Author: newsdesk

  • Ukhano approaches FIA as fresh accusations surface

    Ukhano approaches FIA as fresh accusations surface

    As more people come forward with their accounts of their run-ins with vlogger Umar Khan, popularly known as Ukhano, the latter has approached the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and filed his case against alleged fake accounts who have been tarnishing his name.

    Taking to social media, late Wednesday night, Ukhano had pledged his innocence and said that his “private, personal and two-way conversations were leaked.” He added that the conversations were censored and blurred to suit a certain purpose.

    Umar explained that only a few of the leaked conversations were authentic, while the rest of them were fake. He claimed that even from the consensual chats, the responses of the girls were “censored to frame me as a sexual harasser and predator.” He said that he didn’t want to name and shame anyone publically which is why he has decided to take his case to the FIA. Ukhano signed off saying that he apologises to anyone who might have felt uncomfortable with his behaviour.

    Following this video, on Friday morning, Ukhano shared videos and pictures of himself at the FIA office and said that that he has filed his complaint and shared the screenshots, usernames and other details to the relevant authorities. Umar is being legally represented by lawyer Hassaan Niazi.

    https://twitter.com/u_khano/status/1154688660228530176

    Meanwhile, one of Umar’s juniors from the National College of Arts (NCA) came forward and recounted her experience of being harassed by him.

  • Mohammad Amir seeks British citizenship

    Mohammad Amir seeks British citizenship

    Pakistan cricket stalwart and ace fast-bowler Mohammad Amir is planning to obtain a British passport so that he may permanently settle down in England in future, Cricket Pakistan reported Saturday.

    According to reports, the left-arm pacer married a British citizen, Nargis Malik, in September 2016 and has already applied for a spouse visa, which allows him to stay in England for 30 months.

    In the case of obtaining a spouse visa, the 27-year-old will be able to work and take advantage of various other perks that come along with it.

    It is not yet clear if Amir has already obtained the visa as he has previously spent jail time in the United Kingdom (UK) for his role in the spot-fixing scandal; however, he is reportedly also looking to purchase a house in London.

    After getting permanent residency, the paceman will also be able to apply for a British passport.

    The report comes a day after Amir announced his retirement from Test cricket with immediate effect, but reaffirmed his commitment to playing white-ball cricket for Pakistan.

    Amir’s teammates in Pakistan have been aware of the fact that the pacer is not interested in playing for the national team anymore and wants to play T20 leagues in England and around the world.

  • Lahori man arrested for sexually harassing women

    Lahori man arrested for sexually harassing women

    A Lahori man was put behind bars after he was accused of sexual harassment and indecent exposure.

    According to details, the incident occurred near Etihad Town in the city’s Raiwind area when a group of women were travelling in a motorcycle rickshaw. The offender, who was on a motorbike followed the rickshaw for a while and hurled sexually offensive and derogatory comments at the women. He was also guilty of indecent exposure.

    The offender’s behaviour was caught on camera and shared on social media after which the police took action.

    https://twitter.com/Alitaskywalker/status/1154400414885982208

    A team led by SP Sardar Ahsan Saif Ullah started an investigation and arrested him soon after. They also asked the author of the tweets to register an FIR against the culprit.

    Several users commented that it is difficult for women to register an FIR in their name. The lady who first shared this story also said that she will not be registering a case with her name.

    https://twitter.com/Alitaskywalker/status/1154699575854284800
    https://twitter.com/Alitaskywalker/status/1154706417141653504
    https://twitter.com/Alitaskywalker/status/1154707929112743941
  • PML-N leaders misread WB report criticising their economic policies, attack PTI govt instead

    PML-N leaders misread WB report criticising their economic policies, attack PTI govt instead

    In a rather hilarious development, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have misread a World Bank (WB) report criticising their government’s economic policies and have attacked the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) instead.

    According to a draft report by the WB, Pakistan’s budget has lost its credibility and the public finance management has further weakened.

    The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) report, the final draft of which was shared with the Finance Ministry in June, contains findings that reflect the poor performance of the Finance Ministry and how it failed to uphold fiscal rules.

    The report was widely shared by PML-N leaders and supporters, who held the incumbent PTI government responsible for the mismanagement of the country’s economic affairs.

    The catch, however, is that the report assesses Pakistan’s public finance management system and an analysis of its annual budgets from 2015 to 2018 — a time period when the PML-N was in power.

