Blog

  • Peshawar’s Sunheri Masjid allows women to offer prayers after two decades

    After a gap of over two decades, women in Peshawar will now be able to offer Friday prayer in congregation at the historic Sunheri Masjid (Golden Mosque).

    According to reports, women would offer Friday prayer in congregation at the mosque, located in the Peshawar Cantonment, until the mid-1990s. However, due to terrorism in the city, the practice was abandoned.

    Following an improvement in the security situation, authorities have decided to allow women to participate in Friday’s congregational prayers and have also made the required arrangements for it.

    A banner which reads “women are now welcome to offer Friday prayer at Sunheri Masjid” has also been placed outside the mosque.

    Scores of terrorist attacks took place near the mosque which led to its closure for women almost 25 years ago. In 2016, 16 people were killed and dozens wounded when a powerful bomb went off as a bus carrying mostly government employees passed by the mosque in Saddar’s crowded marketplace.

  • Amavi: All hype or good food?

    Hidden in the heart of Defence, Lahore is a quaint little cafe, Amavi. The restaurant’s owner Maira has been in the food business for a while now, working for other cafes and restaurants, before taking the leap and opening up her own little space. Maira’s expertise lies in desserts and she has trained herself professionally in the department.

    The patisserie’s interior is beautifully done with a lot of attention paid to detail. The chairs are done with deep green velvet upholstery while there are small artsy details on the tables. There is marble flooring and touches of gold, pink and black here and there. It’s almost like entering a painting. Amavi is the sort of place you’d want to dress up and go.

    When I went there, the place was buzzing with people. Initially, Amavi was a small space with about two to three tables but given the phenomenal success, the owners had to expand it to entertain more visitors.

    Now onto the food. The food was a bit different from the usual palettes, for example, their Za’Atar and Burrata Pizza – Za’Atar is a spice while Burrata is fresh Italian cow milk cheese made from mozzarella and cream. I’ve had Burrata Salad in Karachi but I haven’t come across anything like this before and I was fairly impressed with this dish. It was actually pretty yummy.

    Za’Atar and Burrata Pizza

    Their Salt Beef Toastie with Gouda Cheese and Caramelised Onions was another one of my favourites. Apart from that their Fish and Chips were good too and I also tried their bestselling Buttermilk Chicken Burger which was an absolute treat. The chicken was soft, tender and full of flavour.

    Fish and Chips

    The only thing I did not like was the French Onion Soup.

    I didn’t really try the desserts so I can’t comment on that but a lot of people there were mostly having desserts and coffee, which by the way was also good.

    I will definitely be going to Amavi again to try the dishes I didn’t, especially the desserts. For me, the patisserie is a cute and different addition to the Lahore food scene.

  • Police arrest 14 students after Punjab University clash

    Police arrest 14 students after Punjab University clash

    Punjab police arrested 14 individuals that are currently enrolled at the Punjab University, a day after a violent clash between two student bodies happened in university premises.

    A day earlier, up to 18 people, including 10 security guards, were injured when two student groups had a fight with each other outside the Sociology Department.

    As per reports, the two groups had involved in heated arguments in the morning but the spat was fixed. However, after Friday prayer, the argument heated up and resulted in a clash. When security guards tried to stop them, they were assaulted by students.

    A first information report (FIR) was registered on Saturday against 13 named and 40 unidentified students at the Muslim Town police station on behalf of the state.According to the FIR, 10 security officers were injured in the clash between members of the Pashtoon and Punjabi student councils.

    The FIR contains sections of disturbing the peace and spreading fear. The registrar said the students involved in the clash were being identified by the university.

  • Syra, Shahroz end their marriage

    Syra, Shahroz end their marriage

    It’s official. Syra Yousuf and Shahroz Sabzwari have ended their seven-year marriage due to “irreconcilable differences”.

    Both Syra and Shahroz made the announcement on social media, requesting their fans and the media to “respect their privacy” and give them their space.

    Rumours of the couple’s split emerged on social media in late December following which Shahroz took to Instagram to clarify that he and Syra were just “separated” at that point and were working towards reconciliation.

    Explaining the situation, Shahroz had said, “I want to start with describing the issue. What has happened between Syra and me is our personal matter. We have not divorced, we are just separated. Syra is my wife! And I don’t understand how people are saying that ‘the news has been confirmed, they [Syra and Shehroz] are not together after seven years of marriage.’ Who said this? Was it me, or was it Syra, or our family, or our cousins, who said this? No one!”

    Speaking further, the actor explained the difference between a divorce and separation asserting that he and Syra are are only separated.

    “What is separation? My wife and I were having some issues so we decided that instead of spoiling our relationship and the family’s decorum, we should give each other space. And this is called separation. And after attaining that space, we get to understand whether we can reconcile or not, and then bigger decisions are made.”

