Posts

Showing posts from June, 2022

PTI gets permission hold public gathering in Islamabad on 2nd july

Image
Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has given permission to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to hold public gathering at Parade Ground here for one day only (July 2nd 2022) subject to some conditions. According to a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by ICT administration on Thursday the PTI President Central Secretariat Ali Nawaz Awan had submitted an undertaking with regard to the terms and condition to be followed by him as well as the organizers of the public gathering. Awan had written a letter to Islamabad administration on June 29, 2022 seeking permission to hold public meeting in the Federal capital upon the required terms and conditions. The NOC says "The gathering should not block the Islamabad Expressway at any cost owing to any reason whatsoever, since this is a main artery of the city including providing access to airport and north bound as well as west bound motorways" "The gathering shall end at 1200 midnight (night between 2nd & 3rd...

Pakistan reports 694 covid cases in 24 hours

Image
Pakistan has reported no death in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of positive cases has risen to 1,536,479. The nationwide tally of fatalities stands at 30,395 on Friday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 694 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours. Pakistan has conducted 17,640 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 694 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 3.93 percent. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/NXTpeEl

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui calls on Farooq Sattar

Image
Convener Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui called on head of MQM Rehabilitation Movement Dr Farooq Sattar at his residence in PIB Colony in Karachi on Thursday According to sources, the two political leaders discussed in detail the strategy for the by-elections in NA-245, the upcoming local body elections and current political situation in the country. Former CPLC (Citizens-Police Liaison Committee) chief Ahmed Chennai was also present on the occasion. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/sqY2Mdo

FIFA restores Pakistan's membership

Image
Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has reinstated Pakistan’s membership. FIFA announced that it would lift all restrictions imposed and restore the membership of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). PFF Normalisation Committee Chairman Haroon Malik said that the hard work of the committee and the prayers of the football family has finally paid off. “The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided on June 29, 2022 to lift the suspension that was imposed on the PFF in April 2021 due to undue third-party interference,” the statement issued by the association read. It added that the decision was taken after FIFA received confirmation that the normalisation committee of the PFF had regained full control of the PFF’s premises and was in a position to manage its finances. The PFF was also informed that any undue interference in its affairs or action that could hinder the fulfilment of the mandate of the normalisation committee might lead to the PFF being suspended again...

Govt jacks up petrol price by nearly Rs15 per litre

Image
The federal government, once again, jacked up the price of petroleum products on Thursday for the next fortnight, putting an additional burden of nearly Rs15-18 per litre on the masses. The Finance Division, in its notification, said that in view of the fluctuations in petroleum prices in the international market and exchange rate variation, the government has decided to partially apply a petroleum levy, and revise the existing prices of petroleum products “as agreed with the development partners.” The new prices will be effective from July 1, 2022. With the fresh hike, the price of petrol will be Rs248.74/litre, diesel will be Rs276.54/litre, kerosene oil will be sold for Rs230.26/litre, and the price of light diesel oil will be Rs226.15/litre. The coalition govt, since coming to power in April, has raised the price of petrol by Rs84. It had first raised the petrol price by Rs30 on May 26, followed by another increase of Rs30 on June 2. And on June 15, it hiked the price by anot...

Fuel prices to soar in next fortnight

Image
The domestic prices of diesel and petrol are likely to hike by Rs16.89 and Rs4.55 per litre, respectively, in the next fortnight, The News reported Thursday. However, the petroleum levy (PL) and General Sales Tax (GST) will remain excluded from this price hike. The price of diesel will witness a massive increase from July 1, 2022, if the government charges Rs10/litre on account of PL on diesel and petrol along with the GST. The ex-depot price of petrol has been worked out at Rs238.44 for the next fortnight compared to Rs233.89/litre for the current fortnight, an increase of Rs4.55/litre. If Rs10 PL and 17% GST are added, the petrol price will rise to around Rs290/litre from July 1, 2022. The ex-depot price of diesel has been calculated at Rs280.20/litre for the next fortnight against Rs263.31/litre in the current fortnight, which translates into an increase of Rs16.89/litre. If Rs10 PL and 17% GST is included, the price of diesel may go up to Rs340/litre for the local consumers. ...

