Suno Chanda’s Farhan Ali Agha has joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). In a press conference held in Karachi Monday, Farhan announced his decision to join the ruling party. During the press conference, Farhan thanked PTI for giving him the opportunity and shared why he took this step.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Information Minister Shibli Faraz, who exchanged heated words on Hamid Mir’s Capital Talk, have apologised to each other after the show and even shared a cup of coffee together.

A blind Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga who allegedly foretold the event of 9/11 has predicted a cure for cancer and the attempt to murder Vladimir Putin in 2021. She has also claimed that a “strong” dragon will overcome humanity next year. Isn’t it amazing? What else do we have for 2021? 

Gigi Hadid has revealed that she is a fan of spices and that too of Pakistani ones.Taking the viral ‘Post a Picture of’ challenge on Instagram, when a follower asked her to share a picture from September 15, Gigi shared a picture of her spice cabinet which was full of desi masalas. A box of Shaan Seekh Kabab masala was also spotted on the side. 

It’s Monday and here is what happened over the weekend… at the rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh yesterday, Bilawal said that PM Imran has to resign by January 31 or they will march to Islamabad to “dethrone him”. This is not the first time they have given a deadline like this. One such deadline passed a month or so ago. Are these empty threats or are they serious? Seriously weather, we need some sun today. All major cities are meant to be sunny, with slight clouds in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar but hasn’t it been colder these days than before? Imagine how cold it would be on the moon, where a man has bought his wife a plot. Act of true love or kind of silly? Meanwhile, an old clip of Madam Nur Jehan has been going viral on social media this weekend. In an old movie, she was seen kissing another woman and Twitter has been giddy, asking if Pakistani movies could ever be the same again. The year is about to end and our editorial saying goodbye to 2020 is out. Who else would like to forget this silly year? I wouldn’t really. I kind of liked being at home, working and at times, playing video games. If you like chicken and video games, you might like the new gaming console KFC just released. A chicken franchise launching a gaming console? I’m as surprised as you are. In entertainment news, Bollywood actor and Big Boss winner Gauahar Khan tied the knot in Mumbai at an intimate nikkah ceremony and wore an outfit by Pakistani designer, Saira Shakira. What are you expecting to happen this week — the last week of 2020?

To be honest, it seems like Pakistanis are sick of politics. And I’ve been feeling the same way. Today when I was posting the morning mood on our Instagram and Facebook stories, I asked if people were feeling more like news or more like entertainment. 70 percent of you chose entertainment over news. Sometimes I check out news websites, like I have before writing this newsletter and come across news like PM Imran saying that the opposition is just as bad as Indian propaganda and the way the Pakistan army is being ‘attacked’ has never happened in Pakistan’s history. Today the Pakistan People’s Party is having a rally in to commemorate Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary and on one of the last Sundays of the year, will you be watching what they have to say? 
If our analytics have anything to show, then no. Most of you are busy reading entertainment stories. Stories like Google listing Esra Bilgic as Yasir Hussain’s mother or watching Ashar check out Layers, the super viral bakery in Lahore to see if the hype is worth it. Many of you debated on our opinion piece this weekend about women and the fact that they want to have fun. I really enjoyed Urooj’s video of visiting one of the fanciest churches in Lahore as they set up to celebrate Christmas and then learn something new about sustainable and organic farming from Hanna Bajwa who runs an organic farm in Lahore. 
Reading about Maryam Nawaz saying that her uncle Shehbaz Sharif would’ve been prime minister if he had betrayed his brother, or that journalist Saleem Safi claims that Zardari and Bilawal are making a deal. Same. Old. News. 
Can I be real? I’m sick of it. Are you?

What does it mean to be successful? For me, lately, it’s if I manage to control myself from overeating – that Karachi biryani, those Lahore Layers wale cupcakes. Success ultimately is the feeling you get when you do what you set out to do – no matter how big or small – right? Sunny days for Karachi, Lahore and Quetta today but Islamabad and Peshawar aren’t as successful with their cloudy days. Looks like the Pakistan Democratic Movement isn’t going to be very successful either – cracks have appeared within the ranks as Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman’s spokesperson was heard on television, saying that Maulana might not be attending the rally on Benazir’s death anniversary in Larkana on the 27th. Even though he’s been invited. Maulana aside, the PML-N and PPP both look kind of uneasy about having to resign from their parliament seats – even though their leadership is saying they have to. Indian Actor Aamir Khan said in 2012 that he knew in his heart that PM Khan would be successful. He wished him the best and said he would come to Pakistan after PM Khan won the election – he hasn’t yet but you never know, right? The year is about to end and I don’t know, I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much. Is there anything we remember about 2020 that isn’t coronavirus? Here are 10 iconic pictures of Pakistan in 2020 that will make you laugh and think oh haan year, yeh bhi tou hua tha. Fazeela Abbasi, Hamza Ali Abbasi’s sister, was successful in making people think she looked like Katrina Kaif – whether that was intentional or not, I have to admit she looked pretty amazing at Naimal’s sister’s wedding. Mahira Khan is in quarantine because she tested positive for corona, but she has been successful in getting the younger generation want to know more about Madam Noor Jehan – since Mahira has been spending her time listening to Madam’s golden voice in Chandni Raatein. In the end, on this glorious Friday, Christmas Day, and Quaid-e-Azam’s birthday, I hope and wish all of you success in whatever you want – even if it is wanting to know what to watch this weekend (don’t worry, we have you covered). And if you’re going to spend your time with the T.V. on while stalking people on Instagram, Fahad’s tech review this week is on how to keep your phone hack-proof (I’m hoping the next one is how to successfully hack into someone’s phone without them knowing).
We are off tomorrow, but see you Sunday!

Sunshine all around the major cities of Pakistan today and I’m prepared for a Thursday funday. Maryam Nawaz has asked the prime minister why he was in a rush to become one if he wasn’t prepared. She was addressing a rally in Mardan and said in her speech that IK promised a fantastic 200 person team before he came to power and where are those people now? He seems to be playing ‘musical chairs’ with his federal cabinet. Her comments came after PM Imran said that he had no idea how to run the government for the first three months and that governments should be given more time to prepare. Actor and Producer Fahad Mustafa needs to prepare for some major backlash. Bhai sahib, who is known for some of the most recently controversial dramas like Nand, Bewafa and Balaa is now coming up with a new drama ‘Dunk’ jisme aik college professor par harassment ka jhoota ilzaam lagta hai and Fahad says yeh tribute hai for victims of false allegations. Inko shayad yeh nahi maloom that that there are more real cases of harassment than false ones and his focus on the false shows that he doesn’t care about exposing what’s wrong in our society and shayad only wants those millions of hits on YouTube. Kya aap yeh drama dekheingay? Aik aur embarrassing story about Pakistan has hit the foreign press. The Guardian in the UK reported that a UK clothing brand called Boohoo is using Pakistani factories to produce their clothes, their workers are underpaid and have to work in terrible conditions. The brand is now investigating the factories in Faisalabad to see if the allegations are true. I’m sure you guys must’ve heard that England mein aik naya version of coronavirus nikal aaya hai — a new strain that is spreading faster than before — but scientists are hopeful that the vaccine will work against it. It sucks to hear that shayad corona isn’t going to be over soon. Corona ki aisi ki taisi, Naimal Khawar’s video at her sister’s mehndi has gone viral on social media and she looks prepared enough to say kay jo bhi ho, she’s going to enjoy her sister’s shaadi. Pakistan kay drama world mein teen big dramas have ended and Ashar and Ayesha review the finales; seems like they were disappointed with the ending of all of them — Jalan, Zebaish and Raaze Ulfat. The dramas are never-ending — be it fiction or real-life politics. Which drama are you sick of? Entertainment channel dramas or news network ones? I’m preparing for a lot of replies to this one!
Until tomorrow! 

