Category: Uncategorized

  • ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ takes a dramatic turn, begins to gather momentum

    ‘Ehd-e-Wafa’ takes a dramatic turn, begins to gather momentum

    Eleven episodes in, ISPR and Hum TV’s joint collaboration Ehd-e-Wafa has begun to gather momentum and is picking up pace.

    Directed by Saifee Hassan, the drama follows the life of four friends – Shahzain (Osman Khalid Butt), Saad (Ahad Raza Mir), Sheheryar (Ahmed Ali Akbar) and Shariq (Wahaj Ali). The boys were together in Lawrence College Murree before they were expelled because of their shenanigans. While Saad went onto join the army, Shariq is pursuing a career and education in journalism. Sheheryar’s profession is still unclear and Shahzain, who belongs to a feudal family is incorporating himself into the family business.

    All four boys also have their love interests, though the stories of Shariq and Sheheryar aren’t as well developed yet. Alizeh Shah as Dua plays Ahad’s love interests while Zara Noor Abbas as Rani is Osman’s.

    While the premise and central plot of the story is the life of the four boys, there are several subplots running side by side because of which the episodes are a bit packed and muddled at some points. Instead of one scene flowing into the next, the episode tends jumps from scene to scene.

    However, the acting of all the main characters is superb. Particularly note-worthy is Zara Noor Abbas as Rani, whose lively and colourful performance puts a smile on your face no matter what. Adnan Samad Khan, who is playing Gulzar Hussain from Basti Malook, Dera Ghazi Khan, is phenomenal in his character and has won the audiences with his strong performance. Ahad and Alizeh’s chemistry is very lit and their scenes together are very adorable.

    Zara Noor Abbas as Rani
    Adnan Samad Khan as Gulzar Hussain
    Saad and Dua

    The supporting cast of the drama including Vaneezah Ahmed and Syed Muhammad Ahmed are also doing a commendable job.

    Last but not least, the background score and OST is very enjoyable – the upbeat tune perfectly complements the mood of the drama.

    Ehd-e-Wafa is no Alpha Bravo Charlie but the drama is a much-needed refresher in the list of dramas which are either tackling serious topics such as rape (Ruswai) or are the usual masala fest (Meray Paas Tum Ho). Moreso, it also qualifies as a great family entertainer.

  • Aurat March 2020 receives backlash on social media

    The poster Aurat
    March was met with rape and death threats after it was upload on social media
    last week.   

    Aurat March
    (women march) calls for women, transgender, and other suppressed gender groups
    to raise voice against injustice and deeply embedded patriarchy in our society.
    Unfortunately, within an hour of upload – the post was bombarded with crushing
    sexist and misogynist comments

    While talking to
    Express Tribune, the organizers said that they can take little action against
    such response on social media.

    “The maximum we
    can do is to report it on Facebook,” said the organizers adding, “We’ll stand
    for the cause and call out this unjust treatment – those who’re posting threats
    will not get away with all this.”

    The Aurat March
    team said that they are partnering with legal teams to tackle bullying and
    threats. 

    It is ironic that
    these people are getting uncomfortable because suppressed genders are demanding
    equal rights and better treatment in society, whereas when people like Khadim
    Hussain Rizvi outrageously abused and curse publically – the only concern for
    people is the inconvenience in traveling and day to day life.

  • ‘Wait four years for Buzdar to be replaced,’ PM tells CM’s foes in PTI

    ‘Wait four years for Buzdar to be replaced,’ PM tells CM’s foes in PTI

     Prime Minister Imran Khan made it clear that
    Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar will complete his time as he supported him
    in different meetings he lead at the CM Secretariat during his one-day visit to
    Lahore.

    According to the reports, during one of the meetings with members of the Punjab cabinet and MPAs at the CM Secretariat, the PM said that he knew everyone sitting in the meeting wanted to become the chief minister, but he would continue standing with CM Buzdar.

    “Those who want to replace Usman
    Buzdar should wait for the next four years,” said the prime minister.

    He said Buzdar was neither living in
    lavish houses nor spending Rs800 million per annum on his personal security.

    “The reforms implemented during the
    PTI government’s tenure have never happened before in Punjab. We need to hold
    seminars and publicize the reforms implemented in Punjab,” he said.

