Category: Uncategorized

  • Ehsaas partners with Facebook to fight malnutrition

    Ehsaas partners with Facebook to fight malnutrition

    The Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) has announced that it will partner with Facebook to handle malnutrition in Pakistan.

    As per details, Ehsaas will host a first-of-its-kind ‘Design Hackathon’ on malnutrition at the National Incubation Centre, Islamabad on December 14 and 15.

    The Designed Hackathon will connect experts in malnutrition with
    digital marketers who with the help of Facebook, will build innovative digital
    campaigns around the specific challenges of malnutrition.

    Speaking on the matter, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar said, “Ehsaas is bringing together the smartest talent in digital marketing and technology to tackle malnutrition across the country and improve millions of lives.”

    “Social media is an important medium through which we can educate the public, and we are excited to see the results of this pioneering,” she added.

    Millions of children in Pakistan suffer health and development consequences due to malnutrition. At least 703 children have died due to malnutrition and different diseases in the Tharparkar district in 2019.

    The Ehsaas Programme with this partnership with technology and social media platforms aims to reach new people across Pakistan with educational messages on malnutrition and the different sides associated with this disease.

  • Pakistan warns ‘US military aircraft’ against entering territory; jet then changes course

    The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has denied reports that any United States (US) military aircraft entered Pakistani airspace.

    “Relevant departments have informed me that no aircraft entered Pakistan’s limits. In our record, no airplane has crossed our airspace,” said CAA spokesperson Ismail Khoso, Daily Times reported.

    On Wednesday, ARY had reported that an aircraft from Muscat was heading towards Karachi. The pilot was asked about the permission and the code to which he didn’t answer. The air traffic controller warned the aircraft after which it moved out of its territory.

    Aviation Division Senior Joint Secretary and spokesperson Abdul Sattar Khokhar said Muscat authorities informed Pakistan on November 18 at 9:15 am that an aircraft was flying towards Pakistani airspace.

    “However, the plane did not enter our airspace and remained in international airspace. The authorities contacted the airplane for identification, but it did not respond either,” he added.

    Khosa said there are air spaces of other countries besides Pakistan about which the CAA could not say anything. “We must have noticed any aircraft if it had entered Pakistan’s limits.”

    “The aircraft was of US origin. However, I cannot confirm if it was a military plane, a fighter or a bomber or a transport plane,” Khokhar added.

  • Boxer Amir Khan expresses desire to become sports minister

    British-Pakistani boxer Amir Khan has said that he would like to become the sports minister in Pakistan to promote sports, Geo News reported.

    According to the details, Amir in an interview has alleged that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has done ‘nothing for sports in Pakistan’ after coming to power, adding that he is the only person that does anything for sports.

    Amir Khan, who is a friend of PM Imran, said that “all the people in Pakistan are crying”, and credited himself for taking Pakistani boxers around the world to put them in fights.

    The boxer further alleged that a government minister visited his boxing academy, made some pictures and left, and nothing was done after that.

    “There should be at least 10-15 boxing academies in Pakistan because there are so many boxers in Pakistan but nothing’s happening so that’s why I said that Imran khan, being a sports man, he is not really backing sports”, Amir said.

    He also feared that sports are “probably going down even more than before because Nawaz Sharif is the one who got the Sports Council of Pakistan to give me the boxing academy, then I spent my own money around $100,000 on it to build it up but all I say is that Imran Khan is less supporting boxing”.

    Amir Khan also expressed desire to enter in Pakistani politics, saying that he will do something for people if he became sports minister.

    Amir Khan often attended fundraising events with PM Imran in Manchester in the past. The prime minister had at one event promised to take people like Amir Khan to Pakistan.

  • What did PM Imran and President Trump talk about over the phone?

    What did PM Imran and President Trump talk about over the phone?

    Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday had a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump.

    According to PTI’s official Twitter account, PM Khan had a telephone conversation with President Trump, during which bilateral and regional issues were discussed.

