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  • Govt issues special permits for Houbara hunting to Dubai royals

    The government has reportedly issued special permits to seven-members of Dubai’s royal family to hunt the internationally protected Houbara bustard during the 2020-21 hunting season.

    As per details, the permit has been issued to Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and six other members of the ruling family including the crown prince, deputy ruler and finance and industries minister, deputy police chief, an army official, two other members of the royal family, and a businessman.

    The hunting permits were reportedly issued by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself who earlier opposed the hunting of rare bird, while in opposition.

    It is pertinent to add here that local citizens are not allowed to hunt the migratory bird wrongly prized as an aphrodisiac and classified as vulnerable by conservationists.

    Read more – Illegal falcon trade on the rise in Pakistan

    Talking about the hunting of the Houbara bustard Muhammad bin Naveed, an animal rights activist and member of Friends of Islamabad Zoo said: “Houbara bustards have become an unfortunate tool for so-called diplomacy with our Arab allies where again we are using animals and their lives to play politics.”

    He further added: “No government in the past or now has stood up to the killing of Houbara bustards by Arab royal families simply because they pay a lot to be here and contribute to the local economy. I think we, as a nation, and our Arab allies need to think if such activities have any place in the 21st century and why we are using animals to propagate outdated traditions that are not even a part of our culture.”

    Earlier in December 2020, it was reported that at least 18 Saudi and Qatari royals, including Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, will visit Pakistan to hunt the rare houbara bustard after the confirmation of their special hunting licences.

  • Kohat woman accuses KP lawmaker of harassment

    Kohat woman accuses KP lawmaker of harassment

    Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s aide Ziaullah Bangash has been accused of sexual harassment by a woman hailing from Kohat.

    According to The News, the woman urged the prime minister to take notice of the incident in a video posted on social media.

    On the other hand, Bangash, who is the CM’s aide on information technology, denied the allegations levelled by the woman and also sent a legal notice to Rahatul Ain.

    The newspaper quoted an official report over the episode which revealed that the “Rahat ul Ain, wife of Muhammad Ishfaq…alleged in her video that Ziaullah Bangash was harassing her”.

    The report said that Rahat had worked with Bangash in an NGO [non-government organisation] about 10 years ago and both allegedly had “good relations”. However, Bangash started ghosting the woman after becoming an MPA in 2013.

    Bangash had also promised Rahat a job but failed to fulfill his promise, it claimed. The woman, subsequently, started making these allegations against Bangash, it reported. It says Bangash stayed away from the said woman after the 2013 elections.

    Meanwhile, Bangash has sent a notice to Rahat through his counsel for bringing “disgrace” to his name.

    The notice said that “Ziaullah Bangash does not even know the woman”. It claimed that the woman had hurled similar allegations in 2018, but Bangash was proved innocent after an inquiry by the Kohat DPO.

    “The sole purpose of the video was to damage my client’s reputation,” said the lawmaker’s lawyer, asking the woman to issue an apology.

    “You are informed by this notice that you should pay 50 million as defamation to my client within seven days and deny your allegations by apologizing in writing as well as in a video message from your social media account. Otherwise, a claim will be filed against you in the court of law,” the notice quoted by The News read.

  • Hareem Shah to make her acting debut on UrduFlix

    Hareem Shah to make her acting debut on UrduFlix

    TikToker Hareem Shah is all set to foray into the world of acting with a web series on Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform – UrduFlix.

    According to a press release, UrduFlix will be featuring the TikTok star in a never-seen-before avatar in a new Urdu web series. Expected to release on the streaming platform after its launch, the web series will star the debuting actress in a lead role.

    Shah is one of Pakistan’s most influential social media celebrities, famous for her TikTok videos.

    Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform, UrduFlix will provide viewers with access to original Urdu series, films, web series, drama serials, and Urdu dubbed Turkish dramas. The platform aims to bring in a plethora of new-age content from original to already popular dramas and films.

    Earlier, it was announced that Alizeh Shah will be featuring in UrduFlix’s first exclusive web series Dulhan aur Aik Raat.

  • Did Zayn Malik just drop his phone number on social media?

    Did Zayn Malik just drop his phone number on social media?

    Zayn Malik fans are blowing up his phone after he posted his phone number on Twitter ahead of his new album launch.

    Days before releasing his new album Nobody is Listening, the singer-songwriter casually dropped his phone number on Twitter and Instagram to hype fans up for the launch date and give a preview of his new music.

    As per details, when you dial the number, Zayn’s voice can be heard as he confirms his album release date – January 15 – and tells the caller that they’ll hear a clip of each song if they press any of the numbers from one to nine.

    After calling the number, Zayn fans receive a text from the Vibez hitmaker which says: “Yoo, Zayn here! Thnx for hitting my line. Give me your deets so we can stay in touch.”

    Fans who replied to the message have also reportedly gotten further responses from the star over text.

