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Author: News Desk

  • Teen arrested for vandalising Ranjeet Singh statue at Lahore Fort

    Lahore police have arrested a teenager for vandalising a statue of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, who ruled Punjab in the 19th century, installed in front of the Haveli of Rani Jindan at Lahore Fort.

    Police said that the boy Zaheer — a resident of Harbanspura — was inspired by the speeches of late firebrand cleric Khadim Rizvi. As per the teenager, Ranjeet Singh killed Muslims and converted Badshahi Mosque into a stable, adding that these reasons compelled him to destroy the statue of the Sikh ruler.

    It was learned that Zaheer broke the arm in an attempt to damage the statue. He was caught by the security guards on the spot, who stopped him from further damaging the statue.

    A Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) spokesperson said that a case has been lodged against the suspect at the Tibbi City police station. Strict action will be taken against the accused, it said, adding that the statue would be repaired by the WCLA at earliest.

    The nine-foot-tall statue of Ranjeet Singh, who died in 1839, was unveiled in June 2019 on his 180th death anniversary. The statue, made of cold bronze, depicts the emperor sitting on a horse with a sword in his hand. Popularly known as Sher-e-Punjab, Maharaja Ranjit Singh ruled over the Sikh empire in the Punjab region in the early half of the 19th century. 

    After almost decade-long infightings, his empire came to an end in 1848 with the colonisation of Punjab by the East Indian Company.

  • IN PICTURES: Engin Altan tours Lahore, meets CM Usman Buzdar

    IN PICTURES: Engin Altan tours Lahore, meets CM Usman Buzdar

    Turkish actor Engin Altan Düzyatan, who arrived in Lahore on Thursday for a short visit “at the invitation of a private business company”, seems to be having a great time in the city. He was spotted taking a tour of the historic Badshahi Masjid, visiting the grave of Allama Iqbal and even met Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

    Engin was hosted by the CEO of Chaudhary Textiles, Kashif Zameer, who reportedly arranged the meeting between the Turkish actor and CM Buzdar at his residence. Engin has reportedly signed a contract worth Rs 17 crores with Chaudhary Textiles and will be their official brand ambassador.

    Kashif has also been sharing pictures of Engin’s trip on his social media account.

    He also introduced the actor to his pet lion. Kashif, who earlier met Engin in Turkey, also framed the picture of their meeting and put it up on his wall along with other pictures of himself.

    Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Lahore on Friday, the star of Diriliş: Ertuğrul revealed that he had signed multiple new projects in Pakistan and that this visit was the first of many more to come.

    He also expressed his desire to work in Pakistani dramas.

    When asked if he would consider working in Pakistani dramas, Engin responded: “Why not! I would love to work in a Pakistani drama or film, given the right opportunity. If the script is good then why not.”

    The actor also won hearts when he said a few words in Urdu.

    As per details, Engin has concluded his trip and his on his way back to Turkey. Meanwhile, the hashtag ‘#ThankYouEnginAltan’ is trending on social media as fans thanked the actor for coming to the country and expressed their love for him.

  • Sindh govt revises restaurant timings for outdoor dining, takeaways

    Sindh govt revises restaurant timings for outdoor dining, takeaways

    The home department of Sindh government has released new COVID-related instructions allowing take-aways and deliveries of restaurants till 1 am.

    The notification reads that the restaurants can provide dine out service until 10 pm while they can facilitate customers for take-away services for up to an hour into the midnight.

    Previously, the restaurants were only allowed to operate  till 10 pm for dine-out, take-aways and deliveries.

    The notification is valid until January 31.

  • Lahore admin puts 13 more localities under ‘smart lockdown’

    Lahore admin puts 13 more localities under ‘smart lockdown’

    Amid an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the city, the district authorities have decided to impose “smart lockdowns” in 13 more areas of Lahore in a bid to contain the virus.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan reported 71 deaths and 2,700 cases as the infections continue to peak across the country.

    According to a notification issued by the Punjab Primary & Secondary Health Department, smart lockdowns with “controlled entry and exit points” have been imposed in several localities of the provincial capital.

    Due to the lockdown, all types of gatherings, including social and religious ones, will be completely banned. On the other hand, medical services, pharmacies, laboratories, collection points, hospitals, and clinics will remain open 24 hours a day.

    Shops selling essential items, including milk shops, meat shops, and bakeries will remain open from 7 am to 7 pm, as per the notification. The grocery stores, general stores, flour mills, fruits and vegetable shops, and petrol pumps will remain open from 9 am to 7 pm, it added.

