Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistani-American artist Shahzia Sikander criticises Fox News for calling her sculpture ‘satanic’

    Pakistani artist Shazia Sikandar made international headlines a few weeks ago when her statue ‘Havah…, to breathe, air, life’ was installed on the rooftop of the New York appellate courthouse .

    Conservative US news channel Fox News covered the installation of the statue in Tucker Carlson’s show where he criticized Sikander’s artwork and called it ‘satanic’. He also said that New York officials made a terrible decision to replace former President Thedore Roosevelt’s statue with Havah.
    On her Instagram page, Sikander posted a screenshot of the racist coverage, along with some of the hateful comments she had received over her artwork, calling out their misogyny. She clarified that ‘Havah’ was not a statue of late Supreme Court judge Ruth Badger Ginsberg, however, she did take inspiration from her.

    “Hot Under The Collar
    .
    @foxnews twisting it for their agenda.
    .
    NOW is women carrying their roots and histories wherever they may be, with a nod to RBG. It is not a statue of her.”

  • ‘Unconditional apology on TV, print and social media’: PPP sends Rs10 bn legal notice to Khan

    ‘Unconditional apology on TV, print and social media’: PPP sends Rs10 bn legal notice to Khan

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has sent a legal notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for levelling “baseless allegations” against former President Asif Ali Zardari.

    “You are…. called upon to render unconditional apology from our client, on television, print and social media, within 14 (fourteen) days from the receipt of this notice, failing whereof, our client shall be constrained to institute appropriate legal proceedings against you, civil as well as criminal, before the competent courts of law and forums of Pakistan as well as of England, including but not limited to Suit for Damages for Rs.10,000,000,000/- (Rupees ten billion Only) at your risk as to cost and consequences,” said the notice.

    The notice contends that the PTI chief through his “baseless accusations” tried to create a link between Zardari and terrorist organisations “blindly disregarding the fact that our client and his party has remained the victim of terrorism”.

    The notice also reads that the PTI chief through his “defamatory actions” caused “severe agony, mental stress and loss of reputation” to the PPP co-chairperson.

    Imran Khan had alleged on Friday, January 27, in a televised speech, that Zardari was plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which the ex-president had hired terrorists.

    Khan had claimed that four people orchestrated a plan “behind closed doors” to assassinate him.

    “I got to know about it and then I recorded a video explaining the attack. In a public rally, I announced that I would release the video if something happened to me. They stepped back after this,” said Khan.

    Without naming anyone again, Khan said that another plan was made to have me killed by a religious extremist — hinting towards the November 3, 2022, Wazirabad attack, where he was shot in the legs and is still recovering from his injuries.

    “Now, there’s a Plan C. Asif Zardari is behind it. He has amassed a lot of money through corruption, invested that money with terrorists and hired a militant organisation.”

  • Intraday update: Pakistani rupee drops to all-time low of Rs270 against US dollar

    Intraday update: Pakistani rupee drops to all-time low of Rs270 against US dollar

    According to information provided by the Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP), the Pakistani rupee depreciated by an additional Rs7.4 after falling to a record low last week, trading at Rs270 per dollar in the interbank market at approximately 1:30 pm on Monday.

    From Friday’s close of Rs262.6, this represents a loss of more than 2.5 per cent.

    The decline of the rupee was blamed on a lack of dollars by Zafar Paracha, general secretary of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP). He said that the dollar supply had not been resumed. Even though there is no agreement, we do not know where the banks will obtain their supplies.

    The SBP deputy governor assured representatives of exchange businesses last week that commercial banks would be instructed to provide money to the exchange companies.

    “There is a lot of panic in the market.” If dollars are received, it will cool down a bit. “As long as the market doesn’t settle, people will not sell their remittances or export proceeds,” Paracha said.

    The current spell of depreciation came after the coalition government ended its control on dollar’s price in order to convince the International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials to revive the $7 billion loan programme.

