Sayed Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide of Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has denied the authenticity of an audio recording between him and former First Lady Bushra Bibi which surfaced online earlier in the day.
In a tweet, he said that he has neither bought or sold any watches. “Earlier, it was being said that watches were sold to a person named Umar Zahoor through Farah Gujjar. But when a legal notice was served [to Zahoor], a new story popped up that I have sold the watches”, he said.
اس طرح کی cut-copy-paste آڈیو کالج کے بچے بھی بنا لیتے ہیں۔ فوری اسکا فرانزک کرایا جائے ، میں اسکے پیسے اپنی جیب سے دینے کو تیار ہوں 2/2
Bukhari went on to say that “even college students can make such cut-copy-paste audio”.
He also demanded that a forensic audit of the audio should be immediately conducted and he is “ready to pay for it”.
Prior to this, the audio got leaked, in which Bushra Bibi can be heard allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Bukhari. According to the clip, Bushra asks Zulfi to sell her husband’s watches as they are of no use to him. Zulfi Bukhari can be heard agreeing with his party chairman’s wife.
It is pertinent to mention here that this is the second time that Bushra Bibi’s audio got leaked. Earlier in the year, another alleged leaked audio of the former First Lady came to light in which she could be heard saying, “Khan Sahib told you to run a hashtag of treason. I have been getting calls from people that your social media was very active but after a week, it is not. You should have been very active nowadays.”
The survey reveals that slightly more people in urban Pakistan (40%) than in rural Pakistan (36%) desire to leave the country.
Among the four provinces, the desire to leave the country is highest in Balochistan (42%), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh.
The desire is lowest in Punjab but not by much.
Better income remains the top reason for both males and females to leave the country. “Looking for more income and equal/better all-around opportunities was not surprising but moving out to gain more respect was an unexpected response. At the national level, it is the second most reported reason for the desire to leave the country,” reads the research report.
An audio recording for former First Lady Bushra Bibi has surfaced online on Thursday.
In the brief clip, Bushra Bibi can be heard allegedly discussing selling Toshakhana watches with Zulfi Bukhari, a close confidant of her husband, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Following is the audio transcript of the clip.
Bushra bibi: Hello
Zulfi Bukhari: Asalam-o-Alikum Jee
Bushra Bibi: Jee Waalikum Asalam. How are you?
Zulfi Bukhari: I am well Murshad. How are you are?
Zulfi Bukhari and Bushra Bibi audio leaked, discuss selling Toshakhana watches. Bushra Bibi tells Zulfi to sell watches because Imran Khan doesn’t want those watches. pic.twitter.com/zl7c6vKHmt
Bushra Bibi: All is well by the grace of God. There are a few watches of Imran Khan Sahib. He has asked me to send them to you so that you can sell them. They are not of his use.
Zulfi Bukhari: Yes
Bushra Bibi: He wants that you take them somewhere.
Zulfi Bukhari: Yes Murshad. I will do so.
On November 15, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor claimed in the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, that the PTI government had sold the expensive Graff wristwatch gifted by Saudi Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, for a cash amount of $2 million or Rs.280 million at the time of sale in 2019.
Zahoor claimed that he had bought the watch through former accountability minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi.
The Dubai-based businessman also claimed that Farah wanted to sell the watch for $4-5 million “but after negotiations, I purchased it for $2 million”. The payment, he added, was made in cash on Farah’s insistence.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier in the year, another alleged leaked audio of the former First Lady came to light in which Bushra Bibi could be heard saying, “Khan Sahib told you to run a hashtag of treason. I have been getting calls from people that your social media was very active but after a week, it is not. You should have been very active nowadays.”
The Japanese embassy in Pakistan said on Tuesday that Japan would provide the country with a grant assistance of $38.9 million as part of efforts to provide life-saving relief to flood victims.
According to a statement issued by the Japanese Embassy, the projects will commence in January 2023 and Tokyo “will support the affected population in various social and economic dimensions in partnership with WHO, UNFPA, FAO, UNDP, UNICEF, WFP, UNWOMEN, UNHCR, and IPPF in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces, as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory.”
