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  • T20 World Cup tickets are now live with $1 entry-level price

    T20 World Cup tickets are now live with $1 entry-level price

    The International Cricket Council (ICC) has launched the sale of ticket for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, setting entry-level prices at just $1.11 (approximately Rs311) in India and $3.26 (approximately Rs916) in Sri Lanka.

    As per the details, the tickets are live as of 6:15 (Pakistan Standard Time) through the official tournament website, with more than two million tickets available for the 10th edition of the tournament.

    India and Sri Lanka will co-host the event from February 7 to March 8, with matches across eight venues, namely the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Eden Gardens in Kolkata, R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

    Pakistan draws Group A alongside India, the United States (US), Namibia and the Netherlands. The team will play all group stage matches at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. 

    The tournament opens with Pakistan facing the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7 with the much-awaited Pakistan-India clash scheduled for February 15.

    As many as 20 teams will compete in 55 matches in the month-long tournament.

    The 20 teams have been split into four groups of five for the group stage (February 7-20). The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eight stage (February 21-March 1).

    The top two from each Super Eight group will reach the semi-finals scheduled for March 4 and 5.

    The final will take place on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, it will be shifted to Sri Lanka if Pakistan reach the final.

  • Influencer Doctor Madiha says she was scammed in land deal, now being threatened

    Influencer Doctor Madiha says she was scammed in land deal, now being threatened

    Social media influencer Doctor Madiha has accused a man named Ahmed Ali Gujjar of scamming her in a five-marla plot deal and running away with her money.

    She shared a detailed video on Instagram, saying that she wants people to spread her story as much as possible.

    “For so many days, I have been posting stories about Ahmed Ali Gujjar, saying that he ran away with my money. I am posting all this so that you people share it as much as possible.”

    Madiha explained that she and her husband Ahsan were buying a five marla plot of 128 Jeni. She said, “We gave the payment to Ahmed Ali Gujjar after he said everything was fine. It has been months now, and he has left the country.”

    The influencer said she wants people to keep sharing her story because it will help her in the case. “That is why I am asking you all to share my story as much as you can, because your sharing will help me a lot,” she stated. 

    She also shared a threatening voice note that she received on WhatsApp.

    In the audio, a person can be heard saying, “She is calling me bad names and taking my name on social media. Wherever you want to take my name, go ahead, but remember one thing clearly: If my honour is ruined, then I won’t let your honour remain unscathed either. You have already damaged my reputation. And if I lose my honour because of what you are doing and what the police people are doing, I will take revenge for all of it. Doing all this and ruining my respect won’t give you any money.”

    In the caption of her post, Madiha wrote that she is receiving threats after the scam. She wrote that she is sharing everything for her safety and for public awareness.

    She wrote that police recovered 29.5 percent of the payment from the family of the suspect. She added that the family claims the remaining amount is with Ahmed Ali Gujjar, who they say is in Malaysia.

    She wrote, “Justice delayed is justice denied.” She also wrote that if anything happens to her or her family, the authorities should investigate the threats she has been receiving from Gujjar, his family and the people involved in the matter.

    Doctor Madiha wrote that the plot file was fake, stressing that any individuals, companies or organizations mentioned in her posts, including Zameen.com and DHA Head Office, are not responsible for the scam and are mentioned only for context and public awareness.

    She wrote that she is sharing her experience for educational purposes to warn people about scams, fake documents and fraudulent behaviour. 

    She also wrote that she is not trying to harass or defame anyone but wants to protect the public from similar cases.

    Doctor Madiha ended her post by writing that the content is only for awareness and she hopes no one else becomes a victim of such fraud.

  • Arslan Ash becomes father again; welcomes baby boy to family

    Arslan Ash becomes father again; welcomes baby boy to family

    Pakistan’s esports icon and World Tekken star Arslan Siddique, popularly known as Arslan Ash, has welcomed a baby boy.

    The gaming star shared the joyful news with his fans on Instagram, posting a black-and-white photo showing four hands, his, his wife’s, his daughter’s, and the newborn’s.

    Announcing the birth, Arslan wrote, “Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed with a baby boy.”

    He also revealed the name of his son, writing, “Welcome to the world, Muhammad Ayaan, our family is complete.”

    Arslan Ash, who hails from Lahore, is already a father to a two-year-old daughter.

    The Tekken prodigy began playing at local gaming arcades at the age of eight, later rising to international fame with his consistent dominance in global Tekken tournaments.

    Earlier this year, in August, Arslan achieved another major milestone by winning the seventh EVO Championship Series (EVO) title at EVO 2025, held in Las Vegas.

  • Pakistan receives $1.2 billion from IMF

    Pakistan receives $1.2 billion from IMF

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Thursday received $1.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as the global lender approved the review of the country’s loan programme.

    The central bank, in a statement, said that the Fund’s Executive Board had completed the second review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the first review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) during a meeting in Washington earlier this week.

