Defending his party’s move to hold the upcoming election of the upper house of the parliament through open ballot, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has spoken of bribes paid to buy loyalties, revealing that he himself had been offered some.
“Money goes to the very top,” the premier said while speaking to media on Friday.
According to Dawn, PM Imran claimed that 20 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were paid Rs50 million each during the last Senate poll to vote in favour of certain candidates.
Saying that the parties opposing the amendment aimed at curbing corruption would stand exposed, he added the PTI had expelled the 20 members after they were found guilty of horse-trading by an investigation committee.
“We also know who is raising money to buy loyalties this time,” he said, without naming anyone.
He termed the practice “betrayal” with Pakistan because the Senate had a particular “status and role” since it represented the provinces in the federation.
The premier said it reflected poorly on the kind of people who came to the Senate through money and questioned the ability of such lawmakers to represent their respective provinces. “Apart from that, what kind of democracy is this where legislators sell their vote by taking money?” he asked.
Acknowledging that his government did not have a two-thirds majority in the lower house, the premier said the ruling party would still try to present the amendment for open ballot in the Senate elections to curb horse-trading.
Ayeza Khan has dethroned Aiman Khan to become the most followed Pakistani celebrity on Instagram with 8 million followers. Aiman has 7.9 million followers on the social media application while Mahira Khan follows closely behind with 7 million followers.
“Thank you guys so much for the love and respect! It is exciting to have such a huge number of followers here,” said Ayeza celebrating the milestone.
The actor then went to talk about her journey as an actor and how she focused on her work and not on increasing her Instagram followers.
“I must say that the only reason I am able to celebrate this today is that I know how hard I worked to achieve whatever I have on this day,” said Ayeza. “I never focused my work and life towards getting a bigger number of followers. It never works in the long run. My mother has always taught me that it’s important to work hard and build your legacy and be patient. When you have those all the good stuff comes without you knowing.”
Ayeza further talked about the disproportionate relationship between the numbers of followers and influence one can have.
“Growing number of followers doesn’t guarantee a long term success if you’re hollow from the inside. There is a reason why someone with a few thousand followers on Instagram can have more influence on people than someone with tons of millions of followers,” said Ayeza, adding: “Please don’t be that fool that runs after numbers.”
The actor continued: “For me, I never worked towards growing my Instagram numbers. Instead, I have always focused all my energy into my work, my acting and modelling especially, and the fan following grew itself.”
“I’m thankful to all of you guys because it feels great to have so many people recognise your talent and work, rather than blindly taping that follow button and not even knowing what I actually do,” she concluded.
The boy whose video driving a Land Cruiser in Multan went viral earlier this week says that he took the vehicle out for a ride because he felt like having ice cream.
When asked by a reporter, the kid said he drove to several places to get the ice cream but couldn’t find any, so he decided to head back home. According to the kid, this was not the first time that he drove this vehicle.
“My father didn’t scold me,” said the kid in response to a question. He only said that “I shouldn’t drive [at this age] again”.
The kid’s father said he was sleeping when his son took the key of the vehicle from his bedside. “When I woke up and couldn’t find the key, I took my driver and went out to look for the kid,” he said, adding that the kid was returning home when “we came across him”.
He also said that he went to the police voluntarily.
On Friday, the father of the kid was fined Rs 1,000 for negligence. He has also submitted an affidavit to the police stating that the incident occurred due to his negligence and will not happen again. The man and his son were allowed to go home after submitting surety bonds.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi has drawn the ire of hundreds of social media users for badmouthing the late father of former prime minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Khaqan Abbasi, who was an air commodore in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) until his removal by former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, served as the federal minister for production in ex-PM Muhammad Khan Junejo’s cabinet. He died on April 10, 1988, after his car was hit by a missile in the Ojhri Camp disaster.
“Huge secrets lie behind these huge businesses,” Federal Minister Zaidi wrote as he tweeted a 1991 report against the late Abbasi.
