International public policy and gender reforms specialist Salman Sufi has appealed to the masses to donate for the well-being of hundreds of Punjab Shehre Khamoshan Authority (PSKA) staffers, working unpaid for months.
Lahore’s Shehre Khamoshan Model Graveyard, an initiative of chief minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit (SRU), contains all burial and funeral-related services required by families facing the loss of a loved one.
These include hearse service, janazgah, ghusal and mortuary services, free of cost.
While the project was considered a milestone achieved in facilitating the masses as it aimed to establish cemeteries and crematoriums to facilitate all citizens irrespective of any religious, socio-economic or caste-wise distinctions, it continues to face an uncertain future as its employees remain unpaid amid “lack of funds”.
Continuing to highlight PKSA employees’ ordeal over the past few months, ex-SRU director general (DG) and founder of the project, Salman Sufi, has now appealed for donations for the staff.
Tweeting his video message, Sufi wrote:
My appeal to all friends and foes.
Death is inevitable for all of us. The staff of #ShehreKhamoshan graveyards will be there to help our families when we pass away.
— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) August 9, 2019
In an earlier tweet, he had stated:
Urgent appeal: Friends as you are aware employees of #ShehreKhamoshan graveyards are without salary since months. As govt isnt stepping in, We are collecting donations so they can spend #Eid. Plz donate whatever you can in following account. 50267900213003 Bank: HBL Shahzeb Naeem pic.twitter.com/1pMuK6vEsR
— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) August 9, 2019
“The government is not stepping in to solve the issue, therefore we are [now] collecting donations from people,” he tweeted.
A heated debate about market stalls was disturbed by a foul smell caused by a member of a Kenyan assembly after which members started blaming each other.
“Honourable Speaker, one of us has polluted the air and I know who it is,” Julius Gaya, a member reportedly told Homa Bay county assembly.
The member he accused of farting denied the allegations saying that he “cannot do such a thing in front of my colleagues.”
Hoping to make things better, the assembly’s Speaker instructed the members to step outside and take a break from the chamber. Reports also suggest that he asked officials to get the air freshener “to make it pleasant.“
“Get whatever flavour you will find in any office, whether it’s vanilla or strawberry. We cannot continue sitting in an environment that smells bad,” the Speaker is reported to have remarked.
We all make grand plans to read more often. But time is never on our side. With the long weekend and holidays coming up, and today being Book Lovers Day, here are five must-read books The Current recommends:
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison – the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winner and one of the most celebrated African-American authors, died at the age of 88 recently. Beloved is Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and best-known work. Set after the American Civil War (1861–65), it is inspired by the story of an African-American slave, Margaret Garner, who escaped slavery in Kentucky late January 1856 by fleeing to Ohio, a free state.
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
From the # 1 New York Times bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things, this one is a delightful read with all the perfect ingredients: glamour and adventure!
Curfewed Night by Basharat Peer
After India’s recent move in Kashmir, we feel you should read this book by renowned journalist Basharat Peer. The book is an intimate account of growing up in the 1990s in Occupied Kashmir. A powerful and haunting book written beautifully.
Mr And Mrs Jinnah by Sheela Reddy
Prime Minister Imran Khan read this book in 2017. If you still haven’t read it, you must. According to Fatima Bhutto, anyone who has read this book will have “admiration for the young Mrs Jinnah who—with great moxie—yearned and fought the entirety of her short, troubled life, for freedom”.
Unmarriageable: A Novel by Soniah Kamal
Described by NPR as “a fun, page-turning romp and a thought-provoking look at the class-obsessed strata of Pakistani society”, this book is a Pakistani version of Pride and Prejudice. A must-read!
No Lies Fries is late to the game. The gourmet burgers and fries came into existence a century ago and left Karachi two years ago with Burger Lab, Oh My Grill and Juicy Lucy. Though some did come close to the Holy Grail of burgers – Shake Shack – others were a miss. After hearing rave reviews on No Lies Fries, I wondered could it be? Had they cracked the Shake Shack code?
The NLF: beef patty, lettuce and secret sauce
Sadly, no. They’re close. But they’re drying their meat out by overcooking it and assuming their secret sauce will hold it together. But those extra 40 seconds on the grill only shock the patty into becoming plain boring. The ‘secret sauce’ doesn’t really need to be a secret since it’s nothing earth-shattering.
The only shake in their shack is that perfectly perfect potato bun. Oh my, what a bun. I disassembled the burger and tried the soft potato goodness on its own and it’s legit, the best bun in town.
The Crispy Chick: fried chicken, secret sauce, jalapenos and cheese
The Crispy Chick, a fried chicken burger, didn’t get the slather of the secret sauce that was needed but it was fried to perfection. Depends on how crisp you like your chicken though. This was perfect. A not so thin layer of breadcrumbs resulted in a perfectly cooked chicken breast with that oh-so-delicious potato bun. The Crispy Chick isn’t KFC level, but then again I don’t particularly enjoy the fat layer of crispy crumbs which tend to overcook the chicken.
Coming onto their main item. The guy taking the order recommended the Authentic Canadian Poutine but I really wish he hadn’t. The dish on its own didn’t come together and it seemed that the creators of this one expect that customers, (mostly Canadian returns) will be wowed by the thought of Canadian poutine rather than the work that goes into it.
A decent (but too thick) beef gravy, cheese curds and fries, it lacked the flavour of traditional Canadian poutine, which is made by the gravy.
Authentic Canadian Poutine Fries
So are they lying? People expect that the juiciest details, the final verdict is usually delivered in the first few paragraphs. But something as inconsequential, as common, as Alanis Morrisette Ironic can be picked up, bitten into and make you do a 180.
Belgian Frites
No Lies Fries Belgian Frites are out of this world. Thick cut fries, Gordon Ramsay level cooked, crisp and aggressively seasoned, they are without an atom of a doubt, the best fries in Karachi. Their burgers might lie, but those simple fries definitely don’t. This just goes to show that secret sauces, shake shack references, Canadian copies won’t get you anywhere but a side item can make you live up to your name.
(On a side note: the burger doesn’t come with fries; they are sold separately. And with a burger starting at Rs. 560, it’s really not the best deal in town).
It is so much fun making boomerangs on Instagram and then
sharing it with your friends. Soon we all will be able to make boomerangs not
only on Instagram but also on the WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is reportedly working on a Boomerang feature similar to the one on Instagram. It is in the development stage and soon it will be launched for the users.
The feature will be available in the Video Type panel for the videos that are less than 7 seconds long. These boomerangs can be shared with friends in your contacts. Also, users can post them as their WhatsApp status.
WhatsApp
does allow users to convert their videos into GIFs. But Instagram’s Boomerang
feature on WhatsApp will be something new and interesting.
Initially,
the feature will launch on iOS and later on Android phone.
An Indian Uber driver, who raped a nurse in Australia while she was unconscious, will be sentenced and deported back to India, Daily Mail has reported.
According to the details, Manpreet Singh, a year back, was driving through Melbourne’s inner-city of Mulgrave when he came across the intoxicated woman at around 2 am.
The woman had stopped to vomit after leaving a nearby pub on her walk home when Singh got out of his car and approached her.
The women, at first, broke free but he continued to follow her. The next thing the woman remembers was waking up at around 5 am to Manpreet raping her at his house.
The woman managed to escape and alerted the police, who arrested the guy the next day.
Singh was living in the country on a bridging visa from India and was driving an Uber through another person’s registration at the time of the attack.
Bridging visas are temporary permits that let you stay in Australia lawfully while your immigration status is resolved.
Manpreet on Thursday appeared before a court and pleaded guilty.
Singh was remanded into custody, will be sentenced on September 11 and deported back to India.
Eid is just around the corner and we as Pakistanis see a lot of interesting things that probably only happen in our country. These things enhance the spirit of Eid and give us something to smile about.
From our roofs to our plates
Crane lifting the cattle from the rooftops have become a common sight in Karachi. Amused pedestrians stand on the sides and enjoy watching the cows and goats being lifted from the roofs to the grounds.
Animal service stations
Have you ever thought of taking your Qurbani animal to a service station? If not, then you should now start planning to go to the service station where your animal will get a shower for as less as Rs 100.
Runaway animal
Oh, this one is the most interesting. We all are united when it comes to catching the runaway animal. If (God forbid) your animal runs away, then everyone’s got your back – from your neighbours to random people on the street – everyone will drop what they are doing and run after the animal and join your struggle to catch it.
Bakra on bike
This is the most common. We all have seen this somewhere while on road. People taking their sacrificial goat or sheep on their bike with one person accompanying it on the back seat.
Meet Trump at the cattle market
You can see this only in Pakistan that animals are named after political leaders. And the cattle owners proudly introduce them with their interesting names.
If the weather continues to be like this on Eid ul Azha, then we’ve just about had it. It is so unbelievably hot and humid that the thought of dressing up and putting on makeup is enough to send a shudder down your spine.
One way you can beat the heat and look glam at the same time is to wear bright, light, flowy clothes and dress them up with bright lipstick and statement jewellery. Like Zara Noor Abbas or Mahira Khan.
In case you don’t know what to get and where to get it from, we have you covered. Here are four beautiful earrings by talented Pakistani jewellery designers which you can get your hands on for this Eid and all the Eids to come.
Amber Sami
Lotus on a Moon by Amber Sami are simply gorgeous!
We love a traditional look on Eid day. These beautiful, classy and traditional earrings will go with a lot of outfits and stand out. To make your look even more traditional, wear the matching teeka from the same collection.
Teeka
Rema Luxe
Retrato by Rema Luxe are very classy and will go with almost all joras. Made of polished metal and organic form, the ear studs sit flawlessly over the ears. The two tones of this exquisite piece make it perfect for literally every occasion.
Esfir Jewels
The Cuckoo Clock earrings by Esfir are so colourful and bright that they are bound to brighten up your day too. The quirky clock with a suspended hand-painted bird and detailed carvings topped off with a baroque pearl is very unique.
Zohra Rahman
The sterling silver Betelearrings by Zohra Rehman are very modern and will definitely add glamour to your Eid look.
The white part of our flag represents the minorities in our country and show how integral they are for the country.
After 2000, Hindus were allowed to join the Pakistan Army, Pakistan has yet again set another example by appointing it’s first-ever Hindu major in its history.
Dr Kelash Garvada is the first-ever Hindu Major in the Ministry of Defence.
Dr Garvada has earned this position by his sheer hard work and efforts. An MBBS from LUHMS in Hyderabad, the newly appointed Major has also won multiple awards for his contributions, including the Tamgha-e-Difa, Tamgha-e-Baqa, and Tamgha-e-Azam.
Dr Kelash is very proud of his country and pins a Pakistani flag on his army uniform.
After the Indian government scrapped the Article 370
of the constitution which allowed Indian occupied Kashmir to have special
status.
By eliminating Article 370 of the constitution,
people from the rest of India will have the right to get property in occupied
Kashmir and settle there permanently. This is seen as an attempt to dilute the
demographics of Indian occupied Kashmir.
Thousands have taken to social media to show their support and stand with the citizens of the disputed valley. This action of the Modi-led BJP government was widely condemned by social media users from across the globe.
A large number of social media users are changing their profile pictures to red and using hashtags like #RedForKashmir, #BleedForKashmir, #StandWithKashmir, and #Kashmirunderthreat to express solidarity with Kashmiris.
“We are witnessing a grave escalation of the crisis in Kashmir. 35k troops have been deployed in a region with reportedly already half a million Indian troops.#RedForKashmir#StandWithKashmirRed is the colour of our blood. Red is the colour of our history. Red is all of us.” pic.twitter.com/vAmVJjGn3Q