    Even Zayn’s girlfriend and baby Mama Gigi Hadid has been getting in on the excitement, replying to his tweet with “Ext. 6! Ext. 8!”

    “Oh also 2. But honestly they all slap,” she added.

    https://twitter.com/GiGiHadid/status/1348830641203384320?s=19

    And from the snippets we’ve heard from the automated message, each new song really does “slap”.

    Read more – Shaan Masala spotted in Gigi Hadid’s spice cabinet

    Zayn has already excited fans with his latest releases including Better and Vibez.

  • Veena Malik sues ex-husband for Rs 1 billion for running ‘smear campaign’ against her

    Veena Malik has filed an Rs1 billion defamation suit against ex-husband Asad Khattak for running a “smear campaign against her” which has damaged her reputation. The suit was filed under Defamation Ordinance 2002 in the Session Court through advocate Anjum Hameed.

    According to Malik, Khattak is involved in “propaganda against her reputation which is causing her loss of goodwill, loss to business opportunities and mental torture.”

    On January 5, Asad arrived in Pakistan to obtain custody of his children, who he claims have been kidnapped by his former wife. Asad claimed that he has evidence to prove that Veena has kidnapped his children from the UAE. Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, Asad had said that Veena abducted their children from Dubai and that Pakistan’s consulate general in Dubai was involved in the kidnapping.

    Asad further added that Veena threatens him by claiming she has state institutions on her back.

    Meanwhile, earlier in November, Veena had sent a legal notice worth Rs500 million to Khattak. According to details, the legal notice was sent by the actor a few days after an audio clip started doing the rounds on the internet in which Malik allegedly threatened her former husband Khattak. In the notice, Veena alleged that Khattak is “deliberately trying to defame” her and that she had lawfully brought her children to Pakistan.

  • Frieha Altaf recovers hacked WhatsApp account after 24 hours

    Frieha Altaf has managed to recovered her WhatsApp account, which was hacked on Monday, after almost 24 hours.

    “Got the WhatsApp back,” wrote the PR mogul on social media.

    “These hackers need to be taken to task for their mischief,” she added.

    Frieha, on Monday, had shared that her Whatsapp account has been hacked.

    “Seriously upset! My WhatsApp got hacked and the person is messaging my friends!”, said Frieha, warning her friends to “watch out”.

    “If someone, even a friend’s number, asks you for codes, call your friend to verify if it’s them,” said Altaf. “They just want data. It happened to my buddy in Dubai and I got hacked.”

    WhatsApp has recently been under fire for announcing new terms asking users to agree to let owner Facebook Inc and its subsidiaries collect user data, including their phone number and location. After WhatsApp’s new terms sparked debate on social media, other messaging apps like Telegram and Signal are witnessing a surge in demand.

    In response to the backlash, WhatsApp released an official statement clearing all speculations surrounding the new terms of service and policies.

  • Video of elderly lady who fails to recognise Shahid Afridi goes viral

    Video of elderly lady who fails to recognise Shahid Afridi goes viral

    There is no denying that Shahid Afridi is one of the most-recognised people in the word. The former captain of the Pakistan cricket team is well-known for his sixes on the field and charm off the field. However, social media is abuzz with a rare instance in which an old lady at the airport failed to recognise the cricket legend.

    In the video doing the rounds on social media, a woman is seen calling Afridi for a picture. 

    “Aray baita idhar aao. Yeh larkiyan keh rahi hain tum Shahid Afridi ho. Aik picture to lelo? [Hello son, please come here. These girls are saying you are Shahid Afridi. Please take a picture with us?]” the woman asked Afridi.

    Obliging to the request, Afridi went to the woman and took a picture with his fans. As the video made rounds on social media, netizens were seen praising the cricket legend for his humility and kind gesture.

    https://twitter.com/ItsMahah/status/1348937198918316033?s=20

    Read more – ‘Sorry Lala’: Haris Rauf apologises to Afridi for dismissing him

    Meanwhile, it is not clear where and when the video was shot.

  • VIDEO: Indian media apologises for airing doctored video of Pakistani analyst on Balakot airstrike

    VIDEO: Indian media apologises for airing doctored video of Pakistani analyst on Balakot airstrike

    Media outlets from across the border, including India Today and NDTV, have apologised for airing a doctored video of Pakistani analyst and former diplomat Zafar Hilaly, wherein due to editing, he appeared to be supporting Indian claims of hundreds of casualties in the 2018 cross-border aggression by New Delhi.

    Several Indian television channels, newspapers and websites had carried the report by news agency ANI on Hilaly’s remarks that he made while speaking to a Pakistani media outlet over Indian claims of 300 terrorists dying in the Balakot airstrike on February 26, 2019.

    Besides ANI, India Today and NDTV, the story was reported by Republic, The Times of India, Moneycontrol, WION, Hindustan Times, NE Now, Odisha TV, Jagran, Swarajya, Lokmat, Oneindia, Deccan Herald, Business Today, Livemint, DNA, The Quint, News18 India, HW News, CNBC TV18 and ABP News among others.

