After months of struggle, parents have secured a win over private schools with their owners being barred from increasing fees by more than 5 per cent a year, a private media outlet reported.
According to reports, the Supreme Court (SC) delivered the verdict on Wednesday while hearing a case filed by owners of private schools. They had sought legal approval to increase fees by 15 per cent to 20 per cent every year.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan read out the reserved verdict.
The top court upheld the verdict of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and overturned the Lahore High Court (LHC) decision in favour of the private schools.
The schools have been ordered to return or adjust the extra amount they charged parents since the first ruling in the case.
The week has been pretty lit as far as Pakistani politics is concerned with three high-profile arrests, including those of former President Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf Hussain and Hamza Shehbaz, and the 2019-20 budget being presented.
Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, who often expresses her political thoughts on Twitter, took to the social media to defend her father and in the process, got into a Twitter feud with State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, who is also no stranger to controversy.
It all started when Gul tweeted a picture of the arrested politicians crying, referring to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who in his election campaign, had vowed to “make his opponents cry”.
Bakhtawar responded to Gul in a tweet she later deleted. But, Zartaj had already taken a screenshot. She shared the tweet, calling Bakhtawar “disoriented”, “timid” and a “coward” and referred to Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as her “sister”.
Disorientated and timid Bakhtawar deleted her tweet after a smashing and humiliating response I gave! Cowards! pic.twitter.com/U36be9AcUF
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Tuesday announced its first federal budget for the fiscal year 2019-20, which received mixed reactions from people.
It was presented by Federal Minister for Revenue Hammad Azhar, who delivered his speech while opposition members protested against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and his government.
Amid all the confusion over the increase in prices of different products, which may follow the budget, here is a list of stuff The Current suggests you stock up on before an inflation bomb is dropped.
Rooh Afza
That was exactly our reaction. But, a new health tax has been proposed on sugary drinks, which will make it costlier to buy sharbat. It’s not just that though…
Soft Drinks
You heard that right. Those little soft drink breaks during summers will be costing you more now as the health tax will also be jacking up soda prices. The excise tax on soft drinks has been increased from 11.25 per cent to 13 per cent, which is not too much, but will ultimately affect you.
The good part? The money will reportedly be used to provide free medical treatment to people using Sehat Cards that offer treatment up to Rs720,000 from a private or government hospital.
Cooking Oil/Ghee
Branded cooking oil and ghee prices will also be rising as a 17 per cent sales tax will be imposed. You must be thinking that it doesn’t really affect you much, but you never know how it may or may not affect food prices.
The good news, however, remains no increase in General Sales Tax (GST) in case you’re planning to dine out.
Sugar
The price of sugar is expected to increase by Rs3.60/kg since the government is unhappy with the tax collection from the sector. The new budget recommends increasing sales tax on sugar from 8 per cent to 17 per cent.
We don’t endorse the next thing you need to stock up on, but let’s be honest, we know a lot of people who smoke.
Cigarettes
The budget has also recommended a federal excise duty of Rs5,200 on every 10,000 cigarettes be imposed, which means every pack of 20 cigarettes you buy will cost you at least Rs10 more.
Just so you know, tobacco consumption kills nearly 160,000 Pakistanis every year, and a lot of people are supporting the move.
Can’t figure out where to spend your summer break this year? Been to all the popular tourist spots? We have you covered. Take a break from your regular routine and plan a trip to one of these offbeat places in Pakistan:
Kumrat Valley
Naran, Kaghan aur Hunza toh sab hee jaatay hain garmion ki chution main. But if you truly want to enjoy natural beauty, Kumrat Valley is the place to go. This area is not as well known as the rest which means it is still untouched. The location is perfect for those who don’t like the rush. Visit this place before its natural beauty is replaced by architectural infrastructure.
Gorakh Hill Station
Also known as the ‘Murree of Sindh’, the Gorakh Hills are magical. The best part is that the holiday destination is relatively inexpensive. It’s best to go there with company, unless you’re a loner, as there is not much to do there except enjoy the sunset and sunrise and camp out in the open with a bonfire.
Astola Island
Everyone is familiar with the beauty of Pakistan’s northern areas, but a few have taken the time to discover the mesmerizing charm of the country’s coastal south. Clear blue water and white sandy beaches, what’s Maldives?
Kanhatti Gardens
Soon Valley is a breathtaking vista of natural beauty comprising of lakes and springs, lush green fields and gardens. Though many people visit Soon Valley, they often miss out the Kanhatti Gardens.
Kanhatti Garden’s name is derived from ‘Kanhat’, a special rock found at natural water spring. Visit the Soon Valley and Kanhatti Gardens this summer and enjoy eating fresh almonds, apricots and pineapples there.
Rama Meadows
If you ever happen to find yourself in surrounded by clear, ice-cold water flowing in streams, sheep and cows grazing in peace and pine trees all around, then you are probably in Rama Meadows. Rama is located on the foothills of Nanga Parbat and no picture can do justice to the beauty of the place.
Take a virtual tour of these places by watching the video below and then make your decision.
When it comes to cricket we all are united. 23 years after Junoon gave us Jazba Junoon, the trio is back with a new cricket anthem. While it doesn’t quite match up to the epicness that was Jazba Junoon, Choolay Aasman is also a brilliant melody and echoes Junoon’s signature style giving their die-hard fans a wonderful treat.
The song features people from different walks of life, including minorities, differently-abled persons and members of the transgender community, celebrating their love for cricket and, in a way, being closer to each other than ever. The song finishes with a young man covering up hateful drawings and transforming it into a beautifully painted wall which says “Laga do Chakka.”
Meanwhile, Coke’s official World Cup song is set to release next week.
The Cricket World Cup 2019 will be held from May 30 to July 14 in the United Kingdom.
The World Health Organisation has for the first time recognised “burn-out” as a medical condition in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is widely used as a benchmark for diagnosis and health insurers.
The decision, reached during the World Health Assembly in Geneva, could help settle decades of debate among experts over how to define burnout, and whether it should be considered a medical condition.
In the latest update of its catalogue of diseases and injuries around the world, WHO defines burn-out as “a syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”
It said the syndrome was characterised by three symptoms:
1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion
2) increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job
3) reduced professional efficacy.
The classification further stated that the burn-out diagnosis is limited to work environments, and shouldn’t be applied to other life situations.
The updated ICD list, dubbed ICD-11, was drafted last year following recommendations from health experts around the world. It will take effect in January 2022 and contains several other additions, including classification of “compulsive sexual behaviour” as a mental disorder.
It also recognises video gaming as an addiction for the first time, listing it alongside gambling and drugs like cocaine.
Watch The Current‘s video on how to tell if you workplace is toxic:
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s nephew and reporter of a private media outlet have escaped in Lahore a gun attack “by the goons of a minister of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)”.
As per the details, lawyer Hassaan Khan Niazi and journalist Rai Saqib Kharral were attacked in the Gullo Kot area of the provincial capital, where Darul Hikmat (DuH), a Christian education centre, has been illegally occupied by land mafia.
Today 4 fires were fired at me and the neo tv anchor @RaisaqibKharal – and Punjab human rights provisional minister and his son in law Nauraiz were behind the firing. They are involved in land grabbing of charity school land. @SHABAZGIL it’s shame that we(PTI) have such ministers
“At least four shots were fired at us as we reached the charity school to meet the person in charge,” Hassaan Khan told The Current, alleging that the attackers are related to a Punjab minister.
We have filed a complaint for registration of FIR in the nishter colony thana lahore and FIR has not been lodged. @Lahorepoliceops@ICT_Police is this the Naya Pakistan we were promised. You need act. No minister is above the law https://t.co/lOpiDhvyzd
“Norez, one of the people responsible for the attack, is a provincial minister’s son-in-law,” he said further.
CM TAKES NOTICE:
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident and illegal occupation of the school.
According to a private media outlet, CM Inspection Team Chairman Malik Asad Khokhar has sought a report from the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).
Breaking: CM Punjab takes notice of the qabza of charity school in yuhanabad by Nauraiz with help of PTI human rights minister. There can’t be two laws. Thank you CM Punjab And CM complaint Cell pic.twitter.com/9J2iCxgDJ9
Owned by the Darul Hikmat Trust, the community school was established in 1986 and houses hostels for both boys and girl, besides multiple lawns as well as a football ground.
Relative of PTI human rights minister directly involved in turning this trust property into housing scheme in Christian community area. His people fired 4 gun shots at us today. This used to football ground. No action taken. 1500 students used to study. Within 2 years 70 Left pic.twitter.com/PsN8CVQK3B
The administrative affairs of the institute are now being run by the minister’s relatives.
Meanwhile, several deserving students from nearby localities who were studying at the institution have started leaving the school amid the catastrophic situation that’s prevailing there.
No official version of the incident had been released by the time this report was filed.
We interviewed Speaker Punjab Assembly and we were surprised to find out his favorite food. He is 73 years old and looks super fit MashAllah. Here is the simple and easy recipe of his all time favorite food.
The past month has seen a surprising number of irresponsible acts and statements by major celebrities in Pakistan. Though one can brush them off saying that’s it okay because celebs are also human, but the fact is that they are followed by thousands of people across the country who look up to them and follow what they say. Which is why they need to be careful in what they say and do.
Here’s taking a look back at some major blunders made by celebrities in just the past month.
Hira Mani
In her appearance on Jeeto Pakistan, Hira Mani said that she believes that men are smarter than women and that a woman can sometimes make bad decisions. To this Fahad Mustafa, who hosts the show, said that’s not true and that his wife has always made the best decisions. He added, “Our country’s women are smarter than men.”
Ali Zafar
In his interview with Mubashir Lucman, Ali Zafar said that he has hung out with some of Bollywood’s most beautiful women, including Katrina Kaif and Taapsee Panu, so if he had a history they would also have an issue with him, which they don’t.
Yasir Hussain
Yasir made not one but two major blunders. A few weeks back, Yasir cracked insensitive jokes about transgenders when he revealed that he will be essaying the role of a woman in his upcoming telefilm. He later apologised for his comments and said that he did not mean to degrade anyone.
Yasir also trolled Hania Aamir when she opened up about her struggle with acne and ‘imperfect’ skin. This led to an Instagram feud between the two. But latest pictures from Nomi Ansari’s white aftar suggest that the two have patched things up.
Saboor Aly & Saheefa Jabbar Khattak
Saboor and Saheefa came under fire after Saboor posted a story on Instagram in which she appears to be making fun of the window cleaner. The actors later apologised for their video and said that the person in the video was their friend and they were cracking an “inside joke”.
Samina Peerzada
In her interview with Affan Waheed, Samina implied that friends and family can replace the need for a shrink. Her comments are problematic because mental illness is serious and requires proper medical assistance.
In the latest turn of events, Meesha Shafi on Saturday filed an application of no confidence in the judge who is hearing the defamation case filed by Ali Zafar. Additional session judge Shakeel Ahmed is hearing the defamation case for the past six months.
Meesha in her petition said that she has no confidence in the judge hearing the defamation case against her and has claimed that the judge is biased, adding that he reprimanded her lawyers for no reason. She requested the case to be transferred to another court.
Her petition read, “Judge Ahmad has shown a clear and obvious bias in favour of the plaintiff which is apparent from the mode and manner in which he has so far conducted the proceedings.”
Meesha’s lawyers said that they felt the bias from the first day but their intuition was confirmed by the judge’s conduct during the cross examination of the first witness of the plaintiff.
The sessions judge will now hear Meesha’s plea seeking a new judge.
Meanwhile, Meesha’s lawyers have also filed a separate petition in the Supreme Court appealing that the court was “not giving a right to a fair trial to Meesha.” The hearing for the case has been scheduled for May 9. Meesha’s lawyer, Nighat Dad said that the trial court had not permitted delaying the cross-examination of witnesses and that sufficient time was needed to cross-examine the witnesses.
