New Delhi: A Pakistani politician has come up with a unique and innovative way of campaigning for an election in Karachi.
The country’s former finance minister Miftah Ismail handed out candies with his face printed on the packaging as a campaign strategy in the Karachi West-II constituency for a by-election scheduled for 29 April.
The leader, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, is also the chairman of Ismail Industries Limited that manufactures confectionery items under the names ‘CandyLand’, ‘Bisconni’ and ‘SnackCity’. As such, it was easier for him to manufacture the custom candies.
Speaking to SAMAA TV, 57-year-old Ismail said, “Imran Khan gave a lollypop to the people of Pakistan and he did no work”.
His unique campaign strategy has gained a lot of traction on social media as well.
How brilliant is this! Miftah bhai putting the available resources to excellent use. #NA249 Sher Ka insha’Allah 🐅✌🏻
مفتاح ٹوفی کھائیں گے
شیر پر ٹھپہ لگائیں گے pic.twitter.com/ugKI6aFKrF— Ali Dar (@alimdar82) March 29, 2021
Candyland owned by Miftah 😳
Lol that Miftah Candy ! pic.twitter.com/lHSGkovf2E— Are Zee ! (@bhattispeaks) March 30, 2021
One Twitter user even suggested a theme song for him.
I wonder if he has Sammy Davs Jr singing "The Candy Man" while distributing them https://t.co/UimkA82mx9
— Salman Inqalabi (@SrasheedSalman) March 31, 2021
Ismail was the finance minister of Pakistan from April to May 2018. The by-election is being held to elect a public representative of the constituency to the National Assembly of Pakistan. Faisal Vawda, from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, previously occupied the seat but he resigned in early March.
Balochistan’s Kacchi district bans hunting of koonj birds
The local authorities of the Kacchi district in Balochistan have banned the hunting of demoiselle cranes, locally known as koonj.
Among the smallest crane species in the world, demoiselle cranes are native to Central Euro-Siberia and can cover long distances without stopping for food and water. Thousands of these birds migrate to Balochistan every year. However, many fall prey to hunters there.
In a notification Wednesday, the Deputy Commissioner of Kacchi said that hunting these migratory birds is akin to genocide and warned strict action against those violating the ban.
In 2019, the Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Department had recovered 29 koonj birds after receiving a tip-off that they were being smuggled to another city in a vehicle, near the Makran Coastal Highway.
Japanese award for Pakistani documentary on Himalayan glaciers
A Pakistani documentary on the melting of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change has won the Japanese film award, Green Image Award, Sunday. Only 12 films were shortlisted out of the 177 entries from across the world.
Titled ‘Pakistan’s Himalayan Meltdown’, the 2019 documentary by filmmaker and journalist Shehzad Hameed shows how water will become a flashpoint between India and Pakistan after the Himalayan glaciers melt.
It explores the Siachen glacier dispute between the two nations and also examines Pakistan’s bid to mitigate climate change.
It also documented water theft in Karachi and to capture it, the production team conducted an undercover operation.
Hameed has also won the ‘Best Documentary’ award for his film Bangladesh’s Delta Disaster, at the Tagore International Festival 2021 held in West Bengal.
Shoaib Akhtar on rivalry with Sachin Tendulkar
Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, popularly known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’, took to Twitter to wish Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar a speedy recovery from Covid-19 Tuesday.
Akhtar reminisced about his on-field rivalry with Tendulkar and tweeted: “One of my favourite rivalries on the ground. Get well soon buddy.”
One of my favorite rivalries on the ground. Get well soon buddy @sachin_rt pic.twitter.com/mAleuepcwM
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) March 30, 2021
The photograph posted by the Pakistani cricketer is from the Australia-India-Pakistan tri-series in 1999-2000.
Tendulkar tested positive for Covid-19 on 27 March and has been quarantining ever since.
Akhtar managed to prize out the master blaster eight times during his international cricket career — five times in ODIs and thrice in Test cricket.
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