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  • KYA BOLA? (Jul 16): ‘Noon League ne PIA ko naa baich kar ghalti ki’ to ‘Benazir ki waseehat’

    KYA BOLA? (Jul 16): ‘Noon League ne PIA ko naa baich kar ghalti ki’ to ‘Benazir ki waseehat’

    Following are some of the best snippets from Urdu newspapers on July 16, 2020, which The Current takes no responsibility for.

    ‘Noon League ne PIA ko naa baich kar ghalti ki‘

    According to Daily Jang, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Khawaja Asif has admitted in a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Privatisation that“Noon League nay pichley daur mein PIA ko naa baich kr ghalti ki”.

    Meanwhile, managing director of PIA Investments Limited told the meeting that United States (US) President Donald Trump was interested in buying the national carrier-owned luxury hotel in New York.

    ‘Court aur Wazir-e-Azam kay muawin‘

    Daily Dunya has reported that Islamabad High Court (IHC), while hearing a petition filed against special assistants to the prime minister (SAPMs), has remarked that, “Wazir-e-Azam ka muawin wohi ho sakta hai jo mutalka shaubay [department] ka maahir ho.” The court ruled that if an answer was not submitted at the next hearing, unilateral action will be taken.

    ‘Benazir ki waseehat’

    It has been reported by Daily Dunya that Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded that the late former PM Benazir Bhutto’s will be presented before the nation.

    As a war of words continues between ruling PTI’s leaders from Sindh and members of the PPP-led provincial government, Zaidi has alleged that a handwritten “unverified” note was presented by the PPP to hand the reins of the party to the family of the deceased PM while “fooling the nation” and “ruining Sindh”.

  • PML-N lawmaker in Punjab seeks action against men with fashionable beards, their barbers

    PML-N lawmaker in Punjab seeks action against men with fashionable beards, their barbers

    Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Rukhsana Kausar has tabled a resolution in the provincial house of Punjab seeking a ban on beard styling and action against men with fashionable beards as well as their barbers.

    According to Kausar’s resolution, beard is the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and legislation to decide strict action against those who shape beards in fashionable styles is needed.

    The resolution contends that any kind of styling of the beard is a “grave sin”, and it is an “insult to the beard”. The resolution calls for strict action against those “who make fun of beard”.

    “When I see youngsters on the streets and in the markets with different designs of beard in the name of fashion, I feel hurt, because that is against the teachings of Islam,” she told a private media outlet.

    Federal Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry has also reacted to the resolution in the Punjab Assembly.

    This is not the first time that beard designing has been a priority of the ruling elite as barbers have time and again been “strictly barred” from styling customers’ beards in different shapes or clipping them into designs in areas of rural Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan.

    KP police in Shabqadar tehsil of Charsadda had in 2019 detained at least four barbers for styling customers’ beards during an unofficial ban imposed by a local traders’ union that had termed such beards “un-Islamic”.

  • Photography obsessed man builds camera-shaped house, names his sons Canon, Nikon & Epson

    Photography obsessed man builds camera-shaped house, names his sons Canon, Nikon & Epson

    A man in Belgaum, India expressed his love for photography by making a house that resembled a camera.

    According to details, Ravi Hongal loved photography ever since he was a child and used to go to the nearby rural areas to take pictures.

    The 49-year-old is so passionate about photography that he even named his sons after the famous camera brands. He named his sons Canon, Nikon and Epson which are also written on the house.

    Ravi spent approximately Rs 15953750 to build the three-story house. The exterior of the house consists of a lens, a flash, a showreel, a memory card and a viewfinder. Also, the ceilings and walls inside the home resemble various parts of the camera.

  • Trump interested in buying PIA-owned luxurious New York hotel govt wanted to sell

    Trump interested in buying PIA-owned luxurious New York hotel govt wanted to sell

    United States (US) President Donald Trump had expressed interest in acquiring the Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) Roosevelt Hotel in New York, it was revealed on Wednesday during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Privatisation.

    The 19-storey hotel with 1,025 rooms plus allied facilities in New York City, with some of the suites being among the most luxurious available in Manhattan, is considered a valuable property that also carries cultural significance for Pakistan.

    tandingg on the corner of 45th Street and Madison Avenue, in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the hotel bears a quintessentially American name in honour of former United States (US) President Theodore Roosevelt, who had previously been the governor of New York State.

    According to The News, the managing director of PIA Investments Limited informed the lawmakers that Trump had expressed interest in acquiring the iconic hotel in the past and was “still keen on purchasing it”.

    “The government has tried 10 times to sell the hotel,” he added.

    Briefing the members, Privatisation Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro said the government was not selling the property but rather planning to lease it out or work in a joint venture with the private sector.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif said that the parliament should be taken into confidence over the privatisation matter.

    “We are not against privatisation but we must wait for a better time to get a good price,” Asif added.

