Current Final

Tag: Fawad Chaudhry

  • ‘Those who have not read a book in their life will now decide the future of children in Punjab’: Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘Those who have not read a book in their life will now decide the future of children in Punjab’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Tuesday said, ” I am amazed that those who have not read a book in their life will decide the future of children in Punjab.”

    Fawad expressed concerns over the news that the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) confiscated an Oxford University Press (OUP) Social Studies book for grade 7 on Monday for including Malala Yousufzai’s picture. He said that when he looked into the matter, he came to know that the Punjab Assembly has formed a board to look into such matters.

    The minister said removing Malala’s image is not a problem of a political party, instead, it is a reflection of the division in society.

    “It is quite unfortunate that this division exists,” he added.

    “Political parties are not the issue,” said Chaudhry. “Every political party has some conservative voices that have a negative approach owing to the prevalent syllabus being taught in the country,” he added.

    Highlighting the Punjab government’s decision to remove a chapter on reproduction, Chaudhry said that in this way, we will mentally impair the next generation.

    “We already have many conservative individuals around us. And in the future, if we don’t pay attention to our curriculum and teachers, social problems will increase,” said Fawad. He further added, “Extremism is already high in Pakistan.”

    Reacting to the removal of Malala’s book from Peshawar University during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) last tenure, Fawad stressed that governments should not submit to pressure.

    “This depends on individuals and their mindsets, as conservative mindsets lead to extremist trends,” added the minister.

     Fawad said that such conservative decisions by individuals will make Pakistan lose the position it has created for itself while fighting the war on terror.

  • ‘Puppet rulers’ afraid of Bilawal’s visit to US: PPP

    ‘Puppet rulers’ afraid of Bilawal’s visit to US: PPP

    The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has alleged that “puppet rulers” are afraid of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s upcoming visit to the United States (US) and as a result, were spreading unnecessary rumours.

    The party’s statement comes in response to remarks from the prime minister’s adviser, Dr Shahbaz Gill, who had said that PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be taking his curriculum vitae (CV) along with him to Washington.

    “He [Bilawal Bhutto] will say we are ready to do anything to come into power,” said Gill at a press conference in Karachi.

    PPP’s Shazia Marri said on Sunday that Fawad Chaudhry, Shahbaz Gill, and Farrukh Habib are also worried that their leader Imran Khan cannot go to the US without diplomatic immunity because of pending cases in US courts.

    Marri said Bhutto has hope in the strength of the people of Pakistan and it has been proved how General Elections 2018 were stolen from the PPP by creating hurdles in the party’s path.  She said fake accountability had been the main instrument used by dictators and their puppets to target opponents in the past. 

    “They have been playing the drama of accountability to hide their incompetence,” she said. 

  • Fawad Chaudhry welcomes Sindh High Court’s decision to withdraw TikTok ban

    The Sindh High Court (SHC) has lifted the ban on the video-sharing app, TikTok. The ban was imposed on June 28 for spreading immorality and obscenity in the country. The case has been adjourned till July 5.

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has welcomed the decision by the SHC. “Technology war is being fought in the world right now.”

    “The regulatory bodies and judiciary should stay away from such fights and the investors wanting to invest in Pakistan should be welcomed,” Chaudhry added.

    Senator Faisal Javed Khan has urged youth to utilise social media platforms in a responsible and productive manner. The senator further added that PTA has promised to dispose of the complaints by July 5.

    The recent ban on TikTok was imposed for the third time in Pakistan. Earlier this year in March, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) banned TikTok over immoral content, but the ban was later lifted in April.

    Last year, Pakistan blocked the app on October 9, 2020. The ban was lifted after the TikTok management assured the Pakistani authorities that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality.

  • ‘Shehbaz said if PM was at security briefing, he would not attend’: Fawad Chaudhry

    Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry during an appearance on Geo News’ morning show ‘Geo Pakistan’ revealed that the prime minister’s absence from the military and intelligence leadership’s briefing on national security, Afghanistan, and Kashmir to parliamentary leaders was to accommodate the Leader of Opposition, Shehbaz Sharif.

    “The prime minister was scheduled to attend the national security huddle, but the Opposition leader [Shehbaz Sharif] had conveyed to the Speaker [National Assembly] that if [PM Imran Khan] came to the briefing, he would not attend,” said Fawad.

    Fawad added that the government hopes and prays that there is a peaceful transfer of power in Afghanistan.

    “We are pushing for negotiations in Afghanistan,” he said.

    “There are three million Afghan nationals in Pakistan. If another three million are pushed in, it will put a lot of pressure on our economy,” he said.

