Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’: The debate rages on

    ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’: The debate rages on

    Just when we thought that the matter of Diriliş: Ertuğrul being aired on national television was settled, it sparks up again. And this time, it is not just the actors who are debating, it is members of the government including Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Faisal Javed Khan.

    Read more – Yasir Hussain vs Turkish dramas: the debate heats up

    The debate started Fawad Chaudhry commented that he was “surprised” that PTV is taking pride in other countries’ productions and urged the state-owned channel to focus on Pakistani productions.

    When a follower reminded the minister that he had earlier praised the drama series, Chaudhry clarified that he does not have anything against the drama and thinks it is brilliant. Instead, his stance is that foreign dramas must be taxed so that TV channels do not import them in large numbers and negatively affect the local drama industry.

    Following Fawad’s tweet, Senator Faisal Javed Khan explained that “great productions like Ertuğrul will help our industry,” adding that such exchange of content should be bilateral. He further said that the local drama industry needs to work on its substance and content.

    Read more – PTV asked to speed up dubbing process of ‘Ertuğrul’

    Soon enough, actors including Ahmed Ali Butt and Vasay Chaudhry stepped in to share their thoughts on the debate. While Butt said that the television industry doesn’t mind foreign content and only wants the government to assist them in production, Fakhr-e-Alam agreed with Fawad’s point of view.

    Meanwhile, Vasay reminded Khan that the industry had protested against Indian content in the past, adding that the issue is not with the play itself but is instead with “PTV and the laws related to the entertainment business”. Chaudhry urged the lawmaker to resolve the issues regarding the laws which Khan agreed with.

    Diriliş: Ertuğrul is being aired on the recommendation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in the country ever since its first episode aired on the first of Ramzan. According to PTV, 133.38 million people have watched the drama series from April 25- May 14. PTV’s YouTube channel has also registered an exponential rise in its viewership with 4.75 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Senator Faisal Javed Khan had revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.

  • Shahroz Sabzwari, Sadaf Kanwal tie the knot

    Shahroz Sabzwari, Sadaf Kanwal tie the knot

    Shahroz Sabzwari and Sadaf Kanwal have announced their marriage on social media, putting all rumours and speculations to rest.

    According to details, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony. While Sadaf wore a red outfit – reportedly her mother-in-law’s – with minimal makeup and jewellery, Shahroz donned a plain white shalwar kameez. Shahroz’s parents Behroze Sabzwari and Safina Behroze were also part of the celebrations.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2o3vQgoGF/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2o0gfj17R/

    Sadaf has also changed her name from Sadaf Kanwal to Sadaf Sabzwari on social media.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2mDsapB-z/

    Check out more pictures from their nikkah below:

    Sadaf’s close friends Fouzia Aman and Tabesh Khoja also joined in the celebrations.

    This is Shahroz’s second marriage. The actor was previously married to Syra Yousuf, with whom he also has a daughter Noorey. Syra and Shahroz had announced their separation in February and shared that they were parting ways due to “irreconcilable differences”. They were married for seven years.

    Read more – Syra, Shahroz end their marriage

    When the news of Syra and Shahroz’s split had first come to light, it was rumoured that the couple had parted ways because of a third person, namely Sadaf.

    At that point, Shahroz had said, “Another rumour claims that they’re not together because of a girl, Sadaf. Again, who said this? Was it me, or was it Syra, or our family, or our cousins, or our friends, who said this? No one! But you all still decided to drag someone’s sister, daughter, into the matter and became the jury and judge yourself.”

    VIDEO: Shahroz Sabzwari opens up about his separation

    He had said that he met Sadaf a month before the episode and that too only for work.

    “Just because she danced with me does not mean we have something going on, and it’s so bold of you all to assume that a person I met one month ago is responsible for a separation that happened six months ago.”

    Sadaf and Shahroz are said to have met while rehearsing for their performance at the third IPPA Awards held in December last year in Oslo, Norway.

