The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) raised the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by Rs60 per kilogramme after a hike of Rs35 in petrol prices.
The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has increased by Rs60 per kg to Rs264 per kg, according to a statement from the OGRA.
The price of a domestic LPG cylinder has gone up by Rs703 and a commercial cylinder by Rs2,706 following the latest price revision. Domestic cylinders will now be sold at Rs3,115 and commercial cylinders at Rs11,984.
In a statement, LPG Industries Association of Pakistan Chairman Irfan Khokhar lambasted the regulatory authority and called it “mafia.” “Liquefied petroleum gas was now out of reach of consumers after the historic increase in prices,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government on January 29 announced raising the prices of gasoline and diesel by Rs35 per litre.
In a televised address, Ishaq Dar said that an 11 per cent increase was witnessed in the prices of petroleum products in the international market. Dar further announced that the prices of kerosene oil and light diesel oil have been increased by Rs18 per litre.
After the latest round of hikes, petrol is currently priced at Rs249.80, diesel at Rs262.80, kerosene oil at Rs189.83, and light diesel at Rs187.
A young couple who danced in front of one of Tehran’s most famous landmarks in a video viewed as a sign of defiance against the regime was sentenced by an Iranian court to more than 10 years in prison each.
Early in November, Astiyazh Haghighi and her fiancé Amir Mohammad Ahmadi, both in their early 20s, were detained when a video of them dancing in front of the Azadi Tower went viral.
Haghighi disregarded Iran’s severe regulations by refusing to wear a headscarf. Additionally, women are not permitted to dance in public.
Since the death of Mahsa Amini in September, who had been detained for allegedly breaking the headscarf laws, ignited protests that grew into a movement against the regime, Iranian authorities have harshly cracked down on all forms of dissent.
Actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas finally revealed the face of her infant daughter Malti Marie. The Baywatch star, who welcomed her first child with her husband Nick Jonas in 2022, made her first-ever public appearance with her daughter on January 30, Monday.
Malti Marie made her public event debut as her father Nick Jonas and his brothers received the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star. Priyanka Chopra and Maltie Marie attended the event with Joe Jonas’s wife Sophie Turner.
The star kid looked super adorable in a white top, which is paired with a cream sweater and matching shorts. Malti Marie’s look was completed with a cute bow. Proud mom Priyanka Chopra, who was visibly excited about her daughter’s first public appearance, looked stylish in a brown bodycon dress. The popular star completed her look with earthy-toned makeup, a pair of statement glasses, and golden earrings. Along with the mother-daughter duo, the Jonas family members including Sophie Turner, Kevin Jonas’s wife Danielle and their daughters, and the Jonas brothers’ parents attended the ceremony. Priyanka Chopra and Malti Marie’s pictures from the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony are now setting social media on fire.
Nick Jonas, who joined his brothers on stage as they accepted the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, gave a special shout-out to his wife Priyanka Chopra, and daughter Malti Marie. “To my beautiful wife, you are the calm in the crazy, the rock in the storm and I love being married to you. It is the greatest gift. And I love being a parent with you, so Malti Marie, ‘Hi, babe.’ I can’t wait to come back here with you in 15 years and embarrass you in front of your friends,” said the actor-singer as he addressed the audience.
Recently, Priyanka Chopra opened up about her surrogacy journey in her interview with Vogue. “I had medical complications. This was a necessary step. And, I’m so grateful that I was in a position where I could do this,” stated the celebrated actress. For the unversed, the new mother was accused of ‘outsourcing’ her pregnancy and even ‘renting’ a womb and opting for a ‘ready-made’ baby.
On the work front, Priyanka Chopra will next be seen in the Russo Brothers-backed spy thriller series Citadel, It’s All Coming Back To Me alongside Sam Heughan and Farhan Akhtar’s Jee Le Zaraa with Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt.
Famous vloggers Sham Idrees and Froggy are apparently taking some time apart, the former announced on social media. The YouTuber took to Instagram and shared, “I would like to announce that I and Froggy are taking some time away from each other in our relationship.”
He added, “Please don’t involve me in issues concerning Froggy, Rabail or any of the other family members. I appreciate some privacy during this difficult time.”
In March 2020, the couple welcomed a healthy baby daughter, Sierra Idrees a few days ago. Idrees broke the story on his Instagram, posting a photo of his daughter holding his finger. “Alhamdulillah, we are blessed to announce the arrival of our baby girl. Please keep her in your prayers! Say Mashaa’Allah,” the post read. The YouTuber also posted a vlog on the birth of his daughter.
Idrees and Sehar (Froggy) got married in November 2018.
Amid security threats, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has decided to shift to his home in Bani Gala, Islamabad.
The former Prime Minister (PM) is currently living in his family home in Zaman Park in Lahore.
