Gunga Saain, a specially-abled dhol player, passed away in Lahore, after suffering from a heart attack, Hum News has reported.
Saain was famous across the country for his spiritual dance on the beats of dhol. The famed musician used to dance and perform while playing the dhol himself. He used to perform on Thursdays on the shrine of Baba Shah Jamal in Icchra. He had also performed in various national and international festivals.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the nation at 4:30 pm today. During his speech, PM Imran will take the nation into confidence over the security situation in the country due to violent protests by the recently banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
وزیر اعظم پاکستان عمرا ن خان آج قوم سے خطاب کریں گے
Eleven policemen and five other security officials who were taken hostage on Sunday were released by TLP Monday morningafter a successful round of talks with the Punjab government.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that the PM will deliver a historic speech today.
Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Margalla Highway in Islamabad, PM Imran said that it was unfortunate how political and religious parties in the country misuse Islam and damage their own country. PM said that he was saddened that many times our love [for the Holy Prophet (PBUH)] is misused. He said we all love our Prophet (PBUH).
“I haven’t seen as much affection and respect for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in any country other than Pakistan,” remarked the premier.
Religious parties and traders have called for a countrywide strike today in support of the banned TLP.
Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed announced this morning that after a successful first round of talks between the Punjab government and the recently banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), 11 policemen who had been taken hostage on Sunday have been released.
In a video statement released in the wee hours of April 19, Rasheed said that the first round of talks was successful and he was hopeful that the second round of talks after sehri would also be fruitful. The minister hoped that matters would be resolved amicably. Four demands have been put forth by the proscribed party: 1) release of TLP leader Saad Rivi, 2) Lift the ban on TLP, 3) FIRs against TLP workers be quashed and TLP workers released, 4) expel the French ambassador.
نیوز اپڈیٹ اسلام آباد: 19 اپریل وفاقی وزیر داخلہ شیخ رشید احمد کا اہم ویڈیو پیغام جاری pic.twitter.com/kvXqVjWP9U
As per the list released to the media, the total number of released hostages was 16, which included 11 policemen and other staff members. Most of the officials had head injuries as well as other injuries due to torture. Geo News had reported that the hostages were kept in the basement of a mosque.
List of policemen and security staff released
Dawn reported that Lahore CCPO Ghulam Mehmood Dogar had participated in the operation to free the officials. “Police contingents, as well as Rangers, have been deployed at sensitive areas across the city,” said the spokesperson for the Lahore Police.
Countrywide protests erupted on Monday after security forces detained TLP chief Saad Hussain Rizvi in Lahore. Rizvi’s detention quickly sparked violent protests by TLP workers in cities around the country. Videos of policemen being beaten up by the protesters went viral on social media. Some police officials tweeted about the writ of the state.
This is a goon dragging a sub-inspector. Sub-inspector who is not there for himself but for writ of state! How can our govt stand this! How can we tolerate this! And know that police is the only barrier between these goons and homes of our ppl. https://t.co/Un0cm10Ft0
Later, the government had taken the decision to ban TLP under Section 11(B) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
وزارت داخلہ نے وفاقی کابینہ کی منظوری کے بعد انسداد دہشتگردی ایکٹ 1997 کے تحت تحریک لبیک پاکستان کو کالعدم قرار دے دیا۔ وزارت داخلہ کی طرف سے نوٹیفیکیشن جاری کردیا گیا pic.twitter.com/3vzB5wyjHM
On Sunday, violence erupted in Lahore’s Chowk Yateem Khana after the TLP workers attacked a police station and abducted the DSP, according to the Punjab Police. A statement by the Punjab Police said that “miscreants were armed and attacked Rangers/Police”.
Imran Abbas, who was recently shooting a special Ramzan Transmission from the heart of the Ottoman Empire Istanbul, has been selected as a ‘Goodwill Ambassador from Pakistan’ to visit different countries in Africa along with the ‘leading Turkish actors’.
“Honoured to be selected by the government of Turkey and its Ministry of Religious Affairs as the Goodwill Ambassador from Pakistan to visit, this week, to Tanzania and many African countries along with leading Turkish actors to provide water, food, education and other basic needs of life to the people of those countries,” wrote Abbas on social media while announcing the news.
He added that he will also be “presenting the gift of thousands of Quran to Muslims as well” during the trip.
Abbas has made several visits to Turkey in the past couple of month and is popular among Turkish stars. He was earlier also spotted hanging out with renowned actors including Celal AL, Yeşim Ceren Bozoğlu (Hazal Hatun in Kuruluş: Osman) and Cenk Kangöz (Diriliş: Ertuğrul). Abbas alsovisitedthe sets of Kuruluş: Osman, where he was presented the flag of the Kayi tribe.
A man in the United Kingdom received an Apple iPhone when he bought groceries online including apples.
According to details, Nick James, 50, was gifted a free iPhone SE as part of an online rewards scheme for shoppers of the UK-based supermarket chain Tesco.
