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Author: News Desk

  • ‘Master stroke’: Sana, Feroze, Faysal and others laud Imran Khan after dismissal of no-confidence motion

    ‘Master stroke’: Sana, Feroze, Faysal and others laud Imran Khan after dismissal of no-confidence motion

    The much-awaited and crucial NA session started after a delay to hold the vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.. After the National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Sunday “dismissed” the no-confidence motion against (PM) Imran Khan, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution, the legal war began.

    PM Khan then addressed the nation, saying he had advised the President to dissolve the National Assembly, which the President approved. Khan preferred early elections after dodging a vote of no confidence.

    Many prominent Pakistani celebrities have advocated for Imran Khan’s decision.

    Faysal Qureshi, Saba Qamar, Samina Peerzada, Shan Shahid, Shahroz Sabzwari, and Shahveer Jafry among other artists extended support to Khan.

    You can get exclusive details in our new show, Maslay Aur Masala:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4LRd_bz9c

    Check some of the reactions here:

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    Feroze Khan, Saba Qamar and other celebs react to PM Imran Khan ‘surprise’
    Feroze Khan, Saba Qamar and other celebs react to PM Imran Khan ‘surprise’
    Feroze Khan, Saba Qamar and other celebs react to PM Imran Khan ‘surprise’
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  • ‘Beyond thrilled’: Arooj Aftab becomes first-ever Pakistani to bag prestigious Grammy award

    ‘Beyond thrilled’: Arooj Aftab becomes first-ever Pakistani to bag prestigious Grammy award

    Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab on Sunday scored her first Grammy, winning a prestigious trophy for her song Mohabbat in the Best Global Performance category.

    The 37-year-old crooner who has lived in New York for some a decade and a half has been steadily gaining global attention for her work that fuses ancient Sufi traditions with inflections of folk, jazz, and minimalism.

    She’s also up for the coveted Best New Artist prize, which will be presented during the main Grammy telecast later Sunday.

    The artist told journalists backstage at the pre-gala ceremony, at which the vast majority of awards are handed out. “I am beyond thrilled, it feels great.”

    “I’ve been very nervous all day. And we’re off to a good start.”

    Born to Pakistani parents in Saudi Arabia, Aftab spent her teenage years in Lahore before relocating to Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music to study music production and engineering.

    She released her third studio album “Vulture Prince” to critical acclaim, and gained even more attention after former US President Barack Obama included the track Mohabbat on his 2021 summer favorites list.

    Aftab has performed at a number of major New York venues including Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art, also opening for Mitski at The Brooklyn Steel in 2018.

    Speaking to AFP in the days leading up to the Grammys, Aftab praised her fellow artists nominated for Best New Artist, a crop that includes favorite Olivia Rodrigo along with rappers Saweetie and The Kid Laroi.

    “We’re all so cool — the group itself is kind of like a win,” she said.

    Earlier in November 2021, the Mehram star became the first Pakistani to receive a Grammy nomination.

    Arooj was nominated for the Best Global Music Performance and Best New Artist category which is described as a “category that recognises an artist whose release achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.”

    Other artists nominated for the same award were Jimmie Allen, Baby Keem, FINNEAS, Glass Animals, Japanese Breakfast, The Kid LAROI, Arlo Parks, Olivia Rodrigo, and Saweetie.

    Based in Brooklyn, Aftab has three solo albums to her credit. Her latest release is Vulture Prince. According to a profile published by a music app, the album is about “revisiting places that I’ve called mine,” said Aftab, “Places that don’t necessarily exist anymore. It’s about people, friendships, relationships.”

    A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Aftab established herself as an indie artist by covering Amir Zaki’s Mera Pyar and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. She promoted her music online in Pakistan and taught herself to play the guitar.

    Aftab has been nominated for her track Mohabbat. The song also made it to former US president Barack Obama’s summer playlist. As soon as Grammy nominations were announced, messages of support and love started pouring in for the artist.

    Singer Fifi Haroon showed her excitement for Aftab on Twitter.

    Veteran singer Hadiqa Kiani also celebrated Aftab’s nomination and urged her followers to listen to the artist’s music.

    Singer and song-writer Fakhr-e-Alam also congratulated Aftab on her achievement.

    Taking to Twitter, the singer has expressed her joy, saying: “Shock, awe, and happiness.”

    Arooj Aftab also shared her memorable moments on Instagram of the awards show where she met with other Grammy winners and the popular Korean pop group, BTS.

  • Iqra Aziz opens up about living in a ‘3 kamron ka flat’, rough childhood and disturbed equation with father

    Iqra Aziz opens up about living in a ‘3 kamron ka flat’, rough childhood and disturbed equation with father

    Actor Iqra Aziz has opened up about her childhood spent playing on the streets of Saddar in a close-knit neighbourhood, as well as her struggles growing up with the burden of a strained relationship with her late father in an interview with a digital magazine.

