Salman Khan will not Include Jacqueline Fernandez in Kick’s Sequel

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Jun 5, 2015

The gorgeous Sri Lankan import into Bollywood, Jacqueline Fernandez is apparently not on very good terms with the Dabangg superstar, Salman Khan. The Bollywood rumor mill was set ablaze by this recent statement of Salman Khan’s where he candidly admitted that his former co-star, Jacqueline will not be part of any sequels for the Kick movie.

During the recent AIBA awards that were hosted in Dubai, Salman Khan talked about Sajid Nadiadwala and the Kick movie sequel saying, “Sajid and I will work together then, whenever it happens. However, there will be no Jacqueline. She has been ‘Kick’ed out. Now we will find someone else.”

Earlier on, it seemed that there was a spark more than just friendship between Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez. However the co-star with whom Salman shared such sizzling chemistry on-screen was nowhere to be seen during his crucial court days when all of Bollywood had garnered together to support him in the verdict of the hit-and-run case.

On one of his recent productions called Hero, Sallu Bhai had also approached Jacqueline to perform on an item number, but the song was unfortunately scrapped out of the film.

Recently, Salman Khan is busy promoting his new film Bajrangi Bhaijan and meanwhile Jacqueline is all set to feature in Karan Malhotra’s film, Brothers.

Umer Shareef to Host ‘Ramazan Hamara Emaan’ on AAJ TV: Registration Open

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Web Desk

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Jun 5, 2015

AAJ TV’s Ramazan transmission ‘Ramazan Hamara Emaan’, will be hosted by Pakistan’s ‘King of Comedy’, Umer Shareef. Find out the registration process and timings below.

Accompanying him, the show will also feature Nusrat Haris, Shahood Alvi and Muzna.

Umer Shareef is a well-known Pakistani stand-up comedian and a stage, film and television actor. He has won many awards for not only his comedy and acting but as a Best Drama Writer too.

Recently he hosted his own show, The Umer Shareef Show from Geo TV, hence proving his skills as a host.

The show will start with the Holy Month i.e. 1st Ramadan.

Posted by Ramzan Hamara Emaan on Sunday, May 31, 2015

Here are some details:

Timings:

Sehri transmission: 2 am to 4 am.

Iftari transmission: 3 pm to 7:30 pm.

The show will start on 1st Ramadan and will be continued for the entirety of the holy month.

Registrations:

For registrations visit their page ‘Ramazan Hamara Emaan‘ and participate in the quiz currently on go and win free tickets to the show or message them for further registration queries.

AAJ News is a news channel which provides news for all sorts of categories. It broadcasts local, national and international news 24/7.

Contributed by Atiqa Shaikh.

Bookme.PK Raises Six Figure Funding with $4 Million Valuation

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Web Desk

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Jun 5, 2015

Bookme.pk, a Pakistan-based company, raised capital up to $4 Million with the help of funding from Element Ventures. The company did not reveal the actual amount but according to them it is a six digit number.

Bookme.pk is an online portal where you can buy tickets for cinema and busses. Bookme.pk sells convenience at its best in 3 metropolitan cities in Pakistan (Lahore, Karachi & Islamabad).

Their mission is “To ensure transparent, easy and efficient e-ticketing system in Pakistan”.

Along with this announcement, Bookme.pk also declared Mr. Faisal Sherjan, previously associated with Jang Group, as their Director.

With this investment, said the founder Mr. Faizan Aslam, they will be expanding operations further in other major cities of Pakistan. Currently, they offer buying and selling of cinema tickets online in the three major cities and bus tickets in Lahore and Islamabad.

The company has signed deals with Microsoft, Geo, Hum and ARY to grow its customers whereas they get more than 200 orders/day.

From June 2015 onwards, Microsoft has agreed to pre-install the Bookme.pk app on all the Microsoft phones (coming to Pakistan).

As Bookme.pk has partnered with many media groups, its customers base has increased without any additional expenses of advertising.

The company is currently working on developing a widget. Faizan Aslam said that the widget will be for all the websites and commission will be given to the orders placed.

Contributed by Atiqa Shaikh.

Pakistani Movie MOOR Will Strike a Chord With Every Cinema Goer: Jami

By

Bismah Ahmed

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Jun 5, 2015

The press event for Jami’s latest venture ‘MOOR’ was held yesterday amidst press, bloggers and movie enthusiasts.