  • Korean actor Song Joon-Ki is married and expecting a baby

    Korean actor Song Joon-Ki is married and expecting a baby

    Korean actor Song Joon-Ki has announced his marriage and wife’s pregnancy to his fans on social media, as reported by Korean entertainment page Soompi.
    In a letter uploaded on his fan club, the ‘Vincenzo’ actor revealed that he had married his longtime British girlfriend, Katy Louise Saunders.
    “Hello. This is Joong Ki.
    Today, I am greeting you because I want to share a promise that is more happy and valuable to me than anything.
    I have promised to continue life together with Katy Louise Saunders, who has been by my side supporting me and who I have spent valuable time with while cherishing each other.
    She has a kind heart, and she has lived her life passionately. She is a sensible and amazing person to the point that I revere her.
    Thanks to her, I am becoming a better person.

    “We naturally dreamed of creating a happy family together. We have put in much effort to keep each other’s promises, and we are sincerely thankful as a new life has come to us.
    And today, based on our deep trust and love for each other, we are on our way back from registering our marriage to begin life as a married couple.
    As we are now, the two of us will walk our days ahead beautifully while facing the same direction.
    I sincerely thank all the fans who always cherish me no matter what.
    Especially following the wishes and support of Ki Aile (Song Joong Ki’s fan club) who provide the greatest strength to me throughout my acting career, I will work to fly higher as an actor and individual with the wings of greater responsibility and passion.
    I hope everyone will be happy and healthy until the day I can greet you in person.”
    The “Reborn Rich’ actor confirmed in December that he was in a relationship with Saunders.
    Song was previously married to Song Hye-Ko in 2017, and parted ways two years later due to what their agency said was ‘differences of personality’.

  • ‘PCB not an employment agency’: Najam Sethi says he will not hire, promote people based on ‘sifarish’

    ‘PCB not an employment agency’: Najam Sethi says he will not hire, promote people based on ‘sifarish’

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi on Sunday said that he will not hire or promote people in PCB based upon requests.
    “I am flooded with “requests” from relatives, friends, acquaintances & persons in authority to hire or promote people in PCB. Please, Please, everyone, understand PCB is not an employment agency. I cannot, will not, follow bad past practices to erode its professional integrity,” tweeted Sethi.

    Earlier, this month he requested his friends and high-ups to not ask for free tickets and passes for Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches.

    “I am making a personal request to all friends and high-ups NOT to ask for free tickets/passes to PSL matches starting next month. The Public Accounts Committee of National Assembly that audits PCB has warned us to desist from this practise,” tweeted Sethi.

  • UAE President’s visit to Pakistan postponed

    UAE President’s visit to Pakistan postponed

    President HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will not visit Islamabad on Monday after his scheduled trip has been postponed to a later date, due to weather conditions.

    Nahyan was scheduled to pay an official visit today to Islamabad to discuss cooperation in relations between the UAE and Pakistan and ways to enhance them in various fields.

    Nahyan was to arrive in Islamabad today on a one-day visit. He was be escorted by JF-17 aircrafts to PAF Noor Khan Air Base where the distinguished guest was to be given a 21 gun salute; Prime Minister Muhammad (PM) Shehbaz Sharif and important members of the federal cabinet had to welcome the distinguished guest at the air base.

    It was expected that Nahyan will be presented a guard of honor by the armed forces of Pakistan at the Prime Minister’s House, after which he will have a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

    Nahyan arrived in Pakistan on January 25, 2023 on a private visit. Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif welcomed him at Rahim Yar Khan Airport. There was also a meeting between the two leaders in Rahim Yar Khan.

  • CDA to turn off 50% lights on Islamabad’s roads to save energy

    CDA to turn off 50% lights on Islamabad’s roads to save energy

    Under the federal government’s energy-saving plan, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to turn off 50 per cent of the streetlights in Islamabad.

    However, all the street lights will remain switched on in residential areas for maximum facilitation of the citizens at night, according to CDA spokesperson.

    The CDA is leading the charge to ensure that the government’s effort to save energy through austerity measures is effective. In order to preserve as much energy as possible, the CDA has asked inhabitants of the federal capital to limit their consumption of power in their houses.

