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  • PML-N stalwart Ahsan Iqbal arrested

    PML-N stalwart Ahsan Iqbal arrested

    Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday.

    The anti-graft watchdog had earlier summoned Iqbal for recording his statement in a multi-billion-rupee case pertaining to the controversial Sports City Project in Narowal.

    It was the second time in two months that NAB had summoned the PML-N leader to seek details of his income and expenditures.

    According to Dawn, the opposition leader, who is accused of using funds of the federal government and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) for the sports city, had already replied to a questionnaire given to him by the bureau in connection with the same case.

    The PML-N leader had said he had submitted documents related to his income and expenditures to NAB Rawalpindi.

    He claimed that he had nothing to do with the case as the project had been launched in 2009 during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government when he was not a federal minister.

    He said that before Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power, the project was 90 per cent complete, but the present government had turned it into ruins.

    “In fact NAB should take those people to task who are responsible for the destruction of a national asset,” he added.

    The PML-N leader said that when he became a federal minister, the NSC project was in the doldrums and like many other stalled projects, the PML-N government revived it and took it to near completion.

    Meanwhile, analysts have expressed concern over the arrest, saying that Iqbal was the sole PML-N leader commenting on former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s death sentence in the high treason case.

  • The Meray Paas Tum Ho Memes you don’t want to miss

    The Meray Paas Tum Ho Memes you don’t want to miss

    19 episodes in, the memes are breaking the internet, with the “Mehwish slap” being the most recently popular ones.

    Ouch.

    It all began with ‘toxic Danish’, who loved his wife so much it seemed kind of suffocating.

    Toxic Danish?

    And then came the ultimate ‘do takkay ki aurat’ memes.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4aX41ZliCo/?utm_source=ig_embed
    Rings true for most

    And with the entry of Hina Mani, the memes didn’t stop.

    To Rumi’s role of matchmaking.

    As episode 20 teaser reveals a big twist, let’s see what the Pakistani social media world comes up with next.

  • Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for killing Khashoggi

    Saudi Arabia sentences five to death for killing Khashoggi

    A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced five people to death for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last year, the public prosecutor has said.

    Khashoggi, a prominent critic of the Saudi government, was killed inside the kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul by a team of Saudi agents.

    The Saudi public prosecutor said it was the result of a “rogue operation” and put 11 unnamed individuals on trial; Saud al-Qahtani, a former high-profile Saudi royal adviser, was investigated but not charged and was released.

    The murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, triggered Saudi Arabia’s biggest diplomatic crisis since the 9/11 attacks as world leaders and business executives sought to distance themselves from Riyadh.

    The CIA concluded that the country’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered Khashoggi’s assassination. The crown prince denies involvement, but told US TV last month that he took “full responsibility as a leader in Saudi Arabia”.

    The prosecutor said three more people in the case had been sentenced to jail terms totalling 24 years.

  • Afridi urges PM Imran to speak up against Chinese persecution of Muslims

    Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has urged Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan to “speak up” for Uighur Muslims in China and requested the Chinese government to give “humane” and “just” treatment to Muslims.

    Shahid Afridi in a recent tweet on Monday said, “Hearing of atrocities committed against the Uighur Muslims is heartbreaking,” and reminded PM Imran that “our brothers and sisters” in China are also part of the Muslim Ummah.

    He also requested the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan to address the issue.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1208701954328629250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1208701954328629250&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.samaa.tv%2Fnews%2F2019%2F12%2Fafridi-asks-pm-khan-to-speak-up-for-chinese-muslims%2F

    China has been facing criticism for detaining around one million Uighurs and other Muslims in internment camps in Xinjiang.

    The activists in Uighur had claimed in November that they have documented nearly 500 camps and prisons run by China to detain members of the ethnic group.

    According to Samaa, a Washington-based group, East Turkistan National Awakening Movement, that seeks independence for the mostly Muslim region known to China as Xinjiang, gave the geographic coordinates of 182 suspected “concentration camps” where Uighurs are allegedly pressured to renounce their culture.

    Moreover, the group after researching images from Google Earth, said it also spotted 209 suspected prisons and 74 suspected labor camps in the country.

    However, China’s foreign ministry has denied these allegation, terming them “baseless.”

  • VIDEO: Masked men on unregistered vehicle seek dismissal of judges who sentenced Musharraf

    VIDEO: Masked men on unregistered vehicle seek dismissal of judges who sentenced Musharraf

    At least two masked men on an unregistered vehicle have been spotted in Sialkot, putting up banners seeking dismissal of judges who convicted former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf last week.

    A special court trying the ex-preisdent had last week sentenced him to death for treason. While analysts had hinted at a possible rift among institutions over the death penalty for former army chief Musharraf, the detailed verdict of the case had drawn ire of many after one of the judges proposed public hanging.

    A week later, a video going viral over the internet has shown masked men putting up on Sialkot’s Khawaja Safdar Road some banners demanding dismissal of the judges who sentenced Musharraf.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/BdTamiz/status/1208788091454054401

    “We’ve been told to do so,” they can be heard as saying when asked about the person or organisation behind the banners, and do not specify who were the orders from.

  • VIDEO: Teenage Shah speaks of dedicating five-wicket haul to late mother

    VIDEO: Teenage Shah speaks of dedicating five-wicket haul to late mother

    Fast bowler Naseem Shah who took a five-wicket haul in the last Test match against Sri Lanka, got emotional during a press conference while telling about how he wanted to dedicate this achievement to his mother but since she has recently passed away, he will now be dedicating it to his father.

    Naseem Shah has become the youngest fast bowler to claim five wickets in a Test match. He picked up the wickets of Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Dilruwan Perera, Lasith Embduldeniya and Vishwa Fernando to finish with 5/31 in 12.5 overs.

