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  • Indian jewellery ad slammed for showing Hindu-Muslim couple

    Indian jewellery ad slammed for showing Hindu-Muslim couple

    Popular Indian jewellery brand Tanishq has withdrawn an advertisement featuring an interfaith couple after a right-wing backlash on social media, BBC News has reported.

    Opponents of the adverts argued that the ad, which shows a baby shower organised for the Hindu bride by her Muslim in-laws, promotes “love jihad”, a term radical Hindu groups use to accuse Muslim men of converting Hindu women by marriage.

    The description for the 43-second ad – promoting a jewellery line called ‘Ekatvam‘ (Hindi word for unity) – reads: “She is married into a family that loves her like their own child. Only for her, they go out of their way to celebrate an occasion that they usually don’t. A beautiful confluence of two different religions, traditions and cultures.”

    The ad sparked outrage among a section of conservative social media users who led calls to boycott the brand, taking it to the top of Twitter trends. On the other hand, many joined in to condemn the abusive posts and comments.

    The brand first disabled comments and Likes/Dislikes on the advert, posted to Facebook and YouTube before removing the video altogether. In a statement, the jewellery brand said: “We are deeply saddened with the inadvertent stirring of emotions and withdraw this film keeping in mind the hurt sentiments and well being of our employees, partners and store staff.”

    Congress party MP Shashi Tharoor, who posted the advert to his Twitter account, said: “Hindutva bigots have called for a boycott for highlighting Hindu-Muslim unity through this beautiful ad. If Hindu-Muslim ‘ekatvam‘ irks them so much, why don’t they boycott the longest surviving symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity – India?”

    https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1315833504253374464?s=20

    Other prominent personalities also argued that the ad promoted inter-faith harmony and should not have been taken down.

    https://twitter.com/RichaChadha/status/1315906312417415168?s=20

    Read more – Hindu couple gets married at a mosque in India

    Kangana Ranaut, on the other hand, stood with the right-wingers and slammed the ad for promoting love-jihad.

    “As Hindus we need to be absolutely conscious of what these creative terrorists are injecting in to our subconscious, we must scrutinise, debate and evaluate what is the outcome of any perception that is fed to us, this is the only way to save our civilisation,” wrote the actor on social media.

    https://twitter.com/KanganaTeam/status/1315912815509598208?s=20

    Most Indian families still prefer weddings arranged within their religion and caste; and marriages outside these boundaries have sometimes led to violent consequences, including women – sometimes even men – being killed by their relatives.

    According to the India Human Development Survey, only about 5% of all marriages are inter-caste and interfaith couples are even rarer.

  • In a first since Kashmir’s 2019 siege, Imran’s national security aide gets interviewed by Indian journalist

    In a first since Kashmir’s 2019 siege, Imran’s national security aide gets interviewed by Indian journalist

    In a first, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Security Dr Moeed Yusuf has been interviewed by an Indian journalist.

    During his interview with Karan Thapar, Yusuf set five pre-conditions for the resumption of “meaningful dialogue” with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including the longstanding dispute of Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IoK).

    While he said that Pakistan desired peaceful ties with India and wanted to resolve all issues through dialogue, Yusuf asserted that for any meaningful dialogue to take place between the two neighbours, India has to release all political prisoners in Kashmir, end inhuman blockade and restrictions, rescind domicile law that allows non-Kashmiris to settle in the disputed territory, stop human rights abuses and end state terrorism in Pakistan.

    This is the first time Pakistan put forward its pre-conditions for resumption of talks with India since the Modi government revoked the special status of IoK.

    Interestingly, he did not mention the restoration of the special status of Kashmir as one of the pre-conditions for restarting talks with India, which Pakistan has been condemning since August 5, 2019, when New Delhi had revoked Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution to rob the troubled valley of its autonomy.

    “Pakistan would be ready for dialogue with India if Modi government accepts those preconditions,” Yusuf said and also spoke of the involvement of Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing’s (RAW), in terrorism in Pakistan.

    “Pakistan had evidence that the mastermind of December 2014 APS terrorist attack in Peshawar was in contact with RAW,” he said.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    The SAPM added that India used its missions in one of the neighbouring countries of Pakistan to facilitate and sponsor terrorist attacks at a five-star Hotel in Gwadar, the Chinese Consulate in Karachi and the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

    He maintained that Islamabad, under the leadership of PM Imran Khan, wanted a peaceful neighbourhood but India’s Hindutva policies were obstructing the path to attain regional peace.