Based on a true story, Moor has proved to set a benchmark for meaningful cinema in Pakistan.

Azadfilm Company & Mandviwalla Entertainment are all set to release their latest production ‘Moor’ this August.

The title is an enigma in itself, derived from the word ‘MORQAYE’ which means ‘Ammi Jan’. With a ‘what you reap is what you sow’ philosophy, the film has a deep social message that is explained through an intricate story.

Jami expressed his enthusiasm for the movie by saying, “Based on a true story, Moor is a tale filled with emotions bound to strike a chord with every cinema goer at some level. The plot of the movie speaks of corruption in a manner to provoke the masses to take individualistic measures to combat the social evils prevalent in our society.”

With seasoned actors of the Pakistani performing arts fraternity such as Hameed Sheikh, Samiya Mumtaz, Shaz Khan, Abdul Qadir, Soniya Hussain, Ayaz Samoo and Eshita Mehboob, the movie aims to breathe life into the booming film industry of Pakistan through a compilation of picturesque beauty of Baluchistan.

Nadeem Mandviwalla, producer of the movie commented, “Moor will prove to be a milestone in the history of meaningful cinema. The trend of Pakistani cinema is evolving for the better and so is the audience, henceforth compelling everyone in the movie business to produce better work that can steer the audience back towards cinemas.”

A compelling musical score arranged by Strings, backed by captivating lyrics penned by Anwar Maqsood, the movie features 7 songs in total.

Significant contributions in terms of music and vocals for Moor have been created by artists like Javed Bashir, Strings and Meesha Shafi.

The event also marked the launch of the ‘MOOR’ website, which is available here: www.MoorTheFilm.com.

7UP on the Lookout for #Asalfoodie in Pakistan

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Web Desk

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Jun 5, 2015

Pakistan is a nation in love with food and proud of it. Our day begins with food and ends with the foodie thoughts for the next day. Capitalizing successfully on the very theme is 7UP Pakistan with their latest #AsalFoodie Campaign.

The soda brand has been talking about foodies for the past couple of seasons but this time around, they’re not simply talking about the foodies of the country, they’re on a look out for the #AsalFoodie.

7UP Pakistan has rolled out a social media campaign asking their users if they are #AsalFoodie-s. The social competition, currently live on the brand’s Facebook page, requires users to prove their passion for food through a lucky draw competition to win an iPad.

The 7Up page is providing their users with foodie images to be posted as Facebook pro?les and cover photos

According to their Facebook page, over a thousand people have already converted their display pictures and cover photos into the #AsalFoodie profile to boast about their food-iness.

The hunt is still on for the food-iest person of all! You can go ahead and prove your love for food as well by following the mentioned steps:

Prove you are an #AsalFoodie for a chance to win an iPad! Here’s how: 1. Pick a foodie Display Picture & Cover Photo…

Posted by 7Up on Saturday, May 30, 2015

Watch how to participate in the competition here:

Win an iPad Tutorial

7UP is giving you a chance to win an iPad and here’s a tutorial on how to prove that you’re an #AsalFoodie.Sharing this video gets you bonus points ;)Link to Profile Pictures: http://on.fb.me/1EHCsk6Link to Cover Photos: http://on.fb.me/1LPQNRE

Posted by 7Up on Saturday, May 30, 2015

Microsoft’s Low Cost Nokia 105 is Only $20

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Web Desk

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Jun 5, 2015

Microsoft has launched its newest, cheapest phone: the Nokia 105. The phone, which costs only $20 – around Rs. 2000 in Pakistan – has a battery backup of up to 35 days.

Adam Fraser of Microsoft wrote in a blog post: “Yes, that’s more than a month on a single battery charge [and] means you don’t need to worry about constantly charging your phone.”

It is designed to be an ideal candidate for long journeys, as a backup phone that can be used for emergencies. It is also quite beneficial for users that are on a budget or living in countries with power crises.

The phone allows the user to store up to 2000 contacts, has enhanced audio and an 800mAh battery. Along with 35 days of standby time, and boasts 15 hours of talk time.

There is also a Dual-SIM version of this phone. The phone will be available in black, white and cyan, and has other common features like a torchlight, FM radio, basic games, e.t.c.