Pakistan urges world to ease sanctions on Afghanistan

Image
Minister of the State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar called for an easing of Western sanctions against Afghanistan under the Taliban government, saying the basic functioning of the Afghan economy must not be endangered. The Taliban takeover last year prompted foreign governments, led by the United States, to cut development and security aid, and the strict enforcement of sanctions has debilitated the country's banking sector. In an interview with Germany's Welt newspaper published on Thursday, Khar said isolating Afghanistan economically was pushing the country into economic collapse. "If the country remains locked out of international banking and its foreign assets remain frozen, then that is what will happen. We must not promote famine," she added. The minister said the Western troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, in which Germany was also involved, had serious repercussions because it was not preceded by a negotiated solution, calling on Germany to play ...

Khurram Dastgir says loadshedding to be reduced significantly till July

Image
 Federal Minister for Energy Engineer Khurram Dastgir on Wednesday said the loadshedding would be reduced significantly till July 20 as the government was striving to provide uninterrupted electricity to the masses. The minister while explaining the electricity generating plan, said that the refilling of 1100 megawatt nuclear power plant was in progress which would be completed soon to add electricity in the national grid. He said the government would import coal from Afghanistan in the coming days to ensure low-cost power generation and save its precious foreign Currency reserves. He held responsible, the previous government of PTI, over energy crises as they delayed in purchasing LNG and coal from international market to tackle the energy crisis. He expressed confidence that in the upcoming few months, there would be massive decreased in the prices of petroleum, gas, electricity and other utility products to provide relief to the masses. from latest-news - SUCH TV https...

Pakistan reports 641 covid cases in last 24 hours

Image
Pakistan has reported two deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,535,785. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,395 on Thursday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 641 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours. Pakistan has conducted 18,813 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 641 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 3.41 percent. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/1k0pQy6

1 person died 15 injured in accident near Rahim Yar Khan

Image
 One person was killed and 15 other were wounded in collision between a passenger coach and trailer near Rahim Yar Khan on Wednesday night According to details, the accident occurred at the Multan Motorway near Rahim Yar Khan where a passenger coach going to Punjab from Sukkur collided with a trailer due to over-speeding, killing one person on the spot and injuring 15 other. Police and rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the dead and injured to hospital. According to rescue sources, the death toll may rise further as most of the injured were in critical condition.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/eOc0uIz

Zil Hajj moon not sighted, Eid ul Adha on July 10

Image
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced Wednesday that the Zil-Hajj moon has not been sighted in Pakistan, adding that Eid ul Adha in Pakistan will be observed on July 10 (Sunday). Chairman Maulana Syed Abdul Khabir Azad announced the decision following a meeting of the committee, held in Karachi after Maghrib prayers to sight the crescent moon. Addressing a press conference, Azad said no testimony of the moon being sighted was received from any part of the country. The first day of Zil hajj would fall on July 1 (Friday), he added. "May God grant the blessings of the upcoming days to the entire Islamic world and this beloved country of mine," he said. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/NYBxGwe

Amir Liaquat’s ex-wife says lawyer will address questions on Dania

Image
The Sindh High Court on Wednesday extended the stay on a local court's orders to exhume deceased televangelist and PTI MNA Aamir Liaquat Hussain's body for an autopsy till July 19. The SHC had suspended orders of the judicial magistrate (East), who approved a petition seeking the autopsy of the deceased anchorperson, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his residence earlier this month. Hussain's former wife, Syeda Bushra Iqbal — who is on the frontline in pursuing her children's case against the exhumation — said while speaking to media on the occasion that she doesn't know who is behind the demand for exhumation. "Humanity has faded away from us, unfortunately," Bushra said while telling journalists that her lawyer will address the questions on Hussain's third wife Dania Malik. Hussain's sudden demise came weeks after some indecent videos of him had gone viral. It is being widely believed that Dania — who filed for nullifica...