    VIDEO: Shahroz Sabzwari opens up about his separation

    Shahroz also addressed the rumours that the couple split because of a third person, namely Sadaf Kanwal.

    “Another rumour claims that they’re not together because of a girl, Sadaf. Again, who said this? Was it me, or was it Syra, or our family, or our cousins, or our friends, who said this? No one!” he remarked. “But you all still decided to drag someone’s sister, daughter, into the matter and became the jury and judge yourself.”

    He had said that he met Sadaf a month before the episode and that too only for work.

    “Just because she danced with me does not mean we have something going on, and it’s so bold of you all to assume that a person I met one month ago is responsible for a separation that happened six months ago.”

    Sadaf and Shahroz are said to have met while rehearsing for their performance at the third IPPA Awards held in December last year in Oslo, Norway.

    Meanwhile, Sadaf had also asserted that “Shahroz and I are just friends. I met him a month ago while he was already separated from wife Syra.”

    Syra and Shahroz tied the knot in 2012 after a long on-off relationship which began in 2006. Although the two did not share the screen very often after getting married, they were still one of Pakistan’s most beloved couples. They have a five-year-old daughter together, Noorey.

    The two will reportedly also be appearing in a romantic-comedy together this year. Much of the film has already been shot in Bahrain.

  • Which PSL team are you?

  • Attending a PSL match? Five things you need to know

    The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League is officially underway and with all matches scheduled to be played in Pakistan, excitements levels are high. Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Multan are hosting matches over the next one month and while there are some of us who are excited to witness the action live, there are others who are not looking forward to the roadblocks and traffic diversions. Nonetheless, it is likely that everyone will end up attending at least one match in the stadium.

    To make life easier, The Current has compiled a match guide to help make your life easier.

    Start ahead

    If you want to catch all the action from the start to the end, start ahead. Getting to the stadium and your enclosure will take some time because of the long walk to the stadium and several security checks along the way. If you’re someone who just wants to experience the thrill, especially at the end of the match, then time is not an issue.

    Wear comfortable clothes and shoes

    Considering that there will be a lot of walking involved, wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Comfortable shoes especially are a must.

    Carry a light-weight jacket with you

    The ground is big and open and it can get chilly towards the end of the match. Best to carry a jacket or a light sweater so that you don’t feel cold.

    Don’t carry unnecessary items

    Keep your bags and pockets light and don’t carry unnecessary items because you never know what is not allowed to be taken inside the stadium – I lost my power bank at the security checkpoint. Perfumes and liquid items, especially, are not allowed inside the stadium.

    Don’t litter or leave your garbage inside the stadiums

    Dustbins are available everywhere so properly dispose your garbage and do not leave any wrappers or tissues behind.

    Make sure you carry:
    Your ticket, your original CNIC, and a photocopy of the CNIC of the person whose name is mentioned on the ticket (if somebody else among your family/friends bought the ticket). Mobile phones are allowed but other

  • Hong Kong-based smartphone company becomes first to start manufacturing in Pakistan

    A Hong Kong-based smartphone manufacturer, Infinix, has become the first smartphone company to start manufacturing in Pakistan. Prior to this, only a certain amount of mobile phones were being assembled within the country, including Xiaomi Mi phones.

    “Fully aligning with the country’s initiative of ‘Make in Pakistan’, the company keeps growing its investment to contribute and help transform Pakistan into a regional tech hub. This is just one step further towards our mission and commitment to putting Pakistan on the road to progress and prosperity,” Infinix Pakistan said in a statement on Friday.

    Located in Pakistan, the Chinese smartphone brand’s manufacturing facility helps prevent the unnecessary worry of coronavirus and the inaccessibility of the newest Infinix products. With the launch of the facility, the company also fulfils its aim of playing its role in empowering the local labour, particularly women, as 60pc of the workforce working in the Infinix Pakistan factory comprised of women.

    The manufacturing vicinity was also visited by Chinese Consul General Li Bijian, who applauded Infinix’s contribution in promoting local employment in the country.

    Talking about their company mission, Infinix Pakistan CEO Joe Hu said, “Infinix’s vision as a company is to enrich our customers’ experiences, whether it is through our products, or what goes in their manufacturing. To be able to play a small part in the empowerment of the labour force in Pakistan, particularly women, is an important step further towards our mission.”

    Infinix’s products in Pakistan are priced from approximately Rs11,000 to Rs40,000.

    The development comes as the government finalises the Mobile Device Manufacturing Policy with the theme ‘Make in Pakistan’ under which regulatory duty (RD) on the local assembly of smartphones (Android) will be reduced from the existing five per cent to zero.

    Within the next two to three years’ time, 40 per cent localisation in manufacturing will be attained, meaning that the charger manufacturing, casing of the phones and its packing would be done locally and with the passage of time 100 per cent manufacturing of android mobile phones will be done.