View the full specifications below:

Nokia 105 / Nokia 105 Dual SIM Specifications

Operating system: Series 30+

Display: 1.45’’ / LCD Transmissive, HighColor (16-bit/64k)

Battery: BL-5CB 800mAh (replaceable)

Talk time: up to 15hrs (SS and DS)

Standby time: up to 35 days (SS), 25 days (DS)

Networks: Dual band 900/1800MHz (SS and DS)

Dual band 850/1900MHz (SS only)

Dimensions: 108.5 x 45.5 x 14.1mm

Connectivity: 3.5mm AV connector, micro USB charger

SIM: Mini SIM

Colors: Cyan, black, white.

Contributed by Hunza Gul.

TelloTalk Pakistan’s First Chat Messenger Launching Soon

By

Rida Sadiq

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Jun 5, 2015

TelloTalk, Pakistan’s first ever instant chat messenger is launching on 6th June 2015, Saturday, in competition with apps like Whatsapp and IMO.

TelloTalk’s beta version released last month seems promising and has received some good reviews from the few number of users, who have tried them out. The app looks like an exact replica of the ever popular Whatsapp when it initially launched, save the theme color difference.

Developed by Leverify, Tello Talk promises fast connectivity even on spotty internet connections, real-time messaging with secure chat options and push to talk feature to turn your smartphone into a walkie-talkie.

Apart from all other features being exactly like those of Whatsapp, TelloTalk boasts of local language support and a free forever service. While Whatsapp claims to charge PKR 105 for a year of service, no Pakistani user that we know of has ever been charged to date.

Other features that are common with other apps include group chats, location and status updates, secret hidden chats, integrated multiplayer gaming, delivery reports, channel broadcasting, image and video sharing, emoticons and stickers and blocking contacts.

Registration is again quite similar to competing apps, requiring users to enter their local cell phone number and registering automatically, using code sent via text message.

TelloTalk will officially launch on 6th June 2015, Saturday, at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, with Unified Developers Network Alliance’s Chairman Engineer, Muhammad Azim, presiding the launch and PTA Chairman, Dr. Ismail Shah, attending the ceremony as the guest of honor.

While Tello Talk is advertised to be available on both Android and iPhones, its beta version is currently only available for the former at Google Play Store.

As a communications app, Tello Talk seems like a good option, however, with everyone already on board with other popular apps, switching themselves on to Tello Talk doesn’t seem likely.

Unless TelloTalk offers something unique that other abundant communications apps do not, users will probably stick to the evergrowing network of user-friendly apps like Whatsapp.

Karachi Gets Free Wi-Fi Thanks to Sindh Govt

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Web Desk

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Jun 5, 2015

The people of Karachi would be getting access to free Wi-Fi all over the city, as announced by Sindh Government, in an event on Thursday.

In addition to the free Wi-Fi, the streetlights of Karachi will be upgraded to LED systems. These upgrades would also be equipped with CCTV cameras to improve on the law and order situation and allow free Wi-Fi usage.

This news was announced by Sharjeel Memon, the Sindh Minister for Information and Local Government, at the inauguration ceremony of the KMC Sports Complex in Landhi.

Also present were MPA Syed Khalid Ahmed, Administrator KMC Saqib Soomro, and District ZMC Administrator Ms. Quratulain.

Memon announced that the government intends to take on more projects like these to provide better facilities for people. They are also handing over ten KMC schools as well as hospitals/dispensaries in order to encourage businessman to do the same.

Contributed by Hunza Gul.

Federal Budget 2015-16: Govt Employees’ Salary Increased by 7.5%

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Web Desk

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Jun 5, 2015

According to sources, the budget recommendations were presented by finance minister Ishaq Dar in a federal cabinet session, where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was present.

Reportedly, the pay of government employees has been increased by up to 7.5% by the Government.

For the fiscal year 2015-2016, the total outlay will be 4.5 trillion and a GDP growth rate of 5.5% has been set by the federal government. As for inflation in the year 2015 to 2016, a target of 6% has been set.

There is also a rise expected in the prices of items like beverages, cosmetics, cigarettes, e,t,c. A tax increase on essential commodities like sugar and milk powder by the government is expected as well.