    Pacer Shah — aged 16 year and 311 days — has also surpassed his countryman Mohammad Amir who had in 2009 claimed five wickets against Australia at the age of 17 years 257 days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

    Pacer Naseem’s mother had passed away in November while he was in Australia awaiting his Test debut. Shah later decided not to fly back home and stayed in Australia after consulting with his family members who advised him not to come back.

    Pakistan on Monday had claimed an historic 263-run victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi and it took the team only three overs and just 15 minutes to wrap up the game.

    It was Pakistan’s first Test victory on home soil in over 13 years; their last victory in Pakistan also came in Karachi, against West Indies in November 2006.

  • Pakistan wrap up historic series win at home in just 15 minutes

    Pakistan wrap up historic series win at home in just 15 minutes

    Three overs on the final day was all it took for Pakistan to seal a 263-run victory in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Karachi on Monday, International Cricket Council (ICC) reported.

    It was Pakistan’s first Test victory on home soil in over 13 years; their last victory in Pakistan also came in Karachi, against West Indies in November 2006.

    Naseem Shah, the 16-year-old, resumed the day on 3/31, and went on to dismiss Lasith Embuldeniya and Vishwa Fernando in his consecutive overs to seal the victory, with Yasir Shah claiming the big wicket of Oshada Fernando, the opener, who finished on 102.

    The two wickets meant Shah ended with 5/31 – his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket – and with Shaheen Shah Afridi, the 19-year-old, claiming a five-for in the first-innings, the Test has been a good one for the young Pakistani pacemen.

    Sri Lanka were in the Test for the first two days. They bundled out Pakistan for 191 in the first innings, and then posted a lead of 80. However, thereafter, it was all Pakistan.

    Centuries from Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam helped the home side post 555/3 declared in the second innings, and bogged down by the weight of runs, the Sri Lankan batsmen crumbled.

    They were reduced to 212/7 by stumps on the fourth day, with Oshada’s century and Niroshan Dickwella’s half-century their only displays of resistance, and on resumption on the fifth morning, they just weren’t allowed to muster a fightback.

    The series victory means Pakistan move up to No 3 on the ICC World Test Championship table, with 80 points from their four matches. Sri Lanka are level on points after four matches as well, but are fourth on the table due to their inferior runs-per-wicket ratio.

  • IN PICTURES: Jibran Nasir and Mansha Pasha get engaged

    IN PICTURES: Jibran Nasir and Mansha Pasha get engaged

    Social activist and politician Jibran Nasir got engaged to actor Mansha Pasha in a beautiful afternoon ceremony in Karachi. The couple was all smiles as they engaged rings.

    Mansha looked gorgeous in a light pink and green outfit by Omrose

    The glowing bride with her mother

    Mansha with her bride tribe

    The couple also set the dance floor on fire with their moves

    Celebrity guests included Junaid Khan, Faiza Saleem and Shehzad Roy

    Meanwhile, some people were concerned over whether Jibran is Sindhi or not

  • For all chipotle lovers out there, Adobo is for you

    For all chipotle lovers out there, Adobo is for you

    Before I pen this review, I just want to put it out there that I absolutely love Mexican food – it’s my ultimate comfort food. Which is why I was super excited to try it out.

    Adobo is a small, cosy restaurant located at Shahbaz Commercial with limited sitting. The interior is very bohemian with graffiti on the walls.

    Like the sitting, the menu is also limited. However, the options are enough to satisfy your Mexican cravings. The menu includes tacos, mini tacos, Burrito Bowls and guacamole among other things.

    Considering that my husband and I visit this place almost every week, I can confidently say that the food is fresh, clean and absolutely delicious. The spice levels are perfect and sauces perfectly curated. The satisfaction at the end of a meal here is unlike any other I’ve experienced in the past.

    However, the food is not the best part. The best part of the restaurant is the warmth it has to offer. The owner is almost always there to make sure his customers are comfortable and get the best service.

    As far as the price factor is concerned, the restaurant is reasonably priced. But if you order items like guacamole, except the bill to be slightly higher.

    All in all, if you don’t care about the calories, Adobo is the place for you to go.

  • The Daft Draft: Judging society’s stereotypes with illustrated wit

    The Daft Draft: Judging society’s stereotypes with illustrated wit

    The Daft Draft on Instagram has over 7,000 followers, many of whom are influencers. The appeal: taking on societal stereotypes, illustrating them in pop culture graphics and making us all question the method of our societal madness.

    A popular post by TheDaftDraft, poking at society’s desire for the gori bahu

    We spoke with the person behind the instagram account and found that that she, (it is a woman), knew how to use photoshop but learnt how to use illustrator by watching YouTube videos.

    Two years ago, “a traumatic incident regarding a family member being unwell put me through a very rough phase in my life,” she says. After the incident, she decided not to be defined by misfortune but decided to use her humour to give her the power to come back, “stronger, happier and in my case, funnier”.

    She is obviously from Karachi, since no other city would understand the trudge from central Defence to KDA

    She learnt how to use illustrator four months ago, “because I had all these ideas and no way of communicating them in an interesting way,” and she feels that not only does she get her message across, she is also setting, “an appropriate tone”.

    The Daft Draft’s humor also includes Karachi-specific ‘legends’ such as ‘Slims, Pick-a-Pack Party Chilli Chips’

    “I also love knowing that I can make people laugh, it makes me feel like I’m contributing something good to society”. Her account has become very popular in a short amount of time and she now is also running a website where you can buy the designs.

    For her innovative way of poking fun at society, and pushing through life’s difficult times to come out stronger, The Daft Draft, is this week’s Sunday Superstar.