Author: newsdesk

  • Weekly inflation in Pakistan jumps to 41.07% due to edible oil, sugar prices

    Weekly inflation in Pakistan jumps to 41.07% due to edible oil, sugar prices

    According to data provided by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, edible oil, sugar, and vegetables helped drive the weekly inflation up to 41.07 percent on an annual basis.

    Sensitive Price Index (SPI) measurements of short-term inflation were still on the high side and would go up much more once customers start to feel the full effects of increased electricity tariffs.

    The cost of bananas, chicken, sugar, cooking oil, gas, and cigarettes increased for the week ending March 2, despite a 0.30 percent weekly decline in inflation.

    Of the 51 items, 32 saw price increases, nine saw price decreases, and 10 witnessed no change in price.

    The items whose prices rose the greatest during the reviewed week in comparison to the same week last year were: onions (311.17 per cent), cigarettes (165.86 per cent), gas charges for Q1 (108.38 per cent), diesel (93.82 per cent), petrol (77.89 per cent), eggs (77.83 per cent), rice irri-6/9 (76.96 per cent), rice basmati broken (75.55 per cent), pulse moong (73.30 per cent), bananas (72.66 per cent), chicken (64.70 per cent) and tea Lipton (64.53 per cent).

    Moreover, the highest year-on-year fall was recorded in the prices of tomatoes (56.29 per cent), chillies powdered (7.42 per cent).

    The prices of bananas (7.34 per cent), long cloth (3.44 per cent), energy saver (3.33 per cent), 1Kg vegetable ghee (2.48 per cent), gur (2.03 per cent), cooked daal (1.87 per cent), Lipton tea (1.79 per cent), match box (1.66 per cent), lawn printed (1.52 per cent), 5-litre cooking oil (1.45 per cent), and sugar (1.07 per cent) experienced the biggest week-on-week increase.

    On the other hand, the prices of onions (13.24 per cent), eggs (6.11 per cent), garlic (4.24 per cent), chicken (2.00 per cent), tomatoes (0.59 per cent), gram pulse (0.38 per cent), and potatoes (0.33 per cent) decreased compared to the previous week. However, LPG (1.84 per cent) and petrol (1.80 per cent) saw an increase in prices.

    The government, under the IMF’s conditions, has been implementing strict measures to cool the economy and curb inflation. The policy rate increase and the general sales tax increase from 17 per cent to 18 per cent are expected to further increase the retail price of consumer goods.

    To generate revenue and bridge the fiscal deficit, the government has already taken several measures, including adopting a market-based exchange rate, increasing fuel and power tariffs, withdrawing subsidies, and imposing more taxes.

    As a result of these measures, the government has revised its annual inflation rate projection from 26 per cent to 31 per cent.

  • Ali Haider Zaidi says will leave PTI if it allies with Zardari

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Ali Haider Zaidi said that he will leave his party and politics altogether if Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and former President Asif Ali Zardari allies with the party.

    In a wide-ranging podcast with Shehzad Ghias Shaikh, the former minister said, “Mei chordoga PTI, mei polticis bhi chordoga“(I will leave PTI, I will even leave politics).

    Zaidi said that saying Karachi is being ruled by Zardari’s “mafia”.

    When asked why PTI did not deliver on its promises to Karachi when Imran Khan was in power, the PTI leader was of the view that circumstances were different at the time, however, he admitted that the party could’ve done more.

    He also added that “Imran Khan is a figure whom everybody wants to be close with.”

    Answering Shehzad’s question about why Imran Khan didn’t visit the victims’ families of the 2020 PIA plane crash in Karachi, Zaidi said that he was overburned at the time.

    It is pertinent to mention that very few visits have been made by the-then prime minister Imran Khan to Karachi.

    Earlier this year, PTI suffered a major setback in Sindh local body elections when PTI Karachi Chapter President and Sindh Assembly lawmaker Khurram Sher Zaman suffered defeat in UC XI of Sadar Town for his nomination for Karachi mayor slot to the PPP candidate.

  • Millions at risk of starvation in Pakistan due to economic crisis and floods: WFP

    Millions at risk of starvation in Pakistan due to economic crisis and floods: WFP

    Pakistan is currently facing an alarming economic crisis that poses a risk of defaulting on its debt. The country has also been hit hard by catastrophic floods in 2022 that have affected nearly a third of the country, causing a significant increase in food and fuel prices, which many people cannot afford.

    The situation is expected to worsen, with estimates from the World Food Programme indicating that over 5 million people will be at risk of famine-level hunger by the end of March, as per NPR’s official reports.

    Chris Kaye, the Pakistan country director, describes the situation as frightening, especially when compared to what’s happening next door in Afghanistan. According to NPR’s Diaa Hadid, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has escalated out of control since the Taliban took over, with over 6 million people on the brink of famine.

    Kaye believes that the food crisis in Pakistan is not far off from what is happening in Afghanistan in terms of the absolute number of people affected. The hunger crisis has even reached prosperous areas where the poor have typically sought work.

