Author: Ali Qasim

PAK Nation honors the Supreme sacrifice of Major Aziz Bhatti: ISPR

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

September 12 marks the 55th death anniversary of Maj Aziz Bhatti who was a company commander deployed in the Burki area of Lahore front during the 1965 war and on this historic occasion today Pakistan Nation and Army has paid homage to Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed who embraced martyrdom while defending the country during the 1965 war with India.

“Nation honours supreme sacrifice by Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, NH in 1965 war,” DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar wrote on his official Twitter handle.

He said that Major Aziz’s gallant actions and exemplary leadership inflicted heavy losses on Indian forces, successfully repulsing enemy attack on Lahore.

“His heroic feat inspires us to defend Pakistan, whatever the cost,” he added.

Every year, the anniversary is celebrated with traditional fervour and the valour of the Nishan-e-Haider awardee.

Nishan-e-Haider is conferred upon soldiers who perform acts of great heroism in circumstances of extreme danger, or to those who demonstrate bravery of the highest order or devotion to the country in the presence of the enemy.

Punjab extends closure of educational institutes till Sept 15 due to Corona threat.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Government of Punjab has extended the closure of all educational institutions till September 15 due to the spread of the novel coronavirus. This was announced by Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas on Friday.”Stay home and stay safe,” the minister tweeted.

Last week, Punjab had announced to close educational institutes from September 6 till September 11. However, this latest announcement comes following the directives of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC).

On Thursday, the NCOC decided to extend its coronavirus restrictions in 24 districts of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory for another week. Under the restrictions, outdoor and indoor gatherings and intercity public transport will be banned.

Indoor gyms and educational institutions will also remain closed. The decision was taken after the NCOC took a detailed stock of the current disease situation in different districts, daily hospital admissions, pressure on critical care and availability of oxygen.

In a notification, the NCOC has said that it is closely monitoring the coronavirus situation and necessary decisions will be taken whenever deemed appropriate to control the spread of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Punjab reported 1,705 cases and 36 deaths from coronavirus over the past 24 hours. The provincial tally has risen to 410,463 and the death toll has reached 12,171.

Moreover, Islamabad reported 254 cases and five deaths, while KPK recorded 590 cases and 25 deaths. Pakistan’s coronavirus tally has reached 1,197,887, while the death toll stands at 26,580

 

Mr. Navid Fazil CEO Interloop, welcomed into Champions of Change Coalition

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After the initial success of Male Champions of Change Pakistan with leading Pakistani CEOs joining the global cohort of male leadership supporting gender equality, including CEO Telenor Pakistan, CEO Pepsi Co., CEO Serena Hotels, CEO Pakistan Microfinance Investment Corporation (PMIC), CEO EY Ford Rhodes amongst others, convenor MCC Pakistan and development expert Fiza Farhan meets and inducts CEO Interloop Limited, Navid Fazil.

The signing ceremony took place at Interloop’s Head office in Faisalabad, and was attended by Faryal Sadiq, Vice President Sales & Marketing, and Saira Taimur Khan, GM Strategic HR/Business Strategy, who together have been instrumental in bringing Interloop as Pakistan’s first local large business to the International Champions of Change Coalition representing 270+ CEOs from diverse sectors.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Navid Fazil and Interloop Pakistan to this global coalition of CEO’s and leaders working together to understand gender equality issues and lead action to accelerate progress in creating more inclusive and progressive organizations in Pakistan. While it is heartening to have a strong representation of CEO’s representing multinational companies and I thank them for their collective leadership, I feel that long-lasting and far-reaching change always comes from within, when the leadership of local businesses decides to step up beside women; challenging cultural, social and regulatory context to create unstoppable momentum for a gender equal Pakistan” said Fiza Farhan, convenor MCC Pakistan.

The Champions of Change Coalition is a globally recognized, innovative strategy for achieving gender equality, advancing more and diverse women in leadership, and building respectful and inclusive workplaces. In the strategy, men of power and influence step up beside women leaders. They form a high-profile Coalition to lead and be accountable for change on gender equality issues in their organizations and communities – be they local, national or global. The Pakistan Group was established in 2019and includes representatives from various sectors including FMCG, hospitality, telecommunications, information technology and software, micro-finance and sports organizations.