Staff at his local Tesco told James that there was a “surprise” in his click-and-collect order.
“I was half expecting the surprise to be an Easter egg or something – [so] I was a little bit shocked, to say the least,” said James while talking about his unexpected gift.
The UK resident, later, shared his excitement on social media writing: “A big thanks this week to Tesco. On Wednesday evening, we went to pick up our click and collect order and had a little surprise in there – an Apple iPhone SE.”
“Apparently, we ordered apples and randomly got an Apple iPhone! Made my son’s week,” he added.
A big thanks this week to @Tesco & @tescomobile. On Wednesday evening we went to pick up our click and collect order and had a little surprise in there – an Apple iPhone SE. Apparently we ordered apples and randomly got an apple iphone! Made my sons week! 😁 #tesco#substitutepic.twitter.com/Mo8rZoAUwD
The supermarket chain had randomly selected customers for promotional rewards that link with a product they had purchased from the supermarket’s online store.
The marketing campaign is called the Super Substitute scheme and aims at replacing a particular item in a customer’s cart with a surprise gift. Customers are randomly selected while the original piece will be retained in the cart, the report said.
Tesco has given up to 80 such gifts to its online shoppers across its outlets in the UK so far.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has had another cabinet reshuffle this past week. The news of another reshuffle was doing the rounds for some weeks and finally it was announced on Friday, April 16. Except for one new but expected addition, all other portfolios have been given to already serving cabinet ministers. Only their portfolios have been changed.
Hammad Azhar, who had just been appointed the finance minister less than three weeks ago after the ouster of Hafeez Shaikh, has now been removed and given the portfolio of energy. Shaukat Tarin, who served as the finance minister in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) regime, has been appointed as minister for finance. He has been given the additional charge of revenue as well. Tarin is the fourth finance minister under the current regime and the second ex-PPP finance minister after Shaikh. Asad Umar was originally appointed the finance minister by PTI before being removed unceremoniously after a few months into his tenure whereas Hammad Azhar’s stint as finance minister was the shortest of all in this government. Tarin will be finance minister for at least six months and then the government will have to get him elected for him to remain in the ministerial position. Tarin has been extremely critical of PTI’s economic management. We will have to wait and see how he turns around the economy.
Omar Ayub has been made the minister for economic affairs; he was previously energy minister. Khusro Bakhtiar, who held Ayub’s portfolio has now been given the portfolio of industries and production – a portfolio held earlier by Hammad Azhar, who now has Ayub’s portfolio. If this does not make your head hurt, do not fret for we now have Fawad Chaudhry back as the Information Minister while his ministry – Science & Technology – has been given to former information minister Shibli Faraz. Musical chairs, much?
Fawad Chaudhry was an asset as the information minister when the PTI government came to power but he was replaced by Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. Shibli Faraz later replaced Firdous. Chaudhry is the fourth – yet the original – information minister. When Chaudhry took on the science ministry, he brought his ministry to the limelight by starting many new projects. One of Chaudhry’s feats was his tussle on moonsighting for Ramzan and Eid with Mufti Muneeb. Chaudhry won in the end through his use of technology. Unfortunately, the new science minister Shibli Faraz thinks that moonsighting and the use of technology for this should not be the science ministry’s concern. We hope that Faraz will not rollback all the good work done by Chaudhry.
We also hope that we will not need a new finance minister or a new information minister anytime soon.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday urged the Western countries to outlaw rising instances of blasphemy, just as some countries restrict anti-Semitic speech or Holocaust denial.
In a series of tweets, the prime minister condemned “extreme right politicians” in the West who “deliberately indulge” in willful and intentional provocations under the “guise of freedom of speech”.
The premier made it clear that the government took action against TLP under the anti-terrorism law when it challenged the writ of the state and used street violence, as no one can be above the law and the country’s constitution.
“Let me make [it] clear to people here and abroad [that] our government only took action against TLP under our anti-terrorist law when they challenged the writ of the state, used street violence and attacked the public and law enforcers. No one can be above the law and the Constitution,” the premier said in his tweets.
My message to extremists abroad who indulge in Islamophobia & racist slurs to hurt & cause pain to 1.3 bn Muslims across the globe: We Muslims have the greatest love & respect for our Prophet PBUH who lives in our hearts. We cannot tolerate any such disrespect & abuse.
I also call on Western govts who have outlawed any negative comment on the holocaust to use the same standards to penalise those deliberately spreading their message of hate against Muslims by abusing our Prophet PBUH.
Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday bid farewell to her late husband, Prince Philip, at a royal funeral like no other, restricted by coronavirus rules but reflecting his long life of military and public service. The Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away on April 9 at age 99, was interred in the Royal Vault at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after a 50-minute service attended by just 30 guests.
The Queen, 94, seen for the first time since his death, was dressed in mourning black, with a white-trimmed, black face mask. Close family, also masked, sat socially distanced in the historic 15th-century Gothic chapel.
