Out of fuel, wedding procession hires donkey carts
Reported in Express (January 19, 2015) when a bridegroom in Gujranwala could not hire a bus, his wedding procession (baraat) got going on seven donkey carts. Another wedding procession from Arifwala to Rawalpindi got stalled in Gujranwala, where the bride’s family arrived on a train. The marriage took place on the railway station.
Meera upset since Imran Khan’s wedding
Quoted in Jang (January 19, 2015) Meera says she has been disturbed (baysakooni ka shikar) since Imran Khan’s wedding and will ask famous cleric Maulana Tariq Jameel to pray for her.
Man caught wearing burqa to jump line at fuel station
According to Dunya (January 20, 2015) a man looking for petrol arrived at a fuel station in Gujrat wearing a burqa so that he could cut in line. He was able to get a bottle full of gasoline before getting caught. Angered by his trick, hundreds of people who had been waiting in line attacked the fuel station (dhawa bol diya), throwing stones (pathrao), swearing (gali galoch) and firing guns.
Asif Zardari is yet to start getting his pension
Sixteen months after he completed his term, former President Asif Zardari is yet to start getting his pension, reports Nawa-e-Waqt (January 20, 2015). Other departments have written 12 letters to the President’s House to initiate the process, but have not received a response so far. His spokesman Farhatullah Babar says he has not claimed his pension. Former presidents Pervez Musharraf and Rafique Tarar receive Rs 68,000 and Rs 48,400 a month in pensions respectively.
Baby’s name changed from Nawaz Sharif to Raheel Sharif
Reported in Express (January 21, 2015) upset (dilbardashta) by the fuel crisis, Muhammad Sharif of Rahim Yar Khan changed the name of his son from Nawaz Sharif to Raheel Sharif. He says Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif is better representing people’s wishes (umangon ki tarjumani) than Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
NADRA loses three years of data
In a new feat (karnama), NADRA has lost the data for citizens who registered from 2002 to 2005 (record say ghaib ho gya), according to Jang (January 21, 2015). They are hiding their inefficiency (na-ehli pay pardah dalnay kay liye) by suggesting they sign up for the new smart card.
Man becomes part-time transgender
According to Dunya (January 22, 2015) compelled by rising inflation, a man from Rawalpindi who sells mobile phone accessories in the day fakes being a transgender at night so that he can make extra money dancing at weddings.
Abid Sher Ali’s gun stolen
Express reports (January 22, 2015) state minister Abid Sher Ali’s 9-mm gun was stolen from his house. His sweeper has been arrested on suspicion.
‘Bilawal will join Muslim League’
Quoted in Jang (January 23, 2015) former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim says Bilawal Bhutto will soon join the Muslim League in line with a prediction by the late Pir of Pagara. Sharjeel Memon, the Sindh information minister, responds by asking Arbab Ghulam Rahim if he knows what party he belongs to.
Tahirul Qadri sued for not paying protestor
Reported in Nai Baat (January 23, 2015) a woman in Lahore has filed a case against famous cleric Tahirul Qadri and his son because she had not been paid the promised Rs 3,000 per day for participating in his sit-in in Islamabad.
100 donkey carcasses discovered in Gujrat
Dunya reports (January 24, 2015) people have discovered 100 carcasses of donkeys in a suburb of Gujrat whose meat may have been sold to big restaurants in Lahore and Islamabad. Police say they cannot verify the report or provide details.
Angry university students threaten to kill themselves
Reported in Nawa-e-Waqt (January 24, 2015) five students of the Computer Science department at Multan’s Bahauddin Zakariya University climbed the campus water tank and threatened to jump down because they had not been given their result cards. They say they had passed their exams in November and had been commuting from their villages to the registrar’s office every day.