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  • ‘Leave the judging to God’: Ahsan Mohsin Ikram responds to backlash

    ‘Leave the judging to God’: Ahsan Mohsin Ikram responds to backlash

    Ahsan Mohsin Ikram, who has recently been criticised for his alleged relationship with Minal Khan and for posting loved-up pictures of the two, has reacted to the backlash by asking people to worry about “his/her own life instead of others”.

    “Oh you who believe! Let not some people among you laugh at others, perhaps they may be better than them,” said the actor in a story posted to his Instagram.

    He then went onto say: “Human beings tend to judge others. They describe differences and are quick look down and those who may be different from themselves. It is as though they think that they are so right and so special, that anyone who is not like them has something wrong with them. We may not admit this, even to ourselves judging others and mocking them, openly or covertly, that is probably the most behind our attitude.”

    Ahsan then said that to “respect the differences is to respect the God who made us all so unique”.

    “Each one of us is special the way we think, talk act or behave,” he asserted. “Diversity adds to the richness of the world.”

    “Islam teaches us not to condemn others. Leave the judging to God. Worry about, and judge, only yourself,” he added.

    He further explained his stance by quoting a Hadith.

    “According to Hadith, fortunate is that person who is so busy with his own faults, that he has no time to think about the faults of others. Even if you see something we don’t like in someone, you may be guilty of the same thing, but are less likely to see in yourself.”

    Concluding his comments, Ahsan said: “Also, there may be a lot good in the other person which you are not aware of. The fourth Imam (a) taught us to see every person we meet as better than ourselves.”

    Fans, followers and social media users have criticised the alleged couple for sharing pictures of themselves in which they can be seen hugging one another. Netizens believe that the actors are giving out wrong message thorough their actions.

    Former actor Noor Bukhari was among those who expressed her reservations over the alleged couple’s public display of affection.

    In a post featuring the two, Bukhari commented: “I really [like] both the sisters. But if they are married, then being close and posting these pictures is fine.”

    “But if not, they are misleading the youth by making it alright to post intimate pictures before marriage,” stated the actor, adding, “Or maybe they are nikaofied (married). Aur unke parents khush hain (And their parents are happy).”

    Though Ahsan has turned off the comments on his post, the picture of the purported duo has gone viral on social media with people leaving hateful comments.

  • Pakistan exports in November surpass $2bn mark

    Pakistan exports in November surpass $2bn mark

    Prime Minister’s aide on Commerce Razzak Dawood has said that Pakistan’s exports for month of November have passed the $2 billion mark amid a resurgence of economic activity after the coronavirus lockdown. 

    Dawood said exports increased 7.2 per cent year-on-year in November “in these difficult times with resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Pakistan and globally”. However, Pakistan has “once again crossed the $2bn mark per month”, Dawood wrote in a Twitter message.

    In October, Dawood had said that Pakistan’s exports had crossed $2bn mark despite the contraction in our major markets due to COVID-19 and the uncertainty created by recent resurgence of the pandemic.

    Last month, Bloomberg reported that Pakistan’s decision to loosen pandemic restrictions early helped the country’s exports emerge stronger than its South Asian peers.

    The newspaper had reported that outbound shipments had grown at a faster pace than Bangladesh and India as textiles, which account for half of the total export, led the recovery. The country had seen total shipments grow 7 per cent in September, compared with New Delhi’s 6pc and Dhaka’s 3.5pc.

    According to the report, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s administration was the first in the region to ease pandemic restrictions, allowing export units to reopen in April, a month after locking them down to stem the spread of COVID-19. This helped draw companies from the South Asian nation.

  • Shaan says Ishaq Dar is ‘shameless to the core’

    Shaan says Ishaq Dar is ‘shameless to the core’

    Shaan Shahid, known for his hard-hitting statements, called former finance minister Ishaq Dar “shameless to the core” after the latter’s interview with BBC HARDTalk went viral on social media.

    The actor, in a social media post, wished that “Pakistani authorities were strong on accountability as these people are bad image for Pakistan”.

    He also tagged Prime Minister Imran Khan in his tweet, requesting him to take action against the corrupt.

    “Corrupt should be made an example of by putting them behind bars and strip them of all the assets they sold their soul to make,” wrote the actor further. “Let there be a wall of shame built and let their names be written there forever so the nation could see that lies never win no matter how rich they are.”

    “Let it be known that honesty and truth will always remain our core values. Let the truth win for once. Pakistan Zindabad”, he concluded.

    Later, when a Twitter asked Shaan: “Are you [an] actor or politician? Or [a] puppet like Shahbaz Gill?,” Shaan responded: “I’m a Pakistani first, who is hurt by the words and the actions of the corrupt. In cleaning themselves, they are dirtying the name of Pakistan.”

    DAR ON HARDTALK

    Dar, who is in a self-imposed exile after corruption cases were filed against him, appeared on BBC News to talk about corruption charges, PML-N fight against the government, and NAB.

    When the host asked Dar about the number of properties owned by his family. The PML-N leader responded, “It’s all in my tax returns.”

    Upon the insistence of the host, he said: “I have my main residence in Pakistan which has been taken over by this regime… I haven’t got too many properties.”

    “How many properties do you and your family own,” the host asked him again. At this, Dar said: “One.” At this, the show host asked him about the news reports in the Pakistan press that claim that the former PML-N minister owned multiple properties in and outside Pakistan. “You are sitting in London and you don’t own anything here,” the host asked Dar.

    Dar responded that he doesn’t own any property in London or anywhere else as claimed by the media reports.

    However, he went on to admit that his sons recently acquired a villa in Dubai. “They are adult and are in the business for the past 17 years,” he clarified.

    Dar, 69, is currently in London, “undergoing medical treatment”. He is absconding from several cases in Pakistan since 2017 and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts. He is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.

    Meanwhile, Shaan has often voiced his support for PM Khan and spoken against PML-N, Nawaz Sharif and his aides.

    In a recent interview, Shaan had said that though he is not from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or any other political party, he believes that Pakistan needs to give the PTI government, which came to power in 2018, more time to govern.

    “The race is not yet finished,” said the actor. “Give him [PM Imran] enough time to prove himself. As a Pakistani, I feel that this [PTI government] is the last hope for democracy in the country.”

  • Lawyers take to Lahore streets with guns to celebrate victory in bar polls

    Lawyers take to Lahore streets with guns to celebrate victory in bar polls

    Multiple videos of the Lahore-based lawyers have emerged, wherein they can be seen doing aerial firing on the streets of the city to celebrate the victory of their candidate in the Punjab Bar Council elections.

    In the un-dated videos that are being circulated in Whatsapp groups and social media, the lawyers can be seen firing indiscriminately while the police officials looked on.

    They had all sorts of guns — and ammunition, enough to take down an army. AK47s, M-16, G-3s — all prohibited bore weapons — can be seen in the video along with different models of handguns.

    https://twitter.com/TassawarBajwa_/status/1333655495123611650

    Aerial firing is banned in Pakistan, and people involved in this practice can be booked under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

    Following the outrage on social media, Civil Lines police booked several unidentified lawyers on the charge of aerial firing. Police, however, said it will go ahead with the probe once the lawyers are identified.

    On Nov 30, The News reported that Kamran Bashir Mughal, Sadiq Irfan Tarar, Adeeb Aslam Bhindar, Muhammad Ahmed Qayyum and Hafiz Abdul Naeem and 11 others had won the Punjab Bar Council (PbBC) elections held on 16 seats in Lahore.

    A low turnout was seen in the election for 75-member house of Punjab Bar Council (PbBC), the provincial regulatory body of the legal fraternity, on Saturday for a five-year term of 2020-25 apparently due to Covid-19 pandemic, it reported.

  • ‘The Umbrella Academy’ star Elliot Page comes out as transgender

    ‘The Umbrella Academy’ star Elliot Page comes out as transgender

    Oscar-nominated star of Juno and The Umbrella Academy, known as Ellen Page, has come out as transgender, introducing himself as Elliot Page on Tuesday in social media posts that voiced joy at sharing the news — but also fear over a possible backlash.

    In a landmark move for a top Hollywood actor, the actor thanked supporters in the trans community for helping him on his journey to “finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self.”

    “I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,” wrote the Canadian-born.

    His statement identifying as trans won swift praise across Hollywood and beyond, with LGBTQ charity GLAAD calling Page “remarkable” and “an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people.”

    Netflix tweeted: “So proud of our superhero! We love you Elliot!”

