Tag: trending

  • Maryam Nawaz stops Safdar from speaking on behalf of party

    Maryam Nawaz stops Safdar from speaking on behalf of party

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz has reportedly stopped her husband—Captain (retired) Safdar—from delivering any ‘policy statement’ after he criticised the party’s leadership in an exclusive interview with ARY News.

    According to media reports, the senior vice president made it clear that no party leader, including her husband, should give any statement that goes against the party’s policy.

    She also warned the party that strict action would be taken against those who deviate from the directives.

    ‘Don’t see Maryam Nawaz becoming PM in near future’: Capt Safdar

    Earlier, Safdar said that he doesn’t see his wife becoming the Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan in the near future.

    He said, “I don’t see Maryam Nawaz becoming PM in near future”, adding that if PM Shehbaz Sharif gets elected in 2025, the country will prosper.

    He said the ‘vote ko izzat do‘ narrative of the party was buried on the day when PML-N decided to vote in parliament in favour of an extension to the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa. Safdar said he thinks whoever voted for Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension except for Pervaiz Rasheed, are “criminals”.

    Replying to a question about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissident leaders, Safdar said the parliamentarians should not change their loyalties. “It is not right to win elections on PTI’s tickets and later change your loyalties for power,” he maintained.

    Safdar was of the view that elections in Punjab and KP shouldn’t be held now and went on to say to hold general elections in 2025 after the recovery of the economy.

    In a turn of events, he also regretted his personal attacks on his party rival, Imran Khan, and said that political rivalry should remain political, not personal.

    Talking about PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi—who recently resigned from his position as the party’s vice president after Maryam’s elevation— Safdar said that Shahid doesn’t need a position and praised him.

    On January 3, Maryam was appointed as the party’s “Chief Organiser” and “Senior Vice President”. Later, she returned to the country to take charge of her new responsibilities after a three-month absence.

  • ‘The biggest mistake parents make is not teaching their daughters about their rights’ Komal Rizvi opens up about domestic abuse in her first marriage

    ‘The biggest mistake parents make is not teaching their daughters about their rights’ Komal Rizvi opens up about domestic abuse in her first marriage

    Singer and actress Komal Rizvi was a guest on Nadir Ali’s podcast where she opened up about her abusive first marriage and how she managed to escape it.
    Recalling her past, Rizvi revealed that she was quite naive at the time she got married, as she was only 21 years old and this was a semi-arranged marriage for which she had been given only four months to accept the propsal. The actress had lived in Dubai for a year, and later shifted to Oman when the beatings began, getting worse to the point that even the police had to be called.

    “I was 21 years old when I had gotten married, so I was very young… When we lived in Oman, I didn’t have any family or friends that I could escape to, and my ex-husband never gave me any money to keep me under his control. One time, I called the police on him when he was beating me. But instead of taking action, they dismissed it as a domestic problem and left, leaving me completely alone with him.”

    Recalling what she had learned from her past ordeal, after getting a divorce four years later, the actress said she wished more parents would educate their children about understanding boundaries, because her husband would psychologically abuse her to believe the beatings she was receiving were her own fault.

    “Women from the start in our society are told that they will have a beautiful wedding, after which they will have a husband who will take care of all of their needs. Which is why, so many women are willing to give their 200% in order to make their marriages work. But I detest that we never teach women about the importance of establishing boundaries, that let alone their husband, no man can cross. Which is the thing I regret the most because then I would not have wasted three and a half years trying to make my marriage work. My husband would play all sorts of mind games to gaslight me and make me feel like I am responsible for the beatings because I made him angry. For instance, he would say ‘it’s your fault that you served me with cold food, so I hit a frying pan on your head.’ I kept believing that if I loved him better or worked harder, he would be proud of me.”

    Rizvi especially emphasized how important it is that women are emotionally strong and be vary of men who try to encourage them to abandon their careers and dreams, because this is how her husband treated her.

    “Men like my ex-husband, who are psychopaths, especially try to ensure that they trap the girl to prevent her from escaping in any way. They go after girls like me who were quiet independent and successful, and ask her to abandon all of this in order to become a wife. They want a simple, meek girl who has no independence or opinions of her own, so they can bend her in to two pieces.”

