Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • ‘Not bound by it’: Pakistan questions legitimacy of UN treaty on nuclear weapons

    ‘Not bound by it’: Pakistan questions legitimacy of UN treaty on nuclear weapons

    Pakistan says it is not bound by any of the obligations enshrined in the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — adopted in July 2017 — as the accord failed to take on board the “legitimate interests of all the stakeholders”.

    The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was adopted by the UN in 2017 and it reached 50 ratification in October by Austria, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Nigeria, and Thailand among other countries.

    In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Islamabad said this treaty neither forms a part of nor contributes to the development of customary international law in any manner.

    According to the statement, the treaty was negotiated outside the established UN disarmament negotiating forums.

    “None of the nuclear-armed states, including Pakistan, took part in the negotiations of the treaty which failed to take on board the legitimate interests of all the stakeholders. Many non-nuclear armed states have also refrained from becoming parties to the treaty,” it added.

    “The United Nations General Assembly, at its first special session devoted to nuclear disarmament in 1978, had agreed by consensus that in the adoption of disarmament measures, the right of each state to security should be kept in mind, and at each stage of the disarmament process, the objective would be undiminished security for all states at the lowest possible level of armaments and military forces,” the statement said.

    The FO said the nuclear prohibition can only be achieved “as a cooperative and universally agreed undertaking through a consensus-based process involving all the relevant stakeholders which results in equal and undiminished security for all states”.

    “It is indispensable for any initiative on nuclear disarmament to take into account the vital security considerations of each and every state,” the FO statement implored.

  • ‘Don’t teach your daughters to go to Aurat March, educate your sons,’ says Sarah Khan

    ‘Don’t teach your daughters to go to Aurat March, educate your sons,’ says Sarah Khan

    Sarah Khan has said that Allah has made men and women as equals and that people shouldn’t try to distinguish them as superior or inferior.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Sarah said: “I believe in gender equality. I do not say that women should be superior, they should be treated as equals. The status Allah has given to them, we should follow that. Do not try to make it a competition.”

    “Women are already strong, then why do we have to say that the women are strong as well or they should be given equal salaries as men,” remarked the actor further.

    “I think, instead of fight for the rights, we should educate our sons. Don’t teach your daughters to go to ‘Aurat March’, educate your sons and teach them that their mother is also a woman,” she continued. “[A] woman is the one who runs the house, does the house chores and supports the man. If your wife is not helpful, then how will you be happy? Allah has already granted status to the woman, but I think men should be given the same rights. They deserve the same, not only women.”

    Sarah, who is married to renowned singer Falak Shabir, also opened up about her marriage saying that it gave it more freedom. Sarah and Falak tied the knot in July 2020.

    “To be honest, I am now [after marriage] doing my work much more freely and with a lot more passion. It wasn’t like this before. One of the reasons was that I used to be at home occupied with so many things, with my siblings etc,” said the actor.

    “Now after marriage, it’s just me and my husband. He gives me so much freedom and encourages me to pursue my passion and wants me to succeed in my work. I enjoy working even more now and I want Allah to give every girl a husband like him,” added Sarah.

    Read more – Imran Ashraf, Sarah Khan shine in ‘Raqs-e-Bismil’

    Besides her marriage and thoughts on gender equality, Sarah also discussed her sister’s Noor Zafar Khan’s career, her ongoing drama Raqs e Bismil and what she would have been if she wasn’t an actor in the interview. Check it out below:

    https://youtu.be/e1JdvDqFqyY
  • Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari ties the knot

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari ties the knot

    Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari and Mahmood Y Choudhry have said their qubool hais and have officially tied the knot.

    Sharing pictures from the wedding on social media, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his happiness over the occasion and remembered his late mother Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

    “Happiest moment in many years to see my sister Bakhtawar getting married,” wrote Bilawal on Twitter. “Felt like our mother was watching over us in this moment of joy.”

    “Wishing them both all the best of for their new life together. Masha’Allah!,” he added.

    Similarly, sharing a lovely picture of the bride and groom, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari wrote: “Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and joy. Mubarak Mubarak.”

    “I love you, my dear sister. I wish you a happy married life,” she added.

    Bakhtawar glowed in a gold outfit by Wardah Saleem.

    The event was a lavish affair will an elaborate menu.

    Later, the groom also shared pictures from the wedding on social media.

    The nikkah ceremony is expected to be followed by a baraat reception on Saturday, January 30. According to a spokesperson of Bilawal House, close to a thousand guests have been invited to the reception. Invitations have reportedly also been sent to important political leaders of the country including military leaders and judicial heads.

    Earlier, the bride had shared pictures of herself getting her bridal mehndi done.

    Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry extended his best wishes towards the newlyweds.

    Bakhtawar and Mahmood got engaged on November 27, 2020, in an intimate ceremony at the Bilawal House Karachi. For the unacquainted, Bakhtawar’s husband “Mahmood Choudhry is the son of Mohammad Younas and Begum Suraiya Choudhry who hail from the old town of Lahore,” according to a statement issued by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    “Mahmood, the last born of five siblings was born on July 28, 1988, in the city of Abu Dhabi. He completed his primary schooling in Abu Dhabi and secondary schooling in the United Kingdom. Mahmood further went on to read Law at the University of Durham.”

