Author: newsdesk

  • Why are The Current’s followers not with the one they love?

    Why are The Current’s followers not with the one they love?

    The Current recently asked its followers some hard-hitting questions and the answers left us quite sad. This was done via a ‘This or That’ poll that goes up in the morning every day in Instagram stories.

    We asked people if they think our society is easy to live in? 71% voted that the society is ‘so suffocating’  and we totally agree with your answer.

    We also asked why is our society is so suffocating. Here is what our followers thought:

    Society is more judgemental about ‘Aurat ghar main rahay’ or ‘Ye kesi naukri hai?’. This one was pretty close.

    We also asked for the solution to this problem. 62% of our followers thought that education could help in making our society less judgmental.

    Nobody can disagree with that the food is the ultimate catharsis.

    This actually made us sad to know that most of the people are not with the one they love.

    And the sadder part is that the family is the reason behind it.

    41% of our followers are of the opinion that their parents do not know them and the percentage should not be this high.

    Do you have your group of friends that is ‘your squad’? 40% of people replied that they do not have enough friends and The Current wishes that they find true and good friends in their life ahead.

    This one was quite tough but we are glad most of our followers love what they do.

  • Ex-ISI chief was working for India’s RAW?

    Ex-ISI chief was working for India’s RAW?

    The Ministry of Defence has opposed a request seeking removal of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general (DG) Lt Gen (r) Asad Durrani’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL), saying he had been “interacting with hostile elements” including Indian intelligence agency RAW since 2008 and was likely to be involved in future publications against the interest of Pakistan, Dawn reported.

    The spymaster had landed in trouble after co-authoring a book, “The Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace”, with Amarjit Singh Dulat, the former head of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), in 2018.

    After the book’s publication, the Military Intelligence (MI) had written to the interior ministry to put Durrani’s name on the ECL and the same was done in May 2018. The former spymaster challenged the move in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in 2019.

    In its para-wise comments submitted in response to Durrani’s petition in the IHC on Wednesday, the Defence Ministry said the ex-ISI chief’s name was placed on the no-fly list for “his involvement in anti-state activities”. It said a perusal of the book The Spy Chronicles revealed that it contained “certain contents concerning [the] national security of Pakistan, being in contravention of the provisions of the Official Secrets Acts, 1923”.

    “It is further highlighted that there are [a] number of such publications on the way, supported by hostile elements which contain content to create misperception, confusions, question marks against the top leadership circles at country level and to target the common people,” reads the ministry’s response.

    It added that Durrani had been “affiliated/interacting with hostile elements especially Indian RAW since 2008”, saying although he had submitted an affidavit “committing to refrain from such activities” to the government, the same had still not been seen “in tangible terms”.

    According to the ministry’s reply, Rule 2(c) of the Exit from Pakistan (Control) Rules, 2010, authorised the federal government to prohibit a person from exiting Pakistan for a foreign destination if the said person is involved in “‘acts of terrorism or its conspiracy’, ‘heinous crimes’ and ‘threatening national security’”.

    Moreover, it said Articles 15 and 19 of the Constitution clearly stated that the “freedom of movement and freedom of speech are subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by [the] law in the public interest and integrity, security or defence of Pakistan”.

    It said Durrani’s name could not be removed from ECL “at this stage” because inquiries being conducted against him were being finalised. It said the former ISI chief wanted to travel abroad with the intention of participating in international conferences, forums and talks which will have “serious national security implications as evident from the recently published book ‘Honour Among Spies’” — which was also authored by Durrani and published “through Indian publishers/RAW supported elements”, according to the defence ministry.

    “Moreover, the petitioner also appeared on social media on October 12 and 13, 2020, and expressed his views which of course cannot be well received by any patriotic citizen,” the ministry stated, continuing to defend the placement of Durrani’s name on ECL.

    The ex-ISI chief’s petition is expected to be taken up again by the IHC next month.

  • Son of NAB’s ex-prosecutor says worked for Broadsheet-linked firm without pay

    Son of NAB’s ex-prosecutor says worked for Broadsheet-linked firm without pay

     

    Omer Farouk Adam, son of ex-prosecutor general of the National Accountability Bureau Farouk Adam Khan, says that he worked for a Broadsheet-linked firm in the 2000s as an intern without any monetary benefits.

