The Federal Ministry of Education has introduced a new grading system for passing exams in the country.
The Ministry of Education announced that the grading system will be applied to the 9th and 11th grades in the first phase. The grade point average, i.e. GPA or CGPA, will be counted instead of the marks system.
The chairman’s inter-board committee has introduced a grading system at the secondary and higher secondary levels. 10 point grading system will be applied Instead of 7 points grading system.
Grades will include A++, A+, A, B++, B+, B, C, D, E, and U.
The grading system will be implemented in the academic year 2024. The minimum passing marks in the examinations have been increased from 33% to 40%. From 2025, only the grading system will operate in colleges and universities.
According to the Federal Ministry of Education, Federation, Sindh, Balochistan, and Gilgit-Baltistan have implemented the new grading policy.
Pakistani senior journalist Azaz Syed has claimed that Pakistan and India might soon play a bilateral cricket series.
Taking to his X (Previously Twitter) account, Azaz wrote, “Breaking: #Pakistan #India agreed to the first talk on #cricket resumption. Details will be finalised later. For more details on my news, keep watching @geonews_urdu and #TalkShock on YouTube.”
The talks between foreign ministers of Pakistan and India on the occasion of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference started with cricket, Azaz reported for Geo News.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy is scheduled in Pakistan in February next year. Discussions have been started on this matter from both sides.
Last, Pakistan and India played the bilateral series in 2012-13. This series consisted of Two T20 and Three ODI matches played in India. The T20 series was drawn by 1-1, while Pakistan won the ODI series by 2-1.
Champion Trophy 2025 and India’s participation:
The Champion Trophy is scheduled for February of next year in Pakistan. All teams have confirmed their arrival, while India’s participation is yet to be confirmed.
In July, Indian media claimed that India would not visit Pakistan for the event, saying that some matches of the Champions Trophy would be held in the United Arab Emirates or Sri Lanka on a hybrid model.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Rajeev Shukla denied these claims, saying that the Indian government would make the final decision.
The Telegraph Report on Champion Trophy:
UK publication ‘The Telegraph’ has reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering different venues for India’s matches, including the final of the trophy. The final could be shifted from Lahore to Dubai. The final is scheduled to be played in Gadafi Stadium in Lahore on March 9, 2025.
Abu Dhabi and Sharjah are likely to host India’s matches if needed, The Telegraph has reported.
ICC chief executive’s statement about Champions Trophy:
On September 12, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice confirmed now that there are no plans to move the Champions Trophy from Pakistan.
He said, “No team has hesitated to play in the tournament. All teams are committed to playing in Pakistan. Despite previous challenges, all participating teams are determined to play in Pakistan.”
The ICC Champions Trophy will host eight elite teams based on their performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup: India, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Pakistan is currently the defending champion of the Champions Trophy. The Pakistan cricket team, led by former captain Sarfraz Ahmed, won the Trophy in England in 2017, defeating India in the final.
England has scored 239 runs for the loss of six wickets in the first inning on the second day of the Multan Test.
The English team’s openers started aggressively against Pakistan, but Zach Crowley lost the wicket by scoring 27 runs on a total score of 73, while Ollie Pope was dismissed by scoring 29 runs. Joe Root scored 34, Ben Duckett 114 and Harry Brook was dismissed for zero.
For Pakistan, Sajid Khan took four wickets, and Noman Ali took one wicket.
Pakistan inning:
In the first innings of the second Test match, the Pakistani team was all out by scoring 366 runs; the national team started its incomplete first innings at 259 runs for the loss of 5 wickets, then the wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan was out by scoring 41 runs for the gain of just five runs. Done. Agha Salman, 31, and Sajid Khan, 2 runs, proved to be guests.
Aamir Jamal and Nouman Ali formed a partnership of 49 runs for the 9th wicket, but Aamir got out after scoring 37 runs; later, Nouman Ali was caught by Jack Leach after scoring 32 runs.
On behalf of England, Jack Leach took four wickets, Brayden Carrs took three wickets, Matthew Potts took two wickets, and Shoaib Bashir took one wicket.
Day one of the second Test:
Abdullah Shafiq started the innings in the second Test match but failed again and returned to the pavilion with an individual score of just 7. Captain Shan Masood 3 and Saud Shakeel were guests for four runs.
Later, Saim and Kamran stabilized Pakistan’s score by establishing a partnership of 149 runs, but Saim scored 77 runs and lost his wicket.
Kamran Ghulam, who scored a century on debut, was the top scorer by playing an innings of 118 runs.
Pakistan eSports Federation has apologised for the earlier miscommunication regarding Pakistan’s representation at WEC 2024. The final decision between ASI8 and 52 Esports will be made after the PMGC 2024 draws tomorrow.
