Umer Sharif is a cancer patient. In a special video message, the comedian pleaded with Prime Minister Imran Khan for a speedy visa process so that he can receive treatment abroad.
On Saturday, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab paid a visit to comic Umer Sharif in the hospital, expressing his full support in his recovery.
Murtaza ensures the TV personality’s family and the media that Mr.Sharif will be given the necessary assistance.
“Umer Sharif is a precious asset of the nation,” he began.”The government of Sindh will extend every kind of support in his cancer treatment.”
He continued, “Whatever, help is needed, Sindh Government will undoubtedly procure it.”
[Karachi, 6th Sept, 2021] Day five of the ongoing Young Leaders Conference (YLC) on Sunday was dedicated to let its participants know about the history and politics of the region as an essential component of their upbringing to assume leadership roles in the near future.
The day’s theme was “History and Politics-Iqtidar” and the champions of the proceedings were Shireen Naqvi and Faizan Arafat.
The day’s proceedings were conducted with the aim that the budding leaders of tomorrow should have ample knowledge about politics and history to act as responsible global citizens. The day was intended to promote political, cultural, and historical awareness among the young participants of the conference. The conference’s different sessions also explored the need for diplomacy in the present age of turmoil for promoting peace in the global environment.
Faizan Arafat’s session titled “The History of Human Struggle” highlighted the importance of history and how it was termed the black box of cause and effect because of its opaque nature. He talked about five important points in the past 500 years’ history that shaped nations and their ways of living.
Arfa Syeda Zehra’s session titled “Sach ka Samna” was an attempt to shed light on the blind spots in our history books and made the participants aware as to how these narratives come about.
She said in her talk that a large part of our identity stemmed from our history and culture that is deep within our land. It is ironic then, how history as we know it, does show us the full picture.
“Understanding the circumstances that have brought us here today are crucial for us to understand what it means to be a Pakistani,” she said.
Justice (retired) Nasira Iqbal talked about the issue of Rights Vs Responsibilities while saying that if someone was spreading negativity and hate speech in the name of freedom of speech, he or she was not taking responsibility for their actions. “If we don’t take responsibility for our actions and their impact, and continue to exploit our rights in the name of freedom, we will move towards a chaotic and dysfunctional society rather than a society where we strive for collective benefit,” she added.
Shireen Naqvi and Faizan Arafat’s joint session “Rewind & Forward” was aimed at telling the YLC participants that our current reality is shaped by a multitude of events in our history, every one of which affects our state today. “Everything that is happening today will be history one day, and everything we do today shapes what the world will look like tomorrow,” the participants were informed.
Shireen Naqvi in her session “Alliance Formation” talked about the frequent formation of alliances by different political parties in the country to come into power and to what extent this culture affects political governance in Pakistan.
Barrister Shahida Jamil conducted the Presidential Debate of the day.
Waqar Ali ended the day by uplifting the participants to face the challenges in their lives ahead.
Day four of the Young Leaders Conference (YLC) was aimed at providing the best guidance to its participants to choose a career path in their upcoming life in the backdrop of massive changes in the job market the world over due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The theme of the day was “Enterprise and Employment-AITEBAAR” with Champ Waleed Anwar as the star participant of the proceedings.
Speakers belonging to diverse professional backgrounds also taught the YLC participants about the skills and qualifications required to practice entrepreneurship or to enter the realm of start-ups in their practical life.
They also counselled about the fundamental changes in the businesses and industries due to heavy reliance on technology, computers, and the Internet to do professional work as the job market becomes extremely challenging due to the ever-shrinking requirement of human resources.
Umair Jaliawala, Trainer and founder at Torquie joined the conference for his session. Umair Jallawala said the people around the world had to face unexpected challenges and realities while fulfilling their professional commitments during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Companies had to rethink and reshape their structures, many failed or took a hit but some rose to the challenge and used this crisis as an opportunity for taking massive action,” he said.
He provided guidance to the participants in order to help them nurture the ability to identify a crisis associated with their professional lives and what skills set was required to tackle the challenging situation in the occupational surroundings.
