Current Final

Author: News Desk

  • Woman fined for walking husband on leash to escape curfew rules

    Woman fined for walking husband on leash to escape curfew rules

    A Canadian woman took her husband out on a leash in Sherbrooke city, Quebec to evade curfew rules amid COVID-19 lockdown.

    Authorities in Quebec have imposed a curfew between 8:00 pm and 5:00 am in the province with certain exemptions. Essential workers are allowed to travel and people who need to walk their pets are also allowed to go out.

    A woman went out on a walk with her husband on a leash to escape the curfew rules. When the police spotted the couple, they reportedly said: “We are following the rules for pets.”

    The woman claimed that she was walking her “dog”.

    Speaking to a local newspaper, police official Isabelle Gendron said: “The couple did not collaborate with the police at all. Statements of violation of the municipal by-law were given to them. The lady affirmed that she would not pay the ticket and even that she would accumulate them. The number of findings for recidivism can go up to $6,000.”

    They were each fined over Rs 0.194 million, said the police.

  • ‘Violation of rules’: IHC stops Bukhari from working as PTV chairman

    ‘Violation of rules’: IHC stops Bukhari from working as PTV chairman

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has stopped Pakistan Television (PTV) Chairman Naeem Bukhari from working as the chairman of the national TV, saying the appointment was made in violation of the Supreme Court ruling in a similar case.

    During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said the government has ignored the guidelines set by the SC in a decision pertaining to the posting in the said position. It said there must be a clear reason for relaxing the upper age limit for 65-year-old Naeem.

    It had advised the counsel for the PTV chairman to peruse the decision of the top court that had set aside the appointment of Qasmi.

    It may be noted that the apex court had declared the appointment of Qasmi illegal in Nov 2018 over loopholes. It had said the government had failed to appoint a full-time managing director in accordance with the law.

    During today’s hearing, the IHC CJ said the cabinet did not take a clear decision to relax the age limit for the incumbent chairman. He said the matter will be referred to the federal cabinet so a decision could be taken in light of the SC decision.

    At this, the counsel said the cabinet had approved the summary for the appointment of Bukhari. “You should have informed the cabinet about the top court’s decision so that it could have avoided the embarrassment,” the IHC CJ said.

    The hearing was adjourned for two weeks.

    BUKHARI BECOMES PTV CHAIRMAN:

    In November, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had notified Bukhari, who has a vast experience of doing TV programmes, as chairman of PTV. The appointment was made after a court ruling in Sept 2020 declared the appointments of PTV chairman Arshad Khan and independent members of the board of directors illegal while directing the government to fill the vacant slots in accordance with the law. 

    Bukhari, who has worked as an anchorperson and commentators on PTV for decades, had joined PTI in June 2016. At the time, he called Imran Khan the “only political leader who had the courage to speak the truth”. Bukhari also represented Imran when he went to the Supreme Court against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif following the Panama Papers leak.

    The pleas that were later admitted by the apex court which disqualified Nawaz Sharif for being “dishonest” under Article 62 (1)(f).

    The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also hired the services of Bukhari as a special prosecutor to take up cases against close confidants of Sharif brothers — former Lahore Development Authority chief Ahad Cheema and former principal secretary Fawad Hassan Fawad.

  • Amir rubbishes Misbah & Waqar’s explanations over his retirement

    Amir rubbishes Misbah & Waqar’s explanations over his retirement

    Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, and bowling coach Waqar Younis, in a recent media briefing, said that Mohammad Amir’s exclusion from the team was only due to his poor performance and refuted his claims of not selecting him due to personal dislike

    In response, Mohammad Amir hit back at the duo, saying that they are portraying a different picture to take the blame off their backs.

    Responding to cricket journalist Shoaib Jutt, who asked him to “please tell now what was that [mental] torture”, Amir said that Misbah and Waqar have twisted the whole scenario and that he will respond to their claims in due time.

    Amir recently retired from all formats of international cricket, claiming he was mentally tortured by the current team management. He said that he will not play international cricket under this management.

    Amir was dropped from the team in the series against Zimbabwe and was also not part of the 35-man squad for the tour of New Zealand.

    Misbah and Waqar said that Amir’s recent performances have been really poor and he does not warrant a place in the squad. They did, however, say that Amir will be welcomed back into the team if he is able to perform better in the domestic circuit.

    Meanwhile, according to reports, Misbah and Waqar’s future is to be decided after the South Africa series. The coaches were under fire after the Kiwis thrashed Pakistan, with the Men in Green winning only one out of three T20Is, and losing both matches of the Test series.

  • The Current’s followers react to Hina Butt’s 3.98 GPA

    The Current’s followers react to Hina Butt’s 3.98 GPA

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hina Pervaiz Butt, in a recent talk show, revealed that she graduated from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) with a GPA of 3.98.