    After escaping her abusive marriage, Rizvi recalled that it was incredibly difficult to be happy and come out of her dark hole, and said that it’s important that society helps women understand that their life isn’t over after a divorce, and provide them with the support system and care one needs.

    ‘Because I was very young when I got divorced. I used to think ‘Oh my life is over! Who would marry me?’ Now I look back and I’m shocked that I said things like this because I remind myself today that I still have a long way to go!” joked Rizvi.

    On the lesson she wished parents, and especially men, would take away from her revelation, Rizvi said that men need to learn to respect women, and ensure that when they’re bringing a woman who had a lot of protection when she lived with her parents, ‘Make sure you provide her the same amount of honor, respect and love. And when she becomes the mother of your children, provide her with twice the amount of love and care than you usually gave.”

  • ‘Crash Course in Romance’ should be on your watch list and here’s why!

    ‘Crash Course in Romance’ should be on your watch list and here’s why!

    At a time when both Bollywood and Lollywood seem to be contesting to out cringe the other by producing the most awkward movies anyone has ever seen, we’re here to provide you a K-drama recommendation that is currently among the top ten most popular shows on Netflix. Take a step back from the saas-bahu kay jhagray, the satti savitri verses the slutty savitri trope and take a deep dive with us in to this enemies to lovers K-drama that revolves around a blossoming relationship between a celebrity math teacher and a single mother.

    1 Food as a love language

    If you’re a food lover, and want to escape from reality to take a deep dive in to a different culture worlds, then this is the perfect show. The central bond that keeps the main characters together is their love for food. This is what has helped K-dramas establish their own space, an emphasis on how love can be found in the most simple things, like making food for someone. We have two broken characters who have suffered hardships because of finances, poor mental health and poverty, learn to come close to one another because of their shared love for a particular dish.

    2 The greenest of green flag enemies to lovers story out there.

    Unlike Pakistani dramas where apparently enemies to lovers means adding aik kilo badtameezi and do chamach thappar to make the most recoiling drama ever, K-dramas have been lauded for championing unproblematic, wholesome male leads who respect and empower the women around them. Choi Chi-Yeol is a celebrity math professor whose in popular demand among students all across Korea to ace math in high school, however his crippling anxiety and depression is giving him insomnia and an eating disorder. However, when he crosses paths with Haeng-Seon, a hard working single mother who runs a cafe to support her daughter’s education, they both help each other overcome their trauma and soon start falling for each other.

    3 Explores the cut-throat competition within private schools and mental health struggles of students

    Aside from the comedy and the light-hearted banter between the main leads, the show is not afraid to address the practice of private schooling, and how the mental health of students is impacted as they compete for the best grades and colleges. The drama is set in the backdrop of the upcoming CSATs in Korea, and how students are pressurized by their parents and teachers to work hard everyday to get the best results. Mostly, the show also reflects how the privilege’s of good education comes at a high cost, with the struggles of Nam Haeyi, who comes from a working class background, and struggles to get good grades like the rest of her peers because she is unable to afford expensive private tuitions offered by academies after school.

    4 Wholesome supporting characters

    One of the most endearing tropes that have kept setting k-dramas apart from any other form of entertainment is the emphasis over found families, that as we grow old we can pick and choose our own family members, rather than the ones we are linked to by blood. In this show, aside from the male leads, side characters like Haeng-Seon’s autistic brother Jae-Woo, are fleshed out to provide more depth to the story, and especially with the way he forms a bond with loner characters like Chi-Yeol, to help him learn about the bond of family for the first time.

    Crash Course in Romance plays every Saturday and Sunday on 8 pm on Netflix.

  • US sees TTP as a threat to Pakistan

    US sees TTP as a threat to Pakistan

    Counselor of the United States (US) State Department, Derek Chollet, has said that his country sees the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a threat to Pakistan.

    While talking to ARY, Chollet said, “We have seen [TTP] in a terrible way a threat to Pakistan. The US considers any terrorist act as unexpectable.”

    The Counselor will pay an important visit to Pakistan during the ongoing week to explore possibilities of coordinating efforts to combat terrorism.

    He was also of the view that there is a great opportunity to further improve the relationship between Washington and Islamabad.

    The US diplomat said that Pakistan and US are working together to deal with the threats of terrorism.

    Since government talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks across Pakistan including attacks on the police.

    According to statistics released by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), January 2023 remained one of the deadliest months since July 2018.

    Most recently, more than 100 people lost their lives during a suicide attack at a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines. The TTP initially claimed responsibility for the attack, however, it later backtracked and claimed that they did not perpetrate the bombing.

  • Mooove over men! This Valentine’s day, India wants people to hug cows

    Mooove over men! This Valentine’s day, India wants people to hug cows

    It looks like the lonely singles in India will have something to do other than side-glaring at all the happy couples out there.
    An appeal signed by The Animal Welfare Board of India has encouraged people to hug cows on Valentine’s Day, suggesting that it will bring about “emotional richness” and “increase individual and collective happiness.”

    Calling cows the backbone of Indian culture and rural economy, the organisation has emphasized how the mammal sustains life, represents cattle wealth and biodiversity. “It is known as ‘kamdhenu’ and ‘gaumata’ because of its nourishing nature like a mother, the giver of all providing [sic] riches to humanity.
    Vedic traditions are almost on the verge of extinction due to the progress of west [sic] culture over time. The dazzle of western civilization has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten.
    In view of the immense benefits of the cow, hugging [the] cow will bring emotional richness hence will increase our individual and collective happiness. Therefore, all the cow lovers may also celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day, keeping in mind the importance of the mother cow and making life happy and full of positive energy. This [was] issued with the approval of competent authority and on the direction of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.”

    As soon as this news began circulating on social media, #CowHugDay started to trend both in Pakistan and India, and for once users from both countries began to bond over the pointlessness of politics.

    Bhai,bhai

    Ok, RUDE

    https://twitter.com/Rifrif9510/status/1623503842540400641?s=20&t=Uh_9Tj7t0XF06GcPo-DTtA

  • ‘Benefit of doubt’ for Gen Asim Munir: Imran Khan

    Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), while talking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence, discussed his strained relationship with the establishment and said that he gives the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, the “benefit of doubt”.

    When asked if the incumbent army chief is following the policy of former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa with regards to the PTI, Khan responded that that Munir had been in office for a mere two months and he was willing to give him the “benefit of the doubt”.

    Khan reiterated that a three-year extension given to Bajwa during his tenure as Prime Minister was a “big blunder”. He alleged that his rival Nawaz Sharif had struck a deal with Bajwa in return for endorsing his extension in parliament. In return, Bajwa started securing relief for Nawaz and others in corruption cases.

    “Nawaz had set two conditions for his return — my disqualification and victory in Punjab polls,” Khan claimed.

    He warned: “But let me tell you that my disqualification is not possible in any of the fake cases they have instituted against me if legal procedures are followed.”

    Speaking about the ‘court arrest’ movement, which he announced last week, Imran Khan said he would be at the forefront of the struggle. “I will be leading the Jail Bharo Tehreek — which is a non-violent drive — after recovering from bullet wounds in two weeks or so,” he said, adding that preparations for the movement have already begun.

    Imran Khan has had an estranged relationship with the military since he was removed from power in April 2022 through a Vote of No Confidence. Since being deposed, the former Prime Minister has criticised high-ranking officials in the army, including General (retd) Bajwa.

  • ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is the fresh breath of air the entertainment industry needed

    ‘Kuch Ankahi’ is the fresh breath of air the entertainment industry needed

    It isn’t an easy task to find authentic representation of women’s stories in Pakistani dramas. Limited creative freedom to explore sensitive social issues and a refusal by most script writers to recognize that making stories interesting with misogynist tropes won’t work is to blame. But Kuch Ankahi is a wonderful welcome for audiences craving good story telling. A slice of life centered around a family in Karachi where three sisters navigate their way through body shaming, pressure to marry, career ambitions and supporting each other thick and thin. There are multiple reasons why you should include this drama in your to-watch list right away!

    1 The similarity to the golden age of PTV dramas

    Many users have praised the show’s use of warm tones and feminist narratives that reflect some of the 80s and 90s classics on PTV like Tanhaiyaan, Dhoop Kinaray and Ankahi, which were written by Haseena Moin and featured strong women with incredible stories.