    “SBP has received SDR 914 million (equivalent to about $1.2 billion) under the EFF and RSF in value on December 10, 2025, from the IMF,” the central bank said.

    It added that the amount will appear in SBP’s foreign exchange reserves for the week ending on December 12.

    The IMF approved the fresh disbursement under its dual-track bailout. The 37-month EFF focuses on macroeconomic stabilisation while the climate-focused RSF addresses long-term climate challenges.

    This tranche brings total disbursements to Pakistan under the EFF and RSF to approximately $3.3 billion.

    Earlier, the IMF had approved the fresh disbursement.

    The executive board, in a statement, highlighted that “Pakistan’s strong programme implementation, despite the recent devastating floods, has maintained stability and improved financing and external conditions”.

    It stressed that the country’s policy priorities remain centred on maintaining macroeconomic stability and advancing reforms to strengthen public finances, enhance competition, raise productivity and competitiveness, bolster the social safety net and human capital, reform state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and improve public service provision and energy sector viability.

  • Contestant walks out of Pakistan Idol, claims voice was ‘autotuned’ beyond recognition

    Contestant walks out of Pakistan Idol, claims voice was ‘autotuned’ beyond recognition

    Pakistan Idol faces a fresh controversy after Top 16 contestant M Ibrar Shahid publicly accused the show of unfair treatment and excessive autotune manipulation of his performances.

    Shahid, who voluntarily left the competition, took to Instagram and other social media platforms to share his grievances.

    “I am not eliminated. I left the show on my own volition as I was not being dealt fairly,” Shahid said in his post. “My voice was being autotuned to the point that they did not even sound like my real vocals.”

    The contestant revealed that producers threatened him with legal action. “I was unhappy but I was threatened with legal action if I spoke about the show online,” he shared. Despite the warnings, Shahid decided to speak out and explain what happened to him on the platform.

    Shahid’s revelations triggered a divided response online, with many viewers criticizing him for speaking out against the show that gave him a platform.

    “It’s not always that things are going according to your will and wish,” one user commented under his post.

    Another viewer bluntly stated, “Your performance was not good.”

    A third user wrote, “Bro, you were clearly out of surr! Judges have been fair with their judgement. Your performance was not up to the mark. Please absorb the remarks given to you!”

    Many commenters questioned his decision to blame the show after reaching the Top 16. “You didn’t perform good at all in gala round. Work on yourself,” another user advised.

    One particularly harsh comment read, “The platform supported you, and now you are maligning it. Every system has rules, and you simply couldn’t cope.”

    Pakistan Idol, which features celebrity judges Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Fawad Khan, Zeb Bangash, and Bilal Maqsood, has not officially responded to Shahid’s allegations. 

    The production team has not clarified whether they will take further action regarding the claims.

  • Norwegian Ambassador arrives in Supreme Court to observe Iman-Hadi appeals: Journalist

    Norwegian Ambassador arrives in Supreme Court to observe Iman-Hadi appeals: Journalist

    Norwegian Ambassador to Pakistan Per Albert Ilsaas arrived at the Supreme Court of Pakistan early on Thursday morning to observe appeal proceedings filed by lawyers Imaan Hazir Mazari and her husband Advocate Hadi Ali Chatha, journalist Matiullah Jan tweeted. 

    A video posted on X by Matiullah Jan showed the Ambassador entering the premises where he is greeted by journalist Asad Toor and Imaan before being accompanied inside the building, followed by a few other people and lawyers. 

    The lawyer duo is facing possible jail time in a case filed under PECA for tweets that has been described as controversial by many legal experts. 

    The District and Sessions court in Islamabad adjourned the hearing of the case until December 15 while the couple awaits transfer of their case to Islamabad High Court. 

    At the previous hearing, Imaan Mazari told presiding judge, Justice Afzal Majoka, that if she was to be given a seven-year jail sentence, she was prepared to accept it. The judge chose not to respond to her remarks. 

    Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chatha also filed a petition expressing no confidence in Judge Afzal Majoka, requesting that the case be transferred to the Islamabad High Court.

  • Seven foreign nationals booked for assaulting women in Islamabad slum

    Seven foreign nationals booked for assaulting women in Islamabad slum

    Islamabad police have registered a case against seven foreign nationals on charges of assaulting local women and trespassing into a slum near Golra Police Station on Thursday.

    According to reports, authorities booked the suspects under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), Section 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

    Mohammad Khan, a resident of the slum at Chora Stop located one kilometer from the police station, filed the complaint. Police said the foreign nationals forcefully entered the slum, which comprises huts, and began filming the women living there.

    The accused men allegedly attempted to take the women away by offering them money. Some residents spotted the foreigners, intercepted them and asked them to stop. The situation escalated into a physical confrontation during which one resident, Sikandar, sustained a head injury.

    “We are poor people living in slums, due to which they take undue advantage and every day they beat up our women,” the FIR stated. The complaint further alleged that the men forcibly entered houses and assaulted the women.

