Author: Ali Qasim

Cricket returns Home as PCB announces England tour of Pakistan schedule.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-Desk)

England will tour Pakistan for two-match T20I series ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in October, PCB announced Friday. Both matches will be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on 13th and 14th October.

The Eoin Morgan-led unit will arrive in Islamabad on October 9 and while the men’s squad will depart for Dubai on 15 October. Meanwhile, England women will stay back for the three ODIs to be played on 17, 19 and 21 October at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

“We are delighted to welcome both the England men’s team for what will be their first tour to Pakistan since 2005, and the England women’s team, who will be touring Pakistan for the first time,” said Wasim Khan, PCB Chief Executive.

“Both are additional tours with England men’s side scheduled to return to Pakistan in the last quarter of 2022 for white-ball and ICC World Test Championship fixtures,” he added.

Series schedule

9 Oct – England men and women sides’ arrival

13 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women; Pakistan Men v England Men (T20I double-header)

14 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women; Pakistan Men v England Men (T20I double-header)

17 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women, 1st ODI

19 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women, 2nd ODI

21 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women, 3rd ODI

Muharram: Govt announces two holidays for Youm-e-Ashura

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

The federal government on Friday announced two holidays for the upcoming Youm-e-Ashura.The government has declared August 18 and 19 as public holidays to mark Youm-e-Ashura, said a notification from the Ministry of Interior.

Earlier this week, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee sighted the Muharram-ul-Haram moon, which rings in the new Islamic year, 1443 AH.

The government has decided to deploy army troops across the country from Muharram 1 to 13. A security plan has been devised for the processions as well. The Pakistan Army with help the civil security forces.

In Sindh, a ban has been placed on pillion riding from Muharram 8 to 10 under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. No one can carry any arms or ammunition with the exception of law enforcers. More than five people cannot gather unless there is a procession, majlis, or tazia.

The ban on pillion riding does not apply to women, children below 12 years of age, senior citizens, journalists, disabled persons, law enforcers, and employees of essential services.

The day of Ashura is marked by Muslims across the world to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions on Muharram 10.The government of Pakistan announces two public holidays on Muharram 9 and 10 every year.

 

Fayyaz ul Hassan Chauhan returns as Punjab govt spokesperson

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Punjab Minister for Prisons Fayyaz Al Hassan Chauhan has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Punjab government on Friday.  Reports stated that Chauhan’s appointment as the spokesperson has been approved by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Chauhan is currently serving as Minister of Prisons for Punjab since August 2018. He has previously served as the provincial minister for information.

Elected from PP-17 Rawalpindi, Chauhan’s appointment as the spokesperson will be in effect from Friday, August 13.

As per guidelines from previous such appointments, it is expected that Chauhan will be taking part in issuing statements and updates about government policies, programmes and their progress.

The Punjab government has appointed spokespersons to help streamline the information dissemination process, defend its stance, and notify the public of its policies.

Pakistan 217 all out in first Test against West Indies

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Two wickets in two balls by Mohammad Abbas just before the close of play put the West Indies immediately on the back foot in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 217 on the rain-affected opening day of the first Test at Sabina Park on Thursday.

Abbas put the seal on a bowlers’ day by having Kieran Powell well taken low at second slip and then trapping Nkrumah Bonner leg before next ball in a testing final 20 minutes of play.

It was Bonner’s first Test innings since his brief appearance on the opening day of the South Africa series when he was forced to retire hurt after being struck flush on the helmet first ball by fast bowler Anrich Nortje.

Like Abbas, the West Indies fast bowlers justified their skipper’s decision to bowl first with former leader Jason Holder and young pacer Jayden Seales taking three wickets each.

Kemar Roach lifted his tally of Test wickets to 225 in his 66th match by removing Imran Butt after half-an-hour’s play and then added the important wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

Babar and former skipper Azhar Ali put on 47 for the third wicket with Azhar capturing much of the attention in the afternoon session for a bizarre succession of reprieves via referrals to the television technology with four consecutive decisions going the way of the batsman.

However it was the combined effort of left-handers Fawad Alam (56) and Faheem Ashraf (44) which gave the innings some substance.

The pair put on 85 for the sixth wicket only to be separated by a run out when Ashraf was found short of his ground by square-leg fielder Chase when seeking to complete a sharp single. On a day when 12 wickets fell, it was the four occasions in quick succession when Azhar survived to fight on early in the post-lunch period which proved most memorable.

Nimra Khan’s divorced confirmed, ex-husband calls her a headache.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Nimra Khan’s ex-husband Raja Iftekhar Azam confirmed that the two had a bitter separation, saying in a recent video that he “got rid of her.” 

Seen answering questions in a recent video that is now doing rounds on social media, Azam rather affirmatively says, “We are divorced,” before answering further questions in a more demeaning way.

When asked why he got divorced, Azam said, “Because I wanted to… I am old enough,” with a chuckle. “I got rid of her. She was a headache… proper headache,” he said when asked whether he divorced Nimra Khan or she parted ways.

Azam can be seen smoking in the video, leading many to question whether he said what he said in a drunken stupor because of his slightly slurred speech.

