Pakistani Twitterati on Wednesday eagerly jumped on the Turkey bandwagon to trend “#BoycottUAE [United Arab Emirates]” after Turkish journalist Ali Keskin asked them to do so while seeking sanctions on the Gulf country over its strengthening relationship with India among other reasons.
Raising objections apparently over Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi being given UAE’s highest civilian award and the country sending medical supplies to India amid the pandemic, the journalist alleged that Emirates was biased towards India and also silent on the Kashmir issue while Turkey had stood by Pakistan on the same.
This led to a war of words over the micro-blogging website. Reactions to the trend were myriad, with many netizens highlighting Pakistan’s outstanding debts to the UAE and how it has been, along with China, among the main avenues for Pakistan to seek bailouts.
Boycott UAE? Sure, first return them the billions of $$ Pakistan owes them. Today showing love for Turkey, Pakistani keyboard warriors are trending Boycott UAE. https://t.co/iariXWnQCT
It may be noted that the Turkish tweet came amid UAE’s growing support for warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces after they criticised Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, extending support for Libya’s legitimate government along with countries like Israel and Russia. Pakistani netizens, on the other hand, jumped on the bandwagon agreeing that Pakistan should impose sanctions against UAE when its relations with India were highlighted.
Pakistan, however, has been a heavy borrower of the UAE, and owes the country $30 billion dollars.
Healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson will stop selling its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in the US and Canada. The firm faces many thousands of lawsuits from consumers who claim that its talc products caused their cancer.
The move comes after years of trial where Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay out billions of dollars in compensation. The company has constantly defended the safety of its talc products.
Johnson & Johnson said it would wind down sales of the product, which makes up about 0.5% of its US consumer health business, in the coming months, but that retailers would continue to sell existing inventory.
The firm faces more than 16,000 consumer charges alleging that its talc products were contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen (a substance capable of causing cancer).
The firm said that demand for Johnson’s Baby Powder had been declining in North America “due in large part to changes in consumer habits and fuelled by misinformation around the safety of the product”. It said it had faced “a constant barrage” of lawyers advertising for clients to sue the firm.
“We remain steadfastly confident in the safety of talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder. Decades of independent scientific studies by medical experts around the world support the safety of our product,” it said.
The firm added that the move was part of a reconsideration of its consumer products prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. It said in October that its testing had found no asbestos in its Baby Powder after tests conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration discovered trace amounts.
The firm is appealing against a 2018 order to pay $4.7bn in damages to 22 women who alleged that its talc products caused them to develop ovarian cancer.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz has announced the federal cabinet’s decision of handing over operations and management of Pakistan’s major airports to international firms, saying that a special committee to prepare a legal framework by June 30 has been formed.
Briefing journalists about the decisions taken by Tuesday’s federal cabinet meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, the info minister said that country’s major airports will be outsourced to bring them on par with international standards. “The government is looking for some international firm with rich experience of operating and managing airports.”
He said the cabinet was informed that some firms had already evinced interest in the matter and a legal framework had to be clarified before the tendering process started. “To this effect, a committee, to be headed by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, would fast track the process,” he said.
According to sources, the members of the committee will include Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari, the chairperson of the Board of Investment (BoI) and Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan as well as Adviser on Commerce, Trade and Industry Abdul Razak Dawood.
About job security of employees working at airports in case of their outsourcing, Faraz said the government, which came to power on the basis of votes of masses, would like to ensure none was deprived of his or her job rather there could be more job opportunities.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member of Punjab Assembly Shaheen Raza passed away on Wednesday, two days after she tested positive for coronavirus and was shifted to an isolation ward at Lahore’s Mayo Hospital.
While the cause of death earlier remained unclear as Mayo Hospital CEO Dr Asad Aslam said she was also a patient of blood pressure and diabetes, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar confirmed that his colleague had succumbed to COVID-19.
Extremely saddened to hear that we have lost Ms. Shaheena Raza to COVID-19. She was a very kind person and a true public representative. During this economic slow down, she was busy in serving those in need. Her presence will be sorely missed. May her soul rest in peace!
He separately also expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death, and extended sympathies to the bereaved family.
On Saturday night, Raza was quarantined at a district headquarters (DHQ) hospital after symptoms of coronavirus. Her test sample was sent to a laboratory that on Sunday confirmed she had contracted the deadly virus.
On the instruction of CM Buzdar, the MPA was later shifted to Mayo Hospital and put on a ventilator.
