Here’s what’s happening across the border: Nabila becomes the official hair & make-up partner for India’s IIFA and Chris Pratt expresses his love for Pakistan.
Imran Khan expels convicted rapist from the PTI after backlash
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan expelled Farooq Bandial from his political party hours after welcoming him. The move came after Khan faced massive backlash on social media for including a rape-convict politician in his party.
Bandial, who belongs to Punjab, was handed a death sentence by a special military court in 1979 for committing armed dacoity and the gang rape of actor Shabnam at her house in Gulberg, Lahore. Bandial was one of the five accused. According to reports, the death sentence of all the five accused was pardoned by former general Zia-ul-Haq when Shabnam’s family put pressure on their pardoning.
When a photograph of Imran Khan welcoming Bandial into PTI emerged on the internet, people took to Twitter and Facebook to condemn the action. Following this, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhary announced on Twitter that Imran Khan had taken notice of the complaints against Bandial and that party leader Naeemul Haque would investigate the matter and present its findings to Khan in three days.
“He has been expelled from the party with immediate effect. We have no place for people with such record in our party. He should not even be in any political party,” he said.
Pakistan’s Nabila replaces MAC as the official hair and make-up stylist for IIFA 2018
Karachi-based award-winning hair and make-up artist Nabila Maqsood has been confirmed as the official hair and make-up partner for this year’s International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA).
This move comes after the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association had placed a ban on Pakistani actors, singers and technicians working on Indian films in 2016, in light of the Uri attacks.
Nabila will be replacing top cosmetic brand MAC, which had been IIFA’s cosmetics consultant in the past.
Nabila opened her first salon in 1986 and has become an icon in the Pakistani entertainment industry. Her make-up line, Zero will also be launched in India this summer.
Pakistan to buy 30 attack helicopters from Turkey, in their largest contract
Pakistan has signed an agreement with Turkey for the purchase of 30 Turkish Aerospace Industries’ (TAI) T129 attack helicopters, Turkish officials confirmed Wednesday. According to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, this is the largest ever defence contract signed between the two countries.
The T129 is Turkey’s first locally manufactured platform under license from the Italian-British AgustaWestland, features tandem seat cockpit, twin-engines and NATO-interoperability for attacks and deep-strike mission capabilities for day and night in all weather conditions.
Although the Turkish government didn’t disclose the price for the T129 deal, but according to The Express Tribune’s sources, the estimated worth would be about $1.5 billion, almost equivalent of Turkey’s annual defence exports.
First Balochistan health policy introduced by outgoing government
The outgoing chief minister of Balochistan, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo approved Balochistan’s health policy Wednesday, in the last cabinet meeting before the government is dissolved. Under this policy, health cards will be issued to poor patients for free medical assistance.
The Balochistan Awami Party cabinet also approved a project for improving the basic infrastructure in the industrial town of Hub under the chief minister’s programme for developing divisional headquarters.
However, many criticised the delay in the implementation of these policies just ahead of the provincial elections on 25 July and not during the government’s five-year-long tenure.
Hollywood actor Chris Pratt gives shout-out to Pakistan on Twitter
In response to a Pakistani fan, Hollywood film star Chris Pratt expressed his love for Pakistan and said that he hoped to visit the country one day. He also talked about a special knife he had which was made in Pakistan.
Love back at you Pakistan! I had a cool Bowie knife growing up that was made in Pakistan. It said Made in Pakistan right on the blade. Hope to visit one day! https://t.co/2wQQR3389n
— chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) May 29, 2018