Category: Uncategorized

  • Queen Elizabeth marks 95th birthday in private

    Queen Elizabeth marks 95th birthday in private

    Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, the world’s oldest monarch, turns 95 on Wednesday, but there will be no public celebrations just days after she bade farewell to her husband of seven decades at his funeral.

    Prince Philip, whom Elizabeth married in 1947, died on April 9 at the age of 99. The royals paid their final respects to the family’s patriarch at his funeral on Saturday at Windsor Castle.

    Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the queen sat alone during the sombre service for Philip, who she had described as her “strength and stay”.

    Elizabeth, who is also the world’s longest-reigning monarch, will be at the castle for her birthday, which traditionally passes off with little or no ceremony.

    However, this year, with the royals marking two weeks of mourning, there will be no gun salutes at the Tower of London or the capital’s Hyde park which usually occur on the queen’s birthday.

    “I was at the funeral on Saturday, her Majesty was, as always, more concerned with other people than herself, and she will be on her birthday,” Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told Reuters.

    “She doesn’t do ‘I’m the most important person in the room’. She does ‘I mind about the other people more than about myself’. She is an extraordinary person.”

    The queen also has an official birthday, which is usually celebrated with greater pomp on the second Saturday in June.

    Queen’s Birthday in 2019

    Philip’s death has robbed Elizabeth of her closest and most trusted confidant, who had been beside her throughout her 69-year reign.

    Newspapers have suggested that family members would be visiting the queen over the coming days to ensure she would not be left alone while mourning her late husband.

    A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment, saying all family matters after the funeral would be private.

    Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926, in Bruton Street, central London. She ascended to the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, and surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as Britain’s longest-reigning monarch in September, 2015.

    Elizabeth is also queen of 15 former British colonies including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

    “I would like to send my warm wishes to Her Majesty The Queen on her 95th birthday,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter. “I am proud to serve as her prime minister.”

  • Hina Altaf finds parody video on her ‘hilarious’

    Rapper-vlogger Ali Gul Pir, who is known for dubbing popular videos, recently made a parody of actor Hina Altaf from her interview with Nida Yasir.

    “Case of the missing anday wala burger and incomplete halwa puri,” Ali titled the video.

    Ali also shared the original video in his post. In the original video, Hina is talking about how her ‘Anday wala burger‘ and ‘Halwa Puri‘, went missing.

    Hina found Pir’s video on her “hilarious”.

    The actor also shared a video of herself in fits while watching the video.

    Earlier this year, Ali also paid a humorous tribute to the four trees Pakistan lost in the Balakot airstrike.

  • WHO praises Pakistan’s COVID-19 vaccination arrangements

    WHO praises Pakistan’s COVID-19 vaccination arrangements

    World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Pakistan Dr Palitha Mahipala on Wednesday praised Pakistan’s efforts for coronavirus vaccination.

    “I appreciate efforts of the Government of Pakistan for rolling out COVID-19 vaccination including vaccination of foreigners in the National Vaccine Deployment Plan and making excellent arrangements at the vaccination centres across Pakistan, with COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place.”

    Pakistan started the COVID-19 vaccination drive of people in the age group 50-59 today (April 21). Registrations for those 50 and above commenced on March 30. Those who haven’t registered can send their CNIC number to 1166 to register or can register online.

    Read more – Here’s where you can find COVID-19 vaccine in Karachi, Lahore

    Pakistan is likely to receive two million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from China by April 24.

    As per reports, the country will receive the vaccination batch on April 21 (today) and out of those two million doses, 1.5 million would be purchased from China while 500,000 doses would be gifted to Pakistan from the neighbouring country.

  • Sarah Khan adds fuel to pregnancy rumours with cryptic post

    Sarah Khan adds fuel to pregnancy rumours with cryptic post

    After Falak Shabbir hinted that he and Sarah Khan are expecting a baby, Sarah has added more fuel by sharing a cryptic post.

    Sharing a picture of a pink rose and an Ayat from the Quran which talks about “offspring”, Sarah has left fans even more confused. While the actor did not explain her post further, many are convinced that this is Sarah’s way of confirming the news of her pregnancy.

    Sarah had earlier been hospitalised last week due to ill health. Her manager had confirmed to The Current that the actor has contracted typhoid due to which she had to be admitted to the hospital.

    Later in a short video clip, Khan had informed her fans that she has returned home from the hospital and is doing better.

  • PTV, PTV Sports to turn HD, says Fawad Chaudhry

    Fawad Chaudhry, who was reappointed Minister for Information and Broadcasting in a recent cabinet shuffle, has shared his plans on what he plans to do under his ministry.

    “The process that started in 2018 to initiate reforms in the Information Ministry is being resumed,” said Chaudhry in a tweet, adding that the project to make Pakistan Television HD will be completed by June 1.