ان بڑے بڑے دھندوں کے پیچھے بڑے بڑے راز پوشیدہ ہیں۔ پیسہ بولتا یے اور ضمیر مست ہو کر سو رہتا ہے۔ شاہد خاقان صاحب کے مرحوم والد کی کرتوت ملاحظہ کیجئے! یہ رپوٹ ۱۹۹۱ میں شائع ہوئ تھی! pic.twitter.com/4xSxzlSc7J
His tweet, however, did not sit very well with a majority of Twitter users who said:
Jo is dunia sy chla gya h usko bukhush dain. R intkam ki politics ko khtm krain. Awam ab in lolypops sy tng aa chuki h. Jb ap log deliver krain gy awam apko e vote dy gi. Agr yeh situation rhi tou awam ki support khtm ho jaye gi.
British-Pakistani-American fashion designer famed for Netflix’s makeover series Queer Eye, Tan France in a recent interview with a local media publication opened up about being a queer Pakistani-Muslim and shed light on his love for his home country.
Talking about taking the burden of representation, France said: “I think the pressure on me is a little different – I am the only member of the LGBTQ community, who is also South Asian and very open about the fact that I am Muslim also. And so, I’m a few things in America – I’m an immigrant, I’m Muslim, I’m South Asian and I’m gay – and there hasn’t been anybody like that on TV in the US before, or entertainment in general, so the pressure is really really great. It’s the hardest part of this job without a doubt.”
He continued: “I’m sure you can imagine when you are somebody who is a little different, a lot of Pakistanis don’t appreciate that. There still are a lot of small-minded Pakistani people in and outside of Pakistan, who say ‘we don’t have gay people in our community’, and that’s the most difficult part when there’s nobody else to help you balance it out. When there’s only one person to focus your anger on, you are responsible to make sure you are the ‘perfect’ version of that. That pressure is a lot.”
“The first year of Queer Eye was very difficult, though I’m very grateful for its success. Being on such a massive international show may be lovely for my white castmates because they just get to enjoy the joy of being famous and successful and wealthy and all those things,” said the reality show star further.
“Whereas for me the bigger the show got, the more pressure I got from my own community, to be perfect, to not bring shame onto the community. To not embarrass Pakistan. And that’s not easy, and it doesn’t get any easier,” said Tan, adding that the pressure on his has become less now “because I’ve stopped giving a sh*t, quite honestly, what ‘Uncle Bilal’ thinks of me – but – the bigger my star gets, the more pressure is put on me.”
Later, responding to another question, France said: “The amount of DMs I get through the likes of Instagram, both good and bad where the Pakistani community is saying we don’t have gay people here. Well, that is ridiculous. The other community, the gay community, and the ally community say we need people that show that we exist, that we are not alone, we are not monsters and we deserve love and kindness. The fact that I get those DMs so regularly, makes it clear that things aren’t where they need to be in Pakistan.”
“That’s why people like me are so important in entertainment. If I had people like me on TV, I wouldn’t have felt like a freak, I wouldn’t have felt alone as a child. I think it comes from the top, so laws need to be changed from the top”, said France.
Meanwhile, recalling memories from the last time he visited Pakistan, Tan said: “My favourite memory is my last trip, about 14 years ago when I went to Rawalpindi to design my sister-in-law’s wedding lehenga. My brother was getting married, and our family was to provide the clothes so I was a designer, and I said I want to design it, but I want to go to Pakistan to make it.”
“So, I went with my mom, and we stayed in Rawalpindi with my brother’s wife’s family who also came with us (I’m really close with my sister-in-law) and I had probably one of the best vacations of my life. I helped cook every day and my sister-in-law’s mom, who has never been to England–found it so strange that this boy from England wanted to make gobhi and bhindi every morning with her -and I would teach her to make it my way! She was just so confused that this boy was cooking!”
“It was one of my favourite trips, I loved it so much! The rest of the time I would do whatever I wanted. I could go and explore, I went to a zoo, a theme park in Islamabad, it felt like the most fun trip there,” he shared.
