Filmmaker Sangeeta has tested positive for coronavirus and has isolated herself at home in Lahore.
Parveen Rizvi known as Sangeeta confirmed that she has tested positive Friday morning and requested her fans to pray for her speedy recovery.
Earlier, actors Mahira Khan, Behroze Sabzwari, Neelam Muneer and Sanam Jung and her 4-year-old daughter also tested positive for the virus.
Prime Minister Imran Khan is not happy with Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed for his lenient approach towards the opposition and directed him to go tough on its leadership.
According to Sheikh Rasheed, the PM was unhappy after watching his interview wherein his tone was soft towards the opposition. “The PM told me that I have to get tough when it comes to the opposition,” said the minister. “But I told him that I am now the interior minister as well, so I have to be neutral sometimes,” Rasheed said.
According to Rasheed, the PM has also given him an additional responsibility of dealing with media. He said the PM was impressed with his interview and told him that he will have to represent the government in the media as well.
Speaking about the change of his portfolio, Rasheed said being an interior minister of the country was a difficult job than being a railways minister. “Railways is not a difficult ministry compared to the Interior, as the latter has more responsibilities,” as per the minister.
The interior minister said that the prime minister will not give an NRO [National Reconciliation Ordinance] to anyone despite the protests by the opposition parties. He said that the government will complete its five-year term.
On Monday, Rasheed had asked the opposition who exactly they wished to speak to if not Imran Khan. “We don’t want to close the doors for dialogue. The opposition says it does not want to talk to Imran. Tell us who you wish to speak to so that we can arrange it,” he was quoted by Dawn as saying.
In December 2015, Ayesha Omar and Azfar Rehman met with a horrific car accident while they were travelling from Karachi to Hyderabad. Both the actors suffered severe injuries in the incident and had to spend several days in the hospital.
Five years after the incident, Ayesha took to Instagram to recall the painful memories of the accident and to express her gratitude for being alive and healthy.
“5 years since my car accident,” wrote Ayesha. “I’ve been whining and complaining to myself the last few days, about having to manage stuff completely on my own these days, not getting enough sleep and rest, having to juggle too many things while dealing with lingering allergies for the past 3 weeks. My muscles and target areas (which were affected by the accident) become very stiff and painful in the winters also.”
Read more – Ayesha Omar opens up about her childhood struggles
“But in comparison to what I went through that evening, emotionally, physically and mentally,” she continued. “6 pm onwards, on that dark, broken highway, how I survived those 7 hours until I finally reached a hospital, the weeks and months that followed, all of this seems so trivial, so easy, I’d take this, any day, with open arms and boundless gratitude.”
“Today, I’m just grateful to be alive, healthy and well, surrounded by people who love me, grateful for having made it through that ordeal and many others, and get to where I am today, especially this year, after the year we have all had, with so much anxiety, stress, pain and suffering for some, all over the world. I could not be more thankful,” added Ayesha.
She concluded by sending love to her Azfar, who was win her in the accident and helped Ayesha get to a hospital as soon as possible.
According to details, Ayesha and Azfar’s car was hit by an overtaking truck on the highway just before Hyderabad. Two collisions followed after another truck bumped into their car from the back.
“It’s a miracle that Azfar and I came out alive because the car was completely destroyed. I was immobile and picked up by Azfar and a group of passersby and put into a police mobile that transported us to a rundown govt clinic in Jamshoro,” Ayesha had shared at that time.
Ayesha had broken her collarbone while Azfar had sustained minor head injuries in the accident.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reacted to Pakistani paceman Mohammad Amir’s decision to retire from international cricket, saying it was the bowler’s personal decision.
As per the details, Cricket Pakistan quoted a PCB representative as saying that Amir had been listening to news channels broadcasting news about how he would not be selected to play.
“Mohammad Amir has not contacted the PCB in this regard. The fast-bowler is not a contracted player and therefore is not bound to discuss this decision with the cricket board. He is completely free to make his own decisions,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, following Amir’s announcement, reactions started pouring in from cricketing greats among others, including former skipper and selector Inzamamul Haq as well as Pakistan’s Ramiz Raja and Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle.
