Author: newsdesk

  • Fawad Chaudhry recommended Mehwish Hayat for Tamgha-e-Imtiaz

    Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry revealed that he was the one who recommended Mehwish Hayat for the prestigious Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.

    In a recent interview, when asked who his favourite female actor is, Fawad replied that he is a big fan of Hayat, adding that he had suggested Hayat’s name for the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest civilian honour.

    “Mehwish Hayat is brilliant. As [information] minister, I recommended her name for Sitara-e-Imtiaz even though I had never met her, until recently”, the minister said.

    He shared that he recommended her because her films do exceptional business.

    Read more – 5 times Mehwish Hayat was woke

    The minister also remarked that people do a lot of sifarish to receive awards, asserting that no one asked him to nominate Mehwish.

    When probed further, Fawad said that he took awards very seriously and had always wanted youngsters to be nominated for awards.

    “I take awards very seriously and I only want them to be given to those who are toppers in their respective fields”, he said. “We try to ensure that merit is followed strictly.”

    Read more – Mehwish Hayat to run for PM in 2028?

    Mehwish had received immense flak on social media when she was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in March last year. Most people were of the view that she did not deserve it though their views changed after her speech at Oslo, Norway and her strong stance against Bollywood films.

    President Dr Arif Alvi had conferred the award on Hayat during a ceremony in Islamabad.

  • Pakistani doctor wins hearts for volunteering to treat coronavirus patients in Wuhan

    A Pakistani doctor from Jhelum has won appreciation for volunteering to treat coronavirus patients in Wuhan, China.

    Dr Usman, a Pakistani teacher at Changsha Medical College, is the first foreign doctor who stepped forward to volunteer to treat infected people in Wuhan.

    The Chinese Embassy thanked the doctor saying, “We appreciate Dr Muhammad Usman Janjua, a foreign doctor to join the fight against coronavirus in China as a volunteer. He is a teacher from Changsha Medical University, China and hails from Deena, Jhelum, Pakistan”.

    On January 27, Usman formally applied to the Foreign Experts Service office of the Hunan Science and Technology department, hoping that he could go to the Wuhan for medical assistance.

    Usman told media that when the outbreak of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus began in China, he kept an eye on the continuously updated figures and situations every day.

    “The staff of the foreign expert service sent me the methods of epidemic prevention every day asking me to protect myself and solving many difficulties for me.”

    Usman, 29, had dreamed of becoming a doctor since he was a child. He graduated from Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine with a bachelor’s degree in 2012 and returned to Pakistan to practice medicine for four years.

    During the four years of stay in his hometown, he had always been unable to forget China and Changsha. He said that China had provided him with good opportunities for education and employment.

    In 2016, he returned to China and began studying for a Master’s degree in medicine at Central South University in Changsha. After graduation, he became a foreign teacher at Changsha Medical College.

  • Man files petition to remove conditions on second marriage

    Man files petition to remove conditions on second marriage

    A man has registered a case in the Lahore High Court asking for the elimination of the condition in which he is required to get his first wife’s permission for a second marriage.

    Dr Muhammad Mudassir, who was sentenced for marrying another woman without his wife’s (now ex-wife’s) permission, has named the Punjab Law Ministry and provincial law secretary as respondents.

    He has appealed the Punjab government to make changes to the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961.

    A man doesn’t need the permission of his first wife to get married again in other provinces, the petitioner said, adding that such complaints could only be registered at union councils in Balochistan, Sindh, and KP. He claimed that Punjab has a higher fine too.

    On May 17, 2019, Dr Mudassir was sentenced to jail for one month and fined Rs500,000 for his second marriage by a special judicial magistrate in Sialkot.

    He was found guilty of violating the laws of the Muslim Family Laws Ordinance, 1961. As per law a man must submit written permission from his first wife if he wants to marry another woman. If a man is found guilty of violating the law, he may be imprisoned for a year.

    The petitioner has asked for more time to submit additional documents. The case has been postponed till February 10.

  • Humayun Saeed responds to being part of ‘Money Heist’

    Humayun Saeed responds to being part of ‘Money Heist’

    The phenomenal success of Meray Paas Tum Ho has put Humayun Saeed on another level so much so that reports started circulating that the actor was chosen to be part of the award-winning Money Heist Season 4.

    The rumours soon gained traction and everyone started getting excited about the prospect of a Pakistani actor in the series. But turns out that the report was a work of satire and Humayun will not be part of Money Heist‘s season four.

    However, Humayun said that he will one day make his own Money Heist. That should be fun?

