The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership is underfire for passing sexist and derogatory comments toward Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz.
“This darmiyana man has become our FM. May God bless him, how will he move Pakistan forward,” said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan.
“I said it earlier, if he is coming, we will move to Afghanistan, at least we will be able to live there,” added CM Khan.
وزیر اعلیٰ خیبر پختونخوا محمود خان نے آج ایک تقریب میں بلاول بھٹو پر طنز کرتے ہوئے کہا کہ درمیانہ والا آپکا فارن منسٹر بن گیا اللہ خیر کرے وہ آگے پاکستان کو کس طرح بڑھائے گا میں نے پہلے ہی کہا تھا کہ یہ آجائے تو ہم افغانستان کی طرف نقل مکانی کر لیں گے ۔۔ pic.twitter.com/YV7XoBkHyX
Former Deputy Speaker National Assembly (NA) Qasim Suri tweeted a picture of a PTI supporter holding a placard with an insensitive comment on Bilawal and shared it with the caption “lethal”.
Netizens called out the three PTI leaders for their comments. Twitter reactions are as follows:
This person was our speaker national assembly on a stay granted by the supreme court of Pakistan for 3.8 years sums up mentality of our society as a nation. Pakistan https://t.co/nl2RqeQHfw
— Engr M.Alam Sharif (@_Hassan_khel_) May 17, 2022
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that dissolving assemblies is not the solution to the current economic crisis in the country.
Speaking outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Islamabad, he said, “The government is working hard to get the situation under control” and urged that political parties should sit together to derive a solution.
Khaqan said that the decisions need the support of institutions and the people because Pakistan is everyone’s responsibility.
“Our country has always had unconstitutional intervention in politics. That intervention also plays a role in getting us where we are today,” he added.
“This destruction started four years ago when the PTI government came to power,” he claimed. “Today, Imran Khan is the sole person responsible for the economic turmoil in Pakistan. You cannot expect a government to immediately fix things that he spoiled.”
The PML-N leader’s statement has come when the dollar rate is at its peak. This spell of the dollar’s persistent rise against the rupee began last week.
Earlier, it was reported that government would either dissolve the assemblies or increase the petrol prices in the upcoming days.
It was said that if the government does not increase the fuel prices Pakistan may face a much worse situation than what is happening in Sri Lanka.
In today’s interbank market, the Pakistani Rupee (PKR) plummeted to another historical low versus the US Dollar (USD). It fell 0.80 per cent against the US dollar, closing at Rs195.74 after losing Rs1.56 in the interbank market.
During today’s open market session, the local currency fell to an intraday low of Rs197 versus the US dollar. Since last week, the dollar has gained Rs9.06 against the PKR, and Rs12.81 since the new government took office on April 11, 2022.
The local currency hit a new all-time low against the dollar on May 17, ahead of Pakistan’s preliminary consultations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Doha on Wednesday (tomorrow) to revive the country’s stalled multibillion-dollar bailout package.
On Tuesday, oil prices rose to their highest level in seven weeks, spurred by the European Union’s continued push for a ban on Russian oil imports, which may dangerously constrain supplies. Brent crude hit a high of $115, its best since March 28, while WTI crude in the United States rose 78 cents, or 0.7 per cent, to $114.98.
Two Pakistani female artists have been shortlisted for The 2022 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. From over 400 entries, Ayessha Quraishi and Marium Agha were chosen. The finalists represent 16 Asia-Pacific countries and regions.
Marium Agha:
Marium Agha (b. 1982, Pakistan) holds a BFA from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Pakistan (2006), an MFA from University of The Arts London, Central Saint Martins, London (2009), and completed a course in Curating Contemporary Art from Chelsea School of Art And Design, London (2009). By surveying the relentless nature of love for over a decade through images, theory, and the self, the artist finds a safe process in deconstructing elements of popular culture which no longer validate contemporary sensibilities. Agha’s deconstructed tapestries, drawings, and text serve to create newer, relevant narratives of the ‘given real’, that is, love, and the supposed representational: the concupiscence of the flesh.
Ayessha Quraishi (b. 1970, Pakistan) works in a way natural to her since childhood, her process appearing like braille. Physically, she maintains constant contact with two materials: the surface and the paint
The Sovereign Asian Art Prize was launched in 2003 to increase the international exposure of artists in the region, whilst raising funds for programmes that support disadvantaged children using expressive arts. Held annually, The Prize is now recognised as the most established and prestigious annual art award in Asia-Pacific.
In an attempt to combat traffic rule infractions in Lahore, Punjab police have ordered a significant hike in fines. The department announced on social media that instead of a few hundred rupees, violators will now be slapped with at least Rs5,000 fine for four-wheelers and Rs2,000 for two-wheelers.
