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  • ‘It is over, I want good relations especially with the US’: Khan on his removal

    ‘It is over, I want good relations especially with the US’: Khan on his removal

    Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has said that he no longer “blames the United States (US)” for engineering the Vote of No Confidence that resulted in his government’s ouster, and wants “dignified” ties with the country if he comes back to power.

    Referring to the alleged conspiracy which the former Prime Minister has insisted upon since April of this year, Khan said that “it was over”, in an interview with the Financial Times.

    “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over; it’s behind me. The Pakistan I want to lead must have good relationships with everyone, especially the United States,” he said.

    “Our relationship with the US has been as of a master-servant relationship, or a master-slave relationship, and we’ve been used like a hired gun. But for that I blame my own governments more than the US,” the former premier added.

    The former prime minister also termed his visit to Moscow on the eve of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia as “embarrassing”. He, however, added that trip was organised months in advance.

    About the role of the military, he said the army could play a “constructive role” in his future plans for Pakistan.

    The former premier asserted that there should “be a balance” in civil-military ties as “you cannot have an elected government which has responsibility given by the people, while the authority lies somewhere else”.

  • Former PCB medical chief criticises medical panel for putting Shaheen Afridi’s career at risk

    Former PCB medical chief criticises medical panel for putting Shaheen Afridi’s career at risk

    At the MCG, England defeated Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 final match, however Pakistan put up a good fight despite scoring a low score. They strongly desired that their top pacer Shaheen Afridi bowl his entire allotment, but this did not happen and it became a subject of debate after the final.

    Afridi was spotted in severe pain when he injured his knee while attempting a running catch to knock Harry Brook.

    Shaheen returned to bowl after the impact, but he was only able to produce one delivery, which was far from his best effort.

    The fast bowler entered the World Cup after undergoing an expedited recovery from a knee ligament injury he sustained in July. Experts in medicine say that if he experiences another fright during the final, his career, at the age of only 22, may be in jeopardy.

    “If the injury doesn’t result in more injuries, it would take Shaheen three to four months to recover,” former Pakistan Cricket Board chief medical officer Dr Sohail Salim told Dawn.

    “If the PCB’s medical board chooses to treat it through surgery, Shaheen will be out for six, seven months.”

    In any case, Shaheen’s expected absence from two major upcoming home Test series versus England and New Zealand, according to Sohail, raises concerns about the effectiveness of the PCB’s existing medical team.

    “An inquiry should be held to determine if the PCB medical panel went wrong in their approach to treat Shaheen’s injury,” said Sohail.

    Shaheen may become available again soon, however, Sarfraz Nawaz, a former fast bowler for Pakistan, regretted the PCB’s selection of the pacer for the World Cup team despite the fact that he had not had any match practise beforehand.

    “You have put him in directly in the high-profile World Cup without him playing any match since July,” Sarfraz told Dawn.

    “His fitness could have been better judged if he played a game before the World Cup and he shouldn’t have been selected without proving it.”

    Sarfraz believed the tri-series in New Zealand ahead of the T20 showpiece was a good chance to test Shaheen.

  • Pressure the govt to release Joyland: here is how to do it

    Pressure the govt to release Joyland: here is how to do it

    The government of Pakistan has stopped the release of Saim Sadiq’s Oscar contender “Joyland” for containing “highly objectionable” material.
    An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says that the country’s censor board had granted a censor certificate to the film on Aug. 17. But it has since reversed the decision.


    “Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979,” the order states. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
    The ban has caused outrage on social media with citizens denouncing the decision.


    Actor Nadia Jamil has shared things we can do to put pressure on the government to help Joyland:


    Use the hashtag #releasejoyland on Twitter every time you tweet about the film.


    Tag the following accounts on Twitter every time you post: @MoIB_official (ministry of information and broadcasting) @marriyum_A (Marriyum Aurangzeb)

    Call Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and demand that they stand up to pressure from people looking to malign the film. 051 9103557 9211800 9213649.

  • SSGC cuts gas supply to industries in Karachi to facilitate domestic customers

    SSGC cuts gas supply to industries in Karachi to facilitate domestic customers

    Owing to the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited’s (SSGC) decision to stop supplying gas to several industries throughout the city, the gas crisis in Karachi appears to have gotten worse.

    “In adherence to the Ministry of Energy (Petroleum Division) gas load management plan, that places domestic and commercial customers on top of the priority list, it has been decided to suspend gas supply to all general industries from November 15 to February 28, 2023,” a statement issued by the gas company read.

    The decision, according to the statement, is intended to accommodate the rising demand from domestic customers in Sindh and Balochistan.

    It should be remembered that due to a gas shortage, all CNG stations in Sindh have already been closed for two and a half months.

    According to Geo, the SSGC delivered notices last week that gas will be shut off for more than three months over the winter to the city’s industries, but they rejected the notices, claiming that gas interruptions would result in large layoffs and the closing of firms.

