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  • Three upcoming Pakistani dramas you don’t want to miss

    Three upcoming Pakistani dramas you don’t want to miss

    What do we need to survive? Just food, water, and air? No way! For us Pakistanis, dramas are equally important.

    They are entertaining, and some aim to spread awareness in society. Not to mention, they balance all the feelings in one experience. Whether you watch a love story at the perfect time or a family drama, they keep us glued to the screen!

    The Current has made a short list of three Pakistani dramas with stories filled with love, drama, and, of course, family.

    1. DuniyaPur

    DuniyaPur is a name that suggests thrilling stories waiting to develop, suspenseful stories as hidden truths unfold. The drama is about the rising and the underdogs eager to disrupt established powers to exact justice.

    It stars Sami Khan as Mir Hassan, a brave police officer striving to uncover hidden truths and pave the way for positive change around DuniyaPur!

    Manzar Sehbai plays Nawab Dil Awaiz, which destabilises Mir Hassan’s truths through fear, coercion, and policing this town’s deeds!

    Alongside these are some of the most beloved acting personas of our generation: Ramsha Khan, Nauman Ijaz, and Khushhal Khan.

    The storyline, packed with suspense and family drama, promises to pique viewers’ interest in the comfort of life and work.

    The drama is produced by Multiverse Entertainment, scripted by Radain Shah, and directed by Shahid Shafaat.

    DuniyaPur airs on 25th September 2024.

    1. Baby Baji Ki Bahuwain

    The sequel to Baby Baji, Baby Baji Ki Bahuwain, is coming soon.

    The teaser highlights Baby Baji and Siddiqui Saab’s efforts to keep their children together, emphasising that children often only recognise their parents’ worth and wisdom after they are gone.

    The story continues with Baby Baji’s children, and we’ll see how their lives unfold.

    Will Asma forgive Naseer? Will Jamal and Azra stay together? Will Farhat and Wasif achieve their dreams? Stay tuned to find out!

    Written by Mansoor Ahmed Khan and directed by Tehseen Khan, the drama stars Samina Ahmed, Saud Qasmi, Javeria Saud, Sunita Marshal, and more. ‘Baby Baji Ki Bahuwain’ is presented by iDream Entertainment.

    1. Ishq Beparwah

    If you’re in the mood for a sweet love story, ‘Ishq Beparwah’ seems to be the perfect choice.

    Alizeh Shah and Affan Waheed pair up for the first time, and their chemistry is already winning hearts.

    The story revolves around a girl ready for marriage and a guy who falls for her at first sight. It promises a lighthearted, feel-good romance without the usual dramatic twists, perfect for a relaxing watch.

    Written by Samina Aijaz and directed by Ilyas Kashmiri, ‘Ishq Beparwah’ premieres September 16. Details on the remaining cast are yet to be revealed.

    So, which will be your next reigning favourite show

  • ‘IMF wanted Pakistan to default last year,’ claims Ishaq Dar

    ‘IMF wanted Pakistan to default last year,’ claims Ishaq Dar

    Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wanted Pakistan to default during the tenure of last year’s sixteen-month government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

    In a Defence Day ceremony, Dar said, “The IMF was not reviewing Pakistan’s loan request, despite fulfilling the technical review demands.”

    He mentioned that the IMF had delayed the loan for eight months when Pakistan was in economic turmoil despite having three billion commitments from friendly countries.

    “Pakistan could lead the fifty-seven Islamic countries by achieving economic power, and whenever the country was quite close to achieving that goal, the government’s legs were pulled from underneath it,” Dar claims.

    He urged politicians to be rational about Pakistan’s economic potential, pointing out the country’s nuclear power status.

    The Deputy Prime Minister stood by his unusual statement at Geo News last year, asserting, “Pakistan can avoid default without the IMF.”