Pakistan says it is not bound by any of the obligations enshrined in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — adopted in July 2017 — as the accord failed to take on board the “legitimate interests of all the stakeholders”.
The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was adopted by the UN in 2017 and it reached 50 ratification in October by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, and Thailand among other countries.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Islamabad said this treaty neither forms a part of nor contributes to the development of customary international law in any manner.
According to the statement, the treaty was negotiated outside the established UN disarmament negotiating forums.
“None of the nuclear-armed states, including Pakistan, took part in the negotiations of the treaty which failed to take on board the legitimate interests of all the stakeholders. Many non-nuclear armed states have also refrained from becoming parties to the treaty,” it added.
“The United Nations General Assembly, at its first special session devoted to nuclear disarmament in 1978, had agreed by consensus that in the adoption of disarmament measures, the right of each state to security should be kept in mind, and at each stage of the disarmament process, the objective would be undiminished security for all states at the lowest possible level of armaments and military forces,” the statement said.
The FO said the nuclear prohibition can only be achieved “as a cooperative and universally agreed undertaking through a consensus-based process involving all the relevant stakeholders which results in equal and undiminished security for all states”.
“It is indispensable for any initiative on nuclear disarmament to take into account the vital security considerations of each and every state,” the FO statement implored.
Sarah Khan has said that Allah has made men and women as equals and that people shouldn’t try to distinguish them as superior or inferior.
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Sarah said: “I believe in gender equality. I do not say that women should be superior, they should be treated as equals. The status Allah has given to them, we should follow that. Do not try to make it a competition.”
“Women are already strong, then why do we have to say that the women are strong as well or they should be given equal salaries as men,” remarked the actor further.
“I think, instead of fight for the rights, we should educate our sons. Don’t teach your daughters to go to ‘Aurat March’, educate your sons and teach them that their mother is also a woman,” she continued. “[A] woman is the one who runs the house, does the house chores and supports the man. If your wife is not helpful, then how will you be happy? Allah has already granted status to the woman, but I think men should be given the same rights. They deserve the same, not only women.”
Sarah, who is married to renowned singer Falak Shabir, also opened up about her marriage saying that it gave it more freedom. Sarah and Falak tied the knot in July 2020.
“To be honest, I am now [after marriage] doing my work much more freely and with a lot more passion. It wasn’t like this before. One of the reasons was that I used to be at home occupied with so many things, with my siblings etc,” said the actor.
“Now after marriage, it’s just me and my husband. He gives me so much freedom and encourages me to pursue my passion and wants me to succeed in my work. I enjoy working even more now and I want Allah to give every girl a husband like him,” added Sarah.
Besides her marriage and thoughts on gender equality, Sarah also discussed her sister’s Noor Zafar Khan’s career, her ongoing drama Raqs e Bismil and what she would have been if she wasn’t an actor in the interview. Check it out below:
Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and Mahmood Y Choudhry have said their qubool hais and have officially tied the knot.
Sharing pictures from the wedding on social media, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his happiness over the occasion and remembered his late mother Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
“Happiest moment in many years to see my sister Bakhtawar getting married,” wrote Bilawal on Twitter. “Felt like our mother was watching over us in this moment of joy.”
“Wishing them both all the best of for their new life together. Masha’Allah!,” he added.
Similarly, sharing a lovely picture of the bride and groom, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari wrote: “Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and joy. Mubarak Mubarak.”
“I love you, my dear sister. I wish you a happy married life,” she added.
The nikkah ceremony is expected to be followed by a baraat reception on Saturday, January 30. According to a spokesperson of Bilawal House, close to a thousand guests have been invited to the reception. Invitations have reportedly also been sent to important political leaders of the country including military leaders and judicial heads.
Earlier, the bride had shared pictures of herself getting her bridal mehndi done.
Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry extended his best wishes towards the newlyweds.
