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  • PTI MPA removed from Punjab information body after ‘leaked calls discussing PM, his wife, others’

    PTI MPA removed from Punjab information body after ‘leaked calls discussing PM, his wife, others’

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Uzma Kardar, who had earlier made headlines for her mention in Reham Khan’s notorious book, was on Monday removed from an information body of the Punjab government hours after she was allegedly heard discussing Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, First Lady Bushra Bibi, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak among others in a series of leaked phone calls.

    According to a notification issued by Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan, Kardar was removed from the provincial government’s Media Strategy Committee. No reason was, however, given in the notification, a copy of which is available with The Current.

    The sacking comes hours after journalist Mansoor Ali Khan said a call recording of someone from the present government could surface very soon and become very embarrassing for the PTI government.

    It was followed by audio clips doing rounds over the internet.

    While Kardar could allegedly be heard discussing PM Imran and the first lady in one recording, she allegedly made outrageous claims regarding Buzdar, Khattak, Punjab Child Protection Bureau Chairperson Sarah Ahmad, “dirty politics” inside the PTI, Punjab Info Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan and PTI’s allied Pakistan Muslim League (PML), in other leaked audio clips.

    The Current does not endorse any of the recordings or other content available when the above-embedded links are accessed but is committed to keeping our followers aware of whatever is going on.

    While the PTI lawmaker was not available for a comment, the audio has drawn mixed reactions as many question the motive behind the leaks.

    Among others, Mansoor has also questioned who recorded the phone calls and why.

    Meanwhile, reports claim that legal action will also soon be initiated against the PTI lawmaker.

  • PTI’s Zulfi Bukhari among South Asia’s Best Dressed Men

    PTI’s Zulfi Bukhari among South Asia’s Best Dressed Men

    UK-based entertainment and lifestyle magazine, Asian Style Magazine, has made a list for South Asia’s 5 Best Dressed Men and the list includes two Pakistanis.

    The magazine has listed Pakistani businessman and Pakistan Tehkeek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) leader Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, popularly known as Zulfi Bukhari as one of South Asia’s best-dressed men. Bukhari also serves as the Special Assistant to the PM for Overseas Pakistanis.

       “The Minister of Overseas and Tourism manages to pull off both western and eastern wear,” read the magazine.

    Responding to the honour, Bukhari said that he was “humbled”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBaVCYqhpTN/?igshid=5x4do4khx2o9

    Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with The Current, when asked how he would describe his style, Bukhari has said that it was “normal”.

    Check out some pictures of the SAPM below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B_5Cotshxmn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B-9NPJxhSvB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B4kyY1rhiqB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    The list also included Pakistan’s heartthrob Fawad Khan.

    “From well-tailored suits to perfect ethnic jackets, Fawad can make anything he wears, work,” said the amagazine and we agree!

    Other personalities on the list include Indian cricketer Virat Kohli, British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed and Indian actor Ranveer Singh.

  • These areas, including Lahore Cantt and parts of Gulberg, will be under 15-day lockdown from tonight

    These areas, including Lahore Cantt and parts of Gulberg, will be under 15-day lockdown from tonight

    With Punjab becoming the first province to record 1,000 coronavirus fatalities amid a rapid surge in the number of COVID-19 infections, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has announced a 15-day selective quarantine in Lahore, which will come into effect from Monday-Tuesday midnight.

    Addressing a press conference, Dr Rashid said that selected neighbourhoods, including Lahore Cantonment, Shahdara, Mozang, Walled City, Harbanspura, Nishtar Town, Allama Iqbal Town will be locked down completely from midnight. Some areas in Gulberg will also be closed completely.

    Areas of Lahore to go into lockdown Monday-Tuesday midnight as part of government’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 (Google Maps)

    According to the health minister, more than 300 cases had been recorded in each of these areas which was why the decision to enforce a lockdown was taken. However, Dr Rashid added, pharmacies, tandoors and dairy shops will remain open and so will any factories that are making protective equipment.

    “These areas will be locked down for at least two weeks and then we will observe the results.”

    She also once again urged people to follow the government’s announced standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stop the spread of the virus, adding that the virus could be stemmed by 50 per cent just by wearing a face mask.

    Lamenting the “wrong” criticism against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for alleged loose handling of the pandemic, she said, “If [you say that] our government has failed, so has every other government in the world.”

    “The media is comparing us to New Zealand and Taiwan. The population of New Zealand is half [about 5 million] of that of Lahore’s. Controlling the virus there is much easier than controlling it in a thickly populated country like ours,” she said.

    “People don’t understand that this is a viral infection. Even in China, where they followed strict measures with commendable discipline, there is a resurgence of cases,” the health minister said.

    ‘NO SWEEPING LOCKDOWN’:

    On Saturday, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had ruled out a sweeping lockdown once again on a visit to Lahore during which he held meetings with Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar and other officials to evaluate the virus situation in the province.

    The premier’s visit to Lahore had come a day after the Punjab government sent recommendations to the federal government to tighten lockdown measures in the province, in particular Lahore, in a bid to curb the growing number of COVID-19 cases.

