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  • تنخواہ مانگ کر شرمندہ نہ کریں

    تنخواہ مانگ کر شرمندہ نہ کریں

    دوررِ حاظر میں نوکری کے بغیر گزارہ نہیں ۔سار ا دن انسٹا گرام پہ برگر اور پیزے دیکھ دیکھ کر یا تو بھوک لگی رہتی ہے یا پھر خوبصورت کپڑے دیکھ کر عجیب احساسِ محرومی سا رہتا ہے کہ آخر یہ میرے پاس کیوں نہیں ۔  اس سے پہلے کہ آپ غصہ میں آئیں ، میں واضح کرنا چاہتی ہوں کہ مجھے نوکری صرف انہی چیزوں کے لیے چاہئے ۔ لیکن جو نوکری دینے والے ہیں ، وہ آ پ سے کیا چاہتے ہیں ، آپ کو اندازہ بھی نہیں ہو پاتا ۔ آپ کے  گھر کی چائے کی پتی کے علاوہ ، انہیں آپ سے ہر چیز چاہئے ۔ اور اس کا مجھے شدت سے احساس ہوا  جب میں نے نوکری ڈھونڈنی شروع کی ۔

     سال 2020 میں میرے پاس نوکری نہ رہی تو میں نے سوچا کہ کچھ عرصہ آرام کروں ۔ میں پچھلے 12 سال سے لگاتار کام کر رہی ہوں تو سوچا کہ چلو تھوڑی عیاشی کر لیتے ہیں ۔ شروع کے دو مہینے تو فلمیں اور ٹی وی دیکھ کر گزار دیئے ۔  نیندیں بھی پوری کر لیں ۔ پھر وہ وقت جلد ہی آ گیا جب میں نے دیواروں کو گھورنا شروع کر دیا اور اتنا گھورا کہ دیواروں نے بھی کہہ دیا 

    ” سوری بہن ہمارا بوائے فرینڈ ہے ۔ ہم پر لائن نہ مارو” ۔ ان دیواروں اور برگر پیزوں سے مجبور ہوکر نوکری دوبارہ ڈھونڈنی پڑ ی ۔ اور یقین مانیں ایک دو ہفتوں میں ہی دوبارہ کام کرنے کا ارادہ ترک کر دیا ۔

    چونکہ میں نے زیادہ عرصہ کام سوشل میڈیا مارکیٹنگ میں کیا ہے تو میں نے اسی حوالے سے نوکریاں دیکھنی شروع کیں ۔ نوکری کی تفصیل دیکھی جس میں صرف انہوں نے یہ نہیں لکھا ہوا تھا کہ “آپ کو دنیا دوبارہ بنانی آنی چاہیئے “۔ نوکری میں ذمہ داریاں شامل کرتے ہوئے کمپنیز شاید بھول جاتی ہیں کہ وہ انسان کو نوکری دے رہے ہیں ، سپر مین کو نہیں ۔ نوکری کی تفصیل کچھ ایسے شروع ہوتی ہے۔

    “آپ کو سوشل میڈیا کے اکاؤنٹس چلانے آنے چاہیئے ، آپ کو پلان تیار کرنا  آنا چاہیئے ، آپ کو ہر ٹرینڈ کا پتا ہونا چاہئے ” اور اس کے بعد شروع ہوتا ہے وہ حصہ جس کا آپ نے سوچا بھی نہیں ہوتا  ” آپ کو ڈیزائننگ آنی چاہئے ، آپ کو فوٹو شاپ آنا چاہئے ، آپ کو کوڈنگ آنی چاہئے ، آپ کو ایک ہی ٹائم پر دس اکاونٹ چلانے آنے چاہئیں، آپ کو ایک ہی وقت پر ایک ہاتھ سے انگریزی اور ایک ہاتھ سے اردو لکھنی آنی چاہئے ۔ آپ کے پاس اتنی قابلیت ہونی چاہئے کہ آپ ایک ٹانگ پر کھڑے ہو کرٹویٹر پر  لوگوں کو جواب  دے سکیں ، آپ کے پاس اتنی قابلیت ہونی چاہئے کہ آپ  ایک دونی دو  دو  دونی  چار کو ایک سکینڈ میں 100 بار کہہ سکیں، آپ کو بیڈ شیٹ ٹھیک کرنی آنی چاہئے، آپ کو مردوں کی قمیضیں استری کرنی آنی چاہئے ، آپ کو انڈے کی زردی الگ کرنی آنی چاہئے ، آپ کو آلو گوشت کا شوربہ گاڑھا  کرنا آنا چاہئے، آپ کو اگر صوفے پر بیٹھنا آتا ہے تو آپ کو صوفے کے نیچے بیٹھنا بھی آنا چاہئے کیوں کہ کبھی بھی ضرورت پڑ سکتی ہے ۔ اس کے ساتھ ہی اگر آپ اپنا گردہ پھیپھڑےکی جگہ کر  سکیں تو  کیا ہی بات ہو جائے۔ ” اس کے ساتھ ہی ایک چھوٹے سے جملے میں لکھا  ہوتا ہے کہ “آپ کے پاس  20سال کا تجربہ ہونا چاہئے “، یہ جانتے ہوئے بھی کہ سوشل میڈیا کو ابھی 20 سال ہوئے بھی نہیں ۔ اس سب کے بعد ایک جملے میں یہ بھی لکھا ہوتا ہے کہ “باہر سے پڑھے ہوئے انسان کو ترجیح دی جائے گی۔ وہ لوگ جو ایک دن میں 48 گھنٹے کام کر سکیں ، صرف وہ اس نوکری کے لیے سی وی بھیجیں” ۔

