Moin Akhtar left his wedding to attend THIS actor’s marriage
You all know that the late great comedian and artist Moin Akhtar was one of the brightest shining stars in Pakistan, but did you know that he was also a very good friend? The actor wrote an incident in his memoir that cemented his status as the bestest friend to ever have.
Moin left his wedding ceremony to attend that of his close friend Talat Hussain, who passed away yesterday.
“I left my own wedding to attend Talat Hussain’s wedding without an invitation,” the comedian wrote in his memoir.
The year was 1972. A young Moin was getting married on the same day as his friend and comrade Talat Hussain. “My wedding was on the same day that Talat Hussain wed Rakhshi. Although Talat couldn’t make it to my wedding, I didn’t need an invitation to attend his; our friendship had long surpassed the need for formalities, and I went directly from my own wedding celebrations to join in his special day.”
Moin Akhtar also revealed that among their group of friends was a palmist who knew about astrology. Once the palmist said to Talat Hussain, “You should change your name, this name doesn’t suit you much.” And then he changed his name to ‘Farooq Jalal’, under which Talat Hussain worked in a film. The film was successful, but perhaps Talat Hussain liked his own name better.
Talat Hussain passed away in Karachi on Sunday, May 26, 2024 after a long illness. The thespian was born on September 18, 1940. In a career spanning over six decades, he starred in many popular dramas and films, winning multiple awards, including the Amanda Award and Pride of Performance.
Gaza’s civil defence agency said Monday that many bodies were “charred” after the strikes triggered a fire that ripped through a displacement camp in northwest Rafah.
“The massacre committed by the Israeli occupation army in the refugee tents northwest of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip has left 40 martyrs and 65 wounded,” said agency official Mohammad al-Mughayyir.
“We saw charred bodies and dismembered limbs … We also saw cases of amputations, wounded children, women and the elderly.”
Footage released by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society showed chaotic night-time scenes of paramedics in ambulances racing to the fiery attack site and evacuating the wounded, including children.
“We had just done with the evening prayers,” recalled one survivor, a Palestinian woman who declined to be named.
“Our children were asleep … suddenly we heard a loud sound and there was fire all around us. The children were screaming … the sound was terrifying.”
Mughayyir said the rescue efforts were hampered by war damage and the impacts of Israel’s siege on the territory amid the over seven-month-old conflict.
“There is a fuel shortage … there are roads that have been destroyed, which hinders the movement of civil defence vehicles in these targeted areas,” he said. “There is also a shortage of water to extinguish fires.”
The ICRC said that one of its field hospitals was receiving an “influx of casualties seeking care for injuries and burns” and that “our teams are doing their best to save lives”.
Israeli occupation forces on the other hand said the air strikes late Sunday, hours after a rocket attack had targeted Tel Aviv, had killed two senior Hamas operatives. However, it will investigate the reports of civilians killed in a fire..
It added that it was “aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited, several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.”
The Israeli attack sparked strong protests from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and from Qatar which warned it could “hinder” budding steps to revive stalled truce and hostage release talks in the Israel-Hamas war raging since October 7.
Egypt
Egypt deplored the “targeting of defenceless civilians” and labelled it part of “a systematic policy aimed at widening the scope of death and destruction in the Gaza Strip to make it uninhabitable”.
Jordan
Jordan also expressed its condemnation, accusing Israel of committing “ongoing war crimes”.
Kuwait
Kuwait charged the attack exposed Israel’s “blatant war crimes and unprecedented genocide to the whole world”.
Qatar
And Qatar condemned the Israeli bombing as a “dangerous violation of international law”.
Israel’s top ally the United States has strongly urged all sides to resume truce talks, with efforts underway in recent days toward new talks with US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
After the latest violence, Qatar’s foreign ministry voiced “concern that the bombing will complicate ongoing mediation efforts and hinder reaching an agreement for an immediate and permanent ceasefire”.
Hamas attack on Tel Aviv
The strike came hours after Hamas had on Sunday, for the first time in months, launched a barrage of rockets at Tel Aviv and other areas of central Israel, sending people running into bomb shelters.
Although Israeli air defences took out most of the rockets and no casualties were reported, the attack was seen as an effort by Hamas to signal that it remains undefeated.
