Tag: trending

  • Sindh health official suspended after out-of-turn vaccination of PML-N leader’s daughter

    Sindh health official suspended after out-of-turn vaccination of PML-N leader’s daughter

    The Sindh government has suspended a senior health official over out-of-turn vaccination of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair’s daughter and son-in-law against COVID-19.

    As per the details, Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho took notice of the incident after the couple posted on social media pictures of them receiving the vaccination shots.

    Reports quoted provincial government sources as saying that Karachi East Deputy District Health Officer Dr Anila was suspended as coronavirus vaccines were administered to acquaintances at other centres as well.

    A three-member committee has been formed to report its findings to the Sindh health minister within 72 hours.

    “If Mohammad Zubair had his family administered the vaccines privately then there is nothing wrong in it,” Information Minister Shibli Faraz told SAMAA TV.

    “But if it were the government-procured vaccines, then this was not the right thing to do,” he added.

    Earlier, a team of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) led by Dr Faisal Sultan also met Sindh health officials and Planning Minister Asad Umar on Sunday.

    It directed the Sindh government to only vaccinate frontline health workers for now.

    The Sindh government on Friday had announced launching COVID-19 vaccination programme in 10 districts of the province and unveiled a detailed phase-wise plan to inoculate people, beginning with 170,000 frontline health workers.

    According to Dawn, In addition to the 82,359 doses to be received from the Centre, the provincial government also shared its plan for the procurement of the vaccine on its own though federal authorities are yet to respond to its request for permission for the procurement.

    “We are starting the vaccination from Wednesday [next],” Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah at a press conference. He was accompanied by a member of the Sindh vaccination taskforce and provincial lawmaker Qasim Soomro.

    Shah said 10 districts had been identified in Sindh where COVID-19 jabs would be provided. “This programme will be initiated in all the seven districts of Karachi along with Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Shaheed Benazirabad.

  • HBCW21: More stars than fashion

    HBCW21: More stars than fashion

    If there is one thing that we love about Hum TV’s annual Bridal Couture Week (HBCW) it has to be the number of stars at the event. From Imran Ashraf to Sarah Khan to Resham, all the ‘it’ stars of the season were spotted setting the ramp on fire or in the front row or just hanging out backstage. While all this makes the HCBW an exciting affair, I wish I could say the same about the fashion and the outfits on the ramp because my biggest takeaway from the three-day extravaganza was the celebrity showstoppers and the acts they put up.

    Imran Ashraf & Yumna Zaidi walk for Umsha by Uzma Babar

    Held at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore, this year’s HBCW was a grand affair despite COVID limitations. I have to add here that the organisers did a fantastic job ensuring all SOPs were followed and all attendees were wearing masks (and covering their nose and mouth) at all times.

    “I spent the entire Day 1 ensuring that everyone was wearing their masks properly,” remarked Moiz Kazmi of MK Digital while talking to me. He shared that the organising team present on site was under strict instructions to ensure that everyone was following the necessary SOPs and if anyone was found violating them, they were immediately escorted out of the hall. All chairs were also placed at a distance to ensure social distancing.

    Moreso, in an official announcement, Hum TV said that all models and those participating were required to undergo COVID-19 tests. The announcement also added that fittings will not be done during the event to ensure minimum contact. This explains why several models and showstoppers were seen wearing ill-fitted garments.

    This year’s HCBW saw many favourites including Ali Xeeshan and Khadijah Shah return to fashion weeks and one has to say that the two are game-changers. While Xeeshan’s collection Numaish wasn’t as strong as his previous ones, the message he intended to give out through his show was brilliant. Trust Ali Xeeshan to bring his signature drama to the ramp while creating social awareness. On the other hand, Shah presented a gorgeous collection of bridal dresses which are bound to be bestsellers in the upcoming wedding season.

    Despite being a hard year on several fronts, it was heartening to see many new designers debut. For instance, Nisa Hussain made a strong debut with theatrics and fashion. Arif Lohar opened her show with his Jugni Jee, grooving on the ramp like there is no tomorrow. Her showstopper Resham brought in some old-school glam, while Hareem Farooq was the chirpy, modern bride who likes to enjoy her wedding day.

