A study published in Oxford University Press’ Journal of Public Health has found that 36% of Karachi’s residents have coronavirus antibodies and if current trends continue, there is lower chance of a second wave hitting the city due to the masses having achieved herd immunity.
Herd immunity is a form of indirect protection from a contagious disease that occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population has become immune to an infection, whether through vaccination or previous infections, thereby reducing the likelihood of infection for individuals who lack immunity.
Herd immunity develops when a significant chunk of the population has developed antibodies of a disease following infection, thereby reducing the chance of passing it on to others, which the researchers say is 60-70% of the population.
According to the study, conducted between May and July, if 36% of the adult population of Karachi is supposed to be seropositive (positive for COVID-19), then it can be assumed that in the next two-to-three months “∼60% of general population will become seropositive”.
“This assumption or theory if proven right then it will reduce the chance of a second wave in Karachi and increase the possibility of acquiring herd immunity,” the paper adds.
Anadolu Agencyquoted lead researcher, Dr Samreen Zaidi, as saying that further studies show that the seroprevalence rate has reached 60%, as was expected.
“We, on the basis of a gradual drop in cases, and other relevant factors, assume that there are low chances of a second wave of coronavirus,” Zaidi told Anadolu Agency.
However, she acknowledged: “Assumptions are assumptions.”
“The only limitation of this study is that our sample size is small. Therefore, we have recommended further and wide-ranging research on the government level to double-check the results of this study,” she said.
Hematologist and head of NIBD, Dr Tahir Shamsi, also claimed that the country has “almost” attained herd immunity, indicating that there are low chances of a second wave of the pandemic.
“The data this study shows is until July. We are in September now, and the latest statistics, and testing results suggest that the seroprevalence or immunity rate is almost 60% now,” Shamsi told Anadolu Agency.
He said the latest findings would be published after a month.
An All-Parties Conference (APC) took place on Sunday. Hosted by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the moot was attended by all major opposition parties.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif addressed the conference via video link. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Mohsin Dawar and several other opposition leaders also participated.
It was, however, Nawaz’s speech that set the tone, reflecting in the APC’s joint resolution.
Just days ago, the APC was being dismissed as just another show without much substance but the former prime minister’s speech changed that perception. The foremost reason why the APC was being dubbed a mere show was due to the opposition’s failure in the Senate (no-confidence move) and the passage of the recent FATF bills in the joint session despite protests. The opposition may not have been successful in these two endeavours but they seem to be on a mission now and they want to do it before the Senate elections in March 2021.
Nawaz said their struggle is not against Imran Khan but against those who brought Imran Khan to power by manipulating the elections. He said there is now a parallel government because there is “a state above the state now”.
The 26-point charter of demands by the APC announced the formation of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which will be an anti-government movement. APC resolution states that the establishment’s role in politics must end. All state institutions should stay within their constitutional limitations. It also mentions how media is facing the worst censorship, the opposition demands that accountability of Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa be ensured, among other things.
The way the government has reacted to the APC and especially Nawaz’s speech shows there is panic among their ranks. From calling the APC “a flimsy attempt to put pressure on the government to back off on accountability” to asking institutions to take notice of Nawaz’s speech, it is quite evident that the opposition has unnerved the government.
The opposition has also given a roadmap and an action plan for the future. From countrywide protests starting soon to resignations from assemblies to vote of no-confidence to a long march in January, the opposition says all democratic options to get rid of the government are on the cards.