    The situation demands immediate action to prevent a large-scale famine in the region, and the international community must come together to support Pakistan and alleviate the suffering of millions of people facing hunger and malnutrition.

  • FIR filed against Gauri Khan over purchase of Lucknow property

    FIR filed against Gauri Khan over purchase of Lucknow property

    An FIR has been filed against Gauri Khan, wife of Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.
    Khan is a well-known interior designer who has worked with prominent celebrities like Farah Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Siddharth Malhotra.

    The FIR was filed under Section 409 of the Indian penal Code which pertains to breach of trust, and was registered with the Sushant Golf City police in Lucknow.
    The complaint was filed by Kirat Jaswant Shah, a resident of Mumbai, who said that he had paid the entire amount for a flat, which was approximately Rs86 lakhs, but had not recieved it. The flat in question is located in the Tulsiani Golf View project in the Sushant Golf City area of Lucknow.
    Along with Khan, who is the brand ambassador for the housing project, other people named in the FIR include Managing Director of Tulsiyani Construction and Development Limited, Anil Kumar Tulsiyana and the director Mahesh Tulsiyana.

  • ‘Army Chief apna dushman samajhte hain, abb koyi baat karne ko tayyar nahin’: Khan’s shikwa with establishment

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has offered the establishment that he is willing to talk to them and clearly stated that he doesn’t have any enmity against the institution.

    Talking to journalists in Lahore on Friday, Khan claimed: “Aisy lagta hai Army Chief mujhe apna dushman samajhte hain, abb koyi baat karne ko tayyar nahin toh mei kya karon” (It seems like the Army Chief considers me his enemy, what should I do if no one is ready to talk with me).

    “COAS should himself find a corruption case against me”, he said, challenging the incumbent government to prove corruption charges against him and his wife Bushra bibi.

    The PTI supremo was of the view that Pakistan’s establishment “does not understand politics.”

    ‘Bajwa ne meri qamar mei chaaqu mara’: Imran Khan still naraz with ex-army chief

    Continuing his grievances with the former head of the army, the former prime minister alleged, “General retired former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa ne meri qamar mei chaaqu mara” (Bajwa stabbed me in the back).

    He claimed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is still in touch with him. PTI supremo said Bajwa spoke against Russia in a speech and he should be court-martialed for that.

    He also revealed he decided not to fly to Islamabad at the eleventh hour after he got the news that the government wanted to arrest him from the airport and take him to Balochistan.

    Stating that he feels danger from those who are supposed to protect him, Imran Khan said that there is a recorded video of him about the threat to his life.

  • Ishaq Dar denies reports of financial emergency amidst economic turmoil

    Ishaq Dar denies reports of financial emergency amidst economic turmoil

    On Friday, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Ishaq Dar denied reports suggesting Pakistan should impose a financial emergency, amidst constant criticism over the current economic turmoil. He berated Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for spreading “fake news” about Pakistan heading towards default. Dar blamed the previous PTI government for pushing the nation of 220 million people on the brink of default, claiming that it was the coalition government that saved the country by prioritising the state over politics.

    Dar recalled that when the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) ousted Khan through a no-confidence motion, the leaders of the coalition government had decided to keep aside all political interests in the wider interest of the state. He stated that the PTI leaders have been calling him out since the rupee plunged to a historic low of Rs285.09 a day earlier while February’s inflation hit nearly a 50-year high of 31.5 per cent.

    Expressing his surprise and concerns over Khan’s continuous criticism of the coalition government, he said: “I am unable to understate whether he (Khan) has a problem in his leg or brain.” Instead of protecting the national interest, PTI’s leadership tried to sabotage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal, Dar said. “Khan’s attitude is selfish.”

    According to Geo, Dar reiterated that Pakistan has neither defaulted in the past nor will it default in the future. Referring to Khan’s remarks about default, the finance minister said that the PTI chairman’s statements adversely affect the country’s financial markets. He, however, admitted that the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) reserves fell below $3 billion. It should be noted that the liquid foreign reserves held by the country stand at around $9 billion as of February 24 while the net reserves held by commercial banks stand at around $5.5 billion.

    The finance minister revealed that China has renewed a facility under which Pakistan expected an additional inflow of $500 million in the “next few days”. He highlighted the PDM-led government’s economic achievements, stating that the foreign exchange reserves held by the SBP climbed to $3.8 billion from $2.8 billion recorded last month. He maintained that the government returned $6.5 billion of foreign debt during the current fiscal year.

    Dar drew a comparison between the economic performance of nearly four years of PTI and almost 11 months of PDM-led government. He shared numeric data to prove that Khan and Co. did everything to “destroy the country,” but the numbers show who is sincere with the country. Dar argued that the opposition — the PTI — has not really improved Pakistan’s standing. However, Pakistan will escape the economic quagmire, he said, adding that the country is making repayments to bilateral and multilateral lenders and has made payments beyond its capacity.

