To honour the late Junaid Jamshed on his fourth death anniversary, Pakistanis are paying rich tributes to the singer on social media.
The famed singer-turned-religious scholar passed away on this date in 2016 after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 carrying 48 passengers and crew crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral. Jamshed and his wife were among the 48 people killed in the plane crash.
‘WeLoveYouJunaidJamshed’ was the top trending hashtag on Twitter on Monday with several politicians and other renowned personalities remembering the late singer.
#WeLoveYouJunaidJamshed Remembering Shaheed Junaid Jamshed on his 4th Death Anniversary. May Allah grant him highest place in Jannat and all the people died in same plane crash four years ago on 7th Dec 2016 . Ameen. pic.twitter.com/qfBMAEs7yu
More than a hundred thousand people die each day all over the world. Unless we are related to them in any form, their death goes unnoticed for the rest of the world. Thankyou JJ for giving us beautiful songs and make my childhood memorable ❤️#junaidjamshed#RIPpic.twitter.com/f4JKx3BMLr
— Syed Shoaib ਸਈਅਦ ਸ਼ੋਏਬ سید شعیب (@SyedShoaib_) December 7, 2020
#junaidjamshed7th Dec 2016 on this day we lost a great person Words can’t describe you. You’ll always remain alive in our hearts.
Amid increasing censorship in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has urged media houses to resist the government pressure, saying the media should stand united if it doesn’t want to become a tool for anyone.
Addressing a social media workers convention in Lahore, the PML-N VP said no one would be able to cower the media into submission if the media houses stood united against repression.
She said the government has pitched news channels and anchorpersons against each other, adding that those who had “courage to speak were asked to sack anchors if they didn’t want to get shut down”.
It may be mentioned here that after the current government came to power, several journalists were sacked from their jobs. The journalists she is referring to could include Matiullah Jan, Nusrat Javed, Murtaza Solangi and Talat Hussain. But not all of the journalists were fired, Talat, for example, parted ways with Geo after mutual agreement.
In a reference to the incarceration of Geo head Mir Shakilur Rehman, she said the heads of those channels who refused to capitulate were put into the NAB cell. She said media was even not free to run the name of a retired officer on TV, as it only broadcasts scripts approved by the authorities.
“I understand that these channels are doing it under compulsion, but asked for how long they will endure this,” Maryam said, adding that “Geo News is nowadays against us [PML-N], but I know it is facing pressure”.
According to the PML-N leader, journalists like Matiullah and Ali Imran were being abducted but the ‘fake’ prime minister had no idea about it when asked on TV.
“If you don’t know who attacked Maryam’s room in Karachi and who kidnapped Captain (r) Safdar and Sindh IG then why people shouldn’t call you ‘Khaw Makhaw’,” she said alluding to the Karachi incident after the PDM rally in the port city.
She asked the media for how long it would endure this attitude. Maryam said if the same situation continued then one day the journalists will be whisked away from their houses and then they will have to say that they went to the northern areas for ‘recreation’.
Later, Zainab shared a detailed explanation regarding her decision and talked about why she decided to step away from showbiz.
“For those who are really concerned and have been asking me why did I take this decision at once, I really respect your concern that’s the reason I am posting one [story],” wrote Zainab.
“I’m late I should have made this announcement a lot earlier but maybe I was not ready or I was in search of few answers actually now it’s been 3 years that I am studying Quran with Tafseer and I am not an easy student”, she continued.
Zainab further shared that she was not satisfied with her choice of career.
“Thanks to my teachers for bearing with all my stupid questions and doubts which I had and bringing me to the point where I finally thought that I’m ready to take this very big step to announce that I am quitting the career which I thought I loved, whereas I did not because whenever I was on set working, I was not completely satisfied.”
“With all due respect to those who are working in this field, I am not hurting anyone’s feelings to work as an actor but we all are different so this is my different. And I really want to thank the producers and people whom I was in contract to work with and thank you all for understanding me and letting me drop the projects I signed,” she concluded.
Zainab has been part of many multi-starrer projects including Hum TV’s Khawab Saraye (2016) alongside Muneeb Butt, Aiman Khan, Behroze Sabzwari, and Khalid Anam. She also had a small role in the blockbuster film Jawani Phir Nahi Ani in which she played Hamza Ali Abbasi’s love interest Charity.
Earlier, Rabi Pirzada, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ali Afzal, and Noor Bukhari had quit the industry on religious grounds.
Police arrested a man who used online games such as PUBG and 8 Ball Pool to blackmail children into sending sexually explicit videos.
As per reports, the man was arrested after an operation in Jamshoro.
The deputy director of the FIA’s Cyber Crime Wing, Mohammad Iqbal, said several pornographic and sexually explicit videos were recovered from the suspect during the search. A first information report (FIR) has been registered against him as well, he added.
The man PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and multiplayer video game 8 Ball Pool to befriend children.
The FIA official said the suspect also used to ask for sexually explicit videos from children by attracting them with offers of giving them PUBG’s in-game currency, G-Coins.
