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  • Afghan women protest beauty parlour ban, Taliban hit protestors with tasers

    Afghan women protest beauty parlour ban, Taliban hit protestors with tasers

    In a rare occurrence, Afghan women took to the streets in Kabul to protest another draconian law imposed on the demographic by the ruling Taliban. Earlier this month, the Taliban banned women’s beauty parlours in Afghanistan, another decisive step in slashing women’s rights in the country. 

    Women shouted “work, bread and justice” while they were gathered in the capital city, Kabul. Around 50 women took part in the protest on Wednesday, BBC reports. Security forces dispersed the demonstration by using fire hoses, tasers, and shooting their guns into the air. Some protestors told Al-Jazeera that stun guns were also used against them.

    The Taliban have given beauty parlours one month from the 2nd of July to shut down operations completely, and the order has been sent across the country. According to BBC, they said the wearing of wigs and the practice of eyebrow-plucking were against Islamic values, further stating that beauty parlours are a ‘waste of money’ when couples are getting married. 

    The closure of all beauty salons will lead to the loss of 60,000 jobs, Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce said. 

    Women’s rights and access to public spaces have been systematically struck down since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Afghan women were already barred from attending secondary school and college, from entering gyms or parks, and now they are unable to continue their predominantly female-run beauty parlour businesses.

    The Taliban continue to impose restrictions on women, despite widespread international condemnation. They have prohibited women from working for the United Nations (UN), in spite of the UN having a commission in Kabul.

    There have been minor sporadic protests against measures introduced by the Taliban, but any form of dissent is being crushed, BBC reports.

  • Islamabad High Court deems super-tax on high-income businesses unconstitutional

    Islamabad High Court deems super-tax on high-income businesses unconstitutional

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has invalidated the imposition of a super-tax on high-income businesses, ruling it as unconstitutional. Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan delivered the verdict on Thursday after a reserved decision. The court declared all notices of demand and recovery associated with the controversial tax null and void, providing relief to the affected businesses.

    Furthermore, the court struck down Section 4C of the Income Tax Ordinance, effectively negating the legal basis for the super-tax. The petitioners, who challenged the validity of this tax, were represented by prominent legal counsel, including Salman Akram Raja and Adnan Haider Randhawa, among others. They argued that the imposition of such a tax was unjust and detrimental to the growth of high-income businesses.

    The origin of this tax can be traced back to the budget speech of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, wherein he announced the implementation of the super tax last month. Initially, the tax was proposed to be levied on individuals earning Rs500 million annually or more, but the conditions were later relaxed from the original proposal, which targeted those earning Rs300 million per annum.

    It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had previously approved the imposition of the super-tax, setting it at 4 per cent for all industries in February. The government had initially imposed a 10 per cent rate for some industries and 4 per cent for others.

    While the Lahore High Court also approved the tax, it added a caveat that the rules did not allow a tax rate higher than 4 per cent. However, the recent ruling by the Islamabad High Court has effectively struck down the super-tax altogether, providing significant relief to high-income businesses affected by the proposed tax.

  • If you loved ‘Gunah’, here are some Pakistani crime-thrillers you should watch

    If you loved ‘Gunah’, here are some Pakistani crime-thrillers you should watch

    ‘Gunah’ was a long-awaited drama, hailed by critics and fans of Sarmad Khoosat alike. Featuring powerful performances by Saba Qamar, Rabia Butt and Juggun Kazim in her comeback debut, the series revolved around the sudden disappearance of Gul Noor (played by Kazzim), who leaves her two children and husband, the powerful landlord Malik Hayat Khan (played by Khoosat) in agony. To help him deal with his grief, his in-laws suggest he marry their younger daughter Gul Meher (played by Saba Qamar). But when a new SHO Sabiha (played by Rabia Butt) begins investigating the disappearance, the clues she picks up prove that there is a lot more to the story than what she has been told.

    As the drama ends today with the final episode airing on Express TV, we know how disappointed fans will be with one more spectacular television show coming to an end. But if your ‘Gunah’ nostalgia is going to hit a bit too hard, there have been some well-written crime-thriller dramas that you could rewatch this weekend. Here are some of our best recommendations.

    1. Jurm

    Starring the starry-eyed Wahaj Ali with Dur-e-Fishaan Saleem and Tooba Siddiqui in a supporting role, this is the kind of dark, chaotic drama that keeps you hooked through the twists and turns, and completely blows your mind away with the ending. The casting is absolutely well-chosen, with Wahaj playing the humble and warm-hearted husband Daniyal who is grieving the sudden kidnapping of his wife, but a twist later reveals he is not who he appears to be. What more do you need to pull you in to watching the drama than the fact that it was directed by Mehreen Jabbar, who was behind ‘Daam’ and ‘Jackson Heights’?

