Author: newsdesk

  • Fishing boat rescues Faisal Edhi from capsized boat into Karachi’s Malir river

    Fishing boat rescues Faisal Edhi from capsized boat into Karachi’s Malir river

    Social Activist Faisal Edhi, the son of late Abdul Sattar Edhi was rescued by a fisherman after a boat carrying him and five others capsized into deep water during a rescue operation.

    According to reports, Edhi was going to rescue eight missing persons on the request of their families when the boat overturned. Edhi and Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) MPA Raja Azhar were on the same boat.

    All officials were rescued by a nearby fishing boat and Edhi and other vIctims were taken to the Ibrahim Haideri jetty.

    Recounting the experiences, Edhi said: “We were a total of six people and were wearing life jackets that helped us swim towards our boat. We held onto its rope and when we saw a fishing boat pass by, we called the fishermen for help.”

    “They rescued us,” shared the philanthropist.

    https://twitter.com/sheharyaralii/status/1298600014743252998?s=20

    Karachi experienced record torrential rains this year, wreaking havoc on the city’s infrastructure and drainage system. According to the Met Office, Tuesday’s rainfall broke a 90-year record with 345mm of rain recorded at Karachi’s PAF Faisal Base.

    Read more – Sindh Wildlife Department clarifies no crocodiles escaped from Mangho Pir shrine

    Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has declared an emergency across the province while roof-collapse, electrocution and drowning incidents make headlines.

    In Karachi, Malir, Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Saadi Town, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area, North Karachi, Surjani Town and North Nazimabad are some of the areas that are underwater after receiving heavy rainfall since Monday night.

    Power outages are also spelling misery for the people of the country’s largest city.

  • Fact Check: Video showing man jumping into rainwater is fake

    Claim: Viral video showed that in Karachi, a man jumped into accumulated rainwater from the rooftop of his building

    Fact: Video was taken from an Indian Youtube channel and was published two days earlier

    With rain wreaking havoc across Sindh and flooding roads across provincial capital Karachi yet again, a viral video has shown a man jumping into rainwater from a rooftop, which according to The Current’s verification, is not from Karachi.

    As per the details, the video showing a man jumping from the rooftop of a residential building into accumulated rainwater first surfaced on Sunday evening. It wasn’t later that it broke the internet by Monday afternoon as it was widely shared by people claiming it to be a scene from Karachi.

    However, going the extra mile to dig out facts regarding the video, The Current ascertained that it was actually a video from the Indian city of Mumbai, and was uploaded to an Indian YouTube channel two days ago, on August 23.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/ToxicTruths83/status/1298295506569965568

    While the said video is not from Karachi, the port city is still submerged owing to lack of proper monsoon infrastructure there.

    Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah has declared an emergency across the province while roof-collapse, electrocution and drowning incidents make headlines.

    In Karachi, Malir, Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Saadi Town, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area, North Karachi, Surjani Town and North Nazimabad are some of the areas that are underwater after receiving heavy rainfall since Monday night.

    Power outages are also spelling misery for the people of the country’s largest city.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • Six cases against Malik Riaz’s son-in-law dropped after payment of Rs9.5 billion

    Six cases against Malik Riaz’s son-in-law dropped after payment of Rs9.5 billion

    Zain Malik, the son-in-law of property tycoon Malik Riaz, has been acquitted by an accountability court in six cases pertaining to fake accounts after he pledged to pay Rs9.5 billion in plea bargain, Dawn reported.

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) submitted a schedule of payment to the accountability court.

    Accountability Court judge Mohammad Bashir took up applications of Mr Malik seeking acquittal in three under-trial cases and approved them.

    Zain undertook to mortgage his six properties and pay Rs4 billion in one case, Rs170 million in another and Rs37 million in the third case to NAB, Rawalpindi Directorate, in three years. He will pay the amount in instalments in three months’ interval.

    He joined the court’s proceeding through a video link from the UK.

    When the judge asked Zain whether he knew consequences of acquittal through the plea bargain, he replied in the affirmative.

    The acquittal under the plea bargain did not absolve the accused from the case as the conviction stands despite acquittal.

    He is accused in the fake accounts cases of Pink Residency, Illegal Allotment and Mega Money Laundering. He is also an accused in the Icon Tower case of Karachi and has to formally plead in the accountability court in this case for acquittal under the plea bargain.

