Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Talash’ screened at UN headquarters

    ‘Talash’ screened at UN headquarters

    Zeeshan Khan’s directorial debutTalash, starring Ahmad Zeb, Noaman Sami and Fariya Hasan, was recently screened at the UN Headquarters in New York. The feature film focuses on the detrimental impact of malnutrition and stunting on children’s development.

    According to APP, the show was arranged by the recently-formed UN staff Recreation Pakistan Club to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Right of the Child.

    Talash has been directed by debutante Zeeshan Khan, who was also present on the occasion. The film’s plot is centred on three medical students who are sent to a remote village in Tharparkar district of Sindh to set up health camps and educate the people there about maternal health. They face many challenges in the feudal setup but manage to be successful in their mission.

    APP reported that the film was received positively by those present in the audience. This included Botswana’s UN Ambassador Collen Vixen Kelapile, senior UN officials, including Stewart Simonson, assistant director-general, WHO, and Haoliang Xu, assistant secretary-general, UNDP. They praised the Pakistani movie on its critical subject.

    Meanwhile, the cast of the film also shared images from the screening.

    Meanwhile, the chief guest at the event, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN Munir Akram, told the gathering that Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his first address to the nation, pledged to reduce child stunting and improve maternal health. He said a number of projects have been launched in the country to eradicate hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, especially in under-developed parts of the country.

  • ‘Blessed Friday’ sales you should not miss out on

    ‘Blessed Friday’ sales you should not miss out on

    Who does not like sales? Girls (and guys), its time to shop and enjoy this weekend by spending money on all the things you have been waiting to buy.The Current has listed a few brands that have ‘Blessed’ or ‘White Friday’ sales this weekend.

    Cross Stitch

    Shop at Cross Stitch and get up to 50% off.

    Edenrobe

    Edenrobe offers up to 50% discount from November 14 to December 1.

    Stylo

    Stylo is offering flat 20% off from Nov 28 to Dec 1 in stores and also for online customers.

    Official website: https://www.stylo.pk/

    Next

    Big Friday sale on ‘next’ gives you 25% off.

    Check their page here: https://www.facebook.com/NextPakistanOfficial/

    Limelight

    Limelight is offering 20-30% on entire stock from 28th Nov to 1st Dec.

    Official website: https://www.limelight.pk/

    Shoe Box

    Shoe Box is offering flat 25% off on all stock.

    Official website: https://www.shoebox.com.pk/

    Bata

    You can avail up to 80% off on Bata from 28th Nov to 2nd Dec.

    Official website: https://www.bata.com.pk/

    Baby Planet

    Get up to 70% off on Baby Planet.

    Website: https://www.babyplanet.pk/

    Accessorize Pakistan

    Generation

    Great Friday Sale lag rahi hai! FLAT 50% off on select fashion finds on Fri to Sun (29th Nov-1st Dec).

    Website – https://bit.ly/2L8UdYA

    Readings

    Sana Safinaz

    Zaha

  • Gen Bajwa allowed to continue serving as army chief

    The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday granted a six-month conditional extension to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa as it directed the federal government to furnish a fresh summary of the army chief’s extension of services.

    According to details, announcing the verdict in the COAS’s extension case, which was reserved earlier in the day, a three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, sought an undertaking from the government that it would legislate on the matter within six months.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan also took to Twitter to comment on the development.

    For the third day, the bench heard the petition challenging the extension. When the hearing resumed, the CJP asked Attorney General (AG) Anwar Mansoor Khan to present the notifications of extension granted to former army chief General (r) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, as well as the notification of the retirement of Gen (r) Raheel Sharif.

    The attorney general informed the court that General Qamar Bajwa has been reappointed under Article 243, to which the CJP remarked that the government had to convince them it was legal.

    After arguments made by the AG and Gen Bajwa’s counsel Farogh Naseem, the bench stated that a 10-member full court will announce the short order in the afternoon, whereas the detailed verdict would be issued in the evening.

    In the meantime, the court granted General Bajwa permission to continue working, conditionally. It further instructed the government to prepare a fresh notification, which does not list the tenure of the extension.

  • Imran govt considering imposing emergency to tackle any unrest regarding Gen Bajwa’s extension: report

    Imran govt considering imposing emergency to tackle any unrest regarding Gen Bajwa’s extension: report

    It is being considered at the highest level in the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led government that emergency may be promulgated to overcome any untoward situation arising due to developments regarding the extension in service for Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to perform actions or impose policies that it would normally not be permitted to undertake. A government can declare such a state during a disaster, civil unrest, or armed conflict.

    According to The News, no conclusive decision has been made by the high-ups concerned since most of the senior officials are dissenting with the proposal, but the possibility of imposition of emergency cannot be entirely ruled out.

