Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistani delegation leaves for Russia to hold discussions on cheaper oil

    Pakistani delegation leaves for Russia to hold discussions on cheaper oil

    Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik and the petroleum secretary have flown to Russia to hold talks over oil and gas, a source with knowledge of the situation said on Monday on the condition of anonymity.

    The trip comes as the country struggles to meet domestic gas supply demands as winter approaches while battling to contain a current account deficit swelled by energy payments, mostly for oil.

    Ishaq Dar, the federal minister of finance, had already stated that the delegation will discuss an oil contract with Moscow.

    “We should pray the visit is successful and the government manages to secure a deal on favourable terms and conditions,” Dar said during an interview.

    Given the sharp rise in the cost of energy commodities in recent months, buying Russian oil at lower prices has gained popularity. This has been difficult, especially for emerging economies like Pakistan, whose energy requirements are mostly met by imports of petroleum.

    The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said that during the first four months of the current fiscal year, Pakistan imported petroleum products worth $7.547 billion.

    Dar had earlier stated, speaking to a crowd in Dubai on November 13, that Islamabad hoped to clinch an import pact with Moscow on conditions comparable to those of New Delhi. He said that Pakistan could purchase oil from Russia since India was doing the same, and the US had been informed of this.

  • Farwell visits: General Bajwa meets PM, President one day before retirement

    Farwell visits: General Bajwa meets PM, President one day before retirement

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif met the outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa in Islamabad on Monday as a part of the army chief’s farewell visits.

    During the meeting between the two, the Premier commended General Bajwa’s services and said that he played an exemplary role in bringing Pakistan out of the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list as well as during the COVID-19 pandemic and floods, reports Radio Pakistan.

    He said the Pakistan Army under the leadership of General Qamar Javed Bajwa played a valiant role in crushing terrorism in the country.

    “You got the honour of leading the world’s best army,” the prime minister told COAS Bajwa.

    In response, General Bajwa thanked PM Shehbaz for his support in handling matters of national importance.

    Before meeting the Premier, the army chief paid a farewell visit to President Dr Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-e-Sadar where the president also commended Gen Bajwa’s services in the field of defence and also appreciated his services to the country and the Pakistan Army.

    The president also expressed best wishes for Gen Bajwa in his future endeavours.

    Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony will be held tomorrow (November 29).

    Gen Bajwa will hand over the “baton of command” to General Asim Munir, who was selected to become the new army chief by PM Shehbaz on November 24. General Asim will be the 17th army chief to assume the command of the Pakistan Army.

    General Bajwa is set to retire on November 29 after six years in office. He was appointed in 2016 by then-PM Nawaz Sharif and later granted an additional three-year extension in 2019 by former PM Imran Khan.

  • Sheikh Rasheed ne Rawalpindi ko Los Angeles bana diya

    Sheikh Rasheed ne Rawalpindi ko Los Angeles bana diya

    Former interior minister and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed on Sunday posted a video of an aerial view of a double-carriage road jammed with cars on both sides.

    Sheikh Rasheed posted the video on his Twitter handle, claiming that it showed traffic gridlocked during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s power show held in Rawalpindi on November 26. The video clip had a PTI anthem as the background which made it appear as if the clip was an aerial shot of the PTI’s march to Rawalpindi.

    However, the claim is wrong, as the shared visuals are actually of a traffic jam in Los Angeles, California. This clip was first shared back in 2017 as part of live coverage by US broadcaster ABC News.

    Following this blunder, Twitterati not only corrected the senior politician but also relished in the chance to mock him.

    This is not the first time that a fake video/picture of PTI’s rally has been posted.

    Earlier, PTI leader Qasim Suri shared a fake screenshot of CNN, claiming it was covering Imran Khan’s rally in Haripur.

    In April, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan also shared fake visuals claiming to show a photo from the United States (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), stating that it was from the party’s rally.

    The picture shared by Ali actually shows the lights in the Iberian Peninsula, which falls in-between Spain and Portugal.