Congratulations to @BakhtawarBZ and Mahmood, I’m sure that you’ll have a lot of fun together. Prayers n Blessings ***
Bakhtawar and Mahmood got engaged on November 27, 2020, in an intimate ceremony at the Bilawal House Karachi. For the unacquainted, Bakhtawar’s husband “Mahmood Choudhry is the son of Mohammad Younas and Begum Suraiya Choudhry who hail from the old town of Lahore,” according to a statement issued by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
“Mahmood, the last born of five siblings was born on July 28, 1988, in the city of Abu Dhabi. He completed his primary schooling in Abu Dhabi and secondary schooling in the United Kingdom. Mahmood further went on to read Law at the University of Durham.”
“The family’s primary country of residence remains the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where Mahmood continues to run his businesses in construction, finance and tech,” added the statement.
Pakistan defeated South Africa by seven wickets on day four of the first Test match in Karachi on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series that marks the Proteas’ first tour to the country in almost 14 years.
Fawad Alam hit the winning runs with a square cut to Keshav Maharaj for four to seal what has been a remarkable comeback for him to the Test unit as Pakistan easily chased the 88 runs set by South Africa for victory.
Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, had reached 22 without loss at lunch with Abid Ali on 10 and Imran Butt on 12. But even as the openers departed after adding just a run after lunch, there seemed to be no panic as captain Babar Azam and veteran Azhar Ali coasted to within two runs of victory.
Maharaj trapped Babar in front for 30, Azhar was 31 not out while Alam — who hit a fighting hundred in the first innings — hit the winning boundary.
Earlier, debutant Nauman Ali took five wickets and fellow spinner Yasir Shah grabbed four to give Pakistan a solid opportunity to take lead in the series.
Left-arm spinner Nauman took 5-35 while Yasir finished with 4-79 after South Africa resumed at 187-4 at the start of the day. Temba Bavuma was the last man out for 40.
On Thursday, Yasir and Nauman grabbed three wickets in the space of ten runs to halt South Africa’s fightback on the third day of the first Test in Karachi.
When it looked like South Africa would end the day at parity after wiping out Pakistan’s big 158-run first-innings lead, Yasir struck twice and Nauman once to leave the tourists on 187-4 at close.
Earlier, Pakistan scored 378 to take a crucial lead over South Africa’s first innings total of 220.
The two-match Test series is South Africa’s first in Pakistan for 14 years. The second Test will be played in Rawalpindi from February 4.
The hosts have won only one of their previous seven Tests against South Africa in Pakistan, with the visitors claiming two victories to go with four draws.
Pakistan’s bowling coach congratulated the team for a win as well as Fawad for his outclass performance in his debut match at home ground. He also congratulated Yasir and Nauman for an incredible bowling and helping Pakistan beat the visitors.
Alhamdulillah – a Test win after almost a year. Congratulations to everyone involved, especially our fans. Very happy for you @iamfawadalam25 as you’ve shown the true meaning of patience & determination. Well done @Shah64Y & dream debutant Nauman Ali on spinning us to win! pic.twitter.com/7XdRFwmsjo
Ruckus on Friday marred yet another session of the National Assembly as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal got a scolding from speaker of the House, Asad Qaiser.
“Please follow rules. I am doing so too […] mind your tone,” the speaker told the opposition lawmaker.
While the reason behind the war of words has not yet been confirmed by any, a video of the episode showed Iqbal repeatedly interrupting the speaker, demanding what appeared to be more time on the floor of the House.
“Please mind your tone. You have been a minister, and you call yourself ‘professor’… is this the way to talk?” a visibly displeased Qaiser was seen asking Iqbal who kept talking back at the speaker.
WATCH VIDEO:
Earlier, rumpus also erupted after PML-N MNA Afzal Khokhar tabled a privilege motion.
During the session, while talking about the operation to demolish his Lahore residence, the Khokhar Palace, the PML-N leader told the House that the administration had stormed his place late at night and destroyed furniture among other things.
“This type of attitude of Punjab authorities will not be tolerated,” he said.
The House has been adjourned to meet again on Monday.
