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  • Maryam Nawaz slammed on social media over ‘defamation’ law

    Maryam Nawaz slammed on social media over ‘defamation’ law

    Maryam Nawaz, Chief Minister Punjab, took to X (former Twitter) and announced that she is making a defamation law for Punjab.

    X user Faisal Ranjha asked in a tweet whether this government will be able to make a strong defamation law to counter lies and fake news. In response to that, Maryam quote tweeted, “I am making that law for Punjab.”

    Social media users reacted by mentioning how such laws already exist and are misused against political rivals and journalists.

    Lawyer and co-founder of Bolo Bhi, Farieha Aziz, said, “And it begins. ‘We need more laws’ to counter “fake news” & strengthen defamation narrative. Because Defamation Ordianance, 499 & 500 of PPC & 20 of PECA don’t already exist? Laws are implemented through same broken system. Malicious proceedings swift, genuine ones face delays.”

    Member of Awami Workers Party Ammar Rashid said, “While their overlords block X to shut down criticism, PMLN leadership openly announcing its intention to further criminalize attempts to hold public officeholders to account using the bogeyman of defamation & fake news. We must all shut up b/c our ruling elite is too insecure.”

    Film maker Arafat Mazhar said, “No “I” will be allowed to make that law. only a “we”, that too which represents democratic will, can make that law (unless it is to protect marginalised people from Tyranny of majority) Also this proposed defamation law is a disaster. Please maafi deh du. Aur Kitni awaz dabao gey?”

  • Shah Rukh Khan recreates his iconic pose with Ed Sheeran

    Shah Rukh Khan recreates his iconic pose with Ed Sheeran

    Actor Shah Rukh Khan and singer Ed Sheeran recently met up during the latter’s visit to India, sparking excitement among fans worldwide. Ed shared a video of their meetup on his Instagram account, capturing the iconic moment for all to see.


    He and Shah Rukh can be seen dancing joyfully to the tune of ‘Deewangi Deewangi’ from the Bollywood movie Om Shanti Om, radiating genuine camaraderie.
    Ed Sheeran captioned the video, “This is the Shape of Us. Spreading love together…”


    The highlight of the video was Shah Rukh and Ed recreating the Bollywood superstar’s iconic pose, a gesture that delighted fans and became the talk of the town. The video concludes with a heartwarming hug.

  • Court grants bail to Hassan, Hussain Nawaz till tomorrow

    Court grants bail to Hassan, Hussain Nawaz till tomorrow

    The Accountability Court in Islamabad has suspended the perpetual arrest warrants of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz, sons of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in the Flagship, Al-Azizia, and Avenfield cases handled by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after the brothers voluntarily appeared before the court.

    The court also granted their requests for bail. They had to provide bail bonds worth Rs50,000 each in exchange.

    Both suspects appeared in court to mark their attendance. The court also summoned the NAB for tomorrow regarding the bail applications of Hassan and Hussain Nawaz. Their request to appoint a pleader was granted, and they chose Rana Muhammad Irfan for the task.

    The judge asked if they were the only two nominated in the three references. Qazi Misbah replied that they were co-accused in all three references, adding that the remaining accused had been acquitted of the charges. In the flagship reference, the trial court itself had acquitted the two, he added. 

    After that, the court adjourned the hearing until tomorrow.

  • Actor Asad Malik shares top fitness secrets

    Actor Asad Malik shares top fitness secrets

    Famous actor Asad Malik recently had a chat on Hum News where he talked about how he stays fit, especially during Ramadan. He shared helpful tips for staying healthy while fasting.

    He said, “Fasting has always been easy for me. I never found it hard. But some very healthy people struggle with fasting at first. Eventually, they get used to it, while some never do, maybe because they don’t want to.”


    Talking about staying fit, he stressed the importance of good eating habits, saying, “How you eat is really important. Even if you eat good food, it won’t help if your eating habits are bad. Always avoid eating until you’re stuffed. Drink a glass of water before every meal, and avoid cold water. Eat only half of your meal and wait two hours to finish the rest. Eating smaller portions won’t make you gain weight.” He also said he takes honey every morning as a health tonic.

