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  • Exclusive: Neelam Muneer reveals why she refused Yumna Zaidi’s role in ‘Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb’

    Exclusive: Neelam Muneer reveals why she refused Yumna Zaidi’s role in ‘Ishq Zah-e-Naseeb’

    Star-actor Neelam Muneer in an exclusive conversation with The Current, revealed why she rejected to play Shakra in Zahid Ahmed starrer Ishq Zah e Naseeb. The role later fell in stellar performer Yumna Zaidi’s lap.

    “It was a very good project, the director (Farooq Rind) is amazing, it aired on HUM TV and was a proper package.”

    She then spilled that the reason of turning it down was because there was a problem with her dates. She wasn’t available to shoot the project in the given time span. “There was a clash of dates and I felt I won’t be able to manage.”

    Muneer concluded on this topic by saying, “Yumna did a very fine job in the drama, I did watch the show though.”

    Last year, Yumna mentioned that her role in Ishq Zahe Naseeb was initially offered to Ayeza Khan and Neelam Munir who turned down the role as its screen time was less than the other female part played by Sonya Hussyn.

    In the fun interview, Neelam also opened up about her traveling preferences with A-list actors Ahad Raza Mir, Bilal Abbas Khan and Sheheryar Munawar.

    'Ahad ke saath private jet': Neelam Muneer exclusively opens up on travelling with Ahad and Bilal

    On being asked with which hero would she want to travel on a private jet, an auto-rickshaw or a car. The Wrong Number actress was given an option of these three actors.

    She said, “Bilal ke saath auto pe, Ahad Raza Mir ke saath private jet pe chali jaungi and Sheheryar ke saath car pe.”

    Seems like Neelam is fond of the Hum Tum star the most.

    The Mere Meherbaan star also opened up on her alleged engagement. When asked if she is engaged, the Chakkar diva stated that although she wouldn’t mind getting married at this stage of her career, however there is no truth to this speculation.

    “Maine koi hint nahi dia aisa, people are curious to know what is happening in my life so I responded to the fan on Instagram.”

    However, the stunning actress mentioned that she wouldn’t mind marrying at the peak of her career as she thinks that it works.

    The rumour mills went buzzing when the Qaid-e-Tanhai heroine responded with a shy-face emoticon to a netizen’s query on the same.

  • Who is responsible for getting Pakistan off the ‘terror watch list’?

    Who is responsible for getting Pakistan off the ‘terror watch list’?

    After years of relentless hard work, Pakistan finally received a positive response from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The country is finally close to its removal from the global money-laundering and terrorist financing watchdog’s ‘grey list’. This for sure is a huge win for the country. This was made possible after countless days and nights our officials worked to bring Pakistan one step closer to being removed from the grey list. But here’s the twist. Who should be crowned for the FATF success? Many people are declaring it as their own victory.

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan credited his government for this achievement. Khan congratulated former Energy Minister Hammad Azhar who was the main man working on FATF. On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also congratulated the nation and appreciated the performance of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and the members of her team. According to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, the premier made a telephone call to the army chief and “lauded his decision to set up the core cell at the GHQ”. Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar termed the development “a great achievement” and gave credit to the “civil-military team” and mainly to the core cell set up at the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for it.

    Though there is no doubt that the road to success in terms of FATF has been a long one for Pakistan, let us not forget that many have done a lot of hard work to bring the country to this point. But this recent episode of many claiming credit for our success at FATF has raised one question: Can we as a nation stand united and be able to celebrate the major wins together, keeping aside our political and personal differences? The answer, for now, seems, ‘no’. The recent political scenario has divided the nation so much that even conversing on a simple topic that involves politics ends up in a heated argument. Does one wonder where have the days of critical thinking and constructive debate gone? We can only hope that Pakistanis — be it politicians, think-tankers, policymakers or the common citizen — be able to celebrate Pakistan for its glory and wins.

  • ‘First time in history’: PM Shehbaz approves task force for protection of minority rights

    ‘First time in history’: PM Shehbaz approves task force for protection of minority rights

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has approved the formation of a task force that will look after the implementation of minority rights in Pakistan.

    An official notification in this regard states, “In light of the resolution passed by the National Assembly on May 9, 2022, the prime minister has been pleased to approve the constitution of the task force on minorities to oversee the implementation of rights of minorities in light with the decision of the apex court.”

    The task force will be headed by Member of National Assembly (MNA) Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani. It comprises 23 parliamentarians, senators and ex-officio members.

    As chairman of the task force, Dr Vankwani tweeted that such a step had been taken “for the first time in the history of Pakistan”.

