Sunita Marshall shares video of her daughter reciting Holy Quran

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Popular Pakistani Model and actress, Sunita Marshall has shared a picture and video from her daughter Zaynah’s ‘Ameen’ ceremony.

On Sunday, beautiful Pakistani actor/model and wife of actor Hasan Ahmed, Sunita Marshall took to her Instagram account to share a post from the event of her daughter Zaynah’s ‘Ameen’.

Proud parents, Hasan and Sunita, had an ‘Ameen’ ceremony at their place as their daughter Zaynah has completed her Quran.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXsS_ilvyq3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

‘Aulaad’ actor shared a family picture from the day and was seen with her husband and both kids. In a video that Marshall shared in the same post, Zaynah can be seen reciting Holy Quran with her grandmother.

Fans have left numerous likes and comments on the post. While the fans are showering the little girl with prayers, they have also praised the actor, for the way she is raising her children.

Later, her husband, actor Hasan Ahmed, also shared a picture collage from Zaynah’s ‘Ameen’ ceremony, with the family. He thanked Sunita and his mother in the caption, and wrote, “Thank you Ammi for imparting my children with proper religious education right from the beginning and thank you Sunita for supporting and contributing beautifully”.

Many celebrities and industry pals including Zhalay Sarhadi, Uroosa Siddiqui, Ayeza Khan, and supermodel Mehreen Syed among others, responded to Sunita’s post to share their good wishes for Zaynah and her parents.

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Cellular Mobile Operators opposing the Govt’s move for jacking up the Withholding Tax

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-Business)

The Cellular Mobile Operators have opposed the government’s move for jacking up the Withholding Tax (WHT) by 50 percent, increasing it from 10 to 15 percent on customers in the upcoming mini budget for 2021-22. The federal cabinet is most likely to take up the Tax Laws Fourth Amendment Bill for approval in today’s meeting (Tuesday) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran khan.

The sources said that the government had brought down the WHT rate from 12.5 percent to 10 percent on the eve of the last budget for 2021-22 and it made a commitment that it would be further brought down to 8 percent in the next budget for 2022-23.

“Now the government is making reversal from its commitment, then how investment can be lured in such circumstances when there is no certainty in policies,” said the sources working in telecom sector and added that it would be disastrous if the internet services or SMS would be brought under the tax net.

The cabinet had opposed such moves in the last budget and it was hoped that it would be resisted again because if the WHT was jacked up by 50 percent, then no one from the market would trust any official word from the incumbent government.

“How the CMOs could put in place medium to long term investment plans when there is complete uncertainty in policy-making process,” they raised the question and added that under the IMF program, this booming sector would be made a scapegoat for the short-term objectives.

The government is looking to increase the WHT from 10pc to 15pc in the upcoming mini-budget — a reversal of the WHT reduction announced in the federal budget 2021-22, just a reflection of the overall governance model pursued by the incumbent regime.

They also argued that out of over 220 million, approximately 2.9 million file taxes, which is one percent of the total population.

Even though a majority of the country’s population had non-taxable income, they are paying the WHT, which they can never claim back. So this kind of withholding tax becomes part of national kitty although it was claimed by the official circles that it was adjustable and refunds could be taken back after filing due Income Tax return.

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Ajoka performed “ Dara’s Search” (short play) at Loyola Hall

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Ajoka performed on Sunday 19 December, a short play “ Dara’s Search” at Loyola Hall on the occasion of a Christmas event organised by Centre for Social Justice.

The beautifully choreographed play presented Mughal prince Dara Shiloh’s search for common elements in the teachings of all religions of the Indian subcontinent. Indian mystic Bhagat Kabir’s poem on religious harmony was sung by Kanwal Christopher while the cast included Qaiser Khan ( Dara), Fahad Aamir (Guru Har Rai), Nasir Mahmood(Baba Lal Das), Asad Bhatti (Father Boseo) and Usman Zia (Mullah Badakhshi).

Dancer Luke Kelvin performed the role of Dara’s spirit. Nadeem Mir handled the lights and set. The play, which was baddd on extracts from Shahid Nadeem’s acclaimed play “ Dara”, was given Global Film and Music Awarded in 2019.
Peter Jacob, director of Centre for Social Justice, thanked Ajoka for its performance and appreciated its role in promoting religious harmony.

Ajoka’s director Shahid Nadeem and director Ajoka Institute Nirvaan Nadeem also attended the event.