    But after holding meetings with the provincial government’s top brass, PM Imran had said a strategy of “smart lockdowns” will be implemented instead whereby strict adherence to SOPs will be ensured to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    “After analysing with my Punjab team today, [we’ve decided that] we will not impose a lockdown but will impose selective lockdowns — trace and seal hotspots,” the premier had said, adding that the country’s administration and police were not in a position to take “such a huge burden of a complete lockdown”.

  • Girl’s Facebook status ‘robbers at my home’ gets them caught

    Girl’s Facebook status ‘robbers at my home’ gets them caught

    Facebook helped in capturing two robbers, who entered a house in Lahore after a girl posted a status on Facebook that two robbers have entered her house.

    As per reports, two robbers entered a house in Faisal Town, Lahore. A woman named Saba, who was in the upper portion of the house, posted a status on Facebook that two dacoits have entered her house after observing resistance from the family members.

    Reading the post, friends and the other family members of Saba, instantly called police helpline 15, who reached the house in no time and arrested the robbers after negotiations of half an hour.

     Saba said after the robbers broke into the house, she immediately shared a status on Facebook after locking her room in the upper portion of the building.

  • FIA acquits Imran’s health aide Dr Zafar Mirza in masks smuggling case

    FIA acquits Imran’s health aide Dr Zafar Mirza in masks smuggling case

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has acquitted Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Zafar Mirza after probing his alleged involvement in the smuggling of protective masks amid COVID-19 pandemic.

    According to FIA sources, no allegation was proved against Dr Mirza as the petitioner failed to provide evidence of his allegations during the agency’s investigation into the export of 20 million masks to China.

    Sources said that according to FIA’s report, no collusion was proved in issuance of permit for export of the masks and the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) allowed the export under rules and regulations.

    It may be noted that the complaint in this regard was registered by Young Pharmacists’ Association (YPA) Secretary General Dr Furqan Ibrahim with the PM’s Complaint Cell.

    According to the complainant, 20 million masks were smuggled out of Pakistan allegedly by the SAPM in collusion with DRAP Deputy Director Ghazanfar Ali Khan.

    Meanwhile, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has also decided to launch an inquiry into the allegations against Dr Mirza.

  • Mansha Pasha says her upcoming drama is not inspired by Bollywood film ‘Judaai’

    Mansha Pasha says her upcoming drama is not inspired by Bollywood film ‘Judaai’

    Ever since the teasers of Mansha Pasha, Sonya Hussyn and Zahid Ahmed’s Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida released, audiences have been speculating and discussing the drama’s striking resemblance to Bollywood film Judaai starring Anil Kapoor, Sri Devi and Urmila Matondkar.

    Following extensive debate on social media, Mansha took to social media to clarify that the story of her upcoming drama is inspired by the Sindhi folk tale Lilan Chanesar. The actor added that the Bollywood film was also inspired by the same folklore. According to Wikipedia, Judaai is about a woman, Kajal, who lured by wealth, asks her husband, Raj, an honest engineer, to get married to Janhvi, the rich daughter of his boss. However, Kajal soon realises that the wealth has pulled her away from her family. The film also featured a song Mujhe Ek Pal Chain Na Aye which was copied from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s qawwali Sanu Ek Pal Chain Na Aave.

    Meanwhile, it is being reported that Zahid has no idea that the drama’s plot was “inspired” or copied from somewhere.

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

    Read more – Zahid Ahmed apologises to the nation for choosing a script ‘so blindly’

    Mohabbat Tujhe Alvida is set to air on Hum TV from March 17. Watch the teasers for the drama below:

  • U-turn? Shaan says ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ is a ‘classic masterpiece’

    U-turn? Shaan says ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’ is a ‘classic masterpiece’

    Did Shaan just take a u-turn?

    After strongly criticising PTV’s decision to air the series, the actor in his latest social media post has praised the series and called it a “classic masterpiece”. He also thanked the creators, cast and technicians for making this “epic”.

    Read more – Diriliş: Ertuğrul’: The debate rages on

    When someone questioned if he took a u-turn, Shaan said that he watched the series on Netflix.

    To put things into perspective, it can be understood that Shaan is not against the series but is in fact against PTV’s decision to air the series as evident from the tweets below. The actor asserted that he is not against the drama but doesn’t understand why PTV charges a hefty amount to show foreign products.

    Shaan had also appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to support the entertainment industry and stop cultural imports like these. It is pertinent to mention here that Shaan was also very critical of Bollywood films being released in Pakistan and had always voiced his dissent against them.

    Meanwhile, in response to another user’s question on whether he will make a series like Ertuğrul, Shaan said that it costs a lot to make one.

    Diriliş: Ertuğrul is being aired on PTV on the recommendation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in the country ever since its first episode aired on the first of Ramzan. According to PTV, 133.38 million people have watched the drama series from April 25- May 14. PTV’s YouTube channel has also registered an exponential rise in its viewership with 5.65 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.

    Read more – Yasir Hussain vs Turkish dramas: the debate heats up

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Senator Faisal Javed Khan had revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.

