Meesha Shafi’s rendition of Nazia Hassan’s iconic Boom Boom created waves across the country and had everyone grooving to the tune and remembering the late pop queen. The latest person to appreciate the rendition is Hassan’s own brother, Zoheb Hassan.
In a message posted to social media, Zoheb lauded Meesha’s tribute to his sister as well as the song’s producer Bilal Maqsood.
Responding to his message, Meesha said: “Of all the love and appreciation pouring in from all over the world, nothing can match the emotional value of this acknowledgement.”
“This means the absolute world to me and all those who worked on this tribute.”
“Millions of Nazia Hassan and Nazia-Zoheb fans continue celebrating their undying love for an iconic legend today just as passionately as they did decades ago,” she added.
Boom Boom was released as part of the Velo Sound Station produced by Bilal Maqsood and co-directed by Bilal and Yasir Jaswal.
Shafi, known for her powerful vocals and edgy style performed a dance club cover of Nazia’s 1982 pop hit. Her powerful voice with outstanding control and projection is heard reciting these evocative lyrics as the words waft down cloud-like on the oversize LED screen: “Can you feel this force, this sweet design. How our minds are together, how we are so aligned. Felt the hush in the world. The only sound I heard was the way you made my heart go Boom Boom.”
President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday approved Anti-Rape Ordinance 2020, under which special courts will be set up across the country to expedite trials of rape cases on a priority basis and award harsher sentences, such as chemical castration.
The special courts will dispose of the rape cases within four months, as per the ordinance that also abolishes the ‘two fingers’ virginity test in the rape cases.
The ordinance also suggests setting up of anti-rape crisis cells under the supervision of the prime minister, which will be authorised to conduct medico-legal examination within six hours of the incident.
A record will be prepared at the national level with help of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to register the perpetrators of sexual abuse. The ordinance prohibits revealing of the identity of rape victims, making it a punishable offence.
Police and government officials who show negligence in investigating the cases would be jailed for three years along with the imposition of fines. Additionally, police and government officials who provide false information would also be punished.
On Nov 7, the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases had approved two ordinances to introduce harsher punishments, including chemical castration, for sex offenders.
According to a statement issued by the law ministry at the time, the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Ordinance, 2020 and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 would introduce the concept of chemical castration mainly as a “form of rehabilitation”.
Responding to the new ordinances after their approval by the cabinet in November, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman had expressed her displeasure over lowering the statutory age for rape to 13 from 16.
“The age of alleged ‘consent’ has been moved to 13 from 16 in the new ordinance, which is terrible,” commented the lawmaker. “How will an adolescent be responsible for ‘consent’. This makes younger children even more vulnerable.”
Islamabad Zoo’s last remaining animals Bubloo and Suzie are all set to leave for Jordan on December 17. The two Himalayan bears were initially scheduled to leave Pakistan on December 10, but the government had barred the animals from leaving at the last moment despite court orders.
There, Suzie and Bubloo will find a species-appropriate home and the proper care they urgently need. Thanks again to the Pakistani authorities and community for their ongoing support in providing a better future for wildlife. : Hristo Vladev | FOUR PAWS
In a written order, the court said: “The natural habitat of Suzie and Bubloo was the high altitude plateau of Deosai National Park in the Himalayas. It was indeed inhumane to have deprived them of living in their natural habitat merely for the entertainment of the human species.”
“They have remained caged in the Marghazar Zoo for more than a decade. A zoo, no matter how well equipped, is no less than a concentration camp for living beings. They were born free and taking them out of their natural habitat and caging them was in violation of the natural rights bestowed upon them by the Creator.”
“They have suffered enough and they lack the ability to let the human species know what they must have gone through. Their abnormal behaviour while imprisoned was sufficient to speak volumes for the unimaginable pain and suffering.”
“The relocation of Kaavan the elephant, and the two Himalayan brown bears, Suzie and Bubloo, to appropriate sanctuaries has set a precedent for others to follow. They will always represent the people of Pakistan and their resolve to treat living species with respect and dignity,” it added.
The transfer of the former dancing bears to Jordan was first announced in early October, with the Jordanian government saying it would facilitate the relocation. Back then Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) Chairman Dr Anisur Rehman had said that the two bears, including their import and export permits, are ready. He had said that he is confident that the bears will receive better psychological and physical treatment in the sanctuary abroad.
“The bear sanctuary is looked after by the (Jordanian) king’s aunt, Princess Alia, and she has given us an import permit within a day,” Dr Rehman had shared.
It was earlier reported that the bears are not being moved to Jordan permanently. They will reportedly be flown back to Islamabad once they have fully recovered and their enclosures at Islamabad Zoo are ready. Animals at the Islamabad Zoo are being relocated after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that the zoo is not fit enough for them and lacks the necessary facilities.