    “It won’t be so easy for the Taliban to take over the government,” Chaudhry said on the prospects for peace in the war-torn neighbour. “We want that the Afghan Taliban and the Ghani government negotiate [a way out].”

    “We are only concerned when India uses Afghan territories against us,” he added. “[Meanwhile], we will continue to try and mediate between the Afghan Taliban and the Ghani government.”

    However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Shehbaz Sharif did not send any message to anyone.

    “Fawad Chaudhry is a propaganda machine, the meeting was called by the Speaker. How could Shehba Sharif stop him [from inviting someone]? Shehbaz Sharif did not send him any message,” tweeted Marriyum Aurangzeb.

    PML-N spokesperson further said that if there is any official correspondence of Shehbaz Sharif or his office regarding this matter, it should be made public.

  • Fawad Chaudhry slams Sindh High Court’s decision to ban TikTok

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has criticised the Sindh High Court (SHC) for banning the video-sharing app TikTok. On Monday, SHC banned TikTok across the country till July 8 for spreading immorality and obscenity in the country.

    “Pakistan will never come out of its economic crisis if judicial reforms are not undertaken,” the minister wrote in a tweet.

    Fawad Chaudhry further added: “My head is spinning after reading yesterday’s verdicts on TikTok ban and the removal of the NBP president. What are our courts doing?”

    Chaudhry said that the country has already suffered losses worth billions of dollars due to judicial activism.

    TikTok ban has been imposed for the third time in Pakistan. Earlier this year in March Peshawar High Court (PHC) banned TikTok, over immoral content, but the ban was later lifted in April.

    Last year, Pakistan blocked the app on October 9, 2020. The ban was lifted after the TikTok management assured the Pakistani authorities that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality.

  • Prominent personalities congratulate Multan Sultans on winning PSL 6

    Multan Sultans beat Peshawar Zalmi in the final to win their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title. Congratulatory messages started pouring in as soon as the match ended, with some prominent personalities congratulating the team.

    Have a look at some of the congratulatory messages:

  • Fawad says anyone who kills innocents is a terrorist after FM Qureshi skips question on OBL

    Fawad says anyone who kills innocents is a terrorist after FM Qureshi skips question on OBL

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted on Monday that there is no confusion at any level regarding anyone who kills innocents. “That is terrorism and the perpetrators are terrorists. We have suffered pain of terrorism in our own land and can understand pain of all who have lost their loved ones in these cowardly attacks.”

    In an interview with Afghanistan’s Tolo News, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi skipped a question when asked if Osama bin Laden was a martyr. Qureshi paused for a few seconds and then said, “I will let that pass.”

    Senior Afghan journalist Lotfullah Najafizada had originally asked Qureshi about Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan calling Osama bin Laden a martyr. The foreign minister responded that the PM was quoted out of context. “Out of context. He was quoted out of context. And, a particular section of the media played it up.”

    Qureshi is being criticised for skipping this question and not taking a clear position.

    Last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan came under fire for calling al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden a “martyr” during his speech in the National Assembly.

  • ‘The Current is the reason why State Bank regulations changed,’ Info Minister lauds media startup

    ‘The Current is the reason why State Bank regulations changed,’ Info Minister lauds media startup

    For the longest time, our country’s private sector has dealt with obstacles that don’t fully allow small companies to flourish. These obstacles combined with lack of opportunities cause a lot of frustration and reduce the ability to move forward.

    In some respects, startups are not too different. After all, they also take birth in the same corporate culture. So naturally one wonders if regulations, opportunities, efficiency, and the business environment were more conducive, would our entrepreneurs be able to do things differently?

    Could there be an area where progressive rules were introduced and one could monitor the changes and see if that made a major difference to the mechanics of the industry?

    The Current, Pakistan’s first digital news-lifestyle platform that simplifies news for Pakistani millennials, is a startup. After winning the Google News Innovation Challenge in 2020, we faced immense challenges. When Google was sending over the first half of our grant, we were unable to meet the requirements to open a US Dollar bank account. We reached out to six different banks and were refused every time. Frustrated, we kept at it, until one bank took a chance and allowed us to open the account, granted we provide details that the money was indeed coming in from Google. We did and waited for our money to come in. When it did, the bank sent it back, citing that, according to State Bank regulations, getting the money into the country would be tough. Desperate, we appealed to the then Science and Technology Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, as well as contacting State Bank’s President Reza Baqir. Chaudhry was receptive and got us in touch with the right people to help us get our grant across. We were lucky that tech giant Google was in the picture. We finally got our money through and now, will be launching Pakistan’s first membership program.

    The Current now comes around bearing good news for all startups. After we became the catalyst that pushed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to understand the issues being faced by tech startups, the SBP introduced a new policy to facilitate startups and provide them a way to get their money home.

