Category: Uncategorized

  • Coronavirus: Pakistan to get 153 million euros

    Coronavirus: Pakistan to get 153 million euros

    Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Pakistan Androulla Kaminara has called on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and announced that the EU had allocated 153 million euros to support Pakistan in its war against the new coronavirus — COVID-19.

    She briefed the premier on measures by the EU to strengthen Pakistan’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, over which PM Imran expressed satisfaction on the growing momentum in Pakistan-EU bilateral relations.

    Further steps to deepen the Pakistan-EU partnership in all its dimensions were also discussed during the meeting.

    This is not the first relief effort aimed at supporting cash-stripped Pakistan as it fights the global pandemic.

    Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had announced to provide around $1.4 billion to help the country address the economic fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.

    “IMF Executive Board approves a US$1.386 billion disbursement to Pakistan to address the COVID-19 pandemic,” the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had said in a statement last month.

    The announcement had come after the global lender said the disbursement under its Rapid Financing Instrument would enable Pakistan “to meet the urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic”.

    “The outbreak of COVID-19 is having a significant impact on the Pakistani economy. The domestic containment measures, coupled with the global downturn, are severely affecting growth and straining external financing. This has created an urgent balance of payments need,” said Geoffrey Okamoto, acting chair of the IMF Executive Board, in a statement.

    “In this context of heightened uncertainty, IMF emergency financing under the Rapid Financing Instrument provides strong support to the authorities’ emergency policy response, preserving fiscal space for essential health spending, shoring up confidence, and catalysing additional donor support.”

    He also acknowledged the country’s “swift action” to curb the spread of the virus and other measures to support citizens.

    The total number of infections in Pakistan, by the time this report was filed, stood at 24,954 with 593 deaths.

  • Fahad Mustafa says ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ will have ‘Mission Impossible type stunts’

    Last weekend, Nabeel Qureshi, the director of Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan’s upcoming film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad, teased fans with a sneak peek of the film sending fans into a frenzy.

    The director shared behind-the-scenes pictures of Fahad suspended mid-air on a crane and wrote: “Preparing for some action-packed sequence with Fahad and Mahira”.

    In response, Fahad tweeted, “What was I thinking?”

    Later while speaking to a local media outlet, Fahad shared that the film will have some “very dangerous action bike sequences”.

    He said: “Action sequences in movies are either stylish or realistic. We have tried to be as realistic as we can with the action sequences in Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad.”

    WATCH: Fahad Mustafa practices his action stunts for ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’

    Fahad further said that the film will feature action sequences that have never been tried before in Pakistan and that he performed all the stunts himself.

    “We have tried to pull off Mission Impossible type stuff in Pakistan with Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad,” said the actor. “I endured multiple injuries while performing these stunts. My heel was injured throughout the course of filming and I couldn’t even walk properly but still, I did all the stunts myself and no double was used.”

    “I hope everyone will like the film,” he added.

    Read more – ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’: What will Mahira & Fahad’s film be about?

    The shoot for the film has wrapped up and it is currently in the post-processing phase. Director Nabeel Qureshi, while speaking to various media outlets, shared that the team of the film is working on the film from home and they hope to release it as per schedule i.e. on Eid ul Azha.

  • VIDEO: Mufti Qavi says ‘alcohol is halal’

    VIDEO: Mufti Qavi says ‘alcohol is halal’

    A cleric who is not new to controversy, Mufti Abdul Qavi, has now said that drinks with less than 40% alcohol by volume are halal.

    “Whichever drink contains alcohol below 40 per cent… that drink is halal. It means we can drink it. In my opinion, even the drinks that contain 100 per cent alcohol but are extracted from minerals… are also halal,” he said during an interview.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “If chewing tobacco that our religious scholars consume is halal, then I’ll have to say that drinks of today are also halal,” he added.

    This is not the first time that Mufti Qavi has made his way to the limelight for his controversial remarks or actions.

