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  • Maryam says over 95 per cent PML-N lawmakers have submitted resignations to her

    Maryam says over 95 per cent PML-N lawmakers have submitted resignations to her

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has said that out of 160 Punjab lawmakers, 159 MPAs have submitted their resignations to the party leadership in line with the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) strategy to ramp up pressure on the government.

    Speaking to reporters ahead of her visit to Sindh to participate in a rally organised by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to mark Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary, Maryam said the deadline given to the lawmakers to turn in their resignations was Dec 31.

    She said the only provincial lawmaker who hasn’t submitted her resignation letter is currently battling for her life after she was put on a ventilator.

    Speaking about the National Assembly members, she said over 95 per cent MNAs have sent in their resignations to her. According to Maryam, the lawmakers will submit their resignations till 31st to the party leadership and the PDM will subsequently decide when to send them to the respective speakers.

    Maryam said the lawmakers will not defy the party line, as they know that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has “no future”. She added that attempt to damage the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) also backfired because people have become politically aware.

    Speaking about her uncle and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, the de-facto PML-N chief said that Shehbaz has always been loyal to his brother Nawaz Sharif. Shehbaz would have been the prime minister of the country instead of “incompetent” Imran Khan had he betrayed his brother at the behest of the powers-that-be, said Maryam.

    Maryam also rubbished the reports of any potential “grand dialogue” between the government and the opposition. She said there will be no talks with the government and Imran Khan will have to go home.

  • Seven rare deer die mysteriously at Bahawalpur Zoo

    Seven rare deer die mysteriously at Bahawalpur Zoo

    Seven rare deer were reported dead in Bahawalpur Zoo on Saturday.

    According to reports, it is suspected that the animals died after eating poisonous fodder. At least 12 other deer at the zoo are in critical condition.

    The deer who died were of a rare breed.

    The zoo management claimed that dozens of deer suddenly started falling ill. Seven of them died within a short period after falling ill while 22 were rescued and treated.

    “12 are still in critical condition,” added the management.

    According to the administration, the cause of the deaths has not yet been ascertained. Their samples have been sent to Lahore for further investigation.

    The Bahawalpur Zoo curator said the cause of death will only be known after an autopsy.

    With little legislation to safeguard animal welfare, zoos across Pakistan are notorious for their poor conditions. Recently, the Peshawar Zoo lost its fourth giraffe in 2020, just a few days after a black bear’s alleged death. Similarly, the Sindh High Court, earlier this week ordered the Karachi Zoo management to shift Rano from her 25-foot wide Victorian ‘grotto’ pit to another open cage.

  • 120-year-old chocolate found in poet’s personal belongings

    120-year-old chocolate found in poet’s personal belongings

    A 120-year-old box of chocolate has been found from the personal collection of the late poet and journalist A.B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson by the staff at the National Library of Australia (NLA).

    Conservators at the NLA unearthed the sweet treats in a souvenir chocolate tin that was given to soldiers by Queen Victoria during the Boer War.

    The discovery was made by the library staff while unpacking the contents of the poet who wrote Waltzing Matilda and The Man from Snowy River. The purpose of unpacking the box that has the poet’s papers was to digitize the contents and make them available online.

    According to the National Library of Australia (NLA), the souvenir tin was commissioned by Queen Victoria and sent to South Africa during the Boer War as a gift to troops serving on the front.

    It is believed that the poet had brought the chocolates from a soldier while serving as a war correspondent in South Africa for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for nearly a year starting in October 1899 before returning to Australia.

    The NLA conservator told that there was quite an interesting smell when they were unpacked.

    Paterson’s papers were passed on by his family after his death in 1941. However, the poet never referenced the chocolate bar in his writing.

  • Yasra Rizvi hits back at critics of ‘Dunk’, ‘Churails’

    Yasra Rizvi hits back at critics of ‘Dunk’, ‘Churails’

    Yasra Rizvi has hit back at critics of her latest projects Dunk and Churails. She also responded to those who are criticising her character, Jugnu Chaudhary, from Churails.

    In a social media post, Yasra wrote: “Many saw Jugnu as a drunkard druggie who was selling be-hayai in the name of women empowerment and many think Saira will cause serious negative repercussions for harassment victims because she is a character in a story about false allegations.”

    Read more – Who banned ‘Churails’?

    “No one really knows who I am and what I do every day, how I work, what I truly believe in, many haven’t watched Churails or will not watch all the 20 something episodes of Dunk,” she continued.

