Category: Uncategorized

  • ‘Janwaron say bad dua lenay say behtar hai’: Hamza Ali Abbasi joins rallying cry to shut down zoos across Pakistan

    ‘Janwaron say bad dua lenay say behtar hai’: Hamza Ali Abbasi joins rallying cry to shut down zoos across Pakistan

    Actor Hamza Ali Abbas has joined the chorus of voices calling for zoos across Pakistan to be shut down. As the country watches veterinarians try to save the life of one of Karachi Zoo’s elephants, Noor Jehan, celebrities have lent support to the demand that the animals be shifted to sanctuaries.

    Taking to Instagram, the ‘Maula Jatt’ actor shared a clip of a post by Express Tribune, slamming authorities for not caring about the welfare of the animals:

    “We can’t take care of animals in zoo’s- it is better than to receive curses from animals that we should ban zoos and send the animals to a safer place.”

    Abbasi’s criticism comes after countless celebrities, including Grammy award winner Arooj Aftab, raised their voices to support animals and shut down zoos. Aftab re-shared a clip from her interview with The Current where she had talked about the abysmal conditions of animals in Lahore’s zoo, calling for better facilities to be set up for animals.

    Just as Noor Jehan improved, she fell into a concrete pond built inside her shelter, leading to worsening of her condition. Authorities had remained in contact with the animal welfare organization Four Paws to coordinate for her treatment.

    Yesterday, The Nation reported that Minister of Climate Change and member of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sherry Rehman, had advised Sindh government to shut down Karachi Zoo, and for the animals to be moved to enclosures where they are provided with proper facilities.

  • Teen dies after cardiac arrest, comes back to life two hours later

    Sammy Berko, a teenager from Missouri City in Texas, was declared dead after suffering cardiac arrest at a rock climbing gym. However, two hours later, the boy revived, coming back to life in front of his parents.

    Despite administering two hours of CPR after his heart stopped, medical professionals were unable to save Sammy’s life and ultimately declared him deceased.

    “He climbed to the top of the wall, rang the bell, as we were told, and then his body went limp, and it looked like he was either playing around or passed out. They weren’t quite sure and when they realized he was unresponsive, they lowered him slowly,” said Jennifer, the mother of the young boy.

    After doctors told the parents that Sammy was “gone”, the mother and father sat with their sons to say goodbye.

    “I started talking to him, just telling him how much I love him and sorry that we didn’t know how to save him. Suddenly, as I started praying, my husband said, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s moving,’” Jennifer recalled to a local news station.

    Medical personnel came back to the room and administered aid, reviving Sammy fully.

    “I don’t remember anything about the day it happened. The last thing I remember is the night before we had to sign waivers online (for the rock climbing gym), and then I woke up, not even in the pediatric ICU. I woke up in the transitional ICU and that’s the first thing I remember. Then I remember my dad telling me, this is what happened and you better remember this time, because he said it so many times,” said Sammy while talking about his experience.

    Although he went two hours without oxygen, the boy has no significant brain damage.

  • ‘Election won’t be held on May 14’: Rana Sanaullah

    Contrary to the Supreme Court’s (SC) order to hold elections in Punjab on May 14, federal Minister for Interior, Rana Sanaullah has said that polls will not be held on the said date.

    The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that elections would be “held together” throughout the country, under a caretaker setup.

    “If elections are not held in May, then October is not too far away either,” said Sanaullah.

    Calling Khan a “fitna”, Sanaullah said that he had been brought to power through a “conspiracy”. “Their [PTI’s] policies over four years created a crisis for the country.”

    “It was [Imran Khan’s] government that signed the agreement with the IMF, not us. The difficulties are only due to the previous government’s agreement.”

    Sanaullah also said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif would reach the country as soon as electoral preparations begin, adding that he would supervise the party’s election campaign.

    “The PML-N has always taken the country out of the crisis,” he emphasized.

  • It’s time to close the zoos in Pakistan

    It’s time to close the zoos in Pakistan

    Noor Jehan, an elephant in Karachi Zoo, is critically ill after the 17-year-old fell in a pond in a small enclosure. She has since been lying visibly weak with limited motion on a mound of sand, propped up against the only tree inside the enclosure. Noor Jehan’s condition is a reminder that we have imprisoned animals in cages for the entertainment of the people. We humans are the reason that the animals suffer and bear so much torture and pain.