    Earlier in 2018, the mufti was among five suspects, who were indicted in the case pertaining to the murder of social media celebrity Qandeel Baloch.

    The murdered social media star had posted selfies and a video with Qavi on social media weeks before her death.

    READ: MPTH fever: Video shows Mufti Qavi praying for Danish to be granted Jannah

    It was alleged that he had incited Waseem Baloch, brother of Qandeel, to get rid of his sister in the name of honour after he received flack for his pictures with the girl.

    Some of his endeavours include, brazenly flirting with transgender Almas Bobby during a television show in 2015, and being accused of sexual harassment by a female reporter in 2017.

    He has also time and again been spotted in several videos on social media featuring various showbiz stars and internet celebrities.

  • Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Fans are furious with Adnan Siddiqui for mocking Sarfaraz Ahmed

    Another day, another controversy.

    A week after he criticised Aamir Liaquat for being callous with his remarks, Adnan Siddiqui has found himself in hot water after a clip of him mocking former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed went viral on social media. The clip which is from an episode of Jeeto Pakistan which aired on May 4, shows Adnan ridiculing Sarfaraz’s speech as they compete with each other on the show.

    Read more – Adnan Siddiqui regrets being on Aamir Liaquat’s show

    Adnan’s actions enraged fans who took to social media to call out the actor and remind him that just a few days ago he was condemning Liaquat for being rude.

    https://twitter.com/SarmadWaqas1/status/1258286859790270466?s=20

    However, some defended the actor saying that the two were just having fun.

    https://twitter.com/SheikhAhmer5/status/1257604390644584450?s=20

    Both Sarfaraz and Adnan are team captains in the Jeeto Pakistan League. While Sarfaraz is the captain of Quetta Knights, Adnan is the captain of Lahore Falcons. Adnan, Sarfaraz nor the team of Jeeto Pakistan have responded to the controversy as yet.

    Watch the full episode below. For the interaction between Adnan and Sarfaraz, watch 1:20:00 onwards. It is pertinent to add here that Adnan’s actions sent Sarfaraz into a fit of laughter and the cricketer did not seem offended by Adnan’s actions.

  • Govt gives ISI Rs1.66 billion for upgradation of agency’s telecom project

    Govt gives ISI Rs1.66 billion for upgradation of agency’s telecom project

    The government’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has approved a “supplementary grant” of Rs1.66 billion for the upgradation of Special Telecom Monitoring Project at the directorate of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

    According to a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID), the ECC has also approved a supplementary grant of Rs500 million for the construction of Special Education School at the Defence Complex in Islamabad.

    The proposals for “technical supplementary grants” were moved by the defence division, the press release said.

    The committee has also instructed the ministry of national security and research to ensure procurement of wheat as per 8.25 million tonnes target set for the public sector this year.

    The ISI is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan, operationally responsible for gathering, processing and analysing national security information from around the world.

    It is currently headed by General Faiz Hameed.

  • Nabila says that she will not be bullied

    Nabila says that she will not be bullied

    One of Pakistan’s leading salons, which has branches in major cities of Pakistan, Nabila’s Salon, recently announced that they would open up the salon for business after taking all the necessary precautions.

    Nabila, in a video, said that the service industry is suffering the most due to the pandemic but that “we all have a choice”.

    “We all have a choice. We can either live in the circle of concern, freak out, watch the news or wait for things to happen, or we can live in the circle of influence and take full charge,” said Nabila.

    She then went onto say that because she is an optimist, she would choose the latter option and make decisions regarding her personal and professional life by ‘Raising the Bar’.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pgjS8he47/

    The salon, in a video, stated that it will be “a safe space with a superior level of hygiene combined with best practices and medical level sanitisation to ensure the health and well being of everyone who walks through our doors.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_pvVhwBZgx/

    Read more – ‘Barber on Wheels’ offers haircuts at home with all safety measures

    The salon’s announcement to open was met with immense backlash and Nabila took to personally respond to them and defend her decision. While comments have now been disabled on the post, screenshots are being widely circulated on social media.

