Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistani rupee depreciates for the 5th day in a row, settles at Rs222.67

    Pakistani rupee depreciates for the 5th day in a row, settles at Rs222.67

    The Pakistani rupee (PKR) lost 0.12 per cent on Thursday in the inter-bank market, continuing its downward trend against the US dollar.

    The rupee dropped by Rs0.26 and ended the day at Rs222.67. The rupee has decreased by Rs1.25, or 0.56 per cent, over the last five trading sessions.

    PKR continued to lose value against the US dollar on Wednesday, falling Rs0.50 (0.22 per cent) to settle at Rs222.41.

    In a significant breakthrough on Wednesday, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) promised the Standing Committee on Finance of the National Assembly that action would be taken against banks by the end of the month for allegedly overcharging importers when establishing Letters of Credit.

    The SBP informed the banks in person about the practise and counselled them to rationalise the margins they were charging customers, according to information provided to the committee.

    Additionally, Pakistan’s external debt and liabilities reduced by $3.282 billion from $130.196 billion as of June 30, 2022, to $126.914 billion at the end of September 2022.

    The dollar recovered globally on Thursday as strong US retail data challenged the recent narrative that inflation is declining and US interest rates do not need to increase significantly more.

    The US reported overnight that retail sales increased 1.3 per cent in October, exceeding economists’ expectations of 1.0 per cent, a positive sign but one that dashed expectations for a pause in rate increases.

    The dollar index, which compares the value of the dollar to six important peers, increased 0.18 per cent to 106.46.

    A key indicator of currency parity, oil prices fell on Thursday due to easing geopolitical tensions and worries about Chinese demand, though signs of tighter supply, such as lower US inventories, provided support.

  • ‘There has never been truth to foreign conspiracy’: US on Khan’s allegations

    ‘There has never been truth to foreign conspiracy’: US on Khan’s allegations

    The United States (US) has once again reiterated that there has never been any truth to former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations of Washington DC orchestrating a regime change conspiracy to oust his government.

    “As we’ve previously said, there has — there is not and there has never been truth to these allegations, but I don’t have anything additional to offer,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in reply to a question during a press briefing on Wednesday.

    Patel was asked about Imran Khan’s recent interview in which he has said that he no longer “blames the US” for engineering the Vote of No-Confidence that resulted in his government’s ouster, and wants “dignified” ties with the country if he comes back to power.

    “The US values our longstanding cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests. That remains unchanged,” said Patel.

    “We support peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional, and legal principles. And ultimately, we will not let propaganda, misinformation and disinformation get in the way of any bilateral relationship, including our valued bilateral partner with Pakistan.”

    Read More: ‘It is over, I want good relations especially with the US’: Khan on his removal

    Referring to the alleged conspiracy which the former Prime Minister has insisted upon since April of this year, Khan said that “it was over”, in an interview with the Financial Times.

    “As far as I’m concerned, it’s over; it’s behind me. The Pakistan I want to lead must have good relationships with everyone, especially the United States,” he said.

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping scolds Canadian PM Justin Trudeau over media leaks

    Chinese President Xi Jinping scolds Canadian PM Justin Trudeau over media leaks

    Chinese President Xi Jinping scolded Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau in an on-camera dressing down at the G20 summit.

    Xi Jinping on Wednesday criticised PM Trudeau in person over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting at the G20 summit, a rare public display of annoyance by the Chinese leader.

    In video published by Canadian broadcasters, Xi and Trudeau can be seen standing close to each other and conversing via a translator at the summit on the Indonesian island of Bali.

    “Everything we discussed has been leaked to the papers. That is not appropriate,” Xi remarks.

    Speaking evenly and wearing a slight smile, he says: “And that’s not the way (our discussion) was conducted, was it?”. As Trudeau listens in silence, the Chinese President addresses him directly, “If there is sincerity, we can have conversations based on an attitude of mutual respect. Otherwise, the results will be unpredictable.”

    Xi then appears to try to walk past Trudeau, but the Canadian leader replies: “In Canada, we believe in free, open and frank dialogue, and that is what we will continue to have.

    “We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we disagree on,” he tells Xi.