You know what happened? We realised (and from email replies by most of you) that you thoroughly enjoy the Sunday newsletter written by me. Firstly, bohat shukriya, secondly, humne socha that why don’t I dedicate my weeknights and mornings to you guys and write a daily one as well? After all, you are what matters most to our organisation.
What matters most to me right now is that Lahore is still cold and hazy, Islamabad has got crazy amounts of sun today, Peshawar is cold but sunny and freezing Quetta is also a sun-filled city this fine morning. Warmish-cold Karachi is also hazy but you know what we all got wrong? We thought that Ishaq Dar would’ve regretted going to that Hard Talk interview which he thought would be warm but turned out to be a stone-cold killer. We thought Hard Talk anchor Stephen Sackur finished Dar, but Sackur says that he thought that Dar enjoyed the interview. Also, bhai, how does Sackur get people to answer these super tough questions? He says, “The trick is you ask the same question so many times to get the straight answer.” Being that sharp requires sleep and apparently the motorway police has figured out a way to get drivers to stay awake while driving. They are introducing an alarm-like device to keep drivers from falling asleep. Aapko yeh device kano par lagani hogi aur agar aapka sar hilne laga, like you’re about to fall asleep, tou alarm bajh jaye ga. Great idea. But who is going to wear it? I mean, sometimes the only way to stay awake when driving is blaring really loud music. Here’s a list of the top songs that Pakistanis were listening to in 2020. I realise the older we get, the more we want to sleep and even if we feel young, people can make us feel very old. A day ago we did a live session in the office and got so many comments calling me and Saman “expired aunties”. Yeh kya hai yaar? AUNTIES. Please. We are as young as the bright new stars that NASA revealed yesterday. Check out the picture below and then send this newsletter a five star rating.
Can’t wait to hear from you!

Hina Khawaja Bayat stole the show with an electric and charged solo performance on Dola Re on her daughter designer Natasha Kamal’s wedding.

She shared the video on social media much to the delight of her fans who praised her in the comments section of her post.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, sources in the CM House confirmed to us. He attended a high profile wedding in Lahore two days before he tested positive and was seen at the event mingling without a mask. We dubbed a video of the wedding, taken while CM Buzdar was talking to former Punjab Governor and father of the bride, Latif Khosa. This is what, we think, they were talking about ?

FACT 1: Despite being in the digital era 65-70% of current ad spend being allocated to TV by default in Pakistan.

FACT 2: Most brands only leverage 20%-30% of the available reach on YouTube among their target audience.

Want to know more about how digital is taking over Pakistan? Read this piece by Moiz Syed, Google’s Industry Head for Pakistan.

The chief minister’s assistant was addressing a press conference with boxers Amir Khan and Muhammad Waseem when Amir Khan challenged her to fight Maryam Nawaz in the ring, saying kay this will be one of the highest rated fights in Pakistan. 
Dr Firdous Awan nay ye challenge accept karliya aur kaha kay “Prime Minister Imran Khan has knocked out Mian Nawaz Sharif using his legal punches.”
Kher, what is she really up to? Kya aab politics mien boxing match bhi hoga?
 
 

The Quaid made a case for equality of all citizens of Pakistan regardless of their colour, caste, or creed. On this Christmas Day, and every other religious celebration of minorities, we should ensure that we don’t discriminate. Due to COVID-19, this year’s celebrations may not be as festive as in the past but through kindness and interfaith harmony, we can spread a message of love and cheer.
 

Actor Sarwat Gilani celebrated her birthday with husband Fahad Mirza and close friends from the industry including designers Nomi Ansari and Asim Jofa, stylist Khojii and model Fouzia Aman. The birthday girl cut a beautiful white cake, which had a portrait of her character ‘Sara Khan’ in blue burkah on the top. Check out more pictures from her birthday party, in which she is wearing a sparkling black dress. 
 

Even celebrities are having a tough time during the global pandemic. Actor Sheheryar Munawar talks about his motorbike accident, his brush with COVID-19, and how everything resulted in him going into depression. Posting a shirtless picture of himself from an upcoming commercial, Munawar said: “It’s not special because it’s a shirtless shot; it’s special because for me it’s a celebration of this year’s personal journey.”

My favourite song these days is a fairly unknown one but it’s by Coldplay and called, “A head full of dreams”. It (obviously) is about having a lot of dreams and being what you want to be. Something stood out about a look-back video we recently posted, in which Shahrukh Khan, the king of Bollywood, tells Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir that he had an Imran Khan fan moment when SRK wasn’t a big star and Imran Khan was a cricketer. SRK asked Khan for his autograph and Khan ‘yelled’ at him and SRK was upset. Later on, when SRK became a big star and met Khan he told him about when they first met. What stood out to me wasn’t the ‘being yelled at’ – but imagine how great SRK would’ve felt telling someone he idolised that there was a time he had been yelled at by them – and now he’s in the same league as them. A dreamy feeling to be sure. In other SRK news, his new movie “Pathan” apparently has a bunch of stars in it – including Salman Khan. Seems like SRK wasn’t the only one who dreamt of stardom. Our very own former president Asif Zardari was a child actor and played a child in a Waheed Murad movie. In Pakistan, there are people who see a problem, dream up a solution and become superstars – this week’s Sunday Superstar Ali Gul is no less. He invented  an “Eye Smart Helmet” which has been designed to protect miners from various mining hazards in Balochistan. Sometimes dreams backfire. Public policy expert Hasaan Khawar writes about how things are about to get much tougher with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and how bijli ki keemat dubara bharne wali hai. Kaisay chale ga yeh? Samajh nahi aati. Urooj ko bhi samajh nahi aata when we hear stories about how politicians have really expensive things, after Maryam Nawaz was criticised by the PTI for allegedly spending ‘qaum ka paisa’ on what she wanted. Urooj went to a university in Lahore (when schools were open) and asked students whether politicians ko mehngi cheezain dikhani chahiye ya bhai, har bunday ka haq hai kay woh dikhaye jo dikhana hai. A guy on his wedding day got four giant portraits of his new bride and showed them to her in a viral video on social media. Every girl’s dream? Ashar’s weekly dream of eating out for free led him to a restaurant in Iqbal Town in Lahore for a Hunter Beef burger, but he didn’t think it was worth the money. 

What do you dream about and what makes life worth it for you? Reply and let me know and let’s discuss how to create a place where all of us can achieve what we want and what we need. On that note, a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone celebrating – may all your dreams come true.

PMLN’S Maryam Nawaz defended her father Nawaz Sharif’s right to eat pizza, after Nawaz ki aik picture pizza khaate huye viral hogayi. Viral honay kay baad, PTI nay Nawaz ko bohat criticise kia. When a reporter asked her yesterday about the pizza controversy, she said, ‘kis doctor nay kaha hai k jo platelets ka mariez hai, kia woh kabhi kabhar pizza nahin kha sakta?’ She further said that, ‘I did not know Nawaz Sharif to have any particular fondness for pizza.’

2020 ka sabsay controversial Pakistani drama, Jalan came to a close on Wednesday night after 31 painful episodes which had all the ingredients of an over-the-top soap opera. There was a love triangle, infidelity, abortion sprinkled with lots and lots of drama to draw all the ‘haw hayees’ and ensure that audiences are hooked. The end was as expected and predicted. Fahad Mustafa, who produced the drama, had something to say about his drama. We didn’t saw that coming. 
 

Does your head burst into tiny little pieces when you look at a maths equation? Well not to worry, our Tech Guy will tell you how to manage stress while preparing for GRE and GMAT tests.  Fahad thinks you just need to follow the right structure and work in one direction. Check out the video to know some of the tricks.
 

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz has deleted a twitter post pertaining to an alleged meeting between the prime minister’s aide and Israeli officials after backlash on the social media platform. 

The PML-N vice-president had retweeted the tweet of Noor Dahri, the founder and executive director of UK-based Islamic Theology of Counter Terrorism (ITCT), who gave an interview to Israeli TV channel i24TV. Unho nay yeh tweet delete kyun ki?