It seems that the opposition has decided to finally get serious. It remains to be seen how it all pans out and whether they will give real tough time to the government in the coming weeks and months. But the opposition cannot be written off.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has allotted Rs 50 million for the renovation and restoration of 15 historical sites in the province including the Kapoor Haveli and Dilip Kumar’s house located in Peshawar’s historical Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
According to a report in The Express Tribune, the ancestral homes of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar are among the 15 historical sites recently identified for restoration by the KP government. It is pertinent to mention here that while Kumar’s residence was declared protected heritage by the Directorate of Archaeology and Tourism in 2013 and later a protected monument, under the Antiquity Act 1997, the Kapoor Haveli was reported to have been converted into a museum in 2012. Despite the special status awarded to the buildings, little to no attention was paid to them and the former residences of the Bollywood stars currently stand in dilapidated conditions. Officials have often cited a lack of resources and funds and legalities surrounding buildings’ ownership as the reason behind their dismal condition.
But as per the latest details, the archaeology department of the province has forwarded a recommendation to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan under which the provincial government will buy the two buildings and restore them.
“The buildings’ ownership had been a long-standing hurdle in the way of their restoration. Certain individuals had claimed their right over the historic properties and there had also been attempted demolitions in the past. But now that the Directorate of Archaeology and Tourism has decided to buy the building and start the long overdue renovation work, the buildings are also expected to open their doors to tourists in the near future,” an official of the archaeology department told the publication, adding that the buildings hold great historic value.
Kapoor Haveli located in Dhakki Munawwar Shah locality is the birthplace of Raj Kapoor, who is considered to be the greatest showman of the subcontinent cinema.
Directorate of Archaeology Director Dr Abdul Samad also shared that restoration work at Peshawar’s ancient Mahabat Khan Mosque is already underway.
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday urged the KP government to acquire and preserve the historic Kapoor Haveli.
In a statement, the party’s provincial spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour said that the archaeology department was not taking any action to preserve the Kapoor Haveli, adding that the provincial government had been claiming that it had allocated funds for its preservation. Bilour said these claims were incorrect as the building was still private property and funds cannot be allocated for private property. She also offered assistance to the KP government in the conservation of this heritage site.
Earlier in 2018, Rishi Kapoor had requested the Government of Pakistan to preserve his ancestral home and convert it into a museum.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi, at that time, had said, “There was a call from Rishi Kapoor. He requested that his family’s home in Peshawar should be made into a museum or some sort of institution. We have accepted his request.”
Similarly, Shehryar Afridi, who was serving as the Interior Minister at that time had shared that the actor had called him personally with his request.
“He had called me and talked about making his ancestral home into a museum. Now the federal and provincial governments are working on this and will transform the house into a museum soon,” Afridi had stated.
Rishi had last visited Pakistan with Shashi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor in 1990. They had travelled to Peshawar to see their family’s house and also took some soil from the house to keep their heritage intact. In 2017, Rishi had expressed his desire to visit Pakistan again before he dies but his wish remained unfulfilled as he passed away in April 2020.
Somebody sent this. Picture showing Randhir and me outside the Kapoor Haveli, Peshawar.Warmly greeted as seen in pic pic.twitter.com/TjfugQ9daw
“Not my finest hour,” says Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as he posts a picture of a broken gate on Instagram.
The 48-year-old then reveals that he literally tore down his own front gate after a power outage caused by a storm rendered it inoperable.
“Not my finest hour, but a man’s gotta go to work,” said Johnson in his caption. “We experienced a power outage due to severe storms, causing my front gate not to open. I tried to override the hydraulic system to open the gates, which usually works when the power goes out — but this time it wouldn’t.”
“Made some calls to see how fast I can get the gate tech on-site, but I didn’t have 45min to wait,” Johnson continued. “By this time, I know I have hundreds of production crew members waiting for me to come to work so we can start our day.”
“So I did what I had to do,” he remarked. “I pushed, pulled and ripped the gate completely off myself. Ripped it completely out of the brick wall, severed the steel hydraulics and threw it on the grass. My security team was able to meet the gate technician and welders about an hour later — and they were apparently, ‘in disbelief and equally scared’.”
Johnson concluded his caption with a plug for his upcoming role as the titular DC superhero in Black Adam.
“And I think I’m one hundred percent ready to be Black Adam,” wrote the actor.
His post has over four million likes with his followers expressing their disbelief at his actions.
Johnson has the honour of being Hollywood’s highest-paid actor two years in a row now, pulling in over $87 million from June 2019 to June 2020.
This makes us wonder what he would do during frequent power outages in Pakistan.
Fahad Mustafa was not joking when he said that Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad will have ‘Mission Impossible type’ stunts – because BTS images and videos hint that the film is packed with a lot of action.
Mahira Khan recently shared a video of herself riding a bike with the caption: “I learned how to ride a bike for Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. This video was my second day of lessons…so you can imagine how good I actually am.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFUr3LDpKZV/
“I also got a certificate after completing all my lessons,” she added. The actor also shared that she was mentored by trainers at the Pink Riders Pakistan, an institute that helps women across the country learn how to ride motorbikes.
Addressing her co-star Fahad, Mahira also said: “Ajaa meri motor bike pe beth ja.”
In response, Fahad remarked, “Helmet khareed loon. Let me think about it, Mahira. Gira na dena.”
The film’s director Nabeel Qureshi commented that Mahira should have put a song behind the video.
Meanwhile, Mahira’s friends Adeel Hussain and Aima Baig admired the actor’s motorcycle driving skills.
Mahira’s upcoming film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad was scheduled to hit screens on Eidul Azha but because of the coronavirus lockdown, its release was delayed. Latest reports have suggested that the film’s makers are eyeing a December 2020 release now.
In an unexpected development, former prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif, who has been residing in London ever since he was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment despite conviction in corruption cases, on Saturday joined microblogging website Twitter.
PML-N vice president and daughter of the 70-year-old thrice-PM took to Twitter to announce the development that pundits believe could mean a comeback for Nawaz who has been out of the political landscape of the country ever since he was disqualified by the Supreme Court (SC) in the Panama Papers case.
Happy & privileged to announce that in order to stay connected to the people of Pakistan, MNS has decided to join Twitter. His Twitter handle is @NawazSharifMNS#TwitterWelcomesNawazSharif
“Happy and privileged to announce that in order to stay connected to the people of Pakistan, MNS [Mian Nawaz Sharif] has decided to join Twitter. His Twitter handle is @NawazSharifMNS,” Maryam Nawaz tweeted.
The development comes a day after it was announced that Nawaz will attend the upcoming all parties conference (APC) via video link.
Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had disclosed on his social media handle that he had called the PML-N founder to invite him to virtually attend the upcoming opposition parties’ confab.
Just spoke to Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif. Enquired about his health. Also invited him to virtually attend opposition APC, hosted by PPP, on 20th September.
Yet another proud moment for Pakistan! Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has reportedly been roped in by Disney+ as one of the directors of the Ms Marvel series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chinoy along with Meera Menon, Adil El Arbi, and Bilall Fallah have been assembled to bring the Pakistani-American superhero’s story to the screen. While Arbi and Fallah are the team behind this year’s Bad Boys for Life, Menon has worked on episodes of The Walking Dead, The Punisher, Titans, Dirty John, and Outlander.
Marvel Studios’ first onscreen Muslim hero, Ms Marvel was introduced in 2014. Written by Bisha K. Ali and co-created by Marvel editor and director Sana Amanat, Ms Marvel is about Kamala Khan, a teen based in New Jersey who one day discovers that she has superpowers. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has said that in addition to appearing on the small screen, Kamala Khan will be included in future Marvel films.
The studio is currently searching for an actor to play the hero, whose comics have explored her identity as a Pakistani-American living in a religious family while trying to find her own way.
A celebrated documentarian, Sharmeen took home Oscars for 2015’s A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness, which explored the aftermath of an attempted honour killing, and 2012’s Saving Face, which highlighted acid attacks on women in Pakistan. The Pakistani-Canadian filmmaker also won Emmys for both projects and has collected a total of six in her career.
Meanwhile, Sharmeen’s team has said that the development has not yet been confirmed by Disney+.
