Tag: trending

  • History made as Shahzadi Rai becomes first transgender to serve on Karachi Metropolitan Corporation

    Shahzadi Rai announced on her Twitter account on Wednesday that she has become the first transgender person to serve on the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the first such appointment in history. In a tweet she said:

    “I’m excited to share that I have submitted my papers KMC for transgender/Khawajasara reserved seats. It is the first time in Pakistan’s history that such an opportunity has been available, and I am grateful to the @PPP_Org @BBhuttoZardari @SyedNasirHShah @BakhtawarBZ @SaeedGhani1.”

    Speaking to The Current, Rai talked about her goals to help empower the transgender community and ensure that protecting human rights for all remains a priority for the organisation:

    Our priority is that any policy or project initiated should be inclusive for transgender people. We want to work for all the people in Karachi and make life better for them, whether it is men, women or khawaja sira people. We want to implement human rights because I am a feminist and a human right’s activist for the last 12 years, so when we enter politics we shouldn’t forget about our basic principles.”

    Since her announcement, civil society bodies and transgender activists on Twitter have offered congratulations on the historic feat, welcoming it as a necessary step towards including the transgender community into all kinds of policy making.

    https://twitter.com/Bubbleskhanum/status/1661354767380099072?s=20
  • Bangladeshis promise free and fair elections after US imposed visa restrictions

    Bangladeshis promise free and fair elections after US imposed visa restrictions

    Bangladeshi authorities have assured the United States (US) that they will take steps to tackle and prevent unlawful practices or interference in its election after the US threatened curbs on citizens of the South Asian nation who undermine polls.

    “The government apparatus will take necessary measures to prevent and address any unlawful practices or interference … to compromise the smooth and participatory conduct of the elections,” the Bangladesh foreign ministry said in response.

    “The electoral process will remain under strict vigilance, including by international observers as accredited by the Election Commission,” it added in a statement.

    A day earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States is adopting a new policy to restrict visas for Bangladeshis who undermine the democratic election process at home.

    Hasina Wajid, who has a tight control over the South Asian nation since coming to power in 2009, has been accused of human rights violations, obliteration of press freedom, suppression of dissent and the jailing of critics, including many supporters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

    The BNP has been calling for Hasina to step down and for the next election, due in January 2024, to be held under a neutral caretaker government, a demand her government has rejected.

  • Has BCCI accepted Hybrid Model for Asia Cup 2023?

    Has BCCI accepted Hybrid Model for Asia Cup 2023?

    During the past few days, news media had been inundated with reports that Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to a hybrid model for Asia Cup 2023 and are ready to play at the neutral venue.

    After reports emerged that the BCCI has agreed to the hybrid model suggested by PCB, Indian board officials refuted the reports.

    “The respective presidents of…Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka cricket boards will grace IPL 2023 final…We will have hold discussions with them for outlining the future course of action in relation to Asia Cup 2023,” BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has said.

    According to Indian media reports, BCCI wants to shift the whole tournament to a neutral venue but the dispute is unresolved as Pakistan is not backing off from hosting duties.

    At this time, BCCI likely wants to shift the tournament to Sri Lanka as their board has already given a green signal by assuring ACC of suitable weather conditions.

    Sources had earlier said that the Indian board has agreed to play the Asia Cup under Pakistan’s hybrid model.

    According to the sources, Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah has accepted PCB’s proposal, under which four matches of the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan and the rest at neutral venues.

  • Student dies from heatstroke during board exam in Sindh

    A tragic accident took place at the Government Degree College in Khairpur, Sindh, when a student, Mehtab Ali, passed away during Grade XI intermediate board examinations due to load shedding in extreme heat.

    According to The Nation, Ali fainted during his exam and was rushed to the hospital where he passed away despite attempts to revive him.

    While students are giving their final examinations, the ongoing power outrage has exposed them to the heatwave, putting many at risk of suffering from heat strokes or nose bleeds. The Sindh Minister for Board and Education, Ismail Rahoo, has encouraged authorities to ensure that examination halls have uninterrupted power supply so that such fatal incidents can be avoided.

  • Did Imran Khan just admit that Nawaz was removed by establishment?

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has filed a petition in Supreme Court (SC) asking that an ‘undeclared martial law’ be termed unconstitutional.

