State-owned channel PTV withdrew its compensation claim from the civil court of Lahore registered against former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar after he and Anchor Dr Nauman Niaz settled their dispute.
During the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup series, Akhtar had a heated argument with PTV Sports Anchor Dr Nauman on live TV, where the latter misbehaved with the national star.
Following the argument, Akhtar resigned from the live show. While the public supported the Rawalpindi Express, the state-owned channel sent him a recovery notice asking him to pay Rs100 million in damages and reimburse three months’ salary worth Rs3,333,000 for violating clauses of the contract.
However, before the end of the month-long cricket series, a truce was reached between Akhtar and Niaz, after a meeting at the residence of Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry.
According to lawyers of PTV, reconciliation has been reached with Akhtar.
In an interview before the truce, Niaz said: “I apologised thousands of times over my conduct,” while Akhtar, in an interview said that he has forgiven the host.
In the reconciliation at Fawad’s residence, Nauman said: “Shoaibi (Shoaib Akhtar), I am extremely sorry for whatever happened on screen and it shouldn’t have happened and the reason behind it is that we have a friendship of 30 years and that shouldn’t go down.” Replying, Akhtar said: “Its okay. He should have said it long time ago.” Nauman added: “It’s never too late.”
Punjab Minister of Food Abdul Aleem Khan has resigned from the provincial cabinet headed by Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Usman Buzdar.
Aleem took to Twitter to announce his resignation and tweeted, “I am grateful to them [government] for accepting my request. I am sending my resignation to CM Buzdar.”
He revealed that he has met with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and persuaded him that it is important for him [Aleem] to resign.
میں اُن کا ممنون ھوں اُنہوں نے میری یہ گزارش تسلیم فرما لی ھے۔ میں اپنا استعفی وزیراعلی پنجاب کو بھجوا رہا ھوں 2/2
“In today’s meeting with the PM, I have persuaded him that in order to maintain neutrality with regard to my news channel Samaa News, it is necessary for me not to hold any government post. Therefore, accept my resignation as Punjab Minister of Food,” tweeted Aleem.
After the alleged audiotape of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, Samaa News, a private news channel ran a news story, claiming that CJP Nasir’s clip appeared to be “pieced together” from two of his own speeches.
In September, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Aleem Khan officially became the owner of Samaa News.
National Geographic magazine’s famed green-eyed girl, Sharbat Gula, has been evacuated to Italy, the country’s Prime Minister (PM) Mario Draghi’s office announced on Tuesday, reports Reuters.
The office said it had responded to pleas from non-profit organisations working in the war-torn country to help her leave and “travel to Italy as part of the wider evacuation programme in place for Afghan citizens and the government’s plan for their reception and integration”.
Gula’s famous picture was taken by a United States (US) photographer Steve McCurry in a Pakistan camp in 1984, which was the front cover of the National Geographic magazine. She said she first arrived in Pakistan as an orphan, some four or five years after the Soviet invasion in 1979.
Pakistan arrested Gula for forging a national identity card and she was deported back to Afghanistan in 2016. At that time, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani welcomed her.
In September, Rome said it had evacuated almost 5,000 Afghans after the Taliban seized power in August.
Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah observed on Friday, that remarks about retired officials did not warrant contempt of court charges, even if they were made against a former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).
Justice Minallah made the observation during a hearing to decide the maintainability of a petition, filed by Advocate Kulsoom Khaliq, seeking contempt proceedings against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Maryam Nawaz and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for trying to scandalise the judiciary through their statements against the former CJP Saqib Nisar.
On November 15, Abbasi demanded that a suo motu notice be taken against Nisar after the former chief judge of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Shamim accused Nisar of being involved in denying bail to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam ahead of the 2018 general elections.
Abbasi, questioning the lawmakers, said, “If Mian Nawaz Sharif can go to jail, why can’t Mian Saqib Nisar?”
IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said in his written order that a judge who ceases to hold a judicial office “attains the status of a private citizen”.
“Such a person is no more a member of the ‘Court’ in the context of Article 204 of the Constitution nor under the Ordinance of 2003,” Justice Minallah wrote.
“It remains open to a retired judicial officer to seek remedies available in a court of law. However, the offence of contempt is not attracted in the case of a retired judge because after retirement the latter attains the status of a private citizen,” wrote Justice Minallah.
He insisted that judges were open-minded about criticism, saying, “Judges hold a very high position and they should welcome criticism.”
Former Pakistan Captain and Coach Misbah-ul-Haq has blasted haters for saying that the Pakistan cricket team is performing better after he resigned as the head coach just before the T20 World Cup.
Misbah, while talking to the media on Muslim Gymkhana’s annual match occasion said: “Well done to those who think that the team has started to perform better after my departure. I am also happy to see the Pakistan team winning.”
“We all want Pakistan to perform better,” he added.
About Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez’s future, he said: “The cricketers themselves can make a better decision regarding their future. They know better how long they can play for the national team and play their part in victories.”
As Pakistan started their two-match test series against Bangladesh today, Misbah stated that Pakistan’s Test side is strong and can beat the Tigers at their home.
“The team is performing well under Babar Azam’s captaincy, the credit goes to him. While Saqlain Mushtaq is managing the players really well,” Misbah added.
To replace Misbah and bowling coach Waqar Younis, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed Saqlain Mushtaq as interim head coach and Matthew Hayden and Vernon Philander as consultant coaches for the mega event.
Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi, took to Twitter to express his frustration with the Sindh government over the tragic death of a rare white lion at the Karachi Zoo.
Karachi Zoo is pathetic. Sindh government has destroyed it as their whole system is marred by corruption,” tweeted Zaidi.
He further expressed that if the local government is incompetent to administrate the zoo, then the Maritime Affairs Ministry can take over it under one of its port foundations and turn it into top habitat for wildlife.
Earlier the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) dismissed Khalid Hashmi, the senior director of the Karachi Zoological Garden, from his position. He was replaced by Mansoor Qazi on Thursday, reports Samaa News.
The proclamation was issued by the Metropolitan Commissioner, Afzal Zaidi. It is reported that Qazi holds the position for the second time.
Muhammad Faheem, a former employee of a private media news organisation, has committed suicide after being fired from his job. Muhammad Faheem was a “production operator,” according to his press card circulating on social media. As per journalist Waqar Satti, Muhammad Faheem after being fired from his job, started working as an auto rickshaw driver. Later, he committed suicide due to continuing financial problems
دریائے فرات کے کنارے کی مثالیں دینے والےحاکم کےدورمیں ایکسپریس میڈیا گروپ سے بےروزگار ہونےوالے کراچی کے گرافک ڈیزائنر محمد فہیم نےملازمت جانے کےبعد رکشہ چلایا محنت مزدوری کی اور پھر حالات سے تنگ آ کرخودکشی کرلی ۔اس ریاست مدینہ میں اس موت کا ذمہ دارکون ہے؟#JournalismIsNotACrimepic.twitter.com/akJm3YDWXC
As per a news report, he had earlier also attempted to commit suicide three times. Faheem was found hanging from a fan. The deceased had six children and was the only breadwinner in the family.
As per a video posted by friends of the deceased, Faheem, in a Facebook status a month earlier, wrote, “I’m Faheem and I need a job.” He also mentioned his contact details in the status.
The reporter, who made the video, showed the place where the suicide happened, talked to one of Faheem’s daughters, who told him that they would go a week without having food. Faheem was in 70 thousand rupees debt.
Pakistan ranks 145 out of 180 countries, according to an annual press freedom index report issued in 2020 by Reporters Without Borders. The South Asian nation was listed 142 in the 2019 ranking.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (PM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wazir allegedly got into an argument during the United Nations (UB) Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, revealed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Member National Assembly (MNA) Riaz Fatyana.
During a session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Fatyana alleged that the argument between Zartaj and Aslam made the former leave the conference and return to Pakistan.
He also alleged that the 18-member delegation of the Ministry of Climate Change sat idle at the conference, undertook no activity, and “wasted money”.
Malik Amin Aslam rubbished Fatyana’s allegations, saying that Zartaj Gul had left the conference midway to head for the joint session of the parliament.