    Recently, ex-NAB chairman Gen (r) Syed Amjad alleged that Farouk Adam Khan worked for a law firm connected to the asset recovery firm as a consultant after leaving NAB and his son Omer too was employed by David Orchard, who along with Dr Pepper, were legal advisers to Broadsheet, a report in Geo News said.

    Responding to the statement, Farouk Adam Khan told Geo that he did work with Broadsheet, but not for money. “There was nothing secret about it and the internship was without monetary benefits,” he was quoted as saying. “It was a regular limited period internship undertaken with many other law students.”

    Amjad and Farouk had been close associates once, but in 2015, both made statements against each other in a London court over the signing of the agreement with Broadsheet. Amjad accused Farouk of working for Broadsheet and getting his son hired as well, while Farouk said Amjad was “satisfied” with the contract signed in 2000.

    He said NAB didn’t let Broadsheet work properly, adding that the agreement was signed with the firm after due diligence and Amjad’s approval.

    NAB-BROADSHEET CONTRACT:

    Pakistan paid Broadsheet, an asset recovery firm registered in the Isle of Man, Rs4.65bn after the NAB broke an agreement with it three years after it was signed in 2000.

    After its formation in 1999 by then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, NAB approached Broadsheet to recover overseas assets of at least 200 Pakistanis, particularly the Sharif family. However, the deal fell through in 2003, with NAB saying that the recovery firm had stopped investigations; Broadsheet had accused NAB of hampering its probe to locate the offshore assets of Pakistanis.

    The broken accord was the start of an 18-year-long legal battle between the two parties. In 2008, NAB reached a settlement with a former Broadcast LLC official, Jerry James. The bureau paid at least $1.5million to James to settle the case even though the company was being liquidated and the liquidator was not a party to the deal.

    Though NAB claimed it had reached a settlement with Broadsheet, the firm said James had nothing to do with it at the time of the signing of the agreement. The money paid to James didn’t reach the original Broadsheet, its CEO had claimed and filed a case in a UK court for arbitration in the matter in 2012.

    The UK judge decided the matter in favour of Broadsheet, the claimant. It said Broadsheet LLC was entitled to recover damages for the wrongful repudiation of the ARA [asset recovery agreement]. The award declared that James had no authority from the claimant after March 2005 to enter into a settlement agreement with NAB. The judge said the deal was “wrongful and deliberate to financially hurt the original Broadsheet LLC, Isle of Man”.

    The court held that while negotiating with the fraudulent company, NAB representative Ahmer Bilal Soofi was aware that the original company was in liquidation, and he signed the wrongful deal knowingly.

    Finally, the court ordered NAB to pay $21.58m plus interest to Broadsheet LLC in damages over the breach of the agreement. Due to interest rates, the award amount reached $28.7 million by December 2020.

  • Kerala HC issues notice to Virat Kohli for ‘getting India’s youth addicted to gambling’

    Kerala HC issues notice to Virat Kohli for ‘getting India’s youth addicted to gambling’

    The High Court of Kerala has issued notices to Indian skipper Virat Kohli, along with actors Tamannaah Bhatia, Aju Vargheese, and the state government in a plea seeking a ban on online gambling in the state.

    According to reports, the court plea alleges that as brand ambassadors of online rummy games they are getting the youth of India addicted to gambling after victims claimed the three celebrities have played a role in tempting them.

    The petition also seeks a ban on the game.

    The petitioner had complained to the high court that several people have lost their lives in the country after losing huge amounts of money by playing rummy online. A 27-year-old had reportedly committed suicide two weeks ago after losing Rs2.1 million in the online game.

    Sajesh, 32, who had lost a huge amount playing online rummy said: “The intervention of the honourable high court is welcome as I know that several people have lost huge amount of money playing this online game and I myself have lost more than Rs 6 lakh.

    “The brand ambassadors indeed play a big role in attracting the gullible youth in playing this game which soon turns into an addiction. I had to seek professional medical help to come out of this addiction and the court must ban this game in India.”

    No statements have been issued by the three celebrities yet, with Kohli currently on paternity leave while he spends time with his newborn daughter and wife Anushka Sharma.

    Kohli and Anushka Sharma were blessed with a baby girl earlier this month. On the other hand, Tamannah recently wrapped up the shoot for her upcoming web show November Story, which she described as a ‘nail-biting series’. The series will release on Disney+ Hotstar soon.