    Imran Khan has nominated Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Azam Khan and others as parties in his petition.

    A passage in the petition has caught the attention of political commentators.

    “The respondents intend to create a wrong impression about the armed forces which is the main objective and target of Maryam Nawaz who found it is a great opportunity to take revenge for the removal of his father from power by the establishment,” the excerpt from the petition read.

    
    

    The words are being seen as an admission by Imran Khan that his arch rival, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif was removed from power as Prime Minister on the behest of the establishment.

    Nawaz Sharif has long maintained that his dismissal from the post of Prime Minister and his lifetime disqualification order by the Supreme Court was done at the behest of the establishment.

    Khan’s petition also read, “It is now matter of general information that the respondent Nawaz Sharif made a deal with establishment (statement of Khawaja Asif on TV) and there being a condition that the petitioner and his political party should be banned and declared a terrorist organization to pave the way for Nawaz Sharif and his daughter coming back to power.”

    The petition also requests the Supreme Court to declare the detention of PTI workers under Army Act and the Official Secrets Act illegal, and to order the immediate release of the PTI workers.

    Imran also asked the SC to make a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 when party supporters are alleged to have attacked military and civilian installations.

  • Karan Johar celebrates 25 years in Bollywood

    Indian filmmaker and television personality Karan Johar marked 25 years of working in Bollywood with an Instagram post celebrating some of his best films throughout the years. In the accompanying caption, he expressed his gratitude to all those who had supported him in the journey and shared a video of some behind the scene clips from famous films like ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’.

    “Nothing but gratitude for the magical 25 years I have spent in the director’s chair.
    I learnt, I grew, I wept, I laughed – I lived. And tomorrow, another piece of my heart will be yours to see and I could not be more ecstatic as I celebrate my birthday with you all. With a kahaani that has prem written all over it.”

    Celebrities like Kajol, Alia Bhatt and Abhishekh Bachchan replied to the showman with facilitations and offered congratulations.

  • Everything we say is not reported correctly: CJP

    Everything we say is not reported correctly: CJP

    A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar, heard a review petition filed by Election Commission of Pakistan ECP, pertaining to Supreme Court’s earlier decision about election date in Punjab.

    During the hearing the CJP addressed Attorney General of Pakistan, and talked about the controversy surrounding his “Good to see you,” comment to Imran Khan. “We saw you and said ‘Good to see you’, with an open heart. Things said in a different context were reported in such a way that they gave a wrong impression, everything we do is not reported correctly.”

    While talking about news reports claiming that the CJ provided a Mercedes to Imran Khan to commute in, Justice Bandial said, “It was said that Imran Khan was given a Mercedes by the court, I don’t even use a Mercedes myself.”

    Earlier, Supreme Court’s spokesman also clarified that the court did not provide a Mercedes to Imran Khan.

  • In the latest really messed up development of ‘Tere Bin’ it turns out that Meerab, Murtasim did it consensually

    We all know that the latest act in the cesspool that is the Pakistani drama circus was the controversial promo of ‘Tere Bin’ which aired last week. The trailer implied that female lead Meerab (played by Yumna Zaidi) was raped by her husband Murtasim (played by Wahaj Ali).

    Twitter users were shocked, tagging the actors, production staff and even the writer, Nooran Makhdoom herself, to criticise the development as deeply misogynist and horrifying. But then, instead of reassuring the audience, Makhdoom decided to fan the flames even more with controversial statements given to Arab News, defending the marital rape by saying that it has been going on for a long time on Pakistani screens.

    Mmmm.. still not a good reason though.

    Finally, the episode has aired and it turns out, the sex was not rape. It was consensual.

    Yes, you read that right.

    We are dragged through the first agonizing 15 minutes of Mariam’s marriage, and her reluctance to open her heart, yada yada.

    And then we are reluctantly led to THAT scene where our favorite toxic jori, Murtasim and Meerab, actually did the deed in a consensual manner, but even that led to a lot of ronay dhonay.

    Twitter was mostly amused but some were horrified at how a once popular show has destroyed itself by pandering to sensationalism. Kudos to them for taking out the marital rape but really, where is the plot going?

    On God this is hilarious

    Chalo iss baat mein hilarious memes tou mil gayien

    https://twitter.com/thatdumbkido/status/1661426180237525023?s=20

  • Ten things Anoushey Ashraf wants Pakistani women to remember

    Actress and VJ Anoushey Ashraf has shared a list of ten things she wishes all Pakistani women should remember in order to live a more fulfilled and enjoyable life.