    “You won the Google grant and there were issues bringing the money to Pakistan. Since I was the Science and Technology Minister at the time, I discussed the issue with Reza Baqir (President State Bank of Pakistan). Since the State Bank is in very capable hands, they made a new policy to facilitate startups,” says Fawad.

    Chaudhry further added, “The credit goes to State Bank President, his team and to The Current, the reason why this issue was highlighted in the first place.”

    SBP officially removed a major obstacle that has been subsequently thwarting the growth of the startup companies by allowing them to avail foreign loans as convertible debt.

    Startup firms face funding issues due to the unavailability of collateral or security. Foreign investors, including equity funds and angel investors, show interest in startups but they try to cover the risk through alternative means like high return on loan, reports Dawn.

    A company may raise funds from abroad in the form of convertible debt, i.e. the lender shall have the option to convert the loan into the equity of the borrowing company.

    “It is expected that this initiative will help in attracting more foreign investment as it will provide another option to the international investors to invest in startup companies operating in Pakistan,” said the SBP.

    We at The Current are immensely happy that we have helped carve a way and provide an easier path for Pakistani startups.

  • ‘We do not use the Sindh card’: PPP responds to Fawad Chaudhry

    ‘We do not use the Sindh card’: PPP responds to Fawad Chaudhry

    In a hard-hitting press conference at the Governor House in Karachi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took a jibe at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and the Sindh cabinet, blaming them for stealing Sindh’s water.

     Fawad said Punjab was not stealing Sindh’s water but Bilawal and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and the provincial cabinet were guilty of the crime. 

    “The water never runs short when it comes to Zardari and his sister’s lands,” added Chaudhry. He said the Centre had increased the share for provinces in the federal budget and that Sindh would receive more than Rs750bn according to the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. 

    “If so much money is coming in (each year), where is it going?” he asked. “They [Sindh government] were unable to create a [competent] police force in the city. They have to seek help from the Sindh Rangers every time,” added the minister. 

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1404001153034096642

    Turning his guns towards the PPP leadership, Chaudhry accused Zardari of limiting the chief minister and provincial assembly’s role. 

    “All decisions are taken by the Zardari family,” he said. “They appoint one person as a rubberstamp chief minister. The Zardari family runs the chief minister in accordance with their wishes,” added Chaudhry. 

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1404001857714982915

    Sindh Minister for Information Nasir Hussain Shah responded at length to the allegations by Fawad Chaudhry against the Sindh government.

    Shah claimed that Chaudhry used to conspire against Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and now he is making statements against Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah based on “utter lies”.

    “Murad Ali Shah has never done the kind of politics that he has been accused of. We do not use the Sindh card, rather we advocate for the Pakistan card,” Nasir said.

    Nasir Hussain Shah added it was rather unfortunate that Chaudhry spoke out against the Sindh police, who have made countless sacrifices in ensuring law and order.

    “Who do you think thwarted the attack on the stock exchange which had foreign intervention?” he asked. “We have a lot of respect for the Rangers and they have supported us a lot but the sacrifices made by Sindh Police have ensured our success.”

    Shah said this propaganda that Sindh is not delivering is baseless. The reality, he said, is that the Sindh government is a thorn in the government’s side. “They themselves say that Sindh is not theirs. And they cannot digest the fact that the chief minister is performing.”

  • Fawad Chaudhary to expand UrduFlix to boost local digital streaming

    Fawad Chaudhary to expand UrduFlix to boost local digital streaming

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain attended a meeting with Mr Farhan Gauher, the CEO of Pakistan’s first Urdu OTT platform UrduFlix to discuss the future of the digital space and more opportunities for the OTT platform in an important meeting.

    UrduFlix, which was launched earlier this year with government support has risen as the leading OTT platform emerging from Pakistan. With back-to-back releases of original content from the platform, it has been slowly taking over the digital place – all the while putting Pakistan in the race of streaming platforms, with a first of its kind emerging from Pakistan.

    In the meeting between the federal minister and Farhan Gauher, the future of UrduFlix as a platform – and how it could be leveraged as one of Pakistan’s finest contributions in the digital space was discussed. Fawad also discussed the future of the platform in terms of its streaming services, and what new opportunities lie ahead for it.

    UrduFlix was launched as Pakistan’s first-ever Urdu OTT platform which raised the expectations with brilliant new content and has kept the surprises coming. The platform has also garnered great feedback from the audiences after multiple series including Lifafa Dayan, Khudkush Muhabbat, Dulhan Aur Aik Raat have been streaming online. The platform is officially live for download for viewers on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Roku TV.