The announcement made by the Japanese Embassy said, “The unprecedented levels of flooding have triggered a multi-dimensional humanitarian crisis, leaving the affected population with increased health risks and food insecurity, insecure livelihoods, and heightened vulnerabilities to gender-based violence.”
The statement further clarified that for the total grant assistance of USD34.2 million, the proposed areas of support include emergency medical assistance, food distribution, agriculture and livestock restoration, livelihood recreation, and gender-based violence risk mitigation and response, with projects commencing from January 2023.
Torrential monsoon rains triggered the most severe flooding in Pakistan’s recent history. Hundreds of thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, while many public health facilities, water systems and schools have been destroyed or damaged. More than 33 million people have been affected by floods and flash floods in 94 districts.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday has ordered Suleman Shehbaz, son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to surrender before it on December 13 and barred authorities from arresting him till then.
The court has also asked authorities not to arrest the petitioner at the airport. The orders were given by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq while hearing a plea filed by the prime minister’s son for protective bail.
During the hearing, Suleman’s lawyer Amjad Pervez told the court that his client is abroad since October 2018 while all cases against him were registered after that.
However, the court informed the lawyer that it cannot grant bail in absence of the petitioner.
Suleman Shehbaz is set to return to Pakistan after ending his self-exile of over four years in the British capital, London.
Actor Will Smith appeared on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah in the first late-night interview since the Oscars controversy.
Promoting his new historical drama Emancipation, Smith’s conversation with the late-night host naturally dug into his Oscars night controversy, in which he slapped Chris Rock onstage as the comedian was introducing the category of best documentary feature.
“I have been away,” Will Smith said, drawing a laugh from the crowd when the topic of his absence from the public eye came up, reports Variety.
“That was a horrific night, as you can imagine. There’s many nuances and complexities to it. But at the end of the day, I just – I lost it, you know?” Will Smith continued.
“I was going through something that night, you know? Not that that justifies my behaviour at all… It was a lot of things. It was the little boy that watched his father beat up his mother, you know? All of that just bubbled up in that moment. That is not who I want to be.”
Trevor Noah interjected, offering his own perspective on the situation and recalling the discussions he had with peers about the controversy.
“I love Chris. I’m friends with him. I love you, but this is fucked up… I know that as Black people, Black people get together and go, ‘What was Will doing? What the hell happened?’ A lot of Black people were like, ‘He should go to jail, Like, you need to relax yourself’,” Trevor Noah said, earning a laugh from Smith.
“Some people were overreacting, which made some people underreact.”
Will Smith shared an anecdote from the aftermath of Oscars evening when he was already having to deal with the consequences of his outburst in his private life.
“I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time,” Smith said, “My nephew is nine. He is the sweetest little boy.”
“We came home. He had stayed up late to see his uncle Will and we are sitting in my kitchen and he is on my lap and holding the Oscar and he is just like, ‘Why did you hit that man, Uncle Will?’ Damn it. Why are you trying to Oprah me?”
Will Smith also discussed Emancipation, sharing the decision-making that led him to the project. Based on true events, the film stars Smith as a runaway slave who becomes known to the world as “Whipped Peter,” as widely distributed photographs of keloid scarring on his back exposed the extreme brutality of slavery.
First seeing that image was one of the things that really got me excited to explore this, because you see the image, but you don’t know who he is, you don’t know what the story is,” Will Smith said. “American slavery was one of the most brutal aspects of human history… It is hard to understand the level of human cruelty. My daughter asked me, daddy, do we really need another slave movie? I said, Daby, ‘I promise you, I wouldn’t make a slave movie. This is a freedom movie’.”
The Aladin star shocked everyone when he slapped Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards’ live broadcast.