    اس کے بعد اگر تو آپ کو ترجیح دی جاتی ہے اور انٹرویوپر بلایا جاتا ہے  تو سارے کاموں کی تنخواہ پوچھیں تو  50  ہزار سے اوپر کوئی نہیں  جائے گا ۔ اور اگر آپ 70 ہزار کی بات کریں تو وہ ساتھ ہی وہ آپ کے کام میں ایک اور ذمہ داری کا اضافہ کر دیں گے اور وہ ذمہ داری ان کے کپڑے دھونے کی بھی ہو سکتی ہے کیونکہ  وہ آپ سے کچھ بھی مانگ سکتے ہیں ۔اور وہ اس امید سے مانگتے ہیں کہ آپ آگے سے نہ کچھ مانگیں ، نہ کہیں۔ بلکہ اگر آپ نے یہ کہا کہ “پیار کیویں کراں ، تنخواہ بڑی تھوڑی اے “، تو وہ الٹا آپ کو کہیں گے

     ” آپ کے نخرے بہت ہیں “۔

    میرا ان کمپنیز سے سوال ہے کہ آخر آپ کس بات کا غصہ نکالنا چاہتے ہیں ملازم پر؟  ایک  انسان حالات کا شکار ہو کر نوکری کے لیے مارا مارا  پھر رہا ہے اور آپ اس کو نوکری کے نام پر موت کے سفر کا پمفلٹ کیوں تھما  دیتے ہیں ؟ کیا آپ ایک سکینڈ کے لیے بھی نہیں سوچتے کہ اگلا انسان ہے ، اس نے سونا ہے ، کھانا ہے ، پینا ہے ، زندگی کی باقی چیزوں کو دیکھنا ہے ۔  لوگوں کی مجبوریوں سے مت کھیلیں تاکہ آپ زندگی کے کارخانے چلا سکیں ۔ ایک بار نوکری کی ذمہ داریاں لکھتے ہوئے سوچ لیں کہ انسان چاہئے یا روبوٹ ۔

  • I had a terrible experience working on ‘Mere Bewafa’: Aagha Ali

    I had a terrible experience working on ‘Mere Bewafa’: Aagha Ali

    Aagha Ali and Hina Altaf are currently hosting a chat show, The Couple show where they invite real life industry couples and provide audiences an insight of their relationship and past. Wajahat Rauf and Shazia Wajahat are the latest celebrity couple to appear on the show.

    During a segment of the show, where the guest can ask the host a few set of questions, Wajahat asked Aagha about any bad experience of working with a director, to which Mujhe Bhi Khuda Pe Yaqeen Hai actor replied that it was “Sakina Samo” who directed him and Sarah Khan on Mere Bewafa. He elaborated on his statement by saying that he had a terrible experience on the sets of that drama and regretted signing it but there are personal reasons attached to the entire experience that he wouldn’t like to mention.

    Aagha concluded his answer by adding, “It was very tough for me to get through that drama”.

  • Lahore police arrest Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman

    Lahore police has arrested Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman from Mianwali on charges of molesting  one of his students.

