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  • Maula Jatt release in India hangs in balance

    Maula Jatt release in India hangs in balance

    Ameya Khopkar, leader of the extremist Hindu party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), has said that those who like Pakistani actor Fawad Khan are “Indian traitors.”

    According to Indian media reports, extremist Hindutva groups have become active to stop the release of Pakistan’s record-breaking film ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ in India.

    Khopkar stated, “We will not allow the release of Pakistani films, nor will we allow their artists to work in Indian films.”

    Expanding his threats, Khopkar further said: “It is most infuriating that an Indian company is leading this plan. Following Raj Saheb’s orders we will not let this film release anywhere in India.”

    Raj Thackeray is the nephew of Bal Thackeray, known for his opposition to Pakistan and Muslims.

    The blockbuster Pakistani film The Legend of Maula Jatt is set to release in Indian theaters on October 2.

    Previously, the film was scheduled for release in India in December 2022, but was stopped after strong opposition from extremist Hindu groups and the MNS.

    The Legend of Maula Jatt was released worldwide on October 13, 2022, and was a phenomenal success at the box office.

    The film, a remake of the 1979 classic Maula Jatt, stars Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Humaima Malik.

  • Over 20 PTI workers arrested in Lahore, Azma Bokhari claims they attacked police

    Over 20 PTI workers arrested in Lahore, Azma Bokhari claims they attacked police

    More than 20 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were detained by Lahore police for holding a corner meeting in Gulberg area of the city.

    While the party claims to be preparing for the upcoming procession in Lahore, Gulberg police said that the PTI workers pelted stones and opened fire when police officials arrived.

    The police van was damaged in the violence, the police claimed.

    Punjab’s Information Minister Azma Bokhari also shared videos on X (formerly Twitter) calling out “Tehreek-e-Fisad” (movement of chaos).

    Azma wrote that the “Gangsters of this movement of chaos have already started burning and encircling the roads, now if we take action against them, they will start crying in protest.”

    Taking a jibe at PTI’s leadership, who are repeatedly asking people to stay peaceful, Azma shared several videos on social media captioning that these people are rooming around Main Boulevard Gulbarg in Lahore, “Listen to the peaceful speeches of their so-called leaders while actually this is their real face.”

  • ACC releases schedule for Emerging Asia Cup 2024

    ACC releases schedule for Emerging Asia Cup 2024

    The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced the schedule for the Men’s T20 Emerging Asia Cup 2024.

    The Emerging Asia Cup between teams of Asian countries will start on October 18 in Oman, with eight teams participating in the event.

    The Asian event features Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Hong Kong, host Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    The Asian Cricket Council has divided the Emerging Asia Cup teams into two groups; in Group A, Sri Lanka A, Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A, and Hong Kong teams have been placed.

    Group B consists of teams including Pakistan, India, UAE and Oman; the group match between Pakistan and India is scheduled for October 19.

    In the event, the Pakistan A team will play matches against Oman on October 21 and UAE on October 23.

    The semi-finals of the ACC Emerging Asia Cup will be held on October 25, while the final will be played on October 27.

    Pakistan is the defending champion of the emerging Asia Cup.

  • Six bidders pre-qualified for PIA auction on October 1

    Six bidders pre-qualified for PIA auction on October 1

    The privatisation commission said that the auction for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will take place on October 1.

    Six bidders have already been qualified, including Fly Jinnah, a YB Holdings-led consortium, Air Blue Limited, a Pak Ethanol-led consortium, Arif Habib Corporation, and Blue World City.

    PIA has been dealing with a crippling debt load, which is estimated at around Rs800 billion ($2.9 billion). The government has intervened with multiple loans to support the airline’s daily operations, but the financial pressure has persisted.

    Earlier, the government targeted completing the PIA privatisation by August 14. However, delays surfaced as bidders requested updated financial data, including audited accounts, aircraft lease agreements, and details about the airline’s suspended routes.

    It is worth noting that PIA flights to Europe have been grounded for nearly four years, after safety concerns that arose after a plane crashed in Karachi in 2020, which claimed 97 lives and prompted a European Union Aviation Safety Agency ban.

    According to Express News, the decision to privatise the airline is part of a bigger plan supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has been urging Pakistan to divest its loss-making state-owned enterprises if wants to stabilise the struggling economy.

    Discussions are ongoing about restoring PIA’s European routes, with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar recently stressing that resolving the issue remains a “top priority” following a five-day visit to London.

