The Ministry of Religious Affairs has warned the public about a fraudulent advertisement circulating under the name “Khuddam al-Hujjaj” in newspapers and on social media, offering Hajj and Umrah service jobs in Saudi Arabia.

The advertisement, which offered Hajj and Umrah service jobs in Makkah and Madinah, published in a local newspaper on December 8, “is from a fake company” with an incorrect registration number from the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE), the ministry’s spokesperson said in an X post.

The ministry shared a copy of a fake advertisement by a firm called “Khadmeen Hajj” on X, which falsely claimed to offer service jobs assisting Hajj and Umrah pilgrims in Makkah and Madinah for two years, along with free visas, return tickets and accommodation.

The ministry advised citizens always to verify all company registration details on official government websites, avoid contacting mobile numbers listed in such ads, and use only official landline numbers for correspondence.

It also asked citizens to contact law enforcement authorities in case of any complaints related to these scams, while confirming that action was being taken against those responsible for publishing the fraudulent advertisement.

Pakistan Army powered on at the 35th National Games on Wednesday, clinching 113 gold medals after sweeping titles in athletics, swimming and several team events.

At the conclusion of a pulsating day here, the Pakistan Army were at the summit of the medal standings with 113 gold medals, along with 50 silver and 34 bronze.

Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) remained second in the standings with 46 gold medals, followed by Pakistan Navy in third with 24 top honours.

The action-packed day kicked off with the 42.195km men’s marathon, in which Pakistan Navy’s Shahbaz Masih clinched the top honour by completing the course — which began at the Quaid-e-Azam Monument and passed through multiple city routes — in 2 hours 25 minutes.

Wapda’s Sher Khan finished second, while Pakistan Navy’s Shoaib Akhtar secured third place.

Wapda’s Faiqa Riaz maintained her exceptional run at the Games by winning the women’s long jump with a 5.52-metre leap, completing a hat-trick of gold medals after earlier triumphs in the 100m and 200m events.

Pakistan Army’s dominance stretched across athletics as Usman Ali (men’s 200m), Mohammad Akhtar (10,000m) and Ismail (400m) added further golds for the department.

Wapda, on the other hand, swept several women’s track and field categories, with Uzma Awan winning the hammer throw, Iram Shehzadi prevailing in 1500m, while Ghazala Ramzan triumphing in 100m hurdles.

In swimming, Army’s Ahmed Durrani completed the double hat-trick of gold medals, having claimed six laurels for his department after adding victories in the 800m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 200m relay.

Wapda’s Hamza Asif broke a national record in the men’s 50m breaststroke, while Jehanara Nabi continued her strong performances in women’s swimming, and Hareem secured another gold for Sindh.

Pakistan Army also excelled in rowing, winning five golds and one silver, while Pakistan Navy picked up two golds and five silvers.

In women’s weightlifting, honours were split, with standout victories for Pakistan Army’s Khadija Waheed (69kg) and Sonia Azmat (77kg), and Wapda’s Nazia Aslam (86-plus kg) and Nadia Maqsood (86kg).

In shooting, the Pakistan Navy added four more gold medals to their growing tally, while the Pakistan Army bagged two.

Furthermore, Karate events also saw the Pakistan Army maintaining supremacy in both men’s and women’s categories.

Pakistan Army dominated team sports as well, defeating Wapda to win gold in women’s football and women’s softball. They enjoyed an unbeaten run in the single-league football format.

Meanwhile, the Squash events have moved into the decisive stage, with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mahnoor Ali and Pakistan Army’s Zainab reaching the women’s final, while Wapda’s Noor Zaman and Pakistan Army’s Huzaifa Ibrahim advanced to the men’s singles title match.

Princess Charlotte received a very important letter ahead of a special meeting.

The contents of the letter were later revealed by Charlotte’s parents Prince William and Princess Kate. They shared an excerpt to their Instagram Stories on Tuesday, December 12, via the official Prince and Princess of Wales Instagram page. The sweet letter was handwritten especially for 10-year-old Charlotte by the same-aged daughter of Carly Barrett, who received an MBE from King Charles at Windsor Castle the previous day.

“Dear Princess Charlotte,” the letter began, boasting excellent penmanship. “My name is Grace Barrett, and I’m 10 years old, just like you!”

The letter continued, “I’m writing to you because I will be visiting you on December with my mum, Carly Barrett, who is being awarded an MBE for her special work helping people affected with crime. My Nana, Alison Madgin, is also receiving a MBE on the same day.”

Madgin found Samantha’s Charity in 2019 in honour of her late daughter Samantha, who was stabbed to death in 2007. Along with Samantha’s sister Carly, the organisation aims to bring awareness about knife crime, especially among the youth.

Inspired by the strength of her mother and grandmother, Grace wrote in her letter, “I’m really proud of them both and feel [text missing] and honoured to be going with them.”