    I have to admit that like any other person, I love to watch my favourite stars on the ramp but at the same time their casual attitude really puts me off. For example, Hira Mani and Affan Waheed who walked for Alishba and Nabeel on Day 1 chatted as they walked down the ramp. Similarly, Saboor Aly could barely manage her dress and stumbled several times. Usman Mukhtar and Salman Saeed appeared as if they were forced to walk. But not all was bad. Ayesha Omar and Maya Ali glided down the ramp as did Imran Ashraf and Yumna Zaidi. Sarah Khan and Falak Shabir brought their romance to the stage which made our hearts flutter.

    Interestingly, the fashion was not the only thing that was unoriginal. Nabila’s makeup team also presented looks which we have seen several times before and it felt that not much effort was made to bring in fresh trends as far as makeup is concerned.

    President of Hum Network Sultana Siddiqui, in a press release, said that the show was being presented “to bring normalcy to everyday life” and the show was successful in that as it offered a nice break from the monotony of COVID-times.

  • PSL 6 anthem ‘Groove Mera’ has everyone buzzing

    The much-awaited anthem of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six featuring Aima Baig, Naseebo Lal and Young Stunners has finally released.

    Titled Groove Mera, the track starts with Naseebo Lal’s strong vocals and as she takes charge, the audience is guaranteed to start buzzing to the track. We go on to see Aima Baig who, in her quintessential style, delivers powerful vocals. Then we see Young Stunners making an entrance as they rap their way into the song. The rap has been written by the artists themselves. 

    “Continuing the rich tradition of entertaining PSL fans with a new anthem for each season, Groove Mera refers to the swing and feel of the movements of cricketers. It refers to moments of finesse that one finds in the heart of every cricket match,” read the official statement by the league.

    “This year’s anthem also reflects the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the majority of the fans will be watching Pakistan’s biggest sporting event remotely, this anthem cheers both players on the field and their fans at home as they celebrate their groove,” continued the statement, adding: “Most importantly, the best part of this year’s anthem is that, it is featuring female vocalists as the leads.”

    Last year’s anthem Tayyar Hain featuring Asim Azhar, Ali Azmat and Haroon had disappointed fans. The star-studded collaboration had failed to impress cricket aficionados, who retaliated by poking fun at the song.

    Read more – ‘I’m sorry’: Asim Azhar responds to backlash on PSL anthem

    Groove Mera has been composed by Xulfi while the music video has been directed by Fida Moin.

  • Farah Talib Aziz calls out Haris Shakeel for plagiarism

    Fashion powerhouse Farah Talib Aziz and her daughter Maliha Aziz Jamil have called out designer Haris Shakeel for plagiarising their work.

    Read more – ‘Ichhra looking hairpiece’: Nabila receives flak for ridiculing local makeup artist’s work

    Commenting under an Instagram post which compared the two outfits, the mother-daughter duo called out the designer for blatantly copying their designs and passing them as his own. Their comments come just after Shakeel successfully showcased his bridal collection at the ongoing Hum Bridal Couture Week 2021.

    According to Maliha, this is not the first time Haris has copied their designs.

    “If you are a designer then why not come up with your own designs instead of copying Farah,” said Maliha. “Don’t you feel any embarrassment when you order online from Farah Talib Aziz and then keep those dresses as your own samples to take orders on from your shop?”

    “What is the point of copying our designs from two years ago?” she said further, adding: “This must be the tenth time you have been caught making blatant copies of Farah Talib Aziz.”

    “Do you not feel ashamed of yourself?,” she questioned.

    Similarly, Farah also asked Haris stop “constantly copying” her designs.

    Meanwhile, Haris is yet to comment on the matter. The designer showcased his collection Ishq on the first day of the Bridal Couture Week with Saboor Aly as his showstopper.

  • Obamas to adapt Mohsin Hamid’s ‘Exit West’ for Netflix with Riz Ahmed in the lead

    Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground Productions on Friday announced six new projects in development for Netflix Inc, including a love story with a supernatural twist and a young adult thriller.

    The former president and first lady’s Higher Ground Productions will adapt British-Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid’s novel Exit West into a film, according to a statement from Netflix. The book tells the story of a young couple who find magical doors to transport them to other places and land in the middle of a global refugee crisis. Obama had also named it as one of the best books he read in 2017. According to The New York Times, the upcoming project will star the Pakistani-British actor Riz Ahmed.

    Other film projects include a science-fiction movie called Satellite, which will be produced with T Street, a production company run by Star Wars director Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman. Another is Tenzing, the story of the Nepalese-Indian man who first reached the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand.