Raza becomes the first lawmaker in Pakistan to succumb to the virus that has so far claimed at least 324,970 lives across the globe and over 900 in Pakistan.
With humans under lockdown, wildlife all over the world is getting a chance to flourish. And according to latest reports, the population of marsh crocodiles living in the wilderness of Sindh is believed to have increased in at least four locations across the province. The locations include Haleji Lake, Nara Wetland Complex, Chotiari Wetland Complex and Wagni village near the Ghotki and Hub Dam.
While an exact number is not known, a representative of the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) said that over 200 crocodiles have been sighted in Haleji Lake and its surroundings and as many in the Nara Wetland Complex.
He added that these were just rough estimates and that there is no exact tally of the crocodile population in the province.
Sharing his excitement, SWD Conservator Javed Mahar said: “Crocodiles coming out of the water to bask at Haleji Lake is a sight to see. Crocodiles opening their mouths and sunbathing is called basking, which is a natural process. It re-energises them.”
Each tooth is hollow, with new ones growing inside the old ones. This one showing his chompers at Haleji Lake #wildlifesanctuary. 2/2
Mahar further shared that these carnivores were once found in abundance in the region but their population shrunk after a canal irrigation system was constructed in the region.
“The fragmentation of their habitat, illegal hunting and illegal trade also contributed to their declining numbers,” said Mahar, adding that records show that they also used to reside in creeks near Karachi.
He said that though illegal hunting of these animals has now been banned, hunters continue to target these animals to polish their shooting skills. Meanwhile, others kill these animals in fear that they would attack and hurt them.
“But they [marsh crocodiles] are not aggressive and do not attack people. I have not heard of any incident of them attacking people,” he said.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, has said that making remote work permanent can have a deteriorating impact on social interactions and mental health of the workers, whereas virtual conferences cannot replace in-person meetings.
“Those who are used to traditional office setting and appreciate social interactions that take place at the office, a sudden shift to remote work will impact their mental health due to isolation and burnout.”
After the outbreak of coronavirus, companies around the world made work from home mandatory as a safety measure but according to Nadella, this step is not good for the wellbeing of workers.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Nadella said that remote setup would be “replacing one dogma with another dogma”.
“What does burnout look like? What does mental health look like? What do connectivity and community building look like? One of the things I feel is, hey, maybe we are burning some of the social capital we built up in this phase where we are all working remotely. What’s the measure for that?,”Nadella added.
His remarks come after Twitter allowed its staff to work from home “forever” even after the end of COVID-19 pandemic.
Twitter has become the first company to allow employees to work from home indefinitely as the pandemic changes work culture around the world.
Tech giants like Facebook and Google have also allowed most of their employees to work remotely until the end of this year.
Microsoft has also extended its work-from-home policy until October at least, besides, nothing will hinder the operations and progress of Microsoft as the CEO clearly stated, “We’re going to boldly allocate and acquire, build, innovate, partner, whatever.”
“We are also going to make sure that we have the ability to do credit for small businesses and other organisations that need that help.”
It’s raining babies for our cricket stars this year. After Shahid Afridi, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz has announced that he and his wife Zaynab have welcomed a baby girl, Hoorain Sikandar. This is the couple’s second child together.
My family n I just welcomed Hoorain Sikandar in to our world, my second daughter Alhumdulilah She’s in my arms as I write this tweet n my wife is smiling at me n well right next to me there is no joy comparable to blessing n mercy a beti Wish dad was around to hold her #happy ☝
Though the left-arm pacer missed out on Pakistan’s central contracts list for 2020-21 season, head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq has said that he will be on the radar for selection in the team in the future.
Yasir Hussain seems to have stirred up quite a storm with his comments on Turkish dramas and Diriliş: Ertuğrul. After Mansha Pasha and Anoushey Ashraf stepped in to defend him, more members of the entertainment industry are sharing their stance on the matter.
Osman Khalid Butt discussed how the drama series can benefit Pakistan
Without taking any names, Osman addressed Yasir’s concerns that foreign content spells death for the local industry.
“Sharing my response to a post that insinuated our jobs are under threat,” wrote Osman. “I don’t recall us actors finding ourselves jobless when Ishq-e-Mamnoon or Mera Sultan were all the rage in Pakistan.”
He further said that the series can help “create more job opportunities for local dubbing/VO artists” in Pakistan.