Sultan of Swing Wasim Akram has a fine sense of humour and his latest video addressed to social media trolls is proof of that.
Akram, who has been keeping fans updated with his daily workouts, posted a video in which he is saying: “This is to motivate you. Our goal is to live a healthy life. That’s the idea. I’ll be 55 soon, so why not? Sometimes it’s an effort, but you got to do it.”
“You know, people sometimes abuse you on Facebook and Instagram. For them, I have a message: Batameezi sirf buzdil log kartay hain (only cowards are ill-mannered). This [your words] only shows your background. I feel for your elders.”
He continued: “Some people also criticised me for not wearing a shirt while in the pool because I’m a Muslim.”
“Ghalti hogayi payen, next time three-piece suit. Woh bhi nahi pasand tey ghagra pa lawan ga,” joked the former cricketer.
He concluded by saying: “[You] don’t think before speaking or writing. Classic.”
Social media users couldn’t get enough of Akram’s video and took to Twitter to appreciate it. Check out some of the reactions below:
Omg @wasimakramlive this is brilliant !!! Loving these vid clips! Let’s hope people learn from these messages & yes… classic comment at the end … can’t stop laughing! https://t.co/fL66j9dVuj
ARY Digital‘s dramas are usually high on masala and Nand is no exception. Featuring Faiza Hasan, Shahroz Sabzwari, Minal Khan, Aijaz Aslam, Maha Hasan, and Ayaz Samoo in the lead, Nand tells the tale of three couples, Gohar (Hasan) and Jehangir (Aslam), Saqib (Sabzwari) and Rabi (Khan), and Hasan (Samoo) and Farwa (Maha). The main focus is the problems in Rabi and Farwa’s marital lives caused by their vile nand (sister-in-law), Gohar, who is estranged from her husband, Jehangir, and lives with her brothers.
Hasan and Saqib
As the main antagonist, Gohar is domineering, jealous, and unsympathetic. She is driven by an uncontrollable urge to disintegrate her brother Saqib’s marriage with Rabi, ironically a girl of her own choosing. Gohar frequently mistreats the mild and unassuming Rabi as Saqib, who prefers to appease his temperamental sister instead of supporting his wife, fails to stand by her. In a crass and rather senseless ode to Star Plus, Gohar successfully causes Rabi to miscarry by premeditating her accident.
Gohar
A few episodes later, Saqib defers to Gohar in divorcing Rabi. Gohar is now eyeing the demise of her younger brother Hasan’s marriage, who married a girl he liked. Although Hasan is shown to be assertive and exercising independent judgment frequently – much to the dislike of his sister – Gohar doesn’t leave a chance to poison his relationship with his wife. However, Farwa’s no-nonsense attitude kindles hope for a better ending to her story compared to Rabi, who lets things happen to her and grieves her poor fate later.
Rabi
With basic plot details out of the way, let us just say that Nand is no different than conventional Pakistani dramas in its disregard for intelligence, nuance, thoughtful writing, and the changes taking place around us that should ideally figure in our storytelling.
The characters in Nand are unidimensional. Morality is either possessed or unpossessed, whereas the aurat aurat ki dushman trope is alive and kicking. The concept of character arcs does not exist. Hence, both good and bad characters are unhinged in their virtue and vice. We also do not know why these characters are the way they are or what experiences inform their respective outlooks on life. On the one hand, the drama’s villain, Gohar, played brilliantly by Faiza Hasan, arouses hate and disgust through her conniving ways, while on the other, her incredulous brothers (especially Saqib), are shown to be deserving of sympathy, of being let off the hook because evil Gohar incites them to do bad things. Naturally, this means that the flaws in these men’s personalities causing trouble—i.e., lack of judgment, chauvinism, and sense of entitlement—remain unaddressed. After all, what good is a vamp if the moral agency of other characters were to remain intact?
