Category: Uncategorized

  • Inflation hike up to 11.5pc, highest in 20 months

    An increase in consumer prices continued as inflation rises up to 11.5 per cent from 9.2 per cent in November, the highest increase in the past 20 months due to a record hike in fuel prices last month, reports Dawn. This has been revealed by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data.

    Inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased to its highest level in 20 months.

    Prices of fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat have also shown a significant increase in major urban and rural centres.

    The average inflation during the July-November period rose to 9.32 per cent on a yearly basis.

    Currently, the government aims to increase agriculture productivity for food security and self-sufficiency to counter food inflation by offering Agri-loans.

    The finance division in its recent report claimed that taking into account new price impulses in November and the low base effect, inflation would remain between 8.5 and 9.5 per cent, but the November inflation has already surpassed the projected figure.

  • Which Pakistani designer has won Deepika’s heart?

    Which Pakistani designer has won Deepika’s heart?

    In the past we have seen designer Faraz Manan’s love affair with Kareena Kapoor Khan, but it seems like the designer is becoming the favourite of all the Bollywood A-listers as Deepika Padukone recently opted for Pakistani designer’s couture wear.

    Deepika recently shared pictures of herself wearing a dress designed by Faraz Manan.

    The designer also shared the pictures of Bollywood actor on his Instagram.

    Earlier, this year in October, Shah Rukh Khan donned Faraz Manan’s white royal jacket on a shalwar kameez. The jacket was customised for the Don 2 star with detailed embroidery work.

    Faraz has alo collaborated with India’s top actresses Sridevi, Jacqueline Fernandez and Karishma Kapoor.

  • ‘Schedule a dental appointment’ with the President of Pakistan

    ‘Schedule a dental appointment’ with the President of Pakistan

    President Dr Arif Alvi’s son, Dr Awab Alvi, recently took to Twitter to announce that his family business, Alvi Dental, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bringing Smiles USA. 

    With the president in attendance, a debate started amongst netizens questioning if it was a direct conflict of interest for Alvi to be a president and promote the family business as well.

    After receiving backlash from Twitterati, Dr Awab Alvi clarified that his father had resigned from the family business after he became president.

    “The President resigned from Alvi Dental when he became President. This venture is between me & my Pakistani US diaspora dentist-alumnus friend,” tweeted Awab.

    Awab further tweeted, “President encourages all startups much smaller than ours & is on record to have hosted a startup in dentistry at Presidency last year.”

    However, when we checked the official website of “Alvi Dentals”, the president is still enlisted as a dentist and part of the Alvi Dental team. The website also provides an option to “schedule an appointment” with the president.

    Screengrab from the official website of Alvi Dental

    The Current talked to Shiagan Ijaz, a Lahore-based lawyer, to know if the matter was a conflict of interest for the president. “Yes, the perception that is being created very much puts the present scenario as a conflict of interest for the president.”

    “Even if it was a private venture, the president was present there, which certainly gives the impression and can be perceived as misuse of his office. So there has been a misuse of his authority here,” said Shaighan.

    The presidential oath also says, “As a President of Pakistan, I will not allow my personal interest to influence my official conduct.”

  • Pakistan offers to host OIC summit to discuss Afghan crisis

    Pakistan offers to host OIC summit to discuss Afghan crisis

    Foreign Minister (FM) of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi has announced that Pakistan fully endorses Saudi Arabia’s move to request an extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to discuss the current Afghanistan situation after the Taliban takeover.

    Qureshi said, “Afghanistan is a founding member of the OIC. As part of the Islamic Ummah, we are bound by fraternal bonds of amity and brotherhood with the people of Afghanistan,” he said stressing that, “today, our Afghan brothers and sisters need us more than ever before.”

    In a video message, shared by the Foreign Office (FO), the minister also announced that Pakistan has offered to host the meeting in Islamabad on December 17.

    Saudi Arabia also made the call for the session on the same day, as per the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

    According to the minister, the arrival of winter has worsened the humanitarian crisis in the worn-torn country. ​He emphasised the need for the OIC to “step in to help our Afghan brothers.”

    According to Qureshi, the first extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers was held in Islamabad in January 1980, also on the situation in Afghanistan at that time.

    “Next month, we would, once again, gather in Islamabad, to reaffirm our abiding solidarity with and support to the Afghan people,” Qureshi concluded.

