Author: newsdesk

  • Weekly inflation witnesses slight increase of 0.62%

    Weekly inflation witnesses slight increase of 0.62%

    Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) data shows that short-term inflation in the week ending November 17 decreased to 0.62 per cent week-over-week (WoW), primarily as a result of lower prices for some food products such tomatoes, lentils, and cooking oil. The SPI was 0.74 per cent last week.

    The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed data on Friday showing that the weekly inflation rate increased by 28.67 per cent year over year (YoY).

    Since reaching a peak of 45.5 per cent in the week ending September 1, the annual increase in SPI has been declining. YoY inflation was measured at 29.24 per cent last week.

    Based on a study of 50 markets in 17 cities across the country, the SPI tracks the costs of 51 necessities. 23 items had price increases over the week, 13 saw price decreases, and 15 saw no change.

    Highest WoW increase

    Salt: 7.61 per cent

    Lipton tea: 5.9 per cent

    Chicken: 4.89 per cent

    Onions: 4.61 per cent

    Eggs: 3.66 per cent

    Highest WoW decline

    Tomatoes: 6.06 per cent

    Pulse Masoor: 1.56 per cent

    Pulse Gram: 1.46 per cent

    Ghee (1 kg): 1.03 per cent

    Pulse Mash: 0.68 per cent

    Highest YoY increase

    Onions: 319.35 per cent

    Lipton tea: 59.27 per cent

    Pulse Gram: 57.39 per cent

    Petrol: 53.85 per cent

    Pulse Moong: 51.24 per cent

    Highest YoY fall

    Chilli powder: 41.42 per cent

    Sugar: 4.27 per cent

    After slowing to 23.2 per cent in September from a 49-year high of 27.3 per cent in August as the nation continued to be gripped by high food and transportation expenses, annual CPI inflation soared to 26.6 per cent YoY in October.

    In recent weeks, inflation has been driven up by rising vegetable prices, particularly those of onions and tomatoes, as a result of standing crops damaged by floods, as well as a significant increase in electricity prices.

    The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations issued a warning last month that severe food insecurity is likely to get worse in some areas of Pakistan as a result of the negative effects of floods and the astronomically high prices of energy and gasoline.

  • Exclusive: Ata Tarrar and Fawad Chaudhry take digs at each other over these dogs

    Exclusive: Ata Tarrar and Fawad Chaudhry take digs at each other over these dogs

    Fawad Chaudhry, former Information Minister and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI), has shared a picture of his pet dogs, a Pomeranian and a Pug, on Twitter with the caption that they make Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ata Tarrar “jealous”.

    If that tweet leaves you confused, let us give you the background.

    Ata Tarrar held a press conference on _ in which among other things, he criticized Fawad Chaudhry for not vacating his government residence in the Minister’s Enclave. He said that the PTI leader should leave the house before asking for “Haqeeqi Azadi”.

    And then he mentioned Fawad Chaudhry’s dogs, stating that the former Minister takes them for walks every day.

    PML-N leader Attaullah Tarrar while taking a dig at said that Fawad Chaudhry is living in Minister’s enclave Islamabad and he should leave the government’s residence before asking for “Haqiqi Azadi”. He also mentioned Fawad’s pets in the presser.

    The Current reached out to Fawad Chaudhry to know more about his pet dogs. While talking exclusively to The Current, Fawad revealed that his pet dogs are named Rockie and Iglooo.

    He also added that his wife feeds stray dogs so lots of cats and dogs come to the back of their apartment building at a specific time, looking for food

  • Veteran comedian Tariq Teddy passes away at 46 in Lahore

    Veteran comedian Tariq Teddy passes away at 46 in Lahore

    Stage actor and comedian Tariq Teddy passed away at the age of 46 on Saturday, days after he was shifted to a ventilator after his health deteriorated.

    Teddy’s son told the media that his father was suffering from pulmonary and liver-related illness, and was admitted to Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute and Research Centre for the last 10 days.

    Stage actor Tariq Teddy's health worsens again

    The funeral prayers for the late comedian will be held in Lahore today.

    Teddy’s family earlier appealed to the authorities for his treatment and Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi later announced financial assistance.

    Information Secretary Asif Iqbal Lodhi and Chief Minister Press Secretary Chaudhry Iqbal handed over an Rs0.5 million cheque to the deceased son.

    Earlier, several personalities from the showbiz industry visited the hospital and expressed their best wishes for the noted comedian.