    IPPA Awards 2019

    While Shahroz and Sadaf mostly kept their relationship lowkey after Shahroz’s divorce, the two were recently spotted cycling in Karachi.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_K1dP-J341/

    Meanwhile, Sadaf’s friends took to social media to congratulate the couple.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA288X8j8-z/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2_Mw_BhlG/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3DqJTFBhj/
    Azfar Rehman
    Hira Mani
  • Private schools association demands reopening of schools from June 1

    Private schools association demands reopening of schools from June 1

    The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) has demanded the government to reopen educational institutes in the country from June 1.

    As per reports, APPSF office-bearers, teachers and owners of school also took out rallies in various areas of Punjab to protest against shutting down the schools for too long.

    The protestors, who raised the slogan of “Education for All”, requested the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the army chief, the prime minister and the provincial authorities to open the schools on June 1 after issuing the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

    In Lahore, the people gathered outside the Civil Secretariat to protest against Punjab Minister for School Education Murad Raas. 

    “We are unable to pay the teachers,” the All Pakistan Private Schools Federation (APPSF) President Kashif Mirza said at a press conference in Lahore. “We must be allowed to open schools from June 1.”

    He described the concept of online education as a “flopped project”.

    He further said the closure of schools till July 15 would result in the permanent closure of 50 percent of the private schools and around one million people would lose their jobs. He said even the worst-hit countries were letting educational institutions work.

    “We have formulated SOPs following international standards,” he said, suggesting the government to talk with them. He demanded that the government announce a relief package for private schools.

    Educational institutes in Pakistan have been closed since March. The measure was taken to curb the spread of coronavirus

    The number of reported coronavirus cases in Pakistan has gone to 66,457. The virus has claimed 1,395 lives in the country so far.

  • Rare striped hyena rescued in DI Khan

    Rare striped hyena rescued in DI Khan

    WARNING: This article may contain graphic images which may be distressing for some people

    The DI Khan police have rescued an endangered striped hyena, which was captured by some locals to take part in a dog fight, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPA Faisal Amin Khan has shared. The hyena, which has been identified as a female, has been sent to Peshawar for treatment before it can be released back into the wild.

    Khan also shared that hyena was being cared for and that Chief Conservator Wildlife KP is “personally taking care” of the injured animal.

    Read more – Cher thanks Pakistani govt for freeing lonely elephant Kaavan

    According to Deputy Commissioner DI Khan’s official Twitter account, the hyena was caught by some tribal locals and their hunting dogs.

    From the limited details available, it can be understood that the animal had been captured by the locals to take part in a dog fight.

    The matter of the captive hyena had come to light after a Twitter account dedicated to saving Pakistan’s wildlife “from the threats of hunting, loss of habitat and pesticides” raised alarm and shared videos of people capturing the hyena. Sharing the location of the incident, they had urged the authorities to take swift action and rescue the animal.

    https://twitter.com/wildpakistan/status/1266341857895878656?s=20

    Meanwhile, conservationist Javed Mahar shared some characteristics of the rare animal, called lagar bagar in the local language, and said that they are mostly found in Sindh along the Kirthar National Park.

  • PPP writes to ISI chief for action against Pakistan-based US blogger over tweet about Benazir Bhutto

    PPP writes to ISI chief for action against Pakistan-based US blogger over tweet about Benazir Bhutto

    Former ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has written to the director general (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), seeking action against Pakistan-based American blogger and columnist Cynthia D Ritchie over her “hateful comments and slander” against the late former prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto.

    As per the details, Ritchie made the comment on a tweet discussing the recent violent confrontation between model Uzma Khan and a woman named Amna Usman, who accused the model of having a relationship with her husband of 13 years and used this allegation to justify her violent treatment of the model.

    Ritchie’s tweet garnered a strong reaction from PPP leaders and supporters, with Sherry Rehman saying, “Attributing such filth to a champion for women’s rights, a martyred prime minister degrades the writer of this bot-handle more than anything else.”

    While Ritchie is since continuing her tirade against the PPP over the micro-blogging website, former PPP senator Sehar Kamran has written to spymaster Faiz Hameed, seeking an investigation into the “notorious activities” of Ritchie.

