Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • US venture capital fund SOSV invests in Pakistani e-grocer 24SEVEN.pk

    US venture capital fund SOSV invests in Pakistani e-grocer 24SEVEN.pk

    Pakistan’s fastest growing omnichannel grocery shopping platform 24SEVEN.pk has secured a six-figure investment from US-based venture capital fund SOSV.

    The investment is part of 24SEVEN.pk’s ongoing pre-Series A round that is the first phase of a fundraising initiative taken by startups, locally and internationally.

    24SEVEN has also been selected for the 10th cohort of Mobile Only Accelerator, an SOSV programme for consumer technology and mobile-first markets.

    The total amount secured by the startups has remained undisclosed but SOSC has said that funds have been paid to the startup.

    Jarrar Shah, co-founder and CEO of 24SEVEN.pk, said that the funds will be deployed towards building infrastructure that will help the company grow faster.

    The funds will be focused on improving technology stack and supply chain for efficient deliveries as well as towards market expansion and enhancing the platform’s AI capabilities.

    Founded in 2016, 24SEVEN.pk is among Pakistan’s rapidly growing grocery shopping platforms, that claims to have served over 30,000 customers and delivered over 150,000 orders.

    The platform boasts an offering of over 6,000 products including fresh food delivered the same day to consumers. The company also provides direct linkages with farms to ensure food traceability and multiple payment options.

    With over $800 million under management and a cross-border ecosystem of over 1,000 startups, SOSV has backed several notable companies through its accelerator programme MOX.

  • Senate body approves public hanging of child rapists

    Senate body approves public hanging of child rapists

    The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has passed a bill that suggested public hangings of child abusers by seeking amendments in sections 376 and 377 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

    The bill was moved by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Javed Abbasi. As per the proposed legislation, the high courts should conduct trials of the rape cases involving children within 30 days.

    It further says that the Supreme Court should adjudicate the appeals pertaining to these cases within 60 days.

    The bill, if converted into an act of parliament, will also close doors on a compromise by the families of the children who become victims of sexual abuse.

    Dawn quoted the draft of the bill as such: “Whoever commits [child sexual abuse] be punished with death or imprisonment for life without parole till death and shall also be liable to fine.”

    Under a proposed amendment to Section 377 of the PPC, whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any boy under 18 years of age shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life without parole till death and shall also be liable to fine.

    “Rape is a heinous crime; an act of violence that ruins the lives of victims. In Pakistan, rape cases are reported and registered; however, conviction rates of the accused are abysmally low. Recent events relating to sexual abuse and rape throughout the country, particularly against children, have necessitated that tough punishments should be meted out to perpetrators.

    “Current penalties are less compared to the magnitude of the crime. The bill aims to increase the punishment of rape as one of the deterrent to this heinous crime,” reads the statement of objects and reasons.

    During the proceedings of the Senate panel, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Leader of House Senator Shahzad Waseem staged a walkout. Waseem told the newspaper that he had opposed the bill because the government was bringing an ordinance over the same issue.

    However, Senate body Chairman Rehman Malik said that the ordinance should be clubbed with bill during the stage of its consideration.

  • VIDEO: Frontline workers receive their COVID-19 vaccines across Pakistan

    The National Immunisation Drive against COVID-19 formally commenced on Tuesday with a ceremony at the National Command and Control Centre (NCOC) in Islamabad. Prime Minister Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Sania Nishtar were among those present at the event.

    According to Umar, Dr Rana Imran Sikander, who heads the COVID ward at PIMS Hospital in Islamabad, was the first person to receive the vaccination in the country.

    Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar lauded the sacrifices and services of frontline healthcare workers for serving the nation during the pandemic.

    “Frontline healthcare workers are our real heroes,” said the minister. “No doubt they have put their lives at risk in their fight against COVID-19 and we pay tribute to all of them.”

    He also thanked the Government of China for supporting Pakistan during the pandemic and donating vaccine to the country. Umar also paid tribute to the NCOC team and provincial authorities working in close liaison in the fight against the virus.

    The next day on Wednesday, separate ceremonies were held in all the provinces and federating units at the same time, where healthcare workers received their first dose of the vaccine. Healthcare workers are being inoculated with the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine imported from China.

    Meanwhile, addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said an effective mechanism has been developed to ensure the administration of the COVID vaccine to the people.

    Dr Faisal said adult vaccine centres have been established across the country which currently have the capacity to administer the vaccine to forty thousand people on daily basis. He said this capacity will be further enhanced in the coming days.

    The SAPM added that the government aims to inoculate seventy percent population by the end of this year.

  • Time to extend hand of peace in all directions, says Gen Bajwa

    Time to extend hand of peace in all directions, says Gen Bajwa

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that Pakistan is fully committed to the ideals of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence as it is a peace-loving country.