  • VIDEO: Imran Ashraf hums the tune of ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’ as Adnan Siddiqui plays the piano

    VIDEO: Imran Ashraf hums the tune of ‘Meray Paas Tum Ho’ as Adnan Siddiqui plays the piano

    Imran Ashraf and Adnan Siddiqui’s impromptu rendition of Meray Paas Tum Ho’s title track is pretty cool.

    As the two got together at Evernew Studios to begin work on their upcoming project Dum Mastam, they made use of an old piano there to record their own version of the title track of Meray Paas Tum Ho.

    Watch the video here:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B5hhsK0lWGd/

    We all knew that Adnan Siddiqui was a pro at playing the flute but turns out he’s equally good with the piano as well.

    Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Adnan Siddiqui is donning the producer’s hat and will be producing Imran’s debut film Dum Mustam. The film is being directed by Superstar director Ehteshamuddin and will also star Amar Khan and social media sensation Momin Saqib.

    Read more: Adnan Siddiqui is producing a rom-com starring Imran Ashraf & Momin Saqib

    What did you think of their rendition? Another rendition of the OST which is doing the rounds on social media is of these two young school kids.

    https://twitter.com/TeamAhsankhan/status/1201438614934237184?s=20

  • ‘Treason’ for a better Pakistan

    On November 29, hundreds of thousands of students marched in 50 cities of Pakistan. Their main demand was that the ban on student unions be lifted; other demands included right to free education, better education facilities, etc.

    Any civilised country would have celebrated that the country’s youth came out on the streets to ask for their rights. In a country where more than 64 per cent of its population is under the age of 30, Students’ Solidarity March should have been a moment of pride for Pakistan. Instead, we saw that the top trend on Twitter the following day (November 30) was #StudentsMarchExposed.

    From calling these students ‘foreign agents’ to ‘traitors’, this and many other comments on social media portrayed this march in a negative colour. This isn’t entirely a Pakistani phenomenon. In our neighbouring India, the same card has been used against students. The sedition case against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students comes to mind. A sedition case was registered against JNU Students’ Union President Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and eight others for allegedly raising ‘anti-national slogans’ during an event at JNU in February 2016.

    This is not to say that all comments pertaining to the Students’ Solidarity March in Pakistan were negative – our mainstream media and many on social media praised the students for organising such a successful march on the streets of Pakistan. But we must question this negativity regarding an indigenous movement that should be lauded for its efforts.

    On December 1, an FIR pertaining to sedition charges was registered against the organisers of the march in Lahore as well as some of the participants, including Iqbal Lala who is the father of Mashal Khan, a student lynched on allegations of blasphemy, academic Ammar Ali Jan, labour rights activist Farooq Tariq, Alamgir Wazir Mohammad Shabbir and Kamil Khan. One can only wonder why sedition charges were brought against peaceful protestors.

    Well, if there is one thing common since Pakistan came into being, it is how the state hands out certificates of who is a ‘traitor’/‘anti-national’/‘anti-state’ to whosoever challenges the status quo. What to talk of others if someone like Māder-e-Millat (Mother of the Nation) Fatima Jinnah – who fought for Pakistan’s independence alongside her brother Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah – couldn’t escape the tag of being a ‘foreign agent’ by the then military dictator Ayub Khan. Nationalist leaders were also dubbed anti-state. From Bacha Khan to Baloch nationalists, from G.M. Syed to mainstream leaders like Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, all have been labelled ‘anti-national’ at one point of time or another.

    Dissenting voices that challenge how the state has failed its citizens or those who question the flawed policies of the Pakistani state are dubbed as ‘foreign agents’ working on the agendas of some foreign powers. Patriotism of politicians, students, human rights activists, civil society, NGOs, lawyers, social media activists, media groups, journalists and anyone who has crossed a ‘red line’ or gone against the status quo has been called into question. Just recently, Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa lamented how the three judges including the CJP were being called Indian agents, CIA agents, etc., for questioning the government’s notification regarding the army chief’s extension.

    Pakistanis should realise that dissenting voices are the conscience of a country and that freedom of expression is a fundamental right. We must not go down this dangerous path of silencing dissent for if we do, there will no one to speak for the rights of the marginalised, the rights of minorities, the rights of any human being. Let us not go down a disastrous path from where there is no turning back.

  • PTI reappoints Fayazul Hasan Chohan as Punjab information minister

    PTI reappoints Fayazul Hasan Chohan as Punjab information minister

    After certain administrative alterations in Punjab amid much criticism from the opposition parties, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has reappointed Fayazul Hasan Chohan as the provincial information minister, Dunya News reported.

