Tag: trending

  • ‘All on same page’: Chaudhry Shujaat denies rumours of rift between brothers

    ‘All on same page’: Chaudhry Shujaat denies rumours of rift between brothers

    Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has denied all rumours that there is a rift between their party and family.

    In a statement released by the PML-Q, it said, “All political decisions were made with my consultation and I fully support them. Our family and party are on the same page, so the rumors that are circulating or are being spread are wrong.”

    “All decisions at the party or at home are made with my consultation and consent. I do not believe in explanation. I would like to say that I am considered the head of the family,” read Hussains’ statement.

    The PML-Q chief said that the term “use of money” is wrong and shouldn’t be used as educated people do not like such discussions.

    Hussain reiterated that it is inappropriate to do propaganda or manipulate facts. “Those who want to gain political advantage by propagating differences will be disappointed,” he asserted.

    “I have been told that there are differences in my family, there is no truth in this. Our family has been in politics for the last 50 years not only in Punjab but across Pakistan,” he said, vowing that all decisions are taken with his consultation.”

    On Monday, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi was nominated for the post of the Chief Minister of Punjab. It is being speculated that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has unleashed what appeared to be the long-promised ‘trump card’ by nominating Elahi as his candidate for the provincial chief executive’s slot.

  • Taliban threaten to fire govt employees for not keeping a beard

    The Taliban government in Afghanistan has threatened all government employees that they will be laid off if they do not comply with the new orders of keeping a compulsory beard and maintaining the dress code.

    Employees were instructed not to shave their beards and to wear loose trousers and shirts with a hat or turban. They were also instructed to make certain that they offer their five prayers on time.

    According to media reports, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were seen patrolling the entrance gate of government offices to inspect if everyone was following instructions on Monday. If any employee violated the order, he was not allowed to enter the office premises and would eventually get fired.

    Recently, the Taliban government barred women to travel alone on planes unless they were accompanied by their male guardian. If women have to travel abroad to study, they have to be accompanied by a male relative.

    Prior to this, the Taliban government also banned girls’ education above 6th grade. The announcement came only a few hours after they reopened for the first time in nearly seven months.

  • Police arrest Indian woman for allegedly wishing Pakistan Day on Whatsapp status

    Police arrest Indian woman for allegedly wishing Pakistan Day on Whatsapp status

    In the Indian state of Karnataka, police have arrested a female student, Kuthma Shiekh for allegedly posting wishes for Pakistan Day on her Whatsapp status on March 23.

    According to Hindustan Times, Kuthma Sheikh posted a Whatsapp Status in Urdu which says, “Allah har mulk me ittihaad, aman, sukoon, ata farma maula [May God bless every nation with peace, unity, and harmony].”

    An activist, Arun Kumar Bhajantri filed a complaint against her in which he claimed that the woman intended to infuse tensions on a basis of ethnicity.

    According to the police, the woman is a Mudhol native and studying at a madrasa.

    The police claimed that she broke the law of Indian Penal Code Sections 153(A) (inciting hatred between groups based on religion, race, or other characteristics) and 505(2) (inciting hatred between groups based on religion, race, or other factors) (making statements that promote hostility between groups).

    Authorities claimed that Whatsapp status could prompt riots, protests to which they had to detain the woman. Police further added, “Her status might be interpreted as a celebration of Pakistan’s Republic Day.”

    “If we hadn’t moved quickly enough, it could have resulted in rioting, protests, and counter-protests, the official continued.

    She was arrested on March 24 but she was released on bail the next day.

  • Civilian governments and completing their term

    Civilian governments and completing their term

    In the wake of the no-confidence move against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan by the Opposition, a debate has started about several issues ranging from the government completing its term to defections from the ruling party. In Pakistan’s history, no civilian prime minister has ever completed his/her five-year term. Even when the last two civilian governments completed their tenures from 2008-2018, despite many hiccups and conspiracies against the governments. Of course, we do not know what the result of the latest vote of no-confidence will be, but if we are to believe speculations about what is happening in politics, this government may not survive and even PM Khan may not be able to complete his full term. Ideally, a civilian government, no matter how it has come to power, should be able to complete its full term. In a democracy like Pakistan, there are many factors involved in politics, which is why it is important for democratic governments to complete their tenures. 

    On the other hand, a vote of no-confidence is also a constitutional right that can be exercised in parliament to remove the Prime Minister from office if he/she loses the confidence of the majority of the members of the National Assembly. The number required to dislodge the premier is 172. The Opposition has followed a democratic procedure by moving a resolution for a vote of no-confidence, which requires signatures of at least 20 percent of the total membership of the lower house.

    Under the 1973 Constitution, we have seen two votes of no-confidence in the past against prime ministers. First against Benazir Bhutto in November 1989 and then against Shaukat Aziz in August 2006. Both Bhutto and Aziz survived the votes. After successfully defeating the vote of no-confidence, Benazir Bhutto gave a magnanimous speech and said she bore no ill-will against the opposition. Contrast her words with what is happening today — a prime minister addressing the nation with a short message to join his March 27 rally, bitter words by the ruling party on national television, threats of what is in store for those members who have gone to the opposition’s side, threats of a showdown, etc. This is not how politics should be but unfortunately, we have seen how the discourse over the last few years has led to politicians stooping to the lowest level just to settle scores. Add to it labels like a traitor, apart from other choice words. These add to the toxicity of political discourse, which is telecast live on our television screens.

    Parliament’s fights should be fought on the floor of the house through the vote of no-confidence, not on the streets.

  • ‘Muin me khaak’: Hina Bayat grills Maryam Nawaz for her recent statement about ‘Purana Pakistan’

    ‘Muin me khaak’: Hina Bayat grills Maryam Nawaz for her recent statement about ‘Purana Pakistan’

    Senior actor Hina Khwaja Bayat has been trending on social media platforms for making a video on PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz after the latter went viral for claiming the country is about to land back in ‘Purana Pakistan’.

    The political figure is also being trolled for stating, “Mainay pehle he kaha tha ke geedar ki khaal pehen kar koi Nawaz Sharif nahi bansakta. (I have said this before, no one can wear the coat of a jackal and claim to be Nawaz Sharif).”

    In a video message shared on Bayat’s Instagram, she expressed her disdain towards Nawaz’s desire, adding a few wishes of her own. Before doing either, she clarified that she has never wished to use harsh words in a conversation with or about anyone, but Nawaz has left her with no choice.

    Aap Ke Munh Main Khaak' Hina Khawaja Bayat Lashes Out At Maryam Nawaz Following Her Statement On Purana Pakistan - Showbiz Pakistan

    “Main ne aj tak kabhi nahi chaha ke main kisi ke baray men, ya kisi ke liye, koi sakht alfaz istemal karun. Lekin Maryam Nawaz sahiba, apne mujhe majboor kardiya hai ye kehne pe ke apke mun men khaak (I have never wished to use harsh words against or about anyone but madam Maryam Nawaz, you have left me with no choice but to say, may your wishes never come to pass!” she rebuked.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfriGUhx3-Q

    “I pray to God that may we never have to go back to Purana Pakistan, the Pakistan your party and its alliants had created. May the Lord protect Pakistan from the enemies within and without,” added the Khuda Aur Muhabbat actor.“May He protect our forces, and the leaders who want nothing but the best for this country. May He be our guiding force, this is the prayer of a true Pakistani,” she concluded.

    The Khuda Aur Mohabbat 3 star also tagged Nawaz in the caption of her video writing, “May Allah Ta’ala protect our beloved country from the enemies beyond our borders and those who create fitna (conflict) within!”

    It is pertinent to note here that PML-N vice president recently said that PM Imran Khan’s governing days are numbered. She referred to the country as a plan that will soon be landing back or go back to being Purana Pakistan (the Pakistan before Khan came into power).

    Bayat is a veteran Pakistani actor whose renowned appearances include Uraan, Ishq Gumshuda, Aunn Zara, Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Muqaddas and Shehr-e-Zaat and Baaghi. She also appeared in the ZEE5 web-series Churails.

