A 24-year-old girl, Mayra Zulfiqar, was found dead in Lahore on Monday. She had recently been threatened by two men who both wanted to marry her.
Prior to her brutal murder, she had asked police for protection after accusing a man of abducting her at gunpoint.
In Pakistan, the chief investigating officer in the murder inquiry told the BBC that police teams were targeting addresses in Islamabad and Lahore. So far no arrest had been made.
In a police report filed before her murder, Ms Zulfiqar named and accused a man of abducting her at gunpoint and attempting to sexually assault her.
She said she managed to run away by alerting people around but the man threatened her, saying “You won’t be able to escape, I will kill you.”
Mayra’s uncle Mohammad Nazeer found her body after receiving a phone call from her father, who lives in London, to say she had been killed.
The initial postmortem report said that Mayra had received two bullets, one to her neck and another to her arm.
Mayra Zulfiqar’s funeral took place in Lahore, while a special memorial service has been held at a mosque in Hounslow, west London. Her brother Faizan Muhammad said his father had left for Pakistan
The deceased woman had arrived from the UK, where her family is settled, some two months back and shared the upper portion of the rented house with a friend. Police have taken her housemate into custody as part of the probe.
Late on Monday, Defence-B police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two purported friends of Mayra on murder charges on the complaint of the deceased woman’s uncle.
In a statement, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said, “our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time. We are urgently seeking more information from the local authorities.”
With Chupke Chupke continuing to dominate television ratings and Ayeza Khan receiving a lot of appreciation for her performance as Meenu, it has been revealed that Khan was not the first choice for the character of Maneeha Kifayat Ali.
As per reports, Sohai Ali Abro was the first choice and the actor had even shot a few scenes for the drama before the shoot was halted due to COVID-19 and lockdowns. Later, Abro had to exit the show due to personal reasons.
A source also confirmed to The Current that Sohai was the original choice for the character.
Meanwhile, netizens are divided over Ayeza’s casting in the show. While many are praising her for her performance, there are some who are criticising the makers for casting Khan as a young, 20-something clumsy girl, given that she has two children and her last roles in Meharposh and Meray Paas Tum Ho were mature ones.
Written by Saima Akram Chaudhry of Suno Chanda fame and directed by Danish Nawaz, Chupke Chupke airs on Hum TV at 9 pm daily. The ensemble cast also includes Osman Khalid Butt, Mira Sethi, Asma Abbas, Uzma Beg, Arslan Naseer, Aymen Saleem, Ali Safina and Salman Mani Shaikh among others.
Javeria Abbasi, who is currently being lauded for her performance in Tanaa Baana, recently opened up on her complicated relationship with ex-husband Shamoon Abbasi.
Talking to Nida Yasir on her Ramzan special show Shaan e Suhoor, Abbasi explained how Shamoon is not only her former husband but also her stepbrother.
Yasir explained to the viewers that Javeria’s mother and Shamoon’s father were married which makes them stepsiblings but they both had different sets of parents. The host further clarified that Javeria was the child of her mother’s first husband and Shamoon was child of his father’s first wife. The two also have siblings together.
Javeria said that Shamoon was the only man she ever knew and that their marriage lasted for 10 years. The former couple had welcomed their first child after two years of marriage.
The veteran also joked that when she got married, her mother, who was also her mother-in-law gave her a tough time because she wanted to prove that her daughter can do anything.
“I used to work 12 hours a day [on set] and then after coming back home, I used to prepare the food and iron clothes as well.”
Javeria also shared that Shamoon and her began their career together and that she was fortunate that she did not have to go through the casting couch.
Meanwhile, Yasir also revealed that a drama serial titled Hum Tum was also made inspired by Javeria’s life and relationships.
Veteran actor and Bushra Ansari and Asma Abbas’ elder sister Sumbul Shahid has passed away after a long battle with COVID. The actor has been on the ventilator for several days now with Bushra and Asma requesting fans and followers for prayers.
