In a Twitter blunder on Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan asked Muslims “to offer special Nuwafil prayers and seek Allah’s blessings and forgiveness on the occasion of Shabe Baraat tonight”, later deleting his tweet when people told him the night had already been observed a day ago.
“I would request Muslims all over the world to offer, tonight on the occasion of Shab e Baraat special Nuafil prayers to Allah and seek His Blessings and Forgiveness [sic],” the premier tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
While he deleted the tweet amid criticism for not knowing that the night had already been observed, here’s a screen grab:
Twitterati, as usual, did not let go of the blunder easy:
Those friends who were justifying PM Imran Khan’s Shab e Baraat tweet which he did today after it had passed last night, can you please tell me why he has deleted it after an hour? @__SyedaRidapic.twitter.com/J4CGYddwRM
Mid-Sha’ban or Shabe Baraat is a holiday observed by Muslim communities on the night between 14 and 15 of the Islamic month of Sha’ban. It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when Allah forgives sinners.
Senior member of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Punjab minister Aleem Khan, who according to reports is “disgruntled” ever since a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation was launched into his assets, has telephoned rival Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Punjab President Rana Sanaullah to discuss with him the fast-changing political scenario, especially in Punjab, The News reported.
According to reports, Aleem contacted the PML-N stalwart and told him that he wanted to discuss “some important issues in the context of the fast-changing political scenario”, which Sanaullah immediately brought to the attention of party chief Shehbaz Sharif.
“PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah immediately informed PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif about this political development. He [Sanaullah] was told to wait until he gives him directives in this regard,” the report quoted sources as saying.
They said the PML-N leadership would assess all political options but is likely to keep a safe distance from “segments of PTI allegedly involved in the wheat or sugar crises” and are being accused of making billions through government subsidies and price hike, the report stated.
“Aleem Khan had also approached Rana Sanaullah in the past when he was practically sidelined due to his growing differences with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over the state of affairs in Punjab,” sources told The News and added that when Sanaullah was arrested in the controversial narcotics case, the PTI member had back then also sent him text messages, saying he hoped that the PML-N leader comes out clean.
When contacted, PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah confirmed that he had a detailed telephonic conversation with Aleem and the two discussed the current political situation in the country.
To a question, he said it was too early to say if the PML-N and the disgruntled PTI group led by Aleem would put in any efforts to bring in-house changes in Punjab because his party had a principled stance in this respect.
“First we want electoral reforms and then we seek fresh general elections but there can be an interim arrangement till the completion of these goals,” Sanaullah said, adding that if someone said that Aleem had the support of only 20 to 25 PTI lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly, they would be underestimating him. “I personally know his real strength among the ranks of the PTI.”
To another question, he said some PTI members from Punjab had contacted the PML-N in the past as well but the leadership had decided that it would be useless to participate in power politics without having any people-oriented political agenda.
Ellen DeGeneres, one of America’s most popular TV personalities, sparked a furore on Wednesday after comparing her self-isolation in a multimillion-dollar mansion to being in prison.
DeGeneres, whose daily television talk show had been off the air for three weeks because of a stay-at-home order, returned on Wednesday with a show filmed by her wife, actress Portia De Rossi, from one of their California homes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ko8UYDVjh/
“One thing that I’ve learned from being in quarantine is that people – this is like being in jail, is what it is,” quipped DeGeneres, who was filmed in an armchair looking out on vast, grassy lawns and mountains.
“It’s mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for 10 days and everyone in here is gay,” she said, laughing at her own joke.
The video was removed after the backlash.
While DeGeneres also praised health workers and other on the frontlines battling the coronavirus epidemic, the prison joke did not go down well.
“I have actual friends and loved ones who are currently incarcerated. They are locked down in horrific conditions and terrified what is going to happen to them. Your ‘joke’ about being quarantined at home being like that is unfunny and disrespectful,” tweeted social justice activist Diana #FreeThemAll4PublicHealth.
More than 280 inmates and 400 staff in New York prisons have been infected with the coronavirus and at least seven people have died, according to the New York Department of Corrections.
In Chicago, some 230 detainees in Cook County jails have tested positive for the virus, along with 92 staff members. Louisiana has also reported coronavirus-related deaths among prison inmates. Meanwhile even in Pakistan it is being reported that inmates in several jails across the country have been tested positive for coronavirus.