    According to the details, Chohan has been granted the additional charge besides that of provincial minister for colonies. The development comes after the previous information minister, Aslam Iqbal, excused himself from the additional charge.

    Fayaz was earlier removed as Punjab’s information minister amid intense criticism over his derogatory remarks against the Hindu community.

    Chohan, during a press conference had said, “You cow urine-drinking people, listen to me. We are Muslims and we have the flag of Hazrat Ali (RA) and Hazrat Umar (RA)’s bravery. You don’t have that flag.”

    He had further said that “idol-worshippers” shouldn’t operate under the delusion that “they are better than Pakistanis”.

  • Imran trying to save Buzdar by bringing back Shehbaz’s favourite bureaucrats: report

    Imran trying to save Buzdar by bringing back Shehbaz’s favourite bureaucrats: report

    Former Punjab chief minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif’s rule is back in the province without him as the massive bureaucratic reshuffle, ordered directly by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, has brought back the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief’s team, contradicting the narrative of his own government against Shehbaz’s alleged corruption.

    According to The News, all key positions in the new set-up have been given to Shehbaz’s blue-eyed officers, who were responsible for development and governance during the now PML-N president’s ten-year rule in Punjab.

    Most of these officers were responsible for key projects, which are identified by PML-N and Shehbaz, suchas the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), Multan Metro, underpasses and other mega projects of Lahore besides the Nandipur Power Project and others. More than a dozen officers, now brought back to deliver for CM Usman Buzdar’s government, were directly working with Shehbaz at the CM Secretariat.

    However, with their fingers, crossed many in the bureaucracy wonder if Buzdar would be able to lead this team of go-getters like Shehbaz successfully did in the past.

    The new bureaucratic team being marketed as panacea for all the ills of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab, is led my Major (r) Azam Suleman — the new chief secretary who has been the secretary of the most lucrative provincial department, Communication and Works (C&W), for five years under Shehbaz.

    The former Punjab CM took so much interest in development that he never appointed a C&W minister and directly interacted with the secretary. Azam was instrumental in execution of mega projects in Punjab, especially Lahore, and is reputed to be a tough no-nonsense officer and Shehbaz’s blue-eyed.

    According to reports, Shehbaz had such great liking for Azam that even after his promotion to BS-22, he was retained as the additional chief secretary (ACS) (Home) for five years — longest tenure ever. Strangely, at that time, the PTI used to blame him for the 2014 Model Town massacre.

    Bureaucrats like Nabeel Awan, Abdullah Sumbal, Nadeem Mahboob, Javed Qazi and Sajid Dahl — all reputed ace officers of the administrative services, who served Shehbaz’s immediate team — have also been given key positions in the recent reshuffle.

    Nabeel has been posted as the health and livestock secretary, Sumbal as finance, Nadeem as housing, Qazi as local government, while Dahl has been appointed as the higher education secretary.

    Similarly, a number of former principal staff officers (PSOs) like Sumair Syed, Amara Khan, Ahsan Waheed and Naseem Sadiq, who were given key portfolios by Shehbaz, have now been brought back by the PTI government to mainstream administration.

    Sadiq has been appointed as Dera Ghazi (DG) Khan commissioner, Syed as the director general (DG) of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Khan as the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) DG and Waheed as Sahiwal commissioner.

    Captain (r) Mahmood, who was responsible for the Nandipur Power Project and Lahore horticulture — two of Shehbaz’s favorite subjects — is now the new Rawalpindi commissioner.

    Capt (r) Saif Anjum, whom Shehbaz trusted with the Irrigation Department for three years, has been made Lahore commissioner, Momin Agha, another blue-eyed of Shehbaz and who served as his information secretary as well as the Faisalabad commissioner, has been posted as ACS (Home).

    The ec-Punjab CM’s Finance Secretaries Shaukat Ali and Hamid Yaqoob Sheikh have been placed on most important positions of Punjab ACS and Planning and Development (P&D) chairman, respectively. Abdullah Sumbal, who was appointed as Lahore commissioner by Shehbaz, is the finance secretary.

    Capt (r) Asadullah, who executed the Multan Metro project, is the new C&W secretary while Babur Tarar, who was Sahiwal commissioner, health secretary and cooperatives secretary under Shehbaz, will be a senior member of the Board of Revenue (BoR) in the new setup.