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COKE STUDIO BRINGS BACK THE MAGIC OF LIVE MUSIC

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Celebrating Pakistan and Music the Coke way, Coca-Cola Pakistan hosted the first ever Coke Studio Live concert in Lahore at the Royal Palm Golf and Country Club featuring a diverse line-up of artists: the dynamic Talal Qureshi, pop sensation Hasan Raheem, the rap duo Young Stunners, popular rap artist Faris Shafi and music icon Atif Aslam.

Coke Studio is known as the Sound of the Nation. The platform has played a key role in taking Pakistani music global. The Foreign Office recognized this role and awarded the platform for being the country’s best cultural export, with over 10.2 million subscribers on YouTube and over 4 billion views on digital platforms.

This year Coke Studio 14 is aiming for a revitalized vibe. 70 per cent of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 35, and with Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (popularly known as Xulfi) at the helm there is a lot of anticipation around the new sound, fresh stars and a modern outlook that will reflect the voice of the youth.

Fahad Ashraf, VP Coca-Cola Pakistan and Afghanistan said: “The Coke Studio platform has evolved this season. Whereas the values are the same but we are now leaning into the future by including the GenZ sound very deliberately. It is about time that we sync our cords with what the youngsters what. Nostalgia has its place in Season 14 but so does the firepower of a sound never been heard before.”

Celebrating music in line with Coca-Cola’s new global brand philosophy and platform Real Magic, Coke Studio Live attracted a lively youth-oriented audience from all corners of the city and provided families with an opportunity to plan a perfect evening out, organized in line with the NCOC protocols.

Coke Studio Live is an effort to help revitalize the live music culture of the country. Pakistanis are known for their resilient nature, and our music has always reflected our adversity, hope and our ability to come through. The concert comes at a time when the country despite the challenges it faces have an overall optimistic outlook and is on a journey towards economic recovery, sustainable development and post-pandemic normalization. 

Hosted by media personalities Dino Ali and Anoushey Ashraf, in attendance at this concert were various personalities such as HSY, Shammal Qureshi, Meesha Shafi, Abdullah Siddiqui, Zara Shahjahan, Bilal Lashari, Omair Rana, Amna Babar, Zonia Anwaar, Guddu Shani, Sameer Shami and Farhan Ali to name a few, along with members of the esteemed press.

At this concert, Coke Studio also revealed the artists part of its talented roster for Season 14. With producer Xulfi at the helm, the featured artist lineup for the season includes: Abdullah Siddiqui, Abida Parveen, Ali Sethi, Ameer Baksh, Arooj Aftab, Asfar Hussain, Atif Aslam, Butt Brothers, Eva B, Faisal Kapadia, Faris Shafi, Hasan Raheem, Justin Bibis, Kaifi Khalil, Karakoram, Lahore Jazz Ensemble, Meesha Shafi, Momina Mustehsan, Naseebo Lal, Quratulain Baloch, Shaegill, Soch, Talal Qureshi, Talha Anjum, Wahab Bugti, Young Stunners and Zain Zohaib Qawwals.

This season truly epitomizes the passion of Pakistanis, unifying the diverse sounds of the country through a fusion of diverse genres while the videos takes viewers on a journey like never before.Coke Studio also announces two major partnerships for Season 14: The world’s leading music streaming platform Spotify, and Pakistan’s leading high-street brand Khaadi.

Coke Studio’s launch date and more partnerships will be announced later this December 2021.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/cokestudio/

 

Thaap honored Punjabi writer Nain Sukh for receiving Dhahan International Literature Prize.

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Thaap organized a special literary evening in honor of Punjabi writer “Nain Sukh” for winning the Dhahan international punjabi literature prize 2021 on the occasion of its 46th Talk. The talk was held at Thaap secreteriat Gulberg on December 17 and was attended by literature lovers and an interested & discriminating audience.
Nain Sukh is the recipient of the Dhahan International Punjabi Literature Prize 2021 and the Masud Khadarposh Award 2015. In local litereay circles, he is considered Pride of Punjab for being the first rceipient of Dhahan International Punjabi Literature Prize from Pakistani Punjab. Pr. Retd. Sajida Haider Vandal, Pervez Vandal and other partcipants acknowleged the contributions of Nain Sukh in promotion of Punjabi literature. 
In the evening, Nain Sukh read his short stories from his award winning book and lively discussion took place with penetrating remarks and questions.  
Nain Sukh has published several Punjabi short stories, poetry, Novel and novelette over the years. Through his work, he has attempted to transform his 28 years of research and observations of Punjab, combining them with historical insights gained from the works of old masters, into works of fiction and poetry. 
Professor Naveed Alam made the introductions and acted as the moderator. He briefed the audience that Nain Sukh’s book, Jogi, Sapp, Trah (The Snake Charmer, Snake and Fright), won the Dhahan Prize for Punjabi literature announced in Canada. The Canada-based prize committee had received 45 entries this year.
While putting light on the short stories, Pr. Naveed Alam shared that Nain Sukh’s award-winning book has many characters from the lower stratum of society, considered outcasts — Dalits who converted to Islam, but could not shake off the stigma attached to their former caste besides weavers, shoemakers, fishers, hairdressers, snake charmers, gypsies and all the subalterns.
During the evening, writer Nain Sukh discussed the reasons that when those belonging to these so-called lower castes realised the dishonour attached to their work and craft, they gradually started quitting it. This culminated into the erasure of history that was preserved in their collective memory, as nobody had recorded it.
 

