Author: newsdesk

  • PM decides to form judicial commision to investigate the Arshad Sharif killing

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to form a judicial commission to probe the death of senior journalist Arshad Sharif. The judicial commission will be headed by a high court judge, Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb confirmed on Tuesday.

    “The judicial panel can also seek assistance from civil society and media in this regard,” she said.

    The government is required to keep journalist organisations on board while conducting an investigation by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Shoaib Razzaq had filed a petition in IHC, requesting the court that a judicial commission must be formed to probe the death of Sharif.

    According to reports, local police in Kenya shot and killed Sharif on Sunday night. A police statement afterwards expressed “regrets on the tragic occurrence” and said an investigation was ongoing.

  • US urges Kenya to investigate Arshad Sharif’s killing

    US urges Kenya to investigate Arshad Sharif’s killing

    On Tuesday, the United States of America urged Kenya to conduct an open investigation into the killing of Pakistani journalist and anchor person Arshad Sharif.

    “We’re deeply saddened by the death of Arshad Sharif,” said the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

    “We encourage a full investigation by the Government of Kenya into his death. It’s not entirely clear that we know all the circumstances at this point regarding what led to his death, but we do urge a full investigation,” the spokesperson added.

    “And it’s clear through his work that Arshad Sharif was dedicated to that fundamental right of freedom of expression – took him around the world. His work was known around the world.”

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday urged Kenya to ensure fair and transparent investigations into the murder of senior Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.
    Taking to Twitter, the Premier said that he had made a telephone call to Kenyan President William Ruto about the killing.
    “I requested him to ensure fair & transparent investigation into the shocking incident,” he wrote on Twitter.

  • Case of mistaken identity or assassination? Kenyan media raises questions

    Case of mistaken identity or assassination? Kenyan media raises questions

    Kenyan media is raising question on the death of Pakistani Journalist Arshad Sharif.

    “Was it a case of mistaken identity or was it a case of assassination of a journalist known as a sharp critic of the Pakistani government?” a television news report broadcasted on a Kenyan news channel asked.

    The report states that on the night of October 23, Arshad Sharif, accompanied by his ‘brother’ Khurram Ahmed, left a farm owned by his friend.

    At Kamukuru Road, the car he was travelling was shot at. The police statement admitted that they had opened fire on the vehicle, stating that the incident was a case of mistaken identity.

    The Questions the report asked:

    Did the police attempt to stop the vehicle and did the occupants defy the orders?

    Why did the police open fire even though the occupants of the car were not shooting at that time?

    Why did not the police shoot at the tyres to immobilize the car instead of using lethal force?

    Why did the police aim at the passenger and not the driver?

    Why did the police open fire when they suspected that a child was on board the vehicle that was reportedly carjacked?

    If the vehicle was commonly seen on that road then what caused the mistaken identity?

    How did the police confuse KDG 200M and a KDG 700F number plates? What was the colour and model of the vehicle that was carjacked?

    Arshad Sharif died on Sunday night in Kenya in a reported shooting incident. He was killed after being hit by a bullet in the head as his car crossed a police blockade. Admitting to the killing, Kenyan police has called it an incident of ‘mistaken identity’.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called Kenya’s President  William Ruto and asked for a conclusive investigation into the incident.

  • WhatsApp down: Users facing problems in sending, receiving messages

    WhatsApp down: Users facing problems in sending, receiving messages

    Numerous users are reporting problems with the app’s text-sending and receiving capabilities, which suggests that WhatsApp may be experiencing a glitch.

    The number of people reporting the outage of WhatsApp has sharply increased, according to Downdetector, a company that measures online outages throughout the world.

    With more than 6,000 reports posted online, Downdetector is reporting a significant increase. Users are upset since their messages are not getting through. The app does not indicate delivery status even when the messages are delivered.

    Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, and India, have reported the outage.

    Even Twitter users have expressed worries. In the meantime, the most popular hashtag on social media is “WhatsApp Down.”