    Local device manufacturing activity is projected to create 200,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country alongside the development of an efficient manufacturing ecosystem and linking Pakistan to the global supply chain.

  • Cricket trumps all

    Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 is the fifth season of the Twenty20 cricket league established by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). And for the first time, all of its matches are being held in Pakistan.

    After the Mumbai attack in November 2008, Indian franchise owners refused to include Pakistani cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Pakistan had been working on its own premier league for a while, but the idea of PSL was only materialised under the leadership of former PCB chairman Najam Sethi.

    The first season of PSL was a huge hit and led to an interest in all cricketing countries. PSL opening and closing ceremonies, as well as all the matches, have had record-breaking numbers on the league’s digital platforms. This year, the numbers are said to be even more than the four previous seasons.

    All six teams have their unique qualities as well as strengths and weaknesses. Every cricketing fan in Pakistan has an opinion about these teams and has his or her favourites. While we’ve only had PSL semi-finals and finals in the country in the past, this year’s tournament is even more special with all matches being played here in a development that we had not seen in a long time.

    Although one would think it would lead to full houses in all stadia, only Multan has seen housefuls at matches. Karachi’s turnout has not been that bad and same goes for Rawalpindi, but the most disappointing turnout has been in Lahore.

    Whether it was due to the security arrangements and road closures, one cannot say for sure, but we think Pakistanis should come out in full force to support the PSL. There are 36 international players who are in the country and this gives Pakistan cricket a huge boost as it takes away some of the baggage that we have carried since the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009.

    To some people, shutting down roads on match days seems like a hassle, but to be fair, this is the only way forward to bring international cricket back to Pakistan. Hopefully, in the years to come, we would not be needing this much security, but for now, we have to live with the discomfort that for the good of cricket and Pakistan, doesn’t seem much.

    Tayyar Ho? Tayyar Hain!

  • IN PICTURES: Sadia Ghaffar and Hassan Hayat’s star-studded wedding festivities

    IN PICTURES: Sadia Ghaffar and Hassan Hayat’s star-studded wedding festivities

    Sadia Ghaffar and Hassan Hayat Khan’s wedding festivities have kicked off and pictures from the event are going viral on social media. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a star-studded wedding? The couple recently got engaged in a small ceremony but the wedding functions are full of mauj masti and dhol dhamaka.

    The mayun event was very bright with lots of celebrities, Saadia was donned in a simple white lehenga while the groom put on a yellow mayun kurta.

    Celebrities including Sajal Aly, Yasir Hussain, Iqra Aziz, Saboor Aly and Kinza Hashmi danced with the couple.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9CcSx9nSXz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9CZBz6Hi4z/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Cnva-n59A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    The mayun was followed by a dholki ceremony where Sadia was wearing an emerald green and gold outfit by Khadija Batool, coupled with Ali Javeri jewels. Hassan kept it simple in an off-white sherwani.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9HyX5lH2SR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9HtfnLJYxT/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9IGgfanVkK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    https://www.instagram.com/p/B9I-LQOgGR3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
    Aiman Khan and Muneeb Butt
    L-R: Yasir Hussain, Iqra Aziz, groom, bride, Shazia Wajahat, Wajahat Rauf
    Zara Noor Abbas and Sajal Aly
    Saboor Aly, Zara Noor Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Minal Khan
  • Lahoris evade e-challans with laminated number plates

    Negligence of the City Traffic Police, Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) and Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control (ET&NC) Department has been exposed as Lahoris resort to laminating or tampering their vehicles’ registration plates to evade e-challans and surveillance through PSCA cameras.

    According to a report, while non-computerised plates are not uncommon in the provincial capital, a significant increase has been observed in the use of tampered and laminated registration plates as well.

    There are lamination sheets available in the market and once applied, the PSCA cameras cannot read the number plates, thus providing drivers protection from e-challan, the report quoted a trader at one of Lahore’s largest automotive market, the Montgomery Road.

    The shopkeeper said that these lamination sheets were not commonly available and are only sold secretly. He further said that a person could get a single number plate laminated for Rs150-200 in parts of Chauburji, Township and Johar Town.

    According to a PSCA official, the tactics used by the people to hide their number plates are creating a hurdle in penalising traffic violators. The official said that the authority can only catch such people when they are on a surveillance operation, otherwise, it is the responsibility of the traffic police and the ET&NC Department to prevent this from happening.

    The report quoted an ET&NC official as saying that the department was not entertaining complaints related to computerised plates as their role was to only issue them besides helping in the enforcement of its display. “Chapter 8 of the Motor Vehicle Ordinance mandates cops to keep a check on improper and tampered number plates.”

    Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Captain (r) Syed Hammad Abid, on the other hand, said that the traffic police were penalising people whose number plates were found to be fake, tampered or laminated. “We have penalised 64,283 persons for driving without registered number plates and 76,655 for having improper ones.”