    Wild animals are unlikely to survive or live happily in an artificial environment like the ones we provide them at the zoos. Moving them from their natural habitat and from their community puts them under great stress. It is no secret that animals in Pakistani zoos are kept in poor conditions.

    The wildlife parks and zoos of Pakistan are characterised by a weak governance system. The animals lying in the zoos and wildlife parks of Pakistan are ignored with regard to their physical and mental well-being. They are not properly provided with adequate nutritional food and are seldom treated effectively for their physical ailments. There are about 10 public zoos, 25 private zoos and 28 wildlife parks in Pakistan. Neither of these are authorised by any recognised association of zoos and aquariums. The animals kept in these zoos are often neglected. Not only is their food and nutrition ignored but several other environmental issues thwart their well-being. Several zoos lack veterinary professionals, owing to which the animals do not get ample medical help whenever required. Some animals die due to lack of adequate required treatment adding to the plight of the zoos of Pakistan.

    This brutality towards animals has been there because of continuous negligence being directed towards them. This isn’t the first time we are witnessing the suffering of animals at zoos and this definitely doesn’t seem to be the last time either. In 2020, American singer Cher arrived in Pakistan to send off Kaavan, an elephant in Islamabad Zoo she had spent years trying to free, before his move to a Cambodian sanctuary. Animal rights advocates had campaigned for the 36-year-old Asian elephant to be rescued from grim conditions.

    Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman, has said that there is a no-zoo Islamabad model of rescue and rehab centre and transition sanctuary, in the federal capital. The Islamabad zoo where the bears and the elephant were kept have now been closed. Pakistan should stand firmly against any kind of animal cruelty and take timely action to stop it.

    We all need to stand up for the animals and treat them right. It took one Noor Jehan to make us realise that zoo animals suffer from continued neglect and will continue to die and go through pain if our policies don’t change. So if, we cannot take care of our animals, we should close the zoos and free the animals. We Pakistanis don’t deserve them.

  • Almost two years to Noor’s murder, Zahir Jaffer challenges death sentence

    Almost two years to Noor’s murder, Zahir Jaffer challenges death sentence

    Zahir Jaffer has lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the death sentence he was given for murdering Noor Mukadam in 2021 in Islamabad.

    Jaffer has argued that the trial and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) failed to recognize the fundamental deficiencies in the First Information Report (FIR) and that their judgments were based on an incorrect understanding of the evidence, Hassnat Malik has reportsd for Express Trbuine.

    On Feburary 2, 2022, a sessions court sentenced Zahir Jaffer to death for a murder that prompted national outrage. The victim,
    27-year-old Noor, was found beheaded at Jaffer’s residence in Islamabad’s upscale F-7/4 Sector on July 20, 2021. She was the daughter of a diplomat and had known Jaffer.

    The gruesome murder sent shockwaves across the country and sparked nationwide calls for justice for Noor, cumulating in a sensational trial and eventual convictions.

  • After ‘Kuch Ankahi’, ‘Fairy Tale’, Is 2023 the year we’re finally not glorifying toxic masculinity?

    We have been wasting our breath for years, criticising the entertainment industry and asking it to stop scraping the bottom of the barrel to give us another done-to-dust drama about saas-bahu jhagray. It seems like somebody has been listening to our laments. Recent serials, starring the likes of actors such as Mira Sethi, Ali Safina and Wahaj Ali, have us wondering whether the industry has finally begun to understand that toxic masculinity is not something to glorify or even a trait that women think is swoon worthy?

    In the disastrous year that was 2022, we got drama after drama with the same topic: bad boy meets good girl, he’s broken and needs fixing which apparently no therapist can do, his severe mommy issues need to be resolved by some naïve girl who has lived under a bunker all her life and is now the saviour she never signed up to be.

    However, this year with dramas like ‘Kuch Ankahi’, the popular Ramzan show ‘Fairy Tale’ and even Wahaj Ali’s hit ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’, main leads are stepping away from toxic characteristics that symbolized what patriarchy thinks an ideal man must be like. Instead, men in these dramas are gentler, caring about the women they love and showcasing that being a man is not about being loud and brash, but infact it is about how attentive you are to the people around you.