  • Afghanistan wins ODI series against South Africa for the first time

    Afghanistan wins ODI series against South Africa for the first time

    Afghanistan outclassed South Africa in the second One Day International (ODI) in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, winning the three-match series with a lead of 2-0.

    Rehmanullah Gurbaz played a brilliant innings of 105 runs, which included 10 fours and three sixes. It was the 22-year-old’s seventh ODI century, making him the first Afghan player to reach the milestone. Thanks to Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s brilliant century and Azmatullah Omarzai’s aggressive 86 runs, Afghanistan scored 311 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.

    2 days after winning the first match of the series by 6 wickets, the Afghan team bowled out the Proteas to 134 runs, in which Rashid Khan took five wickets for 19 runs and broke the back of the Proteas’ batting line. Rashid Khan was supported by fellow spinner Nangialai Kharoti, who took 4 wickets for 26 runs.

    Gurbaz and Riyaz Hasan scored 88 runs in the first wicket partnership; after Riyaz Hasan was dismissed, Rahmat Shah formed a partnership of 101 runs with Garbaz, Azmatullah Umarzai unbeaten 86 runs off 50 balls. Played an innings which included 6 sixes.

    The visiting African team scored 103 runs for the loss of 3 wickets, including captain Temba Bavuma’s 38 off 47 balls, but South Africa lost their last seven wickets for just 31 runs.

    Despite suffering a hamstring injury while batting, Rashid Khan took five wickets for 19 runs in 9 overs, while left-arm spinner Nangelia Kharote took four wickets for 26 runs.

  • ‘Thriller’ becomes Michael Jackson’s fourth music video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube

    ‘Thriller’ becomes Michael Jackson’s fourth music video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube

    The 80s hit Thriller has become Michael Jackson’s fourth song on YouTube to cross one billion views.

    The music video for Thriller was released in 1984 – 13 minutes and 41 seconds long short horror film.

    The storytelling, choreography, especially the music, stole hearts and broke barriers in music around the world.The lyrics of the song were written by Rod Temperton, and the music video was directed by John Landis.

    The King of Pop has three other songs that have crossed 1 billion views on YouTube.

    Billie Jean has 1.6 billion views; and was composed and written by Michael Jackson, while the music video, directed by Steve Barron, was released on January 3, 1983.

    Beat It, released on February 14, 1983, has reached 1 billion views.

    Released in 1995, They Don’t Care About Us was a powerful song written and composed by Jackson, and it has 1.1 billion views on YouTube.

    Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, California, USA.

  • National Assembly Secretariat declares PTI lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council members

    National Assembly Secretariat declares PTI lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council members

    The National Assembly Secretariat has issued a new list of party positions in the National Assembly (NA) and declared all Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers as Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) members.

    According to the new list, seats in the coalition government of political parties is two hundred thirteen as Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), hold one hundred ten seats; Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has sixty-nine seats, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has twenty-two seats.

    Meanwhile, on the opposition benches, SIC has eighty seats, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) has eight seats, and PTI independent supporters have eight members.

    Secretariat officials did not mention twenty-three reserved seats and declared them disputed.

    Earlier, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had penned a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 19 stating that after the Elections Act Amendments, 2024, has been passed by the parliament, the Supreme Court’s reserved seats verdict of July 12 can no longer be implemented

  • Weekly inflation eases 0.52 per cent as prices of 15 essential items decline

    Weekly inflation eases 0.52 per cent as prices of 15 essential items decline

    Weekly inflation in Pakistan eased by 0.52 per cent in one week, while on an annual basis, the inflation was recorded up by over 12 per cent in the week ending September 19.

    According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), which calculates short term inflation through the sensitive price indicator revealed price movements for essential food items witnessed in the week under observation.

    The prices of 51 essential items were analysed in different cities across the country and it was revealed that prices of 17 items increased in Pakistan, while prices of 15 items declined and prices of 19 items remained almost unchanged.

    Looking at the data released by the PBS, a major reduction was seen in the price of diesel, onions, petrol, sugar, and tomatoes.

    On the other hand, pulse gramme, chicken, cooked daal, cooked beef, and shirting.

    Cement prices also reduced in the country as the rate for 50 kg cement bag was recorded at Rs1,466, about 22.85 per cent more than the previous year.

    Furthermore, yearly SPI for the lowest-income group has increased by more than 9 per cent.

    ItemChangeDirection
    Diesel-5.00 per centDecrease
    Onions-4.45 per centDecrease
    Petrol-3.88 per centDecrease
    Tomatoes-1.93 per centDecrease
    Sugar-0.70 per centDecrease
    Chicken+1.49 per centIncrease
    Pulse Gram+0.83 per centIncrease
    Cooked Daal+0.81 per centIncrease
    Shirting+0.74 per centIncrease
    Cooked Beef+0.72 per centIncrease
    Price changes
  • Why is DuniyaPur one of Pakistan’s most expensive dramas?

    Why is DuniyaPur one of Pakistan’s most expensive dramas?

    The highly anticipated drama DuniyaPur starring Ramsha and Khushhal Khan, is set to make waves on our screens not just for its storyline but for its staggering budget.

    Recently Ramsha Khan and Khushal Khan appeared as a guest on Something Haute hosted by Hassan Choudhary and Amna Isani.

    Hassan Choudhary asked, “There are a couple of things that are creating a lot of buzz about ‘DuniyaPur’.One of the major points is that it’s said to be one of the most expensive dramas in Pakistan’s history. People are saying that the budget for this drama is around 25 to 30 crores. Is that true or just a rumor?”

    Khushal Khan replied, “We don’t know, the exact budget, but it’s definitely one of the most expensive dramas ever made in the country. While we don’t know the precise figures, what’s clear is that it’s a big-budget project. There’s been talk about it being the most expensive drama in Pakistan’s history, but we don’t know much about exact numbers.”

    The host again asked “What resources were used to make DuniyaPur such a high-cost production?”

    Khushal Khan said that everything used in production was of the highest quality available in the country. “Whether it’s the equipment for films, the lenses, or even the cameras, things that haven’t been seen in Pakistani film or drama productions before,,” he disclosed.

    He emphasized the involvement of a specialized crew, noting, “There were a lot of specialized crew members involved, like action directors, which is a rarity. Some days, there would be around a hundred people on set, with extensive action sequences and a great deal of coordination. There were also separate posters being made, which is a testament to the scale of the production.”

    Ramasha Khan piped in to talk about the locations. “The cast and crew were constantly traveling to various locations, including Wazirabad, Sargodha, Islamabad, Dadar, Pindi, and Kohat. We might be missing some places, but there were a lot of locations involved in the shooting, such as Neelum and Jehlum as well.”

    The drama is written by Radain Shah and directed by Shahid Shafaat. It will air on Green Entertainment.
    Duniyapur is a drama about a violent place where people fight for power and survival. Trust is broken, and violence is everywhere. It’s a thrilling show about ambition, betrayal, and staying alive.

  • Pro-Palestinian American rapper Macklemore releases ‘Hind’s Hall 2’

    Pro-Palestinian American rapper Macklemore releases ‘Hind’s Hall 2’

    Pro-Palestine American rapper Macklemore has released another song in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, titled as Hind’s Hall 2 featuring Palestinian artists.

    The song has been released four months after the release of the first Hind’s Hall which stood out as a key anthem of resistance against the ongoing genocide in Gaza and hypocrisy of the American government in showing support for Israel.

    Palestinian rapper MC Abdul, Palestinian-American author and comedian Amer Zahr, and Arab-American singer Anees Mokhiber have been featured in the second iteration.

    The rapper took to Instagram to announce the release of the song. He shared a picture of three smiling children and captioned the picture with credits given to artists involved in the making. He further declared that all the proceeds of the song would go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). It was the same for the first version of Hind’s Hall.

    The title Hind’s Hall refers to the renaming of the Hamilton Hall of Columbia University by protesting students in America as a tribute to six-year-old Hind Rajab who was killed by Israeli military.

    Unlike Hind’s Hall, there is no video in the second iteration. It just has a picture of three smiling children, captured by Gazan photojournalist Motaz Azaiza.

    The new song opens with a verse from Mohibker that says, “In our lifetime we will be free, and they can bury us, but they will find out we are seeds.”
    The verse was complimented by Palestine Kids Choir and the Lifted Youth Gospel Choir.

    As the song progresses, Macklemore also takes a jibe at Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s politics: “Hey Kamala, I don’t know if you are listening but stop sending money and weapons, you ain’t winning Michigan. We are committed, and hell no we ain’t switching positions, because the whole world turned Palestinian.”

    The song has amassed more than 12 thousand views since its release, while the announcement post has more than 67 thousand likes.

    Macklemore is one of the few mainstream musicians who has ardently advocated about the oppression faced by Palestinians.

    He recently cancelled shows in United Arab Emirates citing its compliance with Israel and has announced to perform at the Palestine Will Live Forever festival in Seattle on September 21 alongside Palestinian artists and speakers.