Asim Azhar, who had backed students on multiple occasions and rallied for their exams to be cancelled, has now urged them to cancel all parties and get-togethers and sit home till COVID ends. The Federal Government on Tuesday had announced that all exams have been cancelled till June 15 in view of rising coronavirus cases.
“Mubarakbacho,” wrote Asim, after the news of the cancellation came.
“Ab khuda ka waasta hai parties aur get togethers bhi cancel karna apne aur ghar baithna until we’re done with COVID,” he added.
Mubarak bacho. 🥳 Ab khuda ka waasta hai parties aur get togethers bhi cancel karna apne aur ghar baithna until we’re done with covid 🙏🏽
Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood on Tuesday had announced that no examinations will take place in the country until June 15 and that O’ and A’ Level exams will now take place in the October-November cycle. Students had long been demanding the government to cancel exams arguing that their study schedules had been disrupted due to COVID-19 and that they had been unable to prepare for the exams.
Other celebrities including Mehwish Hayat, Adnan Siddiqui and Falak Shabir also appreciated the government’s decision to cancel exams.
Thank you @Shafqat_Mahmood . So glad that you took notice. Postponing the exams was the sensible decision – education is important but protecting the students in these Covid times was paramount ! #Exams2021
A very wise decision by honourable minister #shafqatmehmood. Finally, parents and children can heave a sigh of relief. Contrary to some critics, no one is shying away from exams. The atmosphere to hold them right now is not conducive. Gladly bring them on in Oct/Nov
Meanwhile, Aijaz Aslam is disappointed that government is not considering the option of grade assessment.
“What a mess this examination process has become,” remarked the actor.
What a mess this examination process has become , why didnt they go for grade assessment option ? What about O2 students now ? Admissions of A levels ? All messed up
After the cancellation of exams, students are nowdemanding Teacher and School Assessed Grades with the hashtags #ShafqatDestroysOurCareer and #ResignShafqatMahmood trending on social media. Students are arguing that their study schedules have been disrupted because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and are demanding Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGs) and School Assessed Grades (SAGs).
Yasra Rizvi, who is expecting her first child, is disheartened with the media coverage of her pregnancy, saying that outlets should have also talked about her upcoming project instead of focusing only on her baby bump.
“In our country, the newsworthy bit is that I am pregnant,” said Rizvi. “Not the fact that I am also directing probably the most important script I have gotten to direct so far while due any time now!”
“Indeed we are a nation totally obsessed with marriage and one’s ability to procreate,” she added.
Later, Yasra explained her story saying: “Aik tou poori baat nahi samajhta koi. Aap ki duaaon aur naik tamannaaon ke liye main tah e dil se shukar guzaar hoon .. maddaahon aur khair khwaaon ki mohabbat aur wishes se masla nahi hai!”
“Shukriya Shukriya Shukriyaaaa,” she added.
Rizvi’s post hints that she received flak for her earlier comments.
Rizvi is currently directing the drama Working Women, which has been penned by Bee Gul of Raqeeb Se fame.
Meanwhile, Yasra’s sister-in-law Jenaan Hussain, sharing a picture of Rizvi, wrote: “This post is actually about a woman inspiring other women to do and be whatever and whoever they wish to be at any point in their lives regardless of their age and domestic commitments.”
Explaining how people should celebrate the capability Rizvi holds as a woman rather than only focusing on the fact that she is expecting, Hussain added: “It’s not about ‘Oh look I am pregnant and that’s the only accomplishment you must celebrate me for’ but taking things in your stride. Being this pregnant and directing a high-pressure set is just the kinda thing only a woman can pull off, just like her a lot of women around us everyday juggle between the most daunting tasks and nail it and some get trapped in myths and preconceived don’ts.”
“Women are doers, and if there is a time to stop underestimating us and what all we are capable of it’s now,” she added.
After going through a depressive period following Prince Philip’s death and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton headed out to the countryside, driving to a lush green farm in County Durham, where they took a sustainable farming tour. The visit took place two days before the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also met the farmers’ nine and seven-year-old daughters who described the encounter as “nerve-wracking” as they didn’t expect the royal couple to be this kind.