Preparations are being made to increase the security of his Bani Gala residence so that Khan can stay there.
Two special bulletproof rooms have been set up for the PTI chief, with bullet-resistant glass being fitted in the windows. It has also been decided that his private security will be increased.
Imran Khan has been living in Lahore since November of last year, when an assassination attempt injured the former Premier.
Imran Khan’s convoy was attacked on November 3 while passing through Wazirabad. The PTI chief was leading a protest march toward Islamabad at the time. He suffered bullet injuries on his legs and received treatment at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.
PTI has claimed several times that Khan’s life is at stake. On January 27, Khan alleged that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is plotting and financing an assassination attempt for which Zardari had hired terrorists.
PPP denied the accusations, with the party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari slamming the allegations against his father. The party even sent a legal notice to Imran Khan, stating that it will sue him unless he apologises within 14 days.
Due to the continuing economic crisis, Pakistan’s automobile industry is struggling much like all other businesses. In the most recent development, Toyota Indus Motor Company (IMC) has temporarily halted automobile production.
Non-production days (NPDs) will be observed by the automaker from February 1 to February 14, 2023. Due to limited supply, the corporation will also switch to single-shift manufacturing from February 15, 2023.
An official notification from Toyota IMC reads:
The company and its vendors continue to face major hurdles in import of raw materials and receiving clearance of their consignments from commercial banks. This has disrupted the entire supply chain and the vendors are unable to supply raw materials and components to the company. Accordingly, the company has insufficient inventory levels, therefore, the company is unable to continue its production activities.
Last month, the State Bank of Pakistan decided to withdraw the restrictions placed on imports with effect from January 2, 2023. The SBP said that Authorised Dealers (ADs) may prioritise or facilitate imports under essential imports, energy imports, imports by export-oriented industry, imports for agriculture inputs, deferred payment / self-funded imports and import for export-oriented projects near completion.
However, import restrictions due to dollar shortage are still hampering many industries including the auto sector.
The prices of Toyota IMC’s vehicles have already increased twice in a single month. The uncertainty caused by the continued economic decline is now casting doubt on the future of Pakistan’s auto sector.
The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took responsibility for Monday’s suicide bombing that claimed 100 lives and left more than 200 people injured, reports Geo News. However, now TTP claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.
ٹی ٹی پی پشاور حملے سے لاتعلقی کر رہی ہے، جبکہ اس سے منسلک دھڑا اسکو قبول کر رہا ہے اور خالد خراسانی کی موت کا بدلہ قرار دے رہی ہے۔ کیا یہ ظاہر لرتا ہے کہ ٹی ٹی پی کے دھڑے نا صرف اس کے کنٹرول میں نہیں بلکہ اس سے زیادہ خطرناک ہیں۔ یہ مذاکرات کی پالیسی پر ہر طرح سے سوالیہ نشان ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/REiEHZxqxS
The bomb blast ripped through a mosque in Peshawar’s Police Lines area around 1:40 pm, right as people lined up to offer zuhr prayers. It has been reported that the suicide bomber was standing in the first row at the mosque when he exploded the bomb.
According to Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Muhammad Ijaz Khan, a number of people are still stuck under the rubble after the roof collapsed. He also said between 300 to 400 police officials were present in the area at the time of the blast.
Earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to Geo News, revealed that the roof fell due to the intensity of the blast, adding that the hospitals have been overwhelmed.
He said that even though they receive threats, people cannot be stopped from entering a mosque.
Condemnations by the politicians
After the attack made waves across the country, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif condemned the brutal suicide blast. He said that the brutal murder of Muslims went against everything that was taught by Islam.
Shehbaz added that they will form a policy to more effectively counter rising terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the “terrorist suicide attack” and expressed sympathies with the families of the victims.
Strongly condemn the terrorist suicide attack in police lines mosque Peshawar during prayers. My prayers & condolences go to victims families. It is imperative we improve our intelligence gathering & properly equip our police forces to combat the growing threat of terrorism.
Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, condemning the incident, said that strict action will be taken against the terrorists, their backers and facilitators.
چیئرمین پیپلزپارٹی اور وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی پشاور میں خودکش حملے کی مذمت
ضمنی اور عام انتخابات سے قبل دہشتگردی کے واقعات معنی خیز ہیں، بلاول بھٹو زرداری
دہشتگردوں ،ان کے سرپرستوں اور سہولت کاروں کے خلاف سخت کاروائی ہوگی ، بلاول بھٹو زرداری @BBhuttoZardari
Meanwhile, Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Muhammad Azam Khan imposed a medical emergency in all hospitals of Peshawar. The interim CM also instructed rescue organisations to speed up relief activities.
