According to media reports, Muhammad Waqas who went to Saudi Arabia four years ago always wanted to become a model. But, he did not expect to succeed.
“I came to Saudi Arabia four years ago to work as a carpenter. And, I never thought of becoming a model in advertising,” said Waqas.
However, a social media post by his friend changed his life.
“One day I saw my friend [Faisal] editing the photos of a photo session. I told him that since childhood I have wanted to work in this field but in Pakistan, I did not get the chance, so my friend suggested and took a picture of me and sent it to the relevant person,” he added.
A screenshot of Waqas’s friend asking to get the youngster a chance in the modeling industry went viral on social media.
A Twitter user took the screenshot and posted it on social media. In the tweet, which has gotten over 33,000 likes so far, user @tamimi1_1 asked agencies looking for models to get in contact with him.
“Brands who want this handsome man to model for them, contact me,” @tamimi1_1 wrote.
And soon Waqas was offered modeling opportunities. Waqas also posted his pictures, modelling for a waist-coat making company on Twitter.
لا شيء يعيقك عن النجاح ما دمت تثق في ذاتك @muhammadwaqas1_ Dreams come true
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has been called out by Twitterati for once again mimicking Pakistan People’ Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, this time on the floor of the National Assembly (NA).
“When you’re made the chairperson of a political party without struggle, you say things like ‘jab baarish aata hai tou paani aata hai (more water comes when it rains more)’,” the leader of the house said during another rare appearance in the NA.
WATCH VIDEO:
Apparently the biggest struggle for #ImranKhan is to remain dignified… which he fails miserably at each time… embarrassing and pathetic that this is the Leader of our country…
Very low and disgusting from IK. This man doesn’t deserve to be a PM. Standing in NA mocking his political opponents shows his mental illness and fear of getting ditched anytime. He is the Punjabi version of Altaf obsessed with Sharif phobia and annoyed with Bilawal speeches
Utterly disgusting the way Imran Khan mocked Bilawal in the NA . The man who cannot speak Urdu coherently himself mocking someone young enough to be his grandson and whose mother tongue is not Urdu yet he has learned it well and speaks it well. Kudos @BBhuttoZardari
This, however, was not the first time that PM Imran made fun of Bilawal’s “rain theory”.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Havelian-Thakot motorway under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in November last year, he had mimicked Bilawal and said that his theory had startled scientists across the globe.
“Bilwal has startled scientists worldwide by saying ‘jab barish hoti hai to pani ata hai’ (water pours when it rains). But Einstein rolled over in his grave when he [Bilawal] went on to say ‘Jab ziada barish hota hai to ziada pani ata hai’ (more water comes when it rains more),” the premier had quipped.
India on Monday banned 59 — mostly Chinese — mobile apps, including TikTok and WeChat over national security and privacy concerns just weeks after a deadly border clash between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
India’s Ministry of Information Technology said it was banning the apps after receiving “many complaints from various sources” about apps that were “stealing and transmitting users data” in an unauthorised manner.
The apps “are engaged in activities that can be a threat to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state and public order,” the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEIT) said in a statement.
India is TikTok’s biggest foreign market, with an estimated 120 million users.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing. The parent company faced accusations for its involvement in data sharing with the Chinese government.
“TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government,” said the company on Tuesday.
In the United States, strong critics, including some senators have called for an investigation into the Chinese company.
The list of apps banned by India also includes the microblogging platform Weino, the strategy game Clash of Kings, Alibaba’s UC browser, and e-commerce apps Club Factory and Shein.
— आकाश कहोगे तो मैं कहूंगा हां कहिए (@akashbolomujhe) June 29, 2020
The banning of TikTok invites a flood of hilarious tweets on Twitter and users are wondering why PUBG is not being banned by the government which is an extremely popular Chinese gaming app.
China says it is concerned about India’s decision to ban Chinese mobile apps and was making checks to verify the situation. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Tuesday that India has a responsibility to uphold the rights of Chinese businesses.
“We want to stress that the Chinese government always asks the Chinese businesses to abide by international and local laws and regulations,” he said.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) building was attacked by four heavily armed terrorists in Karachi on Monday morning. Police killed all four assailants who attacked the building. At least two civilians also lost their lives in the attack and multiple were injured.
Some reports said that four guards and a policeman were also martyred.
There was an attack on the PSX compound earlier today. The situation is still unfolding and management, with the help of security forces, is managing the security and controlling the situation.
