Actor Muneeb Butt had announced on social media two days ago that he would be playing the first ever transgender Assistant Commissioner in an ARY television serial. Butt had written in the post that this was a role that would break stereotypes in our society.
However, transgender activists were furious about this casting choice and responded by pointing out that the role would have been more empowering had a transgender person been cast.
As a transgender rights activist, I would suggest you to hire a trans actor for this role. We don’t need men to perform our lives!
Transgender activists on Twitter shared that there were many trans people who were unemployed and who deserved good, authentic representation on public platforms, hence it was unnecessary to hire a man to play this role.
Why @muneeb_butt9 you are playing trans character, this is really insane , transgender are live in this country and trans role should be perform by trans person. And @Salman_ARY@SabaQamarActor please rethink about it and justice. https://t.co/FwinoPxPJW
Another trans user called this decision ‘dangerous’ because the entertainment will keep on capitalising on transgender issues, rather than employ members of the trans community and bring them to the table.
So hopefully, our industry should be mindful about writing stories about minorities and be sure to invite members of said community while giving them the chance to tell these stories themselves without speaking over them. One of the foremost essential demands made by the transgender community is to be granted equal opportunity and rights as anyone else in Pakistan, and we can assure that by allowing them to tell their own stories without censoring them.
Federal health officials stated on Wednesday that they will tighten up monitoring systems at all entry ports of the country while monitoring arriving passengers amid growing concerns of coronavirus (Covid-19) spreading in the country, Samaa has reported.
An official of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination said tBF.7 Omicron variant is a cause for concern.
He said that relevant authorities had received instructions to make sure that travellers from foreign nations pass through thermal scanners at airports all over Pakistan. According to government figures, 90% of the population has already received a Covid-19 vaccination.
He said that instructions have been given to ensure that hospitals had an appropriate supply of ventilators, oxygen tanks and antiviral medications.
Actor and morning show host Nida Yasir recently appeared on The Talk Talk Show where she marked the leading ladies of Pakistan out of ten for their acting skills.
The host Hassan Chaudhry first asked her about Sarah Khan, and Nida gave her 7.5 marks for her acting chops. She then marked 8.5 to Ayeza Khan, 9.5 to Maya Ali, 7.5 to Minal Khan, and 7.5 to Mawra Hocane.
The Nadaaniyaan diva stated that there isa scope for improvement in their performances.
Nida also addressed other controversies surrounding her. She has long been under scrutiny for the type of guests she invites on her morning show, Good Morning Pakistan. From the likes of Dananeer Mobeen, Ayesha Mano to Ahmed Shah, Nida has invited them all to her popular show.
However, throughout the years, many spectators have also criticised the TV host for not highlighting people with more academic achievements, and only catering to people who go viral online for ‘foolish theatrics’. Taking her chance, the famous host has finally set the record straight and reminded her audience about the many times she has provided limelight to such guests on her show.
“I want to respond to this criticism by recalling the time I invited Ayesha, the girl who became viral on TikTok for her dance to my show. Many people started asking me why I didn’t invite a specific guest who has won academic awards. The truth is, you cannot even fathom how many shows I conduct that feature academic champs, but they never get high ratings,” said the Hum Tum actor.
She then went on to highlight how Mobeen and Zara Naeem were invited on the same day together. “Once I even invited 7-8 people on one show, and they all possessed so many talented skills, but the episode went unnoticed. I also invited Zara and Dananeer together, still, people only remember the latter one better. How does the audience not recall Zara? This is not my fault, but actually of the people who want to see these guests on my show.”
Yasir elaborated her stance by speaking about the repetitive narratives used in dramas. She noted, “If our Pakistani dramas are still stuck on producing family politics storylines, it’s because of the demand too. The channels will obviously try to create more dramas that give them more profitable responses.”
Tired of the ongoing fuss, the Nadaaniyaan actor then put forth an interesting question for her critics. She asked, “When I do invite educated people to my show, why aren’t people watching them?”
She also further explained how fans request her to feature guests on her show. “I also would like to add that people even tag me in photos now to show who they want to see on my show. When I woke up one morning, I saw a picture online of the ‘Lahore Da Pawa – Akhtar Lawa’ man doctored beside me, and that’s how I learned about the viral meme circulating on the internet. I also once got a call from a man who married a woman much younger than his age asking me to invite him as a guest because he’s gone viral. Like, should I just invite you because of your marriage?”
Yasir then concluded the conversation by highlighting how viewers don’t give her the complete credit she truly deserves. “People just watch the viral clips of my show and assume that’s the only type of guests I invite, but that’s really not the case. I run a morning show that takes place every day, so I keep a proper balance of my guest list,” expressed the Yeh Zindagi Hai actor.
The executive committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to waive off entry fee for the second Test match between Pakistan and New Zealand, set to begin on January 2, 2023. A PCB official confirmed the news to GEO News.
“Free entry for Karachiites in all stands during the second Test, except two VIP ticketed stands. Entry will be on a first come first serve basis,” the official said.
The cricket board has gotten in touch with educational institutions, orphanages, and nursing homes to invite them to watch the second test. The ongoing Test between Pakistan and New Zealand has attracted a limited number of spectators to the stadium.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s son Chaudhry Shafay Hussain has said that his father’s cousin— Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi—betrayed the family by backing out of an agreement made with the current ruling coalition at the last minute.
In an interview with ARY News, Chaudhry Shafay recalled the entire incident, recalling that Elahi asked Chaudhry Shujaat to convince Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to give Elahi the Chief Minister’s seat. However, at the last minute, he switched over to Imran Khan.
When asked what reason did Elahi give for backing out of the deal, Shafay said that he said former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa asked him to join hands with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). However, Shafay Hussain said Elahi should have told the party chief about the telephone call from Bajwa.
According to Shafay, former president Asif Ali Zardari said he convinced PDM leadership including Nawaz Sharif to grant Elahi the top seat after clearing many obstacles.
Shafay also addressed Moonis Elahi’s “sofware update” statement about Chaudhry Shujaat, terming it ‘inappropriate’. “One should not say something of this sort about the one who taught you politics,” he opined.
Shafay accused Moonis of playing his own politic. Political families work together and Moonis doesn’t want that, Shafay said about his cousin.
He also hinted at expelling some Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from the party.
The government has lifted import restrictions on commodities intended for vehicle manufacturing, mobile production, solar power equipment, and nuclear reactors for power generation projects commencing in 2023, despite Pakistan’s limited foreign exchange reserves.
Simultaneously, authorised dealers (ADs – largely commercial banks) have been encouraged to prioritise the import of food and energy products. They should consider enabling the import of non-essential and luxury products after first providing for the necessities.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reminded ADs on Tuesday that for the past eight months, they had been required to obtain prior permission from the Foreign Exchange Operations Department, SBP-BSC, before initiating any import transaction involving HS Code Chapters 84, 85, and certain items of Chapter 87.
“It has now been decided to withdraw instructions (of prior permission) with effect from January 2, 2023. Consequently, requests for import transactions already submitted to SBP-BSC pertaining to referred HS codes stand returned to the ADs for appropriate disposal at their end,” the SBP said in the circular.
Arif Habib Limited (AHL) Head of Research Tahir Abbas said that the import system may “continue to work in its present form. The removal of restrictions will not re-open imports in a full-fledged manner.”
He stated that due to the country’s short foreign exchange reserves, the government has encouraged banks to first allow the import of necessary items before catering to others.
The SBP advised ADs (commercial banks) to “prioritise and facilitate the import of essential sectors such as food (wheat and edible oil) and pharmaceuticals (raw material, life-saving or essential medicines, and surgical instruments, including stents).”
According to Express Tribune, the second priority of ADs is to focus on energy imports “like oil, gas, and coal” (for power projects based on the merit order of the Ministry of Energy).
Imports for export-oriented businesses should be prioritised as well. They should facilitate “imports, especially of raw materials, input goods, and spare parts, by the export-oriented industries,” stated the SBP. Imports of agri-inputs should be the fourth priority of ADs, as explained by SBP: “import of items required as inputs for agriculture (seed, fertilizers, and pesticides).”
Bollywood actor Salman Khan, who turned 57 years old on Tuesday, had once in an old interview, confessed that he wants children but ‘not the mother’.
Salman loves kids and it clearly shows when he pampers his sister Arpita Khan and her husband Aayush Sharma’s children Ayat and Ahil.
In fact, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor has also been spotted interacting with the little ones quite a few times.
While talking to Mumbai Mirror in the year 2019, Salman reacted to the comment that said he loved children. While smiling, he said, “I want children, but with children comes the mother. I don’t want the mother, but they need one. But I have a whole village to take care of them. Maybe I can work out a win-win situation for everyone.”
Meanwhile, last night, Salman threw a party on the occasion of his 57th birthday. The actor was spotted several times by the paps greeting his guests, seeing them off as well as cutting the cake and celebrating.
