Current Final

Tag: Top News

  • How much did the ‘Azadi March’ cost the government?

    How much did the ‘Azadi March’ cost the government?

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s ‘Azadi March’ which took place from October 31 to November 13 cost the government over Rs240 million, Rs248 million to be exact.

    According to a report in Dawn, this amount is payable to contractors/vendors whose services were hired for security and other arrangements which included lodging, meal and transportation of police called from other districts.

    As many as 5,000 from the capital police along with 3,000 Frontier Constabulary, 1,500 Punjab Constabulary, 2,000 from KP police and 500 from Kashmir and railway police were deployed in Islamabad during the sit-in. 550 containers were also arranged to block roads as a part of security measures and 105 vehicles, including 88 buses, were used to transport the security personnel.

    The rent of a 40-foot container was Rs20,000 a day and Rs14,000 for a 20-foot container. On the other hand, the rent of a bus was Rs25,000 per day and Rs15,000 of a wagon/truck. The fuel for these vehicles cost the police Rs 20 million.

    The capital police also purchased anti-riot gears to deal with confrontations, though none took place in the 13-day sit-in.

    Other expenses included the rent of nine buildings hired for the force requisitioned from other provinces.

    Meanwhile, Rs695.6 million were spent during PTI and PAT’s dharna in 2014.

  • CJP says Supreme Court will soon get female judges

    Chief Justice Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa has revealed that the judiciary is working towards inducting female judges in the Supreme Court.

    Addressing the concluding session of Women Judges Conference in Lahore, Justice Khosa said that more than 300 female judges are working in the district courts of Pakistan and that they are doing a brilliant job.

    “Our women judges have proven their abilities through their verdicts and by the way they have handled complex cases,” said Justice Khosa, adding, “We have as many as 300 women judges in district courts and we hope to soon have at least one or two in the Supreme Court. I had the opportunity to propose two names and they are being actively considered.”

    Justice Khosa said that the top court is working on women’s rights and with time, the differences between male and female judges will be eliminated, adding that women must be empowered for the society to develop.

    Explaining that the Constitution ensures equal rights and treatment to all citizens including minorities, Justice Khosa said that they are encouraging women to enter the judiciary.

    Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Shamim Khan, while addressing the conference, said that “the judiciary plays an important role in structuring and restructuring of the society.”

    Justice Shamim said that gender-based violence courts were being established in Punjab to protect the rights of women and children.

  • Islamabad to get chairlifts?

    If reports are to believed Islamabad’s Margalla Hills may be getting chairlifts.

    According to a report in Samaa News, the wildlife ministry is considering installing a chairlift at the Margalla Hills for tourists. The idea has also received positive feedback from environmental experts who believe that this will help reduce the number of cars that visit the hills on a daily basis.

    The ministry says that there are two benefits of installing the chairlifts: one people visiting the area will get great ariel views of the hills and two the number of cars going to the hills will reduce. Officials of the ministry say that the hills and Islamabad’s national parks need to be protected.

    Reports suggest that almost 5,000 cars cross the foothills of the Margalla every day.

  • Karachi man sends 50,000 trees to Iraq to provide shade to pilgrims

    Karachi man sends 50,000 trees to Iraq to provide shade to pilgrims

    A retired industrialist from Karachi sent thousands of saplings to Iraq on Friday to bring shade to pilgrims.

    Mohammedi Durbar, 85, wants to plant nearly 50,000 trees along the entire 80-km pilgrimage route between Iraq’s Najaf and Kerbala. In a conversation with Reuters, Durbar said the idea came to him when his relatives returned from a holy site with sunburn.

    Millions of people make the pilgrimage every for the religious ritual of Arbaeen. They walk most of the way under a baking sun. Among the worshippers last year were Durbar’s grandson and daughter-in-law, who returned to the country tanned and with photographs showing a barren landscape.

    This was when Durbar got the idea and then travelled to Iraq, spoke to officials and got permission for his project, and a promise the trees would be cared for.

    He also planted some trees in Najaf to see if they could thrive there.

    A first batch of 9,800 saplings of eight types of trees, up to eight months old, set off from Karachi by truck on Friday, for their journey across Iran to Iraq. The shipment was delayed about a month because of anti-government protests in Iraq and last-minute visa delays.

