National Security Committee (NSC) meeting will be convened on Monday (today) to take “key decisions” concerning security and the economy.
According to media reports, the meeting will also approve decisive action against terrorists.
The meeting will be a continuation of the one held last week.
Senior civil and military officials are expected to attend the meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif chairing the moot.
On Friday, last week, the NSC meeting decided to turn up the heat on militancy with relentless counter and preemptory measures to neutralise threats present in the country in any form.
In a statement, the PM Office said the participants of the NSC meeting unequivocally resolved that Pakistan’s national interests would not be compromised and no one would be allowed to undermine national security.
We may have progressed to a new year, but international brands continue with their decades-old, regressive mindset of stealing artwork from third world artists for cheap products. Writer Rafia Zakaria brought this to attention today when she shared a screenshot of a Dolce and Gabbana toaster which had designs copied from Pakistani truck art on it. The toaster is retailing for $850. Is it still ethical to steal art that holds a lot of significance within a particular culture, especially while knowing that this country was recently devastated by floods.
‘Dolce and Gabbana Pakistani Truck Art limited edition toaster a mere $850 People in Pakistan still starving. Perhaps send a few extra dollars their way.’
Dolce and Gabbana Pakistani Truck Art limited edition toaster a mere $850 People in Pakistan still starving. Perhaps send a few extra dollars their way https://t.co/qohXEldi4zpic.twitter.com/B3Uqnlott7
Social media users sided with Zakaria’s criticism by sharing how unethical it is for international brands to steal art and profiting from it without giving credit to artists.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in an interaction with the media persons at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, has recounted a conversation he had with General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, alleging that former army chief called the former prime minister a “playboy”.
“General (retd) Bajwa called me a playboy, and in reply, I said to him yes, I had been a playboy,” said Khan.
Khan didn’t share when the exchange took place between the two.
“Bajwa was stabbing us in the back while also showing sympathy. The set-up he installed is still working in the establishment,” claimed Khan.
The PTI chairman, without taking the name of the army chief, said: “In Pakistan, establishment is a name given to just one person.”
The former premier accused General Bajwa of hiring the services of Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, for lobbying in DC against him.
During the same media interaction, Khan also said his wife Bushra Bibi is not like his political opponent Maryam Nawaz because, “she does not wear make-up”.
He went on with comparing his wife to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice-president, stating that his spouse does not wear make-up, but Maryam Nawaz spends plenty of money on cosmetic surgeries.
Pharmaceutical firms in Pakistan have threatened to start boycotts from January 5 after growing shortage of medicines and other life-saving drugs and to put pressure on the government to resolve the sector’s problems.
After the federal government introduced policies to increase prices of raw material, several medicines including insulin, are now unavilable in markets. According to the Pakistan Drug Lawyer Forum President Noor Meher, 91% of raw materials used to create these medicines are imported to Pakistan. He said that stocks of new medicines are sitting at Karachi port and Lahore Dry Port, however government authorities are not providing clearance to deliver these to stores. Meher revealed that the dire situation has now pushed pharmaceutical workers to protest on streets to demand the government’s attention for the sector’s problems.
In a letter to PM’s Principal Secretary Syed Tauqir Shah, the CEO of GSK Consumer Healthcare Pakistan, Farhan Haroon had written:
“We are incurring heavy financial losses on the production of the entire Panadol range due to an increase in the price of their raw ingredients and in the absence of due approval by the federal government on the recommendation of Drug Pricing Committee of Drug Regulatory Committee of Pakistan. Due to these challenges, manufacturing of Panadol range on negative margins is unsustainable and despite exhaustive efforts of the company to mitigate the issue through dialogue, the situation is now beyond our control, compelling us to declare force majeure.”
Claim: A video clip of heavy snowfall in Makkah’s Grand Mosque has been circulating on various social media platforms. The video appeared on YouTube and Facebook showing heavy snowfall close to the Grand Mosque and pilgrims enjoying the rare phenomenon. The 55-second video appeared on YouTube channel Bazme Masarrat on Saturday.
Fact: The National Meteorological Center (NMC) of Saudi Arabia said that the video is fake. The video is actually doctored.
A video clip recently circulated on the social media purportedly showing snowfall in the Grand Mosque in #Makkah is fake, the the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said pic.twitter.com/CzfdH1j2fM
Pakistan is facing serious financial troubles, and rising unemployment is just making matters worse for the country. Thousands of applicants can be seen seated on a stadium field to take a written test to be hired as constables by the Islamabad Police in a video that has recently surfaced on social media.
