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  • Nabeel Qureshi is making a web series on the Lyari Gang War

    Nabeel Qureshi and Fizza Ali Meerza of Load Wedding and Na Maloom Afraad fame have announced their new project: a web series based on the infamous Lyari Gang War of Karachi.

    According to reports, work on the web series is underway and the screenplay of the series has been written by Ali Abbas and Basit Naqvi, who also penned the script of Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars Laal Kabootar.

    Nabeel further shared that they have been working on the series for a while now. He added that they are planning to release the series on a Pakistani OTT platform.

    Meanwhile, Fizza while speaking to a local media outlet said that the project is in its initial stages.

    “The Lyari Gang War has been making news yet again for a while now, so we thought this was a good time to start working on it,” said Meerza. “It’s too soon to reveal details, but we have completed our research on the subject and our script is in completion stages as well. We plan on covering the incidents from the beginning. We plan to start shooting in winters as the weather is nicer and it’s easier to work then.”

    She added that the cast has not been finalised as yet.

    Read more – Fahad Mustafa says ‘Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad’ will have ‘Mission Impossible type stunts’

    Fizza and Nabeel are currently gearing up for the release of their upcoming film Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad starring Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa. The film was scheduled to hit theatres on Eid-ul-Azha but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 situation. Fizza said that they will release it whenever cinemas are operational.

  • Islamabad to get an electric vehicle charging station

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhary has announced that the first electric vehicle (EV) charging station will be launched in Islamabad.

    “Extremely excited to see the launching of first Electric Car Charging Station in Islamabad,” the minister wrote in a tweet.

    He added that the first flagship EV charging facility will be set up at Jinnah Avenue Islamabad soon.

    “The opening of EV charging stations was another target of Ministry of Science and Technology to encourage E-vehicles as future transportation,” he said.

    As the country approved its first-ever electric vehicle (EV) policy last month, vehicles in Pakistan will be shifted on electric power. Under the policy, motorcycles and vehicles would be shifted on electric power, while EV Manufacturing Units would also be established in the country.

  • KYA BOLA? (Jul 20): ‘Opposition Corona Ka kirdar ada na kary’

    KYA BOLA? (Jul 20): ‘Opposition Corona Ka kirdar ada na kary’

    Following are some of the best snippets from Urdu newspapers on July 20, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    “Tamam Amla un sy zubani hadayat aur akhkamat leta hai“

    It is reported by Daily Jang  (20 July 2020) that Farogh Naseem who resigned as law minister last month, still sits in the law minister’s office and runs the ministry informally “Tamam Amla un sy zubani hadayat aur akhkamat leta hai” . He had resigned in June to represent the government in the Supreme Court (SC) in the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

    “Opposition corona ka kirdar ada na kary”

    It is reported by Daily Dunya (20 July 2020) that Governor Punjab, Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar  said,”opposition Corona Ka kirdar ada na kary” .

    WATCH: The Current Life with Chaudhry Sarwar

    “Hukmaron ko jagany key liye horn bajana kafi nahi…”

    It is reported by Daily Jang (20 July 2020) that, Journalist Hassan Nisar said that ” Hukmaron ko jagany key liye horn bajana kafi nahi is k liye Sur- e-israfil phoonk dia jaye tab bhi shayad na jagain”.

    WATCH: WHERE DOES HASSAN NISAR LIVE?

  • Petitioner demands ban on Tiktok after ten deaths

    Petitioner demands ban on Tiktok after ten deaths

    An application has been filed in the Lahore High court demanding an immediate ban on the TikTok.

    Advocate Nadeem Sarwar moved the application on behalf of a citizen. According to the lawyer, the petitioner move to the High Court because over 10 deaths have been reported in Pakistan that were linked with TikTok in one or the other way.

    The lawyer also said that the app has become a portal of sharing inappropriate content just for the sake of fame and rating on the social media platform.

    He also argues that the video application is a “great-evil and the app has been banned in several countries like Malaysia and Bangladesh due to its nature of insulting and mocking people.”

    On the other hand, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Punjab, Ashfaq Ahmad Khan also thinks that the app should be banned.

    “I request the cybercrime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency to look into the matters and immediately impose a ban on the video-sharing mobile application.” said the DIG.

    According to several news reports, the officials of Punjab Police are preparing a report that will highlight all negative aspects of TikTok and how it is negatively influencing the young adults of the country.