    An FIR was registered against him on the victim’s complaint on June 16. The victim in his statement said that Mufi Aziz-ur-Rehman accused him of cheating on his exams after which he was banned from giving exams at the Wafaqul Madaris for three years. Mufti then asked the student to “make him happy” in order to get the ban lifted.

    “We have been able to arrest this criminal. We will take it as a test case, interrogate him, conduct scientific professional investigation, prosecute and get him convicted by the court. We want our kids protected from these child molesters and keep our society safe for our future,” Inspector General of Police (IG) Punjab Inam Ghani said in a tweet.

  • When a Mufti rapes, why do we silence the victim?

    When a Mufti rapes, why do we silence the victim?

    An FIR (first information report) was recently registered against Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman of Lahore’s Jamia Manzoorul Islamia over charges of unnatural offenses (sodomy) and criminal intimidation. Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman’s video went viral on social media in which he can be seen sexually assaulting one of his students.

    The young student taped the incident on video to prove how he was being raped on a regular basis by the mufti and the madrassa administration refused to believe him when he complained about the sexual abuse. The student, who is in hiding because he has been receiving death threats from Mufti Aziz and his sons, said this had been going on for more than three years. In the disturbing video of sexual assault, the student later says that he is contemplating suicide. Mufti Aziz and his sons are on the run and have not yet been arrested.

    Mufti Aziz has been expelled from the seminary and his title of a religious scholar has been stripped off by the Wafaq-ul-Madaris. When the disturbing video did the rounds on social media, only then was the matter highlighted and action taken against Mufti Aziz. The young student was able to record a video of this heinous crime but what about those students and young children who are unable to record such incidents? This is not just about seminaries but schools and other places in the country. As per Sahil, an NGO that works on child protection and child sexual abuse, 2,960 cases of child abuse were reported across Pakistan in 2020. This is just the tip of the iceberg as many cases of child abuse and sexual assaults and rape are either never reported, or the survivors’ and victims’ are blackmailed, their families pressurised. In some cases, reports indicate that the police are bribed or such cases are settled out of court even though this is not legally allowed.

    We saw extreme outrage over Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai’s innocent remarks about marriage in a recent interview. The matter was even discussed in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and she was asked to clarify her comments. Where is this indignation now in the case of Mufti Aziz? Why are we not outraged that a young boy was repeatedly raped by his teacher? Why are we not talking about how such cases are overlooked most of the time and how our society reacts to fake videos of Aurat March versus a legit video of sexual abuse? Even with the evidence out in public, we saw some sickening remarks of how the ‘act’ was ‘consensual’ because the student did not ‘resist’ it. Such insinuations are extremely disturbing because the student has made it quite clear in his statement how he was forced to go through this abuse because of the power dynamics against his will. Why don’t we believe victims and survivors of sexual abuse? This is a sad reflection of how we behave as a society. We need to change this and believe the survivors of abuse. We also need to start teaching our children about good touch and bad touch. It is imperative that we make our children safe from predators.

  • Case filed against organisers for partying at tourist destination Hunza

    Case filed against organisers for partying at tourist destination Hunza

    A case has been filed against the people who organised a music and dance event in Hunza’s Gojal for spreading obscenity, reports Samaa.

    The organisers were berated after videos and pictures of the event went viral.

    A youth organisation had filed a complaint against the organisers at the Gulmit police station on June 16. The complainants said that the event was held in Passu from June 12 to June 15. People from across the country attended it.

    They said that tourists used drugs during the event, adding that some women were seen in “inappropriate” clothes and that is against the traditions and norms of Hunza. The event organisers disrespected the culture of the region.

    A case has been registered against Farhan Bhatti and his friends under section 294 (obscene acts and songs) of the Pakistan Penal Code. Those convicted under the law can be sentenced to jail for a maximum of one year and carries a fine of Rs100,000.

    Following the controversial event, the district administration has decided to ban all music and cultural programmes in Hunza.

    Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan said that the government wants to bring more tourists to the region and promote its tourist industry.

    “We will provide them all kinds of assistance but tourists must respect the culture and traditions of the region.”

    Prior to this, a Canadian traveller Rosie Gabrielle, who has been exploring the northern areas of Pakistan, took to social media to call out the local tourists for ‘destroying Hunza’s beauty’ and ‘spreading vulgarity’ in the area.