Additionally, the introduction of special packages for victims of the war against terrorism has been announced as well.

The federal cabinet has finalized these budgetary proposals and they shall be presented at 5.00 P.M. in a National Assembly session.

Contributed by Hunza Gul.

Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metro Bus Service Begins Today

By

Ghazala Sulaiman

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Jun 4, 2015

Islamabad-Rawalpindi Metro Bus Service Begins Today

After the success of the state-of-the-art, modern-day transport in Lahore, the 44.8 billion rupees project of Metro Bus Service hits the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

With this mighty benchmark achieved for Punjab’s two other popular cities, the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will unveil the grand Islamabad-Pindi Metro Bus at the inauguration ceremony today at the Jinnah Convention Centre.

A large number of parliamentarians, federal ministers and envoys have been invited by the of Punjab’s Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif to attend the ceremony.

A fleet of 60 buses along with an exclusive signal-free roadway has been devoted for the transport via the Metro Bus between Islamabad Secretariat to Saddar Rawalpindi

Around 14 metro bus terminals have been constructed in Islamabad whilst 10 stations have been erected in Rawalpindi.

A charge of PKR 20 has been announced for 20 km travelling.

The project has been claimed to banish the transportation issues caused by adequate traveling facilities and ease those who frequently shuffle between the two cities.

It has been estimated that around the new Metro Bus Service will enable trouble-free transportation for around 1050 commuters, daily.

Even amidst delays, that have been credited to the delays by sits-ins of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, the project was completed as per the deadline as a gift to the residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi by the Prime Minister.

Pakistani Movie Moor to Release on Independence Day

By

Yusra Hassan

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Jun 4, 2015

The trailer for Pakistani movie Moor was released almost two years ago and finally the highly anticipated Pakistani movie is slated for release on 14th August.

There are already many other movies to be released on the Independence Day which include Dekh Magar Pyaar Se and the re-release of Jinnah as well.

The movie, Moor revolves the around heart rending story about an ill-fated Pakistani family which is torn apart due to the uncontrollable barbarousness of the circumstances they go through. The word ‘Moor’ is derived from the Pashto language and it means mother.

This year the 14th of August falls on a Friday so the movie will kick off to the weekend and is most likely set to be a box-office hit.

The movie is a venture of Nadeem Mandviwala Productions and stars Hameed Sheikh, Samia Mumtaz, Shaz Khan, Nayyar Ejaz, Ayaz Samoo and Abdul Qadir.

A directorial venture of Jamshed Mahmood, who is well-known for his effervescent cinematography, the movies has been shot across various beautiful locales across the country. It is definitely worth a watch.

Pakistani Students Release Spy Pigeon Bird Shooting Game

By

Faizan Ahmed

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Jun 4, 2015

A group of Pakistani students have developed a ‘Spy Pigeon Bird Shooting’ game capitalizing on the ongoing string of trolls regarding our beloved neighboring country India, capturing a pigeon suspected of being a Pakistani spy.

It sounds ridiculous, but try telling that to the ever alert neighbor country.

The pigeon with an Urdu stamp depicting the district and the owner’s landline along with a wire was caught by a boy and taken into custody by Indian Police. The hilarious claim by the Indian police and the exaggeration by the Indian media turned this into a hilarious fiasco.

Since then this event has become the focal point of all Pakistani trolls who have created a plethora of memes and jokes to irk its neighbors over the internet.

But the students responsible for the game Muzammal Hussain, Atif Mahmood, Nabeel Akram and Awais Amjad from Islamia University, Bahawalpur took the trolling to the next level.

The app was uploaded on the Google PlayStore yesterday and has 415 downloads till now. It is a typical shooter game where the player has to shoot down the spy pigeons carrying messages.

The pigeons have to be shot down before they drop their bird dropping on the player which results in a blow to the health. The game has garnered positive reviews and has a 4.8/5 rating on the PlayStore.

Nida Khurram Denies Accusations of Copying Portuguese Designer

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Web Desk

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Jun 4, 2015

Nida Khurram Denies Accusations of Copying Portuguese Designer

Nida Khurram, a Karachi-based Pakistani fashion designer, was recently criticized for plagiarizing a Portuguese illustrator‘s work in her designs. Khurram has now spoken out against the criticism, claiming that it was not plagiarism, but in fact, inspiration and a tribute.

