Journalist and veteran human rights activist Ibn Abdur Rehman aka I A Rehman passed away in Lahore at the age of 90 on Monday.
He died of old age and high sugar and blood pressure levels, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Secretary General Harris Khalique said.
The deceased left behind three sons and two daughters. His wife, Tauseef I A Rehman, had died in 2015.
A protégé of Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Abdur Rehman became chief editor of the now-defunct Pakistan Times in 1989. He wrote a regular column for Dawn until a few days before his death.
He was the founding chair of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) and a director of the HRCP since 1990.
Between 1978 and 1988, he remained executive editor of weekly Viewpoint.
Tributes poured in from all quarters as word of Abdur Rehman’s passing spread.
“A titan of human rights, Mr Rehman’s integrity, conscience and compassion were unparalleled,” HRCP said.
#IARehman, HRCP’s honorary spokesperson, former secretary-general and veteran journalist has passed away. A titan of human rights, Mr Rehman’s integrity, conscience and compassion were unparalleled. pic.twitter.com/IusELcPTSu
— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) April 12, 2021
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the country had lost a “true icon”.
Pakistan has lost a true icon today with the passing of I.A. Rehman. A staunch advocate and activist for Human Rights and an intellectual, I.A Rehman sahib leaves behind a rich legacy that speaks of tolerance, inclusion, equality and dignity.
Political leaders from both the government and opposition, media persons and rights activists are among those expressing grief and sorrow over Rehman’s death on Twitter.
Alizeh Shah has opened up about her struggle with acne.
“Hello people. Here I am putting my biggest insecurity on display,” wrote Alizeh on social media. “Yes, I have been struggling with acne for quite a long time. A lot of us had this idea that ‘clear skin’ should be the goal but I guess living a happy life with acne is possible.”
She further said: “The current state state on your skin does NOT measure your worth your beauty!”
“There is nothing more attractive than confidence. Once you see your beauty, everyone will so,” said the actor further, urging everyone to embrace the “glorious mess” that they are.
Shah also posted her short video clip where she showed off her face without makeup, flaunting her natural beauty.
Earlier, Hania Aamir had also shared her ‘painful struggle’ with acne and how it induced feelings of insecurity and anxiety in her.
Statues dating back almost 600 years were recovered during a recent campaign in Thar while restoring a heritage site in the area.
According to a report in Dawn News, volunteers of the Endowment Fund for Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh found the statutes while restoring a temple in the desert district.
“Statues were unearthed during restoration works at the Nagarparkar City Temple by Endowment Fund for Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh,” read a brief announcement by the organisation. “The temple will shortly be handed over to the Culture Department, Government of Sindh, along with the statues of (sandstone and marble) Mahavira and other Tirthankaras of Jainism.”
Hameed Akhund of the Endowment Fund for Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh said that the statues were likely to have been discovered long ago.
“We think when the war began in 1971 between India and Pakistan, someone dumped them in a cave-like space where we were doing our project. We found them in the same place,” said Akhund, adding that they will be handed over to the Sindh government.
The Punjab Archaeology Department has announced plans to restore a 400-year-old Mughal-era fort-like palace in Sheikhupura.
According to details, a study will be conducted on the fort, currently in a dilapidated condition, before the restoration work.
The building underwent several structural changes over the years in different time periods with much of the building currently in ruins. Restoration work on the exterior walls is in progress.
Photo via The Express Tribune
Those involved in the restoration work have also suggested study tours from Lahore to Qila Sheikhupura and Hiran Minar, saying that they can be entertaining as well as informative. Only guided tours will be allowed inside due to the current condition of the fort.
Spread over an area of more than 64 kanals, the Sheikhupura Fort is perched on a high mound in the south of the city and is a magnificent symbol of the glory of the Mughal era. Experts have suggested that it was not a traditional fort but the residence of Emperor Jahangir, who had a hunting resort nearby.
Photo via The Express Tribune
An official of the Archaeology Department Malik Maqsood Ahmed says the fort was not built for military purposes but as a palace.
The fort was also used as a military base during the Sikh and British eras. After the partition of the Indian sub-continent, a refugee camp was also set up here.
Many government offices were also built here that resulted in the changes of the building’s structure and badly damaged the original historic look of the building.
Locals of the city say that the fort is the identity of the city. A mechanic who has been working in front of the fort for many years, says that if the government develops a food street after the restoration work in the fort, it will not only grow the business activities but also tourist interest.
Secretary Tourism and Archaeology Ehsan Bhutta said that when the fort was handed over to Punjab Archaeology Department in 2011, it was in a terrible condition.
In 2017, the department initiated a restoration project at the site, which is still continuing. The outer wall of the fort is being restored while the interior portions have been renovated and some benches have fixed there. Display boards with information have been installed at numerous places.
After Prime Minister Imran Khan made some unwarranted comments on rape and the cited vulgarity as the reason behind rising rape cases, Rohail Hyatt stepped in to defend him, saying that the premier’s words had been taken out of context. The musician received a lot of flak for his comments. Among those who criticised him is Jawad Ahmad, who questioned Rohail’s logic behind the tweet.
“Why are you talking stupid?” wrote the singer-turned-politician in response to Hyatt’s tweet. “Will you tell us which dresses are modest and which are not?”
“Will you get into your child’s wardrobe and point out which dress once worn would keep her safe in the society?” questioned Ahmad.