“Hey @TheEllenShow, prisoners across this country are trapped in 24-hour quarantine in cells that are probably about the size of one of your showers & others are sleeping 3 feet away from sick inmates. And they’re dying. You aren’t experiencing anything close to prison,” wrote another Twitter user.
The backlash was the latest example of celebrities being called out for what appeared to be tone-deaf comments and social media postings as the pandemic has put millions of Americans out of work and killed more than 14,000 in the United States.
Last month, DeGeneres was slammed for complaining of being bored in videos that she posted of herself lying on a couch at her home.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sent a Rs13 million tax notice to Pakistani YouTuber Nadir Ali, who runs a channel called “P4 Pakao”, a private media outlet has reported.
Nadir’s videos show him and his team pulling pranks on unsuspecting people and attract a lot of internet traffic. The combined views of his channel are over 820 million, making his channel one of the largest in the country.
According to reports, tax authorities suspected him of concealing his income and subsequently launched an investigation against him, and their suspicions were confirmed when they contacted YouTube to learn about his actual income.
Reportedly, Nadir received more than Rs10 million in foreign exchange during the year on which exemption was claimed without furnishing proof to the tax department and at the same time, he maintained a bank account, which he did not declare in the wealth statement.
The report also quoted tax officials as saying that the YouTuber was served a number of notices during the course of the investigation but he did not respond to any of them and now he has the option to appeal the order before a commission in Karachi.
Nadir also spoke to the media outlet through his lawyer and denied having not responded to the FBR. “We received their notice and responded in person. We later applied for an extension in the time to file a response and our application was approved. We are now working to resolve this through all proper channels,” he added.
With a shortage of personal protective equipment threatening health care workers across the world and Pakistan, fashion designers are stepping up meet the growing demand. While internationally Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren have started making hazmat suits and masks for healthcare workers, locally Deepak Perwani and Asim Jofa have started manufacturing PPE for medical staff.
A host of celebrities have also stepped forward to help. Adnan Siddiqui recently shared a video of himself stitching a hazmat suit and thanking all health workers fighting against the virus on the frontlines. He also encouraged his followers to do the same.
“I just wanted to take a moment to thank all the people – health professionals as well as others – who are devoting their time, energy and resources in the fight against coronavirus,” wrote Adnan.
He further wrote, “It’s moments like these that truly test one’s character. Our national character is being tested but we are all being tested in ways small and big. It’s an ongoing struggle. I know everyone is fighting their own battles and I salute all of you for your resilience.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-uX0svHxp9/
Meanwhile, Shaniera Akram also shared a picture of herself with a hazmat suit she had stitched.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-tNzvRDDCK/
Earlier, Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain had also shared their efforts and had encouraged everyone to do the same.
With the world on a standstill and everyone cooped up in their homes as we all self-isolate, celebrities are taking to social media to connect with their fans. Instagram live(s) and Twitter interactions are the new norm.
Mahira Khan, who had promised her fans both, took to Twitter to answer some questions from her fans giving us an insight into her life, which she usually keeps under wraps: like a moment she would like to live again.
Yes! Azzu being given to me in my arms. Seeing him for the first time. https://t.co/W6BFkxKwKK
Oh so many. He’s a wise boy. MashAllah. But day before he said something very cute, he was hugging me and he said ‘ You are a treasure to behold’. I started laughing.. he said I’m serious! https://t.co/XvzRp0jKXV
Such? Nothing at all! Started reading again. Thinking of new ways to mix up the food left in the fridge.. does that count? Aap kahaan gum hein https://t.co/0sg7lQ3qS6
Thank you my love. It’s tough sometimes.. but there is much more love then there are trolls. The love is real. Keeps me going xx https://t.co/NBrB6bXeYR
Would Mahira like her characters end to be different?
I’ve tried sometimes to discuss with my writers about the ending. Umera Ahmed and Shoaib Mansoor both told me that these characters have their own destiny, their own endings. So.. none! https://t.co/jz38DpoQHB
Damn that’s hard. Ok so Bavra Mann, doses and mimosas, jaaney kya Tuney kahi, zaalima and Tu meri ( that’s from my new film)! I love you, never doubt that. https://t.co/IeLkguCjMU
The coronavirus induced lockdown has forced everyone to stay at home. While the home is thought to be a safe place, it is being reported that cases of domestic violence have spiked in the past couple of days – not only in Pakistan but across the world. Human Rights Organisations in all countries are stepping up to assist women and children who are victims of domestic abuse and feel unsafe in their homes.