    “Many don’t know anything about my body of work and its detail to really understand what is it that I even stand for BUT everyone gets to talk because I am out there doing my thing so talk away,” remarked Rizvi.

    Rizvi has done a number of dramas on television along with web series Churails and Ayesha. Senti Aur Mental is her upcoming Lollywood comedy film debut. The film is directed, written and cast by herself along with Zain Afzal, and Yousaf Bashir Qureshi as a lead cast. Initially, the film was set to release in 2020 but was stalled due to COVID.

    Her latest project Dunk which has been produced by Fahad Mustafa has come under fire after Mustafa stated that the drama “is a tribute to every victim who has been falsely accused of sexual harassment”.

    Beside Rizvi, Dunk also features Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed, Shahood Alvi, Fahad Sheikh, Tara Mahmood, Saifi Hassan, Salma Hassan, Kanwal Khan, Noman Ejaz, and Azekah Daniel. It has been written by Mohsin Ali Shah and directed by Badar Mehmood.

  • Journalist Saleem Safi claims Zardari, Bilawal are becoming ‘taabedar’

    Journalist Saleem Safi claims Zardari, Bilawal are becoming ‘taabedar’

    Senior journalist Saleem Safi has accused Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership, especially Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and father Asif Ali Zardari, of trying to reach a deal with the establishment.

    Responding to the statement of Murtaza Wahab — the spokesperson to the Sindh CM — that Sindh IG Mushtaq Mahar was not kidnapped, Safi said such statements by the PPP leadership gave away its alleged secret dealings with the government and the powers-that-be. It also shows that they are on their way to becoming “taabedar”.

    Alluding to the statement, he asked is there still any doubt left regarding the duplicity of the PPP in the anti-government alliance? According to the journalist, the PPP will oppose the mass resignations and long march in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) meeting on Jan 2 and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will likely endorse the PPP.

    Safi claimed that the meeting of the government spokesperson held earlier this week also decided to “go easy on the PPP”. The government has decided to target Maulana Fazlur Rahman and his party, he said, adding that a strategy has been finalised in this regard. He claimed that decision to be lenient to the PPP speaks volume about the secret talks.

    Safi also accused Bilawal and Zardari of becoming “tabedaar (obedient)” and said that Maulana should clear things up with the PPP and PML-N leadership before it’s too late.

    The word ‘taabedar’ was first used by Maryam Nawaz as she used it to refer to Prime Minister Imran Khan for being “obedient to his selectors”.

  • Google lists Esra Bilgiç as Yasir Hussain’s mother

    Google lists Esra Bilgiç as Yasir Hussain’s mother

    And the trolling don’t stop.

    Ever since Yasir Hussain likened Turkish dramas to ‘landay k kapray‘, the actor has been at the receiving end of trolling by fans of Diriliş: Ertuğrul. In the latest development, some trolls have edited Yasir’s bio on Google and listed Esra Bilgiç as his parent.

    Read more – Yasir Hussain welcomes Ertuğrul at Lahore airport

    Yasir has often found himself at the receiving end of flak with his comments on Turkish actors and dramas. When Diriliş: Ertuğrul initially aired in April 2020, the actor had likened Turkish dramas to ‘landay k kapray’.

    “Landy k kapray aur Turkey k dramay, dono hee local industry ko tabah kardein gay,” the actor had said.

    Later, the actor was reported to have likened Turkish actors to ‘kachra‘ (garbage). According to details, Yasir while sharing a picture of ‘Pakistani Turgut and Pakistani Ertuğrul’ had commented: “Inko koi nahi poochega (no one will give them any attention). Kyunke ghar ki murgi daal barabar or bahar ka kachra bhi maal barabar,” insinuating that Pakistanis do not appreciate local talent enough.

    He was also very critical of QMobile for appointing Esra as their brand ambassador.

    “Apko nahi lagta k Pakistan brand ki brand ambassador bhi Pakistani honi chahiye? Na Indian na Turkish? Pakistan Zindabad (Don’t you think Pakistani brands should have Pakistani brand ambassadors? Neither Turkish nor Indian),” the actor had written on social media.

  • Sarah Khan’s father passes away

    Sarah Khan’s father passes away

    Sarah Khan and Noor Zafar Khan’s father has passed away.

    Photographer Abdul Samad Zia, who covered Sarah and Falak Shabir’s wedding, initially shared the news on social media, asking the actor’s fans to pray for her father’s maghfirat. The cause of his death is not yet known.