LHC likely to conclude Hamza's election case today

Image
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday said it would look at the Punjab chief minister election and see if the Supreme Court's interpretation on Article 63-A could apply in the present circumstances as it resumed hearing the pleas of PTI, PML-Q and Punjab Asse­mbly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi against Hamza Shehbaz's elevation to the role. A five-member bench comprising Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan, Justice Shahid Jamil Khan, Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry, Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh is hearing the case. Hamza was elected as the Punjab CM on April 16, during a provincial assembly session that was marred by violence. He received a total of 197 votes — 11 more than the required 186 — including from 25 dissident PTI MPAs that were crucial for his victory. On May 20, those lawmakers were de-seated by the ECP for defecting. Since then, a series of petitions have challenged Hamza's election as the chief minister. All of them were, however, cl...

Pakistan stands for religious freedom, harmony: COAS  

Image
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Tuesday said that the Kartarpur corridor was the practical manifestation of Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to religious freedom and harmony. His comments came during a meeting with the British Sikh soldiers' delegation, a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. During the meeting, General Bajwa said that Pakistan respects all religions and recognises the need for the promotion of religious tourism in the country. The British Sikh soldiers' delegation lauded the Pakistan Army's efforts in bringing peace and normalcy to tribal districts. The delegation — comprising 12 members who visited the General Headquarters (GHQ) — was headed by Deputy Commander Field Army UK Major General Celia J Harvey. The delegation visited Lahore where it witnessed a flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border. It also visited Lahore Fort, Allama Iqbal Mausoleum, and the Badshahi Mosque. During their stay, the Britis...

JCP session postponed until readability on standards for appointments

Image
The marathon session of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) postponed further deliberations with an understanding to reconvene after the commission’s rules committee comes out with a clear appointment criteria. The commission met on Tuesday to consider elevation of seven judges to the Sindh High Court. The five-hour session, held in a conducive environment, was presided over by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial through a video link from his residence. Senior puisine judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa participated from Spain. Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf could not attend as he was reportedly unwell while Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was in attendance in his capacity as the provincial law minister. The next JCP meeting is expected to be held in the first or second week of August since some commission members had to proceed for Haj and the rules committee would have met by then. The candidates selected to be elevated as additional judges of the SHC...

Federal Cabinet decides to issue six-month multiple entry visas to Afghan transporters

Image
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday directed authorities concerned to issue six-month multiple entry visas to transporters from Afghanistan. During the federal cabinet meeting held today, the premier approved all proposals put forward by the Afghan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell. The cabinet directed the Pakistan embassy to assess Afghan visa applications on the basis of existing nationality and passport instead of the country of origin. Moreover, the cabinet issued the following directions: A new sub-category under the work visa category will be introduced in the online visa system. Initially, multiple entry visas will be issued for a period of six months; meanwhile, the interior ministry will have the authority to extend the period to one year. Documents required with the visa application will include the applicant’s photograph, passport, registration as a transport company, and employment letter. Exemption from the registration of recommendation letter and Security Ex...

Pakistan's foreign policy moving in right direction: Hina Rabbani

Image
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, on Tuesday dispelled the impression given by the opposition that Pakistan was in isolation, saying the country's foreign policy was moving in the right direction with all diplomatic missions "working complicatedly on all fronts". Speaking during a budget session in the National Assembly, Khar said Pakistan was playing a much bigger role on the international front than its size in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). “We are very happy to state that over the years, Pakistani diplomats, Pakistani statesmen and Pakistani politicians have contributed towards [effectiveness of] a policy in the multilateral institutions”, she added. With respect to BRICS, she said there was absolutely no denying of the fact that China was the most effective strategic partner of Pakistan. The BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) brings together five of the largest developing countries in the world, representing 41 per ce...