    The police will submit the reports to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

  • Fawad Chaudhry urges to unban PUBG immediately

    Fawad Chaudhry urges to unban PUBG immediately

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has opposed the ban on popular battle royale game, PUBG Mobile. In response to a tweet, he said: “I am against such bans because it is destroying our tech industry.”

    He urged Syed Aminul Haque, who is currently serving as Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, to take action to eliminate hindrances in the digital growth of our country.

    PUBG Mobile was banned in Pakistan on 1st July after PTA received complaints from all quarters. PTA was later asked to explain the reasons behind the decision and submit a lawfully written order to the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

    In another hearing on 15 July in IHC presided by Justice Amir Farooq, the judge said, “PTA should have consulted with a psychologist to learn about the pros and cons of the game before the ban.”

    Explaining the reasons behind the ban, PTA’s counsel said that the game includes anti-Islamic material as well as obscene content. In response, the judge said that there are numerous games with more violence than PUBG, however, it doesn’t mean banning everything is the solution.

    Until now, youngsters have launched multiple social media campaigns to get the attention of PTA, Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, and other notable names to resolve the matter and unban the game.

  • Cabinet bans employing children as domestic workers

    Cabinet bans employing children as domestic workers

    The federal cabinet has approved a bill against the employment of children as domestic help across the country, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari has said.

    According to details, the minister during her speech in the Senate on Friday said it will be applied once further work on the bill is finalised.

    “Violence and mistreatment of children start from these households,” Mazari said, mentioning that the new bill is government’s effort to end the violence against children.

    According to the new clause, any child under the age of 14 years can not be hired as domestic help. If anyone violates the law, strict action will be taken against them.

    The move came after several child abuse cases were reported from across the country. A campaign was also started on social media against the domestic employment of children. The government had also faced criticism for its lack of laws on the issue.

    Dr Mazari had been trying to include domestic labour by children as an unsafe line of work under this act.

  • VIDEO: News anchor stays calm as she loses a tooth live on TV

    VIDEO: News anchor stays calm as she loses a tooth live on TV

    Ukrainian news anchor Marichka Padalko was in the middle of a live news bulletin when her tooth fell out. However, she kept her calm and did not stop the broadcast. 

     In a video which is being circulated on social media, Marichka quickly put her hand to her mouth to catch the loose front tooth and continued with the bulletin.

    “Yes, I lost part of my front tooth today during the live broadcast of TSN at 9:00,” Padalko wrote on Instagram, according to a translation. “This is probably my most curious experience in twenty years as a presenter. Live broadcasting is wonderful because it is always unpredictable.”

    The newscaster said her dental problem happened about a decade ago when her young daughter knocked her in the mouth with a metal alarm clock.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqr6gsJ-1_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Padalko said that her news program “deliberately” did not post her recent disaster to YouTube, for the sake of discretion.

    “Honestly, I thought the incident would go unnoticed…. But we underestimated the attention of our viewers,” the anchor explained.

    Padalko thanked fans for their support.

    “We keep calm in any situation,” the journalist concluded. “See you tomorrow morning.”

  • Destroying Buddha

    Destroying Buddha

    Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Saturday arrested four men involved in smashing an antique Gandharan Buddha statue found during construction work in Mardan. The remaining parts of the 1,700-year-old statue have also been recovered by Mardan police.

    When videos of a man breaking the antique statue surfaced on social media, many Pakistanis expressed their anger and disappointment at the blatant vandalism of an ancient cultural heritage. According to reports, the man who broke the Buddha statue was instigated by local cleric[s]. The video reminded one of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, which were once the world’s tallest Buddhas but were blown up and destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 on orders by Mullah Omar.

    Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that if the progressive people of Pakistan remain silent observers and neutral, all hopes of a progressive and modern Pakistan will be dashed. Chaudhry added that “social degradation is immense and silence is not an option unless you want this society to be as dead as [a] graveyard”. His words about a dead or decadent society should be pondered over. Pakistani society is fast turning into a reactionary and intolerant one. The construction of a Hindu temple was halted just a week ago in Islamabad after protests by religious groups and now we have witnessed the destruction of a Buddha statue.

    While the KP government must be appreciated for its quick response in arresting those involved in this crime, we must ask ourselves if we want Pakistan to be a country envisioned by founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah or if we want it to turn it into a land of bigotry. The mistreatment meted out to our religious minorities renders the white in our flag meaningless. Unless and until all citizens are treated equally, regardless of their colour, caste, creed, religion and ethnicity, Pakistan cannot prosper.

