Category: Lifestyle

The lifestyle of millennials is underreported in our mainstream media. The Current’s lifestyle news covers social events and issues that are unique.

  • Modi sworn in for third term; a dozen ministries for allies

    Modi sworn in for third term; a dozen ministries for allies

    NEW DELHI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in on Sunday for a third term after worse-than-expected election results left him reliant on coalition partners to govern.

    His office said he would appoint a 71-member cabinet, including 11 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally ministers.

    Modi’s Hindu-natio­nalist BJP ruled outright for the past decade but failed to repeat its previous two landslide wins this time around, defying exit polls. He was instead forced into quick-fire talks with the 15-member coalition NDA, which guaranteed him the parliamentary numbers to govern.

    Flanked by top BJP officials and party leaders of his coalition, Modi vowed in a ceremony marking his formal assumption of pow­er to “bear true allegiance to the constitution of India”.

    South Asian leaders from neighbouring Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka attended the ceremony, but China and Pakistan did not.

    The crowd also included adoring BJP loyalists, as well as celebrities such as Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan and billionaire tycoons Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, key Modi allies.

    But with Modi yet to announce details of his cabinet, the line of lawm­a­­kers also taking the oath of office was keenly wat­ched as an indication of who will be in government.

    Larger coalition parties have demanded hefty concessions in exchange for their support. Other coalition leaders to take the oath included Ram Mohan Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party, the largest BJP ally with 16 seats, and which media reports has extra­cted four cabinet seats.

    Rajiv Ranjan Singh also took the oath, from the BJP’s next biggest ally the Janata Dal (United) with 12 seats, which has reportedly two minister posts.

    Indian media reported widely that the top jobs including the four most powerful posts of the interior, foreign, finance and defence would remain in BJP’s control. The Hindus­tan Times described days of “hectic talks”, while the Times of India said the BJP had sought to “pare down” their partners’ demands.

    Modi’s previous cabinet had 81 ministers.

    ‘More consultation’

    But analysts said that the coalition would shift parliamentary politics and force Modi’s once domineering BJP into a somewhat more conciliatory approach.

    “In the past, the BJP has had confidence because of its sheer majority,” said Sajjan Kumar, head of the Delhi-based political research group PRACCIS. “The coalition will now force the BJP to engage in more consultation.”

    Political analyst Zoya Hasan of Jawaharlal Neh­ru University said Modi faced potential challenges ahead, warning he may be “meeting his match” in the “crafty politicians” of the TDP’s Chandrababu Naidu and JD(U)’s Nitish Kumar.

  • Two Ahmadis shot dead by teenager in Mandi Bahauddin

    Two Ahmadis shot dead by teenager in Mandi Bahauddin

    Two members of the Ahmadi community were shot dead by a teenager in Mandi Bahauddin on Saturday. The primary suspect was arrested soon after, along with the alleged murder weapon.

    The victims were a 50-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, as per Dawn. While the former was on his way back from offering prayers, the latter was on his way to the market when they were shot dead in the Saddullapur area of Phalia Police Circle.

    District Police Officer (DPO) of Mandi Bahauddin confirmed to Dawn that the main killer who was involved in both shootings was arrested along with the weapon used in the murder from Saadullahpur.

    Social media users are condemning the incident and asking the government to put an end to violence against minorities in Pakistan.

    Journalist Bilal Farooqi posted, “Two Ahmadis, Ghulam Sarwar, 62, & Rahat Ahmad Bajwa, 30, shot dead in Saadullah Pur, Mandi Bahauddin. The alleged killer, a madrassa student, was arrested and confessed he killed them because of their faith. When will this madness end? Please stop!”

    Netizen Rehana Khan posted the details with the caption, “A moment of shame for Pakistan.”

    Sabookh Syed posted a thread on X, showing video proofs of local TLP leadership threatening the Ahmadi community to not carry out Qurbani on Eid like Muslims or they will bear the consequences. “This horrific incident is further alarming given the public incitement by TLP leaders, who have openly called for violence against Ahmadis.”