    Page, 33, burst onto the Hollywood scene with an Oscar-nominated role as a pregnant teenager in 2007 sleeper hit Juno.

    The actor also appeared in the 2010 science fiction hit Inception opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, and the 2012 Woody Allen comedy To Rome with Love.

    Page came out as gay in 2014, quickly become a flagbearer for Hollywood’s LGBTQ community, and married dancer Emma Portner in 2018. While largely absent from big-budget Hollywood blockbusters since 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, Page has repeatedly shrugged off suggestions of being typecast or shunned by Tinseltown.

    “The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now… I’m scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the ‘jokes’ and of violence,” wrote Page. “To all the trans people who deal with harassment, self-loathing, abuse and the threat of violence every day: I see you, I love you and I will do everything I can to change this world for the better.”

  • Islamabad bans indoor dining in hotels, restaurants

    Islamabad bans indoor dining in hotels, restaurants

    The Capital Administration has imposed a ban on indoor dining in restaurants and hotels on Tuesday after a surge in COVID-19 cases.

    Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Mohammad Hamza Shafqaat said the order was issued in pursuant to decisions of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) and under the Epidemic Diseases Act. He added that restaurants and hotels will be allowed to serve food in an outdoor setup and takeaway.

    The deputy commissioner said all assistant commissioners and subdivisional magistrates would remain in the field to ensure the ban is implemented.

    The city recorded six more deaths and 283 positive cases in the last 24 hours.

  • ‘Great debut’: Aseefa impresses Farhan Saeed, Momina Mustehsan

    ‘Great debut’: Aseefa impresses Farhan Saeed, Momina Mustehsan

    Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari’s maiden address at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) jalsa in Multan, which was seen as the formal entry into politics by the daughter of the late former PM Benazir Bhutto and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, has left people impressed. While followers of the party have made that clear on social media, others have also admired the budding politician.

    Among those who lauded Aseefa are singers Farhan Saeed and Momina Mustehsan.

    “Great Debut,” said Farhan, while sharing a picture of Aseefa on social media. “Any day a better choice to lead PPP.”

    Similarly, Momina welcomed Aseefa into the political arena and hailed it as a big win for women in Pakistan.

    “The hearts and spirits of many young women all over Pakistan must have been reignited seeing more females step into leadership positions in a male-dominated political arena,” said Momina. “Here’s welcoming Aseefa. More power to you!”

    Earlier, Ali Tareen, who is the son of Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s close aide and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) bigwig Jahangir Tareen, was offered to join the PPP in response to a tweet calling Aseefa “pretty cool”.

    Aseefa was filling in for her coronavirus positive brother PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at the PDM jalsa in Multan. Many said she reminded them of her mother Benazir.

    At the jalsa, Aseefa delivered a short and brisk speech. She vowed to stand by her brother “every step of the way”.

    She began her speech by heaping scorn on the “selected” government. “Despite the cruelty and oppression by the selected [government], so many of you have gathered here. This selected [government] will have to go!”

    Speaking about her mother, she said Benazir had carried on her father’s mission — to establish a welfare state — and faced several setbacks.

    “[Former] president Asif Zardari introduced the 18th Amendment and BISP [Benazir Income Support Programme] and fought for the people’s rights,” she said and promised supporters that she would continue their mission and would not back down.

    “They think that we are afraid of arrests. If they arrest our brothers, then they should know that every woman of PPP is ready to take up the struggle,” she said.

    Meanwhile, Ahmed Ali Butt said that Aseefa’s entry “looks like Game of Thrones Season 6, Episode 1”.

  • Hamid Mir responds to critics over Capital Talk-HARDTalk comparisons

    A day after BBC HARDTalk host Stephen Sackur grilled former finance minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar over his alleged assets, people on social media are calling out Pakistani anchorpersons over their failure to conduct such ‘hard hitting’ interviews for whatever reasons.

    One journalist who remained the target of this criticism was Geo’s Hamid Mir, who hosts Capital Talk, a primetime TV show. The social media users claimed that if Dar was appearing on a Pakistan talk show he wouldn’t be having such a hard time, as most of these journalists are on the alleged payroll of these politicians.

