Bushra Iqbal, the ex-wife of late television host and politician Aamir Liaquat, was a guest on Hafiz Ahmed’s podcast where she opened up about her 2020 divorce. The late politician’s divorce of his wife Syeda Bushra in 2020 left many in surprise, particularly as it came after he married actress Tuba Anwar.
At the time, Bushra had announced on her Instagram account that her marriage to the television host had ended, confirming that she was divorced by Liaquat on the phone at the request of his second wife, an act she termed traumatic for their two children.
Speaking at the podcast, the lawyer and television producer revealed she had not wanted to leave Aamir, but Tuba and her family kept pushing Aamir to divorce her, which is why he did it.
Bushra also addressed the leaked videos controversy, where the late host could be seen walking around a small room without clothes. Bushra said she was disappointed at how revenge videos were released to shame her husband.
“Honour is not just a woman’s. A man has honour as well. Had this happened to a woman, the entire country would have been out on the street, burning things. But a woman had done this. Men and women are kept equal. God has not kept the level of punishment different in the Quran.”
“People didn’t speak up. I was quite hurt. Everyone had their fun. YouTubers, members, everyone…People should think, ‘What if this happened to me?’ The best of people end up killing themselves. Who [ends up killing themselves]? Those who have no shame or honour. Otherwise, people have a lot of videos leaked, it was his honour. There are many videos of him crying. Some people claim we weren’t in contact. About facing his kids, he’s crying and saying – there are many audios that people haven’t even heard, I have them, on which basis I am fighting the case.”
October aka Spooktober has already set in motion with the return of the fan favourite horror novel series ‘Goosebumps’, set to release on Disney Plus and Hulu from October 13 onwards. A teaser trailer is already setting social media on fire. The series was created by Rob Letterman and Nicholas Stoller, and will feature an entirely new cast of child actors.
Omfg yessss can't wait October is gonna be amazing I'm so hyped for this
— Hannah (Prp and banner is from my bestie cholley) (@Franandfriends1) September 7, 2023
The television series is adapted from the popular horror novel series written by R.L Stine, which explores the lives of protagonists who find them selves in scary situations involving ghosts or other supernatural elements.
The series were previously adapted into a television series in 1995, and a film in 2015, which followed a fictionalised version of Stine teaming up with his daughter to save the neighbourhood after the monsters written in his book escape and begin igniting chaos.
A new trend known as ‘Barbie Botox’ has been unleashed on TikTok. Women are getting Trapezius Botox in order to elongate the neck and shrink the shoulders, so it makes the person resemble a Barbie doll. The hashtag #barbiebotox has over 9.4 million views on TikTok according to Forbes, while #traptox has over 22.5 million views, with clips of popular influencers and reality tv who have gotten the procedure.
TikTok influencer Malibutoast who has over 195 K followers, shared clips of herself after having the procedure done, with users worried in her comments about whether the trend would encourage more insecurities among women on social media.
‘Wake up guys new insecurity just dropped,” wrote one user.
“Damn now I have to add… trapezius to the list of things I need to fix about myself ” another wrote.
Isabelle Lux, another TikTok influencer who credits herself with coining the phrase ‘Botox Barbie’ detailed her own experience of getting the treatment with CNN:
“It came from the idea that you would look more like a Barbie when you get it done, which I don’t think is a bad thing. It elongates the neck, slims the shoulders and creates a very delicate physique when it’s done properly.”
Speaking to the news organisation about the growing backlash she was getting on the internet, including being called an ‘anti-feminist’, Lux defended her choice by pointing out that women shouldn’t be belittled for wanting to look a certain way.
“The desire to look a certain way has for centuries been seen as silly, a waste of time, waste of money and pointless, especially for women,” she told CNN. “But when a man wants to look a certain way, it’s scientific, it’s cool. I think that we need to stop belittling women for things that they’re interested in, including looking a certain way if they want to. It’s not silly. Like, it’s real.”
But many plastic surgeons are condemning the trend, explaining that the procedure was coined in order to help those with excessive neck pain, with a side effect of creating the illusion of a longer and slimmer neck. Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, New York City dermatologist Dr Amy Wechsler pointed out that Barbie’s features are unrealistic and these cosmetic procedures won’t make a noticeable effect on women.
“Someone years ago explained that if you take a Barbie doll and make it into an adult woman, the measurements are not really realistic. So I don’t love jumping on social media trends because they often don’t have any basis in science,” she explains. “I think that’s human nature to try to wanna copy a trend, but usually what happens — which is good — is that the trend will fizzle out if it’s not a good idea or if it’s not healthy.”
“The #BarbieBotox trend is more about slimming,” Wechsler adds. “If you relax those muscles it can make a big improvement in the feel and the look. But if someone doesn’t overuse that muscle, I don’t think it does that much.”
Speaking to CNN, Dr Parisha Acharya warned that incorrect administration of Botox could weaken the muscle completely, and then effect your ability to hold up your neck properly. She expressed concerns about the trend going viral on social media, especially when younger audiences are watching:
“I think a medical procedure should be treated as a medical procedure. And in the UK, (the aesthetics industry) is unregulated. So shockingly anyone can administer botulinum toxin injections. That could be a beautician or hairdresser with no clinical experience, no anatomy knowledge. It really does worry me.”
Dr Acharya also pointed out that the trend took the wrong message from the movie ‘Barbie’ which advocated for women to stop trying to mould themselves to appease the patriarchy, and start accepting their bodies as the way they are:
“It was very pro-feminism, and (women) were moving away from sexualizing our bodies and thinking of them as just objects,” she stressed. “I don’t like the fact that this trend is using Barbie to say we should have slim necks. We should embrace ourselves for who we are.”
If you could share an unpopular opinion about marriage, what would you say?
