As this year’s spell of monsoon rains wreaks havoc in Karachi, flooded roads and houses, clogged drains and power outages have been disrupting Karachiites’ routine for the past few days.
Amid all this, the city’s residents found themselves in added misery as there is also hours-long power outages. Most of them have taken to Twitter to share the current situation of the city and express their outrage over the situation. K-electric has said that “power will be restored as soon as it is safe to do”.
Rains stopped af 9pmanx water drained by 10pm. @KElectricPk but our supply is remains off. Why,!? No reply to dm or tweets either. Why,? Why is @KElectricPk not restoring our supply and until when are we to wait, sleepless in the dark??
Actor Ushna Shah also tweeted: “Excuses excuses guys. No flooding in Phase 6 and no power since almost 20 hours now.” She added that DM (direct message) is also of no use.
Excuses excuses guys. No flooding in phase 6 and no power since almost 20 hours now.
It hasn’t even rained that much in PECHS block 2 compared to the other areas and there is no water stranded anywhere in the entire block 2 and 3 area still there is no light since 11am yesterday.
Later, K-Electric said that “several areas remain inaccessible due to high water level” and that “power will continue to remain closed until all standing water is cleared”.
While power has been restored where possible, KE teams are coordinating with relevant authorities to ensure swift power restoration to other locations. Power will continue to remain closed until all standing water is cleared. #SafetyFirst#HumAapHain (2/2)
With rains lashing Karachi, as many as 19 people died in various rain-related incidents in the port city on Thursday, taking the tally of deaths during the three-day monsoon spell in the city to 30.
Meteorological officials said downpours in August have shattered the 90-year-old record for the city. Some 484mm (19 inches) of rain has fallen this month so far, 130mm on Thursday alone, they said.
According to data released by the Met Office, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base recorded 130 millimetres of rain while Nazimabad has recorded 105.6mm since Thursday morning. Mausamiyat received 74.3mm of rain, while Saadi Town recorded 72mm. About 98.5mm of rain was recorded in PAF Masroor Base, Surjani received 73mm while Kemari recorded 82.5mm.
Many major arteries witnessed severe traffic jams. Power was suspended in several areas as a precautionary measure, a K-Electric spokesperson said. Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Suhail Rajput urged people not to leave their homes during the spell which, according to a Met Office prediction, is expected to continue for another two days.
Videos and photos making rounds on social media showed submerged cars and motorcycles and water entering houses and buildings, wreaking havoc in the provincial capital.
Given the devastation in Karachi, several celebrities and notable personalities including Feroze Khan, Shahid Afridi, Fatima Bhutto, Ayesha Omar, Samina Peerzada and Ali Safina have lashed out at the Sindh Government for being incompetent and “destroying” the city.
Feroze expressed his outrage by hitting out at PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and demanding answers from him and his government.
– do you even know anything? What’s been up all these years in Sindh ? What’s your party been really doing handing out ajrak’s ?? Where did the tax go ? Zero infrastructure ?? My city and the people both are underwater Mr.Zardari. https://t.co/f4wlrn4zXS
When a Twitter user asked him to hold the PTI government accountable as well, Khan said that they “have literally just come in and I at least can’t expect them to over night work everything around”.
– they have literally just come in and I at least can’t expect them to over night work everything around and turn this place into Dubai ? PPP and MUSLIM LEAGUE (N) should be held responsible. https://t.co/AQqzu3fK4O
Former captain Shahid Afridi expressed his disappointment with the management and those in charge of the city.
“Who will save Karachi,” questioned the cricketer. It is pertinent to mention here that Afridi’s foundation Shahid Afridi Foundation has stepped up to help those affected by the flooding in the city.