    “Don’t make a decision now and instead wait. Right now, neither PIA would be sold nor the hotel.”

    Earlier this month, opposition parties had slammed the ruling party when it was reported that the government is considering selling the Roosevelt Hotel.

    The plan was shelved due to stiff opposition and the coronavirus pandemic.

    In a meeting on July 2, the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCoP) decided that the Roosevelt Hotel would be run under a joint venture with a third party.

    The said hotel was acquired by PIA Investment Limited on lease during the year 1979 with an option to purchase the property. PIA had purchased the hotel against $36.5 million against a demand of $59.5 million by contesting a lawsuit against the owner in 1999. The Interstate Hotel and Resort is managing the Roosevelt Hotel since 1997.

  • Sarah Khan, Falak Shabir’s wedding festivities kick off with a colourful mehndi

    Sarah Khan, Falak Shabir’s wedding festivities kick off with a colourful mehndi

    Sarah Khan gave her fans a shock when she announced her engagement to singer Falak Shabir Wednesday evening. A few hours later, fans were in for another surprise after videos from their mehndi began to circulate on social media and everyone began to question when exactly the engagement happened.

    While we wait for the couple to spill out the details, check out videos from their colourful mehndi night below:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCsbCMClt7j/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrGiaBlCI_/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrSfOYJXjb/
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCrhNSThRIr/

    Falak also shared some snippets from their mehndi function on his Instagram stories.

    According to details, the couple will be tying the knot officially today (Thursday).

    While Sarah prefers to keep her private life under wraps, in an interview dated October 2019, she had revealed that she will be tying the knot soon. At that time she had said that she will be opting for an arranged marriage.

    “I have decided for an arranged marriage and will surprise my fans soon,” the actor had reportedly said. “I will marry a family man and settle down.”

    However, later she had refuted the reports and said: “Do not believe anything unless I say it myself. Please respect my privacy and stop spreading false rumours. I ain’t getting married anytime soon.”

  • Breaking: Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Apple, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack

    Breaking: Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Apple, and others hacked in unprecedented Twitter attack

    The Twitter accounts of major companies and individuals have been compromised in one of the most widespread and confounding hacks the platform has ever seen, all in service of promoting a bitcoin scam.

    It all began when Elon Musk’s Twitter account was seemingly compromised by a hacker intent on using it to run a bitcoin scam.

    Microsoft co-founder bill gates also had his account hacked by the same hackers, who posted a similar message with an identical bitcoin wallet address. Both accounts continued to post new tweets promoting the scam almost as fast as they are deleted.

    A spokesperson for Gates tells Recode’s Teddy Schleifer, “We can confirm that this tweet was not sent by Bill Gates. This appears to be part of a larger issue that Twitter is facing. Twitter is aware and working to restore the account.”

    Shortly after the wave of tweets from Gates and Musk’s accounts, the accounts of Barak Obama, Apple, Uber, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, hip-hop mogul Kanye West, and former New York City mayor and billionaire Mike Bloomberg, among others, were also compromised and began posting the scam.

    The origin of the scam appears to be when Musk’s account issued a mysterious tweet at 4:17PM ET reading, “I‘m feeling generous because of Covid-19. I’ll double any BTC payment sent to my BTC address for the next hour. Good luck, and stay safe out there!” The tweet also contained a bitcoin address, presumably one associated with the hacker’s crypto wallet.

    https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1283518038445223936?s=20

    The investigation is going on but Twitter has taken security measures to prevent further attacks. Twitter has locked the compromised accounts. They will be restored once the company will be confident about security measures.

    https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1283591852982231040?s=20

    Most of the accounts will be able to operate normally and the company is working to streamline their services.

    https://twitter.com/TwitterSupport/status/1283562446196596737?s=20
  • Sarah Khan is engaged to Falak Shabir

    Sarah Khan is engaged to Falak Shabir

    Sarah Khan said yes!

    The actor, who has been stealing the show with her performance as Miraal in Sabaat, just announced that she has gotten engaged to singer Falak Shabbir.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqakA6l4W6/

    According to details, Falak proposed to Sarah on her birthday and the couple is expected to tie the knot tomorrow.

    Read more – Nimra Khan ties the knot

    The two have been sharing pictures from their engagement and behind the scenes on social media.

    Soon after the couple made the announcement, congratulatory messages poured in for them.

    While Sarah is a household name in the Pakistani drama industry, Falak is a well-known singer-songwriter, also referred to as the ‘King of Soul Style’ and ‘Mr Unplugged’. Apart from singles, Shabir has also sung songs for many Bollywood films.

  • FBR, NADRA launch web portal for tax profiling, asset inquiry

    FBR, NADRA launch web portal for tax profiling, asset inquiry

    The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) have launched a web portal through which Pakistanis can view the list of declared assets and download information for documentation and record-keeping.