PESF stated, “We apologize for any misunderstanding caused byOur previous announcement. It was mistakenlyConveyed that 52 esports would be representing Pakistan at the wec 2024 in riyadh. We would like to Clarify that it has not yet been confirmed which team Will represent pakistan. We are awaiting the final pmgc 2024 draw results. Once those are released, we will be able to confirm Whether as18 or another team, potentially 52 esports Will be participating in the wec.”
“We hope for the best outcome and extend our best Wishes to both teams. Thank you for your patience, And we will provide updates as soon as we have Official confirmation. Best of luck to as18 and 52 Esports from all of us!”
Previous Update:
Pakistan eSports Federation (PESF) has replaced Pakistan PUBG Mobile team ASi8 with another team, 52 eSports, for the World eSports Championship (WEC) 2024 without any official confirmation.
As per the details, Team Asi8 topped the Pakistan as well as regional qualifiers for the WEC whereas 52 was in the 2nd spot. However, the federation decided to replace Asi8, prompting severe criticism from the gaming community, including the owner of the Asi8, Shehbaz Mengal.
Why did this happen?
Team Asi8 has qualified for the WEC and PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC), and both events are scheduled for November of this year. PMGC will start from October 31 to December 8, while WEC is planned for November 11 to November 18.
A total of 48 teams around the world participated in the PMGC, and the event was divided into three groups (Group Yellow, Green and Red) with 16 teams in each. Group stage matches of PMGC will start from October 30 to November 16, but the dates for each group have yet to be announced.
The groups will be announced on Thursday, October 17.
How can Asi8 play both events (WEC and PMGC)?
If team i8 is placed in the yellow or green group in PMGC, their matches could end before November 11 (Before starting WEC), and they could easily participate in WEC.
PESF statement on WEC 2024:
PESF announced on October 15, “We regret to inform our community that team asi8, The champions of both our national qualifiers and the Regional qualifiers for week 2024, will not be able to represent Pakistan at the world esports Championship (we) in Riyadh this year. Asi8 is Facing a scheduling conflict due to its participation On page 2024, which overlaps with the week 2024 dates. As per the official rules, the second-place team from Our national qualifiers will step in to represent Pakistan. We are proud to announce that 52 esports Who secured the runner-up position will be taking Asi8’s place at WC 2024. We have full confidence in 52 esports, who have shown exceptional skill throughout the qualifiers. We Hope they continue to represent Pakistan’s talent on The global stage. Asi8’s achievements are highly appreciated, and we wish them success. We look forward To seeing both teams make us proud. Let’s support 52 esports as they carry our flag in Riyadh!”
Criticism of PESF:
Team Asi8 owner TRYNDA (Shehbaz Mengal) shared an Instagram story stating, “Regarding the IESF tournament, initially, PESF officials told us not to use the AS logo on our jerseys. If we wanted to use it, we’d have to get AS to sponsor PESF separately because it’s PESF’s slot, not i8’s. I discussed this with IESF, but they said it’s our federation’s decision.”
“I then requested permission. PESF officials stated that any sponsors would pay them to select a lineup representing our country, not i8. However, the prize leveraging my experience as a pool would be i8’s. We agreed to this. Later, they asked us to choose between PMGC and the World Cup due to scheduling conflicts. I requested confirmation of dates, but they didn’t know the exact dates. However, they responded that it was their slot, and I had no say in it. At least they should have waited for the PMGC draws or permitted us to create a lineup that can perform internationally. After all, sponsors pay PESF, and prize money goes to players; we don’t benefit but enhance our country’s reputation,” he further added.
Another eSports creator, TeenWolf, stated on Instagram, “Unprofessional, team ka slot ha apna slot banaya hua hai.”
What are the team stats, and which team should participate in WEC?
Team i8 has been one of the best teams in Pakistan in the last few years and has won many national events, including (PMCO 2021, PMPL Fall 2022, PMPL Sring 2023, PMPL Fall 2023) and PMCO South Asia. Asi8 has already participated in PMGC 2022 and 2023. In PMGC 2022, i8 made an unbelievable comeback of the event’s history in the last match of the survival stage.
On the other hand, 52 won PMPL Pakistan spring 2022 and qualified for the PMWI 2022, where they finished in the last spot.
We don’t have any issue with Team 52 as they will represent the Pakistani flag on the global stage in WEC, but PESF should have waited for the official announcement and dates of the PMGC group stage matches.
Also, the slot for WEC was won by team i8, so PESF should have asked the team asi8 owner if they wanted to withdraw from the WEC or permitted them to make another lineup under their tag.
