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  • IN PICTURES: Mahira Khan’s ‘wild’ vacation

    Soon after recovering from COVID-19, Mahira Khan took some much-needed downtime and jetted off to Masai Mara in Kenya with her son Azlaan and brother Hassan Khan for a vacation in the “wild”.

    Sharing pictures from her trip, Mahira said: “Feeling at home in the wild.”

    Mahira also shared selfies of herself chilling with the locals.

    Now that’s what you call chai with a view.

    Into the jungle!

    Mahira has a string of releases including The Legend of Maula Jatt and Neelofar lined up for when cinemas reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic. The actor is also working on her first-ever web series Baarwan Khiladi as a producer. Khan has set up a production house Soulfry Films with her dear friend and producer Nina Kashif. Baarwan Khiladi will be their first project together.

    Meanwhile, Mahira also wants to make a comeback to the small screen this year.

  • Senate elections on March 3: ECP

    Senate elections on March 3: ECP

    Amid a controversy surrounding the Senate elections over the secret ballot, the Election Commission of Pakistan has announced to hold the polls on the upper house seats on March 3.

    According to the ECP, the last date for filing of nomination papers is February 13, followed by a scrutiny process for the nominations. The last date for filing of appeals against acceptance or rejection of papers is February 18, said a notification issued by the ECP.

    The date for disposal of appeals is Feb 19-20, whereas candidates can withdraw their applications by Feb 22 a day after issuance of the revised list of the contestants. The polling will start at 9am and end at 5pm on March 3.

    The Senate elections will be held on 48 seats: two in Islamabad (National Assembly); 11 in Punjab; 11 in Sindh; 12 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and 12 in Balochistan.

    On February 6, President Dr Arif Alvi signed Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 that will pave way for the organisation of Senate elections through open ballot. The opposition, however, has reservations on the move and vowed to oppose it.

    On the other hand, a presidential reference filed by the government in the Supreme Court seeking guidance on the Senate voting procedure is being heard to decide whether the government needs an amendment to end the secret ballot.

    Yesterday, the SC had said that Article 226 allows secret ballot. The article reads: “All elections under the constitution, other than those of the prime minister and the chief minister, shall be by secret ballot.”

  • ‘Fully vaccinated people can skip COVID-19 quarantines’

    ‘Fully vaccinated people can skip COVID-19 quarantines’

    People who have been fully vaccinated with two doses of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 can skip quarantine if they are exposed to someone infected with the virus, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday.

    However, the disease control body clarified that this doesn’t mean they should stop taking precautions, it’s just not necessary for them to go into isolation.

    “Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the CDC said in an update.

    “Vaccinated persons with an exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria,” the CDC added.

    The criteria for the vaccination is to have both shots with at least two weeks gap. That’s because it takes two weeks to build full immunity after the second dose of vaccine.

    But the CDC says it’s not known how long protection lasts, so people who had their last shot three months ago or more should still quarantine if they are exposed. They also should quarantine if they show symptoms, the CDC said.

    “This recommendation to waive quarantine for people with vaccine-derived immunity aligns with quarantine recommendations for those with natural immunity, which eases implementation,” the CDC said. The agency will update guidance if there is any further development.

    People who have been vaccinated should still watch for symptoms for 14 days after they have been exposed to someone who is infected, the CDC added.

    The body further said that everyone, vaccinated or not, needs to follow all other precautions to prevent the spread of the virus because it’s possible that even vaccinated people could harbour the virus in their noses and throats, and pass it to others.

    “At this time, vaccinated persons should continue to follow current guidance to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet away from others, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands often, following CDC travel guidance, and following any applicable workplace or school guidance, including guidance related to personal protective equipment use or SARS-CoV-2 testing,” the agency said.

    Vaccines prevent symptomatic illness but they have not yet been shown to prevent asymptomatic illness, the CDC noted. While people with no symptoms can spread coronavirus, the CDC said, “symptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission is thought to have a greater role in transmission than purely asymptomatic transmission.”

    Plus, the benefits of not unnecessarily forcing people into lockdown for two weeks may outweigh the risks of transmission in these cases, the CDC said.