    Iftikhar Saho — another well-reputed officer — who was P&D secretary under Shahbaz for almost five years and was responsible for all development across the project, has been appointed as the principal secretary to CM Buzdar.

    A senior retired bureaucrat said that by bringing back the entire team back, the PTI government had contradicted its own mantra of corruption under Shehbaz.

    Another feature of the latest reshuffle is that many officers considered close to Buzdar or the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, have been sidelined.

  • JKT, Fawad Chaudhry attend Zainab Abbas’ valima

    JKT, Fawad Chaudhry attend Zainab Abbas’ valima

    Zainab Abbas’ wedding festivities came to a close Sunday night with a grand valima.

    Among those in attendance were PTI’S Jahangir Khan Tareen, Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid and cricketer Mohammad Amir. Zainab’s mother, Andleeb Abbas is an integral member of PTI.

    Jahangir Khan Tareen
    Fawad Chaudhry with the newly weds

    Zainab looked ethereal in a lavender outfit by Élan.

    The glowing bride being escorted by her parents

    Aren’t these two adorable?

    Zainab tied the knot with Hamza Kardar in an intimate nikkah last month. Hamza is the son of the former finance finance minister and former governor of State Bank of Pakistan, Shahid Hafeez Kardar and the grandson of the renowned cricketer Abdul Hafeez Kardar. Zainab’s other events included a mayun and a shendi.

    Nikkah
    Mayun

    VIDEO: Zainab Abbas hits a sixer as Amir bowls on her shendi

    Shendi

    Wishing the happy couple all the very best for their future.

  • Faulty product costs online retailer heavy fine

    Faulty product costs online retailer heavy fine

    A consumer court imposed heavy fines on prominent online retailer Daraz.pk for providing a faulty product to a customer.

    According to reports, consumer court judge Mukesh Kumar Talreja directed Daraz.pk to pay Rs50,000 to the claimant in compensation and also pay a fine of Rs15,000 to the government treasury account.

    The court also directed the online retailer to change the product or return the amount (Rs7,795) paid by the customer for the product and improve its services and standards as per the expectation of consumers. It further ruled that if the defendant failed to fulfill these orders within one month, he or she will be punished with imprisonment along with a heavier fine.

    The court in its order said it is undderstood that when mental torture, agony and emotional stress was made out then the court has to grant damages as compensation and therefore, the court quantified the general damages for suffering mental agony and emotional distress as Rs50,000.

    Dania Kashif filed a complaint against Daraz.pk via its managing director under Section 26 of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act, 2014. She ordered one Play-Doh DohVinci from the website of Rs7,795 which was delivered in a sealed parcel in November, but the product was dry and in bad condition and the price mentioned on the box was Rs6,730 instead of Rs7,795. The plaintiff felt severe stress and agony because of the faulty order. Before approaching the court, she had filed a complaint through the website’s helpline, but they did not entertain it.

    The defendant party denied the allegations and argued that the claim was filed beyond the legal period of 30 days and the complainant ordered the product by agreeing to terms and conditions of the website which read that the defendant was not a party to the contract with either the seller or any other third party. However, the court did not rule in their favour and slapped them with a fine.

  • How much did the ‘Azadi March’ cost the government?

    How much did the ‘Azadi March’ cost the government?

    Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s ‘Azadi March’ which took place from October 31 to November 13 cost the government over Rs240 million, Rs248 million to be exact.

    According to a report in Dawn, this amount is payable to contractors/vendors whose services were hired for security and other arrangements which included lodging, meal and transportation of police called from other districts.

    As many as 5,000 from the capital police along with 3,000 Frontier Constabulary, 1,500 Punjab Constabulary, 2,000 from KP police and 500 from Kashmir and railway police were deployed in Islamabad during the sit-in. 550 containers were also arranged to block roads as a part of security measures and 105 vehicles, including 88 buses, were used to transport the security personnel.

    The rent of a 40-foot container was Rs20,000 a day and Rs14,000 for a 20-foot container. On the other hand, the rent of a bus was Rs25,000 per day and Rs15,000 of a wagon/truck. The fuel for these vehicles cost the police Rs 20 million.

    The capital police also purchased anti-riot gears to deal with confrontations, though none took place in the 13-day sit-in.

    Other expenses included the rent of nine buildings hired for the force requisitioned from other provinces.

    Meanwhile, Rs695.6 million were spent during PTI and PAT’s dharna in 2014.