    One of the reports said, “The admission by the former Pakistani diplomat, who regularly takes the Pakistan army side in TV debates, goes against the zero casualties claim made by Islamabad at that time.”

    Here’s how India Today reported the same:

    “India crossed the international border and did an act of war in which at least 300 were reported dead. Our target was different from theirs. We targeted their high command. That was our legitimate target because they are men of the military. We subconsciously accepted that a surgical strike — a limited action — did not result in any casualty. Now we have subconsciously told them that, whatever they will do, we’ll do only that much and won’t escalate,” ANI had quoted Hilaly as saying.

    But a fact-check by Alt News found that the comments were misreported. Hilaly also tweeted a video saying his statement was spliced and edited.

    In the debate posted on YouTube by HUM News as part of a programme called “Agenda Pakistan”, Hilaly had actually said, “What you did, India, was an act of war. By crossing the international boundary, India committed an act of war in which they intended to kill at least 300 people.”

    While the report has since been retracted by all outlets, here’s what India Today tweeted.

    BALAKOT AIRSTRIKE:

    The 2019 Balakot airstrike was conducted by India in the early morning hours of February 27 when Indian warplanes crossed the de facto border in the disputed region of Kashmir, and dropped bombs in the vicinity of the town of Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan.

    While India claimed having destroyed terror camps “established on the Pakistani side” with hundreds of terrorists dead, Pakistan had rebutted the claims and sent a group of both local and foreign journalists to the area to ascertain the facts by themselves.

    The episode had led to tensions running high between the two countries for months and embarrassment for India after Pakistan shot down one of its intruding fighter jets besides capturing an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot.

    What do you think of the yet another rather embarrassing moment for Indian media? Let The Current know in the comments…

  • PM’s aide denies accompanying person who asked Broadsheet CEO for commission

    PM’s aide denies accompanying person who asked Broadsheet CEO for commission

    After it stirred controversy, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has responded to the Broadsheet CEO’s interview, saying he had met Kaveh Moussavi in 2019 to “negotiate the award price and trying to reduce the payable amount”.

    In a news report that has now been retracted, it was claimed that an unnamed individual who accompanied Shahzad Akbar to a meeting with Moussavi was “more interested in getting his cut than investigating suspects”.

    The newspaper retracted the report and offered a clarification, saying the claim by Moussavi has been rejected by Akbar. It could be someone whom Moussavi met separately, it quoted Shahzad Akbar as saying. According to the PM’s aide, he never met the Broadsheet CEO in 2018, as only two meetings took place between the CEO and Akbar in 2019.

    In the interview, Moussavi had claimed that a delegation visited London in 2018 to discuss with National Crime Agency money that had been frozen under an order. At that time, a meeting took place with a gentleman who had all the documents, he said, adding that gentleman asked him for commission when told about an account containing over a billion dollars.

    During the interview, he also claimed that Nawaz Sharif had offered a bribe to Broadsheet for abandoning probe against his foreign assets. In the interview, he said the assets recovery firm “had flatly refused the deal offered by a person claiming himself to be a nephew of Nawaz Sharif in 2012”. APP reported Moussavi as saying that the firm refused the deal because it did not “negotiate with the crooks”.

  • Jawad Ahmad says Pakistan also needs a farmers’ movement

    Jawad Ahmad has expressed that Pakistan also needs a farmers’ movement like the one happening in India.

    Speaking to the Times of India about his new song Kisana, the singer-turned-politician compared the conditions of farmers in India and Pakistan saying: “The third-world economies are still largely based on primitive methods and tools of agriculture and we need a peasant’s rights movement all over the world, including Pakistan.”

    He added that he made the song after seeing how India’s farmer movement is being recognised by the farmer community across the world.

    Kisana, which was released in the last week of December has already gathered thousands of views and is making waves across the border. The music of the song has been composed by Sahar Ali Bagga.

    The song’s description states: “Kisana is a revolutionary song for peasants of the world, to inspire and motivate them to struggle for their rights. It is a dedication by Jawad Ahmad to all the global peasant movements.”

    Meanwhile, the song calls peasants the providers of the world, saying that the farmers are the ones who give food to judges and police officers, so they should be respected.

    Ahmad, who entered politics a few years ago with his ‘Barabri Party Pakistan’ is very vocal about the rights of marginalized groups. The vision of his party is “To establish a truly democratic state based on equitable distribution of wealth, equality of right over resources so that whatever is found, grown and produced in this country is equally accessible to all and equal access to opportunities regardless of race, religion, gender, and ethnicity.”

    Farmer’s Protest

    Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

    Read more – Diljit Dosanjh gave Kangana Ranaut a piece of mind over the farmers’ protests and we’re here for it

    70 people have reportedly died during the ongoing protests and though several rounds of talks have happened between farmer unions and the government, a solution has not yet been reached.