    According to the notification, smart lockdowns will be imposed in the following areas of Lahore due to a high number of COVID-19 positive cases.

    Khucha Mission Das, Mian Wacho Wali Street, Rang Mehal; Street No 7, Androon Sheran Wala Gate; Street Adjacent to Fazal Sweets, Mochi Gate; Street Kosha Alam Yar, Androon Bhatti Gate; Main Street H No.100 near Butt Sweets, Chuhan Road, Islamia Park; Street 61, Almadad Pak Colony, Ravi Road; Tufail Street, Kila Lakshman, Ravi Road; St#3, Ravi Road, St#13 Kasur Para, Ravi Road; Main Street, Moh Khokhar Road, Badami Bagh; Street No 6, Data Nagar, Badami Bagh; St No7-A Siddiaqia Colony, Badami Bagh; St No 3, Mohalla Kachi Abadi, Iqbal Park, Badami Bagh.

  • RFAK steals the second episode of CS2020 with ‘Dil Tarpe’

    RFAK steals the second episode of CS2020 with ‘Dil Tarpe’

    With the first episode of Coke Studio 2020 well-received by both critics and the public alike, Coke Studio dropped Episode 2 on Friday featuring performances by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Meesha Shafi and Ali Pervez Mehdi among others.

    RFAK joined hands with classical singer Zara Madani to perform a beautiful tarana Dil Tarpe, bringing a fusion and Qawwali-like flavour to the track.

    In the song, the protagonist is exhibiting distress by emotionally imploring their beloved to have mercy on the heart; longing for the comfort and peace of their beloved’s company.

    Talking about the song, Zara said, “This song is about longing with a very special spiritual connotation; a conversation taking place between a person and their inner self where one pleads for help from the Almighty.”

    Excited about the new collaboration, Khan said, “I don’t think anyone has ever experimented with a tarana the way that we have tried to in this season.”

    In the second song of the episode, newcomer Wajiha Naqvi debuted with a solo performance titled Yaqeen. The song has been written and composed by the artist herself. Carrying a modern pop-rock style, the song has pronounced elements of Indian classical instruments, thus classifying as raga rock, a popular musical genre from the 60s.

    With its powerful lyrics, Yaqeen tells the story of a woman showing resilience and self-reliance in the journey of life. Speaking about the song, Naqvi said: “If men and women are not encouraged or taught to rely on themselves or have faith in themselves, this usually leads them not really knowing who they are and what they are truly capable of. If each person is given the opportunity to explore and discover his/her own self and true potential, they can contribute to society in a more informed manner.”

    Lastly, Ali Pervez Mehdi and Meesha Shafi came together for a catchy Punjabi folk song Gal Sunn. With a contemporary funk element, the song represents the longing between lovers. The rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves create a toe-tapping and danceable feel.

    “In these times, going through [Covid-19], I wanted people to listen to something positive and fun. That is why I created this song,” said Mehdi, adding that the song gave him hope.

    “I dance to it and I want everyone else to dance to it too!,” he added.

    Meesha, while talking about the song said: “This song has a lovely flirtatious vibe. It is a beautiful composition. Ali has a beautiful voice and his songwriting is really really catchy.”

    Along with a groovy bass line, Serbian brass players have also been incorporated playing the trumpet, tenor saxophone and trombone enhancing the funk feel to this desi melody.

    Produced by Rohail Hyatt, CS2020 started on December 4 and will have only 12 songs, featuring 13 artists.

  • Shah Rukh Khan has the sweetest wish for Dilip Kumar

    Shah Rukh Khan has the sweetest wish for Dilip Kumar

    Bollywood legend Dilip Kumar celebrated his 98th birthday on Friday.

    While the veteran actor received a plethora of wishes from across the world, the sweetest one was without a doubt from Shah Rukh Khan, with whom Kumar shares a beautiful bond.

    “To the one and only, who amazed and inspired the world by just being himself,” wrote Khan on social media. “I cherish and remember every time we’ve met in vivid details and you have always loved me like your own. Love you too much.”

    Dilip Kumar’s wife Saira Banu, in an interview had once said that if she and her husband had had a son, he would have looked like SRK.

    “I have always said that if we had a son, he might have looked like Shah Rukh,” said Banu. “Both he and saab are alike and have similar hair, which is why I like to run my fingers through Shah Rukh’s hair when we meet.”