  • UK govt praises Pakistan on 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project

    UK govt praises Pakistan on 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project

    The UK government has appreciated Pakistan for showing global leadership in dealing with climate change with its 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government introduced the Billion Tree Tsunami Afforestation Project in 2014 that was monitored by WWF-Pakistan.

    As per details, about 1.6 million native tree species were planted in different cities of Pakistan by WWF in 2019 and about 1.002 million native plants were planted with the provincial forest department, academic institutions, and civil society in 2020. 

    UK House of Lords member Lord Aamer Sarfraz, during a session of the House of Lords on January 25, said that the project is an effort that all Pakistanis can be proud of. 

    “There is no doubt that 2021 is the year of planet Earth, and by the COP26 due to be held later this year, we hope to celebrate more successes from Pakistan,” said Lord Sarfraz. 

    UK Environment Minister Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park also appreciated the initiative and called it a great achievement, which the world can learn from and emulate. 

    He called it “one of the most ambitious tree planting initiatives in the world”. 

    “I absolutely, enthusiastically, commend and celebrate Pakistan’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami initiative and the tens of thousands of jobs that have been created due to the project. It goes to show what is possible and what can be achieved,” said Lord Goldsmith.

  • Supreme Court upholds acquittal of prime suspect in Daniel Pearl murder case

    The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a series of appeals against the acquittal of the British-born militant convicted of masterminding the kidnap and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl, paving the way for his release.

    “The court has come out to say that there is no offence that he has committed in this case,” Mahmood Sheikh, who represented Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, told AFP.

    The three-judge bench directed authorities to release Sheikh who was sentenced to death for his role in the plot.

    During the hearing, the Sindh advocate general told the court that the prime suspect has links to banned outfits. He added that the Sindh government submitted sensitive information to the top court in a sealed envelope. At this, the court responded that the evidence submitted by the authorities in the case was not enough to convict Sheikh.

    In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, Sheik admitted a “minor” role in the death of Washington Post reporter Pearl. That testimony was at odds with 18 years of denial about his involvement in the killing.

    A letter handwritten by the accused in 2019, in which he admits limited involvement in the death, was submitted to Pakistan’s Supreme Court nearly two weeks earlier.

    Last month, the United States government had also issued a statement expressing concerns over the acquittal of Sheikh by the Sindh High Court.

    “We are deeply concerned by the reports of the December 24 ruling of Sindh High Court to release multiple terrorists responsible for the murder of Daniel Pearl. We have been assured that the accused have not been released at this time,” said the State Department in a series of tweets in response to the ruling of the high court.

    Pearl was working on a story about religious extremists in Pakistan in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, when he was kidnapped in Karachi.

  • VIDEO: Sindh governor’s dog enjoying police protocol in Karachi?

    It seems even pets of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail enjoy police protocol in Karachi.

    According to a video that went viral on social media, a dog can be seen enjoying a ride in a government SUV on the roads of the provincial capital, with its head hanging out of the window.

    A police vehicle is also seen tailing the Prado as a part of its security protocol. No one can be seen accompanying the dog in the video, but the governor says that his family members were travelling in the vehicle when the video was shot.

    The video was posted by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Taimoor Talpur. Talpur said that he filmed the video after he came out of the Chief Minister House following a meeting, as per a report in Geo News.

    Subsequently, a clarification was issued by the governor on Twitter. Ismail clarified the police mobile was accompanying the vehicle to protect his family that was also travelling in it. “The police van was not there for protocol but to protect the family,” he said, adding that it is a “frivolous move” to make such videos.

    “The person [Talpur] who made the video is part of a corrupt government,” he alleged.

  • PTI’s Pakistan more corrupt than PML-N’s Pakistan for second consecutive year: Transparency International

    PTI’s Pakistan more corrupt than PML-N’s Pakistan for second consecutive year: Transparency International

    Transparency International (TI) — a Berlin-based international non-governmental organisation combating global corruption — on Thursday released a new report, according to which, the country under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, for the second consecutive year, has witnessed more corruption than it did in the outgoing year of the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    According to TI’s global report on the 2020 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), while Pakistan’s ranking and CPI score in 2019 dropped from 117 to 120 and from 33 to 32, respectively, the ranking has now fallen down to 123 and CPI score to 31 in 2020.

