Author: newsdesk

  • Pakistan’s removal from FATF grey list to help with its reputation and IMF’s next review

    Pakistan’s removal from FATF grey list to help with its reputation and IMF’s next review

    Experts predict that the country’s reputation would recover and it would get a credit rating upgrade from international agencies as Pakistan was taken off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list of nations under increased monitoring.

    According to Geo, the removal will allow Pakistan to smoothly complete the forthcoming review of the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility since the International Monetary Fund (IMF) used the execution of FATF action plans as a structural benchmark.

    Pakistan has been removed off the FATF’s “grey list,” as was to be expected, but the nation will continue to cooperate with the organisation and the Asia Pacific Group to strengthen its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) framework. FATF made this announcement following the conclusion of its two-day meeting in Paris on Friday.

    Fitch downgrades Pakistan’s rating to CCC+

    Yet on the other side, Fitch Ratings lowered Pakistan’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to “CCC+” from “B-” on Friday, which experts believe is bad news for the nation’s recovery from the mega floods. The reversal comes as the country’s fragile economy continues to face challenges from all directions.

    The company claims that sovereign states with a grade of “CCC+” or lower do not normally receive outlooks. The primary factors that contributed to a downgrading, according to the agency, were increasing liquidity and policy concerns.

    “The downgrade reflects further deterioration in Pakistan’s external liquidity and funding conditions, and the decline of foreign exchange reserves,” Fitch Ratings said. “This is partly a result of widespread floods, which will undermine Pakistan’s efforts to rein in twin fiscal and current account deficits.”

  • ‘No state, entity, individual has the right to decide’: Malala comes out in support of Iranian women protesting against forced Hijab

    ‘No state, entity, individual has the right to decide’: Malala comes out in support of Iranian women protesting against forced Hijab

    Nobel laureate and social activist Malala Yousafzai has shared a video message to show solidarity with the women of Iran who are protesting for their rights.

    “No state, entity, individual has the right to decide what a woman should do with her body, what she should wear and how she should wear,” said Malala in the video message.
    “To the Iranian girls and young women who are in the streets to demand freedom and safety: You are already changing the world with your courage,” she wrote in the caption of the video.

    “Zan! Zendigi! Azadi! Women! Life! Freedom,” she added.

    Widespread protests have taken hold of Iran since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old who breathed her last in September after being arrested by a police unit responsible for forcing Iran’s strict dress code for women. She was taken into custody for not complying with hijab rules.

    Mahsa Amini was beaten while inside a police van when she was picked up in Tehran. Photographs of Mahsa lying in a hospital bed went viral, showing the young woman in a coma with her head wrapped in bandages and breathing through tubes.

    Since then, protests have spread across the country, including Tehran, Mashad,  Esfahan, Rasht, Keramn, Chabahar and Sanandaj. Human rights agencies have said that over 244 protestors, including 32 children, have been killed by security forces while 12,500 have been arrested.

  • Shan Masood sustains head injury during practice session in Australia

    Shan Masood sustains head injury during practice session in Australia

    During a practice session for the T20 World Cup in Australia, Pakistani batsman Shan Masood hit his head, following which he was reportedly taken for scans.

    A shot from his fellow team member Mohammad Nawaz struck Masood on the head and left him lying flat on the ground.

    In the picture posted on social media, it can be seen that Pakistani players and team staff surround Masood after the ball hit him on the head.

    https://twitter.com/AvinashArya09/status/1583385034475507712?s=20&t=Ej07viUSpI65lxg0wxXn8g

    The team’s Vice Captain Shadab Khan told reporters that he passed the tests taken by the physio. He has gone to the hospital for scans. Shadab hoped that Masood will stay fully fit.

    The 33-year-old batsman is regarded as a technically sound top-order batsman and has hit two half-centuries for Pakistan in 12 T20s since his debut in September.

    On Sunday, Pakistan will face its arch-rivals India in Melbourne.

  • Azam Swati granted bail in case of controversial tweets

    Azam Swati granted bail in case of controversial tweets

    A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Friday granted post-arrest bail to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati in a case related to controversial tweets against Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

    Special Judge Central, Raja Asif Mehmood, announced the verdict today which was reserved a day ago. The court directed Swati to deposit surety bonds worth Rs10,000.

    PTI senator Azam Swati was taken into custody by the Federal Investigation Agenc’s (FIA) Cybercrime Wing (CCW) from his home in Islamabad on October 13 after registering a case against him over the tweets.

    In his concluding arguments, Swati’s counsel Baber Awan said that his client had used the right of freedom of expression through his tweet.

    Swati was tortured and humiliated during the custody, Awan alleged.

    After listening to arguments, the court reserved the decision and adjourned the case till today.

    Swati had tweeted, “Mr Bajwa congratulations to you and few with you. Your plan is really working and all criminals are getting free at cost of this country. With these thugs getting free, you have legitimised corruption. How you predict now the future of this country (sic).”

    Swati said that he was arrested for “taking one name — of Bajwa — and that is the violation”.

  • ‘Qanoon ke saamnay sar jhukay’: PM and others react to IK’s disqualification

    ‘Qanoon ke saamnay sar jhukay’: PM and others react to IK’s disqualification

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan under Article 63(1)(p) of the constitution in the Toshakhana reference.

    Article 63 (1)(p) of the Constitution states that an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”.

    According to the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration.

    A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, unanimously announced the verdict. The PTI chairman is no more a member of the National Assembly.

    The commission stated that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices in the reference.

    Following the announcement, Khan’s party leaders and the coalition government parties reacted to this major ruling.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said that PTI should refrain from violence and bow its head before the law.

    “The Election Commission did justice in the Toshakhana reference. The nation has seen that the post of Prime Minister has been made a source of personal income through corrupt practices. The idol of honesty and trust was shattered,” the premier added.

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz spoke to the media in London. She said, “Khan is Pakistan’s first certified liar with irrefutable evidence of theft.”

    She added that after this verdict criminal proceedings should start against Khan and he should be punished for his theft.

    Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that Khan has been caught “red-handed”. In a tweet, he stated: “He who would spread lies about the alleged corruption of his political opponents has been caught red-handed.”

    The former planning minister, Asad Umar, made an announcement, saying: “The decision will be challenged in court. The dream of ‘minus Imran Khan’ will never come true.”

    Umar’s party mate Fawad Chaudhry asked the people to come out of their houses for their rights.

    He called the ECP’s ruling a “slap on the face of 220 million people”.

    “Not just anyone cannot disqualify Imran Khan. Only the public can do that,” the PTI leader said.

    He alleged that today’s verdict was “written by Nawaz Sharif and signed by his servants”.

    Alongside him, PTI leader Shahbaz Gill said the PTI would approach “every forum” against the verdict. “Imran has been disqualified from just one seat, not politics,” he added.

    Minister for Climate Change, Senator Sherry Rehman, took to Twitter to say that Imran Khan’s disqualification case is no different as he is not the only one who has been disqualified.

    In a series of tweets, she said, “Those who claim to bring a neutral umpire want the umpire to decide in their favour, otherwise the decision will not be accepted.”

  • Son thrown into Nile river by his mother returns after 22 years

    Son thrown into Nile river by his mother returns after 22 years

    Unaware that he would come back as a young man searching for his father, a lady dropped her infant, named “Islam,” into the Nile River with the intention of getting rid of him.

    Although the incident took place in Egypt 22 years ago, it was recently made public.

    According to Egyptian media, the mother allegedly threw her son into the Nile River because he was an illegitimate child that she had with an unidentified man. He was saved by fisherman after she threw him and they took him to an orphanage where he stayed until he was a young man.

    After a number of years, the mother believed she had finally atoned for her mistake, but Islam discovered the circumstances surrounding his adoption and began looking for his biological parents.

    He ran into his aunt, who told him what his mother had done and showed him the way to her residence in Tanta. Islam went back to his aunt and stayed with her in her home because the mother had left as soon as she heard about his visit.

    He persisted in trying to find his father despite the mother’s repeated attempts to elude him and her threats to have him from her path, particularly when he received a call from an unknown person who revealed his parents’ identities to him.

    After finding his father, Islam claimed that his mother phoned him live on local television and expressed her want to see him.

  • ECP verdict: PTI Chairman Imran Khan disqualified

    ECP verdict: PTI Chairman Imran Khan disqualified

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), in a consensus verdict, disqualified former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman is no more a member of the National Assembly (NA).

    Khan is disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) for misdeclaration.

    Article 63 (1) (p) of the Constitution states that an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”.

    What happened today?

    A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, announced the verdict at the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad.

    The decision was taken unanimously by the five-member bench. However, the member from Punjab was not present for today’s announcement.

    According to the verdict, criminal proceedings will be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration.

    The verdict was announced amid tight security in the Red Zone where at least 1,100 police officials were deployed under the command of a senior superintendent of police to control the law and order situation in the area. The officer was assisted by five superintendents and six deputy superintendents of police.

    Ahead of the verdict, PTI leaders intensified their criticism of the ECP, repeating their allegations of the electoral watchdog being partial against them.

    What is the case?

    The ECP had reserved its verdict in the Toshakhana case on September 19 after arguments were completed from both sides. A five-member bench of the ECP, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case.

    In August 2022, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf sent a reference to the ECP under Articles 62A, 63A, and 223, seeking former prime minister Imran Khan’s disqualification in the light of the Toshakhana scam.

    The disqualification reference was filed by Ali Gohar Khan, PML-N’s Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, and five others.

    The 28-page reference identified 52 gift items of Toshakhana received by the former prime minister Khan, violating the law and rules, taken away at nominal prices and most of the gifts were sold in the market, including some precious watches.

    The assessed value of the gifts has been put at Rs 142,042,100. The gifts were received between August 2018 and December 2021.

    What is Toshakhana?

    Established in 1974, the Tosha­khana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.

    According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.

  • Japan’s consumer inflation hits 8-year high

    Japan’s consumer inflation hits 8-year high

    According to official data released on Friday, Japan’s core consumer prices increased 3.0 per cent year over year in September, the highest level since 2014 as households were hard-hit by the weakening yen and rising energy prices.

    According to Reuters, the statistic raises inflation considerably above the Bank of Japan’s long-term 2.0 per cent target, even when volatile fresh food prices are excluded. The central bank’s claim that the present rises do not yet fulfil its criteria for persistent price growth is supported by the fact that the figure was only 1.8 per cent when energy costs were excluded.

    The most recent data was in line with market forecasts, but when similar data was last seen, a VAT increase had artificially inflated prices. The rate of inflation in September was the highest in nearly 31 years, excluding years when tax increases had an impact on the rate.

    “The bulk of the price increases at the moment are rises in raw material prices,” while service prices associated with wages have not seen meaningful increases, Taro Saito, an economist at NLI Research Institute, said in a note released before the data.

    He projected that stabilising inflation in Japan will take longer time to achieve due to pay rises and rising service costs.

    The BoJ believes the present price hikes are related to extraordinary occurrences like the conflict in Ukraine, whereas other central banks have chosen to raise interest rates to combat skyrocketing inflation.

    It has persisted in its ultra-loose monetary policy and refrained from raising rates, claiming that the third-largest economy in the world has not yet attained the inflation target of 2.0 per cent that it believes is required to accelerate growth.

    The yen has fallen, especially against the dollar, as a result of the widening gap between the bank’s policy and other rate increases. The yen dropped to 150 versus the dollar on Thursday, the lowest level since 1990.

  • Mahenoor Soomro breaks silence on alleged wedding with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

    Mahenoor Soomro breaks silence on alleged wedding with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s marriage rumours with PPP leader Ruqia Khanum Soomro’s grand daughter, Mahenoor Soomro, has been doing the rounds since the last few days. The rumours started after multiple publications shared the news about their alleged wedding.

    However Mahenoor has now put an end to the speculation with a Tweet.

    https://twitter.com/mahenoor28/status/1583084725044154371?s=46&t=Gsmmf1nNBHTZ_-a21evLZA

    Soomro tweeted, “Kindly avoid spreading fake news regarding my marriage. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is my party leader and PPP is family to all jiyalas! Thank you.”

    Mahenoor Soomro’s family is involved in politics, and her forebears have worked for PPP.

    Mahnoor Soomro

    Last month, Bilawal faced questions about his marriage during his United Nations General Assembly visit.

    In a clip doing rounds on social media, a journalist of a foreign publication was heard asking Bilawal, ‘There are my Pakistani friends asking if you have any plans to marry.’

    Bhutto scion, who was seen in a jovial mood, answered the most-asked question. ‘Of course, I have plans to marry, he said hurriedly without delving into more details’.

    When the journalist asked about the exact time, PPP Chairman moved away, saying ‘I’m in rush’.

  • ‘I am the biggest fan’: Sargun Mehta reveals her favourite Pakistani dramas

    ‘I am the biggest fan’: Sargun Mehta reveals her favourite Pakistani dramas

    Bollywood and Pollywood actor Sargun Mehta has confessed about her obsession with Pakistani dramas in her latest interview.

    The Qismat star listed some of her all-time favorite Pakistani dramas in her recent interview. Her favorites were Meray Paas Tum Ho and Raqeeb Se.

    Was Humayun Saeed Satisfied With Mere Paas Tum Ho's Ending | Reviewit.pk
    Raqeeb Se Episode 22: The Brilliance of This Show Is Emotionally Exhausting - The Brown Identity

    She said,” I am the biggest fan of Pakistani dramas. I always keep a list and finish Pakistani dramas in three or maximum four days. My top of the list is Mere Paas Tum Ho, which I have already watched thrice. I love Raqeeb Se, the drama is ahead of its time and written beautifully.”

    On the work front, Sargun is gearing up for the release of Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne co-starring Diljit Dosanjh and Sohail Ahmed.

    Sohail Ahmed is making his Punjabi film debut in Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne - Film & TV - Images