Author: newsdesk

  • Gen Bajwa very close to Shehbaz Sharif, says Imran Khan

    Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has claimed that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa was very close to current Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

    “There was information that General Bajwa was in contact with Shehbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif. The plan was to bring Shehbaz Sharif [into power] and remove me,” said Khan in an interview with GNN.

    “Ishaq Dar, Nawaz Sharif’s sons and Shehbaz Sharif’s son-in-law fled during his tenure. In the beginning, there were a lot of doubts, we couldn’t understand,” he revealed.

    “Gen Bajwa would say one thing but something else was happening on the ground”, said the former Prime Minister.

    “When I see it now, it becomes clear that Bajwa doctrine was to not allow anyone to strengthen so much that they can’t be controlled,” he stated.

    Talking about the current political situation, he claimed a “game” is still being played to stop him from coming back to power “by all means”.

    “Even if you stop Imran Khan [from coming to power], how will you fix the issues faced by the country?” he asked.

    Imran Khan has been criticizing General Bajwa since the latter retired on November 26 in 2022. However, in a press conference held in November, it was alleged by Director General Inter-Services Intelligence, General Nadeem Anjum, that Imran Khan had secretly met General Bajwa and offered him an extension in his tenure.

  • ‘Zero tolerance’; PM warns terrorists

    Amid rising terror attacks, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan will adopt the policy of zero-tolerance against terrorists.

    From his account on Twitter, the Premier said that the National Security Committee (NSC) has come up with two major decisions, which include adopting a zero-tolerance policy against terrorists and forming a roadmap to revive the economy of Pakistan.

    A day earlier, the second round of the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting reiterated a “zero tolerance” policy for terrorism in the country, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

    A press release issued by the PMO after the meeting’s conclusion said the NSC reaffirmed its determination to take on “any and all entities that resort to violence”, adding that any violence would be dealt with the “full force of the state”.

    On December 30, 2022, the forum vowed to respond firmly to resurgent terrorism in the country and declared militants as “enemies of Pakistan”.

    On the other hand, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that Afghanistan’s soil is being used against Pakistan despite an agreement with the Taliban government.

    During Geo News’ programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, the minister urged the Taliban to fulfill commitments made in the Doha deal.

    “The Pakistani government is in constant touch with Afghanistan in connection with border violations”, he said.

    Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups like the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) executing attacks across the country.

  • Gold price hits new all-time high of Rs187,200 per tola

    Gold price hits new all-time high of Rs187,200 per tola

    For the first time in Pakistan’s history, the price of gold passed Rs187,000 per tola.

    On Monday, the price of 24-carat gold per tola increased by Rs3,300, reaching an all-time high of Rs187,200 compared to the last trading day’s sale of Rs183,900.

    According to the All-Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the price of gold increased by Rs3,300 per tola and Rs2,829 per 10 grammes, respectively, to settle at Rs187,200 and Rs160,494.

    From Rs126,000 per tola on December 31, 2021, the yellow metal has increased by Rs57,900, or 45.95 per cent .

    According to the group, the price of gold in Pakistan has been “overcost” by Rs6,500 per tola when compared to pricing in Dubai. This indicates that the price of gold in Pakistan is currently higher than it is on the global market.

    The discrepancy between the official price of gold and the price it is being sold for is growing. The official price in the Sarafa market, as announced by the association, is Rs187,200 per tola. But the price at which it is being sold is reportedly higher.

    According to Geo, due to the rupee’s depreciation against the US dollar during the present cycle, financial experts and goldsmiths predict that the price of gold may increase to Rs200,000 per tola.

  • NIH confirms presence of XBB variant of Covid-19 in Pakistan

    NIH confirms presence of XBB variant of Covid-19 in Pakistan

    The National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad and the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Tuesday confirmed the presence of the XBB variant of Covid-19 in Pakistan, confirmed through genome sequencing of samples.

    A review meeting was held on the Corona situation in the country under the chairmanship of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.
    The Premier commended the efforts put in by all the relevant officials and NCOC to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

    The meeting was informed in detail about the current situation of Covid in the world including the region and in Pakistan, new variants of the pandemic, measures taken to prevent them and status of vaccinations.

    Attendants at the meeting were informed that there is no apparent threat to Pakistan from the new variant of Covid-19.

    The same variant, BF.7, has recently been identified as the dominant one spreading in China’s capital Beijing, contributing to a wider surge of COVID infections in the country.

  • Tennis legend Martina Navratilova diagnosed with early-stage throat and breast cancer

    Tennis legend Martina Navratilova diagnosed with early-stage throat and breast cancer

    Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer.

    Later this month, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, who was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, will begin treatment in New York.

    Both malignancies, according to 66-year-old Navratilova, were discovered at an early stage.

    “The double whammy is serious, but fixable, and I’m hoping for a favourable outcome,” she said. “It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all I have got.”

    According to CNN, Navratilova discovered a swollen lymph node in her neck while competing in the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, in November.

    Following a biopsy, stage 1 throat cancer was discovered. A lump in her breast was also found during the testing, and it was later determined to be unrelated to cancer.

    “Both of these cancers are in their early stages with great outcomes,” Navratilova’s representative Mary Greenham added.

