I’ve met Federal Minister of Education, Shafqat Mahmood many times before. He laughed and told me that he still has my name saved as “Marium Lekin” in reference to the show I used to produce ten years ago. So he was rather nice when I really tried to get him to rank the crazy cool memes that were going the rounds about him closing down educational institutions. He didn’t want to and said he wasn’t happy that schools were closed. But I did manage to get him to talk about a few. Watch the interview tonight on YouTube. YouTube se yaad aaya, I could not stop watching “The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives” on Netflix this past week. It is a terrible show, full of really fake lives of C-list bollywood celebs but you know the show, jo itne buray hotay hain that you can’t stop watching it? Yehi hua meray saath. Saman, our entertainment editor, made a list of Pakistani dramas that the Prime Minister should watch, since he has been recommending shows that the public should be watching and I have to admit, I do like the feel good family ones she has mentioned. Family se yaad aaya, this week’s Sunday Superstar is the vet, Dr. Amir Khalil who took care of  Kaavan the elephant for 35 years before Cher took him to Cambodia to meet others like him. A real haathi meray saathi. Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari nay apne bhai Bilawal ka saath dia, when Bilawal was unable to attend the Multan jalsa (he’s got coronavirus). People were raving about Aseefa’s speech literally like “kaun hai yeh jisne murr kar mujhe nahi dekha” but we thought, what do we really know about Aseefa? Check out what she’s been upto until now in this week’s “Know your politician” and before I go, I have a question. Who should we interview next? And I know most of you will ask for PTI’s Murad Saeed’s interview since that is quite literally the most requested one. Koshish poori hai, waiting for him to accept our request. Let us know and see you next week!

An official Twitter handle of PTI Lahore issued a list of ‘bad’ journalists on social media, calling them “anchors/media men building narratives for the corrupt”. The list includes journalists Hamid Mir, Asma Shirazi, Naseem Zahra, Najam Sethi, Talat Hussain, and others who are critical of government policies. 

After the backlash on social media, the tweet was deleted, and a member of PTI’s social media team issued an apology saying it was a “mistake and was done by a regional account”. PTI Lahore account also shared a list of journalists who they thought were “fighting the war of truth and justice” i.e. “good journalists”. Ye janay k liye k ‘achay’ or ‘kabil’ journalists kon hain according to the list, you have to read the full story.
 

PML-N leader Ishaq Dar, who is in a self-imposed exile after corruption cases were filed against him, appeared on BBC News recently. During the show, the host asked him about the number of properties he owns. At this, Dar said: “One.” Do you believe him? Well NAB k mutabiq, he owns at least 20 properties in and outside Pakistan and he has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts.

Tou ye sab tab shuru hua when pictures of an alcohol brand named ‘Ginnah’ went viral on social media. Kuch Indian media news outlets are reporting that the bottle was named after the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. For more info on what is written on the bottle, read on. 
 

Bahir ki degree ka thappa chaiyah? But don’t know where to start? Applying for higher studies is always challenging and it is always difficult to figure out which scholarships are the best and how one can increase their chances of getting selected. Watch the video for a quick understanding.
 

Multiple videos of the Lahore-based lawyers have been circulating on social media, wherein the lawyers are seen doing aerial firing on the streets to celebrate the victory of their candidate in the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) elections. Yeh tou sbko pata hai, ESPECIALLY lawyers ko, that aerial firing is banned in Pakistan! After the outrage on social media, several unidentified lawyers were booked by Civil Lines police. 
 

Ex-PM Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali passed away at the age of 76 on Wednesday. Details k mutabik, he was battling for his life on Sunday after being placed on a ventilator, following a heart attack and severe breathing problems. Originally a supporter of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamali served as the 15th PM of Pakistan from 2002 until his resignation in 2004. 
 

Actor Ahsan Mohsin Ikram, who has recently been criticised for his alleged relationship with Minal Khan and for posting ‘loved-up’ pictures of the two, has reacted to the backlash by asking people to worry about “his/her own life instead of others”. 

“Oh you who believe! Let not some people among you laugh at others, perhaps they may be better than them,” said the actor in a story posted to his Instagram. Apka kya khayal hai is baray mien?
 

With emerging technology digital platforms pay ap kuch bhi kar saktay hain, is sab mien social media is one of the best platforms to market your business. Chahy ap koi bhi business start karnay ka sooch rahy ho or you wish to grow your existing business, you shouldn’t miss this phenomenal marketing strategy for your business growth. 
 

As the world inches closer to the COVID-19 cure, the federal cabinet meeting chaired by PM has approved a grant of $150 million to procure coronavirus vaccine, hopefully in the first quarter of 2021.

