Asim Azhar has become the youngest and the fourth Pakistani artist after Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam and Momina Mustehsan to enter the ‘100 million club’ after his single Jo Tu Na Mila crossed more than 100 million views on YouTube. His other song which achieved this milestone was his duet with Momina Mustehsan for Coke Studio 9: Tera Woh Pyaar.
The singer shared the news in a social media update and thanked his fans for their support.
100 MILLION VIEWS. ♥️ #jotunamilaAnd it gives me immense honour to become the youngest & only the 4th Pakistani artist (after Rahat Fateh Ali Khan sb, Atif Aslam & Momina Mustehsan) to have 2 or more songs in the 100 million club. thank you. I love you guys. pic.twitter.com/T8donMa54H
In another update, the singer remarked that it was impossible for him to put his feelings into words.
Jo Tu Na Mila is a love ballad which talks about unrequited love. The song, which features Iqra Aziz, has been composed and sung by Asim while the lyrics have been penned by Kunaal Vermaa.
Back when it was released, the song was even loved by none other than Bollywood bigwig Karan Johar.
President Arif Alvi retweeted a tweet by his son, Awab Alvi, on April 26, and said: “Lockdown or No Lockdown? Coronavirus is new so there is a major difference of opinion in the world & in Pakistan on how to handle it. As data comes in, opinions change. So please keep an open mind. This is long but a must-watch for all our opinion-makers including politicians.”
The tweet was a video by doctors who were arguing that people should develop resistance to COVID-19.
Lockdown or No Lockdown?Coronavirus is new so there is a major difference of opinion in the world & in Pakistan on how to handle it. As data comes in, opinions change. So please keep an open mind. This is long but a must watch for all our opinion makers including politicians. https://t.co/5NtkXMDfci
In a Twitter thread, President Alvi’s son Dr Awab Alvi goes on to say: “Historically of the human race and medical outbreak We’ve always “quarantined the sick” NEVER have we “quarantined the healthy” In the panic of the unknown we are reacting (may have been right earlier) but now we know this better and we need the population to develop resistance. [sic]”
MUST WATCH: Doctors sharing data saying that its time we allow ppl to resume normal life & develop resistance to virus
Initially the world had reacted to the unknown & based on hypothetical predictions — months into the outbreak ground reality is diffhttps://t.co/YBYdM8Ia8E
The video has been taken down by YouTube for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines. YouTube has recently been taking down videos spreading misinformation about the novel coronavirus.
Twitter recently also updated its guidelines on misinformation regarding COVID-19. Last month, Twitter and Facebook removed posts shared by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for including coronavirus misinformation that violates the social media companies’ rules against posting harmful content.
Facebook said it took down a video that had been shared on both Facebook and Instagram, in which Bolsonaro said the anti-malaria prescription drug hydroxychloroquine was an effective treatment for COVID-19.
Twitter earlier had removed two videos that also showed Bolsonaro praising hydroxychloroquine and encouraging the end of social distancing. It is rare for Facebook to take down a post from a head of state, but the coronavirus pandemic has led tech companies to move aggressively to filter out unfounded medical advice, hoaxes and other false information that they say could risk public health.
Facebook has a policy against sharing posts that could cause users physical harm, a spokesperson said. “We remove content on Facebook and Instagram that violates our Community Standards, which do not allow misinformation that could lead to physical harm,” the company said in a statement. Twitter, too, has a policy that requires people to remove tweets that recommend cures or advice that goes against the recommendations of public health authorities.
As coronavirus cases continue to increase in Pakistan and across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned that COVID-19 cases in Pakistan can rise to 200,000 by July.
The first episode of Saba Qamar’s official YouTube channel is out and it is nothing like we expected.
The episode titled Isolation shows Saba as she embraces her loneliness in this isolation. She narrates her feelings as she walks around the house and raises some thought-provoking questions.
“You are a friend, were you helpful in my time of need?” asked the actor. “You are beautiful, but are you beautiful from inside?”
In the description, Saba says: “We’ve all been in lockdown, and isolation has not been easy for anyone. I decided to voice my frustration and also express my gratitude for it. Here’s an experimental video that I did with a couple of my friends. Hope you like, share and subscribe to encourage me to make further videos.”
The episode has been produced and written by Saba Qamar while Shiraz Malik has directed it.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sent a Rs13 million tax notice to Pakistani YouTuber Nadir Ali, who runs a channel called “P4 Pakao”, a private media outlet has reported.