    ‘Kuch Ankahi’ was like a breath of fresh air for audiences who were nostalgic for the days of Haseena Moin dramas, where the women were fearless and outspoken, not props to the men around them. The women in ‘Kuch Ankahi’ come in different shades of femininity: Samia is a shy homebody who wants to fulfil her parents wishes and get married to the man they pick, while Aliya is the complete opposite because she’s a headstrong, career-obsessed woman who wants to succeed in her retail-estate business. Their differences don’t prevent the siblings from bonding with each other or from standing up for their families. Many have praised the series for depicting a healthy relationship between siblings and called it the desi version of ‘Little Women’.

    https://twitter.com/decalsajal/status/1614558374787432456?s=20

    But what is also heartening to witness in ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is how all the men in the dramas are gentle and actively work around the family, rather than the typical men who lounge around, while the women cook. Agha Ji, the patriarch, champions his daughters, refrains from asking them to do his chores and continuously encourages the girls to pursue their dreams.

    Bilal Abbas’ character, Salman, Aliya’s professional rival in the drama, is also a fan favourite. He’s ambitious but he never resorts to sexist or demeaning jokes to push her out of the game. He is also respective and caring to his mother and even pulls his weight by helping around the house.

    Among the current on-going Ramzan dramas, ‘Fairy Tale’ has been winning hearts across Pakistan because of how it has re-written the grumpy x sunshine trope in a humorous, addictive story where the women lead the show and where the male lead treats women with respect.

    If audiences were left horrified when the male lead from last year’s ‘Kaisi Teri Khudgarzi’ forced the female lead to keep repeating his name in exchange for her dad’s release, this time they have better content to cheer on. Many Twitter users have found Farjaad’s dedication to Umeed quite moving as he keeps coming back to her despite convincing himself that they’re too different.

    We can not say that we’re okay with the current pacing of ‘Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha’ and how the storyline features the trope of the selfish female lead and the money-obsessed mother-in-law, but credit to Wahaj Ali’s character Saad, the anti-thesis of the typical misogynist Pakistani male lead, if ever there was one. He refuses to engage in abuse or violence to pressurize the woman he likes to be with him, instead supporting Maheer in all of her decisions.

    Might we be witnessing the rebirth of the golden age of Pakistani dramas? Fingers crossed .

  • No more deals with TTP; army determined to get rid of terrorism

    The army’s top brass has vowed to eliminate terrorism, extremism and instability in Pakistan by following a “whole-of-the-system” approach which was approved by the government on Friday.

    In a Corps Commanders’ Conference held in Rawalpindi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir said that military leadership is cognizant of the full spectrum of the challenges posed by terrorism and it “resolves to shoulder its constitutionally mandated responsibilities with the support of the resilient people of Pakistan”.

    The top tier of the army reiterated the commitment of military forces to fully support national responses against internal and external threats. 

    A day earlier, in a briefing given to the members of the National Assembly (NA), COAS Munir said that negotiations with militants in the past helped terrorists regroup in the country, referring to the Imran Khan government that signed a ceasefire with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Earlier, National Security Committee (NSC) also decided to kickstart an all-out comprehensive operation against militant outfits. 

    Since government talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks across Pakistan including attacks on the police.

  • Shaheens blows away Kiwis in opener of T20 series

    Shaheens blows away Kiwis in opener of T20 series

    Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for just 94 runs while celebrating skipper Babar Azam’s 100th match with a boombastic win in the first match of the T20 series.

    The Shaheens set a target of 184 before blowing away the Kiwis with a thumping 88 runs victory.

    Captain Babar Azam scored only nine runs but Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub stabilised the team, scoring 47 runs each while putting up a 79-run partnership for the third wicket to anchor Pakistan to 182 all out in 19.5 overs.

    Fast bowler Haris Rauf, one of five players who returned after being rested in Pakistan’s last series against Afghanistan, took career best figures of 4-18 as New Zealand were 94 all out in 15.3 overs.

    Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim finished with 2-2 in his only over — taking both his wickets off successive deliveries.

    Mark Chapman top-scored for the Kiwis with a 27-ball 34, inclusive of four boundaries and a six, while skipper Tom Latham made a 24-ball 20.