Shahbaz Islam in his session said that many existing jobs would likely become obsolete soon due to the rapid rise of technology and automation.
He said research showed that around 40 per cent of the workforce would require re-skilling by 2025, causing great anxieties amongst the youth entering the job market in such turbulent times.
“However, we must realise that although technology has replaced many human jobs, this recent shift has made certain human skills more valuable than ever. Skills such as adaptability, creative problem solving and effective decision making-commonly called soft skills-are now so essential that employers have started to call them core skills,” he said.
Junaid Alam taught the participants about the fast-emerging world of start-ups and its relevance for the Pakistani youth.
Arsal Fahim spoke on the need to gain financial literacy to sharpen their professional skills through a very engaging and fun activity “Money matters”
Arif Pyarall shared his ideas about establishing long-lasting and successful ties with the industry.
Waqar Ali spoke on the marketing skills required for running a successful business while Faizan Arafat helped the YLC participants sharpen their business communication skills to be used in their upcoming life.
A very insightful session, YOU ARE HIRED, sponsored by IBEX. took place. In this session the participants came along with their resumes to sit down for an interview with a leading HR professional and they were getting feedback right away on their interview performances.
Kamran Z Rizvi conducted a panel discussion on the need to secure a specialization in the particular field of study of youth for becoming successful professionals.
The day ended with Extra Corp by Waqar Ali, a simulation in which team SoL aware participants about inclusion, diversity and acceptance of others. This whole simulation revolves around only one fundamental, that is, no matter what color, cast, gender you are. Everyone is equal and nobody is superior to others.
Pakistani singer, Nazia Hassan’s husband has sent a notice to Zohaib Hassan seeking Rs 1 billion as defamation charges.
Mirza Ishtiaq Baig has filed a defamation complaint against his brother-in-law, Zohaib Hassan, in Sindh High Court.
Nazia Hassan’s husband, Mirza Ishtiaq Baig has filed a lawsuit in Sindh High Court against his brother-in-law Zohaib Hassan for defaming him. He claimed compensations of Rs1 Billion regarding the false allegations of poisoning Nazia Hasan.
Nazia Hassan’s husband stated in his statement that his brother-in-law had been making defamatory allegations and imputations against him on social media forums. He claimed that Zohaib Hassan has leveled baseless allegations against him about his sister’s death. Ishtiaq Baig further stated that Nazia Hassan died after battling cancer for a long time. Furthermore, the cause of death was also evident on the death certificate issued by the authorities in the UK.
In his petition, Mirza also demands that Zohaib apologize for his remarks and give him Rs1 billion for tarnishing his reputation.
Day three of the ongoing Young Leaders’ Conference (YLC) on Friday was all about highlighting the relevance of Pakistani arts and culture for the youth in the country for making them ready to assume a leadership role in the near future.
The theme of the day was “Arts, Culture, and Society-Aiwaan” and the Champ Arsal Fahim was the main highlight of the day. Different speakers of the day also shed light on the artistic and cultural diversity Pakistan possesses as the unique feature of its society.
The English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM) was the sponsor of the day in line with its firm commitment and resolve continuing for near about 20 years to support YLC in the best interest of budding leaders of Pakistan. The EBM’s support this year has been especially noteworthy that it let the YLC takes place despite continuing coronavirus emergency that otherwise interrupted many such events all over the world or confined its proceedings to the digital medium only. A musical concert as a part of the day’s proceedings to enrich the cultural exposure of the YLC participants was also sponsored by the EBM. The YLC organizers expressed special gratitude to the EBM for its unwavering commitment every year to organize the event.
The EBM was also represented on the occasion by its Brand Manager Shayan Rasool who talked about the concept of Alif.
Through encouraging counter-narratives, cross-pollination of idealism, and self-expression, day three sought to create an intellectual space, promoting diversity and pluralism in Pakistan’s society and beyond its borders while providing an opportunity for the YLC participants to connect with the art, culture, society, and moral ethos of Pakistan.