    The Current posted a midnight question asking people what their GPA was in university and here is how people responded to the question.

    Followers were quick to point out her faux pas of thinking that BBC Urdu is a credible source of information compared to BBC News.

    Some questioned the institute for this.

    A few had quite a funny reaction to the post.

    One of our followers won’t be relying on GPA system anymore.

    Some social media users appreciated Hina for scoring such a good GPA.

  • Bilawal not invited to Biden’s oath-taking ceremony, says PPP

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has denied the news that chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former president Asif Ali Zardari have been invited to attend the oath-taking ceremony of US President-elect Joe Biden on Jan 20.

    The denial came a day after a media outlet reported that the PPP chairperson would be attending the inauguration ceremony of the US president-elect and leave for the US on January 18 on a four-day visit. It was being reported that the PPP chief would also meet the US senators.

    The report was also denied by PPP senior leader Farhatullah Babar, saying there was no truth to the reports of Bilawal going to the US.

    There were little chances of Bilawal attending the ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will only be attended by 1,000 people and most of the celebrations will be held online.

    Joe Biden, the Demoracts nominee, was elected as the president in November by defeating incumbent president Donald Trump. Trump had refused to accept the result and contest it in various courts — most of the pleas were dismissed by the judges.

    His refusal to accept the result and provocative speeches also resulted in an assault on The Capitol by the far-right supporters last week. These people stormed the building to stop the certification of Biden.

    The police and the National Guard managed to evacuate the building after four hours and imposed a curfew. Subsequently, Trump asked his supporters to remain calm and announced that he would support the peaceful transition of power. 

    Immediately after the certification, the White House released a statement from Trump in which he pledged an “orderly transition” on Jan. 20 when Biden will be sworn into office. Since then, the US president has attracted permanent bans on Twitter and Facebook for inciting violence.

  • Humayun Saeed is ‘thrilled’ to be bringing the ‘biggest project ever’

    Humayun Saeed is ‘thrilled’ to be bringing the ‘biggest project ever’

    A Turkish delegation comprising of Diriliş: Ertuğrul executive producer Kamal Tekdin and actor Celal Al recently visited Pakistan where they met Prime Minister Imran Khan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz, Shehryar Afridi, Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui. According to details, the two countries are working together on a joint production to strengthen ties and people-to-people contact.

    Sharing pictures from their visit on social media, Humayun wrote that “it was an absolute pleasure to host our Turkish guests”, adding that he and his “friend Adnan Siddiqui are absolutely thrilled to be bringing to you the biggest project ever in collaboration with Kashif Bhai and our Turkish brothers.”

    The Jawani Phir Nahi Ani actor then thanked the authorities responsible for making this collaboration possible.

    “I would like to especially thank Prime Minister Imran Khan, President Arif Alvi as well as our esteemed ministers Mr Shibli Faraz and Mr Shehryar Afridi who have pledged their full support in bringing this historic project to life.”

    Saeed reinstated that the upcoming venture “will be shot in and feature actors from both countries.”

    “Here’s to the beginning of a new chapter in Pak-Turkey friendship,” he concluded.

    According to a press release by the PM’s office, the meeting between the two parties discussed in detail the proposed television series being created in collaboration between Pakistan and Turkey on the Khilafat Movement among other future projects and the lost glory of the Pakistani entertainment industry.

    PM Khan, during the meeting, emphasized on showcasing the golden era of Muslims’ Rule in the subcontinent in dramas and films to apprise the youth about that golden age and to foil negative propaganda and designs.

    The PM said that the Pakistani film and drama industry needed to work for the promotion of local culture to apprise western-influenced youth of their indigenous values and to protect them from social evils, adding that the Pakistani film and drama industry will flourish by producing quality content. This will also provide a substitute for the superficial and glamourized broadcast content to the youth.

    Meanwhile, producer Tekdin said that the Turkish team is very happy over Pakistan’s cooperation in this project, which will highlight cultural commonalities between the two countries.

    The Prime Minister assured the Turkish team that his government will provide full cooperation in this regard.

    Meanwhile, Diriliş: Ertuğrul’s Nurettin Sönmez (Bamsı Beyrek) and Ayberk Pekcan (Artuk Bey) also arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday along with a 20-member delegation including Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

  • The internet cannot get enough of Kamran Akmal’s workout

    The internet cannot get enough of Kamran Akmal’s workout

    If there is someone who truly knows how to stay in the headlines without even trying, it is Kamran Akmal.

    The cricketer, who was recently “shocked and disappointed” with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for ignoring him, has been sharing videos of himself training and working out at the gym to demonstrate his fitness.

