Tag: Pakistan

  • Social media campaigns for general elections; Hit or miss?

    Social media is heavily flooded with election-related content as the country is heading towards poll in less than two weeks. All the major political parties and even independent candidates have released songs and campaigns on social media to impress the audience with catchy tunes.

    For us, the Haqooq-e-Khalq Party takes the trophy. Ammar Ali Jan’s “Loudspeaker” is riveting and hits all the right chords. “Haqooq-e-Khalq hai awaz muzdooron aur kisanaon ki” ticks the boxes of aims and ambitions needed to be a part of a manifesto.

    Ammar’s social media team is also venturing into using popular songs as they put famous Punjabi song like “Teer te taj” as a background score to appeal the voters of all backgrounds.

    Using the pun of “Tera Mera hai Pyar Amar” is quirky and smart on their part.

    Using Inqilab by Waqas Akram Chaudhary is a win in every possible way.

    Following Ammar Jan’s effort is the PTI, the party without a symbol. Their campaign is screaming creativity as they have got their songs made separately for the symbols allotted to them be it a fork (kaanta) or a radio.

    Saif ur Rehman is a contesting election from NA 235. He incorporated a Bollywood song ‘Kaanta laga’ for his campaign. It is hilarious and attention-grabbing at the same time.

    Khurram Sher Zaman’s dhool from NA-241 incorporates Bollywood’s ‘Mohabbatein’ in a creative way.

    Usman Dar’s mother Rehana Dar is contesting on PTI’s ticket under the symbol of baby cot for which they have twisted Arif Lohar’s party song, “Aa tenon mouj karawan” seamlessly as “Maan tujhe Salam”.

    Former Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi’s wife Qaisera Ilahi is now contesting in his place for which Mazhar Rahi has sung an upbeat song.

    Folk singer Malko’s ‘Nak da Koka’ went viral for his one verse about “Qaidi 804”. This prompted him to sing part two, titled ‘Murshid’, dedicating it to Imran Khan. This went on to create a spree of songs, all dedicated to PTI, acquiring millions of views.

    The popularity of this song influenced PML-N to make a rip-off for their party’s election campaign.

    https://youtu.be/sJGK1aPfmYs?si=kpnrImL1ANlPXIhk

    ‘Umeed se Yakeen Tak’ is slowly growing on the people.

    Another rip-off of Malko’s ‘Chas Bari Aye Ae’ is groovy all thanks to the original song.

    https://youtu.be/xiqx-wjnBaE?si=8N2-IjE_UnnkhMc-

    N-League deserves the credit of having an integrated campaign as a YouTube channel is dedicated to songs but most are just rip-offs.

    Pakistan People’s Party has recently released a newer version of their widely popular ‘Utho Utho’.

    ‘Chuno Nayi Soch Ko’ has all there needs to be to appeal to gen-z audience and all the elements of a catchy election campaign.

    PPP is not using this song in jalsas anymore but we found a hidden gem with the name of ‘Jiyalay Teer Chala’ on YouTube. It is not just uber-cool but has all the potential for mass appeal.

    In a nutshell, the campaigns are in full swing and all the parties are trying their best to have more reach but our observation says that the one that explores more mediums and does not hesitate in experimenting manages to gather more ears and eyeballs.

  • Twins stolen at birth reunited by TikTok

    Twins stolen at birth reunited by TikTok

    A pair of twin girls, taken from their mother right after birth and sold to different families, have been reunited dramatically thanks to TikTok.

    Years after they were stolen at birth, Amy and Ano from Georgia have met again after watching a TikTok video, BBC reported.

    As the two delved into their past, they realised they were among thousands of babies in Georgia stolen from hospitals and sold, some as recently as 2005.

    The twins discovered each other when they were 12 years of age. This was when Amy was watching her favorite TV show Georgia’s Got Talent where Ano was performing as a young artist. She even got calls from acquaintances asking if she was the one performing with another name but the family brushed it off, thinking everyone has a doppelganger.

    Amy (L) aged 12 and Ano (R) also aged 12 during her performance on Georgia’s Got Talent

    Seven years later Ano was sent a TikTok video by a friend of Amy’s in a fresh haircut and eye-brows piercing. She thought the resemblance “cool” and the two got connected on Facebook.

    Amy instantly knew Ano was the girl she had seen all those years ago on Georgia’s Got Talent.

    “I have been looking for you for so long!” she messaged. “Me too,” replied Ano.

    Over time, they discovered several commonalities between them but not all of it made sense. The biggest of all was that they had the same genetic disease, a bone disorder called dysplasia. Both were born in the same hospital but according to their birth certificates, they were born a few weeks apart.