    Twitterati were quick to point out the blunder following which PML-N leaders, including Vice President Maryam Nawaz, deleted their tweets.

    According to The Express Tribune, when compared with a similar assessment that the WB carried out in 2012, the country fared poorer on almost all indicators and seven key pillars.

    There were hardly two indicators where the score improved while on the other two the score remained unchanged. In 2012, the country had secured five A grades – the highest score – but in the 2019 assessment, there was not even a single indicator where it got an A.

    Pakistan lost the highest score on critical indicators like the classification of budget, comprehensiveness of budget information, transparency in inter-governmental fiscal operations, participation in budget process and predictability of direct budget support.

    The lowest score is D plus and D. In 2012, the country got only six Ds and D plus but the lowest score reached a staggering 13 in 2019, reflecting the extremely poor performance of the Finance Ministry from 2015 to 2018.

  • Pakistani film ‘Darling’ to screen at the prestigious Venice Film Festival

    Pakistani film ‘Darling’ to screen at the prestigious Venice Film Festival

    The Pakistani film industry may appear to be just about fun Eid releases but young, independent filmmakers are working hard to expand the industry and take it up a notch.

    Pakistani filmmaker Saim Sadiq’s Darling is on its’ way to becoming the first Pakistani film to be screened at the 76th edition of the prestigious Venice Film Festival. The oldest film festival, the Venice Film Festival is part of the ‘Big Three’ a term used for the three most prestigious film festivals in the world namely Cannes, Berlin and Venice.

    Set in a dance theatre in Lahore, Darling revolves around a young boy and a trans girl. Speaking exclusively to The Current, the film’s director said, “Darling is loosely based on my feature film in-development ‘Gulaab’ – both being an exploration of masculinity and femininity set in a highly sexualized erotic dance subculture that exists like an open secret in an otherwise repressive Pakistani society. It’s in equal parts a coming-of-age story, a queer celebration, and a love letter to the Bollywood dream.”

    The main cast of the film includes Abdullah Malik who plays Shani and Alina, a trans girl from Lahore who makes her acting debut with this film.

    The supporting cast of the film includes Nadia Afgan of Suno Chanda fame and Mehar Bano. Nadia will also be producing the film along with Mahak Jiwani. The film has been directed by Saim Sadiq, who is currently a student of Film Directing at Columbia University in New York. Mo Azmi, of Cake, was the Director of Photography.

    The world premiere of Darling will take place in Venice in September 2019.

  • Mohammad Amir is retiring from Test cricket at 27

    Mohammad Amir is retiring from Test cricket at 27

    One of Pakistan’s most loved fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir has announced that he is retiring from Test cricket with immediate effect.

    In a statement, Amir said: “It has been an honour to represent Pakistan in the pinnacle and traditional format of the game. I, however, have decided to move away from the longer version so I can concentrate on white ball cricket.”

    Amir said that “playing for Pakistan remains his ultimate desire” and that he will try his best to be in the best physical shape to contribute in the team’s upcoming challenges, including next year’s ICC T20 World Cup.

    He added that the decision was not an easy one but he felt that his time was up.

    Amir made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2009. He featured in 36 Tests, taking 119 wickets at an average of 30.47. His best bowling returns — six for 44 — were against the West Indies in Kingston in April 2017.

  • 19th century abandoned Sikh temple to be reopened

    19th century abandoned Sikh temple to be reopened

    Following the Kartarpur Corridor initiative, the Pakistani government is playing an active role to restore abandoned religious sites in the country. Only recently, a Hindu Mandir was reopened in Sialkot after 72 years.

    Recent reports have revealed that The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) is planning to restore and reopen the historical 19th century abandoned Gurdwara Chowa Sahib in Jhelum and has also unveiled a plan for it.

    The gurdwara, which is one of the most sacred Sikh temples, is situated at the northern edge of the majestic Rohtas Fort’s Talaqi gate near Punjab’s Jhelum city and dates back to 1834. Gurdwara Chowa Sahib means “Gurudwara of the exalted spring”, and it commemorates the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion, was popularly believed to have created a water spring.

    According to a Sikh legend, Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana were travelling in the region and had arrived at the site during hot summer in 1521. When Bhai Mardana told Guru Nanak that water was scarce in the area, Guru Nanak is said to have then struck the earth with his cane and moved a stone thereby revealing a natural spring. The water of the spring was considered to be so holy that Ranjit Singh would reportedly have it specially transported to him in Lahore. Singh had also commissioned the present-day structure of the Gurdwara in 1834.

