Author: newsdesk

  • ‘Meesha is lying’, witness tells court

    ‘Meesha is lying’, witness tells court

    A Lahore sessions court on Saturday recorded the statement
    of a witness in Ali Zafar’s defamation case against Meesha Shafi, wherein it
    was informed that Shafi’s “harassment claims were false”.

    As per the details, the court rejected Shafi’s appeal for not
    to record the witnesses’ statements as her request was pending in the Supreme
    Court (SC). She asked the court to stop the process until the verdict of the
    top court was issued.

    However, the judge said the hearing would continue and
    recorded the statement of one witness, Kanza Muneer.

    In her statement, Muneer told the court that during the
    rehearsal, at which 11 people were present and videos were made, Zafar and
    Shafi maintained five to six feet distance from each other. She said that Shafi
    left after saying bye and claimed that her allegations of harassment were
    false.

    The court then adjourned the hearing with the order that other
    witnesses will record their statements on May 18.

    Ali Zafar has filed a defamation case against Meesha Shafi
    and demanded a public apology as well as Rs2 billion in damages for accusing
    him of sexual harassment.

    In April 2018, Shafi had taken to Twitter to accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on “more than one occasions”, as part of the #MeToo movement.

  • Gautam Gambhir avoids Delhi sun, ‘uses look-alike to campaign for polls’

    Gautam Gambhir avoids Delhi sun, ‘uses look-alike to campaign for polls’

    Indian cricketer-turned-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Gautam Gambhir, has once again made to headlines after he “used a duplicate to electioneer in his place” as he has a problem with Delhi’s summers heat.

    “Have heard about a stunt double in movies, a runner in cricket, but have seen a duplicate in campaign for the first time,” rival Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet.

    Tweeting the pictures, the AAP leader also claimed that the alleged impersonator is a Congress worker and not the retired cricketer.

    Gambhir had also made headlines earlier this week after former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi had slammed him, saying Gambhir is “someone who has no personality and has a lot of attitude”.

    “Some rivalries were personal, some professional. First the curious case of Gambhir. Oh, poor Gautam. He and his attitude problem. He has no personality. He who is barely a character in the great scheme of cricket. He who has no great records just a lot of attitude,” Afridi had said in his memoir “Game Changer”.

  • Last minute ideas for Mother’s Day

    Last minute ideas for Mother’s Day

    Mother’s Day is this Sunday. While you don’t really need a day to appreciate your mother, it is that one day of the year when the whole world comes together to celebrate the blessing that is a mother. Some of you might have prepared in advance for what to give your Mom, but most of us are just sitting here and thinking “Damn, I thought I’d be better prepared this year.” But fear not, The Current has got your back. We’ve prepared an exciting list of things you can gift your Mom on this special day and put a smile on her face.

    Flowers

    Finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift can be tricky if you’re on a budget. In that case, how can you tell her how much she means to you without breaking the bank? Don’t stress yet! You can buy her a beautiful bouquet which will not only brighten up her room but her mood as well.

    Take her out for Iftari

    Our mothers are usually the ones who ensure that the table is laid out with our favourite food on aftar every day for. So how about you turn the tables around this time and take her out for a fancy aftari to her favourite restaurant? Tell her to dress up and wear her favourite lawn jora for this aftar date. This way you not only get her to relax for a few hours, but you also get to spend some quality time with her, minus the madness.

    Make Iftar for her

    Alternately, if your Mom is the sort of person who likes to stay at home, then its time to put on the apron and cook a meal for your Mom. And don’t forget to clean up the mess you make.

    Book her a massage

    Moms deserve a luxurious break given all the work they do for us. We all know she rarely treats herself, so do it for her. Book a massage for her and make her feel relaxed.

    In Lahore, our go-to place for a massage is Arammish, while in Islamabad we love Nirvana. In Karachi, Pengs has to be our favourite.

    Shopping Spree

    How often do Moms indulge in themselves? Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to get your Mom that jora she has been eyeing. It’ll be great given that Eid is also coming up.