Both the Himalayan brown bears suffer from psychological problems due to living in a substandard enclosure, with the female Suzie undergoing major surgery in the summer after a tumour was removed from her chest. Local vets were unable to stitch up seven inches open cut in the centre of her chest and she developed an infection. Four Paws vets, who arrived in August, operated on Suzie again and cleaned the infected wound. This was also the reason why sanctuaries within Pakistan refused to take them in.
“She is now recovering and healthy. Both bears are doing well physically now that we have put them on a better nutritional diet of fruits and vegetables. Suzie had diarrhea all the time because she was mostly fed milk,” a spokesperson for Four Paws, Marion Lombard, told local media outlets.
Friends of Islamabad Zoo (FIZ), who have been campaigning for the animals, in a note posted to social media, also addressed those who said that the bears should have been moved to a local sanctuary instead of an international one.
“Both the bears have no teeth and have been dependent on humans since birth,” wrote the animal rights body. “They will not be able to survive wild in the Deosai Plains and will need constant care.”
“Other than that from what we were told, Deosai now has 76 bears and adding two bears with no experience of living with other bears won’t be able to survive and will need to be kept confined.”
FIZ said that Al Ma’wa for Nature and Wildlife is the ideal place for the two bears because it is located 3500 feet above sea level, double the height of Islamabad and is climatically suited to Himalayan brown bears. They added that their facilities are top-class and the bears will be well taken care of there.
Meanwhile, speaking to a local media publication, veterinarian Dr Amir Khalil, who is overlooking the bears move to Jordan, expressed his relief over the decision and said that Suzie and Bubloo would find a species-appropriate home and proper care in Jordan. Dr Khalil also oversaw the relocation of Kaavan to Cambodia.
“As a vet, I am delighted that in the end, humanity and the bears are the winners,” Khalil said.
2020 has been a tough year for everyone across the globe considering the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns that followed. The World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a recent address remarked that the pandemic has shown humanity at “its best and worst”, pointing to “inspiring acts of compassion and self-sacrifice, breathtaking feats of science and innovation, and heartwarming demonstrations of solidarity.”
In Pakistan, people have come together to help those in need and those most-affected. While the government mobilised resources to help the affected, members of civil society also stepped up and extended their support. Among those who offered their assistance is British-Pakistani businessman Jawad Sohrab Malik, who is also credited as being one of the top donors to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Dam Fund.
Jawad Sohrab Malik
Jawad, through his charity organisation, The Sohrab Foundation, donated over 50,000 ration bags worth Rs 4,000 plus cash donation to daily wagers affected by the pandemic for distribution through the Pakistan Army. His efforts were appreciated by the armed forces and DG ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar honoured him with a memento to acknowledge his efforts and contribution for supporting the society and providing relief during these troubled times. He was also lauded by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa for his charity work, which is a huge feat in itself.
According to details, the Sohrab Foundation has been engaged in charitable work for the last 10 years. Speaking about the foundation’s journey, Jawad had said: “We started with Iftar Dastarkhwan for 1000 people and the scope kept increasing every year. Now, under our Ramazan Dastarkhawn Programme, we provide meals to at least 300,000 people each year at multiple locations across the country.”
He explained that due to the pandemic, the foundation decided to divert funds towards those affected by the virus and lockdown.
“The needs of our times are increasingly urgent and this is a time when our countrymen need us the most. We must do all we can in our capacity to help those in need as this is the essence of our religion too. After all, we must not forget that Allah brings us in this world just so that we can help others and a person’s most useful asset is his or her willingness to assist another.”
Furthermore, speaking exclusively to The Current Jawad added: “Charity has always been a focal pillar in our lives. This is what I learnt from my father and am just carrying on what he taught us on a larger and more organised scale and structure.”
“Helping is above all, this doesn’t necessarily mean financially. It could be assisting someone with your time, advice, with kind words. As long as you can somehow comfort and help someone and make them feel better that’s what matters,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Jawad is also playing a key role in building up trade relations between Pakistan and the United Kingdom. Earlier, in March 2019, Jawad had invited Labour MPs Naz Shah, Faisal Rasheed and former cabinet minister and Tory peer Baroness Sayeeda Warsi to his residence in Islamabad and informed them that Pakistani government under Prime Minister Imran Khan was committed to building stronger relations between the two countries and wanted businesses to invest in Pakistan. He shared the incentives the country was offering and encouraged them to also assist in building ties.
As always, pleasure meeting British Pakistani businessman @JawadSohrab during my visit to Pakistan. Learnt a great deal about the excitement of overseas entrepreneurs to invest in Pakistan as well as their contributions for both British and Pakistani economy #Inspiredpic.twitter.com/ROP2oWaz8Q
“Life is too short, so let’s do everything we can today to help people now,” is what Jawad says his motto in life is and he is trying to do whatever he can to give back to his people and his country.
The head of the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has said that teachers should be among those given priority access to the COVID-19 vaccines.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on children’s education around the globe. Vaccinating teachers is a critical step towards putting it back on track,” Unicef chief Henrietta Fore said in a statement.
