Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sharjeel Inam Memon wrote on X that the Sindh government is going to start Peoples Bus Service in MirpurKhas district of Sindh very soon. He also praised chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his post.
He wrote on X that “Inshallah from today Peoples Bus Service will start their operation in #Mirpurkhas. This is the vision of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari. CM Murad Ali Shah is also focusing on spreading the service throughout the province. Many more coming soon.”
Just a few days ago, actress Hina Rizvi delighted fans by sharing her Mayun ceremony photos. Surrounded by loved ones, the event was full of joy and celebration.
Today, Hina Rizvi exchanged vows with Ammar Ahmed Khan in a sweet and intimate wedding ceremony. Joined by close family and friends, the actress radiated happiness throughout her special day. Her sister, Sangeeta, was also beaming with joy.
Take a look at the stunning pictures capturing the beauty of her wedding celebration:
Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem from Gaza won the prestigious 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award on Thursday for his image of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her five-year-old niece in the besieged strip.
The picture was taken on October 17, 2023, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where families were searching for relatives killed during Israeli bombing of the Palestinian enclave.
Salem’s winning image portrays Inas Abu Maamar, 36, sobbing while holding Saly’s shrouded body in the hospital morgue. “Mohammed received the news of his WPP award with humility, saying that this is not a photo to celebrate but that he appreciates its recognition and the opportunity to publish it to a wider audience,” Reuters Global Editor for Pictures and Video, Rickey Rogers, said at a ceremony in Amsterdam.
“He hopes with this award that the world will become even more conscious of the human impact of war, especially on children,” Rogers said, standing in front of the photo at the Nieuwe Kerk in the Dutch capital.
Announcing its annual awards, the Amsterdam-based World Press Photo Foundation said it was important to recognise the dangers facing journalists covering conflicts.
It said 99 journalists and media employees had been killed covering the war Israel has unleashed on Gaza.
“The work of press and documentary photographers around the world is often done at high risk,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, the organisation’s executive director.
“This past year, the death toll in Gaza pushed the number of journalists killed to a near-record high. It is important to recognise the trauma they have experienced to show the world the humanitarian impact of the war.”
Salem, a Palestinian aged 39, has worked for Reuters since 2003. He also won an award in the 2010 World Press Photo competition. The jury said Salem’s 2024 winning image was “composed with care and respect, offering at once a metaphorical and literal glimpse into unimaginable loss.”
“I felt the picture sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip,” Salem said when the image was first published in November.
“People were confused, running from one place to another, anxious to know the fate of their loved ones, and this woman caught my eye as she was holding the body of the little girl and refused to let go.”
The British comedy ‘We Are Lady Parts’ which follows the lives of the all-women Muslim punk band Lady Parts, is coming back for a second season on Peacock. Deadline reported that starting May 30, all six new episodes will be on the streaming platform. This season, guest stars will include Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousufzai and British comedian Meera Syal.
NBC says the first episode of We Are Lady Parts was shown in 2018, followed by a full season of six episodes in 2021. Each member of the band has their own unique personality, and the show talks about things like friendship, family duties, and what people expect from women in society.
“Making season one of We Are Lady Parts was immense for me,” admitted Manzoor, who has written, created, and directed the show. “It was a trial by fire, but I found my voice, my style and my confidence in creating this show.” She went on to add, “Most importantly, I found my tribe – from actors and crew to producers and studio execs.”
With the groundwork set, Manzoor felt that working on the second season of her creation was much simpler. “Starting season two, I felt energized,” she said. “The characters, the setting, the mood – everything was already in place and good to go. Now, I wanted to make things even more exciting. I aimed to make it more daring, funnier, darker, and more profound, and that’s exactly what we tried to do.”
Manzoor said the new season will dig deeper into the lives of all the women in the show. “Each of them will face new challenges, but still keeping the humor and fun from season one,” she explained. She also mentioned they were creating more original music for the show. “The music will be bigger too – more original songs and even better covers.”
With the setting in the music industry, Manzoor highlighted that the show would explore what success really means. She is excited about sharing her project with the world. “For a punk band, is fame and big record deals the goal?” she questioned. “I wanted to look at the tension between art and business and see how much compromise is too much. I’m really proud of what we’ve done and can’t wait to share it with everyone.”
All six episodes of the first season of We Are Lady Parts are available on Peacock. The show is produced by Working Title Television (WTTV), a part of Universal International Studios.
National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq took action against two lawmakers on Friday for making inappropriate gestures during a joint parliamentary session . He suspended the membership of Jamshed Ahmad Khan Dasti and Muhammad Iqbal Khan, who are backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) after they used abusive language during President Asif Ali Zardari’s speech.
PTI-SIC lawmakers staged a strong protest and created a ruckus during the maiden joint sitting of parliament on Thursday after the February 8 nationwide elections, which was addressed by President Zardari in which he stressed the need for political reconciliation.
The NA speaker introduced a motion in the lower house of parliament to suspend two members.
The motion, which was read by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, stated that both MNAs used “abusive language” and approached the dais of the speaker in a “threatening manner”, which was an “unacceptable” action.
In a recent video posted on Instagram, Bollywood actor and dancer Nora Fatehi talked about being a Muslim, revealing that she’s been fasting since she was 14, something her parents taught her when she was young. She elaborated on feeling more intuitive during and after the month of Ramzan, emphasizing that she’s committed to fasting every day, even while working. She said fervently, “I fast every day, even though I’m working. I never break my fast. I always keep it going. [Ramzan] is a great time for me to become disciplined and more spiritual. It’s my duty.”
The actor emphasized that fasting is essential to her faith and is something she must manage alongside her work. “I have to do it,” she stressed. “I need to stay connected to my religion, but I also have to work. Why should I have to pick one over the other?”
Fatehi further explained that she manages both her spiritual and everyday life, balancing her religious duties with her career. “As a performer, I need to stay active, but I still fast. Fasting is important, and you can do it while fulfilling your other responsibilities. When you connect with your creator, whoever that may be for you, you enter a different spiritual and mental realm.”
Reflecting on the significance of praying, Fatehi added, “What’s so beautiful about praying five times a day is that, in the chaos of the world, there’s two minutes when you stop and you thank your creator.” Since starting her Bollywood career in 2014, Fatehi has become known for her dance performances in Indian cinema. While some of her followers resonated with her recent religious insights, others on social media have been more skeptical, questioning the apparent contrast between Fatehi’s entertainment career and her religious practices.
Punjab has requested the interior ministry on Saturday to shut down mobile networks and internet services in 13 districts and tehsils of the province on April 21, citing security concerns.
The request has been made to maintain law and order in the province and avoid any untoward incidents.
The provincial home department wrote a letter to the interior ministry for the suspension of internet on April 21 as multiple districts and constituencies are set to witness the conduct of by-polls after more than two months of February 8 general polls.
Popular singer Abrar-ul-Haq thinks actress Nawal Saeed should have stayed quiet about the messages she allegedly got from cricketer Shoaib Malik. He suggested, “Maybe Shoaib Malik wants to get married for the third time.” A short video of Abrar-ul-Haq is going around online where he talks about other actresses like Nawal Saeed and Shoaib Malik. The video is from a TV show he was on a few days ago. He talked openly about actresses and even mentioned his own second marriage.
Abrar-ul-Haq said, “I do not even think of a second marriage, because my wife already threatens to kill me.” He continued, “I have never thought of a second marriage and have no intention. My wife threatens me even before I think about it.”
He referred to Sajal Ali as an innocent actress and said she looks like a child to him. He also talked about Mehwish Hayat, Mahira Khan, and Saba Qamar, calling Saba Qamar the greatest actress of recent times.
He thinks Mehwish Hayat has a lot of passion inside her and should do more flashy projects. He also said that Mahira Khan should take on more work.
When asked about Nawal Saeed, he said, “I don’t know her, who is she?”
The host mentioned that Nawal Saeed recently talked about Shoaib Malik getting messages from cricketers.
Abrar-ul-Haq then said, “Nawal Saeed should have covered up Shoaib Malik’s messages, God has also said to cover up.” Talking about the same issue, Abrar-ul-Haq smiled and said, “Four marriages are permissible in Islam, maybe Shoaib Malik wants to marry a third time.”
On April 17, social media was in an uproar with the news of Advisor to the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Mashal Yousafzai requesting the government for luxury cars worth more than Rs 27 million on provincial government’s expenditure.
Social media users were quick to criticise the move as the government is implementing austerity measures due to poor economic environment.
Geo News reported on the issue, led by their Peshawar reporter Nadia Saboohi who sent Yousafzai messages on whatsapp to ask about her version. Soon after Geo reported on the story, Yousafzai alleged in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Saboohi tried to extort money from her and when Yousafzai refused to give in, ‘propaganda’ was done against her.