As the news of the incident started circulating on social media, Indian filmmaker Ashoke Pandit took to Twitter and wrote, “#TerroristsKillTerrorists in #Karachi stock exchange in Pakistan.”
Facebook employees have walked away from their work-from-home desks and taken to Twitter to accuse Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Zuckerberg of not taking a stand against United States (US) President Donald Trump’s hateful posts on social media.
As per the details, Reuters observed dozens of tweets against Mark in what was a rare case of the social media giant’s staff publicly standing against its CEO.
Thousands of people, including seven engineers of teams that maintain the react code library critical for Facebook’s apps, were among those who tweeted.
“Mark is wrong and I will endeavour in the loudest possible way to change his mind,” said Ryan Freitas, director of product design for Facebook’s newsfeed. He added that he mobilised more than 50 like-minded people to lobby for internal change.
Katie Zhu, a product manager at Instagram, tweeted a screenshot showing she had entered “#BLACKLIVESMATTER” to describe her request for time off as part of the walkout.
Facebook Inc will allow its employees to take part in the protest and will not draw down their vacation days, said spokesperson Andy Stone.
Talkspace CEO Oren Frank tweeted he would “not support a platform that incites violence, racism, and lies”. The online therapy company also announced that it had ended partnership discussions with Facebook.
It is worth mentioning here that Facebook CEO landed in hot water when he told Fox News that private social media platforms “shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online”.
President Trump retweeted the interview that had come after Twitter flagged his tweet about mail-in ballots as misleading.
It wasn’t later that Twitter responded to another Trump tweet pertaining to countrywide riots, for glorifying violence. Twitter covered up the tweet with a message warning it “violated Twitter rules about glorifying violence”.
The viewers had to click on the message to see the underlying tweet.
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
Trump posted the same message on Facebook, but Mark decided to let it stand unchallenged. “I have been struggling with how to respond to the president’s tweets and post all day,” he wrote in a post Friday.
“Personally, I have a visceral negative reaction to this kind of divisive and inflammatory rhetoric,” he said, adding that the company’s position, however, was that it should enable as much expression as possible unless it would cause an imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelt out in clear policies.
“I don’t know what to do, but I know doing nothing is not acceptable,” Jason Stirman, a member of Facebook’s research and development team, wrote on Twitter in response to Mark.
I don’t know what to do, but I know doing nothing is not acceptable. I’m a FB employee that completely disagrees with Mark’s decision to do nothing about Trump’s recent posts, which clearly incite violence. I’m not alone inside of FB. There isn’t a neutral position on racism.
Former ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has written to the director general (DG) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), seeking action against Pakistan-based American blogger and columnist Cynthia D Ritchie over her “hateful comments and slander” against the late former prime minister (PM) Benazir Bhutto.
As per the details, Ritchie made the comment on a tweet discussing the recent violent confrontation between model Uzma Khan and a woman named Amna Usman, who accused the model of having a relationship with her husband of 13 years and used this allegation to justify her violent treatment of the model.
This echos stories of what BB used to do when her husband cheated. She”d have the guards rape the women.
Why do women condone this rape culture? Why aren’t the men ever held accountable? Where is the justice system?
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) May 28, 2020
Ritchie’s tweet garnered a strong reaction from PPP leaders and supporters, with Sherry Rehman saying, “Attributing such filth to a champion for women’s rights, a martyred prime minister degrades the writer of this bot-handle more than anything else.”
I usually don’t dignify such garbage but this is libellous,heinous slander based on malicious lies. Attributing such filth to a champion for women’s rights, a martyred prime minister degrades the writer of this bot-handle more than anything else. @Twitter pl take notice of abuse https://t.co/V7JqV2yG5M
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) May 28, 2020
While Ritchie is since continuing her tirade against the PPP over the micro-blogging website, former PPP senator Sehar Kamran has written to spymaster Faiz Hameed, seeking an investigation into the “notorious activities” of Ritchie.
In the letter, a copy of which is available with The Current, Kamran highlighted how the American columnist has “time and again instigated controversy” and is also playing a role in “deepening the civil-military divide”.
“The imagery presented by her pictures with military leadership and senior bureaucracy, and access as a foreign tourist to generally sensitive locations ([erstwhile] FATA [Federally Administrated Tribal Areas], Kashmir, etc) is deepening the civil-military divide by unnecessarily implicating national institutions as her support base. It may be useful at this juncture to further investigate all of Ms Ritchie’s activities, which I am certain range beyond her social media commentaries, to protect our national interests,” read the letter.