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy collaborates with Welsh National Opera at Expo 2020 Dubai

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Two-time Academy Award-winning film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has announced her collaboration with Welsh National Opera (WNO) for Expo 2020 Dubai’s Al-Wasl Opera, a cultural milestone that celebrates thousands of years of UAE history, its achievements to date and its aspirations for the future. The show will be performed at Dubai Opera for its premiere run from till 19th December 2021.

The series of 7 films will play in the background at various key points, in harmony with the live music, during the performance of Al-Wasl. The films have been produced by SOC Films and directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, in close collaboration with celebrated American composer Mohammed Fairouz and renowned British Director Sir David Willoughby Pountney. An Opera in Three Acts, the performance will feature more than 100 artists and musicians, as well as a production team of 70 professionals, to combine the best global operatic talent, celebrating Expo 2020’s theme, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’.

Produced in collaboration with Welsh National Opera, composed by Mohammed Fairouz, co-authored and written by Maha Gargash, directed by Sir David Willoughby Pountney and conducted by Justin Brown, Al Wasl translates as ‘the connection’ in English, and is the old name for Dubai. The connection here implies international cooperation, with Al Wasl Opera showing how we must work together to channel Sustainability, one of Expo’s three subthemes.

Mohammed Fairouz, Composer, Al Wasl Opera, said: “Celebrating Expo 2020’s vision of collaboration, Al Wasl Opera brings together many people from a variety of artistic backgrounds in order to create one art form – and there’s nothing more universal than opera and theatre. If people can laugh and cry together, then anything is possible between them.”

Sir David Willoughby Pountney, Director, Al Wasl Opera, said: “The story of Al Wasl begins in the desert, and we created a rather original way of depicting this desert in a metaphorical way. In the middle act, we are in the present, where there is a strong reference to the creation of the Burj Khalifa, and we move on into the future in the final act, where we are in pure fantasyland about what the future may or may not look like, depending on whether we make a commitment to a sustainable tomorrow.”

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Film Director, Al Wasl Opera, said: “We worked closely with Sir David Pountney and Mohammad Fairouz to create films that spoke to the music and choreography of the opera. In telling the story of the UAE and its growth, we also told the story of the men who built it, including the story of a Pakistani worker Adnan and his daughter Eshal. As filmmakers we visualize stories and to be able to do that on an opera stage with the best in the world has truly been an honor.”

Al Wasl Opera will be presented in English, with a runtime of 120 minutes, including one intermission.

Link for more information: https://www.dubaiopera.com/events/al-wasl-opera/

 

Gamers Galaxy announces prize pool for PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan and Valorant, Registrations Open for esports Festival

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Gamers Galaxy announces prize pool for PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan and Valorant, Registrations Open for esports Festival.

 

  • 14,000,000 Crore Pakistani Rupees will be allocated to the PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan and Valorant tournament from the Grand prize pool of 20,000,000 Crore
  • The online qualifiers will be streamed from the 25th to 28th on twitch.tv/galaxyracerdxb
  • Gamers Galaxy will host the top 16 teams from PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan and the top 4 teams from Valorant at the LAN event in Islamabad.
  • Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Gamers Galaxy has announced the prize pools for PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan, the original battle royale mobile game, and Valorant, a free-to-play first-person hero shooter game for PC. The two tournaments, running from 18th December, will be a part of the largest eSports event to take place in the history of Pakistan on 8th and 9th of January at Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad.

    The Valorant and PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan’s online qualifiers will also be streamed live on www.twitch.tv/galaxyracerdxb from the 25th to 28th of December.

    The first week of registrations has seen a huge success with over 700+ PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy Pakistan teams and 30+ Valorant teams.

    The two remaining game titles that will have dedicated tournaments, Tekken 7 and Fifa 22, will be live for registrations soon.