  • Brands get cheeky after Weetabix proposes breakfast with baked beans

    Weetabix has stirred up a storm after it suggested people to have the cereal with baked beans for breakfast.

    “Why should bread have all the fun when there’s Weetabix?,” said Weetabix in the caption. “Serving up Heinz Beanz on bix for breakfast with a twist.”

    Responding to the tweet, several brands including Tinder, Papa Johns, KitKat, KFC and Nandos left some cheeky replies.

    Tinder UK thinks this is not what you call ‘a match’.

    The US Embassy tweeted that the pairing was “not the [US-UK] collaboration we were hoping for”.

  • Mrs Waqar Younis pens a sweet note for husband on 21st anniversary

    Mrs Waqar Younis pens a sweet note for husband on 21st anniversary

    Waqar Younis’ wife, Dr Faryal Waqar has penned a cheeky but heartfelt note for her husband on their 21st marriage anniversary.

    Read more – Shoaib Malik gets a cheeky birthday wish from Sania Mirza

    Sharing pictures of herself with Waqar on social media, Dr Faryal wrote: “Happy 21st anniversary. We spend so much time apart as we always seem to come second to your passion for work.”

    “I’m still hanging around because you make me proud of what you do and who you are. I wouldn’t have it any other way. So for all the sacrifices, good and bad times. For all the times to come,” she added.

    Replying to his wife’s note, Waqar wrote: “Bus kar pagli, ab rulaaye ge kya[?]”

    “Love you always. Thank you for all the sacrifices,” he added.

    Waqar married Dr Faryal, a Pakistani Australian, in February 2000. The couple has three children together: a son Azaan and daughters Mariam and Maira. Waqar’s family is based in Kellyville in Australia.

    Meanwhile, colleagues and friends including Sania Mirza, Umar Gul, Azhar Ali, Zainab Abbas, Aaliya Rasheed, Shoaib Jutt and Asif Khan wished the couple on their anniversary.

  • Justice Isa questions PM’s stance on grant of funds to lawmakers

    Justice Isa questions PM’s stance on grant of funds to lawmakers

    Justice Qazi Faez Isa has questioned Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s stance on the grant of development funds to members of the national and provincial assemblies as the Supreme Court (SC) took up a suo motu case to determine the Constitutional status of the move.

    On Tuesday, the apex court constituted a five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, and served notices on the prime minister’s principal secretary, Cabinet Division secretary, finance secretary, federal and provincial advocate generals, and provincial chief secretaries.

    However, Justice Isa on Wednesday noted that a letter submitted by the premier’s principal secretary to the top judicial forum “did not contain the answers to the court’s questions”.

    “The letter does not have answers to the court’s questions. It seems the prime minister has not read the court’s order properly,” the judge said.

    In January, Prime Minister Imran announced a grant of Rs500 million for each member of the national and provincial assemblies under sustainable development goals to enable them to carry out development schemes for their voters.

    However, last week, Justice Isa took notice of the development, warning of legal proceedings if the move was found to be in contravention of the Constitution.

    On the occasion, he had asked Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan to update the court on the issue based on the government’s response.

    However, Khan responded he would update the court after receiving instructions from the government and further reassured that “whatever action is taken will be in the light of the law, Constitution and legal precedent.”Article continues after this advertisement

    Subsequently, Justice Isa referred the matter to the top judge for the formation of a bench.

    On Wednesday, all provinces submitted written replies to the court except for Sindh. When asked, the Sindh government’s counsel informed the court the provincial government had not given development funds to any lawmakers.

    “Sindh government should have submitted a written answer,” CJP Gulzdar replied.

    Meanwhile, AG Khan told the court the grant of development funds was “linked to the Constitution”, adding that the prime minister knew that “government funds cannot be used wrongly”.

    “No member of the National Assembly will be given money [directly],” he added.

    According to the procedure, the funds do not get issued to the individual MP or MPA. They get assigned to a project through a robust mechanism.

    Justice Isa questioned who had drafted the reply submitted by Principal Secretary Azam Khan. To this, Khan replied that it was “a matter between the lawyer and his client”.

    “The letter does not have proper English, it does not answer the court’s questions. It seems like the prime minister has tried to keep the door open for [granting] funds,” Justice Isa said.

    He also remarked that there was a “storm of information” from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting every day.

    “Either the prime minister should remain firm on what he said or admit he had made a mistake. Why is the prime minister hiding behind his secretary? The entire media published the news and the prime minister is silent,” the judge said.

    Khan replied if the prime minister “started refuting every news himself, he would not be able to do any other work”.

    The court ordered the Sindh government to submit its reply today.

    The bench also ordered the finance secretary to submit a clear answer to the court, directing that the report should also have the premier’s signature on it.

    The case was adjourned till Thursday (today).

  • When Aamir Khan hosted Humayun Saeed in Mumbai

    When Aamir Khan hosted Humayun Saeed in Mumbai

    Humayun Saeed has opened up on his visit to India several years ago and has revealed that Aamir Khan hosted him at his home while he was in Mumbai.

    When asked by Vasay Chaudhry, on his show, Ghabrana Mana Hai, Saeed shared that he had visited Khan in India for a role in Ghajni.

    “I met Aamir at his house in Bombay [Mumbai]. He called me there,” revealed Humayun. “I was there for a role in Ghajni.”

    When asked why he was not cast in the film them, Humayun said that Aamir said: “You [Humayun] are much too good-looking for this character.” However, the actor did not state which role he was being considered for.

    When probed further about his visit, Humayun said that Aamir hosted him at his house for three days.

    “Yes he called me, and I stayed at his house for three days. Bohat maza aaya tha. I met him twice and he also served us many desi food and dishes and then we came back to Pakistan,” said Humayun nonchalantly.

    During the conversation, Humayun also shared that he had a friendly rapport with the late Rishi Kapoor and was even looking to cast him in Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2. Saeed said that they two remained in touch and Kapoor enjoyed his films. Humayun further shared that he enquired about Rishi’s health just a few days before he passed away on April 30, 2020.

    Meanwhile, when asked about his famous dance with Shah Rukh Khan, Priety Zinta and Reema at the Zee Cine Awards in 2005, Humayun said that he was very excited for it but very nervous at the same time because they had not prepared for it at all.

    “We arrived one night before [the award function] and were immediately taken to where the rehearsals were going on,” said Humayun. “I met Shah Rukh there but there was no rehearsal going on. The next day, one hour before the show, we arrived and just learned the steps and did it.”

    When asked whose company he enjoyed more – Shah Rukh or Aamir’s – Humayun said: “Both actually. But I spent more time with Aamir. We sat the whole night [at his house] and talked.”

    “But Shah Rukh was also very sweet,” he added.

    Later, while sharing his thoughts on the ongoing Indo-Pak tensions and the effect it has on the cultural exchange, Humayun said: “I don’t like it. We can’t meet each other. We can’t go to India. There are visa issues. They [Bollywood stars] can’t come here.”

    “But yes if we meet abroad somewhere, we always greet each other very warmly,” added the actor. “Whatever is happening is not right and it does make me upset.”

  • Pakistan’s official Oscar entry ‘Zindagi Tamasha’ fails to qualify

    Pakistan’s official entry in the International Feature Film Award category at the 93rd Academy Awards Zindagi Tamasha is out of the Oscars race. The film is not part of the list of 15 international feature films announced Tuesday that “will move on to the official phase one voting, which will take place on March 5-9.”

    According to a report published in Variety Magazine, “Fifteen films will advance to the next round of voting in the International Feature Film category. Films from 93 countries were eligible in the category, the most in Oscars history. Academy members from all branches were invited to participate in the preliminary round of voting and must have met a minimum viewing requirement to be eligible to vote in the category.”

    “In the nominations round, Academy members from all branches are invited to opt in to participate and must view all 15 shortlisted films to vote,” stated the report.

    The nominates for the Oscars will be announced on March 15 while the award ceremony will be held on April 25.

    Read more – ‘Emily in Paris’ writer surprised with Golden Globe nomination

    The Pakistani Academy Selection Committee had selected Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha as Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars in November 2020.