    In another tweet, he said, “Recommendations will be made for the solution of the problems faced by the minorities and we will take people from all the segments of the society along with us.”

    In 2014, the Supreme Court (SC) issued an order that there should be monitoring of the practical realisation of the rights and safeguards provided to the minorities under the Constitution and law.

    However, the governments over the years could not implement the SC orders.

    In 2020, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern over the surge in blasphemy cases against religious minorities, and the potential for sectarian violence.

  • Only 9% of Pakistanis reported misuse of data, 51% unaware: Survey

    Only 9% of Pakistanis reported misuse of data, 51% unaware: Survey

    A survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan and Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research has revealed that only 51 per cent of Pakistanis are aware of the fact that their data can be missed by the applications downloaded on their phones.

    Only 35 per cent Pakistani respondents said that they are aware of it. In addition, only 9 per cent of Pakistanis said they have reported misuse of their data. Fake e-mails, company spam e-mails, bank accounts, credit cards, and e-mail hacking were among the most common issues reported by Pakistanis.

    66 per cent of Pakistanis said that technology is an important part of their lives.

    The survey was conducted between October 15 and December 18, 2021. A total of 33,000 people from 39 countries participated in the survey, out of which 1,000 were from Pakistan.

  • After electricity, telecom companies warn of phone call loadshedding

    After electricity, telecom companies warn of phone call loadshedding

    Following a massive tax hike, telecom companies in Pakistan have warned the public of initiating ‘loadshedding’ of phone calls, similar to power cuts, across the country.

    Telecommunication officials informed senators during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance that, like electricity, load-shedding of phone calls would be observed in the coming days, according to ARY News.

    During the meeting, telecom company representatives stated that the federal government has enhanced the advance tax on imported fibre optic cable by 15 per cent while boosting duty by 20 per cent.

    The senators were informed that the companies are experiencing severe financial difficulties as a result of the enhanced financial strain of importing fiber-optic.

    Telecom company representatives claimed that fibre optic cable is only used in 10 per cent of towers across the country, and that unless the government lowers fibre optic cable taxes, Pakistan will fall behind in the global connectivity race.

    After hearing the telecom companies’ arguments, the Senate committee recommended that the federal government reduce relevant taxes on fibre optic imports.

  • Twitter remembers Pakistan’s iconic Champions Trophy win against India

    Twitter remembers Pakistan’s iconic Champions Trophy win against India

    Under the captaincy of Sarfaraz Ahmed, Pakistan made history by defeating defending champions India in the final of the 2017 International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy, which happened exactly five years ago on June 18 at The Oval.

    Fakhar Zaman scored 144, which played a big part in Pakistan’s victory. Other than him, Azhar Ali’s 59, Babar Azam’s 46 and Hafeez’s 57 led to Pakistan’s win against India.

    One cannot forget Mohammad Amir’s bowling. He showcased his fiery skills by dismissing all three of India’s openers. The entire Indian cricket team was dismissed on 158 in just 30.3 overs.

    Since June 18, every year on this day Pakistan celebrates its victory against its arch-rivals.

    Here are some tweets celebrating Pakistan’s victory.

    https://twitter.com/HomiMalik4/status/1538110718637228034?s=20&t=Mh7CmKcWn_HmvOxcSRdbAA

    https://twitter.com/iamdanyalahmad/status/1538160091341410304?s=20&t=MNdArcldecqJ-kEoHkEtNg
  • KP govt considering buying a plane to put out wildfires

    KP govt considering buying a plane to put out wildfires

    The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government is reportedly considering buying a plane to timely deal with wildfire emergencies.

    In a statement, KP Secretary Forestation said that the government is considering purchasing a plane to put out forest fires in the province.

    The statement further added that developed countries typically deploy planes to put out such fires, as it helps in controlling the fire in lesser time.

    According to a recently published report that was compiled by the provincial Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department, over 200 wildfires damaged forests and pastures over an area of 14,430 acres in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in a span of two weeks.

    The data was collected from March 23 to June 9.

    As per the data given to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly by the Forestry Department last year, fires destroyed around 815 acres of land in 2020.

  • Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul attacked, Daesh claims responsibility

    Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul attacked, Daesh claims responsibility

    The Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh, has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Sikh Gurdwara in Kabul that killed at least two people and injured seven on Saturday (June 18). Reuters reported that on an affiliated Telegram channel, the local branch of Daesh said the attack was in response to the derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by BJP spokespersons in India.

    The attack on Karteparwan Gurdwara killed one Sikh worshipper and a Taliban fighter. A Taliban interior ministry spokesman told Reuters that the attackers had laden a car with explosives but it had detonated before reaching its target.