According to reports, Shahid was admitted in a local hospital in Lahore. Further details are not known as yet.
Sumbul was last seen in Nandin which she played Faiza Hassan and Shahroz Sabzwari’s mother.
Asad Siddiqui took to Instagram stories to announce the demise of Sumbul Shahid. He wrote: “Zara’s Khala Sumbul Shahid passed away. Please pray for her and the family.”
Later celebrities turned to their social media to pay tribute to the departed soul.
Finding myself at a loss of words after hearing about Sumbul Shahid. May Allah grant her the highest place in Jannah. Sending my duas and love for the family. Allah give us all strength to deal with this magnanimous loss. إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ pic.twitter.com/akTQCsChpU
When lawyer and analyst Reema Omer posted a Twitter update complaining about getting only three Cocomos in a 5-rupee packet, little did she know that her tweet would blow up and people would start demanding PML-N’s Miftah Ismail [owner of Bisconni] to investigate the matter.
Oh the disappointment of opening a packet of cocomo and finding only three instead of the usual four biscuits
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Ismail had said that there are supposed to be four cocomos in each packet. The businessman turned politician said that he wants to have at least five in each packet but due to an increase in the price of ingredients used, they cannot afford to increase the number of cocomos in one packet.
Meanwhile, PML-N’s Maiza Hameed Gujjar promised that when the party wins the NA-249 recount, she will request Ismail to add “one more cocomo” in the packet.
Stay strong when we win in the recount tom inshAllah we will request #miftah Sab to add one more
I’ll be honest. When the first teasers of Chupke Chupke released I was not impressed. Ayeza Khan as a clumsy, 20-something bewakuf larki didn’t really appeal to me and she appeared to have no chemistry with co-star Osman Khalid Butt. Don’t get me wrong here, both actors are brilliant but somehow I was unable to connect with the show.
Though I initially decided to avoid the drama altogether, the nature of my job doesn’t really allow me to do so and soon enough Chupke Chupke memes and fan edits started popping up on my social media feeds piquing my interest. And when ten-something episodes later, Faazi (Butt) and Meenu (Khan) tie the knot against their wishes, I ended up getting hooked to the show.
The premise of Chupke Chupke is by no means simple, given the number of characters in the show. Kudos to director Danish Nawaz for dealing with the script so skillfully and straightening out the creases. Nawab Sahab, the family patriarch had two wives – Bebe (Asma Abbas) and Ama (Uzma Beg). While Nawab Sahab has passed away, both his wives live in the same house but in different portions. The two cannot stand each other and are always putting each other down even though all their grandchildren are friends. Meenu, Haadi (Arslan Naseer) Mirchi (Areesha Sultan) and Waleed are Bebe’s grandchildren, while Gul Apa (Mira Sethi), Faazi, Roomi and Mishi (Aymen Saleen) are Ama’s grandchildren. Gul Apa is married to her maternal cousin Miskeen (Ali Safina), while Roomi is married to Mani (Salman ‘Mani’ Shaikh). Tara Mahmood and Farhan Ally Agha play Meenu and Mirchi’s parents and Qavi Khan plays Nawab Sahab’s elder brother.
Meenu and Faazi, who are constantly trolling each other, are set to marry outside the family on the same day. In a dramatic turn of events, the two end up getting married to each other and from there on there’s only trouble with a capital T. From the two refusing to acknowledge the marriage and later their feelings to the two grandmothers rejecting the nikkah and calling for an annulment to a ‘khufia’ (suspicious) and rushed rukhsati in the middle of the night – it is a mad caper.
If this drama was not enough, Haadi and Mishi, popularly known as Hashi, are also interesting in getting married to each other, while Gul Apa makes sure she makes life for the new bahu living hell with the help of the other ‘evil’ sister Roomi. Gul’s husband Miskeen, staying true to his name, will do or say something silly which is bound to make you laugh out loud. All the characters are so lovable that it is terribly hard to decide which one is your favourite. But if someone puts a gun to my head and forces me to choose, I’d go with Haadi and Miskeen.
