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  • Bakhtawar celebrates birthday with Bilawal, Aseefa, says she is ‘sticking to 30’ this year

    Days before she ties the knot, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari is celebrating her 31st birthday with brother Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and sister Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari.

    Sharing a picture of herself with her siblings and Khala Sanam Bhutto, Bakhtawar thanked everyone for their wishes, joking that she is “sticking to 30” this year because “2020 didn’t count right?”

    Sharing the same picture from a different angle, Bilawal also wished his sister a very happy birthday. As per details, the PPP Chairman has suspended his political activities for a week to participate in his sister’s wedding.

    Bakhtawar is all set to tie the knot on January 29 with Dubai-based businessman, Mahmood Choudhary. A spokesperson of Bilawal House has revealed that the nikkah will take place on January 29 while the baarat is scheduled for January 30. All events are expected to take place at the bride’s residence in Karachi.

  • Maryam says no U-turn on long march, mass resignations

    Amid reports of a rift in the opposition’s ranks, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz has said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will decide on Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) proposal to move a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

    Addressing media persons after a parliamentary meeting of the PML-N, Maryam Nawaz said every decision regarding the anti-government movement will be taken through consensus.

    Speaking about the long march and mass resignations, she said the PDM is united and the time will come soon when it will march on Islamabad and resign en masse.

    It was the first time Maryam presided over a meeting of the PML-N. The pictures of PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and former foreign minister Khawaja Asif, who are incarcerated, were also placed in the meeting as symbolic gesture.

    On Saturday, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the opposition should bring a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan to send his government home. His remarks had prompted a strong response from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), with its leader Ahsan Iqbal asking the PPP chairman to show the numbers.

    The response had given rise to speculations of a rift between the PPP and other PDM parties.

    Subsequently, in an apparent attempt to bridge the rift, former president Asif Ali Zardari said the PPP and the PDM will send the “failed and incompetent” government home by all means.

    In a statement issued by PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor on Sunday, the former president said that the next few months were “very important for the future of the country’s politics”.

    According to the PPP co-chairman, the PDM is united and would use all means to send the government home. “These selected rulers will fall with their own weight and they just need the last push,” he added.

  • Learn from Pathans how to own your language, says Yasir Hussain

    Learn from Pathans how to own your language, says Yasir Hussain

    Yasir Hussain recently schooled a social media user over their comment regarding English language being a necessity, asking them to be proud of their language.

    A social media user recently commented that though “Urdu is our language, English is the part of our education, and we need to learn English too instead of ignoring it.”

    Responding to the comment, Yasir said: “Do you know anything about China? And Russia? And Spain? And the rest of Europe? They don’t speak English.”

    “Apni zabaan pe fakhar karo [Feel proud of your own language],” added the actor.

    Later, sharing his response, Yasir further remarked: “Ziada door na bi jayen, humein Pathan bhai sekha dein gay zaban ko kesey own kiya jaata ai [You don’t have to look far. Our own Pathan brothers can teach us how to own your language].

    Earlier, Yasir had said that “we have made Urdu a symbol of illiteracy,” and the “English language cool”. Sharing his thoughts on the Cannoli incident and the criticism the owners received for humiliating their manager, Yasir said: “[The] interesting fact is that owner of Cannoli made fun of their manager’s English and everyone (including my actor fraternity) raised their voice in English.”

    Meanwhile, ever since the video of Cannoli owners mocking their manager went viral on social media several celebrities including Adnan Siddiqui and Sheryar Munwar have come forward to condemn the incident and slam the women for their distasteful comments and behaviour.

  • Pakistani-Russian scientist introduces ‘COVID-19 cure’

    Pakistani-Russian scientist Prof Dr Jan Alam has introduced the media to a mineral-based medicine invented by him for the treatment of coronavirus.

    According to reports, based on nanotechnology, Minerolytevir is a 5th generation medicine that has been registered by the Drug Regulation Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

    Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, Dr Jan claimed that the medicine has no side-effects, is completely safe for human beings, and can even be used by a day-old child.

    “A patient diagnosed with COVID-19 can be cured within 10 days by using this medicine. Patients on ventilatory support can be saved by using it through nebulisation. Just one mist of spray on the face and other body parts saves a person for 3-4 hours in these crucial days of the pandemic,” he claimed.

    The Russian professor said he was the first scientist in the world to have invented a medicine for the treatment of coronavirus and claimed that numerous patients who had used his medicine had been cured, both in Pakistan as well as in Russia. He also requested the government to introduce his medicine in government hospitals to save precious lives, saying he has also invented 20 medicines, including that for the treatment of cancer.