  • Online dating still a taboo in Pakistan

    Online dating still a taboo in Pakistan

    After endlessly swiping through pictureless profiles on dating apps, Muhammad Ali Shah still hasn’t found the one — or really anyone — to get serious with.

    In Pakistan, where arranged marriages are the norm, he says many women choose to stay anonymous, making online dating matches tricky.

    “It’s slim pickings,” sighs the 36-year-old entrepreneur living in Islamabad, saying friends have called him “desperate” and a “man whore” after going on dozens of dates over the past three years to little avail.

    Unlike in many countries where meeting online is routine, Pakistanis who use dating apps regularly face harassment and judgmental relatives — and now also have to contend with a government clampdown.

    Women users in particular fear possible retribution and often reveal little about themselves — using cartoons, avatars, or random pictures of nature instead of a profile photo.

    “Girls aren’t comfortable… so they don’t really put their pictures or their real names. So it’s a guessing game,” explains Shah.

    The self-described conversationalist relies instead on humorous icebreakers with new matches to kick-start chats, and only asks for a picture if the potential date is comfortable and possibly up for meeting.

    “Most of the time I’m just left swiping because there aren’t any pictures. There’s no real information. The names are not there,” adds Shah. “I don’t blame women for being so careful. I actually think it’s very smart.”

    A 27-year-old woman from Islamabad who was brave enough to post real photos and her name said it was “kind of taboo to be on Tinder”.

    “I was getting phone calls from friends saying ‘I can’t believe you’re on Tinder’,” she said, asking not to be named, adding that she connected with both women and men.

    But she eventually deleted the app once business clients started trying to interact with her on it.

    She says some of her friends who were willing to take the risk have found varying levels of success, but only after going on carefully planned dates.

    “What we do when a friend of ours is going on a Tinder date, we normally just hang out at the same place,” she adds. “We make it sort of safe.”

    If finding love online was already difficult, authorities last month banned Tinder, Grindr and other popular apps for failing to “moderate” their content.

    The move dealt a fresh blow to what is already a niche scene in the country of 220 million people, where most online daters come from the middle and upper classes in Pakistan’s urban areas.

    For the more traditionally inclined, life without dating apps will serve as a return to normality.

    “Dating is not part of our culture or religion. Things need to be done in a halal way — especially something as important as finding a life partner,” explains a 50-year-old matchmaker based in Karachi who has been helping families find suitable partners for arranged marriages for over a decade.

    “Banning these dating apps is a way to preserve our traditions.”

    But despite the potential pitfalls, some say finding love online is possible and a way to avoid arranged marriages.

    “I’d simply had it with the whole culture of arranged marriage in Pakistan, where I’m paraded around in front of mothers, sisters and matchmakers as they pick on my flaws and remind me how I’m not worthy of their son,” says a 23-year-old medical student living in Lahore who met her husband on Tinder and asked not to be named.

    “It took a while until I found someone I could trust, respect, and rely on,” she adds. “But I found him on my own terms, and that’s what makes it special too.”

  • Beast of a phone: Is iPhone 12 the next one for you?

    Beast of a phone: Is iPhone 12 the next one for you?

    Whenever Apple launches a new iPhone, they integrate new chipsets to improve users’ experience while also enabling them to do things like edit Ultra High Definition (UHD) videos and play graphic-intensive games.

    In the iPhone 12, Apple is expected to further upgrade its features, including cameras, chips and the company’s newest software, iOS 14. Besides, the company is said to have reduced the chipset transistors to the size of only 25 atoms that will pack millions more in the processor. 

    Furthermore, all this will further increase the processing power of the chipset and the handset will also have the fastest 5G wireless connectivity.

    The launching ceremony is on October 13th, and it will be held virtually. Those who are interested can stream the ceremony on Apple’s website.

    Apple’s invite, which often has some clues, this time has an Apple logo inside circles with different hues of blue, orange and red. And there’s a pun, “Hi, Speed.” 

      Apple might also announce new over-ear headphones, AirPods Studio, at the event, driving some people to wonder whether the said circles have to do with audio sounds.

      In 2019, the price of iPhone 11 was $799, iPhone Pro and Pro Max started at $1,099. But according to rumours, the price of the iPhone 12 will largely remain the same.