Hamas’s armed wing said it had targeted Tel Aviv “with a large rocket barrage in response to the Zionist massacres against civilians”.
Israel invaded Gaza in late October, but its ground forces are still battling Hamas in northern and central areas where Hamas has regrouped, as well as around Rafah.
Hamas said, after the overnight strikes, that Palestinians must “rise up and march”.
The delightful Naimal Khawar Khan has been cherishing moments with her husband, superstar Hamza Ali Abbasi. She recently treated her followers to adorable snapshots and a vlog capturing their latest lunch date. They ventured out to explore a new coffee shop in Islamabad’s picturesque rainy weather. Naimal generously shared the vlog on her YouTube channel, and now we’ve gathered some delightful pictures for you to enjoy.
Award winning director Sarmad Khoosat had a bad run in with hospital administration and he’s venting out anger.
He recently spoke out about a frustrating experience at a hospital, sharing on Instagram that he was scolded for wearing knee-length shorts while visiting the medical facility. Khoosat questioned why hospitals should control what visitors wear, especially when they’re just there to see someone, not for treatment. He recalled being asked to change into old, uncomfortable pants pulled from a dusty drawer by a guard.
The actor criticized what he saw as unnecessary policing, saying, “The policing and moral policing in this country are like a circus.” He pointed out how silly it is to worry about clothing instead of taking care of patients in a hospital, saying, “I hope they don’t judge patients by their clothes.”
Khoosat found it ironic that he was stopped because there were women around, sarcastically saying, “Can I ask the ladies to focus on their loved ones’ health instead of worrying about me?”
His experience highlights bigger issues about personal freedom and unfair rules in public places. He hopes for more sensible rules in hospitals and everywhere else.
On his Instagram story, Sarmad Khoosat wrote, “In what world are hospitals supposed to police what you are wearing? Not here for treatment but to meet a patient only. I was wearing shorts (not too short either – knee length), and the management told me to either go back or wear these pants, which emerged from a guard’s dusty drawer. The fit and the look of them would have made me look vulgar. I hope they don’t treat patients in wards and rooms based on their clothes. It’s a hospital for god’s sake. This country’s policing and moral policing are truly a circus. The guard said, “There are ladies inside!” May I please request the said ladies to focus on their loved one’s health and treatment and not be tempted by me? Not naming the hospital because I am sure such ridiculous laws are the easiest and quickest to implement across the country. Also: I entered through the emergency gate and the guard didn’t even bother asking me if I had an emergency or not.”
Sargodha police has arrested 26 people for mob violence and attempting to lynch a Christian man on Saturday while registering a case against 44 nominated and 300/400 unidentified suspects.
The case was registered on behalf of the State of Pakistan with clauses included in the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.
However, the police also registered a blasphemy case against the Christian man who was seriously injured in the mob attack.
A worker of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) filed the blasphemy case.
On May 25, a violent mob tried to lynch the Christian man. Multiple viral videos on social media show horrific scenes of violent mobs damaging, setting fire and looting the property.
Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Iqbal and other police personnel at the scene rescued the man from the burning house but when he was brought out, the mob swarmed in and attacked him.
The FIR also alleges that women were also a part of the crowd, inciting violence.
Amid the ongoing genocide in Gaza, many Pakistani celebrities, including Mahira Khan, Armeena Khan, Anoushey Ashraf, Hania Ahmed, and Fatima Bhutto, are using their social media platforms to highlight Israel’s atrocities in the strip. These public figures drew attention to the dire humanitarian conditions in Rafah, emphasizing the urgency of international intervention and support for the victims.
Celebrity advocacy for Gaza
Mahira Khan, known for her influential presence both on and off-screen, has shared emotional images and videos. One of her posts featured a heartbreaking video from Palestinian journalist Motaz Azaiza, showing the bodies of children killed by Israel. She poignantly captioned it, “How can this be the world we live in?”
Armeena Khan, a dedicated advocate for social causes, highlighted the struggles of Rafah’s residents through her Instagram stories. She expressed gratitude for her privileged position of living in safety while others suffer and shared harrowing content, stating, “Motaz’s stories destroyed my soul tonight. They look like snapshots from hell. Watch, but be mindful; it’s the sort of thing that scars you for life.” Her aim is to maintain global awareness of the crisis.