    Meanwhile, Inspector General Punjab Usman Anwar pledged to bring all culprits before law. “Ensuring justice for the bereaved families will be a priority,” he said.

    Over the last few decades, Pakistan’s minority communities have borne the brunt of mob brutality, bomb attacks, arsons, lynchings and other forms of violence.

    Earlier this year, the president of the Ahmadiyya community in Bahawalpur’s Hasilpur district was shot dead by unknown assailants last month.

    In March, police said they had arrested two suspected killers of a man belonging to the Ahmadiyya community.

  • Sarim Burney sent to jail, court rejects extension in physical remand

    Sarim Burney sent to jail, court rejects extension in physical remand

    Karachi court rejected the request to extend the physical remand of activist Sarim Burney in the case of human trafficking. He has been sent to jail on judicial remand.

    Burney was detained by the FIA on charges of human trafficking and fraud. He was produced in the court of Judicial Magistrate Sharqi after a two-day physical remand.

    Court proceedings

    The investigating officer of FIA requested an extension in the physical remand of the accused, claiming that the mother of an allegedly smuggled child, Afshin, had sold the baby girl to a woman named Madiha. Madiha had then reportedly sold the baby girl to another woman, Bushra. On the other hand, Sarim Burney Trust declared the girl an orphan in front of the family court.

    The investigating officer also complained in court that Sarim Burney is not cooperating in the investigation as he is not answering questions correctly. He pleaded that more than 20 victims have to be identified, but the accused is not helping the FIA in the investigation.

    The court raised the question of money exchanged with the person who adopted a baby girl Haya. A lawyer said that the person who adopted the girl paid three thousand dollars. The court asked if there is any evidence related to the money. The lawyer replied that FIA is trying to get digital and financial records from US authorities.

    FIA wants the case of minor girls to be tried without camera recordings, as it claimed that an organised group is involved. They also wanted Burney to get one more week on a physical remand.

    The court inquired if the biological parents of the girls were alive. The lawyer affirmed that the parents of the girls are alive and will get their statements recorded in court.

    Burney’s lawyer, Amir Nawaz Waraich, appeared in court and said that the family had been contacted, and they gave the girls willingly. He alleged that baby girl Haya’s mother was being blackmailed by the FIA for two and a half months.

    Burney’s lawyer defended his client by saying that the accused would answer the appropriate questions. Burney said that he had evidence in his mobile phone.
    However, the court asked Burney why he lied when he knew that the real parents of the girl were alive, to which Sarim said he did not know.

    The court expressed surprise at this answer and remarked that Burney is the head of the institution; how could he not know?

    Burney filed a bail application, but the court ordered the FIA ​​investigating officer to record his statement and sent him to jail on judicial remand until the next hearing, which is scheduled for June 10.

    A physical remand is a type of police remand in which the accused person is taken into custody so that the investigation can be carried out. However, in the Judicial remand

    Previously, the FIA claimed that Sarim Barney admitted to making a mistake in his initial statement. However, in a judicial remand, the accused is sent to jail.  Only after the judicial remand in Pakistan, the accused can file a bail petition before a judge.

    Read more: Sarim Burney admits to wrongdoing in human trafficking case

  • Why is section 144 imposed in Lahore?

    Why is section 144 imposed in Lahore?

    The Punjab government has enforced Section 144 in Lahore to forbid the sale of sacrificial animals on highways, streets, and alleys.

    The imposition of section 144 will maintain law and order in the city and ensure smooth traffic flow during the lead-up to Eid-ul-Azha, according to the government.

    Under this restriction, the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals are restricted to eight designated Qurbani markets within the city.
    This ban is effective immediately and will remain in place until June 20.

    The decision was made following a recommendation from the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, who emphasised the need for such measures in the public interest, as per the Home Department in Lahore.

    Authorities have warned that any violation of Section 144 will be met with strict action to ensure compliance.

  • Get your driver’s license online

    Get your driver’s license online

    The Sindh government will soon introduce a new online service allowing drivers to obtain their driving license (DL) at home.