“In the past, the culprit had forced some children into sending him videos of their families, after which he would blackmail them,” he added.
The parents of one of the kids had earlier requested the relevant authorities to investigate the matter and filed a case against him.
The alleged paedophile has cyber-abused and threatened children from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab along with their families, the FIA official said.
The criminal investigation and cybercrime agency was also investigating the sale of pornographic videos by the suspect.
Following are some snippets that stood out from Urdu newspapers on Dec 7, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.
‘Five Star Mahool Ko Taras Gye’
According to Express News, Pakistani cricket players in New Zealand are irked by the quarantine routine. “Mulk mai badshaon wali zindagi guzarny waly stars ky kamron ki 11 din sy safai nahi hui. Bedsheets tak nahi change huay, aur khana dabon mai deny ka silsala jari.”
‘Hukoomat Media Ky Nishany Py’
PM Imran Khan has been quoted by Daily Jang saying that the media is targetting his government. According to the PM: “Hukoomati karkardgi sahi nahi batai jati. Media corrupt opposition ki himayat kar raha ha.”
‘Media Azad Nahi’
Maryam Nawaz was quoted by Daily Jang as saying that Pakistani media was being controlled by the government. “Media kab tak mar khata rahy ga, wo hukomat ka aalakar banany sy inkar kary. Kya sada isi trah majboori mai bethy rahin gy? Sab channels ko sabaq parhaya jata ha ya likha hua aata ha.”
A cup of tea served to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif disturbed him during his address via video-link at an event organised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) media cell.
“When you knew I was speaking then why did you keep it here,” the clearly perturbed three-time prime minister said in the footage.
It is pertinent to mention here that the PML-N in accordance with its social mobilisation plan has announced holding seven workers conventions throughout Punjab to build the momentum for running a decisive movement against the government from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) platform.
The decision regarding holding workers conventions was announced during a PML-N Punjab chapter meeting presided over by party provincial President Rana Sanaullah and attended by senior leaders, including all divisional and district presidents and general secretaries.
On the other hand, Shahbaz Gill, Adviser to PM on Political Communication, shared the footage of Nawaz Sharif with the caption, “Nothing but parchee (script) during the speech.”
PML-N leader Hina Parvez Butt hit back at Gill, saying, “So, secretly you watch Nawaz’s speeches.”
Parwaaz Hai Junoon actor Hamza Ali Abbasi is trending on social media after his interview with the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Hum News, in which he covered a myriad of topics including the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) upcoming rally in Lahore on December 13, PM’s own spiritual journey and his thoughts on Western culture.
It was reported that the PM has handpicked actor Hamza Ali Abbasi to interview him.
The interview was appreciated by some while others had a lot to say against the selection of Abbasi for the interview, considering his support for the ruling party.
Here’s what others had to say about the interview:
CRUX of the interview;
2 hrs of Interview, took a day to rehearse, n All we heard the stories of His piousness except talkin about National Crises. #PMIKonHumNews#HamzaAliAbbasi
It is pertinent to mention here that Hamza has been a loyal and vocal supporter of Prime Minister Imran Khan and has even served as the Cultural Secretary of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for a short while. He is also taking a break from acting these days, and last week he announced that he is writing a book about God and religion which he hopes to finish by June 2021.
I’ve met Federal Minister of Education, Shafqat Mahmood many times before. He laughed and told me that he still has my name saved as “Marium Lekin” in reference to the show I used to produce ten years ago. So he was rather nice when I really tried to get him to rank the crazy cool memes that were going the rounds about him closing down educational institutions. He didn’t want to and said he wasn’t happy that schools were closed. But I did manage to get him to talk about a few. Watch the interview tonight on YouTube. YouTube se yaad aaya, I could not stop watching “The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives” on Netflix this past week. It is a terrible show, full of really fake lives of C-list bollywood celebs but you know the show, jo itne buray hotay hain that you can’t stop watching it? Yehi hua meray saath. Saman, our entertainment editor, made a list of Pakistani dramas that the Prime Minister should watch, since he has been recommending shows that the public should be watching and I have to admit, I do like the feel good family ones she has mentioned. Family se yaad aaya, this week’s Sunday Superstar is the vet, Dr. Amir Khalil who took care of Kaavan the elephant for 35 years before Cher took him to Cambodia to meet others like him. A real haathi meray saathi. Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari nay apne bhai Bilawal ka saath dia, when Bilawal was unable to attend the Multan jalsa (he’s got coronavirus). People were raving about Aseefa’s speech literally like “kaun hai yeh jisne murr kar mujhe nahi dekha” but we thought, what do we really know about Aseefa? Check out what she’s been upto until now in this week’s “Know your politician” and before I go, I have a question. Who should we interview next? And I know most of you will ask for PTI’s Murad Saeed’s interview since that is quite literally the most requested one. Koshish poori hai, waiting for him to accept our request. Let us know and see you next week!