    PM Imran conveyed that the release of Western hostages in Afghanistan was a positive development and Pakistan was happy that they were safe and free. President Trump thanked the PM for Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating this positive outcome.

    The Prime Minister re-affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the advancement of Afghan peace and reconciliation process for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Both leaders agreed to continue to work together for the promotion of this shared objective.

    The Prime Minister apprised President Trump of the current situation in IOJ&K, underscoring that over 8 million people remained under siege for over 100 days now.

    Appreciating President Trump’s continued engagement as well as mediation offer, PM Imran stressed that the President must continue his efforts for facilitation of a peaceful solution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

    Recalling their conversations in Washington and New York, the two leaders agreed to deepen bilateral collaboration, including in relevant multilateral fora.

    The two leaders further agreed to remain in close contact.

  • Islamabad robbers used ‘nullahs’ to carry out their thefts

    Islamabad robbers used ‘nullahs’ to carry out their thefts

    Who would have thought that Islamabad’s nullahs would be used to carry out thefts and provide shelter to robbers?

    Turns out that a gang of robbers, who have been creating panic in the capital, were using the drains, or nullahs, to carry out their activities.

    According to reports, the police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) made the discovery after they found a hideout near Jinnah Avenue in F-7 and uncovered a makeshift room in one of the drains, with all the requirements for a bedroom and living room.

    An investigation into the matter was carried out after more than a dozen robberies took place in F-10, F-11, G-10 and G-11. The investigation team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hakim Khan studied the areas where the robberies took place and found that all the houses that were robbed were located near drains.

    Surveillance of the drains revealed that the suspects were using them for their movement.

    Though most of the suspects escaped the police raid, two people were later arrested and the stolen goods confiscated. The police said that there were eight to 10 tributaries leading off from the drain they raided, which made it difficult to follow the suspects further.

    Those arrested during interrogation revealed that they were part of a five-member group and the remaining three members had fled to Afghanistan following the raid. They shared that they stayed in a city for a few weeks, robbed several houses, and then travelled to Afghanistan with the stolen items with the help of local facilitators who were given 10 to 15 per cent of the stolen items.

    The apprehended further said that houses near nullahs were chosen for robberies to be carried out at sunset and sunrise. They revealed that they entered the houses by cutting through grills and then held residents hostage before carrying out their robberies.

  • Nov 22: News you need to know before heading to work

    Nov 22: News you need to know before heading to work

    PTI’s conscience clean in foreign-funding case: PM Imran

    • Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that the opposition was misleading the people in the foreign-funding case.
    • Speaking to his party’s spokespeople PM said, the PTI submitted all relevant details to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), noting that the leaders of two of the country’s biggest political parties made money through money-laundering.
    • Reacting to opposition’s call for APC he said they were doing so and protesting to mask their embarrassment. However, the people have rejected their protest.

    Nawaz to be admitted in hospital upon cardiologist’s advice

    • Dr Adnan Khan, has said that Professor Simon Redwood of the London Bridge Hospital had recommended hospital admission for the former prime minister to undergo angiogram followed by further intervention.
    • “Once he has gone through all haematological investigations, we will then have a clear picture of what is required next and what the exact treatment should be”, Dr Adnan added.

    Treason case: Musharraf, Govt file petition against special court’s verdict on Nov 28

    • The federal interior ministry and former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf both submitted pleas in the Islamabad High Court on Monday, requesting it to stop the special court from announcing its reserved verdict in the high treason case against the former army chief.
    • The special court, constituted to try the former military ruler for high treason, was set to announce its verdict on November 28. The IHC will hear the case on Tuesday.
    • The ministry in its plea has stated that the accusers to be tried with Pervez Musharraf were not included in the trial. The prosecution team was denotified on Oct 23, but it proceeded with the case on Oct 24 without having an authority in the matter.

  • Did Greta Thunberg time travel?

    A picture that was taken 121 years ago has a Greta Thunberg lookalike. It sparked a new conspiracy theory about the environmentalist being a time traveller.

    Twitterati started claiming that one of the people in the photo from 1898 that shows three children from the Yukon Territory in Canada has a face that’s so identical to Thunberg’s that it couldn’t possibly be anybody else.

    The girl said to be Thunberg also has the same braided hairstyle that the Swedish teen is known for. And although the timeline certainly doesn’t add up, many are saying that it’s proof that Thunberg is from a different time.

    Here are some of the snippets of this conspiracy debate:

  • VIDEO: Posters, pamphlets in London seek ‘Sadqa and Zakat’ for Nawaz’s treatment

    VIDEO: Posters, pamphlets in London seek ‘Sadqa and Zakat’ for Nawaz’s treatment

    Hundreds of charity posters and pamphlets with a picture of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif have emerged in different parts of London, requesting donations for the ailing former prime minister’s (PM) treatment, a private media outlet has reported.

    “Please donate your Sadqa and Zakat to save your qaumi (national) hero,” read the banners, a majority of which have emerged in East London.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The former premier is currently in London for medical treatment. On Wednesday, PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, while talking to media, had said that his brother’s medical treatment would begin after a complete medical examination.

    “Nawaz has undergone some medical tests today [Wednesday] with others more to follow,” he had said while briefing media over the ongoing treatment of the former premier outside Guy’s Hospital. Shehbaz had also prayed for the health of the three-time prime minister of the country.

    Ex-PM Nawaz reached London on Tuesday night for medical treatment in a “high-end air ambulance” equipped with an intensive care unit and an operation theatre.

    Nawaz was accompanied by PML-N President Shehbaz and personal physician Dr Adnan Khan. A team of doctors and paramedics were also on board to cope with any emergency situation.

    As soon as the former premier exited through the VVIP gate at Heathrow in London, he was welcomed by a convoy of party loyalists who took him home. In a statement, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Nawaz had safely landed in London and thankfully had not faced any medical complications during the flight.

    She also asked the nation to pray for Nawaz’s health.

    Ailing former premier was granted bail on humanitarian grounds while he underwent treatment at Lahore’s Services Hospital following a precarious drop in his platelet count last month. He was shifted to the hospital from Kot Lakhpat jail and later diagnosed with acute immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an immune disorder that leads to an abrupt and sharp drop in blood platelet.

    Last week, the Lahore High Ccourt (LHC) had permitted Nawaz to seek medical treatment abroad without any conditions for a time period of four weeks. In its decision, the LHC said that in case Nawaz’s health doesn’t improve then the time-period can be extended, adding that the government officials will be able to contact Nawaz through the Pakistani Embassy.

  • PIA workers arrested for stealing money from passenger’s bag

    Two PIA workers have been arrested in Karachi for stealing a passenger’s money.

     As per reports, the airport police have recovered the Rs400,000 that the staffers stole from passenger’s bags. A case had been filed at the airport police station by a man named Muddasir Ahmed. He said his wife’s money had been stolen from her bag on May 26.

    The two workers involved were arrested by personnel of PIA’s head office security. The PIA spokesperson said the two men are in police custody and a case has been registered against them.

  • Our next Sunday guest will work for the protection of children

    Our next Sunday guest will work for the protection of children

    The Current’s next Sunday guest Ahsan Khan has pledged to work towards the protection of children. He has been appointed ambassador for Child Protection and Welfare Bureau by the Government of Punjab.

    The Alif actor has been actively working for children rights and welfare for a while now.

    Ahsan said that he was humbled by the appointment.

    Members of the film fraternity took to social media to congratulate the star on his appointment.

    Ahsan is also the brand ambassador for Human Development Foundation and also serves as the Goodwill Ambassador for The Citizen Foundation.

    Tune into our exclusive interview with Ahsan Khan, Sunday 8 pm.