  • KP launches AI-based attendance system for schools

    KP launches AI-based attendance system for schools

    Due to an upsurge in complaints about teachers’ absences, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) has deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-based video systems in schools to monitor students’ and teachers’ live attendance.

    According to Zarif-ul-Mani, MD of the Elementary Schools Education Foundation (ESEF), the AI-based attendance system in the foundation schools would uphold the standard of instruction and improve student performance.

    He also described how the School Management Information System (SMIS) works to guarantee quality, accountability, and a simple transfer of scholarship cash to partners.

    He also commended the ESEF’s e-governance division for reviving this project, which had been mismanaged in the past.

    Additionally, the project would reduce dropout rates while guaranteeing that professors are present and that classes start on schedule.

    Prior to that, the government of Sindh made the decision to take strong action against teachers who were getting their wages while staying at home and neglecting their jobs.

    The provincial education agency reportedly stopped more than 2,000 “ghost teachers” being paid across the province.

    According to Express Tribune, Akbar Laghari, the education secretary for Sindh, said in a statement on the choice that they have filed a letter to the AG for Sindh asking him to cease paying the wages of 2,019 ghost teachers.

    He added that the department would fire the “ghost teachers” and would do everything it took to ensure that teachers showed up for work.

  • Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony to be held at GHQ on Tuesday

    Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony to be held at GHQ on Tuesday

    Pakistan Army’s change of command ceremony will be held tomorrow (Tuesday), military’s media-wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed on Monday, marking the time-honoured tradition that symbolises the seamless transition of military leadership.

    Outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will hand over the “baton of command” to General Asim Munir, who was selected to become the new army chief by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on November 24.

    General Asim Munir will be the 17th army chief to assume the command of the Pakistan Army.

    Former military leadership will also participate in the function at General HeadQuaters (GHQ).

    General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on President Arif Alvi to for his farewell as the 16th COAS at the President’s House.

    Later in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the COAS in his office for the farewell visit before hosting a luncheon in his honour.

  • When are assemblies going to dissolve? PTI to decide today

    When are assemblies going to dissolve? PTI to decide today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry has announced that the former ruling party will decide on the matter of dissolution of the assemblies today in the presence of senior leadership.

    Chaudhry explained in a tweet, stating that the party’s senior leadership will be meeting on Monday. “In this meeting, the date of dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, and resignation from the Sindh and Balochistan Assembly will be considered.”

    The former minister added with these decisions, 64 per cent of seats in all assemblies would be “vacant and will pave the way for general elections”.

    On Saturday, party chief Imran Khan, addressing a charged crowd in Rehmanabad, said that PTI wouldn’t be part of “this system” and would quit all the assemblies.

    Khan said that he would announce the exact date in the next few days.

    It is pertinent to mention that Khan’s PTI is in power in Punjab, KP, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

    Following the announcement, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi showed support for Khan’s decision.

    In a video message on Sunday, he said, “When Imran tells me to dissolve the assemblies, I won’t even wait half a minute,” Elahi said, adding that “PM Shehbaz Sharif’s 27km-long [federal] government won’t even last for 27 hours.”

  • Ben Stokes will donate match fee to Pakistan flood victims

    Ben Stokes will donate match fee to Pakistan flood victims

    The captain of England cricket team Ben Stokes has announced to donate his match fee for the three-match series against Pakistan.

    In his entire statement, the England Test captain said: “It is great to be in Pakistan for the first time for this historic series. To be back here after 17 years as a Test side is very exciting. There is a sense of responsibility amongst the playing and support group and to be there is special.”
    “The floods that devastated Pakistan earlier this year were very sad to see and have had a significant impact on the country and the people,” he added.

    England is currently on Pakistan’s tour for a test series. This is the first time in 17 years that England have toured Pakistan and the three-match series will be a part of the World Test Championship.

  • 2-year-old child, kidnapped, tortured, killed in Lahore

    2-year-old child, kidnapped, tortured, killed in Lahore

    A toddler, kidnapped from outside his house on Sunday, was found this morning, tortured and strangled to death, Samaa has reported.

