Category: Uncategorized

  • PPP writes to ISI chief for action against Pakistan-based US blogger over tweet about Benazir Bhutto

    PPP writes to ISI chief for action against Pakistan-based US blogger over tweet about Benazir Bhutto

    Former ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has written to the director general (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), seeking action against Pakistan-based American blogger and columnist Cynthia D Ritchie over her “hateful comments and slander” against the late former prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto.

    As per the details, Ritchie made the comment on a tweet discussing the recent violent confrontation between model Uzma Khan and a woman named Amna Usman, who accused the model of having a relationship with her husband of 13 years and used this allegation to justify her violent treatment of the model.

    Ritchie’s tweet garnered a strong reaction from PPP leaders and supporters, with Sherry Rehman saying, “Attributing such filth to a champion for women’s rights, a martyred prime minister degrades the writer of this bot-handle more than anything else.”

    While Ritchie is since continuing her tirade against the PPP over the micro-blogging website, former PPP senator Sehar Kamran has written to spymaster Faiz Hameed, seeking an investigation into the “notorious activities” of Ritchie.

    In the letter, a copy of which is available with The Current, Kamran highlighted how the American columnist has “time and again instigated controversy” and is also playing a role in “deepening the civil-military divide”.

    “The imagery presented by her pictures with military leadership and senior bureaucracy, and access as a foreign tourist to generally sensitive locations ([erstwhile] FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas], Kashmir, etc) is deepening the civil-military divide by unnecessarily implicating national institutions as her support base. It may be useful at this juncture to further investigate all of Ms Ritchie’s activities, which I am certain range beyond her social media commentaries, to protect our national interests,” read the letter.

    The excerpt was followed by a list of questions:

    • Why and in what capacity is Ms Ritchie a resident in Pakistan?
    • What is the nature and duration of her visa status?
    • Who is her sponsor to this end?
    • A regular expat who initially introduced herself as a ‘tourist’ and a ‘belly dancer’ has somehow become embroiled in Pakistani politics, by her own assertion at the highest levels? How?
    • What Is the purpose behind her provoking public sentiment, and furthering bitterness in an already politically polarised society?
    • Furthermore, why is her vitriol targeted towards Sindh, and has conveniently emerged at a time when the province was receiving praise and support for its efforts in the fight against COVID-19?
    • What is the official government policy on the continued presence of such suspicious characters in Pakistan?

    While the PPP leader also sought Ritchie’s deportation, here’s what the blogger hit back with:

    As neither side appears to be going easy on each other, a war of words is continuing over Twitter.

    Separately, in a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), an advocate at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Islamabad president of the PPP, Shakeel Abbasi, has also sought action against Ritchie for her “very derogatory and slanderous remarks” about Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s marital life.

  • Ali Sethi’s new summer mix will make you want to go on a long drive

    Ali Sethi’s new summer mix will make you want to go on a long drive

    If you loved Ali Sethi’s Ishq, you’re in for a treat because the singer just dropped a more upbeat version of the song which according to Sethi is “something you can play on a long, sultry drive…or while dancing (in your head) with a deadly-beautiful beloved”.

    And we couldn’t agree more. Because the beat almost sent us into a trance.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAvE74RB10x/?utm_source=ig_embed

    The new version titled Ishq (Summer Nights Mix) has been mixed by Grammy-winning musician Noah Georgeson and Danish Khawaja. Georgeson has also produced the song.

    Listen to it here:

    Read more – Trending Ali Sethi sings a sixer for Coke Studio

    Not only that, Sethi has also announced that he will be releasing Dil Lagaayein‘s piano mix soon.

  • ‘There is no corona’: Mob attacks Karachi hospital as health workers remain at risk amid rising fatalities

    ‘There is no corona’: Mob attacks Karachi hospital as health workers remain at risk amid rising fatalities

    In yet another incident of a hospital being ransacked by survivors of a deceased coronavirus patient, a mob on Friday night attacked Civil Hospital Karachi while also harassing and attempting to assault the medical staff on duty.

    According to the hospital’s management, at least 70 people entered the hospital and took the body of the deceased from the emergency ward.

    The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Khadim Qureshi, reportedly confirmed the incident and said the police were asked to lodge an FIR [First Information Report] against those involved in the attack.

    No medical staffer were, however, injured in the attack.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Doctors are demanding security. It’s hard for them to work under this kind of situation,” Dr Qureshi said.

    Another doctor who was on duty at the time, said the incident took place at around 11 pm. He and other doctors on duty were also tortured and abused. “It’s the third time in a week, ” he claimed, alleging that the police deployed outside the hospital gate did not help the medical staff.

    While no arrests have been made as of yet and doctors have demanded deployment of Sindh Rangers for security, it is worth mentioning that it is not the first incident of its kind as hospitals across the country are being attacked every day amid the rising number of deaths due to COVID-19.

    Among other incidents being reported across the country, over a dozen people last week barged into and vandalised the isolation ward at Karachi’s Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) after a coronavirus patient being treated there died, officials said.

    Videos taken of the ward, where 37 coronavirus patients were being treated, after the attack showed pieces of glass, furniture and fans strewn on the floor. The glass windows of a counter were also shattered.