  • Atlas Honda announces second price hike within 20 days due to depreciation of Pakistani rupee

    Atlas Honda announces second price hike within 20 days due to depreciation of Pakistani rupee

    Atlas Honda has announced its second price increase in the last 20 days, attributing it to the substantial depreciation of the Pakistani rupee against the US dollar, which had also led to their earlier bike price hike on February 15, 2023.

    According to the company’s notification, Honda bike prices will be as follows:

    Honda CD70

    The Honda CD70 will now cost Rs144,900, an increase of Rs7,000 from the previous price of Rs137,900.

    Honda CD 70 Dream

    The Honda CD 70 Dream will now cost Rs155,500, an increase of Rs8,600 from the previous price of Rs147,500.

    Honda Pridor

    The new price of the Honda Pridor is Rs190,500, an increase of Rs9,000 from the previous price of Rs181,500.

    Honda CG 125

    The Honda CG 125 will now cost Rs214,900, an increase of Rs9,000 from the previous price of Rs205,900.

    Honda CG 125 SE

    The Honda CG 125 SE will now cost Rs255,900, an increase of Rs12,000 from the previous price of Rs243,900.

    Honda CB 125F

    The Honda CB 125F will now cost Rs350,900, an increase of Rs20,000 from the previous price of Rs330,900.

    Honda CB 150F

    The Honda CB 150F will now cost Rs443,900, an increase of Rs25,000 from the previous price of Rs418,900.

    Honda CB 150F SE

    The Honda CB 150F SE will now cost Rs447,900, an increase of Rs25,000 from the previous price of Rs422,900.

    This is the second price hike within the last 20 days, which has further eroded the purchasing power of the middle class that is already struggling due to inflation. With car and bike prices on the rise, the common person is finding it increasingly difficult to afford their daily means of transportation.

  • Those who cut trees in Lahore should be jailed, says court

    Those who cut trees in Lahore should be jailed, says court

    The Lahore High Court (LHC), while hearing a petition seeking curbs to control smog in Lahore, barred Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) from cutting trees in Lahore and other parts of the province where smog is prevalent.

    Justice Shahid Karim also warned that those found cutting trees will be jailed.

    In the hearing which took place on Friday, a member of the judicial commission informed the court that WAPDA staff is cutting trees in Lahore and other parts of the province because of their transmission lines.

    Smog is dangerous for the lives of citizens in Lahore, the LHC judge remarked.

    Lahore is consistently featured among the top ten cities with the worst Air Quality Index (AQI).

    In December, some of Pakistan’s biggest cities were ranked among the most polluted in the world. Lahore, the capital of the province was ranked as the metropolis with the most polluted air thrice in one week.

  • President Alvi announces April 30 as date for Punjab elections

    President Alvi announces April 30 as date for Punjab elections

    President Dr Arif Alvi has announced April 30 for holding the general elections of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab.

    “President Dr Arif Alvi has announced to hold general elections of Punjab Assembly on April 30, Sunday,” tweeted the President’s office. 

    Dr Alvi’s office said that the decision was made by President Alvi after “considering the dates suggested by the Election Commission”.

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has on Friday written a letter to the President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi, proposing that elections be held between April 30 and May 7 in Punjab.

    The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja. In a press release, ECP said, “The Election Commission has sent a letter to the president in light of the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in which the dates for holding the elections in Punjab have been suggested between April 30 and May 7, 2023.”

    The press release also said that the electoral body had written a letter to the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and was waiting for his reply to announce a date for elections in the province.

    The letter comes a little more than two days after the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled in a suo moto case that elections in both provinces be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies.

  • Local man mansplains to woman on how long household chores take, gives Twitter some hilarious content

    It’s a tale as old as time, a song as old as rhyme, that men will never stop mansplaining to women about their lived experiences.

    Whether you’re a professional or not, men will consistently assume they know better about the topics you have spent your entire life actually doing.

    A hilarious exchange took place on Twitter when a woman pointed out how much time and energy is expected from them to complete their household chores but in return they are denied their right to property or receive wages from their husband as compensation.
    In jumps Bashir who proudly declares uss ko sab kuch pata hai.

    And then to further prove his point, the man decides to make an excel chart of the numerous chores women must complete on a daily basis and the amount of time it takes to complete them. His source: the little angry man screaming inside his brain.

    As shocking as that sounds, Twitter took delight in the opportunity to roast mediocre men. Soon users on the app responded with some hilarious memes.

    le sigh

    No you’re wrong! Brother must have a super cleaning robot in his home and now expects women to act like robots as well!

    Wish house chores were finished this quickly as this man assumes

    Oh, we’re laughing

    Men reading this, khuda ka wasta delusion mein say niklo and come into the real world. Women aren’t robots and it’s not their job to cater to your needs every day. If you’re so desperate to marry, then learn to properly finish household chores and listen to what women have to say.