“In Pakistan, promoting gender equity is not only a business imperative, but also a social one. Despite cultural and legal barriers, we have set out to advance women throughout our organization and reap the benefits of a gender diverse workforce. We have made great progress but there is a long way to go and I am committed to continue on this journey helping building a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace,” said CEO Interloop Limited, Navid Fazil.

 

Dubai Expo 2020 visitors to get special passport as souvenir

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Dubai Expo 2020 visitors to get special passport as souvenir

Dubai residents and international visitors alike will get a special passport as a souvenir while exploring the 200-plus participating pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai.

The vibrant yellow passport encourages visitors to see as many pavilions as possible during the 182-day event and helps them to relive those special moments after they leave the mega-event.

Mimicking a real passport, no two are alike, including enhanced security features – a unique number, an area to include a passport-sized photo, personal details, and hidden watermarked images on each page.

Linking the past with the present, the passport celebrates the UAE’s Golden Jubilee year with a special page stamped in gold foil, featuring a photograph of the nation’s Founding Father – His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan – taken in 1971 when the UAE celebrated the birth of the nation.

The 50-page booklet also contains designs and pictures of the three Thematic Pavilions (Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion, Alif – The Mobility Pavilion and Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion), as well as Al Wasl Plaza – the crown jewel of the Expo site – plus other Dubai landmarks, such as the city’s iconic skyline.

Priced at AED 20, the Expo 2020 Dubai passport is available for purchase from all official Expo 2020 Dubai stores located across the Expo site, the Expo 2020 Dubai store located in Dubai Airports’ Terminal 3 and expo2020dubai.com/online store.

 

Indus Motor announces a whopping $100m investment in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Indus Motor Company Limited (IMC), the makers of Toyota vehicles in Pakistan, has announced that it would invest $100 million in the local production of hybrid electric vehicles. The amount will be invested over the period of three years, said the company in its filing to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Wednesday.

“We are pleased to announce that, based on the incentives provided against certain taxes, duties as announced by the Government of Pakistan through Finance Act 2021, and subsequent Statutory Regulatory Orders (SROs), the company has evaluated and plans to invest an estimated aggregate amount of $100 million, over the next 3 years, for the local production of Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) in Pakistan,” the company wrote in letter to Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX).

The automotive manufacturing company said that the announced investment shall go towards plant upgradation, extension, localization of parts or components, and production preparation or assembling of HEVs.

“The production by the company shall be done in Port Qasim Authority, Karachi,” the statement added.

The announcement comes after Toyota Motor Corp, IMC’s parent company, said that it expected to spend more than $13.5 billion by 2030 to develop batteries and its battery supply system as the move to hybrid electric vehicles gathers steam. The federal cabinet on Dec.22 had approved Pakistan’s first Electric Vehicle Policy.

The motorcycles and vehicles would be shifted on electric power, while Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Units would also be established in the country. Under the new EV policy, the Sindh Transport Minister Syed Owais Shah back in March 2021 had launched Pakistan’s first electric bus in Karachi۔

Minal khan and Ahsan Mohsin Khan’s wedding functions started in Karachi.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The wedding celebrations of actress Minal Khan with Ahsan Mohsin Ikram are underway as pictures and videos of their Mayoun and dholki function made rounds on Instagram. In the clip, we can see Minal is singing songs with her close ones.

The engaged couple will tie the knot on September 10. The couple had taken to Instagram on August 28 to share a picture of their wedding invite with fans and followers, much like they shared their engagement invites back in June.

Minal and Ahsan, who went public with their romance in November of 2020, first shared news of their baat pakki in May with heartwarming pictures from the occasion. “Here is to forever. To the love of my life you’re the easiest yes I’ve ever said!” Minal Khan wrote, addressing her fiance.

Arrest warrants issued for Saba Qamar and Bilal Saeed

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

A judicial magistrate in Lahore has issued arrest warrants for actress Saba Qamar and singer Bilal Saeed in connection with a case pertaining to shooting of a music video in the historic Wazir Khan mosque.