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According to a recent survey conducted by Pulse Consultants, more than 50 per cent Pakistanis believe that a girl’s family should give dowry when she is getting married. Around 61 per cent respondents were of the view that dowry should be allowed in the Pakistani system while 36 per cent were against it. Almost 73 per cent women believed that dowry should be allowed whereas 24 per cent were against it.
This survey’s results should not be surprising given that dowry has become an unfortunate reality in our region.
Dowry is used as a measure of worth for the bride; it is used as a bargaining tool or as a price tag when marrying off girls. This is rooted in the patriarchal and misogynist belief that daughters are a burden when they are born and so to marry them off, a price must be attached to them to ‘lure’ a groom. Despite laws against dowry in the country, this ‘tradition’ continues. Underage girls are often married so that the family gives less dowry in comparison to an adult bride. Many women are left unmarried because their families cannot afford to give a sizeable dowry. This tradition is one that perpetuates violence against women. Pakistan has a high rate of dowry-related deaths. Many women are tortured and even killed for not meeting the dowry requirements of their in-laws. Laws can only do so much. Not many people would report that the other party is demanding dowry for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Dowry transcends all classes. A lot of people would say what they are giving to their daughter is a ‘gift’ when actually it is more like ‘ransom’. Sometimes it is also used to deny a woman her inheritance rights – once dowry is given, the family says they have no rights in their inheritance any more. In a patriarchal society, women are treated like a property or objects instead of human beings with any rights. Dowry is a custom that encourages such thinking.
The need of the hour is a public awareness campaign against dowry and why this cultural tradition must end. Both the government and the media need to do their part to educate the masses that there are laws against dowry in the country and also why this custom is a social evil. The acceptability of dowry will not end overnight. It will take years of education and awareness for the masses to eradicate this menace.
What are the three things you look for in a reality tv series? Drama, drama and more drama. Unfortunately, Netflix’s latest reality television series The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives has everything to offer besides that. You have glitz, glam, a fancy holiday, discussions on plastic surgery and the cherry on top – lots, and I mean lots, of starry special appearances. But all this fails to add to the oomph factor and you end up watching the show only because of your love for Bollywood.
The Fab Lives of Bolly Wives (let’s just call it FLBW) centres around four Bollywood wives – Maheep Kapoor, wife of Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Khan, wife of Sohail Khan, Bhavana Pandey, wife of Chunkey Pandey, and Neelum Kothari, wife of Samir Soni. Maheep is the queen bee of the gang which has been together for 25 years. Mind you, this has been repeated a gazillion times in the entire show, lest we forget. Seema is the one with the wit and sarcasm, while Bhavana is the superstitious one. And Neelum, throughout the series is just worried about one thing: should she make a comeback to films.
While each woman has her own distinct personality and they are interesting to see in the first episode, the problem with the show is that there is just no drama. The girls are chill with one another and no one gets pissed at the other, except in one episode. Even then, their ‘showdown’ was just very dry. What is this relationship? Where is the spark? The fire? Twice Karan Johar had to come in and be the phoppo he is so that he can instigate them. Unfortunately, the fire never really lights – they really should have taken classes from our favourite Sima Taparia from Indian Matchmaking on how to say the most outrageous things and still not be hated for it. Most of the stuff we saw in the series was all that the paparazzi have already shown to us or they have posted on their Instagram feeds. Even their conversations were terribly safe as if they were scared to give viewers a sneak peek into who they are behind the facades. Just goes on to show that reality tv is not everyone’s piece of cake.
The two things I did find interesting was that one Maheep is a stalker. An actual stalker. She observes people through her binoculars and she apparently caught glimpses of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan’s wedding through her binoculars. And secondly, Seema and Sohail, despite being married don’t live in the same house. They live across the street from one another and are very happy with this arrangement.
Interestingly the show is called FLBW, but we barely get to see them as wives. We end up watching them as mothers mostly because my God they are obsessed with their kids. Even the series opens with Maheep fretting over her daughter Shanaya’s Le Bal debut.
The biggest takeaways from the show had NOTHING to do with the wives. For me, there were two major ones. SPOILERS AHEAD. One that Janhvi Kapoor got a wish from Kylie Jenner on her birthday and second which fascinated me the most – on their trips abroad, Shah Rukh Khan would be the one to babysit all the children when the wives would go party. In fact, my favourite episode from the season was the one which had SRK. Damn that man can charm even a cactus. His witty one-liners and dry humour had me smiling throughout the episode. Gauri Khan in an Instagram post has said that she will be gatecrashing the second season and I do hope that if there is a second season, I’d like to see more of Shah Rukh in it than anyone else.
The makers of the show tried to create a desi version of Keeping up with the Kardashians meets Sex and the City, but they somehow forgot to add the main ingredient – drama. In this review, I am not even going to recommend or not recommend the show. Because I know that if you’re a Bolly freak like myself, you will still sit and spend five hours watching the eight episodes. All I’m going to say is keep your expectations low.
