Nuggets from the Urdu press

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These nuggets are culled from the Urdu press. They are summarised here without comment.'Absurd or ridiculous, tft takes no responsibility for them. Illustrations by Saadia Gardezi

2014-08-08T08:41:02+05:00

Meera taking Holy Quran lessons 



Reported in Express (July 13, 2014), film star Meera has started taking Quran lessons at a local institution. She is being taught how to spend her life in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran. She wears Hijab for the lessons.

Patients abandoned as fire breaks out in hospital 



Express reports (July 14, 2014) a fire broke out at the labor room at Sir Ganga Ram hospital, and the hospital staff ran away leaving the patients behind. Several women passed out. They were later shifted to other wards but some spent hours in the lawn outside.

16 arrested for indecent conduct in Ramzan



Reported in Jang (July 14, 2014) police raided a house and arrested nine women and seven men for indecent conduct (fohash harkat). Police had been told that they had arranged a dance performance (mujra) in the holy month of Ramzan.

Chatty cameramen anger railways minister



According to Nawa-e-Waqt (July 14, 2015) when Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique was addressing an urgent press conference at the Lahore Press Club, television cameramen were talking loudly to each other. He had to thump his desk twice to quieten them.

I represent Muslims, Imran represents Jews: Maulana



Quoted in Jang (July 15, 2014), Maulana Fazlur Rehman says I am the representative of Muslims and Imran Khan is the representative of Jews. His claims of revolution are a farce (maskhara pan).

IDPs give mineral water to their cattle



Reported in Jang (July 15, 2014), the IDPs from North Waziristan are given mineral water in their camps but they do not like to drink it. Some give it to their cattle. They do not like to live in camps and want to live in mud houses instead.

I am the prettiest girl in Pakistan: Meera



According to Nawa-e-Waqt (July 15, 2014), Meera says she is making a film. She will be the director of the film and also the lead actress. Asked why she didn’t hire another actress, she says she is the prettiest girl in Pakistan.

France bars Pakistanis from nuclear, agriculture PhDs 



Reported in Nawa-e-Waqt (July 15, 2014) France has banned Pakistani students from pursuing a PhD in agriculture, dairy or nuclear sciences in its universities. The chairman of Higher Education Commission revealed this to a National Assembly committee during a meeting.

Umar Akmal wants to take traffic warden to court again



Reported in Dunya (July 16, 2014) Umar Akmal has asked a court to restart proceedings against a traffic warden who he had a fight with earlier this year (dobara maidan main aa gaye). The case had been closed after Akmal’s father gave a written apology to the traffic warden. But now Umar Akmal says the warden had used the police to pressure him into a settlement.

Pakistani girl rejected in Bollywood for poor pronunciation



Indian film director Shankar Prawesh tells Express (July 16, 2014) he is looking for a Pakistani heroine for his new movie featuring Abhay Deol. He has received portfolios of 10 girls and had chosen one, but she was rejected in the audition because her pronunciation was poor.

Tax authorities withdraw notices to cricketers



Reported in Dunya (July 17, 2014) tax authorities have withdrawn the notices they had served on cricketers Misbahul Haq, Muhammad Hafeez, Umar Akmal and Azhar Ali. They had met Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and complained about the notices.

Khattak threatens to cut off power to Punjab



Quoted in Dunya (July 17, 2014), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak says if his province will be denied its fair share of electricity, it will cut off electricity to Punjab (Punjab ki bijli kaat dain gay). And if WAPDA did not straighten its act (qibla darust na kiya), he will withdraw security from their offices.
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