    Karteparwan Gurdwara was the only operational Sikh temple in Kabul of the four Gurudwaras in the Afghan capital. This is not the first attack by Daesh on a Gurdwara. In 2020, the militant group attacked a 400-year-old Gurudwara in Kabul, which left 25 dead.

    Read more- ‘We will hunt you down and make you pay’: Biden reacts to 85 killed in Kabul blasts

    There has been a rise in attacks on religious minorities in Afghanistan. Most of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K), the regional branch of ISIL/Daesh.

  • DG Khan Cement to export 50,000 tonnes of cement to the United States

    DG Khan Cement to export 50,000 tonnes of cement to the United States

    Following long and complex certification processes, D.G. Khan Cement Company Limited (DGKCL), one of Pakistan’s largest cement producers, is set to export 50,000 tonnes of the building material to the sophisticated US market.

    This is a positive development for Pakistan, which is struggling to boost exports in the face of a burgeoning trade deficit that has steered the rupee to historic depths. The process took almost ten months for the renowned industrial group to complete the necessary certifications for delivering cement to US markets after winning the contract. TXDOT, LDOT, NCDOT, and SCDOT are among the certifications available.

    According to Brecorder, the company’s CFO, Inayat Ullah Niazi, stated that a ship was currently loading cement at a port in Karachi for delivery to Houston.

    It was not easy for the company to meet the contract for a monthly supply of 100,000 tonnes of cement to Texas. In August of last year, DG Khan Cement signed a contract with a US company for the year 2021.

    Since the United States lacks cement production, it imports it from Mexico, Canada, and Turkey.

    Finally. a Pakistani cement supplier has entered the US market for the first time, as demand for the construction material has risen dramatically, with buyers looking for other options in the wake of President Joe Biden’s $6 trillion infrastructure package.

    All of the mega infrastructure in the United States, including roads, bridges, and other structures, would be rebuilt as they were nearly a century ago under the announced package.

    Pakistan exported 4.971 million tonnes cement in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year (July-May), a negative growth of 43.32 per cent, according to export data. Cement exports to Afghanistan were only 813,493 tonnes during this time, a negative 65.04 per cent increase.

    With only 1.478 million tonnes exported, exports to other countries experienced negative growth of 27.2 per cent.

    As per industry insiders, after DG Khan Cement began discovering the US market for cement exports, other larger players began the certification process for their goods.

    According to the latest figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s exports declined by 10.22 per cent on a monthly basis in May 2022, falling to $2.6 billion from $2.897 billion in April 2022.

    D.G. Khan Cement, one of Pakistan’s largest cement producers, earned Rs4.1 billion in the nine-month period ending March 31, 2022, a 26 per cent increase in profit. In the same period of 2020-21, the company made Rs3.25 billion in profits.

    It is worth noting that the business also received orders for cement export to the Philippines back in 2020.

    With a nearly 50 per cent (Rs300 per bag) increase in the last 12 months, more price increases would be required to offset the coal cost impact.

  • Are you ready to buy Snapchat Subscription?

    Are you ready to buy Snapchat Subscription?

    Snapchat is reportedly working on a subscription plan that will allow users access to several features, including the ability to pin conversations. With the launch of Snapchat +, users may have to pay to access exclusive, experimental, and pre-release features on social media platforms. With a premium subscription, Snapchat users will get a special Snapchat icon and a special badge.

    What is Snapchat Plus?

    With Snapchat Plus, Liz Markman (Snapchat Spokesperson) reports, subscribers will have access to certain features of the app.

    “You’ll be able to pin friends as best friends, get custom snap chat icons and subscriber profile badges, and see how many retweets you have on Snap Stories”. He also notes that “you will be able to see your friends’ location in the last 24 hours, but only if they share it with you”.

    Why paid when they can offer free?

    This is not the only social media platform to launch a paid subscription model. Other social media platforms are also running the same race. For example, Twitter launched its first subscription offer, Twitter Blue, in June, which is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

    The transition to a subscription-based business model may be the result of app tracking transparency, a feature introduced by Apple in iOS 14 that requires apps to ask users before they can track their data. Companies such as Snap and Meta have publicly stated that Apple’s new guidelines have affected their revenue, which is largely based on advertising.

    By introducing new subscription plans, these companies hope to offset the loss in advertising revenue by charging for access to special features that will not be available to free users.

    How much does Snapchat Plus cost?

    The service costs € 4.59 (Rs1,009) monthly or € 45.99 (Rs10,111) per year.

    It is not clear when Snapchat Plus will launch as it is still in testing mode, but keep an eye out for it. Will you pay for it?