    On being asked if she had any apprehensions when it comes to motherhood, the Raqeeb Se star reflected, “As far as the fear is concerned, I wasn’t really scared. I had always wanted to get married and I always wanted to have a baby. I have always loved kids. I would always be around them and take care of other people’s babies. In fact, [Yasir and I] were left waiting since Kabir was a little late.” 

    Speaking about being a working mother, Iqra stressed the importance of being practical. Explaining how she has had to make some tough choices to ensure her son’s well being, Iqra shared, “I am a very practical person… I harden my heart and keep my emotional side under control. You always want to keep your child in your arms and cuddle them. I have Kabir’s cot in my room. I want to hug him while I sleep, but then I have to stop myself. I think it’s important for him to have his own bed.”

    How Yasir Hussain's Life Changed After Son Kabir Hussain | Reviewit.pk

    Elaborating on how society may judge her for her decisions, Iqra asserted the necessity of her actions, “People would probably question what kind of mother I am. There are a lot of judgments passed around… I have to raise my child according to my routine.”

    You can get all the exclusive details in our new show, Maslay Aur Masala:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4LRd_bz9c&t=5s

    Sharing how her mother is her greatest support, the Ranjha Ranjha Kardi actor added, “I’m blessed to have a mother who tells me that I don’t need to feel guilty. You always have that mom guilt when you leave your kid somewhere and go to work… I started working after Kabir was barely one month old. My mother told me I don’t need to be hard on myself because this is the career that I have worked so hard for and that she’s there to help… Your child will learn what it means to be independent from you. You’re a role model.” 

    Iqra Aziz Wiki, Age, Boyfriend, Husband, Family, Biography & More – WikiBio

    When asked whether motherhood has affected the kinds of roles she opts for, Iqra stressed how her personal life and career exist in completely separate realms. She explained, “My personal life, my husband or my child, they don’t come in between me and my work. They don’t affect who I am as an actor. That is a separate part of my life. My target with regards to the kinds of scripts I pick mainly has to do with whether they relay a certain type of message that betters the lives of the audience, the kind that aren’t just about weeping daughters-in-law. They have to be strong characters.” 

    Speaking about strength, Iqra also opened up about her mental health struggles, and the strength and mental clarity gained through therapy. The actor reflected on her difficult childhood, sharing that she started therapy at the age of 14, which led to her mind opening up in ways she had not previously imagined. She shared, “I went to therapy because I had a rough childhood. I was three years old when my father came back to Karachi from Saudi Arabia. I had never seen him. I used to believe my taya was my father. When he came back, it was very tough for me to trust him. He was strict as well, I only got nine years with him, so not much could be done then. I was 12 when I lost him. I was 14 or 15 when I started therapy.”

    The actor shared that her childhood growing up in Saddar with the freedom to roam the streets led to her developing street smarts that have helped her in her career as well. She shared, “I grew up going out into the streets in Ramazan and playing on rides because the area is so busy. I have spent my life there, and my mother and grandmother had also lived their whole lives in the area. We lived there for over 30 years. Everyone knew us… I am so thankful that I got to live that life. I have seen that phase. I know how to be street smart and I know how to deal with people. I know how to conduct myself when I go out into the crowd.” 

    Iqra added, “Being shy is something else, but when [I’m] given the platform to say something, I am nervous but I can do it. It gives me that confidence.” 

    When asked whether she’s ever felt camera-shy, Iqra recalled the first and only time she did. The Qurban divarecalled, “The first time I did a TVC, my sister went with me and it was a stop-motion ad. I was alone and I had to give expressions in front of the camera… I saw that there were so many people around me and they would all have their eyes on me, so I got anxious and started crying. I was 14 at the time, and I told my sister I couldn’t do it. She encouraged me to keep going and I did. After that, there was no turning back.”

    Earlier in her interview with BBC she got candid about growing in a three bedroom flat.

    When the Suno Chanda star appeared on HSY’s chat show, she revealed that her mother was the first female Uber driver in Pakistan.

  • Rats in Indian hospital kill patient

    Rats in Indian hospital kill patient

    A 38-year-old man bitten by rats in the respiratory intensive care unit (ICU) was left bleeding in a hospital in Telangana, India, and passed away after being transferred to a different hospital,NDTV reported.

    “The death happened due to complications and not due to rat-bite,” Director of Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr K Manohar was quoted by NDTV.

    The public is however infuriated at MGM Hospital, where Srinivas was left with the rats.

    “He was bleeding badly. The bed was blood-soaked, so I complained,” the patient’s brother Srikant said.

    The staff and patients reported that rats were fairly common due to the drainage under repair.