    2. Rejecting traditional masculinity

    Unlike how recent Pakistani dramas have championed toxic masculinity by romanticizing abusive relationships and toxic men, Kuch Ankahi depicts a world where men and women can exist in harmony. Men are shown doing basic chores, developing close friendships with women and even motivating them to pursue their dreams without adding a romantic element to it, because yes men and women can be platonic friends. The most wholesome example of this has to be the father Agha Jee, who is more than a best friend to his daughters and is quick to remind any man that his daughters are stronger than him.

    3. The subtle, yet powerful way the drama champions original storytelling

    In an industry where the popularity of a drama depends on following a repeated formulae, and consistently re-using misogynist tropes like the virgin and the whore, the gold digger, or the shallow man-hating feminist, Kuch Ankahi has carved its own space by encouraging audiences, especially the entertainment industry, to respect original story telling, and stop shutting out marginalized voices who deserve platforms for representation. A powerful scene that had circulated widely on social media showed a poster of the film Joyland hanging on a wall. Joyland was censored and widely criticized among conservative critics for featuring a relationship between a transgender woman and a man, but in this moment the drama sent out a solidarity note to storytellers in Pakistan who wanted to bring different perspectives to the screen but were denied the right to do so.

    4 Tackling social issues like body shaming, marriage pressure or women’s access to social media

    In the past shows like Dil Na Umeed To Nahi were sent notices by PEMRA for changing their content material, as the show tackled the lives of child sex workers and human trafficking. Kuch Ankahi refuses to back away from highlighting the pressures and stigma women face and executes them in a gentle but brilliant manner. Take for instance Parmeesh, the daughter of the Hindu woman Meena, who loves making videos on Tik Tok but is barred from using a mobile phone after her mother discovers her videos. Or Saima, the eldest daughter, who is consistently pressurized by her mother to marry Saif-ur-Rehman.

    5 Side characters aren’t just props, but are fleshed out with their own storyline

    Pakistani dramas usually categorize characters as either black or white, and keep characters other than the main leads to the background. In Kuch Ankahi, each character is fleshed out with their own background and original purpose, rather than becoming just another prop to the main character’s journey. An interesting example of this could be Saif-ul-Rehman, the man Saima is suppose to marry. Like a lot of sons, he is being forced by his mother to marry of her choice when he actually wishes to marry someone else.

    Kuch Ankahi airs every Saturday on 8 pm on ARY digital.

  • Nawaz Sharif was taken out of power unconstitutionally, says Qureshi

    Nawaz Sharif was taken out of power unconstitutionally, says Qureshi

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has acknowledged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader Nawaz Sharif was removed from power unconstitutionally.

    Speaking with journalist Meher Bokhari, Qureshi said that PTI believed that Sharif would have learned from what happened to him and would not have repeated the same thing.

    “These experiments have not worked in the last 75 years. We were expecting that what he [Nawaz Sharif] went through as a leader, he would have learned from it and taken up a new attitude in politics,” said Qureshi.

    “If someone is removed unconstitutionally from power, a democratic mind will not accept it,” added Qureshi.

    It is pertinent to mention here, that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was removed as the prime minister in April, 2022 through a vote of no-confidence.

  • Gul-e-Rana, Nabeel Qureshi, Hira Mani and Mani attacked and robbed by mob while shooting in Karachi

    Film director Nabeel Qureshi took to Twitter to share that while shooting a scene near Jamsheed Quaters Martin Road in Karachi, they were attacked and robbed by a mob who stole their phones and equipment. Among the crew were veteran actress Gul-e-Rana, Hira Mani and her husband Mani.

    “We have been attacked by mob in PIB colony/ jamsheed quater martin road during shoot they got into the house we were shooting a hundred people they harassed women, beat the shit out of crew, stole mobiles, equipment.”

    The director went on to share that the actors were currently at the PIB police station to report all of their missing items. He further went on to demand that the Sindh Police take strict action, and also reached out to fellow actors to raise awareness about proper security.
    “We are sitting here in PIB police station, they attacked like anything honestly this never happened before in karachi, they were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles wallet they do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc.”

    He continued by asking that Sindh Police and Sindh Rangers “take strict action against these ppl, to make example out of it @ManiSalmanKhi@HiraMani_real i request to my fraternity all the actors producers to make sure that this shouldn’t happened again to any of us!”

