Category: Others

The Current is Pakistan’s first digital news-lifestyle platform and others that simplifies news for Pakistani millennials.

  • Rs410m approved for maintenance of two VVIP aircraft as PTI touts austerity

    Rs410m approved for maintenance of two VVIP aircraft as PTI touts austerity

    The federal government has approved an additional amount of Rs410 million for the repair and maintenance of two VVIP Gulfstream aircraft said to be in use of President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, The News reported.

    The supplementary grant, that comes as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) touts austerity to lessen the burden on the national treasury, was sanctioned in March 2019 by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

    It has now been reflected in the budget document for formal approval by the parliament.

    The report further said that the Defence Production Division is responsible for the maintenance of these aircraft, however, ECC had failed to resolve differences between Ministry of Defence Production and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) regarding the transfer of said funds.

    Directorate General Defence Procurement had purchased the two VVIP aircraft (one brand new and one used) at a cost of $58.55 million ($58, 550,924) in September 2005 on the directions of Ministries of Finance and Defence.

  • Sheikh Rasheed calls Naeemul Haque ‘sick’ for criticising VIP culture

    Sheikh Rasheed calls Naeemul Haque ‘sick’ for criticising VIP culture

    Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed has called Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s close aide Naeemul Haque “sick” for criticising VIP culture and ministers who “have police squads accompanying them”.

    “Naeemul Haque is sick. Pray for him,” Rasheed said when asked to comment over PM’s special assistant on political affairs’ remarks during a press conference on Saturday.

    Earlier, Haque had tweeted to criticise protocol being used by VIPs and ministers.

    “A large number of VIPs and ministers are still promoting VIP culture by having police squads accompany them everywhere,” he had said, adding that it was against the directives of the premier.

    “Police squads are allowed to only those who face a real threat to their lives. This practice must stop.”

    The war of words is being termed as another episode of the tussle that is allegedly continuing between elected and non-elected members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.

    Elected members, including Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry, have time and again expressed their concerns over the “interference of non-elected members in affairs of different ministries”.

  • CWC’2019: Full schedule, venues and match timings

    CWC’2019: Full schedule, venues and match timings

    The 2019 edition of the ICC World Cup is being held in the United Kingdom (UK), as part of which 48 games are being played across 46 days at 11 venues.

    Ten teams are playing against each other in the round-robin stage for the first time since the 1992 edition and the top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals which will be held in Manchester and Birmingham.

    Here’s the complete schedule to save you from the trouble of searching for one with Pakistan Standard Time (PST).

