Stage actor and comedian Tariq Teddy passed away at the age of 46 on Saturday, days after he was shifted to a ventilator after his health deteriorated.
Teddy’s son told the media that his father was suffering from pulmonary and liver-related illness, and was admitted to Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute and Research Centre for the last 10 days.
The funeral prayers for the late comedian will be held in Lahore today.
Teddy’s family earlier appealed to the authorities for his treatment and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi later announced financial assistance.
Information Secretary Asif Iqbal Lodhi and Chief Minister Press Secretary Chaudhry Iqbal handed over an Rs0.5 million cheque to the deceased son.
Earlier, several personalities from the showbiz industry visited the hospital and expressed their best wishes for the noted comedian.
Teddy stepped into theatre at a very young age in the 90s. He entertained Pakistanis with his particular style of comedy. His performances in various stage dramas accumulated audience appreciation for his style.
Teddy has to his credit many popular commercial stage plays including Mama Pakistani, Sabse Bara Rupaiya, Jee Karda, and Dosti.
Styleout Watches, a Dubai-based watch company, has rejected rumours about selling or buying Toshakhana gifts received by former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.
Referring to the recent controversy regarding the luxurious Graff set which was gifted to Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Styleout watches released a statement, stating, “We certify that we never bought or sold the Graff Mecca Map diamond MasterGraff Tourbillon minute repeater watch along with diamond cufflinks and round diamonds gent’s ring, as well as rose gold pen set with diamonds to any person.”
“We were approached by an undisclosed person, to market this watch using our Instagram page,” Styleoutwatches said, adding that any information about the watch being sold for USD250,000 is “incorrect and baseless”.
The company said that they reserve the right to sue and take legal action against anyone using their name and their brand to sell and market the watch.
“What we did do is we got it for promotion and marketing reasons,” they said, adding that they took the watch from an undisclosed person, took pictures and posted it on social media to create attention and hype in 2019.
“Then, we returned the watch to the person and whatever happened before or after, we don’t know,” he clarified. The company requested the people to keep them out of the matter.
Earlier, rumours were circulating on social media that Styleout watches had sold the watch for 250k USD in 2019.
On Tuesday, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how he had bought the Graff set from Khan. He had bought the branded set through former accountability minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said on the show that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday said that intelligence reports have identified that there may be danger of another attack on Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Chief Justice of IHC, Aamer Farooq, passed the remarks during the hearing of two merged petitions — PTI’s plea seeking a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a protest sit-in in Islamabad and traders’ petition for ensuring the citizens’ rights to access the roads during the prolonged political demonstrations, reports Geo News.
During the hearing, the police presented a report before the court, stating that there is a possibility of another bid on Imran Khan’s life during the protest.
To this, the Chief Justice remarked that it is the government’s responsibility to address the issue.
About the protest in Islamabad, Justice Farooq said the administration should take a decision on PTI’s request in accordance with the law and ensure that roads are not blocked. He also added that the government will decide on the venue for the PTI and where they can protest in Islamabad.
During the hearing, the chief justice also noted the blockage of roads caused by PTI, stating, “You [PTI] blocked the GT Road, the motorway, and other important highways. You should also have shown some responsibility.”
Earlier this month, the PTI chief survived an assassination attempt in Wazirabad during his party’s long march. Khan sustained multiple bullet injuries in his legs.
The Biden administration has said that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi-born US resident who wrote critical articles about Saudi rulers in The Washington Post.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said, “This is a legal determination made by the State Department under longstanding and well-established principles of customary international law. It has nothing to do with the merits of the case.”
Moreover, the Justice Department of the country had “determined that defendant bin Salman, as the sitting head of a foreign government, enjoys head of state immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts as a result of that office.”
After the news, Khashoggi’s ex-fiancée Hatice Cengiz tweeted: “Jamal died again today”.
Earlier, lawyers for the prince asked in a petition requesting a federal district court in Washington to dismiss the case, citing other cases where the United States has recognised immunity for a foreign head of state
In 2018, Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, an operation that US intelligence believed was allegedly ordered by the crown prince who has repeatedly denied involvement in the past.
When the incumbent US President Joe Biden took charge of the presidency, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince and instead focus on his engagements with King Salman.
Claim: A video of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (PM) in London is being shared on social media.
Users are claiming that the video depicts the Premier sitting in a court in the United Kingdom (UK) where he and his son-in-law, Imran Ali Yousaf, are being panelised in the Daily Mail defamation case.
Shehbaz Sharif had sued the Daily Mail in 2019 for an article which had suggested that he along with Yousaf “stole British taxpayers’ money” given to Earthquake Relief and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) set up to help the victims of the 2005 Pakistan earthquake.
In this particular video, the man sitting next to Sharif can be heard saying, “Mr Sharif misappropriated UK taxpayers’ money and particular government aid intended for the victims of the devasting 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.”