    • Bajwa’s resignation amid political uncertainty affects stock market

      Bajwa’s resignation amid political uncertainty affects stock market

      Pakistan’s stocks reversed gains on Monday as Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Information (SAPM) Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa resigned ahead of protests planned by opposition parties, raising concerns of increased political uncertainty, foreign media reported.

      “Imran Khan approved my request to relinquish the additional post,” Asim Bajwa tweeted Monday.

      The resignation of Imran’s key spokesperson comes amid increasing challenges to his about two-year-old government as he struggles to contain inflation and revive the country’s economy. Meanwhile, an alliance of 11 opposition parties is planning on holding its first protest rally this week, which is the start of a series of such meetings aimed at ousting Imran Khan.

      The benchmark KSE-100 index closed down 1.4%, reversing earlier gains of as much as 0.6%. The stocks have advanced 48% since touching this year’s low on March 25. “The investors are being cautious and booking profits after recent events including Bajwa’s resignation and the opposition’s planned protest add to the uncertainty,” said Qasim Shah, head of international sales at JS Global Capital Ltd in Karachi.

      The premier had turned down Bajwa’s earlier request to resign.

    • US man gets COVID-19 twice with a severe second infection

      US man gets COVID-19 twice with a severe second infection

      A man from the US state of Nevada has caught COVID-19 twice with the second hit more serious.

      According to the details, the 25-year-old, had no known health conditions or immune problems that would have made him particularly vulnerable.

      Doctors said the man needed hospital treatment after his lungs weakened during the second infection, which was much worse than the first.

      According to the study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, the man experienced initial symptoms – a sore throat, cough, headache, nausea and diarrhoea on 25 March.

      He tested positive for the first time on 18 April and his symptoms were resolved by 27 April.

      On 9 and 26 May he tested negative on two occasions, but he developed symptoms again on May 28 including fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea and diarrhoea.

      On 5 June, he tested positive for the second time and went on to suffer low blood oxygen and shortness of breath.

      Scientists said that the genetic codes of the two illnesses were different, meaning it was not a case of the first infection being dormant and then reappearing.

      The study said the case was the first known COVID-19 reinfection in North America, with other single cases reported in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Ecuador, and Belgium.

      The patients in those places showed no increase in symptom severity the second time, with the exception of the patient in Ecuador.

      It is unclear what had caused the second infection in Nevada.

      The study suggested one possibility was a “very high dose of virus (which) might have led to the second time infection and induced a more severe disease”.

      Another suggestion was that reinfection was caused by a “version of the virus that was more virulent, or more virulent in this patient’s context”.

      A third possibility was a “mechanism of antibody-dependent enhancement… a means by which specific Fc-bearing immune cells become infected with virus by binding to specific antibodies”.

      The study’s authors said: “Previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2 might not guarantee total immunity in all cases.

      “All individuals, whether previously diagnosed with COVID-19 or not, should take identical precautions to avoid infection with SARS-CoV-2.

      “The implications of reinfections could be relevant for vaccine development and application.”

      Reinfections also have implications for concepts such as herd immunity.

      It had been assumed that the body would learn to fight the virus during an initial infection, meaning that later infections would be minor or even without symptoms.

    • Motorway gang-rape suspect says he evaded arrest for a month by wearing mask on public transport

      Motorway gang-rape suspect says he evaded arrest for a month by wearing mask on public transport

      The prime suspect of the Lahore-Sialkot motorway rape incident has revealed how he managed to hide from the police for almost a month before he was finally arrested on Monday evening, Geo reported.

      Last month, two robbers on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway had gang-raped a mother of two in front of her children in an area falling within the Gujjarpura police jurisdiction. The incident caused a countrywide outpouring of anger and brought sexual violence against women into national focus. Abid and Shafqat Ali alias Bagga — who is on judicial remand— are the main suspects in the case.

      According to police sources, Malhi said he spent a month travelling through various cities in Punjab using public transport while covering his face with a mask. 

      The suspect revealed that he had fled to Nankana Sahib after raping the woman, while his accomplice, Shafqat, escaped to Depalpur. 

      With the police on his trail, Malhi fled from Nankana Sahib to Bahawalpur, where he managed to evade the police once again and avoid recognition by wearing a mask over his face.

      “I travelled through various cities in public transport,” the suspect was quoted as saying.

      He was ultimately caught after he ran out of money and was forced to contact his wife. Abid was arrested from Faisalabad and is being shifted to Lahore, Hasnain Haider, a deputy superintendent (DSP) of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), said.

      Abid, who was leading a gang of four, is also wanted to police in at least 10 other criminal cases registered at various police stations of Punjab.

    • ‘Anushka Sharma is Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan’s wife,’ Google says

      Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan was mistakenly referred to as Bollywood star Anushka Sharma’s husband on a Google search that has left fans in fits.

      Social media surely had a field day after the little gaffe on the search engine that seemingly stems from the cricket champ’s crush on her and Preity Zinta.

      As per a few media reports, Rashid was recently asked in an interview to name his favourite woman actors. Rashid said he loved to watch Anushka and Preity. That is all his fans needed to ship Rashid and Anushka.

      The many mentions all over the internet might have caused the Google search engine to goof up the same way United States (US) President Donald Trump’s pictures show up if one searches for “idiot”.

      The B-Town diva is actually married to Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, and the two are also expecting their first child together.

      Anushka also attended Saturday’s Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings match of the ongoing season of Indian Premier League (IPL). She even blew Virat a kiss from the visitors’ area, which caught everyone’s attention. Virat, who scored an unbeaten 90 in the match, even gestured towards his wife after his half-century.

      Rashid, on the other hand, says he will “get engaged and married once Afghanistan wins the cricket World Cup”.

    • Petition filed in LHC to block TikTok through VPNs, proxies

      Petition filed in LHC to block TikTok through VPNs, proxies

      A citizen approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday requesting authorities concerned to block the use of TikTok through Virtual Private Networks (VPN) and proxies.

      In his petition, the petitioner explained that people are still using Tiktok through VPN and some other proxies. The court was pleaded to direct the government to ban the use of TikTok through VPN and proxies as well.

      Meanwhile, social media star Hareem Shah slammed the government’s decision to ban the video-sharing app saying that it is only a diversion from real issues like wheat flour crisis and rape cases. She said that YouTube and other social media sites also carry content which is questionable.

      Shah further explained her point saying that if nails grow on fingers we cut the nails, not the hands.

      On the other hand, the most followed TikTok Star Jannat Mirza supported the government on the ban but said it should not be on permanent basis.

      Many other prominent personalities including Shahid Afridi and Imran Abbas supported the ban on Tiktok.

      The Government of Pakistan banned TikTok on Friday due to “immoral/indecent” content being shared on the social media platform. The ban has sparked uncertainty in the content creator industry considering that a great number of people earn from social media.

      However, Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Aminul Haque on Saturday had clarified that the government will lift the ban on TikTok after removal of objectionable content.

    • VIDEO: ‘I don’t eat gulab jamun but couldn’t say no to army chief,’ says Zubair about ‘secret meeting’

      VIDEO: ‘I don’t eat gulab jamun but couldn’t say no to army chief,’ says Zubair about ‘secret meeting’

      Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former Sindh governor, Muhammad Zubair, who has been appointed as party supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz’s spokesperson, has revealed further details of his “secret meeting” with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and shared what dinner with the military bigwig was like.

      In an exclusive interview with The Current, Zubair said that he isn’t a big fan of gulab jamun but that’s what they had for dessert the night he met Gen Bajwa over dinner.

      “I’m not a gulab jamun person but I couldn’t say no to him [Gen Bajwa] since he is a dignitary… he is the COAS,” the former Sindh governor said when asked about the details of his meeting that was also reportedly attended by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.

      He said that the first meeting lasted for four hours whereas the second one lasted for three.

      Talking about the kind of food he was served, Zubair said it was Pakistani cuisine. “He knew I’m one for desi food. I think he got it arranged while keeping that in mind,” the PML-N leader said.

      To a question about what did Gen Bajwa have, Zubair said he didn’t remember.

      When asked if Maryam, who, along with her father, has over the past month been making headlines for criticising the military and accusing the security establishment of meddling in political affairs, was upset with him for meeting the army chief, Zubair said she trusts him.

      “She has faith in my decision-making and knows I will always do the right thing for the party.”

      During the wide-ranging interview, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar’s brother, among other things, also shared how emotional politics can get when someone from your family belongs to a rival party, and shared his views on the current situation of the economy, as well as what he thinks of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

      WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE: