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  • Mesut Ozil ‘deeply disappointed’ by Arsenal omission

    Mesut Ozil ‘deeply disappointed’ by Arsenal omission

    Mesut Ozil said Wednesday he was deeply disappointed” to be axed from Arsenal’s Premier League squad amid speculation he has played his last game for the London club.

    The 32-year-old is the highest-paid player in Arsenal’s history on a reported £350,000 ($450,000) a week, but has also been omitted from the Gunners’ Europa League squad.

    Ozil has not played a single minute for Mikel Arteta’s side since March 7.

    “This is a difficult message to write to the Arsenal fans that I’ve played for over the past few years,” said Ozil in a statement posted on social media.

    “I’m really deeply disappointed by the fact that I have not been registered for the Premier League season for the time being.”

    Former Germany international Ozil went on to question Arsenal’s loyalty having signed his current deal, which expires next year, in January 2018 — the same time Alexis Sanchez left the Gunners for Manchester United.

    “Upon signing my new contract in 2018, I pledged my loyalty and allegiance to the club that I love, Arsenal, and it saddens me that this has not been reciprocated,” said Ozil.

    “As I have just found out, loyalty is hard to come by nowadays. I’ve always tried to remain positive from week to week that there’s maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That’s why I kept silent so far.”

    Alongside Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos — also left out of both squads — Ozil will only be able to represent Arsenal Under-23s until 2021 at the earliest.

    This month saw Ozil offer to pay the salary of Arsenal’s popular mascot Gunnersaurus after Jerry Quy, who has played the role of the dinosaur since 1993, was let go by the club with stadiums empty during the coronavirus crisis.

    Arsenal midfielder Ozil spoke out on Instagram against China’s treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang last year.

    More than one million Uighurs and mostly Muslim Turkic minorities have been rounded up in internment camps, according to human rights groups and experts.

    Arsenal did not criticise Ozil for making the comments, but instead posted on their page on the Chinese social media site Weibo that the club “always adheres to the principles” of not getting involved in politics.

  • Everything you need to know about Maya Ali, Emmad Irfani & Shoaib Mansoor’s upcoming film

    Though all films scheduled to release this year have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, filmmakers in Pakistan have already started working towards their next projects which means that audiences will be in for a treat once cinemas reopen.

    After a hiatus of almost three years, renowned director Shoaib Mansoor will be reportedly be donning the director’s hat once again as it has emerged that he is all set to direct his next film, featuring Maya Ali and Emmad Irfani in the lead. While the director is yet to make an official announcement, the lead pair of the film has confirmed the news and expressed their excitement.

    Speaking to a local media outlet, Maya said: “I feel lucky, I feel blessed. One day I get a call from Shoaib Mansoor and the next thing I know is that I am doing the role. The feeling is truly indescribable. It’s a big deal for me.”

    While the actor refrained from sharing further details about the film or her character, she revealed that the acronym of the title is ABG, adding that she has never done a role like this in her career before.

    Emmad on the other hand, while talking about the project said: “Having this opportunity to be a part of his next feature film is a great honour for me and I feel all excited and raring to go already.”

    The film will be the first time the two actors will be seen together on screen. Maya was last seen in the film Parey Hut Love and Emmad is currently making waves with his ongoing drama Jalan. The actor was supposed to make his film debut with Gawah Rehna. However, its release got delayed due to the pandemic.

    ABG is expected to go on floor this December.

  • ‘Lahore CCPO sent home on forced leave’

    ‘Lahore CCPO sent home on forced leave’

    Journalist Adeel Raja on Wednesday claimed that the new chief of Lahore police, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Umar Sheikh, who has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons since his appointment last month, has been sent home on forced leave.

    While The Current’s sources corroborate the journalist’s claim as they say that the Lahore top cop was sent home after Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan expressed displeasure over a viral audio clip in which the CCPO purportedly hurled abuses at a woman, a leave application by Sheikh suggests otherwise.

    READ: Bright cop resigns after CCPO Lahore abuses him for speaking English

    “It is submitted that I have to look after my ailing daughter admitted to hospital. Please allow me three days [of] casual leave from 21.10.2020 to 23.10.2020,” read the application, a copy of which is available with The Current.

    Sheikh further stated that during his leave, Lahore’s Operations Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Muhammad Ashfaq Khan will look after the charge of the post of CCPO in addition to his own duties.