    “The industries are in a state of shock to receive SSGCL’s notices of gas closure starting from November 15, 2022, to February 28, 2023,” according to Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

    “The gas closures can not be proved good for the economy, especially this year, as no special arrangements have been made by the government to purchase RLNG to inject in the system.”

    The committee, established by KCCI, stated that it expected the government to take the proper steps to ensure gas supply to the city’s industries rather than completely cutting off gas, which would cause a significant drop in exports and revenue, the closure of industries, and job losses.

    The committee had suggested to the government that the gas supply be shut off every 12 hours for two days each week during the winter.

  • Sharing dreams not grounds enough for blasphemy: LHC

    Sharing dreams not grounds enough for blasphemy: LHC

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has said that the law can not prosecute anyone on the basis of them sharing something they saw in their dream, reports Dawn.


    The Honourable Court was hearing a case pertaining to a first information report (FIR) filed by the Saddar Police Station of Mianwali against a petitioner in accordance with Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The petition was declared invalid by Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh.
    The complaint was filed by an ex-member of the Mianwali district council in August 2021. He said that in his dreams, the petitioner saw Allah and several of the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) companions as well as being able to fly.

    “The complainant further alleged that the petitioner had made similar statements before a crowd where two prosecution witnesses were also present. He claimed that such propagation hurt the community’s religious feelings and was likely to incite violence,” the petition alleged.


    A petitioner’s attorney claimed that the first information report (FIR) was politically motivated and dishonest. The only specific allegation against the petitioner was that he told a group of people about his dreams and claimed to have seen God and certain holy personages. “Such narration is not an offence under Section 295-A PPC,” the counsel added.
    “We find that the offence under section 295-A PPC is not made out”, said Justice Sheikh before discussing the merits of the case.
    “There is no evidence to suggest that the petitioner intended to offend or harm the religious sensibilities of the complainant or any other person with his statements,” the judge maintained.

  • Blockbuster reunion: Farhan Saeed, Iqra Aziz set to romance in Hashim Nadeem’s ‘Mannat Murad’

    Blockbuster reunion: Farhan Saeed, Iqra Aziz set to romance in Hashim Nadeem’s ‘Mannat Murad’

     Actor Iqra Aziz recently grabbed headlines for refusing to work with Feroze Khan amid his domestic violence case. The talented artist opted out of Sanwal Yaar Piya co-starring Feroze and Imran Ashraf.

    Syed Wajahat Hussain, the director of Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3, has now roped in Iqra for another project. The new drama is titled Mannat Murad, written by Nadia Akhtar.

    Aziz’s Suno Chanda co-star Farhan Saeed will play the male lead in the show. It is a Ramadan play that will be created for the next year under the production of ‘7th Sky Entertainment’.

    Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed Making A Comeback After Suno Chanda

    As soon as the news came out, netizens started pouring in comments for the couple.

    Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed Making A Comeback After Suno Chanda
    Iqra Aziz and Farhan Saeed Making A Comeback After Suno Chanda

    Aziz is also working on another project for Express Entertainment which will be directed by her husband Yasir Hussain.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FmBEJ1J8CU&t=24s
  • Govt to spend Rs40 billion to uplift 20 backward districts

    Govt to spend Rs40 billion to uplift 20 backward districts

    In order to initiate rehabilitation projects across 20 backward and underprivileged districts over the course of 60 months in four provinces, the Ministry of Planning has announced a special development project worth Rs40 billion.

    The federal and provincial governments are expected to split the project’s estimated cost 50:50. The project has received approval from the Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal-led Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

    According to DAWN, the project has already been given a budget of Rs18 billion for PSDP 2022–23. Eleven districts from Balochistan, five from Sindh, three from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one from Punjab are among the 20 districts that were chosen based on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) ratings. The recent flood calamity, notably in Balochistan and Sindh, has severely damaged many of these districts.

    Sherani, Kohlu, Jhal Magsi, Barkhan, Killa Abdullah, Zhob, Musakhel, Dera Bugti, Jaffarabad, Ziarat, and Killa Saifullah are among the 11 districts in Balochistan. Sujawal, Thatta, Tharparkar, Kashmore, and Badin are five in Sindh; Torghar, Shangla, and North Waziristan are three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and Rajanpur is one district in Punjab.

    The tentative interventions in these districts will be in the areas of connectivity via roads, access to broadband services and the internet, solarization of off-grid areas, establishment of LPG terminals, development of the agri-livestock and mineral value-chain, tunnel framing, dairy farming, fish farming, etc., establishment of common border markets, investments in skill development, and student scholarships.

    Additionally, the provincial and federal governments will choose sub-projects based on a thorough analysis of the requirements of the marginalised population in their respective regions. These initiatives will be approved by the relevant federal and provincial forums. Steering committees at the federal and provincial levels will oversee the sub-projects.

    “This is the first of its kind project in the economic history of Pakistan where the federal government is undertaking a national intervention to uplift the poorest districts and address the disparity in economic development,” said the planning minister in a statement released on Saturday.

