Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif is in favour of a dialogue with the government instead of mass resignations and long marches, said a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) after a meeting with him in prison.
Muhammad Ali Durrani, the PML-F secretary general, called on Shehbaz at Kot Lakhpat Jail to hold “fruitful discussions” on the political scenario of the country. Durrani, who is an ally of the government, said he visited the PML-N chief on the directions of his party president Pir Sibghatullah because the “political leadership of the country wanted to see the nation united”.
He said the purpose of this visit was to assert the need for talks, functioning of parliament, and end a deadlock between the opposition and the government to avert en masse resignations and march on Islamabad. He told reporters that they also discussed the union of all factions of the Muslim League.
According to Durrani, the factions of the Pakistan Muslim League and the like-minded people should join hands — a suggestion endorsed by Shehbaz.
He also said that his visit to the jail was for a “national cause” and he met Shehbaz, not other party leaders, because he was the “president”. In an apparent reference to Maryam Nawaz, who is the de-facto president of the PML-N, Durrani said at this point there was no need to meet “sidekicks” as Shehbaz will soon have the control of his party.
The PML-N president, who represents the moderate group in the party, is in prison over graft charges. In his absence, the party is being run by Maryam Nawaz.
Not-for-profit press monitoring organisation Middle East Monitor has apologised for a report claiming that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s aide Zulfi Bukhari visited Israel, whereas a minister in Tel Aviv has also clarified that the country in Asia that could soon normalise relations with his country is not Pakistan.
As per the details, Bukhari, who is the premier’s special assistant on overseas Pakistanis, tweeted some documents, including a letter by the news media outlet wherein it had categorically acknowledged the reporting error and apologised.
“We have removed the offending item,” the letter read, saying that it had been sourced from several foreign media outlets.
Hope all those “senior” anchors & journalists apologise as openly as they placed false accusations on me, based on “this” source. As a future course I’d suggest they check their “sources” before embarrassing themselves. pic.twitter.com/g5XZ1ISEtU
“We accept Mr Bukhari’s refutation of the claims made in the report and sincerely apologise for the inconvenience it has caused,” concluded the letter dated December 23.
The development was followed by an Israeli cabinet minister also confirming that there was a fifth Muslim-majority country in Asia that was likely to soon normalise relations with Tel Aviv, but it was not Islamabad.
Speaking to the Israeli news outlet Ynet TV, Regional Cooperation Minister Ofir Akunis acknowledged that there is a potential for two more countries to normalise relations with Israel. He predicted that “there will be an American announcement about another country that is going public with the normalisation of relations with Israel and, in essence, with the infrastructure for an accord — a peace accord”.
One of those countries is reportedly in the Gulf, but he ruled out Saudi Arabia, therefore leaving many to believe it could be Oman. The other country is further to the east of Israel towards Asia, and is a “Muslim country that is not small”.
Okif dismissed the possibility of it being Pakistan, however, which many have suspected following PM Imran Khan admitting that “friendly” nations had been pressuring Islamabad to establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv.
Those “friendly” nations are thought to be Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), particularly after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told the UAE earlier this week that the country “will not and cannot establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete and permanent solution to the Palestine issue is found”.
The attributes described by Okif leave Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Bangladesh as the only remaining Muslim-majority countries that are “not small” and do not already have open ties with Israel.
2020 has been a year like no other and with the end of the year approaching, we list you down the pictures that trended this year in Pakistan.
Here we go…
1. When Faisal Vawda brought an army boot with him to a talk show
The PTI federal minister brought an army boot to a live TV programme to troll the Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of the opposition for voting in favour of the Army Act in parliament amid their tirades against security forces.
2. Faisal Eidhi making donation to Prime Minister Imran Khan
Faisal Edhi, son of world-famous philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and chairman of the Edhi Foundation, met Prime Minister Imran Khan and handed over a Rs10 million cheque for the premier’s coronavirus relief fund.
Days later, he tested positive for the virus, leading to speculations if the premier had also been infected.
