Author: newsdesk

  • Who will be the new COAS and CJCSC?

    Who will be the new COAS and CJCSC?

    Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Asim Munir has been promoted to now become the new chief of the Pakistan Army by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif. A summary in this regard has been sent to the President. This has been confirmed by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb in a tweet.

    Who is Asim Munir?

    PM Shehbaz Sharif has picked Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Asim Munir to succeed outgoing army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. Lt-Gen Munir is the senior-most among the names given in the summary. He was promoted to the rank of a three-star general in September 2018.

    Lt- Gen Munir entered the service via the Officers Training School (OTS) programme in Mangla, and was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment. He has been a close aide of the incumbent COAS ever since he commanded troops in the Force Command Northern Areas as a brigadier under Gen Bajwa.

    He was later appointed Director General Military Intelligence in early 2017, and in October next year was made the ISI chief. However, he was replaced soon by Lt Gen Faiz Hameed within eight months, reportedly on the insistence of the then PM, Imran Khan. He was posted as Gujranwala Corps commander for two years, before being moved to the GHQ as Quartermaster General.

    Who is Sahir Shamshad Mirza?

    The following is a bio of the new Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second important role in the armed forces. While General Mirza’s bio is impressive, what was striking is that he was raised an orphan and has managed to reach the top. When he joined the army, he wrote ‘8 Sindh’ in the ‘Next of Kin’ option. It was the name of his Unit.

    The premier has picked Lieutenant General (Lt-Gen) Sahir Shamshad Mirza to be the next Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). Lt-Gen Mirza came to fame as the director general military operations during Gen Raheel Sharif’s tenure. In that role, he was part of Sharif’s core team at the General Headquarters, which supervised the military operation against the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and other militants in North Waziristan. Moreover, Lt-Gen Mirza was closely involved in the intra-Afghan talks involving Pakistan, China, Afghanistan and the United States.

    He was also a member of the committee on reforms for Gilgit-Baltistan. He was appointed chief of general staff, effectively making him the second-most powerful person in the army after the chief of army staff. In that role, he was closely engaged in crucial decision-making related to national security and foreign affairs. He also joined former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in strategic talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in 2021.

    In October 2021, he was posted as corps commander Rawalpindi to enable him to acquire operational experience and become eligible to be considered for top posts. The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee is an inter-services forum that works for coordination among the three armed forces. The CJCSC also serves as the principal military adviser to the prime minister and the National Command Authority.

    General Asim Munir has been ‘retained’ under the Army Act?

    The Federal Government has retained Lieutenant General Asim Munir under the Army Act. Earlier, government decided to appoint Lt Gen Munir as new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    Gen Munir was scheduled to retire on November 27. He had submitted his retirement application to the defence ministry. However, the defence ministry did not accept the request for retirement and decided to retain Gen Munir.

    Meeting between Dr Alvi and Khan

    President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, has reached Zaman Park in Lahore to meet Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to consult him over the two key military appointments that were announced today.

    In an interview earlier this week, when asked about the appointment, Imran Khan said that he was maintaining contact with the President on this matter.

    President House will give an official handout around 7pm on army chief appointment

    PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry has said that the President House will give an official handout between 6:30 and 7pm about Dr Arif Alvi’s meeting with his party Chairman Imran Khan.

    A few hours ago, Alvi reached Lahore to meet Khan and to consult him over the two key military appointments.

    Earlier, the federal government announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Lieutenant General Asim Munir as Pakistan’s next Chief of Army Staff and Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), with an official summary of both appointments sent to President Alvi for his signature.

    President Arif Alvi signs summary for the appointment of COAS and CJCSC: report

    President Dr Arif Alvi has signed the summary to appoint Lt Gen Asim Munir as the new army chief and Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza to be the next Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC). It is being reported that President Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be holding meetings with both new appointees shortly.

  • Pakistanis pay about Rs800,000 more for a Suzuki Alto than Indians

    Pakistanis pay about Rs800,000 more for a Suzuki Alto than Indians

    Shockingly, the base variant of the Suzuki Alto costs PKR 922,000 (INR 339,000) in India, whereas Pak Suzuki Motor Company, Pakistan’s Suzuki vehicle manufacturer, offers the older model of the Suzuki Alto for a starting price of Rs1.7 million.

    The 0.8-liter petrol engine in the Indian Alto 800 produces 48 PS and 69 Nm and is connected to a five-speed manual transmission. When using CNG, the output drops to 41 ps and 60 nm. The vehicle’s quoted mileage is 31.59 km/kg for CNG and 22.05 km per litre for petrol.

    On the other hand, Pakistani Alto is powered by a 3-cylinder 658 cc R06A petrol engine mated to either a 5-speed manual or auto gear shift (AGS) transmission. The variant we are talking about is the manual base variant. The hatchback offers a maximum output power of 39hp at 6500 rpm and a torque of 56 Nm at 4000 rpm. With a compression ratio of 10:1, it comes with a multi-point injection system. The Suzuki Alto offers seating for four adults and a fuel capacity of 27 litres.

    When comparing the Indian Alto to the Pak Suzuki-produced Alto, the Indian Alto appears to have greater power because it has a larger engine, more torque, and costs less.

    It is worth noting that despite its hefty price tag Suzuki Alto is also Pakistan’s most-selling car currently as it is the only mini hatchback sold below Rs2 million from a prominent automaker.

  • Pakistan calls for ‘Global Action Plan’ against Islamophobia

    Pakistan calls for ‘Global Action Plan’ against Islamophobia

    Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, talked about the importance of “continued and robust inter-religious, inter-civilisational and inter-faith dialogue as a catalyst to promote peaceful co-existence, mutual understanding, and harmony,” while addressing the ninth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC).

    UNAOC was hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco in the city of Fez on November 22-23, 2022. Khar expressed Pakistan’s viewpoint and concerns over the global problem of religious intolerance, discrimination, Islamophobia.

    She also brought the delegates’ attention to the state-driven prejudice, animosity, and phobia against Muslims and Islam, as well as the resulting environment of impunity for such atrocious acts.

    “Given its pervasive and widely documented impacts, it is time for the international community and the United Nations to formulate an action plan to meaningfully address the insidious phenomenon of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred,” she said.
    The UN Alliance of Civilizations was established in 2005 as a result of the tensions that developed between the Muslim world and the West in the wake of 9/11. Promoting tolerance for different cultures, customs, and religious beliefs is one of its main goals.

  • Exports from Pakistan witness 35.7% increase in first four months of FY23

    According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports from Pakistan increased by 35.77 per cent in rupee terms during the first four months of the current fiscal year (2022-23) compared to the same time previous year.

    According to Geo, exports from July through October (2022-23) were Rs2,131,776 million, up from Rs1,570,136 in the corresponding period the previous year. This represents a growth of 35.77 per cent.

    In comparison to October 2021, when exports were Rs423,063 million, the country’s exports rose by 24.29 per cent to Rs525,831 million in October 2022.

    When compared to the exports of Rs563,714 million reported in September 2022, the exports climbed by 6.72 per cent in October 2022 on a monthly basis.

    The main commodities of exports during October 2022 were:

    Knitwear (Rs86,400 million), readymade garments (Rs60,778 million), bedwear (Rs47,895 million), cotton cloth (Rs37,407 million), rice other than basmati (Rs20,344 million), towels (Rs17,553 million), made-up articles, excluding towels & Bedwear (Rs12,758 million), fish products (Rs12,057 million), rice Basmati (Rs11,375 million) and cotton yarn (Rs10,819 million).

    On the other side, imports increased by 12.87 per cent from July through October 2022 to a total of Rs4,701,648 million, compared to Rs4,165,590 million during the same time previous year.

    Imports totaled Rs1,039,036 million in October 2022 compared to Rs1,232,299 million in September 2022 and Rs1,093,545 million in October 2021, a drop of 15.68 per cent over September 2021 and 4.98 per cent over October 2021.