    Durbar says the saplings will be well looked after on their journey with the truck stopping to ensure they get regular sunshine and water. He is confident they will arrive in good shape and plans to travel back to Iraq to work on the plan.

    The trees will spend the winter in a nursery in Baghdad, with the planting due to begin in March. He said about a dozen people would plant the trees, with the help of small digger he is also sending from Pakistan.

    Durbar estimates it will take three years to plant all of the trees at a cost of Rs25 million, which he is paying. He is not sure if he will live to see pilgrims walking under his trees, but he knows he has found his calling after a lifetime in the industry.

    “I thank God, at this age, he has put me on the right path,” he said. “Partnership with nature is good.”

  • Patari comes under fire for promoting Mohsin Abbas Haider

    Patari comes under fire for promoting Mohsin Abbas Haider

    Pakistan’s largest music streaming platform Patari has come under fire for promoting Mohsin Abbas Haider’s latest single titled Rooh.

    The song is Mohsin’s first project following his public feud with former wife Fatima Sohail who accused him of domestic abuse and infidelity.

    https://twitter.com/patarimusic/status/1200093866436759555?s=20

    Here’s what Twitter has to say on the matter.

    https://twitter.com/daanistan/status/1200373701730062337?s=20
    https://twitter.com/HHussai92842027/status/1200407625445326850
    https://twitter.com/ManalFaheemKhan/status/1200518865228353537?s=20
    https://twitter.com/namakpaara_/status/1200382758096396289?s=20

    Not only Patari but several other celebrities including Abrarul Haq, Nausheen Shah, Mohib Mirza and Faakhir Mehmood have promoted Mohsin and sent him their best wishes.

    Read more: Mohsin Abbas Haider or Fatima Sohail: Whose career are celebrities supporting?

    In August 2019, Mohsin was found guilty of threatening his then-wife Fatema Sohail by a lower court in Lahore.

    Fatema, in an explosive social media account posted on July 20 had alleged that Mohsin was domestically abusive and had hit her on multiple occasions. She later filed an FIR against Mohsin on grounds of abusive behaviour and that Mohsin extorted money from her.

    While the court found Mohsin guilty of threatening his wife, he was found innocent of breach of trust and demanding money from his wife.

    Read more: All you need to know about the Mohsin Abbas Haider controversy

    Meanwhile, it is also pertinent to mention here that in May 2018, Pataris’ CEO Khalid Bajwa was accused of misusing his power to extract sexual favors out of women. Though Bajwa initially resigned from his positon, he was later secretly rehired by the company. Six of Patari’s original team members resigned in July of the same team after it was clear that Bajwa was not stepping down.

    In August 2018, Patari allegedly complied to a request made by Ali Zafar to change the ranking of a song released by Meesha Shafi’s brother Faris Shafi. Zafar, who at the time had been accused of sexual harassment by Meesha apparently felt that the promotion of Faris’ song made it seem that Patari was on Meesha’s side in their legal dispute.

  • VIDEO: Zainab Abbas hits a sixer as Amir bowls on her shendi

    VIDEO: Zainab Abbas hits a sixer as Amir bowls on her shendi

    Zainab Abbas had the sweetest entry on her shendi.

    The cricket commentator entered on the Pakistan Super League Anthem Seeti Baje Gee. As she entered amid bats and her close ones, fast bowler Mohammad Amir and his daughter bowled to Zainab who hit back with her bat.

    Watch the video here:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5e6fRag3-g/

    The dulha’s entry

    Zainab looked breathtaking in a deep pink outfit by Rano’s Heirlooms and makeup by Zara Gul.

    As they say, “Happy brides are the prettiest.”

    Meanwhile, Mohammad Amir, who is a close friend of the journalist, also shared a picture of himself from the event.

    Zainab, who is also the daughter of PTI MNA Andleeb Abbas tied the knot in an intimate Nikkah last Sunday. Her husband Hamza Kardar is the son of the former finance finance minister and former governor of State Bank of Pakistan, Shahid Hafeez Kardar and the grandson of the renowned cricketer Abdul Hafeez Kardar.

    Pictures of her from her mayun also went viral on social media.

