Current Final

Tag: Pakistan

  • ‘Ask Javed Sahib,’ Khaqan Abbasi says doesn’t know when Nawaz will return, hints at staying away from politics

    ‘Ask Javed Sahib,’ Khaqan Abbasi says doesn’t know when Nawaz will return, hints at staying away from politics

    Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said in an interview with ARY News that he is not going to take part in the upcoming general elections.

    “I don’t want to be a part of such a system, perhaps I will work better outside of it,” Abbasi said. “It is my personal assessment that current politics won’t resolve national issues,” he added.

    “This reality seems to me, at least my contesting the election won’t bring any solution,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said.

    “I would not contest an election if all stakeholders would not sit together. What will I will do by contesting election in the absence of thinking to resolve the national problems,” he questioned.

    The PML-N leader said that no party can be fragmented, and we should also learn from past experiences.

    On a question about his theory party head Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan, the former prime minister said that “This is Javed Latif’s department, contact him”. “I also used to ask Javed Sahib about the date of Nawaz Sharif’s return,” he said. “This department remained with Ayaz Sadiq for some time, but now Javed Latif is fully in charge”, he added.

  • Ready to hold elections in 60 or 90 days: ECP Secretary

    Ready to hold elections in 60 or 90 days: ECP Secretary

    Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Secretary Umar Hamid has said while talking to SAMAA TV that ECP is ready to hold election in 90 or 60 days after the end of the tenure of the coalition government.

    The ECP secretary said that holding election in 60 or 90 days is a prerequisite of the constitution of Pakistan.
    “ECP has been trying to hold polls, whether the assemblies are dissolved or complete their term,” he added.

    He further added that “The government will tell whether the assemblies will complete their term or not.”

  • Factcheck: Is Afghan singer Hasiba Noori dead?

    Factcheck: Is Afghan singer Hasiba Noori dead?

    Claim: Afghan singer Hasiba Noori had been killed in Peshawar

    On Monday, social media was ablaze with news that Afghan singer Hasiba Noori had passed away in Pakistan under mysterious circumstances, having taken refuge here after the takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Conflicting news reports emerged on social media where accounts said she had passed away in Peshawar, while others said that she had been killed in Quetta.

    A journalist, Izharullah, shut down rumors of Noori’s death in Peshawar, saying that there was no such information available with the police.

    However it was senior journalist Iftikhar Firdous who took to his Twitter account to say that the news was fake, and the Afghani singer is alive and well in Quetta.

    The Current spoke with Firdous on how he reached out to the Afghan singer, and he revealed that he had managed to get in touch with Noori after contacting at least 300 people for 12 hours. Firdous had a video call with Noori, which confirmed that his source was reliable and the news that she died was fake.

    On the viral picture of Noori’s alleged corpse lying in a hospital bed, Firdous revealed that it was taken after a surgery in Karachi, the singer had clarified.

    Currently, Noori is in Quetta, and has informed Firdous that she will post a video to squash these rumors.

    The claim is false.

    The singer also shared a video on her TikTok account to silence the rumors.

  • Caretaker prime minister should be a politician: Qamar Zaman Kaira

    Caretaker prime minister should be a politician: Qamar Zaman Kaira

    Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Monday that the incoming caretaker prime minister should be a politician, adding that political people should be in political offices.

    The PPP leader gave the statement after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government’s tenure is going to end next month, in August 2023.

    He also said, if the national assembly dissolves before time, then the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will fix a date in the next 90 days for general elections. On the other hand, if the government completes its tenure, the Election Commission of Pakistan will be bound to conduct an election in 60 days.

    The senior PPP leader has said that political offices can only be run by politicians.

    He added that the most elevated political office of the country is that of prime minister. “If a judge, general, bureaucrat, technocrat, journalist, or any corporate sector employee is appointed to it, it will be a disgrace to the post and cannot work.”

    He further asked, “Can I be appointed, on the seat of a judge in a high court or the Supreme Court is vacant? How will I be able to do justice there?”

  • ’22 Qadam’ is the long awaited sports drama Pakistan truly needed

    ’22 Qadam’ is the long awaited sports drama Pakistan truly needed

    It’s no surprise that Pakistan is bursting with stories that desperately need to be told on the big screen, but our attention always falls back to the same old ‘saas bahu jhagray’. But this time, Green Entertainment is proving that good, diverse story telling is back in the game with a series of dramas released last week that have been receiving praise from audiences. Among them ’22 Qadam’ looks like a real game-changer because it is truly the first time that we’re getting a good sports drama, that too about women.

    There haven’t been good sports biopics made on Pakistani players, considering how impressive the list of icons is. There was the rare gem of a telefilm ‘Bhaag Amina Bhaag’ released in 2011, starring Amina Sheikh as female Pakistani athlete Naseem Hamid, who won a gold medal at the 11th South Asian Games in Bangladesh. Since then, a biopic on Shoaib Akhtar was in the works but the former cricket star announced that he was leaving the project. It’s disappointing how no attempt was made by our entertainment industry to explore the lives of sports stars, but it feels like ’22 Qadam’ is taking a step in the right direction. The story revolves around a woman’s passion for cricket, leading her to becoming a national player.

    Helmed by the powerful performances by Hareem Farooq and Wahaj Ali, ’22 Qadam is for all those who grew up loving the Bollywood film ‘Chak De! India’ and how it championed women in sports, a long neglected issue that remains pushed out of the spotlight because of patriarchal assumptions that women can’t play sports, and how underfunded this issue remains. The series focuses on a spirited, confident woman Fari who dreams of becoming a cricket player, and her luck turns around when she gets an opportunity to meet the famous cricket player Sana Mir, who makes a cameo in the second episode as a visitor in a girl’s college, and advises Fari to never give up on her dream. As Fari is climbing up the ladder to success, the series alternates with the story of Jimmy, a former cricket star who after an injury, was forced to give up on the game and take a back seat.

    “When we came up with this concept,” Farooq told The Current when the series was announced. “The thought behind it was that we need to empower women in the best way possible and there is no way better than projecting women in sports. Cricket, especially being the most loved sport in South-Asia.”

    She also stressed on the importance of such a drama that would not only be enjoyed by people, but also educate them about breaking stereotypes, calling ’22 Qadam’: ‘the voice of the unheard’.

    Since the two episodes went up on social media, clearly online audiences share our joy because the feedback has been nothing but positive.

  • Yumna Zaidi looks elegant in latest bridal shoot

    Yumna Zaidi looks elegant in latest bridal shoot

    Yumna Zaidi is hands down one of the most talented actresses from the current lot. She has starred in big hits one after another. Of late, her character Meerab in the highly successful drama Tere Bin, a hit noy only in Pakistan but globally as well, became a fan favourite. Yumna is also all set to make her cinema debut soon in Nayab where she is playing the role of a cricketer.

    The actress has just done a beautiful bridal shoot and she looks gorgeous as ever, decked up in beautiful eastern wear with heavy makeup and traditional jewellery. Here are some clciks from Yumna Zaidi’s shoot for Makeup Studio By Mehwish.

  • Defiant Pervez Khattak forms political party, names it ‘PTI Parliamentarians’

    Defiant Pervez Khattak forms political party, names it ‘PTI Parliamentarians’

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s once-trusted aide Pervez Khattak has formed a new party ‘Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentarians’, Geo News has reported.

    The former Chief Minister announced the name of his party days after being thrown out of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for allegedly asking members to ditch the party.

    According to the sources in The News, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has also joined PTI Parliamentarians. According to the report, 57 ex-assembly members have joined the party.

    Former provincial ministers have also joined the new party, in which Ishtiaq Armar and Shaukat Ali are included.

    Khattak was largely credited for forming a PTI government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in 2013, becoming a powerful chief executive of the province and jump starting Imran Khan’s eventual ascent to the Prime Minister’s office in 2018.

    However, the mercurial politician had often been at odds with his party head, most notably when the two clashed in 2018 after Imran Khan chose Mahmood Khan to head the province.

  • PRL and Airlink in talks to buy stake in Shell Pakistan

    PRL and Airlink in talks to buy stake in Shell Pakistan

    Shell Petroleum Company has decided to exit Pakistan by selling its 77 per cent stake in the local business. This move follows Shell’s recent updates on its global operations and concerns about the economic difficulties in Pakistan.

    In a notice submitted to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), Next Capital Limited, the managing party representing the Acquirers, Pakistan Refinery Limited and Air Link Communication Limited, declared their intention to acquire a majority stake of 77.42 per cent in Shell Pakistan Limited.

    Next Capital stated, “We, Next Capital Limited, hereby submit a Public Announcement of Intention by Pakistan Refinery Limited and Air Link Communication Limited (collectively referred to as the “Acquirers”) to acquire 77.42 per cent shares and control of Shell Pakistan Limited,” reflecting their involvement in the transaction.

    Speaking to Reuters, Airlink CEO Muzzaffar Hayat Piracha confirmed that the acquisition is a joint venture between Pakistan Refinery Limited and Airlink. However, the specific details regarding the shareholding distribution between Airlink and Pakistan Refinery Limited will be disclosed at a later stage, as stated by Piracha.

    For Airlink, entering the petroleum business aligns with its strategic objective of diversification. Airlink, primarily known as a smartphone distributor, manufacturer, and retailer, views this expansion as a progressive step.

    Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL), which operates as one of the five refineries in Pakistan and functions as a subsidiary of Pakistan State Oil Company Limited, did not provide an immediate response to the request for comment.

    Shell Pakistan faced financial setbacks in 2022 due to fluctuations in exchange rates, the devaluation of the Pakistani rupee, and unsettled receivables. These challenges were further compounded by the ongoing financial crisis and economic slowdown experienced by the country.

  • Suspect handed over to police by SHC for murdering his teenager wife

    Suspect handed over to police by SHC for murdering his teenager wife

    Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday rejected a suspect’s plea for pre-arrest bail in a case pertaining to the murder of his teenaged wife.

    He was handed over to the police.

    In an Instagram post, Pakistani civil rights activist and lawyer Mohammad Jibran Nasir shared that the suspect Hassan is finally in police custody almost a year after brutally murdering 19-year-old Hifza. The suspect strangled his wife and then hung her body by the ceiling fan to make it look like suicide.

    Nasir further stated that two days before her murder, Hifza on a recorded phone call, complained to her brother-in-law about being subjected to sexual violence, beatings and abuse by the suspect.

    The suspect runs a madrassah, along with his father who is co-accused in the murder case. The lawyer pinpointed that they lived in the upper portion of the madrassah where the murder was committed.

    Nasir admired the efforts made by the victim’s mother Farzana, saying it was her struggle for justice that led to the culprit’s arrest.

    In the video posted by him, police can be seen taking the suspect away while the mother of the victim tells him that he is an imposter not a mullah, “I had married my daughter to you because of your religious status, but you are a phony.” In response, the suspect threatened her that “You will be next.”

  • PTI should also be taken into confidence over electoral reforms: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    PTI should also be taken into confidence over electoral reforms: Shah Mahmood Qureshi

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said on Monday that his party was not being taken into confidence over electoral reforms, emphasizing that PTI is an important stakeholder.

    In a media talk, he said that “Section 9 of the Election Act 2017 is very vague.”
    Criticising the leading government coalition party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Qureshi said the party is suffering from instability.
    “The PTI chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan has gotten relief from the courts despite the fact that the government is fabricating cases against him,” he said.
    Speaking on the matter of dissolving the National Assembly, Quershi remarked: “It seems that the government is leaning towards 90-day elections. However, the date of the election has to be been given by the Election Commission of Pakistan.”