    Directed and co-produced by Khoosat and written by Nirmal Bano, Zindagi Tamasha features Arif Hassan, Eman Suleman, Samiya Mumtaz and Ali Kureshi in the lead roles. The film is centred around a naat khwan Rahat Khawaja (played by Hassan) and his family who are outcast from the society when a video of Khawaja enjoying a song is leaked.

    The official synopsis states: “The film is an intimate portrait of a family as well as a scorching political commentary on little gods on this earth who police our private passions.”

    Meanwhile, Zindagi Tamasha has not yet hit cinemas in Pakistan. It was initially scheduled to hit screens on January 25, 2020, but immense backlash from religious circles forced the federal and provincial government to halt its release. However, in July 2020, the Senate HR committee cleared the film and allowed it to be screened post-COVID-19.

  • Mohsin Naveed Ranjha offers to help struggling designers

    Mohsin Naveed Ranjha offers to help struggling designers

    Mohsin Naveed Ranjha has opened up on the ‘heavy discrimination’ in the fashion industry and has announced that he is opening his doors for young designers struggling to establish themselves in the fashion business.

    In a detailed note posted to social media, the internationally acclaimed designer said: “The fashion fraternity in Pakistan and internationally at large faces heavy discrimination.”

    “Having gone through a time where I have struggled to make a name and a repute for myself, the hardships that paved the way and the challenges that brought me to the point I am in today made me promise myself in the past that if I ever get to make a name, I’d help and promote local art and partisanship.”

    Expressing his disappointment over the lack of support for debut designers, Ranjha said: “Seeing the sheer mockery and fun that was made of debut designers in the past bridal week has left me shattered and utterly disappointed.”

    “Liking or disliking someone’s work is totally subjective but putting someone down like that and disrespecting them is something that has made me want to address this,” he added.

    Read more – HBCW21: More stars than fashion

    The designer continued: “Leaving the good and bad to the critiques, let’s talk about how much hard work, dedication and labour each bridal wear takes to make. Each artisan spending hours and hours of their life trying to fulfil and perfect the look. How everyone associated with each stitch of the garment is being disrespected.”

    Announcing his decision to support budding artists, Ranjha said: “We would feel happy to help a fellow member of the fraternity, regardless of scale and experience, and inculcate a culture of love, friendship, and togetherness.”

    “We’ve had enough of bullying and disrespect in the name of criticism and this by no means equates to me to encouraging and supporting copy cats, it’s just realising that maybe with some support and love to these in need,” he concluded.

    Hareem Farooq lauded Mohsin for taking this step, saying: “Well said, and what a beautiful thought! You are a gem! This world needs more amazing people like you.”

    “Sending dhair saari duas your way,” she added.

    An established designer, Ranjha has dressed a plethora of celebrities from Maya Ali to Ranveer Singh besides designing outfits for hundreds of brides across Pakistan.

  • ‘Books, not money’: PPP leader says leaked video is ‘edited’

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mohammad Ali Bacha, who is also seen in one of the videos where money was being dished out ahead of the Senate polls, has said that the video is edited.

    In a news beeper to Geo News, Bacha said that the stack of money could possibly be books instead of currency notes. When news anchor Wajih Sani probed Bacha about stack of notes in front of him in the video, Bacha said: “Paison ki gaddiaan nahi hai,” (these are not stacks of notes). He told Sani that they should check the closeup of the alleged notes, which could possibly be books or something else.

    In Shahzeb Khanzada’s program, Bacha said that he is not in the videos where money is being given and being taken by people. When asked by Khanzada that there is money lying in front of him in the video where he is smoking a cigarette and what is the money doing in front of him, Bacha says that the video is doctored. “If you see the video, there are doors with glasses in the background. People can see in and out of the room. Why would someone pay money where others can see them?” Bacha said that the money was not in front of him but on his ‘side’, which may be edited.

    Shahzeb Khanzada then asks him if he was not distributing money, then how could the PPP get two senators elected when they had only 6 MPAs. He said that those PTI MPAs who were upset with their own party voted for PPP. Bacha said why has these videos been made viral now after 3 years, why not when they were made.