One of the keynote speakers of the day, Yousuf Bashir Qureshi in his conversation with the YLC participants highlighted the importance of arts in today’s modern world driven by industrialization and technology. “Art beyond drawings and paintings is a shared experience and its most essential function is to express and make sense of the struggles and emotions of society. It is a way of bringing people together and the greatest form of storytelling,” he said.
Junaid Iqbal in his lecture highlighted the importance of family, culture, religion, gender, educational background as the compelling factors that influenced the thought process of a person and shape the way he or she sees the world.
“Developing individual thought empowers us to stand apart from the crowd and allows us the confidence to voice our opinions without the fear of being judged. Additionally, if you are in a position of power, it is also crucial to ensure that your voice does not overpowers others but instead encourages individual opinions,” he added.
Nida Kirmani spoke on the concept of gender equality while saying that as almost half of Pakistan’s population being women, the need for gender equality and representation in the home, workplace, media, and politics is crucial.
Her session was aimed at bringing forth the factual realities of gender inequality and bringing context by highlighting its relevance in today’s Pakistan in order to understand that gender equality is not just important for women but equally important for men and the development of Pakistan.
A Drum circle activity was also part of the day. The participants of the YLC were given the opportunity to present their different cultures in the Cultural Night.
The day ended with a captivating EBM-sponsored musical night featuring renowned Sufi and folk singer of Pakistan Sanam Marvi.
[Karachi, 3rd Sept, 2021] The second day of Young Leaders’ Conference (YLC) on Thursday was all about emotional and mental well-being of the adolescent brains against the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic that has given rise to the psychological problems all over the world due to prolonged lockdown regimes.
The theme of the day was “Developmental Leadership-ALMIYA” as Waqar Ali was one of the keynote speakers of the day. The day started with an energizing session, briefing on the upcoming proceedings, and giving a wrap-up of the proceedings of the day one of the YLC.
The topics discussed during the proceedings included inclusiveness, psychological well-being, emotional intelligence, and mental health of the youth.
The proceedings of the day were conducted with strict adherence to the government-prescribed standard operating procedures against the spread of coronavirus.
The participants of the YLC were informed that Developmental Leadership is all about expanding one’s mind-set. It empowers us to come together and have difficult conversations, regarding subjects that may be considered taboo in our society, with an open mind and a greater will to understand.
With 64 per cent of Pakistan’s population comprising the youth, it is imperative that we address matters of emotional, physical and social well-being with great importance.
From mental health to social hygiene and from sustainable development to climate change, it is our responsibility to grow and take initiative, said the speakers of the day two of YLC.
The goal of the day was to develop a growth mind-set and get a conversation started among the participants. Even though our cultural roots encourage us to be accepting, it is often done only when convenient. With a day specifically about Developmental Leadership, the organizers hoped to equip the youth with tools to be informed about the world around them, empathize with others and encourage them to promote growth within and in the communities around them.
Other important speakers of the day included Nisha Rao and Taha Sabir who spoke on the issue of emotional intelligence.
Different sessions of the day were held on the topics of inclusive communities, self-defence, emergency medical services, sign language, emotional intelligence and its impact on mental health, defining fears instead of goals.
The day also had Asad Ibrahim’s session. He helped the participants understand the meaning of Alif on a spiritual level. He also did a meditation with the participants to make them feel relaxed and calm.
The day ended with Waqar Ali’s activity titled “Your dinner is locked until…”
The first day of Young Leaders Conference (YLC) started with a very thought-provoking concept of self-realization. The day was all about decluttering our minds from everyday chaos and starting afresh. Waqar Ali, CEO School of Leadership introduced the concept of Alif with a new perspective and discussed the importance of diving within to see beyond what eyes can see. The day was led by Uzair Ausaf, CEO Cube Consulting who inspired the youngsters with his spellbinding stories and insightful experiences that made them believe that their dreams can become reality if they have faith within and are ready to take that first step. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
English Biscuit Manufacturers (EBM) and School of Leadership celebrated two decades of impact with hundreds of lives touched. Leadership from both organizations shared how they find YLC as a platform for youngsters to build confidence and get relevant exposure that can equip them with the mindset to transition from good to great. The 20th YLC displayed the true essence of Alif with youngsters reflecting to unearth their true potential, finding right questions to ask the universe and stitching it all together Attiyah Inaam, Senior Manager Corporate Communications, Sustainability & PR represented her company at the Conference on Day 1 and delivered a very powerful and motivational speech to the participants in which she talked about the 20 years of partnership between SoL & EBM. She also talked about EBM and how the company has empowered more than 600+ youngsters through sponsorships and support. “Whatever the mind of a man can conceive and believe, IT CAN ACHIEVE.”