    One wrote: “Ishaq Dar thought BBC HardTalk was going to Geo Capital Talk and Stephen Sackur as shrewd as Hamid Mir I told you Stephen Sackur was going to skin Ishaq Dar and he did just that!”

    Responding to critics, Hamid Mir tweeted that he also wanted to pose these questions to PML-N leader Ishaq Dar, but he cannot because Pakistani journalists/channels are not allowed to give coverage to Dar due to a Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) ban.

    He also questioned the logic of this ban. He said the local media cannot interview Dar, but they can broadcast his interview given to BBC, what kind of ban is this?

    DAR ON HARDTALK:

    Dar, who is in a self-imposed exile after corruption cases were filed against him, appeared on BBC News to talk about corruption charges, PML-N fight against the government, and NAB.

    During the show, the host asked Dar: “Is it your contention that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has no integrity? To this, Dar responded that NAB has lost its integrity. “It is an institution that has been used against political opponents.”

    Dar said the prime allegation in the Panama Papers Joint Investigation Team report on which the Supreme Court directed NAB to file a reference against him was that he didn’t file his tax returns in Pakistan for 20 years i.e. 1981-2001. Dar said as a chartered account, he had never missed filing his tax returns while living in the UK and North America, as he called these “blatant allegations”.

    At this the host asked Dar about the number of properties owned by his family. The PML-N leader responded, “It’s all in my tax returns.”

    Upon the insistence of the host, he said: “I have my main residence in Pakistan which has been taken over by this regime… I haven’t got too many properties.”

    “How many properties do you and your family own,” the host asked him again. At this, Dar said: “One.” At this, the show host asked him about the news reports in the Pakistan press that claim that the former PML-N minister owned multiple properties in and outside Pakistan. “You are sitting in London and you don’t own anything here,” the host asked Dar.

    Dar responded that he doesn’t own any property in London or anywhere else as claimed by the media reports.

    However, he went on to admit that his sons recently acquired a villa in Dubai. “They are adult and are in the business for the past 17 years,” he clarified.

    Dar, 69, is currently in London, “undergoing medical treatment”. He is absconding from several cases in Pakistan since 2017 and has been declared a proclaimed offender by the courts. He is facing charges of accumulating assets beyond known sources of income.

  • PCB Challengers crowned winners of the T20 Women’s Cricket Championship

    PCB Challengers defeated PCB Dynamites by seven runs in a nerve-wracking final of the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship, held at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

    Along with the trophy, the winning team also received Rs 1 million prize money while the runner-ups were awarded Rs 500,000.

    Read more – Women cricketers travel to Karachi ‘in bags’

    Dynamites won the toss and elected to bowl first. Batting first, Challengers gave a target of 134 to the opponent team. Chasing the target, Dynamites managed to score 126 only.

    Kainat Hafeez who was the top Scorer from Champion’s side with her 31- runs innings was named the Player of the Match.

    Kainat Imtiaz from Dynamites who gave an all-round performance throughout the tournament (111 runs and three wickets) was declared player of the tournament and was awarded Rs 50,000. Meanwhile, Subhana Tariq was the most successful bowler for PCB Dynamites. She picked three wickets.

    Earlier this year, Champions won the first edition of the tournament by defeating PCB Blasters in the final.

  • Hamza Ali Abbasi is writing a book on God

    Hamza Ali Abbasi has announced that he is in the process of writing a book on religion and God.

    The actor said that he hopes to complete it by June 2021.

    “Will be a little inactive on social media because of that,” shared Hamza.

    In November last year, Hamza announced that he is taking a break from acting to focus on his spiritual journey and get a better understanding of Islam.

    “I had this divine revelation some time back, that all that I am doing in this world will end the moment I die,” Hamza said in a video message, adding that death is inevitable.

    “All these trophies, all these accolades will not bring me any good on the day of judgment when I meet my Maker. I have decided that I want to leave everything that might be a hurdle when it comes to making my matters easier on the day of Judgment.”

    Hamza later clarified that he is only taking a break from acting and will continue to make videos and use his voice and popularity to spread the message of Islam and inspire others to undertake this spiritual journey.

    The actor turned evangelist also often shares his thoughts and understanding of religion on social media. He also takes out time to interact with his followers and other social media users and explains them things they do not understand.

    He also encourages people to “rise above sectarian and political biases and see Islam for [what] it really is”.