    Turn
    on the TV

    Mother’s day does not have to be about spending money on gifts and dinners. You can also make her feel special by planning a movie night in and watching her favorite movie. Get some popcorn, snacks and drinks, and watch a movie at home.

    If you’re in the mood to watch something new together, check out our list of ‘Netflix shows to watch with your parents‘ or ‘Pakistani films to watch on YouTube with your family.‘

    Happy Mother’s Day to all the supermoms out there!

  • Imran Khan’s role in Indian elections; dinner with Modi?

    Imran Khan’s role in Indian elections; dinner with Modi?

    An image has been shared multiple times on social media alongside the claim it shows Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi dining with his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan.

    The claim is false as PM Imran’s photo has been doctored to make it appear as though Modi is sitting beside him, reported AFP Fact Check, a blog that focuses on fact-checking in response to the multiplication of disinformation online.

    The post’s Hindi language caption translates to English as:
    “The one with the green cap looks a little familiar.”

    Meanwhile, another picture breaking the internet showed Indian National Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Modi’s place.

    The Hindi language caption of that image translates to
    English as: “Who is this eating chicken biryani beside Miya Imran? Now the
    people will judge. This is Pappu’s condition.”

    Miya is an honorific for Muslim males, while Rahul Gandhi is
    often referred to as “Pappu” – which means “fool” or
    “simpleton” in Hindi – by supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata
    Party (BJP).

    A reverse image search on Google found the image was doctored from this photo, which was posted on Twitter on July 5, 2015. The photo shows PM Imran dining with his then-wife Reham Khan.

    Modi’s BJP has been accusing the Congress of playing for Pakistan.
    It has even claimed that Islamabad “wants to fix the polling results in favour
    of Congress”.

    Things, however, took an unexpected turn after PM Imran said
    there was better chance of peace between the neighbouring countries if
    hardliner BJP was elected to power.

    The statement was not very well received by a majority of
    people right before the general polls in world’s largest democracy. Congress said
    Pakistan had “now officially allied” with Modi and voting for him was “a vote
    for Imran Khan”.

    Seeking votes in national defence’s name and aggression towards Pakistan ahead of elections is not new to Indian politicians. The outcome of the 2019 general polls will also give a verdict on Modi’s hyper-Hindu nationalism that raised his nationalist BJP to power in 2014.

  • Ajax player’s on-field Iftar video goes viral

    Ajax player’s on-field Iftar video goes viral

    A video of Ajax football club player’s on-field Iftar from Wednesday has gone viral.

    In the video, defender Noussair Mazraoui can be seen breaking his fast while playing the Champions League semi-final against Tottenham.

    The Dutch-born Moroccan professional footballer was fasting for Ramzan and had to wait until the 24th minute of the game before refueling.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Ajax lost to Tottenham 2-3 in an astonishing comeback for the north Londoners.

    Lucas Moura scored a dramatic last-minute winner to send Tottenham into the final for the first time in its history. The win being secured in Amsterdam — Ajax’s home — was termed as “the cherry on top” by Twitterati.

  • Indian parliamentarian all praise for PM Imran

    Indian parliamentarian all praise for PM Imran

    Indian National Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has praised Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan for remembering the King of Mysore, Tipu Sultan, on his death anniversary, Hindustan Times reported.

    The Lok Sabha member took to Twitter to praise PM Imran for the interest he shows in the history of the subcontinent.

    “One thing I personally know about Imran Khan is that his interest in the shared history of the Indian subcontinent is genuine and far-reaching,” he tweeted.

    “He read; he cares. It is disappointing, though, that it took a Pakistani leader to remember a great Indian hero on his punyathithi,” Tharoor added.

    The tweet came after the premier paid a tribute to Tipu Sultan on his death anniversary on May 4.

    “Today 4th May is the death anniversary of Tipu Sultan – a man I admire because he preferred freedom and died fighting for it rather than live a life of enslavement,” PM Imran had tweeted.