The excerpt was followed by a list of questions:
Why and in what capacity is Ms Ritchie a resident in Pakistan?
What is the nature and duration of her visa status?
Who is her sponsor to this end?
A regular expat who initially introduced herself as a ‘tourist’ and a ‘belly dancer’ has somehow become embroiled in Pakistani politics, by her own assertion at the highest levels? How?
What Is the purpose behind her provoking public sentiment, and furthering bitterness in an already politically polarised society?
Furthermore, why is her vitriol targeted towards Sindh, and has conveniently emerged at a time when the province was receiving praise and support for its efforts in the fight against COVID-19?
What is the official government policy on the continued presence of such suspicious characters in Pakistan?
While the PPP leader also sought Ritchie’s deportation, here’s what the blogger hit back with:
Hysterical PPP! Most of all, I’m honoured that you labeled me as a “belly dancer”- of which I’ve NEVER done.
The only problem is that your party is going down the drain – as it rightly should. You’ve plundered the country long enough & connections to PTM show your true colours. pic.twitter.com/E8SxSqMTeM
— Cynthia D. Ritchie (@CynthiaDRitchie) May 29, 2020
As neither side appears to be going easy on each other, a war of words is continuing over Twitter.
Separately, in a letter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), an advocate at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and Islamabad president of the PPP, Shakeel Abbasi, has also sought action against Ritchie for her “very derogatory and slanderous remarks” about Bhutto and former president Asif Ali Zardari’s marital life.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has reportedly taken notice of the mistreatment of police personnel by a woman claiming to be the wife of an army colonel, a video of which went viral on social media on Wednesday night.
According to journalist Gharidah Farooqi, Gen Bajwa has ordered “prompt disciplinary action” against the military officer.
حاضر سروس آرمی آفیسر کی بیگم کی ہزارہ موٹر وے چیک پوسٹ پر بدسلوکی کی ویڈیو۔ چیف آف آرمی سٹاف جنرل قمر باجوہ نے واقعے کا فوری سخت نوٹس لے لیا! متعلقہ آفیسر کیخلاف فوراً ادارہ جاتی ضابطے کی کاروائی کا آغاز۔
بہت خوب
یہ ویڈیو سوشل میڈیا پر گردش میں ہے۔
— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) May 20, 2020
“[The case of the] video of a serving military officer’s wife misbehaving with police at a check post on Hazara Motorway. COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa takes prompt notice. Immediate disciplinary action initiated against the officer concerned,” she tweeted while welcoming the army chief’s decision.
It was also tweeted by Senator Rehman Malik of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
We must appriciate the prompt notice taken by Gen Qamar Javed Bajawa COAS by ordering disciplinary action against the officer whose family misbehaved on the road side with the police It shows how good built in accountability system is in Pak Army.I hope civil side also follows it
— Senator Rehman Malik former Interior Minister Pak (@SenRehmanMalik) May 20, 2020
“We must appreciate the prompt notice taken by Gen Qamar Javed Bajawa by ordering disciplinary action against the officer whose family misbehaved with the police,” he said, adding that the development spoke volumes of the army’s accountability system.
On Wednesday night, a viral video showed a woman misbehaving with police officials at a check post on Hazara Motorway in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) after she was stopped for what netizens say were security reasons.
Claiming to be a colonel’s wife, the woman seemed insulted as she launched verbal attacks against the cops who continued to calm her down. The woman was also seen maneuvering her car at the police personnel until finally driving off after removing the barricade.
WATCH VIDEO [STRONG LANGUAGE WARNING]:
This is Pakistan! Watch the wife of an Army Colonel bully ordinary police at a checkpoint, threatening them with choice cuss words and physical intimidation. pic.twitter.com/24YKDdMOKf
As ‘#ColonelKiBiwi’ trends on Twitter in Pakistan, a group of netizens has claimed that the woman’s husband, Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Farooq Khan, has also had a similar reaction to police officers conducting their job and doing a routine security check.
While The Current has not yet been able to independently verify the claim, here’s a video of the woman’s alleged husband.
#کرنل_کی_بیوی This is her husband the Lt Col Muhammad Farroq khan in 2018. Misbehaved with traffic police as well. They made for each other. Buchoo ka naseeb, kia maa baap milay jain pic.twitter.com/dY9Q3PFuFR
— Kashif M. Ahmed,CHRM (@kashifmumtaz) May 20, 2020
Support is pouring in for the cops who were and are mistreated by those who think they are above the law, as people demand an end to the culture.