According to the couple’s official Instagram account, Kensington Royal, Kate and William took turns riding a GPS-controlled tractor, discussed mental health issues arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and talked about future targets for sustainable farming to address climate change issues.
They were also shown some of the tools used at the farm including grass monitoring, land rotation and feed sampling to improve productivity and ensure that they are able to give back to the environment and increase their sustainability.
Their second visit of the day was to a local youth project Cheesy Waffles Project which benefitted from donations from the couple’s Royal Wedding Charitable Gift Fund in 2011. The project supports children, young people and adults with additional needs aged 7 to 35 from across County Durham.
During their trip there, Kate and William, tried their hand at golf and took part in an art project.
Meanwhile, the Queen also undertook her first public engagement since Prince Philip’s funeral holding two virtual meetings from Windsor Castle with the Ambassador from Latvia and the Ambassador from Côte d’Ivoire.
PICTURES: The Ambassadors who had an audience of the Queen were at Buckingham Palace. The Queen remains at Windsor Castle, where she has been for most of the last year. The audiences were virtual. pic.twitter.com/VCPRoKZqBh
Hum TV’s Chupke Chupke, starring Osman Khalid Butt, Ayeza Khan, Mira Sethi, Asma Abbas, Tara Mahmood, Aymen Saleem, Farhan Ali Agha, Ali Safina and Arsalan Naseer among others, has become a hot favourite with the audiences this Ramzan. While the drama itself is a comedy, it has also given memers a chance to showcase their talent and add to the humour.
If there’s one thing that can steal the thunder of history’s deadliest pandemic, it is none other than the fashion politics surrounding the 93rd Annual Academy Awards. Stars and their designers can either make it big on the Oscars Red Carpet like Audrey Hepburn did with her every-trendy white gown for the Oscars 1954 edition, or they can go home as Björk did after her ‘Sawn Dress’ for Oscars 2001 edition was classified as the worst outfit of the decade. I mean, what even was that dress?
Given that we’ve mostly seen stars in their pyjamas and lounge wear most of last year, we were expecting some bold style statements. However, turns out we couldn’t agree more with The New York Times definition of Oscars 2021: ‘A lot of Style, Little Substance‘.
Check out The Current’s picks for the Best and Worst Dressed Celebs during the world’s most glamourous award ceremony!
BEST DRESSED
Zendaya
Zendaya tops the list with her yellow dress from Valentino Haute Couture paired with Bulgari jewellery. The actor paired her outfit with nude makeup making her look like a million dollars.
Brad Pitt
Who else could be rated as the second hottest person and the first hottest man of the evening other than Brad Pitt? The Hollywood heartthrob looked elegant as ever in his classic black and white suit.
Vanessa Kirby
In the era of pastels colors, the Pieces of a Woman actor Vanessa Kirby wore a baby pink Gucci gown that seemed to blend with the background of the Red Carpet. The star paired this look with a bold red lip, shimmery eyes, and Cartier jewellery to bring her A game.
WORST DRESSED
As much as it pains us to make this list, it had to be done.
Questlove
You’ve got to see this! Questlove actually had to the guts to wear golden Crocs at a formal award ceremony. This sure does not look cool and casual if that’s what he tried to portray.
Halle Berry
While Halle Berry got the colour, pixy-like hair and makeup right, the weird oversized draping bow protruding from her waistline ruined the harmony of her entire look landing her straight on the worst-dressed list. Dolce & Gabanna did disappoint us big time with this outfit.
Laura Dern
Last but not least, Laura Dern’s Oscar de la Renta dress with a fluffy lower half that looks more like a wardrobe malfunction was the stuff of nightmare. The dress could have been rescued had the fluffy lower been stitched a little closer to waistline. Designers these days, jeez!
BEST RED CARPET MOMENT
Our resident hero Riz Ahmed may not have taken home an Oscar or made it to the best dressed list but he certainly gave audiences the best red carpet moment when he took a minute to fix his wife’s hair before posing for the cameras. It’s been more than a day since this video came out and we are still swooning.
The 93rd Academy Awards were held on April 25, (April 26 PST) in Los Angeles at multiple locations: Dolby Theatre, where it has been traditionally hosted since 2001, and Union Station. Only the nominees, their guests and the ceremony’s presenters were allowed inside the hall due to coronavirus restrictions.
The event began with a movie-style opening credits sequence, as Regina King strode into the venue clutching a gold statuette.
“Live TV, here we go. Welcome to the 93rd Oscars!” she said. “And, yes, we are doing it maskless… people have been vaxxed, tested, re-tested, socially distanced.”
This year’s Oscars arrived at their Union Station venue two months late due to the pandemic — organisers have said it would have been “impossible” without the delay.
Before the show, stars paused briefly for pictures and socially distanced interviews on what organisers called a “teeny-tiny red carpet.”
Liaquat made these remarks after a videoof actor and model Haniya Khan claiming to be his emerged on social media a few days ago. Khan also claimed that she attempted suicide five times and accused Tuba of using black magic on her. She also alleged that Liaquat turned her family against her.
Responding to the allegations, Liaquat in a video message said: “Everyone complains about talkative women, but no one marries a mute woman. Everyone wants to marry a woman that can speak.”
“I only have one marriage, which is with Tuba,” he added, before going to recite some poetic versus.
Meanwhile, in an interview with a local YouTube channel, Liaquat asserted that he does not have a third wife, saying: “I came to know this family when they came to the Parliament Lodges. I helped by giving them Rs 25000 for groceries.”
Liaquat also accused Haniya of being mentally ill saying: “Agar aik aadmi ko mohabbat ho gae hai mujh se to me kia karskta hun (If someone has fallen in love with me what can I do).”
Recalling the time when he worked with Chopra on a project in 2015, Munawar in a recent interview, said that Priyanka called him during the shoot and told him that her mother is a fan.
Munawar shared that he was blowing out her hair for the shoot when she called him by his name.
“I instantly died when I realised she knew my name,” laughed Sheheryar. “She then said, ‘My mother is a fan of you’. And I was like ‘huh’? She said yeah, she’s in the vanity, would you join me there for a bit? She wants a picture with you.”
“My play Kahi Unkahi was airing on Zee Zindagi [at the time] and Chopra’s mother found me cute as a child,” said Sheheryar further.
“It was very interesting,” he added, remarking that he was surprised how Chopra’s mother wished to meet a guy who at the time was running around the sets, fetching water bottles and sweeping the floors.
“I was so shocked when it was happening but Priyanka was so sweet about it. She said Sheheryar obviously I know you, my mother is a fan, come with me to the vanity,” he said, adding how there was strict security on the sets and to cross the boundary to make it to the star’s vanity was rare.
“But they were both so sweet, we clicked a few pictures, and there was that,” he added, concluding the story.
“Later, I was the blower guy again when we shot an ad campaign with Sonam Kapoor,” said Munawar, laughing.
During the interview, Munawar also revealed that he was once interested in becoming a cricketer and practised a lot for it but didn’t pursue it further.
Sarah Khan, in a recent interview withBBC Urdu, opened up about her personal and professional life and said that she wants more men to be like husband Falak Shabbir.
Talking about Falak gifting her flowers every day, the actor said: “Falak has his own way of expressing love. We always highlight the negative things about men, but there are men out there like Falak who love their wives so much.”
“I want to show people that men should be like that,” said Sarah, adding: “When he gives me flowers, it makes my day and my day feels incomplete without the flower.”
Responding to a question on how the two met, Sarah shared that she met her husband at the Bridal Couture Week in Lahore. Sarah revealed that Falak proposed to her backstage.
“My sisters Aisha and Noor were with me when Falak proposed to me backstage. I declined the proposal, but then he contacted my father, who handled everything from there on,” shared Sarah, adding that she is very happy with Falak.