    It felt like they were unraveling a mystery together. “Every time I learned something new about Ano, things got stranger,” Amy relates.

    They decided to meet and when they did it was like “looking in a mirror”.

    Ano (L) and Amy (R) met for the first time at Rustaveli metro station – they have often chosen similar hairstyles

    They confronted their families and found out they were adopted in 2002.

    Unable to have children, Amy’s mother says a friend told her there was an unwanted baby at the local hospital. She would need to pay the doctors but she could take her home and raise her as her own.

    Ano’s mother was told the same story.

    Neither of the adoptive families knew the girls were twins and despite paying a lot of money to adopt their daughters, they say they hadn’t realised it was illegal. Georgia was going through a period of turmoil and as hospital staff were involved, they thought it was legitimate.

    The two went online and posted their story in a Facebook group called Vedzeb, which means “I’m searching” in Georgian.

    A girl from Germany replied to them stating her mother had given birth to twin girls in Kirtskhi Maternity Hospital in 2002 and that despite being told they had died, she now had some doubts.

    DNA tests revealed that the girl from the Facebook group was their sister, and was living with their birth mother, Aza, in Germany. Sceptical, they met their birth mother in Leipzig, Germany. She explained to them how she went into a coma after giving birth and upon waking she was told that her children had died.

    Ano (L), Aza (C) and Amy (R) meet for the first time in Leipzig, Germany where Aza now live

    The group was made by journalist Tamuna Museridze in 2021 after she discovered she was adopted. She has helped to reunite hundreds of families, but has not yet tracked down her own.

    Tamuna discovered a black market in adoption that stretched across Georgia and went on from the early 1950s to 2005. “The scale is unimaginable, up to 100,000 babies were stolen. It was systemic,” she says.

    In 2022, the Georgian government launched an investigation into historic child trafficking, telling BBC that it has spoken to more than 40 people but the cases were “very old and historic data has been lost”. Journalist Tamuna Museridze says she has shared information but the government hasn’t said when it will release its report.

  • Ayushmann Khurrana singing ‘Dil Dil Pakistan; What’s the real story?

    Ayushmann Khurrana singing ‘Dil Dil Pakistan; What’s the real story?

    Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana is facing criticism on social media because of the emergence of a video where he’s seen singing Pakistan’s famous song ‘Dil Dil Pakistan.’ The video was widely shared online, showing Ayushmann singing the popular anthem during a performance.

    The video appeared online after Ayushmann and other famous Bollywood stars attended the opening ceremony of the contentious Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The event featured stars like Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Ayushmann Khurrana.

    Right-wing extremists on social media criticized Ayushmann for singing a Pakistani song. Some users called it foolish and disrespectful.

    However, Indian media investigated and found that the video is about seven years old, from a concert in Dubai in 2017. During the event, Ayushmann honored various states and regions of India before singing both ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ and ‘Chak De India,’ along with his brother Aparshakti Khurana.
    Even though the video is old, its reemergence on social media has caused controversy, especially in the context of the recent Ram Temple ceremony.

  • Dijikot: Man murders wife and step-daughter with axe over land dispute

    Dijikot: Man murders wife and step-daughter with axe over land dispute

    In a shocking incident of a domestic dispute, a man, accompanied by his brother, brutally murdered his wife and stepdaughter using an axe, reports The Express Tribune.

    City Police Officer Captain (retd) Muhammad Ali Zia directed Superintendent Police (SP) Iqbal Town to provide a detailed report. He formed teams led by District Superintendent Police(DSP) Factory Area to apprehend the accused. Consequently, aids are being conducted actively.

    The incident unfolded in Chak 133 GB Niwan of Dijkot police station, where Zulfiqar Ali found himself entangled in a land dispute with his 47-year-old wife, Rukhsana Bibi.

    The dispute escalated into a violent quarrel, leading to Zulfiqar and his brother Iftikhar attacking Rukhsana and her 12-year-old stepdaughter, Iman Fatimah, with axes before fleeing the scene.

    Both mother and daughter succumbed to their injuries, losing their lives on the spot. In response to the double murder, SP Iqbal Town Usman Munir Safi, DSP Factory Area Rana Attaur Rehman, SHO Dijkot Moazzam Gujjar, and other law enforcement officers reached the scene promptly. They took the bodies, transported them to the hospital, and initiated a thorough investigation.

    DSP Factory Area, Rana Attaur Rahman, revealed that Rukhsana Bibi had been married to Zulfiqar for ten years, with two children from the union.
    Iman Fatima was the daughter of her ex-husband and fell victim to the axe attack by Zulfiqar and his brother Iftikhar. The couple had a history of frequent domestic disputes. The police are actively pursuing the accused in their efforts to bring them to justice.