    “Nothing we can do as the drainage work is under repair,” a nurse said.

  • Parts of the ‘threatening letter’ may have been forged: claims Hamid Mir

    Parts of the ‘threatening letter’ may have been forged: claims Hamid Mir

    Journalist and Anchorperson Hamid Mir, while appearing on Geo News, has claimed that sources in the Foreign Office told him parts of the ‘threatening letter’ may have been forged.

    “The document on the basis of which Prime Minister Imran Khan has dissolved assemblies and President has notified it, that document is not original,” said Mir while talking about the ‘threatening’ letter.

    Senior Journalist Asma Sherazi took to Twitter to question who would be responsible for Pakistan being ridiculed all over the world and who will fix the country’s reputation?

    Journalist Hasan Zaidi referred to the claim by Hamid Mir as a “new twist.”

  • ‘Appointing Buzdar was the real conspiracy’: Chaudhry Sarwar

    ‘Appointing Buzdar was the real conspiracy’: Chaudhry Sarwar

    Former Governor Chaudhry Sarwar in a hard-hitting press conference said, “All Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Punjab and the federal ministers complained to us whether this was the Pakistan that we wanted where the chief secretary and inspector general are changed every three months.”

    Lashing out at PTI leadership, Sarwar criticised PM Khan’s choice of appointing Usman Buzdar as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab. “The premier believed that only Usman Buzdar could build the Naya Pakistan and other party leaders compromised,” he said.

    “We said that we want to build Naya Pakistan and if Imran Khan thinks Usman Buzdar can do that, we are with him. But the entire country saw that chaos [subsequently] ensued in Punjab. Workers across Pakistan, federal [cabinet] members, [people] from Europe to the United Kingdom questioned if this was the Pakistan we voted for.”

    “Imran Khan was on one side and the PTI on the other,” he said. Referring to the party’s claims that the no-confidence resolution against PM Imran was a “foreign conspiracy”, Sarwar said: “If there is an international conspiracy … the biggest conspiracy was making Usman Buzdar chief minister.”

    Former governor said he had met PM Khan twice who told him to call the session after April 3 (today). “However, I did not inform PML-Q’s PTI-backed Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi because the talk with the premier was an amanat (secret) with me,” he added.

    Sarwar also said that Elahi also visited him later to tell him it was important to hold elections before April 2 or he would not win. He added that he again went to the premier to express his reservations about Buzdar.

    “I signed on the resignation in the dark of the night and they sacked me immediately,” he said, adding, “Pakistan is in a difficult phase right now.”

    The federal government removed Chaudhry Sarwar from his post as Governor Punjab, appointing Omer Sarfraz Cheema as his replacement. Cheema has taken oath as the new Governor Punjab.

  • ‘Chaos’: Indian media coverage of Pakistan’s constitutional crisis

    ‘Chaos’: Indian media coverage of Pakistan’s constitutional crisis

    The current political situation of the country is changing very rapidly after the dismissal of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly session, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s advice to President Dr Arif Alvi to dissolve the assemblies and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly by President Alvi.

    The Indian media has also been covering the political situation in Pakistan.

    NDTV referred to Imran Khan’s advice to President Dr Arif Alvi to dissolve the assemblies as a “Googly”.

    Another story by NDTV said, “Opposition Says Government Violated Constitution.”

    Times Now shared a clip from their show in which a PPP member is saying, “‘Foreign hand’ conspiracy claim by the PTI is a lie.”

    Have a look at the coverage:

  • ‘IK ran way from the field’, Twitter reacts to dismissal of no-confidence motion against PM Khan

    ‘IK ran way from the field’, Twitter reacts to dismissal of no-confidence motion against PM Khan

    In a very unforeseen move, Deputy Speaker of National Assembly (NA) Qasim Suri ruled that the no-trust motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan is unconstitutional and cannot be voted upon.

    Later, the premier addressed the nation and announced the decision to dismiss NA. Shortly after this, under Article 58 of the constitution, President Arif Alvi officially dismissed the Assembly.

    Now that the situation has become more complicated, some people have praised the govt.

    While some terms it’s “unconstitutional”.

  • ‘There’s no place for me in the entertainment industry’: Anwar Maqsood expresses disappointment

    ‘There’s no place for me in the entertainment industry’: Anwar Maqsood expresses disappointment

    Legendary scriptwriter Anwar Maqsood who is famous for his cult projects like Fifty Fifty and Aangan Terha has expressed his dissapointment on the current content and scripts of drama seriels. He also cited it as a reason for not working actively in the entertainment industry.

    The veteran writer stated that, “I have stepped back [from writing] because what is happening on the television in the recent times, there is no place for me. Now that the rating has occupied a decisive place, the directors or producers have been left behind in every respect. The marketing department decides which actors are needed and which are not”.

