Blog

  • Musharraf’s exit: ‘PML-N was powerless after Raheel Sharif’s recommendation’

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Pervaiz Rashid has said that former military ruler General (r) Pervez Musharraf, who was recently sentenced to death in abstentia for treason, “was allowed to go abroad for medical treatment on the recommendation of then army chief Raheel Sharif”, and the government stood “powerless”.

    “We [the PML-N government] didn’t have the power to stop him,” said the former information minister, who was sacked in 2016 following the Dawn Leaks fiasco that revealed the details of a high level civil-military meeting discussing the issue of Pakistan’s banned outfits.

    Speaking to a private media outlet, Rasheed has also claimed that Gen (r) Raheel Sharif wanted an extension in his tenure as the army chief, but the then government of prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif refused it.

    However, a former army general rejected Rasheed’s claims that the PML-N had turned down Gen (r) Raheel’s request for an extension in his tenure. “In fact, the PML-N government had offered to give Gen (r) Raheel a promotion by making him a field marshal,” Lt Gen (r) Amjad Shoaib said while speaking to the TV channel.

    He added that Shehbaz Sharif and then interior minister Chaudhry Nisar wanted to give Gen (r) Raheel an extension in his tenure as the army chief. Shoaib said that Raheel had announced 10 months before his retirement that he would not take extension.

    “Raheel Sharif had an offer from Saudi Arabia,” the former military official said.

    In 2015, Saudi Arabia announced that it would form a new Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition force. Gen (r) Raheel Sharif was appointed the alliance’s chief in January 2017, months after his retirement as the army chief.

  • Humayun Saeed, Shaan, Humaima Malick defend Mahira Khan after troll swears at her

    Humayun Saeed, Shaan, Humaima Malick defend Mahira Khan after troll swears at her

    The decade is drawing to a close and people still think slut-shaming is okay.

    Recently, a Twitter user resorted to name-calling Mahira Khan after she tweeted about the Musharraf verdict.

    https://twitter.com/MomalFayax/status/1207643435248828418?s=20

    Mahira instantly clapped back with a savage response.

    Following this, industry veterans including Humayun Saeed, Shaan and Humaima Malick jumped in to defend Mahira.

    Humayun Saeed, who also included Mehwish Hayat in the coversation, asserted that a nation can’t progress “until we learn to respect our women and treat them with dignity.”

    Mehwish Hayat thanked Humayun for standing up for them.

    Shaan remarked that Mahira has earned her respect through nothing else but sheer hard work.

    Meanwhile, Humaima Malick gave the troll a hard-hitting response.

  • Karachi to get its first street library on Quaid’s birthday

    Karachi to get its first street library on Quaid’s birthday

    The Sindh government has decided to open a street library to promote literature on December 25, marking the birthday of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

    The government has taken a new step to support education by developing a roadside street library near Metropole that would be inaugurated on December 25.

    As per reports, the library will operate on the ‘take a book and leave a book’ basis. Commissioner Karachi shared that the idea behind this first street library of the city is to encourage the practice of book reading among people.

    The Karachi Commissioner’s Office has decorated the wall surrounding the Metropole building with portraits of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, his sister Fatima Jinnah, and poet Allama Iqbal. Wooden bookshelves have also been installed between the portraits.

    Plans to upgrade other public libraries in different districts of the city are also underway.

  • ‘No lenient view permitted’: BZU teacher sentenced to death for ‘blasphemy’

    ‘No lenient view permitted’: BZU teacher sentenced to death for ‘blasphemy’

    A former university lecturer in Multan, who was booked on blasphemy charges and arrested by police on March 13, 2013, was on Saturday sentenced to death by a district and sessions court, Dawn reported.

    Formerly a visiting lecturer at the Department of English Literature of the Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU), Multan, Junaid Hafeez, according to Amnesty International, was charged with blasphemy over Facebook uploads.

    He was also in the process of getting a graduate degree in English Literature when he had been accused of blasphemy and arrested. The trial of the case had started in 2014.

    On Saturday, Additional Sessions Judge Kashif Qayyum sentenced Hafeez to death and imposed a Rs0.5 million fine under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC); in case of default he will undergo further imprisonment of six months.

    He was also sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 295-B, and 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000 under Section 295-A of the PPC.