    Pictures credit: Palwasha Minhas, Zamal Salman Photography

  • You will be able to fly to Baku directly next year

    You will be able to fly to Baku directly next year

    Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Pakistan, Ali Alizada, has said that direct flights between his country and Pakistan would start from next year, which will help strengthen the bilateral trade, economic relations and people-to-people contact. The capital of Azerbaijan, Baku is a popular holiday choice for Pakistanis.

    According to Dawn, the envoy revealed the information while speaking during a meeting with the business community in Peshawer.

    The ambassador said that Azerbaijan gave much importance to cementing mutual trade, economic and cultural relations with Pakistan.

    Meanwhile, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz, who chaired the event invited the business community of Azerbaijan to make investment in hydel power generation, oil and gas, LPG, mines, mineral, gemstones, agriculture, medicine, fruits, livestock, honey and other sectors.

    Alizada accepted the SCCI president’s invitation and and assured him they would issue visas to the business community on a priority basis to boost trade ties between the two countries.

    So if you’re planning a vacation to Baku, hold that thought because you’ll soon be able to fly directly there. The shortest flight from Lahore to Baku currently takes a little more than eight hours. But according to Google Maps, the direct flight will cut travel time by two hours.

  • ‘We miss you’: Fawad Khan gets birthday love from across the border

    ‘We miss you’: Fawad Khan gets birthday love from across the border

    In case you missed it, it is national heartthrob Fawad Khan’s 38th birthday today. Though the actor has been off the screen for a while now, he is still one of the most sought-after celebrities this country has.

    And we’re not the only ones who miss him. Turns out he is being missed across the border as well.

    Editor of Filmfare Magazine, Jitesh Pillaai, sharing pictures and clips of Fawad from his dramas, wrote a heartwarming note for the actor saying that he misses them.

    “We carry a piece of you everywhere we go. I’m sure you carry a piece of us too,” wrote Pillaai.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5aznuinWQh/

    Jitesh also shared pictures of Fawad on his Instagram stories.

    Fawad’s Khoobsurat co-star Sonam Kapoor also wished the actor.

    Fawad’s career in Bollywood was just taking off when a ban on Pakistani actors was announced in 2016. Following that, Fawad had several projects lined up but the Pulwama attack in early 2019 put an end to all chances. The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) announced a blanket ban on Pakistani actors and artists working in the Indian film industry and vowed to take strict action against anyone who works with them.

  • Iqra Aziz celebrates Yasir Hussain’s birthday with a sweet message and a big bash

    Iqra Aziz celebrates Yasir Hussain’s birthday with a sweet message and a big bash

    Iqra Aziz threw a big birthday bash for fiancé Yasir Hussain with all their industry friends in presence. She also publicly displayed her affection by penning a short sweet note for her “Superhero” on Instagram.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5a5k9sAfmB/

    See all the pictures and videos from the event here:

    Starting with the birthday boy cutting and eating his own cake.

    A selfie with the boys and best buds

    How many stars can you spot?

    The better-halves

    Selfies all around

    Yasir loved the party

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5cgeusD-Ca/

    A few days back, it was Iqra’s birthday and Yasir also celebrated it with a bang and a unicorn cake.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5R_dL9gUaC/
  • Momina Mustehsan, Bilal Saeed’s ‘Baari’ crosses 1.5 million views

    Momina Mustehsan, Bilal Saeed’s ‘Baari’ crosses 1.5 million views

    Momina Mustehsan’s duet with Bilal Saeed Baari has crossed 1.5 million views on Youtube in less than 36 hours.

    The soft, melodious song has been set in the heart of Lahore in Yousaf Sallauddin’s Haveli, while the iconic Badshahi Masjid can be seen in the background.

    Bilal plays a young man visiting the city from abroad. He waits with Rahim Pardesi (who has a special appearance in the song) to catch a glimpse of Momina as she passes by on her way to college with her friends.

    According to the singers, the song encapsulates young love and the happiness it brings in life.

    “Love is the beginning of everything in life; it leads to unimaginable happiness. This winters, feel the warmth of love with Baari,” reads the caption.

    Also would like to add here that we absolutely love the wardrobe which has been done by Mohsin Naveed Ranjha – it perfectly complements the background and setting of the song.

    Baari has been written and composed by Bilal who has also produced the music video.

    Watch the song here: