Author: newsdesk

  • Coronavirus equipment to US was sent by armed forces, not govt: Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal

    Coronavirus equipment to US was sent by armed forces, not govt: Lt Gen Muhammad Afzal

    National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has clarified that the personal protective equipment (PPE) sent to the United States (US) as a gesture of solidarity amid the coronavirus pandemic, was by the country’s armed forces and not the government, Dawn reported.

    The consignment of PPE arrived at Andrew Air Force Base (AFB), Maryland Via C-130 flight from Islamabad, Pakistan.

    Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Dr Asad Majeed Khan, and senior officers of the embassy’s defence wing were present at the airport.

    Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey with other American officials were also present on the airbase.

    On the occasion, Ambassador Khan referred to the cordial ties between the people of two countries and their armed forces.

    He said that armed forces of both countries fought together in the global war on terrorism and would stand together in the fight against COVID-19 too.

    The Pakistani envoy said that it was a manifestation of the longstanding and close cooperation between the armed forces of both countries, particularly in dealing with the natural calamity.

    The equipment has been handed over to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for delivery to the US Armed Forces.

  • Temporary visit turned all-time love, tourist doesn’t want to leave Pakistan

    Temporary visit turned all-time love, tourist doesn’t want to leave Pakistan

    A UK citizen Stephen David Sheen, who visited Pakistan as a temporary destination on his way to India, where his cousins live, ended up staying here because of the country’s hospitality. He has been living in Pakistan for the past decade.

    Popularly known as Steve among his students, Sheen is currently serving as a school Principal in Khairpur, Sindh.

    In an interview with Independent Urdu, Sheen said that he made a plan for a train trip to Europe and then to India in 2010. He first visited Turkey from where he took a train to Iran and finally to Pakistan. He stayed in Quetta for the initial time before going to Karachi, and from there to Khairpur.

    Steve has learned to speak fluent Sindhi and teaches Mathematics, Physics, and English to the students of Sojhro Faiz High School. The school is now famously known as the ‘Angrez ka School’ among the locals in Khairpur.

    He had volunteered to teach at the school for one summer camp but decided to stay and teach its students permanently.

    Steve mentioned that everywhere around the globe, people make money off tourism, but in Pakistan, the hospitality of the people doesn’t allow them to earn because here, people present him with free food, accommodation, and travel.

    On learning Sindhi, Steve mentioned that when he first arrived in Khairpur, he was invited to an Eid dinner. Everyone at the dinner party was talking to each other in Sindhi, and he felt isolated. That is when he decided to learn the language and now he speaks it fluently.

    Other than teaching and running a school, Sheen also enjoys woodwork. He makes wooden tables and chairs, and some of his students also join him in this activity from time to time.

  • Indian Home Ministry accidentally posts whiskey pictures while advertising cyclone relief efforts

    Indian Home Ministry accidentally posts whiskey pictures while advertising cyclone relief efforts

    There was panic in the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after efforts to advertise its relief operations in Cyclone Amphan-hit West Bengal, went awry.

    According to the details, the MHA had taken to Facebook to highlight the work that personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which falls under the ministry, were carrying out in the Trinamool Congress-governed West Bengal.

    However, with ‘work from home’ having its perils, one of the handlers of MHA’s social media accounts inadvertently posted images of two bottles of whiskey and snacks along with those of the rescue and relief work

    While the photos were posted on MHA’s official Facebook around 9 am and were taken off around 30 minutes later, screenshots of the post started doing rounds over social media. The post sparked exasperation and elation in equal measure as some were enraged by the “irresponsible behaviour” and others saw the funny side of the “accident”.

    The MHA refused to comment on who uploaded the picture but reports quoted officials as saying that the ministry was treating it as a case of human error that should not be shown out of proportion.  

    They added that although most officers were enraged at the “callousness”, many other civil servants laughed off the “disaster”.

  • Pakistan deploys militant-tracking technology to trace coronavirus patients

    Pakistan deploys militant-tracking technology to trace coronavirus patients

    Pakistani intelligence service is deploying surveillance technology to track suspected and confirmed patients of coronavirus, which is usually used to locate high-value militants.

    The development came after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan announced seeking assistance from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for tackling the virus.

    Details of the project have not yet been made public but two officials told AFP that the spy agency was using geo-fencing and phone-monitoring systems for monitoring.

    Geo-fencing, a strategic tracking system alerts authorities when a suspect leaves a specific geographic area. This tool is also helping officials to monitor neighbourhoods during the lockdown.

    Authorities are also tapping phone calls of COVID-19 patients to check, whether their contacts are talking about having symptoms.

    Speaking on conditions of anonymity, a senior security official said that the trace-and-track system helped authorities track the mobile phones of coronavirus patients as well as anyone they get in touch with before or after their disappearance.