    According to the court’s short judgement, “All the sentences shall run consecutively and the accused would not be entitled to the benefit of Section 382-B CrPC because in case of blasphemer, this court has got no circumstance for taking [a] lenient view and it is also not permitted in Islam.”

    Under Section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code, the period of detention of a prisoner has to be considered in the prison term when a person is convicted by a trial court.

    Hafeez has been lodged in the high-security ward number 2 of New Central Jail Multan.

    His previous lawyer, Rashid Rehman, was shot dead in May 2014 in his office.

    Hafeez’s parents had earlier this year appealed to former chief justice Asif Saeed Khosa to look into their son’s case. They sought justice for their son, fearing for his mental and physical health.

    They had said their son had been languishing in solitary confinement in a cell of the Central Jail, Multan, for the last six years on the false charge of blasphemy.

    “Due to transfer of many judges, delaying tactics of prosecution witnesses, and difficulties finding adequate legal counsel for the defence because of the sensitive nature of the case, our son continues to await justice in a fabricated case,” Junaid’s parents had said in a written appeal to the chief justice.

    Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive issue in Pakistan, with even unproven allegations often prompting mob violence. Anyone convicted, or even just accused, of insulting Islam, risks a violent and bloody death at the hands of vigilantes.

    Rights groups have said the blasphemy laws are routinely abused to seek vengeance and settle personal scores.

  • The Current Quiz: Which chief justice of Pakistan are you?

    The Current Quiz: Which chief justice of Pakistan are you?

    With Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khan Khosa retiring and Justice Gulzar Ahmed being sworn in as the new top judge, The Current brings for you a personality quiz to find out which of the most popular CJPs are you.

    Edit quiz
  • Weekend events in your city

    Weekend events in your city

    Lahore

    Rooftop Family Fest

    Date and Time: Dec 20 at 3 PM – Dec 22 at 12 AM

    Venue: Fortress Stadium

    Musical Fest

    Date: 21st Dec

    Time: 06:30 PM – 11:30 PM

    Venue: Nishat Hotel.

    Islamabad:

    Rawalpindi Food Festival

    Date and Time: Dec 20 at 4 PM – Dec 22 at 7 PM

    Venue: Ayub Park

    Winter Fiesta

    Date: 21st Dec

    Time: 12PM – 10PM

    Venue: Awan E Quaid Mehran Gate F9 Park

    Karachi:

    Christmas Extravaganza at the Library

    Date: 22nd Dec

    Time: 2PM – 3PM

    Venue: British Council, Karachi

    Family Dinner Cruise 

    Date: 21st Dec

    Time: 5:30 – 9:30 PM

    Venue: 2nd Commercial Lane, Zamzama Commercial Area, Building 1/C

  • Report reveals more than 11m Pakistanis went overseas for employment since 1971

    Report reveals more than 11m Pakistanis went overseas for employment since 1971

    More than 11 million Pakistanis have left Pakistan since 1971 to pursue employment opportunities in different parts of the world. 4.2 million of the 11 million were labourers.

    According to a report by the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment, 11,052,663 workers registered for overseas employment with the bureau between 1971 and November 2019.

    While labourers topped the list, drivers came at number two with 1.3m people leaving the country to become drivers.

    Meanwhile, the profession that saw the least amount of workforce export was that of photographers, with only 1,949 leaving the country for overseas employment.

    Of the 11m manpower exports, 4.7m has been categorised as ‘skilled’ and 4.6m as ‘unskilled’.

    Saudi Arabia has been the most popular destination among Pakistani workers seeking employment opportunities. The report says 5.4m Pakistanis registered as employees in the kingdom since 1971. Saudi Arabia also took in the most number of Pakistanis in 2019, with the figure standing at 294,156.

    United Arab Emirates is second on the list with 3.8m Pakistanis working there while Oman (793,454) comes at number three.

  • 10 must-read books from 2019

    10 must-read books from 2019

    With the winter chills settling in, all we want to do is snuggle in front of the heater and possibly read a good book. Kamila Habib of My Bookshelf Pk rounds up this year’s must-read books:

    10. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

    What a brilliant debut novel. A heart-warming yet disturbing story of a young girl alone and abandoned, raising herself in the marshes of middle America. This story shows us the best and worst of humanity and is not to be missed.

    9. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

    The facts in this book were so extraordinary that for a while I couldn’t believe it was non-fiction. Every person needs to read this to learn important life lessons. The take away from this profound story is that no matter what the circumstances, the human spirit can conquer all.

    8. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

    Why would a seemingly normal, highly successful artist shoot her husband for no good reason? This riveting mystery is definitely one of the better thrillers to release in recent times. The fact that it would make a great movie just adds to the attraction.

    7. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

    This 2019 Man Booker winner follows twelve women as they navigate through their lives. It touches upon important subjects such as politics, feminism, cultural identity and orientation. This is definitely a very important novel for our time.

    6. 10 minutes 38 seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

    This Booker Prize nominee delves into a myriad of relevant topics especially relating to countries where there is a tussle between religious fundamentalism and western perspectives I think this novel is timeless as well as timely.

    5. The Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

    This mystery, fantasy novel explores darker themes of the occult and ghost stories. A homicide survivor tries to navigate an Ivy League school while battling her literal demons. A spooky novel is a must, every once in a while.

    4. Becoming by Michelle Obama

    This celebrated memoir of former American first lady is an easy, heart-warming read. The take away from this narrative is that hard work and persistence overcome even the most abject of odds. For me the stand out was definitely Michelle’s mother as the poised, patient parent. We could all learn some parenting tips from her.

    3. Normal People by Sally Rooney

    I love divisive books even if I personally dislike them. This book definitely falls within this category by evoking extreme reactions within the reading community. You have to read it to decide which side you are on.

    2. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

    This Young Adult book is definitely a must read. Sometimes stepping away from one’s usual genre is a struggle but a necessity. This is a simple yet relevant story about a young girl from a poor side of town trying to make her dreams a reality despite numerous odds.

    1. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

    This Booker Prize winner picks up from where The Handmaids Tale left off. Gilead is as stringent and suffocating as ever, yet the powers that be, can never quite quell the strength of the human spirit and the will to survive. If you are into dystopian/feminist fiction this is definitely the book for you.

  • Group arrested for extracting oil from lizards

    Group arrested for extracting oil from lizards

    10 people were arrested for alleged animal trafficking after 500 lizards, used for making aphrodisiac oil, were seized by the Rawalpindi Wildlife Department.

    As per reports, the Rawalpindi District Wildlife Officer (DWO) Rizwana Aziz with Wildlife Inspector Amjad Abbasi and a team conducted raids on Saddar road after several public complaints were registered regarding the banned practice of extracting oil from lizards.

    Apart from the lizards, the team also detained stoves, gas cylinders, frying pans and other equipment that was used to extract oil from their body.

    The suspects were later presented before Civil Judge Sameera Alamgir, who sent them to the Adiala jail on judicial remand. The court also asked the wildlife department to present a charge-sheet against all suspects on January 1. Meanwhile, the wildlife department has said that all recovered reptiles will be set free in the forest.

  • Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy collaborates with Kamal Khan for series on the Partition

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy collaborates with Kamal Khan for series on the Partition

    Oscar-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s production house SOC Films has launched a new series HOME1947 based on the Partition.

    According to a press release, the HOME1947 Series is a deeply personal exploration of the lives and stories of the millions that were displaced in 1947 during the creation of two new independent states, India and Pakistan.

    “HOME1947 is a series of 7 short films conceptualised and produced by SOC Films, which recreate the long-lost sights and sounds of what millions once called home and explores this world not through the words of historians and politicians, but through the eyes of those who lived through it,” read the official press release.

    The series kickstarted with the release of a short-film titled Beila, directed by the critically acclaimed and award winning director Kamal Khan of Laal Kabootar fame.

    Beila chronicles the journey of a mother singing her baby to sleep on a crowded train in the chaos of 1947 heading towards an unfamiliar destination. The short film starres Faiza Gillani in the lead, who reportedly sang the song live on set in a one take performance.

    The HOME1947 Series first premiered as part of the HOME1947 Exhibition at the Manchester International Festival in the UK followed by exhibitions in Mumbai, Lahore and Karachi. It has been co-commissioned by the British Council in Pakistan in collaboration with the Manchester International Festival and Super Slow Way.