For the written exam, which was held on Saturday at the Sports Complex in Islamabad, at least 32,000 applicants were forced to sit outside in the cold.
For the 1,667 openings for police constables that were announced, more than 30,000 male and female applicants from all over Pakistan, according to Islamabad police, took the written test.
The positions of police constables have been unfilled for the past five years.
A new debate on how to increase employment in the nation has been ignited by the massive turnout at the Islamabad Police recruitment. Pakistan’s unemployment rate has peaked. The number of unemployed people is also steadily rising because there is so little hiring for government positions. Despite this, thousands of applicants are vying for open positions in the public sector.
Over 31 per cent of the country’s youth are unemployed, according to a report published by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) in 2022. There are 51 per cent girls and 16 per cent of boys among them, and many of them have professional degrees.
Pakistan has approximately 60 per cent of its population under the age of 30, and its unemployment rate is currently 6.9 per cent.
The Legend of Maula Jatt headlined by Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Mahira Khan is by far the most expensive film to come out of Pakistan. The film opened to packed houses on October 13th and continues to earn over 200 crores globally.
In December 2022, Pinkvilla reported that Bilal Lashari’s blockbuster was set to release in India on December 30th after gaining massive appreciation from countries worldwide.
However, Hindustan Times has reported that the film will not release in India. It was earlier speculated that the Pakistani film’s screening has been stalled indefinitely.
“We have been informed by the distributors that the film’s release has been postponed. We were told this two-three days ago. No further date has been shared with us,” a PTI report quoted an INOX official as saying.
The official added, “Zee Studios had acquired the rights of The Legend of Maula Jatt as they were expecting the film to do well. But because of the resistance from certain sections, the decision was made to not release the movie.”
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader and president of their cinema wing Ameya Khopkar tweeted about the cancellation of the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt and wrote, “Impact Of Raj Thackeray’s Warning! After the warning given by MNS, the screening of the Pakistani film ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ has now been completely cancelled. Not only in the state but also anywhere in the country, this film will not be released anymore.”
He added, “Again, if anyone has feelings of love for Pakistani artists, then this one warning is enough for them. Heartfelt congratulations to all my colleagues for this victory of the MNS movement.”
Previously, Bollywood Hungama had reported that the release has been stalled for the unforeseeable future. A source close to the development revealed, “Zee Studios had already acquired a clearance for The Legend Of Maula Jatt from the Central Board of Film Certification. But on Monday the CBFC recalled the film.”
Since 2019, there has been a cultural exchange ban between both India and Pakistan. But still, some of India’s Punjabi films managed to release in Pakistan.
Bilal Lashari’s directorial film has set high records not only in domestic cinemas but also in America, Europe and Gulf markets.
Previously, Jawani Phir Nahi Aani 2 was the highest-grossing film in Pakistan that earned PKR 73 crore globally. But The Legend of Maula Jatt has tripled up those numbers.
Initial Release IssuesIn Pakistan
Several cinema owners initially refused to screen the film due to a clash with the makers over commissioning ratios. Journalist Hassan Choudary shed light on the matter on Twitter.
Apparently Nueplex and Cinepax aren't showing The Legend of Maula Jatt. Whatever the reason may be, would urge cinema owners to revisit the decision. Please don't deprive the audience of this film and also why deprive yourself of the revenue which, I bet, will be unprecedented?
Film’s producer Ammara Hikmat exclusively confirmed to The Current that the news is factual.
According to theatre owners, the makers and distributors of movies have been requesting more money than was specified in the contract. Film distributors and producers are asking for more money than was specified in the contract.
In an official statement, Nueplex Cinemas have shared that they are not screening the film due to their exhibition terms, which are beyond the industry norms. Apparently, the film distributors are asking for more shares than what is considered normal in Lollywood.
Actor Syed Jibran called it a “deadlock” and said the distributor’s demand to increase ticket prices for a larger share was “very unwise” and a bad step. The Ghabrana Nahi Hai star took to Twitter on Friday and wrote that the deadlock happening at the moment for The Legend of Maula Jatt is between distributor Nadeem Mandviwalla and officials of Cinepax cinemas and Nueplex.