    Raising his hands, Xi cuts him off, saying bluntly: “Create the conditions. Create the conditions.” He then broadens his smile, barely looking at Trudeau as he shakes his hand and leaves his counterpart to make his way out of the room.

    Neither the Chinese foreign ministry nor state media have published anything on talks between Xi and Trudeau. The two held a 10-minute informal meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Tuesday.

  • The Indian Dahmer? Man chopped his girlfriend into 35 pieces

    The Indian Dahmer? Man chopped his girlfriend into 35 pieces

    The murder of Shraddha Madan Walkar, a 26-year-old employee in a call-centre in Mumbai was murdered by her live-in partner Aftab Amin Poonawalla in India on May 18 has swept the country in a frenzy of outrage. Aftab Amin Poonawala had allegedly strangulated Walker to death after she demanded that he marry her and then chopped her body into 35 pieces in the Chhatarpur area of the India’s capital Delhi.
    Aftab has been arrested by the police.

    The police said that after chopping his 26-year-old girlfriend into pieces on May 18, Aftab bought a brand new refrigerator with a large storage capacity the next day and placed the pieces in it. To counter the stench, he lit incense sticks at his home. He has been accused of dumping parts of her body in trash sites and garbage dumps across the city.

    Who is Aftab Ameen Poonawalla?

    Aftab Ameen Poonawalla is a food blogger. Poonawalla used to manage a culinary blog named hungrychokro_escapades account on Instagram. There are several high-resolution images of many Indian and Chinese meals on the 28,500-follower account. Many of his blogs feature foods from well-known restaurants, while others discuss delicacies made at home. He identified himself as a food photographer, food & beverage consultant, and food photographer in his biography.

    One of his Facebook posts depicts support for LGBTQ+ causes. In June 2015, he changed his profile picture to celebrate pride.

    Some social media users have dubbed the alleged murderer “Dahmer” after the American serial killer who used to chop up his victims into small pieces which he then stored in his house.

    https://twitter.com/road_runner1234/status/1593125221279891457?t=bkIL9VH9dm_5pC7PiOkEXQ&s=19

  • Forced stabilisation of oil prices causes oil industry to face over Rs7 billion in losses: OCAC

    Forced stabilisation of oil prices causes oil industry to face over Rs7 billion in losses: OCAC

    Maintaining oil prices for the second consecutive fortnight could harm the oil industry and disrupt petroleum products supply. The oil industry claims that it has suffered a loss of over Rs7 billion due to the government’s plan to keep oil prices artificially low.

    The nation’s oil industry protested against the government’s “manipulation” of the pricing system in its most recent fortnightly review to keep ex-depot petroleum product prices the same for the next 15 days.

    “This forced stabilisation of oil prices at the cost of the industry is not sustainable and will severely impact the already crippled oil industry,” wrote the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) — an umbrella organisation of more than three dozen oil marketing companies (OMCs) and refineries — to the Ministry of Energy on Wednesday.

    Following political pressure from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the government declared on Tuesday that all product prices will remain unchanged. However, market participants, including Ogra, had predicted hikes in POL prices beginning on November 16.

    The oil sector claimed that the government was maintaining the rates in defiance of the long-standing pricing system. Over the next 15 days, the oil industry is expected to lose more than Rs7.6 billion as a result of the unilateral shift in pricing.

    According to the OCAC, the price freeze would result in losses for OMCs of Rs8.34 on each litre of petrol and Rs7.15 on each litre of high-speed diesel (HSD), totaling Rs7.55 billion.

    Even though the rates were rising in accordance with the pricing methodology set by the government itself, it claimed that the prices of motor fuels had remained the same for the second fortnight of November. Instead of passing on the increase or absorbing the increase by lowering the petroleum levy, it was claimed that the price components were “very forcefully and unjustly reduced.”

    “The industry is already facing a severe financial crunch due to high global prices, depreciation of the rupee, increased charges on confirmation of letters of credit, high premiums on import, etc and will not be able to survive if these unfair adjustments are not removed immediately”, the OCAC wrote to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the Petroleum Division.