    Dr Jan Alam has been given top national awards by the Russian government for his services and inventions in the field of medicine. He won the award for the Best Scientist in Pharmacology in Geneva in 2018, in Paris in 2019 Paris, and for his Minerolytevir in 2020, again in Paris.

  • ‘Nand’ hits 100 episodes

    ‘Nand’ hits 100 episodes

    Pakistani dramas are often criticised for unnecessarily dragging the story. Those which usually start off at a good pace eventually get stuck in a rut and lose audiences’ interest. Ongoing drama serial Nand has gone too far in following this trend, crossing 100 episodes.

    The drama has taken a complete turn from when it began and we now have new characters and situations driving the plot. The titular character, Gohar aka the Nand, has gotten a face transformation and Faiza Hasan, who initially played the role and was a major attraction, has been replaced by Javeria Saud. The Nand is not the only one who has undergone a change but another female protagonist Rabi (played by Minal Khan) died in Episode 95 that aired on January 13. Rabi and her daughter Dua died in a car accident in Germany, where they had gone to visit Rabi’s sister-in-law.

    While most viewers thought that when Gohar lost her mind after she was exposed for ruining her brothers’ marriage and creating a ruckus in the family, the drama would end, they were in for a surprise when it continued with multiple twists and turns before returning to square one. After Gohar was admitted to a hospital and treated for her mental condition, she regained her memory and got a brand new face. She returned to a completely different household and began to create havoc again.

    On the other hand, Gohar’s brother Saqib[Shahroz Sabzwari] and Hassan[Ayaz Samoo] remarried after getting divorced from their first wives. While Saqib’s wife is a mild-natured girl, Hassan’s new wife, Gul Rukh[Amna Malick] is evil and greedy. She even killed her mother-in-law with her mother Naeema’s help.

    Meanwhile, another mother-daughter duo – Sundus and Amna – have entered the storyline. The two have come to Pakistan from Germany with Rabi’s things to give to Jahangir [Aijaz Aslam].

    With multiple new faces taking the story forward, Gohar is now plotting to get rid of Gul Rukh and Naeema.

    Produced by Fahad Mustafa’s Big Bang Entertainment, Nand is written by Sameena Aijaz and directed by Zeeshan Ali Zaidi.

    Read more – Highest-viewed Pakistani drama episodes in 2020

    As absurd as the drama is, Nand has proven to be a commercial success, trending on television as well as on YouTube. According to some estimates, it was also one of the top TV plays with the highest ratings in November 2020.

  • Govt plans to mortgage Islamabad’s biggest park to get loan

    In order to meet its financial requirements, the federal government has decided to mortgage the F-9 park in Islamabad to a get loan of about Rs500 billion through issuing bonds.

    The F-9 park, also known as Fatima Jinnah Park is spread on 759 acres of land, making it one of the largest covered green areas in Pakistan.

    According to a report in Dawn, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has already issued a no-objection certificate in this regard. The proposal to mortgage the park has been included in the agenda of the meeting of the federal cabinet to be held on Tuesday.

    This is not the first time that a government is planning to mortgage a national asset to get loans through national and international bonds.

  • Ronaldo rejects Rs8 crores-a-month deal with Saudi Arabia ‘because it sportswashes human rights abuse’

    Footballing star Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly rejected a $6 million-a-year (Rs96 crores-a-year or Rs8 crores-a-month) offer to be the face of Saudi Arabian tourism.

    But the Middle Eastern country has not given up hope of attracting a world-class footballer to help them out, with Lionel Messi in their sights.

    According to The Telegraph, the deal on offer is understood to include the player making visits to the Kingdom and his image being used in all promotional material. But the 35-year-old Juventus striker has decided to “pass” on the offer.

    Concerns have been raised over Saudi Arabia’s human rights record as the country tries to attract world-class sport to its shores. Sports and entertainment have formed part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and improve its international reputation.

    However, groups such as Amnesty International have long campaigned against what it says is the Kingdom’s use of such connections to distract from its human rights violations. 

    Meanwhile, Messi’s views on the deal are not yet known.

    Representatives of both Ronaldo and Messi, however, have refused to discuss the matter when approached by The Telegraph.

    Saudi Arabia staged the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah in 2020, with Messi’s Barcelona competing for the trophy alongside Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. 

    In October, a coalition of human rights groups called for a boycott of the first Ladies European Tour golf event being held in Saudi Arabia over concerns it would be used to “sportswash” Riyadh’s record on women’s rights.

    Also last year, Amnesty cautioned against Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s attempted takeover of Newcastle United FC of the English Premier League. 

    The takeover ultimately failed after several months of waiting to pass the league’s owners and directors test.
     
    Amnesty International has also raised concerns over this year’s Saudi Formula One race planned for Jeddah. 