1/ I couldnt help but notice the deadlock which is happening right now between the distributor Nadeem H. Mandviwalla and the officials of Cinepax Cinemas and Nueplex Cinemas regarding the release of The Legend of Maula Jatt. The distributor of the film asking to increase the
Jibran suggested that instead of increasing the price, it should’ve been reduced to Rs800 instead of Rs1,200 or more so that revenues “go through the roof”.
“Increasing the ticket price they are just decreasing the repeat customers. It’s short-sightedness. Plain and simple. This will badly damage the reputation as well as a chance to create a historic box office first day score for the film,” he reasoned.
3/ increasing the ticket price they are just decreasing the repeat customers. Its shortsightedness. Plain and simple. This will badly damage the reputation as well as a chance to create a historic box office first day score for the film. Now because of this … out of 122 odd
The actor added that of 122 screens in Pakistan almost 50 of the main multiplex screens have not yet released any schedule for The Legend of Maula Jatt a day after the film’s release, which he called “the most important trend setting first day of the film”.
He called it a bad decision on the distributor’s part and demanded that the problem be resolved as soon as possible otherwise no one else could be blamed for the “underperformance of probably the greatest film of Pakistan ever made” other than ourselves.
After two weeks of the film’s release, the screening issues were resolved, nationwide.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif began the first day of the new year by remembering the victims of 2022’s devastating floods.
On his twitter account, Shehbaz Sharif said, “In 2022, one-third of Pakistan paid the heavy price due to climate change and for no fault of theirs”. He also hoped that Pakistanis as a nation will bounce back.
To the resilient Pakistani nation
In 2022, the one-third of Pakistan paid the heavy price due to climate change and for no fault of theirs.
President Alvi, in his message, said that the past year saw the loss of life and money due to floods in 2022 but the nation faced the challenges with steadfastness, unity, and determination.
However, as the new year has arrived, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan pledged that his party will form a strong government through elections in 2023.
In a series of tweets, mentioning the best and worst times of 2022, Imran Khan shared, “A government with one of the best econ performances was removed through a conspiracy triggered by supreme self-interest, and Pakistan was handed over to a bunch of criminals.”
Year 2022: "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times". A govt with one of the best econ performances was removed through a conspiracy triggered by supreme self-interest; & Pak was handed over to a bunch of criminals. They ran economy to the ground, gave themselves NRO2
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said his wife Bushra Bibi is not like his political opponent Maryam Nawaz because, “she does not wear make-up”.
Imran Khan told media persons that Bushra Bibi only steps out of the house to visit asylums and langar khanas.
He went on with comparing his wife to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice-president, stating that his spouse does not wear make-up, but Maryam Nawaz spends plenty of money on cosmetic surgeries.
“The setup of General Bajwa is still working in the establishment. They have asked three PTI lawmakers to remain neutral in the matter of Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi’s vote of confidence,” he said during the conversation.
Look, Pakistani men: you no longer have a choice. This year, Pakistani women are taking over. And don’t we deserve it. Looking back at 2022, we had to bear the burden of abuse, rape and gruesome murders.
Pakistan faces a gender gap in ways and incidents unimaginable. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022 ranked Pakistan at 145 out of the 146 countries ranked on the index. Pakistan was just ahead of Afghanistan, where women can’t go to school and universities. The report gauges how immense the gender gap is in areas, including education, economic participation, health, and political empowerment. Pakistan’s second-last position came as no surprise, at least not for the women in the country.
Women in Pakistan are yearning for the day when our society will learn to provide the strength where it is required and stand with the survivors of sexual assaults, when no one will be afraid to talk about their horrific experiences and when no woman will be blamed for being a victim and celebrated for being a survivor. But until that day arrives, we can all try to bridge the gap and make it better for the women in our country. Our leaders and decision-makers can really try and make an effort to make Pakistan safe for women. It is time to stand up for the ones suffering and give women safe spaces.
We as a country were still dealing with the horrors of the murder of Noor Mukadam and we hadn’t healed, when we witnessed the bone-chilling gruesome murder of Sara Shahnawaz in September at the hands of a man who, too, was raised as a result of the patriarchy.
From glorifying abusers and then giving them awards, the Lux Style Awards (LSAs) became a sorry affair in 2022. The coveted LSAs rolled out nominations for its 21st edition and as soon as the names were dropped, viewers condemned what they felt was an injustice to other artists and women.
So listen up: we hope that 2023 is a year when better sense prevails, we learn from our mistakes as individuals and start to become a country where our women and men are given their due rights and respect.
