Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Rangers kidnapped Sindh IG at 4 am to get Capt (r) Safdar arrested’

    Senior journalist and analyst Hamid Mir has claimed the Sindh government informed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair that the provincial police chief had been “kidnapped by rangers at 4 am and forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Maryam Nawaz’s husband, Captain (r) Safdar”.

    Earlier in the day, Karachi police arrested Capt (r) Safdar for violating the sanctity of Jinnah Mausoleum by raising slogans at the grave of the founder of Pakistan. The development was shared by his wife and PML-N vice president, Maryam, who tweeted that police broke into her room to arrest Capt (r) Safdar.

    “Unfortunate incident. Sindh Govt informed PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair that IG [insector general] Sindh was kidnapped by Rangers at 4 in the morning he was brought in sector commander’s office where addnl IG was already present and were forced to issue the orders for the arrest of Cpt Rtd Safdar [sic],” Mir claimed in a tweet.

    It was, however, rejected by another senior journalist, who said the IG was “fully onboard with the arrest”.

    Maintaining that internal rifts were marring the affairs of the joint opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Kamran Khan quoted sources as saying that all claims regarding the IG’s arrest were not true.

    The tweets come as condemnations pour in against Safdar’s arrest that is being termed “inappropriate” while some, on the other hand, laud the authorities for the same.

    People had earlier also been criticising the Sindh government of joint opposition’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for backstabbing the PML-N a day after the mammoth anti-government rally of the PDM in Karachi.

  • Karachi police break into Maryam’s hotel room to arrest Safdar

    Karachi police break into Maryam’s hotel room to arrest Safdar

    Karachi police have arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Capt (r) Muhammad Safdar for violating the sanctity of Jinnah Mausoleum by raising slogans at the grave of the founder of Pakistan.

    The development was shared by his wife PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who wrote that police broke into her room to arrest Safdar while she was sleeping.

    The PML-N leadership, including vice president Maryam Nawaz, had visited the mausoleum to offer fatiha on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s grave ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) power show in Karachi. However, the fatiha was followed by slogans by the PML-N supporters and Safdar jumping over the grill surrounding the grave.

    The sloganeering at the mausoleum attracted flak, especially by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, who sought action against the PML-N leaders for the ‘hooliganism’.

    Similarly, Maritimes Minister Ali Haider Zaidi pushed police to register a case against the PML-N leaders over the incident. “Once again clearly warning CS & IG of Sindh. Action must be taken against the hooligans who created ruckus at Mazar-e-Quaid. If they are allowed to leave KHI, you will be directly held responsible for letting them escape. U will be considered as aiders & abettors in the crime,” he tweeted ahead of the arrest.

    Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the PML-N leaders Maryam Nawaz and Capt Safdar and about 200 other people. According to the complainant, the PML-N leaders, along with 200 of their followers, reached the Quaid’s grave where Safdar jumped over the grill surrounding it.

    A case has been registered under Section 6 (convening of meetings or processions in the mausoleum), Section 8 (entry into mausoleum with weapon) and Section 10 (penalty for contravention of provisions) of The Quaid-e-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971.

    It said the PML-N leader and his followers damaged the state property at the shrine besides threatening to kill the complainant upon intervention. “My complaint is that Safdar and his cohort violated the sanctity of the Quaid’s mausoleum and his grave. A case [should be] registered against him for raising political slogans inside the mausoleum complex, death threats against me and for damaging government property.”

    WAS SAFDAR ARRESTED FROM HOTEL’S ROOM?:

    Though the PML-N claims that Safdar was arrested from the hotel room by the Karachi police, the claim was contested by the federal minister, Ali Zaidi, who shared a video of Safdar being taken in a police mobile. “Maryam once again lying that the hotel door was broken. Video shows otherwise. Do u see any handcuffs? Does it look like he was arrested by force?” he took a jibe at Maryam.

    However, to corroborate the claim, PML-N social media cell shared a video of the hotel room, showing the broken door of the hotel room. The statement issued by the provincial minister also strengthened the claim that the police barged into the hotel room of the PML-N leaders.

    Surprisingly, the Sindh government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has distanced itself from the matter, even though the police chief is answerable to the chief minister. PPP minister Saeed Ghani said that while Captain Safdar’s behaviour was inappropriate, the way his arrest was carried out was condemnable.

