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  • VIDEO: Hassan Ali interrupts Erin Holland’s interview with Ben Cutting

    VIDEO: Hassan Ali interrupts Erin Holland’s interview with Ben Cutting

    Islamabad United bowler Hassan Ali is a character of his own and knows how to entertain. Recently the speedster interrupted a live interview of Peshawar Zalmi’s Ben Cutting by presenter Erin Holland.

    Holland was interviewing the Peshawar Zalmi’s player after the team defeated United in the 24th match of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition when Hassan crashed in and asked: “Why do you always take interview of Ben Cutting?”

    At this, both burst out laughing at Hassan’s intervention. Cutting resumed the interview while Hassan Ali walked away.

    The video clip of this hilarious incident went viral on social media. Netizens couldn’t stop sharing the video on Internet with witty captions.

    https://twitter.com/taimoorze/status/1494383393211133962
  • Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Nawaz Sharif more popular than PM Khan in provinces: survey

    Former Prime Minister (PM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is ahead of all other party leaders in terms of popularity, reveals Gallup Pakistan’s latest survey, which was conducted from December 22, 2021, to January 31, 2022, and includes 5,000 participants from across the country.

    According to the survey, there is a noticeable drop in PM Imran Khan’s popularity in all the provinces.

    In Punjab, PM Khan’s popularity rate has dropped from 51 per cent in December 2018 to 33 per cent in January 2022 while Nawaz Sharif’s popularity has jumped from 35 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022.

    The survey has also included the popularity statistics of PML-N President and former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. CM Sharif’s popularity rose from 46 per cent in December 2018 to 58 per cent in January 2022 in Punjab. Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity increased in Punjab from 18 per cent back in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022.

    In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), there is a significant increase in the level of satisfaction with PM Khan, which was only five per cent in December 2018 but is now 44 per cent, while Bhutto’s popularity mildly increased from 23 per cent in December 2018 to 24 per cent in January 2022. Nawaz Sharif managed to gain in KP from his 14 per cent approval rating in December 2018 to 46 per cent in January 2022.

    Coming to Sindh, both Sharifs are ahead of the PPP. Nawaz Sharif’s popularity in Sindh increased from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 51 per cent in January 2022. Shehbaz Sharif’s approval rating also went up in Sindh from 12 per cent in December 2018 to 41 per cent in January 2022. Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto’s popularity significantly dropped in Sindh, where the PPP is in power, from 54 per cent in December 2018 to 37 percent in January 2022. PM Khan remained at 33 per cent both in December 2018 and January 2022 but remains the least popular of all four leaders in Sindh.

    According to the survey, this is the first time that the popularity of the former PM has risen after December 2018. Shehbaz Sharif also managed to get similar ratings.

  • Bella Hadid calls out India over ‘ban hijab’ conflict

    Bella Hadid calls out India over ‘ban hijab’ conflict

    Model Bella Hadid, a vocal advocate of women’s rights and the rights of Palestinians, criticized the discrimination faced by Muslim women in India and elsewhere.

    Taking to Instagram, the supermodel shared multiple news items from several countries and wrote, “In other forms of discrimination: I urge France, India , Quebec, Belgium, and any other countries in the world who are discriminatory against Muslim women, to rethink what decisions you have made or are trying to make in the future about a body that is not yours.”

    She added, “It’s not your job to tell women what they should or shouldn’t wear, especially when it is pertaining to faith and safety.

    It’s not your job to tell women whether or not they can STUDY or PLAY SPORTS, ESPECIALLY when it is pertaining to their faith and safety. Hijabi women in France are not allowed to wear their Hijab to school, to play sports, to swim, even on their ID pictures. You can’t be a civil worker or work in hospitals with a Hijab. To get an internship, most universities will say, the only way to get one is to take off the hijab. It’s ridiculous and really shows how Islamophobic the world is without even acknowledging it. In regards to these new Bills that are either in the process of being passed , or have already.”

    Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor has also appreciated Bella Hadid’s Instagram post.

    Bella Hadid calls out India for banning hijab
  • Actor Shaan angry over PSL ‘lockdowns’, makes special request to CM Buzdar

    Actor Shaan angry over PSL ‘lockdowns’, makes special request to CM Buzdar

    The seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is at full swing of the second leg of the tournament which is taking place at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

    Actor Shaan Shahid took to his Twitter and has made a special request to Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja and Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar.

    “PSL indeed it is a great way to boost pakistans peaceful image but a special request to @iramizraja chairman Pcb why can’t the teams be accommodated in the Pcb academy right next to the stadium the whole city is on a lockdown a lot of people are suffering .@UsmanAKBuzdar,” he tweeted.

    Earlier on Wednesday, the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore, Additional IG Fayyaz Ahmad Dev visited Gaddafi Stadium and reviewed the security and traffic arrangements made by the Lahore Police for PSL matches.