    A police official reportedly told a media outlet that officers have traced and identified the foreign nationals. The police called both the suspect and the aggrieved party to the station to settle the matter.

  • Pictures: The Karachi that ‘Dhurandhar’ can’t even imagine

    Pictures: The Karachi that ‘Dhurandhar’ can’t even imagine

    Bollywood’s latest controversial spy thriller Dhurandhar sparked an unexpected response from Karachiites. Instead of outrage, residents flooded social media with stunning images showing a side of their city the film never bothered to explore.

    The Aditya Dhar directored project starring Ranveer Singh portrays Karachi’s Lyari as the “core of terrorism in Pakistan.” The trailer shows a grim, dystopian landscape that bears no resemblance to the actual city of over 20 million people.

    Karachiites responded within hours.

    Users began sharing breathtaking photographs under the phrase “Karachi, Dhurandhar can’t even dream of.” The images tell a completely different story.

    Instagram user ‘karachista1’ shared a series of stories showcasing the beauty of Karachi. Sunset shots from Sea View Beach and the clifftop restaurants of Do Darya packed with diners enjoying fresh seafood appeared alongside the new Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum standing pristine in white marble.

    X users posted steaming plates of biryani, sizzling nihari from Javed Nihari, and the iconic bun kabab. Street vendors at Boat Basin serving seekh kebabs to late-night crowds became part of the visual narrative.

    Images of modern skyscrapers along I.I. Chundrigar Road, the pink Jodhpur stone of Mohatta Palace, art exhibitions at Canvas Gallery, and theatre performances at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) flooded timelines.

    The most powerful images came from Lyari itself. Residents shared photos of boxing clubs training young athletes, community schools, and football tournaments.

    The Lyari Football Stadium, home to some of Pakistan’s finest players, appears nowhere in Dhurandhar’s version of the neighborhood.

    Karachi produces a significant portion of Pakistan’s GDP. The city hosts the country’s largest port, financial hub, media industry, and fashion capital. Its restaurants serve cuisine from every province.

    Dhurandhar claims to be “inspired by true events” while inventing connections between gang leader Rehman Dakait and police officer Chaudhry Aslam Khan with Indian intelligence. 

    No such documentation exists.

    The real story differs entirely. Rehman Baloch was allegedly killed in a police encounter ordered by SSP Chaudhry Aslam, sparking legal battles. Both men’s roles were rooted in Karachi’s local conflicts, not international espionage.

    The film joins Bollywood productions like Fighter and The Taj Story that stretch “true events” into nationalist fantasy.

  • Here’s Pakistan’s T20 schedule before World Cup 2026

    Here’s Pakistan’s T20 schedule before World Cup 2026

    Pakistan will play six T20 International matches in January 2026 as preparations intensify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The team will tour Sri Lanka for three matches before hosting Australia for another three-match series.

    The Men in Green will face Sri Lanka on January 7, 9, and 11 at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan will then host Australia for three T20Is on January 30, February 2, and February 5.

    The Sri Lanka series holds special significance for Pakistan. The team will play all their World Cup fixtures in Sri Lanka under the hybrid model arrangement, making the Dambulla tour essential for adapting to local conditions.

    Pakistan draws Group A alongside India, the United States, Namibia, and the Netherlands. The team will play all group stage matches at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Pakistan-India clash takes place on February 15.

    The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 features 20 teams competing from February 7 to March 8. India and Sri Lanka co-host the tournament across eight venues.

    India hosts matches at five stadiums: Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, and Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

    Sri Lanka hosts matches at three venues: R. Premadasa Stadium and Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo, and Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

    The 20 teams split into four groups of five for the group stage (February 7-20). The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Eight stage (February 21-March 1).

    The top two from each Super Eight group reach the semi-finals on March 4 and 5.

    The final takes place on March 8 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

  • FBR cracks down on 30 social media influencers for tax evasion

    FBR cracks down on 30 social media influencers for tax evasion

    Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Rashid Langrial, in an informal conversation with the media, revealed that the FBR has issued notices to 30 individuals who flaunted their luxurious lifestyles on social media but underreported their income in tax returns.

    According to Langrial, individuals who display expensive clothing, homes, vehicles, and even horses on the internet are now being investigated for filing inaccurate or incomplete tax returns.

    “We have compiled detailed data on those who either did not file tax returns or submitted false information while publicly displaying wealth,” he added.

    He confirmed the appointment of a Chief Commissioner for Enforcement to supervise these activities across the country. 

    This single authority will now supervise all actions taken against tax evaders, and daily reports on the crackdown will be compiled.


    Langrial declared, “We will continue robust action against tax evaders across the country.”


    Additionally, Langrial underlined that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the FBR to implement the strictest measures and has zero tolerance for tax evasion. On smuggling, he said that customs authorities are carrying out daily operations to curb the inflow of smuggled goods, and the campaign will continue without pause.

    He went on to say that smugglers had harmed customs officials, noting  that two tax officers have lost their lives in the line of duty.