Category: Uncategorized

  • IN PICTURES: Rehmat Ajmal’s intimate engagement

    IN PICTURES: Rehmat Ajmal’s intimate engagement

    Aisha of Mere Pass Tum Ho Rehmat Ajmal got engaged and pictures of the event are all over social media.

    Read more – Rehmat Ajmal says she is not proud to be a part of Meray Paas Tum Ho

    The engagement ceremony, which reportedly took place in Lahore, was attended by close friends and family members.

    Check them out below:

    View this post on Instagram

    Meri Behen Ki Mangni ❤️

    A post shared by Sophiya Salim Khan (@keepingupwithkhan) on

    Ajmal made her way into modelling after being approached by a teacher during her second year at the National College of Arts (NCA). From there, she began getting featured in ad campaigns for different brands before bagging a role in Meray Paas Tum Ho.

  • VIDEO: Egg on French president’s face over Islam remarks?

    French President Emmanuel Macron has come under criticism over his remarks on Islam after a teacher was beheaded on the streets of Paris allegedly for showing blasphemous cartoons to students.

    Amid this, a video of Macron having an egg thrown at his face as he is in conversation with some people is circulating on social media.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The claim along with the video says Macron was attacked for his remarks on Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) and Islam, which have led to calls for a boycott of French products across the Muslim world.

    The Current has found the claim along with the video to be misleading. The video was shot in March 2017 in Paris days before the presidential elections in France, when Macron was a candidate for the top post.

    Using related keywords, we found some media reports carrying a similar video of the event, shot from a different angle.

    A report by Express says Macron was attacked by a protester with an egg when he was attending an agriculture show in Paris in March 2017.

    This was not the first time when Macron was egged. In 2016 too, an angry mob pelted eggs on Macron in Paris.

    So, it has been established that the video is more than three years old and has nothing to with Macron’s recent remarks on Islam.

    ‘WON’T GIVE INTO ISLAMIC RADICALS’:

    On Sunday, Macron tweeted, “We will not give in, ever to Islamic radicals.”

    “We do not accept hate speech and defend reasonable debate,” the French leader added.

    Calls to boycott French goods are already growing in the Arab world and beyond after Macron criticised Islamists and vowed not to “give up cartoons” depicting the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

    Macron’s initial comments, on Wednesday, had come in response to the beheading of a teacher, Samuel Paty, outside his school in a suburb outside Paris earlier this month, after he had shown the blasphemous cartoons during a class he was leading on free speech.

    With the French president pledging to fight “Islamist separatism”, which he said was threatening to take control in some Muslim communities around France, hashtags such as the #BoycottFrenchProducts in English and the Arabic #ExceptGodsMessenger trended across countries, including Pakistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Palestine, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

  • South Africa plan first cricket tour of Pakistan in 12 years

    South Africa plan first cricket tour of Pakistan in 12 years

    Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Tuesday it will send a security assessment delegation to Pakistan this weekend with a view to playing in the country in early 2021.

    If the tour goes ahead it will be South Africa’s first visit to Pakistan since 2007/08.

    Two subsequent “away” tours were staged in the United Arab Emirates because of security concerns following a 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.

    No details of the planned fixtures were revealed but according to the International Cricket Council’s future tours programme, South Africa are due to play in two world Test championship matches as well as three Twenty20 internationals in January and February.

    Tuesday’s announcement confirmed South Africa will host Sri Lanka in two world Test championship matches over the local summer holiday period.

    The first Test will be in Centurion from December 26 to 30 and the second Test will be in Johannesburg from January 3 to 7.

    After the CSA’s entire board resigned on Monday, acting chief executive Kugandrie Govender said the matches against Sri Lanka, like those for the upcoming white-ball series against England, would be played without spectators because of Covid-19 restrictions.

    On their previous visit to South Africa in 2018-19, Sri Lanka gained an upset 2-0 series win — the first by an Asian team in a Test series in South Africa.

    CSA also announced Australia would visit South Africa for three world Test championship matches in March and April 2021, to be followed by Pakistan, who will play three one-day internationals and three T20 internationals. Dates for these tours will be announced later.

    It was previously announced South Africa will host England in three T20 and three one-day internationals in Cape Town and Paarl between November 27 and December 9.

    The South African men’s team has not been in action since a one-day tour of India was called off because of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

  • EXCLUSIVE: All the pictures from Kashmala Tariq’s intimate dholki

    EXCLUSIVE: All the pictures from Kashmala Tariq’s intimate dholki

    Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Kashmala Tariq is all set to tie the knot on October 31 with Islamabad-based businessman Waqas Khan.