    Rauf’s previous best T20 figures of 4-22 had also come against New Zealand in Sharjah in 2021.

    Azam heaped praise on his bowling unit for sending the Kiwis back to the pavilion.

    “The pitch was assisting the bowlers so it was a good batting performance to get that total and then our complete bowling unit was excellent,” said Azam, happy at reaching the personal landmark of 100 T20 matches.

    “I had never expected this. I still remember the journey of starting off here as a ball-boy on the side-lines, and to now be here, it is a huge honour,” said Azam of serving as a ball-boy during the 2007 series against South Africa.

    Latham said his team did not adapt to the different conditions.

    “We did not quite adapt to the conditions early enough,” said Latham whose team are missing top eight players due to the Indian Premier League.

    “On that surface, the score was slightly above-par. We did not build partnerships with the bat.”

    Earlier, Zaman and Ayub lifted Pakistan from a poor start after they won the toss and chose to bat.

    Pakistan lost both their openers — Mohammad Rizwan leg-before for eight and then Azam bowled at 9– to pacer Adam Milne by the fifth over for just 30.

    Ayub lifted the tempo with two boundaries each off Milne and Ben Lister before he and Zaman hit a six each off spinner Ish Sodhi in the tenth over.

    Zaman struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 34-ball knock while Ayub’s rapid 28-ball innings featured two sixes and six fours.

    Ayub was run out while taking a second run before Zaman was caught at deep square-leg off Sodhi.

    Faheem Ashraf hit a 16-ball 22 while Wasim scored 16 off 13 balls to help Pakistan add 47 runs in the last five overs.

    New Zealand pacer Matt Henry took a hat trick in his figures of 3-32.

    Henry dismissed Shadab Khan (five) and Iftikhar Ahmed (nought) off the last two deliveries of his third over and then Shaheen Shah Afridi with the first of his fourth.

    Lister had figures of 2-30 while Milne finished with 2-51.

    The remaining four matches are in Lahore on April 15 and April 17 and Rawalpindi on April 20 and 24.

  • Itni chuttiyan? KP announces six-day long Eid holiday

    Itni chuttiyan? KP announces six-day long Eid holiday

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has announced on Friday that official holidays on the occasion of Eid ul Fitr will be six days long.

    According to the notification issued by KP government, Eid holidays will start from April 21 and will conclude on April 26.

    The Federal and Punjab governments have announced a five-day holiday for Eid.

    The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to meet on April 20 for sighting of the Eid ul Fitr crescent moon, a statement from the religious affairs ministry said on Tuesday.

    This year, the holy month of Ramazan started on March 23.

  • ‘Imran Khan wanted to stay in power till 2035’: Asif Zardari

    ‘Imran Khan wanted to stay in power till 2035’: Asif Zardari

    Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Friday alleged that former Prime Minister Imran Khan had wanted to stay in power till 2035 and was planning on doing so.

    Speaking on Geo News’ programme “Capital Talk”, Zardari told Hamid Mir, “They had very different planning. They wanted him to stay in power till 2035. And to counter this move, we [Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)] brought in the no-confidence motion against him [Khan].”

    Recalling a conversation with the then Chief of Army Staff, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, the PPP leader said that he wanted the opposition to go for elections while he will convince Khan to resign. “But amidst this conversation, he kept giving us hints that he would impose martial law. Bajwa sahab said that he can impose martial law in five minutes,” revealed Zardari.

    The PPP leader went on to say that it is easy to climb onto a lion’s back but getting off is very difficult. “We told Gen Bajwa to go ahead with it, you run the country and we will go and continue with agriculture, that’s when he backed off.”

    Talking about general elections, Zardari said that they should be held at the same time across the country, as the federal government and Supreme Court are in a virtual standoff over holding the polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

    “The problem is not that we are afraid of elections,” he said, adding that his party did not have an objection to the poll but its “timing”. The PPP leader maintained that his party had joined the National Assembly with just 14 seats in the past.

    Slamming Khan, the PPP leader said that the political workers stage protests but they do not pick up weapons. He claimed that Khan was not a popular leader, saying that he paid the people.

    The PPP leader revealed that he and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had asked Bajwa not to seek resignation from Khan.