    According to Dawn, inland freight equalisation margin (IFEM), a collection of transportation fees paid to OMCs, was decreased by Rs3.21 and Rs2.72 per litre on petrol and HSD, respectively, according to the OCAC. According to sources, the Ministry of Finance called the senior Ogra officials on Tuesday night to make these cuts.

    On gasoline and HSD, respectively, the exchange loss adjustment was also decreased by Rs3.01 and Rs2.11 per litre. Additionally, the long-awaited increase of OMC’s sales margins from Rs2.68 to Rs6 per litre was approved by the ECC on October 31. With another loss of Rs2.32 per litre on both products, the “revised margin for both products has not been incorporated in the prices.”

    Based on estimated sales volumes for the second fortnight of November from Ogra, the OCAC estimated a total loss of Rs7.55 billion, including Rs4.25 billion for petrol and Rs3.30 billion for HSD.

    The “forced price stabilization” could pose problems for the supply chain and jeopardise the industry’s survival, according to the OCAC, given the lower stock levels and higher import volume requirements.

  • KP govt amends law to allow official helicopter to be used by private individuals

    KP govt amends law to allow official helicopter to be used by private individuals

    A number of social media users claimed that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had enacted special legislation allowing for the use of government aircraft by private individuals, but it wasn’t clear whether the information was legit until Geo Fact Check verified it.

    Several Twitter users, on November 14, tweeted that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was implementing new regulations to permit Imran Khan, a former prime minister who is currently out of power, to continue using the official chopper.

    It turns out that the rumours making the rounds on social media are true.

    A bill to alter the 1975 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act has been drafted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

    The amended bill is named The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Second Amendment) Act 2022.

    According to the proposed legislation, a new section will be added to the original law, which reads:

    1. The chief minister may allow a minister, advisor or special assistant to the chief minister, public servant or government servant to use an aircraft or helicopter of the government at government expense.
    2. Any official aircraft or helicopter, subject to availability and with prior approval of the chief minister, can be used for private purposes, on payment of charges at the rate determined by the government from time to time.

    The bill, a copy of which is available at Geo Fact Check, also states that individuals who have been given permission by the chief minister to use an aircraft may bring along as many assistants, support workers, and other people.

  • Bride in India refused to marry after getting ‘cheap’ lehnga from Susraal

    Bride in India refused to marry after getting ‘cheap’ lehnga from Susraal

    A bride in India’s Uttarakhand region called off her wedding after receiving a ‘cheap’ lehnga from her in-laws.

    The woman broke up with her fiance just days ahead of the wedding, after her in-laws sent her a lehenga worth 10,000 Indian rupees. The groom’s father sent it to his daughter-in-law-to-be, however, the bride said she did not like it.

    After hours of heated discussion between the two parties, the subject was brought to the attention of the police, and it was mutually decided that the marriage should not take place.

    As per Indian media news reports, the boy and girl got engaged in June this year and the wedding was scheduled for November, for which the groom’s family had already got wedding invites printed.

  • ‘My family didn’t accept me, siblings bullied’: Trans starlet Alina Khan makes heartbreaking revelations

    ‘My family didn’t accept me, siblings bullied’: Trans starlet Alina Khan makes heartbreaking revelations

    Alina Khan, the transgender star of the award-winning film Joyland recently chatted with The Guardian over her journey as a transgender and the ban on the movie in Pakistan.

    Khan said she was rejected by her family when she came out as trans. “My family did not accept me, but neither did society.” She was told she embarrassed relatives, and her mother was constantly angry with her. “She would tell me not to make exaggerated hand gestures like a woman while talking, to sit like a boy and not be in the company of girls,” said Khan. Her siblings called her khusra – a derogatory term, which was originally used to refer to eunuchs but is also a slur against trans people. But as Khan said: “I had never met a transgender [person] in my life so did not know what they were like.”

    After she received global appreciation for her work, Khan’s family welcomed her with warmth. “They accepted me finally. They realised that I was not earning by begging or doing sex work,” she said.

    Joyland has been hailed on the festival circuit. It was the first Pakistani film to be selected as an official entry at Cannes in May, winning two festival awards and receiving a standing ovation in a packed Salle Debussy theatre.