    The report quoted sources as saying that pro-emergency segment of the leaders was of the view that “positive outcome was attained in the past through imposition of emergency-plus”, and suggested experimenting the same for a short time now since it wouldn’t be harmful.

    “It will also help the government create harmony in society and chaos could be averted that will be helpful in mitigating suffering of the people,” the pro-emergency leaders reportedly said.

    STATE OF EMERGENCY 2007:

    A state of emergency was declared on November 3, 2007,
    by former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, which lasted until December 15,
    2007, during which the constitution remained suspended.

    When the state of emergency was declared,
    Musharraf controversially held both positions of president and COAS.
    He later resigned as army chief 25 days into the emergency on November 28.

    The state of emergency and its responses are generally
    attributed to the controversies surrounding the re-election of Musharraf during
    the presidential election on October 6, 2007, including his holding
    of both offices of president and army chief at the time.

    Then Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad
    Chaudhry reacted promptly to the emergency declaration, convening a
    seven-member bench which issued an interim order against the action. He also
    directed the armed forces of Pakistan not to obey any illegal orders. Subsequently,
    the 111th brigade of Pakistan army entered the Supreme Court (SC) building and
    removed Chaudhry as well as several other judges and arrested them.

    It was announced earlier that the state of emergency would
    likely end in late November or early December 2007. After being sworn in
    for a second presidential term on November 29, 2007, Musharraf immediately
    declared that the state of emergency would end on December 16, 2007, although
    the emergency actually ended one day earlier, on December 15, 2007.

    Aftermaths of the emergency include the high treason case against
    Musharraf.

  • ‘Increase in dollar rate benefits us as we only pay in rupees,’ says PTI minister

    ‘Increase in dollar rate benefits us as we only pay in rupees,’ says PTI minister

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai has said that the increase in dollar benefits Pakistan greatly as we only have to pay in rupees, not in dollars.

    While addressing the media on Wednesday, the KP minister said that the 3 billion rupees increase in Peshawar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project due to rupee devaluation has not affected the national treasury, as we have paid that amount from our savings.

    “The increase in dollar value has increased the cost of BRT by Rs3 billion and at the same time helped us save over Rs3 billion because we only have to pay that amount in rupees, not in dollars”, the minister said.

    Shaukat also said that all those saying that the rupee devaluation is going to increase the amout have no idea what they are talking about.

    Watch Video:

    Meanwhile, Peshawar metro bus project misses its 6th deadline

    The Pakistan Tehreeke Insaf (PTI) led KP government has missed its sixth deadline despite announcements by the KP information minister that the project would be completed in time.

    Shaukat Yousafzai had earlier claimed that the project would be completed in 2020 and people would start getting its benefits from next year.

    He also claimed that 87% work on the mega project has been completed, adding that 30 stations had been finalised, while work on the remaining 10 stations was underway.

    Earlier, the minister had said the project would be finished by December this year, but reports claimed that the flagship project of the PTI government was unlikely to be completed in December, citing completion of only 16 stations out of over 40.

    Moreover, three bus depots made for Peshawar BRT were reportedly also under construction.

    “Even 10 per cent work has not been done on the Haytabad bus depot. No work has been done on the route from Hayatabad to Karkhano Market,” claim reports.

  • Dairy farm in Russia makes cows wear VR glasses to increase milk production

    Dairy farm in Russia makes cows wear VR glasses to increase milk production

    Did you know that a dairy farm in Russia uses VR glasses to make cows give more milk? Yes, we were equally surprised when we got to know this. In RusMoloko dairy, farm cows wear specially designed VR headsets for improved milk productivity.

    In their glasses, the cows see sun-filled views of green grazing fields. This helps the cows relax which is directly linked to their milk-productivity.

    The summer field views were designed after studying cows’ response to different tones of colors – the cows showed signs of improvement in their mood and decreased anxiety.

    The VR headsets were specially adapted to fit cows’ heads.

    Experts in the field of technology and dairy farming have collaborated to find a solution to the problem of milk production. They had the solution of perfect-fit VR goggles as a solution to offer a restful atmosphere in addition to fulfilling the cows’ physical needs. However, more studies are underway to study the impact of VR goggles in terms of milk productivity.

  • Army chief belongs at border, but he was getting his summary fixed at PM House last night: CJP

    Army chief belongs at border, but he was getting his summary fixed at PM House last night: CJP

    Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, who is heading the Supreme Court (SC) bench hearing the case pertaining to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension, has said that “the army chief belongs at the border, but he was getting his summary fixed at the Prime Minister (PM) House last night”.

    On Wednesday night, the federal government, aided by the military’s counsel, drafted a new summary removing all legal lacunae pointed out by the apex court earlier in the day, as it heard the petition challenging Gen Bajwa’s extension.