As protests continue over the alleged rape of a student at a Punjab College campus in Lahore, the educational institution has finally broken silence for the first time since an initial statement issued two days ago.
As per the details, a first-year student at Campus 10 of Punjab Group of Colleges in Lahore was allegedly raped by a security guard in the basement of the institution last week. With details of the alleged rape making it to social media, protests broke out in Lahore. At least 27 students were injured in a clash between the protesting students and Punjab Police.
Amid conflicting reports regarding the facts of the incident, which the government and college administration claim that it never even occurred, an official at Punjab College, on the condition of anonymity, has blamed the government for worsening the situation.
“The education minister made those statements in heat of the moment and now there is another interview of him where he is saying that both sides have contradictory version of events,” the official said while referring to Education Minister Rana Sikander Hayat who had gone to meet the protesting students on Monday and suggested that the rape really did take place.
Despite the minister backtracking on his statement later in the day, social media was flooded with unverified claims regarding the facts of the case with protesters quoting the minister and alleging a coverup at the hands of college authorities as well as the government.
“A roll call was carried of all female students of Campus 10 and we spoke to them either directly or with one of their parents. All confirmed that they were unharmed and had not been subjected to any form of violence or assault,” the Punjab College official added.
Meanwhile, another statement issued by Punjab College affirmed that the administration was reaching out to people posting regarding the incident to explain their side of the story.
“We are reaching out to people who are posting about it to make sure they know and understand what is happening,” the statement read, adding that the college had handed over CCTV footage to the police besides facilitating police access to the accused security guard for further investigation.
Shedding light on the issue of “silencing” the students and calling police to arrest them, the statement said, “Teachers tried to communicate with students, and that was perceived as students being silenced. They were allowed to protest in the campus as well but police became involved when things got out of hand.”
Punjab College administration also expressed their disappointment on social media flare over the issue, saying, “The issue has taken a life of its own on social media, and people are being harmed on the ground because of false information being shared. If anything surfaces, we will take action required on our end but nothing of the sort has happened.”
Lahore Police, on the other hand, also shared a video of ASP Sheharbano Naqvi with the father of the alleged victim, stating that his daughter was injured after a fall at home, and she was admitted to hospital after that.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has also formed a high-level seven-member committee to investigate the alleged rape of a student at the college. The investigation committee will be chaired by Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, who has been tasked to present findings of the alleged rape incident before the CM within 48 hours.
Social media sensation Chahat Fateh Ali Khan has gained fame by creating funny parodies of well-known Urdu and Punjabi songs.
Khan, whose real name is Kashif Rana, went viral on social media in 2022, with his comical song videos attracting millions of followers on social media.
He recently released the song ‘Toba Toba.’ This song is a copy of the popular Bollywood track ‘Tauba Tauba’ sung by Indian singer Karan Aujla.
In Bollywood, the song was filmed with Vicky Kaushal, who became very popular online due to his dance moves.
When Murtaza Ali Shah, a correspondent for Geo News in London, posted a video of Chahat Fateh Ali Khan’s new song on his Instagram account, even Indian singer Karan Aujla could not help but react to it.
Commenting on the post, Karan Aujla wrote, “Uncle Na Karo Please,” along with a crying emoji.
The post went viral after Karan Aujla’s comment, and many users liked and commented on the post.
Earlier, he also stepped into the world of English music.
Last year, he took the internet by storm when he released the music video for his single ‘Jeetain Ge Bhai Jeetay Ge’ for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
He also captured hearts worldwide with his viral track ‘Bado Badi.’ Known for his quirky singing and comedic flair, the Pakistani-British artist has garnered a massive following across the country. However, his recent hit ‘Bado Badi,’ with a whopping 28 million views, faced copyright issues and was taken down from the site.
Not only were Pakistani social media users using this song in their reels (short videos), but some Indian actors and users also made videos featuring it.
However, Chahat Fateh Ali Khan has now made his English-speaking fans happy by stepping into the world of English music.
A video goes viral on social media, where Khan is sitting in a hotel with an Englishman, along with other people, including some Pakistanis, who are recording a video of him. In the video, some of the people request Khan to sing a song in English for the Englishman sitting next to him. Chahat Fateh Ali Khan then shares that he is writing an English romantic song and proceeds to sing a few lines, receiving applause from the audience.
The people present then asked the Englishman, “Are you a fan of Chahat Fateh Ali Khan?” to which he replied, “Yes, I’ve seen him on TikTok. I am a big fan.”
“The problem is not Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi or Naseem Shah; the problem is the way Pakistan cricket is being run,” said former English skipper and commentator Nasser Hussain, while slamming Pakistan cricket.
