Tag: trending

  • Punjab imposes partial smart lockdown for four days

    Punjab imposes partial smart lockdown for four days

    The Government of Punjab, after approval from the Chief Minister, has ordered “restricted movement” in some areas of Punjab to combat smog. 

    The areas of Lahore Division (District Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur), District Gujranwala, District Hafizabad, and District Narowal, have the worst Air Quality Index (AQI), becoming potential hotspots for Conjunctivitis, and will go under lockdown.

    From Thursday to Sunday i.e., November 9, 2023, to November 12, 2023, all markets, shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, gymnasiums, schools

    (public and private), and offices (public and private) will remain closed in these areas.

    Also, movement of people will be limited to and from these areas by public and private transport.

    The following will be exempted from closure:

    •           Pharmacies/ Medical Stores

    •           Medical Facilities and Vaccination Centers

    •           Petrol Pumps

    •           Oil Depots

    •           Tandoors

    •           Bakeries,

    •           Grocery / Karyana stores

    •           Milk / Dairy Shops

    •           Sweet Shops,

    •           Vegetable / Fruit Shops

    •           Chicken / Meat Shops

    •           E-commerce 

    •           Postal / Courier Services

    •           Utility Services (Electricity, Natural Gas, Internet, Cellular Networks /Telecom.

    Large departmental stores will only keep their grocery /pharmacy sections open while all other sections will remain closed.

    It has been suggested by the government that people buy groceries and medicines within the vicinity of their residence.

  • Misogyny rears its head once more with Mohib Mirza’s sexist comments

    Misogyny rears its head once more with Mohib Mirza’s sexist comments

    What is this, misogyny month?

    Another male actor has decided to raise the misogyny flag with a gross comment and this time, its Mohib Mirza. The actor was featured in a podcast for FHM Pakistan where he talked at length about his career and the controversy surrounding the actor’s marriage to Sanam Saeed. Everything was going well, and we were quite proud of how Mohib shut down allegations of cheating against his first wife Amina Sheikh.

    But this was all shot down when Mohib was asked about whether it was him or Sanam who controlled the house.

    To which Mohib responded:

    “If you’re a man you cannot be shareef. No one should remain in this delusion that a man can be innocent. A woman can be innocent but not a man. It can’t be possible because of genetics. The way it was made it’s not possible for that reason. Do you know how many cells you generate in THAT specific area? Billions! You are made like a machine so you are a machine.”

    Where do I even begin with this nonsense. Why do women need to deal with this?

    Sab say pehlay tou Mohib sir, equating manliness with strength and femininity with weakness is a relic of the past. If such a thing were real, then men wouldn’t be throwing around chairs and breaking television sets every time their favourite team lost a cricket match. And women wouldn’t be quietly toiling while suffering intense period pain. Have you ever had a chance, Mr Mohib, to read up on our history? Or even perhaps spoken with the women of this country? Sit down with an ordinary Pakistani woman who is not only working at a job, but also taking care of her children, cleaning her house and then dealing with her in-laws. While men in this country, who were apparently born with superior genes, can’t provide proper financial support for the family. The gender you’re calling weak by associating it with femininity is the one holding families together.

    And also sir, this is not the first time you and Sanam went viral with your sexist comments. Earlier this year, both Mohib and Sanam were guests on Fahad Mustafa’s show. Sanam was asked whether men need to be dealt with like babies, to which she responded: “You need to take care of men like they are children.” The statement reeks of entitlement and ignorance, and as a couple with a lot of power and social status, you need to be mindful of the kind of words you say publicly.

    But you’re lucky Mr Mohib, you’re not the only celebrity who made us want to slam our heads on the wall this week. Javed Sheikh decided it was super cool to publicly announce that he refuses to believe in the slogan ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’. He emphasised that a woman is beautiful when she is covered.

    Please tell us when and where did any woman ask you for your opinion? Did Haseena Moin ask you for reference when she cast you in her critically acclaimed drama ‘Ankahi’ where you acted opposite a head-strong, opinionated woman who didn’t need to cover up to demand respect from a man? Exactly, sit down.

    Why are we still addressing this topic? There’s a war in the Middle East. India is making more progressive movies like ‘Rocky and Rani’ centring around consent and holding men accountable for misogyny, and we’re still debating whether femininity makes a woman weak?

    All we will say is these are distractions from real issues, and we are done lecturing men on the basic elements of feminism. Which is why I didn’t bother to go into any details in this piece. Google is free, and at this point celebrities need to realise we can see through their PR attempts. We know what you’re doing when you bring up sexism because it will bring along another month’s easy coverage. Women don’t owe any man an explanation for why they deserve to be respected, and we’re done doing so as well.

  • All you need to know about ‘Just looking like a wow’

    All you need to know about ‘Just looking like a wow’

    The catchphrase, “just looking like a wow” trending nowadays is actually a very interesting sales pitch by Jasmeen Kaur, the owner of “Design Machine Suits” in Delhi with a total of 649K followers on Instagram. In her jubilant and enthusiastic style, she presents her really colourful, traditional dresses in live sessions and reels.

    Jasmeen runs a small business in Delhi. She jumped on the bandwagon of live streaming and using social media for growing sales. In one of those live streams, she was seen wearing a flamboyant yellow dress, pitching it to be the best ever choice for girls to wear by saying, “…so beautiful, so elegant, just looking like a wow” as she goes on to explain the sizes and colours available. The phrase was picked up by celebrities around the world and has become a pop-culture reference for netizens since then.

    Ms Kaur has since then become a social media personality, giving interviews and boosting her business to the fullest. She sees this stroke of luck as an outcome of her long struggle of 23 years.

    On Instagram, the audio clip has been recreated 477K times reaching millions of views especially created by celebrities. From Deepika to Ranveer, celebrities are using the phrase. The numbers are no less on TikTok. Thousands of videos have been created solely because it feels good and relatable. Yashraj Mukhate famous for his own musical stints, also posted his version of looking like a wow which has been liked by more than half a million until now.

    Videos are trending on social media with the audio of, “so toxic, so negative, just looking like a jao,” amassing thousands of views on Instagram and TikTok but nothing beats the simplicity with which Jasmeen carries herself. There is innovation in her style as she comes up with unique colours’ names like laddu peela, mouse grey and bengani purple.

  • PMLN, PPP ki dosti? MQMP k sath PMLN elections mein? What is happening?

    PMLN, PPP ki dosti? MQMP k sath PMLN elections mein? What is happening?

    Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to collaborate for the betterment of the country during a recent telephonic conversation, Geo news has revealed.

    The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expressed their commitment to jointly tackle crucial issues affecting the nation.

    Zardari reportedly extended congratulations to Sharif on his return to Pakistan on October 21 after spending four years in self-imposed exile in London.

    Both leaders underscored the significance of the participation of all stakeholders in the collective effort to steer the country towards stability and progress, according to reliable sources.

    Acknowledging the pressing concern of inflation, the leaders also discussed plans to alleviate the burden on the public. In light of their discussion, it is anticipated that a high-level meeting will soon be convened to deliberate on crucial matters.

    The timing of their conversation coincided with the directive given to their respective party workers to gear up for the forthcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.

    Notably, the PPP and the PML-N were previously coalition partners in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government, which came into power following the removal of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    However, while the news of the conversation has been making rounds, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari downplayed its significance, emphasizing that the PPP remains open to collaborating with all political parties.

    Contradicting earlier reports, PPP Central Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi denied any direct communication between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, urging the public to verify the authenticity of such claims before spreading them.

    He took to X (former Twitter) and said, “I would like to clarify that the news of Mr. Mian Nawaz Sharif contacting President Asif Ali Zardari is false and holds no truth. We urge everyone to verify information before spreading it.”

    In related developments, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday announced that they would be jointly contesting the upcoming general elections scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024.

    The development comes following a meeting of an MQM-P delegation led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, and Syed Mustafa Kamal with the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore at the party’s Model Town secretariat.

    Later, speaking to the media, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said, “It has been decided that both parties will contest February 8 polls jointly”.

    Amidst escalating political activities, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and President Arif Alvi have reached an agreement to hold the general elections on February 8, adhering to the Supreme Court’s directives following a case regarding the delay of elections.

    Following the electoral alliance between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has said that he welcomes his opponent’s intention to stand in elections.

    “We will stand against our opponents that are coming in elections and we welcome them,” Zardari said while addressing party works in Ghotki’s Khangarh. 

    The former president was of the view that when people who oppose each other contest elections then the competition among them delivers the “best results”. 

  • Explosive material found near Adiala jail

    The police on Tuesday found a bag containing an explosive device in Gorakhpur near Adiala jail, where the hearing of the cipher case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled for today.

    According to police, the bomb disposal squad also confirmed that the bag had explosive material.

    “The suspicious bag was packed with high-grade explosives of 1,500 grams,” the bomb disposal squad said.

    The explosive device was defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) experts. Senior police officers of Rawalpindi police were present at the spot.

    The bag with explosives material was found one kilometre away from Adiala jail, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan is imprisoned.

    The incident came to light during a period when the country is facing terrorist threats from both internal and external extremist organisations, including the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    According to the report of Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), at least 386 security officials lost their lives in first nine months of 2023.  

  • Two policemen martyred in suspected militants attack on oil company in Dera Ismail Khan

    Two policemen martyred in suspected militants attack on oil company in Dera Ismail Khan

    Suspected militants on Tuesday attacked an oil and gas company in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), resulting in two police officials being martyred and three getting injured.

    The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) confirmed that the terrorist attack occurred in Drazanda tehsil of DI Khan.

    The injured police officials and the bodies were shifted to hospitals, said the DSP. He also confirmed that one of the injured policemen is in a critical condition.

    The DSP stated that police officials were deployed for security of the oil company, adding that the search for terrorists is underway.

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, stating that strict action is required to wipe out terrorists from Pakistan.

    This was the fifth attack on DI Khan in the last few days.

    Earlier, on Monday, militants attacked the Gul Imam police station in Tank Area, DI Khan.

  • ‘Imran will lead the nation from jail’: PTI Core Committee

    ‘Imran will lead the nation from jail’: PTI Core Committee

    Former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared its intention to participate in the upcoming general elections across all constituencies in the country.

    The decision was made following a key meeting of the party’s core committee.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had previously confirmed that the general elections will take place on February 8, 2024, after the Supreme Court’s instructions.

    The announcement followed consultations with President Arif Alvi in response to the apex court’s directives.

    The Imran Khan-led party, in its statement, reiterated its determination to take part in electoral politics, adding that “Coercion and fascism will not deter [PTI] from contesting the elections.”

    Addressing former prime minister and party chairman Imran Khan’s incarceration, the statement said: “The PTI chairman will lead the nation after being released [from Adiala jail]”.

    “If the chairman is kept incarcerated, [then] he will lead the nation from the jail,” it added.

    As per Imran Khan’s instructions, the party is set to actively engage in the national and provincial assembly elections, undeterred by any form of coercion or suppression, the core committee affirmed.

    The committee paid glowing tributes to the party chairman for demonstrating “unparalleled courage, resilience, and determination”.

    Imran Khan stands as an embodiment of struggle, resistance, maturity, determination, and perseverance in the pursuit of genuine liberation for the nation, the committee noted, highlighting the chairman’s “unwavering resolve” despite his nearly 100-day “unjust incarceration”.

    Members of the committee highlighted that Imran Khan’s “bravery and unwavering commitment” to not compromise on the true freedom of the nation serve as a wellspring of inspiration for the 240 million Pakistanis.

    The PTI also plans to release a ‘White Paper’ outlining the alleged failures of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the caretaker government, which, they claim, have contributed to the country’s economic crisis.

    Notably, the PTI has voiced concerns about the lack of a level playing field in the upcoming elections, a sentiment echoed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Both parties have alleged biased treatment favoring the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

    Meanwhile, as political parties gear up for the elections, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the PML-N, has directed party members to begin their preparations for the upcoming polls during a recent meeting in Lahore.

