thereby committing contempt of court. A five-member SC bench, in a 4-1 split decision, instead sought a reply from Imran on the matter before deciding to issue him a notice.

    In 2023, a five-judge bench, which included Justice Yahya, declared that the trial of civilians in the military courts was unconstitutional in May 9 cases.

    In the Punjab/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa election case, the petitions were dismissed as pending in the High Court.

    In April 2024, he also recused himself from the infamous six IHC judges’ letter to the Supreme Judicial Council case.

    In the reserved seat case of SIC-PTI, he supported the position of Tehreek-e-Insaaf by giving a similar position as the other 8 judges on the bench but opposed it due to some other legal issues. And he also wrote his dissenting note in the decision related to the case.

    Justice Yahya Afridi was also part of the 9-member larger bench of the Supreme Court on the presidential reference against the execution of former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

    Justice Yahya Afridi declined to join the three-member judges committee of the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Ordinance 2024.

  • Usman Mukhtar celebrates third anniversary with a heartfelt message for his wife

    Usman Mukhtar celebrates third anniversary with a heartfelt message for his wife

    Actor Usman Mukhtar shared a sweet note for his wife Zunaira Inam as they celebrated three years of marriage.

    On Tuesday, Usman posted pictures with his wife on Instagram and a heartfelt message for their third wedding anniversary.

    “Three years ago, I married my best friend, who also happens to be my full-time reality check and part-time stand-up comedian, though I’m usually the punchline. Somehow, you manage to make love feel like both a rom-com and a roast session, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. You keep me laughing, humble & grounded.

    Thank you for making life better and funnier. Here’s to more years of love, laughter & Happiness. I love you so so so much Zunaira Inam!!!! Happy Third Anniversary!!!”

    Many of his fans and friends liked the post and shared their wishes in the comments.

    Usman Mukhtar and Zunaira Inam Khan married in April 2021.

    Usman Mukhtar gained praise for his role as Captain Daniyal Safeer in the hit drama Sinf-e-Aahan. He has also impressed audiences in films like Janaan, Parchi, and most recently ‘Umro Ayyar- A New Beginning’.

  • Woman in India kills husband after breaking fast for his long life

    Woman in India kills husband after breaking fast for his long life

    An Indian woman from Uttar Pradesh allegedly killed her husband by poisoning him after breaking the Karwa Chauth fast for his long life.

    As per Indian traditions, women are supposed to keep a fast for the husband’s long life, but this one took a tragic turn in India’s UP as Shailesh Kumar, 32, was poisoned by his wife Savita, who suspected him of cheating on her.


    NDTV reports that Savita suspected that Shailesh was having an affair with another woman. This enraged her, and she poisoned his food.

    The woman had been fasting the whole day to pray for her husband’s long life as part of the Hindu ritual of Karwa Chauth. Her husband, Shailesh had also been busy making arrangements.

    Just when Savita was breaking her fast in the night after sighting the moon, she had an argument with her husband but things seemed to return to normal soon after as the couple ate together.

    However, Savita asked Shailesh to go to a neighbour’s house to get something and then fled from home.

    The victim’s brother told the police that he was rushed to a hospital, where he also recorded a video stating that Savita had poisoned his food.
    Later, he died.

    Savita was then arrested by the police.

    The local police, in their official statement, said, “The crime was reported from Ismailpur village. The woman allegedly poisoned her husband after they had a fight. The man died during treatment. A case has been registered, the woman has been arrested and the body has been sent for a post-mortem.”

  • Will India support Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS?

    Will India support Pakistan’s bid to join BRICS?

    India is likely to support Pakistan’s bid to join the BRICS bloc, an alliance that challenges the economic monopoly of the West, Indian media has reported.

    Indian media has speculated that following Russia’s influence on India, News Delhi may vote in favour of Pakistan joining the BRICS.

    “One of the key takeaways of the summit is likely to be India’s green signal to Pakistan’s long-pending bid for membership in the bloc,” ABP Live reported.

    Pakistan applied for membership in BRICS in August 2023; following this, other countries, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia, also formally applied to become members of the bloc.

    It should be mentioned here that a new member of BRICS was added only after the consensus of the bloc members, and India has remained defiant in giving assent to Pakistan joining the BRICS bloc over the past years.

    The chances only brightened after Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei gave public support to Pakistan’s membership in BRICS during his visit to Islamabad in September, Dawn News observed.

    What is BRICS?

    BRICS stands for countries’ names: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

    The group started in 2006, and Brazil, Russia, India and China convened for the first BRIC summit in 2009. However, South Africa joined on 24 December 2010.

    BRICS in 2023 extended the invitation to Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after these countries applied for membership.

    Two dozen world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, attended the opening of the BRICS summit on Tuesday.

    Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hosted the BRICS summit, which is in progress in Russia’s third largest city, the southwestern city of Kazan and will end on October 24.

  • ‘We are actors, not social activists,’ says Sohai Ali Abro

    ‘We are actors, not social activists,’ says Sohai Ali Abro

    Nowadays, many celebrities seem to treat activism as a trend rather than a true commitment, but actress Sohai Ali Abro firmly believes in the important role actors play in society.

    Recently, Sohai appeared as a guest on Gup Shab hosted by Vasay Chaundhry, where she talked about celebrity activism.

    A fan from the audience asked, “What motivates you to bring change in our society?”

    Sohai replied, “You may want to bring about a change in society, but sometimes the motivation is just not there. I believe in maintaining personal integrity in whatever you do, whether you’re an actor or not.”

    While acknowledging that a social message can be important, she stressed that actors should not be viewed as activists.

    “One thing I’ve realized is that sometimes we give actors too much credit and forget that we are not social activists; we are actors at the end of the day. We do try to bring a positive impact or highlight socially relevant issues through the stories we tell and the characters we play. But if I only look at it from that perspective, I may not be able to entertain. My job is entertainment, and if something good comes out of it along the way, then that’s great, but that is not my sole reason,” the Gentlemen actress added.

    Sohai careful attitude shows that she wants to be real in a word where many celebrities jump on popular issues without really caring about them, “I’ve seen how celebrities jump on a bandwagon and talk about something they forget the next day. I am not for this activism that lasts only till an issue is trending, and therefore I am careful about what I say about any issue.”

    Sohai last starred in drama serial Gentlemen written by controversial writer Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar and directed by Haissam Hussain.