Actor Sarwat Gillani shared some pictures of her hang out with A-list female stars of Pakistan, Mahria Khan, Sanam Saeed, Tooba Siddiqui and Mehreen Jabbar.
The Jackson Heights director termed it to be their ‘annual meet-up’.
On the work front, Mahira is currently featuring in ‘Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay’, Sanam will be seen next in Ishrat: Made In China, whereas Sarwat is shooting for her web-series opposite Zahid Ahmed.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Sharmila Faruqi recently responded to actor Gohar Rasheed’s reflections on violence against women on Instagram, disagreeing with the actor’s assertion that “oppression is a choice.”
The Digest Writer actor had posted a message on Instagram to address a slap scene from his drama Laapata that was being widely shared on social media.
The actor had posted that the reason he accepted the role of Daniyal in the drama was to “prove that oppression is a choice”. “If any insecure man with his fragile ego tries his ‘so called’ muscles on you, make the choice that Falak did without any fear,” he had written. “One tight slap back from a brave woman to such weak man in our society would be a giant leap for women kind.”
Faruqi replied to Rasheed’s post, saying that oppression is “not a choice”. “It’s a hard reality,” she wrote.
“Thousands of women are oppressed daily not because they chose to be oppressed but because they don’t have the choice to hit back or leave. Marital rapes, domestic violence, acid victims, child marriages are rampant because the victims are helpless physically and financially. They suffer in silence and those who do muster the courage to fight back are either silenced, murdered or divorced with no where to go. The victim blaming never ends, it’s a vicious cycle.”
Actor Nausheen Shah appeared on Tabish Hashmi’s show TBH, on which the Pehli Si Mohabbat diva was asked to give suggestions to certain politicians.
When the host asked her to give an advice for the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, the Dudugi star was quick to suggest that he should stop eating junk and change his shape.
She elaborated that since he is not diagnosed with any disease he should be more mindful of his appetite.
The Deewar-e-Shab actor concluded by mentioning that the politicians who are corrupt should be ashamed and rather die.
‘Uske bohat baray dant hain’: Nausheen Shah opens up on comparisons with Kareena Kapoor
A survey conducted by a leading research firm has revealed that around 55 percent Pakistanis were ‘happy’ that the Taliban would be ruling Afghanistan, Arab News has reported. The study was released by the Gilani Research Foundation (GRF) and carried out by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan (GGP).
The survey was conducted from August 13 to September 5 and 2,170 men and women in urban and rural areas of the Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were surveyed.
“Some people are happy that the Taliban will now rule Afghanistan. Some are not happy about that. What is your opinion?” this question was asked in the survey.
In response to the question, 55 percent said they were happy. Moreover, 25 percent said they were unhappy, 16 percent did not know and four percent did not respond.
The highest numbers of respondents were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and more 65 per cent were happy with the Taliban take over. In Punjab 54 per cent, 55 per cent in Balochistan, and around 54 per cent were happy in Sindh.
56 per cent of men and 36 per cent women were happy.
The Taliban on September 7, announced the formation of its interim government, amid heavy criticism that not one woman was among the 33 members.
Hum TV has launched fresh teasers of their on-going soap drama, Juda Huay Kuch Is Tarah across social media platforms. Netizens have slammed the teasers for trivializing the relationship between ‘Foster’ siblings.
The drama serial is penned by Pyarey Afzal fame Khail-ur-Rehman Qamar.
The United States (US) has urged Pakistan that it should not recognise the Taliban government until it gives women their due rights and allows Afghans who want to leave the country to do so, reports Khaleej Times.
Testifying before Congress on the Taliban victory in Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “What we have to look at is an insistence that every country, to include Pakistan, make good on the expectations that the international community has of what is required of a Taliban-led government if it’s to receive any legitimacy of any kind or any support.” He said the priorities included ensuring the Taliban let out people who want to leave Afghanistan and respect the rights of women, girls and minorities, as well as adhere to promises that the country not again become “a haven for outward-directed terror”.
“Pakistan’s policies have been on many occasions detrimental to our interests, on other occasions in support of those interests. It is one that involved hedging its bets constantly about the future of Afghanistan, it’s one that’s involved harboring members of the Taliban … It is one that’s also involved in different points cooperation with us on counterterrorism,” Blinken said.
“This is one of the things we’re going to be looking at in the days, and weeks ahead – the role that Pakistan has played over the last 20 years but also the role we would want to see it play in the coming years and what it will take for it to do that,” he said.
Commenting on the US-Taliban relationship, Blinken said, “We achieved our objectives in Afghanistan,” adding that it was time to end the two-decade-long war.
“The US will continue to play its role to promote anti-terrorism in the region,” he said, adding that the Taliban had also promised to not let Daesh and Al-Qaeda use the country for militant activities.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the practice of human rights by the Taliban in Afghanistan was connected to economic pressures, reports Dawn.
“Ensuring sustainable development and promoting respect for human rights requires political stability and peace in Afghanistan. And peace cannot consolidate unless Afghanistan is provided the necessary economic and fiscal space,” said Qureshi in a video statement made at the UN conference on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
As journalists continue with sit-in outside of the Parliament House, against the government’s proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), prominent leaders from political parties, student unions, and members of the civil society also joined in to show solidarity.