Muntazir Mehdi, the Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) of Lahore, shared his recommendations with the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Traffic Police. The department also released information on the provincial capital’s increased fine rates.
As per a recent tweet, Improper parking of motorbikes would incur a penalty of Rs2,000 and improper parking of vehicles will incur a fine of Rs5,000. Moreover, riding a motorcycle without a license will cost the violator Rs2,000, while driving a car will now cost Rs5,000 without a license.
Motorcycles without number plates or with fancy number plates will be fined Rs2,000, while car drivers would be fined Rs5,000.
Punjab’s Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shehbaz Sharif in the last week ordered the creation of an emergency traffic plan to alleviate traffic congestion on important roads in Lahore. He directed the Inspector General (IG) to provide a comprehensive plan, including the promotion and relocation of traffic wardens, as well as its proper implementation.
Taliban authorities dissolved the United States (US)-backed Human Rights Commission in Afghanistan and other five key departments on Monday as the country faces an economic crisis.
The Afghan government’s spokesman Inamullah Samangani told Reuters, “These departments were not deemed necessary and were not included in the budget, they have been dissolved.”
However, he added that these departments could be reactivated in the future “if needed”.
The announcement was made in the country’s first annual budget since the Taliban takeover. The budget stated that Afghanistan faces a budget deficit of 44 billion Afghanis ($501 million) this financial year.
Samangani said the budget was “based on objective facts” and intended only for departments that had been active and productive.
The High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), the National Security Council, and the commission for overseeing the implementation of the Afghan Constitution have also been dissolved. It is pertinent to mention that HCNR was last headed by former Chief Executive Officer of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah who was working to negotiate peace between the US-backed government of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the then-insurgent Taliban.
Actor Mohsin Abbas Haider recently shared the first look of his forthcoming short film, Main Shah Rukh Khan Hoon directed by Badar Mehmood.
Ever since the poster has been released, it was speculated that maybe this is Khan’s Pakistani biopic.
However Mohsin exclusively revealed to The Current that, “This is not SRK’s biopic, this is the story of an aspiring actor who wants to make it big and has grand ambitions. The boy is very impressed by Shah Rukh and is his fan, the story revolves around how SRK impacts his acting career.”
The Na Maloom Afraad star added further that he is playing five characters in the film and he is very excited about the same.”
Earlier the talented actor-host shared his fan moment after he received an autograph from one of the superstars from Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan.
In an Instagram post, Mohsin shared his excitement about receiving SRK’s hand written autograph. “Fan Moment, Finally Received The Autograph Of A Man Whose Story/Struggle Inspired Me In My Struggling Days. Who Motivates Me. A Self Made Superstar, My Mentor, The King, The Legendary Sir,” he wrote.
The tech mogul Elon Musk and Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal are arguing about bots, which Musk has made a core issue in his acquisition of the microblogging site.
On the other hand, Agrawal outlined Twitter’s approach to spam accounts and the obstacles it faces in dealing with them in a series of tweets on May 16.
Every day, Twitter suspends almost half a million spam accounts, according to Agrawal. He reaffirmed Twitter’s long-held estimate that less than 5 per cent of its daily active users are spam accounts, which Musk mentioned on Friday when declaring that his $44 billion proposal to buy Twitter was temporarily on pause.
20% fake/spam accounts, while 4 times what Twitter claims, could be *much* higher.
My offer was based on Twitter’s SEC filings being accurate.
Yesterday, Twitter’s CEO publicly refused to show proof of <5%.
That estimate, according to Agrawal, is based on ‘many human reviews of thousands of users’ picked at random, but it’s impossible to know which accounts are counted on any given day.
While Twitter feels its estimations are realistic, the measures were not independently validated, and the actual number of bogus or spam accounts could be greater.
Believe it or not, Musk responded to Agrawal’s first 13 tweets with a ‘faeces emoji’.
Musk then asked a more thought-provoking inquiry about how can advertisers know what they’re getting for their money as this is essential Twitter’s financial health.
Tesla’s CEO has been vocal about bots and spam accounts on Twitter, describing bitcoin spam and bots as the most aggravating issue on the network.
Anyone who has seen the answers to Musk’s tweets knows that they are full of such con artists, many of whom try to profit from Musk’s fame.
However, other analysts believe that the world’s richest man is leveraging the bot issue to lower the price at which he would purchase the platform, whether as an unusual bargaining ploy or out of necessity.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government is ready to form a judicial commission to inquire about life threats received by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, Rana Sanaullah said that the government had provided Khan ‘prime minister-level’ security and around 150-200 security personnel had been deployed for his safety. He said that security stays with Khan all the time and they move him from Bani Gala to wherever he goes.