    In the letter, a copy of which is available with The Current, Kamran highlighted how the American columnist has “time and again instigated controversy” and is also playing a role in “deepening the civil-military divide”.

    “The imagery presented by her pictures with military leadership and senior bureaucracy, and access as a foreign tourist to generally sensitive locations ([erstwhile] FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas], Kashmir, etc) is deepening the civil-military divide by unnecessarily implicating national institutions as her support base. It may be useful at this juncture to further investigate all of Ms Ritchie’s activities, which I am certain range beyond her social media commentaries, to protect our national interests,” read the letter.

    The excerpt was followed by a list of questions:

    • Why and in what capacity is Ms Ritchie a resident in Pakistan?
    • What is the nature and duration of her visa status?
    • Who is her sponsor to this end?
    • A regular expat who initially introduced herself as a ‘tourist’ and a ‘belly dancer’ has somehow become embroiled in Pakistani politics, by her own assertion at the highest levels? How?
    • What Is the purpose behind her provoking public sentiment, and furthering bitterness in an already politically polarised society?
    • Furthermore, why is her vitriol targeted towards Sindh, and has conveniently emerged at a time when the province was receiving praise and support for its efforts in the fight against COVID-19?
    • What is the official government policy on the continued presence of such suspicious characters in Pakistan?

    While the PPP leader also sought Ritchie’s deportation, here’s what the blogger hit back with:

    As neither side appears to be going easy on each other, a war of words is continuing over Twitter.

    Separately, in a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), an advocate at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Islamabad president of the PPP, Shakeel Abbasi, has also sought action against Ritchie for her “very derogatory and slanderous remarks” about Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s marital life.

  • Ali Sethi’s new summer mix will make you want to go on a long drive

    Ali Sethi’s new summer mix will make you want to go on a long drive

    If you loved Ali Sethi’s Ishq, you’re in for a treat because the singer just dropped a more upbeat version of the song which according to Sethi is “something you can play on a long, sultry drive…or while dancing (in your head) with a deadly-beautiful beloved”.

    And we couldn’t agree more. Because the beat almost sent us into a trance.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAvE74RB10x/?utm_source=ig_embed

    The new version titled Ishq (Summer Nights Mix) has been mixed by Grammy-winning musician Noah Georgeson and Danish Khawaja. Georgeson has also produced the song.

    Listen to it here:

    Read more – Trending Ali Sethi sings a sixer for Coke Studio

    Not only that, Sethi has also announced that he will be releasing Dil Lagaayein‘s piano mix soon.

  • ‘There is no corona’: Mob attacks Karachi hospital as health workers remain at risk amid rising fatalities

    ‘There is no corona’: Mob attacks Karachi hospital as health workers remain at risk amid rising fatalities

    In yet another incident of a hospital being ransacked by survivors of a deceased coronavirus patient, a mob on Friday night attacked Civil Hospital Karachi while also harassing and attempting to assault the medical staff on duty.

    According to the hospital’s management, at least 70 people entered the hospital and took the body of the deceased from the emergency ward.

    The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Khadim Qureshi, reportedly confirmed the incident and said the police were asked to lodge an FIR [First Information Report] against those involved in the attack.

    No medical staffer were, however, injured in the attack.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Doctors are demanding security. It’s hard for them to work under this kind of situation,” Dr Qureshi said.

    Another doctor who was on duty at the time, said the incident took place at around 11 pm. He and other doctors on duty were also tortured and abused. “It’s the third time in a week, ” he claimed, alleging that the police deployed outside the hospital gate did not help the medical staff.

    While no arrests have been made as of yet and doctors have demanded deployment of Sindh Rangers for security, it is worth mentioning that it is not the first incident of its kind as hospitals across the country are being attacked every day amid the rising number of deaths due to COVID-19.

    Among other incidents being reported across the country, over a dozen people last week barged into and vandalised the isolation ward at Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) after a coronavirus patient being treated there died, officials said.

    Videos taken of the ward, where 37 coronavirus patients were being treated, after the attack showed pieces of glass, furniture and fans strewn on the floor. The glass windows of a counter were also shattered.