  • ‘Oscar jeet gaya magar izzat hargaya’: Transnational celebrities blast Will Smith for slapping colleague at Oscars

    ‘Oscar jeet gaya magar izzat hargaya’: Transnational celebrities blast Will Smith for slapping colleague at Oscars

    Transnational celebrities have reacted with a mixture of shock and anger after Hollywood actor Will Smith slapped comedian and host Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars.

    Comedian Rock, who was presenting an award, made an on-stage joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss, which is due to alopecia, saying “Jada, can’t wait for GI Jane 2.”

    Smith walked up on stage and struck Rock before returning to his seat and shouting: “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth.”

    Smith later apologised in a tearful best actor acceptance speech, declaring: “Love will make you do crazy things”.

    https://twitter.com/Abhimanyu___/status/1508295459093487616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1508295459093487616%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.koimoi.com%2Fhollywood-news%2Foscars-2022-will-smith-slaps-chris-rock-over-a-joke-on-jada-pinkett-smith-netizens-react-with-hilarious-memes%2F

    The celebrities have mostly condemned this act of violence by the talented actor.

    “I’m being called on in my life to love people and to protect people and to be a river to my people,” Smith said. “I know, to do what we do, we’ve gotta be able to take abuse.

    “You’ve gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you’ve gotta be able to have people disrespecting you. You’ve gotta smile and pretend that that’s okay.”

    But director Judd Apatow called the incident “pure out of control rage and violence” on Twitter.

    “He could have killed him. That’s pure out of control rage and violence. They’ve heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshman in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind,” he wrote on Twitter.

    “Seems like Will Smith’s plan to get comedian and the world to not make jokes about him is not going to pan out. The Williams family must be furious. Pure narcissism,” he added.

    “Also — GI Jane was gorgeous. What exactly is insulting about being compared to a ripped, stunning Demi?’ he wrote, referencing the Ridley Scott–directed Demi Moore–starring film.

  • ‘Considered murdering my father’: Oscar winning actor Will Smith’s shocking revelations going viral

    ‘Considered murdering my father’: Oscar winning actor Will Smith’s shocking revelations going viral

    The award-winning Hollywood actor, Will Smith has revealed in his new memoir Will that his father, Willard Carroll though present throughout his childhood, was an alcoholic who would regularly beat his mother.

    My father was violent, but he was also at every game, play, and recital, wrote Will Smith

    “When I was nine years old, I watched my father punch my mother in the side of the head so hard that she collapsed,” Smith writes. “I saw her spit blood. That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am.”

    The Men in Black star continues to say that the incident haunted him, making him feel like he failed to stand up for his mother.

    Nonetheless, he maintained a relationship with his father eventually caring for him when he was diagnosed with cancer. This, according to Smith, was when he considered killing him.

    “One night, as I delicately wheeled [my father] from his bedroom toward the bathroom, a darkness arose within me,” he writes.

    “The path between the two rooms goes past the top of the stairs. As a child I’d always told myself that I would one day avenge my mother. That when I was big enough, when I was strong enough, when I was no longer a coward, I would slay him.”

    “I paused at the top of the stairs. I could shove him down, and easily get away with it,” he writes. “I’m Will Smith. No one would ever believe I killed my father on purpose. I’m one of the best actors in the world. My 911 call would be Academy Award level.”

    “As the decades of pain, anger, and resentment coursed then receded, I shook my head and proceeded to wheel Daddio to the bathroom,” he adds.

    Will Smith Sr. succumbed to his cancer in 2016.

    “There is nothing that you can receive from the material world that will create inner peace or fulfillment,” Smith concludes. “In the end, it will not matter one single bit how well [people] loved you, you will only gain ‘the Smile’ based on how well you loved them,” he writes.