  • Ruete Hilal Committee to be restructured, Mufti Muneeb likely to be replaced

    Ruete Hilal Committee to be restructured, Mufti Muneeb likely to be replaced

    The federal government has reportedly decided to restructure and empower the country’s premium moon-sighting body, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC), by replacing its Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman and most of his peers.

    The RHC was established in 1974 under a resolution passed by the National Assembly (NA) but no rules and regulations for the functioning of the committee have been drafted to date.

    Reports by multiple media outlets quoted sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs as saying that a summary has been prepared along with a new bill seeking to reconstitute the moon sighting body and its Terms of Reference (ToRs).

    The summary, along with the draft bill, has been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for further deliberations and legal opinions. Imprisonment of five years besides a fine of Rs50,000 to Rs200,000 has also been proposed in case of a parallel announcement in contradiction with the government committee.

    The draft mentioned that the incumbent chairman and members of the RHC would be replaced, while some existing and new religious scholars would be inducted in the committee.

    It may be noted that reshuffling in the committee is said to be occurring due to the differences in dates of moon-sighting following Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry’s criticism over old-fashioned and outdated moon-sighting techniques rather than relying upon the scientific technology.

  • KYA BOLA? (Aug 26): ‘Trump ka aik crore naukriyo ka naara’, ‘wazire azam k sath dhoka’, ‘Usman Buzdar doosro se behtar’

    KYA BOLA? (Aug 26): ‘Trump ka aik crore naukriyo ka naara’, ‘wazire azam k sath dhoka’, ‘Usman Buzdar doosro se behtar’

    Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 26, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    ‘Trump Ka Aik Crore Naukriyo Ka Naara’

    It has been reported by Daily Jang that Donald Trump has promised to provide one crore (10 million) jobs if he wins the presidential election scheduled for November 3. 

    ‘Wazire Azam K Sath Dhoka’

    According to Daily Jang, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said, “Mein zaati taur pr Nawaz Sharif ko bahar janay ki ijaazat denay ka haami tha… woh yahaan rahein yaa Bartania mein, iss se koi farq nahi parrta… yeh sarrkoon pay aanay wali jamaat nahi hai. Wazire azam ko Nawaz Sharif k bahar janay ka afsos hai aur unko andaaza hogya tha inn k sath dhoka hua hai… log deal k beghair bahar nahi jatay, kahin naa kahin mamla tay hota hai.”

    ‘Usman Buzdar Doosro Se Behtar’

    Prominent journalist Saleem Safi, in his column for Daily Jang, has said, “Karkardagi k lihaz se sab se zyada aitraz Usman Buzdar pr ho rha hai halaan k ap kisi bhi mayar pr parkhein tou KP aur Balochistan k wazire aala ki karkardagi Buzdar Sahib se kai guna kharaab hai. Buzdar Sahib ne kuch naya nahi kia tou pehle se bani cheezo ko tabah bhi nahi kia… KP mein pehle se qayim idaaro ko tabah kia gya jab k Balochistan tou har hawaly se tabah-haal hai… lekin siyasat aur media mein tabsara sirf Punjab aur Buzdar Sahib ka hota hai.”

  • Hamza, Naimal celebrate first wedding anniversary with baby Mustafa

    Hamza, Naimal celebrate first wedding anniversary with baby Mustafa

    Hamza Ali Abbasi and Naimal Khawar are celebrating their first wedding anniversary with their bundle of joy Muhammad Mustafa Abbasi.

    The happy couple shared pictures of their family celebrations on social media and thanked Allah for His blessings.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CEVfBEcDArO/?utm_source=ig_embed

    Hamza and Naimal, who are currently residing in Dallas, Texas as Hamza studies religion at the Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning, announced the birth of their child on August 3. Naimal later shared that Mustafa was born on July 30.

    Read more – Hamza Ali Abbasi says he is the ‘happiest’ he has ever been

    The couple tied the knot on August 25, 2019 in a simple and intimate ceremony with only their closest friends and family present.

    In November 2019, Hamza had announced that he was quitting acting to focus on his spiritual journey. He was last seen in the drama serial Alif opposite Sajal Aly. Meanwhile, his upcoming film The Legend of Maula Jatt is expected to release sometime this year.