    “The family’s primary country of residence remains the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where Mahmood continues to run his businesses in construction, finance and tech,” added the statement.

  • Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali help Pakistan sail past South Africa in first Test

    Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali help Pakistan sail past South Africa in first Test

    Pakistan defeated South Africa by seven wickets on day four of the first Test match in Karachi on Friday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series that marks the Proteas’ first tour to the country in almost 14 years.

    Fawad Alam hit the winning runs with a square cut to Keshav Maharaj for four to seal what has been a remarkable comeback for him to the Test unit as Pakistan easily chased the 88 runs set by South Africa for victory.

    Pakistan, needing 88 for victory, had reached 22 without loss at lunch with Abid Ali on 10 and Imran Butt on 12. But even as the openers departed after adding just a run after lunch, there seemed to be no panic as captain Babar Azam and veteran Azhar Ali coasted to within two runs of victory.

    Maharaj trapped Babar in front for 30, Azhar was 31 not out while Alam — who hit a fighting hundred in the first innings — hit the winning boundary.

    Earlier, debutant Nauman Ali took five wickets and fellow spinner Yasir Shah grabbed four to give Pakistan a solid opportunity to take lead in the series.

    Left-arm spinner Nauman took 5-35 while Yasir finished with 4-79 after South Africa resumed at 187-4 at the start of the day. Temba Bavuma was the last man out for 40.

    On Thursday, Yasir and Nauman grabbed three wickets in the space of ten runs to halt South Africa’s fightback on the third day of the first Test in Karachi.

    When it looked like South Africa would end the day at parity after wiping out Pakistan’s big 158-run first-innings lead, Yasir struck twice and Nauman once to leave the tourists on 187-4 at close.

    Earlier, Pakistan scored 378 to take a crucial lead over South Africa’s first innings total of 220.

    Read more – Fahad Mustafa says ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade was ‘a failure of our system’

    Meanwhile, the centurion, Alam got man of the match award for getting Pakistan out of trouble.

    The two-match Test series is South Africa’s first in Pakistan for 14 years. The second Test will be played in Rawalpindi from February 4.

    The hosts have won only one of their previous seven Tests against South Africa in Pakistan, with the visitors claiming two victories to go with four draws.

    Pakistan’s bowling coach congratulated the team for a win as well as Fawad for his outclass performance in his debut match at home ground. He also congratulated Yasir and Nauman for an incredible bowling and helping Pakistan beat the visitors.

  • ‘You call yourself professor… mind your tone’: Ahsan Iqbal gets a scolding from NA speaker

    Ruckus on Friday marred yet another session of the National Assembly as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Ahsan Iqbal got a scolding from speaker of the House, Asad Qaiser.

    “Please follow rules. I am doing so too […] mind your tone,” the speaker told the opposition lawmaker.

    While the reason behind the war of words has not yet been confirmed by any, a video of the episode showed Iqbal repeatedly interrupting the speaker, demanding what appeared to be more time on the floor of the House.

    “Please mind your tone. You have been a minister, and you call yourself ‘professor’… is this the way to talk?” a visibly displeased Qaiser was seen asking Iqbal who kept talking back at the speaker.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Earlier, rumpus also erupted after PML-N MNA Afzal Khokhar tabled a privilege motion.

    During the session, while talking about the operation to demolish his Lahore residence, the Khokhar Palace, the PML-N leader told the House that the administration had stormed his place late at night and destroyed furniture among other things.

    “This type of attitude of Punjab authorities will not be tolerated,” he said.

    The House has been adjourned to meet again on Monday.

  • UN chief urges Pakistan, India to resolve Kashmir conflict through talks

    UN chief urges Pakistan, India to resolve Kashmir conflict through talks

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday called on nuclear-armed India and Pakistan to “come together and seriously discuss their problems” stemming from the unresolved Kashmir dispute, saying his good offices are always available for mediation.

    Replying to a question from APP correspondent Iftikhar Ali at his first press conference in 2021, the UN chief warned that there was no “military solution” to the decades-old conflict.

    “It is clear when seeing Pakistan and India, any military confrontation between the two would be a disaster of unmitigated proportions for both countries and for the whole world,” he warned.

    “I do believe that is absolutely essential to have a de-escalation of the situation, namely in the Line of Control” in the disputed Kashmir region, Guterres said, adding, “I think it’s absolutely essential for the two countries to be able to come together and seriously discuss their problems.”

    “And,” he added, “I think it’s essential that human rights are fully respected in all territories that you mentioned,” referring to the question in which the correspondent highlighted the continuing rights abuses in the Indian occupied Kashmir.

    He said he stood by his statement of Aug. 8, 2019, which called for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute based on UN resolutions and the UN Charter.

    “Now, things have not moved in the right direction, our good offices are always available, and we will insist within it on finding peaceful solutions for problems that have no military solution.”