  • Emergency declared amidst Congo fever outbreak in Quetta

    Emergency declared amidst Congo fever outbreak in Quetta

    Authorities in Balochistan have declared a health emergency in the province amidst an outbreak of the deadly Congo fever. An outbreak of the viral disease has claimed the life of one doctor while 44 cases have been reported.

    The decision was made by Chief Minister Ali Mardan Domki in Quetta to prevent the further spread of the disease. Local administration has been asked to stay alert, a ban has been imposed on private slaughterhouses in Quetta under section 144 and a directive has been issued to the livestock department to immediately spray disinfectants in cattle markets.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Congo fever is caused by a tick-borne virus called “Nairovirus”, transmitted via tick bites or through infected animals’ blood. It causes Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a severe viral haemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of 10 to 40 percent.

    Dr Shukrullah Langove, who got infected with the virus, died on Sunday while he was being moved to Karachi by road. It was claimed by the Young Doctor’s Association that his life could have been saved, had swift action been taken. About 11 more healthcare providers including doctors, nurses, and paramedics, have also tested positive. The caretaker setup has declared the deceased doctor a martyr and announced benefits for his family. As for the other patients, it has been decided that they will be shifted to Karachi via air ambulance.

  • Despite calls for her removal from Sephora, Huda Beauty donates one million dollars to Gaza

    Despite calls for her removal from Sephora, Huda Beauty donates one million dollars to Gaza

    Huda Kattan, the brains behind the successful beauty brand ‘Huda Beauty’, has consistently raised her voice to end the ongoing genocide in Gaza. The beauty mogul went viral a few weeks ago when she shut down an Israeli supporter who threatened to boycott her products.

    “I don’t want blood money,” Huda fired back.

    Since then, Israeli supporters are circulating a petition to attempt to remove Huda Kattan’s products from beauty giant retailer Sephora. But despite the backlash, Huda Beauty announced on its Instagram account that the brand was donating one million dollars to humantarian organisations in Gaza.

    “it’s been A MONTH of immense suffering in Gaza, and unfortunately things are getting worse.

    It’s important that we always stand on the side of the oppressed & use our platforms to shed light on any injustice. We cannot stand by and pretend like this is not happening.

    Our Huda Beauty brands, including Huda Beauty, Kayali and WISHFUL will be donating $1 million to humanitarian organisations in Gaza.

    This is only because of you that we are able to make this donation, so thank you for your support. Together we can bring change.”

    Social media users applauded Huda’s heroic stance.

  • After Selena Gomez faces backlash on Palestine, her beauty brand donates to Gaza

    After Selena Gomez faces backlash on Palestine, her beauty brand donates to Gaza

    Selena Gomez landed in controversy after she released a tone-deaf statement about the Israeli onslaught on Gaza where more than 10,000 civilians have been killed in airstrikes. Selena joined more than 400 celebrities who signed a petition calling for US President Joe Biden to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza.

    The singer’s bestselling beauty brand ‘Rare Beauty’ has announced it will be making donations to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and International Red Cross/ Red Crescent Society, as well as to UNICEF to provide urgent medical and humanitarian relief to the civilians of Gaza.

    “Rare Beauty will be making donations to the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies – Magen David Adom, & Palestinian Red Crescent Society – who are providing urgent care on the ground. We will also be donating to UNICEF to help get urgent medical relief & resources to the children of Gaza.”

    Magen David Adom is an Israeli national medical service who are not based in Gaza.

    Palestinian civilians have stressed time and time again they are no longer receiving donations as the Rafah border crossing in the South of Gaza remains closed. Civilians in Northern Gaza report they have not received any water or fuel.

    Social media users shut down Rare Beauty’s ‘damage-control’ statement.

    Selena Gomez caused outrage on social media when she released a statement on her Instagram stories, writing that she had been on a social media break because of the violence in the Middle East. After the statement was criticised for being insensitive, the ‘Only Murders In The Building’ actress threatened to shut down her Instagram account, leading to users slamming her for having a “victim complex”.