“This is very disappointing to be having live concerts with so many people while we are still not free of COVID,” wrote the actor on Twitter. “Cases are on the rise again and we are experiencing a deadly third wave.”
Mehwish urged people to act responsibly and reminded them that “Jaan hai to jahaan hai!“.
This is very disappointing to be having live concerts with so many people while we are still not free of COVID. Cases are on the rise again and we are experiencing a deadly 3rd wave. Let's please act responsibly.🙏 Remember.. Jaan hai to jahaan hai ! https://t.co/3OQFBaoBdt
According to the latest figures given by National Command Operation Center (NCOC), Islamabad has recorded 371 cases in the past 24 hours. While Punjab has recorded 1191 cases and total confirmed cases recorded in the last 24 hours are 2,253.
Amid the drastic increase in cases, the Punjab Government has reimposed numerous restrictions in different districts of the province including a complete ban on indoor and outdoor dining, closure of all commercial activities and markets by 6 pm on weekdays and suspension of all sports and all cultural activities. The Sindh Government has also issued directives for a smart lockdown in the province.
Syra Yousuf was recently seen grooving to Saawan Mein Lag Gayee Aag by Mika Singh along with sister Palwasha Yousuf and makeup artist Omayr Waqar, at a friend’s wedding in Karachi.
A video showing a helicopter showering currency notes and rose petals on guests at a wedding in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin has gone viral on social media.
According to reports, the groom’s brothers, who had come from abroad to celebrate their brother’s wedding, had specially arranged for a helicopter to shower currency notes and flowers on the ‘baarat’ guests.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of the area has asked officials to take legal action against the organisers for not seeking permission for the helicopter.
Earlier, a man in Sialkot celebrated his wedding by showering US dollar notes on his guests.
Ramsha Khan, whose clear and glowing skin we all envy, has spilled her skincare routine, sharing a step by step procedure on how she manages to maintain it.
Sharing a video of her routine on Instagram, the Ishqiya star said: “I’ve mentioned this a lot of times in interviews.. I don’t have a skin care routine as such.”
“I don’t believe in 10 steps skincare routine that involves serums and stuff…because that has never worked for me,” she continued, adding: “I cannot stress enough on this – do not forget to moisturize and use sunblock. Also do not forget to take your vitamins.”
Ramsha debuted in 2017 with the feature film Thora Jee Le and recently won hearts as Samia in the hit drama serial Ghisi Pitti Mohabbat. She also bagged ARY People’s Choice Award for Best Actor Female for her role in Ishqiya.
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.”
مرضی سے شادی ہر لڑکی کا بنیادی حق ہے، اسلام عورتوں کو جو حقوق دیتا ہے مرضی کی شادی ان حقوق میں مرکزی حیثئیت رکھتی ہے یونیورسٹی انتظامیہ اپنے فیصلے پر نظرثانی کرے، لڑکیوں کو پراپرٹی سمجھنا اسلام کے خلاف ہے
Other prominent personalities who criticised the university for its decision included PPP’s Sharmila Faruqi, Shehzad Roy, Yasir Hussain and Shaniera Akram.
Apply all the rules you want but you can’t expel love! It’s in our hearts, it’s the best part about being young and it what makes life worth living! You learn more about love than you can ever learn at an institution ❤️
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.”
A child protection court on Saturday sentenced a cleric to death for sexually assaulting an eight-year-old girl in Peshawar two years ago. Judge Wadeeya Mustaq Malik ruled that Qari Saeed based in Peshawar was found guilty of an offence of rape.
As per reports, the convict was also given a fine of Rs300,000 as the girl had suffered mental and physical torture and lifelong trauma. The convict should compulsorily pay a fine to her in the form of saving certificates to be withdrawn by her on reaching the age of 18 years, stated the court in its order.
“As far as the quantum of sentence is concerned, no mitigating circumstances could be found and rather, aggravating circumstances exist. The rape was committed of a girl aged eight years,” said the judge, adding that the convict was a mosque’s pesh imam (prayer leader), who committed the crime in one of its rooms.
The convict held the Master’s degree in Islamiyat and led Friday prayers in his mosque.
The court added that the crime was gruesome, as the convict was also found guilty of committing sexual violence by biting and bruising the child on her neck.
“The statement of child witness not only found confidence-inspiring, truthful but also has not been contradicted on the material aspect,” said the court. “[The] sole testimony of [the] victim of an offence if inspires confidence can be safely relied upon for the purpose of conviction and when as rule of prudence same is supported through confirmatory medical evidence not a single circumstances can be inferred for false implication of the accused facing trial at behest of police.”
The FIR of the sexual assault was filed by the police on March 14, 2019, on the complaint of father of the girl.
The complainant had stated that he and other family members were present in their house when his daughter came from outside crying and said Qari Saeed called her to the mosque on the excuse of giving away an amulet but sexually assaulted her in a room there.
The convict didn’t accept the charge and claimed that he was falsely implicated in the case at the behest of the Ahmadi community as he was very vocal against it. However, he failed to verify that claim.
The defence counsel also insisted that the girl might have received injuries accidentally and that she was not subjected to a sexual assault.
The girl was also presented in the court as witness where she testified against the prayer leader.
She said that her father gave her Rs 10 to buy candies and when she was returning from the shop, the convict had asked her to accompany him to the nearby mosque so that he can give her an amulet (taweez). The girl said the convict took her to his room in the mosque and sexually assaulted her.
The court has also invoked a provision of the KP Child Protection and Welfare Act, 2010, prohibiting the publishing of any information regarding the girl’s identity, including picture, name, status, address or school.
Minister for Science Technology Fawad Chaudhry said on Sunday that Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Dr Musadik Malik will be sent a bill of Rs 54,000 for tearing out the wiring in the Senate Hall in their quest for ‘spy cams’.
The minister made these comments in a press conference as well as Geo’s show Jirga.
مصطفی نواز کھوکھر اور مصدق ملک کو 54 ہزار سات سو کا بل سینٹ بھیج رہی ہے انہوں نے اسپائی کیمرہ کے چکر میں ساری سی سی ٹی وی کی وائرنگ اکھاڑ دی ہے۔ وفاقی وزیر فواد چوہدری
On Friday just before the Senate Chairman elections, both Khokhar and Malik found hidden cameras installed inside and around the polling booth in Senate.
According to Senator Khokhar, Chaudhry’s tweet led him to another spy camera that was found in a screw.
Chaudhry also tweeted on Friday that an investigation committee should be formed before Khokhar and Malik tear down the entire wiring system in the Senate.
سیکرٹری سینٹ کیمروں پر کمیٹی بنا دیں اس سے پہلے کہ @DrMusadikMalik اور @Mustafa_PPP ساری وائرنگ کو کیمرے سمجھ کے اکھاڑ دیں ،
Sadiq Sanjrani won the polls amidst the opposition’s protest regarding the seven votes that were in favour of PDM candidate Yousaf Raza Gilani but were rejected by the presiding officer.
After Gilani’s defeat, Chaudhry tweeted that had the opposition spent 25-30 per cent of their time in telling their people on how to vote correctly, they would not be crying now. He also added that the opposition should pay heed to Prime Minister Khan’s suggestion of an open ballot in the Senate so as to avoid such issues in the future.
جتنی توجہ کیمرے ڈھونڈھنے پر لگائ اس کا 25/30 فیصد اپنے لوگوں پر دیتے اور ووٹ ڈالنے کا طریقہ بتا دیتے تو اب اپوزیشن والے رو نہ رہے ہوتے، بہرحال ایک بار پھر وزیر اعظم کی تجویز پر غور کریں سینٹ کے انتخابات کو اوپن ووٹ کریں تا کہ پتہ ہو کس نے کیا کیا اوریہ مسائل ہی نہ ہوں
The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications (MOITT) is testing options available for the immediate launch of 5G in Pakistan.
As per details, the ministry has tested seven bands to evaluate the adoption of 5G services like low bands, mid bands and high bands.
700 MHz
2.3 GHz
2.6 GHz
3.5 GHz
MiIIi8meter wavebands
C-Band (3.6 – 4.2) GHz
Unlicensed Backhaul Frequency bands (P2P & P2MP)
“The Government of Pakistan aims to launch 5G services in the country by December 2022. Having 5G at disposal will open avenues for investment. It will also accelerate the progress towards achieving the goal of ‘Digital Pakistan’,” said an official of the ministry.
Last year, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) permitted mobile operators to conduct tests and trials of 5G technology under a limited environment and non-commercial basis.
PTA has also issued a framework for the Test and Development of Future Technologies, particularly 5G wireless networks in Pakistan.
The rapid growth in the demand for mobile data traffic for a better broadband experience has led to an increasing emphasis on the upcoming fifth generation of mobile technologies.
International Mobile Technology (IMT) 2020 is much broader than the previous generation of mobile broadband communication systems. The IMT-2020 will be a cornerstone for all of the activities related to attaining the goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“Naya Pakistan will be incomplete without the inclusion of women,” said President Dr Arif Alvi as he concluded his speech at the second edition of HUM Women Leaders Awards (HWLA) which took place on March 9, 2021, at the President House in Islamabad.
The HWLA, which “aims to recognise and honour the contributions and achievements of iconic women from Pakistan and around the world”, celebrated eleven national and international women icons and one man for their contributions and achievements in the fields of diplomacy, social work, education, healthcare, human rights, journalism and women’s rights.