    1. Ye Dil Mera

    If you are chronically online then you must have seen on several occasions how this drama was consistently mentioned as the rare, few occasions the Pakistani entertainment industry managed to hit it out of the park. We have to agree with Twitter that its true, this drama lives up to its hype with a gripping storyline, as well as powerful performances by Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir. Sajal stars as Aina, the sheltered daughter of an industrialist who bags a coveted internship with Aman-Ullah Khan. As the two grow closer together, the trauma Aman suffered in his childhood and its link to someone special in Aina’s life threatens to tear apart their relationship.

    1. Cheekh

    If you’re not over Saba Qamar’s dizzying, seductive performance in ‘Gunah’ then we can’t blame you because neither are we. She could walk in a room dressed as a sack and will manage to outshine everyone. If you’re looking for more of her capitivating performances, then we recommend you watch ‘Cheekh’ starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Emmad Irfani and Ushna Shah. After the brutal murder and rape of her closest friend, Mannat (played by Qamar) pursues the murderer through court and explores the struggles she must overcome to ensure her friend is given justice.

  • ‘Put my abbu’s life in danger’: Bilal Maqsood slams fake social media accounts of Anwar Maqsood

    ‘Put my abbu’s life in danger’: Bilal Maqsood slams fake social media accounts of Anwar Maqsood

    Former ‘String’s singer Bilal Maqsood had taken to Twitter today to slam users for making social media accounts of his father, veteran playwright and host Anwar Maqsood. He requested his followers to block such accounts as they could put his father’s life in danger.

    “These kinds of fake tweets only put my Abbu’s life in danger. This guy has already blocked me. Please can you all report this account. Abbu does not post anything on social media. His actual account has only 3 posts. We made that account so we can report all the fake ones.”

    The celebrated screenwriter had clarified in 2020 with a video to prove that he only had one Twitter account.

    “My name is Anwar Maqsood and because of circumstances, I had to make this video to tell you that this is my official Twitter account,” he was seen saying in the video.

  • List of illegal, unrecognised universities across Pakistan made public

    List of illegal, unrecognised universities across Pakistan made public

    The Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan recently released a list of illegal and ‘fake’ campuses of universities and higher education institutions across the country. According to the HEC, degrees obtained from these institutions will not be recognised by the commission. To ensure students across the country obtain valid degrees, the HEC has urged students to avoid seeking admission to these institutions.

    Colleges on the list range from local sounding institutions (for instance, the Quaid-e-Azam College of Information Technology), while others seem to present themselves as branches of international universities, such as the American University of London. Though funnily enough, no such university actually exists in London.

    The HEC is responsible for recognising degrees from both private and public chartered universities and higher education institutions in Pakistan. HEC also extends recognition to affiliated campuses. 

    The general public are advised to exercise caution and refrain from enrolling in any fake, illegal, or unrecognised universities/colleges. The HEC has published, and regularly updates, its list of accredited institutions, so if the institution you are enrolling for is not mentioned on the website, you will likely acquire an invalid degree by the end of it. 

    View the entire list of illegal universities and colleges on HEC’s website.

  • New record: Naila Kayani scales all five ‘8,000 m’ peaks in Pakistan

    New record: Naila Kayani scales all five ‘8,000 m’ peaks in Pakistan

    Naila Kayani, a female mountaineer from Pakistan, has successfully climbed all five of Pakistan’s ‘8000 m’ peaks. She successfully summited the 12th highest peak in the world, Broad Peak, today [Thursday].

    After successfully climbing the 8,051 meters high Broad Peak today, Kayani has become the first Pakistani woman to achieve this feat.

    Naila Kayani hails from a conservative family in the Gujar Khan area of Rawalpindi, Punjab. She studied Aerospace Engineering in the UK and worked in the field before pursuing her passion for mountaineering.

    In addition to climbing all five ‘8000 m’ peaks in Pakistan, Naila Kayani has also summited Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Annapurna, among other impressive accomplishments.

    She is the first Pakistani woman to summit Nanga Parbat, Lhotse, Annapurna, and Gasherbrum Two, and the second Pakistani woman to climb Everest. Furthermore, she is the first Pakistani woman to summit eight of the 14 peaks that are over 8,000 meters in height.