    Later while speaking to various media outlets, Nabila said that she will not be bullied. She said that she has not opened the salon as yet but will wait for the government to give the green signal. She said the videos the salon had posted were to tell their clients of the precautions they will be taking once they open and to also let the government know that they are fully equipped to provide services. Nabila shared that she consulted doctors and experts before making her decisions.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1Y9MSJiG2/

    The entrepreneur further added that as the President of Pakistan’s Hair and Beauty Association, it is her duty to ensure that her industry, which employs thousands of workers, is also looked after. She said that she spoke to several salon owners who were also feeling the brunt of the pandemic as they have workers and staff to pay and they decided that they will prepare themselves and then approach the government to allow them to provide services with the necessary SOPs and precautions in place.

    On the question of wasting PPEs, Nabila said that the country is now producing a surplus of protective equipment and that a friend of her’s who has a garment factory lent her kits for the promotional videos. She said that if needed, she will place an order with him for the salon.

    Nabila stood her ground and said that she is being responsible and proactive. She said that she also has employees to pay and that for the past two months, she has been paying them from her own pocket.

    Nabila added: “We are responsible for the bread and butter of hundreds of families. How can we not think of ways to fall in line with this new norm? Should we not be considering the possibilities on how the world would work post-corona?”

  • Govt awards cash prizes to winners of South Asian Games

    Govt awards cash prizes to winners of South Asian Games

    Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza recently awarded cash prizes in the form of cheques to members of Pakistan’s Weightlifting and Tennis Team, who won medals at the 13th South Asian Games held in Nepal from December 1 – 10, 2019.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1257955629790003200?s=20
    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1257252535066378241?s=20

    According to a press release, “In line with approved cash award policy, gold medalists were given Rs 1 million each, silver medalists got Rs 500,000 while bronze medalists received cheques of Rs 250,000 each. In total, Rs 6.250 million and Rs 5.500 million were distributed to the weightlifters and tennis players respectively.”

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fehmida Mirza appreciated the athletes for their win and lauded parents for encouraging their daughters to take part in sport. The minister said that these winners are the ambassadors of Pakistan who portray the soft image of the country.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1258010085986631680?s=20

    She added the work was being done by the Pakistan Sports Board to resolve players issues and encourage more people to come forward in the field. She added that the Federal Government would continue to support talented players.

    Meanwhile, the athletes thanked the minister and government for appreciating their hard work and boosting their morale. They remarked that this is the first time that players are receiving rewards in the form of cash prize money, something that would help them in their future endeavours. The winners also requested the government to continue their support so that more people come forward in the field of sports.

    Some of the winners even took to social media to thank the government for their support.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1258011583453827072?s=20

    Here is a breakdown of the wins:

    Weightlifting

    The Weightlifting Team won 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals.

    Weightlifters Talha Talib, Haider Ali, Usman Amjad Rathore, Hanzla Dastgir Butt and Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt won gold medals while Abu Sufyan and Rabbia Razzaq won silver medals. Saima Shahzad won a bronze medal.

    Tennis

    Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Muhammad Abid won silver in men’s team event while Sara Mansoor, Ushna Sohail, Mahin Aftaz Qureshi and Sarah Mehboob Khan won bronze medals in the women’s team event.

    In the mixed doubles event, Aisam and Wushna, and Muhammad Abid and Sara Mansoor won the bronze medals.

    In the men’s double Aisam and Aqeel Khan won a bronze medal as did Muzammil Murtaza and Muhammad Abid.

    Read more – Pakistani javelin thrower creates history, qualifies for 2020 Olympics

    Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who broke all records at the SAG also received an award. The 22-year-old created history with his throw of 86.29m and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

  • Sajal Aly says ‘it’s not easy to capture Ahad’s beauty’

    Sajal Aly says ‘it’s not easy to capture Ahad’s beauty’

    Looks like Sajal Aly is using her time off to explore other art forms including sketching and painting.