    Shah Rukh Khan with Dilip Kumar on his 89th birthday

    It is also pertinent to add here that both Shah Rukh and Kumar’s ancestral roots can be traced to Peshawar’s Qissa Khwani Bazaar. Khan is reported to have visited the city twice during his childhood.

    Earlier this year in September, the KP archaeological department announced that it had allotted Rs 50 million for the renovation and restoration of 15 historical sites in the province including the Kapoor Haveli and Dilip Kumar’s house located in Peshawar’s historical Qissa Khwani Bazaar.

    “This is our cultural heritage and we take pride in preserving it. We are very proud that Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor were from Peshawar,” KP Director of Archaeology and Museums Abdul Samad had said.

    Kumar’s house in Peshawar

    Kumar’s wife Saira Banu had praised the government’s decision to restore her husband’s childhood home.

    “I wish the provincial government success in its efforts and sincerely hope that this time the dream comes true. MashAllah,” the actor had said. “My heart fills up with joy each time I receive the same news about the ancestral home of Yousuf Saheb in Peshawar which the provincial government has been repeatedly trying to turn into a monument for posterity. It has come up so many times in the past and I have appreciated the tenacity with which the government is pursuing the mission of turning the house into a museum for the public to visit and feel the vintage charm of the house where Dilip Saheb grew up like any bright boy of the province.”

    Popularly referred to as the ‘King of Tragedy’, Dilip Kumar was born as Muhammad Yusuf Khan on December 11, 1922, in Peshawar. He made his acting debut with the 1944 film Jwar Bhata. He is best-known for iconic roles in films like Devdas (1955), Naya Daur (1957), Mughal-e-Azam (1960), Ganga Jamuna (1961), Kranti (1981), and Karma (1986). He was last seen on the big screen in Qila in 1998 and was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1994, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

  • ‘I’d pick Mohammad Amir in every white ball game I’d coach’: Mickey Arthur

    ‘I’d pick Mohammad Amir in every white ball game I’d coach’: Mickey Arthur

    Former Pakistan Cricket Team coach Mickey Arthur, in an interview, talked about Mohammad Amir’s skills and experience, saying: “I definitely think that Amir has got a future in middle of his career. I still think that he is one of the best white ball bowlers around at the moment.”

    Appreciating Amir’s courage, he said, “The one thing I do like about Aamir is when there is a tough situation he wants the ball he doesn’t shy away from the tough situations.”

    “His execution is good. He still has got enough pace. He is a wise, more experienced player,” said Arthur.

    Concluding his remarks, he said, ”I would have Amir in any white ball cricket team that I coach.”

    Read more – Kyun Nikala?: ‘Misbah Saab he bataa saktay hain,’ says Mohammad Amir

    In a response to Mickey’s remarks, Amir replied in a tweet, “Thanks coach I would love to play under your coaching anywhere in the world.”

    It is pertinent to add here that Amir was dropped from the 35-member squad, which is currently touring New Zealand. Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq, explaining the decision said: “[Shoaib]Malik and Amir are not part of the white-ball matches as for this tour we have opted to invest, develop and focus on the promising and emerging players who are likely to be available to Pakistan for all formats.”

    John Michael “Mickey” Arthur was the coach of Pakistan Cricket Team from 2016 to 2019. He is the currently the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team as of December 2019.

  • Taylor Swift surprises fans with a new album ‘Evermore’

    Taylor Swift surprised fans with a new album titled Evermore, her second album of this year, saying “we just couldn’t stop writing songs.” Evermore comes less than five months after Swift’s eighth studio album Folklore.

    The award-winning singer described the 15-track album as a “sister record” to Folklore, which she produced entirely during the coronavirus lockdowns and released unexpectedly in July. Folklore, a change of style that showed an indie-folk sensibility, earned Swift some of the best reviews of her career as well as triggering six Grammy nominations, including for the coveted album of the year.

    “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs,” Swift wrote on Thursday. “I’ve never done this before. In the past, I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released. There was something different with Folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning.”

    “I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales. I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found in your lives. So I just kept writing them,” she added.

    The mysterious William Bowery, who Swift last month revealed was a pseudonym for her British actor boyfriend Joe Alwyn, is also credited as a co-writer on the new album.

    Evermore features collaborations with alternative artist Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner, guitarist with indie rock band The National

    Taylor also dropped the music video for its lead single ‘Willow’, which she directed herself.

    In the YouTube chat before the album’s premiere, Swift revealed the meaning behind the visual. “One scene represents how I feel about fame,” she said.