    “Tears were trickling down my face while I continued smiling. I don’t know whether the tears were of joy, were for all the hard work that I put in, or for my struggles since I was a child and that continue,” said Khan, who made her screen debut in the short film Darling in 2019. “For the first time in my life, I felt my talent preceded my gender, I was given so much respect.”

    The Saim Sadiq directorial was banned last week by the Pakistani government. Canceling the film’s license, which puts its Oscars’ contention in doubt, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, announced: “Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which do not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality’ as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979”.

    Alina expressed her disappointment with the film’s ban in Pakistan, “I’ve been very sad. There’s nothing against Islam and I don’t understand how Islam can get endangered by mere films.”

    The 24-year-old added: “The Pakistani trans community was also very upset.”

    Set in Lahore, the film tells the story of Haider, a married man who joins a dance troupe and falls in love with the lead transgender dancer, Biba, played by Khan.

    Khan told the Guardian she adores Biba.

    Joyland film poster
    A poster for Joyland, designed by the Pakistani artist Salman Toor. Photograph: Courtesy of Alina Khan

    “She’s a badass, strong-willed, fiercely independent, dominating, outspoken woman, everything that I am not; I loved the role I played,” said Khan. When she was offered the role, she was relieved not to play an “oppressed” character “which is the life for most transgenders in Pakistan”.

  • ‘Rotten scooties, dirty’: Feroze Khan slams celebs who support ‘Joyland’, sides with Maria B

    ‘Rotten scooties, dirty’: Feroze Khan slams celebs who support ‘Joyland’, sides with Maria B

    Actor Feroze Khan has supported designer Maria B’s stance on the ban of the feature film Joyland. He compared her mindset to a Rolls Royce with a 100-year road life. The Khaani star dissed several celebrities who are supporting the film and termed them as “rotten scooties”.

    Khan tweeted, “Maria B’s mindset – Is like Rolls Royce 100-year road life while “other” you know who are like those rotten scooties. Push push no move, you dirty.” He also asked for the film’s ban earlier in an Instagram story.

    An order dated Nov. 11 from Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting says that the country’s censor board had granted a censor certificate to the film on Aug. 17. But it has since reversed the decision.

    “Written complaints were received that the film contains highly objectionable material which does not conform with the social values and moral standards of our society and is clearly repugnant to the norms of ‘decency and morality as laid down in Section 9 of the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979,” the order states. “Now, therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 9(2) (a) of the said Ordinance and after conducting a comprehensive inquiry, the Federal Government declares the feature film titled ‘Joyland’ as an uncertified film for the whole of Pakistan in the cinemas which fall under the jurisdiction of CBFC with immediate effect.”

    Joyland movie review: Beautifully told tale of soul-crushing patriarchy and LGBTphobia in Lahore-Entertainment News , Firstpost

    “Joyland” was due to release in Pakistan on Nov. 18. 

     Saim and his team members are raising their voices against the ban imposed by the government. Terming the ban a “grave injustice,” Sadiq, in an Instagram post, says that the ban is “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal” and has urged the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review the decision.

    Apart from the movie’s team, several A-list celebrities condemned the ban and extended support to the team.

  • Head of team investigating attack on Imran Khan changed once again

    Head of team investigating attack on Imran Khan changed once again

    The Punjab government has again reconstituted the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which was formed to investigate the November 3rd assassination attempt on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

    The team’s head has also been changed after the government appointed Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Ghulam Mehmood Dogar as its head. This is the third time that the JIT has been reconstituted, while its head has been changed for the second time.

    On Tuesday, Dogar paid a visit to Khan’s residence in Lahore. According to media reports, the CCPO Lahore was appointed on Imran Khan’s suggestion.

    Punjab government has issued a notification in this regard informing the appointment of Regional Police Officer (RPO) Dera Ghazi Khan Syed Khurram as a member of the JIT, along with Assistant Inspector General of the province’s investigation branch, Ehsanullah Chauhan.

    On November 9, a committee of the Punjab cabinet decided to establish a JIT to probe the attack.

    Mohammad Naveed, the suspect arrested by police right after the firing incident, has confessed to the crime. However, his insistence that he was operating alone has not been accepted by Imran Khan and his party.