Tag: controversy

  • McDonald’s Pakistan donates Rs1 crore to aid Gaza victims via Edhi Foundation

    McDonald’s Pakistan donates Rs1 crore to aid Gaza victims via Edhi Foundation

    McDonald’s Pakistan has officially announced a donation of Rs1 crore to provide support to Gaza victims through the Edhi Foundation. This announcement was made via the company’s official social media account on X (formerly known as Twitter).

    This philanthropic effort arises amidst a global controversy surrounding McDonald’s due to allegations of indirectly supplying free meals to the Israeli occupation army. In response, McDonald’s Pakistan, in an official statement, clarified its stance by emphasising that it is an independently operated entity with no connections to McDonald’s Israel.

    The company reiterated its commitment to addressing the urgent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, underscoring its dedication to assisting those impacted by the ongoing conflict in the region. However, it’s important to note that this act of goodwill also sheds light on the broader controversy surrounding McDonald’s, as its involvement in providing complimentary meals to the Israeli occupation army has triggered global protests and boycott movements.

    Numerous McDonald’s branches in different countries have taken swift measures to distance themselves from the actions of the Israeli branch, asserting that the Israeli branch’s actions do not represent their own positions. This announcement may be an attempt to mitigate the backlash from some Pakistanis who criticised the food chain for its perceived support of Israel. Whether these events have impacted McDonald’s Pakistan’s sales remains uncertain at this time.

  • ‘Reading Namaz in front of Indians’; Rizwan targeted by same lawyer who harassed Zainab Abbas

    ‘Reading Namaz in front of Indians’; Rizwan targeted by same lawyer who harassed Zainab Abbas

    Indian lawyer, Vineet Jindal, who had previously filed a case against sports presenter Zainab Abbas, resulting in her leaving India under security threats, has now turned his proverbial guns on Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Rizwan.  

    Jindal has written a complaint against Rizwan to Greg Barclay, the head of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for offering prayers on the field.  

    He goes on to write that the act of Namaz raises “questions about the spirit of the match and ideology”, since it was said in a “field amid many Indians.” 

    He also writes that Rizwan offering prayers among Indians is “symbolic” of the “intentional depiction of his religion.” 

    Users on social media are in a state of shock with some suggesting that ‘it seems to shock Jindal that Rizwan is, indeed, a Muslim’.  

    https://twitter.com/salmank11727912/status/1713418526650974243?s=48&t=rOeCbdRYErknX-iusAjnIQ

    Jindal continues to criticise Rizwan for dedicating his win to the people of Gaza, saying that dedication was against the ideology of India. His criticism seems unwarranted since the ICC, when responding to a similar comment by an Indian journalist said that Rizwan’s tweet about Gaza was his right since posting his opinion on social media did not fall under the rules of the game. 

    Netizens are also worried that Jindal seems to assume that Rizwan is Indian and not Pakistani. Why else would he have to follow Indian ideology?  

    He ends his complaint by asking ICC to take action against Rizwan. 

  • Fatima Bhutto has advice for celebs and their ‘hot takes’ on Palestine

    Fatima Bhutto has advice for celebs and their ‘hot takes’ on Palestine

    As the Palestine seige continues to rage on, several celebrities expresses their opinions, however, most of them received backlash. Rapper Talha Anjum and former wife to Imran Khan, Jemima Goldsmith were slammed by social media for releasing statements that were taking a neutral stance.

    Writer and columnist Fatima Bhutto has taken it upon herself to advice celebrities that it’s okay for them to refuse to comment on the Palestine war, because sometimes it’s better to stay silent than bombard others with unverified facts!

    “Will celebrities and their PR teams please stop issuing statements on Palestine? They are incoherent and dishonest. When you have no courage of conviction it shows . There is slaughter taking place,” Bhutto wrote.

    In the next slide, Bhutto shared the irony of whether these celebrities would give the same ‘all side’s matter’ monologue during gruesome sieges including the Warsaw Ghetto or Rwanda.

    “All I can say is thank god these celebs weren’t asked for their solidarity during Jim Crow (they’d find ways to ‘hold space for both sides’), the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Rwanda, the Bosnian war or any other massacres and gross injustices of our times.”

    Yesterday Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai was criticised by social media users for her statement on the Palestine-Israel war, with several users questioning why the Pakistani activist was quick to condemn the Ukrainian war, but not this.

  • Actor Humaima Malick says ‘Aurat Card’ is easily used

    Actor Humaima Malick says ‘Aurat Card’ is easily used

    Is ‘Aurat Card’ even a thing now? Apparently actor Humaima Malick claims it is, implying that it helps women get away with causing trouble.

    The wife of the late controversial television host Amir Liaquat, Bushra Iqbal, was a guest on a recent podcast where she addressed her husband’s leaked video scandal. Bushra said that honour is not just important for a woman, but for a man as well.

     “Honour is not just a woman’s. A man has honour as well. Had this happened to a woman, the entire country would have been out on the street, burning things. But a woman had done this. Men and women are kept equal. God has not kept the level of punishment different in the Quran.”

    The videos were allegedly leaked by the late television host’s third wife Dania Shah, who claimed in May 2022 that she was several beaten and forced to make sexual videos to send to people abroad.

    Read more: Syeda Dania files for divorce from Aamir Liaquat, reveals he takes drugs and does domestic violence

    In the videos, Amir Liaquat could be seen in a compromising state, unclothed as he walks around a room.

    Dania Shah was arrested from her home in December 2022, and later released in 2023 after her lawyer argued that the phone number that had leaked the videos did not belong to the woman.

    Read more: Aamir Liaquat leaked video case: Dania Shah released on bail

    Actress Humaima Malick has backed Bushra Iqbal’s comment by sharing the clip where the widow speaks about honor, and in the caption of her Instagram stories she wrote: “Waqai Aurat Card is too easy, a man is also a human being.”

    We are completely in favor of Bushra Iqbal’s views that no person, whether man or a woman, should be publicly humiliated with their personal videos but Humaima Malick trying to claim that this only happened because the ‘Aurat Card’ exists is extremely disappointing, and proof of how easily women are bunched up in a whole as culprits to blame for the actions of a single person.

    There is no proof that the person responsible for the video leak was a woman. If the ‘Aurat Card’ did exist then more women, like Humaima Malick’s brother’s ex-wife Syeda Aliza, could have benefitted from such a thing as ‘Aurat Card’, because then she wouldn’t have had to suffer from domestic violence during her marriage to Feroze Khan, Humaima’s brother.

    Read more: Syeda Aliza shares heartbreaking evidence of Feroze Khan’s violent attacks on her, Celebrities react

    For an actor to publicly claim the ‘Aurat Card’ exists in a country like Pakistan, where more women are beaten, tortured by family members and very few cases are brought to the light, proves how little it takes to side against all women. Nothing is done for those who are consistently clamoring for justice. It’s incredibly dissapointing to witness such a sexist mindset among women.

  • Free electricity extended to President, judges, and NAB chairman, contrary to PM’s claims

    Free electricity extended to President, judges, and NAB chairman, contrary to PM’s claims

    Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar’s recent statement regarding free electricity for judges in Pakistan has sparked controversy, as it appears to be at odds with existing policies and practices.

    In a recent address, the Prime Minister asserted that only Wapda’s employees, including retirees, are entitled to free electricity, and this privilege is not extended to judges or other officials. However, a closer examination of the facts suggests that the Prime Minister may have been misinformed., according to Geo.

    Contrary to the Prime Minister’s statement, serving judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts in Pakistan enjoy the benefit of having their utility bills, including electricity, covered by the government. This includes both current and retired judges.

    For retired Supreme Court judges, the provision of free electricity extends up to 2000 units per month, while retired High Court judges receive 800 units per month without incurring any charges. The President and Prime Minister, whether in office or after retirement, are also entitled to free utilities, including electricity, without any specified limits.

    It’s worth noting that even former President’s receive a monthly allowance of 2000 units of electricity, with the costs borne by taxpayers’ funds.

    Additionally, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman enjoys similar privileges to those of a Supreme Court judge, which includes the provision of free electricity. However, there is no official confirmation regarding the entitlements of services’ chiefs as claimed by the Prime Minister.

    The President’s Salary, Allowance and Privileges Act of 1975, amended in 2018, specifies in Section 7 that the actual charges for electricity and gas consumption shall be covered each year for the President. Similarly, the President’s Pension Act outlines provisions for electricity, gas, and water supplies.

    The transparency of these policies was underscored in October 2020 when Justice Faez Isa and his wife disclosed their income tax and asset details. These documents clearly indicated that post-retirement benefits for a Supreme Court judge include 2000 units of electricity, 25 HM3 of gas, water, and 300 litres of petrol per month.

    Furthermore, the High Court Judges (Leave, Pension, Privileges) Order of 1997 not only addresses the payment by the government for electricity, gas, and water but also states in Section 28 that retired judges and their spouses are entitled to certain benefits, including 800 units of electricity per month and 25 HM3 of gas per month.

  • ‘Nothing decent to talk about’: Imran Abbas slams talk shows for insulting actors

    ‘Nothing decent to talk about’: Imran Abbas slams talk shows for insulting actors

    Actor Imran Abbas has taken to his Facebook account to discuss how entertainment talk shows have fallen in quality, after a series of controversies surrounding talk shows. The saga begun when model Ekra Faiz said Hania Amir was an overrated actress who was everywhere on television, and a resurfaced clip showed Sadaf Kanwal making demeaning comments about Mahira Khan’s appearance.

    Now, the ‘Tumharay Hussn Kay Naam’ actor has stated that he refuses to go on talk shows anymore because the conversations are focused on criticising one’s appearance, looks or deciding whether they are religious or not.

    “It’s one of the major reasons for me to refuse to go to these talk shows conducted by those fame-deprived hosts, who are known to no one, doesn’t have any claim to fame, and don’t have any acheivements under their belt, who even talk publicly about celebrities’ personal lives and at times about their religious and personal beliefs too and have the audacity to judge people and their work as well without any personal accomplishments of their own and without knowing these celebrities journey’s..”

    The actor urged talk show hosts to stop focusing on mundane, senseless issues that only seek to profit off other people’s misery, and to focus on important issues one can discuss in society:

    “Don’t you have anything decent to talk, any important issue left in our society to discuss and ponder, can’t you sit for a while for something deep and meaningful which needs our focus or anything which is humorous yet not derogatory?”

    Imran also urged other actors to join him in refusing to attend talk shows so that hosts can learn to remember their responsibility to make moral and ethical shows:

    “I request our fellow actors to discourage them by stop being a part of these ‘wanna be funny/ popular talk shows’…Please have some morals and set a precedent since we all have lots of responsibilities when we come on stage even as guests/ hosts.”

    Read his complete post here:

  • The Guardian ranks ‘Joyland’ among best films of 2023

    The Guardian ranks ‘Joyland’ among best films of 2023

    British newspaper Guardian released an article on some of the best films of 2023 so far, ranging from horror to thrillers and animated comedy films like ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”.

    On the 15th place is Pakistani writer and director Saim Sadiq’s debut film ‘Joyland’ which starred Ali Juenjo and transgender model Alina Khan.

    Discussion the significance of the film, the article described it as “a movie about people who find their inner lives and sense of themselves don’t match up to what is expected of them. Their feeling of wrongness is part of what they have to suppress, from day to day.”

    The film, which was banned in Punjab last year just 24 hours after it got a certificate of approval from CBFC, had aired in India in March, receiving positive remarks from watchers who described their experience as ‘magical’:

    One user wrote:

    “Still can’t get over the experience of watching Joyland on big screen. I’ve never seen the crowd get this hyped, laugh and cry together for a movie before, magical experience.”

    Another user wrote:

    “Joyland is fantastic, heartbreaking and beautifully made – the experience of watching it amongst an engaged enthusiastic audience last night at the Habitat center film festival was exhilarating. Also what about this poster by Salman toor!”

  • TikToker Sundal Khattak taken into custody over Hareem Shah nudes case

    TikToker Sundal Khattak taken into custody over Hareem Shah nudes case

    TikToker Sundal Khattak was arrested on Tuesday by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) in a case pertaining to the Hareem Shah nudes leak scandal. An Islamabad court has also rejected her bail. Express Tribune reported that the court also rejected Khattak’s request to arrest Shah for defamation.

    Khattak has rejected claims that she leaked Shah’s videos, accusing the TikTok star of defamation on social media because of which she was receiving death threats from her followers. She was directed by the court to file an application with the local police station on the complaints.

    Hareem Shah’s nudes were leaked on the internet in March. She released a statement on social media saying that it was her close friends who had made these videos and were responsible for the leak, and she was going to take strict action against them. Shah named her close friends, Khattak and Ayesha Naz, as the ones responsible for this leak, as they would spend a lot of time with the TikTok star.

    Shah went on to reveal that she had filed a complaint with the FIA against Naz, but the organisation did not take any action against her, despite her doubts. “Ayesha had also informed my other friends that she will leak my videos,” added Shah. “But I don’t really care about these videos.”

    Speaking to Geo, her husband Bilal said he will not leave his wife in her hour of need, and revealed that he was furious at the actions of Khattak and Naz, as they had been allowed in their home and even shared their rooms

    Bilal said he was horrified that the women would do such a thing to their close friend. He said they had violated and smeared the character of a woman despite being women themselves.

    “In my eyes, they have done a very ungraceful thing,” the husband spoke: “After we land in Pakistan, we will take every legal action which can be taken.”

  • Humayun Saeed is surprised there wasn’t much criticism on THAT kissing scene

    In an interview with Independent Urdu, Humayun Saeed opened up about playing Dr. Hasnat Khan in Season 5 of ‘The Crown’ and talked about the controversial kissing scenes between him and Elizabeth Debicki, which had been slammed by social media users in Pakistan on the double standards male and female actors are subjected to.

    Saeed had played Dr Hasnat Khan, a Pakistani born British heart surgeon who had a romantic relationship with the late Lady Diana from 1995 to 1997, and was described by the Princess as “the love of her life.”

    Addressing the controversy now, Saeed said that he didn’t face extreme public scrutiny like he had expected from Pakistanis:

    “I am well aware that in our society such things aren’t acceptable for us, but my scene and the way we executed it was done in a tasteful manner. And there was not a lot of backlash from Pakistanis on that scene, because it wasn’t like the way they had thought.”

    Previously, Saeed had revealed in the talk show ‘The Fourth Umpire’ that the kissing scene was not real, and it was staged to look like it was real.

    Talking about how he took on the role of Hasnat, who is a private individual and has not publicly discussed his relationship with Diana, Saeed revealed:

    “It was not necessary that I imitate his every single move. While we were shooting for ‘The Crown’, there were two or three options on how we should develop his character. We knew that he was very successful in his career, but in his relationship with Lady Diana he was very shy so we decided to capture that. Maybe in reality he wasn’t that shy in his relationship, but we decided to capture that.”

    Listen to the complete interview here:

  • Ferrari drives into trouble with controversial post featuring Masjid-e-Nabvi

    Ferrari drives into trouble with controversial post featuring Masjid-e-Nabvi

    Ferrari, a prominent supercar manufacturer, faced significant criticism after a social media post promoting its event in Jeddah was received poorly.

    The post included an edited image of a Ferrari model pictured in front of the Masjid-e-Nabwi, a sacred site in Islam, instead of the intended location, Jeddah.

    This post was met with widespread disapproval on various social media platforms, with many individuals accusing the company of insensitivity and disrespect towards the Muslim community.

    Some users even called for a boycott of Ferrari products. It remains unclear whether Ferrari was aware of the importance of the location to the Muslim community or if this was an inadvertent mistake.

    While some social media users made light of the situation by praising the beauty of the site, the majority of the comments were critical.

    Responding to the massive backlash from the Muslim community, Ferrari promptly removed the post from its Twitter and Instagram accounts, as well as deleted the image from its website to prevent further complications.