Indian media has proclaimed that Yash Raj has already locked the scripts and cast of the DHOOM series. While DHOOM 3 will feature Aamir, DHOOM 4 with Salman playing a baddie will release in Eid 2014 and DHOOM 5 starring SRK is slated for release in 2015-16.

However, the news seems more like a bluff, since the gap between DHOOM 2 with Hrithik Roshan and DHOOM 3 with Aamir Khan will be more than seven years, since DHOOM 3 is expected to release in 2013.

Hence, expecting DHOOM 4 to release a year after DHOOM 3′s release, in 2014, seems ludicrous. Ditto for DHOOM 5, which, reportedly, is expected to release in the following year [2015-2016]. “It’s ridiculous! The writer Vijay Krishna Acharya hasn’t even thought of DHOOM 4 or DHOOM 5,” a source close to the Chopras informs me.

Another story doing the rounds is that Aditya Chopra has cast Ranbir Kapoor for his next venture. It is, well, a rumor, with no truth to it. The fact is, Adi is busy with Yash-ji’s [Chopra] film, being shot in London currently, and hasn’t even thought of what he plans to make next.

“In order to realise the objectives of the peace process, I invite the leadership of the Taliban to engage in direct talks with the Afghan government,” Karzai said in a statement issued by his office.

“While emphasising the importance of Pakistan’s support for the peace process, I hereby request our brotherly government of Pakistan to support and facilitate our direct negotiation efforts as part of the peace process.”

The statement came after Karzai spoke by telephone to US President Barack Obama about Afghan-led reconciliation moves and a visit last week to Pakistan, where he said it was time to take action for peace.

Khar said even after a visit by the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, to Islamabad last week, it was unclear whether he really wanted his government to hold talks with the Taliban in Qatar. The Taliban has announced its readiness to negotiate with the international community in the Gulf state and has moved some of its officials there with the encouragement of US and other western governments. Over the course of the past two months, Karzai initially objected to Qatar being a venue, recalling his ambassador in protest when the initiative was announced. He then appeared to relent, but recently raised the possibility of separate talks in Saudi Arabia, to the irritation of Washington officials.

“We are waiting for him to determine the course of action of his government and once that is done, we will want to be seen to be fully supporting it… The messages from Kabul are a bit confusing. At first they say they are supporting it but they say they are recalling their ambassador because they think they have not been taken into confidence,” Khar said.

“For us, the dangers of being supportive of something where there is not enough clarity on whether the Afghan government is fully behind it, fully owns it, fully drives it, are too high. The stakes are far too high.” She added: “What we expect of Afghanistan and the Karzai government is that they share very clearly with the rest of the world and with us what it is they truly want to do. Yes, they want the path towards peace and reconciliation. They have already said that. But how do they plan to achieve it?”

Khar insisted that Pakistan would not actively hinder the effort to hold talks in Qatar, and denied reports that Islamabad had blocked some Taliban officials from flying to Doha to participate. However, in a reminder of the fragility of the Afghan-Pakistani relationship, the foreign minister again rejected Afghan pressure to allow Kabul officials have access to Taliban figures they believe to be in Pakistan, repeating longstanding Pakistani denials that Islamabad has any idea of the whereabouts of the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar.

“I am not an authority on where Mullah Omar is, but I do know that Pakistani authorities do not know where Mullah Omar is. I know that much,” she said, adding: “Pakistan s view is that everything the Afghans ask us which is doable, which is realistic, which is based on facts, we will do… but it has to be based on facts.”

However, Khar would not say whether Afghan officials would be allowed to meet one of Omar s deputies, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who is in Pakistani custody. During his visit to Islamabad on Friday, Karzai expressed frustration with Pakistani policy, saying “impediments” in the relationship should be removed “sooner rather than later”.

Pakistan s ambivalence over the effort to open a dialogue in Qatar has contributed to the poor state of Pakistan s relationship with the US, which reached a new low in November when Nato cross-border fire from Afghanistan killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Khar is due to meet the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, in London this week but she said she had no power to seek an improvement in the relationship until Pakistan s parliament had published the results of its own review.

Khar denied that her government was delegating a politically tricky issue, arguing that the parliamentary review of US policy was “something to be proud about” and would improve bilateral relations in the long term.