Khan also talked about her recent illness due to which she was hospitalised.
“When I was on the shoot of my new project, I started feeling unwell and was then admitted to hospital,” said Khan. “I had severe migraine, typhoid with two to three other things.”
The actor added that she was touched to see the concern from her fans and friends.
Meanwhile, talking about her dramas and characters, Sarah said that she enjoyed playing Miral in Sabaatand took inspiration from her mother for it.
“People found Miraal cool because she wore nice clothes and said nice things,” said Sarah. “Most of the suits that you saw me wearing as Miraal belonged to my mother.”
Revealing why she decided to play Zohra in Raqs e Bismil, Sarah said: “I wanted to do something completely different after Miraal and I wanted to work with Imran Asharaf. Also, the producers of the drama are my favourite.”
Khan added that some scenes and dialogues in the drama were changed because she was not comfortable with them.
Soon after Yasra shared the news, colleagues and other celebrities including Sarah Khan, Amar Khan, Sadia Ghaffar, Muniba Mazari and Tara Mahmood dropped love-filled wishes and mubaraks for the actor.
“Lots of love and prayers for you, beautiful soul,” said Mazari.
“Loving that filled up belly,” wrote Tara Mahmood.
Yasra and Haadi tied the knot in 2016. Rizvi was criticised when she married her husband Abdul Hadi who is much younger than her. The actor had hit back at haters calling her husband “one of a kind”.
Meanwhile, other celebrities who are reportedly expecting include Sarah Khan and Sadia Ghaffar.
As India battles a deadly second wave of COVID-19, Feroze Khan wants you to remember and pray for Kashmir, which has been out of oxygen “since God knows when”.
“I am sure it’s a tough time in India and I pray for humanity everywhere. But just imagine what Kashmir has been going through and why?” wrote Khan on social media.
– I am sure it’s tough time in India and I pray for humanity everywhere. But just imagine what Kashmir has been going through and why ?
When a user remarked that “this is a very wrong time to tweet this [and] most of the people suffering are innocent”, Feroze said: “What? Kashmir is out of oxygen since God knows when. They just are not nuclear power so we don’t talk much about it.”
“They’ve been caged and killed dirty. Again I am praying for humanity in India and in Kashmir,” he added.
– What ? Kashmir is out of oxygen since god knows when. They just are not a nuclear power so we don’t talk much about it. 😂 they’ve been caged and killed dirty. Again I am praying for humanity in India and in Kashmir ! https://t.co/QdYlYMVcIB
When another social media user called out the actor for being “cold-hearted”, Khan said: “I have prayed for humanity there and everywhere but I would still don’t want to be quiet for a few likes and views.”
“The drama could fail too and I would still not want innocent to be killed, suppressed and caged. Praying for everyone everywhere,” he continued.
– I have prayed for humanity there and everywhere. but I would still not wanna be quiet for a few likes and views the drama could fail too and I would still not want innocent to be killed, suppressed and caged. Praying for everyone everywhere. https://t.co/dt4Rsf2rS1
Responding to yet another user, Feroze said that he loves his fans “but if I bring them no real image what’s the point of this media handle?”
– I love them back so much they are everything to me but if I bring them no real image what’s the point of this media handle ?? https://t.co/wkbg0vDsxd
Later, Feroze Khan also shared some statistics regarding the healthcare situation in Kashmir, asserting that he stands with Kashmir but is praying for everyone everywhere.
Meanwhile, India’s healthcare system is on the verge of collapse with doctors predicting that the worse is yet to come.
“The situation is critical right now. This pandemic is the worst we have ever seen until now. The next two weeks are going to be hell for us,” Dr Shaarang Sachdev from the Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital told Sky News.
In some of the worst-hit cities, including the capital Delhi, bodies were being burnt in makeshift facilities offering mass services.
Twitter in Pakistan has been trending with hashtags showing solidarity with India. Prime Minister Imran Khan and other cabinet members also extended their prayers for India while Faisal Edhi wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offering help in tackling COVID-19 in India.