    This was also endorsed by Punjab chief minister’s spokesperson in a tweet.

    Azhar Mashwani, while responding to Raja, claimed that CCPO will back after tending to his ailing daughter.

  • VIDEO: ‘Shoes, dresses and makeup don’t make you a leader,’ info minister to Maryam Nawaz

    VIDEO: ‘Shoes, dresses and makeup don’t make you a leader,’ info minister to Maryam Nawaz

    Going full sexist in his tirade against the opposition, Federal Information Minister Shibli Faraz has trained guns at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz and said that “shoes, dresses and makeup do not make one a leader”.

    Addressing a press conference, Faraz, who is the top mouthpiece of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, said that Maryam owed her career to dynastic politics and thought of herself as the late prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto.

    “Benazir was a well-educated lady […] shoes, dresses and makeup do not make you a leader. To be one, you need to live like a common person,” he said while launching a verbal attack against thrice former PM Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, who has time and again been criticised for her luxurious lifestyle and rather expensive dresses, footwear as well as accessories.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The minister also spoke at length against opposition parties’ alleged corruption and misuse of authority during their respective tenures in the past.

  • ‘IG kidnapping’: Fawad mocks Bilawal for approaching Gen Bajwa instead of PM

    ‘IG kidnapping’: Fawad mocks Bilawal for approaching Gen Bajwa instead of PM

    Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry has criticised Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for seeking the intervention of army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa over the alleged involvement of the Sindh Rangers in the “kidnapping” of the provincial police chief, Mushtaq Mahar.

    In a Geo News show with Shahzeb Khanzada, the federal minister said the PPP chief talks about civilian supremacy all the time, but instead of approaching the prime minister — the chief executive of the country — Bilawal approached the military chief with his reservations.

    The minister said the appeal to the army chief was in contrast to the views propagated by the PPP chief. “If you are such a champion of democracy, then you shouldn’t drag state institutions in politics,” Fawad said.

    When asked whether the federal government would help the provincial government in the matter, Fawad said it was an “internal matter” of the Sindh government, but the Centre would be more than willing to help if approached.

    Earlier,  Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had requested Gen Bajwa take notice of the treatment meted out to the Sindh police chief by the Rangers. Bilawal said that every police officer in Sindh, from a station house officer to senior police officers, were wondering who had “surrounded IG Sindh Mushtaq Mahar’s office at 2am on Sunday night”. “Who were the two persons who went inside the IG’s house at 2am and where was our IG taken at 4am in the morning?” he asked.

    Subsequently, Gen Bajwa ordered a probe into the alleged abduction of IG Mahar. According to a statement shared by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Gen Bajwa has directed Karachi Corps commander to “immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible”.

  • VIDEO: Fear among residents after lion spotted on streets of Rawalpindi

    VIDEO: Fear among residents after lion spotted on streets of Rawalpindi

    A lion was reportedly seen wandering freely on the streets in the outskirts of Rawalpindi causing fear and panic among the residents.

    According to reports, the lion can be seen in different parts of Khanpur, a suburb village in Rawalpindi.

     “It was seen by residents in Tarnawa and other areas in Khanpur,” the report said.

    Residents have claimed that the lion attacked livestock, street animals and pet dogs used to guard houses and fields in the area.

    They have demanded wildlife authorities to take measures to catch the lion so that residents can move freely.

  • At least 15 dead in stampede near Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan

    At least 15 dead in stampede near Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan

    At least 15 people were killed in a stampede among thousands of Afghans gathered outside Pakistan’s consulate on Tuesday as jostling broke out between people applying for visas, officials in the eastern city of Jalalabad said.

    An estimated 3,000 Afghans had congregated on the open ground outside the consulate, waiting to collect tokens needed to apply for a visa, two provincial officials told Reuters a day after the tragedy.

    The people had gathered to secure a permit after Pakistan introduced a new visa policy for Afghanistan to facilitate business and people-to-people contacts between the two countries. According to officials, the travel document, approved by the cabinet, will make it easy for Afghan citizens to acquire multiple entry visit visas, including those for long-term business, as well as investment and student visas.

    Sohrab Qaderi, a provincial council member in eastern Jalalabad city, where the incident occurred said of the 15 people dead, 11 were women and several senior citizens were wounded.

    “The visa applicants jostled to secure their token from the consulate officials […] the crowd got out of control, leading to a stampede,” said an official in Jalalabad said.