    The portal provides the following services that allow you to check your asset details online:

    a) FBR Tax Profiling System

    b) FBR Assets Inquiry System (FBR Maloomat)

    The web portal created by FBR and NADRA collects your data from official sources in order to calculate your assets. As long as you’re a Pakistani citizen, you can view the information from anywhere in the world.

    ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION:

    • You must be a Pakistani national with a valid CNIC or NICOP
    • You should be above 18 years of age
    • Citizens residing in Pakistan must have a PTA registered mobile number
    • Overseas Pakistanis must have a valid email address
    • You must make a payment of PKR500 through NADRA e-Sahulat or you credit/debit card

    HOW TO USE THE TAX PROFILING SYSTEM:

    1. Visit the official website for FBR Tax Profiling System
    2. Create your account by entering your valid CNIC number in the relevant field followed by the computer-generated verification code and click on ‘Submit’
    3. Pay the application fee via your credit/debit card or through a nearby NADRA e-Sahulat franchise. A city-based drop-down list of e-Sahulat outlets is also there on the portal for your convenience  
    4. Once you have successfully made the payment, here is the information that will be available for viewing:
    • Tax Filer Status
    • NTN number
    • Total Income
    • Tax Paid
    • Net Wealth
    • Withholding Tax
    • SIM card in your name
    • Number of cars
    • Arms License
    • Executive Services
    • Passports
    • Travel information

    6. You can save the information in a PDF format and print it if needed.

    FBR ASSETS INQUIRY SYSTEM

    Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to carry out an FBR assets check using the board’s web portal.

    1. Visit the official website for FBR Maloomat
    2.  Use your registered mobile number to send your CNIC number to 9966

    OR

    3. Select the ‘Get Login/ Password for Asset Inquiry (It’s Free)’ tab on the top. Then, enter your CNIC number, name, choose an appropriate prefix, pick current service provider and add your mobile number in the relevant fields. Just make sure the phone number you enter into the portal is registered in your name.

    4. Receive the code on your mobile number

    5. Once you login to the FBR Asset Inquiry System, you will be able to see different tabs. From there, select any tab and click on ‘Load Data’ to see your relevant data.

    You can view the following information if you check your assets using FBR:

    • Withholding Tax 
    • Vehicles 
    • Travel Information 
    • Utilities with bill amount
    • The details of properties in your name

    FBR updates assets data on its portal on a regular basis. Therefore, you will be required to visit the portal regularly to view updated data.

  • QMobile’s decision to appoint Esra Bilgiç as brand ambassador leaves the entertainment industry divided

    QMobile’s decision to appoint Esra Bilgiç as brand ambassador leaves the entertainment industry divided

    Yasir Hussain’s criticism of QMobile appointing Esra Bilgiç as their brand ambassador has left the entertainment industry divided once again. While some actors have seconded Yasir’s opinion, others have said that it’s not a big deal and that international artists should be welcome in Pakistan.

    Read more – Yasir Hussain likens Turkish dramas to ‘landay k kapray’

    While Minal Khan and Aiman Khan agreed with Yasir, Bilal Ashraf, Anoushey Ashraf and Agha Ali were of the opinion that there is no harm in foreign artists working in Pakistan.

    “If Fawad and Mahira can work in India, I’m sure international artists can work here,” said Anoushey.

    Agha said that actors like to be international and that we should work to welcoming them in our country. He said that we should respect them and work on building ties with other countries.

    “Let outsiders feel welcomed here. And please stop making all of us actors [look] insecure,” commented Agha.

    Bilal said that “art has no language or boundaries”.

    He added, “Pakistan zinda dil logon ka mulk hai (Pakistan is a country of lively people).”

    Aijaz Aslam said that “healthy competition is always good”.

    Read more – Yasir Hussain vs Turkish dramas: the debate heats up

    Later, when the trolling got intense, Anoushey said that she will interview Yasir live to discuss both point of views.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCn3jWPj4sV/

    Meanwhile, Iqra Aziz requested everyone to respect each other’s opinions and not point fingers at anyone.

  • Police arrest man who allegedly gang-raped TikTok friend

    Police arrest man who allegedly gang-raped TikTok friend

    The Lahore Police has arrested a man who allegedly gang-raped a girl with his two accomplices. The two reportedly became friends at a popular video-sharing app, TikTok.

    According to reports, the victim girl filed a complaint at Millat Park police station in Lahore in which she accused three men of gang-raping her.

    In her complaint, the girl stated that she became friends with a boy, Shiraz, through the TikTok app 20 days ago. Shiraz then called her to come to the Samanabad area on June 13. When she reached there, Shiraz asked her to sit in his car. Two men were already sitting in the vehicle.

    The girl said that she was gang-raped by all three men on gunpoint inside the car.