    The Young Wife is a feature film that follows a woman on the day of her wedding who feels out of sync as a storm approaches.

    The company also is developing two TV series. Firekeeper’s Daughter is a thriller based on a young adult novel by Angeline Boulley about an 18-year-old Ojibwe tribe member who reluctantly goes undercover in a police investigation on her reservation.

    The other series is a nature documentary about national parks.

    Netflix said the projects will be released over the next few years but did not give exact release dates.

    Read more – Netflix to release a new movie every week in 2021

    The Obamas signed a multiyear production deal with Netflix in 2018. Their earlier Netflix projects include American Factory, which won an Oscar in 2020 for best documentary.

  • ‘You don’t hit women’: Osman Khalid Butt reacts to Bilal Saeed’s video

    ‘You don’t hit women’: Osman Khalid Butt reacts to Bilal Saeed’s video

    Osman Khalid Butt has reacted to Bilal Saeed’s viral video in which the singer was seen physically assaulting a young man and woman. Along with sharing his thoughts on the matter, Butt also requested social media users to stop making memes of the unsettling incident.

    “Following the Bilal Saeed hashtag and – just so we’re clear, he instigated it,” wrote Butt on Twitter. “This is physical assault, not meme fodder. Please understand this is not normal behaviour; it cannot be condoned or played for a laugh.”

    “You don’t hit women. Please, have some decency,” he added.

    In a follow-up tweet, Butt said: “You can choose to hate feminist activism, but don’t let that hate spring from ignorance.”

    “In plainer words, no, please, this is not what women mean when they’re asking for equal rights,” he concluded.

    On Thursday evening, a video of Bilal beating up a man and woman, purportedly his brother and sister-in-law, in the presence of the Dolphin Force went viral on social media. Later, responding to the video, the singer shared another video of his house with broken items and claimed that the destruction was done by them in his absence.

    “I know how to respect women and I know how to protect a woman too! I raised my hand to protect my family,” wrote Bilal in the caption. “This is what they did to me while I was away from my house!”

    The singer further said that he has been a victim of blackmailing.

    “And that’s not about it I have been the victim of their blackmailing and unfair behaviour for a very long time,” claimed Bilal. “I stayed quiet because obviously as an artist my priority is my career but these people have been taking advantage of my situation for a very long time.”

    The singer also apologised to his fans for the video, writing: “I am sorry that my fans had to see this side of me and I do not intend to support or promote violence.”

    The singer also shared an official statement which read: “Every human has the right to live with dignity and security, regardless of gender. I am a believer of peace, however, I also believe in establishing boundaries when that peace is repeatedly compromised by another, regardless of gender.”

    “When the safety and dignity of a person is violated and jeopardized over and over again, he unfortunately is left with no option but to react,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Bilal Saeed became the top Twitter trend in Pakistan as thousands of users reacted to his video.

  • Asim Azhar’s ‘Ghalat Fehmi’ trends in India

    Asim Azhar’s Ghalat Fehmi from the film Superstar, is trending in India a year after it’s release.

    Read more – Indians lose it after an old picture of Rihanna with Zulfi Bukhari surfaces

    Sharing the lyrics of his song on Twitter, Asim wrote: “Ghalat Fehmi trending in India after a year of it’s release.”

    “Art surely has no boundaries and that’s beautiful,” added the singer.

    He later also shared that the song is trending at number two on Spotify India.

    A romantic number, Ghalat Fehmi featured in Mahira Khan and Bilal Ashraf’s Superstar, which released in August 2020. The film was directed by Mohammed Ehteshamuddin and released by Hum Films.

    Read more – Asim Azhar asks PCB to stop ignoring him

    Meanwhile, the singer has also announced that he will releasing new music soon.

  • ‘Govt unable to retrieve Quaide Azam’s 29-kanal property from land grabbers in Lahore’s Gulberg’

    ‘Govt unable to retrieve Quaide Azam’s 29-kanal property from land grabbers in Lahore’s Gulberg’

    Despite efforts made over the span of more than a year, Punjab’s anti-corruption department has failed to retrieve Quaide Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s property from land grabbers in Lahore, it has been claimed.