Just last week, Nimra Khan had addressed long-standing rumours about her marital status for the first time since she reportedly split from her husband.

Nimra, who tied the knot with Azam during the first COVID-19 lockdown in April 2020, made headlines after she cleared her social media of any pictures with him. Many suspected that the couple had separated, however, Nimra Khan chose to keep mum about the situation.

Months later, during an appearance on a local talk show, Actor Nimra Khan was asked why she deleted pictures with her husband, to which she replied, “Can we not discuss this please!”

After her initial response, the Bhool actor added, “One shouldn’t be sharing everything about their personal life on social media, because in a way you start living your life according to others, and that does not bring happiness.”

She was then asked if she has any plans to marry again, she shared, “My mother and father are looking for a proposal and all I need are your prayers.”

 

Govt issues policy directives for auction of spectrum in GB, AJK.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Following the government’s decision to provide fast internet services in mountainous regions of the country, the Ministry of Information Technology has issued policy directives to the telecom regulator for the auction of spectrum in AJK and the Gilgit Baltistan (GB) to enhance the quality and outreach of mobile telephony as well as broadband in these areas.

The auction process to be conducted by PTA is expected to be completed by November this year. It may be mentioned here that students and thousands of tourists visiting the hilly areas have been criticizing the government for not providing the fast internet services in GB and AJK.

Similarly, additional spectrum has also been approved for the state owned telecom operator in GB and AJK.The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is expected to issue the Information Memorandum (IM) after receiving the policy directive to all the five cellular operators in the region.

Currently, there are five operators providing cellular mobile services in AJ&K and GB, including the state owned Special Communication Organisation (SCO), Jazz, Telenor, Zong and Ufone. The SCO is a subsidiary of the ministry of IT and telecom, established in 1976 to develop, operate and maintain all telecom services in Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.

The government has set the base price of $0.87 million for each megahertz in 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz band, and 16 megahertz spectrum in 1800 MHz band and 30 megahertz spectrum in the 2100 MHz have been placed for auction, to the four mobile operators for 15 years.

However, additional spectrum of 10 megahertz in both the 1800 MHz and 2100 MHz bands has been approved for SCO. The auction will be beneficial for the governments of both AJK and the GB as a significant amount out of the auction proceeds will be transferred to the AJ&K and GB Councils by the PTA. The policy directive by the IT ministry has said that a significant surge in the demand of mobile broadband services has been witnessed particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This ever-increasing reliance on mobile broadband services necessitated the demand for availability of more spectrum to meet the connectivity needs of the citizens of AJ&K and GB,” the ministry has said.

If all spectrum available for auction is sold at base price then estimated revenue of $40.02 million will be received by the PTA, however the expected revenue can vary if any spectrum remains unsold or the estimated revenue can be higher if the spectrum is sold at higher than the base price through auction.

PTA will issue an Information Memorandum (IM) specifying the detailed procedure of the auction, to the four mobile operators including the eligibility criteria and steps for participating in the auction process.

The specifications set by the government for the mobile operators includes establishing a neutral technology that will be usable for all existing and upcoming advanced generations technologies, within the applicable policy framework of the Government of Pakistan. Along with the existing mobile companies the government has also allowed new entrants to participate in the auction process.

 

Sale of fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates on rise.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Despite the 4th and deadly wave of corona pandemic, it is very hearting that sale of fake Covid-19 vaccination certificates on rise  in Pakistan and those people who did not want to be vaccinated, are availing these certificates from fraudsters. It seems that government’s extensive Covid-19 vaccination campaign, many people were still reluctant to be vaccinated against Covid.

“The general impression we have about vaccinations is that maybe any kind of vaccination leads to male infertility. The same impression was there about vaccines that work against polio,” it is learnt.

News update Times  learnt that the fraudsters have been sending mass marketing messages through various SMS portals and WhatsApp groups — wherein many of the messages went viral — claiming that anyone could get a National Database and Registration Authority-verified certificate after paying a certain amount to the fraudsters.

It was also claimed in the messages by the counterfeiters that if the buyer received the certificate from them after making the payments, he/she could send his/her CNIC number to the National Immunization Management System number, 1166, and the data would both only verify that he/she was vaccinated as well as allow the person to get the NADRA Covid-19 Certificate through its online portal.

It is pertinent to mention here that the fraudsters were only selling certificates and not vaccinations and this offer was for those who did not want to be vaccinated.

The counterfeiters were claiming that the CanSino vaccine certificate was available for Rs20,000 and the verification of a single-shot of the Sinovac vaccine was available for Rs15,000 while the double-shot was for Rs30,000.

Similarly, the counterfeiters were also claiming that they had a single-shot certificate of Sinopharm vaccine available for Rs15,000 while one could supposedly buy a double-shot certificate for Rs30,000.

Moreover, the scammers also purported that one could purchase a Moderna vaccine single-shot certificate for Rs15,000 and the double-shot version for Rs28,000. The certificate of AstraZeneca vaccine single-shot was being sold for Rs17,000 and the double-shot was for Rs35,000. Similarly, Rs20,000 was charged for a Pfizer vaccine single-shot certificate and Rs30,000 for a double-shot certificate.