  • Trans model Rimal Ali joins PTI

    Trans model Rimal Ali joins PTI

    Transgender model Rimal Ali has joined the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to contribute to the welfare sector. 

    The model was allegedly kidnapped and tortured just a couple of days ago and the incident has motivated her to make a difference in society by joining politics.

    Ali has also been appointed as coordinator for gender discrimination of the Insaf Welfare Wing.

    The celebrity rose to international fame as Pakistan’s first transgendered model. After the horrific incident she had gone through, she hopes to strengthen her community by joining politics. 

    Visuals of the torture incident have been doing the rounds on the internet and netizens have supported Ali while raising their voices for the transgender community.

    Photo Credit: The Express Tribune

    Ali will continue to work in the showbiz industry along with politics.

    “I will continue my showbiz career and nowadays I am engaged in various projects. In the coming days, my fans will see me in the drama industry and more films,” Ali told The Express Tribune. 

    “I was appreciated by the public when I started my career and luckily have gotten opportunities to work with legendary actors like Mahira Khan. Showbiz is my passion and I will not leave it. In these uncertain days, the situation in the industry is a bit disturbed due to COVID-19. But like many others, I am also struggling through this difficult time.”

    Earlier, Ali made her film debut in Saat Din Mohabbat In and Rahbra. Soon after, many from the community started their film careers.

  • PM thinks election every five years is a ‘tragedy’

    PM thinks election every five years is a ‘tragedy’

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that no nation could move forward without long-term planning and it was tragic that governments in Pakistan could not do so due to the general election being held every five years.

    According to The News, the premier, while addressing a function in connection with documentary-drama ‘Paani Ke Pankh‘ on Thursday, termed the 10 years of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) governments from 2008 through 2018 the “decade of darkness, marred by massive corruption, political expediency and inefficiency”.

    “When criminals become country heads, then no country can develop. So, one has to have faith in oneself. There are talented Pakistanis in every field outside Pakistan. The country’s system has to be fixed,” he said.

    “It takes a little time; people should not worry that the change has not come yet. It takes time to change the mindset. It’s tragic that in our country elections are held every five years due to which we do not have a long-term plan,” he continued.

    He said dams were built with a long-term plan and cited China as a country that is becoming the world’s fastest growing economic power and superpower because of long-term planning.

    “When we visited China, they told us what they were going to do in the next 10 to 20 years. No nation can move forward unless it has a long-term plan and thinks ahead. Unfortunately, we have a period of five years. We try to accomplish everything in five years, spend billions of rupees on advertisements and then fight elections on it,” he pointed out.

    Imran believed that this handicap had done a lot of damage to Pakistan.

  • Fauji Foundation to buy majority stake in Silkbank

    Fauji Foundation to buy majority stake in Silkbank

    Silkbank has agreed to sell majority of its stake to Fauji Foundation, an army-owned conglomerate that owns Askari Bank.

    “Silkbank hereby notifies the Pakistan Stock Exchange that the Board of Directors of Silkbank Limited in its meeting held on January 28, 2021, has subject to the approval of the State Bank of Pakistan, given its in-principle approval to allow Fauji Foundation to conduct the required due diligence,” a statement issued by the Silkbank read.

    The financial terms of the deal were not made public, but the bank management has asked Fauji Foundation to conduct due diligence and the State Bank of Pakistan has been approached for permission in this regard.

    Silkbank, formerly Saudi-Pak Commercial Bank, is mainly owned by Arif Habib Corp. with 28 percent shareholding, former finance adviser Shaukat Tarin (12 percent), International Finance Corporation (8 percent), Nomura (4 percent) and Bank of Muscat (3 percent), the report said.

    The bank is profitable with net profit recorded at Rs151 million for the nine-month period of the calendar year 2020.

    Fauji Foundation, also known as Fauji Group, runs more than 18 industries, including Askari Bank.

    According to the website of Fauji Foundation, it is a trust that provides welfare services to its beneficiaries [ex-servicemen] that include healthcare, subsidized education, stipends and vocational and technical training. “It operates on a complete self-sustaining basis and receives no grants or assistance from any government or non-governmental Organisations,” it read.

    It is also one of the largest business conglomerates operating in fertilizer, cement, power generation, renewable energy, oil & gas exploration, marine terminal, food and banking sectors of the country, as per the website.

  • Kapil Sharma wishes to visit Kartarpur Sahib

    Kapil Sharma has expressed his desire to visit Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan.

    In an #AskKapil session on Twitter, the Indian comedian, while responding to a Pakistani user, who asked him if there is any chance of him visiting Pakistan, Kapil said: “I want to visit Kartarpur Sahib”.

    “Let’s see when,” he added.

    Speculations of Kapil’s show going off-air have been circulating for some time now. When one Twitter user asked Sharma about this, he said that he is taking some time off to be “at home with my wife to welcome our second baby.” However, details about

    Meanwhile, Kapil is also gearing up for the release of his upcoming film on Netflix. Earlier this month, Kapil took to Twitter to make an announcement about his upcoming project. However, it is still unclear whether the project is a comedy special, series, or film.