    Since the Taliban takeover, the country has been facing obstacles in the face of violations of human rights and economic collapse.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry reviews Khel Khel Mein

    EXCLUSIVE: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry reviews Khel Khel Mein

    Khel Khel Mein starring Bilal Abbas Khan and Sajal Aly is the the first Pakistani film to release post the pandemic and it has brought life back to cinemas which were witnessing a lull for the last two years.  The film is based on true events and is set on the backdrop of a university group investigating the ‘secrets’ of 1971’s liberation of East Pakistan.

    The special screening of the movie was held last night (Monday) in Islamabad. Notable personalities including President of Pakistan Arif Alvi, First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi, Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan Fawad Chaudhry and Senator Faisal Javed Khan graced the event.

    Read more- Bilal-Sajal’s ‘Khel Khel Mein’ brings back life to cinemas, mints 2.5 crores at the box-office

    The movie has been receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences. The Current reached out to Fawad Chaudhry to find out what he has to say about the newly released movie.

    The minister said that what he liked most about the movie is the choice of topic as not much work has been done on the tragedy that took place in 1971. “Still millions of people are stuck in Karachi, Lahore and Dhaka and no one has talked about them, so this movie talks about them,” said the minister.

    Read more- IN PICTURES: Khel Khel Mein’s star-studded premiere in Karachi

    “It’s a sensitive subject and they [movie makers] have made the movie in a very balanced way,” says Fawad.

    Fawad continued by praising the production quality of movie saying, “Cinematography, direction and sets are really good.” He concluded by saying, “It is a worth watch movie.”

    The movie was released on November 19. The historical drama is directed by Nabeel Quershi.

  • Manish Malhotra uses Parizaad’s OST for latest campaign, Ahmad Ali Akbar reacts

    Manish Malhotra uses Parizaad’s OST for latest campaign, Ahmad Ali Akbar reacts

    HUM TV’s drama serial Parizaad starring Ahmed Ali Akbar as the titular character has been making headlines ever since the drama went on-air.

    Recently, Indian designer Manish Malhotra used the OST of the hit drama for his promotional video proving that Parizaad is not only loved in Pakistan but has a strong following across the border as well.

    This is what the video looks like when you open the Reels

    The highlight of the video became the background music. which the Laal Kabootar star was quick to notice, “I like the music,” shared Ahmed on his Instagram story.

    He also commented under the original post. “Well doesn’t that sound familiar.”

    Netizens mentioned that the best thing about the shoot is the soundtrack from the Pakistani drama.

    The ace designer used an instrumental version of the OST.

    The feature gave credit to Waqar Ali, the song’s composer.

    The story has been penned by Hashim Nadeem and is based on his novel by the same name.

    Apart from the stellar performances and great narrative, the OST in itself has a separate fanbase; it is sung in Asrar’s powerful voice which gives more depth to the heartbreaking lyrics.

  • Video: Hania Aamir dances at Asim Azhar’s concert, netizens express shock

    Video: Hania Aamir dances at Asim Azhar’s concert, netizens express shock

    Singer Asim Azhar and actor Hania Aamir had a public break-up in 2020. The Tum Tum duo indulged in a cyber war earlier this year in June.

    The Tera Woh Pyaar crooner took to his Twitter account to post a GIF that people assumed was directed towards Hania, who was trending on social media and received a lot of backlash from her fans on posting a video with the Wajahat brothers.

    The GIF posted by Asim siad, “Bal Bal Bach Gaya.”

    Now a video is circulating on social media in which the Janaan diva can be seen grooving to Asim’s songs at his concert.

    Netizens expressed a polarizing response to the viral video.

  • ‘Not a film set, apologise’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at model for posing at Kartarpur bareheaded

    ‘Not a film set, apologise’: Fawad Chaudhry lashes out at model for posing at Kartarpur bareheaded

    Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan Fawad Chaudhry has lashed out at a model for hurting the Sikh community after she posed ‘bareheaded’ for a clothing ad at the Kartarpur Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.

    Taking to Twitter, the information minister wrote: “The Designer and the model must apologise to Sikh Community. KartarPur Sahib is a religious symbol and not a film set.”

    According to reports, the woman who runs Mannat, a ready-to-wear women’s online clothing store in Pakistan, got a photo-shoot done at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib complex in the recent past with the model posing bareheaded with her back towards the Gurdwara.