  • Sydney: Pakistan defeats India in Thunder Nation Cricket Cup final

    Sydney: Pakistan defeats India in Thunder Nation Cricket Cup final

    Pakistan defeated India in the final of the Thunder Nation Cricket Cup played in Sydney, Australia on Thursday.

    The Thunder Nation Cup is organized by the Sydney Thunder of Big Bash League Australia and teams from different communities participate in this cup.

    Thunder Nation Cup 2024 has been won by Pakistan community, defeating India community by 14 runs in the final. Pakistan scored 130 runs for 6 wickets while the Indian team managed to score 116 runs for 9 wickets.

    Pakistan’s Bilal Qureshi scored an unbeaten 62 runs and was declared the player of the match.

  • Javeria Saud highlights men’s support for women’s success in Pakistan

    Javeria Saud highlights men’s support for women’s success in Pakistan

    Javeria Saud acts, hosts, writes, and produces, making her one of the most prolific names in the industry. She’s married to Saud Qasmi, who is also in showbiz.

    In a recent interview aired on Express, she said, “In our society, men in the house become the stepping stone of a woman’s success. My father and my brother were very supportive when I started my career and played a role in me becoming who I am today.”

    Javeria also credited her husband Saud for her success, highlighting that he encouraged her to write and try new things. Because of him, she could do what she loves.
    Javeria’s story shows how important it is for men to support women. With support, women can do great things. Javeria’s journey inspires others to support women around them.

    Javeria expressed that Saud helped her understand her abilities better. He encouraged her to write, which allowed her to work on dramas and pursue other interest she had.
    Javeria also shared examples from the lives of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad SAW, recalling how he supported his wife Hazrat Khadijah RA, one of the biggest business persons in Makkah, and also supported Hazrat Ayesha RA and other women. She emphasized that if the most pious among us never stopped women from working, other men should follow this example too.

  • Peshawar High Court rejects SIC’s plea regarding reserved seats

    Peshawar High Court rejects SIC’s plea regarding reserved seats

    The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has rejected a petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict on reserved seats.

    “Petitions are unanimously rejected,” the court maintained.

    Earlier today, PHC chief justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan resumed the hearing and five members of the bench, including Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Shakeel Ahmad, and Justice Arshad Ali, heard the petition.

    SIC’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, argued during the hearing that it’s not mentioned in the constitution that a party should submit any list to the ECP for reserved seats.

    “It is not written anywhere that you cannot resubmit the list or when it has to be submitted,” the barrister argued, adding that there is no restriction on providing a second list and that the ECP could have issued a second schedule, as it did for the general elections.

    “As per the law, those who participate in elections will get seats,” Justice Anwar remarked.

    The court then questioned Barrister Zafar if it wasn’t clearly stated anywhere that the second schedule cannot be issued.

    “The law does not prevent the Election Commission from issuing another schedule,” the lawyer responded.

    Justice Arshad remarked that Section 104 explains the mechanism for reserved seats as it states that when a list is submitted then another list can be given.

    “Section 104 says that if a political party participates in an election, it will give a list,” the lawyer argued.

    He earlier argued that whoever wins the number of seats, they get reserved seats in the same proportion. 

    “Their seats cannot be increased.”

    “If these seats are not given, the parliament will not be complete,” remarked the chief justice, responding to which the lawyer requested the court to interpret the Constitution in a way that there remains no gap in its interpretation.

    Barrister Ali Zafar also told the court that the ECP has authority to maintain justice, adding that there should be transparency in the election for reserved seats.

  • ECP issues schedule for senate polls set to take place on April 2

    ECP issues schedule for senate polls set to take place on April 2

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued a schedule of upcoming senate elections set to take place on April 2.

    As per schedule, the returning officers will issue a public notice for all prospective candidates to submit their nomination papers. The electoral body will then scrutinise nomination papers and handle appeals. 

    The development comes as the ECP, on Monday, announced holding the election for Senate seats that were vacated after the expiration of the six-year term of the incumbent senators on March 11. However, elections will only be held on 48 seats as four reserved seats for the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) have been abolished after the 25th Constitutional Amendment.

    Members of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Balochistan assemblies will vote to elect members for seven general seats, two women, and two seats for technocrats, including Ulema.

    However, Punjab and Sindh assembly members will cast their votes for one seat each for non-Muslims.