The ‘evil’ sisters minus Mishi and Ama
What makes the drama stand out, even more, is the performances. Each actor from little Mirchi to the two dadis, everyone has brought their A-game lighting up the screen and bringing so much energy that it perks up the viewer also. Like mentioned earlier, I had some reservations about Ayeza playing Meenu, but I can now say with full conviction that the actor has done complete justice to her role and despite racking my brain for other options, I couldn’t think of a better actor for this role.
Meanwhile, Safina and Naseer in particular deserve a special shoutout. Safina’s transition into Miskeen is incredible – he has performed the role with such finesse that every time he comes on screen and says “Sarkar,” I want to cheer for him – his comic timing is excellent. Similarly, Naseer has made a promising debut as Haadi delivering one sarcastic comment after another with such ease.
The drama takes a while to set the stage but once it’s set its a rollicking rollercoaster.
As far comparisons with Suno Chanda are concerned, there are plenty, but I think I’ll leave those for another day. It’s Chupke Chupke’s time in the spotlight and it’s best to let it shine.
With only a few episodes to go till the finale, I am curious to know whether Haadi and Mishi will get married and what the future holds in store for Meenu and Faazi. Will Gul Apa go to Sadiqabad with her husband and leave them in peace? Can’t wait to find out!
The minister tweeted that the students of grade 9 and 11 will sit for their exams as per the scheduled timetable given by their respective boards.
Mahmood added that there was no truth to the rumours circulating regarding the cancellation of the exams.
Last month, Mahmood and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan had announced that as per the suggestion of the National Command and Operation Centre, all board exams had been postponed till June 15.
“Exams of 9, 10, 11 and 12, which were supposed to begin from the end of May, have been delayed further,” the minister said. “No board exams will be held till mid-June (June 15).”
Mahmood added that another meeting of the NCOC will decide in the third week of May whether these exams will be postponed further or not.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued final notices to the owners of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor’s ancestral houses as the government plans to take over the properties after Eid, Geo News has reported.
As per details, KP Archaeology and Museums Department Director Dr Abdul Samad has said that restoration work on both houses will take place following the take over.
Dr Abdul Samad added that the “deputy commissioner has sent the final notices to the landlord”.
Meanwhile, the owners of the properties will be summoned on May 18, and they can demand the KP government or the court for a higher price and can submit their objections.
Earlier this year in January, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan approved Rs 23.56 million to purchase the ancestral houses of two Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor in Peshawar, but the owner of Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar refused to sell the house to the government at the price set by the authorities.
As per reports, the value of Raj Kapoor house is Rs 15 million, while Kumar’s home is worth Rs 8.56 million. Both houses will be converted into museums after restoration work.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is likely to restart his initiative of taking phone calls from the masses and giving them his response from May 11. The initiative is expected to restart when he returns from Saudi Arabia.
Khan is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia from May 7 to May 9. The issue of the release of Pakistani prisoners who are suffering in Saudi Arabia’s jails is likely to be highlighted by the PM.
This is the third telethon series to be done by PM Khan. He launched the event on March 28, which was a telethon for the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme and also took calls from the general public on April 4th.
“It is the practical implementation of the promise made by the prime minister to the masses in his victory speech that he would be answerable before the people,” a PTI leader said.
Special Assistant to Punjab’s Chief Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that she is a supporter of women empowerment and has always encouraged women to work. “I being a woman acknowledge the challenges women face in the world,” she said.
However, while speaking so staunchly on women’s rights, she negated her own stance by saying that she was “also aware of the tactics women pull these days”.
“I have my eye on the ones that are idle and wear ray-bans and only do modelling,” she told a Lahore News reporter.
Previously a video of her insulting Assistant Commissioner (AC) Sialkot Sonia Sadaf, went viral on the social media. She was seen shouting at the AC, telling her that Sadaf was getting paid for her work and it was her duty to keep a check on things. She also asked the AC which ‘shameless person’ appointed her.