    All was going well for Kamran until he posted a video of himself doing hip thrusts while his trainer Zeeshan stood on him. Soon after the video was posted, Twitter couldn’t get enough of Kami Bhai and his workout. Check out some of the reactions below:

    https://twitter.com/painduraja/status/1349082906908569600?s=20
    https://twitter.com/GhostOfDiaby/status/1349020170992422913?s=20

    Some social media users couldn’t help poking fun at senior journalist Ansar Abbasi by tagging him and asking him to take action. Abbasi had earlier been criticised for urging Prime Minister Imran Khan and Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz to take notice of a woman exercising on state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) News.

    https://twitter.com/daanistan/status/1349103227216785410?s=20

    Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out The Current‘s exclusive interview with Kami Bhai. You will not regret watching this video. Promise.

  • Riz Ahmed reveals he is married

    British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed has revealed that he is married. While initially, the actor did not share the name or details about his wife, he later revealed that he married US novelist Fatima Farheen Mirza, who is a New York Times best-selling author whose books include A Place for Us.

    Speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Ahmed shared how he met Mirza in New York while preparing for his latest film.

    “She’s an amazing novelist. We met so randomly while I was preparing for this role, for Sound Of Metal when I was in New York,” said the 38-year-old actor. “We both sat down at the same table in the cafe where we both turned up to write. We were both jostling over the same laptop plug points, like a very modern way of meeting.”

    “And we struck up a friendship and reconnected down the line. But it’s weirdly like one of the many things about preparing for this role that was so special, it just brought a lot of goodness into my life,” he continued.

    “Obviously I met Fatima for the first time and met so many people in the deaf community that have become friends. There’s just something about this whole period around this film that was kind of life-changing,” he added.

    Ahmed had first revealed that he was married during a BBC podcast Grounded With Louis Theroux. In the podcast, the actor had shared that he hadn’t been married for “very long” and is currently residing in North California because that’s where his wife’s family is from.

    “I think it’s the first time I’ve ever mentioned it in an interview,” Riz had said. “So, congratulations on this incredibly exciting scoop.”

    “I don’t really feel it’s generally that relevant [his private life], so I don’t delve into my personal life or dating history. I guess I don’t feel like it’s that necessary to go, ‘Hey, here’s everything that’s happening in my life’,” he added.

    Ahmed recently won the Best Actor award at the Gotham Awards for his performance in Sound Of Metal. In his acceptance speech, Riz paid a rich tribute to the late Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan, by quoting a lesson Khan gave to his son Babil.

    “Surrender to the dance of uncertainty. It feels like a wobbly time. If we can wobble together we may find each other dancing,” said Riz, quoting Khan.

  • Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma send gifts to paparazzi with a request

    Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma send gifts to paparazzi with a request

    Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, who welcomed their baby girl on Monday, have sent gifts to photographers along with a personalised note in which they requested them not to take pictures of their little one.

    According to photographer Viral Bhayani, Anushka and Virat sent a box of goodies which includes sweets, dry fruits and chocolates to him and his team. The gift box also included a message for the photographers, written in Hindi and English which read: “We want to protect the privacy of our child and we need your help and support.”

    “While we will always ensure that you get all the content you need us featuring us, we would request you to kindly not take or carry any content that has our child,” it added.

    Earlier, Anushka had slammed a photographer and publication for capturing and posting her Virat’s private moment.

    Taking to Instagram, Sharma had posted the picture taken by the photographer and wrote, “Despite requesting the said photographer and publication, they still continue to invade our privacy.”

    “Guys! Stop this right now,” she had added.

    Speaking to Vogue Magazine, Anushka had said that she wants to raise her child away from media attention as she does not want to “raise brats”.

    “We’ve thought about it a lot. We definitely do not want to raise a child in the public eye—we don’t plan on engaging our child in social media,” the actor had said. “I think it’s a decision your child should be able to take. No kid should be made to be more special than the other. It’s hard enough for adults to deal with it. It’s going to be difficult, but we intend to follow through.”

    Meanwhile, veteran Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon has praised the photographers for accepting and respecting the couple’s request, adding that the photographers had been very kind to her also when her children were younger.

  • ‘Shame on you’: Iqra, Yasir indulge in online banter

    ‘Shame on you’: Iqra, Yasir indulge in online banter

    Iqra Aziz and Yasir Hussain never shy away from expressing their love for each other on social media and fans always enjoy their online romance. In their latest exchange, the couple indulged in an online banter about each others’ picture taking skills.

    In an Instagram story, Iqra shared that when she asks her husband to take a photo of her, he does not take it well and when she takes a picture of him, it’s always perfect.

    In reply to her post, Yasir said, “Shame on you. All the good photos of you are taken by me not Tapu Jaberi[Javeri].”

    The couple recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary.