Current Final

Blog

  • President Alvi returns 13 bills

    President Alvi returns 13 bills

    President Dr. Arif Alvi has returned over a dozen bills for reconsideration by the parliament, resulting in an indefinite delay in their progression since a new assembly will be formed after the general elections, to be held later this year. The bills were approved by both houses of the parliament towards the end of the PML-N-led government’s term.

    Among these bills is the recently proposed amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure, aimed at increasing penalties for those found guilty of showing disrespect to the Holy Prophet (PBUH), his companions, and other revered religious figures.

    Additional bills that have been sent back include the amendment to the Press, Newspapers, News Agencies, and Books Registration legislation, which seeks to change the term ‘federal government’ with ‘Prime Minister’ wherever mentioned in the law.

    Similarly, the Bill for the Protection of Journalists and Media Professionals aims to shift the jurisdiction over journalist protection from the Ministry of Human Rights to the Ministry of Information. The National Commission for Human Development (Amendment) Bill is also among the returned bills, proposing revisions to the functions of the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and changes in its administrative structure to enhance efficiency and facilitate business operations.

    Furthermore, a returned bill linked to the 2023 amendment of the Imports and Exports (Control) Bill.
    This measure addresses instances of economic difficulty and has been prompted by appeals from the business community and other sectors, seeking temporary relief from import/export-related restrictions.

    President Alvi also returned the bill related to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), which seeks to extend the term of the HEC chairman to four years.

    The remaining bills that have been sent back include amendments to the Public Sector Commission legislation, the Institute of Management Sciences Bill, the Horizon University Bill, the Federal University Bill, NFC Institute of Engineering and Technology Multan Bill, and the National Institute for Technology Bill.

  • If Batman was set in Karachi: Pakistani artist’s rendition is wow

    If Batman was set in Karachi: Pakistani artist’s rendition is wow

    We’ve seen how creative Pakistani artists can get. Every few weeks some art form or the other goes viral. Recently, a viral Tiktok trend re-imagined how Wes Anderson films would look if they’re set in Pakistan, enamoring thousands of people. Now, a Pakistani artist who goes by the name Booray on Instagram, imagined how Batman would shape out if he was in Karachi instead of Gotham.

    The results are astounding.

    Christian Bale? Nah, Fawad Khan would play Bruce Wayne to a T.

    And for his seductive lover/enemy Cat Woman, Mahira Khan would indeed put in a show-stopping performance.

    Since the artwork went viral on Twitter, thousands are already hoping that after the success of Maula Jatt, the powerful duo are cast in the film, if it ever gets made.

    https://twitter.com/oinkwadsz/status/1680596730100985857?s=20
  • Relief for PTI; IHC issues release orders for Shandana Gulzar and Shehryar Afridi

    Relief for PTI; IHC issues release orders for Shandana Gulzar and Shehryar Afridi

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has on Wednesday ordered the immediate release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Shandana Gulzar and Shehryar Afridi after suspending their arrest warrants under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

    The IHC had previously ordered that both Shandana Gulzar and Shehryar Afridi be presented in court.

    IHC conducted a hearing against the detention of both the leaders under the MPO on Tuesday.

    Afridi’s lawyer Sheer Afzal Marwat told the court that, “This is the seventh MPO order passed against Afridi, and the accused has been in jail for 90 days.”

    IHC judge Justice Babar Sattar asked, “Before this, which MPO order was passed by the deputy commissioner?”. The order against Shehryar Afridi was then read aloud by the counsel.
    The lawyer told the court, “Arrests were made in seven cases, but his client was later released on bail. Seven MPO orders issued against Shehryar Afridi so far have been declared illegal by courts.”

    The court further asked, “Where the MPO has not been issued?” To this question, the lawyer told the court that MPO orders have not been issued in Balochistan and Sindh.

    Justice Babar Sattar remarked, “If you have to keep a citizen in custody, you will have to provide reasons.”

    The court restricted Shehryar Afridi from speaking on media or social media until the trial ends.

  • Air Link partners with Xiaomi for assembling TVs in Pakistan

    Air Link partners with Xiaomi for assembling TVs in Pakistan

    Air Link Communication Ltd. will start assembling Xiaomi televisions in Pakistan in January 2024. This noteworthy development, reported by Bloomberg, marks a strategic move forward for the company.

    Muzzaffar Hayat Piracha, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Link, shared insightful details with the publication. He highlighted the collaborative partnership formed two years ago between Air Link and Xiaomi, focused on distributing mobile phones across Pakistan.

    Importantly, both companies foresee a streamlined investment process, as the assembly lines for the two product lines exhibit notable similarities.

    Bloomberg’s analysis sheds light on Pakistan’s positive economic transformation following a pivotal deal with the International Monetary Fund. This consequential agreement effectively doubled the nation’s foreign exchange reserves, elevating them to an impressive $8 billion. A key requirement of this agreement was the removal of all restrictions on imports, a significant move that has provided relief and opportunities for companies, including Air Link.

    Notably, Air Link’s journey has been one of progress, transitioning from breaking even to achieving profitability over the past six months. This serves as a testament to their resilience and strategic acumen, according to Air Link’s CEO.

    Air Link, which commenced operations as a mobile phone distributor a little over a decade ago, etched its name in history by spearheading Pakistan’s largest private sector initial public offering in 2021.

    Piracha highlighted this milestone while also outlining the company’s ambitious goal to ramp up monthly mobile phone production to an impressive 500,000 units by the end of the year, surpassing the current rate of 300,000 units.

  • Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz announces retirement from international cricket

    Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz announces retirement from international cricket

    Pakistan’s fast bowler Wahab Riaz has announced his retirement from international cricket. The 38-years-old pacer announced the decision on X (formerly known as Twitter).


    Wahab Riaz played 27 test matches,96 ODIs( One-Day International), and 36 T20 matches.
    “It has been an honor and an honor to represent Pakistan on the transnational stage. As I bid farewell to this chapter, I’m thrilled to embark on a new adventure in ballot justice, where I hope to entertain and inspire cult while contending against some of the stylish bents in the world” Wahab Riaz said.

    “I’ve been speaking about my withdrawal plans once two times, that 2023 is my target to retire from International justice, and I feel comfortable now further than ever that I’ve served my country and public platoon to the stylish I could have,” he said after his retirement.

    Wahab Riaz played his last match in December 2020, however he played PSL (Pakistan Super League) in March this year.

  • Turkish journalist jailed fifth time

    Turkish journalist jailed fifth time

    Turkish investigative journalist Baris Pehlivan, who was ordered to return to prison by text message this month, was jailed on Tuesday for the fifth time in three years.


    The justice ministry informed him on August 2 via an SMS message that he had to surrender himself by August 15 to the prison in Silivi on the outskirts of Istanbul, where many of the government critics are held.


    Pehlivan’s latest book, “SS”, accuses former interior minister Suleyman Soylu of having links to organised crime.
    “Baris might be released on parole,” his lawyer Huseyin Ersoz told AFP. “A decision could be made at any time,” he said.
    A former editor in chief at Oda TV and contributor to daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, Pehlivan has already been imprisoned four times.
    Two of those incidents involved him spending a day behind bars — once in February and once in May.


    Pehlivan and six other journalists were sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in 2020 for reporting the funeral of a member of Turkey’s MIT secret services who was operating in Libya, where Ankara supports the UN-recognised Tripoli government.
    While his death has never been denied by the Turkish authorities, the reporters were charged with revealing “state secrets”.
    Pehlivan was recalled this time to serve eight months of the 2020 sentence for violating the country’s national intelligence laws.


    “People go to jail (in Turkey) just for writing the truth, just for doing journalism,” Pehlivan said before being sent to prison.
    “Mine is a drop in this ocean, in this big fight,” he said.

    Press freedom advocates last week condemned the “judicial harassment” of the journalist and urged the Turkish government to respect media freedom.
    Erol Onderoglu of Reporters Without Borders said Pehlivan was the 13th journalist to be jailed this year.
    “Arresting a reporter is an anachronistic attack on public opinion,” he commented on Twitter, recently rebranded as X.


    Turkey is ranked 165th out of 180 countries in the RSF’s latest press freedom index.

  • ‘While we were dating, Ranbir told me not to wear lipstick’: Alia’s Vogue interview sparks outrage

    ‘While we were dating, Ranbir told me not to wear lipstick’: Alia’s Vogue interview sparks outrage

    Alia Bhatt’s recent Beauty Secrets interview with Vogue has gone viral, but for all the wrong reasons. A clip from the interview has sparked backlash, in which the actress reveals that while she was dating her now husband, Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, he didn’t allow her to wear lipstick when they were going out.

    “When we used to go out at night he would say ‘Wipe that off’”, the actress commented.

    It should be good to mention here that there is a 10-year age gap between the two. Alia was 17 years old when she began working on ‘Student Of The Year’ when Ranbir dropped by on set, and joked to director Karan Johar about whether he should marry her.

    Since the clip went viral on Twitter, users have expressed outrage on Ranbir’s relationship with his wife. A few months ago, the actor was slammed for body shaming Alia during a livestream, while she was pregnant with their daughter Raha. Then, he was criticized for saying that he hopes Raha doesn’t have Alia’s personality, because “she talks quite loud and is vivacious.”

    READ MORE: Ranbir Kapoor under fire once more after comment on Alia Bhatt goes viral

    “I would dump his a**,” one user commented.

    https://twitter.com/bubblesbublu/status/1691606143620046943?s=20

    Many users pointed out how Ranbir Kapoor has qualities similar to a toxic boyfriend, as one user put it:

    “Ranbir is one of those toxic men who finally settle with much younger women they can easily manipulate. she might be happy doing whatever he wants but it’s still a sad situation esp with her background.”

    https://twitter.com/rubypinkpark/status/1691663918530535450?s=20
  • Afghan women under Taliban rule: two years later

    Afghan women under Taliban rule: two years later

    15 August 2023 marked two years of the fall of Kabul when the Taliban seized the capital, capturing the government in Afghanistan in 2021.

