Blessed Friday in Pakistan is celebrated with the same shopping zeal anywhere in the world. This year many brands are offering online and in-stores discounts on blessed Friday. The Current has listed a few brands that have ‘Blessed Friday’ sales.
BTW – By The Way
BTW is offering upto 70 per cent off on its entire stock this Blessed Friday.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) chairman Ahad Cheema in an alleged corruption case.
Cheema, who was a close aide of former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, was detained in Feb 2018 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Ashiana Housing scam. However, the accountability bureau also opened another inquiry against him for possessing assets beyond means.
During the hearing, the apex court directed the former top civil servant to furnish surety bonds worth Rs1 million to secure the bail. The NAB lawyer opposed the bail plea, saying Cheema was a key accused in the case.
At this, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood asked whether the accused doesn’t deserve bail due to the delay in the case.
Cheema’s lawyer responded that his client has been in jail for two years and nine months. Bail is granted in case of undue delay, he added.
Earlier this year, the Lahore High Court had dismissed a bail plea filed by Cheema, even though the co-accused in the case were granted post-arrest bail. Subsequently, ex-LDA chief’s counsel Azam Nazir Tarrar moved the apex court, seeking bail.
ARREST OF FOMRER LDA CHIEF:
In Feb 2018, NAB arrested Cheema after the latter failed to show up on NAB hearings. At the time, NAB had stated that that the inquiry conducted by the bureau “produced sufficient evidence to prove LDA ex-DG’s involvement in the Ahsiana scam”.
In its official press release issued at the time, it said that the Punjab Land Development Company assigned the Ashiana Housing Scheme project to LDA, where Cheema as its DG misused his authority and received illegal gratification in the form of 32 kanals of land, valuing approximately Rs30 million from the owners of Paragon City. The accused also awarded the contract for the project to Lahore Casa Developers, that was ineligible for the contract.
It may be noted here ex-CM Shehbaz Sharif and former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad were also accused in Ashiana case.
Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, announced a special programme of animation and video games certification to encourage young people to be part of the multi-billion dollar gaming industry.
اگر آپ کو پڑھنے سےدلچسپی نہیں اور فون پر ویڈیو گیمز سےرغبت ہے تو تیاری رکھیں @MinistryofST ویڈیو گیمز پروگرامنگ کا خصوصی پروگرام لارہی ہے تا کہ ہم 90 ارب ڈالر کی اس انڈسٹری کاحصہ بن سکیں، Animation اور ویڈیو گیمز سرٹیفیکیشن پروگرام نوجوانوں کیلئے Game ہی نہیں Game Changer ہوں گے
The minister said that they are looking to make people a part of the $900 million programming industry. He said that this new programme is especially targeted at those uninterested in studying and looking into video game development instead. According to him, the certification program should prove to be a “game-changer” for many. The tweet does not reveal any details, but since the Minister talks about Smartphone games, we can expect the program to lean more towards phone apps and games.
The new initiative will be providing animation and video games certification programmes to young people in order to boost the local gaming industry.
Six major generals have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has announced.
In a tweet, the military’s media wing said those promoted included Maj Gen Akhtar Nawaz , Maj Gen Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, Maj Gen Salman Fayyaz Ghani, Maj Gen Sarfraz Ali and Maj Gen Muhammad Ali.
Promotions in the #Army : 6 Major Generals have been promoted to the Rank of Lieutenant General. Those promoted include MG Akhtar Nawaz , MG Sardar Hassan Azhar Hayat, MG Asif Ghafoor, MG Salman Fayyaz Ghani , MG Sarfraz Ali,MG Muhammad Ali.
Asif Ghafoor, who is among the most prominent recipients of the promotion, has previously served as the ISPR director general. He was appointed to the post in December 2016, replacing Lt Gen Asim Bajwa as the military’s spokesperson.
Reacting to the news, Federal Minster for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said it was an hounour to serve in the highest ranks of the army.