    Pakistan has so far reported 1,395 deaths due to the novel virus.

  • Young health workers who sacrificed their lives fighting COVID-19

    Young health workers who sacrificed their lives fighting COVID-19

    Coronavirus cases in Pakistan are on the rise and according to the latest numbers, there are 64,028 cases of COVID-19 in the country. Healthcare workers, who are fighting on the frontlines, have been badly affected by the virus.

    As per reports, until May 28, 17 medical professionals had died of COVID-19 in Pakistan out of the total 1,904 who tested positive; this figure included 299 nurses, 570 others healthcare staff and 1,035 doctors.

    This is the total data of medical staff, as far as young doctors are reported, many of these were among them who sacrificed their lives fighting against coronavirus.

    Here are a few young doctors who lost their lives because of this pandemic.

    Dr Sana Fatima

    The doctor lost her life due to coronavirus on May 29. She was admitted to Lahore General Hospital after being tested positive for Covid-19 on May 20.

    Salman Tahir

    Salman Tahir, an MBBS fourth-year student of a private medical college in Lahore, was admitted due to high fever, but due to the high viral load of the virus, he died in the ICU of a private hospital within 24 hours. Dr. Salman Tahir’s father Prof. Tahir Saleem is in charge of the pediatric ward in a private hospital while his mother Dr. Shabana is a gynecologist in a private hospital.

    Mussarat Dilbar

    Mussarat Dilbar, a nurse at the Kohat Development Authority (KDA) hospital, was tested positive for the virus a few days ago. She had been admitted to the facility but her health condition continued to worsen and on May 29, she succumbed to the virus.

    Dr Usama Riaz

    The 26-year-old was infected with the coronavirus while screening infected pilgrims who had returned from Iran and Iraq in Gilgit-Baltistan and lost his life to COVID-19 disease on March 22. He was among the first healthcare workers to succumb to the disease.

    Dr Rabia Tayyab

    26-year old Rabia Tayyab succumbed to coronavirus at Rawalpindi’s Holy Family Hospital after battling the infection for almost two weeks.

    The doctor, who hailed from Gujjar Khan, was the daughter of a renowned teacher Mohammad Tayyab. She graduated from the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College in Bahawalpur and was due to start her house job from May 1.

    Healthcare workers are risking their lives and fighting on the forefront to save us from COVID-19. We can play our part in controlling the spread of the virus by following the SOPs and precautionary measures issued by the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Here’s what you can do:

    • Avoid going out unnecessarily
    • Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub to disinfect them
    • Maintain a safe distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing
    • Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands. Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze
    • Stay home if you feel unwell
    • If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention as soon as possible
  • Coldplay lauds Pakistan’s initiative to give tree-planting jobs to unemployed workers

    Coldplay lauds Pakistan’s initiative to give tree-planting jobs to unemployed workers

    Pakistan’s initiative to help daily-wage workers who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 lockdown by giving them jobs planting trees has caught the attention of British rock band Coldplay who has remarked that the idea is “amazing”. The tweet has been marked CM which stands for Chris Martin.

    The program which was set in motion after Pakistan went into lockdown in late March has been hailed across the world. Under the initiative, unemployed day labourers have been given new jobs as “jungle workers”, planting saplings as part of the country’s 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme.

    Read more – Naya Pakistan: Govt starts paying unemployed people to plant trees

    According to the World Economic Forum, such “green stimulus” efforts are an example of how funds that aim to help families and keep the economy running during pandemic shutdowns could also help nations prepare for the next big threat: climate change.

    The ambitious five-year tree-planting programme, which Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan launched in 2018, aims to counter the rising temperatures, flooding, droughts and other extreme weather conditions in the country that scientists link to climate change.

    Meanwhile, Federal Minister and Adviser to PM on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s official Twitter handle thanked Coldplay for acknowledging the government’s efforts and invited them to visit Pakistan once the pandemic is over.

  • Faryal Mehmood ties the knot with Simi Raheal’s son Daniyal

    Faryal Mehmood ties the knot with Simi Raheal’s son Daniyal

    It appears that celebrity weddings are undeterred by the ongoing pandemic because ever since the country went into lockdown, at least three celebrity weddings have taken place: Nimra Khan, Agha Ali and Hina Altaf and most recently model Faryal Mehmood and Daniyal Raheal, who is Simi Raheal’s son and Mehreen Raheal’s brother.

    Read more – Nimra Khan ties the knot

    The two got married in a simple and intimate ceremony with only their close family present. Daniyal announced their wedding on social media and said that the couple drove to Lahore so that they could get married in the presence of their family.

    He shared that “everything was perfect. Except it was not” because Faryal’s entire family was in the States and couldn’t be part of the celebrations in person. Despite the setback, his family managed to “pull together a day that will forever warm the cockles of my heart”.

    While there are limited pictures from the event, check out a few of them below, as well as of Faryal enjoying her first Eid as a newlywed.