    The major imports during October 2022 were:

     Petroleum products (Rs100,436 million), petroleum crude (Rs82,124 million), natural gas, liquified (Rs65,485 million), palm oil (Rs59,739 million), plastic materials (Rs47,301 million), iron & steel (Rs38,517 million), raw cotton (Rs29,943 million), iron & steel scrap (Rs26,037 million), electrical machinery & apparatus (Rs24,058 million) and medicinal products (Rs23,234 million).

  • Team ‘Lux Style Awards’ reacts to severe backlash for nominating Feroze Khan

    Team ‘Lux Style Awards’ reacts to severe backlash for nominating Feroze Khan

    The Lux Style Awards (LSAs) will not be excluding Feroze Khan from their list of nominees despite widespread criticism, including from Oscar-winning director Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy.

    Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy Returns Her Lux Award After Feroze Khan's Nomination

    In a statement released on Wednesday night, the awards said, “The Lux Style Awards submissions are received from artists and channels as part of an open call for entries for consideration in the awards. All shortlisted nominations, for the Viewer’s Choice Category of the LSA 2022 are a result of exclusive viewer voting without any intervention by the Awards.

    “As part of our third party, the independent and transparent voting process, which is audited end to end by PricewaterhouseCoopers, LSA cannot participate in short-listing, vetting or excluding any submissions or nominations.”

    In a follow-up statement, the LSAs said they believe in “respecting the freedom and divert of audience views, and does not regulate or limit engagement (except in cases of content with obscene or inappropriate language) on our social media platforms.”

    Their move comes after Obaid Chinoy announced she was returning her Lux Lifetime Achievement Award, which she was awarded in 2012, in protest.

    “Lux is a beauty brand that sells soaps to women yet it has chosen to allow the nomination of a man known to have violently abused his ex-wife. Its parent company, Unilever, has a global campaign that says no to domestic violence and advocates against it. The company signed up to the United Nation’s SDGs, including SDG 5 on gender equality,” she wrote, noting that Unilever’s offices in Pakistan do not seem to share the same values.

    “In 2012, I was awarded a Lux lifetime achievement award, which I will be sending back to Unilever as the brand and I no longer share the same values. As a society, we must stand together against domestic violence and we must call out those who provide platforms to abusers, “she wrote.

    “Unilever and Lux have done a disservice to the awards and to society and it is not ok for them to allow the celebration of abusers.”

  • Miss Grand Pakistan represents Pakistan wearing Indian designer, says wants ‘end of war, violence’

    Miss Grand Pakistan represents Pakistan wearing Indian designer, says wants ‘end of war, violence’

    Aneesa Sheikh, a 20 year-old Pakistani-American who is currently pursuing a dual degree in economics and communications at the University of Michigan, represented Pakistan in New York Fashion Week while wearing Indian designer clothing.
    In an Instagram post, Anisa shared excerpts from an interview she gave to Vogue and wrote, “When an interviewer says, “You’re representing Pakistan, but walking in NYFW wearing an Indian designer’s style.” My reply: “If wearing rhinestones, 6 inch heels, and false eyelashes will bring people of South Asian descent together despite politics and conflict throughout history, then I’ll gladly wear these designs. If fashion is the first step to unity and ending war and violence then I’ll proudly represent this.”

    Writing that she was raised in a household that meshed the dichotomy of Pakistani and American cultures seamlessly, she said that the contrast taught her a valuable lesson on, “how my beliefs may be challenged by others’ views and that compassion and respect are the tools to build the bridge between varying ways of life.”

    Offering details about her childhood, Anisa wrote, “Following the footsteps of my older sister as a competitive figure skater, which is where I grew fond of various music styles. Watching my older sister skate to a Carlos Santana medley inspired me to pick up the guitar at the age of eight. Since then, I have never sat it down. As the youngest, I often felt like my voice was drowned out by my older siblings and music was where I was heard. Expressing myself through lyrics allowed me to connect with others.”
    Her profile on Miss Grand International stated that she was proud that now as Miss Grand Pakistan, she was using her voice through music to inspire, educate, and empower individuals in medical rehabilitation centers, those at the brunt of the environmental crisis, and females who have limited access to educational opportunities.

  • Pakistani workers earn only Rs160 per ball despite producing 70% of the world’s footballs

    Pakistani workers earn only Rs160 per ball despite producing 70% of the world’s footballs

    More than two-thirds of the world’s soccer balls are made in one of Sialkot’s 1,000 factories, including the Adidas Al Rihla, the official ball of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which begins this month.

    Approximately 60,000 people, or 8 per cent of the city’s population, work in the soccer ball manufacturing industry in Sialkot. They frequently put in long hours and sew the panels of the balls by hand.

    In Sialkot, hand stitching is used in more than 80 per cent of the soccer balls produced. This time-consuming method increases the soccer ball’s durability and aerodynamic stability. Compared to stitches made by machines, the seams are deeper and the tension is higher.

    Bloomberg reports that stitchers make about Rs160 ($0.75) each ball. It takes three hours to finish each one. A stitcher can make roughly Rs9,600 per month by stitching three balls per day. The earnings are modest, even for an impoverished area. According to researcher estimates, a living wage for Sialkot is close to Rs20,000 per month.

    Women make up the majority of those who sew the balls. They might sew two balls in a typical day, go home to prepare meals for their kids, and then go back to work in a nearby village in the late afternoon.

    Usually, men prepare supplies or do quality checks at various phases of the production process. The industries in Sialkot employed kids as young as 5 alongside their parents up until labour laws were passed in 1997. According to a 2016 assessment, the sector in Sialkot is threatened by the ban on child labour since it “took away a large slice of a prospective skilled generation,” creating a persistent worker shortage.

    About 40 million soccer balls are purchased annually worldwide, and sales are anticipated to increase during the World Cup.

  • Hasnain Lehri finds love in Netflix star Loujain Adada, makes it Instagram official

    Hasnain Lehri finds love in Netflix star Loujain Adada, makes it Instagram official

    Supermodel Hasnain Lehri took to his Instagram handle to make his relationship Instagram official with Dubai-based actor Loujain Adada.

    In the comment section, Adada responded and said, “My heart! H fairytales do come true.”

    Celebrities also dropped by to congratulate the model, including Anoushey Ashraf, Fahad Mirza, and models Fatima Hasan and Mehreen Syed.

    Loujain, who has yet to share photos with Lehri on her own account, was last seen in Dubai Bling where she was seen on a blind date with Ebraheem Al Samadi and her Instagram showdown with Farhana Bodi.

    The reality TV star announced that she is currently looking for a partner. Her husband, the late Saudi billionaire businessman Walid Juffali, passed away in 2016. They had two kids together.

    It is pertinent to mention that he started dating fellow model Sabika Imam and the duo confirmed their relationship on October 11, 2018. The rumours of their engagement started making rounds after that. They parted ways after nearly a year.

  • Imran Khan says President Alvi will consult him on the appointment of new COAS

    Imran Khan says President Alvi will consult him on the appointment of new COAS

    Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed that President Arif Alvi will consult him on the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS).

    The former Prime Minister made the explosive claim during an interview with ARY News. Stating that he was in contact with President Alvi, who is a member of PTI, Imran Khan said, “I am in contact with the President over the summary related to a key appointment”, adding that being the party chairman, Alvi would consult him.

    “I have no issues with whoever is made the army chief but I want that the decision should be taken on merit,” he stressed.

    When asked whether the President would delay the appointment of the new Army Chief, the PTI head said, “President Alvi and we have decided to play within constitutional boundaries.”

    He said that the people who are responsible for the appointment of this top army post are corrupt and he has reservations about their choice.

    Appearing on Geo News programme “Capital Talk” on November 21, when senior journalist Hamid Mir asked Defence Minister Khawaja Asif that why Imran Khan chose November 26 as the date for his long march, the minister stated that Khan might be considering the option that the President would not approve PM Shehbaz’s recommendation for the COAS.

    Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed that it has finally received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a list of names of the candidates for the new COAS and the chairman joint chief of staff committee (CJCSC).

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

  • ‘Siyasat mein mudakhlat ghair aaini hai’: General Bajwa

    ‘Siyasat mein mudakhlat ghair aaini hai’: General Bajwa

    In his last address as Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid tribute to the martyrs of the country before launching into a speech laden with admissions and omissions.

    Speaking at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the outgoing army chief said, “Today, on the Defence and Martyrs Day, I am giving an address as the army chief for the last time.” Before beginning his address, he apologised for the delay in the Defence and Martyrs’ day ceremony due to devastating floods across the country.

    He began by paying tribute to those who lost their lives by saying: “Firstly, I would like to pay tribute to the martyrs who are the pride of Pakistan while acknowledging the patience of their bereaved families.” He also reassured them that the army will continue to fulfill their financial needs.

    During his address, he also stressed that the basic job of the armed forces is to protect the geographical boundaries of the countries.

    However, in the second part of the speech, COAS Bajwa spoke about political matters.

    Tacitly admitting to a longstanding charge, the COAS said that the Pakistan army is “often subjected to criticism” and the reason was the army’s involvement in politics.

    Reiterating what Director General ISI General Nadeem Anjum had said before, General Bajwa insisted once again that the army will not interfere in politics.

    “Pichlay saal February mein faisla kiya kai ab siyasat mein mudakhalat nahin hogi. Fauj ki siyasat mein mudakhlat ghair aaini hai,” he said. (Last year in February, we decided not to interfere in politics. Army’s interference in politics is unconstitutional.)

    “I assure you we are strictly adamant on this and will remain so,” he said.

    In what seemed like a criticism of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, General Bajwa said that a false narrative was built and a campaign was started against the Pakistan army.

    ‘Kya ap ko lagta hai ke mulk mei foriegn conspiracy ho aur hum chup rahy’: General Bajwa

    Talking about Imran Khan’s claims of his government being ousted because of US interference, General Bajwa asked, “Was it possible for the army to remain silent if there was a foreign conspiracy?”

    “Had this been the case, it would have been the most heinous sin on our end,” he emphasised, pointing out that the army could’ve replied but didn’t for the sake of Pakistan.

    ‘Inappropriate and undignified language was used against us’: General Bajwa

    Without naming Khan, who has at various times termed the institution “neutral”, “janwar”, “Mir Sadiq”, and “Mir Jafar”, the army chief said that instead of welcoming the military’s decision to stay away from politics, “many sectors used very inappropriate and undignified language while making the army the target of severe criticism. To criticise the army is the right of political parties and the people, but they should select their language carefully,” he added.

    ‘Calling governments’ selected and imported is wrong’: General Bajwa

    Gen Bajwa also said that political parties started criticising the army after the 2018 general elections when Khan’s government was labelled as “selected” and following the successful vote of no confidence this year, the incumbent administration is being labelled as “imported”.

    “We need to reject this behaviour,” he stressed while adding that every party will have to develop the strength to accept its victory as well as defeat.

    He said that the next government which will be formed after elections should be known as elected.

    ‘Political parties should reflect on their behaviour’: COAS

    Emphasizing on reconciliation, General Bajwa said that the army had initiated its process of “catharsis” and expected that political parties would follow suit as well and reflect on their behaviour. “This is the reality, mistakes have been made by every institution, including political parties and civil society. The army has started its catharsis, and I hope political parties will also reflect on their behaviour,” he said.

    Calling the 1971 debacle that ended with the country being split into two, a “political failure” the COAS said that the creation of Bangladesh was not a military failure.

    The COAS said that lessons should be learned from such mistakes so the nation could move forward.

    In the last part of his address, he hoped that political stakeholders would set aside their egos, learn from past mistakes, move forward and take Pakistan out of this crisis. He stressed the need for the nation to shed intolerance and adopt a “true democratic culture”.

    Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) that it has finally received the summary from the Ministry of Defence with a list of names of the candidates for the new COAS and the chairman joint chief of staff committee (CJCSC).

    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.