“The aim of these awards is to encourage women to think big,” said the network in a statement, adding: “[These women] are change-makers in their respective fields and a symbol and source of hope, courage, determination and inspiration for women across the globe. These iconic women are mentors and role models for girls who aspire to be achievers.”
Among those honoured that night included Ayesha Chundrigar, Lt General Nigar Johar, Ayesha Jalal, Hina Jilani, Shahzadi Gulfam and Malala Yousafzai. All winners received special hand-crafted trophies, designed by Amin Gulgee.
The night was a well-organised and starry affair with many senior actors including Bushra Ansari, Zeba Bakhtiyar, Vaneeza Ahmed and Naumaan Ijaz, in attendance. Hareem Farooq and Sanam Saeed were the hosts for the night while Strings, Umair Jaswal and Quratulain Baloch entertained the audiences with their music and mesmerizing performances.
Speaking at the event, President of the Hum TV Network Sultana Siddiqui said: “It has been my lifelong struggle to see that women are given their due importance in all fields. There should be no glass ceilings, no chains of traditions and customs to stop their flight. In today’s economy, it is imperative that women be given an equal chance to prosper. We cannot have a progressive economy with women shut indoors.”
President Alvi, in his speech, also emphasized on the importance of empowering women and giving them their due right. He asserted that the mission of Naya Pakistan will be incomplete without the inclusion of women and encouraged organisations to achieve a gender balance in the workplace. The President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan said that women’s entry into the workforce must be made easier and that men must play their role in empowering and facilitating women.
Meanwhile, meet the winners of the HWLA below:
Ayesha Chundrigar
Ayesha was honoured and recognised for setting up the first and largest animal rescue organisation in Pakistan – the ACF Animal Rescue. The rescue service has rescued and rehabilitated more than 7,000 animals so far, paving the way for animal rights to become a norm in society.
Shahzadi Gulfam
Shahzadi Gulfam is the first Pakistani woman police officer to receive the International Female Police Peacekeeper Award by the United Nations in 2011. In a career spanning over three decades, Gulfam has made her country proud, both nationally and internationally. She was also the first Pakistani female officer to be deployed in the UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Tabassum Adnan
Tabassum Adnan the first woman in Pakhtun history to have founded an all-women jirga, Khwendo Jirga, which means Sisters’ Council, a milestone for the women of Swat. She was the first to be invited to the District Resolution Council paving the path for local women to participate in the decision-making process. In 2016, Tabassum received the Nelson Mandela – Graça Machel Innovation Award in the Individual Activist Category.
Abida Parveen
The undisputed queen of Sufi Music, Abida Parveen is among the 500 Most Influential Muslim Artists in the world. Besides, receiving a plethora of accolades internationally and nationally, Abida Parveen is also the recipient of eight Pride of Performance Awards, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Pakistan’s highest civilian honour, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz.
While receiving her award, Abida also recited a kalam, enthralling audiences were her magical voice.
Lt General Nigar Johar
Lt General Nigar Johar is the first-ever female three-star general in the history of Pakistan and the first female Surgeon General of the Pakistan Army. Hailing from Panjpeer Village, in Swabi District, Lt Gen Nigar was also the first female Commandant of any armed forces unit and the first female to have commanded the largest hospital of the Pakistan Army. An expert markswoman, she is the recipient of the Fatima Jinnah Gold medal, Tamgha e Imtiaz and Hilal e Imtiaz along with an honorary membership at the Royal College of Physicians (UK).
Malala Yousafzai
International icon for education and the world’s youngest Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai received an award for her unrelenting efforts to see that every girl completes 12 years of education.
Speaking at the event via video message, Malala said: “I dedicate this award to all the young girls who wish for a bright future, who have a desire to learn and get an education. The pandemic has amplified the education crisis in Pakistan, even more so for girls who continue to pay the highest price. With Malala Fund and our new projects, it is our mission to prioritise the education of girls with an even greater emphasis during this pandemic, so they can continue to learn during [the pandemic] without hindrance.”
“I hope for a day in Pakistan when every girl is able to go to school, get an education, be able to fulfil her dreams and lead without fear,” she added.
Ayesha Jalal
An insightful historian and educationist, Ayesha Jalal has published and written countless books and research articles that provide a unique insight into the culture and history of the subcontinent.
Masarrat Misbah
Cosmetologist and philanthropist Masarrat Misbah was honoured for her work with acid victims. In 2003, Misbah conceptualized the Depilex Smile Again Foundation to rehabilitate and support acid burn victims. Her organization helped many victims receive the best available medical treatment and psycho-social support.
Malik Rafique Awan
The only man awardee of the night, Malik Rafique Awan, has set a precedent for all fathers – all of his five daughters have passed the Civil Superior Service (CSS) exams and are serving their country with the zeal and passion they inherited from their father.
Speaking at the event, an emotional Awan said that on the birth of his fifth daughter, he and his wife Khursheed Begum were ridiculed for not having any sons and that is when he decided to empower all his daughters by giving them worthy education and raising them as strong individuals. He encouraged all men to educate their daughters and raise them as strong and independent individuals.
“I request all fathers to give their daughters degrees instead of jahez,” said Awan, who received the trophy from two of his daughters.
Awan’s eldest daughter, Laila Malik Sher is Deputy Commissioner Income Tax Department in Karachi. His second daughter Shirin Malik Sher is serving as Director at the National Highway Authority Islamabad while the third one Sassi Malik Sher is Deputy Executive, CEO Chaklala Cantt, Rawalpindi. Awan’s fourth daughter Marvi Malik Sher has been appointed as the Additional Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad and his youngest daughter Zoha Malik Sher has just joined the Officers Management Group.
Hina Jilani
Hina Jilani was honoured for her fight for human rights in the country.
International recipients of the HWLA included Princess Sarvath Al Hassan of Jordan and Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces from Ecuador.
Princess Sarvath Al Hassan
Princess Sarvath is the first leader to establish a nonprofit education programme that offered equal opportunities to every student in Jordan, presided over the Young Muslim Women’s Association and pioneered several initiatives such as establishing the Bunayat Center for Special Education in 1974. Princess Sarvath also served as the Honourary Vice President of the Jordanian Red Crescent from 1994- 2004.
Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces
A successful diplomat, profound academic and seasoned politician, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces has set an example of woman empowerment with her illustrious career and fight for women inclusion in politics. She has headed various ministries such as Foreign Affairs, Defense and Culture and Heritage in Ecuador. Espinosa was also the first female ambassador of Ecuador to the United Nations in New York and Geneva and the fourth woman in history to serve as the president of the United National General Assembly.
Speaking at the event via video, Maria encouraged women participation in politics, asserting that countries will not succeed until women are represented properly in the governments.
The Hum Women Leaders Awards will be televised on Pakistan Day on Hum TV.
Aurat March has rattled many a misogynist over the years. Women out on the streets, marching for their rights and raising their voice is somehow considered ‘vulgar’ and ‘obscene’. This year, though, what the anti-women brigade did was unforgivable. By their false and malicious propaganda, they have put the lives of thousands of women at stake.
Last week, a doctored video of Aurat March was widely shared on social media. Some men from mainstream media with a large following on social media platforms like Twitter shared the video without verifying it. Their tweets amplified the propaganda against Aurat March organisers and participants so much so that the banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) issued a threat to the women and told them to “fix their ways”. It is indeed criminal how a doctored video and false propaganda was carried out about the Aurat March even on the media where the flag of the Women Democratic Front was falsely misrepresented as the French flag, a poster about child sexual abuse and a video with slogans were misrepresented as being blasphemous. Right-wing groups took out rallies and threatened the Aurat March organisers as well as participants.
Organisers of the Aurat March released a statement that said that the Aurat March faces severe backlash every year. “Our videos and posters are targeted and manipulated, spreading misinformation and maligning the March. This year, one of our videos was doctored and heinous allegations are being placed on us.” They demanded an immediate apology and retraction from all those who shared the doctored video as well as a retraction by all journalists and media houses that shared this disinformation.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that this campaign was not just repugnant but an incitement to violence. “We demand that action be taken against all such persons.”
It is a no-brainer why a majority of our society would propagate such false accusations against women. How dare women ask for their rights, how dare they fight for equality, how dare they raise their voice for issues related to women’s health, how dare they talk about sexual harassment and rape, how dare they talk about child abuse and child marriage, how dare they ask for the rights of the marginalised… how dare they? No wonder why Pakistan ranks so low on the gender gap index as well as other indicators related to gender. We have weaponised an entire society against women. There was so much outrage about a doctored video, the misrepresentation of a flag and a poster but have we ever seen such outrage over domestic violence, child marriage, rape, sexual harassment, lack of health facilities for women, child molestation, low wages for women workers, etc? No, we have not. Because our patriarchal society will only reserve this misplaced anger and outrage at women.
It is time that we all raise our voice against this dangerous and vicious campaign against Aurat March. Some from media have tendered an apology for sharing the doctored video and deleted their tweets but is a mere apology enough for putting the lives of thousands of women at risk with allegations of a topic as sensitive as blasphemy? These people must be held accountable. The government should not only provide protection to these women but must also take action against all those who took forward the false propaganda against Aurat March.