    Teddy stepped into theatre at a very young age in the 90s. He entertained Pakistanis with his particular style of comedy. His performances in various stage dramas accumulated audience appreciation for his style.

    Teddy has to his credit many popular commercial stage plays including Mama Pakistani, Sabse Bara Rupaiya, Jee Karda, and Dosti.

  • Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Name of new COAS will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday, says Khawaja Asif

    Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif has said that the name of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) will be revealed by Tuesday or Wednesday.

    Discussing the all-important appointment on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, the defence minister said that the process to appoint a new head of the armed forces would start on Monday.

    During the show, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader said that the change of command ceremony would be held on November 29. He also predicted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march would suffer a severe blow the day the appointment decision was finalised.

    COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the incumbent army chief, is set to retire later this month. On multiple instances, he has ruled out an extension in his tenure — and so has the military.

    Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the matter of the next army chief’s appointment would be settled in a day or two.

    “I believe the Prime Minister has completed this process (of consultation) and will bring it to paper, today or tomorrow or the next two days, [it] takes no time,” he said.

    “I will also request you that this is a matter of a day or two so don’t ask questions which can lead to unnecessary speculation,” he said, adding that “there is not a lot of time left to this decision and it will come before you.”

  • FIFA World Cup 2022: Female fans banned from wearing revealing clothes, could face jail term in Qatar

    FIFA World Cup 2022: Female fans banned from wearing revealing clothes, could face jail term in Qatar

    The FIFA World Cup 2022 is approaching and fans cannot wait for the first match on November 20 between hosts Qatar and Equador, which will serve as the event’s catalyst. Even though the hosts have received criticism for hosting the competition for a variety of reasons, there is a lot of excitement surrounding the World Cup.

    The major football World Cup is being hosted for the first time by Qatar, but it won’t be the last as several countries in the Middle East are vying to host it following the 2022 edition.

    The number of fans arriving in Doha for the FIFA World Cup 2022 would be staggering since 32 countries will be competing.

    However, there is some unfavourable news for fans, particularly the female ones from the UK, USA, and other nations. The female fans must refrain from donning too-revealing attire. They should be aware of the regulations in Qatar, where wearing revealing clothing is prohibited. Although FIFA’s website states that fans can wear whatever they want, they must respect local laws and cover any exposed body parts.

    The World Cup website states: “People can generally wear their clothing of choice. Visitors are expected to cover their shoulders and knees when visiting public places like museums and other government buildings.” The Sun reported that women travelling in Qatar are banned from wearing tight clothes and flashing their cleavages. It is also important to note that if the fans remove their shirts due to excessive heat, they can be spotted by the special cameras installed in the stadiums. 

    Chief technology officer Niyas Abulrahiman said: “We have high-resolution special cameras to zoom in on a particular seat and clearly see the spectator. It’s being recorded, so that will help us in any post-event investigation.”

    Those who disregard the clothing code are promised severe punishment, and serious violations may even result in jail time, according to The Sun.

    As alcohol importation is prohibited, supporters should refrain from buying duty-free alcohol, according to Daily Mail.

    During the FIFA World Cup 2022, a “sin tax” has been imposed on all alcoholic beverage sales.

    Swearing, public displays of love, and alcohol use outside of fan zones are all punishable by fines and arrests.

  • 7-year-old girl raped, murdered in Karachi; body discovered at construction site

    7-year-old girl raped, murdered in Karachi; body discovered at construction site

    The body of a seven-years-old girl who was raped and killed, was discovered on Friday from a construction site near Mengal School in the Muslimabad colony of Landhi in Karachi, Dawn has reported.

    Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur, while talking to Dawn, said that the girl had gone missing on Thursday around 2 pm while her body was found on Friday.
    He also said that before taking more legal action, the police will wait for the physician’s reports.

    Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, told Dawn that the body had extensive injuries all over the body, especially the head.

    To comply with legal requirements, the body of the minor was moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC).

    Almost 21,900 women were reported to have been raped in Pakistan from 2017 to 2021, Zahid Gishkori has reported for Samaa. The data has been compiled by SAMAA TV Investigation Unit (SIU) from the Punjab home department and Ministry of Human Rights (MoHRs).

    This meant that approximately 12 women were raped every day, or one every two hours, throughout the country.