    The report comes at a time when the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government boasts of the success of its promised accountability drive against opposition lawmakers and government officials. The same has time and again been termed as “political victimisation” by those on the radar of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

    Before the second consecutive drop, Pakistan witnessed a slight improvement in the 2018 CPI, scoring a point higher than in 2017 but remaining unchanged in the rankings. The country scored 33 out of 100 on the index — one point better than its score of 32 in 2017 and 2016. Its ranking, however, remained unchanged at 117 out of 180 countries, in 2018.

    TI’s annual report on CPI is formulated on the basis of input from 13 international agencies. In the case of Pakistan, however, the assessment of eight agencies is taken into account. These include the World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey; the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment; the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index; the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index; the Economist Intelligence Unit Country Risk Service; the Global Insight Country Risk Ratings; the IMD World Competitiveness Center World Competitiveness Yearbook Executive Opinion Survey; and the Varieties of Democracy project’s findings.

    Pakistan in the last 11 years had improved its index score from 23 in 2010 to 33 in 2018. However, never in the said time period had Pakistan been assessed to have performed negatively when compared to the previous year, which has now happened twice.

  • Baby on the way for Zaid Ali T and Yumnah

    Zaid Ali T and his wife Yumnah Ali T have announced that they are expecting their first child.

    Read more – It’s raining…celebrity babies

    Sharing the good news on social media, Zaid wrote: “We are going to be parents! By the grace of Allah, we have been blessed with a child!”

    “Today is the happiest day of my life,” he added.

    Similarly, Yumnah, while sharing the news said that she cannot “wait to be a mom!”

    Soon after the couple announced the news, wishes poured in from loved ones and followers.

    The Canadian-Pakistani YouTuber and Yumna tied the knot in 2017. Zaid has over 2.9 million followers on his YouTube Channel.

  • ‘It was awful’: Priyanka Chopra regrets endorsing fairness products

    ‘It was awful’: Priyanka Chopra regrets endorsing fairness products

    Priyanka Chopra-Jonas has said that she has expressed her deep remorse for promoting skin-whitening creams in her upcoming memoir Unfinished. The book is scheduled to release on February 9 and will chronicle Priyanka’s childhood, facing racism during her teenage years in the US, winning Miss India and Miss World, and the challenges she faced while navigating a career in Bollywood and Hollywood.

    Speaking to Marie Claire, Chopra-Jonas, said: [Skin lightening] was so normalized in South Asia; it’s such a large industry that everyone was doing it. In fact, doing it is still a check [mark] when you are a female actor, but it’s awful.”

    “And it was awful for me, for a little girl who used to put talcum-powder cream on my face because I believed that dark skin was not pretty,” she said, adding that she hated being described as “dusky” by industry influencers and the media.

    Priyanka further shared that her new sustainable beauty brand, ‘Anomaly’, is a metaphor for the self-acceptance she’s finally found. She is hopeful that men and women today don’t feel like they have to live up to the restrictive beauty standards that she used to.

    “I’m an anomaly, and everyone else is in their own way,” says the actor.

    Meanwhile, talking about her journey and accomplishments, Priyanka said: “For that girl who was so scared, I’m proud of the person that I evolved into. I dealt with a lot, and I came out thriving. I want little girls around the world to think about that. It doesn’t matter where you come from; it doesn’t matter what your circumstances are. Your grit matters, your ambition matters, your perseverance matters.”

    Earlier on 2015, while talking to journalist Barkha Dutt about endorsing fairness creams, Priyanka had said: “I felt really bad about it, that’s why I stopped doing it.”

    “All my cousins are gora-chitta (fair) I was the one who turned out dusky because my dad is dusky. Just for fun, my Punjabi family would call me ‘kaali, kaali, kaali’. At 13, I wanted to put fairness creams and wanted my complexion changed,” she shared further.

    Read more – Priyanka Chopra reportedly defies lockdown rules in London to visit the salon

    Later, sharing a screenshot of Priyanka’s statement on her Instagram story, Iqra Aziz wrote, “When will we [regret endorsing fairness creams]?”

    It is pertinent to add here that Iqra is one of the few female Pakistani actors who has not endorsed a fairness product. Her husband Yasir Hussain had publicly lauded her for rejecting a lucrative offer to represent a fairness cream brand.