The designer tried to clarify that she was merely giving a tribute to fashion illustrators, and so it could not have been plagiarism. She claimed she took inspiration from said illustrators and personalised the designs.

Khurram’s work came under scrutiny and harsh criticism after Antonio Soares, the Portuguese Illustrator whose work she plagiarized, made a Facebook post about it. He was adamant that permission must be taken from the artist in question before using their work.

As evidenced by her response to the barrage of criticism, Khurram is not of the same opinion. She states, “People don’t need permission from other fashion designers for taking inspiration and doing tributes. Therefore, nor did I.”

When asked about how she was being considered herself responsible for defaming the reputation of Pakistan, particularly in terms of its ever-growing fashion industry, Khurram was in disagreement. She was of the opinion that taking inspiration in this manner was a common matter all around the world, and so there was not any reason for Pakistan to be maligned.

Pakistani Movie Wrong Number Trailer Released

By

Bismah Ahmed

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Jun 4, 2015

Pakistani Movie Wrong Number Trailer Released

The theatrical trailer for the much awaited comedic flick ‘Wrong Number’ is out now.

A brainchild of ace TV actor/director, Yasir Nawaz and ARY Films, the movie is a light-hearted tale of love, struggles and drama. Danish Taimoor plays the lead role of a struggling actor while Sohai Ali Abro plays his leading lady.

With a strong ensemble cast, good punchlines and most importantly perfect timings – the movie is expected to give strong competition to other big Eid releases.

Keeping up with the item song trend, Wrong Number will feature a sizzling performance by Sohai in a dance song sponsored by smartphone brand Rivo. The movie is all set to hit the theaters on Eid-ul-Fitr.

Watch the trailer below:

Cast:

Danish Taimoor, Sohai Ali Abro, Javed Sheikh, Shafqat Cheema, Danish Nawaz, Janita Asma & Nadeem Jafri.

Director: Yasir Nawaz

Producers: Yasir Nawaz, Nida Yasir, Hassan Zia

(YNH FILMS)

Distributor: ARY Films

Punjab Govt Imposes Massive 19.5% Tax on Internet Usage

By

Bismah Ahmed

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Jun 4, 2015

Punjab Govt Imposes Massive 19.5% Tax on Internet Usage

Internet users of Punjab will no longer be able to enjoy tax-free Internet. A new tax policy on Internet usage decrees that any domestic Internet users who have a monthly bill exceeding 1500 PKR or have an Internet connection that exceed 2 Mbps are liable to pay 19.5% tax on their bills as of May 29th, 2015.

This policy is applicable to any Internet connection: Broadband, EVO, 3G and 4G – even GPRS users will not be able to find a way around the tax.

While a similar policy on conventional Internet has been already implemented in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it will have a multiplied effect for Punjab – seeing as the province comprises of a majority of the country’s population.

The policy has been in effect since 29th May 2015, so all domestic and commercial users will be paying this tax.However, educational institutions and student Internet packages will be exempted.

According to ProPakistani, the government had previously allowed a tax exemption to the province, which has now been withdrawn.

The impact of this policy can be quite detrimental – seeing as Pakistan’s government has been doing all it can to improve the Internet infrastructure of the province.

Considering the high growth rates of Internet users in Pakistan, all the planned investment, worth billions of dollars, will be routed to other markets and Pakistan will be destined for the Stone Age again.

Interestingly, this ruthless decision came just a week before the budget so that Balochistan, currently the only province free of internet taxes, gets enough time to get its sheets right and impose similar taxes on Internet usage.

The tax is sure to rock the telecommunication industry, which has spent billions of dollars to gain 3G and 4G licenses and then built the necessary infrastructure – just for the government to place a massive 20% tax on Internet usage.

What do you think of this new policy? Let us know in the comments below.

Pakistani Cricketers & Their Estimated Salaries

By

Rida Sadiq

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Jun 4, 2015

Cricket – the gentlemen’s game has gained a prominent position as a widely recognized sport all over the world.

The result: cricketers have benefited a lot in monetary terms too. Be it just playing a cricket match, scoring centuries or bagging brand endorsements, for cricket players, the game has never proven more financially beneficial.