  • Selective lockdown

    Selective lockdown

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has reiterated that there will not be another lockdown. “It is tantamount to shutting down the entire economy to contain the spread of coronavirus. My views have been quite clear on this from the first day.”

    He said that Pakistan is not like Singapore or New Zealand or Taiwan with smaller populations and is also not a rich country to afford a lockdown. PM Imran said smart lockdown will be imposed after identifying hotspots and blamed the people of Pakistan for not following SOPs.

    Pakistan’s coronavirus cases are more than 141,000 while deaths are 2,647. The number of cases keeps rising rapidly each day, which hospitals seem unable to deal with. Oxygen cylinders are unavailable in most cities or are available at exorbitant prices while prices of oximeters, medicines and other supplies have also shot up. Pakistan’s health sector will not be able to deal with such a huge crisis in the coming days.

    “I have been saying this repetitively that you must take precautions… I am disappointed to see that our people have been very careless,” said PM Imran who had once likened COVID-19 to flu.

    He said that masks are now mandatory and both the administration and volunteers of the Tiger Force will ensure this.

    It is easy for the government to ask people to follow the SOPs and take precautions while not taking responsibility for its policy failure. When lockdown was first imposed in the country, it should have been extremely strict followed by aggressive testing. Lockdown should not have been lifted for Eid when cases were on the rise. The government not just lifted the lockdown but also kept downplaying the virus despite warnings from health workers and senior doctors. No wonder then that people are not taking coronavirus seriously. It is the government’s responsibility to implement rules; people all over the world are not responsible unless rules and laws are strictly implemented. The government should consider temporary lockdown in cities where administration finds it difficult to control the spread of coronavirus, increase the number of tests, create more awareness by telling people how serious this virus is.

    Countries that locked down early and strictly have been able to return to normal much faster and are open to a large extent. In Pakistan, we have been busy in comparisons or criticism of other countries’ strategies while no effective policy has been in place here.

    Reports indicated that the Punjab government was considering imposing a strict two-week lockdown in Lahore at the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) due to the rising number of cases but PM Imran rejected the proposal.

    Selective lockdown is not a solution because its implementation will be extremely difficult. It seems as if the government has adopted the policy of ‘to each his/her own’ when it comes to dealing with the coronavirus. Let’s not forget that countries that have gone down this road have not been able to save their economy either. We should act before it is too late.

  • Legendary Pakistani actress Sabiha Khanum passes away at 85

    Legendary Pakistani actress Sabiha Khanum passes away at 85

    Legendary Pakistani actress, popularly known as the First Lady of Pakistan’s silver screen, Sabiha Khanum passed away in the United States at the age of 85, leaving behind a rich legacy.

    “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the demise of our beautiful and beloved Sabiha Raza (Sabiha Khanum) who passed away earlier today, June 13th, 2020,” her granddaughter, Sarish Khan, said in social media update.

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

    According to reports, Sabiha who ruled the silver screen in the 1950s and 1960s with superhit movies including Kaneez, Mukhra, Anokha and Tehzeeb, was suffering from renal disease.

    Though Sabiha starred in a number of movies, she was mostly cast opposite her husband, the late Santosh Kumar (Syed Musa Raza). Sabiha and Santosh were branded as the “perfect couple”.

    Sabiha and Santosh
    Sabiha and Waheed Murad

    Sabiha also received the Pride of Performance award from the president of Pakistan in 1986.

    Having been in the public eye for four decades, she finally retired, and migrated to the United States where she lived with her eldest daughter. Her son and the youngest daughter are also settled here.

    Several Pakistani actors including Mahira Khan, Iqra Aziz, Yasir Hussain and Ali Rehman Khan mourned her death and remembered her rich legacy.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBZygRGj36f/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBZaleLHPyO/

  • Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput dies by suicide

    Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput dies by suicide

    Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who was famous for his roles in PK and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, was found dead at his home in Mumbai. The police have said that the actor committed suicide. He was 34.

    According to reports, the award-winning actor was found hanging from his ceiling in his Bandra residence, where he was living alone. While no suicide note was recovered from the scene of the incident, it is believed that the actor was suffering from severe depression.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CBaVk-wnEBS/

    Read more – Rishi Kapoor’s unfulfilled wish: a visit to Pakistan

    Sushant’s sudden death has sent waves of shock across the world and many Bollywood stars including Akshay Kumar and Farhan Akhtar have condoled his death.

    https://twitter.com/karanjohar/status/1272111382905802753?s=20

    Born in Patna, Rajput studied engineering in New Delhi before dropping out to pursue a career in acting. He began in television, rising to stardom in the Balaji soap Pavitra Rishta.

    Sushant made his Bollywood debut in 2013 with Kai Po Che! and later starred in a plethora of films including Kedarnath, PK, Shuddh Desi Romance and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. His last appearance was in the 2019 film Drive.

    Sushant’s new film Dil Bechara, co-starring Saif Ali Khan, was scheduled to release in May but was postponed because of the COVID-19 lockdown.