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  • PM Khan allegedly shares photos without giving credit

    PM Khan allegedly shares photos without giving credit

    Prime Minister Imran Khan recently took to Twitter to reveal “one of my favorite places on earth”.

    The prime minister shared some very beautiful pictures of  Gilgit-Baltistan with the caption: “The colours of Gilgit Baltistan just before the onset of winter. One of my favourite places on this earth.”

    Soon after the premier’s post, a Twitter user, Asmar’s Photography, requested the PM to give him credits for his photos.

    The photographer tagged the PM and said: “Thank you, sir Imran Khan, for sharing my picture but it would have been great if my watermark haven’t being cropped & credits may have been given to me.”

    PM recently inaugurated Himalaya and Nanga Parbat National Parks during his visit to GB region.

    Later, Asmar Hussain claimed that the PM Office had apologized for the error in not giving him credit for the pictures. “Would like to present this image to PM Imran Khan personally,” he added. 

  • Documentary on Qandeel Baloch debuts at America’s biggest documentary festival

    Documentary on Qandeel Baloch debuts at America’s biggest documentary festival

    Pakistan’s multi-award winning production house Soc Films’ latest documentary, A Life Too Short, debuted at the 11th edition of DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival.

    https://twitter.com/SOCFilms/status/1335931777840451586?s=20

    A Life Too Short chronicles the life of social media superstar, the late Qandeel Baloch, who pushed boundaries in conservative Pakistan like no other. She was killed at the age of 26 by her brother who smothered her to death for her open exclamations of women’s equality and sexuality through her sensational social media presence.

    “Making this documentary has been a labour of love for more than three years and now that it’s ready to go out into the world, I am both nervous and excited. Undoubtedly, Qandeel had big dreams and the courage to create her own identity but I am left terrified every time I realize that not all women amongst us are afforded their basic right to choose to live however they want. Yet I live for the day when there won’t be a price to pay should a woman choose to follow her heart.” said director Safyah Zafar Usmani while talking about the documentary.

    Qandeel’s belongings

    “Making biographical films is always tricky, but it’s harder when your subject is as complex and widely misunderstood as Qandeel Baloch. There’s so much more to her story than how it came to an end, but it’s really important for the world to remember the price Qandeel had to pay just because she chose to dream big and remain true to herself, and hopefully, this film will help do that,” said co-director Saad Zubairi.

    A Life Too Short was one of the 12 titles showcased this year at DOC NYC The Short List: Shorts. Last year the selection included seven of the ten films that went on to be named to the Oscars Shortlist for Documentary Shorts and three of DOC NYC’s picks went on to be Oscar nominees. This year’s DOC NYC’s winning short will qualify for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Annual Academy Awards in 2021, without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

    Directed by Safyah, co-directed by Saad and produced by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the documentary also features executive producers Sheila Nevins and Guy Oseary, cinematographer Nadir Siddiqui and editor Mishaal Adhaami.

    Qandeel’s short but chaotic life has provided inspiration for several works including drama serial Baaghi starring Saba Qamar, Osman Khalid Butt and Ali Kazmi. Journalist Sanam Maher also wrote a book on the life of the late social media sensation titled The Sensational Life and Death of Qandeel Baloch. The book also recently featured in the New York Times ‘Top 100 books of 2020’ list.

    Recently, Sharmeen’s set of short films HOME 1947 won the Best Film [Short Documentary] Award at the South Asian Film Festival of Montréal.

  • England tour of South Africa cancelled after coronavirus outbreak

    The ODI series between England and South Africa has been officially called off after issues around Covid-19 became too big to overcome.

    Official confirmation of the abandonment on medical grounds came today (Monday) after a series of postponements and cancellations over the last three days.

    A joint statement released by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board stated the decision was taken by the two boards “to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams.” Both boards will work together to reschedule the series, which is part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League.

    England will return home without having played any of-the-three scheduled one-day internationals. The decision to call off the tour followed apparent breaches of the bio-secure environment at the hotel in Cape Town where both teams are staying.