Cake cutting ceremony took place in celebration of 20 decades of partnership between both the organizations.
Keeping in mind the recent pandemic, compliance with strict SOPs was ensured for everyone’s safety.
The day put forward the thought of taking a break from the routine and getting rid of those self-created limitations that paralyzes ones’ growth. It expressed the importance of inculcating values and morals of Alif and carrying them as a guiding principle to their life.
The partners and sponsors for YLC 2021 are EBM (Founding Partner), ibex., Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, KIA Motors, PTCL – Ufone, KAPCO, KFC, nofea, HABIB METRO, J., Feroze 1888, HUBCO, Sightsavers, SOL Foundation, Catalyst Corp, Street17, UPSTAIR Solutions, Dreamworld Resort, Hotel and Golf Course, Carving Productions, Amwaj, Health Matters, SWVL. The Learning Partners are connectHear, Nucleus Consulting, Carnelian, Cube Consulting, Torque, and Bookmyspot. The official Media Partners are Jang Media Group, Geo News, and The News while the official Radio Partner for the event is Suno FM 89.4.
One of the most talented and popular social media sensations, Waqar Zaka has welcomed Arshad Nadeem at the Lahore airport and presented him a cash reward of 10 lac rupees as a token of appreciation for qualifying for the final competition of javelin throw at the Tokyo Olympics.
Arshad Nadeem was given a hero’s welcome upon his return to Pakistan after finishing fifth in the men’s javelin throw event at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
In his hometown of Mian Channu, the athlete was welcomed by a crowd of admirers chanting his name alongside slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad”.
Recently a video clip of actress Sadaf Kanwal went viral on social media where she was asked What she thinks about feminism and Is the woman of our society is oppressed or not.
Sadaf in her video said, “Our culture is our husband, if I am married, as a wife I must know where my husband’s belongings are kept, I must iron his clothes which I usually don’t do but that’s what a wife should do. I should polish his shoes, I must know what he wants to eat and when he wants to eat because it’s my duty as wife and that’s what I have seen growing up”.
Meanwhile, Writer Khalil-ur-Rehman recently appeared in the BOL News talk show Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga with anchorperson Fiza Akbar Khan where Khalil-ur-Rehman showed up openly to endorse and support actress and model Sadaf Kanwal, because of her remarks on woman’s rights, marriage, and the role of women in Pakistani society.
“All women who are looking for their husband’s socks or are polishing his shoes or ironing his clothes, are doing it out of love.” the Mere Paas Tum Ho dramatist said
Furthermore, he said, “This hardly happens that somewhere it is happening by order.”
“Not all the girls are wrong in the society there are some aunties who mislead out society’s women’s,” he added
Sadaf Kanwal is a Pakistani artist who is recently in news after saying that husband is our culture and women are not oppressed. She said that every woman is strong and feminism means taking care of a man. She also expressed her discomfort over the recent wave of feminism in Pakistan. She blamed it on the Aurat March and the increase in the number of Pakistani liberals.
She also mentioned that husband is her culture and she must know everything about her husband. She said that being a wife it is her job to hold her husband’s shoes and iron his clothes. After these remarks, people haven’t stopped talking about Sadaf Kanwal. Here are a few tweets that got our attention:
When Gharida gage opinion about Qurbani, all the critics were told to hold horses as she is entitled to her viewpoint. When #SadafKanwal commented about feminism and husband, she is being castigated as to why she can even think of saying anything like this.
We believe that free speech is everyone’s right but one should think really hard before speaking on topics like these especially when domestic violence against women is rising to high proportions.
Musawar Ali 