    “We are sitting here in PIB police station, they attacked like anything honestly this never happened before in karachi, they were equipped with weapons, they stole mobiles wallet they do not care about ladies they raise their hands etc.”

    “We want #sindhpolice & #sindhrangers to take strict action against these ppl, to make example out of it @ManiSalmanKhi@HiraMani_real i request to my fraternity all the actors producers to make sure that this shouldn’t happened again to any of us!”

    Other actors like Falak Shahzad Khan, who was also present at the scene of the crime, shared Qureshi’s post on Instagram, and said that he was attacked by the mob, along with Gul-e-Rana and Hira Mani.
    “We were at the shoot. …they attacked on the team. Got into the house.”

    Hira Mani also addressed the incident on Instagram, saying that it was an unfortunate incident to witness. She further wrote that she was grateful for her team members for fighting against the culprits.

    ‘It was a very unfortunate incident to witness today and I wish and pray no one faces that ever in their life.

    I want to thank my team members who fought till their last with the culprits to save us and are very bad condition in the hospital right now.

    Please take a moment to pray for their speedy recovery.”

    Other actors like Ahsan Khan and Mahira Khan have reached out to send their solidarity to the actors.

    Taking to his Instagram page, Ahsan Khan called for law enforcement to take swift action against the group that was responsible for attacking the crew.

    “In these days and times security is a must for areas like Jamsheed Quaters. I demand the law enforcement agencies to take swift action in this regard and bring the people responsible for this cowardly act to justice! What happened with Nabeel and his team is not ok and we should stand up for them!”

    Actor Mahira Khan had shared Nabeel’s post, and in the tweet she demanded authorities to investigate the perpetuators behind this incident.

    “I don’t believe this!! Who is responsible ? Who will answer for this?”

  • ‘Hum 2 Humaray 100’ dedicated an episode to teaching children about consent

    At a time when television is littered with misogyny and misrepresentation of women and their issues, it is heart warming to witness shows like ‘Hum 2 Hamaray 100’ take the lead in creating awareness about social issues.
    The show recently broadcast a poignant scene where they recognized the rights and responsilibities of children in Pakistan.
    A grown adult sits down with children in a room and teaches them about the good touch/ bad touch concept. She explains to the children that if any adult, aside from their parents touches them without their consent and makes them feel uncomfortable, then they must immediately tell their parents.
    The writer, Syed Zain Raza, shared the clip on his Instagram account, and in the caption he wrote that because of a rise in rape and sexual assualt cases in Pakistan, he felt it was necessary to teach children about body autonomy and learning to say ‘no’.

    “GOOD TOUCH / BAD TOUCH

    In this episode of Hum 2 Humaray 100 we tried to talk about an extremely important topic that is more prevalent than ever, but we rarely see conversations around it. Our children are unsafe in parks, schools, neighbourhoods, transit, and sometimes even their homes. This is why they need to know about good touch and bad touch. They need to know when they are in danger.

    If we don’t have these conversations with them in a positive way, then someone else will have them in a negative way. Children should be taught about bodily autonomy and what to do if they feel threatened, scared, and uncomfortable around an adult. They need to be told that they will not get in trouble for telling their parents and that it is never their fault.

    I was really glad that the channel allowed us to talk about this sensitive topic without any censoring and/or dictations. And most importantly, thank you to my director @angelinemalikofficial who allowed me to go ahead and write about all these topics with her full support! It is a boon to have a progressive and woke director in a time like this.”

    In the comments section, social media users applauded the show runners for addressing a sensitive topic in a gentle and uncensored manner, which would help more parents and children watching this show learn how to communicate with each other regarding matters of bodily autonomy.

    Activist and makeup artist Leena Ghani praised the writer for bringing such an important topic to mainstream channels and dealing with it in a sensitive way.

    “Such an important conversation about consent and done with so much sensitivity and care. Well done Zain. This is the kind of content and awareness we need,” she wrote.

    Another user recalled the impact this scene had on her mother, that she went on to give the same guidance about consent to her neices.
    “Mother was watching this scene on TV and it impacted her so much that right after that when nieces came she needed to explain this to them. Quite powerful ”