    He was addressing the graduation ceremony of 144th GD (P), 90th Engineering Course, and 100th AD courses held at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy Asghar Khan, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

    The country has rendered great sacrifices for regional and global peace, said Gen Bajwa, adding that it is time to extend “hand of peace in all directions”.

    The army chief also talked about the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conflict. Pakistan and India should also resolve the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion, the army chief emphasised.

    “However, we will not allow anybody or any entity to misinterpret our desire for peace as a sign of weakness,” he added.

    The army chief said that the armed forces were fully prepared to thwart any threat. The coordination and harmony displayed by all the three services in operations against the enemies of Pakistan had brought great improvement in the internal security environment, he said.

  • PM Imran gaining record weight because of workload: report

    The workload that entails one’s election as the chief executive of a country can not even be imagined by someone who hasn’t been there, and requires spending a lot of time sitting in the office.

    There have been no exceptions for Pakistan’s very own cricketer-turned-politician, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who, according to Geo, now weighs around 15 pounds (6 kgs) more than he has ever weighed as a sportsperson, philanthropist or struggling politician.

    According to the premier, he has never weighed more than 185 pounds (83 kgs) but now weighs 200 pounds (90 kgs), the report said.

    PM Imran, who is well-known for maintaining good health through regular exercise, has lately not been exercising at all, the report quoted his close associates as saying.

    Back in 2018 when he had recently assumed office, PM Imran made it a routine for himself to work out in the morning before starting his official duties.

    At that time, pictures of the premier enthusiastically exercising had gone viral on social media, with people commending his healthy lifestyle.

    No holiday when there is a country to be run, Prime Minister Imran Khan has reached office #PMIK

    Posted by Imran Khan on Sunday, August 19, 2018

    What do you think of it? Let The Current know in the comments below…

  • Man’s in-laws mutilate his private parts

    Man’s in-laws mutilate his private parts

    The genitals of a man were allegedly mutilated by his in-laws near Mianwali on Tuesday.

    As per reports, the victim who is  a resident of Gharibabad, got married for the second time in three years. He had a son from his first marriage and later was in a relationship with another woman, whom he married by his own choice in Kalabagh.

    Last year, after the victim married for the second time, he restored his relations twice with his first wife, on the condition that he would not go anywhere near the area of her family. However, the victim did not stop stalking the locality of his in-laws from the first marriage.

    Reportedly, the conflict began when he threw a ball at his in-laws. His first wife’s family members were so enraged at him that they grabbed the man and allegedly chopped off his genitals.

    After the victim was assaulted, Kalabagh police reached the spot and recorded the man’s statement. The victim was taken to Kalabagh Tehsil Headquarters Hospital in a critical condition.

  • FIA to probe hacking of SC Justice Faez Isa’s cell phone

    FIA to probe hacking of SC Justice Faez Isa’s cell phone

    The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will trace the suspects responsible for hacking the phone of senior Supreme Court judge Qazi Faez Isa.

    The News reported that the FIA team would comprise forensic and cyber exports who would identify the hackers and their motives for targetting the judge. It will also probe the potential theft of the judge’s phone data, email and messages, during the hacking attempt. It hasn’t been decided as to who would head the FIA team to probe the cyber attack.

    On Tuesday, Supreme Court Registrar Khawaja Daud Ahmad requested FIA Director General Wajid Zia to form a team of experts to probe this phone hacking issue.

    “I am directed to state that the personal cell phone of Justice Qazi Faez Isa, judge of this court, was hacked on Jan 29, 2021 (Saturday) and his lordship learnt of this early Sunday morning. I am therefore directed to request you [Wajid Zia] to depute a technical team to assess his lordship’s cell phone in respect of hacking status and apprise about the same at the earliest,” stated Registrar Supreme Court’s letter quoted by Geo News.

    The SC had also issued an official statement to inform the public that the personal cell phone of Justice Qazi Faez Isa was hacked.

    “There is suspicion that misleading communication can be made from his lordship’s number to anyone with ulterior motives,” read the SCP’s official statement. “Therefore, the communication purportedly made from his lordship’s cell phone, which his lordship had not sent, may be treated as fake and false,” the official statement added.

    IT expert Dr Umar Saif, while talking about the hacking of the judge’s phone, said there were two ways to hack a cell phone: one is to take over other person’s Whatsapp by stealing the confirmation code, while the second, more sophisticated one, is to hack the entire operating system of the cell phone.

    Both techniques are being used to hack phones in Pakistan, he said, adding that an Israeli cybersecurity firm built a software named Pegasus to hack the phones in 2016.

    Pegasus malware is spyware that can hack any device and steal a variety of data from the infected device, including text messages, emails, key logs, audio and information from installed applications, such as Facebook or Instagram. The spyware can record conversations and video as well as snap pictures from the device’s camera.

