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  • Faheem Ashraf’s valima attended by sportsmen, politicians

    Faheem Ashraf’s valima attended by sportsmen, politicians

    The valima ceremony of Pakistani all-rounder Faheem Ashraf was held with great pomp in his native village Phool Nagar with many important people from local political, social, and sports circles in attendance, including current and former players.

    Former Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal, former Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, and many local political and social personalities participated in the celebration of the national all-rounder, while former national cricket team captains Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Azhar Ali, Abdul Rahman, along with Fahim Ashraf’s friends and relatives also participated in the ceremony.

    Faheem Ashraf has married the daughter of Rana Shabbir of Narowal. His in-laws also gifted him a car.

    The nikah ceremony was held in Narowal on November 25, Saturday.

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: MDCAT retest paper goes viral

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: MDCAT retest paper goes viral

    The second retake of the MDCAT exam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has gone viral despite secrecy measures, raising concerns among students. The test was conducted on Sunday across the province in 11 examination centres. More than 40,000 students appeared in the exam.


    The test was conducted by Khyber Medical University (KMU) after the Bluetooth Scandal in the previous attempt conducted by the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA). Neither the students nor the security and administrative staff was allowed to take phones inside the examination centres. Section 144 was imposed with signal jammers installed around the examination centres along with the deployment of 2000 security personnel in the province. Despite all of this, the paper went viral.

    A Twitter user also appreciated the security.


    However, Vice Chancellor KMU Doctor Zia ul Haq told Geo that the paper leaked post-exam, not during the exam. He stressed that the document is public property after the exam. A picture captured with the backdrop of a bedsheet also hints towards the conduction of the exam being transparent.

  • Azam Khan fined for putting Palestinian flag on bat

    Azam Khan fined for putting Palestinian flag on bat

    Fiery batsmam Azam Khan has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee in the National T20 tournament, being played in Karachi, for putting a sticker of the Palestinian flag on his bat, Faizan Lakhani has reported for Geo.

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sources have said that Azam Khan was fined for using an unapproved logo or political messaging, namely the flag, thus breaching the clothing and equipment regulation that International Cricket Council (ICC) and PCB follow.

    Azam, playing for Karachi Whites against Lahore Blues, had put up 35 on the scoreboard when he was summoned by Mohammad Javed, the match referee. Azam was warned before the match not to display the sticker but he replied that sticker was present on all his bats.

    Under the PCB’s Code of Conduct, players cannot place unapproved stickers on kits or equipment, and players cannot display religious or political message stickers during matches.

    Azam Khan has played with the flag of Palestine on the bat in two matches before this one.

  • ‘Insensitive’: Waqar Zaka slams Nida Yasir’s claim he tried to sabotage her show

    ‘Insensitive’: Waqar Zaka slams Nida Yasir’s claim he tried to sabotage her show

    Television presenter and cryptocurrency expert Waqar Zaka fired back at actress and morning show host Nida Yasir over her claims that he tried to sabotage her show. In a video statement posted on his social media accounts, Waqar revealed he had complained about Nida’s conduct of hosting morning shows when she invited the parents of a deceased girl who was raped and then murdered. The show was subjected to intense controversy as Nida made the parents cry by asking them invasive and hurtful questions, which caused outrage.

    Waqar said that Nida claimed the parents had themselves requested to be invited on the show in order to gain media support to grant their daughter justice. However, he refuted these claims by sharing the video of an activist interviewing the parents, who revealed they were invited by Nida, rather than the other way round.

    Waqar debunked another claim made by Nida on her show, where she claimed the family had filed an FIR after their appearance. But as Waqar shared in the clip, the activist spoke with the victim’s parents who revealed they had filed it before making their appearance on the morning show.

    Waqar shared that these revelations had created an outrage on social media, which is when in 2020 he had encouraged his followers to file a report with PEMRA, and to message Salman Iqbal, the CEO of ARY, to remove Nida as a host.

    “It is insensitive how Nida exploited a case like this for the sake of getting ratings, and lied so much that she couldn’t even apologise after getting caught later,” said Waqar. “And also remember: a host is always aware of what goes on during the show. If the host approves something, then it appears on the show.”

    Waqar further added it’s time all the elderly hosts sitting on their morning shows should now consider letting go, and giving other young people a chance. He added Nida should host a contest to see who could replace her, and revealed he had complained to Salman Iqbal that other women should be given a platform because Nida was no ‘Oprah’ and nor did she hold any philosophy in her life.

    On Saturday, Nida made headlines when as a guest on Geo’s ‘Hasna Mana Hai’, she revealed Waqar Zaka had tried to sabotage her morning show as well as her career. She added the two were on good terms during the time he worked with the channel, but his demeanour changed when he left.

    “When Waqar left ARY, he started sending emails to the channel’s management, urging them to remove me from my morning show,” she confessed.

  • Former Attorney General Shah Khawar appointed Chief Election Commissioner of PCB

    Former Attorney General Shah Khawar appointed Chief Election Commissioner of PCB

    Former Attorney General and Supreme Court lawyer Shah Khawar Advocate has been appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    According to the announcement issued by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, Shah Khawar has been appointed Chief Election Commissioner of PCB for 3 months on a monthly salary of 10 lakh rupees.

    According to the announcement, Shah Khawar has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the PCB elections before 4th February 2024.

    It should be noted that the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board are currently being looked after by the Chairman of the Interim Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, whose term was extended by caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar this month.

  • Anti-smog crackdown intensifies: Rs129 million fines issued to violators

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has been apprised through a comprehensive report detailing the robust measures taken by the Punjab government to address the smog issue. The report highlights the imposition of fines totalling Rs129 million on violators as a strong deterrent against activities contributing to air pollution.

