Former finance minister Asad Umar has reportedly refused to comment on the financial bailout package by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying he doesn’t have anything to do with it anymore.
“Ask me about samosa and pakora prices instead,” he said when questioned about the IMF programme during a recent media interaction.
The former minister said he was no longer a part of the government and was only a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member. “So whatever is happening, ask about it from advisers and ministers concerned,” he added.
“What does it have to do with me now?”
Pakistan and the IMF on Sunday reached an agreement under which the global lender would provide $6 billion to Islamabad over a period of three years. The loan is to help the country make its way out of the prevailing economic crisis.
Umar had played an important role in negotiating the deal as the finance minister. However, on April 18, he had announced to quit his portfolio after being told to do so by Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.
Leg-spinner Shadab Khan has been declared fit to play the forthcoming World Cup after latest test revealed zero viral load in his blood.
According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Khan will leave for London on May 16, where he will meet Dr Patrick Kennedy on May 17, before joining the national team in Briston on May 20.
His appearance in warm-up matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, however, will be subjected to team management’s decision and his fitness.
Shadab himself also shared the news on his Twitter account.
I am glad to announce that I will be fit for the @cricketworldcup and will be joining the Pakistan team in England soon. Thank you @TheRealPCB, my family, my friends and my supporters for being by my side during this tough time. Keep me in your prayers. #PakistanZindabad
Khan had earlier been ruled out of the ongoing One Day International (ODI) series against England due to illness. “Tests revealed a virus that will require treatment and rest for, at least, four weeks,” PCB had said in a statement.
We are already a few days into Ramazan and while we’ve gotten better at fasting, the slow, sluggish afternoons counting down to aftari are still there. Here are some feel-good dramas you can watch on Youtube while you wait to break your fast.
Suno Chanda 2
Suno Chanda is more of a post-iftar fix than a pre-iftar one. It is the perfect end to a long day of fasting. The show, now in its second season (a first for a Pakistani drama) is a comedy-drama about a joint family with such relatable situations and dialogues that you have laughing fits by the end of the show. The first episode of the second season has almost 3 million hits in just two days, while the second one had more than 1 million.
If you haven’t watched the first season, now is the time to jump the bandwagon.
Dolly Darling
The sitcom which airs on Har Pal Geo is centred on the shenanigans of a married couple. Starring Nadia Khan and Aijaz Aslam in the lead, the show has tons of drama and overacting. Its a good show for time-pass.
Aunn Zaara
Though Aunn Zaara is several years old, the theme of the show is so relevant that one should definitely watch it if they haven’t and watch it again if they have. The show follows a young couple and the “privileged” problems they face while adjusting with each other and their families. Aunn Zaara is also a comedy-drama which will have you laughing throughout. Plus Osman Khalid Butt and Maya Ali’s chemistry is really lit. If you liked Suno Chanda, chances are you will love this too.
An afterthought: As I was searching for easy, feel-good shows to add to this list, I realised that the Pakistani drama industry really doesn’t have much to offer in this genre. Most of the shows are either romantic dramas or they have a social message attached to it. So basically if you’re in the mood to watch something light, Netflix will probably be your best bet. Or game shows, if reality TV is your thing.
The Senate has passed a resolution to allow aspirants of Central Superior Services (CSS) to take their examinations in Urdu alongside English.
The resolution, passed on Monday with majority, was moved by
Jamaate Islami (JI) Senator Sirajul Haq.
In defence of his resolution, the JI chief said that Article 251 of the Constitution clearly directed to implement Urdu as the official language, however, it could not have been executed even after 45 years.
Taking the floor, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said if the decision was implemented in haste, the drop out percentage in the exams would increase.
“Students should be given an option to attempt the exams in their
preferred language,” he added while assuring the upper house of implementation.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sassui Palijo, on the
other hand, opposed the resolution and said English was an international
language.
“Countries like China, France and Germany, who were so concerned about their languages, are also promoting English to prepare their people to compete at the international level,” she added.
Palijo further said that it would not be wise to “confine talents
to Urdu language”.
Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry
has revealed that he was earning way more as a television anchor and by practicing
law in the past than at present as a minister.
“A minister’s salary is Rs345,000, out of which the house rent is Rs90,000. We are paid Rs255,000 after that,” he tweeted while replying to a person who had asked him his salary amid massive budget cuts by the government.
Minister ki Tankhaw 3,45,000 hai 90 hazar house rent jata hai so 2 lakh 55 hazar miltay hein https://t.co/1JwJVbDoZz
His salary at present is way less than the one he received as a television anchor for a private media outlet, as a known fact is how stalwarts like Fawad earn in millions while hosting shows.
The same has been confessed by Fawad himself earlier. Speaking to a private media outlet in October 2018, he had said his income as a minister is way less than what he was getting as an anchor.
When asked if he has any regrets after assuming office as a
minister now that he doesn’t get any time to perform other duties, Fawad had said,
“It is true that we have hefty engagements as ministers but our salaries are
also very low.”
A Lahore sessions court on Saturday recorded the statement
of a witness in Ali Zafar’s defamation case against Meesha Shafi, wherein it
was informed that Shafi’s “harassment claims were false”.
As per the details, the court rejected Shafi’s appeal for not
to record the witnesses’ statements as her request was pending in the Supreme
Court (SC). She asked the court to stop the process until the verdict of the
top court was issued.
However, the judge said the hearing would continue and
recorded the statement of one witness, Kanza Muneer.
In her statement, Muneer told the court that during the
rehearsal, at which 11 people were present and videos were made, Zafar and
Shafi maintained five to six feet distance from each other. She said that Shafi
left after saying bye and claimed that her allegations of harassment were
false.
The court then adjourned the hearing with the order that other
witnesses will record their statements on May 18.
Ali Zafar has filed a defamation case against Meesha Shafi
and demanded a public apology as well as Rs2 billion in damages for accusing
him of sexual harassment.
In April 2018, Shafi had taken to Twitter to accuse Zafar of physically harassing her on “more than one occasions”, as part of the #MeToo movement.
Indian cricketer-turned-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Gautam Gambhir, has once again made to headlines after he “used a duplicate to electioneer in his place” as he has a problem with Delhi’s summers heat.
“Have heard about a stunt double in movies, a runner in cricket, but have seen a duplicate in campaign for the first time,” rival Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said in a tweet.
ये कांग्रेस और बीजेपी की महामिलावट है. गौतम गम्भीर ए.सी. गाड़ी में नीचे बैठे है. उन्हें धूप में समस्या है. उनकी जगह उनका हमशक्ल कैंप लगाकर खड़ा है. कार्यकर्ता ‘डुप्लीकेट’ को गौतम गम्भीर समझकर माला पहना रहे हैं. और जो डुप्लीकेट है वो असल में कांग्रेसी नेता है. https://t.co/bT0k0QYVSG
Tweeting the pictures, the AAP leader also claimed that the alleged impersonator is a Congress worker and not the retired cricketer.
Gambhir had also made headlines earlier this week after former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi had slammed him, saying Gambhir is “someone who has no personality and has a lot of attitude”.
“Some rivalries were personal, some professional. First the curious case of Gambhir. Oh, poor Gautam. He and his attitude problem. He has no personality. He who is barely a character in the great scheme of cricket. He who has no great records just a lot of attitude,” Afridi had said in his memoir “Game Changer”.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. While you don’t really need a day to appreciate your mother, it is that one day of the year when the whole world comes together to celebrate the blessing that is a mother. Some of you might have prepared in advance for what to give your Mom, but most of us are just sitting here and thinking “Damn, I thought I’d be better prepared this year.” But fear not, The Current has got your back. We’ve prepared an exciting list of things you can gift your Mom on this special day and put a smile on her face.
Flowers
Finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift can be tricky if you’re on a budget. In that case, how can you tell her how much she means to you without breaking the bank? Don’t stress yet! You can buy her a beautiful bouquet which will not only brighten up her room but her mood as well.
Take her out for Iftari
Our mothers are usually the ones who ensure that the table is laid out with our favourite food on aftar every day for. So how about you turn the tables around this time and take her out for a fancy aftari to her favourite restaurant? Tell her to dress up and wear her favourite lawn jora for this aftar date. This way you not only get her to relax for a few hours, but you also get to spend some quality time with her, minus the madness.
Make Iftar for her
Alternately, if your Mom is the sort of person who likes to stay at home, then its time to put on the apron and cook a meal for your Mom. And don’t forget to clean up the mess you make.
Book her a massage
Moms deserve a luxurious break given all the work they do for us. We all know she rarely treats herself, so do it for her. Book a massage for her and make her feel relaxed.
In Lahore, our go-to place for a massage is Arammish, while in Islamabad we love Nirvana. In Karachi, Pengs has to be our favourite.
Shopping Spree
How often do Moms indulge in themselves? Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to get your Mom that jora she has been eyeing. It’ll be great given that Eid is also coming up.
Turn
on the TV
Mother’s day does not have to be about spending money on gifts and dinners. You can also make her feel special by planning a movie night in and watching her favorite movie. Get some popcorn, snacks and drinks, and watch a movie at home.
An image has been shared multiple times on social media alongside the claim it shows Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi dining with his Pakistani counterpart, Imran Khan.
The claim is false as PM Imran’s photo has been doctored to make it appear as though Modi is sitting beside him, reported AFP Fact Check, a blog that focuses on fact-checking in response to the multiplication of disinformation online.
The post’s Hindi language caption translates to English as:
“The one with the green cap looks a little familiar.”
Meanwhile, another picture breaking the internet showed Indian National Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in Modi’s place.
The Hindi language caption of that image translates to
English as: “Who is this eating chicken biryani beside Miya Imran? Now the
people will judge. This is Pappu’s condition.”
Miya is an honorific for Muslim males, while Rahul Gandhi is
often referred to as “Pappu” – which means “fool” or
“simpleton” in Hindi – by supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP).
A reverse image search on Google found the image was doctored from this photo, which was posted on Twitter on July 5, 2015. The photo shows PM Imran dining with his then-wife Reham Khan.
Modi’s BJP has been accusing the Congress of playing for Pakistan.
It has even claimed that Islamabad “wants to fix the polling results in favour
of Congress”.
Things, however, took an unexpected turn after PM Imran said
there was better chance of peace between the neighbouring countries if
hardliner BJP was elected to power.
The statement was not very well received by a majority of
people right before the general polls in world’s largest democracy. Congress said
Pakistan had “now officially allied” with Modi and voting for him was “a vote
for Imran Khan”.
Seeking votes in national defence’s name and aggression towards Pakistan ahead of elections is not new to Indian politicians. The outcome of the 2019 general polls will also give a verdict on Modi’s hyper-Hindu nationalism that raised his nationalist BJP to power in 2014.
A video of Ajax football club player’s on-field Iftar from Wednesday has gone viral.
In the video, defender Noussair Mazraoui can be seen breaking his fast while playing the Champions League semi-final against Tottenham.
The Dutch-born Moroccan professional footballer was fasting for Ramzan and had to wait until the 24th minute of the game before refueling.
WATCH VIDEO:
Ajax lost to Tottenham 2-3 in an astonishing comeback for the north Londoners.
Lucas Moura scored a dramatic last-minute winner to send Tottenham into the final for the first time in its history. The win being secured in Amsterdam — Ajax’s home — was termed as “the cherry on top” by Twitterati.