    The malware was created by NSO Group, an Israeli cybersecurity firm founded in 2010, and has been around since at least the summer of 2016.

  • Kangana Ranaut has a meltdown after Rihanna tweets about Indian farmers

    Just as expected, Kangana Ranaut had a meltdown after Rihanna extended her support for the ongoing farmers’ protest in India. Sharing an article which reported on the internet shut down in several districts of Haryana amid violent clashes between police and farmers over the weekend, the multi-Grammy award-winning singer said: “Why aren’t we talking about this?”

    Soon after Rihanna’s tweet, Kangana, who has been actively slamming those participating in the protests, reacted to the singer’s tweet calling her a “fool” and referring to the farmers as “terrorists”.

    “No one is talking about it because they are not farmers they are terrorists who are trying to divide India so that China can take over our vulnerable broken nation and make it a Chinese colony much like the USA,” wrote an agitated Kangana.

    “Sit down you fool, we are not selling our nation like you dummies,” she added.

    https://twitter.com/KanganaTeam/status/1356640083546406913

    When Twitter user brought up an old tweet of Kangana’s in which she had said: “Alexa play Diamonds by Rihanna”, the actor lashed out saying: “I took over my account in August last year. Before that, it was a team fan page.”

    “Mujhe na pop music samajh aata hai, na hee main English gaane zyaada sunti hoon,” she added.

    Kangana then launched into a full blown attack against Rihanna, calling her a porn star and saying that there is nothing special about her.

    Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has appreciated Rihanna’s gesture of support for the farmers.

    “You have earned the respect of every farmer of the world and particularly of Punjabis all around the world,” said Chaudhry in a tweet. “You have shown your heart is in the right place.”

    “Loads of respect,” he added.

    Farmer’s Protest

    Thousands of farmers have gathered at Delhi’s gateways to demand a repeal of the Centre’s three new farm laws. The protesting farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana as well as Uttar Pradesh, are worried the new laws will eliminate the safety cushion of a Minimum Support Price and procurement system while rendering ineffective the mandi system that ensures earnings for various stakeholders in the farm sector.

  • PTI takes ‘U-turn’ after Imran offers open hearing of foreign funding case

    PTI takes ‘U-turn’ after Imran offers open hearing of foreign funding case

    The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) doesn’t agree with Prime Minister Imran Khan over the open hearing of the foreign funding case against the party.

    On Jan 20, Imran addressed a ceremony in Waziristan, wherein he had called for the open hearing of the foreign funding cases against all political parties, including the PTI, to come clean.

    It seems that the PTI legal team doesn’t consider it as a good idea. According to a statement filed by PTI lawyer Shah Khawar in the Election Commission of Pakistan, the PTI has no plans to make its financial statement accessible and the statement of the PTI chairman was “misconstrued”.

    “The statement of party Chairman has been wrongly construed which is not tantamount to provide [sic] documents furnished by the answering respondents (PTI) and material collected by this scrutiny committee,” Dawn reported the lawyer as saying.

    The statement was filed in response to a plea submitted by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar — the petitioner in the foreign funding case. Babar had urged the ECP to make public the records of the PTI in the wake of the statement by the PM.

    Speaking to media, Babar said that PM Imran attempted to mislead the public by his statement. “The PTI has a poor record when it comes to transparency in the case,” he told reporters. Babar said that he and his lawyers would decide their future course of action after the committee’s order on Feb 9.

    The foreign funding against the ruling party case was filed by its founding member Akbar S Babar in 2014. The ECP had started fresh scrutiny of the PTI accounts — a process going on since March 2018.

    The PTI had admitted last month that its agents in the US might have been involved in the illegal funding without the knowledge of the party chief, Imran Khan.

  • ‘End of season sales’ to avail this winter

    ‘End of season sales’ to avail this winter

    Winters may not be ending anytime soon, end of season sales are here. The Current has tried to make your shopping drill easier by compiling a list of brands that are offering discounts. Don’t miss out on these sales for a chance to grab some steals.

    Gul Ahmed

    Gul Ahmed is offering up to 70% off on in-stores and online. You can avail discount on pret, unstitched, sweaters and on bed sets.

    Website: https://www.gulahmedshop.com/

    Sana Safinaz

    Sana Safinaz is offering discount on pret, unstitched and shoes.

    Website: https://www.sanasafinaz.com/pk/

    J.

    Website: https://www.junaidjamshed.com/sale

    BTW – By The Way

    By The Way is offering discount of 30 to 70% on in-stores and online shopping.

    BeechTree

    Beechtree has a sale on pret, unstitched and footwear.

    Website: https://www.beechtree.pk/pk/

    Ego

    Website: https://wearego.com/pk/

    Limelight

    Website: https://www.limelight.pk/

    Limelight is offering up to 40% discount in different articles.