    DIG Operations Dr Abid Khan, DC Lahore Umar Sher Chattha, SSP Administration Atif Nazir, SSP Operations Capt (retd) Mustansar Feroze, SSP Security Rashid Hydayat and PCB officials were also present on the occasion.

    The CCPO Lahore inspected security arrangements at different entrance and exit gates of the stadium and issued directions to the police officers to strengthen the arrangements.

    The Lahore leg of the tournament started from February 10. The playoffs and Final of the tournament will be played in Lahore at the Gaddafi Stadium. The Final match will be played on February 27.

    Earlier, it was also reported that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan will also be watching the Final at the Gaddafi Stadium.

    In March 2021, it was reported that the Sports Board of Punjab (SBP) and PCB have agreed to build a five-star hotel at Nishtar Park Sports Complex, near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. But no latest update on the project has been reported.

  • Faisal Vawda challenges lifelong disqualification in Supreme Court

    Faisal Vawda challenges lifelong disqualification in Supreme Court

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Vawda on Friday challenged his lifelong disqualification in the Supreme Court. Vawda was disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a dual nationality case. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday dismissed Vawda’s plea challenging his disqualification by the ECP.

    Vawda has now filed an appeal in the apex court. The appeal states that the ECP did not have the power to disqualify him for life and that the electoral watchdog was not a competent court of law.

    Faisal Vawda’s appeal was filed by his lawyer, Advocate Wasim Sajjad.

    Earlier this month, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified Vawda as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) and ordered him to withdraw the notification appointing him as senator for concealing his dual nationality.

    Later, the PTI leader approached the IHC. In his appeal, he stated that Section 8C of the Elections Act, 2017 allowed the ECP to conduct an election but did not empower it to disqualify a candidate. According to him, the commission was directed by the court to “probe the issue of falsity or otherwise of the affidavit expeditiously as per a judgement of the Supreme Court”.

  • Grave of legendary Ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan in ruins

    Grave of legendary Ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan in ruins

    Legendary singer Mehdi Hassan’s grave is in bad condition. He is buried in Karachi.

    Twitter user Bilal Gilani posted a video with the latest condition of his grave.

    “This is apparently grave of Mehdi Hassan, the greatest ghazal singer of our times, recipient of hundreds of intl awards and if nothing else singer of dosens of Milli naghmas He deserves better treatment.”

    He also requested Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab to do something about the condition of the grave.

    Salman Sufi in a tweet said that the video is ‘disturbing’ and has said that the Salman Sufi Foundation will renovate the gravesite. Talking exclusively to The Current, Sufi said, “The main structure has been badly damaged.” He added that even the headstone has a verse that is written wrong and the area has litter all around.

    Talking about the renovation Sufi said, “We are going to renovate the entire columns and get proper calligraphy work done.”

    Mehdi Hassan passed away in 2012. He was born in July 1927. His career spanned 50 years.  Some of his most famous songs and ghazals include, “Mujhay Tum Nazar Say”, “Jaag Utha Insaan”, “Gulon May Rang Bharay” among many other countless hits.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Which senior army official was photoshopped from Bill Gates meeting picture?

    EXCLUSIVE: Which senior army official was photoshopped from Bill Gates meeting picture?

    Yesterday, a picture was released by the Prime Minister’s Office of a luncheon hosted by PM Imran Khan in honour of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). Gates was on a one-day visit to Pakistan yesterday, which was also his first-ever visit to the country.

    The picture in which PM Khan and Bill Gates are sitting with Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar, Mahmood Khan, Azam Khan, Shaukat Tarin, Shah Farman, Khalid Khurshid and several others at the main table sparked a debate on Twitter for a missing link. If one looks at the picture closely, someone between Dr Faisal Sultan and Mahmood Khan seems to be ‘missing’.

    Twitter users wondered who had been photoshopped out of the picture while some Twitter users tried to guess the name of the person.

    Journalist Cyril Almeida tweeted: “A day later, the mystery of who was photoshopped out of this pic continues… but if rumour is to be believed…”

    https://twitter.com/cyalm/status/1494569851595206678
    Who was photoshopped?

    The Current reached out to its sources and confirmed that it was the Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lieutenant General Nadeem Anjum who had been photoshopped from the luncheon meeting picture.

    Ansar Abbasi had reported for The News in December 2021 that the new DG ISI has asked all authorities concerned not to release to the media his picture or video footage made during an official meeting. As per The Current’s sources, it was due to this policy that he had to be taken out of the official picture released by the PM Office yesterday.

    It’s a standing instruction for all concerned from the incumbent DG ISI not to release any of his pictures or video footage of any official meeting that he attends.

    Read More: New spy chief says no to the media

    Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum was appointed as new DG ISI in October 2021. The post was previously held by Lt Gen Faiz Hameed who is now Corps Commander Peshawar.