  • ‘Larkiyan isko cherti hain, yeh nahi’: Samra Raza Mir gets candid on son Ahad in resurfaced clip

    ‘Larkiyan isko cherti hain, yeh nahi’: Samra Raza Mir gets candid on son Ahad in resurfaced clip

    Actor Ahad Raza Mir appeared on Nida Yasir’s morning show with his mother Samra Mir after the success of his romantic serial with Sajal Aly, Yaqeen Ka Safar. A few clips from this old interview are resurfacing on social media.

    On being asked by the host that how does she react when she gets complaints about him, Nida cites the example of teasing girls, to which the Sammi star quickly responds that it has never happened.

    Ahad Raza Mir's Mother Samra Raza Mir Is A Musician. - Showbiz Pakistan

    Then Samra adds that its the other way round, as girls tease him and not him. She even said that it has been happening since childhood.

    Ahad married his co-star Sajal in Abu March 2020 in Abu Dhabi.

    Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir to Split Up? | DESIblitz

    Walking down the memory lane, the Mom star, Sajal recently spilled how Ahad had asked her hand in marriage on the sets of Aangan.

    “We had just got engaged when we started working in Aangan together. He had proposed to me and I had told him that he needed to reach out to my family. The very next day, I had fallen ill and Ahad’s mother had come to take care of me for three days. My father had been very surprised but my sister told him that Ahad’s family were thinking of marriage. Once I got better, Ahad’s parents came to Lahore, met my family and we got engaged.”

    Sajal Ali's mother-in-law Samra Raza Mir says she will be releasing a song soon

  • Harvard University congratulates Ayesha Malik for becoming first female Supreme Court judge

    Harvard University has congratulated its alumnus, Ayesha Malik who is the first woman appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 75 years of its history.

    She has studied law and earned a degree of LL.M ( Master of Laws) in 1999 from Harvard Law School where she was named a Landon H. Gammon Fellow for academic excellence. Harvard Alumni Association also published an article on her achievement on its website.

    “Congratulations to @Harvard_Law alum Ayesha Malik LLM’99, who was appointed to the Supreme Court of Pakistan! She is the first woman to serve as a justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court in the country’s 75-year history,” Harvard Alumni Association tweeted on March 27.

    Justice Ayesha Malik took oath as the Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on January 24, 2022. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed administered the oath.

  • ‘Letter I have is proof’: Khan says details of ‘foreign conspiracy’ will be brought forward ‘at the right time’

    ‘Letter I have is proof’: Khan says details of ‘foreign conspiracy’ will be brought forward ‘at the right time’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has claimed that the Opposition’s no-trust move is part of an alleged “foreign-funded conspiracy” hatched against his government.

    In what was a marathon speech lasting almost two hours on Sunday night, Khan discussed his struggling time as a politician, the achievements of PTI, his political ideology, and criticism on the Opposition.

    PM Khan further added that attempts were being made to topple his government and said, “some of our own people” are being used in this regard. The premier’s remarks came during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) power show titled Amr Bil Maroof (enjoin the good) at Parade Ground in Islamabad.

    We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interest

    “Attempts are being made through foreign money to change the government in Pakistan. Our people are being used. Mostly inadvertently, but some people are using money against us. We know from what places attempts are being to pressure us. We have been threatened in writing but we will not compromise on national interest,” said PM Khan.

    “This is the era of social media. Nothing can be hidden. We will not accept anyone’s dictation. We will have friendships with everyone but we will not submit ourselves to anyone,” said PM Khan, adding, “Attempts are being made to influence our foreign policy from abroad. We have been aware of this conspiracy for months. We also know about those who have assembled these people (the opposition parties) but the time has changed. This is not the era of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.”

    The PM told the crowd that when former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tried giving Pakistan an “independent foreign policy to the country”, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Nawaz Sharif launched a movement against him.

    “And situations like today’s were created due to those conditions Bhutto was hanged,” said PM Imran. He added that today’s Bhutto’s son in law, Asif Ali Zardari, and grandson, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, are sitting with his murderers in thirst of a chair.

    “They do not have any shame they do politics on their grandfather and for the sake of their seat they are with the people who got him hanged,” said PM Imran.

