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  • Jadhav refuses Pakistan’s offer to challenge conviction in IHC

    Jadhav refuses Pakistan’s offer to challenge conviction in IHC

    While refusing Pakistan’s offer to file an appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his conviction, Indian spy Kulbhushan Jadhav has decided to apply for a mercy petition, the Foreign Office (FO) has said.

    Jadhav alias Hussein Mubarak Patel — a serving commander of the Indian Navy associated with Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) — was arrested on March 3, 2016, from Balochistan while attempting to crossover into Pakistan through the country’s border with Iran. Subsequently, in April 2017, a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) handed him death sentence on charges of espionage and terrorism.

    In a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Ahmed Irfan and Director General (DG) (South Asia & SAARC) Zahid Hafeez Chaudhry said that an ordinance was promulgated by the government on May 20, which allowed the Indian government, Jadhav and his legal representative to file a review petition in IHC within 60 days, which expire on July 19.

    According to Dawn, they said Indian authorities had requested to appoint an Indian lawyer to advocate for Jadhav but if an appeal is filed in the IHC, only a lawyer that holds a license of the respective court would be able to represent the spy. Therefore, an Indian lawyer cannot advocate for the convicted spy but they may be allowed to assist Jadhav’s counsel.

    The Pakistani government had allowed consular access to Jadhav twice in the past and has offered to do so again, the officials said. Authorities have also offered to arrange Jadhav’s meeting with his father and wife, they added. The AAG and DG (South Asia & SAARC) expressed hope that the Indian government will respond positively to this offer.

    Both officials recalled that Pakistan had earlier allowed Jadhav’s mother and wife to meet him and said that the government had complied with the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) passed last year.

    They said Pakistan had provided evidence of Indian state terrorism to the international community multiple times and will continue to do so.

  • Govt pledges to promote the film industry

    Govt pledges to promote the film industry

    The government has announced that it will be creating a film task force which will be responsible for promoting the entertainment industry and resolving its issues.

    In a virtual meeting with artists and stakeholders involved, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz shared the government’s intentions and discussed issues being faced by the film industry and their proposed solutions. Among those present included Humayun Saeed, Vasay Chaudhry, Ali Zafar, Fizza Ali Meerza and Nadeem Mandviwala.

    According to APP, Senator Faraz, while addressing the meeting, said that artists were assets of the nation who play an important role in the promotion of national culture and image apart from the growth of society. He added that the government realises the importance of artists and values their contribution to society.

    The minister elaborated that the government is working towards setting up a task force which will play a key role in promoting the film industry, assisting in the implementation and improvement of the film policy and resolving related issues. The task force will include government officials and those associated with the film industry.

    Read more – PM Imran urges TV writers’ to promote family values, national identity through dramas

    Speaking to The Current, Vasay Chaudhry said that the meeting went “really well” and that the “Honourable Minister showed a lot of interest in matters pertaining to film and seemed very committed and serious.”

    He added, “Being the son a great Urdu poet (Ahmed Faraz Sahab), Faraz showed keen interest in the issues of royalties when it was brought up by me. He told us that the issue of royalties of artistes is very close to his heart and he will make sure to do something about it.”

    Addressing this topic, Faraz in the meeting had said that artists had the right to receive royalties for their work and that practical steps will be taken to ensure that their copyrights are protected.

    Information Secretary Akbar Durrani briefed the participants about the national film policy and the Artist Welfare Fund. He said that a database of artists across the country was being created which will help them financially. It is pertinent to mention here that the Artist Welfare Fund has been increased from Rs 25 crore to 1 billion in the new budget on the recommendation of President Dr Arif Alvi.

    Meanwhile, Ali Zafar thanked Senator Faraz for calling this meeting and assuring the entertainment industry of the government’s support.

  • In a first, Hugo Boss places sportswear order with Pakistan

    Amid economic woes, there is a glimmer of hope after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood announced that Germany’s luxury fashion brand Hugo Boss has placed its first order of sportswear with a Pakistani company. The fashion house is renowned across the world for its smart men’s suits. As of late, the brand has dabbled into casual and sportswear styles in order to attract young buyers.

    In a Twitter update, Dawood shared the news and congratulated Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) for their efforts.

    The 35th International Apparel Federation’s (IAF) World Fashion Convention was held in Lahore on November 12-13, 2019 in collaboration with Dutch industry association Modint.

    Meanwhile, Dawood also congratulated the exporters for their performance despite unprecedented challenges.

  • Karachi police station gives shelter to newly-wed girl after husband abandons her

    Karachi police station gives shelter to newly-wed girl after husband abandons her

    A newly-wed girl from Nawabshah reportedly found shelter at a women’s police station in the metropolis’ west zone after her husband abandoned her.