    Taking to Instagram, she wrote that everyday she remembers to pray and thank God for all the things in her life, good or bad. Ranging from learning to be comfortable in your own skin, to standing for a cause you believe in, here are some valuable tips that Ashraf sent out to her followers.

    1 Be financially independent

    “We’ve heard this again and again but I can’t emphasize enough on being financially independent. Not only does it give you freedom of movement, it gives you self confidence in a world that isn’t to kind to our gender in general.”

    2 Stand up for yourself

    “We’ve been sold the whole ‘be patient, let it go’ narrative for way too long but if someone has said or done something to hurt you or your reputation stand up for yourself. You don’t need to take emotional abuse from anyone.”

    3 Travel solo (or with friends)

    “You do not necessarily need a partner to travel around with. Get your girlfriends and travel to exotic places. Meet new people, have unique experiences and grow. Travel is the best education.”

    4 Learn how to drive

    “Just a skill I think everyone needs to know. In case of emergency or just not being dependent on someone else driving you around all the time. Driving also gives you a sense of control (in an odd sense) it’s cool.”

    5 Confess your love to someone

    “So, you have been liking someone but waiting for him to make the first move. Wake up, girl, it’s 2023! You can ask a guy too. And it’s absolutely okay! Good luck.”

    6 Indulge in a hobby

    “This keeps me creative and motivated. Making time for reading, art, music, puzzles, spending time with my pets or just playing sports are essential to recharge my batteries and keep me sane in an otherwise chaotic life.”

    7 Be comfortable in your own skin

    “So, what if you’re skinny or thin? What if you (think) you’re short or too tall? Accepting your authentic self is the biggest step towards knowing and honoring yourself.”

    8 Be 100% okay with being single.

    “Single is no longer a lack of options- but a choice. A choice to refuse to let your life be defined by your relationship status but to live every day Happily and let your Ever After work itself out. And it will. – Mary Hale (said it best).”

    9 Give time to a cause you believe in

    “Politics? Religion? The environment? Education? Animal rights? Whatever it is that gets you worked up, don’t just sit around and complain. Get involved! Start taking positive, forward-thinking action and see what you can do to help the situation. Raise money, do research, volunteer your time, spread the word – it’ll give you an incredible sense of purpose, and plus, people need your help.”

    10. Work out atleast three times a day

    “Not only will staying active and adapting your physical activity improve mental and physical health but it will also cut down on your risk of developing life-threatening illnesses or having a fall that results in injury. It’s no secret that our bodies start to decline naturally as we age. That’s life, unfortunately – but it needn’t be a cue to stop moving. Staying active is beneficial to us all, whatever our age!”

  • ‘Social media poses risk to mental health of teenagers’: expert

    US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on Tuesday, warning about the consequences social media usage has for women and children. He said that it is imperative now more than ever that tech companies, policymakers and parents take immediate action to ensure that children are protected.

    “For every family, it may not be feasible to stop your child from using social media or there may be benefits,” he told the Associated Press, “But drawing boundaries around the use of social media in your child’s life so there are times and spaces that are protected, that are tech-free, that can be really helpful.”

    According to The Guardian, Murthy revealed that it was terrifying that not enough research has been done to understand the harm social media has over children:

    “The bottom line is we do not have enough evidence to conclude that social media is, in fact, sufficiently safe for our kids. And that’s really important for parents to know.”

    The advisory is a part of Dr Murthy’s ongoing investigation in to the mental health crisis of American youth. The report pointed out that more than 95% of American teenagers between the ages of 13 to 17 years old are active on social media platforms, while a third said they use these apps constantly. The report also pointed out that there has been a noticeable rise of children and adults dealing with anxiety and depression due to social media usage.

    This report has arrived in the wake of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen revealing in 2021 that according to research conducted by Facebook, 13.5% of teen girls say Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse, and 17% of teen girls say Instagram makes eating disorders worse.

    “And what’s super tragic is Facebook’s own research says as these young women begin to consume this eating disorder content, they get more and more depressed. It actually makes them use the app more,” Haugen revealed. “They end up in this feedback cycle where they hate their bodies more and more.”