    In addition to this, work on making PTV Sports HD is also in progress.

    Chaudhry further said an English channel will be launched soon and that reforms to digitize the Associate Press of Pakistan (APP) are underway.

    Chaudhry further said that the revival of the film and drama industry is his ministry’s “first priority” and that production work on the biographies of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Tipu Sultan is under process.

    Young film and drama makers will be given loans up to 5 crore under ‘Nujawan Program’ to facilitate the revival of the industry.

    “Journalists associated with print and electronic media will be provided with personal houses under Prime Minister’s housing project, and health cards will be also provided,” said Fawad, assuring to resolve the non-payment of salaries issues of journalists.

    The Minister also extended his support toward Digital Media saying that “we will give them full support.”

    Meanwhile, Fawad also said that a digital recording of the National Anthem is under process.

  • ‘Ban on TLP will be reversed’: Ali Muhammad Khan

    Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan has said that Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said in a meeting that after following a process, the ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Saad Rizvi will be reversed. This comes after the government’s announcement that the ban on TLP will remain intact.

    Talking to anchorperson Adil Shahzeb, Ali Muhammad Khan said that there will be a due legal process in order to reverse the ban on the recently proscribed TLP. When asked about the ban specifically by Adil Shahzeb, he said that it will take some time but will be done eventually. “It cannot be done suddenly. Today we ban it, and tomorrow the ban is lifted is not possible. It will take some time.”

    Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed announced on April 14 that the government has taken the decision to ban TLP under Section 11(B) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

  • IN PICTURES: Syra Yousuf’s birthday celebrations

    IN PICTURES: Syra Yousuf’s birthday celebrations

    Syra Yousuf recently celebrated her 33rd birthday (Say Whaaaa) with close friends and family in an intimate party.

    The actor shared pictures and videos of her birthday celebrations on social media and does not took a day over 20 in them.

    “Much too excited?”, she captioned the picture of her cutting the cake.

    Syra also shared pictures with her sister Palwasha Yousuf and friends.

    After a long hiatus from the screen, Syra has multiple projects lined up including several advertisements and a film with former husband Shahroz Sabzwari.

  • VIDEO: Senior Journalist Absar Alam attacked

    VIDEO: Senior Journalist Absar Alam attacked

    Senior journalist and former chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Absar Alam has been shot in Islamabad, according to a tweet by journalist Gharidah Farooqi.

    Absar recorded a video on his way to the hospital after being shot. He says he was shot in the stomach and is heading to the hospital and he will not lose hope.

    Reports state he was walking in the F-11 park near his home. Doctors are operating on him and his condition is said to be stable.

    PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz tweeted about the incident.

    PPP’s Sherry Rehman has also tweeted her support for the journalist.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry condemned the attack on Absar Alam. He tweeted that the police has been ordered to initiate an inquiry.

    PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif also condemned the attack on Absar Alam.

  • Confusion over Saad Rizvi’s release

    After the successful negotiations between the government and the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Tuesday morning after sehri, rumours of TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi’s release from Kot Lakhpat Jail started doing the rounds on the media as well as social media. Public relations officer of the Punjab prisons department, Attiq Ahmed, confirmed Rizvi’s release to Dawn. Some other media outlets reported the same.

    Punjab’s provincial Minister for Prisons Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan, however, denied these reports. In a statement released to the media, Chohan said that this is not true. He said that Rizvi’s release can only be done after proper procedures are followed.

    Banned TLP sources also denied Rizvi’s release. They say that documentation is being processed in this regard.

    Saad Rizvi was arrested on April 12 after he planned protests following the April 20 deadline. His arrest was a pre-emptive measure in order to maintain law and order. Protests erupted across the country after Rizvi’s arrest. TLP has demanded that Rizvi be released.

  • ‘I will throw a shoe at you’: Khaqan Abbasi threatens Asad Qaiser

    ‘I will throw a shoe at you’: Khaqan Abbasi threatens Asad Qaiser

    The National Assembly was set to debate the resolution on TLP demand regarding the expulsion of the French Ambassador today and Speaker Asad Qaiser was presiding on the session. After PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan spoke, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi rose and exchanged heated words with the Speaker over not being given a turn to speak before someone else. Asad Qaiser said, “You always behave like this,” to Khaqan Abbasi to which Abbasi responded, “I will take off my shoe and throw it at you.” Qaiser told him to remain in his limits and told him to fix his language.

    Watch the video here:

    The resolution came after a series of meetings with the TLP and the government. The banned TLP had held the country hostage with violent protests that led to the killing of four police officers and left 800 police officers injured.

    The opposition parties criticised the government over its method of dealing with the TLP and the Pakistan People’s Party boycotted today’s session.