Pakistan receives Memorandum of MEFP from IMF

Image
Pakistan has received the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the seventh and eighth reviews, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail confirmed Tuesday morning. This is a critical development signalling that the two sides have reached an agreement. The draft MEFP is a prerequisite to pave the way towards striking a staff-level agreement. Early this morning, the Government of Pakistan has received an MEFP from the IMF for combined 7th and 8th reviews. — Miftah Ismail (@MiftahIsmail) June 28, 2022 Now that Pakistan has received this document, it will be analysed and scrutinised for three days by the country's economic team. The finance minister and State Bank of Pakistan governor will then sign it if no major problem is found. The staff-level agreement will then be presented before the IMF’s Executive Board next month for approval, after which the tranche will be released. The MEFP may be considered as the crux of decis...

Imran khan will lead protest at Parade Ground on 2nd July

Image
Exactly a month after abruptly ending the Azadi March with a six-day ‘ultimatum’ to the PML-N government for announcement of early elections, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday announced he would lead the July 2 protest at Islamabad’s Parade Ground against the “imported government imposed on Pakistan through a US regime change conspiracy”. A meeting of the party’s political committee, held with Imran Khan in the chair, examined country’s overall political situation amid rising inflation and discussed a future course of action. PTI’s Central Secretary General Asad Umar, Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser and Aamir Mehmood Kiyani along with other central and regional leadership of the party attended the meeting. They condemned lawlessness witnessed during the first phase of local government elections in Sindh and expressed deep concern over what they called the failure of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold fair, transparent and credible elections. Howeve...

Shehbaz Sharif summons federal cabinet meeting

Image
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned the federal cabinet meeting to be held today (Tuesday) in Islamabad to discuss economic and political situation in the country. PM Shehbaz Sharif will preside over the federal cabinet meeting to be held at the Prime Minister’s office at 11:00am. The cabinet will discuss a five-point agenda during the meeting. According to the five-point agenda of the cabinet meeting, the National Waste Management Policy 2022 will be presented in the cabinet while the issue of change in visa policy for different countries will also be discussed. The cabinet meeting will ratify the decisions of the Economic co-ordination committee meeting held on June 22 while the ratification of the decisions of the Legislative Committee held on June 23 will also be part of the agenda. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/EWQzVxG

The COVID Positivity Ratio records 2.42 percent

Image
Pakistan has reported two deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,534,603. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,392 on Tuesday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 333 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours. Pakistan has conducted 13,759 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 333 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 2.42 percent. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/4NgHjvJ

Unscheduled loadshedding in parts of Lahore

Image
With a rise in the mercury level, several localities in Lahore witnessed worst kind of unscheduled loadshedding on Monday night and remained under darkness for many hours. The areas which were affected by more than seven hours of power shutdown included Ichra, Canal Road, Amir Town, Fathegarh, Salamatpura and adjoining areas. Angry residents staged protest in many localities and blocked roads. The protesters also chanted slogans against the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO). The protesters were of the view that continuous power shutdown is badly affecting business and daily life of the people. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/JS2YaTU

PM Shehbaz addressing members National Assembly

Image
PM Shehbaz is addressing members National Assembly   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/0OCz2tu

Pakistan reports 382 covid19 cases in last 24 hours

Image
Pakistan has reported two deaths in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,534,270. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,390 on Monday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 382 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours. Pakistan has conducted 13,412 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 382 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 2.85 percent. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/76ktO3c

CM takes notice on incident of wall collapse in lahore

Image
Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz has taken notice of the incident of wall collapse of a swimming pool in which three boys lost their lives in Badami Bagh area of Lahore on Sunday. The CM sought a report from the Commissioner Lahore division and CCPO and ordered to investigate the incident. He also directed to take indiscriminate legal action against those found guilty. The chief minister expressed his deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death of three boys in the incident and directed the administration to provide best treatment facilities to other injured boys. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/sLSKXF4

NAP has increased terrorism in the last four years, Shehbaz Sharif

Image
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday that the role of the provinces in the National Action Plan (NAP) will be restored, saying it didn’t exist in the last four years which he said led to increase in terrorism in the country. The prime minister referred to the rise in terrorism-related incidents during the last four years against the backdrop of 56 per cent increase in the number of terror attacks in 2021. A report of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) had revealed that militants carried out 294 attacks, killing 388 people and wounding another 606 in 2021. “The role of the provinces in the National Action Plan will be restored, which did not exist in the last four years,” the premier said after he chaired a meeting on law and order in Lahore, adding that ignoring provinces’ role in NAP has increased terrorism in the last four years – PTI government tenure. After Army Public School attack on December 16, 2014, which resulted in killing ...

2 soldiers martyred, 7 terrorists killed in North Waziristan

Image
Two soldiers were martyred while seven terrorists were gunned down in a “fire exchange” that took place between security forces and the terrorists on Sunday. According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the fire exchange took place in the general area of Ghulam Khan KaIle in North Waziristan District. “Troops effectively engaged the terrorists and resultantly, seven of them were killed. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the killed terrorists who remained actively involved in several terrorist activities against security forces,” said the ISPR. The military’s media wing identified the martyred troops as 44-year-old Subedar Munir Hussain, a resident of Parachinar, and 38-year-old Havildar Babu Khan, a resident of Dera Ismail Khan. It added that an area clearance is underway to eliminate any other terrorists found in the vicinity.   from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/q9ZnabR

Pakistan working closely with int’l organizations to address challenges stemming from illicit drugs: PM

Image
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan is working closely with international organizations to address the challenges stemming from illicit drugs. In a message on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, being observed today (Sunday), he said Pakistan is a signatory to all global conventions and protocols related to prevention of drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The Prime Minister said easy availability of synthetic drugs pose dangers to the general public, especially the youth, which make up more than sixty percent of Pakistan's population. He said we must work collectively to protect young people from the risks of drug abuse and safeguard their health and wellbeing. The Prime Minister said preventing drug use before it begins is the most cost-effective, common-sense approach to promote safe and healthy communities. President Dr Arif Alvi, in his message on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, has stressed...

Iran-US nuclear talks to resume 'in the coming days', Tehran and EU say

Image
Iran's indirect talks with the United States on reviving the 2015 nuclear pact will resume soon, the Iranian foreign minister said on Saturday amid a push by the European Union's top diplomat to break a months-long impasse in the negotiations. "We are prepared to resume talks in the coming days. What is important for Iran is to fully receive the economic benefits of the 2015 accord," Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said, adding that he had held a "long but positive meeting" with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. The pact appeared close to being revived in March when the EU - which is coordinating negotiations - invited foreign ministers representing the accord's parties to Vienna to finalise an agreement after 11 months of indirect talks between Tehran and President Joe Biden's administration. But the talks have since been bogged down, chiefly over Tehran's insistence that Washington remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps...

Monkeypox is not yet a health emergency: WHO

Image
Monkeypox is not yet a global health emergency, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ruled , although WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was deeply concerned about the outbreak. "I am deeply concerned about the monkeypox outbreak, this is clearly an evolving health threat that my colleagues and I in the WHO Secretariat are following extremely closely," Tedros said in a statement issued on Saturday. WHO said in a separate statement that although there were some differing views within the committee, they ultimately agreed by consensus that at this stage the outbreak is not a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The "global emergency" label currently only applies to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing efforts to eradicate polio, and the UN agency has stepped back from applying it to the monkeypox outbreak after advice from a meeting of international experts. There have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases of monkeypox...

US president Biden signs new gun control bill into law

Image
US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed into law his country’s first gun-control bill in decades that seeks to prevent people with criminal records and mental problems from acquiring firearms. The bill — now known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act 2022 — passed the House of Representatives on Friday evening by 234 to 193 votes. The US Senate passed the bill late Thursday by a 65-33-vote and sent it to the House. As promised by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House acted swiftly and sent it to the president on Friday evening for signing it into law. President Biden also acted promptly and put his signature on the bill early Saturday morning before leaving on a week-long trip to Europe. “God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives,” said the president after signing the bill. He recalled that the last time Congress passed meaningful gun safety laws was almost 30 years ago and he attended that event as well. He mentioned major school and public shootings that killed hundreds of A...