Automobile sales surge by whooping 104pc in July: report

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

The overall car sales rose by 104 per cent during the month of July 2021 as compared to the same month of last year, according to the latest data released by Pakistan Automobile Manufacturing Association (PAMA).

As per data released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), passenger car sales increased to 20,669 units in the period under review, which compared to the same month last year, showed sales of 10,123 units.

In the period under review, sales of trucks, buses, jeeps, tractors, and pickups increased notably, while that of three and two-wheelers dropped, the data showed.Link of complete report is below.

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According to data, 1700 units of Honda Civic and City were sold during the month as compared to the sale of 2,210 units last year, showing a decline of 23.15%.

Toyota Corolla car sales, however, witnessed an increase of 52% as it soared to 2,320 units in the corresponding month from 1,528 units in the same period of previous year.

Suzuki Swift’s sale surged by 23.62 percent as its sale increased to 225 units from 182 units in July, the report said.

Similarly, the newly launched Toyota Yaris also witnessed an increase as its sale jumped to 2,700 units in the year under review from 1,830 units in July 2020.

The sale of Suzuki Cultus increased to 4,213 units in the corresponding year whereas, during the same period last year, the sale was recorded at 1,077 units.

Suzuki Alto also witnessed a sharp increase as it went up from 2,158 units in FY21 to 6,110 units in the previous year.

Meanwhile, the sale of motorbikes witnessed a decrease of 11% as it went down to 133,426 units in July 2021 compared to sale of 149,921 units in the same month of last year.

 

 

Legendary actress Durdana Butt passes away at 83.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

Veteran Pakistani actor Durdana Butt has passed away on Thursday, at the age of 83. She was shifted to ventilator the past week for deteriorating health.She had been suffering prolonged cancer and just last week she was put on ventilator support when her ailment got worse after contracting Covid.

Known for her positive and fun on-screen presence, legendary Durdana Butt was born on 9 May, 1938. She was celebrated across the world for her role in superhit drama Tanhaiyaan and then its remake Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay. She has recently worked in sitcom Dugdugi.

Taking to Instagram, actor Khalid Malik shared the news of the actress’ passing in a post captioned, “Durdana (dodi) apa has transitioned from this realm back to her Creator.”

“The wise. The humorous. The insightful Durdana Butt is a special soul now back in His embrace,” Malik added.

Soon after, condolences for the Fifty-Fifty star started pouring in from celebrities and fans alike. Durdana Butt is best known for her roles in famous dramas like Aangan Terha, Ruswai and Tanhaiyaan.

Born on May 9, 1938 in Lahore, Butt started her acting journey in the early 70s. Apart from working in dramas, she also starred in movies like Balu Mahi, Parey Hut Love, Ishq Positive and Dil Diyan Gallan.

 

 

Nazia Hassan, Queen of Pop Music being remembered on 21st Death Anniversary

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Nut-Desk)

The Queen of Pop, Nazia Hassan’s 21st Death Anniversary is being observed today. Nazia Hassan was one of the most iconic figures in the history of Pakistan Music Industry. She along with her brother Zohaib Hassan marked the breakthrough with introducing modernized version of pop music in Pakistan.This sensational singer was also a lawyer and a social activist who started her music career at the age of 10.

 

Nazia Hassan was born on April 3, 1965 in Karachi. She spent his childhood and youth in educational institutions in Karachi and London. In 1980, at the age of 15, she entered the world of singing and became overnight star by singing the evergreen song “Aap Jaisa Koi meri Zindagi mai aaey” in Bollywood film Qurbani directed by famous Indian filmmaker Feroz Khan.

Nazia Hassan also worked in various programs and TV commercials on PTV and gained a lot of fame. Nazia Hassan along with her brother Zohaib Hassan introduced the western style in Pakistani music which was well received by the Pakistani youth abroad all over the world including India, USA, UAE, Latin America.

She enjoyed widespread popularity across South and Southeast Asia and has been termed as the “Queen of Pop” in South Asia. She, along with her brother Zoheb Hassan, went on to sell over 65 million records worldwide. Her English language single Dreamer Deewane made her the first Pakistani singer to make it to the British charts.

That is why Nazia Hassan is credited as the founders of POP music in Pakistan. Nazia Hassan has won numerous awards, including Pride of Performance, Best Male Playback, and 15 Gold Discs.

On 30 March 1995, Nazia Hassan married businessman Mirza Ishtiaq Baig in an Islamic wedding ceremony held in Karachi. This took place after her being diagnosed with cancer.

They have a son, Arez Hassan, born on 7 April 1997. The marriage ended in a divorce ten days before Nazia’s death. Despite all the fame and success, her brother Zohaib in an interview revealed that his sister “died an unhappy person, she died in pain.”

The legendary Nazia Hassan’s significant evergreen playlist includes:

  • Kariyay Pyar Diyan Gallan
  • Boom Boom
  • Disco Diwanay
  • Dosti
  • Main Aya Tere Liyay
  • Rock n Roll
  • Sunn
  • Aankhen Milanay Walay
  • Dheere Dheere