    According to details, the wedding reception will be held in Islamabad on October 31. Festivities will also include a Mehfil-e-Milad on October 29 and qawwali on October 30.

    Friends of the bride also arranged a dholki for her and her spouse-to-be in Lahore. Pictures and videos from the event went viral on social media. Kashmala glowed in a peach-orange bespoke outfit by BNS Couture as she celebrated her upcoming nuptials. Her makeup was done by Arooj and Nida.

    While the former MNA has not made an official announcement, she sent some exclusive videos from the festivities to The Current. Check them out below:

    Kashmala shared that the hashtag #Wakash was coined by her cousins and her friend’s children. She said that they also decorated the COVID-19 safety kits which included masks and sanitisers.

  • ‘Only Turkey, not even China, supported Pakistan at FATF,’ Indian media reports claim

    ‘Only Turkey, not even China, supported Pakistan at FATF,’ Indian media reports claim

    After the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to keep Pakistan in the grey-list till February, Indian media reports have claimed that Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey was the only country to back Pakistan at the plenary meeting of the global anti-money laundering watchdog while China bailed out.

    The FATF, also known by its French name, Groupe d’action financière, is an intergovernmental organisation that combats money laundering. In 2001, its mandate was expanded to include terrorism financing.

    Pakistan was placed on the FATF’s grey list in 2018 whereas in February 2019, the country had secured an extra four months to complete the plan after missing 13 of the 27 targets set by the global watchdog.

    According to reports, Turkey, during October 23’s plenary, proposed a special visit to Islamabad to make an onsite assessment of the Imran Khan government’s implementation to plug holes in its legal framework to curb terror financing.

    READ: ‘Successful implementation’: Hammad Azhar says FATF blacklisting off the table

    The suggestion was seen as an effort to let Pakistan off the hook for now and immediately place it on the white list but was not supported by any other country, including allied China and Malaysia.

    “Out of 27 points, we have implemented 21 points given by the authorities concerned regarding FATF, ” Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar said while talking to a private television channel after the watchdog decided to retain Pakistan on its grey list.

    Except India, every country had appreciated the efforts of Pakistan for satisfying the people dealing FATF, he added.

    BLACKLISTING OFF THE TABLE:

    In a statement, FATF urged Pakistan to complete an internationally agreed action plan by February 2021. FATF said Pakistan had now reached 21 targets out of 27 set for it in 2018 when Pakistan was placed on FATF’s “grey list” of countries with inadequate controls over terrorism financing.

    But Pakistan still needs to demonstrate that law enforcement agencies are identifying and investigating the widest range of terrorism financing activity, FATF said.

    The watchdog also asked Islamabad to demonstrate that terrorism financing probes resulted in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions.

    “FATF acknowledged that any blacklisting is off the table now,” Pakistani federal minister Hammad Azhar tweeted.

    Azhar, who leads Pakistan’s delegation at FATF plenary meetings, said the forum’s discussions were focused on how Pakistan could be supported in meeting its targets before a formal review in the middle of next year.

  • Pirlo sees positives as Juventus miss Ronaldo before Barca clash

    Pirlo sees positives as Juventus miss Ronaldo before Barca clash

    Andrea Pirlo sees positives despite preparing for his biggest match since taking over as Juventus coach with Covid-19 -stricken Cristiano Ronaldo in doubt against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

    Pirlo took over after Maurizio Sarri was sacked immediately after Juventus’ last 16 exit to Lyon in August, the veteran coach lamenting another failure in a “competition cursed for Juve”.

    The Turin side have won the tournament twice, but not since 1996. They have been runners-up seven times, including twice in the last five years.

    In fact, 41-year-old Pirlo’s last Juventus game as a player came in the 3-1 loss to Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final.

    Juventus signed Portuguese star Ronaldo in 2018 with the aim of lifting the coveted European trophy, and his absence against Messi’s Barcelona could weigh heavy.

    The 35-year-old will need to test negative 24 hours before being allowed to feature in Turin. The return at the Camp Nou is on December 8.

    “We miss him right now, of course,” said Colombian teammate Juan Cuadrado. “He’s a champion. In these very difficult matches, his strength, his mentality and his desire shine through.”

    Ronaldo scored three goals for Juventus in their first two league games, before contracting the virus while on international duty.

    Even if Pirlo has yet to record a loss this season, Juventus are fifth in Serie A, with three draws in five games.

    “Barcelona? It doesn’t worry me, they are two different matches,” said Pirlo after Sunday’s 1-1 stalemate against Hellas Verona.

    “Verona play differently than Barcelona, against teams that play like this you have to prepare a certain type of match.