According to media News, the warrants were issued for the pair for their failure to appear before the court. Last month, The Akbari Gate police registered the case against the duo on the complaint of lawyer Farhat Manzoor.

The FIR was registered under Section 295 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case was registered on a court order. A short clip of Qamar and Saeed at the historic mosque went viral on social media. The video drew strong reactions from religious circles.

Saba Qamar responded to the criticism in a series of tweets, saying the clip was a “prologue to the music video featuring a Nikkah scene. It was neither shot with any sort of playback music nor has it been edited to the music track,” she said on Twitter.

Qamar and Saeed had also apologized for the incident and issued explanations that shed further light on the video shoot’s context.

Dirilis: Ertugrul is conquering Bollywood. Katrina & Salman Family declared it favorite series

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After making waves in Pakistan on the recommendation of PM Imran Khan, Turkish show Dirilis: Ertugrul has also captured hearts across the border including Katrina Kaif’s!

Bollywood star Katrina, who has been shooting her upcoming flick Tiger 3 with superstar Salman Khan in Turkey, recently met the Turkish Minister for Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, after which the three engaged in a media talk.

When asked if Salman and Katrina watch any Turkish series, Katrina excitedly replied, “Yes! Erugrul is my favourite series. I watched all 89 episodes. I absolutely love that series!”

Bajrangi Bhaijaan star Salman also chimed in that his mother also watched the mega-hit show and that Katrina is a big fan of Turkish actors.

Ersoy himself took to social media to record their meeting in an Instagram post that read, “We came together with the famous actors of Bollywood, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, who are in our country for their new projects,” adding that Turkey will continue to host many international cinema projects.

Earlier in January 2021, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu along with a 20-member delegation arrived in Pakistan on a three-day official visit. Popular drama Diriliş: Ertuğrul actors Nurettin Sönmez aka Bamsı Beyrek and Ayberk Pekcan aka Artuk Bey were also among the 20-member delegation that arrived in Islamabad.

Ertugrul was introduced to the Pakistani public by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who requested it to be aired on national TV. The Turkish series shattered YouTube records with millions tuning in to catch up on the show.

 

WhatsApp is reworking on privacy settings!

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

WhatsApp is making some minor changes to its privacy settings that will make its easier for you to disable privacy settings for specific contacts. This was announced by WABetaInfo, the main independent portal where you can discover news and real-time updates about WhatsApp, on Twitter.

The update will be on WhatsApp beta for Android and iOS.

Currently, the Facebook-owned messaging app has three privacy settings (last seen, profile picture, about) with three options (everyone, my contacts, nobody) to manage these settings. This means that, if you didn’t want a specific contact could see your last seen, you had to set the privacy setting of your last seen to “nobody”.

The new update WhatsApp is working on will introduce another option called ‘my contacts except…’, so you can finally enable your last seen back, and you can disable it for specific contacts.

This screenshot is taken from WhatsApp for iOS, but WhatsApp will introduce it on WhatsApp for Android too.You can see “My contacts except” for last seen in this screenshot, but it will be usable for other privacy settings as well, such as ‘profile picture’ and ‘about’.

Ahsan Khan and Ayesha Omar wrap up rom-com ” Rehbra”

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Actors Ayesha Omar and Ahsan Khan recently wrapped up the shoot for their upcoming film ‘Rehbra’, which was due to release in 2017.

The singer and actor shared a picture on her Instagram to share the completion of the shoot. “And that’s a wrap,” wrote Omar.

Rehbra is a romantic-comedy directed by Amin Iqbal and produced by Saira Afzal. Ahsan had revealed in earlier interviews that the film was a ‘love story with a twist’, and said in 2017 that 95% of the film was done. The shooting for the remaining parts was then paused due to unknown reasons.

In 2020, however, Omar shared that the shooting was resumed, posting a picture with co-star Ahsan on her Instagram.

It seems this time the film is finally complete, although the release date has not been announced yet.

This isn’t the only project currently in the works for Ayesha Omar. The Karachi Se Lahore actor is also starring alongside Yasir Hussain in Javed Iqbal. The Untold Story of a Serial Killer, in which she plays an intrepid and determined police officer investigating the serial killer and tracking down his accomplice.