Tag: Facebook

  • Here’s why cricketer Imam ul Haq’s parents don’t go to his matches

    Here’s why cricketer Imam ul Haq’s parents don’t go to his matches

    Pakistani cricketer Imam-ul-Haq recently went on Daniyal Sheikh’s podcast where he made a heart breaking confession about his family. He said that consistent taunts by spectators during matches has prevented his family members from watching him play live at stadiums.

    The cricket star made his ODI debut in 2017 in Abu Dhabi in a match against Sri Lanka. At the time, his uncle Inzamam-ul-Haq, a former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, was the team’s chief selector. Imam’s selection sparked controversy, leading to fans of the sport taunting the player with the term ‘parchi’.

    Reflecting on the bullying comments during the podcast, Imam said during the early years of his career, people used to approach him at restaurants to taunt him with ‘parchi’

    “During 2017-2020 when I used to go to dinner with my family, people would approach me and call me ‘parchi’ to my face,” he said.

    Imam went on to explain that because of these taunts, to this day, his parents have never watched him play in cricket stadiums:

    “They really want to come and watch me play, but I’m just scared- this is the first time I’m talking about this. But when I’m standing on the boundary, I don’t want my mother to listen to the taunt ‘parchi’ in the stadium. If I was batting and I was out, it wouldn’t matter if I had played better before or not, while going back I would hear taunts of ‘parchi’.”

    Since the clip was shared by cricketandstuff on X, formerly Twitter, social media users have expressed their dismay at how the cricketer has suffered relentless bullying yet manages to remain dedicated to the game.

    Ali Tareen wrote:

    “Heartbreaking to hear such an accomplished player never being able to invite his parents to see him live. Just so he can protect them from hearing their son being abused.”

  • ‘Shaadi kay din hi, I knew something was wrong’: Firdous Ashiq Awan addresses Sania-Shoaib Malik divorce rumors

    Cricketer Shoaib Malik and his wife, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, have been one of the most popular public couples since they tied the knot in 2013. However, in recent months, rumours of the couple contemplating divorce have picked up pace. Previously, the rumor mill went into hyperdrive when Shoaib Malik removed Sania Mirza’s name from his Instagram bio, and now politician Firdous Ashiq Awan has added fuel to the fire.

    In a recent appearance on the show ‘Hasna Mana Hai’, the former Information Minister, who had attended the couple’s lavish wedding in Hyderabad, said that at the reception she got a gut feeling that the marriage won’t work out.

    Awan said that on the day she, along with the family, arrived in Hyderabad to meet Sania’s family, she had whispered in Shoaib’s ear “Puttar, bara bura phas gaya hai. [Son, you are badly stuck ]”

    Awan said her intuition was based on the situation she saw. Although the two had a love marriage, and had tried to make their marriage work by deciding to live in Dubai rather than Pakistan or India. But Awan said what she witnessed during the wedding made her realise the marriage won’t work.

    “Jab tak mohabbat ka bhoot sawar hai,” the politician joked. “Ye chalay ga.”

    The couple have not made any public announcements about separation or divorce, and are currently hosting ‘The Mirza Malik show’ on Express Entertainment.

  • Six universities are now offering courses on Taylor Swift

    Six universities are now offering courses on Taylor Swift

    ‘Well they didn’t teach you that in prep school so it’s up to me!”

    Looks like Taylor Swift has decided to take this lyric literally and influenced more than six universities across America, including NYU and Stanford, are introducing courses revolving around the pop mastermind and her works, ranging from literature to psychology.

    Arizona State University announced this month that they were offering a course titled “Psychology of Taylor Swift — Advanced Topics of Social Psychology” where the course revolves around connecting various themes from Taylor’s music like revenge, trauma, anxiety- and link it to psychology. PHD student Alexandra Wormey used Swift 2017 album ‘Reputation’ as an example:

    “Taylor’s sixth album, Reputation, is her comeback after disappearing from the spotlight due to conflicts with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. She enacts her revenge on them — and the broader media landscape — by dropping an incredibly successful album along with a stadium tour,” she explained. “The students know this — but do they know why we like revenge? Do they know how we enact revenge? Social psychology can tell us.”

    This decision to incorporate the singer-songwriter’s ballads into academic life has long started with places like New York University, when in 2022 the Clive Davis Institute introduced their first ever course on Taylor Swift, which will explore her evolution as a songstress, country, pop and indie legend, as well discourses surrounding girlhood, sexism and trauma from her work. The course is three months long, and Swift had also been invited as a guest speaker.

    In August 2022, University of Texas at Austin introduced “Literary Contests and Contexts — The Taylor Swift Songbook”, where the 12 time Grammy award winning’s music would be studied alongside the masters of literature like Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath.

