Here’s what’s happening across the border: Reham Khan has a new fan, and house painter is Pakistan’s answer to Arijit Singh.
Media watchdog wants celebrity telethons to meet dam-fund goal
Pakistanis tuning in to watch their favourite TV shows are set to be bombarded with calls to donate money for two dams aimed at helping the country tide over its water scarcity.
The country’s television channels have been directed by the electronic media watchdog to go all-out to solicit donations for the citizen-funded corpus launched by the chief justice of Pakistan in June for the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand dams.
In a letter dated 8 August sent by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), satellite TV channels have been asked to take measures to encourage the general public to donate “generously” for the “noble cause”.
Pakistan's Supreme Court has ordered all TV channels to immediately produce celebrity telethons to raise money to construct dams.
— Seth Oldmixon (@setholdmixon) August 8, 2018
“All TV channels licensees are directed to hold TELETHON with celebrities appealing to the general public to donate generously for the noble cause of fund-raising for the construction of dams,” the letter read.
The channels have also been advised to allocate a minute every hour during morning shows and prime time for similar appeals, with PEMRA imposing a three-day deadline for the implementation of these measures.
PEMRA has taken the fund-collection drive to heart. Earlier this month, PEMRA announced that its officers and workers will donate a part of their pay for the cause.
Bakhtawar Bhutto is now a fan of Reham Khan
Pakistani journalist Reham Khan’s patient handling of an alleged heckler in London seems to have earned her a new fan in former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari.
The video of a woman accosting Reham with accusatory questions has gone viral, earning the journalist much praise online for her calm answers. Reham, the ex-wife of Pakistan prime minister-elect Imran Khan, has riled his supporters with a tell-all that claims to reveal several unsavoury details about the former cricketer.
Bakhtawar was among those who tweeted their support, also adding “advice” for Imran Khan’s supporters, reported The News International.
All the video did was made me a fan of @RehamKhan1 for being so patient & tolerating troll harassment – the PTI supporter should spend less time harassing another woman & stop leader worshipping someone who has been aggressively against women rights & pro Taliban justice. https://t.co/BAEEPcXKQB
— Bakhtawar B-Zardari (@BakhtawarBZ) August 7, 2018
Bakhtawar, the middle-child of Benazir and former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, was born in 1990, while her mother was serving her first stint as prime minister. This makes her the first child ever born to a woman world leader while she was in office.
Women artistes in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa under attack
When Pashto singer and actor Resham Khan was killed this month, it was reportedly the 15th case of violence against women artistes this year in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone.
Resham was allegedly shot dead by her husband on 1 August in Nowshera, reported Dawn.
“In February this year, Sumbal, a singer, was shot dead in Sheikh Maltoon town in Mardan for refusing to attend a private musical show,” the report added.
Islamabad defends economic ties with Beijing, slams debt talk
Islamabad has defended its financial ties with Beijing amid fears that “opaque terms” of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the pivot of Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, will leave Pakistan heavily indebted, reported The Express Tribune.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the government said media reports suggesting that the CPEC would create an unbearable debt burden for Pakistan were “one-sided” and based on “irresponsible statements”.
Calling the deal a “win-win”, the government added, “China stepped forward to support Pakistan’s development at a time when foreign investment had dried up, and economic activity was being crippled by energy shortages and infrastructure gaps.”
Why a house painter is set to open a concert for Coke Studio singer
A Pakistani house painter has become an internet sensation after a 17-minute video of him belting out Indian singer Arijit Singh’s hits went viral. Muhammad Arif is now set to open a concert in Lahore for Aima Baid of Coke Studio fame, reported The Express Tribune.
https://youtu.be/HNtE9nVMHss
Ever since the video surfaced online, Indian and Pakistani began sharing it, tagging different singers in a bid to get Arif attention.
Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin, Baaki Thodi Si Hai Zindagi ?
Twitter done bits for that #ChaiWala – now to do the same for this #PaintWala ❤️ pic.twitter.com/6YNfOaCHAf
— a l i v e (@AadiHun) August 4, 2018
This pakistani painter has left @ARIJIT__SINGH behind. Here this soulful version of channa merya . Please retweat this to let this talent to reach out to world. Singers aur kalakaron se guzarish hai is ki madad ki jaey thanks .. pic.twitter.com/PuStZ5PyAn
— Zeeshan Mehdi (@Iamzeeshanmehdi) August 5, 2018
https://twitter.com/hariaziza/status/1025083808771715073
Contributors: Alind Chauhan, Anagha Deshpande, Priyamvada Grover, Manisha Mondal and Rupanwita Bhattacharjee