Hania Ahmed and Anoushey Ashraf also took to Instagram to spotlight the grim reality in Rafah. They stated, “Israel is burning people alive in Rafah right now. They’re counting on Americans to be too busy during this holiday weekend to pay attention to their latest massacre.”
Fatima Bhutto shared alarming statistics about the recent attacks, revealing, “Israel bombed Rafah over 60 times in 48 hours after International Court of Justice orders.” She stressed the need for relentless advocacy, captioning her post, “We should not rest till this is stopped. My heart aches.” Bhutto has consistently posted crucial information to keep her followers informed and engaged.
Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian-American comedian and television host, used his platform to draw attention to the atrocities. He reminded his followers of past misinformation and pointed to the current, documented horrors, urging the world to acknowledge and respond to the genocide in Gaza.
The collective efforts of Pakistani celebrities on social media remind us that behind our screens lie the harsh realities faced by many. Raising awareness is a powerful way to help those suffering. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 35 Palestinians and wounded dozens on Sunday in an area designated for the displaced in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, according to Palestinian health and emergency service officials. These celebrities aim to keep the world’s attention on these tragic events and encourage action.
Pakistani passports are going through a number of transformations and the recently proposed one is the inclusion of the names of both the mother and father if the child’s parents are divorced.
Geo’s Azaz Syed shared that the proposal is under consideration. In case of divorce or separation, the woman’s passport will be made in the name of the father. Previously, it was reported that that a married woman must have her husband’s name on her passport as per law and if the woman is divorced a box will be introduced to have her former husband’s name.
For children with divorced parents, the names of the parents will be entered in the passport.
It is also revealed that the Ministry of Interior will take the final decision to amend passport rules while Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Law are considering the proposal of amendments to the rules.
Azaz’ sources at Ministry of Home Affairs say that after the amendment of the rules, passport software and boxes will have to be updated. The federal government will decide on the proposals after consultation with all stakeholders.
Actress and model Mariyam Nafees gave an interview to ‘Independent Urdu’ where she talked about her character Zeenat in ‘Jaan e Jahan’.
“If I wanted to play the lead opposite Hamza Ali Abbasi, I could have. He’s one of the most famous actors in Pakistan. But I don’t care about playing a heroine opposite him because we’ve known each other for years and are more like friends. Being cast as a lead opposite him isn’t a huge priority for me. If it happens, that’s good, but I’m not actively looking for it.”
She also said, “I was initially supposed to play another character in ‘Jaan e Jahan’, but it was later removed from the script. Then, I was offered two more characters, and I chose to play ‘Zeenat’ because she had a huge impact in the drama and her character arc was perfect.”
Bahria Town Chairman and real estate tycoon Malik Riaz on Sunday alleged that he was being immensely pressurised for “political motives” but will not bow down before anyone.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Riaz wrote that there has been a “recurring pattern of victimization against me and my business for introducing state-of-the-art projects in Pakistan.”
It should be noted that Malik Riaz did not name anyone despite complaining he was being pushed to the wall.
Dawn News reported that it reached out to numerous political experts and politicians but “nearly everyone was reluctant to comment on his ‘sad tale’.”
It is, however, widely believed that Riaz was referring to the Al Qadir Trust/University case, which was filed by NAB against PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
The case alleges that PM Imran Khan and his spouse obtained land spread over hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town Ltd to legalise Rs50 billion, the same amount which was returned to Pakistan by UK authorities.
Reacting to the tycoon’s statement, former president and PTI leader Arif Alvi asserted that the pressure cooker will ‘burst one of these days’.
The Meteorological Department has explained the reason behind the ongoing heatwave in Pakistan.
Most of the plain areas of the country will continue to be affected by extreme heat in the coming days, while this week in Karachi, temperature is likely to reach 42 degrees Celsius.
But why is heatwave so severe in Pakistan?
According to the Department of Meteorology, the phenomenon has stemmed from the combination of meteorological and environmental factors.
To sum it up, high air pressure in the upper atmosphere and the presence of limited clouds lead to heatwaves.
This year, scorching heat across the country broke yet another record, with Mohenjo-Daro being the hottest city in the country at 53 degrees on Sunday.