    A South African player tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. Two hotel staff members then tested positive before two members of the England touring party returned what were described as “unconfirmed positive tests” on Sunday.

    The series was to have started in Cape Town on Friday but that match was cancelled an hour before the players were to take to the field after the South African player’s positive test. That match was re-scheduled and moved to Paarl on Sunday, but that match was cancelled following the positive results in the England camp.

    The teams played three Twenty20 internationals without any problems before the Covid-19 outbreak.

    “CSA and the ECB will now work together to determine when the three-match series, which forms part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League, can take place in the future,” CSA tweeted.

    CSA Acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender said: “The concern over the mental health impact of recent events on all involved is not one that we as CSA or the ECB take lightly and the decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us.”

  • KP govt orders inquiry after six patients die due to lack of oxygen supply

    At least six COVID-19 patients died after “criminal negligence” resulted in a delayed supply of oxygen to a hospital in Peshawar, prompting the provincial government to order an inquiry into the incident.

    More than 200 patients — including nearly 100 with coronavirus — were left for hours with limited supplies of oxygen at government-run Khyber Teaching Hospital.

    “The sad incident happened due to lack of central oxygen supply in the hospital,” provincial health minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra told a press conference, confirming the deaths.

    “We will hold an inquiry and get to the bottom of the incident,” he added, promising action against those responsible “for this criminal negligence”.

    Hospital spokesman Farhad Khan told AFP a disruption in oxygen supplies affected some 200 people, “including 96 COVID-19 patients”.

    He blamed a private supplier, saying the Rawalpindi-based company had “failed to meet the growing demand”.

    Pakistan has reported more than 400,000 cases of coronavirus — including over 8,000 deaths — since the virus arrived in late February.

    Intensive care units in hospitals across the country are now almost full, with provincial governments struggling to deal with the soaring caseload.

  • Meesha Shafi’s take on the iconic ‘Boom Boom’ creates waves

    Meesha Shafi’s take on the iconic ‘Boom Boom’ creates waves

    Meesha Shafi’s rendition of Nazia Hassan’s iconic Boom Boom has been the talk of the weekend. The song was released as part of the Velo Sound Station produced by Bilal Maqsood and co-directed by Bilal and Yasir Jaswal.

    Shafi, known for her powerful vocals and eddy style performed a dance club cover of Nazia Hassan’s 1982 pop hit. Her powerful voice with outstanding control and projection is heard reciting these evocative lyrics as the words waft down cloud-like on the oversize LED screen: “Can you feel this force, this sweet design. How our minds are together, how we are so aligned. Felt the hush in the world. The only sound I heard was the way you made my heart go Boom Boom.”

    The singer received a lot of love and appreciation for her performance, to which she personally responded on social media. The singer, in response to a journalist, also shared that the melancholic undertone to the song was the sadness she has “carried for almost three years at being kicked when I was down by so many of my colleagues”.

  • British vlogger loves Pakistani food, people, doesn’t want to leave

    British vlogger Jay Palfrey is in Pakistan these days and he is absolutely in love with the country, its people and the food. 

     During his visit, he visited various beautiful northern areas of the country including Skardu, Hunza, and Gilgit-Baltistan.

    He shared many pictures on his social media accounts. Taking to Instagram, he expressed, I used to run to chase my dreams, now I’m living them, cannot begin to tell you how HAPPY I am to be exploring the raw beauty of Hunza.”

    Jay has been posting videos on his YouTube channel for a year now and earlier he had revealed that he has converted to Islam. 

    He also visited Lahore and Islamabad and wore the shalwar kameez to blend in with the Pakistani culture. 

    He has documented his trip in his vlog titled Pakistan, The Land of Wonder.

  • Another U-turn? Mobile phones have destroyed society, says PM

    Another U-turn? Mobile phones have destroyed society, says PM

    Prime Minister Imran Khan used to call the mobile phones a necessary part of digital Pakistan until a couple of years ago, but it seems he has changed his opinion about them.

    In a recent interview with Hamza Ali Abbasi, the PM has held mobile phones responsible for the decadence in society. He said the government cannot curb sex crimes on its own, as society’s help is necessary to create awareness.