    Fixtures Date and Time (PST) Venue
    England vs South
    Africa     		30 May, Thursday at 2:30
    PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    West Indies vs
    Pakistan      		31 May, Friday at 2:30 PM Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    New Zealand vs Sri
    Lanka     		1 June, Saturday at 2:30
    PM     		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    Afghanistan vs
    Australia     		1 June, Saturday at 5:30
    PM     		County Ground,
    Bristol
    South Africa vs
    Bangladesh     		2 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    England vs Pakistan 3 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    Afghanistan vs Sri
    Lanka     		4 June, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM      		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    South Africa vs
    India     		5 June, Wednesday at
    2:30 PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    Bangladesh vs New
    Zealand     		5 June, Wednesday at
    5:30 PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    Australia vs West
    Indies     		6 June, Thursday at 2:30
    PM     		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    Pakistan vs Sri
    Lanka     		7 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		County Ground,
    Bristol
    England vs
    Bangladesh     		8 June, Saturday at 2:30
    PM     		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    Afghanistan vs New
    Zealand     		8 June, Saturday at 5:30
    PM     		The Cooper
    Associates County Ground, Taunton
    India vs Australia 9 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    South Africa vs West
    Indies      		10 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    Bangladesh vs Sri
    Lanka     		11 June, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM      		County Ground,
    Bristol
    Australia vs
    Pakistan     		12 June, Wednesday
    at 2:30 PM     		The Cooper
    Associates County Ground, Taunton
    India vs New Zealand 13 June, Thursday at
    2:30 PM     		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    England vs West
    Indies     		14 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    Sri Lanka vs
    Australia     		15 June, Saturday at
    2:30 PM     		Kennington Oval,
    London
    South Africa vs
    Afghanistan     		15 June, Saturday at
    5:30 PM     		Sophia Gardens,
    Cardiff
    India vs Pakistan 16 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM      		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    West Indies vs
    Bangladesh     		17 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		The Cooper
    Associates County Ground, Taunton
    England vs
    Afghanistan     		18 June, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    New Zealand vs South
    Africa      		19 June, Wednesday
    at 2:30 PM     		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    Australia vs
    Bangladesh     		20 June, Thursday at
    2:30 PM      		Trent Bridge,
    Nottingham
    England vs Sri
    Lanka      		21 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    India vs Afghanistan 22 June, Saturday at
    2:30 PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    West Indies vs New
    Zealand     		22 June, Saturday at
    5:30 PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    Pakistan vs South
    Africa      		23 June, Sunday
    at 2:30 PM     		Lord’s, London
    Bangladesh vs
    Afghanistan     		24 June, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		The Rose Bowl,
    Southampton
    England vs Australia 25 June, Tuesday
    at 2:30 PM      		Lord’s, London
    New Zealand vs
    Pakistan       		26 June, Wednesday
    at 2:30 PM     		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    West Indies vs
    India      		27 June, Thursday at
    2:30 PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    Sri Lanka vs South
    Africa      		28 June, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		Riverside Ground,
    Chester-le-Street
    Pakistan vs
    Afghanistan      		29 June, Saturday at
    2:30 PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    New Zealand vs
    Australia     		29 June, Saturday at
    5:30 PM     		Lord’s, London
    England vs India 30 June, Sunday at 2:30
    PM      		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    Sri Lanka vs West
    Indies     		1 July, Monday at 2:30
    PM     		Riverside Ground,
    Chester-le-Street
    India vs
    Bangladesh      		2 July, Tuesday at 5:30
    PM     		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    England vs New
    Zealand     		3 July, Wednesday at
    2:30 PM     		Riverside Ground,
    Chester-le-Street
    Afghanistan vs West
    Indies     		4 July, Thursday at 2:30
    PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    Pakistan vs
    Bangladesh      		5 July, Friday at 2:30
    PM     		Lord’s, London
    Sri Lanka vs
    India      		6 July, Saturday at
    – 5:30 PM     		Headingley, Leeds
    Australia vs South
    Africa     		6 July, Saturday
    at 5:30 PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    TBC vs TBC 1st
    Semifinal      		9 July, Tuesday at 2:30
    PM     		Old Trafford,
    Manchester
    TBC vs TBC 2nd
    Semifinal     		11 July, Thursday at
    2:30 PM      		Edgbaston,
    Birmingham
    TBC vs TBC Final 14 July, Sunday at 2:30
    PM     		Lord’s, London

  • CWC’19: Soil from Virat Kohli’s school taken to England ‘for blessings’

    Soil from Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli’s school has been taken to England “to bless him” as he leads his side in the 2019 version of the ICC World Cup.

    According to Star Sports, the soil has been collected from Kohli’s school, where the world’s best batsman first learnt to play cricket.

    “The soil from @imVkohli’s school, where he learnt to play cricket, is going to London to bless him. Reply with your blessings and wishes and share this post with five other Virat fans as #KingKohli hunts for the #CricketKaCrown,” Star Sports tweeted.

    While the rationale behind the bizarre move is “to help India reclaim the coveted trophy” it last won in 2011, it has left Twitter in disbelief as people criticise the country for validating itself as the “land of superstitions”.

    https://twitter.com/ashoswai/status/1137121368187723776

    https://twitter.com/_Khader_/status/1137040597871517696
    https://twitter.com/SavageRaptor7/status/1137040961534480384

    India have already won their opening match against South Africa. Their next match is scheduled for June 9 against Australia at The Oval in London. Kohli’s Blues will also be facing their arch-rivals, Pakistan, on June 16.

  • VIDEO: Virat Kohli imitates Pakistan’s ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid

    VIDEO: Virat Kohli imitates Pakistan’s ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid

    At a time when Indian leadership is snubbing Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace, a video of Indian cricketing stalwart Virat Kohli mimicking Pakistan’s latest internet sensation — the ‘Peechay Tou Dekho’ kid — has emerged.