Teachers should be “prioritised to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated,” she said.
“This will help protect teachers from the virus, allow them to teach in person and ultimately keep schools open.”
According to UNICEF, at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic at the end of April, “school closures disturbed the learning of almost 90% of students worldwide.”
Assuming that schools are not the main driver of community transmission, Unicef said in its statement that unfortunately, classes currently remain closed for “nearly one in five schoolchildren globally — or 320 million children.”
We must “do everything in our power to safeguard the future of the next generation. This begins by safeguarding those responsible for opening that future up for them,” Fore said.
“The consequences of extended, missed or impaired education are steep, especially for the most marginalized. The longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to return, and the more difficult it is for their parents to resume work,” she said.
Aima Baig’s sister Komal Baig recently tied the knot with a Dubai-based blogger Salem AQ in a beautiful afternoon wedding and the event had several celebrities in attendance including Momina Mustehsan, Shahbaz Shigri and Ammara Hikmat.
Komal and Salem
Aima looked stunning at the wedding in a red Mohsin Naveen Ranjha saree with a velvet blouse. Aima’s beau Shahbaz Shigri was also seen at the event wearing a light-coloured suit.
Police have given a clean chit to Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam in the harassment case against him.
According to reports, Additional Sessions Judge Nauman Naeem had taken up the petition of a woman, namely Hameeza Mukhtar, against the Pakistani skipper.
During the proceedings, the counsel of the petitioner sought time to submit documents in the court and said that the entire case was based on medical reports.
Azam’s counsel, Barrister Harris Azmat, while requesting the court to reject the petitioner’s plea, said that Azam was a national cricketer and hero, adding that Hameeza had started blackmailing the national cricket team captain in 2016 whereas the police had cleared him in an investigation.
Police also submitted an investigation report in the court, as per which the national cricketer was found innocent and the woman was levelling baseless allegations.
“The court should reject the petitioner’s plea,” he said.
Barrister Azmat said that Azam’s case was being covered by Indian media and the woman may have targeted the national cricketer once again at the behest of someone.
The court adjourned the case after summoning petitioner Hameeza Mukhtar’s counsel on December 15 (today) for final arguments.
Shoaib Akhtar recently praised an Indian artist for drawing a hyper-realistic ballpoint sketch of the former cricketer.
Chitrakar, a freelance artist from New Delhi had posted his art on Instagram. The sketch shows two expressions of the fast bowler, one in black ink and the other in red.
Taking to Twitter, the cricketer wrote, “I can’t thank you guys enough who make these illustrations by giving so much time & dedication.”
Lovely work from another artist. I can’t thank you guys enough who make these illustrations by giving so much time & dedication. pic.twitter.com/eMdXJrCKYg
If honesty is the sole criterion for the appointment of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) head then the government should request cleric Maulana Tariq Jamil to head the tax watchdog, said top economist Dr Ikramul Haq while criticising the government’s tax policies.
In an Express News show, the economist said the use of technology and enforcement of laws were important to achieve tax targets.
“If tax collection can be increased through honesty alone, we should request Maulana Tariq Jamil to head the FBR,” the economist said, alluding to the remarks made by Imran Khan before the 2018 elections that an “honest leadership” could convince people to pay taxes and become a tax-compliant nation.
He also urged the government to relax the definition of non-resident person to one year to facilitate those who were stuck in the country due to Covid-19.
Haq was of the view that the government should make a general rule to facilitate the people instead of waiting for them to individually plead their cases regarding overstay due to the pandemic as scores of non-resident persons have accidentally become Pakistani residents.
According to the economist, the FBR should send tax returns to the people to measure the response. According to the TV show, at least 72 per cent of people didn’t file tax returns: 4.7million out of the total 6.5m.
The Pakistan women’s national cricket team is expected to tour South Africa next month. As per details, the team will play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour in Durban and Pietermaritzburg from 20 January to 3 February.
This series has been organised to prepare the team for ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier to be held in July 2021.
Women’s chief selector and head of the women’s cricket, Urooj Mumtaz, in a statement, said: “I am delighted that Cricket South Africa have agreed to host us for a full tour despite having already qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022. This is yet another indicator and reflection of our relationship with the member boards who are willing to help and support each other in any possible way.”
She added: “South Africa is ranked above us, both in the ODI and T20I formats and, as such, I am sure this series will go a long way in not only assisting us to further improve our standards but also prepare for June’s ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2021 as we aim to finish in the top three and progress to the event proper in early 2022 in New Zealand.”
While the final squad for the tour is expected to be announced on Thursday, 31 December 2020, 27 probables for the tour include Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana Khan, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz and Syeda Aroob Shah.
The above mentioned 27 players have been invited by the women’s national selection committee for a training and preparation camp, which will be held at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi from 20 December.