کاش دنیا کے کسی میٹروپولیٹن سے ہی سیکھ لیں، مصنوعی جھیلیں بنا لیں۔ کیا یہ ہمارا قصور ہے کہ رہنے کے لئے اس شہر کا انتخاب کیا، یہاں ٹیکس دیتے ہیں لیکن بدلے میں انتظامیہ کون سی ذمہ داری پوری کرتی ہے؟ کراچی کو کچراچی بنانے والوں کے گریبان پر ہاتھ کون ڈالے گا؟ #WhoWillSaveKarachihttps://t.co/2VpaUozk97
With the videos I’m seeing, the stories I’m hearing, its a National Emergency situation. People are homeless, stuck on the streets, or being swept away. Are there relief packages being prepared? Is help coming? When? @MuradAliShahPPP#SindhGovt#KarachiSinks#KarachiRain
#Karachi had an estimated GDP of $164 billion approximately 25% of the national GDP. The metropolitan city, The financial hub of #Pakistan dose not deserve to be treated like this. Sorry #Karachi corrupt politicians and negligence has brought you down to this #FixKarachi
Please Karachi walo, issay bhoolna mat!! I’ve seen the city move on because they’ve gotten to see this too often and they’ve learnt to move on but not this time. #KarachiRains
Inn corrupt siasatdanoN key liye protest or march bhee ghareeb karta hei, inkey liye Ek doosray sey larayee hathaapayee bhe ghareeb karta hei aur jab inki corruption ki waja sey baarishoN ke paani ka sailaab aata hei toh doobta bhee sabsey pehle bechara ghareeb hey.#KarachiSinks
Not sure whether 2 laugh at our fate or cry: Karachi the metropolitan center of Pakistan still not equipped 2 store rainwater, water-shortages r part of daily life here & is still not equipped to drain monsoon rains which cause damage & claim lives every year. #KarachiSinks
An absolutely heartbreaking state of affairs! #Karachi needs immediate attention followed by urgent corrective action. The situation resulting from the absolute apathy of those in positions power must change. Enough of all the tall claims – time to walk the talk.
Meanwhile, other celebrities including Humayun Saeed, Wasim Akram, Shaniera Akram, Farhan Saeed, Ali Rehman Khan, Ali Zafar, Bilal Ashraf, Hira Mani and Maya Ali sent prayers for the city and those affected by the catastrophic rains.
Prayers for everyone’s safety and well-being. Please help anyone you can in whatever way possible in this extremely challenging situation. May Allah protect us all
Can’t believe the footage coming out of Karachi. Bypass’ filled with water, ship containers & cars floating down highways, back yards become pools & street turned into rivers: The city that has no water is now under water. My Prayers are with you Karachi
Dear All, it is extreme rain today, the Hub Dam has already overflow.Take special care, don’t take this rain as fun, Karachi is not capable to deal with it. Stay Indoors, Stay Safe, take care of all people around you ..ALLH pak sab ko apni amaan mey rakhay ameen
– I have been hearing nothing but absolutely gruesome accounts of people grappling with the Monsoon back home. Hope everyone is doing the best to keep safe, let this be the end of our trials and prayers for all! #StaySafeStayHome#KarachiNeedsAttention#KarachiRains
Seeing images & videos of my city drowning. So heartbreaking to see no one own Karachi. The city that gives so much, has lost when it needed us yet again. I pray for everybody in my city , please stay safe. Ya ALLAH Karachi ko iss mushkil waqt se bachayen, Aameen. #KarachiRains
Apart from being the year of coronavirus and various other mishaps, 2020 will also be remembered as the year of babies – celebrity babies to be precise given the number of announcements and babies we have seen this year.
Here is a list of celebrity couples who have just had a baby or are expecting one.
Momal and her husband Nader welcomed a baby girl, who they have named Aleya, on August 20. This is the couple’s second child together. They also have a son named Ibrahim.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEmTNuhDxvF/
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli
Anushka and Virat just announced that they are expecting their first baby in January 2021. The couple tied the knot in December 2017.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom welcomed a baby girl on the same day (August 27) Anushka and Virat announced their pregnancy. The couple has named their daughter Daisy Dove Bloom.
Orlando confirmed the news by sharing a post by charity Unicef, of which the couple are ambassadors.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEYSKzEpWzS/
Katy first revealed her pregnancy in a music video for her track Never Worn White in March.
Mohammad Amir
Cricketer Mohammad Amir and his wife Narjis Amir were blessed with a baby girl in July. This is the couple’s second child together – they have another daughter named Minsa.
Kareena and Saif on August 13 announced that they are expecting their second child. The couple, who are also parents to four-year-old Taimur, in an official statement said: “We are very pleased to announce that we are expecting an addition to our family! Thank you to all our well-wishers for all their love and support.”
Saif recently celebrated his 50th birthday.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD8NXeYJ36H/
Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry welcomed their first child – a daughter named Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran – in late August.
Sheeran said the couple was on “cloud nine” after their daughter’s arrival.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEliNEOBw3O/
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik
Gigi is just days away from welcoming her first child – a girl – with boyfriend, Zayn Malik, and she finally shared some pictures of her baby bump. The model, who is due in September, spent the majority of her pregnancy on her family’s Pennsylvania farm during the pandemic. The couple has reportedly traveled back to New York City, where the 25-year-old plans to give birth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEWoTaynvz2/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CEWorgXniHr/
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas welcomed their daughter Willa on Wednesday, July 22, at a Los Angeles-area hospital.
Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara
Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix and his fiancé Rooney Mara are reportedly expecting their first child together. According to details, Mara was “about six months along” in May. This child will be the first for both Mara and Phoenix.
Nicki Minhaj
Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth “Zoo” Petty are expecting their first child together. The news 10 months after Minaj, 37, announced that she is retiring to focus on her family.
Heavy rain pounded in Karachi for hours today (Thursday), flooding roads and underpasses and creating chaos in the port city.
According to the Met Office, Karachi experienced record torrential rains this year and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has declared an emergency across the province while roof-collapse, electrocution and drowning incidents make headlines. Power outages are also spelling misery for residents of the city.
Many people took to social media to show the current situation in the port city.
Mehwish Hayat has lashed out at Indian media for spreading fake news about her, saying that she will not “give credence to the unfounded accusations by issuing a statement”.
The actor in clear cut words stated that she knew why she was the target of fake news and said that “this kind of gutter journalism will not shut me up”.
“I will continue to highlight their atrocities in Kashmir and to call out Bollywood for its hypocrisy,” added Mehwish, before concluding her tweet on a light note. Mehwish has always raised her voice for the plight of the Kashmiris and has been a vocal critic of Muslim and Pakistani representation in Bollywood movies. She had even called out Shah Rukh Khan for fuelling propaganda after his series Bard of Blood was released on Netflix.
I will continue to highlight their atrocities in Kashmir and to call out Bollywood for its hypocrisy. Oh BTW next time if you want to link my name with someone .. may I suggest @LeoDiCaprio ?
Mehwish’s remarks come after Indian media linked the actor to the notorious Indian crime boss and drug dealer Dawood Ibrahim. The story which was carried by all leading Indian media outlets claimed that Mehwish and Ibrahim are in a relationship and that all her movies are funded by him. The report further stated that Mehwish was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz because of Ibrahim’s influence.
It is pertinent to mention here that Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, in an interview, had shared that he was the one who had recommended Hayat for the prestigious honour.
“Mehwish Hayat is brilliant. As [information] minister, I recommended her name for Sitara-e-Imtiaz even though I had never met her, until recently”, the minister had said, adding that he had recommended her because her films do exceptional business.
What is interesting to note is that the story was not credited to any source and is baseless. Indian media is well-known for resorting to fake news to push forward propaganda.
Meanwhile, check out the video below see how the Indian media lost it during India-Pakistan tensions:
Three sisters from Lahore are driving rickshaws to earn a living after being affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to reports, Nasreen Bibi, Saima Khatun, and Shahnaz Bibi started their work after buying rickshaws in installments. Speaking to Independent Urdu, Nasreen said: “I am the only breadwinner of my family. My children are young, and I have no one to support me financially.”
Nasreen said that one of her sister’s husband had died, and the other sister’s husband is unwell, so the siblings decided to go out and earn a living through rickshaw rides.
“I first learned how to drive a rickshaw and then bought one in monthly installments of Rs 5,000 ” said Nasreen.
The sisters thought of providing rickshaw rides when the lockdown was lifted.
“We had no income. I started driving a rickshaw so I would be able to earn money and educate my children,” Saima shared.
The Punjab government has decided to suspend cellphone and wireless phone services in the areas surrounding the routes of Muharram 9 and 10 (Saturday and Sunday) processions, a notification stated.
Multiple reports suggest the government has been proposed to suspend the service only in the areas where Majalis and the Muharram procession would be held.
According to the notification, the Punjab government has sought timings and further details from the district administrations of the seven cities — Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sheikhupura, Jehlum, Chiniot, Okara and Bahawalpur — where cellular services will be suspended.
The notification also directs district administrations to keep the provincial government in the loop while taking steps in this regard. It further says to send timings, during which the service will remain unavailable, to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
It is worth mentioning that mobile services are suspended every year during Ashura as part of security measures. However, it is expected that people will face fewer problems as the federal government has declared the two days as public holidays.