— Akron Pride Custom Tees (@AkronTees2020) March 28, 2022
Before presenting an award at the Oscars 2022, Chris joked about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, looking like ‘GI Jane 2’. This enraged the Aladin star who stormed the stage, lapping Chris and warning him to keep his wife’s name out of his ‘f*cking mouth’.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has said that his commission is not against or in favour of any political entity.
At ‘National Voter’s Day’, an event organised by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the chief said: “Na hamara koyi favourite hai, na hum kisi ke khilaaf hain” (Neither do we have any favourites nor are we against anyone).
Raja said that the ECP had already informed the Punjab government that the commission would make use of previous laws under Article 283 of the Constitution if the administration attempted to amend the local government law again.
He said local government elections in Punjab will take place in the last week of April and emphasised the urgency of those polls.
Moreover, the ECP chief was of the view that the commission has faced “unwarranted criticism” for allegedly opposing the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and balloting rights for overseas Pakistanis.
“I challenge all critics to show one instance where the ECP opposed electronic voting machines or voting rights for overseas Pakistanis. However, there should be a procedure in place,” he said.
He underlined that the commission is in support of the use of technology in elections, but said it must be backed by all stakeholders.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, on multiple occasions, called out the commission for allegedly scuttling the introduction of EVMs in support of his political rivals.
Social media platforms are brimming with news about Sidra Humaid, a Karachi based woman accused of stealing Rs.420 million through committee system.
Social media users mostly have sympathy for Sidra’s victims, who are contemplating serious action against her.
Sidra also publicly confessed of messing up the committees, writing on Facebook, “I have really messed up my committees and now I am practically bankrupt and have no means to pay off my committees.”
How did she do it?
According to estimates computed by her victims, Sidra reportedly managed 117 WhatsApp groups with hundreds of members for the purpose of collecting money in ‘committees’. She allegedly received the first committee from the money pooled in each group.
One Facebook user wrote, ” A women named Sidra Humaid was handling over 100 committees 42 crore is the total amount. And she has announced she is bankrupt Cause people backed out after taking their first slots. She is not providing any details any legal document or any trail that proves where the money went. She took first slots in so many of the cycles.”
Committees are also known as Group Savings. A group of people come together and deposit a fixed amount each month into a common fund for a pre-determined period of time. Each member accesses the pool in a month, decided amongst the group members.
On Tuesday, Sidra moved an application before the additional sessions Judge-X (East) under Sections 22-A and 22-B of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), seeking directives to the police to provide her protection from citizens who have accused her of robbing them in the name of the committees.
Here is how Twitter is reacting to the scam and their experience of committee system and discussing whether they are a good idea.
Started MBA a year after my undergrad funding it entirely by myself on a salary which was so pitiful it barely covered food+ commute costs. It was committees which helped me pay for semester fees rather than having to take loans. Pls get off your privileged high horses
Former singer Rabi Pirzada has shared her take on trending dance reels of young female influencers on social media.
Recently, a dance video went viral and made TikToker Ayesha an instant hit not only in Pakistan but also in India. While Ayesha enjoys the fact that her groovy dance is being copied by legendary actresses like Katrina Kaif and Madhuri Dixit, Pirzada is in a dilemma about whether Pakistani media should promote such content or not.
The Dahdi Kuree singer, who once was a viral sensation mainly for her powerful vocals, recently sat down for an interview to discuss the negative influence and questionable trends on social media platforms in Pakistan.
In an interview with Waseem Badami, the Chori Chori singer opined on people going viral via dance videos. Pirzada suggested that our society is stooping low day by day as we idolize men who imitate women and women who dance to become famous.
For the unversed, Pirzada herself was caught in a scandal that led her to change her path and embrace the religious way of life.
On the work front, Pizada has two films Pyar Ki FIR, and Court Marriage in the pipeline.
Earlier this year she appeared on Mohsin Bhatti’s show G Kay Sang where she revealed her superpower.
The religious figure who used to be a pop singer said she has a special connection with wild animals and told the host to call her if he ever saw a wild animal.