پولیس لائنز پشاور میں دھماکہ۔
نگران وزیراعلی خیبر پختونخوا محمد اعظم خان کی پشاور کے بڑے ہسپتالوں میں ایمرجنسی نافذ کرنے کی ہدایت۔
وزیراعلی محمد اعظم خان کی ریسکیو اداروں کو امدادی سرگرمیاں تیز کرنے کی ہدایت
Hassan Raheem has finally revealed the reason he is reluctant to give interviews. While talking to Gloss Etc, the Joona singer said that he isn’t asked about his art; instead the media is only interested in his personal life.
“Personally for me, the media doesn’t highlight the musical aspect when talking about me, despite how emotionally connected we are to it. They are always interested in my personal life, which is stuff that I don’t want to talk about. Which is why when someone comes up to me I want them to ask me about my music,” Raheem said.
He also talked about the conversation on proper security and protection provided to women and families on concerts, after the Karachi Eat Festival debacle. Singer Kaifi Khalil, who had cancelled his session after the event was mismanaged, had taken to social media to criticize men for behaving badly by drinking, harassing women and even attending the festival without a ticket.
Raheem revealed that his fan base comprised mostly of young women, and some of them also attended his concerts with their families, and cared about the fact that they have a good time, because an artist’s true connection with a fan happens on stage.
“My fans are mostly young women, and then other people who come to my concerts bring along their families. When you see something like this happening from the stage it creates a lot of discomfort for me, and I don’t want to take the show forward until we resolve this issue… I hope that any one who listens to me in their bedrooms, should be able to attend my concerts because they feel safe. That fees like a dream come true and that’s what I want. An artist’s main connection with a fan happens on stage. I forget everything when I’m on stage for the next hour. When I climb the stage, I go into a different state, and I know that I have to sing for that fan who is here to listen to me. I know that when I look them in the eye and sing, I know that I’m having a lot of fun and so is that fan. We have this telepathic connection which takes me to some other place. So when this is happening in a safe environment then that’s even better for me.”
On how this matter could be resolved, the ‘Faltu Pyar’ singer said there should be separate circles for men and women in concerts to prevent harassment or accidents from taking place.
“We create separate circles for both men and women who come to attend concerts. And then we dictate to everyone who is coming to the show that how they should behave, and act in a civilized manner at a place where they’ve come to listen to a singer. Aside from having fun, remember to be mindful of your manners if you’re at a public space. This is something I feel people are beginning to understand, which is why my shows are getting such a high attendance rate. There is a revival in the show industry. I feel like step by step we would have to start taking initiatives to address this matter, so we can over come this.”
Elaborating further, Raheem said that the government should also get involved and provide resources for proper security at concerts.
“The government should also take some action to fix this problem…because as artists, usually, there is a limit to what we can do. At some point, a limit falls over our resources. And I don’t want us to be limited. I would like that we all come together as a community to get to the bottom of this and make sure it doesn’t happen again…It’s necessary that we establish a proper system so such incidents don’t keep happening over and over again.”
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has restored Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) setting aside his removal as the head of the party by his cousin, former Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
The commission also stated that the PML-Q’s Central Working Committee’s (CWC) decision to remove Shujaat as party chief was illegal, declaring it null and void.
On January 16, PML-Q’s CWC removed Shujaat as the party chief. His brother, Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain was given the command of the PML-Q.
The step was taken by the committee after Shujaat had suspended the basic membership of the-then CM Elahi — for his statement about a possible merger with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
After the ouster of PTI’s chief Imran Khan from power, rifts within PML-Q widened as the party got divided into two camps over the issue of joining hands with the PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
Elahi, his son Moonis Elahi and the majority of party leaders sided with the PTI while Chaudhry Shujaat, Salik Hussain and Tariq Bashir Cheema supported the PML-N.
Special measures have been taken at key sensitive buildings in Islamabad, including the President House, Prime Minister (PM) House and Parliament among other places.
Moreover, high security was also beefed up at all the entry points of the capital, Islamabad police’s Twitter account said on Monday.
Snipers have been deployed at all locations and residents are instructed to carry identity cards and essential documents along with them while travelling.
اسلام آباد کیپیٹل پولیس تھرمل امیجنگ کی صلاحیت سے لیس ہے۔
Meanwhile, the Inspector General (IG) of Sindh Police has also ordered officials to start patrolling and snap checking in Karachi.
A day earlier, Peshawar was attacked by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which claimed the lives of 93 people and left more than 200 injured. In a surprise turn of events, the TTP later claimed that it had nothing to do with the bombing.
Pakistan is currently facing a resurgence in terrorist activities.
After the Peshawar attack, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that such cowardly terror attacks will not weaken the nation’s resolve and that all the terrorists and their facilitators involved in the attacks will be punished.