  • Upcoming Pakistani dramas on our radar

    Upcoming Pakistani dramas on our radar

    With several Pakistani dramas coming to an end soon, TV channels have started dropping teasers and promos of their upcoming releases. Four new dramas with brilliant casts and directors are expected to hit our screens in the coming weeks and we are looking forward to them.

    Read more – ‘Jalan’ continues to be a cringefest

    Dunk

    Starring Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed and Naumaan Ejaz in the lead, Dunk is about sexual harassment in universities and colleges. The first promo of the drama dropped to a mixed response but we’re going to hold our thoughts and opinions till we watch the first few episodes.

    Pehli Si Mohabbat

    The drama will mark Maya Ali and Sheheryar Munawar’s return to the small screen after a long break. From the BTS and first looks, the drama promises to be an intense love story and I am definitely looking forward to this. It has been written by Faiza Iftikhar and directed by Anjum Shehzad of Khaani fame.

    Maya, in a recent interview, revealed that the drama will not have “typical saas-bahu fights and affairs in it”.

    “You will feel that you have heard or seen this story, because there’s a love story as evident from the title Pehli Si Muhabbat, and everyone has experienced their first love story. Some people find their first love and some people live with keeping it in their hearts,” she shared.

    Raqs-e-Bismil

    Raqs-e-Bismil will see Sarah Khan and Imran Ashraf share the screen together for the first time. A fresh pairing is always intriguing and given that both are brilliant actors, I am sure this drama will be a treat. From the teasers, the drama appears to be intense and uncomfortable. According to the makers, the drama “follows the soulful story of a conservative and conformist family who adhere to strict family values”. Raqs-e-Bismil will also see Hadiqa Kiani make her television debut.

    It is expected to air on Hum TV by the end of the month.

    Amanat

    A multi-starrer drama, Amanat will feature Imran Abbas, Urwa Hocane, Saboor Aly, Haroon Shahid, Saba Hamid, Sheheryar Zaidi, Babar Ali, Asad Siddiqui and Gohar Rasheed.

    According to Imran, Amanat is a “circumstances-based love story”, while producer Sana Shahnawaz says it is “a family drama with love, romance and all other elements audiences wish to see in our dramas.”

    Which drama are you looking forward to the most?

  • VIDEO: Engin Altan says ‘Lahore Lahore Hai’

    VIDEO: Engin Altan says ‘Lahore Lahore Hai’

    Turkish actor Engin Altan Düzyatan arrived in Lahore on Thursday for a short visit “at the invitation of a private business company”.

    Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Friday, the star of Diriliş: Ertuğrul revealed that he had signed some new projects in Pakistan, adding that he was set to become the brand ambassador for a private textile company. He also said that this visit was the first of many more to come.

    Talking about the popularity of series in Pakistan, the Turkish actor said it was a “great pleasure” for him that Prime Minister Imran Khan praised the drama series and recommended his countrymen to watch it.

    “I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Imran Khan for praising Diriliş: Ertuğrul,” said Engin at the press conference. “It was a big drama series based on an Islamic story.”

    Sharing details about how his visit is going, Engin said: “I know Pakistani people love me. I am also aware about the natural beauty of the country,” adding that he would love to visit the mountains the North.

    He also said that he enjoyed tasting Pakistani food and that it was “very delicious, but much too spicy”.

    When asked if he would consider working in Pakistani dramas, Engin responded: “Why not! I would love to work in a Pakistani drama or film, given the right opportunity. If the script is good then why not.”

    Engin also showed off his Urdu vocabulary by saying “Shukriya” and “Lahore, Lahore Hai“.

    Altan landed in Pakistan on Thursday upon the invitation of a business company Chaudhary Textiles with who he has reportedly signed a contract worth Rs 17 crores. Pictures of his visit have been going viral on social media.

    Photo Credits – Asad Bukhari

    Often described as the Turkish Game of Thrones, Diriliş: Ertuğrul is being aired on the recommendation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Set in 13th century Anatolia and based on the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, father of Osman I – the founder of the Ottoman dynasty, Diriliş: Ertuğrul has been trending in the country ever since its first episode aired on the first of Ramzan.

    In an exclusive interview with The Current, Senator Faisal Javed Khan had revealed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had gifted the drama series to Pakistan as a goodwill gesture.

    Earlier in September, Cavit Çetin Güner, who plays Dogan Alp the series also visited Pakistan and spent a few days in Islamabad.