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  • Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    Friendship ended with PPP? PDM removes party leaders from WhatsApp group

    A day after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) finally broke silence on backstabbing allegations, expressed its reservations and later resigned from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) along with Awami National Party (ANP), members of the parties have reportedly been removed from a WhatsApp group of the anti-government alliance.

    According to sources, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Saeed Ghani and Mian Iftikhar were removed from the WhatsApp group of the joint opposition’s steering committee.

    This came as PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the PPP and ANP to reconsider their decision of resigning from the alliance.

    Addressing a press conference after chairing an important meeting of the PDM in Islamabad after resignations from PPP and ANP, Fazl said both the parties still had time to reconsider their decision and contact the PDM.

    The PDM chief said PDM was an alliance of 11 parties and decisions were made with the consensus.

    “If any party is found violating the consensus then it must be made answerable,” he said while explaining the show-cause notices to PPP and ANP, which became the latest bone of contention after Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination and election as Senate opposition leader.

    Both the parties had the opportunity to summon PDM meeting to give an explanation on the matter, but they decided to part ways with the alliance, Fazl maintained.

  • Wheat production will break all records this year: experts

    Wheat production will break all records this year: experts

    Pakistan will likely experience an upsurge in wheat production this year as experts are giving projections on the surplus of wheat, media reported.

    A media organisation conducted surveys that say that Pakistan will produce over 28.75 million tons of wheat in 2021. This yield will break the record of 2016-17 when Pakistan produced 26.67 million tons.

    Over the last two years, Pakistan had to import two million tons of wheat to cater for the shortage caused by low harvest. If the projections come true, it will eliminate the need for any imports.

    On the contrary, the Federal Committee on agriculture predicted that the production would remain at 26.04 million tons while showing an increase of 1.7 per cent. The committee gave these estimations while reviewing the performance of Rabi Crops in(2020/21). But the farmers are more optimistic about harvesting a greater output of wheat in the 2020/21 season.

    According to the Punjab Agriculture Department, the production of crops on the provincial level had jumped around 600,000 tons.

    The news report quoted the Chairman of the Agri-Forum Pakistan, Ibrahim Mughal, as saying, “We have never heard so consistently about 40-45 maunds per acre yield by so many growers this year”.

    A conducive temperature when the crop was sown has resulted in favourable prospects for high output. “Safely, we may see at least 1.5 million tons of more production than the initial estimates,” he said.

  • Richa Chadha’s ‘Madam Chief Minister’ is ambitious

    Richa Chadha’s ‘Madam Chief Minister’ is ambitious

    After the success of Sacred Games and Mirzapur, political and crime thrillers set in the corridors of power have become a thing in Bollywood. Indian politics has a history of being mired in plenty of controversy, drama and action and provides ample inspiration for gripping political dramas – one that will keep audiences engaged throughout the runtime.

    Madam Chief Minister featuring Richa Chaddha in the lead is the latest political drama to come out of Bollywood and while it may not be able to match the class and finesse of Raajneeti or Tandav, it follows closely behind and is an entertaining watch, though a little devoid of logic at places.

    Set in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madam Chief Minister follows an ambitious, young Dalit woman Tara Roopram (Chaddha) and her journey to becoming the Chief Minister of India’s most populous province. However, it doesn’t stop there. The film also shows Tara as she manoeuvres the ‘kursi‘ battling misogynist and racist allies and opposition.

    According to reports in the Indian media, the plot of the film has been loosely inspired by the life and political career of Mayawati, India’s first Dalit chief minister. Dalits are a marginalised community and a Scheduled Caste in India and are considered to be ‘untouchables’. She was also the youngest chief minister in the history of UP and her rise in the world of politics was referred to as a “miracle of the democracy” by former Prime Minister PV Narsimha Rao. Other characters, including Tara’s mentor Master Surajbhan (Saurabh Shukla) have also been inspired by Maya’s close associates. Master Surajbhan’s character has purportedly been based on the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party Kanshi Ram. Nonetheless, creative liberty has been taken and Tara was given a husband, though Mayawati chose to remain unmarried.

    Mayawati with Sonia Gandhi

    While Chadda gave a solid performance as Tara and shouldered the role well, it was Manav Kaul, who shines as Danish Rehman Khan, Tara’s secretary and later husband. His performance, especially in the second half of the film was strong.

    Written and directed by Shubash Kapoor, Madam Chief Minister is ambitious given how the makers tried to squeeze a lot into just two hours. The writing was weak with too many jumps, leaving plenty to be desired. However, it was entertaining, gripping and feel-good – especially where seeing a woman shine in the male-dominated world of politics is concerned.

    On a parting note, the film doesn’t appear to have a very high budget which makes you wonder why Pakistan does not attempt to produce such thrillers. Not only are they entertaining but they also subtly pass messages and challenge societal norms.

