Category: World

World

Dr. Asaf Riyaz Qadeer crowned with the award of Most Popular Overseas Pakistani

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (Muhammad YASIR)

Renowned intellectual writer and poet Dr. Asaf Riyaz Qadeer has been given the award of Most Popular Overseas Pakistani in a ceremony held at Governor House. Writer Dr. Asaf, a writer from a Pakistani literary and social family, has lived in Houston, USA for the past 40 years.

He is also an important leader and as a poet he authored ten books including Riaz Sokhan, Rare and Unique, Selected Humorous Poetry, World Fiction, Sanjhan Aarte Par Diyan, My Favorite Fiction, Humorous Parade, and Modern Mention of Punjabi Poetry. Talking to the media, the poet Dr. Asaf Riyaz Qadeer said that as a surgeon, the writer has been trying to play his full role for the betterment of humanity.

 

Love He said that he was very grateful to the government of Pakistan for giving national awards to other Pakistanis for their services and encouraged them at the national level. He said that he has organized many events in Diyarbakir where Allama Iqbal, the poet of the East, Sofia Ikram and famous literary personalities have been celebrated.

Everyone should play their role for the development of the society whether it is Prime Minister Imran Khan as a physician or other sports showbiz literary personalities who have offered their services for him as a therapist. He said that after the publication of ten books on one more book My work is in progress and will be published after completion.

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Consul General of Pakistan in Toronto Abdul Hameed received the delegation of LadiesFund

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Toronto (Muhammad Yasir)  Consul General of Pakistan in Toronto Abdul Hameed received the delegation of LadiesFund today and hoped that successful Pakistan origin women professionals in Canada would help their counterparts in Pakistan by sharing best practices, experiences and strategies for achieving targets in their respective fields.

Spotted at the event were politician Sarah Bokhari, art curator Neshmia Ahmed, safety expert Asma Kazmi, Happiness guru Shaista Ali, realtor Shafaq Hussain, PhD Dr. Sarah Alam, beauty brand manufacturer Samina Ali, mortgage specialist Reema Hasnain, EY’s Rukhsana Hossein, Healonline’s Kanwal Salman, and LADIESFUND President Tara Uzra Dawood.

Junaid Safdar’s valima date confirmed, ceremony to be held in Lahore

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Junaid Safdar, the son of PML-N President Maryam Nawaz and Captain Safdar, will celebrate his valima (wedding reception) in Lahore and the date of the ceremony has also been confirmed. 

Speaking during the hearing of Maryam Nawaz’s case in the accountability court of Islamabad, her lawyer —  Azam Nazir Tarar — confirmed December 17 as the date of the ceremony. He, therefore, requested the judge to fix the next hearing on some other date.

It may be recalled that Junaid Safdar tied the knot with Ayesha Saif, the daughter of Nawaz Sharif’s long-term ally Saif-ur-Rehman, on August 22 in London after which photos and videos of their nikkah went viral on social media. 

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who lives in London, also attended the ceremony. 

On the other hand, Maryam Nawaz and her husband could not be present at the wedding ceremony as her name has been added to the exit control list (ECL), which bars her from leaving the country before the conclusion of the court cases against her. 

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Hadiqa Kiani and Fakhr-e-Alam congratulates Arooj Aftab for Grammy nomination

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Grammy nominations for the 2022 edition were unveiled on Tuesday and a lot of music fans want to know about an unfamiliar name that has taken over social media. 

Arooj Aftab has become the first Pakistani to be nominated for the Best New Artist, which is described as a “category that recognises an artist whose release achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape”.

But who is Arooj? According to Billboard magazine, she is a composer, vocalist and producer and has three solo albums to her credit. She was trained at the Berklee College of Music.

Arooj was born in Saudi Arabia and her family moved back to Lahore when she was 11 years old. In a profile published on ArtForum in April 2021, Arooj shared that she listened to Begum Akhtar, Mariah Carey and Billie Holiday while growing up and taught herself how to play guitar. It was in Pakistan that Arooj started promoting her music on the internet. Her covers of Amir Zaki’s Mera Pyar and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah helped her establish herself as one of the first “indie” artists in Pakistan.

Arooj’s latest studio album Vulture Prince was released in May through New Amsterdam Records. The album has seven tracks among which Mohabbat and Last Night received acclaim from critics and audiences alike. She has collaborated with multi-instrumentalist Darian Donovan Thomas for Baghon Mein, and Brazilian singer Badi Assad for Diya Hai. 

In July, Arooj’s Mohabbat was on Barack Obama’s summer playlist as well.

Arooj Aftab has won a number of music awards. Last year, she received her first Latin Grammy in the best rap or hip-hop category. Arooj was honoured with a Student Academy Award for composing music for the short film Bittu as well.

A number of celebrities, including Hadiqa Kiani, and Fakhr-e-Alam have congratulated Arooj on her achievement and wished her luck. The 64th Grammy Awards will be held on January 31, 2022.

 

Malala Yousafzai spotted with husband Asser Malik at fundraiser

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Nobel laureate and women’s education rights activist Malala Yousafzai was spotted on Monday night with her husband, Asser Malik, at the opening of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical, Cinderella.

This was the couple’s second public appearance together since their marriage earlier this month. The first was when the newly-weds were seen celebrating their marriage at a London cafe.