    The actor, who tied the knot with co-star Ahad Raza Mir just before the lockdown, sketched a portrait of her husband and joked that it is not easy to capture “Ahad’s beauty”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_zQPfDFjgf/

    Meanwhile, Sajal’s best friend Zara Noor Abbas commented that the sketch does not look anything like Ahad. In response, Yasir Hussain remarked that it is definitely Ahad and that men change after marriage.

    Sajal later shared another picture of herself – this time while painting.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_1tzbyFeia/

    Sajal and Ahad tied the knot in late March in Abu Dhabi in the presence of their close friends and family. Their drama Ye Dil Mera is currently on-air and is being widely appreciated by critics and audiences.

    Read more – Intense, thrilling and mysterious: Why ‘Ye Dil Mera’ is a must-watch

  • Malala to join the Obamas for virtual Graduation Ceremony on YouTube

    Malala to join the Obamas for virtual Graduation Ceremony on YouTube

    Pakistani Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai will join former U.S. President Barack Obama, Lady Gaga, LeBron James and K-Pop band BTS and dozens of others celebrities to salute and celebrate the class of 2020 in virtual graduation ceremonies replacing the traditional end of high school and college.

    Read more – Malala declared decade’s most famous teenager by UN

    According to Reuters, Obama, with his wife Michelle, will headline two separate graduation events.

    In a one-hour multimedia event called “Graduate Together,” to be broadcast on May 16 across multiple TV networks, Obama will deliver a message to high school seniors and reflect on the coronavirus pandemic.

    In a separate YouTube event called “Dear Class of 2020,” to be hosted by Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative and streamed on June 6, Obama will join Malala, Lady Gaga, BTS and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in celebrating graduates across the United States. Variety added that the festival-style lineup will feature talks on traditional graduation-day themes mixed in with music performances. Both Michelle and Obama will each deliver individual commencement speeches — and a joint message — to graduates.

    Others taking part in the two events include U.S. women’s soccer player Megan Rapinoe, the Jonas Brothers, musician Bad Bunny, Alicia Keys and Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai.

    Read more – Greta Thunberg calls Malala Yousafzai her ‘role model’

    With schools and colleges shut down across the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic, students who are set to graduate this summer are unable to celebrate their milestone achievement the traditional way.

    Other virtual events on offer include a podcast called “Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020” on May 15 in which Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Fallon, John Legend and Eli Manning will be among some two dozen personalities offering words of wisdom to graduates.

  • Pakistan to lose Rs628,000,000,000 by June

    Pakistan to lose Rs628,000,000,000 by June

    A report prepared by the sub-committee of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) for coronavirus has said that the country, due to an adverse impact of COVID-19 on the economy, will record a loss of over Rs628 billion by the end of the current financial year.

    The report ‘COVID-19: Preliminary Macroeconomic and Socioeconomic Assessment’ said almost all the departments of the country were going in a loss due to lack of human activity in the wake of the pandemic that has killed over 200,000 people worldwide.

    Giving a breakdown of the losses, the report said the Aviation Division will face an estimated financial loss of Rs13.6bn; the Pakistan Stock Exchange Rs250bn; Petroleum Division Rs 87bn; Ministry of Energy (Power Division) Rs136bn; Pakistan Railways over Rs7 bn; National Food Security Rs 55bn; Overseas Pakistanis over Rs 76bn; Ministry of Information Technology Rs1-5bn under the head of withholding tax; and Maritime Affairs will report a loss of Rs30 million.

    It further said that the Federal Board of Revenue will face a total estimated revenue shortfall of Rs600bn in the last three months of the current financial year.

    The report also suggested the way forward to deal with losses, saying some measures have already been taken.