Raja described Amir’s departure as an untimely exit of a potential superstar while highlighting this entire episode as a cautionary tale for upcoming youngsters.
“Mohammad Amir retires. Sad untimely exit of a potential superstar! And a lesson for aspiring youth: Respect your talent and understand your responsibilities. Don’t mistake wealth for respect. Respect is earned by having a strong character and not by worldly glitzy sh*t!” Raja tweeted.
Bhogle believed that the fast-bowlers career would be remembered for what could have been in the aftermath of the shocking decision.
“I hope he is content. In cricketing terms he will be remembered for what might have been,” Bhogle tweeted.
Former skipper Shahid Afridi said that both PCB and Amir were at fault.
Speaking to Geo, the 45-year-old said that PCB and Amir could have handled the situation better. “Both the management and Amir are responsible. If the elders had not started this, the younger ones would not get a chance to speak,” he said.
“Why are they communicating through media? They should sit in a room and talk it out,” he added.
Afridi suggested that Amir should have been more patient while taking such a big decision. “Amir’s decision was also a bit harsh. There are challenges in life that every player faces. Strong and talented cricketers accept those challenges and make comeback with good performances,” he said.
The former player added that Pakistan cricket needs Amir and that the player still has a lot to offer to the national team. “Pakistan cricket needs Amir. He still has T20 and ODI cricket left in him,” he said. “The pleasure in playing for Pakistan and representing your country is nowhere close to playing league cricket.”
Afridi said that PCB’s prompt reaction to Amir’s retirement decision showed that they did not have the player in its future plan. “PCB should have discussed its plans with Amir, their immediate reaction showed that their future plan was to keep the player on the sidelines,” he said.
Senior ruling party member and a close aide of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Senator Faisal Javed Khan, advised the cricket authorities to address the concerns of Amir, saying Pakistan “should not waste a talented player” like Amir.
He suggested that both parties sit together to sort their differences, asking the cricketer to reconsider his decision to quit Test cricket.
“No emotional decision please,” the senator added.
Previously, the pacer had openly expressed his disappointment on social media after New Zealand tour snub besides taking digs at the head and bowling coaches in the recent past.
“Right now I am leaving cricket. I am being mentally tortured. I don’t think, I will be able to handle this kind of torture because I have been tortured a lot from 2010 to 2015,” Amir said on Thursday.
“My personal decision to leave Test cricket was taken in a wrong way. My retirement was attached to my desire of playing T20 leagues. I was wishing to invest everything in white-ball cricket for Pakistan. But every now and then someone or the other person came out with a statement. Our bowling coach came out and said, I ditched them, somebody says workload wasn’t properly handled,” he had added.
mir made his debut for Pakistan in a T20I match against England in June 2009 and was part of the team which won the 2009 T20 World Cup.
However, his career went downhill after he was found guilty of spot-fixing and was banned for five years. He made his international comeback in 2015 and went on to play an instrumental role in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy triumph in 2017.
All five babies born to women with COVID-19 infection during a study in Singapore have had antibodies against the virus, although the researchers said it is not yet clear what level of protection this may offer.
The findings from a study of 16 women released on Friday also found that most were mildy infected, while more severe reactions occurred in older women with a high body mass index – a trend that is mirrored in the general population.
Of the five who had delivered their babies by the time the study was published, all had antibodies, according to the Singapore Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research Network.
The number of antibodies in the babies varied, and was higher among those whose mothers’ had been infected nearer to the time of delivery, the researchers said. Further monitoring is required to see whether the antibodies will decline as the babies get older, they added.
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has appointed Amer Ahmed Hashmi as chairperson for the Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA).
According to the ordinance passed on Dec 2 for the establishment of Special Technology Zones Authority, the new authority will focus on the growth of scientific and technological ecosystem in the country, primarily by fostering the development of technology zones and high-tech industrial parks, thereby contributing to the acceleration of the evolution of the national system of innovation.