“Riaz Fatyana has lied before the Public Accounts Committee,” he said. “Not even a single rupee of the government was spent at the conference. It was organised completely by foreign donors,” he added.
“PTI lawmaker had arrived at the conference via an NGO’s sponsorship and had demanded official protocol,” said Aslam.
Former Indian cricketer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Gautam Gambhir has allegedly claimed that he has been receiving death threats via email. Security has been tightened outside the parliamentarian’s house after he filed a complaint. Gambhir alleged that he and his family had received threats from ISIS Kashmir.
As per an Indian media outlet News 18, Delhi police said that the emails were generated in Karachi, Pakistan. They were created by a young man named Shaheed Hamid, about 20-25 years of age. He is a student at Sindh University in Karachi.
A second mail included an attachment of a video shot outside Gambhir’s family home. “We intended to kill you, but you survived yesterday. If you love the life of your family, stay away from politics and the Kashmir issue,” it said.
Police sources said they haven’t found any major motive behind the threats.
The video sent was from YouTube, possibly uploaded by a Gambhir supporter in November 2020, they revealed.
A few years ago, Pakistani television was considered to be superior to the country’s film industry. The reason for the edge was the meaningful and relatable content often churned out by PTV, STN, and then later, some cable and satellite networks.
However, in recent years, dramas based upon ‘unrealistic’ and ‘unpleasant’ themes are becoming common. One such theme includes showing two sisters fighting each other for a ‘man’.
Some dramas pertaining to this theme became famous, Maat, Khamoshi, Kashf and Jalan. Producing dramas in which sisters happen to be interested in the same man are being normalized by directors for the sake of ratings and attention.
Be it Saba Qamar and Amna Sheikh in Maat, Iqra Aziz and Zara Noor Abbas in Khamoshi, or Hira Mani and Sabeena Farooq in Kashf, drama producers are normalizing love triangles with two sisters and a mutual love interest.
Nisha in ARY’s Jalan, played by Minal Khan risked everything to destroy the life and marriage of her sister Misha but also to grab the man she thought was just perfect and had everything that she ever dreamt of. This drama was a clear-cut case of producers bent on grabbing the ratings, without even thinking about what they were showing in the drama. Nisha’s character tried her best to put up a fight but she had no idea the evil she was faced with in the form of her younger sister.
It is alarming to see the rise in sister rivalry again in Pakistani drama, that too where sisters are pit against each other only because they want to be with the same man.
In Junaid Khan’s latest Ek Jhoota Lafz Mohabbat, the younger sister played by Aiza Awan threatens her brother-in-law of suicide and even cuts her wrist in front of her demanding a divorce for her elder sister. This is the extreme of emotional blackmailing.
More such projects are set to be released in the near future including Yasir Hussain’s directorial debut, Koel starring Mansha Pasha, Fahad Sheikh and Maham Aamir.
This is highly problematic as such stories create a toxic impact on the audience. Television serials are actively viewed by their target audience i.e. the women, and are seen as having some similarity to real-life situations by many. Thus targeting sibling relationships will just add to the negativity and conflict being paraded as entertainment.
Such dramas also show sisters wishing death upon each other such as Iqra’s character in Khamoshi, or creating trouble for their sibling, such as Sabeena’s character in Kashf.
The more disturbing factor is that in most cases the male love interest is either committed or married to one of the sisters while the other one sets her eyes on him. This also violates the values and norms attached to the brother in law-sister in law relationship in our culture.
In the Ayeza Khan starrer Meherposh, the younger sister plans to poison her elder sister and murder her as she doubts that her husband is in love with her elder sister.
TV dramas hardly show two brothers fighting over a mutual love interest.
Actor Saba Qamar recently called out this wave of content in an interview stating that she is tired of reading scripts where two sisters are falling in love with the same guy and that then entire drama revolves around the problem.
She cited the example of Maat and said that she has also done a play like that but she wouldn’t want to repeat it in her career.
Television producers should stop churning out regressive content and should also be mindful of their social responsibilities about portraying family ethos on TV screens.
![Jalan's End Leaves Audiences Torn and Frustrated [Pictures] - Lens](https://currenfinal.perceptiond.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Jalan.jpg)