    Meanwhile, Humayun has started shooting his next film, London Nahi Jaunga, in Bahawalpur. The film has been written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar and will be directed by Nadeem Baig. Apart from Humayun, the film’s cast also includes Mehwish Hayat, Kubra Khan and Gohar Rasheed. It is scheduled to release on Eid ul Azha.

  • No time to hit the gym? Check out these Youtube workouts for the busy woman

    No time to hit the gym? Check out these Youtube workouts for the busy woman

    Let’s be honest. We all began the year with the intention to hit the gym to bring out the healthiest version of us. But then January hit hard and we couldn’t muster up the energy to hit the gym every day. When February came along, we renewed our resolution and resolved to be more active. The truth is that our overworked schedules usually leave us with little time to pay attention to our bodies.

    Lucky for you, The Current has put together a list of workout videos that you can do in the comfort of your home and without any equipment.

    20 Minute Walk at Home Exercise by Leslie Sanson

    Level – Beginners

    Leslie Sanson’s workout at home videos are immensely popular across the globe and people swear by it for effective weight loss. Though these videos appear easy to do, they really are not as simple and really work the leg and arm muscles.

    30 Minutes Aerobic Dance Workout by Bipasha Basu

    Level – Moderate

    Who wouldn’t like to groove to the beat of Bollywood songs while getting their workout done at the same time? Bipasha’s aerobic dance workout effectively works all the muscles in the body, leaving you sweating buckets.

    Ultimate HIIT Workout for People Who Get Bored Easily by Fitness Blender

    Difficulty Level – Hard

    This HIIT workout is super challenging and intense, but fun at the same time as you have to do each exercise just once. It also shows the number of calories you have burnt with each exercise.

    30-Minute No-Equipment Cardio and Strength-Conditioning Workout by Pop Sugar

    Difficulty Level – Moderate

    Pop Sugar has some of the best available workouts on YouTube and this one tops the list because it has an easy to follow routine but at the same time really works the muscles and gets your heart rate going.

    Yoga Shred for Weight Loss, Fat Burn & Whole Body Strength by Sadie Nardini

    Difficulty Level – Beginners

    A combination of yoga and cardio truly sounds like the best post-work stress release. Sardine’s high-intensity workout stretches your body and works those muscles in such a way that they become stronger yet relaxed and more flexible.

    Ladies (and gentlemen), it time to ditch those excuses and get moving because exercise not only leads to a healthy body, it also releases toxins for a healthier and fresher mind as well. That endorphin kick is like nothing else!

  • Fitbit launches tracker for your cat

    Fitness trackers give you a way to find out patterns like how many steps you walk, how many calories you consume and how many hours you sleep. This type of information is important for your health. 

    PurrSong Pendant is a fitness tracker for cats. The idea of a cat fitness tracker might sound weird but it is very useful for pet owners. It tracks your cat’s activities and sleeping pattern. The idea is to get data about your pet’s normal routine and keep track of those time when they deviate from it. 

    When your furry friend starts to stray from the routine, it could be an indicator that there’s something wrong. 

    As anyone who has ever owned a cat will know that it can be tricky to find out if they are sick, especially cats try to hide when they are sick. 

    The pendant identifies an irregular pattern early so that you can seek veterinary care sooner. 

    The information from the tracker is shared over Bluetooth with an app on your phone that can alert you when there’s an abnormal pattern. For examples, if your cat isn’t being active as usual, you’ll be notified about that. 

    The PurrSong pendant is roughly the size of mentos candy, with IP56 (strongest) rating for water and dust resistance. It attaches to your cat’s collar and will last one month on a single charge. 

    The data from the PurrSong Pendant can give you a snapshot of your cat’s overall health — this reason is enough for a pet lover to go a buy one for your cat. 

  • VIDEO: ‘PM Imran wants ANF to stop burning charas, heroin, opium; make medicines instead’

    VIDEO: ‘PM Imran wants ANF to stop burning charas, heroin, opium; make medicines instead’

    Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi has said that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan wants the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to stop burning seized drugs, and set up a factory where the same will instead be used to make medicines.

    In a video doing rounds over the internet, Afridi can be heard as saying that his department was working to set up a factory on the premier’s orders, where medicines will be made from seized drugs, thousands of kilograms (kg) of which are set ablaze every year at a drug-burning ceremony.

    “We are setting up a factory… we burn a huge cache of heroin, charas [hashish form of cannabis] and afeem [opium] every year, but other countries use them to make medicines. Now, on PM Imran Khan’s instructions, a factory will be established in Tirah [Valley] so that lives of locals can be improved,” he can be heard as saying while addressing a gathering.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Several illegal drugs have been investigated for medical benefits such as treating hard-to-treat mental illnesses and chronic disorders.