    Earlier this month, it was announced that a musical component will perform as a closing act for Gamers Galaxy. The gaming festival will also feature meet and greets and panels with the country’s most popular content creators, action-packed live entertainment, alongside global toy giants who will hold fun-filled activations and unveil their brand-new line of toys.

    The two-day festival will be free of entry to the public as Galaxy Racer aims to build an ecosystem and pave the way for change in Pakistan. Register now at: https://gamersgalaxy.com.pk.

    Fakhar-e-Alam, CEO of Galaxy Racer Pakistan, said: “Our whole vision with Gamers Galaxy is to ensure that the community in Pakistan gets presented a platform to compete and encourage individuals and teams with amazing talent to aim for the sky and nothing less. Hence why we have made it a free of entry and registration event, our sole purpose is to nurture the talent in Pakistan and create an entire ecosystem and our initiative of HER Galaxy is to give opportunity encourage and nurture Pakistani girls to explore possibilities in the esports universe and compete with the best around the world.”

    The event will also be televised in partnership with Ten Sports for the first time in the country’s history.

    Follow us on Instagram and Twitter to know more.

           

    About Galaxy Racer:

    Galaxy Racer (GXR) was founded in 2019 and is one of the fastest-growing global esports, gaming and lifestyle organizations in the world, with an impressive roster of twelve esports teams under Nigma Galaxy, the competitive esports team division of Galaxy Racer; in esports titles such as Dota 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, Fortnite, Valorant, PUBG Mobile, BGMI and Free Fire.

    GXR values diversity and equal representation in esports, with over 60 male and female esports athletes from over 20 countries, with over 100 content creators across Middle East North Africa (MENA) and Southeast Asia (SEA), amassing over 370 million followers and generating over 2 billion monthly views.

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THE COCA-COLA FOUNDATION PROVIDES FUNDING FOR UNHCR’S HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES TO ASSIST DISPLACED AFGHANS

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, is supporting UNHCR efforts in delivering humanitarian aid for displaced people impacted by the recent conflict in Afghanistan.

A USD 300,000 grant to USA for UNHCR has helped support efforts by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to assist over 500 families (with an average of 7 members per family) with immediate humanitarian relief, including core relief kits and shelter items to protect Afghan families during the harsh winter season.

“This is a multi-faceted crisis disproportionately affecting women and girls,” said Saadia Madsbjerg, president, The Coca-Cola Foundation. “We hope this grant will be meaningful in providing displaced Afghan families with critical support.” 

UNHCR’s Representative in Pakistan, Noriko Yoshida, welcomed the timely support from The Coca-Cola Foundation. “Having assistance reach displaced people in Afghanistan is saving lives. Many are without shelter, struggling to feed families, unable to cope, and need support urgently”, she added.

Afghanistan is facing a growing economic, humanitarian and food-security crisis endangering millions of Afghans. Almost 80 percent of the Afghans newly displaced by conflict this year have been women and children.

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Shah Rukh Khan makes first digital appearance after Aryan Khan debacle

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is returning to normalcy after tough few months of his son Aryan Khan’s arrest. The actor was recently spotted in an exclusive video by a car brand, where the actor congratulated the company’s new brand ambassadors. 

The video, that officially released on Wednesday, instantly excited the star’s eager fans who were waiting to see him since months.

Shah Rukh wore a round-neck T-shirt along with a jacket and kept his tied back.

“Finally sir ke dharshan ho hee gaya (Finally, we got a glimpse of Shah Rukh),” a fan tweeted in excitement. “Waiting to see him on the big screen,” added another. 

Take a look:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXgCYgPPxUM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

‘Ms Marvel’ was a wonderful experience, says Fawad Khan

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Fawad Khan recently confirmed that he will be seen in the upcoming Ms Marvel series alongside Iman Vellani and Brie Larson, saying it was a “wonderful experience”.

The Kapoor & Sons star opened up about being a part of the Marvel show while talking to Indian publication Film Companion.

When asked whether he was a part of the show, he simply replied, “Yeah, I am,” before adding, “I can’t deny that or lie about it because they have put out the news themselves.”

Reports of Fawad’s casting first did rounds earlier in June when his name was added to the show’s IMDP page, however, Marvel had not commented.

He stayed mum about any other details but did not shy away from sharing his experience on set, calling it “wonderful”.

“It was good fun. The cast that I worked with, the people that I worked with, it was good fun, but I am sorry, I cannot say anything more than that at this point in time,” he said.

Pakistani-Canadian actor Iman Vellani, who will essay the role of Ms. Marvel aka Kamala Khan, is leading the series with Hollywood superstar Brie Larson also joining the cast as she reprises her role as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel.

The series will be helmed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Meera Menon, Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi.

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