In an analysis video with Michael Atherton, Naseer commented on the administrative problems within PCB, saying, “27 selectors, many heads and captains have changed in Pakistan in a few years. No organization can succeed with so many changes. One match of the series went badly, and you decided to rest Babar Azam. Either it could have been done before the series, or there could have been talk of giving rest after the three matches.”
Commenting on the analysis, King of Swing and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram wrote on X, “I think finally boys are on to something here.”
BABAR, SHAHEEN, NASEEM DROPPED
On Sunday, the PCB selection committee decided to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah from the squad for the second Test against England. After this decision, many started criticizing PCB for resting Babar Azam as he needed support and time to stage a come back, which was just one good inning away from him.
Fakhar Zaman also criticized the decision on X, saying, “It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively.”
‘If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” he added.
Former English captain Michael Vaughan also criticized the PCB for dropping Babar from the squad.
Michael tweeted on X (previously Twitter): “So Pakistan hasn’t won in a while; go one nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player. I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises, but this tops the lot. It is an absolutely stupid decision unless he has asked for a break.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mehmood said, “We have to take 20 wickets; if we go with spin, then we can get England out. We had a clear plan regarding the pitch; Babar Azam has not been given a drop, and he has been rested due to his workload.”
Kamran Ghulam, Zahid Mehmood, Nauman Ali, and Sajid Khan were included in the team for the second Test being played in Multan.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has postponed its protest scheduled for today, October 15, after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi formally contacted the party to ensure medical examination of jailed party founder Imran Khan this morning.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed last night that PTI has postponed its D-Chowk protest scheduled for today as a breakthrough took place between his party and the government.
Many within PTI, including Gohar and Ali Amin Gandapur, were critical of the protest because it coincided with the highly anticipated SCO summit in Pakistan.
PTI drew criticism from business and economic experts as well, and the party was urged to reconsider its decision.
Earlier, PTI’s spokesperson, Sheikh Waqas Akram, revealed that the party had placed a condition before the coalition government to call off its protest, demanding to allow Khan’s sisters and doctors to meet him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, citing concerns over Imran Khan’s health.
Initially, the PML-N rejected the proposal, with Senator Talal Chaudhry calling it “blackmail.”
Geo News reported that a team of doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) will visit Adiala Jail along with Khan’s personal physician to examine his health.
In the group stage match of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 54 runs.
In response to New Zealand’s 110 runs, the national team collapsed for 56 runs.
In the last match of Group A played in Dubai, Pakistani bowlers bowled well against New Zealand, but the fielders could not keep up dropping seven catches.
Kiwi opener Suzie Bates scored 28 runs, Brook Halliday scored 22 runs in the middle, and Sophie Devine scored 19 runs. New Zealand scored 110 runs for six wickets.
Nasherah Sandhu took three wickets for Pakistan.
To reach the semi-finals, Pakistan Women had to get the target of 111 runs in 10.4 overs, for which the batting order was also changed, but the experiment failed, and half the team returned to the pavilion for 28 runs.
Captain Fatima Sana played an innings of 21 runs, the second batsman Muniba Ali, who entered double figures, scoring 15 runs and the whole team was dismissed by scoring 56 runs.
New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals with a 54-run victory, while Pakistan and India’s journey to the World Cup ended at the group stage.
This is the lowest score by Pakistan Women in T20I, after 60 against England in 2009.
Evergreen actress Nadia Afgan believes that if it weren’t for the fans of Pakistani dramas in India, Bangladesh, and other foreign countries, no one would watch Pakistani dramas on YouTube.
She recently made a guest appearance at a podcast where she spoke about her showbiz career and the drama industry.
“In the past, actors used to rehearse before shooting, but now that doesn’t happen. New actors are in a hurry,” she said.
“Most actors live fast-paced lives today. They don’t take the time to rehearse. They arrive on set, read the script, and jump straight into shooting, all while juggling other projects,” she added.
“Although some of the new actors are good, most of them lead very busy lives,” Afghan said.
“In the past, the popularity of dramas was measured by TRP, but now it’s determined by how much a drama is watched on YouTube.
“Most of Pakistan’s dramas are viewed more in India and Bangladesh because people there see a drama for what it is—they don’t start issuing fatwas after watching,” she pointed out.
Afghan explained, “Pakistani viewers, on the other hand, start criticising the dramas immediately, questioning why certain things were shown in a particular way. But these are the same people who enjoy watching dramas with sensitive themes, like a pregnant character’s journey.”
“I have many fans in countries like India and Bangladesh who appreciate my work.”
She concluded that “fans of Pakistani dramas, not just for me but for the entire industry, are large in foreign countries like India and Bangladesh.
“In my opinion, if they stopped watching Pakistani dramas on YouTube, no one would be watching them there.”