    Later, confirming the news, Sarah shared details of the Namaz-e-Janaza on her Instagram.

    Falak also announced the sad news on social media saying “Baba was a great blessing to me, Sarah and our family”.

    A few weeks earlier, Sarah had shared pictures of herself taken by her father while they enjoyed family time at the beach.

    It is pertinent to add here that Sarah’s mother passed away in November 2017 after prolonged illness.

  • Benazir’s death anniversary: Fazl refuses to attend PPP rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh

    Benazir’s death anniversary: Fazl refuses to attend PPP rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh

    Amid speculations of rifts in the Pakistan Democratic Movement, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has declined an invitation by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to attend a rally in Garhi Khuda Baksh on Dec 27.

    Instead of Fazl, who also heads the PDM, a five-member delegation of the party will attend the gathering that marks the death anniversary of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, reported Dunya TV.

    The refusal to attend the gathering by Fazl comes at a time when the JUI-F is facing internal turmoil following the expulsion of its top leaders, including Maulana Sheerani, who questioned the JUI-F’s commitment to the party.

    Similarly, the JUI-F and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are not happy with the PPP. They believe that the PPP was in contact with the powers-that-be to reach a deal. “Both parties are not reacting to this development because of the alliance, but the PPP has been told that if it wants to gain results via backdoor talks, it can go ahead,” said a senior journalist recently.

    Meanwhile, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has reached Naudero House to attend the death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto. The PPP chief will stay in Naudero for three days and will address a rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on December 27.

    PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz will also attend the rally on the invitation of Bilawal. Both opposition leaders will hold a meeting at Bilawal House, Naudero.

  • Picture of widowed penguins comforting each other will warm your heart

    Picture of widowed penguins comforting each other will warm your heart

    A picture of two widowed penguins appearing to comfort each other in Australia has won Oceanographic magazine’s Ocean Photography Awards.

    The photo was taken by German photographer Tobias Baumgaertner in Melbourne.

    He was told that the two penguins had recently lost their partners and they often appeared to be comforting each other through a warm hug.

    The German photographer won the magazine’s Community Choice Award.

    “A volunteer approached me and told me that the white one was an elderly lady who had lost her partner and apparently so did the younger male to the left,” the photographer wrote in an Instagram post.

    “Since then they meet regularly, comforting each other and standing together for hours watching the dancing lights of the nearby city.”

    The photographer spent three nights with the penguin colony to capture this very moment.

    “Between not being able or allowed to use any lights and the tiny penguins continuously moving, rubbing their flippers on each other’s backs and cleaning one another, it was really hard to get a shot,” he said.

    “But I got lucky during one beautiful moment.”

  • Indian police arrest Muslim teen under ‘love jihad’ for walking home with Hindu friend

    Indian police arrest Muslim teen under ‘love jihad’ for walking home with Hindu friend

    The Indian police in Uttar Pradesh arrested a Muslim teenager for walking home with his former classmate, a Dalit girl, from a birthday party after a case was registered for ‘love jihad’ under the state’s new ‘anti-conversion’ law. The boy has been in the custody for a week. 

    The Love Jihad law in India is an Islamophobic conspiracy theory alleging that Muslim men target women belonging to non-Muslim communities for conversion to Islam by feigning love.

    According to details, the 16-year-old girl has constantly rubbished the allegations of ‘love jihad‘, telling the police that the boy was a friend of hers.

    “I have told this to the magistrate and I will say this again. Those men had a problem with me walking with my friend. They made videos of me and are now calling it love jihad. I did nothing wrong. I went of my own free will.” 

    The complaint was allegedly registered by the girl’s father and stated that the accused “induced the girl to elope with him” with the “intention to marry and convert her”.

    However, the girl’s father has denied filing any complaint.

    “I trust my daughter completely. What wrong did she do? Why must she be made part of politics? Is it unlawful for a boy and a girl to walk together now?”

    As per details, the two were walking home from a friend’s birthday party around 10 pm on December 14 when they were allegedly chased by a group of right-wing Hindu men, beaten with sticks and questioned. When the group came to know that the two belong to different religions, they forced them to go to a police station.

    The Muslim boy works as a welder’s apprentice in Dehradun. The police say he is 18 years old but his family says is 17. They have no documents to prove his age.

    “The accused is in judicial custody. If he is a minor, they will have to produce documents to show that. We have invoked appropriate sections in this case after questioning the girl and based on her father’s complaint,” Station House Officer, Dhampur Arun Kumar told The Indian Express.