    Ahmed Shah has taken social media by storm ever since his “Peechay Tou Dekho”  video started making rounds over the internet.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmJuxKgUtAk

    Appearing on several TV channels, Ahmed, who belongs to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), has become a celebrity.

    Now, a video breaking the internet shows Indian skipper Kohli breaking into laughter as he tries to copy Ahmed’s way of speaking Urdu.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Who is that behind [you]? Who is that?” he can be heard as saying in the video that shows how a Pakistani kid is winning hearts across the border.

  • Hindu mob beats up Muslim couple over beef rumour in India

    Hindu mob beats up Muslim couple over beef rumour in India

    Days after Narendra Modi’s hardliner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was elected to power for a second consecutive term, a Hindu extremist mob has severely thrashed three Muslims, including a woman, over beef rumours.

    According to India Today, the incident took place in the Seoni city of Madhya Pradesh.

    A video of the incident, which shows self-claimed gau rakshaks [cow vigilantes] hitting the young Muslims with sticks, has gone viral. The video also shows the Muslim man being forced to thrash his wife with a slipper and say Jai Shree Ram.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Five suspects have been arrested from Seoni city, 350 km from state capital Bhopal, the police was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, the victims have been identified as local residents Dilip Malviya, Taufik and Anjum Shama.

    Former Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) chief minister Mehbooba Mufti took to Twitter to condemn the incident.

    “Horrified to see cow vigilantes thrash an innocent Muslim with such impunity in MP. Hope the chief minister will take swift action against these goons,” she said.

  • Indian election: Man cries after getting only five votes, says has nine family members

    Indian election: Man cries after getting only five votes, says has nine family members

    An electoral candidate in Indian Punjab on Thursday broke down in an interview after he received only five votes when “there are nine members in his own family”.

    According to reports, Neetu Shuttern Wala, who hails from Jalandhar, stood independently in the recently held general polls.

    When he was being interviewed, he started crying before the camera not because of the alleged five votes, but because there are nine people in his own family.

    The interview clip went viral, with some calling it the “biggest election story” of the day.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Sir there are nine votes from my family, but I have only received five,” he can be heard as telling the reporter in the viral video. When asked if his family hadn’t voted for him, he replied, “No sir, they have been dishonest in voting.”

    Meanwhile, Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) clinched its second consecutive term after receiving a huge mandate in the election.

    Far from falling behind its 2014 score of 282, which was a historic record at the time, BJP succeeded in climbing a new summit of 300 seats in the lower house of the Indian parliament.

  • Formula One legend Niki Lauda passes away

    Formula One legend Niki Lauda passes away

    Legendary Formula One driver Niki Lauda passed away at the age of 70 on Tuesday. His death comes eight months after he underwent a lung transplant. If you’ve seen the 2013 blockbuster Rush, you probably know who Niki Lauda is but if you haven’t read on.

    Lauda was born as Andreas Nikolaus on February 22, 1949, in Vienna into an upper-middle-class family, who did not share his passion for cars. In 1968, without telling his parents, Lauda won his first race with a Mini Racer he had bought with his grandmother’s help.

    During his driving career, Lauda suffered horrific injuries on August 1, 1976 when his vehicle burst into flames on the Nuerburgring in Germany. He had severe burns to his face and hands and inhaled toxic fumes which severely damaged his lungs.

    Despite being given the last rites in hospital he made an almost miraculous recovery to race again just six weeks later still bandaged and in intense pain.

    He missed only two races that season but was unable to hold off the challenge of Britain’s James Hunt, who went on to claim his only world title. The rivalry between the two men was also portrayed in Rush.

    The next season, in 1977, Lauda went on to win his second Formula One world championship with Ferrari. He also went on to win a championship in 1984 with Mercedes. Lauda continued to be associated with F1 and was a non-executive chairman at Mercedes F1 since 2012.

    Apart from that, Lauda was also an airline entrepreneur. He bought and sold several airlines including Lauda Air and Niki.

  • 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”.

  • 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.