“What if a dress you choose is still disapproved by majority?” he asked further.
Jawad also used the hashtag #DontJustifyRape to elaborate his stance.
Why are you talking stupid?
Will you tell us which dresses are modest & which are not?
Will you get into your child’s wardrobe & point out which dress once worn would keep her safe in the society?
While one would have thought that the debate ended there, but that was, in fact, just the start. Check out their complete exchange below:
Later, Hyatt added a humorous twist to the debate and said that Ahmad won the match.
What a place! Twitter. I’ve been missing all this fun for so long! It feels unreal like out of some mad mans imagined world yet it’s real. Near real time. Audience and all. Love it!
Everyone’s my people! We don’t discriminate. I love Jawad. I kid you not. I love everyone.. Every human has a soul that’s pure. Circumstances create the monsters we get to become in life. No one is born bad. Where are you drawing your conclusions from? Seriously? Bias here I feel
Meanwhile, Hyatt also shared why he supports PM Khan.
Jaisey kaum, waisay leaders. Where will he get whitewashed politicians from? His only choice is from within us right? Whatever is up with KPK I’ll tell you one thing. Every poor person there says for the first time ever that the police help them. That’s a serious big change.
I know because I go there often. Yes the finances are a mess but that’s like saying he was handed a perfect economy and country and he has messed it up. He was handed a crap and broken system and he is trying to make it work. Not an easy task!
Punjab health authorities and local administration have proposed a complete lockdown in the provincial capital as the COVID-19 positivity ratio stands at around 19% for the third consecutive week.
The final decision, in this regard, will be taken by the Asad Umar-led National Command Operation Centre (NCOC).
Lahore is the worst-hit during the third wave of the pandemic owing to the recklessness of the masses and disinterest of the government. Both had turned a blind eye towards the virus situation until the positivity ratio climbed to a whopping 23% last week.
The situation in other parts of Punjab is not much better either.
Punjab Health Minister Prof Dr Yasmin Rashid has said that if precautionary measures are not taken, the situation in Lahore and other cities would worsen.
Explaining the alarming situation in the Punjab capital, she said there were no vacant ventilators at any of the city’s major hospitals, including Jinnah Hospital, Services Hospital and Gangaram Hospital.
Besides the shortage of ventilators, oxygen beds at hospitals across Lahore have also reached their 70% capacity.
“We don’t have any other option rather than the complete lockdown in Lahore however the final decision will be taken by the Punjab government,” the provincial health minister added.
Meanwhile, 58 people lost their lives due to coronavirus with 4,584 new cases over the past 24 hours. The death toll has surged to 15,501 while the number of confirmed cases stands at 725,602.
The 58 fatalities on Sunday-Monday come after over 100 deaths ever 24 hours for at least five consecutive days.
Ghulam Khan Transit Trade Route has been made operational by the Government of Pakistan. It will connect the traders of North Waziristan and Afghanistan.
It is an initiative to improve trade ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. For several years, the volume of trade has decreased between the two neighbouring countries due to inefficient policies from both sides.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Frontier Customs Agents Association (FCAA) President Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi praised the government’s move to open the Ghulam Khan border for the Afghan transit trade, saying that it will give a forward push to bilateral trade.
“Over the last couple of years, trade volume has fallen from less than $2.5 billion to less than $1 billion,” Sarhadi added.
He further said that the distance through the third most important border crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, from Karachi and Gwadar to Kabul, will be reduced by about 400km, which would significantly reduce transportation costs.
It will also reduce the transportation cost, and more than 20,000 locals from North Waziristan will get employment opportunities.
Mahira Khan recently participated in ‘Carpool Karoke’ with vlogger Imaara Dharani during which she jammed to songs from her films and dramas and shared some fun facts about them.
Mahira, jammed to, Humsafar, which is her most special project.
She also sang Hona Tha Pyar from her first film Bol, in which she was paired opposite Atif Aslam. Mahira, while talking about the song said that shooting it was a fun experience.
Ballay Ballay from Bin Roye also made it to the playlist, with Mahira sharing that the film took two years to complete.
How can any Mahira Khan playlist be complete without Zaalima from Raees? Zaalima was the last song on the Carpool Karoke playlist and Mahira revealed that the song was shot in Morocco.
After winning applause for her acting, Mahira has recently turned producer with a web series titled Baarwan Khiladi.
Baarwan Khiladi, which features young and upcoming actors including Danyal Zafar, Shahveer Jafry, Kinza Hashmi and Khaqan Shahnawaz, has a cricket-themed story.
A man almost married the wrong woman after Google Maps mislead him to the wrong venue in Indonesia.
According to details, two ceremonies, a wedding and an engagement were held in the same village on Sunday.
Ulfa, 27, who was getting engaged was oblivious to the fact that the wrong man had entered her house when she was being attended to by the make-up artist. Chaos ensued when both parties realised that there was a mix-up.
Speaking about the incident, Ulfa said: “I was shocked when I saw the man’s group as I did not know any of them.” She said that her fiancé and his relatives got late as they stopped on the way to find a toilet.
She added that her fiancé is from Kendal and the man who arrived at her engagement ceremony was from Pemalang.
“But my family welcomed them and they proceeded to exchange gifts,” Ulfa told Indonesian news portal Tribunnews.
