Current Final

Category: Lifestyle

  • Russia’s Sputnik V to be available privately in Pakistan

    The first shipment of the Russian Sputnik-V has arrived in Pakistan becoming the first privately-imported vaccine available in the country. Pakistan is the 22nd country to approve the Sputnik V vaccine.

    “Sputnik has received EUA (emergency use authorisation),” Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan said while talking about the vaccine.

    As per details, Sputnik V is to be administered in two shots, three weeks apart, has a six-month shelf life and is stored at -18 Celsius.

    While a price has not yet been announced, Dr Omer Chughtai of Chughtai Labs said the “government will hopefully decide and announce the price soon.”

    “We are in process of getting our vaccination centers registered,” he added.

    COVID-19 vaccination for seniors aged 70 and above began on March 10. According to the National Command Operation Center (NCOC) registered senior citizens aged 70 and above can get vaccinated from any health centre. Meanwhile, NCOC head Asad Umar on Wednesday announced that over 41 thousand people were vaccinated the previous day marking the highest daily vaccination rate.

    Pakistan launched its vaccination drive in early February with 500,000 doses of Sinopharm donated by longtime ally China, giving shots to frontline health workers as a priority.

  • PIA to restart flight operations to Swat

    PIA to restart flight operations to Swat

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has decided to restart flights to Swat, Skardu and Gilgit in order to promote tourism in these areas.

    As per details, Pakistan’s national carrier will resume flight operations to the country’s scenic Swat valley after nearly 17 years from next week, a spokesperson for the airline said on Thursday.

    According to reports, ever since Taliban militants took over Swat, tourism in the picturesque valley was badly affected with flight operations suspended. Army operations to clear out militant safe havens and improved security in recent years have allowed tourism to re-emerge on the Hindu Kush mountain range.

    “PIA is going to resume flight operations to Saidu Sharif, Swat, after 17 years,” said PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez Khan while talking to a local media outlet. The spokesperson added that Swat’s only airport, equipped to handle small ATR-70 aircraft, has been closed since 2004.

    The purpose of resuming the flights now, Khan said, was “to encourage tourism in the region,” adding that “there is huge potential.”

    Khan further said that two weekly flights will also operate from Lahore, with a 15 minute stopover in Islamabad.

    In January 2019, Pakistan loosened travel restrictions in the hope of reviving tourism by offering visas on arrival to visitors from 50 countries and electronic visas to 175 nationalities.

    Pakistan was last a prominent tourist destination in the 1970s when the “hippie trail” brought Western travellers through the apricot and walnut orchards of the Swat Valley and Kashmir on their way to India and Nepal.

    Since then, deteriorating security conditions have prevented tourists and travellers from visiting the country.

    A 2019 Gallup report said tourist traffic at cultural sites in Pakistan had seen an increase of 317 per cent over five years. Prince William and Kate Middleton’s five-day visit to Pakistan in October 2019 also boosted interest in the country as a tourist spot.

  • HR ministry directs Lahore university to re-admit expelled students

    The Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) has directed the University of Lahore to re-admit the expelled students, saying that the university “overreacted” on the matter.

    According to a report in Dawn, MoHR Parliamentary Secretary Lal Chand Malhi wrote a letter to the University of Lahore’s vice-chancellor, requesting him to re-admit the expelled students. The letter was reportedly written on March 16.

    The letter said that the university administration expelled the students without giving them the chance to explain themselves and that the university “overreacted” on the matter.

    Terming the university’s action as “moral policing,” the ministry said: “Both the girl and the boy did not commit such a heinous crime for which they were punished “severely and expelled from the university. This would destroy their career and future education opportunities.”

    “This kind of freedom[proposing] is outlined in Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which Pakistan is party and also under the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” read the letter further.

    Background

    The University of Lahore expelled two students for publicly expressing their love and proposing on university grounds. In a video that went viral on social media, a girl could be seen getting down on one knee and asking her partner to marry him with a bouquet of roses. The proposal ended with the two hugging each other.

    According to a notification, dated March 12, the two students were expelled for “[being] involved in gross misconduct and violation of university rules and were called to appear before the special disciplinary committee [but] failed to appear.”

    Public Reaction

    The expulsion of the students in Lahore over a public proposal has created an uproar on social media with users criticising the university administration for the shallow-minded approach. Prominent personalities who criticised the university for its decision included Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry, PPP’s Sharmila Faruqi, Shehzad Roy, Yasir Hussain and Shaniera Akram.

  • ‘Zardari memes’ break the internet

    ‘Zardari memes’ break the internet

    Ever since PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari urged former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to return to the country at the earliest, memes have taken over the internet.

    Social media is lit with ‘Zardari’ memes and some of them will give you a good laugh.

  • Sales to avail this Pakistan Day

    Sales to avail this Pakistan Day

    Pakistan Day is just around the corner and despite COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions, Pakistanis are ready to celebrate it with full zest. While people are excited to celebrate it, many brands are also offering discounts for their customers. The Current has tried to make your shopping drill easier by compiling a list of brands that are offering discounts. Don’t miss out on these sales for a chance to grab some steals.

    WARDA

    Website: https://www.warda.com.pk/

    WARDA is offering 23% off on selected items.

    Gul Ahmed

    Gul Ahmed has upto 50% sale on online in-stores shopping.

    Beech Tree

    You can avail upto 50% off on Beech Tree sale.

    Website: https://www.beechtree.pk/pk/

    Khaadi

    Website: https://pk.khaadi.com/

    Sapphire

    Website: https://pk.sapphireonline.pk/

    EGO

    Website: https://wearego.com/pk/sale.html

    Ego is offering upto 50% discount on a few items.