    The industry veteran believes current television content is influenced by Indian soap operas, “When Indian dramas paved their way to the Pakistani screens, we thought that they would learn something from our dramas, but on the contrary, our writers started learning from them. It was then that our drama industry began its demise.” 

  • Legal Battle: Is what Prime Minister Imran Khan did today, legal?

    Legal Battle: Is what Prime Minister Imran Khan did today, legal?

    After the National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Sunday “dismissed” the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, terming it against Article 5 of the Constitution, the legal war began. PM Khan then addressed the nation, saying he had advised the President to dissolve the National Assembly, which the President approved. The country is in a state of shock and the main question is: Is what is going on, legal?

    BUT FIRST, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ASSEMBLY SESSION?

    Loyalty to the state is the basic duty of every citizen under Article 5: Fawad Chaudhry

    The much-awaited and crucial NA session started after a delay to hold the vote on the no-confidence motion against Khan.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said, “On March 7, our official ambassador was invited to a meeting attended by the representatives of other countries. The meeting was informed that a motion against PM Imran was being presented,” he said, adding that this happened a day before the Opposition filed the no-trust move.

    “We were told that relations with Pakistan were dependent on the success of the no-confidence motion. We were told that if the motion fails, then Pakistan’s path would be very difficult. This is an operation for a regime change by a foreign government,” he alleged.

    NA speaker dismisses no-confidence motion against PM Imran, terms it contradictory to Article 5

    After Fawad Chaudhry spoke, Deputy Speaker Suri agreed with Fawad and said that the no-confidence motion was presented on March 8 and should be according to the law and the Constitution. “No foreign power shall be allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy,” he said, adding that the points raised by the minister were “valid”.

    He dismissed the motion, ruling that it was “contradictory” to the law, the Constitution, and the rules. The session ended and the government representatives walked out.

    LET’S GET LEGAL: What is Article 5?

    According to Article 5, “Loyalty to the State is the basic duty of every citizen.”

    “Obedience to the Constitution and law is the [inviolable] obligation of every citizen wherever he may be and of every other person for the time being within Pakistan.”

    THEN WHAT HAPPENED: On PM Imran Khan’s advice, President Arif Alvi approved the dissolution of the assembly

    In a surprise move, the premier on Sunday said that he has advised President Alvi to dissolve all the assemblies.

    President Dr Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on the proposal of PM Khan.

    In a brief address to the nation after the no-confidence motion was rejected, the premier congratulated the nation and said that he had sent a proposal to the President to dissolve the NA and the nation should prepare for the next election.

    WAS WHAT HAPPENED LEGAL?

    What do the legal experts have to say?

    The Current reached out to legal experts to understand and get better clarity on the constitutional process in relevance to dismissing the no-trust move against PM Khan.

    Senior Lawyer and Journalist Muneeb Farooq terming the dismissal of the no-trust move “absolute nonsense” said, “The court will decide if what the speaker did is illegal and the no-confidence motion will likely move on. Today the court is closed, they [the Opposition] will take it to the court tomorrow.”

    Farooq further said, “Article 69 says that the court cannot question parliament proceedings, but there are exceptions,” adding that certain things were taken to court and the Supreme Court has ruled on them.

    WHAT’S FAROOQ’S MAIN POINT?

    Farooq said that the Prime Minister does not have the right to ask the President to dissolve the national assembly when there is a motion of no-confidence against him. He also added that the Speaker cannot dismiss a motion against the PM when the motion is already a part of the agenda. He added that Article 5 cannot be used in this situation, the way the government has used it.

    THE OTHER SIDE:

    Supreme Court Lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain said, “The Deputy Speaker gave the ruling to dismiss the no-confidence motion. It is in his power to discard the no-confidence motion against the prime minister. Hence the motion gets dismissed and PM Khan still remains the prime minister.”

    WHAT’S HUSSAIN’S MAIN POINT?

    “Since Imran Khan is still Prime Minister, he can call for fresh elections, after dissolving the assembly, which he has done. The issue now will be that PM Khan has already moved past the no-confidence motion. If the assembly had not been dissolved, then perhaps the Supreme Court could make a ruling on the no-confidence issue.”

    ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

    Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) Salman Akram Raja speaking to Geo News said that what happened in the National Assembly today was “highly unconstitutional”.

    He further said that SCP will look into the ruling given by the deputy speaker and could decide on allowing early elections or letting the no-confidence motion vote happen.

    The Joint Opposition had submitted the no-confidence motion to kick out PM Khan on March 8. According to reports, Chief Justice Umar Bandial has called his fellow justices to his place to discuss what is going on in the country.

    Meanwhile, sources say the Supreme Court may hold special proceedings today as well.