Current Final

Category: Lifestyle

  • Joy for Joyland: SHC dismisses plea seeking ban on film

    Joy for Joyland: SHC dismisses plea seeking ban on film

    The Sindh High Court has dismissed a plea requesting ban on the movie Joyland, Naeem Sahoutara reports for Dawn.

    The petitioner requested a ban on the movie, stating that the movie depicts a relationship between a married man and a transgender woman, and that the plot is against the Constitution and Islamic principles.


    The bench was headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh.


    “In our view, where a cinematic work has passed through the censors, who have examined its content and cleared it for release with an appropriate certification, an individual cannot be allowed to trump that decision through a court proceeding based on his conception of morality. Indeed, it is not the function of the Court under Article 199 to make a moral judgment so as to curtail the freedom of speech and expression of a filmmaker, as safeguarded under Article 19 of the Constitution,” stated the detailed order passed by a division bench.


    “On the contrary, the default position of the Court under Article 199 ought to be that of fully safeguarding the fundamental right by giving as expensive an interpretation to Article 19 as possible, and in that event of a restriction being imposed by the Board or any other authority that may be competent in that regard, testing the reasonableness of that restriction stringently, so as to ensure that the same is “reasonable” in the strictest conceivable sense.”

    “Looking to the matter at hand, we are confident that Islam, being the great global religion that it is, is strong enough to withstand a cinematic work portraying a purely fictional account of a relationship humanizing a transgender character, and are equally sanguine that our society is not so weak as to crumble as a consequence,” the order stated.

  • Chinese-born Canadian pop star sentenced to 13 years in jail for sex crimes

    Chinese-born Canadian pop star sentenced to 13 years in jail for sex crimes

    Kris Wu, a Chinese-Canadian pop artist, has been found guilty of sex offences and sentenced to 13 years in prison.


    The 32-year-old musician and actor was found guilty by a Beijing court of raping three women and assembling a crowd to engage in an orgy.
    Wu was taken into custody after a student accused him of rape on a date.


    Later, 24 more victims came forward to accuse Wu on various charges.

    Wu was also slapped with a fine of 600 million yuan ($83.7m) for evading taxes by massively underreporting his earnings from performances, advertisements and other sources of income.


    On July 31 of last year, he was taken into custody in Beijing after being accused by an 18-year-old Chinese student of pressurising her and other girls, some of whom were minors, into having sex with him.

  • Peshawar SHO announces he will resolve issues according to Sharia

    Peshawar SHO announces he will resolve issues according to Sharia

    Abdul Ali, Station House Officer (SHO) of Shahpur Police Station in Peshawar, has announced that he will resolve issues reported to his station according to Sharia.

    In the video, he can be heard saying that he will not let eunuchs or dancers be invited to marriage ceremonies, there will be a complete ban on fireworks and aerial firing in marriage ceremonies and strict action will be taken against violations.


    “If there is any issue in the area, i will take fatwa from the madrassa and tell people openly how it works,” he said while talking to Geo News.

    SHO Abdul Ali told Geo that he did not say anything wrong in the video.

  • Islamabad police announces traffic diversion plan ahead of PTI long march

    Islamabad police announces traffic diversion plan ahead of PTI long march

    The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police released an alternative traffic plan on Friday ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march in Rawalpindi on Saturday.

    The traffic on both sides of Murree Road has been diverted at Faizabad, according to ICT police.

    Therefore, it is possible to access Rawalpindi from Islamabad through the old airport road and stadium road.

    In addition, both Express Chowk and NADRA Chowk are entirely blocked off from accessing the Red Zone. As an alternative route, Margalla Road, Ayub Chowk, and Serena Chowk can be used.

    Islamabad’s other routes are all accessible to traffic.

    Residents are urged to dial the helpline number 15 in case of any emergency.

    Every kind of public gathering in the federal capital, including those in and near the Red Zone, is now subject to Section 144. However, the permit to hold the rally is only given if the proposed routes are followed.

  • Passing marks for matric, inter to be increased to 40 in desperately needed upgrade

    Passing marks for matric, inter to be increased to 40 in desperately needed upgrade

    The nationwide committee of chairmen of the educational boards IBCC) on Thursday approved the implementation of the new “10-point grading system” at the matric and inter levels across the country, Express Tribune has reported.


    IBCC Secretary Ghulam Ali Malah while talking to the media outlet said, “Existing grading system at the inter [grade XII] and matric [grade X] levels is being abolished and replaced by a 10-point system across the country by 2025.”


    The term “F” or “Fail” would be replaced with a new term “U” meaning unsatisfactory, Malah said. He added that students getting marks between 96 per cent and 100 per cent will get an A-plus, where as an A-minus will be given for 91 per cent to 95 per cent marks.
    Other grades format will include “A” or “Remarkable” for 85-90 per cent marks; “B++” or “Excellent” for 80-85 per cent marks; “B+” or “Very Good” for 75-80 per cent marks; “B” or “Good” for 70-75per cent marks; “C” or “Fair” for 60-70 per cent marks; “D” or “Satisfactory” for 50-60% marks; “E” or “Sufficient” for 40-50 per cent marks.


    The meeting also decided that matric and intermediate examination will be held in April and May.

  • Pakistan calls for ‘Global Action Plan’ against Islamophobia

    Pakistan calls for ‘Global Action Plan’ against Islamophobia

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, talked about the importance of “continued and robust inter-religious, inter-civilisational and inter-faith dialogue as a catalyst to promote peaceful co-existence, mutual understanding, and harmony,” while addressing the ninth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

    UNAOC was hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in the city of Fez on November 22-23, 2022. Khar expressed Pakistan’s viewpoint and concerns over the global problem of religious intolerance, discrimination, Islamophobia.