First phase of LG polls: Voting underway in Sindh’s 14 districts

Image
Voting is underway today (Sunday) for the first phase of local government elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh. The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause. The 14 districts of Sindh include Larkana, Kambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Sukkur, Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar. Elections in the rest of the districts of Sindh will be held on July 24. At least 21,298 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats of 101 town committees, 23 municipal committees, 14 districts councils, four municipal corporations, eleven town municipal corporations and 887 union councils and union committees. The election commission has established 9,023 polling stations, including 1,895 for women, to facilitate over 11 million registered voters. According to a spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja is monitori...

IK moves SC against amendment in NAB law

Image
Former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan on Saturday approached the Supreme Court to challenge the coalition government's recent amendments to the National Account­ability (NAB) Ordinance, contending that they will "virtually eliminate any white-collar crime committed by a public office holder". The changes were criticised by Imran and his party, with the PTI chairman saying the move would destroy the country. The ruling coalition, however, contended that graft cases against the PML-N leadership would continue, with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi saying it was not intended to end corruption cases against them. The bill, along with the one on election reforms, was passed by the National Assembly and Senate last month. After its approval from both houses, the president's assent was required for it to become law. However, Alvi sent back the bills, following which the government convened a joint sitting of the NA and Senate, which approved them. Alvi again refused to ...

Ancient pregnant tortoise surprises archaeologists

Image
The remains of a tortoise and its egg have been unearthed by archaeologists in Pompeii, the Roman city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD. The animal was found hidden under the clay floor of a storehouse and probably died before Vesuvius erupted. "It had dug itself a burrow where it could lay its egg, but failed to do, which may have caused its death," said Valeria Amoretti, who works as an anthropologist at the site. The unusual find came to light during excavations of an area that had been devastated by a violent earthquake in 62 AD and was subsequently absorbed into a public bath house. The site was originally an opulent home with refined mosaics and wall paintings, dating back to the 1st century BC, and archaeologists are not sure why the building was not restored but was rather taken over by the Stabian baths. "Both the presence of the tortoise in the city and the abandonment of the sumptuous domus... illustrate the extent of the transformations after the...

FO ordered to facilitate Afia Siddiqui’s family in securing US visa

Image
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate Dr Afia Siddiqui’s family in securing a visa for the United States so they could visit the country and see her. Dr Aafia, a Pakistani neuroscientist jailed in the US, was indicted by a New York federal district court in September 2008 on charges of attempted murder and assault, stemming from an incident during an interview with the US authorities in Ghazni, Afghanistan — charges that she denied. After 18 months in detention, she was tried and convicted in early 2010 and sentenced to 86 years in prison. She has since been imprisoned in the US. In today’s order, the IHC noted that the Foreign Office (FO) submitted a report to the court stating that the Pakistan Consul General visited the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) where Dr Afia is currently detained. “…but it appears she now believes that her family is no longer alive, and the Warden of FMC states that Dr Afia could not be forced to ...

Karachi court orders further probe into Dua Zehra Case

Image
A local court in the port city on Saturday directed the provincial health secretary to conduct Dua Zahra’s ossification test again as her case required further investigation. It may be noted that an ossification test has already been carried out on Zahra as per SHC's order which revealed that the girl is between 16 to 17 years of age, with a confirmation by radiologist Dr Saba Jamil. Zahra had made headlines across the country after she had mysteriously disappeared from Karachi in April but later declared that she had run away from her home to marry 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed. In today’s hearing, the police submitted a challan and requested the case be classified as “C Class” in light of no evidence being found. Police typically request the court to have a first information report (FIR) listed as “C Class” in matters when a criminal case is filed due to a mistake of fact or if the offence complained about is civil in nature. But the petitioner’s lawyer Jibran Nasir protested, ...