  • Dubai-based watch company says they didn’t sell or buy Toshakhana gifts

    Dubai-based watch company says they didn’t sell or buy Toshakhana gifts

    Styleout Watches, a Dubai-based watch company, has rejected rumours about selling or buying Toshakhana gifts received by former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    Referring to the recent controversy regarding the luxurious Graff set which was gifted to Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Styleout watches released a statement, stating, “We certify that we never bought or sold the Graff Mecca Map diamond MasterGraff Tourbillon minute repeater watch along with diamond cufflinks and round diamonds gent’s ring, as well as rose gold pen set with diamonds to any person.”

    “We were approached by an undisclosed person, to market this watch using our Instagram page,” Styleoutwatches said, adding that any information about the watch being sold for USD250,000 is “incorrect and baseless”.

    The company said that they reserve the right to sue and take legal action against anyone using their name and their brand to sell and market the watch.

    “What we did do is we got it for promotion and marketing reasons,” they said, adding that they took the watch from an undisclosed person, took pictures and posted it on social media to create attention and hype in 2019.

    “Then, we returned the watch to the person and whatever happened before or after, we don’t know,” he clarified. The company requested the people to keep them out of the matter.

    Earlier, rumours were circulating on social media that Styleout watches had sold the watch for 250k USD in 2019.

    On Tuesday, Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how he had bought the Graff set from Khan. He had bought the branded set through former accoun­ta­bility minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said on the show that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.

  • ‘Do I reinstall Facebook or Snapchat?’ Twitter users concerned over rumours of site shutting down

    Twitter goes through upheavals since Elon Musk’s takeover of the social media app, users have expressed extreme apprehension over rumors the app will shut down.

    The bird app has announced that its office buildings will be temporarily closed, effective immediately and that offices will reopen on Monday, November 21.

    Twitter employees were informed about the closure in a letter, but the company withheld an explanation.

    The statement comes as rumours circulate that employees were leaving after the new owner, Elon Musk, told them to sign up for “long hours at high intensity” or quit.
    After the recent development, rumors of the micro-blogging website shutting down have taken hold of the micro blogging app.

    Twitter users are sharing their concern over the expected shutdown of the site while others are sharing usernames of their handles on other social media sites and some are sharing memes.

    Have a look at the reactions:

    https://twitter.com/servinghun/status/1593546957653508097

  • Intelligence reports that Imran may be attacked again, IHC says

    Intelligence reports that Imran may be attacked again, IHC says

    The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday said that intelligence reports have identified that there may be danger of another attack on Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Chief Justice of IHC, Aamer Farooq, passed the remarks during the hearing of two merged petitions — PTI’s plea seeking a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a protest sit-in in Islamabad and traders’ petition for ensuring the citizens’ rights to access the roads during the prolonged political demonstrations, reports Geo News.

    During the hearing, the police presented a report before the court, stating that there is a possibility of another bid on Imran Khan’s life during the protest.

    To this, the Chief Justice remarked that it is the government’s responsibility to address the issue.

    About the protest in Islamabad, Justice Farooq said the administration should take a decision on PTI’s request in accordance with the law and ensure that roads are not blocked. He also added that the government will decide on the venue for the PTI and where they can protest in Islamabad.

    During the hearing, the chief justice also noted the blockage of roads caused by PTI, stating, “You [PTI] blocked the GT Road, the motorway, and other important highways. You should also have shown some responsibility.”

    Earlier this month, the PTI chief survived an assassination attempt in Wazirabad during his party’s long march. Khan sustained multiple bullet injuries in his legs.

  • Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi murder lawsuit: Biden administration

    Saudi prince has immunity in Khashoggi murder lawsuit: Biden administration

    The Biden administration has said that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has immunity from a lawsuit over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a Saudi-born US resident who wrote critical articles about Saudi rulers in The Washington Post.

    A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said, “This is a legal determination made by the State Department under longstanding and well-established principles of customary international law. It has nothing to do with the merits of the case.”

    Moreover, the Justice Department of the country had “determined that defendant bin Salman, as the sitting head of a foreign government, enjoys head of state immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts as a result of that office.”

    After the news, Khashoggi’s ex-fiancée Hatice Cengiz tweeted: “Jamal died again today”.

    Earlier, lawyers for the prince asked in a petition requesting a federal district court in Washington to dismiss the case, citing other cases where the United States has recognised immunity for a foreign head of state

    In 2018, Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, an operation that US intelligence believed was allegedly ordered by the crown prince who has repeatedly denied involvement in the past.

    When the incumbent US President Joe Biden took charge of the presidency, his administration made clear the president would avoid direct engagement with the crown prince and instead focus on his engagements with King Salman.