    Madam Chief Minister is currently trending in the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan.

  • Bitcoin hits all-time high of $62,712 USD

    Bitcoin hits all-time high of $62,712 USD

    Bitcoin (BTC) has hit an all-time high of $62,712, according to analytics from CoinGecko. The price of one BTC is currently comfortable at $62,700.

    The flagship digital currency has been on an impressive journey, with its price increasing at a rate of almost 6 per cent in one week. The new all-time high (ATH) comes only a day after crypto evangelist and investor Coinbase went public yesterday.

    Crypto expert Jason Deanen who works at Quantum Economics, says that “Bitcoin has been testing the resistance levels for some weeks now, bouncing off each time but immediately coming back undeterred. Today’s ATH was inevitable as sheer market momentum, investor sentiment and accelerating rate of development act as primary drivers.”

    Other than BTC, most digital currencies in the crypto top 20 also experienced similar hikes. Ethereum is up 4.91%, Binance 43,65%, and Uniswap is up by 12.04%

    Bitcoin has again boosted investor sentiment amongst the community. Experts and traders are of the view that the BTC will climb even higher, perhaps as high as $400,000, with current trends looking bullish as ever.

    Antoni Trenchev, who is a Crypto investor and preacher, declared: “I do not doubt that this bull run is far from over.”

  • Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    Cop among three killed, over 100 arrested as Labbaik protesters resort to violence

    • Interior minister announces action against those breaking law; necessary measures to reopen roads, entry/exit points also ordered

    At least two protestors and a policeman were killed Tuesday in violent clashes between members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and police in Lahore early Tuesday morning, less than a day after police arrested party chief Saad Rizvi.

    According to reports, the policeman was killed in overnight clashes with the supporters of Rizvi, Lahore police chief Ghulam Mahmood Dogar said. Ten policemen were also wounded in these clashes in the Shahadra neighbourhood.

    Two members of the TLP were also reported dead in Punjab.

    As the protests spilled over into other cities on Tuesday, the police arrested more than 100 supporters of the party.

    The violence began late on Monday after police arrested Rizvi for threatening protests if the government did not expel the French ambassador, Marc Baréty, over blasphemous cartoons.

    According to Dogar, the arrest was aimed at maintaining law and order. But Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by Islamists in cities around the country. The protesters blocked highways and roads in several cities.

    The deadly clashes come two days after Rizvi in a statement asked the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan to “honour” a commitment it made in February to his party to expel Baréty before April 20.

    However, the government has said it only committed to discussing the matter in the National Assembly.

    The reaction from Rizvi’s supporters against his arrest was so swift that police in Lahore could not clear a main highway and roads. Thousands of people were stranded in their vehicles.

    Monday’s clashes initially erupted in Lahore. Rizvi’s supporters later clashed with police in Karachi and they continued rallying on the outskirts of Islamabad, disrupting traffic and inconveniencing residents.

    INTERIOR MINISTER:

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has ordered action against those who take law into their own hands, besides putting in place measures needed to reopen roads as well as entry and exits points of major cities across the country.

    The Interior Ministry decided to take strict action against those creating law and order situations, and ordered to suspend cellular and internet services in affected areas.

    The decisions were taken during a high-level meeting chaired by Rasheed.

    It was attended by federal minister for religious affairs, chief commissioner, Islamabad and Punjab inspector generals (IGs) and chief secretaries concerned.

    BACKGROUND:

    Saad Rizvi emerged as the leader of the party in November after the sudden death of his father, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, due to the coronavirus. His supporters have previously held violent rallies to pressurise the government not to repeal the blasphemy laws.

    Blasphemy is punishable with a mandatory death sentence, and the very mention of blasphemy is enough to inflame violent reactions.

    The TLP wants the government to boycott French products and expel the French ambassador under an agreement signed by the government with Rizvi’s party in November.

    TLP and other religious parties have denounced French President Emmanuel Macron since October last year, saying he tried to defend blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as freedom of expression.

    Macron’s comments came after a young Muslim beheaded a French school teacher who had shown caricatures in class.

    The images had been republished by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, best known for vulgar irreverence, to mark the opening of the trial over the 2015 attack against the publication for the original caricatures.

  • ‘Forbes 30 under 30 Europe’: Chef Zahra Khan makes Pakistan proud

    Chef Zahra Khan, who hails from Pakistan, has made it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in the Retail and E-commerce category, making Pakistan proud.

    Read more – This girl just made Pakistan proud but here’s why you might’ve missed it

    Sharing the news on social media, Zahra said: “Truly blessed to have been recognised amongst the top emerging and game-changing entrepreneurs.”

