Category: Uncategorized

  • ‘Then stop singing Urdu ghazals solely’: Twitter is puzzled at Arooj Aftab’s problem with being called an ‘Urdu’ singer

    Arooj Aftab has everyone in a pickle with a tweet where she asked her followers to stop associating her with Pakistani music, or calling her an ‘Urdu singer’.

    The Grammy award winning singer had tweeted:

    “Pakistani singer arooj aftab…… Urdu singer arooj aftab….. arooj Aftab’s amazing Urdu singing… like. It’s fine I guess? But can a person of color musician ever just get to be without this tag to whatever someone else is presuming is our root or heritage.”

    Twitter users were confused by this because as some pointed out, she had built up fame in Western countries using Urdu ghazals like ‘Mohabbat’.

    One user had written:

    “Nobody calls you an urdu singer in pakistan. they call you that in majority english speaking countries, where your claim to fame was an urdu ghazal. your lyrics didn’t come to that audience naturally. they recognize you geographically. we all do that with foreign language music.”

    But Aftab had to clarify in her next tweets that she was not being anti-Pakistani, nor was she criticising her own roots, but her tweets were addressing the Western media who push her into a georgraphical context, which makes it easier for her to be gate-kept.

    “Oh f***k this tweet really awakened the “she’s anti Pakistani!!!” sentiment. Great. I’m not talking about erasing or disowning roots and heritage. while touring eu/uk at the moment, I feel like pushing back on being ONLY allowed to exist in a geographic and linguistic context. This makes it easy for them to other-ize, exclude us and overlook what is achieved, and to gate keep/ glass wall what is further achievable.”

  • Jhang father kills daughter in the name of honour

    Jhang father kills daughter in the name of honour

    Trigger warning: Murder

    A father has allegedly killed his daughter in the name of honour by setting her on fire in Jhang, Punjab.
    As per the details, the father took help of his other children to kill Masooma Bibi.

    The girl was shifted to hospital in critical condition, where she breathed her last after giving a statement.

    The deceased accused her siblings and father of orchestrating the heinous act.

    Police have registered the case and have arrested six suspects, including the father.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Parents arrested for starving 10-year-old son
    
			
    A couple in Georgia have been arrested for starving their ten-year-old son.
    

    Tyler and Krista Schindley were taken into custody and are being held in jail after a judge denied them bail.
    

    Their 10-year-old son was found searching for food in their neighbourhood, leading to his parents’ arrest.
    

    

    They boy weighed just 36 pounds.
    “We aren’t releasing any photos of this child for obvious reasons, but I will tell you, the photos are absolutely horrible, and anybody with a human heart who looks at them should be shaken to their core,” District Attorney Marie Broder said.
    

    She added: “It is my true belief that had he not gotten out of the home, this case would be a very different one.”
    

    According to an arrest affidavit, the couple purposefully denied the youngster food and allegedly kept him sequestered in his bedroom without access to lighting, toilet paper or human contact.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Pakistani rupee maintains upward trend for fourth consecutive day, closes at Rs285.15 against dollar
    
			
    Pakistani rupee maintains upward trend for fourth consecutive day, closes at Rs285.15 against dollar
    
			
    According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the Pakistani currency has maintained its upward trend against the US dollar for the fourth consecutive working day in the interbank market.
    

    The local unit (PKR) has recovered Rs0.59 against the USD, closing at Rs285.15, while the US dollar closed at Rs285.74 on the previous day.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    In contrast, the open market has seen the dollar being sold at over Rs300. Last week, the rupee reached a record low of Rs298.93 against the US dollar.
    

     Experts attribute the fluctuation in the dollar rate to the deadlock over the IMF deal and ongoing political unrest in the country.
    

    Due to the delay in the revival of the $6.5 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme, Pakistan is now seeking additional funding from friendly nations.
    

    The staff-level agreement between the International Monetary Fund and Pakistan, initially scheduled for February 9, has been postponed.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Stop body shaming’: Twitter gets ugly over politics
    
			
    As the political crisis in the country continues, social media has been set ablaze with feuds between users and public figures. One such recent altercation took place between Iffat Omar and Sara Taseer.
    

    Taseer, who has been a staunch supporter of Imran Khan, had tweeted in favor of the former cricket player by asking him to pack his bags and escape the country to avoid her late father Salmaan Taseer’s fate.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    However, actress and former model Iffat Omar, who has publicly condemned Imran Khan on social media, mocked the tweet.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    To which Taseer responded by saying
    

    “Someone get this C grade “has been” model @OmarIffat off my case. May the excessive lip filler causing her mouth to look like a giant balloon help her to float off into the sunset, far away from civilised society where she doesn’t belong.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Iffat Omar retorted:
    

    “Was not taking to u ugly woman just asked your mad leader to listen to pathetic woman like u so chill and lay of, criticizing my lips you have some nerves woman. I mean just look at u.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Twitter users criticised the response to Omar as the incorrect way to respond to someone whose political beliefs are different from yours.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

     
    

    

    
https://twitter.com/Bubbleskhanum/status/1661801548249169920?s=20

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Not all trials related to May 9 will take place in military courts: Rana Sanaullah
    
			
    Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that a total of 499 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed regarding the 9 May incidents. “Out of these, 88 FIRs were registered under the Terrorist Act, while the remaining 411 FIRs were filed for other offenses,” he stated while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.
    