  • Here’s all you need to know about Baby Sussex

    Here’s all you need to know about Baby Sussex

    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed a baby boy on May 6. The baby was born in the early hours of the day and Prince Harry was on his wife Meghan Markle’s side at the time of the birth. Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, was also present.

    Buckingham Palace said the boy, seventh in line to the throne, was born at 0526 local time (0426 GMT), weighing seven pounds and three ounces (3.26 kilograms).

    Two days after the birth, Meghan and Harry met with reporters at the St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle (where they also had their royal wedding reception) and introduced their baby to the world.

    They took a break from the royal tradition of the photo-op on the steps of the Lindo Wing at St. Mary’s Hospital in London. Both Princess Diana and Kate Middleton appeared outside the hospital with their newborns soon after they welcomed their children to the world.

    The couple, who appeared to be relaxed, shared their happiness with the world and thanked everyone for their well-wishes.

    Everyone is said to be overjoyed at the new arrival and the Queen is expected to meet the baby later in the day.

    On May 6, a few hours after the birth, Harry met reporters in Windsor to formally announce the birth of his son.

    “I am very excited to announce that Meghan and myself had a little boy early this morning – a very healthy boy,” he said. “Mother and baby are doing incredibly well. It’s been the most amazing experience I can ever possibly imagine.”

    Body language experts shared that Harry was genuinely ecstatic and the way he spoke about the baby and his wife was proof of that.

    It was earlier reported that Meghan would opt for a home birth, but The Daily Mail reported that the Duchess was actually taken to an unnamed London hospital by Harry and their security team, in a move so secretive that even the senior royals weren’t informed of it until later in the day. Meghan was really keen on a home-birth but given that the baby was almost a week overdue, medical intervention was necessary.

  • Bahawalpur man wants CM Buzdar to ‘stop having photo sessions and start working’

    Bahawalpur man wants CM Buzdar to ‘stop having photo sessions and start working’

    Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has been asked to “stop having photo sessions and start working” by a man who intercepted him during the former’s visit to a Ramzan Bazaar.

    The man, who claims to be the president of Bahawalpur Traders’ Union, can be heard asking the chief minister to not only visit the relief bazaars but also keep a check on the traders.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Please don’t just have photo sessions and work too. Ask them to work,” the man can be heard as saying.

    Under the provincial government’s Ramzan Package 2019, a total of 309 fair price bazaars have been set up across Punjab. The government claims to keep a strict eye on quality, quantity and prices of essential items available there.

  • Aasia Bibi leaves for Canada: sources

    Aasia Bibi leaves for Canada: sources

    Blasphemy convict Aasia Bibi, who was acquitted by the Supreme Court (SC) last year, has left for Canada, The Current has learnt.

    Following reports claiming Aasia’s departure, Foreign Office (FO) sources confirmed that the Christian woman has left for Toronto.

    Aasia Bibi was acquitted of blasphemy charges by the SC on October 31, 2018, after spending nine years in jail on death row. The ruling sparked countrywide protests by religiopolitical groups.

    After she was released from a Multan women’s prison on November 7, she was flown to Islamabad via a special aircraft and later shifted to an undisclosed location.

    Reports had claimed Aasia’s departure time and again within the past couple of months; authorities concerned, however, had denied the same every time.

  • ‘Country generating 1,392MW more electricity than in demand’

    ‘Country generating 1,392MW more electricity than in demand’

    Power Division of the Ministry of Energy has claimed zero shortfall of electricity in the country, reporting that some 1,392 megawatts (MW) are being produced against the total demand.

    According to Power Division spokesperson Zafaryab Khan, overall power demand in the country on Tuesday remained at 18,908MW, while 20,300MW of electricity are being generated.

    He further said the power distribution companies were implementing load management in Ramzan as per a previously announced schedule.

    The statement from the Power Division comes after hundreds of people reported being deprived of electricity during Sehri on the first of Ramzan in heatwave-struck Karachi.

    Unannounced power outages were reported in Malir, North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Gulbahar and other parts of the city’s district central.