    ETPB Secretary Shrines Imran Gondal said that the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Sikh leaders would perform the inauguration of the multi-million restoration project. However, did not specify a date.

  • Naya Pakistan: ‘Gold Boy’ gangster visits police station to see locked-up friend, gets arrested

    Naya Pakistan: ‘Gold Boy’ gangster visits police station to see locked-up friend, gets arrested

    One of the country’s most notorious gangsters, Zafar Khan Supari, nicknamed ‘Gold Boy’ for flaunting gold jewelry and weapons, has been arrested by the police for “obstructing official work”.

    In the episode, which somewhat proves that Supari has lost the power and respect he once enjoyed owing to his strong political clout, the Gold Boy and his friend were locked up by the R.A. Bazaar police in Rawalpindi.

    According to the details, Supari’s friend and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) activist Asad Numberdar tried to hit a rickshaw with his car near a police picket on Harley Street.

    The rickshaw driver, who was going from Lal Kurti towards Bakr Mandi, asked Numberdar why did he do it, following which the latter lost his temper, cocked a pistol and pointed it at the rickshaw driver identified as Sajjad.

    When the personnel on duty at a police picket saw him pointing a pistol at the distraught man, they jumped into action and overpowered Numberdar, who was later brought to the R.A. Bazaar police station and locked-up there.

    It wasn’t later that notorious gangster Zafar Supari walked into the precinct to meet his friend, however, he too was thrown behind bars on charges of obstructing official work.

    According to The Express Tribune, Supari has also been booked in cases of protecting wanted criminals and proclaimed offenders in his locality, besides posing with illegal firearms on social media.

    Numberdar has served a prison sentence for the murder of Raja Shoaib, a nephew of ex-Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat. Police will produce both arrestees before a judge to seek their physical remand for further investigation.

  • British media law firm sues Daily Mail for ‘politically motivated’ article against Shehbaz Sharif

    British media law firm sues Daily Mail for ‘politically motivated’ article against Shehbaz Sharif

    Renowned media law firm Carter Ruck has sued British newspaper The Mail on Sunday, online news site Mail Online and its journalist David Rose on behalf of former Punjab chief minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif for publishing a “politically motivated” article.

    The story, published on July 14, 2019, had suggested that Shehbaz and his family “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.

    “Our response to the question asked in the headline was robust and clear. It was carried close to the bottom of the 2,500-word story,” United Kingdom (UK) Aid had said in its clarification.

    “The UK’s financial support to ERRA over this period was for payment by results – which means we only gave money once the agreed work, which was primarily focused on building schools, was completed, and the work audited and verified,” a Department for International Development spokesperson had said.

    According to The News, Carter Ruck has agreed to act on behalf of Shebhaz after reviewing the case for a week. Alasdair Pepper, Antonia Foster and Victoria Anderson will represent the leader of opposition in the National Assembly and former Punjab chief minister in his legal claim against the publication.

    “Stealing from earthquake victims is like feeding on corpses,” Shehbaz had said while responding to the allegations against him by the British publication.

  • Meat-lover Nawaz unhappy with ‘tasteless’ vegetarian meals in jail: report

    Meat-lover Nawaz unhappy with ‘tasteless’ vegetarian meals in jail: report

    Former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who is rather infamous for his high-protein diet and love for meaty festivities, is reportedly unhappy with the vegetarian food being served to him in jail.

    According to a private media outlet, the ex-premier has complained about the “tasteless” vegetarian meals to his personal doctor, who believes the environment is not fit for ailing Nawaz.

    “The jail food can further deteriorate his health,” the former PM’s doctor was quoted as saying.

    Earlier this month, the Punjab government had discontinued provision of home-cooked food for the ousted premier – currently incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.

    Reacting to the move, Nawaz’s brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif had said that the ex-PM is a heart patient and needs homemade food to control his health.

    PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz has also, time and again, stressed the need for her father to be provided with home-cooked meals for the sake of his health.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, on the other hand, has vowed to ensure the “criminal” doesn’t even enjoy air-conditioning and television facilities in his jail cell.

    “Nawaz Sharif wants food from home in jail, he wants air-conditioning in jail. But in a country where half the population has no air-conditioning or TV, what kind of punishment would this be?” the premier was recently quoted as questioning.

    Action is reportedly being taken in this regard too.