    PPP MPA Sharmila Farooqi said “sloganeering inside Mazar-e-Quaid is inappropriate, but breaking doors & arresting Captain Safdar in this manner is also unacceptable”. “Sindh government is not a party to this. Clearly a blatant attempt to sabotage the solidarity of PDM and defame Sindh government,” she added.

  • ’50 crores’: Pakistani version of ‘Money Heist’?

    ’50 crores’: Pakistani version of ‘Money Heist’?

    Looks like the Pakistani film scene is heating up with Filmwala Pictures dropping the teaser of Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad and the announcement of a new film titled 50 crores.

    While the makers of the film have not revealed any details, Faysal Quraishi, who is one of the leads has told audiences to wait until October 28. Other actors who are part of the film include Aijaz Aslam, Faryal Mehmood, Anoushey Abbasi, Naveed Raza, Omer Shehzad, Mehmood Aslam, Noman Habib, Saboor Ali, Zalay Sarhadi and Asad Siddiqui.

    Check out pictures and teasers from the film below.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdAShFAJaL/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGdEHXWBIiG/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGe2SqNgS5r/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGc7eF8gkz0/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGef5m-gqqk/

    Meanwhile, the film has received a lot of flak for bearing striking resemblance to Money Heist.

  • Pakistani dramas are depressing, says First Lady Samina Alvi

    President Arif Alvi’s wife Samina Arif Alvi has said that Pakistani dramas depress her.

    In a recent interview with Independent Urdu, the First Lady said: “I don’t watch [Pakistani] dramas. I don’t know why but they make me feel depressed.”

    Mrs Alvi further said that she discussed this with a few people, including some female anchors and asked them why everything in Pakistani dramas revolve around affairs and weddings, upon which she was told that such subjects garner ratings.

    Disagreeing with this, the First Lady remarked: “Why don’t they make anything decent? People appreciate good and decent content.”

    Read more – Naumaan Ijaz slams Pakistani dramas for spreading negativity

    Mrs Alvi further said that whatever content will be shown on TV, people especially children will learn from it whether it’s good or bad.

    “Aap jis cheez per daalein gay, bachay ussi taraf jayen gay,” said the First Lady. “Dekhain aap jo bachon ki dikhain gay, woh wohi karein gay.”

    Mrs Alvi and her husband President Alvi have often praised Turkish drama Diriliş Ertuğrul in the past. When asked if she has seen the entire series, the First Lady said that she watched a few episodes during the COVID-19 lockdown.

    Concluding her remarks, the First Lady said that it is high time the content of Pakistani Dramas is changed, adding that she liked Diriliş Ertuğrul because it did not have any vulgarity.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGfTgHgJO-f/
  • Aamna Ilyas gives her ‘final proclamation’ on fat-shaming comments

    Aamna Ilyas gives her ‘final proclamation’ on fat-shaming comments

    Following immense criticism and backlash on social media over her fat shaming comments on former model Aaminah Haq, Aamna Ilyas has given her “final proclamation” on the matter.

    In a video, shared to Instagram, the model-turned-actor said: “The claim that I called someone fat two years ago is not true. TV, media, bloggers – kindly ignore them all. I will tell you the truth.”

    Ilyas began her explanation by narrating all the instances from her childhood in which she ridiculed people over their looks to point out that body-shaming wasn’t the only thing she was guilty of – since she was going to be judged for her past anyway.

    “I was 6-years-old when we had a disabled cook Nauman – I used to make fun of his limping, calling him loora Nomi loora Nomi,” said Ilyas. “When my cousin had a child, I wouldn’t embrace her in my arms, making faces at how pheeni she was. I was 12 then.”

    “At 15, my school teacher had a speech impairment. I would imitate his stutter and stammering. I ridiculed my best friend for being tidda (too short) and made fun of the guests at my home for being too dark.”

    “I have never called a single person fat in my life – I prefer to use words like elephant, bull or hippopotamus instead,” the model continued, before making her point for sharing all this.