The Current spoke with Saboohi to find out what happened.
“I had access to the document detailing the request for luxury cars, but since there are many fake documents on social media, I waited to get a confirmation from the relevant authorities about the authenticity of the document,” Saboohi said over the phone. “After the document was authenticated by proper authorities, I reached out to advisor sahiba for an explanation and her point of view.”
Interestingly, according to the document, Yousafzai had asked for a Toyota Fortuner for herself, listed at a price of over Rs. 1.7 crore and a KIA Sportage for her secretary worth Rs. 73 lakhs.
DOCUMENT
Saboohi remarked that she simply asked the advisor for her perspective, saying that she also asked if the move was wise in such a difficult economic climate, adding that “Even advisor sahiba’s own department has not paid seven to eight hundred employees their salaries.”
Saboohi also pointed out that the Chief Minister of KP Ali Amin Gandapur, implemented an austerity program and no government official is allowed to get any new cars or go abroad for medical treatment.
“In the beginning of our conversation, advisor sahiba flatly denied the existence of any such summary,” Saboohi recalled, “When she was sent the document, she changed her statement and said, ‘This summary is from March 29 and I stopped it.’”
When Geo News broke the story, it went viral, generating immense backlash against Yousafzai. The advisor then tweeted that she had taken back the request for luxury cars.
TWEET
But the issue did not die down. Yousafzai took to X again and criticised the journalist and posted a serious allegation on X against Saboohi.
‘You’re taking money from the ‘boys’ and Muazzam Butt,” read Yousafzai’s tweet.
She also posted screenshots of the conversation she had with the journalist and revealed Saboohi’s phone number to the public. However, in the screenshots posted in her tweet, there is no evidence that Saboohi had extorted money from the advisor.
Yousafzai later deleted the tweet.
Deleted Tweet
“I made it clear to advisor sahiba that, being a journalist, I have no interest in taking sides,” Saboohi said. “I also told her that I have no personal grudge against you but the story was important to break because given the tough socio-economic environment the people of KP are facing, people deserved to know that luxury vehicles might be purchased using taxpayers’ money.”
According to Saboohi, Yousafza has issues within her own party, specifically with senior advocate Muazzam Butt in Insaf Lawyers Forum. Butt was also mentioned in the tweet against Saboohi, as someone who Yousafzai alleged, was paying off the journalist. Yousafzai said to Saboohi, “Because Muazzam was unable to become the advocate general so he started propaganda against me with your help.”
Saboohi said that it was her job as a journalist to report stories about the government in KP and the CM had said that he wanted news outlets to openly report and criticise his government’s actions if needed. In return, “[Yousafzai] released my contact information on social media just because she didn’t approve of my story”.
KP GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE
“The CM house rejected the summary when it was sent to them as told by the CM social media wing representative Yar Muhammad Niazi,” revealed Saboohi. Niazi told her that the document might have been circulated but it was always going to be rejected.
Saboohi also pointed out that the advisor neither holds the authority to send such a document nor put a stop to it because the ministry belongs to CM.
“The spokesperson of KPK government, Barrister Saif, said that the document was given by Yousafzai in her individual capacity, when I asked him about the issue,” Saboohi said, “after which I asked him if that meant that any common person can request the government to buy them cars? Because this was an official government document”.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
Khyber Union of Journalists Peshawar Press Club condemned the advisor for making unsubstantiated remarks and sharing the female journalist’s information on social media.
According to Saboohi, a Jirga in her community has also vowed to support her, adding that, “anyone is welcome to prove these kinds of allegations in her entire 26 years of career.”
Peshawar Press Club had given Yousafzai 24 hours to delete the tweet or provide evidence of her claims. Yousafzai has since deleted that tweet.
When asked about problems she’s faced due to her contact information being publicised by the KPK official, Saboohi remarked, “I am facing a lot of harassment and threats due to this and she [Yousafzai] is responsible for this.”
SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSE
Interestingly, PTI supporters on X are also criticising the advisor on her tweet.
The Current has reached out to Yousafzai for her version of the story and a comment and have not heard back yet.
Yashma Gill, known for her lively personality, recently faced a health scare requiring surgery. Despite her family being in another city, her friends, especially Hania Aamir, stood by her side. Hania stayed with Yashma in the hospital, offering care and support during her recovery. Yashma expressed gratitude for her friends’ unwavering support, sharing moments from her hospital stay.