    “Deeply humbled and so thankful to my family, my girls- who are my biggest inspiration, my friends and lastly my teams at Feya and Dyce without whom none of this would have been possible,” she added.

    Writing about Zahra, Forbes said: “Immigrant Zahra Khan defied Pakistani cultural stereotypes and launched a career in the UK focused on empowering women.”

    “The chef and mother of two runs Feya cafes and shops. She employs 30 full-time staff, hires female illustrators to design packaging, and donates 10% of retail profits toward professional coaching for women.”

    Zahra opened her debut eatery Feya Café on Bond Street just months after the birth of her first daughter in 2018. Following the unprecedented success, the award-winning DIY dessert parlour and interior masterpiece DYCE was opened in quick succession, followed by flagship Feya Knightsbridge in December 2019. Zahra now employs a 75% female workforce across her three restaurants.

    Meanwhile, the Forbes ’30 Under 30 Europe’ class of 2021 includes 300 honourees across each of the 10 categories, all under 30.

    “Against the backdrop of turbulent social and economic conditions across the region, the sixth annual Under 30 Europe list celebrates the young visionary leaders and entrepreneurs who have made their mark on business and society in the past year,” says a statement by the publication.

  • PCB rejects Umar Akmal’s appeal of paying fine in installments

    PCB rejects Umar Akmal’s appeal of paying fine in installments

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected cricketer Umar Akmal’s appeal of paying his fine in installments, ARY News has reported.

    The 30-year-old cricketer is bound to pay a fine of PKR4.25million, imposed on him by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) on February 26. Umar told PCB that due to financial difficulties he can not pay the lump sum amount.

    The board, after reviewing his appeal and the evidence provided by him, rejected the application. The right-handed batsman will only be able to participate in the rehabilitation program under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code after he pays off the lump sum fine of PKR4.25million.

    Earlier, CAS reduced Umar’s 18-month ban to 12 months. Akmal was suspended from all forms of the game after PCB found him involved in suspicious activities before PSL 5.

    In an investigation, PCB found him guilty and imposed a three-year ban on him. After the cricketer appealed against PCB’s decision, ex-Supreme Court judge Justice (retd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, in his capacity as an independent adjudicator, heard his appeal and reduced Akmal’s ban to 1.5 years from 3 years.

    Akmal was unable to pay the fine imposed on him and appealed in CAS further. In reply, PCB also consulted with CAS for an increase in Akmal’s ban.

  • IN PICTURES: Sunita Marshall celebrates 40th birthday

    Sunita Marshall recently rang in her 40th year with with close friends and family.

    Sharing pictures from her birthday, Sunita joked: “Yes, I’ve turned 40. Koi shak?”

    She also thanked everyone for their birthday wishes.

    The model-turned-actor looked radiant in an off-white dress by Zuria Dor.

    Check out pictures from her celebrations below:

    Sunita Marshal is big a name in the Pakistani modelling industry. In addition to that, she has appeared in many famous drama serials including Qaid-e-Tanhai, Mera Saaein and Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain.

  • ‘PSW Act will contribute $500m in annual savings,’ says PM

    ‘PSW Act will contribute $500m in annual savings,’ says PM

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that the implementation of the Pakistan Single Window (PSW) Act 2021 will bring $500 million in annual savings to the country.

    As per details, the PSW Act 2021 aims to bring an ease in imports and exports. PM Khan said that the PSW will also integrate 75 regulatory departments including customs, banks, port authorities, shipping companies, brokers, etc.

    PSW will be managed by an independent authority that will play a crucial role in unlocking Pakistan’s potential to become a hub for international transit and trade.

    According to reports, the PSW was inaugurated last week in Islamabad by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in compliance with the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

    The PSW was rolled out almost a year before its deadline of June 2022 at a cost of $67 million through an indigenous development effort.

    The Customs department has been tasked with completing this transformational project that will reduce time, cost, and complications while ensuring better compliance with cross-border trade regulations.

  • Mattress factory sealed for stuffing used face masks instead of cotton

    Mattress factory sealed for stuffing used face masks instead of cotton

    The police in India have sealed a mattress-making factory in Maharashtra for using discarded masks instead of cotton or other material to stuff its products.

    As per reports, a case has been registered against the owner of the unit with the police starting an investigation into the matter. Piles of face masks were also recovered from the premises of the mattress factory.

    The seized masks pile was burnt as per the prescribed norms.

    The illegal activity at the Maharashtra Mattress Centre was reported to the officials at a police station at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Jalgaon.

    Read more – Man digs tunnel to capture ‘jinns, churails’

    Additional Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Gawali said: “When officials visited the premises of the factory in Kusumba village of MIDC, they found a mattress being stuffed with used masks.”

    The production of face masks in India has increased significantly from March of last year when the country was producing 1.5 crore units each day.