    Announced during a CPO meeting chaired by IG Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, the online driving license service will be available starting next week.

    Citizens will be able to benefit from online learning and renewal services, including obtaining an international DL at home.

    The online facility will reportedly cover all details, the license fee, and the bank collecting the fee. For license renewal or obtaining a permanent license, citizens will also need to submit medical fitness certificates and a b-form.

    According to the DIG, these documents must be submitted from an authorized private or government hospital.

    Proposals regarding the medical fitness and b-form requirements for overseas DL renewals are currently under consideration.

    IG Memon also suggested that the online DL service should begin on an experimental basis, adding that a mobile van service could also be introduced in the future to further assist citizens.

  • Are Pakistanis sleeping well?

    Are Pakistanis sleeping well?

    Another survey by Gallup Pakistan evaluates the sleep patterns of Pakistanis.

    The results reveal that Pakistanis appear to have good sleep quality.

    An impressive 85 per cent of respondents rated their sleep as excellent, while only 15 per cent reported poor sleep or insufficient rest.

    Comparatively, in global polls, Pakistanis stand out, with 68 per cent of people worldwide rating their sleep as good and 31 per cent as poor.

    Do you sleep well too?

  • More time to shop as Eid-ul-Adha around the corner: LHC

    More time to shop as Eid-ul-Adha around the corner: LHC

    Lahore High Court (LHC) has extended the hours of markets on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Shops will now remain open till 12 midnight and 1 am on the weekends.

    The order came during a hearing on the petitions filed for countering smog.

    During the hearing, Punjab Food Authority also submitted a report on the dead chickens case in the court, detailing 46 thousand 670 kg of dead chickens were disposed off from Tollington market.

    94 cases have also been registered against meat sellers while raids are being conducted on a daily basis to keep meat in check.

  • Pakistan power crisis deepened by mountain tourism

    Pakistan power crisis deepened by mountain tourism

    Skardu (Pakistan) (AFP) – In the mountainous valleys of Pakistan, 18-hour daily power cuts have meant local teacher Aniqa Bano uses her fridge as a cupboard for storing books and kitchen utensils.

    Load shedding is typical across much of fuel-short Pakistan, but few areas consistently suffer the same prolonged outages as Skardu city.

    A surge in mountain tourism, driven by climbers and Pakistanis looking to escape heatwaves, is rapidly depleting the limited energy supply at the gateway to ascend K2, the world’s second-highest peak.

    While higher-end hotels can supplement their supply with solar panels or fuel generators, many locals cannot afford such luxuries.

    “We have to reinvent everything that once used electricity,” said Bano.

    Tourism boom

    Skardu is the largest city in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan, where almost impossibly high peaks tower over the Old Silk Road, still visible from a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers and ice-blue lakes.

    Normally home to around 200,000 people, Skardu becomes heavily bloated in summer when Pakistanis seek the relief of its cooler climate at 2,228 metres (7,310 feet) above sea level.

    The region hosted 880,000 domestic visitors in 2023, up from 50,000 in 2014.

    As the country grapples with energy shortages -– owing to dwindling forex reserves, mismanagement, rapid population growth and climate change –- the tourism boom has proved too much for local power.

    “Due to the increase in population and tourism activities, load shedding hours have increased,” Muhammad Yunus, a senior engineer for the regional government’s water and power department, told AFP.

    There are up to 22 hours of load shedding in winter and between 18 and 20 hours in summer — an increase of around 10 percent each year for the past six years, according to the department.

    Siddiqa, a tailor and handicraft maker who goes by one name, has seen her earnings fall alongside the number of hours of electricity.

    “When we started this business in 2014, there was no issue of power,” she told AFP. “Now, I have replaced all the electric machines and brought hand sewing machines.”

    “In the presence of light, we could prepare 10 to 12 suits every three days. Now, to prepare a single suit, it can take 10 to 15 days.”

    The tourism flow does not appear to be letting up any time soon. There are up to 15 domestic flights a week to the region and, since March, international flights began landing from Dubai.