Philip — described by royals as “the grandfather of the nation” — was Britain’s longest-serving royal consort and was married to the Queen for 73 years. He was an almost constant presence at her side during her record-breaking reign that began in 1952 as Britain rebuilt from World War II, and as its global empire began to unravel.
Unseen photo of Queen and Philip in 2003 on the Balmoral estate
His death, which the family said had left a “huge void” in the Queen’s life, has robbed her of the man she called her “strength and stay” and closes a remarkable chapter for Britain’s most famous family, and in the country’s history.
https://youtu.be/OdYWnSZ2rWc
The last high-profile funeral of a senior royal was for the Queen’s mother, who died in 2002, aged 101. But unlike then, when more than one million people thronged outside Westminster Abbey in central London to watch the sombre pageant, the public was noticeably absent from Saturday’s ceremony.
Government guidelines limited the number of mourners and a quartet performed hymns the duke chose himself in a barren nave stripped of seating.
The ceremonial funeral from behind the stately castle walls was broadcast live on television to millions across Britain and the world.
Beforehand, a military gun fired to signal a minute’s silence, when his coffin, draped in his standard and topped by a wreath of white roses and lilies from the Queen, his naval cap and ceremonial sword was borne by a bespoke Land Rover hearse he designed himself, arrived at the chapel.
Across Britain — on the streets, in shops, railway stations and at sporting events — people bowed their heads with respect.
Flights in an out of nearby Heathrow Airport were stopped for the duration of the ceremony.
Despite the restrictions, the stripped-down sendoff for the former Royal Navy commander still combined centuries of royal protocol with pomp, pageantry — and military precision.
Members of the British armed forces, in formal dress, lined the procession route, heads bowed, as the cortege passed, as a minute gun rang out across the grounds and a bell tolled.
Philip’s grandsons William, 38, and Harry, 36, joined the procession, in their first public meeting since a reported falling out about Harry’s shock move to California, and his stinging criticism of royal life, including racism in the family.
Harry had to quarantine when he arrived back in Britain for the first time since his move to the United States with his wife, Meghan, last year. Meghan reportedly watched the funeral at her home in California after she was advised by her doctor not to travel while pregnant. US networks showed the funeral live as did British TV stations.
The religious service was a simple affair, reflecting the wishes of the straight-talking duke, who was known for his aversion to “fuss”.
In keeping with his wishes, there was no sermon, but the service reflected his love of the sea, and long association with the Royal Navy, including hymns and Bible readings.
The Queen, who had been escorted to the chapel by a lady-in-waiting in the royal Bentley, watched from the chapel choir as her husband’s was lowered steadily into the Royal Vault by electric motor.
The Pipe Major of the Royal Regiment of Scotland played a lament, and buglers of the Royal Marines sounded The Last Post.
When the Queen dies, he will be transferred to lie alongside her in the King George VI memorial chapel, which houses the remains of her father, George VI, her mother, also called Elizabeth, and the ashes of her younger sister, Margaret.
Falak Shabir has left fans confused after he shared an illustration of a woman carrying a baby and her husband worried about it.
“This is the beauty of a relationship! Subhan Allah,” Falak captioned the photo.
While Falak did not explain his post further, many are convinced that this is a pregnancy announcement from the couple.
Sarah had earlier been hospitalised due to ill health. Her manager had confirmed to The Current that the actor has contracted typhoid due to which she had to be admitted to the hospital.
Later in a short video clip, Khan had informed her fans that she has returned home from the hospital and is doing better.
The Government of India has approved the request to issue visas to the Pakistan cricket team and journalists for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from October to November this year.
According to details, although visas for the Pakistan cricket team have been sorted, it isn’t clear whether fans can travel across the border to watch the matches.
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI’s) apex council has been told by Board secretary Jay Shah following “government assurances”.
Shah informed the council of the same in a video conference meeting held on Friday where it was also decided that the mega-event will be staged across nine venues with Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the final.
“The visa issue of Pakistan cricket team has been sorted. However, whether the fans can travel across the border to watch matches is still not clear,” an Apex Council member told the Press Trust of India on conditions of anonymity.
“It will be decided in due course of time. However, we had promised ICC that it will be sorted.”
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for close to a decade now due to political tensions between the two countries.
Pakistan has been demanding assurances from the ICC that visas will be granted to its players for the 16-team extravaganza, which will complete seven editions this year.
It must be noted here that the qualifying round for the mega event will take place firstly with teams divided into two groups. Sri Lanka, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman are placed in Group A whereas Bangladesh, Holland, Namibia, and Scotland will compete in Group B.
For the main event, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, and two qualifying teams are part of Group 1 whereas India, South Africa, Afghanistan, England, and two qualifying teams are placed in Group 2.
Two top teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals followed by the mega final, scheduled on November 15.
The tournament is most likely to be played with COVID-19 protocols being enforced. The Decision regarding the crowd will be taken after monitoring the situation closer to the time.