    The minister added that 19 people from Punjab and 14 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will be tried in military courts. “These people trespassed and entered sensitive defence installations, so the question is how did they manage to get there,” he said.
    

    However, the minister clarified that not all trials will take place in military courts.
    

    “A rumour is circulating that all trials will take place in military courts but that is not true. The military will investigate the case but not take cognisance of it. They will see whether the Army Act or the Official Secrets Act is applicable or not.”
    

    While criticising former PM Imran Khan, Sanaullah said, “If Imran is left unchecked, he can lead the nation towards a disaster.”
    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Sindh becomes the first province to introduce teaching license policy
    
			
    In a historical move, Sindh has become the first province to introduce a teaching license policy for instructors from the public and private sector.
    

    Under this policy, two teacher training insitutes will be established under the Sindh Teacher’s Education Development Authority (STEDA) and a board will be set up to oversee teacher trainings as well as provide professional licenses.
    

    With this initiative, anyone who wishes to join with a Bachelor’s in Education (BEd.) can give the exam, after which they will be provided with a license to teach students from one of the three categories: elementary (Grades 1-8), primary (Grades 1-5) and secondary (Grades 6-12).
    

    The Sindh government has also taken a step to attract more people towards the teaching sector by opening up 700 new vacancies for elementary school teachers for BPS-16 across the province, which will be offered to those with a BEd and a teaching license obtained by passing the exam.
    

    Speaking on the success of the policy, the Provincial Minister of Sindh for Education, Culture, Tourism and Antiquites, Syed Sardar Ali Shah said:
    

    “Conceptualising and bringing the teaching license policy to life has not been easy. However, I am grateful to Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED), Sindh Teachers Education Development Authority (STEDA), Durbeen and all other partners who have worked tirelessly to make this policy a possibility. The success of the next generation of teachers and students ultimately depends on its smooth implementation.”
    

    He also added that Sindh was the only province in Pakistan to pass the landmark bill which shall improve the teaching profession and attract mroe bright minds to the field:
    

     “Sindh is the only province that has approved a teaching license policy, which represents a proactive approach to recognising the value and importance of effective teaching. With the policy in place, the Sindh Government has laid the foundation for a more robust and professional teaching workforce, which will have a positive and lasting impact on the educational landscape in the province.”
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘No plans to move abroad’: Imran Khan thanks government for putting his name on ECL
    
			
    ‘No plans to move abroad’: Imran Khan thanks government for putting his name on ECL
    
			
    

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) chairman has on Friday thanked the government for putting his name on the Exit Control List (ECL) after his name was added to a no-fly list on Thursday night.
    

    “I want to thank the government for putting my name on the ECL as I have no plans to travel abroad, because I neither have any properties or businesses abroad nor even a bank account outside the country. If and when I do get an opportunity for a holiday, it will be in our northern mountains, my favourite place on earth.”
    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi along with 80 other members of the party were put on a no-fly list last night. Murad Saeed, Maleeka Bukhari, Fawad Chaudhry and Hammad Azhar were also added to the no-fly list.
    

    The names of PTI leaders were added to the list on the advice of the relevant government departments.
    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi can not leave country: Government
    
			
    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi along with 80 other members of the party have been put on a no-fly list on Thursday. Murad Saeed, Maleeka Bukhari, Fawad Chaudhry and Hammad Azhar have also been added to the no-fly list.
    

    The names of PTI leaders were added to the list on the advice of the relevant institutions.
    

    The Ministry of Interior had been asked by the police department, National Accountability Bureau, and anti-corruption department to add these names to the list.
    

    According to Dawn, Lahore police on Wednesday requested that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) place a one-month travel ban on 700 PTI leaders.
    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    History made as Shahzadi Rai becomes first transgender to serve on Karachi Metropolitan Corporation
    
			
    Shahzadi Rai announced on her Twitter account on Wednesday that she has become the first transgender person to serve on the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the first such appointment in history. In a tweet she said:
    

    “I’m excited to share that I have submitted my papers KMC for transgender/Khawajasara reserved seats. It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that such an opportunity has been available, and I am grateful to the @PPP_Org @BBhuttoZardari @SyedNasirHShah @BakhtawarBZ @SaeedGhani1.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Speaking to The Current, Rai talked about her goals to help empower the transgender community and ensure that protecting human rights for all remains a priority for the organisation:
    

    Our priority is that any policy or project initiated should be inclusive for transgender people. We want to work for all the people in Karachi and make life better for them, whether it is men, women or khawaja sira people. We want to implement human rights because I am a feminist and a human right’s activist for the last 12 years, so when we enter politics we shouldn’t forget about our basic principles.”
    

    Since her announcement, civil society bodies and transgender activists on Twitter have offered congratulations on the historic feat, welcoming it as a necessary step towards including the transgender community into all kinds of policy making.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    


    

    

    

    

    
https://twitter.com/Bubbleskhanum/status/1661354767380099072?s=20