    In the now-deleted photographs, the woman is seen wearing a red suit posing for the camera without covering her head with the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the background.

    It should be noted that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the single largest representative body of Sikhs, has pasted posters inside the gurdwara complex cautioning devotees not to shoot entertainment videos after a few of them were caught shooting TikTok videos.

    Many have criticised the model and demanded her apology. Former president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna said in a statement that this is a “highly objectionable” act that has “severely hurt” the Sikh religious sentiments.

    Sarna said that he would take up the issue with the Chairman of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board Dr Amar Ahmad on priority and ask him to make the PMU staff aware of the Sikh “rehat maryada” (Sikh code of religious conduct).

    He called upon Pakistani authorities to place written instructions in Urdu about Sikh “Maryada”. He also urged the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) and local authorities in Narowal that visitors to the historical shrine must be sensitised about the Sikh code of conduct applicable at gurdwaras.

    Last week, several Sikh pilgrims visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan on the 552nd birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

  • Alleged audio clip of Maryam Nawaz giving instructions to private news channels leaked

    Alleged audio clip of Maryam Nawaz giving instructions to private news channels leaked

    An alleged audio clip of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has been leaked on social media in which she can be heard talking to someone on phone. During the telephonic conversation the PML-N Vice President can be heard saying, “I talked to Mir Shakeel Sb [owner of Geo News] personally,I told him that are showing facts from both sides, instead you should tell people Imran Khan lied without any verification, and Imran Khan not only repeated this lie but also made ten other things.”

    She further said that she told Mir Shakeel that he has to do it [to push her narrative], and he [Mir Shakeel] did it.

    Maryam further said that she told Mian Amir Mahmood [Owner of Dunya News] the same, and he replied “Aap Dekhein me krta kia hun iske saath” [Now see what I do with him.]

    Earlier, another audio clip of Maryam went viral on social media in which Maryam Nawaz can be heard saying, “We have given many chances to Samaa News. The kind of news Samaa [airs] and the way its anchor Nadeem Malik is, we can no longer work with the channel. So we are not giving any ads to Samaa.” ”Samaa News, Channel 92, ARY News, and Channel 24 will not get any ads from us [PML-N],” said Maryam.

    Read more- Maryam Nawaz admits to blocking ads, media bodies urge govt to not use adverts to control editorial policy

    Maryam on November 25, confirmed the authenticity of her viral audio clip but the date of the clip is still not known, whether it was when PML-N was in government or opposition.

  • Those who chant ‘vote ko izzat do’ bought votes for Rs2,000: Fawad hits at PML-N over a leaked video

    Those who chant ‘vote ko izzat do’ bought votes for Rs2,000: Fawad hits at PML-N over a leaked video

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said those who chant “vote ko izzat do” (give respect to vote) slogan bought votes for Rs2,000 for the upcoming by-election in Lahore.

    His comments come in relevance to the viral video in which workers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) can be allegedly seen distributing cash among the voters of the Lahore constituency. The video surfaced days ahead of the by-election in Lahore’s NA-133 constituency scheduled for December 5.

    https://twitter.com/SHABAZGIL/status/1464717252846964739

    Addressing a public gathering Fawad said, “I hope that when the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would open on Monday, they would take notice of the matter and would ask the PML-N how getting votes by distributing money was a service to democracy and giving respect to the ballot.”

    Taking a jibe at PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that she and her husband Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar should bid adieu to politics, further adding that whenever their case was about to be heard in courts, they leaked fake videos to pressure judges and state institutions.

    “Maryam Nawaz had said she did not own any property in London and even in Pakistan but after Panama Leaks, we came to know that she owned property worth billions not only in Pakistan but also abroad. We repeatedly ask them to show receipts, else there are only two options: to return the money or go to jail,” said Fawad.

    The video created an uproar in the political arena, as PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders accused each other of trying to buy votes in the constituency.

    Later on Sunday, Returning Officer (RO) Syed Basit Ali wrote separate letters to the Punjab Police chief, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Lahore deputy commissioner, and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), drawing attention and seeking more information about the persons seen in the video clips to take action against them.

    The lower house seat from Lahore fell vacant due to the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik, who died on October 11 due to heart-related complications.