    “The government has been successful in tracing even those who tested positive but went into hiding,” added the official.

    “It was originally used against terrorism, but now they can be used effectively to trace-and-track corona patients,” they maintained.

    Rights groups, on the other hand, are concerned that institutions with such power can abuse their sweeping surveillance to curb political dissidents.

    Countries across the world have employed track-and-trace methods to control the virus spread, raising privacy concerns.

    More than 61,000 people in Pakistan have tested positive and more than 1,200 patients have died.

  • PTV asked to speed up dubbing process of ‘Ertuğrul’

    PTV asked to speed up dubbing process of ‘Ertuğrul’

    Following the unprecedented success of Diriliş: Ertuğrul in Pakistan, Senator Faisal Javed has said that the Pakistan Television Network (PTV) has been directed to air the Turkish series seven days a week.

    Taking to Twitter, Javed said that PTV is trying to speed up the dubbing process so that episodes can be aired daily on the national broadcaster.

    VIDEO: Ertuğrul wishes his Pakistani fans Eid Mubarak

    Last week, Riyaad Minty, an official of Turkey’s TRT Channel revealed that the show had surpassed 200 million views on TRT Ertuğrul by PTV channel and is nearing 3 million subscribers.

    The historical fiction series 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 4.4 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.

    Meanwhile, check out The Current’s review on the series here:

  • ‘Chinese president orders army to prepare for war’

    ‘Chinese president orders army to prepare for war’

    Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered his army to strengthen the training of its troops and “prepare for war”, foreign media outlets reported.

    The Chinese president said that it was important to “comprehensively strengthen the training of troops and prepare for war”, “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty” and “safeguard the overall strategic stability of the country”.

    Xi’s speech comes amid rising tensions with the United States (US) and escalating clashes with the Indian army at the Ladakh border. Both armies are said to have deployed additional troops in sensitive areas along the boundary with experts predicting a lengthy standoff.

    As per a report by ThePrint, Beijing has also increased up security on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by locating an estimated 1,200 to 1,300 troops near the Pangong Lake.

    Xi, who chairs China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), made the comments at a meeting of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF) on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s parliament.

    He emphasised on preparing for a military struggle “…to flexibly carry out actual combat military training, and to comprehensively improve our military’s ability to carry out military missions”.

    “This epidemic prevention and control struggle is a practical test for national defence and military reform, fully embodies the effectiveness of the reform, and also puts forward new requirements for reform,” he added.

    Two days back, Chinese diplomat Wang Yi, criticised the efforts of some US politicians to fabricate “rumours” and “stigmatise” China to blame it for the pandemic.

  • Uzma Khan vs Malik Riaz’s daughters: Everything we know so far

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

    Actor Uzma Khan has accused the daughters of property tycoon Malik Riaz of assaulting and threatening her.

    In a statement, the actor wrote, “I have been shamed, blackmailed, harassed, been threatened to kill in the past three days. I feel I have nothing to lose now and I have decided to fight the strongest people of Pakistan. For me, it is either I get justice or I will be killed but there is no turning back now.”

    “I will fight against daughters (Amber Malik & Pashmina Malik) of Malik Riaz, who stormed into my house around midnight with 12 men,” she added.

    Uzma also said that she has filed a police complaint against her alleged harassers and requested them to register her FIR and conduct her and her sister Huma Khan’s medical examination.

    https://twitter.com/uzmaaaK/status/1265607087431782402?s=20

    In a follow-up tweet, Khan said that she will share more details in a press conference scheduled to take place on Thursday.

    https://twitter.com/uzmaaaK/status/1265635318251892738?s=20

    According to the actor’s lawyer Khadija Siddiqui, the incident took place on the eve of Chaand Raat. She shared that Malik Riaz’s daughters – Amber and Pashmina – along with Usman’s wife Amna stormed into Uzma’s house with 12 gunmen where they assaulted and injured Uzma and her sister and threatened to kill them. Amna is the daughter of Amber Malik’s husband’s brother.

    They vandalised the house, broke things and even attempted to sexually assault the girls by telling their goons to touch them. Moreso, they filmed everything including the women which is a breach of their privacy. The lawyer added that Riaz’s daughters took away all the belongings of the two sisters, including their clothes and shoes and said that they will set them on fire.

    “We’ve registered a complaint against Malik Riaz’s daughters but the police were not willing to register an FIR against them,” said Khadija, adding that if they are unable to register an FIR, they will take the matter up in court. Uzma’s other lawyer, Hassan Niazi also tweeted that the local police station was not willing to register the FIR and that the SP exited from the police station after asking them to wait.

    However, Punjab Police later clarified that legal action has been initiated against perpetrators.

    FIR registered

    Later, Hassan also shared that an FIR has been registered.

    Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari also shared a copy of the FIR on social media.

    Videos of the incident have gone viral on social media with people, including fellow actors, demanding justice for Uzma and her sister.

    Uzma’s lawyer detained

    Khan’s counsel Hassan Niazi was also detained at Phase 6 police station while his phone has been snatched by SP Furqan Bilal.

    https://twitter.com/uzmaaaK/status/1265704029092544514?s=20

    Malik Riaz, Aamna Usman respond

    Meanwhile, following the incident, Malik Riaz took to social media to say that Usman was not his nephew and that he has nothing to do with the incident. While the relation between Malik Riaz and Usman is still not clear, it has been confirmed that the women attacking Uzma and her sisters in the video were indeed his daughters.

    Usman’s wife Aamna, in a video message also shared her side of the story and asserted that Usman has no relation with Malik Riaz. She said that she repeatedly asked Uzma to stay away from her husband, but the actor paid no heed to her warnings. Aamna also said that the house where the incident took place was Usman’s and not Uzma’s.

    However, Uzma’s lawyers slammed Aamna’s video and said that they will not compromise under any circumstances.

  • VIDEO: Father, daughter dress up as famous characters to throw trash

    VIDEO: Father, daughter dress up as famous characters to throw trash

    A father-daughter duo from Spain is going viral on social media with their adorable daily walk while they take out the trash. The two dress up daily as famous characters for this everyday task. The two used to dress up as famous characters for Halloween, but during the lockdown it has become a daily activity.

    Each time they wore different costumes. On Day 1, the daddy and daughter duo dressed up as Elsa and Olaf from Frozen.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_dS6MKHxEe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Over the next few days, the outfits continued with Spider-Man costumes, a Batman and Robin combo and they even transformed themselves into Beauty and The Beast.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_qK-4FHDWq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0fhOBnKRA/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_vUb6UnU5j/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    At least 237.2k cases of coronavirus has been reported in Spain so far. The authorities have also imposed a lockdown to control the spread of the virus.

  • Asim Azhar releases his Bollywood song ‘Humraah’

    Asim Azhar releases his Bollywood song ‘Humraah’

    Asim Azhar, whose Bollywood plans were cut short after Indo-Pak tensions reached an all-time high, has finally released his song Humraah which was featured in the film Malang featuring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Anil Kapoor in the lead.

    Read more – ‘I’m sorry’: Asim Azhar responds to backlash on PSL anthem

    The song which was originally composed and sung by Asim was replaced with a versionsung by Sachet Tandon when the situation between the two neighbouring deteriorated. The lyrics for the song have been penned by Kunaal Vermaa.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAnc5NZF0GE/

    Talking about the song and the story behind its release, Asim’s close friend Hania Aamir in her Instagram stories shared, “I remember being really, really upset when things went bad [between India and Pakistan] and we found out that Asim’s voice may not be used and his name would not be anywhere. Everyone who had heard the song and knew about it was pretty upset.”

    “I even had a grudge for some time,” she continued. “But for some reason, Asim was very calm about it and had no bitter taste. When the song released in someone else’s voice, Asim still did not let it bother him and he shared with us that he will make his own video and release it later.”

    “If someone takes my content and uses it and doesn’t give me any credit just because two people don’t get along, I would be really annoyed,” she added. “Somehow Asim saw the bigger picture and was calm about it and talked about making his own video, which has now finally been released.”

    Fortunately, Asim did receive his due credit and the singer took to social media to share his excitement.

    The song has been well-received by the audiences and is currently trending at number six on YouTube Pakistan.

    Watch video:

  • Nadia Jamil’s best friend shaves her head to support her

    Nadia Jamil’s best friend shaves her head to support her

    Nadia Jamil has been going through chemotherapy as she fights cancer. The actor has been very open about her journey and has been sharing updates from her treatments and surgeries on social media.

    Writing a detailed note on Instagram over losing her hair, she thanked her best friend from the college of over 25 years.

    “I met Rain at college and we decided we would be sisters for life. Today as I battle one of the worst days fighting chemotherapy unable to eat or even lift my head to drink water, I cannot help smiling. I still have my amazing sister in my heart and my life.”

    “Rain shaved her head with me, in solidarity, and looking at her clear, deep, blue eyes I thank God for her love and friendship. For all the conversations and for everything we have been through in our separate lives. The grief, the joy. Here we are so many years later, survivors”, she added.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAn-nc9hHYk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Meanwhile, celebrities including Shoaib Akhtar and Shaan sent their best wishes her way.

    Read More: Nadia Jamil opens up on life post-surgery

    The actor was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer and she shared the news with her fans and followers on social media. Nadia also urged all her followers to conduct regular self-checks and take quick action if they feel any abnormalities.