    The report outlines that 6,700 units were sealed for violating smog-related restrictions. Over a three-month period, authorities inspected approximately 60,000 small and large units, resulting in the closure of more than 6,700 units due to violations.

    During this crackdown, 540 cases were registered against those contributing to smog, leading to the arrest of 118 individuals.

    The report highlights the sealing of 735 smoke-emitting factories in the Lahore division and the closure of 187 brick kilns during the smog control initiative.

    Fines amounting to Rs8.6 million were imposed for burning crop residue, and 216 cases were registered against those setting fire to crop stubble.

    Despite these efforts, the air quality index (AQI) of Lahore, initially recorded at a hazardous level of 371 in the morning, later dropped to around 211 in the afternoon. This shift caused Lahore to fall to the third position on the list of the world’s most polluted cities, a noteworthy change from its consistent first and second positions in recent months due to high levels of air pollution.

    Specifically, Polo Ground Cantt and Phase 8 DHA were identified as the most polluted areas within the city, with AQIs of 291 and 259, respectively.

  • Tim Hortons to open soon in DHA Phase 2, Islamabad

    Due to overwhelming support from Lahoris, Tim Hortons is set to open soon in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase 2, Islamabad. 

    The construction of the Tim Hortons building is currently underway and appears to be mostly finished. 

    Anticipated to draw considerable attention from residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the introduction of this renowned Canadian coffee chain to DHA Islamabad is expected to attract a substantial crowd. 

    The peaceful reputation of DHA Islamabad contrasts with the potential influx of visitors, especially from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. 

    The ability of DHA to manage this increased activity, particularly in the initial days, remains to be seen. 

    Unlike DHA Lahore, which has numerous entry points, DHA Islamabad has limited gates, posing a potential challenge. 

    The upcoming days will reveal how residents of the twin cities respond to this new addition.

  • Pakistan forms new body led my three-star military general to expand tax base

    Pakistan forms new body led my three-star military general to expand tax base

    The government has established a new committee, led by a three-star military general, to oversee data integration efforts aimed at expanding the tax base.

    This move precedes the imminent arrival of a technical mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), tasked with assessing Pakistan’s tax system.

    Lieutenant General Muhammad Munir Afsar Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), will head the technical committee, as notified by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

    The newly formed committee will devise proposals for data integration to expand the tax base and formulate an IT infrastructure transformation plan.

    The eight-member committee, consisting of three senior FBR members, has been tasked with crafting a comprehensive plan for data integration. Their primary objective is to significantly increase the number of income tax return filers, aiming to elevate last year’s count of 4.9 million to 6.5 million within the next eight months, as outlined in an official notification.

    As reported by Express Tribune, Pakistan has shared an FBR restructuring plan with the IMF, outlining the integration of 145 entities into the FBR network to expand the tax base. However, the Prime Minister has withheld approval, instructing further refinement to address ambiguities and contradictions in the proposed restructuring plan.

    This strategic initiative aligns with the impending visit of an IMF technical mission to Pakistan, scheduled to commence next week.

    The mission will conduct a thorough review of the country’s tax laws and FBR’s administrative structure, ultimately delivering recommendations within two months. These suggestions may serve as a foundation for the upcoming IMF program.

  • Karachi: Fire in multi-storey mall leaves 10 dead and 22 injured

    Karachi: Fire in multi-storey mall leaves 10 dead and 22 injured

    A fire broke out in Karachi’s RJ shopping mall on Rashid Minhas road, causing the death of 10 people so far. The incident took place early on Saturday.


    Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has confirmed the number of casualties and injured, taking to his X (formerly Twitter) account. He also confirmed that the fire has been extinguished, while the cooling process is underway.


    A statement from the Fire and Rescue spokesperson said they were alerted about the incident at 6:30am, after which eight fire tenders, two snorkels and two bowsers were sent to the location.


    Earlier, police surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that nine bodies have been brought to hospitals — eight at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and one at Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK). Wahab said one was also brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.


    She further said that an 18-year-old was currently admitted at CHK.


    District East Deputy Commissioner (DC) Altaf Shaikh, who was personally supervising the rescue operation, said 30 others, including the wounded, were rescued, reported Dawn.


    Experts say around 12,000 to 15,000 people die in hundreds of fire incidents in the country every year. More than 90% of the industries, residential buildings, and structures in Karachi, which is the largest industrial hub of Pakistan, lacked fire safety arrangements as building codes were not being implemented by the authorities concerned, Geo reported citing experts.

  • CDA to receive 30 Chinese electric buses for Islamabad in January 

    CDA to receive 30 Chinese electric buses for Islamabad in January 

    The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has initiated a transformative move by securing 160 electric buses from China.

    The procurement plan involves the delivery of 30 buses in January, followed by two additional fleets arriving in February and March.

    CDA Chairman Anwarul Haq on Friday chaired a meeting to receive an update on the import of buses, as per sources from Dawn. The chairman directed the concerned wing to expedite the process, ensuring the timely arrival of all buses.

    Commencing in January, the first batch of 30 electric buses is set to play on 13 new routes across the capital city. This strategic deployment is a step towards enhancing sustainable and eco-friendly public transportation.

    The National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) has been entrusted with the pivotal role of managing the operation of the buses on the designated 13 routes.

    Under this arrangement, the CDA will be providing financial support to the NRTC, with a reimbursement ranging from Rs306 to Rs331 for every kilometre covered by the electric buses.

    To streamline the operation of these buses, the CDA is planning the construction of a dedicated depot at Zero Point, situated along the Srinagar Highway towards the H-8 side.

    The planning wing of the CDA has already designated a specific piece of land for the construction of this essential facility.