According to the COVID-19 vaccine strategy, the government has decided to administer the vaccine to people in phases. In its first phase, the vaccines will be made available for elderly citizens and health workers, who are more vulnerable to the infection, followed by other age groups. Achay din anay walay hain, hopefully!

“Kya hogaya hai? (What’s the matter) Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi’s clash with Afghanistan’s Naveenul Haq has gone viral over the internet. Har taraf iski charcha hai, kyun k it’s lala who’s leading the matter. 

Details k mutabik the clash followed a heated exchange of words between Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir and Haq during a match of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) on Monday.

Lala was on fire, there must be something that provoked him to do so.

Wow! So abhi recently, Shah Rukh Khan was spotted outside Yash Raj Studios sporting long locks, reportedly his new look for upcoming film Pathan. 55 k hokay bhi, the actor was looking dapper in a white t-shirt and denim jeans paired with sneakers. Ek baar phir SRK ny apni looks say sabka dill jeet liya. 

Reports k mutabik Deepika Padukone is film mei inke sath hongi. The actress made her Bollywood debut opposite SRK in Om Shanti Om and has gone on to star with him in several films including Chennai Express and Happy New Year.
 

The past few days have been all about the Bhutto-Zardari sisters, with one getting engaged and the other making her debut in politics. Bakhtawar has yet again come under the spotlight because of her beautifully crafted Mughal-inspired statement shawl, which she was wearing on her engagement.

Want to know the sentimental story behind it? Bakhtawar wanted her mother to be a part of her big day, so the one side of her shawl displayed images of her past including her parents’ wedding day, her siblings, her grandmother and an image of a desk with Pakistan’s flag on it. Aur tou aur there was one part of the shawl with McDonald’s fries and nuggets on it! She must be a food-lover.  

While for the other side, designer Nida Azwar tried to capture Bakhtawar’s current and future life, by displaying images of the time when Bakhtawar got proposed by her fiancé, along with images of her home, garden and pet dogs.

Yesterday’s jalsa in Multan was attended by political bigwigs, including PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz, and PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, who was attending in place of her brother Bilawal Bhutto. The star of the jalsa was undoubtedly Aseefa, whose attendance and way of speaking reminded many on social media, of her mother Benazir Bhutto. 

So many people were talking about her likeness to Benazir that Ali Tareen, son of PTI’s Jahangir Tareen, called Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari “pretty cool”, in response to which he was offered to join PPP by a PPP supporter. The next jalsa will be held in Lahore on December 13.
 

The government has imposed 5082 smart lockdowns, with at least two million people under lockdown. Azad Jammu and Kashmir is in complete lockdown, while 1459 smart lockdowns are in place in Punjab, 206 in Sindh, 182 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 3205 in Islamabad and 30 in Gilgit Baltistan.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the National Positivity Ratio has reached 8.53%. Sindh has reported the highest positivity ratio at 14.04%, followed by Balochistan at 11.95 %, Islamabad at 6.62% and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 5.57%. In Punjab and Gilgit Baltistan, the positivity rate is 4.84% and 3.43% respectively.
 

Pakistan Cricket Board Director of Media and Communications Samiul Hassan nay kaha hai kay the sexual violence allegations against Captain Babar Azam are a personal matter and the board won’t be commenting on the issue. 

The board’s spokesperson was responding to a question posed by an Urdu daily after a damning press conference by the alleged victim, Hamiza, who claims to be Babar’s schoolfellow and neighbour.

Press say baat kartay huye the Lahori woman claimed that the young cricketer tricked her into believing that he loved her and would marry her.
 

You won’t believe what washed up on a beach in South Africa. Around 20 shell-less, dragon-like creatures known as Blue Dragons, were spotted on a beach near Cape Town. And they look like they have come straight out of a fantasy or a sci-fi movie. 

They are also called ‘the most beautiful killer in the ocean’ because they feed on venomous aquatic creatures and kill with a sting that can cause nausea and pain. While they look a lot like mini dragons, they also have features of a bird, lizard, and octopus.
 

Despite rising COVID cases, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman vowed to go ahead with Jalsa in Multan today. Over 30 opposition workers were arrested on Saturday when they broke into the venue for the jalsa. Maulana referred to the arrests as ‘state terrorism’. Rana Sanaullah also confirmed that Maryam Nawaz, would be at the Multan rally at all costs.

The positivity rate in Pakistan has rapidly increased to 7.01 percent, Lahore is at 4 percent, Multan at 2.55 and Karachi is at a troubling 18.96 percent. There are more than 2,000 patients in critical condition in the country and to hold public gatherings at this time is criminal.
 

Aik interview mien Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has revealed k unki dulhan Pakistani hogi. Speaking to host Sohail Warraich during the show ‘Aik din Geo kay saath’, the PPP leader talked about his personal life, admitting that people were especially interested after his sister Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari’s engagement to the son of a UAE-based businessman Mahmoud Chaudhry. Previously in an interview with us, he revealed that his wife should get along with his sisters, and have a sense of humour.
 