    While cannabis or marijuana has long been known to provide pain relief, it also offers relief from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, controls nausea, and can minimise some symptoms of glaucoma and Crohn’s disease. In the United States (US) states where the drug is legalised, products for such things as period pain management are being made available to the public.

    As for heroin, a study at Hannover Medical School found opiate addicts — usually people addicted to painkillers like Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, or Demerol — were able to better kick their opiate addiction after taking small dosages of heroin. Heroin is also commonly used in hospitalised pain management, particularly in palliative care.

    THE CURRENT AT ANF’S DRUG-BURNING CEREMONY:

  • Aurat March releases Urdu version of anti-rape anthem

    Aurat March releases Urdu version of anti-rape anthem

    The Aurat March has released an Urdu version of the Chilean protest song A Rapist in Your Path that talks about rape culture and victim-shaming.

    A Rapist in Your Path is based on the work of Argentinian theorist Rita Segato, who debates that sexual violence is a political problem, not a moral one. The anthem has been performed in Latin America, the United States and Europe.

    According to a statement by the Aurat March, the song condemns the judicial system’s failure to protect women and their rights and raises awareness about the culture of violence in society. It says this culture is growing, with acts of violence being normalized and women being shamed and often blamed after reporting such acts.

    The lyrics of the song explain how institutions, the police, the judiciary and political power structures uphold systematic violations of women’s rights.

    “The rapist is you. It’s the cops. The judges. The state. The president. The law. The feudal. The clerics”.

    The Aurat March has made some additions to the original lyrics to include feudal and clerics in the song.

    Another part of the song describes the ways how women are blamed for falling victim to sexual violence. 

    “And it’s not my fault / nor where I was / nor what I wore. The rapist is you”.

    With its message, the song calls on people to do this anthem against rape during the Aurat March on March 8.

  • Coronavirus: PM’s assistant reaches airport to screen passengers himself

    Coronavirus: PM’s assistant reaches airport to screen passengers himself

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Zafar Mirza on Monday paid a visit to Benazir International Airport in Islamabad to screen passengers arriving in Pakistan, himself.

    According to reports, the special assistant monitored the screening process of passengers from different countries in the wake of deadly coronavirus. Dr Zafar reportedly said that a strong screening system has been installed at all airports across the country.

    “We are ready to deal with any kind of emergency,” he added.

    Earlier, Dr Zafar Mirza had expressed satisfaction over the protective measures taken by the Chinese government to curb the spread of Wuhan novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

    This came as three flights carrying passengers from China arrived in Islamabad on Monday as government resumed flight operations to the virus-hit country. Meanwhile, the coronavirus death toll in China soared past 360, with deepening global concern about the outbreak and governments closing their borders to people from China.

    The fresh toll came a day after China imposed a lockdown on a major city far from the epicentre and the first fatality outside the country was reported in the Philippines.

    Authorities in Hubei province reported 56 new fatalities, with one reported in the southwestern megalopolis of Chongqing. That took the toll in China to 361, exceeding the 349 mainland fatalities from the 2002-3 SARS outbreak.

  • ‘How can you question patriotism?’: Islamabad protesters granted bail

    ‘How can you question patriotism?’: Islamabad protesters granted bail

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted post-arrest bail to activists who were detained for protesting against the arrest of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen, Dawn reported Monday.

    According to reports, IHC Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah heard the plea and granted bail to 23 activists belonging to the PTM and Awami Workers Party (AWP).

    During the course of proceedings, the IHC CJ expressed displeasure at the Islamabad police chief’s absence from the court. “We did not expect this of your government. You are the representative of the state here, it is the state’s job to protect its people,” he reportedly said to the deputy commissioner, adding that the government should admit if it was wrong.

    “We will get to the bottom of this case. How could you question someone’s patriotism? Do you think constitutional courts will shut their eyes on a matter like this?” CJ Minallah remarked while giving the deputy commissioner a week’s time to consult the Islamabad police chief and come up with a report on the incident.

    Pashteen, who is still in state custody, was arrested up from the Tahkal area of Peshawar last week. According to the FIR [First Information Report] filed against the PTM chief, he is accused of using threatening and derogatory language against the state during a gathering in Dera Ismail Khan on January 18.

    Pashteen was last Monday presented before a court that handed him over to law enforcement authorities on a 14-day judicial remand.