Rozan, a non-government organisation, is offering psychological counselling in Pakistan through a telephonic helpline.
It was launched to help the survivors of gender-based violence and women and girls in abusive situations during the coronavirus quarantine. There will be a special focus on women and children’s needs during this time, said the CSO on Twitter.
During #COVID19 pandemic, it is more difficult for survivors of GBV to access services of protection and support.@UNFPA & @rozanoffice have launched tele-psychosocial services to ensure women & girls facing violence to seek support, get help and remain safe. pic.twitter.com/VjzXBJhP78
Rozan counsellors are working from home from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm to provide counselling on telephones. The helpline numbers are: 0335-5000401, 0335-5000402 and 0335-5000403. Their toll-free number is 0800 22444.
Work crisis management will also be available. The organisation said it will provide guidance on how managers and employees can work more effectively.
This service, called the Rozan response to COVID-19, was a result of a collaboration between the CSO and the United Nations Population Fund which is the UN’s agency working on sexual and reproductive health issues.
Ministry of Human Rights also launched a helpline for those facing violence during this lockdown.
لاک ڈاؤن اور سماجی فاصلے سے اکثر خواتین اور بچوں کو گھریلو زیادتی اور تشدد کا نشانہ بنایا جاتا ہے۔
ہماری ہیلپ لائن آپ کی مدد کے لئے حاضر ہے 1099 پر فون کریں یا واٹس ایپ 03339085709 پر ٹیکسٹ کریں pic.twitter.com/Fv7nmypkz7
— Ministry of Human Rights (@mohrpakistan) April 8, 2020
International trade is on the brink of collapse due to COVID-19 pandemic, and the results can be as severe as of 1930s Great Depression,The Guardian reported.
According to World Trade Organization (WTO), the trade might shrink by 13%, and in the worst-case scenario, the trade will shrivel down to 32%; a bigger drop than 2008-09 recession caused by banking crises.
Director general of WTO also added that an end to the trade tension between the US and China would help minimise the dire effects caused by the pandemic.
He further added, “We need to lay the foundations for a strong, sustained and socially inclusive recovery. Trade will be an important ingredient here, along with the fiscal and monetary policy.”
As per the official statement of WTO, recovery of trade is expected next year, but it is largely depended on the duration of the outbreak and the effectiveness of policy responses.
Lock down in big cities left hundreds of caged cats, dogs and rabbits dead inside pet markets, Dawn reported.
Empress Market, Karachi: Very few animals were rescued when activists appealed the authorities to access closed shops. The cries of the locked pets could be heard from outside Empress Market. Together, the market housed more than 1,000 animals.
“When we got inside, the majority of them were dead, about 70 per cent. Their bodies were lying on the ground,” said Ayesha Chundrigar, who runs ACF Animal Rescue.
“It was so horrific, I can’t tell you.” Starving and locked in cages with no light or ventilation, the survivors sat amongst the dead, trembling.
After the desperate rescue, Chundrigar has now convinced the Karachi authorities to allow pet shop owners and her team daily access to the animals.
In Lahore, animals were found under the same circumstances. The bodies of about 20 dogs were found dumped in a sewer near Tollinton Market, a hub for pet businesses which had closed leaving animals to starve.
Kiran Maheen was able to rescue more than two dozen dogs, rabbits and cats after convincing officials at the market to let her in, but a large number had already died. “When the police opened up the shutters, a lot of animals were already lying dead inside, many had suffocated from a lack of air.”
We knew Bilal Maqsood is a multi-talented artist, but we had no idea that he is ambidextrous as well. Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well.
The singer showed off artistic skills by drawing a couple in lockdown using both his hands at the same time, the video of which is truly mesmerizing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-mV1VgnK5v/
With everything else on hold, celebrities are using this time to connect with their fans through social media. Instagram Lives have become the new norm and every night social media apps are lit with celebrities aiming to entertain their fans across the world. Bilal has also been entertaining his fans by sharing short clips of him humming classic songs and playing the guitar. Check them out below:
Bilal sings the evergreen ‘Sanwali Saloni’ in memory of the legendary Junaid Jamshed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-t_KXGn7c5/
Check out this rendition of Ali Zafar’s classic Channo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-htZkqH7wp/
Bilal gives the 90’s kids a little pop quiz. Can you guess any of these songs?
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-ZvZKmnjpf/
And the like the rest of us, Bilal is washing his dishes.