The protest began on Sunday and is said to continue until President Dr Arif Alvi’s address to the joint session of parliament on Monday.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb, and MNA Mohsin Dawar, among others, visited the protest site on Sunday night to extend their support.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president, Shehbaz Sharif speaking on the media authority bill termed it as “black law” and expressed solidarity with journalists. He said the media had fought a war for its freedom and no one could snatch it.
“The government doesn’t have the guts to pass it and we won’t allow it,” added Shehbaz warning the government against passing the “black law” or bear the consequences.
He tweeted in solidarity with the protestors and said, “PTI government is demolishing every institution that represents democracy. We support journalists in their struggle against PMDA.”
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Monday slammed the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PMDA), saying that the proposed bill is an “attack on the freedom of media and judiciary.”
The PPP chairman vowed his party will not let the government get away with snatching livelihoods from the masses. He showed solidarity with journalists who have been attacked, saying that the PPP “will not be satisfied till they [journalists] are not satisfied.”
“Even if they manage to have this black law passed, journalists will [struggle to] have it abolished,” he added.
Bilawal warned the government that if it tried to have the PMDA law passed via force, the PPP will challenge it in the courts. The PPP chairman said he feared the government will try to pass the bill during a joint sitting of the Parliament.
Bilawal said his party will attend the joint sitting of the Parliament with a two-point agenda; to advocate for the rights of 20,000 government employees who were sacked and to campaign for freedom of speech.
PPP leaders, Senator Sherry Rehman and Raza Rabbani, visited the protest camp and addressed the protesters.
“We have repealed all the ordinance regarding media censorship, whether it was Ayub Khan or Zia-Ul-Haq. This is why the government won’t bring this on the Parliament floor because we will repeal the PMDA bill and they are scared”
Marriyum Aurangzeb, along with PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal, also visited the protest site on Monday.
Addressing the protesters, Iqbal criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for “attacking and attempting to muzzle” the media.
Referring to the PMDA bill, he called it a “conspiracy” and said if the bill was passed, “democracy will die in this country”.
Actor Ayeza Khan has officially become the first Pakistani celebrity to hit the ’10 Million mark’ on Instagram. The Meray Paas Tum Ho diva headed to Turkey to celebrate her ten million followers.
The Chupke Chupke star travelled alongside her husband Danish Taimoor and children.
She met Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar on the airport.
Ayeza has surpassed Ishq Tamasha star Aiman Khan, who holds the second spot with 9 million followers.
In a first in Pakistan’s history, reporters were not allowed to enter a joint session of Parliament on Monday.
Parliamentary reporters were to be present in the press gallery for President Dr Arif Alvi’s address but entered the hallway to find that the door was locked. The press gallery was closed for the journalists.
The Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) strongly condemned the closure of the press gallery and said, “Closing the gallery is the worst dictatorship.”
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator PPP, Sherry Rehman condemning the closing of the press gallery tweeted, “This did not happen even in martial law era. Govt [government] is on collision course with democracy”
Twitterati lashed out at the government for banning the journalists from entering the session.
Journalist Absar Alam tweeted, “This is the Parliament’s Press Gallery, which was never closed during the Martial Law era, but is closed today so that journalists cannot enter.”
Journalist Nusrat Javeed tweeted, “Have been covering Parliament since 1985. Even in [the] worst of times governments never behaved so humiliating to media. Sad. Really sad.”
Journalist Owais Tohid took to Twitter and said, “Highly condemnable act to ban accredited journalists from covering joint parliament session. So-called punishment for protesting proposed draconian laws to silence Pakistani media.”
Even though the reporters have been banned from covering the session, the joint session is being aired live on news channels.
Pakistan’s cricket team will be coached by Australian Matthew Hayden and South African Vernon Philander during the T20 World Cup, the newly elected Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja said in a press conference on Monday.
Hayden and Philander will be taking over from the pair of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis, who resigned from their posts one month ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Speaking about Hayden, Raja said: “The Australian can bring some aggression into the team. He has experience of World Cups and was a world-class player himself. Having an Australian in the dressing room will be of great benefit for us.”
On Philander he said: “I know him well, he understands the nuances of bowling and he has a great record in Australia.”
The development of adding Hayden and Philander to the Pakistan side comes after the sudden resignations of Misbah and Waqar.
According to ESPNcricinfo, “Hayden and Philander have exceptional credentials as cricketers, but neither has any substantive coaching experience. Philander only retired from international cricket in 2020, and was due to take part in the South African domestic season which begins on September 24 this year. Hayden retired in 2009, and has taken on occasional media work, but his assignment with Pakistan at the World Cup is his first major coaching assignment.”
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja also announced that 192 cricketers with domestic contracts will see an increase of PKR100,000 in monthly retainers across all rungs. This means that domestic men’s cricketers in the 2021-22 season, which begins with the Cricket Associations T20, the Second XI competition, from September 15 at Quetta’s Bugti Stadium, will now earn between PKR140,000 to PKR250,000 per month, which is an increase of 250 per cent for the players in the D category, which is the lowest category.
Earlier, the PCB announced that Misbah and Waqar have resigned and that former Pakistan Test players, Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq would be interim coaches for the time being.
Read More – Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced
The Pakistan team is in Rawalpindi and are practicing ahead of their One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be the seventh ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tournament, with matches taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman from October 17 to November 14, 2021.