    In Skardu alone, the number of hotels has increased more than fourfold since 2014, according to the tourism department.

    7,000 melting glaciers

    Owing to its remoteness, Gilgit-Baltistan is not connected to the national grid, so it relies on its own power generation from dozens of hydro and thermal plants.

    But Pakistan’s 7,000 glaciers — more than anywhere outside the poles — are rapidly melting.

    This can temporarily increase the availability of water for energy production, but the glaciers’ long-term ability to store and release water gradually decreases, affecting energy production.

    “The availability of water for hydroelectric plants is becoming unpredictable,” said Salaar Ali, head of the Department of Environmental Science, University of Baltistan.

    Damage to energy infrastructure is also a regular setback.

    Record heatwaves in 2022 caused dozens of glacial lakes to burst their banks, washing away more than 20 power plants, 50 bridges and countless homes.

    Inadequate planning and mismanagement of the power sector can also play a role, engineers have said.

    The Satpara dam on the edge of Skardu city, completed in 2008 for $26 million of aid funding, was supposed to supply 40,000 homes with power.

    But it generates just a fraction of its potential after plans to divert a river were halted, government engineers admit.

    “It has been full only once since its formation,” said Yunus, the engineer in Skardu.

    Without a reliable energy supply, Wajahat Hussain, a 36-year-old carpenter, uses a fuel generator to keep his business in operation — puffing out emissions that contribute to global warming.

    “We run the generator to fulfil the demands,” he told AFP. “There is no work without the generator.”

  • Suspect arrested in Nasrullah Gadani murder

    Suspect arrested in Nasrullah Gadani murder

    A suspect involved in the murder of Nasrullah Gadani, a journalist working for the daily newspaper Awami Awaz, has been arrested by Yaro Lund police in Sindh.

    Gadani was killed in Mirpur Mathelo last month on May 21. He was shifted to Karachi for treatment after an attack, where he succumbed to his injuries.

    According to the police, the motorcycle used in the journalist’s murder was also recovered from the suspect who has been shifted to an unknown location for investigation.

    Raids are being conducted to arrest the associates of the man.

  • Sarim Burney admits to wrongdoing in human trafficking case

    Sarim Burney admits to wrongdoing in human trafficking case

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has said that social worker Sarim Barney has admitted to making a mistake in his initial statement in a human trafficking case.

    His wife Aliya may also be investigated in the case in the coming days.

    An FIR has been registered against the social activist running a Welfare Trust in Karachi by the Human Trafficking Cell of FIA on charges of trafficking of children from Pakistan to America.

    The present charge includes the smuggling of a newborn girl named Haya to America. The girl was allegedly bought from her parents for 1 million rupees. Sarim Burney and his acquaintances assisted in the transfer.

    The girl’s parents are poor, and their statement has been recorded by FIA.

    Geo’s Afzal Nadeem Dogar reports that more than 15 girls, along with other children, have been smuggled this way.

    American crime agencies are also investigating Sarim Burney. His records of the children he transferred to America have been provided to the FIA officials from the embassy.

    FIA officials state that Sarim Burney’s wife is also a beneficiary in the documents of the trust. After verification by the Sindh government, Alia Sarim Burney will also be named in the case.

    More cases of child trafficking and money laundering will be registered against Sarim Burney, FIA told Geo.

    Burney is accused of trafficking more than 25 children to the US and illegally getting them adopted in the country, as per FIA. He has also been accused of fraud and falsification of documents, said the agency.

    Sarim was placed under surveillance by US authorities during his recent visit to the US and was questioned twice.

    Earlier today, the FIA said that the social worker admitted “wrongdoing” in the human trafficking case against him in the wake of his arrest. “Sarim Burney was interrogated twice. He admitted making a mistake in the initial statement following his arrest,” said the officials.

    He appeared before the court today(Wednesday), where he candidly told reporters that he would emerge from this. However, the investigation officer requested the court to order Burney’s physical remand for investigation regarding the matter.

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