Although the upcoming season will be shorter due to the nation-wide lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions, this season will include an all-female anthem on women’s empowerment. This will be the first time ever in CS history that all female artists of the season will be singing together. 

The season includes 13 artists, including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Meesha Shafi, Fariha Pervez, Umair Jaswal, Ali Noor, Bohemia, Sanam Marvi, Mehdi Maloof, Aizaz Sohail, Sehar Gul Khan, Wajiha Naqvi, Zara Madani and Ali Pervez Mehdi. The first episode of Coke Studio 2020 is set to air on December 4, 2020.
 

Wow! Snapchat is rolling out a new tool that will feature popular videos, called Spotlight. Details kay mutabiq it will pay $1 million a day to creators of the top-performing posts. Video submitters to Spotlight don’t have to have a big following or public profiles. Instead, an algorithm will determine what to show Snapchat users based on how often others view their content and pick the winners. Abhi ye feature Pakistan mien tou nahi aya but let’s hope kay jald ajaye so that we too can make millions!
 

I didn’t know that Mughal King Aurangzeb had a daughter, Zebunisa, who fell in love with the then governor of Lahore. And when her father disapproved of her choice (he pretty much disliked anything she did), she ran a kitchen in the city for the poor. Her father threw her in jail and she remained single throughout her life. Watch Urooj’s tour of Zebunisa’s tomb in our Secrets of Lahore. Yesterday, PM Khan gave a detailed interview and refused to say that Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa is not guilty of corruption. Being single se yaad aaya, who can forget the recent Jalal Sons-Master Tiles wedding? Urooj headed over to a university campus in Lahore (Urooj nay is hafte bohat kaam kia) to ask students if they think lavish weddings subh ka haq hai ya jawab deyna hoga kay paise kahan se aaye. We wonder how Bakhtawar Bhutto will celebrate her wedding: her engagement seemed small and lovely and although many people commented on her weight, I thought she looked beautiful — a smiling bride always is.

Ashar also, couldn’t stop smiling kyunke is hafte ka khaana T2 – Tea and Tandoor in Lahore mai khaya aur dil khush hogaya. And I don’t know why but food reminded me of the interview PM Khan gave yesterday to anchor Mansoor Ali Khan. In a long, detailed interview, what stood out was that he refused to say that Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa is not guilty of corruption. Papa Johns anyone? It isn’t bad lekin Dominos dil jeet layta hai everytime. My dil isn’t into Bollywood action movies these days but Saman tells me that Ludo is life and life is ludo? This weekend is a huge win for Pakistani cinema as Zindagi Tamasha becomes Pakistan’s entry for the Oscars.

And lastly, I have a confession to make. We have been messaging most of you on Facebook and Instagram to convince you to sign up for our newsletter. And we are so glad you did. I have to say it pays to be persistent sometimes. Persistence paid off for this week’s Sunday Superstar Alia Zafar who made it to the Pakistan Cricket Board of governors. And for a little sneak peek, we recorded our next week’s Sunday interview, one you have all been waiting for and well, since you are subscribed to this, here’s a bit of a reveal. He’s a minister who has been all the rage this week and his memes are absolutely hilarious. He didn’t want to rank the memes that have been doing the rounds but we made him talk about them anyway. So, you will never know, if you don’t ask. 

See you next week!

PML-N ki Maryam Nawaz ko lagta hai kay it is unsafe to take medical entrance exams due to the coronavirus outbreak, but it is perfectly okay to organise massive political gatherings amid a second wave of the virus.

Apni aik tweet mien she expressed solidarity with the protesting students and a few hours later tweeted that the opposition’s rallies would continue as planned. To put things in context, Pakistan’s current positivity rate (ratio of positive cases) is at 7 percent (when it was at about 2-3 percent a few months ago). The positivity rate in the badly hit United States is 13.4 percent and there is one covid-19 death in the US every 40 seconds.

“Congratulations to you my friend for being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.” wrote Akcent’s Adrian Sina on social media, tagging the former Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor. The former DG has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Aur humari chai k charchay tou waise hee sabki zuban pay hain, “I can’t wait to have the fantastic cup of tea again,” added the lead singer of the Romanian pop band.
 

There is no way that you will recognize Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan when you see his pictures for the upcoming thriller Bob Biswas. Photos of the actor wearing a blue shirt and dark pants, a wig and large glasses have gone viral on social media. 
 

To get that baahir ka thappa, you DON’T need to spend thousands of rupees on educational consultants for your application. Our tech guy Fahad Malik, fills out the London School of Economics application form and tells you how you can do it yourself. Good luck!