  • The petrol hike might make you cry but at least these hilarious memes won’t

    The petrol hike might make you cry but at least these hilarious memes won’t

    How do Pakistanis start a Sunday morning?
    Apparently, by learning about how their budgets will be stretched out even further.
    Pakistanis woke up on Sunday morning to learn that a new petrol hike had announced by the Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar. In a press conference, he revealed that a Rs 35 increase would be applied from 11 am on that very day.
    Well how do Pakistanis deal with the crashing economy, no electricity and crushing debt? With some killer memes.

    Well how do Pakistanis deal with the crashing economy, no electricity and crushing debt? With some killer memes.

    It sparked some ideas about some creative ways to travel.

    The superior gender FTW.

    *wink wink*

    Get her a diamond ring? Taking her on a date to an expensive restaurant? Ditch all of that because a better idea dropped.

    BRB learning how to speak in Korean

    PLEASE

    In other words:

  • Transgender people to get Rs7,000 every third month

    Transgender people to get Rs7,000 every third month

    Shazia Marri, the chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), stated on Sunday that transgender people will get a Rs7000 stipend under the Benazir Kafalat programme, which would be paid out every third month.

    Shazia Marri, who is also the Minister for Poverty Alleviation, announced the stipend at a ceremony to mark the BISP’s admission of transgender people at Karachi’s Arts Council of Pakistan.
    The minister asserted that up to 50,000 members of the nation’s transgender community had registered as Benazir Kafalat Program recipients, making them eligible for financial aid.
    According to her, the transgender community shied away from approaching data managers because of how society treats them.

    “This is a step forward in helping struggling transgender persons who not only face immense violence in their daily lives, but are also subjected to blatant discrimination,” she said.
    “The decision to extend BISP cash handouts to the transgender community has been made at such a time when several incidents of discrimination and violence, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, have been reported,” she added.

    “This is a step forward in helping struggling transgender persons who not only face immense violence in their daily lives, but are also subjected to blatant discrimination,” she said.
    “The decision to extend BISP cash handouts to the transgender community has been made at such a time when several incidents of discrimination and violence, especially in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, have been reported,” she added.

  • Farhan Saeed, Imran Abbas, others express disappointment on Pakistani economy’s plight

    Farhan Saeed, Imran Abbas, others express disappointment on Pakistani economy’s plight

    Pakistan recently faced a nationwide power breakout, several parts of the country also battled severe gas shortage, and now with the rupee losing its value further against the dollar, netizens and celebrities are struggling to feel patriotic. Prominent Pakistani actors weighed in on the deteriorating conditions of the country’s economy and whether we, as a nation, have lost all hopes for betterment.

    “How will we ever recover from this? Since I’ve been alive, I’ve never seen the Rupee strengthen against Dollar drastically,” Farhan Saeed wrote on Twitter on Saturday while reacting to the Pakistani rupee standing at an all-time low against the dollar.

    Concerned about how non-serious people are taking the economic distress we’re in, he added, “But still we are either this party or that party, but not Pakistan. No one’s serious about where we are, have we lost hope?”

    Actor Imran Abbas also made a cryptic post while sharing Finance Minsiter’s viral video.

    Ushna Shah shared her two cents on the subject. Claiming that she loves Pakistan and its people, she added how it gets harder to feel love when you can’t live a hassle-free life due to the unavailability of basic resources.

    “I love my country, I love my identity, and I love my fellow Pakistanis. But when there is no electricity and no gas at the same time, there is a shortage of petrol and UPS crashes due to overuse, and literally, no way to power the house when I need coffee, well, tarana gana thora mushkil hei. (it’s hard to sing the national anthem then)” she wrote.

    Actor Aijaz Aslam questioned how productive political press conferences are if all that happens is leaders blaming each other while the civilians struggle to live.

    “What’s the point of these press conferences? Leaders just blame each other and nothing else. No one ever discusses the strategies to bring stability to the country. The currency devaluation is unstoppable and basic commodities are unaffordable for a common man, Reham karo (Bless us)” read his tweet.