    “I had this divine revelation some time back, that all that I am doing in this world will end the moment I die,” Hamza had said in a video message, adding that death is inevitable.

    “All these trophies, all these accolades will not bring me any good on the day of judgment when I meet my Maker. I have decided that I want to leave everything that might be a hurdle when it comes to making my matters easier on the day of Judgment.”

    Hamza later clarified that he will not be quitting but will instead focus on making videos to spread the message of Islam and inspire others to undertake this spiritual journey.

  • E-commerce can create two million jobs and boost GDP up to $40 billion in Pakistan

    E-commerce can create two million jobs and boost GDP up to $40 billion in Pakistan

    E-commerce in Pakistan has the potential to create two million jobs and it can boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) up to the level of $40 billion in the next couple of years.

    President of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Saboor Malik, stated that transformation is required in the Information, Communications, and Technology sectors to uplift the digital economy of Pakistan.

    Saboor Malik has urged the government of Pakistan to adopt new dimensions of the economy as the digital platforms have been rapidly growing around the world and countries like Pakistan are still far behind in this race.

    More than 66 per cent of payments for e-shopping are being made as Cash on Delivery (COD) which does not reflect the true sense of digital platform.

    The Federal cabinet has already approved the E-commerce policy for promoting the digital culture and paperless trade to help enhance the trade volume.

    RCCI President remarked that Pakistan has huge participation in the global mobile market, with over 160 million mobile phone subscribers and around 150 million internet users.

    He suggested that the government must overhaul the whole banking infrastructure and encourage businesses, retailers, petrol pumps, PIA, Railways ticketing, superstores, schools and colleges to introduce payment gateways and banks should offer credit cards to businessmen.

  • Messi has decided to leave Barcelona after 19 years but which teams could he join?

    Lionel Messi dropped a bombshell on Tuesday when he requested a transfer out of Barcelona, with the talk of the soccer world immediately turning to where the superstar will end up.

    Messi intends to activate a release clause that would allow him to join any club in the world without paying a transfer fee to Barca, although the Catalan club disputes the validity of the clause — meaning lawyers for both sides could get involved.

    Regardless of what happens, it appears that Messi’s exit from the club with which he’s spent his entire professional career is much closer than anyone could’ve anticipated, and although he’s now 33, he’ll still have suitors from around the world lined up for his services.

    Imagining Messi not wearing Barca’s iconic Blaugrana jersey is tough, but there are some teams that could be great fits should he ultimately leave Catalonia.

    Manchester City

    The English giants are the favourites to sign Messi for one reason: coach Pep Guardiola. OK, two reasons, Guardiola and the fact they are disgustingly rich. Backed by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose net worth is a nudge over $30 billion, the Citizens are one of the few clubs who could actually afford Messi’s wages. He is currently paid $1.8 million a week, according to Football Leaks. That’s just under $100 million a year, not including bonuses. So you can see why only a limited number of clubs in the world could afford to lure him.

    Inter Milan

    Another strong contender linked with Messi is Internazionale di Milano. In a sporting sense, this makes sense. Inter finished second in Italy’s Serie A behind Juventus, which has won the last nine titles and narrowly lost the Europa League final. The club has been building its squad in recent seasons and is hungry to knock Juventus off its perch domestically, and for success in Europe. The addition of Messi, joining an already exciting forward line of Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku, would almost guarantee this. And the club has a history of ambitious, big-money signings, including breaking the world-record transfer fee to bring in Brazilian superstar Ronaldo in 1997.

    Paris Saint-Germain

    It’s impossible to talk about ultra-wealthy clubs without mentioning arguably the wealthiest. PSG has shown willingness to use its financial might in order to lure high-profile stars to the French capital, and in Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Angel Di Maria it currently boasts the most expensive attacking trio in the history of the sport.

    If money’s the deciding factor, then Messi’s chances of landing in Ligue 1 are extremely high. If it’s not, the opportunity to reunite with Neymar could still influence Messi’s decision — Barca’s recent efforts to reacquire the Brazilian after PSG spent a world-record fee to lure him away from Camp Nou have been in part to placate Messi, who was unhappy to lose Neymar as a teammate three years ago.