Headquartered in Islamabad, the federal body will help promote the global competitiveness of the domestic technology sector, as well as provide institutional and legislative support to attract foreign direct investments in the high-tech sector.
The prime minister would serve as the president of the Board of Governors of the STZ Authority.
As a global strategist, IT executive, and entrepreneur, Amer Hashmi possesses diverse global experience in organisational leadership with companies like IBM and MCI Systemhouse. He was the founding CEO of Si3 – Pakistan’s pioneering technology outsourcing firm that helped stimulate IT systems integration in public and private organizations in Pakistan. His work has been featured in Forbes Asia, Businessweek & Financial Times UK.
Hashmi spent the last 10 years building a knowledge ecosystem in his capacity as advisor and chief strategy officer at National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST).
He was also the chairman of executive committee of NUST Science & Technology Park and founding president of the Global Think Tank Network (GTTN).
Hashmi is a graduate of York University, Toronto, and has been trained in several technical and specialised programmes, including executive leadership on ‘Innovation for Economic Development’ from Harvard’s Kennedy School of government.
2020’s most controversial Pakistani drama, actually one of the most controversial dramas, Jalan came to a close Wednesday night after 31 painful episodes which had all the ingredients of an over-the-top soap opera. There was a love triangle, infidelity, abortion sprinkled with lots and lots of drama to draw all the haw hais and ensure that audiences are hooked.
As expected and predicted, Jalan ends with Nisha (Minal Khan) losing her wits and ending up in a sorry state with a disfigured face after getting involved in a car accident. On the other hand, Asfi (Emmad Irfani), who spent the final couple of episodes feeling desolate and depressed over everything that transpired died with what we assume was a heart attack – the makers never clarify how he died. Karma finally catches up with the ‘bad’ characters with the makers giving them the end they assumed would satisfy audiences.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t. The last episode was a bit of a drag with Asfi getting constant flashbacks of his life and relationship with Meenu. He seeks redemption by going to her grave and praying and giving away charity in her name – as if that was enough to cover up all the pain he caused her with his actions and callous behaviour. But as always our writers give the heroes an easier end compared to the female protagonist, who has to suffer every day for her sins. Even Kinza Apa (Nadya Hussain) in the end prayed that Asfi and Meenu would reunite in heaven.
Nisha, on the other hand, has a sudden bout of pagalpan in which she starts dragging and pushed Areej (Hajra Yamin) out of the house. In an attempt to protect herself, Areej locks herself up in her room till Ahmer (Fahad Sheikh) comes home and orders Nisha to her room. And Nisha obediently listens to him and goes upstairs to sleep. When she wakes up, she starts seeing Meenu (Areeba Habib) which causes her to lose her mind further and she eventually ends up crashing her car and burning her face. I’m no expert, but from whatever little knowledge I have, I am assuming that Nisha clearly had psychological issues and instead of getting her proper help, her family abandoned her and let her become a mess. They never really addressed the problem and in the end, packed up and left her alone.
Areej and Ahmer are the only ones who got a happy ending with a fulfilling marital life and a baby on the way. Though I have to add that I am still confused over how Ahmer suddenly had a change of heart for Areej. I’d also like to add here that in 31 episodes, never once did we get to see Areej’s family or brother who is married to Ahmer’s sister Humaira (Maira Khan). There were so many loopholes and missing pieces that you wonder if the writer dropped half the script on her way to the sets.
Jalan’s finale was as absurd as the rest of it and the makers only used sensationalism to build up the drama and hype. While the initial couple of episodes could have qualified as a guilt-watch for some, after Meenu died in a tragic and melodramatic manner, things went downhill. The direction and production were weak and the script even poorer. There was a lot of violence in the drama with Nisha being slapped right, left and centre. There was also a scene in which Asfi almost strangled Nisha to death. Such scenes are unwarranted, unnecessary and serve no purpose except to create furor.