    Tens of thousands of Afghans every year travel to neighbouring Pakistan to secure medical treatment, education and jobs. The two countries share a nearly 2,600-kilometre border.

    Pakistan hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees and economic migrants, who have fled violence, religious persecution and poverty in their war-torn country.

    Officials in the Pakistan embassy in Kabul were not immediately available for comment.

  • Shahid, Nadia Afridi celebrate 20 years of marital bliss

    Shahid Afridi and his wife Nadia are celebrating 20 years of marital bliss.

    Posting pictures from the celebrations, Afridi, affectionately known as Lala shared that he forgot their anniversary but his wife still forgave him.

    “Today marks 20 years of marital bliss. Alhamdulillah blessed to have a life partner so caring, understanding, and a wonderful mother to our children,” wrote Afridi. “Despite me forgetting our anniversary today she still forgave me; another one of her beautiful qualities.”

    Pictures from their anniversary celebrations viral on social media.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CGk8KIilXWG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Meanwhile, Nadia pulled her husband’s leg for forgetting their anniversary and wrote: “With the passage of time one has to remind you of things”.

    She then went on to wish Lala, saying that she feels blessed to have found “a good husband, a best friend and a confidante” in him.

    The couple have five daughters together. The fifth one arrived this year in February.

    https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1228358607948984322?s=20
  • VIDEO: India loses it again, claims Sindh govt overthrown by army, civil war in Karachi

    VIDEO: India loses it again, claims Sindh govt overthrown by army, civil war in Karachi

    Amid the controversy surrounding Sindh police following Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (r) Safdar’s arrest in Karachi, India has once again lost it and is claiming that clashes are taking place between the army and provincial police as a civil war erupts in the port city.

    According to a report now retracted by News 18, Karachi is burning with shootouts between civil and military bodies after the army took over the provincial metropolis and the control of all police stations as well as government buildings.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Here’s a screenshot of the tweet that has now been deleted:

    This time, however, it isn’t just Indian media that is making baseless claims that will crack you up…

    READ: After police’s rebellion, army to probe ‘kidnapping’ of Sindh IG

    “10 police officers of Sindh police martyred during their line of duty of saving people of Karachi from atrocities of army [sic],” prominent Indian lawyer Prashant Patel Umrao claimed.

    https://twitter.com/ippatel/status/1318743674105233408

    He went on to say that the United States (US) Navy may enter Karachi port soon, drawing strong reactions from Twitterati, and not just those from Pakistan.

    READ: IG among senior officials of Sindh police seeking leave after Capt (r) Safdar’s arrest controversy

    “Indian disinformation accounts are exploiting Pakistan’s current political crisis and falsely claiming that the country is now experiencing urban warfare and other serious instability,” tweeted the deputy director of the Asia Program and senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center, Michael Kugelman.

    “Dangerous and disturbing; several of these accounts are verified, with large followings. Ugh,” he added.

  • Khawaja Asif claims PM Imran wants to harm him, wife

    Khawaja Asif claims PM Imran wants to harm him, wife

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Khawaja Asif has alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to harm him and his wife by using his political opponents.

    Speaking on a TV show, the PML-N leader claimed the prime minister wanted his rivals to hold a protest outside his residence, target him in a road accident, and harass his wife by forcing her out of the vehicle.

    Asif further alleged that the PM desired to get him beaten up or implicate in a narcotics case in order to teach him a lesson. He said that he wanted to raise these issues in the National Assembly, but he was not allowed by the NA speaker to talk. The lawmaker, however, said he has spent a lifetime on the opposition benches and will not cower down by such tactics.

    On Monday, the PM mocked Asif over his claim that he had called army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa over reports of rigging on the election night. Imran claimed that Asif called Gen Bajwa on election night in 2018, crying while fearing defeat, and seeking his help to win from the NA-73 constituency of Sialkot.

    “There’s a prominent rangbaaz [charlatan] from Sialkot who thinks highly of himself… makes tall claims… but it was revealed that on election night he called Gen Bajwa at 8 pm, weeping and seeking his help to win the election,” the premier said during an animated address to a Tiger Force convention in Islamabad.

    Calling him “Rangbaaz Khawaja”, PM Imran quoted Asif as appealing to the army chief that he would be destroyed if Gen Bajwa didn’t help him win the election against Usman Dar of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).