Nadir’s videos show him and his team pulling pranks on unsuspecting people and attract a lot of internet traffic. The combined views of his channel are over 820 million, making his channel one of the largest in the country.
According to reports, tax authorities suspected him of concealing his income and subsequently launched an investigation against him, and their suspicions were confirmed when they contacted YouTube to learn about his actual income.
Reportedly, Nadir received more than Rs10 million in foreign exchange during the year on which exemption was claimed without furnishing proof to the tax department and at the same time, he maintained a bank account, which he did not declare in the wealth statement.
The report also quoted tax officials as saying that the YouTuber was served a number of notices during the course of the investigation but he did not respond to any of them and now he has the option to appeal the order before a commission in Karachi.
Nadir also spoke to the media outlet through his lawyer and denied having not responded to the FBR. “We received their notice and responded in person. We later applied for an extension in the time to file a response and our application was approved. We are now working to resolve this through all proper channels,” he added.
Technology and media company Verge has published a detailed report on Facebook and YouTube’s ‘content moderation’ processes in which people have to sign a form that says:
“I understand the content I will be reviewing may be disturbing, It is possible that reviewing such content may impact my mental health, and it could even lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I will take full advantage of the weCare program and seek additional mental health services if needed. I will tell my supervisor/or my HR People Adviser if I believe that the work is negatively affecting my mental health.”
However, this policy is not for everyone, here is the reason why.
According to the report, only new joiners were asked to sign the forms, whereas existing employees were being sent the form as an update. In addition, this policy is being implemented in a company called ‘Accenture.’
The Accenture is a multinational company that provides content moderation services to various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Google. The job of content moderation is outsourced because a huge amount of Data is posted on social media platforms. It is certainly not possible for the company to moderate all content on its own.
However, the nature of the job is gruesome because the moderators have to view highly sexual and violent content which results in severe mental health issues. The reports come as Facebook faces lawsuits from former content moderators over a range of mental health issues in California and Ireland.
Cases of PTSD and other mental health issues have been on the rise among content moderators. In 2019 The Verge published a behind the senses report of the Facebook Moderators.
One moderator quoted in that report said he “sleeps with a gun by his side” after doing the job.
Mental health experts say understanding the psychological strains of this job does not mitigate its risks.
Pakistani cricketer Bilal Asif is releasing a music video. He not only sang the song but also wrote it’s lyrics.
Sharing a poster of his upcoming song Akhiyan, Bilal said that he was “super thrilled” about it and that he hopes everyone will like it.
Super thrilled for my upcoming song. Guys please like, comment & share. I’m super excited to get you my very own single for the 1st time ever. It’s written & sung by myself. I’m very hopeful that you all will like it. #pakistancricket#music#musicvideo#musicloverspic.twitter.com/310guW8KKD
Ever since he announced that he will be quitting acting to focus on his spiritual journey, we’ve not seen or heard from Hamza Ali Abbasi – which is strange because the actor usually has plenty to say on practically every topic.
In case you’re wondering where he currently and what is he upto, we have an answer straight from the actor.
In a Twitter conversation, when a user asked Hamza why he is inactive on Twitter these days, the actor shared that he was “studying Islam to make some very important Youtube videos.”
Studying Islam and preparing to make some very imp YouTube videos.
Previously, Humayun Saeed in an interview had revealed that Hamza will be directing a film based on the topic of patriotism and nationalism.
“I have planned a film on the subject of nationalism which will be directed by Hamza. Everything is almost done except deciding the name of project,” Humayun had said.
The federal government is reportedly contemplating imposing a complete ban on the use of social media by government servants during work hours.
According to reports in the local media, this suggestion was put forth by the National Information Technology Board (NITB) officials during a meeting of National Assembly (NA) standing committee on Information and Technology.
Reports stated that not only would the use of social media applications or pages including Facebook and Whatsapp be banned during the office timings but officials would also be barred from bringing storage devices-USBs- to the offices. This recommendation was put forth to address concerns related to data theft. Recently, a spate of leaked notifications from government offices has sparked anger in power circles.
It has even led to the circulation of fake notifications on social media to discredit a particular governmental agency or official. The technology board has urged the government to act against this threat.
The committee was informed that a new local social network, modeled on WhatsApp, would be introduced into government offices to streamline communications.
E-offices will be established at every ministry, which will be interconnected.
“Any official information would be shared on the server after prior approval of the federal authorities.”
Moreso, it was recommended that government employees be barred from indulging in any part-time businesses.
Meanwhile, the board also advised that a separate authority be set up to combat the spread of fake news across the country.