    Pakistan has so far reported 1,395 deaths due to the novel virus.

  • Young health workers who sacrificed their lives fighting COVID-19

    Young health workers who sacrificed their lives fighting COVID-19

    Coronavirus cases in Pakistan are on the rise and according to the latest numbers, there are 64,028 cases of COVID-19 in the country. Healthcare workers, who are fighting on the frontlines, have been badly affected by the virus.

    As per reports, until May 28, 17 medical professionals had died of COVID-19 in Pakistan out of the total 1,904 who tested positive; this figure included 299 nurses, 570 others healthcare staff and 1,035 doctors.

    This is the total data of medical staff, as far as young doctors are reported, many of these were among them who sacrificed their lives fighting against coronavirus.

    Here are a few young doctors who lost their lives because of this pandemic.

    Dr Sana Fatima

    The doctor lost her life due to coronavirus on May 29. She was admitted to Lahore General Hospital after being tested positive for Covid-19 on May 20.

    Salman Tahir

    Salman Tahir, an MBBS fourth-year student of a private medical college in Lahore, was admitted due to high fever, but due to the high viral load of the virus, he died in the ICU of a private hospital within 24 hours. Dr. Salman Tahir’s father Prof. Tahir Saleem is in charge of the pediatric ward in a private hospital while his mother Dr. Shabana is a gynecologist in a private hospital.

    Mussarat Dilbar

    Mussarat Dilbar, a nurse at the Kohat Development Authority (KDA) hospital, was tested positive for the virus a few days ago. She had been admitted to the facility but her health condition continued to worsen and on May 29, she succumbed to the virus.

    Dr Usama Riaz

    The 26-year-old was infected with the coronavirus while screening infected pilgrims who had returned from Iran and Iraq in Gilgit-Baltistan and lost his life to COVID-19 disease on March 22. He was among the first healthcare workers to succumb to the disease.

    Dr Rabia Tayyab

    26-year old Rabia Tayyab succumbed to coronavirus at Rawalpindi’s Holy Family Hospital after battling the infection for almost two weeks.

    The doctor, who hailed from Gujjar Khan, was the daughter of a renowned teacher Mohammad Tayyab. She graduated from the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College in Bahawalpur and was due to start her house job from May 1.

    Healthcare workers are risking their lives and fighting on the forefront to save us from COVID-19. We can play our part in controlling the spread of the virus by following the SOPs and precautionary measures issued by the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Here’s what you can do:

    • Avoid going out unnecessarily
    • Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub to disinfect them
    • Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing
    • Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands. Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze
    • Stay home if you feel unwell
    • If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention as soon as possible
  • Uzma Khan case: All the latest updates

    Uzma Khan case: All the latest updates

    As the public continues to express outrage against the authorities for not taking action against the attackers of Uzma Khan and her sister Huma Khan, a local court in Lahore has issued arrest warrants for those involved, including Malik Riaz’s daughters, in attacking the actor.

    According to reports, a judicial magistrate in Lahore on Friday issued arrest warrants for three women – Amber Malik, Pashmina Malik and Aamna Usman Malik – who barged into Uzma’s house and attacked and assaulted her and her sister. Uzma had nominated these three women along with 15 unidentified men, who were the ladies’ private guards, in her first information report (FIR). The FIR was registered on Wednesday after Uzma lodged a complaint. The women were charged with offences of trespassing, vandalism and criminal intimidation in the FIR.

    Read more – Uzma Khan says Usman Malik wanted to marry her

    The warrants were issued after Defence C police filed an application in the Cantt Kacheri seeking arrest warrants of the three women, as all three of them have purportedly gone missing and are not responding to the police.

    The judicial magistrate, in his order, noted that the investigating officer had sought the warrants on the grounds that the suspects “have intentionally concealed themselves and are avoiding” their arrest. He added that the investigation officer made efforts to apprehend the suspects but they “could not be arrested”.