    The groom’s mother and sister

    Daniyal’s mother Seemi Raheal also expressed her excitement on social media and welcomed her new bahu.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAw0P9FplZd/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CAk_92hgXu3/
  • 29-year-old woman commits suicide after husband refuses to buy smartphone

    29-year-old woman commits suicide after husband refuses to buy smartphone

    A 29-year-old woman allegedly set herself on fire here in Delhi, India after her husband refused to buy a smartphone for the online classes being conducted by the school of their children.

    According to reports, the woman set herself on fire on May 27 around 8 am. Soon after receiving the information, the police reached the spot and rushed the woman to the nearest hospital. The doctors informed that Jyoti sustained 90 per cent burn injuries and was declared dead.

    Read More: Indian TikToker banned for ‘glorifying’ acid attacks

    In a statement to the police, the deceased’s husband said that the couple got married 7-year ago and have two children together. He said his wife was insisting on buying a smartphone but he told her that he will buy one after the lockdown.

    A police investigation into the case is underway.

  • Waqar Younis to quit social media after ‘hacker likes porn video from his Twitter account’

    Waqar Younis to quit social media after ‘hacker likes porn video from his Twitter account’

    Former Pakistani paceman Waqar Younis has announced his decision to delete his social media accounts after “a hacker liked a porn video from his official Twitter handle”.

    Mentioning the incident in a video message, Younis said that he would never be seen on social media again and it was not the first time that his social media account had been hacked.

    Critics were quick to lambaste Younis to which he responded with what may be his final post on any of his social media accounts.

    Younis clarified that he was not the man behind the inappropriate action.

    “Today I have to say with great regret that when I woke up this morning, someone hacked my Twitter account and liked grossly inferior videos from my account.”

    WATCH VIDEO:

    https://twitter.com/waqyounis99/status/1266180048492482560

    “So it is a matter of great shame, it is a matter of great regret and discomfort. For me and my family too. I used to think that social media or Twitter is a way of interacting with people. But unfortunately this man ruined everything. By the way, the hacker has not done this for the first time. I have had an account hack three or four times,” he said further.

    The former cricketer and Pakistan team coach also said he did not think the man was going to stop, so he had decided that he would not come on social media after today. “I love my family more. You will not see me on social media after today. I am sorry if this hurts anyone.”

  • British-Pakistani woman becomes Britain’s first hijab-wearing judge

    British-Pakistani woman becomes Britain’s first hijab-wearing judge

    British-Pakistani Raffia Arshad has become the first-ever, hijab-wearing deputy district judge in the United Kingdom.

    After completing her law degree from Oxford Brookes University, Arshad worked as a barrister at a firm specializing in family law. She has also written a book titled Islamic Family Law.

    As per reports, she is the first in her family to go to university. 

    Speaking to a private media outlet the newly-appointed judge said: “My appointment is a celebration for all Muslim women. I am delighted that I have broken the glass ceiling for many more capable Muslim women.

    “At a time when everyone is facing uncertainty and unprecedented challenges, I urge everyone to rekindle their dreams and pursue them.”

    Arshad credited her parents and mentioned how their prayers have helped her in her success. She said she felt proud of being counted as an outstanding Pakistani in the west.

    Read more – Tunisian woman bicycles to Makkah in 53 days

    Arshad’s husband is a doctor and a religious scholar, who completed a diploma in Islamic jurisprudence and coaching while working as a barrister.

    The further said: “I am a court-appointed expert on matters of Islamic family law and have authored many publications, including a textbook that is used by other judges worldwide. I have been invited to Germany and America to speak on Islamic family law.”

    Breaking stereotypes, she highlighted how women could follow their religion and also succeed in their careers at the same time. 

  • Pakistan receives export orders of face masks from US, Canada and Europe

    Pakistan receives export orders of face masks from US, Canada and Europe

    Adviser to Prime Minister (PM) on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood has said that Pakistani exporters have received large orders of face masks from the United States (US), Canada and Europe.

    In a series of tweets on Thursday, he congratulated the exporters and termed their achievement a major breakthrough in the country’s export sector.

    “I have received information that some exporters have obtained large orders for face masks from US, Canada and Europe. This is a major breakthrough and I congratulate them for this achievement,” he tweeted.

    He further emphasised the need for Pakistani exporters to diversify into new segments in order to meet the changing global needs.

    “It is part of our strategy to diversify into new segments and this has been achieved by the exporters through their own efforts. I’m sharing this information with others to encourage them to seek more orders from different parts of the world,” he stated.

    Separately, the adviser stated that in order to achieve the target of agricultural exports, the government was striving hard to make space in the rice markets of the Middle East, North America and Africa.

    Talking to APP, he said the government intends to take the exports to the highest-ever level and in this regard, it was taking different measures to reclaim traditional markets besides getting access to new ones.

    “All members of the Rice Exports Association Pakistan (REAP) should prepare themselves for this opportunity so that they could get their orders approved in the Mexican market.”

    He further informed that rice export to Mexico was stagnant for the past few years but after the delegation’s visit, “we are hoping that our rice will be able to enter the Mexican market”.

    Dawood said that rice was the largest agro-export commodity in the country’s export basket, having a total volume of over $2 billion, which would be increased to $5 billion in the next five years.