  • Samaa TV producer killed in Karachi robbery

    Samaa TV producer killed in Karachi robbery

    Samaa TV’s producer was killed during a robbery. The incident took place when the TV producer was on its way and came across two men robbing a citizen at gunpoint. To prevent the mugging, he banged his car into the suspects’ motorcycle.

    In retaliation, the men opened fire on the victim’s car and then fled from the crime scene, after robbing another man. 

    Athar Mateen, senior producer at Samaa received gunshot wounds to his head and chest, was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he breathed his last.

    Police said that 9mm pistol was used in the attack and a shell was recovered from the site.

    The locality is popular for muggings and robberies, special early morning and late at night.

  • Pakistan rescues woman in love gone wrong, saves wife left in Indian jail by husband

    Pakistan rescues woman in love gone wrong, saves wife left in Indian jail by husband

    Pakistan has issued a nationality certificate, which will lead to becoming a citizen of Pakistan, to a stateless woman, Sumaira who has been stranded in India for four years. It was issued after verification by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and her family. Pakistan Interior Minister has sent her nationality certificate to Foreign Ministry.

    Pakistan High Commission in India, New Delhi will issue travel documents and she will be able to come to Pakistan with her daughter who is four-years-old.

    According to her lawyer, Sohana Biswapatna, Sumaira was born in Qatar to Pakistani parents who moved from Karachi for employment. She married an Indian Muslim for love in Qatar without the consent of her parents. She illegally moved to India with her husband in 2016.

    Sumaira and her husband were arrested in 2017. However, her husband, who faced the charges of facilitating a foreign intruder, was released on bail after a few months. She remained in jail.

    She gave birth to a daughter in prison.

    The message she sent through her lawyer to BBC, “I have been punished by law for the mistake I made, but my sorrows and pains are not diminishing. The family had already separated, but now the husband in India has also turned away. At the moment, my only recourse is my country, Pakistan.”

    According to Sumaira, she wanted to confess her crime but her husband stopped her from giving a statement. The husband thought that India would deport her if she confessed. He was trying to find a way to release her from jail and settle her in India.

    Her case was stalled in India for three years as she did not confess to her crime.

    Her husband stopped visiting her and attending her calls without any explanation around after two to three years. After losing hope of reunion, she confessed to her crime.

    She was sentenced to a three year imprisonment, which she has already completed.

    Currently, she is living in a state shelter in Bengaluru, Karnataka, a state of India.

  • Journalist vs PTI’s Murad Saeed: Govt plans to go after judge for declaring FIA raid on Mohsin Baig’s house illegal

    Journalist vs PTI’s Murad Saeed: Govt plans to go after judge for declaring FIA raid on Mohsin Baig’s house illegal

    The government has decided to file a reference against Islamabad’s Additional Session Judge Zafar Iqbal for declaring the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) raid illegal at senior journalist Mohsin Baig’s home.

     Advocate General (AG) Islamabad Niazullah Niazi met Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and briefed him about the case hearing.

    Niazullah Niazi said that a reference would be filed against the judge soon. He said that Mohsin Baig had pointed a gun at FIA and police officials besides threatening the on-duty officers. “Being a media person does not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands.”

    AG Islamabad further stated that Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no one is above the law.

    “Everyone is equal before the law. Constructive criticism is beneficial for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government,” said PM Khan.

    Speaking on Geo News Programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, AG Islamabad Niazullah Niazi said, “We will approach Chief Justice Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the session court judge’s verdict.”

    Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada questioned Advocate General Niazi if all this is really about the rule of law or is it what the government wants.

    Niazi responded: “We all know how much the prime minister has worked for the rule of law. If a proceeding is happening against someone, and the law is there in the constitution, why would someone want that the proceeding to stop?”

    Khanzada interjected and asked: “You say that the prime minister has done a lot for rule of law. The premier always reiterates that nations are destroyed where there is one law for the strong and another for the weak. A federal minister files a complaint at 9am in Lahore and at 9:30am, a raid takes place in Islamabad. Several cases are pending but prompt action was taken in this case. A judge who declared the raid illegal face references. Is this what rule of law is?”

    “No illegal action will be taken against any judge,” responded Niazullah Niazi.

    “You are pressuring the judiciary in this manner, the judge who gives verdict against you, you are taking action against them in return,” added Khanzada.

     Niazi further stated that the reference against the session judge will not jeopardise the independence of the judiciary.

    Neither the prime minister nor the lawyer accepts any kind of pressure on the judiciary, but no one should be above the law, he said.

    Khanzada further said, “Is this really rule of law or fascism?”

    The FIA cybercrime wing and the police arrested Daily Jinnah and Online news agency Editor Mohsin Jamil Baig on Wednesday. FIA raided the journalist’s house in the federal capital along with the police and took him into custody.

    Baig was accused of initiating a debate on a television show with some controversial references towards PM Imran Khan and Minister for Communication Murad Saeed.