  • ‘Match fixers should not be allowed to play again’: Abdul Razzaq

    ‘Match fixers should not be allowed to play again’: Abdul Razzaq

    Former cricketer Abdul Razzaq has said in an interview that match fixers should not be allowed to play for their teams again.

    On Geo News show, ‘Jashan-e-Cricket’, Shahzad Iqbal questioned if it is true that Razzaq had noticed Salman Butt’s incompetent performance in one of the matches, which was also mentioned in Shahid Afridi’s book.

    Razzaq said: “Shahid Afridi wrote in his book quoting Salman Butt, taking my name, I said that but there was no such thing. I said that in heat of the moment because I observed something, I just had some doubts,” added the all-rounder.

    Former cricketer and analyst, Sikandar Bakht asked Razzaq directly if the players who were involved in match-fixing should be allowed to play again. “No, in my point of view, they should not come back,” said Razzaq.

    Talking about captaincy, the host asked Razzaq why he was not given the captaincy in the national cricket team and why did the management not consider him for this role.

    Replying to Shahzad, he said: “It is a pity not to get the captaincy of the national cricket team even today because an all-rounder is a good captain.”

  • ‘The Current is the reason why State Bank regulations changed,’ Info Minister lauds media startup

    ‘The Current is the reason why State Bank regulations changed,’ Info Minister lauds media startup

    For the longest time, our country’s private sector has dealt with obstacles that don’t fully allow small companies to flourish. These obstacles combined with lack of opportunities cause a lot of frustration and reduce the ability to move forward.

    In some respects, startups are not too different. After all, they also take birth in the same corporate culture. So naturally one wonders if regulations, opportunities, efficiency, and the business environment were more conducive, would our entrepreneurs be able to do things differently?

    Could there be an area where progressive rules were introduced and one could monitor the changes and see if that made a major difference to the mechanics of the industry?

    The Current, Pakistan’s first digital news-lifestyle platform that simplifies news for Pakistani millennials, is a startup. After winning the Google News Innovation Challenge in 2020, we faced immense challenges. When Google was sending over the first half of our grant, we were unable to meet the requirements to open a US Dollar bank account. We reached out to six different banks and were refused every time. Frustrated, we kept at it, until one bank took a chance and allowed us to open the account, granted we provide details that the money was indeed coming in from Google. We did and waited for our money to come in. When it did, the bank sent it back, citing that, according to State Bank regulations, getting the money into the country would be tough. Desperate, we appealed to the then Science and Technology Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, as well as contacting State Bank’s President Reza Baqir. Chaudhry was receptive and got us in touch with the right people to help us get our grant across. We were lucky that tech giant Google was in the picture. We finally got our money through and now, will be launching Pakistan’s first membership program.

    The Current now comes around bearing good news for all startups. After we became the catalyst that pushed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to understand the issues being faced by tech startups, the SBP introduced a new policy to facilitate startups and provide them a way to get their money home.

    “You won the Google grant and there were issues bringing the money to Pakistan. Since I was the Science and Technology Minister at the time, I discussed the issue with Reza Baqir (President State Bank of Pakistan). Since the State Bank is in very capable hands, they made a new policy to facilitate startups,” says Fawad.

    Chaudhry further added, “The credit goes to State Bank President, his team and to The Current, the reason why this issue was highlighted in the first place.”

    SBP officially removed a major obstacle that has been subsequently thwarting the growth of the startup companies by allowing them to avail foreign loans as convertible debt.

    Startup firms face funding issues due to the unavailability of collateral or security. Foreign investors, including equity funds and angel investors, show interest in startups but they try to cover the risk through alternative means like high return on loan, reports Dawn.

    A company may raise funds from abroad in the form of convertible debt, i.e. the lender shall have the option to convert the loan into the equity of the borrowing company.

    “It is expected that this initiative will help in attracting more foreign investment as it will provide another option to the international investors to invest in startup companies operating in Pakistan,” said the SBP.

    We at The Current are immensely happy that we have helped carve a way and provide an easier path for Pakistani startups.

  • Six Lollywood stars launch their entrepreneurial ventures

    Six Lollywood stars launch their entrepreneurial ventures

    After ruling the hearts of television and film audiences, our celebrities are turning into entrepreneurs, by launching their own brands.