  • Momin Saqib receives Commonwealth Youth COVID-19 Hero award

    The Commonwealth has named British-Pakistani student Momin Saqib as its Youth COVID-19 Hero. The award ceremony was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was streamed live on Facebook.

    “In March 2020, Momin launched ‘One Million Meals,” an emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis,” read an official statement. “Led by volunteers, the programme has provided over 100,000 meals and beverages in over 200 locations to frontline key workers, NHS staff, homeless people and vulnerable families affected by the pandemic, including through 47 hospitals, trusts and food banks.”

    The Commonwealth Youth Awards “have brought innovative, scalable and replicable projects of young people to the forefront of global leadership and have kicked local projects into the international arena for nearly two decades.”

    Momin shot to fame after a video of him expressing his disappointment over Pakistan’s poor performance during the ICC World Cup 2019 went viral on social media. Saqib has also ventured into television and is currently part of two Hum TV productions: Raqs-e-Bismil and Be Adab. He will also be part of Adnan Siddiqui’s upcoming production Dam Mastam.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5VVUUgvJxI
  • Bride in Mardan asks for Rs 100,000 worth of books as ‘Haq Mehr’

    Bride in Mardan asks for Rs 100,000 worth of books as ‘Haq Mehr’

    A bride in Mardan has asked her husband to give her Rs 100,000 worth of books as Haq Mehr.

    According to details, Naila Shamal Safi is a writer and says that she wanted books to highlight their importance in our daily lives. Naila is a resident of Tangi area of ​​North Safi Charsadda while her husband Dr Sajjad Jwandun is a resident of Bhai Khan area of ​​Mardan. Dr Jwandun has completed his Ph.D in Pashto while Naila is currently pursuing her Ph.D.

    https://twitter.com/syedazmatjmc/status/1371132721687322626?s=20

    Haq Mehr is the obligatory gift or dower given to the wife by the husband at the time of nikkah.

    Talking to BBC Urdu, Dr Sajjad said that he was happy to hear about his fiancee’s demand and hopes that this step will pave the way to end the practice of asking a big amount in Haq Mahr.

    “In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, boys are often asked for Rs 10 to 20 lacs in Haq Mehr, while different demands are made for dowry,” said Dr Sajjad, adding: “People criticise when the first step is taken against the norm but our work is appreciated by all so far and I think the world has come a long way so we must move forward.”

    Naila said that she is now in a relationship with not only her husband but also with the books.

    “I have a lot of books in my bedroom and other rooms in my house. We have put some books in the cupboards but many are still in cartons. I will set those up after my wedding rituals,” she shared.

  • COVID-19: Walk-in vaccination for seniors aged 70 and above begins

    Walk-in vaccination for seniors aged 70 and above will be available in Pakistan from today.

    According to the National Command Operation Center (NCOC) registered senior citizens aged 70 and above can get vaccinated from any health centre. However, the walk-in corona vaccination facility will only be available for registered senior citizens.

    Punjab Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid has urged all citizens to register themselves before heading to the facility to avoid inconvenience.

    Vaccination of people over 60 years and above commenced on March 10. Among those who received their shot is President Arif Alvi and Samina Peerzada, who also praised the government for the facility.

    Meanwhile, 2511, people tested positive in last 24 hours in Pakistan and the positivity rate has jumped to 7.21 %. Whereas, 58 people have lost their lives to the virus.

    Amid the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, various corona related restrictions have been re-imposed in different cities of country. The Sindh Government has imposed smart lockdown across the province until April 15 to fight against the third wave. The Punjab Government has also issued a notice and urged people to follow strict SOPs in the province.

    Meanwhile, Dr Yasmin has also said that administrative officers and police staff will be vaccinated in the next phase.

  • Samina Peerzada gets vaccinated, praises government

    Samina Peerzada gets vaccinated, praises government

    The Government of Pakistan has started the COVID-19 vaccination drive for those above the age of 60, with various vaccination centres operating in different cities of the country.

    Among those who received their shot is Samina Peerzada, who also praised the government for the facility.

    Sharing a picture of herself receiving the jab, the veteran actor said: “Thank you and Shabash Pakistan”.

    Other prominent personalities who received the shot include lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan and journalist Najam Sethi, both of whom praised the vaccination facility set up by the government.

    Meanwhile, others are also sharing their vaccination experiences on social media and praising the facilities.

    https://twitter.com/khanmaira089/status/1370777671291002880
  • Fawad Chaudhry defends expelled couple

    Fawad Chaudhry defends expelled couple

    Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has stepped in to defend the couple, who were expelled from a private university in Lahore for publicly expressing their love.

    “Every girl has the right to marry whoever she wishes,” said Fawad in a tweet. “Marrying with one’s own choice choice is the fundamental right given to women in Islam.”

    “The university administration should re-think their decision,” asserted the minister, adding “Treating women like property is against Islam.”

    Other prominent personalities who criticised the university for its decision included PPP’s Sharmila Faruqi, Shehzad Roy, Yasir Hussain and Shaniera Akram.

    https://twitter.com/ShehzadRoy/status/1370705950479355906?s=20

    The University of Lahore, on Friday, allegedly expelled two students for publicly expressing their love and proposing on university grounds. In a video that went viral on social media and created a stir online, a girl could be seen getting down on one knee and asking her partner to marry him with a bouquet of roses. The proposal ended with the two hugging each other.

    According to a notification, dated March 12, the two students were expelled for “[being] involved in gross misconduct and violation of university rules and were called to appear before the special disciplinary committee [but] failed to appear.”