    “We’re in the construction phase,” continued the novice coach. 

    “We’re sorry to leave points on the road, but we are on the right path. We are building a long-term project. I only see positive things.”

    Pirlo’s main weapons in Ronaldo’s absence have been Spanish forward Alvaro Morata, who scored both goals against Dynamo Kiev, and Swedish striker Dejan Kulusevski, who rescued the point against Verona.

    Former Chelsea and Real Madrid player Morata returned to Juventus this season with Kulusevski signed from Atalanta in January before being loaned back immediately to Parma.

    The 20-year-old Swede was up and running immediately, scoring on his club debut in September and came off the bench to give Juventus the edge against Verona.

    Pirlo has also been impressed with how Paulo Dybala performed “well above expectations,” in his seasonal debut against Verona after over three months out.

    Captain Giorgio Chiellini’s presence is in doubt, with fellow defender Leonardo Bonucci’s thigh strain being monitored, although Gianluca Frabotta, 21, has stepped into the breach, with Alex Sandro also out.

    “Seeing how we started the other championships, this start has been a bit slow,” said Cuadrado of the nine-time reigning Italian champions.

    “But we haven’t lost yet.”

    Both teams won their Group G openers with Barcelona beating Hungarians Ferencvaros 5-1 and Juventus 2-0 at Dynamo Kiev.

    RONALDO VS MESSI:

    If Ronaldo misses his chance to line out on Wednesday he will have to wait until December to renew his rivalry with Argentine Messi.

    They are the two greatest players of their generation with 11 Ballons d’Or between them, and the two highest scorers in Champions League history.

    They have not faced off since the Portuguese superstar left Real Madrid for Juventus, and both are running out of time to win the Champions League again.

    Messi, now 33, has featured in four victorious campaigns, all with Barcelona, while Ronaldo has won it five times, four with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United.

    Ronaldo has 130 Champions league goals, of which ten have been for Juventus, to Messi’s 116.

    Messi has won 16 of their 35 encounters to Ronaldo’s 10, with the remaining nine ending in draws. Messi has also scored 22 goals in those games to Ronaldo’s 19.

    The pair have only met five times in Champions League games, most recently in the semi-final in 2011.

    Barcelona got the better of Real Madrid with a 3-1 aggregate win with Messi scoring twice in the first leg.

    Their most memorable clash was the 2009 Champions League final when Messi scored as Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0.

  • ‘Modi has decided when India would be at war with Pakistan, China’

    Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Uttar Pradesh (UP) unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh has claimed that Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has “decided” on a time when India would be at war with Pakistan and China.

    A minister in UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet, Swatantra Dev Singh made the remark during an event at the home of BJP’s Sikanderpur lawmaker Sanjay Yadav.

    In a video clip of Swatantra Dev Singh’s remarks, the BJP’s UP chief draws parallels between the abrogation of Article 370 in held Kashmir, construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya where the Babri Masjid once stood, and the ongoing India-China military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    “Like the decisions on Ram Mandir and Article 370, PM Narendra Modi has decided when there would be war with Pakistan and China,” news agency PTI quoted Swatantra Dev Singh as saying in a video posted on social media by Yadav.

    The BJP leader’s controversial remarks come amid an intense standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in eastern Ladakh. Both countries have held multiple rounds of diplomatic and military talks to achieve disengagement in the region.

    However, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement on Sunday contradicts the remarks made by Swatantra Dev Singh. While reiterating that India is seeking an end to the border tussle with China, Singh had said that New Delhi will not allow anyone to take away “even an inch” of Indian land.

    Launching an attack on the BJP-led Centre, Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor tweeted:

    “Amazing. So the PM (who will not even name the state that has encroached upon our land) is planning a war against an Unnamed Enemy, over territory he claims has never been taken, on a date that only he knows? So is this what he meant by “minimal government”!?” he said while referring to Swatantra Dev Singh’s remarks.

  • ‘Sabaat’ manages to tie up loose ends in a rushed finale

    ‘Sabaat’ manages to tie up loose ends in a rushed finale

    Sabaat, with its refreshing storyline and empowered female characters, won acclaim over the weeks for being different from other dramas being shown on television. It drew to a close Sunday night with a finale that felt a bit rushed but successfully managed to tie up loose ends.