    It was also unfortunate to see some of our lawmakers, including Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, justify and defend the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in Turkey by citing Turkey’s laws and system of judiciary. This kind of obfuscation leads to the justification of bigoted acts. The progressive people of Pakistan do speak out against injustices but they are a minority, or so it seems. We used to say that the ‘silent majority’ in Pakistan is tolerant and against discrimination of religious minorities but in the past few years, we have seen that the so-called ‘silent majority’ actually nods in agreement with the reactionaries.

    It is rather sad to see Pakistan spiral into a regressive society. We must go back to the vision of our founding father who wanted to see a progressive and pluralist Pakistan.

  • ‘Har jaga muhalle ki phupho nahi bante’: Asim Azhar hits back at trolls

    ‘Har jaga muhalle ki phupho nahi bante’: Asim Azhar hits back at trolls

    Hania Aamir’s big revelation that Asim Azhar and her are just good friends sent the awaam (masses) into a frenzy considering everyone was convinced that the two are dating. After Hania cleared the air regarding their relationship, social media was lit with memes and fans poked fun at Asim for being ‘friend-zoned’.

    Following the trolling and flood of memes, Hania had hit back at trolls and said that Asim is a “beautiful part” of her life.

    “Asim is a beautiful part of my life and we have seen some insane times together and we share a bond beyond anyone’s comprehension,” the actor had written on social media. “We choose to look at and acknowledge love not hate. That being said, we know Pakistanio ka humour acha hai lekin easy hojao. Social media kai troll siphayon. Bilkul free na ho. Aur zayada over bhi nahi. Shukriya.”

    And now a few days later, Asim has broken his silence on the matter.

    “As Hania said, the bond we share is beyond anyone’s comprehension. It is bigger than any label for me,” said Asim in a social media post. “Tou araam se betho saare, har jaga muhalle ki phupho nahi bante.”

    The singer then went on to praise Hania.

    “She’s the kindest and most beautiful human. I will always be there for her and vice versa because that’s the impact she’d had on me. Made me learn to give and love. Like I said, it is beyond a label.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCydpXmFfQR/

    Meanwhile, Asim also opened up about his journey as a singer.

    “It has not been an easy journey from the beginning. Imagine a 16-year-old putting himself out there for the world to judge. I’ve had my fair share of sleepless nights and irritable mornings but if it wasn’t for these challenges and the support from my loved ones – I wouldn’t have been the man that I am today & would definitely not have the courage to write this,” shared Asim.

    He then went onto thank everyone for the love and support they have shown.

    “Thank you for showing love to all my songs and especially the response on Tum Tum, which has been overwhelming,” said Asim.

    Asim also revealed that his new single Soneya is releasing next week on July 23.

  • Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    Kaavan to be relocated to Cambodia

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday approved the relocation of Islamabad Zoo’s lone elephant Kaavan to Cambodia. The court had ordered Kaavan’s freedom in May and instructed wildlife officials to find him a “suitable sanctuary”.

    According to AFP, Adviser to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam said authorities would “ensure that he lives a happy life”. He revealed that a team from Cambodia is coming over to take the 36-year-old elephant with them.

    “We are bidding Kaavan farewell with a heavy heart. It is a sad decision,” he said.

    Amin also shared that he had discussed Kaavan’s plight with Prime Minister Imran Khan and it had been decided that a safari zoo will be built in Islamabad.

    Authorities told the court that an expert committee had recommended he be moved to a 25,000-acre wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia for retirement.

    Kaavan was kept in chains at Islamabad Zoo and exhibited symptoms of mental illness, prompting global outrage over his treatment and a petition demanding his release that garnered over 400,000 signatures.

    Though zoo officials have denied this and claimed that he was pining for a new mate after his partner died in 2012, Kaavan’s behaviour — including signs of distress such as bobbing his head repeatedly — demonstrated “a kind of mental illness”.

    Activists also said Kaavan was not properly sheltered from Islamabad’s searing summer temperatures, which can rise above 40 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit).

    Kaavan’s plight drew the attention of Cher, who spent years calling for his freedom.

    She tweeted in May that the court’s decision to order his release was “one of the greatest moments of my life”.

    Read more – Cher thanks PM Khan for ‘making her dream come true’

    Arriving in Pakistan as a one-year-old in 1985 from Sri Lanka, Kaavan was temporarily held in chains in 2002 because zookeepers were concerned about increasingly violent tendencies. He was freed later that year after an outcry but it emerged in 2015 that he was once more being regularly chained for several hours each day.

    The court’s May ruling also ordered dozens of other animals — including brown bears, lions and birds — to be relocated temporarily till the zoo improves its standards.