    There are courses dedicated to dissecting some of her most critically acclaimed songs like ‘All Too Well’ (10 minute version) which Taylor had released on Red (Taylor’s Version). Stanford University announced the set up of their winter quarter course ‘All Too Well (10 week version)’ which would revolve around an in-depth analysis of Taylor’s hit.

    Berkley College of Music recently announced that the students could opt for a course that requires them to study the songs written by Taylor Swift and dissect each album and the themes it revolved around.

    And it’s not just the US now which is offering Taylor Swift courses now! Ghent University in Belgium called ‘Literature: Taylor’s Version’ which, according to the instructor Elly McCausland, would delve into how the ‘Anti Hero’ singer incoporates some of the most prominent writers of English literture like Jane Austen, Shakespeare or even Charlotte Bronte into her works.

    “The way she uses the war, like a metaphor for a relationship, made me a bit uncomfortable and it got me thinking about Sylvia Plath’s poem Daddy, which does a similar thing and also it’s very uncomfortable reading,” the academic said speaking to AFP. “Literature (Taylor’s Version)”, is a way to make literature “more accessible” and “not to create a Swift fan club”.

  • Islamabad police takes action against online propagandists

    Islamabad police takes action against online propagandists

    A spokesperson for Inspector General of Islamabad police, Dr. Akbar Nasir Khan, has said that the process of countering hate-mongering content and pages online that instigate conflicts in the capital city has been sped up. The action comes under the structure of the Violent Extremism Prevention Unit (VEPU) in order to prevent propaganda aimed against the state and its institutions.

    It has been claimed that more than 700 social media accounts, extensively investigated across Twitter, Facebook, and other media platforms, are unfurling religious hatred and terrorism. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been asked to shut down such accounts and so far, more than 200 have been suspended.

    The IGP is adamant to objectively curb extremism and VEPU has been prompt in taking measures against propagandists.

    Violent Extremism Prevention Unit (VEPU) was inaugurated earlier this year in February by Director General National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) Muhammad Tahir Rai along with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad at Safe City Islamabad. The mission of the unit is to “monitor the political, linguistic, sectarian and religious extremist content on social media and websites and submit its report” supervised by SP.

    The police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) are to work together to fulfil the goal. Apart from identifying the suspects online, the goal is also to hold them accountable. Additionally, communication experts are included and recommendations for legislation are to be made as well.

  • Zoya Akhtar responds to backlash over Muslim representation in her films

    Zoya Akhtar responds to backlash over Muslim representation in her films

    Zoya Akhtar has been long criticised by social media users for the manner in which Muslims are represented in her films and dramas. The critically acclaimed series ‘Made In Heaven’, airing on Amazon Prime, prompted several users to criticise the director, who is the sister of actor Farhan Akhtar and daughter of Javed Akhtar, for episode 6. The criticism focused on the aspect that only polygamy marriages among Muslims are depicted rather the oppression or violence the community suffers from in India. The episode focuses on a woman Shehnaz, who attempts to kill herself after her husband gets married for the second time.

    On Instagram, Zoya finally responded by responding to a commentator who asked her to show positive Muslim characters, and stop relying on regressive stereotypes.

    The ‘Dil Dhadhakne Do’ director answered by listing several films where she had Muslim characters like Gully Boy, ‘Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara’, ‘Luck By Chance’:

    “Zaffar Khan and Tanveer in Luck By Chance. Imran and Laila in ZNMD. Farah Ali in Dil Dhadakne Do. Practically everyone in Gully Boy. Sarfaraz Khan and Leila Shirazi, Kabir, Faiza and Nawab have in Made In Heaven.”

  • Punjab Police says officer seen beating journalist is mentally ill, receiving treatment

    Punjab Police says officer seen beating journalist is mentally ill, receiving treatment

    Punjab Police have said in an official statement that their constable filmed beating a journalist, is mentally ill.

    The video shows a police officer on a motorcycle being stopped by a journalist and questioned about the missing number plate of his vehicle. Upon confrontation, the policeman slaps the journalist. Later, he hits out at other people who tried to stop the feud. The video stoked outrage on social media, with many users condemning the brutality displayed by the officer and demanding that strict action be taken.

    Punjab Police have released a statement on their Twitter account, while Inspector General Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar has also addressed the violent feud, saying that the police officer in question is a constable who is mentally ill, and is currently being provided treatment.

    The constable has also been taking absences from his work, the police have said.

    The IGP went on to talk about the launch of an initiative that involves psychosocial profiles of 200 police officers across the province, reassuring constables that the purpose of these measurements was to ensure that they were all screened against 10 conditions and that it will provide counselling and treatment to affected employees.

  • A Twitter user asked 26 y/o’s about the advice they would give to those in early twenties, and people had the best responses

    A Twitter user asked 26 y/o’s about the advice they would give to those in early twenties, and people had the best responses

    What advice would you give to someone in their early twenties? This was the question posed by twitter user @1ov1bri when she asked her followers about all the things they had learned too late- whether it was about life, career or love. And Twitter users had some amazing replies.

    A user said that the best lesson to learn is on how to be alone so that later in life you don’t invite people in who don’t deserve it.

    Another user said it’s never shameful to feel like you’re behind in life, because everyone works on their own progress.

    On careers, some users said it is better to question misbehavior at the workplace rather than stay silent and endure it.

    Another woman said its better to be absolutely certain about following a hard career like medicine.

    https://twitter.com/aishahbg/status/1691867199214866927?s=20
  • If Batman was set in Karachi: Pakistani artist’s rendition is wow

    If Batman was set in Karachi: Pakistani artist’s rendition is wow

    We’ve seen how creative Pakistani artists can get. Every few weeks some art form or the other goes viral. Recently, a viral Tiktok trend re-imagined how Wes Anderson films would look if they’re set in Pakistan, enamoring thousands of people. Now, a Pakistani artist who goes by the name Booray on Instagram, imagined how Batman would shape out if he was in Karachi instead of Gotham.

    The results are astounding.

    Christian Bale? Nah, Fawad Khan would play Bruce Wayne to a T.

    And for his seductive lover/enemy Cat Woman, Mahira Khan would indeed put in a show-stopping performance.

    Since the artwork went viral on Twitter, thousands are already hoping that after the success of Maula Jatt, the powerful duo are cast in the film, if it ever gets made.

  • ‘While we were dating, Ranbir told me not to wear lipstick’: Alia’s Vogue interview sparks outrage

    ‘While we were dating, Ranbir told me not to wear lipstick’: Alia’s Vogue interview sparks outrage

    Alia Bhatt’s recent Beauty Secrets interview with Vogue has gone viral, but for all the wrong reasons. A clip from the interview has sparked backlash, in which the actress reveals that while she was dating her now husband, Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, he didn’t allow her to wear lipstick when they were going out.

    “When we used to go out at night he would say ‘Wipe that off’”, the actress commented.

    It should be good to mention here that there is a 10-year age gap between the two. Alia was 17 years old when she began working on ‘Student Of The Year’ when Ranbir dropped by on set, and joked to director Karan Johar about whether he should marry her.

    Since the clip went viral on Twitter, users have expressed outrage on Ranbir’s relationship with his wife. A few months ago, the actor was slammed for body shaming Alia during a livestream, while she was pregnant with their daughter Raha. Then, he was criticized for saying that he hopes Raha doesn’t have Alia’s personality, because “she talks quite loud and is vivacious.”

    READ MORE: Ranbir Kapoor under fire once more after comment on Alia Bhatt goes viral

    “I would dump his a**,” one user commented.

    Many users pointed out how Ranbir Kapoor has qualities similar to a toxic boyfriend, as one user put it:

    “Ranbir is one of those toxic men who finally settle with much younger women they can easily manipulate. she might be happy doing whatever he wants but it’s still a sad situation esp with her background.”

    https://twitter.com/rubypinkpark/status/1691663918530535450?s=20
  • Barbie is the first billion dollar film to be made by a female director

    Barbie is the first billion dollar film to be made by a female director

    Life in plastic is fantastic!

    As if leading a pink wave around the world wasn’t enough, cashing in a billion dollars from your first month in cinemas alone would be perfect. Warner Bros Pictures announced on Sunday that the Greta Gerwig directed film has broken records to make more than $1 billion dollars at the global box office, making Gerwig the first female director to accomplish this. The studio revealed that the movie took $459 million from North American theatres, and an extra $572 million from overseas screening, making a total of $1.0315 bn. Their final figures were confirmed by the media analytics firm Comscore:

    “As distribution chiefs, we’re not often rendered speechless by a film’s performance, but Barbillion has blown even our most optimistic predictions out of the water,” said Jeff Goldstein and Andrew Cripps, who oversee domestic and international distribution for the studio.

    The film, which was written and directed by the Oscar-nominated Greta Gerwig, stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling in leading roles, as Barbie travels from her fantasy world to the real world in an attempt to understand the recent unravelings happening to her.

    Oppenheimer, meanwhile, has officially become the highest grossing World War II film ever made, by crossing the $550 million mark at the global box office.