    While the Afghan government tried to ward off the assault for the longest time, the inevitable took place, leaving many sections of society devastated. Among them were women who knew what the Taliban takeover would mean for their freedom.

    “We are going to allow women to study and work within our framework. Women are going to be very active in our society,”, the Taliban had promised in their first press conference following their takeover. But as many feared, these words never became a reality.

    So, what have the Afghan girls and women endured since 15 August 2021?

    In March 2022, a ban on girls’ secondary education was imposed moments after the education ministry reopened schools for both girls and boys. The ban further barred girls from joining universities.

    Women were denied entry in the job market. This includes exclusion from NGOs as well as the government sector. Ban on beauty salons left women even more helpless. While Afghanistan’s economy has been in shambles, families have been struggling to make ends meet and with women’s exclusion from the job market, especially sole breadwinners like widows or single mothers, are in serious financial crisis. Out of options and desperation, some women have resorted to the profession of nursing and midwifery just to escape the four walls of their house and earn.


    Not only Afghan women cannot leave their house without a male chaperone (a mahram), but it is mandatory for them to wear burqas. They are also not allowed to wear make-up or heels, and are barred from accessing public places such as parks, gyms, marketplace etc.


    Having nothing to do with their lives as a result of numerous socio-political restrictions, young girls are forced into marriage. Others are sold in order to cover finances or compensate for debts. Parents fear for their daughters’ lives as they often know little about the families they are married into or sold to, but they find themselves to be powerless.


    There is a sense of fear and trauma amongst young girls and women which is leading to mental health issues.

    Following the takeover, valiant Afghan women have, nonetheless, taken their fight to the streets and have protested time and again. Resultantly, they have been threatened and even beaten, but two years on, their anger trumps fear and their struggle continues.

  • Rana, Raja say general elections will be held next year in February

    Rana, Raja say general elections will be held next year in February

    Former interior minister Rana Sanaullah and ex-opposition leader Raja Riaz have said that it is probable that general elections will be held next year in February, Geo News has reported.

    Rana Sanaullah, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has said that PML-N supremo and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan very soon and will lead his party’s electoral campaign.

    While speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, Rana Sanaullah stated that the establishment also wanted general elections to be held in 90 days, however, due to the delimitation of constituencies, the polls will be held in February next year.

    On the other hand, Raja Riaz has also said that general elections will be held at the start or middle of February next year.

    He also mentioned that there are chances that elections could be delayed due to the present economic situation in the country.

    “It is time to save the country, not politics,” he added.

    Without explaining much, he said that “elders” had decided to conduct elections next year.

    On the other hand, the president of the PML-N, Shehbaz Sharif, has high hopes from caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, expecting him to conduct transparent, free, and impartial elections.

  • Threads’ hype cools as user activity drops by 79%

    Threads’ hype cools as user activity drops by 79%

    Threads, Meta’s social media application, burst onto the scene in early July, making an impressive debut with an astonishing 5 million user registrations mere hours after its launch. This rapid uptake established it as the most swiftly downloaded app, with a staggering 100 million individuals signing up within the span of just one week.

    However, the initial excitement surrounding Threads has since fizzled out, as evidenced by the declining daily usage of the app.

    Despite its promising start, Threads is grappling with a marked reduction in user engagement. Data from Similarweb shows a notable drop of 79 per cent in active users from its peak of 2.3 million in July to 576,000 by August 7. This waning user activity raises concerns for Meta, given the initial buzz and rapid user acquisition.

    Moreover, significant brands such as Wendy’s, Anthropologie, and Rare Beauty are scaling back their presence on Threads, with reports of “Threads fatigue” indicating dissatisfaction with the platform’s performance.

    Threads’ struggle to compete with Twitter is evident, as even at its peak, Threads had less than half the daily users of Twitter, which boasts over 100 million active users. This discrepancy underscores the challenge Threads faces in unseating Twitter as the leading text-based social media platform.

    Threads was initially positioned to capitalise on the turmoil at Twitter following Elon Musk’s takeover. However, Twitter’s substantial changes, including layoffs and policy shifts, have negatively impacted user satisfaction and advertising revenue.

    Despite the rivalry between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the concept of a cage fight has been abandoned. Zuckerberg expressed scepticism about Musk’s seriousness, signalling a shift in focus.

    The declining user engagement raises questions about Threads’ long-term viability. While Meta has refrained from commenting on the app’s performance, the departure of prominent brands and the downward trend in engagement suggest a struggle for Threads to regain its initial momentum.

    Threads’ explosive entry into the social media landscape has been followed by a notable decline in daily usage. The challenges faced by Threads, combined with changes at Twitter, highlight the difficulty of disrupting the text-based social media sector. The fate of Threads as a contender in the industry remains uncertain.