    According to details, the women’s police station staff is searching for the family of the young girl. The girl said she got married to a man named Ahmed six months ago. After a few weeks, her husband kicked her out of the house. She had to come to Karachi as she was left with no other option.

    After being admitted to a shelter home in Karachi’s Central district, the facility’s management found her uncles and sent her to their house. However, her uncles also refused to keep her at their home. Since then, the girl had nowhere to go.

    For now, she has taken refuge at the Liaquatabad women’s police station. According to the girl, her mother had died and her only brother also passed away two-and-a-half years ago and she has no idea where her father is.

    According to Station House Officer (SHO) Liaqatabad Uzma Khan, Karachi police is trying to trace her father by contacting their counterparts in Nawabshah.

  • News producer allegedly tortures wife to death after she confronts him about blackmailing women

    News producer allegedly tortures wife to death after she confronts him about blackmailing women

    News program producer Ali Salman Alvi has been arrested and put behind bars for allegedly torturing his wife Sadaf Zahra to death for confronting him about affairs and blackmailing women for money. According to the FIR registered against Alvi, there are signs of torture on his wife’s body. Initial post-mortem report suggests that Zahra was strangulated to death. The police have sent the evidence to Lahore’s Forensic Lab for further inquiries. Alvi has claimed that his wife committed suicide whereas the family has accused him of murdering his wife.

    Zahra’s death and the circumstances surrounding it was brought to light by her friend who took to Twitter to give details on the case. She tweeted that Zahra and Ali had a love marriage and had met on Twitter but soon after they were married, Zahra found evidence that Ali was blackmailing other women.

    She also mentions that Zahra tried to leave her husband but tried to save the marriage after he promised to change and since they had a young daughter, she felt it was necessary to give it a shot.

    Zahra, herself had taken to Twitter to talk about domestic violence and how it affects a person and a marriage. She said that a friend of hers was going through it but people are now assuming that she was talking about herself.

    Twitter has taken it upon itself as well to get #JusticeforZahra as the hashtag has started trending online.

    Rawalpindi police has vowed to take up the case and make sure that justice is served.

    Ali Salman Alvi was producer of Asma Shirazi’s program. Asma took to Twitter to condemn the murder. She tweeted that she was shocked and numbed the moment she found out about this incident and the FIR against Alvi. “Not just myself but the media group I’m working with strictly condemned & terminated accused.” She hopes that justice must prevail.

  • Chinese brand Shein apologizes for selling Muslim prayer mats as decorative rugs

    Chinese brand Shein apologizes for selling Muslim prayer mats as decorative rugs

    Online Chinese retailer Shein has apologised for selling Muslim prayer mats as decorative mats after people on social media criticised it for religious insensitivity.

    In an apology note, posted to social media, the brand said: “We offer our sincerest apology to all those whom we have hurt and offended, and hope we can earn your forgiveness.”

    The brand informed its customers that the product was instantly removed from its website and that other retailers were also ordered to stop selling the products to others.

    “We have also formed a product review committee with staff from different cultures and religions so a mistake like doesn’t happen again,” read the post.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCRK5UPHgY0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Many people expressed disappointment in the brand and said that the brand’s act is “unacceptable” and “highly offensive”.

    https://twitter.com/Nabela/status/1279139954250170368?s=20

  • Usman Mukhtar’s short film ‘Bench’ wins big at New York’s South Shore Film Festival

    Usman Mukhtar’s short film ‘Bench’ wins big at New York’s South Shore Film Festival

    Usman Mukhtar’s short film Bench has won the ‘Best Short Film Award’ at the South Shore Film Festival, New York.

    Mukhar shared the news with his followers and audiences on social media.

    https://twitter.com/MukhtarHoonMein/status/1280216996706242561?s=20

    Later, the actor, who was over the moon with the win, also shared a heartfelt note in which he said that he had no words to express his happiness and thanked his co-star Rubya Chaudhry for being the “heartbeat of this film”.

    “I do not have words to explain my happiness with you,” said the actor. “This is our first win so I am going to be very emotional. Since as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a filmmaker. Starting from those VHS cameras to right now. Winning this makes me feel that all the hardships that I went through, meant something. Thank you all for your support and I cannot wait to share the film with you all.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCVz9yWpVwq/

    Rubya also expressed her excitement on social media and called Mukhtar “a true gem, a star, a guy that deserves everything amazing and then some”.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWAis8AgIH/

    The film which has been directed by Mukhtar and written by Ali Mudar the film sees two people at difficult crossroads of their lives, cross paths.

    Speaking to a local media publication, Mukhtar shared that the “film is about two people who meet on a bench. It’s a dialogue based film which takes a very interesting twist and turns.”

    He added that the film has been submitted to a lot of film festivals including the Toronto, Cannes and Busan Film Festivals but due to the current situation, they’re screening the film online but they are yet to hear back from them.