While Pakistani cricketers’ monthly salaries are no match to what international players receive, considering the state of our team, it’s still a lot.

With cricket contracts renewed in June 2014, here are the rumored salaries for the Pakistani cricket team, based on the contractual category they fall in:

Category A

The highest earning category. Players receive a PKR 425,000 basic monthly fee for being a part of the national team.

The category includes the current captain of the Pakistan team Misbah-ul-Haq, former vice captain for ODI and all-rounder Mohammed Hafeez, spinner Saeed Ajmal, 2013’s leading wicket taker Junaid Khan and everyone’s favorite Shahid Afridi. Apart from the basic salary, all these players earn PKR 400,000 as Test Match fee, PKR 330,000 as ODI fees and PKR 125,000 as T20 fees.

Amongst these top category players, Misbah-ul-Haq has retired from T20 matches and Shahid Afridi is currently playing his fifth and last ICC World Cup tournament.

Category B

The second category for the Pakistan cricket team receives only a basic monthly salary of PKR 315,562. The category includes some of the top players of Pakistan, Umar Gul, Umar Akmal, Younis Khan and Ahmed Shahzad.

Umar Gul, a key Pakistani cricketer, probably deserves to be in Category A but with his continuous injuries and absence from most matches in the past two years had made him lose his position as one of the most vital players of Pakistan.

Similarly, yet another Category A deserving player, Younis Khan, does not play ODIs and T20 matches and therefore, has been demoted to Category B.

Category C

Earning PKR 175,750 per month, there are six Pakistani cricket players under the central Category C contract. These players include test middle order batsman Asad Shafiq, test batsman Azhar Ali, test wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal, test opening batsman Khurram Manzoor, opening batsman Nasir Jamshed and off-spinnerAbdul Rehman.

Category D

The newest addition to the central contracts, this category includes fifteen Pakistan cricket team players with a basic monthly salary of PKR 100,000.

The players in this category include Sohaib Maqsood, Bilawal Bhatti, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan, Fawad Alam, Ehsan Adil, Muhammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz, Raza Hasan, Umar Amin, Zulfiqar Babar, Harris Sohail, Rahat Ali, Shaan Masood and Mohammad Talha.

These salaries are not all! Our team players also rumored to receive individual and team bonuses for performing well.

Individual Achievements Bonus

For scoring a Century in ODI or Test Cricket Match – PKR 300,000

For scoring double Century – PKR 500,000

For scoring 10 Wicket Haul in Test Cricket Match – PKR 300,000

Team Achievements Bonus

For defeating Top 3 ranked side and India – 100% bonus

For winning a series against Top 3 side and India – 200% bonus

For winning an ICC Event and Asia Cup – 300% bonus

What do you think of our cricketer’s compensation packages? Tell us in the comment section below.

Charity Begins In Jail: Ayyan to Provide Jail Inmates with Food During Ramadan

By

Web Desk

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Jun 4, 2015

After the case of money laundering, Ayyan is trying to represent her better side in jail. As recently announced byJail Authorities, Ayyan have asked for subsidization of food budget for the month of Ramazan (Seher & Iftar).

On 2nd June, Adiala Jail Authorities were presented with an application by Ayyan requesting to grant her the permission for paying the expenses for not only staff but prisoners too. The application is forwarded to Home Secretary for approval.

The jail authorities are busy in calculating the estimated cost that will be incurred by almost 5000 people. 4000 being prisoners and total staff count is 1000. Ayyan claimed that the amount will be handed over to authorities once the budget is out.

According to some sources she will be working on writing a book about the ‘Jail Life’ after bail. She even gifted a refrigerator to lady deputy superintendent (LDS) of Adiala Jail as a gift for her hospitality towards Ayyan.

Seems like Ayyan wants to be the talk of Jail and news as the dress code, hair style, cat-walk to the court and now the kindheartedness towards her inmates in jail depicts.

Fifty Shades Sequel ‘Grey’ Release Date Announced

By

Web Desk

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Jun 3, 2015

E.L. James, the author of the widely successful ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ series, will be releasing a new version of the book from the point of view of the much-loved male protagonist, Christian Grey. The novel, titled ‘Grey’, is due for release on 18th June, the titular character’s birthday.