Sessions court grants interim bail to Mahmood Khan

Image
A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday granted interim bail to KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in different cases pertaining to vandalism during the party’s May 25 long march toward Islamabad The KP chief minister approached the district and sessions court of judge Kamran Basharat Mufi through his counsel Intezar Panjotha. Subsequently, the Islamabad court granted pre-arrest to Mahmood Khan in three FIRs till July 7 and also directed him to submit surety bonds worth Rs5,000 each. It is to be noted that several PTI leaders including former prime minister Imran Khan, Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and others had been booked by police in various FIRs related to Azadi March. Earlier, the district and sessions court in Islamabad granted Friday pre-arrest bail to former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in 15 cases related to vandalism during long march. PTI Chairman appeared before the district and sessions court of ...

PTI lawmakers requested to take in eviction from lodges with NA speaker

Image
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday asked PTI lawmakers to approach National Assembly (NA) speaker against their eviction from parliament lodges. Capital Development Authority (CDA) on June 2 and June 3 served notices on Shaukat Ali Bhatti and Amir Sultan asking them to vacate the Parliament Lodges. However, the PTI MNAs approached IHC seeking restoration of their allotments. After the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan through vote of no confidence, PTI members resigned in protest. Though PTI members submitted their resignations to the NA speaker, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not de-notified as yet which kept their status as MNA intact. PTI MNAs Amir Sultan and Shaukat Ali Bhatti belong to Jhang and Hafizabad and were residing in Parliament Lodges as members of National Assembly. The petitioners have accused CDA’s employees of forcibly evicting them and throwing out their households and taken over possession forcefully from the accommodation. Th...

Shehbaz Sharif attendes Pakistan Navy passing out parade at Karachi

Image
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday attended Pakistan Navy passing out parade at the Naval Academy in Karachi. According to details, PM Shehbaz inspected the guard of honor and addressed the passing out parade at the naval academy. Earlier, the prime minister landed in the port city Saturday morning where Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah welcomed him at the airport. Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said that the nation is proud of its armed forces for making the country’s defence impregnable and playing a key role in the fight against terrorism. He was addressing the passing out parade of 117th Midshipman and 25th Short Service Commission course at Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi. The Prime Minister said Pakistan Navy has even more important role to play in the present age of ever growing blue economy, marine security and strategic defence. He said arming Pakistan Navy with latest technology for safeguarding maritime borders of the country is a...

Pakistan reported 435 coronavirus cases in last 24 hours

Image
Pakistan has reported one death in the last 24 hours by novel coronavirus as the number of confirmed positive cases has surged to 1,533,482. The nationwide tally of fatalities has jumped to 30,386 on Saturday. According to the latest figures by the National Institute of Health (NIH), at least 435 persons were tested positive for COVID-19 across the country in the past 24 hours. Pakistan has conducted 13,644 tests in the past 24 hours out of which 435 persons were tested positive for the disease. The COVID Positivity Ratio was recorded at 3.19 percent. from latest-news - SUCH TV https://ift.tt/hVed873

Two terrorists killed in gun battle with security forces in DI Khan: ISPR

Image
Two terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire with security forces in Kulachi area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Friday. "During exchange of fire, two terrorists [were] killed. Weapons and ammunition [were] also recovered from the killed terrorists," the military's media affairs wing said. It added that the militants were "actively involved in terrorist activities against security forces". Five days ago, security forces had killed six terrorists belonging to the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) during a search operation in Paroom area in Balochistan's Panjgur district. Security forces had conducted an operation on a tip-off regarding the presence of terrorists in Zamran Range near Paroom. The ISPR said the slain terrorists were involved in attacks on checkposts as well as IED attacks on security convoys in Paroom and surrounding areas of Panjgur. from la...