    The tortured body of the two-and-a-half years old boy, named Zeeshan, was found near the Chohang area in Lahore. The child had gone missing while playing outside his house on Sunday evening.

    The family started a search for the boy and later found his body in a cemetery in the morning.

    However, the child’s family did not report their child missing to the police, and they instead carried on their own independent search for the minor.

    Initial investigations revealed that Zeeshan had been strangled to death, but a full investigation, autopsy, and forensic examination will determine the precise cause of death.

    Police are investigating the case.

  • Pakistan Customs seizes 67 non-custom paid vehicles in an operation

    Pakistan Customs seizes 67 non-custom paid vehicles in an operation

    Pakistan Customs has impounded 67 non-custom paid vehicles in a crackdown against the smugglers in Quetta.

    67 non-custom paid vehicles, sugar, and fertiliser valued at approximately Rs336 million were confiscated in accordance with the Prime Minister’s goal to eradicate smuggling.

    The Customs team launched a crackdown in Nokandi, Quetta, and thwarted the attempt to smuggle goods across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

    Earlier, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on February 21 that non-custom paid vehicles worth Rs11.2 billion were seized between July 2021 and January 2022.

    During the July–January 2020–2021 period, smuggled goods worth a total of Rs35 billion were discovered, compared to Rs22 billion during the same time the previous year.

    Many people in Quetta continue to purchase non-custom vehicles despite the fact that they are illegal since they are much more expensive than legal or custom-paid vehicles.

    For instance, if a car is sold for Rs5 million at a dealership or local car market, it may be offered by smugglers for Rs2.5 million or even less. As these are smuggled vehicles, non-custom-paid automobiles are less expensive and lack the necessary paperwork or legal documents.

  • ‘Decision to become apolitical led to personal criticism’; Gen Bajwa addresses backlash in rare interview

    ‘Decision to become apolitical led to personal criticism’; Gen Bajwa addresses backlash in rare interview

    The outgoing Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has addressed the backlash he and his institute have faced in recent months in a rare interview.

    Talking to the United Arab Emirates based Gulf News, General Bajwa said that the army’s decision to become apolitical is “being viewed as negative by a segment of society and led to personal criticism”. However, he doubled down on the decision, emphasizing that restricting the armed forces to it’s mandated constitutional role will, “facilitate in reinvigorating and strengthening democratic culture, assist in supporting state organs to effectively perform and deliver. Above all, this decision will help enhance army’s prestige in the long term.”

    General Bajwa, who has less than two days left in his tenure, stated that he felt it prudent to “shield Pakistan Army from the vagaries of politics in Pakistan,” adding that public support for the institution goes down when the military is seen to be involved in political affairs.

    Without naming either Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) or its Chairman Imran Khan, who has criticized the army for becoming “neutral,” General Bajwa again talked about the “undue vilification” of the army. “Despite some criticism and undue vilification of the armed forces through mass propaganda and meticulously crafted false narratives, the institutional resolve to remain apolitical will remain steadfast,” he told Gulf News.

    Talking about Pakistan’s relations with Middle Eastern countries, the COAS predicted that the country will have a “robust and broad-based” relationship with Arab nations.

    The army chief also discussed the challenges that Pakistan faces, citing it’s “delicate position” in balancing it’s relationships with both all-weather friend China and the West. General Bajwa also cited the western border with Afghanistan as “volatile” but added that the violence has reduced after US withdrawal and provided a “modicum of stability”.

    However the COAS also mentioned “economic frailty” as a major challenge, remarking that it tends to “exacerbate other issues concerning human security such as health, education, access to food and clean water, and mitigating threats posed by climate change.”

    At the end, the Chief gave out a message to the country’s youth. “The youth must also ensure that they are shielded from divisive propaganda and information warfare that seeks to polarise our society and erode mutual trust. Pakistan should always come first — before any other marker of identity,” he remarked.