James used Instagram as a way to announce the book, claiming she did it for the fans who had been asking for Christian Grey’s point of view of the erotic love affair in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’:

Hello all. For those of you who have asked, Christian’s POV of #FSOG is published on 18th June for his birthday. It’s called GREY… I hope you enjoy it. #FiftyShades #Grey

A photo posted by E L James (@erikaljames) on Jun 1, 2015 at 5:00am PDT

The ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ trilogy chronicles the tumultuous and intense romantic relationship between Christian Grey, a business tycoon, and Anastasia Steele, a recent college graduate.

‘Grey’ promises to be much of the same: the story is to be retold from Christian Grey’s point of view. Publishers expect it to be just as popular as the original series, with an optimistic 1.25 million copies being produced in the first printing.

While it initially started out as a piece of fanfiction based on ‘Twilight’, the franchise has garnered extraordinary success. The three books have sold over 125 million copies worldwide, and a movie adaptation of the first book was released earlier this year with further sequels planned.

Although E.L. James’ series have been exceedingly popular with the masses, they have faced an overall negative critical reception in terms of writing style and storytelling.

Barely a day after the announcement was made, ‘Grey’ was number one on Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com. Though the book is still two weeks away from being available in stores, it is already turning out to be a bestseller.

3G 4G Users in Pakistan Increase to 13 Million

By

Bismah Ahmed

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Jun 3, 2015

As of April 2015, there are 13 million 3G and 4G users in Pakistan. Statistics released by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority confirm the claim and it appears that Pakistanis are finally jumping onto the data bandwagon.

Amongst the mobile operators, Zong lead the 3G charts with an added 487,487 new users to its 3G network while Telenor added some 326,844 new users to 3G data services. Mobilink was able to grab 226,877 new 3G data users during the month of April.

According to PTA, Ufone lost around 121,389 data users during the month.

The total number of 4G users in Pakistan reached 141,177 with Warid leading the ranks with its 79,213 4G LTE users and the rest going to Zong.

See details in the infographic below:

(Courtesy: ProPakistani)

Shiraz Uppal Performs for AR Rahman’s Intimate Concert 2015 in US

By

Rida Sadiq

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Jun 3, 2015

Shiraz Uppal and AR Rahman, are back together for a series of concerts in North America.

Titled ‘North America Intimate Tour’, the series of concerts, held across US and Canada, features Pakistan’s rock star Shiraz Uppal and India’s legendary music maestro, AR Rahman.

The tour, which began on 21st May 2015, consists of a total of 19 concerts, ending on 16th June. And, from the pictures and status updates posted at Uppal’s Facebook page indicate it has been a mega hit so far.

Even Bollywood king Shahrukh Khan came out to the show:

Three legends in one pic! Dream come true after watching @arrahman @shirazuppal @iamsrk ! pic.twitter.com/UrB8tJGl7F

— Dhaval Kamdar (@dhavalkamdar4u) May 28, 2015

The Indo-Pak duo started off the tour by performing in New York and then continued to move across the continent to Toronto, New Jersey, Virginia, Chicago and Kansas City, after rehearsal performances in Chennai, India and Nashville, Tennessee. There are still 9 more concerts to go with the people of Dallas, Texas expecting them today. While the stars are enjoying the love they are receiving in all cities of North America, Shiraz Uppal acknowledged the crowd of Virginia as “the best audience so far” in one of his Facebook posts.

[fb_embed_post href=”https://www.facebook.com/uppalshiraz/posts/978318168859270/” width=”550″/]

The duo has performed together before as well:

Apart from his success across Bollywood and collaborations with AR Rahman, Shiraz Uppal is impressing the local audience with his songs for recent Pakistani movies. We have recently heard him and loved his titular track for Pakistan’s first ever animated feature film, 3 Bahadur and we are looking forward to listen to his next song, Ballay Ballay, in the Humayun Saeed and Mahira Khan starrer feature film, Bin Roye. Enjoy Shiraz Uppal’s title song for 3 Bahadur here:

Here is the Music Video of Sharmeen Obaid’s “3 Bahadur” title song… Pakistan’s first animated film by #SOCfilms & #ARYfilms Singer & Music: Shiraz UppalIn Cinemas from 22nd May 2015

Posted by Shiraz Uppal on Monday, April 20, 2015