Serving in the highest ranks of #PakArmy is an honour, many congratulations to all very well deserved officers for the honours bestowed upon them and best wishes…. https://t.co/bIZzlIxSic
“Serving in the highest ranks of #PakArmy is an honour. Many congratulations to all very well deserved officers for the honours bestowed upon them and best wishes,” he tweeted.
Meghan Markle has revealed she suffered a miscarriage in July this year.
In an opinion piece penned for the New York Times, Meghan opened up about the deep grief and loss she endured with her husband Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex, who married the British prince in 2018, had the couple’s first child, Archie, the following year.
In the piece titled The Losses We Share, Meghan wrote that she had just changed her son’s diaper when she felt a sharp cramp and fell to the ground.
“After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,” wrote Markle.
“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second,” she added.
Meghan described how she and her husband were both in tears as she lay in a hospital bed later.
“Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand,” wrote the Duchess. “I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal.”
“Losing a child means carrying an almost unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few,” she continued. “In the pain of our loss, my husband and I discovered that in a room of 100 women, 10 to 20 of them will have suffered from miscarriage. Yet despite the staggering commonality of this pain, the conversation remains taboo, riddled with (unwarranted) shame, and perpetuating a cycle of solitary mourning.”
The intimate details shared in the article are at odds with the usual policy of senior members of the British royal family, who reveal almost nothing about their personal lives.
Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, has never discussed her private life in any media article or interview in her 68-year reign. However, reports have stated that Harry had discussed the article with the royal family beforehand.
Meghan and Harry married in May 2018 in a glittering ceremony televised around the world. In January this year, the couple shocked the British establishment when they announced they were retiring from royal life. Their withdrawal came after reports she was deeply unhappy with life inside the royal family and fed up with media intrusion.
The couple, who live with their young son, in California, signed an exclusive deal with the streaming giant Netflix for an undisclosed fee earlier this year. They have set up a non-profit organisation to promote education, mental health and well-being.
Days after the prime minister’s visit to the University of Turbat, the Balochistan chief secretary has written a letter to the Makran commissioner, asking him to explain “the shortcomings” observed during the visit of PM Imran Khan.
The letter that has been circulating on social media has been shared by many, including Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal as well, who sarcastically captioned it ‘viceregal’ attitude of the centre.
The Current has confirmed the veracity of this letter
The chief secretary asked the commissioner — who was supposed to supervise the arrangements — to explain why “each and every detailed instructions passed on to you” were not carried out in “letter and spirit”.
It says the PM was served soft drinks that were not “properly chilled” and the plates that were used to serve food to the PM and his entourage were also of “low quality”. The sweeping staff was also reportedly inefficient as the “pathways and washrooms remained dirty” despite instructions.
The commissioner was also asked to explain the unavailability of a “qualified person” to handle the operating system “complications” during the presentation. Also, there was no “spare laptop” in the meeting room.
Furthermore, the chief secretary office was also not pleased with the fact that the CS’s chair was not “marked” in the auditorium where the PM interacted with “notables” while the CS was made to sit at the “extreme corner of the first row”, as per the letter. “The seating arrangement for the administrative secretaries to the government of Balochistan was neither marked nor were they were invited in the auditorium,” it added.
Moreover, there was also complaints about the Turbat’s DC and SSP, who allegedly violated protocol by “walking too close to the PM”. “The SSP Turbat consistently tried to engage the PM in chit chat,” the letter mentioned, seeking a response on the above-mentioned “shortcomings” from the commissioner within 7 days.
On Friday, PM Imran Khan visited Turbat district to inaugurate development projects in the city. During the visit, the PM also went to Turbat University.
The Current approached the PM’s focal person on digital media, Dr Arslan Khalid for the confirmation of this letter. According to Dr Khalid, the prime minister has nothing to do with the letter. He said it was a matter of the provincial government. Sources in the provincial government also confirmed the veracity of the letter, saying it was issued by the office of the chief secretary.
The actor surprised fans by sharing photos from her mayun on Instagram in which the bride-to-be can be seen getting mehndi applied to her hands on her mayun.