In fact, interestingly, Salman was also seen exchanging warm hugs with Shah Rukh Khan. Fans went crazy after the video surfaced on social media.
On the work front, Salman completed the shooting schedule for his upcoming Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. Helmed by Farhad Samji, it also stars Pooja Hegde and Venkatesh Daggubati in key roles.
Shehnaaz Gill, Palak Tiwari, and Vijender Singh will also feature in the film. It is set to release on Eid 2023. Salman will also be seen in Tiger 3, also starring Katrina Kaif.
The action-packed movie was earlier slated to hit the theatres on April 23, 2023, but will now be released on Diwali next year.
Owing to increased smuggling of wheat and subsidised flour bags to other provinces, the price of flour in the Punjabi capital increased by Rs5 per kilogramme to Rs140.
Smuggling has exacerbated Punjab’s flour problem, increasing open-market prices to an all-time high. According to sources, the subsidised flour bags were being smuggled into Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkwa at a cost of Rs2,400 each bag.
Prices for 10-kg and 20-kg flour sacks in Lahore have risen to Rs1,400 and Rs2,800, respectively, while Chakki flour has risen to Rs140 per kilogramme, according to Dunya News.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the local administration in Jhang stopped an attempt to smuggle flour bags from a local flour factory, seizing nearly 1,000 20 kg bags from a truck.
According to wheat dealers, the open market price of wheat has risen to Rs4,700 per 40 kg. Furthermore, the rate for a commercial unit of power from 6 pm to 10 pm has risen to a staggering Rs70 to Rs80, severely hurting the economics of grain trading.
Lahore Atta Chakki Owners Association has requested the government to immediately prohibit the inter-provincial movement of wheat and its products in order to halt the ongoing rise in wheat prices.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Malik Ahmad Khan has alleged that the former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had helped to give a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to save him from disqualification in the Bani Gala case.
According to Malik, the-then Chief Justice Saqib Nisar was influenced by Gen Bajwa to decide a case about Imran Khan’s Bani Gala residence case in his favour. Later, Khan was declared Sadiq and Ameen by the court.
The News contacted the former chief justice who denied the story, he said that it’s all “rubbish, total bullshit and completely baseless.” Justice (retd) Nisar insisted that he was never influenced while dispensing his judicial duties directly or indirectly by the-then Army Chief. Nisar said that the entire locality of Bani Gala was illegally built. His verdict was about the regularisation of all properties in the locality as they could not be razed to the ground.
Malik said that the PTI Chairman should come forward and say under oath that he had not been given a NRO in the Bani Gala residence case when it was being heard by the court of the-then CJP Justice (retd) Nisar.
The SAPM while speaking on Channel 92 political talk show, ‘Breaking Views with Malick’, said that he had all the evidence about how and when it happened, who were the characters involved, and who sent messages to whom. When asked by the anchor if Malik Ahmad Khan was saying that the then army chief had influenced the-then Chief Justice of Pakistan to decide IK’s Banigala house case, Malik Khan said, “I stand by it, I have all the evidence.” He further said that the collateral victim of this case was Jehangir Khan Tareen.
— Breaking Barriers With Malick (@ViewsWithMalick) December 26, 2022
It is pertinent to mention here that Malik Ahmad Khan was among those Leaguers who had been close to the retired army chief. Malik Ahmed Khan had also been occasionally meeting the-then army chief.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday to come back to the Parliament.
In an address to mark the 15th death anniversary of his mother, former Prime Minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, he said, “This is your last warning. Come back to parliament and sit in your seat. If you call yourself democratic, play your role.”
Bilawal also offered Khan a dialogue on the matter of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and elections if he comes to parliament.
Referencing the long marches and protests by PTI, he said that the party’s actions are bad for the people of Pakistan.
“In any other country, politics and rallies would have come to a halt after the havoc wreaked by the floods. But even in the midst of a catastrophe, the fight for Punjab kept on, and [Imran’s] long march did not stop,” he said.
Talking about the alarming rise in terrorism, the minister slammed Imran for “bending his knees in front of the terrorists” without asking the public or the parliament.
Moreover, he claimed that Imran is once again trying to pressurise the establishment to meddle in politics.
At the start of the address, Bilawal talked about his mother, vowing to take Benazir Shaheed’s mission forward and achieve it within the next 15 years. He urged his supporters to join the party in this mission.
© salmankhan_instagram
© salmankhan_instagram