“However, if Imran Khan needs more security, then he should tell us. We will provide it too,” he added.
جان کو خطرے کی ویڈیو ریکارڈ کراکے چھپائی کیوں ہے اسے شیئر کرو،جوڈیشل کمیشن بنانے کو تیار ہیں۔عمران خان کےساتھ جس قسم کےلوگ ہیں انہی میں سےکسی نے موبائل فون نکالے ہونگے۔ عمران خان کو وہی سیکیورٹی ملی ہوئی ہے جو انہیں بطور وزیر اعظم ملی ہوئی تھی۔وزیر داخلہ
— Shahzeb Khanzada (@shazbkhanzdaGEO) May 16, 2022
“If you have recorded that video, then share it with the people. You say you will bring everything in front of the people of Pakistan, then you must share the video. They say one thing one day, and another the next day. Every few days, they bring a new fraud and lie. This man [Imran Khan] wants to divide the country and misguide the youth.”
Talking about PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill’s claim that two of Imran Khan’s mobile phones were stolen in the Sialkot jalsa, Rana Sanaullah said that Imran Khan’s mobile phones must have been stolen by his companions because Imran Khan is “surrounded by such people who can do it”.
On a question asked about the comments Khan made in relevance to Dr Rizwan’s death caused by a heart attack and poison that can be mixed in food, Sanaullah said, “What should I say to this horrendous man? He was the prime minister of this country and unfortunately is again the candidate for the position of prime minister. If something like this was even suspected, the family would have had his post-mortem done.”
“They bring such lies and fraud to their fan crowd and they believe whatever he [Khan] says. Anyone with wisdom knows about the lies told by Khan,” said Sanaullah.
جو شخص ملک کا وزیر اعظم رہا ہے اور دوبارہ وزیر اعظم بننے کا اُمیدوار ہے،کیا اُسے نہیں پتہ کہ ڈاکٹر رضوان کی موت اگر زہر سے واقعہ ہوتی تو انکے اہل خانہ ضرور پوسٹ مارٹم کراتے۔ ہرذی شعور آدمی کو انکے جھوٹوں کا پتہ ہے۔ وزیر داخلہ رانا ثناء۔
The 10-day week for Eid films, namely Ghabrana Nahi Hai, Dum Mastam, Parde Mein Rehne Do, Chakkar, and Tere Bajre Di Rakhi, has concluded recently.
Although most of theses films have under performed at the ticket counters, yet they have brought some footfalls to local screens.
Ghabrana Nahi Hai (Semi Hit)
Ghabrana Nahi Hai starring Saba Qamar, Zahid Ahmed, and Syed Jibran has performed the best out of all the Eid releases. Saba’s star-power has definitely contributed to the film’s collection toppled with the engaging screenplay and crisp writing.
Here’s a day-wise breakdown:
Tuesday ( Eid Day 1): 68 lacs
Wednesday ( Eid Day 2): 1.15 crore
Thursday ( Eid Day 3): 1.17 crore
Friday to Sunday: 1.7 crore
Weekdays: 1.3 crore
Total collection: 6 crore
Dum Mastam (Average)
Imran Ashraf and Amar Khan starrer commercial potboiler Dum Mastam is also performing better than the other releases, thanks to Imran’s performance and successful music album.
Here’s a day-wise breakdown:
Tuesday ( Eid Day 1): 65 lacs
Wednesday ( Eid Day 2): 1.11 crore
Thursday ( Eid Day 3): 1.08 crore
Friday to Sunday: 1.20 crore
Weekdays: 96 lacs
Total collection over 10 days: 5 crore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHbpA1MMkp8
Parde Mein Rehne Do (Below Average)
The Ali Rehman and Hania Aamir starrer is at the third spot. Here’s a day-wise breakdown:
Tuesday ( Eid Day 1): 44 lacs
Wednesday ( Eid Day 2): 76 lacs
Thursday ( Eid Day 3): 75 lacs
Friday to Sunday: 60 lacs
Weekdays: 45 lacs
Total collection over 10 days: 2.95 crore
Chakkar (Below Average)
The Ahsan Khan, Neelam Muneer, and Yasir Nawaz starrer, with far lesser show slots, is at the last spot. Here’s a day-wise breakdown:
Tuesday ( Eid Day 1): 28 lacs
Wednesday ( Eid Day 2): 54 lacs
Thursday ( Eid Day 3): 50 lacs
Friday to Sunday: 40 lacs
Weekdays: 38 lacs
Total collection over 10 days: 2.1 crores
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgHd8GLDUc8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1e_LMBNYYI
Tere Bajre Di Rakhi (Flop)
This Syed Noor directorial which also marked the acting debut of TikToker Jannat Mirza has amassed a combined sum of 80 lacs over the past 10 days.