    She also brought the delegates’ attention to the state-driven prejudice, animosity, and phobia against Muslims and Islam, as well as the resulting environment of impunity for such atrocious acts.


    “Given its pervasive and widely documented impacts, it is time for the international community and the United Nations to formulate an action plan to meaningfully address the insidious phenomenon of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred,” she said.
    The UN Alliance of Civilizations was established in 2005 as a result of the tensions that developed between the Muslim world and the West in the wake of 9/11. Promoting tolerance for different cultures, customs, and religious beliefs is one of its main goals.

  • Miss Grand Pakistan represents Pakistan wearing Indian designer, says wants ‘end of war, violence’

    Miss Grand Pakistan represents Pakistan wearing Indian designer, says wants ‘end of war, violence’

    Aneesa Sheikh, a 20 year-old Pakistani-American who is currently pursuing a dual degree in economics and communications at the University of Michigan, represented Pakistan in New York Fashion Week while wearing Indian designer clothing.
    In an Instagram post, Anisa shared excerpts from an interview she gave to Vogue and wrote, “When an interviewer says, “You’re representing Pakistan, but walking in NYFW wearing an Indian designer’s style.” My reply: “If wearing rhinestones, 6 inch heels, and false eyelashes will bring people of South Asian descent together despite politics and conflict throughout history, then I’ll gladly wear these designs. If fashion is the first step to unity and ending war and violence then I’ll proudly represent this.”


    Writing that she was raised in a household that meshed the dichotomy of Pakistani and American cultures seamlessly, she said that the contrast taught her a valuable lesson on, “how my beliefs may be challenged by others’ views and that compassion and respect are the tools to build the bridge between varying ways of life.”

    Offering details about her childhood, Anisa wrote, “Following the footsteps of my older sister as a competitive figure skater, which is where I grew fond of various music styles. Watching my older sister skate to a Carlos Santana medley inspired me to pick up the guitar at the age of eight. Since then, I have never sat it down. As the youngest, I often felt like my voice was drowned out by my older siblings and music was where I was heard. Expressing myself through lyrics allowed me to connect with others.”
    Her profile on Miss Grand International stated that she was proud that now as Miss Grand Pakistan, she was using her voice through music to inspire, educate, and empower individuals in medical rehabilitation centers, those at the brunt of the environmental crisis, and females who have limited access to educational opportunities.

  • Karachi police to contact Interpol to arrest Swedish nationality holder who killed policeman

    Karachi police to contact Interpol to arrest Swedish nationality holder who killed policeman

    In order to arrest a foreign national suspected of killing a police officer in the port city earlier this week, Karachi police have chosen to consult Interpol.

    DIG South Irfan Baloch while talking to Geo News said, “We are writing to the Director General of passports for seizing his passport and we are also approaching the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) for contacting Interpol.”

    Murder:

    Khurram Nisar, the man suspected of killing policeman Abdul Rehman in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA), has fled the country on November 22 Tuesday, Samaa has reported.

    Irfan Baloch, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Karachi South, while talking to Samaa said that the suspect holds Swedish nationality.
    According to police sources, Khurram has flown to Sweden on an international airline’s flight via Istanbul.

    A heated exchange between Khurram Nisar and the police officer has come to light in CCTV footage, in which the accused is seen pulling out his gun after getting out of a black car.


    Khurram is the son of a former Deputy Commissioner. According to the authorities, he arrived in Karachi on November 5 from Sweden, where he resides with his wife and two children.

  • Pakistan imported tea worth $192.474 million during 4MFY23

    Pakistan imported tea worth $192.474 million during 4MFY23

    In comparison to the same month last year, tea imports increased by 2.21 per cent during the first four months of the current fiscal year, APP has reported.

    Tea imports from July-October (2022-23) were recorded at $192.474 million against imports of $188.304 million from July-October (2021-22), according to data from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).


    The data showed that the quantity of tea imports actually declined during the study period by 8.90 per cent, from 84,590 metric tonnes in the preceding year to 77,065 metric tonnes in the same months of the current fiscal year.

    On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, tea imports surged by 54.09 per cent in October 2022 when compared to the imports of the same month of last year. The country imported tea worth $57.272 million in October 2022 as opposed to $37.169 million in exports in August of the previous year.

  • Saudi Crown Prince Salman ‘sajday mein chalay gaye’ after historic victory against Argentina

    Saudi Crown Prince Salman ‘sajday mein chalay gaye’ after historic victory against Argentina

    Saudi Arabia’s football team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport by defeating Argentina with two second-half goals in their opening FIFA World Cup match in Qatar on Tuesday.

    The victory did not just drive Saudi fans into a frenzy but was also celebrated by the Kingdom’s normally staid and reserved royal family.

    Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, watched the match along with family members. Following the victory, the crown prince got overwhelmed and prostrated before God.

    It’s a public holiday tomorrow in Saudi Arabia after FIFA win

    The Saudi government has declared tomorrow, Wednesday, a holiday to mark the historic FIFA win.

    The holiday will be applicable to all employees in both public and private sectors, as well as all students across the country.

    This isn’t the first time a public holiday has been declared after a World Cup win. Cameroon’s stellar performance against Argentina in the opening match of the 1990’s tournament also received similar reactions after the Central African nation pulled off a miraculous win.