3. Memes from the Last episode of ‘Mere Pass Tum Ho’
Remember, when MPTH lead character Danish was talking even after the heart rate monitor showed a straight line. From the “straight line” to “Mehwish slap” and ‘do takkay ki aurat’, all the memes were quite lit. Memes then light up the audience after a dull finale.
4. When Maria B landed into hot water
How could we forget Maria B’s fancy chandelier and the memes that broke the internet following the designer’s video with her husband telling the whole story behind the Punjab Police fiasco.
5. ‘I WILL SACRIFICE MY WHOLE LIFE FOR PAKISTAN’
Former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator Sehar Kamran made the headlines for celebrating independence day with great enthusiasm at a Pakistani school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sehar was seen encouraging the students all in the spirit of patriotism.
6. Syra and Sheheryar turned up the heat with their photoshoot
Syra Yousuf and Sheheryar Munawar’s photoshoot for a local magazine became the talk of the town with people discussing how hot they look together.
7. When Ishaq Dar had a hard time in HardTalk
The former finance minister, who is residing in London while corruption cases against him worsen back home, recently appeared on the BBC talk show, videos of which went viral over what was claimed to be his “discomfort” on the hot seat.
The host, Stephen Sackur, however, says Dar wanted to be on that show and seemed to enjoy it.
8. Bakhtwar Bhutto Zardari’s Engagment
PPP’s Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari got engaged this year and all eyes were on her corona-exclusive wedding. Her engagement card became controversial when it required guests to provide a coronavirus test result before coming to the engagement but the talk of the town was her shawl. The shawl was embroidered with memories of her family, her favourite things and also her love for food.
9. Nawaz Sharif eating pizza in London
Former PM Nawaz, despite conviction in corruption cases, was allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Currently in London, he has time and again been spotted taking a stroll in the park, dining at a roadside cafe, and most recently, enjoying pizza.
While criticism continues to pour in amid government’s efforts to bring him back, his daughter Maryam Nawaz seems to believe none of the stuff he has been seen doing is bad for his health.
10. Photoshoped picture of Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s hand
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz was recently trolled by social media users after she shared a supposedly edited picture of the much-awaited Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally of the joint opposition in Lahore.
While the opposition claimed it was attended by hundreds of thousands of people, the government and social media users disagreed, advising the opposition leader to “fire her graphic designer”.
Ah, the long weekend is here and with COVID-19 still posing a threat, time to kick back and binge-watch movies and shows while staying cosy at home. Here’s a list of new releases hitting streaming platforms this weekend.
AK vs AK
Termed a mockumentary (a film or television show depicting fictional events but presented as a documentary), AK vs AK features Anil Kapoor and Anurag Kashyap with Sonam Kapoor also putting in an appearance. The film’s official synopsis reads: “A brash film director (Kashyap, as himself) kidnaps the daughter of a movie star (Kapoor, as himself) and films the star’s desperate search for his daughter in real-time as his next blockbuster.”
The film has received raving reviews and looks very different from what Bollywood usually has to offer.
George Clooney heads to the post-apocalyptic world in this new space drama for Netflix which he has directed himself. While the film has opened to mixed reviews, Clooney’s performance and getup in the film have been highly appreciated. The film is already trending at number one on Netflix Pakistan.
Coolie No 1
Featuring Sara Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan in the lead, Coolie No 1 is a remake of the 1995 film of the same name starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. The film is a through and through Bollywood masala film with colourful dances, sets and crass comedy. While it probably does not have anything new to offer, we’ll just sit through it to make comparisons and trash Bollywood for repeating the same problematic tropes and not coming up with anything new.
Bridgerton
Netflix’s big Christmas drop, Bridgertonhas been described by several reviews as a period drama which sees Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl. Based on Julia Quinn’s best-selling romance novels, the show follows the powerful Bridgerton family as they navigate London high society in the 18th-century. According to reviews and critics, the series is fuzzy, romantic and highly bingeable but hollow at the same time. But if you’re a sucker for period romance, you’re bound to enjoy it – I know I will.
The Undoing
Though this murder mystery featuring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant is a couple of weeks old, it is totally worth the watch. The six-episodes series is gripping, intense and will have you on the edge of your seat as you guess who the killer is. And while it does drag at a few points, the stellar performances more than make up for it.
Sunshine all around the major cities of Pakistan today and I’m prepared for a Thursday funday. Maryam Nawaz has asked the prime minister why he was in a rush to become one if he wasn’t prepared. She was addressing a rally in Mardan and said in her speech that IK promised a fantastic 200 person team before he came to power and where are those people now? He seems to be playing ‘musical chairs’ with his federal cabinet. Her comments came after PM Imran said that he had no idea how to run the government for the first three months and that governments should be given more time to prepare. Actor and Producer Fahad Mustafa needs to prepare for some major backlash. Bhai sahib, who is known for some of the most recently controversial dramas like Nand, Bewafa and Balaa is now coming up with a new drama ‘Dunk’ jisme aik college professor par harassment ka jhoota ilzaam lagta hai and Fahad says yeh tribute hai for victims of false allegations. Inko shayad yeh nahi maloom that that there are more real cases of harassment than false ones and his focus on the false shows that he doesn’t care about exposing what’s wrong in our society and shayad only wants those millions of hits on YouTube. Kya aap yeh drama dekheingay? Aik aur embarrassing story about Pakistan has hit the foreign press. The Guardian in the UK reported that a UK clothing brand called Boohoo is using Pakistani factories to produce their clothes, their workers are underpaid and have to work in terrible conditions. The brand is now investigating the factories in Faisalabad to see if the allegations are true. I’m sure you guys must’ve heard that England mein aik naya version of coronavirus nikal aaya hai — a new strain that is spreading faster than before — but scientists are hopeful that the vaccine will work against it. It sucks to hear that shayad corona isn’t going to be over soon. Corona ki aisi ki taisi, Naimal Khawar’s video at her sister’s mehndi has gone viral on social media and she looks prepared enough to say kay jo bhi ho, she’s going to enjoy her sister’s shaadi. Pakistan kay drama world mein teen big dramas have ended and Ashar and Ayesha review the finales; seems like they were disappointed with the ending of all of them — Jalan, Zebaish and Raaze Ulfat. The dramas are never-ending — be it fiction or real-life politics. Which drama are you sick of? Entertainment channel dramas or news network ones? I’m preparing for a lot of replies to this one!
Until tomorrow!
Current Baba’s Prediction
You are on the edge of making a decision but you really don’t know what to do. Don’t worry kyun k kal kuch aisa hoga jis say you’re gonna be sure about your decision.
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In spite of calls for mass resignations and long march towards Islamabad by the Pakistan Democratic Movement, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair has said that his party will take part in the by-polls to be held in February.
Speaking in a TV show, Zubair said the party has also decided to take part in the Senate polls — a U-turn on the party’s earlier policy of mass resignations. He further said the decision to march on Islamabad will be taken in the light of the by-polls.
فروری میں استعفوں کی دھمکی بھی اور فروری میں ہی بائی الیکشن لڑنے کے دعوے بھی۔ اپوزیشن کی کوئی حکمت عملی نہیں ہے یا کنفیوژن کا شکار ہے؟
It may be noted here that the PML-N has already hinted at a delay in the long march due to the “cold weather”. Its Punjab president Rana Sanaullah said that the much-hyped march will be held in March, instead of Jan or Feb, when the weather will be favourable.
Separately, the National Assembly speaker has decided to accept the resignations of two PML-N lawmakers, Muhammad Sajjad Awan and Murtaza Javed, prompting protests from the said lawmakers.
According to Awan and Javed, the resignations — dated Dec 14 and written on their official letterhead — were not sent to Speaker Asad Qaiser.
These resignations were sent to the party leadership and it would be their decision if they wanted to forward these letters to the speaker, the lawmakers said, adding that the speaker has no authority to “verify” their resignation letters at this point.
On the other hand, the NA Secretariat said that these resignations would be accepted automatically if the lawmakers failed to appear before the speaker within a week.
Earlier this month, Lahore’s Khokhar brothers of PML-N handed over their resignations from respective assemblies to the party leadership.
MNA Malik Afzal Khokar and MPA Saiful Malook Khokhar had submitted their letters amid talks of mass resignations by opposition lawmakers in a protest against the government.
Actor Humayun Saeed has extended love and sweet birthday wishes to his wife Samina on her birthday. The actor took to Instagram and wrote, “Happy Birthday Samina”
He further thanked his wife for supporting him in every situation. “Thank you for being there through thick and thin. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without you. Thank you for making every day better than the last,” he wrote.
He added: “May we have many many more years of health, success and happiness together”
“You complete me and for that I love you,” Humayun concluded.
Humayun Saeed and his wife Samina both are producers. Samina is best known for producing drama serials, such as Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan, Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti, Akbari Asghari, Sadqay Tumhare and Mann Mayal.
The government is likely to hike power tariff by Rs3.30 per unit in line with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions to get the programme rolling that has been suspended since Feb 2020.
Daily Jang quoted a senior government official, saying the increase in the power prices will be made before the start of the next year and the government will take measures to take the masses into confidence over the move.
The IMF bailout was availed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2019 to provide crucial support to fast depleting foreign exchange reserves. But the package was suspended at the start of this year.
Pakistan has to return $4.4 billion on account of foreign commercial loans during the current fiscal year for which it desperately needs the money from the monetary fund. It has also already returned $2bn to Saudi Arabia and will return $1bn soon to clear the Saudi debt.
The deal provided a moratorium on debt payments for large swathes of the current fiscal year and help ease the cash-strapped country’s massive financial obligations.
“The Government of Pakistan has successfully negotiated and concluded rescheduling agreements with 19 bilateral creditors, including members of the Paris club,” the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement.
The governance system in Pakistan has become corrupt, Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah said Thursday.
He expressed the belief that people do not even have access to “cheap and speedy justice.”
According to Geo, he was hearing cases against the rising number of crime in Islamabad, obstacles in the delivery of justice, issues pertaining to naval farms and housing societies.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar also appeared before the court.
Pointing out the flaws in the justice system, Justice Minallah said district courts, which are meant to deal with the problems of the common man, had never been anyone’s priority.
In response, the PM’s adviser said he has already briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan regarding the matter.”
You are the adviser on accountability, so I suggest you go to the accountability courts yourself and examine the conditions there,” Justice Minallah said.
“The judges in those courts do not even have the staff for dictation. There is a lot of work pressure on those courts, but there is an acute dearth of staff.”
The chief justice added that the Supreme Court of Pakistan has repeatedly stressed courts to hear cases on a daily basis, adding that judges are “ready to work day and night if the executives cooperate with them.”
“You should visit the accountability courts and brief the prime minister about the situation,” Justice Minallah told Akbar.
Responding to the judge’s remarks, Akbar said he has been appearing in the same courts for quite some time, adding that the situation in courts did not worsen overnight and it took 40 years of neglect to reach the current stage.
“Advisers do not have executive authority, we can only provide suggestions,” Akbar said. “We will do whatever we can to improve the conditions of special courts.”
Pakistani writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar reprimanded women writers for humiliating relationships in dramas.
In an interview when Khalil-ur-Rehman was asked what was the reason that people in showbiz are so afraid of him, he said: “People are afraid of me because I am honest with my work. They will be afraid of dishonesty.”
He added: “Female writers have stigmatised relationships like that of a sister-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law.” He said that there are 99.9 per cent women who are writing in the industry but they only write about family politics and stigmatise sacred relationships.
The Mere Paas Tum Ho writer spoke on a variety of topics. While giving his opinion on the friendship between males and females, he said that there is no such thing as a friendship between a girl and a boy. “This is the biggest lie in the world.”
Qamar has been involved in many controversies including a debate on Aurat March slogans with Marvi Sirmed. He said to Ms Sirmed that “no one would even spit on your body” and that she was a “cheap woman” who should “shut up”. He was criticised by politicians and prominent figures, while Geo TV suspended his contract. He said, he did not interrupt her but she interrupted him when he was talking.