Pirzada told the story of how she wanted to threaten India’s Prime Minister Modi with a picture of herself with her pet snakes at the GNN studio in 2019. The former singer wanted to bring her pet lion with her, but she casually said that her lion would have eaten the production crew.
The self-proclaimed “Snake Queen” says that she has a “gift” that lets her calm down any wild animal, whether it’s a snake, crocodile, lion, or wolf.
She said, “If God has given me this power, I should use it for good.”
She was known for keeping snakes and a lion at her house, but the Punjab Wildlife Protection and Parks Department had filed a case against her, which she says has now been dropped.
In 2019, Rabi even dedicated a song to her favourite creatures.
My song pain with my besties around. I don’t believe in fake friends I believe in strong enemies… choti si baat and yeah this song is my favourite one. watch complete video herehttps://t.co/gN0k00OUfVpic.twitter.com/nuOTLXCgkF
The song, which has a soft tune, shows Pirzada sitting on her bed with the snakes and crocodiles. She picks them up at regular intervals and pets them, while the rest of them slither around the bed. The music video then shows Rabi petting and playing with her snakes in different locations such as the garden or in her lounge.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Moonis Elahi and journalist Imran Riaz Khan have been engaging in Twitter fights since a while.
Just as it seemed that the trading of barbs had died down, this morning Elahi reignited the feud again, tweeting, “Heard someone’s visa got cancelled due to strong links with criminal elements. He had to go back from airport.”
Heard someone’s visa got cancelled due to strong links with criminal elements. He had to go back from airport.
Responding to Moonis, Riaz tweeted, “Take the name Moonis Sahib, my visa got cancelled. And yes take the name of the ones because of whom it got cancelled.”
نام لو نا مونس الہی صاحب میرا ویزا کینسل ہوا ہے اور ہاں جن کی وجہ سے ہوا ہے ان کا نام لینے کی بھی جرات پیدا کرو۔ Happy to stay in Pakistan https://t.co/RakkXWkTCU
Their arguments started on December 2, after Moonis Elahi revealed that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had advised his party to back Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) when the no-confidence motion was moved against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Riaz, reacting to Moonis’s remarks, tweeted, “And the PTI people kept thinking that Moonis Elahi and Pervaiz Elahi were willing to accept the Chief Minister post because of their conscience’s voice and love for Imran Khan.”
اور PTI والے سمجھتے رہے کہ مونس الہی اور پرویز الہی اپنے ضمیر کی آواز اور عمران خان کی محبت میں وزارت اعلی قبول کرنے پر آمادہ ہوئے۔
Moonis didn’t take long to Riaz, stating, “Do not worry. Your ticket is also ready and then you can takeover. And then @PTIofficial as well as others will understand.”
آپ فکر نہ کریں۔ آپ کی ٹکٹ بھی پکی اور پھر آپ takeover کر لینا۔ اور پھر @PTIofficial والوں کے ساتھ ساتھ باقی بھی سمجھ جائیں گے۔ https://t.co/PZW96Y2CYw
The journalist reacted by criticising Moonis for “trading party tickets”, calling it the “family business” of the PML-Q leader. “By the way, how is Richard Mille’s wrist watch running which only costs Rs.75 million,” he said referring to a luxury brand of Swiss watches.
مونس صاحب سیاست آپکو مبارک ٹکٹوں کی خریدو فروخت بھی آپکا ہی خاندانی کاروبار ہے۔ ویسے Richard Mille کی گھڑی کیسی چل رہی ہے صرف 7 کروڑ 50 لاکھ روپے والی۔۔ https://t.co/K6zGUyagGN
Moonis fired back by denying he owns a Richard Mille watch. “Think they are overpriced. Since you are such a fan shall I send you one? Or shall I present it to you when you ‘officially’ join politics,” he asked the journalist.
I don’t have a Richard Mille . Think they are overpriced. Since you are such a fan shall I send you one? Or shall I present it to you when you “officially” join politics? https://t.co/EQ3YoaSnuK