  • Floods displace nearly 950,000 in west Africa

    Floods displace nearly 950,000 in west Africa

    ABID: Severe flooding in west Africa has displaced nearly 950,000 people and disrupted children’s education at the start of the school year, international charity Save the Children said on Friday.

    “Hundreds of thousands of children now displaced from their homes are facing disease, hunger from crop destruction, and disruption to their education, as schools have become crowded with fleeing families or damaged in the floods,” the NGO said.

    Save the Children said around 950,000 people had been displaced — 649,184 in Niger, 225,000 in Nigeria and 73,778 in Mali. Niger’s government says more than 700,000 people have been left homeless, and 273 people have died since the rainy season started in June.

    Neighbouring Nigeria has meanwhile seen 29 of its 36 states — mainly in the north — hit by rising waters of the River Niger and its major Benue tributary, with the country listing 200 deaths, Save the Children said. “According to Nigerian government data, over 115,265 hectares of farmland have also been damaged in a country with already high rates of food insecurity,” the NGO said.

    The agency said one in every six children across Nigeria “faced hunger in June-August this year — a 25 per cent increase on the same period last year.” In Mali, whose government declared a state national disaster, more than half of those displaced are children, the NGO revealed.

    Save the Children said climate change was making extreme weather and its consequences ever more serious and frequent, with Africa suffering disproportionally.

    “These countries are already ravaged by conflict and insecurity, making it even harder to respond, said Vishna Shah-Little, regional advocacy, media and communications director for the agency in Western and Central Africa.

  • Gaza genocide in its 12th month with truce hopes slim

    Gaza genocide in its 12th month with truce hopes slim

    The genocide in Gaza entered its 12-month on Saturday with little sign of respite for the Palestinian territory or hope for Israeli hostages still held captive.

    The chances of a truce appear slim, with both sides sticking doggedly to their positions, AFP reports.

    Hamas’ October 7 gave Israel an excuse to spark the genocide. While the organization is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that troops must remain on a key strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border.

    The United States, Qatar and Egypt have all been mediating to bring about a ceasefire in the region where Israel in Gaza has killed at least 40,939 people.

    According to the United Nations human rights office, most of the dead are women and children.

    However, the attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, including some hostages killed in captivity, according to official Israeli figures.

    Of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the attack, 97 remain in Gaza, including 33 the Israeli military says are dead.

    Scores were released during a one-week truce in November.

    Israel’s announcement last Sunday that the bodies of six hostages, including a US-Israeli citizen, had been recovered shortly after being killed, sparked grief and anger in Israel.

    Marking the anniversary, UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) chief Philippe Lazzarini posted on X on Saturday: “Eleven months. Enough. No one can take this any longer. Humanity must prevail. Ceasefire now.”

    International pressure to end the war was further underlined by Friday’s shooting dead in the West Bank of a Turkish-American activist demonstrating against Israeli settlements in the occupied territory.

    The family of 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi has demanded an independent investigation into her death, saying on Saturday her life “was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military”.

    The UN rights office said Israeli forces killed Eygi with a “shot in the head”.

    Ankara said she was killed by “Israeli occupation soldiers”, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the Israeli action as “barbaric”.

    Washington called her death “tragic”, and has pressed its close ally Israel to investigate.

    West Bank raids

    Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where about 490,000 people live, are illegal under international law.

    Since the October 7 attack, Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 662 Palestinians in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

    Eygi’s death came on the day Israeli forces withdrew from a deadly 10-day raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, where AFP journalists reported residents returning home to widespread destruction.

    The Jenin pullout came with Israel at loggerheads with the United States over talks to forge a truce in the Gaza war.

    US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday “90 percent is agreed” and urged Israel and Hamas to finalise a deal.

    But Netanyahu denied this, telling Fox News: “It’s not close.”

    Hamas is demanding Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, saying it agreed months ago to a proposal outlined by US President Joe Biden.

    AFP reporters said several air strikes and shelling rocked the territory overnight and early Saturday.