    Here is a list of stars who are set to conquer the corporate world:

    Farhan Saeed

    Farhan launched his own perfume brand, taking to Instagram, the Sajni singer wrote: “After carefully selecting, designing and curating only the best, presenting Farhan Saeed fragrance. A fragrance that lasts! If you haven’t ordered yet what are you waiting for?”

    Faysal Quraishi

    The latest addition to the list is industry veteran Faysal Qureshi, who recently launched his fragrance line, Encounter Scents. For this, he has teamed up with Mahsam Raza, CEO of Dua Fragrances and Encounter Scents. The two bring the US-based brand to Pakistan with an official launch event that took place over the weekend.

    Sanam Jang

    After ruling the morning show scene for years, Sanam Jung has turned entrepreneur launching her own fragrance line called Sanam Jung Fragrances. Sharing the news on social media, the actor gave a glimpse of her first collection, discussing her obsession with perfumes and how excited she is about her new venture.

    “So there you have it, I have introduced my own fragrance line,” said Sanam. “I’ve always been a perfume connoisseur, and launching my own fragrance collection was a lifelong ambition of mine.”

    Hania Aamir

    Hania Aamir has just stepped into the world of fragrances industry as the actress has announced to launch her own fragrance line. The actress took to Instagram and shared an attractive black and white photograph while posing with the product.

    She wrote, “Ahhhh it’s happening!! So excited to announce my very own fragrance! Just to make it a little interesting before the launch my team and I will be doing a giveaway for all you lovely people! All you have to do is..”

    Along with Hania, Aiman Khan has also launched her perfume line. The two actresses launched their fragrances at the same event.

    Maya Ali

    The Diyar-e-Dil actor announced the exciting news on social media, revealing that the brand is going to be launched in collaboration with two of her cousins, Ansa and Zainab.

    “If there is no dream there is no struggle. Me and my dear cousins are endeavouring to turn our lifelong dream into reality,” she posted. The actress expressed her gratitude by stating, “My belief is cemented now more than ever in the fact that Allah always makes a way if the intentions are pure.” She added that the venture was making her both anxious and excited at the same time.

    Ayesha Omar

    Ayesha Omar is a fashion icon and has recently launched her skincare line under the name ‘Ayesha O Beauty’. The product range is all-natural and inspired by naturopathy as a healing force has natural and organic ingredients.

    The products have been created according to what Ayesha wanted, after a great deal of research and testing, and are being manufactured by Hemani, a trusted name in natural and herbal retail industry.

    Not only them but Aijaz Aslam is also one of the stars who launched his own brand of natural health and skincare products under the name of ‘Aijaz Aslam‘. The actor, who had been teasing fans with sneak peeks, took to social media to make the announcement of his new venture.

  • Are Maya Ali and Bilal Ashraf the new BFF duo in tinsel town?

    Are Maya Ali and Bilal Ashraf the new BFF duo in tinsel town?

    From the past few months, Maya Ali and Bilal Ashraf have been churning BFF goals all over social media with their pictures and comments. They were recently seen in Ahsan Khan’s chat show, Timeout With Ahsan Khan.

    They also appeared together in Quetta Gladiators official anthem. Their camaraderie has been appreciated by netizens as they don’t shy away from indulging in fun banter on social media.

    Earlier, this year in March they were also spotted together at ‘TukTuk March’, organized by Karachi-based individuals dealing with disabilities.

    They were also featured together on Hello Pakistan’s anniversary cover, along with Shehryar Munawar and Mawra Hocane.

  • Govt to add 0.7m intermediate students in Waseela-e-Taleem

    The federal government has decided to add intermediate students to an educational conditional cash transfer project, the Waseela-e-Taleem programme.

    As per reports, Ehsaas board will have a meeting on June 24 for the final approval.

    Under the project. intermediate students are given cash grants from underprivileged families on the condition of 70 per cent attendance in school.
    The Ehsaas Steering Committee has approved the inclusion of higher secondary education in the programme.

    With such a development, they added that approximately 700,000 students would get the advantage and the government has planned to allot Rs5 billion worth of funds for the project in the next fiscal year.

    Also Read: Nagar Valley girls to get first higher secondary school

    The boys would get worth Rs3,500 cash stipend and girls would get worth Rs4,000 every quarter.

    Moreover, students from the 6th to 10th standard would also get conditional cash assistance under this programme According to the plan, boys in the above-mentioned class bracket would get worth Rs2,500 cash assistance and girls would get worth Rs3,000 stipend from July every quarter.