Farwa
The notoriety in Nand does not end here. The drama sensationalizes domestic violence and promotes zero accountability for this wretched behavior in which siblings Gohar, Saqib, and Hasan engage against Rabi and Farwa.
Most importantly, Nand is outrageous in its portrayal of divorce and iddat. One fine day, Gohar accuses Rabi of having an affair with her husband, Jehangir. A yelling match ensues and culminates in Saqib throwing the ‘T word’ thrice towards Rabi, in a fit of rage. ‘Triple talaq’ or instant divorce is a deeply contentious issue among Muslims and does not enjoy universality – it is not as straightforward as this drama depicts it to be. In fact, the practice of ‘triple talaq’ defies common sense in that the pronouncement of divorce takes precedence over the intent to divorce. An Islamic marriage solemnizes between two sane, mentally and emotionally mature adults, who accept each other as spouses in the presence of witnesses. Apart from that, it is recommended that the rights and obligations of spouses with respect to maintenance, spending, and child-rearing be settled before a marriage takes place. How can marriage, (ideally) conducted with such elaborate procedures and planning, end at once in triple pronouncements of talaq, that too in fits of rage or humor? Why aren’t our dramas questioning this?
Jehangir and Saqib
There is also a constant emphasis on completing the traditional three-month waiting period (iddat) by Rabi’s family before she can step out of the house, meet someone, or work. The way Rabi is kept indoors is a painful reminder of how iddat is instrumentalized to deny mobility to women, even if temporarily. In many Pakistani households, older women who are decades past their reproductive years—read ineligible for iddat—are still made to observe complete waiting periods when they are widowed or divorced. Clearly, form is privileged over substance in matters of divorce and our creative industry is just as complacent as the rest of our society.
Despite its weaknesses, some viewers may still find Nand relatable. After all, entitled, abusive in-laws and husbands, are real and cause irreparable suffering to those at the lower rung of the domestic power ladder i.e., women and children. Having said that, transgressions within the family is a deeply sensitive and serious matter. Dramas touching upon it must offer intelligent, meticulous insight into the drivers of unsavory human behaviors instead of providing black-and-white explanations. This requires understanding that good and bad are never mutually exclusive or embedded in certain human relations by default. Additionally, to blame every misfortune on the villain’s machinations creates predictability and hampers the development of other characters. Not only should our drama writers understand such nuances, but they must also cultivate more insight into the ethical implications of their work.
Nandhas been written by Samina Aijaz and directed by Zeeshan Ali Zaidi.
The wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa has been stated to have a tax liability of Rs35 million on account of her foreign assets and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has slapped a penalty on her against the same amount.
According to reports, this was revealed in 164-page order issued by Inland Revenue and International Taxes Zone Commissioner Zulfiqar Ahmed on September 14.
While the decision may have bearing on Justice Isa’s future as a Supreme Court (SC) judge in line to become the chief justice of Pakistan, his wife Sarina Isa has accused the FBR as well as the federal government of mala fide abuse and announced she will challenge the decision at a higher forum.
In June this year, a 10-judge SC bench had suppressed a presidential reference that had accused Justice Isa of misconduct based on non-disclosure of his family’s offshore properties in his wealth statement.
However, the bench had also directed the FBR to investigate Isa’s familial assets abroad and submit a report to Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which is the constitutional forum with the authority to hold a superior court judge accountable.
Sarina, in a written statement, has cast doubt on the order and went on to accuse FBR official Zulfiqar Ahmed of creating “artificial tax liability of over Rs35 million” against her.
“I don’t even know if he wrote the order himself,” she added.
Under the apex court’s June 19 split order, Sarina may use all legal options against the FBR order.
Sarina went on to reject the FBR official’s referring to her alleged refusal to deliver the FBR notice, citing that her father had passed away on that day.
In the statement, she claimed that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan was leading a team aiming to victimise her husband and his family in a bid to remove Justice Isa from his position.