Fact: The video is of a press conference held by Sharif himself in 2020, in which he formally launched a defamation suit against journalist David Rose and Daily Mail and Associated Newspaper Limited (ANL) — the publishers of Mail Online.
The disclosure of formal court action was made at a press conference at the offices of British law firm Carter-Ruck by Alasdair Pepper and Antonia Foster, who are representing Shehbaz in his legal case against the paper. Shehbaz was present with his lawyers at the press conference where the announcement was made.
The lawyer said that Carter-Ruck had decided to move the court after failing to get a substantive response from the newspaper despite several requests over a passage of several months. He said that in nearly seven months the Mail had refused to engage with Sharif’s lawyer.
Pepper argued that the article in the Mail, followed by a social media campaign launched by journalist David Rose, was gravely defamatory for Shehbaz, carrying false allegations that he misappropriated UK taxpayers’ money in the form of aid intended for the victims of the devastating 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) official Twitter account also corrected the false claim and blamed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for spreading “lies”.
#گھڑی_چور کا پراپیگنڈہ سیل ہمیشہ کی طرح جھوٹ پھیلانے میں مصروف ہے۔ یہ وڈیو کسی کورٹ روم کی نہیں بلکہ شہباز شریف کی طرف سے کی گئی جنوری 2020 کی پریس کانفرنس کی ہے۔ تحریک انصاف جس کا جھوٹا پروپیگینڈا تو پکڑا گیا ہے، اب یہ بتائے کہ عمران خان نے #ڈھائی_ارب_کی_گھڑی کیوں چوری کی؟ pic.twitter.com/whT67ezjTC
Popular TikToker Jannat Mirza is generating negative comments for her series of posts about her relationship with TikToker fiance Umer Butt.
The Tere Bajray Di Raakhi recently announced that she has ended her relationship with Butt. In an Instagarm story, she stated, “I am not in a relationship anymore, I am single, don’t ask me why?”
This generated a lot of attention on social media. Here are both her post and her fiance’s posts.
When people were on the verge of accepting the rumor, Jannat and Umer corrected it and said that the status was made in jest because Jannat had rejected Umer Butt’s decision to go clean-shaven, which led to the sarcastic status.
Mirza further clarified her relationship with Umer.
Netizens trolled the duo for their ‘immature’ gimmick.
Former Senator of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Faisal Vawda has said that his party’s ongoing long march is sparsely attended, remarking that, “Long march mein aanay walay logon se ziada mere mulaazim hain,” (I have more employees than the number of people who attend the long march).
During Samaa News‘ show ‘Nadeem Malik Live’, Vawda criticised his former party members without naming them, calling them “snakes”. He said that these leaders claimed that there would be hundreds of thousands of people participating in the long march. “Jitny log long march main a rahy hain is se zyada toh school ke bachay assembly mei hotay hain,” (More children attend school assembly than the number of people attending the long march).
Vawda confirmed the meeting between PTI Chief Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa at the President’s House.
“I helped in arranging that meeting. There were misunderstandings between the two parties but the meeting went well.”
He claimed that PTI is popular among the people right now, however, he raised questions about why the party is carrying out the long march.
Last month, Vawda had predicted that PTI’s march would be a bloody one. After that, the former ruling party terminated Vawda’s basic membership.
PTI said that he would not be allowed to hold any party office or represent the party in the media as he had “grossly violated discipline by giving statements against party policies and guidelines”.
Senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fawad Chaudhry, landed in hot water on Wednesday night after Geo News‘ Shahzeb Khanzada revealed WhatsApp conversations the former minister had with Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor.
پبلک میں اس کو فراڈیا اور انٹرنیشنل مجرم کہتے اور ذاتی پیغام رسانی میں دوستیوں کے ناطے پیار سے درخواستیں کرتے ہیں۔ 2 ملین ڈالر کی گھڑی کے خریدار عمر فاروق سے فواد کے بات چیت کے بعد بھی اگر کسی کو اصلیت پتا نہ چلے تو پھر دعا ہی کی جا سکتی ہے۔ فواد عمر فاروق کا مہمان بھی بنا رہا۔ pic.twitter.com/LgxdbiUGKo
The alleged Whatsapp conversations show that Fawad Chaudhry was in contact with Zahoor who claimed this week that former Prime Minister Imran Khan sold him a precious Graff set gifted to him by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019. Fawad, who had called Zahoor a “liar” after his explosive claims about the sale of the state gift, refers to the businessman as “brother”.
When Zahoor revealed that he had bought state gifts from Imran Khan, Chaudhry denied the allegations. However, he acknowledged that the gift was “legally” sold in the market.
In the chats, Fawad said to Zahoor that “It seems the watch alleged to be of IK is not the same”. He also requested him not to take Khan’s name.
During the show, Khanzada said Chaudhry also promised to help Zahoor get contracts from the Government of Pakistan.
On Tuesday, Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how that he had bought the Graff set from Khan. Immediately afterward, Chaudhry contacted him and asked what had happened. “[Taking the name of] Shahzad Akbar is understandable, but why Imran Khan?” Chaudhry asked the businessman.