While fans were initially unaware of who the groom was, Rabab later shared pictures and videos with him on her Instagram. The groom’s name is Sohaib Ali.
Newly-appointed Pakistan Television (PTV) Chairman Naeem Bukhari, who has also remained the lawyer of Prime Minister Imran Khan, has the national television will not broadcast any speeches by the opposition parties.
Bukhari’s comments pertaining to the blackout of the opposition on PTV came despite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) manifesto that promised to transform PTV on the lines of BBC — the British state broadcaster. The ruling party had also protested during the PML-N government after the latter refused to allow PTI leaders air-time on PTV.
Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court building, Bukhari said there will be no equal air-time for the opposition parties on PTV, as being a state-run organisation, it will only air the stance of the incumbent regime. “Only government?” asked the reporter. “Yes, only government,” Bukhari said.
On Monday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting notified Bukhari, who has a vast experience of doing TV programmes, as chairman of PTV. The appointment was made after a court ruling in Sept 2020 declared the appointments of PTV chairman Arshad Khan and independent members of the board of directors illegal while directing the government to fill the vacant slots in accordance with the law.
Bukhari, who has worked as an anchorperson and commentators on PTV for decades, had joined PTI in June 2016. At the time, he called Imran Khan the “only political leader who had the courage to speak the truth”. Bukhari also represented Imran when he went to the Supreme Court against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Papers leak.
The pleas that were later admitted by the apex court which disqualified Nawaz Sharif for being “dishonest” under Article 62 (1)(f).
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also hired the services of Bukhari as a special prosecutor to take up cases against close confidants of Sharif brothers — former Lahore Development Authority chief Ahad Cheema and former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.
Veena Malik has filed a complaint with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) against ex-husband Asad Khattak for a social media campaign that was tarnishing her reputation.
According to details, the legal notice was sent by the actress a few days after an audio clip started doing the rounds on the internet in which the actress allegedly threatened her former husband. Malik has sent a legal notice of Rs500 million to Khattak.
In the notice, Veena alleged that Khattak is “deliberately trying to defame” her and that she had lawfully brought her children to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Khattak claims that Veena “kidnapped” their children from Dubai and took them to Pakistan where she is keeping them at an “undisclosed” location.
Responding to Veena’s legal notice, Khattak called her a “fraud and liar” and asked her to send him the notice at his correct address.
وینا ملک اس بار مہربانی کر کہ میرے حقیقی ایڈریس پر ہی نوٹس بجھنا۔ دھوکہ دہی، جھوٹ فریب آپ کا پرانا پیشہ ہے۔ میرے ماں بہنوں کو قتل کی دھمکی اور میرے امریکی بچوں کو پاکستانی سفارتخانہ دبئی کی مدد سے سے غیر قانونی طریقے سے اغوا پر ریاست پاکستان کی خاموشی ایک سوالیہ نشان ہے؟ https://t.co/tbktSw7rC9
Khattak has also alleged that the audio clip, doing the rounds on social media, is of his conversation with Veena in which she threatened and abused him.
According to the legal notice, Khattak has to publicly apologise to Veena within 90 days or pay damages worth Rs 500 million.
Veena and Khattak tied the knot in December 2013 in Dubai and have two children. However, their marriage ended after three years after Veena accused Khattak of physically and mentally abusing her.
One of Pakistan’s most-loved celebrity couples, Farhan Saeed and Urwa Hocane have reportedly parted ways with mutual understanding.
According to reports, the couple has decided to mutually end their three-year marriage.
While the couple has not yet made an official statement, reports have stated that the reason behind their separation is mounting tension and irreconcilable differences.
Recently in an interview, Hocane had said if her husband wants to remarry, she will remain silent.
The couple tied the knot in an intimate Nikkah ceremony at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore on December 16, 2016.
Meanwhile, fans have rejected the reports and are waiting for the couple to make an official announcement.
Weren’t they just talking about each other in recent interviews with @Something_Haute? … Extremely sad and shocking… Allah reham kare#FarhanSaeed#UrwaHocane