    Juventus

    This is much more of a Football Manager-style dream rather than a real possibility. For the better part of 15 years, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been considered 1 and 1A in terms of who’s the world’s best player — indeed, they’ve entered the realm of Greatest of All Time with their consistent attacking exploits — so even with both now in their mid-30s, the prospect of the two GOATs lining up as teammates is mouthwatering.

    Let’s file this one under “unlikely to happen, but would be amazing if it did”.

    Rumours of Messi’s unhappiness had been swirling since Bayern Munich humiliated Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-final earlier in August, ending a season that saw the club fail to win any trophies. 

    Following that match, a source told Goal they had never seen Messi so dejected and frustrated, which the Argentine immediately communicated to several club executives. 

  • ‘Imran govt took more loans in two years than Nawaz govt in three tenures’

    ‘Imran govt took more loans in two years than Nawaz govt in three tenures’

    The Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has borrowed more money in two years than all loans taken by former PM Nawaz Sharif’s governments over 25 years in all three tenures, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif has claimed.

    The statement came as senior leaders of the PML-N, at a press conference in Islamabad, took turns to criticise the government’s performance in different areas, while presenting a white paper titled “Destruction of National Power” on the PTI’s two-year rule.

    They accused the government of having ruined the country’s economy through its incompetence and pro-elite policies, saying the ruling party had promised a new Pakistan but the people today were yearning for “old Pakistan”.

    According to Dawn, the criticism began with PML-N president and opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif, lashing out at the premier, saying it did not know the basics of governance and did not care about issues facing the masses.

    “When we talk about the tabdeeli sarkar [regime of change], we don’t find anything to acknowledge but sadness and pain in the past two years,” he said, adding that inflation caused due to the government’s policies had brought the common man “to the brink of destruction”.

    In contrast, he claimed, the PML-N during its tenure under Nawaz’s leadership carried out “historic development” and completed projects at a fast pace that resulted in prosperity.

    He said the incumbent government had “ridiculed” the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and levelled allegations against the PML-N. “But not a penny’s worth of corruption could be proven. Their plans backfired,” Shehbaz added.

    He said the PTI had failed to prove corruption in any of the projects started by Nawaz despite its “incessant propaganda”.

    Today, he said, sugar was being sold at above Rs100 per kilogramme and was being imported, even though previously the government had allowed its exports to benefit certain persons.

    He noted that it was the “first time in the country’s 72-year history” that there was a shortage of wheat even though the harvesting season had not yet ended, while a minister was wondering where the millions of tonnes of wheat collected by the government went. “Who is he asking? They should know where it went [and was] smuggled to,” Shehbaz said.

    He also said the government had given the public the “biggest shock” by raising petroleum prices even though international prices were very low, and it raised electricity prices to control circular debt but the prices were “touching the sky”, beyond the reach of the common man.

    “Enough electricity exists in the country but load-shedding is still ongoing due to this government’s worst incompetence,” the PML-N president alleged.

    Shehbaz also said the government had devalued the rupee by 40 per cent but in spite of this, no substantial rise in exports was seen. He further said it was the second time in Pakistan’s history that GDP growth had gone negative, to -0.4pc.

    Khawaja Asif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also criticised the government for its “failure” on the foreign policy front and over energy sector losses.

  • KFC suspends its ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ slogan due to COVID-19

    KFC suspends its ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ slogan due to COVID-19

    KFC has announced it will be suspending its slogan “It’s Finger Lickin’ Good” due to coronavirus. The food chain has used the slogan for more than six decades but is now skipping it because of the pandemic.

    The fastfood chain, in a statement, on Monday said that it would not be using the slogan for the first time in 64 years because it “doesn’t quite feel right”.

    “We find ourselves in a unique situation – having an iconic slogan that doesn’t quite fit in the current environment,” Catherine Tan-Gillespie, global chief marketing officer at KFC said.

    The menu isn’t changing and the company said the slogan will return when the “time is right.”

    The decision comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised people not to touch their eyes, nose and mouth amid the pandemic.

    In a YouTube video posted on the company’s UK and Ireland account, KFC blurred ‘finger lickin’ on old billboards and buckets of chicken after the announcement.

    “That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now,” the video reads.