    The negative impact of mobile phones on teenagers is disastrous, the PM said, adding that the “teens can watch the stuff on their phones that no one has ever seen in the history of humankind”. He said the “sex-related material” on phones have posed unprecedented challenges to the teens.

    The PM held Hollywood and Bollywood responsible for the decadency. He said that’s why he asked Turkey for permission to broadcast their show because it contains “Islamic values”.

    In Dec 2018, the prime minister had praised the increased usage of mobile phones in Pakistan, saying they were a harbinger of a digital media revolution. The PM had said the government would use mobiles to disseminate information.

    “The government would use mobile phones to run an awareness campaign,” the PM had said while addressing a moot on overpopulation.

  • Couple marries in PPE kit after bride tests positive for COVID-19

    Couple marries in PPE kit after bride tests positive for COVID-19

    A couple from Rajasthan, India got married in personal protective equipment (PPE) after the bride tested positive for COVID-19.

    Indian media reported that a couple exchanged their wedding clothes for PPE kit and venue for a coronavirus treatment centre over a wedding hall.

    Wearing garlands around their neck, the bride and groom got married in the presence of a priest and three others. All the guests present at the ceremony also wore PPE. The ceremony soon went viral on social media.

  • Junaid Jamshed remembered on his fourth death anniversary

    Junaid Jamshed remembered on his fourth death anniversary

    To honour the late Junaid Jamshed on his fourth death anniversary, Pakistanis are paying rich tributes to the singer on social media.

    The famed singer-turned-religious scholar passed away on this date in 2016 after a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight PK-661 carrying 48 passengers and crew crashed on the way to Islamabad from Chitral. Jamshed and his wife were among the 48 people killed in the plane crash.

    ‘WeLoveYouJunaidJamshed’ was the top trending hashtag on Twitter on Monday with several politicians and other renowned personalities remembering the late singer.

    https://twitter.com/WaseemBadami/status/1335884202135400449?s=20
    https://twitter.com/sadiayounas77/status/1335787847614423040?s=21
    https://twitter.com/DrNabilOfficial/status/1335840667931709442
    https://twitter.com/hamzamujahid_/status/1335665594318934016
  • Maryam urges media houses to ‘unite against govt pressure’

    Maryam urges media houses to ‘unite against govt pressure’

    Amid increasing censorship in the country, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has urged media houses to resist the government pressure, saying the media should stand united if it doesn’t want to become a tool for anyone.

    Addressing a social media workers convention in Lahore, the PML-N VP said no one would be able to cower the media into submission if the media houses stood united against repression.

    She said the government has pitched news channels and anchorpersons against each other, adding that those who had “courage to speak were asked to sack anchors if they didn’t want to get shut down”.

    It may be mentioned here that after the current government came to power, several journalists were sacked from their jobs. The journalists she is referring to could include Matiullah Jan, Nusrat Javed, Murtaza Solangi and Talat Hussain. But not all of the journalists were fired, Talat, for example, parted ways with Geo after mutual agreement.

    In a reference to the incarceration of Geo head Mir Shakilur Rehman, she said the heads of those channels who refused to capitulate were put into the NAB cell. She said media was even not free to run the name of a retired officer on TV, as it only broadcasts scripts approved by the authorities.

    “I understand that these channels are doing it under compulsion, but asked for how long they will endure this,” Maryam said, adding that “Geo News is nowadays against us [PML-N], but I know it is facing pressure”.

    According to the PML-N leader, journalists like Matiullah and Ali Imran were being abducted but the ‘fake’ prime minister had no idea about it when asked on TV.

    “If you don’t know who attacked Maryam’s room in Karachi and who kidnapped Captain (r) Safdar and Sindh IG then why people shouldn’t call you ‘Khaw Makhaw’,” she said alluding to the Karachi incident after the PDM rally in the port city.

    She asked the media for how long it would endure this attitude. Maryam said if the same situation continued then one day the journalists will be whisked away from their houses and then they will have to say that they went to the northern areas for ‘recreation’.