Osman also suggested that PTV can “use the revenue generated from this series to create our own original content”.
Sharing my response to a post that insinuated our jobs are under threat:
I don’t recall us actors finding ourselves jobless when Ishq-e-Mamnoon or Mera Sultan were all the rage in Pakistan. Nor did Turkish actors ‘infiltrate’ the local industry & replace us. – contd.
Of course, I’d love it if our national television uses the revenue generated from this series to create our own original content – shows that can rival Ertugrul in narrative if not in scale, and showcase our own historical events.
“We need to have more faith in our content, writers and work as an artist,” wrote Maya on Instagram.
Ahmed Ali Butt said that though he respected Yasir’s opinion, he did not agree with it
“One should not be crucified for voicing their concerns,” said Ahmed.
He said that Ertuğrul is a great drama which promotes Islamic values.
Butt also added that he believes that the “Government of Pakistan should grant special budgets to Pakistani production houses with specific guidelines to produce historical dramas with local talent and artists also”.
While Munib Nawaz supported Yasir and called him a true artist, Ali Kazmi said that this should be a wake up call for the industry.
Gohar Rasheed also added his ‘two cents’ on the matter
He said that “if you want job security, take ownership, and create better content. Stop being petty.”
Neelum Munir says “we should look beyond and understand its Islamic content, which has so much wisdom and teaches us the history and the values of Muslims”.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVJnJlliTB/
Armeena Khan said that if you want to watch good Pakistani content, watch Hamza Ali Abbasi, Kubra Khan and Sajal Aly’s Alif
Yasir had urged PTV to make a historic drama using artists and technicians who pay taxes to the country.
“Landy k kapray aur Turkey k dramay, dono hee local industry ko tabah kardein gay,” the actor had written.
Following his colleagues remarks, Yasir responded saying: “Yeh humara kaam nahi hai bhai idary ka hai.”
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 PTV Home. Pakistanis are loving the drama series and it has become a sensation in the country. 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 3.13 million subscribers and episodes trending every day on the social media platform.
In an exclusive interview with The Current, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Javed Khan revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal has said that the army, amid doctors’ complaints regarding the nonavailability of personal protective equipment (PPE), has taken over the distribution of the same and the equipment is now being provided to hospitals with the help of respective corps headquarters.
“As we had received complaints from some doctors that they were not getting PPE, I requested COAS [Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa] after which it was decided that PPEs will directly be sent to the corps headquarters concerned rather than sharing them with the provincial governments,” Lt Gen Afzal said while addressing a press conference.
According to Dawn, he added that the information regarding the dispatching of PPEs was, however, duly shared with the provincial governments. “Now the army is distributing the protective gear in the hospitals, and since then we have not received any complain.”
The NDMA chairperson said the authority had adequate stocks of protective equipment which could cater to the needs of doctors and patients for the next month.
He said initially Pakistan was dependent on foreign-made equipment but now except ventilators, everything else was being manufactured by local companies. “As a result of the local production of equipment, the cost of normal mask has dropped from Rs50 to Rs10 and N-95 mask is now available for Rs300 against its previous price of Rs2,000.”
Lt Gen Afzal said so far five tranches of equipment had been sent to provinces and a universal helpline 111-157-157 set up to receive complaints regarding unavailability of PPE and other material being used against the virus.
He said a quarantine centre established at Haji Camp in the capital was not being utilised as people of the area had demanded that such a centre should be away from populated areas.
Former cricket team captain Shahid Khan Afridi has said that he would address the issues of unemployment and education if he became the prime minister of Pakistan.
During an interaction with journalists, undated footage and pictures of which are doing rounds on social media, Afridi was asked about his plans if handed reins of the country for 10 days.
The video being recorded during a ceremony held as part of Afridi’s nationwide campaign titled “Taleem Ho Gi Aam, Her Beti Key Naam”, suggests it is from later last year.
Addressing the ceremony, Afridi said that women were giving birth to children on streets in Sindh, adding that it was 21st century Pakistan where humans and animals were being forced to drink water from the same place.
Seeking support from the youth, the former captain went on to say that Pakistan was stuck in a swamp of problems and we have to unite and make it an ideal country.
“More than 20 million children are missing out on education and the goal is to bring them to school,” Afridi said.
“Our culture and religion are very beautiful,” he said and added that loving humanity was the need of the hour.
The former cricketer also reportedly highlighted the plight of Muslims in occupied Kashmir.