    Gaza’s civil defence agency and the Palestinian Red Crescent said an Israeli air strike killed four people near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

    The civil defence and a witness said an air strike that targeted a flat in Bureij camp killed another four.

    And in Jabalia, an Israeli air strike killed four more Palestinians, civil defence officials said.

    They added that a woman and a child were also killed in an air strike north of Gaza City.

    Medics reported at least 33 Palestinians wounded in an air strike on a residential area in Beit Lahia and said they were being treated at Al-Awda, Kamal Adwan and Indonesian hospitals.

  • ‘I did my job as an actor’: Zahid Ahmed on playing a toxic character in Gentleman

    ‘I did my job as an actor’: Zahid Ahmed on playing a toxic character in Gentleman

    Actor Zahid Ahmed, known for his performances in Ishq Zahe Naseeb, Naimat, and 101 Talaqain, talked about his character in the drama serial Gentleman.

    During the launch of Shark Tank, Something Haute host Hassan Chaudhary said, “I have to ask about Faris for those who are really enjoying Faris’s performance, what would you like to say to them?”

    Zahid replied, “I don’t love that character, I don’t even hate that character, I just did my job as an actor. For me, it’s enough that Humayun Bhai personally contacted me and asked me to play this character. It was a pleasure working with Humayun Saeed, Yumna, Adnan Siddiqui, and Sohail, so it was amazing; you just do your job when you sign it. I was up for it because I had never had the opportunity to work with him.”

    Talking about Faris, Ahmed said, “You signed it, you do the job, man.”

    Gentlemen is directed by Haissam Hussain and written by controversial writer Khalil Ur-Rehman Qamar. It airs on Green Entertainment on Sunday at 8:00 p.m.

  • Yasir Hussain clears the air; Called for legalising theatre dances, not pornography

    Yasir Hussain clears the air; Called for legalising theatre dances, not pornography

    Renowned actor Yasir Hussain has addressed rumors claiming he called for the legalization of pornography, clarifying that he only advocated for the legalization of theatre dances in Lahore to boost government revenue.

    Previously, social media and news outlets alleged that Hussain supported the legalization of pornography after he mentioned “adult entertainment should be legalized” during Ahmed Ali Butt’s podcast.

    In a recent interview on Faysal Qureshi’s podcast ‘Pressure Buhat Hey,’ Yasir explained, “The dances in Lahore theatres are considered ‘adult entertainment’ because children do not attend them.”

    Hussain suggested that the government could generate income if these performances, which he said require expensive licenses globally, were legal. He proposed that instead of the standard Rs1,000 ticket price for regular theatre shows, these performances should charge Rs4,000, with the extra amount going to the government.

    “So much revenue could be generated if it were legal. Currently, these shows happen daily, but illegally. If they were legal, the only change would be that the government benefits financially,” he said.

    Hussain pointed out that the government often raids theatres, collects money, and shuts them down, only for the shows to restart days later. He emphasized that this system brings no benefit to the government.

    He further added, “If we were truly pure, Pakistan wouldn’t be ranking first or second in porn consumption. We are involved in this, so why not legalize these dances?”

    He also urged the censor board to assign age ratings to films, a practice used worldwide, to allow the Pakistani film industry to grow. He said that if a movie was restricted to a certain age group, only the producer would face a partial loss, but the film shouldn’t be banned entirely for adults.

    He added that banning content on YouTube was pointless since it could be uploaded on other platforms. He also suggested that PEMRA should impose stricter regulations on television content, as children can easily access inappropriate material with a remote.

    Hussain criticized a recent scene in a TV show where twin sisters accidentally switch husbands, calling it inappropriate and not humorous. He argued that content deemed suitable for films should not be allowed on television, while the same content is being restricted in cinemas.

  • PCB to hold high-level meeting to determine the future of Pakistan cricket

    PCB to hold high-level meeting to determine the future of Pakistan cricket

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold a high-level meeting and workshop to determine the future course of Pakistan cricket.

    Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi will preside over the meeting. The meeting and the workshop have been named Connection Camp, which will likely be held on September 22.

    Red and White Ball Head Coaches Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten, as well as the Heads of International, Domestic, and High Performance, will also attend the meeting. Future decisions will be made based on the suggestions made at the Camp. There will also be a discussion regarding the change of white and red ball captains.

    Gary Kirsten returned home after submitting his report in July, while Jason Gillespie went to Australia after the series against Bangladesh.

    A new white ball captain for the Australia tour is possible.

  • ‘Non-veg khila ke Musalman banayega’; Class three Muslim boy expelled from Indian school over biryani

    ‘Non-veg khila ke Musalman banayega’; Class three Muslim boy expelled from Indian school over biryani

    A video of a Muslim mother arguing with the principal of an Indian school has gone viral in which she is complaining about expelling her son from the school.

    A school in northern India expelled a young student for bringing non-vegetarian biryani for his lunch, sparking an official investigation.

    The incident happened in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha district where a three-member investigation committee has been constituted to look into the matter.

    In the footage, the principal can allegedly be heard saying, “Your child says that he wants to convert everyone to Islam by making them eat non-vegetarian food.”

    The child believed to be between five and seven years old, brought meat biryani in his tiffin for lunch.

    Principal Avnish Kumar Sharma denied the allegations, stating that the child had damaged a temple on school grounds and offered biryani to classmates, which upset other parents. “I called a parent-teacher meeting, but his mother accused me instead,” the principal told The Indian Express.

    On allegations of the child’s intentions to “demolish temples” in the future, the distressed mother can be heard confronting the principal by saying he is responsible for verbally abusing her son and locking him in a room as punishment. She further revealed that her son had been facing religious discrimination in the school for the past three months, which she called the “Hindu-Muslim” thing.

    The controversy has raised concerns over religious intolerance and discriminatory practices prevalent in India as incidents of cow vigilantism and lynching of Muslims have also been reported in the recent past.

  • Zainab ke Papa reaches 10 million subscribers with his family vlogs

    Zainab ke Papa reaches 10 million subscribers with his family vlogs

    In today’s digital world, YouTube has become a unique platform where people do almost anything to become famous. Despite criticism, YouTubers have made a name for themselves by sharing their everyday lives and making family vlogs.

    Recently, famous YouTuber, Arshad Khan, better known as ‘Zainab ke Papa’, celebrated a significant milestone by reaching 10 million subscribers by sharing his family’s daily life. He joins the ranks of popular content creators and YouTubers such as Ducky Bhai, who has 7.89 million subscribers, Sisterology with 4.69 million, and Muaz Safdar with 4.15 million subscribers on YouTube.

    The trend of daily vlogging has also caught the attention of actors, who now use YouTube to connect with their fans, sharing everything from personal moments to behind-the-scenes stories. However, this addiction to views has led to more people sharing every aspect of their lives, even domestic arguments, to boost subscribers.

    Here are the comments of fans congratulation them on hitting 10 million subscribers on YouTube:

  • COAS Gen Asim Munir calls for unity, declares bond between army and people vital

    COAS Gen Asim Munir calls for unity, declares bond between army and people vital

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir has said that political differences should not cause hatred among people and termed relations between the army and the people the foundation for defeating any enemy.

    Speaking on a Defence Day ceremony at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Gen Munir said, “For national unity, it is essential that political differences do not turn into hatred.”

    The Army Chief highlighted the protection of minority rights to achieve national unity as per the constitution of Pakistan.

    Commenting on Operation “Azm-e-Istehkam” (Resolve of Stability), he said, “Operation Azm-e-Istahkam is part of the National Action Plan. In this long war, not only the Pakistan Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies but also a large number of civilians, especially from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have made great sacrifices.”

    He added, “The malicious goals aimed at weakening national unity will not succeed.”