    Navratilova was scheduled to broadcast from the Tennis Channel studio in Melbourne to cover the Australian Open this month, but she will instead make sporadic remote appearances.

    The nine-time Wimbledon singles winner admitted that she felt “helpless” following her cancer diagnosis in 2010, but she made the decision to share the news in order to support other women going through comparable medical issues.

  • Samsung introduces AI-powered fridge with 32-inch smart touchscreen

    Samsung introduces AI-powered fridge with 32-inch smart touchscreen

    Samsung has launched the “Bespoke Refrigerator Family Hub Plus,” its latest fridge with a built-in 32-inch HD touchscreen display.

    Its display, which can be used to watch films, prepare digital shopping lists for Amazon delivery, and operate SmartThings-compatible smart home gadgets, is substantially bigger at 32 inches than the 21.5-inch screen featured on earlier versions of Samsung Family Hub refrigerators.

    The Family Hub Plus, which was unveiled in a press release in Korean, comes with the free Samsung TV Plus service, which enables customers to view 190 TV channels in the US or about 80 stations in South Korea via the Samsung TV Plus app.

    The vertical orientation of the display also makes it ideal for viewing social media content like TikTok videos and YouTube Shorts. It also has a picture-in-picture (PIP) mode that allows you to watch films in a floating window while using the rest of the screen for other purposes.

    Along with the OneDrive integration that was previously present on Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators, Google Photos users may now share material made on the Family Hub to any mobile device thanks to Samsung’s addition of support for the Google Photos cloud.

    The Family Hub Plus allows for the download and display of images from Google Photos. If you prefer to exhibit artwork and paintings rather than family photos, the Family Hub Plus now supports Samsung’s Bespoke Atelier app.

    The integrated SmartThings hub offers six SmartThings Home Life services: Air Care, Home Care, Pet Care, Clothing Care, Energy, and Cooking. It may be used to control and monitor various SmartThings devices.

    Other details (such the display refresh rate or resolution) as well as the cost and release date of Samsung’s new Family Hub refrigerator have not been made public.

  • Man searches ‘how to commit a murder’ on google, before murdering his wife

    Man searches ‘how to commit a murder’ on google, before murdering his wife

    A man in India was arrested for murdering his wife after searching “how to commit a murder” on Google. As per details, Uttar Pradesh police said on Saturday that the accused, Vikas, had initially provided false information about a robbery.

    However, police found incriminating internet searches including “how to commit a murder” on the suspect’s phone.

    A few years after they were married, the two began having disputes over the suspect’s extramarital relations, leading to the plan to kill his wife.
    As per the police the suspect has been arrested.

  • Man stabs woman with screwdriver for refusing to talk to him

    A man in India killed a woman with a screwdriver for refusing to talk to him, Khaleej Times has reported. The girl was murdered with a screwdriver in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district after refusing to talk to one of the two suspects detained by the police on Sunday.

    The accused, identified as Shahbaan Khan, was arrested along with his aide Tarbez Khan.

    The police said that the matter was that of a ‘love triangle’.

    According to the police, Shahbaan stabbed Kusum with a screwdriver after she refused to talk to him.

    “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused had befriended the victim three years ago and later moved to Ahmedabad (Gujarat) for work. The duo stayed in touch for some time. Later, the girl stopped talking to him.”

    “The accused tried to approach the victim, but she refused to entertain him. Following this, the accused attacked her with a screwdriver and killed her,” the police said.

  • PPP unhappy with PM Shehbaz for ignoring them: report

    PPP unhappy with PM Shehbaz for ignoring them: report

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is unhappy with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif for ignoring the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), reports ARY News.

    According to the news outlet, PPP is annoyed at the fact that more importance is being given to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) in the province.

    PPP has reportedly complained about the matter and expressed reservations over PM Shehbaz’s visit last week to Dera Ismail (DI) Khan on JUI-F’s request while ignoring PPP during his visit to Mangala Dam.

    PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has also assured his party leaders of raising this matter with the premier.

    It is to be noted that PPP is a key ally of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

  • Govt raises ghee price by Rs75 per kg, sugar by Rs19 per kg

    Govt raises ghee price by Rs75 per kg, sugar by Rs19 per kg

    The government-run Utility Store Corporation (USC) has increased the price of sugar, flour, ghee, and other food items despite the prime minister’s relief package.

    Utility stores increased the price of sugar by Rs19 per kg, ghee by Rs75 per kg, and 20 kg bag of flour by Rs496.

    According to the notification, the new prices will go into effect at utility stores all around the nation on January 1, 2023.

    The Benazir Income Support Programme’s (BISP) deserving beneficiaries will not be subject to the new pricing.

    Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had previously stated that Food Stores Corporation would provide targeted subsidies on basic food items. These products included rice, lentils, ghee, sugar, and flour. Customers who are registered in the Benazir Income Support Programme are eligible to purchase food from the Food Stores outlets at discounted prices.

    In the meantime, the Food Stores Corporation has instructed all of its clients and consumers to SMS their Computerized National Identity Card numbers from their mobile phones to 5566. After receiving a one-time password, they can then purchase goods and apply for subsidies.