    “No one enters this world knowing all the ethics, so please don’t tell me you all never said these things. But you still wouldn’t give another person a second chance,” she remarked angrily. Imitating some of the criticism she received in the past couple of days, Ilyas went on to say “She said something wrong in the 90s so how can she preach something right today? How dare her!”

    Concluding her video, Aamna said: “Aaminah Haq, I cannot change what I did. I cannot undo the pain I might have caused you – but I try to be a better me every day. And for all you guys, for the last time, I am not her.”

    Meanwhile, Ayeza Khan also posted a ‘friendly’ advise for Aamna under her post. In a comment, Ayeza had written: “Dear Aamna! You have worked so hard to build this career for yourself and there’s so much more waiting for you in the future. Don’t indulge in this mess.”

    In response to Ayeza, Aamna commented: “Love you too! This is such brilliant advice and I’ll need many more from you in the future. So, why have you unfollowed me?”

    Aamna had earlier mocked Ayeza’s latest fairness cream advertisement in a re-enactment video. The video, however, did not sit well with her fans and followers, who advised her to apologise to Ayeza for it.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGK5subH5Lj/
  • WATCH: Fahad Mustafa flexes his muscles in the teaser of ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’

    WATCH: Fahad Mustafa flexes his muscles in the teaser of ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’

    After teasing the fans with stills from the film and behind the scenes, Filmwala Pictures has finally dropped the teaser of Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad.

    The short teaser is packed with action, muscle flexes, and fire cracking chemistry between the two leads. We already know that Fahad Mustafa will be playing a ‘dirty cop’ in the film and the teaser shows him jump on cars and crack skulls in his uniform. The teaser is catchy and exciting and the film promises to be a rollercoaster ride.

    Featuring Mahira Khan and Fahad in the lead, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad has been directed by Nabeel Qureshi and produced by Fizza Ali Meerza. The duo has previously delivered hits including Load Wedding and Actor in Law – both of which had Fahad in the lead.

    Speaking to The Current, Nabeel had shared that the film will be a satirical action-comedy – something along the lines of their previous film Actor in Law. Fahad had said that the film will feature action sequences that have never been tried before in Pakistan and that he performed all the stunts himself.

    “We have tried to pull off Mission Impossible type stuff in Pakistan with Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad,” said the actor. “I endured multiple injuries while performing these stunts. My heel was injured throughout the course of filming and I couldn’t even walk properly but still, I did all the stunts myself and no double was used.”

    The film was scheduled to hit screens on Eidul Azha but because of the coronavirus lockdown, its release was delayed. Latest reports have suggested that the film’s makers are eyeing a December 2020 release now.

  • Joint opposition in Gujranwala: Hit or flop?

    Joint opposition in Gujranwala: Hit or flop?

    The first rally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) turned out to be “resounding success” for the joint opposition that claimed over 50,000 people took to streets against the government on Friday.

    The gathering held in Gujranwala — the stronghold of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — was attended by the PML-N workers in thousands, followed by the members the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), who made their presence felt.

    The flags belonging to the Awami National Party (ANP), National Party (NP) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) dotted the venue; however, their participation paled compared to the three aforementioned major parties.

    By 6 pm, the venue was jam-packed and the tailback affected all the roads leading to Jinnah Stadium — a fact that corroborates the opposition’s claims.

    The day, however, belonged to the PML-N, whose supporters thronged the venue in thousands to record their protest against the government. Maryam Nawaz led a massive rally from Lahore to the city, where all national and provincial seats are held by her party, and her father Nawaz Sharif made a hard-hitting speech that showed he was in no mood for reconciliation.

    The PPP also managed to rally its supporters who followed their chairperson Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari to Gujranwala from Lala Musa in a caravan, whereas Maulana Fazlur Rehman, with his white and black JUI-F flags, entered the venue with a bang.

    But the government downplayed the PDM jalsa, as its ministers pointed out lack of coordination among the opposition parties and also claimed that the number of the participants was no more than 18,000, as per Radio Pakistan.

    COVID-19 GUIDELINES FLOUTED:

    The massive gathering also blatantly flouted the anti-coronavirus measures, especially at a time when the second wave is in the offing. It is understandable that social distancing was not possible in a small stadium, but face masks — an effective precautionary measure — were also conveniently ignored.