    Warning: Spoilers ahead

    Miraal & Dr Haris

    The final episode of the drama saw Miraal (Sarah Khan) get involved in a car accident and damage her spinal cord which leaves her paralysed from the hip down. That one incident changes everything and gives all major characters in the series a happy ending. When Miraal regains consciousness after her accident, she discovers that her current love interest and ex-fiancé Ali, who was driving the car has run away, while her estranged husband Dr Haris (Usman Mukhtar) is by her side. She realises that she has done wrong to a lot of people and starts redeeming herself – first by telling Hasan (Ameer Gilani) that she was the one who ruined his relationship with Anaya (Mawra Hocane) and then apologising to Anaya personally (That one scene was very well executed). Later, she also seeks forgiveness from her husband, who she was seeking khula from. Everything comes full circle and all characters in the series get a happy ending, including Anaya’s mother (Simi Raheal).

    Anaya and Hassan

    Though in its essence, Sabaat is a family drama with all the usual tropes like a mistrusting husband, nand-bhabhi tensions, etc, its treatment was what set it apart from other dramas. Besides, the drama resonated well with audiences because of its realistic presentation.

    Sabaat was beautifully written by Kashif Anwar (Fun fact – Kashif played Yasir Qureshi in the drama), with some impactful dialogues and brilliant story development (I will forgive the makers for stretching the drama in the last few episodes). The performances were solid – it will not be wrong to say that Mawra Hocane delivered her career-best performance as the quiet but headstrong Anaya, while Sarah Khan played the manipulative and spoilt Miraal to perfection. The boys (Ameer and Usman) also gave great performances and Usman, in particular, blew me away. Not only was Dr Haris an incredibly likable character but Usman also did complete justice to it. I will never forget that tear that dropped from his eye when he received the divorce papers. Laila Zuberi and Simi Raheel were wonderful as the supportive and encouraging mothers while Moazzam Ali Khan was brilliant as the arrogant Fareed Sahab.

    Another reason why the drama stood out was because of its strong and empowered female characters. Though Anaya was a mild-natured person, she did not resort to being a bechari when things went bad and made the best of her circumstances. Even Hassan and Dr Haris were a rare breed – they were shown as sensitive and caring individuals. It is unusual to come across such characters on Pakistani television these days.

    Personally, what I liked best about Sabaat was that nothing about it was over-the-top. Even in her angriest moments, Miraal was restrained and did not resort to screaming (read: screeching) like a mad person.

    Read more – ‘Sabaat’ will have you hooked

    The OST and background music was lovely and perfectly complemented the drama and storyline. Also a shoutout to the drama’s styling team – Miraal’s wardrobe was amazing. I loved each and every outfit and Sarah carried them all so well.

    Sabaat is definitely one for the keeps and is highly recommended. For me, it is going in the same category as Humsafar, Diyaar-e-Dil, Yakeen ka Safar, Ehd-e-Wafa and Zindagi Gulzar Hai.

  • Blasphemy protests: Qureshi wants non-existent Pakistani envoy back from France

    Blasphemy protests: Qureshi wants non-existent Pakistani envoy back from France

    As calls for a boycott of France grow following the publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Pakistan parliament has passed a resolution, urging the state to recall its ambassador stationed in Paris.

    However, the resolution moved by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi willfully ignored the fact that Pakistan has no ambassador in Paris for the past three months. Moin-ul-Haq, who was heading the Pakistani mission in France, was transferred to China in August.

    In the absence of the ambassador, Muhammad Amjad Aziz Qazi, who is deputy head of the mission, is looking after the affairs of the embassy till the new appointment.

    Geo News reported FM Qureshi was aware of the fact that the Pakistan embassy in France is without an ambassador but he didn’t oblige the house by passing on the information.

    The resolution didn’t mention the expulsion of the French envoy in Islamabad as it thinks it would be an “extreme step”.

    On Monday, Pakistan had summoned French envoy to register a protest for hurting sentiments of Muslims around the world.

    Qureshi had said that it was time to make a collective decision on the sensitive issue. “Civilised nations should respect Muslim sentiments,” he had added.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has also condemned Macron, saying that the French president “attacked Islam” by encouraging the display of the blasphemous caricatures.

  • Police arrest man who allegedly robbed house disguised as a woman

    Police arrest man who allegedly robbed house disguised as a woman

    Police arrested a man in Mardan who has been accused of robbing a house dressed up as a woman on Saturday.

    As per reports, the accused identified as Fawad Khan was arrested by police after a complaint registered by Misbahullah, a resident of Garhi Daulatzai. 

    The complainant had alleged that a man had broken into his house late at night dressed up as a woman and robbed the women of his household of jewellery at gunpoint. 

    VIDEO – Thief arrested after falling asleep in AC room during robbery

    Following the charges, police made a team under DSP Sheikh Maltoon Circle Shabbir Ahmad to work out the case. The cops have started investigating the incident. 

    Police then arrested Khan, who is a resident of Garhi Ismailzai of Mardan District.