“I think this relationship has been missing a great deal of credibility and a lot of that is because the relationship has always peaked during dictatorships and because a lot of the terms of the relationship are not very transparent,” she said. “What this government is doing is trying to get some of that credibility back… Once you are able to do that I think we will turn out to be much more effective partnership.”

By way of contrast, the minister praised Pakistan s relations with the UK, which she said worked well because they were “predictable”, adding that Britain had been understanding over Islamabad s opposition to US drone strikes inside Pakistani territory.

At a joint press conference with Khar on Tuesday, William Hague described the British relationship with Pakistan as “deep, long term and strategic.” The foreign secretary said Afghan-led efforts towards reconciliation and a lasting peace settlement in Afghanistan were “vital to the long term security of Britain and Pakistan and to the region”.

Tamanna Begum was born in Lahore and started her career with Radio Pakistan and did some theatre plays as well. She peaked in the 1970s and 1980s.

Tamanna started acting in movies and quickly rose to fame with her robust performances.

She had acted alongside popular stars such as Talat Iqbal and Waheed Murad‚ and her films were huge successes. However‚ with deteriorating situation of Lollywood, she had to settle for acting in television plays.

The lively and charged crowd responded with great enthusiasm when the speakers chanted “death to America” and demanded jihad (holy war) against the US which was, according to them, a bitter enemy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

“America wants to get hold of our nuclear assets. Sadly, the incumbent leaders of Pakistan are also playing in the hands of Americans. Let us join hands and step forward to break Pakistani government’s alliance with the US to save Pakistan,” speakers said, addressing the charged crowd.

Supporters and leaders of as many as 40 parties participated in the show of ‘Defence of Pakistan’ which in fact, failed to attract majority of students and ‘progressive class’ of the country.

“Today, we have gathered here to raise a voice of protest against the US intervention in Pakistan. Who will join hands with us in this noble cause,” Maulana Samiul Haq asked the participants.

Speaking on the occasion, former head of ISI General (retd) Hamid Gul told participants that the US policies in the region, especially in Pakistan were the root cause of main problems in the country. He urged the participants to get united and struggle against the US policies to rid the country of its trouble.

“Our protest is against the possible resumption of Nato supplies, US and Indian occupation and to strengthen the country’s defence,” speakers said. The speakers made it clear that the US presence in the region was only meant to break Pakistan. “America wants to break Pakistan into pieces. Now they are conspiring to deprive Pakistan of Balochistan. We will call All-Party Conference on Balochistan soon,” speakers said.

The huge crowd responded to the speakers when they shouted slogans like “Death to America” and “America deserves one treatment: jihad, jihad”.

“America can never be our friend, it is our biggest enemy. America will be defeated in Afghanistan and divided into pieces,” Mian Aslam, a former lawmaker from Jamaat-e-Islami party told the rally.

Banners sprung up in the rally denounced US drone strikes, government’s decision to grant India most favoured nation status in a bid to ease trade and reopening of the Afghan border for Nato supply.

“Go America Go,” “No to Nato,” “Arrogant Americans – others are also human beings,” and “the chains of slavery will be broken now,” the banners read.

Difa-e-Pakistan Council has attracted huge gatherings at a series of rallies across the country that some see as a build up to contesting next general election, which could be called within months.

Three prominent leaders: Jamaatud Dawa head Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat President Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi and Secretary General Dr Khadim Hussain Dhillon did not participate in the DPC sit-in.

The capital administration on Saturday banned the entry of Ludhianvi, Dhillon and Hafiz Saeed Ahmad in Islamabad for four days

The Foreign Minister was talking to scholars and senior analysts at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) here.

The IISS is a prestigious think tank.

Condemning US resolution on Balochistan, she said such acts of “foolhardy-global-vigilanteism” could only aggravate Pakistan’s already estranged ties with US.

“It would distance the two allies even further”, said Khar.

Regarding ties with India she said keeping the dialogue alive on top of exhibiting mature-sightedness would be the right thing to do for both neighbours.

Going ahead, Khar tied Pakistan’s future with Afghanistan’s vowing unwavering support for peace process in the war-torn country.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also told CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” program that economic sanctions have to be given a chance to work, and the United States and its allies should be better prepared for a military option.

“I think it would be premature to exclusively decide that the time for a military option was upon us,” Dempsey said, according to excerpts of the interview released by CNN.