The musical show is a collaboration between Malala and Webber for raising funds for women and girl refugees. Proceeds from the show will go to the international non-profit organisation Malala Fund — co-founded by Malala — that advocates for girls’ education.

On Tuesday, Asser shared a picture from the musical in which he and Malala can be seen standing beside the show impresario Webber. 

“It was an amazing experience watching Andrew’s spectacular take on Cinderella. The energy of the actors and the wonderful music and stage designs were just some of the elements of the outstanding performance,” Asser wrote.

Webber later replied saying: “Thank you very much @MalikAsser. It was a joy to welcome you both. An incredibly special evening.”

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PM Imran Khan wins international sports award

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan has won the prestigious Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award for his contribution to cricket, a statement issued in this regard said Tuesday.

The Dubai-based award will be given to the premier next year. 

PM Khan’s name was chosen for the “International Sports Personality” category of the award for dedicating his life to sports. 

His captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team in 1992 — when Pakistan won the World Cup — has been particularly highlighted. 

The ceremony of the eleventh edition of the MBR Creative Sports Award took place on Monday, November 22, at Deep Dive Dubai. 

Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed, the Chairman of Dubai Sports Council was also present at the occasion.

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‘Harry Potter’ author J.K. Rowling receives death threats

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling said Monday she had received a flood of death threats, as she slammed three transgender rights activists who posted her home address on Twitter.

Rowling thanked police in Scotland for their support after the activists tweeted a photograph of them standing outside Rowling´s home in Edinburgh, with the address visible, on Friday.

Rowling said that she and other women who have spoken out on gender issues had faced “campaigns of intimidation”, stalking and harassment, but vowed she would not be silenced.

The 56-year-old writer said she had received “so many death threats I could paper the house with them”, and that “families have been put into a state of fear and distress” by transgender activists.

“Perhaps… the best way to prove your movement isn´t a threat to women, is to stop stalking, harassing and threatening us.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said the force was “aware of this incident” and that enquiries were “ongoing”. All three activists had shut down their Twitter accounts by Monday.

In her posts Monday, Rowling said she had been “appalled” to hear from various women who had spoken out on transgender issues, including those with no public profile, and suffered abuse including threats of rape.

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Arijit Singh inquires ‘why has Pakistani music been banned in India?’

Posted on by Ali Qasim

LAHORE- (NUT-DESK)

Indian singer Arijit Singh is heaping praises on Pakistani music and singers.

In a recent concert in Abu Dhabi, the Tum Hi Ho hit maker expressed his concerns around across the border singers being banned in his country.

“I have a question. It’s a wrong question, a controversial question. But still I want to ask it because I don’t give a d**n,” began Arijit.

The songster continued, “I don’t follow news but tell me one thing, has music from Pakistan has been banned in India?” 

“Is it still barred or has the ban been lifted?” asked Arijit, inviting an uproar from the crowd.

The singer went on to express his admiration for some of the best Pakistani musicians. 

“Atif Aslam is one of my favourites and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shafqat Amanat Ali,” said Arijit, wishing a future collaboration between the two countries.

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Malala Yousafzai gets married in small ceremony, terms it ‘precious day’

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has tied the nuptial knot during a small ceremony in Birmingham, the education activist revealed on Twitter Tuesday.

Taking to the microblogging website, the education activist wrote: “Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead.”

Malala also posted four photos from the nikkah ceremony in which she could be seen posing alongside her newlywed husband, Asser, as well as her parents, Ziauddin Yousafzai and Toor Pekai Yousafzai.

For her big day, Malala wore a melon-pink outfit adorned with gold embroidery. Her nikkah pictures were captured by her friend, Malin Fezehai, who is a photographer and visual journalist.

Congratulations pour in

Taking to Twitter, her father said the occasion was “beyond words”. 

“Toor Pekai and I are overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. Alhamdulillah,” he added.

PPP leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari felicitated Malala and hoped that the newly-wedded couple find every joy together.

“May your journey be blessed at every turn. Sending you love & duas,” she said.

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PM Imran Khan notifies Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as new DG ISI

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan notified the appointment of Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as Director-General of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI),.     

He would replace the incumbent DG ISI Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed who has been posted as the Corps Commander Peshawar under the fresh reshuffle in the Pakistan Army.

The appointment would be effective from November 20, 2021. A handout released from the PM Office stated that the prime minister today met COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in a meeting that was part of a consultative process over the appointment of the new DG ISI.

It said that the PM Office received a list of officials from defence ministry and the prime minister interviewed all candidates.

A final consultation between COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa and PM Imran Khan was held today, the handout shared and added that after the process, the name of Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum has been finalized for the slot.

The nominated DG ISI would take charge of the slot on November 20.

On 6th October, the ISPR announced that Lieutenant general Nadeem Anjum, an erstwhile Karachi Corps Commander, has on Wednesday been posted as 25th Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief after his predecessor Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was posted Peshawar Corps Commander.

Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, who was serving as the Director-General of ISI since 2019, has been appointed as the new Corps Commander Peshawar in the fresh transfers and appointments.

The newly posted ISI chief has also served as Balochistan IG and originally belongs to the Punjab Regiment of Pakistan Army.

The public relations wing of the armed forces has announced earlier today more postings and transfers wherein Lt. Gen. Muhammad Amir has been posted as the Commander Gujranwala Corps and Lt Gen Asim Munir has been posted as the Quartermaster General.

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