    For the first time, the paperwork was completed with the assistance of Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of the GHQ, according to The News.

    According to the publication, input from the JAG Branch was sought by the ministry concerned after the SC highlighted serious errors in the drafts presented to it following the suspension of the army chief’s extension.

    The fresh summary was inked by midnight, and has replaced the words “re-appointment” with “extension in service”. Once finalised, the summary was sent to the federal cabinet through a circulation process late on Wednesday night and then submitted to the president, who issued the requisite notification.

    The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and the attendees included the COAS himself.

    “The army chief’s job is to protect the country’s borders, but last night he stayed at the PM House to get his summary fixed. It’s embarassing,” the top judge reportedly said Thursday as the three-member bench resumed hearing the case.

    He added that it was regrettable how the COAS’s time was wasted because of the incompetence of the government at such a crucial time for national security. “He [Gen Bajwa] had to be there to guide them,” CJP Khosa was quoted as saying.

  • Police arrest a man for blackmailing women with private photos

    Police arrest a man for blackmailing women with private photos

    Police have arrested a man accused of blackmailing women with private photos and videos in Dera Ghazi Khan.

    As per reports, the suspect, Syed Shehzad Shah, used to befriend women on social media and take their private pictures and record their private videos. He then used fake social media accounts to demand money in exchange for not leaking their private pictures.

    The police have been searching for Shehzad for almost two years. They managed to locate him through call records.

  • Musharraf treason case: Special court refuses to obey IHC’s order to halt verdict

    Musharraf treason case: Special court refuses to obey IHC’s order to halt verdict

    The special court overseeing former military ruler Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf’s high treason case has refused to accept Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order to halt the verdict due Thursday, a private media outlet reported Thursday.

    According to reports, the special court has said that they “are not bound to accept IHC’s order” that on Wednesday had stopped it from issuing a ruling in the case filed against Musharraf by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for the imposition of an extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

    The special court was set to announce the ruling in the treason case Thursday, however, the IHC, which was hearing petitions filed by former president Musharraf and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to postpone it, had told the court to not announce the verdict just yet.

    It had also directed the special court to admit the arguments of all parties in the case before announcing the ruling and ensure a fair trial.

    MUSHARRAF TREASON CASE:

    The PML-N government had in 2013 filed the treason case against Musharraf over the president’s imposition of extra-constitutional emergency in November 2007.

    Earlier this year, head of the prosecution, Mohammad Akram Sheikh, tendered his resignation. In his resignation letter sent to the interior secretary, Sheikh expressed his inability to proceed with the case after the imminent change of government at the centre.

    Akram was appointed as the head of the prosecution in the case in November 2013, by the then ruling PML-N.

    Musharraf was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and rejected all charges.

    On March 18, 2016, the former president left the country for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the exit control list (ECL) on the orders of the Supreme Court (SC).

    A few months later, the special court had declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his continuous inability to appear.

    Later, his passport and identity card were also cancelled on orders of the apex court.

  • ‘You want a three-year extension for Gen Bajwa, will it be 20 years for a better general?’ CJP reportedly asks govt

    With hearing of the case pertaining to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension resuming Thursday, the Supreme Court (SC) has once again put the government in a tight spot as it asked “if a better general would be given a 20-year extension”.

    “You’re seeking a three-year extension for now. If another general, who is exceptional, comes next, will you give him a 20-year extension?” journalist Omar Qureshi quoted the three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, as asking the government representatives.

    Earlier, the bench resumed hearing the petition challenging the extension of COAS Gen Bajwa. As proceedings continued, the CJP asked Attorney General (AG) Anwar Mansoor Khan to present the notifications regarding the extension in the tenure of former army chief Gen (r) Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and retirement of Gen Raheel Sharif.

    “We were told yesterday that generals never retire,” remarked CJP Khosa.

    The AG informed the court that Gen Bajwa had been reappointed under Article 243, to which the CJP remarked that the government had to convince the court that it was legal.

    The SC then reserved the verdict that will be announced later in the day by a 10-member full court.

    On Wednesday night, the federal government, aided by the military’s counsel, drafted a new summary removing all legal lacunas pointed out by the apex court earlier in the day.

    The paperwork was completed with the assistance, for the first time, of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of the General Headquarters (GHQ), according to The News.

    Those privy to the developments told the publication that input from the JAG Branch was sought by the ministry concerned, which had till then failed to produce the required documents and after the SC highlighted serious errors in the drafts presented in court.

    The fresh summary was inked by midnight and has replaced the words “re-appointment” with “extension in service”. Once finalised, the summary was sent to the federal cabinet through a circulation process late on Wednesday night and then submitted to the president, who issued the requisite notification.