Television star Sarah Khan took to social media to share her pregnancy diet and workout secrets with her fans and followers. The Alvida actor believes that working out amidst pregnancy is like eating ‘Kale on a cheat day’.
On the work front, Sarah can be seen in Khizer Idrees’ Laapata co-starring Ali Rehman Khan, Ayeza Khan and Gohar Rasheed.
The Taliban have declared that the war in Afghanistan is over after taking control of the Presidential Palace in Kabul as western nations evacuate their citizens from the Afghan capital.
Executive Director of an NGO for girls’ education Pashtana Durrani, while speaking to Journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Channel 4 News, said, “This means losing your houses, your dreams, your goals, your ambition… everything. This means losing our identity as Afghans.”
“That was selling us out. That was to let the elite and the posh people get a way out. Let’s sell the people of Afghanistan. Let’s sell the civilians of Afghanistan,” said Pashtana, referring to the Doha peace talks.
She further added, “Let’s throw them to the wolves again.”
“Children are bleeding, people are taking refuge in parks of Kabul, people are taking refuge in shops of Kandahar. There is no way out…I am going to lose everything that my father, my whole family, and I have worked for. Every girl and every person has worked for, in the last 20 years,” added Pashtana.
“What are you going to do if there is a bang on the door?” asked the anchorperson.
“[Sighs] Pray … Pray, probably. It’s going to be the last thing that I’m going to do, but that’s the only thing I can do. I don’t have anything else to do,” replied Pashtana.
Talking to BBC News, spokesman for the Taliban, Shaheeh Suhail said that the militants want a “peaceful transfer of power” in Afghanistan in the next few days.
BBC’s Yalda Hakim questioned Suhail that the women in Afghanistan are fearful that the Taliban will reimpose the regime of the 90’s back in Afghanistan where women couldn’t go to school and could not work.
She asked him if it would be the same now. “There are hundreds of schools and universities in which students are studying and no restrictions have been imposed on them, they are continuing their studies,” said Suhail.
Hakim questioned that in Herat when women arrived at their university they were asked to leave by the Taliban forces. “What I am telling you is the policy. The policy is that women can have access to education, work, and observe the hijab, that is it,” replied Suhail.
Meanwhile, a senior analyst who specialises in Afghan relations says that “You never know with the Taliban. They have become really media savvy and know what to say and how to say it. In regards to women, they are saying that they will let them have their freedom now, but they can change their stance anytime.”
Afghanistan’s Minister of Education Rangina Hamidi says she is fearful “like every woman in Afghanistan”.
Talking to BBC News, Hamidi said, “Yes, Like the fear that every mother has in Afghanistan, the fear that every woman has in the country [I have it too].”
“Deep down in my heart I keep telling myself to think that I haven’t done anything bad and hopefully I wouldn’t have to pay the price for joining a government position,” added Hamidi.
“I might face consequences that I never ever dreamed of. I guess that’s the price we pay for trying to make the world a little better than one we came into, particularly Afghanistan,” said Hamidi.
The anchorperson questioned if she was fearful of a “knock on the door”.
“Anything is possible, I am actually sitting in the hallway of our house, where there are not many windows close by. Just a little earlier there were gunshots, I brought my daughter and the other people living in the house with us to be a bit safe. But in terms of how safe we are, and how this night if we remain until the morning, it is very difficult to predict if we [will be alive],” replied Hamidi.
Speaking from the capital Kabul as Taliban insurgents take control of the country, the minister said she didn’t expect such a response from a president who she “trusted fully”.
“I’m in shock, I’m in disbelief. I did not think that things would happen the way they did.
“And the saddest part is that I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect this from the president that I knew and a president who I trusted fully.”
“Somehow in my heart, in the back of my mind, I still want to believe that this is not true – that he left – but if he did, it’s really a shame.”
Journalist Anisa Shaheed says she will not give in to the Taliban. “There are many untold stories in Afghanistan and we need to tell them.”
“Nothing is harder than reporting on a child who has been disabled, a child’s rights being violated, or a child crying, or when a woman is crying because of sheer oppression,” said Anisa.
Previously, under the Taliban rule, women were not allowed to work, to go to school. At times they weren’t allowed to leave their home without a male guardian.
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that cultural imposition is equivalent of ‘mental slavery’ and it is very hard to break the shackles of mental slavery, adding that the Afghans had “broken the shackles of slavery”. PM Khan was speaking at the launch of the first phase of the Single National Curriculum (SNC) for students of grades one to five today.
PM’s comments come as the Taliban rapidly take control of Afghanistan.
The Taliban declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday.
Criticising the two parallel systems of education in the country, PM said that the existence of English medium schools has led to the adoption of “someone else’s culture” in Pakistan.
“When you adopt someone’s culture, you believe it to be superior and you end up becoming a slave to it,” said PM Khan.
“I had the vision to introduce the Single National Curriculum, but the elites making the most of the current system will not change that easily,” said the premier.
“When you acquire English medium education, you adopt the entire culture and it’s a major loss because you become a slave to that particular culture,” he said.
“Our class divisions were formed only on the basis of an English education,” said PM Khan.
He said a decision had also been taken to teach the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) from grades eight to 10. However, he told Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood that the plan to introduce the course by 2024 was too far away, adding that it should be implemented in five to six months.
The SNC had been launched from classes one to five in public and private schools as well as seminaries in all provinces except Sindh.
Celebrity couples of Pakistani entertainment industry donned colour-coordinated attires on the auspicious occasion of the Independence Day.
The picture perfect pairs took to their social media handles to share their looks with with their friends and followers.
Superstar Mahira Khan took to her social media handles to announce her forthcoming telefilm Ek Hai Nigar with its official teaser on the independence day. The Raees diva is set to play the first female Lieutenant General Nigar Johar co-starring Bilal Ashraf.
The teaser has garnered appreciation from her fans and industry fellows alike. The Humsafar actor stated that it’s an honour to play the role of an achiever that Nigar is.
Pakistan Army Public Relations Department (ISPR) has paid homage to Lieutenant General Nigar Johar through this film.
Directed by Adnan Sarwar, it is penned by Umera Ahmed.
Here are a few reactions of the fans:
Apart from her fans, Mahira’s colleagues have showered her with love and appreciation
Dilruba actor Ghana Ali expressed her love for husband Umair Gulzar in an Instagram post. Netizens commented mean remarks for Umair in the picture’s comment section to which the Sun Yaara star hit back at.
On the work front, the actress will be seen next in a Pak-Turk film, Gawah Rehna alongside Emmad Irfani.
President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan fled the country as the Taliban entered Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.
Ashraf left a note for his countrymen on social media, stating, “The Taliban have made it to remove me, they are here to attack all Kabul and the people of Kabul. In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out.”
“Taliban have won the judgement of swords and guns and now they are responsible for protecting the countrymen’s honour, wealth and self-esteem. Didn’t they win the legitimacy of hearts,” wrote Ashraf Ghani.
“Never in history has dry power given legitimacy to anyone and won’t give it to them. They are now facing a new historical test; either they will protect the name and honour of Afghanistan or they will prioritze other places and networks,” penned Ghani.
Ghani further added, “Many people and many Aqshar are in fear and are unreliable in the future. It is necessary for the Taliban to assure all the people, nations, different sectors, sisters and women of Afganistan to win the legitimacy and the hearts of the people. Make a clear plan to do and share it with the public.”
“I will always continue to serve my nation with an intellectual moment and a plan to develop. Lots more talk for the future. Long live Afghanistan,” said Ghani.
The Taliban declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday.
Ghani did not say where he had travelled to, but leading Afghan media group Tolo News suggested he had gone to Tajikistan.
Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the peace process, had earlier accused Ghani of “leaving the people to this situation”.
However, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday in a televised speech said that the remobilisation of Afghanistan’s armed forces was a “top priority”.
“As a historic mission, I will not let the imposed war on people cause more deaths,” said Ashraf Ghani.
“In the current situation, the remobilisation of our security and defence forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard,” he said on Saturday. A day later, he fled Afghanistan.
The Governor of Punjab Chaudhary Mohammad Sarwar conferred actor Hira Mani with the ‘Global Women Media’ award. The Do Bol star’s work in the field of television was acknowledged on August 15 in Lahore.
Fellow celebrities Saba Faisal, Ghana Ali and Zara Noor Abbas cheered the Kashf actor on Instagram.
On the work front, Hira is currently featuring in HUM TV’s Yun To Pyar Hai Buhat opposite Affan Waheed.
Celebrity couple of Danish Taimoor and Ayeza Khan celebrated their elder daughter Hoorain’s first tooth falling in an intimate yet well decorated event. The Meray Paas Tum Ho actor took to her social media handle to share the pictures from the celebration.
Fellow actresses Reema Khan, Minal Khan Areeba Habib and Nadia Hussain commented on their pictures to express their love and appreciation.
Read More: Video: Ayeza Khan recreates Aishwarya Rai’s popular ‘Mohabbatein’ look, Aisha Khan adores
On the work front, Ayeza is currently featuring in Laapata opposite Ali Rehman Khan and Sarah Khan, whereas Danish can be seen romancing Minal Khan in ARY’s Ishq Hai.
Among the myriad promises the current federal government has failed to deliver is one pledge that the government did not commit to but has delivered in spades. I am talking about the federal administration providing us with therapy, albeit in the form of laughter. Whenever we, the people, have been at the edge of bucking under crippling inflation, the government has provided us with a moment of undiluted merriment, always at its own expense.
In times of crisis, and what is Pakistan in if not a deep existential, democratic and economic crisis, comedians come to the rescue of their people, providing much needed merriment to take away our troubles for a moment or two. The government, however, decided to step in and provide laughter itself, in the process promoting harmony among citizens, taking away jobs from comedians as it has from nearly everyone else. We may have neither faith nor discipline but damned if we are not united in our misery.
Last year, Faisal Vawda selflessly decided to make us laugh when he accused Dr Musadik Malik, a PhD, of being a physician to a Gulf royal family. Where else but in a social welfare state will a prominent ruling party member prove himself to be a clown just to help his people out of depression. This is not Mr Vawda’s first attempt at comedy. After elite forces had successfully thwarted an attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Vawda showed up in a bulletproof vest and armed with what he said was a Glock to “defend his country”. A more unpunctual, but well-meaning, well-dressed and well-to-do vigilante had not been seen before. Take that, Batman.
In another incident, a hilarious government announcement of Pakistan being one of the cheapest countries tied in with yet another fuel price hike. We all laughed our way to the shady hospitals where we had made deals to sell our kidneys in order to keep our bikes and cars running.
Never one to let tradition slide, PTI has earlier this week launched a hilarious report on digital trends, just as it finalised deals on the costliest purchase of LNG. In three years, PTI has provided us with plenty of laughter but this, ladies and gentlemen, was the jewel in the crown. Compiled by what we can only assume are people with the IQ of a cabbage, the report went on to report the origins and details of “anti-state” trends. The “deep analysis” had about as much depth as the puddle a newborn would create without a diaper. Oh PTI, how do we laugh at thee? Let me count the ways.
First off, were the graphs. Leave aside that they had probably been lifted straight off Tweepsmap, where the data was compiled from. Forget about the fact that they seemed to have been copy pasted by someone who wielded the mouse with a hoof instead of a hand. Pay attention to the fact that the content too seemed to have been finalised by someone who is getting the pay of a grade 22 officer but does not have the ability to read what has been put before him/her. The gender graph featured men, women and businesses/groups. The mind boggles at the possibilities the unveiling of this new gender has unleashed. Will we have toilets for businesses right alongside men’s and women’s? Will weddings be segregated into three sections? Will we have to issue new ID cards and passports? Will rishta aunties recalibrate their trade?
The age graph had a section for a group aged “10-23”. Let’s concentrate on the ludicrous assertion that tweens of the country are engaging in digital warfare under the behest of anti-state elements. It’s the perfect script for a horror movie.
Another infographic informs us that most of these anti-state handles also follow ICC. This is a win, whichever way we look at it. All traitors, great and small, gathered together at the altar of cricket with patriots, all united in their hopelessness. Brings a tear to the eye.
Finally, the report shows us page upon page of….. screenshots. Dozens of them. Spare a thought for the poor intern or low-paid individual who slaved away at his system, gathering tweets from known pro-PTI accounts and copy pasting away. Even Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Reham Khan was not spared from the relentlessness of his dexterous fingers and numb mind.
Now, you may be inclined to think of this report as a loss. Our simple minds and lack of perception are to blame for this unimaginative conclusion. Remember the old adage, to think not of what the country can do for you but what you can do for the country. In this case, think not of how someone gets highly paid to embarrass the government, but that you too can get highly paid to embarrass the government, given the right connections.
And a sufficient lack of grey matter.