Have anything to add to the story? Let The Current know in the comments.
Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, who had falsely claimed that New York was to follow Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s coronavirus lockdown model, has been trolled by lawyer Reema Omer among others as United States (US) President Donald Trump expressed the desire for his country, worst-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, to reopen.
The tweet by the lawyer came as Trump, who has been voicing his concerns over the adverse effects of the lockdown on the economy, tweeted, “REOPEN OUR COUNTRY!”
The tweet by the US president coincided with PM Imran allowing to ease restrictions across Pakistan ahead of Eid to “wisely” provide relief to the labour class, daily wagers and lower-middle strata of the society.
“Epic trolling,” tweeted senior journalist Abbas Nasir in response to Reema’s dig at the federal minister.
‘NEW YORK TO FOLLOW PAKISTAN’S LOCKDOWN MODEL’:
In a May 11 viral video, Saeed had claimed that the US state of New York was going to follow the “smart lockdown” concept after being inspired by Imran Khan and Pakistan, however, fact checks revealed otherwise. Meanwhile, netizens shared videos and pictures of how the partial lockdown measures were failing even in Pakistan.
The clip instantly gained popularity on social media and was reported by several Pakistani and international news outlets.
Pakistan’s communications minister Murad Saeed told a session of Parliament on May 11 that “New York will follow the ‘smart lockdown’ concept introduced by [Pakistan] Selected Imran Khan” pic.twitter.com/FHkclDL57w
“If you look at the smart lockdown concept implemented by PM Imran Khan even the governor of New York has quoted Pakistan’s contact tracing and tracking concept and are following it now,” the federal minister is heard saying while speaking at the National Assembly.
Saeed also reportedly said that the cluster lockdown concept discussed by Khan is being taken forward by his counterpart Boris Johnson in the United Kingdom (UK).
Pakistani Twitterati on Wednesday eagerly jumped on the Turkey bandwagon to trend “#BoycottUAE [United Arab Emirates]” after Turkish journalist Ali Keskin asked them to do so while seeking sanctions on the Gulf country over its strengthening relationship with India among other reasons.
Raising objections apparently over Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi being given UAE’s highest civilian award and the country sending medical supplies to India amid the pandemic, the journalist alleged that Emirates was biased towards India and also silent on the Kashmir issue while Turkey had stood by Pakistan on the same.
This led to a war of words over the micro-blogging website. Reactions to the trend were myriad, with many netizens highlighting Pakistan’s outstanding debts to the UAE and how it has been, along with China, among the main avenues for Pakistan to seek bailouts.
Boycott UAE? Sure, first return them the billions of $$ Pakistan owes them. Today showing love for Turkey, Pakistani keyboard warriors are trending Boycott UAE. https://t.co/iariXWnQCT
It may be noted that the Turkish tweet came amid UAE’s growing support for warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces after they criticised Turkey’s actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, extending support for Libya’s legitimate government along with countries like Israel and Russia. Pakistani netizens, on the other hand, jumped on the bandwagon agreeing that Pakistan should impose sanctions against UAE when its relations with India were highlighted.
Pakistan, however, has been a heavy borrower of the UAE, and owes the country $30 billion dollars.
The chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, has said that making remote work permanent can have a deteriorating impact on social interactions and mental health of the workers, whereas virtual conferences cannot replace in-person meetings.
“Those who are used to traditional office setting and appreciate social interactions that take place at the office, a sudden shift to remote work will impact their mental health due to isolation and burnout.”
After the outbreak of coronavirus, companies around the world made work from home mandatory as a safety measure but according to Nadella, this step is not good for the wellbeing of workers.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Nadella said that remote setup would be “replacing one dogma with another dogma”.
“What does burnout look like? What does mental health look like? What do connectivity and community building look like? One of the things I feel is, hey, maybe we are burning some of the social capital we built up in this phase where we are all working remotely. What’s the measure for that?,”Nadella added.
His remarks come after Twitter allowed its staff to work from home “forever” even after the end of COVID-19 pandemic.
Twitter has become the first company to allow employees to work from home indefinitely as the pandemic changes work culture around the world.
Tech giants like Facebook and Google have also allowed most of their employees to work remotely until the end of this year.
Microsoft has also extended its work-from-home policy until October at least, besides, nothing will hinder the operations and progress of Microsoft as the CEO clearly stated, “We’re going to boldly allocate and acquire, build, innovate, partner, whatever.”
“We are also going to make sure that we have the ability to do credit for small businesses and other organisations that need that help.”