    Out of the party leaders, only some were covering their faces, but they too removed them once they started addressing the gathering. PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and his party leaders did not wear masks at all.

    As for the crowd, a negligent number of people bothered to wear face masks as a measure to contain the spread of COVID-19.

    In a comment on the state of anti-coronavirus measures at the venue, a Dawn report said, “It was both sad and comical to watch the policemen insisting that people [who were not wearing masks] enter the stadium via the so-called senitising gates that were fitted with sprinklers spraying some kind of miracle water on those who walked through.”

  • Pakistan’s soft image can only be portrayed through tourism: PM Imran Khan

    Presiding over a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on tourism in Islamabad, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that Pakistan is blessed with different climatic zones and numerous untapped tourist points. He said that the government is focused on eco-tourism to ensure environmental conservation while managing and looking after tourist spots.

    According to details, PM Khan said that the government would provide all possible facilities for the development as well as the promotion of the tourism sector in the country. This initiative would not only generate revenue but also provide employment opportunities for the people of Pakistan.

    Previously in his first televised address to the nation, soon after taking oath, PM Imran had said: “Pakistan has huge tourism potential. We will promote tourism to strengthen the economy.”

    Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) for Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari briefed the committee about the progress of the development of the tourism sector. He also informed that substantial work has been undertaken for the development of religious tourism.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the World Tourism Forum 2021 will be held in Pakistan. According to Zulfi Bukhari, the forum will be a five-day event with over 1,000 foreign visitors expected to attend.

    “The World Tourism Forum will have three days for conference and two days for tourism”, the SAPM had said.

    Meanwhile, American business magazine Forbes has also listed Pakistan as one of the ten must-visit destinations for those who’re looking for something offbeat.

  • TikToker Ali Khan Hyderabadi under fire for allegedly making fun of a dark-skinned girl

    TikToker Ali Khan Hyderabadi under fire for allegedly making fun of a dark-skinned girl

    People are bashing Tiktoker Ali Khan Hyderabadi on social media for allegedly making fun of a dark-skinned girl.

    According to details, Ali, during a live session to engage with his followers on Instagram, made fun of a girl’s complexion. In the video, Ali can be heard saying that the kid with him is getting scared and asked the girl to ‘clean her camera’. 

    The video clearly shows Ali saying,”bol raha hai kaali larki” as he insensitively joked about the girl’s skin colour.

    Soon after, the video went viral on social media and people started bashing the TikToker.

    Youtuber Saad ur Rehman aka Ducky bhai has also criticized Ali Khan.

    https://twitter.com/duckybhai/status/1316453358652346374?s=20

     Ali has gained immense fame after making TikTok videos especially with his signature walk that went viral on TikTok.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGLP69XjwDP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGFGTjWjobW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CF9aow2jzbt/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Some people highlighted that the girl might have done it on purpose as her ‘skin colour of face and hands is different’.

  • Info minister Shibli Faraz shares ‘father’s poetry’, is told it is not Ahmad Faraz but Ghalib’s ghazal

    Info minister Shibli Faraz shares ‘father’s poetry’, is told it is not Ahmad Faraz but Ghalib’s ghazal

    In a rather embarrassing development, Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Friday had to delete a tweet criticising the opposition after he was told that the poetry he had shared as that of his father, Ahmad Faraz, was actually a ghazal by Mirza Ghalib.

    “Jiski bahaar yeh ho uski khizaa naa pooch [don’t ask about the autumn of whose spring is this],” the minister said in the deleted tweet aimed at mocking the joint opposition for what the government called was “an empty stadium” in Gujranwala during the maiden public gathering of the opposition parties’ anti-government campaign.

    The tweet was deleted after journalist and Geo News Managing Director Azhar Abbas told him that the phrase the minister had attributed to his father and late poet Ahmad Faraz was actually from a ghazal by classical Urdu poet from the 19th Century, Mirza Ghalib.

    “I think it’s Ghalib’s not Ahmad Faraz’s,” Abbas tweeted.

    Shibli Faraz, who is serving as the federal minister for information and broadcasting since April 28, 2020, is a member of the Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) since 2015. He is the son of the late renowned poet Ahmad Faraz, who was displaced by dictators for also being a vocal critic of military rule.