    According to Lahore-based journalist Rehan Tariq, the 29-kanal land owned by the founder of Pakistan in the provincial capital’s Gulberg area has been occupied while shopping malls and plazas have been constructed on lands linked to his sister and “Mother of the Nation”, Fatima Jinnah, as well as the country’s first prime minister (PM) Liaquat Ali Khan.

    The journalist went on to claim that the anti-corruption department launched a probe into the matter in December 2019 and it also sought record from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) besides other public offices.

    “Officials also acquired Jinnah’s will regarding the land and prepared a source report,” Tariq said, adding that Jinnah’s property consisted of Arazi Khasra No 2181, 2129, 2200, 2180, 21825, 2184.

    Now shopping malls and plazas have been built on the land dedicated to a trust, he claimed.

  • ‘I raised my hand to protect my family’: Bilal Saeed responds to viral video

    ‘I raised my hand to protect my family’: Bilal Saeed responds to viral video

    A video of Bilal Saeed physically assaulting a young girl and a boy in the presence of the police went viral on social media Thursday evening.

    According to reports, the girl and the boy in the video are Bilal’s brother and sister-in-law. The singer allegedly also wanted to file an FIR against his brother but no case was registered as the two parties later reconciled. The report further claimed that Bilal has refused to comment on the matter.

    On the other hand, Geo News reported that the incident occurred on January 10 within the remits of Sundar Police Station.

    Soon after the video went viral, Bilal shared a video of his house with broken items and claimed that the destruction was done in his absence.

    “I know how to respect women and I know how to protect a woman too! I raised my hand to protect my family,” wrote Bilal in the caption. “This is what they did to me while I was away from my house!”

    The singer further said that he has been a victim of blackmailing.

    “And that’s not about it I have been the victim of their blackmailing and unfair behavior for a very long time,” claimed Bilal. “I stayed quiet because obviously as an artist my priority is my career but these people have been taking advantage of my situation for a very long time.”

    The video has now been removed from social media.

    Later, in an official statement, Bilal said: “Every human has the right to live with dignity and security, regardless of gender. I am a believer of peace, however, I also believe in establishing boundaries when that peace is repeatedly compromised by another, regardless of gender.”

    He continued: “When the safety and dignity of a person is violated and jeopardized over and over again, he, unfortunately, is left with no option but to react.”

    Meanwhile, this is not the first time Bilal has been involved in controversy. Last year, the singer came under fire for shooting his music video inside Masjid Wazir Khan.

  • VIDEO: Shireen Mazari accused of ‘making obscene gestures at opposition MNA’

    Former prime minister (PM) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf among other opposition members have accused Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari of “making obscene gestures at an opposition MNA” in a claim that has been rubbished by the latter.

    “I could not even dare to explain the kind of gestures made by the minister,” media quoted the former premier as saying after yet another session of the National Assembly was marred by ruckus by both government and opposition members during each other’s turn to speak on the floor.

    According to the details of Wednesday’s episode in the lower house of the parliament, the government tabled the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill that seeks open balloting in upcoming Senate polls. Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem presented the bill amid loud slogans and protest by the opposition against the said amendment.

    As the session continued, a heated exchange of words took place between three members of the parliament when Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Agha Rafiullah tore his copy of the bill and tossed it in the air in front of Speaker Asad Qaiser.

    After the incident, the speaker’s desk was surrounded, books were banged on the desks to disrupt proceedings, whistles were blown and Rafiullah claimed that Mazari allegedly hand-signalled the number five at him; taking it as Moutza.

    Moutza is the most traditional gesture of insult among Greeks. It consists of extending and spreading all fingers of the hand and presenting the palm towards the face of the person to be insulted with a forward motion. It is often coupled with swear words.

    Rafiullah was furious; he refused to tolerate it; brought the matter to everyone’s attention and the commotion almost turned into a quarrel when a couple of ruling party MNAs, including Malik Anwar Taj, accused him of throwing papers on Speaker Asad Qaiser, The Express Tribune reported.

    Rafiullah, however, denied the allegation and once again drew the house’s attention to Moutza.

    Ex-PM Ashraf expressed annoyance over the alleged insulting gesture, regretted treasury benches’ behaviour and reminded them that they don’t have the numbers needed for making a constitutional amendment.

    When given the floor, Mazari, on the other hand, alleged that Rafiullah swore at a woman MNA from the treasury benches and threw papers on Qaiser’s face.

    “I was only seeking your attention,” she told the speaker when asked to explain her gestures.

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