  • Israel alleges UN organisation involved in Oct 7 attack, funding suspended for agency

    Israel alleges UN organisation involved in Oct 7 attack, funding suspended for agency

    Australia and Canada have suspended their funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, after Israel accused several employees of involvement in October 7 attacks by Hamas.

    Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Saturday she was “deeply concerned” by the allegations against the agency, UNRWA.

    “We are speaking with partners and will temporarily pause disbursement of recent funding,” she wrote on social media platform X.

    “We welcome UNRWA’s immediate response, including terminating contracts and launching an investigation, as well as its recent announcement of a full investigation into allegations against the organization,” she added.

    Canada’s International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen on Friday announced that Ottawa had “temporarily paused any additional funding to UNRWA while it undertakes a thorough investigation into these allegations”.

    “Canada is taking these reports extremely seriously and is engaging closely with UNRWA and other donors on this issue,” he wrote on X.

    “Should the allegations prove to be accurate, Canada expects UNRWA to immediately act against those determined to have been involved in Hamas’s terrorist attacks.”

    The moves come after the United States halted its funding to UNRWA on Friday, saying the allegations were against 12 employees who “may have been involved” in the Hamas attack that triggered the war in Gaza.

    The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says it has opened an investigation into some employees Israel alleges were involved in the October 7 attacks, and that it has severed ties with those staff members.

    “The Israeli authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several UNRWA employees in the horrific attacks on Israel on October 7,” Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said on Friday.

    UN chief Antonio Guterres has pledged to conduct an “urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA”.

    Established in 1949 following the first Arab-Israeli war, the agency provides services including schooling, primary healthcare and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

    It is important to note that since the onset of the war on Gaza, Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have accused it of fuelling anti-Israeli incitement – allegations it denies.

    UNRWA says it has provided aid to desperate people in Gaza and used its facilities to shelter those fleeing Israeli attacks.

    The agency’s shelters have also been repeatedly targeted by Israeli missiles during the war, despite pleas for safe passages to deliver humanitarian aid and assistance.

  • Saif Ali Khan might have lost feeling in one hand if he didn’t get surgery

    Saif Ali Khan might have lost feeling in one hand if he didn’t get surgery

    Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan has recently been discharged from a hospital after knee and shoulder surgery.

    Saif Ali Khan had a fracture in both his knee and his shoulder, which were operated on at the Kokilabin Hospital in Mumbai. His wife, superstar Kareena Kapoor, was present with Saif in the hospital.
    Saif Ali Khan has said that he had been feeling pain in his hand since a long time, but he did not know how deep the injury was.

    According to Saif Ali Khan, while doing an action scene for the film ‘Dewara’, he got injured, after which the intensity of the pain increased. An MRI scan found that the tricep tendon was badly torn.
    Saif Ali Khan revealed that if the surgery had not been done on time, he could have lost one of his hands.
    “II only had an injury on my hand, no back or shoulder surgery, it was not a serious surgery due to which I was discharged from the hospital soon.”

  • You won’t believe who makes Asma Abbas’ clothes

    You won’t believe who makes Asma Abbas’ clothes

    Our favourite character artist Asma Abbas is formidably talented, but did you know her expertise isn’t limited to acting?
    Abbas has revealed that she’s also a designer with an affordable brand.

    Participating in a private TV channel’s comedy program, Asma responded to a question by stating that people should go for artificial beauty but not become Michael Jackson. “You should not spoil your face by doing injections and botox etc., you should look as you are,” she remarked.

    Answering a question about expensive brands, the senior actress said, “I have my own small brand which I run for my hobby and everyone can afford to buy my brand of clothes.”

    Asma Abbas said, “You have seen pictures of me sewing clothes on social media, I design and sew my own clothes, I have never worn designer clothes because I don’t want to wear clothes on demand. That’s why I make my own clothes, I’m my own designer and I love myself.”

  • Tempers fly high in court as Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are given state lawyers

    Tempers fly high in court as Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are given state lawyers

    In a surprising turn of events, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi found themselves represented by state-appointed lawyers in the ongoing cipher case, after their legal representatives failed to show up in court.

    A special court formed to hear cases under the Official Secrets Act appointed on Saturday state counsels for former premier Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

    The decision was announced by special court Judge Abul Hasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain after the counsels representing the accused were absent from court proceedings on Friday.

    Malik Abdul Rehman is set to represent Imran Khan, while Hazrat Younus will stand in for Shah Mahmood Qureshi, both undertaking the responsibility of cross-examining the witnesses in the high-profile case. Both PTI leaders are presently detained at Adiala jail.