    With the assistance of the UNDP, the MPI survey was finished in 2017–18, allowing for the first time ever to map poverty at the district level nationwide.

    Through targeted investments in infrastructure and the development of human capital in the nation’s poorest regions, the project’s principal goal is to promote inclusive growth and equitable development. One of the main cornerstones of the proposal is investments in human capital development, especially for young people and women.

    According to Pakistan’s MPI estimation for 2017–18, 38.3 percent of Pakistan’s population (87,089,000 people in 2020) will be multidimensionally poor, and a further 12.9 percent will be vulnerable to multidimensional poverty (29,353,000 people in 2020).

    The initiative seeks to significantly contribute to eliminating regional inequality and enhancing national integration and peace in the nation in line with Pakistan Vision 2025 and the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Youth Development Program, which the project is a part of, was introduced last month.

  • ‘Couldn’t be more proud of my pack’: Twitter all praise for team Pakistan

    ‘Couldn’t be more proud of my pack’: Twitter all praise for team Pakistan

    Pakistan lost to England in the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after posting up a low total. England chased down Pakistan’s 137-8 with five wickets in hand and six balls to spare.

    But despite the heartbreak, much support has been extended to the Pakistani team.

    Babar Azam, the captain of Team Pakistan, tweeted, “Couldn’t be more proud of my pack.”

    We saw Twitterati praise the spectacular game played by our boys in green.

  • Pakistan’s ‘true warriors’

    Pakistan’s ‘true warriors’

    Khan called his winning ‘92 World Cup team, the ‘cornered tigers’. For Babar, the team that came so very close are the ‘true warriors’. And we couldn’t agree more. Pakistan lost the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup today to England after only scoring 137 runs, a low total but one that was not easily defended by the English batters. Pakistani batters may have struggled but our bowlers made even a low total like 137 difficult to score for the English team despite England’s strong batting lineup. It was bad luck for Pakistan in many ways. Not only were we 20 runs short but the way Stokes had nine lives (or more) and Shaheen Afridi’s injury just before his two crucial overs at the end made the loss even more heartbreaking for our Boys in Green who went all-out to win the final at the MCG today.

    It was indeed a heartbreaking moment for Pakistanis across the world as we came quite close to lifting the trophy but at the same time, we should celebrate the fact that we reached the final despite all odds and performed brilliantly. Our batting strategy leaves much to be desired, especially when it comes to difficult pitches. On the bowling front, from Haris Rauf to Naseem to Shadab to Shaheen Afridi, our bowlers put in their hearts to win the game. Alas, we couldn’t but our players did all they could.


    The way that Pakistan managed to reach the semi-finals when they had been written off clearly shows that our boys have what it takes to be a world-class team. In today’s game, we lost a toss that went in England’s favour. A World Cup final also comes with its pressure but our team did not show any jitters and were ready to defend a small total. Our batters did not perform as well as they could have and hit unnecessary shots to lose wickets when we shouldn’t have. To rely solely on the bowlers without giving them a defendable total may have been a bit much to ask but our bowlers did not disappoint and played splendidly well. They tried their best and got early wickets but luck favoured the English today. Known for playing a clinical game, the English seemed worried when our bowlers hit the right line and length.


    England was always going to be a tough team to play against given their performance throughout the tournament. And England did not disappoint. They bowled well and restricted Pakistan to a small total. But we can say that the best team — Pakistan — outperformed in the end. Even then, Babar Azam’s Playing XI has made the entire nation proud for playing almost till the last over. Pakistan cricket united the country in cheering for our cricket team at a time when we need unity the most.

  • Shadab Khan is ‘sorry’ for letting Pakistanis down, says will ‘come back even stronger’

    Shadab Khan is ‘sorry’ for letting Pakistanis down, says will ‘come back even stronger’

    Pakistan lost to England in the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after posting up a meagre total.
    England chased down Pakistan’s 137-8 with five wickets in hand and six balls to spare.


    The defeat has left many Pakistanis heartbroken, who were looking for a replay of the 1992 final. Soon after the match ended, Pakistani fast bowler Shadab Khan took to twitter to apologise to Pakistanis.

    “Thank you to all the fans of Pakistan for your constant support. We gave it our all but couldn’t win the trophy for you. Sorry to let you down. We will try to improve as a team and come back even stronger. Never stop believing, your belief makes us stronger,” the 24-year- old bowler wrote in the tweet.

    Pakistani Skipper Babar Azam offered congratulations to the English side in the post- match ceremony. “Congratulations to the England team, we felt like everyone came here to support us, thank you so much,” said Azam, addressing fans.


    “The way the team has gone in the last four matches [was] incredible. I told the boys to play their natural game, with freedom.

    “We were 20 runs short [in the final] but to fight to the last over was unbelievable. Our bowling is one of the best but unfortunately Shaheen’s injury cost us a different result, but that’s part of the game,” he concluded.