    While it is not clear when the film will be screened in Pakistan, we’re hopeful we get a chance to watch it soon.

    Watch the trailer of the film below:

  • Indian woman delivers baby while standing in queue for COVID -19 test

    Indian woman delivers baby while standing in queue for COVID -19 test

    A 22-year-old pregnant woman in India delivered her baby while standing in the queue for a coronavirus test. According to reports, she was refused admission to the hospital till she cleared the virus test 

    The woman, Palak, was in labour when she arrived at the hospital but was asked to go to the area where tests are done. She could hardly stand and later collapsed delivering the baby on the spot.

    The incident created panic and the medical staff shifted the woman and the newborn to a ward.

    An investigation into the incident has been ordered by the institute while a faculty member, two senior and two junior residents of the obstetrics and gynaecology department have been asked to go off duty.

    The woman’s husband, Raman Dixit, a daily wager, told reporters that Palak was nine months pregnant and labour pains started after which he took her to the hospital.

    “However, staff in the emergency ward of gynaecology did not admit her and told them that she first needed to undergo a COVID-19 test, as per protocol. The test costs Rs1,500 (around PKR 3,000). I was not carrying much cash. I made my wife stand along with a relative in the queue for the COVID-19 test and went home to bring the money. When I returned, I found that my wife had already given birth and was admitted to the ward,” said Raman.

    Dr Srikesh Singh, the spokesperson of the hospital, said that the woman and her baby are doing fine.

    Officiating Director, Prof Nuzhat Hussain, said: “A three-member committee will submit its report on the incident in three days. Till then, the five staff members will remain off duty. The head of obstetrics and gynaecology has been asked to explain why instead of providing emergency care when the woman was in labour pain, she was sent for COVID-19 testing.”

     

  • Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    Trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’ trends at number one on YouTube Pakistan

    The trailer of Sushant Singh Rajput’s final film Dil Bechara released Monday and is already trending at number one on YouTube Pakistan. Apart from that, the trailer has set a new YouTube record and has gone on to become the most-liked trailer ever in 24 hours – with 6.4 million likes – beating Hollywood blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. It also garnered more than 30 million views within 24 hours of being released besides also receiving millions of views on other social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

    Dil Bechara, which is the official Hindi remake of 2014 Hollywood romantic drama The Fault in our Stars, based on John Green’s popular novel of the same name, has been directed by renowned casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who makes his directorial debut with this film. Sushant and debutante Sanjana Sanghi have the lead roles in the film while Saif Ali Khan is expected to make an interesting cameo.

    From the looks of it, the film is a quintessential love story, except the protagonists, are cancer patients. According to the film’s official synopsis, Dil Bechara “is the story of Kizie Basu (Sanghi) and Manny (Rajput) and explores the funny, thrilling, and tragic adventure of being alive and in love. Together Kizie and Manny embark on an on-off-up-down-sad and sweet profound journey into the heart of that crazy little thing called life. It teaches them what it means to feel truly alive and fall in love.”

    The trailer is full of bittersweet moments and is bound to leave you teary-eyed, especially given the circumstances in which it is releasing. Sushant died of suicide on June 14.

    Perhaps the most striking part of the whole trailer was Rajput’s dialogue: “We don’t get to decide when we are born or when we die, but how we live our life is in our hands.”

    Read more- Sushant Singh Rajput’s death exposes the toxic side of Bollywood

    Following the trailer’s release, the director of the film Mukesh Chhabra shared an emotional note in which he shared that the film was Sushant’s “dream”.

    “Presenting to you our dream and the dream of my brother Sushant, who will live on in me till my last breath,” wrote Chhabra. “So much has changed in my life these past years and I will always cherish every single moment. Putting the trailer out there in your hands and in your hearts. It’s over to you now.”

    A.R.Rahman, who composed the music for the film, also shared the playlist of the film’s album.

    The film is slated to release digitally on July 24 on Disney+ Hotstar. As a tribute to the late actor, the film will be made available to everyone including non-subscribers. It was initially scheduled to release on May 8 but due to the coronavirus pandemic, its release was pushed.

    Meanwhile, here’s what Sushant’s colleagues and members of the industry have to say about the trailer and film:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUvPmYhS5n/
  • 105-year-old Pakistani man recovers from COVID-19

    105-year-old Pakistani man recovers from COVID-19

    A 105-year-old man in Punjab has been discharged from hospital after successfully fighting against COVID-19.

    According to reports, the recovered man has served in the Pakistan Army. Fazal Rauf was tested positive and had been isolated in the hospital since then.

    Rauf was tested for the virus again on Thursday and test results came out negative. He was shifted back to his home on Friday and his condition is stable.

    The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are 234,482 so far in the country.