Pakistani women are sharing cold hard facts with this trend on X (formerly Twitter), sharing their frank opinions about marriage. Since desi societies predominantly consider marriages to be a system arranged without a woman’s consent or opinion, many women shared what they thought about relationships, living with parents and other issues Pakistanis should really consider listening to.
We completely have to side with this one. Your wives are not hired helpers for your home or your parents.
If your wife moves in with your parents you owe her. This is even before she bears and raises your children. Very beghairat of any man who raises his voice to a wife who puts up with his mother. https://t.co/ycqGsW9ex7
— OhChiefestAndGreatestOfCalamities (@mustyoumustard) September 9, 2023
Never take any excuses like this from someone who claims to love you.
Chakor, an Instagram-based platform providing data-driven insights, recently compiled statistics on cousin-marriages in Pakistan
According to Chakor’s data, nearly 2 out of every 3 Pakistani marriages are between cousins. The organisation claims that Pakistan has one of the highest rates of marriages between cousins in the world.
They further highlighted medical evidence about how detrimental cousin-marriages can be for women’s reproductive health, adding that such marriages can cause serious health complications for the child.
Pakistan’s textile sector has experienced a continued decline in exports, with provisional data released by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) indicating that in August, exports reached $1.48 billion, down by 6 per cent compared to the same month in the previous year when they stood at $1.58 billion.
Moreover, the data reveals that Pakistan’s textile exports for the first eight months of the calendar year 2023 have seen a significant drop of 19 per cent, totaling $10.58 billion, as opposed to the $13 billion recorded during the equivalent period in 2022. This year-on-year decline raises concerns for Pakistan’s economy, especially in light of its foreign exchange shortage, which has already led to a depreciation of the rupee by more than 25 per cent in the inter-bank market since the beginning of 2023.
However, there is a glimmer of optimism as monthly figures indicate a 13 per cent improvement in textile exports, rising to $1.48 billion in August compared to $1.31 billion recorded in July.
Pakistan’s celebrated singer Shazia Manzoor has been honored in Ontario, Canada on Friday with The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pin. The award was presented by Canadian politician Shafqat Ali, who praised the veteran singer for her contribution to arts and culture.
“It was such an honour to host Shazia Manzoor, a recognized and renowned Pakistani singer, and to recognize her for her contribution to art and culture and her commitment to bringing South Asian communities together through her song It was such a blessing to meet the acclaimed Pride of Performance of Pakistan and to award her with Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pin Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you again soon.”
Asif Ali Zardari, former president and co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), defended the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday, saying that since the new census was announced, a new delimitation is now required.
The PPP’s leader expressed complete trust in Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and other ECP members in a statement posted on the party’s social media platforms. The statement further stated that the commission will conduct elections in accordance with the Constitution. After several PPP leaders, including party chairman Bilawal Bhutto, urged the ECP to declare an election date within 90 days in accordance with the Constitution, Zardari came to the defence of the constitutional body.
“The stance we adopted today is that the PPP wants the ECP to announce a new election date and the schedule for it. There is restlessness in the nation, and it is very important that a new election date and schedule is announced,” PPP’s Nayyar Bukhari said after the meeting on August 29. Asif Zardari urged the caretaker administration to complete the projects started under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), an apex body set up by the previous administration to draw in foreign investment.
“The country should be put on the path of development by completing these projects,” he added.
According to a recent report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s flagship smartphone for this year is expected to be named the iPhone 15 Pro Max rather than the previously speculated iPhone 15 Ultra. The upcoming iPhone lineup will also comprise the standard iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and iPhone 15 Pro models.
Gurman had previously hinted at the possibility of Apple using the Ultra branding for its highest-tier iPhone, akin to the Apple Watch Ultra. However, this nomenclature shift is more likely to be reserved for the anticipated iPhone 16 Ultra, featuring a larger 6.9-inch display, slated for next year.
For the time being, it seems that the Pro Max branding will persist for at least another year.
As for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it is rumoured to introduce several notable enhancements, including an advanced telephoto lens offering up to 6x optical zoom, a substantial upgrade from the 3x limit seen in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
Additionally, the device is expected to feature a titanium frame, a customizable action button, a speedier A17 Bionic chip, slimmer bezels, support for Wi-Fi 6E, and more. Pricing for the iPhone 15 Pro Max is rumoured to begin at $1,199 in the United States, marking a $100 increase compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Apple is scheduled to unveil its iPhone 15 series during the “Wonderlust” event on Tuesday, September 12, commencing at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Stay tuned for comprehensive coverage of Apple’s announcements, including on-site reporting from the iconic Steve Jobs Theatre.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has criticized the establishment for “making puppets” in a conversation with members of the media.
“The people of Pakistan have warned you that stop conducting such experiments on us. Let the people make their own decisions,” he said, calling it a message for those who make, search for or impose puppets on the country.
“If the people of Pakistan choose Mian Shehbaz Sharif sahib or Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif sahib then we should all accept it. If the people choose PPP, then all should accept it. And maybe I may not like this, but if the people choose PTI, then we will have to accept it,” he stated on Friday in Karachi.
The former Foreign Minister asked Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct polls as soon as possible and within the 90 days constitutional limit.
“Through its performance, the PPP has always proven that it does people-friendly politics and governance. And that is why the PPP still says that elections should be held as soon as possible, according to the Constitution and within 90 days so that we can win the polls and serve the people of the country and take them out of these difficult economic times,” the PPP head stated.
In response to a question, Bilawal said that his father, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, had spent the longest time behind bars.
“And today we are hearing that those politicians who have to go through this ordeal are facing difficulties,” he said about Imran Khan, the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
“We are trying to tell them that ghabrana nahi hai (do not worry). It is time for you and politicians like you to learn. You are being given experience and training and you are now being made a politician.”