     “I am placing the case of Pakistan’s independence before you. The letter I have is proof and I want to dare anyone who is doubting this letter. I will invite them off the record. We have to decide for how long we will have to live like this. We are getting threats. There are many things about the foreign conspiracy which will be shared very soon.”

    “We know who is behind it,” the premier said, adding that “there are a lot of things that will be revealed before the nation but at the right time.”

    “The nation wants to know who the man sitting in London is meeting with and whose directions the characters based in Pakistan are following? I am revealing the proofs we have. I cannot talk more in detail because I have to protect the interest of my country. I cannot talk about anything that harms my country. I could have told you about it. I do not fear anyone but I care about Pakistan’s interest.

    ‘I want to speak my heart out and I want you to listen’

    At the beginning of his address, the premier thanked the attendees of the jalsa for responding to his call and gathered in Islamabad from every part of the country.  The premier also lauded his team for arranging the jalsa.

    “I pay tribute to my team and the nation [for making this jalsa possible]. Thank you for making me happy,” he said. “Today, I will have a heart-to-heart conversation with the nation.”

    Prime Minister Imran Khan while responding to the criticism about him using religious references during his political speeches, said that when he joined politics 25 years ago, it was for the sake of the ideology of Pakistan.

    “Nations are built on ideologies, and the ideology on the basis of which Pakistan came into being was Islam,” he said. The premier then added that he learned through his experience of living in the West that the true teachings of Islam were followed over there instead of Pakistan.

    “We are providing loans to families for housing, technical education, and small businesses. As soon as our tax was enhanced, I announced a subsidy and reduced rates of petrol and ‘Fazlur Rehman’,” he said. “I also offered a subsidy in power tariff. I promise I will spend more money on my people as our government collects more capital in taxes.”

    He said that Muslims ruled the world for a long time as they followed in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

    “Based on those ideals, I envisioned a welfare state in Pakistan and Alhamdulillah, we have already started a journey on that path. I am proud of the fact that we have introduced a health system in the country based on the principles of welfare.”

    ‘I will not forgive them even if my government goes or even if I lose my life‘

    “Poor countries are backward because the law there fails to catch the rich who are involved in white-collar crimes. They transfer stolen and looted money to offshore accounts. Small thieves do not destroy a country like the way big thieves do.”

    “These ‘three stooges’ are looting the country for years and all this drama is being done to have Imran Khan surrender like former President General Pervez Musharraf. They are trying to blackmail the government. General Musharraf tried to save his government and gave these thieves NRO and it resulted in the destruction of Pakistan.” The PM uses the term “stooges” in reference to Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

    “Come what may, I will not forgive them even if my government goes or even if I lose my life,” he added.

    PTI government’s achievements 

    The premier recapped the achievements of his government, including how the country steered itself out of the coronavirus pandemic and how its economy remained stable while the whole world was struggling.

    “Today, I assure you that as I will continue to collect money through taxes, I will utilise that money for the betterment of the country.”

    “InshaAllah, once we complete our five-year term, history will show that no other government worked as much as the PTI government did [for the development of the country].

    The premier said, “Our exports reached a historic high. We collected unprecedented tax. We gave incentives to overseas Pakistanis and received record remittances. We formed an ease-of-business model for the construction sector that led to the growth of 30 other allied industries.”

    “Covid erupted that led to closure of the world but I did not shut my country and faced criticism. I can proudly say that Pakistan’s steps were acknowledged by the world as they helped save the economy,” he said.

    “We saw record crops. It happened because we facilitated our farmers. We protected them. Now Pakistan’s industries are growing rapidly. Textile industries are struggling to find labour because all industries are working at their full capacity. This is the first time government is supporting its industries.”

    He urged TV anchors to invite economic experts on their shows and conduct a comparison of his government’s performance with the previous ones.

    The premier had said that he would “surprise” the Opposition a day before the no-confidence motion session, adding that he is yet to lay his cards on the table. 

    It is pertiennt to mention here that on March 8, the Opposition submitted a no-trust motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in National Assembly (NA), which is likely to be tabled on Monday in a crucial NA session.