Pakistan Stock Exchange after PM announced super tax on industries

Image
The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) crashed on Friday minutes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a 10 per cent tax on large-scale industries. The bourse stayed flat until two hours after the opening bell. However, at 11:40am, the market witnessed a steep dip with the KSE-100 losing 1,598 points and sinking to 41,100. At 12pm, the benchmark KSE-100 index was down 2,053 points or 4.8pc. As per the PSX Rulebook, if the index goes five per cent above or below its last close and stays there for five minutes, trading in all securities is halted for a specified period. Intermarket Securities' head of equities Raza Jafri cited "massive taxes" as the reason behind the plunge. "The market has reacted very negatively because it will severely hurt corporate profitability," he told Dawn.com. Ahsan Mehanti of the Arif Habib Corporation concurred. "PSX witnessed massive pressure across the board after PM announced 10pc super tax on industrials for one year...

Afghanistan seeks for help for earthquake survivals

Image
Afghanistan does not have enough medical supplies to treat the injured from an earthquake that killed 1,000 people this week, a senior official said, as an aftershock on Friday killed five more people. Authorities earlier ended the search in remote southeastern mountains for survivors from the 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck early on Wednesday, about 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Kabul, near the Pakistani border. The US Geological Survey said the Friday earthquake, in almost exactly the same place, was magnitude 4.3. About 2,000 people were injured and 10,000 houses were partially or completely destroyed in the Wednesday earthquake, Mohammad Nassim Haqqani, a spokesperson for the disaster ministry, told Reuters. The health ministry does not have enough drugs, we need medical aid and other necessities because it's a big disaster," he said. The epicentre of the Wednesday earthquake was in a region of arid mountains dotted with small settlements that was often the s...

We have saved the country from defaulting, Miftah Ismail

Image
Finance Minister Miftah Ismail addressed a National Assembly (NA) session convened to wind up the budget debate on Friday and said the country was no longer on the way to default as it was on the path to progress. During his address, the minister accused the PTI government of bringing the country to the verge of default and said "we have saved the country from defaulting". "I want to give this good news to the nation today that the country [...] it is no longer on the way to default but on the path to progress," he said. 'Farmer-friendly budget' Miftah had presented the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 with an outlay of Rs 9.5 trillion on June 10. As debate on the budget commenced in the NA today, Ismail said most of the recommendations made by lawmakers in the Senate and NA during preceding sittings had been incorporated into the budget. He announced that the sales tax on cotton cakes (khal) had been removed and termed the budget "farmer-fri...

Azam Nazeer Tarar hints withdrawing ‘curative review petition’

Image
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Thursday hinted at withdrawing the infamous ‘curative review petition’, which his predecessor had moved before the Supreme Court against Justice Qazi Faez Isa, a sitting judge of the apex court. The law minister also assured the bar representatives that he would personally talk to the PM for taking back the curative review by placing the matter on the agenda of the cabinet during the next meeting. The law minister come to the Supreme Court building to inaugurate the Directorate of Legal Education at the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) office in line with an earlier directive in an SC judgment highlighting the need for improving the standard and quality of legal education in the country. A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the law ministry and the PBC in this regard and Usama Malik and Saqib Faraz were appointed director and deputy director, respectively, of the directorate. During the inauguration of the directorate, SCBA president ...

PAC wants to abolish free electricity for power sector employees

Image
The Pub­lic Acco­unts Committee (PAC) direc­ted the energy ministry’s power division on Thursday to abolish free electricity units for power sector employees. However, the PAC — which helps parliament oversee the public ex­che­quer — suggested that the emp­lo­yees might be compensated with fin­ancial assistance instead of free units. The committee examined audit reports of the Ministry of Commu­ni­cations and Power Division for the year 2019-20. The meeting was presided over by its chairman Noor Alam Khan, who asked the power division secretary to abolish the free units. However, the secretary feared that abruptly withdrawing the facility would create panic among employees. Dr Ramesh Kumar, a PAC member, asked the secretary not to take pressure from the union or any other quarters to end this facility. Mr Khan, however, said the employees might be given an additional amount equal to free electricity in their monthly salaries. He said that even low-paid employees working in both...