    Deliberating on the facts and circumstances, the court emphasised that it provided ample opportunities for the accused’s legal representation to be present in court. However, with no senior lawyer appearing on behalf of either Imran or Qureshi, the court had no recourse but to appoint state defense counsel.

    Tensions escalated during the hearing as Qureshi, dissatisfied with the situation, took the file from the state-appointed lawyer and, in an unexpected move, threw it against the wall.

    The development transpired following the absence of PTI founder and vice chairman’s counsels in the special court, established under the Official Secrets Act. The prosecution had filed a petition seeking to terminate the right to cross-examine witnesses, prompting a reserved verdict by Special court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain on Friday.

    During today’s proceedings, special prosecutors Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi and Raja Rizwan Abbasi were present, while the accused lawyers remained conspicuously absent. Assistant lawyers Qamar Anayat Raja and Khalid Yusuf Chaudhary took on the defense in their absence.

    In response to inquiries about the senior lawyers’ non-appearance, Raja, in an application seeking to postpone the hearing, explained that senior counsel Sikander Zulqarnain was undergoing dental surgery, rendering him unable to attend.

    Expressing concern over repeated adjournment requests, Prosecutor Naqvi questioned the regularity of lawyers’ appearances, suggesting a deliberate pattern of delays. Despite Raja’s defense of unintentional delays, Judge Zulqarnain expressed frustration, citing the case’s significance.

    As tensions mounted, the court instructed assistant lawyers to contact the absent senior lawyers by 12:30 pm, warning that proceedings would continue according to the law if they failed to appear. After the expiration of the two-time deadline, the court reserved its decision and adjourned the hearing until today. The legal saga continues to unfold as the case takes center stage.

  • Rain and snowfall finally on the way

    Rain and snowfall finally on the way

    The Provincial Disaster Management Authority in Punjab has issued an alert to the administration about rains and snowfall incoming in the next week.

    From today to January 31, there is a possibility of rain in the plains of Punjab and snowfall in the hilly areas, the spokesperson of PDMA warned. There is also possibility of snowfall with light and heavy rain in Murree and Galiyat from the 27th to the 31st of January.

    Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Narowal, Mandi Bahauddin, Mianwali, and Sargodha will also receive rain between January 30 and 31, the spokesperson added.

    As for snowfall, the spokesperson cautioned that in Murree and Galiyat it may worsen the road conditions. Tourists are advised not to travel without checking the weather conditions. There are chances of landslides in hilly areas which may block the roads.

    PDMA has issued instructions to the administration across Punjab to remain alert.

    There is a round-the-clock information exchange system between the provincial and national institutions. Rescue agencies are on round-the-clock alert in view of the weather situation. The administration has directed the tourists coming from abroad to be especially careful and ensure their safety, PDMA informed.

  • JUI-F clerics ban women from door to door campaigning in Kohistan

    JUI-F clerics ban women from door to door campaigning in Kohistan

    Parties competing for elections in Kohistan will not be allowed to send female members for door-to-door campaigning to mobilise voters in different constituencies after a 30-member group of clerics — mostly from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — unanimously issued a verdict against it, declaring it un-Islamic.

    In their decree, the clerics have strictly banned canvassing by women for the upcoming February 8 general elections.

    In a gathering at the JUI-F central office in Kohistan’s Kamila town, Mufti Gul Shahzada of Kandia said: “Taking women door-to-door for seeking votes is against the Islamic injunctions and Shariah.”

    At least 400 clerics from different parts of the district attended the gathering and endorsed Mufti Shahzada, as he spelled out six decrees, all related to upcoming elections, in front of them.

    It is important to note that two women aspirants backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including Tehmina Faheem from PK-31 Kohistan-I and former lawmaker Momina Basit, and an independent Sanaya Sabeel from PK-33 Kolai-Palas are campaigning to win seats in the February 8 general elections for the first time in the district’s history.

    Tehmina Faheem
    Momina Basit

    Mufti Shahzada told the gathering that all decrees had been issued in light of the current situation. He said these were based on Islamic jurisprudence with references taken from different religious books.

    “If anybody votes against Islamic ideology, it means he is testifying to an untrue and biased statement, which is a grave sin and also against Islamic Shariah,” he added.

    The clerics warned that taking the Holy Quran to compel people to vote was a sacrilegious act and should never be exercised.

    “Those casting votes on the linguistic, regional and clan grounds are also negating Islamic teachings and no such exercise should be carried out in this district,” the mufti added.

    When approached, the women contestants in Kohistan in the February 8 general elections said they would give their point of view after consulting their parties, The News reported.