Zahoor and Chaudhry met in Dubai several times. During the PTI government, the two also exchanged messages.
Zahoor claimed that he had bought the branded set through former accountability minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.
The government of Pakistan banned Saim Sadiq’s Oscar contender “Joyland” for containing “highly objectionable” material, earlier this month.
An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says that the country’s censor board had granted a censor certificate to the film on Aug. 17. But it has since reversed the decision.
“Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979,” the order states. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”
Head of Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Strategic Reforms, Salman Sufi publicly requested the current federal minister of Information & Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb to review the ban and meet the film’s team.
PM @CMShehbaz has constituted a high level committee to assess #Joyland and review its ban.
The committee will assess the complaints as well as merits to decide on its release in Pakistan.
— Salman Sufi (Get New Covid Booster Today) (@SalmanSufi7) November 14, 2022
Sufi later revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a committee to assess Joyland and review its ban.
Latest Update (Ban Reversed)
The globally acclaimed and multiple award-winning Pakistani film Joyland has been given green signal by the censor board of Pakistan after reviewing it on the Prime Minister’s directions.
The full board has allowed the local screening of Joyland after deleting some parts. The film was initially set to have a commercial release in Pakistan on November 18.
PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a cabinet committee to look into the matter after some schools of thought had objected to the movie.
Release Stopped By Punjab Government
Following yesterday’s clearance by the censor board, Joyland’s theatrical release has once again been halted, this time by the government of Punjab.
The Government of Punjab has retracted its No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued to the movie Joyland. The notification issued by Information and Culture Department reads that Punjab government, in the wake of complaints, has decided to ‘recall’ the movie by “exercising powers conferred under Section-9 (1 and 2) Motion Pictures Ordinance, 1979.” “You are therefore directed not to exhibit above titled film in the jurisdiction of Punjab province till further orders of the Govt,” reads the notification.
Reactions On The Ban
Saim and his team members raised their voices against the ban imposed by the government. Terming the ban a “grave injustice,” Sadiq, in an Instagram post, says that the ban is “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal” and has urged the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review the decision.
Apart from the film’s team, A-list celebrities and media personalities also reacted to the news and expressed their support for the film.
#ReleaseJoyland ! There is no reason not to. Be proud of the work that our artists create not afraid! Give your own people the respect they get in foreign lands. Support us, stand by us and we as Pakistani artists will make this country proud! https://t.co/6jQizg0Xbx
Set in Lahore, the film revolves around Haider, the youngest son of the middle-class, patriarchal Rana family. As the Ranas yearn for the birth of a baby boy, Haider secretly joins an erotic dance theater and finds himself falling for a fiercely ambitious trans starlet. Their love story illuminates the secrets and desires of the entire Rana family.
The film debuted at the Un Certain Regard strand at Cannes earlier this year, where it won the jury prize. Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai later joined the project as an executive producer. It is Pakistan’s entry in the Oscars’ international feature category.
Recently it also won the Asia Pacific Screen Awards’ young cinema award, given in partnership with critics’ association NETPAC and the Griffith Film School.
After hearing of the ban, APSA said in a written statement: “ ‘Joyland’ represents a significant new cinematic talent in Saim Sadiq from Pakistan, who has crafted a moving and entertaining drama about family in his debut feature film. The Young Cinema Award Jury commends Saim Sadiq for his brave and joyous celebration of community diversity and the universality of love.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping scolded Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau in an on-camera dressing down at the G20 summit.
Xi Jinping on Wednesday criticised PM Trudeau in person over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting at the G20 summit, a rare public display of annoyance by the Chinese leader.
In video published by Canadian broadcasters, Xi and Trudeau can be seen standing close to each other and conversing via a translator at the summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.
“Everything we discussed has been leaked to the papers. That is not appropriate,” Xi remarks.
BREAKING: Chairman Xi dresses down Justin Trudeau like a junior employee for leaking their private conversation to the media. Trudeau can barely walk after pic.twitter.com/QlRtbiBSIg
Speaking evenly and wearing a slight smile, he says: “And that’s not the way (our discussion) was conducted, was it?”. As Trudeau listens in silence, the Chinese President addresses him directly, “If there is sincerity, we can have conversations based on an attitude of mutual respect. Otherwise, the results will be unpredictable.”
Xi then appears to try to walk past Trudeau, but the Canadian leader replies: “In Canada, we believe in free, open and frank dialogue, and that is what we will continue to have.
“We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we disagree on,” he tells Xi.
Raising his hands, Xi cuts him off, saying bluntly: “Create the conditions. Create the conditions.” He then broadens his smile, barely looking at Trudeau as he shakes his hand and leaves his counterpart to make his way out of the room.
Neither the Chinese foreign ministry nor state media have published anything on talks between Xi and Trudeau. The two held a 10-minute informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Tuesday.