    Uzma and her counsel Hassaan Khan Niazi have repeatedly been urging the police to make arrests and apprehend the criminals.

    https://twitter.com/uzmaaaK/status/1266087541419229187?s=20

    Uzma recounts the horror of the night in an interview

    Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Uzma clarified the facts of the incident and her relationship with Usman Malik. Uzma revealed that she was in a relationship with Usman for two years with the promise of marriage. She said that Usman never discussed his marriage with Aamna with her and she never asked. She said that he promised that he would tell his family about her and stop working for Bahria Town in order to settle down with her. Uzma also shared that she broke up with him and changed houses because he was not making a commitment but he managed to win her back. However, Usman never fulfilled his promises.

    Instead, Uzma ended up facing Usman’s family, who not only abused and attacked her physically and verbally but also asked their guards to sexually assault her and her sister. They also held the sisters at gunpoint and ordered them to confess and apologise to them. Videos of the entire incident, which according to Uzma were made by Pashmina and the women’s maid, have been widely circulated on social media. The videos, which are graphic in nature, show the women slapping Uzma and her sister, threatening them as well as glimpses of shattered glass and damaged articles in the house.

    Uzma shared that for two days after the incident, she was unable to move or do anything as she was in shock.

    Read more – Uzma Khan vs Malik Riaz’s daughters: Everything we know so far

    Uzma’s counsel, Hassaan, has alleged that the videos were cropped and edited by one of Lahore’s leading PR agents Aamir Mazhar before they were released to media outlets by him.

    Aamir Mazhar files defamation case against Uzma Khan, Hassaan Niazi

    Meanwhile, Mazhar has denied all the allegations and has sent a legal notice to Uzma and Hassaan for defamation and causing professional and personal damage.

    “The matter of Uzma Khan which is trending on social media is a private matter between the parties,” read the notice. “It clearly shows personal jealousy with our client. Law should be kept in mind while solving personal matters instead of involving innocent people. This is only done to damage our client’s reputation with cruel intentions.”

    Mazhar has demanded a public apology and Rs 50 million in damages, adding that he promises to deposit this sum in Edhi Foundation “for the welfare of the real orphan children of Pakistan.”

    https://www.facebook.com/savvypr/posts/10163891624395556

    Will Uzma compromise?

    “I will fight this case till I am alive,” says Uzma. “Jitni baiziti honi thi, hogayi. Money is not going to bring back my respect or honour. If I had to settle the matter and take money, I would have done that two days ago.”

    Breaking down, the actor remarked that instead of apologising for their actions, the women continue to hurl accusations her way and malign her in any way they can. Uzma said that had they apologised for their actions, she might not even have registered an FIR against them.

    Uzma further said that she has been receiving death threats as well and has appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari to help her. The actor, in a video message, also shut down rumours that she had fled the country and said that she is very much here in Lahore.

    https://twitter.com/uzmaaaK/status/1266450592752447488?s=20
  • Coldplay lauds Pakistan’s initiative to give tree-planting jobs to unemployed workers

    Coldplay lauds Pakistan’s initiative to give tree-planting jobs to unemployed workers

    Pakistan’s initiative to help daily-wage workers who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 lockdown by giving them jobs planting trees has caught the attention of British rock band Coldplay who has remarked that the idea is “amazing”. The tweet has been marked CM which stands for Chris Martin.

    The program which was set in motion after Pakistan went into lockdown in late March has been hailed across the world. Under the initiative, unemployed day labourers have been given new jobs as “jungle workers”, planting saplings as part of the country’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme.

    Read more – Naya Pakistan: Govt starts paying unemployed people to plant trees

    According to the World Economic Forum, such “green stimulus” efforts are an example of how funds that aim to help families and keep the economy running during pandemic shutdowns could also help nations prepare for the next big threat: climate change.

    The ambitious five-year tree-planting programme, which Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan launched in 2018, aims to counter the rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and other extreme weather conditions in the country that scientists link to climate change.

    Meanwhile, Federal Minister and Adviser to PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s official Twitter handle thanked Coldplay for acknowledging the government’s efforts and invited them to visit Pakistan once the pandemic is over.