    Her achievements have not gone unrecognised — she was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for climbing Mount Everest, and later received an award from President Dr Arif Alvi in December 2021 for her remarkable accomplishments in mountaineering.

  • Amir Khan going to therapy to ‘stop sexting women’ apologises to wife

    Amir Khan going to therapy to ‘stop sexting women’ apologises to wife

    Former world champion boxer, Amir Khan, has publicly apologised to his wife, Faryal Makhdoom, for being involved in a sexting scandal with another woman. Khan expressed remorse for his actions and has vowed to seek therapy to address the ‘mental issues’ that led to his infidelity.


    The scandal came to light two weeks ago when reports surfaced of Amir Khan engaging in explicit conversations with a bridal model, Sumaira, including requests for provocative pictures and attempts to arrange a meeting. Faryal confronted him about the revelations, emphasising the impact his actions have had on their family.


    In response, Amir Khan has taken full responsibility for his wrongdoing and acknowledged the hurt he has caused his wife. He expressed a willingness to attend therapy sessions if it would help rebuild trust and address the underlying issues in their relationship.


    Recognising the importance of mental health support, Khan emphasised that seeking therapy could be beneficial, particularly in addressing the challenges of maintaining a healthy relationship in the public eye.


    “I think nowadays with mental health issues, any help goes a long way. It’s definitely something I would do. Things like that do help, so maybe it’s something to think about,” said Khan.


    During their holidays in Mykonos, Khan and Faryal took time to reflect on their relationship and the consequences of his actions.

  • Sona, sona, dil mera sona: Firdous Apa says she got 200 tolas of gold on her wedding

    Sona, sona, dil mera sona: Firdous Apa says she got 200 tolas of gold on her wedding

    Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Central Information Secretary of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), revealed that she received 200 tolas of gold on her wedding.

    Firdous Ashiq Awan’s revelation in an interview is going viral on social media, in which she admitted to the host’s question that she had received 200 tola gold at the time of marriage.

    Now the price of 200 tolas of gold is 4 crore, 49 lacs, and 20 thousand rupees in Pakistan.

    Firdous Ashiq Awan also said that these are our traditions. “We also gave gold bracelets to the buffaloes given to my sister at her wedding,” she added.

  • Melting glacier causes Indus to stop flowing, locals and infrastructure at risk

    Melting glacier causes Indus to stop flowing, locals and infrastructure at risk

    The Indus River has stopped flowing due to the melting of a glacier, which has emerged as an eminent threat to the surrounding population in Diamer district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

    There is a fear of damage to the adjacent population due to the hold in water flow of the Indus River, reported Geo News. The rising water level has started touching the Labcher Bridge that could result in damaging the structure.

    Following the water blockage in Indus, the Raikot Mathath drain has also flooded and the drain water has entered the water channel of the Raikot Power House [Raikot is a village situated along the Indus River].

    Flooding in the drain has further caused a power outage in Gonar farm and Goharabad areas. Furthermore, a house and crops were also damaged.

  • Can you take your kids with you to watch Barbie and Oppenheimer?

    Can you take your kids with you to watch Barbie and Oppenheimer?

    Warning: Spoilers

    Happy Barbenheimer Eve!

    The showdown of the decade begins tomorrow: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie versus Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. The anticipation is mounting as fans of both Nolan and Gerwig are placing bets on which film will dominate the box office and acquire cult status for the years to come. Critics are already praising the performances by Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy by declaring them Oscar-worthy.

    But in the midst of all this excitement, a lot of people have been questioning if both films are age appropriate for family members to attend, and what essential things should they know before watching the films.

    Regarding Barbie, the Motion Picture Association Grant has granted it a “PG-13” rating, citing “suggestive references and brief language”. This remark alludes to the heavy themes the film will be exploring as shown by the trailer how Barbie deals with an existentialist crisis and begins to doubt the way she had known the world.

    Another things parents can look out for is that there will some explicit language used in the film, like People magazine reports that there are some curse words used in the film like “b**” or “crap” and there is a sexually explicit line delivered by Kate Mckinnon when she makes a comment about Ryan Gosling’s character Ken: ” “I’d like to see what smooth blob he’s packing in those shorts.” So if your kids are below the ages of 15, children are not recommended to watch Barbie.

    Coming to Oppenheimer, we would recommend you not to take your children under 18 to watch the film, as it has received an R rating due to nudity, explicit language as well as sex scenes between Florence Pugh and Cillian Murphy.