“I think that the economic sanctions and the international cooperation that we’ve been able to gather around sanctions is beginning to have an effect,” he added.

In recent weeks, there has been feverish speculation that Israel was getting closer to mounting a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, but Israel has denied reaching such a decision.

Tensions between Iran and Israel have also been simmering with Iranian warships entering the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal in a show of “might”, a move Israel said it would closely monitor.

The United States, other Western powers and Israel believe that Iran is seeking to build a nuclear bomb, but Tehran denies the charge, insisting its atomic program is for purely peaceful purposes.

Iran said last week it was ready to resume stalled talks on its nuclear drive, prompting a cautious welcome from the United States and the European Union.

Dempsey said he believed that “diplomacy is having an effect” and suggested that even if the West opted for a military solution, it had to be better prepared for such a step.

“I mean, fundamentally, we have to be prepared,” he said. “And that includes, for the most part, at this point, being prepared defensively.”

Asked if Iranian leader were acting rationally, the US military commander said: “We are of the opinion that the Iranian regime is a rational actor. And it’s for that reason, I think, that we think the current path we’re on is the most prudent path at this point.”

Meera’s residence was tastefully decorated on Sunday where parents of her would-be-hubby, Naveed Shehzad, who is a pilot by profession and associated with a private US airline, came to decide about her formal engagement ceremony.

Though, Meera denied his engagement while talking to SAMAA, just saying that she was excited and happy over getting the marriage proposal. But arrival of guests at her decorated residence strengthened the perception that a formal engagement ceremony was probably being held there.

An alleged affair of Meera, best known for her bold scenes in Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Nazar’, came into limelight few days back when media quoted her as saying that “Shoaib and I had an intimate affair and he proposed to me.” Aktar denied the claim

Speaking to reporters after condoling with Pir Pagara VIII upon the demise of his father, PM Gilani said that many other countries had also been declared most favoured nations in the past.

Gilani said that the government would consider Pakistan’s interests while trading with India, as it is a step towards better trade relations with the neighbouring country.

The prime minister said that, in his opinion, the government should be given a chance to complete its tenure. He further said that Afghan people hold the solution for the Afghan crisis.

When asked a question about the contempt of court case against him, he declined to give an answer, saying that only his lawyer could answer questions related to the case.

Gilani added that the government had decided to call an ‘All Parties Conference’ to dicsuss the Balochistan issue.

Addressing a press conference at a local hotel, DPC leader Maulana Samiul Haq said they would challenge the decision of the interior ministry to ban the entry of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and Ahl-e-Sunnat wal Jamaat (ASWJ) leader Maulana Ahmed Ludhianvi to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

Despite the ban, Saeed and Ludhianvi reached Rawalpindi on Sunday to participate in the Sarbarahi Ijlas (meeting of the party heads).

Other party leaders including JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, General Ziaul Haq’s son Ejazul Haq and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Secretary General Liaquat Baloch also reached Rawalpindi to participate in the rally. The DPC are planning a serious protest against what they perceive as injustices on Pakistan soil. In fact, they have decided to approach the Supreme Court over the resumption of airspace supplies to Nato in Afghanistan, Haq told the media.

“We have decided to gather at Abpara in the federal capital on February 20 to raise our voices against the continuous drone attacks in Pakistan and the resumption of Nato supplies by the federal defence minister,” he said. The alliance of as many as 30 political and the religious parties demanded immediate removal of Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, the federal defence minister, for cooperating on this issue with Nato.

For the DPC leadership, the bans on some members had been imposed on the direction of the United States, as they intend to hold a public gathering in Balochistan on February 27. Condemning the recent resolution put up in the US Congress, the DPC members said that ‘the West’ had never passed any resolution on the freedom of Kashmir from Indian occupation.

The party leader also took up Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s case during his address and said that their “innocent sister” is being “shamefully treated”. He was accompanied by Ludhianvi, who said that the ban on three leaders in Islamabad will be challenged in the court.

A senior police officer in Rawalpindi, who asked not to be named, said that the Islamabad administration had imposed a ban on three leaders of DPC for seven days but despite the ban, the Rawalpindi police as well as the city’s administration have been unable to take any legal action against those breaching the bans.

He added that the Rawalpindi police and the administration are under control of the Punjab government, while the Islamabad Police and Islamabad administration are under the control of federal government.

Answering questions from the media, Haq confirmed that Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had parted from the DPC.