  • ‘Please Abu ko kahen schools band kardein’: Students request Tara Mahmood to convince Shafqat Mahmood

    ‘Please Abu ko kahen schools band kardein’: Students request Tara Mahmood to convince Shafqat Mahmood

    Ever since students discovered that Suno Chanda’s Masooma aka Tara Mahmood is Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood’s daughter, her social media has been flooded with requests and appeals from students who are asking the actor to convince her father to close schools. The government had announced that schools and universities will reopen in three phases from January 18.

    Read more – Memes break the internet after Shafqat Mahmood announces reopening of schools

    “Ma’am please apnay Baba say kahen keh humaray papers online kar dein,” “Please colleges aur schools band karwa dein Abba ko keh kar” are just some of the messages the actor has been receiving on social media. Some have even commented that they are sure Shafqat will listen to her because “betiyon ki baat baap nahi taaltay”.

    While Tara has not yet responded to the comments, earlier while responding to a social media user, she had said: “Schools shut for long will harm many students who don’t have access to online education.”

    “As a minister, he has to think about everyone in this country. And there are people out there dying for educational institutes to open. Hang in there and protect yourself by wearing a mask. Trust me, nothing will happen,” she added.

    Earlier, in an exclusive interview with The Current, Shafqat had said that closing schools and universities late last year was a “difficult decision”.

    “I think children don’t want to go to school,” the minister had said. “But seriously it was a difficult decision to close schools, colleges and universities. InshAllah as soon as the situation gets better, we will open them again.”

    Shafqat Mahmood has three daughters, two of who are twins. The actor has often shared pictures of her family on social media.

  • Zardari says PDM united to send govt home

    Zardari says PDM united to send govt home

    In an apparent attempt to bridge the rift between the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties, former president Asif Ali Zardari said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PDM will send the “failed and incompetent” government home by all means.

    In a statement issued by PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor on Sunday, the former president said that the next few months were “very important for the future of the country’s politics”.

    According to the PPP co-chairman, the PDM is united and would use all means to send the government home. “These selected rulers will fall with their own weight and they just need a last push,” he added.

    Zardari said the government will have to go home as its “inexperience and ineptness might plunge the country into a bigger crisis”.

    He further criticised the government for its inability to handle the coronavirus crisis, saying the PTI government would neither procure coronavirus vaccine nor spend anything on the public.

    The PPP government had increased the country’s exports from Rs19 billion to Rs26bn in 2008 despite global economic recession and its revenues had also doubled, he said, adding that the government also increased the salaries of the government employees by 125 per cent.

    On Saturday, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the opposition should bring a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan to send his government home. His remarks had prompted a strong response from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), with its leader Ahsan Iqbal asking the PPP chairman to show the numbers.

    The response had given rise to speculations of a rift between the PPP and other PDM parties.

    Chaudhry Manzoor was quoted by Express Tribune saying that the PPP would use all available options to send the government “home”. He said that PPP hasn’t ruled out mass resignations and the long march, adding that a final decision will be taken with consensus.

    He also denied reports of a rift between the PDM parties, saying the difference of opinion shouldn’t be misconstrued. “The Senate elections will expose fissures in the government, which is when the option of no-confidence motion can bear fruit,” he was quoted as saying.

    Meanwhile, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal welcomed Zardari’s statement, as reported by the newspaper. “If PPP has a surprise up its sleeves regarding the no-confidence motion then it should bring it on the table,” he said, reiterating that all PDM decisions are consensual.

  • ‘Humble Gen Bajwa waits in line for omelette brunch at Islamabad Club’, meets PML-N’s Zubair again

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had Sunday brunch with his family at Islamabad Club and freely mingled up with other guests present there, The News has reported.

    According to the report as well as a letter to a local English daily by an eyewitness, the army chief of the world’s tenth strongest military seemed to direct the staff to remove all special arrangements that had been put up for him and his family ahead of their arrival.

    “At the omelette station, the waiting line was rather long. It was so heartening to see that Gen Bajwa stood in the queue (me and my family noticed with surprise and delight) for about 18 minutes before he was served with his omelette (no one wanted to give him his slot nor did the general ask for [it], he was totally comfortable),” read the letter.

    The letter went on to claim that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair, who had in the recent past made headlines for meeting military leadership despite his party’s strained relations with the establishment, and his family “were the only people who were not allowed to meet the general”.

    However, the PML-N leader rubbished the claim in conversation with The Current. “I met him with his family. We exchanged pleasantries for about 10 minutes. And that’s it. More than 150 people present there watched it all,” he said.

    “Why wouldn’t he meet me?” he went on to ask.