    “We’re aware that some people are presently having problems sending messages, and we’re working to restore WhatsApp for everyone as quickly as possible,” a spokesman for Meta told media outlets in a statement.

  • Total volume of debt on Pakistan has risen to Rs49.2 trillion

    Total volume of debt on Pakistan has risen to Rs49.2 trillion

    The National Assembly was informed on Monday that Pakistan now owes a total of Rs49,200 billion.

    According to Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, as of June 30, 2022, the country had a domestic debt of Rs31,000 billion and an external debt of Rs18,160 billion.

    Indicators for the sustainability of the nation’s external debt further declined in the previous fiscal year, according to a report from the finance ministry, as a result of the government’s increased reliance on short-term loans from abroad and the risks associated with refinancing and rupee depreciation.

    For the fiscal year 2021–2022, the public debt indicators linked to debt maturity, currency risks, refinancing risks, and interest rate risks had gotten worse, according to the Annual Debt Review and Public Debt Bulletin.

    The Public Debt Management Office and the federal government did a dismal job, within a year, the overall public debt increased by Rs9.3 trillion, from Rs39.9 trillion to Rs49.2 trillion. according to Express Tribune.

    According to the finance ministry, currency depreciation caused an increase of Rs3.8 trillion as the exchange rate dropped from Rs157.3 to a dollar in June 2021 to Rs204.4 in June 2022. Budget finance requirements were the cause of the remaining increase.

    The proportion of external debt in the total public debt climbed from 34 per cent in 2020–21 to 37 per cent in the most recent fiscal year. It was approaching the 40 per cent upper limit.

  • Arshad Sharif’s body to reach Pakistan today, burial on Thursday

    Arshad Sharif’s body to reach Pakistan today, burial on Thursday

    The body of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was killed by Kenyan police on Sunday, will be transferred to Pakistan today, his family and government officials have confirmed, reports Samaa.

    The last remains of the senior journalist will first be transported to Doha, Qatar, and then and will arrive in Pakistan late on Tuesday.
    In a tweet, his wife Javeria Siddique has stated that he will be buried in Islamabad’s H-11 graveyard on Thursday.

    Arshad Sharif died on Sunday night in Kenya in a reported shooting incident. He was killed after being hit by a bullet in the head as his car crossed a police blockade. Admitting to the killing, Kenyan police has called it an incident of ‘mistaken identity’.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called Kenya’s President William Ruto and asked for a conclusive investigation into the incident.

  • Mother can get custody of child even after her second marriage, SC decides in landmark verdict

    Mother can get custody of child even after her second marriage, SC decides in landmark verdict

    A mother’s second marriage cannot be used as a sole justification to deny her custody rights of her children, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled on Monday.

    In a nine-page decision on the custody of three children, Justice Ayesha Malik noted that the Supreme Court has often ruled that the welfare of the minor, or the child’s best interest, is the most important factor to take into account.

    “The court’s jurisdiction in custody cases is in the form of parental jurisdiction which means that the court must consider all factors from the parents’ ability to provide for the child including physical and emotional needs, and medical care but also relevant is the parents’ ability to provide a safe and secure home where the quality of the relationship between the child and each parent is comforting for the child,” the ruling observed.

    “Accordingly, the concept of welfare of the child is an all-encompassing concept which will cover not only the manner in which the child has to be cared for but will also include the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the child.”

  • Saudi Arabia to set up $12 billion refinery, petrochemical complex in Pakistan

    Saudi Arabia to set up $12 billion refinery, petrochemical complex in Pakistan

    The government has convinced Saudi Arabia to resume a significant project to build a cutting-edge deep conversion refinery and petrochemical complex in Pakistan.

    A high-ranking team from the kingdom led by Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman will visit Pakistan in the final week of November, when a formal announcement is anticipated in this regard, according to a top official at the Energy Ministry.

    According to Geo, the Pakistani government reportedly made a tremendous effort to convince the kingdom to uphold the memoranda of understanding and invest in Pakistan. Riyadh and Washington are at odds over a reduction in the supply of oil on the world market, and Islamabad has thrown its support behind Riyadh in this dispute.

    Saudi Arabia signed MoUs in February 2019 during Mohammad Bin Salman’s visit to Pakistan for an investment of $21 billion in a number of economic sectors, including the $12 billion deep conversion refinery and petrochemical complex project.

    At this regard, the Saudi oil tycoon Aramco also carried out research, which concluded that building a refinery in Gwadar was not practical. However, the official claimed that it may be erected in Hub, Balochistan, or close to Karachi.

    Later, the insider claimed, when relations between Imran Khan’s administration and Saudi Arabia became tense, the kingdom’s top leaders essentially put $21 billion in MoUs on hold that had been inked in February 2019.

    According to the source, the Ministry of Petroleum is currently updating the draught for the refining policy in order to attract investment for the construction of new refineries.

    In addition to broadening the tax holiday’s application, the government is considering offering investors profitability at 14–15% instead of the 9% that was previously promised in the PTI administration’s plan for policy refinement.

  • Arshad Sharif 1973-2022

    Arshad Sharif 1973-2022

    Senior journalist and anchorperson Arshad Sharif died on Sunday night in Kenya in a reported shooting incident. His wife Javeria Siddique, confirmed the news.

    Arshad was born in Karachi on February 22, 1973.

    Family:

    Arshad Sharif’s father Commander Muhammad Sharif was in the Navy and died of a heart attack in May 2011. His younger brother, Major Ashraf Sharif, served in the army and was killed on his way to attend the funeral of their father in May 2011.

    Arshad Sharif has five children, one daughter and four boys. He was married to Journalist Javeria Siddiqui. Arshad Sharif’s mother is alive.

    Education:

    Arshad did his BA from Government Gordon Graduate College Rawalpindi. He did a degree in Business of Administration from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad. His Masters was in Media Studies from Ulster University.

    Career:

    He specialised in investigative journalism and covered many political events in the country for national and international news organisations, including in the United Kingdom.

    Sharif was the host of the programme ‘Power Play’ on ARY News. He served on AAJ News as News Director. Prior to joining AAJ, he was leading the news team of Dunya News as Director News, and was the host of program ‘Kyun’.

    In 2011, he worked in Dawn News as Bureau Chief in that capacity. His first media job was working for a weekly journal called Pulse.

    In 1999, he contributed to the publication as a writer, a reporter, and as the managing editor. In 1999, Arshad Sharif became a member of The News, and in 2001, he joined Daily Dawn.

    Awards:

    He was the recipient of Pride of Performance Award in 2019 by the President of Pakistan.

  • PM Shehbaz urges Kenyan President for fair and transparent into Arshad Sharif’s killing

    PM Shehbaz urges Kenyan President for fair and transparent into Arshad Sharif’s killing

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Monday urged Kenya to ensure fair and transparent investigations into the murder of senior Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif.

    Taking to Twitter, the premier said that he had made a telephone call to Kenyan President William Ruto about the killing.

    “I requested him to ensure fair & transparent investigation into the shocking incident,” he wrote on Twitter.

    Sharing more details, the prime minister said that the Kenyan president promised all-out help including fast-tracking the process of the return of the deceased’s body to Pakistan.

    Earlier today, Minister for Information, Marriyum Aurangzeb, visited slain senior journalist Arshad Sharif’s family to condole with them for their loss.

    Aurangzeb gave Sharif’s family her word that the government would not stop pursuing the matter until justice was served.

    “Sharif’s body has been positively identified. The Prime Minister has issued official directives for the interior __ to dig into the matter, tasking relevant authorities to repatriate the remains of the journalist as soon as possible,” the minister said adding that nothing can be said with certainty before Kenya’s official response to the matter.