The only highlight of the drama, for me was probably the performances. It was refreshing to see Minal play a strong and villainous character unlike the damsel in distress she usually plays and she and Emmad both gave good performances. The scenes in which they fought were actually pretty intense and credit for that goes to them and not to the writer or director.
Jalan has also given Pakistani television and new hero – Fahad Sheikh and a new hit pair – Fahad and Hajra. The two have good onscreen chemistry and it seems like audiences also enjoyed this pairing because their short film Naam Kya Rakha on See Prime gathered a million views within a week of being released.
I, for one, am glad that Jalan has ended and though it unfortunately did leave a mark, I hope that writers and producers will focus on intelligent scripts which along with entertaining audiences also give a positive message – like Sabaat for instance. However, given the success of the show, I have little hope.
Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi wrote a letter to former premier Nawaz Sharif to offer his condolences after the death of the latter’s mother Begum Shamim Akhtar, it has emerged.
Begum Shamim passed away last month.
The letter, dated November 27, was delivered to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad last week. Charge d’ Affairs of Indian High Commission Gaurav Ahluwalia asked her to convey the letter to her father Nawaz.
In the letter itself, Modi shared a personal memory of meeting Sharif’s late mother during his visit to Jati Umra residence back in 2015.
“I am deeply saddened to learn about the demise of your mother Begum Shamim Akhtar on November 22 in London. My heartfelt condolences are with you in this hour of intense grief,” wrote the Indian premier.
“I recall my interaction with her during my brief visit to Lahore in 2015. Her simplicity and warmth was indeed very touching,” Modi wrote, expressing his personal bond with the Sharif family.
“In this moment of profound grief, I pray to the Almighty to bestow strength upon you and your family to bear this irreparable loss. May the departed soul rest in peace,” Modi added.
It may be noted that it was Nawaz who started developing a personal relationship with Modi soon after he was elected PM in 2014 by personally making a visit to his oath-taking. Nawaz also sent a white sari for Modi’s mother, who had gifted a shawl to Nawaz’s mother when he had visited India.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has deleted a Twitter post pertaining to an alleged meeting between the prime minister’s aide and Israeli officials after backlash on the social media platform.
The PML-N vice-president had retweeted the tweet of Noor Dahri, the founder and executive director of UK-based Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism (ITCT), who gave an interview to Israeli TV channel i24TV.
The PML-N leader shared the post because it implicated the incumbent premier for his alleged efforts to normalise ties with Israel.
But, the post backfired as the video shared by Maryam also implicated her father Nawaz Sharif, who has served as three-time prime minister, tried to establish ties with Tel Aviv.
Subsequently, she deleted the tweet, but not before screenshots started making rounds on social media. The official Twitter handle of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also shared a screen recording of her deleted tweet.
A PTI supporter shared that the PML-N VP deleted the tweet because it “implicates Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto”.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari rejected the reports about any visit to Israel. According to Bukhari, he was with the deputy commissioner in Rawalpindi that day.
Bukhari said the Indian and Israeli sponsored media and the frustrated opposition wanted to “create some controversy”.
“If it is directed against me, I would like to clarify that I was in Rawalpindi with the deputy commissioner on the day, and pictures of the event are also available,” said Bukhari.
The report had claimed that an adviser of PM Imran Khan, who is a British national, went to Israel with a message from the prime minister.
An Israeli media outlet reported that the unnamed adviser was welcomed by the Israeli officials at the airport as the visit was approved by the US.
The adviser was escorted to the “foreign ministry of Israel where he met several political officials and diplomats and delivered the message of the Pakistani PM”, the reports claimed.
Pakistani actor Yumna Zaidi tried singing and fans are amazed after listening to her singing skills.
In the video, Mushk aka Yumna was singing the OST of her drama Raaz-e-Ulfat.
According to the post’s description, there will be an OST singing competition and Yumna has taken the competition to the next level with her amusing vocals.
The Drama is featuring Yumna and Shehzad Sheikh in lead roles. The OST is originally sung by Aima Baig.