    As per the ECP’s schedule,

    March 15 to 16 — Submission of nomination papers.

    March 17 — Publication of nominated candidates.

    March 19 — Last date for scrutiny of nomination papers.

    March 21 — Last date for filing of appeals against acceptance, rejection of nominations.

    March 25 — Last date for disposal of appeals by the tribunal.

    March 26 — Publication of revised list of candidates.

    March 27 — Date for withdrawal of candidature.

    April 2 — Polling day.

  • Khyber schools shifting to a new examination system

    Khyber schools shifting to a new examination system

    The District Education Office has launched a novel approach to annual examinations, emphasizing student learning outcomes (SLO) over rote memorization. This initiative aims to shift the focus from cramming to demonstrating genuine subject knowledge in exam papers.

    According to officials speaking to Dawn, the inspiration for the SLO-based exam system stems from the annual intermediate exams conducted by the board of Intermediate and secondary education. Under this system, subject specialists set uniform exam papers for all affiliated educational institutions.

    Abdur Rehman, Principal of a government high school in Jamrud and a member of the committee responsible for drafting unified exam papers highlighted that the introduction of the SLO-based system intends to discourage cramming and promote genuine understanding of subjects among students.

    He cited the poor results from last year’s grade 9–10 annual exams as a driving force behind this initiative.

    “The new exam system, which has been introduced at the school level in Khyber district for the first time, will not only help improve exam results, but it will strengthen the mental faculties of the students as well,” he said.

    Under the new system, exam papers consist of two parts: Part I comprises multiple-choice questions (short questions), while Part II includes critical questions aimed at encouraging students to provide detailed answers based on their understanding of the subjects.

    The examinations are currently underway in the district, commencing on March 4 and scheduled to conclude on March 25.

    “A three-member committee engaged at least 12 qualified subject specialists for scrutinising and proofreading new papers,” he said.

    Education expert Bahadar Khan lauded the initiative, emphasizing the quality of papers designed under the SLO-based system, which he believes will benefit both students and teachers.

    Moreover, the system is expected to reduce expenses for schools by eliminating the need for separate exam paper drafting and printing.

    Senior teacher Sharifullah Afridi from a government school in Landi Kotal also praised the new exam system.

    He also said the SLO-based exam system would do away with “laziness and indolence” among teachers and would make them more responsible regarding the discharge of their duties.

  • Imran Nazir’s battle against mercury poisoning

    Imran Nazir’s battle against mercury poisoning

    Imran Nazir, known as one of the most powerful hitters in Pakistan cricket history, recently opened up about his experience with mercury poisoning.
    He played a key role in Pakistan’s victory in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. Despite facing injuries and inconsistency in form, Nazir remains a popular figure in cricket history.
    In an interview with host Imran Ashraf, he revealed that he suffered from mercury sickness for six and a half years because someone intentionally put the toxic metal in his food.
    Imran talked about how the disease started, thinking it was just regular pain from playing cricket. He said, “I thought it was normal, like when you swing a bat and your muscle gets a bit twisted.” But the pain got worse and spread to all his joints. Worried, he went to see a doctor, and when he got the test results, the doctors told him to go back to Pakistan right away.
    Mercury poisoning happens when mercury gets inside the body through eating, breathing, or touching. It can cause joint pain, problems with thinking, and damage to organs. Imran’s experience shows how tough it can be for people with this sickness, and it reminds us how important it is to stay strong and have support from others during difficult times.


    Imran went through a tough time when he found out about his illness. “The doctors couldn’t explain what happened.” Even after trying different treatments, like herbal and spiritual healing, Imran realised there wasn’t an easy fix. He said, “I had the idea that there is no cure for this disease.” But through it all, Imran stayed strong. He believed, “Whenever difficulties arrive, you must always stay strong. No one could have ever imagined what I went through.”
    For six and a half years, Imran battled his illness, spending all his money to fight it. He said, “I spent all the money I had during that time.”
    Imran also talked about how the disease affected his personal life, mentioning that people treated him differently. He explained, “When times were tough, I saw how people changed.” Despite facing questions about his health, Imran showed appreciation for his wife’s constant support and care. He said, “I salute her honesty and how she took care of me during those difficult times.”