In the past, mobile phone service used to remain suspended till the processions reach their respective destinations, but for the last few years, it was observed that the service was suspended in the selective areas or for less duration as the security situation has improved over the years.
The federal government has reportedly decided to restructure and empower the country’s premium moon-sighting body, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC), by replacing its Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman and most of his peers.
The RHC was established in 1974 under a resolution passed by the National Assembly (NA) but no rules and regulations for the functioning of the committee have been drafted to date.
Reports by multiple media outlets quoted sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs as saying that a summary has been prepared along with a new bill seeking to reconstitute the moon sighting body and its Terms of Reference (ToRs).
The summary, along with the draft bill, has been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for further deliberations and legal opinions. Imprisonment of five years besides a fine of Rs50,000 to Rs200,000 has also been proposed in case of a parallel announcement in contradiction with the government committee.
The draft mentioned that the incumbent chairman and members of the RHC would be replaced, while some existing and new religious scholars would be inducted in the committee.
It may be noted that reshuffling in the committee is said to be occurring due to the differences in dates of moon-sighting following Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry’s criticism over old-fashioned and outdated moon-sighting techniques rather than relying upon the scientific technology.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on August 26, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Trump Ka Aik Crore Naukriyo Ka Naara’
It has been reported by Daily Jang that Donald Trump has promised to provide one crore (10 million) jobs if he wins the presidential election scheduled for November 3.
‘Wazire Azam K Sath Dhoka’
According to Daily Jang, Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed has said, “Mein zaati taur pr Nawaz Sharif ko bahar janay ki ijaazat denay ka haami tha… woh yahaan rahein yaa Bartania mein, iss se koi farq nahi parrta… yeh sarrkoon pay aanay wali jamaat nahi hai. Wazire azam ko Nawaz Sharif k bahar janay ka afsos hai aur unko andaaza hogya tha inn k sath dhoka hua hai… log deal k beghair bahar nahi jatay, kahin naa kahin mamla tay hota hai.”
‘Usman Buzdar Doosro Se Behtar’
Prominent journalist Saleem Safi, in his column for Daily Jang, has said, “Karkardagi k lihaz se sab se zyada aitraz Usman Buzdar pr ho rha hai halaan k ap kisi bhi mayar pr parkhein tou KP aur Balochistan k wazire aala ki karkardagi Buzdar Sahib se kai guna kharaab hai. Buzdar Sahib ne kuch naya nahi kia tou pehle se bani cheezo ko tabah bhi nahi kia… KP mein pehle se qayim idaaro ko tabah kia gya jab k Balochistan tou har hawaly se tabah-haal hai… lekin siyasat aur media mein tabsara sirf Punjab aur Buzdar Sahib ka hota hai.”
Hamza Ali Abbasi and Naimal Khawar are celebrating their first wedding anniversary with their bundle of joy Muhammad Mustafa Abbasi.
The happy couple shared pictures of their family celebrations on social media and thanked Allah for His blessings.
“And one of his signs is that he created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may take comfort in them and he placed between you Love & Mercy. In this there is surely evidence of Truth for those who ponder.” Quran 30:21..1st Anniversary❤ Thankyou Allah! pic.twitter.com/cu9DfOwZ4r
Hamza and Naimal, who are currently residing in Dallas, Texas as Hamza studies religion at the Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning, announced the birth of their child on August 3. Naimal later shared that Mustafa was born on July 30.
The couple tied the knot on August 25, 2019 in a simple and intimate ceremony with only their closest friends and family present.
In November 2019, Hamza had announced that he was quitting acting to focus on his spiritual journey. He was last seen in the drama serial Alif opposite Sajal Aly. Meanwhile, his upcoming film The Legend of Maula Jatt is expected to release sometime this year.
“I had this divine revelation some time back, that all that I am doing in this world will end the moment I die,” Hamza had said in a video message, adding that death is inevitable.
“All these trophies, all these accolades will not bring me any good on the day of judgment when I meet my Maker. I have decided that I want to leave everything that might be a hurdle when it comes to making my matters easier on the day of Judgment.”
Hamza later clarified that he will not be quitting but will instead focus on making videos to spread the message of Islam and inspire others to undertake this spiritual journey.
